To Scotland by Sea

"Closure of the Forth Road Bridge" and "Flooding results in no trains from England to Scotland".  These two items of news today reminded me of my Scots friend Joanne.  She came from Leith where her father was a policeman.  She had two brothers who were also policemen but in London.  She also had twin sisters.  In due course all three girls came to work in Government departments in Whitehall during the 1940s, as I did.

The five siblings shared a flat in Primrose Hill in North London.  The three girls being tall and blonde were almost identical and derived great fun from being mistaken for one another.  The train fare to Edinburgh they found exorbitant so when it was time to go home for their vacation they would travel overnight on a coastal vessel that went all the way up the east coast from London to Leith on a very choppy North Sea.

Richard Baker

They say "a prophet is often without honour in his own country."

A well-known face on TV was that of the announcer and newsreader Richard Baker.  Millions tuned in every evening at 6pm to see and hear him read the News.  His small daughter was getting in her mother's way in the kitchen, so she was told to go in the sitting room and see what was on the television.  She was soon back saying to her mother "It's only Daddy".

Dressed for Radio

I listen regularly to a digest of articles from the Daily Telegraph on audio.  There was a recent piece about what newsreaders should wear on the very early morning "Today" programme.  Listeners may still be in their pyjamas but who knows what the broadcasters are wearing.

In the early days of radio newsreaders were required to wear a dinner jacket when they read the evening news out of respect for any guests they might have to interview. Jack de Manio (of sainted memory) said he could not afford a DJ so he and a colleague bought one between them and wore it turn and turn about.  Later on he bought the DJ from his colleague and having sole ownership was able to rent it out at ten shillings a time.  He reckoned to make quite a profit on the deal!

A day at the seaside in the 1940s

The first week I met my husband Don at the Farm Camp six of us decided at the weekend to go in Don's car to Littlehampton.  We went first to the funfair - Don and me, Ken and Irene (one of the cooks) and my friend Marion and Don's friend Arthur.  Arthur was on the small side whereas Marion was what is known as "a fine figure of a girl". We all went on the Caterpillar Ride.  This consisted of a circle of very small cars each holding two people.  Arthur and Marion shared a car.  During the very fast ride the cars moved up and down and tilted from side to side tipping the riders against one another and a green roof came down over the cars.  We all got off rather breathlessly, and Ken said "shall we have another go".  "No thanks," said Arthur forcefully. "Let's try something else."

During the War King Haakon of Norway took refuge in Britain.  He was invited to speak to his people at Bush House on the World Service radio.  A programme was drawn up with notes to the sound engineer to start the programme with a fanfare.  Imagine everyone's surprise (including the King's) to hear music and a raucous voice calling "Roll up, roll up, sixpence to see the fat lady".  The sound engineer said "I thought it said 'FUNFAIR'".

Unpublished letters

I am greatly enjoying my latest audio book.  It was published in 2012 and is a collection of letters from readers of the Daily Telegraph which were not published in the newspaper.  They are either witty, erudite or thought-provoking - in some cases all three.

I think there have been two earlier books.  Imagine one's chagrin if, not being published in the newspaper, one's letter was not considered worthy of being put in the book of unpublished letters and had been relegated to the slush pile!

Family news

I have been motivated to recommence writing my blog after an encounter with a lady at my nephew John's funeral - a great loss to us, his family and his enormously wide circle of friends.  John made friends wherever he went and will be greatly missed.  He faced his impending fate with humour and great courage as one would expect of him.

Karen and John had a long and happy marriage and were particularly close to his older brother Ian and Ian's wife Lyn.  I have never known two brothers with such a close friendship.

One of John and Karen's close friends asked me "Are you Auntie Jessie?"  She said John had recommended that she should read my blog and asked when I would start again, so I feel obliged to do so (with Amanda's help).

Apart from the dreadful sadness that John's passing has left in our family, there have been two other momentous events recently.  My grandson Harry, and Sarah have a son, Beau, born in July, and my eldest grandson, Tom, and Lan have a son, Luc, born a fortnight ago.  I already have one great grandson - aged one year - born to Holly and J.  So now I have three great grandsons!

Saying Grace

Thinking about the sumptuous lunch Amanda had cooked on Sunday for my birthday I realised it was a lomn time since anyone had said grace.  I suppose I left it to Don who liked to say grace before a festive meal  I feel one ought to thank someone.  Even if one does not have a deity to thank one should perhaps be glad of one's good fortune inliving in a country where food is plentiful.  When I was small my mother's mantra was "Eat it all up.  There is somme poor little boy in India who hasn't got any dinner and has to go hungry"  Uf it was liver which I hated I would think - well he is welcome to mine.

My mother taught manners as well as grace.  I had to say "Thank you God for my good dinner.  Please Mummy may I get down?"  I taught my small daughter to say and one day after watching me cook the meal  she said, quite logically, "Thank you Mummy foe my good dinner/ Please God may I get down?"

We used to sing a grace at Girl Guides called  Johnny Appleseed.
The Bishop's wife said "I think we will say thanks after the meal.  I'm not sure how the pudding will turn out"
Three potatoes between the four of us
Thank the Lord there aren't any more of us.