Kitty Trip

My youngest daughter came over from her home in the Netherlands to lend a hand – and check her sisters were looking after me properly. They were, and are.

On her last day we decided upon a little local treat for her. A trip on the Basingstoke Canal. Well, she lives in Holland and we thought she’d like the canal experience.

As I wrote on this page for 8 August, the trip-boat, Kitty, runs from close to the town centre by WWF, and the coffee shop boat is only a stone’s throw away, convenient for grabbing a coffee before the trip.

The Basingstoke Canal Society which runs these, and other trips, on the canal says you are welcome to take a picnic. We didn’t take a picnic but did pop along to the coffee boat for refreshments before embarking.

There was another couple on board and a pair of grandparents with two delightful granddaughters as we went downstream to beyond Sheerwater. It was a beautiful day and the heron showed himself off to the best advantage, standing straight and still – “they'll never notice me here!” – until he decided to show off his almost serpentine neck and have a bit of a wriggle.

There were mallards aplenty and swans: a pen and cob with their large family of cygnets had tucked themselves into a bay, almost out of sight, but on our return journey, as soon as they spotted us, they deliberately herded the whole family at right angles across the canal in front of us, as though challenging us as to whether Kitty or swans had right of way. Evidently swans have right of way, and it was duly given to them. There were sightings of kingfishers, though not by me.

Through the trees can be seen the Peace Garden and because of that sighting we visited that evening.

We had heard that after sunset the water in the garden is illuminated and some of the family had seen it, so I was anxious to have a look. No lighting was on though the magnificent hydrangeas which, pink and blue in torchlight, were a glowing white in starlight.

Only slightly disappointed we closed the gates and returned home.

Dramatic Pause

If we did but realise it, most of us have performed in some sort of am-dram – amateur dramatics – even if only as the second sheep in the school nativity play. Indeed much am-dram has its roots in religious stories with the mummers presenting Bible stories especially at Christmas, though St George and the dragon are not easily found in the Gospels. They told stories to those who were unable to read for themselves.

Nowadays am-dram performances are certainly not confined to Christmastime with many societies putting on productions throughout the year. And many of them are extremely good. Who now remembers those plays put on at the old Boys' Grammar School in Woking, with boys taking all the parts – usually, but not always, Shakespearean plays?

Indeed at one time they were considered so good that reviews of their work appeared in the national dailies.

He's Behind You! is the title of an exhibition on the subject of amateur dramatics in Send and Ripley to be viewed until 7 December, every Saturday morning from 10am until noon at the museum behind the new Ripley Victory House in the High Street: GU23 6AF. Or you may make an appointment by calling Clare on 01483 728546.

The little museum is worth a visit. It is part of the Send and Ripley History Society. It was once a NatWest bank and you can see it on the move on their website The Bank Job.

There are new exhibitions every three months which are open from 10am to noon every Saturday, and on Sundays to coincide with the antiques fair. The exhibitions are varied but have a local bias – recently they have featured Ada Lovelace and her family and also showcased the truly remarkable Gordon Stewart and his Great Danes. There is free parking nearby and wheelchair access.

The exhibition explores some of the origins of amateur dramatics such as mystery plays, and mummers’ plays as well as the origin of pantomime. The Send Amateur Dramatic Society, known as SADS, has been going strong since the 1950s and the Ripley Panto will celebrate its 50th  anniversary next year.

There is also a chance for children aged 5-11 to join Wheels of Time https://surrey.wheelsoftime.uk/ and start collecting badges from participating museums, of which Ripley is one. There are 12 museums and heritage venues taking part in the 2024 Wheels of Time scheme across Surrey.

Each participating venue has a unique badge for children to collect when visiting the sites. There's a Special Awards Badge be collected along the way.

Encore!

Last Saturday saw the celebrations of Brookwood Cemetery’s 170th anniversary and as part of the Heritage Open Days weekend all were made welcome.

Despite having been there for over 170 years there are still people amazed at the sight of it – and it has been improved of late – and people who have lived in this area for many years but never visited the cemetery until last weekend.

Some visitors may have joined the informal walks led by members of the Brookwood Cemetery Society.

That society has recommenced its regular monthly walks around the site and, now we are in autumn, the walks start on Sundays at 1pm, meeting at the Lodge just inside the gates at the Glades of Remembrance entrance off Cemetery Pales.

On Sunday 6 October, there will be three walks starting at the same time. With a walk entitled Pre Raphaelite Artists, Jenny Mukerji will paint you a picture of the lives and works of those inspirational artists.

On the same day, Alison Vince will guide visitors around the resting places of a group of privileged gentry to learn about how their backgrounds shaped their lives with a walk entitled Toffs Part 2.

The third walk of the day will be led by Kim Lowe: Locals and Local Businesses will focus on some of the local family businesses and local notables.

Booking is essential: average group size 15 to 20 people depending on bookings which may be done by e-mail – [email protected] or mobile 07714 289375. A donation of £6.50 per person includes refreshments afterwards at the Lodge.

Just a Little Scratch

I have been hearing those words frequently of late. It is not a little scratch for the needle goes in quite easily and does not scratch.

Luckily, injections do not worry me, but I know that many people are not just worried but borderline frightened. And it seems to affect men more than women.

Why? I asked one of the “little scratch” nurses and she agreed that she has more problems with men disliking – to put it mildly – needles than she does with women. She said she’d had two men that very day who had just said words to the effect of “Just jab it in and get it over with”.

I wonder if men are more ready to see themselves as participants in one of the horror films they watch in which some evil woman pumps their arm full of venom – as so graphically illustrated on the pages of comic books – and they lose all self-control and are enslaved by the evil being.

One reason suggested for trypanophobia – the overwhelming, extreme fear of medical procedures that involve needles and sometimes referred to as aichmophobia – is past experience.

But their earliest experience of needles would have been immunisation with a friendly medic and an even more friendly parent holding their hand. So I reckon it is “no” to past experience. Anyway, girls would have had that same experience.

Another suggestion takes “past experience” way, way back – to hunting giant mammals for the table. If you are running around with sharp spears and knives, do you wince when stabbing dinner? Do you think “I bet that hurt!” and decide to be extra careful how you handle sharp pointy things?

Is it simply the fear of pain? Would it be preferable if there was no announcement of the forthcoming “little scratch”? Would it be better to just “jab it in”?

Add Nausea

My diet has changed considerably. My appetite has lessened and so I am eating little and often, as advised by the medics.

My instructions on diet, supplied by the hospital, seemed at first all wrong. Between-meal snacks are advised. Desserts after meals are recommended. Low fat and diet food are a no-no. Convenience foods are good as they save time and energy in preparation.

Many of the menu suggestions include grated cheese, which suits me. There are several ideas for soups and my son-in-law cooks up a really good bone broth for me. There are additions for soups, mainly being cheese and cream and diced grilled bacon and sugar, jam, and honey added to my porridge. Lots of milkshakes and smoothies. I should add extra fats – butter, spreads, oils and mayonnaise, to various dishes.

Of vegetables I am told that though an important source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre they are very low in energy and not useful on their own when you have a small appetite. So straight on to pudding and leave the leaves.

Then there is a list of snacks to eat. Now apart from a biscuit with my morning coffee and, perhaps, something at tea time I am not a snack person. But now chocolate, trifles and cheesecakes are off the no-no list and on to the yes-yes list. Who would have thought that millionaire shortbread would be listed as good for me? Tasty for me, yes, but now it is on the good list.

Listen to your body, they tell me. My tummy speaks on behalf of my body and is rather vocal. Embarrassingly so at times. Demanding a nice bit of naughty chocolate or whatever.

I am now to clean my teeth, with toothpaste and a soft brush, four times daily after each meal and at bedtime. And rinse after brushing – not what the dentist tells me about keeping the toothpaste on the teeth. After all that chocolate the brushing is obviously a good thing.

But to get the balance of all that diet. I recently had a very bad night, suffering from nausea. This is predicted, or I would not have been issued with anti-nausea pills. But I was all maxed out on them. For some reason things were easier if I had the bedroom light on.

My daughter, alerted by the light, checked on me. She worked at sea for some 17 years and so was not only checked out for life-saving skills, but more general problems. She wondered whether the light made it easier because my nausea sounded a bit like seasickness where you need to see the horizon to check your bearings. An interesting thought.

She brought in a night-light which we sometimes use when children are having a sleep over. The patterns it made on the ceiling took me back 80 years, in that same room, sharing my mother's bed – no central heating and father in the army. There was a free-standing oil stove and the top panel slid to allow in more or less air. And made similar patterns on the ceiling.

Whatever the reason, I did get to sleep – with the night-light patterns on the ceiling.