Tea Towels and such like

I have ironed tea towels and handkerchiefs this Saturday morning - as you do. When I look at some of the former, they bring back memories - for most were purchased by Yvonne or were given to her as presents - although I have bought some replacements over the last four years as well.Standard s have to be maintained.

One tea towel marks the London Olympics - 29th July to 14th August 1948. I would guess that this was not purchased in 1948, for neither Yvonne nor I were into tea towels in that year as we were both 15. Oddly, I recall nothing whatsoever about the 1948 Olympics.

I was at Leyton County HIgh School, rode two buses each way from home, stuttered very badly, but sang in St. Peter's Church Choir (where, on a good Saturday, we would have three weddings at five shillings a time and ten bob if I was to sing a solo - 'I'll walk beside you' and 'Count your blessings' were my sole repertoire. Yes, I could sing, but not speak as speech therapists were not doing business in Ilford at the time).

We had a wireless set (forerunner of radio), but television had not restarted after the war - well, if it had we did not have a TV set in my home in Church Road until 1951 when my father purchased one for £60 - 10% of his annual salary I learned much later. We had the news reels at the cinema - but we did not go there every week - perhaps once a month if we were lucky. The Daily Mirror was the newspaper of choice in my house - I started to read the News Chronicle at about this time - but only once a week when there was a good cycling column for I was a keen cyclist list, Youth Hostelling alone around Essex and Suffolk - and even venturing via the Woolwich Ferry into Kent. I moved up to THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN on leaving school at 16 in 1949 - now THE GUARDIAN.

But the 1948 Olympics seem to have passed me by for I do not have a single memory of the event.

Other tea towels have stories behind them too - but they will have to wait for another time for I cannot sit about here on a Saturday morning when there are jobs to be done!

I would add that the office carpet is now revealed in all its glory for I have shredded some dozen or so black sacks of old papers over the past three weeks. This is in accordance with my New Year Resolution (at the behest of Heather) to clear my office of old papers. There is still much to be done, but I have made a start. Some papers - like the tea towels - brought back memories, most of which were happy ones. I found the FOG INDEX records - described as "a method of ascertaining the level of readability of a manuscript". No way would that be shredded - indeed I am taking a set of papers to my friend Paul when we meet later today at the theatre. I have a few sets of the papers if you are interested. They are slightly brown on the edges and the paper is brittle but that comes with age. For the papers are dated 1973 when I was General Editor, The Scout Association, and Editor of SCOUTING, the national magazine. Happy Days!

Fun!

Now here’s a laugh! Last evening one arm of my reading glasses fell off. Just like that! So I tried to stick it back on with Superglue. That was a mistake. Not only did I get Superglue on the lenses but also on the worktop in the kitchen and on my fingers. I firmly believe I should not be allowed to to do these things without someone in attendance.

I found an old pair - that are not very good - but just adequate.

I rang Vision Express. They cannot bring my annual eye test forward from April but I can have an eye test if I pay for it. It will cost me £10 so I said yes please and can you see me today which they can at three. 

Hey Ho! As Miranda’s Mum would say: “What fun!"

Twelth Night!

It is 10.39am on 12th Night and my decorations are down and packed away - under the bed (where else!). No more is the front garden lit with red lights whilst the porch is now clear and ready for some new plants to herald in the spring. IT has been a good Christmas and I am grateful to all my family and friends who made it so. May you all have a Happy New Year and if I have one request to make, I would be very grateful if one young man would please stop swearing on FACEBOOK and using obscene language. He knows who he is. If I knew how to delete him from following me, I would do so.

Take care and walk tall. Let's hope the honest politicians take over from the present gang in charge in Parliament. There are some - our MP is one of them.

Laugh - I could have cried!

I have made a New Year Resolution - to tidy my office and to dispose of unwanted papers. All, I would add, at the behest of my lovely daughter, who is concerned that when I go to the office in the sky, she will have to spend days and days and days clearing up the office. So I am told - politely, I would add - to do it now.

In the midst of doing so and using the new shredder, I came across some correspondence which made me laugh aloud. I should not do so for I wrote this! It is an email dated 31st January 2018 to REDBRIDGE PLANNING. Forgive me, but I do not want this to go into the shredder and deny you the chance to smile.

So here it is - and I would add that after some messing about the Planning lads finally told the applicant that his application was being chucked out! But it took some weeks and lots of emails from me - all of which I have on my iMac if you are minded to read them all!

The email reads:

A neighbour has today received a letter dated 29th January from LBR PLanning regarding Planning Application 0156/18. On going online to ascertain details, my neighbour found that the only document available for viewing is the Application Form. There are no plans or other details. Nothing. Honest!

The Application Form refers to XXX (I have deleted the house number!) Aldborough Road South. There is no such address. I would have to assume that the applicant, who lives at the address involved, might know the correct address is XXX Aldborough Road North. I am also surprised that your staff have not spotted the error. The form has marks indicating that everything is ‘non-applicable’ , which I guess make life a lot easier than masses of information. I am pleased to see that the edifice will not affect the parking arrangements. The house already has five or six cars most nights and I fear that soon I will be asked to concrete my lovely front garden to allow them to put a couple more cars on the road!

The application is for a 'single storey glazed conservatory to rear’. As here are no further details, I will assume that it is to be of reasonable size and not as big as the Crystal Palace, but I would appreciate confirmation on this at the earliest possible time please as Socks, my 16-year-old cat, is frightened of large glass edifices. And buildings too, for that matter. Also the near neighbours take great glee in letting off bombs (of the type we had during the Blitz in the war - and do not ask me which war?) at firework time. One of these dropping on Crystal Palace could cause mayhem, especially to the thoughtless drivers who take their kids to school, parking on double yellow lines and red route markings, or driving down the wrong side of Aldborough Road North to avoid the queues of traffic at rush hour, a time when our worthy police officers and traffic wardens are having their well-earned breakfasts or a kip.

I note that your office received the application on 15th December 2017. I guess you have all been very busy with extended leave over Christmas and the New Year. Good to know that you are back and dealing with these applications efficiently.

I would be most grateful if you would please advise me when this applications is to be heard by your Planning Committee. As a neighbour to this fortress - which has already been extended up, back and side (but not yet down, as far as I am aware, although I have no means of checking if there is now a basement with fully operational cinema complex and yet another so-called games room) - I wish to attend the meeting and watch the Councillor Members pass this application with acclamation for it will save them having to read anything.

As Miranda’s Mother would say: “What fun!”

Parade - Me!

This shot is not mine - it was sent to me by the Mayor and shows me on the float at the very back. See if you can spot me in my furry hat! 

London New Year's Day Parade

The following is the text I sent late on Tuesday 1st January to the ILFORD RECORDER following a thrilling and exciting day from 8am till 5pm at London's New Year's Day Parade. I was invited by the Mayor of Redbridge to join the float to take photographs. 

Here is the text:

The theme for London’s New Year’s Day Parade on Tuesday was 'London welcomes the world’ and the Mayor of Redbridge brought together a team that mirrored our multi-cultural Borough to win third prize in the competition for floats and performers.

Emblazoned on the sides of the float were the photographs of some of the well-known celebrities who have lived or worked in Redbridge - from Winston Churchill to Noel Edmonds, from Dame Maggie Smith to Sylvia Pankhurst.

Performers included the Black Ice Group from Woodford and Sakthi Fine Arts, whilst the Nostalgia Steel Band had the crowds swinging, swaying and dancing.

Said Councillor Debbie Kaur-Thiara, Mayor of Redbridge: “I am grateful to the talented team of adults and young people who put the float together and who danced and showed great athleticism throughout the parade. 

"As our float came into view, the steel band set the crowds dancing, swaying and singing - they were a great tonic on a cold day. 

"The Boroughs of Sutton and Havering came first and second in the competition - but we were delighted to win the third prize of £8,000 which will go to my Mayoral Year charity ELHAP (Every Life Has a Purpose) which aims to make life brighter for children and young people with disabilities in East London and Essex. It was a splendid fun day to start the New Year!”