It only took two years!

This hedge in Oaks Lane, adjacent to Roy Gardens, was finally cut back yesterday. Ward Councillors and the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association have joined with a resident to lobby the landowners, Redbridge Council, to insist that their tenant keeps the hedges in good order. It has only taken two years to get this done. No further comment!

I have a letter in THE GUARDIAN

I am feeling quite overwhelmed. In fact, I am, sat sitting here at my desk in wonderment of delight!

We old codgers enjoy simple pleasures. The sight of a red sky at night. The sound of a sparrow singing away in the garden. The first snowdrops. And, wonder of wonders, a letter in THE GUARDIAN!

On Monday THE GUARDIAN, which I have read for the past 64 years or so, went tabloid. Yes, after 197 years it now fits snugly on my breakfast table - not that I have read it for 197 years, of course.

Ploughing through the new format on Monday. I was thunderstruck to find that my GUARDIAN no longer told me what the weather was doing in Oslo, where youngest son, Richard, and his Norwegian wife, Stine, live. And so I felt duty bound to write a letter. And there it is. In print. In THE GUARDIAN!

The letter reads: 'New tabloid format fine, but you have omitted Oslo from the weather. I can no longer tell my son, who lives there, whether or not it is snowing.'

So there it is. My fourth letter in THE GUARDIAN. And all have been of two sentences and no more. Brevity is the key, I guess.

Have a good day. Now to enjoy the rest of the paper . . . where all my favourite writers are there to enjoy. What a lucky lad I am to be sure!

Alexa and Whiter Shade of Pale

Taking a break from wash-day (two saucepanful of whites - handkerchiefs and tea towels in Fairy Non-Bio and Oxi Stain Remover, whilst non-iron shorts and other unmentionables are in the washing machine). Alexa played 'A whiter shade of pale' by Procul Harem and then a selection of music by the James Last Orchestra (founded in 1964 and still going strong, I would have you know, and I have a Vinyl box set which must be worth a mint of money).

And as I stirred the whites, I opened the new format GUARDIAN (tabloid from today, in case you did not know, Cedric) to find a piece by Rhik Samadder headlined "Alexa, who's the boss round here, me or you?" It was the first line that stopped me in my tracks. It reads: "Got an Amazon Echo for Christmas, just like every other basic-issue human." And Rhik went on to write "Alexa, play Whiter Shade of Pale, I bellow the instant I get in the door" - which is what I do too! Or "Play James Blunt" or "Play the Choir of St Paul's Cathedral." Although I am unsure if Rhik would want either of those - although you never can tell these days.

All this is very interesting for I, too, bellow at Alexa. I have been told I do not need to shout - but I cannot help it. Not that I ever bellow at ladies, but Alexa seems different.

I tell all my friends who call that I have a new lady in my life and their reactions are mixed but interesting. Raised eyebrows. Looks of disbelief. Mouth open - but no words come tumbling out. Some have met or heard of Alexa elsewhere. but others are taken in. One good friend offered to be a bridesmaid - so I had to quickly disillusion her (and my daughter made it very clear that there would be NO bridesmaids while she is around to sort me out).

But I cannot sit here wittering away - for the washing machine has stopped and the whites need to go in now that they have been stain-removed.

A walk on a grey January morning

A walk on this grey January morning on the new conservation area of what was once Aldborough Hall Farm - restoration is now taking place after sand and gravel extraction. The entrance is in Aldborough Road North between Applegarth Drive and the Dick Turpin. At this stage there is a permissive bridleway which leads nowhere - but eventually it will exit at Painters Road and then lead into Fairlop Waters (I am told that will take place in about 10 years time - I just hope I live long enough to see it! We are told that it is too dangerous for us locals to exit at Painters Road - many of us have walked down that road more times that council officers haver had good dinners!). There is now an Information board a few yards inside the entrance from Aldborough Road North and another board at the first of two observation areas - the Aldborough Hatch Defence Association members who met with Redbridge Councillors and representatives of developers Brett Tarmac last summer suggested that information boards would be useful - and we are pleased to see that these have now been installed by Brett Tarmac. The metal fence - which makes the place look like a prison - is being dismantled and replaced with a post and wire fence, while the willows have been cut down and will now form a low hedge rather than a barrier. There is still much to be done and it seems to take an inordinate amount of time to get anything done! But we are ever optimistic. On the way home I took a shot of St.Peter's at the start of Bridleway 93.

It lasted!

The following might amuse on this dark and cold Saturday morning. I wrote this as a filler for the February 2018 BROADSHEET which went to press last week and will shortly be distributed to some 1,400 homes in Aldborough Hatch and wing its way by post to some 30 readers and by email to over 300 others around the country and the world!

How it all began!

Have you wondered how long the BROADSHEET has been in this two-sides-of-A4 format? Here’s how!

In the summer of 1980, the Revd Bill Barnes invited me to edit the Parish Magazine – an occasional publication which the Revd Barnes produced as and when he felt like it. The magazine was of eight or 12 pages, run off on a duplicator and came out perhaps four or so times a year.

I offered to edit a monthly newsletter of two sides of A4 paper. “Not enough,” said the Revd Barnes. “It must be at least twelve pages.”

But I stuck to my guns, for I was convinced few would read more than two sides of A4. “Make it eight pages,” said the Revd Barnes. “Two sides of A4 or nothing!” said I. “Four pages,” pleaded the Revd Barnes. “Two sides of A4,” said I with a glint in my eye as I sensed victory.

“Right,” cried the Revd Barnes, “but it will never last and I insist that you have a Committee to guide you.”

The Committee met once, but I never called another meeting! The first issue appeared in September 1980. Packed with exciting news items, we read that Pat Hicks was looking for volunteers to pot attractive plants for the Bazaar, whilst readers were invited to “save your wool and your number nines for a knitting event in January”.

The October 1980 issue carried the first of many articles written under the pseudonym Tailcorn (Shirley Rudge in case you did not know!) with the opening paragraph: “It is with some sadness that I watched the men cut the corn for the last time on the field designated for gravel . . .”

I have copies of every issue in two ring binders and three folders. As editor, I have had three members of St. Peter’s organising the local distribution to homes in the parish – Una Paul, Yvonne and today Glenn Harvey – numerous good folk posting copies through letterboxes, whilst six incumbents have written the leading articles over those 37 years. And today we email copies to over 300 addresses around the world!

And, what’s more, it has lasted! RJ

Snowdrop

As the photograph in the RECORDER did not scan too well, here is the original! Bought "in the green" three years ago for a sum that is scarcely credible, it now has four flowers - increasing each year!

Ironing board!

Yesterday the ironing board collapsed in a great heap. The legs may just be seen though the kitchen door in the shot here. Off I went this morning to Ilford to seek out a replacement. I examined a few, I can tell you, but in the end I settled for a Saturn by Minky Homecare - as seen in my kitchen in all its glory.

This UK manufacturer of Homewares and Laundry was established in 1941, I would have you know. I surmised that having been around for some 76 years they are probably reputable. Then I spotted that the company is By Appointment not merely to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II but also to HRH The Prince of Wales as manufacturers of cleaning and laundry products. That clinched things for me. If it is good enough for HM The Queen and Young Charles, it’s good enough for me - although I have serious doubts as to whether or not either of them have ever used an ironing board or even know what one is!

I  noted that it has 'steam safe iron angle, superior steam efficient foam backing, sturdy 4-leg design and steam flow mesh system’. How could I possibly go wrong, for this is clearly an ironing board of repute. Made in the United Kingdom, there is a one year guarantee - so I will keep the packing carefully just in case anything goes wrong. I note that I have to 'run a hot steam iron over the cover before use’ and that I may go onto the Minty website for further details, but I doubt I will need to do this for everything seems to be in good order.

The London Borough of Redbridge will be collecting my old ironing board on Friday 19th January as part of their bulk collection service. I had considered keeping the old metal structure and hanging flower pots upon it - but it is beyond such use I fear. That is life, as the art mistress said to the gardener, or was it the bishop who said that to the actress?