Forever young - home

Forever young

From Wikipedia - the second single released by Sir Rod from his Out of Order album in 1988. He wrote the song with two of his band members: guitarist Jim Cregan and keyboardist Kevin Savigar. The structure of the lyrics is very similar to a Dylan song of the same title. The two men agreed to participate in the ownership of the song and share Sir Rod’s royalties.

  Both songs are about hopes and fears for their children. This Dylan verse might also suggest a recipe for ageing well, a preparation for inevitable change which is manageable.

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift 

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of change shift

The Sir Rod version is easier on the ear and has been a favourite of mine since the 1990s.

  Ageing has some benefits. You don’t have to look your best. You don’t have to speak, but when you do, you have permission to say more or less what you like. I’ve had a lifetime of saying the wrong things and it’s no better now. If your friends and relatives are still talking to you, they might fondly regard you as a grump (or in my case a legend - maybe). You might then have some wisdom to pass on if anyone is still listening.

This is a personal blog. I'm not selling anything other than myself - an inept older person who thinks he can write a bit. Use the search to find what you want. There are humorous senior moments, older role models and a plea for us all to stay mentally and physically active. Garden glimpses, family matters, from the archive, publishing/writing, sports, and my notebook. Otherwise the world is our limpet.

There is also a writing archive which needs some work - watch this space.

• Accounts of away days - weeks, overnighters and weekend trips (before blogging)
• Family matters - stories and concerns
• Cricket  stories and articles  
•                         Almondbury Casuals CC - a history of a social cricket team. 
•                         Draft mémoires of a cricket graduate/nothing to play for - an autobiography?
• Draft I wonder where the second team play/escape stories - away days with pals
• Some new skills in retirement 
• On writing

linked sites

• Shallileybooks - a social enterprise publisher - sports, music and local history
• Lear - writing archive (1)
• Shalliley - writing archive (2)
• New Mill Male Voice Choir

Edward Thomas 1878-1917

Never heard of him. Wiki says - He only started writing poetry at the age of 36, but by that time he had already been a prolific critic, biographer, nature writer and travel writer for two decades. In 1915, he enlisted in the British Army to fight in WW1 and was killed in action at Arras in 1917, soon after he arrived in France. He was a close friend of Robert Frost how wrote 'The road not taken'. Thomas was described by British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes as 'the father of us all.' Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has said that Thomas occupies 'a crucial place in the development of twentieth-century poetry' for introducing a modern sensibility, later found in the work of such poets as W.H.Auden and Ted Hughes. Wiki says a lot more. 

I enjoy these poems because they are short and to the point. The imagery is such that I am in the poem. How many have seen the abandoned roller at the side of the cricket field? Or, stopped at an empty rural railway station?

Tall Nettles

Tall nettles cover up, as they have done
These many springs, the rusty harrow, the plough
Long worn out, and the roller made of stone;
Only the elm butt tops the nettles now.

This corner of the farmyard I like most;

As well as any bloom upon a flower

I like the dust on the nettles, never lost

Except to prove the sweetness of the shower.

Snow

In the gloom of whiteness.

In the great silence of the snow,

A child was sighing,

And bitterly saying: "oh,

They have killed a white bird up there on her nest,

The down is fluttering from her breast!"

And still it fell through the dusty brightness

On the child crying for the bird of the snow.

Adlestrop

Yes, I remember Adlestrop - 

The name, because one afternoon

Of heat the express-train drew up here

Unwontedly. It was late June.

The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.

No one left and no one came

On the bare platform. What I saw 

Was Adlestrop - only the name.

And willows, willow-herb, and grass,

And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,

No whit less still and lonely fair

Than the high cloudlets in the sky.

And for that minute a blackbird sang

Close by, and round him, mistier,

Farther and father, all the birds

Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.

Family break - Scarborough Aug 2024

An extended break and brilliant. Jenson likes to go to The Highlander with grandad. I have a pint of ghost ship and he plays on his mobile phone. The hotel has had a full frotal makeover including a lighthouse. I have been drinking here for many years, initially with the child bride's father. A few changes of ownership and bar staff. There used to be hundreds of full whisky bottles in glass cases up in the cornices and either side of the fire. Disappeared with one of the owners. Now, the cases are either empty or contain non-whisky bottles. I think the barman when I first started was a Scot - was he an owner? There used to be photos of naval ships on the wall at the far end. They had a great coal fire in winter. I recently saw an electric one - I wonder if it will come out again. The clan shields above the fire are still there as is the tartan carpet. The woodwork and dedicated lighting remain at the far end. The 2/3 drinking teams don't appear now - dentist, train guard and putting green manager to name but a few. Mum and dad often travelled with the guard from Hunmanby to Scarborough.

    Then you have to do the arcades. A ton of 2ps in the slot and not a cuddly toy in sight. Across the road are the bungie jumps.

North side on the open-top bus and the North Bay Railway. Right next door are the bubbles. Great views of the bay, the crazy golf and the castle. Em enjoyed the tunnel.

Em at the beach, the climbing frame and railway station.

Saturday at the football vs. Farsley Celtic. 2-1 to Scarborough. Great bar and fan zone. Seagull mascot. The ground couldn't accommodate many more folk who were all helpful and pleasant. Close enough for us to walk back to the flat (Louise took us).

because I'm smiling

Filey Bird garden and Animal Park. Clean and orderly, but many exhibits sat still alone in cages. The paddocks for domestic animals looked okay. The swamp for frogs, toads and pond life was the most natural environment, though you don't see a lot.

Very enjoyable quality day on the beach, creating a waterway network. Also played plastic bouncy boules at which Em excelled. Strange boys kept invading our space, rounded up by dad. Cold water swimmers - brrr.

And what a shame, Em had nits. Shampoos and combs for most of the family. Everyone coped.

An extended break and brilliant.

 

Jedburgh summer 2024

Long journey up the A1 and A68 to 'the Lodge' at Jedburgh to say with Joan and Big Dave, friends from Northallerton days. It's like being at their house in Linlithgow. The mirror is at an Italian restaurant in Denholm, on the way to Hawick. Pleasant meal. We just happened to have a boules set with us, so we did. Not sure what the members would have thought. We didn't have a brush with us to tidy the pitch. Big Dave won.

Kelso CC, founded in1821, is the oldest cricket club in Scotland. Big Dave and Joan discovered they were at home on the Saturday we were staying. Perfect way to spend time in the sunshine. A sponsors afternoon, and convivial. The opposition were a Muslim team from Edinburgh. Competitive game, but not high standard. The bench comprised original seats, date 1887, from the Mound stand at Lords cricket ground. Presented to Kelso in 1986. A nice thing but why? They brought out scotch pies at tea time, for the sponsors. Joan went and bought four. The pavilion clock was stuck at 9.

A walk beside Ettrick Water in Selkirk, a tributary of the Tweed. The walls are flood defences with mosaic murals depicting riders and flag wavers on a common riding, an equestrian tradition mainly in the Borders. Wiki tells us it commemorates the frequent 13th and 15th century Border Rievers raids on the Anglo-Scottish border and the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Flodden. Today, the common ridings continue as annual summer events. The final image is of a kelpie demon, a shape-shifting spirit that inhabits the lochs.

The plaque tells the story in a bit more detail.

Scenery alongside the river including a ford. Weaving sheds are there too, dating from the 1830s, part of the important Scottish textile industry.

Comfortable, well fed, plenty to drink, lots to do. What's not to like.

 

Sea Life Centre. Scarborough, July 2024

Feeding time in the seal enclosure; Sealife Centre, Scarborough

There's a gull in the centre looking hopeful

Likewise for the penguins

Chris and Atlas/Knox on crazy golf

A short enjoyable weekend. Open-top bus to North Bay and a walk along the shoreline. They have a rescued turtle at the centre. Swims around lazily pinching food. Due for release into the wild later this year.

 

Eyelines

 

In old man's face

Deep lines are athlete's tracks

He's won his race

                                                                                                    Stephen Wade                     

                                                                                                                 

           (Stephen was one of my tutors at University of Huddersfield when I went to English Literature classes. He introduced us to poetry and the haiku. I picked this one up in a local monthly anthology)

Normandy 2024. July

The Boat

Riviera cruise - Jane Austen on the Seine from Paris to Normandy. All-inclusive. Not a premium cabin. But no need for that extra space when you are out and about most of the time. A busy cruise with trips every day - occasional half days on deck watching the river bank go by. The map shows the winding nature of the river, plenty of bridges, modern mostly, but still regular ferries, chalk cliffs on the bank, some small boats, and plenty of large cargo boats, always with a car on the back deck. Gravel and sand, Every village had a Notre Dame. Cheese a plenty - the blue brie was outstanding. 

The map shows all the visits, either from the boat directly or catching a coach.

Here we are having dinner or lunch. Views of the deck.

Les Andelys

Two villages on opposite banks. Dominated by Chateau Gaillard, built by Richard the Lionheart in 1196 to protect his Duchy of Normandy, particularly Rouen, from the French King. Changed hands a few times during Hundred Years War, but remained French from 1449. Richard 'was was born in England, where he spent his childhood; before becoming king, however, he lived most of his adult life in the Duchy of Aquitaine, in the southwest of France. Following his accession, he spent very little time, perhaps as little as six months, in England. Most of his reign was on Crusade, in captivity, or actively defending his lands in France.' (wiki), 'The Hundred Years' War was a conflict in the Middle Ages. During the war, five generations of kings from two rival dynasties fought for the throne of France, which was then the dominant kingdom in Western Europe.'(wiki)

Impressive building achievement. The chalk cliffs are visible.

Rouen

The Cathedral is the main attraction and massive - how did they do it in 700 years? There are other buildings (eg. justice), the half-timbered ones are notable, as is the golden clock, ' an astronomical clock, horologium, or orlojis a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display astronomical information, such as the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets (wiki)'.

The Vikings (Rollo) started the Rouen settlement. Among his descendants, after the Battle of Hastings, were the Dukes of Normandy and the British Royal Family. Rollo and Richard the Lionheart's tombs are in the cathedral. Only Richard's heart. Other bits are elsewhere like Anjou. 

Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake here (1431), commemorated by a garden with monument. She said she had a vision claiming she must recover France from English domination. The Cathedral's cast-iron spire, visible from the boat, is covered for repairs and soon after our return to England it went up in a fire.

We went to a road side cafe for drinks and Carl, our decking man, rang to arrange a repair session. Being in France didn't phase him one bit.

Honfleur

Fishing village, preserved as a result of no bombing in WW2. Great market including the colourful cider stall. The church is all wood, carved by axemen of the naval yards. The pillars that hold the church roof up are solid oak tree trunks. Many painters here, most famous being the impressionist Boudin, who tutored Monet.

Bayeur

Tapestry actually embroidery, depicting th Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest. 70 metres long and 29 cm high. Fresh colours even today. It cannot be photographed but there are copies. 

Bayeux was the first town to be liberated in the Battle of Normandy, following the June 1944 invasion (Operation Overlord). 4648 graves, 3935 British and 466 Germans. Most were killed during the invasion itself. Beautifully tended by Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

Arromanches, Gold beach, British Memorial

Arromanches coastline showing what is left of the 146 prefabricated concrete caissons from 2 temporary Mulberry artificial harbours. Floated across from England to land men and equipment for the invasion (Operation Overlord - June 6th 1944). Le Havre and Cherbourg were not available - in German hands. Built by Royal Engineers. Sunk forming 2 semi-circular breakwaters behind which piers and bridges could deliver the supplies. 600,000 tons of concrete, 33 piers/jetties and 10 miles of roadway. Size of Dover. Colossal effort. 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles and 4 million tons of supplies landed during first 6 months of invasion.

Incredible museum in Arromanches with terrific audio-visual exhibits.

The British Normandy Memorial is a war memorial near the village of Ver-Sur-Mer in Normandy, overlooking Gold Beach. It was unveiled on 6 June 2021, the 77th anniversary of D-Day, and it is dedicated to soldiers who died under British command during the landings' (wiki). Nicholas Witchell was one of the planning group. Over 22000 names are carved in stone on the memorial.

'For Your Tomorrow,' 'Standing in the shadows of Giants' - 1,475 giant silhouettes, in honour of the servicemen who fell on D-Day itself. Across wild flower meadows overlooking the sea. Beautiful and moving.

Monet's House and Garden

Small house, full of paintings, large garden. Monet lived here from 1883 until his death in 1926. His favourite colour was yellow, so that's the colour of the kitchen. He had an oriental period. The garden inspired his impressionist paintings, especially lilies and Japanese bridge.

Paris was a traffic jam. The airports were long queues, but suck it up - the trip was worth it. The staff on the ship were helpful, jovial and kind and made a big difference. Whilst the cemeteries were emotional moments, I was most impressed by the way the invasion was achieved and by how it is remembered.

 

Marigold

 Mary's gold

sun bright insect magnet

celebrates life

Foxglove

long stems purple bells

good for the heart an old wife said

take care, such beauty, such poison

Mouse

Mouse

grey fuzzy flits scurries

smaller than the smallest bird

braves the decking-world

 

Away - Ingoldmells and Skegness

It is a regular trip, Andrew's only annual holiday. He fits into the Butlins diversity/variety show, though this time we didn't do much joining in. Still made it to Fantasy Island and Skegness. Sheila and I came down with gastrointestinal disasters (me there and Sheila on return).

Long journey down, though only 15 minutes over recommended time. Due to my remiss lane discipline on the M180. No pub lunch as a result, but stopped just at the edge of Skegness.

On arrival and unloaded we discovered the bars were using plastic glasses throughout the site. We discovered they'd had an E Coli outbreak. So plastic became the order of the day. (There are a lot of bodies in a relatively small space). There was an officious bar lady guarding the door which put us off a touch, until you want a drink.

The apartment was cosy and clean, quite private. 

The Beach

Andrew adopted this caravan on the beach for breakfast. Good cappocino for me. A dredger type of ship just off shore - the Van Oord. We asked workers on land what was happening - "we, the environment agency, are replacing the beach, since 1994 and finish this year." And sure enough there was a big long tube coming up the beach and pumping sand, lots of it.

The central tent complex in Butlins - bars, restaurants, arcades, stages and so on. Not for us this year, but impressive sight, from the beach and from our front window.

Ingoldmells

Walk along the beach. This pic is as close as I want to be, but Andrew took advantage of an inclusive ticket for £24. He quickly got through several 'A' rides to get his money back. The tower is called a shot tower. Something about going up and down very fast. Was there a connection to the making of lead shot bullets - dropping from a height into a tower full of water?

.

Skegness

Weatherspoons and the Tipsy Cow are sites of previous visits. 'Spoons' is good. Log flume is a perennial attraction and very wet. 1898 Jubilee Clock Tower on the front. Always one or two crazy golf rounds.

Following day again walking on the front to the Beachcomber, sitting out with a couple of pints.

So what did we think. Just comes out positive I think. Nice apartment, good self-catered food and drink with pleasant walks up and down the coast.

Sadly the bowels let us down at the finish, but we had already decided this was our last trip. Return journey as awkward as coming, but we made it.

Away - Amble 2024

 

So away up the A19 again and satnav for the last quarter mile or so. First stay here. Newly decorated and very comfortable with a view across the harbour. Very popular market right next to the harbour. I bought a herringbone 'Peaky Blinder' cap. A fisherman said the early mist would not burn off, but it did. The lobster hatchery was closed for refurbishment. 

Strange pod next to the river with information on the birds inside.

One mile walk to Warkworth for coffee, Alnwick for lunch.

The X18 carried us up and down the coast. No need to drive. But, the buses always seem to be late. Not much to do here, but a great place to do nothing. Just sit. The kippers in a bun were selling like hot cakes in the local cafes. 

Usual suspects including beach and golf club. Loads of driftwood for den-building. Pizza for lunch.

We've visited the north east for what seems like forever, since RL's 'Magic' weekend came to St Jame's Park, Newcastle. Never disappoints. Find something new each time - eg. pizza oven. A supplement to the previous posts available on search Alnmouth.

Back to back

Furry flea-ridden tree rat

Destructive unpleasant

Visits daily along wood fence tops

Obese dull-witted 

Un toilet-trained

Flies in and perches

Bird-cage for little feeders only

Finches, tits, robins

Regular decking over-spill 

The squirrel and the pigeon

Debris hooverers

They are all heart

 

The day after my birthday - Jenson's birthday - walking around Holmbridge

Another childbride request to mark my birthday this time, in addition to the family party on Sunday. So overall a good do. The choir once played a Sunday game at the cricket club. It's got a winter feel to it just now. Nice to be out and we were pleased to be able to do the physical side of it. Rained. Bit sore in the afternoon. These views are familiar, recalling the times I took Fern, our retriever, for walks. Pickled Pheasant for lunch. Sleep afterwards.