Summer Fashion for Grandmas

Many older ladies have a good income to buy clothes with, but, dear manufacturers ,please do not regard us as an easy seam of silver to exploit. We want value for money and some consideration of our needs regarding styling .So I am going to look at some of the fashion garments around this summer in light of those needs.

Summer wardrobes need freshening up with some new items as older favourites tend to have a too well washed look.

The Summer Dress : photographs taken from online catalogues

Always hard to find is something with a sleeve, not too short in length, a flattering colour and shape and no need for special underwear.

After a long search I found this pretty , easy to wear dress at Jigsaw

This maxi dress from Zara looks light, cool and pretty but will hide those flabby arms and varicose veins we all to keep out of sight.

When it gets really hot linen is wonderfully cool.The creasing just has to be regarded as part of the fabric's charm.
Marks and Spencers' dress is a lovely colour but those patch pockets on the bust and hips are not good for curvy ladies.

Jaeger have the nicest tobacco coloured linen dress in town but it is expensive, an investment piece.

Sparky's Magic Piano

This is for all Grandmas who struggled with piano lessons and longed for a Sparky experience every time they heard this on the radio.

T

Happy Birthday M'am,90 years old on 21 April 2016

Hobson's Choice

Knightsbridge March by Eric Coates

"Belle of the Ball" - waltz by Leroy Anderson

End of the musical journey with Leroy Anderson and Eric Coates

There are two signature tunes to radio programmes from my childhood that are still played today for The Archers and Desert Island Discs.
However I am going to finish with pieces by two composers who were very popular during the 1940s and 50s and whose music epitomises the well written light music that is still enjoyable but played less frequently now.

The American Leroy Anderson wrote many pieces that are familiar, Sleigh ride is always popular at Christmas but my personal favourite is Belle of The Ball.

Eric Coates typified a restrained English style, especially with his London Suite.
Knightsbridge was the signature tune for In Town Tonight, an early celebrity programme when old,white, male note- worthies were given deeply deferential interviews-wearing dinner jackets naturally.

Thank you for listening ,Happy Easter.

Grieg - Two Norwegian Airs op.63 - IIa. Kuhreigen (Cow Keeper's Tune) Another childrens' hour theme tune.

Dick Barton Special Agent

As we grew older and the war was now over more exciting things were broadcast . I was allowed to listen to Dick Barton Special Agent on at 6.45 p.m. before I went to bed. The theme tune was very distinctive and this version is conducted by John Wilson, now well known for his revival of music from this period.

Childrens Hour ,BBC at 5 p.m.A time when so many children were introduced to literature that stayed with them for the rest of their days, Ballet Shoes, White Boots and the Railway Children

Classic BBC Radio Theme ~ Music While You Work

This programme was broadcast at 10 a.m. and consisted of music played at a brisk tempo.According to my father this was to encourage workers listening to it to work harder.I used to hear it coming from the Sears shoe factory opposite my grandmother's house in Stimpson Avenue,Northampton.The factory girls would sing along to popular tunes above the noise of the machinery.I always thought that I would love to get in there and join in the fun.
The building is still there but the shoe factory is long gone and it has been converted into some rather smart apartments.

Remembering Family Favourites with Cliff Michelmore who died this week

Listen With Mother

The lovely signature tune to listen with mother,introduced by Daphne Oxenford broadcast in the 1940s and 50s by the BBC for small children to listen to with their mothers.

Housewives Choice

If you heard this music playing you were late for school or the holidays had begun

Going on a musical journey through the radio days of the1940s and 50s

Theme tune to Paul Temple

FRIDGE DOOR ART GALLERY

Visitors always like my fridge door art collection

Adding to my collection by painting miniature versions of my own paintings on canvas rectangles.

They are then coated with high gloss resin for protection and a magnet attached to the back.

Gone Fishing,Washing Day

Dog Walker,Lowry lady

All for sale on www.ebay.co.uk

Blossom Time

A strange winter of extremes of weather from freezing to Mediterranean mild , not a flake of snow.How I envy my US cousins with a good snow storm or two to make it feel like winter.

Now I am painting the blossom that is appearing on the trees

Cherry Blossom

acrylic on canvas , for sale details see my ebay shop

www.stores.ebay.co.uk/janetcockerillfineart

Cakes as Summer Fund Raisers

Time to bake these popular traditional English cakes as fund raisers for a church event-- usually sell for £2.50 per slice.

Victoria Sandwich

Battenbergcake

Boiled Fruit Cake

Red Velvet Rose Cake

Guiness Cake for St Patrick's Day

I am going to make this cake for a St Patrick's Day party from a Humming Bird Bakery recipe.I like the way that both imperial and metric measurements are given .

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Rich, dark and chocolatey, the Guinness gives the cake sponge extra depth and helps to keeps it moist. The Hummingbird Bakery have also matched it with with tangy cream cheese frosting, which goes just perfectly.

Ingredients

Serves 12-14

250ml (9fl oz) Guinness
250g (9oz) unsalted butter
80g (3oz) cocoa powder
400g (14oz) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
140ml (5fl oz) buttermilk
280g (10oz) plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp baking powder
50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter, softened
300g (10½oz) icing sugar
125g (4½oz) full-fat cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)
Cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)
one 23cm (9in) diameter spring-form cake tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F)/gas mark 3, then line the base of the tin with baking parchment.
2. Pour the Guinness into a saucepan, add the butter and gently heat until it has melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the cocoa powder and sugar into the warm liquid. Mix together the eggs, vanilla essence and buttermilk by hand in a jug or bowl, and then add this to the mixture in the pan.
3. Sift together the remaining sponge ingredients into a large bowl or into the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer. Using the mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, set on a low speed, pour in the contents of the pan. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool, and then remove from the tin on to a wire rack, making sure the cake is cold to the touch before you frost it.
5. Using the electric whisk or the freestanding mixer with paddle attachment, mix the butter and icing sugar together until there are no large lumps of butter and it is fully combined with the sugar in a sandy mixture. Add the cream cheese and mix in a low speed, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
6. Place the cooled cake on to a plate or cake card and top generously with the cream cheese frosting. The cake can be decorated with a light dusting of cocoa powder.

Barbecue Nuisance

Fine evening ruined by neighbour lighting barbecue in tiny urban courtyard by my house.The clouds of billowing ,choking , acrid smoke and burning flesh forced us inside ,had to close all windows on a warm evening, this lasted 2 hours.

Time some regulation was brought in about use of these supermarket BBQs in densley populated urban areas

There was a serious fire caused by an idiot lighting one on a balcony in a block of apartments nearby last year.

Music Hall Star and WW1 Connections

Queenie Leighton and Great Uncle Fred

Investigating the original owner some flamboyant family jewellery I found that it had belonged to the wife of my husband's Great Uncle Fred, an officer from Northampton in 1914-18 War

Queenie Leighton-- not her real name -was a well known musical comedy actress appearing regularly as Principal Boy in several Drury Lane pantomimes .During WW1 she would round up young men after her stage performances and take them to the nearest recruiting offices.

Fred was wounded and had to return home to Northampton to recover , Queenie appeared in numerous productions at the New Theatre, Northampton wearing Freds's cap.She was a keen cross dresser!

Attitudes were different in the 1914-18 War-- we may find Queenie's actions repugnant now but she would have considered it her patriotic duty to encourage young men to sign up.

I have references for all the details of the above information .

Wedding Day

Fred Injured

DDay and The Northamptonshire Yeomanry

Like many people of my age I find it almost unbelievable that our fathers were fighting the Nazis in France in 1944 when we were children .

My father was in the Northamptonshire Yeomanry and took part in the assault on the beach known to the allies as Sword proceeding overland driving a tank to seize the town of Caen in Normandy.I found a number of carefully kept documents after his death which my mother gave to me.These are some of the most interesting .

One of his worst memories was the incapacitating seasickness he suffered on the landing craft and his relief that it disappeared as soon as he was on dry land.

I have the names of the soldiers in the photo that was taken before they left if anyone wants them.

As the war progressed and the Germans were driven back the soldiers were given leave in Brussels in Belgium.
This was the advice given to them

Leslie Green

Advice for Bloggers

Another UK blog to read with well presented content

http://bloggers-lounge.co.uk

British Blogs I Like

Had a look at some UK based blogs in the most successful category

I found these three the most entertaining in the beauty and health section

www.badscience.net

britishbeautyblogger.com

www.viviannadoesmakeup.com

Stress entertaining not necessarily accurate.

Making money from a blog

Articles appear almost daily about people who have made a fortune from their blogs.
Much advice given online so I am going to read through some of these advisory blogs and see what I can learn-- will not be coughing up any large sums to get this advice.Click on the titles for a link (hopefully)

1 Income Diary

2. A Selection of Noted Blogs

3. Tooth Problems

War Memorial Chapel St Botolph's Cambridge

It is 100 years since the start of the 1914-18 War.

For anyone who is researching soldiers who were killed in the war these are the names that are listed in this Church.The church is usually open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m ,the chapel is locked but arrangements may be made for anyone wishing to view the chapel upon request.
Donations to help with the upkeep of these memorials are always welcome.

Spring Comes to Cambridge

Warm dry weather has brought the spring flowers out in the University Botanic Gardens

Easter Bonnets for Grandchildren

If you have to make an Easter bonnet for a child Poundland have plenty of cheap materials and hats.

I decorated a basic hat --pink as this is for a girl -with a big pile of Easter decorations both stitched and glued into place.I added some extra feathers from a craft shop.
It took me about an hour to make.

Mothers' Day UK

Different from the date in USA ,this is Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent when traditionally servant girls were allowed to visit their families and take a gift, usually a Simnel cake made with ingredients from the big house kitchen (think Downton Abbey) or wild flowers from the woodlands around.

Simnel cake is saved for Easter these days
Happy to receive lovely flowers from my daughter.

New Blogger System

Been trying to get into Blogger all day.Unable to understand the long winded logging in and verification system imposed by google

Eye lid surgery Day 5

The swelling is going down and I have been to the supermarket though not driving myself.

Glad I have some prescription sunglasses to wear ,I feel I look like Frankenstein's grandma without them.The weather is too cold and windy to risk a walk in the fresh air, worried about getting grit in my eyes and infection.

Eyelid surgery

This is day 2 of eyelid repositioning surgery.Not as painful as it looks

Coca Cola and Ham

Boiled a ham in Coca Cola for the holidays- delicious, drain at the end of the cooking time ,remove the rind and finish off in the oven for 20 minutes with brown sugar and mustard patted into the scored fat .

Art Theft

Where is it?

A painting that I posted to a customer in Cornwall has gone missing in transit. If you see this painting anywhere please let me know.

Lowry at Tate Britain

Enjoyed the Lowry exhibition so much I could not resist getting my paints out and having a go

School is Out

Saturday Night

Impressionist Impressions

So hot outside I found myself painting and ebaying again after a big break.

Walking Through The Wheat

Monet today. Working on a Lowry now.

Royal Tea Recipes -article upload to Amazon

I have just about mastered how to up load an article to Amazon for use on a Kindle complete with illustrations. This is not as easy as it is made out to be. I will not use any numbers or spots again to make points in the recipes.

Wanted to make it free but I cannot work out how to do this.

Royal Tea- teatime recipes with royal connections

Example

Edward and Mrs Simpson, introduced the Club Sandwich to England