‘Little Things’

Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.

Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.

by Julia Fletcher Carney

sourced:discoverpoetry.com

Good morning,

Here’s ‘Monday Mind Workout’ answers from yesterday, how did you do?

News Quiz

1. A miner from Tanzania became a millionaire last month after finding what?   Tanzanite
2. What did archaeologists find near Stonehenge?  Pre-historic shafts/holes
3. Barcelona Opera had it’s first concert for 3 months with an audience of who or what? Potted plants (almost 3,000 plants were placed in the auditorium)
4. Which team became Premiership Champions? Liverpool
5. Who was the ‘Forces Sweetheart’ who died recently aged 103? Vera Lynn
6. For their birthday on 23^rd June, tiger cubs in Whipsnade Zoo were given a giant ice lolly made from what? Blood  ( Dmitri, Makari and Czar, were 2 years old)
7. What did India accuse Pakistan of sending across the border recently?  A spy pigeon (they believe it was carrying coded messages)
8. Celebrity and Royal photographer Rankin has released a series of pictures featuring who or what? NHS workers
9. Mount Merapi volcano erupted on 21 June – where is it?  Indonesia
10. Who suggested people could drink yards of ale to help social distancing when the pubs opened?  Jacob Rees Mogg
11. Nasa have launched a competition to design what to be used on the moon? Toilet
12. Scientist recently discovered which insects can quack?  Bees (Honeybee Queens can make quacking and tooting noises)
13. What was Boris Johnson photographed doing to show that he is “as fit as a butcher’s dog”?  Push ups
14. A man in Vienna was fined for doing what?  Breaking wind at the police
15. How old would Glastonbury festival have been this year?  50
16. Footballer Marcus Rashford successfully campaigned for the government to do what? Extend free school meals for vulnerable children over the summer
17. Which legendary band have threatened to sue Donald Trump if he uses their music at his rallys?  Queen
18. What did ‘Henrietta’ the hen do?  Travelled 90 miles under a lorry (She was unharmed and laid an egg at the end of the journey)
19. Which country did Poland accidentally invade in May? Czech Republic (soldiers sent to secure the border as part of lockdown made  a mistake on where the border was)
20. What was the name of the man who’s statue was toppled into the river in Bristol? Edward Colston
21. Which iconic band are to be featured on a set of Royal Mail stamps? Queen
22. Swiss railway are trying to track down the customer who left a 3kg bag of what on a train? Gold – worth £152,000
23. When is County Cricket due to start?  1 August
24. Why did KFC refuse to serve Ian Bell at their Carlisle Drive Through? He was driving a horse and cart
25. Which Yorkshire town did the Red Arrows fly over to mark Armed Forces Day? Scarborough

King Regards

With all of the rain, the weeds have started taking over on the allotment so plenty of work to be done. Still, the beans have have also pushed forward so looking forward to them.

The potato plants are pretty enormous this year. The last time they grew like this I ended up with hardly any spuds so here’s hoping that this doesn’t happen again.

The good old raspberries are overladen with fruit. Its worth having the plot just for them. I keep saying every year that I will cut them down and replant some new ones but can never bring myself to do it.

Day 78 – We’ve always been blessed with shops in Leeds and for those wanting Designer labels then this is the place, but they’re not for me. I much preferred the Leeds of days gone by. At the top end of Town, there was no Merrion or St John’s Centres; the former being the site of Rockingham Street bus station and the latter Wade Lane and an open car park next to ‘Lewis’s’. The only shops I remember on Albion Street, apart from ‘Alexandra Overalls’ were ‘Pobgee’s’ florists and ‘Spalding’s’ sports shop from where Mum and Dad bought my first pair of Faber ice skates. ‘Marshall & Snelgrove’ was on the corner of Bond Street and thereon was a trail of posh shops prior to the opening of the Bond Street Centre.

It must have been around 40 years ago I bought a black silk ottoman coat from a jumble sale, the label inside reading ‘Madame Arthur, Court Dressmaker, 30 Bond Street, Leeds 1’ and I was intrigued to know the history of the coat and ‘Madame Arthur’ herself! There was a photographer’s shop where ‘Boots’ stands now where I deposited so many films, firstly the old reel ones from Dad’s ‘Box Brownie’ to my ‘Instamatic’ cartridges. In those days a film was left for processing to be collected a week later, by which time many photos were a surprise (some more surprising than others!). Windows were not overly dressed in the 60s but I remember ‘Leader’s’ on Bond Street displaying a mannequin wearing a sleeveless evening dress with a bodice covered in daisies. It was very similar to one worn by the vocalist with the Denis Langfield. Sound at the New Mecca; her name was Sandra Stevens and she became part of the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ winners ‘Brotherhood of Man’.

‘Ann Corbett’ haute couture was almost at the corner of Bond Street where it met Albion Street. It stood next to a long showcase of photographs featured in the Yorkshire Evening Post and one could make a note of its number and pop round the corner to order a copy from their premises. I would look at the photos but gaze over my shoulder at the three or four unpriced garments. My sister bought her bridal headdress and veil from there and I purchased a cocktail dress for a ‘do’ from ‘Ann Corbett’; a layered silk georgette dress with back bow and streamers from the shoulders in royal blue and emerald (“blue and green should never be seen”!).

Further along was ‘Lafayette’ another posh shop with, again, no prices attached to their garments, one of which was always a wedding dress. ‘Cyril Livingstone’ on Albion Place was an establishment I would never have dared to enter. An elegant suit or dress in one window with perhaps a coat in the other and if one stopped to look, Mr Livingstone would appear and tend to the display but I’m sure in reality he would have been judging whether we could afford to buy (and we couldn’t).

Ross Furriers was a neighbour of ‘Lafayette’ but I can’t remember whether they weakened in the selling of maxi length white rabbit fun fur coats, popular in the early 70s. Over the road near the Milkmaid Cafe was ‘Paige’ – fashion which many of us felt more comfortable with. Lands Lane also had its share of fashion shops and one I remember in particular was situated next door to Betty’s Cafe. If one wanted to visit the lower sales floor a loud bell rang the second a foot touched the top step and we would be greeted at the bottom of the stairs with “Can I help you Modom?”. At the top of one of the Arcades was ‘Vivien Smith’ with its pretty print dresses and skirts but also a carousel of long-sleeved blouses with large tie bows. Made of a polyester crepe and fastening by a back zip they were available in every colour imaginable and I loved them.

‘Laura Ashley’ opened on Lands Lane too in the late 80s? I only ever bought from there on one occasion, for my good friends’ joint celebration of a Silver Wedding Anniversary, and two landmark Birthdays. My choice for the Summer celebration held at the Hotel Metropole was a long cotton dress and bolero jacket in a pale yellow and pink print, which I matched with delicate pink ribbed silk low-heeled courts and matching bag from Manfield. I was conscious of the fact that the dress armholes were rather big but thankfully, working at the Playhouse, their Wardrobe Dept. came to my rescue and altered it to fit in exchange for good quality biscuits and chocolates. I never wore Laura Ashley again as their dresses I found to be too small in their fit – or was it myself at fault??  More later…

Wonderful Maureen, and yes until next time……

image sourced from flickr.com/photos/cliffordstead/6472571875 – Leeds 1960

Saturday 4 July, the day before the NHS’s birthday, will be a moment of remembrance and reflection for those we have lost during the pandemic. This is a chance for the nation to come together and pay our respects. It is being led by the Together Coalition and they are asking people to place a light in their window or on their doorstep.

As part of this collective memorial, and as a mark of respect and tribute to NHS staff, key workers and everyone who has played their part during the pandemic, iconic landmarks including the London Eye, Royal Albert Hall, Blackpool Tower and Wembley Arch will be illuminated in blue.

It is expected that sports stadiums, bridges, castles, monuments, conference venues and landmarks will join in lighting up our skylines and cities on the evening of 4 July.

Thank you to the #MakeitBlue Collective who are supporting this as part of their #LightItBlue campaign. The campaign was created by the events and entertainment industry to show a united display of gratitude for health and key workers.

Have a look at this list of the buildings that will be lit up.  There may be others who are not on the list

People are also encouraged  to take photos and share them via social media using the hashtags #LightItBlue and #ThankYouTogether.

Today is another milestone in the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions,  so what is different from now on?

Social distancing rules change from 2 metres to ‘1 metre plus.’  The advice is still to keep 2 mtr where possible and to reduce the risks when closer by: wearing masks in busy places and on transport, washing/sanitising hands frequently, try not to stand or talk face to face and limit your time in busy places.

Meeting up with other people:  In England, two households of any size will be able to meet indoors or outside, including overnight stays. The two households have to maintain social distancing throughout, unless they are part of the same support bubble.  Indoor meetings of more than two households are not recommended because of the higher risk of infection.

From 6 July, people who are clinically vulnerable and are “shielding” will be able to gather in groups of up to six people outdoors, including individuals outside of their household, and form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household.

Opening up of more businesses and venues:  Most businesses can now re-open (although a number may choose to delay this):

Restaurants, pubs, cafes and holiday accommodation can now re-open.  Also allowed to re-open (providing they can do so safely) are:

• Outdoor gyms, children’s playgrounds and other outdoor spaces
• Hairdressers
• Libraries, community centres, bingo halls, cinemas, museums and galleries can open, along with funfairs and theme parks, amusement arcades, outdoor skating rinks, social clubs and model villages
• Places of worship can open for prayers and services, including weddings with up to 30 guests – subject to social distancing.

Some businesses are still not legally allowed to open such as:

• Close-contact services such as nail bars
• Nightclubs and casinos remain closed, along with bowling alleys, spas, swimming pools, indoor gyms and soft play centres
• Theatres and concert halls are not able to host live performances –

More information or answers to questions on gov.uk

From tomorrow, Saturday July 4, restaurants, bars, leisure and entertainment venues can reopen as part of the latest relaxation of restrictions.   However it is important to remember that the pandemic is not over and there is still a risk of catching the virus.

If you are planning to head into the city centre, please take all precautions to keep yourself safe and be aware that things will not be exactly the same as before as businesses and the council have put measures in place for everyone’s safety.

All hospitality indoors will be table service only, and contact between staff and customers will be limited. Customers will also have to give contact details when they enter a pub or restaurant.

You should plan your visit to the city centre before you set off. Some roads are closed and there have been changes to public transport. If you go by car, remember that charges for parking are being reinstated from 4th July.

Leeds City Council has issued guidance for residents, visitors and businesses as hospitality and entertainment venues prepare to reopen this weekend. Lots of information can be found here:

https://news.leeds.gov.uk/news/council-releases-guidance-ahead-of-hospitality-venues-reopening-in-leeds

https://www.leeds.gov.uk/coronavirus/people-and-communities#visit

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:

“We know many people are looking forward to venues reopening, but we would appeal to everyone to respect the rules to ensure venues can keep staff and customers safe.  This is another important step in our city centre reopening and bringing its economy back to life.

“We are working closely with businesses and partners to do all we can to help the reopening run smoothly, but we need everyone to play their part to make it a success and keep everyone safe.”

To help keep people safe and stop the spread of the virus LCC are:

• installing social distancing and key information signs in busy areas
• installing hand washing stations
• widening some pedestrian areas
• reopening some public toilets
• introducing safety measures at the train and bus stations
• regularly cleaning benches, bins and push buttons
• using volunteer ambassadors to welcome people back and support social distancing measures
• organising a team of night marshals for the 4, 5, 10 and 11 July

To keep yourself and others safe, you should:

• follow the advice on staying safe outside your home on GOV.UK
• stay 2 meters apart
• follow the queuing systems to get into shops
• use contactless payment where possible
• wash your hands or use hand sanitisers regularly