Promenade

Sometimes you just need to find a place in order to watch the world walk by.
Having only myself to cater for Mary and I took ourselves off to the Promenade at lunchtime.
It was overcast and spitting with rain, but Colwyn Bay was fairly busy with visitors so I found an empty bench and set out lunch
I had an advacado and cheese bagel and a skinny coffee.
Mary had a packet of sliced ham.
And we both sat for an absolute age and watched the world promenade in front of us.

Friends.. I love 'em

Jonney H ....my Sheffield friend

Recently I asked an old friend if I looked my age,
I think I have eight close friends I can ask this kind of indulgent and honest question to
He laughed his usual camp laugh and cooed loudly
" Darling you always look mighty fine" 
I preened myself briefly until he added
" all you could do with is a lot of ......moisturiser ! " 
....................I .Love you J x

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Spoilers
If you want to go and see a good old fashioned, romantic weepie that makes you feel all emotional warm and fuzzy go and see The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
It's a rather delightful piece of whimsy.

The perky Lily James

Impossibly beautiful authoress Juliet Ashton ( a perky Lily James) is at the height of her success in post war London when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams (Michiel Huisman) an impoverished but well read pig farmer from the Island of Guernsey. Adams is part of a literary group formed on the occupied island by a group of lonely and isolated neighbours and his account of this strange band of misfits at first intrigues then enchants Juliet who subsequently visits the island to get drawn into a rather painful wartime mystery.

So you can see , the film has everything. Wartime hardships, shoulder pads, a delightfully eclectic set of characters, beautiful scenery, Nazi cruelty and Mr Huisman who makes the wearing of a dirty and hole filled fisherman's jumper an art form. He is basically the most beautiful man I have seen on screen in a long time.

The ensemble cast has been picked perfectly from Sunday night tv.
Jessica Brown Finlay is excellent as the mysterious and brave Elizabeth McKenna, Katherine Parkinson plays a ever hopeful gin making spinster rather movingly and heavyweights Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton provide warmth and gravitas in spades as the de facto grandparents of the group
Their society meetings have a real drama and pathos on screen.

Having said this , apart from the dreamy and soft spoken Huisman, I have to say that Lily James carries the film admirably. She possess a doe eyed sweetness which is perfect for the film's gentle innocence that finally, after a somewhat contrived will they, won't they? finale ends with a kiss that would make even the most hardened of watchers swoon.

It's a lovely film.

Sun

The weather is a glorious blue and every window except our bedroom window is wide open,
It's easy for the dogs to go a tumbling from the bedroom window, especially when Pippa goes past with her arsey bitch Meg in tow.
I saw villager W out for a walk and she told me the sad tale how her canary was killed by a sparrow hawk whilst in it's cage in the garden.
I think she told me that his name was Bud.
Bud is a fine name for a pet, I think
Everywhere you look , everyone has to deal with a drama of sorts.
Little ones and big ones .
The nice weather always helps with coping with both me thinks
Especially when there is a light breeze carrying the faint smell of mown grass, woodsmoke and hyacinth through the cottage.

A Musical Break

What does it make you think of?

Auntie Glad is 99

At yesterday's meeting we had a salute to Auntie Glad
She was 99 years old
This is the Facebook entry from the village choir's visit with her
The old broad will reach her 100!

"Trelawnyd Male Voice Choir added 3 new photos.

10 hrs · 

Penblwydd Hapus iawn Anti Glad!...Gladys Jones is 99 yrs young today and choir members gathered at the Prestatyn Care Home this morning to pay tribute and share this Special occasion with her. In the presence of members of her family, Gladys was presented with a framed certificate in recognition of her wonderful support & service to the choir and also a personalised wooden frame with a 1973 photo of senior members that included her late husband Bob 'Railway' Jones. With Ceinwen at the keyboard, the choir sang Happy Birthday and a few other songs which she said 'made her day'. It was great to see her happy and smiling, she is bright, charming and wonderful. Her lifestyle and clean living is the reason she has reached this wonderful age, our warmest wishes for a super day!...Côr Meibion Trelawnyd."

The Last Flower Show Meeting

Flower Show secretaries have to be multi skilled, thick skinned politicians who can sell sand to Arabs. I've inherited my sister's skills in that respect and like her, I ran a good show.

I worked alongside the powerhouse that was Sylvia Evans who ran The Trelawnyd Flower Show for more years than can be remembered and my easy manner and ability to get people to participate boosted entries considerably at a time when flower shows were not thought as sophisticated pastimes.

It was a valuable apprenticeship to be sure, and has been one I have enjoyed but as you all know with a move fairly imminent, it is now time to step down as Show secretary.

This morning I bought each of the committee a gift and a card . The ladies received a small posy of spring flowers. The gents silly gifts that echo their humour. Terry , for example received a new cake tin. ( he always battled and failed to beat my award winning boiled fruit cake.

My resignation has meant that the Flower Show committee will now fold. The commmittee has been a great one but all on it realise that the commitment in running such an event is a vast one. It's flattering , just a little, to realise that I am a hard act to follow, but it also very sad to think that the flower Show will end just shy of it's fiftieth anniversary.

So I gave my thanks to a wonderful set of despots

Matriarch Irene, animal helper Pat, Derek and Heulwen , the ever cheerful Ann and dry-as- toast Terry, oh and sailor John who never got flustered as committee treasurer.and soon I will chase up the members that were not able to make the meeting...namely Trendy Carol ( off having a trendy lunch with friends in a beige trouser suit and matching assessories ) and Meirion and Daphne who are away on holiday. I will drop their gifts off in due course.

I will also call to see Auntie Glad next week with her own bunch of flowers. She may not remember me too well but it was only two years ago when she opened the biggest and best show we had ever held in Trelawnyd, and she did so with an elegance and grace befitting the grand old dame that she is. 

I must  also pause here to thank the people who have supported the show over the years...The Evans' family, Eileen Jones' family and Christine Davis. The competitors past and present who have gone that extra mile to bring in their cakes , crafts ,flowers and vegetables and fruit for everyone to see and to enjoy. 

I will post a public thank you on the notice boards next week, and information of where the Show's savings will be spent will be shared with the village at a planned tea party in the village hall. The tea party will be an opportunity for the Show committee to say goodbye and will be open to all.. We 

intend to give almost all to it to village and local initiatives and charities

After all that's what the Show was designed for....to support the village and its people.

I'll leave you with a few photos of Shows past...

And Mary and I will now go for a nice long walk in the afternoon sunshine .

And again, I think I shall have a brief, but much needed weep.

My mother's embroidered tablecloths and flowers picked from the garden

The flower exhibits

Gladys preparing scones to be sold

She is 99 years old today x

Committee meetings around Auntie Glad's table

The trophies all polished on our mantelpiece 

The cookery classes

The novelty veg class proved popular

Naked

When I worked on spinal injuries I was one of two specialist nurses that dealt with erectile dysfunction issues of the male patients.
At that time one treatment was aprosadil, which is a drug that you can inject into the side of the penis.
When used correctly , the resulting " reaction" could be utilised for a good 45 minutes or so!- if you get my drift.
My job was to assess the need of various treatments, and to assess the right dosages when teaching the patients to administer the medication themselves. Subsequently I used to joke that I saw more penises in one day than an averagely busy prostitute !
The comment often broke the ice with certain bashful patients.

I tell you this as a bit of background colour. Only because I was literally caught with my pants down in the loo at fat club this morning. My fellow weightwatcher seemed nonplussed by the whole thing but I was mortified . I am not one that copes well with the thought of my own nudity even though I dealt with the nudity of others for years and years and years.

In the last twenty years only two people have ever seen me naked. the Prof , of course is one, my old friend and badminton partner Mike is the other.

I wish I was not so bashful......