Saturday 2 May 2015

It is here.

Well the Royal Baby Girl has arrived, so that is one bit of important news out of the way in good time before Thursday isn't it.   I am not a Royalist in particular, but as with any couple, it is nice when their baby arrives promptly and is well - and, most importantly, - is loved.   That is certainly true of this young lady.   I wonder what she is to be called.  No doubt we shall hear in due course.

The Queen is in Richmond, about seven miles from here, today for the amalgamation of two regiments.   She is taking the salute in Richmond castle, which stands on top of a hill in a windy, exposed position.   Our Queen is a toughie and even at  89 she will no doubt stand there in a freezing cold wind and take it on the chin, whereas I have chickened out of taking Tess for a walk (too cold, I complained to farmer).  I am sure she will be delighted that it is a girl - the first one for quite a long time.

Today has been the church coffee morning.   Friend W and I always go, and now friend J always joins us too.   It is well-attended - maybe fifty or so this morning.   It is a pound entry and there is a raffle, a pie stall (the lady's pies are delicious) a home-made card stall and a baking stall.   Today I bought a turkey lasagne (which we had for lunch .  They are always delicious) and a chicken leek and mushroom pie topped with mashed potato, which I have frozen.

The trouble with regular events like this though is that they make time go so quickly, and as one gets older that happens without any extra help.   A Coffee Morning on the first Saturday in the month, hairdresser each Thursday lunchtime, exercise class every Wednesday afternoon, cleaning lady every Monday morning, meeting friends for coffee every Friday morning - the week passes by in a flash.

I am reading an excellent book -'Regeneration' by Pat Barker, first published in 1991.   It is a book about damaged people in a hospital for officers during the First World War.   It leaves nothing to the imagination and is gruesome in the extreme.   Pat Barker really does get across the dreadful awfulness of the conflict.  It is compulsive - if not entirely pleasant - reading.  It centres on Seigfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen amongst others.   Barker must have done hugely extensive study of the war to write such a powerful book.

It is The Festival of Food and Drink here in our little market town this week end.   People come to it from far and wide.   Locals tend to stay away from the congestion - and this year from the cold and damp weather too.

9 comments:

Cro Magnon said...

Alice maybe, or Mary Rose, or how about Bunty?

donna baker said...

Many of us Yankees are Anglophiles and love the monarchy. How sweet they had a baby girl. And, after all your post, did you know it is World Naked Gardening Day?

janzi said...

it was wonderful to hear about the safe arrival of a baby daughter to the happy couple, and if she is royal all the better... I see that it is world gardening day to be naked.. which in hotter climes might happen, but not here where we are looking at a freezing wind and low temps ha ha.. liked your post, all is well with the world at the moment.. thank goodness..

Rachel Phillips said...

Pat Barker has indeed carried out an extensive study of the First World War, every book I pick up of her's appears to be set in that period, a mixture of fact and fiction. In fact Regeneration is part of a trilogy. I have never read any of them putting them down again as soon as I pick them up.

angryparsnip said...

awww a new little girl. Wonderful.
We are reading about all the name choices over here.
Need to go over to see what John says. He picked the last one.
I think Alice would be lovely. I understand that everyone "makes" the name their own but Diana is much to soon and a huge shadow to step out of.
I like Cro's choice of Bunty !
Your week always sounds busy but lovely.

cheers, parsnip

Heather said...

I don't think I am brave enough to read that book but have great compassion for all service personnel who need help after their experiences.
It's cold down here too and I am ashamed to say we have the heating on - in May!!
Glad our royal baby arrived safely.
Those pies sound so delicious. I shall have to stop reading your posts or I'll never get rid of my surplus weight!

Rachel Phillips said...

Or maybe Harper.

Elizabeth said...

Regeneration Trilogy most readable and very well done. Those who want to go to the source might try Siegfried Sassoon's trilogy aboutt WW! which starts with Memoirs of a Fox Huntingman.
And Graves' Goodbye to All That.
And Sassoon's autobiography Siegfried's Progress - rather hard to get hold of.....
I'm very boring about WWW1 books
ps I have a letter from SS - written in reply to one of mine in 1966...!
Lovely news about the royal baby - as with any other lovely baby!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Bunty? Harper? Can you imagine the Queen's face if either of those were mentioned? Maybe Charlotte would be acceptable, or Alice (both names I love) - but no doubt we shall hear in a day or two.
Interesting that mother and baby came out of hospital less than twelve hours after the birth. When my son was botn (in 1958) I had to stay in bed for ten days in a Maternity Hospital, although it was a perfectly normal delivery - it was standard practice.
Thanks for your visit.