Oh Denis, Denis...

 ...do be doo

Debbie Harry always pronounced it the French way [Den-nee, not Den-niss] but I don't know which particular Frenchman she loved. I wonder if it was Denis Diderot, the philosopher who lived from 1713-8? Personally I am not greatly enamoured of his ideas, but there is one thing he has contributed to the debate during Zero Waste Week.

The Diderot Effect

Basically, this says "the acquisition of a new possession creates a spiral of consumption which leads us to acquire more things.As a result, we end up buying things which our previous selves never need to feel happy or fulfilled"

I buy a pair of trousers. Now I need a new top to go with them. But my shoes are the wrong heel height, so I buy new shoes...

A man buys a new bicycle. He decided his lycra cycle gear looks scruffy, so he buys another set. Then he thinks his padlock is inadequate...

A child gets a new backpack for the start of term. But her lunchbox doesn't match. And then she realises her water bottle is a different colour too...

You get the idea. It can be particularly noticeable with furnishings. The new sofa makes the old rug look tired, and then the curtains just look all wrong...And in all these situations, the 'old' gets discarded because it no longer pleases us. New 'needs' emerge.

In Zero Waste Week, I am concentrating this year less on the "don't throw it away thoughtlessly" - but more on "don't buy it in the first place, without considering if it is really necessary"

Diderot wrote of coming into money, buying a fancy new dressing gown, and finding the rest of his possessions seemed tawdry."I was master of my old dressing gown - but have become a slave to my new one"

It is too easy to do this when food shopping - if I buy the fresh bread, I might buy butter, good paté and interesting cheese to go with it... and end up with stuff going to waste in the fridge because it didn't get eaten whilst it was still fresh. 

Have you ever fallen victim to this effect?

Blooming Marvellous!

I'm not what you would call green-fingered. And until I came to Ferndown, I'd never had orchids. But in January 2016, I was given one as a gift, and then another in November 2018. The first had one or two flowers each year, the second lost its original blooms, and never recovered. I asked my friend Jenny about it - she had some orchids on her windowsill. She instructed me in watering techniques, and gave me some orchid food. Here they are, March 2019, looking very healthy. I was given a third plant in Autumn 2019. It had a couple of white blossoms.

Then I went to Norfolk - initially I thought it was for 4 weeks. "Please Jenny, can you look after my orchids?" I said. "I can't expect Bob to water them etc for a month, he has enough to do." and she generously kept the blooms fed and watered - and when the 4 weeks turned into twelve she kept on feeding and watering [and provided Bob with some casseroles and curries too] This week I finally got back my three four plants. One of them had actually had a baby in my absence.

Look at these, aren't they fantastic? 

That white one is utterly stunning. The blooms are huge. 

Jenny, you are amazing! Thank you.

Just Up The Road...

 ...you will find the town centre. Ferndown is the fifth largest town in Dorset* and so the centre has its fair share of coffee shops, charity shops and supermarkets [also opticians, pharmacists and undertakers - one third of the population is of pension age] 

When we arrived in 2015, we discovered a coffee shop next to the pharmacy - the Merchant of Venice. Decent Italian Coffee. Then that was sold and became The Flying Teapot. The cycle shop next door hasn't changed, nor has the aircon shop a little further up the road.

Sadly, the owner of the Teapot, Luke, was very ill and died around Christmas time. The shop was closed up and looked very forlorn. But six moths later, things started happening. While I was in Norfolk, Bob reported that a skip had appeared outside, and was being filled with rubbish, and the windows had been whitewashed so you could not see what was happening.

Then on 18th August, the shop re-opened - still an eatery - but with a new name. Love All Food. Bob and his mate Alan [who used regularly to meet together at The Teapot] went down to check it out...Bob reported back to me [I was still in Norfolk of course] that he'd had a great breakfast

The Lovell family who run Meridian AirCon Company, just a few doors up had bought out the Teapot. The name is a play on their surname  - Lovell Food = Love All Food. Abby and Adam are in charge, The decor inside is fresh and different, and they have a good range of food on offer. 

The takeaway cups etc are from the Decent Packaging Company [ plant based and completely biodegradable and compostable] The Coffee is from the ethical Bad Hand coffee company [Bournemouth based, so anopther local business]

Jenny and I went for coffee last week. We'd both already had breakfast, and 10am was too early for lunch. I asked if we could just have toast - we each had two huge slices of delicious bread, with butter, jam and marmite.The coffee was good too. That's Jenny's "Patient Face" [Angela is taking pictures for the blog...again...]I asked if I could photograph inside and blog about it [after last Saturday's post, I need to practise what I preach, and support local businesses] and they were happy for me to do that.[Thank Abby]

Service was prompt, and they were so helpful. Again, all the usual covid19 protocols were in place. The menu looks wonderful, I would definitely like to go for lunch sometime. More information on their Facebook Page. Ethical, ecofriendly, excellent menu, economical, extremely local...this one ticks all the boxes. What's not to love about Love All Food?

[*after Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Christchurch - and then Ferndown - we are way bigger than Swanage, Dorchester, Lyme Regis etc...but most people haven't heard of us]

Zero Waste Week Again

It is the first full week of September, and time again for Zero Waste week. I have been blogging about the annual event since 2012. Some years I have been more successful than others.

This year, I suspect we are all going to find it a little harder. The global pandemic has had some very positive 'green' results - fewer planes means less air pollution, less human traffic has allowed flora and fauna to flourish [in some areas of the UK] many people have started gardening, and growing their own foods, and others have found the benefits of cooking meals from scratch and baking their own additive-free loaves.

But there has been a HUGE amount of waste from single-use plastics - disposable masks and latex gloves, no more 'we will refill your coffee cup' deals, extra bags round our purchases - not to mention all those extra doorstep deliveries with the company's lopsided smile on the cardboard box, and the bubble wrap inside.

I shall try this week to think harder about what comes into my home, and how it is used, and then disposed of. Since last year's ZWW I have already been aware of some significant changes round the house

• I made some veg bags and these work well in the fridge, containing the produce which I have purchased loose, and not in plastic bags
• A number of the organisations who send me regular mailings are now using recyclable/compostable packing [well done Country Living and Scripture Union and others]
• I've been more diligent about 'upstairs' recycling - Bob has a large bin in his office, just for recyclables - and bedroom/bathroom stuff [loo rolls, shampoo bottles, pill boxes etc] goes in there. 
• I was taking Tetrapaks to the recycling bin at the supermarket before lockdown [I must check to see if that has re-opened]
• My attempts at becoming a minimalist continue [slowly] and I am finding positive places to rehome my unwanted possessions, so that others can use them. Once again, I have to say a huge thank you to Liz, who has been a real encouragement in this matter [also Joshua Becker  whose writings are much more on my wavelength than those of Bea Johnson or Marie Kondo] 
• Joining the Green Living Project Group has been helpful - although we have not met in person since March, we continue to share ideas within our WhatsApp group. Thank you friends.

I was feeling a little dis-spirited when I started writing this post - but looking back, I think I'm making slow but steady progress. Maybe a week of determined effort will boost future achievements. Are you doing anything special for ZWW2020?

An Attitude Of Prayer

Our service from UCF today is the last in the Armour of God series. It's entitled "an attitude of prayer"- and the link is here. We welcome friends from all around the globe to join us as we worship together.

Norfolk - Bouncing Back!

That was the heading on a flyer from one of the political parties which landed on the Cornerstones doormat last week. It spoke of the enormous challenges which Norfolk faces, as the county approaches 'the next phase of coronavirus recovery' - and also reminded us of the opportunities to use what we have learned in Lockdown.

• support a green economic recovery
• celebrate our beautiful environment
• build compassion and kindness into the 'new normal'

It encouraged people to play their part in helping the county bounce back - and to commit to supporting local businesses. I thought the little highlighted box which said "Self Isolating? Turn over for nine ways to help without even leaving your home!" was particularly useful. I'm back in Dorset, and there's a good chance that you, dear reader, are not in Norfolk either - but these pointers apply wherever you are. So I am sharing them here

1. Shop locally - both on and offline [many small businesses have started online ordering, others accept telephone orders, and offer free delivery]
2. Gift Cards - an immediate way to put cash into your favourite shop, salom or restaurant
3. Order a takeaway - and call direct to see if they deliver [thus saving them Deliveroo fees]
4. Leave good reviews - follow your favourites on local media, and amplify their messages
5. Take part in online classes - is a local U3A, pilates class, choir etc online? and donate if you can
6. Research before purchase - maybe you can use your local industrial estate or High Street rather than giant online tax-avoiding giants - often at the same price.
7. Take a credit note rather than a refund - that leaves monies owed with the local business
8. Buy Norfolk products - make a conscious decision to seek out locally made foods etc 
9. Talk to your friends and family - encourage them in your quest to find the best local stuff

Half way between Cornerstones and Rosie's cottage, is Dann's Farm. It has been there as long as I can remember- but I I have to say that this is one of the local family-run businesses which she and I have been supporting wholeheartedly over the summer. And during lockdown, Hockering Village Shop has supplied some foodstuffs when Tesco couldn't - locally sourced, and fairly priced. Love your neighbour!

Do you have any good examples of local businesses deserving of praise and encouragement right now?

Quelle Horrreur!

We were amused by the gryphons guarding the entrance to Blickling Hall last week - wearing their PPE. We took pictures - as did many other visitors. 

Then Liz sent me this...[Tintin is high on my list of great Belgians]

Teas And Trees

Bob has been trying to cut down on his coffee consumption for a while now. He's been trying out various different teas. During our "separation" he enjoyed particularly lapsang souchong and Russian caravan blends. Whilst not going to the lengths of a full Japanese Tea Ceremony, it must be a good thing to stop and savour a brew, and enjoy it properly.

So for our anniversary I gave him a selection of teas from the Cheshire Tea Company, based in Macclesfield, a few miles north of Steph in Manchester. As well as the tea leaves, I also ordered him a pack of t-sacs. Made by a German company, these are completely biodegradable, hemp based paper - and can go straight into the foodwaste or compost bin [tealeaves and all] If you watched Hugh FW on Monday, continuing his war on plastic, you will understand that is important.

The other thing about the Tea Company is that all their tea is ethically sourced, and they work in conjunction with the environmental charity ecologi to plant trees.

So this company ticks all the right boxes [and their prices for 'fancy' teas compare well with Whittards, Twinings etc] They have a good "loyaltea" scheme too.

What did you think of HFW's programme ? I was glad they picked up on issues like the added problems of the pandemic [single use plastic masks etc] and was interested in the how can we cut plastic from our weekly shop, but stay on a tight budget" feature. But I am sorry, Hugh, I draw the line at making my own oat milk!  Dairy milk provides nine essential nutrients  (protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, phosphorus, vitamin B 12, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and niacin); home made oat milk has just one (iron). Dairy milk also has about twice the protein as oat milk – and about half the carbohydrates.I am aware that growing oats is probably better ecologically than raising cows - but this is not a substitution I am ready for just yet.

Bang! Bang!

On Saturday morning, exactly one week after the glass vacuum flask exploded, I had another glass crisis. I was picking up the tablemats to wipe them, when one shattered as I put my hand on it. This happened once before [August 2011] It's not as nasty as the flask incident - this time the glass is in small pieces, like a shattered car windscreen. But a shock nonetheless.

If any glassware at Cornerstones decides to explode at 10am next Saturday, I won't be there to deal with it. I'm home again in Dorset now.

And like the tablemat, I too am utterly shattered. So don't be surprised if I'm not blogging as enthusiastically as normal. I have lots of jobs - and sleep - to catch up on.

All Things Bright And Beautiful...

 ...All Creatures Great and Small

Did you realise that it is fifty years since James Herriot [real name Alf Wight] first began to publish his charming tales of life as a Yorkshire Vet? I loved the books, and then the TV series, with Christopher Timothy, Peter Davidson, and Robert Hardy as the irascible Siegfried.

Channel 5 have remade the series- the filming was done between summer 2019 and early spring 2020 [before covid19 stopped such things]

This new production stars Nicholas Ralph as James, with Callum Woodhouse and Samuel West as Tristan and Siegfried. It is Rakph's screen debut, and you may recognise Woodhouse from 'The Durrells'. I think Samuel West is a superb choice to follow in Hardy's footsteps - son of two great British actors, Timothy West and Prunella Scales, he has already played some brilliant roles on large and small screen. Housekeeper Mrs Hall is played by Anna Madeley [Cold Feet, The Crown, Coldwater Fell etc] and Helen is Rachel Shenton [Hollyoaks] And the filming has all been around the picturesque village of Grassington. The locals there are thrilled- and hope it will bring a much needed tourist boom [their popular Dickensian Festival had to be cancelled this year] Personally I think I could do with some heartwarming nostalgia to brighten up the autumn evenings. Perhaps I should dig out that old knitting pattern and make Bob a Fair Isle pullover!

9pm, Channel 5, tonight. I'm really looking forward to it! 

For Ever, For Everyone

I'm not getting into a debate about current National Trust news items-  the decision to consider the way in which many of their properties have historic links to the slave trade, or the recent 'discussion document' about a vision for the way forward, which includes "restructuring the curatorial workforce" and "dialling down the Trust's position as a cultural institution, and making it rather a gateways to the outdoors". Nor will I bore you with hassle Bob had over the fact we have been members for the last 5 years, and now qualify for Seniors Discount. I am just going to say we had good fun at Blickling Hall on Friday. It was sunny when we started- but we did eat our picnic in the car, in  in the rain!

The NT only reopened Blickling a fortnight ago, and have put lots of safety measures in place - you enter via the walled garden, and wear masks inside [the gryphons outside setting a good example]  There's lots of outdoor space for having fun, quiet corners for exploring and having important discussion about interesting sticks. [Liz and I both wore our yellow jackets, which is sometimes confusing] But there's Rosie and her parents in the walled garden [Top collage] Me in the walled garden [bottom collage]   And some quirky little NT notices - why personalize it ? Surely "This is an exit" is more sensible than "I am an exit"?? Thanks NT staff & volunteers

Awesome God

If you wish to join in our worship today, it is here. It's Family Service style, and has been prepared by our Youth Minister, Miriam.

Bang!

I've had my 0.5litre Thermos Mondial flask for ages. I even got a second cup to sit on the top, so we can both have a cuppa when travelling. During Grandma's Nursery School, I've made a cafetiere each morning, drunk some coffee before Rosie arrived, then had easily accessible caffeine to keep me going through the day.

But last Saturday I was washing it, and I realised the bottom was coming loose and water was inside. I unscrewed it a little more and BANG!!!

There was an explosion of silvery shards of glass everywhere-all over the kitchen. I'd quite forgotten how bad it is when a glass flask shatters.

Most of it went into the washing up bowl, which was half full of water. Clearing it up was not going to be easy. 

I lined my sieve with two coffee filters and gently poured the water through. That collected the shards and the water drained away. With a brush and dustpan I swept everywhere else - floor, windowsill, worktop, even top-of-the-microwave. Unfortunately the silvery grey glass was well camouflaged on the worktop. Despite my diligence I was finding bits two days later. It's all cleared up now [I hope]

I haven't decided what to do about replacing it. It was a brilliant flask, especially on long Dorset-Norfolk journeys, when it truly kept our coffee hot for hours. And it was properly leak proof, unlike many "thermal cups" But the glass liner is so fragile. Any recommendations for a good replacement? 

Savage Beasts?

When I began supply teaching, it was often the case that I was expected to provide my own lesson plans. I carried a huge folder of worksheet 'masters' in my car. If I got to a school and was asked to do something on light/the Tudors/homophones/triangles etc, I'd fish one out, make a class set of photocopies, and teach the lesson. Then one day, I went into a school in Leicester, and the young teacher in the parallel class said "We are studying light- here's the worksheet for this afternoon"..."This looks OK" I said "Oh it's really good, we always use this one" "I'm glad you like it" I said - and pointed out ©AngAlmond at the bottom. "Oh!!! did you write this?" It was satisfying to think my sheet was popular - but I do wonder how often people use/steal/borrow other people's work. I'm fine with you using my worksheets, or sharing my blogposts - but please, just acknowledge that you are doing it!

There's a marine biologist/research scientist in Norwich, John Savage, who has always been fascinated by weird creatures. In 202, he produced a little book, "Captain Pottie's Encyclopaedia of Wildlife" [sadly out of print now] Taking many years to compile it was a collection of crazy creatures ‘discovered’ by a fictitious mad Victorian explorer. Most of them were word games inspired by biologists of the 19th century who often got their illustrations and descriptions of real living creatures completely wrong. Savage self-funded a short print run, and the books were sold through independent bookshops, and Waterstone's. He also sent copies to a few agents in the hopes of a book deal. Four years later, Ricky Gervais produced "Flanimals". [whose agent, incidentally, was one of the ones who had been sent a copy of Captain Pottie] 

Savage believed that this new book plagiarised his, and stole many of his ideas. He tried to sue, but ran out of money. Now RG is attempting to register Flanimals as a trademark. John is again taking him to court, this time appealing for crowdfunding to finance the action. I have compared the two books, and honestly feel JS has a valid case here. He has tried to talk the matter through with RG in a reasonable manner, but got nowhere, and thinks that it is wrong that RG should profit from his hard work [with no acknowledgement of it] Here are just a few of the examples of creatures in the original Pottie, and remarkably similar illustrations and descriptions from Flanimals.

You must make up your own mind. I just feel very sorry for a modestly paid researcher who has spent his whole life studying the animal kingdom, and produced a little book of fun, being shafted by someone else. Especially when that person has an estimated wealth of over £110million.

When a journalist contacted John this year, to alert him to the trademark issue, he took legal advice. He says this "Initial talks between my solicitor, David Langwallner and Sheridans Solicitors, Gervais' current legal team, predictably, broke down with Ricky Gervais once again stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the stupidly obvious fact that he has plagiarized my book. 

So here we go again, except this time I intend to go all the way to the high court if necessary. The trouble is, as his previous lawyers so kindly pointed out I am facing enormous legal costs. Let that sink in for a minute. A millionaire who’s stolen from me is threatening to liquidate me if I challenge him, and this from a guy who likes to portrayhimself as one of us, in his words, one of the 'ordinary people'" 

As I say, you decide for yourself. Personally, I usually try to stand up for the little Naboths and Uriah-the-Hittites of this world against the rich and powerful. And on the whole, I think marine biologists engaged in research are generally seeking to benefit the planet, even if they don't earn megabucks.

The Graduate

Had she still been at her regular nursery, Rosie would have enjoyed a special Graduation Day next week. All the Rising Fives, about to leave and begin Big School are celebrated. But there's still going to be some sort of event to mark this time, when they leave the Nursery where they spent 3 or 4 years. Parents have been asked to provide a photo of the children in paper "mortar boards" Rosie and I did that as our craft activity last week. Today is most definitely the end of Grandma's Nursery School. I never imagined when I began my "four week stint" in early June that I'd still be working all these weeks later. But I've loved it. Thank you Rosie - my best ever pupil...

We're Going On A Berry Hunt...

... Going to find some big ones, juicy black big berries...Just round the corner and up the lane. Madam insisted on wearing her back pack ["It's an adventure, I'm Dora the Explorer"] The hedgerows weren't as laden with fruit as I'd hoped, but when we passed the entrance to the meadow, Rosie said "we can have our lunch here" She  sat down, took off her backpack and got out her packed lunch. And promptly devoured the lot! My lunch was still in the fridge at home so I just picked what few berries I could whilst she ate.

Then we walked a bit further up the lane and watched over the farm gate as a man sheared a sheep. There were geese and cockerels in the yard watching him too. Rosie loved it. We strolled home and picked a few apples from the "Free Windfalls" bucket (too many wasps to linger longer) I had enough fruit for a small crumble to go in the freezer - and Rosie had lots of fun; a picnic in a field, a sheep shearer to watch and lots of conversation about what we could see in the countryside. We were only out for an hour or so, but it was lovely, making precious memories together. I felt truly blessed.

To My Dear And Loving Husband

Today is our 41st Wedding Anniversary - last summer was full of our Ruby Celebrations. This year - so different, and for the first time ever, we are apart on our special day, and we've been separated more in the past three months than ever before. This joyful photo was taken just a week or so ago, in our Cornerstones Summerhouse - definitely older and greyer than we used to be, but still just as happy and in love ... thank you Bob ... missing you lots ... see you soon!

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay.
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever[e]
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

[To my dear and loving husband, by Anne Bradstreet, Puritan Poet 1612- 1672]

Yes, You CAN!

Did you know that today marks the start of the "Love Canned Food Festival"? Me neither - I only picked this information up yesterday. I did know that canned foods have massively increased in popularity in recent months - firstly with people preparing "Brexit Boxes" and then with "Pandemic Panic Purchasing" [how journalists love their alliterations] Many of us who grew up with parents & grans who'd lived through WW2 have always had a fondness for things-in-tins. And thrifty cooks like Jack Monroe have helped bring those ideas up to date [I continue to enjoy her excellent book purchased a year ago]

But "Love Canned Food" has been around for some time now - around 3 years, in fact - and they're attempting to pick up more followers in the next few days, with a dedicated instagram page, and 'cookalongs' and more.

So maybe you might want to browse the website, find some new recipe ideas, or even add your canned-food-photos to the instangram page. Who knows, maybe you will find a recipe to use up those chick peas, sardines and peaches you bought in a mad moment back in March? 

Hearts And Minds

Today's service from United Church Ferndown is HERE. Bob  is continuing the Armour of God series and this week is preaching about the Helmet of Salvation, with particular reference to mental health issues. Please join us. 

Going Off The Rails...

During WW2 people were encouraged to eat carrots to help them see better in the blackouts. Yes they do contain Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes, but the night vision thing is a myth. I did try to explain this to Rosie, but we got our wires crossed, she thought I meant you could carry this orange vegetable at night in place of a torch! 

In Victorian times, a carrot grower from Cambridge had an idea for making his fortune. He would grow the crop in farms across Norfolk, then take it to Hellesdon, a village just outside Norwich. Here he had built a factory, beside the River Wensum, where he could wash the produce, then using the new railway, transport it speedily to London. From here the healthy, fresh East Anglian carrots could be shipped all over Europe. It seemed a brilliant scheme. At the end of the first week, the authorities shut down his factory. The water supply for Norwich was becoming very polluted by the runoff from his cleaning process!

Hellesdon Station remained - opened in 1882, it finally closed in 1952. It was on part of the Midland and Great Northern Line linking Kings Lynn and Norwich. The MGN closed soon after, the tracks were lifted and the station demolished. 

But now the "Marriott's Way Heritage Trail" [website HERE] exists so that people can walk or cycle along part of the route taken by the Victorian travellers. Thanks to the efforts of Stuart Macpherson [aka Mile Cross Man] who grew up locally and developed a passion for the railways, some parts have been restored [the station platform, and track signage] The name comes from William Marriott, chief engineer of the railway for 41 years. Here's Stuart's "Ghost Photo" combining an old vista of the station with the current verdant view

When Steph & family visited, we did a 4 mile walk along here with the family. It was so peaceful among the trees even though Hellesdon is now a busy city suburb.

Bob is sitting on a bench sculpted from old railway track. At one point, we turned a corner and came upon a meadow full of sunflowers. In the warm sunshine we felt like we could easily be "en vacance" in France! 

I'd like to do more of the trail sometime. Liz, Jon and Rosie have explored it on their bikes. You can check out Mile Cross Man's informative blog HERE