Book 22 - John Douch "Smuggling : The Wicked Trade"

John Douch "Smuggling : The Wicked Trade" (Crabwell Publications)






This is quite a short hardback book on the history of smuggling around the Romney Marsh area of Kent. It is a very good entertaining read with plenty of old photographs and line drawings which enhances the text. The author; style is anecdotal and yet very factual. Local history books can tend to very dry and unexciting.

It was a pleasure to read. 

Equanimity

Another day in which ,whilst it is Spring, it feels alot cooler, and yet as i look out from my window, it looks bright and sunny. My mood is not sunny but a calm equanimity bolstered by the fact that another of Lorna's Filipino friends phoned me this morning at 6.30 am.  Merlita wanted to know what the score was, as Raquel had contacted her,and i guess soon the whole Filipino community in Brighton will know about it.

The cat came up on the bed to see me as a token of solidarity. I stroked her and she purred lovingly. I said to her "Don't worry, things will turn out for the better".

Some Photos

Some pictures i found from my hard drive.



Raquel (innit) and Lorna



Lorna on a sunny day



Merlita (Merl), another friend and co-worker at Waitrose food store.. This was  at Xmas a few years back.

ADDENDUM

Lorna has just  posted on Facebook - feeling exhausted - (no wonder after a mild stroke) - kinda made me smile a bit.

Found Objects

I found these two postcards in the Molly Keane paperback i got in Faversham. One is a Tate postcard  of a painting by Walter Sickert , "Minnie Cunningham At The Old Bedford c.1889" , and a photograph by Frank Sutcliffe called "the water Rats" taken in 1886 The postcard comes from the Sutcliffe Gallery in Whitby, North Yorkshire.



I seem to have a collection of postcards from books i have bought in the past.

Hospital Update

Some recent updates from the hospital and i must admit she looks good. Thank goodness , or whatever god you subscribe to, she is fine and stable. All her friends came to see her, and i will be travelling to Brighton tomorrow.

I do feel much better now, and thus more positive.







The gang at the hospital.

Vicky,her other friend, must be out of the country.
I will be staying at a friend's place in Seaford and will visit Tuesday.
 

Maudlin March

So what i do think about March. Spring is meant to be here, but it does not feel as such. In fact, March is  the alliterative month - , middling maudlin melancholic month of meteorological mayhem. So there! Yes , the maudlin connotation is correct, as my cousin gave me some vino for lunch, well two bottles of vino, that we have seen off! 

Cat Nap

Cats know when things are not right. Florence has been clinging to me today and as i said in an earlier post she came up to see me and i stroked her.  Now that i feel more sanguine and composed, she has decided to get in some extra sleep time on her bed.