Alt.Mustardland

just copied the above into The Bleak Midsummer Page for July

Well, Good that you are getting something done...

For me.. I didn't actually get the Ambulance, I went to GP. I missed my call in the waiting room. Eventually someone put me back top-of-list. Doc said little or nothing but, found a spare nurse (Dental? Hurty-foot-dept? Maternity?????? Who knows - certainly was not her own Practice Nurse) to sit with me whilst She (GP) left me to phone.
I Think The anbulance crew (two women) avoided the Town Centre Traffic and took the "Pretty Route" through woodland to New Hosp Dept Building site. - One driving, and the other doing tests and writing up notes. Once at the Hosp they exchanged details with the admitting doc and transfered their Notes into Hosp pooter whilst The Hosp Nurse arranged my Scans

Now that I think ... I doubt if you will be reading this if you are at, or en-route to, or at The Hospital.

Speak/post when they've sorted you.

I've been to the doctor (yesterday) and am going for an xray later this morning, if I get there. Had a pain in my arm this am so rang 999 feeling guilty as one does. But the doctor said they have equipment they can use to see if they need to take you to hospital. I thought of you and your strokes. How did you get the ambulance? Presumably sufficiently not Hors de Combat to get to the phone. Or an alert neighbour.

Hi....
Sorry to read that you are unwell. Is Olbas oil Sufficient? I thought it was merely a decongestant and you suggest that it may be an actual infection....
I hope you have got some medical assistance since your post - I know getting to a Doc/GP is difficult nowadays. I'm getting trouble with mine.

I too have done a few jobs in Retail - and I hated it... But just to mention, the third entrapanour (Beyond toy cars and wooden aircraft) in Sunny Hackney was Jack COhen (The CO part of TESCO) - But Like the other two, he had no money, so His financier was T E Stockwell (the TES part of TESCO) He flogged whatever He could get - by taking his Barrow to the Shop doorway of The Co-oP - try doing that on his shop?

The shop that at least (somtimes) entertaining was a High Street Chemist ... Boots. Always short of Working space. If you are ever in Piccadilly Circus, look up for the "Sobell" tv advert - Behind the sign is a table in Boots Staff Canteen - The table there had to suffice as my "desk".
I had then recently worked on a Number of Hospitals in that Area, and a few weeks before Boots, myself and one of the Clients staff were at our joint leaving "do" just a few yads away from Boots. Boots do not normally sell magazine, but they did have one "good Housekeeping" and The cover girl .... was my recent Colleague just few weeks earlier - She was the Editor of Good Housekeeping??
The Hospitals that I was working on was "Interesting" - The Shaftsbury was Next to a church with the Borough boundary between them - so imagine Tesco's Daughter's council letting her cockroaches getting in to one of one of "Red Ken's" borough's.
My last Boots job was in Kensington Church Street. Their claim to entertainment was The Pharmacist - a pleasant enough bloke and the Wimmin liked him (a different one collected him every night) He was Arabian. His Dispenser was Jewish and Hated the Arab... and His interests was NOT wimmin??? The HATE was tangable.

Hope you can get your medic matters sorted.

M.........................

I'm sorry, I've been feeling grim. Barely able to move from pillar to post without having to stop to catch my breath. I think I have a lung infection, because the Olbas oil seems to be working. Going shopping yesterday was a bit of a nightmare but I got the essentials.

Leslie Thomas's novel "The Magic Army " was all about that gathering of forc es in Devon. I liked nearly all his books. Often it was like a ghostly hand reaching out from page 1 to fix you to the book until you finished it

I worked for Debenhams in a manner of speaking back when they hooked up with Matthias Robinsons in Leeds to share Audio, TV and domestic electrical items. It was a bit like Grace Brothers and after my college course in Household management, I walked in and asked for a job in electrical. The Personnel manager was impressed and said that most young girls wanted to work in cosmetics and fashion so gave me the job on the spot. I Wouldn't have minded the dusting if it wasn't for the obstacle race to get near the shelves, and the diminutive but very waspish First Sales man. He took an immediate dislike to me because I didn't speak Leeds. Once though I made a mistake and had to go and see Young Mr Robinson, who I wouldn't want to be in the room with if the door was closed. I did say that Mr H had told me the price of the item, but I'd misunderstood that the sale price now included the attachments. Mr H was nicer to me after that. The China department was next to ours but was presided over by a terrifying floorwalker who was nominally in charge of us too, but the line was blurred so she hated us. I didn't venture over the line, even in my spare time. It seemed to be all crocks though or I might have risked it.

't wasn't the expectation - they were definately toys - The Later models were more "Dinky" size - and quality (So naturally, I have "collectors" model of my Armstrong Siddeley), but they also likes vehicles (buses and Van's) where they could act as advertising markings on theside (Tetley, Dunlop, Daily Mirror, etc - and Yankee beers when they were trying to export more).

Wrighton's Distinctive Furniture was aimed at Bedroom Furniture (Their Furniture Lorries had a huge Picture of a Lady lauding their new furniture to her friend), but furniture gave way to Kitchen furniture as a new business took over - starting with a transport firm - A scottish name when tartan patterns took over their Furniture pictures on the vans.

My two Uncles drove the Wartime Aircraft parts to De Havilland - They had already met Fred Wrighton in their car/Limosine Business. Even more so, post-war, after The Young Wrighton (Bill) had come home one night and parked hisdad's Lagonda in the Garden Pool in front of their Dad's garden.

Worcester and Coalport China was a feature in Stones (A Department Store in Romford - lattery merged with Copsey's Shops and then Debenham's, and now derelict).

NO - not me - not wood. It is horrible stuff - You cant weld it, Drill and tap, Heat treat it. I was an Instrument-maker. The firm - Scorpion Precision Co - Latterly Elmic Ltd (The Prime proprieter was D Elms). they did toolmaking for the Local Aero/maine Companies (Marconi, Plessey, Kelvin Hughes etc) and for the complte design/make/tooling for model boat and model aicraft parts etc. among other things. All gone now of course Given away to the EU.

As a Babe in Arms I know nothing of Slapton, But I was given to beleve that Beaches were excluded by barbed wire - hence being prammed around the countryside bumping into lost Uncle Sam's soldiers needing directions.

Yes it is the Morning Lay led service.

My brother liked his Dinky cars. He was never enamoured of Matchbox, which were clearly not intended for children to play with, but for forming a collection of replicas. We once gave a friend a red Ferrari in a matchbox, because we couldn't afford a real one.

Was your apprenticeship in carpentry and woodworking? I remember Wrighton Kitchens from the days I couldn't aspire to a new one, but would window shop for kitchens and bathrooms. Where other girls would drool over fashion and cosmetics I added fine china and cutlery to my yearnings. Rather than buy a complete set of utility china in white, my mother would browse the reject shops in the Shambles in Worcester, fix on a shape and buy a few cups and saucers in varying patterns from the Royal Worcester factory. I had a passion for Coalport which I have always thought is the best.

Slapton Sands was the kick-off point for Operation Sea Lion 'masterminded by Ike'. Montgomery was very scornful but had his own undoing in the lanes of Normandy that prevented his overall view of the terrain. He did so miss the desert.

Is the 18th July the one in the Church.

Yup; Dinky Toys was my childhood - not that I had much funds to buy at Morrises Toy shop.
Pocket money toys (latterly Matchbox) was a smaller lighter model - Simpler colour spraying, and No Rubber tyres - This, much cheaper. Dinky toys had a couple of Standard Scales (to fit Meccano's Hornby and Hornby Dublo train scales) Matchbox had various scales to fit Matchboxed (Size D), so bigger models bigger models (e.g., buses) sold as a different brand - as did The "Models of Yesterday" vintage vehicles. - and had rubber tyres (That's the answer to a question on a radio quiz show: "What Car maker had more tyes than any other Vehicle maker?" - Lesney of course (LES smith and Jack Odell).

Yup Mosquito was the Wooden Wonder A number from (eight I think) various furniture factories - Gomme (aka G-plan), Beautility, Times Furnishing, Cabinet Industries (aka C.I.), Wrighton (Fred Wrighton). etc. And one of the ... well, not designer, but Production Eng... was Eddie Kiel of Victoria Park, Hackney - Latterly of Keil-Kraft Model aircrat kits. and joint owner of another small firm where I did my apprenticeship.

Never got involved with parachuted Germans - I was safely as "Babe-in-arms" to Devon - I believe My Mum bumped into yanks asking for direction to their barracks that they were supposed to find unaided?? until the Yank in charge (Bloke called Eisenhower) chucked out the Evacuees when the populace found the number of Bods floating on to the beach and realised the practice death numbers; so was sent somewhere place - Mum's Uncle's place among the Three armed sevices combined GB, Yank and Canadians in/around Southampton Docks... A really safe non-military(?) target?????????

I've been to the rehearsal for our orchestra for 18 July. Because we have a trumpet in the group we played in an easier key for him, not the one I was expecting.

Your map was much larger scale than the one I expected, or is normally available through the Ordnance Survey. There are very precise maps used by specific authorities. My father had one for the farm that showed pretty well everything not actually walking about. I think Matchbox toys were preceded by Dinky toys which were slightly smaller than Matchbox ones. In those days a grown man could hide in an empty Quality Street tin.

It was surprising that those WWII aircraft were made of wood not metal. But metal was in such short supply that they needed to keep it for situations where nothing else would do. One downed German airman near Cannock Chase was terrified to see several determined women approaching him, only to find that his threat potential was completely cancelled out by the appeal of the silk in his parachute.

The map I found seems to be a reproduction of the 1913 original thus an "odd" size of... Wait for it ...1:4340 which they inpret it as 15 inches to the mile. it is 14" by 22", so will exclude many peripheral spots.
The Coronation Coach was in Various Sizes - each being smaller as the previous one exhausted that size/price market. The Casting tools for Penultimat one was deliberately ran through with a Welding torch - so possibly the same as the others, but Matchbox size (Pocket money toys) came too late for the Coronation.

The size/shape of Recreation has moved a bit over the last 150 years, But (from this Map) shows NW of the then Temple Mills plan was the 1913 GER/latterly, LNER) site to be The Filter Beds for The Metropolitan Drinking Water supply so plenty of Birdlife... but There were/is several Filter beds Up to, and Beyond The Lea Bridge Road, called on this map "Leyton Marshes", and odd corners of Millfields (Was "Norton" the name of the Suppliers of "Nannies" to push The Baby's Prams). Certainly Powerscroft Road Mum's certainly wouldn't be pushing their own offsrings prams... and Most Definately not accross The Lea Bridge Road into (gulp)Leyton(gulp).
One of those "Recreation Grounds" was moved several times - One also Know as "Leyton", "Football ground", "Orient", and "Motor Cycle racing".
My map is too early to show the Timber Warehouses and the Barge Docks by "The Cut" ... Thus during wartime (WW II that is) failed to find much wood, and even less furniture making ... Thus some distants timbers that did reach UK were made from various Furniture makers, to Supply Sections of Mosquito Bombers sections, My Mothers older brothers - Both had been hirer/drivers of their car and Commercial vehicle fleet, - hasd become Government Drivers to Deliver Fuselages to De-Haviland - Deisel Artics and "Queen-Mary" skelital low-loaders trailers

Privet doesn't need extending. Ours suddenly made a bid for outer space in one season. My husband had a fear of heights - or ladders, but had at least a foot advantage in height and much more in reach.

Was the Coronation coach supposed to go in a matchbox or was that full size? I'm sure you can find large scale maps in the public library, especially local ones. 4 inches to the mile. I had a look at an OS map because I have a subscription and can see the footpaths. I think you'd have to walk them, and see if they are still there. Existing locals would know someone passionate about keeping them open.

Just across the recreation grounds towards the Temple Mills depot, but northwest of there, there seems to be a wilded area. a blue bird denoting a wildlife area. It's not that far from Hackney Marshes where my husband camped while putting on a play in a theatre on the High Street They were enthusiasts from BT drama groups who put on a NON BT funded drama festival. The heavens opened so one fellow thesp shared his caravan. Still a friend.

You could still grow some watercress by the river but not for sale. My dad was reluctant to interfere, but banned farm sheds and grain stores as play areas, made us keep off the path when the horses were going to graze. Farms have always been dangerous places so the idea of kids playing on bomb sites rings alarm bells. I think kids found other ways to kill themselves mostly, railway lines and bridges. as I recall

Privet doesn't need extending. Ours suddenly made a bid for outer space in one season. My husband had a fear of heights - or ladders, but had at least a foot advantage in height and much more in reach.

Was the Coronation coach supposed to go in a matchbox or was that full size? I'm sure you can find large scale maps in the public library, especially local ones. 4 inches to the mile. I had a look at an OS map because I have a subscription and can see the footpaths. I think you'd have to walk them, and see if they are still there. Existing locals would know someone passionate about keeping them open.

Just across the recreation grounds towards the Temple Mills depot, but northwest of there, there seems to be a wilded area. a blue bird denoting a wildlife area. It's not that far from Hackney Marshes where my husband camped while putting on a play in a theatre on the High Street They were enthusiasts from BT drama groups who put on a NON BT funded drama festival. The heavens opened so one fellow thesp shared his caravan. Still a friend.

You could still grow some watercress by the river but not for sale. My dad was reluctant to interfere, but banned farm sheds and grain stores as play areas, made us keep off the path when the horses were going to graze. Farms have always been dangerous places so the idea of kids playing on bomb sites rings alarm bells. I think kids found other ways to kill themselves mostly, railway lines and bridges. as I recall

I think The Stort starts in Bedfordshire (Luton, Maybe) but at some point south of Harlow Becomes the Lee. I must find your map.
However.... As part of my "De-cluttering" Policy, I found an OS Section of East London - Terrific detail, but included my Chilhood Home, and infant school. But it was dated 1913. Some Sections are Older... My Grandad moved into that home in 1910, just in time for the Ten-year Census and the photo's of the time showed it to be Very Tidy.. I think it went wrong in the 1940,s When the Railings (Built atop a 3ft high wall) were snaffled as War salvage, so it seems that was when the Privat-hedges were extended in hieght, virtually Hiding The Dining room window a few feet away. However, The Map shows Houses that I know to have been Bombsites, and running off the map where I knew Prefab's to be.

I was trying to trace the Route that My Old Mum took me in my pushchair to the Lea Bridge Road Shops.... I can't trace it as I thought it to be... The Lea Bridge Road was where the Lee rejoined The Hackney Cut - which oddly was where a Factory that I worked in was build adjacent to The Cut (That Factory built more cars, busses, lorries and aircraft in the world ... yes, honest .... Oh, and a Coronation Coach, but the other vehicles were sold in Matchboxes?).

I'm Guessing there must have been a later bridge in my time and some new build (or Bodging of bomb damage) - The Power staion was on my Right on the opposite side of the river, but not in the 1913 map - My side had the Tow path for the Barge Hosses... delivering Coal to Lectric and Gas utilities from The Thames Docks.. It was also where the LNER Shunting Yards once stood (all night clanging of loose coupled wagons Shunting to keep me awake... and Latterly when a Japanese railway had their shiny new depot to ferry Eurostar passengers to the Stratford Olympics (Is now The Eurostar new Depot after a Certain Pollytition Scrapped all my lovely International Sleepers - full size, not Matchbox ones - they had long gone.

Oh yes: another thing - in 1910, those Marshes were "watercress Beds" by the 1913 map thet were Recreation Grounds. MY mum used to tell me of their Spaniel dog would follow the Sheep around, pre 1940, but In my time (apart from the odd Kids Plaground slides and swings) it was all Allotments - some concentrated in Heaps of Bombsite detritus (that I thought had been built for us kids to play on).

I have so many books to provide passwords along with random numbers. Capitals can be popped in at weird places too. To ring the changes any word of more than 7 letters can be used.

There is some good modern Church music, which I have heard at 3 Choirs Festival concerts. John Rutter, Judith Weir and others. Singing on boats is fun. I sang when we were on a canal holiday, and going through a long tunnel, I forget which one, I sang For those in peril on the sea. I chose it for my Ma in Law's funeral as she was with us on the narrowboat and would have enjoyed the joke.

Your mention of the River Stort made me go and look it up on the map. Not physically, Google maps was here to hand. This was because of a character in a book called Bedwyn Stort, who anyone would be lucky to call a friend. I had a Birthday meeting with family in a village called Great Bedwyn a few years ago, but hadn't encountered this fine river which wanders through the Home Counties, splits and reunites then augments the River Lea which behaves much the same only more so before joining the Thames with a sigh. Thank you for introducing us.

Well, I have a Password dating back since .... errr... When did the Old King Die? Just that its use on different posts have necessitated other passwords (e.g. someone used my name to advertise some get-rich-quick advert), but this is the only one I remember.. But It was my User Name, not password, that firstly couldn't be found, and then that somebody (i.e. ME) was using it.

Thank you for finding the board name, - Alt Mustardland - that's the bit I couldn't remember.

But now that I'm here ..... nothing happening Just Quiet, Raining, Cold, Moribund, Hapless.
Your Ref to Church Music reminds me of a long-ago friend. I was "link-man" for a Social Club ("Spare Time Club"), When I called her she was on a "Sponsered Sing" ...? A Gang from her choir ("The Harlow Chorus" unknown to me, but apparantly quite famous - Think "Albert Hall" and reciprocal Travel with USA) - Her gang were on a Barge, singing their way down The Stort from Stortford.....
She and her Group were deeply involved with Church singing (Bach = fine; modern composers = not so). She was also A Nun, in "The Sound of Music".... She nearly missed her Cue - Busy marking her day-jobs Schoolwork.

What Fired her Memory was thinking about an "old Girls/Gezzers" equiv of "The Spare Time club", but I don't think it would work today. I think we all used to "so" things then.

I'll stop there - You have suffered enough.
Washing up, Bath and Bed I think.. I'm supposed to be helping someone with a report (well, she helps me), but it needs "Fresh Eyes", as my old colleague would say, in the morn....
Thanks again for finding me.
Goodnight.

Bravo! I assume that I can simply forget my password then I can set a new one or reuse the one I was trying to use before.

That has taken four attemts to get here - I keep being told that my Name is already taken?

Maybe the coffee blenders did what I was taught to do. Grinding individual roasted beans between their teeth to get the true taste. Java is muscular and rich. Mocha is round and Gamey, Kenya is smooth and mild. I like full flavoured without bitterness, so Central American and Caribbean don't get anywhere with me. Tea is probably more variable but I get the best with Assam.

Nestle are so blatant with their total commitment to the bottom line that I decided to boycott them completely. I had to sacrifice Shredded Wheat, but otherwise am fine with substitutes.

I had a rehearsal this morning. My viola sounds very good. It's much better than the first one I bought, and being slightly smaller is easier to play. The Hymns are nicer this time and we're also playing Mozart and Handel.

Should I mention This.... Sometime after the Walls job, I did some work for Joe Lyons - originally a Tea-maker/blender, and Latterly Good Value cooked Lunches in their Tea Rooms, Then inventors of Computer usage for stock control EE-Leo-Marconi, and then Icecream, Bread, Cakes "Ready brek" porage, Sugar substitute sweetner, and, and, and...
Tea used to arrive via Lighter from East India Dock via Brentford Lock, canalled to their own Basin - A dock under a roof extension from the warehouse. All sold off now - Tea (all the Supermarket brands) now supplied mostly by Yorkshire Tea, and Tetley the brewer; Icecream by a new outfit, Kelly; Readybrek-porage to Nestle. Blend 37 coffee(and I think was also to Nestle. But Oh Woe! The "Good Tea" sold only to the Trade - transport cafe mostly - Had a name something like Corona (nothing to do with that name used elsewhere)- 4" square tea bag to make a gallon of tea from a "still" steam producer (and better than anything else I've tasted)

I still remember the tea blending used Double the strength one would make at home - lots of slurping rather than swallowing, then changing one of the blend ingredients - varied by date, which side of the Tea gardens Hill, the weather etc.

I remember that the Tea blenders took tea breaks, but the Coffee blender never had a coffee break.