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Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Born in the year of the Coronation, I'm a Baby Boomer. In April of this year I decided I too would have a Diamond Jubilee celebration and completely change my life and that of my Husband's in the process

Thursday 29 March 2007

Nearly Easter Hols!!!!

I’ve been getting very lax about updating this Journal. Life has been busy and I like to sit and write a complete entry and don’t often have an hour or so to spare.

First some moans about AOL. Since I had a recent connectivity update I keep losing my connection and the only way to sort it is to turn of my Wireless Router Thingummyjig for 30 seconds and start again, this has cost me hours, even on the PC in the office, so it’s obviously nothing to do with a Wireless connection. If this is the way forward………

It's been a horrible week Navywise. First those two poor sailors killed in an explosion on their submarine, whilst under the ice cap. The one lad was from  Halesowen, which is where I grew up and he went to my Dad's Grammar School. He was planning to leave the Royal Navy to get married, that is so sad. This of course worried me because of Simon's job.

As for the 15 held captive by the Iranians, well I won't say much but it's also very upsetting, although this is a scenario that is unlikely to happen to Simon but I do hope they are soon released. Men and woman alike.

Our lovely student teacher, Karina left on Friday, she has been with us for about two months. Talk about a baptism of fire! She’s had to teach my class, which everyone is agreed is the worst class in living memory. I’ve had to take her to one side at times and reassure her that not all children are like this. I bought her a gift and gave her a card and she bought me the most beautiful, soft , pink, leather make-up bag, with a note thanking me for my help.

On Saturday Mike and I had one of our trips out, where we go somewhere that we don’t know. We decided to head for the Staffordshire Moorlands, which we’d heard of but didn’t know where to find them. After finding some places in Staffordshire on the map that looked rural and had ‘Moor’ in the place name (always a good clue) we headed up the M6 and made our way to Cheadle. There was a sign when we got there telling us it was in the Staffordshire Moorlands so we felt we were off to a good start.

We had a very good lunch while we were there, which could have been even better. I ordered Staffordshire Oatcakes with Bacon & Cheddar Cheese. The Oatcakes are a type of soft pancake, which I’ve never had before. I still haven’t had them as they’d sold out!

There is an old church at Cheadle which was decorated by Pugin in the 19thC. Now Inormally like his work but strewth! What was he on when he did this place. There isn’t half an inch of stone work that hasn’t been intricately decorated. I normally love the feel of old churches but this one was so busy I couldn’t wait to get outside, it was giving me a headache!

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After lunch we headed out into the Moorlands. The part we visited didn’t have too many Moors, more Hills and Vales but how pretty it was. Oakamoor is lovely and we were delighted to find it had the remains of a railway station , well, just a platform really, and the old line is now a public footpath. So many old stations have been converted into family homes, it’s a crying shame that this one was demolished.

Oakamoor Station

And this is it today.

 

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 You can walk along the line to Alton Village but we only walked part of the way and then returned to the car to continue driving along the Churnet Valley.

We stopped for tea and toasted teacakes at an old, converted lodge now know as the Ramblers Retreat and then continued our drive. Just a minute later we were amazed by the view in front of us, it was as if we had strayed into France or Germany with the sight before us. If you’ve ever been to Alton Towers, to the Amusement Park, well here is the other side of Alton Towers.

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Monday was a lovely day and I returned from school with a sense of determination to sort out the garden, which has really got away from us over the last couple of years. There was this Pyracantha hedge which had got to ten feet tall and three feet deep. I spent 4 hours trying to cut it back and managed to reduce it’s depth by half and cut a lot of it back to a manageable 6 foot height. This resulted in a lot of scratches, asthey have the most evil thorns and I finally gave up when I managed to puncture a vein, which was a bit frightening when I had blood spurting everywhere and I was on my own at the time. I sorted that out but it meant I was finished for the day.

Tuesday Mike was at home and he had instructions to finish what I’d started, which he did. But, as usual he had managed to acquire a ‘life threatening’ injury. With Mike that’s a compulsory after effect of any hard work. (Sigh) Well, this time he thought he’d broken a finger. I was pretty sure he hadn’t, so gave him some pain-killers with the suggestion that if it got any worse he should go to hospital.

Yesterday morning it was worse and so off to A & E he went. I said I thought it was Gout and he needed to have his wedding ring cut off. He rang me later to say it was Gout and he’d had to have his wedding ring cut off….I think I’m in the wrong profession.

So does that mean I’m not married anymore?

I look like I’ve got Chickenpox as all my scratches have come up in Hives, as a reaction to my Pyracantha piercings, so I’ve had to buy some Anti- Histamine cream. Who says gardening is a pleasure?

Talking of gardening, this may mean nothing to some people but I got home yesterday to find a message on my answer phone from Chris Beardshaw, the TV Gardener, first really seen on TV for his Flying Gardener series. Well it’s not every day you get a TV Celeb on your answer phone is it?

ChrisBeardshawPicture

Anyone want his mobile number? ......Of course, he didn’t want me, it was Mike he was after.

It was Mike’s Mum’s birthday today and he went to see her for lunch. After his 60th birthday present from her of a Flying Lesson, I thought maybe we could get her a Bungee Jump but Mike decided Gardening Vouchers were maybe a better option.

Spent three hours this afternoon making Chocolate, Rice Krispy Nests, each with three, different coloured, sugar coated eggs on top for the whole year group, that's 50 in total. Just let one of them say "I don't like those!"

Catherine, Flo and Isabella are in Tunisia for two weeks, I haven't heard from them so am assuming that no news is good news, although how Catherine will cope without talking to me for a fornight is something I can't imagine. LOL. 

Think that’s about it for now but before I go I want to wish the J Landers who are currently having some major health issues all the best and may all their test results be the best they could possibly be.

Linda. xx

PS I have some other pictures from Saturday and should be viewed larger. I was going to put them at the top but guess what....there's an error!

 

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

it was lovely catching up with you...
lyn

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda,  I've been reading your journals but haven't posted before, I thought it was high time I did!
Loved to read of your outing, my husband Peter and I often do things like that, just take off somewhere for the fun of it.  I now only work two and a half days a week and he does shift work so there are quite a few days where we can have a day out, maybe to a National trust or English Heritage place.  You're right about the old railway stations, they are our history and I feel sure that with some care they could be put to public use somehow.

I hope your scratches and Mike's gout have both improved, poor him, having to have his wedding ring cut off.  Best wishes to you both ~~~ Pat  http://journals.aol.co.uk/pm71blackfen/ramblings-from-pat

Anonymous said...

That's a great view of Alton Towers from the otherside, you forget how nice the buildings and gardens are sometimes

Anonymous said...

have a good weekend:)

Deb

Anonymous said...

Much prefer your view of Alton Towers than the advertised one.
Debbie xxx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/drb1064/whatever

Anonymous said...

I d love to go to alton towers!!Whats the girl doing in the photo?flipping a pancake?Mark recently had a lump cut out of his head and he went on and on about it, i reminded him that i had my waist sliced open and a baby pulled out how do you think that feels?.Did he shut up?no way.Beckie.xx

Anonymous said...

How lovely ,all those rice crispy  eggs,I do hope they apreciate them , I love the pictures can see what you mean about Alton towers turning into another country ,I hope your poor hands are healing up ...love Jan xx

Anonymous said...

 What a lovely day trip you had.  I wish we had something that cool looking to drive to and see.  Hope your hands are better.

              Julie

Anonymous said...

What beautiful pictures! Everything is so GREEN! Not a colour we have seen 'down under' in some time!!! And I agree about the church!  It looks like a bad 70's wallpaper project!
Don't know who your gardener boy is but pretty cute looking! I could watch him garden for a while!
Enjoy the Easter break and send any of those choccy birds nests those ungrateful horrors don't like 'down under'! Chocolate cures everything!

Hugs

Wendy in Oz

Anonymous said...

I love the pics... boy you have been busy!  Poor Mike gout hurts!!!

be well,
Dawn
http://journals.aol.com/princesssaurora/CarpeDiem/

Anonymous said...

Well well well!  Welcome back dear Linda George.   Lovely to read one of your posts and see what you have been up to.  There was me thinking you were up to no good as you haven't been posting (hmmmmm).  Must be the clocks going foward which has livened you up again.  Sounds like you should keep out of the garden .... both of you.  Sorry to hear about your injuries out there, the hedge sounds like a horror to deal with.  Hope you get a nice rest with the Easter break from school and that you have some good things planned.   Hugs, Terry x

Anonymous said...

Nice to read an entry again...you have been so busy! It is great to visit a part of the country you are not familar with isn't it? Lovely pics. Love Conniex

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda
just to recap quickly, my sister moved in with us a couple of months ago when she left her abusive boyfriend, shortly after she confessed that she was gay and had been talking online to an American servicewoman who is serving in Iraq, that's who she went to get from the airport yesterdaymorning. She's very pretty but very full on as most Americans are lol

Nice to see you back again

Kerry

Anonymous said...

Girl, what a wonderful Saturday!

I LOVE the Alton castle...I've picked out my room already. And the Ramblers Retreat!  <sigh>

Sorry you got attacked by the pyracantha bush, those things are posessed, I am sure of it.


Lastly, I am so very sorry that your brave troops are being held by that Horrible Little Man.  Don't get me started on him.  Whatever ya'll decide to do, I'm behind you 100%. (Yeah, I know how dumb that sounds...you know what I mean, I hope.)

;)

Love & Hugs,

Andi

Anonymous said...

What gorgeous pictures!  I am eager to see more.  I am here via carnivAOL.
loving you
karyl

Anonymous said...

What fun to take a tour with you.  I would love to have come upon that beautiful castle.  I came through with the CarnivAOL!
Traci

Anonymous said...

wow!
I love the pics & the way you calmly relate things like BLEEDING!!!!!!!!!!!!
you're a great writer. I can really hear your voice in your prose.
I am a teacher, too.
We should be friends.

Marti
http://journals.aol.com/sunnyside46/MidlifeMusings

Anonymous said...

what a lovely entry! Glad you shared it with CarnivAOL.

I am praying for those Sailors and resolution to the whole situation.. it breaks my heart almost every day to turn on the t.v.

I loveee the pics you have posted, helped me to feel like I was there with you.

Much Love,
Mary