City Forefathers

On my walk around Sheffield on Sunday morning, I tried to find things that I have not seen before, so first I looked up - and saw a plaque for John Brown. I had heard of John Brown and some of the companies he started but I never realised his fascinating history. The city has many of these plaques that I have never even noticed before, so I shall endeavour to learn more about the great people who made our city. This one was on the wall outside of Waterstones in Orchard Square.

Then I looked down - and discovered this in the pavement on the top of the main shopping street - Fargate. I must have walked over this loads of times. I had never heard of Percy Riley, so I tried to find something about him on the internet. I struggled, but I did find THIS PIECE that explains what Tenants Leaders did in South Yorkshire. If you have time to read the full document, its fascinating - and also seems to tie everything together that I have seen and done this week - from going to see The Iron Lady, to understanding what the Occupy Sheffield site is all about. As I get older, the more I realise that I am living "through" history and the history that has occurred over my life time, especially around where I live has started to fascinate me more and more.

Percy Riley sounds like he he was a good man with a fire in his belly. Does anybody know anything about him?

No more Mrs Nice Guy

We in Sheffield have been horrified lately by the news that the Sheffield Museums have lost all of their Arts Council funding. This is on top of losing a fair bit of council funding also. The more I look into this, the more it makes my blood boil. When I clicked onto the website for the Arts Council Yorkshire region and clicked onto each board member, none of them represent South Yorkshire. Plenty from Leeds and others from West Yorkshire, some from East Yorkshire and some from North Yorkshire - so South Yorkshire does not seem to be fairly represented from the start!

We are used to being sold down the river in South Yorkshire. We get the rug pulled from under our feet on a regular basis, but we don't go down without a fight. A mass picnic is being organised around the millenium galleries by a certain faction of the South Yorkshire Popular Front so I'll let you have more details of this as and when I have more info. I hope to see you there if you are local, and if you can help in any way shape or form - please do. I love a Sunday morning at the museum and if we don't make a stand and use them, then I'm afraid we will lose them.

Occupy Sheffield

I treated myself to a wander around Sheffield on a cold and frosty Sunday morning. I stepped off the tram at the Cathedral and decided to take a good look around the "Occupy Sheffield" camp site. I don't think that they are sleeping at night in the tents, I certainly hope not as it was well below 0 degrees. It is a peaceful protest with no drink or drugs allowed on the site. Its a very sad of affairs that because they are protesting peacefully that the impact of their message has not been as punchy as it ought to be.

Being a crafter, I admired their handy work,
and also the fabrics they used.
And I have to admit that I didn't disagree with any of their messages either.
especially this one!!!!!!

Recent Movies

Hubby and I have had date night at the cinema recently. The first film we saw was Warhorse. I know that this gets rave reviews everywhere (except over on John - Going Gently's blog!), and I have to say that I really liked it. It is a bit "overblown" and there are some actors that don't get very good lines, but the film overall is very watchable - one part made me cry, but it was nothing to do with the horse! Its a long film, but time goes by quickly as there is always something happening. I would recommend it.

The second film we saw I really loved. The Iron Lady is the story of Margaret Thatcher - the woman. Love her or loathe her, the film is great with brilliant acting from Meryl Streep, who I forgot on occasion was not actually MT! She did have some really tough decisions to make and to give her her due, she never shied away from making them. She was without a doubt "driven" . Jim Broadbent plays a superb Dennis, but then Jim Broadbent always plays everything superbly.

What really struck me throughout the film about the 1970's and early 80's was how tough and pretty dire life was in Britain. Strikes, 3 day weeks, the power going off, the rubbish piling up in London, The IRA bombings on a regular basis - but I can't remember people moaning about things like they do these days, and I can't remember ever feeling badly done by either.

Spotted

With a million and one household chores waiting to be done, I decided that because the weather looked fine, I should make the most of it, and also drag the teenager out as he is in danger of getting Vitamin D deficiency from never leaving his room! (only to attend college and parties!)

He only grunts at me when he is in the house, but when we walk together he talks my ears off! Ive learned all about environmental issues and polar ice melts today.

We spotted plenty of blue sky today,
And very early daffodils sprouting - unheard of in January round these parts. Get ready to jump in the car at a moments notice Rosie!!
We spotted this very unusual car,
with its terrifying passenger!
We spotted clumps of snowdrops,
and old blacksmiths forge
pretty little gatehouse,
parkland
and very pretty cottages.
I'd purposely stayed close to home as he is doing 2 parties today - the 1st one at 5pm - a murder mystery, and the 2nd one a bit later at someones house (some parents are barmy!). I was required for taxi duty, so I basically hung around all day - only to be told as he dashed out of the house at 4.30pm that he had got another lift!

But tomorrow is all mine! and I have a few options up my sleeve.

The light at the end of the tunnel

I'm not a January person. I hate wishing my time away, but I'm glad its almost over. However one of the aspects about the month that I like is that the day light hours get measurably longer. After work, I now get about an hour and a half of daylight to play with.

So on my way home on Thursday I called for a walk around the grounds at the garden centre.
The fresh air, exercise and injection of colour perked me up no end.


And Mother Nature finished my stroll with a light show of her own.

It was the best one and a half hours of my day.

Vintage Tag Tuesday (on Thursday!)

Here is my attempt at a vintage tag for TAG TUESDAY

Made with items from my Mama's (Grandma's) button box. I love the way nothing was ever thrown away (note the old hooks from a pink bra!) - this must be where I get it from!