Long Melford

We took the cross country route to Southwold on Saturday it being the hottest October day since records began - an idea that a fair few others had it should be said.
We passed through Long melford which is a picturesque little Suffolk village which was used as a setting for the Lovejoy TV show.
On the way through the village a blue plaque was spotted. It was dedicated to Admiral William hanwell (1766-1830) who sounds like he had a rather checkered career to say the least. Funny to find an admiral in the Suffolk countryside. He was senior lieutenant of the Sheerness the flagship of Admiral Cornwallis. Cornwallis died of a fever and Lieutenant Hanwell promoted himself two ranks to Post Captain this was sshall we say rather infra dig and would not have been smiled upon if it werent in the backwaters of the Africa station but his promotion was confirmed on his return. He did take a couple of commissions in the dying days of the napoleaonic Wars but his career was in decline and he finished his career in a shore job superintending a prisoner of war depot in Norman Cross and retired as a rear admiral of the blue squadron.
Anyhoo we enjoyed a picnic on the beach and wander around the rather chi chi village again with a nautical plaque commemorating James II stay during the Dutch wars. Sadly no visit to the Adnams brewery as I was driving :o(

Catty come home

Well eventually after a couple of little hiccups Pyewackett is settling in - we got her on Friday night and she made a bit for freedom on the Tuesady night. Cue mass panic as we discovered her absence. We did a leaflet drop locally - a damn good way to meet the neighbours - and left bowls of food outside the conservatory moving the bowl in a little closer every evening. Wed moved the bowl right in to the conservatory by Sunday and I distracted her while M snuck through the garage and slammed the door on her.
Ma and I wandered down to town last weekend to indulge in Open House 2011 and enjoyed a walk around a half dozen Wren churches. Thats half a dozen of the 51 churches some which were demolished by the Victorians or in the blitz. So we visited St Lawrence Jewry, St Mary le Bow (within the sound of whose bells true Cockneys are born), St Mary Aldermary, St Stephen Walbrook, St Mary Woolnoth and my favourite and most authentic St Mary Abchurch.
Sadly of many of his churches thoughtfully demolished by the Victorians now theres very little to mark them except a plaque. The street plan of the mediaeval city remains as do many of the street names - Poultry, Milk Street, Ironmonger Lane, Wood Street, Bread Street not to mention Staining Lane and Mincing Lane. Not sure quite what once was for sale in Love Lane though salvation could presumably be found at Paternoster Row just round the corner from Gropec*nt Lane (now no longer used) the sheer number of plaques in the area marking the two pillars of mediaeval society - the church and the guild and the connections between the two as many churches were guild churches.
And so descriptive - St James Garlickhythe, St Margaret Pattens, St Andrew by the Wardrobe, St Benet Gracechurch, St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street.
The afternoons walk Alleys of the City and that really did stretch the term alley was rain shortened but was enjoyed and hey it was free ended at barts Hospital and Smithfields - formerly yet another place of execution - that final scene of Braveheart - the hanky drooping from Mels hand - the fletting glimpse of his lost love - that was Smithfield.

Hello Kitty

Sadly the house and its associated tasks are taking up a fair amount of my time at the moment - and theres noe nd in sight. The flat is no yet emptied while the garage here is full. Where did all this stuff come from?
Hey ho. A huge step from house to home this weekend with the addition of a small furry person called Pyewackett. She a refugee from a disintegrating home courtesy rather indirectly of Cambridgeshire County Council social services. Shes a lovely thing - a dark tortoiseshell and very affectionate but then again I get the distinct impression that she hasnt seen a whole lot of love she also needs a good going over by the vet after we found out that she has worms :o(
This posts hero is Sir Alec Guinness to mark the lastest butchering of the Star Wars franchise by George Lucas. Gotta love his whacked out space hippy Obi Wan Kenobi. I have to say that my favourites are his earlier Ealing comedies The Ladykillers, The Man inthe White Suit and the terrific Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) in which he plays no fewer than eight roles. I'm amazed that some whizz kid hasnt decided to remake it.
Its kind of a shame (although inevitable) that his serious roles - Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, The Bridge on the River Kwai have rather obsured a real talent for light comedy.
His plaque is on the corner of Upper St matins Lane and West Street.

Dr Grantly Dick-Read (1890-1959)

A moment of serendipity as M was wandering through my blue plaque photos and quoth "Ooh Dr. Dick-Read" to which I responded "Eh?" She went on to explain that he was the father of natural childbirth and therefore a name rather familiar to her.
His plaque is located at 25 Harley Street the heart (Wha-hey) of the British medical establishment ironically after his ideas were widely opposed and he was shown the door of the clinic that he and a fellow group of obstetricians had set up and his first book Natural Childbirth went down with the powers that be like the proverbial lead balloon. His ideas gained credence after the publication on his second book Revelation of Childbirth aimed at a more general audience.
In other news this is the first post from a new home. I sit supervising the artisans repairing the external brickwork, the latest installment of the ongoing draining of our joint bank account - next up rewiring tomorrow. OY! Still the house is coming together and is slowly recoming a home. Sadly the sale of my late domain is dragging on which is a real pain in the derriere. Hey ho

Damn it

My will to post on a regular basis is draining at a rate of knots - actually I think its the opportunity thats lacking of late weve been returning late to the flat after opening boxes cleaning and tidying and general homemaking - as yet precious little evidence of my home being made but then as I look around me that would seem to be because most of my chattels would seem to be here in the falat as the sale appears to be making its way through treacle at the moment so a taste of childrood - David McKee has a inscribed pavement slab on the corner of Festing Road - converted to Festive Road in the series

Oh Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Anderson

Spent yesterday at Edgbaston thanks to a works charabanc - the sames works that arrange the occaisional London trip that I try to take advantage of.
A cracking days entertainment unless of course you were Indian after a pretty dismal capitulation.
Yes sorry that we didnt get to see the Little Masters hundredth hundred after an unfortunate deflection from Graham Swann. Great to see Kumar put willow to ball but a great days performance from Englands terrifying bowling unit not sure which I find more scary Swanns speed or Jimmys agression - thought at a couple of points hed just keep running in rip off the batmans arm and beat him to death with the wet end.

Josef Dallos (1905-1979)

Huzzah for Josef Dallos - those cunning Magyars again. Having worn contact lenses for pretty much my entire adult life I owe a debt to the guy - no more horrible NHS specs for me thank you very much. Im reminded now that I have to pick up my new contact lens pack tomorrow. I restarted using them a few months back after a couple of years rest after getting a grain of sand lodged between lens and eye on a long haul flight back from Sri Lanka. Its a bit complicated now as I dont wear them if Im going to the gym - not good to wear contacts if swimming or showering and Im a little more aware of the fact that you only get one pair of eyes than I was when I was younger - changing lenses in shall we say less than hygienic situations - one notable evening when I was scrambling round the gutters in Downing Street comes to mind - not to mention festivals and on my peregrinations.
Anywho Dr Dallos' plaque was spotted in Cavendish Square a couple of weeks ago on a day away from the delights of house buying / moving - were a fair way along now the paintings pretty much done adn we had carpets put in today...