Yet Another Day

Well, it's getting somewhat boring. Just being in the flat because of lockdown. Trumpy has said that the rules can be relaxed in America. Has he been let out of his playpen? Does he listen to advice? Well, I don't think he listens to anyone. Let's forget the crazy man. . . and people are protesting about lockdown in various parts of the good ol' U.S of A. They seem to think (most likely Trumpety's supporters) that they don't need to 'self-isolate' because it, no doubt, contravenes something in the American constitution. They probably don't think they'll contract the covid 19 virus which is causing all the havoc across the world. Just stay at home and prevent the spread of the virus.

I don't think some people are adhering to the social distancing regulations. I've just got back from taking Alfie out for what should be the last walk around Oldbrook Green and there are several groups of people sitting on the grass and the benches in the area near the children's playground. I have a feeling they might not have English as their first language or might even speak English. If that is the case, how would they know about the government rules?

(Monday) It's surprisingly bright and sunny this morning. The fact that it is so sunny makes it far easier to put up with this confounded lockdown, although, for some people it might be more of a problem because when its sunny they have to be outside, when they shouldn't (if that makes sense, which it probably doesn't.)

I have another Futurelearn course to keep me busy, starting today, called 'Lives In The Factories and Mills' which is being run by Strathclyde University. As many of my paternal ancestors came from Scotland, this is more than just a little bit interesting to me, having an interest in history. I may have mentioned Futurelearn before, but these courses are free and I've done several before and are always worth doing. I have done a couple on Shakespeare and one (which I loved so much I have done it again.) about Hadrian's Wall. I can recommend these course and it doesn't take much effort to sign up to and will at least keep you occupied during this current lockdown situation.

(Tuesday) Each day seems much the same as any other. I think it's because there's no focus on the things I normally do, such as going to church on Sunday and then on a Tuesday going to work with the drama workshop guys at Camphill. I really miss these focus points of my week. I just hope this 'thing' isn't going to go on for much longer. Turning on the television news, all we get is pandemic, pandemic. It's getting somewhat monotonous. There must be other news to cover. Not just repetition, but negative.There's a lot of blame being thrown about, why the N.H.S. isn't getting the P.P.E. (personal protection equipment) it should.

I went to Sainsbury's because I discovered, when I was sorting out my medication, that I had run out of soluble aspirin, so I went to Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's to buy some more and to get a few other items. The queue wasn't as long as last time and it seemed to move a lot quicker so I was in the store with my shopping list. I always make sure I have a list, written in advance of going, which makes it easier and quicker when I'm in the store. I'm using their self-service checkouts because it means there is less risk of any sort of contact as social distancing is easier. I notice that they have turned off alternate machines which means there is a wider space between them which allows for social distancing and after each customer has finished they clean them with spray, presumably alcohol-based, which they do with the trolleys when customers have finished with them.

(Wednesday) I mentioned I have bought an iPad. I had been looking at them on line and have also been into the Apple store in Midsummer Place in Milton Keynes (this well before the current situation with lockdown because of the corvid 19 outbreak (I don't understand this virus. It's called covid 19 as well as coronavirus. I need to find out what they mean by both.) to had a look at the various models and found out about iPencil and then that you can do graphics on your iPad if you have the right app/software, and, also being something of a fan of David Hockney, I learnt fairly recently that he does a lot of his artwork using an iPad. I then did some research and found that an app called Procreate works on an iPad (the one that Hockney uses is called something like Painter but when I looked on the Apple App Store it wasn't available. With further research on line I learnt about Procreate and was then surprised by how much it cost, £9.99, which seemed good value, so I have now downloaded it and have it installed and I'm learning how to use it by watching videos on YouTube. 

Cooler Weather

The British weather isn't very predictable, even though we get reasonably accurate weather forecasts on television. As I write this on Saturday 18th April, it's 5.30a.m. I'm awake because I can't sleep properly and I can hear what I assume is rain, so I peer out of the window and, yes, it is raining, although not heavily. Alfie will need to go out as normal. Yesterday he spent most of the day staring at me, regardless of the fact that I had taken him out at more or less the same time as we usually go out. I have to say that Oldbrook Green is beginning to be somewhat boring, just walking around it is not the most inspiring piece of grass in the country. I see that the metal construction (how to describe, a sort of bus shelter, with seats inside. I think, intended as a place for the local youth to sit. I wish I'd had somewhere similar when I was their age. The enclosed space. I think you call it a skateboarding park) with skateboarding equipment inside is meant similarly. It is enclosed by a fence and gates, but one gate is missing.) The Council has had notices fixed up telling people that their use is banned, but they could at least put 'please' and 'thank you' on them, but I don't think the type of bureaucracy who writes and prints these notices uses these words, but it would present a far more friendly attitude which might help in these times of lockdown due to the pandemic.) As I was saying, the metal shelter has tape all over it, with the intention of preventing anyone using it, but I see as I last walked past that it has been torn down. It just looks a bit unpleasant and unnecessary. It's the sort of blue and white tape that the police use when there's been an 'incident' usually of a criminal nature.

(Saturday) I have been out with Alfie and it's a bit of a shock to my system to discover that it's quite chilly outside. We weren't out that long and came back and I turned on my television to find that Bill Gates was being interviewed (presumably via Skype or FaceTime) by Charlie Stayt on BBC Breakfast. This man is amazing. He should be President of the U.S.A. instead of the raving idiot that is Donald Trump. He's pouring millions into healthcare, and will hopefully be responsible for funding research and the eventual production of a vaccine to combat the coronavirus, Covid-19. Putting his personal fortune into so many good causes. I can't see Trump doing anything anywhere similar. He has stopped financial support for the W.H.O. (World Health Organisation) what is his problem? A total maniac. Narcissistic idiot. He thinks it’s fine to end the lockdown in the U.SA. He knows nothing about the science of the virus that’s causing all this. Bill Gates is supposed to have predicted this pandemic a few years ago, but nobody took any notice and we weren't prepared. I don't think Trump could predict to the end of his stupid nose.

Later. I've been to Sainsbury's. I didn't really want to, but I had to collect a repeat prescription from the ins-store Lloyd's pharmacy. I had ordered on line yesterday morning and was amazed when I got a text to say that it was ready to collect. That must be some sort of record, because it usually takes a couple of days. I imagine that my new doctor's surgery was keeping up with repeat prescriptions. No doubt because they won't be any patients visiting the surgery for appointments. I can't imagine Ashfield Medical Centre working so hard.

A queue to get into Sainsbury's when I got there, around 8.15, and certainly not as far back into the lower carpark as it was a week or so back. People are being very cautious, as I imagine they would be, and the store is far easier to navigate compared to pre pandemic.

It is raining fairly hard now and Alfie will have to wait until it stops or at least isn't so torrential before I take him out. His treat tin is well and truly stocked up because I bought some more in Sainsbury's and he knows perfectly well that they are in the . So, he got a couple and he's now laying contentedly on the sofa near me.

(Monday) It's bright and sunny this morning, which makes life under lockdown considerably easier. I'm signed up to do another Futurelearn course, this time from Strathclyde University about the lives of those who worked in 19th Century Mills and Factories. This is something that interest me because most history is told from the viewpoint of the upper classes, the aristocracy, monarchy and politicians. It's great to get the voices of those who worked, were generally downtrodden and in a lot of cases, ignored.

I've continued with some of my writing. Not necessarily new material, but stuff which has been on my MacBook for some time. I've unearthed the handwritten stuff in the notebooks I have and transferring much of that to the iPad, using the dictation. Mind you, as I have already said. I have to keep an eye of what it writes as so much of it is incorrect and some of the things it comes up with are hilarious, as I've said. I continue with that and see how far I can get, but I think i'll give it a rest for the day as I've been on it more or less continuously for most of the morning. Alfie has been staring at me and I gave in at last and have just been to take him out. I have heard that the little Westie, belonging to a lady who lives in another flat in Dexter House, has died. I did wonder if there was something wrong with this dog, as he seemed to have strange breathing difficulties. I have been given the dog food which he had left over (not actually sure if it was a he or she.) but it is sad nevertheless. Fortunately it's the same food which Alfie already has.

(Tuesday) It's 6.15a.m. I haven't taken Alfie out yet, but he's laying on the sofa next to me and he keeps looking at me to see if I'm going to take him out. It seems quite a bright and sunny morning, so it should be pleasant out. I have done my medication and have found I have run out of dispersible aspirin. It's quite difficult to keep up with the medications which run out at different times. At one time I could order everything in one block and it was easy to keep up with repeats but somehow or other everything runs out at different times, making it difficult to keep it going. This is made more difficult at the moment with the lockdown caused by the virus thingy. I will just have to go to Sainsbury's and get some over the counter. They sell aspirin dispersible in small pots, which I prefer to those horrible blister packs. I suppose I can see why they are preferred by pharmacies as they are easier to store and probably more hygienic. Never mind, I can go and get some more fruit and a few more other items which should last for a week or two. Only problem is I have to write a list so I don't spend more time in Sainsbury's than is absolutely necessary and can just go in and me out relatively quickly. The only problem is you have to queue up which can add around 45 minutes to the shopping trip.

More Reading and Watching

I have finally finished the set of history books taking British history from 1956, with the Suez Crisis and through the following decades right up to the 1990's, through the Premierships of Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair.  I have now given history reading a rest and I've read 'Skellig' by David Almond, which I have read before, but enjoyed enormously. Initially intended as a children's book, but equally enjoyed by adults. Subtle and clever, definitely worth a read. It's not a long novel, which probably is in its favour. 

I'm currently doing an on-line course from something called Futurelearn. I've done several of these courses, a couple on William Shakespeare, another about Hadrian's Wall and this one is about The Tudors. As a result I'm reading Hilary Mantel's Booker-Prize winning novel 'Wolf Hall.' I had never imagined I'd enjoy a historical novel, but this is excellent and I'm surprised how much I am enjoying it. I watched the first episode of the BBC television adaptation, but I just couldn't get into it and didn't watch any more episodes, but the book is really good. Some books don't adapt well to television, and it seems to me that's the case with this particular book.

Martin Clunes has a new sitcom on BBC1 on Fridays, not that the day it's broadcast makes a lot of difference these days,because you can watch most television programmes either recorded on your Sky Q box (other personal recording set-top boxes are available, incidentally) or trough iPlayer. I'm not sure whether I like this new show, called 'Warren.' He's a driving instructor with a bad temper. He doesn't get on with his customers. He definitely has an attitude problem, Martin Clunes other leading character, in 'Doc Martin,' might also have an attitude problem, but at least you have sympathy for the character. The comedy springs from the fact that he's a doctor who should show some sort of empathy for his patients. On the other hand, Warren is just plain annoying. You really have no sympathy for him and it's no wonder his driving school business fails so miserably. Miserable git comedy is funny with the right character and the right script, but this just fails completely. Victor Meldrew, admirably played by Richard Wilson in 'One Foot In The Grave' does at least get your sympathy, and it has got a decent, well-written script. 'Warren' misfires on so many levels. Going back further in television comedy history, I could mention Tony Hancock, a character who was pompous as well as miserable. You could have sympathy for him and the scripts written by the legendary writing pair of Galton and Simpson almost single handedly changed the history of sitcom development and writing.

Comedy of failure is a style of comedy which can be described of many modern sitcoms. 'Fawlty Towers' isn't exactly the most successful of hotels, run by Basil Fawlty, who seems to fail and every turn. Rigsby in 'Rising Damp' is a similar sort of character. His home, which he shares with several lodgers, isn't exactly perfect. Rigsby is a failure in the sense that the can't cope with the views of his lodgers and is a somewhat disreputable character. Compare these sitcoms with 'Warren' and you see that it doesn't stand a hope of being a successful show for BBC1. I think it would have shed audience figures  over the next couple of episodesbecause of the fact it is so awful. The BBC is probably expecting the fact that it has Martin Clunes as the central character which will draw an audience. Some hope! He has done better work, particularly with 'Doc Martin.'

The BBC has done rather well with early-afternoon drama. The 2.15 slot has seen such drama series as 'The Indian Doctor,' 'Moving On,' 'Father Brown,' and now 'Shakespeare and Hathaway.' This latest is set in Stratford-On-Avon and the action revolves round two investigators, with the rather predictable names which are reminiscent of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, two former inhabitants of that town. There is a certain quirkiness in the plots and there are sly references to the plays of William Shakespeare. It is similar in style to 'Father Brown,' which period had been shifted from the 1920s-1930s setting of the original G.K.Chesterton short stories to the early 1950s and set in a fictional Cotswold village. Again, quirky and with a comic edge and with a strong cast lead by Mark Williams as the eponymous Catholic priest come crime investigator.

Returning to the theme of comedy about failure, the BBC has bought back Alan Partridge, who must surely be the best example of such a type of comedy. The new show, called 'This Time.' It's a sort of spoof version of the BBC1 early evening chat show, 'The One Show.' Partridge, played by Steve Coogan, is a character you either love or hate. He has been a presenter on a range of radio and television shows over the years, mainly on lesser-known stations, particularly the fictional North Norfolk Digital. He's a bit like Hancock, he imagines he's a success, but he's a total failure. He has grand illusions of presenting all manner of shows, but just can't hack it. The new show began shakily, but as we're currently on episode 3 it seems to have found its feet. It is really about the allusion of show business, television in particular. You see behind the scenes, cutting from Partridge and his co-host sitting on the sofa smiling inanely, to what happens when they're 'off-air.' The smiles vanish and we see beyond the surface. We see the cameras and other technical equipment, the make-up ladies who swoop on the presenters to apply powder and other make-up to their faces and tidy their hair before the cameras roll once more. This is more like satire than straightforward comedy. There is a good deal more to it than just being plain 'comedy.'

I have been watching further episodes of 'Warren,' the new sitcom which stars Martin Clunes, and which runs before the Alan Partridge spoof chat-show 'This Time' on BBC1. I will give this comedy the benefit of the doubt and probably go back on what I have said earlier on this blog post. It has needed three episodes to find its feet. By this episode it has settled down somewhat. That's doesn't mean I don't dislike the central character of Warren, but there is more plot and sub-plot and this episode does at least have some decent one-liners. It has a better story arc than the first two and does at least tie up at the end. Not brilliant, but like a lot of sitcom, it takes several episodes for the writers and actors to settle down, let the characters breathe and develop naturally. You can't always get the full set-up or what the characters are like in only one episode, so I will continue to watch and see how things develop. I can't imagine an actor of Martin Clunes accepting a poor quality script, and bearing in mind that this show is made by Hat Trick productions, known for it's success with comedy over the years, it's bound to improve and I'm sure it will and the BBC will be rewarded with audience figures to go with this.

Eleventh Chemotherapy Cycle

When we go out we usually have to leave Alfie behind. Going to the oncology department at Milton Keynes Hospital, for example, we obviously can't take a small dog, for hygiene reasons, although we'd love to take him and I'm sure the other patients would love him and he'd be spoilt rotten. He usually stays in the kitchen, where he has his nice warm bed, some food and water and it's generally quite pleasant for him. Sometimes, if I say 'kitchen' to him he goes all pathetic, ears laid back with his tail between his legs. I think tone of voice could suggest that he's done something wrong, even when he hasn't. If I say this, he sometimes forgets where the kitchen is and runs upstairs to our bedroom. Well, you can't blame him for preferring to lay on our nice comfortable bed to being in the kitchen. But yesterday morning, when we were about to leave the house for the hospital, I attempted to get him into the kitchen. You have to have the door into the front hall shut, and get him into the kitchen from the lounge through the door from the lounge. But he wouldn't comply. He usually goes in there without any fuss and bother. But he'd picked up fairly early on that we were going out and leaving him. He goes into the trembling-dog mode, all pathetic and really crazy. I had to attempt to open the kitchen door and just put him through, but he just wouldn't stay, with as much effort as he could, he rushed back through into the lounge. For such a small dog he has quite a lot of strength, surprisingly, so we decided to leave him to it and have the door between the lounge and the kitchen left open so be could wander about safely when we were out, so at least he had food and water and a choice of either laying on the sofa or using his own bed in the kitchen.

So, yesterday Carol started her eleventh chemotherapy cycle. Just one more to go and all twelve will have been completed. We got to the oncology unit far too early. We were due there at about 11.30, but as there can be a real problem with parking we got there about an hour too early and, fortunately, we were able to park quite easily. There were several vacant spaces. We went to the Friend's shop which is near the restaurant, and bought sandwiches, drinks and crisps so we had something to eat at lunch-time.  It was really warm in the oncology department. I know cancer patients need to be warm because the chemotherapy they have to undergo can have the effect of making heat and cold quite unbearable. This was particularly evident over the winter months as Carol had to wear gloves and a scarf, usually over her mouth when we went outside. But it's quite warm at the moment and the doors and windows were open in the department when we arrived but had to be closed as one patient, a fairly elderly lady, insisted on having them closed. A bit unfair on the rest of those in the department.

Today (Wednesday) I've spent some time cutting the grass with the new cordless grass trimmer (as mentioned in an earlier post.) I'm having to deal with a lot of brambles growing up near the fence to the left, because the trimmer isn't powerful enough to cut these branches. It's good at cutting the grass, though, and from my experience of using a Strimmer or at least a cutter that uses fishing line, it's more efficient and I haven't had to stop to deal with the cutting blade (similar to that which is in the mower we have.) With trimmers with fishing line in them, this line tends to brake very frequently and you have to stop and deal with it, pulling out the line before continuing with the job in hand.

This week I'm doing an on-line course through something called 'Futurelearn.' It's called 'Shakespeare: Print and Performance.' It's a course run by King's College, London in association with the British Library and Shakespeare's Globe. I've done several of these courses before, an earlier one on Shakespeare called 'Shakespeare and His World' and another about Hadrian's Wall. Most of these courses are free, but they've started to keep them free for the duration of the course, but then you need to pay to continue to have access after this period. There are video 'lectures' on various topics as well as downloadable material which you can print out as well as points where you can join in discussions and make comments on various topics. A really interesting course as it covers two subjects which I have an interest in, Shakespeare and history. Learning a lot of new stuff about Shakespeare I didn't know about before as well as about the history of Tudor theatre. I never realised until doing this course that there were so many theatres in and around London at this time, because you only seem to know about The Globe Theatre when studying Shakespeare.

Free Shakespeare Course on Futurelearn

Anyone who know me well will know I have a real passion for theatre and that I worked in stage management for several years. Also, that I love Shakespeare. I did a course on the free Futurelearn platform a couple of years which I really enjoyed. It is being run again, for those who might be interested. It's very easy to register and if you decide to join you can begin at the beginning very easily and catch up quickly. It began on Monday of this week so you're only a few days behind if you want to join in. It is a joint project run by Warwick University, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Warwick Business School. The lead educator is Jonathan Bate. It's something of a coincidence that I recently bought his book " Soul of The Age: The Life and Mind of William Shakespeare, so I'm reading in in parallel with the course. You get a series of short videos, running for up to 10 minutes, and Jonathan Bate uses objects from the archives of the Birthplace Trust that are relevant to the life of Shakespeare, for example, a  signet ring which was discovered in a field near Stratford-Upon-Avon which may or may not have belonged to Shakespeare, as it has the initials 'W.S.' engraved on it. Also, copies of manuscripts, folios etc etc. As you progress through the course, and you can go at your own pace, there is no need to rush through the course, you can leave comments and discuss with other students on the course, by writing in the spaces provided and so learn as you go along. At the end of each week (the whole course runs for 10 weeks.) there are quizzes so you can see how you are progressing.

More Creative Writing

I'm currently following a creative writing book written by Chris Sykes, very imaginatively entitled "Complete Creative Writing Course (A Teach Yourself book, 2014). I am working my way through the various exercises within this book. It is similar to the Futurelearn course I did some while ago called 'Start Writing Fiction.' As part of the course, I have to find a location and then sit and describe it, rather in the fashion of a painter would paint a landscape, but, in this case it's in words. Not as easy as it might at first appear. I did my first one sitting in the Waitrose café. I chose that one because I had to go there for some shopping and also you can have a free coffee or tea if you have a My Waitrose card. Today I have done the second one, but this time, it was at the Ouzel Country Park at Woughton, and just off Chaffron Way. It has been a more or less perfect sunny day, although the day started off foggy, but this cleared by around 9.15, so it seemed perfect conditions for me to attempt this second exercise. It was no good it being wet or windy, or even very foggy. I spent around 30 minutes on the exercise and I think it went relatively well. I did a similar exercise as part of the FutureLearn course and on that occasion, I went to Sainsbury's cafe. 

Cough Continues

The cough is gradually coming to an end. Carol wants me to go to the doctor if it doesn't clear up soon. I may attempt to get an appointment tomorrow is at all possible.

I have begun a course following a book I purchased from Amazon. It's entitled 'Complete Creative Writing Course' by Chris Sykes. I had bought another book as a result of the Futurelearn course, but I found it wasn't really suitable for my needs so I returned it. I have found the current book far better. I will just have to see how things progress, so keep an eye on this blog for developments.

Today has started fairly bright and sunny. No frost or ice to clear off the car's windscreen this morning. 

Cough and Cold

Not feeling too well today. Have had a sore throat for the past couple of days, which has developed into a cold. Just unpleasant. Constantly blowing my nose and coughing, which is made worse when I lay down in bed. I suppose I really shouldn't complain as I haven't had a cold for at least five years. It seems to drain all the energy out of me.

I have begun a course from Futurelearn this morning, the subject being "Hamlet", the play by William Shakespeare. I have done several courses from Futurelearn. They are free which is amazing. All done on-line. I did one on Shakespeare's world last year and another on Hadrian's Wall, as well as one on creative writing. 

Getting Colder and Foggier

It was particularly cold first thing this morning. I had to scrape ice off the windscreen of the car and then there was fog which made things even more difficult. Carol has taken the car to drive to the Academy this morning as I don't need to have it. She was telling me that yesterday they had a lot of problems at the Academy, not least that there was a power serge and the whole electricity supply was down which meant they couldn't use any computers and then there was a burst sewage pipe which doesn't bear thinking about the consequences of that. As so much in that building relies on the computers, for example, registration, it must have been extremely difficult to operate properly. How, for example, would you teach I.T. (Information Technology) if you couldn't use computers? Also, so many of Carol's lessons use Powerpoint or she has documents on computer files such as Word and other software.

I am into week five of the Starting Writing Fiction course from Futurelearn. I must say, all things considered, it is a good deal better than the course I started which was run as an evening class at Milton Keynes Academy. It's a good deal more challenging. I have not completed all of the assignments but this is due to our situation at home, but, being an on-line course and not having any sort of time restraints on handing in work as you might have on a conventional course, you can work at your own pace and go back and re-do bits that you have any difficulties with. I have posted some written work and get feedback from other people as well as have work critiqued.

Having said that the weather has been a good deal colder, yesterday it was quite sunny once the fog had dispersed. It also resulted in some quite spectacular skies over Milton Keynes, some amazing cloud formations and the colours were very striking. I would have taken the digital camera out and photographed some of it but by the time I'd got back into the house it had changed and it wouldn't have been worth the effort so I left it.

Thoroughly Wet and Miserable Morning

It has rained almost continuously overnight. We could hear the sound of the rain on the windows when we woke this morning and the dogs were very reluctant to go out into the garden when I let them out. Who can blame them? Alfie stood on the doorstep and poked his nose out, then came back in, but I think he realised that he would need to go out at some point, so rushed out but came in quickly. He manages to stay within the sort of shelter of the house when he goes out.Poppy shot out and then came back almost as quickly. As I write this the rain is still rattling on the windows and there's quite a lot of drops running down the glass. The BBC Breakfast weather forecast says that it's going to clear up as the day progresses. It is actually quite mild out and we've had no further frost to freeze up the car windscreen first thing in the morning. Well, considering we're well into November it's not to much to expect from the weather.

I am continuing with the Futurelearn course, although it has now almost come to the end of week three. I'm still doing work from week two. I don't think it really matters as this is not like a conventional course and you can work at your own pace. Reading other people's comments on the website I don't think I'm the only person on the course who isn't completely up to date. I read on some of the comments that there are some people who are on week six, which is the final week. I have learnt quite a bit from this course and certainly more than the  evening course I started but abandoned at Milton Keynes Academy. There is one problem, though. When you upload any written material onto the Futurelearn site you have no more than 200 words to write your assigment, which, to be honest, isn't enough space. I suppose in some ways it's a good thing as you have to learn to edit your work as you go along in order to get it to fit. My previous post on here was actually a piece that I had written for the course and because it was around 500 words I posted it here and then put a link to it on the Futurelearn site.

A Visit To My Uncle

On my way home from school I used to drop in for a visit to my aunt and uncle. I used to bike to and from school, and when I arrived at their house I would lean my bike up against the wall near the back door. They weren’t actually related, but they were always aunt and uncle to us children. Out of respect, I suppose. My aunt was a fussy woman, perpetually cleaning the house, constantly fussing about with a duster and polish, always lugging the ancient Hoover around, making you lift your feet up to vacuum and plumping up the cushions in the sofa and armchairs. She made the most delicious cakes and I could never resist when she offered me a slice of whatever she had been baking, particularly the Victoria sponges which were a favourite, full of strawberry jam and oozing cream which you had to wipe off your chin when you bit in to it. She aways wore an apron with a flowery design on it. I can never remember ever seeing her without it.

My aunt put the two old chipped mugs of tea on the tin tray and sent me outside and through the snow and ice to my uncle’s workshop at the bottom of the garden. It was a freezing cold  February afternoon and it took me all my effort to stay upright instead of slipping and sliding as I walked along the concrete path. It was snug and warm inside his little empire.  He sat by a small paraffin stove, huddled close to keep himself warm. The broken remains of a garden fork clamped into the vice as he was attempting to repair it. His calloused hands gripped the newly-fashioned handle and placed it in the groove of the fork. 

“Good to see you!” he said, patting me on the back. The pipe he smoked was clamped firmly in his mouth, the sweet rich aroma of the tobacco filling the air, the pale smoke curling up and drifted throughout the workshop. That smell brings back so many memories of happy times together. My aunt wouldn’t allow him to smoke the pipe in the house, but in his domain he could do as he pleased, without her interference.

“You’ve timed it well, young man. I needed a break.” I put the tray on the bench, having cleared a space amongst the litter of tools, broken implements, oddments of repaired clocks, chair-backs and other strange and wonderful things.

“You’ve bought the Rich Tea biscuits, I see!” he said, “my favourite!” He took a packet of sugar and shovelled umpteen scoops out into his mug. Too many, I’m sure, but that’s how he liked his tea, strong, sweet and hot.   He stirred it vigorously with the spoon and handed me my mug and we sat while we drank the hot brown liquid. The corners of his mouth creased up more than ever when he smiled.

The above is an assignment done as part of a Futurelearn free creative writing course.

Creative Writing

I didn't continue with the writing course at Milton Keynes Academy. It was really far too basic. I have rung and I'm getting part of the fee refunded. I am now doing an on-line course through something called Futurelearn. I've done a couple of these free courses, one on Shakespeare and another on Hadrian's Wall. I can recommend them highly. I have signed up to do another of their courses, starting in January, on William Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet.' Should be interesting as I have a particular fascination with the play and have seen a couple of stage versions as well as the Kenneth Branagh film version which is uncut as well at the B.B.C. Shakespeare television production which has Derek Jacobi in it. I was involved in a production of the play when I was an A.S.M. at Liverpool in 1971. Hamlet was played by John Castle and Ophelia by Joanna David.