31st July

Sunday 1977

Didn't work my back was too bad

My new boyfriend (name withheld and it was prir to Sam) came to see me at work

Babs told him I wasn't in

He came all the way to my house to see me

Must be love ha ha!

Walked to the beach with 'J'

Monday 1978

Bev's party at Tiffany's

Worked 10.00 - 5.30

It rained

Sam came to see me with Stan

Went to Bev's party

Becuse there were so many under age the bar was closed.

Home at 12.15

**************************************************

I was up in Scotland on business yesterday and what a beautiful day it was albeit a long one. I do love that train journey through the Lake District it is so green just now with all the rain and sunshine so very lush.

Changed trains at Carlisle and had a 20 minute wait so stepped out of the station for a stroll. Gosh it must be 5 years since I was last there

But my absolute favourite sight yesterday was this it so made me giggle!!

Obviously Jesus can't save cafe's on Carlisle's Station

Oh and before I forget it is the last Friday in the month ... Blimey it is August tomorrow!!

So I am joining in with Nurse Myra ... gosh I need to diet and that bra is heading for the bin hey ho .. it is one of my fav t-shirts though....a Kangaroo-poo ..... I have had for simply ages and it is getting washed out looking but what a great face :-)

Check out the other T~shirt babes and dudies... so far there is azahar, sledpress & renal .....oh and mudhooks & magichealinghands

Tags or memes.. 7 of 70s

Tags/memes I assumed were a thing of the past as I have not seen many in a good old while.....or maybe I wasn't moving and grooving in the right circles [ I don't do them as a rule but do like to see what is around].

I spotted this one over at Dulwhichmum's site after her toting it on Twitter... (she didn't tag me but hell I stole it anyway!!)

The Tag/Meme is 7 words that describe me!!...

1. Independent..

Totally, financially and in life generally too. I do know people who have to check with someone else if they can breathe or not!... not for me I am afraid....

2. Mum..

I am a Mum of the Teen. Well actually/ technically now I am a MiniMum of a Teen.... not sure when it happened it just sort crept up on me over night .... I am now way shorter than Teen. On holiday it was even more frightening when she put on her high heels and teetered at around 6 foot.

She's great though... not a bad Teen at all when all things are considered.

3. Geeky..

Yep ...very.... I love researching and reading about history, doing family tree research, visiting grave yards. As Teen puts it in that slightly patronising yet caring voice 'you are a bit of a geek Mum'. However, I am not a computer geek which is testimony to the fact I lost all my 'geeky' saved stuff when old boy PC died in May ......

4. Kind..

Particularly to old folk and animals. I do find that is very useful in both real & virtual worlds [*snigger*]

5. Strong..

Like an Ox .. that is my Chinese year of birth. Always hated that growing up the fact I was born in the year of the ox ( actually my ex was born in the year of the rat ... hee hee ) .... however, strangely I do portray a lot of the characteristics, maybe there is something in it after all ....

6.Questioning..

Or maybe it is inquisitive? But after many, many years of having to establish the norm and questioning the abnorm, old habits die hard. I do find it astonishing how much people take as read and don't bother to ask why?.... or maybe I am just nosey lol...

7. Arty..

A frustrated artist ... I should have gone to art college as I wanted to as a teen but my mother persuaded me otherwise 'the only good artist is a dead artist!' she said. mmmm I am sure many of today's very successful artists would disagree. But being a teen and wanting to earn money those words stuck in my brain and steered me in a very different direction.

Happily now I have more time on my hands I do do a bit of creative type stuff and love photography so that satisfies the art hole.. (I said 'art hole!!')

It was actually surprisingly quite hard to settle on 7 words.... I am not going to tag anyone but do have a go it is actually quite and interesting experiment ... see there is the geeky part of me again!!!

Thursday 23 1977

Wimbledon Trip

Saw Chris Evert (Chris Evett), Fiback (Wojciech Fibak), Motram (Buster Mottram), Rameriez (Raul Ramirez), Woolridge (??)

12 hours on coach

Friday 23 1982

Went to Chipping Norton & Bibury

Went to the old mill

Tea and cakes £1.25 each

Meal at the Maytime at Asthall

(if you ever get the chance do visit Oxfordshire and Gloustershire it is so beautiful)

*************************************************

some of you may or not know but I am one of the 100,000 folk in the UK that may have sine flu this week. I slept loads over the weekend but still felt tired on Monday... the sore throat started on Tuesday and by the time I came home on Tuesday night I felt crap and exhausted.

Thankfully all the symptoms I have had so far are mild except the tired aspect... my limbs ache, I have a headache, the sore throat is passing and it does hurt when I cough........ I am hope above hope thinking this is as bad as it gets. Teen had a sore throat and is now ok ... I am wondering if it is natures way that we are not sick at the same time .. we will see I suppose!

In the mean time I have been resting and off work and have got addicted to stupid computer games... doh!!

Also playing with Photoshop Lightroom and old stuff on photo cards ... wow it is amazing

Liver Building Liverpool

Wall of Fame Cavern Walks Liverpool

On the photo walk votes btw there are 5 photo front runners... Pan Am Bar (without the candle), Maria, Man on Bench, Huge Moon & Room to Let .... mmmm I may need to give my casting vote.. I know my fav is Huge Moon so I need to decide on second one !!!

no diary today

Looked through a few diaries and there was nothing of interest to report .. unless you count finishing school for the summer holidays. I suspect as a teen that is something of interest!!!

Some times I think I should have taken up teaching as I would have oodles of holidays through the year and not had the headache of covering 14 weeks childcare with only 6 weeks leave available [thank goodness that is now a thing of the past and I can leave the teen lanquishing in her pit when I go to work] However, I do feel I would have been quickly suspended had I become a teacher due to the patience or lack of it with cheeky kids lol

As you know from my last post I went on the Worldwide Photo Walk on Saturday evening organised by Pete Carr.

It was great fun I can tell you... and how bizarre it was too. 40 odd folk with cameras stomping around Liverpool.

The reaction of the folk of Liverpool was great..... people asking .....

'who are you expecting?' 'erm what do you mean?' 'this is the paparazzi isn't it?'

'who is on the top of that building?' 'erm?' 'is someone going to jump?' 'erm no we are on a photowalk!' 'oh I thought someone was a jumper' [as they stood watching with interest .. quite bizarre]

'what is going on?' 'we are on a photowalk of the city' 'what like some nerdy/geeky type thing?' 'yes some nerdy/geeky type thing' and so on

I loved every minute [oh ok except at the initial gathering when the organiser said when CKX and I approached.. 'ok we are attracting some random folk now!'.... EXCUSE ME!! Me Random?

CKX was quick with his 'we are not random I have a password and not afraid to use it!!' Then he spotted someone he knew so we were cool!]

I have posted a lot of my pics of the evening on my Flickr but the crunch is I need to pick just 2 that are worthy of entering on the Worldwide Photo Walk site and this is where I need your help.

please pop along and have a look at what I took and tell me which are your favourites if you don't mind ... I would be ever so grateful x

do take a look at the group's photos too there are some really awesome ones there

photo from Pete Carr

17th & 18th July

Saturday 17 1982

(maybe I should do some lead in here... on the Thursday we set off for the British Grand Prix. Set off at 8pm and got there at 3.15 am!!.. The Friday we were up at 7am to watch the first day of practice... )

2nd day of practice

Keke Rosberg on pole position

Sunday 18 1982

British Grand Prix

Brands Hatch

Niki Lauda won

Weather very hot

************************

oh what a shame I have a superb photo of me emerging from a tent way back in the day .. but the scan of it it went with the computer when it died... I must get this new lappy to link up with the scanner!

THANK GOODNESS IT IS FRIDAY........ a tough old week all round.

I am off to join in the Worldwide Photo Walk tomorrow. I can't believe that it has come around so quickly. My cousin (CKX) sent me the link ages ago and I said I would do it if he would too.... so tomorrow we are hooking up in Liverpool to take part.

The guy that has organised this part of the worlds piece in this sent us all an e mail to remind us where we need to be and at what time .... The Anglican Cathedral at 5.30.

He linked his web pages .... oh my !!! What awesome and I mean AWESOME photos does he take (2 separate links here).

There is a Flickr site too to display the evenings captured images and I will post the link after tomorrow.

So my batteries are on charge (as are my batteries after a stressy week in work) ... I am desparately saving and deleting stuff off my memory card as I forgot to get a new one (I wish I could do that with my brain wouldn't that be wonderful lol)... and I am hoping big style that the old boy digital camera behaves (I dropped him... and he has a dent in the lense department ...and has trouble sometimes focusing (I know that feels))

It has persisted it down here today ... gawd I hope the skies clear tomorrow evening ... everybody get evrything crossed x

13th July 1977

Wednesday 13

Trip to York

Saw the Queen

My legs were on News at Ten

Went with a party of Germans (is that the correct collective noun ?)

*****************************

In 1977 it was the Queens Silver Jubilee and there was such a feel good factor in the air.

I have already covered this here

but I can't resist posting this piccie of my dear granny again taken in the nusing home (I am so pleased I have a blog and have posted what I have because when my old boy computer died it took with it loads of my most precious pictures, fortunately I still have some on hard copy and others on here or on Flickr)

Well I had a bit of a blonde evening this evening. Got home from work then trolled back into Manchester to go and see Young@heart at the Manchester International Festival. I had seen an email this morning and it said they were on tomorrow .... I thought the email came yesterday ... alas no the email was from Saturday......doh!!!

Hey ho we enjoyed what was left of the evening sunshine before the rain

.Manchester Townhall

I hadn't realised Lincoln had such big feet and hands????

Upside Down Trees aka 'Flailing Trees' by Gustav Metzger.. some great shots on the site

[just page forward there are some really interesting images]

9th, 10th, 11th July 1982

Friday 9th

Sam's 22nd Birthday

Meal at El Patio

Really nice

Saturday 10th

Formby Show

Weather really hot

Went for a drink with brother and girlfriend, Fi & Dand

Went to McDonald's afterwards ( I so remember in the 70s that my cousin in California got a job in McDonalds and we had no idea what McDonalds was!!)

Sunday 11th

Niece & nephew came for the day

On the beach for 3 1/2 hours

Alien on TV = brilliant

World Cup final Italy 3 v West Germany 1

**********************************

This weekend Fi (mentioned above) is coming over tomorrow. She is my second longest standing friend next to 'J' and we are god parents to each others kid.

After all the great weather we have had I thought it would be cool if we explore what is going on at the Manchester International Festival...... but wouldn't you know it ... it is going to be heavy rain and strong wind tomorrow... grrr

Last time the festival was on I saw a most fabulous live performance of the Pianist (from Random Place of Mind blog)... it was breath taking I wonder what we can discover tomorrow.

I hope this works ....taken from an email from one of my bro's ... & I thought farmers were too busy to have fun .... please take a look see

Oh yes I almost forgot ... one of our bloggers is missing have you seen him??

7th July

Wednesday 7th July 1977

7.7.77

Went to the fairground

Was with Phil, Paul, Mark, Baldy (aww poor chap), Toddy, Fi, Lou, Debs , Jyte & Inger

(The German exchange was in town. I so remember Jyte (Kruger)... she was very loud, very flirty and wore the tightest of jeans I had ever seen. She taught me how to get in such tight jeans.. lie in the bed, thread a cord through the zip end ... beathe in (you couldn't breathe afterwards) and pull.... my it worked a treat back then)

************************************

7-7-77....this year we will have a 09-09-09.... ok small things amuse small minds lol

I wondered if anything exciting happened that day apart from me going to the fairground....

Apparently Felix Vasquez an American Municipal employee was born. Who? Yes I thought that too..... in 2005 he caught a 3 week old baby that was thrown out of a burning building from the 3rd floor .. wtg Felix.

I couldn't find anything else significant ...

So here is Top of the Pops that day ... The Jackson 5 were number 2 in the UK charts. (just watched MJs memorial thing... some very touching tributes indeed but just couldn't get my thoughts away from how his 2 sons and his dad chewed pink bubble gum all the way through it!!!! Is it a British thing and respect that you would not chew gum openly at a funeral/memorial??)

Just had a text from Annie Mouse (spooky as I mentioned weird dates in this post) ... because this year we will have a time that is 12:34:56 7/8/9......

5th July

Tuesday 5th July 1977

Whitley (one of the head teachers) went mad about our uniforms.

We must wear nylon checked shirts (we had leaned to wearing white cotton cheesecloth shirts) and tights

Temp is 85 degrees in the shade... (ahh the summer of '77 a heat wave)

Had a lot of homework

The Germans are over on an exchange

************************************

Have loved watching what I could of this Wimbledon fortnight ... and particularly enjoyed this afternoons men's final... nail biting stuff that had me wanting both to win, they were so evenly matched ... but well done Federer I was cheering you on.

I took these photos from the comfort of my Mums front room... aren't wide screen TVs fabulous lol

In 1977 I went to Wimbledon with school (23rd June)... the one and only time I had been . We spent 12 hours on a coach and I remember it being a soaring hot day and us in our school uniforms... click here for the previous post I have done on this.

It has been a pretty busy weekend starting on Friday with Teen's Prom at Old Trafford (Manchester United's football ground... I think they go there as Nobby Stiles son was one of her teachers)

We have had a pretty stressy build up the Prom (there was non of this in my day just an end of year disco in the sports hall, no fancy Prom dress just a maxi dress from Chelsea Girl and teachers walking around with torches catching folk snogging in corners lol).

Firstly the dress we had ordered didn't arrive until the Wednesday .. and that was only because I wouldn't leave the shop until they went to collect it. The fake tan got caught in the rain not long after being applied. The shoes were slightly different colour due to one being on display in the shop and the other never seeing the light of day (Mum to the rescue with cream nail varnish saved the day there ... I knew my time working in a shoe shop would benefit me one day)

However. after all the grief the end result was staggering... she looked gorgeous. As did all the Teens .. it certainly brought a tear to my eye ...

Butlins Interlude 6

Friday 26th June 2009

Got up about 7 and started to pack to go home :-(

Fed the birds (a duck, sparrows, starlings, seagulls, several doves and pigeons) with the last of the loaf... watched as other folk did the same soon after ... there will be some fat birds at Butlins

Off for last full English

Sent Teens off to get trolleys... only needed 2 for the way back.

Dropped off Twilight DVD and key cards

Teens went off for their last mess around in the Splash Water World place and to buy gifts to take home

& I went for my second 3 hour total chill pill spa session.

It was fantastic because for a while I was the only person in there... and then there were only 5 of us for the rest of the 3 hours.

I spent ages lying in the hydrospa just floating in the bubbles. I swam a lot and I am pleased to report that my shoulder op in October has certainly worked .....

Read my book curled up on a huge leather sofa drinking cappuccino ...ahhhhh

The Teens were waiting for me as I emerged from the spa and we headed to the car

It was then that I realised I didn't have a map book or directions home!!!!

As it was so well sign posted on the way there I took little notice of landmarks or village names.... I think the first 30 miles were pretty zigzag across Lincolnshire but we saw some beautiful scenery.... most strikingly fields of red poppies... my Teen commented it was like a scene off the Wizard of Oz.

I knew we had to head towards Grimsby .. which we did... I am sorry folk who live in Grimsby but I know how it got its name ... my it was grim there

Everything was going swimmingly until 10 miles east of Leeds and we came to a complete halt on the M62... and it was stop start for about 50 miles until we came off the motorway for home. I hate that type of driving, it is so exhausting... one minute you are doing 70mph then you are breaking to a complete halt .. take your eyes off the road for a second and you could rear end shunt... all in all the journey home took 5 hours instead of the 3 it should have taken ... hey ho I was still chilled after 3 hours in the spa :-)

So that was it ... the holiday was at an end. We came home to blazing sunshine so I had another 3 days chilling at home before the rude awakening of being back to work.

I would like to thank very, very much the Butlins Team at Skegness for a wonderful stay and FuelMyBlog for this rare opportunity of 'product testing' it is certainly a once in lifetime offer and we all really enjoyed every minute ...

Butlins Interlude 5

[our last full day .. boo hoo ;-( ]

Thursday 25th June 2009

Up at 8.00

Breakfast as per usual was very yummy indeedy

After breakfast we went to the fairground that is situated within the Butlins site. It is fairly small and has about 6 /7 rides, a simulator (or 'stimulator' as Teen called it!!!!), dodgems and a go kart track plus some bouncy things.

Most of the rides are free and run by happy Butlins people... I managed the carousel, the Rockin Tub and the 'stimulator'... which had me crying laughing

love this picture of the Teens having huge belly laughs on a kiddy ride :-D

As it was the last afternoon we decided to do what fav things we wanted to do... the Teens chose the indoor pool and I chose the beach.

I walked for 3 hours along the shoreline...camera in hand, shoes off .. feet feeling the sand and sea between my toes... bliss

There are more photos over at my flickr account do take a look ... loving the groynes...

In the way back to the apartment I went to visit Jackie the Resort Director to thank her for the lovely stay at the resort but unfortunately she was having a day off..... so thank you again we have had a ball :-)

When I got back to the apartment I found the Teens chilling in the lounge watching 'Twilight' which they had hired.......

In the evening we had yet another lovely meal and we went off to the Reds ... for the last time. The show was tremendous. It was called the 'The Big Red' where all the Red Coats performed songs from shows such as Hairspray and Moulin Rouge. Also dance routines emulating 'Diversity' who won Britain's Got Talent this year. The performance was polished and professional... in fact one zillion times better than the act before 'Off Limits' who when we walked in we thought it was a karaoke session going on .... (I have a short recording on my phone of them but I really couldn't inflict that on my readers)

As per usual I came back to the apartment whilst the Teens did their own stuff. As we all know the news about Michael Jackson broke.... but about 5 hours before he died one of my icons form the 70s also passed away .. Farrah Fawcett.

I had heard she was ill but I must confess I hadn't realised how ill she was. Being a 70s teen I was brought up on a diet of Charlie's Angels.. it was one of my 'must' watch programmes and Farrah was my favourite ... all that beautiful hair .. I so wanted to be her back then. Such a shame.