Staying Home

It is very hot and humid here even in the north of England so Mr P and I are resting.  

Last week I went to the library to collect two more reserved books.  I find it difficult to concentrate, but I will read them slowly.  My favourite genre in books is a cosy mystery and as the Marlow Mystery Series has been adapted for television I enjoyed the drama featuring Samantha Bond.  Her character is very different from the one in the James Bond movies.

The setting of the novel is the River Thames in the town of Marlow in Berkshire which is one I also know well.  Our daughter D took her friend there when she was visiting from Dublin, Ireland so it was a reminder of the times we've also visited this attractive riverside area.

Here are a few photos that our daughter D took to give you an idea of the place. 

Marlow Bridge

The plot of the novel centres around the character played by Samantha Bond, a dog walker and the local vicar's wife who become friends after they start to investigate a likely murder.  The S B character had heard shots fired in the grounds of her neighbour's house located on the opposite river bank.  (At the time she'd been wild swimming since her house and garden lead down to the river).  However, the local police are unsure, but start their own investigation. 

I enjoyed the television drama more than the novel probably because I watch television for entertainment more than I read because of poor eyesight.

Talking about eyesight, Mr P and I both need cataract surgery and Mr P has an appointment for an assessment next week.  Mr P's is more important.  I don't drive any more.  I loved driving and used to travel all over Berkshire as a supply teacher when we lived 'down south'.   At the moment we're dependent on family to give us lifts until Mr P has his eye surgery.  Thankfully I can still write my blog posts as I have a big screen attached to my computer and also use my information mobile phone.

That is all for now.  Thank you for coming by.  Speak again soon.

Maytime

It's now lilac time in our neighbourhood.  The blossom has just about survived showery days.   

Most of the tulips and other Spring flowers are over now.

The seedlings have been put outside to harden off as the frosty nights are no longer happening.  Mr P continues to sow seeds and tend the developing plants.  Colour is back in the front and back gardens.  The tomato plants are doing well in the covered yard. 

We've had May Bank holiday and a Bank holiday for the Coronation so many people have been out and about enjoying the mild and sunny weather.  We've stayed around our locality as I had plenty to watch on television and library books to read.

Ornamental cherry blossom in the park was attracting one family who were out for a walk. I watched for a while as a little girl was hoisted up on the father's shoulders to take a closer look at the blossom on the lower branches of the cherry tree.

The great grandchildren are happy and enjoy our attention (either the little girl who lives locally or from internet photos that our Berkshire Daughter D sends during baby sitting sessions). Berkshire Baby A goes to a mother and baby musical sensory group and local Baby S also enjoys her soft toys and dancing, musical  'friend'.

On Coronation Day our local daughter M and her friend came around for lunch.  We had tuna, cucumber and mozzarella sandwiches, salad and a lemon drizzle cake that I had made.  

I'm still reading the supplement pull-out magazines included in the weekend newspapers that Daughter M bought for me to keep as souvenirs and watching recordings of the Coronation ceremonies and evening concert.  Everything went off well considering the logistics and number of participants. I'm sure the television companies who were involved were pleased with the result.  A day to remember indeed.

By the River Thames Again

Goring-on-Thames Lock and Weir (Creative Commons)

We were grateful that daughter D drove us around during our stay with her in Reading.  It certainly helped Mr P rest and enjoy the visit.  The weather was dull but dry so the photos I took reflect this.  I suppose we should expect poor light at this time of the year.

We had refreshments at the Swan Hotel in Streatley before walking in the grounds of the hotel.  Below are views of the bridge linking the two villages of Streatley, Berkshire and Goring-on-Thames on the South Oxfordshire side of the river.

The main reason for travelling down to Reading was to see our new great grandson for the first time as well as to be with family and friends.  A theatre visit had been booked and I'll share more another day.  

Meanwhile I wish you a good new week.  It'll be March soon!

The Museum and Forbury Gardens

On our second morning of our stay in Reading daughter D gave me a lift into town.  Mr P was happy to rest and potter in the garden.  There were a few garden tasks to do such as pruning D's vines and helping her lift some of the big, heavy pots.  The fig tree needed some attention and an olive tree had to be re-potted and moved.  Daughter D also gave us a tree peony plant that had grown too big for her courtyard garden of pot plants.  Mr P has now transferred it into our Sheffield garden as it's a good time of the year when plants are more dormant.  When we're with our daughter we talk about plants, often exchange plants and visit open gardens when opportunities arise.

D's peony tree in flower (last Summer)

Before my wander around the museum I took a peek at the museum café since I hadn't seen it since it was redone. The old Reading town hall building is dear to my heart for several reasons.  It's where functions took place that I attended when I was a child, it's where the library used to be before the new one was built, it's where my father worked in the Mayor of Reading's offices and where Mr P and I had our wedding reception.  Later on during versatile Mr P's working life he was part of the team that was involved in the first phase of its renovations and refurbishment.  I've also worked in various offices in the immediate area.

 

Mosaics from the flooring of an Iron Age and subsequently Roman settlement at Silchester (some miles south-west of Reading) called Calleva Atrebatum.  Archaeological digs take place and there have been some important finds.

I could have spent hours in the museum. Here are some more of the exhibits that particularly interested me.

It was the half term school holiday and there were plenty of children's activities to help with their learning.

tea caddy spoons

Jane Austen went to school in Reading.  I believe the school was by the Abbey Gateway opposite the Forbury Gardens. She might have worn this type of school uniform.

my era as a young married woman in the mid 1960s and 70s

Jackson's Corner department store was old-fashioned even then but it's where I went to purchase the children's school uniforms.  As a shop of a certain period it was used at one time in television dramas such as Endeavour (Morse).  Sadly it's no longer with us as an active shop.  Mr P was curious to visit Broad Street to see if it had changed, but this was not to be.  He was better off pottering in D's garden and resting.

Time slipped by and I wanted to go for a walk in the Forbury Gardens.  I bought a box of postcards of the Reading Abbey area and a book about the Town Hall to add to my collection of books about the history of Reading from the museum shop.   There have been many walks around my hometown in the past and  I'll share more from time-to-time in future blog posts.

The statue of Queen Victoria needs a good clean.  Daughter D told me that several of these statues and monuments around town are to get cleaned presumably in time for King Charles III's coronation in May.

Behind the statue is Marks and Spencer.  During WWII it got a direct hit and other buildings in this area were damaged.  At the time it was a café called The People's Pantry.  Workers could get meals there at a time of war rationing and my two aunts would go there after their work as seamstresses at a Burberry's workshop.  My maternal grandmother was worried that the two sisters had gone there that fatal day when many lost their lives.  The sisters decided not to go there that day.  The bombs would be released and would drift over the area before dropping suddenly at random causing destruction.  I suppose only those of my age will remember the stories that my relatives told me about those days that had such an impact on people's lives everywhere.

Onwards to the Forbury Gardens....

St Laurence's Church and next to it the solicitors' offices where I worked as a secretary in the mid 1960s.  The staff were characters - some quite theatrical.   Sometimes there would be a solemn parade as they slowly walked from the offices to a church service in St Laurence's Church.  The mayoral group would also take part.  The church is now a community meeting place, still consecrated as a church, but usually closed probably for security reasons.

I was glad to see the wreaths were still there to commemorate the WWII incident.  They had been placed by the wall of the offices and were also at the town Cenotaph.

 Trooper Frederick Potts, who was awarded the Victoria Cross 

for bravery.  (Gallipoli WWI)

The iron-cast Maiwand Lion is also a war memorial 

I'll leave you with some more photos of the Spring flowers in the Forbury Gardens.

a brick and flint entrance and exit arch

Thank you for visiting.  Have a good day!