Happy Birthday Thomas

Happy Birthday Thomas

http://tomjonesintl.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/this-tom-jones.jpg

I used to watch him with my mum on television, and have always loved his sexy voice.

Sir Thomas Jones Woodward born the 7th June 1940. A singer and entertainer who has found success all over the world, after also doing his stint in Las Vegas, and is now chief judge on the BBC 1 The voice. He has had 107 singles and 63 albums from 1965 to 2012.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Jones_(singer)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Jones_(singer)

Happy New Year

Another year has finished and we are now in 2014, the years are flying by and another birthday is just around the corner.  I will be seeing Chris and Laura who got married last April, they will be coming down at the weekend for the pantomime.  It is Dick Whittington, with Lesley Grantham as Ratty and Toadfish from Neighbours as idle Jack.  The reports from chatting to people is that it is excellent, the best yet at the Grove, so I am really looking forward to it.  The 8 of us will be there so I can't wait.  We were going out to eat first but as it will be in the afternoon of Saturday most  restaurants are shut between lunch and dinner.  We will properly have a buffet at home before we go and we can always have a take out when it is finished.  Mind you I reckon Kevin and I will be going home on our own as the kid's will be properly be off to see friends and to go clubbing I expect.  I will tell you all about it next week.

I have managed to maintain my weight to around 11-11.5 stone, for over a year now so I am really pleased with that, I am a lot happier and have the added pleasure of virtually a new wardrobe, an excellent excuse to buy new clothes.

I wish you all a Happy Peaceful and contented New Year, and when life's trials come your way you will be able to cope with them with a peaceful determination, knowing that you are not alone, and that there is someone else in a worst situation than you.  So when you are at your lowest pray for others, and the burden will be lifted.

Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas Everyone I hope you are all having a brilliant day.  Where ever you are, and whoever your with.  I have had a good Christmas spent with Kevin and 2 of my 4 kids. We opened our pressies watched lots of TV and listened to Robbie Swing Both Ways.  Such a lovely relaxing day, no work, no hassles, just doing what you want for a few days, absolute heaven.  I hope to do a little more blogging during the next year, and try not to leave it to long between blogs.

Sir Colin The Fourth

A Happy birthday to Colin Firth, the above is a nickname Kevin uses for him.

Colin was born in Grayshott Hampshire to Shirley Jean Rolles a lecturer in Winchester University, and David Norman Lewis Firth a History lecturer also at Winchester. Colin has a sister Kate an actress and voice coach and brother Jonathan who is an actor.  

Their early years where spent travelling over seas both sets of grandparents where over seas missionaries, and they spent time in Nigeria and St Louis.  When they came back to the UK he went to Alamein Secondary School in Winchester, he was an outside and was a target for bullies so he adopted the local accent and showed a disinterest to schoolwork.  At fourteen Colin wanted to become an actor, after attending acting workshops.  At sixteen he went to Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh, where he fell in love with English Literature. These two years where the happiest of his life.

Colin moved to London and joined the National Youth Theatre, where he got a job in the wardrobe department at the National Theatre, and studied at the Drama Centre London.

After leaving the Drama Centre Colin's first play was as Tommy Judd in Another Country, by playwright Julian Mitchell. His film debut was in 1984 he played Tommy Judd in the film adaptation playing opposite Rupert Everett.

In just under 30 years, Colin has starred in over 70 films, television films, and mini series not forgetting the wonderful Pride and Prejudice or PaP as my irreverent Kevin would call it.  I have many of his films, and have enjoyed Another  Country, Tumbledown, Trauma, Shakespeare in Love, Mama Mia, Relative Values, Easy Virtue, The English Patient, Fever Pitch, A Single Man and The Kings Speech Genoa and others.  Yes my favourite is and always will be Pride and Prejudice but then it is also my most favourite book and Jane Austin my favourite Authoress enough said.

Front cover of the 1997 Radio Times

Happy Birthday Colin

A Blast From The Past

Peter and Gordon, a photo by Dunstabelle

Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, comprising Peter Asher and Gordon Waller, who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling transatlantic No.1 smash "A World Without Love". Started in 1964 split up then came back together in 2005, until the death of: Gordon in 2009 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_Gordon Photograph from photoplay August 1964.

Ollie Vee's

Ollie Vees is a vintage and Retro emporium in Leighton Buzzard.  It is a lovely little shop which I love going in. It's popularity I feel is because it doesn't just sell clothes like some retro shops in the areas, it sells anything and everything vintage, it is a mini emporium.  You can rummage through draws of buttons, lace, stockings, bags, belts, records, newspapers and magazines, etc you get the picture I am sure.  They have a juke box in the corner of the room playing all the hits of the day. They have recently put in a little counter and table and chairs, so while your browsing you can stop for a cup of tea and some cake.  Kev and I often go in and while he looks at the old records and Magazines, I enjoy looking at the dresses.  They do sell new ready made retro dresses, as well as some original items.  It is not just a shop, and they don't just have an interest in the past, It is a real labour of love and you know it from the minute you walk through the doors and get a warm welcome from the owners.  They also have a basement where they have started playing life music. There is always something different happening there, and I wish them all the best for the future.  If your ever in Leighton Buzzard, then pop in and say hi.  Make sure you take some money with you because you will not leave empty handed,  have fun browsing this delightful little shop. They are on Facebook and they have their own web address  http://www.ollievees.com/.

Quick Catch Up

Hi again haven't been around for a while been busy with life. I have taken lots of pics and picked up a few more interests during this time away, so will hopefully start sharing them with you.  I had my son's wedding in April, and met up with my brothers and sisters who I haven't seen for years.  We had a brilliant time, although I will not be putting up pictures of the wedding it was in Leek Staffordshire and I have some wonderful pictures of the surrounding areas, not forgetting leek itself. 

 

I have started researching my family tree I have actually been doing it for sometime now, but since last year we have started to travel to key places, and visit cemeteries and buildings if they are still there. I have started contact with a few distant cousins who I didn't know existed so it  has been great fun.  This photograph is the family of my Great Grandfather born in Ireland in 1854.  His parents John Hill and Johanna Brennan where married in Cork in February 1854, it is virtually impossible to go further back.  However they moved to Oxford, and had 5 more children there.  Robert married Jane Sophia griffin and this is their family portrait. They ran a book shop for the Jesuit priests in Woodstock Road Oxford, the shop was partially in front of the Catholic Church St Aloysius.

Standing: Francis, Kathleen, my Grandfather Ernest William,
Sitting: Mary Ellen My Great Grandfather Robert,
 My Great Grandmother Jane Sophia Griffin, Celia Jane and
Agnes Winifred dated early 20th century.

Flickr is going well and I am now also on Ipernity  another photo sharing site.  While trawling around graveyards I decided to put some up on Flickr and was introduced to an American based web site called find a grave, the numbed  of graves and graveyards there have listed on there is amazing so I have joined that as well and I am putting up gravestones. We have several churches with graveyards and a large cemetery.  

Most graveyards seem to be ignoring the older and more interesting graves and keeping the newer graves tidy, which is fair enough, I suppose, but it is sad to see them turned into a nature reserve, or just ignored.  There are large expanses of green in between where the headstones have gone and over the years the grass has grown even, some stones are worn and damaged, but it is still interesting to read them, as you have to remember when they where laid to rest they where somebodies loved ones, and the headstone would have cost them a lot of money, to buy at the time.  

I am still hard at work, feeling old and achy, and being told that my retirement age is 66, it is a bitter pill to swallow.  I would actually like to spend sometime retired, but giving the hard work and emotional stress that care work can be, I will be surprised if I am in any fit state to enjoy it.  Never mind eh, I still go to the gym a couple of times a week to swim and do some Zumba fitness, I don't do much more than that as I fit it in around work, but it has made a huge difference to me, so I will definitely be keeping it up, and with all the walking I do as well I don't do so bad. Well that's enough for now, will post some more soon.

Me and my family out for a post wedding ramble.