All In A Summer's Day

Friday. 3.00 p.m. It is a fine and sunny day. My work on my family tree is going exceptionally well. I can't spell genealogy (not sure whether that's the correct spell, but the spell-checker hasn't made any comments, so I imagine it's fine.) I have around 500 people on it, and it goes back over 500 years.

Saturday. 2.50 p.m. I drove off to Chipping Norton, for the study day, which was about rebellion and revolution in Oxfordshire and, in particular, Chipping Norton, and featuring 'The Ascott Martyrs.'

I had done some research on Google Maps, in order to learn where I could park, and had found the postcode of one car park and had it ready to put in the car's built in satnav. I knew the route well, as   Carol and I had used the road on numerous occasions. It was a delight to be able to enjoy the Oxfordshire countryside as I drove along and got to Chipping Norton at around 9.20. I found a long-stay car park and then discovered that the town hall, where the study day was taking place, just over the road and there was a sign on the pavement to show the way into the Town Hall and up some stairs.

Going inside the town hall, I was greeted by a lady who checked me in on a list. I had bought my ticket online, and I didn't have a paper ticket, but my name was on the list. It just goes to show that technology makes this sort of thing so easy. In fact, if it hadn't been for a post on Facebook about this event, I would never have known otherwise. In fact, if it hadn't been for the internet, I would never have discovered about the Ascott Martyrs.

I then went up the stairs to the hall where the talks were to take place. It was a large, old-fashioned space,  that had seen better days. A typical multi-functional hall with a stage at one end, with rather worn set of curtains and a balcony the other end, presumably with seating for performance, and below, as I came into the hall, ladies behind a counter serving tea, coffee and biscuits.

The talks were due to start at 10 o'clock, so I had around 20 minutes to wait.

The three talks were as follows: 1: 'The Otmoor Riots In The Wider Context.' Given by Ciaran Walsh.

2: Priests, Property, or The Prayer Book,' Given by Adrienne Rosen.

3: 'A Restless Town: Civil Strife and Public Disorder in Chipping Norton.' Given by Simon Draper. This talk was the one that covered The Ascott Martyrs, although I didn't really learn much that I didn't already know about. Having said that, there was a great deal that I didn't know about, particularly The Otmoor Riots, The Bliss Mill strikes who happened in the period of the First World War, 1914-1918.

The talks finished at around 12.30, followed by an A.G.M. for the Oxfordshire Local History Association, who were responsible for the study day. After that, there was to be a guided walk around Chipping Norton, to look at the various sites that featured in the talks. I wasn't staying for the A.G.M., because I wasn't a member of O.L.H.A. and the walk sounded as it would be quite tiring for me, and, having had that blackout at the beginning of the year, I didn't think it was advisable to risk going on it. So, I decided to leave and find something to eat, such as a sandwich, and, on my way back to the car, I saw a Sainsbury's Local on the street corner, so went in and bought a sandwich, packet of crisps and a drink in their 'Meal Deal' and then went to the car park and began the journey home to Milton Keynes, with the intention of finding a stopping place on the road, to sit and eat my sandwich,.

Having done family history research, I am discovering ancestors who I had never known had existed (understandable, I suppose.) Also, in most instances, where they live, and many of the villages I went through on the drive to and from Chipping Norton, or were close by, where many of these ancestors lived. A really strange feeling, to be so close to where they lived and worked.

I didn't find a place to stop and eat my sandwich, so I just kept going until I got back to Milton Keynes.

Monday. 4.55 p.m. It's been a warm and sunny day, and, as I write this, it continues to be the same.

Tuesday. 7.25 a.m. I woke up a good deal later than usual. Alfie has been out and it seemed as if it had been raining. 

I think I mentioned the chat I had with the lady who was registering people as they went into the study day in Chipping Norton. I said I was there because of my possible connection to the Ascott Martyrs, through my family history research and their connection to my mother's family, who came from a village called Leafield, which is near Ascott Under Wychwood. I had hoped to have a further chat with her because she had mentioned something about a family history day, which was going to be held in Ascott in June. But it didn't happen, so I sent an email about all this, and she has since replied and told me that the family history day will be on Saturday, June 22nd, so if I go to this free event it is possible that I might find further connections with the Ascott Martyrs.

My family history research has exploded somewhat. I have almost 700 people on my tree and goes back as far as 1033, which is simply amazing. I thought, when I began all this work, that I might get back to about the time of William Shakespeare, which would be about 1560-70. But to get back before the Battle of Hastings in 1066 is fantastic!

Sunshine On Milton Keynes!

 Monday. 6.15 a.m. It's May Bank Holiday Monday! For a change, it's dry and mild. Not so sure if it's going to remain dry, although traditionally (sorry, a bit of irony creeping in here!) it's supposed to rain.

2.15 p.m. I had to buy milk and dog food for Alfie. He would be most upset if he didn't get his dinner, so I went to Sainsbury's. Being a Bank Holiday, the underground car park was virtually empty, so it was easy enough to find a space. 

I am currently reading a book I have recently bought on Amazon, about the 'Ascott Martyrs', some of the ladies involved were ancestors of mine on my mother's side, and I discovered this when I was doing family history research. The book is entitled 'The Ascott Martyrs: Why Did the Rural Establishment Imprison Sixteen Women and Two Babies in 1873?' and it is edited by Keith Laybourn. It's actually a series of essays written by historians and others who have a background in the various elements of the story of these women.

Tuesday. 8.00 a.m. I woke up, went to the loo, went back to bed and, instead of remaining awake, I went back to sleep because when I eventually woke up, it was around 5 a.m. Alfie had to go out, so we went out briefly as we usually do. It's mild as I write this and the sun is out.

Wednesday. 5.25 a.m. I was surprised to find it was foggy when I took Alfie out about half an hour ago. It's not thick, but nevertheless, hanging over Oldbrook. It is mild and quite pleasant.

9.14 a.m. I had a text message from Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre a couple of days ago, telling me that an appointment had been arranged for me, for 8.20 this morning. I had no idea what it was for, but I imagined it was for a blood pressure test or something, I arrived in good time and found out that I had to go to room 21, which is on the first floor. I went upstairs and waited and, no more than five minutes later, I was called into the room. I then discovered that it was to have a blood test, blood taken to check my cholesterol level. The nurse told me that it was supposed to be a fasting blood test, but I hadn't been told, I decided to go ahead and let her take blood, but she couldn't find a vein in my right arm, so I had to lay on the couch, with my feet on the raised bit, where you normally put your head. Fortunately, she was able to find a vein and take some blood. Now I'll have to wait for the results and see if I have to go back for another blood test and make sure I haven't eaten anything beforehand.

From the surgery, I drove back along Witan Gate and went into Sainsbury's. (I seem to spend a lot of time, and money, in there. I was thinking, as I was driving, perhaps I should buy some shares in Sainsbury's, because of the amount I spend there. Just an idea. Anyway, having parked, I had to use the infamous travelator, and then discovered that the UP side wasn't working, and I had to walk, which was odd because you think it's supposed to move.

Oh, What Fun!

 Monday. 6.15 a.m. A new week! But does the week start on Sunday or Monday?

It appears to be quite mild and pleasant. 

10.45 a.m. How wrong can you be! It's been several hours since I wrote the above. I've taken Alfie out. It wasn't pouring rain, but there was a light drizzle if I can use that word.

I have never mentioned here that I do online surveys and earn cash and vouchers. It's not likely that I will earn a great deal, but certainly, I can make perhaps a few hundred pounds a year as well as quite a good amount in vouchers for such companies as Argos, Amazon, Curry's and other businesses. I have been signed up to two of these survey companies, one called Valued Opinions and another called Lifepoints, for several years. You register to join and fill in your demographic details, such as age, employment status, area of the country you live in and various other details, which are then the basis for the type of surveys you are likely to qualify for. You are then emailed and there is a link in the email which you click on to start the survey. At the beginning, the survey will then be on basic details to find out if you are eligible to complete the survey. Quite a lot of the time you won't be eligible, but you need to be patient because eventually, you will be able to continue with the survey get to the end and then receive your reward. Don't expect to receive a great deal, probably in pence, or if you are lucky, a pound or two. There are survey sites which do reward with higher amounts, such as YLive, YouGov and Newvista (this one pays out with a variety of vouchers.) but you have to reach a payout point of around £50 before you get paid, either by cheque or directly into your bank account, although some sites pay using PayPal, so you will need to set up an account first before you receive cash into your account and then set things up so you can transfer cash into your bank account. I am also a member of something called Consumer Pulse, which I've been with for around 10 years. You have to be invited to join this. The idea is that you log in to the site and report items you have purchased, such as clothing, books, CDs, DVDs etc. Each item has a value in points and when you reach a certain amount of points, you can redeem them for vouchers, for companies such as Argos, Curry's and so on. 

There are other market research sites which pay in both cash and vouchers, but many rarely offer you surveys, so it will take you a long time to reach a payout, nonetheless, they are worth signing up to. A couple of the better ones are Opinium, which has a payout of £25 and another called SurveyBods, which has a payout at £15, paid in Amazon vouchers or cash.

I mention all this because I recently had two survey sites payouts, one being Lifepoints, where I received £85 and Valued Opinions, with Amazon vouchers to the value of £100. Mind you, I had to work hard to receive these payments. I think it took me probably six months to achieve these payments. Not without a certain amount of patience and endurance, with quite a few times being rejected, for whatever reason, probably age, gender etc etc.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I purchased a new electric toothbrush, from Argos, and paid with around £40 of vouchers from Consumer Pulse. The Amazon vouchers (not technically vouchers. You get a code which you put into your account on the Amazon website. The cash from the Lifepoints surveys has gone into my savings account. 

I have put the Amazon codes (I should say codes rather than vouchers, which are usually printed.) and then ordered some books which I had already seen on the Amazon website. I was excited to find one book which is about my ancestors, which I think I've mentioned elsewhere in blog posts here. It's called 'The Ascott Martyrs', and edited by Keith Laybourn, and the subtitle is 'Why did the rural establishment imprison sixteen women and two babies in 1873?' This historic event was discovered when doing research on my family history, and this was on my maternal side. Then, two books about William Shakespeare, both written by Shakespeare authorities, David and Ben Crystal, 'The Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary' and the other, 'Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion.' This one will be useful, as it details the words that are obscure and difficult to understand which are used in Shakespeare's work. This book in particular will be invaluable when I read or see performances of the plays and want to find out what certain words mean and where they originate. 

Please Release Me!

Okay! 'Please Release Me', blog post title is taken from a song title. A song sung by Englebert Humperdink in the 1960s. Very appropriate when considering relaxing lockdown.

Monday. 7.20 a.m. Alfie and I were out around 5.45 this morning, really early I know, but I'm definitely not one to lounge around in bed, particularly when it's sunny and bright with the birds singing their little heads off outside my window, which is wide open. As I write this I can hear pigeons making their stupid noise. 

I was out early because I wanted to be back in time for the opening of the new news channel GBN, which officially came on the air at 8p.m last night but their first breakfast show began at 6 a.m. A totally new way to present news, not with 'rolling news, which is how the BBC News channel works, or Sky News. Interesting to see they have a set that is dark, compared to the light and airy sets chosen for ITV's Good Morning Britain or BBC Breakfast. I think it suggests a more serious approach, with bookshelves filled with books on a range of topics, art, science etc., wine glasses, and other artifacts which subtly reflect the type of audience they want to attract. The presentation style is intelligent but light. I'll have to wait and see how things develop before I can give a more nuanced assessment.

We're being threatened by the thought of yet another month of restrictions being imposed by our totalitarian government. Why is it, with infections falling, a vaccination programme being rolled out and reaching some 60-70% having had either one or two doses, do we now have to endure further lockdown? At this rate, we'll be stuck in this limbo more or less permanently. The scientists who deliver doom and gloom are working with flawed computer modeling, and results from testing aren't exactly accurate. It's the 'risk factor' which is playing such a large part here. The fact of the matter is that all life is a 'risk.' From the moment we are born, we have to encounter 'risk.' Being born is a risk, probably not as much as a risk as, say, if you were born in the Middle Ages, where ideas of hygiene and cleanliness were more or less unknown. Crossing the road is a risk. Getting in a car is a risk. We should be able to make our own  'risk assessments' and just get on with our lives. As things are and have been for the past almost eighteen months, we have managed, to a certain extent, to live with covid and it would seem it's not likely to disappear overnight. Humans have lived with viruses for thousands of years and survived. So, what is different with the coronavirus, covid-19, or whatever you want to call it? It's the fact that it's mutating, so we now get the 'Kent Variant'', the 'Indian' or 'Delta Variant. The virus is going to keep on mutating because that's what they do. Are we going to forever keep running away from it, in a sort of endless race, a sort of marathon of sorts? Just not going to work. Some scientists are now saying that lockdowns don't work. Well, I suppose they might be right. We need a certain amount of what they term 'herd immunity,' which is how we deal with such things as viruses. We've probably got this natural immunity now, which means we will build up natural immunity and probably more so with the various versions of vaccines.

Later. I'm up to episode 5 of 'Clarkson's Farm' on Amazon. I have to say that I have found Jeremy Clarkson incredibly annoying in the first few episodes. He just throws money around on goodness knows what, great big tractors which are really impractical. For example, it's too big to fit in his shed. He grows potatoes and then has to leave them in the ground because he doesn't have anywhere to sell them. He builds a farm shop and doesn't follow the planning rules and puts the wrong sort of roofing material on the building. He opens the farm shop and hasn't got a properly surfaced carpark, so when customers eventually turn up, and they turn up in droves, virtually blocking the surrounding roads with their cars, and then these cars get stuck in the muddy carpark and have to be towed out by Caleb, the young man who is employed by Clarkson and is only 21, but knows more about agricultural practices than men three times his age. In my opinion, he's the sort of hero figure in this show and I trust he gets paid properly by Clarkson because he manages to get him out of no end of problems. But by episode 5 we begin to see Clarkson growing into his job as a born-again farmer. When he has to get stuck in (and, in some ways, literally stuck in.) when the ewes begin to start lambing. He takes a while to get the hang of being a sheep midwife, but I have to admit he eventually becomes rather adept at delivering lambs. He starts off rather badly in episode one but as the series progresses he seems to rather enjoy his newfound place in the world. It's good storytelling. He begins his farming journey not sure whether he will like working as a farmer. He does, however, begin as a complete novice, but by episode five he says he enjoys the life, watching the lambs being born and actually contributing something to society with the food he produces. It's around this point that the pandemic starts and the first lockdown is introduced. It seems that it's the fulcrum around which the rest of the story-arc will be built and Clarkson changes from rank amateur to almost professional.  It's worth watching and because I had ancestors who lived in and around the area where it's filmed, Chipping Norton (some brave ladies, called The Ascott Martyrs were arrested for attempting to get their husbands to join a union and were imprisoned in Oxford Gaol. This was the 1870s and in some ways, things have hardly changed. Decent living wages being only one of them.) I have more than a passing interest in the show.