A Cafe Conversation

I was out and about, mostly avoiding the mess of the plasterer currently busy on my hall, stairs and landing, when it seemed like time for a cup of tea.  I went into somewhere I’ve not been in for years and settled down.  Lovely tea in a china teapot, with hot water – and a cheeky warm cheese scone too!

All was calm and peace; I was probably the youngest there by years so that gives you an idea of the cliental.  Murmured conversations, no tinned music, just as I like it.

Suddenly the door opened and in came a woman, probably in her fifties and her daughter, probably in her late twenties/early thirties.  I didn’t know them, so am only guessing!

They soon settled down to a conversation which kept the rest of enthralled as it was mostly carried on at full volume!  The gist of it was (many, many expletives deleted!) as follows.

The daughter explained to the mum that she had booked her holiday for the summer.  She and ‘the kids’ were going to a Hotel in Spain for two weeks, all inclusive so there wouldn’t be a lot to pay out when they got there. She had just been into the travel agent to book her flights as she was worried about getting it wrong.

‘I told ‘er – I want cheap flights.  When she told me the price I nearly died – I told ‘er that it couldn’t be right.  Four of ‘em are only kids’.

‘Terrible, that is.  Get ‘em cheaper did ya?’

‘Nah.  She said it was full price for each kid.  ‘Course, I argued but she said they ‘ave a seat each, and that’s the seat price.  I said put ‘em two to a seat but she said that weren’t allowed’.

‘Terrible.  Whatcha do?’

‘I told ‘er.  I’m living on benefits and with four kids, I can’t afford that sort of money.  Know what she said?’

‘Nah, what?’

‘She said if I was on benefits wiv four kids, she was surprised I could afford two weeks in a hotel in Spain!!’  Cheeky cow – I walked out’.

‘Ya never!’

‘Yeah – only fing is, now I ain’t got any flights so will ‘ave to try somewhere else.’

‘Ave ‘alf me doughnut, that’ll make you feel better!’

You could have heard a pin drop – the whole place was riveted by this saga!  I was almost tempted to follow them when they left to see if they had a similar reception elsewhere – but I stayed put and had another cup of tea.

Thank You For The Memories Facebook

I own up to loving Facebook!  Yes it can irritate the life out of me, but I love the opportunity to see what people are up to, look at their photographs and just generally keep in touch with people.

Someone locally has started a page devoted to memories of the estate where I have lived since 1951 – and what a brilliant resource that is!!  Photos from the 50s and 60s of places and people I had completely forgotten about but which stir so many vivid memories.  The schools I attended, the shops I used, the areas where I used to play.  (This was of course a time when children would play outside all day long in all weathers – on swings and bits of rope, fishing in the local stream, building dens in the woods , racing carts down the hill and ruining your shoes because you had no brakes).

Then someone started a thread on there about the road I lived in until I married!  Wow – the names of all the neighbours just brought back so many memories!  How important these memories are – they make me glad and sad at the same time, they add to my feeling of security every time someone says ‘I remember you!’  I was there, I am part of someone else’s life!  How good it is to know what has happened to different people, those that have married and moved away, sometimes to the other side of the world, those that have passed away but are still remembered.  How we used to gather on the green outside our houses and have a huge bonfire on Guy Fawkes night, the football/cricket matches, playing ‘curby’ and ‘Please Mr. Crocodile’ in the road.

Life then seemed to be a time of freedom – the war was over, people were becoming used to peace and children were allowed to be just that – children.  Any adult would help you if you were in trouble, any adult could tell you off if you misbehaved and no-one had to worry about talking to strangers.  Of course, there were people about who would today strike terror in the heart of a child – but we seemed to know how to cope – when to laugh at them, when to kick and scream and when to just run away – I suppose we were what would now be called ‘street wise’.

They were the best of times, we had very little money but, my word, we were rich in friends, neighbours and families.

Bit of a Week Really!

It’s been a bit of a week in this house this week – good and bad, but different!

Mothering Sunday was blissful with visits from the Senior and Junior Girl bearing flowers and chocolates, then flowers, wine and chocolates from Our Boy delivered by a really nice man, followed by a phone call!  How spoilt I am – and so very lucky.

Monday saw the Main Man and me off to the cinema to watch The Second Exotic Marigold Hotel – we are not cinema goers as a rule but we did enjoy this.  Also saw a trailer for something else I fancied so perhaps we’ll go more than once this year!

Tuesday – off to the hospital with the Main Man, to the Audiology Department.  He asked me to go with him as he was worried that he wouldn’t hear what the doctor was saying – but she was obviously used to speaking to the hard of hearing – slow and clear!!  The waiting area was really funny, and not well thought out – lots of old folk coming in because their aids weren’t working for some reason or other.  They handed them over for repair then, of course, couldn’t hear when they were called or what was said to them.  I had to move seats at one point so I didn’t burst out laughing. They give all those waiting a ticket – when the nurse called ‘Letter C’ half the room leapt to their feet saying things like ‘I’m D’ and I’m G’ because they couldn’t hear what she said.  She had to write the letter on a piece of paper and hold it up!!  You’d think they might have a better system by now!

We’d only been back about a quarter hour when we had some sad news that the father of a family member had passed away very suddenly.  His poor wife (she is in her mid 80s) is completely in shock and, although the family have all rallied around, it’s been a very difficult time for them.

In the evening it was the weekly meeting of the women’s discussion group BBC – we were talking about rationing.  I took along a week’s food rations – which I think was a real eye-opener to some people.  Some of us are of an age to remember it of course!  We particularly enjoyed looking at old recipe books – with recipes for Crow Pie – First catch two crows.  Or Starling Pie – catch and pluck eight starlings (this will feed four people!).  Or Suet Pudding with no suet – made with mashed potato!  The ingenuity of people in those days was amazing.

Wednesday – back to the same hospital with the Senior Girl.  Much waiting about and enlivened by people watching.  You can pass the time very easily when you’re with someone you know well and with whom you share the same sense of humour because you don’t need to explain why things are odd!

Yesterday we had a phone call from another family member to tell us her husband, of whom I’m very fond, had been for an endoscopy because they thought the tablets he takes were affecting his stomach lining, only to discover he has stomach cancer and will be having surgery followed by chemo and radio therapies!  It was a complete shock!

Then I broke my back right molar, leaving a jagged bit sticking out which kept snagging my tongue!  I had to go to the dentist for a temporary repair and will have to go back for a proper job later.  My dentist is lovely, and very patient with me but he will make me laugh when I’ve a mouth full of equipment and can’t speak!  We had been talking about previous dentists that were there before he came some twenty five years ago.  One of them is still a dentist in the area, but takes off every summer to travel to Canada and treat Bears.  Yes, Bears.  Apparently they often need root fillings, and he spends six weeks each year doing this!!

In the evening I met up with an old friend who has a little too much going on in her life right now, but we shared some memories and lots of laughter so I hope she felt a little better when we left.  Also hope it won’t be so long before we meet up again!

Today was to be the much anticipated and eagerly awaited Eclipse.  However, it was so cloudy here that it was a bit of a non-event!  Very cloudy so no sign of the sun.  It was quite grey and murky but no worse than many a day – so it passed unnoticed really.  Pity, because I would have loved to see it!  In 1999 there was a total eclipse and it was the day the Main Man and I were due to set off on our first cruise for our Silver Wedding.  We were all packed, ready and dressed – sitting in the garden in deckchairs watching!

Strange how some weeks just trickle away and you don’t even notice they’ve gone – then you get a week like this.

I give thanks for the great blessings of family and friends, and am filled with sorrow for the bad times – but you can’t get older without your life being a mixture of the two.

I hope you’ve all had a good week!

Discussion Group – and the OU

Just thought you might be interested in hearing something I’m now involved in!

A lot of women enjoy a good discussion/conversation and a newly-formed group offers just that!  I left Wonder Women in the summer for a variety of reasons, and several members during the ensuing discussion were very interested in having the opportunity to discuss things that were not just of a spiritual nature but might encompass history, philosophy, entertainment etc.

From this grew the new group – BBC (Bonkers Birds in Conversation) – with the aim ‘To Inform, Educate and Entertain’.

We still meet weekly but in a different venue, and the group is still restricted to women only – but we now discuss a wide variety of topics, with no holds barred.  We have had very lively discussions about things as varied as ‘Age of Criminal Responsibility – Right or Just?’ ‘My Sister’s Keeper – A Mother’s Dilemma’, ‘The Middle East’.  We’ve learned a bit about the ‘12 Step Programme’, ‘Autism’, ‘Boudicca’ and amongst other things we are looking forward to thinking about ‘Would the nation be healthier if rationing was re-introduced’, ‘What were you taught at school that you’ve never used’ and ‘Stonehenge’.

Because we don’t have speakers, the group decides on the topics and everyone is free to venture their opinion.  So far – working very well, lots of laughter and new friendships being formed – so going well!

 

OU work continues  – we are just beginning the last section of the second year, which concentrates on ‘Hard Times’ by Dickens and studying ‘Manchester – Shock City’  (about the Mill owners/workers, conditions of the poor etc.).  Our Boy lives just outside Manchester I shall be asking for help from certain quarters I feel sure!

The Exam looms large – it is in the first week of June. Because I now struggle to write for any length of time, I explained that I would need a keyboard – the centre for this area will be Southampton Solent University.  However, it appears that they have no access to keyboards there and I can’t use a laptop as it might prove distracting for other students so…..I have to do the Exam at home with an invigilator!!  I have to disable my spell check etc. and will then be watched as I type my answers (or not I suppose!)  If I need the loo, the invigilator will have to go and check that there are no books, notes or anything there before I use it!!  Going to be interesting I feel sure.