I Know My PLACE

Do you remember the brilliant sketch from The Frost Report, with John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett

Today, as part of my work with Voluntary Norfolk, I am working as part of a PLACE team. PLACE stands for Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment

The NHS website says "Good environments matter. Every NHS patient should be cared for with compassion and dignity in a clean, safe environment. Where standards fall short, they should be able to draw it to the attention of managers and hold the service to account. PLACE assessments will provide motivation for improvement by providing a clear message, directly from patients, about how the environment or services might be enhanced."
"The assessments involve local people [known as patient assessors] going into hospitals as part of teams to assess how the environment supports the provision of clinical care, assessing such things as privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance and, more recently, the extent to which the environment is able to support the care of those with dementia or with a disability…The assessments take place every year, and results are published to help drive improvements in the care environment. [Note that PLACE assessments focus exclusively on the environment in which care is delivered and do not cover clinical care provision]"

A team of us visit a hospital, or part of a hospital, and consider how good the environment is. A few of the team are NHS staff, but some of us are local people [like me] who are deemed to be independent and fair-minded. We ask things like...Is it clean? Are the signs clear? Are meals delivered on time, and presented well? Is the building well maintained? Are the curtains round the bed giving adequate privacy? etc. We do not look at clinical care, or medical treatments. We ask the question 'If I had to stay here as a patient, or come in as a visitor what things would bother me, or make my time here less comfortable? We work within strict guidelines and have to give a careful report on all the issues. We make lots of positive comments - and we are given the same lunch as the patients will eat on the day of our visit. The food has been extremely good on every one of my assessments.

I've been doing this for three years now. I have learned an awful lot - and I am impressed to go back and see how suggestions have been implemented, and improvements made. NHS staff work incredibly hard, often in difficult conditions, old buildings, with tight budgets. But they are cheerful, and helpful. Patients are usually pleased with the care they are receiving
We are not Ofsted, we are not judging the staff. And we do not walk round with clipboards, ticking things off - we observe carefully and compare notes once back in our private room. Sometimes if we make a suggestion, staff say "Yes we would like to improve that too" - and our recommendation can help inform budgetary decisions.
Obviously it is all confidential -  so I cannot tell you where I have been. But it is good to know that there are people regularly monitoring not just the treatments, operations and medicines - but also the state of the bathrooms, the mealtime routines, and the general ambience of the surroundings. If  a patient feels comfortable, and is well fed, is close to a decent loo, and can look outside onto well tended gardens...all these things help with the healing process. I know my PLACE!

Keep Taking The Tablets!

 What do you think of when you hear the word pillbox?

1 a box for pills, especially a shallow round box
2 a small low concrete emplacement for machine guns and antitank weapons
3 a small round hat without a brim with a flat crown and straight sides

Obviously, 2 and 3 got their names because they resembled the medicine containers. Swanton Morley had three WW2 pillboxes, including a listed "Pickett-Hamilton Fort" . 

Situated on the runway, this is a retractable construction set in a concrete 'sleeve'. When the runway was in use, it was wound down to ground level, then wound up again to be used as a lookout/gun emplacement.

When I was six, I thought Jackie Kennedy was the most glamorous woman in the world, and decided that when I grew up, I would buy myself a pillbox hat and wear it proudly. 65 years later, I have to say I have yet to do this.

We never really had pillboxes at home, when I was growing up. My Mum had an array of brown glass bottles [later plastic] containing all her various tablets. Each one had a mysterious ball of cotton wool in the top. This was to stop the pills being damaged during shipping, and the practice began in the 1900s, but by the end of the 20th century pills were much less fragile. Nowadays all our pills come in blister packs. I wait till we have a bag full and take them to Tony at church, who recycles them for charity. 

But last week I bought myself a real pillbox.  It was £2 on a bric-a-brac stall on the market. It is small and round, 4cm diameter, with a lovely enamelled Rennie Mackintosh design on top, and inside has three sections. It was just the right size to hold three days worth of my meds for the weekend conference. Isn't it sweet? It looked very classy on my bedside cupboard. I wonder if Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis ever had a pillbox like this?

Do you use a pillbox? Or a dosette box with compartments for the seven days of the week? Have you ever had a pillbox hat?

Hip Hip Hooray!

...and Happy Birthday Steph, hope you have a wonderful day.  Looking forward to seeing you in 3 weeks time.

Hip Hip Hooray! for me too, celebrating the fact that I am not in need of a hip replacement operation. Peter The Physio says my hip pain is "gluteal tension" [!?] Entirely muscular and can be eased if I do daily exercises.
Prior to my appointment, I had convinced myself I did need one. I was chatting to an older friend at the conference, who assured me such ops were brilliant "I've had three" she said proudly, "and now I can do aquarobics and ride a tricycle". I confess that bothered me - do the prosthetic joints wear out? Or does she have a third hip?

Peter has given me a sheet of exercises to complete each morning. This is proving a challenge! I am doing my best, but I have many questions about this regime.

1. why does every chart show tall slim young women exercising? never dumpy little grannies
2. why is the middle exercise on the list the one which involves sitting on a chair? Getting up off the floor is an exercise in itself. I have moved the chair one to the end of the sequence
3. why does it keep remind you to breathe normally? I'm lying their panting, and groaning, and puffing away like a woman in labour!
4. how am I supposed to measure the 15-30 seconds duration of each activity when I am lying on my back staring at the bedroom ceiling? 
   

I finally cracked the breathing and timing issues, when I realised yesterday that my daughter is 42 today [apologies that birthday card has yet to arrive] If I sing "Happy Birthday to Steph" three times, that is long enough to keep my legs in the air, and muscles stretched for each repetition and helps my breathing.

Looking For Signs Of Autumn...

The blackberries came early, the figs didn't ripen properly, the weather has been really warm even though we are in mid October. So are there other signals that we are moving into Autumn? The shops sell "back to school bargains" before the Summer Term ends, and Halloween and Christmas displays went up in August. But here are three definite markers...

1 - The Royal British Legion have put their poppies on sale. They say there are no actual rules about when to wear them, but suggest from October 31st to Armistice Day [11th November] or Remembrance Sunday, whichever is later. [this year November 8th]

2 - Last Thursday we called in at  my favourite affordable hatshop in Dalegate Market. The manager has removed the displays of cotton bucket hat, floppy straw sunhats and natty cream panamas with petersham hatbands.  In their place are

fleecy beanies, fluffy bobbles, felted numbers, tweedy titfers,and earflapped jobbies. 

"I've gone fully woolly!" she announced. Or should that be "fully wully" or maybe "foolly woolly"? It is a phrase which sounds better than it looks! 

But I saw the definitive sign that autumn is on its way, as I stood at my kitchen sink the other morning, poking through the window to see what was happening in the Close. 

3 - Naked Running Man was wearing a teeshirt and a woolly hat! [Obviously NRM is not his real name]. He appeared at the start of the summer. He runs a loop round the village, once, sometimes twice a day. We are the middle of the run, I think - like the dog walkers, he comes round the Close, then through the alley back to the main road, and back down the hill again.

He is a young chap, always pushing a baby in a three wheeled "jogging buggy" But over the summer, he just wore trainers, a reversed baseball cap and running shorts. As he run towards you, the buggy in front of him, his shorts were obscured, and it really looked as if he was just wearing shoes and cap. All you could see was his trim, bronzed figure.[Remember those Diet Coke Break ads from the 1990s?] He is concentrating really hard, I suspect he is training for something. People who call out a cheery 'morning!" get a smile and a nod of the head, but he has no time [or breath] for conversation. I admire his diligence, especially now the weather is definitely getting autumnal. If he is preparing for a charity run, I would definitely sponsor him, he brings a smile to the morning.

What signs of autumn have you seen round your way?

Soups And Scoops

Now I am back from my conference, I need to sort out all my frozen goods. Things have got a little disorganised of late. I picked the pears and prepared and froze them, and did the same a little later with the apples. But it was all done rather hurriedly, and I didn't think through exactly where I would store them. They are packed in various sized lok'n'lok boxes, and tucked in odd corners of different drawers. And then there are half-used bags of frozen veg which fall into the gaps - and if I am not careful, disgorge a few frozen peas or sweetcorn kernels to lurk in corners.

And boxes labelled "Bob'sTom Sauce, September" "Ang's Spinach, blanched" and some boxes with no labels at all. There are a few neatly printed tags, curling up at the bottom of the freezer. Note; Brother P-Touch labels do not stick to plastic under freezing conditions even if they work in the kitchen. I decided to use up some of the foods just to make space to re-arrange what remains. I had a lot of stock, three tubs of tomato sauce, and a box of kebabs [mined meat] which never made it to a BBQ.
The stock went into the big slo-cooker, along with a load of small homegrown potatoes from the fridge [plus some tired carrots, a few spring onions and a handful of red lentils] That burbled away happily, and then I liquidised it to get vegetable soup. Warming lunches for autumn days.

I thawed and 'dismantled' the kebabs, and using Brontë Aurell's lovely book as inspiration I turned the mince [along with breadcrumbs, onion, an egg, and seasonings like Allspice and Worcestershire Sauce] into meatballs. These went into the tomato sauce, and that's 4 portions waiting for pasta, rice or potatoes for a comforting winter supper. 

One scoop of mince using my ice cream scoop is just enough to cut in half make two meatballs [I wore disposable gloves to handle and roll them] I'm pleased with  what I have achieved, and I hope to get the rest of the frozen foodstuffs properly sorted out next week.

How do you use up oddments in the freezer?

O Sabbath Rest

Jon and Bob walking through the trees on the way back from Holkham beach last Saturday. Walking and talking together is a good thing to do - especially outside enjoying the beauty of Creation. 

And here's a picture of us sitting with Ro and Jess, looking at a partial rainbow over the sea - we had just spent ages watching a red kite diving and swooping. We think it caught a small rodent before it flew away. 

How blessed I am to live in such a beautiful county, and have such a caring family. I am especially grateful for the time to rest and reflect and feel loved and valued.

I hope your Sunday has some moments of peace, joy and love too, wherever you are. This hymn has been on my mind these last few days...

More From The Shed

Here is the newly refurbished nameplate on the Parish Church Noticeboard. Santa Bob has just fixed it in place

For the first time in years, our Parish Church is hosting a Flower Festival this weekend. They asked for help from the Mens' Shed, in making some shelves to fit over some of the pews, to enable more floral arrangements to be displayed. These have been duly created  and covered with green paper.

-The Shed has been allocated one, to promote the group. 
Bob had an idea about using vintage carpentry equipment and flowers to make a display. However I am away at a Conference, and wasn't sure I could find time to prepare an arrangement. So I did some research, and here is what I came up with. I was able to put it in place before I left!

Because the Swanton Morley Shed Project is a lively, growing group this arrangement is created with living plants rather than cut flowers. The ones chosen represent the qualities found among ‘Shedders’ using the traditional ‘Language of Flowers’

The alstroemeria symbolizes long-lasting friendship, and mutual support - its leaves twist 180 degrees as they grow which is seen as a symbol of staying connected through life's ups and downs. The six petals of the flower represent the traits required for a strong bond: understanding, humour, patience, empathy, commitment, and respect.
The echinacea [yellow coneflower] stands for optimism and good mental health
Ivy represents loyalty and companionship
Yellow chrysanthemums celebrate happiness and friendship.

Huge thank you to all of you for your kind words yesterday. I'm here in Milton Keynes at a Conference for spouses of Baptist Revs. Among many friends old and new. The theme of the weekend is "Worship is Rest" and we are expected to take time out to rest. Just what I need! 

A Dead Mouse, A Wardrobe Malfunction, And An Unexpected Delivery

Monday afternoon was awful. I went off to do a big shop at Sainsbury's and phoned Bob to say I was finished and about to drive home, but felt a bit woozy. He suggested I went to the nearby Costa and had a drink and sat down till I felt better. I was OK driving the few hundred yards from the supermarket, but when I got out of the car, things started spinning. Fortunately there was no queue as I lurched to the counter. "What can I get you?" said the cheery barista. I said I thought I was having a vertigo attack, so please could I begin with a glass of tap water with ice in it. Her colleague produced it very promptly, and that helped a lot. I thanked her, and ordered a coffee. She said the cakes were half price, so I added a Bakewell Slice. The barista said I should sit down and she'd bring my drink over. The two assistants were incredibly kind. (thank you, girls) I sat for about 20 minutes then drove home carefully. But once I got to Cornerstones and got out of the car and stood up, the nausea washed over me again. Bob sent me to bed (and brought me a sick bowl,in case) I ordered a small birthday gift online. Monday night I slept well. Tuesday I rested, and felt much better. 

Wednesday seemed OK, but there were some bizarre moments. Emptying the waste paper bins into a larger bag (it was bin day) I jumped to see a small brown creature in the bottom of the lounge wpb. I thought it was a dead mouse. Fortunately it wasn't. It was the detached leg of the teddy Jess won at a local fete. The head, and 2 of the limbs had snapped off the same day she got it, so it was consigned to the bin.

Bob went off to the Shed, and I went up into the loft. As I always do, I took my mobile phone up there with me. But then the land-line rang. I clambered slowly and carefully down the ladder, but by the time I got to the phone, the caller had left a message then rung off - but number withheld so I couldn't ring back. Never mind, at least I didn't race down the steps and risk falling. The parcel I'd ordered arrived. 

Bob came home and needed help taking some Shed stuff to the Parish Church. The ladies were preparing for the upcoming Flower Festival. "I don't know if I should say this dear, but you are wearing your jumper inside out"  I felt extremely stupid!

Then when we got home, the parcel I'd ordered arrived. Yes, in my vertiginous stupor I'd managed to order the gift twice! It doesn't matter, I can use the 2nd gift for somebody else sometime.

I should have stayed in bed on Wednesday too....

I Met A Man With Seven Wives...

No, it was just Kirsten with a ball of wool and a pair of needles!
Here is her October gift Block #49 which the author has named St Ives 

Kirsten says
"These were incredibly quick to knit; it's a ten-row pattern, but astonishingly easy to learn and only five repeats. Plus, there's only one row of the hated purl to knit, and two of rib, which I don't mind so much."

Rows 1 – 3 knit
Row 4 K2P2 to end
Row 5 – knit
Row 6 - K2P2 to end
Row 7 – knit
Rows 8 & 9 – knit
Row 10 -  k1, P to last stitch, K1

Kirsten sent me a beautiful vintage postcard of "Tombland" the medieval area outside Norwich Cathedral- an area I love walking round.

Plus a quirky little book - which Bob recognised instantly and said how brilliant it is. Lem Putt is the Specialist - a carpenter by trade, and specialist in Sanitary Engineering. It is the story of how he builds his friend Elmer a 'mighty pretty privy'

Kirsten made herself golden autumnal one. I love my red/purple piece, the colours of breakfast compost!  She says she will definitely be repeating this one, perhaps in a less fluffy yarn so the stitch definition is clearer.

The people of St Ives, Cornwall claim this poem, written in 1730 for their town. But the folk of St Ives Cambridgeshire say it was written for them! Who knows? I wasn't planning to go to St Ives anyway

All Mixed Up

Over the summer, I have developed a fondness for 'topping up' my breakfast cereal, with yogurt and/or fruit. In Cyprus, Wendy prepared a lovely bowl of chopped fruit each morning [with fresh figs from her garden] and had a tub of Greek yogurt alongside. Staying with my SIL, there was fresh fruit, and also a tub of summer fruits compôte. Back here, I have a jar of home made compôte and one of home-made yogurt in the fridge, which I put out on the breakfast table. 

Bob refers to this as fruit compost. But this jewelled red delight is not to be confused with compost heap jelly.  [See Sue's post from earlier in the year] I have made CHJ in the past, they are two very different products.

The jelly is made by cooking the fruit, straining it, and boiling it up with sugar and water. Quite a long process, but it does yield a proper preserve which keeps for ages. The compôte is much quicker - chop up the fruit, add a little water and sugar to taste, bring to the boil, then simmer for 2-3 minutes, cool and keep in the fridge, use within 4-5 days.

My latest batch was some ripe strawberries and plums from the fridge, and in place of sugar, I emptied a tiny Tiptree pot of blackcurrant jam which came with a scone recently.
But I started wondering - where did the name come from? The word compôte is French, and the circumflex over the ô indicates a historical missing S [like pâté for paste, and hôtel  was originally hostel]

But how does this connect with my garden compost bin?
I finally found the answer - the word comes from the Latin compostum - which means to put together, or to mix.

So mixed fruits in a jar, or mixed decaying materials in a garden bin, are both compost. As usual, Bob was right!

VERTI

This sequence of letters appears in both VERTIgo, and oVERTIred. I suspect being the second is what caused a bout of the first yesterday. So I am taking it easy today. That way I can diVERTI [Italian for 'have fun'] later in the week. 

Holey, Holey, Holey

Block #74 – Alternate Eyelets -AA

After K sent me an eyelets square last month, I was greatly challenged to try a lace pattern myself. The next one seemed to be this alternate eyelets pattern. Seven or eight eyelets in each row, but adjusted so that they made a diamond pattern. I memorised the 8 row sequence very quickly, and was able to knit a square in the car on the journey to London [to see the Tapestry] and another on the way back. I was so taken with these two [random yarns] that I quickly knitted two more in plain yarns. I used that blue random in July, and the autumnal golds in August. The top plain one reminds me of raspberries! The last one is snowy white. Summer-autumn-winter, how the seasons flow into one another…

I like very simple memorable stitch patterns. If we are going to make enough for a jumper, doing twice as many each month will help. I am sending K one plain and one fancy.

There is an old hymn which begins Holy, Holy, Holy - when I was very young, the choir always sang it in church just as we began the Sunday Morning Service. I was baffled by a verse which referred to "Cherubim and Seraphim, falling down before Thee, which wert and art and evermore shalt be"
"Wert and Art" was such an odd phrase, incomprehensible to a 6 year old.
And I was bothered by the heavenly beings falling down. I knew that Isaiah the prophet saw the seraphim, and declared "with twain he covered his feet" [Is 6:2] I wasn't sure about the word twain, and confused it with tallow. Thus I thought the seraph had waxy feet!

UPDATE - Katie's Hospice Coffee Morning raised just shy of £1000. Amazing!

Seeking God's Peace

This is the title of a prayer by Nick Fawcett, which Bob found on the Baptists Together website, and used last Thursday when he was leading a time of worship [for our group of Retired Baptist Ministers and Spouses] I thought it was a good one to share here on the blog

Breathe your peace within me, Lord
    peace such as only you can give.
When I fret about tomorrow,
when I worry about my loved ones
when I question whether I can cope
when my stomach feels knotted 
    and panic rises within me
help me to hear your still small voice
rebuking the wind and waves
stilling the storm
calming the roiling waves
and in place of turmoil bring tranquillity
    in place of chaos, quietness
    in place of a troubled, anxious spirit
    rest for my soul.
            Amen.

Not A Ship In A Bottle...

 ...A Nativity In A JamJar

Last week's Teaser post. What have I been making for Katie's Fundraiser at the Chapel today? I had such fun last year making a pegdoll Nativity Set for a friend, and I was wondering how I could use these little people to make a smaller nativity scene. I wondered if I could put the family [Jesus, Mary and Joseph - but not a wee donkey] into a jam jar and illuminate it.

Practice model - I put two pegdolls, and a small biscuit in a jar. Then I inverted a battery powered tealight through a hole in the lid, and sat a conical cardboard roof on top. Bob said it looked a bit like a pixie house [agreed] But on the other hand, I needed a bit of height to cover the light. I also tucked some paper behind to make the figures stand out. I put a bible verse on the reverse side. I cut tiny felt pieces for garments - and hunted for a small wooden bead [for the baby's head]  I did not find wooden beads, just coloured plastic ones- so painted them to match parents.

You will see that each little roof now has a lower flattish top.I could not disguise the hole in the bead for the baby's head, so I used it as a way of attaching a little halo!
A cute little Nativity Scene to brighten a Christmas display. I am charging £5 [it is for charity after all] I used 8 jamjars and 16 pegs from my stash, and some felt sent anonymously by blogfriends [thank you] I hope I sell them all! Update. Sold just 3 jars. Made £37, I'm happy with that. Will find out total raised at the event tomorrow.

Location, Location, Location

Location One; Central London - Liz lives in Southwark, and for a long time worked in Bloomsbury. These two areas often appear in TV shows, 

and I was forever checking the background in thrillers like "Spooks" and "Trigger Point" in case I spotted her cycling past. 

Location Two: Manchester - Since Steph moved there, I've watched Cold Feet and various Harlan Coben thrillers, filmed around the area, and a number in central Manchester near her 

And Gary Oldman as Churchill in "Darkest Hour" has some scenes shot in the John Rylands Library just up the street from Steph's company offices in Deansgate.  And that brings me to

Location Three: Romford. Where I was born, and where Julian lives- and he works in Primark. This week's Slow Horses featured the Primark Loading Bay 

behind the Liberty Shopping Centre. Signs were put up to make it look like the back of a bowling alley. Filming was all done months ago, and I have been waiting to see this for ages. I really enjoy SH, and I think Gary Oldman's portrayal of Jackson Lamb is amazing.

I really enjoy seeing places I know and have visited on TV - even if they are car parks, housing estates, and loading bays. Especially when they have connections with the important people in my life. 

On the subject of Slow Horses - does anyone else think that Jack Louden [who plays River Cartwright] would make an excellent James Bond??

Hanging Around

When we were on holiday in Cyprus, I was quite taken by the bath mat in our ensuite. It had a grommet on one corner, and there was a useful hook beside the shower for hanging it up. For years I've had a bath mat, a pedestal mat by the loo, and an L shaped mat round the corner of the shower. 

Talking to Liz, we both agreed that the heavy duty towelling shower mats are good because they are easy to sling in the wash. I picked up a pair of white ones in IKEA and then added a pair of blue ones. They were £5 each.

Bob bought a double hook from Screwfix and fitted on the wall beside the shower. Thanks, Bob 

I fitted grommets to one corner of each mat

I'm very happy with the new arrangement. 

Dyeing For A Change

On Monday, our craft group had a Dyeing Session. Sue, the organiser had acquired onion skins, rhubarb root, turmeric, walnut shells, madder,  indigo  and more. There were many squares of fabrics, which had been scoured[prewashed] and mordanted with alum or tannin. We set to, experimenting with the pans of dye... The results were pretty spectacular - especially the madder and the indigo.

However, I managed to miss the indigo part [one lady needed to get home urgently] and when I came back, all was pegged out on the line and the airer in the sunshine outside. It was the indigo I most wanted to work with - it is the one which comes out of the dye bath green, then develops its blue colour in the oxygen of the atmosphere as it comes out of the liquid.
But one friend kindly diluted what little liquid remained in the pan, and poured it into a plastic milk bottle. "But you must use it up this afternoon or it will lose its potency" she said.
I came home, found some white fabric which I believed to be cotton., While we ate lunch, I left it in a bowl of mordant [cold tea!] Then I dipped and dyed my fabric and put it outside on the airer [I'd wrapped the bars in clingfilm so they didn't pick up the dye]
I double dipped a couple of pieces of the cloth, and then randomly grabbed a new hankie from the bedroom, and a clean facecloth from the bathroom.

On the top picture you can see how the most recent piece out of the dyebath is still green - the change to blue is fast and almost magical.

On the lower picture is the lilac printed hanky with a pale blue tinge, and next to it, the sad greying facecloth a much more pleasant pastel blue. The double dipped square, bottom left is the darkest. 
But as you can see, my 'leftovers' are much paler than the ones made in the Village Hall Kitchen!

Once dried the fabric is rinsed in a vinegar solution to fix the colour. It was good fun - and maybe I will try it again at home sometime. 

Alum is not too expensive to buy, but indigo and madder cost a little more. Not sure I want to fork out £50 [at the group, the ingredients were paid for out of our kitty] I may try to forage some stuff . Bishop Odo's women used yarns dyed with woad, weld, and madder. Here are the threads which Mia Hansson uses, accurate to the original as far as we can tell. 

Have you ever done any dyeing?

A New Word - For A Familiar Old Habit

Kirsten rang me yesterday morning to discuss our double-knitting project. "Is this a good time?" I apologised that it would have to be a very brief call as I was in the middle of a workshop at my craft group. [I must admit, it made  a pleasant diversion from the intensive activity inside the village hall, to nip out into the sunshine and chat to a friend] We exchanged info about our current squares.

"Please don't feel you have to get these done it you are snowed under" she said. I assured her that the current pattern has been so delightful and easy to memorise, so I have actually done four squares not two this month.
Currently I have to admit, I have more than usual on my plate . Partly my own fault for not saying No, and partly because I enjoyed my 4 days away in London. 

But knitting, and sewing, are activities which soothe and calm me. Other tasks can wait a day or two...

Read All About It!

 A brief report on the trip to the Museum last week. I was glad we got there early - the hi-viz guy at the gate encouraged us to get in the line straightaway. There was efficient management of the queue, quite a lot of walking involved from where you go in to the exhibition to the point where you encounter the tapestry. By that point you are all [in theory] shuffling along at the correct pace. Here are just some of the panels which I particularly wanted to see,

Panel 1 - Edward the Confessor. Famed for his milky white skin, and long, almost translucent fingers. His 'striped' stockings. I am inclined to agree with Mia H. - these only have the papearance of stripes becaus eof the way the couching has been stitched! Also the various pairs of animals in the borders. Moving on to Panel 4, four of Aesops Fables 

The Fox and the Cheese [flattery]
The Wolf and the Lamb [false accusations]

The Pregnant Bitch [Don't give away your possessions too easily]

The Wolf and the Crane [don't fight a predator]

These are in the lower border, and mirror the historical events depicted in the panel above them.

There was insufficient time to study panel 8 and look for the "cigar burn", allegedly done by a Nazi in WW2

Panels 17 & 18 show Harold's bravery when men were in the quicksands, pulling soldiers out of the danger. The border below shows a line of creatures all tagging the one in front..

An eel [out of sight on the left] bites a man, whose foot is in the mouth of a lion- whose tail is in the bird's beak, the birds wing is nipped by a boar , whose tail is tugged be a centaur. A wyvern looks on. I looked at Edward's death

...which was all too rapidly followed by Harold's coronation

There are 15 people named on the tapestry [only one a woman. Huh!] but at the King's left hand stands Archbishop Stigand. Who lived up the road from here. Yes really - prior to becoming archbishop, he was bishop of North Elmham [where our fish and chip shop is] and owned loads of land round central Norfolk. One street in Dereham is actually called "Stigand's Gate"

Obviously I was on the lookout for panel 32, and Halley's Comet - such an omen for them. I love the way they have depicted it!

The remainder of the tapestry I was studying the stitching [it is clear that women worked from both top and bottom of the fabric- so some were stitching upside down. And they didn't always match up very well with their opposite worker - so sometimes the chainmail is round, or diamond shaped, or square...

I mustn't forget to mention the Feast on panel 43, where the Bishop is blessing the food before they eat- lots of detail here. Picture at the bottom of post. Onto Panel 54, where Bishop Odo, believed to be the man behind the whole creation of the tapestry is shown strongly "encouraging" the troops by waving his club/mace at them. Priests were not supposed to shed blood so did not carry swords. Just a Very Big Heavy Stick!!

Panel 55, almost at the end- William lifts his helmet, to show his troops that he is still alive.  Panel 57 is One In The Eye For Harold [or maybe not - will we ever be sure that is him?] and then the whole thing tails off as whatever followed Panel 58 has been torn away. 

It was incredible realising just how old this is, that it was stitched without the aid of decent lighting [or spectacles] These women have done a phenomenal job, and done it so well.

When we came out of the darkened room where the tapestry was, we were immediately in the bright, light Gift Shop [as is always the case with these places!] 

Bob said I really ought to buy the BM Guidebook, as a memento of this visit, and it is indeed very informative and will get its own review here later. 

Apologies if this post is rather long, and picture heavy. Pictures came from Wikimedia, the BBC and the Observer. I can see why the BM has forbidden photography- it would delay everybody.

Bob did take a shot of me in the central area of the Museum by a display panel... just to prove I was there.