Saturday 28 July 2018

Catch Up on The Heat, Family Time, Local History & A Good Read

LIFE:  9th -28th July 2018

A catch up on my activities,  following a cataract operation, done for various reasons,  under a general anesthetic.  I am pleased to say it went well  and Borders General Hospital staff I could not fault. My  left eye distance vision is miraculous - everything is so vivid.   But I have to wait six weeks for things to settle,  before I can get new glasses, so things still  remain  rather blurred at the moment with my old specs.  

THE HEATWAVE CONTINUED 
One day of light rain  in five weeks and we are sweltering this week, with temperatures around 75F here and much higher down south, breaking all records.  Nothing compared to a friend in California who is coping with temperatures reaching 100F!

The "boys"  (Nh.  guinea pigs Chocolate and Marshmallow) were finding it much too hot and had to be taken inside to cool down.



A SMALL FAMILY GET-TOGETHER 
"Little"  brother and sister in law came up from the south of  England, so we had a lovely family get together including a buffet lunch and a walk by the river. .

Brother and sister many years ago!

KEEPING YOUNG 
Nh. for three days this week -  good that she could spend time with her only great uncle on Monday;  Tuesday was a baking day of brownies and cup cakes, plus a walk in the woods (a scramble  on Nh's part up & down slopes and over logs} whilst I followed sedately  behind with eyes skinned for the hazards of tree roots and big stones on the path;  Wednesday was a Melrose library visit, where she enjoyed choosing three books, followed  by an ice-cream and visit to the apple orchard in Priorwood Gardens, where the chance to climb a tree was too tempting for Nh.;  plus back home some water  play when she cleaned out our little lily pad water feature in the garden.   You can tell she is an active, country girl,and not a girly, "all things pink" child.  but she keeps me active - I'm exhausted in the nicest possible way! 


GREEN FINGERS TO THE FORE
A  return in my energy levels, so had a grand session on the garden, before it got too hot - grass cutting, edges, weeding, feeding.  The garden tubs at the front of the house are the best I have ever had.  


AULD EARLSTON ACTIVITIES  
The blog post  on "Memories of an Earlston Land Girl" has had a great response.   I have managed to get on with items for our October exhibition where I am pulling together material on how the village was affected by the two world wars.  The British Newspaper Archive online is invaluable for information and it is great that the small weekly Border newspapers are indexed there.  

    Land Girls gathering in Earlston for work on local farms  
during the Second World War.

GOOD READS
Fighting on the Home Front:  the legacy of women in World War One, by Kate Adie 

A vivid, compelling, readable account of how during the First World War, women came out of the shadows of their domestic lives to play a a part in the fight for victory - as munitionettes, as land girls, nurses, nursing, lady police,  in  fund raising, charity work, and entertainment, plus providing auxiliary support for the armed forces. 

Written by Kate Adie, former BBC war correspondence, she draws on her family  in Sunderland for many of her anecdotes and concludes with  an assessment on the achievements of these pioneering  women and their legacy for the future.   

Points that struck me - that on the outbreak of war, there was already an “army” of society women with influential connections, who were experienced  in organization and fund raising for charitable causes; new to me the role of Flora Sanders from Poppleton, York (where I lived for four years), as a serving soldier in the Serbian Army; the rise of the Women’s Institute in breaking down the isolation of farm workers’ wives and extending their horizons; the petty, patronising focus (e.g. on dress) adopted by the military chiefs on women taking on auxiliary roles, and the intransigence of the Church of England to granting women increased involvement in church life - it was to be 80 years before the first women priests were ordained in 1994. Highly recommended for anyone interested in social history and the pathway to female emancipation.

ON THE BOX
So pleased to see the return of two of my favourite  TV programmes  - WDYTYA (Who Do You Think You Are)  and University Challenge - I am lucky if I can answer five questions, usually on history and classic literature, but I still enjoy it under the genial  chairmanship of Jeremy Paxman - even better this week, Glasgow University beat Emmanuel College, Cambridge in a close contest. 


TENNIS WAS TERRIFIC 
It seems ages ago already, but I timed my convalescence well   with the second week of Wimbledon tennis,  heading for the finals, including the longest match ever whcih lasted six  hours  and went onto 26 games in the fifth set - the only sport I really  follow and Wimbledon beats all other championships - I do like to see the players wearing all white against the green grass, rather than the black, grey or purple you see at other grand slams. which seems quite slovenly by comparison.   

THE WEATHER IS CHANGING
Only 64F today (July 28th)  and a light breeze, so much cooler, and a few short showers,puncturing the sunny periods,   but nothing like the thunderstorms and heavy rain in England.   But the hot weather is due to return!

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Journal Jottings   
  Recording my everyday life for future family historians  

Developed from the "Genea-Pourri" prompt  on Randy Seaver’s blog Genea-MusingsI I decided to change his title for my own version of this weekly online diar.

Tuesday 10 July 2018

A Theatre Visit, More Scarecrows, & Flowers are Blooming

LIFE 3RD-8TH JULY 2018

"It's Too Darned Hot"! goes the song from the musical "Kiss Me Kate" - and that was the weather this week - not that I am really complaining, as it is so unusual to have such a good long spell of all day sunshine.   The only gardening I did was to water the plants. 


KISS ME KATE
An all singing, all dancing cast, full orchestra,and an impressive staging of the musical at Edinburgh's Festival Theatre in front of a packed, very appreciative matinee audience - bright, breezy, escapist entertainment at its best. And I cannot get out of my head the star numbers  for me "Another  Opening, Another Show" and the foot tapping  "It's Too Darned Hot". 

I always enjoy our city theatre visits with a friend, with a  leisurely lunch beforehand at our favourite Italian restaurant.  The streets were very busy, and however much I like going up to the city, I love the feeling of leaving it behind when we head home over the Border hills - the countryside at its best.   


GEORGEFIELD WALK  
I was crazy enough to take a longer walk than usual in this heat, largely because I wanted to do something different. I enjoyed it but the idea of taking photographic views over the village was thwarted by the height of the hedgerows. I was glad to sit down and take a breather - and have a drink - once I got back to the square.   

                                         Looking north from Georgefield 

MELROSE IN BLOOM 
More photographic joy in Melrose with the town sprucing up for its Scotland in Bloom entry.  

 Priorwood Gardens 





MORE SCARECROWS AROUND THE VILLAGE
Civic Week's Scarecrow Festival really captured the imagination of the community  and here are more examples of resident's ingenuity and fun. 



                  

 

TELEVISION
Hotel Inspector - I like watching this programme, with my former tourism hat on, where "the hotel inspector" goes into failing hotels, and  bed & breakfasts and advises on the way forward - though I could do without her need for swearing so much. A "first" came with her very truncatted winter visit to the Borders which I was looking forward to.  The new laid back owners  decided very quickly they did not want her advice - and so "cheerio" - having presumably agreed to participate and have the TV crew etc. up there.

Even Wimbledon, for once, hasn’t captured much of my attention, with no Andy Murray to support.  However I saw Kyle Edmond win - but lose in the next round against Djokovic.

DERBYSHIRE DELIGHTS
G. has been down in Derbyshire for the week, staying in a converted small barn on a farm - had a wonderful time, and has regaled us with lots of photos from visits to the National Memorial Arboretum on Armed Forces Day, Chatsworth House, Alton Towers and the National Tram Museum.   


                                A Bakewell Tart from Bakewell, Derbyshire


SOME COMPUTER HASSLES  
Kept getting a message on my main computer  that my server could not send e-mails and to "please contact your  server provider. "  I could not face dealing with BT India, so turned instead to my I Pad and everything was working fine there.  By the next day full service was resumed  on the main computer which I need to send attachments.  So much relief! 

But then I realised my charger for my I Pad was broken - my fault in trying to use it whilst charging on a short flex which pulled out and broke at the connection.  So a quick trip the next day into Galashiels to get a replacement.  I am far too dependent on my I Pad these days - and to think G  wondered if I would make much use of  it when she and N.   gave it me for my birthday! 
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Garden Blooms 

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Journal Jottings   
Recording my everyday life for future family historians
 


Developed from the "Genea-Pourri" prompt  on Randy Seaver’s blog Genea-MusingsI I decided to change his title for my own version of this weekly online diar.


Sunday 1 July 2018

War Time Drawings, A Musical, Scarecrows & the Heatwave Continues

LIFE: June 18th-24th 2018

The fortnight began with dull grey days, until a wonderful return of the good weather with sun at 8am and sun at 8pm  - and for us very hot,  82F some days, - and we are flagging a bit in the heat.  Lovely, though to put on rarely worn light summer clothes and to go out at 9am, without thought of a cardigan,. fleece or jacket.  

GATHERING MORE WW2 MEMORIES 
Met K. who  was a child in the war, to gather her memories for our next Auld Earlston exhibition. She  remembered the Czech army officer who was billeted with the family He was a talented artist and left the  family  a beautiful little pen and ink drawing  Charles Bridge in Prague, and a water colour of the view from their house onto the White Hill in Earlston.  After the war, he emigrated with his famiy to Canada,and there has been no contact since 1965. 



K. has asked if I can trace any of his descendants to let them know about the drawings - so I have put my family history research hat on,  and  have got some leads to follow up, thanks to very helpful input from Canadian genealogists.

Sound, Sounds, Concert, Culture, Light  
LES MISERABLES - THE HIGHIGHT OF THE WEEK 
Earlston High School's performance was brilliant, impressive  and moving -  the singing, acting, staging, choreography, and the 20 piece orchestra. Hard to credit that this was by students, no older than 17.
 




BLOGGING  
"Memories of a Land Girl" has had a great response in terms of page views and has boosted my confidence with the Auld Earlston blog. 

G. is down in Derbyshire on holiday and today is visiting the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire where Armed Forces Day is being marked.  She e-mailed me this lovely  memorial to the Land Girls.



A SHOW OF SCARECROWS 
Earlston Civic Week began this weekend, and businesses and households were asked to take part in a Scarecrow Festival, with strange figures making an appearance around the village.  A great photo opportunity, but too many to show here, but take a look at this sample of  people's creativity and ingenuity. 

                                                Outside the Black Bull pub.



 Outside the Health Centre 

 More images on my  general Facebook page HERE 

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Journal Jottings   
Recording my everyday life for future family historians
 
Developed from the "Genea-Pourri" prompt  on Randy Seaver’s blog Genea-MusingsI I decided to change his title for my own version of this weekly online diar