St Paul's today

A new experience today. The Stations of the Cross in the Churchyard at St.Paul's Cathedral in London. I learned much about the Cathedral in general and the Churchyard in particular. The pilgrimage was led by The Reverend Canon Michael Hampel, Precentor, and as ever he spoke with warmth and clarity. I have walked in the churchyard many times but now many parts will have special memories for me after today. 

Afterwards I went to Sung Evensong, sitting in the choir stalls, listening to the superb singing and feeling very near Yvonne. I am sad that we did not discover St. Paul's before Yvonne passed away but I believe Yvonne listens now - somehow, somewhere . . .

I took this shot today - I like to get a red bus into my photographs of St. Paul's!

How did we live?

I have today managed to print my very first envelope on the iMac! I guess I have had the new machine for about nine months now - give or take a day or so. I have only today worked out how to print envelopes. Indeed it was something of a fluke that I did so - and I cannot remember how I did it, but I guess that now that I have done it once I will find out again! I just try soon or the skill will be lost for ever.

Where will it all end, I ask myself? When I retired some 19 years ago this month from working at home editing an international magazine, I had a photocopier, a fax machine and a PC that took about ten minutes to boot up. The dot matrix printer had been replaced by a laser printer and my first Amstrad was a memory (and not a very happy one at that).

A TV set the size of a fridge. No mobile phone. No credit cards. No debit card. Just cash. No ATMs. Queues in the bank for money. And cheques. No emails. No Facebook. No Blog. No digital photography. 

How did we live?

My first mobile was the size of a brick. I carried it round in a briefcase (and when did you last see anyone walking about with one of those?). My second was a Motorola - which I have just found stored away in my desk drawer. I showed it to Ken and Rob - who tell me it is valuable and that I should sell it on eBay! I will do some research for I could be in the money - and with the electrician working again today on the complete re-wiring of my house following the BIG BANG, I will need to be more than just in the money! I may need to rob a bank! (only joking!). But the family’s inheritance is taking a knocking, I can tell you! It will be bread and pull-it from now on. No more chocolate biscuits and Bramley Apple Pies. Scrooge has nothing on me!

Take care all of you! 

Spring on 1st March in St. Peter's Aldborough Hatch!

Today spring has really sprung in the churchyard at St. Peter's Aldborough Hatch. The 2,300 bulbs planted in 2015 are in full flower and the 1,500 or so planted in 2016 are peeping through. What a display! Thanks to all who toiled and/or supported the work. Your reward is there for all to see!

A host of golden daffodil!

The sun shone brilliantly on Tuesday so I set forth to Redbridge Roundabout where I took some shots of the daffodil (these will follow later) thence to Stratford Westfield to make some purchases for a birthday present at M & S and afterwards a walk in the Olympic Park. The wind was biting but I got a goodly way and it was so worthwhile to see the masses of daffodil. Lots of school parties were enjoying the place including one batch of students from Enfield who had a questionnaire to ask passers by - and I was easy meat! But it was all good natured and no doubt they told their friends that the old boy over there was worth asking! The park is so good - and I recall when Carpenters Road was the home to chemical factory Boake Roberts and they used to boil the animal bones to make soap - the stench if you stood on Stratford Station was almost unbearable. The first formers at Leyton County Hight School for Boys played football in 1944 on the Easton Manor playing field - which were where the Patk now stands. The stench reached there too - and that put me off football for life! But if you have not visited the Olympic Patk - go there. The daffodil are just magic and there wildflowers in the summer are great too. Well done whoever is responsible.

I have just seen Lake Como, St. Mary’s Island Whitley Bay, Derby, Portugal and the Criterion Hotel (from a horse drawn omnibus).

I have just seen Lake Como, St. Mary’s Island Whitley Bay, Derby, Portugal and the Criterion Hotel (from a horse drawn omnibus). I have read about the Survivors (those born before 1940) and the Poem on why Poppies are red with a black centre. And I have experienced all the colours of the rainbow, mainly in straight lines - and all from my kitchen, would you believe?

You see, in a weak moment (for I experience many) I volunteered to go onto the rota to wash tea towels and towels used in the church hall kitchen. And my first rota day had to be last Sunday - the day of the St. Peter’s Winter Lunch when some 50 or so sat down to a three course meal (I was on the washing-up team using those very same tea towels). 

And all those places, poems and colours were featured in the 15 tea towels I have just ironed (together with two of my own and some dozen or so handkerchiefs)!

They went into the washing machine on Monday together with some ten towels. The sun shone - then it rained and the sun shone again - and later it rained. I brought the tea towels indoors finally and dried them here - but the towels remain on the washing line in the garden - having had a good dry this morning only to be washed by rain again this afternoon. They can stay there until they are dry - and they will not be ironed for you do not iron towels.

I thought you would like to know this! Although you may prefer not to be informed of such mundane matters - in which case, my apologies

Bluebell Chocolate Forest

I am back from the Bluebell in Chigwell where I was entertained to lunch by a generous and kind lady of 96, in the company of another lady (whose age I dare not reveal). I say I am back - but I have been for the past hour or so for I had to have a lie down when I reached home in the mini-cab (as I gallop towards 84 I find this is necessary from time to time).

I mention this because I had an excellent meal which was topped by the most amazing dessert (pudding or sweet, depending where you are from). It was titled Bluebell Chocolate Forest. Served on a wooden platter, the centre piece was a mushroom of meringue on an ice cream stalk, with fresh fruits in generous portions. Delicious! I did not want to eat it at first, thinking I might bring it home and preserve it in some way. But I finally gave in.

I thought you would like to know this!

I now have three recycling bins!

We missed most of Storm Doris. Just some very high winds. I see that a tree was down in Redbridge and I know that a friend in Barkingside had a branch fall on her roof with tiles dislodged,.

Here in Aldborough Hatch it was bin day. My dustbin lost its lid - and then  I found it. It then went off again on a journey I now not where - so I have brought it indoors.

I lost completely one recycle bin - could not find it anywhere. Then I spotted that Ruth over the road had two more in her front garden. Ruth assured me they were not hers - so I now have three bins!

Folk who did not protect they bin bags have ended up with rubbish all over their garden.