Another National Service picture from 1953-ish in Germany, this time at a camp near Brunswick.The vehicle is either the NAAFI wagon, or the Malcom Club ? I think the Malcom club was unique to the RAF but if it wasn't I'm sure I shall be put right. The chap in the gauntlets was 'Ginger' Stone but I can't remember the other man.
This camp had been a Wehrmacht base and we actually inherited one of their cooks. It was he who taught me to cook "Veege". A splendid fellow. We had no problems with him and he had none with us. It isn't ordinary people that have the problems is it ?
Picture 2 is self explicit and is:-
"Liquidamber tree
Still retaining some leaves when
Others have none left"
Roger called round and we had a Picasa half-hour, but I think he prefers other programmes. As he says "it all depends what you get used to". He is right of course. But Picasa 3 suits me well enough for most of my photographic and archiving needs.
Y continues to make progress with her laptop and Vista and this evening we have downloaded Google Talk so she can chat to Hannah and Miles. We watched Claudia's "It Takes Two" show and Jodie and Ian were very gracious. Jodie is a classic English Rose although at 6'2" she is unusually tall. but so graceful and with such poise and obvious 'breeeding'.
For lunch I cooked some 'lost label' fish from the freezer. I had thought it Trout but now think either Bass or Sea Bream. Whichever, it was delicious and a joy to cook. The fillets easily lifted off the skeleton and the skin, but the flesh had remained moist and flavoursome.
Tomorrow morning Bungus, AnonymousRob and I are meeting for an hour in Shirebook and whether we visit a pub or a cafe will be decided around 11.30am when we find each other on The Market Place. This may be problematic. Shirebrook Market Place is almost the size of Tiananmen Square, and a quick google tells me it is market day. Resourcefulness will surely triumph however !
Comments
Jill ..... Nothing wrong with "a straight-forward photograsph" at all. I was only experimenting !
I seem to remember Y telling me that Ro was very fit and also a talented boxer in his younger days.
Although I was certainly prepared to be huffy about Strictly Come Dancing I actually quite enjoyed it. But my word - aren't the judges cringingly jumped-up and self important. I used to like Len but I'm going off him fast. Now Jodie has gone, my votes will go for Austin, unless he makes a right pigs ear of it.
I wasn't talking about frozen 'roast potatoes' - we've never tried them - it's so easy to pop a real one in the oven. What I was talking about was Aldi Oven Chips being cut from Maris Piper p0tatoes. The variety is also good for 'roasting' was my point.
Bungus ..... Hawthorn and Elderflower smell fine. The only real cat-pee smell is flowering currant !
I am sure that David will read your praise of JD's painting, and pass it on to him. He will be much encouraged.
Rostellen was indeed the house on Derby Road, Mansfield, opposite the Tech .... but atcually within the Sutton in Ashfield boundary. I had no idea that your cousin lived next door. When would that be ? The neighbours during our time were Wally on the Coxmoor Side and Harry Wakefield on the Mansfield side.
Lovely National Service reminiscences. Keep them coming. I consider it important to record these things while we are still around and 'compos' enough to write them down.
Thanks for your good wishes for the recovery of Sky and Brooke. Both have been off school today. It was good to exchange a couple of sentences with Sandra this morning and to hear her sounding so positive about her op. Excellent news.
Quotation time ..........
"The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not."
Eric Hoffer
"Tuck youselves in well - its going to be a cold night"
"Catch you tomorrow"
"Shirebrook here I come"
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"Catch you tomorrow"
"Shirebrook here I come"
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3 comments:
I hope your outing to Shirebrook goes well today, it's sunny here and not quite so cold.
In your liquidamber photo, what are those blue Dr.Who-looking objects, I take it they are in the street?
We went to the huge Tescos at Osterly yesterday, on our pre- Christmas trip, mostly buying non-foods, things like wrapping paper and ribbons, tinfoil, plastic wrap, toiletries, a new electric kettle, bulbs, batteries etc. We are not keen on their meat or fish, but did buy another brand of sausages that they sell, and some fruit and veg, eggs and tinned stuff, and I got a ashmere (not very good quality) sweater for £20.
It took us all so long - there are two floors of it - we went to the cafe for lunch. It is a very bleak spartan space, with fixed tables and chairs. (you can put your laden trolley in a locked cupboard for a refundable £1). We had a bowl of vegetable soup each (good). shared a packet of egg sandwiches (OK), R had a mince pie and we both had mugs of latte, and there was change from £6.00. Not as good as your Ikea breakfasts but not bad....
I've now got a bowl of blue hyacinths in bud on the kitchen window sill too, thank you for reminding me....
Your Malcolm Club, I suppose, was the equivalent of our Sally Army Van which came out to us when we were engaged on Field Engineering, ie, eg, laying explosive charges, learning ‘knots & lashings’ & ‘parbuckling’, building barbed wire entanglements and digging 4 Man Atomic Trenches (I never blew up an actual railway line because there was a rail strike the day we were supposed to go, and I was posted before learning how to build a Bailey Bridge).
The Sally army were very much appreciated. I think I always had a doughnut and a Lyons’ apple pie with a mug of char.
You almost echo my point that the Tripolitanians did not much care whether thay had a king or a revolution o long as they were left alone.
Thanks for the illustrated haiku.
I have no doubt you will have found Rob and myself in spite of the daunting size of the market place. He will be smartly turned out for work and I shall be as shirt-out fashionably underdressed as the bitter (but sunny) weather allows. And there is always a chance that we shall be drawn to you as moons to a planet.
I boxed in the army. At 13 stone I was considered overwight and 'volunteered' for ‘boxing training’. This entailed going for a 5 mile run at 6.00 in the morning, being served a freshly cooked breakfast on return, and MISSING FIRST PARADE. Great!
I never fought an actual bout but, in sparring, feinted a couple of times and then found myself supine on my pit. I thought someone had hit me on the back of the head with a lump of 4x2 but apparently I had taken a decisive right on the temple and been knocked cold. I received no medical attention whatsoever.
After all the hard work I got down to 12½ stone but was 13stone on demob. I am now 12½ but not boxing.
From the bits I have seen through being in the same room as the telly, you are right about the ‘Strictly’ judges. But, for me, that matches them perfectly with the host!
Scent is a very personal thing. I think only frying bacon, newly baked bread and fresh coffee appeal to everyone.
I hope David will not give JD the impression that I am an Expert!
We have spoken before about my cousin Janet and her husband (your neighbours on Derby Road). They were keen racing cycliste who were killed in a car accident.
You mentioned a prefab at the bottom of Rostellen’s garden. It seems to have served much the same purpose as Jessica’s caravan and the hut at 31 Eakring Road, Mansfield, where I was born and spent my first 31 years. I did have to share the hut with my dad’s garden tools.
I thank you for your encouragement. I had thought that perhaps I was swinging the lamp too freely with my war stories.
Thanks also for comments about Sandra. Her hand use is almost back to normal and with improved function. She now waits to see if the other one needs doing, reassured that it will be a not too unpleasant experience.
Once more, thinking of myself, which I am quite good at, I find your quote fits me like a well worn sock.
Jill:
No wonder you got your Tesco sweater at a bargain price, The ‘c’ was missing!
Even here in Indian country we have the supermarket trolley lockers. Once one has worked out how to operate them they are useful.
PS
I have just got out of the bath. I hate thick fluffy face cloths. I lke the old, worn, thin, almost transparent ones (don’t get paranoid Sandra; you are not old in spite of having several great-great nephews and nieces). But no sooner have I got one nicely wet than it dippears to the laundry. This morning I had to use a half of one that is more normally use to wipe round the taps and, no doubt, even less savoury things.
It was good to meet up with the blogmeister and Bungus in Shirebrook today. We all agreed that none of the catering establishments will feature in any good food guide, but the company was the main thing. I do not intend to embarrass Bungus by mentioning he could not find us when we were in his 'backyard'; I leave that to RG who knows him better. I think technology, or someone's lack of knowledge of how to use it, was at fault. Anyway, the important thing was that we found each other, and I promised Bungus not to mention his inability to find a cafe in a small town even when given precise directions, so I won't.
This afternoon I went to a small-ish supermarket to see someone who works there. That person was not at work today but will be tomorrow. As I can't re-visit tomorrow I asked for a contact phone number and was told, by the manager, that I could not have one as it was "against the Data Protection Act to give out phone numbers." So when I got home I googled the store and found the phone number. The mind boggles. Is it any wonder I'm p'd off with my job?
European action tonight and Elaine will be watching the second part of Survivors. The first part seemed really good but I shall be watching Utd on my PC. Are there any non-pc jokes concerning PCs, or even PC Plods? Surely there must be!
Rob
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