Where to Retire?

When my people retired, they decided to leave their lovely thatched Sussex home, and move up to Shropshire, where my mother had family.

I loved their Sussex home in the beautiful village of West Chiltington, but they'd made their decision, and that was that. Father was from Sussex; mother from Shropshire. Mother won!

This (above) is where they moved. A Victorian house in a small village, not too far from Shrewsbury. It was about twice the size that it appears to be in the photo, with a coach house, other buildings, a greenhouse, a fabulous ancient 44 tree orchard, and good-sized gardens. The village had a pub', a church, a shop, and a garage. The nearest good shopping town of Ellesmere was about 4 miles away.

Mother became ill almost as soon as they'd moved, and I was summoned to help-out. I ended-up spending about four years looking after them. Sadly mother soon died, and I was left looking after father who was by that time a wheelchair-bound double amputee. For someone with no experience of such things, I found it all quite 'challenging'.

However, I quite enjoyed village life, and soon took over the running of the Youth Club, as well as re-introducing the annual village Horticultural Show. I also managed to raise enough 'charity' money to send 8 members of the Youth Club on an adventure holiday to the Bavarian Alps in Germany, which was a huge success. I did my bit. 

It wasn't long before father also died, and I moved back to Sussex in 1985. My new home in Brighton could not have been more different. Newhaven, and the ferry to France, was just 20 minutes away, and we soon re-established our two location life. In France 100% bucolic, and in Brighton 100% urban.

These days we live that same two location life. Since Brexit our French stay is limited by Brussels, but the pleasure is still much the same. Brighton makes a great contrast to the peace and quiet of the French countryside, and offers just about everything one could ever imagine, or hope for.

I do still wonder if my people made the right decision about moving to Shropshire. Their home in Sussex was really lovely, and in many ways was the perfect retirement home; all that hassle of moving could have been avoided. It might even have prolonged their lives a bit.

Even so, Shropshire was very beautiful.

Tax and Spend.

I really don't wish to start attacking Starmer & Co after such a short time in office, but all those who voted FOR our new Labour government, and all those who voted AGAINST, knew one thing; that Labour's Trades Union paymasters would need to be rewarded, and that those who work hard, motorists, and the elderly would be the one's to pay. 

So far, handouts to Union members are costing taxpayers about £14 Billion; and this is just the beginning. They've handed-out generous salary increases to train drivers who were already some of the highest Union earners, earning in excess of £65,000; and they've taken away the small 'Winter Fuel Payments' from 10 Million old age pensioners who scrape-by on about £12,000. We still have the Autumn Budget to come; and we have been told to expect more horrors. They're not making themselves popular, even amongst their own supporters. Believe it or not, some 'pensioners' did actually vote for them!

Even after the generous offer to the train drivers that I mentioned above, a second rail Union has been threatening to strike as well (that may now have been halted); along with Passport Control workers, doctors, and many others. 

It looks like we'll be having a serious 'Autumn/Winter of Discontent'. The Unions have paid their dues; now they want the blood! 

People are already suggesting that Sir Keir Starmer's honeymoon period is over, he has told the UK that times will be tough. Frankly, don't earn a decent living, or you'll be stung. Don't go to the Pub' if you're a smoker. Don't drive your car. Don't save any money. And probably worst of all; don't leave any money in your will.

It isn't surprising that they didn't tell us about their policies before the election; they simply said that the country needed a CHANGE, and that's what we've got. The 'Labour Party' was founded and funded by the Trades Union movement, and they have to be rewarded; or else!

They inherited falling inflation, and the strongest economical growth in the G7. They are already doing their best, not only to deny it, but to turn the tide.  

Give to the rich, and take from the poor. I can understand the lower echelons voting for them, but is this what the mainstream Labour supporters really voted for?

I didn't vote.

Cro and Lord Byron.

 

There is no question that Lord Byron was a pretty strange character.

Born with a 'Club Foot', nothing could hold him back; either romantically or sportingly.

I was recently reminded that he always claimed his greatest achievement to have been to swim The Dardanelles aged 22. The 5 km swim being notoriously difficult on occasions.

Personally I have never been a great distance swimmer, but I did once swim between Brighton's two piers; so we almost have something in common. These days, 10 lengths of our pool is enough.

I'm afraid that I couldn't find a photo that shows the distance between the two piers (one now defunct), so the above will have to suffice. The old West Pier, at the bottom of the picture, was burnt down in 'suspicious circumstances' back in 2003; only a few bare bones now exist out at sea.

The swim is about 1 km in distance, and if I remember correctly was against the tide. My mother was there on the prom to watch and follow with my towel and clothes, although what she could have done had I got into trouble, I don't know.

I was probably no more that 30 metres out from the beach, and I swam breaststroke all the way. I began my swim underneath the old West Pier, and finished just on the other side of a stone jetty in front of the Palace Pier.

I don't remember it being particularly arduous, but did (like Byron) consider it a great achievement. I must have been about 15 or 16 years old. I really can't remember, but it must have taken me about 20 mins. We lived just up the coast behind Worthing at the time.

There, I'm afraid, is where any link between myself and Lord Byron ends. We both enjoyed swimming; FULL STOP.

Hearts and Minds

I have just read in the paper that Waitrose (a high-end UK food store) it to start selling Lamb's Hearts again, after having previously stopped in 2016.

I must have been born an 'adventurous eater'. As a small child nothing was more delicious to me than chewing on a lump of raw Beef, and/or my mother's roasted stuffed Lambs hearts. 

As my mother prepared her Sunday roasts, she would always give me pieces of raw Beef to eat, which I absolutely loved. 

I think the Lamb's hearts were probably a particular post-war dish, and very cheap; you don't see them these days (until now at Waitrose). I absolutely loved them, and had forgotten all about them until recently. I expect these days they've mostly gone into the making of Haggis.

I was born in 1946, and in those post-war years we ate 'different' things. Food was still rationed, and you survived on what was available. We were lucky, my people had a large garden with fruit, vegs, and poultry. For some reason Lambs hearts must have been amongst the readily 'available' meats at the village butcher's.

They were stuffed with a standard Sage-n-Onion stuffing, and roasted. I wonder what I would make of them today? Somehow they no longer really appeal, but I might buy some anyway, just to see! I think plenty of Olive oil, salt, and ground cumin would make them really delicious.

I remember them as being a real treat. 

 

Figs.

They are annoying little fruits, they always begin to ripen just as we're packing-up to head back to Blighty.

However, there are always a few early ripenings, but the majority hang-on until we've gone. I'm already eating a few each day, but there aren't enough to preserve, or make a Fig Tatin.

There is a large Fig tree in our street back home, and last year we ate quite a few, but I'm not sure if the weather has been kind enough to ripen them this year. We shall see.

Here I have FOUR very large Fig trees, and have previously bottled plenty for winter. I buy packs of commercially dried Figs through the year, and love them. Maybe we need to shift our French sojourn forwards by a month, then we would have more fruit, more mushrooms, and probably Chestnuts too.

Figs are a much derided fruit; if you don't have any they are always sought after, if you have loads they tend to be ignored.

 

Sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

For me, the worst thing about dying will be not knowing what happens to my children and grandchildren. I will probably be worrying about them on my death bed!

Will they live long and healthy lives? Will all 6 of my grandsons achieve their dreams and earn reasonable livings? Will they all live their lives free from warfare?

So far the younger members of the family are all showing signs of being good, law-abiding, members of society. They have all been raised by certain standards, and I believe will wish that to continue. They are healthy, reasonably intelligent, and have ambition. I have to thank their parents for making sure that that was so.

Personally I also find them all reasonably good-looking, which is never a bad thing.

I would like to believe in some form of 'life after death', just so that I could keep an eye on them, but I'm not kidding myself. I'll just have to rely on their own good judgement to do what's best.

Above is Kimbo with his two strapping lads.

 

Pukka Tomatoes.

These days, with no Haddock's under cultivation, I have to rely on my best friend, and neighbour, José to grow a few extra Tomatoes on my behalf; which he is always happy to do.

His vegetable garden always seems to grow just two things; Tomatoes and Beans. Both are eaten fresh, but both are also bottled for the Winter months. No Courgettes, no Aubergines, no Onions, or even Potatoes; just Toms and Beans.

There is no comparison between shop bought and outdoor sun-ripened Tomatoes. People do say that all home-grown vegs are always much tastier than bought, but this isn't always the case. However, when it comes to Tomatoes it is 100% true.

The ribbed Tomato on the left (above) weighed-in at 700 gms.

Phew; wot a wopper, and totally delicious too!