Monday 2 August 2021

The old lady brandishing a sword

 Just updated to say an ABSOLUTELY HUGE WELL DONE TO TEAM GB in the Three Day Eventing.  They put on a superb show and I am SO proud.  I was a bit sniffly, I must confess - I'm so proud of them.  It's been a LONG time since we were at the top of our form in the eventing in the Olympics (1972 - Munich when I think it was an individual Gold - Richard Meade.)  I imagine some bubbly will being opened for the team tonight!

A view across the fields from the Bank in our garden.

    I have been sleeping so badly recently and not got one iota of energy to do anything so everything has been on hold - bar my Manx family history research, which has rather taken over my life since I had a breakthrough with a brick wall of over 20 years' duration.  When I was searching before, access to records was limited - the IGI and that was pretty well IT.  Plus I was looking in the wrong parish for K's g.g. grandfather AND a spelling mistake on an entry had been overlooked. "Philp" instead of "Philip".  Suddenly I had a different parish and a different date of birth and now I am elbow deep in Will and BMD records in Ballaugh and so much is on line and searchable now.  Records go back to before the 1600s and I have discovered through K's DNA that his family were on the island when records first began in the early 1400s.


    I found this, when searching - hope I haven't included it before! -

"Mr William Cubbon has a pleasant story of an old lady who drove away from the wreck with loaded cart, and brandishing an ancient sword, threatened to give "belltinker" to anyone who attempted to deprive her of the loot."  (Belltinker is to beat or thrash).

Nothing exciting happening here - still waiting for various tradesmen to make contact (chased the plumber AGAIN this morning).  It would be nice to have functioning sash windows before the next heatwave too.

On Saturday Tam and I went to the tiny car boot sale at Llandod.  I spent nothing, she bought a 70s lampshade for the summerhouse.  Then we had a wander round the Spa park.  They had a lovely community orchard when you came out of the trees, and gooseberries and blackcurrants had also been planted for community use.  I saw some wild Sneezewort growing where normally you would find Yarrow.  Apparently it was a Roman Practice camp nearly a couple of thousand years ago.  It had good views to the south.


    Yesterday we went to the bigger car boot sale at Madley, getting there in time to walk straight in as they opened the gates - despite having the slowest of journeys along the switchback narrow lanes beyond Hay, as some pretentious caravanner didn't want to scratch his precious new caravan, driving in the middle of the one and a bit track lane, and wouldn't pull over so approaching cars could pass.  We reached an impasse at one point. We were very glad when he turned off into a posh caravan park and I wouldn't mind betting he mowed the grass before he set up!

    At the boot sale, I picked up two glass Pyrex bowls to replace one smashed recently. I also bought a Snaffles book (1st edition) but think it may be missing one of the illustrative plates, which is a shame.  Tam got some brand new plimsoles (well, that's what I know them as - could do with a pair myself!) and a big bag of Morello cherries.  They are SO good.

    So, as a round-up of life at the moment, not much happening, but we will be glad when Keith's hospital appt. happens this month.  Off for a snooze as I am absolutely shattered and good for nothing.

    The photos are from a stroll up the hill yesterday evening.




12 comments:

  1. Lovely views of patchwork fields.

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  2. We even have cornfields here too Sue - something we never had in Carms. (Too wet and our valley, too hilly). It was all sheep and cattle.

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  3. As I have said many times before, you live in a very lovely area. Such gorgeous vistas.

    God bless.

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    1. We are blessed, that is for certain. I always said I wanted to live somewhere with views too.

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  4. I think it's huge congratulations to our entire Team GB&NI all round. Wonder if we'll achieve today's expectations? I remember the not so glory days of if we got one or two medals that was our lot.
    Funny how a slip can lead to a block or an opening. My Grandmother did not appear on the 1901 Census, until we found her squished in between her siblings, as she'd originally been omitted. I guess everyone has had experience of predictive text, even before it was a thing!

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    1. They are doing so well in so many of the competitions. That lass on the BMX - just WOW!

      I am now going great guns with the research and have found a description of the parish back in the late 1700s which makes for fascinating reading.

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  5. I never thought Pyrex could smash. Caravan hell on the roads hasn't quite hit around here, nor the long strings of motorbikes I used to see in North Yorks.

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    1. The bowl that broke wasn't Pyrex, but had come "free" with a mixing bowl with a pouring lip from Carew car boot sale, a few years back. It was possibly 1950s and had a ridged pattern around the bowl. I had a soft spot for it. It was in the fridge with stewed rhubarb in and got it out, and a plate with something on in the other hand - the two met and the bowl virtually broke in half. Cold is not good for glass (and it had been in there a couple of days).

      It was just the ONE idiotic caravan driver - you know the sort, showing-off personalized number plate, pristine white car (and matching caravan). The sort who, once on site, mows the lawn in front of the caravan, puts up the awning, puts out the dustbin, and plants the "faux " flowers on sticks . . . home from home. Ahem.

      We get LOTS and I mean LOTS of motorbikes on our roads - they love the challenge of the bendy bits and steep hills, hairpin bends etc and many head for the West End Cafe in Llandovery for a chinwag and a full English. Even in Lockdown they were coming from as far afield as Birmingham.

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  6. Again with those idyllic views! So good.

    I'm with you on tired...the dog (who is rarely sick) became unwell during the night. On top of two different beds and it went through all the bedclothes--that were all just washed two days ago. Up at 1:45 am starting the first of seven loads of wash and have been up ever since. Workman here today painting, doing electrical work and finishing up a bathroom. Have birthday party to go to this evening for four year old grandson. No rest for the wicked. Ah, well. Dog is fine now. :)

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    1. I have just been visiting with a new (horsey) friend who has these views from her home and garden. Wonderful.

      Oh dear, poor dog, but more poor you - that's not a good way to spend the night. You'll sleep well tonight Enjoy the birthday party and hope the workmen are still gone. We are still trying to get them here!

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  7. Team GB are doing SO well :) Hope you manage to get your household jobs done soon. I sympathise with the bad sleeping - I really haven't slept well since this pandemic started :( The views round by your new house are just fantastic :)

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    1. They have certainly done us proud in a wide range of sports.

      We have now booked another plumber to come out and give a quote. He sounds a bit more promising. I realize original plumber is very busy, but to not even answer my messages - well, point taken, he doesn't want the job, obviously.

      I think I am just having a spell of not sleeping well. I wonder if part of it is lack of bedding on the bed (when it was so hot, it was just a sheet) - now it's cooler we have the summer duvet on and a thin patchwork quilt for when it has been cooler still and I've slept better, but I have started taking Vitamin B again too, and that helps (calms the nervous system).

      I went for tea with a horsey neighbour yesterday and her bungalow looks right out on the fabulous views in my header photo - I was SO envious.

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