A trip to the past

 Dear Marmite

I know you are in a bit of pain and now you need injections for your hips. I can imagine how stoically you will be taking this. You are in the very best hands and rest assured, you need not have any nightmares of me taking you on long walks. I am sending you loads of hugs long distance and you are in my heart. I love you, Marms.

In a brief interlude we had Spring over here and now we are back to rain and chilly winds. I wake up to grey skies. My daffs are dying back now so I have been dead-heading them. As you can see, life is much better where you are. On the upside, I check on my seedlings every day and they are beginning to pop through.

I have been out and about. I went to Milton Keynes Museum which shows what life was like in the old days. The rooms in the house look like any one of the family homes I used to visit with my parents when I was young. They even had things on display that I feel sure were in everyday homes back then. In a couple of the rooms were docents who were keen to empty all their knowledge on my friend, Yvonne and me. This was more than either of us could possibly want to take away. We were probably victim to the fact that weather had kept all but the hardiest away from this indoor / outdoor exhibit of everyday life.

I particularly liked an advert for women's "stuff" that would cure all unspecified women's ailments, most of which I can only imagine as they are alluded to. I think advertising has moved on a little these days - thank God. There was a mini-street reconstructed with shops selling stuff I also recognised. Maybe, just maybe, it is my age that makes all this so familiar!

A bit further back in time, I went to the British Museum with another old colleague / great friend from work. We did the Stonehenge exhibition. I have no first-hand knowledge of how these people lived. I am NOT that old, for sure. My reaction to the displays - Wow! My big takeaway was that the people back then travelled far and wide. They shared culture and were incredibly sophisticated. I do imagine however, that the travellers were the equilvalent of modern day jet-setters. I reckon the majority of the population didn't go far beyond the banks of their local waterway though.

At the moment I associate myself with the latter group. It was the first time I had been to London since arriving in 2020. I got up really early and caught a cheaper train. I cycled to Nasser's and left my bike there as his place is close to the station. This was all very exciting. After a lovely day in one of the best cities in the world, I got home well after 9pm, picked up my bike and set off for the tow path to home.

Just as I reached the path, my front light gave out so I put the rear light on the front to illuminate the way back. This was not a particularly successful remedy. Apart from the moon lighting bits of the path, most of the journey was under tree cover. I might as well have been blindfolded. As you can imagine, I wobbled a bit. I actually laughed - this is an odd reaction of mine to impending danger. At my age, I should have got this under control but alas, I haven't. Suffice to say, I got home, dry and in one piece so I lived to tell the tale. 

Since then, I have manged to do my first BBQ of the season - Danielle has COVID so they didn't come. Danielle is trying to compete with me for the number of times catching the virus... competitive as always - I'll show her! With the rising numbers that won't be a problem and I shouldn't make light of it. After all,

My hair is not lime green! I am braving the British Springtime

I am in the vulnerable category!

So. Marms, as you can see I keep myself busy. Not too busy to think of you my darling dog. Do take care, you are loved by so many people.

Love you

XXXX

Happy Equinox - we are there already!

 Dear Marmite

I have been really busy. I have been away on holiday. It wasn't a "Grand Tour of Europe" type of holiday, more a mini tour of the UK and I travelled with a very old friend from Stevenage. We had planned to do this trip in January but illness got in the way so everything was postponed until this week and I have only just got home - car is clean and sparkly after grubby motorway driving and the washing is drying in the garden. I really am back to normality. Oh how quickly we get back to our routines.

The main point of the trip was to visit Sammi in Scotland. That is a terrifically long drive so we planned a couple of nights in Newcastle en route. I had never been there before as I think I mentioned in my last letter. Looking back, I think the biggest take-away from my trip there was learning the link with Earl Grey - a Nelson-type monument stands in the city centre to commemorate his work against slavery. I knew about him from history but not that he was linked to Newcastle, gave his name to tea, or that he had such a big monument.

From the museum.. hello

We moved onto Edinburgh to meet up with some other old friends. We stayed on the waterfront in Leith and used public transport. What a wonderful place the whole of Edinburgh is. The Chambers Museum is amazing. I want to return just to see more and do Arthur's Seat. My friends were against the idea of walking up a hill as it was a bit miserable - the guide says it is about 2 hours walking which is nothing really. So that, Marms, is on my bucket list. 

The big dampener in Edinburgh was the hotel I booked. As it had to be re-booked the person on the front desk, who had little command of English and no grasp of the computer system either, refused to accept that I had booked even though I had emails showing I had paid. My first booking was £50 for B&B, then I had to top up for the re-booking. I had to pay 50p more just to get into the bedroom. She refused to read the emails from the hotel and got nasty with us. Customer Service Score minus 5. I personally was affronted by having to pay another 50p. Bloody cheek!

It was late. We gave up arguing and decided we would talk to the person on the desk in the morning. At least we had a bed to sleep on, which is more than I thought we were going to have at one point. Meanwhile the silly woman had cancelled our booking the night we arrived so the evidence was lost on their system. However, the hotel redeemed themselves and gave us a "complementary" breakfast which I had proof I had already paid for... errrrrrr. 

So onwards and upwards! St Andrews is a short hop from Edinburgh. Three nights on the road made it seem an easy trip. It was made even easier as we stopped at Anstruther for coffee. At this point Ann refused to embrace the joys of the Scottish weather said she wanted to have lunch in a cafe and not on the waterfront. I, on the other hand, rather wanted to take in the ozone and have my cobwebs blasted - C'est la vie.

I showed Ann around and to be honest there isn't too much of St Andrews. Three main streets, a couple of beaches, a uni and a golf course sums it up. What there is, is lovely. I was quite interested in the castle this time round as I had just read The Castillians - a novel set around the burning of George Wishart and the siege of the castle. The weather was mostly glorious - considering how far north we were. So many people were walking around with very few clothes on. I imagine they too had come from Newcastle where a lack of insulation is the norm. I felt we rather stood out with scarves and winter coats on!

If only you could have been there with us, Marms. You and Lucky are so much alike in so many ways. Lucky trails along; never too excited about anything. He seems to get looked after by everyone in turn. Even though he is younger than you, he keeps to your pace. To sum up all that happened in our whistle-stop tour to St Andrews - I saw my grandsons, watched a documentary about whale Communication, played and lost at table tennis, ate and drank with gay abandon; so now I am home I am going to have a few "good" days.. No wine, no eating out.

I always feel a little sad saying good bye but we still had Liverpool to explore. The city was bathed in sunshine and buzzing. I love the place even all these years later it has a special place in my heart. People talk across tables to each other and are so naturally friendly. Now it definitely looks loved and upmarket. 

My big downer on the holiday was a slow puncture which I didn't realise I had. The tyre pressure light came on when we left Ann's in Stevenage. I topped up the pressure in Newcastle and then again in St Andrews and then in Liverpool had a waking dream that my tyre was completely flat. It was. That was spooky and not the first time I had seen things in my head either. 

The latex repair stuff leaked out on the carpark floor. I cursed. Then the AA man came in less than 30 minutes. I am in love! He - John - was wonderful. He put a bung in the hole, phoned ahead to Kwik Fit and we were on our way. Kwik Fit didn't quite live up to it's name. It took two hours to get the wheel sorted. In that time we strolled up Lark Lane and round Sefton Park - another worthwhile excursion! Nonetheless, despite a long wait, we were on the road again and onwards to Stevenage. 

So now I am back and I can promise I have waved at everyone I know en route. They don't know that of course but I realise I know people spread far and wide around the British Isles. If they were reading this along with you, Marms, they would know who they are.

It leaves me to give you a big wave too, and hugs of course.

Love you

XXX

Chatty Daffs

 Dear Marmite

I am writing to you from Newcastle - a city far north from where I live. I am with an old friend and we are heading for Scotland and a visit to Sammi. I left my little home just a couple of days ago and said good bye to all the spring bulbs that are now out and bursting into flower in my garden. Last year a dear friend gave me some tete-a-tete daffodils. These are mini ones and they are making a magificent show around the garden. I like to think of them as being chatty daffs!

In the hopes that the spring flowers will be superseded but the seeds I have sown, I carefully prepared lots of pots at the beginning of March. I have my fingers crossed that some will come up but I did catch an old crow pecking away and sending soil and compost in all directions. Who knows what he managed to snaffle. My new hobby will most probably involve an airgun - watch this space!

Now I am  in Newcastle and this is my first visit. My first impressions are very mixed. Once I had driven round the city centre three times just to find the hotel and carpark, I felt pretty much au fait with the layout. It is not particularly large but it is difficult to navigate by car. After a drive from up south just finding the hotel added another 40 minutes. I asked Ann to read her phone map and to look for street names. I didn't realise how difficult this would turn out to be. She needed one pair of glasses for the phone and another to read road signs. Swapping between the two proved a hurdle. Besides this, there were roadworks that google didn't know about - Hey Google - you know nothing! The satnav system seemed slow as well. We only got to our destination after phoning up the front desk. My nerves were pretty much in shreds by the time we got to the hotel room.

So here I am almost ready to hit the town for our second day. Yesterday afternoon and evening we explored - walked over bridges, had lunch and generally soaked up the atmosphere. Today we hit the art gallery and tonight, the theatre. So many shops are closed. The Eldon  Garden Shopping Centre tags itself as being inspirational. Not so! There is grafitti everywhere - and not the nice stuff, rubbish is strewn in every nook and sadly even in this cold, damp weather, people are sleeping on the street.

In contrast to this, the architecture is magnificent. The new and the old blend beautifully and the Quayside is a delight even in a nippy breeze and drizzle. There are advertising hoardings telling the locals what "levelling up" means to them. Despite all the construction going on, I feel there is a long way to go. 

The locals are a hardy lot. I know it is early spring but wearing flip flops, shorts, t-shirts and not much else is a pretty brave thing to do even down south. There are lots of locals who walk the streets dressed this way. You Marms, would need your fur coat for sure.

I have been on my soap box about all that is wrong with the world. I am going to offer a place to a stray Ukrainian. It is the least I can do. At home I am taking cold showers and not using the gas hob in protest to where my gas supply might be coming from. If I hadn't had my holiday booked for such a long time, I would have probably postponed it. Unfortunately I am travelling by car so I need to use petrol. I do have a pang of guillt even though I am enjoying the trip. 

So, as they say, onwards and upwards, the day lies ahead. Missing you laods,

Love

XXX

Oooops a daisy

 Dear Marmite

At last the sun is shining and all is well with my little world. I wish the same could be said for all the people who are now homeless because Putin's ego has caused devastation and upheaval on a scale unthinkable. I have found it too much to listen to the news on the radio or read reports of the war in The Guardian. It is beyond my imagination the suffering he has created. Here I am in a green and pleasant land where my government has managed to sort just fifty visas for Ukrainians. Again, it is beyond comprehension how incompetent and callous this Home Office is. This is a war crime in itself.

I could go on and get really political. I won't Marms. I promise. I have pledged myself to not use my car any more than absolutely necessary and burn fuel that might have come from Russia and I am conscious of not using gas in the home any more than the minimum. I am taking my own little stand hoping that nothing I do will help the Russian economy. 

So, with the sun shining, I set off on my bike this morning heading for the swimming pool for a swim with Danielle and Ezra-Mae. I didn't get far. I fell off just outside my house - the gears got stuck and they wouldn't slip into the lowest ratio. Ooops a daisy! So there I was lying on the road with the bike by my side hoping that no one else would notice. 

I quickly recovered from my embarrassment, sorted out the chain and set off for the tow path. Luckily, I rolled and didn't fall heavily. No real damage done - the swim ironed out any possible niggles - I only did 1000m today as the main reason for swimming was play time in the baby pool for us Woolheads. 

Ezra-Mae - at thirteen months-  is a real waterbaby. She loves the water. She doesn't mind being splashed and she goes under without fussing. Danielle - proud Mum - and I sat chatting to the swimming instructor in the water and she said how many parents are really nervous about letting their children get water on their faces. I am glad that Danielle is chilled with Ezra-Mae. We spent some time pushing her back and forth on a float and then she slipped off and went under... ooops! No harm done!

I have also taken up a new hobby - of sorts. I went to my local village hall for a table tennis club the other evening. As you know, Marms, I have only really ever played with my children so I am not particularly good. Surprisingly, I managed to hold my own with the gentlemen of the village and am looking forward to going along again. Danielle said she would join me and tell the others that she had only really ever played with me - her Mum. I should get Sammi to join as well - although anyone playing him needs nerves of steel and the ability to duck quickly.

Talking of ducking... I planted seeds and shrubs in my garden. After all the digging I swept up and thought how neat it was. Later that day, I found bits of earth all over the paving slabs. The culprit, I later found, was a mighty crow who was systematically digging up the seeds from the tubs. Now I'll be surprised if anything comes up. I am prepared to throw things at birds who undo the good that I have done. They had better learn to duck! I have included a picture of my front garden with the new stones in. It was taken from my bathroom window so it is a bird's eye view.

So Marms, planting seeds, setting off cycling  - all signs that better weather is here. 

I am sure you would love it - especially with that thick coat of yours

Love you as always

XXX

I write when I can

 Dear Marmite

All last week I really didn't have much to say. Here it was mostly rain and I did the same mundane things that really aren't worth mentioning. This week, however, has been a whirlwind of excitement by comparison. 

It is March! Yay, I have planted seeds and nipped or lopped bits and bods in the garden already. This I have on good authority is what you need to do at this time of year. Most things are showing signs of life. I am a little concerned how early my bulbs have come up but I notice it is the same everywhere. The tree which Sammi hacked at last Christmas doesn't appear to have done much though. It is not a big garden so it is easy to keep an eye on progress.

Last weekend I set off across the village with a wheelbarrow to pick up some free rocks from a house up the road. They were dismantling their pond and I needed some rocks to create some relief in the patch at the front. Both parties are happy with the exchange! My back didn't enjoy the experience though. For my efforts, my front garden looks just a little better and with all the rain, it is looking green. My olive tree survived the winter so all is well out in the front too. Looking forward to a lush-looking patch in the near future with splashes of colour.

Despite the weather, I braved the elements and made it to a few pub quizzes too. I am part of a wonderful group of really smart people who tolerate my getting the odd one right. The other night I got the tie-breaker which meant we took home the winnings. Over here, winning means a few pennies in prize money which keeps me in drink. How good is that?

I have also had my first experience of the WI. A lady in the village asked if I could give a talk about my travels so I put together a slide presentation about Syria

and did my best. After all this time not standing up in front of a large group. it all came back to me. Verdict -  they were lovely ladies and only one fell asleep while I was talking so I'll take that as a success. Apparently, I might be doing the same talk for another local WI sometime in the future.

So Marms, I leave the best to last -  Cambridge. Naturally it rained all day. That is what it does here. Dearest Margy organised for Peter, Karl and myself - all ex BC -  to meet up for a day in Cambridge and a trip to Kings College Chapel for Ash Wednesday Eucharist. Margy's son, Matt is one of the choristers. It was lovely to catch up with people from Singapore - just like old times - and also to feel a connection so far from where we all used to be. 

We managed a quick tour of a couple of the galleries at The Fitzwilliam - armoury and china. On our wanderings, a couple of questions came to mind: firstly how strong the knights of old had to be to wear the metal cladding and also to wield incredibly heavy weapons as well, secondly - would I have known that certain bits of pottery were valuable if they weren't behind glass? I am sure I wouldn't have.

The service at Kings was a religious experience - beyond words. I felt the music in my chest, the incense added to the atmosphere and the sermon was a step well above anything I had heard from a pulpit before. A wonderful day all round - I'll keep that safe in my memory.

You are always a part of my thoughts though. 

Love you as always

XXX