King Charles III

A coronation is defined as "The act or occasion of crowning." It's a symbolic religious ceremony when the crown is physically placed on the monarch's head. In the United Kingdom, the BBC notes, the coronation formalizes "The monarch's role as the head of the Church of England and marks the transfer of their title and powers." So even though King Charles III acceded to the throne immediately upon the passing of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, this will be the official moment he is crowned king.

How beautiful is the Coronation Invitation. It was designed by Andrew Jamieson, a heraldic artist and manuscript illuminator whose work is inspired by the chivalric themes of Arthurian legend. The original artwork for the invitation was hand-painted in watercolour and gouache, and the design is printed on recycled card, with gold foil detailing. Central to the design is the motif of the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign. The shape of the Green Man, crowned in natural foliage, is formed of leaves of oak, ivy and hawthorn, and the emblematic flowers of the United Kingdom. 

The British wildflower meadow bordering the invitation features lily of the valley, cornflowers, wild strawberries, dog roses, bluebells, and a sprig of rosemary for remembrance, together with wildlife including a bee, a butterfly, a ladybird, a wren and a robin. Flowers appear in groupings of three, signifying The King becoming the third monarch of his name. 

A lion, a unicorn and a boar – taken from the coats of arms of the Monarch and Her Majesty’s father, Major Bruce Shand – can be seen amongst the flowers. Her Majesty’s arms are now enclosed by the Garter, following her installation as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter last summer.

God Save Our Gracious King

He has a hard act to follow but I think he will do a good job.

   Be safe and well

Polly x

What I'm Loving

My Kindle. As a bookaholic I wasn't sure about using a Kindle, but I love it. It was a gift from my daughter and son-in-law for for Mother's Day. I've read one book, and have downloaded another 6, Amazon have amazing deal days. 

It has two elasticated handles and a stand.

I will still read books, one of my reading groups get books suggested by our library. 

o0o

Darling little birds hopping around the garden for nest building material. I've replaced the coir lining in two of my hanging baskets, leaving the old broken up ones in a shrub for them to use. I've seen some sweet little sparrows carrying bits almost as big as themselves!

o0o

Warmer sunny days and the countryside greening up.

o0o

Spring bulbs still blooming - daffodils and tulips, and now the bluebells are blooming too.

o0o

Binge watching 'Better Call Saul' on Netflix. It's a spin off from Breaking Bad where Saul was a seedy, unscrupulous lawyer. He has turned over a new leaf, he's quite nice now, and people like him. He is a bit 'colourful' now and again though!

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

A Nice Walk

I've recently joined the U3A and their walking group. My first outing with them last Tuesday was a very nice 4 mile local walk starting in Little Waltham  

Through some lovely countryside

Into the pretty village of Great Waltham

Back to Little Waltham to the pub for a meal. I had fish n chips.

It was a lovely walk, the weather was good and we had some sunshine.

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

A Good Read

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart. In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s grim spare bedroom because she won’t let him use her sitting room. After being suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies, he is angry and turns to the world wide web for professional advice. There he finds the charismatic, odious, and sinister Bryn, and the dark world of incel—involuntary, celibate—forums. He is on a downward spiral with no chance of working out how to stop it.

I felt a tad sorry for Owen, let down by his family, no support from anyone, awkward and out of step with society.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, mum Cate, a physiotherapist, dad Roan, a child psychologist, and teenagers Josh and Georgia.

Saffyre Maddox has spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. When her therapy ends she feels abandoned, and, as a means to maintain a connection, she starts following him, but learns more than she wanted to about Roan. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre disappears.

Atmospheric writing with dark, tense, twists and turns, this book is unputdownable.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

St George's Day

Happy St George's Day

St George is known as a heroic knight in shining armour slaying a ferocious, fire-breathing dragon. It's thought he was born in the 3rd century AD in Cappadocia (modern day Turkey), died in Lydda (modern day Israel) and his tomb was in Lod and was a centre of Christian pilgrimage.

It's likely that he was an officer in the Roman army, joining the retinue of Emperor Diocletian. It is thought that during the persecutions of the Emperor, George was executed for refusing to make a sacrifice in honour of the pagan gods, and like many saints he was depicted as a martyr after he died for his Christian faith.

His reputation for virtue and holiness spread across Europe and his feast day – the 23rd April – was celebrated in England from the 9th century onwards. He became popular with English kings. Edward I had banners bearing the emblem of St George (a red cross on a white background) and Edward III had a strong interest in the saint and owned a relic of his blood. 

The St George cross was not used to represent England until the reign of Henry VIII, and the dragon was added later. The story goes that St George rode into Silene (modern day Libya) to free the city from a dragon who had a taste for humans, but it’s a story which post-dates the real George by several centuries! It's a good story though.

Although he wasn't born in England, or never even visited, various kings were fond of him so he became our Patron Saint.

∼ Be safe and well ∼ 
Polly x

15 Minute City

I read recently that the city of Oxford has become the battleground for a conspiracy theory that equates the introduction of 15-minute cities with locking people in their neighbourhoods. (Don't you just love a good conspiracy theory!) The backlash against the County Council’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and traffic filters has become a controversial hot potato.

The term “15-minute city” has been a hot topic in the world of urban planning for years, with urbanists, architects and local authorities championing the concept as a way of better designing our cities for modern living and the transition to net zero. The concept of the 15-minute city is that urban centres should be designed so that everything a person needs - work, education, shops and leisure - is within a 15-minute walk or cycle from their home.

Last year Oxford's city council approved a 20-year urban development plan to create neighborhoods where essential services are accessible by walking no more than 15 minutes. But the reason for the recent protests is the County Council’s proposal to introduce six new traffic filters on key connecting roads around the city. Automatic number plate recognition cameras will monitor cars passing through, with a fine of £70 issued to drivers who are not exempt. The goals of the scheme being to reduce unnecessary car journeys within the city, a net zero transport network, and zero road fatalaties. As a consequence, the streets will be much safer for pedestrians and cyclists, bus journeys will be much faster, and the overall atmosphere of the town will be more pleasant. Residents of the city will be permitted 100 days per year in which they can travel through the filters with no charge. When the trial period of the scheme begins, it will be accompanied by a public consultation to assess the impact and public support.

Living where I do in a village I can't access any of the above amenities without using my car or the every two hour bus service. But if I lived in a town or city and those amenities were nearby I would welcome a 15 minute walk. I know many of the children attending the village school live well within a 15 minute walk from home but many are transported by their mums in their shiny 4WD's.

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

A Good Read

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

627 miles in 87 days is how far Harold Fry walked after receiving a letter one morning in mid-April. The letter is from Queenie Hennessey. Twenty years have passed since they worked together at the brewery, and now Queenie was writing to say goodbye as she was dying from cancer. Harold writes a short reply and sets off to post it. However at the post box he has a kind of epiphany, he decides to deliver the letter in person. Wearing only a waterproof jacket over his shirt and trousers, and moccasins on his feet, none of the usual gear that one would need for a journey of this magnitude, he sets off for Berwick-upon-Tweed. Along the way he experiences memories of his childhood, meeting his wife, becoming a parent, meeting Queenie. Lots of memories and regrets. He also meets lots of lovely people.

There were times when I felt frustrated at Harold’s refusal of help, and why embark on such a journey without adequate clothing and footwear. I know it was a spur of the moment thing but surely he could have popped back home first. But then that's me, I have to do things the right way!

As well as a pilgrimage I think it was also a kind of penance, as if Harold was punishing himself for his shortcomings. Overall I did enjoy it, and would recommend it.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Easter

I like hot cross buns as much as I like mince pies but I don't eat as many, and I don't usually do comparisons, but Aldi's luxury range are very good, they're not squelchy like some are.

The history of hot cross buns is a bit fuzzy, but they likely date back to the Middle Ages when it was a cultural institution to share sweet sacrifices with the gods. Many believe that monks first developed hot cross buns in the 1300s, then distributed them to feed the poor. In the late 1500s, when many English citizens believed the buns had magical or healing powers, Queen Elizabeth I began restricting their sale to only Good Friday, Christmas, and funerals so the magic wouldn't be abused. That's when many home bakers began whipping up their own hot cross buns.

Easter is synonymous with hot cross buns. Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, they mark the end of the Christian season of Lent, and different parts of the hot cross bun have a certain meaning - the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, the spices signify the spices used to embalm him and the orange peel reflects the bitterness of his time on the Cross.

As well as Christian origins there are links to pagan beliefs as well. The Saxons baked buns marked with a cross at the beginning of spring in honour of the goddess Eostre, which could very likely be the origin of the name Easter. Eostre was a fertility goddess of humans and crops. The traditional colors of the festival are green, yellow and purple. The symbols of rabbits and eggs represent fertility, and the cross represented the rebirth of the world after winter, and the four quarters of the moon.

Some historians believe that the contemporary hot cross bun originates from St Albans in England, where, in 1361 Brother Thomas Rodcliffe, a 14th-century monk at St Albans Abbey, developed a similar recipe called an 'Alban Bun' and distributed the buns to the poor on Good Friday.

The first definite record of hot cross buns comes from a London street cry: "Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross buns", which appeared in Poor Robin's Almanac for 1733. This then became the popular 

Hot-cross buns!

Hot-cross buns!

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

If you have no daughters,

Give them to your sons;

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot-cross buns!

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

A Good Read

One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
The setting is Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival, the street is crowded with people lining up to get into a venue. A man steps out into the road without looking, a Peugeot breaks suddenly to avoid hitting him and a Honda behind crashes into the Peugeot. The angry Honda driver gets out of his car and attacks the driver of the Peugeot. A bystander in the crowd throws his briefcase at the Honda guy, clipping him on the shoulder, and stopping the beating long enough for the police to arrive.
This accidental incident sets  off a chain reaction of events, and Jackson Brodie who is an innocent bystander gets drawn into what happens next. 
This is the second Jackson Brodie novel, and another good read. I like the characters that Kate Atkinson creates, I like reading about their lives, how events unfold and how they all become connected.

Each chapter is told from a different point of view, with a different character as its focus. The first chapter is told from the point of view of Peugeot Guy, the second by the gentle man who threw the briefcase. There is the wife of a shady real estate developer, a retired policeman whose girlfriend is acting in a Fringe production, a fading comedian whose career is bottoming out at the Fringe, and probably some others I have forgotten.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

A Nice Day Out

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Last Monday my friend M and I enjoyed a day out in Covent Garden. It was a day trip with our favourite coach company. Picked up near home, dropped off in the  theatre district and collected from there 5 hours later.

We had a lovely time browsing around all the lovely shops then lunch, and glorious weather was an added bonus.

oOo

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Paul O'Grady, I was a huge fan. He will be sorely missed, not least of all by the staff at Battersea Dog's Home where he was a much loved ambassador who helped raise the profile of Battersea to millions around the world through the hugely popular ITV series 'Paul O'Grady For The Love of Dogs'.

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

A Very Good Read

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

In the 1580’s a couple living in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. The boy Hamnet died aged eleven. Four years or so later, the father wrote a play called Hamlet.

The story starts on a summer’s day in 1596. A young girl takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?

Their mother Agnes, is over a mile away tending her garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of their children will not survive the week.

This beautifully written novel, almost poetic in places, is inspired by the son of a famous playwright. The playwright is never mentioned by name, just referred to as husband, father, brother or son. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief.

It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; a flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker’s son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is the tender reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day 

to all the wonderful, loving, caring Mums

My daughter and I are being taken out to lunch to Cosy Club. My daughter took me there for my birthday a couple of years ago. It's a lovely place, a combination of art deco with a feel of Cuba. Last time we went they did a fabulous cherry bakewell cocktail, I hope it's still on the menu 😋 

My lovely daughter and son-in-law have bought me a Kindle.

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

St Patrick's Day

 

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Born in Wales somewhere around AD 385 Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It's thought he was carried off by pirates and spent six years in slavery before escaping and training as a missionary.
The most famous story about Saint Patrick is him driving the snakes from Ireland. He died on 17th March in AD 461 and this day has since been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day.

I often wonder how much fact is in such stories, and how much is elaborated for a good story as they get passed down through generations.

∼ Be warm and well∼

    Polly x

Thoughts On A Chromebook

I see Rufus got his paws on the chromebook, telling everyone that I eat too much chocolate!

I've been using my chromebook for 5 months now, and, like many things in life it depends what you want to achieve. It's good for most things I want to do.

I can:

Edit and publish my blog posts

Buy items online

Play games online

Access Netflix and most TV stations

It's neat, compact and lightweight with a good size screen and a fast processor. 

There are a couple of negatives:

I create quite a few documents, Google documents aren't as easy to use as windows, sometimes it's very frustrating.

Once something is deleted it's gone, no changing your mind, it doesn't have a recycle bin.

Overall I'm happy with it, but if I buy a new one in the next few years I will buy a laptop.

∼ Be warm and well∼

    Polly x

Rufus' Diary

Hello dear reader, Rufus here, I hope you are well. I don't have much news.

   

We've had some frosty mornings followed by beautiful sunny days.

We saw this on one of our walks, someone had put it on top of the fence.

Polly thinks it's a skull but she doesn't know what animal it was.

Pretty spring flowers are blooming, hopefully heralding some slightly warmer weather, and let me tell you dear reader it can't come soon enough, Polly is morose and lethargic, I recently heard her say all she wants to do is eat chocolate and watch Netflix!! She does go out with friends for lunch or coffee though, she's working on the dolls house, and she's made a start on tidying the garden. So she's making an effort to get off the sofa 😀

   Be warm and well     

Rufus 🐾

St David's Day

Happy St David's Day

St David is the patron saint of Wales. He was born in the year 500, the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, King of Ceredigion. According to legend, his mother St Non gave birth to him on a Pembrokeshire clifftop during a fierce storm. The spot is marked by the ruins of Non's Chapel, and a nearby holy well is said to have healing powers.

St David became a renowned preacher founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Brittany and southwest England – including, possibly, the abbey at Glastonbury. He reputedly made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, from which he brought back a stone that now sits in an altar at St David's Cathedral, built on the site of his original monastery.

St David died on the 1st March 589 and was buried at the site of St David's Cathedral, where his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages. His last words to his followers came from a sermon he gave on the previous Sunday ‘Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.’ The phrase ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’ - ‘Do the little things in life’ - is still a well-known maxim in Wales.

 〜 Be warm and well 〜

Polly x 

A Good Read

The Foundling by Stacey Halls

Founded in 1739 The Foundling Hospital in London was established to care for abandoned babies, mostly due to extreme poverty. A token and a number was given to the mother when she handed over her baby, which would then be presented when the mother was ready to claim the child. Many babies were near death and did not make it through their first year. The healthy ones often made it into the homes of the rich against the mothers wishes who were branded 'insane'. 

This story is about two women from very different backgrounds whose lives become entwined through one little girl.

Our very young protagonist Bess Bright is forced to part with her daughter the day after she was born. Bess knows it will take several years before she has enough money to retrieve Clara and give her a home. This hope gives her the strength to work and be patient.

Six years later Bess returns to reclaim her daughter, to be told that Clara was reclaimed by her the day after she put her into care. Bess is in turmoil as she sets about trying to find out who has taken her little girl - and why. When she questions the governors of the Foundling, they have no answers. Not one to give up though Bess goes back and is introduced to doctor Mead who says he will try to help her.

Less than a mile from Bess' lodgings in the city, in a quiet, gloomy townhouse on the edge of London, Alexandra, a young widow, has not left her house in a decade. Doctor Mead is a close friend of Alexandra, and, in an effort to help both women, he  persuades the widow to hire Bess as a nursemaid for her daughter.

The period setting is superb and the characterisation is excellent. The theme is heart-breaking and unforgiving. Life for the poor and vulnerable in 1700’s London was grim. You can feel the poverty, the cold, the slum dwellings, the despair.

∼ Be warm and well∼ 

x Polly x

Doors

Doors from India

I visited India in 2009

I like doors, these are from Delhi and Rajasthan

∼ Be warm and well ∼

  Polly x