Goodnight, Ladies

 Four notable, strong women have died this week.

1. July 7th - My Auntie Jean, at 101. The rest of the world did not know her, she won't get a mention on the BBC, but for her 100+ relations, and her many friends, her passing will be noted, her life and faith celebrated. She gave so much to so many. always with a warm smile or a cheeky grin.
2. July 8th - Bonnie Tyler. Aged 75. 
   This Welshwoman, with a wonderfully powerful voice had been ill for some weeks. She had been married to her beloved Robert for 53 years. They had no children, but she did a phenomenal amount for charity across the world, but particularly in Wales, especially child-related projects. Her most famous hit was "Total Eclipse of the Heart" [my favourite is "Holding Out for a Hero] Deeply loved, she was described as 'a proud Welsh Icon' by Prince William
3. July 9th - Anne Widdecombe. Aged 78. A feisty, outspoken woman, of very strong views. She was raised Catholic, became an agnostic, then Anglican, then converted back to Catholicism. Brought up Conservative, she was a local councillor, became an MP in 1987. She joined the Brexit Party, then the Reform Party. She remained single and had no children, saying she had chosen to commit her life to public service. In her later years she became a 'celeb' appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, Celeb Big Brother and made numerous other TV appearances. Rev Richard Coles described her as "Ann Widdecombe, who I knew a bit, both as an adversary and as an inconveniently congenial acquaintance." and wrote a prayer on Facebook which was very gracious, I felt. We have since heard that she was murdered. So incredibly sad. 
4. July 10th - Patricia Greene - aka Jill Archer. Aged 95. Part of the soundtrack of my life until I stopped listening to the radio soap during Covid! She was 'married' to Brookfield Farm for 69 years! She did other roles here and there on TV - but basically she had one job, and she did it brilliantly. The longest serving actor in any soap [radio, TV or Internet] in the world. The matriarch of a huge fictional farming family - her character was so popular [Queen Camilla is apparently an Archers Addict] She continued recording, even when she moved into a care home. Patricia [Paddy] was a much loved member of the Archers Team, "unfailingly warm and encouraging" She was awarded an MBE ' for services to broadcasting and charity.

May these strong women rest in peace, may their loved ones be comforted, may others carry on the good work they did and the generosity they showed.

Watching The World Go By

Friday was really quite tiring. We went to see my old schoolfriend, A, who I reconnected with in the autumn, who is now out of hospital. But her mobility is poor and she decided she was not able to look after herself properly any more. So she's relocated to a care home by the sea. I have visited her there three times now. The journey is quite exciting, as the satnav takes us on a route through the backroads, and villages I have never heard of before. Like Sco Ruston, a tiny hamlet mentioned in the Domesday Book. 

Last week, we went down a hill, on a narrow hill between some cottages and rounded a corner. Bob slowed right down as he steered the sharp right hand bend. And there, in the middle of the road was a guy in a red stripy jumper and bobble hat. "There's Wally!!" called out my witty spouse, as he braked. We did not see Wally this week. 

A has no phone and no internet connection. She asked Bob to sort something out for her. He spent the morning setting this up - once the care home had managed to find the wi-fi password for her. I don't think many of the residents are able to use modern technology - and her bedroom is woefully short of power sockets. We finally got away at 2pm, and decided to go to Sheringham for lunch.

I had my first ever iced matcha. I suspect it may be my last. It was cooling, but I didn't feel it was that special. As I told Bob "It doesn't taste green either!" We popped into a few charity shops, and I bought a mug. I don't actually need it, but it brought back happy memories. 

You may know La Vache Qui Rit, [the Laughing Cow] the processed cheese made by the Bel Cheese Company in France for over a century.  There is a Belgian company with a similar name

When we had a family holiday in Belgium 25 years ago, we saw adverts for "La Vache Qui Regarde Passer Les Trains" [the cow that watches the passing trains] This is the logo of a  family company producing foods which are organic, vegan, and made with ingredients sourced locally to their factory near Liege.

Sauces, dips, spreads, biscuits, crackers, desserts, chocolates...all very delicious, and good for the planet. We enjoyed some of the foods on our holiday.  At one of the major Belgian stations, there was a lovely tiled mural. The cow is standing, wide eyed, chewing the cud, watching the world go by.

The girls were growing up, that was one of our last family holidays together, just the four of us. Bob had spent all his childhood summers in Belgium staying with his grandmother. We took the girls once. So I treated myself to this mug because of the joyful happy memories that flooded back. And I shall show it to the grandchildren when they visit. 

I do like this little cow, and if it were not so hot right now, I might even get out my silks to embroider a picture of her on a piece of cotton. 

Standing watching the world go by is about all I have the energy for at the moment...

Bits And Pieces

Thursday was busy, and hot! We began by going into Norwich, as Bob has a follow-up session with his consultant regarding his recent back treatment. We got there early, and had time for a coffee in the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Coffee Shop, which was close by.
Bob's doctor was very pleased with his progress, and made helpful comments about lifestyle and exercise . We are so grateful for the improvement in his health and relief from constant pain.

We went into the city and mooched about a bit, and found a couple of CS bargains. Bob found this for £5 - a large frame, big enough for the Hockney Print! The sticker on the back says it came from the Nelson Hotel - which is due to be demolished soon and rebuilt.

I guess they will have lots of new pictures! I spent £1 on this pretty Italian sweet tin - I shall put some of my haberdashery in it. Home via Aldi, and the first Big Shop of July.

Then long cold drinks of water, and time to sploot on the bed with our books
Bob fell asleep so I tiptoed into the lounge. He came through later and asked if I'd looked at Facebook. Why?

My cousin Miriam in Perth, Western Australia had posted that her Mum, my Auntie Jean has died. She was 101! this photo was taken just three weeks ago. Uncle Ted died in 1997. They had ten children - so the Hall family in Perth now numbers somewhere around 100 people!
She was my last surviving aunt - so it marks the end of an era, but I am not sad. Her faith was strong to the last, and she was confident Jesus had a place ready for her in heaven. Such a positive lady, leaving many happy memories behind. But I guess it will be hard for Mim - they did so much together especially since M retired [she is 72] 
Today is another busy day - I doubt I will live to 101, but I am determined to make the most of every day God gives me. 

I hope your day is good, and even if the weather outside is blistering hot, try and follow the words of George Fox [founder of the Quakers] who said 

"Be still and cool within thy soul"

Happy St Withburga's Day

My apologies, St W's Day was actually yesterday, July 8th. But I only discovered that at 5.30 in the afternoon. This saint is not particularly well known outside of East Anglia - but she came to our town 1350 years ago and founded a nunnery. And she is commemorated on our town sign, which spans the road leading into the Market Place.

Her story goes like this ...Anna, king of the Angles had four daughters. He died in 654, and one daughter, Withburga came to Dereham. Here she founded a nunnery. The women cared for the community and built a small church. They had little money or food. One night the Virgin Mary appeared to Withburga, saying ‘Send two of your women down to the stream every morning, where two does will stand to be milked’. This they did, and so there was milk, butter and cheese for all. The news spread, many came to ask for help. The Reeve became jealous and set off with his hounds to kill, or drive away the deer, but his horse stumbled and threw him, and his neck was broken.

The years passed, Withburga died, and was buried in the churchyard until a suitable shrine could be built. When the time came to move her to her final resting place, the coffin was opened, and her body was found to be whole and uncorrupted as on the day she died. One story tells how one of the men reached and touched her cheek with his finger – whereupon the maiden saint blushed at the sacrilege! Then came the Danish invasion. The nuns were scattered, the nunnery destroyed. But the church and shrine escaped, and when peace returned, became the parish church. Many pilgrims came to pray at the Saint’s Tomb

In 870 King Edgar gave all the monasteries destroyed by the Danes, and the cathedral at Ely., into the care of the Bishop of Winchester. The bishop suggested that Withburga, should lie at Ely with her three royal sisters, but Dereham folk did not wish to lose their saint. So Ely monks gave a great feast to the men of Dereham and when they were all drunk, they stole the Saint’s coffin. Next morning, they found the grave desecrated, the coffin gone. They chased after the monks, but it was too late. Returning to Dereham, they found the empty tomb had filled with a spring of clear water. Pilgrims continued to come to pray, and drink the holy water, which to this day has never run dry.

Years later, at the end of the eighteenth century, a Bath-house was built over the spring, in the hope that the town would become as famous as Buxton nor Bath. Described as ‘a hideous building of brick and plaster’, it was never popular and in about 1880 it was removed and replaced with iron railings and for years was smothered in ivy and ferns, the water green with duck-weed. 

Since 1950 it has been cleared, the ivy replaced with climbing roses and rock plants, and the water kept clean. Every year on a Sunday near St Withburga’s Day, a special service is held. In a few week's time, Katie is organising an event at the museum, and wanted a Withburga Mouse to head up her display. So I have been busy today creating the Saintly Mouse. 

So now you know!
Does your town have a special Saint?

A Blind Cat, A Found Cat, And Six Headless Mice

 Rosie adores the Studio Ghibli Cat purse which her dad brought back from a trip abroad. It has suffered of late- it is rather grubby, and sadly the pupils have come away from the eyes. "Grandma, please do you have any black felt?" She emptied the purse and left it with me  I climbed up into the loft.
🥵It is absolutely swullocking up there🥵

I took my phone with me, as one of my tasks was to photograph the electric socket for Bob. And as I got it out, I spotted a message from Katie regarding another Mouse for the Museum. So I grabbed black and yellow felt, the whiskers wire, and a few other bits. I was just about to come down when I spotted a long thin yellow fabric bag - It was my missing Hockney posters! I've found the cat!

Mr & Mrs Clark [& Oscar] are on the spare bed, looking up very suspiciously. The only space I could find for my Bigger Splash print is on the wardrobe door. It just fits above the handle! It can stay there for a few weeks in honour of Mr Hockney

I hope that Julian, George, Jacob and other overnight guests this summer will appreciate it! Right now I would quite enjoy a pool in the garden. But I am content to have my raised beds and two fruit trees there - much more useful!

A box of half a dozen half-completed mice. Fortunately Katie only needs one new one this summer. I should be able to sort that for her quite easily. The colours are wrong in this photo, mice #4 and #5 are not really Trump Orange!

PS I know nothing about football, but I am very, very pleased that Belgium won their match! 

A Woman's Work Is Never Done...

Be warned, there may be a number of posts here about the Bayeux Tapestry this summer! Some important facts

• It is not a tapestry [woven] but rather an embroidery [stitched]
• Although this 70 metre masterpiece lives in Bayeux, France, it was probably stitched by a team of women in Kent, England. Probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, half brother of William The Conqueror, who was Earl of Kent, and Regent in England when WtC was away
• It is a a wonderful example of the style of embroidery known as Opus Anglicanum [English Work]
• In 1872, a photographer from "South Kensington Museum" [now called the V&A ] travelled to France to photograph the work. Joseph Cundall's photographs were coloured by hand by a team of men back in London. These men also 'tidied up' the pictures, painting over things which may offend Victorian ladies - any exposed male parts on horses or soldiers - including adding underpants to any naked men
• There are 620 men, 120 horses/mules, 55 dogs, 37 ships, many birds and animals - and six women! The good ladies who worked the piece do not have their names recorded

A piece of work this significant must have been copied, surely? Well yes. A woman called Elizabeth Wardle, whose husband was a silk dyer in Leek, Staffordshire decided we needed a copy here in England. She went to France and made drawings, she borrowed the Museum photographs, and amassed a team of 35 women to recreate the Tapestry. 

They faithfully reproduced the stitching [including the Victorian Underpants] and each woman stitched her name on the piece. It travelled round the country, and is now in the possession of Reading Museum.

Six copies of the Museum photos were printed and coloured, and made into scrolls in the 1870s.One ended up in the possession of Charlie Watts, the Rolling Stones drummer. [How? Why?] After his death, the Bayeux Museum bought it at auction for £16,000. It will be going on display sometime next year...

A man in Norfolk carved a half size replica, in wood, in memory of his late son. Jason finished his project in 2014.[video here]

Finally, here is Mia Hannson, a Swedish woman, living in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. She has been working on a full size replica since 13th July 2016 - and hopes to have it finished by 2027 [at which point, the British Museum will have an empty custom built Tapestry case because the original will have gone back to France] Watch her video here or check out her interesting website

Apart from Mr Cundall and Mr Welch, the original and the reproductions have all been made by women, and these were not speedy projects. The Norwich Friends Tapestry, which is in many respects a sequel to the original story, was seven years in the making [watch that story here]
I am in awe of their commitment to the task, like that virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:13, they "Seek wool and linen and work with eager hands"

Busy With The Ewoks

No, not this sort of Ewok, I mean the Egyptian Walking Onions from Kirsten. They have been quite splendid this year, rampant across the garden, escaping from the trough in the back garden into an adjacent corner, and marching across my second raised bed. Some of the Shedmen and another friend have requested bulbils so that they can try and grow them in their plots. I love their freaky triffid like appearance.

I haven't actually done  much with my ewoks except admire them, and occasionally trim some of the young green shoots to use in place of chives or spring onion tops in a salad.

There is a wonderful article here about their uses, so I decided to harvest all the ones which are taking over Raised Bed #2

I ended up with a bowlful of roots and stems, and a smaller bowl into which I trimmed all the bulbils. The bigger onions have been trimmed and gone into the fridge, and I decided to pickle the bulbils. I found a recipe online.

The whole process was very fiddly and time consuming. I picked through my bowl of bulbils, taking the largest, trimming and peeling them. It took nearly an hour to get to 6oz. The tub of 'debris' was large. As well as salt for the soaking brine, I needed sugar and white vinegar for the pickling solution, along with strips of lemon zest and lightly crushed juniper berries.

I ended up with one small jar of onions. These need to sit in the fridge for a week to allow the flavours to infuse. They should keep for some months.

Allegedly you can use these sweet/sour pickles in sandwiches and salads, as a topping for grilled meats, garnishing a cheeseboard or as cocktail onions [If you prefer your Martini with an onion, not an olive, it is called a Gibson. But I never drink Martinis...]
I will let you know how they taste

🧅🧅🧅🧅🧅

The leftover bulbils which were about the size of my thumbnail were replanted back into RB#2. And all the rest of the trimmings went into the compost bin.