Steeples, Spires And Stamps

Royal Mail 2024 Christmas stamps went on sale last week. I send very few cards these days - but I always buy a sheet of the 2nd Class stamps to last me through the year [I have seven left from last Christmas!] Like the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge "O keep Christmas in my heart, and honour it all year" It is fun sending Xmas stamps on a letter in June.

These stamps feature 5 British Cathedrals - I have been in three of them - Edinburgh, Liverpool and Westminster. One day I shall get to Armagh and Bangor, perhaps

The promotion says
"These special stamps are a reminder that for centuries past, cathedrals have provided sanctuary, community, joy and wonder at the birth of Christ. And they continue to do so today, standing at the very heart of our cities.
All the UK’s cathedrals will be open over Christmas, ready to welcome people of all faiths and none. For services, prayer and celebration, to find peace, or to enjoy the splendour of their music, architecture and treasures, visit a cathedral this Christmas!
Cathedrals are a hugely significant part of our cultural heritage and play an important role in local communities. They also offer space for peaceful reflection and a bit of an escape from the challenges of daily life, which can be especially important at Christmas."

St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh was designed by Victorian architect George Gilbert Scott
Worship has taken place on the site of St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh since the 5th century
Westminster Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic church in England and Wales and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster
Liverpool Cathedral was consecrated in 1924 but not completed until 1978 - Britain's largest cathedral.
St Deiniol's Cathedral in Bangor was where St Deiniol established his Celtic monastery in the 6th century

Penzance based artist, Judy Joel, was chosen last year to produce these stamps, in her characteristic naive style. Her artworks have been sold all over the world, for 50 years. Specialising in commissions of ‘life stories’, weddings, houses, and gardens, Judy also enjoys painting local Cornish scenes and scenes of her favourite pastimes and fondly remembered places. Every picture features her white-haired Mum and a little dog.
Having met Robin Carter last month, I feel I have a better understanding of the work of stamp illustrators now.
Do you like these stamps? I think they are quite fun [but I did like last year's angels. I may ask Steph, our local postmistress, if she has any angels left...]

Stick To Your Saucepans, Jamie!

Jamie Oliver has published around two dozen cookbooks. I have borrowed most of them from the library and enjoyed them. But his latest attempt at pen-to-paper has seriously come a cropper. Penguin just published his children's book "Billy and the Epic Escape" - and within hours have withdrawn it from sale. Oops! The problem is that it features an Australian First Nations girl, and there are lots of serious errors [maybe 'cultural bloopers' is a kinder term] which have caused many people to be offended and very upset.  JO is in Oz at the minute, promoting his new cookbook, and is now spending his time apologising profusely [and presumably cancelling promotions for the  children's book]

I'm not defending him. I'd be annoyed if Donna Hay wrote a children's book featuring a girl from Norfolk, full of distorted stereotypes and loaded with incorrect dialect words.[not that she ever would]  It must be infinitely more annoying/distressing/patronising/worse for the indigenous peoples. And I am frustrated that Penguin Books were so careless about their editing procedures. Who read Jamie's manuscript and thought 'hey, this is good!' - his cookbooks go through strenuous vetting to check for errors in recipes, ingredients,method etc. But that doesn't mean his work of fiction is faultless!

I am getting heartily sick of 'celebs' who churn out children's books, to be sold simply on the strength of their name. Who can forget Sarah Ferguson's "Budgie the Helicopter"? Keith Richards "Gus and Me", or Julie Andrews "Mandy" [Oh wait, many of us already have] 

Having had to read David Walliams "Demon Dentist" to my class [and improve the English as I went along-I couldn't bring myself to read some of his sentences aloud] I cannot see why DW was flavour of the year in so many academies. Just because you can act, cook, sing, or be married to a Royal, it doesn't mean you can write!

Furthermore, there are a lot of struggling young authors out there who deserve a chance, a space on the book table at Waterstones this Christmas. If they are good, then their career may take off. And they want to do this for a living,not as a lucrative sideline.

Here are seven contemporary children's authors who have made it. And who have made it their business to encourage children both to read, and to try and write for themselves. These are favourites in my family, and some have been on my list for many years. There are others - but I cannot include them all - feel free to add yours in the comments. And 6 of these are still very much alive and kicking. [age in brackets]

• Michael Morpurgo [81]  A cracking storyteller, and a good man doing so much for under privileged children
• Nick Butterworth [78]  Back in 1970 I met one of his student friends who told me that NB was going to be a great illustrator, and I should look out for his books. I have at least 6 of them!
• Jacqueline Wilson [78] She is great fun, and her characters are believable. She's helped girls to be true to themselves and have confidence.
• Julia Donaldson [76] the A-Z of readable books - from A Squash and A Squeeze, to Zog, by way of the amazing Gruffalo [which Jess appears to know by heart already]
• Mick Inkpen [71] Four million books sold [I love Percy the Park keeper] Like NB above,[and me] he was born in Romford. And his Dad Stan was friends with my Dad [also Stan] in Boys' Brigade in the 1930s!!
• Rob Biddulph [52] The youngest on my current list - but what a great guy. A true encourager of young readers, writers and artists. With practical tips on his website. Peanut Jones a definite heroine [thank you Rosie for introducing me to this author's work] Here's hoping Rob produces great books for many years like the guys above
• Jill Murphy [sadly died in 2022, aged 72] Rosie loves the Worst Witch, I am happy with Five Minutes Peace [in every sense]

Stick to writing recipes, and campaigning for better food, Jamie - these are the things you are good at.

Wearing Our Poppies...

We are going to the Parish Church in our village today. The chaplain from the Army Camp is leading the service. In the churchyard is an area full of War Graves. [the camp was an RAF airfield  in WW2]

We will remember those who died in war then, and we will pray for peace now. 

Weekend Round-Up

What a crazy week...

MONDAY -Bob's birthday. A lovely day, ending with a meal out at Cote Brasserie in Norwich. I love my ear-rings [they were Gill's] but not happy with my straggly hair

TUESDAY - Dentist Visit. New tooth and scale and polish from the hygienist. Smiling a lot! Watched the voting on and off all night.

WEDNESDAY - I was invited to join some of the local Mothers' Union for Communion followed by coffee and cake. More on that later [not mentioning the US election result]

Bob had very positive session at the Medical Centre*

THURSDAY - last minute change of plans, asd I was due to meet a friend in Norwich and she broke her wrist. Went into the city anyway, and had a haircut

FRIDAY- Volunteer Visiting at Hospital. Will miss the next 2 Fridays due to Grandparent duty

* this was his regular blood test etc to monitor his diabetes. Thrilled to report he is doing really well. His better eating habits resulting in ongoing weight loss, have made a significant difference. The Practice Nurse was very pleased with him. Pilates is helping the back issues, although one ankle is taking a bit longer to heal.

I have been doing a lot of knitting, as I know I shall not manage so much in the next couple of weeks. In the first 7 days, I exceeded 900minutes [30 x 30] And my generous sponsors- online and in person, have pledged over £450. I am so grateful for their support.

I hope you have had a good week too

All Ads Up

We are into November, Hallowe'en is over [Hallelujah!] and now the Christmas ads are appearing thick and fast. Some better than others
Waitrose is bringing out a series of ads, entitled Sweet Suspicion. prepared by Saatchi and Saatchi, with a star studded cast led by Matthew McFadyen. I'm reserving judgement till the denouement!. I'm not that keen on the M&S clothing one. Many ads feature animated characters [Asda's Gnome of Christmas, Sainsbury's BFG, Aldi's Keven the Carrot etc] I do not expect any Barbour garments in my stocking, but their ad, starring Shaun the sheep is good fun 

You may or may not like Amazon, but their ad reminds us that a loving gift given thoughtfully can bring so much extra blessing. [John Lewis would probably say knowingly]

And Lidl remind us that if we are blessed, we should share the Christmas blessings with those less fortunate. 

Do you have a favourite ad this year? 

Hand-Me-Gowns

Bob's father was such a generous Grandad. He always gave the girls such thoughtful gifts, often pjs and dressing gowns [as well as lovely books]. I kept the red 'Mickey Mouse' dressing gown from the 1980s. And when Rosie started having sleepovers at Cornerstones, it became a favourite garment. She wore it after her evening bath when she snuggled up for bedtime stories, and often again in the morning to eat Grandad's famous breakfast pancakes

But last week, we passed another family milestone - both girls came for a sleepover. So now Rosie has moved on to the larger red dressing gown [towelling, with a hood] and Jess wore the Mickey Mouse gown. To be honest, both garments currently have plenty of "growing room" and I shall have to hem the smaller one for Jess [its a bit of a trip hazard - note how she lifts the hem 'like a princess'] . But how they both loved donning them when they got out of the bath.

"You can be Mummy Liz, and I can be Auntie Steph!" announced Jess the next morning, as we had breakfast. Jess was so excited about her first proper Grandad Pancake Breakfast.

They slept beautifully in the big double bed in the back bedroom, without any fuss. 

If the Tudors could pass on clothes down the generations [and also Damien Lewis], I don't see why we shouldn't! 

 

When You're Smiling...

At last all the dental treatment is completed [and paid for] My implant is in place, and I look forward to better eating experiences in the days ahead. I am not planning any more visits to the dentist till after Easter. 

Another bit of good news - my new satnav system took me on a different route, which was much better than either of the other two routes I've used in the past. Win-win!

I arrived in really good time and actually got my day's 30 minutes of knitting done before my appointment. 

Typing this at 5.30am, having been curled up in an armchair all night watching the "Race to the White House", drifting in and out of sleep. Right now it's looking very much like Trump has won. Not the result I was hoping for. Praying that whatever the final outcome, there will be no civil unrest in coming days. 

Autumn Stitching

My latest CoverStory Parcel arrived on Saturday morning [thanks K]

There was a cute little book of ideas for hand-stitched felt, a postcard with news and chat, the notebook explaining Kirsten's October stitching - and then, wrapped in tissue, the stitching itself.

Beautiful Autumn leaves, worked on Corinne LaPierre felt. Neat

Applique
All sorts of stitching, backstitch, stem stitch, French Knots etc. Behind the three leaves are trailing vines.
The bright red berries are pops of colour bringing extra life to the piece.
And the use of the print fabric is so much more interesting than just a plain beige background. This is a superb piece! It sums up 'Fall' so well

I took my October inspiration from a piece of fabric which came in an 'inspiration' pack from the Emporium in Wymondham . Printed in orangey-peach it is reproductions of vintage advertisements. 

There are ads for face creams, watches, typewriters and "Lime Water" [this was a very popular remedy for dyspepsia, mixed with a little milk]

I thought the clocks going back made this a good piece to work on, but during the month, I had problems with heartburn, and also an unexpected chat about typewriters. So definitely the Fabric of the Month. 

I decided to use 'slow stitching' to outline some of the pictures. I used a variegated thread in autu colours [red, amber, gold, brown and green] and varied thickness using both 1 and 2 strands. I outlined the whole piece with tiny blanket stitch.

I enjoyed this one. Our piece if fabric is getting covered with patches- we may not have room for twelve as originally intended.
My November idea is still 'in my head' but I know it will be smaller and narrower when I do get it done! 
More info on my parcel to Kirsten here

I am plodding away at my November Knitting Challenge - and thrilled to have had so much support from friends near and far- thank you all

Happy Birthday, Bob!

This year has certainly had its ups and downs - lots of great family times and celebrations, good involvement with the community, but also health issues. Through it all you have remained cheerful and positive.
I was talking with Rosie about people who inspire us - and she mentioned a few famous characters [contemporary and historical] and then she said "and Grandad"
Have a happy birthday - we all love you so much! God bless you today and always

Take Comfort...

My apologies- only when I went to turn the calendar to November, did I realise I had not posted the October picture!
"The Lord Will Provide!" was something I remembering parents and grandparents quoting to me since I was a young child. I am nearly 70 now - and I can honestly say God always has provided what I have needed 
That's not necessarily all I have wanted or asked him for. I love that quote from Ruth Bell Graham [wife of evangelist Billy] "It is a good job Gopd does not always answer our prayers by giving us what we have asked for. Otherwise I should have married the wrong man ...several times!"

The Play's The Thing

Board Games are enjoying a surge in popularity. At my conference the other weekend,someone brought a stack of about 30 for people to try out. When a strategy game like"'Carcassonne" will set you back about thirty quid, you want to be sure you like it before you shell out you hard earned dosh. The trad games,like Scrabble, Monopoly etc retain their popularity. In the summer, we enjoyed Cluedo with Julian one evening.

But I want to flag up a excellent company which produces games for children - and it's based just a few miles away from here, in the Norfolk town of Wymondham [pronounced Windham by the way] 

There are quite a few of the Orchard Toys which are enjoyed in our family. Shopping List is suitable for 3-7 year olds, with 2-4 players. 

And a while back, I picked up Greedy Gorilla in a CS. You often see these boxed games going for a pound or two and they are worth getting.

The great thing about these games is that they avoid using plastic wherever possible - perhaps a few counters and a dice, but certainly not many little plastic bits to get lost!

Greedy Gorilla does need a battery though. Because as you turn over the cards, healthy foods go onto your playing board, but unhealthy stuff is fed to the gorilla, who then burps loudly! This makes the game very popular with small children.
Rosie's set has a flat battery - so on Saturday we all had to make our own burps [even more laughter]

You often see these games in Lidl and Aldi too - I got the Manchester boys a box of 3 dinosaur games in the summer.
When Liz and Steph were small, I tried to get them Ravensburger games, which were good quality, and designed to be enjoyable and educational. Orchard Toys are similar.

There are other benefits too 

• an excellent website, easy to find what you want, sorted by age and subject
• a blog with news and ideas
• lots of free downloadable printables
• a replacement service if parts do go missing, or you lose your instructions

This is a quite unsolicited recommendation - but in the run up to Christmas, if you have little ones to buy gifts for, please do take a look at this company. Their prices range from £3 stockingfillers to complex jigsaws  for £16 [designed for older children, these come with posters and fact books included in the box] Personally I'd rather buy something produced in Norfolk than shipped across the world. And I would rather sit round the dining table as a family playing a game than have everyone sitting playing on their own screens. 

A Girls' Day Out

Yesterday I took Rosie and Jess into Norwich on my own, the other adults were all busy. We had lots of fun. We began at The Museum Of Norwich [at the old Bridewell prison] where there was a lovely scavenger hunt, throughout the museum, following the orange clues from one exhibit to another. Nothing to write down or scores to keep, just a fun trip - and stickers at the end.
Then we went to one of the rooms where there was a 'make a black cat' activity - well organised with card, pritt, templates, safety scissors etc. Obviously Jess needed a fair bit of help, Rosie managed virtually unaided. The other family who were round the table with us clearly enjoyed it too. I got into conversation with the Gran, who didn't realise there were benefits to having her own Museums Pass, if she was regularly bringing grandchildren to the different Museums. 

Onto Bill's for lunch. The girl's food was free [half term offer] I only paid for our drinks and my  salad.

They cleared their plates, and enjoyed their desserts.

The Waterstones to look at books. I did not buy this family game. It was £13, and anyway the answer to the question is "It was probably the person who is taking Omeprazole meds for acid reflux" Jess is delightful - she enjoys 'riding' the vehicles in the Castle Mall even if nobody has put a coin in the slot to make them move! 

The girls bought some Lego and an Elsa Doll. Then we came home, via Aldi, where the scary assistant, with a white painted face and black horns, dressed as Maleficent was frightening small customers. No it wasn't fun, and quite unnecessary imho.

We had a lot of laughs together. As we walked back to the CarPark, I encouraged them to speed up so we would be back before we got charged for an extra hour. Jess was still pointing out things of interest as we trotted down the street.

"Come on Jess, hurry up. We've no time for pleasantries right now" declared Big Sister. I was flabbergasted at this phrase. Has she been reading Jane Austen??

Such a joy and privilege to be with them all day. Thank you girls!

No wonder my mice are not selling. These ones are only a fiver in a certain Danish Gift shop. They are imported from China. I cannot compete...