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-May 2008 Archives
May seasonal food - the true season of love
Posted by Anna Heywood on May 2, 2008 10:20 PM
Asparagus, long regarded as one of the foods of love is back!
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May Day Morning
Posted by Brenda Boyd on May 4, 2008 2:29 PM
Dancing at Dawn on Town Moor on May Day morning went well.
It was quite an occasion as it was 30 years since the first dance (we believe), Bodhranman’s 25th consecutive May Day morning, twenty years since Mrs Leftfooter first came along and Number Two Son’s first attendance.
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Inspiration
Posted by Rebecca Young on May 4, 2008 5:07 PM
First of all, let me apologise for my lack of blogging of late. Inspiration has been hard to come by these past few weeks but I am hoping that with the start of a new month and the approach of my birthday, it will return.
On the theme of inspiration, I wanted to talk about where I generally get mine from when it comes to my fashion choices. As an avid reader of glossy magazines such as Elle and Vogue I find myself poring over their pages each month, waiting for them to provide me with an idea for my next fashion fix.
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Fed Up of Food?
Posted by Emily Sillar on May 5, 2008 2:22 PM
Oh, finally the rhubarb in my garden is almost ready for picking!! Spring seems no closer than it did last time I blogged, which, given that that was three weeks ago, shows just how appalling the weather up here has been. Rosie the Lamb is very grateful for the sunny days when she can go out to play without being rained on, and I am tearing my hair out every time it does pour and the ground gets soaked again. I can see crops being expensive this year....
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Get on your bike
Posted by Anna Heywood on May 8, 2008 4:15 PM
Parents are being urged to halt a generational decline in cycling.
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Big Brother is watching... and I'm an only child
Posted by Write Said Fred on May 10, 2008 3:54 PM
Contrary to parental belief, I've never considered myself to be that much of a drama queen, so please take the following plea seriously.
CALL THE POLICE! GET ME A LAWYER! MY HUMAN RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED AT EVERY TURN!
It has recently come to my attention that my bedroom – my teddy-laden haven away from the hustle and bustle of babydom – has been bugged. That's right freedom fans B-U-G-G-E-D.
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Fill her up
Posted by Anna Heywood on May 12, 2008 7:16 PM
Re-fills for cleaning products are now available after pressure from Journallive readers.
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Penguin History
Posted by Brenda Boyd on May 12, 2008 8:00 PM
Yesterday was the Squire’s birthday so I popped down with her gifts – a cuddly penguin back pack and a cuddly penguin cd holder - with which she was delighted. We have been exchanging penguin type gifts since we were flatmates in 1982 and this is why.
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Unfortunate press releases of our time (part 408)
Posted by Graeme on May 15, 2008 2:37 PM
"Rangers fans keep cool with blood pressure lowering water," says a rather unfortunate press release that reached The Journal's newsdesk e-mail this morning.
"The Manchester based company behind a bottled spring water which helps reduce blood pressure is distributing water to Rangers fans to help them keep their cool ahead of the UEFA Cup Final.
"Works With Water's 120/80, named after the optimum blood pressure level, contains dairy peptides which are clinically proven to help lower high blood pressure."
The subsequent riots, you have to think, were not the advert they were hoping for...
The water should help keep stress levels under control amongst the estimated 100,000 fans gathered in Manchester as tensions rise ahead of the big match.
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Return of the Dragon
Posted by Brenda Boyd on May 17, 2008 11:05 PM
Today Tyne Bridge danced at Sedgefield Medieaval Fayre. Lovely booking but with the worst dancing surface I know of. The Squire was at a Rugby Club Ball last night so didn’t sign up for the booking, as she knew she’d have a hangover, so the Deputy Squire was in charge.
In our first spot we did turn and turn about with Black Sheep Morris. We started with Churchtown, followed by Rose & Crown, Goostrey and Mobberley. As the middle two were six person dances I got the dragon out and worked the crowd frightening small children. Whilst we were doing Mobberley I noticed a man looking at us and smiling. Later, as we were sitting outside the Dun Cow drinking beer in the drizzle, he approached us and asked if we could do him a favour. Deputy Squire gave me the “We’ve got a right one here” look. But he seemed harmless so we humoured him.
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Eco-cleaning doesn’t get results?
Posted by Anna Heywood on May 18, 2008 3:37 PM
Complaints about the effectiveness of eco-cleaners put people off using them, however as always the magic is in the method.
I received two emails this week about cleaning products, both with different views; however the answer to both was really about the different methods of cleaning that are necessary when using natural products.
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Morris Golfers?
Posted by Brenda Boyd on May 25, 2008 7:24 PM
Yesterday Fester, the boys and I went for a day out to Whitby on the train. We returned via the Esk Valley line and then the line from Middlesbrough to Newcastle via Sunderland. This takes you along the coast for much of the way. Looking out of the window I noticed a fairly barren, windblown links golf course and wondered why on earth anyone would want to be out there trying to knock a small ball into a slightly larger hole.
“You know” I commented to Fester “I can never see the attraction of golf.”
“Well” he replied “I don’t suppose many golfers see the attraction of morris dancing.”
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Plucky Brits/pesky foreigners
Posted by Graeme on May 27, 2008 12:24 PM
You always have to be careful when reading the newspapers the day after a Bank Holiday as the news agenda can often be distorted by the fact that, well, nothing much happens.
Many of today's nationals, for example, have gone big on fuel protests, though it's noticeable that their coverage of fuel protests is much more sympathetic to British hauliers than it is to French fishermen.
Both are protesting about the same thing - the price of diesel - but the stories about French ports being blockaded are all about the dastardly foreigners and how a few plucky British yachtsmen have defied them.
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Foot in Mouth 1
Posted by Brenda Boyd on May 30, 2008 8:55 AM
Having commented on Mrs Quilt’s innumerate moment at practice a while ago, I will admit that I regularly engage my mouth before putting my brain into gear (as my oldest best friend Siân says). Here are a couple of examples – in all cases I was drinking lime and soda.
The prim and easily shocked should read no further.
Although as Siân’s mother used to say “All is pure to the pure.”
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The world is my lobster
Posted by Write Said Fred on May 30, 2008 10:23 AM
Be careful what you wish for parentals... this baby is no longer a put-him-down-and-know-he'll-stay-there kind of guy...
I have officially graduated from the imaginary starting blocks I've been rocking on for the past two months and learned how to put one knee in front of the other. Who knew there were so many nooks, crannies and apparent certain death traps (if the mumster is to be believed) on my very doorstep.
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