Postcard Friendship Friday - Border Terrier Under the Mistletoe!

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Book Blogger Hop - 7th December - 13th December

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

Hashtag: #BookBloggerHop

Book Blogger Hop is the creation of Jen from Crazy for Books. Since October, the weekly hop has been hosted by a variety of book bloggers all across the globe. Last week the hop visited Anglers Rest and again this week.

So, without further ado....

Question - We are well into the Festive season, so what is your favourite festive reading?

My Answer - Do you know I am not sure. Over the last few years I have read a few seasonal Christmas books, but there has been nothing special. Perhaps some fellow blog hoppers can recommend one!

Link back YOUR Friday Book Blogger post and then try to visit at least 3 other sites and comment - hops are a great opportunity to meet new bloggers! (Once you submit your link, you'll need to refresh the page to see your link added to the list).

Advent Calendar 2012 - Santa Claus

I wrote previously about my Santa experience. You can read about that HERE.

As I don't think I have ever written a Dear Santa letter, I thought perhaps this was the year. Now, this is not going to be a wish list of gifts exactly, it is more of a simple list of things that I am grateful for



Dear Santa,

Thank you for a family who love me
Thank you for a family who accept me for who I am and respect me, for my decisions.
Thank you for having the finances to pursue my dreams and hobbies
Thank you for my friends and acquaintances
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take chances and be in a position to support projects that I value, such as the Kiva Project.

Julie

Now, that was a lot harder than I thought.

So, if you were going to write a letter to Santa, what would it say?

Happy Memories

One day last week I walked to work, thankfully it was not raining, as we headed into a cooler phase before the rain came back again.

Ahead of me I spotted two teenage girls, probably about 13 years old or so, dressed in a school uniform with bulging rucksacks standing with an elderly lady who was holding a purse. The lady extracted something, probably money and handed it to one of the girls, who in turn gave the lady a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The girls walked on, possibly to school and the lady in the opposite direction.

Image courtesy of Google

My mind cast back to three decades ago, when my Grandmother would often pass me a pound note, yes they were pound notes then not coins and tell me to get myself something. Even in my teenage years I would save the money and buy a book.

I loved nothing more than heading to Smiths in the High Street and wandering along the bookshelves and every so often bringing a book, lovingly selected home.

The memories kept me company as I continued my short journey and I was acutely aware of how much I miss my Grandmother, her wisdom, practicality, laughter and presence. Her ability to simply be aware when something was wrong or troubling me. I miss being able to talk with her and discuss my decisions and share a joke or two.

Advent Calendar 2012 - Christmas Cards

I remember both my Mum and Grandmother sending cards, but not how many or what happened to them. I have a few old cards, perhaps the last one received from a particular relative, or those with a photograph or letter. Any that my Grandmother received I now have.

Currently they are in a box packed away in a box awaiting scanning and archiving. I can't really remember where they were displayed, I suspect the mantle piece as that is where I have mine and on the dresser and other furniture in our lounge.

I probably started sending cards when I as about 12 or 13. Mainly to school friends, but when I left home and then subsequently married to family members. In many cases a Christmas card is the only contact we have, which is a shame.

When we first set up home together and started sending cards as a couple I asked for Stuart's card list. He looked at me blankly and said he only sent about 6 cards, I was amazed, that meant the other 60 odd were mine! Since then I have written all the cards and letters and Stuart's list has not really got any bigger. My list has reduced a little bit, but not by much. Even people that I communicate with on line these days still get a card in the post and they get an additional email. I keep the email letters and file these with letters I receive, along with any letters and cards that arrive in the mail.

I usually aim to send my cards out early December, but each year I seem to get later and later. The overseas ones always go first.

At the end of the 1980s I bought a card booklet, with the details of card and present and address. The book was set up for about 10 years. At the end of the 10 years I looked around for another book similar but no one seems to sell them any more, so I have a bit of paper in my Christmas card box and each year tick or highlight in a pen to say that I sent the card. I really should find a better way of recording it, but somehow the scrappy bit of paper is like able. I usually buy Charity cards apart from ones that I send to close relatives. I tend to go for the Charities whose good cause has touched our family life, mainly Cancer Research as many of my family have suffered in this way.

This photograph is of my Great Grandmother, Annie Prudience Butcher nee Harris,which was sent as her Christmas Card in 1955.The picture was taken in Guildford Surrey England in the prefab house the family lived in after the War.

The photo was certainly sent to her children, I have my Grandfather's copy George Butcher (1908-1974) and I know of at least one cousin who has his father's copy.

Do you have a copy in your photo collection? If so please get in touch.

100 Word Challenge - Week 69

Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. This week the prompt is to use the following prompt. Total word allowance - 100

Courtesy of Julia's Place

She was clearing away the plates from the Office party. She had been SO controlled, and had barely eaten anything. Her stomach growled in support. She had promised herself that she would loose the weight before her big date and she was determined not to fail. Truth be told, her colleagues were running a book on it.

Yet, she was SO hungry. Each time she passed the table she checked the last piece was still sitting there, begging to be eaten. She could just snaffle it as she walked pass. Could she pull it off?

Only time would tell......

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #69

Beyond the Internet: Week 47 Police and Railway Staff records

Continuing the weekly theme, inspired by Family History Across the Seas

In the United Kingdom, British Rail existed until the 1980s when the Government of the time privatised it. Now our rail networks are covered by a series of different companies and your prompt this week has made me wonder exactly what happened to the employment records of those companies.

I have a Great Uncle who worked on the railways in Dorking Surrey England. I have never really explored into his working life and should!

As to Policemen in the family. My Great Uncle was in the army and after he left the force he remained working at a military base as a Policeman during the second world war. His service records are sealed and because it was secret work he was undertaking his police experience is also hard to track.

The Prison Service in England and Wales was in it's early development structured loosely on the Police force. When we married in 1994 we both had to ask the Governor of the prison we worked in if we could marry. There was never any question of us being refused, it was simply in the Prison Standing Orders and had never been removed!

Advent Calendar 2012 - Christmas Tree Ornaments

The collection of tree ornaments we have are ones that we bought from our first Christmas together.

There are others that were given to us by my Mum and each year Stuart and I buy at least one ornament to keep the tradition going. We tend to go for the reds and golds but there are some others that have special meanings to us.


A Spode china Millennium bauble which always has pride of place, and a gold bell which has a picture of a Border Terrier on the side,which we bought the first Christmas we lost our lovely Monty in 2008.

We also have a lovely set of the Lilliput Lane tree decorations as Stuart collections the lovely houses, and especially the snowy and wintry ones.

The decorations that we had as when I was a child are still with my Mum. The original fairy which I mentioned earlier this week is still in the family. I think Mum has it and she thinks I have it, and we won't know until we both put our trees up and find it!

As a child we used to have chocolate ornaments on the tree which I was never allowed to have until Christmas Eve, and even then, only one. Now I don't have them as we have our current Border Terrier, Alfie just incase he is tempted by the chocolate.

Culling a book collection

I recently read at Read in a Single Sitting the contemplation of book culling. I was about to respond to that post, but then decided that I would write the following post and then share the link. Crafty I know, but why type the details twice?

As I have allured to in recent weeks, we are having a change of direction. That change will undoubtedly mean that our belongings, those inherited and purchased will need to be seriously looked at. As we downsize and then potentially move overseas, even for part of a year we have to seriously look at our possessions.

For more than 25 years I had never culled a book. Then in 2005 I found Book Crossing and shared a few books using that medium, but I did not find that overly satisfying. I looked again at my book collection and divided the books into those I would keep and use - mainly non fiction, and those authors and fictional books that I would re-read.  The rest I have either sold via eBay or Amazon or given away to charity shops.

As I sit and write this I can see a rather full bookcase and I know if I strain my head and turn a bit I can see another 2. I can wander downstairs via the landing and will find another 3. Each one full of books. How can I part with any? Each one has a story to tell, not just the one within the covers, but also of how it came to live with me and be read and enjoyed.

Some of these books are genealogical, some are linked into part of my family and I would not be willing to part with them.  Hubby, although not a reader, has a rather substantial collection of fishing books and we have already agreed that they should be kept.

So, we have started in the reverse. Downsizing in the UK is not really a problem. We plan to sacrifice one of our spare rooms into an Office/ Study where we will house our books and my genealogical material. This house is 4 bedroom and if far too big for us!

Our overseas relocation is a slightly different story. At the point of shipment we will confirm together the amount of containers that will be paid for as part of that move. I am pondering on 3. There will be only a few electrical items taken - laptops, Christmas tree, I know, but I am the least festive person on the planet and I rather like our tree, so its relocating with us! The rest of our main electrical will not. The same goes for furniture nothing will be coming with us, apart from a couple of small pieces and the rest of the containers will be filled with our personal things - those inherited and photographs and books, and some inherited and special china.

On discussion with a friend, she advised me that I was cheating making the culling decision and perhaps she is right, but at this moment in time I don't want to cull some of those books. So I shall at some point go back through the collection and have another clear through, but as my Grandmother always said "if in doubt, don't do it" So I shall follow her advice and see where that leads us.

Deck the Halls – 2012 Christmas Geneameme

Playing along with Pauline from Family History Across the Seas here is

THE 2012 CHRISTMAS GENEAMEME

1. Do you have any special Xmas traditions in your family? - I think I have adapted the things I did as a child into my married life Christmas festivities, although I am not a very festive person!
2. Is church attendance an important part of your Christmas celebrations and do you go the evening before or on Xmas Day? - Sadly no. I used to go to Midnight Mass in my home town, but not since we moved to Devon.
3. Did/do you or your children/grandchildren believe in Santa? - I think my husband still does!
4. Do you go carolling in your neighbourhood? - No
5. What’s your favourite Christmas music? - All sorts
6. What’s your favourite Christmas carol? - I don't think I have a favourite, but if I had to select one it would be Hark the Hearlds
7. Do you have a special Xmas movie/book you like to watch/read? - We often watch Home Alone and the remake of Miracle on 34th Street
8. Does your family do individual gifts, gifts for littlies only, Secret Santa (aka Kris Kringle)? - No
9. Is your main Christmas meal indoors or outdoors, at home or away? - Definetely indoors!
10. What do you eat as your main course for the Christmas meal? - Turkey
11. Do you have a special recipe you use for Xmas? - Yes, Mum has a super recipe for Rum Truffles and a Christmas pudding & Christmas cake recipe
12. Does Christmas pudding feature on the Xmas menu? Is it your recipe or one you inherited? - Yes it does, it is a recipe that my Grandmother found in a magazine and since then both my Mum and I use the recipe.
13. Do you have any other special Christmas foods? What are they? - Gammon. As a child we always had gammon for tea on Christmas Day. Now I cook a slightly larger joint and we eat it for dinner on Christmas Eve and then the rest of Christmas Day.
14. Do you give home-made food/craft for gifts at Christmas? - Sometimes it depends on the person and the gift
15. Do you return to your family for Xmas or vice versa? - No they usually come to me & I cook!
16. Is your Christmas celebrated differently from your childhood ones? If yes, how does it differ?
17. How do you celebrate Xmas with your friends? Lunch? Pre-Xmas outings? Drop-ins? - A combination of all those!
18. Do you decorate your house with lights? A little or a lot? - Yes we decorate the house. Personally I don't like it, but I live with a Christmas baby!
19. Is your neighbourhood a “Xmas lights” tour venue? - No
20. Does your family attend Carols by Candlelight singalongs/concerts? Where? - Actually I used to always attend Midnight Mass in my hometown. Since moving to Devon I have never been.
21. Have any of your Christmases been spent camping (unlikely for our northern-hemisphere friends)? - Yes, we spent the Christmas of 1996 in Australia. I am simply not convinced of 40 degree and Prawns for Christmas Day, although it was lovely!
22. Is Christmas spent at your home, with family or at a holiday venue? - Home with family
23. Do you have snow for Christmas where you live? - Sometimes, but more often than not rain
24. Do you have a Christmas tree every year? - Yes, except for 1996 when we were not home from Australia until the end of Jan
25. Is your Christmas tree a live tree (potted/harvested) or an imitation? - We have a Blue Spruce outside and inside a rather lovely pre lit tree
26. Do you have special Xmas tree decorations? - Yes, we have a lovely Spode Millennium bauble that we bought in 2000
27. Which is more important to your family, Christmas or Thanksgiving? - Christmas, as I live in the UK we don't celebrate Thanksgiving!

I am taking part in the Geneabloggers Advent Calendar to read the posts - follow this tagline

Advent Calendar - 2012 Holiday Foods

This post was originally posted in 2010.

My Grandmother always used to buy hamper coupons from the Unigate milkman, I don't know if she received any special discount as my Grandfather had worked for them up until he retired, but she always had the coupons and then exchanged them a week or so before Christmas for a hamper.

There was always lovely boxes of chocolates, biscuits, tins of ham and deserts and a shop made Christmas pudding. I am sure that there may have been a bottle of Sherry in the hamper, even though my Grandmother was not able to drink alcohol. There was also some lemonade and dilutable juices - like Robinsons, and some fruit.

Even though we had the hamper there was also other bits bought or made. The Christmas cake, and Christmas Puddings were both home made, a delicious joint of gammon that was cooked on the stove on Christmas Eve to be consumed for Christmas Day teatime, a tin of Victoria biscuits made by McVitie's

We always had Turkey for Christmas Day along with the trimmings. On Boxing Day the usual lunch meal was bubble and Squeak with either the Turkey cold or made into Rissoles. I still have the mincer that my Grandmother used and I still do some of things that we did when I was a child, and those special moments live on for another generation.

Mum makes the most lovely rum truffles, with the proper stuff, not the cheap essence.

Every year, this rather tatty extract from a Woman's Realm Mag appears. I had chance to have a proper glance at it. The receipe is from The Archer's Country Cookbook by Martha Woodford published in 1977.

I can certainly vouch for the truffles!

4oz dark cooking chocolate
4oz icing sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons double cream
2 tablespoons rum
chocolate vermicelli

Melt the chocolate over a basin of hot water. Beat in the icing sugar,egg yolk,almonds,cream and rum and pound altogether until mixture is smooth, and form into little balls. Roll each truffle in a little vermicelli and coat it.

Bassbuds

Last week I was presented with the opportunity to review a set of Bassbuds.

Personally, I do not find earphones very comfortable so I rarely use them. Therefore having been given the opportunity to review them I was eager to see how they would compare to other headphones, not just in terms of sound quality but also, and for me more importantly comfort.

Upon opening the envelope I was greeted with this. A lovely sold hard cardboard case.

The reverse of the box gives the following information.

Upon opening the box the quality and feel is good and the set comes with a replacement set of the foam for the earphones. Impressive.

Also included with the earphones was a rather lovely little bag for them to live in whilst travelling. These are completely compatible with iPhone and iPad. The set I had was a lovely pink and rather jealous my husband, within the confines of our lounge used these headphones too.

The verdict from us both is they are very good, in terms of style, quality and the sound output is great too. Hubby was suitably impressed that he purchased his own set in a more gender friendly colour!

Connect to BassBuds via  * website * Face Book * Twitter* 

Advent Calendar - 2012 Christmas Tree

Back in 2010 I talked about the Christmas trees I had a child, you can read that post HERE and last year, I approached the theme a little differently; and you can read that post HERE. This year I am taking another different approach!

As some readers will know or may remember, I have not long been home from a trip to Australia. While down under I visited a lovely town called Bright in Victoria and as we wandered down the streets looking at the shops we spotted one that was already in the festive spirit.

Here are a few photos from that trip.

It was really a lovely shop, the trees were decorated beautifully and there were lots of other seasonal goodies to purchase too!

Book Blogger Hop - 30th November - 6th December

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

Hashtag: #BookBloggerHop

Book Blogger Hop is the creation of Jen from Crazy for Books. Since October, the weekly hop has been hosted by a variety of book bloggers all across the globe and for the next two weeks, the hop is visiting Anglers Rest!

So, without further ado....

Question - Apart from being readers, many of us collect books on a specific subject or by a particular author. What books or which author do you collect?

My Answer - I have a pretty substantial collection of genealogical type books. I also collect books about Italian communities in the United Kingdom. One of my favourite author's is Jennifer Chiaverini, known for the series of quilting books set in the fictional quilting retreat known as Elm Creek. I have a complete set of Elm Creek books.

Link back YOUR Friday Book Blogger post and then try to visit at least 3 other sites and comment - hops are a great opportunity to meet new bloggers! (Once you submit your link, you'll need to refresh the page to see your link added to the list).

Postcard Friendship Friday - High Street, Guildford

Submitted as part of Postcard Friendship Friday hosted by The Best Hearts are Crunchy 

Advent.......

Well, tomorrow is the 1st December. Where did 2012 go? I am not sure why I am surprised, it comes the same time of year, every year!

So, to help me get back into the blogging mood and to prepare for Christmas I am taking part in just two blogging advent events this year.

You can find the prompts HERE.

The Advent Calender hosted by Geneabloggers

 You can sign up and read about the tour HERE.

The Advent Tour hosted by Marg at Intrepid Reader and  Kelly. I requested to post on two dates, 18th and 21st December.

Library Loot - 28th Nov - 4 Dec

I have not taken part in a library loot for ages, but I have still been reading and using the library!

I attended the local book group this week, as I was a bit early, I had a wander around the shelves and alas picked up another 3 books!




I also came home with the next book group read which is



As we each collected our copy there seemed to be mixed reactions to the book. As I have not read the book previously or seen the film, I will reserve judgement, but I would be interested in other reader's comments.

Taking part in Library Loot and you can read the details HERE

Remote Control Candle Set (3 pack)

I recently had the opportunity to try and review a rather nifty set of candles!

The remote control set of candles is a rather simple idea and I think positively brilliant! They arrived in a well protected box with the remote control (obviously!)

As you can see from the picture of the box, there are 3 candles, all of a reasonable size.

The candles take AAA batteries, (which are not included) and once these are inserted they give off a lovely subtle glow.

We elected to have these in our bedroom, on a four hour timer, so after 4 hours they simply go out. 

They are ideal night lights for little ones and having tried these I am planning to purchase a set to live on the display unit on the landing between one of our spare rooms and the shower room, as due to the strange electrical wiring this house has, you can not turn the landing light on and off from outside this spare room. The joys of a Victorian house!

Overall impression, is these are a nice and safe alternative to candles. They have a authentic feel to them and because there is no wiring or actual flame they can be safely used indoors and outdoors.

The candles can be purchased from ParamountZone.

Disclaimer - I was provided with a set free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

In Remembrance of William James West (1898 - 1918)

In Remembrance of William James West

William James West was born in Aldershot Hampshire in 1898, the son of William Arthur West, a military man and, Emma Jane Ellis (Harris).

I had always known that my Grandfather's first cousin had died in the First World War, and then I was presented with a photograph of William, such a handsome young man! The moment I saw that photograph I wanted to know all I could about William.

Private William James West served with the 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment. He is Commemorated at: Ligny-Sur-Canche British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. He died of wounds on 5th September 1918, aged just 20 years.

He is commemorated on the War Memorial at Stony Stratford Buckinghamshire, where his parents, William Arthur and Emma Jane West lived & ran their newsagents business at 63 High Street.

I submitted the details for William James to the First World War Digital Archive whilst material could be submitted. As I wanted to further preserve the details of William.

William James had two army numbers and was Private T4/212898 William James West, Army Service Corps, and later was 51275, 1st Bn. Cheshire Regiment. His T4 Army Service Corps prefix indicates he once served in transport.

As I said I submitted his details to the Digital Archive and they further spotted a detail I had not known about the photograph, as he is rather oddly, pictured above wearing a 'lamb and flag' cap badge, relevant to neither unit he was known to have served in, (unless he served for a time in the small Army Service Corps Armoured Car Companies, recruited from transport personnel. Their 'Light Armoured Motor Batteries', operative in Palestine, wore a similar badge unofficially).

Bombing during the Second World War destroyed some of the records from the First World War.

I was lucky, in that William James's record survived and is a total of 24 pages detailing when he enlisted, his service and which regiment he was attached to and then, finally his gun shot wound to the chest leading to his death in 1918, just months before the war ended.

I have downloaded a copy of his Service Record and have just noticed a mention of the Devonshire Regiment that I had been unaware of.

His medal card, confirms what medals his family were entitled to claim after his death and this corresponds with the Service Record.

May he rest in peace and know that even though he paid the ultimate sacrifice he is still firmly in the heart of his family.

Weekend Cooking - Devil Delight's Pancakes

As some of you may know we spent 5 weeks recently in Australia. What a wonderful time we had, with family and friends and visiting new places and revisiting some others.

We had the chance to spend a few days in Sydney before returning home and stumbled across a restaurant in Darling Harbour called Pancakes on the Rocks where we consumed the most enormous and delicious chocolate pancake served with strawberries and both ice cream and cream, known on the menu as Devil's Delight. 

A very fitting name for something so delicious!

Taking part in Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads

100 Word Challenge - Week 65

Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. This week the prompt is to use the following prompt. Total word allowance - 100 

Copyright - Julia's Place

She walked through the dense forest, glancing over her shoulder every now and again hoping that she was not going to be spooked by someone. She glanced down at her notes and the instructions, which advised her to follow the orange dots to the secret rendezvous.

So far she had counted 9 orange dots and there didn’t seem to be any let up soon. Goodness knows how far she had walked. She hoped there would be opportunity for a sit down and a coffee at the rendezvous, but only time would tell. Of course what was the point of the secrecy?

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #65

Ramblings from my Desk.....(10)

Hello, I am back with you all.

As some of my regular readers will be aware, I headed off to see family and friends in the wonderful country, known as Australia.

Being a regular blogger I organised a series of posts and expected the posts to publish as scheduled. I have checked today and see that whilst I was away enjoying Spring down under Blogger has changed the interface and it has upset and lost a series of scheduled posts, so apologies if you wondered where I had gone! Needless to say, I am not overly impressed and can not get to grips with the new interface.

Being back home and at work has been a challenge and I found myself feeling incredibly miserable. Work was shocking and I simply felt, by the end of two days that enough was enough. So with some deliberation I came home, sat at my computer and typed my resignation. So in a period of around 30 minutes I had written the letter, emailed it and had it accepted. The wonders of modern technology. There are no regrets and I am feeling a deep sense of inner peace and contemplation at the road of discoveries ahead.

In the meantime, I am seeking to catch up on some overdue posts and reviews, and not to mention research. Along the way, I shall share some of the adventures of our holiday down under and catch up on the posts from our second holiday in Jersey last year.

So, until next time....probably during the course of next week. I seem to be in dreadful need of sleep and adjusting to an English Autumn!

Weekend Cooking - St Fagins

Back in July I headed up to Cardiff to spend the weekend with hubby who was away working as part of the Olympics. We awoke on a Saturday morning to glorious sunny weather and the forecast of temperatures in the mid 20s.

The place we decided to visit was St Fagin's National History Museum. St Fagins is a living museum located just outside of Cardiff. We had a fabulous day there, entry was free of charge and there is a small fee made for parking. It was a lovely day in terms of location, weather and company.

As I said, it is a living museum, and there are buildings, workshops and houses occupied and decorated in period costume, features and dress. Included in this is a shop and it is these photographs that I am using as part of my Weekend Cooking post.

There was something incredibly fascinating in this old shop. Seeing the packaging of earlier times, things I remember my Grandmother keeping, and the old scales, not too dissimilar from those I used in my early pharmacy career days, when we did actually make ointments, rather that sending off for it to be made in a lab and the most we do now is slap a label on the pot!

My mind was cast back to stores from my Grandmother of visiting the grocery shop and being served. Provisions being weighed out, such as tea, before moving onto baker's shop, butcher's shop and purchasing food for a day or so. The days before fridges & freezers, supermarkets and home delivery.

Taking part in Weekend Cooking hosted by BethFishReads