Perhaps I had ambitions to be an MP - or an undertaker!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

There are three signs of old age. The first is loss of memory - I can’t remember the other two. (Red Skelton)

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I was interested to find this list which claims to show the top selling writers of all time. They’re in alphabetical order.

Barbara Cartland
Agatha Christie
Jackie Collins
Stephen King
Louis L’Amour
Harold Robbins
J.K. Rowling
William Shakepeare
Sidney Sheldon
Georges Simenon
Danielle Steel

Shakespeare would be delighted to find himself in such illustrious company!!!

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The Harbour at North Shields by Joseph Crawhall 1861-1913,
one of the “Glasgow Boys” school of painters
[click to enlarge]
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The Girls’ Empire was an annual published more than a hundred years ago. The edition of 1903 is available from Amazon. The contents include what to wear when exercising with a Sandow Grip Dumb-Bell and how to give your poodle a French clip. The aim of the book is "to inform and entertain girls - with short stories, career advice, Cosy Corner Chats, and much much more.”

The writer of the article on “Cycling for Girls” lays a lot of emphasis on being properly dressed.

“Anything trimmed, showy or conspicuous on a bicycle looks not only unladylike but also unworkmanlike.”

It’s suggested that you should get your skirt from a good tailor, but, if you’re unable to afford that, make one yourself. A good pattern is necessary and also someone to help you arrange it on the bicycle “which should be firmly fixed to the stand, with its back to a long mirror. You then mount it, and get your skirt, which is only tacked together, pulled down and arranged evenly on either side of the back wheel. If the folds fall straight and meet together while you are still, well and good, but that is by no means all! The great test comes when you commence to pedal, which you must manage to do, exercising great care in the management of your stationary mount. You should be able to move the knees forward without disturbing the set of back pleats.

If you are tall, don’t cut your riding skirt short, as that has a very awkward effect. But in either case, whether long or short, I should advise you to wear elastic straps on each side to fix it down to your legs. Even if you are quite young, and a very small girl, you don’t want to present the unseemly spectacle of wind-blown frock and uncovered legs that one often beholds in the streets. If your skirt is short, you had best fasten it to the knees; if long, round the foot under the instep . . . . Get wide, black elastic, or, if you wear tan shoes, brown elastic. Make a loop to fit over your instep, or round your leg, as preferred, which you sew on to the skirt about four inches above the bottom edge.”

I love that phrase “management of your stationary mount.”

And also this paragraph from an article about health -

“One of the most useful adjuncts to exercise is the use of the cold bath. It seems to put a life and vigour into our bodies, and we are enabled to go about our daily occupation feeling full of go and ready for what might happen.”

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This is a slide show of photographs of Victorian children. What a contrast between the upper class children and the very poor ones shown towards the end!



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Finally some interesting statistics about my blogs.

So far, during the month of March, the number of visits to each site has been

Pre-Raphaelite blog 573
Wise Men Say 405
John’s Gallery 230
Touch of Culture 192
80 Plus 183
Quiet Corner 154
Come Surf The Net 35 (This new blog began on Saturday)

In view of the increased interest shown in the Pre-Raphaelite site, I’m beginning a fourth series on Wednesday 6th April.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

I expect most folk at one time or another have received an e-mail, usually containing a sentimental story or poem, and been asked to send it on to 10 friends. Often there’s the promise that, if you carry out the request, good fortune will come to you. I’ve been giving this some thought.

Let’s assume that I’ve gone completely batty and I send off one of those e-mails to 10 people. If each of them send it to 10 friends, that means 100 folk so far are involved. If all those continue the scheme, the number of people will have reached 1,000. And so on. Theoretically 10,000, even 100,000 folk could have taken part within a few days.

And all of them enjoying good fortune!!! Wonderful!!!

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Continuing reminiscing about medicines we got when we were children, I’ve been reminded of one or two that I had forgotten.

The cure for a sore throat was gargling with salty water, but I vaguely remember getting some kind of warm poultice put round my neck.

Dock leaves were used for nettle stings. And a small bottle of iodine was always produced for a cut, a small wound or a grazed knee.

I was reading in another blog that bleeding from small cuts could be arrested by the application of greaseproof paper with butter spread on it.

For some children the cure for constipation was blackberries and for others raw or cooked onions.

It seems that a mixture of sulphur and treacle was given once a week to many children, and that’s something I hadn’t heard of.

Also new to me was brown paper sprinkled with vinegar and pepper applied to the cheek to combat the toothache. In our family the cure was the application of oil of cloves to the gum, but I don’t think it was all that successful.

I’ve just remembered another bottle on the medicine shelf - Sloan’s Liniment, for aches and pains.

Finally, Jean has been telling me about sugarolly water which her father used to make. A mixture of liquorice sticks and water was put into a lemonade bottle and given a really good shaking. It was put aside for a week and apparently one could tell from its black colour whether it was ready or not. Jean says this was a real treat and one that she always looked forward to.

She remembers this rhyme -

Sugarolly wah-ter, black as the lum,
Gaither up peens an’ ye’ll a’ get some.

Translation -
Sugarolly water, black as the chimney,
Gather up pins and you’ll all get some.

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Norman the Nerd says, “Hi there! Did you know that in 2010 there were 152 million blogs? Well, there’s going to be one more on Saturday when COME SURF THE NET begins. Don’t forget the address
http://comesurfthenet.blogspot.com

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View in Suffolk by Thomas Gainsborough 1727-1788

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I discovered this amazing YouTube yesterday - André Rieu and his Orchestra with special guest Akim Camara



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Thanks to http://www.graphicshunt.com for the cartoon image.

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

My little piece in last week’s blog DO YOU REMEMBER led me to recall other things pertaining to my boyhood - medicines!!!

I was always needing something to “build me up” and the doctor usually prescribed a bottle of brown stuff. There was of course the occasional dose of syrup of figs or castor oil, and for a while (perhaps in the winter time) we were given a daily spoonful of malt and cod liver oil. There was also emulsion - this was a white thick substance in a bottle and it too was administered in a spoon. I remember something that we called thermogen - it was like a big chunk of pink cotton wool, and it was placed on my chest under my pyjama jacket at bedtime. Perhaps this was used if I had a cold in my chest.

This advert will bring back memories -

Here Kelloggs confidently claim that their product is “A Plateful of Health.”

And now a few health tips from past ages -

The head and feet keep warm,
The rest will take no harm.

Button to chin
Till May be in,
Cast ne’er a clout
Till May be out.

After dinner sit awhile,
After supper walk a mile.

Our fathers who were wondrous wise
Did wash their throats before they washed their eyes.

Use three physicians’ skill - first, Dr Quiet,
Then Dr Merriman and Dr Diet.

He that wants to live for aye
Must eat sage in May.

In health they do abuse
Nature, who Physic use.

Throw physic to the dogs. I’ll none of it! (William Shakespeare)

Better to hunt in fields, for health unbought,
Than fee the doctor for a nauseous draught,
The wise, for cure, on exercise depend;
God never made his work for man to mend. (John Dryden)

And finally an old favourite -

Early to bed, early to rise,
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

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This is Kindu Kodi Sonovason (Cody) who rules the roost in our daughter Lesley’s home.
He is a basenji, also known as an Egyptian or African dingo.

CODY’S MANTRA

If I like it, it’s mine
If it’s in my mouth it’s mine
If I played with it EVER, it’s mine
If I can take it from you, it’s mine
If it’s mine, it can never be yours
Even if it looks like yours, it’s mine
If you’ve had it, put it down, it’s mine
If I chew it, all the bits are mine
If it was yours, get over it
Because once it’s broken, IT’S YOURS!

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Hi, it’s me again - Norman the Nerd! Did you know that by December 2010, there were 255,000,000 websites worldwide. We’ll be looking at just a few of them when the new blog COME SURF THE NET begins on Saturday 26th March at - http://comesurfthenet.blogspot.com

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“I only have eyes for you” was written in 1934 by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. In 1950 it was revived by Peggy Lee and after that the song kept cropping up for the next 20 years or so.
This recording by Ambrose and his Orchestra was made in 1934. Sam Browne is the vocalist.
The video was devised by Richard Hawkey -
http://www.youtube.com/user/SwingBandHeaven



Thanks to http://www.graphicshunt.com for the cartoon image.

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

DO YOU REMEMBER . . . .

when milk was delivered to your doorstep in glass bottles?

when a film, a short feature, a cartoon and a newsreel were all included in a night at the pictures?

when washing had to be put through a ringer to squeeze out the excess water?



when the bus conductress was in charge, belling the driver when to stop and when to start? Between bus stops she would do her rounds collecting the fares.

when the usual way of getting a TV was not to buy one, but to get it on rental? A weekly visit to the TV shop with the payments book was a must.

when the TV was switched on before the start of the scheduled programmes, this test card was displayed on the screen?



when the commercial station Radio Luxembourg was famous for its broadcasts of popular music?

when very often two houses had to share a phone line?

If you remember all these things, you must be getting on a bit.

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IF YOU REMEMBER (as I do) . . . .

well-dressed gents wearing spats,



gas-lit street lamps, horse-driven vans, listening to Harry Lauder on the wireless, Mrs Simpson, the launch of the Queen Mary, the Lambeth Walk, and young ladies sporting the earphone hairstyle



Then you’re definitely ancient!!!

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This is a humorous poem from the 18th century. Great fun!

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL

A friend of mine was married to a scold,
To me he came and all his troubles told.
Said he, “She’s like a woman raving mad.”
“Alas, my friend” said I, “that’s very bad.”
“No, not so bad,” said he, “for with her, true,
I had both house and land, and money too.”

“That was well,” said I;
“No, not so well,” said he;
“For I and her own brother
Went to law with one another;
I was cast, the suit was lost,
And every penny went to pay the cost.”

“That was bad,” said I;
“No, not so bad,” said he;
“For we agreed that I the house should keep,
And give to me four score of Yorkshire sheep,
All fat and fine and fair, they were to be.”
“Well then,” said I, “sure that was well for thee?”

“No, not so well,” said he,
“For though the sheep I got, every one died of the rot.”
“That was bad,” said I;
“No, not so bad,” said he,
“For I had thought to scrape the fat,
And keep it in an oaken vat,
Then into tallow melt for winter store.”
“Well then,” said I, “That’s better than before.”

“Twas not so well,” said he,
“For having got a clumsy fellow
To scrape the fat and melt the tallow,
Into the melting fat the fire catches,
And, like brimstone matches,
Burnt my house to ashes.
“That WAS bad,” said I;
“No, not so bad,” said he, “for what is best,
My scolding wife got burnt up with the rest!” (Anon)

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“Hi there! I’m Norman the Nerd from COME SURF THE NET. This new blog begins on 26th March. More details next week.”

Norman appears thanks to http://www.graphicshunt.com

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Some cheery Scottish music accompanies this video of old postcards and pictures of Speyside.



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Thursday, March 3, 2011



I like a nice cup of tea in the morning
For to start the day you see,
And at half-past eleven, well my idea of heaven
Is a nice cup of tea.

I like a nice cup of tea with my dinner
And a nice cup of tea with my tea,
And when it’s time for bed, there’s a lot to be said
For a nice cup of tea.
(popular song from the 1930s)

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“That tea-drinking has become a gigantic social evil no one will deny. In America alone one million pounds, and in England even more, are expended every year in the purchase of the drug; and the evil is growing at an alarming rate.”

That’s the opening paragraph in an article published early in the 1900s.

The writer links the horrible habit with coffee, smoking, cocaine and whisky, and goes at some length describing what happens in our bodies when we indulge in any of those. Having explained how leather is made, he (or she) continues “. . . when a man eats a piece of beefsteak and drinks a strong cup of tea, the tannic acid of the tea combines with the connective tissue of the steak, and the latter is converted into leather.”

Apparently tea contains a poisonous substance called thein, and we’re told that one eighth of a grain of thein will kill a frog, five grains will kill a rabbit, and seven and a half will kill a cat. “There is more than an ounce of poison in a pound of tea, enough to kill seventy rabbits or fifty cats.” Scary stuff!!!

“The cup that cheers but does not inebriate” is a well-known phrase from Thomas Cowper’s “The Task,” and of course refers to a cup of tea. So I was astonished to read in the closing paragraphs of the article that tea can make you drunk!!!

It had been reported that some girls in a tea factory had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly, despite having taken no alcoholic liquor. Instead they had chewed tea leaves constantly as they carried out their work in the factory.

“In many an English cottage home you invariably find a pot of villainous tea brewing on the hob all day long . . . . the impaired digestions and decayed teeth which cause so many of our recruits to be rejected . . . . has become a question of national importance.”

Not to worry, however. I found the following in Wikipedia, and I think I’m quite safe drinking my four cups of tea a day.

“Tea leaves contain more than 700 chemicals, among which the compounds closely related to human health are flavanoides, amino acids, vitamins (C, E and K), caffeine and polysaccharides. Moreover, tea drinking has recently proven to be associated with cell-mediated immune function of the human body. Tea plays an important role in improving beneficial intestinal microflora, as well as providing immunity against intestinal disorders and in protecting cell membranes from oxidative damage. The role of tea is well established in normalizing blood pressure, lipid depressing activity, prevention of coronary heart diseases and diabetes by reducing the blood-glucose activity."

Finally, it was the writer Norwood Pratt who gave this advice :-

“If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are heated, it will cool you; if you're depressed, it will cheer you; if you're excited, it will calm you.”

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Of course there's only one way to finish the blog. This is an excellent video by Softly Jazz (Conchita Castillo - vocals, Marina Fainytska - piano and Andrij Malyarenko - bass guitar) with a modern version of “Tea for Two.” The accompanying pictures are great.



Thanks to “Sweetvoiceforyou” for the video, and to http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart for the image

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