Oh, My Days!

  Yesterday, I spent a lovely day on a training course run by the Oral History Society who are part of the British Library. This came about as a result of me responding to a ‘Volunteers Wanted’ request from our village heritage group who have received funding in order to create an oral history project about the village which will be an extension of the work the group have already done. Adderley Heritage, for that is the name of the group, has spent a lot of time creating an archive of historical documents, developing a website and installing a heritage trail around the village, with information boards placed at strategic sites of historical importance. The village can trace its history back to 1065. That’s a LOT of history!  Anyway, off I went to the training day, not knowing quite what to expect other than the usual bribery of tea, cake and lunch. And I have to say it was a thoroughly fascinating experience. The only hiccup occurred because the training location couldn’t be our own vi

  A few days ago, Nell and I saw these cows on the far side of the canal. It’s a vertiginous bank, and how they got down there, let alone how they get back up is quite beyond me. Can cows channel their inner goat when they need to? Who knows? It’s a wonder of the Universe. Anyway, Nell barked at the cows, I did not because I was taught that shouting in a public space was the habit of a common fish-wife, and the cows regarded us with mild interest and much serenity and probably thought, ‘Stupid dog.’  Yesterday, the sun was out, the skies were blue, the wind was non-existent and as all gardeners know at this time of year, it was the best of days to get outside and do a pre-Winter tidy up. What I REALLY wanted to do was stay inside, read, knit and watch The Repair Shop on catch-up TV BUT the Gnome of Gritty Determination was immediately in my ear (not literally - that would be very uncomfortable. I can’t even cope with ear plugs let alone a whole gnome) telling me to ‘Go out NOW and CRAC