You Couldn't Make it Up!

If I had published this story a week ago, you would have thought it was an April Fool - but it isn't. After 60 years, the RAF has rescinded its ban on Tunnocks Teacakes being allowed in the cockpit of planes!
It seems that in 1965, a pilot and  a student took teacakes onto the plane, unwrapped them and left them, on top of the instrument panel. When the plane depressurised suddenly, the cakes exploded, leaving sticky residue over the two men, and the canopy of their cockpit! The RAF banned the treats from flights.

But now, tests at the  RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine in Henlow have declared the cakes are safe to fly, but pilots are advised to keep them frozen until take off, and to keep the foil wrappings in place until they are about to tuck in!

Although the company has been around since the 1890s, the teacakes did not acquire worldwide recognition until the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, when a troupe of tartan clad dancers whirled into the arena carrying huge teacakes!

Fergus Loudon, operations director of Tunnock's, admitted they had given permission for the iconic image to be used. ”It was a closely guarded secret -we didn't know to what extent they were being used. We were absolutely bowled over when we saw there were 30 large teacakes in the Ceremony.After that the phones started ringing off the hook."
Following the exposure it received in the Opening Ceremony, sales of Tunnock teacakes soared with Waitrose reporting increased demand of 62 per cent within 24 hours. A year after the event,  Loudon revealed that they had sold an extra 15 million teacakes, meaning the firm's turnover had almost doubled in five years.
And now the RAF can buy lots more too...
Do you like these teatime treats - or do you think "teacake" is a currant bun for toasting?
[I like both types of teacake myself] 

Easter Quest

Saturday's One-Day-Holiday-Club went really well. Just a dozen children [plus parents, superb helpers and a small baby] but it was a lovely atmosphere. We were looking at Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was there at five important points in Jesus life. 

1. His birth [obviously] 
2. When he was a boy and she lost him in Jerusalem and found him in the Temple
3. At his first miracle [Water into Wine at the Wedding]
4. The Crucifixion
5. After his Resurrection on Easter Day
   

We did lots of crafts - window spinners, pop up cards, Easter Gardens, bead hearts and crosses, decorated biscuits, and an Easter Colouring Book. 

The children worked so hard, and parents helped. I had pre-prepared shapes from fondant icing [hearts, crosses and butterflies] so they could ice biscuits. Two members of the team supervised this popular activity.[Thanks Ann and Di]
We also had a 'Trail' finding five locations representing the Bible stories featuring Mary. At each point there was a stamp so children could mark their card. These are four locations. There was also a simple wooden cross on a green 'hill', The stamps spelled out 
M A R Y 💜

And we sang songs and played games - and finished with a simple lunch* together.
It was worth doing, even for a small number - and children and parents were so appreciative

* ham or cheese roll, crisps, yogurt, piece of fruit. Easy for the team to prepare, and children and adults enjoyed sitting round chatting and eating.

I've already emailed one blogfriend copies of the notes for this event, including full craft instructions. If anyone else would like details, to use it with their groups, please email me. 

This week, concentrating on the kitchen!!

Lent 5: Readiness

Back in 2019 I did some Lent Pauses based on a series of Stanley Spencer paintings entitled "Christ in the Wilderness" and I used this one which is called 'foxes have holes' and refers to Luke 9:58, where Jesus says that 'foxes have holes, birds have nests- but the Son Of Man has nowhere to lay his head.' 

He is pointing out to those who say "Jesus, I will follow you anywhere" that the path will not be easy, that there will be self-denial and sacrifice involved. I sometimes wonder if it is too easy for us as Christians to 'get comfy' in our faith. We meet up with our mates on Sundays, have a good sing, read the Bible. pray, and enjoy a decent cup of coffee and conversation after the service.
All of which is fine, but is that it? Jesus called us to take up our cross daily and be ready to serve Him, to do the difficult things, week in week out. 
In first century Judea, the Roman Impressment Law meant that if a soldier demanded a Jew should carry his pack for him, he was required to bear that burden for a mile. Jesus said people should be ready to 'go the extra mile' - to carry it for twice as long.
Sometimes the things we are called upon to do are not easy. They may 'take us out of our comfort zone' but if we truly believe they are the right thing, then we should be ready to do them. Perhaps helping others in a practical way, perhaps speaking out against injustice...

It is eighty years this Wednesday since the the execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Pastor and theologian hanged for his part in an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. Bonhoeffer understood what it meant to be a Christian, to 'take up the cross daily and follow' He spoke out against the Fuhrer, and was involved in active resistance to the Nazis. He wrote these words in "The Cost of Discipleship" - and I think they are very appropriate to consider right now. 
"Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time – death in Christ."
I hope I will not be called upon to do things which will lead to imprisonment and execution [but for many Christians across the world, that is a daily reality] but if my life is to make an impact, then I have to be ready to do the right thing, even if it is the difficult thing. 

Singing [NotTracing] Rainbows

 

White and yellow and pink and green
Beige and magnolia and blue
These are all the colours
My kitchen has been
Since nineteen seventy two...

Oh my goodness, the things you discover when you remove the cupboards and the tiles!

Busy today with our one day holiday club at the Chapel. Hoping for good weather!

Ribbons And Rhythms

When I am stitching, I like to listen to the radio. Sometimes music [usually Classic FM] or the spoken voice [BBC Radio 4 or 4Extra]

For my penultimate stitching section, a long thin strip, I found three ribbons in my stash. Red, white and blue [unintentionally patriotic]One had been part of the wrapping for a gift from the Literary Emporium, one a white cotton twill printed with a music stave, and one was some simple pale blue satin.

I left the red unadorned, on the white I stitched French knots on the "blobs" of the crotchets and quavers. [Apologies, I don't know their proper name. I'm sure Kezzie or Kirsten will let me know!] And on the blue I did rows of running stitches. I used random dyed floss throughout to get interesting variations of colour. I stitched the outer edges down with red and blue blanket stitch.

Here's a favourite piece of music, played at Gaz and Steph's wedding. Very calming when I'm stitching!

Unboxing

definition:  the activity of taking new products out of their packaging, especially on videos on the internet.

I watched an 'unboxing video' with Rosie last year. Someone  opening a box with a £6 LOL doll in it. Making the sort of enthusiastic noises I might make if I was sent a box with a £6000 Bernina sewing machine. Except this woman was in her thirties, which made it very weird. I could cope with Ro or Jess ooh-ing and aah-ing over a doll but not someone old enough to be their mother doing it. And as for setting up a video camera to record the whole experience for the general public to share...

But, dear friends, I would like you to share my unboxing of the latest CoverStory package received from Kirsten yesterday. Please supply your own sound effects as indicated. Rustling of tissue paper

Firstly the inner box. The Graze ones we started with years ago are wearing out. Here is a new, very pretty box from Bloom and Wild, [oooh!] and inside the Travelling Notebook with all the annotations of what we have stitched and why [hmmm! helpful]

Then the postcard - always full of personal details, some sadness  😥🙏 and some joy [Hallelujah!]

Don't you just love Shepard's Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin illustration? [sweet...] so much more English than the Disney bear. The flat gift...

A pack of wildflower seeds [so charming]

Bladder Campion [wheee!]

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Self-Heal [sounds good]

Lady's Bedstraw - used to colour Double Gloucester Cheese[yum]

Sneeze-wort [atishoo!]

Red Clover

Betony - it's good for back pain, said Culpeper's Herbal[👍]

Hedge Bedstraw

drumroll Finally this month's stitching [wow!!]

A gloriously dense piece of coton perlé work. Lush green grasses, interspersed with bright pink tulips in detached chain stitch, colourful French Knot crocuses, and bright daffodils stitched from Karen Turner's video tutorial . A celebration of spring flowers.
That's lovely said Bob

It's gorgeous said I  

[applause and cheering] 👏👏👏

Thank you Kirsten for this delightful piece. I don't foresee a new career for me in making "Unboxing Videos" though [sighs of relief from everybody]

Would You Believe It?

 Were you caught out?

Cadbury's Creme Eggs in sachets, Heinz Dubai Baked Beans with pistachio flavouring, 

Birds Eye Waff-holes [using the potato pieces leftover from the waffles] 

Dole pineapple flavoured eggs, and Terry's mint chocolate toothpaste were all advertised yesterday.

Krisy Kreme announced the withdrawal of their original glazed donut, while Waitrose said they would only sell Easter eggs to adults, not children.

Subway were offering their best rolls liquidised into protein rich drinks...

Oh and Hyundai have autonomous Mobilet portable toilets which will appear when you need them. At your own convenience presumably. I think they should have called them Deliverloo

All very classy work by the marketing guys. I wonder how many people were fooled. Apparently there were fewer pranks in the media this year - it seems people are getting more wary of fake news.

I learned two new words yesterday [genuine, not AF pranks] Thank you Catriona and Sue, for Huntigowk [Scottish term for April Fool's Day] and Pittakionophobia [fear of sticky labels]

Turning Turtle

Following on from yesterday's post, more about Kemp's Ridley. In the Gulf of Mexico is a pretty little island, Isla Porfol.

The turtles swim in the clear blue waters and are cherished by the locals. 

On this day every year, they celebrate El Dia de la Tortuga . [The Day Of The Turtle] with a massive carnival. Dancing, singing and feasting.

But remember, if they were not Mexican but French, the people of Isla Porfol might call today the Day of the Fish...

Of Viagra, Heartbreak And Current Affairs

Out there in the Gulf Of Mexico* there are many turtles- Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles to be precise. These little creatures were first identified by a guy called Richard Kemp in Florida and sent off to Harvard to be properly classified. 
Nobody is sure about the Ridley bit of the name - before that these poor things were known as "the bastard turtles". From 1946-1986 there was a huge decline in their numbers. Then their breeding ground was discovered, a beach along the Mexico Coastline . Sadly the locals were stealing the eggs in vast numbers. People paid well for them - because "A turtle egg with a shot of tequila" was believe to combat impotence in Mexican males. In a brilliant co-operative project, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service got together with local conservationists to collect eggs and set up a new breeding ground along the Padre Island Seashore.

This began in 1986, and when Viagra came along, a social awareness advert was produced in Mexico suggesting that the little blue pill was a better alternative than the eggs. The strapline was "My man does not need turtle eggs" It was surprisingly successful! Numbers of the breed really improved. But it remains a critically endangered species, and TPWS continue their work. The video below lasts 7 minutes but is really informative [and full of cute baby turtles]

But unfortunately, global warming has affected the temperature of the waters, and some turtles are getting a little bit lost, confused by warmer currents. In November 2021, after Storm Arwen, one was washed up on a beach in Flintshire. It was taken to Anglesey Sea Zoo, nicknamed Tally, and after months of intensive care, was nursed back to health, then flown home to the US in September 2023.  A few months later, another turtle was washed up, nicknamed Rhossi. ASZ started working with the Americans in their Turtle Conservation Programme.

All good stuff - for the Kemp's Ridley, Bastard, or 'Heartbreak Turtle' as it has been variously named. Apparently sailors witnessed the creatures having 'turned turtle' [flipped on their backs] and dying. The sailors maintained the turtles' hearts were broken, hence the nickname.

But here's the latest heartbreak - Rhossi was due to be flown home in March, but is stuck in Anglesey. By order of Donald Trump. On his first day in office, that man signed an executive order requiring a freeze on all foreign development assistance. Which meant the US Fish and Wildlife Service stopped funding various projects, including the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund. In February, 400 USFWS workers lost their jobs as part of Trump's cutbacks. So there is currently no way of flying Rhossi home to the Gulf of Mexico. Frankie Hobro, director of ASZ continues to look after him.
Martha Williams, former director of USFWS said the impact on conservation projects was "heartbreaking". "I didn't expect this administration to necessarily be friendly towards conservation. I have been surprised at the speed and the degree to which they have undermined decades of goodwill and work in the conservation sphere…International work involved so little money, you know in the big scheme of things, small grants with enormous impact - enormous impact to communities." Williams described the cuts to promised funding for projects such as marine turtle conservation as "cruel". Ms Williams said the message was "don't give up. Speak out - tell the stories, explain why this work is so important, and that it does impact people in a positive way,"

So here I am, speaking out, telling the story, trying to make a positive impact. These are precious, beautiful creatures. They are part of God's Creation, and as a Christian, I believe I am called to be a good steward of the earth.
God bless the turtles, Frankie and co at ASZ, and what remains of the conservation services in the USA. There is a link here if you want to find out how you can help ASZ with their sea turtle recovery programme.

* As far as I am concerned it is still the Gulf of Mexico

Lent 4: Relationships

I regard today as Mothering Sunday, NOT Mothers' Day. It started in 16th Century Tudor England. On the fourth Sunday of Lent, people would go back to their 'mother churches'. And those who had left home for work [many of them still children] were allowed the day off for this, so they could go home to their family and worship together.

That was important - the opportunity to thank God for their roots, their families, and the faith tradition in which they had grown up. Mothers' Day was started in the USA by Anna Jarvis in 1907, when she held a memorial service for her own mother.  The idea took off in many states, and in 1914 the President declared the 2nd Sunday in May as a National Holiday. By 1920 Anna was campaigning for it to be stopped, as she was so disgusted by the commercialism surrounding it, and companies seeking to make money by selling gifts and cards! 

Today is not so much about mothers as about mothering. I am blessed in that I have three people for whom I have a special 'mothering' responsibility - Liz, Steph and Julian. And of course I care for their families too.

The dictionary defines mothering as 'having the characteristics of a mother, being caring, protective and kind, showing unconditional love'

You can be mothering towards someone without being their biological parent, or even a female.

In Matthew, Jesus says "O Jerusalem - how often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" In Isaiah 49, God declares "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you". Caring, protective, kind, showing unconditional love.
Today let us celebrate the people in our lives who 'mother' us - and seek to do what we can to show that kind of unconditional love to others. 
And let us continue to encourage young mothers for whom it is a 24/7 relentless responsibility. Children don't come with a handbook, and it is very hard sometimes. Last year when Liz and Jon were away and we were looking after Ro and Jess. On the 3rd day, Rosie looked us and said solemnly "You two are getting the hang of this parenting thing now, aren't you?"  I think she forgets we have been learning for over 40 years!
Finally, do not forget those people who find today extremely difficult - those who have lost their Mums, those who have lost their children, and those who longed for children of their own. but never had them. Maybe they need a card or a bunch of flowers too...

Tonight's The Night

 This made me chuckle 

I always intend to go to bed an hour earlier,  but somehow never manage it.

And it is usually a couple of days before all the clocks in the house get adjusted.

Skrattar Fortfarande

That's Swedish, it means "Still Laughing". Because we are - there is no point in getting upset by the tangle of pipework behind the sink, or the electric sockets all at different heights. We are just getting on and getting it sorted.

I never mentioned the brilliant sign Bob produced on the day the flatpack kitchen was delivered. If you shop in IKEA you will know their staff wear sweatshirts which say Hej! The driver was extremely impressed, and asked if he could take a picture to show them back at the depot. I said they should send it to customers to print off.

The boxes are all neatly stacked and awaiting the Great Unboxing. That's a while down the road as yet, Gavin-the-Plumber needs to come and sort all our pipes first.

We are getting a new built in fridge [so visitors will open 3 cupboards before they find the milk for their tea] That is obvious not delivered as a Flatpack.

I am used to seeing arrows pointing to TOP, but the fridge box is also labelled at the front and back.  We were childishly amused by this information about handling, and the fact that our new fridge has a backside!

Our old fridge was purchased less than three years ago, and was in excellent condition. I posted it on Facebook Marketplace.

One person responded "Is this still for sale?" I said it was. "Where are you, when can I collect, please?" Now I am aware that there are scammers out there...

So I checked the profile of the potential buyer. She lived in Newcastle, and all her purchases had been in that area. This is odd- I posted in a Norfolk group. I replied with the name of the village, and said I was confused as her profile indicated she was in the North East. She replied immediately that the fridge was for her gran, and she was here in Norfolk staying with her [in a village just a few miles away]

She was here within half an hour, and extremely pleased with the fridge, and handed me the cash. I apologised for being suspicious but she was really nice about it, and said it was a reasonable question on my part. 

The dust continues to settle on every available surface, as the drilling and plastering for the sockets is sorted. 

My GCSE pupil had a good result in her maths mock, so that was an encouragement. We continue to plough through revision of Romeo and Juliet. Her school are going to show films of the set books after school on Fridays. "So we will see Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet In Spectacles and everything" [What??!!??]

I rewound what she had said...it was actually  Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet, An Inspector Calls... But we did like the idea of the star crossed lovers of Verona popping into Specsavers

I wonder which version they will watch. I only know the 1954 Alastair Sim classic - but I suspect they will see the 2015 film with David Thewlis, Miranda Richardson, Ken Stott etc. I must try and find it and watch it.

I did struggle with Baz Luhrmann's R&J. Too contemporary, all those guns and big cars...

Has anybody seen the 2015 version? Is it true to J B Priestley's original book?

Hilda And Her Housework

I spotted this emoji recently. I am sure that many of you reading this have often felt that you are juggling too many balls at once, and expect to drop one very soon. Down the centuries the role of women has changed, but I think most of the time [unless females were very sick, or very wealthy] girls have generally been kept pretty busy. 

My Mum was called Hilda. Her generation had fewer clothes, and laundered them less frequently - but they had to contend with boiling nappies in "coppers" and rolling sheets through mangles. And if it rained, no chance of a tumble in the dryer to get things dry. With no freezers,  microwaves, air fryers, or Deliveroo, it meant meals were usually cooked from scratch, and it took ages. And until 1954, Hilda and co had to manage "on the ration". 

However much we have been "liberated" and women have "broken the glass ceiling" to acquire jobs previously dominated by men, and we try to work towards equal partnerships in our relationships, frequently it seems that women still carry a heavier load when it comes to running the home. I came across the phrase "cognitive household labour" recently. In families where there are children, the Mums do much of the thinking, planning and project management of day-to-day life - and then do the higher percentage of the actual work. 

In fact, the latest Hilda Survey* shows that men spend 12.8 hours a week on household chores [the same figure as 20 years ago] but women are doing 18+hours on average.  

I look around at my own extended family, and I'm so grateful for the guys who iron shirts, cook meals, do the school run, unload the dishwasher, take children to sports, and pull the wheelie bins out etc. I also see hands-on grandparents helping out as and when they can. I am also very aware that my two daughters [and four nieces] work very hard at full-time jobs and do the work of organising things so "family life" runs smoothly. I love them all, and I am proud of the example they are setting the next generation.

So please could all you "influencers" back off a bit? Stop posting pictures of your ideal homes, fabulous birthday parties, immaculately behaved adolescents, perfectly potty trained toddlers etc etc. Stop pushing false Mum-guilt onto exhausted young women who are already giving 100%. Thank you

[*Hilda stands for Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia ]

Hallelujah!

Every year there is a European competition to find the gelato "flavour of the year" This year it was won by a chocolate, hazelnut gianduja delight, named "Hallelujah"

It does look rather splendid. The Italians are especially delighted that it went on sale on Monday - this was World Gelato Day and the day that the Pope came home from hospital. 

And he is known to be very fond of gelato.

In other pontifical news, I have just finished reading Conclave by Robert Harris. Another extremely clever book from this gifted author. I picked it up in a CS a while back. But then Pope Francis went into hospital and I felt vaguely uncomfortable reading about a deceased Pope. But when they said Francis was making a good recovery. I started it, and polished it off very quickly. I did suspect the plot twist at the end fairly early on, but that did not detract from my enjoyment.

I rate this one **** [it will be going back to a CS once I have seen the film!] DO NOT look up the book or film on wikipedia, as it reveals too much of the plot and may prove to be a spoiler for you. Fortunately I only looked on Wiki afterwards!

Anyway I am always glad when a sick person is getting better

Rejoice, rejoice! Or should we spell it Rejo -Ice?

ShortCut

On Sunday, I woke to a message telling me my neighbour had just died. She had been ion hospital a fortnight, and it was not unexpected. In her 90s with multiple health issues, it was a release from pain for her. But I shall miss her so much. She had been housebound for nearly 5 years, and I often popped over in the afternoon to make her a cuppa and stay for a chat. 
Bob and I had a quiet day - church, lunch, then TV [the Grand Prix, then The Residence] and an early night. The Residence is a screwball comedy murder mystery reminiscent of Knives Out **** [lots of clever film references]

On Monday we cleared up all the debris from Saturdays electrical work [Bob and Adrian couldn't do it Saturday as the lighting circuit was switched off and it was starting to get dark when they finished] Another neighbour popped round to see if I was OK, she had noticed I was quite subdued at church [how very kind of her] Then after lunch we popped into Norwich to return library books, get a light fitting, and I got a haircut

Last haircut was 6th November - so this was 20 weeks ago. My new cut looks exactly the same as it did then [picture below]

Just a little bit greyer! Next haircut mid August, if not sooner. Maybe I should not go so long between cuts. I think I am developing a double chin. Maybe I should go longer between cakes!
All this plaster dust has left my skin very dry, I am using lots of handcream and moisturiser.

Cannot decide whether to change my name to Polly Filla or Dusty Springfield. The only one who could ever reach me was the son of a Preacher Man. [Or in my case, son-in-law]

I do miss Only Connect on a Monday Evening!

The Girls' Grand Day Out

On Saturday, while Bob and my bro worked on the kitchen, and Jon was cycling, I took Liz and the girls out to Blickling Hall [having been there a couple of days before with Julian]  We did the 2 mile round trip walk to see the Pyramid Mausoleum, then ate our picnic lunch before visiting the bookshop. Both girls found books, and I found a book I had heard about, but never actually read. Liz kindly bought it for me [for £2.50]. We had cake and coffee, and the girls had ice creams. All good fun, and although it clouded over, we escaped the rain.

The book was "The Norwich Shawl" by Pamela Clabburn. Back in 2016, there was an exhibition in the Hostry, at Norwich Cathedral, called "Past Glories, Present Inspiration" - I posted about this , and was thrilled that my artwork was chosen to be part of the event. At the time, the leading expert on the shawls was Helen Hoyte, then aged 92 - who had worked very closely with Pamela  - her great friend having died two years before. Pamela had founded the Costume and Textiles Association. I knew that Helen had written a brief history of the shawls [pub 2010] , but PC wrote the original history,[pub 1995] which also catalogued the shawl collection held in the Strangers' Hall Museum in Norwich. Pamela had been awarded the MBE in 1999

And here in the NT bookshop was that very book for just £2.50. It is beautifully written book, full of illustrations - line drawings, paintings, and photographs - explaining the development of this very special garment, popular between about 1780 and 1860. Full of useful definitions and explanations.

That motif often referred to as Paisley came from India and was called boteh - but in
Norwich it was referred to as pine because it looked like a cone [Norwich made these shawls long before they got to Scotland!] Queen Victoria had 4 of the shawls - she fell in love with them when visiting the Great Exhibition in 1851, and that made them very fashionable.

The glorious red shawls featured in famous paintings of the time, like Holman Hunt's "Awakening Conscience"

It is going to take me a while to read this book and absorb all the information, whilst marvelling at the techniques of dyeing, weaving, printing and finishing.

I just have to include this picture from the book, painted by Belgian artist Alfred Stevens. He titled it "Departing for the Promenade:1859. But when it was exported to the USA a few years later, it was renamed "Will you go out with me, Fido?"

And I just know I am going to love reading it. But what has blown my mind even further - Liz paid just £2.50 for the book, and after we got home I looked it up on line. Not that many copies were printed - it was a Norwich Museums/ HMSO publication, originally retailing at £12.50 Now it is advertised in various places on line, at prices between £85-£95!! 

What a fabulous find - thank you so much, Liz!!

Lent 3: Repair

The verb repair has two definitions, the first, in common usage, means to restore, to make good, to put right. The second repair, not used so much these days means 'to go to' or 'to go back to'
Both of them are worth considering during Lent...

The Repair Shop has become a popular programme on British TV. People bring in Granny's Typewriter, or Uncle Jack's watch, or that painting from the loft 

which someone brought back from the War. or a diary from a POW Camp, Great Aunt Jessie's dancing shoes, or a teddy or toy or whatever. And however wrecked they are, the team weave their magic and restore these items so they can be truly appreciated, perhaps used again, and handed down to future generations. It is a very emotional show. 
I am totally behind the principle of repair and re-use. And doing such good work does have a positive impact - on the environment [less to landfill] and in the case of the show, bringing back happy memories. Generally making the world a better place. 
But I have one question which rarely gets answered for me as I watch these people - why did you leave it so long? If Grandad's armchair mattered that much, why was it left to rot in the shed for 35 years? OK, maybe they had tried to find a fixer and couldn't, or maybe the cost was prohibitive and this way it is done for nothing - but it does feel that sometimes they just left it and didn't really bother about getting things put right. That just seems sad to me. I am aware of people I know who have broken relationships - people they have fallen out with, friends or family members. Life is short, friends - make every effort to repair relationships as and when you can. I know it isn't always possible, if the other person refuses - but don't let something stay unrepaired because you didn't make an effort.

What about repair - to go to, or to go back to? Often, used in earlier times, meaning to go to a restful or pleasant place "The ladies will repair to the garden" "To thy happy coast repair" is a line from Rule, Britannia!  Sometimes it is good to repair, to go to, a place of peace. Whether in reality [my trip to the NT gardens at Blickling Hall with Julian on Wednesday] or in memory [happy walks along the Dorset coast with friends a few years ago] or even just repair to the lounge and watch a programme on TV about lovely places. Such enjoyment of the beauty of nature can restore us, repair our souls, and help us feel better. 

However you choose to repair today, may your Sabbath be blessed