Yesterday while we were at the Pub we were joined by a couple who lived in the same part of Manchester that I grew up in. We reminisced & mentioned shops etc that had changed over the years. They had moved there in the 1960s & were surprised to find someone here who remembered it in those days.
Memories were further prompted by watching " Words of the Blitz" on ITV1 last night.
We were both born in the 1950s. Our earliest memories involved the sight of the rubble of bomb-damaged buildings. I remember going into Manchester (we lived on the outer edge of the city, then a fairly rural area) on the bus. We passed vast areas of rubble. Throughout the 50s & 60s there was a huge clearing & re-building programme. Even when I left home in 1972 for university there were still areas where the rubble had been cleared but which remained a wasteland.
Considering all this, it's hardly surprising so much of our cities today are modern. Indeed it's more surprising so many old buildings have survived. And this applies throughout Europe.
It also made me realise how long the after a war the effects of war last. Earlier, in the summer, an unexploded bomb from the World War Two was found just outside a school playground here in Morecambe. Presumably it was dropped on the way to or from bombing the docks at Barrow, the other side of the Bay. And this is 70 years after the blitz.
I can't help wondering when countries such as Korea,Vietnam, Afghanistan, large chunks of Africa, will once more be really safe. Even if the wars have finished, the bombs & mines remain for some unsuspecting person, or child, to come across, setting them off, & so to be killed or maimed, possibly for life.
War is a terrible thing. In my mind it should never be indulged in lightly. I can justify the defensive need to have fought in the last World War or, for that matter, in the Falklands, but it should always be the last resort & as a defensive measure. No matter how New York or London were bombed, I still cannot see the justification for the use of fighting in Iraq & Afghanistan. Words should have been the first weapon, not the gun.
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
War memories
As I've been preparing the chicken pie for dinner tonight, I've had BBC Radio 4 on. Like so many programmes this week, it was about the blitz. On the whole I've been pleased to hear about the effects of the bombings on cities other than London, which I feel has been well covered in numerous programmes & films since the war.
Today, in "The Blitz", I heard for the first time that this was not the first time that this country had been bombed from the air. That was during the First World War.
I couldn't help remembering my mother. She was born in 1910 & so recalled that earlier war. She told me about the airships coming over Coventry & bombing. She was taught to hide under her school desk if the siren went. I've never since heard confirmation until now, that there even was bombing from airships during the First World War, though I never doubted her story.
Her other big memory of the First War was knitting endless pairs of socks for the troops. Obviously she remembered people, especially family, killed then. She also lived with the consequences of having her Uncle Bill live them. He'd lost a leg in the trenches & been badly gassed. He needed looking after for the rest of his life.
Maybe the experience of surviving two world wars, & two wars in which she experienced the bombing in Coventry is why she was always expecting another war to come soon. She always kept a vast supply of sugar & tea in the house - essentials if you're going to survive rationing as far as she was concerned.
I can't help thinking how lucky our generation has been. Yes, there has been wars, but nothing on the same scale. Nothing involving serious bombing in this country or forced enlistment of men & women into the armed services. We personally have not had to fight, or just survive such hardships. A lucky generation as I say.
Today, in "The Blitz", I heard for the first time that this was not the first time that this country had been bombed from the air. That was during the First World War.
I couldn't help remembering my mother. She was born in 1910 & so recalled that earlier war. She told me about the airships coming over Coventry & bombing. She was taught to hide under her school desk if the siren went. I've never since heard confirmation until now, that there even was bombing from airships during the First World War, though I never doubted her story.
Her other big memory of the First War was knitting endless pairs of socks for the troops. Obviously she remembered people, especially family, killed then. She also lived with the consequences of having her Uncle Bill live them. He'd lost a leg in the trenches & been badly gassed. He needed looking after for the rest of his life.
Maybe the experience of surviving two world wars, & two wars in which she experienced the bombing in Coventry is why she was always expecting another war to come soon. She always kept a vast supply of sugar & tea in the house - essentials if you're going to survive rationing as far as she was concerned.
I can't help thinking how lucky our generation has been. Yes, there has been wars, but nothing on the same scale. Nothing involving serious bombing in this country or forced enlistment of men & women into the armed services. We personally have not had to fight, or just survive such hardships. A lucky generation as I say.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Christmas thoughts
As we sit, drinking a bottle of wine, listening to music by Michel Legrand (we like a bit of French!), out thoughts turn to the question of Christmas.
We haven't really found a totally successful formula since I had to abandon the great cook effort. The Fox had a try one year but he found it all a bit much.
Since then we've tried a few options. A couple of times we tried going away, once to Lanzarote & once to St Lucia. Neither were entirely successful. In Lanzarote we managed to get food poisoning. We still shudder at the memory of that trip.
St Lucia was more successful, but it just didn't seem like Christmas. Santa did arrive on his water skis, but that was about the only thing festive about it. The food wasn't particularly good, & we felt we missed out on so much of the festive spirit at home, the wishing our friends well on Christmas Eve, the putting up the Christmas tree, the carol service. The airports heaved. The flights were full so we ended up in economy class which became very uncomfortable for such a long journey.
A break in this country, perhaps, where things would be done in a traditional way we knew? The prices just seem so astronomical for just a few days. For the price of 3-4 nights here full board, you can go abroad for a week all inclusive. And there's no denying drinks do add up, especially at such a festive time. What is more, there's the crowded roads/trains to contend with to get there.
The last couple of years we've been out for Christmas lunch at a local hostelry, in both cases joined by friends. In some ways this has proved the most satisfactory. We are at home for all the local celebrations. We eat English traditional fare. We have good company. We get out of the house for part of the day.
With this is mind, we're thinking it's time we made a few enquiries - see who's around to maybe join us, see what's on the menu at various places, discover where still has spaces. Last year our village pub, which in many ways appeals to us immensely, was fully booked from the Christmas Day the year before!
There is also a niggling memory that, last year, PD & his wife wanted us to join them for the meal but, by then, we had already booked for a meal with Fran & Den. Are we going to be invited again?
Definitely time to put a few feelers out, to sort out what we're doing.
We haven't really found a totally successful formula since I had to abandon the great cook effort. The Fox had a try one year but he found it all a bit much.
Since then we've tried a few options. A couple of times we tried going away, once to Lanzarote & once to St Lucia. Neither were entirely successful. In Lanzarote we managed to get food poisoning. We still shudder at the memory of that trip.
St Lucia was more successful, but it just didn't seem like Christmas. Santa did arrive on his water skis, but that was about the only thing festive about it. The food wasn't particularly good, & we felt we missed out on so much of the festive spirit at home, the wishing our friends well on Christmas Eve, the putting up the Christmas tree, the carol service. The airports heaved. The flights were full so we ended up in economy class which became very uncomfortable for such a long journey.
A break in this country, perhaps, where things would be done in a traditional way we knew? The prices just seem so astronomical for just a few days. For the price of 3-4 nights here full board, you can go abroad for a week all inclusive. And there's no denying drinks do add up, especially at such a festive time. What is more, there's the crowded roads/trains to contend with to get there.
The last couple of years we've been out for Christmas lunch at a local hostelry, in both cases joined by friends. In some ways this has proved the most satisfactory. We are at home for all the local celebrations. We eat English traditional fare. We have good company. We get out of the house for part of the day.
With this is mind, we're thinking it's time we made a few enquiries - see who's around to maybe join us, see what's on the menu at various places, discover where still has spaces. Last year our village pub, which in many ways appeals to us immensely, was fully booked from the Christmas Day the year before!
There is also a niggling memory that, last year, PD & his wife wanted us to join them for the meal but, by then, we had already booked for a meal with Fran & Den. Are we going to be invited again?
Definitely time to put a few feelers out, to sort out what we're doing.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Busy September Friday afternoons
I'm once more in mid-meal preparation. Today it will be a chicken & vegetable pie. The filling is all made & cooling down. The homemade shortcrust pastry is still rock hard from the freezer, but I'm sure it will soon thaw in our warm sun-drenched kitchen. Once it has, I'll put the pie together, ready to cook this evening.
Yesterday turned out to be a more stimulating day than anticipated. The course turned out to be far more constructive than usual. The Fox felt he'd come back having learnt something new. If anything they were short of time, having more than enough material to get through in the 3 hours. He's even quite looking forward to next week which will be all about various agencies, charities, websites etc that may be of help to him in his caring role.
Meanwhile I had a pleasant sit out in the sun in our garden. My carer relaxed more. I took out some holiday brochures that had come unasked for through the post. This prompted dreams & reminiscences in both of us. At last we seem to have found a bit of common ground other than ill-health & family problems. It's so much better to be able to talk of hopes, of dreams, of good times, &, what is more, to be able to talk about it with enthusiasm.
And I do like a bit of enthusiasm. I can gain an interest in almost any subject matter if there is a bit of enthusiasm, especially if it's seasoned with a bit of intelligence.
So it looks like Fridays are going to continue being busy for September.
Yesterday turned out to be a more stimulating day than anticipated. The course turned out to be far more constructive than usual. The Fox felt he'd come back having learnt something new. If anything they were short of time, having more than enough material to get through in the 3 hours. He's even quite looking forward to next week which will be all about various agencies, charities, websites etc that may be of help to him in his caring role.
Meanwhile I had a pleasant sit out in the sun in our garden. My carer relaxed more. I took out some holiday brochures that had come unasked for through the post. This prompted dreams & reminiscences in both of us. At last we seem to have found a bit of common ground other than ill-health & family problems. It's so much better to be able to talk of hopes, of dreams, of good times, &, what is more, to be able to talk about it with enthusiasm.
And I do like a bit of enthusiasm. I can gain an interest in almost any subject matter if there is a bit of enthusiasm, especially if it's seasoned with a bit of intelligence.
So it looks like Fridays are going to continue being busy for September.
Friday, 3 September 2010
The course
I'm in the midst of making some meatballs for dinner. Unfortunately I forgot to ask the Fox to get the minced lamb out of the freezer last night with the result it is only just softening now. Still, if I've not got them ready before, I can always get them done this afternoon. I've got to do something with my carer while the Fox does his course. Maybe she would appreciate a change from the norm & help make meatballs. It might constitute quite an adventure for her. She doesn't strike me as a person of wide interests, hardly any apart from her family.
The Fox is a bit undecided about his course. He is threatening to abandon it. The real problems seem to be a) 3 hour sessions are too long, & b) all the other carers seem to be coping with people with dementia & therefore have different needs. Today is supposed to be a more practical session dealing with such matters as lifting. One of the Fox's great worries is how to get me off the floor if I fall. He can't just get me on my knees as that is just too painful for me. He's hoping for a solution.
If this week is another disappointment he's contemplating abandoning the whole thing. It would liberate us to contemplate that weekend away before the winter sets in & the weather turns bad.
One thing the course does seem to have done is to make him realise for the first time that caring is more than just an extension of his husbandly role & his loving. He's also come to appreciate that compared to many people we are very lucky. We have always spent a lot of time together, sharing interests, preferring each other's company to other people's. I am still in a state to show my appreciation of his efforts & give him some feedback. I can still cooperate when he tries to lift me, rather than fight him or just be a dead weight. We can still get out & have a laugh. I can still do some things for myself (though I admit I sometimes do more than I should which is a cause of much anxiety for him). Life could be a lot worse.
The Fox is a bit undecided about his course. He is threatening to abandon it. The real problems seem to be a) 3 hour sessions are too long, & b) all the other carers seem to be coping with people with dementia & therefore have different needs. Today is supposed to be a more practical session dealing with such matters as lifting. One of the Fox's great worries is how to get me off the floor if I fall. He can't just get me on my knees as that is just too painful for me. He's hoping for a solution.
If this week is another disappointment he's contemplating abandoning the whole thing. It would liberate us to contemplate that weekend away before the winter sets in & the weather turns bad.
One thing the course does seem to have done is to make him realise for the first time that caring is more than just an extension of his husbandly role & his loving. He's also come to appreciate that compared to many people we are very lucky. We have always spent a lot of time together, sharing interests, preferring each other's company to other people's. I am still in a state to show my appreciation of his efforts & give him some feedback. I can still cooperate when he tries to lift me, rather than fight him or just be a dead weight. We can still get out & have a laugh. I can still do some things for myself (though I admit I sometimes do more than I should which is a cause of much anxiety for him). Life could be a lot worse.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Strange sounds & innocent pleasure
"What's that?" I wondered. I could hear a strange sound. I had gone along to the fish shop on the Mean Machine, my electric scooter, & was on my way back. I looked up.
The building in front of me was a Gothic monstrosity, the sort of place on a dark night you could imagine bats circling & vampires haunting, lived in by the like of the Munsters or the Addams family. In fact it is a pub. High on top of the roof is a central section, taller than the rest, with a fancy wrought iron frill.
I suddenly noticed the wrought iron was moving. It was covered with birds, all chattering away. I suspect they were starlings from their size & darkness.
I turned the corner on to the prom. A couple of very young unclothed children were playing in the fountains, closely supervised by their mother. I couldn't help wondering if the sight of such pale unfeathered creatures cavorting in this way was what was causing the birds such amusement.
I found myself coming home with a half-smile on my face remembering such innocent pleasure. I was surprised these days the children were allowed to play unclothed like this, but why not. There were few around to see & the only person paying close attention to their activites was the mother.
The building in front of me was a Gothic monstrosity, the sort of place on a dark night you could imagine bats circling & vampires haunting, lived in by the like of the Munsters or the Addams family. In fact it is a pub. High on top of the roof is a central section, taller than the rest, with a fancy wrought iron frill.
I suddenly noticed the wrought iron was moving. It was covered with birds, all chattering away. I suspect they were starlings from their size & darkness.
I turned the corner on to the prom. A couple of very young unclothed children were playing in the fountains, closely supervised by their mother. I couldn't help wondering if the sight of such pale unfeathered creatures cavorting in this way was what was causing the birds such amusement.
I found myself coming home with a half-smile on my face remembering such innocent pleasure. I was surprised these days the children were allowed to play unclothed like this, but why not. There were few around to see & the only person paying close attention to their activites was the mother.
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Two items of news
Two items caught my ear as I listened to the radio this morning as I was getting up.
The first item was the news of Tony Blair's new book, or at least the promotion of the new book. I gather in it he criticises Gordon Brown. By his assessment Brown could never have made a good prime minister. I can't help wondering why he never expressed these views at the time of his resignation from office & the leadership of the Labour party. I appreciate before it would have been difficult to speak out without weakening the government by showing a divided face, & Brown did make a competent chancellor, but at the time of his resignation inevitably things would have to change & surely it was his duty to leave the country in the hands of someone who might do a could a job rather than one he was convinced didn't stand a chance of doing a good job. Maybe then we wouldn't have had to go through the chaos of the last few years under Brown.
To be honest I've always felt that Brown was unlucky. It was unfortunate that Foot & Mouth escaped into the cattle of this country almost immediately after his accession to power. Equally he can't blamed for the greed of the banks, especially those in the USA, leading to the onset of the recession. In more settled times I suspect he could have done a better job.
Now the election for the new Labour party leader is on. I'm not sure who I expect to win. I like Diane Abbott, a gutsy lady prepared to fight for her constituents & her beliefs, but I suspect she won't win. The rest, to me, a total outsider who doesn't take a close interest in politics, they all look pretty much the same. My bet is on David Milliband, but I'm not convinced he will make a particularly good leader. We'll soon discover the result.
The other bit of news that caught my ear, was the fact hospitals in some parts of this country have started teaching staff English as a foreign language. Apparently if you ask a nurse in one hospital for help because you need "to spend a penny", you are liable to end up being accompanied to the hospital shop, not to the nearest toilet or being brought a bedpan! I'm glad I didn't end up in that hospital!
The first item was the news of Tony Blair's new book, or at least the promotion of the new book. I gather in it he criticises Gordon Brown. By his assessment Brown could never have made a good prime minister. I can't help wondering why he never expressed these views at the time of his resignation from office & the leadership of the Labour party. I appreciate before it would have been difficult to speak out without weakening the government by showing a divided face, & Brown did make a competent chancellor, but at the time of his resignation inevitably things would have to change & surely it was his duty to leave the country in the hands of someone who might do a could a job rather than one he was convinced didn't stand a chance of doing a good job. Maybe then we wouldn't have had to go through the chaos of the last few years under Brown.
To be honest I've always felt that Brown was unlucky. It was unfortunate that Foot & Mouth escaped into the cattle of this country almost immediately after his accession to power. Equally he can't blamed for the greed of the banks, especially those in the USA, leading to the onset of the recession. In more settled times I suspect he could have done a better job.
Now the election for the new Labour party leader is on. I'm not sure who I expect to win. I like Diane Abbott, a gutsy lady prepared to fight for her constituents & her beliefs, but I suspect she won't win. The rest, to me, a total outsider who doesn't take a close interest in politics, they all look pretty much the same. My bet is on David Milliband, but I'm not convinced he will make a particularly good leader. We'll soon discover the result.
The other bit of news that caught my ear, was the fact hospitals in some parts of this country have started teaching staff English as a foreign language. Apparently if you ask a nurse in one hospital for help because you need "to spend a penny", you are liable to end up being accompanied to the hospital shop, not to the nearest toilet or being brought a bedpan! I'm glad I didn't end up in that hospital!
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