Joining The Galanthophiles!

I learned a new word this week -galanthophiles. It sounds like it ought to mean 'those who are fond of polite and noble gentlemen' - but in fact it means collectors of snowdrops. This is Snowdrop Season - and for the whole of February, you can see the snowdrops at Kingston Lacy [the National Trust property very near Ferndown]
We wrapped up warmly on Tuesday, took our coffee flasks, and joined dozens of other people strolling through the Fernery, and down the Lime Walk, all admiring these bright blossoms. It is over a hundred years since Henrietta Bankes first instructed her gardener to plant these beauties - and now there are over 40 varieties...

They are everywhere among the ferns- and in some corners you see tiny vivid pink cyclamens growing in amongst the carpet of white.

Along the Lime Walk, the golden trumpets of early daffodils are making an appearance. And round the corner, we found some huge camellia bushes with their glorious pink and scarlet blooms too, brilliant in the sparkling winter sun.

The displays are lovely- and I liked the way the gardeners had even left snowdrop poems along the way... posting these for ElizabethD, and Sue in Suffolk who I know are especially fond of this little flower!

Being A Busy Bee

I mentioned World Bee Day recently [not World Bidet, as somebody misheard in conversation!] My beeswax food wraps, made last year, have been proving very useful. However, I've noticed that the black square I usually use for my school sandwich lunch is beginning to lose its clinginess. 
I decided to re-wax it, and to make a few more wraps at the same time for a couple of eco-friendly friends.
Last time, I made each wrap individually. This time I layered 4 sheets of new fabric on top of my existing wrap, with grated wax in between. I put parchment paper above and below the stack, and placed it all on a thick pile of newspaper. It all worked successfully, and unlike last time, I had no 'seepage' of wax at the sides. I hung my squares to dry

Then I folded and packaged the squares in pairs ready to be posted. I put a paper explanation band round them.

I think they look quite professional - and my DIY ones cost less than a third of the cost of ones purchased on line.

Votes For Women!

Centenary Celebrations

Recently rediscovered 100-year-old posters showing the struggle for votes for women have gone on show for the first time. [at Cambridge University Library - exhibition started on 3rd February]

Addressed simply to "the Librarian", a bundle wrapped in plain brown paper was delivered to Cambridge University Library sometime around 1910, and it took over 100 years for the contents of the parcel to be rediscovered. One wonders if the original librarian was a man!. In 2016, someone finally opened the bundle, the posters were  preserved in their original wrapping. Underneath the faded paper was one of the largest surviving collections of suffrage posters from the early 20th Century.

Here are just a few of them

Today marks the centenary of women achieving the vote in Britain. Let us never forget the struggles of Mrs Pankhurst and her daughters, Millicent Fawcett, and many others- who worked tirelessly for women’s suffrage. And when the occasion arises, do not let us waste this precious freedom to be part of our democracy. And let us always encourage our daughters and grand-daughters to do the same. [here's Liz with Rosie last June]

Little Houses And Little People...

...with big hearts.
Our Girls' Night In went off really well, around forty women turned up, many first-timers. We had the craft materials and samples set out at the front, and people collected what they needed, then worked at their small tables.
There was much enthusiasm for the crafts - Miriam's Scandinavian Heart Baskets, and my Little Houses. I was really impressed with the imagination and enthusiasm shown for the little houses - look at these...

Refreshments include hot chocolate with marshmallows, a pink cherry 'mocktail', lots of cakery [with a choice of three gluten free ones] and heart shaped treats. Miriam and Nadia had compiled two 'table quizzes' and the winning tables won heart shaped sweets. We had a lot of fun!

But I was back again less than twelve hours later for re;vive, our monthly cafe style service [with breakfast] I was organising a children's craft for that as well, so I road-tested next year's WWDP craft- lileki - which are Slovenian Scarecrow Puppets. Starting with a simple spoon&lollystick frame, the children [aged 3 - 11] made some lovely puppets, with minimal adult intervention. 

I am extremely pleased with the way they did this, and happy that the craft worked so well. We were talking about friends, so each child made two puppets to go into a little bag. This year's Women's World Day of Prayer [2018 service planned by the women of Suriname] is less than a month away. Remember the date- Friday March 2nd!

Hannah's Song

Earlier this week, I was thinking about Hannah Hauxwell who has just died. I decided to look again at the book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament where we read about how God answers Hannah's prayers, and grants her a baby son [Samuel] In Chapter 2, when the boy is weaned, she takes him back to Eli, the priest. And she prays this amazing prayer. Verse after verse praising God for all He has done for her. Then I hunted around and found that there are dozens of posters using her words - just look at these and enjoy them!

Which of these do you like best?

Good Housekeeping

We have our next "Girls' Night In" this evening. After our last event we decided we had provided a little too much for people to do - so this time we are cutting back a bit. I am taking a craft though.
Last year I enjoyed the Mollie Makes Papercraft, which I found in Dereham Library. I was particularly impressed by the teeny weeny fold out house made by Alix Swan.

I wanted to create something similar- a little boxy house, with a fold out message inside, for a Valentine greeting, or some other occasion.
But not too complicated, and easy to put together in a short space of time. The book has gone back to the library so I had to work it out for myself.

First I drew out a net - and then printed off a load on some photocopy card I had in my Stash.
Then I brought the sheets back from church and sat down to make up an exemplar. At which point I realised that I had missed off two tabs! Not the end of the world, I fiddled mine with some paper and tape- and I have gone through the sheets and drawn on the missing tabs.

Then I scored and  folded all the crease lines [inked lines to the inside] And added a tuck-in slit on the bottom tab. Then came the fun part - colouring in the sides and roof of the house, and sticking it all together.
Alix had button windows and lace trim- but I omitted them.

The sides of the house are 5cm long. The sides of the roof are 3.75cm long. I ended up with an open box, and the roof is hinged along one edge, and the tab tucks in at the other to close it.
Then I cut a strip of paper  4cm from a sheet of A4 paper. I concertina folded it to get 4 squares and a narrow flap.

The strip was decorated with messages, cherub, button, a little love letter, a star shaped punch etc.
The end flap was stuck just below the roof hinge.
When closed, the flap is hidden away inside
It all looks very sweet, and you could do lots of variations depending on time and recipient.


I will post pictures of tonight's creations later.

Hannah - A Very Gracious Daleswoman

Did you know that the name Hannah means Grace. I have just read of the death of Hannah Hauxwell, who was indeed an exceedingly gracious woman. She was born in the Yorkshire Dales in 1927 on August 1st [which is 'Yorkshire Day'] and lived on the family farm - but her uncle and her parents all died relatively young, and so in 1961 aged just 34, this single woman had sole responsibility for her farm. 
And she just got on with it. Someone from the Yorkshire Post wrote an article about her incredibly simple lifestyle 'just me and the beasts'  - with no electricity, no running water, and just a cowpail to bath in. The bread was delivered to a secure spot 3 fields away - but she never complained. She looked after the animals, and worshipped each week in the nearby Methodist Chapel. Barry Cockcroft turned up with a TV crew- and found she was a natural personality for TV, with her cheery disposition, simple faith and matter-of-fact approach to life.

They made the most amazing documentary about her in 1973 Too Long A Winter. I remember it vividly- I watched it with my landlady on her black and white TV in my student digs. Low Birk Hatt Farm seemed to belong to another era, but how we all loved this determined woman.
Hannah was an instant star! More programmes followed, coach parties turned up, a local firm set up a fund to provide electricity for the farmhouse...You can read it all here.

She was invited to travel - the Queen's Garden Party, the Woman of the Year Luncheon, to travel on the Orient Express. She always seemed mystified that anybody should be interested in a simple countrywoman - and so appreciative of the kindnesses shown her [For me? No!...How thoughtful]
As Hannah got into her 60s, it became too much for her to manage the farm alone - so she moved into a little cottage in the village. Warm, and dry, and comfortable she still continued to make do and mend, and be as thrifty as ever - reading, listening to the radio, and playing hymns on her little harmonium. Sadly Barry Cockcroft died before she could make their final film together- it was to be about women who had made a difference [Edith Cavell and others]

Now the old meadow beside the farmhouse is left as a wildlife area - the Wildlife Trust has put up information boards and Hannah's Meadow remains to remind us of this indomitable lady. RIP Hannah - 'well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord' as the Good Book says.

A Bit Of A Disaster

Here is Bournemouth Airport, just a few miles from our home. I have never seen it from the air. Until Tuesday I had never been inside- but we drive past the place frequently en route to Christchurch and Bournemouth.

Our friend Charles is the Airport Chaplain, and he said they needed a Disaster Practice - was there anyone from our church willing to go and spend an evening practicing being a Crash Survivor?
Six of us went - Bob, myself and a family of four. We were told to arrive for 5.45 and someone in a HiViz jacket would direct us to parking etc.
Bob and I got there at 5.35, and couldn't find anyone, HiViz or otherwise. Then we encountered a group of 4 Rd Cross ladies, in Hi Viz jackets- but they had no idea where we supposed to go either. Eventually someone came along, told Bob where to park, and we were all instructed to walk round to the Checkpoint.
Here they looked at our passports and we did the full Airplane Security Check In thing, removing belts and boots, opening bags etc.

Then we went on a little shuttle bus to sit in the hangar where they keep the fire and rescue vehicles. It was very cold. There were about 60 volunteers.
A member of staff [in the obligatory HiViz] thanked us all for coming, and explained what would happen.  First of all, we were instructed to get our food [bag containing sandwich, crisps, choc bar, piece of fruit, bottle of water] and directed to flasks if we wanted tea or coffee.
We were told the scenario - a plane carrying Bournemouth Football Team [off to play against Man Utd] had collided with another on the runway [returning from somewhere abroad] We were the holidaymakers who'd been got off the plane, and were being taken to be 'processed'. You can act out as much as you want, the chap said, if you speak another language, feel free to do that - if you want to have an illness...some people really get into character.

Despite our encouragement to do so, Nadia and family chose not to speak Afrikaans. 
Onto another bus and off to the arrivals area. Here we were checked off on a list and given a form to fill in, and given a yellow wristband. Nadia was asked to play the part of a lady with dementia!
The form was really hard to fill in, none of us was sure what we were supposed to tick. The NOK section was confusing [NOK is next of kin. We did manage to work that out] I decided my brother could be my NOK. If something dire happened to Bob and myself, I would rather he knew first and broke it to the girls gently. Plus I don't know Steph's current address by heart, I always send post to her at work. 

I was glad of my woolly hat, it was cold. They collected our forms and we sat about, waiting. And waiting. And waiting. I felt tired. I wandered off to the other end of the baggage hall, lay down on the luggage carousel [they were all switched off and furnished with foam pads for seating] and dozed off.
I woke to hear the tannoy "Bing Bong! will Angela Almond go to the reception desk please. If Angela Almond is in the Baggage Hall, can she go to the Reception Desk, please?" I ignired this, and lay motionless on the carousel. A Hi Viz lady came over and asked  Are you OK? I told her [honestly] that I was cold and tired and had lay down for a rest. Are you alone? No, I said, my husband is around somewhere. What's his name? Bob Almond. I said, clearly. What's he like. Tall. What colour hair? . He wears glasses. He  smiles a lot. She looked at me in a concerned way. I will get a medic to check you over, and we will try and find Bob for you Thankyou, dear, what's your name? I asked. At that point she told me her name and asked mine. I am Angela Almond. I said. But clearly this name meant nothing to her - even though it was the only name which had been called out over the tannoy.

Finally Bob turned up and they decided we could go home. Then they realised nobody could go home yet, because they had taken in everybody's forms and we were all supposed to have held on to them. We had to fill in something else, and be issued with a green 'exit wristband'
At last we were taken to the door, walked back to the carpark and drove home, getting in soon after 9.
It was an interesting experience. But I felt it was not particularly well managed. There were a number of 'observers' making notes on clipboards and muttering to one another.
I am sure the practice will help them to be better prepared if the real thing ever happens at Bournemouth Airport [but I sincerely hope it never does]
Liz said if there was a disaster, she was not at all surprised I was there! So much for doing our bit to help the local community!!

RIP IK

Last weekend the death was announced of Ingvar Kamprad [aged 91] Aged just 17, he set up his own furniture business- naming it with his own initials, plus the initials of his family farm, Elmtaryd, and the nearby village, Agunnaryd. And that gave the world IKEA

Ignoring all the criticisms [and there are many] the fact remains that in almost every street in the UK, you will find a home containing a piece of IKEA merchandise. The idea of inexpensive flatpack self-assembly furniture has proved very popular- with students, first time buyers, landlords, parents of growing children...
The Guardian carried an article about the 'top ten' products.
I decided to see how many of the ten are in our home.
#1 The Frakta Bag - oh definitely. Very useful - flexible, waterproof, long lasting, easy to carry, and packs away neatly.
But I decluttered on of the larger versions last week - by filling it with goods for the CS..

#2 The Malm bed. We have four - one here, and three at Cornerstones [where they have matching bedside tables] It is estimated that 10% of children in Europe were conceived on an Ikea bed. Ours are all very comfortable and practical. 


Our first Malm bed was a birthday gift from Liz and Steph in 2005, when Bob was being treated for sleep apnoea. 
#3 Poang chairs- we have the brown leather one, with footstool [Bob's 55th birthday gift from Liz and Steph]




#4 Ribba picture frames- we have a dozen of these in a box in the loft - in Kirby, they were displayed artistically on the lounge wall, as they show all the members of the family, dating back to great grandparents.

#5 Billy Bookcases - counting the narrow CD/DVD units I think we have five of these. So strong, so sensible for bibliophiles like us.

#6 Frosta stools - two of these in Cornerstones- extra seating, temporary coffee tables, sspace-saving stackable design

#7 Meatballs. Great product- serve them with potatoes and lingonberry sauce, sling them in a casserole, poke them on skewers to make kebabs, cut in half and stuff into a burger bun...Thank you Rachel, for pointing out that you can microwave them straight from the freezer, when there is a hungry family demanding food in a hurry.

#8 Fargrik Mug. No, we don't have any of these at home. But we have lots in the kitchen cupboard at church. They stack safely too and they are a cheap way of buying crockery in bulk. But I am old enough to remember Ovaltine Mugs with that sinister face on the side, so I don't really like them.

#9 Klippan Sofa - again, not at home, but two at the back of the church so parents can sit in comfort with children and babies and there is an area for them to play safely and happily during the service.

#10 Lack Table. Never had one of these- but I did have the very similar Habitat Parson tables back in the 1970s. They were plastic, not wooden. Other family members have no lack of Lack though.

We are clearly an IKEA family. But we are not "buy it cheap and then chuck it" people. We love sites like IKEA hackers which give great ideas for personalising and rebuilding the products. My pantry is shelved with a repurposed Gorm unit, and Bob turned a piece of Expedit shelving on its side to create a great DJ desk for Jon. 

With hygge and lagom still remaining the buzzwords in the lifestyle section, and Scandi-crime on BBC4, I suspect that Ingvar's influence will be around for many years yet...

But talking to friends, it is a bit like Marmite - do you love or loathe IKEA?