WHISPERS from WARWICKSHIRE

Another of Phil's stories:  WARNING:  Bad language but there's no violence at all.

Phil's dad had polio as a child and also contracted Parkinson's when quite young.  He did have a greengrocers business and at another time a milk round.  In 1934, when Phil was 4 years old, his mum wanted to go out and help his dad with the milk round.  The Bartons were farmers next door and Phil's mum asked Mrs Barton if she would mind her little boy for a small remuneration.

Mrs Barton agreed and on the first day when Phil was dropped off at the Barton farm his mother, knowing the Barton were good people but a wee bit rough, asked Mrs Barton to please refrain from swearing in front of Phil as she didn't want him to develop bad habits.

Mrs Barton smiled and said "Jesus Christ Mrs, I wouldn't dream of swearing in front of the little bugger!?

Phil's mother obviously chose to take the risk and whether Mrs Barton did refrain from using bad language is not known, but it is possible she was careful as asked as, according to his mother, Phil didn't seem to pick up any bad language and was very well cared for.  Even when I met him in 1966 he wasn't a person who used many swear words, very few in fact, and still doesn't to this day unless really annoyed about something.   Even when he does occasionally swear, the words are very mild compared with many frequently heard today.

 One thing Phil himself remembers is sitting down for lunch at the Bartons and being given a small glass of beer.  It seems the Bartons never drank tea, never had any in the house, (coffee was almost unheard of in England then) but they bought a keg of beer every few weeks and that was their main drink.

Please excuse the bad language but without telling it in full the impact of the story wouldn't be there.

...AND THEN THE TRUTH FINALLY HITS......

...and you realise you really ARE old and decrepit!!!

I know I'm 82 and have to expect things to be different to when I was 32 or even 52 but when did all this decrepitude come about?  I guess it has been coming on for some years now, ever since I realised I could no longer go for a walk but when did it get this bad?    I know I have chronic osteo arthritis and fibromyalgia (my wonderful physio does her best but there is only so much she can do at one time) but did it creep up on me or has it suddenly worsened?  Probably the latter as I seem less able to do normal things easily now.

I do the dishes and have to sit down before I dry them up.   I sweep half the kitchen floor and have to rest before I sweep the other half.  I bend down to put something away in the lower cupboard and my right knee objects, and when DID the floor get so far away.  I've shrunk a couple of inches so shouldn't it be closer?

Making beds is not funny any more.  We have twin beds 'cos Phil has sleep apnoea (he uses a machine to help him keep breathing when he's asleep) and it's better for both of us to be in separate beds.  Now we have two fitted sheets to put on instead of just the one and two lots of top sheets and blankets or whatever one has on top of the bed.   Even poor old Phil has to sit down 'tween times and he, for his age, is pretty fit. 

I sit at my computer for a couple of hours (far too long at one go obviously) and when I get up my legs take a while to get into gear before they obey my command to "MOVE!".

Oh my poor aching back!!

My hands are so bad I can no longer write more than a few words, use scissors, hand sew or knit.   I persist in crocheting as much as I can 'cos I don't want to stop sending the rugs to Vinnys each year....they love 'em which cheers me up no end.  My tiny contribution to the outside world.

I realised a few years back that my gardening days are over and managed to accept that and not being able to hang the washing on the line hasn't distressed me at all as I have a good man that does an excellent job with that.  All being well I am able sometimes to take the dry clothes off the line which makes me feel I am at least being a little useful.  You don't realise until it happens how much harder it is to hang out the clothes compared with taking them off.

I can still cook our meals.  If they are lengthy recipes then I sit down for a few minutes and then get on with it again and it usually turns out quite well.   Phil is great with the slow cooker and that takes care of lots of very tasty meals during the winter months.  (Tomorrow we are actually going to try roast leg of lamb in the slower cooker.  Found a recipe on the internet that sounds real easy so here's hoping).

Please believe me when I say I am not complaining but simply finally admitting to myself that I can no longer do the things I once did, the things I still long to do.  I once loved going to the shops, just to look, not always to buy.   Those days are long gone as now I have to remember to have my walker in the car and try to work out what I need to buy so there's not too much walking involved.  I find the large stores don't have enough seats spread around their stores.  I am sure there used to be more benches or is that my imagination.  They want you to spend your hard earned and not sit down and rest.  No profit in it for them if you do that.  One day soon I must get back to the supermarket again.  It's so long since I've been I am sure there are lots of new products I know nothing about.

I know it will hold Phil up as he does the shopping but he is very patient with me these days and I'm sure if I don't make a habit of it (not very likely) he'll put up with me just the once.

Please excuse the one huge moan but I had to get it off my chest as I was getting really cranky and that will never do.  Oh damn!!!   Now my left hip has begun to hurt and I'm only sitting down.  Have to get up, grab my stick and walk about a bit before I sit down again.   : )

TELLING IT ON TUESDAY (Part 22b)

I hope you don't find this too boring but these pictures are part of the story and were taken during a very important part of my life so please bear with me.  Next week I promise I will get back to the story proper.

Continuing on from Parts 22 (1) and (a) these are black and white photos of our honeymoon trip through our south-west region.  They would have been taken with the camera that Phil bought on the ship that brought him to Australia in 1960.  After our wedding we drove south and spent the first night in a motel in Bunbury.  After a hearty breakfast we once again headed in a south/south-westerly direction.  It was spring and our beautiful wildflowers were in full bloom.  We also took colour slides but, of course, I am unable to share them with you.   Anyway, as I said, these are only black and white photos but they still bring back powerful memories.  I wonder what all these places look like now in 2014?

As we headed south-west we travelled on the Balingup-Nannup road.  It was a very narrow, winding road as you can see from the warning sign.  You can enlarge these photos if you have a mind to and more details can be seen if you do so.

We then headed towards the tall timber and the Walpole Inlet:

Then it was into the karri forest where there are many huge red tingle trees.  Sorry the words on the sign are not very clear.

In those days tourists would park their cars inside this partly burnt out, but still very much alive, tingle tree.  We of course had to do it as well just to show we could.  I understand this was stopped some years later and, if I remember rightly, the tree is now cordoned off to prevent this from happening and from any damage occurring to the tree/s which I thoroughly agree with even if it perhaps spoils the fun a little.  I guess what you don't know about, you don't miss.

As we headed for Albany we called in to William Bay and discovered the petrified forest.  I am sure this huge rock should have a name but I couldn't find one.   Reminds me of the head of a hippo and perhaps a foot as well.  I tried to find information about this petrified forest but so far without luck. I will keep trying as it must have a story.

This is a modern photograph I grabbed from Google to show you the beauty of William Bay in wonderful technicolor.  It really is a very beautiful area on our south coast.

We then drove east towards Albany where we spent a pleasant few days before returning home.  This is Jimmy Newell's Harbour, a natural harbour on the south coast named after a man who it is said anchored his ship here to keep safe from a storm.

Phil sitting and admiring the scenery at the Salmon Pools:

A little further along the coast we came across the Natural Bridge and right next to it was "Boat Rock".  Also 'The Cap".

and then looking to the left (east) and right (west) shots of the rugged coastline in this part of the country.  Love the sparkle of the water from the afternoon sun.  Even in black and white it looks quite spectacular.  Well, I think it does anyway.

We then had to head north toward home as we had to be back for Steven's 10th birthday on the 24th.  Here we are travelling toward the beautiful Stirling Ranges, wishing we had more time to spend there admiring the countless different wildflowers.  The side of the road was just alive with colour.

Here we are on Mount Toolbrunup looking across the highest peak in the ranges, Bluff Knoll.  We had experienced quite cold weather but on this day in the Stirling Ranges the sun was shining and we sought the shade of a small tree.  I notice though that Phil still had his cardigan on.  That's Phil!!

If I remember correctly I think we made use of that little fireplace to cook ourselves a snack before heading off back to Claremont, and home to the two children both of whom we had missed.  Phil then took mum home to North Perth after she had done a wonderful job of looking after Karen and Steven for us.   Once again my wonderful mum was there when I needed her.

We did have a wonderful week away, really getting to know each other with nobody else around.  It was so peaceful and we felt relaxed and very, very happy.

SENTIMENTS ON SUNDAY

Another group of beautiful photographs and hints about life in general. You may not agree with all these sentiments but these are worth looking at for the birds and flowers alone.  They can be enlarged if you wish to see them more clearly.

I hope you have had a pleasant weekend and that the coming week will treat you kindly.

TELLING IT ON TUESDAY (Part 22a) on SATURDAY

As mentioned last week I was unable to get to some photos I wanted to show but now I've managed to finally reach them so this is a photo shoot to share with you and also enable me to have a peek back into the late 1960s and relive some very happy times. Quite a lot happens over the next few years so I need to sit back and get events into chronological order if I can.

You may remember that toward the end of 1966 Phil and I had moved into a house in Claremont.  These photos were taken in 1967 and 1968.  The first is the house itself at 358 Stirling Highway, followed by one of Phil in 1967 sitting on the front step with Charlie Brown and then a fuzzy one of yours truly relaxing in the back garden in 1968:

In February, 1967 I began working at Thomas and Co in Cottesloe and this photo was taken in the back garden behind the office.  Oh, look some colour photography at last!  Actually the Export Manager, Len Daymond, had just bought a Polaroid camera and wanted to try it out and I was the guinea pig.

After my divorce proceedings in June, 1967, Phil and I became officially engaged and then on 16th September we were married in Trinity Congregational church in St George's Terrace in the city.  (Unfortunately brother Len took some photos but for some reason they didn't come out.  I was surprised and rather disappointed as he was a commercial photographer.  Strangely enough it happened again at the dedication of the seat to my mum in Kings Park.  He said the photo shop had lost the photos).  Once again we had to rely on our old black and white cameras but at least we do have a record of our wedding.  I was 35 and Phil was 37.  This is a photo of us arriving by taxi at the church:

and the bridal group outside the church door.  Back row:  Eddie Simcock, Phil me and Betty Simcock and front row Steven and Karen.  (Steven was nearly 10 and Karen was 12).

This one shows Phil and me with (L-R) my niece Wendy, my mum and (far right) my sister-in-law Jean (Wendy's mum):

The wedding party once again, this time at the small reception held after the wedding cememony, and Phil and me cutting the cake:

We spent a lovely couple of hours with family and friends and then it was time to say farewell to everyone, go and change and leave on our honeymoon.   First photo is of Phil and me outside the hall and then of us getting into the faithful Ford Anglia.  (You can tell by the way Phil is standing to attention that he was in the army for a couple of years.  He did two years National Service with the British Army with most of his time spent in Germany).

Looking back on these photos I am still amazed at just how young Phil looked.  When these photos were taken he was nearly 38 and yet he looks about 25.  There is a story that is often told about one morning when Phil was dropping Karen off at Iona College and her friends asked her if he was her brother.  When she told them no, it was her step-father they thought she was having them on.  I often wondered if he was perhaps taken for my son.  Oh dear, what a dreadful thought.

P.S.  For all those that I know are dying to know (not) what I was wearing....it was a pale blue suit with navy and white shoes, a navy bag and white hat.  Karen was wearing a yellow dress with a lace yoke and sleeves I made for her, and Betty's suit was aqua with white accessories.   A gentleman Betty and I worked with, Bruce Cantwell, grew the most beautiful orchids and the day before the wedding he presented me with 2 slipper orchids done up with fern for Betty and I to wear on our suits (I think back then we actually called them costumes).  He also gave me a spray of cymbidium orchids for Karen to carry.  I have always remembered Bruce's kindness in doing that.

On our honeymoon, Phil and I drove around our south-west in a week (we had to be back in Claremont for Steven's birthday on 24th September so couldn't stay away any longer).  I have black and white photos which of course don't do justice to the scenery but perhaps next week I may bore you with some of them.  That will give me a little longer to get my head around all that lay ahead.

This is Steven cutting his birthday cake with friends Stephen and Janet Simcock (children of Betty and Eddie), Karen and the lad at the back was a school friend of Karen.

Didn't youngsters dress nicely back in the "good old days"?  (That was another yellow dress I had made Karen.

FRIDAY FUN

No words needed for these.  Quite a variety and all of them worth viewing, or at least I think they are:

I hope at least some of these brought a smile to your face which you will carry into the weekend.  Have a good one.

P.S.  I apologise for not visiting some blogs over the past few days or replying to comments on mine. I promise to rectify this ASAP.  It has been one of those weeks when there hasn't been enough time, and I need time to truly enjoy reading what people have written.