Mont Blanc Fountain Pen

Isn't it beautiful? There is something rather wonderful about writing with a fountain pen.

Moleskin Journal

The moleskin Journal arrived this morning.
Now off to ponder what to write in it!
Follow its progress HERE

To find out about Moleskin Journals look at the makers web page
A site about these journals in the UK is Here

The Paper House by Carlos Maria Dominguez

What a strange little book this was!

Page 35
"To build up a library is to create a life. Its never just a random collection of books" "You go on adding them to the shelves and they seem to constitute a collection.......

" And further down the same page"....We start with a reference to a book we don't have then, and when we have acquired that one, it leads to another"

How true is that?

Quilt by Donna E. Smyth

This was one of the books that was in the parcel from my BC penpal.

I had intended to take this book away with me this week when I head to London for a meeting as this this looked like easy train reading, but I started this and found that I read it in one sitting.

It is a beautiful story of a group of women in rural Nova Scotia who meet to stitch a quilt which is to be a raffle prize. As they stitch, their lives become as entwined as the threads.

This was such a lovely story that I shall offer this out as a book ray on the BCUK list. Thanks so much Mary-Anne for this delighful read. The Journal Entries are HERE

A Nice Cup of Tea & A Sit Down by Nicey & Wifey

I came home from work yesterday to find that another Book Crosser had sent me, what we call a RABCK (random act of Book Crossing kindness). It is a lovely book that was on my wish list and I was unable to resist starting the book last night. Thank you redhouse!

For me, 44 pages into the book, I relived some happy memories. The book talks about storing buscuits, that accompany tea in an old biscuit tin. Old because it adds credibility.

I remembered the buscuit tin that my Aunt had when I was a child. During my last visit, when I was offered a buscuit, which I declined, and asked if she still had the buscuit tin she had always had. Although showing a puzzled look, Aunt produced the said buscuit tin. It was the same one, and it has been in use for more than 30 years.

I don't actually know when I first starting drinking tea. My grandmother always had coffee and for 11 or thereabout and a cup of tea mid afternoon. Before she went to bed she always had hot chocolate. My mum doesn't drink tea, and rarely coffee, but does make an excellent cuppa! and I always drink tea, and rarely coffee, unless a generous Tia Maria is added to it! My tea preferences are probably verging on the boring side. I like Tetley's and am not fond of flavoured teas or Earl Grey. Although I did towards the end of last year receive a book box with some flavoured teas and I did remove and drink one that was a citrus flavour.

I went on a course last year. After dinner we were offered coffee or tea. I selected tea. About 10 minutes went past and the waitress arrived clutching a nice wooden box, the sort of box that hubby would store fishing flies in!, she opened it and revealed about 20 different flavoured teas. My colleagues, knowing that I like plain tea, of which I prefer Tetley's were looking in amusement at what I would select. Much to everyone's horror I said, "I'll have the nearest to Tetley's" to a rather bemused waitress.

I like my tea to have milk added, so it is a medium to dark brown with no sugar. I am not keen on powdered milk added to my tea, long life or UHT milk. Tea made in hotels using those little pots of milk never tastes quite right.

The section about tea pots is accurate. Why do they always leak? Actually hubbys says they don't and that I pour too fast. About 3 years ago we were in the Army & Navy store in Guildford. This has been rebranded as House of Fraser. We went up to the rather snazzy resturant on the 5th floor and I had a pot of tea. It arrived in a lovely solid metal tea pot that had an oriental feel to it. I asked if they were sold in the store and was told no. I was disappointed, but left it there. Then about 4 months later we spent a day in Honiton, having a wander through the antique shops, and there I spotted an identical tea pot. I bought it, and have used it only about twice, but I like it and its a nice addition to the kitchen and it doesn't leak when I pour.



The web site that accompanies this book is HERE and Journal Entries for my copy of the book are HERE

Parcel from my Book Crossing Penpal

This morning I received a wonderful parcel from my BC Penpal Mary-Anne. This was a delightful surprise and I have been very spoilt, and am very touched by your generosity. Thank you so much!

Collecting the books!

We went this evening to collect the books I won on the eBay auction. Its just as well we both went. I could never manage them to the car, and we had to make two trips. A quick glance and there looks some real beauties in there!

Mood: Exhausted!

Goucher & Goacher - Various - DBY

I stumbled across the surname index produced by Chesterfield & District FHS, which is loaded to the Derbyshire County Council web page. These are the results for Goucher & Goacher.

GOUCHER

Arthur Goucher Bapt 8th June 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Magazine July 1902
Notes - St Peters Calow

Cyril Goucher Bpt 8th Feb 1928
Source - Chesterfield Parish Magazine Mar 1928
Notes - Parish Church

Irene Goucher Marriage 4th June 1918
Source - St Thomas's Church Brampton Parish Magazine Jul 1918
Notes - James Wilcock

John Goucher Bpt 28th June 1936
Source - St Thomas's Church Brampton Parish Magazine August 1936
Notes - Son of Walter & Gladys

Lily Goucher Burial 5th Feb 1902
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine March 1902
Notes - Age 10 months. St Peter's Calow

Lily Goucher (twin) Baptised 24th April 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine August 1901
Notes - St Peters Calow

Lucy Florence Goucher Baptism 14th Jan 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine Feb 1901
Notes - St Peter's Calow

May Goucher (twin) Baptism 24 April 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine Aug 1901
Notes - St. Peter's, Calow

Reginald Goucher Married 29 December 1920
Source - St Thomas's Church Brampton Parish Magazine Feb 1921
Notes - Winifred Ethel Hubbard

Selina Goucher Bap 14 Jan 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine Feb 1901
Notes - St. Peter's, Calow

Thomas Goucher Baptism 6th Jan 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine Feb 1901
Notes - St Peters Church Calow

Thomas Arthur Goucher Baptism 25th April 1926
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine July 1926 Parish Church

Walter Goucher
Source - Newbold & Dunston Child Census 1893
Notes - P 51 Pottery Lane

William Levi Goucher Baptism 10th March 1901
Source - Chesterfield Parish Church Magazine April 1901
Notes - St Peters Calow

GOACHER

Beatrice Annie Goacher
Source - Census of Child Population 1892
Notes - Vol 8, P 26, Derby Street

Florence Goacher
Source - Census of Child Population 1892
Notes - Vol 3, P 99, Lordsmill Street

Irene Goacher Marriage 26th April 1924
Source - St Thomas's Church Brampton Parish Magazine June 1924
Notes - Frank Westbrook

John Thomas Goacher
Source - Census of Child Population 1892
Notes - Vol 3, P 99, Lordsmill Street

Levi Goacher
Source - Census of Child Population 1892
Notes - Vol 8, P 26, Derby Street

Thomas Goacher
Source - Census of Child Population 1892
Notes - Vol 3, P 99, Lordsmill Street

Jonathan Goacher - DBY - 1722

BOLSOVER - Settlement Certificate - 1722
Jon. or Jonathan GOACHER, wife and children Norton Cuckney

Live Journal Journaleers group homework w/c 15th May

Live Journal Journaleer group homework
20 years ago I was doing, or about to do my O levels

10 years ago I had been married for 3 years and was getting our house organised. We moved from Surrey/London to Devon into our lovely Victorian Villa. Sounds grand, but its a Victorian terrace on 3 floors. I was about to go to University as a mature student and do a BA in History. I also spent Christmas with my family in Australia, boy it was hot.....40 odd degrees!

5 years ago I had finished my degree and returned to Pharmacy, actually to the company that I trained with and am still working for.

3 years ago I was still working for the same company, but had a different job.

1 year ago I was still working for the same company and had a district manager job. My boss had left and I was exceedly frustrated. My new boss arrived in August and I began to feel that as an area we were achieving things.

So far this year I have gone for two roles within the company, and got both.I've read 35 books and am feeling OK with work and feel that I am now on the right track.

Yesterday I worked from home. I went to bed early clutching a pack of night nurse (3rd really bad cold this year) and slept like a log, and the coughing didn't wake me or hubby.

Today I am am heading out for a girly day with Mum.

Tomorrow I will be clearing the study to accommodate the 600 books I bought on eBay. It needs a tidy anyway, but I'm being optimistic thinking I can complete it in 1 day!

In the next year I will have had 2 weeks holiday in Hay on Wye and will feel refreshed because I love the area, poorer because next time I just know I shall come home with more than 8 books. I shall have completed the study clearing and got my genealogical notes in order, filed and totally computerised.I shall fully understand LJ, I shall read 60 books (I hope) and will hopefully still be in the Area support manager role, gaining more experience, expecially on budgets, then perhaps I might apply for the next role up. Things are uncertain at work with the Boots merger, but only because its all an unknown quantity. It is going to be an exciting, busy and demanding time.

Books, Books & More Books!

I've just bought 600 books on eBay. Babs posted the details to the BCUK list and when I got my email it had just over 3 minutes to go. I couldn't resist though. It is near to us in Devon, so there is no carriage to pay. I think £12.00 for 600 books is brilliant. But will hubby think the same! LOL

Hay-on-Wye weekend

We came back on Monday from being away since last Friday in Hay on Wye. It was wonderful! actually I felt more rested after 4 days in Hay than I did after a week in Scotland, but that was to do with the in laws, and another story entirely!

We stayed at the Red Lion Hotel at Bredwardine, which is just over the border into Herefordshire. A lovely 17th Century hotel, set in the country, serving lovely food, we had Gammon on the first night and the meal was delicious! The hotel also provided fishing on the River Wye to residents, so Stuart spent Saturday wading and fishing the Wye, even during the horrid downpour of rain and thunder, whilst I was in Hay at the bookshops. Alas, didn't catch anything, although he does assure me that he almost did.

I spent a lovely day in Hay, meeting with four of the Birmingham Book Crossers, Gill, Liz, Ali & Fritzi, meeting at 11am at Kilverts for a coffee, before starting the mammoth task of visiting the bookshops. The tourist information centre produce a small paper tifolding sheet of bookshops, and there are 30 bookshops in Hay, 3 auctions & bookbinders and 4 bookshops near Hay.
Together we did about 4 bookshops, although the girls carried on after I left them at 5pm and I did another one, (a biggie) on Sunday and the rest on Monday with Stuart.

I resolved myself that even though I have enough books in the house to read for the next 20 years, exlcuding all the book rings that arrive, I would still buy more books. Its compulsive, but there are more unhealthy addictions! Despite, every bookshop bursting to the seems with books, on shelves, stairs, on the floor, I did actually only buy 8 books. This was because there were so many to choose from. Here are my 8: The Castle Bookshop
The Love Letter by Cathleen Schine - 30p
More than a year in time by Jane Lassen - 50p
Stitches in Times by Barbara Michael - 50p
The Genealogists Guide by Geoffrey B Berrow - 50p
Social Register Boston (USA) 1968 by the Social Reg Association - 50p

Bookends
A kiss from Maddelena by Christopher Castellani - £1.00

Broad Street Book Centre
Fly Fishing by Stephen Windsor - £5.00

Cinema Bookshop
Heavenly Date & Flirtations by Alexander McCall Smith - £1.47

Oxfam shop at Hay
Fish Tales by Billee Chapman Pincher - £1.79

The Castle Bookshop was wonderful - set in the grounds of Hay Castle, this is a rather novel (no pun intended!) way of displaying some books, which have a fairly small value, but are a super way of using the space. The bookshelves are in the open, well most of them. If you climb the steps to the actual bookshop, there are about 10 bookcases all with open access, but with overhead cover. The open access bookshelves are open round the clock, and there is an honesty box to pay for purchases.

On Saturday evening we ate at the Pandy Inn at Dorstone. Which declared itself the oldest inn in Herefordshire. I can certainly recommend the Steak & Wild Mushroom Pie - it was delicious!. On the way back to the hotel stopping to have a look at Bredwardine Church.
On Sunday, we started the day at Brecon, then headed in completely the other direction to Bromyard the other side of Hereford. Whilst not an obvious choice for those on holiday, it is the birth place, according to the 1901 Census of Stuart's paternal great grandmother.
As we were so near, it seemed a shame not to visit and see the chuch and have a quick wander round. We did head back to Hay, and consumed a lovely ice cream from Shepherds, ice cream parlour. We ate on Sunday evening at a lovely resturant outside of Hereford, called The Bay Horse on the Kings Acre Road. The meal and the venue were delightful, and are highly recommended.

Monday once more, I headed for the bookshops. We managed to complete the rest and left to return home late afternoon.

Celebrating Summer Not-So-Secret Exchange

Recieved details of my partner for the Celebrating Summer Not-So-Secret Exchange,
so there's another reason to go book shopping. As if I haven't seen enough bookshops.....actually there is never a time when its too many bokshops!

March of the Penguins - DVD

I saw this advertised before Christmas, and when I spotted it in Tesco I popped it in the trolley.

An amazing account of the Penguins and their continuing fight for survival, with brilliant camera work & photography.

Live Journal Journallers group - Sightseeing "homework"

Over on the Live Journal Journallers Project we had the following question, and here are my answers.

Sightseeing The fairy grandmother has granted you a wish - you can visit three places anywhere in the world. Where would you go and why? (Places not meaning countries or citys, but sightseeing highlights, for example the Eiffel Tower or Ayers Rock...)

1. Travel around Fiji. I know this is a country, but I spent time there on my way to Australia, before I was married and I would love to go back with my husband, so we could have some special time together. Actually, I would love to do the whole trip again, but with my husband this time.

2. Wagga Wagga in NSW Australia, because I have family there and I lived there for a year, and it felt a more comfortable to live than my current place of residence.

3. Sicily, and especially Sutera, because it is where my "Italian" ancestry lies.

Current Mood: nostalgic

World War One: Carte de Route

World War One: Carte de Route

More books!

I went and had a trawl through the charity shops for books for the goody bags for the UnConvention. I couldn't see anything from the wish lists, but managed to come home with 7 books for my already enormous to be read mountain.

Recipe - BICERIN

BICERIN - Serves 3-4

3 ounces plain chocolate
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup hot sugared coffee
3 to 4 tablespoons whipped cream

Melt chocolate over low heat.
Add milk, sugar, flour, and cream and heat gently for 1 minute.
Pour the sugared coffee in a champagne glass.
Add the warm chocolate mixture and top with whipped cream.

Delicious!

A bicerin is a short strong chocolate and espresso beverage made famous inTorino, Italy, at Caffe Al Bicerin and served in a tall glass.

TravelBlog - Travel Journals, Travel Blogs, Diaries and Photos

Travel Blog - Travel Journals, Dairies & Photos - Main site

My Travel Blog - not updated yet!

Bookprice24.co.uk

Bookprice24.co.uk - Price comparison for new and used books

BookCrossing Birthday RABCK Experiment

BookCrossing Birthday RABCK Experiment journal which was originally part of the Book Crossing site has now moved to a Flickr group

To Do List

What a great idea. I love lists, the help me get structured, organised and I often use one to plan my day.

Book Crossing Convention Toronto 2006

Alas, I didn't attend, but I did contribute a photo to the Book Crossing Collage. I was sent a photo of the collage by Margaret - Thanks!

Lockerbie Academy

Stuart attended Lockerbie Academy. On looking at the web page for something, I spotted the following:

Did you attend Lockerbie Academy?
If so, what was it like when you were here? When did you last sit in the Assembly Hall? Last climb the stairs of A Block; get on a school bus? Who were the teachers, and what were they like?

We're currently helping to compile a book about the history of our school - if you think you can send us your memories of school life.

http://www.lockerbie-academy.co.uk/index.htm