I’d certainly prefer the idea of a silent book club to one where you discuss a given book - I hate the idea of reading a book to order!
When I lived in London in the 90s my favourite way of spending a Saturday was to wander around the National Portrait Gallery for an hour or so and then sit in their cafe reading a book for the rest of the afternoon with a slice of cake and a wine spritzer. I don’t sit in cafes to read much these days but I do take a book to church every week as I am often there an hour early if Mr Heavenly is on set up duty, and sometimes I sit and read during the ‘social’ bit after church too.
I read in bed every evening.
I had a nice walk this morning followed by several hours of research and writing for my current essay (political communication in the early modern period). I woke up at 4.30am thinking about this essay!
It was Heinz soup for us as well. Usually tomato or oxtail.
Husband en rouge has gone off on a school trip for the week. My parents are arriving later, which means I'm about to embark on some intensive Clean Ing.
Heinz cream of tomato, with buttered white bread here.
Yesterday we did something I'd wanted to do for a long time; we visited the ruins of the C12th Polnar's Chapel (St Apollinaris Chapel). On previous occasions I didn't fancy crossing a field full of cows, but yesterday the field was empty.
It's a hidden sort of place, in a grove of yew and oak trees. There's not much to see; the remains of the walls are only a couple of feet high, and it was only ever a small chapel.
I do love the sort of historical site that's just there, minding its own business, with no identifying signs or notices.
I don't know why it was dedicated to St Apollinaris; google suggests most such dedications are in mainland Europe. There was one in Fife in medieval times; I suspect the two were connected.
I’d certainly prefer the idea of a silent book club to one where you discuss a given book - I hate the idea of reading a book to order!
I do know what you mean - I was talking about this only yesterday with some friends after church: two of us are in a book club, one isn't. If I'm reading for a book club I find I read differently and there is a certain level of pressure. On the other hand, my real life club is an opportunity to share a meal and conversation with friends, and I like the Ship one because there's no expectation that you'll join every discussion. I've read books I wouldn't have read otherwise, although in some cases that's been a mixed blessing. A few I'm glad to have read. Others it's been a case of, "That's three hours of my life I won't get back."
I have a long list of things to get done today. We have visitors next week and the house is far from guest-ready.
One grandmother's idea of comfort food was cod in white sauce and mashed potato, though she also thought onions and brown sugar was a good cure for a cold. The other, when I complained of a stomach ache when I was a young adult, suggested brandy. The brandy did make my stomach feel better, but gave me a headache instead.
I've been to my Pilates class, where I could do all the exercises which isn't always the case.
Onions were a traditional medieval cure for a sore throat, for those who could not afford honey and lemon.
Usual Monday morning of admin and communications and this afternoon I need to continue the marking. Then I have a 2 hour tutorial starting at 7pm this evening on grief. A long, busy day.
That's the (more or less) weekly scrub of the kitchen, scullery and bathroom.
I'd thought of going into the garden, but the sun has gone away, and I'm puggled. But it says here my parcel of yarn is coming today! A linen mix for a loose summer jumper.
My *illness food* was, as with many others, Heinz Tomato Soup - sometimes with Boiled Potatoes in it! - accompanied by Lucozade...
Speaking of Boiled Potatoes, a common Saturday lunch-time dish, when I was a lad, was Pilchards with Spuds and Bread-and-Butter. To this day, I still occasionally have this as a quick and easy meal, using the tinned New Potatoes from Tess Coe.
SPAG BOL today, though. I went to Tess Coe this morning, but, of course, completely forgot to buy any Parmesan CHEESE.
Another grey day in Arkland the Chill, with a persistent easterly breeze. They say that it should be much warmer by Thursday, which is good, as my nice new Paint for the side of the Ark's saloon has arrived.
Lucozade is generally not good for unwell people! Sugar delays healing and even in the 1980s we used to get cross with people bringing it onto the wards for patients. These days they probably would not be allowed to say that it ‘aids recovery’.
Haven’t had pilchards for years, as a child we would have them on toast for lunch.
Cool here today. I’m taking a break from marking and might make an early dinner before teaching this evening, probably baked chicken breasts with roasted veg.
Lucozade is generally not good for unwell people! Sugar delays healing and even in the 1980s we used to get cross with people bringing it onto the wards for patients. These days they probably would not be allowed to say that it ‘aids recovery’.
<snip>
Indeed, but I'm looking back nearly 70 years to my childhood illnesses, and we know better now.
Funnily enough I had a pilchard sarnie today - since I got stick for my cholesterol level I've eaten a lot more fish. Definitely a childhood comfort food - see also toad in the hole, which I'd cheerfully eat every week.
Not an illness food, but what I most associate with one of my grannies was bread spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar; she had it every morning, and I would get it whenever we were staying with her.
It can't have done her any harm; she lived to be nearly 90.
Considering that B was the only boss actually in the office today, it's been a right marathon; he came in with a 40-minute voice file first thing which took me most of the morning (there was faffing-about involved), and kept coming with other files as and when. So much for me thinking it might be a gentle day ending with an empty in-floor! In the end I stayed in about 20 minutes to finish the last of his files, and by the time I was coming home I realised I really couldn't be bothered to cook, so it was scampi and chips from the Golden Chip.
Butteries were baked yesterday afternoon, turned out ok. We each had one as a mid-afternoon piece whilst they were still hot. 😁 I did a half batch, so we each had one toasted for breakfast today and there's another pair for tomorrow. They do go a bit soggy when stored, so toasting is vital.
Work was busy, since I ended up on the team email box and service desk. Section head has set up a team meeting for Thursday, and apparently I'm co-presenting the guide M and I put together last week. Hope he's ok about going it alone, as I'm on a first aid training course Thurs and Fri!
I remember 2 foods that my grandmother cooked; lardy cake (her version was more like an Eccles cake, being a Lancashire woman) and beef mince suet pudding which we often had for Sunday dinner (my parents regularly sent us 3 younger kids to her house on Sunday, she gave us sweet money in the morning, and we had our weekly baths there in the afternoon).
My 2 hour lecture on grief went well this evening and I am now having a glass of wine.
A great day yesterday; a friend and I went yomping through woodland looking for remnants of C18th runrigs. It was a perfect clear fresh day. Seeing deer was a bonus. Managing to retain my wellie when I stepped into a boggy bit was another bonus; I didn't fancy hopping home in only one wellie.
The list of things my husband has been explaining to me now he has time to educate me has had a further addition: How to Communicate your Wishes to a Husband. When he retired in January I made a list of things I thought it would be fun to do together, using Word. I printed it off and put it on the coffee table in our living room for us to discuss. That was the Wrong Place. So I printed off a second copy and put it on his desk. But that was also the Wrong Place. So I printed off a third copy, put it in an A4 picture frame and put it on our kitchen table, hoping that "vertical" rather than "horizontal where it can get buried under other stuff" might work. The framed copy has been on our kitchen table for six weeks.
My husband has now explained that "hard copy text-based mediums" aren't working for him, and that he'll take notice if I put it into his Dropbox files.
Text him: eg. “Tomorrow we are going to……, leaving here at 10am. We will take a packed lunch/ eat at….. and be home by 4.30.”
Having nobody to consult or liaise with has its advantages ( though can be a lonely place).
Yesterday I ordered replacement of fascias and soffits, with no long delay for DH to agree.
Today I drove to our cathedral to see an exhibition called Threads through the Bible. It is in three parts, with 44 panels: Creation, the Cross, Revelation. It took ten years to create and was made by one person. Inspirational on so many levels. Well worth viewing if you get the chance.
I indulged in hot drink and slice of Bakewell tart, so had a salad of avocado and hard boiled egg when I got home. Fish tonight, my one night in this week, so I will cook from scratch as I will be mainly eating out of the freezer for the next few days.
North East Quine's patience with the NE Man is exemplary, and worthy of all to be imitated...
ION, Tuesday's Pilates session has been suffered, along with a visit to the Co-Op and the Arkland Office, and I am now back on board the Ark, swigging BEER and painkillers, prior to Lunch (Prawns and Chips).
My Legs are more feak and weeble than usual, so rest and recuperation are the Plan for the rest of the day.
I did my usual Tuesday morning putting away of groceries then had a walk before doing emails and admin. I had a 2 hour lecture on parenting and families to co-deliver from noon and I had hoped to do some marking afterwards but I haven’t recovered from teaching last night yet and am too tired to focus on the screen.
Fellowship group this evening, with pudding provided.
Swimming and shopping first, then washing (a good drying day), emails, working on Sunday's service and some random scrolling. After lunch (tinned soup and sandwiches) I defrosted the fridge which badly needed it, fed and watered the garden pot plants (it's been mortal dry, you know) and did a tiny amount of light pruning. brought in the washing, made the bed ... Now I must prepare for tonight's Lent group.
It was our grocery delivery day to day too. We've got the putting away down to a fine art. I then went for a walk to buy a few bits and pieces we hadn't got for tea tonight (chickpea, potato and cauliflower curry) ahead of a meeting on zoom with an organisation I volunteer for. The rest of the day will be devoted to laziness.
My husband and I are still trying to get round the sudden death of our friend T (see prayer thread). I
Beautiful looking day but COLD. Started cotton/linen mix summer jumper - bands of colour in a beige/brown/pale grey/dark blue colourway. However instead of a straight stripe I'm doing colour 1 for 10 rows, then 4 rows of mainly colour 1, with a little colour 2 (intarsia squares) 4 rows more or less 50-50, 4 rows mainly 2, a little 1, 10 rows colour 2, introduce colour 3 and so on.
Late morning bussed to other side of town for dentist. Arriving early looked about for somewhere to have a very small lunch and found a Japanese cafe where I had a tiny bowl of miso soup and bijou crocette.
Shopped at a speciality butcher, then M&S food. Found myself at the bus stop with very heavy bag and 17 minutes for a bus that was still going to leave me with a 15 minute walk - so hailed a taxi.
Today I drove to our cathedral to see an exhibition called Threads through the Bible. It is in three parts, with 44 panels: Creation, the Cross, Revelation. It took ten years to create and was made by one person. Inspirational on so many levels. Well worth viewing if you get the chance.
This exhibition came to Wells Cathedral a couple of years ago, and I agree that it's well worth making the effort to view if it comes your way.
The usual famine/feast situation at work; even though everyone was in, I didn't have a huge workload. I did, however, have a rare occurrence: a case that upset me. Obviously I can't go into details, but it was very sad, and upset everyone. I shall remember the client (who I've never met) in my prayers tonight.
In other news, as you know, I'm an idiot. Knowing I had a salon appointment, I hurried home, quickly made supper (pasta, prawns and veggies), ate same in a bit of a rush and pootled round the corner, only to find I was half an hour early (I have another appointment on Thursday at the time I thought today's one was).
I must go and see that exhibition. I went to the one on the seven days of creation the other year and thought that was amazing too.
That jumper sounds interesting @Firenze. I spent more time than I should have at a council meeting last week trying to work out if the random squares of colour in a jumper a colleague was wearing were placed in some sort of pattern. My knitting, a Debbie Abraham's mystery cushion, isn't exactly inspiring me at present, but I'm pressing on.
@ Sarasa, do check online before you set off to see the exhibition as there are certain dates when you could have a wasted journey because of weddings, concert rehearsals, special services etc.
When I set off this morning the overnight frost was not long gone. By the time I came home the temperature was 10 degrees higher!
This afternoon my neighbour came to help scan and upload details of books to an online sales platform. They won’t fetch a fortune but two boxes containing around 50 books will be collected and find new owners. I’m going to take the rest to Oxfam and the NT bookshop. My son will have to carry the boxes downstairs.
I made kedgeree this evening, with one portion in the freezer to quickly reheat after singing in a concert next Saturday evening.
Today I drove to our cathedral to see an exhibition called Threads through the Bible. It is in three parts, with 44 panels: Creation, the Cross, Revelation. It took ten years to create and was made by one person. Inspirational on so many levels. Well worth viewing if you get the chance.
This exhibition came to Wells Cathedral a couple of years ago, and I agree that it's well worth making the effort to view if it comes your way.
By Jacqui Parkinson. I saw it at Liverpool Cathedral three weeks ago. Amazing.
The exhibition is going to Southwell Minster next.
Today I drove to our cathedral to see an exhibition called Threads through the Bible. It is in three parts, with 44 panels: Creation, the Cross, Revelation. It took ten years to create and was made by one person. Inspirational on so many levels. Well worth viewing if you get the chance.
This exhibition came to Wells Cathedral a couple of years ago, and I agree that it's well worth making the effort to view if it comes your way.
We saw the Threads Through Creation exhibition in Bath two years ago and it was beautiful. I didn't realise it was part of a larger one and would love to see all of it.
We've had a happy day visiting Nenlet1 and the GrandNenling, and also had a few minutes with son-in-law who came home early from work.
The workhouse is brilliant @Heavenlyannie . Lots to see and the gardens are lovely. They have a volunteer who dresses up as the Reverend Thomas Beecher who founded the workhouse. He also does tours of the town.
Off for a walk with the Ramblers this morning. It was -1 first thing but due to get up to 14 degrees. I’ll be wearing layers! The walk starts on the edge of town so we’ll be adding another mile or so each way walking to the start of it.
The visit to the workhouse did make me rethink some of my ideas about workhouses @Baptist Trainfan . They weren't great places to be by any means, but I think Beecher was trying his best to help people.
Just back from a long Ramblers walk. We cadged a lift back from the end of the walk having walked to the start. The longest we've walked this year. I enjoyed seeing bit of the outskirts of our town I haven't been to before.
An infant school I went to for a year or so was once Our Town's workhouse - an 18thC building, at least three stories high, in the middle of the town...I recall the splintery wooden floors (ouch!).
I think it still stands, but was converted to offices many years ago.
BTW, Hardy's irony is not directed at the workhouse principle, but at the misplaced (in this case) kindness of the Curate. Well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) clergy appear in a number of his novels and short stories.
Another milky blue-and-golden day in Arkland the Temperate, with a pleasant southerly breeze. I have done some Garden Ing, which involves hauling out dead grass and other bits of flora from the old dinghy which sits on deck. It was planted out long ago by the former Mrs BF, but now sports mostly wild plants (I refuse to call them weeds ), along with a very hardy perennial which has long thin bright green leaves, and an attractive flower of the same shade of yellow as the daffodil (which it most certainly is not).
I noticed that a small patch of moss is thriving in a shady spot, close to something which will soon put out long stems and a bright vermilion flower. It's possibly a cultivated plant, brought to the Ark by the Wind, or by Birds, but the multi-petalled flowers (although only an inch in diameter) are very colourful.
I like to let the Garden do as Nature likes IYSWIM, and to see what comes up amidst the gravel, bits of driftwood, and a small old Anchor...
I always found it ironic that many of the early NHS hospitals were old New Poor Law workhouses - largely because the people least able to work were the oldest and sickest.
I don't know how many of them are still in service, hopefully none, but I did briefly work in the old Newbury (Sandleford) one in 1999 - a weird place, where half the building had been demolished already, and there were blank walls in random places stopping up the gaps. Apparently at one point a bulldozer driver had found a cellar not on the plans when the ground gave way and his machine dropped into it!
Back then they'd been trying to build a new Newbury hospital for 30+ years already (Vodafone's global HQ is on the site originally chosen), and it was the best part of another 5 before they did get the new hospital built, on the others ide of town.
Bizarrely, I have in my collection a camera with Sandleford Hospital written in the case as the address of the owner!
The workhouse in Luton became a hospital for the elderly and none of them wanted to go there because of it. The workhouse was still used as a threat to me by my mother in the 1970s, despite being closed for decades!
By around 1990 it was an NHS admin block, then I think it became a care home.
A long day of marking; my eyes are so tired and painful from staring at the computer all day, every day. Some relief tomorrow morning when I go to yoga class.
I need to go and cook something, possibly a curry. And have a glass of wine.
All I get from that poem is that the bloke didn't like his wife.
My only knowledge of workhouses is from having played Mrs Bumble in a school production of Oliver! a very frightening 50-mumble years ago.
Supper was a cobblage of sausages, red pepper, tomatoes, paprika and a splash of red wine, served with rice, and rather nice.
Comments
When I lived in London in the 90s my favourite way of spending a Saturday was to wander around the National Portrait Gallery for an hour or so and then sit in their cafe reading a book for the rest of the afternoon with a slice of cake and a wine spritzer. I don’t sit in cafes to read much these days but I do take a book to church every week as I am often there an hour early if Mr Heavenly is on set up duty, and sometimes I sit and read during the ‘social’ bit after church too.
I read in bed every evening.
I had a nice walk this morning followed by several hours of research and writing for my current essay (political communication in the early modern period). I woke up at 4.30am thinking about this essay!
Husband en rouge has gone off on a school trip for the week. My parents are arriving later, which means I'm about to embark on some intensive Clean Ing.
Yesterday we did something I'd wanted to do for a long time; we visited the ruins of the C12th Polnar's Chapel (St Apollinaris Chapel). On previous occasions I didn't fancy crossing a field full of cows, but yesterday the field was empty.
It's a hidden sort of place, in a grove of yew and oak trees. There's not much to see; the remains of the walls are only a couple of feet high, and it was only ever a small chapel.
I do love the sort of historical site that's just there, minding its own business, with no identifying signs or notices.
I don't know why it was dedicated to St Apollinaris; google suggests most such dedications are in mainland Europe. There was one in Fife in medieval times; I suspect the two were connected.
Do you mean that thoughts of stewed apple woke you at 4.30am?
I have a long list of things to get done today. We have visitors next week and the house is far from guest-ready.
I've been to my Pilates class, where I could do all the exercises which isn't always the case.
Usual Monday morning of admin and communications and this afternoon I need to continue the marking. Then I have a 2 hour tutorial starting at 7pm this evening on grief. A long, busy day.
I'd thought of going into the garden, but the sun has gone away, and I'm puggled. But it says here my parcel of yarn is coming today! A linen mix for a loose summer jumper.
The family cure for sore throat/cough was butter mixed with sugar.
Speaking of Boiled Potatoes, a common Saturday lunch-time dish, when I was a lad, was Pilchards with Spuds and Bread-and-Butter. To this day, I still occasionally have this as a quick and easy meal, using the tinned New Potatoes from Tess Coe.
SPAG BOL today, though. I went to Tess Coe this morning, but, of course, completely forgot to buy any Parmesan CHEESE.
Another grey day in Arkland the Chill, with a persistent easterly breeze. They say that it should be much warmer by Thursday, which is good, as my nice new Paint for the side of the Ark's saloon has arrived.
Haven’t had pilchards for years, as a child we would have them on toast for lunch.
Cool here today. I’m taking a break from marking and might make an early dinner before teaching this evening, probably baked chicken breasts with roasted veg.
Indeed, but I'm looking back nearly 70 years to my childhood illnesses, and we know better now.
It can't have done her any harm; she lived to be nearly 90.
Considering that B was the only boss actually in the office today, it's been a right marathon; he came in with a 40-minute voice file first thing which took me most of the morning (there was faffing-about involved), and kept coming with other files as and when. So much for me thinking it might be a gentle day ending with an empty in-floor! In the end I stayed in about 20 minutes to finish the last of his files, and by the time I was coming home I realised I really couldn't be bothered to cook, so it was scampi and chips from the Golden Chip.
Work was busy, since I ended up on the team email box and service desk. Section head has set up a team meeting for Thursday, and apparently I'm co-presenting the guide M and I put together last week. Hope he's ok about going it alone, as I'm on a first aid training course Thurs and Fri!
My 2 hour lecture on grief went well this evening and I am now having a glass of wine.
The list of things my husband has been explaining to me now he has time to educate me has had a further addition: How to Communicate your Wishes to a Husband. When he retired in January I made a list of things I thought it would be fun to do together, using Word. I printed it off and put it on the coffee table in our living room for us to discuss. That was the Wrong Place. So I printed off a second copy and put it on his desk. But that was also the Wrong Place. So I printed off a third copy, put it in an A4 picture frame and put it on our kitchen table, hoping that "vertical" rather than "horizontal where it can get buried under other stuff" might work. The framed copy has been on our kitchen table for six weeks.
My husband has now explained that "hard copy text-based mediums" aren't working for him, and that he'll take notice if I put it into his Dropbox files.
It's now in Dropbox. Let the fun times commence!!
Our town crier live just up our street. I'll send him round.
Having nobody to consult or liaise with has its advantages ( though can be a lonely place).
Yesterday I ordered replacement of fascias and soffits, with no long delay for DH to agree.
Today I drove to our cathedral to see an exhibition called Threads through the Bible. It is in three parts, with 44 panels: Creation, the Cross, Revelation. It took ten years to create and was made by one person. Inspirational on so many levels. Well worth viewing if you get the chance.
I indulged in hot drink and slice of Bakewell tart, so had a salad of avocado and hard boiled egg when I got home. Fish tonight, my one night in this week, so I will cook from scratch as I will be mainly eating out of the freezer for the next few days.
ION, Tuesday's Pilates session has been suffered, along with a visit to the Co-Op and the Arkland Office, and I am now back on board the Ark, swigging BEER and painkillers, prior to Lunch (Prawns and Chips).
My Legs are more feak and weeble than usual, so rest and recuperation are the Plan for the rest of the day.
Fellowship group this evening, with pudding provided.
My husband and I are still trying to get round the sudden death of our friend T (see prayer thread). I
Late morning bussed to other side of town for dentist. Arriving early looked about for somewhere to have a very small lunch and found a Japanese cafe where I had a tiny bowl of miso soup and bijou crocette.
Shopped at a speciality butcher, then M&S food. Found myself at the bus stop with very heavy bag and 17 minutes for a bus that was still going to leave me with a 15 minute walk - so hailed a taxi.
In other news, as you know, I'm an idiot. Knowing I had a salon appointment, I hurried home, quickly made supper (pasta, prawns and veggies), ate same in a bit of a rush and pootled round the corner, only to find I was half an hour early (I have another appointment on Thursday at the time I thought today's one was).
What a plonker.
That jumper sounds interesting @Firenze. I spent more time than I should have at a council meeting last week trying to work out if the random squares of colour in a jumper a colleague was wearing were placed in some sort of pattern. My knitting, a Debbie Abraham's mystery cushion, isn't exactly inspiring me at present, but I'm pressing on.
When I set off this morning the overnight frost was not long gone. By the time I came home the temperature was 10 degrees higher!
This afternoon my neighbour came to help scan and upload details of books to an online sales platform. They won’t fetch a fortune but two boxes containing around 50 books will be collected and find new owners. I’m going to take the rest to Oxfam and the NT bookshop. My son will have to carry the boxes downstairs.
I made kedgeree this evening, with one portion in the freezer to quickly reheat after singing in a concert next Saturday evening.
By Jacqui Parkinson. I saw it at Liverpool Cathedral three weeks ago. Amazing.
The exhibition is going to Southwell Minster next.
We saw the Threads Through Creation exhibition in Bath two years ago and it was beautiful. I didn't realise it was part of a larger one and would love to see all of it.
We've had a happy day visiting Nenlet1 and the GrandNenling, and also had a few minutes with son-in-law who came home early from work.
Very sorry about your friend @Sarasa .
It's been a bright day, but still cold. The weatherperson said it would be warming up. Well, I'm waiting... *drums fingers*
ETA, I realise it is going to Southwell too which is on our list of places to visit as we want to go to the workhouse.
Off for a walk with the Ramblers this morning. It was -1 first thing but due to get up to 14 degrees. I’ll be wearing layers! The walk starts on the edge of town so we’ll be adding another mile or so each way walking to the start of it.
https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/curates-kindness
Just back from a long Ramblers walk. We cadged a lift back from the end of the walk having walked to the start. The longest we've walked this year. I enjoyed seeing bit of the outskirts of our town I haven't been to before.
I think it still stands, but was converted to offices many years ago.
BTW, Hardy's irony is not directed at the workhouse principle, but at the misplaced (in this case) kindness of the Curate. Well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) clergy appear in a number of his novels and short stories.
Another milky blue-and-golden day in Arkland the Temperate, with a pleasant southerly breeze. I have done some Garden Ing, which involves hauling out dead grass and other bits of flora from the old dinghy which sits on deck. It was planted out long ago by the former Mrs BF, but now sports mostly wild plants (I refuse to call them weeds ), along with a very hardy perennial which has long thin bright green leaves, and an attractive flower of the same shade of yellow as the daffodil (which it most certainly is not).
I noticed that a small patch of moss is thriving in a shady spot, close to something which will soon put out long stems and a bright vermilion flower. It's possibly a cultivated plant, brought to the Ark by the Wind, or by Birds, but the multi-petalled flowers (although only an inch in diameter) are very colourful.
I like to let the Garden do as Nature likes IYSWIM, and to see what comes up amidst the gravel, bits of driftwood, and a small old Anchor...
I don't know how many of them are still in service, hopefully none, but I did briefly work in the old Newbury (Sandleford) one in 1999 - a weird place, where half the building had been demolished already, and there were blank walls in random places stopping up the gaps. Apparently at one point a bulldozer driver had found a cellar not on the plans when the ground gave way and his machine dropped into it!
Back then they'd been trying to build a new Newbury hospital for 30+ years already (Vodafone's global HQ is on the site originally chosen), and it was the best part of another 5 before they did get the new hospital built, on the others ide of town.
Bizarrely, I have in my collection a camera with Sandleford Hospital written in the case as the address of the owner!
The workhouse in Luton became a hospital for the elderly and none of them wanted to go there because of it. The workhouse was still used as a threat to me by my mother in the 1970s, despite being closed for decades!
By around 1990 it was an NHS admin block, then I think it became a care home.
A long day of marking; my eyes are so tired and painful from staring at the computer all day, every day. Some relief tomorrow morning when I go to yoga class.
I need to go and cook something, possibly a curry. And have a glass of wine.
My only knowledge of workhouses is from having played Mrs Bumble in a school production of Oliver! a very frightening 50-mumble years ago.
Supper was a cobblage of sausages, red pepper, tomatoes, paprika and a splash of red wine, served with rice, and rather nice.