Ashby

Ashby

We make occasional trips to Ashby which is fairly easy to travel from home. Our main reason is to go to the St Giles Hospice bookshop. I’m clearing out some of my library and this charity bookshop is my chosen recipient. We can park fairly nearby so a short walk carrying heavy bags isn’t too much of a burden.

Having deposited books we then had a short walk around town. Annette is commissioned to look for T shirts for Alex. As these will be for casual wear we are looking in charity shops of which there are a number in Ashby. I thought we found two which were likely but Annette decided against both. It is a common observation that women like shopping while men tend to see it as a chore to be done as quickly as possible. I don’t mind lingering a bit, particularly if there is something of interest, but this expedition became tiresome.

We were also looking for large inexpensive ornaments with which to fill two alcoves on the stairs up to our Whitby flat. The staircase is rather grand and the alcoves need something on display. So far Annette has found a rather nondescript green vase which I feel is marginal and I’m sure we can do better. We also have a problem in that the alcoves are quite high and will need a stepladder.

After all this I felt we deserved a snack break. I suggested a Costa which Annette pooh-poohed as it is so expensive and, walking on, by chance came across the Copper Leaf craft café. Situated above a shop we were drawn by the sandwich board outside. It turns out the concept is rather interesting. This is to both be a modest tea room but also as the main business run craft courses and sell work exhibited on the walls.

The exhibits were somewhat similar to Annette’s work and she was very interested to examine them. I just sat and drank my tea and ate my flapjack.

The middle aged lady inside was delighted to have us as her only customers. She was obviously feeling starved of conversation with the result we practically had her history, the café history and most of all news about her son. At 14 he is moving from intermediate to senior school. The senior school with be Ashby School where my cousins attended 60 odd years ago.

To mark the transition a school prom had been organised the night before. We  had a blow by blow account from this proud mum. Apparently her son’s suit had cost £95 to hire while some of the girls were in dresses costing hundreds. Equally one looked charming in a slip dress and white trainers. All kinds of conveyances were used, stretch limos, horse and buggy, Hummers and loads more. The most original was apparently some boys in child’s pedal cars ( don’t know how they squeezed in we were told. ) All this accompanied by photos on her mobile phone

Annette is opposed to the leaving prom idea which has now become  commonplace. She sees it as an unfair popularity poll. I’m fairly agnostic- it just seems like a modern day version of school dances. I can’t say I ever enjoyed these, particularly as I was a rubbish dancer and very shy around girls..

The last one I attended was with Annette. She was quite determined that I should put up a decent show and forced me to rehearse with her beforehand. I suppose I was quite pleased really that she wanted to show me off. That practice stood me in good stead as it was about the only tuition I ever had, and have used ever since. I can do a ( very limited ) waltz and quickstep and that’s my repertoire. The twist was invented for people like me; so simple even a two left feet guy can manage.

Brexit

As the Brexit tragedy rolls on there  is disturbing news. British companies with EU operations are flocking to set up subsidiaries in the EU. An example in Easyjet setting up an Austrian base.

British Aerospace is excluded from the new Franco-German fighter plane.

There have been a ( few ) glimmers of hope as reportedly tech investment has held up.

There has been a slightly greater sense of realism since the election such as accepting that there is an exit bill to pay. Boris Johnson saying they can whistle for it is just plain stupid. We took on commitments such as pensions and long run programs. It is only fair we pay our share of these.

Yes it is boring to state these facts but you certainly won’t get them from the red tops. The latest insult is that ultras like Liam Fox are claiming it is unpatriotic not to back Brexit. Like too many others he must live in a dreamworld