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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
The Wonderful Christmas Gardens at 6 Bedford Road, Brafield on the Green (A428) are open daily from 4-30 to 9-30 The gardens are free to walk around to enjoy the Christmas Lights, The Night before Christmas. Rudoph in his stable, The Crib. All donations will be given to The Northamptonshire and Warwickshire Air Ambulance
Pauls Diary
September 2009
I was very pleased to receive the September issue of The Journal (The quarterly magazine of the British Instute of Funeral Directors) in which they printed an article all about Ann and her work with ‘Children are Butterflies’. This is the side of B.Hollowell and Son which looks after babies and children’s funerals and gives support to their families. Ann is one of the few funeral directors in England who specialise in looking after children and their families, ‘Children are Butterflies’ has its own web-site www.childrenarebutterflies.org.uk
It is very gratifying to know the trade respects and acknowledges Ann’s very important work and the pioneering work she is doing helping families
12th – 17th
On Saturday the 12th Annette and I made our way by train to the great city of London to meet with our friends from Devise Pauline and Keith. We booked into our hotel and had a good meal and a lot of chat before retiring to bed. Early the following morning we made our way back to St.Pancras International Station to catch the Euro Star to Paris, then onto to Strasbourg and then by coach to our hotel for four nights at Titisee, in the Black Forest area of Germany.
Titisee is a small village on the side of Lake Titisee with many shops and cafes. We spent the next four days touring around the area and enjoying the scenery.
Monday morning we left our hotel by coach and journed through the Black Forest to Triberg the home of Germany’s highest water fall where the river Gutach plunges over a series of frothing cascades. It takes about 50 minutes to walk down the mountain path to the bottom of the water fall and the village of Triberg. This is in the centre of the Cuckoo clock making area of Germany, and in the central street over one of the shops is a very, very large cuckoo clock which cuckoo’s on the hour with moving figures and a man climbing up and down a rope (a sight to be seen). Back on the coach for the short journey to Schonach to meet Robert Herr and his son who are the second and third generation of traditional Cuckoo clock makes, after a tour of the shop we all enjoyed a tour of their factory by Robert’s son and he showed us how the clock are made from collecting the Lime wood, drying it for three years in their drying shed, cutting the timber and then carving into the clock case and decoration. He also explained the mechanism was also made locally in the village. Did you know that genuine cuckoo clocks are only made with the wood all being stained with one colour, cuckoo clocks with different colours are not genuine ones. Next on to Freiburg with its Gothic Cathedral one of the oldest in Europe.
Tuesday sees on a boat trip around Lake Titisee with its pine trees and swiss type house set in the trees.
Wednesday the coach takes us to the town of Blumberg where we look around the small railway museum before boarding the steam train. The Wutach Valley Railway is popularly known as the Sauschwanzlebahn, literally the Pigtail Line, because of the twisting route it takes through the fantastic scenery of the Black Forest. Back on the coach to the town of St Blasien with its 11th century church.
Thursday morning is free time for us to look around titisee and buy a few last presents before we catch the coach that takes us to Strasbourg, the
T V G train to Paris and the EuroStar to London.
19th
Saturday afternoon with the sun shining down sees me for the last Saturday this year at Cogenhoe Bowls Club to play a friendly game of Bowls against Bugbrooke Bowls Club. Despite the lovely weather the good company, the delightful tea we lost, but there you go we tried and had a really good afternoon’s fun.
20th
Sunday was Captains Day at the bowls club with a Barbecue, and a friendly game of bowls amongst ourselves. Like Saturday the sun shone brightly and it was very warm for a late September afternoon. Annette had been ask if she would like to have a game to which she accepted, (never having rolled a wood in her life before) after a few goes she soon became use to the game and sent down quite a few good woods. The afternoon was rounded off with a few drinks (Lemonade) for both of us, the raffle and Annette also won a bottle of wine (but we won’t say what she won it for). That is our last game of bowls for this season, roll on April 2010.
26th
Those of you that know Annette and I, know of our love for fine music.
Well tonight we had an evening of good music at the church of The Holy Sepulchre in Northampton for ‘The Last Night of the Proms’ with the Northampton Concert Band, The Cantare Singers and Mary Sheldon. The music included, Fanfare for the Common Man, It’s a Grand night for Singing, Candle in the Wind, The Music of the Night. In the second half The Simpsons, Spanish Fever, Nimrod, Sea Songs, and of course Jerusalem, Pomp and Circumstance March and Rule Britannia
What an evening
29th
Annette and I went to another Last Night of the Proms, this time at Thursford in Norfolk. The Wurlitzer Organ was played by their resident organist Robert Wolfe, The Regimental Band of the Grenadier Guards and The St.Nicholas Choir. Fourteen hundred people Annette and I included enjoyed a splendid evening of top quality music and singing. Many of the song the Audience and the choir joined in where from the war years, My old man, She’s my lady love, Underneath the arches, I’m leaning on a lamp post and many many more.
The second half we listened to Finlandia, Be still my soul, and all the usual music for the last night of the Proms.
We returned home to Brafield around 1-00am in the morning, was it worth it, O YES, if you have never been to Thursford, then if you can book up and go. Annette and I will be there for the Christmas show in late November. We are really looking forward to it. If you want any more information. Please give me a ring (01604) 79 22 22.
October 2009
31st
Annette and I went to The Derngate Theatre to see and listen to The Black Dyke Brass Band (Winners of the World Title for the 22nd year) This is an evening of fine brass band music arranged each year in conjunction with the Northampton Royal British Legion. At the beginning of the second half we observe the act of remembrance with a short service led by the Rural Dean of Northampton Reverend David Wiseman. The band is now under the Baton of Dr.Nicholas Childs, anyone who likes brass band music should go and see them or buy one of their many CD’s ( they did the sound tracks for Ground Force with Alan Titchmarsh)
November 2009
Regards for now
Paul.
