Moving Through April

Last weekend I went to see the 8 year old EGD in the Dance Show. Chloe Kinkaide - or Miss Chloe as she is known to all her girls - and a few boys - runs ballet, tap and modern dance classes in several places over by the coast. EGD started when she was little and then stopped for a while but has been going again for a few years. Every other year they put on a show and it gets packed out with Mums, Dads, Nans and Grandads as well as brothers, sisters and many other relatives! There were almost 250 children taking part.

I sneaked in a quick photo at the end when nearly everyone was on stage for the final bow. The teeny- tinies are so cute in their tutus. 

One of the books I had from the library van with a-new-to-me-author was a good read, which is handy as he has 17 other books in three different series to look for. The book was The Great Darkness by Jim Kelly details here

I never thought I'd say that I'd given up on an Elly Griffiths book but her new series of a time travelling detective starting with The Frozen People was too odd to bother with. It's science fiction pretending to be modern/ historical crime fiction. I watch Doctor Who but don't read Sci Fi. Maybe I'll come back to it sometime but I've plenty of other reading.

 Boat Race Day on Sunday which traditionally is a must watch for me like the Grand National and The Eurovision Song Contest!  This years UK entry is 'What The Hell Just Happened' by a three girl group called Remember Monday, who I've only just heard of though apparently they've been around a while.

  

 Hope you have a good weekend.

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Imogen Joins the Flock

 I wrote about rescuing the second bamboo duck back in 2017 HERE he's been keeping Merlin (who came from the Tewkesbury Abbey shop way, way back in the early 2,000's) company ever since. Then from the boxes where I found the kitchen bits on yesterdays post I also spotted Imogen.

She's very happy to have company and Merlin and Arthur are happy to have a little lady join them.

Imogen was a bargain duck at 50p but living on the windowsill at the front of the house with the road not far away they really are 'dust collectors'!

I looked up  dcuk  (Duck Company UK) who are still going but the ducks are made overseas now and often painted and wearing wellie boots . I prefer these older original ones - just simply bamboo.

Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday - I shall keep doing my early morning walks with a purpose because a 50p find is always a treat! 

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Few Bits for the Kitchen

 Not very exciting but saving pennies is always good and this is  what I spent 50p on. Things from the house clearance boxes. A probable saving of a couple of pounds maybe.

Someone suggested I don't save money as I use the car to get to the boot sale, this is true but I count it as an early morning walk with a purpose and it's only 6 miles down the road so not too drastic. The bigger boot-sale is 9 miles so neither are real budget breakers and I often combine them with shopping etc.

They both get me out of the house on weekend mornings - and believe me - weekends are not always easy when alone (and someone is sure to say she has no problems with weekends!)

Lots of people drive further than that for a McDonalds coffee!

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At Orford Quay

The Angela Harding illustration for spring that nudged me into going to Orford castle and after the castle I went down to the quay. .

Orford Hares

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The best way to describe the way the rivers of Alde and Ore flow to the sea are by looking at the Wikipedia page HERE

A bigger fishing boat

Small boats anchored in the harbour

Fishermen's huts

Below  is a display from the castle about the story of the  'wild man of Orford' caught by fishermen in the 1100's.

Remembered in the shop, smokehouse and cafe at the harbour

Apologies for people who looked at this post when it briefly escaped yesterday - I didn't notice the date was wrong in drafts.

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Orford Castle

A lovely sunny day with a cold wind but I'd not had an adventure out for weeks so decided to have a day out and the Angela Harding print of the Orford Hares gave me a nudge to use my English Heritage membership for a visit to the castle at Orford before my knees give up completely. It's all steps!....from the car park to the top.

All that is left of the castle built there in the 1160's is the keep on the top of the mound or motte.

When we first moved to the smallholding at Knodishall we could see the light from the lighthouse in the far distance, when the night was clear but  I think English Heritage need to update this board below as the lighthouse was demolished in 2020 - the Wiki report is here

Huge fire dogs in the very large fireplace

One of the display cabinets on the Orford Castle museum floor - I took pictures of the others but the sun made too many reflections.

And then finally, after 100+ steps you get to the top and look at the view all round

My last visit to Orford including the  church visit  was in 2022 the post is  HERE if you want to look.

There's not a huge amount to see at the castle but it's worth the climb to the top for the views. By the time I'd got down again the knees were like jelly and I could hardly walk! Think I need to move from bungalow to a house to give them more exercise!

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Some Lovely Greetings Cards

 It was a chilly start at the HUGE boot sale last Saturday although the cloud soon went the East wind was very cold. I didn't stay very long as most of the people selling were once again market traders, dealers and house clearance businesses. But a few private sellers are starting to emerge and from one I found some gorgeous greetings cards.

When I said " what lovely cards you are selling" she said her mother used to work in a printers where they were made and at the end of season they were given big bundles of unsold cards. She said she still had dozens at home. I bought 11 cards for £2. 

Below - And they included cards with illustrations by Eric Ravilious and Angela Harding. The Owl and Hare will be put away for Christmas cards as they are snowy scenes as will the fox and badger cards, above, by Sally Elford.

I also picked up from other people the new pack of pens for 50p and some larger  envelopes also 50p.

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News From the Week and the April Library Book Photo

A good week of sunshine. The magnolias are now in full flower and green shoots appearing  on hedges and trees around although I noticed when I was over by the coast last week that the Hawthorn hedges are a week or more ahead to those here in Mid Suffolk.

In the garden something else was also enjoying the sun -  the first proper butterfly sighting of the year - a Peacock on the roof tiles, unfolded it's wings to sunbathe. Not many things around for it to feed on so I hope it survives.

I've moved the 11 tomato seedlings from modules to pots, although I only need 5, and they are now out in the greenhouse with fleece right ready. My pepper and aubergine seedlings are now pricked out into modules. Plenty of peppers but just 2 aubergines but I'll make that enough for this year. They are still on the spare bedroom window cill/sill (which is right?!)  for now.

 Brought these 10 books below home from the mobile library van this week. 9 were reserved and I spotted that the van had another M.W.Craven on the shelves- it's a small novella from the 'Quick Reads' collection from 2022. It's been read already and  took less than an hour.

Several favourite authors this month - Alys Clare, Elly Griffiths with her new series of time travelling detective, Tracy Chevalier, Kate Webb and Jim Eldridge. A couple of new-to-me authors - Jim Kelly and Elif Shafak and Robert Peston (although he's a bit odd when on TV news etc!) Decided to re-read 'A Croft in the Hills' while the library still have a copy. I had a copy once, and her other books,  but they  went in one of the moves.

In March I collected these 9 below and read five of them, took lots of photos of the pages from "The Year Unfolding" to use on the blog and returned the others unread. I decided not to read 'Murder on the Marlow Belle' as it's on TV catch up channel and I rather watch it.

The books that I've read have been added to the Books Read 2025 page

Have a good weekend, I'm off to watch the EGD in her ballet school show. Enjoy the early April sunshine if you have it.

Back sometime next week

Ahead of the Times?

The author wrote this book in 2021

Did he know something we didn't?

 

This was a new-to-me-author and the book was on my shelves although I can't remember who mentioned the author or where I found the book - it wasn't new so must have been from a charity shop. The story was excellent and it means I've found a new series to read as this is the fourth out of six so far about Washington Poe who works for the National Crime Agency - with socially awkward but brilliant civilian analyst, computer whizz and profiler Tilly Bradshaw.

This story reaches back to soldiers serving in Afghanistan, involves stolen historical artefacts and all happens while preparations are going on for putting in place security at a International summit being held at a Cumbrian Hotel.

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Sounding Old!

 I was sat in the TSB bank waiting for an appointment and thinking that a few years ago there would have been a long queue waiting to be served and each position would be open, now they only open a counter if it's needed for someone to pay in coins. I said the same to the lady I saw for my appointment and then reminisced on the time before single line queueing and having to guess which queue at which counter was going to move quickest - banks and Post Office. Seems so strange to think how long it took to change to a single line. Then I thought OMG I'm turning into one of those old people who are always looking backwards!

Back at the end of the week with library book photo or before if I think of something worth saying!

April, My Second Favourite Month...........

 ................except for the expenses.

It's bad planning how so many things need renewing and paying for in April. TV licence, house insurance and dentist for a start and birthdays, but then it's my birthday month and more spring-like too which makes it my favourite month except for June - due to strawberries and Wimbledon tennis on TV (although I've just googled and the dates are mainly July this year - so that's mucked that one up!) Never mind still looking forward to a good second-favourite month.

And it's no wonder I'm feeling cheerful. The weatherman said March was the sunniest ON RECORD for Norfolk and Suffolk - that means the sunniest for many, many years. Really good for mental health.

 This bit below was written in my April 1st post of  2019

There are often a few warm days at the end of March or beginning of April which brings the Blackthorn into flower then the weather will often turn colder which is called The Blackthorn Winter. According to forecasts that looks very likely for this year. 

It was the same in 2022 and much again this year, warmth at the end of March and into April, so there is bound to be some cold sometime in April.

The rest of this post is bits from 2020 and 2022 post so I apologise for repeating.

 My Illustration for April is again from the book 'A Sparrow's Life as Sweet as Ours' by Carrie Akroyd.

The male blackbird is one of our most recognisable birds, there was a decline in numbers through the latter part of the C20 but since the beginning of this century numbers have increased again.

In Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream, Bottom says

 The Ousel-cock, so black of hue, with orange tawny beak.

because until the C17 blackbirds were just one of the birds of the ousel family, they didn't have their own name. 

This year...............

Easter is almost the latest it can be and falls just after my 70th - family get together planned for that which will be good. And then of course  St Georges Day on the 23rd,  but there are lots of Saints in my book who are less well known. What about St Vincent Ferrer on the 5th, St Waudru on the 9th, St Zeno of Verona on the 12th, St Soter on the 22nd and  St Zita on the 27th? Some wonderful names and stories.

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That Was March

31 days that seem to have whizzed by and everyone says the same and thank goodness the weather has been 100% better than this time last year and a bit of warmth too.

YD took me and EGD out for a meal yesterday for Mothers Day -what a treat. The hotel had a special Mothers Day dessert - trio of mini things - can't remember what they were called but super delicious. They were giving all Mums a little box of chocolates - another treat. It's small little extras like this that make a person feel happy to go back for another visit.

Library day this week - good news - as I'm reading from my shelves and worrying that I'll run out of books! which is totally ridiculous of course.

March wasn't too 'spendy', with the car service and MOT being the big expense at just under £300, which as Tom the boss said "isn't too bad for a whole year of use". With a diesel car it's oil and filters that need doing every year as well as checking everything else. What a fortune we saved over our 38 years of marriage with Col able to do anything that needed doing before an MOT.

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Saturday 29th - Clocks go Forward

 The last Saturday in March and time for the clocks to go forward by an hour overnight.  Just makes it more difficult to get up early for car boot sales!

Another of the illustrations from the Angela Harding book. Orford is over on the Suffolk coast, the strange buildings to the right were left from the 'Cold War' out on Orford Ness. Boats cross from the quay to visit the nature reserve in summer.

Orford Hares

Reading:-

After finishing ' A Time From the World' by Rowena Farre that I wrote about during the week, I read another book from my shelves - 'Apricot Sky' by  Ruby Ferguson. It's a Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean St Press reprint from a book first published in 1952. Set in Scotland in 1948 it is a lovely story of a family and their visitors and preparations for a wedding. Similar in a way to D.E.Stevenson but very witty and good descriptions of the countryside and weather. 

 They've stopped the 'suggestions to buy' page on the library website due to the changes happening in June - and not knowing what Suffolk County Council will do about anything at the changeover. I wonder if it will mean a whole new computer system - more money wasted.

Watching:-

On the 4 catch up channel I've been watching Jack Irish - a rather violent thing from Australia dating from 2016-2021 starring Guy Pearce - who I remember best from the early days of Neighbours.

Gardening:-

My three veg beds are almost completely covered by the wire-netting frames (which turn into fences later) to keep the neighbours cat off. Before I did this I removed half a bucket of cat s**t, I thought about chucking it back into their garden but of course I didn't.

Now about  a hundred sycamore seedlings have appeared under the frames so I'll need to take them off and hoe out. It's funny that there have never been so many before but now the tree has gone they've all rooted this year, almost as if they know they've got to replace the mother tree - weird.

Pepper seeds germinated eventually, they are growing slowly, should be plenty, and three aubergines. Grass cut again, garden waste bin two days late being emptied but then I pruned some dead bits off the ceanothus and half filled it again.

Socialising:-

 15 people at Keep Moving Group this week which is really good. An odd thing happened. When I was looking in the car glove box to find the book thing for the repair shop to stamp after the service and MOT, I came across a piece of paper with a printed list of exercises that we did with the organisation that started our group in 2022. I must have had it without knowing all this time as I don't remember it being given me.............and why in the glove box? Anyway I'm now going to write out a new sequence  of exercises for us to do for a bit of variety........... as soon as I get a new sharpie pen.

Over 60's group and a guy who volunteers at a workshop for adults with disabilities came and told us all about the workshop and the wooden things they make. If I still had a house with land they make bird-boxes for every type of bird you can think of and I'd have one for each - and bats!. I visited their workshop on a pre Christmas Open Day a couple of years ago.

Eating :-

I got the freezer defrosted on Monday, so that job's done for a year. I'd half forgotten about some of my own raspberries from the summer - better get them eaten - they are a bit sharp when frozen, always better fresh but there were so many last year I froze a few. Shall I mix with meringue and cream and call them a variation on Eton Mess - probably rather too many calories!

What a useful thing a quiche is to make - four days meals without having to think - tuna and sweetcorn this time served up with something different each day it doesn't matter that that it's the same thing for four days.

50/50 Granary/ White bread in the bread maker this week - my favourite.

And that's my week.

Have a good weekend, I'll be back next week - if I have something to write about?

Almost Money Wasted

Thought I might as well go and look at the Model Railway Exhibition- it was at the site of the nearest boot-sale so I looked round there too beforehand.

Should have known really that there wouldn't be as much there as promised, their Antiques Fayres are always smaller than they could be - I don't bother to go and look anymore.

At least I was able to take a few photos to make a blog post..............

I like 00 gauge best, they can fit more buildings and interesting bits into their portable layouts. My sister had an Hornby electric railway for a while and I made lots of the kit buildings for it- although it didn't have a permanent layout. I made some out of the cardboard printed kits and some out of airfix - which I didn't like painting.

Huge layout with O gauge track and much bigger trains. Must have taken them quite a while to set this up.

 There were also several stalls selling all the bits and bobs used to make the layouts more interesting. 

I didn't find anything at the car-boot sale and was soon home again.

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Last of the Old Photos (For Now Anyway!)

Just to fill another blog post here are a few more of the old photos.

First is me and my Grandma - on Dad's side. Sadly she died before I was a year old. She had a heart attack and was found laying by the pond on their farm. I would have loved to have known her, she was a practical person, living on a farm, making butter and cheese etc.

As a bridesmaid aged 7 - on the right. The wedding was one of Dad's cousins.

 I didn't know I had this photo below among a bundle of loose photos - it's a bit random. On the back it says 'Michael Hailes wedding Horringer'. Michael Hailes was one of the younger blokes who worked in Dad's building business for many years. This must be about 1968 ish.

There's me, Mum and Sister in front and Mrs Kerry, Mr Kerry and Dad at the back heading into church I guess. Mr Kerry was the Carpenter who worked for Dad for as long as I can remember. He smoked a pipe all the time, his teeth were pipe-shaped! - a true London family who had come to Suffolk after the war. As well as always having the pipe on the go he also whistled through his teeth and pipe- tunelessly!

After Mum died in 1999 and with Dad being totally lost after being a carer for Mum for 10 years my sister took him round churches and family looking for family history. They had some help from someone who put lots of family photos onto a computer CD. Later Eldest daughter had the CD and printed off these two photos below, which along with a photo of my grandma (the one above) as a young woman, she put into a frame for a present.

Definitely family, but I have no idea who they are or where the CD is now.

That's the end of the old photos for now.

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Rowena Farre

 Rowena Farre wrote this, her second book in 1962. Her first book -'Seal Morning' - had been published in 1957 and had become very popular, translated into several languages.

At one time both 'Seal Morning' and 'A Time From The World' were thought to be works of fiction rather than autobiographies and no one really knows much about the author and her life.

Different people have pieced together some of her story. She was born in India (although one source says London) in 1921 (or 1922 or 1930!), her real name was Daphne Lois McCready and she was the daughter of an Army Medical Officer. She was sent to Britain to live with an aunt when she was about 10 years old. 'Seal Morning' is the story of her life with her Aunt on a remote croft in Sutherland, Scotland. They lived with all sorts of pets including the seal. BUT later when people tried to find the croft or people who had known the Aunt and Niece - nothing was found. When her Aunt married Rowena moved south and became a typist.

During World War II, according to some sources she was in the WAAF, although if she was born in 1930 and not 1921 she would have been too young.

Then at some time in the 1950s she got a grant to go to Art School but spent much more time and all the summers travelling and working with the gypsies around Scotland, Wales and the west counties of England, the story of this time is the subject of 'A Time From the World'. She met a gypsy man and fell in love and moved in with him but after a while felt she couldn't settle to one way of life, she wanted to travel more widely and to write.

She went back to London and moved from job to job, living in lodgings and writing. When 'Seal Morning' was published she left the lodgings and disappeared for almost 4 years to avoid the journalists and the fame. Her publishers eventually tracked her down after advertising in the personal columns of newspapers, she was spotted on a ship and HERE is a newspaper report about her being found.

She wrote one other book 'The Beckoning Land' in 1969 which is about a spiritual pilgrimage to Ceylon and India.

She died in Canterbury in 1979. A very private person and estranged from her family, her life is much of a mystery.

Seal Morning was made into a TV series in 1986 with the location moved to Norfolk.

I first read 'Seal Morning' and 'A Time From the World' way back in the 1970s when I started work in libraries. The copy of  'A Time From the World' that I have now was reprinted in 2013 by Little Toller Books. The front cover photograph is by Bert Hardy from 1951. Inside are illustrations by Alice Pattullo.

The book is a wonderful look at a time completely gone when gypsy travellers were welcomed at farms all through the season for fruit and hop picking.

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