The Journal's Graeme Whitfield takes you behind the headlines in his newsroom blog »
Environment campaigner Anna Heywood writes on ethical living »
Malcolm Clarke on life as a professional pool player »
Brenda Boyd - the life and times of a morris dancer »
David Brennan from the website Enjoying Photography writes about how to take good photos »
Emily Sillar, from the Comfort Food Company on North-East food »
Write Said Fred - view from the pram with six-month-old Fred Telfer »
Rebecca Young finds fashion on a budget »
Local GP John Mackay writes about the NHS »
Mark Robertson of the Northumber-March 2008 Archives
Ooh Err Mrs
Posted by Brenda Boyd on March 1, 2008 4:25 PM
Last night I finally managed to prize off a pair of speakers my late husband Phil had fixed to wall above the kitchen door. They used to be linked to the music centre in the living room so we could listen to cd’s whilst washing up or cooking. They ceased to function after Number One Son turned the volume up to 11 when he was a toddler. After the best part of two decades the adhesive pads had finally degraded sufficiently to pull the speakers off the wall and cut away the redundant cables.
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Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Posted by Rebecca Young on March 1, 2008 9:10 PM
Chanel kicked off one of the hottest trends of the Spring/Summer season in their ready-to-wear show back in October last year. The fact that Kate Moss wore one of the outfits featured in this show for her 34th birthday, further established the star print as one of the “must-have” pieces to bring your wardrobe bang up to date.
Of course, most of us don’t have the £5, 490 Kate splashed out on her Chanel birthday outfit but, as always, the high street has come up trumps with their own versions of the trend. One of my personal favourites (and a recent addition to my wardrobe) is a little black chiffon dress with white stars on from New Look. At £25, it’s definitely within the price range of us mere mortals! Dorothy Perkins also have a lovely cream blouse with bow detail and metallic star print at £28.
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March seasonal food
Posted by Anna Heywood on March 2, 2008 3:45 PM
The garden is beginning to wake up for the year and a few early spring vegetable varieties and herbs are starting to burst through.
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The Witches of Edlingham - Apology Needed?
Posted by on March 2, 2008 6:43 PM
Witches are again in the news, admittedly after a fairly substantial absence. Many of my generation will recall the superb Hammer version of 'Witchfinder General' with Vincent Price as Matthew Hopkins, winnowing the alleged ranks of the imps of Satan in East Anglia during the Civil Wars.
The obsession with witches persisted until well into the twentieth century - in 1944 a medium, Helen Duncan, was gaoled for offences under the 1735 Witchcraft Act after an allegation of treason foundered. In fact she had revealed in the course of a seance that HMS Barham had gone down with 861 souls on November 25th 1941. This was not public news as the Admiralty had chosen to try and conceal the fact of her loss and the casualties.
Even in the febrile climate of 1941, with Britain under enormous pressure, this seems rather far-fetched, an apology is now being canvassed.
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Stirring
Posted by Mark Robertson on March 3, 2008 12:13 PM
It has been a while since I wrote and I got a question about Cheesehead. Taking it on face value, I would suspect the harder and thicker the cheese the better the outcome for sculpting.
Can't quite see it with a runny brie - can you?
I was reminded by a good friend about my sail across the Atlantic in 2006 and as I said on my 1st blog; I tend to have a go at things if it seems a "good Idea".
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Reverend Paisley
Posted by Brenda Boyd on March 4, 2008 10:42 PM
Hearing on the News at Ten that the Reverend Ian Paisley is stepping down reminded me of an incident with a fellow Catholic friend of mine a few years ago when the boys were small.
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Queeziness
Posted by Mark Robertson on March 6, 2008 12:29 PM
Thank you The Doog; in a word I get sick too, although decreasingly so; I am told Nelson used to be sick as well, so as I fire my imaginery broadsides at whoever I feel I am in good company.
Though to be serious; it is no joke so I swallowed my pride when I embarked on my Atlantic voyage and took Sturgeron (spelling). Brilliant except I got the dose wrong at times and slept through the wake up call for my watch on two occasions.
And I can tell you ex-Chief Petty Officer (submarines) do NOT like that. I was on scrubbing decks after that.
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Never Leave Home Without One
- Tags:
- camera
- enjoying photography
- money
Posted by David Brennan on March 7, 2008 4:30 PM
If you have even the slightest interest in photography you should always carry a camera around with you, no matter where you are. Most mobiles nowadays have decent cameras in them so there is no excuse but should you need more convincing there are 5 reasons below that will hopefully change your mind.
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Clothes swap
Posted by Anna Heywood on March 10, 2008 1:08 PM
A fantastic opportunity to clear out the clothes that you no longer wear and exchange them for something you will.
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Something about a soldier
Posted by on March 10, 2008 8:07 PM
Uniforms are much in the news, but more on that as we progress. Going for a soldier has generally been an unpopular career choice throughout history; drunken, licentious and irrerverent- Kipling rather summed it all up in 'Tommy Atkins'.
Concepts of a uniform system of (usually) regimental dress came around relatively recently, during the Civil Wars when colonels of regiments paid to uniform their men - the ubiquitous red coat became habitual after the formation of the New Model Army in 1645. Before that fighting men were distinguished by badge or livery - medieval footsoldiers wore a coat bearing their Lord's emblem or blazon.
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No shame
Posted by Graeme on March 13, 2008 2:59 PM
A couple of weeks ago I had one of my regular rants about the PR industry, in particular its tendency to send out rubbish surveys which will never be covered in a newspaper.
To illustrate my point, I made up a silly (and clearly fictitious) survey about macademia nuts, but I've learned this week that however stupid you try to be, someone in PR-land might just top you.
"Are Geordies & Mackems becoming Latin lovers?" reads a press release that landed in our email inbox recently.
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Shopping Dilemma
Posted by Rebecca Young on March 17, 2008 8:57 PM
I always find this time of year really awkward when it comes to deciding what to wear and what to buy. Although in the North East the weather is generally cold, wet and windy, it gets to a point when the last thing you want to do is pull on another woolly jumper or thick pair of tights. But at the same time, you’d look a bit ridiculous walking the streets wearing a summer dress and flip flops!
I hit the shops this weekend in the hope of finding some new clothes to help my transition from winter woolies to spring brights, but came away pretty much empty handed (bar a couple of pairs of shoes, more of which later.)
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Chateau Midden: Flying Pig
Posted by Brenda Boyd on March 19, 2008 1:21 PM
I’m the first to admit that I am not the world’s best housewife.
I particularly hate doing the stairs. The hoover has not been invented that will do the job properly. The main bit is too big and the attachment only sucks and doesn’t sweep. There’s also the pain of pulling the whole thing up behind you. Or the danger of leaving it at the top of the stairs and waiting for it to topple and descend onto you when you’re half way down. So I end up doing them with a handbrush, which takes ages but means they're done properly.
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In the words of Alanis Morissette...
Posted by Write Said Fred on March 23, 2008 3:57 PM
Isn’t it (or more accurately, aren’t I) ironic?
How ironic can a seven month old baby be you may ask... well check this out.
Picture the scene. It’s mine and mum’s first Mother’s Day, the cards have been opened, the pressies approved, the happy tears have been shed and a lovely lunch has been had by all.
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Numeracy
Posted by Brenda Boyd on March 23, 2008 7:42 PM
Tyne Bridge had an excellent practice this Thursday evening with 12 dancers turning up.
This allowed us to practice the double Rose & Crown for Mrs Quilt’s birthday do and go through most dances twice.
In the case of Goostrey we had two entirely different sets. The first was made up mostly of old hands who know the dance and their positions well. The second included novices and those who had moved positions in order to accommodate people who need to learn a particular position.
The Deputy Squire went up to the set to explain some finer details but was stopped short by Mrs Quilt, who held up a magisterial hand saying:-
“Excuse me – but we’ve got seven people out of place here!”
Goostrey is, of course, a six person dance.
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Chateau Midden: cordless ‘phone
Posted by Brenda Boyd on March 27, 2008 7:52 PM
Tyne Bridge Morris has our first dance out of 2008 this Saturday at Morpeth Gathering. Number Two Son has just reminded me of something that happened at Morpeth Gathering a couple of years ago.
Tyne Bridge Morris’ kit comprises blue skirt and waistcoat, white blouse, black tights and clogs and red sash. Some of us are fortunate enough to have big blue woolly jackets to match. As Morpeth can be chilly (it will be this year) I normally take mine to wear when we’re not dancing. I always put my kit on (except clogs) before going to a booking as I can’t be bothered to find places to change – or to carry extra clothing.
However much information I hand/email out, and however often they are told, before most bookings someone will always ‘phone me to check on times, meeting places or whatever. Invariably when I’m upstairs putting tights onto freshly showered legs.
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Itchy Feet and Sticky Fingers
Posted by Emily Sillar on March 28, 2008 9:43 AM
It's been a slow month, on the food front, and not in a good way. However, I can finally report that the rhubarb is starting to sprout and I can see wild garlic leaves appearing along the banks of the river, which means that surely, finally, spring is coming. That said, we are still in the vegetable doldrums (apparently due to a small ploughing error on the estate) and therefore I seem to be eating unfeasible amounts of red meat and potatoes.
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“Get that dragon off!”
Posted by Brenda Boyd on March 30, 2008 10:51 AM
It’s not a call you hear every day (unless you’re into fantasy gaming), especially in Morpeth, even during the Gathering.
It happened like this …
Last Thursday at Tyne Bridge practice the Squire was working out how many and which dancers were coming to Morpeth Gathering. and who would be dancing where in the Procession. Our current processional dance is Churchtown. It can be done by 8 or more dancers, but it really has to be an even number. The team progresses in a column of two abreast – in other words in couples. It was agreed that if we had an even number of dancers I would dance – and if we had an odd number I would be the dragon.
This is the point where children and childlike adults should stop reading as it will spoil the magic for them.
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London, Baby!
Posted by Rebecca Young on March 30, 2008 8:36 PM
It’s been seven years since I was last in London, and after getting a press trip through work to stay in a fancy hotel just round the corner from Harrods, I knew I’d be in for a good time!
I was more than a little excited about the prospect of a weekend in the “big smoke” (just ask anyone in the office – I was practically bouncing off the walls!) and it more than lived up to my expectations, especially when it came to the shops.
Seeing as we were so close, it would have been rude not to go to Harrods first. I knew I was safe in there as pretty much everything was out of my price range! I wandered around, taking in the exquisite surroundings and all the clothes, shoes, bags and accessories and wishing I had more than £20 in my purse. A girl can dream...
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