Taping the top 40, watching TV together and other pleasures lost to today's children

The Sunday night ritual of tuning into the new top 40 on the radio and recording it on an old-fashioned cassette tape is the lost childhood pleasure modern parents most wish their children could have shared.
Writing letters to penfriends and gathering around the TV to watch Top Of the Pops are also much lamented memories of a bygone era, according to a survey.
Just over half of the 2,000 parents polled said that they pined for what they saw as the simpler childhoods experienced by those growing up in the Nineties.  Other prized memories included the delayed pleasure of waiting for pre-digital photographs to be developed, and browsing the shelves of the video shop, searching for a film to hire.
They also longer for the days when they could make plans with their family and friends which were not subject to constant change due to mobile phones.
The nostalgia list was commissioned for the premiere of Girl Meets World, a new series following in the footsteps of Boy Meets World from that decade.  It will be screened by the Disney Channel from 12 September.

Top 10 Things parents most miss for their family

1. Making tape recordings of weekly top 40
2. Having penfriends
3. Watching Top of the Pops
4. Singles on vinyl or cassette
5. Handwritten thank-you notes.
6. Waiting for photographs to be developed.
7. Watching Saturday night TV with the family.
8. Nineties toys
9. Hiring videos.
10. Making solid plans (which do not change as a result of mobile communications)

Nothing to do with the article, I just liked the cartoon!

This morning we went to Kit Hill for a walk and to scatter Mum's ashes, near to Dad's. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Hill_Country_Park) 

Kit Hill is a place which is special to our family, and we all have memories of walking up there, especially on sunny winter afternoons.  From the summit, much of Cornwall and Devon can be seen, even Eddystone Lighthouse, on a good day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddystone_Lighthouse).

The Summit of Kithill is marked by the stack of South Kithill Mine. Rich in tin, copper, arsenic and (particularly important during the First World War) wolfram. 
Worked since Medieval times, many of the v shaped surface workings of the early tin streamers, to the spoil heaps, adits and shafts of the late 19th and 20th century workings though overgrown are still visible- so it's important to take great care and keep to marked paths. Keen walkers and horse riders will enjoy the waymarked circular trails. The granite quarry was worked until the 1950's. Many older local people remember the incline in use. 
There are Neolithic long barrow, field systems and round barrows from the Bronze Age. Extensive areas of heathland are now being restored, after loss of grazing in the last few years led to a gradually loss of parts of the precious heath, gorse, and whortleberries ('herts' to Cornishmen - a sharp tasting berry about the size of a small blackcurrant). 
It is home to numerous small reptiles including the adder. and is usually the breeding site of birds such as the meadow pipit, dartford warbler, linnet and stonechat.

above and below: Kit Hill

On the way home we had a rather good meal at Turtley Corn Mill, near Avonwick where we ate in 'the library':  there were bookcases on three sides of the room, with fourth being windows with a French door leading to the extensive grounds.

We raised our glasses in a toast to 'absent friends'. 

Wish you had been there too!

Music chosen for Dorothy's Funeral

This is the music which was played at my late mother's funeral last week:

Joachim Raaf, Evening Rhapsody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP9nK66yeK0

Anton Bruckner,  Locus iste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxUpM7lPmwk

Hubert Parry, Jerusalem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ0oCmDXrVk

Frederic Chopin, Raindrop Prelude: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OFHXmiZP38

November's Highlights High Five magazine

Fabulous illustration by Susan Mitchell for Highlights High Five Magazine:

http://www.highlights.com/highlights-magazines-for-kids

http://susan-mitchell.com/

MiniEco - things to do

Leafing through a magazine at ACE today I saw a site which looked rather interesting: "a tutorial craft-laden blog at http://www.minieco.co.uk/ over 500 items in fashion, design and toys".  
It has lots of fun ideas of things to do with kids (or 'children' to you and me) which don't involve cheap bits of plastic and lots of batteries (the bane of many parents' lives).  Here's an example:

Simple - but very effective.

Kate, a mum of two, who runs this blog, invites people to subscribe to mini-eco, and also has lots of interesting links, such as: 
1             http://whipup.net/ 

2       Toys from trash:  http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/toys.html                        ("The best thing a child can do with a toy is break it"); and 

3       http://kickcanandconkers.blogspot.com/ - which offers kids, modern vintage living and sunshine galore.  

Who can resist the promise of Sunshine Galore - now that Autumn's here!

Digital Inheritance

"You may have decided who will get your house, your money, your pension, or your collection of jelly moulds.  But who gets the right to your Facebook page, your Twitter address, or your website?  Lawyers are beginning to grapple with these new problems.

One firm, Thomas Eggar, has produced standard clauses to put in wills to ensure that individuals can transfer authority over these items to their heirs.  Otherwise they may simply disappear.
Copyright in your photographs, writing and emails lasts for 70 years after you die (thanks to Sir Cliff Richard! - previously it was 50 years but the ageing rocker pushed for this to be improved), so make sure your solicitor puts clauses in your will to preserve and protect them. 
Passwords may also cause problems.  How will anyone access your computer files or your online accounts if they are locked behind a password?  You should put all your passwords into a letter and keep it with your will lodged with a solicitor in a sealed envelope labelled 'to be opened on my death'."


See: www.thomaseggar,com and search for digital legacy.


Article taken from Saga Magazine: www.saga.co.uk/money


Or just put them in a safe place in your house perhaps?  What do people think?

Ways to Change Your Life

1. Get a promotion
2. Listen to your partner
3. Write your first novel
4. Wear sun screen all year round
5. Edit your wardrobe
6. Eat properly
7. Buy a dermaroller
8. Find out how happy couples stay happy
9. Have a baby before you're 33
10. Review your investments
11. Be a good parent
12. Get the right healthcare
13. Get a new best friend
14. Slow down
15. Don't join a gym
16. Have an open mind about sex
17. Think yourself happy
18. Find a man with a low disgust factor
19. Release your inner Judy Garland
20. Take time to stare at the night sky
21. Get some sun
22. Start saving for next Christmas
23. Improve your networking skills
24. If you're not enjoying your job, quit
25. Do some voluntary work
26. Learn something every day
27. Be a good friend
28. Eat less
29. Enjoy being near water
30. Go to bed early
31. Regularly enjoy the outdoors
32. And .... eat less chocolate?

Cats and Harbour Rise - it's just so exciting to have a camera again.

The camera has arrived, so here are some photos of the cats.  The cats are seven years old this month - is that 49 in human years, like dogs?  If so, they're still not as old as us!:

 Malcolm, too laid-back to stir - even when 
a flash is going off overhead

Tiger averting her eyes

Tiger again.

23.7.11
We've just returned from a Garden Party at Harbour Rise (see Link on the right).  It was a lovely day, so long as we ignored paper plates flying around in the wind and here are some pics:

View of the garden looking towards the sea

Mark, one of the owners with some guests
Harbour Rise website is  http://www.harbourrise.co.uk/

Most people had gone by the time I took these photos.

 Malcolm was there to greet us when we came home and here 
he is with some of our raffle prizes. Note Box of Chox 
and Bottle of Red Wine.

Dorothy sitting down recovering from a tiring afternoon 
with some of her mates
(the bandage is where she trapped her hand in her door)

 Dorothy's kitchen area

 A better view of the bottom of the garden with palm trees, the Bay and Torquay in the background.

 View of Dorothy's living area, looking dull 
as it was such a lovely sunny day. 
Note the blanket David crocheted for Dorothy 
and the bench just outside her door.

Dorothy's bedroom area

My family - and other animals

David C, Judith, Esther, John S, Dorothy Ned (Rob) and Jahn 

at 'The Cousins' weekend - August 2010

 Vicky, Steve, Dorothy and Fiona having fun

 David dressed as a tramp for fancy dress 'do' - not a lot 

of change from usual work clothes then.

 David bulding a wall, just before the summerhouse arrived.

Edinburgh Get-Togethers

 It's raining crochets at the Camera Obscura, Edinburgh

 Front Door 9 May

Heart of Midlothian

somewhere east of Edinburgh, looking north at the Forth

My 60th Birthday

This was taken on my 60th Birthday, quite an occasion as it was the first time I'd been out and about for over three months, hence the wan smile.

Vicky and Steve came down for the weekend and we had Dinner out on 

the Saturday - and Lunch out on the Sunday - what fun!  Having said that we usually love to have a meal out and a meal at home, cooked by us all, together, when they come for the weekend, as both are special. 

It would be even more special if one day all four daughters (and families) could be together with us but I don't think that even our large kitchen would be big enough for us all to cook in at the same time.

 Dorothy, taken actually on The Day.

An a blast from the past: Dorothy and me on my 22nd Birthday (taken  from an old slide) - note the skirt is only about 1" longer than the jumper!

Two brave souls emerging from the sea on Boxing Day
and posing, shivering for their photocall!




This photo was taken a couple of years ago when Steve and Dave took part in the Annual Paignton Lions (thus Lion outfit) Boxing Day Walk Into The Sea.  By this time they were very, very cold and looking forward to driving home and having a shower and hot drink.
The Lions raise money every year and give to local and international worthy causes.
It's also a fun organisation to belong to, this year we've had a skittles match, games evening and were to have a boat trip but the weather wasn't kind.  We have stalls at many local events and run an Easter Egg Hunt every year on Goodrington Sands.


http://torquayfansforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=fansphoto&action=display&thread=7194&page=1
On this site there's even a pic of David in his Lions outfit!




21 July 2011
Last evening we had a fun social at Paul and Mary's - 
with lots of lovely food, drink and company. 
Then we played table cricket. 
As our names came first alphabetically, David and I were team captains.  
Our team won the toss so I chose second in to bat, so we could review the other team's tactics.  And it worked - as we won!!