A Day at the Braintree Museum

This horror, feigning sleep but actually busy kicking mum in the back, came today to wear me out.  Three years (almost) and full of energy.  The intention was to visit a local heritage railway, however, the traffic alterations had made them double back, and I was not keen on my niece driving around too much on strange roads.  So, I convinced them to visit the museum as this was just around the corner and I knew he would love it.

The exhibition concerned the local Fire, Police and Ambulance operations down through the years.  It is a fantastic display with lots for kids to do, and he was soon taking over the fire station.  There are many old items from those who served as 'retained firemen,' sometimes for many years.  Bits and bobs of equipment, some for obvious use and others which make you wonder!  

 

 

I particularly liked the model fire engines on display, such as this pre-war engine, and the WW2 gray versions, usually staffed by those who had a full-time job during the day also.  They had some call-outs round here. 

 

Fire, Police and Ambulance were enjoyable, but when he found a wee shop he was in his element, shopping is a thing for him.  So, we had to spend some time while he bought his shopping, though no money appeared to pass by, and then dad and I disappeared into a darkened room to colour in pictures.

 

Hunger forced us into the adjoining café, where we scoffed toasted delights and the little 'un bounced on the seating.  By this time he had got used to me and was happy to make me read a 'Mr Nosey' book to him, before he ate.  Then it was home and playtime at the holiday cottage for him and brandy and bed for me.  

A good day.

Books! & Family.

So, in spite of my better judgement I wandered off up the road to the wee shop, entering just after they had opened.  I am always wary of this shop, on the few occasions I have used it I have been confronted by what we refer to
as 'wide boys.'  However, after a quick prayer, and a quicker breakfast of stale hot cross bun and coffee, I made it anyway.  They were still sorting themselves out for the Saturday traffic and quickly I explained my desire and quickly the packet was forthcoming.  Soon I was heading home via Tesco.  This surprised me as I was aiming for Sainsburys but fell into a dream and found myself at the wrong shop.  This may not surprise anyone.  A quick wander round for the needful, and a fight to stop the girl at the checkpoint stealing my packet, and home I stumbled.  Another exciting Saturday in flow.

I have always liked the H. V. Morton style.  Especially as the books date mostly from the 1920s and 30s and as such offer a differing view on life.  Already I have mentioned his book on Scotland which I have somewhere on the shelf.  The link also offers the other Morton books I have read, and one on the man himself.  While his books offer an insight into the world of his day they also offer an insight into the man himself, this is not always pleasant.  

With the book on medieval churches I failed to realise that is contains over 400 pages of small font!  It looks historically interesting, probably is, and will be very interesting to read.  However, with several other 'heavy' reads on the go it may not appear here for a while, possibly this year!  

There are quite a few books I am slowly working my way through at the moment, and one of my sensible nieces has given me an 'Amazon' voucher, this means I will have to make use of the second hand books available there and save money and increase the book pile.  I am not sure this is a good idea...

I will start looking on Monday!

Yes its a baby.  Yet another great niece for me to spend money on.  However, on this occasion, the mother has brothers and family without nieces or nephews to spend money on, so I will not venture much more than I already have.  As far as I can count, that is four nieces, one nephew, three great nieces and two great nephews.  Though I may have missed one.  They are all at a distance, only the latest two require anything, the rest all successfully grew up and found work, bar the archaeologist who still has to decide whether to find work or study for a PHD.  

Her dad says 'Work!' 

Tea, Deaf, Boris

ta.

 

I am sat here chock full of tea.

My favourite, best looking, and most intelligent niece, sent me a gift of tea and biscuits from the 'taverymuch' company.   The biscuits are frowned on by my highly specialised diet but were accidentally eaten just the same.  The chosen tea was also a change from the normal Sainsburys 'Red Label' stuff, and very welcome it was.

That this is the only gift my family have scraped together for my, er..32nd, birthday says something.  Most of them could not even get round to sending a card on time.  One of my good looking and highly intelligent niece's did manage to get a card, forgot to write it, then her daughter took her for a day out so it did not get posted, and I only got to see it when the daughter, also good looking and highly intelligent, posted it on facebook!  The other two favourite and good looking women both managed a card, three days late! 

It is not that I require anything from them, it is just nice if they get the dates right.  One niece managed to send everybody a Xmas card one year, nobody was missed out as was normally the case with her.  We enquired as to her efficiency, "It's because I forgot to post them last year" she said.  My brother got my Xmas present from her one year!  He did not send it on.  

On top of this shambles I have gone deaf.

Washing the other day left me deaf in the left ear.  Nothing I have done since has moved it.  Surely it is wax that is the cause, but the proper stuff to clear it has not made a difference yet.  Another week and I will annoy the doctor, well the nurse probably, just in case something has gone wrong.

Using only one ear is a huge disadvantage.  Nothing sounds the same, everything is different.  Noises appear from all around and are difficult to distinguish with only one ear.  I am amazed at how different things sound, and how much I cannot actually hear, the right ear being no longer as young as it was.  How those totally deaf manage I know not.

Guardian

 

Boris has been at work again.  This time announcing the end of lockdown to go ahead, in spite of the increase in the Indian variant numbers.  Boris and his pals are telling everyone to return to normal even though the variant is out of control.  Vaccinations are not catching up and even the new Health Minister Savid Javid says we can expect 100,000 to be hit by this virus.  These people are playing with the nation.  'Herd immunity' is being tried by not vaccinating the schools.  All their press supports this stance yet the health experts say vaccinating schools ought to be done.  The privately educated scholars may get vaccinated, you wait and see.

 

An Escape from the House and to Sudbury by Rail

 

 

On Thursday, my best looking, most intelligent and highly talented niece, called me to a meet.  This meant heading for Sudbury.  For reasons unknown she and him were spending a week at Bury St Edmunds and wished to see me.  Having not met for well over 18 months and with her expecting in September it was important to meet now, but how?  He does not drive, I have no car, and no bus runs between here and there (Thank you Mrs Thatcher!).   After much thought and confusion, a reading of timetables, still a difficult operation, in the end they caught a bus to Sudbury and I took the train.  I still pray for the maroon Landrover to arrive, still waiting...

Train travel as you know, is a simple matter of taking the train to Witham, changing, travelling two stops to Marks Tey, changing into the one grubby coach, travelling three stops to Sudbury.  Easy.

 

So, rising before dawn, I shuffled down the slope to the station early, just to ensure I got a ticket from the man and did not have to use the complicated machine.  I was able to make use of my 'Railcard' and get some money off the cost.  First time in two years I think.  The night before I checked the 'Greater Anglia' website and looked at the various prices.  If I set a time the journey cost it £10:60.  If I had an 'open return,' the cost was £16:50.  At the station in the morning I paid £11:05, no wonder the rail staff are confused about ticket prices today?  I chatted to a gran showing the child the railway and soon I was aboard the high speed express, 30 mph at times, heading south.

 

 

Easy?

Naturally, at Witham confusion reigned!

The signals had failed between here and Marks Tey, two stops of trouble!  In this picture you see the Norwich train awaiting instruction in the loop, on the right the Ipswich train also awaits while behind us, as seen in the previous foto another Norwich train arrives  These usually have at least 30 minutes between them.  The two railway employees were doing wonders in the situation as every passenger (sorry, customer) had the same question and the poor lads had no answers.    

Quicker than expected the 'all clear' was given, instructions announced, and I now had to clamber up stairs and down to catch the Ipswich service as that was now going to stop at Marks Tey, if the driver remembered.  Apart from my knee giving way and almost falling down, a workman reached out his hand to stop me, there were no more mishaps and the destination was reached.

Indeed the passengers, like the workman, were mostly pleasent to one another in this confusion, no blame being attached to the workers either.

 

 

At Marks Tey the change was simple, the platforms merging into one another.  Much to my surprise the grubby coach no longer runs, replaced during LockDown by this glamerous three coach set.  Very nice indeed I must say.

 

While many travelling had been affected by the short disruption there was a healthy use of this train, clearly much used during commuter hours for those travelling to London or in the other direction towards Ipswich.  

Having not been anywhere for so long it was good to view the acres of green fields with early crops beginning to show through.  Occasional cattle, small villages with houses priced so high no pleb will be moving there anytime soon, a church spire here, a tower there, trees and bushes lining the track, something not allowed in days of steam.  Altogether a bright day with a colourful landscape, such a change from being indoors.  The recent weather harming the windows prevented any chance of a picture from the train, this one does not see the washing machines daily obviously.  So far, an enjoyable and 'interesting' day out.

 

I was quite surprised to see my niece, young attractive, slim, as I half expected to see a bell tent on legs, but it is far too soon for that, maybe August.  James, her owner, looked as expected, balding more I noticed, come Christmas what he has left, may well be pulled out of course.  

Here we have one of life's mysteries.  How come and attractive talented young woman in London cannot find a rich man?  How come she ended up with a hill walking university librarian as opposed to a rich man with a yacht in the Med?  

I will never understand women, and James has probably found he will never understand them either to his cost!

 

 

'Sudbury,' meaning 'South of Bury,' has been around since Saxon times, the twice weekly market, which was busy when we passed by, itself being over a thousand years old.  The town became wealthy in the days of long ago through the Flemish weavers who flooded into East Anglia, many sheep in the area and judging by the size of the ancient 'Corn Hall,' now used as a library, there was great money in agriculture also.

 

 

Certainly some people made a great deal of money in times past but looking up house prices I find Sudbury to be considerably cheaper than this area.  These house on Gainsborough Road maybe no more than £350,000.  You can of course pay a million nearby if you wish but round here these would add a hundred thousand to the price.  There is still a great deal of money in Suffolk but being further from London may keep prices down.

 

We found a cafe for tea and cake and a chance to natter, more about the cafe later, and wandered back and forth along the main street, there not being much else to see.  There was limited time as even on holiday my niece chose to follow up on her piano teaching work, money makes demands, and had to return for a certain time to their high class lodgings.  I hope the tent was dry.  

Sudbury is a small Bury St Edmunds with a mains street, a big church, no longer used, indeed it has three medieval churches and a famous archbishiop called Simon Sudbury.  He had arranged for a Leper hospital to the north of the town and has also come up with the idea of the Poll Tax.  This however, in 1381, did not go down well with the natives.  They collected him from the Tower of London, took him somewhat unwillingly to Tower Hill and chopped his head off, eventually, as it took 7 or 8 strokes.  Some 'Brass Neck' on an Archbishop.  Why did we not do this with Maggie when she had the same idea?  Simon's body was buried in Canterbury but his head remains in St Gregory's Church, Sudbury.  Maybe we ought to have gone and had a look?

We wandered past Gainsborough's House, he was not in as the workmen were renovating it.  Famous as a landscape and portrait painter a statue was erected in 1903 to commemorate the man, long after he was dead you note.   At the OU I had to comment on one of his pictures, that of Mr & Mrs Andrews of around 1748.  It was said he wanted a landscape and they a portrait, whether this is true or not it is fact that he had his landscape and put them at the side of it.  Very well done.

 

In amongst the wealth of weaving, agriculture and the vast array of vehicular traffic the townspeople, all 14,000 of them struggle to survive like the rest of us.  I wonder what proportion take the early train to Ipswich or London?

Too soon in my opinion came time to depart.  Parting is such sweet sorrow, well no, it isn't!  I was enjoying them, James is a great man and will fit in this deranged family very weel, he comes from Burnley you see.  Burnley, it is a place up north, I believe they call it 'Blackburn's little brother,' but I will have to check that.  They clambered aboard the bus that took them round all the houses and through the suitably named 'Long Melford,' another place well worth a visit if you ever venture up that way, and I hurried to the station to catch the train that would be soon to depart wiping away tears from my eye.

 

Naturally, I had read the timetable wrong, it was not 46 mins past but 26!   

This meant a wait in the sun, which was fine by me.  This short platform here is extremely well kept, I wonder if volunteers do this rather than staff?  I suspect that as there are no permanent staff it is indeed a voluntary job, well doen to them!  Neat and tidy with a background of varied plants it is a welcome resting place for the traveller.

Not only do the birds get a home made for them...

So do the bees...

Wildlife must flourish in such circumstances, here's another enjoying life here.

 

 

It once was common for railways stations to be a gardeners delight.  Dunbar I believe still is, and many others have some attempt at improving the environment.  Staff themselves probably have less time today, certainly at bigger stations, and in such places the public may be less concerned with the surroundings.  I consider Sudbury Station a wee treasure.  Awaiting a train in the sun is a delight when birds sing in the trees, creatures move around amongs the flora opposite and you know people appreciate the surroundings.

On time as always the 335 arrives and soon we were heading home.  On the way the conductor (what we used to call 'guard') chatted amiably.  Ian, his name, explained the difficulties of his job re ticket pricing.  So many railcards (Indeed, I counted 28 on the website) some of course only for certain parts of the country, all making Ian's job difficult.  On this train the conductor collects fares, no ticket booth at such stations, add to this a crowded train, a short journey and the mad rush you could see how he enjoyed this late, quiet, shift.  It is not unusual to find rail staff friendly on the quieter lines.

We sauntered across the famous Chappel Viaduct, some 32 spans made from around 7 million bricks. Completed in 1849 it reveals why so many young men became bricklayers.  A 'Brickies' life, or indeed a Bricklayers assistants life, in Victorian days was one of constant work.  Railways required bridges, buildings and a wide variety of other constructions.  A great housebuilding increase saw towns spread out and follow rail lines, no wonder there are so many 'Bricklayers Arms' to be found in the nation.  It was at such pubs that men would gather once a week and pay their 'subs.'  Usually a sixpence would cover it, if they fell ill or were injured they could then draw a few shillings a week to keep them alive, hence the pubs took their name.  Just imagine how many bricks are in the buildings around you now, Victorian made and still doing their job.

 

By now my feet as well as my knees were telling me to go home.  Naturally, at the modern Marks Tey Station to cross the line you use the stairs.  I have my own opinion on stairs.  This modern station has no lift!  How do you cross in a wheelchair?  I captured this train arriving, to slow to rush down, and allowed it to depart knowing another would be along soon enough.  I then clambered up another flight to the coffee shop in the main entrance only to find it closed because of Covid!  

I was pleased.

So I waited in the shelter as Norwich trains raced by, on time now, and the Liverpool Street from Norwich rushed the other way.  Why do I find such things entrancing?  I just wish they were steam!

Every station has a numpty taking pictures of trains, some staff object, others don't care.  Here a dirty look from the far side from someone, possibly not working on the railway, failed to discourage me.  I was Thursdays train numpty.  How I was enjoying being allowed out!  

I note nobody else was enjoying me being out however.

 

 

I clambered up the stair at Witham muttering many things unfit for this gentle blog, I muttered much more when at the top I remembered they do have lifts at WithamI  So I descended gracefully by the lift to the platform.  By the time I reached the end of the busy station the train arrived.   The short sun filled wait at quiet Marks Tey being better than a longer wait at this now busy place.

 

Soon I was hobbling up the Hill, a hill I used to refer to as a slope.  Once I hardly noticed the slope, now I trudged on feeling like I was in the Cairngorms and not Essex.  This was made worse by realizing  I had failed to take anything from the freezer last night and now, for some reason being hungry, I was forced to trudge round Tesco and struggle home with a bag of ready to cook pasta.  Another staircase, a fight with an oven, a burnt pasta mess, tastless, burnt, but all eaten no matter what, and bed with a very  stiff drink to stop me from calling an ambulance.  Totally whacked, soon out for the count.

Today's breakfast... 

 

I must say I was really glad I saw them. 

 

Niece

Today I rushed up to Sainsburys for buffet food.  My niece and her man were arriving on time, they said, so I considered it wise to shop while I could.
They arrived in town after the usual weekend fare on the railways, train so far and arrive early, bus so far, wait for train, then walk to house.  Naturally she who would walk without my guidance as she knew the way got lost. There are hardly any streets in this town and she went the wrong way! Women!
He of course did not know the way and she made use of Google Maps on her phone and got lost.
How nice to see them, it is rare to actually meet the family today (most are pleased with this) and hear the news.  Then after finding out information on him, a good man for her, I threw them out so they could get home before tomorrow.     
How strange to see family after so long, last time we met was her dads funeral a year ago.  What she has gone through since.  It reminds me I must head north at some time this year, once I stop coughing, and see the ageing family up there.  This of course might be difficult as my bus pass only takes me to the border, from then on I'd have to walk the rest of the way or pay... I had better check my shoes.
Now, in spite of missing the football (He at least has the decency to support Burnley) I enjoyed my day with human beings.  I might do this again one day.
The thing is I am glad I have this family.  Too many families I see are broken up, have serious faults and do not get on with one another.  This is annoying.  I am grateful when looking at my parents, many of their ideas, the siblings and their brats and am happy with them even though one or two require  good slap now and again.  It would be terrible to come from a family that would fit into 'Eastenders.' 

I wonder if they are home yet...

Gray Edinburgh

After sunny days, most of them missed by me, I wander out today under gray leaden skies with a chilly wind annoying.  I suppose we will have snow sooner than April.  
This is annoying as I have to spend the next couple of day cleaning the place.  My niece is bringing her boyfriend on Sunday (Sunday with football on?) for some reason.  She comes once a year to see if I am alive and if there is any money, she is disappointed in both.
So tomorrow I must finish the bathroom work, the sinks, dust everywhere, then hoover the dust piles, polish woodwork, tidy books and other things lying around, iron shirts, wash others first, put out the rubbish and open the windows.  
I am worn out already.
If luck is with me I will force feed them in a local cafe, if it is open and if it is not crowded with the local ageing Mods who gather there occasionally with their scooters.  That saves giving them e.coli and time and effort.  
But what is she after this time?

 
Because of the work done on our behalf by the noble parliamentarians the Parliamentary Standards Authority has given them a 2.7%pay rise, around £2000 each.  This means they will be getting just under £80,000 a year each.  Now personally I consider that small beer for an MP.  People who decide Law and routine purposes in life ought to be rewarded with a great deal more than that.  I would suggest a minimum of around £150,000 -£200,000 for such employment.  Of course with a nation under austerity that would not be appropriate, however that would not stop this lot, and such a rise would be unworkable in today's situation.  Also so many of these 'workers' have other jobs.  Lawyers take time of to make ten times their salary on a case, doctors run off to rip of private patients and almost all have 'directorships' that bring in the cash for little effort bar their name on the headed paper.  The advantage of bigger wages would be by tempting in those who earn a great deal more now in their employment, even if they were only MPs for five years or so.  The present lot have sold out for or against Brexit and have little self awareness to take a stand on any principle of any kind.  As such I am not sure they deserve a wage increase and new blood, with principles would be good to have.

    
There is something bout old photographs that are catching.  I refer to pictures of places you once knew.  Here is Edinburgh, 'Up the Bridges' as we used to call it near Tron Church, where lots of major stores once wasted much of my mothers time.  I like such photos as we can compare how things have changed and yet over a hundred years on they remain the same.  
My dad would have been two years of age at this time, 1910, the world was advancing in so many ways, scientifically, socially, economically and it is clear from the picture three men have done reasonably well out of things so far.  I wonder who they were?  How come they can stroll along during working hours while others, on little pay, work?  It is clearly summer, the old man is wearing an overcoat, the younger ones are not.  Watch chains protrude from the waistcoats, hats are worn indicating class, successful men but in what I wonder.
The buildings remain the same I guess, shop names change, goods change but the basic function remains as always commercial.  The lighting will have improved, surely that is gas lighting but how would the 'Leerie' get up that high?  Could it be early electric street lighting?  The cobbled streets are famous in Edinburgh, especially on the northern side where snow aids the buses as they slither down through Stockbridge on frozen cobbles.  The traffic however is considerably less, walking there would result in a few words from a bus driver and the horse and cart is now replaced with 7.5 ton vehicles delivering goods.  
Many changes but instantly recognisable and made me cogitate for a while.

Shopping Joy and Holiday Carnival...

Westbourne Grove Church

Having forced myself into Tesco late this morning, forced is the word as the place was bloated with people, most not quite clear as to what they were doing, I obtained most of my needs and the most important gift card for yet another nieces birthday.  I am convinced that some of these girls are fraudulent as there appears to be a birthday every month and sometimes two!  Are these really family members or hangers on who have somehow got their name on my calendar, it is a mystery. 

Back home resting my maladies I became aware that Monday is a Bank Holiday.  As the card must arrive by Monday that means I must post it now and ensure it gets there on Saturday, this meant leaving my comfort and once again heading into town.

After much shillyshallying I trudged all the way into town, some seven minutes away, and posted the card in the box I know will be collected, sometimes Mr Postman misses the nearer one, the cad!  

As I sauntered around I had intended to visit Sainsbury's and collect the oven chips that I forgot when amongst the masses in Tesco earlier but the herds of people suddenly had vanished!  The streets were clear, well almost, and 'Iceland' lay over the road with few people to be seen.  Naturally with only one item to obtain I spent £14:63!!!  At least the freezer compartment is full now.   I even tolerated the 16 year old with an attitude.  This was a surprise as most of the girls here in Iceland are usually quite good, cheery even, I suppose working is a new experience for some.

The Bank Holiday brings out the Notting Hill Carnival and whenever I see pictures of this I am glad to be out here far from the event.  Over a million people, hassle, police, yobs, noise and mess everywhere, it makes me glad to be here indeed.  The church pictured where my friend is minister has to close on Sunday because of the crowds.  In times past it remained open but many struggled to get past the police cordon to get in, then struggle again to get out.  The church attempted to make something out of the carnival by opening and offering tea and coffee but that had too many problems and nowadays it is easier to just close for the day, well two days as the building is usually used on Mondays.  Most locals head off out of town and do not return until Tuesday of they can, a wise precaution.

I will sit here in boredom watching football, it passes the time.   

A Day of Rest and a Visit.

Yesterdays early morning sun (I didn't see this mornings as I was still akip) shone brightly.  I struggled out of bed to attempt to clear up the mansion before my niece arrived.  This is her every eighteen month or so visit the intention being to see if I am still alive and to see if I have any money.  Sad to say she was disappointed in both endeavours!  Not only am I still alive (in one fashion at least) the money has not as yet made an appearance.  I took the opportunity to visit the museum to prove to the doubters that I actually had a talented family member.   

As my most beautiful and highly talented niece was only here for a few hours to run her finger over the dust on the mantelpiece and fail to engender any guilt from me while doing so it was a chance to eat properly, or so I thought.  I bought reasonably well and she ate it all!  We then talked, well I listened while she spoke of her world travels and musical talent.  I have musical talent also, daily I play the wireless!  At least she left some organic chocolate which has put a smile on my face and a hole in my teeth.

Today I have been recovering from the aches and pains, the tiredness and eventually clearing up the mess left from our dinner yesterday, the leftovers made an excellent breakfast!  I didn't realise until today how tired I was!  How it catches up with you when not expecting it.  
Next week, maybe tomorrow, I will begin my new exercise programme that I will devise.  I intend to get fit, certainly fit enough to meet my niece at the station and walk home as fast as she did.  I only puffed so much because  we were walking up a slight slope!  
Time for bed, it's just after six...