Fire

As I was having breakfast in "The Travellers" in Louth, an older couple came down the stairs to the breakfast room. I got chatting to them and it didn't take long before they revealed that they had been staying at "The Travellers" for the past five weeks. I was astonished but then they explained that there had been a fire at their house.

It hadn't burnt down or anything but the smoke damage had been devastating. Nearly all of their possessions had been ruined. To me the couple still seemed in a state of shock and despondency. The comfortable life they had worked for had been cruelly yanked away because of an undiagnosed electrical fault.

At seventy five the fellow had still been working. He was a specialist in fine wrought ironwork and he had a big workshop close to his house. His order book was as full as it had ever been but the trauma of the fire, the disruption to his business and the reality of his age meant that he could not see himself picking up the reins again.

They had both lived in Louth all their lives and though they knew that they had been lucky to get out of the house alive, something had clearly died in each of them. The photographs, the keepsakes, the pictures, the attached memories - it was all now gone. What was left was an ongoing battle with their insurance company to achieve justice and ultimately a new home if their old home could not be brought back to life.

The man had woken in the middle of the night to visit the lavatory. He had pressed the switch on his bedside lamp but nothing happened. Then he pressed the wall switch but the main light didn't come on either. Then he opened the bedroom door and - whoosh! He was hit by a wall of hot air and black, acrid smoke. 

It was a moment that changed his life. I must admit that the reality of suffering a domestic house fire was not something I had ever seriously considered before. Now I am wondering - could it happen to us? 

⦿

In totally unrelated news, I would just like to say that our unborn grandbabes get closer to birth with each passing day as they grow in the wombs that nourish and protect them. Thanks to modern science, we now know the gender of one of the grandbabes. Ian and Sarah's child will be a boy! It's a little strange to know that in advance but of course, we are delighted even though the little boy's road to birth remains long.

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/ZMD1zQ8

Spring Cleaned

The front room has been spring cleaned and Chic Eleanor , the queen of style 

Gave me a massive compliment when we were out for coffee this afternoon

She told me I had a talent for the attention to detail 

Coming from her, that’s praise indeed

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/wVylf5F

All

 Lord

Help me

To smile

And leave

It all in

The Hands

That can 

Take it all

from R's rue https://ift.tt/i56Me0Q

Local News Strong Women

 As I am one of the TCA trustees I was asked by the secretary of the village Friendship Group if I would write them a letter of support for their forthcoming applications for community grants. 

I jumped to attention and completed the letter as quickly as I could  as it was requested by respected  village elder. Now The Secretary has always frightened me just a little. She is an assertive soul, a lady who has been big in the village church for years and I suspect a lot has been achieved because of her professional and cool approach to problems and needs. 

In a war She  would have been a bloody godsend .

I love the Friendship Group,  to me they have always thought laterally and for a group for older people , they still have a membership of over 65 people which I think is fantastic. 

Only a few years ago , they had a belly dancer show on one of their meetings in the hall , which I remember well as I listened to the belly dancing music from outside as I took the dogs for a walk and wondered just what the fuck was going on inside…..the applause and cheering was deafening lol .

Just to add to some local colour Irene Murray who has helped run the Friendship Group for 40 years , helped me run the Flower Show for years ( and with Sylvia Evans before me ) and my headstrong and sorted soay ewe was named after her with good reason 

Irene 

And Irene. 

Yesterday I dropped in some flowers to another neighbour who I have just heard has been rather unwell. Flowers are not a panacea to all ills but they are pretty and they underline your best wishes well .I’m a firm believer in flowers as gifts, they say more than words often can . 

The sponsorship of the memorial Hall windows , continues to be a success , one lady rang me yesterday to see if I could change which window she was allocated in memory of her parents and of course I said yes. 

She asked me to allocate her a window which overlooked her mother’s former house because It meant so much to her. These things do so much don’t they ? 

Today I’m spring cleaning the living room and as a treat afterwards I’m meeting up with another of Trelawnyd’s women Chic Eleanor for coffee. 

The front room rug has already been washed and is drying in the sun on the front lawn

I’ve not heard the calves this morning as yet, which is strange as the living room windows are open wide and a cool breeze is flowing through the cottage like an avalanche 

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/KYA2lg5