Family weekend in London

Spent a busy, family weekend in London for the baby-naming of my very latest great niece (I had two in a week!)

Took the opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing in London

.... and back in time to light the first Chanukah candle

Crafts, curiosities and candles

Completed a year’s course in flower arrangement with this festive decoration

 

and, to my utter astonishment, I was presented with this beautiful silver cup for best newcomer!  I was really chuffed as this is the first trophy I have won in my life.

 

John Hobson gave a fascinating, illustrated talk entitled Curious Yorkshire.  I thought I was pretty clued up on this part of Yorkshire, but he proved me wrong.

From coast to moors and inland towns, he told us tales from the area, some to be taken with a pinch of salt.  If you are local and have the opportunity to hear John speak or visit the area, you will be enthralled.  Here is just a taster.

The talk began with the birthplace of Captain Cook, Staithes, where the women wore special padded bonnets to protect the head when carrying baskets full of mussels for fishing bait. Each day they would make up the bait with the mussels and attached them to a fishing line for the fishermen. The bonnet, gathered at the neck with a frill to allow the water to run away, differed according to the age and marital status of the person who wore it.

 

At nearby Port Mulgrave where the cobles (pronounced cobbles), replicas of the Viking boats, are still used for fishing.

The ancient Mulgrave Castle was once inhabited by the Maharajah Duleep Singh who was a great favourite with Queen Victoria. This much is true, but the well known story of how the Indian prince built a road so he and his entourage could travel from Sandsend to Whitby on the backs of his elephants without the animals getting sand between their toes could well be a tall tale.

 

 

And on to Whitby, home of Bram Stoker's famous story, which is steeped in history.  If you can climb to 199 steps, the church, its graveyard with a pirate's grave and the jade stone at the foot of the three tiered pulpit for adulteresses (as opposed to adulterers!)to sit during the service, is absolutely fascinating.

And the talk continued with the abbeys of the region:  Fountains Abbey claims the oldest flush toilets in the country, Jervaulx with its ancient embalming stones, Bolton Abbey for the carving of the dog which inspired nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle and Grace Priory where the monks took the vow of silence and lived pretty much as hermits and their vegetarian food was delivered to their cells through a right angled tunnel so no interaction occurred.  That has a certain appeal for short periods of time if a laptop was included in the deal.

 As I said, this is only a taster.

On television I am enjoying the Last Tango in Halifax written by Sally Wainwright with main parts played by Anne Reid, Derek Jacobi, Sarah Lancashire and Nicola Walker and I am intrigued by a new drama The Town.

 

Maybe I should be exercising while watching!

 



Celebrating Chanukah with family and friends.  Made my best potato latkes yet.

 First night of Chanukah 2012
 

My gifts included an everyday watch and some pieces of wood for a project I have in mind.  

 second night

 

 

 

 

A white chanukah

The snow remains with us as the freezing weather stops it from melting even from the treetops.  Picturesque it may be but, as temperatures plummet in the night,  the ice makes conditions hazardous on the roads.  It is mostly too cold to play out in the snow.




The chanukah candles have brightened up the evenings and Louis and Ellie have lit them with us on most nights.  On the 7th night we went to a chanukah party at shul where we were entertained with magic tricks and a Punch and Judy show (had forgotten how much violence portrayed) and ate latkes, vegie hot dogs and doughnuts - well you can indulge once a year!

 

 

 .... at the Goldberg's

 

 the purple menorah made by Louis at school. 

I have sent an upright hoover and some steel tipped boots to new homes through the local freecycle group. It's great when people can find a use for what is on offer.  I have received such items as kids bikes and travel cots from fellow freecyclers, although some of the items to give away make me laugh - and then someone takes them.

Emma and Freya are off to Sweden for a month; I will ask for photos to be sent.  Freya will have her first birthday there.  Oterlie and family are due to arrive from Mexico on Thursday.  The world seems a much smaller place, yet I can hardly make my way on foot to the local shops it is so icy!

Done a few sessions of work and my CRB check has been approved for there too.

Corrie is exciting yet unbelievable.  I wonder if I can continue to follow it after this week.

I see from my blog dashboard that I have been viewed by Croatia.  They must think that all this fuss about the weather is pathetic!

snow, snow and more snow

It has been snowing off and on, mainly on, since Friday 26 November with temperatures not exceeding zero. Got a lift there and back from work in the snow on Monday.  The female pupils wore wellies in the examination; some pink, others black or patterned with animal prints, smarties, stripes and zigzags looking incongruous with their school uniforms.

On Tuesday some hardy folk braved the weather and attended an awareness raising evening put on by Jewish Women's Aid to support International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  The two speakers were excellent.  Domestic violence transcends race, religion, culture and social class and the work they do giving advice, running a refuge and counselling is commendable.

And still  it snows and so no work today.   Took the opportunity to speak to Sue, an ex-colleague also  off school, and catch up with her news.  The snow is really thick today as you can see from today's picture of the table on the patio compared to a few days ago.

First night of Chanukah and it looks like we will be lighting the first candle on our own as the roads are too treacherous for visits or visitors.  More latkes for us then!