Not Just a Granny

My Canterbury Tales – 12th February – day 1

March 10, 2011 by notjustagranny

So 12th February was the start of my big adventure, the start of my Canterbury Tales along the Pilgrim’s Route.
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” Jawaharial Nehru
Following in the footsteps of Chaucer, I had decided to visit all the places in Southwark, that were around in his day. I was chomping at the bit to get going. I have already been to most of these places in the past, (recent past that is, not a previous life’s past!), but thought that for the sake of the blog, I should revisit them. (p.s. it has taken me 18 hours to put this blog together!! So for the sake of my sanity….please read the whole thing! 🙂 )
Discussing the adventure the day before with my Social Media Strategist, Cémanthe, of @NewMediaAngels, she suggested that I tweet about my trip and use the hashtag #njgtravels. What a great idea! Of course I can then use that hashtag for the next leg of the journey too which starts on April 3rd 2011. At that stage I plan to start from Greenwich and over the week with a bit of luck and lots of walking…….reach Canterbury. Hhmmm!!
For now I would only be doing the first two stages of Chaucer’s journey; Deptford and Greenwich.

geoffrey chaucer canterbury tales pilgrims route to canterbury

probable route that Chaucer followed to Canterbury

Since this is the only map that I have been able to find so far, I am going to assume that this was his route and follow it. ( pic via httpfaculty.arts.ubc.casechard346map.htm). The names of the villages were apparently all mentioned in his Canterbury Tales, so one can assume that one way or the other, he visited them on the way. And so will I 🙂
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1342-1400) wrote The Canterbury Tales between 1387 and 1400, about half a century before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. The first copies of Chaucer’s work were handwritten. William Caxton (1422-1491), the first printer in England, published two editions of The Canterbury Tales, one in the late 1470’s and one in the early 1480’s.

a sketch of Geoffrey Chaucer as he may have looked on his route to Canterbury

The last few days have been great fun, doing research on google (to which I am totally addicted), and finding out more about Chaucer and the Pilgrim’s route from London. (pic of Chaucer via telegraph.co.uk)
Also being able to visit buildings that were around in his day…..611+ years ago!!!….is just awesome beyond words. One of the reasons I love London so much is for that very reason…the history that stretches back over 2,000 years ago till well before the Romans even got here.

roman soldier museum of london london museum

pic of a Roman soldier – taken at the Museum of London (the best museum ever!)

So starting in Southwark – Visitors to the area included individuals such as Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, King Henry VIII, Sir Francis Drake, Geoffrey Chaucer and many others.
These are some of the places I have found so far:
London Bridge – in Chaucer’s day (14th C): Late Mediaeval: the Peter de Colechurch Bridge – There was a Stone Gate House on the bridge and on its roof stood poles where traitors’ heads were placed. This practice started in 1304 and continued until 1678. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell’s head was placed on one of the poles.
Southwark Cathedral – a place of worship on this site since 606AD – a medieval priory which today has become Southwark Cathedral.
Winchester Palace – the remains/ruins of a 12th century palace, London residence of the Bishops of Winchester.
The Clink Prison – 1144-1780 now a museum – The Clink Prison Museum is built upon the original site of the Clink Prison which dates back to 1144 making it one of England’s oldest, if not the oldest Prison. Now a museum (great fun for a visit)

Saint George the Martyr Church on Borough High Street – a church that was in existence during the 14th Century and before. The earliest reference to this church is in the Annals of Bermondsey Abbey, which claims that the church was given by Thomas de Ardern and Thomas his son in 1122.
and of course The George Inn – in it’s present incarnation, having gone through a number of fires over the years, and rebuilt. The George Inn was situated next door to the Tabard Inn from whence Chaucer commenced his journey to Canterbury.

Now, onwards with the journey…..I have listed the tweets I made in chronological order and will write my blog/s around that. There was so much I did and so many things I saw, that I am sure one blog will not be sufficient…..so I am going to break it up into sections and post them that way so as not to make it too long, but at the same time give you the full picture….so many brilliant places to see and learn about. And despite my having travelled extensively around London, I have not yet fully explored this area. It is as full of history as The City of London and Westminster….(little did I know at this stage just what I would find 🙂 )

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
13:41 my big adventure starts today http://ht.ly/3VaUT – will do updates on #njgtravels – am very excited 🙂
13:47 whoo hoo…time for the big adventure to start. Southwark 1st this afternoon & evening, then #Greenwich tomorrow. tweets under #njgtravels
I finally set off at 14:50 heading for the bus stop and as I got there I sent this tweet:
14:56 oh!? Right. Gr8 start! Its hailing. WHEN does it EVER hail in #London? Geez! Hahaha #njgtravels
So there I stood at the bus stop in the hail and rain, a precusor of the what to expect on the morrow?! Like Chaucer I had to change carriages and whilst waiting for the next bus further along the route (and I hadn’t even arrived in London proper yet!) I sent this tweet:
15:05 OKAY! So now its raining AND the sun is shining? Is this some sort of weird send off or what? 🙂 #njgtravels

I noticed this advert at a bus stop and could’nt believe what I read 🙂

I had a few things to do and places to go before I got to my point of departure and along the way….. Finally…….
15:58 ah ha! Now wer’e talking! Sun shining, blue skies, puffy white clouds. next stop #london bridge 🙂 hope its still standing! #njgtravels
Finally after what seemed like ages I arrived at London Bridge Station and started my journey! First stop London Bridge.
16:55 its still standing after all this time….yeah yeah yeah! #london bridge 🙂 #njgtravels
London Bridge: in it’s present incarnation is about the 8th bridge on this site, the first being in AD80.

London Bridge – still standing after all this time

From the bridge I crossed the road towards Southwark Cathedral.

southwark cathedral priory winchester palace

just off London Bridge; Southwark Cathedral

The cathedral is quite awesome and although it sits below street level from London Bridge, is no less imposing for that. The interior of the cathedral is overwhelmingly beautiful and I look forward to exploring it more fully again in the future when I have more time. From there I walked the short distance to Clink Street on my way passing the replica of The Golden Hinde berthed at Pickford’s Wharf. (The Golden Hinde is a full-sized reconstruction of the Tudor warship in which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world in 1577 – 1580.)

the golden hinde southwark drakes galleon

the Golden Hinde – a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s galleon

Although this was not around in Chaucer’s time the area definitely was. The next stop on my walk was Winchester Palace, the ruins of which show the remains of the Great Hall and the now famous ‘Rose Window’. (It is believed that the great hall was built c.1136 and that the rose window was added 200 years later).

winchester palace bishops of winchester southwark cathedral clink prison

the famous Rose Window added 200 years later….note the 3 doors mid-way up

(The remains of Winchester Palace showing the Rose Window and the three doors to the buttery, pantry and kitchen.)
By now the sun had started to sink below the horizon and as you may or may not know, being winter our days are quite short, and it was getting dark. The lamps lining Clink Street came on, creating pools of light and chasing the shadows away, lending to the atmosphere of days gone by. Southwark Bridge looked ethereal in the fading light.

southwark bridge london england, river thames london

Southwark Bridge looking ethereal at dusk, St Paul’s dome on the horizon

My next stop was the Clink Prison (this is where the phrase “in the clink” was coined). Here I met the gaoler man! Fortunately he let me off lightly and did a quick pose for my benefit. I then retraced my steps to Borough High Street (Before the building of Westminster Bridge, Borough High Street was the only connection to London north of the river, from the south, a major communications node for traffic between London and Portsmouth, Dover, south-east England generally and also travellers from Europe.)

borough high street southwark route to dover and southeast england

now a bustling, thriving area – Borough High Street

Borough is now a thriving cosmopolitan area of London.
and onto Saint George the Martyr: – The present church is believed to be the 3rd on this site. 1) a Norman church of unknown appearance, replaced at the end of the 14th C by a church with a bell tower; demolished 1734. The church was rebuilt in a Classical style to the designs of John Price between 1734 and 1736. I explored the perimeter of the church and on finding a gate open on the southeast side of the church, (I am quite unable to ignore an open door or gate)….I ventured within the grounds of the church. Down a short flight of stairs I noticed…..an open door on the east side 🙂 I quietly slipped inside and to my delight, on the wall across the room was this gorgeous stained glass window.

madonna and child saint george the martyr stained glass windows 3days in london

Madonna & Child stained glass window inside Saint George the Martyr Church

I noticed that the graveyard was still open so stepped inside for a quick look….it was very dark so I didn’t go far from the gate! This area has links with Charles Dickens as well. Making my way back to Borough High Street I turned towards the river once again for my next stop; The George Inn; where I planned on having a meal before my adventure the following day.
18:20 at The George Inn, 12th C rebuilt 1677 frequented by Chaucer, Shakespeare Dickens et al & now me #london 🙂 its jam packed! #njgtravels
With no idea what Chaucer may have eaten, although he probably ate meat of some sort. (I found this little ditty on the internet).
‘A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones,
To boille the chicknes with the mary-bones
And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale.
Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale.
He coulde roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye
Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.
But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,
That on his shine a mormal hadde he
For blankmanger, that made he with the beste.’
Translated into current English:
A cook they had with them, just for the nonce,
To boil the chickens with the marrow-bones,
And flavour tartly and with galingale.
Well could he tell a draught of London ale.
And he could roast and seethe and broil and fry,
And make a good thick soup, and bake a pie.
But very ill it was, it seemed to me,
That on his shin a deadly sore had he;
For sweet blanc-mange, he made it with the best.
Mediaeval blancmange was a type of moulded dish of either chicken or fish cooked in rice with almond milk. I chose fish and chips, a good old fashioned British meal….. or is it???

chaucers canterbury tales, fish and chips at the george inn southwark london, national trust properties, british traditions

mmmm…..yummy fish and chips with mushy peas

I tucked in with gusto whilst observing my fellow taverners (not sure if that is even a word), but hey, in the spirit of Chaucer…..I too can create a story! (Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories in a frame story, between 1387 and 1400) The Inn was packed with diners, bursts of loud raucous laughter raised the beams and merry-makers doth abound!
18:56 mmm! Fish delicious. Chips ok. Mushy peas – psychedelic green! 🙂 at The George Inn Southwark #njgtravels
As a kind of after thought, I sent this tweet:
19:01 earlier i walked past Southwark Cathedral, Winchester Palace, the Clink Prison & St George the Martyr Church. #njgtravels
My next tweet conveyed my delight:
19:08 this Inn awesome. Gives me a thrill to sit here trying to imagine what it was like in Chaucers day, or Shakespeare or Dickens! #njgtravels
I cannot even begin to describe how it feels to walk, sit or stand in places that have a history linked to some of our most famous figures. Imagine if Dickens or Shakespeare had sat in the very corner where I was sitting!

william shakespeare george inn southwark london, national trust property

William Shakespeare, he who frequented the George Inn

Mind-boggling. My appetite satiated, my meal cleared away and my refreshment keeping my blood warm (Bailey’s on ice), I decided to head on home. It was my intention to start off early the next morning and catch the sunrise over the city from London Bridge, much like Chaucer had done (I expect). I then sent this tweet:
19:12 right! Time to saddle up my horse & head on home. Early to bed for an early rise! #njgtravels
After exploring the Inn’s upper levels and checking out the restaurant I discovered on the galleried section,

george inn southwark london, national trust property, charles dickens, william shakespeare

the upper level of the galleries of the George Inn, Southwark

having a look up and down stairs, I headed off into the night. It was quite dark by now and I wondered what the night would have looked like at the time Chaucer set out on his pilgrimage. I have searched through dozens of articles about Chaucer and his pilgrimage and to date I have not been able to find out exactly which year he started out, but I did find that he most likely set out in April. “When April comes with its sweet showers…then people long to go on pilgrimages”
Which is just perfect since the next leg of my journey is planned for April 3rd 2011!

part two to follow………….

Posted in Fun Stuff, Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel | Tagged canterbury tales, geoffrey chaucer, travels round london | 8 Comments »

never give up on your dreams

March 6, 2011 by notjustagranny

Over the past what is almost 10 years (yay!) since I arrived in the UK, I have been somewhat obsessed by travel. The ‘bug’ bit big time when I arrived in Ireland for what I thought at that stage, would be a 2 month visit with my sister and her hubbie who were living in Dublin at the time.

river liffey penny farthing bridge dublin ireland

the Penny Farthing Bridge and River Liffey, Dublin, Ireland

They took me everywhere, showing off their favourite haunts and together we discovered others…..e.g. TRIM in county Trim. (still one of the best weekends I have ever had) We travelled far and wide, north, east, south and west. I fell seriously in love with Ireland and next to London and the UK it is still my absolute favourite place to be.

me and caroline trying to escape a 'vicious' bull near the Rock of Cashell, on one of our many adventures

and this photo is really blurred coz my brother-in-law was laughing fit to bust at me trying to scramble over the wall!!!

Meant to visit from October to December, thence to return to South Africa, I fell so hopelessly in love with Ireland, I stayed!! Three days before I was due to fly out, I cancelled my ticket home and only left when I had no choice……my 6 month visa ran out. Not to be deterred and determined to return; in March 0f 2002 I went to London (to see the Queen) amongst others 🙂 and to collate the paperwork I needed to apply for an Ancestral Visa. I returned to South Africa very briefly and by April 23rd (my birthday) I landed back in the United Kingdom!! Hooray.

Now I could really get my teeth into travel. And this I did. First Italy, to Venice (a long held dream 🙂 ), Verona and a gem of a discovery; Sirmione on the southern end of Lake Garda. Then America: 1st stop New York where I met up with my beloved daughter (working in Florida at the time), she picked me up from the airport in a Limosine and showed me the sights and delights; we had a fabulous time, then to Florida, whre we had the best time ever and I fell in love (!) and briefly to Georgia (to visit a dear friend)…..I also fell in love with America.

Soon my daughter joined me in the UK, and we travelled to Amsterdam (whew! what an education!) and Gouda, then we went to Paris for my 50th, again she treated me; this time with a ride in a soft-top Cadillac and like in the song: “I rode through Paris with the wind in my hair”! (God, it still makes me cry when I recall that trip). Another trip to America, this time for a Caribbean cruise, then Gibraltar, then back to America again, this time Arizona, back to Paris and on to Bruges, frequent visits (9 and still counting) to Ireland, then Wales, and Scotland and pretty much every county in Southern England and then some.

All the while I ‘entertained’ my poor beleagured family and friends with very, very, very long emails, describing my trips and the things I saw. One day in 2008, my daughter suggested I start a blog….which I duly did and suddenly my writing took wings, my first post was short and sweet! Now instead of bombarding my F&F’s with multiple, exceptionally long emails, I started blogging. I loved it. I could write about anything I wanted. 🙂

I had always wanted to write, and had produced a few poems over the years, in school one of my English teachers suggested I pursue a career in fictional writing. This I find most difficult and prefer to write about what is actually happening in the ‘here and now’. Over the years my writing has improved, my direction has changed and I started writing under the nom-deplume ‘notjustagranny’, an expression coined one day after a chat with someone who wanted to know if I had grandchildren (not yet), and then, last year when the idea (from my daughter – a real ideas person) to start a London blog and write about my adventures in London started, I really found my wings. This idea came about when a friend on twitter who lives in USA said she & her hubby had a long lay-over at Heathrow and could I suggest something to do. So I wrote an itinerary of one of my favourite walks and emailed it to her. And from there the idea was born. Although they didn’t actually do the itinerary, two of my London based friends have, and gave me great feedback.

Now I virtually live in front of my computer between adventures! The London blog has grown from writing about London to really ‘writing’ about London and out of that a business has sprouted.

After sacrificing just about the whole of my summer, autumn and winter time-off in 2010, sitting writing till sometimes 2am, and every spare second I could, about 4 months into writing post after post, I was invited by the lovely Karen of Europe a lá Carte, to feature as one of their travel writers (whoo hoo!!). Then just this year Melvin from TravelDudes invited me to write an article for his website, which I did and he loved it (I now have 3 published articles on the site, which is just bloody brilliant). Whee….. things were beginning to happen. And then just a few weeks ago Patricia of GotSaga contacted me and invited me to write for her website too. OMG!!!! and WHOA!!! And on Wednesday this week my first article for GotSaga went live.

Now featured on three of the biggest online travel sites, suddenly I have become what I wanted to be: a Travel Writer!

I am over the moon with joy and excitement.

What is really bizarre, is that I did not set the ‘intent’ to become a Travel Writer, instead I just combined my two passions (three if you include London): travelling and writing and voila! My dreams have come true! So the point of this blog is to say………..

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS!!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

A Virtual Interview with Dr Roy Martina

March 5, 2011 by notjustagranny

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 8 of the Virtual Blog Tour of Hay House author Dr Roy Martina, whose book

Emotional Balance: The Path to Inner Peace and Harmony comes to Amazon on Tuesday March 15, 2011.

Dr Roy Martina - Emotional Balance: The Path to Inner Peace and Harmony

Roy Martina is a holistic medical doctor with over 30 years experience helping people tap into their true selves and “cure the incurable” by understanding the connection between emotional balance and dis-ease. He is the author of over 40 books in Dutch and other languages.

Dr Martina has spent the last 25 years studying acupuncture and numerous holistic techniques in order to offer people a profound level of healing, and he has been tireless in his pursuit of methods that work swiftly and effectively to aid the healing process. This work has put him at the leading edge of the holistic and self-help world.

Dr Roy Martina

Yesterday, Roy visited Lynn Serafinn where he talked about questions relating to personal and social transformation. To visit that “stop” on the tour, go to http://tinyurl.com/LynnRoyVBT

Today, I’d like to share with you a recent interview I had with Roy when I got to ask him on affirmations, gratitude journal and self-sabotage. I hope you enjoy it.

——-

Cindy Eve: Are affirmations a form of suppression if we say “I am” when in fact “we are not” and therefore a form of self-persuasion that can be counter-productive?

Roy Martina: Positive Affirmations are mental exercises that create stress patterns in the autonomous system and can be contributing to disease when not done properly.

The trick is to first connect with a time in the past or an imaginary time in the future or now where you can experience the feelings, thoughts, body language, breathing patterns that 100% corresponds with the physiological state that would be true if you were experiencing what you are saying in the now. Only then they are not stressful to the neurological system and become true and will help create the appropriate synapses that will correspond with that state. Now we get a matrix or hologram in the brain that we can tap into and switch over to the unconscious auto-pilot that belongs to that state. Finally, we are consistent in all levels.

Cindy Eve: Why does keeping a gratitude journal make such a difference? (Besides the obvious)

Roy Martina: Keeping a gratitude journal is a training of the mind to constantly search for what is good in our lives and create an auto-pilot by creating the state of gratefulness as a life style. This takes a few months before we have enough synapses that will create the holographic matrix that is needed to be on autopilot.

The other thing that is important, is that gratitude allows us to let go of what we are not happy with, we ignore it, we do not give it space. It is like creating an environment where negativity cannot hold. We step by step release all the negativity in our lives and that is liberating.

Cindy Eve: If we are aware of self-sabotage and it’s affects and yet still continue to do it. What does that mean and why would do we still continue to self-sabotage?

Roy Martina: Becoming aware that you are falling does not stop the falling. We will have to pull the cord of the parachute to stop the falling. If we have a defective parachute that will not be of use and we need to go to the back-up chute.

So awareness without the right tools only creates frustration. Then it is better to be ignorant as that may not dampen our happiness, and ignorance is bliss until we get the invoice for our party. So ignorance is temporary bliss. We need effective tools to stop our sabotage and the willingness to desire the change to create a life of evolution. Personal growth and improving the quality of our lives short and long term is what Emotional Balance is all about.

———-

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Dr Roy Martina and that you’ll check out his book Emotional Balance: the path to inner peace and harmony at http://emotionalbalance.com/book-launch/pre-launch.html

Here’s why:

FREE 4-DAY PASS

When you visit the page at the link above and request a “launch reminder”, you will automatically receive a FREE pass to Roy ‘s 4-day “Emotional Balance Telesummit” with a line up of 9 TOP international experts on the topic of emotional healing and inner balance. You can listen to the telesummit online in the comfort of your own home, and even ask questions during the broadcast. This is a completely free “no purchase necessary” gift from Roy , to celebrate the release of the new Hay House publication of his book.

FREE GIFTS

Then, if you decide to you buy the book during its official launch celebration on Tuesday March 15, 2011, you can ALSO receive a complete library of over 40 beautiful personal development gifts from authors, speakers, healers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe.

To claim your 4-Day Pass and read about the 40 free gifts, go to: http://emotionalbalance.com/book-launch/pre-launch.html

Thanks for reading! As usual, please feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Roy tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Arlene Taveroff who will be interviewing Roy on questions relating to letting go/ effortlessness, process of going from working hard to working smart to not working at all and sharing another new tale about being who you really are. To visit that “stop” on the tour, go to http://wisdomalacarte.net/blog/roy-martina-on-letting-go-and-being-who-you-really-are/2011/02/

Posted in Health, Inspiration, Interesting articles, Personal Development, spirituality | Tagged Dr Roy Martina, Emotional Balance: The Path to Inner Peace and Harmony, Virtual Blog Tour with Dr Roy Martina | 3 Comments »

Marie Curie’s ‘Great Daffodil Appeal’ and London goes yellow

March 3, 2011 by notjustagranny

...And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.

So a couple of weeks ago I decided to participate in the Marie Curie UK ‘Great Daffodil Appeal’ that was due to launch on March 1st. I love daffodils and they are my 2nd favourite flower after yellow roses, which is brilliant, coz here in the UK they are prolific at the start of spring. A fabulous burst of bright sunny yellow to brighten even the darkest days at the tail-end of winter.
I usually buy a daffodil pin from Marie Curie each year (now have quite a few 🙂 ) and this year I decided that as part of my increased ‘contribution’ drive I would register to do a stint as a ‘Daffodil’ lady and be a ‘collector’. My chosen patch is in Hampstead Village and I will be there on March 11th for an hour between 1-2pm 🙂 So cool, it’s gonna be great fun and I am so looking forward to the day. I get to wear a yellow apron and a great big yellow hat too, so should look fabulous at fifty!! hahahaha. (Okay, okay dissenters in the troops, I know I am not 50 anymore……)

fab at fifty+

Anyhow, as usual I digress. So back to the daffodils. I connected with Marie Curie on facebook and twitter and a few days later noticed a status update to say that in support of ‘The Great Daffodil Appeal’, London would #goyellow for one night only on March 1st!!!! whoo hoo. Get ya boots on girl!! However, since it is not easy for me to get time off, especially at night, I thought I would most likely have to miss it….again!!! I have missed so many of this type of event the last few years, but lucky me…..as things turned out that night, I could take off and go #walkabout to get photos for my collection….awesome if I may say!

I had a fab time whizzing about and covered a large area within the two hours I had available to me.

I started my journey at London Bridge (quickly becoming another of my favourite places in London). I arrived there at 6.31pm and spent a bit of time taking photos of the bridge and buildings in the area. I am totally loving Number 1 London Bridge, such a fantastic building. From there I made my way along Queen’s Walk past amongst others, the London Bridge Hospital and Cotton’s Centre which looks totally gorgeous at night.

the Cotton's Centre, Southwark

It’s such a great area to walk along and if you continued straight along you would reach Tower Bridge.

The night was by now quite dark and the lights glittered brightly on the water. I kinda took my time at this stage and felt as if I had the whole evening ahead of me! There were lots of people about, striding along, strolling, meandering, standing tight in corners kissing and ahugging! 🙂

London is such a people city.

I strolled along the promenade and then voila! There she was…. HMS Belfast at her moorings, looking ghostly and surreal; bathed in a yellow glow.

HMS Belfast moored on the River Thames, London

I faffed around taking photos, sending a twitpic and a tweet to say where I was when suddenly I heard the chimes of the hour!!! 7pm already!!! What? I only just got here! This also meant that I was now 15 minutes behind schedule and it was time to get a move on!
Making my way back from whence I had come, I strode along with purpose towards Southwark Cathedral which was looking ethereal in the night light, albeit not bathed in yellow.

Southwark Cathedral, London

I am so loving this part of London, the cobbled lanes and alleys of Southwark – lined with buildings that crouch brooding in the dark, lamp-posts cast pools of flickering light that dance and chase the shadows, dark corners, ancient ruins, riverside pubs, historical and modern side-by-side creating a tapestry of mystery and excitement. This ancient area is a mix of very old and very new, neighbours that span centuries, comfortable together in their present incarnation.

modern buildings like phoenix rise.....

The scenery along this part of the Thames Path is wonderful and along the way I passed some of our iconic bridges and buildings, enjoying the night lights dancing on the Thames. The Thames tide was out and the air icy cold. By now my fingers had begun to curl with the cold and standing in one spot to type up my tweets was an exercise in restraint……the temptation to pop into the warm welcoming doorways of the riverside pubs and cafes was huge.

St Paul's Cathedral - ethereal in the night light

As I strode along I kept my eye on the profile of St Paul’s looming larger the closer I got. It is such a beautiful building and looked quite ethereal and mysterious from afar. The Millenium Bridge now faintly visible in the night light, a beautiful structure and the latest of the Thames bridges crossing from north to south, a gateway to St Paul’s Cathedral from Bankside.

the Millenium Bridge gateway to St Paul's Cathedral from Bankside

I finally passed Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, then Tate Modern after a brief diversion onto Millenium Bridge to take a couple of photos of St Paul’s and the river.

St Paul's Cathedral viewed from the Millenium Bridge

Took a few minutes to send a tweet….despite the cold. By now I was way behind schedule! I do wish I could just walk and not get diverted by all the gorgeous things I see along the way. Under normal circumstance the Thames Path runs pretty much right alongside the river through London central, with the occassional flight of stairs to ascend, a road to traverse, then a descent back onto the path, that mostly runs beneath bridges and in the open along promenades both narrow and wide.

along the Thames Path

So the idea last night was to do just that. I made good progress till……..disaster! Blackfrair’s Railway Bridge; currently under refurbishment; and unbeknownst to me, the stairs were sealed off! Urgh!!

Blackfriar's New Bridge November 6th, 1869

With no other choice but to make a long diversion at a very fast pace, my toes protesting mightily, I finally got back onto the path, now seriously behind time, but I knew that just around the corner was my next goal The National Theatre and then EDF London Eye.

Whizzing along now at great speed my eye on the clock ticking merrily away, I finally reached The National Theatre. I could see the great granite block all lit up but sadly could not find a suitable position to make a decent photo. However, I did what I could, sent off a pic and a tweet, and then without further ado I scooted off round the corner to the London Eye, my next stop 🙂

the London Eye....yes it is a bit blurry...I was shivering with cold!!

What a sight; it looked fabulous. The photos I took at the venue were sadly quite blurred, but in my defense it was really chilly and despite the fast pace, I was shivering. Nevertheless as I made my way across Westminster Bridge, Big Ben enticing me on, I stopped briefly for a view that is truly one of my absolute favourites…..and looking back……there it was looking brilliant, bathed in yellow; the London Eye in all her glory, stealing the limelight from the London County Hall crouched just beside.

London Eye and London County Hall bathed in yellow

By now it was 7.52pm

7.52PM - Big Ben

and I was seriously running out of time….I had to be on the train home by 8.30 and I still had Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus to get to. Thankfully the route along Whitehall is a relatively quick walk between Big Ben and my next stop……Trafalgar Square! Wow! The fountains were uplit with yellow and looked absolutely splendid.

fountain at Trafalgar Square - the photo doesn't do it justice

I quick-stepped up the stairs, sent a pic and a tweet, then at an increased pace made my way past the National Gallery, the Portrait Gallery and into Leicester Square, thence to Piccadilly Circus!

Hooray! At just after 8pm I finally reached my final destination…. Piccadilly Circus. 🙂

There on the board was the bright yellow of Marie Curie’s logo and details.

Piccadilly Circus and the Marie Curie 'Great Daffodil Appeal' 🙂

Sadly I missed the 7pm switch-on when the whole of the board was lit up with yellow, but I would never have made all of the stops if I hadn’t started at the other end of town at 6.30.

I had just enough time for a few photos and then back to Leicester Square for the train home. Piccadilly Circus was vibrant with energy, a kaleidoscope of colour, the endless flow of traffic, a mix of locals and visitors either milling about, rushing along or lingering, taking photos, sitting on the steps chatting, a swirling pool of noise and laughter filled the air. A fine end to a fun evening.

Then a quick walk back along Leicester past the Trocadero, the Prince of Wales Theatre, through Leicester Square, the garden area now boarded up and ‘Getting Ready for 2012’ (and the London Olympics) and so to the tube and home! (p.s. and it took me longer to prepare this blog than the whole #walkabout!! 🙂 )

Leicester Square - Getting Ready for 2012

So there you have it, and in my defense…..my mother did drop me on my head when I was a baby. 🙂
You know of course that you are either born mad or get dropped on the head…..mine was the latter! (Seriously!)

What a great life!! And just to finish it off, I have included the wonderful poem by William Wordsworth:

“Daffodils” (1804)
I WANDER’D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

Posted in Fun Stuff, idiot category, interesting things that happen in London, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel | Tagged HMS Belfast National Theatre London Eye Trafalgar Square Piccadilly Circus go yellow, London goes yellow in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care, Marie Curie UK Great Daffodil Appeal | 4 Comments »

on becoming a published author…for real :)

February 25, 2011 by notjustagranny

So a couple of weeks ago my daughter asked me to prepare 4 x 750 word articles & 2 photos, and 8 x 250 word articles and 1 photo, of my favourite blogs off my 3DaysInLondon.info website!!!

Easier said than done coz most of them are somewhat verbose!! and I do tend to ramble. But after a kick in the pants as a reminder…….I finally got them down on ‘paper’, edited as best I could and duly sent said articles and photos, not having a clue what she was up to. On receipt of said articles by the “NMA’ I got a message via text to ask if I can count?…. What!!!?? anyhow it seems I had not edited enough and they were longer than required and asked for! urgh.

Since I could not edit them any further myself I told her to go ahead and chop out what she thought fit. So that was that. Then I asked what it was for, but she kept *MUM*….and told me I had to be patient… hahaha!!
Yesterday I got a very excited message that read “HEEHEEHEHEE OOOOOOOOOOO HEEHEE” and then a 2nd message that read “HOLY ? I DONT THINK I HAVE BEEN THIS EXCITED ABOUT SOMETHING FOR YEARS!” and yes, it was all in CAPS!!!

So I phoned to find out what was what and coz she was that excited, going away this weekend (lucky fish is in Norfolk) and could not wait for next week Wednesday (when were scheduled to meet), I said “come on over and sleep at my place tonight!” which she duly did.
Well blow me down with a feather dears!!! This little treasure of mine presented me with a book. Not just any old book, but a fully fledged, dust cover,

my first real book 🙂 .....published

hardback book and not only did the cover feature one of my photos, but inside it had my blogs and my photos!!!

my blogs and photos

how awesome is that! She has created a book: ‘All About London’ from my blogs! my blogs and my photos!!! how awesome is that!

This is the official start of being a published author. I know I had the ebook online some time ago…which will eventually go back up, but, this is for the 3 Days In London business that is coming along so well and at just the right pace for me. I am over the moon with sheer delight and would like to say a HUGE and MASSIVE “thank you honey” for this wonderful gift!

the credits and front photo

Further plans are afoot……so watch this space 🙂

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe

Posted in family and relationships, It's my life | Tagged all about london, becoming a published author, photography in london | Leave a Comment »

a thought for today – who would you call?

February 23, 2011 by notjustagranny

If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say?
And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask ‘How are you?’ Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?
Ever told your child, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ And in your haste, not see her sorrow?
Ever lost touch?
Let a good friendship die? Just call to say ‘Hi’?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift….Thrown away…. Life is not a race. Take it slower.
Hear the music before the song is over.

Cherish all those around you, be they friends, family or colleagues
and appreciate all they do.

‘Life may not be a total bed of roses… but in amongst the thorns, there is a beautiful bud waiting to bloom!’

“All that really belongs to us is time, even they who have nothing else, have that” Baltasar Gracian

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

on this day 1804

February 21, 2011 by notjustagranny

a snippet from the past:

On this day in 1804, Richard Trevithick’s ‘unnamed’ locomotive hauled five wagons, 70 men and 10 tons of iron 9.75 miles in 4hrs5mins on the world’s very first laden train journey.

Richard Trevithick (13 April 1771 – 22 April 1833) was a British inventor and mining engineer. His most significant success was the high pressure steam engine and he also built the first full-scale working railway steam locomotive. On 21 February 1804 the world’s first locomotive-hauled railway journey took place as Trevithick’s unnamed steam locomotive hauled a train along the tramway of the Penydarren Ironworks, near Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. (ref wikipedia).

The "Pen-y-Darren" locomotive

Posted in around the UK, Historical, Travel | Tagged pen-y-darren locomotive, richard trevithick 1804, this day in 1804 | Leave a Comment »

Grandma’s house………..

February 21, 2011 by notjustagranny

ok, so the idea for this post came about this morning whilst I was lying in bed, busting for the loo but determined not to get up even 1 minute before the alarm went off!!! daft! As I lay there chastising myself for being so daft, I thought to myself…..”What I really need is a potty”! hahahahaha. and no I don’t mean potty as in daft, I mean a good old fashioned porcelain potty,

a potty - pic via antiques-now.co.uk

the kind that in the ‘olden days’ we put under our beds at night and used if we needed the loo……saved a long trip out in the dark of night to the ‘outhouse‘.

Blimey! can you even begin to imagine that in my lifetime (and despite the obvious, I am not actually that old) hahahaha, we didn’t have inside toilets. Truly. I remember when I was in boarding school back in 1964, when I was 9 years old, and I went home for the weekend with a chum from school to her farm. Their toilet was outside; a corrugated iron shack,

outside loo - pic via fotolibra.com

just like you see in the movies of that period, across the outside pathway that led past the kitchen and up 4 steps. So at night if you wanted to use the loo you had to get up out of bed (horrors), light a candle, put on your boots (in case of snakes – seriously…think Africa!!), walk down a long passage through the kitchen which was filled with all manner of spooky looking objects that came alive in the dark, a fridge that always chose to shudder and groan as you came through the door, open the backdoor that creaked on it’s hinges and with every ounce of your courage step out into the inky black night, with only a tiny candle to light the way.

a tiny candle to light the way - pic via flickr.com

So my first night there I, to my utmost dismay, needed the loo. I waited for as long as I could before actually wetting my panties, then I endured all of the above and ventured outside to the loo. I can tell you that never in my life (up until that stage) had I been so terrified. All manner of evil creatures with bad intent on their minds followed me down that passage, waiting at every corner to pounce and carry me off!!! And the worst of it was that you could’nt even run there and back, coz if you even walked too fast….the candle would go out!!!!!!! Anyhow, since I am still here…….

ooopsss and I have gone completely off ‘piste’ (duh! bad pun 🙂 ) so back to Grandma’s house. My grandparents lived in a massive, rambling house that had little passages and rooms going off in all directions. It was marvellous for small children and made an awesome place for hide-and-seek. My grandmother had a tiny room on one side of the house and next to that was a huge room (well it seemed huge to a 6year old), with 3 beds where I, my sister, my brother and my 2 cousins used to sleep when we visited. Oh! the tales I could tell you about those times……brilliant! Anyways, since the grandparents did not have a loo in the house at that stage we used to have potties that lived under the beds. They had lids that fit snug into the rim and when you lifted the lid to ‘go’, you almost passed out from the sulphuric fumes!!! Which in retrospect was probably a good thing since it took your mind off the spiders that used to lurk in the bowl. 🙂 hahahahahaha, just thinking about that is making me LOL!!!

Now bearing in mind, we were just littlies at that stage and getting out of bed in the dark for any reason was a nerve-wracking ordeal….you just never knew what had taken up residence beneath the bedsprings! To get out of bed to use the potty at night………mind-boggling! So you hung on for as long as you could, tossing and turning from the discomfort and just when you could bear it no more, you sprang out from under the sheets, grabbed the potty, lifted the lid…..had a squizz, slammed the lid back on and scuttled back onto and into and under the covers as fast as you could….shivers running up and down your spine, hairs standing up on the back of your neck and all the nights horrors escaped by a whisker!!! and in the morning, said potty had to bed emptied!!!! geez!

Thank heavens for indoor toilets. Not that it’s made much difference to my urge to get out of bed any sooner than I absolutely have to!!!

Posted in family and relationships, Fun Stuff, It's my life | Tagged memories are made of this, porcelain potties and grandma's house | 2 Comments »

the start of my pilgrims journey in the footsteps of Chaucer

February 20, 2011 by notjustagranny

….following in the footsteps of Geoffrey Chaucer (c1340-1400), I embarked on the first leg of my pilgrim’s route. As mentioned in my previous blog, after discovering that Chaucer followed the Pilgrim’s route from Southwark to Canterbury, I have decided to as much as possible follow the route that he took. It is my plan to follow the English route (or one of them anyway) from London to Santiago. Once I reach Canterbury it will be a case of, do I go via Portugal (which I am inclined to do) or via Spain? A lot will hinge on whether or not I have my British Passport by that stage (means I don’t have to apply for a visa).

So to begin at the beginning, I set off from London Bridge Station, Saturday 12th February at about 4.30pm to explore Southwark more fully and to visit the places that were around in Chaucers day. In the Middle Ages the area hereabouts was known as the Liberty of the Clink and owned by the Bishops of Winchester. After some research (google) I discovered that not only was

1) London Bridge around, but so was

London Bridge - 1st bridge across the Thames as it is today

2) Southwark Cathedral (circa 606AD)

southwark cathedral and geoffrey chaucer

southwark Cathedral - a place of worship since 606AD

inside there is a beautiful stained glass window with the words ‘To the Glory of God and in honour of Geoffrey Chaucer’,

3) Winchester Palace (only a small section of which remains) – Great Hall of Winchester Palace, originally built in 1109, the residence of the powerful Bishops of Winchester.

remains of Winchester Palace showing the famous Rose window

4) The Clink Prison (now a museum)

The Clink Prison Museum - a debtor perhaps!!!

Although a prison was probably established within the palace in the 12th century, the first mention of the clink was in 1509. John Stow (1525 -1605) in his Survey of London (publ 1598), states that the prison was kept for those that broke the peace in the Bankside brothels. In 1761 the prison was described as ‘a very dismal hole where debtors are sometimes confined’. It later burned down in the Gordon Riots of 1780.

and of course

5) The George Inn (albeit restored after a fire)

The George Inn - the last surviving galleried inn in London

and I also discovered

6) St George the Martyr – a church that was in existence during the 14th Century and before.

St George the Martyr Church - Southwark

These buildings have all gone through different experiences and many are restored after fires that have raged through the area, so although they were about in Chaucer’s day, they were most likely in a slightly different form. Although I have to say that the UK is very good at endeavouring to restore their ancient, heritage to what it was before any disaster that may have devestated the original. There were also some remains of the Bermondsey palace, but I could not quite figure out where it was, so will leave that for another time.

I have listed these buildings or the remains of or the current form of those that were definitely around in Chaucer’s day.

I enjoyed a very happy 5 hours meandering the alleys, lanes and streets (*) of Southwark, starting off of course from London Bridge, I walked through the grounds of Southwark Cathedral past Winchester Palace along narrow, darkened lanes to The Clink Prison Museum (where I met the goaler man),

the goaler man at The Clink Prison (museum)

back through Borough Market which looked bereft and kinda spooky, nothing like it does on market days when the market stalls are set up and there is the hustle and bustle of shoppers and marketers, thence along Borough High Street which being a route from Southwark, London to Dover was of course also a main thoroughfare in Chaucers day. I visited St George the Martyr church and had a quick peek inside, then made my way back up to The George Inn for my evening meal. The George Inn is the last remaining galleried inn in London and has gone through many changes, almost lost to fire at one stage and frequented by the likes of Dickens, Shakespeare and of course Chaucer and me! 🙂

a new proprietor at The George Inn

So although he did not set out from this particular Inn I decided to have my ‘pilgrim’s’ meal and pretend that he did 🙂 I enjoyed a good old-fashioned plate of battered-fish and chips with mushy peas (that were a psychedelic green),

my pilgrim's meal - battered fish, chips and psychedelic mushy peas

washed down with a beverage that I am positive was not around in his day: Bailey’s Cream…..on ice 🙂 The Tabard Inn, that Chaucer set off from has long since disappeared.

By now it was getting kinda late but since I was in no hurry I made my way back to London Bridge and set off along the Queen’s Walk which makes up part of the Thames Path that follows the whole of the 215miles of the Thames from source to sea, with a few diversions. What a delight. It was interesting to see London Bridge all lit up in red (fire!!!)

London Bridge lit up at night

and a bit further along I discovered Cotton’s Centre which is a monstrous glass edifice and just marvellous, I also re-discovered Hays’ Galleria and on venturing inside the huge cavern found a most amazing and fantastical water-fountain! A metal boat like something out of the movie ‘A League of Extraordinary Men’. All I can say is that if you have not seen it yet…..treat yourself, it is fantastic.

the navigators a water fountain in hays galleria

'The Navigators' by sculptor David Kemp, 1987

From there I meandered along the bankside passing HMS Belfast on the way, admiring all the new and beautiful modern buildings that have grown up along that side of the river till I reached Potters Field, City Hall and The Scoop and thence to Tower Bridge. The night was perfect, and the river sparkeled and shone with the lights from the buildings lining her banks, their reflections dancing on the swirls and eddies of the tide.

I tarried a while and gazed, entranced at the beauty of the evening. The Tower of London, sitting squat and ominous, her turrets and towers underlit with spotlights, seemed to glow in the night with an eerie, and ghostly life of their own.

The Tower of London

Tower Bridge; an amazing spectacle of colour at night, with light shining out so bright I am sure it could be seen from space.

Tower Bridge lit up at night

Around me citizens strolled arm in arm, pushed buggys or walked in groups along the path, bursts of laughter echoed across the water and the shrieks of children rushing through the fountains that decorate the square filled the night with sound.

water glass and light at More London Riverside

Eventually, mindful of my intended early start the next day for my walk from Southwark to Greenwich, I strolled back via More London Riverside through this vast concrete jungle, towering giants of glass, steel and concrete; alien space-ships on ancient land.

I once heard someone say that they always thought of London as being grey!!!! Well, never could you be so wrong. London is a vibrant collage of colours….just take a walk along the banks of the Thames at night and you will see what I mean.

More London Riverside by night

I also wondered what it must have been like in Chaucer’s day when the lanes and alleys were frequented by the likes of tars, thieves, prostitutes and pirates…..a dark and dangerous place indeed.

Posted in Historical, It's my life, things to do in London, Travel | Tagged a walk along the Thames pathway, chaucers canterbury tales, more london riverside | 7 Comments »

blue carbon paper and typing with two fingers……

February 19, 2011 by notjustagranny

….and that is how I started my career. I read post a few days ago by a young lass who was wondering what work life must have been like before the advent of the internet…..I left a comment and that got me to thinking!! How things have changed and what it was like when I started my first job in 1972!! Yeah believe it or not, I was not only alive in that far back time (aeons ago) but I was actually of an age to go out and get a job!

I recall my very unauspicious start in my ‘career’ aka ‘a job’ in those days. Only Doctors, Directors and such like had a ‘career’. I had left school the year before and initially got a job in a supermarket, but my mother was determined that I would get an office job despite that I wanted to work as a nursery school teacher (love babies), so she sent me off to college to learn shorthand and typing. Guuuggg!!! I was hopeless at shorthand and despite having passed my typing exams at school I could only type with two fingers! hahaha. useless. Anyhow after a couple of weeks of sheer misery I quit college and told my mother I was not going back. She conceded defeat and advised me to get out and get a job. I spent a couple of weeks traipsing round Johannesburg, (South Africa) dejectedly looking for work of any kind….so long as I earned some money.

After a few weeks of rejection and dejection and no job, my mother got fed-up and to my parting back one day said these immortal words “Don’t come home till you have a job!”. What??? Boy, did that galvanise me. I shot off into town and once again walked the streets knocking on doors and almost pleading for someone to hire me! 🙂 Boy, if I could go back to that girl, I would give her a hearty slap! Silly girl. Anyways……….. I walked and walked and walked from place to place, but I either did not have enough experience (no sh*t; I just left school yesterday!!!) or the right skills or whatever….perhaps I just went to the wrong companies.

Finally on that awful day, at about 2pm I got back on the train and decided to try closer to home which in those days was a town called Germiston! yuck what a horrible name. Anyhow, once again I knocked on doors… to no avail. At just before 4pm on impulse I walked through the doors of a building society called S A Permanent (hopefully not!). So I sat in the reception area looking totally bereft, knowing my time was running out and wondering where I was going to sleep that night (my mother was not to be messed with and I had taken her words seriously).

A gentleman by the name of Mr Cunningham (bless you dear, you saved my life) came through to reception and showed me through to his office. I sat there terrified and waiting for his words of rejection…..when sure enough he said ‘Sorry but we are not hiring at the moment!’….that was it…..I burst into tears and sobbed and sobbed, unable to even speak and tell him why I was crying. After lots of tissues and a cup of tea I calmed down enough to tell him my sad story. I started work the next day!

A typist who could only type with two fingers, I made so many mistakes that eventually they gave me other work to do! The head of the department, a real dragon of a woman who terrified the daylights out of me, was SO! not impressed with the Boss. She had me transferred to another department as soon as she could and was pleased to see the back of me. 🙂

In those days we had typewriters that clanged and pinged when you reached the end of a row,

the type of typewriter I had when I first started work

had a handle that you pulled to move the carriage back to start, with keys that clattered and banged, got stuck together and hashed things up, carbon paper that if you used it too often wore out, black & red typewriter ribbon that ran out right in the middle of a long letter and you ended up with red ink all over the paper and had to start again. We eventually evolved to ‘golf-ball’ keys!

golf-ball keys.. pic via sciencephoto.com

IBM Selectric typewriter ribbon..pic via ecw.com

This pic shows the ribbon in a cartridge, but in the early days they were two loose metal bobbins with the ribbon wound round that had to be inserted into the machine!! More often than not the ribbon would get tangled and you had to practically take the whole machine apart to sort it out. Then we progressed to something a little more compact and fancier but didn’t make any difference to my typing!

progress............IBM Selectric pic via brandflakesforbreakfast.com

It’s been kinda weird thinking of that again, coz in those days we greeted the Boss as ‘Sir’ as in ‘Goodmorning Sir’ with a little dip of the head, the Typing pool’s dragon was addressed as Miss (& her surname) or Ma’am, there was no such thing as flexi-time, you did not dare be late or you had the time deducted from your month end salary, which was pathetic to start with – in today’s currency it would equate to £7.50 or R75.00 PER MONTH!!!! not per day or per hour, but per month! hahahaha. Doesn’t pay for more than 2 cuppachino’s and a cupcake today! And then my mother took 50% for Board and Lodging! I hardly had enough left to pay for busfare and had to fix ladders (holes) in my stockings with nail varnish!

When you went for an interview you did not tell the interviewer that you were thinking of getting married, because as the man put it: “I don’t want to waste money on training a woman who is going to go off and get married and have babies” – talk about sexual discrimination! I could sue him today! We were also required to dress in very smart suits, no trainers, jeans, t-shirts or cropped tops and you never ever EVER went to work with coloured hair, dangly earrings, bright nailpolish or swanky jewellery. I got sent home one day for coming to work in trousers! no kidding. I was told that I was a woman and as such should wear a dress or skirt. You were NEVER allowed to use the phone for private use and forbidden to accept personal calls. And of course in those days we did not have mobile/cell phones! You had a lunch break from 1pm-2pm and did not dare come back late!

I eventually moved onto another position in another company and expanded my skills by learning how to do filing, be a receptionist and answer a switchboard that had plugs and cords and you answered in a bright chirpy voice, yes Sir, no Sir 3 bags full Sir, I also learned how to open the mail and sort it into important and not so important (lord knows why they thought I had enough brain in those days to know the difference), and type letters without too many mistakes. I was also saved by the advent of ‘Tippex’ “every secretary’s life-saver!”

every secretary's life-saver! pic via freeimages.co.uk

I learned how to file from A-Z, and how to prepare an invoice, which stood me in good stead for my next job which was as a Girl-Friday. This was the job I loved the most. I learned how to prepare wages and invoices and statements….whoo hoo!!! Going UP!!! hahahaha.

Everything was written by hand and I took great pride in sending out invoices that were pristine and month end statements that were beautifully hand-written and 100% accurate. I was in my element. This is still something that thrills me today and even though I no longer work in an office, I now prepare my own spread-sheets and reconcile my bank statements to the penny, albeit on my computer. There was (still is) something beautiful about a row of figures that marched in neat rows down the page, all hand-written with no crossing out (errors). I took great pride in being able to present my Boss with a beautiful set of ledgers and accounts at the end of the month.

And then we got a computer! That was in 1975! Blimey! We converted to this new fangled system and to my absolute pride the Computer guy said that we were the first company that had made such a smooth transition with no errors. And that was the end of handwritten invoices and statements 😦 Although I loved learning to process the accounts via a computer, I missed being able to write them up. Of course it also meant that letters could now be processed on a ‘word-processor’

micro-computer/wordprocessor - pic via 80sactual.com

and that was an unadulterated joy!!!! No more tippex, no more wasted paper, no more carbon that left blue ink on your fingers, no more black/red ribbons to be changed…..and yet I missed the ‘ping’ of the carriage reaching the end of the row, the clack-clack of the keys against the roll and the satisfaction of typing a letter from beginning to end with no mistakes!!! No challenge anymore! I also had to go on a 6 week course to learn how to use it! 🙂

wikipedia’s description of tippex – which pretty much says it all!! 🙂

“The first product was an innovative correction paper for use with typewriters. The name “Tipp-Ex” given both to the company and the product was based on the use of this product — “Tipp” is the German word for “type”, and “ex” is Latin for “no more”.

As a result of the invention of Tipp-Ex, it became possible to erase a typographical error typed with a typewriter. The typewriter would be backspaced to the letter that was to be changed, the correction paper would be placed in front of the ribbon, and the mistyped letter would be re-typed. The system only worked if the typewriter repositioned the re-typed letter in exactly the same place as originally typed, which could be problematic if returning to a previous line. (Ha! no kidding!!)

In 1965, Tipp-Ex launched a correction fluid and quickly developed a full range of correction fluids for different uses. Sold in more than 150 countries, Tipp-Ex became a unique European brand.”

Bear in mind that South Africa was always as least 10 years behind in getting anything that was launched in Europe. I also recall that when it was first launched in South Africa, we were forbidden to use it by the Boss! I even recall that as late as 1993 when I was working at a Courier company; XPS in Isando, we got a new accounts manager who in his first week with the company, went through all the accounts ladies desk drawers and threw out the tippex!! FORBIDDEN! hahahaha. How funny.

And that is how my office ‘career’ started. I am sure there are plenty more things I could write about from those early days, but I think this is long enough and I am sure you got the gist of it!

All I can say in conclusion is………HOORAY!!!! for the internet. I love it and I am addicted to google. you can find out anything at all that you need or want to know.

Long live the internet!

and in closing, a quote from twitter – On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key – anon

Posted in It's my life, Personal Development | Tagged life before the internet, typewriters circa 1972 | 6 Comments »

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