This is the sixteenth part of a fiction serial, in 771 words. In daylight, Elsie was able to get a good view of the large walled garden at the back of the house. There was a tree-swing, and an open-fronted wooden building at the back that looked like some kind of shelter. Because … | Continue reading
A day off from memes, so I found more maps. The USA on one side of The Moon. Japan compared to the east coast of America. California is bigger than Italy. Light pollution in the USA. Just an opinion, not a fact.😊 The timeline of England. | Continue reading
This is not really a song, as it is an instrumental. But it was a chart hit in 1974 for the Scottish group Average White Band. They managed to capture the feel of American Funk music really well, and later tried other genres, notably Disco. They disbanded in 1983, before reappear … | Continue reading
This is the fifteenth part of a fiction serial, in 761 words. Mr Finch’s car was so much nicer, and didn’t smell bad inside. That meant Elsie didn’t feel car sick as they drove through the London traffic on a dark, rainy night. And there was the bonus that they had brought Nelly … | Continue reading
Starting off the weekend with these. | Continue reading
In 1979, the American Rap group Sugarhill Gang released a song called ‘Rapper’s Delight’. I heard it on the radio, and like most Hip-Hop/Rap music, it sounded like a lot of babbling and nonsense to me. Then in 2015, there was an episode of the Muppet Show where they go to sing ka … | Continue reading
This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 768 words. The next two years were the best time that Elsie could remember at Yew Trees. Not long after her tenth birthday, with Christmas coming up, she was beginning to really see the place as home. Then one afternoon after cl … | Continue reading
Yesteray, we went on one of our afternoon trips, this time to Suffolk. Lowestoft is one of the east coast’s major commercial fishing ports, but also has a private yacht marina, and superb beaches. Although in a different county, it is an easy journey from Beetley, just 47 miles s … | Continue reading
This is my annual post to remember my mum’s birthday. She died in 2012 at the age of 87. She was a great mum, and a true friend to me throughout my life. She would have been 101 years old today. The photo shows her at the age of 15, in 1939. Already working full … Continue readin … | Continue reading
A break from humour, today’s selection is all about history or facts. | Continue reading
This is the thirteenth part of a fiction serial, in 786 words. As she had hoped, the new year was going well for Elsie. Most of the stress had been removed from her life once the bullies had been dealt with, and she was able to concentrate on her lessons and enjoy the free time … … | Continue reading
English people are known for their patience when it comes to queuing and waiting in line for things. I had my spirometry test (lung function) this morning. I was 10 minutes early for the appointment, but seen immediately. The nurse explained the test, took my height and weight me … | Continue reading
More memes for you today. Some are ‘rude’! | Continue reading
I mentioned in my Sunday Musings post that I had been feeling unwell in the latter part of last week. Now I think I know why that was. Some time ago, I suffered pains in the area of my kidneys, and when it became bad enough to stop me sleeping I consulted my family doctor. … Cont … | Continue reading
More old paintings and pictures. (With more to come!) | Continue reading
I have always been a huge fan of David Bowie. I liked this song at the time, and it seems very appropriate in 2025. Co-written with Pat Metheny, it was for the soundtrack of the film ‘The Falcon and The Snowman’, and released in 1985. That film is about the true story of two youn … | Continue reading
Just some information for everyone who has ads running along the bottom of their sites. The ones you don’t see yourselves, but appear to me and others when we visit. Just today, my PC security software (AVG installed) has been warning me that I should not visit your site due to ‘ … | Continue reading
This is the twelfth part of a fiction serial, in 806 words. When the fire had been put out, and the ruined shed cleared away, life returned to normal at Yew Trees, as far as Elsie could tell. The only reference to what had happened that she saw was Brenda searching everywhere aro … | Continue reading
As you can tell, I found a new batch of old paintings and photos memes. More today, and again tomorrow. | Continue reading
I will keep it short about the weather. It was very hot, then it cooled down considerably. The week to come is forecast to be another heatwave after some rain today. —————————————————————————————- Instead of our day trip last week, we went over to see Julie’s twin daughters and t … | Continue reading
Found on You Tube. James “Iron Head” Baker, recorded in the field by US musicologists John and Alan Lomax in December 1933, performed A cappella by the convict James “Iron Head” Baker and a group at Central State Farm, Sugar Land, Texas. (A State prison farm) Baker was 63 years o … | Continue reading
This is the eleventh part of a fiction serial, in 798 words. The days were getting shorter and colder before Elsie saw her chance. Brenda came back from a secret smoke one night holding something shiny in her hand and looking very pleased with herself. She was flipping the top on … | Continue reading
Old paintings again today. (Except one) | Continue reading
I saw this film on release 16 years ago, and watched it again last night on a TV showing. John Dillinger was a notorious gangster in America during the 1930s. He carried out many audacious bank robberies with his gang, and also managed to escape from custody on several occasions. … | Continue reading
This is the tenth part of a fiction serial, in 743 words. While ordinary schools had a long summer break, Yew Trees carried on as normal. Some of the teachers and supervisors disappeared for a week or so as they enjoyed their annual holiday with their families, but life for the c … | Continue reading
Just three cat memes for you today. | Continue reading
1980 seems such a long time ago. I was 28, and still buying records that I liked when I heard them on the radio. Some music was getting new genre names, and one of those was Jazz-Funk. That combination really appealed to me, and I bought many albums and singles described as such. … | Continue reading
I would like to wish all my American friends a very happy 4th of July. Enjoy your celebrations! | Continue reading
I found this photo online. A whole bench carved from a fallen Oak tree on the Beaulieu Estate, Hampshire. It is wonderful craftsmanship by an expert carver, and I think it is just amazing. | Continue reading
This is the ninth part of a fiction serial, in 753 words. It took a week, but Elsie managed to put her plan into action. Complaining of bellyache in the morning, she was sent to see the nurse, a woman who came in every day to decide who was sick or not, and to treat … Continue re … | Continue reading
Starting off with two heatwave-related memes. | Continue reading
This is the eighth part of a fiction serial, in 750 words. Following three days with Miss Foy teaching just her, Elsie was deemed suitable for joining the main class. She was still finding life at Yew Trees very strange. There was no talking aloud at mealtimes, so the noise of cu … | Continue reading
This is most definitely ‘American’, but I can still relate to the list. (Though I don’t agree about British singers not sounding British.) | Continue reading
I had never heard of The Graystones until yesterday. I came across this performance on Twitter, and just had to look them up. This is their introduction on their own website. About All I can say is that if a bunch of youngsters in America can come up with such great music, there … | Continue reading
All sorts of stuff today. I must be in a weird mood! I see this all the time on social media! | Continue reading
This is the seventh part of a fiction serial, in 828 words. After breakfast of bread and jam and a glass of milk, Elsie was led away from the other children to be given her clothing. The lady in the storeroom treated her like an adult as she piled the clothing, a new experience f … | Continue reading
I used to really like the American duo Hall and Oates, and still enjoy listening to their songs now. In 1993, Daryl Hall released a solo album, ‘Soul Alone’, and I bought it without hearing any of the tracks. I liked the CD a lot, but it didn’t do so well in the charts, and … Con … | Continue reading
History, Facts, Memes, a bit of everything today. Not much like the TV series! | Continue reading
I would like to wish all my blogging friends from Canada a very happy national day. Enjoy your celebrations! | Continue reading
I saw this online, and it was uncredited. | Continue reading
Starting the week with old paintings and pictures. | Continue reading
No plot spoilers. This film is from the talented director David Fincher, (he made ‘Se7en’, and ‘Gone Girl’) and stars Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, ably supported by James Rebhorn, Peter Donat, and others. I saw it at the time, and thought it was really good. Last week, I watche … | Continue reading
This is the sixth part of a fiction serial, in 799 words. The first thing Elsie noticed as they arrived was that there were no trees at Yew Trees. Not that she would know a Yew from an Oak or Silver Birch, but it seemed to be a strange name for a place with no … Continue reading … | Continue reading
No plot spoilers. Another film that enjoyed rave reviews, and even rejuvenated the career of pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor by using one of her 2001 hits on the soundtrack. The cast looked interesting too; Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Carey Mulligan, Paul Rhys, and some newco … | Continue reading
A week dominated by weather. It seems that many British people complain a lot about the weather, and I am one of them. So here goes. We sit through long winters waiting for summer, and then we tend to get two options. Either a wet, dull summer, or one that is ridiculously hot. So … | Continue reading
This is the fifth part of a fiction serial, in 810 words. The rest of the day went by like a blur for Elsie. Mrs Skinner was kind to her, but when the police came, Mr Skinner had to go to work. Elsie heard the lady policewoman speaking to Peggy in the parlour. “So you … Continue … | Continue reading
No plot spoilers. I read rave reviews for this film at the time, and finally got around to recording it on a TV film channel. Last week, I watched it. This is the story. A brother and sister are having to run a horse-wrangling business on a fairly remote ranch in California after … | Continue reading