Alt.Mustardland

Anniversary of Coronation Day... Seem to remember a Street party..Wonder if anybody would do that today.....?

Best Wishes . I'm off as I needs my Beautysleeps.....

It was June 3. It rained until 3 pm. We had a party in the orchard next to the Parish Hall. There was a tug of war, and an anvil moving contest. Everyone won, and a good time was had by all.

Strange thinking back ... Any kid now would laugh at you if you told him/her that a number of neighbours would set out a few "Time-expired" ex-military Cookhouse Tables to share their miserly rations outdoors,, (and in my case) surrounded by Buildimg materials for the "under construction" Housing Estate.

Here comes the rain! We had a first shower in the small hours, a bit of rest then several bouts of heavy rain.

I watched Dante's Peak yesterday, gripping stuff about a volcano about to blow. After all that excitement I watched Babe, the sheep pig to calm me down. I was quite interested in the geology of the first film, but it was very unlikely that a whole family would survive. Actually granny didn't because she refused to leave. I'd think twice about swimming in hot springs though.

Hiya!
Rain .. well that was yesterday - A Miserly light spattering that didn't even cover the paving, but it was cold.

Nope. Not seen any films.. There have been three cinema's in this town - all abandoned, and now half the Shopping centre has been demolished for our Wonderful Council to allow a Third Cinema to be built .. Unfortunately the Outfit Building it ran out of money, so the "Very Prestigious" town Centre is now behind builders hoarding carry ing pictures of what the cinema would have looked like if it was ever built. ... but there is a few shops betwixt The Building site and the Abandoned Mark and Spencer, (But not in use during the current "Situation") and a Bank and a few other shops from the other side of the Building site uo to where "Toys are us" was abandoned.... The Council have Destroyed a vibrant Shopping Centre in 50 years, that Took Romford Council 1200 years to destroy their Town Centre. Oh.. the shops on the other side of the Town Square is also now derelict.

Try and move to somewhere less depressing. Maybe after lockdown is over, things may come back to life surprisingly quickly.

I watched on Netflix, but saw the BBC's list of what they thought were the 10 best films. Apart from Charlie Chaplin and Mickey Rooney in "The Kid", I've seen all the rest. They missed out "7 Samurai", and "The Blues Brothers" so it was a pretty sad list. " Somewhere over the Rainbow" was overrated, but I'm glad they included "Some like it hot".

Hatches battened for wind.

Mickey Rooney ... Wasn't He just a loud mouthed Yank? ... Not too keen on Chaplin either... But a couple of the other "Silents were better..."

But.. Leytonstone man (Wrongly nowon as Epping Forest man) .. But why did Hitchcok insist on being seen in all his Films.

Cold, Tired, Got aches in places where I didn't even know I had places. I'll find a walking stick and sneak off to Beddybies...

Goodnight each.

Rooney was just a child actor in those days. He became a song and dance man on the way to becoming a loud mouthed thug. Brigadoon perhaps. Not as good as Burt Lancaster in the Music man. Hitchcock was just vain. Being seen was his signature on the work. I preferred the York furniture maker who embellished his pieces with an unobtrusive field mouse near a corner.

One of the local thatchers round here puts a woven straw pheasant on the roof of a new roof. I don't think he does it for repairs though. I have seen a pigeon perched disrespectfully on the back of one of the pheasants. A real one wouldn't tolerate it. I sometimes drive up through one of the neighbouring villages to see on the far side a field of wheat or barley, standing straight up. It's been there a few years, so it's probably thatching straw. One year crops wouldn't be strong enough, so I think it just starts to be ready when it's 5 years old.

Something coming through the ether... There was (or is) a painter who's Pictures included Elephants or BR's last Mainline-built Steam Loco's (Think his name was Shepherd ... but my memory is sinking rapidly) who always included a Mouse in his pictures - one such Picture of a filthy, uncleaned, oilstained disreputable Evening Starten-encoupled Freight Loco (The Only Freight Loco painted in Express Passenger guise although the colour was not visible through the muck, and alledgedly?? Molycoddled as the last of the line.. with the mouse by the track??

At some time (apart from taking my Club on Weekend walks) I also met people on Regular Holidays in Edale.. Thus on to accasional subsequent meetings. One meeting was in the Home of our group Lived in a Thatched Roofed Cottage That was the end of a Footpath to Oxford Centre. It was Ruskin's House and He had told his students of the wonders of doing "Manual Work" to form a Path to the Colleges, which, of course. made his walk easier...
The thatch did include embelishments in the roof that identified the thatcher who had to re-roof it every tens of years up to his retirement. Norfolk Thatch lasts Longer but unacceptable in Oxford? (and Loft Insulation was unnecessary???)

Nice day today. My cleaner was due so I had to get dressed and empty the food waste into the Dalek compost bin in the garden. Cassie went toddling off and I noticed that my drain was overflowing so I had to call my plumber and put off the gardener for an hour or so. I've already budgeted for that so it isn't a big deal except for juggling space and time. The cleaner's boyfriend has promised to muck out my gutters next week so that will be fun.

The weather is lovely now. after a week of frequent heavy rain, we have sunshine and not many showers.

I'm busy with the parish Magazine, but have been distracted by an 8 part series on Netflix about a fire in a charity bazaar in Paris. It drew heavily on the Dreyfus issues, but managed to snatch a happy ending for the three main characters.

Hi, I was just pondering on what you were up to.

Now, You'll like this...
I was out today - minding my own business, - (Honest: I was). When I left the road to walk home through this estate, there was a Dog in the Garden of a House by the road.. He is normally in "Lockdown", so not usually separated from his Households Family; normally with them all the time. He got up and ran along beside me - again unusual for an Alsatian (particulartly this devoted beast) to leave his house and "Escort" me. When I reached my Courtyard there were the household opposite sunning themselves (The Sun shines in the front of their house, but in the Garden of mine), but the had this noisy Yappy dog (might have been a Pug) - it came over to me Barking at me... Alsatian kept him at bay until I was indoors.....!!!!!!!

Wierd innit?

Dogs are very good at detecting illness. I hope you are up to date with your medication. When I was very ill, Cassie was all over me. But sometimes she keeps out of the way when I'm ill and very friendly when I'm not. Yes it's weird, but the Alsatian may think you're a sheep and needing protection. It's rather charming don't you think.

I've had a couple of phone calls from family and friend, and just watched "Made in Dagenham" the film about the women Machinists who held Ford to ransom over Equal Pay. I see another lot had to strike all over again in 1984. I've been doing an online course about the Suffragettes and I'm simmering over that too.

Fords... I think that was back in the day, when I was an Apprentice. (Don't laugh, but about that Time My firm had just started making parts for Ford - Rear Spring Shackles for HGV which ford used to make) - 1965-70 - there are stories of that also. 40,000 people at Fords then ... I think now that they just assemble (not make) engines for a Japanese maker...

If Fords were paying 40,000 people but just restricting pay for 167 seat and trim workers to the extent that they would stop production for weeks on end rather than add a paltry sum to the overall pay cost they were as thick as tree stump trump. My Rhodesian friend gave up motor mechanics when there was no fun in it any more.

I've just sent off the magazine for printing also online copies still without planned services but the 5 churches were opened this week for private prayer. With any luck the flower arrangers will start up again.

I'm back to reading again for a couple of weeks. I was quite annoyed to find no bread in Tesco on my weekly shop on Thursday. I had to go again on Friday. I only go to Tescos because they stock the brand and form I want.

I'll tell you a story...
One of the Ford bods was visiting our Factory. The Army had changed a spec, because they had a different bit of ammunition to tow. The Army (Common now, but unusual then) wanted more than one supplier, so the modification applied to both makers (Ford, and Guy). The new design required a different tow connection, and at a different height. The Guy bloke thought nothing of it and vaguely said it would be done for another couople of quid... Ford do their costings to decimals of a penny, and wanted the drawings, No of bolts, washers, torque level and UTS of all components and so on, so wanted the spec for it to be properly costed. ... Ford still exist, whatever happened to Guy??? Thats why they wouldn't discard decimal of a penny just because the machinists would cost them more.. a paltry sum must at some point be the division betwixt worthwhile or a loss... I had very similar problems on costing some nuclear medicine surgery tools.. But public money .... Ah, that's different. Millions of £'s trains scrapped without ever turning a wheel when there was a change og Gov.

So the magazine prod seems to indicate a move to "normality" - whatever normality is? I'm more concerned with loosening the rules, and we have not even had one winter of Corvid yet. in fact not even an Autumn...

Tesco seems to be reducing "in-store" baking. Don't know how far they have got yet..

Too tired - Have to go... A lot of domestic"Things" to sort in the morning... A Had a Coven... I mean "trimphate" of Social bods on Friday - waiting when I came home from the catfood shop - all about probs back to address changes (was it Hamlet, or Macbeth, that had the three women stirring things). Too many aspects that pass their desks fo different reasons - so each of them want yet another three more "Helpers", when I'm already knee deep in "Helpers" .... More Paper, ink, and tranquilizers to be bought in the a.m.

Have fun....

Actually ... something else ... I read a problen in my "on line" local paper, but I have heard nothing on the Radio... The A12 road was closed for 12 hours, but no details of accident, just "Police action", but the Photos included a squadron of ambulances, police cars, and some unmarked, plain black cars with "Hidden" Blue lights.. (Home office?/PLO dock Poiice?/Interpreters? - Who knows) It was only when the road was re-opened was it explained (in Minimal detail) that a freezer lorry had been halted forced open by the fire service and 16 Illegal Immigrants treated by the Ambulance Service on site, and the driver and one passenger "helping with enquiries".
Now, I have heard nothing on any National Report. Is this now so common that it is not newsworthy???? Thats all.

Probably being hushed up to avoid sympathetic responses. The tide of hatred for 'foreigners' is turning

Pooter just gone sulky - keeps disconnecting and re-connecting.. I think I know how it feels... I'll go and find/raid a tranquiliser shop...

It's so hot today I'm sitting still and thinking cool thoughts.