Wind down your window

If you’ve ever been stopped by the constabulary in your car, you may well know the sign that they wish to speak to you, when they indicate that you should wind down your window, by drawing a circle at you with their index finger. You might be wise to comply. The way you wind it down is of course by pressing a button, so you don’t have the massive strain of winding it down yourself, the car does it for you. Window winders on cars went out years ago. One was in those days never in danger of catching one’s … Continue reading Wind down your window

A cup of tea

What could be more British, a drink from leaves grown in foreign lands served in a delicate cup, with saucer. Saucers these days are out of fashion, but were always used in the 1950s. No drips on the trousers in those heady days and always somewhere to ladle a drop out to cool it. I was given this cup and saucer, and a small plate, on the Coronation of our late Queen., it sits next to me on the window sill by my desk. Not to remind me of anything in particular or in commemoration, I’m not an ardent Royalist. … Continue reading A cup of tea

Is Yorkshire really that dour?

They claim up there that it’s God’s Own Country, a phrase I’ve hear used for other parts of our country, so what in God’s name makes them so dour, or are they? In a word: No. Like anyone, if you catch them on a bad day they can be grumpy and Yorkshire grumpiness can be slightly sharper than anywhere else, but I’ve found that in general they are very friendly and warm. A recent visit to see grandsons and by definition their parents who live there cemented this view. I don’t make the mistake of mistaking directness which they are … Continue reading Is Yorkshire really that dour?