The ARCHERS

Well I have been an Archers fan for several years and listen every evening if I can......certainly I try to listen uninterupted on a Sunday morning.

I love the history and normality of it all ( and tend not to participate in storylines like the Ed, Will, and Emma triangle)........some of the fun is recognizing storylines months before they actually arrive ( ie. Usha & The Rev) and (Ruth and Sam's unrequited love!!!)

My favourite characters are Jill ( a voice like chocolate),Clarrie ( you can't put a good farmer's wife down),Phil (In our day we did..................), Brian ( sooo bad tempered)and Nigel (twit) , but my all time favourite is that fag hag, with a laugh that can cut bread, Lilian!!!

It took a while to work out Caroline, from Janet ( the previous vicar),and from Shula, but got there in the end................

Characters which I dont like are Kirsty ( b o r i n g), Tom Archer ( whining git--sorry Nigel), Kate Aldridge (brat) and Elizabeth ( I could smack the pompous cow).

The writing can be transparant at times but little gems of brilliant and often moving scenes shine through ( when Phil Archer breaks down with a sick Elizabeth). It is the only soap I enjoy

AN UNHEALTHY OBSESSION?

Hummm , I guess you are wondering what this pile of old tripe is all about? Well I have realised that I am getting a tad obsessional about keeping the cottage tidy. It is a bone of contension between Chris and I as he subscribes to a somewhat more relaxed attitude about how the house is run and kept. That is all well and good, but it is me that does all the housekeeping!......... ok ok, I WANT to do it, ( probably a control freak thing), and to be honest I am at home more than he is , so I see the clutter and dirt more than he does, as well as the fact he commutes for at least a few hours a day, so I have the opportunity to actually do it.....even then I would appreciate that he actually tidies up after himself a little more, well at least puts things away!. I have got to the stage where I am wanting to do all the cooking as in good bloke style, he will use every plate, pan and utensil in the kitchen and leave it unwashed in a pile to be attacked my me later on in the evening!

Ok , I am obsesional, ( we have all seen the three jugs under the dresser in the top picture!!) and I am the only one stressed with all this. But living in a small cottage with three dogs (even gay owned dogs are mucky!) an elderly cat and a somewhat relaxed partner, means that someone has to keep on top of the battle with the dirt ( my god I do sound like Joan Crawford!!)
and I guess I have to realise I have to put up and shut up.........hummm I little help here though would be apprecited.

A nice man

09:30 RADIO 4
Sentimental Journey
29 July 2006
Arthur Smith accompanies Tony Benn on a trip back to the place where he was born, grew up and spent most of his political life - the 'Village of Westminster'

Heard this by accident and I really enjoyed it. Tony Benn came over as an old fashoned articulate, genuine, talented and charismatic communicator and gentleman. I could have listened to him all day.

The Bone Collector and knowing what you are talking about

We watched a film tonight called The Bone Collector , a ho-hum thriller from 1999, starring Denzel Wahington and Angeline Joline. He an ex-cop and C4 qudraplegic, and she a rookie cop with a tragic past, and both chasing a serial thriller!!!.Obviously there was more holes in the portrayal of a quadraplegic than your average slab of Swiss Cheese, but it did get me thinking of my time on The Princess Royal Spinal Injury Unit. (above)

As a nurse manager there I was an expert on Spinal Injury care, and I do miss being a practicing expert at something! I enjoy,Work on ITU can be interesting enough, but generally the patients come in, they die(more then I expected) or they get better and get farmed off quickly to the wards. Very few stay any length of time. In spines, admissions of many months were common, and as a good nurse you seem to know the patient and their significent others like the back of you hand. The care and philisophy of the unit was/is very psychologically based and I miss that part of the job. The truth is that I am just not suited to, or indeed like ITU work! Sure I know I excell at aspects of the job , ie support of relatives, or withdrawl of care to a dying patient, but generally the protocols and structured "physical" nature of ITU leaves me a bit cold.

In September I start on a full time Psychology course , and although aspects of it ( ie research!) will I am sure, bore me , my pragmatic and psychologically biased "upbringing" on Spines has given me a head start to develop in an area which I am more suited in....

sweat peas

Well very little to report today, just been mooching around the flower show ( second day), helping Ned to design an arch to go over the new garden gate, andtrying to get those garden jobs done, mind you we have had the first rain today in a month so I cannot be too hard on the weather. Picked some sweet peas from the garden, thought they looked lovely.

The Prestatyn Flower Show

Prestatyn Flower Show

Janet got third with this floral display,Ann got several seconds and thirds for her floral art

The setting is kinda "old English







My Aunt Margaret checking out the cut flowers. Uncle Bert has won the floral art a couple of times. His most famous creation was a snake made out of a pair of ladies tights !!!



Kathryn


Kathryn got third in the knitted toy catagory!!! apparantly her coconut cake was sorely missed (she won last year) When I went round I heard one lady say that black bears were not PC!!!

The pot plant display in the main tent (above)




I was robbed........My chocolate cake (middle centre) was wonderfull. Smallish but subtle and tasty, with lashings of cream and classy chocolate swirls (Cadbury's no less) topping. Did I get placed? did I buggery!!

The winner ( with red card) was decorated with large plastic figures!!
sigh.........how Jeremy Kyle!

My victoria sponge (not shown) was rather lack lustre

The Wall cont

I almost have a back garden!, albeit a small one, but a back garden nevertheless. Ned has made us an old fashioned gate which will be inset into the wall to the right of the picture and I have bought an arch to go over the gateway overwhich I want a climbing rose.
On nights tonight, been practicing with my cake making as Prestatyn Flower show is on Friday!

Went to Bishops wood today with the dogs and as we drove off realised I had four dogs in the car rather than three. Meg, Chris MacDonald's dog had joined us!

Wynyard Road,

I found this picture of our house in Sheffield, when scrolling around looking for pictures for the last blog entry. This was the dining room, and Chris and I worked hard together making it my favourite room the house.

The house was an ordinary little terrace in Hillsborough, but as most second homes, it was a house I wanted other than one I could just afford.

My Friend Micky told me of a book in Sheffield Library that could inform you who lived in your house throughout the years and what they did for living!( I forget the title of the book now). One afternoon I spent an interesting few hours researching the owners of 59 Wynyard and found that two sisters had spent most of the twenties, thirties and forties there. (One surviving sister lived there until well into the 1960s) Their names were Florence and Alice , and they were described as being seamstresses. I found that fact rather sweet.

Wynyard Road always had a lovely feel to it. It was a happy house, and holds some nice memories for me .When I go back to Sheffield and stay next door with friends John & Bev, the house does look a little unkempt and rather unloved, which is sad. But interestingly enough I have never got introspective or depressed about that, which surprises me as I do enjoy an emotional romp occassionally. I guess with Chris and the animals, and some treasured posessions, my life and loves moved with me to Wales!

Note: You can just make out Betty by the couch. She survived a month or so after we moved to Wales, she died peacefully and is buried at Cefn-y-Gwyrch.