Some Things Never Change - But Some Things Do

Ernie was 86 years old and lonely. Seeing an advert in the local paper for a Tea Dance in the village hall, he decided to give it a go. On arrival he walked into the hall and the first person he saw was Mary, his girlfriend from over sixty years ago. He sheepishly made his way over to her.
Ernie: "Hello Mary"
Mary: "Ernie, fancy seeing you here, after all these years"
Ernie: "The last time I saw you was over sixty years ago. We were courting and fell out in this very hall, remember?"
Mary: "I do, we were young and foolish then".
Ernie: "We had some good times in those day's".
Mary: "We did, I remember them well"
Ernie: "Do you remember how we used to go round the back of the hall, during the interval?
Mary: "I do, I'll never forget those days"
Ernie: "And do you remember how we leaned against against the fence, you stood on two bricks and we made mad passionate love?"
Mary: "I do, I do, how could I ever forget, it was 1942"
Ernie: "Why don't we do it again now, just like we did in 1942"
Mary: "Alright then, if you want to"
They went outside, walked round the back of the hall and down to the fence.
Ernie: "Well, look at that Mary, those same two bricks are still there in exactly the same position. Why don't you try standing on them again, just like you did in 1942"
Mary: "Alright then"
Mary stood on the bricks and they began to make mad passionate love. After thirty seconds Ernie was panting and gasping for breath.
Ernie: "For god's sake Mary slow down you'll give me a heart attack! You were never like this in 1942"
Mary: "No and the bloody fence was electrified in 1942"

Turf Cigarette Cards

When I was a youngster one of my favourite pastimes was collecting cigarette packets. Litter bins were few and far between in those days and often you would find an empty packet lying in the street. Another likely place was around the pub yards. At that time cigarette packets did not have flip tops, therefore the front of the packets were easily cut off and were still in tact. They were then generally kept in a pile secured with an elastic band, or if you were lucky enough to have one, in one of the several tobacco tins which were also around at that time. The most popular cigarette brands included Players, Senior Service, Craven A, Goldflake, Woodbines and Players Weights etc, but the most popular with us young collectors was Turf. The reason being that printed inside every packet of Turf were picture cards, one card in a packet of 10 and two cards in a packet of 20. A series usually consisted of 50 cards and were all printed in a blue colour. The most popular series were the footballers, they were caricatures with large heads and small bodies. Other series included cricketers, film stars, aeroplanes and dogs. The great fun with these cards was having duplicates and swapping them with your friends. Turf were untipped cigarettes as it was several years later that filter-tipped cigarettes became popular.

Brainteaser - Friday's Answers

You will remember I told you there were two possible answers to the Friday Brainteaser. Did you find them both? Here are the correct answers:

4368..........and..........2034

Watch out for more Brainteasers in the Journal.

Back To The Good Old Days - Well Not Quite!

Any regular drinker will tell you that the price of a pint of beer these days is extortionate. Let the government put 2p extra tax on our beloved pint and there will be cries of outrage. Funny isn't it that when a brewery chain sells beer at 1p per pint (yes 1p, it is not a typing error) they still get criticised. The Dukedom Group, based in Stockton-on-Tees, are running an offer in six of their pubs where beer is being sold at 1p per pint when bought with a spirit.
However, the promotion has sparked outrage in some quarters and has been labelled as irresponsible. Dan Taylor the Labour MP for Stockton claimed it would encourage binge drinking. A spokesman for Cleveland police has said, they will be monitoring the pubs closely for anti-social behaviour and violence. I am sure they are right to be concerned, but what a shame people cannot behave responsibly and enjoy the opportunity to have a relatively inexpensive social night out. As always in these situations it is the few spoiling it for the majority.

Secret Of Long Life - Diet, Interbreeding Or Faith

Okinawa (Japan), Ovodda (Sardinia) and Loma Linda (California), all have one thing in common. They are cited as three communities where the population live longer than most other places in the world. A recent report set out to examine the lifestyles and diets of these communities in an attempt to unearth the secrets that bring about this phenomenon.
Okinawa (Japan)
In the case of Okinawa diet appears to be the most significant factor in their longevity. Apparently, the Okinawan's have a tradition known as 'hava hatchi bu' which means 'eat until you are 80% full'. They eat more tofu and soya products than any other population in the world, their diet also includes a vast range of fruit and vegetables. Scientists refer to it as the rainbow diet. Could diet be the determining factor in their long life spans?
Ovodda (Sardinia)
The inhabitants of Ovodda, on the other hand, have a predominantly meat diet. A Professor Deiana concluded that this community owe their longevity to interbreeding. "Marriage among relatives is not the rule but there are some cases of it taking place" says Professor Deiana. This is brought about because the community lives in relative isolation, marrying into each others families.
Loma Linda (California)
The people of Loma Linda are thought to owe their longevity to their faith. A significant number of people in the town are Seventh Day Adventist's, a religion who's members live between five and ten years longer than fellow citizens. Regular churchgoers live longer than those who do not go to church and it is believed that is due to their faith counteracting stress. It must be said however, that Adventist's neither drink nor smoke and many have a vegetarian diet as advised by the church. So, do some or all of these factors ensure a long life, or do other influences also play a part?
As one wag said "Try Wokingham. You don't live longer, but it seems like it."

Icelandic Warmth

At the end of 2008 the three largest private banks in Iceland were taken into Government administration within the space of a few days. The collapse of the banks had a tremendous impact on Iceland's relatively small economy. Many British companies and especially councils had invested heavily in the Icelandic financial system where high rates of interest were available to investors. The crisis, brought about by economic downturn, a huge increase in external debt, increasing unemployment and inflation, had a tremendous adverse effect on the peoples lives. Nevertheless, against this backdrop of personal hardship the Icelandic people, in a massive commitment of goodwill, have put aside their personal problems to send a whole shipload of woolly jumpers to the UK, after a radio interview warned that British pensioners could die this winter because of the cold.
Whilst I have nothing but admiration for the Icelandic people in making this gesture, I must admit, I felt very uneasy whilst watching this story unfold on television. The reason being, that we are more used to seeing Britain making aid donations to other countries who's plight is desperate. Usually, the recipients of this aid are the peoples of third world countries. Having said that, I cannot help but feel that if Britain continues to slide at the present rate we could eventually become one of those third world countries.

Brainteaser

Here's what you have to do to solve Friday's brainteaser.

Can you think of a four-figure number in which the first digit is half the last digit, the second digit is three less than the third digit,and the third digit multiplied by 2 equals the sum of the first and last digit.

There are two possible answers - can you solve both of them?
Answers will appear in Saturday's Journal.

Cutting Calories Boosts Memory

Thanks to the miracles of modern science we are all now, on average, living longer than ever before.Through their various discoveries scientists can keep our bodies going much longer and in the years ahead no doubt that time will be extended even more. However, as yet they have not discovered how to extend the life of the mind. As you become more elderly one of the first things you notice is that your memory is no longer able to recall things as quickly as it did when you were younger. You can walk from one room to another and have to stop and ask yourself what you came in for. What worries older people most of all is the prospect that they may contract Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Diabetes, Strokes or at least general dementia.
Now a team of German researchers are suggesting that cutting down the number of calories you eat by nearly a third can improve your memory. A test was carried out on 50 elderly volunteers and the study found there had been significant improvements in their memory, once their calorie intake had been reduced to this level. Similar tests carried out on animals in the past have also proved positive, but it is still not certain whether this would be the case in humans. However, a dietitian has warned that a reduction this severe could harm health unless care was taken. The precise mechanism which may deliver these benefits is still being investigated. Any breakthrough brought about by this, or any other research, that improves mind function, would be hugely reassuring to todays elderly population and even more reassuring for elderly populations of the future, who are likely to live much longer than us.

Today's Smile - Eve's Side Of The Story

Thanks to reader Roy Andrews for sending in today's funny story. No doubt our female readers will particularly appreciate it.

Eve's side of the story

After three weeks in the garden of Eden, God came to visit Eve. "So how is everything going?" enquired God."It's all so beautiful God" she replied. "The sunrise and sunsets are breathtaking, the smells, the sights, everything is wonderful, but I have just one problem. It is these breasts you have given me. The middle one pushes the other two out and I am constantly knocking them with my arms, catching them on branches and snagging them on bushes. They are a real pain" reported Eve. And Eve went on to tell God that, since many other parts of her body came in pairs, such as her limbs, eyes, ears etc.....she felt that having only two breasts might leave her body more "symmetrically balanced" as she put it. "That's a fair point" replied God. "But it was my first shot at this you know. I gave the animals six breasts, so I figured that you needed only three of those, but I see that you are right. I will fix it up right away." And God reached down, removed the middle breast and tossed it into the bushes. Three weeks passed and God once again visited Eve in the Garden of Eden." Well Eve, how is my favourite creation?" "Just fantastic" she replied. But for one oversight on your part. You see, all the animals are paired off. The ewe has a ram and the cow has her bull. All the animals have a mate except me... I feel so alone" God thought for a moment and said "you know, Eve, you are right. How could I have overlooked this? You do need a mate and I will immediately create a man from part of you. Now let's see............where did I put that useless tit?"

More on Eco-friendly Light Bulbs

Yesterday I wrote a somewhat flippant article on Eco-friendly light bulbs. Since then I have read a rather disturbing article on the same subject. Charities and eyesight specialists are calling on the government to halt its plans to phase out the traditional bulbs.
David Adams, spokesman for the Royal National College for the Blind, raised concerns about people with sight conditions who particularly rely on good lighting. He said most people did not have total loss of vision and would therefore want to make the most of what they have left. Interestingly, the government admitted there was a problem, pointing out alternatives were still available.
A spokesman for DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) also admitted that the new bulbs do not give off as much light as the old ones. The reason given was that the new type bulbs give off a diffused light. She also claimed that the price of bulbs will come down and the technology will improve. I suspect we shall be hearing a lot more about light bulbs in the near future.

There's More Than One Way To Coook A Haggis

Another Burns night has been and gone and the famous haggis has had its night of glory for another year. The legend of Robbie Burns is a powerful one and captures the imagination of the English as well as the Scots. Whilst haggis has always been the staple diet in Scotland, I suspect most English people probably only get to eat it once a year, during the Burns night celebrations. I am English and my wife is Irish but we have always celebrated Burns night, though probably not traditionally, with a haggis meal. Personally, I love haggis, but that has not always been the case. For many years we always boiled the haggis in the traditional way and I never found it particularly appetising. That all changed quite a few years ago when, one Burns night I decided to wrap the haggis in foil and roast it in the oven. The change in taste was amazing, so good in fact that occasionally we now have haggis at various other times of the year. Served with a thick gravy, to which a tablespoon of haggis, and a little drop of whiskey, has been added and accompanied by creamed potatoes, and some well peppered carrot and swede mash, it makes a great meal. No doubt any Scottish readers will be horrified at the thought of haggis being served in this way, but believe me it is delicious. Try it and see!

Today's Smile - The Sermon

For his Sunday sermon the vicar decided to lecture the congregation on the demons of drink. To press home his point he decided to use some props, a glass of water, a glass of whiskey and a matchbox containing two worms. After ranting on at great length on the subject he told the congregation he would give them a physical demonstration to illustrate how damaging alcohol could be. He took a worm from the matchbox and dropped in the glass of water. The worm was full of life and swam around vigorously in the glass. He then removed the second worm from the matchbox and dropped it into the glass of whiskey. Immediately, the worm shrivelled up and sank to the bottom of the glass. The vicar then addressed the congregation and asked them if anyone could tell him the moral of the story. A little chap at the back of the church jumped to his feet and shouted "drink plenty of whiskey and you'll never get worms".

Eco-friendly Light Bulbs

About a week ago I went into Homebase to buy some 100w pearl light bulbs. Having searched the shelves thoroughly it was obvious there were no 100w bulbs to be found. I asked one of the assistants if they had any. He explained they were gradually running their stock down in line with the EU directive to phase them out. He kindly offered to go and look in the stockroom to see if there were any left. Surprise, surprise! He came back with what he said were the last two. I gratefully took them, suddenly becoming aware these may be the last 100w bulbs I will ever buy. Whilst he was gone I was reading about the new bulbs which will eventually replace the 100w. I was impressed with what it said on the box, particularly how it only burns at 20w but gradually warms up to give a 100w equivalent light. Moreover, and this was really impressive, it would last up to 8 years. I decided to give it a try and bought one. When I tried it at home it took a short while to warm-up but eventually gave off an acceptable light, though I doubt it was equal to 100w. However, I felt it performed well enough and decided, there and then, this was the way to go. Lo and behold, on the fourth day it blew and that was the end of that. Eight years, it didn't even last eight days. It may have been 'Eco' but it certainly wasn't very friendly.

Is The World Going Nuts?

I have always been of the opinion that if two people who are partners cannot get on they should agree to part amicably , move on, and get on with their lives. I make this statement after reading about a guy in Canada who allegedly smeared peanut oil on the door handle of his ex fiances car. He apparently did this because the poor girl suffered from a nut allergy. She was subsequently treated at a nearby medical clinic for an allergic reaction, but suffered no serious lasting effects. I think this is further evidence that the world is going nuts! Perhaps she was from Brazil, called Hazel, worked for Peanuts and drove him up the Wall.

I-Spy - Yesterday's Answers

Yesterday in I-Spy I asked you to guess various objects I was looking at in various rooms of my house. All the objects began with the letter 'T'. Here are the the correct answers.

01 Utility Room..............................Tumble Drier
02 Kitchen......................................Tap
03 Dining Room.............................Tablecloth
04 Lounge......................................Television
05 Bathroom.................................Toothpaste
06 Bedroom...................................Teddy Bear (I'm a big softie really!)

Racing Update

We are still waiting for our first winner after yesterday's selection Eureka Moment finished second beaten just over a length at odds of 11/2. We were a shade unlucky as the filly came through smoothly to win her race but was carried left by the winner Bluebell Ridge near the line. The pair finishing 4 lengths clear of the remainder.

Profit/Loss -3 Points

Brainteaser - Answers

Monday's brainteaser was a set of trivia questions. Here are the answers:

01 The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
02 Thomas Gainsborough
03 Saigon
04 Geneva
05 Ottawa
06 Gustave Holst
07 District of Columbia
08 Roger Moore
09 Enid Blyton
10 A large bird of prey

9/10 Excellent 7/8 Very Good 5/6 Good - Below 5 You've not been doing your homework!

Poem - Blankney 1841

In a book entitled Whites Directory 1841, it set out details of Blankney as it was in that year. As well as giving a brief description of the village it also listed the people of the parish and their trades. One weekend in 1989 the village held a Heritage Weekend recalling the history of Blankney through various events and displays. The following poem is based on the information given in the Whites Directory.

Blankney 1841

Nestling on a woody plain
East of Lincoln Heath
Blankney in 1841
Scattered fenland farms beneath
Six thousand, three hundred acres
On which farmhands would toil
For the Lord of the Manor, Squire Chaplin
Owner of most of the soil
Six hundred and forty souls
Comprise the population
Many of whom each Sunday
Formed St Oswald's congregation
Did Joseph Catton, stonemason
Maintain the Hall and stables
And Edward Cartwright's partridges
Adorn his Lordship's tables
Did Thomas Pears, the land agent
Walk every field and hill
And did John Brown, the parish clerk
Record it with his quill
And with bricks made by Joseph Nash
Did John Coulson build a wall
And swine supplied by Littleberry
Stock the larders of the Hall
Thomas Haire, the butcher
Sold a tasty joint and chop
And the appropriately named Jane Bacon
Kept the village shop
And could these souls, here mentioned
Even comprehend
Their day of resurrection
Would be the 'Heritage Weekend'

Rodney Garlant

I Spy - Something Beginning With 'T'

Have a go at this and see how well you do! I am walking round my house and looking at objects that all begin with the letter 'T'. Below I tell you which room I'm in, can you guess the objects I am looking at?

Utility Room
Kitchen
Dining Room
Lounge
Bathroom
Bedroom

Check your guesses against the answers in tomorrows Journal.

A Cute Site - Take A Look

With Valentine's day fast approaching you might like to take a look at this very cute site. Just click on www.foreverfriends.co.uk and follow the link. Register with this fun site, it's free, and send someone a free kiss for Valentine's day, or download the free Desktop Buddy. Other attractions on the site include Gifts 'n' goodies, personalised E-cards, Fun 'n' games and downloads. Well worth taking a look.

Today's Smile - Harro

I loved this e-mail sent to me by my sister-in-law, Eve, in Tasmania.

A refuse collector is going along a street picking up the wheelie bins and emptying them into his dustcart. He goes to one house where the bin hasn't been left out, so he has a quick look for it, goes round the back of the house, but still can't see it. So, against the rules of the refuse collector's code, but in the spirit of kindness, he knocks on the door. There's no answer. Being a kindly and conscientious bloke, he knocks again - much harder. Eventually a Japanese bloke comes to the door.

"Harro" says the Japanese chappie.
"Gidday mate! Where's ya bin?" asks the collector.
"I bin on toiret" explains the Japanese bloke, a bit perplexed.
Realising the little foreign fellow had misunderstood him, the bin man smiles and tries again.
"No mate where's your dust bin?"
"I dust bin to toiret, I toll you" says the Japanese man still perplexed.
"Listen" says the collector.
"You're misunderstanding me. Where's your *wheelie bin?*
"Ok, Ok" replies the Japanese man with a sheepish grin.
"I wheelie bin havin sex wirra wife's sister.......................!

Racing Information

Today's selection runs in the Play Poker At William Hill.com Fillies Handicap at Wolverhampton in the 5,40 race.

Monday 26th January 2009. Wolverhampton 5.40

*Eureka Moment*

The 4.y.o filly Eureka Moment is trained by Ed Dunlop and ridden by Hayley Turner. Looks very well handicapped on her last win at Southwell in December, but has disappointed on her last two runs since. Ran well enough behind Dishdasha last time out and today's one furlong shorter trip should suit. Good luck with this selection.

Return To Blankney - Part 4

Close to the walls at the back of the Hall there used to be lavender and other herbs growing in small beds, until the night of the fire when, I am afraid many were trampled underfoot in the urgency of the hour. Nearby was the sunken garden which used to be full of roses. On moonlight nights, when on guard duty, I have wandered around this garden amid the flowers and the shadows, and surrounded by the subtle fragrance of rose and herb in the cool atmosphere of the Lincolnshire countryside. In the distance a slow goods train chugging its way between Lincoln and Sleaford drawn by a heavily breathing steam locomotive.
Those were the pleasant nights when everything seemed good and peaceful. But there were other nights. Nights when I felt that someone else was in the garden, someone watching me. Such nights made me feel uneasy and I felt conscious of an evil or mischievous atmosphere surrounding the place. I used to call them 'evil nights' and I would hurry back to the doubtful seclusion of the sentry-box with occasional glimpses over my shoulder. I mentioned this experience to my friend Lindsay Costeloe on one occasion and he said that he also had similar feelings at times. But that was fifteen years ago: now I found no roses to scent the air, and the flower-beds and steps leading into the sunken garden were a mass of thistles, grasses and weeds.
There was ample accommodation for horses at Blankney, and it had been the stables, where we were billeted. Designed by E.J. Willson in 1825, for some of the finest bloodstock in England, they were well built and we made them quite comfortable. Today they were being used as poultry houses. Coming off a duty watch at midnight, the fact of not having to get up early the next morning often induced Lindsay, Jim, Mervyn and I to play billiards into the early hours of the morning until the moon came up over the trees and a ghostly mistiness stole in from the fens.
Blankney church tower rises above the stables only a few yards beyond the fence. On certain Sunday mornings, just as we climbed into bed to sleep after a night watch, the eight bells in the tower (given by farmers as a thank-offering after the First World War) would begin their morning peal: it was after the national ban on bell-ringing had been lifted. As they rang out on the morning air, poor Lindsay would lie fuming in his bed, trying to sleep against the clangour of what he described as 'those perishing bells'.
The church stands between two main drives to the Hall. The rector showed me round, pointing out the silver-gilt chalice and paten of the early 16th century and a strange effigy of one John de Glori about whom littlw seems to be known but is dated early 14th century. Perhaps the finest monument is the kneeling life-size figure in white marble by Sir Edgar Boehm of Lady Florence Chaplin wife of Henry Chaplin the famous Victorian squire. The marriage only lasted five years, as she died after a two day illness on 10th October 1981.
Returning to the Hall, I discovered that the demolishers had moved in. I felt that I had returned for the death of the Hall. One man told me that some of the stone was going to repair Lincoln Cathedral, but a lot of the rubble was being dumped down the lane. Before leaving I returned once more to the back of the Hall, and there I noticed something against the east wall-it was a spray of roses. So all the roses hadn't deserted the place, at least one link with the rose garden remained.

Brainteaser

Today's brainteaser is trivia. See how many questions you can answer before you hit the Google button.

01 What do the letters O.P.E.C. stand for?

02 Which British painter painted the Blue Boy?

03 What was the former name of Ho Chi-minh city?

04 Where are the headquarters of the International Red Cross?

05 What is the capital of Canada?

06 Who composed The Planets?

07 Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States of America. What does D.C. stand for?

08 Who was the first television Simon Templar in The Saint?

09 Who wrote the Famous Five stories?

10 What is a Condor?

Best of luck! Answers in tomorrows Journal.

Which First Barack - The Good News Or The Bad

On Tuesday Barack Obama was sworn in as the first black president of America. He was the 44th President. According to the Jakata Globe, Indonesian numerologist Udin, has predicted good fortune for Mr Obama. In Mandarin the words for four and death are the same. Four in China is like 13 in western countries, many Chinese buildings will not have a fourth floor or any other storey featuring a number four. Despite this Udin predicts good fortune for Barack Obama as there are two fours in 44th and four plus four equals eight and eight is regarded as a lucky number. Furthermore, 2009 is the Year of the Ox and Barack Obama was born in 1961 which was also the Year of the Ox. People born under the Ox are hard-working and stubborn according to Chinese tradition. Another interesting statistic, Barack Obama spent four years as a child in Indonesia. Udin, a feng shui master for 20 years, claims it will be a lucky year for the President as he is 47 years old, adding, between 47 and 49 is a good time to do something great. Thank goodness for that!

Blankney POW's (Prisoners Of War)

I would like to thank reader David Butler for his recent e-mails. I have known David and his wife Janet since we were teenagers. The e-mails contained some fascinating images of the village of Scopwick, including the Royal Oak pub, School Lane and Empire Day celebrations. There are also postcards sent by Janet's grandmother Polly. All the images date around the turn of the previous century, in other words around 1900. David's father, Joe, was Estate Manager for the Blankney Estates and had several German POW's working for him. David relates how one particular prisoner called Karl became a great friend of his family, eventually returning to Germany in 1947. One of the images is a Christmas card sent by Karl to the Butler family, I think around 1962. One of David's recollections was very interesting to me, as a small boy he was given a wooden toy made by the prisoners. It was a brightly painted push-along ladybird that flapped it's wings. I also had one of these toys except mine was a butterfly and I remember not only did it flap its wings but it made a hell of a clatter at the same time. POW's are very much a part of Blankney history and I would like to return to this subject at some time in the future. If any readers knew, or still know, any POW's or have any stories or information concerning POW's please e-mail me at garlant@btinternet.com . I would love to hear from you.

Return To Blankney - Part 3

In Return to Blankney Part 3, Reginald Williams discusses Blankney Post Office, fruit pies and the sunken gardens.

Return to Blankney by Reginald Williams

So died Blankney Hall. Now nature has taken over. In the crannies of the walls, in between the paving stones and along the footings of the walls tufts of grasses and flowers had rooted themselves. The magnolia tree still blossomed on the front of the building and a carved figure over the main doorway looked out rather wistfully from the desolation within. Before occupation by the RAF, glittering social occasions would have echoed to the same rafters that now lay charred and sodden in the grass and flower-beds where they had fallen or been thrown on the night of the fire. There was something uncanny and strangely disturbing about these charred reminders of the past: of my own past.
I discovered that the Blankney Estate was being administered by agents who had an office up a lane near the crossroads. The two clerks there were interested to hear my first hand story about the events on the night of the fire. They gave me permission to wander round the site and take photographs. But before returning to the ruins, I called at the village post-office which also served as a general store. Hundreds of small items fastened to cards hung round the walls: tinctures for one thing, pills for another, ointments for this and mixtures for that. Cakes chocolates and cooked meats met in an ill-assorted display on the counter, while the more bulky items such as buckets, clothes-lines, fire lighters, cases of minerals and paraffin oil were gathered into convenient heaps on the floor. A dark, middle aged woman wearing an old slouch hat waited to attend me. I wanted two things: information about the Hall and a fruit pie. (Why a fruit pie you will learn later). She recalled how many people were engaged on the Estate during the First World War, and spoke of some of the famous people who had stayed at the Hall, such as King Edward V11 then Prince of Wales.
On the ground floor back at the Hall there was a bay window on the east side of a large room where we worked when on duty. It was possible to look through the window over the sunken garden and lawns, past the pool to the fields beyond. I retraced my steps through the sunken garden and found that the two sculptured children were still disporting themselves in the pool although the grass now almost obscured them.
The building we used during the war as a NAAFI was an old barn-like place covered with lichen situated at the opposite end of the drive. The windows had been broken, and I was able to look inside and see the old serving hatch where we bought tea, coffee, cakes and (if available) chocolate. One regular item on sale was a well-known make of fruit pie: we must have consumed thousands, but at a price less than half what I paid at the village post-office. So back again in my old eating haunt I enjoyed my fruit pie while leaning on the window-sill of the now deserted former NAAFI.

Don't miss Part 4, the final episode, of this fascinating story in the Journal tomorrow.

Carres Grammar School - Class of 1952/53

If any of my old school friends recognise themselves on this photograph, please get in touch my e-mail address is garlant@btinternet.com (Click on image to enlarge).

Looking Back - Winston Churchill Dies

On this day in 1965 Winston Churchill died in his London home at Hyde Park Gate. He was 90 years of age. He suffered a stroke 15 days earlier from which he never recovered. Within an hour of the announcement of his death large crowds gathered outside his home to pay homage to Britain's greatest wartime leader. Lady Clementine Churchill and other members of his family were at his bedside. His political career began as a Conservative MP for Oldham in 1900 but he later joined the Liberals in 1906. He was Lord of the Admiralty during World War 1 and was later to hold the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer. He became wartime Prime Minster in May 1940 and held that office again at the age of 77 in 1951. He stood down as Prime Minister in 1955, due to ill health, but continued as a backbencher until 1964.

Brigade In Fine Form

In Part 2 of Return to Blankney by Reginald Williams, he refers to the Second Earl of Londesborough having a passion for fire-engines. He refers to the Fire Station at the Hall and also the Earl's little red-fire engine. Below is a report taken from the Lincolnshire Echo and dated August 1913, the fire-engine mentioned in the report is the same fire-engine referred to by Reginald Williams.

Brigade in fine form

A very successful drill and inspection of the members and apparatus of the Blankney Fire Brigade took place on Saturday afternoon.
The Inspecting Officer was Mr Slater of London, Secretary of the National Fire Brigade Union. After the engine and apparatus had been inspected, the members went through several drills in first-class style. The first drill consisted of the brigade running out from the fire station with the fire escape and length of hose piping through the Hall and round to the north side, a feat which was accomplished in two minutes. The next item was the bringing out of the engine, harnessing and attaching the horses, galloping round a part of the Hall into the main road and back again to the Hall. The fire in the engine was lighted on the way and on getting back the hose and the engine was pumping in 12 minutes.
After the drill display, the annual dinner was held in the Hall, to which about 35 sat down.

Brainteaser - Friday's Solution

The answer to the Friday Brainteaser was 90

SOLUTION

Double the 4 + 1 = 9
Double the 9 + 2 = 20
Double the 20 + 3 = 43
Double the 43 + 4 = 90

Well done to those readers who came up with the right answer!

Return To Blankney - Part 2

Today, in Part 2, we continue the story of Reginald Williams, who was stationed at Blankney Hall whilst in the RAF. during the second world war. Fifteen years after being demobbed he returned to Blankney and recalls the tragic events of the evening of July 15th 1945 when the Hall caught fire never to be restored.

Return to Blankney by Reginald Williams

As I wandered round the building and gardens, some of the atmosphere of former years seemed to crowd in on me. The fire which reduced Blankney Hall to ruins started on St Swithins Day -July 15-1945. It was a sunny Sunday evening following a very hot day. We airmen were sitting in the Dining Hall having tea, when one of our corporals came in and said "There's a fire at the top of the house." We went out to the south end of the building where some of our fellows were on the roof trying to reach a tank of water with a hose which they had already laid out on the top of the building: the hose. however, was too short to reach. A fire-tender from our parent station-Digby-arrived and we tried to connect hose carts to the nearest hydrant which we found near the front of the Hall. The hydrant, however, was of an obsolete type and the modern hose unions would not fit it. Consequently we couldn't get any pressure of water to the fire and valuable time was lost. Here was the delay, which, I believe, lost the battle for the Hall.
In the meantime a bucket-chain had been started and as the fire, which was in the WAFF quarters, became fiercer, we helped all the WAFFs out with some of their belongings, as much as they could carry. Soon fire brigades from Lincoln, Sleaford, Metheringham, Woodhall Spa and Billinghay arrived and started to pump water from a large pond in the grounds. They pumped it almost dry and the smell of rotting vegetation afterwards was terrible. Eventually a hydrant was fixed in the centre of the building, but a strong breeze which was now blowing helped the flames at the north end of the hall to creep gradually towards the south.
Some of us turned our attention to salvaging as much as we could of the girls' belongings. Owing to the relaxation of regulations governing the wearing of civilian clothes, all the WAFFs had quite a bit of civilian clothing with them in camp. Our task was to race through the top floors of the Hall, emptying all drawers and cupboards we could find, throwing the items out of the windows onto the grass below and trying to keep ahead of the fire which was creeping along beneath us. Clothes, suitcases and the contents of chests of drawers were dropped to the waiting girls and airmen down below, to be sorted out later on.
By this time, the floors and roof were beginning to collapse and we were ordered out of the building as half the Hall was ablaze. In the meantime the Countess of Londesborough, who had been living in part of the hall, was being helped by her staff. Together with some American servicemen from a nearby camp they managed to get a grand piano out onto the Lawn.
Years ago a former resident, the Second Earl of Londesborough, had a passion for fire-engines. If a fire broke out within a radius of twenty or thirty miles of the Hall, he would leave his guests to their own devices and tear off on his little red fire-engine. No doubt it was he who had had the little fire-station built, from which came some of the antiquated equipment with which we tried to save his Hall.

Part 3 continues in the Journal tomorrow.

No Point In Rushing In To It I Suppose

I found this Reuters report highly amusing. A 107 years old Chinese woman is apparently looking for a fellow centenarian to become her first husband. Wang Guiying was born in southern Guizhou province watching her uncles and other men scold and beat their wives and often found her aunt crying in the woodshed. At that time Chinese women had few rights and low social standing. This left Wang too frightened to contemplate marriage. After the death of her parents and sister Wang moved to the countryside and became a farmer until the age of 74. No longer able to cope Wang went to live with her nephew in the booming city of Chongqing. Incredible though it may sound Wang now feels her nephew and other members of her family are too old to look after her. Wang said she hopes to find a husband so they will have something to talk about (well what else would they do?), adding "what will happen if I don't hurry up and find a husband". The report ended by saying that local officials have said they will help Wang to search for 100 year old groom and suggested her family contact old peoples homes to find a candidate.

Today's Smile - Wood You Believe It

Sign displayed in a cabinet makers window:

Antiques made to order

Oh well, I suppose one day they will be antiques!

When In Rome Don't Do As the Romans Do

A grave economic situation appears to be looming. Despite the government's attempt to get the economy growing by spending billions of pounds on recapitalising the banks there are few signs that an upturn is imminent. As the countries public finances continue to deteriorate amidst news that the number of people unemployed is heading towards the 2 million mark, prospects for the immediate future look bleak. Under the circumstances the governments plan to get the banks lending again, thus kick-starting the economy, looks doomed to failure. On the one hand the banks are going to be very nervous about lending to business, whilst everyday we hear that more companies are going into administration. On the other hand they are going to be very reluctant to increase personal lending at a time when the people they are lending to look increasingly likely to lose their jobs. Add to this the fact that any further rises in unemployment means more lost revenue to the government by way of tax and insurance and at the same time the government have to pay out more money by way of unemployment pay and soaring benefits. The government's VAT receipts have already fallen by the 2.5% rate reduction and worsening unemployment will restrict spending which will reduce these receipts even further.
We are now facing the worst recession since the second world war and have now moved into uncharted territory which means that no one knows where, when or how it will all end. The fall of the Roman empire was brought about by over indulgence in eating , drinking and debauchery and their belief that the good times would never end. Not dissimilar to modern day Britain!

Brainteaser

To solve today's brainteaser all you have to do is work out the next number in the following series:
4...... 9...... 20...... 43...... ?

Good luck! The solution will appear in tomorrows Journal.

Return To Blankney - Part 1

A wonderful story appeared in the March 1982 edition of Lincolnshire Life. It was written by Reginald Williams who was stationed at Blankney Hall during the war. He was there on that fateful night when the Hall burned down in July 1945 and he describes the scene in vivid detail. Fifteen years after he was demobbed from the RAF he returned to Blankney and the story of his visit evokes a roller coaster of memories and emotions. This is Part 1 of his remarkable story which takes us back in time to what was probably the most important day in the history of Blankney.

Return to Blankney by Reginald Williams

It was a showery July morning when I arrived at Blankney village, fifteen years after I had left it to be demobbed from the RAF. Much of the village looked the same: the white railings at the crossroads, the school-house on the corner, and the telephone kiosk outside with the little cottage village post-office. Higher up the road between Lincoln and Sleaford-was the entrance to the Park and golf course, the grass verges had been trimmed, with cottage gardens displaying their roses. These Tudor-style cottages, laid out by W. A. Nicholson in the 19th century, looked even tidier and cleaner than they had appeared when I was here fifteen years earlier.
But on this day of my return to the village my focal point was the fine Palladian Hall: where I had spent over twelve months during the Second World War. Arrived at the gateway to the drive. I looked across the intervening land towards the Hall: the effect was uncanny. I felt as if I had slipped back over the years and was, once again returning from leave. The Hall looked almost the same-with the roof still open to the sky and the breeze blowing through the unglazed window frames, a monumental shell in ruins amid a setting of increasing wildness: standing there waiting.
I walked up the main drive. Pools from recent showers reflected the building against the still threatening sky. Where grass lawns had been there was now barley beginning to turn golden. I became conscious of an unnatural stillness pervading the place.
The place appeared to have become an embodiment of the past. The heavy facade of the building seemed to be gazing out along the drive-waiting-waiting for whom?
I walked over to that part of the building which juts out at right-angles to the front of the Hall on the south side: it used to be the billiard room. The windows were dirty from neglect but one was open and I looked through it into the empty room. There was the fireplace at one end which in winter, in spite of it being filled with fire, never seemed to warm the room. I said the room was empty, but as I gazed and my thoughts wandered, I saw the figures of three of my erstwhile companions of the RAF-Lindsay Costeloe from Stockport, Jim Conway from Glasgow and Mervyn Bush from Birmingham-all moving around the billiard table with cues in their hands and laughing at some unlikely shot that had uncannily 'come off'' to the surprise of all.
A cloud passed over the sun and the vision faded back into the past. Once more the room was empty and silent, with the bars of the firegrate cold and uninviting and the damp walls now beginning to lose their shiny surface..
Lindsay Costeloe and I came from Cheshire, were both interested in music and drama and, towards the end of our stay at Blankney, we produced jointly a stage show called "Loud and Clear" for which we found a great deal of talent on the camp. We were particularly fortunate in having the help of one of the WAFF's-Peggy Hale, who was a first class dancer and is now principal of a dancing school in Kettering.

Part 2 of this memorable story will appear in the Journal tomorrow.

The Oven Shelf

How enterprising our parents used to be. Without the aid of modern technology they still managed to come up with a solution to every problem. I don't know whether this story was peculiar to our house or whether other people did the same thing. When I was growing up we lived in a two up and two down cottage. The only heat in the house came from an open fire in the living room. It was part of the old black lead grate, named so, because it was polished with black lead to clean it. The fire was in the middle of the grate with an oven on the left and a boiler on the right. Not only did the fire heat the room but it also heated the oven for cooking and the boiler for hot water. The upstairs of the house had no heat at all. There was a small fire place in one bedroom but this, for some reason, was never used. Going to bed on a real cold winter's night was not an experience to look forward to. Neither, in those days, did you have a nice warm duvet to snuggle down under. However, even on the coldest of nights I never ever got into a cold bed. About half an hour before going to bed mother would take one of the shelves out of the oven. When it had cooled down to a bearable temperature she would wrap the oven shelf in a piece of cloth and put it in the bed. By the time I went to bed, clutching a rubber hot water bottle, the oven shelf had served it's purpose and warmed the bed through. It was then removed and I climbed into a nice warm bed, with my hot water bottle for on-going heat. My third line of defence was our family cat Fluffy, a long haired grey Persian. He knew where it was going to be warm and slept in the bed with me. Between the oven shelf, the hot water bottle and Fluffy I just about managed to stay warm until morning. Sounds daft, but it worked!

Brainteaser - Wednesday's Answer

The answer to the Brainteaser that appeared in yesterday's Journal is as follows:

On a chess board

Kings & Queens, Bishops and Rooks. Easy if you know the answer!

Check You Haven't Got Worms

I was quite alarmed when I read the following report. Sky news claimed on Monday that a computer virus that attacks Microsoft Windows is spreading at an alarming rate. It is reportedly affecting thousands of UK offices including Ministry Of Defence computers. The virus is known as Conficker, Kido or Downadup. The virus was first identified last October with Russia, China, Brazil and India worst affected. The worm uses a predefined set of passwords against those being used on other computers. If it finds a match it will automatically download malicious programs from hackers websites with devastating effect. Eddy Willems, a security analyst, advises users to check their computer's security to ensure that their anti-virus, operating system and firewall are up to date. Remember, computer viruses can give you a much bigger headache than any flu virus.

Beautiful Flowers And Gifts

Thinking of sending someone some flowers this Spring? Then take a look at the fantastic choice being offered by Marks & Spencer. These arrangements are really special, a bit more expensive than some you can buy, but in my opinion these are worth the little bit extra. What's more all prices include delivery. Order by 5 pm for next day delivery. To make your gift really special you can add one or more of their 'little extras' which include chocolates, glass vase, silver-plated photo frame, teddy bear or champagne. M&S offer 3 easy ways to order, over the internet at http://www.marksandspencer.com/ , by telephone or simply order in store. So, if you want to send someone special, something special, for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or just to cheer them up take a look at these great M&S gifts. The Spring selection is available for delivery from 7th January to 31st March.

Spectacular, Rather Than Significant

The following story is a piece I wrote for the local area magazine, it was published in the MACLA News Magazine Summer 2005 edition. It is a true story. I was 4 and a half years old at the time.

It was a lovely Sunday evening in mid-July, St Swithin's day 1945. We were hurrying along the bottom road to Blankney, myself, my mother and my aunt. There were other people too, mainly in small groups. Everyone had an urgency in their step and there was much excited murmuring. Where we were going I was not sure, but it was clear even to a four and a half year old boy, that the reason for our hurried journey held great significance. I remember my mother grabbing me by the hand to make sure I kept up and I was being dragged along, reluctantly, my feet barely making contact with the road. A few minutes earlier I had been playing happily in the yard at our home in Drury Street, Metheringham but my constant pleading to return fell on deaf ears. On reaching the long sweeping bend into Blankney we followed a path which led through the woods and onto the drive that links Blankney Hall with Metheringham station. As we headed up the drive in the direction of Blankney village I became aware of muffled voices in the distance. Turning left off the drive through a gap in the trees the reason for our impromptu walk suddenly became frighteningly clear. There before us stood Blankney Hall, huge flames leaping into the night air, through what a few hours before had been the roof of this stately building. Not being aloud to go any further we joined a throng of people standing at the north-east corner of the beautifully ornate sunken gardens that fronted the Hall. I clearly remember a strange silence as the large crowd of onlookers stared at the burning building in stunned disbelief. Being a small boy the event to me was spectacular rather than significant. We must have stayed for quite some time, watching the frenzied activity around the weakened building, because the light began to fade and the flames, now much smaller, were a vivid orange against the night sky, pierced by what was left of the charred roof structures.

The fire had evidently started around 5 pm. and was finally contained at 8 pm. The evening service at the church was cancelled and the Rector assisted Lady Londesborough, who was still living in a few rooms at the south end of the Hall. The most likely cause of the fire was thought to be an electrical fault in a blanket cupboard situated at the north end of the hall which at the time was occupied by WAFF's. The Hall had been commandeered by the Royal Air Force during the second world war and used as an operations room under the control of Digby Camp. The WAFF's were safely evacuated and most of their belongings were salvaged.

Despite the efforts of fire crews from RAF Digby, Lincoln, Sleaford, Billinghay, Metheringham and Woodhall Spa the Hall was damaged beyond repair. Sadly, sixty years on, nothing remains of the once magnificent Hall and for all intents and purposes it may never even have existed.

Brainteaser

To solve today's Brainteaser, just answer this simple question:

Where do royalty, clergy and birds come together?

Good luck with this one. The answer will be revealed in tomorrows Blankney Journal.

Poem - Blankney Masquerade

In her book, Henry Chaplin a Memoir, his daughter The Marchioness of Londonderry writes, 'an old yellow sheet of paper has been preserved on which in faded ink is written , A List of the Company as they danced at the Masquerade at Blankney, the 9th January 1749'. Shortly before the masquerade Diana Chaplin had been married and it is thought the event may of been held in her honour. Her father Thomas Chaplin had died in 1747 and it was presumed his unmarried son John Chaplin, Diana's brother, hosted the occasion. Today's poem was written based on details from that faded piece of paper and accompanying notes.

Blankney Masquerade

It was January 1749
The event, a masquerade ball
The occasion, to mark a society wedding
The place was Blankney Hall
Diana, daughter of the late Thomas Chaplin
Had allowed her heart to be won
By Lord George Sutton Manners
The Duke of Rutland's son
To mark this great occasion
A match in heaven made
Excited servants prepared the Hall
For the Blankney masquerade
John Chaplin, brother of the bride
Acting as mine host
Was in the guise of King Henry V111
As he rose to propose the toast
The groom appeared as a Spaniard
As a Jardiniere the bride did revel
And Sir Francis Dashwood, Chancellor of the Exchequer
Was there dressed up as the Devil
Among other guests that danced that night
In their costumes so bizarre
A Priest, a Russian, a Chimney Sweeper
A Vandyke, a Turk and Huzsar
Miss Mannering wore a black gown with stars
Representing night
Dominos, Dancers and Queen of the Scots
Helped to make such a dazzling sight
Oh to have been there, that January night
As a fly upon the wall
And witnessed the rich and colourful sight
Of the Blankney masquerade ball.

Rodney Garlant

Could There Be A Jam Shortage?

The WI (Women's Institute) have launched a worthy campaign for No More Violence Against Women. Members are being asked to get involved by joining 'A Million Women Rise' march through London on 7th March in support of the campaign and lobby their MP on 30th January to improve victim support services. In addition, members are being asked to see whether local newspapers carry adverts for sexual services from trafficked women. (How will they know?). They are then asked to fill out surveys on the WI website or at their federation offices. When do they get time to make all that jam?

It's Serious - But You Have To Laugh

I saw on teletext yesterday that Royal Bank of Scotland shares had plunged by 63%. This was as a result of a bank announcement that it expected a deficit of between £7bn and £8bn for 2008. It reminded me of a funny story circulating just after the start of the credit crunch. This chap was sat at the breakfast table opening his mail. He turned to his wife and announced that his bank had returned his cheque marked 'Insufficient Funds'. He asked his wife "is that me or them".

No Such Thing As A Free Lunch?

A row has erupted over Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, funding his attendance at the Tory Party Conference last year out of taxpayers' money. It is reported that the London Mayor spent almost £2000 on accommodation for himself and a small group of advisers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Birmingham. Regulations state the mayor may not use Greater London Authority money for party political purposes. Mr Johnson said he did not believe the conference fell into that category. He also stated he would pay the money back if he has broken official rules. The Taxpayer's Alliance claimed the mayor's trips to the conference were clearly in his own interest and that of the Conservative party and were not proper use of taxpayers' money. Who said there was no such thing as a free lunch?

Whatever Happened To Those Nice Tea Houses?

Whatever happened to those nice tea houses? You know the ones I mean. You walked in, sat in a comfortable chair at a table dressed in white linen. A waitress dressed in a smart black and white uniform served you with freshly made sandwiches and cakes on china plates, followed by tea served in a china teapot, with china cups and saucers, china milk jug and china sugar bowl. How different it is today. Now they are called cafeterias. My wife and I visited one recently that was part of a large out of town department store. We picked up a wet plastic tray, slid it along tram lines attached to the counter and helped ourselves from a row of plastic cabinets. The sandwiches were in triangular plastic cartons, the Eccles cake was individually wrapped in a plastic film bag and the fruit pie was on a plate sheeted down with cling film. We dispensed our own tea and coffee from vending machines. At the end of the counter was a girl taking the money who obviously didn't want to be there. We then made our way over to the sundries bar where we picked up two small plastic pots of milk and a small plastic pot of cream, two sugars in small paper sachets, two lollipop sticks for stirring our drinks and three serviettes. The third serviette was merely for mopping up the milk and cream that you always spill while trying to get the tops off the little plastic pots. We found somewhere to sit and unwrapped all the various items on the tray. We then sat and had our lunch at a bare wooden table which I can only describe as looking like a land fill site. We were surrounded by enough paper and plastic to fill a recycling bin. Oh well, I guess that's the modern way of doing things. Progress, I don't think so!

Today's Thought

Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

2-For-1 At Pizza Express

For those of you who have not seen it in the press Pizza Express are doing a great 2 for 1 offer on their main course meals. Unlike most offers of this kind with this one you get the most expensive meal free. Here's how you get your free meal. Simply click on the following link www.pizzaexpressoffers.co.uk print off the voucher and take it along to your local Pizza Express restaurant. Offer ends 29th January. The offer is also valid at the weekend and can also be used for take-away orders. Happy eating!

Looking Back - The Boston Strangler

On this day in 1967 Albert DeSalvo was jailed for life after being found guilty of assault and armed robbery against four women in Connecticut. A few years earlier, between June 1962 and January 1964, the US city of Boston had been gripped with fear when 13 single women aged between 19 and 85 were sexually assaulted and strangled in their own homes. Several of the victims were found with ribbon round their neck. The killer became notorious as the 'Boston Strangler'. The case against DeSalvo was a curious one. Whilst awaiting trial for rape DeSalvo was held in a Massachusetts psychiatric hospital and during his trial his lawyer claimed he had told fellow inmates that he had murdered the women. DeSalvo's lawyer tried to prove he was the killer, at the same time claiming he was insane and and should be sent to a psychiatric hospital rather than prison. Despite claiming to be the killer DeSalvo was not charged with any murders because of lack of evidence. Casey Sherman, nephew of Mary Sullivan, the last woman murdered, claimed that DeSalvo had confessed because it would lead to a lucrative book and film deal. The nephew and DeSalvo's family also claimed he did not match the description of the suspect, police believed more than one person was involved and there was no physical evidence to link him to the crimes. However, a prosecutor who worked on the investigation claimed that during interviews DeSalvo had described, in detail, facts about the killings not known to the public. The judge said "This defendant must be incarcerated as long as he shall live or until psychiatric science can cure him". Shortly after being sentenced DeSalvo escaped from the Massachusetts hospital where he was being held, he was then sent to Walpole State Prison. It was whilst he was in prison, in 1973 that DeSalvo was stabbed to death, no one was convicted of his murder. As a final bizarre twist DeSalvo's body was exhumed in December 2001 and tests showed his DNA did not match evidence found on the body of Mary Sullivan, the 'Stranglers' last victim. So, was DeSalvo the 'Boston Strangler' or did his actions allow the real killer to walk free?

Today's Thought

Women who seek equality with men are not setting their sights very high!

Are Apples Really Good For You?

I see that Steve Jobs, chief executive and mentor of the giant computer firm Apple, is taking six months extended medical leave. It is feared his medical problems may be related to a previous pancreatic cancer condition. Jobs' rise to fame has been dramatic. Having dropped out of college Jobs and his friend Steve Wazniac started Apple in 1976 from his parents garage in Silicon Valley, California. Jobs left Apple in 1985, following a power struggle, returning in 1997 as chief executive. Apple then went on to achieve spectacular success with it's iPod digital music player. The state of Steve Jobs' health will remain a matter of real concern for the Apple organisation.
Footnote
So much for the old adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"

Car Number Plates

The amount of traffic using the B1188 road, that runs through Blankney, connecting Lincoln and Sleaford, is becoming horrendous. It is now pretty much continual throughout the day and most of the evening. How different it was, when as teenagers, we would cycle over to Blankney on a Sunday afternoon. Armed with a pocket full of pennies (old pennies that is, 240 to the pound, some even had Queen Victoria's head on the back) we would first go to the Golf Club and buy half a dozen one penny chews. We would then take up our positions on the school corner and proceed to play a game based on car number plates. The idea was that each person would choose a different number between 0 and 9. When a car came along if the number you chose was on the number plate you received a penny from all the other players. For example, if you had chosen number 4 and the number plate was RDA 446 you would receive two pence from each player but if someone else had chosen 6 you would have to pay them a penny. The point of all this is that in those days a car only came along about every five minutes, if two happened to come along close together that was unusual. On a good day you could make about enough to buy five woodbine cigarettes. Playing the same game today, always assuming you could keep up with the number of cars flashing past, you would probably make enough to buy a mansion.

Today's Smile - Spreading The Word

A bookseller placed an advert in the paper looking for a salesman to sell copies of the Bible. Three men applied for the job and were called for interviews. The bookseller asked the first man to step into his office.
Bookseller: "Tell me, why do you think I should give you the job?"
First Man: "Well, I am a devout Christian, I go to Church every Sunday and I have been a successful salesman for over thirty years."
Bookseller: "Excellent! You sound like just the man I'm looking for, however I have two other applicants to see. Please wait outside."
The bookseller then asked the second man to step into his office.
Bookseller: "Take a seat, now tell me why I should give you the job."
Second Man: "I think I am an ideal candidate, I read the scriptures every night and I have had a successful career in selling all my life"
Bookseller: "Marvelous! You sound ideal, however I have one other applicant to see. Please wait outside."
The bookseller then called the third man, who had a bad stutter, into his office.
Bookseller: "Good morning. Take a seat. Now, tell why you think I should give you the job."
Third Man: " Wwwell I ddd'ont reeeally kkknow. I'm ooout of a jjjob and ttthought I'd gggive it a tttry.
Bookseller: "Have you ever worked in sales before."
Third Man: "nnno."
By this time the bookseller felt sorry for him and asked him to wait outside. He then called all three men back into his office.
Bookseller: "Well gentlemen, this is what I am going to do. I am going to give you all one weeks trial. I want you to come back next Monday at ten o'clock and we'll see how you got on."
The men arrived back the following Monday morning, and the first man was called in.
Bookseller: "How did you get on?"
First Man: "Not very well, people just did not want to know, I think they are turning away from religion, I only managed to sell one Bible."
The second man was then called in.
Bookseller: "Tell me, how did you get on?"
Second Man: "It was tough, people either were not interested or they already had a Bible. I only managed to sell two Bibles."
The third man was called in.
Bookseller: "Hello again, how did you get on?
Third Man: "Nnnot tttoo bbbad. I mmmanaged to sssell fiifty fffour cccopies."
Bookseller: "Fifty four copies! How the hell did you manage that."
Third Man: "I kkknocked on the dddoor and sssaid, do you wwwant to bbbuy a Bbbible or ssshall I rrread it ttto you.

My spellchecker has gone for a lie down!!!

John Cartwright (1862-1944) - Part 5

Today we publish the fifth and final part of John Cartwright's story. In this final part John talks about the Blankney Flower Show, the parade of the stud, finding gold and two bonny fine boys.

The Life of John Cartwright of Blankney Fen from the age of twelve

Now for a reference to the wonderful Blankney Flower Show - one of the best in England. It was estimated we had 21,000 people there the second year. So many got in without paying: was nearly one o'clock in the morning before they got the last train away from the station. As well as having a wonderful show of flowers, we had splendid bicycle races; some of the best riders in England attended; also had some of the best trotting horses, and jumping and pony racing as well. Then came the parade of the stud - Hermit, Galopin (both Derby winners), Friars Balsam, never beaten as a two-year-old, but did not race after, Bendigo winner of the Lincoln Handicap and the Cambridgeshire, also Lord Nelson, the horse got one eye knocked out and did not race. I was the secretary for all horses. When we gave the show up we had about £600 in hand, which we divided between the County Hospital and the Farmer's Benevolent Fund. For the latter I have had nineteen votes ever since and I understand they don't run out until 1954.
About sixty years ago one of our men in the Fen, named Flatters, digging a trench to put some pipes into the home field pond, found a gold sword hilt which father got £50 for from Mr. J.D. Fisher, Lincoln.. Flatters got the money. Some years later when digging a rat out of a hole just below the top Fen gate in the dyke end, we found a gold bracelet, which Mr. Fisher gave us £64.10.0 for. The same bracelet is now in the British Museum in London. Another piece of gold was found in the Car Dike side against Linwood Hall about the same time. As the tide came up to the Car Dike many years ago we are still wondering if these gold finds have anything to do with King John's treasure which was lost in the Wash.
Just to finish this rigmarole, I knew a farmer with two bonny fine boys, both of them with a lot of good in them, but they seemed to be dissatisfied that their father had not made better use of his time, telling their mother they should make pounds where their father made pence, but up to now the pence have not been made.

I hope you have enjoyed reading John Cartwright's story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I think you will agree he was indeed a remarkable man.
Footnote
In the bell tower of Blankney church, on the left as you look at the font, there is a plaque which reads as follows:
To the glory of God. After doing service for 100 years the five bell wooden frame in this tower was replaced by an eight bell iron frame, in which the bells were re-hung and quarter turned (No.1 being cast). At the same time a treble bell was given by the farmers of the parish as a thank you offering for the restoration of peace, and was dedicated by the Lord Bishop of Lincoln on March 14th 1920

Charles Henry Sibthorp. Rector.
John Cartwright)
William Maltby ) Churchwardens

St. Oswalsds Blankney