Thank You For Bold , Brilliant Women

 

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Mothers' Union, by Mary Sumner, a rector's wife in Hampshire. She had a passsion for supporting mothers and families, and for tackling both local and global issues, to make the world a better place. This was one of the first women-led movements. Mary believed that faith and compassion could transform lives. I found a plate in a CS in Dorset, with her personal daily prayer on it.  

All this day, O Lord
let me touch as many lives as possible for thee;
and every life I touch, do thou by thy spirit quicken
whether through the word I speak,
the prayer I breathe, or the life I live.
Amen

Last week, BBC Sunday Worship celebrated this anniversary. I was very taken with the words of the prayers…

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the bold, brilliant women you’ve created – full of sparkle, spirit and strength!
Thank you for the quiet warriors and the loud laughers, the organisers, the dreamers, the givers of grace.
We praise you for the creativity that bursts out of women all over the world through art, leadership, love and laughter
Bless every woman leading change today, - in boardrooms, kitchens, parliaments and playgrounds.
Let joy rise in their hearts and strength in their souls.
Loving God, Creator, Sustainer and Source of all grace,
We thank you for the gift of Mothers’ Union
A fellowship of faith, rooted in love, reaching across the world.
 
Thank you for every hand that serves, for hearts that give
For lives poured out in quiet faithfulness.
Thank you for families given rest, for prisoners supported,
For the lonely offered friendship and for the weary shown kindness.
Thank you for the prayers said, the stories shared, the things knitted, the bread broken-  for lives touched and communities renewed.
And we ask your continued blessing on this holy and healing work –  AMEN

We have a MU Group locally, involved in all sorts of projects. They are bright, friendly women, doing Good Stuff! Long may the MU continue its good work. Grateful for Mary's vision all those years ago.

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.

Quiet Waters

 Norfolk is the driest county in England- but still has a lot of water - with seven main rivers[ Ant, Bure, Chet, Thurne, Waveney and Wensum] plus the lovely Norfolk Broads, and a very long coastline, from Kings Lynn and the Wash, all the way round to Yarmouth. 

This week I visited the Taverham Mill Nature Reserve, managed by Anglian Water, and went for a walk with a friend, beside the still waters. We enjoyed the sunshine, and talked of God's goodness and faithfulness [even when life has difficult moments]

On Friday morning, as I drove to the Hospital for my Volunteer Visiting Session, I switched on the Radio. The programme was 'Soul Music' which features each week a different piece of music which has special memories for people. It is usually classical, or pop - but this week it was a hymn tune. They were playing The Lord's My Shepherd, to the Scottish tune "Crimond". This is my favourite setting of Psalm 23. I was singing along in the car "He leadeth me, the quiet waters by" and reflecting on the quiet waters at Taverham. I was grateful to God for the peaceful moments. But then I was grateful too for the availability of fresh clean water - so many people across the globe walk miles to collect their water, and so often it is filthy, and carries disease. 

Here in Norfolk. because it is so flat, there are problems with water pressure - so we have lots of water towers across the county. Old redbrick Victorian ones, and at the end of the 20th century more modern concrete ones. Often they stand out on the landscape and can be seen for miles. Many of them are now listed, converted into 'dwellings'. Just down the road from the hospital, Dereham's old tower stands right alongside the 1960's "mushroom" at the highest point in the town.

As I drove into town on Friday I was aware of a huge crane beside the tower. I pulled into a side road, and got out to take a photo.

I have no idea what the three men in pink hi-viz vests were doing. I couldn't have worked so high up there. I am grateful that our water supplies are being maintained. And truly grateful for the living water that Jesus gives us, reviving our souls [John chapter 4:10 and 7:37] Psalm 23 - He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

Thank you to Christians in the Chet Valley, South Norfolk for this hymn 

Occasional Tables And Other Musings

Lenny Henry once asked "What are 'occasional' tables doing the rest of the time?" A good question**. When we first met, Bob was surprised by the number of little tables around my tiny flat. This was the 1970s, and preIKEA. but Tricia Guild and Terence Conran were everywhere flogging cheap chipboard table kits plus round cloths... I confessed to Bob these were not tables - under the fabric were piles of plastic crates, full of school worksheets, Sunday School resources, haberdashery, tools etc. Hidden storage everywhere.
Nowadays we have cupboards, a loft and a workshop. But occasionally I relapse. Like when the family are coming, and I clear everything hurriedly into a stack in the spare bedroom. And throw a quilt over the top. And I warn Jess and Rosie - please do not go under there, as there are sharp things and breakable things which you mustn't touch. Bless them, they are very good about it. 

But they are back in London now, and Tuesday morning was spent tidying. It was a very productive exercise! Whilst tidying up, I found

• my box of vegetable seed packets [which I have been hunting for more than a fortnight] 
• my box of felt pieces [mislaid after the French Hen Project] 
• my packable waterproof jacket [I had to take a heavier coat to Bewilderwood] 
• my folder of small cross stitch designs

The sun was shining so I abandoned tidying briefly and planted some seeds, then came back to the task in hand. Whilst I worked, I listened on BBC4Extra to "Growing Solo", about retired journalist Max Cotton and his year long food self-sufficiency experiment [2024] . It was interesting - he only ate food he had produced himself, or found growing wild. So no tea or coffee, no Worcester sauce or exotic spices... Spoiler alert - this was not Tom and Barbara in the garden of a suburban semi. Max lives on a small farm in Somerset, with an attached vineyard, whilst his brother runs a nearby small-holding. So he had room to grow wheat, keep cows, pigs, chickens and a beehive...as well as producing veg and fruit [and grape juice] I am not sure he would have achieved his goal without the support of his wife and family.
I am never going to achieve self sufficiency with my little plot at Cornerstones. But I hope to grow plenty of veg again this year, and I am pleased to note the fig tree has dozens of tiny figlets.  
**Lenny says that "the rest of the time, these tables are dining or nesting"

A Household Name?

Have you come across the author Geoffrey Household? He was an amazing guy, born in 1900, died in 1988 - and as well as writing, his  career also included training as a banker in Bucharest, selling bananas in Spain, serving as a security officer in WW2...He was passionate about cats, gardens, Spanish Rioja and pipe-smoking - a quintessential Englishman with a glamourous Romanian wife. He wrote 37 novels, numerous short stories and a few children's books. 

I first came across GH in the late 1970's, when his book "Rogue Male" was made into a film for the BBC, starring Peter O Toole. I thought the plot was brilliant and found a secondhand copy of the book, which I read, and re-read till it fell to bits. GH wrote it in the late 1930s. Told in the first person, it is the story of an aristocratic Englishman who makes a failed solo attempt at assassinating a 

particularly evil European dictator. He escapes captivity, and gets back to England where he hides from foreign agents seeking to capture and kill him.

Having grown up in Dorset, our hero returns there, and digs himself into a sandstone tunnel at the end of a country lane in a remote woodland area. Radio 4 commissioned a audio version of the [abridged] book, which was first broadcast in 1989, and starred Simon Cadell. Then in 2004, Michael Jayston read the whole book [15 halfhour episodes] 
During March 2026, to mark the 30th anniversary of Cadell's death, R4extra re-broadcast his Rogue Male. For the next few weeks you can hear Michael Jayston reading the sequel, Rogue Justice [which Household wrote in 1982, 40 years after the first book] 
Household was an extremely prescient guy - living in Europe in the 1930s, he watched Hitler's rise to power. He was aware of what Adolf was capable of, long before many others.  He hated the Nazi regime with a passion. This  inspired his Rogue Male story. It is considered to have inspired Fleming's Bond, David Morell's Rambo, Forsyth's Jackal, and a number of other action-hero books. 

Just before we moved to Dorset, author Robert McFarlane set out to find the "Hollow-way" where Household's hero hid, although GH had said it was not marked on any OS maps. He failed! But since we left the area [typical!] another author, Sara Hudson, claims to have located the spot.  One day I might get back...

It is a cracking adventure story, a true classic, and I think Geoffrey Household deserves better recognition. 

I recommend you get ahead of the game, and read Rogue Male now. If only because the lovely Benedict [Sherlock etc] Cumberbatch is busy making a new film version!
Have you read Rogue Male?

Do you remember the Peter O Toole film?

Counting, Watching. Listening

Because some of you were asking yesterday - here's the Nine Times Table Fingers Trick, I cannot find the originator of this YouTube, but it is explained very well here.

There are other Finger Tricks for times tables but personally I would not use them as I think they may confuse the children. Many school do not want children using their fingers at all as they believe it is a bad idea, and will prevent their pupils thriving in maths. But personally I love this one for the nines, and even quite young children learn it quickly and enjoy showing off to the adults. I am 70, I have a BSc in Maths, but I still count with my fingers at times. Especially when I am calculating stitches in knitting patterns!
Lots of crafting going on this week - repairs and jeans hems for friends, and my final 2x2 patch has gone off to K in the post. Once hers arrives, I will start stitching them together, and making up my sewing pouch. Pictures soon...

Have you been watching the Night Manager [season 2] ? no spoilers hereIt ended on Sunday evening, and the finale was quite harrowing.  They filmed season 1 ten years ago, and in April 2016, Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston said there would not be a season 2. Ten years later, here it is - and the writer, David Farr has already said he is working in Season 3, and promises there will not be a ten year gap this time round!

I have been working at the sewing machine, with earbuds in, listening to Radio 4 Extra. Specifically, one of Mark Taverner's comedy thrillers "In The Chair"- first broadcast in 1998. The two main stars are Michael Williams [Husband of Judi Dench] and Barry Foster [original VanDerValk] but the rest of the cast is superb
Hugh Laurie is Prime Minister, then there are other great actors, Rebecca Front, Richard Griffith, John Bird, Kenneth Cranham, Geoffrey Whitehead.  

Many of these brilliant people are no longer with us, but Front, Fry and Laurie continue to entertain on stage, screen and radio. Bob and I enjoys Hugh Laurie's jazz too [ HL can not only act, but also sing and play the piano!] 
I was doing my volunteer visiting at the hospital last week, and talking to a patient who said she was grateful to have a radio with her [no TVs on the ward] but found it hard to find programmes she liked. She was thrilled when I told her what she could listen to on Radio 4 Extra - Paul Temple, Tony Hancock, Dad's Army, Sherlock Holmes...
And after all, sometimes on radio, the pictures are better!

Back To The Swinging Sixties!

Yesterday morning I went off for my Volunteer Visiting at the Hospital. One patient had a fairly uncommon first name, and I asked about pronunciation. Then I said "was your surname previously.....?" "Yes!" she said. "We were at school together, I used to be Angela Hall"  We spent ages reminiscing about old friends from Primary School and High School. Both of us left Norfolk for university and then returned four decades later. It was great to catch up. I came home full of memories of those school years we shared [1965-1973] She's hoping to go home from hospital soon, but we will keep in touch.

In the afternoon I tidied the back bedroom, and listened to the weirdest programme on BBC I-player. It was called The strange parallel world of Christian pop.

If you're my sort of age, and spent your teens involved with church youth groups, names like The Joystrings, Out of Darkness, Parchment and The Fisherfolk may sound familiar. If they do, you might find the programme interesting. In the evening, Bob and I watched an Australian series - Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries on Prime. Also set in the 60s

Much muttering by me of "I had a dress like that!""That hat is all wrong"

The granddaughters had an inset day today, so the family are up for the weekend. Hot chocolate with marshmallows plus arts and crafts at Cornerstones. Grandad Bob was practising his Santa voice "Have you been good little children?" I said it was too deep and scary. Rosie pointed out that if his voice was too high, nobody would believe he was Santa. She told Bob he needed a "warm voice" 

As i said to my friend in the morning, in 1965 at Primary School, we would never have imagined where we'd be at 70 - retired and back in Norfolk!

Cash In The Attic?

Definitely Not! But I am starting the process of tidying and ordering the loft, because it has become something of a mess up there. I get down some project [eg Shed Aprons] and all the stuff is in a large plastic box. But when I return it, I realise there is another 'loft thing' - so that goes in that box. Or in a rush to tidy up because guests are coming, I put a suitcase away, without checking it is properly emptied. And then there are the bags labelled with messages like "Old greeting cards, 2022, sort these out ASAP" I wrap up well for this task, and wear sensible footwear [going up and down the loft ladder in slippers or socks is a bad idea] Here is my equipment

• 7A rubbish bag [for rubbish!] 
• a couple of large strong bags, for stuff that needs to come down and be relocated[Charity Shop, other people, the craft cupboard etc]
• A reel of masking tape, sharpies and a pencil - for labelling
• A pair of scissors  - always useful
• My tablet [to listen to the radio**]
• My phone - in case somebody phones me, or in case I need help for some reason [eg lifting down a large item and Bob is out in the workshop] I used the phone for the picture hence its not on the table

I found an angel's tinsel halo, so put it on and felt joyful. Then there was a large freestanding mirror - redundant now we have a mirror on the wardrobe door That's going to Manchester for Steph's new house. Note the rubbish bag hanging down, gradually filling up. That empty cardboard box is for recycling, and is the THIRD one I filled in the first hour. I have decided I do not need every cardboard box which has entered the house [the new kitchen came flatpacked in over 100 boxes] 

They have just announced there will be a village Yard Sale in the Spring, to raise funds for the Parish Church - so one corner of the loft is now 'possible yard sale stuff'. But my task was interrupted by an IKEA delivery lorry. We are changing the two single beds in the back room for one double. It will free up a bit more floor space. But that means as well as sorting the loft, I also have to sort out all my bedding. The singles will go to Manchester, along with their linens, [and that mirror] when we visit at Christmas. 
I'm hoping to have the loft and back bedroom straight by Friday 7th when Julian comes. There is loads going on - especially Bobs 70th birthday on Tuesday.

All four grandchildren appear to be having a great half term, at Forest School and Holiday Club.
** I listened to the final episode of Jane Eyre, a programme about Men's Sheds, and a 'Limelight' thriller on BBCSounds.

Always in my loft I hang the paper heart which turned up in a loft sort about 30 years ago. It has hung in three different lofts, but the message holds true. My loft, and the world in general, may appear to be in a chaotic mess sometimes - but there is One who is watching over us, and his love never fails.

Fourteen Weeks To Go

I really could have done without the announcer on Classic FM mentioning that yesterday afternoon. There are many tasks I would like to complete before I begin thinking about Yuletide. I shall have to sit down and make a proper list. 

• I plan to enjoy and Autumn, the changing colours of the season
• I hope to do my summer/winter wardrobe sort
• I intend to have a short holiday soon [one without trips to A&E]
• I want to make another batch of Shed Aprons
• I need to prepare some good meal plans for colder weather
• I must get regular exercise and be diligent about weight loss

And if I can tick those things off the list, maybe then I will apply my mind to preparations for the Festive Season.  Come on, it's only September and we haven't reached the equinox yet...Mincemeat and wrapping paper and holly wreaths can wait 

Moderate Or Fair, Occasionally Rough At First!

Today marks the centenary of the Shipping Forecast, first broadcast on the BBC  on 4th July 1925. It is a much treasured feature of our national radio service. 

I am not a sailor, and have never needed to listen, but I find it comforting to know that those who do need to know what weather is coming their way can rely on this amazing service.

There are currently three broadcasts a day, 00:48, 5:34, and 17:54.  It's the teatime one that we landlubbers are most familiar with I guess. But sometimes, when insomnia has driven me to seek solace in late night radio I listen to the Shipping Forecast, always preceded by Ronald Binge's "Sailing By " Theme. [and if there are gales forecast, I will snuggle into my warm bed gratefully, and pray "for those in peril on the sea"]
I hadn't realised that the tune was chosen because it is repetitive, and so sailors are alerted to the fact it is almost time for the forecast, and it acts as a "filler" between the final programme of the night and the forecast, so it can be trimmed to end at 00:48 precisely. According to HM Coastguard is a legal requirement for the Forecast to be provided, as part of the Mariners' Safety Information.

There are really strict rules about the forecast, so that sailors in the 31 areas can easily understand the data which affects them..

• A strict 370 word limit [at 00:48, an extra 10 allowed, to include Trafalgar
• Gale warnings are always mentioned first to alert mariners
• Then there is a general synopsis, followed by specific areas in strict order [wind, sea state, weather, visibility]
• The words imminent, soon, and later have definite meanings, within 6 hours, 6-12 hours, 12-24 hours
• There are standard terms and abbreviations.

These set phrases have become part of Radio4 fanspeak. jokes which appear on birthday cards and teeshirts. Such as

• light icing
• veering slowly, losing identity
• moderate or good, very poor
• new low expected, south east

Many famous actors have voiced the Forecast, some better than others, to be honest. Samuel West has declared this honour to be a lifelong ambition. He has read it on other programmes, but not read an actual live forecast. Please BBC, let this man do it! Acting as Siegfried Farnon, he is well on the way to becoming a National Treasure. Quick, while his dear Mum Prunella is still around. 

Find out more about the special BBC programmes here

We are having a few days away - I shall pack my copy of One Summer's Grace, a favourite holiday read. We are an island race, and seafaring is an important part of our history.

In The Strength Of The Lord

Last week I mentioned the BBC Sunday Worship would be led by the Salvation Army. It was a great service, I know quite a few of you listened in. I got to chapel last Sunday and my friend called me over. "Do you ever listen to the BBC Sunday Service, Angela?" - I said I managed it most Sundays, and I thought the Sally Army had been brilliant.
My friend is facing major surgery very soon. She said "there was one that they sang that was just right for me right now" "I bet it was I'll go" I replied. She smiled "Yes, I told my husband, that is going to be my theme for the next few weeks- I'll go in the strength of the Lord!" 

I told her that I loved that hymn too, and from 2014-2024, I often sang it when driving my little Aygo. 

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord,

In paths he has marked for my feet;

I’ll follow the light of his word,

Nor shrink from the dangers I meet,

His presence my steps shall attend,

His fulness my wants shall supply;

On him, till my journey shall end,

My unwavering faith shall rely.

I’ll go, [Aygo] in the strength, I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

To work he appoints me to do;

In joy which his smile doth afford

My soul shall her vigour renew.

His wisdom shall guard me from harm.

His power my sufficiency prove;

I’ll trust his omnipotent arm,

And prove his unchangeable love.

I’ll go, [Aygo] in the strength, I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

I’ll go in the strength of the Lord

To conflicts which faith will require,

His grace as my shield and reward,

My courage and zeal shall inspire.

Since he gives the word of command.

To meet and encounter the foe,

With his sword of truth in my hand.

To suffer and triumph I’ll go.

I’ll go, [Aygo] in the strength, I’ll go in the strength of the Lord.

Definitely a good hymn to keep in one's mind when facing difficult situations. I do not have my little silver grey Aygo any more.
Anyone know a hymn which mentions a 🚗Skoda Fabia? 😂

Hearing The Word

I'm definitely a Radio girl- the pictures are better! As well as quizzes, whodunits, dramas, science stuff and news bulletins, I particularly like listening to Christian Worship on the radio. For years I have tuned in to "Sunday Worship" on BBC Radio 4. It is broadcast just after the 8 am news. This is my special half hour after breakfast on a Sunday morning. Sometimes sitting on my bed, other times, standing at the sink preparing the lunchtime vegetables. But I appreciate the diversity of the programmes ranging from AngloCatholic traditions of liturgy and choral music through welsh nonconformity to happy clappy worshippers from Caribbean churches or the Greenbelt Festival and all points in between.
Some weeks the music and hymns are just up my street, and I sing along in my tuneless way, other times I listen carefully to a new song. The preaching and stories vary too, and the prayers may be formal liturgical responsive pieces, or a less structured extempore offering. I think it is good for me to worship 'alongside' other groups, and hear how God is blessing them and using them in their communities. And it puts me in the mood to go to chapel later and meet with my friends there to worship in person.

During the week there is a shorter 15 minute slot on Radio 4 extra at 9.45 am  "The Daily Service" This is usually two hymns, a reading, a thought and a prayer. 

There are often themes for the week [recently we had 5 days focussing on animals in the Bible]  Because it it shorter, it tends to be well planned, no wasted words - and perhaps a little less formal. I often hear this whilst I am in the car. So I can sing as loudly as I like, knowing I am not disturbing anyone! I don't there is one 'right' way to worship - some are blest by liturgy and formality, others prefer to come to God with loud enthusiasm and dancing, and Quakers meet in silence, 'waiting on God' - it is important to be yourself and honest before God. But I value this opportunity to experience the difference worship styles, and I have learned much from them. 

Today's service is from a Salvation Army Church in Scotland - some fantastic hymns, and I know the music will be good, and the joy of their faith will shine out, and be heard in their voices. And - as many of us learned in lockdown - whilst listening over the airwaves, or watching on screen is not quite the same as being there in person - we can still enjoy worshipping 'together' and have 'fellowship' through the marvels of science.

In 1897 Marconi spoke over the radio and said "Can you hear me?"
In 1876 Bell spoke over the telephone and said "Mr Watson come here"
I am rather pleased that the first Morse communication in 1844 was a verse from the Bible, Numbers 23: 23 "what hath God wrought!" [i.e. See what God has done!] 
Technology can be so useful - as Jesus said "Those who have ears to hear, let them hear"
If you are worshipping today, I pray you will be blessed and encouraged, wherever you are, whoever you are with. "If two or three gather in my name, I will be with them"

Great Dane

I have never watched "Friday Night Dinner", the Channel 4 sitcom from 2011, featuring the weekly gathering of a Jewish family. It is still available on various streaming platforms, maybe one of these days I will get round to it. I know the two leading characters are played by Tamsin Greig [I first encountered her on radio playing Debbie Aldridge in The Archers] and the late Paul Ritter  [I saw him live on stage in 2013, playing John Major, in "The Audience"] Both brilliant actors, with wonderful comedic timing, gifted at serious as well as humorous roles. 

This week I have enjoyed listening to them on the Radio. They played a Suffolk farmer's wife, and the curator of a Danish Museum - who become unlikely penpals. 

Fact - 75 years ago, the remains of an Iron Age man were found in a peat bog. He was named "Tollund Man" and is still on display in the Silkeborg Museum. I remember learning about him at school in the late 1960s.

Fiction - Tina, in Suffolk, also learned about him at school, and one day over 40 years later, decides to write to the Danish man who came and gave a talk, telling how she always dreamed of visiting the Museum and seeing Tollund Man.
Anders, the curator writes back, and explains that the Professor has died ["he would be 104 if he were still here..."] but he will answer her questions instead, if he can.

Thus begins the correspondence - it is an epistolary novel, alternate chapters are the letters read by one or the other. It works incredibly well on Radio. I found this story charming, moving, and generally utterly enthralling. I was listening as I worked at my sewing machine, and loved every minute.
Somebody mentioned last week that all my recent book reviews were non-fiction. I've been too tired at bedtime to cope with anything complicated. But here's a fiction review of an audio-book. It is in the same vein as Helene Hanff "84 Charing Cross Road" [although that was wholly fact based] and equally delightful. 
If you can find it on BBC Sounds, do listen to it, otherwise find the book in the library. 

This is definitely  *****

A Word In Your Ear

The other week when I was doing my Volunteer Visiting at the Hospital, a very cheerful patient asked if I could help her. She had a small tablet on her bed-table, and was trying to listen to the radio through earphones. But the cable had got horribly tangled. It wasn't too difficult to get everything straight again, and we had a brief chat, then when I left she plugged in again to listen to her programme.

I told her that my husband had bought me some lovely Samsung wireless earbuds, which ensure I don't get tangled or strangled [especially when listening in bed!] 

Don't you worry about confusing left and right? she asked. I said that they were marked, with tiny letters, but I had put a sticker in the right earbud, to make it easier.  And most of the time it doesn't really matter.
These past couple of weeks they have been put to a lot of use. If Bob is using power tools, I can still hear my programmes, and when I am at the sewing machine, I can still hear quite clearly. 
For years I have listened to fiction and drama on Radio 4 Extra, but just recently I have got into the Limelight podcasts from Radio 4.

I have enjoyed "Discretion" which was produced by Jed Mercurio [well known for his TV stuff like Line of Duty, Bodyguard etc]
Also The Specialist by thriller writer Matthew Broughton [whose 'Tracks' I listened to last year on 4Extra]
I am currently working through the slightly bizarre Aldrich Kemp series. with great actors Tim McInnerny and Nicola Walker.
Most of these are serials with half a dozen 45-60 minute episodes. Whjilst listening to The Specialist, I built SIX kitchen cabinets on Tuesday!

I am not sure why people make such a fuss about IKEA flatpacks. The instruction booklets are like Delia Smith recipes. Begin by reading through, and checking you have all the right ingredients [components] and bakeware [equipment] Then follow the instructions in the set order, doing exactly what they say. And you will end up with a lovely cake or cabinet. 

Cupboard one took me 45 minutes, but after that, I was assembling them in 20-25 minutes. And all the while enjoying a radio drama!
Have you listened to Limelight? and if so, what would you recommend?

Newsround

Hands Up if you loved John Craven's Newsround. The first guy ever to read the news on BBCTV wearing a sweater! I was always so impressed by the careful way in which they reported the difficult bits of the news in a way which was appropriate for their young audience, The Falklands Crisis, the Challenger Disaster [the news actually broke on British TV on Newsround, as it had happened just minutes before the show aired] But always delivered by John and subsequent presenters [like Julie Etchingham, who came originally from Kirby Muxloe]
Here is my Newsround reporting of the last week or so

SUNDAY The Christmas Pie came out of the freezer and provided us with three good meals. A proper pie, shortcrust base and puff pastry top - filled with chicken, pigs in blankets, brussels sprouts, carrots, roast potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberries. It was a splendid use of leftovers

MONDAY A fabulous rainbow appeared over the close, just as we were going out to the car. 

TUESDAY The sunlight through the new front door in the morning made beautiful sparkly patterns, some rainbow-edged, on our family photo wall

Mum's picture is fading to a strange sepia colour.

WEDNESDAY I did cook Bob a Chinese meal - from scratch - sweet&sour chicken, beef chow mein, eggfried rice - 

along with prawn crackers from our last takeaway [one of those Sainsbury Box Deals]

THURSDAY All the seeds got sorted and labelled and into a box, with an index card for each month and a tick chart on the front. So I shall know what to plant and when and where. The chicken brick is not becoming a herb garden - Liz has requested it for her kitchen, Which is fine by me.

FRIDAY Put on Radio 4 extra** and did serious tidying in the back bedroom. The Duplo box is definitely going at last. Some bricks in there date back 40+years! But the Sylvanian Stuff is staying...

SATURDAY Went to the licensing of the new vicar who is coming to the church up the road from our chapel. It was in an incredibly cold church, you could see the Bishop's breath when she spoke. The Bible passage was Mark 4 [Storm on the Lake] When the reader got to

verse 38 "Teacher, don't you care that we are perishing?" Bob nudged me and whispered "Is that the text for the sermon?" They did serve a splendid tea afterwards though, in the cosy little village hall!

**I was listening to SandiToksvig talking about old family photos. "There's my Grandma, looking like a little Sylvanian family rabbit. You can see a lot of her in me" This made me chuckle, and i took it for confirmation that keeping the SF is the right thing to do, for now!
There have been other happenings too - but these have been a few of the highlights, I hope next week is as good, and I hope you are enjoying your days too...

Under The Influence

Do other people shout at their radios? I'm sure it is not just me. I cannot bear it when people murder the language on the air. I was standing in the kitchen making a ham sandwich, and Bob stuck his head in and said "do you mind if I close this door, its a bit loud in here...?"
I was yelling at a woman being interviewed on Radio 4. I ignored the fact that every sentence started with "So..." [a habit which really winds me up] But when asked why her company, which started in 2017, had succeeded she said it was because it was "really organic and really raw and really real". Really, really ?!? 
I listened a little longer, and she explained that back in 2017 she became an influencer. And that was new back then, nobody had heard of influencers before 2017, she was one of the first. She continued to mangle her words and spout cliches. I doubt that this granny will buy any"raw, organic, real clothing" from her company.
I switched over to Classic FM.
Later on in the day I did a bit of research. In fact the term influencer started to take off in around 2014, and spiked in 2016, entering the dictionary in 2017. But that was in the 'marketing' sense. [one who influences people's decisions about goods or services]  

It has been in the dictionaries much, much longer than that. The original definition simply refers to 'one who influences', and first appeared in print in 1660 in a theological treatise by philosopher Henry More**, who referred to the king as 'head and influencer of the church'.
[**not to be confused with Henry Moore, 20C sculptor, or Thomas More, Tudor statesman]

I do find it alarming that so many people follow 'influencers' on Instagram and TikTok and wherever. Are they making their decisions just by looking what these 'celebs' do and say? I looked at the UGov Poll of the 50 most famous influencers in the UK. I must be getting old - I recognised very few of the names. I knew Joe Wicks [#2] and Mrs Hinch [#6] and Marie Kondo [way down at #22] but the majority of the names meant nothing - many seemed to be Celebrities who wanted to get out, or Loose Women. I don't watch either of those shows. They clearly do not influence my purchasing decisions.

Back in the 70s, I remember there was some fuss about Gordon Jackson the actor, appearing in a TV ad for the TSB [Trustee Savings Bank] At the time, he played "Mr Hudson" the impeccably moral, unbelievably wise and trustworthy butler 'Mr Hudson' in the series Upstairs Downstairs [the precursor of Downton Abbey] Many felt that people would be influenced to bank with TSB 'because that nice Mr Hudson does, and we trust him'
Nowadays anybody and everybody advertises products on TV - some I know, others I couldn't name. Surely Angela Rippon and Judi Dench can enjoy a comfortable retirement without telling us to get smart meters or use MoneySupermarket ? I get the impression that  'influencers' promote products because they get rich doing so. At least Gary Lineker grew up in Leicester, eating locally made Walkers Crisps for many years before fame and fortune came along. 
These influencers boast of how many followers they have. I'm not one of them - I prefer to follow the man from Galilee, who first said 'follow me' to some fishermen 2000 years ago. The one who said "anyone who hears my words and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock". 

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

 ...then I'll Begin

Older readers may recognise those words as the beginning of the day's story on the Radio Programme "Listen With Mother". It ran from 1950 - 1982 [ending when Liz was just a few months old] I think this was the first Radio programme which I considered 'mine'. Mum and Dad listened to other stuff - Woman's Hour, The Chapel in the Valley, Desert Island Discs and The Archers etc - but LWM was for children.

Even after my great aunt gave us her elderly B&W TV  - a tiny screen inside a heavy wooden box - we were still more of a radio family.

As I grew older, I discovered other programmes I liked, and by Grammar School I had other favourites- I'm sorry I'll Read That Again, Hancock's Half Hour and various quiz shows. But there was just the one family radio, so any programme had to be ok with everybody. Unlike my friends, I didn't have a transistor radio hidden under the bedclothes, for late night listening to Radio Caroline.

Many programmes came and went - and I love the fact that BBC I-player enables me now to catch up with all those dramas, and classic serials from years ago. Paul Temple, Dick Barton, and more recently Cadfael, Raffles, After Henry. 

I listened to the Archers from childhood right up until covid. At Uni, my landlady and I sat in the kitchen after washing up. My children were always in bed by 7 when they were in primary school, so I could listen in peace with a cuppa. I was an Archers Addict. But i went Cold Turkey in covid, and haven't listened since!

But one programme which began just a few weeks after my wedding in summer 1979  is still around. It has recently moved from its original Sunday/Monday slots to Friday/Saturday. I try and catch it at some point in the week [I previously used to listen on my way home from Sunday Morning preaching engagements]

And 45 years on, I still think the Food Programme is excellent. In the beginning it was presented by Derek Cooper, who had a lovely voice for radio - Now Sheila Dillon and Dan Saladino are the main presenters. I have learned about the development of farming methods, food preparation. changes in the nation's eating habits, the cost of food [to our pocket, and to our planet] artisanal producers and high tech solutions, older food traditions and the newest trends. It is different every week and always interesting. 

There are well over 900 programmes available to catch up with on iplayer.

Last Friday's episode was part of Just One Thing Day - and looked at the many aspects of diet which had been highlighted by Dr Michael Mosley. Presenters had picked out their favourite highlights of his JOT show. It was excellent. 

I am definitely a Radio Girl. I can sew or knit whilst listening, and I'm not distracted by the pictures! But just recently my Radio Pleasure has been greatly enhanced. My tablet gave up the ghost [I'm losing track of Household Items which are packing up and irreparable this year] and the replacement came with an unexpected bonus - bluetooth earbuds. 

Now I can listen clearly whilst using the sewing machine, or sit in the lounge doing embroidery, listening to my radio programme, without disturbing Bob who is watching TV.

It's mostly OK - unless I am listening to the Daily Service,[15 minutes of reflection, 9.45am  Radio 4Extra] as I sometimes forget and start singing along to the hymns!

I am sure Guiglielmo Marconi  never realised in 1896 just how his invention would transform our lives.

Do you listen to the radio - national or local?

And do you have a favourite programme?