Do you recall the old cop show dramas and series where a suspect is allowed one call to their lawyer? I’m sure that is nothing more than a plot device but I thought I would take that idea for this post and run with it, so to speak.
If there was one phone call you could make to anyone, who would it be and why? What would you say? You can go backwards or forwards in time.
Gran enjoys Christmas Day, 1973; Barry and family join her and, to her great satisfaction, the day starts with Church at Compton:
Barry and I took the little boys and were joined by Julian at the Church gate just before we went in at eight o’clock. It was overcast and rather murky outside but the Church looked beautiful and the Service was taken by the Bishop of Southampton. The boys were very good and, as Mr Ovenden was seeing people away afterwards I introduced him to Barry, Julian, Geoffrey and Robin and felt very proud of them. I returned to the business and excitement of the Day with renewed heart and spirit.
Presents are opened, distant family members telephoned and, Gran writes, “… as we celebrated afterwards, Barry announced that Ricky and Beverly are soon to become engaged and everyone was delighted for them. The dinner was a great success”.
Among the events mentioned in Gran’s journal, summing-up her year on its last day – “… a trying one for our dear Country”, she says, referring to strikes and, oil shortages, she writes that:
The Grandchildren continue to be a great joy to me, and Julian has become a full International Athlete and an Oxford Blue. Now at the close of the year, Ricky is engaged to Beverly, whom we all like very much. I have only seen one new bird this year, the Pectoral Sandpiper, but Brother and I have had some very pleasurable outings together.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 142)
Just a quick post from me this week to flag up my cyberlaunch for my second book from Chapeltown Books, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, on Saturday, 10th October 2020.
I’m holding this event on Facebook from 7 pm to about 9.30 pm. Would love it if you could join me. (And if you can only pop by for just two minutes, you’ll still be most welcome!).
The lovely thing about online launches? No worries about social distancing etc! And they give an author a chance to celebrate the fact their “baby” is seeing the light of day!
See https://www.facebook.com/events/1246876649024453 for more details. Meanwhile I am delighted to share a link to my book trailer. I share one of my stories from the new book here – Time For Some Peace.
[Read more…] about LOCAL AUTHOR CYBERLAUNCH NEWS – ALLISON SYMES – TRIPPING THE FLASH FANTASTIC
The Summer of 1973 passes for Gran, sixty-nine years old on July 22nd, with little change from a routine that includes an outing with Norris every Wednesday; tennis, at least weekly, which sometime does and sometimes does not exacerbate pains in her various joints – especially one hip; gardening; knitting; letter-writing; delighting in the receipt of stamps and first day covers from overseas; monthly visits from the new Rector of Compton, Mr Ovenden, to administer Communion; preserve-making, including gooseberry, and blackberry and apple jam, and enjoying hearing about the activities of her family. Ricky, she says, leaves school, is awaiting A level results, hopes for a career flying helicopters and will spend some time birdwatching on Fair Isle in September. Julian, amongst many other athletics exploits, qualifies for the final of the 5000 metres in the World Student Games, held this year in Moscow. He finishes fourth and the winner sets a new Student Games World Record.
Jane and Stuart, the Brenans, visit The Ridge and they spend much time with their children, Katie and Andy, down at the Lake. Barry, Jane Elizabeth and their boys, Geoff and Rob, are in Orkney for the summer holidays, from where, Gran writes, “they sent me an Orkney silver brooch – a deer – made by Ola M Gorie, a real piece of native craft which is really delightful”, and they enthuse about finding quantities of Scottish Primrose “which I have never seen”, she adds ruefully.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 141)
Bulbs glorious bulbs. Now is the time to buy and plant bulbs for spring displays. Life might not be back to normal but at least we can add some colour and enjoyment to our gardens. Why not think about adding some pots of winter colour, such as heathers, pansies, violas and cyclamen.
It is always the season to be enjoying books of all kinds but from now to the 24th December is the “big push” for the Christmas market. What with delays in publishing due to You Know What, recent news has been of 600+ books published in one day.
According to a recent article I read, that figure is up by about one-third from what usually comes out in early September. Not a good situation but the publishers are contractually obliged to produce and the inevitable delays meant there would have to be a catch-up time at some point.
This time of year is the big money earner for the publishers. And it makes sense. What is nicer than being cosy at home with a lovely new book to read? (Answer: being tucked up at home reading an old favourite…! Yes I know!).
I am happily preparing for a party at the moment – an online one to celebrate the publication of my new book, Tripping The Flash Fantastic.
Date For Your Diary: Saturday, 10th October 2020
Time: 7.00 pm to 9.30 pm
Venue: Your computer, laptop, I-Pad etc at your home!
Link for Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1246876649024453
(Can’t beat the convenience here! No traffic hold-ups. Just a good internet connection needed which you hopefully should have anyway!).
In my last post I extolled the benefits of my new fitness watch – mainly in accurately measuring the distance and time of my runs, but a few other (less important) features as well.
But the data doesn’t have to stay on the watch. I can upload it to web-based applications and, Oh wow! What a plethora of fun and procrastination that opens.
For example, I can view pretty-coloured graphs that track my daily health and fitness, such as movement and heart rate and progress towards daily step goals. [Read more…] about Living with a Fitness Tracker – Part 2
So, as pondered in an earlier post, I decided to treat myself to a fitness tracking watch. I justified the expense (both to myself and to Mrs Chippy) on the basis that it was less than half the money I was saving on fuel by working at home. I didn’t really need to justify the expense to Mrs Chippy at all; within a few days she had bought herself one too!
I have to say, I am impressed. Obviously, it tells me the time and date – it is a watch, after all – but it will also fairly accurately track how far I run, walk or cycle – it’s even clever enough to work out what type of activity I am doing. [Read more…] about Living with a Fitness Tracker – Part 1
In this bit of nonsense, I have included each of the NATO Phonetic Alphabet codewords …
Last November, alpha male Mike and his Zulu boyfriend Charlie took a holiday at the famous golf hotel in Lima. Wanting a break from the game, they took a drive through the delta, up into the sierra, where they heard the famous echo. In the evening they were joined by their yankee soldier friend Victor (who was in uniform) and his Papa.
They all went to the theatre where they saw Romeo and Juliet (it was an Oscar-winning performance – ‘Bravo’, they cried) and then went dancing, first the foxtrot then the tango. [Read more…] about A Romantic Romp through the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
On April 13th 1973 Gran needs an eye test and takes the bus into Southampton. She says, with relief:
The eye-test was very satisfactory, with no deterioration in my sight since 1970, and I called in hopefully to Martin’s to see if my binoculars were back yet, and they were! So I am fully equipped again now. My knee was extremely painful and I was glad to get into the ‘bus.
And on the following day:
I took my swollen knee to the Doctor this morning and he said it was synovitis which was causing trouble. I am to bandage it firmly and rest it as much as possible, but, as usual, I can do my household chores except for kneeling! Well, I am going out with Brother for the day tomorrow…
The outing is to Dibden Bay, where she and Norris meet up with a British Naturalists’ Association (although Gran continues to call it the British Empire Naturalists’ Association) group in the afternoon. The first Swallow of the year is noted in Baddesley Road, followed by a singing Blackcap, Crossbills and a drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the Forest. Car parking at Dibden proves difficult, “People with binoculars were everywhere”, Gran complains:
… but they were not birdwatching. The Queen Elizabeth II was sailing from Southampton for a cruise to Israel, and such is the present political situation between Jew and Arab that aeroplanes and helicopters were flying round and watching for anything unusual. But our eyes were for birds, and the disturbance around left us few to see.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 140)
Murphy’s Law has struck again for this writer! No news (publication or otherwise) for a while and then lots all at the same time!
[Read more…] about Local Author News – Allison Symes – New Book, New Anthology, New Zoom Event!
Romsey Plaza Theatre launched its first ever CrowdFunding event this Monday to raise money to cover its box office losses due to Covid.
Over the past 6 months, the Plaza has been closed and we have had virtually no income. We need your help to ensure that the Plaza is able to continue covering our basic overheads. In conjunction with the Theatres Trust and their #SaveOurTheatres initiative, we have started a crowdfunding campaign to raise the funds which will make sure that our theatre continues to operate safely through the lockdown and for years beyond. [Read more…] about #SaveOurTheatres – Plaza Theatre Romsey
I talked about lessons from school, learning to drive etc., last week. This week I’m going to look at what I have learned from writing and how that has developed life skills too.
[Read more…] about Lessons – Part 2 – Lessons Learned from the Writing Life
Lessons are a big part of life. Some we love, others we loathe. In this two-part series, I thought I’d take a look at how lessons are an ongoing thing. We’re just not always conscious of it. I’ve learned so much from writing which has helped directly not only with that but with life skills too.
So let’s start with the obvious then.
Overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials can be divided now. This will invigorate them and improve flowering and overall shape. Lift the clump and split the outer area of the clump, discarding the centre which will be the oldest part of the clump.
Don’t worry if you are not able to do this now, some can wait until next Spring, just make a note of which ones need attention.
Continue to deadhead plants to prolong the display. Why not treat yourself to some Spring bulbs that you can scatter around the garden or put into pots to give some brightness at the beginning of next year.
[Read more…] about Wellie’s Gardening Tips for September 2020
Many Greek Migrants had joined the ship at Piraeus, headed for Australia and New Zealand.
After Suez, this led to an additional source of entertainment every day, in the form of Greek Dancing in the Ballroom. Most of the participants were, of course, Greeks, but lessons were also provided by Greek instructors for Non-Greeks who wanted to learn. Such dances as the Sirtaki, which featured in the 1964 film, Zorba The Greek, were most popular. That particular dance featured in Greek Restaurants in Perth we discovered.
Also after leaving Suez, a School was set up for Non-Greek kids, and a creche for the toddlers. The School was staffed by volunteers with teaching experience, and the creche by willing mums … this was great for the kids, and, unlike home, it wasn’t compulsory, so they loved it! [Read more…] about My Love Affair with a Beautiful Lady – Part 3
It’s an afternoon in August and, after the morning’s continuous rain, my wife and I have been out for a brisk walk around the wooded roads of Brownhill, Merdon, Lake and Lakewood. It’s warm and the overpowering sweet smell of Scots pine and Douglas fir pervades the landscape. There are still large numbers of conifers among the mature oak trees where they were once a dominant species.
I first moved into Lakewood Road in 1955 when the woodlands prevailed; the area to the west of the Lake was a pine forest through which I regularly went horse-riding. It is now, tragically, an inaccessible tangle of overgrown species – but that’s another story!
At that time, in the rectangle of land formed by Hiltingbury, Hocombe, Lakewood and Hursley Roads, there was little development, the oldest house being our neighbours’ house,The White House, the land for which had been acquired in 1908. The area was woodland and heathland. I galloped across this land frequently and, like many other boys, rode my bike aerobatically over ‘the bumps’ behind the present Ashdown Road.
As a young boy, I had that wonderful sense of freedom, space and adventure. The land was ripe to be plundered and developed and, from the 1890s, the land from Ford to Brownhill, and Hiltingbury to Hocombe was destined to fall under the woodman’s axe to make way, initially, for exclusive houses.
I was prompted to write this article by the inclusion of a photograph of the ship ‘Australis’ in Part 121 of Adelaide Goater’s Journal ‘Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford’, published on this site by her Grandson, Rick Goater, on 12th. April 2020 … Thank you Rick!
A couple are from my own meagre collection.
See My Love Affair with a Beautiful Lady – Part 1
***********************************
Day 3 – we are about to enter Piraeus, the very old port for Athens, and Greece as a whole.
[Read more…] about My Love Affair with a Beautiful Lady – Part 2
Local YA author, Richard Hardie, is delighted to announce that his novel, Leap of Faith, the first in his Temporal Detective Series, is now being advertised on the online edition of Doctor Who magazine.
Well done, Richard! Both the print and online versions of the magazine have a big “reach” so being able to get the word out to readers about a time travelling detective agency to fans of the most famous time travelling show is a very good move!
[Read more…] about Local Author News: Richard Hardie and Doctor Who by Allison Symes
