Journal Entries
Poetry please
Posted Oct 19, 2014
Tonight I went to my third meeting of the local poetry reading club. They happen two or three times a year. The idea is that a very eclectic group chooses a favourite poem each, explain why it is important to them and then read it. The 93 year old
read "Crossing the bar", the 8 year old read a poem written by her mother about wild roses and I read "The Sneetches" by Dr Seuss to such effect that a local teacher has asked me to read it to her primary class in the near future.
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Latest reply: Oct 19, 2014
Swings and roundabouts
Posted Oct 6, 2014
I have a new front door and an old door knocker (Lincoln Imp sourced from Ebay via younger son)
My wind up radio that the same son gave me more than 20 years ago finally wound down this evening, but my older son gave me a much more portable replacement in return for heavy hints re Xmas present.
The weather was much colder today but windy enough to dry a line full of washing.
The water board doesn't seem to have read my meter correctly, but, if I am right, I won't have to pay them for the next year.
Last week the bus managed to crash into various things at Market Rasen where a 90 degree junction has always been an accident waiting to happen, but no-one was even slightly hurt and I managed to get about six inches of knitting done while waiting for the replacement bus.
A lovely long phone call from a friend in Hong Kong this evening who has been demonstrating every night for a week, but I'm only half glad that I'm not still there.
I bought some English strawberries today. same price as they were in July, but the fairly strict diet means no added luxury of sugar or cream.
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Latest reply: Oct 6, 2014
Peacock and Binnington
Posted Aug 7, 2014
have been selling tractors and other agricultural machinery in Brigg just up the road for about 120 years. This time last week a very happy four year old was given a guided tour of the latest very, very expensive machines, using at least an hour of their time at the busiest part of the year. Came home with a goodie bag and a delirious grin from ear to ear. His father and older brother greatly enjoyed themselves too.
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Latest reply: Aug 7, 2014
Thank heavens for nice young men.
Posted Jun 4, 2014
Recently I have been heavily leaning on "the kindness of strangers". Last week I went into Grimsby for X-rays and a youth leapt up to give me a seat on the bus (which meant he had to go upstairs) and the male radiologist more or less lifted me on and off the X-ray table.
On Monday evening I fell on my knees in the market square. A nice woman gathered up my shopping including a cracked egg which I scrambled for brekkie. And two pleasant sixteen year olds picked me up. (Heavy bruising on the knees, but no blood)
Today I went to see Dr Sam about the X-rays. You will be pleased to know there is nothing wrong with my knees, but..... it's a referred pain from the crumbling hip, which will need replacing if possible. Shades of my mother - and grandmother.I shall now have a stiff whisky
and go a have a lie down on my clean bedding.<star
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Latest reply: Jun 4, 2014
25 years ago
Posted Jun 2, 2014
I was teaching at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where I had been for 3 years. I loved it and despite what follows I think it is still my favourite post.
Some of my favourite students came to see me before taking the train to Beijing. I had tickets booked on the same train a month later as the first leg of my journey home on the trans-Siberian.
About a fortnight later my pensioner neighbours made a huge effort to contact me through the British consulate so that my thirteen year old could be assured that I was still alive - my students by that time were not. When I eventually got home, they wouldn't let me pay the phone bill.
If I ever get round to writing the memoirs, there's a whole chapter, but for the time being I just take the time every year to remember Tiananmen Square (who never managed to get on the trans-Siberian)
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Latest reply: Jun 2, 2014
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