General Chat

Good evening :-D <3 Some 20 years ago, a friend of mine, a tailor, who could make £600 plus hand made suits for local professionals and directors, his health began to fail. He lost weight, had his drivers licencee taken from him by DVLA, his car sold, he thought it had been stolen, lost customers.The General Practitioners who owned the building he worked from doubled his rent, so he was obliged to vacate the premises.
He was admitted into Dunston Hill Hospital for assessment. A few weeks later he was to Dovecote Nursing Home High Spen, having been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.I visited him when I could. His heath declined rapidly. After one visit as I was leaving the Staff Nurse said to me "The Doctors given Bill three weeks" Bill died three days later.A dreadful ailment when the brain dies before the body.

Amen to your prayer Cynthia.

We have been to a funeral today of a local lady. Most funerals we have been to in recent years have been in crematoriums and some services have been beautiful, but this service was in our local church and the whole atmosphere was somehow different. The vicar, a really lovely man, said that he hadn't known the deceased well but had learnt a lot about her from talking to her husband. He had learnt that she had done a lot of tapestry work until Parkinsons prevented her from doing so and he built a moving address around the tapestry of her life and the different threads woven in. It was really special and left a warm feeling. The deceased and her husband had few relatives and there were only 5 there but the couple at one point had belonged to a club OH and I go to and the members there rallied round and 15 of us swelled the numbers. It pleased and comforted the husband to see so many friends there.

Special thoughts today for all who are grieving the loss of a loved one and wishing them strength and comfort.

Good morning :-)

Thank you for your good wishes to OH - much appreciated.

Prayer for World Peace

Great God, who has told us
“Vengeance is mine,”
save us from ourselves,
save us from the vengeance in our hearts
and the acid in our souls.
Save us from our desire to hurt as we have been hurt,
to punish as we have been punished,
to terrorize as we have been terrorized.
Give us the strength it takes
to listen rather than to judge,
to trust rather than to fear,
to try again and again
to make peace even when peace eludes us. Amen.

Cx :-)

Cyn ............

Happy, happy birthday to OH xxx

Happy birthday to your OH Cynthia.

Thank you for HSR offering.x

Good afternoon...... :-)

So sorry about this morning but yes, it is my OH's birthday and I got carried away with things. Lovely to be missed though :-D :-D

For today :

“Peace”
A dark hand touching a light hand,
a young face looking into an old,
all people working together
for a goal to be told.

A stranger and a stranger together,
a foe and a foe are now friends,
all people helping each other,
making beginnings meet ends.

A heart understanding another,
a soul reaching out to a soul,
all people feeding their elders,
with plate, fork, spoon and bowl.

A rich man helping a poor man,
a convict dancing with a child,
all people put aside their differences,
and share a hope that is wild.

A shout comes out from the open,
like a footstep falling on sand,
all people together proclaim:
“Now there is Peace in this land”

- Helen Steiner Rice


Cx :-)

Good afternoon...... :-)

So sorry about this morning but yes, it is my OH's birthday and I got carried away with things. Lovely to be missed though :-D :-D

For today :

“Peace”
A dark hand touching a light hand,
a young face looking into an old,
all people working together
for a goal to be told.

A stranger and a stranger together,
a foe and a foe are now friends,
all people helping each other,
making beginnings meet ends.

A heart understanding another,
a soul reaching out to a soul,
all people feeding their elders,
with plate, fork, spoon and bowl.

A rich man helping a poor man,
a convict dancing with a child,
all people put aside their differences,
and share a hope that is wild.

A shout comes out from the open,
like a footstep falling on sand,
all people together proclaim:
“Now there is Peace in this land”

- Helen Steiner Rice


Cx :-)

Thank you Rose. A very happy birthday to that certain person <3

Ah thanks for that Rose :-)

A certain person's birthday I believe, may be why she's not on here :-)

I was just about to post the same Emma. I hope Cynthia’s absence is just because she is very busy or maybe she has internet problems. She is much missed when she doesn’t post and I am sure we all appreciate her efforts at keeping the thread going.

Hoping all is well with Cynthia and her OH <3 <3

Yes Vera.

Those young men were also fighting for their homeland and following orders from their senior officers.
Fathers, brothers and sons.
Any life lost in warfare is a sadness.

Thinking particularly today of a man distantly related to my family who was in the Falklands War. His experiences left him struggling to cope on his return to civilian life and, sadly, he eventually took his own life.

I feel our thoughts should also be with the brave servicemen of our “enemies” as well as our allies.

We will remember them.

A beautiful, dry and sunny morning for the local service of Remembrance at the town's war memorial.
Representatives from our twin towns in France and Belgium were also there. We are so near to the Channel Tunnel, so it is easy to travel between the towns for shared events.
A large number of youngsters took part in the parade afterwards. It's always good to see that the next generation are taught to be respectful and thankful for all that was done in the past, so that we can have freedom today.
During the laying of the many wreaths, local primary school children read out the names of people who lost their lives in past hostilities.
Sadly the 2nd World War was not the end of conflict and I found myself reflecting on the many still lost in troubles today.
One young soldier who died in Afghanistan is buried in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery near Folkestone. His grave is carefully tended by his local family, who so miss their brave son and brother, who died at 19 years old.

We will remember them.

Hello all

A dry bright morning for the village parade and service in a packed church, then the reading names of locals who had sadly lost their lives in both World Wars before the laying of the poppy wreaths at the Lych Gate War Memorial today. Good to see the youngsters taking part in this special and poignant event this year.

We will remember them.

We will remember them.

The Inquisitive Child

Why are they selling poppies, Mummy?
Selling poppies in town today.
The poppies, child, are flowers of love.
For the men who marched away.

But why have they chosen a poppy, Mummy?
Why not a beautiful rose?
Because my child, men fought and died
in the fields where the poppies grow.

But why are the poppies so red, Mummy?
Why are the poppies so red?
Red is the colour of blood, my child.
The blood that our soldiers shed.

The heart of the poppy is black,
Mummy. Why does it have to be black?
Black, my child, is the symbol of grief.
For the men who never came back.

But why, Mummy are you crying so?
Your tears are giving you pain.
My tears are my fears for you my child.
For the world is forgetting again.

Author unknown


We will remember them.


Cx :-)

Hello all

It wasn't easy attending the two funeral services but I needed to pay my last respects and also to help support both families through a sad day. Been there, done that myself
God is good and provides the strength we need at times like this.

Awww, loving the hugs from Emma and Vera. You're both very kind. Thank you both.

Thoughts and prayers for all the people who have been flooded out of their homes. xx.

Good morning :-)

A difficult week indeed kandj…..hope you are keeping your chin up! <3


Another aspect of civilian life during wartime...….rationing

Before the Second World War started Britain imported about 55 million tons of food a year from other countries. After war was declared in September 1939, the British government had to cut down on the amount of food it brought in from abroad as German submarines started attacking British supply ships. There was a worry that this would lead to shortages of food supplies in the shops so the British government decided to introduce a system of rationing.

Rationing made sure that people got an equal amount of food every week. The government was worried that as food became scarcer, prices would rise and poorer people might not be able to afford to eat. There was also a danger that some people might hoard food, leaving none for others.

How did food rationing work? Every person in Britain was given a ration book. They had to register and buy their food from their chosen shops. There were no supermarkets, so people had to visit several different shops to buy meat, vegetables, bread and other goods. When people wanted to buy some food, the items they bought were crossed off in their ration book by the shopkeeper.

People were encouraged to provide their own food at home. The 'Dig for Victory' campaign started in October 1939 and called for every man and woman to keep an allotment. Lawns and flower-beds were turned into vegetable gardens. Chickens, rabbits, goats and pigs were reared in town parks and gardens.

De-Rationing Rationing of food lasted for 14 years and ended on July 4, 1954.

Father God, we thank you that there really is enough food for everyone in this world - when it is properly shared. Help us to share with those who are less fortunate than us, to support those who are hungry or thirsty.

We pray for those who live in countries where food is hard to grow or where the government is corrupt. We pray for the countries who are at war and where food is rationed still. We thank you that there are agencies who are working to alleviate these problems and to bring hope to the people. Amen.


Cx :-)