An English Rose

I mentioned Jan Struther yesterday - as well as hymns, she is also the author of the famous wartime story "Mrs Miniver". 

This film, starring the fragrant Greer Garson, was released 75 years ago  - July 1942. 
It is the story of a true English Rose, whose peaceful resistance to the Nazi threat "did more for the Allies than a flotilla of battleships", according to Winston Churchill. The film won 6 academy awards. 
If you have never seen it, you've missed a real treat of classic British wartime cinema!

In one part of the film, the local stationmaster, and amateur gardener develops a new rose- and chooses to call it "Mrs Miniver". Now remember, this was the 1940s - not nowadays. "Film merchandising" is huge now - think Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Minions etc etc. But back then, the American cosmetics firm Revlon rushed to produce lipstick and nail varnish in a shade called Mrs Miniver Rose" 


And an American rose grower, Jackson & Perkins introduced a hybrid tea rose, called the Mrs Miniver Rose - large, scarlet and strongly fragrant, which had been first bred in Southern France at the nurseries of César Chambord.
But that was all 75 years ago - and many now dismiss the film as a sentimental tear-jerker, or a propaganda piece. Well yes it is those things - but it is still a cracking film with some clever and thought provoking scenes, challenging the popular attitudes to war, and to the appearance of foreigners on British soil.
Four years ago, a gardener in Devon called Orlando Murrins set himself the challenge of finding a Mrs Miniver rosebush for his garden. Jackson & Perkins dropped the variety from their catalogue years ago. British rose growers [Austins, LeGrice, Harkness etc] could not help. Murrins put out an appeal [how useful is the Internet?] and Becky Hook in France directed him to a collection in the former East Germany, the Europa Rosarium near Leipzig.
But the Mrs Miniver Rose was not among their 8300 varieties - their last bush perished in the frosts of 2012. There was apparently one bush known to exist in a private garden. Ysenda Maxtone Graham, Jan Struther's granddaughter, stepped forward to join the campaign. Finally after various setbacks, Martin Briese, a friend of Becky Hook was able to procure a couple of cuttings from the private garden. He was appalled by the Brexit vote, but graciously agreed to send the cuttings to Orlando.

At last Mrs Miniver is blooming in a pot in Orlando's rooftop garden in Exeter.
The Mrs Miniver Rose has been rediscovered!
What a great story - read more about the rose here

Other bizarre Miniver trivia; 
A race horse called The Miniver Rose was the top seller at Tattersall's December Sales, going for 550,000 guineas.
Miniver Rose is the name of a self-catering holiday cottage in Aberlour, Scotland
A sequel to the original film was made in 1950, called The Miniver Story - but I have never seen that one. Interestingly, in the original film, her son Toby was played by Christopher Severn, but in the sequel by an 11 year old James Fox [brother of Edward, father of Laurence, uncle to Emilia...yes, that family of Foxes]

Lord...Be There...We Pray

Sometimes an 'earworm' can be really frustrating. Last month, having been in charge of the Tiddlers Group 3 times in a row, my head was buzzing with "I'm a Dingle-Dangle Scarecrow" This past couple of weeks, for a number of different reasons, my earworm has been an old hymn. I have constantly been singing Lord of all hopefulness - always popular in our school assemblies.

This hymn was written by Jan Struther [that was with pen-name of Joyce Torrens Anstruther, later Mrs Maxtone-Graham then Mrs Placzek] She was neighbour to Percy Dearmer, Canon of Westminster Abbey, who was charged with preparing a new edition of the C of E hymnbook "Songs of Praise". He approached her about writing some hymns for this. She produced 'When a Knight won his Spurs', 'Daisies are our Silver', and this one. Dearmer was delighted by the success of LOAH, announcing in 1933 that he was "lately returned from a service of university students, who have speedily made it their favourite". The hymn was very characteristic of its time - forward-looking, and non-doctrinal. And it was very daring to replace "Thy" with "You". The agnostic author of the words had minimal interest in the Church and the Christian faith, but she chose the old Irish melody ‘Slane’, which fits beautifully. I love the way the hymn takes us through the day, with a prayer for God's presence and help whatever we are doing.
[The pictures are the bouquet I received from school on Tuesday evening, flowers Bob had following his eye surgery, and the gardens at Kingston Lacey when I visited the other week with Christine and Margaret]

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, 

Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy, 

Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray, 

Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, 

At the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith, 

Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe, 

Be there at our labours and give us, we pray, 

Your strength in our hearts, Lord, 

At the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace, 

Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace. 

Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray, 

Your love in our hearts, Lord, 

At the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm, 

Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm, 

Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray, 

Your peace in our hearts, Lord, 

At the end of the day.

Wedding Day

Steve Day has been our good friend for over 20 years, and is a member of our old church back in Kirby Muxloe. 
We are looking forward to attending his wedding today, and will be leaving here very early to journey up to the Midlands. The marriage venue is Kelham Hall, near Newark.

A key figure of mid-Victorian Gothic architecture, George Gilbert Scott had originally been commissioned by the Manners-Sutton family to add a conservatory to the house. But in 1857 a fire destroyed the older parts of the house and the architect was left with a blank canvas on which to express all the exuberance of his imagination. The result is a redbrick riot of Gothic styles, with towers, gables, arcades, exquisitely carved columns and fireplaces, and more than a score of different window designs. For 70 years Kelham Hall became home to an Anglican order of monks, gaining an impressive domed chapel, and today it remains a wonderful hidden treasure of English rural architecture.

Yes, it does look remarkably like the Railway Hotel at St Pancras in London, another of GGS's designs. I shall refrain from jokes about Steve 'marrying above his station', or the bride's train!

Ticking** Over!

I've finished the caravan cushions! With a bolt of fabric and a tape measure plus sharp scissors, and pins and a sewing machine...to a heap of cushions waiting for the final hand stitched seams...
and finally [after 12 hours and 20 minutes*] a tidy stack of completed cushions in the hall.

And now the cushions are in place in the caravan - the large ones round the dining table, which goes down, so the cushions can be re-arranged into a double bed.The other side of the door are two smaller seats at another table, and these too go down to make a single bed.
I love the beach hut curtains, I think they go well with the deckchair striped cushions.

The caravan owners like them, which is the main thing.

* I had estimated this task would take 12 hours. I suspect that without the interruption of the costume-making-interlude, I would have completed it in the time allotted!
**ticking gets its name from the C15 word 'tick' meaning a mattress or pillow case. Closely woven fabric was needed for theses cases, to prevent the feathers and stuffing coming out, and so this fabric was called ticking.

Three Minute Thursdays, #1 - Yes Peas!

It's ages since I have done any of these posts. But hearing a chap on the radio talking about the Great British Pea Week [it began on Monday and runs through till Sunday] inspired me to have another series. Check out here if you missed out on previous TMTs.

Britain is the largest producer, and consumer of frozen peas in Europe. It's always useful to have a bag of Cap'n Birdseye's Best in the freezer [or Lidl's cheaper, but equally tasty, equivalent] Here are a few TMT tips for making the most of these little green gems;

First of all - always decant your bag of frozen peas into a tupperware box. Otherwise, no matter how hard you try, there will be escapeas  which fall to the bottom of the freezer and lay there reproachfully when you finally get around to defrosting the great white iceberg.

Regard frozen peas as a store-cupboard-staple and not just the accompaniment to sausage and mash. Here are some good ideas

Blitz frozen peas with oil, mint, cheese, garlic etc [recipe here] to make a lovely fresh green pesto. Spread it on bruschetta, stir it into pasta ... or make Dr Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham by stirring the pesto into scrambled eggs.

Pea omelettes, and a splash of colour, and a hit of Vitamin C to a light and summery egg dish. A plate of gold, embellished with emeralds. 

Throw a few peas into a fresh salad. Don't fall into the lazy trap of perpetually presenting the same old salad that they serve in Kath's Kaff [lettuce/toms/cuc/onion]  An unexpected ingredient can make all the difference. Try peas  [or sweetcorn, nuts, sunflower seeds]

Peas, lemon [preserved or fresh] and mint [or tarragon] will lift a bowl of plain couscous to new heights of flavour.

US Cook Ina Garten [aka The Barefoot Contessa] has a Fresh Pea and Mint Soup recipe [here] I'm cheating a bit with this one - because she says 'if you use frozen peas, they cook in only 3 minutes' - the whole recipe does takes a bit longer!

And if you haven't time to try any of these, then just spend 3 minutes looking through the Great British Pea Week website or the Birdseye Peas Recipes page.
More TMTs next week!

Aladdin Trouble

Last week I stitched them, this week they're wearing them. 

The music and lyrics come from the brilliant Out Of The Ark team - you can click on these two songs to get a flavour of the whole joyous event.

Of course these are children who leave the school this term - I won't see them next term when I am teaching there every week. But it has been fun to be involved with them in their Leavers' Production.

These young people were utterly brilliant - Bob and I really enjoyed the production. Well done Year 6 - and all the staff who helped you!

UPDATE - feeling absurdly pleased that today's Google Doodle celebrates a professional costume designer.

Sitting Comfortably

The play costumes are out of the way - and this evening Bob and I will be going to see the production. But the sewing machine is back out again, because I have to finish the caravan cushions I started a few weeks ago.
The machine was out all day Monday, to do another couple of school dresses and the cushions.

All the main seams on the cushions are done, but each one has a final seam which must be stitched by hand.
The original covers were sewn on - and apart from removing the buttons I've left the cushions as they were. 
I discussed this with my friend, and we decided zips were too much work, and would add to the final costs. 

If there are any spills which need more than just a gentle sponging, she can always undo that last seam, and remove, wash and replace a cover.

Here they are waiting for the last stitches- and must be completed before Wednesday night's Alpha group!


My next cushion-covering is scheduled for after our summer holiday.
Before we moved here, we got rid of a number of office chairs which were surplus to requirements. Bob retained one for his desk here, and one for the office at the church, and I just kept one for my desk. 
But a few months back, mine cracked across the seat.

It was a very cheap IKEA model, but became unusable - and sadly proved unfixable. 
Coming home from church on Sunday we spotted a chair sitting on a drive, with a Help Yourself sign. So we did [I did knock at the door and say I was taking it - the lady seemed very pleased]

It is actually a hairdresser's chair, she told me. But you can see the leatherette cover has a small split. Other than that it is very comfortable.
I've recovered chairs before [here   and here] so this shouldn't be too hard!

Well And Truly Pampered!

We arrived at Champneys, Forest Mere just after 2pm on Friday afternoon.

I'd driven up from Ferndown, and met Liz at Liphook Station.

Everybody has a complimentary pair of flipflops - and a fluffy white dressing gown [the latter is strictly on loan for the duration of your stay, but you can keep them if you pay £25 - we didn't!]  There was a "No Mobile Phones In Public Places" policy, and also a request not to take pictures in the swimming pool/ gym areas. 

Our room was comfortable and well equipped. After unpacking, we had a swim, a sauna, a 'tropical rain' shower [then a 'cooling mist' one] We each had a facial and a relaxing back massage.  Then back into the whirlpool, followed by 45 minutes relaxing on beds in the Quiet Room. In the QR was a stack of glossy magazines to leaf through. 

I am not sure The Manse will ever get featured in English Homes. It is neither stylish nor tidy enough. We had a lovely view from our 'Juliet Balcony'. 
Our evening meal was delicious - I had cured salmon, Gressingham Duck and Chocolate Dome. Liz had Mackerel, Lamb and Cheesecake.

On Friday evening after our meal, we walked down to the Mere, seeing ducks, geese, and a heron [and lots of bunny rabbits]

We returned to one of the outdoor seating areas and enjoyed a coffee, before returning to our room.

Liz had thoughtfully brought a late night snack - as well as Jams, Bonne Maman also make delicious Madeleins!

Saturday morning meant a spinning class for Liz [the bicycle sort, not the wool-making] while I did some jogging and biking in the gym. Then I swam 10 lengths of the pool. I haven't swum that far for years

Time to relax with the newspapers and a coffee, and chat to the inquisitive ducks who were pottering around our table.

 Here we are, just about to go for our lunch.

A huge plate of food from the buffet - lots of salads, two small potatoes and a small jalfrezi chicken breast. Liz had passionfruit mousse which was good -my tiny pot of cinnamon rice pudding was just a little disappointing. Slightly over-spiced for my taste.

The walls were covered with displays of assorted dessert spoons.
















There were impressive chandeliers made with hundreds of copper coloured egg whisks. You'll have to check out the website if you want to see more pictures of the place.










And then after lunch it was time to go home again. We seemed to have crammed an awful lot of eating, relaxing and exercising into our 24 hour stay.
Thank you to Champneys for giving us such a brilliant tiime - all the staff members were so friendly and helpful. And thank you to Bonne Maman for making it all possible [and especially my thanks to LIz - Rosie's Good Mother, and my Great Eldest Daughter]

Keep The Doors Open, And The Lights On.

In the aftermath [there's that word again] of the Grenfell Tower fire, much has been written - cries of grief, words of anger, calls for justice, demands for safety check, praises for emergency services...
I was particularly taken by a piece in the Guardian by Giles Fraser. He talked about the immediate response of the local churches, whilst council officials were still getting their act together [and sadly, looking for someone else to take the blame]
Fraser described one vicar, Alan Everett, who said  “I was woken up at 3am by a priest who lives in the tower, and so I came down to the church, opened the doors and turned the lights on”

It all began from there. People started coming in out of the dark – often passersby looking to help. First they sorted out tea and coffee. By 7am, they had a fully stocked breakfast bar, with volunteers organising themselves into teams. Within hours, local restaurants were delivering food; clothes began to pile high in the church sanctuary – about 40 Transit vans’ worth, the vicar estimates. The place looked like a warehouse.

Fraser's article described how the churches got it right when other agencies failed. It ends like this

“We are called to share in the brokenness and the forgottenness of the people we serve,” the vicar explained. In poor parishes, the job is to keep the doors open and the lights on. And this being permanently present is no small thing. Not least because, as Christians believe, the light will always beckon people out of the darkness.

I have been so challenged by these words - and Giles, I don't believe it is just in poor parishes - for all of us who belong to the family of Jesus, we should ensure that we keep our doors open, and the lights on. We must be there to offer comfort, and hope, to people struggling in the dark.

Jammie Dodgers

Liz and I will be dodging our work, home and family responsibilities today. Courtesy of Bonne Maman Jam.

We will be enjoying a 24 hour 'pamper break' at Champneys Health Spa, at Liphook in Hampshire. 
You'll find an explanation here.
After the incredible busyness of the last couple of weeks, I'm really looking forward to properly relaxing with Liz. 
This should be a real treat for the pair of us.

Liz said she is packing some biscuits, just in case the food is all Very Worthy and Healthy. That's my girl!

Be Positive and B Negative.

The day after the bomb in Manchester, both my daughters went and gave blood.
Rosie was presented with a sticker. It is important that we pass on our values to our children, and they understand that a slight discomfort on our part can mean the gift of life for some unknown stranger.

I gave blood last week [poor Bob, his offer of a donation was refused because of his recent visit to the hospital]
Yesterday I had a text from the Blood Service, thankingme - and telling me my blood had bee used in London at St Thomas' Hospital.



It is good that they bother to thank donors, and great that they are able to actually tell you where your blood went. What makes it extra special for me is that St T's is the hospital where Rosie was born. Somebody there could be positive about life because of my B Negative blood!

Aftermath

Definition of aftermath; 
the consequences or after-effects of a significant unpleasant event.
I always felt that was a little unfair -I love maths, and after I have been thinking about number patterns and shapes and algebra I generally feel better than I did before. Also I think 'aftermath' can be applied to unpleasant after-effects, even if the event itself was good and pleasant at the time. Like enjoying a huge meal, or engaging in strenuous sport...or, in my case, sewing.
All the Aladdin costumes were delivered to school yesterday morning, to the delight of the Deputy Head. I returned to a Dining Room very much the worse for wear, and the prospect of our Alpha Group arriving later. Look at this chaos!

1. Scissors, pins and elastic. I am SO grateful for my big Bernina 'Grabbit'  Magnetic pin catcher - bought for me 25 years ago by my Auntie Peggy.
2. The patterns I used for the waistcoat and harem pants - the trusty cardboard waistcoat pattern which has been used for many years - and the trouser pattern cost £1 in IKEA in 1993. I just shortened the legs and put in an elastic casing.
3. All the hangers had a label with child's name, character name, and costume details.
4. Despite the bag hooked under the edge of the overlocker, the carpet still got festooned with threads and trimmings.
5. I had to move all the furniture into the lounge in order to vacuum.
6. Leftover fabric was pushed into my shopping trolley to be sorted later
7. My stash of overlocker threads is gradually decreasing. 
8. The three machines were moved out into the hall
9. This is the only costume I remembered to photograph - the one for Widow Twanky. The top is a dress from the £1 rail in the CS, with pink trim to neck and cuffs. The skirt is one of Mum's old sheets, with a lace edging, and the apron is some scrap white fabric with more of the pink.

The clothes rail went into school [this is Monday's picture - there was much more on it by Wednesday morning]  Lack of space in the school car park meant I had to park in the layby up the road. Then I assembled the rail on the pavement, loaded all the hangers, and punched it round to the front door. 

I got two wolf whistles, and waves from a pair of smiling policemen who drove past in their Panda car. By 3pm, the dining room was all ready for the Alpha Meal. I was grateful that I was not cooking  - two others in the group brought the food.

I have discovered that aftermath has an alternative meaning. It can mean a second crop of grass, following mowing. I like that idea - that after something has been cut down, it springs back to life again, and produces fresh growth.

When awful events happen, it is always good to see that in the aftermath, positive results can often follow, in the middle of the sadness.

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Sew Far, Sew Good

We worked jolly hard yesterday. I sewed costumes and Bob did gardening. We had originally thought about eating out. In the end we had a brief trip to Ringwood and wandered round the CS. Then we visited the large new Lidl there. Bob suggested he cooked a meal - and bought some steak. So we came home, and I sewed some more. Then ate a fabulous meal. Then sewed some more. I finished Widow Twanky's outfit at 10.45pm. Pictures will follow later....

Costume Drama

10.30am Monday morning / 10.30pm Monday evening

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Hoping to get them all completed this morning

This One Was Just Right

Another really busy weekend, I haven't had time to sort photos yet. The car has to be at the garage by 9am for its service and Mot. 
My observed lesson on Thursday was about fairy tales, and so I was very amused by this cartoon which Liz shared. I hope it makes you smile too, and that you have a good week.