Two lovely black eyes

"Can't think, brain dumb,
Inspiration won't come.
Can't write, bad pen,
Best wishes, Amen"

This was written in my Autograph Album, about 80 years ago!  I'm reminded of it because I was waiting for inspiration for my blog a few days ago, when disaster struck.

Duvet covers are an invention of the Devil: difficult to get on and off, and to launder.  I was putting my duvet cover to air in the sun in the conservatory when I caught my foot in it.  In a nanosecond, I was hurtling across the room.  I bruised my knees.  My forehead struck a shelf.  I have bad cuts on my hands, through trying to save myself.  And to cap it all, as the song says, I now have "two lovely black eyes".

By great good fortune, I didn't break any bones.  Perhaps it pays to be well padded.  A&M came to my rescue, and patched me up.

Hove

The last two Saturdays have been beautiful September days. One Saturday we went right along as far as the lagoon and the Fish Market. The beach was full of people enjoying the sunshine and having picnics. The colourful beach huts were open and families were taking advantage of the last of the summer weekends. On the lagoon youngsters were learning to water-ski and sail, and using paddleboards and canoes. Lots of children were having fun on the swings and apparatus in the play area. Altogether a very happy scene. The Fish Market was very busy and we bought some lovely fresh fish for our supper.

This Saturday six of us had lunch at an Italian restaurant to celebrate two family birthdays which fell this weekend. We then walked along towards the pier. Our American friend, a keen photographer, took many photographs of the busy scene as "the world and his wife" enjoyed the September sunshine.

London Fire Brigade

When I was a child in London there was built, at the bottom of our street, a huge building that was the Headquarters of the London Fire Brigade. There was a grand opening by King George VI. The front opened on to the Embankment in Lambeth with exit doors for about seven fire engines.

Their was a drill yard where the trainee firemen practised their craft. In the yard was a narrow 100 foot tower with windows on each floor. We watched the displays where the firemen would hook a ladder over the window sill and climb up and the sit astride the window sill and hook the ladder on to the next one up, It took some nerve . Dummies were brought out and lowered to the ground. Occasionally the dummy would be dropped causing much mirth among us children. This was not a good thing ! We liked to watch the turntable ladder being raised. All the young boys would be wishing to ride on it.

The firemen also had to learn to control the heavy hose squirting water into the windows. Next to the HQ was a small ancient public house. I remember the water from the hose missing its target and flooding over the pub roof. One wag who was watching said "That's watered his wallop down a bit".

Georgette Heyer

When I was very, very much younger I was a great fan of Georgette Heyer. I read all of her Regency novels. In a much regretted moment of generosity I gave my collection of paperbacks to my next door neighbour, probably prior to our move to Canterbury. Now I am enjoying them again thanks to Calibre Audio Books.

Her novels are like a country dance. Choose a partner, set to partners, then set to corners, back to partners, then a mad gallop round the ring till you get breathless at the finish. All her heroines are high spirited , independent minded young girls, her heroes are at first stern, even morose with broad shoulders, a firm jaw, smouldering eyes and a fine leg. The rest of the cast consists of a steady, honest pale young man and a sweet ninny of a girl plus a Duchess or two and a plethora of dowagers with a malicious propensity for gossip. Despite misunderstandings all usually comes right in the end which is why I find it soothing bedside reading.

Her Regency books have descriptions of Brighton and Bath of that period and she was said to have given the best written account in a novel of the Battle of Waterloo. She is great on describing the fashions and has a lovely sense of humour in the repartee between hero and heroine.

She also wrote some quite clever detective stories. In my opinion she is much under-rated. In these days when period drama is so popular on TV I think she is worth considering.