Michelin Starred it never was

I feel I actually deserve to be recognized for my ingenuity and skill when feeding the under fives. They can be so contrary. Yesterday they ate pasta with pesto , but today they won't. I am not going to rant about the modern Scarborough child v the Hull fifties child.
We did not have the choice of food . Our mothers , unless they came from a different culture from ours served 'plain food'.
This was usually a roast dinner on a Sunday, sliced joint with gravy re-heated on a Monday, and Minced on Tuesday. By Wednesday it might be some braised meat, usually leg of beef and beasts kidney which had stewed slowly for hours. On Thursday a Cauliflower Cheese, would always be followed on Friday by fish. The butcher from Sutton Village (Mr Hickey) called twice a week with his van. The fishmonger from the village (Mr Hilyard) called on Fridays. Joints were usually big. All mince and all roasts , pork or lamb beef were served with Yorkshire pudding cooked as I do now in one large tin. Chicken was for special occasions, and came from Mr Baston who kept a free range flock in the field behind our house. When we wanted eggs , my mother would hang a basket on our shed next to the fence, and the eggs would be there by the evening.
My school friend who lived in Eastmount Avenue had a mother who could make a raised Pork pie. One always hoped to be invited for a meal, and frequently was. The food in this house was different, but it was still plain and of traditional English cuisine. Up the road in Saltshouse Road we had a neighbour who returned from trips on his Trawler and brought us gifts of huge parcels of Halibut and Skate, Haddock and Cod . He later started a frozen Fish Business called Herons, which is still going today , though he and his family emigrated to Canada many years ago. Fish was grilled or poached and served with a white sauce, or fried in a shallow pan of lard.We had no fridge until 1960, so meat was never stored. Most vegetables were home grown. Mr Wiles came up from the village to help with the garden. His dog Judy used to run along side his bike. He had fought in the Boer War. I used to watch him sowing vegetable seeds from a little dispenser . No carrots-they never did well in the clay Riseholm soil. Rows of potatoes. sprouts and beetroot fed us.
"Just go and pick some Kale for lunch will you Margaret?" Remember sisters that awful Kale! We didn't have anything but tinned peas, except in season from the garden, until Erin brought out a dried sort that you added boiling water to !
We always has gravy made from meat juices from the pan, or Bisto with Mr Hickey's sausages.
Our food never varied as it does today until the advent of the supermarket, which promptly killed the trade of our village shop 'Myers'. My mother just loved a trip to Frank Dees supermarket on the Holderness Road in Hull in the 1960's. We began to have different types of cheese and sausages, biscuits and bread, and cakes (Bought Rubbish they were affectionately called by my father).
Here in our small town just south of Scarborough we are still able to buy from small local shops and I do . I never buy vegetables or meat from the Supermarket (which was part of the Frank Dee Chain in the 1970s). I never buy fish from Herons. but from the fishmonger . I am doing my best to cut down airmiles. The spinach in our small garden is feeding us well. With all the option excess we enjoy however I still cannot please the palettes of the under fives. They have never before in history had so much delicious food to choose from. They do garlic, cous -cous, mangoes, chorizo, cumin coriander and quinoa, tropical this and that and malt loaf.
I cooked too many vegetables yesterday to accompany the meatballs and pasta shells. Today they were pureed into chopped tomatoes with 5 cloves of garlic and made in to a sauce for the spinach and rice pie. Right now on the beach are 2 small boys reeking of garlic, and even then one didn't like the pie, just the broccoli and sauce.
What has changed? Were we fussy ? Were our parents stricter? Or have we just forgotten that we put food we didn't like surreptitiously under the table for our spaniel.

Felix Mendelssohn -his part in our life

I have just listened to the Service on Radio 4 as I do every Sunday Morning before going to do girly music in St Oswalds.

I am a big fan of the blog of Bishop Baines who coined the words and set the hare running again (I saw a huge hare on the Wolds on Thursday, not 10 m from where I stood) . Simon Rudiger in the Filey Parish blog has done his usual 'get you think' provocative blog (sans capital letters), this time commenting about that article in the magazine 'Sorted' (Loaded Correctly) which suggests that men are staying away from church because the music is not macho enough.This may run and run , I dont care. My very own macho man loves flowers, a former LSO chorus member has a really eclectic taste in music, church or otherwise. Not like his narrow minded spouse.

I am listening to Elijah on BBC iplayer as I write, recorded last Friday.
"If with all your heart you surely seek me ,ye shall ever surely find me" is playing now.
When I am down, I always listen to this Oratorio, it hits all my highs and lows. The composer has managed to bring the Bible text alive for me. I am so glad that such a great Man of God as Elijah was depressed and anxious, successful at times and then totally lost enough to run away emotionally. Mendelssohn touches my soul with his understanding of the text in music, romantic and utterly serious.
Praise for this short lived genius has been mutated in to the genes of Bridteacher. Historically I come from a musical family. My great great uncle was an original Savoyard Charles Kenningham,, his brother Alfred a vicar choral at St Pauls, my own great ,great Grandfather Edmund Kenningham died after singing 'The heavens are telling" . Spouse always calls this 'The tenors are yelling."
My own Classical musical Education began with a trip to the City Hall Hull with my school Greatfield High School (Newton Hall) in about 1961 to hear my first orchestra .We were accompanied by the music teacher Miss Nottingham. This was the real thing and I knew it was. In the evening, this small group of us , in special cheap seats for the schools of Hull sat and took it all in, not even sure whether we liked it , but knowing it was grown up , and trying to find something in it to like. I was asked after which music I had liked best,out of the Short Overture, the long Symphony and the other shortish piece. I had no hesitation" 'Fingals Cave' "I said. It had entranced me . I have recalled this lollipop moment many times, and when my Father went to Sidney Scarborough's and bought me an EP of Mendelssohn Overtures, Fingals Cave on one side and Ruy Blas I played them so often I had to have more ,so joined the Music Library as soon I was old enough. I came home with Chopin one week, Liszt the next , worked my way through all the Classics, always dreading that moment back in the Library when the librarian checked all the LPs for scratches. Mendelssohn started me on my lifelove of music. I am open to anything from Sparklehorse to Anthony and the Johnsons, from Bach to more Bach via Mozart and Wagner. Oddly enough I don't like G and S despite my illustrious forbears. I have just found my Great-Grandmother Kenningham's copy of Mendelssohn's 'Song without words'. She was a gifted pianist and well known in musical circles in Hull in the 1880s and 90s. Her daughter , my grandmother Gertrude Alice Bruce was once visited by a famous musicologist of the day Dr Orlando Mansfield. The family anecdote goes that my grandfather was so shy that he didn't speak a word during the whole social call, and my grandmother never let him forget how he had embarrassed her.The fly leaf of the Folio Book is inscribed thus;
Listening to the service on Radio 4,this morning I am sure I heard the commentator say that Mendelssohn had been almost worshipped in his day. This obviously carried on for many years after too, for the Folio Book to have been used like a family Bible for the recording of ownership. So I am enjoying this Mendelssohn weekend on the BBC. Thank you very much. I am listening to 'Thanks be to God now'. I think it could be Macho Music, Elijah seemed a Macho Man,with the sensitive side that 'Girly's ' share. Does it really matter? Nick Baines doesn't think so and that's good enough for me!

Echium again

Am delighted to announce that spouse has allowed me to have yet more of the south facing border to accommodate my growing family of the Genus Echium.
I am so pleased with the buds on the sp. lusitanicum spp polycaulon . It is at the front of the border , (see picture)where I nurtured it all winter, and really should be further back, but will give it a year. The 2 E.russicums are at the back , but higher up the slope, hope they will flower too, they are in bud. I have kept 1 E. russicum in its pot, just incase I have to move it. The orange peel is to deter cats from using the facilities in this garden. It seems to be working. Even Kiaoracat is being more considerate at the moment.

Have 10 E. Fastuosums dotted around the garden, but they are poor specimans and have no buds . This is so exciting. I sound like a real anorak. Don't care .

Magpie Eye

Just been to see the eponymous exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery . Finishes next Monday May4th. The family have already seen it, and spouse several times. We have had the poster up in the kitchen since before it opened. Not exactly an exhibition, but more a collection of quirky objects trouve to compliment the work in the neighbouring room ,of Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious.

I felt so at home in Magpie Eye. We have a house with small collections loitering around corners and sitting on shelves. We love our mirrors crafted by Anna Lambert. It was great to see the Cockerel Soup Tureen with the clever Tail Feather ladle , sitting proudly next to a vase of full blown tulips. I have been going to galleries and exhibitions since I was a child taken to Ferens Art Gallery (Hull) by my aunt. She, was a watercolourist and enthusiast for colour. She had an eclectic taste . She , housebound for many years would talk about her visit to MoMA in 1961, her delight at seeing Guernica, her joy in the colour of roses, her taste for the Pre-Raphaelites for the stories behind the paintings. She loved like Mark Hearld to see design and colour in everyday objects. She would have absolutely adored Magpie Eye. A few years ago we discovered the work of Angie Lewin, and bought as many greetings cards and notelets as we could in the shop in the Geffrye museum. Now 3 years later she has found many more outlets for her work, even the here in the wilds of the north. It was no surprise really then to realise that the echo of something already in the soul was in the Flyer for Magpie Eye , as Mark Hearld exhibits in the same Gallery.Where is my rambling going ?
This morning we opened a new box of Organic Oats. We only bought them because we liked the design of the box. Could have been 'School of Hearld or Lewin'. No but we like you too Clare Curtis.

AGMs All Gods militia

I have been to every single AGM of my anglican church since becoming a voting member. So that adds up to 41 meetings as for 1 year I had to belong to a fellowship (House Church).This was when my vicar said I was a heretic after getting Baptised as an adult by Total Immersion in 1985. I am under authority so treated the family to a year of guitars, prophecies and comfy seats. Back in the muddled folds of the Cof E since 1986, at home, happy with 'A word from Wormingford'once again , and now needing to read that bible of the interpretation of Holy Writ, the ABC for the PCC.
Last nights meeting for the Parish of Filey was worth the wait of 41 and 1 off years .
It will have fulfilled every legal requirement of Canon Law, but something more was going on last night. Besides the obvious presence of the Holy Spirit, there was a sense of order, calm and fellowship. The Lord was in control.
Max -your humorous diatribe was excellent. It would make a pamphlet as required reading for churches in the land. What you said, couched in such Cof E speak was that we need to get back to Bible teaching. You did that so subtley by your mention of wise and foolish virgins. I have nt heard that parable spoken of for years!
Mary -you have the gentleness of the strong, and its word is Meekness, it is what Jesus had.
Here is a cartoon for you all.

Thank you sister

The infinite wonder

http://twurl.nl/6k26xr Thanks to Bosco Peters for the tweet about this.It takes a while to load and you will see why!

Facebook Passion On Good Friday

Who ever thought this up as an April fool must have been reading that bit about 'For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight.. What a great idea. I actually followed it through our 3 hour Vigil today. Well done whoever you are, and thanks Clare Rishbeth for sending me the link to Peter Oulds blog.

Twitter and Pruning

I am no stranger to Pruning. I remember my Grandfather Benjamin John Elder Bruce showing me how to prune roses in 1959. I was really honoured that this man of so few words would take the trouble to explain something so grown up to this 12 year old girl. I was affirmed. I didnt really even understand what pruning was for, or why he only did the roses. He died soon after, they were the last roses he would prune. The roses were there for many years after that. I remember their lovely names, Josephine Bruce, our family rose, Peace, Fragrant Cloud, Golden Showers.
Our daughter the Landscape architect is a very hard pruner. She arrives in our walled garden and tells her father to' cut that right down', or she will do it. Her father has cut the Zepherine Drouhin right down. I hope it will cover the arbour again.
I see a new occupation coming in to the Twittersphere. People are having to prune the people they follow. Bishop Alan and Rev Bosco Peters have done their lists. I value both of their input to the Twittershere and Blogsphere, but am now having to rethink where I think the whole pruning thing will lead. Will someone invent a Tweetdeck that will do an automatic prune. You could put in a sort of search word like 'football' or 'synod' and all the' friends' who use those tags more than once a day could be pruned. Or perhaps those who like me have only 28 followers could do a reverse prune , or growth spurt thing and anyone who uses the words 'Echium' or 'Dark night of the soul' would have to follow me.
Of course, Jesus had only 12 serious followers at first, apparantly. I bet Jesus Barabbas had thousands.

Palm Sunday

People must have thrown coats and branches down in front of the colt because the road down from the Mount of Olives is so steep.The colt could have stumbled otherwise.

Little Dears

They are coming this afternoon for a few days. Their other Grandma died on Sunday, and the funeral is in Lancashire tomorrow. Spouse and I are probably going to be asked lots of questions. We both realise that what we say about, and the way we behave around the death could affect the boys for the rest of their lives. They are very bright , 2 and 4 year olds. The eldest has already cottoned on to the fact the Grace is said before meals in this house, and is learning it. Other grandparents were totally against religion. Other grandfather binned any card with a text before he read it , and all expressions of a positive future were shot down in flames before the utterence had time to settle on the air. I like it when people are really honest, they are not sitting on a maybe fence, but firmly on the side that would have said Hell in Victorian times.
So , what are we going to say to the boys.
We will wait and see and hope to remember to pray at the time. I know God acts without dimension in time, how else could he have sent the sun to go back . I am asking him ahead of time to give us right words, and back in time that wrong words will be forgotten.

Malton

Love it!

Kiaora-just realised what our house name means

Traditional Maori Blessing

Kia hora te manno
Kia whakapapa paumamu te moana
Kia tere te Karohirohi

*

May the calm be widespread
May the sea glisten like the greenstone
And may the glimmer of summer dance across your pathways…

To Twitter or not to Twitter

Now that I have managed to download my Tweetdeck I can see why this Twitter business is so interesting. By asking the Tweetdeck to siphon off Tweets from Twitterers who have never been my friend, I have an unlimited resource for my Lent Blogging (Filey Parish :Blogging for Lent). All I have to do is ask the app to sort those mentioning a key word, in this case Lent. They come streaming in .I can look at the profiles of the Twitterers and decide to follow them or not. In this way I have been amazed at the hundreds of strangers twittering on about What they are giving up for Lent, Why Lent is a great Idea, Why lent is a C...p idea, and on and on and on..
Now I can understand all the newspaper articles, online blogs, TV conversations and radio quips.
No I am not going to follow Steven Fry or Barack Obama. I am sifting and sorting . I like the updates everyday from Kew Gardens , from Garden Adventure, from my twittering Facebook friends, from Ruth (Ruthie she calls herself-who would have thought it)Gledhill the Times Religious Affairs Correspondent, and from unknown scribes who inspire me with their joie de vivre over the twittersphere. I am not trying like Bishop Alan to see if I can make 500 followers (he has 821 now ).My son has 526 friends on Facebook, I dare not think what will happen when he discovers Twitter. He sure couldn't manage without a Tweetdeck.

Giving up Facebook for Lent

Some people are so addicted to Facebook and Twitter they have given them up for Lent.

Scheduled

I wish I had tried this earlier.

What I will be giving up for Lent

It wont be Facebook or Twitter.

Please do not die..............

Please just keep going, the sun came out strongly yesterday, you loved it, felt it on your tender heart. Please do not get mould, please sit tight.We know you are trying, dont let those foreign cousins of yours from Madeira be too proud, you are our little Russian. We are waiting for you..please do not die..........

Shepherds Warning

'Red sky at night' etc is true most of the time. This new dawn does not bode well. Seen at seven thirty this morning, getting lighter every day the gorgeous red sky promised cold and wet, snow even. Yes! the cold is here, yes! the snow is on its way but as to the Shepherds warning, I agree the signs are there.
Several papers this morning are foretelling that the current economic scene will get worse, although Richard Branson puts it this way 'Shares have gone rock bottom and will go even lower'. He must know something about the structure of the earth that I dont. 'Below rock bottom' would take cataclysmic seismic activity of the earthquake kind, or volcano kind or techtonic plates colliding kind.
So , I am waiting for snow, and yes I am waiting for the media to cash in on the expected frugality drive. The Telegraph has already begun with a booklet on how to kill and draw your own Turkey, and what to make out of the entrails. Others will follow. Marguerite Pattern will have another late flowering in her career telling us how to boil up chicken bones and make soup, or horror of horrors lead us back to Spam.
I have decided be very positive about the economic downturn-how even the words have potential. Down turns bring a reassessment of values and priorities, of government spending on essential services, on a care and share approach . There will always be those ready to make money in 'new ways quickly' in a spiv sort of a way. There will also be a look to the beauty in free things like red dawns.

Pick yourself up

Pick yourself up,dust yourself down,and start all over again.........
Well I think those were the defining words. I'll wait and see what the forth estate says tomorrow. Why on earth did only the Queen of Soul have the sense to wear a hat. She at least gave the whole proceedings some sparkly class. Mrs Obama nearly made it with her glitter .I did enjoy it though. I believed the prayers, and the speech. The poem by Elizabeth Alexander was the highlight of the whole show for me. I am waiting for a transcript of it. Meanwhile here is a picture from the telly....

Unwanted guests

Daughter near Brighton has just spent the weekend using this wonderful tool. I have asked her to buy me one as come the first day of the Summer Holidays now only 6months away, I can be sure that I will probably need one, when daughter in Scarborough rings up in tears asking for help of the combing kind, and we will have daily visits, and many happy(!) hours sitting outside the back door with kitchen roll and bowls of water.

Twittering

I have finally got the measure of Twittering. I have been sorting it out,investigating , appraising and evaluating. Put another way, I have read, marked, learned and inwardly digested. Twittering is a phantom message service. Firstly it is an addictive time waster. Perfectly reasonable and educated people are sending tweets about their most banal and everyday thoughts and all their friends are reading them and thinking they must do the same. Secondly a huge market of Twitterific and the like products are now subtly available after the first sprat has reeled them in. I too am part of the crowd, and just incase I miss out on any hidden bonuses I too am capable of sending banal and boring thoughts to the great ISP in the sky. Thirdly this is not a new phenomenom. It all started or was documented for the first time in 1837.

Only difference is that in 1837 ,in the Emperors New Clothes ,the tweets were word of mouth only, because the microchip had not been invented.

Sitemeter

I just love stats.The sitemeter on the www.fileyparish.org.uk gives me as much pleasure as the actual blogging. I have slowly turned into a nerd, maybe even an anorak. I wonder if on Mastermind you may answer questions on 'Blogsite stats' or ' URLs I know and love', or 'Locations ' or 'Out clicks'. I like them all. It is no good looking at the blog oneself, 50 times in one day, as Pete and Brian and Simon will suss that it no time. If I let 50 friends know the URL and hope they look at the site, I might get 10 of them looking at it. If I encourage all my 78 Facebook friends to look at the site,this might happen;

• all my children will look at the site,
  
• former colleagues who are winding down at the end of a tiring school day might look at the site
• old friends from Dorking are leagues ahead in the cyber stakes and won't look as they are all twittering but not following me
• my sister has already looked but will have lost the URL and the inclination
• my nephews and nieces are all partying or on holiday in cold places so have no time
  
• vicars and bishops and youth workers are all doing their own superb blogs so might look to see if I am following their blogs
• Richard Dawkins will look at the site to see if I have mentioned him even though he is not my friend
  
• Archbishop Sentamu will not look at the site, he knows I am one of his Facebook groupies but although he really appreciates all I do for him and God, he lets me get on with it as he loves Body Ministry.
• My Facebook friends from the 1980's will not look at the site, they dont remember who I am.

Victoria and Albert

We are working side by side in the Study. Spouse is writing his report for Work on my Mac Mini. It is good to have him in the real world again. That world of tab keys and spacing, keyboard shortcuts and autosaves. I am twittering a little on the Toshiba. Not much to do really when you have only 2 followers and no internet connection from your mobile phone. Still it keeps me in the real world again,that world of Victoria and Albert with their console or is it consort desks.

Erasmic soap. Thank God for Dixons

Aged parent and I are never at a loss for conversation. It is much easier now that she has followed eldest daughter to the audiologist and got a Digital Hearing Aid on the NHS. I have to fit it for her of course every time . She cannot manage its intricacies. I am now privy to the most interesting revelations, a pleasure to listen to as no shouting is involved. Apparantly
My Grandfather Frederick Richard Holding (died 1950),AKA the Pioneer motorist and first person to drive across the Runcorn Transporter Bridge has a history involving Erasmic Soap.
Aged Parent tells that when Grandfather was a boy in the 1880s he couldnt be found at the school he was supposed to be attending. When questioned it emerged that he had been truanting by working at the Erasmic Soap Factory, and was working to earn the money for a suit. I have researched this , and found that the Erasmic Soap factory was indeed in Warrington where Grandfather lived with his Aunt and her husband. Aged parent was delighted when I came across the Shave Stick in our local Emporium Dixons of Filey. Now Erasmic is owned by Keyline Brands of Mumbai. The smell of it has immediately brought back a flood of new found memories. What treats in store!

Team building

I see from the status updates(Facebook) of former colleagues at HJS that today has been set aside as an Inset day on Teambuilding. What a relief that I don't have to be there. Whilst I dont think they will be paint balling in the grounds , or using newspapers and cardboard boxes to cross the Assembly Hall, I do know that they will alll be wanting to sit quietly in their classrooms preparing Smart Programmes on their laptops, or having a tidy in the Stock cupboard. Some things you just cannot leave to a NTA or LSA. Ownership of ones own room is part of the anthithesis of Team Building.
I am in a Team now, only I am the Lead teacher, the Head teacher, the Curriculum Adviser, the Payroll Clerk ,the Cook and the Caretaker. It is wonderful.

Buy nothing Christmas

I see from my Advent Calendar that the Canadian Mennonites are credited with the initiative that put an alternative slant on the retail experience, and have started a Buy Nothing for Christmas experience. I am glad that this is now looking mainstream. It must be, as I heard a talk on Radio 4 this week about how the once wacky and goody goody Buy a Goat campaign has been seen for what it really is, a great idea.
In fact I see from the Oxfam Unwrapped catalogue you can now pay to train a teacher.That does appeal,thought it wont be half as good as my years in the Nunnery of the North, The College , Ripon, whose worthy motto was
Nisi Dominus frustra (O God are we frustrated), or Psalm 127,'Unless the Lord builds the City the labourers labour in vain".
The whole of our family has pledged not to give any gifts ,except to the under 5's. This is our 3rd year. We have all found that the relief is tangible. Spouse and I do not send cards to anyone we see around in our town. Spouse has refused to allow me to concoct a Round Robin. I am enjoying putting handwritten letters with cards to friends we rarely see, and have rediscovered the joy of it. I have time of course, since I have decided to withdraw from TV more often, especially as S has discovered ITV3 and has been known to watch the same episode of Poirot 3 times in as many weeks.
I have one small niggle . What will we do when the 5 small children in the family are no longer under 5?

Survivors

I loved the last series, in the 80's and have kept a stock of candles, dried peas, water purification tablets and matches ever since.
I have been following the excellent blog of Bishop Alan and love all the images and inserts, video clips and out of the box thinking . I have wondered how he manages to overcome all the copyright issues. So I have had (helped by our new Youth Leader)a go at downloading an image from a dedicated source, in this case the BBC website .This image is not mine, I have never seen Max Beesley in the flesh,so I thank you BBC and give you all the credit for allowing me to 'copy from location' as the dialogue box on my Mac says. You have however got it wrong. He is not handsome , he has funny eyes and no one on the BBC will ever be as gorgeous as Paul Daneman. I also well remember series from the BBC in the 1960s. Mr Darcy and Captain Wentworth, were played by PD I am sure. Or was it Alan Badel...

The irony in this whole learning curve is the way our new youth leader is having to lead someone from the wrong client group.

My Dreamweaver Evening course at the Yorkshire Coast College in the summer was done at great cost. The Carpark was a nightmare . I managed to get a perfect space every week by arriving so early the other students were probably watching Neighbours. The computers were a foreign country. All the very latest Macs. Did they not even realise that when most were learning div tags this student had still not even found her personal file . I struggled, and did ask for help after that, all the time. And then there was the written work I had to do. This was an evening class for goodness sake, not the Open University. What do I want with all the university credits I now have to my name? Why cant evening classes be the way they used to be ? So I can now do Dreamweaver. I have now my very own Mini Mac, sitting next to my laptop with Vista. I suppose you would say I was bilingual . I now prefer 'move to trash' to 'delete', the Mac is so logical, and friendly.Get to the point-all this effort , and the course was not technically needed at all . The blogsite , yes you heard that correctly of our parish is now up and running . It was not done with Frontpage or Dreamweaver but simply and easily on Blogger just as I have been doing in a simple way for several years.
A happy band , lead by the Topman in the whole of the ICT world aka the H... S....t has today handed over www.fileyparish.org.uk on an unsuspecting world. And the Youth Leader and a Maths teacher in the team have been helping me to update my blog skills. No carparking, no written work , not a young person but a grateful and happy one. I am not stockpiling night lights any more. I have things to do , places to go, hyperlinks to arrange, photos to take ,following to perfect, gadgets and widgets to use.......

Sam Foster

The web advent calendar on links below is worth a look.
Picture of Sam Foster for you.Just as I was thinking no one had heard of Fresh Expressions along comes Sam Foster. My friend Alison in Harrogate has lost her church building to Redundancy, and what a blessing that has become. We are watching as a Fresh Expression movement hits Scarborough Deanery, and wait expectantly for out of the box happenings here. I wonder which churches have such small congregations they are thinking its time to regroup some where else, and not bear the cost of upkeeping unattractive and expensive buildings. Or those tiny congregations lovingly a remnant in villages , just open and expectant for the Lord to take them to a new sort of Meeting where HE is in charge.

http://www.whywearewaiting.com/

Filey Pa..... Blog

I am about to be a three blog person . I have joined a happy team preparing to launch our parish into the blogsphere. My 2000 ed Oxford English Dictionary does not even contain the word blog, and although I am no Adriana Huffington , I am setting myself up as an ecclesiastical commentator. I am going to enjoy discussing really important things. Not the colour of the carpet at St O's or who has not told who what, but really important things, the answers to Life, the Universe and Everything. I will have to have my own blog link to be a proper follower, the world does not want to read about cats and teachers, they will have to be left to amuse the Facebooking family of Bridteacher. What shall I call my new blog?I shall give it some thought. Meanwhile to keep you going, here is a picture of a happy band.( of pensioners using their free passes to take a pleasant ride to Whitby)

Bodens of Filey

According to the Sunday Times 03 08 08 , Johnnie Boden dresses Middle England, and Boden Man is now showing at (and I love this bit)-'Filey, which is more bijou than Bridlington and less scary than Scarborough'.

Now it so happens that I know for once what the ST is talking about. I listen to my progeny discussing catalogue shopping , Primark, Millets , striped and cotton garments, fairtrade,organic and option excess. I know that one set of progeny's progeny have a resplendent set of garments from the Boden Catalogue for their Filey Beach Holiday, this is the set from beneath what Samson calls the 'great divide'. Scarborough set of progeny's progeny mostly wear Tesco or Sainsbury stripes, differing from the Boden stripes by approx 3mm and £25.

When I was a slummy (ST) mummy beneath the great divide, we didn't have Bodens but we had its forerunner, Clothkits. They dressed Middle England then.

And as for Bodens seen in Filey, the ST is right and wrong: they were here long before Johnnie.

Facebook 3 or 4

I do not have to apply for a job again. I am the satisfied recipient of a S.... P......, and a T....... P........, and those letters are red letter days now on my St. Catherines Hospice calendar after my birthday and Ascension Day (my favourite RLD).

I do not have to think up clever things to appeal to prospective employers looking at my Facebook page. I have been investigating, and have come to some conclusions, Facebook is not the Truth. The real people behind the profiles are rare, and all over 60. We do not have to impress, we can be ourselves.

Florida revival

Went to Christchurch Bridlington tonight to their weekly impartation meeting. It is such a shame to get an impression of what is going on in Florida and thence the UK from looking at the Dudley website. Christchurch have got it just right, and even the excellent teaching from Todd Bentley, mostly about Jehovah-Ropheka, was sound only, the worship was as good as it always is in Christchurch, and the ministry ordered and Biblical. No one asked for money, and Chris did a great sign off at the end. I have been keen on re- visiting the hebrew 'Names of God'as my prayer card is too small to read, and had just downloaded some from a website 'Character building for Families', which has 625 names for God.

The evening ended beautifully as when I got home and realised I had missed the First night of the Proms, but thanks to BBC iplayer have just heard the sublime 'Four Last songs ' by Strauss and know that all good things come from God.

Lakeside

Has a whole new meaning now. However, I think 'Ship of Fools' is worth a look. The Henry VIII lookalike is rather alarming.

Firestarter

Who says young people of today have lost the plot; not here anyway, what encouragement some of them give to retired educators.

I wonder what happened to this class of 67?

40 Camel Girl

40 Camel Girl (Letters from Turkey) is the name of a book by E.Grace Beyler going round my family. The letters were written between 1969 and 1971, from an American girl to living in Turkey with the family of her fiance,back to her parents in USA.

This was a good time for me, my liberation in London, my first job in Battersea, shopping in the Kings Road on Saturdays, concerts several nights a week, Gauloise and David Clulows , Kaftans and old fur coats gleaned from ancient aunts.

Grace Beyler stayed with PTB(Poor Turkish Boy) and his parents in Kavakli after an amazing overland trip from London in a VW called Dagmar. It reminded me that my flatmates travelled to Istambul and back ,in 1970 ,in a group from London in a Transit , for a holiday. I thought it was such an exciting thing to do , but did not have the courage to join them.

Grace remained en famille whilst PTB did his National Service. The letters were so funny, details of all the intimate family members, and extended family;the moslem conventions for the role of women in Society were so alien to me from those of the west. I learned more about Turkey in this book than I have ever before, it is a compelling read. I am trying to get some more copies of this OP book, and have e-mailed the author who is sending me some. Sometimes a book is so good you want all A level students to read it or all teenagers, this one should be read by all moaning women.

Adult Baptism

I had the privilege of being at an adult baptism on Fathers Day, albeit by sprinkling. P is the father of two teenage daughters who became Christians at a Pathfinder camp(or the like) at Criccieth in North Wales. The place is well known to Bridteacher Emeritus as it is the place where her own mother became a Christian in the 1930s at a CSSM meeting on the beach.
Anyway, P became a Christian just after his eldest daughter left to go to a Scottish University. He prayed the prayer,took the small step , made a commitment and then decided he ought to tell his Away daughter. She told him to look underneath her sister's bed. Explain here that Away daughter had slept in a bottom bunk bed. When P looked under the bed he found his name DAD writ large. Away daughter had prayed for him every night before she went to sleep, after becoming a Christian herself. I love this true story.

Echiums 2

Is ours Echium Pininana or is it Echium wildpretii xE.pininana ? The ones in the Chelsea Physic Gardens have long been the inspiration for spouse and I, every year we look hopefully at the 'For Sale Table' by the shop, longing for a tiny seedling of a different variety from our familiar friend. Our original one was bought at Burton Agnes gardens near Bridlington about six years ago: they have a formidable grove of them by the gate to the Potager Garden. I have just sent off to Chiltern Seeds for E.boissieri, and we have six seedlings of E.russicum in the greenhouse.
http://www.edirectory.co.uk/chilternseeds/
I see sadly they are out of stock. This is becoming a search for treasure.

Echiums

Just incase I have not laboured this enough,

I am delighted that my Echiums have got through the winter.

Facebook again

I had meant update the blog with details of my wonderful pilgrimage to Israel. I have hundreds of photos to upload, pithy comments to make, observations worthy of Lady Hester Stanhope, and much enthusiasm and a renewed interest in the Bible BUT I have just discovered Visual Bookshelf on Facebook so all will have to wait.

A study of Shellfish by Chantal Scott Anderton

'Shellfish' is the picture hanging in our cottage kitchen

Master of the Robarts

Introducing to the world again the noble visage of my ancestor Benjamin John Elder who died in 1856. Master of the sailing ships the 'Lady Susan 'and the 'Robarts' he is resplendant in plaster on our hall table. A forerunner of the digital photograph a plaster bust was the resort of the not so rich ,who wanted posterity without notoriety. At the moment I am using his face for my profile on Facebook where I hope every one of my five friends will appreciate him. I am hoping for notoriety for posterity.

Upstairs Downstairs

Spouse has borrowed the whole set from a friend. We have done Series 1 and Series 2. We have re-aquainted ourselves with Mrs Bridges, Ruby and Sarah. Lady Marjory has gone down on the Titanic and we await the first World War. I dont know how much more I can stand.

I thought I would add my own picture from 1972, better than Upstairs Downstairs, no 3 or 4 court Wimbledon , think its Fred Stolle.

Facebook 2

I have got the hang of the Photo Album thing now. It took 50 minutes to upload a few pictures without the benefit of Broadband, so had a trip to the Library , what a difference, minute or so to load 17.

Broadband next - Waitrose is my preferred option but everyone seems to have BT. Perhaps I 'll just wait another 10 years and go to Filey Library.

The piece of elegant red metal street furniture is a VR postbox, splendid and proud in China town ,Newcastle, just along from the Red gate which is the piece of street furniture people everyone goes to see.

Gypsey Race

I have noticed with delight that for the last week the Gypsey race has been flowing through Burton Fleming. Whether or not the good people of that post office and publess village , not a hamlet, thanks to the church, share my delight is debatable. I recall that the last time it flowed about four or five years ago it flooded across the road.
Part of my weekly pilgrimages to Beverley to live bones of Saint MVB always include the slowdown into second at the Burton Fleming crossroads and past the butcher and the bridge to view the water or lack of it. I am a fishermans daughter. Looking at the water is ingrained. Further along the flow of the Race is always visible, though sometimes only just, at the road to Woldgate a few miles from Bridlington. One could even fancy a rod and fly at some times as it wends to the sea. Further downstream , next to Bridlington Hospital , onwards to Tesco's one could only catch shopping trollies and bicycle wheels, laced with non recyclable plastic bags.
I love the name Gypsey race, I love all that is written about it in that wonderful bed side book of Topography, 'The landscape of the East Riding of Yorkshire' by K Allison. All Three sentences, and one map. Why did he write so little about it , and yet pages on Sunk Island. I am going to find out more.
Meanwhile , I persuaded to spouse to let us come home from Scarborough Hospital the scenic way today in the interests of didactic driving.
So our route was thus:
Brompton by Sawdon, a stop to look at the Derwent, sandy roadsides to Sherburn,West Heslerton and the pretty drive up to West Lutton, Weaverthorpe merely damp Gypsey race, Boythorpe , past the Burtons farm where I saw my first ever Combine Harvester, indeed it was one of the first in the East Riding. On to Wold Newton, Oh! good! water in the Gypsey Race, watch it Colin , watch it ,I have to drive, Is it still there and full . The anticipation builds- wait till you see it at Burton Fleming. Amenable spouse is trying to get enthusiastic by now. An hour after leaving the hospital, he wants to get home but is trying to be kind ,he suggests a charming divertion.Lets drive to Rudston and see how the race is doing there. I dont hesitate, this is a field trip ,not the ride home. Rudston does not disappoint, quite full past the Recycling bins. Drive straight across and through a narrow lane he says there it is , and there it is , a charming stream , a beck ,always there he says, always got water in it and I never knew. Me the East Yorkshire girl , he the London boy. He knows about the Fleet though.

Facebook or 'On a bandwaggon'

Cant decide about this one. Young people seem to leave such rude comments on the walls of their friends. Was I like this? I need to decide what I actually gain from this networking site. Understanding another generation is a start. I did the Movie Quiz Ok. Looking for a clever picture now.

Laterooms

My latest discovery is 'Laterooms'. I have been directed to this site by well travelled partner of less well travelled son. I need to find a comfortable, clean and convenient double bedded ensuite in the same spot as Malmaison, Newcastle , but for a quarter of the price and the same view of the Millenium Bridge and the Sage. I am hopeful that the price of somewhere wonderful will go down to £50 with breakfast. Will keep you posted. I am having much pleasure choosing wonderful suites, reading the reviews and deciding if 0.3km is too far. It is called Virtual holidaying or maybe Virtual booking would be better.

Disney

Christmas includes Cinderella's coach and horse in enormous box,Cinderella Slipper game (Batteries from garage as soon as it opens on Boxing Day), Winnie the Pooh game with bees round Honey Pot. Spouse aka Grandpa reads the Rescuers to small children sitting in bed two minutes after his wake-up cup of tea. Family all sitting around the log-burning stove , four generations , buffet lunch, real coffee, chocolates.
AND THE SOUND OF A RECORDING OF CAROLS FROM KINGS NOT DISNEY AND WILL NEVER BE.....

Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Aged parent has announced her wish to travel to place of abode to supervise its complete Spring Clean in Winter before she takes up residence again after the F---d. I cannot take her on Friday. Don't worry dear I am going on the train. I am only 87. I do not go upstairs. I fall asleep in the car. My rail card will need renewing. It expired in 2001. I have not been on a train since 2001. I will manage . Dont worry dear. I can mind the gap. People are always so kind. I will get lots of help from the porters. The taxi will meet me so I dont have to go over the bridge. The driver will move the train for me so I can get on easily.
She went and they did.

Child is father of the man

The pantry in the Saltshouse Road house of my childhood was the place for Nigella type browsing amongst the shelves. I would take a spoon to Horlicks, Peanut butter and Ovaltine. I would take Twix bars out of the biscuit tin. Once I opened and ate a whole tin of Condensed milk. How would I get rid of the tin without Mother finding out. I know I will throw it behind the garage where the gap next to the wall is just wide enough for the evidence.
I have seen the jar of Peanut Butter in my cupboard, it is going down. It is not me, it is not spouse, it must be aged parent.

Look North

Sixteen years of Tyne Tees BBC TV have endeared us to the personalities we see and hear every day with the local news at 18:00. So when aged parent has a respite break from us with Cheshire Sibling, spouse and I take off for what is now known as a City Break, in Newcastle.

With a Metro Rover one day pass we go to Tynemouth Priory on a glorious day. The first delight is the wonderful Railway station, triumph ofVictorian day trippery. Abbey is closed so a walk to Cullercoates along the beach as recommended by elderly resident is rounded off with a great sandwich at the Queens Hotel, full of the retired of the 'Coast' eating tinned peas and carrots with chips and sloppy mince. Denture heaven.

When we access our hotel room in a dark lift with purple lighting we realise that for the view of the Millenium Bridge, The Baltic and the Sage, literally outside our windows it is worth every penny of the fortune we have to pay for the room , or suite, as it is euphemistically called because it has a sofa and a coffee table and a flat screen TV. I am entranced with the view, the changing colours of the lights on the bridge, the lights period. The Quiet.

So Carol Malia-thank you. We loved it all, the bus drivers, the Q1 and the Q2, the exhibitions, the Blaydon Races, the Get Carter car park, Jesmond Dene, Armstrong Park, Heaton Park, The Old Biscuit Factory, the ferry across from North Shields to South Shields, Fenwicks Sushi Bar, The Shout at the Sage, the glass pavement outside the Laing and the architecture of the University of Northumbria. Never have we had needed a break as much as this. The people of Newcastle were all so helpful and kind and so proud of their city. We feel as if we have been away for Two weeks, which of course we could have been with the price of a two night stay , breakfast extra, at our guinguette.

History repeats itself

Progeny are back in Wincanton Road this weekend staying with Godmother of the best sort. They have been to the Sound of Music, worn gladrags, travelled and giggled, and hit Primark . They send earnest texts about Birkenstocks. Number one daughter has left behind spouse , mother in law and sleepless nights, number two, spouse the naughty step and all things organic. Its so Dr. Johnson, bless him.

Pegs and Jif lemons

Just an experiment to see if I can get the hang of uploading on dial up

Facing up

I thought I might have upset the Street Credibility of my offspring by signing up to Facebook some weeks ago, and then ticking all the wrong dialogue boxes and joining a network in Sheffield when I live in the North Riding. Has this YO14 part of the world got a network. Son in London by the sea has just asked me to be his friend .

Wine Bar

Aged Parent, flooded out, is still on her Royal Progress around the North of England staying with a daughter at a time. Not having ready access to her very own Bank, Building Societies and Post Office, she is having to work very hard and without benefit of Calculator, to keep her paperwork up to date. She eagerly awaits B.... St........s. She knows to a day the date they should be due. She will not phone Calcutta. She has been with them for 60 years.
Today she has walked , with sholley to the local branch of her very own Bank. She asked to see the Manager or the Chief Accountant. I held my breath. She was shown straight in, helped up the steps, and was away for at least 10 minutes as I sat on the leather sofa, chatted to a friend waiting for another aged one, and heard an aged client moan to the teller behind the toughened glass that the service was not what it was.
Aged parent said you would never have known it was a Bank Manager. She had no stockings on, only sandals, and need a Hairdo."Did she do her job, did she do as you asked?" I asked nervously. "Oh! Yes" said Aged Parent.

Memory keepers daughter

A good title for a book is secret to its success in terms of marketing, sometimes. This book, which I was told , is the current favourite of the Richard and Judy book club, has kept me reading to the end because I was trying ,all the way through, to work out where the title came from. It is another Anne Tyler sort of book, you like at the time and then you have forgotten it. A Chinese meal of a book. I prefer my other august or August read 'The sea lady' by Margaret Drabble. I always read her novels because she spent seaside holidays in a house just around the corner from Casa Bridteacher. I like her descriptions of beach and sea, as they are often my beach and sea. Not in this case, I havent worked out where it is set, and nor do I mind , as the story is provoking and irritating, delicious and satisfactory. MEMORABLE

Filey Floods

Last Tuesday spouse and I felt as if we were role playing a Famous Five adventure, as we stopped torrents of water from overwhelming the back door of our jolly house. We lifted the inspection hatch to the drains with a spade and diverted the river Styx or so it seemed. Now we have a new excitement called 'sandbags' lovingly arranged in a Heath Robinson way around the back porch, a contingency plan, a super idea, what a lark.

The misery of other people however is more Waterland than Enid Blyton, and the pictures on the BBC of ordinary but disrupted lives only serve to make me thankful.

Hull Floods

The Hull Daily Mail through its Website have kept Bridteacher well informed of recent events. Thank you to all the folk who have sent in their own photos of the Hull Floods.

Newsagents in this outpost of Gods own county no longer sell the familiar and well loved tabloid. When I was a child, I thought the Daily Mail was the familiar evening paper delivered daily , and wondered why our family got it in the evening when others seemed to get it with their bacon and egg.

Here in the once Roman Signal Station town we do not even get,here in our postcode, the 'Look North ' on BBC 1. Our 6 o'clock news is followed by a regional news with Carol Malia, beloved of husband of Bridteacher. Yes I am at Second Home with the Geordie news and tales of the Sage and the Stadium of light, but miss the real Home news.

Slugs

My French Beans(Barlotta from own seed) have been eaten , as has a complete row of Kale seedlings , no loss , I don't like Kale much. The garden is looking verdant and lush, yes even drunk ,when I look at the angles of some of the stems. HOWEVER we cannot sit out , it has not really stopped raining for 10 days.The greenhouse sits at 60 degrees C, the tomatoes are stalled and only the chickweed doesn't care.
Mother of Bridteacher has been evacuated from Sheltered Posh Flat in Beverley, to Hullteacher because of flooding to the ground floor of House.
A few slugs are nothing in comparison.

Return of the native

Went in to school today for half a day Supply.It was perfect-I got to do that wonderful drive again, the clouds , the fields, the huge puddle now a lake at the new Hunmanby Gap roundabout site for the Reighton By-pass, and the car to myself. I had forgotten how therapeutic a journey alone can be. School was good too. I realised how my life had actually tangented others, as huge year 6 boys welcomed me back . Now as I wash up the dinner things and look out at the garden, where my crop of spinach beckons the pan I realise I dont have to go to work tomorrow. I am still a teacher, I will always be a teacher, I like children, I like the feeling of not having to go anywhere but my garden until next time the phone rings.

The Early Birds

The drive to the 24 hour Supermarket was a breeze this morning . No traffic at all until the outskirts of Scarborough, then a Police Car. Checked the speedometer.No worries a steady 30mph.
I divert to record that on the journey back from nephews December wedding in Sheffield, some speed camera in Howden recorded a massive 36mph on this Bridteacher, who is now careful to the point of tedium for those driving behind me.I just cant lose another 3 points from my licence. As the sole driver in this marriage I am expected to manoeuvre old red Volvo in all the Supermarket carparks in the Riding and Tescos in Westborough is not easy unless you want to be a 10 minute push from the door.
So at 5 this morning I was really enjoying the drive to town, Mayblossom gleaming, Queen Annes Lace frilling and all the lights at green, especially the Hillstart one at Cayton Bay. Straight into a wonderful parking space, I dont think I have ever been so near to the doors.
What a shame on the Tuesday after the Bank Holiday the doors don't open until 8 o'clock.

RT Kendall

Spent Saturday at seminas given by RT Kendall in Scarborough. Good that 'Churches together in Scarborough' had the vision to go ahead with the aptly named 'Springtide'. Spouse and I were very encouraged and challenged by the teaching we received. We certainly don't want to be 'yesterdays man and woman'.Look forward to what will happen next. We are ready.

Bridteacher(retired)

Spouse is recovering from a heart attack . Here are the positive outcomes

1. A great view of the River Humber from the 8th floor of the Hull Royal.
2. Spouse is now eating wisely.
3. We do not feel bad resting after lunch with a dose of Midsummer Murders.
4. Spouse has at last started gardening again seriously-the pond has been emptied and removed, the greenhouse has been disinfected and cleared out, the dandelions are now coming out by the roots instead of a few leaves.We are enjoying time together discussing our opposing views on suitable plants for a garden the size of a Science lab.
5. I have retired.
6. We have a bus pass, and can get as far as Hawes at no cost.
7. We got a reduction at the Stephen Joseph for our tickets for 'The Tempest'.
8. I have found a use for a spreadsheet, the drug regime for Warfarin etc looks really good and impressive and spouse has no need to realise that it was really easy, as it is the formulae that need the expertise.

Relief

I felt as if I had lost something really precious when I switched to the new blog and couldn,t find the old one. The word 'refresh' came to mind and there it was. the miracle of memory. I did my first internet course ten years ago , and this is the first time I have ever used the 'r' word.

Grease

I want to know what to do with a near full pot of Goose Grease. My Pommes de terre a la Lawson were ok, we all felt less full of trans fatty acids than usual on the Birthday of our Lord BUT WAS IT WORTH IT. I feel so guilty now. Use within three weeks. I dont feel it's right to cook roast potatoes every few days just use the stuff up. It gave us all indigestion, and an after taste. We prefer light olive oil or my new favourite, rapeseed oil.
From the depths of my memory I have dragged a picture of my mother putting goose grease on brown parcel paper and then putting the paper down my vest, underneath my Liberty Bodice, something to do with health. I will ask aged parent.

Sparklehorse

I give their website a 5 for everything

All hallowes eve

I am celebrating All saints Day tomorrow. It is when the Christian church remembers saints who 'have gone before '. Our faith community believes that true believers are all saints, belonging to the crowd or host of witnesses. I have been thinking of Mary and Robert Fuchs , neighbours of ours when we lived in London in the seventies and eighties. One day I will really tell of their tangent to my circle. If I ever have to thank anyone for helping me to grow in my own faith, it will be that hungarian couple. They lived completely by faith , and shared all they had, time, food,washing machine, encouragement,advice and support in prayer. It will be documented. I have just read the astonishing book "The torn veil" by Gulshan Esther, still in print after over 20 years. Mary and Robert's story was just as astonishing. How many of us can say we have met people who were truly Christlike, and why have we not written it down.

Scarborough Choral Society

A treat was missed by hundreds yesterday. Eldest child and I went to Westborough Methodist Church to listen to the choral society's offering to the year of Mozart celebrations. Choir about 50 , audience about 40. Evening fantastic. Soloist Rachel Jagger talented and charming. Where are you , MUSIC LOVERS OF THE EAST COAST? Are you all watching 'Come dancing' or having a bevy or three in the sitting room with a DVD. You were not on the streets of Scarborough, only teenage laddettes, wearing bra tops, were out and about.

I dare say that now that Simon Cowell has discovered Choral singing , it will get as popular as ballroom dancing again. Remember you heard it here first.

Excellence cluster

Was there ever such a stupid phrase as 'excellence cluster'? This week has been an insight into the minds and pockets (of other peoples money) of the suits that run the LEA. Guess what, the new initiative for raising standards and stretching minds involves having a week where everyone in year 6 does Egypt all week. We will have the expert help of some whiz kid suits*, whose funding is for a week with us. I will run that by you again, as I have just remembered that for two of those days the wks* will be preparing a feast of academic and hands on treats lovingly prepared in the kitchens of various and varied resource banks of their own choosing. We in yr 6 have a box labelled Ancient Egypt, and seventy years experience, cunning and the ability to 'wing it' whilst reading Terry Deary in the loo, and have taken 1 hour after a busy day to cook up our delights.
I have been wondering if anyone from my past remembers those sessions in a Wimbledon middle school when we had IDE.That afternoon a week of mixed ability mayhem, all using the learning styles that they enjoyed and challenged them, doing pottery, drawing , interviews, dancing , and serious research of the book kind ,Encyclopedia Britannica not on line. All in an ants nest of INTER DISCIPLINARY ENQUIRY and resulting in the 1970 's version of ICT. This was a display in a classroom set aside just for the purpose. It would say 'Egypt' on the door for a term, until replace by something like 'Colour'. Models were lovingly arranged on tables and labelled with neat ink and white card. Booklets were placed on bookstands, best handwriting and pencilled illustrations in tiers to catch the eye. Children would show others what they had learned, Ancient Egypt was still Ancient Egypt, only the science has been updated since. Cine films would loop for an excited audience. Photos of the visit to the BM to see the real artefacts would be copydexed to black sugar paper. Those two hours in the queue with most of London, after school, with 30 children aged 13 is what I call a school trip. A freewill trip. Cost nothing. Children paid their own tube fares and entrance to the exhibition. Museum attendents calling out 'whose with this lot then?' as they all pointed to miniskirted miss and shout 'she is', in that queue ,to see the gleaming gold of that mask was something none of them will ever forget. Now husband , then boyfriend, remembers meeting us after his day in the city, a real suit, astounded that 4 purple could all be as tall as he.

Wandering off, going sentimental, searching for the nostalgia of the past. Yes and No. I have heard it all before, it is not new, only the names have changed. Multiple intelligences, VAK, mindmaps, emotional literacy; these are only words . I remember now how we thought IDE was the new black.

The bigger puddle

Dear David Hockney,

Your latest series of paintings of the countryside around here has intoxicated me . How did you think of making wheel ruts pink or finding so many shades of green for the spring Tunnel ? I am looking forward to seeing them for real . I know I wont look out of place in the Annely Juda gallery(Half-term) as I will wear my Turquoise boiled wool coat (you would love the colour). I have been thinking that my lump sum next year could willingly go on 'The Bigger Puddle' but it would only buy a dandelion in the left hand corner.So glad you have come to live amongst us. When lived and taught in London I missed our skies. Sometimes I would go and sit on the swing in the garden of my landlady and watch the sky, but it was so noisy and full of aeroplane trails. I did find a place , the viewing gallery in the Shell centre, and took the lift up there as often as I could, it was quiet. Now I drive home from school up Woldgate following the romans, filtering through lanes to Bartindale following the route of prehistoric man past Argham, and think the skies would have amazed all our forbears in just the same way. They were not very different from me and you.

Yours sincerely

Bridteacher

Cheap Thrills

Last day tomorrow, not counting weekends, so I can report that the highlight of the the six weeks for me, was yesterday, as sibling 'Hullteacher ' calls me to the Buddleia to view the moth we have been hoping for . The day flying Humming-Bird halk moth is a breathtaking sight, better than the all the holiday DVDs, the Sparrow halk last week in the garden, the cloudspotting over the North Sea, the Hockney views of the wolds, and the half price tickets on the clothes in Cinnamon (Burgess Hill).

High tea again

First grandchild has her third birthday tea today. Busy grandmother has put everything on the dining table to tempt the palates of three under threes who do not eat artificial colourings , preservatives , sugar before savoury, and are organic. Four adults , parents to under threes, two grandparents, one great grandmother , one great aunt, and a ringing telephone are in the dining room. Recap -three high chairs and everything to spread on bread, a mushroom flan from the Italian vegetarian cookbook 1987, pork pie for the father of the birthday girl, and a last minute mango when all is refused, are sitting in splendour amongst doilies . Great grandmother opens bag to place on banqueting table her own ham sandwich, in foil and cling film, and a tiny flask of tea. She has ,very wisely in her eyes, read the health and safety manual for aged parents , and carried out a risk assessment to avoid getting a tummy upset.

Feeding the five thousand

Exactly half way through the summer break and I have just wound down. The weather has changed of course, the rain is bringing a great crop of slugs, and perenniel weeds like nettles just to thwart my bare hands as I make my way to the compost heap with the peelings. I forget to tell you, I have had so many visitors since the last day of term, that all I have done is load the washing machine , the washing line, the fridge, and the dining table. Today three toddlers sat in high chairs eating, ham, cheese, salad, bread(a week old) and butter and (oven) chips, kiwi fruit (sliced) and buttered toffee bread and I realised that High Tea deserves an immediate revival as it takes no time to prepare and all the old contents of the fridge are eaten at one sitting.The adults were delighted, their progeny spoiled for choice, and Grandpa thrilled to recall a bygone Sunday era. I might just make a Madeira cake next week, and clean the silver teapot.

Accolade

Am feeling encouraged today. Two mothers were talking to me as their year 6 progeny spend a last day at our school "My child has always liked you" says one, other nods, "you are just like a mad professor". Great I think , the label eccentric will follow, and I have reached the height of perfection.

Tell it how it is.

I would not believe me. I am exaggerating. It would not be so bad if you tried this. You are not giving the children a suitable curriculum. It is not interesting. It does not engage them.You are not trying enough strategies. You need layered Targets. You need working walls. I have had enough. I need a rest. I need to finish my Agatha Christie. I do not need inclusion, infact I would like to be excluded myself.

Post Hype Stress

What am I going to do now that my Football stickers are not the currency of year6. I expect year 3 will do anything for them.

Top trumps

Who would have thought that the simple pack of cards downloaded from the Oxfam site would have been such a success ? As FIFA fever spreads like that tummy bug throughout the whole of school, at least years 3 to 6 now know what the letters stand for. The clever cards of 32 qualifying countries draw the children in to a world fronted by football but undergirded with hard facts of what used to be known as general knowledge. I and they have learned without even realising it that in Angola the life expectancy of a human being is less than 46years, and that it has the highest infant mortality rate amongst countries in the World Cup. Children and Miss now know that the highest CO2 emissions are from USA, and that Togo has the smallest population. We have had a good week with these cards. Thank you Oxfam and thank you Gareth Pitchford , your Primary Resources site is really going somewhere. It helped that each winning card and we spun these out, led to the reward of a football sticker card from an album company making millions and probably adding to CO2 emissions.

Keep your eye on the road

Have been waiting weeks for the first Spotted Orchid to flower by the roadside near the Royal Oak turn off,on the A165. First one today.

Wars of the Roses

Have just seen the trilogy Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III in one day at the Stephen Joseph. IF I am tired but happy, I dont know how the members of Northern Broadsides are being in character so long. At least it was good to spot the religious Henry having an anacronistic fag outside the stage door. Im now reading 'The daughter of time ' by Josephine Tey of course, as I cant find my copy of '1066 and all that '.