Voices from the Past

I listened recently to a radio programme about the beginings of commercial broadcasting.  Sir John Reith, head of the BBC, was a staunch Presbyterian and decreed that only religious programmes should be broadcast on Sundays.  This left a gap in the schedules which a certain Captain Plugge decided to fill by broadcasting dance music intersperced with advertisements from France which he called Radio Normandy.  We heard Sir John Reith's voice declaring this was unacceptable and another voice that was raised against it, that of the Reverend Archibald Fleming, the Minister of St. Columba's Scottish Presbyterian Church, Pont Street, London.   This latter was the gentleman whose two daughters had been very kind to us at Christmas coming with their Girl Guides  bringing us gifts of food at a time when our finances were low.  We were invited to tea  at their kensington house and met Dr. Fleming.  It was strange to hear his distinctive voice again after over eighty years.

Holiday Time

My French family have gone home after spending ten days in Hove and a further week in Folkestone.  All excitement as we celebrated two birthdays and the arrival of baby Jack.  It feels a little strange to have a son who is a grandfather  and even stranger to find two of Jack's uncles are aged eleven and eight.

Various members of the family came from fae and near when they realised we had been invaded by the French.   The two boys enjoyed several days at a children's Activity Centre n Hove.  We ended the holiday with a lunch for about ten of us in the beautiful restaurant at the Grand Hotel on the Leas at Folkestone.  Another lovely day to remember.

Blackfriars

Looking through some photos for a picture of Miss Annie Smith I found a postcard sent to my mother in the 1930s signed A Westley.  This was mother's friend I called Auntie Alice.  We children were never allowed to call grown-ups by their Christian names as is the custom now.  That would have been considered extremely impolite.

Auntie Alice was completely blind as was her husband, Uncle Bert.  He earned his living as a piano tuner.  He was a small, slight man with a surprisingly strong bass baritone voice.   His singing of popular ballads like  "Asleep in the Deep" , "Because" and  "The Lost Chord"  were well received at the monthly concerts which the local Blind Club held at the Surrey Chapel in Blackfriars Road in Southwark, London  next door to the world famous boxing arena called The Ring.  I think both of these buildings were destroyed in WW2.

I went often with my mother to meetings there.  Sometimes we had a solicitor called Mr. Dettmer who would read aloud short stories from Dickens or some such.  I remember him because if someone had the temerity to cough he would stop reading, extract a tin from his pocket and ask a boy to take the offender a cough sweet.

Enter Baby Jack

Last Friday my first great grandchild was born.  Holly sent a picture of  Jack.  He is a beautiful little boy and why would he be otherwuse with two such good-looking parents. I look forward to meeting him.  The  birth of one little human being into a happy family  never ceases to be the most  wonderful, the most delightful and the most miraculous of events.

This was the highlight of a week of ups and downs that all ended happily. I seem to spend a lot of my time these days searching for things.  Perhaps it is because I can't see at once where I put things or more likely I am just careless.   After shopping for some shoes I could not find my debit.card. It was not in my purse I felt convinced it must be in the pocket of my blue jacket..  After fruitless searching' involving A & M,  I remembered I was wearing my pink jacket and there it was in the pocket!    An even more mysterious affair was the disappearance of my hearing aid.    I t vanished from the bedside table.    I was in anguish and set the whole house by its ears once again involving A & M who turned the bedroom upside down, moving all the furniture but to no avail.  Finally, last night as I opened an almost empty  small jar of skin cream  which was on my bedside table I heard something  rattle and lo and behold there was my hearing aid.  It had fallen into the jar.  You are never too old to learn.  I shall keep this vital aid to living in its box in future!

At the Doctors

There has been much talk about doctors prescribing too many antibiotics.  Taken too often they may stop being effective.  I was being given a short course after every eye in jection.  This is no longer the case.  Apparently some patients were demanding antibiotics for sore throats and colds.  They are not a cure for these conditions.

In the days before the National Health when one had to pay good money to see a doctor my mother said people felt cheated if they came away without a bottle of "physic".  She said the doctor had three cures.  White mixture for the stomach, brown cough mixture for the chest and green liniment for the back.  I once heard a little old man ask the chemist for a box of them head back and stomach pills.  That pretty well took care of everything.

Middleton

Re yesterday's blog -  out of the dim recesses of my ancient mind I dredged up the name  Middleton Home for the Blind.  I think it might have been more tan just one house and I think it might have been 42 Wantz Road.  I don't know who Middleton was or whether it is still there.   I know it was a jolly nice holiday.      

Maldon

I was feeling a bit sorry for myself when I remembered a lovely lady in her 70s who was totally blind and extremely  deaf. She could talk very well but to have a conversation with her one had to hold her hand and use the deaf and dumb alphabet.  She was Miss Annie Smith and lived in a residential home foe blind and partially blind people in Maldon, Essex.

I first met Miss Smith when I was 12 or 13.  My mother and I went to stay at the home for a fortnight's holiday.  The house was a small villa with a fairly large garden.  On either side of the paths round the garden was a railing at waist height so that a blind person could walk independently round  between the flower and vegetable beds. But the most exciting thing for me was the sight of three railway carriages in the garden.  Two of these were fitted up as bedrooms with twin beds while the third was a sitting room with easy chairs and a table on which were packs of Braille-marked playing cards and a box of large black dominoes with raised brass spots.  We were to sleep in one of the carriages and take our meals in the house.
Miss Smith and I had many conversations.  She had a great sense of humour.  It was Carnival Week and I told her about the floats and described the costumes.  She said no-one had told her about the Carnival.  When we left she gave me a present of a little gold cross and chain.

Now for one of my coincidences.  I was thinking about writing this blog and trying to remember the address.  I turned on the radio  and a man was talking  on "Word of Mouth  abot people who put messages in bottles and throw them into the sea.  In one bottle was found a message saying   "Send this message to my wife at 66 Wantz Road, Maldon, Essex".  It was as though a light had been switched on in my head!  I thought "That's it.  We stayed at 22 Wantz Road.  Well I'll be blowed!".