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Laundry

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Do you ever sit back and contemplate life and how many changes you've witnessed during yours? You may be still fortunate enough for everything around you, and at your disposal,  to be all that you are familiar with. I am currently feeling all of my 50 something years as I sit here writing this. Much as I did whilst visiting  a local rural museum, exhibiting an eclectic array of antiquities, amongst which, this relic sparked a myriad of memories. A tin bath. Known in our house, quite simply as, The Tin.** And it was this similar find  that sparked those memories and got me thinking as to how life had changed, just during my lifetime thus far. The Tin. Growing up as we 3 did in the 60s-80s, we were not afforded the luxury of a washing machine. If there had been money for it there most definitely wasn't space in a scullery kitchen that you good scarcely swing a cat.* Washing by hand was the order of the day back then, with an occasional trip to the launderette if funds allowed. Th
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Treasure

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  It was a man on that there tellybox recently that nailed it. Just like that! His words hit home: right to the heart. I've a few bits and pieces that have travelled this thing called life with me, things that have a significance that, until now, has been hard to explain. Of inconsequential meaning to most, I am sure. But to me, things that have an invisible bond: an unbreakable, unexplainable link, until now. Well actually until seeing aforementioned bloke on the telly.  It was an episode of The Repair Shop, date unknown, not too long ago, but hey we're in lockdown and the crazy surreal atmosphere that holds, so it may have been weeks ago or it may have been months ago, who knows!  Until now I've been unable to put into words the value of these "things". Because yes, dear readers, to you they will be "things": trivial things to the outsider - treasure to me. "treasure: a collection of valuable old objects."* I'm not sure a value can be att
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Melt

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There are some things that, regardless of where you are from, are quintessentially British. Roast dinners A "nice" cup of tea Cricket on the village green Pimm's o'clock Fish & Chips Wimbledon Scones & clotted cream Auntie Beeb Talking about the weather Last Night of the Proms And Ice Cream Vans Iced treats have existed almost since time begun: a quick internet search will satisfy any yearning you have to establish who, how, when & where in the world the discovery that mixing sweet with cold resulted in a resounding mmmmm. King Tang of Shang, the Ancient Greeks, Nero, The Achaemenid Empire of Persia - I'll leave you to explore further if you so desire, for I am here today to discuss nay reminisce the humble Ice Cream Van. It's without doubt that ever since taste buds were tickled centuries back, mobile purveyors of frozen delights have existed in some shape or form, be it handcart, horse drawn, bicycle or trike, depending which e
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Dads

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                                                               Dads Funny things aren't they? So many different feelings for them at so many different times of your life. Early years: eager for daddy to come home from work so you can tell him every detail of your school day, who pulled your hair, exactly how rank the liver and bacon was for lunch, having a full-on strop when he pretended to eat your last jelly baby. The teen years, the "wait till your father gets home" fear, the look that told you maybe no, you wouldnt be stepping out the front door "dressed like that", the sharing a love of music & '"educating" him on the genius of the Pet Shop Boys, Blondie & Adam Ant, the same as he educated you on the likes of Sinatra, Sammy & co. The lifts to here there and everywhere, the coming to get you in before your mother went loopy that you were late. For having your back, always, but you not really understanding why. Your 20s:
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Soup

It's not often that I'm reduced to tears in a supermarket. In fact, it's probably only happened two times before today. One of those was Christmas Eve Eve, 23 December, a couple of years ago, when our local Sainsbury's had run out of sprouts! My tears were not sad for the impending absence of miniature cabbages from my festive feast, but laughter induced tears from witnessing what appeared to be the end of the world for some fellow shoppers and their total disregard for the true meaning of the season, in their fight over the last few bags of those little green gasballs of delight. The second, some crazy shopping shenanigans with my Boo, my equally crazy daughter with whom I have a shared humour wavelength which is quite dangerous in certain scenarios, such as supermarket shopping. Again it was Sainsbury's and again they were tears of laughter. Today, however, was different. On more than one note. The store of choice was Lidl. Easter Saturday lunchtime, fairly
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Koze

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I'm at the beach. It shall remain nameless so as to keep its anonymity. You see, I am the only European here. It appears yet to be discovered by tourists. At least for today. In fact I am the only person sat here on the actual beach itself. Just me and my flip flops. The water lapping at my feet. There are Mauritians here, lots. It would appear a 'troisieme age' (senior citizen) outing. At least one bus load, maybe two. Scattered in small groups under the cooling shade of the filao trees behind me. Occasionally they'll take stroll in the shallows, ladies in twos or threes, chatting. Or alone, lost in their own thoughts. All hoisting their sarees above the waves, but no higher than their knees. "Bonjour, ça va?" They ask as they pass. "Corec merci et vous?" I reply. The conversation has begun. Mauritians love to talk and of course assume by my brazen start that I am fluent in their local patois. I'm not. Despite understanding so much,
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Paradise

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I'm back in the country that stole my heart... 29 years and 1 month ago I first stepped foot on this island paradise - and saw that same view above - little did I know then what treasures it would behold. It was pure chance me ever coming here. My dad always told me life is a game of chance. I'm with him on that. It was chance because, despite working in the Reservations & Ticketing department at the World's Favourite Airline and travel geography being 'my thing' and despite knowing the IATA 3 letter code, how long the flight was as well as being able to tell you the cost of an off-peak super apex return fare and the dates you could travel on it, despite my love of my atlas, until that momentous October day way back in 1989 I had no idea where Mauritius was! 29*10'S 57*31'E the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation situated in the Indian Ocean, 1200 miles off the southwest coast off the African sub-continent. The next country to the west is
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