Sporting June

I feel really sorry for my husband during June. Unlike many households it is me, not Paul, who is the sporting fanatic. And I have control of the remote control! The one thing we have in common is a dislike of all things football, so our house is a World Cup free zone. However, when it comes to my two favourite sports, tennis and golf, this time of year is nirvana! First there is the French Open, won by the stupendous Rafa Nadal for the ninth time, followed by the grass court season, starting at Queen’s. This time it was the turn of the very talented Grigor Dimitrov. Not only is he a top level tennis player in his own right, his girlfriend is Maria Sharapova, arguably the best female tennis player in the world. What a pairing that is! By the end of the month, and still continuing (sorry Paul!) Wimbledon had started. At least another week of splendid tennis.

The golfing world last month saw the US Open golf tournament. Justin Rose was defending, but he was not proof against the genius of Germany’s Martin Kaymer! With tennis during the day and golf at night Paul got very little of a look in. This month is going to be little better. First there is the Scottish Open in Aberdeen, followed by The Open a week later.

But it hasn’t all been sport this month. Our Latin classes finally came to an end. Very sad, though the last lesson, finishing early for a trip to The Dirty Duck, was good. Sitting in the garden on a lovely evening was a splendid way to finish. We wish Neil good luck with  his new job (through gritted teeth!) But most, if not all, of the class are signing up for the replacement beginners Greek! That should be fun. Not just a new language, but a new alphabet as well! And arrangements have been on-going for the 10th birthday celebrations of the Roman Museum in Alcester. Starting on Thursday with a talk by an RSC head of wigs a makeup on the blood and gore used for the bloodier Shakespeare plays, there is a very full programme of events over four days. The  highlight for me will be a talk by Lindsey Davis about her Falco books.  I have heard her speak before, and she is splendid. Here’s hoping the weather holds as there is a parade in Alcester on Saturday.

Later this month we are going to the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry. There is a Roman exhibition on at the moment, but we are booked in for two lectures, one by Dr Claire Rowan of Warwick Uni on coinage, and another by an ex-tutor of mine, Dr Mary Harlow, on Roman dress. Fingers crossed they will live up to their billing!

Six Degrees of Separation

This is Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Hobart Seymour GCB, OM, GCVO. 1840 – 1929. There appears to be only four degrees of separation between this august gentleman and myself. In order to explain this I need to go back a couple of weeks.

Every couple of years The St Hilda’s School Fellowship holds a reunion in Somerset. The latest was two weeks ago, and a cracking good time was had by all. During the AGM it was mentioned that the hon sec needed material for the newsletter. What also came up in conversation was that some of the ‘younger’ (and I use the word advisedly!) old girls did not remember the Bursar (and brother to the two Miss Burridge’s who ran the school) Captain Robert Burridge RN. Having given it a little (though not much) thought I offered to do a bit of research and write an article about him. What a can of worms! There is just so much information out there in the ether if you start to look for it. There are many, many Navy Lists charting his promotions and his various ships, apart from the obvious census lists showing his family connections. All this now needs to be collated and put into some sort of order. But one thing has emerged. During the late 1890’s, at the time of the Boxer Rebellion in China, he was in China, on board, amongst others, HMS Phoenix. The Commander – in – Chief of the China Station was one Admiral Sir Edward Hobart Seymour. Why does this have any connection with me? He was born in the village of Kinwarton, Warwickshire where I live, his father Rev. Richard Seymour was vicar of the parish, and the road I  live in is Seymour Road, named, not after the Seymour family at Ragley Hall (though they are a branch of the family) but after the local vicar. Me, Captain Burridge, Admiral Sir Edward Seymour, Me! I am sorry I have been unable, at present, to find a usable picture of Captain Burridge. Perhaps by next month..?

I seem to have spent most of the last week sitting at my computer. Partly because the weather has been so horrible, partly searching the Navy Lists etc, and partly doing a MOOC on the archaeology of Portus, the port of Ancient Rome. This has been a fascinating exercise. I call myself an ancient historian, and certainly not an archaeologist, but the course has been a bit of an eye-opener. This is a model of the port, showing the Trajanic Basin built, surprisingly enough, by Trajan. The site itself is huge, and in the first couple of weeks we have been getting an overview, and learning about the various archaeological disciplines involved. One thing that struck me was the need for the Director of the project to have the patience of Job, and the diplomatic skills of Kofi Annan! So many specialists, all believing their particular area to be the most vital. And limited funds! I don’t envy him.

The other thing I have been doing is watching the French Open Tennis from Paris. It has been an interesting year, especially in the women’s section of the competition. But I have the niggling feeling that ‘my man’ is not going to win this year. I will just sign off wishing Rafa all the best, and here’s hoping I am wrong!

 

Three score years and ten.

 

Well, I’ve made it. I have officially reached my ‘allotted span’! The trouble is I just don’t believe it. But to prove it I have a small collection of birthday cards with the words Happy 70th Birthday on them so it must be true!  The question is, how do I react? Do I ‘slow down’, ‘act my age’ or what? How do you act 70? I’ve really no idea. My mother’s generation had a much more precise idea of the ageing process. By the time you reach 70 you were officially ‘old’.  But I don’t feel old. I don’t feel all that different from my 60th birthday, or, come to that, my 50th. I remember my 50th as if it was yesterday. Paul and I spent the night with a couple of friends at The Belfry near Sutton Coldfield and had a round of golf on the championship golf course there. My eldest son, who was working in Birmingham at the time, sneaked into my bedroom while we were at breakfast to deposit two very large boxes on my bed. When opened they revealed some extremely large helium balloons bearing the legend ‘My Mum is 50 today!’ My beloved husband and both my friends refused to acknowledge me as I walked through Reception with them floating over my head! That’s friendship for you.

This year Paul and I had dinner at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre prior to seeing a production of The Roaring Girl in the Swan. The write-ups were not brilliant, but the production exactly fitted my mood! Rumbustious just about fits the bill. Still not sure of the exact story – but who cares! We have tickets for several further productions, and for some films at a local cinema. Nothing is to be gained from sitting at home and stagnating.

I am still playing golf, especially now my 3 monthly injections of vitamin D are kicking in. I seem to be winning the battle there. My medical problems are NOT related to the fact that I am now 70! But I do still need to remember that exercise, in the fresh air, is important. A trip up to Oversley Woods with the dogs to see the bluebells at their peak is very much on the cards next week, when the sun is sure to shine! I just love that particular shade of bluebell blue. So very English somehow, even if they turn out to be Spanish bluebells. To be honest I am not sure how to tell the difference, although I am sure I have been told several times! In one ear out of the other.

That brings me nicely to my next subject. Not just keeping the body active, but the brain as well. The Latin class resumes tonight after the Easter break (wine and chocolates for all to celebrate my recent Big Day!), and I have also been taking some free on-line courses. The one just finishing is Shakespeare and His World, a fascinating insight into several plays, and the world around him led by the brilliant Professor Jonathan Bate. And I am just starting another called Start Writing Fiction. Not sure about this one. It seems to consist mainly of postings by other students who seem to be very ‘up themselves’! (One section had over 3500 posts! I read very few) However, it is only Week 1 so I expect it will settle down over time. But I am looking forward to one starting soon on the recent archaeology of the Roman harbour of Portus.

For once I am ahead of myself. This is because I have a very sad appointment tomorrow. While I was studying at the Open University I took a course called 5th Century Athens which kick started my love of the classical world. My tutor was a lovely, if slightly eccentric, lady called Eileen Powell. She died on Christmas Day last year, and there is a memorial service for her tomorrow. I have so much to thank her for. RIP Eileen.

 

1944

Was a very good year! It was the year many of the members of the Ladies Section at Stratford Oaks Golf Club (including yours truly!) were born. This picture may show one of the highlights for most people, but for my parents it was the birth of their firstborn – me! My father was not at the birth unfortunately, but, according to his military record, my birthday, April 22nd, was also the date he got his commission, from Flight Sergeant to Flight Lieutenant. An officer and a father on the same day. I can only imagine the party in the Mess that night. This is not my Dad, but it is the right vintage. His wings would have have been half ones only, though, with an N for navigator.  Seventy years later the 1944 ladies are going to celebrate with a round of golf at another local club, and a meal. With so many of us we really have to mark the occasion.

Seriously though, it never fails to surprise me how much younger seventy year olds are than previous generations. It is a given that we can still do the things we have always done, and if, for any reason (normal, not age-related illness for example) we can’t we feel thoroughly let down. I am still in the process of blood tests etc. for some sort of ailment which really irritates me! Getting things done through the NHS is not a task for anyone who is not in rude health! You need to push and shove, and keep on pushing and shoving. The NHS does not seem to be set up to follow through. When I need something in 3 months it is beyond their capabilities to set a computer prompt, I have to ring up and make the relevant appointments. Then ring up to make sure I get the results of tests, and any relevant follow through. I do understand why those who can afford it opt to pay privately. I am getting there, but it is a hard grind.

Last weekend was Mothering Sunday. My three all remembered (thank you all!) which is nice. I remember so well  the day I became a mother for the first time. I remember shouting at my husband that he had better be satisfied with just the one. No way was I going through that again. Hmmm! See sentence number two! Nature is wonderful, it makes us forget until it’s too late to do anything about it! It is just so sad that my own mother is not here to see how her grandchildren are getting on. This is for all the mothers who aren’t here any more.

Guess what? The sun is shining!

There are even some of these coming out in the garden! Such a relief after a really dire winter, even if it is not set to last. I woke up this morning, pulled back the curtains, and saw bright sunshine and a thin coating of frost on the garden and the cars in the street. Just as it should be on the 1st of March.Somehow it raises the spirits, which need some raising at the moment.

Yesterday was a bit of an ‘Ooops’ day! I was one of a team who had arranged to go down to the Museum to ‘mark’ some of the pots from a local dig. We turned up all enthusiastic and raring to go only to discover that the bags we had been given had all, already, been marked. A bit of a cock-up somewhere! There was supposed to be a photo here of all of us beavering away, but no go. So I’ve used this instead. I won’t attempt to put anything in the ‘thought bubble’. Not really suitable! We do have a lot of activities arranged at the Museum this year for our 10th anniversary, one of which is a ‘Tea and Cakes’ function tomorrow afternoon. Guess where we are going to be! There has been some debate about the future of the Museum due to the funding of the building we are currently occupying. When I did my ‘morning shift’ today I was given to understand that progress has been made. It seems the local library is to move in with us, and form a sort of Cultural Hub for the town. Now that is a sensible, brilliant, idea.

My great-grandson Callum is going to be all of one on Monday! They grow so quickly don’t they. It only seems like yesterday I was sorting out a present for my first grandchild, his father Michael. He and Jodie are such devoted parents. It’s a joy to see.

The bad weather has been a mixed blessing in some ways. The worst we got was some very high winds. Unfortunately the two worst days were succeeding Wednesdays, which meant I missed my Latin classes, (far too dangerous to drive along the country roads) followed by another week missed for half term. Back again last Wednesday I really noticed how much it had slipped, and I really struggled. My next job when I have finished this is to get on with the homework, and keep my fingers crossed that some of it comes back to me! On the plus side, some fence panels came crashing down in the garden, but on the side that belongs to a neighbour. Bless her, she has replaced the whole side with very high quality fencing, so we definitely came out ahead. Having good neighbours is such a boon.

This is the next proposed ‘serious’ visit, to the British Museum for the Viking Exhibition. If it is anywhere near as good as the Pompeii one was last year it will be well worth the trip to London. I was lucky enough to see that one twice. The cost of being a Member at the BM may not be cheap, but it does mean we don’t have the hassle of booking for the major exhibitions.

I start a new FutureLearn free on-line course on Monday. This one is about Shakespeare and His Time. I hope this means more about ‘his time’ and not quite so much about ‘his work’ as the Hamlet one I have just finished! I don’t find Shakespeare a joy to read, he is meant to be seen on stage. Having said that, with the high cost of so much further education, these free courses are a joy. But right now, it’s on with the Latin – also free!

Late again!

Since I finished my formal studies, when I managed about 10 years worth without once running out of time on an assignment, I am finding it increasingly difficult to hit my own, self-imposed, deadlines! My excuse is that this blog is for my own amusement, and the chance to try out the various technological skills – such as using pictures – which I still find a bit of a challenge. I know, but I am a bit of a techno-idiot! Anyway, here goes for the latest instalment!

Talking about 10 years, it seems very strange to think that it was just over 10 years ago that I wrote to the then Chairman of the newly formed Alcester Roman Museum, David Moulson, offering my services as a volunteer. I thought that, as a Classical Studies student, with a particular interest in the Romans, I might have something to offer. I was certain that I would find it interesting. He must have thought I had something to offer, and I did find it interesting. Run entirely by a squad of volunteers, the museum opened in 2004, so this year is our 10th birthday.  We mean to celebrate in some style. This is our logo for the year. The figure is Clodius, who appears in a lot of our literature, in leaflets about tours of the town, and in the educational aids the section who run school visits use. He makes things just that little more personal, and closer to the people who lived here 2000 years ago. The highlight of the opening year was when Guy de la Bedoyere, Roman historian, TV personality etc, came to formally open proceedings. This year we have author Lindsey Davis coming to talk to us, along with a programme of events throughout the year. The Museum, while providing an extremely good service to the local, and not so local, schools, also has a programme of talks by various Roman experts for the adult volunteers, who do so much to ensure the museum runs smoothly. These have varied between local enthusiasts and academics, all of whom have donated their expertise for just the very basic expenses. Thanks to them all! They have enlivened proceedings and imparted much extra knowledge.

Apart from the museum anniversary it is also the year of my biannual school reunion in Somerset. It never fails to amaze me how far the old girls are willing to travel to attend these events. This year, as in previous years, girls are travelling from New Zealand and Canada, partly, if not entirely, to spend a weekend in May in the wilds of Somerset in the company of a lot of ‘ladies of a certain age’! If it’s anything like previous years it will be a hoot. The committee do a splendid job, arranging events that bring back so many happy memories.

With awful weather and floods all over the country we have been pretty lucky here – so far anyway! Alcester used to be prone to pretty horrendous floods. This is one of the worst, not so very long ago. However, subsequent to these events, flood relief work was put into action. The result has been stupendous! Dreadful weather, though not as much rain as in some areas, but very little flooding. Congratulations to whoever it was who pushed through the work, and for the engineers who did so well. But I do feel sorry for those who have not been so lucky. I know the Somerset Levels well, having spent my formative years in that part of the country. It makes me so angry that the hard-working farmers of the area are being so short-changed. Why is it that nobody in power ever bothers to listen to the people on the ground? The farmers have been there for generations, and know how the local topography works. Dredging has worked for years, why stop doing it? Because some politico in Westminster thinks there are more votes in the ecological lobby than in the farmers? It’s the same with housing developments on flood plains. Why do they continue to allow it? All they have to do is listen to the locals. They know their area much better than government ministers, and often than the local MP, who has been parachuted into a ‘safe’ seat for party political reasons. I know we need more, and better, housing, but it’s not better if it is in imminent danger of flooding each and every time we get a real deluge. This is even more important at a time where the weather seems to be getting more extreme. I saw, somewhere, a suggestion that insurance companies could invest in flood defences in order to cut costs for them in terms of payouts. Even better would be if they charged new flood plain houses exorbitant rates for insurance against flood to deter people from buying new houses on the flood plains. Then the developers would not be able to sell their houses, and perhaps stop them building in the wrong place.  Would that work? Probably not. The best solution is to not allow developers to appeal to Westminster for permission to build when it has been refused by local councils.

My Latin lessons have taken quite a turn. We have all signed up to do the GCSE course (though not all, including me, intend to actually take the exam.) This has changed the nature of the lessons, where things have got a bit more ‘serious’, or as serious as any lesson with Neil could be! The one thing that has helped me is the fact that the Latin we are reading is telling the story of Agrippina and Nero, and his matricide. At least I know the story and can make some educated guesses! I am finally beginning to make some REAL headway, though my memory is still not enough to take the exam. That’s never been of much importance. I just want to feel I am making progress in one of my most difficult disciplines – languages!