My Little Chatterbox

 Like her Mum, and her big sister, Jess has developed a good vocabulary already, at 2½ years old. We've been in London looking after the girls while Liz and Jon were away. It's been exhausting but fun. Arriving Thursday afternoon, I went on the bus to collect Jess from Nursery. It was already dark. I said to her that we would see lots of pretty lights on the way home. First time the bus stops, she says “Grandma, lights! Orange and red and green". I hadn't been thinking about traffic lights - but they are pretty colours.

The Novello Theatre is where Mamma Mia the Musical is on. But Jess looked at the turquoise sparkling lights and told me it was "Elsa's Frozen Castle" 
She is obviously well up on this particular Disney offering. She looked at some snowflake lights hanging along a hedge, and declared "Let-It-Go-Flakes"

Jess began to sing Let It Go (I didn't join in) and the other bus passengers smiled happily.

The first evening, Jess missed her Mum and Dad, and didn't settle very well in her cot. Rosie came down and said she was crying a lot. I went into the room. A little voice, sobbing, said "I'm in a mess, Grandma" 

She had pulled a lift-the-flap book through the bars of the cot, and ripped two pages. And absolutely shredded the flap that was a garden gate. How many children have I known who have been really upset about something and torn a page or two? I gathered the shreds and put it all to one side "It's OK, Grandma will fix it" 

Then Jess and I cuddled in the big bed and I told her Mummy loved her and she would be home soon. We talked about all the people we loved. "I love Grandad so much, because he cooks me sausages" she declared

After that she was OK - and Rosie was a brilliant Big Sister. I stuck the book back together [recreating the gate with a rectangle cut from cereal packet] And I will post photos of some of the things we saw later. Jon and Liz got back safely last night and today we go home visiting another relation en route. 

What a privilege to spend time with the children. But I shall be glad to be back in a bungalow - stairs are exhausting [especially when carrying buggies up and down] 

‘Salus Populi Suprema Est Lex’ **

I have listened, in amazement, to the news reports of the Covid Inquiry. I'm appalled that the people in power could have been so callous, and careless, about the health of the nation. I admire the skills of the Government appointed scientists and epidemiologists - but I am horrified that the "Eat Out To Help Out" scheme was launched without consulting them. And that contributed to the spread of the virus, but did very little to help the hospitality industry. 

I do not expect everybody to understand the science - but if the man in Number 10 was "bamboozled" by it, why did he not admit that, and allow the ones who did know what they were talking about to make the decisions? All this rubbish about hairdryers up the nose killing the virus. Boasting about shaking hands with everybody And as for the rest of us social distancing, whilst others were partying, and canoodling in cupboards, words fail me. 

In 1937, the Borough of Southwark opened a public clinic in Walworth. It is really to close to Rosie's home, so I see it whenever I make a London Trip. This was the first London Borough to have the whole of its health services in one, easily accessible building. The buses still stop right outside.  And on the front is a plaque, bearing the English translation of **Cicero's Latin statement made 2000 years ago.

On the roof of the building is a fantastic art deco statue representing Public Health. [picture below, details here] In the first half of the twentieth century, following WW1, Parliament became more active in promoting Public Health. The good works of Victorian philanthropists were built upon, and things got much better, culminating in the Beveridge Report of 1942, and the founding of the NHS in 1948. Healthcare free for all at the point of need.

And now look at us, seventy five years later. Crumbling hospitals, medical staff working impossibly long hours, a shortage of midwives, and ambulances queuing for hours in hospital carparks. 

I accept that a new government cannot instantly repair all the damage - like turning round an oceanliner, it will be a slow process - but surely we can do better than this?

Eating Out

 Just some pictures from recent days on the theme of Eating Out

A sculpture of a cheerful diner on the pavement just round the corner for Jess's nursery

A cheeky pigeon who came and ate the crumbs from my scone as we sat on the Terrace at Tate Modern, having visited the Mondrian exhibition

Strumpshaw Tree Fair with Julian - excellent burgers, huge portions of chips, served in the sunshine

My pastel de nata in Leon looked rather like an alien, with those almond eyes

Bring Up the Bodies!

We had a fabulous time in London. I spent a lot of time on buses, ferrying Jess to and from nursery. This gave me a fair bit of 'thinking' time, in between singing [softly] Wheels On The Bus and other songs to keep her occupied.

Question 1 - bodysuits - for babies or adults? I get the point of them for Jess. They keep her tummy warm, they prevent her nappy from sagging. But not for fully grown women imho. I remember Donna Karan's fashion item in the eighties. The idea was that you got a 'sculptured look and smooth silhouette'.There were three basic sorts

• too long, so you got wrinkles not smooth lines
• too short, so you were incredibly uncomfortable all day
• with ineffective poppers- so you often returned from a trip to the loo, unaware that you had a tail flapping at the back, instead of being tucked in and popped shut

So no thank you, I'm not wearing them this time round!

Question 2 - packing - why is something ALWAYS omitted?

I put trainers and socks out, plus my sandals. It was hot the day we travelled- I wore my sandals - and left my shoes and socks at home. Thus Friday I was very cold, wet feet. Meanwhile Bob travelled in jeans and took shorts. The day we returned he wore his shorts- but left his jeans behind in London.

Question 3 - why does every baby's buggy have a different folding technique? Even the lovely staff member at the nursery who helped me get Jess ready had a struggle "I have two children myself - and neither of them had a buggy like this"

Especially good moments

1. Time with Bob to stroll in the city, enjoy art galleries, and eat falafels in the sunshine
2. Time to read stories with Jess, and teach her new nursery rhymes. 
3. Time to chat with Rosie about her school topic [Civil Rights] and hear her explain why she thinks Martin Luther King was a good man. 

Best remarks from the girls

As we struggled to persuade Jess to have a bath before bedtime, Rosie said "How can I help you with this, Grandma"

When I arrived at Nursery to collect Jess, she turned round, saw me in the doorway, and cried "Grandparents! Yay!" and threw her arms in the air. 

But now we are home again, and Julian is with us for a few days holiday. There was a parcel waiting in the box when we got home on Saturday afternoon. Someone had returned a couple of books Bob had lent - one contained this bookmark

'please return it as soon as you can' it says. They only had it about 10 years! Better late than never. I was aware these books were missing when we packed to move in 2015 [but assumed they were misplaced] then in Dorset looked for them again, and vaguely remembered lending them, but not to whom.

What is the longest you have waited for an item to be returned? 

 

Getting Into A Scrape

We're in London, looking after Rosie and Jess, whilst Liz and Jon are away. We came in the Skoda, leaving the Toyota parked neatly on the gravel at home. 

Last Thursday, as we often do, we drove into Norwich. Bob parked at the Hospice, and I got the bus into the city centre and did a bit of shopping and returned library books. Bob came to meet me after his session, parking in the carpark underneath the library.

When we returned to the car, I spotted a long orange scrape along the nearside wing. Thus could have happened at either car park [obviously Bob would not have notice as he was using the driver's side of the car]

Fortunately it does not appear dented, and next week I shall set to with some T-cut and try to remove the mark.

But if you're in Norfolk, and you do happen to spot an orange car with a silver grey streak down the side, please tell the driver I am not best pleased with them!

Stitched Drawings

On our trip to London in April, Bob and I visited the Wellcome Collection - which describes itself as 'the free museum for the incurably curious' [Well worth visiting, decent loos and coffee shop, close to Euston Station] Fortunately for those of us 'out in the sticks' they organise touring exhibitions around the country. I was delighted that Georgie Meadows' "Stitched Drawings" was coming to our fantastic local Museum at Gressenhall for the summer. I went along with friends from the Craft Group I've recently joined.

Georgie trained as an occupational therapist, specialising in mental health, particularly among the elderly. She had always sketched and stitched- but did an art foundation course, and began to translate her pencil drawings into stitched pieces. She went on to organise Tea Dances in Monmouth, for the whole community, but especially her patients [check out the "Thursday Afternoons" film on this site]

Georgie's images are inspired by the elderly people with whom she has worked - those with depression, dementia or Alzheimer's. [None of these images are portraits of a specific individual] Her concern is to show care- without assuming, or categorising, especially when their health issues have resulted in loss of identity and control. She wants to encourage empathy, and celebrate their courage as they struggle with life.

It was somehow quite pertinent to see this exhibition displayed in a building which was originally a workhouse, where many elderly folk ended there days - and then later became a council OAP home. As a teenager I came here with my Dad to visit church members, some of whom had the beginings of dementia.

Our craft group found her free motion embroidery skills were excellent, but more importantly, we were all moved by the love and understanding she shows towards these elderly folk. 

I apologise that the lighting made it hard for me to photograph the captions. But I feel these amazing pieces do not need any comments from me.

 

In recent days, two friends have lost family members to dementia/Alzheimer's. My heart aches for them - and hope they are able to remember the good days, before their loved ones became so ill, and relationships became harder. These stitched drawings serve as a reminder that there is still a spark there, somewhere, of the real soul inside the aching, unco-operative ageing body. I have great respect for those who care for these folk, with all their frustrations and difficulties - and deepest sympathies for those who have lost precious parents or partners in this way,

Caveat Emptor...

...Buyer Beware! 

My dad taught me this Latin tag when I was quite young and I have always considered myself to be a Savvy Shopper. But I have to admit that on our trip to London this past week, I have shown myself to be something of an April Fool. I made two purchases in a hurry, and with hindsight, I could have done so much better.

My first mistake was the day we arrived. We parked the car, had ate our sandwiches at Liz's flat, then hopped on a bus to the Science Museum. We had a lovely afternoon- and were please dthat travel was free because we had our OAP bus passes. Coming back I suggested we go into the Co-op by the bus stop to buy some milk. As we waited to pay I saw a sign saying "Deliciously Special Hot Cross Buns reduced to clear". I dropped them in the basket ."We can have these toasted sometime" I said. I never really looked at the llabel [mostly obscured by multiple Price Reduction Stickers

When we did get round to eating them, Bob said "These are a bit peppery, what flavour are they?" 

That was when we inspected the wrapping carefully.

Who in their right mind, ever thought that it was a good idea to make that British Classic Hot Cross Bun and flavour it with Masala and Chilli? I'm not surprised that they didn't sell. They were weird!

Mistake #2 came on the day we left - we had a wander down the Walworth Road, to look in the CS, meander round Oli's Supermarket, and browse the East Street Market.

There was a fabric stall, and I stopped to have a look. Now I have a project in the back of my mind requiring a square metre of blue cotton fabric. The guy had rolls of cotton fabric in various plain colours. "How much is the cotton? Could I have a look at the blue roll, please?" He pulled it out, it was clearly 120cm wide. "It's £2, but you are the first customer of the day, so I'll only charge you £1.50" he said. "Can I just have one metre of that please?" I started to root around in my bag to find some cash. "Just the one? I can do you a deal on three for a fiver" he said.

Now I'm not sure - was he trying to con me? or just poor at maths? "No just one metre today please" I said. He found his scissors, cut the selvedge and ripped off my fabric [all the time I was still hunting in the deep dark depths of my backpack. He folded the fabric and gave it to me. I handed over the cash. And left. 

Only when I got back to Norfolk did I inspect it thoroughly. He obviously doesn't know about the metric system. It measures a scant 36" and isn't straight on one edge. I can use it for the intended project, but will need to rethink my dimensions.

Memo to self; do not ever buy fabric from this guy again. Come to think of it, he did look a bit like Del Boy...

Domestic Disasters

Monday morning, awake bright and early, ready for Holiday Club. "What would you like for breakfast?" said Bob. "I've got ⅔ can of grapefruit in the fridge, I'll have half today, and half tomorrow" I said.

And I foolishly skipped out of bed, went to the fridge and got the can. I dropped it. On my foot. I was not wearing slippers! Two toes were bleeding, and there was grapefruit and juice all over the floor of the Futility Room. I burst into tears [unlike me] 

Bob [the perfect husband] came and mopped up the fruit whilst I hobbled off to the bathroom to wash my foot and put plasters on my toes. I had Weetabix for breakfast instead. My foot throbbed all Monday morning, but is much better now, thank you.

On Tuesday afternoon, I had to make a large batch of playdough. We are doing Easter Gardens this morning as our Club Craft - and that means every child needs a rectangular tin foil pie dish, with brown playdough in the bottom.  Into this they can stick silk flowers, a square of green velvet 'grass' and a circular foil 'pond'. At one end, they can push in a card tab, with an Easter picture & message on the front [and space on the back for their name]

I use this recipe for playdough, as it is reliable and pliable! While Bob was at a Microsoft Teams meeting, I was in the kitchen making a small amount [so I could calculate how much was needed for 30 dishes] Then I made a larger batch.  It was all fine, until I realised I needed to colour it brown. I hate cake colouring! I had some green and red so I dripped a little into the mix. It seemed ok. But my hands were like Lady Macbeth's. Very red fingers. My batch was half the amount needed. Then I realised that altho I had flour and oil, I did not have enough salt, or cream of tartar to make the remaining dough.

At 3pm Bob's meeting finished and we went into town to return library books, and pick up a few grocery essentials - plus cream of T and salt. Can somebody explain why a 1.5kg polybag of Morrison's cooking salt is £1 - but a 750g plastic pot of table salt is only 29p? I always thought that table salt was finer and therefore more expensive than the cooking stuff. Not almost half the price.

I was running out of time - but I managed to prepare a fish pie and Batch #2 of playdough before 6.30pm. I am not altogether sure it was wise to have two very different pans simmering on the hob together! There will have to be some serious cleaning soon. Also the fridge will need to be moved, as we have realised that there is sticky grapefruit juice underneath.

On Sunday we are off to London for three days, and friends will be staying at Cornerstones. Things must be left spick and span. 

I am glad it is only a three day club, and I am so grateful to Jane who is in charge of everything. 

Welcome To The Refillution!

 "And on the way back, we can visit the Ecover Pop-Up shop and get a free coffee" said Liz, as we pushed the buggy through Borough Market. There's a car/van hire place, which usually looks pretty seedy, on the site of an old petrol station, which had been transformed for a couple of days. As we approached we saw old car tyres painted in pastel hues, filled with plants- and people at picnic tables drinking coffee and chatting.

"Welcome to the Refillution" said the sign. A team of cheerful people were explaining all about the benefits of using refillable containers - not just for takeaway coffees, but also for household products like shampoo, washing up liquid, etc.

Did we know about ecover products already? Yes we did. Do we use them? Sometimes. 

We were invited to take an empty bottle and fill it with detergent from the modified 'petrol pump'. "Our only requirement is that you promise to keep this bottle for a year and refill it." said the girl. I'm a little unsure if she meant 'with Ecover w-u liquid' or with anybody's product. I usually buy very large bottles of cheaper stuff and decant anyway. [My little red bottle in the kitchen is almost 40 years old]

"Please go and have a free coffee" they told us. This was delicious Pact Coffee, and was being served in re-usable cups. Neither of us wanted another of these, we have mugs already. I whipped out my Stojo mug, and the guy was very happy to fill it for me. I like the Stojo, because it packs flat in my bag, Once it is empty I squash it down again. [it does not keep the drink particularly hot - but that's fine with me]

I am not as diligent about using refill shops as other bloggers [like Kezzie] as I sometimes find the extra cost is just a bit too high. I often buy bulk sized bottles/boxes and decant. I bought two huge containers of 'professional' concentrated Flash in a 'bogof' in the cash'n'carry in Leicester in 2014 - and I am just about finished them. [That is not to imply I don't use them very often...just that they've lasted ages - I had one in Dorset, one here] And currently I am using washing powder - again a mega sized cardboard box, but for convenience I refill a tin stored by the machine.

Since writing yesterday's post, I found the Big Issue which I bought to read on the bus and left in my shopping bag. It has a whole section on B Corp. The co-founder of BI was Gordon Roddick [of The Body Shop] and he was an early adopter of B Corp recognition. The magazine has a helpful list of B Corp companies. Some of these you may recognise

• Tea Pigs
• Oddbox [veg boxes using surplus/wonky priduyce]
• Divine Chocolate
• Charlie Bigham's Pies
• Charity Bank
• WOB - aka World of Books - buy/sell 2nd hand books
• Little Soap
• Cheeky Panda [bamboo products]
• Big Issue
• Ella's Kitchen [recycle their babyfood pouches]
• Danone
• Ben&Jerry's
• Gousto [now working with anti hunger charity Foodshare]

Refill, re-use, recycle... and be good, be thoughtful be aware

What kind of world am I leaving for my grandchildren? How can I help cause less damage and make good some of the problems we have caused?

B Better, B Corp

"Do you know about B Corp companies,. Mum?" said Liz - explaining these are companies whose business models involve justice for workers, sustainability for the planet, and bringing benefit to the community. Here's a helpful video to explain

March is B Corp month, and so a pop-up shop appeared in premises just off Oxford Street. Liz and I visited on Thursday. If London is the B Corp Capital of the world, how come I am only just hearing of this? It started in 2006 - yet was not once mentioned in the Green Living Group I belonged to back in Dorset. I hoped that we would find out more inside the shop. Sadly we were both a little bit disappointed. 

Inside, it was like a regular small shop - with shelves, freezers, and  chill cabinets where lots of very diverse products were on display. Lots of banners with phrases like "looking good, feeling good, doing good" over a shelf of toiletries and beauty products and "be cool" over the cold drinks dispenser.

It was a shame that our presence meant the one staff member present had to stop her mobile phone conversation, she clearly wanted to be somewhere else, and did not know the answer to our questions - she told us she had not expected to be working there. 

It was a hot day, and Liz thought she'd buy a cool drink from the vending machine. It didn't seem to have facilities for payment- she pressed the button and it dispensed her can, then she tried again and got one for me. The woman did not know how we were supposed to pay and said we should just keep the cans. Liz asked about buying one of the products from the shelf. But no, all the products were just display items- nothing was actually For Sale.

"It is just so you can see which companies have been given B Corp certification and be more mindful when you buy goods." said the woman. 

We recognised lots of the products including...

• who gives a c**p ? loo rolls
• tracklements pickles
• alpro non dairy milks
• pip&nut peanut butter
• dash flavoured waters
• toast beer
• sipsmith  gin
• COOK frozen ready meals
• divine chocolate
• the Guardian newspaper
• belazu ingredient company

I think Steph has done some work with belazu - here is their B Corp video

We would have really liked an explanatory leaflet and a list of B corp certified producers to take away. Even more we'd have liked the opportunity to purchase some of the items

I thought the COOK dinosaur chicken pie looked great [although with the right cookie cutter, it would not be hard to replicate at home!]
I wanted to ask about something we had noticed as we came up The Strand on the bus. Coutts Bank [the Queen's bank, which offers wealth management to some of the richest people in the country] actually has a sign outside saying it is a certified B Corp. How does that work? If their job is to help the rich maintain [and grow] their healthy bank balances, exactly how does that square with equitable distribution of wealth across the planet?

The whole experience of visiting the good News shop raised more questions than answers. I appreciated my free recyclable can of water [flavoured with 'wonky' cucumbers originally destined to be ditched] and also my bag of ethical, fairly traded chocolate buttons.  Thank you for these snacks for the train journey. 

Waitrose has been promoting BCorp products this month and featured some of them in their weekend magazine. It seems a good idea- but at the moment it feels not terribly well publicised. How much would this certification affect my decision whether or not to buy something? I'm not sure...Have you been aware of BCorp? 

But Is It Art?

Today I shall be at an online conference all day - for Thrive, the support group for those of us married to Baptist Ministers. It includes spouses of students, chaplains, retired pastors, missionaries...and those who are widowed too. It happens in alternate years, and I missed the 2019 Conference because of Bob's TIA. So I am really looking forward to this one, and reconnecting with friends- even if it is on Zoom.

There are optional workshops, and I have chosen an art based one. My paints etc are all ready. I have no idea what will happen - I am a crafter rather than an artist...we will see.

When I was at the Tate with Liz the other week, I took a picture of this - it is an installation by Peter Fischli and David Weiss, part of "Untitled" - which is "A witty recreation of everyday objects in polyurethane sculpture"

And there was me thinking it was two old tyres on a stack of pallets with some scrap wood beside it. I don't get modern art.

The Very Nice Men who put up Bob's Lathe Palace had some wood left over, which they said they'd leave behind if he could use it. [yes please!] Bob reconfigured his temporary woodstore, and wrapped it in tarps and empty builders' bags, as rain was forecast. I thought this could definitely be considered a work of art. It reminded me of the Dancing Dragons from Chinese New Year, so I added a few features.

I spent Thursday, a sunny day, working on the front path. 

My other art installation is called "I need to make my Christmas cake" - a witty reminder that all the time I was mixing cement and sand, I kept thinking of flour and brown sugar and I want to get some festive baking underway soon.  

The past fortnight has been surprisingly busy - I'm grateful to the Thrive Committee for organising our Conference, it will be a good opportunity to reflect, and take stock of things - next week we will have been retired six months! It's been a wonderful time [mostly] 

and the adventure certainly continues...

The Fabric Of Society

Liz has bought herself a "member plus guest" ticket from the Tate. This is excellent value - it means a member can go in to Tate Modern or Tate Britain any time [free] - plus they can take a guest [free] and they can visit any of the special exhibitions [free] And there is access to the special members' bar [TM] and dining room [TB]...and they can take up to six children! 

Many of the baby groups have yet to restart because of the pandemic - this will be a good way for Liz to take a walk, appreciate the art, and enjoy a good cup of coffee. And as well as pushing Jess in the pram, she can take a friend along too [and Rosie at weekends] This members+ ticket is £10 a month - it would have cost £35 for Liz and me to go to the Rodin exhibition. 

After we had walked all round the Rodin stuff, it was coffee time. The Members' Room has a spectacular view across the Thames. I spent ages looking at the diagram behind Liz which names many of the buildings of note.

The trays are printed with artworks from the collection. I quite liked the lobster on which we had our coffee cups!
After a break, we went back inside and looked at a few more parts of the collection - Liz particularly wanted to show me "The British Library", created in 2014 by Yinka Shonibare, YS has British/Nigerian nationality. 

This room was mind-blowing! 6,328 books, with names printed in gold leaf on 270 of the spines. The books are bound in African wax print fabric, the artist’s signature material. The history of this fabric reveals a complex relationship between colonialism, cultural appropriation and national identity. It was developed in the 19C in the Netherlands as a mass-produced imitation of the batik dyeing process used in Indonesia, a Dutch colony at the time. The cheaper, machine-made textiles were poorly received in Indonesia. In West and Central Africa, however, they were quickly adopted and absorbed into local traditions.

The names on the books are those of 1st and 2nd generation immigrants to this country, both celebrated and lesser-known, who have made significant contributions to British culture and history. Among names such as Hans Holbein, Zadie Smith, and Dame Helen Mirren, the names of those who have opposed immigration also appear, including Nigel Farage and Oswald Mosley. 

This shelf shows a few names I recognised - interesting people with diverse skills and very diverse origins

• Cy Grant - Guyana - I remember him singing calypsos on TV when I was very young [and voicing Lt. Green on 'Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons']
• Suzi Quatro - singer, with Italian/American roots
• Ken Stott - actor, wonderful in Rebus and the Hobbit, has a Sicilian mother.
• Bob Geldof - I never knew his grandfather was a Belgian immigrant!
• Anton Du Bekh - this talented dancer has Hungarian/Spanish parentage but grew up in Kent.

I could have spent hours in this room, looking at the names. There is a website with much more information here Liz suggested it might be a way of using up my Great Stash - I could make covers for all the books on my shelves. I suggested it to Bob who wasn't keen [and pointed out that the extra thickness of the fabric would mean I could accommodate fewer books]

The book jackets list artists, writers, politicians, sportspeople, scientists - and many more. People who have added richness and colour to our culture and history. Many arrived here because their families were originally from British Colonies, others came as refugees fleeing persecution. 

If a piece of artwork is both a feast for the senses, and also truly thought provoking then I think it deserves a place in the Gallery. I loved this!

Whereas this piece didn't move me at all! It is too reminiscent of the stacks of stuff currently in the back garden. 

Thank you Liz for the Tate Trip - brilliant!!