Wednesday 30 November 2011

Joining the 2012 British Book Challenge


Hosted by The Overflowing Library. Click HERE to sign up.

The aim is to read 12 books by British authors, which averages to one a month.

  1. The Ship of Brides by JoJo Moyles
  2. The Generation Game by Sophie Duffy
  3. TBC
  4. TBC
  5. TBC
  6. TBC
  7. TBC
  8. TBC
  9. TBC
  10. TBC
  11. TBC
  12. TBC

Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson

Christmas at Harrington's


I would have missed this book had it not been for an alert advising me of free ebooks for the Kindle. I downloaded it and managed to read the book within a few hours.

Not my usual style of book, but this was a nice and gentle read. It is the story of Lena Markham, dominated by her father, plans to leave the parental home, only to find that she marries a man similar to her father. A man that thinks nothing of deceiving her. Working part time for a church dealing with their accounts Lena notices an anomaly. Her husband dismisses the idea. A while after a major discrepancy is noticed by the Bishop and the issue is investigated. Lena is arrested and charged, while her husband looks on.

Visiting her in Jail her husband advises that the Police have found the culprit and plan to flush them out, but in the meantime, Lena needs to stay put. He husband then asks for her inheritance money, so that the real culprit can be flushed out. Needless to say, bells should be ringing, but don't and Lena is left in prison, charged with a crime she did not commit.

After her release from prison, Lena wants a fresh start. Divorced and alone she decides to move to another town and hopes to put the past behind her. With a little cash in her pocket and a small cache of belongings she boards a coach for pastures new and meets a friend. Having arrived in her new town, to temporary accommodation, Lena does find work and starts to build her life again and then she encounters someone from her past, who announces that she is a convicted felon. Will her plans all come to nothing?

This was a quick read. I would have liked the characters to have been developed more, and would like to have heard more of the story beyond the ending we currently have. A nice little story on the approach to the festive season.

Kindle edition - ISBN 0800719255

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Stay Tuned by Lauren Clark

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the Stay Tuned eBook edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week.

What’s more, by purchasing this fantastic book at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes, including lots of Amazon gift cards (up to $100 in amount) and 5 autographed copies of the book. Be sure to enter before the end of the day on Friday, December 2nd, so you don’t miss out.

To Win the Prizes:


1. Purchase your copy of Stay Tuned for just 99 cents (or 86p for those in the UK) on Amazon or Barnes & Noble (You’ll need it for the big contest on Friday)

2. Fill-out the form on Novel Publicity to enter for the prizes

3. Visit today’s featured event; you may win an autographed copy of the book or a $50 gift card!

...And I can win too!


Over 100 bloggers are participating in this gigantic event, and there are plenty of prizes for us too. The blogger who receives the most votes in the traffic-breaker poll will win a $100 gift card as well. So when you visit Novel Publicity’s site to fill-out the contest entry form, don’t forget to say that I referred you, so I can get a point in the poll.

The Featured Events include:


Monday, Radio Interview with Novel Publicity! We’re kicking-off on the Novel Publicity Free Advice blog. We interviewed Lauren on our radio show Sunday night and have embedded the full podcast and blogged about its highlights. Give it a listen and then leave a comment on the blog post. This is a great chance to get to know more about this fun and bubbly author. One commenter will win an autographed copy of Stay Tuned. Don’t forget to enter for the other contest prizes while you’re over there!

Tuesday, Twitter sharing contest! A tweet is tiny, only 140 characters. But on Tuesday, it could win you $50. Send the following tweet across the twittersphere, and you just may win a $50 Amazon gift card. An autographed copy of Stay Tuned is also up for grabs. The winners will be announced Wednesday morning. Here’s the tweet:  Take a break from the holiday frenzy, and read Stay Tuned. It's fast, fun, and reduced to just 99 cents! http://ow.ly/7zA1e #whirlwind

Wednesday, Google+ sharing contest! Yup, there’s yet another awesome opportunity to win a $50 Amazon gift card, and this time it just takes a single click! Visit Google+ and share Emlyn Chand’s most recent post (you’ll see the Stay Tuned book cover included with it). On Thursday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. An autographed copy of Stay Tuned is also up for grabs. Two chances to win with just one click! How about that?

Thursday, Facebook sharing contest! Stop by Novel Publicity’s Facebook page and share their latest post (you’ll see the Stay Tuned book cover included with it). It’s ridiculously easy to win! On Friday morning, one lucky sharer will be $50 richer. An autographed copy of Stay Tuned is also up for grabs.

Friday, special contest on the author’s site! Are you ready for some more fun? Take a picture of yourself with your copy of Stay Tuned either in paperback or on an eReading device, tag Lauren Clark’s Facebook page, and you can enter to win one of three Amazon gift cards! A $100 prize will go to the most creative photo, $50 to the best BFF photo, and $50 to the photo with the most people in it. An autographed copy of Stay Tuned is also up for grabs. If you need help learning how to tag a photo, you can visit Lauren’s Facebook page for detailed instructions.



Remember, it’s all about the books!


About Stay Tuned: What happens when a #1 news team becomes the top story instead of reporting it? For TV producer Melissa Moore, crisis management comes with the job. From employee disputes to her high-maintenance boss, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or can’t handle. But no one—including Melissa—expects a fistfight during the ten o’clock news. When sexy-but-crazy Alyssa Andrews lands a punch on her co-anchor’s face, Melissa jumps on set to help. She’s determined that WSGA’s reputation won’t be destroyed on her watch. Both anchors are fired and Melissa agrees to fill in—but not before polishing her look from haircut to heels. While the new Melissa wows WSGA viewers, her personal life starts fraying at the edges. Melissa’s husband is away more than he’s home, leaving cryptic Post-it notes in his wake. Her mother’s antics spiral out of control at the nursing home and a stalker decides Melissa is her next target. What happens next? Stay Tuned to find out… Get it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the Author: Lauren Clark has been a voracious reader since the age of four and would rather be stranded at the library than on a desert island. In her former life, she worked as an anchor and producer for CBS affiliates in Upstate New York and Alabama. Lauren adores her family, yoga, her new Electra bike, and flavored coffee. She lives near the Florida Gulf Coast. Visit her on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads. 

Now please enjoy this sneak peek of Stay Tuned...


Chapter 1

Alyssa Andrews was missing.

Gone, vanished, MIA with just minutes to airtime.

“Melissa, where is she?” Our news director, Joe, shot a harried look in my direction. After dealing with a broken studio camera, spotty satellite reception, and last-minute script changes, his nerves were fried to a crisp.

“She’ll be here,” I promised, knowing my confidence was a front. Alyssa, one of WSGA-TV’s main news anchors, was a constant source of angst in my already-stressful job.

She was young, talented, gorgeous…and chronically late.

This lack of punctuality was a problem, especially when WSGA ran a show at exactly six and ten o’clock every night. Not a moment later.

WSGA was Macon, Georgia’s number one news station and had been for two years running. If we wanted to keep it that way, timing was everything. Every second mattered.

I produced both evening shows, which meant—among a dozen other tasks—organizing the day’s stories, writing copy, and checking video. Each segment had to run seamlessly between three-minute commercial breaks.

Deep breath, Melissa. Send up a little prayer. She’ll show up.

The red numbers on the clock continued to march forward. 

Another deep breath. Everything’s in place. Alyssa just needs to walk in and get on set…

“Tighten up on camera one.” Joe peppered the room with demands. “Mic check, now, not yesterday.”

Tim Donaldson, Alyssa’s co-anchor, obliged, counting backwards from the number five.

Joe’s thick fingers punched buttons on the massive keyboard in front of him. “Bring up the live shot.”

Still, no Alyssa.

Joe raked a huge hand through his long gray hair. “Five minutes!” he growled, with a glare into his empty coffee cup.

At this point, it was Joe’s show to run. He was in charge. I shuffled my scripts. “How about I call her?”

“She’s an adult,” he grumbled. “You shouldn’t have to.”

Joe expected nothing less than perfection. He was experienced, hard working, and a stickler for detail. Alyssa’s nonchalance made him crazy.

Which, at 9:55:36 on a Friday night, gave him the patience of a gnat. On crack.

This was particularly dangerous for an unsuspecting new employee, all of twenty years old and pimple-faced, who crept up behind us.

Joe ignored him at first, barking an order to me instead. “Fine, fine. Melissa, tell Princess A. she’s needed in the studio.”

On autopilot, I punched her extension, eyes focused on the row of monitors above my head in case she decided to appear.

While the phone rang, the new kid rocked on his heels nervously. I flashed a smile and shook my head gently in his direction, hoping he’d get the hint.

Not now.

Nope. The kid stood there, coughed lightly, and waited for one of us to turn around.

“What?” Joe finally snapped.

The force of the word made the kid’s body jerk back. Jaw open, unable to speak, his face turned crimson.

Joe waited about a second for the kid to talk, and then leaned back over the control panel. He pressed at switches, clearly annoyed. The kid looked sick. Joe rolled his eyes. My anxiety level cranked up ten notches.

9:58:09. Less than two minutes.

Wait…a flash of an ivory suit and blond hair.

“There she is,” I interrupted the tension with a cool nod toward the monitors.

Front and center, Alyssa sauntered into the studio, lips puckered, blowing her shell-pink nail polish dry. She slid into her seat next to Tim, and gave him a playful pat on the shoulder.

Joe muttered something I couldn’t repeat.

I stifled a loud sigh of relief and glanced around the room. The new guy was the only one in the building unimpressed with Alyssa’s arrival. With a shaking hand, he reached out and tapped Joe’s burly shoulder.

“Mr. Joe, there’s a problem with one of the machines—”

Joe’s back stiffened. He turned a millimeter in the kid’s direction and exploded. “Get your butt back there. Get one of the engineers. Fix it. Call someone.”

I caught the now-completely mortified kid’s eye, and motioned for him to come toward me. Grabbing the nearest piece of paper, I jotted down the engineer’s extension and held it at arm’s length with a kind smile. Poor guy. Lots to learn.

With a grateful look, the new kid plucked the scrap from my fingers and darted away.

Time to get started.

I settled in, gripped my pen hard, and looked up.

Okay. Alyssa’s collar was turned under. Minor detail, but sure to garner at least five viewer complaints. You wouldn’t believe what people called in about.

I leaned toward the microphone to let Alyssa know.

“Dare you not to tell her,” Joe muttered. It wasn’t a secret that the guys would willingly let Alyssa go on air with underwear on her head. She hadn’t made friends. Or tried to.

Tim, her co-anchor and current boyfriend, didn’t count.

“Just part of those darn producer duties, Joe. You know that.” I flashed him a smile and pressed the button to talk. “Alyssa, fix your collar.”

Her mouth parted into an O. Alyssa frowned, glanced down, and straightened the pale edge. Just in time.

Like a well-directed movie, the WSGA-TV opening video flashed across monitor one. Macon, Georgia’s skyline filled the screen.

My body tingled with a familiar rush of excitement. It happened every time we went on air. The cameras and lights, the beat of the music, the thrill of live television.

Here we go.

Seconds later, Alyssa and Tim appeared under the lights, their bright anchor smiles pasted on.

“Good evening, I’m Alyssa Andrews.

“And I’m Tim Donaldson.”

And on it went, without a blip, for the first ten minutes. I started breathing again after the third break.

Stanley and Sunshine, the weather cat, were ready for the five-day forecast, check.

Commercial break, check.

Sports, check. I didn’t worry about that three-minute slot. Plenty to talk about, visual stories; the anchors could get away with jokes and ad-libbing. Viewers loved it.

We rounded out the show with an inspirational kicker about a local scholarship winner, a kid first in his family to go to college. He’d won forty thousand dollars and was going to Georgia Tech to study astrophysics.

The show wrapped with a standard goodnight, credits, and a wide shot of the WSGA set.

The second the master control operator switched to break, Alyssa flounced off the set in silicone fashion. She barked into her jewel-encrusted cell phone about her min-pin puppy’s cancelled spa appointment and stomped out of the studio, teetering precariously in four-inch heels.

Yikes!

I climbed the flight of stairs back to the newsroom, relieved the night was almost over.

The phones started to ring five seconds later.


Taking part in the Novel Publicity  & Co Promotion

100 Word Challenge - Week 21



Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. This week the prompt is this photo, which is copyrighted to Terry whose blog is at "The Incredible Lightness of Seeing".


100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups


The excite was so much that she could barely breath. After all this time the old family home was still standing. The map had implied it was there, but she had not really believed it. As she touched the wood and surfaces she felt a link to past generations and wondered how she could possibly explain such a bond to a building. Her mind started to visualise the building turned into a home once again, linking the past with the future. She could not leave now. The feeling was completely irrational, but was so overwhelming it simply had to be.


Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #21

Tea Cup Tuesday - Queen Victoria 1887 - Oxford


So, this week another mug that sits on the picture window shelf in our lounge. This was a purchase from an antique shop or perhaps eBay.


Made, with no markings to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. When I purchased it, it already had the crack that is visible. I like these pieces that we made not just commemorate the event, but that they are named with the town they were from. This particular one is from Oxford. We have a plate for the 1887 Jubilee with Salisbury on.

Submitted as part of Tea Cups Tuesday hosted by Artful Affirmations & Martha's Favourites

Monday 28 November 2011

Joining War through the Generations Reading Challenge 2012 - The Great War


The challenge for 2012 is The Great War - sign up HERE. There is also a read-a-long to accompany the challenge and the book is A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway.

I have signed up initially for a "dip" which is three books in any genre with The Great War as a primary or secondary theme.

Here are my books -
  1. Forgotten Voices of the Great War by Max Arthur
  2. TBC
  3. TBC

Ramblings from my Desk.....(3)

Alfie - taken 23rd November 2011
As I type this Alfie is snoozing in the arm chair in my study and was not impressed when I snapped him with my iPhone.

The last few nights have been dreadful. I am no longer sleepy because of the pain killers and for the second night on the trot have slept very little. Last Monday I was still awake at 4am. Then on Tuesday night I managed to get to bed and off to sleep only to be awakened by the house alarm. It appears that I had not closed one of the internal doors downstairs and Alfie had wondered off and gone through the opened door. So, it's my own fault! The rest of the week carried on the same.

On Saturday, Hubby looked out of our bedroom window and called to me where were his binoculars? I could just about remember where I had last seen them. I asked why and after manoeuvring the stairs I could see what had caught his attention.




When I asked what boat it was, I was informed of three things.
1. Boats have oars and this does not, therefore it is a ship!
2. It is a Royal Navy Auxiliary vessel, which means it is a supply ship and heading off to replenish other vessels - perhaps Libya direction, but could be heading anywhere!
3.This Vessel probably began its journey at Plymouth.

If I see anything in the local paper - which is next out on Thursday I will let you know. In the meantime, did you spot the pesky seagull in the second photo? The third photo with the Church in is my favourite.

Inspired by the sunshine I floated the idea past hubby that perhaps we could nip to the supermarket as I had seen a fabulous recipe and wanted to try it out. The one thing we didn't have in the freezer was any chicken portions. So, we went off to Tesco. I am still walking very slow and can confirm, that there are individuals of all ages that are rude, aggressive and have no patience with those who are less mobile. Sad to say, I didn't see anyone get their punishment with a severe spillage of beef gravy like last week, but did see both some strange and odd people and behaviour. I do love people watching; much to hubby's disgust.

The best Tesco offering I can present this week is I was at the chicken counter, for said recipe and an Italian couple in their mid to late 50s were stating that I was a pain being so slow and perhaps I should have my groceries delivered. I loved the look on their faces when I answered them in their native language that I was sorry I was such an inconvenience and they should be glad they were not married to me, as my husband would confirm that I am a very bad patient. As to having my groceries delivered, I would never have met them had that been the case. To which I ambled off. I am getting more and more like a cross between my beloved Grandmother who spoke her mind and Victor Meldrew.

The second offering was as I slumped in the queue, I still can not stand as the pain radiates down my left leg, I noticed a member of staff who had finished her shift, and was now about to do her own shopping reach behind the till service area and extract a rather large basket with half her groceries in. The manager in me wanted to challenge - after all, she was there to work, the grumpy customer in me wonders if she could do my shopping for me in advance?

By the time we got home an hour or so later, I was exhausted, and did manage a nap. The chicken dish was wonderful and I managed to cook it yesterday. It took about 5 minutes to prepare and the slow cooker did the rest. Hubby was delighted that he was not having a jacket potato or omelette's, which has been the heights of cooking for the last few weeks.

So long, until the next rambling.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Weekend Cooking - Chicken Meal (Slow Cooker)


A few weeks ago I stopped by one of the regular blogs that I read. There I spotted a easy recipe that I could cook without too much pain and discomfort. It was so easy and smells very tasty as the smell wafts up the stairs!

Add to slow cooker
Frozen Chicken portions - breasts or tender parts
2 tins of Cream of Chicken or Mushroom soup - I used Mushroom
A park of dried seasoning - I used half a pack as a large one!

Just added to the slow cooker

Cook all day on low or half a day on high.
An hour before serving add 8oz of cream cheese - I used Dairylea cut into to cubes, or small spoonfuls.

Before serving mix the cream cheese into the sauce and then serve over a bed of rice, noodles or mashed potato. I served over a bed of mashed potato that had some grated cheese added to it.


I put the slow cooker on at about 11am on low, planning to eat about 7pm. As it was the weekend we were both home, although I really haven't been going out because of my back, so was pleasantly surprised when this was ready about 5pm! - we ate anyway! Hubby thought it was delicious and very tasty!

Source of original recipe was HERE and look at the November 17, 2011. A great site by which the author shares her family recipes.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by BethFishReads

100 Word Challenge - Week 20 part 3



Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. A selection of prompts for this week is below, based upon the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible, which was celebrated last week. This is a third contribution for this week

....the powers that be / the apple of his eye / the writing on the wall

She felt devoid of any emotion, the last eight weeks of notice had been gruelling. In her pocket another letter. This one had flowed easily, expressing herself factually to the Director, of how loyal staff, were being treated and how many they had lost since the merger. How could he condone this? How could the business be the apple of his eye? It was too late for her. She was beginning a new working career now, but how much damage had been done? She sought the solace and comfort of former colleagues who had given up the fight long ago.

Part one is HERE and part two is HERE

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #20

Sepia Saturday 102 - Something Fishy!

Despite the name of this blog I am not an angler. My husband is, as was his father and grandfather before him. We have a variety of antique fishing tackle that we have either purchased or inherited from my husband's family. This week I am going to show a few angling postcards; we don't have any old family angling photos and finish on a modern fishing note.



Hubby tells me that the most wonderful thing he wants to see is to see a leaping salmon along the River Tay. We always joke, as he leaves the house with excitement, a flask of tea and a selection of food and huge amounts of tackle, that I always say "catch a monster!" Here are a few examples proving that he does occasionally catch a monster!

This was a 19lb Rainbow Trout caught in 2003

Brown Trout weighing in 10lb

Brown Trout weighing in 10lb


Taking part in Sepia Saturday

Saturday 26 November 2011

100 Word Challenge - Week 20 part 2.



Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. A selection of prompts for this week is below, based upon the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible, which was celebrated last week. This is a second contribution for this week

....the powers that be / the apple of his eye / the writing on the wall

He read the letter again and looked up. He said nothing. He was playing those mind games again, knowing she had hated the silence. With all her might she did not speak, not even to offer a hot drink. The atmosphere was becoming heavy and stifling. She sat down with her coffee and looked at him forcing him to break the silence. Then he said "I'll have to ask the powers that be" to which she replied, my date is in the letter unless you would rather.....he interrupted, furious that she had the upper and final hand.

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #20

Thursday 24 November 2011

100 Word Challenge - Week 20 part 1



Joining the weekly 100 words challenge for Grown ups. A selection of prompts for this week is below, based upon the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible, which was celebrated last week.

....the powers that be / the apple of his eye / the writing on the wall

The alarm clock sounded and an arm stretched out to snooze it. She had been awake for hours already, as was the case most days. After a while she headed off to the bathroom for the regular morning ritual, joined by the recent addition of feeling sick, so sick that she could barely get dressed. After a forced morning drink she left the house clutching the important envelope. When she arrived and handed it to him, he looked surprised and said “why?” to which she replied “no surprises, the writing has been on the wall for some time now”

For this week, I have continued with a second part.

Taking part in the 100 word Challenge for Grown Ups – Week #20

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Tea Cup Tuesday - British Empire Exhibition 1924


This is one of my favourites. Purchased a few years ago in Honiton. As soon as I saw it I had to have it! I remember looking at the price and seeing £28 and thinking that money on a cup I will never use? I pondered and then took the item to the lady behind the desk.

Made of a heavy china, with no marking on the reverse or the bottom. This little beauty was made for the  British Empire Exhibition in 1924. The exhibition was hosted at Wembley. The two spoons sitting in the mug are also from the Exhibition, and somewhere I have a postcard or two.

To read more about the Empire which inspired the Exhibition click HERE. There is also a study group for those who are interested in the various Exhibitions hosted

Here it is with some other mugs. Some have been featured over the last few weeks and others are coming up!

Submitted as part of Tea Cups Tuesday hosted by Artful Affirmations & Martha's Favourites

Joining the 2012 Ebook Challenge

2012 Ebook Challenge

Hosted for 2012 by Workaday Reads. Click HERE to sign up.

I have committed to read 5 e-books through the course of a year which is known as "floppy disc" This should be easily achieved as I have a few e-books awaiting to be read and I also have my trusty iPad. I have it on fairly good authority that Santa is bring me a Kindle for Christmas, so really there is no excuse!

Here are my books - 
  1. London & Londoners in the 1850s & 1860s by Alfred Rosling Bennett (Published 1924) (eBook by Lee Jackson 2011)
  2. Gypsy Feast: Recipes & Culinary Traditions of the Romany People by Carol Wilson (Published 2004)
  3. Throwing Clay Shadows by Thea Atkinson (Published 2011)
  4. Olga - A Daughter's Tale by Marie Campbell (Published 2011)
  5. Crime Fiction for Beginners by Gervase Shorter (Published 2011)
  6. Unraveling Ada, A Quilted Mystery Novel by Barbara Sullivan (Published 2009)
  7. Master Chef Tom's Burns Night by Tom Bridge  (Published 2010)

Monday 21 November 2011

Carnival Of Genealogy 112 - An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving


Here in the UK we don't celebrate Thanksgiving. We do, or we did when I was at school take part in Harvest Festivals.  For this Carnival of Genealogy are am going to do some imaging, based up the facts surrounding the amazing life of my husband's Great Grandmother.

Annie Rhodes was born in Bradford Yorkshire in 1869. In 1889 in Bradford she married Charles Worship and together they had three daughters, Emily, Florence and Lilian, my husband's Grandmother. Over the course of the last 5 years or so I have researched the Rhodes and Worship family and you can read about it in an earlier post HERE. In 1905, Annie Worship, although recorded as Wurship, boarded a ship to the United States; with her was a new baby, a son, that had been born in Bradford.

Passenger List from Ancestry.com 1905
When Annie got off the boat, in Philadelphia she became known as Annie Hindle as did the baby. Her divorce from Charles Worship did not take place until 1921 and her eventual marriage to Harry Hindle in New York in 1922. From what I can understand, Annie had a relationship with Harry in England and then became pregnant. She left her husband and migrated to America following her new love. Upon arrival she took Harry's name, but it would be 16 years before they could marry. 

As the ship from England had arrived a year earlier just after Thanksgiving, it would not be until 1906 when Annie & Harry with their son Henry would celebrate Thanksgiving.  It appears that Annie and Harry embraced their new life in a new Country. I am imagining that they sat down to dinner together, perhaps with new friends and celebrated the weekend. While the turkey or duck was in the oven did Annie quickly whisk up some batter and make Yorkshire Puddings to accompany their dinner? And as she did so, did her thoughts turn to her children left behind in Yorkshire? 

After dinner, was there some board games, or perhaps laughing and jokes?  Did Annie, in the midst of those celebrations turn her thoughts to England to her three daughters that she had left behind? Did she feel a little bit of regret? Would any of us make a different decision? Remembering that this is the early 20th Century. Views of living as a married couple when married to another would have been severely frowned upon. Abandoning her children likewise. It is so easy for us to view things through modern eyes. Annie made a huge and very difficult decision. 

These are questions that we will never know the answer too. My late father in law had a series of photos and we videoed them in the mid 1990s. I have since transferred those images to DVD, but very little of their life in America has passed to us. What has happened is that I made contact with someone who was the step son Annie and Harry's son. He very kindly provided me with some details and the very special image below, the only photograph that we have of Annie & Harry Hindle and their son Henry Rhodes Hindle.

Family

Taking part in the Carnival of Genealogy, hosted by Jasia.

Book Meme - Day 11 - A book you hated

By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept
This had to be By Grand Central Station I sat down and wept by Elizabeth Smart. Image courtesy of Amazon

Back in 1994 I was living in South East London and undertaking an English Literature module at the Middlesex University. This was one of the standard set reads.

Maybe, I am a philistine, but I simply do not get the book. Another read on Amazon as I write this post, and I can see from the reviews that it is referred to as a "timeless classic", and I still feel that I don't understand the book. 

Just to be fair to the author I am going to add this to my library list and have another read of it and see if anything clicks with me this time.

Fingers crossed!  Has anyone else read it, and what were your views?

Book Meme - Day 10 - Favorite classic book

A Room with a View (Twentieth Century Classics)My favourite classic book has to be A Room with a View by E. M. Forster.

The image here is courtesy of Amazon, but replicates my copy here. According to the receipt inside I purchased from Waterstones at Guildford for £4.99!

I love the story, the setting and the characters. The film was made in the late 1980s and featured Helene Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith, two amazing actresses. It was filmed in Surrey and I have my original video of the film and a newer DVD version. I am sure that I should part with the video, to perhaps the charity shop as I don't really need two copies of it. Why do we hoard such things?

Sunday 20 November 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Wk 47 - Fall


Week 47. Fall. What was fall like where and when you grew up? Describe not only the climate, but how the season influenced your activities, food choices, etc.

Challenge open from Saturday 19th November until Friday 25th November 2011


Autumn, as is it is known in the UK is a really pretty season. I love watching the leaves change from their bright green through to yellows and then to shades of red and brown. Very often we find in the UK that the Summer doesn't want to leave us and we have a burst of Autumnal sunshine. That happened this year. Other years can be very wet or the colds of a pending winter start early. The South west of England where I live tends to be warmer than northern parts and I heard on the news last week of the first smattering of snow in the highlands of Scotland.

At the end of October we changed our clocks and gain an extra hour in bed, so that means that for those of us who work lengthy days we leave for work in the morning and return home in the evening in the dark. I hate that. I love the long evenings of the summer. As the weather cools and we develop colds, chills and pending winter glumness I like to eat comfort foods of casseroles and stews. I find that I go out less and become a bit of a home bird during the colder months.

I grew up in the South East of England, where the temperature is typically warmer than here, where we are on the coast. The start of the school year in September meant the arrival once again of a hockey stick and the dreadful red socks we had to wear. I loved hockey, but when it was cold it was dreadful, the ground hard and fingers, hands and knees catching the cold and turning red; which matched the socks! Of course the cold and redness made any injuries we endured feel worse than ever. 

We also used to have a Harvest Festival and I always enjoyed gathering foods and making a hamper in a shoe box. We could often nominate an elderly person to receive the hamper. After the service we would deliver them. Ah, happy memories. 


Here is a postcard from my Guildford and District collection.
This is St Mary's Church in Guildford circa 1906. St. Mary's is one of the oldest Churches in Guildford and I do have some family links there. My 4 x Great Grandfather, George Ellis was married to his second wife there in 1805. You can read about George's life HERE (part one) & HERE (part two)

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