As the Pandemic Blog continues, contributors continue to send in their weekly reports. You may see subtle changes in the tone and content they despatch. This week, there are several who look back reflectively, remembering the hardship their parents or grandparents endured; others recall times from their childhood. Reflection during compulsory isolation is helpful to some. For other struggling with mental health issues, it is torture. If you are one whose mental health has been affected, you might be interested in this link to the N.H.S. page, Every Mind Matters
Last week’s postings on the Trimley Facebook page and the following themes dominated:
Historic images of Felixstowe and Trimley, including The Mariners; Lisa William’s Cooking for Fun; Free Easter Eggs; Clare of Hermes Delivery and her customer care; Turf; Planning issues; nature in Trimley; Felixstowe Radio; Dog excreta; Covid 19 advice.
Sandra Abbott
Diary April 13 – April 19
Here we are, another week into Lockdown. This week has seen me perturbing with sewing PPE. Much to my disappointment I have only completed one set. Suffice to say, they were more complicated than I expected, inserting pockets and interfacing were challenging for both myself and the sewing machine. However, eventually successful garments have been completed.
On Thursday 14, taking a break for lunch in the glorious sunshine, Clifford and I were thrilled to see a pair of blues tits very busy in a nesting box in our garden. They have been fascinating to watch, and hopefully, once their home is complete, we will be able to enjoy watching the fledglings fly out into the world. A few weeks to go for that event. It does strike us, that although the world is in turmoil, nature is continuing in its calm, unhurried beauty.
We meet our neighbours, again from a distance, to unite with the nation to Clap for Carers.
On Friday 15 we had an unexpected phone call. Our heating has been out of action since January and we were expecting a new installation in May. However, following government guidelines, our Heating Engineer is not able to service boilers but can undertake installations. We were delighted that next week will see our installation commence. Clifford is busy with making room for the work to commence in the garage and making room in his Man shed for us to have a quiet place to take refuge from drills dust and noise.
The highlight of the week has been the item on the news of Captain Tom walking to raise money to say Thank you to the NHS. His positive, unassuming character is an inspiration, and a ray of sunshine with his message of hope. He hoped to raise £1000 to mark his 100th year, by Saturday it was in the region of £20million. A truly Good News story.
April 19, Low Sunday, or the Second Sunday of Easter, it was a delight to listen to the radio service, I miss our Church Community, and yet, with the benefits of technology we know, although not together in a building, we are together in prayer. My thoughts turn to my Dad, April 19 was the day, 75 years ago, he returned home. We are wondering what will happen after Lockdown, yet somehow Dad, and other soldiers like him, had been marching in horrendous conditions, until, early on the morning of 18 April the Americans freed the prisoners of war from their ordeal. The following day, his diary doesn’t indicate the time, my Dad arrived at Woodbridge Railway Station. He then walked, his words, ‘unnoticed’ to his home in Hasketon. If my darling Dad could cope with all that and thank God for his deliverance from starvation and sickness, and rejoice at being back in England ‘now that April’s here’, I am sure we will rejoice in the new emerging world, whatever challenges we may face.
Becca Atherton
After the sunshine … a hell of a wind. So noisy one night this week that it woke me up. As soon as I shift, Puggy (the cat) starts talking. She ‘prrps’ and ‘miaows’ much more loudly than any other feline I have known! This was from 3.30am. She is such a comfort if you can’t get to sleep.
The hazelnut tree has seeded all over the lawn. In my mind I spool forwards ten years and can see a whole forest! Next, my husband, Iain, gets the motor mower out. The grass is not very long (thank you rabbits) but it needs tidying up.
Back upstairs I decide to press on with decorating. The doors to bedroom, bathroom, now brilliant white, I can see where I’m going!
The little conservatory is now free of ‘triffids’, the wood has been re-stained and I really don’t recognize it. It came at a bit of a cost because Iain dropped the wood stain can … it splattered over him and the paving! Much washing needed!
I would be fibbing if I didn’t feel fear with this virus. We must be positive. BUT…. it sparked a memory that has always stayed with me: My Grandad. As a child I asked him about the war. Every story he told me had humour in it. When I was older, I learnt he had been through hell. Shot twice. Witnessed unspeakable things.
Today I learnt my beloved Aunt (his daughter) is in hospital in Melbourne. A drastic, bloody, fall at 87. She is in rehab, and announcing loudly that she ‘wants to go home’. This is a woman who never complains. Her sons have been told she needs 24/7 care. It really doesn’t sound good.
With this virus, you feel utterly unable to help. We are ‘doing our bit’ like everyone else. Keeping an eye out to help where we can.
All we can do is …press on…and pray.
Out came the paintbrush again. Tomorrow, weather permitting it will be beetroot seeds.
‘B’ age 7
The Rainbow skirt
I have been using mummy’s puffy paint to decorate my t shirt. I have also learned how to use the sewing machine and made my first sewing square. Then I made a rainbow skirt to wear.
I have been having a go on a violin this week too. It was really fun but sounded very bad! If I practise, I will get better.
We went for a walk and found lots of bluebell’s – they looked amazing, hidden in the woods. I also found lots of sticks – one was bigger than daddy! I found one tiny stick for my teddies, doggy and bunny and two big ones for me and daddy but I accidently snapped daddy’s big one… but it is still humungous I am going to plant cress seeds in eggshells today and water the seeds I have already planted. I think they will grow really quickly when the sun is out.
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Robin Biddle
Robin on his bicycle
April 15th Chiffchaff (bird) Gun Lane; two Peacock butterflies, Alston; Large Whites, (butterflies), Mill Close, Alston garden; Orange Tip, male, garden . Remembered these better than news for the Blog
April 14th Very late night, hoping to book a shopping slot, no luck
April 15th White frost. The ‘itinerary’ has fallen apart, the garden is too dry and hard to work on, grass is hardly growing. I hadn’t realised how much time I spend on the laptop every morning. 2 hours. Emails, downloading and sorting trail camera videos from garden, mostly hedgehogs and an occasional Wood mouse. Our pair of Crows stopped coming, hopefully to start a family, after 4 months of daily visits. Lots of other people ‘permitted’ exercising. (Just had a break Windows decided to do an update)
We’ll never really know, whether it is the ‘season’ or less exhaust fumes, but this has been the best spring for our scented shrubs and trees
Seems we need to do some housework tomorrow. What happened to Wash day Monday, ironing, black leading the range, scrubbing the door step etc, turning the mattresses, the weekly bake.
April 17th. Kitty Moss, while Sue was ‘doing the order’, I trawled through the store cupboard, found a tin of SPAM. No, not that old, just 10 years. bet it won’t taste as good as the real stuff.
(Kitty mentioned eating through her store cupboard last week…)
It was fortunate that we had the winter rain, all this hand washing would have started a hose pipe ban.
Eureka. Nightingale at Loompit. (Thank you Carol)
Loads of people heading to the river, but WHY are the majority so bloody miserable they won’t even pass the time of day? (Recorder: N.B. There is no evidence Covid 19 can be caught through eye contact.)
Earlier in the week, I had a letter for a 9.30 am hospital appointment next week ( my body doesn’t function before 10 these days)
Wrote on the calendar, arranged transport.
Now, two days later, it’s occurred to me, that I’ve almost forgotten the real world. This time I won’t be able to just amble in and chat to the other patients and lovely staff.
Robin reflects…
… Last year three little children staying almost next door, one English and two English / Dutch, were playing ‘What’s the time, Mr. wolf’. I hadn’t heard that for more years than I’m telling you.
At our primary school (Trimley St Mary ) the boys played Paper Planes and Marbles on a drain lid to golf rules, roll up, closest to the pot (lid handle) went first to try to get his marble there. If he succeeded, he then tried to ‘pot’ the next closest alley in the pot, and continued until one missed; the next closest tried until three alleys had all been potted. You won all the allies that you managed to pot. There were occasional arguments, especially if someone lost his ‘best ‘ally. Marbles cane in two sizes, standard and larger ‘Kings’; some had very intricate patterns in them.
Running the Gauntlet. at the back off the old school building, is a 30-foot long wall. A group of boys, armed with rubber and tennis balls lined up 10 -12 feet from the wall. The object was for some one to run the length of the wall without being hit, I don’t remember any rules, it was just who was prepared to run.
Football, of course, was played on the back playground, with a tennis ball, the goal was the wall between the entrances to the girls and boys toilets.
Match box and peg guns that fired broken matches, hopefully I have a photo.?
The girls did Handstands, Cartwheels and several skipping game, sometimes the boys were allowed to turn the ropes. Am I correct in recalling a game were two ropes were turned in opposite directions?
A game called ‘Block’
On wet days, we played in the school hall. Can anyone remember, ‘Dan, Dan thread the needle’?
Gerry Bremner
Lockdown – nearly a month in.
We are nearly one month in to lockdown and the Government has decided to extend for a further three weeks with the possibility of further extensions. We have settled into a type of routine which has thankfully been blessed with some glorious sunny weather that has certainly helped lift the spirits and the mood.
Our weekday routines now start with Yoga, and sometimes a run. We then have been linking up with our daughters online site based in Australia and participating in her breathwork and meditation classes that she has been running. She had 6000 people on her last programme from all over the world and it demonstrates the power of the online world and its ability to communicate. One impact of this pandemic is that people appear to be taking much more exercise and hopefully leading a healthier lifestyle. Why does it take a pandemic to create this? Probably the fact we have more control over our time and that is an interesting subject for debate post pandemic on how perhaps society needs to reflect on how we live and work.
After exercise we have breakfast in the garden and then set about doing any tasks that we need to complete. In the late afternoon we then partake of an hours walk in the beautiful landscape that we are so fortunate to enjoy here in the Trimley Villages. We have really come to appreciate the value that this landscape offers not only in terms of food production but also in terms of wellbeing and mental health. It reinforces our commitment to stop the destruction of it by landowners and developers who appear to have no regard for that or its benefits to the community and seek only to make money and profits. It is utter madness to even contemplate destroying such rich and abundant food producing assets. This pandemic has shown on top of Brexit the absolute importance of having food security as a nation and to be able to increase the amount of food we produce for our own people and for export around the world. It is so blindingly obvious that as a nation we can become an exporter of high quality food products and that a Made in Britain label will command a premium price in a world market where people will be much more focused on the quality of their future food supply chains. The local community must rally around action groups like KATCAG (Kirton and Trimley Action Group) who are relentlessly fighting to save our local community from disappearing under housing and concrete. They can be found on Facebook and will shortly be launching a campaign and petition to ring fence all prime agricultural land from development on the basis that they are strategic assets to the future of this nation and its own food production. The current Local Plan proposals under consideration are based on data that is over 10 years old and totally out of date. The world has changed beyond all recognition since then and landowners, developers and the local councils need to be called to account to recognise this fact and incorporate appropriate changes to the local Plan proposals for this region.
It still appears difficult to visualise how we will exit this situation and what life after this crisis will look like. Perhaps increasingly worrying is the financial predictions that we will enter a period of sustained and deep depression and all that may mean to people in terms of income and employment. It is possible that life will look decidedly different for all of us in the aftermath of this pandemic. The other concern is how the world reacts to China’s involvement in this situation and how China reacts to any repercussions.
We take the view that at present we can only control our own actions and behaviour and act as responsibly as we can as a family. If everyone adopts that mindset that must be a positive towards the future outcomes for us all.
Alison F.
A bit of a scare
It all began on Easter Saturday morning. Hubby had a warm winter shirt on and a jumper and then announced he felt cold and put on his warmest jumper on top of that. He then said his fingers felt numb and that he felt tired. Following this he went into the lounge, slumped in a chair with his phone.
Since the lockdown, we have been going out for walks every day except Sundays and bank holidays. Hubby said he could manage a short walk across the fields and this we did. We were amazed that there was nobody about and only saw two dog walkers, whereas we normally see at least half a dozen. People around Trimley St Martin were obviously respecting the government’s wishes that we should stay at home this Easter, even though the weather was sunny. Hubby retired then to the lounge. I was shocked in the evening when he was too tired to even open his eyes to watch the television.
On Easter Sunday, which was a beautiful sunny day, our daughter did a WhatsApp video of our three-year-old granddaughter doing her Easter egg hunt in their garden in London. Whilst mum’s attention was elsewhere, she had managed to eat a whole standard size Easter egg. I then WhatsApped my brother in the States for a video chat with him and his family. Hubby wasn’t in the least bit interested in joining in these conversations, which is not like him at all. I was determined that we were going to have the same roast dinner that we would’ve had, if our daughter and family had been staying over the Easter weekend which was the original plan.
Our daughter had scared me by saying that some of her friends who had caught the virus in London had started off by feeling exceedingly tired. A meaningful conversation followed this and we felt it would be better to be safe not sorry and to self-isolate from each other in case this was the dreaded COVID 19.
That evening, I grabbed nightwear and clothes for a week. Remembering to pick up shampoo, hairdryer and my makeup bag. After all we have to keep up appearances for the postman and the pigeons. I made up the bed in our downstairs bedroom and fortunately we have a downstairs bathroom. Our bedroom upstairs has an ensuite, so we could keep ourselves separate.
Then followed the craziest five days ever. I would take up all my husband’s meals upstairs, knocking on the door and calling out “room service”. We would communicate by text messages. Elaborate precautions had to be taken then when touching any of the things that he had touched. It was virtually impossible to focus on it all, remembering to wash your hands in between touching something he had touched and the next thing.
The first two days were bad as my husband was so exhausted that he wasn’t interested in any of his surroundings and all he could do was lie in bed, doze and not even listen to the radio or TV. I was supported by two wonderful college friends by phone and our amazing daughter. She kept sending him positive messages and WhatsApp videos and photos of our little granddaughter. On Tuesday evening hubby said he felt stronger. Then on Wednesday he was able to get up and on Thursday and Friday he has been able to come downstairs and go into the garden whilst I’ve stayed out of his way. He is now fully recovered.
The strange thing is that a school friend of hubby’s rang earlier in the week and he had the same symptoms two weeks ago and thought he had the virus but like hubby he didn’t get a high-temperature or a cough.
On Friday evening I started getting numbness in my fingers and felt very cold. I really struggled to get up the stairs with his evening drink. It’s Saturday morning as I’m typing this and I still have numbness in my fingers and feel tired and slightly achy. However, I’m sure this will all pass. I don’t think it’s the virus but it’s a something. I can’t take hubby’s meals up, so he has come downstairs and the roles are reversed.
Head Teacher
Headteacher – Week 5
Many of our children will have received their offer for their next school this week. Parents are understandably worried about the next phase in their child’s education.
I have received calls from one mummy worrying about how she will buy the new school uniform for her daughter. Another parent is worrying because her child doesn’t know where the toilet is in his new school. Others still are worrying about the work their children have missed during the lockdown.
Throughout this lockdown, I have reassured parents that the most important thing parents can do for their children is to reassure them, protect them from the endless news bulletins and make sure they are happy and feel loved. THIS is what the children will remember. Time at home gardening, painting, playing in the garden and mummy or daddy helping them to do some work. I fully acknowledge the difficulty for parents working from home and trying to home school. It is an impossible task. I reiterate to my parents – If your child is happy and healthy, you are winning. Share stories every day. Read and re-read your favourites and add in a few new ones too. The perfect preparation for when schools re-open. But the most important thing to remember is that your child is not falling behind. We are in the middle of a global pandemic, most schools across the world are closed. Your child is not falling behind. There is no one in school to fall behind! What if we turned it on its head and looked at what our children are gaining during this time? Children are learning the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need’. They are learning the joy of a family board game or a meal where the whole family sits together and talks about their day. Together, families are finding joy in the small delights every day. That can only be a good thing.
Susan Hughes
Birthday in Lockdown
Sarah’s Birthday was Saturday 18th April.
I am sure that by now many of you will realise that Sarah has a disability; it is ” hidden”. Sarah was born 3 months early; I had toxaemia and eclampsia. Part of Sarah’s brain, the hippocampus did not develop, she has 2 percent use. So no managerial skills, and short term memory is non existent.
Back to her Birthday. I was successful in ordering a lovely jigsaw puzzle. Sarah had just put the last piece in a 1,000 piece puzzle on the day! It had taken her 4 weeks.
My colleague Chris, a great seamstress made Sarah a lovely skirt. Sarah promptly converted it into a party dress. My card for Sarah came via Anna who works In the Card Shop. The Card shop is closed, but doing an on-line service. Anna selected a card, her husband cycled from Felixstowe to Trimley St Martin and popped it through the letterbox. (As an aside: I work with Anna’s daughter, Imogen. Imogen is streaming an amazing Wordplay for Felixstowe Library on Fridays at 9.30am. Have a “tune-in”.)
At 10am, Country Market Sandra delivered a farm themed cake. Sandra bakes the most amazing cakes, but has not decorated them before. It is/was a wonderful cake.
2pm a friend, Janet, a retired teacher, who lives in Trimley St. Martin, an avid crafter delivered a bag of crafting treats for Sarah. They will keep Sarah busy for a while.
End of day, I had found some “magic” candles, so it took Sarah many attempts to blow out the candles. There was much laughter. Sarah had recorded video messages and telephone calls including lovely messages and photos from her brother who lives in Canada. We went to the “pictures” in the evening and watched a Disney film on T. V.
I want to thank all the very special people in the community, who pulled together and helping make Sarah’s Birthday so very special.
Sarah will be 30 next year and her brother 40. My hope and wish is, that we can be together to celebrate.
Happy Birthday, Sarah.
Caroline Ley
One thing which I have been wondering about over the last few weeks is whether some aspects of social distancing are a continuation of something which has been underway for several years. Under lockdown people can no longer easily have the sort of conversations with their neighbours which they would once have had. For many social media helps to fill the gap, but this change has been creeping towards us for a long time now with both bouquets and brickbats about neighbours’ behaviour being handed out on Facebook rather than on the doorstep or over the fence.
That said, there have been some marvellous examples of neighbourly behaviour. As I write I am looking out over a stretch of amenity land which was starting to look very sad indeed and lockdown meant that it was unlikely that it would be cut again for weeks. But to everyone’s delight a neighbour with a petrol driven mower has restored it to order. It looks great now and, yes, we were able to shout our thanks across the road!
When I was writing this last week, I was thinking about how the impact of lockdown may be little more than an inconvenience for some whereas for others it has been a catastrophe. On a positive note I read this morning that the emergency fund supporting Suffolk’s community response to the crisis had raised nearly £1 million in a month. This has allowed for all sorts of help to be given and the organisers estimate that around 30,000 have received some emergency food support. The work goes on and they desperately need more to cope with surging demand. If anyone is able to give something to help local people in need, they can find out more via the following link: https://www.suffolkcf.org.uk/suffolk-coronavirus-community-fund/
Morag Liffen
Another week in Lockdown.
This week I decided to get my bike out of the shed and dust off the cobwebs. Cycling, I decided, would make a nice change from wandering across the fields and bridleways for my daily exercise. It seems I was not alone. But oh, the sheer joy of pedalling down quiet roads and our lovely country lanes, took me quite by surprise. It reminded me of a childhood spent in rural County Durham, where our weekend entertainment consisted of long bike rides in the countryside, sometimes with a picnic, on the lines of an Enid Blyton adventure. This time, however, I was not with a group of friends, but cycled on my own. Even Trimley High Road was a joy, with very few cars about, and the scenic views as I headed down Cordy’s Lane and round to the Nature reserve past Searson’s Farm, were stunning. One thing is for sure – with the lack of traffic about, I shall be cycling again.
Someone suggested on social media, that we should put a teddy bear in the window for children to spot on their daily walks – on the lines of the children’s story “We’re going on a bear hunt’, by that wonderful author Michael Rosen, himself a sufferer of this awful Coronavirus. (I’m hoping he is still improving, though the last I heard he was being treated in intensive care, but was currently stable). So here sits my teddy, watching the world go by. It’s all very quiet out there. And so, it should be.
Kitty Moss
Thought for the day
This morning, I heard that BBC radio were offering ‘history at home’ programmes to assist children’s education whilst this lockdown continues. Some chance, I thought.
Before Corona came into our lives, the BBC seemed to be in turmoil about its future, both direction and funding, partly due to lack of government support and considerable pressure from other media sources. I was getting distinctly uppity with their determined efforts to compete in attracting the younger generation. Hence the Sounds app and the intention to suspend I Player. Fortunately, I Player is still with us and Sounds has not become totally youth specific. I wanted things to stay the same but perhaps without the endless annoying trailers which I suspected were maybe an attempt to soften us up into accepting eventual advertisements. I felt that each generation would grow into a loving relationship with the BBC at the appropriate times in their lives. It is my greatest source of information, and probably companionship, as my dear husband has decided that Corona is an excellent opportunity to withdraw from all communication with anybody or about anything. As you may have guessed by now, I am one of those being carefully shielded by/from society.
Which brings me to my point. As a child, in the late afternoon (4 or 5 pm.) I used to lie on a big fat cushion by the fire listening to Children’s’ Hour listening to marvelous stories, beautifully told. My imagination soared through magical adventures and I am sure I have benefitted enormously from these childhood experiences. Then I grew older and it was all about Radio Caroline under the bedclothes. Rebellion with Pirate Radio! Then it became the Swinging Sixties…… Top of the Pops etc. all provided by the BBC both radio and TV. On then, to marriage, children and work. All very busy. A snatch of news at 6pm and lots of background music to make you believe you were relaxed, courtesy of the BBC. On again, to the quieter time of life…appreciation of interesting articles whilst sewing, painting or cooking. Brain food. And long cosy evenings of excellent entertainment in front of the TV.
And my point is …… that I fear the children’s’ imagination is losing the power to fly because images are being constantly projected at them through their phones and screens. How can they dream up their own secret other worlds? So, perhaps during and after all this turmoil, maybe there will be a great future for the BBC if they produced glorious stories without the cartoon culture and yappy noise and kids could learn to listen quietly…. the potential for learning this way would be enormous. So, I hope the history programmes will prove a great success. A step in the right direction.
I would like the Government to understand that the BBC is one of our national treasures as much as the N.H.S. and protect it accordingly. The BBC has kept us fully and truthfully informed throughout this extraordinary time with great ingenuity and creativity. Radio 5 Live has become a tremendous platform for ordinary people to share their experiences and has opened my eyes to the difficulties many people are currently facing. Maybe the Government have now discovered the advantages of having such a wonderful service and will recognise its importance to our society. I, for one, am extremely grateful for all the pleasure the BBC has given me throughout my life.
Paul R.
We are now entering week four of lockdown and it is, slowly, becoming the new “normal” for me but I accept that it is very different for many – the ability for me to use the word “we” for example. I am retired and so for the last few years have led a privileged life. We live in a quiet lane, we have our own gardens (sounds a bit grand but isn’t) and open countryside surrounding us. Taking exercise whilst keeping two metres away from others was (and is) the norm.
My daily routine has barely changed. If we need shopping maybe twice a week I will drive to the supermarket at 07.30 when us elders are let in an hour before others. The shelves are fully stocked and there are no crowds so I am back home by 08.00. We walk to Goslings farm shop as well. We leave online ordering to those who have no alternative.
What we do miss is the ability to travel. We would go to London quite frequently to see exhibitions or a play. We set ourselves pleasant challenges (or rather Liz does). A few years back we decided to “do” all the Thames crossings – bridges, ferries and tunnels be they train, underground or foot whilst walking the length of the Thames from Tilbury to the source. We’d travel up to London, walk a bit taking in the crossings then return home. As we progressed we would stay in hotels overnight. It took us two years and we enjoyed every moment. We would not be able to do that now. The latest project is seeing live performance of each of the plays of Shakespeare. The Globe theatre features strongly and so, of course, that is now on hold too.
On a day to day basis I have rediscovered an innocent childhood pleasure – Meccano. For Christmas one of my presents was a contemporary kit issued by the Imperial War Museum, a Lancaster Bomber. I have since bought another six in the series and spent many a happy day assembling them. This led me onto going on-line and buying vintage Meccano on eBay. The internet is a wonderful thing! Lockdown = childhood revisited!
I have always been a reader but in recent years have let it lapse. I joined a book club and, although early days, I have resurrected the joy of getting lost in words and self-created internal images for hours on end.
The Book Club I joined consists of a group from the organisation where I work as a volunteer, the Samaritans. It is good to have social contact (online) with people who normally you only speak to on “shift”. As you may imagine this has been a busy time at Samaritans but it is a privilege, in some small way, to be able to be of use.
It seems like this will never end whist we are living through it but I know it will – people are basically decent and stoical and will remember these times, if not with affection but then with the pride of saying “I was there” to their descendants.
Finally, I think it is great to hear other people’s experiences as we progress through this situation. It certainly gives credence to the value of the village recorder role and will be a fascinating read to those who come after us.
Yvonne Smart
As I opened my kitchen blind this morning I was greeted once again by the view of my garden with its mix of yellow, green and white. The primroses, many of them planted by the birds a couple of year ago, are particularly prolific. This humble little flower is said to spread the positive vibes all around and make the surroundings joyful and happy. Something we could all do with now.
Each day comes with its challenges and for some it helps to focus on something fresh and new, be it learning from the radio, a magazine and many more channels in today’s opportunities.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to learn a form of art work, namely sugar craft. It certainly required patience and was totally absorbing which is what I needed at the time. Most of the projects focused on flowers so not only was I growing them but also creating them in a different way!
Returning to the primrose, here are some I made earlier, including the pot!
Trimley St Martin Recorder's Blog 