Author Archives: Jenny S

A grey rainy day, not conducive to going out anywhere. Although we did manage to walk down to Coulsdon to the shops. Rod likes to check over the charity shops but I think during lockdown they have all had a major clearout, and also reorganised for social distancing, so there is not a great dealContinue reading “Saturday 8 May”

I am going to start with a shameless advert for the premiere of the Chicago Oriental Institute podcast about the Lyre of Ur. It is part 2 and features performance which will probably generate even more interest than part 1 about the making of the instrument, although in less than a week there have beenContinue reading “Friday 7 May”

I look at the viewing stats each day, just because, and yesterday got 297 views. It’s normally around 50. How curious. I wonder why? Perhaps it’s a blip in the calculations. I don’t mind, far from it, just amazed. Today we went to Standen. Two years ago I went to a wonderful tulip festival there,Continue reading “Thursday 6 May”

The day started more quietly with an online Pilates class for me. There is talk of resuming in person classes, but it is interesting to note how many people remain wary of this. I would be more than enthusiastic as I like the sociability of a class. Also there is less opportunity for cheating whenContinue reading “Wednesday 5 May”

We were invited over to see friends in Ottershaw, near Chertsey. Very straightforward drive round the M25. Overhead blandishments “Minimise Travel.” I frankly don’t see any sign of that. As we left the motorway, the car started juddering. A blowout. I limped to the friends’ house and called the rescue company. I have to sayContinue reading “Tuesday 4 May”

May Day Bank Holiday. It is currently pouring with rain (much needed) and blowing a gale. Archetypal Bank Holiday weather one might say. My niece in Edinburgh told me that there was a long queue outside of Primark in cascading rain. How can anybody be so desperate to do that? Mind you, as Scotland hasContinue reading “Monday 3 May”

For the first time for months I managed to go for a Sunday morning swim at Trinity school. I ploughed up and down for 30 lengths, and it felt like old times. I then faced the excitement of Tesco’s. What impinged on me this morning were the constant announcements over the loudspeakers about maintaining aContinue reading “Sunday 2 May”

May Day, and a public holiday in so many countries, Workers Day, but we just have the first Monday as our Bank Holiday. May queens and maypole dancing in some areas, certainly when I was a child growing up in Sheffield. I loved all the dressing up, pretty frocks and flower crowns. Maybe gave meContinue reading “Saturday 1 May”

And still a frost overnight. Really remarkably chilly. I managed to do a Body Balance class this morning. It’s a bit like Pilates, a lot of bending and stretching, and balancing, as the name implies. Comes in handy when clambering over stiles, where the height of the step always seems to have been set byContinue reading “Friday 30 April”

By way of a change we went shopping in Banstead this morning. It is a very pretty commuter area, just a bit more rural than Coulsdon. It has some very nice individual shops, and an extremely good line in charity shops. Plus a huge Waitrose and a Marks and Spencers food outlet. What’s not toContinue reading “Thursday 29 April”