Under my newer, 'fuller' retirement régime, my week falls into two clear parts. There's the busy bit, from Tuesday morning until Friday lunchtime, and then there's the 'long weekend', which is the opportunity to fit in hobbies and favourite habits ... and general 'me'-time. It includes regular things like the monthly coffee morning at church, Sunday worship, the Monday morning breakfast and evening bell-ringing practice and also occasional one-offs.
This weekend has seen a sequence of those singular events. It started with the thrice-yearly family history meeting at which, instead of a routine talk from a visiting speaker, we were treated to a drama. At the appointed time, our guest was ushered in; he hesitated at the door, wearing ragged green trousers, a cloth hat under which was a white linen covering for his hair that he kept on even after removing the hat. He was carrying a large linen sack on his back and, together with long boots, he could have been a caricature of an out-of season father Christmas that had misfired in the costume department.
As I said, he hesitated at the door, giving us ample opportunity to take in his appearance. Seeing us seated in rows facing a couple of tables at the front, he asked, "Is this a court, then? Is the parish constable here?" Of course we had no reply ... as had we none to many of his questions, so he had to answer them himself, using quaint words and expressions that he had to explain with gestures as well as alternative phrases. The event had simply been billed as 'Life as a Vagrant in Elizabethan England', but this character certainly brought his topic to life as no other speaker has of late. He explained that his economy was based on theft, and unpacked his bag to show the sort of things that could be obtained by the cunning poor from the careless rich; and he explained some of the ploys and subterfuges that would be adopted to this end.
These thoughts set me up well for my Monday excursion to the record office in Bury St Edmunds. Here I fulfilled (most of) my planned task to verify some of the dates passed to me over the years by distant cousins from their own researches. Some had become subject of conflicting witness and, over time, one cousin in particular had grown a bad reputation with me for inaccuracies. It was therefore refreshing in a way to find in at least two of these conflicts that it had been her date that was supported by the registers rather than the other.
Highlight of this visit was the arrival during the afternoon of a ten-day-old baby in the tender care of her mother, and under the gentle supervision of her grandmother. The mother was a former member of staff at the office and her presence attracted the usual cluster of former colleagues and chorus of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' before, eventually, they left and the normal silence of research was restored.
The evening was occupied by the Annual General Meeting of our bell-ringing guild. This was a typical example of the genre, taking almost an hour to deal with matters most of which had, in essence, been decided already by e-mail or through casual chatter. It would be wrong, however, to dismiss so curtly a cordial and much looked-forward-to gathering which, once the business was concluded, transmogrified into an occasion for eating, drinking and informal chatter about anything and everything ... sometimes even mentioning bells!
With such a colourful range of memories, I could then easily sink into the (still quite fresh) routine of the very 'fixed' part of the week, of volunteering and running my home and personal admin, with further excitement to look forward to on Sunday, as I re-arrange my attendance at worship in order to be one of about 160 or so who will be travelling down to Kent to watch a very important football match ... more news next week!
Friday, 22 February 2019
Friday, 15 February 2019
When the Bus Stops
Three weeks ago I told how easily I had been persuaded some years ago to respond to an appeal by a young lady I'd never met, and delivered the prologue of last weekend's adventure. On that occasion I spoke of train tickets on my noticeboard and all being ready. The more I thought about it, however, the more I realised that all was not quite ready.
The direct trains I had booked in each direction were from the main line station some five miles or so from home and, to get there, I had to get a bus from my 'local' bus stop, which is an eight-minute walk away, across a railway footbridge. (There is a bus stop right outside my home from which the only service was only night and morning excluding weekends, and has now been completely withdrawn ... but now is not the time to decry cuts to public transport.)
Unfortunately, the most appropriate bus was scheduled to arrive at the train station at precisely the time the train would depart, so I had to set off half-an-hour earlier - at 8.15 - to catch the previous one. At the other end of the day, the last bus back home would leave the train station about a quarter of an hour after my train would leave York ... some two hours away! My first job on arriving at the station was thus to purchase a local ticket for a train home once the main line train had brought me that far. As luck (and the timetables) would have it, the local train left from the other side of the station at the same time as the York train was scheduled to arrive so, once more, I had to wait for the next one and I finally walked home from my local station about 9.0pm.
Once all these finer details had been arranged, the plan worked out perfectly, and the weather played ball too. By Peterborough we were travelling through bright sunshine, which held for most of the day. There was a football match that afternoon between Doncaster and Peterborough and for that section of the journey, in both directions, I had the 'company' of quite a lot of fans, who weren't the quietest of travel partners ... particularly on the alcohol-fuelled return journey!
I arrived at the 'capital of the north' at 11.30 and had over two hours to fill before the meeting began at 2.0, so I visited the National Railway Museum, which is quite close to the station. There's easily enough there to occupy the enthusiast for a whole day, and it gave me my desired interest ... and lunch besides.
Once I'd crossed the river (after a moment's unjustified panic that I might have found the wrong bridge), it was easy enough, thanks to my preliminary Google perusal, to find the hall where the meeting was to take place and, once my name was recognised, I was warmly welcomed and thanked for making the journey. The formalities were over in less than an hour and were richly supplemented by the opportunity to chat with Emily, the founder and organiser of The Bus Stop, and some of the other supporters to learn something of the detail of their operation.
The Bus Stop was founded in 2015 with the aim of working alongside local churches and schools to provide youth and community provision and education about the Christian faith. To do this it has operated within a 30-mile radius of York, making use of a converted double-decker bus, which was supplemented last year by the acquisition of a second bus, which operates in the Scarborough area. The first bus is now in need of some considerable work and one of their primary considerations is whether or not to replace it, perhaps with something a little smaller, while the long-term aim is to expand to a small fleet of vehicles to provide this service over a wider area. However, they have to walk before they can run, and slow development will inevitably be the best way.
I find myself strangely warmed to these people, living and working so far from me, and yet in circumstances not dissimilar to my own background. At such a distance, there is naturally very little I can actually do to help them, but I do ask you, dear reader, to take a look at their website - the link is a couple of paragraphs above - and if you are as attracted as I am to what they're trying so hard to achieve, you can give to the charity here.
The direct trains I had booked in each direction were from the main line station some five miles or so from home and, to get there, I had to get a bus from my 'local' bus stop, which is an eight-minute walk away, across a railway footbridge. (There is a bus stop right outside my home from which the only service was only night and morning excluding weekends, and has now been completely withdrawn ... but now is not the time to decry cuts to public transport.)
Unfortunately, the most appropriate bus was scheduled to arrive at the train station at precisely the time the train would depart, so I had to set off half-an-hour earlier - at 8.15 - to catch the previous one. At the other end of the day, the last bus back home would leave the train station about a quarter of an hour after my train would leave York ... some two hours away! My first job on arriving at the station was thus to purchase a local ticket for a train home once the main line train had brought me that far. As luck (and the timetables) would have it, the local train left from the other side of the station at the same time as the York train was scheduled to arrive so, once more, I had to wait for the next one and I finally walked home from my local station about 9.0pm.
Once all these finer details had been arranged, the plan worked out perfectly, and the weather played ball too. By Peterborough we were travelling through bright sunshine, which held for most of the day. There was a football match that afternoon between Doncaster and Peterborough and for that section of the journey, in both directions, I had the 'company' of quite a lot of fans, who weren't the quietest of travel partners ... particularly on the alcohol-fuelled return journey!
 |
| York's famous curved platform |
I arrived at the 'capital of the north' at 11.30 and had over two hours to fill before the meeting began at 2.0, so I visited the National Railway Museum, which is quite close to the station. There's easily enough there to occupy the enthusiast for a whole day, and it gave me my desired interest ... and lunch besides.
 |
| The River Ouse from Lendal Bridge |
The Bus Stop was founded in 2015 with the aim of working alongside local churches and schools to provide youth and community provision and education about the Christian faith. To do this it has operated within a 30-mile radius of York, making use of a converted double-decker bus, which was supplemented last year by the acquisition of a second bus, which operates in the Scarborough area. The first bus is now in need of some considerable work and one of their primary considerations is whether or not to replace it, perhaps with something a little smaller, while the long-term aim is to expand to a small fleet of vehicles to provide this service over a wider area. However, they have to walk before they can run, and slow development will inevitably be the best way.
I find myself strangely warmed to these people, living and working so far from me, and yet in circumstances not dissimilar to my own background. At such a distance, there is naturally very little I can actually do to help them, but I do ask you, dear reader, to take a look at their website - the link is a couple of paragraphs above - and if you are as attracted as I am to what they're trying so hard to achieve, you can give to the charity here.
Friday, 8 February 2019
A Week that Seems to Mirror the Last!
Last week's blog ended with the result of the first match in this year's Six Nations rugby football tournament. Rugby is a game I've often watched on TV, but don't really understand, have never played and have never watched live ... except here in Letchworth from the touchline of the nearby soccer pitch. However, to restore the balance, this week's story begins with the round ball.
One of the ways in which I spend my leisure time is to support a nearby football team. For many years I was a 'groundhopper', visiting many a ground solely for the experience of 'collecting' it; then, a few years ago, my former boss helped to found a new club based on a youth team that he had been running for a couple of years. Last weekend, Biggleswade FC - in only the third year of their existence - found themselves playing in the fifth round of the FA Vase.
To reach, in the previous season, the fourth round of this national competition for clubs playing below the top eight levels in the football pyramid was something of a triumph. On that occasion, they played away and were beaten by the eventual runners-up. To repeat the feat this year, and find themselves playing at home against a more local side, was an even greater success. The event attracted a record crowd, who saw them beat what many had seen as a stronger team ... certainly one from a more established base, the opposing club having been founded in the 1880s.
That record crowd was exceeded last Sunday as another competent opposition team were put to the sword (not, thankfully, in a literal sense!). Honours were even with no score at half time, but a second-half goal-fest saw the home team run out 6-1 winners! Excitement mounted over the next 24 hours waiting for the draw for the quarter-finals. With the winners of the two northern ties that were postponed until tomorrow being drawn against each other, the other three matches are clearly defined, and we now know that on 24th of February we will be travelling to Kent to watch them play against Canterbury City.
Also last week, I mentioned an unfortunate accident that befell the jumper I wear for work; sadly today a parallel situation evolved as I came home to discover that I had managed to get grease on the arm of my flourescent jacket. Although it's not an official requirement, I prefer to wear this on the van because it combines being lightweight and manoeuvrable with being wind- and waterproof. There was nothing else for it but another Friday laundry! Fortunately this proved totally successful and even as I write the bright and shining garment is drying across the room.
I spoke, too, about the way my weeks seem to have settled into a regular pattern; part of this is a Wednesday afternoon Bible study group, for which I am joined by a married couple from the other side of the town. We had decided that we wouldn't meet this week, having a 'half-term' break. They have the privilege of living in a small modern estate of retirement homes, and enjoy a number of useful common services with their neighbours. One of these benefits is a communal TV aerial system, which has to undergo regular, if infrequent, maintenance. The unfortunate timing of this event means that our meeting will now have to be cancelled next week as well!
One aspect of the week that is vastly different is yet to come. Last Saturday I was almost completely at home; tomorrow will see me spending almost twelve hours away from my desk, but I'll report on that next weekend!
One of the ways in which I spend my leisure time is to support a nearby football team. For many years I was a 'groundhopper', visiting many a ground solely for the experience of 'collecting' it; then, a few years ago, my former boss helped to found a new club based on a youth team that he had been running for a couple of years. Last weekend, Biggleswade FC - in only the third year of their existence - found themselves playing in the fifth round of the FA Vase.
To reach, in the previous season, the fourth round of this national competition for clubs playing below the top eight levels in the football pyramid was something of a triumph. On that occasion, they played away and were beaten by the eventual runners-up. To repeat the feat this year, and find themselves playing at home against a more local side, was an even greater success. The event attracted a record crowd, who saw them beat what many had seen as a stronger team ... certainly one from a more established base, the opposing club having been founded in the 1880s.
That record crowd was exceeded last Sunday as another competent opposition team were put to the sword (not, thankfully, in a literal sense!). Honours were even with no score at half time, but a second-half goal-fest saw the home team run out 6-1 winners! Excitement mounted over the next 24 hours waiting for the draw for the quarter-finals. With the winners of the two northern ties that were postponed until tomorrow being drawn against each other, the other three matches are clearly defined, and we now know that on 24th of February we will be travelling to Kent to watch them play against Canterbury City.
Also last week, I mentioned an unfortunate accident that befell the jumper I wear for work; sadly today a parallel situation evolved as I came home to discover that I had managed to get grease on the arm of my flourescent jacket. Although it's not an official requirement, I prefer to wear this on the van because it combines being lightweight and manoeuvrable with being wind- and waterproof. There was nothing else for it but another Friday laundry! Fortunately this proved totally successful and even as I write the bright and shining garment is drying across the room.
I spoke, too, about the way my weeks seem to have settled into a regular pattern; part of this is a Wednesday afternoon Bible study group, for which I am joined by a married couple from the other side of the town. We had decided that we wouldn't meet this week, having a 'half-term' break. They have the privilege of living in a small modern estate of retirement homes, and enjoy a number of useful common services with their neighbours. One of these benefits is a communal TV aerial system, which has to undergo regular, if infrequent, maintenance. The unfortunate timing of this event means that our meeting will now have to be cancelled next week as well!
One aspect of the week that is vastly different is yet to come. Last Saturday I was almost completely at home; tomorrow will see me spending almost twelve hours away from my desk, but I'll report on that next weekend!
Saturday, 2 February 2019
Panic, Custard and Rygbi
Now my retirement has settled down into a regular pattern, I come to a Friday afternoon and wonder, 'now what shall I blog about this week?' Yesterday I was thinking that so little had happened of note that I would have to resort - as I did when I was driving - to the diary. But now, of course, there is little recorded there either. By this morning, however, all had become clear; I had two items, one of shame the other of triumph upon which I could expand ... so here goes.
For a day and a half a week I volunteer at the distribution centre that serves a small chain of high street charity shops providing income for our local hospice. On Tuesdays I sit at a computer and on Friday mornings I'm out and about on one of their vans visiting some of the shops. When I got home yesterday, I was cold and tired. The ideal reviver, I decided, spotting a couple of spare donuts in the cupboard, was to cover these with custard to provide a suitable pudding to follow my lunch.
The trouble was that my feet were cold, too. Instead of taking the wise course and sitting at a table to consume my feast, I lounged in my office chair, with the feet on the heater beside the desk. It's an ideal posture for playing a game on my phone late at night, but not for eating custard-covered donuts! It only takes one dribble, doesn't it? Now, I've got one particular jumper that I keep for work (it's an old courier jumper and it's nice and warm) and I didn't fancy turning up in the office on Tuesday with a yellow stain on the front ... even though my day is mostly spent facing the wall.
So now, as I write, I'm surrounded by laundry, brought forward a few days instead of my usual habit of letting it dry overnight mid-week. And it was at this desk that my other 'topic' occurred last evening. My vicar and I have a standing joke regarding the Welsh language. Although she grew up in Wales, she's not a Welsh-speaker and, although I have a Welsh name, try as I might I can't find any Welsh ancestors and certainly didn't speak the language ... until I retired and decided I should learn it.
Last night saw the first match in this year's Six Nations tournament, in which Wales visited France. In the exciting build-up to the game an appropriate post appeared on Facebook from my clerical friend, to which I felt I had to respond ... in Welsh, of course! I've found that learning the language from the textbook has become rather boring of late, and it's degenerated to the same level as learning a computer program. If I have something to do, it's a challenge, and I then find out the way the program can be applied to do it. Last night, I knew what I wanted to say, and then had to find the words to use. A final check with the online translator and a last-minute correction - the curse of mutation puts many off Welsh! - and it was posted.
I then turned on the radio and heard the commentary on the exciting second half, in which Wales < spoiler alert! >
won 24-19! Cymru am byth!
For a day and a half a week I volunteer at the distribution centre that serves a small chain of high street charity shops providing income for our local hospice. On Tuesdays I sit at a computer and on Friday mornings I'm out and about on one of their vans visiting some of the shops. When I got home yesterday, I was cold and tired. The ideal reviver, I decided, spotting a couple of spare donuts in the cupboard, was to cover these with custard to provide a suitable pudding to follow my lunch.
The trouble was that my feet were cold, too. Instead of taking the wise course and sitting at a table to consume my feast, I lounged in my office chair, with the feet on the heater beside the desk. It's an ideal posture for playing a game on my phone late at night, but not for eating custard-covered donuts! It only takes one dribble, doesn't it? Now, I've got one particular jumper that I keep for work (it's an old courier jumper and it's nice and warm) and I didn't fancy turning up in the office on Tuesday with a yellow stain on the front ... even though my day is mostly spent facing the wall.
So now, as I write, I'm surrounded by laundry, brought forward a few days instead of my usual habit of letting it dry overnight mid-week. And it was at this desk that my other 'topic' occurred last evening. My vicar and I have a standing joke regarding the Welsh language. Although she grew up in Wales, she's not a Welsh-speaker and, although I have a Welsh name, try as I might I can't find any Welsh ancestors and certainly didn't speak the language ... until I retired and decided I should learn it.
Last night saw the first match in this year's Six Nations tournament, in which Wales visited France. In the exciting build-up to the game an appropriate post appeared on Facebook from my clerical friend, to which I felt I had to respond ... in Welsh, of course! I've found that learning the language from the textbook has become rather boring of late, and it's degenerated to the same level as learning a computer program. If I have something to do, it's a challenge, and I then find out the way the program can be applied to do it. Last night, I knew what I wanted to say, and then had to find the words to use. A final check with the online translator and a last-minute correction - the curse of mutation puts many off Welsh! - and it was posted.
I then turned on the radio and heard the commentary on the exciting second half, in which Wales < spoiler alert! >
won 24-19! Cymru am byth!
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