Friday, 18 November 2016
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Time Marches On
It as been some time since I last posted a blog here and its
not that I have run out of things to post about. There will be times in
everyone’s life when pressing or unforeseen events seem to take full control of
your time to the exclusion of all else and I have had two such events come
together unexpectedly over the last three months.
I have been contemplating the progress of time recently and
there are many mystery’s attached to it. When we are young time seems to us to
go very slow. Time must seem agonisingly slow for a young infant unable to move
and fend for itself and even once we have learnt to crawl we are even more
impatient for the time we can stand, walk and run. During our formative years
time drags for so many. We can’t wait for school holidays to arrive then not
long after we wish it was time to finally put our schooling years behind us, we
long to meet someone of the opposite sex, for that first kiss and eventually to
settle down with someone. We long for the time when we can get our first wheels
whether they are four or just three, it seems at this age that time always
drags. Once we have married, got a home and start raising a family our time
always seems so full. Every moment of the day seems to be full of chores and we
seem to have to work very hard to find any time for ourselves. Then something
very strange happens, just when you finally loose all your shackles because the
family have grown up and left home and you look forward to retiring from work,
time seems to move up a gear and you find that even though you have less
demands on your time there never seems time to do all the things that you
always wanted to do. Because of the aging process things take longer to do and
some days it seems that time is going far to fast.
I can recall the time when I was a boy and each year I would
go away for a whole week to the seaside. It always seemed to me that the first
half of the week went slowly and there was plenty of time to enjoy all the
pleasures associated with the seaside but once Wednesday had gone by the final
three days would be all a blur and before you knew it you were on the station
waiting for the train to take you home. What kind of illusion is this and why
does it seem to re-occur in the cycle of life.
I mentioned at the start of this blog that two things had
happened that had taken over my time in recent days. The more pressing of the
two was the recent death of my father in his 90th year. What can you
say about the closing of someone’s life, the words of him having a good innings
spring to mind, being born in 1922 he had seen many changes and experienced
many exciting events of history. He had served his country by joining the RAF
in 1939 but due to unsatisfactory eyesight had to take a ground post. However
he was still able to be involved in the action, during the Battle of Britain he
was stationed at Biggin Hill and later served in Europe
after D Day before being shipwrecked after the troop ship he was travelling on
was torpedoed, which must have been a terrifying experience for dad considering
he couldn’t swim. Dad spent most of his working life as a bus conductor, first
off working for Barton’s in there Long Eaton depot and then for 20 years
working for London transport which from story’s my father told could have been
a very hazardous job at times. My father always wanted to reach 90 and we made
what he said was the best day of his life by organising a small party for him
at is sheltered housing complex in Peterborough
in February ( see photo above with dad surrounded by is friends at Millfield
House). Seeing to the closure of a person’s life is both an emotional and
tiring experience. Travelling between Skegness and Peterborough during is short illness in
hospital and then seeing to all the arrangements that need to be done after death
is time consuming and energy sapping. Dad only lived in a one bedroom flat
within the sheltered housing complex, he only had is pension to live on and so
there was very little to pass on. Most of his possessions were great usefulness
to his daily life but of very little monetary value to others. The most
valuable assets to me were finding his RAF medals and a few photograph’s which
I will treasure and most of all the memories I will have of times with him.
What do you say to close the life of someone who has lived
to a good age, that he ran a good race or he stayed the course. What will be
the reward no one can tell because none of us knows the rules? Time does march
on and all you can hope for in this life is that you can live it out honestly
and long to the end. I am reminded of the words of Shakespeare the world is a
stage:
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Time does march on but I hope to have a little more time to
devote to this blog in the future and I hope that you all continue to enjoy
reading it, where ever you are.
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Music: Food For Our Soul
There’s a saying that the way to a man’s heart is through is
stomach, then surely the way to a man’s soul is through is ears.
Music is the food of our soul. Even if we're not composers
there is always a song that reflects our feelings, thoughts, mood culture and
traditions.
Music awakens our imagination making us fly in time bringing
back memories from our childhood, youth, or important events that can make us
smile, laugh, cry, sigh or even dance!
Notice any child, as soon as they learn to stand, even before
they can walk instinctively they move and sway along with music. The love of
music I believe is passed down through the generations. I have always loved
Brass Bands but it is only in recent years through researching my family Tree
that I have discovered my grandfather’s love and devotion to Brass Band music.
He was a member of the Long Eaton Silver Prize band club and accompanied the
band on many trips to the Albert Hall, London
for the National Finals. My Grandparents even had a band member lodging with
them during the WWII years.
I have my school days to thank also for my love of classical
music, thanks to an enthusiastic teacher I first discovered how music can tell
a story by listening to a piece of music by Sergei Prokofiev sometimes referred to as ‘The Young Peoples Guide To The
Orchestra’ but more commonly known as ‘Peter and the Wolf’. In the piece each
instrument symbolises a character in the story. Follow the link to hear how
this works. http://www.philtulga.com/Peter.html.
Through my teenage years I learned to love many forms of
music from Traditional folk to what was called the protest folk music of Bob
Dylan before moving on to more popular forms of music like the Liverpool sound of the Beatles.
I have from my youth also been a lover of the musical
theatre, there is something magical about adding a song to a story as anyone
who has had the opportunity of viewing classics like Les Miserables or West
Side story will tell you it just seems to enhance the emotions of the characters and story.
I also enjoy the swing era of the 1940s and the sound of the
dance bands that originated during that period. There is something about the
sound generated by a group of talented individuals coming together in harmony
and combining to create what has sometimes been referred to as a wall of sound.
I recently had the great frill of being able to attend a
concert by the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra who were performing in the
Embassy Theatre in Skegness. This was for me the first time I had experienced live
a concert in which a 61 piece orchestra had performed and it was wonderful. I
can’t really explain it but it gave me a warm glow of well being and I couldn’t
stop smiling all through the performance. It was truly a joyful experience.
I feel sorry for those who are not emotionally moved by music
for I feel they are missing out on so many things.
I can truthfully say in the words of John Miles “Music is my
first love and it will be my last, music of the future and music of the past.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Day Three Onwards Of The Queens Jubilee Celebrations weekend
Carrying on from my last blogs account of the Queens Diamond
Jubilee Celebrations in London
as well as here in Skegness we move away from the wet weather of Sunday to the
more promising outlook of day 3 of the celebrations.
Monday morning was spent watching recordings of yesterday’s
river pageant on the river Thames. The Thames
has been called London’s
greatest street, if you study its course you will discover it links many royal
palaces together. It is hard for us to imagine that when the British Isles was
a part of Europe before the last ice age that Thames was an extension to the
Rhine, the ice melted and the land we now know as Britain became a group of
islands and it was the Thames that carried trade and people deep into its
interior that establish London as its capital. So it was fitting that it was the Thames that was chosen to feature as the main event of
the Facilities and what a great pageant it proved to be. So much of our recent
history was on display, from the early trade vessels that worked on the river
to the small which set sail from the Thames to rescue the British army from the
shores of Dunkirk.
http://www.rmg.co.uk/about/press/royal-river-power-pageantry-and-the-thames
In the Afternoon I visited the nearly named The Village
Church Farm museum. Skegness was till just over a hundred years ago a mainly
just a rural community with a small group of fishermen and there family’s
dwelling along the shore and it would be the village green where all the
celebrations would take place. There would be games organised for the children and
plenty of ale to be drunk before the lighting of the beacon to spread the news
of the happy events.
The evenings celebrations began with a visit to the
impressive St Mathews Church which was built as part of the redevelopment of
Skegness as a Victorian resort by the sea. Plans were drawn up in the 1880s to
develop an area in the centre of the town to cater for the people who would be
brought to the coast by the newly established railway link. This area was to
incorporate a pleasure garden, hotels and also a new church built in the center
of a road island on what was planned as the main thoroughfare that would lead
to the developments magnificent new pier that would carry visitors out to sea
to enable them to enjoy the sensational bracing air that was the reason given
by many for visiting the coast.
The Concert was a community effort entitled ‘ Rule Britannia’
with contributions from local school children and groups like the Skegness
Playgoers, choral societies and I was really pleased to see contributions from the
popular Alive and Kicking group who have been providing social events and
activities for those with learning difficulties of all ages in the town for
many years. The accompanying music was provided by the every popular Skegness Silver
Band. The church was full and a good time was had by all and everyone enjoyed
the finale of the singing of Rule Britannia.
The night concluded for me with a second visit by me that
day to the Village Church Farm for yet more singing of popular songs like Land
of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia and of course God Save The Queen before the
welcome site of the lighting of the Skegness Beacon that would join a string of
over other beacons throughout the British Isles before the final beacon was lit
by the Queen on the Mall.
The Final morning of the celebrations on the Tuesday was
spent visiting Winthorpe which is a community just on the edge of Skegness. The
residents association had done a marvellous job in putting together an event that
would please every one and was well supported by the community and those who
were elected to represent the community. There was a five a side football, side
stalls and trade stalls and all the things you would associate with this type
of celebrations. The Weather was fine and everyone was enjoying themselves, I
congratulate the community association for putting on a grand show.
Finally I settled down to watch the recording of last nights
Jubilee Consort for the Queen performed on a stage built just in front of
Buckingham palace. It was billed as the concert represented the music
associated with the queens 60 years of reign. I enjoyed it so much because it
was not only music that had been a major part of the Queen’s life but it was
the music that had run through my life also. From the early days of Paul
McCartney and Cliff to Tom Jones Elton
John and Stevie Wonder and on to Gary Barlow and Jesse J of today’s music. It
also included a long list of comedians who announced the acts and filled in
between acts which could have been reduced considerably if they had handed the
job to Peter Kay who was in my opinion the best of the lot.
All in All a good time was had both in London and Skegness despite the appalling
weather on the Sunday
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Queens Jubilee Celebrations
Wonderful four days of Celebrations to mark the Queens
Diamond Jubilee here in Skegness. As always the weather played a big part in
how the events panned out, but overall we were very lucky as they say 3 out of 4 ain’t bad. Saturday
started us of with a mainly sunny start, I have a very relaxing day in Tower
Gardens, enjoying the exhibition of work by some talented artists from the
Skegness Art Club, Browsing through some well preserved Vintage cars and
motorcycles from Boston and sitting back and enjoying the wonderful sounds of
Brass from the talented Skegness Silver band, what more could you ask for.
Unfortunately I arrived home to see my horse (bonfire) in the Derby put on a dismal display to come in way
down the field behind the Triumphant Camelot.
Sunday was a complete washout as far as the main
celebrations in Lumley Road Skegness went. It had persistenly rained all
through Saturday night and Sunday morning. The main shopping area had been
closed off to traffic and groups and a parade had been booked. The groups had
to be moved indoors and the parade was cancelled, so disappointing for all the
orginizers. We made the effort to be there for the opening ceremony but only
got drenched in the process and it was so cold as well.
We had been invited to a local street party at 4pm on the
same day and it was still raining but by now it had been reduced to a drizzle.
We arrived to find the party still set to go on and small band was playing under a make do
shelter and one of the hotels in the area had opened up there dining room for
the food. It was a case of carry on regardless and everyone seemed to be
enjoying themselves.
The earliest street parties were held around the end of
World War I in 1919 with “Peace Teas” to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of
Versailles. They were tea parties that were focussed on a special treat for
children in those times of hardship and were quite formal sit down affairs.
These street parties organised by residents were very popular and were probably
a development of the more formal public street dinners that had historically
been held for occasions such as Queen Victoria’s
Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Since that time the community get-together has grown in
popularity as famous events are celebrated across the nation on a local level.
1945 saw the VE (Victory in Europe) Day street parties as streets gathered
together to celebrate the end of the war in Europe.
Cries of “God save the Queen” rang through the street parties of 1953 as the
celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation on 2nd June brought thousands to
the streets to welcome their new monarch and watch the first Coronation to be
broadcast on TV. It was on this day that a British classic dish was born -
Coronation Chicken which remains a popular nostalgic party dish to this day.
Other major events that have been celebrated with street
parties include the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in1977, the Royal Wedding of Prince
Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and, of course, last year’s Royal
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. It has not only been Royal
events that have joined residents together though as England’s World Cup
Victory in 1966 had people across the country joining together to celebrate
with street parties.
Originally, the traditional street party was at times of
austerity so food would have been simple and consisted of whatever was
available. In 1953 for the Queen’s coronation, food was still rationed after
World War II but households were given an extra pound of sugar and 4 oz of
margarine for the celebrations.
The parties of today may not have the same constraints but
they will still be a celebration of traditional British food and tradition. I
hope the tradition of holding street parties will go on long after my
generation have vacated this earth, we all need an excuse to get to know our
neighbours and this often leads to bonds being formed in the community that
last long after the party has ended.
I will continue this look back at the 4 days of the Diamond
Jubilee celebrations in my next blog.
Friday, 1 June 2012
The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and Sixty years of memories
Sixty years ago on Feb 6th it was announced on the radio
that King George VI had died peacefully in his sleep during the night at
Sandringham House and that Princess Elizabeth had now become Queen Elizabeth
II. I was just four and a half years old at the time and so the news did not
register much to me, but I do remember that all radio programm's were stopped
and for the next few days all that could be heard was sombre music. It must
have been a very sad and final occasion for many, they had lost a king who had stood
by them during the dark days of the second world war, who had shared there
grief and who gave them courage through their darkest days and had shared also
in their triumphant celebrations when victory was assured. It was just seven
years since the end of the war in Europe and much of England was still in ruins, there
must have been uncertainty, how would the young princess cope, would she be up
to the task.
Just over a year later 60 years ago tomorrow June 2nd
. Things were very different I was just two months short from my sixth birthday
and I have quite a few memories of that day. The day started very wet in fact
according to the weather reports of the period we were in the middle of a
period of atrocious weather that would go on till the middle of June http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/philip-eden/Coronation-Weather.htm.
There was some news circulating that morning about Edmond
Hilary had reached the summit of Everest but I was too excited about the
forthcoming party to care much about that. I was at one of my Aunts at the time
and she was one of the few residents in the street with one of these new
fangled contraptions called a television or as my Uncle referred called it, a
goggle box. It seemed to me that nearly half the street had packed into my
Aunts front room to watch the very small screen in the corner of the room and
all the time us kids played together in the background. I recall seeing the gold
coach coming down the Mall. I also recall seeing snippets of the arrival at the
Abbey and of the crowning ceremony, but for us kids it went on far too long.
Finally it was over and I can recall going out into the
street and watching a small parade with a made up band of people playing a
variety of instruments including someone with a zinc bath strapped to his front
and was hitting it with too much force for my liking. After the parade had
passed the trestle tables came out and everyone on the street had worked
together to provide a feast of proportions I had never seen before, how they
had achieved this when you recall that many food items were still under
rationing is anyone’s guess. We all had a great time and each of us kids went
away with a coronation mug provided by the committee.
The one constant person through the lives of all who can
recall that day in 1953 is our queen. Family and friends have come and gone,
for some of us our surroundings have changed a few times along with our places
of work but our Queen Elizabeth has ruled and shared with us our joys and our
sorrows. We have learnt to enjoy the many celebrations, the weddings, the
births, the Birthdays and the anniversary’s of her reign.
I remember very well the celebrations surrounding her silver
Jubilee in 1977. We were living in Derby
at the time and were keen walkers. I had spotted an article in our local
newspaper about the Jubilee celebrations in Matlock. They were holding a
competition to discover the person who could show the most unique way of
reaching the town for the celebrations and we decide that we would walk the 25
miles from Derby
to Matlock and at the same time raise money for The Princes Trust. We decorated
our rucksacks with Union Jacks and wore red white and blue woollen hats. Just
as in the morning of the Coronation the weather was atrocious, we got soaked to
the skin even before we reached Belper. But with a few pints inside after a few
stops at the local hostelries it didn’t seem too bad. Eventually it began to
clear up and by the time we reached Matlock Bath the sun was sinning and our
collection boxes were feeling full. We reached Matlock just in time to join the
parade and we were later presented the trophy for the most unusual way of
reaching Matlock. Much later after having our photo taken and an interview for
the Derby Evening Post and many more pints we caught the train back to Derby having had a
wonderful day out.
Again I am looking forward to the Diamond Jubilee
celebrations in Skegness; I will be putting the effort in and decorating the
Mobility scooter just as I did for William & Kates wedding. Sunday June 3rd
is the big day in Skegness, they are pedestrianising part of Lumley road where
they will be having craft stalls, live music and a gathering of famous mascots
throughout the day and later in the evening we will be attending a traditional
street party. Let us hope that this time the weather will be fine, but come
rain or shine I will be raising my glass and once more and will be singing God
Save the Queen and hoping she will reign over us for many years to come.
Please feel free to share any of your own memories
Thursday, 31 May 2012
The bloggers delema = life gets in the way a bit
I have been blogging now for over 17 months and I am
enjoying the experience. I try to make my blogs enjoyable and interesting with
a sprinkle of history thrown in. I try not to get political or touch any other
controversial matter but sometimes it gets really hard. I just like to talk
about what affects me living on the coast in a light hearted sort of way, plus
I like to review the books I’m reading and the music in my life. I never believed that anyone would read my
blog when I first started and so was surprised by how many and amazed at where
people were in the world who reach my blog. It’s hard to know how many of the
people who hit my page actually read the blog, so it is very satisfying when
someone leaves a comment.
I try to do at least 2-3 blogs a week but sometimes find it
hard to make time stretch enough to allow me to do this. Just looking at my
last blog its almost a month ago, time seems to go much to fast as you get
older and life does get in the way. With the unseasonal weather we have been having
in Skegness work on my community group has taken up more of my time and once
you slip out of the blogging habit it becomes hard to get back into it again.
But I’m back now so I hope to get into the swing again, lots
happening here in Skegness over the next few days with the Queen’s Diamond
Jubilee celebrations and I hope to visit as many events as possible, the beach
huts are opened for the summer now and so I hope to be stepping out of my
virtual BH soon and into a shiny new one built during the winter in nearby
Mablethorpe.
I hope I haven’t lost all of my readership and I hope you
continue to enjoy my blogs and if possible leave a few comments now and then
just to let me know you’re all still out there still in Hyperspace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)