Friday 6 July 2012

Rain, Rain, Rain


If us British folk didn't have the weather or a British (actually he's Scottish) tennis player in the Wimbledon finals for the first time in a thousand years, we wouldn't have much to talk about. Yet again the weather dominates the headlines today as more rain deposits itself on the bulk of the UK and flooding alerts are too numerous to count. Even after the rain has stopped, and there's more forecast, river and stream levels continue to rise as flood water comes off the land.

At 35 metres above sea level, we don't have too much to worry about in terms of flooding but the grass is squelchy to walk on and plants have been damaged by the latest heavy persistent rain.  Elsewhere in the East Riding of Yorkshire, roads have been closed and homes flooded for the second time in a year. 

I was going to be party to a paranormal investigation in Lincolnshire on Saturday night, but that's been abandoned as most of it is outside and the ground is sodden.

Still on Saturday, it's Cottingham Day. Cottingham was where I was brought up. Allegedly the largest village in England (I don't think that was ever true), it's a pleasant place and Cottingham Day has been going many years. In my childhood, the fields between Cottingham and Hull were home to a show-jumping competition hosting the most famous names of the day such as Harvey Smith and other international renown stars.

These days it's much less opulent as the weather has wreaked havoc from time to time and the fields do flood. So tomorrow with my business partner Linda, we have a stall in the Darby and Joan Hall in Finkle Street safely under cover selling our angel items - part of the arts and crafts section.

It is a coincidence, but the Darby and Joan Hall has personal connections with myself and my family. The Hall has been the home of the WRVS (Women's Royal Voluntary Service) and my aunt Marjorie and her mother, my grandmother Daisy Alice were both active in parts of the service. 

My mother still serves Friday lunches at the Hall for the elderly.

My lovely Aunt Marjorie in her WRVS uniform (parts of the picture were coloured years ago) at a flower show in the Darby and Joan Hall.
The opening ceremony at the Darby and Joan Hall, Cottingham on 31 December 1954, my grandmother Daisy Alice circled at the back on the left, my aunt Marjorie on the right at the back.

It took me a while to find the pictures which I scanned many years ago from an album belonging to the hall.

Keep dry!

Chat soon

Ta-ra.






4 comments:

  1. I've been hearing about all the rain in England. Today I watched Wimbledon Federer and Djokovic. It was after the match was over but I didn't know the reult. I will do the same on Sunday for Murray and Federer. I LOVE Wimbledon!

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  2. Yes - terrible rain. Today it seems to be centred around Devon but I see it is raining here, after a find day so far. I am sure the Humber Estuary is running high, although once it gets to the sea I suppose it disperses very quickly.

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  3. Hello ChrisJ
    I am not that much into tennis really - it'll be on in the background as I do other things, like cook tea and write my blog. Enjoy!
    XX

    Hi Weaver,
    It's true you don't notice any diffenrence in the Humber levels so much but the many drains which carry the land water into the river are flowing rapidly. Hope you've been okay up there?
    XX

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  4. Beautiful photos. I love the way you keep connected to your past, and quite right too, because without that we're diminished.

    My lass's history is strongly connected to Birchinlee (Derwent Dam), and mine is first world war mental illness/deserters/hellshock.

    Thank you for showing that love extends beyond the here and now.

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