A bit of excitement recently involved the sourcing of a new ironing board cover! Due to only essential shops being open and this clearly being an essential item, they have been somewhat conspicuous by their absence. The sizing often poses a problem as ironing boards these days seem to be much bigger – but not necessarily better – but if you own one dating back many years, as in my case, then the covers can be difficult to find. I do wish that measurements of the said covers were in inches! I dislike metric and still haven’t quite adapted. Whether the elasticated version or the basic tie-style, I have learnt not to be so choosy – “any Port in a storm” and all that. In the past I’ve converted a basic cover by threading the hem with tubular elastic and a safety pin – tailor made and an excellent fit. Finding narrow elastic at all over the last year has been difficult though, due to supplies have been snapped up for mask making.

The very word ‘elastic’ reminds me of a story my Mum told me about her first job in 1930. A drapery establishment on North Lane, Headingley where a very snooty Lady requested a yard of elastic, only to return the next day, extremely annoyed at the short piece in the paper bag. Yes, Mum had stretched the elastic to the required length which had then shrunk back – not fit for purpose! I eventually found the answer to my dreams, a new cover, on those magical middle aisles of Aldi and as I unwrapped and fitted it, to my delight – rather like Cinderella’s glass slipper – it fit! It now awaits my next ironing session. The anticipation is intense….!

Have you ever made a purchase which you wish you’d taken the plunge with much earlier? Well I have, with a new washing up bowl! My previous one was purchased at Aldi (yes I am a regular) and this item being from their Chapel Allerton store, I felt assured it would be a cut above. However when the novelty wore off, I began to curse its existence with some regularity. Too heavy, why did it need a deep rim to it and worst of all –  dinner plates would not lie flat. I’ve considered whether this was the way the process of washing up was heading, probably to entice one into buying a dishwasher. When it all came to a head, in seeking its replacement I was unprepared for a shortage! Did they appear on Christmas ‘wish lists’? Or are they stuck in Containers at Dover or Felixstowe Docks? Home Bargains saved the day with only two left, including a grey one to match my kitchen. It has no deep rim, making it easier to reach over to retrieve an errant spoon. The overall factor is that dinner plates now lie flat! I’ve now been examining the “seen better days” bread bin which has a couple of dents in it and as I don’t wish to visit a Panel Beater for repair, my searching may start all over again……

Thank you Maureen, until next time….

The below dedication is from PCSO Sam in memory of her grandfather.

“Can I share my story behind the song, We’ll Meet Again by Dame Vera Lynn.

My grandfather was away in the Navy during the second world war. He was engaged to be married to my grandmother and they would write to each other regularly. His letters were checked before they were posted to ensure that nothing they’d written could be used by the enemy. They weren’t to include any details of shore leave or home leave in case their post was intercepted. My grandfather got around this by adding, “We’ll meet again” to his letters when he would be coming home.

Both of my grandparents passed away over 20 years ago, but I still can’t hear that song without remembering them both and how their love blossomed even though they were apart.

“We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when” seems so apt at this time.

Take great care of each other.

Sam Pemberton

PCSO

Oh Sam this is beautiful, thank you for sharing this special story with us, keep safe and hopefully we can all meet again soon.

Click on the link below
ps. If it asks you to sign into Youtube, just click on ‘no thanks’ and then click on ‘I agree’, you may also have to watch the start of an advert first, you can skip ad once it shows bottom right – enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsM_VmN6ytk

image sourced youtube

I started the lockdown by reading The Mirror and the Light, the last book in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy telling the story of Thomas Cromwell, the self-made 16^th century political fixer who, after overseeing Henry VIII’s marital affairs (always problematical) and the dissolution of the monasteries (seismic), gets decapitated.

Since I have known this, in outline, since schooldays, it should have been hard to maintain my interest over the 875 pages of Mantel’s final Cromwell novel, which I thought, early last year, might see me through to the end of the pandemic (pause for bitter ironic laughter).

But Mantel stays close to her protagonist, almost breathing along with him and immersed in his every thought, so when he walks to the scaffold the writer and her readers have to follow him right to the gory end. It’s an experience.

I can also recommend the best-selling Richard Osman detection novel The Thursday Murder Club. This contains a few deaths and some serious reflections on ageing but remains entirely enjoyable, which, these days, is as good as it gets.

Thank you Oliver, until next time….

Thank you for sharing this with us Pauline, take care and all the best to Bill too.