Monday, Bank Holiday

Still raining. What a day. Still we decided to go into town for a bit of shopping and perhaps coffee and cake, which we did in Starbucks. There were plenty of people around as I suppose no one wanted to go far in this weather but it was nice to get out of the house.
I think it's time to say a bit more about my early days on earth - 1941 a few months after I was born mom found she was expecting another child. She had been married for five years before I was born now another baby in less than a year. My sister Valerie was born in March 1942 just 12months and 28 days after me, on my grandad's 70th birthday. She was premature as mother had been drawing blackout curtains, remember it was war time, and she fell bringing about the early arrival of "Titch" as dad called her. At only 2 pounds 4 ounces it was a bit touch and go at first whether she would survive. She was put in one of grandad's boot boxes lined with cotton wool, no incubators or high dependency units, but survive she did and to date at 65years of age she is still going not altogether a picture of health but not so bad for someone who wasn't given much of a hope back then. I am tole I thought she was a doll and kept trying to pick her up and dress her up in some dolls clothes, which would have been much too big for her.
By this time dad had been called up to join the forces. He was put into the army and into the Royal signals where he went on to train other men in morse code. He was always interested in anything to do with electronics I can never remember a time when he wasn't fiddling with bits of wire, soldering irons or valves. He was in the D. Day landings and became lost from his group only to be found later in no man's land between our army and the Germans. Needless to say he was shipped back to England quite badly shell shocked and spent some time in hospital in Manchester, but he still went back into service when he was well enough till the end of the war.

Sunday

We got up to an awful day, talk about rain, it was more like a cloudburst which lasted twenty four hours. I was reading my book most of the morning but although it was still coming down heavens hard Rob and I decided to go out for some fresh air and ended up in Moseley where we went for lunch a the Fighting Cocks, Very nice. Still raining we walked back to grange road, quite a puff but exillarating. Didn't do much else, I watched Dr. Who, the first part of a two parter. I think, although I love all the episodes, that this was extremely good and an looking forward to the second part.

Saturday evening

This very enjoyable, first we went to the Fox in Hurst st to meet up with a few of Stu's old mates. Faye was a little late but her gorgeous husband came first which was nice. The place was very smokey and Rob and I had trouble breathing in there,so we made our excuses and went for a coffee after wandering around Selfridges for a while. I love that store, so many interesting things especially the Alessi counter, very expensive and some of the thingsare lovely but sometimes not altogether useful.We were supposed to meet up with Jay and Helen at eight so we wandered down to All bar one in New Hall st. Of course no one except us were on time but they eventually joined us and then later Stu and Denise. We talked and laughed and it was altogether a really good evening. The rain was stupendous so we all had to get taxis to our various destinations, late,tired but still smiling.

saturday afternoon

Here in Birmingham Apple store just thought I would have a go on the lovely Apple imac, wondering whether I should buy one!Here is me with my lovely boys and Denise Stu's girlfriend.

The Book I'm Reading

This book was raved about by Judy Finnegan of Richard and Judy fame so I thought I would give it a try when my dear friend Mary gave me a book token as a birthday present. Its about the first visit by Sigmund Freud to New York in 1909. It might not sound interesting but I can assure you it's a brilliant read.

saturday

This is my first attempt I never realised blogging could be interesting until my clever son showed me what I could do on it.
Now I shall bore everyone with my life story which began during an air raid in March 1941,weighing in at a healthy 6lbs 7ozs, I was the first child of Sidney Cooke and Queenie Victoria (yes that was really her name) Cooke.
The family lived in Dudley, Worcestershire, now the West Midlands Mother, father and maternal grandparents Lydia and Charles Benjamin Hampshire. The war had started in 1939 and dad was expecting call up soon but by the time he was mom was expecting again.

To be continued....