Alt.Mustardland

It whizzes by faster and faster 1/75 is smaller than 1/74. Today is a quiet day with nothing much happening. The moon was bright at 5 am when my dog decided to go out. People have posted that the full moon appears large this month, but it was normal size. I suspect it has more to do with the time and surrounding landscape than its closeness or distance from the Earth. That varies quite a bit over the year. It never fails to delight and surprise me. It knocks the other satellites into a cocked hat by comparison.

Later in the early morning there were two little brown hen pheasants in the garden, and later still a brightly coloured cock pheasant, which flew away in panic when I opened the door. Their moods are volatile and sometime I can have up to half a dozen there, undisturbed by the dog who isn't that interested. I sometimes see a white hen pheasant strolling around and a week or 10 days ago it was sitting on the dilapidated rattan table that I evicted from the hall where it took up a lot of the available space but I can't quite bring myself to take to the recycling centre. I love to see them taking sanctuary and they are much more fun than peacocks would be. Noisy things.

My Volvo passed its MOT yesterday with 3 items to attend to in due course, a couple of tyres, the back end of the exhaust and the fuel filler sleeve. They'll get done by February, and I like to see to them in the first few months.

What? It's December again...

I got a wad of mail today: It seems that the Local Mail Sorting Office has experienced a Covid attack (is that the right phrase?), thus mail is delayed. It also seems that I have an appointment (diabetic related) at a Clinic at the other end of town (Mr Legs area), next week. But what I didn't get and/or forgot, was a new bus pass that needed renewing today, but I needs a trip to a clinic in the Next Town tomorrow on another matter, for which I need a wad of taxi/bus money - normally bus pass covers everything - whoever think of reading the damn thing? (renewal halted as a result of Council changing my address). I'd better go out tonight and raid Barcleas. (I kave a mask...!) - I don't want to find in the morning that the nearby Hole-in-the-wall m/c isn't working.

No Pheasants in my Garden, Merely a couple of Black and White (Magpies I think) that seem to live around the Railway station, a couple of hundred yards away. But a dog...? Well yesterday I was again "escorted" home from bus stop, to my house. I can't work out why he feels the need to take me home?

Afraid work on my car has been delayed, partly because of Medical Matters, but also because Sundry Lockdowns has involved cancellation of Meeting the Restorers Show - A Lady there has Bought Dunlop's Obsolete tyre Mouling tools (and employed a retired Dunlop foreman, a tyre builder, and an apprentice), but there is also a Springsmith to make and fit be a new leaf spring, and re-set the temper on suspension on both sides.

The buses in Minehead town service take contactless payments. If you look on the bus website, you might be able to find out if your buses do too.

Magpies are quite handsome birds and I try to forget their nasty habits when I see them. Your escort may think the rest of his pack can bring you down if you had further to go, or maybe you have an admirer. No surprise there.

You are certainly bringing old skills to the fore. I didn't realise tyres were made on a bespoke basis, and I've never heard of a springsmith or that leaves did not make themselves in spring, I have had the process of fettling and the work of a saggermaker's bottom knocker explained to me.

The inoperative part of the washing machine was an expensive one and we have agreed that a replacement machine will be needed. I've ordered it for delivery next week. The machine man was very helpful with the technicalities.

Yup.. Buses do accept contact Plastic payment, but the cost.... I got a taxi to next town (a Suburb of Grays Thurrock). I came back by bus (Town to town Centre and another Bus Home). Cost more than the Taxi.... Pondered on a weekly ticket until the Docket arrive (GULP!) £35 for a limited area.

OUCH re the washing m/c... maybe Dasbenhams will be VERY cheep in their clearout.....

I've been half expecting to have to replace it, so it won't hurt. The nightmare of launderettes with machine faults, no parking, swooping traffic wardens fended off with new tyre receipt, and not having a working machine in the house will be worth every penny. I once bought a new dishwasher from a slight seconds place way back and when it failed before it succeeded, I got my money back and bought a better version from Currys. This time, after checking dimensions I got the one I wanted without the fancy dirt deterrent dosing gizmo. I'm using Euronics, a white goods version of Spar and my local electrical shop is supplying the goods. No more expensive than Currys. I got the name of my repair man from them. Not employed by them, but well thought of locally. He recommended Bosch.

I hope your travel pass arrives soon. The whole point of contactless is to cope with small payments. I expect the taxi is best value door to door each way without you having to struggle so much.

I had a treat this morning with a proper 4 page handwritten letter from a friend in Germany. Nice notepaper and a wax seal outside. I won't write back yet but will write to my sister. We used to write entertaining letters to each other when we were young. I remember one when she was working as a locum in Scarborough and caught chickenpox from a patient. She had already had German Measles from another one, so went home to the farm near Ludlow to recuperate. she mentioned sharing the farm kitchen with a sick calf. "It isn't sick of anything in particular, it's just sick." There were often weak lambs in the very slow oven, used as an incubator. We'd feed them on warm milk from time to time, using a whisky or rum bottle with a teat. I think I was back in Leeds then, where I was working at the time. I wrote a lot of letters home when I was young and they were passed round the table. My father was convulsed at the information that "I have been to Where no vultures fly". I was staying with my aunt and uncle in Wolverhampton. It was a good film and I was about 8. Ever since, I still check the sky for vultures in Wolverhampton whenever I go there. It's true, they stay well away.

Have I lost my witty and erudite post?

Hi again!
Shame about the Washing m/c.
Not much to report here. Nothing happening.....
I have a pdf e-mail for Hosp "Distant" telephone appoint. Merely confirming what I knew already, but all mail delayed by a Covid matter at the incoming mail sorting office. Life is too exciting nowadays....

Nice to have the missive from a distant friend. Yes, I have heard of farm animals being warmed into life in a kitchen. Many years ago when I "did" holidays, at a Village house in Edale. A grand house of many rooms.. One room - where we were fed after a day in the hills - Walking, climbing and so on - was an enormous Fireplace. in the brickwork around the fireplace were sundry cupboards ranging from Roasting ovens down to Bread-rising spaces. ... and, yup, we were told of abandoned or Motherless Lambs being resurrected there.
The proprietor's Wife (his former secretary from his Naval days) and Her Mother were writing a cookbook - Food was Very High on the joys of those Holidays ....

Snow elsewhere in Essex, and Warnings for this Area (and warning of Higher Covid rates).

Best Wishes......

The new machine is due to arrive today. I have moved the bookcase from the hall, which would have prevented the free transit of trolley, and will have to pass on the Robert Heinlein collection to another fan. Most of the Leslie Thomases will go except for Dangerous Davies, whose canine sidekick, living in his car bearing an uncanny resemblance to a hearthrug and improbably named Kitty attacks him savagely when he opens the door. No doubt he would be played in the film by Burt Kwouk.

My favourite place in the Peak (or Peac) district is Beechenhill Farm near Ilam. When I stayed there my fellow guests sounded somewhat familiar and I realised from their accents that they came from the next village to my childhood home, but in the next county, Herefordshire. The husband (who had one very wobbly and distracting, tooth as well as 3 others more firmly fixed) may well have gone to the same school as me but I think he was a few years older at the time, because I didn't recognise his face. We had an interesting conversation about hops, which grew in profusion there. Ilam is lovely, but after I had stayed at another farm in Cheddleton near Leek and at the Snake Pass Hotel, I realised I had to move my tour into Yorkshire very soon because the flat Derbyshire accent was making me lose the will to live. I love staying on farms, because they give variety which returning home doesn't give. One, near Brimham Rocks had the curtains hanging from pitchfork handles for curtain rails. I found this amusing and the room was very comfortable with no wisps of straw or cobwebs to be seen.

Hi!
I don't Know Ilam. But you have got me Thinking of Edale, Again. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that to go back for a looksee, will show that it is all different now. But Herefordshire.... Does that include Ledbury... I had a work stay there - One of the Member Apple Orchard Co-oP of "Home Grown Fruit", ( i.e., English fruit to retail shops, all using the same packaging/sizing/quality etc) but it was a Lovely Little Town - Hardly a Village, but Like Edale, I'm afeared that it would be disappointing to re-visit.
Snake pass.... I think it was the alternate East-West road that was closed by snowfall, each Winter.

I shan't dwell here tonight - I have a Hospital appointment in the a.m. Not in the Hospital, but in a Health Centre (The Hospital is closed to Visitors because of the High Corvid count). I have to find some records before I venture there, but I need daylight to find it all ..... My Living room ceiling light has chosen this week to expire after only 40 years of use? I need a circular fluorescent tube, but local shops don't have one - I would have done better to have found paperwork during daylight instead of shopping for a light tube?
Ho Hum, such is life.

I've been very busy with the Magazine and sent off the internet copy link this morning. The gardener came later and cleared away the brambles. I decided to try and see if I could turn round in my drive and after several changes in direction managed to end facing the exit without hitting the brambles, the bins, the bird feeder or the surplus toilet in the corner. All in the dark, but not worth the effort. Still you don't know what you can do till you try.

I was feeling pleased with myself for writing my cards, taking them to the post office and getting them posted before the last second class collecting deadline.

Was it the resplendent Wildboarclough and Kinderscout that was blocked in the snowy weather?

I have just sent a long and detailed post to you ..... The Web then told me that I was disconnected. I will try again in the Tomorrow

I'm having trouble - especially with this board: I MUST give pooter a good talking too:

Glad you got the Garden parking sorted, and that you've got the Magazine posted, but Re Snake Pass winter blockage... Just repeating what I wrote before The pooter connection failed ... I never got to find where the blockage was - The road was blocked so I never tried to get there... BUT a particular walk caused us to take sheler (rain, not snow) under a rock that served as an umbrella. One bod taking Shelter was muttering... "Look at those people in their cars - dry, warm, Hi Fi on the radio, soon to be home... They must be green with envy of us, in the cold, hungry, wet and soggy..."
In that Same party I learned that Edale had a Cricket club, and that They had a sub-group of Walkers to walk across the hills to play against a game in the next village on the route.. But they had a rule that No one should be caught walking when the pubs were open. If they were caught out they had to walk back to the beginning, and start again. Theyt never reached a game.

Not written many cards this year. A few I could remember without resorting to Diary/address books. Unfortunatly, Having not worked for some years, I have not keeping a current one - And I just cant find the least ancient one (I really must tidy up this place - I need a sorter as well as a Gardner). And I know that even that Newest Old Diary includes a few bereavements and address changes, and, as the house changes co-incided with retirements I think that many others are out of date - and I was unwell when The Local Council changed my address several times (as The house owner I'm sure I shoud have been told each time).
I don't have your address, either.

Twice today (or twice ever) I tried to heat Chesnuts, forgotten then, could work out where the burning smell was comming from, and had to thrown away the burnt offering.. You just cant get them right without an open fire.

OK, I'll try to see if I can get pooter mail working ... again.

Best Wishes

Happy Christmas

I use the Christmas card list to update my diary/address book. One section, I think it was the S-es has nearly all crossings out due to deaths. I promised myself I'd start a fresh sheet so that everyone on it is still alive. One neighbour who was a great source of amusement and friendship moved to a succession of care homes, then died. Her son and his wife are at first acquaintances but are friends too. He won an award for being a captain of a container ship that repelled Somali pirates by wiggling the back of the ship and the pirates fell off. He tells the story as self defence because his wife was on board and he wasn't going to let them hurt her. I'll send you my contact details by Personal message or email.

Loved your story about the cricket team. Is that why Derbyshire isn't really a contender in the County Cricket line up. When Border changes threatened to take our village out of Shropshire and into Worcestershire, my grandfather went to the protest meeting and listened to to speeches of outrage. As one who had moved from within the county of Shropshire, he drew himself up to his full 5' 8", and said, "If it does happen, we'll have a Cricket team in the County Championship" then he walked out. We all stayed in Shropshire, but lost our railway line.

The story of the sheltering friends reminds me of the Punch cartoon of the Highland cattle knee deep in grass with the rain lashing down and the caption "This is the life eh". We were waiting in a 4 mile traffic queue to enter the itinerant Game Fair (It moved every year to a different venue), and this time it was at Annan. I found a copy of 'the Punch guide to good living' in the glove box. I read the articles out loud to OH and I, but we were weeping with laughter for no apparent reason to surrounding cars. The following year, we had Alan Coren's 'The Sanity Inspector to enliven our journey to Rugby School. I often wish I had them now for those occasions when meeting a car in a narrow lane and their passing bay is nearer to mine did they but look.

I left a Christmas pudding simmering on the hob when I went to Midnight service and it had dried but being on a very low heat I was able to let it cool and restore it to the heat this morning water replenished. It was lovely eventually, and I am having a second helping cold, now. George Vi Christmas pudding was a recipe published in the Radio Times in 1946. There is no flour in it, only breadcrumbs. It's rich but not stodgy.

Happy Christmas

Hi again - been a bit unwell today, so only catching up now - Betwixt incoming Phone calls from Friend and Sister.
Sister wanted to come and visit... but Bus services shutdowns are different in her neck of the woods and to mine, The Railway station nearby to her has different close-down days (Platform lengths being extended for London Transport longer trains) to the station near to me - different line into a different London Terminal (another London Transport Line is being altered at one point to pass BR on the opposite side of BR tracks to enable their extension to a new housing estate by the docks), so my (untouched) station will stand idle ..... until they introduce a truncated service whilst (when?) whilst update the overhead lines further away from London - beside the seaward gales. Think I'll stay indoors for awhile.

Your mention of Highland Cattle reminds me of two things... The first is that The Officer in charge of The Local County Country park, borrows some "Visitor Friendly" beasts where the populace can meander. in pre covid days it had been Highland cattle one year, and sometimes, Horses.

But when I lived "at Home" - 1970's - I took Mum's Alsation on a Long walk - A former farm had become absorbed into a Nature reserve/Country Park. Dog was completely confused and suspicious about these odd hairy beasts,

Much thanks for the Chrismas Pud Instructions - It looks a"Bit Big" for a single household. I would have been TWO at that time, in 1946: Presumably in days of rationing - Before The Archers, Before Mrs Dale, ..... I'm dubious of Breadcrumbs in these "Mothers Pride" days. (The Old Mill in Wat Tyler Country is now merely "Decoration" in the Garden of a Director of a National Baker)........ BUT... (hooray) The Upminster Mill is having its 300 years servicing - The cap and Sails were re-fitted in the last pause between "Lockdowns" Before the latest Covid Upgrades, it was expected to have flour by Easter - Got my doubts now.

The Sanity inspector ... Sounds a bit "Marx Bros" Humour .. A contract discussed of "The Sanity Clause" and "There Aint no Sanaty Claus".

I'm going to have to bite the bullet and sort books, Diaries, address books and Recipe books/notes etc. I got as far as getting dozens of folders - But sorting takes up more space than the the current "Heaps"

Goodnight ................

I hope you are feeling better now, and that you get a visit from your sister soon.

The sanity Inspector referred to a scandi au pair who delivered a message that the sanity inspector was due to call and it was actually the sanitary inspector. Which film was the Marx Bros exchange over the sanity clause? Brought to you by You Tube, it was A night at the Opera.

The Christmas pud recipe made 4 pyrex bowlsful. The rationing went on for years so where people got dried fruit from, I have no idea. I think people bought it when they could and hoarded it for special occasions. People had less to eat after the War than during it. I remember being asked for ration stamps to buy my favourites, Mars Bars and putting off the shopkeeper each week. I STILL don't know why my mother gave all our sweet rations to a shop that didn't stock chocolate. She never told me where my sweet rations were. The 1948 Berlin Air Lift sending food to Berlin when rationing here was its most stringent still needs explaining. Maybe the papers relating to that, won't be available for 100 years after then, so we won't ever hear how it was managed.

Hi..
No, not feeling better: I have to add toothache to my list of complaints.

Marx Bros .. Can't remember the name of the film, but it was when Groucho was a Solicitor. When his secretary answered a phone call asking when He (Groucho) would be back from court, she told them "Six Months" if there was a good judge.

Food to the Berlin Airlift ... When The CEGB were my clients (1970's) I remember Eight new power stations were under construction. One was in France (Nuclear) and one was called "Rhine". So as late as 1970 we (GB) were still building industry for the Germans - Long after the Berlin Airlift. I believe the Power was to service The Motor Industry - remember when Volkswagen fiddled the exhaust quality to sell their cars to us... You would think they were trying to run Europe - but by the Time I worked for Eurostar, they were at it again 23Million £'s for each Sleeper - adapted to use signals/voltages/etc from England/Wales/Scotland to various European (and Russian) Countries... and Charged for each palatial train BEFORE Construction (twenty-five of them I think) when the routes were cancelled). They were tendered all over the world to break up these damn great big trains.. No idea what it cost.

Oh yes, I'm in a bad mood - hurty tooth not helping. No, I've not seen Kid Sis: she is back working at Hospital today. I saw photo's somewhere (Don't know what Newspaper) that had Ambulances queuing in the street (Brooksby Road I think) to pass on their patient and their report into Hospital reception admitting exam, at one of "My" hospitals (Homerton - part of "The City and Hackney - Barts Group" Area management).

Thats all .... Needs my beautysleeps. Best Wishes... M........

Moving swiftly on . . .