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Archive for the ‘It's my life’ Category

It was with total dismay and incomprehension that I watched the events of yesterdays ‘Student Protest’ unfold.   In fact, any of the recent demonstrations that have turned violent! I love this country and I have an overwhelming passion for London, and it fills me with disbelief and dismay that I live in a country with people that behave like that!

I am all for the democratic process, the freedom of speech, the priviledge of being able to voice my opinion – by ‘peaceful’ demonstration, to protest in a ‘peaceful’manner and I agree to a point with the view that the University fees have jumped alarmingly.

However, what I do not agree with is the events that unfolded during the protest march yesterday. It amazes me that in what is classed as a 1st world country, that people who have the benefit of a full-on education go on to behave in such an appalling manner. It would seem that education doesn’t remove the thug-mentality and that there are as usual the small minority of people who will go ahead and destroy…. just because! There was no reason for what they did.

And of course….lets blame the Police once again why don’t we!!!! Let’s blame everyone else and not take responsibility for our own actions!! I see absolutely no reason on earth why the police should have had to have a stronger presence in the area. It was meant to be a peaceful demonstration by students who are in University! Therefore one would expect that they have the intelligence and maturity to make their voices heard in a manner befitting a university education, a manner befitting a 1st world country.

So now folks will be up in arms and blame the police for what happened yesterday. Take responsibility for your own actions you morons!!   Many citizens of this country and other western countries are so quick to blame, blame, blame and seldom accept responsibility for their own actions and the consequences thereof.    “Oh! It’s the fault of the police for not having a stronger presence in the area!”. RUBBISH!!!!! It’s the fault of the thugs who smashed the place up! I truly wish that they are severly punished for their actions!! They do not deserve the priviledges that they get in this country.

What will probably happen is that their parents will rush off to the nearest ‘Compensation’ lawyers (if those ****** don’t get there first) and claim compensation for their little thugs getting arrested blah blah blah!! And then we will have the ‘human-rights’ activists putting in their pennies worth!

Yes, the fees are high and yes! I agree that it is quite unfair that foreign students get lowered fees while the students of tax-payers in this country have to pay more, but that does not justify the actions of what happened yesterday.    Firstly those thugs should be severely punished, they should be made to perform commmunity service and make reparation for their actions, then they should be banned from University for the total number of years that it takes to repay the damage they have caused.

Of course in reality what will happen is that their parents will be up in arms! You can’t do that to my precious little moronic thug! You can’t blame them for being angry! You have to let them carry on and voice their anger…poor little poppets! Only doing what they think is fair. While hey!!! The rest of us tax-payers who work sometimes 7 days a week to pay for our own education or pay our way in this life, get to foot the bill. Once again!

So, go ahead and blame the Government, after all that’s what they are there for….to act as scape-goats for your little tantrums.

Perhaps, you should take a look at your life, perhaps your parents should shoulder some of the blame. After all they did not put enough money aside to pay for your education…… It never ceases to amaze me that the “holiday, happy meals, fag and booze” brigade never stop for one moment to think about how the money they waste on rubbish each month could go towards the education of their children. Parents are responsible for educating their children. Not the government! 

The government provides the venues and the teachers so that parents can send the kids to school, it’s the responsibility of the parents to make sure they have enough money to pay for it.

And then of course we have the people who have half-a dozen kids and then complain there is never enough money. Well stop breeding like rabbits and consider what you can afford….without claiming ‘benefits’ from the Government.    Benefits that people like me and other hard-working people pay for through our taxes so that you can sit at home on your backside!

And please don’t get me started on the benefits payouts. I have never in my life heard of such nonsense. Benefits!!!!!! Education is a priviledge. A priviledge millions of children never ever have. They are made to work from the day the are old enough to stand on their own two feet, they don’t have access to schools, and books and libraries and hand-outs from the government to pay for their education. They would never get an education at all on the whole except for the charities that step in and provide the means for the ‘lucky’ ones. Education is not to be squandered! 

In this country we have amazing facilities for education and yet it is squandered on the mentality of ‘gimme gimme gimme’ or ‘I want want want’!!! You should be ashamed of yourselves. But then again of course you wouldnt be!!! after all it is the fault of the Government! And while you are whinging and blaming and finding fault with everything around you, pause for a moment and realise how lucky you are (yes, lucky!!!) to live in a country where your actions are not met with your execution, a country where your parents are not tossed into gaol for your actions and where you actually get to live…..even after you have gratuiously destroyed property that doesn’t belong to you.

I watched the ‘Wright Stuff’ on Five this morning, and the phone-ins say that it’s coz people are angry, angry that the Lib Dems ie Nick Clegg has gone back on his election promises re capping the fees!! Ok, fine be angry and voice your opinion, that still does not give you the right to smash the place up and then when you are restrained by the police to then blame them, whilst other people blame them for not having a stronger presence in the area. Either way they don’t win!!

If you justify what happened yesterday as ‘ok’ coz people are angry – then you go on to justify wife-beating coz hubby is angry, or ‘child-abuse’ coz daddy is angry, or smashing into another’s car coz they cut in front of you, or beating a person up coz they are the wrong skin colour, or religion, or sexual persuasion, or any other kind of anger that people use an excuse for their actions.

Anger is an emotion and not a right!!!

I am angry….very angry; angry that I have to pay higher taxes coz I work harder and longer hours to make my way in this world and pay for the things I want….like an education, and then people like those thugs that smashed the place up yesterday get to walk away and my taxes, my hard-earned taxes go to pay for the repairs!!!!   So, now tell me….is that then an excuse to go to their homes and smash the place up and vent my anger?   I shelled out £50,000 in 2007 and 2008 to pay for my education and now I work 7days a week 50 weeks a year to pay for it. Education is a priviledge to be paid for, it is not a god-given right.

Democracy gives you the opportunity and the ‘right’ to voice your opinion, it does not give you the ‘right’ to smash things up.

And while you are whinging about the Government and spouting all your ‘poor me’ complaints, kindly remember that today is the day that millions of people are remembered, people who gave up their lives during the last 2 world wars and people that today continue to give their lives – to give you a future in a democratic country!!!

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Social Media has it’s uses!  On Saturday this weekend I met up with someone who was my best friend in high school….aeons ago! (Sorry Chez) 🙂

still friends even after all these years

Someone I had known when I was 12 years old, which also means I now count my memories in decades rather than years….. LOL! or not!!!
We last saw each other 22years ago back in South Africa just before she and her husband came to live in the UK and I went to live in Cape Town.  Prior to that we had last seen each other in 1971. Now I am living in the UK and they are back in SA! How bizarre, how bizarre!
After that last meeting, we lost touch as you sometimes do, and over the years I often thought of her and wondered where she was and what she was doing.
I joined facebook some years back and as you do you put up various details etc etc. One day out of the blue I got a message asking if I was the Cindy who went to Dawnview High? And of course yes, it was me! And there she was; after all these years.
So we messaged each other from time to time and emailed, catching up on news across the years. A couple of months ago I got a message to say she was visiting the UK this month and was it possible to meet up? Of course it was and so we did….on Saturday! How awesome. And how brilliant is social media! 🙂
It was amazing to see her again and sadly the 2 hours I had free disappeared in a wink and we hardly had time to really catch up before I had to go.  Plans are now in the pipe-line for a longer visit when I am in SA next year.
This meeting has had a odd effect on me, and after I said goodbye, and on the way home I mused to myself how strange this life is, and how weird it is coming face to face with your past and how much has changed since those days.
I think it was the comment she made about how we had known each other when we were 12 years old that triggered all sorts of emotions and memories.  One of the memories of course relates to our relationship when we were 12 years old and until we were 16 which is the last time I saw her prior to that meeting many years later.
We were very naughty young girls and one of my clearest memories of our friendship is travelling home from school on the bus.  As do all naughty children we sat right at the back of the bus and caused mayhem, on one occassion the driver stopped the bus and made us get off 🙂 mmm you get the picture.  I also reminded her of one day that we were laughing so much that when I got off the bus I had to hang onto the pole at the busstop to keep upright and to my everlasting hysteria wet my pants and walked home with squelchy shoes (I will leave that to your imagination). My Mother was totally unimpressed.
Strangely enough, one of the thoughts that ran through my mind on the way home on Saturday, was what would my adult self say to my 12 year-old self. I guess there would be many things, but two that spring to mind with immediate clarity would be to not get married so young (17 in my case) and secondly would be to have a plan for my life.
Of course there are many other memories, some good, some very bad and some just lovely.  But that is not for now!
Wonderful to see you my friend. I look forward to next year and having more time to catch up 🙂

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the devil in this instance being advertising aka marketing aka subliminally/blatantly telling us we need to have/taste/buy something that we most likely don’t need or never thought we needed until viewing said advertisement!

As mentioned in a previous post I went to St Pancras Station last sunday to see the Halloween event that was being staged there in conjunction with Wicked and the National Woodland Trust.  And it was fun, I am so glad I went despite having missed the tour with the @TheSock Mob.

As mentioned in said post I stood in the queue to get an autograph from some members of the Wicked cast 🙂 and of course Lee Mead *big smile*, and while standing in said queue I was subjected to a billboard (one of those roll-up and pack away type billboards) that was advertising Nestle Mint Aero.  It was kinda in your face and you could not miss it if you were in said queue for over 20 minutes!! Also it was a very pretty and bright advertisement……

On my way home I suddenly developed a craving for peppermint chocolate and thereupon stopped by at the store enroute (won’t say which one since they are one of my pet hates) and bought a ……………………

Nestle Mint Aero...the one with the bubbles

Never ever let it be said that advertising doesn’t work!!!   I have bought aero before – however, never a mint aero since I am a bit picky about peppermint and chocolate and like the South African version of Peppermint Crisp.

just look at all that delicious peppermint wrapped in a creamy coating of chocolate 🙂 mmmm

 (invented by Wilson-Rowntree in case you wondered but now produced by Nestle in RSA) and now my mouth is watering and drooling at the edges 🙂

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I was hoping to meet with @TheSockMob today (31.10.10) and join them for their Temple tour; sadly it was not to be 😦 Time was not on my side and the situation did not allow.  However all was not lost and despite the change of plans there were a great number of things to do in London today in celebration of Halloween. Since Kings Cross St Pancras was the closest to home and as they were hosting an event I decided to stop off there. Am I so glad I did.

a 'Wicked' Halloween at St Pancras International - London

the stage show ‘Wicked’, together with The National Woodland Trust were hosting an event with face-painting for the kiddies, and a singing competition amongst other fun things to do. Along the way I met two delightful young ladies who were all dressed up and into the swing of things!!

wicked 🙂 - all dressed up for the 'Wicked' Halloween event at St Pancras on 31.10.10

   St Pancras is a fabulous venue in itself and of course home to the Eurostar.  The concourse is huge, very airy and bright with the fabulous roof that recently featured in ‘Climbing Great Buildings’ presented by Jonathan Foyle.

light, bright and airy

St Pancras is a meeting place and a leaving place and thousands of travellers pass through the halls daily. There is a fabulous giantsize sculpture of  ‘lovers meeting’

The Meeting Place - a sculpture by Paul Day

 and to my delight I came across a statue of Sir John Betjeman.

Sir John Betjeman

 Co-incidently he lived in a house not far from where I live and went to school in the area. I stopped off to watch the singers and then to my delight Lee Mead gave us a final rendition.  The cast of Wicked were on hand and had performed earlier.  After the show the cast and Lee Mead were giving autographs and even though I am not at all a person who stands in queues to get autographs….today I made an exception.

Lee Mead - autographs galore

The queue was …….long!!! So I decided to meander about and take photos whilst the queue moved through with the intention of joining it as it got shorter.  In due course I headed to the end of the queue only to be told by a delightful young lady that the queue was now closed! Really???? Mmmm!! I looked pleadingly at her and finally she relented and allowed me to squeeze in! heehee

And so 15 minutes later ( *raised eyebrows* ) I finally got to the table and there only inches away was…’Joseph’ aka Lee Mead  ! whoa!!! how exciting.

it's 'wicked' to be green - my autographed bag

The story behind my delight is that many many years ago when ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ first performed on stage in London I was desperate to see it, but South Africa is over 6,000kms away from London and it was an impossible dream.

Then I came to live in London and suddenly anything was possible.  A few years on and there were plans to re-stage the play and auditions began to find the new ‘Joseph’.  The winner was Lee Mead.  One day I mentioned to my daughter how much I would love to see him on stage…..and voila that Christmas in my stocking was a ticket!!! dreams do come true.

So even though I did not get to tour Temple, I did get to see Lee Mead which was a totally unexpected surprise and I also got to visit St Pancras for my 3 days in London blog.  I have already been a passenger on the Eurostar; in 2005 when my daughter and I went to Paris and again in 2008 when I went to Paris again for a seminar with Keith Cunningham. Awesome!

Eurostar at St Pancras

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Charlie is my new toothbrush!

this is Charlie

Not just any old toothbrush mind, but an electric toothbrush; the “all new Oral-B Professional Care 1000 (?), powered by braun toothbrush that cups each tooth for a 3D clean kind of toothbrush!!” No1 recommended by UK dentists! Apparently.

Oral-B Professional Care 1000 (?) No1 recommended by UK Dentists 🙂

I recall way back (why do things always seem like such a long time ago)….when electric toothbrushes first arrived in South Africa….I was like what!! an electric toothbrush, no way……what’s wrong with a good old regular non-electric toothbrush – mmm, I had not yet tried an electric brush!

When I came to the UK in 2001, in my bag was the regular toothbrush, a companion of old (ok, not that old), was easy to pack and didn’t need recharging!  Then one day I saw an advert on the TV for the electric kind and the reason for having one seemed convincing, so I thought: ‘Ah well may just give it a try.   ‘ OMG what a price! and OMGosh, what an experience! It felt like my mouth had come alive; I have been hooked ever since.  This is the 3rd such electric toothbrush since I have been here and that is why I have named it Charlie. It’s also blue so can’t have a girls name! 🙂

Beatrice; my old toothbrush has finally been charged too often and has reached the end of her days, so tonight after I have cleansed my teeth and before I go to bed, I will say farewell to Beatrice

bye bye Beatrice

and send her off to that great toothbrush heaven in the sky (aka the trash – not too much sentiment please, it is after all just a toothbrush!).

Charlie will start his journey with me tomorrow morning, fully-charged and raring to go! or is that b/rushing to go!

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Today (29th) was just about the most perfect day for taking photographs, lightly overcast! 

an overcast autumn day in London

I love this kind of weather coz then the colours appear more vibrant and not bleached out by the sun. Add to that; autumn!  My favourite season of the year by a whisker…. just ahead of spring which in the UK is just fabulous.
I usually get 5 hours off on a Friday so I made the most of the time and headed off round the neighbourhood to get some photos for my autumn collage;

autumn colours

trespassing on a neighbours property to get my shot 🙂

I am trying to create a movie on my computer! (unsuccessfully so far 😦 )
The colours at this time of year are fabulous; reds,

autumn colours

yellows,

vibrant yellow

orange

fiery orange

and of course brown.  But not just brown – dark and moody, pale and creamy, yellowy brown, greeny brown, reddish brown; an amazing mix that shows off the red, yellow, and orange to perfection. Add a backdrop of evergreens, and how can you go wrong – a veritable pallette of warm, cozy and vibrant colours.

autumn leaves

First I meandered and trespassed 🙂 round the neighbourhood capturing the most amazing shapes and colours.

fabulous shapes

Then I headed to the ponds on Hampstead Heath, one of my favourite places to go for a walk.
Hampstead Heath is one of London’s famous parks and covers an area of 320 hectares (790 acres).  Protected as an area of outstanding natural beauty it is bordered by Highgate, Hampstead, Golders Green and Primrose Hill.

hampstead heath

Hampstead Heath near the duck ponds

A massive area of shady woods, wide open spaces, ponds, parks both natural and landscaped, winding paths, hills and vales, ponds that are home to amazing variety of wildlife,  especially birds

hampstead duck pond

ducks on the pond

and thousands of trees…..these being the object of my interest today.

hampstead heath

autumn trees

The ponds in spring are a hive of activity; the geese fly in with a cacophony of sound that carries far and wide.  Swans abound and harrass the other birds, bearing down on them with fierce intention seeing off the Egyptian geese with no mercy spared.
Autumn is more sedate and frequented by the year-round residents; ducks, gulls, pigeons, egret and dozens of coot.  The ducks ponds are a marvellous area of sloping greens lawns dotted about with benches,

sloping lawns, trees, benches and the pond

some of which are placed as a memorial to a loved one now long gone, shady trees, bushy hollows and winding paths to meander along.

hampstead heath

open fields and winding paths

An area to be enjoyed no matter the weather or season; cyclists,

cyclists enjoying the heath

walkers, lovers,

lovers walk along shady paths

mothers pushing toddlers in prams 

mothers stroll by pushing babies in their prams

and fishermen

fishermen take their chances at the duck pond

all co-habit; enjoying this wonderful open space – certainly one of my favourite places to hang out.

duck pond on Hampstead Heath

a bit of history, courtesy of wikipedia

Hampstead Heath (locally known as “the Heath”) is a large, ancient London park, covering 320 hectares (790 acres). This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band of London clay. The Heath is rambling and hilly, embracing ponds, recent and ancient woodlands, a lido, playgrounds, and a training track, and it adjoins the stately home of Kenwood House and its grounds. South of the Heath is Parliament Hill, whose view over London is protected by law.

The Heath has long been a popular place for Londoners to walk and take the air. Running along its eastern perimeter are a chain of ponds – including three open-air public swimming pools – which were originally reservoirs for drinking water from the River Fleet. Kenwood is the location of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the smallest such site in London; lakeside concerts are held in summer. The Heath is managed by the City of London Corporation, and lies mostly within the London Borough of Camden with the adjoining Hampstead Heath Extension and Golders Hill Park in the London Borough of Barnet.

and coz I tend to think in song titles, this is the song that inspired my post…..except I’m in London and it’s autumn 🙂 (poetic license)

California Dreaming

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Camden Market London

freshly squeezed 🙂

I visited Camden Market yesterday for a bit of a walkabout and just coz the weather was so great I had to get out and enjoy it.

a gorgeous day

I had a very happy 2 hours meandering along Regent’s Canal, watching the narrowboats go by

Camden Market

narrowboats on Regent's Canal

and then through the market looking at stuff and people!  Camden is a fabulous mix of weird and mundane…..both people and products.

weird and wonderful

 If you are looking for the alternative in anything….then Camden Market is the place to be.

Camden Market

weird and wonderful

On my way back to the bus stop I walked along the high street

Camden High Street

 and on the corner was the Freshly ‘Squeezed’ Orange Juice Man!!

freshly squeezed orange juice stand

A real honey of a man with a sweet smile, almost as sweet as the juice he was selling.  I love orange juice, esp freshly squeezed so bought myself a bottle…..mmmmmm, delicious. 

buying a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice

 This lovely man agreed that I could take his photo….so if you are in Camden Market at all – be sure to stop and buy a bottle; it’s yummy and healthy 🙂

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Last week I had a few days of much needed rest and relaxation!  aka a few days off! Although I was ok to stay in the house whilst off duty it was my preference to head on over to spend some time with my daughter on the other side of London.  A lovely side of London if I may say. Initially I was meant to travel through on Thursday and stay till Sunday but she suggested that since I was free would I attend a presentation that she was conducting at the Westminster Library in Leicester Square.   She has been giving these presentations for some months now about Social Media and whilst I often get to preview them online and edit them beforehand, I had not yet actually seen the ‘Angel’ in action!  Since I was on leave and technically free I accepted the invitation with alacrity and delight.

So with a smile on my face and my packed bags trailing behind me (they are well trained) – I made my way to Leicester Square.  I was amazed to find that the square was lit up with the Xmas fair already firmly established and lighting up the night sky (I will blog about that on 3 days in London.info).  It was quite dark by then and the first thing I did was grab my camera (of course) and hanging onto my bag I whizzed around the square snapping away.  I love the seasonal events that happen in London and although winter is a long and hard slog of cold, wet and windy days (much like a baby’s nappy) I love how beautiful everything looks with all the lights that are draped everywhere for Xmas and the carousel looked fab!

the faire comes to Leicester Square

Then, avoiding the crowds, I slipped down the narrow lane that leads to the library.  Eagerly anticipating the event; I was not disappointed. The ‘New Media Angel’ is a genius and an excellent presenter.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening and even though I had pretty much seen the material beforehand, still I was totally engaged and learned a lot.  It fascinates me just how much knowledge she has and how entertaining she is; keeping you totally involved the whole time.

Unbeknownst to the audience she was in fact not very well and during the Q&A afterwards collapsed with a blackout and we then made a very unwanted trip to St Thomas’s hospital for a thorough check up.   It amazes me just how long patients are kept in ‘the system’.  We could probably have left at least 3 hours before they finally discharged her.  I applaud the ambulance services who were there in no time at all and tended to her without fault; kindly and gentle.  The hospital staff were lovely and then we met the Doctor!!! What an eejit!  Bear in mind please that he is a Doctor and that we have a huge problem with MRSA in this country due to lack of hygiene in our hospitals.  He popped his head around the curtain and without further ado and no introduction he proceeded to draw blood.  First attempt was painful and unsuccessful and it is beyond my comprehension why he tried to draw it from her wrist!  So off he goes to get a 2nd set of blood-drawing equipment and without washing his hands or swabbing her arm he set about trying to draw a sample. STOP!!!!!! The first time around I had not noticed what he was doing, but 2nd time around I was horrified to note that not only was he poking at her arm to raise a vein with his bare finger; his bare unwashed finger but he had not swabbed her arm with the usual cleanser!!! I was like….’Hello! arent you supposed to clean her arm first?’ and then the eejit (I could use a much stronger word here but I won’t batter your sensitive ears) says ‘Oh! yes I suppose so’ and off he goes to find a swab!  U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E!! I was ready to give him a slap.  Anyways, he takes the blood and I’m getting ready to give the Doctor an account of this useless individual when he minces back in and says ‘ Hello, I am your Doctor’.

Geez!!! My jaw hit the floor.  Anyways long story short they did all sort of tests and finally let us out the zoo. It is of great concern to me that despite the bottles of readily handy bottles of anti-bacterial gels and the notices everywhere about the ward, warning patients and staff to ‘WASH YOUR HANDS’ this numbskull did not!  No wonder that patients end up contracting the nasty MRSA virus!  Anyhow, finally they discharged her and we hailed a cab to whisk us off through the dark and quiet streets and at just after 4am we reached home and to bed.  Thereafter I lost a day….not physically but mentally.  I do not know where the day went or even how the day went except to say that not only did I forget to phone as friend as arranged but I also completely forgot to phone my sister for her birthday…only remembering late on the day! 😦

But what a delight it was to see my daughter’s new home, to walk about the neighbourhood and discover new places.  The next day, we went into London by train for a business meeting,

off to London by train

which was great fun and I got to do a 60second presentation on 3 Days in London which was pretty cool.  I love those kind of meetings; the members all do such interestings jobs or have such interesting companies and the food was good! Yummy. Then I headed off to Marble Arch to take photos for my blog and to just meander about town to see if I could discover something new….and I did!  I strolled along a street in Marylebone and discovered a quiet square just off Great Cumberland Place with a beautiful memorial to someone, someone whom after reading the inscription, I think should have a far more prominent position in town. Roaul Wallenberg who saved 230,000 jews from the Nazi war machine.

Raoul Wallenberg

Thereafter we, me and CJ met up and headed back home and settled in for a night of R&R and TV.  Next day I managed to drag myself out of bed at a decent hour and headed off to Teddington for a tweetup with Guide2Richmond aka Patriona, and a friend of hers and their kiddies at the most delightful ‘Happy Potter’ tearoom for chat and tea.  The Happy Potter is just lovely; a bright and airy venue where you can take the kiddies along to paint and decorate different pottery items, perhaps a xmas gift for granddad or nana  or something fun for Mum or Dad.  A terrific place to happily enjoy an hour or two.  There is a couch there with my name on it….. I will be back!! 🙂

a couch with my name on it.... at the Happy Potter

After tea I went walkabout to explore the town.  Teddington is pretty much a duplicate of many towns in the UK, towns that have seen history come and go, Kings and Queens, Popes and Princes, plague and pestilence.  Breaking with tradition the high street is named ‘Broad Street’ but in keeping with other towns and villages, is lined with all the usual High Street shops: clothes, food, greengrocer, florists, hairdressers, toyshops, a butcher, a baker, no candlestick makers but plenty of little charity or antique shops, banks, pubs and restaurants and to my delight….Greggs!!  yay…lunch. Although my diet is primarily meat free I have a weakness for Greggs sausage rolls.  They are delicious, most likely laden with enough salt for a week, but quite delicious.  Fortunately I only get to eat these yummy bits of unhealthy food about 1x a month….so hopefully no harm done.

I continued my march about and whizzed along the winding road and passed the usual little church tucked away behind a hedgerow, the yard dotted about with ancient headstones and memorials, timeless reminders of folk long gone, and in many instances largely forgotten.  I love to wander though the churchyards and read the inscriptions, some of which are mostly invisible with just the occassional name or date still readable.  It is always so sad to read how in some instances whole families die within months of each other or to see the name of a beloved child that died within a few days or weeks of birth.

St Mary with St Alban Church - Teddington

The key to visiting these villages/towns is to walk just off the main street where you can find some fascinating cottages or houses that date from the 1800’s or even as far back as 1500’s, and Teddington was no different. 

Peg Woffington Cottage - 1753

 Closer to the river – the Thames flows nearby, I found a row of delightful fishermens cottages, one of which had been converted into a pub with a history. 

The Tide End Cottage - pub on the banks of the River Thames at Teddington

 I took a quick walk across the suspension bridge that spans the water at what is known as Teddington Lock. A short walk along the other side, just because….and then I made my way back into town and along the way passed a magnificent church designed in the French Gothic style by architect William S Niven.

Landmark Art Centre - formely the Church of St Alban the Martyr - Teddington

Formerly the Church of St Alban the Matyr, after years of neglect and vandalism, this magnificent structure has been restored, listed as Grade II and converted into an art centre – Landmark Arts Centre.

Walking through the churchyard I was lucky enough to pass the side door as someone else exited…..and without qualm I slipped through the open door and into the church for a quick exploration. What a gorgeous interior; a lofty ceiling that soars skywards, beautiful stained-glass windows and dark corners make for an interesting visit. 

lofty ceilings that soar to the sky and colourful stained glass windows

 I had my camera in hand and despite that there were a number of people about, no-one even glanced my way. Probably thought I was there for a local paper or something 🙂  When I went to the office to ask for historical literature, was the first anyone queried how I got in and informed me very politely that the church was actually closed……..yeah!!!! Too late. haha!  The evening was spent with a friend of hers from way back when for supper at a lovely restaurant in Richmond.  The waitress was superb, the food was good and the company great.  After the meal, leaving what was by now a very noisy restaurant and venturing out into the chilly evening we strolled along the banks of the Thames and wandered around town then headed home on our god-given transport 🙂 It is but a short walk from there to there.

The next day was spent just relaxing and chatting with some business planning to be done.  So off out into the chilly air in the afternoon we had a quick walk to Sweetie Pies where we enjoyed the yummy cupcakes and a pot of tea and plenty of laughs. 

cupcakes at Sweetie Pies

At 5pm we got turned out; nicely….. of course, and took a very short walk along the river to photograph the river.

that lazy ole river just keeps rolling along....

 …it was too darn cold for a longer walk, then home for supper and more R&R…. hey I was on holiday! 🙂 Along the way we discovered an old cemetery and not to leave any stone unturned (joke) we enjoyed a few minutes wandering about and reading up on the history.

1800's cemetery

Back home, it was supper ‘a la Cindy’of braised sausages, mushrooms and mash with rich thick gravy, then we settled in for a night of Strictly Come Dancing and X-factor; a late night topped off with a hug then off to dreamland.  I slept on the couch in the lounge and snuggled into the cusions and so to sleep….mmmm or not!  The blokes upstairs were really noisy and clomped around the room above till 3am in the morning!

Next day was an opportunity for me to just laze about in bed and read……a rare treat!  We had planned to take a walk to the deer park but the day was chilly and the house was cozy, so we didnt get very far….a late breakfast was enjoyed and then we got stuck into some strategy and planning for 3 Days in London.  Brilliant. Finally got the bones of a plan on paper. And so to home and back to work….on duty from 11:30 this morning I am already missing my freedom.

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Halloween at Sweetie Pies in Twickenham

Yesterday my daughter and I went to Sweetie Pies Boutique Bakery in Twickenham to do some strategy planning for her business (just an excuse really to partake of the cupcakes 🙂 ).  Sweetie Pies as you have probably gathered is one of my favourite places to visit when I am out this way….their cupcakes are heavenly and the store is quaint and adorable.
Yesterday was no exception and when we arrived I noticed the cutest cupcakes on display for Halloween.

Sweetie Pies cupcakes in Twickenham

In fact why not head out to Twickenham for Halloween in Church Street this coming Saturday 30th.  They are marking the event with a host of goodies and fun entertainment for all the family.
Sweet Memories will have face-painting from 12 midday and a trick and treat corner, all for £3.50 per child.
Sweetie Pies often host themed events and with Halloween coming up they are planning a Cupcake decorating day on Saturday 30th October. The workshops take place in the Sweetie Pies creepy courtyard (weather permitting) between 4-5pm (ages 4-7) and 5.30-6.30pm (ages 7-12) for £12.

Spook-tastic Halloween cupcake decorating at Sweetie Pies

Langtons will be holding a Spooky Story time from 2pm in the childrens section – Free.    In The Square you will be able to enjoy the witches scene from Macbeth performed by the Mary Wallace Theatre. There will be apple-bobbing from 5.30pm and a Fancy Dress Competition at 6pm with prizes for the scariest costume.
The Fox will be hosting the Eel Pie Pirates; a live local band from 8.30pm onward. So go on down and enjoy their grooves.

We had a most enjoyable couple of hours at Sweetie Pies; chatting, planning and drinkings copious cups of tea. Being autumn, the days tend to darken rather early so by 5pm when the shop closed we headed down to the river for a stroll along the riverside.  The stroll only lasted about 5 minutes….it was too darn cold, so quickly taking a few photos of the setting sun over the river,

sunset on the Thames at Twickenham

 we then made our way back to St Margaret’s which is where she is now living.  On the way we passed an old, now disused 19th Century cemetery and slipped through the massive wrought-iron gates for a look around. 

19th century cemetery

 Although the cemetery was closed in 1955, generations of people living in Twickenham have ancestors buried there. Here you will also find buried contemporaries of Nelson and Wellington as well as a grave from the First World War.  The cemetery is now a haven to a multitude of wildlife; a tawny owl, squirrels, foxes, pipstrells, the great spotted woodpecker and many other smaller birds.  A suitable venue for the season.

autumn

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mmm, I kinda never quite got to my blog today….been on twitter and facebook just about all day, besides taking a walk around the park again. It is looking so gorgeous now dressed in autumn’s colours. Anyhow, here I am and it is just on 11:34pm and still time to fit it in and what I really wanted to blog about today is a book. Not just any old book but a book that I discovered at a bus stop a while back ( March to be precise).

waiting for the bus 214 to Liverpool street

I was enroute to the house with a massive suitcase and although I did not have far to go, manouvering a large bag on wheels downhill is not my idea of fun so I decided to take the bus…..only one stop mind!!! Anyhow, I was standing there waiting for the bus and happened to glance back at the seat and noticed a book lying there.  My initial response was regret that someone had possibly lost a book.

Every Mother For Himself - Ed Jones

 Then being the good citizen that I am I thought perhaps there was some indication of the owner’s identity and I could return it to them. So I walked on over and picked it up…..mmmm, very interesting.  I flipped the cover to the first page and found a sticker that said “Howdy! Hola! Bonjour! Guten Tag! I’m a very special book. You see, I’m travelling around the world making new friends. I hope I’ve met another friend in you. Please go to www……. and enter my BCID number and you’ll discover where I’ve been and who has read me, and can let them know I’m safe here in your hands” 

This book has travelled the world and is listed on a website specifically created to track this and similar books on their journey round the world! How marvellous; I was entranced. So naturally I took the book home….couldn’t leave it there on it’s own now could I? Needless to say I tried to read the book…..that was 7 months ago and I have not been able to get past page 25 of 345!  It is the most incredibly boring book I have ever laid eyes on! Sorry book 😦 but your story is boring. So after much debate I have decided to send you on your way, but first I will read the last page just to see how it all ends. Good luck for the rest of your journey.

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