Bad News

Everyone by now has heard about the tragedy in Oslo.  What a mad man!.   The shocking news that unfolded was unbelievable.  First the bomb and then the Island with all those young people there.  The young people’s account of their ordeal was now being told on TV and was said with such dignity and it seems, without remorse.  What a tear-jerker!  A young man who was shot in the shoulder at point-blank range told the interviewer how he played dead to survive.  He then jumped into the sea and started swimming and was one of the lucky ones to survive.  So what now I ask myself…..90 people dead or more and still some people missing. I must admit, I wondered why there wasn’t a police presence on the Island with so many young people there discussing politics.  So many questions to be answered.   I am not going to go into every detail about this incident.  The killer has written a 1,500 page manifesto which reflects his thinking and it will be discussed tomorrow in court. It makes me feel sick inside that he could be so barbarous and brutal.   I pray for the people of Oslo and hope that they know that the world is united with them as this horrible news unfolds.  

I must also mention Amy Winehouse.  I think her early death was inevitable……although others might not think the same.  The 27 club is the name for a group of influential artists/singers who died at the age of 27 and Amy has been added to the list which includes Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.  Wow!   I am old enough to remember these amazing artists.  It’s a shame that Amy didn’t want to overcome her drug and drink addiction, and that the ‘Music Industry’ stood and watched this happen.   Something must be done in the future with young artists like Amy.  The ‘Music Industry’ and Government need to talk!

I have read various blogs and messages about Amy Winehouse but I like the one written by Russell Brand who was talking about when he saw Amy on stage.  He wrote:

“Entering the space I saw Amy on stage with Weller and his band and then the  awe.   The awe that envelops when witnessing a genius.  From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of greatness.  A voice that was filled with such power and pain that it was at once entirely human yet laced with the divine.  My ears, my mouth, my heart and mind all instantly opened.  Winehouse. Winehouse? Winehouse!  That twerp, all eyeliner and lager dithering up Chalk Farm Road under a back combined barnet, the lips that I’d only seen clenching a fishwife fag and dribbling curses now a portal for this holy sound. So now I knew, she wasn’t just some hapless wannabe, yet another pissed up nit who was never gonna make it, nor was she even a ten-a-penny chantuse enjoying her 15 minutes.  She was a fucking genius. “  {Russell Brand}

I don’t particularly like Russell Brand but agree with him on this one!

It is hard to see any young person leave this earth so young and I, like so many others, choose to remember Amy for her music.

24/07/11

Friends United

I recently decided to ‘have a look’ at the Friends United site - you know….one of those days you want to have a look and see if you know anyone.  I had looked a few times before but didn’t pursue anyone. Well I found an old close friend and although I knew her before Senior School, she was also the sister of my brother’s best friend. (Are you with me?)

I wrote to ask her if she was the girl I knew….who had a brother called ‘Derek’ and to my surprise she replied yes (although ‘girls’ we were are no more!).  We have been writing to each other for a few weeks now….what a surprise.  She has triggered off loads of memories although neither of us remembers how we lost touch.  It’s something I don’t do – lose touch with friends…..although obviously I did back then.  It could have been something to do with ‘boys’ and falling in love.  She told me she moved away from the area so perhaps that’s why. 

I was also kept very busy when I was younger……no time for friends…….the dance school I went to put on shows at Greenwich Town Hall and in local hospitals and other venues like ‘ Eltham Little Theatre’, (now called ‘The Bob Hope Theatre’).  I had to learn songs….I always sung about 6 songs for every concert. At the time I also took exams in Ballroom dancing, Latin American, Modern Ballet and Tap.  In fact, going by the old photographs of me dancing, I danced the national dance of every country…….Scottish, Hungarian, Greek and Spanish….. and the Jive, of course  (bless my mum who made all the costumes herself – how many sequins and ribbons did she sew onto them).

Anyway, it’s been great reminiscing and finding out about her life over the last 40+ years.  I’m sure there is loads more to find out, we have exchanged photographs of our children and grandchildren, strangely enough I did recognise her…..she hasn’t changed much at all which is quite remarkable.   It made me feel so happy as I am only in contact with one school friend and she lives abroad now.  My lost friend was more than a school friend, she used to come to our house, sometimes with her brother,  they had an unhappy time at home…and my friend said in one of her emails “I would come around to your house and your parents seemed to be lovely and very welcoming”.  She also remarked “ I think I remember fancying your brother, who was lovely” Ah!..... so that’s the reason she came round! (By the way, my brother still is a lovely!  

Have you ever had ‘A blast from the past’?  Firstly I thought of all the years lost…….but now I am thinking about the future and possibly meeting up sometime.  I won’t lose touch again.  Today, it is so much easier to keep in touch and not lose friends via all the social network sites and iPhones.  With the release of  new iPads and iPhones people have gone mad with excitement to get hold of them. Other manufacturers are out there making products that are just as good, if not better and cheaper.  Ido understand though why it makes people happy when they use them, but alas, I do not possess one…….yet!    What’s your way of keeping in touch, iPhone in one pocket, a Blackberry in the other!

Back in the dark ages….. I did used to keep in touch and write letters and postcards to friends and family, I was looking at some of them the other day that my mother collected over the years. Pictures, letters and the Concert Programmes with my name inside………..did I really sing “ You need Hands” (Listen to it on ‘youtube’ - Max Bygraves recorded it in 1958, not bad sentiments for this day and age!).

 I wrote postcards home when I was on school journey at the age of  ten and eleven. I used to ask my children to write ‘thankyou’ letters on receiving a Birthday or Christmas present.  I think this is a rarity these days. It’s a shame as Newspapers, Books and Magazines will all fade away and we will be reading our Newspapers on-line (as some people do already) and downloading ebooks. I think they have their uses though especially when travelling.

It’s my birthday today, I’m 63.  Is that a significant age or date, I ask myself…….Well it was for some people… Queen Victoria ruled for 63 years – she was an unlikely successor to the throne at the time there was serious doubt about the future of the monarchy. She became Queen at the age of 18 and her reign spanned much of the 19^th century.  The term “Victorian” often refers to a priggish attitude towards sexuality or morality, though it is also applied to a period of literature, art, clothing, and architecture. Victoria is one of the rare people whose very name defines their time.  She was remembered for saying ….“We are not amused”.

Well I am still alive and kicking!

Louis Armstrong died on this day 6/07/1971.  He was born in 1901 in New Orleans. He was called “The most important figure in the “History of Jazz” and  the “History of Music”….. and no one played the trumpet like him. He didn’t follow the notes on a sheet of music, he improvised by playing the notes in his head. His singing was called “scat” and he recorded many songs with another “scat” singer…Ella Fitzgerald.  (How I would have loved to have seen those 2 sing!). He holds the record for being the oldest artist to have a Number 1 record which he accomplished when he was 63 years old with the song "Hello, Dolly," from the musical. The song reached number 1 in 1964 by toppling the Beatles from the top of the charts (.he had come a long way from his poor beginnings).

I had better get writing a song then!  Perhaps that is my achievement in my 63^rd year.  You only have to think of: Genre, Structure, Verse, Chorus, Melody, Tempo, Rhythm, Harmony, Beginnings and Endings, Ideas, Rhyme and of course Lyrics…….Aahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I’ll stick to blogging!

6^th July 2011

DAYS OUT: Colchester, Essex and Barham, Kent

Ever been to somewhere you thought, before you’ve been there, was quite an historic place and well worth visiting..…..well Colchester isn’t one of those places.  Don’t get me wrong……it  was ok and is quite a nice town….as towns go, but disappointing as I thought it had more historic places of interest to visit and that it would be interesting….as after all, it’s deemed to be the ‘oldest town in Britain’.

You arrive to loads of multi storey car parks in the centre  and very new shiny buildings.  Not what I expected at all.  I headed away from the high street and many other streets of shops….. to the Information Centre and was given a free map of the town centre and Castle and its surrounding grounds and bought, for a mere £2, the ‘Colchester Heritage Trail’ booklet. 

The Colchester Heritage Trail  ‘did what it said on the tin’ and walked you from the War Memorial  in front of the main gates of the Castle & Park past various monuments.  It takes about 2 hours to complete, although a stop off for a glass of wine and a sitdown  (in a very old Church which was now a bar/cafe)   was very welcome(and a very nice part of the day) .  The Norman Castle and the surrounding park is a very nice space – dead centre of town and displays a Stone Obelisk to mark the spot where royalists were executed following their surrender at the Siege of Colchester in 1648. You then follow the map to the Dutch Quarter, so named after the Flemis weavers who settled there during the 16^th Century  (just a bunch of old houses!!) Ah…but there was one house with a plaque which mentioned Jane and Ann Taylor…….famous sisters who wrote, in 1806, children’s verse including ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ ….. (sad I know…but I got excited when I saw that….as the rest was disappointing!). 

You then pass a Church and 15^th century timber framed buildings and then more old buildings built around 1842 and a water tower built in 1882, aptly nicknamed ‘Jumbo’…as it’s huge!

All the above sounds quite interesting when you read it….but hugely disappointing in lots of ways!

(The Colchester Heritage Trail booklet describes Colchester as .... "the oldest recorded town in Britain.  When the romans invaded in AD43 their first major conquest was Camulodunum, headquarters of the south eastern tribes, from where the Emperor Claudius received the submission of several British kings. The Romans first built a legionary fortress on the site of the present town centre, converted a few years later to a civilian settlement names Colonia Vietricensis  (colony of the Victorious) after the Claudian victory.  It became the first capital of the Roman province of Britannia.  In AD60 the Celtic queen Boudica led a huge revolt against the Roman occupation, razing the new settlement to the ground.  After the defeat of the revolt (well, at least she had a go!) a defensive wall was built around the reconstructed town.  It is the oldest surviving town wall in Britain)"  I saw it and …......it’s just a wall!

You must go and see for yourself though…..because if you want to combine a day’s shopping somewhere different with some really good authentic, original and creative shops, and have a picnic in the Castle grounds which a short walk from the shops…....it’s a great place. 

However,   on another day out and country walk…… I visited BARHAM in Kent and it was a lovely day out.   The village is described by Kent County Council as being :

“6 miles southeast from Canterbury, delightfully situated on the Dover Road, a little south from the Barham Downs and is surrounded with picturesque scenery and rural beauty.  The hop gardens, are no more, but beautiful semi-wooded countryside is now protecting the area for future generations. Being almost equidistant between Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone and makes the village an ideal centre from which to explore attractive scenery and over 1,000 years of history. It isn't that Barham has no history itself.   The village dates back, at least, to its first mention in 799AD - and contains 185 historic sites that have been catalogued by Kent County Council. The parish contains 77 listed structures, not only buildings but walls, a footbridge and -  ...a 1936 classic telephone kiosk.  It provided the home for one of the four knights who, in 1175, murdered St Thomas a Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral…. as a result the family adopted the name of this village and descendants with that family name.”

You start the walk at a pub called "The Duke of Cumberland" and finish up there too...what more could you ask for.  The three other people I was with…..enjoyed it aswell as it was actually to celebrate my friend’s 60^th birthday the week before.  We all had a meal and a few drinks in their very nice garden and ‘put the world right’, as the news of the death of  ‘that nasty horrible man’ was just released that morning.
The pub was what I call 'a real pub' unchanged over the years with dried hops around the bar area and a very nice atmosphere with friendly staff.  We all had a good 'pub meal (without waiting long)  as we were hungry after our 4+ mile walk.  We finished off the day by going to Canterbury  (which offers Canterbury Cathedral which is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site) but ended up in a lovely rustic Bar/Café  ….that Canterbury has so many of.  All in all - a very pleasant day in the heart of Kent..........off to Spain next!

(If you want details of the walk go into   www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent  - Barham)

3^rd May 2011

My little notebook

I write everything down in my little note book and I want to share some of the useful and daft things I wrote down in the last month or two….I write things down as I think of them.  Silly notions in my head….a poem or useful hints I heard on the radio on ‘how to remove a stain’.  I have a shopping list started on various pages (that I forget to look at) with items such as, batteries and light bulbs (I always forget those as they now last 4 years!). I might write down a topic of interest for a Blog that comes into my head when on a bus or train (like 'should women wear trainers with a suit?' …....well…..I see it all the time up in London when I’m there……I'm amazed to see beautifully dressed business women wearing giant ugly trainers!!)….I digress…..I  sometimes wonder what I have wrote and why?   I have written someone’s address and directions on how to get there, written in shorthand…..that I can’t even decifer now!  However, the best bits are recipes I got from a magazine that I read in the Doctors, Dentists or Hairdressers (aren’t I good not to steal them!)

One of the recipes I wrote down:

Roasted Butternut Squash  Soup with Pesto

.5 kg (3lb) butternut squash

4tbsp olive oil

6 garlic cloves (4 whole, unpeeled, and 2 finely chopped)

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 onions, finely chopped

1.5 litres (21/2pt) vegetable stock

For the pesto

1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

50g (2oz) grated Parmesan cheese

150ml (5fl oz) extra virgin olive or avocado oil

Crème fraîche and crusty bread, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 240ºC/220ºC fan/Gas 9. Halve the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds and roughly chop into large pieces (including skin). Brush with 2tbsp of the oil, place on a roasting tray and season. Cook for 25 minutes, then add the whole garlic cloves and thyme. Cook for a further 20 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelised. Remove from oven. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan. Add the onions and remaining chopped garlic and cook gently for 10-15 minutes until soft but not brown. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

Pour the vegetable stock into the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Using a large spoon, remove the squash flesh from the skin and add to the stock. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin into the stock and discard the thyme. Simmer for a further 8-10 minutes or until the squash begins to break up. Place the soup in a food processor and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and gently reheat. Check seasoning.

For the pesto, place the chopped parsley into a food processor with the garlic and Parmesan. Blitz until smooth. With the motor still running, slowly add the olive or avocado oil.   Season well with salt/pepper.  Ladle the soup into individual bowls and swirl in a spoonful of the pesto and a dollop of crème fraîche.   Serve with crusty bread.  ……It’s delicious!!

(I sometimes use Sweet Potato and Butternut squash …but I don’t roast them I just put in saucepan and cover with water and add vegetable stock, some herbs and a good shake of worcester sauce and of course…..lots of black pepper).

Yummy!!

I also wrote a list of things (in March) to do in April.  I haven’t done them all yet but one of them is to get on top of my paperwork and bills!!  I have shredded old bills/receipts and got rid of files…….because I now get paperless bills via an email. It’s great…..I love this particular technology because it gives me more time to do other activities especially when the weather is hot as it is now.  I also wrote down a note to ‘declutter wardrobe’.  I got a box and put all the clothes I haven’t worn for l year and will either give them to charity or have a bootsale if there’s enough stuff. You could share the bootsale with a friend or relative. (I think this is one of my better ideas I noted).

I also had a note to ‘Sort Photo’s’. I have so many photographs that I need to scan onto my computer but I rather like photographs I can pick up in my hand….you could also create interesting focal points with some of your favourite photos around your house rather than leave them on your memory stick! I like putting them into an album so I can look at them or pop a small album in my handbag when out with the ‘girls’ to show off the latest pictures of my grandkids. 

I’m always writing down websites to look at……here are a few:

www.gltc.co.uk

www.urbanoutfitters.com

http://www.floralcraftresource.com/

http://www.rubymayflowers.net/

A little notebook is very useful when travelling (obviously if you’re not driving) you could write down all the things you’re proud of doing, from helping others, to moving ahead with your professional life or reaching personal goals.  It might see you through a low point in your life. It might make you realize just what you have achieved and what you plan to do next.  You only have one life….and believe me….it goes so quick….so write that list…..put down your dreams, aspirations and …….chocolate recipes……

Here’s one I picked up from sitting at the Dentists….of all places!!!:    As Easter approaches…..make a sweet treat.

1)       Slowly melt 40g 85% dark chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water).

2)      Stir in 2 tablespoons of hot water and mix well to make a thick, shiny paste

3)      Once cooled, mix in 4 tablespoons of fromage frais

4)      Divide the chocolate mix between two expresso sized coffee cups and put in fridge to chill

5)      Toast 1 tablespoon of hazelnuts in hot heavy dry pan for a couple of minutes. Leave to cool, then crush them with a pestle and mortar.  Sprinkle them over the chilled pots and serve……Delicious!

Happy Easter Break to one and all…..and don’t eat too much choccy! 

Oh!.... and did you notice ….that I didn’t mention the Royal Wedding!

Oh and Happy Birthday Alex!

21/04/11

Weddings - don't you just love them!

Don’t you just love weddings?    Especially when it all goes right!!  I went to a wonderful wedding at the weekend…….just perfect.  Not indulgent, false or flashy but memorable,  celebrated, relaxed and real.  

A Marquee was set up in beautiful surroundings in a hidden Kent village which is an agricultural region farming fruit, hops and grain.  It was going to be a hot weekend…….so it was a good combination for a great day.  I watched it all come together the day before.  First the tables and chairs were set up and the white tablecloths went on, next the cutlery and glasses….then the centre table flowers  ….(Yes…I did arrange them!). Then boxes and boxes of Champagne, wine and beer and finally the Cake!!  An expectant party ready and waiting for the Bride and Groom and guests. 

The wedding ceremony was set in a beautiful 14^th century Church sump­tuously furnished with dark oak pews and flint walls with choir stalls with musty smells . Cool and dark inside from the outside glare of the sun.  The tower contains 6 bells and a clock  (one of the oldest bells was cast in 1392)  and the noise resonated throughout the village on the day.  Wedding vows were said and the beautiful 'suited and booted' congregation stood up and vowed to support the happy couple in their life.

If only life could be like this everyday with everyone working together in harmony and unison.  I suppose, if we didn’t have perfect days like this…….then we couldn’t distinguish the good days from the bad and the good times from the bad times.  

Mother's Day -3rd April 2011

It’s Mother’s Day this Sunday and my Mother is in that wonderful place called Heaven.  I miss her!

“A mother’s love!  What can compare with it! Of all things on earth, it comes nearest to divine love in Heaven.  A mother’s love means a life’s devotion – and sometimes a life’s sacrifice – with but one thought, one hope and one feeling, that  her children will grow up healthy and strong, free from evil habits and able to provide for themselves”.  (Author unknown).

What makes a Mother?

“A Mother can be any size and any age, but she won’t admit to anything over thirty.  A Mother has soft hands and smells good.  A Mother likes new dresses, music, a clean house, her children’s kisses, an automatic washing machine and Daddy.  A Mother doesn’t like having her children sick, muddy feet, temper tantrums, loud noises or bad reports from school.  A Mother can read a thermometer (much to the amazement of Daddy) and like magic, can kiss a hurt away.  A Mother can bake good cakes but likes to see her children eat vegetables.  A Mother can stuff a fat baby into a snow suit in seconds and can kiss sad little faces and make them smile.  (Author unknown).  ………………Well, that’s one interpretation!

This is another!

“The mildest, gentlest, kindliest Mother, when confronted by someone, who could harm her children, snarls, attacks, bites, claws – and spits them out!”. Also  “ Mums are an interlocking chain that holds the world together” (Pam Brown 1928)

There are quotes are quotes about Mother’s.  I think there is no such thing as the archetypal mother, only in the biological sense. There are many types of Mothers….as there are women but they all raise their kids and send them on their way with love…..that I do know. Mothers and love go together.   My Mother was the kind of person I could share anything with….she was like a second conscience to me.  My most avid thoughts are linked with love, life and food.  I miss her gentleness and warmth….her enthusiasm!  I see her smile all the time when I think of her!  I also see her steadfastness and strength.  As Charles Dicken’s wrote…… “It is the first thought stamped upon our infant hearts”………….I do not know that even in our old age we do not look back to that feeling as the sweetest we have ever known through life”.

I do not have a Mother any more…but I do have a sister …….having a sister is like having a best friend - you know whatever you do, they'll still be there.  A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. 

Finally.....To all you young mums with little kids.....Please, look surprised and happy when your kids bring you breakfast at 6.30am on Mother’s Day.  Great stuff!

29/03/11

See flower creations for Mother's Day......     http://www.rubymayflowers.net/

Deaf - Are you Aware?

I was on a bus the other day!  (Yes a bus….what’s wrong with that!!)….well actually I was cheating as I went for a long walk and was panicking as I had an appointment and I didn’t want to be late.   I had to have a shower, some brunch and drive 25 minutes so  ….. I decided to hop on a bus to get home quicker….. (it’s free for the over 60’s- so why not!).   Anyway…..as the bus drove off the driver said, in a rather annoying voice, “can you stand away from the Exit door pleeeease”.  There were 2 people standing by the door, one moved and other man didn’t.  The driver said again……(but this time raising his voice in a vulgar way)  “I’ll say it again, will- the- person- by- the- Exit -door -move- away!”.  I realised that the man, by the door must be deaf and gestured to him to come away from the door towards me and signed to him  that the driver wanted him to move away from the exit. He explained that he couldn’t hear!! The man got off the stop before me….but before I got off on my stop, I went to the driver and explained quietly,  that the gentleman was deaf and that he must try and remember that there are deaf people out there who can’t hear his message! I wanted to ‘stick my fingers in his eyes’ but………I didn’t!!!  I daresay it wasn’t part of his training to realise that there are deaf people and old people, who are often hard of hearing.  I felt it was necessary to tell the driver.  I know the deaf man didn’t hear the rudeness of the driver, thank God, but everyone else on the bus did  hear him but for some reason didn’t seem to mind or respond or do anything. Does this mean we are we used to people being rude? Well I‘m not, at all!!

I hate it when people are humiliated just because they have a problem.  It happens to my nephew all the time.  He is profoundly Deaf and gets frustrated when he can’t understand people and although people (like the receptionist at his Doctor’s) know he’s deaf, they don’t know how to communicate with him. They think he ‘s an idiot.  Maybe we should all learn to use  British Sign Language (BSL) at school, although I know some schools do this now, or maybe the local Council should run free courses for us to learn BSL – but there is always a large fee involved.  Employers could ensure their staff are Deaf Aware and send them on courses….especially when dealing with the general public.  It is crucial that these members of our Society are not forgotten.  My nephew wasn’t eligible to have a Cochlea Implant, which is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing but wears hearing aids.  As of 2009, approximately 188,000 people worldwide had received cochlear implants.  The vast majority are in developed countries due to the high cost of the device, surgery and post-implantation therapy.  A small number of recipients have bilateral implants (one implant in each cochlea).
Decisions about Cochlear Implants and the risks involved of having such an operation (with it’s powerful anaethesics and  the danger of introducing bacteria into the brain etc.)………. and the consequences of how deaf children perceive it …...maybe this decision should be made later in life so the deaf person can make up their own mind. 
I think a Cochlear Implant would have made a tremendous difference to my nephew’s  life. …….. Or would it?  I read an account, in the Times Newspaper, by a Mother of a 15 year old profoundly deaf girl, who stated that…….
 “The Deaf are a fierce lot, seeing attempts to “cure” deafness whether through Cochlear implants or genetic research, as a sinister Eugenics.  Deaf people are viewed historically, at best as charity cases and at worst as idiots.  Deaf people are very direct in their communication”.   She went on to say “Deaf people do not see themselves as disabled at all. They may lack one of the senses but they have made BSL it’s replacement, and guard it as a precious jewel, totem of the tribe.  They see themselves as akin not to the blind or the spinally injured, but to the Welsh, an ethnic minority with a culture and a language to nurture, a way of life for which they are willing to fight”.
In the main, Deaf people do not want to hear…..it’s like saying to a black person….would you like to be white! Deaf people want their children to be deaf  too  ( my nephew’s children are all hearing…. we say - thank God they are!).  In the main, Deaf people do not like the oralist approach to education – the idea that speech can be acquired via technology and lip reading is their nemesis, their arch enemy – they blame their low social standing and often miserable childhood.  I think, that my nephew had a great childhood with a family who loved him immensely and helped him as much as they could.  He might see it another way!.  It’s difficult for us hearing folks to work it all out.
Did you know that sign language was banned in schools?  (See extract from ‘Wikipedia’ re Alexander Graham Bell’s involvement). In UK, children spent hours attempting speech  the orally that  it’s not hard to find deaf men and women in their 40’s now  who say they spent so long trying to master speech at school that there was no time for subjects such as History or Biology etc.  
Alexander Graham Bell instigated vocalism in schools and……Wikipedia says ;  “October 1872 Alexander Bell opened his "School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech" in Boston, which attracted a large number of deaf pupils with his first class numbering 30 students. While he was working as a private tutor, one of his most famous pupils was Helen Keller, who came to him as a young child unable to see, hear, or speak. She was later to say that Bell dedicated his life to the penetration of that "inhuman silence which separates and estranges." Several influential people of the time, including Bell, viewed deafness as something that ought to be eradicated, and also believed that with resources and effort they could teach the deaf to speak and avoid the use of sign language, thus enabling their integration within the wider society from which many were often being excluded. However in several schools children were mistreated, for example by having their hands tied behind their backs so they could not communicate by signing —the only language they knew— and were therefore forced to attempt oral communication.

How about that then!!  In the 1960’s signing did regain some ground in some areas within the UK.  Unfortunately, not in Cornwall, where my nephew lived.  Oralism was taught in Mainstream schools where deaf children were integrated, for some lessons, from a Deaf Unit.  I think, my nephew lip reads very well but he prefers to use sign language.  Records show that sign language existed within deaf communities in Britain as far back as 1570.

(Wikipedia says: Thomas Braidwood, an Edinburgh teacher, founded 'Braidwood's Academy for the Deaf in 1760 which is recognized as the first school for the deaf in Britain.  Until the 1940s sign language skills were passed on unofficially between deaf people often living in residential institutions. Signing was actively discouraged in schools by punishment and the emphasis in education was on forcing deaf children to learn to lip read and finger spell).

From the 1970s there has been an increasing tolerance and instruction in BSL in schools. The language continues to evolve and was officially recognized to be a language by the UK Government on 18 March 2003.   Yippee! About time!!   The way deaf children are taught in schools is still very controversial. Mainstream schools have bad acoustics and large classes that parents of deaf children face terrifying judgments and decisions about their child’s education. It may be that it is taken ‘out of their hands due to ‘where they live’ and deaf children are still struggling within mainstream schools due to the Government’s insistence on oralism.  The belief that deaf children could learn speech by being taught to lip read has largely been proved wrong.  (There are very few Schools for Deaf  left in UK.  Eleven in the South East and only one in the South West). Statistics show that the majority of deaf children leave mainstream school at 16 with the reading ability of a 9 year old.  It says it all!   

My nephew does have difficulty grasping some aspects of social life…..like Banking Systems and School Selecting Systems…..(join the queue…..we all have difficulties there!).  He is a carpenter but no one is willing to employ him! If we could talk his language….we would all understand him!  It says a lot about our Society today.

Did you know…….that the Deaf Olympics are held every 4 years, and are the longest running multi-sport event excluding the Olympics themselves. The first games, held in Paris in 1924, were also the first ever international sporting event for athletes with a disability. The event has been held every four years since, apart from a break for World War II. To qualify for the  games, athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 db in their "better ear". Hearing aids, cochlear implants and the like are not allowed to be used in competition, to place all athletes on the same level. Other examples of ways the games vary from hearing competitions are the manner in which they are officiated. The football referees wave a flag instead of blowing a whistle. On the track, races are started by using a light flash, instead of a starter pistol. It is also customary for spectators not to cheer or clap but to wave their hands in the air!
Over the years…..information has gone back and forth regarding whether BSL or oralism is best or  whether Cochlear Implants  and the associated risks involved are a good way forward.  I don’t know what is best, but this I do know……that  parents of deaf children have a mammoth task in assessing what information is out there.

I will leave you with this extract…..taken from National Deaf Children’s Society website.

“Deafness is not a learning disability, yet 65% of deaf children fail to get grades A to C at GCSE, including English and Maths. Deaf children need vital support to achieve at school, including help from a specialist teacher of the deaf, equipment to hear at school and good acoustics in the classroom. Research shows that pupils who are supported by specialist teachers do better at school than if they receive any other type of assistance………………. But despite this several local authorities and health trusts have been making cuts of up to 50% to the very staff and services that are vital to achieving these objectives”.

What would you do if you had a deaf child?  Would you want them to sign …or speak orally?  I for one, am glad I haven’t had to make that decision.  The deaf want separate “sign-bilingual” schools, where BSL is used to teach English, with a curriculum including Deaf History and knowledge that covers issues as the ‘signing versus oralism debate’.

We should listen to them!

21/03/11

International Women's Day - 8th March 2011

 Global CentenaryYear. 

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. Suffragettes campaigned for women's right to vote and there was great unrest and debate amongst women. Oppression and inequality was making women become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.  (Brilliant!....I would have been there too!).    So all this started with the Socialist Party of America and a day they called  ‘National Woman’s Day’. This was observed across America in 1909 and in Denmark in 1910, the Idea was put forward for ‘International Women’s Day’ which was finally formed  the following year in 1911.

So it’s 100 years old……(1911- 2011). Brilliant!.  What an achievement.    Record books state that it was ”a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialised world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies”.  So International Women's Day (IWD) honours the work of the Suffragettes, celebrates women's success over the years, and reminds us what inequalities still need to be redressed.  From 1911 until today it has gone from strength to strength with many countries attending the conferences and is now a global date and an official National  Holiday in many countries including China, Russia and Vietnam.  (I might add that in some Countries it’s a national holiday for  women only……..WOW – power to the girls!).

Since 1980’s there has been a significant change of attitudes with more women taking leading roles in Society….like female Astronauts and Prime Ministers.  Unfortunately, women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts especially in areas of Education and Health.

(We all saw the film ‘Made in Dagenham’ where female Ford workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination for equal pay. The walkout was instrumental in the ‘Equal Pay Act 1970).

Reading about IWD over the past few years, it seems to have moved from being a reminder about the negatives, to a celebration of the positives, and what women have achieved over the years.  Loads of events are held throughout the world to inspire women ……we can all make a difference to the world.    A list of a100 women has been drawn up, by a leading newspaper, of the most voted inspirational women in the world and I look forward to reading who these women are.

I have been very fortunate to have had inspirational women around me over the years - my lovely Mum and my Aunts who were great role models for me and family.

(I have today been to a funeral of one of those Aunties who lived through the adversity of 2 world wars. She had 2 lovely children and had been widowed for over 25 years.  She worked hard until she was 70 and was always optimistic with a cheerful nature.  She’s one of the ‘old sort’ – ‘….. they don’t make ‘em like her anymore!”. She was ‘one of a kind’.  Bless Mary Ellen Bird (known as Auntie May to me – who was in her 98^th year!). She has now been toasted and saluted.  God Bless her!

Lastly, I have 2 inspirational women in my life.....my daughters, who through my life have taught me loads……….one of whose birthday is today…..HAPPY BIRTHDAY Andrea-  keep being inspirational!     (I forgot to mention another person who inspires me every time I see her........my Granddaughter....Ruby May.  

Anonymous quote:  We would all be happier if we gave others a piece of our hearts instead of a piece of our minds!!  Love to all you girls!!

8/03/11

Martyr – Slave – Tyrant – Who do you think you are?

This is an interesting subject.  Which stereotype are you?  First of all what do these words mean.  Martyr means “One who makes great sacrifices”.    Slave means “The property of another – A person entirely under the domination of some influence or person”.  Tyrant means “ A ruler who governs without restrictions and rules in a harsh, cruel manner, unrestrained by law.

I am not sure I am any one of these stereotypes but a combination of them all!   I   would like to think I am not a tyrant…..although, as a parent, I probably was at times.  I had to stick to my principles and gut feelings. I call it being responsible.    For instance, how would you respond to a child’s request asking for money? Or for that new computer game?  You want to say NO but do you meet their request or meet them half way.  It could be that a friend or relative wants to come and visit when you are busy – do you say Yes or No!  What about when you get unfair criticism from a work colleague.   Do you face the situation and set limits or sulk?  In different situations how do you respond?  Are you the aggressive type or a doormat?.  Do you control and manipulate?  I think the best way forward is to be assertive, to respect yourself and others. You should accept your own positive/negative qualities……..then you do not need to put other people down in order to feel good about yourself.  Other people are NOT responsible for what is happening to your own life. So if you are refused a request for something…..you shouldn’t feel rejected as self-esteem is anchored deeply inside yourself and you do not need approval of others around.  (However, I really do hope you like my blogs!).

If you’re a martyr, you make great sacrifices in order to feel good and then regret your actions later.  You cling on to hard luck stories and close people around you are exasperated with your lack of willpower. If you’re a slave or doormat, you are ideal fodder for the ‘tyrant’…. the aggressive type of person because you find it difficult to make a decision and avoid making choices in life. You may even see yourself as a victim.   As a tyrant, you are forceful and you may belittle other people’s thoughts/values…….you’re hell bent on winning and attack people who are vulnerable and others are frightened of you!  (just like Gaddafi who urges violence and tells Libyans “I’ll die a martyr”. Not good!! We can do without people like this!!).  So who do you think you are?

I think I am different things at different times.  I can be a tyrant, but not in the worst sense, if I think and say what I believe (it’s probably, at my age, been tried and tested), I will follow through my beliefs religiously.  I can be a martyr and a slave………but for good reason.  We all make sacrifices in our lives, especially if we have children, and we all are under the influence of another person at some time in our lives, but I think you mustn’t be any one of these. You have to get that balance right but it might change with every new situation.  Do I think you should know who you are?  Absolutely….Yes!  History has just got hip and you can find out who your ancestors are and if this helps in finding out ‘who you are’ you should get a genealogist quick and  I know where to find one! 

Have fun in the week ahead and if you need a genealogist, or want to sign up to a really good family history course being run in your local library, then email my partner ………john@plester.info  (www.plester.info)

I leave you with this Swedish proverb……Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours.

27/02/11

Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day                 

Valentine's Day (so Wikipedia says)….. is an annual day  held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after a Christian martyr named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer, English Poet  in the 13th century, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.  Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outlines, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.

Yeah Yeah Yeah….. What does Valentine’s Day mean now :  – a nice meal at a fancy restaurant (they usually charge x4 times as much as any other day! – Maybe being pampered with chocolates and flowers.  There are still some old fashioned customs around like in Wales you can give your sweetheart a love spoon.  In the 17^th Century young men carved a wooden spoon to give to their intended.  If accepted ,  they became engaged and  the spoon would always be treasured.  In recent years this custom has been revived – so old fashioned romance is surely still alive and well.  In Slovenia, an old proverb says that "St Valentine brings the keys of roots,"  so on 14^th February, plants and flowers start to grow. It’s a day when the first work in the vineyards and  fields commences.  It has only recently been celebrated as the day of love.   In the UK we send anonymous cards or a bunch of red roses to someone we like or love or to someone we don’t know but would like to know!! .   These 3 examples couldn’t be more different.

I once received, at work, which was highly embarrassing, a bunch (not bouquet) of the worse flower combination  I have ever seen in my life!  (Trust me…….I’m a florist and I know !!).   So if you are going to send flowers please go to a reputable florist or just give one decent red rose that actually smells fragrant. 

So what is February 14^th all about?           It’s all about……… L O V E !    So what is Love. Wikipedia says    ”It’s an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment…..representing all of human kindness, compassion, affection.  In some religious contexts,  love is not just a virtue but the basis for all being.  ie God is Love, but love can refer to a variety of different feelings…like I love that dress, I love pasta. I love children”.  There is romantic love, platonic love (friendship). And religious love.   Love in it’s various forms acts as a major facilitator for relationships.  I adore LOVE and all that it stands for….. but does it have to be celebrated on 14^th Feb?  What about all the other days in the year!   

Do you know what I love?  I love my man, I love my family, I love to love, I love travelling, I love music, I love singing, I love flowers.  I love walking on a beach, swimming, gardening. I love a glass of red wine, eating pasta and strawberries and (so I am told)….. I love talking!

There are many songs written about love…. here are a few of my favorites:

Can’t help falling in love  - Elvis Presley

Am I on your mind – Andrea Britton

All you need is love – Beatles

Love you a little bit more – Dr Hook

Groovy kind of Love –Phil Collins

I just called to say I love you – Stevie Wonder

I will always love you – Whitney Houston

I’ll do anything for love  - Meat Loaf

Why do fools fall in love – Frankie Lymon

So much in love – The Tymes

I can’t stop loving you - Ray Charles

So whether your celebrating Valentine’s Day or not….have a happy Monday and Lots of love to you all. xx