Alt.Mustardland

Assume you are out prancing around the Maypole on the Village Green

Or naked gardening? No fear. I may get dressed and go and see if the Hobby horse is dancing on the Quay in Minehead. I'm more than a little unsettled by it to tell the truth. Very little scares me, but there's more than a hint of menace about it. I think if you are a local and know who's inside it's a bit less scary.

Not quite certain what a Hobby horse is/was/does..
But Naked Gardening..... at one point in what Jokingly call my "Career" I had to confirm that any Gardners/groundsmen etc were wearing their Safety boots, but Naked (shudder).

Sorry - not keeping up ... On another post that I lurk in, someone has had a Motor accident - He's OK but then Fire Service had to cut him out of the car - I'll catch-up Later.

The Hobby horse arrives in the town around Mayday. It's a withy frame about the size of a small upside down boat that dances through the town, accompanied by a drum and a squeezebox, and collectors. People are expected to donate or be booted ten times, only if they present themselves confronting the horse. It's reputed to have scared off visiting vikings. https://www.mineheadonline.co.uk/hobbyhorse.htm

I chose not to garden naked or dressed. Too many brambles, and people of a nervous disposition. Now May 1 has passed it's over for this year.

It's a shame about the accident and having to be cut out of the car, but good that he's OK.

It seems similar to the Dragon that (in pre-covid days) there was a Chinese food Shop in the Eastgate Arcade (Or "Mall" as the Town Management call it). Someone (later seen to be a sweaty fit young woman) wore the dragon's head. She and her bent double train of dancers processed in the most dramatic dance, even charging into innocent bystanders, followed by symbols and drums - Looked like damn exhausting work to me.
I think the Town Centre was well on its way to destruction before Covin put the kybosh on it.
I wonder if the Morris Dancers will return to some of the smaller Towns will return one day - The Biggest Essex shindig was the Court of Dunmow when The Court will present "The Dunmow Flitch", awarded to a couple who can prove of having no crosswords for a year-and-a-day.

I like the look of the Chinese New Year Dragons, but maybe that space was a little too small for it.

Are they doing up Braintree instead? Or just everywhere else in Essex?

We would never have earned a Dunmow flitch. We were pretty combative most of the time owing to my OH helping himself to my tools Except for the socket set which came in a bright pink case. The friendly Polish mechanic borrowed them once, but had the grace to return them to the boot hardly at all disarranged. OH would walk off with things and not return them. a screwdriver set would reappear in various places separate from their fellows and the empty box halfway up the stairs. I would shout very loudly my disapproval, but he'd start again a few days later when he thought I'd forgotten but repeat offenders have a habit of reminding you.

The Eastgate Centre in the Town in Basildon Centre demolished much of a Road of useful shops but extended to a much larger area of three stories, with a Three storey Department Store (Latterly absorbed by Debenhams - now closing) and a combined Supermarket (Saisbury) and Clothing (BHS) now known as ASDA (Associated Dairy) at the other end. In its three stories,including The multi-kitchened Restaurant had plenty of space for the Dragon.
That "new" building is now under threat - I wonder what Todays Election will have on its future?

Braintree .... A place of errrr ... nonentity. Lots of varied shops but now unused. I know only three things:

One is that it included a newer collection of shops which"failed" and now has a Gimick name "????? Village" (cant remember the name).

Another is that (another of my jobs) was a new (fireproof/waterproofed) storage for 250 years of condensed Medical records - saved in case someons finds Covid or whetever comes next in the research list are "safe" in Braintree, but I suspect not in the Town itself.

and the third .... well opposite the London Hostpital's original records in Whitechapel is a Pub called The Blind Beggar... One of the recent current micreants escaped to live in Braintree - His Mur..... I mean Death was very much in the news. Braintree seems to be less popular now!

Borrowing someones tool... A Hanging offence from my Apprentice days - back in the days when GB needed tools to make things. My Tool box is still locked - I must have a key somewhere....

I really tried to forgive the tool borrowing but it was too persistent. He was a Gemini with too much mercurial influence. Otherwise he was a joy and delight.

I did visit Braintree once and was chiefly impressed by the library. Not as compared with other libraries but with other premises in the town. I only went into the library to seek out a map for finding the location of friend's address. The librarian did her best but I think she was an untrained volunteer. Fortunately I had friend's phone no. He used to live in Colchester near the Roman barracks.

I have been and voted. Used my own pencil for the Police and Crime Commissioner post. I opted for the previous one's deputy standing as an independent in hopes he would at least be experienced. His predecessor ran two terms as an independent and made not too many mistakes as far as I know. I complained to her because the police were following me as I was driving Blunders's car. He had been banned for driving while drunk. She sent a Sergeant to apologise and we had a pleasant conversation with Blunders telling him that I hardly drank at all and never when driving.

I don't know who escaped to live in Braintree. I have selected my bolt hole as somewhere I have never been before so have no recorded association with the county, before I found a 4th cousin living there. I believe we have a great great great grandfather in common. I hope her father will still be alive when I finally get to see her.

Braintree seemed like a "Faded Glory".
The Gangster Who escaped by a High speed Drive from a Restaurant that He owned in Braintree to seek Police Sanctuary (in Chelmsford, I think) was ..... "A good Friend" of Mrs Kray. It was one of the Mr Krays that took umbridge

But I did Like Colchester - A Big New Cente (well,it was new 30 years ago) in the Old Roman Town. If working all-day there, one needed a Long-stay Car park, at The Sergeants Wives Club (Top of Flagstaff Hill)..The Wives being those of No2 Para Not the type to "cross with" - Parking Payment was in the Bar where The Wives were alternating between Enormous Grease-Rich Breakfasts, and Doing a lot of Sweaty Gymnasium type Work...

There is a "Battered Oak Door" to a House that is alledged to be a raid by someones army ...Would it have been Becket - My Memory fades daily??? I know it was not the other man of Violence - The Witchfinder General Found Witches at Rochford, not Colchester...

I remember when they announced on the national news that the Krays had been arrested. "Who on earth are they?" I wondered. Tomorrow's afternoon drama is based in the East End, "The Corrupted" by GF Newman.

When I went to Colchester, I was visiting a friend, so never got to see any Roman remains. I liked my visit to Housesteads on Hadrian's Wall. When I was doing the compulsory dig for my Archaeology degree, we were digging where the Meole Brace Park and Ride now is, just off the A49 at Shrewsbury, but because some were digging near Bridgnorth and others at Whitley Grange towards Wales, we all camped in the Roman forum at Viroconium/Wroxeter. There was a Roman Vineyard down the road, and some of us went there for a wine tasting. I bought a bottle, but it wasn't a very good year. The Romans grew vineyards and lots of the locals couldn't stay away from the place. More for the baths and trade opportunities. The site at Meole Brace was a gathering site for local tribes to meet, swop potential brides for their young men and give competitive gifts. If your gifts to other tribes were the best, you'd be top tribe. A bit like Sergeant's wives contesting for prestige.

I seem to remember "The Corruptors" before, but it went on too long so I never saw the last episodes. Assume tomorrows is a New Episode (I wont hear it - The latest change of my Covid 2nd Inoculation is tomorrow).

I am trying to remember a W/e Holiday walk that I had made for "My Gang" (Spare Time Club), around Malvern. It included a place that I think was called "British Fort" that was the remains of a Roman Fort - I'm not quite certain of the Diffence Between a "fort" and a Castle.. -

Not certain the Age of The Nearest Remains of a Castle - Hadleigh, A View accross the Estuary. That Hill was the site of (DON'T Laugh) the site of the London Olympics "Mountain" Cycle race.....??? The next Castles/Forts are at Tilbury.

Colchester Castle is now a Museum - but was Close in Covid.

A fort is a garrison and sometimes weapons store. Often a trading post because the merchandise is protected. A Castle is, or can be a weapon of war. Its prime purpose is to control the surrounding countryside and to advance the border. Ludlow had/has a castle but the trading is done in the town outside the castle. It has a wall too. Carlisle is quite bland until you find a way in. . .

Malvern's British fort was built by Bronze age tribesmen perhaps as a gathering place so not Roman otherwise the Normans wouldn't have built on top of it. It's sometimes said that the Normans avoided Roman sites because of superstitious fear of the Romans, but I think it was things like foundations that would make it too much like hard work to dig foundations for the new layout.

Tilbury must be a sizeable plateau which would explain why Elizabeth I gave her rallying speech to the assembly about being a weak and feeble woman with the heart and stomach of a King. She already knew by then she was on the winning side but wouldn't pay off her men in Plymouth, and left lots of them on the ships to starve.

Ah... Coalhouse Fort was (alledgedly) to deliver and despatch Coal??? But it is a long way from London - It would seem that The Carriers (Coasters) would have been better to bring it ashore in the London Docks?

I Suppose Tilbury is a plateau in the sense that It's above The Thames Level, but it was certainly low enough for the Various Docks to have been Dug between the Warehouses.. (OK, one warehouse is a South American River aka Amazon). Further down (toward London) was Marshland is Rainham - A swamp and now a Nature Reserve Behind The Thames wall That is dissapointing for a cruise on the Waverly - one can only see the face of the Thames Seawall.

Oh dear ...My mind is wandering allover the place. I don't know when goods were transferred to Barges (Tea from East india Dock to Lyons, Coals to the Lectrickery works at Lea Bridge ... No, it is no good - my brain is wandering (Covid Inocuation nurse said this could happen - if she hadn't mentioned it, i'd be fine).

A plateau is a space of level ground where a crowd can gather to see you make a fool of yourself. By 'you' I also mean me, or anyone. A nature reserve behind the Thames barrier could be a good place to walk with a friend or sit and listen to the birds. Not those silly plastic boxes with headphones attached. With all those docks you mention one might think it is unbelievably noisy.

Are there places in Epping Forest not clogged up with hastily buried murder victims? They should invent a detector to sound the alarm when recognising bone or fillings. There is one that detect things underground, but I'm not sure if it detects echoes through ground instead of water, or works on a different principle. Pay no attention to me. I've been reading a lot of murder mysteries lately.

I hope you have fully recovered from your second Covid inoculation. I thought eventually I would catch up on my sleep, but now I'm dreaming a lot. I've forgotten what about this morning, but I'm often back in my most hated office finding returns I've forgotten how to do and have never got round to doing. Then I wake up knowing they will never be done. I did do one booking where I caught up over a few weeks on one poor chap's backlog, and all the council's bills got paid, old statements and empty envelopes got recycled and the space under the desk got cleared.

I spent Tuesday going for a walk with my beloved sister. She of the 5 mile walks. I manage about 700 steps on a good day and trying not to be a killjoy managed eventually 4988 steps round the Westonbirt Arboretum including going to the hotel (Hare and Hounds) for lunch. I regretted not changing my good shoes for my comfortable ones on the drive home because I swiftly discovered a blister on my right heel. At one point I experimented with using my left foot on the brake which was so much more efficient than my right that I came to an 'orrible halt and I couldn't work out how to get going again. The driver of the car behind was very patient and didn't so much as flash his lights at me. We were in very slow traffic in a village with a tractor trying to pull out to his right then we had to follow him patiently for a couple of miles after that. The original plan had been to take off my right shoe, but I was so unnerved by the lack of neural pathways to get back to right foot control that I abandoned the attempt until I got home.

I was exhausted and went back to bed and stayed there until morning. I was stiff and was trying exercises to unseize my calf muscles so had another lazy day yesterday, but I feel a bit fresher today and despite wanting to go back to bed I've almost finished the Magazine. I just have to distribute the drafts and rotas then I can take the proof corrections tomorrow and send it off to the printers. First I have to get dressed for the first time since Tuesday and take the proof copies to the proofreaders this afternoon.

Hi ya... Just picking up the threads after a pooter failure - My Window Seven computer didn't like me trying to convert posts to Window 10, and life was getting "Difficult". It seems that the pooter was installed by a Disbled persons workshop, and was (one of many) windows editions but was an "economy reduced rate" job that didn't take kindly to W 10 conversion.
Will catch up later. - I have to go out to Mr Barclays place and see if I have enough wealth to eat....

Are there places in Epping Forest not clogged up with hastily buried murder victims? They should invent a detector to sound the alarm when recognising bone or fillings. There is one that detect things underground, but I'm not sure if it detects echoes through ground instead of water, or works on a different principle. Pay no attention to me. I've been reading a lot of murder mysteries lately.

Not Certain ... I vaguely remember that when I organised "rambles", one of the Ramblers (A Policeman - now retired to be a painter in the Lake District) told me that there would be burials - but what with Foxes and Hedgehogs ...... quite apart from Lakes for non-buried deaths dumped there. ..but on to a happier mode.


2nd Covid ... Yup - but my original appointment (Boots the Chemist in Bluewater shopping nctre in Kent), but the last renewal sent me to the wrong place ..... The ACTUAL Hospital that was closed twenty years ago - Some Hospitals (dating from pre-nhs days) were built for Local villagers - but in Later days, specialist services needed a bigger catchment beyond local needs, thus breaking the benefactors bequeathments to outsiders, so the Hospital and Land had to be restored to the benefactors successors. (I was involved in that Closedown - and another one (possibly two) in Brentwood). It seems to have been re-opened to the NHS as a "Community Hospital". but it did cause be sundry bus and taxi journneys to find a site in that Community Hospital ("The Farquarharson Suite") when I had actually gome tp Thurrock Hospital.

Yup, I know about achey foots and calves re driving.... I have not actually driven since my "Stroke", but I am pondering on going for a few "Modern" driving lessons... My real car needs some new tyres, and that nice (presumably wealthy) lady in the midlands has got "Covid-delayed" in acquiring Dunlops obsolete tyre-making tools...but the Car Restoration Show is open again this Autumn....(The Birmingham Exhibition Ctr).

Hope you recovered your exhautions,... and got your proofs written and delivered.