Tuesday 16 July 2019

Great Bardfield



The sun tempted me out suddenly this morning.  I gathered up the details of the War Memorial, printed them off along with other things and decided to to the church and seek pictures of those with queries.  I have been meaning to do this for a long time.

 
I checked the bus times, go ready hurriedly and sped off down the road.  As I neared the bus I realised I had left all the paperwork on my desk!  Too late to go back now when buses run once an hour.  Still, a day out is a day out.

 
At the very least I knew I would see some of the rolling English countryside as we sped along the rolling English roads.  The harvest is almost gathered in, wheat and barley have been cut down, no green leaf veg to be seen here, although there were quite a few fields resting from their labours.  This area appears to have been made for cereal crops it has always been found here.  There were occasional animals in fields, very few since the great disaster some years ago when 'Foot and Mouth' devastated the herds.  Brexit will no doubt devastate what farms we have left.  This country cannot feed itself, we need imports of foodstuffs, someone tell Dominic Raab that, and where they enter the country.

  
When I was doing the war memorial it was interesting to note how people offered the address.  Today we have streets and numbers, although any postman will tell you how foolproof that is, while a hundred years ago houses in the village were known as on the main street, Church End or 'Bridge End.'  A straight forward idea and with everyone knowing everyone numbers were not required, just ask and all you speak to would know the person you sought.  Today this would not be the case and not just because of increased population!  
I hovered over the bridge attempting to work my way back a century, the traffic did not make this easy.  The gentle trot of a horse and carriage or the hammer from a workshop nearby has been replaced by traffic, traffic that is too close to the expensive houses for my liking.  For those with children a village life is ideal, if you fit in, for the rich driving into the city it is an escape from hassle to clean air, well at the rear of the house anyway.  Those content to hide from city life will enjoy such a place, though everyone looked sideways at me as I passed, village life you see.


I was looking at the houses trying to fit my dead men, almost all farm workers, into them.  This one looks like it has been around for a while, still I think three homes appear though it may only be two.  The small sign saying 'Private' on the hedge indicates the road to the rear where the horse and carriages (made by BMW and Benz) await.


These look very Edwardian to me these buildings, ideal to dump your farm labourers in.  Before the Great War there was a lot of trouble re wages in this area.  Men were paid 7/6d or possibly 10/- depending on their work.  Many strikes and occasional hay stacks burnt in the night.  Wages rose up to 15/- for some and possibly new houses also?  


More typical are these updated houses, this area is covered in such as this.  Timber frame and plaster, some with fancy designs embossed on the walls others plain and simple.  Only cost about £300,000 today....


Nice to see so many working Landrovers about the place, they offer a true 'country feel' to the village.  Of course few appeared to have any mud or dirt marks on them possibly the weather was too wet to go to Waitrose?  


This as you will guess, is the 'Cage.'  The lock up for drunks who did not wish to leave the pub, the woman alone, or did wish to punch the farmer, Lord of the Manor or the policeman.  A night in here to sleep it off and we will see what happens in the morning.
The wheelie bin does not belong to the cage!



Essex is a terribly revolutionary blackspot!  The Lords were in the lead in rebelling against King John, Wycliffe's English translation of the bible was popular here, even though it meant being burnt at the stake, Cromwell's Parliamentarians were popular here, and the reformation left many staunch non-denominational church groups in the county.  
By the 19th century each village had a parish church, at least one, possibly two, non-conformist chapels, and many continued until after the war.  This one continued in use until 1977, seating for well over a hundred and for 50 odd in the school hall at the side.  There is a joke regarding 'Primitive Methodists' but I am too nice to use it here, the response is similar with 'Particular Baptists!'  The 'Primitive' comes from the belief by 1800 that Methodists were moving away from their origins and a break away determined to return to Wesley's original ideal.  Within a hundred years they had reuinited again.  From the front it looks an awkward house but it would be nice to look around inside, many such places have been renovated and will serve as good homes for another century or so.


Also nearby are the Quakers.  One family, The Bucks, allowed the creation of a meeting place in their large garden in 1804.  In time people famous in Quaker circles were buried here.  I was impressed by the fact that all stones looked similar, no pretentious tombs as is found in many Victorian graveyards.  It did look a bit regulated but so do the war graves from both wars.  This way all are equal in death as in life, social position meant little.   The most recent tombstone, the white one in the far corner, featured a lady who died at 101 last year, just consider what a world she lived through.

    
However I came for a war memorial and here it is in the central position in the village.  All roads pass by, none could be forgotten, all 18 names, plus two from the later war, stand where they can be seen.  I wonder what people thought as time passed by.  One family lost two sons and four went, others went and little information is forthcoming about them.  Imaging the attitudes of those who returned having seen Paris possibly, parts of France and Flanders, been in a war, possibly at the front, now they return to the farm and the old order?   Interesting times in the village, especially as all were privates and no officers from here died, if indeed any went!



  
In the inter-war years the painters moved in.  Bawden and friends spent much time drawing and painting in the area.  The light was good, the pace slow, and many works were created offering a glimpse into village life.  I have no idea what the farmers labourers freezing in the fields thought of the well wrapped up rich bloke with the sketch pad but I might be able to guess.  
One of the labourers was also artistic.  Straw plaiting had grown in the 19th century and Fred Mizen became so good at this, in spite of an eye wound he got in the war, in 1951 he created two enormous Lions and Unicorns for the Exhibition at Battersea.   Many of these creations are found in the museum where kids can try straw plaiting with string, they like it.  



I popped into a somewhat confusing Co-op store to buy a bottle of water (57p), the staff were excellent and the sudden queue disappeared quickly, and I crossed the road heading for the main object of the day the large church and the graveyard to do a search for a dead man.  On the way I passed this ancient fountain donated by Henry Smith in 1860.  This at a time when decent clean water was not always available.  However I wondered if it was drinkable today.  It looked clear enough but was it just coming out of the river to the side?
On my way back home I stood at the nearby bus stop watching two men fill several large plastic water containers, several gallon types, with this water.  It looked like this was their normal work. I wondered where they were taking it, who they were and was it drinkable?  I am now looking for a break out of disease in north Essex to see where they went!

  
By the time I sat down in St Mary the Virgin I was knackered and losing interest.  Insufficient breakfast was showing fast.  I have been here before around 20 years ago and realised this was now a very High Church type of place.  You see prayer kneelers in the pews but no bibles.  No books on sale to indicate what is on offer.  I can see why so many non denominational churches arose here.  
The place is somewhat darker than the pictures reveal, the light at the main end is OK but back here little gets in.




The windows are interesting, mostly memorials to people but not all.  St Cedd was one of the first proper missionaries to Essex, I think he came from Lindisfarne from amongst the Scots monks who came with Columba from Ireland.  Life gets confusing in the centuries after the Romans left!




These churches are full of interesting things, some can be explained having been once important in times past, others appear to be making the most of a gap!  


Sick man that I am I thought this my best picture today.


I shuffled around the churchyard, not an easy thing to do with so many humps and unexpected bumps in such places, I was looking for the men on my list.  I ought to add this was the list stupid lugs had left behind on his desk.  This meant I could not be sure which name I was looking for, I could guess but this was not a good idea.  Also the older stones were often unclear, rotting away from lack of care and I was getting tired now.

 
I was surprised to see this man and his wife here, I thought all the Crittall's were buried closer to Braintree.  John was the last family member to run Crittall's as a going concern, when he retired in 1974 it went to other companies and through many variations continues still.  He like all the family appear to have been popular, his wife was an adventurous woman although I never got to read the book in the museum as people kept coming in to annoy me.  




Though I never found the man I was looking for I did find the parents of two others, the Cornell's had 12 children altogether, one died, yet mum managed to live until 79, just imaging the life she had!  It is women like her that make me angry with feminists.  They demand so much while spending their lives at a laptop while millions of women like this one had such tough lives, in many places they still do and the middle class feminist is not helping them!  
The round metal grave marker is typical of this area.  Only a couple here but many Essex graveyards have them, fashion or cheapness I wonder?
I also found a man called Evans I have not heard off.  I wonder who he is?




The sun was high and it was time to shuffle of down the road for the bus.  The hills rolled along while here and there workmen brought in the harvest and large bales of hay looked set to roll of down the rolling hills.  Farm work remains one of the most dangerous employments in the country.  Sadly I cared as much as the Alpacas we passed appeared to care as I was tired and they were well fed and sheared I believe.   The bus rolled into town and I hobbled home desperate for food,  then spent the rest of the day doing this!  


Monday 15 July 2019

Space Filling


I have been trapped indoors for the past wee while by my knees, housework and laziness.  So I have dug out old photos as I have only been as far as Tesco's so far.  The gray skies have also been a hindrance, it is summer after all, and I have therefore sat here staring at the wall.  It is not a great view.



Like you I have been much impressed with the English cricket teams ability to be totally outplayed yet come through and win, this, some claim, was aided by the umpires incorrectly giving them a run they ought not to have had, gosh, that has not happened before has it?  Today the media was splashing their faces across the screen and front page behind the word 'England!'  The Irish captain took it in good stride and the chief batsman, born in New Zealand, attempted to work out what the word 'traitor' meant.  Tonight the players are invited to Ten Downing Street, I know they will be pleased...  Some claimed this was a result of being outside the EU, though all of them now live within the EU, and James Rees-Mogg (born 1672) claimed this is what England can do after Brexit, forgetting the many foreigners in the team.  The captain indicated the side were 'diverse,' and 'Multi-cultural,' while saying Allah was with them.  
Brexiteers everywhere are now confused.
Have England won anything with home grown players?


Talking of racism how come the US president can racially abuse several members of Congress and get away with it?  His order for the four women to 'Go back to their own country,' would lead to prosecution even for a Tory member in this country why not in the USA?   It is clear he will use a great deal more such language in the next year appeasing the Rednecks to get votes.  



This dangerous clown leads us to Boris.  The affair of the US ambassador looks each day like a stitch up worked out between Boris, Farage, Trump and all the other Blackshirt leaders.  I really hope the Met Police do investigate properly and someone is brought to justice for this.  Such secret info should never leave the building and action must be taken.  The reaction tends to leave the impression that this was a step too far so maybe someone will be called to account.



At least the Tennis is off the screen now and with golf hard to find, cricket over, netball ignored and only the Tour de France left, I tend to watch it for the views these days rather than the race itself, we now await the return of proper football.  This has started in Scotland and soon the moneybags English will throw vast amounts of cash at the game to see their side struggle.  I long for the day the bubble bursts and football returns to normal. 


I see Alan Turing will be the new face on the English £50 note.  This man, a scientist of high achievement and ability, was of course gay during the days it was rightly illegal.  Because he was, the gay lobby say, 'hounded to death,' he has become some sort of super hero.  Certainly the secret services of the day did not trust anyone who was gay, the five middle class Communists, some of whom made it to Russia, were gay and MI6 were keen not to be caught out again.  But does anyone care about that?  Does anyone really care about his success at Bletchley Park?  No they don't, they just wish to use him to propagate the gay life.  The Bank of England has gone along with this.  
How far have we fallen?


Thursday 11 July 2019

Thursday Politics


Good old Yaxley-Lennon, not one to let an opportunity to show how crass he is pass by.  The good news is he has been imprisoned and off the streets for a while.  I suspect he will not be placed alongside the Muslim terrorist type but rather fond many shaven headed like minded 'Essex Boys' type who will regard him as a hero of sorts.  
It's all very sad.
What was funny however was him demanding asylum in the USA as going to jail could see him killed inside!  There must be many US rednecks who would sympathise.  For some reason Trump did not respond to his plea, he must have been on Twitter or the golf course.  
What does he get out of this?  Fame?  Self importance?  Money?  We all need a purpose but shit stirring as a purpose?  I wonder if he really has a 'intellectual' belief in anything, I cannot see him working things out from a particular opinion.  It appears that he just requires to be seen as a leader of something, anything, and this is all he is good for.  What a waste.


Gemma White QC has produced a cheery report, avoiding adding names, informing the world of the bullying, abuse and mistreatment of the staff by MPs and noble Lords.  How nice to see our leaders behaving in such a manner.  
Clearly many treat staff reasonably well but others hide behind position, power and fear of job losses and avoid criticism.  I would guess that unless you are 100% committed you cannot work in such an atmosphere.  MPs jobs, in spite of their weak heads, demand total commitment and as a researcher you will need that attitude.  It is no surprise to find some of them demanding, parliament is no place for the weak-kneed, but it is clear many take advantage of their help, others like some noble Lords consider themselves better than others and abuse staff because of this attitude.  It is a pity no names or political parties were mentioned here...  The Speaker has denounced this behaviour, he has of course been criticised for bullying his staff, and indicated some of the points mentioned in this report ought to be handed to the police.  I hope they are, that would be fun!

Wednesday 10 July 2019

Depressing


Apparently this diagram was posted in the 'Times' today.  (I cannot see it as it costs money) This links all the Brexiteers together with Trump and Putin all working through their friends in the right wing press to weaken democracy and bring in Brexit.  Putin wants this as it separates the UK from Europe, weakening both, Trump wants it as not only is he inept, shambolic and unfit for office he is also greedy and thinks he (not the US) will make money.  Poor man, making deals is all he has left in his empty life.  The rest are pretty clear, Farage men on the make.  I am just surprised how the ERG mob have kept away from this, possibly they know how corrupt this can be.  So we ask, why have the Metropolitan Police not investigated?  Who is stopping them?


Boris has got his man out, not that I am saying he was in any way connected to the leak of Sir Kims top secret report,and has already lined up his replacement so to edge him out Theresa Must put another senior man in place within the week to defeat Boris and his friends. (see above)


The worrying trend continued yesterday when parliament decided to force upon Northern Ireland both abortion and gay sex marriages against the will of the people.  It is interesting to note the result of the vote.   332 v 99 for abortion, that is killing children before they are born, and 383 v 73 to force a false marriage upon the people.  Also 190 abstained!  How disgraceful so many 'abstained from such a free vote.  This means that the decision of the Northern Ireland government, when indeed it met, is being set aside by those outside the province.  Now understandably with the Stormont government not meeting because of childish Ulster attitudes it is clear something must be done but this vote opens the way for Westminster to ride roughshod over all devolved assemblies when it chooses.  
It is also interesting how many are willing to vote for killing children.  Few note the effects on the women involved, they certainly ignore the effect on the child, yet they vote this way because that is what society demands!  The same for gay marriage, few have any morals in the House, many are happily amoral and their education in subjects such as philosophy or just straight forward selfishness encourages this.  Concern for the sick, the old, the needy those using foodbanks is rarely seen on the Conservative side of the house, it is all too often spoken off but no change of policy to aid from the other side.  How many used the 'free vote' to vote the way the whips encouraged?  There is a callousness at the heart of this government, indeed this is normally the case, it has always been that way, people mean less than money, however the vote yesterday was very depressing and speaks of worse to come.  The unthinking following unknowingly the spirit of the air. 

Monday 8 July 2019

Nothing Monday


Wimbledon's second week underway.
I ignore this as I ignored the first week.
Hurry up with the football...


Sir Kim Darroch has behaved impeccably as UK ambassador to the US.  This man has studied his subject, the President of the United States and his government, and reported back in a clear, unambiguous manner to his masters as he ought.  How interesting therefore that some unscrupulous individual has allowed this information to be handed over to the public domain.
Who could do this?  Civil Servants, Politicians, and who else receives this info?   
Some say civil servants would never dare to release such info to anyone, not even each other.  Others claim a Brexit politician has done so to remove this 'Remain' ambassador and replace him with a 'Leave' one more suited to Boris.  Still others claim the civil service is so ruined by Theresa and her government they are willing to bring down anyone they fear.  
Now the ambassador has done nothing wrong, even so there may have to be changes.  While the whole world agrees with his comments, all heard before from many others, Trump will have a sulk and never speak to him again.  Lucky ambassador!  He will retire happily, his life work ruined by political chicanery elsewhere that is not his fault, and live happily in Surrey or the Cayman Islands on his large pension.
The fall out may go further of course.

 
Looking through a selection of recommended books I was struck by how many were either yukky wimmens romances or murder books.  Now I understand women's desire fro romance, especially when there is so little at home, but in my little mind I find the desire for books, films and TV murder stories a bit strange.
So far we have had almost 90 people killed in London this year, mostly I suspect young black men involved stupidly in drug dealing.  Now there will always be murders, especially in big cities and when aided by the loss of 20,000 police it is to be expected crime will rise.  Yet while people are knifed within easy reach so many people will sit watching or reading murder stories.  Whether Agatha Christie or modern day crime people are fascinated with the horror while ignoring it outside. 
So many TV programmes are detective tales, masses of books are similar, why?  If murder happened next door you might get worried but it appears people prefer the false murder on screen or in print to the reality.  Actually that is not quite true, people have always, since papers came into existence, wished to read the gripping tales of murder and the police chasing the criminals.  The Victorians loved a good murder, the horror led to many papers, booklets, books appearing on the market, often with helpful illustrations, the more gruesome the better.  There was and remains a market for this. 
What is it we seek?


Friday 5 July 2019

Indoors!


The idea of running about all over the country via the bus pass has led to an unfortunate situation. My knees ache!  Sadly I did too much too soon and have spent this week lying about the house, not unusual that, awaiting my body recovering.  Naturally the sun has been shining all this time, buses pass my house indicating the place to put the bus ass and running off into places far away.
I remain indoors.
This morning I ventured out to Tesco as the food stocks were somewhat low.  I considered using this as a chance to diet but failed to make the most of that and by 8 am I was shopping.  My diet has been blown again and must be restarted today.  The stomach sticking out makes it difficult to see the keyboard on this laptop which hinders me somewhat.
This also means exercising again as that lowers the bump apparently though I have yet to see a difference.  That is one thing that saves me money however, I save £50 by not buying a Heart of Midlothian football strip because it looks daft with a big bump at the front.  Many do buy these and waddle around but this does not present a decent sight in my view, or indeed anyone else's.  
Clouds tomorrow, I will probably be fit enough to go out...


I sometimes sit here amazed at my stupidity and ability to misunderstand facts, however having listened to parts of Donald Trumps 4th of July speech, in heavy rain, I feel considerably better about things.  He waxed lyrical about the war of independence (in 1775 was it?) pointing out how Washington's army defeated the British forces including "Taking over the airports," as they did so. Now this is a slip of the tongue surely and we all make such mistakes, although not as a President of the United States desperately trying to remember the words he has been rehearsing all morning.  
I note he also forgot to thanks the French for their part in the independence struggle, the ships blocking the harbour, the men on the ground replacing the home forces who had deserted, the vast amount of cash given to the new US government, so much cash some say it led to the French revolution, and yet none of this was mentioned, just the airports...
Of course in recent days Theresa May, Jeremy Hunt and Boris the oaf have all revealed a similar lack of historical knowledge of their own country, this when parading themselves in Scotland!  The members of the Scottish National Party are well pleased with the results there.
The Tory infighting, like the Labour infighting and the almost completely ignored Lib-Dem infighting continues apace.  We all wish it would stop!

 
The advantage of sitting at home is that I do not get caught up in transport difficulties.  My real sympathies go out to the early commuters who fled London early to begin their weekend and are now facing a bus trip home. Damage to the overhead wires on the lunchtime service has blocked the line which means from Witham buses must be used to get people home.  
The weather is hot, the people tired, drinks running out, buses slow as it is rush hour, and the happy citizen concentration on his mobile phone or his crossword in the free paper will be considering some of the words he has heard from his boss concerning the failure of his work.  He will be reusing them tonight.  I once got the commuter special, never again!  Either in morning or evening the experience is not good.  Crowded, impatient, and tedious when things go wrong.  Train journeys are great when quiet...


Tuesday 2 July 2019

The Sun Turns, or is it Me?


Another revolution round the sun has occurred.  For another 365 days I have been swinging the lead journeying round the sun enjoying life.  Tonight I eat whisky cake 'sweet and mellow' like me, she said with a hint of sarcasm. 
The church found out and sang 'Happy Birthday' as they do.  How embarrassing!  I keep it quiet but someone shouted out my name.  She will hear about this.
Nothing else to report.
Another year older again, cards, well wishers, facebook posts, but no book vouchers!  Tsk!
A quiet museum day, exhibition ended, new one begins to emerge, will take three weeks to erect mind.  Few visitors, nothing much to do, home to sleep....


I believe these are the two new neighbours.
Up above, in the loft, I hear noises and coo-ing.  I think these two have moved in.  I tried to get up there but my steps are two small, I need a proper stepladder.  I was thinking of borrowing the museum one but that of course is now in constant use.  Maybe I will try again and risk my neck by clambering...?

Saturday 29 June 2019

Heat


Outside the sun shines brightly, a cool wind blows, I remain indoors.
I have done too much this week, I sit here sipping tea while outside people burn.
A quick walk to Sainsburys early this morning showed how high the heat will go!
I am happy indoors...

Friday 28 June 2019

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!

Wednesday 26 June 2019

Slack Wednesday


Reading the bleating press as they grumble about Harry and Meghan spending over £2:5 million on renovating the house caused many thoughts to pass though my little head.
For a start the media that whine about Meghan are delighted they have a 'Bad Person' in the Royals soap opera, every soap opera requires one.  Since this American 'actress' with a dubious family background who happily take large amounts of green dollar bills to 'reveal' stories while living in 'White Trash Land' first cottoned on to Harry the media have known there were pages and pages of empty space she would fill.  The media just had to decide if she was good or bad, that came easily enough.
Secondly she has, it would appear, caused friction within the royals, separating Harry from his brother and his wife, upsetting back room staff left right and centre, supporting strange policies and making it easy for the royal chattering classes to chatter classlessly.
Spending money on such a home to keep her and him apart from him and her and the rest fills pages in tabloids easily and the royal sap licks it up.
Of course William and his bint have a £5 million pound in Wales they never use, one in Eats Anglia somewhere also unused as  far as I can see, and their London home in the royal complex.  No tabloid has mentioned this or indicated a problem.  We need not mention the vast amounts being spent on Buck House either.
This crossed my mind on Saturday as I burnt myself in the hot sun while awaiting the bus.  Here ahead of me a not unusual sight around these parts.  One long expensive home, possibly divided into two semi-detached properties, but once either two, or four, or six, possibly even eight properties made use of by the many farm labourers who once toiled all day in the sunshine in the fields around. Now one or possibly two families live there. 
The moneyed classes can make use of old houses and renovate them as they please, those in the public eye have however to ensure they keep their fan base happy while the private classes need not worry.  I am beginning to ask myself, not that I really care, when will Harry take his woman to France, as 'Duke of Windsor' to hide behind French privacy laws and keep her out of trouble?


I had a lot more to say, very important and relevant stuff at that however I also had a pile of shirts to iron, there is a selfie of me above doing the work.  This meant my day was ruined as after that tedious and hot effort I sat in a daze for a while before sinking into a bath, and it's not even Sunday!
No head left to think with after that...ironing is what women were made for!