Monday, 30 June 2008
Biting the Bullet
Went to a play at Leighton Buzzard Theatre http://www.leightonbuzzardtheatre.co.uk/. It was really good, especially the girl who played Dawn. The play was put on my Leighton Buzzard drama Group who perform a range of productiond throughout the year and the pantomime at Christmas - worth a visit! http://www.lbdg.org.uk/
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Christmas Patchwork School House
On Saturday 12th July we shall be holding our first Christmas Patchork Shoolhouse. This is an event where we demonstrate 10 different techniques or projects (in this case 10 Xmas items) in one day. Students move from teacher to teacher and in each class they get a kit to go home and play with as well as full instructions. Here is a picture of one of the projects we shall be doing this time. As well as a fun school day we also provide lunch and homemade cakes - these are always popluar
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Congratulations Tom!
Yesterday my very clever son Tom learned he had passed his physics degree with first class honours! Hurray!!!!!! I am so proud of him! OK must stop using so many exclamation marks :)
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Frustrations with Software
A whole day - I started at 6am, trying to sort out some software issues, my website is functioning but has lost some important features, have no idea how . So chained to the keyboard all day. Did manage to clean the bathroom though. Its amazing how much cleaning I can get done when I am cross, my bath got the benefit of my softwares failings.
GGGRRRRRRR
GGGRRRRRRR
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Stoke Goldington
On saturday I spent a delightful day at Stoke Goldington Village Hall. The Stoke Goldington Sewers Circle were having a display of their handiwork which included some wonderful quilts, cushions, covered boxes, wallhangings and decorations. Apart from the volume of homemade cakes available (Yummy), the most amazing thing I encountered was the Stoke Goldington Millenium Tapestry. this truely is a work of art, beautifully planned and executed by the ladies and gents of the parish, this 13 foot long tapestry uses a range of stitching techniques and embellishments to create a stylised picture of the village at the millenium. It was wonderful to talk to the designer, Kay Thompson and those who worked on it. Many people involved had never done any stitching before and it is a real credit to all those involved that they achieved such a wonderful piece. The picture here does not do it justice, if you get the opportunity do go and see it. It was a priviledge to see all the preliminary workings that are stored in fies in The reading room at Stoke Goldington.
Do look at the Stoke Goldington Website which shows how the project came about and the determined stitchers who made it happen.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council
This evening I attended the Town Council Meeting, this was just to check that the grant I had applied for in respect of the Fenny Poppers Festival http://www.fennyfestival.co.uk/ was agreed. However I stayed put as on the agenda was the closure of local Post Offices.
I ended up walking out in disgust. There is to be a meeting in July organised to fight the potential closures of Post Offices in Buckinghamshire, did any of our councillors plan to attend - no!
A member of the public asked what the Council were doing to prevent the closure of the Post Office in Water Eaton, he was told that as it was all rumour the Ton Council would do nothing until it was formal. I guess you can understand the logic, however they Town Councillors had just had a talk on planning for emergencies, management of resources and what the Council can do to help in catastrophic conditions. I couldn't help seeing the irony in them becoming very animated in discussion of that general topic and their deafening silence about the potential catastrophe that is waiting in the wings when some of the smaller Post Offices are closed.
It is proven that when a small Post Office closes that it takes many other local businesses with it. Maybe not immediately but many businesses rely on quick and easy access to postal services. I am very aware that when I use the Post Office at the end of the street I generally run into people I know, it is a community place where many different people meet each other.
Posting a letter has become more and more complicated, it is not easy to work out the size weight etc, it all takes a lot longer than it used to, the Post Office has basically shot itself in the foot.
The hardest thing is how powerless the local community feel in the face of a conglomerate who seems to be acting in a completely random way, it is difficult to see why they choose to close certain facilities which are making money. Their business plan is frankly unfathomable.
But the way in which the leaders of the local community - the Town Council are ignoring the concerns of their constituents and refusing to involve themselves in any form of support or campaign is equally baffling. It will be the Town Council who have less money to spend when the local business community flounders due to a lack of local infrastructure - not only the loss of the Post Office, but lack of local public transport and poorly signed and managed parking facilities. Not to mention putting signs outside Fenny Stratford that tell visitors that they are 'Welcome to Bletchley'.
Let the Town Council know what you think
http://www.bfstc.co.uk/
you can contact them through this link.
By the way, we did get some of the grant for the Fenny Festival (approx 1/3rd of what was requested), thankfully there was still enough money in the pot to send 4 of the councillors on a course at £95 each on how to chair meetings. Its a relief to know that someone knows how to chair a meeting even if they chose to ignore the most important issues raised during them.
I ended up walking out in disgust. There is to be a meeting in July organised to fight the potential closures of Post Offices in Buckinghamshire, did any of our councillors plan to attend - no!
A member of the public asked what the Council were doing to prevent the closure of the Post Office in Water Eaton, he was told that as it was all rumour the Ton Council would do nothing until it was formal. I guess you can understand the logic, however they Town Councillors had just had a talk on planning for emergencies, management of resources and what the Council can do to help in catastrophic conditions. I couldn't help seeing the irony in them becoming very animated in discussion of that general topic and their deafening silence about the potential catastrophe that is waiting in the wings when some of the smaller Post Offices are closed.
It is proven that when a small Post Office closes that it takes many other local businesses with it. Maybe not immediately but many businesses rely on quick and easy access to postal services. I am very aware that when I use the Post Office at the end of the street I generally run into people I know, it is a community place where many different people meet each other.
Posting a letter has become more and more complicated, it is not easy to work out the size weight etc, it all takes a lot longer than it used to, the Post Office has basically shot itself in the foot.
The hardest thing is how powerless the local community feel in the face of a conglomerate who seems to be acting in a completely random way, it is difficult to see why they choose to close certain facilities which are making money. Their business plan is frankly unfathomable.
But the way in which the leaders of the local community - the Town Council are ignoring the concerns of their constituents and refusing to involve themselves in any form of support or campaign is equally baffling. It will be the Town Council who have less money to spend when the local business community flounders due to a lack of local infrastructure - not only the loss of the Post Office, but lack of local public transport and poorly signed and managed parking facilities. Not to mention putting signs outside Fenny Stratford that tell visitors that they are 'Welcome to Bletchley'.
Let the Town Council know what you think
http://www.bfstc.co.uk/
you can contact them through this link.
By the way, we did get some of the grant for the Fenny Festival (approx 1/3rd of what was requested), thankfully there was still enough money in the pot to send 4 of the councillors on a course at £95 each on how to chair meetings. Its a relief to know that someone knows how to chair a meeting even if they chose to ignore the most important issues raised during them.
Monday, 16 June 2008
Knebworth Classic Car Show
Yesterday I took myself, the van, a load of stock and Tony to Knebworth for the Fathers Day Classic car show. This was a try out, my brother who attends these things reakoned there would be loads of bored women desperate to buy sewing stuff. He was wrong! I took a total of £12.50, as the coffees were costing £2.00 each and there were 2 of us it didn't take long for us to spend more than I took.
The show itself was interesting as I had never been to anything like that before, I was amazed to find that the good old Ford Capri counted now as a classic - I do have quite fond memories of those.
Anyway, the long shot was we packed up early had a wander round the gardens at Kneborth house which are lovely, and great for kids if they are into dinosaurs. Had some wickedly expensive tea and scones and came home.
So we tried it probably won't try again!
Here is a picture of me not selling anything at Knebworth! I did get a fair bit of my japanese folded patchwork done though, which is coming on well.
Ho Hum
Friday, 13 June 2008
Fenny Poppers Festival
As part of my role as a member of the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Business Association I am heavily invloved in organising the Fenny Poppers Festival. This is the second year, last year was a big learning curve for all those invloved but very successful despite the fact that we were not blessed with the best weather.
This year the festival is to be held on Sunday 17th August, Aylesbury Street in Fenny stratford, Bletchley is to be closed and an area of it turfed. the turf is kindly donated by Bletchley Turf a local company. In fact if I bagen to list all the local companies who are contributing to this event then I should be here all day
have a look at the website
so see some more pics of this fun day. This year there will be more stalls, a bigger funfair, the acts on stage will keep you entertained all day, plus games and competitions - you can even try out diving as the dive shop will have a pool available
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Elisabeth Fritzl
Like everyone else I have been following with horror, fascination and admiration to the story of Elisabeth Fritzl and her family.
I don't know where she found her strength of mind, locked away and isolated alone for several years, knowing that when her captor reappeared he would rape her. Then pregnant, no support, aware she was about to go through a painful and potentially life threatening event with no one even knowing it was happening to her, but probably with the overwhelming love for the baby already waiting in the wings. I remember being pregnant fo the first time, so excited, so much anticipation, wanting to 'show off' my beautiful baby, terrified something might go wrong and afraid I would not be able to cope ith the pain - I couldn't, thank heavens for Pethidine!
Elisabeth - no hope of any help. But a dream I am sure of the love of a child. her need for love turned her into the most phenomenal and amazing mother, I am sure she learned some of her mothering skills from her mother Rosmarie, what joy for them to be reunited. Both victims of a twisted and manipulative ******d.
I hope the family continue to make a good recovery and can get to a point of peace and anonymity if that is what they desire. I also hope the work f the doctors and staff who are supporting them is adequately recognised, they are obviously doing a great job.
I don't know where she found her strength of mind, locked away and isolated alone for several years, knowing that when her captor reappeared he would rape her. Then pregnant, no support, aware she was about to go through a painful and potentially life threatening event with no one even knowing it was happening to her, but probably with the overwhelming love for the baby already waiting in the wings. I remember being pregnant fo the first time, so excited, so much anticipation, wanting to 'show off' my beautiful baby, terrified something might go wrong and afraid I would not be able to cope ith the pain - I couldn't, thank heavens for Pethidine!
Elisabeth - no hope of any help. But a dream I am sure of the love of a child. her need for love turned her into the most phenomenal and amazing mother, I am sure she learned some of her mothering skills from her mother Rosmarie, what joy for them to be reunited. Both victims of a twisted and manipulative ******d.
I hope the family continue to make a good recovery and can get to a point of peace and anonymity if that is what they desire. I also hope the work f the doctors and staff who are supporting them is adequately recognised, they are obviously doing a great job.
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