Pandemic Pondering #117

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Home Towns, Hugo and Lola, Serendipity1 Comment

Making hay while the sun shines.

Rural chic is having a moment, probably inspired by any number of city dwellers who have managed to endure lockdown in the countryside.
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jul/03/david-beckham-leads-the-way-as-men-flock-to-cottagecore-look

The nature reserve near us has cut and laid the hay ready for collecting. As a backdrop for fashion photography this location would be perfect.

It is a fabulous image of rural charm, as is the Guardian article about the decorative Mr Beckham.

My recollection of Hay making in my youth is that it is a dirty, dusty job that has been romanticised way beyond its reality.

The term first appeared in a 1546 collection of proverbs by John Heywood. It is believed to have been in regular use in Britain since the proliferation of farming in Mediaeval times. Being included in a collection of proverbs suggests it quickly moved from sage farming advice to general life event guidance.

Literally or idiomatically, making hay while the sun shines was picturesque this morning.

To make the most of the idiomatic moment I can throw in two pictures of fluffy dogs making hay while the sun shines, one of them hay coloured.

Pandemic Pondering #116

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Food ( but this is not a food blog), SerendipityLeave a comment

Reflections on the first beer and other unplanned activities post lockdown.

Today’s walk was a familiar one to us, and to regular blog readers.

At weekends parking is free, in places, on Commercial Street. Giving the perfect opportunity for a circular walk. We do it so many times , and in particular in lockdown that it often gets a blog mention. Today, beyond the walk, we had no plans, we had VV with us so it was pretty much serendipity predicated by the whims of a 20 month old.

As usual, with a weekend visit to Plymouth, the first good coffee of the weekend was purchased at Hutong Cafe. Currently based at The Lord High Admiral.
https://www.facebook.com/TheHutongCafe/
https://m.facebook.com/thelhaplymouth/

Energised by a smooth Oat Milk Flat White we set off from Commercial Street.

Normally it is a two coffee walk with a call in at Jacka Bakery for coffee number two.
https://m.facebook.com/JackaBakery/

Today though we walked closer to the harbour of the Barbican.

Serendipity showed us an empty table outside the Maritime Inn. Time for the first beer since Christmas.
https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Pub/Barbican-Maritime-Inn-1375656692678932/

It was all the better for being unplanned. We carried on our walk, essential dog walking training is taking place.

Then serendipity struck again, Suphas, a Street Food Cafe also had a seat available out in the sun. Suphas has been on our radar for a while but time and a pandemic have made this our first chance for a visit.

Our drinks, snacks and the environment were vivid in every way.

One of life’s coincidences. Juice of the Day, Watermelon, exactly matched VV’s drinking bottle.

http://www.suphas.co.uk/

In addition to these visually vivid comestibles we also ordered Spicy Fruit Salad . As vivid in flavour as these pictures are vivid.

Three hours well spent wandering familiar paths .A Sunday walk in the sunshine.

Pandemic Pondering #115

On By theoldmortuary.designIn DevonLeave a comment

Saturday pondering today was always going to be a bit all over the place. Gerberas in specimen vases was the start. Quite gentle I think.

We had planned a trip to a camp site in Totnes, not in the campervan, but to visit friends. Totnes for those that know it, is always a little off the wall. At its heart a beautiful Devonian Market town with a steep hill as it’s High Street and a gentle section of the River Dart flowing near the bottom of the hill. Its soul is less traditional and Totnes has for many years been one of England’s gathering points for New Age Alternativism. Having worked in Totnes, a few times, over many years I knew to expect and accept the unusual in Totnes during any visit.

Today was no exception but I did not expect the unexpected to be a crazy Steampunk style American Car Rally.

Beyond the fascinating cars, we had gone to meet some friends, called Covidfriends, because we met them during the pandemic.

They manage campsights and their current one is in Totnes.

Managing campsights is a funny business .

” Whoa Anita, is that my 7 metre, he’s going to struggle to get that in backwards”

Not a normal conversation in my opinion. But this is Totnes a place where a bottle of Jack Daniels doubles up as screen wash.

There is no way to tie in Steampunk Cars with Gerberas in specimen pots, unless, just like the cars, I offer you the Gerberas in black and white with just one colour highlighted.

Saturday, the day for a blog all over the place. The link below explains Totnes more coherently.
https://www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk/places/totnes-p194553

Pandemic Pondering #114

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Memorial Benches3 Comments

Wembury Part II- The beach is closed to dogs, as is normal for the summer. Summer is a time for the cliff paths and always, at this location,some contemplation for a soldier unknown to us.

We walked to his memorial bench, positioned at a bend on the cliff path.

It is a beautiful spot overlooking the Mewstone. It commemorates a young life lost at war. These two links tell the story of his passing. Yesterday was his birthday.
https://www.gov.uk/government/fatalities/lieutenant-colonel-rupert-thorneloe-and-trooper-joshua-hammond-killed-in-afghanistan

https://youtu.be/s6ODJw014YY

Pandemic Pondering #112

On By theoldmortuary.designIn SerendipityLeave a comment

Keeping ourselves nice.

Socially distanced birds at a supermarket

Back from our Lockdown release gallivanting, we have socialised,done a little shopping, a lot of garden maintenance and a lot of driving. We caught up with the really important things in life, friends and family.

Stag, Richmond Park

Throughout the pandemic restrictions we have used the term ‘ Keeping ourselves nice’ meaning that we’ve stuck to and are mindful of the rules.

Bulbous Betty , Richmond

The term is one I heard in my childhood and the simple explanation of the term is – Is this person sexually continent. It was used in hushed tones by the older generation when discussing unmarried people and in less hushed tones when discussing their friends and neighbours who were not ‘ Keeping themselves nice’

I don’t even know if it was a common phrase, although I once heard a comedian saying his mum had commented that she hoped ” He was keeping himself nice”

Our slightly tongue in cheek use of the term is more about being socially continent and mindful of restrictions and other people’s needs.

‘ Keeping ourselves nice’ has become a way of life.

Working From Home Perfection. Laptop, coffee and peace in a park.

Pandemic Pondering #111

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Garden Design, Home Towns, SerendipityLeave a comment

London. North or South?

PP#111 is very brief. All @theoldmortuary has done recently is paint fences black. There is less to write about when painting black fences than there is when renovating a Cornish Hedge.

North Londoners joke that there is nothing worth crossing the river for. Suggesting that South London has nothing of interest.

South Londoners know better than to retort negatively.

The most common reply is that South London is greener.

This is particularly true in our tiny patch of garden now we’ve painted the fences black.

Now the fences are back to black it’s all looking pretty lush. Not only that but I haven’t has to look too far for some stencil graffiti and Palimpsest with a green theme.

Stencil Graffiti bear , Gipsy Hill,
Church door Palimpsest, East Dulwich

Should you want to read about the North/South debate may I suggest this link- https://www.luxurytraveladvisor.com/destinations/north-or-south-london-which-better

Written by a proper writer rather than a mere scribbler. South London, it’s greener.

Pandemic Pondering #109

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Home Towns2 Comments

Restrictions being lifted on travel and overnight stays could not have come at a better time for @theoldmortuary.

A scumbag fly tipped outside our flat in London this week

Imagine our happiness when we discovered our neighbours/friends had tidied it up.

London , like many big cities, has a reputation for being an unfriendly place but from the moment we moved here we were surrounded by neighbours who quickly became friends.

Shit happens everywhere and our neighbour/ friendships were forged over another adverse event. Three days after moving in we were burgled, traumatic enough in itself, but the day after, our flat and by extension ourselves were subjected to a frightening police raid.

Our lovely new neighbours swooped in and picked up the pieces just as they did this weekend.

Socially distant Pandemic Pondering in the garden with our neighbours.

Pandemic Pondering #108

On By theoldmortuary.designIn TravelsLeave a comment

July 4 the and the first time @theoldmortuary were able to travel and stay overnight somewhere. The early morning cup of tea gave it away. Getting our hands on a fluffy Sally or being trusted with the business end of nursing are not normal @theoldmortuary behaviours, so clearly we were not at home for our breakfast.

There were many giddy moments as we ticked off counties and the differing landscapes that we drove through. Oh, the exotica of the Somerset Levels and the Cotswold Hills. Wimbledon welcomed us, no wombles today, they are still shielding, but lovely family members and some great walks.

A tiny blog, but useful. Never will you be puzzled by the term ‘ fluffy Sally’ ever again.