Staying Home

So much has changed in a short period with our life routines upended. Although the state order came on 24Mar we had been so alarmed that we had resolved to stay home after 11 Mar. Martin had been becoming increasingly downbeat for some weeks and on our last Whitby visit his warnings became increasingly strident. I think initially we , and certainly his sisters, treated his warnings with a nonchalance which turned out  totally wrong.

We had returned from Whitby with a commitment to go to a funeral on 10Mar. Annette had a dental appointment on Wednesday 11 Mar and we took the opportunity of going out to stock up with  jigsaws, books and DVD’s from our local charity shop. Since then we have been out just once on 23 Mar to go to my car dealership at Coventry. With hindsight this was not necessary and Annette was opposed. However I was worried a warning light was illuminated although this was for the emissions sensor. I am assured the car is OK to drive.

In those first few days we were considering how to keep interested in household things. Annette suggested we take up gardening again more seriously. We have been interested and moderately enthusiastic gardeners until the past few years. Latterly with trips up to Whitby we simply have not had the time to spend to provide watering etc. plus crops tended to be wasted when not picked at appropriate times.

This has turned out to be a happy decision and our ambitions have grown. We have brought back into cultivation land previously left unused. I should at once admit our gardener friend has done most of the hard work leaving us the planting. All this has been helped immensely by fine weather in the past few weeks. We can now believe we have moved decisively into spring. This is helping me to exercise a bit more as it is pleasant to be outside.

Generally my routine tends to be fairly sedentary. I enjoy using the internet and we have a fast connection. I use it to keep abreast of my interests. For example I am watching the progress ( or rather lack of it )  of the Space X Starship. Some of the video of Falcon rockets was simple amazing but Starship construction seem plagued with problems. The most spectacular success was the launch of the first Falcon Heavy ( which uses 3 Falcon 9’s joined ) in spring 2019. Two of the Falcon 9 boosters landed almost simultaneously back at the launch site making a wonderfully theatrical video.

I do feel we are rather well off. We have an amply sized house, a large garden and companionship. I have always enjoyed Annette’s company and we have enough room that we can be separate pursuing our individual interests or together as we choose. Our gardener friend comes weekly and does all the hard work while we can potter at will.

All the bookclubs of which I’m a member have suspended. Having decided on a “staying home” policy I felt I had to take the first step with our local club. Everyone else followed suit. The U3A bookclub was a little different as the organiser emailed to say she was staying home on medical advice. Again everyone joined her. I have organised a blog for the group but I’m a little disappointed that most haven’t posted. One member amused me by saying plainly she was a technophobe and wasn’t going to attempt. Except for me the membership is elderly ladies from the pre digital era. I’m an elderly gent who has been trying to keep up with his children in modern gadgetry

This hasn’t been entirely successful. At least I’ve been shown WhatsApp video calls and this has been very handy for staying in touch. I’m rather proud that I successfully joined a U3A session on Skype. This was the Science and Technology group and I could take part because the group had been set up online by our group leader. I thought the virtual meeting was quite successful. However only 8 joined in and others said it was unsuitable for more than ten or a dozen. I had been worried by the camera and microphone requirements until I discovered an old laptop used as standby was so equipped. I normally use a desktop computer with a large screen but this lacks a camera. Also successful for the family is get togethers on Zoom. Alison uses Zoom extensively and she sets up our meetings.

I was particularly pleased that Nate, challenged to raise money for St Johns Ambulance, organised an online quiz over Zoom. He is a St Johns cadet.

So far we are surviving fine. The “Brexit cupboard” has helped and we have had an online delivery. We also bought a mixed vegetable box and are planning more. Our local friend has helped out with some non storable items. I’m rather impressed he is buying for other vulnerable folk also.

As a keen reader I had a small backlog of fiction originally bought to read at Whitby. I am spinning this out and it is supported by my home library. The latter is almost totally non fiction and almost all have been read once. However re-reading can be quite pleasant.

Y is for Yesterday

Is the title of the latest and final book in the “Alphabet” series of crime novels. Alphabet because the titles are in alphabetical order of format A is for Alibi, B is for burglar ……etc. Sue Grafton is the author of the series.. I have enjoyed these books almost from the start. The books are standalone novels which feature Kinsey Millhone, a female private detective. The books are set in 70’s and 80’s California and are set in chronological time but at about a quarter of the rate of real time. This means all of the books lie within that timespan.

The books are set in fictional Santa Teresa but this is based very much on Santa Barbara. The analogy is so close that even the street where Kinsey lives can be identified. The series has a devoted following and a book was written “G is for Grafton” part way through which identifies much about the locations and other details.

While the plots are quite good and have become more convoluted as the series has progressed for me the interest is enhanced by the background characters who have also evolved. While this isn’t quite a story arc ie. an overarching plot covering many books, the detailed characterisation gives the reader the sensation of following Kinsey’s life from the inside.

Kinsey isn’t a typical hardbitten private investigator in the Chandler/Marlowe sense. In fact her life is rather mundane as she does her laundry, picks books to read,  makes her own meals and searches for parking spots. The meals are often a multi component sandwich  featuring peanut butter and a pickle. For hot food she favours local restaurant  run by Rosie. The food tends to be Hungarian as Rosie is Hungarian herself.

Kinsey’s relationship with Rosie grows organically from her close relationship with landlord , Henry. In an early novel Kinsey is burned out of her original converted garage next to Henry’s house.. Henry who is a spritely 70 plus years is half in love with Kinsey and she with him but the age gap makes a typical relationship impossible. Instead they settle for a close friendship. She is a constant visitor not least to sample the results of Henry’s baking  He is a retired professional baker and he retains his enthusiasm  for baking.  Although she has relationships with men of her own age ( late 20’s early 30’s ) these are the only part of her life not described in detail. Ultimately all become more distant  but she remains constant with Henry. To replace the burnt out  conversion Henry builds a bijou home on the site of the burned out garage: on two levels but extremely compact it is designed to appeal to Kinsey. Clearly its design and construction was an act of love with which Kinsey is delighted.

Henry has two elder brothers, one of whom marries Rosie so the restaurant is a natural for hot meals for Kinsey where Rosie bullies her about her diet. A lot of quiet amusement has been found over the series about Rosie and Henry’s brothers Rosie has no dress sense and tends to the flamboyant. Although all the brothers are hale and hearty, brother William is a hypochondriac often worrying about some imaginary health problem. He also enjoys attending funerals of folks with whom he no connection in life.

Set in effect in Santa Barbara, Sue Grafton makes use of all the real surroundings. After reading the books I feel I know that part of Southern California. The architecture, plants and vista’s are described in detail. Kinsey’s back story emerges over the course of the series. Brought up by an aunt after her parents are killed in an accident she has a self sufficient outlook. Thinking herself without relatives she discovers some, not entirely happily, during the series.

Sadly Sue Grafton died recently. There will never be a Z is .. and Y is for Yesterday ends the series. In Kinsey, although a fictional character, I feel I’ve lost a friend.

Band day:Sam's day

These both written pre lockdown

I thought about entitling this 76 trombones for reasons which will become apparent. The Band Day was held at Whitby Pavilion  and our attendance ( during our visit in Feb ) was because grandchildren Alex and Ellen were both playing. The idea of the day was to assess local bands and an experienced adjudicator commented in every class. The contest part of the day was rather limited as every class except one had only one entrant.

Ellen who is still a novice on the clarinet  played in a novice ensemble WOW( this is something of Whitby, I forget exactly ). This is a band assembled of young instrumentalists who attend the Whitby music centre. To be honest the slow pace at which they played prevents full enjoyment but still a creditable effort I thought.

Alex played the trombone in the Whitby Jazz Collective. It is very clear that this is the favourite genre of Mr Cross, one of the teachers. In a sense this was an odd entrant as it was completely unlike anything else. It adhered to the jazz band norms with individual instrumentalists playing solo items all individually applauded. Clearly these solo’s were by the more advanced students. I was slightly amused that Mr Cross started in the traditional foot tapping way and also joined in the playing as well as conducting.

For me the highlight was the Esk Valley concert band. Alex also played in this. It was much larger than other bands and the volume and richness of sound benefited. Although not a brass band it very much tilted towards brass instrumentalists with large trombone, horn and trumpet sections- perhaps not quite 76 but certainly a lot. Conducted by the music school principal clearly this band was his pride and joy.

Separately Alex has been playing as an individual and in the evening we enjoyed his rendition of Copacabana which was recorded on a smartphone for dissemination to the wider family.

Sam’s day

We have been to the funeral of Sam’s husband. Sam ( for Samantha) was Alison’s best friend at school and over the years has become a friend of all the family. I didn’t really know her husband. As her old friends we went to her wedding only about 18 months ago but really it wasn’t until the eulogy at the funeral that I heard about his life.

Sam has had a life dogged by ill health and ill fortune. Throughout it all she has remained a cheery, vivacious lady. She herself suffers from a liver ailment which means she cannot have children. This started in her twenties and has meant long periods of incapacity. Her first marriage in her twenties ended in divorce. We attended the wedding in Cyprus. I well remember her new husband’s grandmother saying he was too immature for marriage and sure enough they divorced after a couple of years.

 After rattling around for a while it did seem she had found her partner in John. Although himself a divorcee it seemed she had found the stability she needed. John suffered from liver problems which made a transplant necessary, then he suffered leukaemia, recovering from both. However he then had a brain tumour which ultimately led to his death. She seems to be taking it well although to what extent it is a “brave face” I’m not sure.

I remember fondly that when I was at home after my stroke she visited. She was so charming and cheerful that it did boost my morale. She always dispenses the most outrageous gossip in most harmless, non judgemental  way. I never know quite what to believe; I suspect not a lot.

I hope her fortunes improve. She deserves much better.

Brief Fame and VE day

It was US artist Andy Warhol who made the much quoted remark” soon everyone will be famous for 15 minutes”. Well if appearing on TV is fame then my moment didn’t last much more than 15 seconds. Andy Warhol was a great self publicist and became as famous for his gnomic remarks as for his art. For anybody who doesn’t recognise his name he was the multiple Campbell soup cans guy.

My TV appearance came about in a curious way. Through my Millennium celebrations involvement I knew the Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator. One day she phoned me up to say she had been asked to talk a bit about crime and crime prevention on TV and she was reluctant herself but would I do it. I agreed and a TV producer phoned me. After desultory talk about crime he asked my opinion on decriminalising cannabis use. I said I was in favour. He expressed great surprise saying this was an unusual view from someone of my age and background. ( he obviously had found out about me before phoning ) He then asked if I would be prepared to restate my view on a local TV programme “ It’s my shout”. Having agreed I duly turned up at local stately home for filming.

I had established that “It’s your shout” was a sort of local “Any questions” with a panel discussing a topic then views from the floor. I was very taken aback to meet the producer accompanied by his personal assistant who I found was a near neighbour. Meeting people out of the context where you know them is always disconcerting so I was doubly thrown because the producer was blind. It turned out his PA was his eyes.  I was shown to a seat next to a couple of very hippy types. We were the pro legalisation group of speakers. It was all very choreographed with the introducer coming up to say she would bring the microphone to me when the panel had finished their say.

The panel of four contained Menzies Campbell ( a veteran Liberal MP, later party leader); Geoff Hoon ( Labour defence minister ) and two others, one of whom  was a Conservative shadow minister ( I half recall it was Teresa May .but evidently she didn’t make much impact on me at the time )

The first topic was about insurance companies access to individual genetic information and then on to cannabis. As I recall the panel were unanimously in favour of maintaining criminal penalties. Then on to me. I said first decriminalising takes the supply and distribution of cannabis out of criminal hands and secondly it removes the “forbidden fruit” attraction to young people. The introducer then passed on to ask the hippies but reposing the question in a way they fumbled to articulate an answer. And then it was all over.

Some days later they sent me a tape of my contribution. Lacking a tape player these days I haven’t replayed it in years but I’m sure I still have it somewhere. Of course I had seen myself on closed circuit tape before. I thought again, as I thought before, how different my voice sounds from what I imagine. We literally can’t hear ourselves because to our own ears we hear largely by bone conduction through the skull rather than via the air as with other people. I’m always rather disappointed because I have a slight but  noticeable “Brummie” accent.

This accent has been an issue for me all my life. I’m not a Brummie, was brought up 25 miles away, have never lived there and I resent the tag. Nevertheless wherever I go I get the label ( or accusation ) which I don’t like. I was very aware that in class conscious Britain to be instantly labelled a Brummie was detrimental. I sought a neutral accent and I thought that I had largely achieved it but of course I couldn’t hear myself.

V E day

For those too young to know Victory in Europe day on May 8 1945 was held to celebrate the ending of WW11 in Europe ( the war against Japan went on until August ). I think I remember V E day but I’m just not sure. I would have nearly 3 and in a hazy snapshot of memory I was looking out over Tamworth’s Castle grounds.  I was by the bandstand above the  sharp rise looking at fireworks in the grounds. I was with my parents and I think also with Aunt Rene and Uncle Phil. I’d like to think it was V E day but it could have been later at Tamworth’s annual carnival.

I rather missed out on the 50^th anniversary celebrations. I did visit my parents just as their street party was ending on the Sunday. On the following day, having travelled back to Oxford for work the day after, I went for a walk with Frances. I felt envious at all the folks having various festivities as we passed by. I have heard about the street party in our village which was apparently a huge success and is still talked about.

Was I at the original? I’m just not sure.

Little Jim

The cottage was a thatched one
The outside old and mean
Yet everything within that cot
Was wondrous neat and clean

The night was cold and stormy
The wind was howling wild
A patient mother knelt beside
The death bed of her child

The dying child was Little Jim and the whole ( much longer ) poem was a hit in Victorian England. The author Ned Farmer based it upon real events as he visited Polesworth in north Warwickshire. He was passing through in the course of his railway work when he sought succour on a wild night at a cottage with a lighted window.

The poem recounts in mawkish detail the death of Little Jim, the only child of a collier and his wife. This pandered to Victorian sensibilities which tended to the morbid and sentimental. I had never heard the full story until I read of it in the local paper. Little Jim’s cottage was later bought by someone who tended both cottage and wonderful garden.

When I was a boy my father took me on a bicycle ride to see the cottage. At the time it didn’t mean a lot to me although he told me a little about the background. Sadly the cottage suffered a major fire in 1971 which led to its demolition. My father was nearly a Victorian himself being born the year after Victoria died.

Although he wasn’t a morbid man my father also took me a bicycle ride to visit a gibbet post. This was in north Leicestershire not too far from Twycross and near Bilstone village. A gibbet post was where a hanged man was displayed. The internet tells me it was erected in 1800 after a murder nearby although it had disappeared by 1988.The post was totally unremarkable just by the side of a country lane. Thinking it a local curiosity likely to interest young boys he later took me again with my friend Anthony. I recall Anthony was more interested in his new bike, of which he was very proud so that on our return journey he raced ahead.

Curiously Ned Farmer and his poem were a question in a quiz I attended recently. The quiz was directed to questions appertaining to the north Warwickshire/south Staffordshire area. I think I slightly surprised others in my quiz team by being able to answer.

The countryside is full of strange and macabre stories. One I remember refers to Hangmans Corner near Shuttington. I’m not sure if this is in south Staffordshire or north Warwickshire. The story is that a thief stole two sheep which he slung together by rope over his shoulder. Stopping at the corner to rest by a gate he strangled himself by the rope after putting the bound sheep over the gate top. This all seems unlikely but I suppose there must be some reason for the name.

Features in the landscape often have a shrouded history. One which I visited as a boy was the motte ( or mound ) of a castle at Seckington in north Warwickshire. This is known locally as Rose Hill. Lying very near the village this commanded extensive views to the north, east and west. Apparently it dates from the 11^th century. At primary school nearby we made an expedition to the mound although frankly at the time I didn’t really understand why.

I find now that the mound was part of a motte and bailey castle thought to date from late 11^th century and built by a de Beaumont, either Roger or his son Robert. One may presume that they were part of William the Conqueror’s retinue and the fortification was designed to assert Norman rule. A more substantial fortification exists at nearby Tamworth where the rivers Anker and Tame form a natural moat around part of the castle. The building on the mound is of later date.

There is a fable in my family that originally they came to England as part of the Norman Conquest. It is suggested they were in the retinue of Earl Ferrers We have researched our family history which we can document back to the 1500’s. This is mainly because our ancestors farmed at a hamlet in north Staffordshire for several hundred years so research is relatively easy. There is a very tenuous link then back to 1066 which it is impossible to substantiate.

Annette used to give talks on family history entitled “Skeletons in the cupboard”. We found plenty of examples but nothing too dire.

To come full circle we inherited a lot of books from my great grandparents. I’ve always found these Victorian works of fiction to be extremely downbeat, morbid and sad. There were times as a teenager when I would dip into them but I usually recoiled quite soon.