History

Michael’s favourite city in the past was Bristol. Home to his university and everything that goes with academia. A city full of students, passionate about the wrongs of the past, recently took down a statue of one of the founding fathers of Bristol because he had been a slave trader. I think this is wrong, history is not there for you to like or dislike, it is there for you to learn from. If, what happened at a certain time really offends you, learn from it and teach other that lesson from history, so we will hope not repeat it. Burning history books does not eradicate what happened, read and think about what our ancestors did, it is not all bad.

A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future. It is something like a leaf of a tree not knowing where it came from.

It has been a funny old weekend, the days have passed without anything of consequence, we had lunch yesterday at The Kings Arms at Stoborough. A small village just a stone's throw away from Wareham. Really to start a tradition celebrating a life taken too soon. We originally were going to the Banks Arms in Studland, but being a bank holiday, the ferry was at least a 2 hours wait, we decided to drive around via Wareham and just after Wareham we joined a long queue. Give up, no, we are made of sterner stuff and that is how we found the Kings Arms and it was good and we will go back, also dog friendly and Alex had a good time. Talking of Alex, he picked up a girl within ten minutes of us getting there and takes after his father.

Life happens, coffee helps.

Yes, you guessed it, Happyccino is serving food again, trouble with the chef I think. In all fairness, they are artists in all sense of the word and are overlooked in our strive for instant satisfaction. I had the Chicken and Bacon wrap and so did Alex, Susan had some twisty thing that looked as gross as it was twisty, coffee was good.

Terry Oranges must remember to send some to Angela. Michael arrived from Australia with a suitcase of gifts from Angela for Susan. Sukin Cleaning Hand, a tumbler with a bear on it, handmade soap made from Miss Pamela with Beeswax’s, costing 10 Oz dollars. A cotton beach towel with a card from Sisuu tonic is priceless and we would imagine a lot of thought went into that amazing gift. There was more but you must understand this is a tradition that started with the humble Terry Orange, who would have thought that something so small and tasty would become a lifelong pursuit for the ultimate gift that fits into someone’s luggage?

LV is having her 60th birthday and she has invited a few friends around, she is posh so she has not seen most of these people for at least a year but unfortunately we have been invited as well as the others. Fairy lights, paper plates and lasagna is what we can expect. Have you ever eaten Lasagna off a paper plate, gets soft and then it is a mammoth task to get a mouthful, without dropping it over the white carpet and distributing the offending into your lap, while we strive to get all of it into our mouth?

In all seriousness, Lady Vivienne has been a good friend and we love her. Some friends are like a love affair, it is when you constantly text and wonder how they are getting along, you miss them before they have even gone. Susan and Lady Vivienne have such a relationship, beautifully simple and wonderfully sincere, a love of your friend, is more than just love, it is a journey of discovery. Lady Vivienne has a very close companion in HarperF, basker, blues singer and songwriter. He has also fallen under the spell of Lady Vivienne but he is a complex personality, as all true artists are, and Lady Vivienne has graciously taken him under her wing and I am sure he feels rather special, I would if I did not have the wonderfully talented Granny Susie Pie, to help me through life’s hurdles.

Lady Vivienne, I hope that when you are lost you will come to us and hopefully we will guide you to a place where you want to be.

To round off, it is raining hard and there is lightning, which makes JB nervous at the best of time and tonight is no exception. Keep safe, think of me on Friday evening and stay strong.