As some may recall, I have a slight obsession with teeny tiny coffee cups. Or espresso cups to be exact.
I found these yesterday in a cancer charity shop and thought it really rude to leave them there unloved. They are made by renown manufacturers Denby and the striking pattern is called Marrakesh. Lovely aren't they? I shall enjoy drinking from these on a leisurely Sunday morning.
Today marks the beginning of the 80th anniversary events for the D-Day landings and the start of the Allies' attempts to bring freedom to Europe. Their Majesty's the King and Queen will join veterans and families in Portsmouth, and later in Normandy, for a series of special events. This will be the King's first major public engagement and first overseas visit since the announcement of his cancer diagnosis.
Today His Majesty King Charles III met with the governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, to received the first polymer Notes to bare his image. The meeting had been postponed due to His Majesty's on-going health treatment, for which he is said to have apologised. Bless. The King has surprised and impressed many how he has conducted himself since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, bringing a much warmer and accessible feel to the monarchy.
Read more here, in the Daily Mail.
As we used to say. Anyway you never know what treasures you might stumble across in a second hand charity shop.
This shop being Sue Ryder, a charity close to my heart. I spotted these lovely espresso coffee cups a couple of weeks ago but couldn't justify the £6 (AU$11.50, US$7.70) outlay. That's the total, not the price per cup and saucer.
Plus of course they would take up so much space and I don't really drink coffee LOL.
Silly, right? Well they were still sat in the window today, so I thought, why ever not?
To all my friends and family on the interweb: please don't be offended you don't receive a card from me this Christmas. Instead I am giving the equivalent I would have spent on cards and postage stamps to two worthy causes close to my heart, Alzheimers Society and Macmillan Cancer Support.
I have supported both for a number of years and I am sure most understand why. Thanks to Covid we are seeing an increase in late diagnosis of a number of conditions, which in turn puts additional pressure on the charities supporting patients and their families.
I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful festive period.
Mum's all time favourite singer/song writer was Neil Diamond. I grew up in a house where his LP's (yes kids, those strange black things we had way before streaming) were probably played daily. He was her go-to artist for happy times and sad.
I have no idea how many times mum saw him live in concert, or sat engrossed watching The Jazz Singer on VHS (another throwback to times past LOL).
Needless to say over the years I came know a fair few of his hits as well as many of the not so well known tracks. They kind of stick with you and whenever I hear him it evokes all kinds of emotions. For the most part, memories of the great times. Although when I hear Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I can't help but think of her funeral.
It's incredible to realise he turns 80 on Sunday and is still recording great music. He certainly was a huge part of mum's life and I guess continues to be a big part of mine too. Happy birthday, Mr Diamond.
We are all aware by now what a nasty virus Covid-19 is, that it has shown little or no mercy to the elderly or to people with serious underlying health concerns. However a report in today's Times suggests a little proportion and perspective is needed at this time.
In the UK, like most countries, citizens have been advised to maintain social distance and to stay at home. To effectively starve the virus of the ability to reproduce. But is staying at home really the safest option? As this table below from the Times indicates, dying following an incident within the home setting is nearly as common as fatalities due to Covid-19. Let's also not forget, the virus isn't by any stretch the highest cause of daily death in the UK; I'm sure the same will broadly by true of other countries.
Having said all this, it is each individual's duty to follow the instructions given and to look out for others. The reproduction R rate across this country is currently around 2. It needs to be controlled and brought back under 1, until such time as an effective vaccination program is available. Hand washing, social distancing, limiting contact with others and face coverings have to be the norm at least until Springtime.
To keep things in perspective, reproduced here is the table of daily UK fatalities from the Times.
The news this morning has covered the announcement of the unexpected death of actor Chadwick Boseman, star of Black Panther, at only 43 years. Reports say he battled cancer quietly and in private.
No doubt in the fullness of time, Hollywood will turn their attention to how to continue the film franchise. Perhaps it is appropriate to consider casting a black female actor in the lead and also simply calling the character Panther..?
Today not only marks the day mum died but also (this year) school kids including ll receive their GCSE public exam results. Normally the awards consist of a grade based mostly on the outcome of final examinations, held in late May through to July. Of course this year thanks to Covid things have been different, no one has sat exams. Teachers instead have had to put forward predictions and local assessments for use in determining grades.
It's been a tough sort of year for these kids, no formal education since before Easter and uncertainty regards how their previous hard work would be assessed. I'm pleased ll has now received mostly the grades he was hoping for, which should enable him to pursue his chosen subjects at Sixth Form college. Well done young man, I know your grandma would have been very proud of you. As am I.
