Spring to Kirk

 

A delightful blue sky greeted me as I tumbled out this morning.  I was able to dump the big coat and wrap up in a jacket for a change, though I felt the chill at first.  

How delightful is Spring?  My favourite season. 

 

 

The blossum has appeared, this always makes the world a better place.  The trees abound with these bright white petals, red ones just a few trees down also, and a cheerier disposition is given to the dog walkers who would rather remain indoors asleep.

'S. C.'  Samuel Courtauld.

 

On the way down I pass several houses built in the 'Arts & Crafts style of the late Victorian age.  These were created by the Courtauld's for some of their work force.  The mills produced masses of Black Crepe which became popular with Queen Victoria when Albert died, so the fashionable types jumped on the bandwagon and gave Courtauld a massive profit.  Such black crepe controlled the Funeral fashion market for years, and dying was popular at that time.  

This was a company that spread their wealth among the town, building schools, houses, churches and providing doctors and eventually a hospital.  I suspect this house, built at the crossroads was given to a very senior man indeed.  Either that or one of the lesser Courtauld's themselves.

I was tired, the brain asleep, and I had the job of offering the intercessions this morning at Kirk, a short prayer time for whatever came to mind.  As I approached late in the service to the podium I was wishing I had stayed at home!  

However, by including prayer for all those involved in various jobs conected to the running of the church I found friends.  One good way to create friends is to mention them publicly and ensure all must realise that such people are important!  

They are not ignored.  

Everyone else ignored me.  

Next time I will mention the rest...

A Walk in the Public Gardens

I was very gallus today, I ventured across to the Public Gardens, a place I have not seen for a while.  Once I was here early every morning, before the kiddies arrive. It may be I have not entered this place since cold November. 

Once, this formed part of the garden on the Courtauld family.  Then, as was their family way, they donated this half to the townspeople.  Later, the house and the rest of the gardens became the High School.  Public gardens were a very Victorian pleasure at the time.  This explains the excellent layout, the huge Cedar trees, two in number, which dominate the green space, and the wide variety of trees and shrubs that were planted way back then.  

What had been the gardeners cottage, built in the usual Courtauld 'Arts & Crafts' style, red brick with blue designs throughout, is now used as a coffee shop, partly to make money for the gardens, partly for old people to meet.  

I avoided this.

The sky was blue, the east wind chilly, and few people were around.  Even the kiddie play area was empty, though one or two passed by.  Some healthy people even played amateurish tennis for some reason.  That is, hitting the ball from one side to the other and going outside the large mesh fence to collect the balls gathering over there.

Under the towering Cedar we find this stone with added brass plate attached.  The gardener might have been good at his job, however, he failed to indicate that planting such a tree under the Cedar meant it would not get as much light as required, hence the Oak does not reach as high as it may.  It still lives mind, and is well taken care off.  I wonder what happened to the old clerk?

The auto-focus on my pretend Leica kept annoying me.  No matter which setting I chose it would wait until I was ready then blur the picture.  I love technology!  Almost by accident I found this wee flower in focus beside me.  No idea what they are called, there is a sign somewhere but I could not be bothered looking, but I am once again in wonderment at such fragrant 'Lilies of the Valley,' here today and gone tomorrow, yet designed so well, so colourful, and so attractive.  In a short time the gardens will be full of such things. 

Of course I passed the war memorial.  The wee crosses are lined up well.  I knew one name, found I think two others, the other one may be a civilian 'killed by enemy action' elsewhere.  In spite of everything people still remember correctly.  

 

A very blurred picture of a 'Dunnock.'  This, along with a young 'un and a Wren with tail in the air, were feeding ahead of me.  These would not wait while I focused so snapshot at distance it was.  Being close to midday most birds were elsewhere today, and I will not be there early when they come down for breakfast.  

In Victorian fashion the Courtauld's were not afraid to leave signs indicating what they had done for the town.  Indeed, this family gave schools, churches, doctors, houses and even a Hospital to the town.  There has been many similar donations to the other towns where they established Mills.  All this has been much appreciated.

There is zero chance of any Conservative Cabinet Millionaire doing similar today.

Cutting down an old tree and leaving it in an ordered disordered fashion has produced results.  This area allows wildlife, some far too small to be seen, to thrive.  I did not seek them out.  

The Daffs may be out but the stark branches show that we are not yet fully into Spring.  This means my Spring Cleaning may be left awhile, again...

Lock Down Saturday Market

The bustling Saturday market, one fruit and veg stall, one van selling fish, that is the result of Lock Down.  Even the Tesco queue is sparse.  The town is hiding.

The Bustling High Street.  Four people in view, two others pass by, rather close I thought, and a handful wait outside 'Iceland,' six feet apart.  I was glad I had visited the butcher earlier in the week, there were two customers today and I didn't wish to wait.

In Edwardian days the scene to the left was very different.  Then the area was filled with cattle or sheep on this day, the public houses, three of them in the area to our right alone, filled with farmers and their men lunching, arguing and buying and selling.  Today Tesco dominate.  Beyond the Old Town Hall lay a 'Fair Field' where the Fair would arrive annually generating much pleasure and much money.  Before the war a Cinema opened and found favour with the populace.

 
Having dragged myself across the park, dog walkers and a child or two with mum, and around the town I made my way home through the crowds.  It was interesting how people kept a good distance from me, interesting also that when a party came close the expectation in their eyes was for me to move, not them!   The other person owns the pavement even if there are so few around! 

  
Almost opposite me stands this 'Arts & Crafts' house.  This is very much in keeping with many other such houses along the main road.  These were the offerings of the Courtaulds who built them for their workers.  The man who got this must have been quite high up in the ranks.  All feature red brick interspersed with blue and Tudor like chimneys above.   The Courtaulds built houses, offered doctors, schools and even hospitals to the towns around.  All such buildings are still in very good condition and still occupied.  

 
The rest of the time is spent looking out the window wishing I had a dog to walk when the sun shone.  Someone else could feed them.   

Charity Shopping Fail

The temptation to grasp the Free Bus Pass for Old people and head out took hold of me on Thursday and saw me carried up to Halstead to search the Six charity shops that lie on the main street.  About 12,000 quite wealthy people and six charity shops?  Sadly the High Street is high featuring a hill that rises steeply up into the sky above where the town first appeared.  Prehistoric man had an small input here, the river at the bottom of the hill helps, who however would wish to walk up and down carrying water I ask?  On the hilltop, the Romans had a villa or two and Saxons settled in well until the Normans took over.  Maybe knowing this causes the people to withhold their smiles while running charity shops?  Maybe it is the rumoured inbreeding on the Suffolk border, I cannot say.

During the year 1818 Samuel Courtauld built himself a Mill at Bocking, he also added this one at top at Halstead.  Worked mostly by women, the men did the engineering bit, the women worked the looms, the mill lasted for years.  Courtauld's went into decline after the war some two hundred years later so the town got quite a bit out of the Mill.  Courtauld's were good employers.  Many women, young ladies, with little hope of a life in London were brought, often from orphanages, into Essex and found themselves a better life.  At least this kept them off the streets!  Over the years Doctors, hospitals, schools and housing were among the benefits this employer gave his workers, these houses here were built for them by Courtauld and other aid when required.
If only more businesses did likewise today?

Abraham Rayne must have been someone important to have such a monument erected above his head.  I failed to find him on Ancestry though I only searched quickly.  I wonder how he made his money, what his work was, where he lived and what people thought of him at the time?  I may never know.
My knees were feeling the strain as I sat on a bus full of 'Downs' kids heading home after a day out.  
I was disappointed with the shopping, there was little on offer, and with nothing else to be seen all I got from the day was aches and vies of crops beginning to edge nearer to ripeness.  That was good.

This morning I stupidly wended my slow way into Camulodunum in spite of the need for sleep and pretty nurses to massage my knees.  I found neither there and a search of the charity shops, some of which have closed down or been turned into profit making enterprises, disappointed also.  However a delightful lady at 'Waterstones' was very helpful as I used up my last book voucher there.  Three more books I do not need, have not got time to read and could live without happened to fall into my hand as I wandered about so I had no choice but to bring them home.  It would be terrible if any more such vouchers turned up would it not?  I would have to go back again!  

One good aspect about the town is the narrow side streets, one of which is full of small shops, a wide variety of items on sale, and some wonder why this town can do this while we back home cannot!  The council backs the small trader here, ours does not, that gives us eight charity shops!  Lower the rates and we will find more small shops arising I say.
Empty handed back on the bus now rather than later to avoid the students from the college.  
It was full of students from the college.
Nothing more interesting than the conversation of 16 year olds!
Knackered and bereft I will spend tomorrow asleep!

A Gray Day

A gray day that saw me wandering about our limited town looking for a Teddy Bear.  People keep having kids and the only gift is a Teddy Bear and could I find one?  No!  There were varieties of soft toys, some affordable, but no actual Teddy Bear available.  I was about to give up and search online when I passed the charity shop with one in the window, cheap but nice.  I had to check it was a special buy and not a second hand thing, I am not that mean, but it was indeed a special purchase so in the pocket it went and soon, after I have adapted the price ticket, it will be prepared for handing to the happy worn out mum. 

 
Once I decided to search the web for Teddy Bears I discovered just how many people sell them, often hand made, jolly expensive but decent bears.  There is a big business in old bears often worth vast sums of money.  New bears, Steiff of Germany is a great name, retail for over a hundred or more pounds, and vintage ones cost thousands!  If I ever have money I will ignore banks and out my money into vintage Teddy Bears and these will definitely keep their value.  

 
Ma hoose...honest!

Autumn Mists

Autumn, the season of 'Mists and mellow fruitfulness' said he poet, I'm not sure about the mellow fruitfulness but last night there was plenty of mist.  This contrasted sharply with the warmth found in the middle of the day today where people walked about shirt sleeved, they must be mad!  

  
The aged bandstand in the gardens has been in attendance at almost 140 such seasons.  The trees around have cheerfully deposited their leaves for someone else to gather over a similar time.  The gardens once were the sole property of one of the Courtauld's, George I think, who had the big hoose over the road.  He also had a huge area of fields there also which now form the park l and in a spirit of generosity donated the gardens to the town.  This was received with much pomp and display.  The townspeople marched through the town in celebration and a picnic in a local field was held at the end with a bonfire and carousing no doubt at night.  People made their own fun in the late 19th century.  The gardens are now run by a trust and a Courtauld is one of the leading men attempting to keep the gardens running.

        
Apparently the Labour party have been having a conference this week, only listening to the news headlines means I miss out many tales and yet miss out nothing important.  It appears Jeremy Corbyn thinks he could win an election but there are two problems here: we are not having one and stopping Brexit is more important.  The election one is fun as this is three years away I guess and the Tories will have gone through about three Prime Ministers by then and while it is possible Jeremy might be acceptable to many by then I suspect he also may have followed them into the abyss.
If however Brexit is not stopped, and Jeremy is all for it, then in three years time Scotland will be independent, England broke taking Wales and Northern Ireland with them and the world will be a different place.  In the meantime we struggle on with the worst government we have ever had, sometimes I wish David Cameron would come back at least you knew where you were with the ignorant toff.

        
There has been much cheering in the realms of the easily led by the radical news from Saudi Arabia that from next June women will be allowed to drive cars in that country.  Cue much cheering from feminists, media women and others with little intellect.  Women being allowed to drive gets a round of applause yet not one word is asked re stopping the crucifixion of 16 year olds, the decapitation of offenders nor the chopping off of hands and other bits and the stoning for adultery, these are less important than a woman driving!
Questions must be asked why this decision has been made?  Could this reflect the new young rulers intention to 'modernise' his nation?  Could it be a lessening of the influence of the Wahhabi imams? Or could it be a distraction taking our minds of the proxy wars on Yemen and Syria?  Or is this to hide something else we are not being informed off?  We wait and see.

The Autumn sun peeked out between the large misty cloud formations time and again today indicating that more such weather awaits us.  Rain clouds form as we speak, the residue from those US hurricanes make their way east and affect our nation, typical Yankees!  Not only do their money loving Boeing attempt to kill of 4000 jobs in Northern Ireland they dump their old storms on us also.  We can hit back concerning the aero companies but sending our weather to them is not so easy.
I expect Mrs May, when not taking the knives out of her back, will call that nice Donal Trump and inform him handbag style what she thinks of it all.  He can attempt to hold her hand but I suspect this will not work again.  Not sure it worked last time right enough.  
Mrs May is still PM but there are rumours of a coup approaching.  However all rumours are just that, rumours.  Who plants them?  The Russians, The Tories, a Tory bigwig unsettling other bigwigs, the CIA or 77 Brigade?  Who knows?  So many false items on Twitter and Facebook and so little truth among the whole thing.  I am cutting down on both social media and lessening my search for information to more reliable informants, who are possible lying I must admit.  
Just imagine, a British government with a divided cabinet, backstabbing ministers and no opposition, no matter what Jeremy says, is this possible? 

Wimmen Doctors!

All Posters

 

Amongst those volunteering for service during the Great War were a large number of relatively newly qualified female doctors.  These were of course refused by the British Army as being female they could not be reliable nor capable with dealing with the situation ahead. 
Te women, especially Scots women, knew the answer to that!  They had already met much resistance from all sides but had succeeded in qualifying as doctors and indeed surgeons.  The Scottish Women's Hospital movement led by Elsie Inglis applied to the French authorities who were unsure about these women but nevertheless accepted them and under control of the French Red Cross allowed a hospital to be developed at the former Cistercian Abbey at Royaumont some thirty kilometres from Paris.  From January 1915 until March 1919 the hospital operated very successfully and from a slow start became recognised as the best hospital the French or indeed anyone else operated.  The French were totally unprepared fro the number or type of casualties that would arise during the war, the British and German better prepared but even so all were lacking in relevant experience, medicines and qualified staff.
  

Corybas

The Abbey while attractive and restful was totally unsuited for hospital work.  Sanitary arrangements were never satisfactory, accommodation required huge manpower efforts to amend and living accommodation for the staff appalling and worse in winter when it froze!   Conditions were never great no matter how hard the staff strove but nonetheless they managed to save life, avoid amputation where possible, much more than other hospitals managed, and became much loved by the French soldiers.  
The soldiers were mainly French although these included many Senegalese who had different habits that had to be taught and North Africans, mostly from what is now Algeria, all of whom came to respect and admire the Scots lassies.

  Royaumont Dans la Grande Guerre

The staff were led by Doctor Francis Ivens and Elsie Inglis, Inglis herself left to set up a  similar hospital in Serbia where Typhus was common and her hygiene improvements cut the causes of many illnesses.  In 1915 she was captured and repatriated but instead of sitting around created another hospital for work in Russia.  This began in 1916 but cancer caused her to return home in 1917 when she died on arrival in Newcastle.  Edinburgh honoured her with a hospital named after her, much reduced now to being a mere children's clinic I believe.  She also appeared on a Scots £10 note 'Clydesdale Bank' I think.
Francis Ivens was another strong willed suffragette who had attained medical qualifications.  When Elsie Inglis moved to Serbia Ivens was left in charge at Royaumont and how well she did her job!  Running the Abbey hospital, operating, checking patients, ensuring the staff, Doctors, nurses, orderlies, chauffeurs, kitchens and all else required to keep the Abbey running were happy in the difficult circumstances of war and also ensuring the French authorities trusted the hospital and offered support while also keeping the committee back in Edinburgh aware of the needs of the Abbey Ivens had no time to herself over some four years of work.  The fact that few fell out with her, almost all trusted her implicitly and she, like several others at the Abbey, received the Croix de guerre from the French government speaks volumes for her abilities.  One major achievement was the work on 'gas gangrene' which early in the war killed many or led to amputations of limbs.  Her work at the Abbey contributed mightily to finding success in dealing with this comparatively new problem.

All staff throughout were female.  Occasionally a mechanic was employed to keep the vehicles working but the drivers remained female.  Some patients were able to help with the daily duties and willingly did so as part of their rehabilitation yet all the daily grind, which included carrying patients on stretchers upstairs to the wards and moving bags of clothing and linen to the top floor was undertaken by the women.  The desire to show the men they could do the job had a big influence on these suffragette influenced lassies.  Many were highly qualified, others less so, some middle  class others not, yet they worked together with the usual bitchiness occasionally breaking out but usually dealt with by Dr Ivens or another staff member with tact and firmness.
During major offensives such as the Battle of the Somme work was unending.  Doctors and nurses, drivers and orderlies worked until they dropped and then carried on.  Some three thousand men came through in a few days, these were checked, X-rayed, early path lab work carried out and the result was highly successful.  Over the years which included The Somme in 1916, the battles of 1917 and the 'great push' of 1918 saw over 11,000 patients came through the hospital and of these only 159 died.  An excellent result for the work of Dr Ivens and her staff. 

Elizabeth Courtauld belonged to this area.  The family were famous for their contributions to society and 'good works' and eventually Elizabeth qualified as a doctor and headed for Bangalore where many women found medical experience unavailable at home.  Elizabeth was the oldest of the doctors at 50 years of age and her work included the smaller casualty clearing station at  Villers- Cotterets including the emergency evacuation under shellfire and bombing from the air at night during the German push in 1918.  This was an experience few forgot!  After the war like many others she returned to India to enjoy her work there.

The Women of Royaumont

Angels of Mercy

Work!

I shuffled into work half asleep this morning.  An air of quietness permeated the building, the kids are all back in school!  Add to this the girls were out 'ten-pin-bowling' last night there were a few hangovers draped over desks this morning.  I assisted by adding my cheery personality and was immediately shown the door and the way to Tesco for milk, an operation even I could manage.
Wrong!
I found the milk, checking for the furthest off date, and headed for the self service checkout.  I put the item through and it all stopped.  I stopped, the machine stopped, I did it again and stopped with the machine not even bothering to start.  Then as I realised the price was showing I placed the bottle to my right as you do.  It was at this point the young lass came to my aid, indicating the bottle ought to have gone to my left, not the right where an old basket was left and "You can't get the staff" was muttered under her breath.  I paid my money, eventually as the brute asked several questions about bags and cards first before my change arrived and I headed for the door, the lass pointing me in the right direction in the fashion women have when dealing with men.

Naturally with the kids being away I expected a quiet day of gossip with Peggy, however she was unavailable today and instead of sitting sipping tea and meeting a few visitors I was kicked out once again!  Laura sent me out to take photos for a project she is working on.  Naturally I could not refuse her, she would break both my legs if I did, so off I jolly well went, uncomplaining, unfed, and without any tea. 

A trail around town for kids has been prepared to reveal to them the things they see everyday as they pass by.  Or something like this.  Pictures, descriptions, all written in language kids understand will enable them to know their history better, or at least this is the intention.  So I had to take appropriate pics here and there.

How come when wandering through the town daily I never meet anyone?  Today while on a project I met several off the better classes!  This thankfully hindered my work and allowed me to rest for no good reason.  This Lane was once a road which has lain here for many, many years I sometimes wonder how many and was home to many works of various kinds.  Now it houses a fancy shopping centre, that's progress.  

The kids will know the church dates back at least 800 years, possibly much more and the fountain with the gay looking chap playing with fish was built to improve the area, the slums that once stood here being demolished in the 30's.   You will notice there is no water in the fountain, too many have been putting washing up liquid in the water where the detergent has damaged the pipes.  Now they complain it does not work but as soon as it does some berk will once again have it flowing with bubbles.

Something schools ought to consider is the 'Cage' or 'Lock up' once all villages in the area had one, many still stand happily, this was where folks, usually drunk, were locked up for the night in one of the two six foot cells therein.  Once the police station was built they lost some of their usefulness.  The much changed road on which this stands contained several public houses of dubious reputation, we know they were dubious as three had nicknames, 'Little Hell,' 'Big Hell,' and 'Perdition!'
It was better in the old days...

If they make it this far the kids will find on one side of the street 'Courtaulds' final mill.  The firm had been in the town and in many towns round about for over two hundred years.  Factories abounded and offices were found all over the world.  Sadly during the period after the war all this died away and the company was sold and resold to various businesses and this mill closed in the early 90's.  
What cannot be seen now is the number of houses that once stood in front of the Mill along the wall on the left.  There were several there until improvements were made for the motor car.  It is almost difficult to believe that houses would be there but pictures exist and somewhat downtrodden they looked.

  
Right opposite the very busy road lies the Silk Weaving Mill, two large white wooden buildings with sheets of window all the way along.  Once 'Warners Mill' was engaged on making robes and decorations for royal coronations and now it has also died away, foreign competition, from whom we stole the silk worms in the past many years ago, claimed back their dominance of the industry.  This building houses both offices and flats, the other offices and the 'Warner Textile Archive,' part of the museum and useful for women interested in courses on all sort of wool, silk, thread and such like hobbies.  Many courses take part here through out the year. 

Then it was off home to fiddle with the pictures and by the grace of God I worked out how to do this properly for once.  Then I sent the boss the pics by email and limped back to work.  Here I found myself totally out of routine as I had been out an hour and a half and (still without tea) returned to the usual confusion.  
However an attractive young lady came in and immediately caught my attention, my tea was forgotten especially as she came in to check on one or two of the Christmas items (that's Christmas!) and by the time she had left she had parted with almost £42, I say almost as she got a penny change. Soon after she sent her friend in who also paid £20 for one of the events.  I took more money in ten minutes than some days I take in a week!  
The problem came when she asked if she could pin up a notice, we let folks do this, and I took this and looked for a space.  The notice concerns a book reading group that meets in a pub once a month, hmmm...  However I looked for 'Blu Tack'  to attach the notice to the only space left on the wall and not one blob of the stuff either blu or White could be found in the drawer, and I raked the entire drawer.  Mentioning this to the boss she looked in said drawer and produced the entire packet of 'Blu Tack' that sat their in front of me.
They sent me home after that...