Musings

My get-up-and-go seems to have gone, replaced by much thinking about the past, the regrets, the conversations I would like to have had and ones and how life is o different from how I grew up. i do not mean the technological changes, it is the subtle ramdom changes in the domestic and social whirl of which I am aware whilst indexing photographs appearing in the local paper some 50 years ago. The subjects do not change, council houses were being sold at a discount locally long before the 1980s, homelessness, redevelopment of the town centre, bus services or the lack thereof, it is the social differences. For example, there was a dinner dance at The Bull at Shene arranged by Queen's Hall Old Time Dancing club, the people photograhed were all in formal evening dress, likewise guests at a reception and civic ball given by the Mayor & Mayoress, again all dressed up. There are jumble sales, home helps were given awards, a 19 year old girl won a silver ashtray. Considering domestic changes we have a drawer filled with items like tray cloths, duchess sets, tablecloths, mats to go under ornaments, we do not use them, DS and DD will not want them, many are beautiful examples of craft. This blog was drafted over a year ago, little has changed the newspaper of 50 years ago continues to delight and to invoke memories, the advertisements for such goods as electric fires, fridges, clothes and for much missed department stores. As this is a test in no particular order here are a few things I find irritating:- why is everything AMAZING? Why 'decades' and not 'years'? The latter is more precise. On TV 'see you soon' to the viewers, and 'still to come' especially irritating each week during Gardeners' World. Tattoos - why? I do not understand why anyone would want to cover most of their body in tattoos, why not have a design printed on garments and wear that to advertise their latest love or interest? So many news reports use the measure Decades rather than the more precise Years. An assumption in the media that everyone wants a holiday sitting on a beach in the sun, advertisements, clothes advice columns, cookery features all speak of going away and in August. THat is my first attempt to try and blog again.