Sorting Saturday – Keys…..but much more?

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Julie Goucher
This random gathering of keys represents bits of our lives, both as single individuals and as a couple. I came across the pot of miscellaneous keys at the back of one of the cupboards in the breakfast room this morning. When we married we put all the keys together in a pot, not current keys, but ones we thought we perhaps should keep just incase. We have lived in this house 14 years and over the years have added to the box, but do we know what the keys belong to? It is anyone’s guess., although I have a few ideas for some of the keys.

Keys....,,

It made me think though, as individuals or couples we accumulate and gather a whole host of stuff, things we keep because they mean something to us, but perhaps not to other people. Our ancestors did it and perhaps we have inherited their collection of “stuff” and we now wonder just what that pile of bits meant to them. Perhaps we will leave a collection of things to our descendants or inheritants that are a total mystery. Every little thing our lives touch means something. Food for though…….

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Advent Calender 2010- Outdoor Decorations

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Julie Goucher

I am not a fan of outside decorations, but Stuart is. He loves the whole Christmas thing – music on the radio, CDs, decorations, foods and I guess cards, as long as he isn’t is writing them! Last year was the first year we had an outside decoration. Even I have to say it, they were some subtle while ice lights that dripped down from the second floor windows. Alas they did not survive the untypical harsh winter and returned to the shop for a refund. We have since then replaced them with a more sturdy set ready for this Christmas but they are not up yet, but I know Stuart is getting itchy to get the tree and decorations up.

As I said in an earlier post we have a small outside tree with some suitable lights they are not up yet either, but as soon as I do there will be photos!

Back in 1996 we spent Christmas in far warmer climes; in NSW Australia with family. The street lights and decorations put on by residents in one street, Athol Street in Wagga Wagga was very impressive. I am not sure if I took photos, but I will see if there are any, there were certainly LOTS of photos of the trip and if I find one of all the Christmas lights & decorations I’ll upload it.

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Advent Calendar 2010 – Christmas Cards

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Julie Goucher

I remember both my Mum and Grandmother sending cards, but not how many or what happened to them. I have a few old cards, perhaps the last one received from a particular relative, or those with a photograph or letter. Any that my Grandmother received I now have. Currently they are in a box packed away in a box awaiting scanning and archiving. I can’t really remember where they were displayed, I suspect the mantlepiece as that is where I have mine and on the dresser and other furniture in our lounge.

I probably started sending cards when I as about 12 or 13. Mainly to school friends, but when I left home and then subsequently married to family members. In many cases a Christmas card is the only contact we have, which is a shame.

When we first set up home together and started sending cards as a couple I asked for Stuart’s card list. He looked at me blankly and said he only sent about 6 cards, I was amazed, that meant the other 60 odd were mine! Since then I have written all the cards and letters and Stuart’s list has not really got any bigger. My list has reduced a little bit, but not by much. Even people that I communicate with online these days still get a card in the post and they get an additional email.
I keep the email letters and file these with letters I recieve, along with any letters and cards that arrive in the mail.

I usually aim to send my cards out early December, but each year I seem to get later and later. The overseas ones always go first. I can always predict which card I receive first and sure enough my cousin and her husband’s card arrived on Wednesday as predicited!

At the end of the 1980s I bought a card booklet, with the details of card and present and address. The book was set up for about 10 years. At the end of the 10 years I looked around for another book similar but no one seems to sell them anymore, so I have a bit of paper in my Christmas card box and each year tick or highlight in a pen to say that I sent the card. I really should find a better way of recording it, but somehow the scrappy bit of paper is likeable. I usually buy Charity cards apart from ones that I send to close relatives. I tend to go for the Charities whose good cause has touched our family life, mainly Cancer Research as many of my family have suffered in this way.

This following is a photograph of my Great Grandmother, Annie Prudience Butcher nee Harris,which was sent as her Christmas Card in 1955.The picture was taken in Guildford Surrey England in the prefab house the family lived in after the War.

I already had the photo scanned but not the card, which I must do and will reload the picture then. The photo was certainly sent to her children, I have my Grandfather’s copy George Butcher (1908-1974) and I know of at least one cousin who has his father’s copy. Do you have a copy in your photo collection? If so please get in touch.

Annie Prudience Butcher nee Harris 1955

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Advent Calendar 2010 – Christmas Tree Ornaments

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Julie Goucher

The collection of tree ornaments we have are ones that we bought from our first Christmas together. There are others that were given to us by my Mum and each year Stuart and I buy at least one ornament to keep the tradition going. We tend to go for the reds and golds but there are some others that have special meanings to us, such as a Spode china Millenium bauble which always has pride of place, and a gold bell which has a picture of a Border Terrier on the side,which we bought the first Christmas we lost our lovely Monty in 2008.

We also have a lovely set of the Lilliput Lane tree decorations as Stuart collections the lovely houses, and especially the snowy and wintery ones.

The decorations that we had as when I was a child are still with my Mum. The original fairy which I mentioned earlier this week is still in the family. I think Mum has it and she thinks I have it, and we won’t know until we both put our trees up and find it! – Photos though as soon as I do. As a child we used to have chocolate ornaments on the tree which I was never allowed to have until Christmas Eve, and even then, only one. Now I don’t have them as we have our current Border Terrier, Alfie just incase he is tempted by the chocolate.

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Advent Calendar 2010 – Holiday Foods

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Julie Goucher

My Grandmother always used to buy hamper coupons from the Unigate milkman, I don’t know if she received any special discount as my Grandfather had worked for them up until he retired, but she always had the coupons and then exchanged them a week or so before Christmas for a hamper. There was always lovely boxes of chocolates, biscuits, tins of ham and deserts and a shop made Christmas pudding. I am sure that there may have been a bottle of Sherry in the hamper, even though my Grandmother was not able to drink alcohol. There was also some lemonade and dilutable juices – like Robinsons, and some fruit.

Even though we had the hamper there was also other bits bought or made. The Christmas cake, and Christmas Puddings were both home made, a delicious joint of gammon that was cooked on the stove on Christmas Eve to be consumed for Christmas Day teatime, a tin of Victoria biscuits made by McVitie’s

We always had Turkey for Christmas Day along with the trimmings. On Boxing Day the usual lunch meal was bubble and Squeak with either the Turkey cold or made into Rissoles. I still have the mincer that my Grandmother used and I still do some of things that we did when I was a child, and those special moments live on for another generation.

Mum makes the most lovely rum truffles, with the proper stuff, not the cheap essence.

Every year, this rather tatty extract from a Woman’s Realm Mag appears. I had chance to have a proper glance at it. The receipe is from The Archer’s Country Cookbook by Martha Woodford published in 1977.

I can certainly vouch for the truffles!

4oz dark cooking chocolate
4oz icing sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 tablespoons double cream
2 tablespoons rum
chocolate vermicelli

Melt the chocolate over a basin of hot water. Beat in the icing sugar,egg yolk,almonds,cream and rum and pound altogether until mixture is smooth, and form into little balls. Roll each truffle in a little vermicelli and coat it.

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Advent Calendar 2010 – The Christmas Tree

Posted on December 1, 2010 by Julie Goucher

As a child we always had an artificial Christmas tree I think, usually a traditional styled green one with pretty coloured fairy lights and the fairy that my Grandparents used to put on their tree.

When I married we purchased a lovely and different artifical white tree which we got from the department store here in the UK called Alders, they have since gone under, but the tree lives on, albeit, in the loft.

Our current tree is also artificial, a beautiful green one, with a hit of snow and built in lights, nice and tall, well taller than me! – Its about six foot. My hubby is the usual tree decorator in this house, I find it a bit of a performance; I am not known for lots of patience! I would really love a real tree, but we don’t mainly because of mess and because they are not terribly pet friendly!

BUT, outside, on the edge of our path leading to the house we have a medium size planter situated on the end pillar. There did use to be a leaping salmon until it disappeared, despite us not living in a dubious area, anyway after spending over a year looking for a replacement fish, and failing we decided on the planter. That spent a few months empty then last Christmas we saw in the local garden centre a miniture Blue Spruz and thought why not? It sat in the planter, undecorated last year as we were not able to find suitable lights for it, but this year, well wait and see (photo as soon as the lights on and the indoor tree is up).

Uploaded 21st Dec photo of the indoor tree, once again decorated by hubby!
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Start of the Advent Calendar of Christmas

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Julie Goucher

Starting tomorrow I shall be keeping an online Advent Calendar of Christmas as “advertised” on Geneabloggers – here are the prompts:

December 1 – The Christmas Tree

December 2 – Holiday Foods

December 3 – Christmas Tree Ornaments

December 4 – Christmas Cards

December 5 – Outdoor Decorations

December 6 – Santa Claus

December 7 – Holiday Parties

December 8 – Christmas Cookies

December 9 – Grab Bag

December 10 – Christmas Gifts

December 11 – Other Traditions

December 12 – Charitable/Volunteer Work

December 13 – Holiday Travel

December 14 – Fruitcake – Friend or Foe?

December 15 – The Holiday Happenings!

December 16 – Christmas at School

December 17 – Grab Bag

December 18 – Christmas Stockings

December 19 – Christmas Shopping

December 20 – Religious Services

December 21 – Christmas Music

December 22 – Christmas and Deceased Relatives

December 23 – Christmas Sweetheart Memories

December 24 – Christmas Eve

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Swans on the Wey

Posted on November 29, 2010 by Julie Goucher

I periodically do a Google search with the words Swans on the Wey to see what it displays. Usually I get a whole pile of entrys which reflect each of the words individually, even with the phrase in quotes, but today, I stuck almost lucky.

I stumbled across a lovely painting at a Blog called Don’s Adventures
and I simply has to post a comment on that Blog.

The painting,of two graceful swans on the River Wey in Surrey England reminds me of a painting that I saw in an art gallary in the shopping centre in Sutton (Surrey). My Grandmother died in April 1995 and it was just after this that I saw the painting. I was enthralled with it. I had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that I “wanted that painting”. The shop was closing so I was unable to go in. Thinking that I was “safe” I left it to the next day.

I went back the next day to find the painting had left the window, I hoped it has been moved, but alas sold and taken by the new owners. I felt almost distraught for a paining that I could never own. I wish I knew who the artist was, but alas all I can remember was the title Swans on the Wey, which was perfect as I have lots of memories of my beloved Grandmother feeding the Swans on the River Wey which was at the end of her garden.

Thanks go to Don for sharing such a lovely picture and bringing to life some lovely and treasured memories.

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Who was Rani Maharaj Singh?

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Julie Goucher

As I said in an earlier post I managed to photograph some images that were originally camcordered back in 1993. This is two of those images.

These photo shows my later Father in Law, Derek Goucher’s first cousin Florence Ramage nee Worship along with someone called Rani Maharaj Singh. I had known from stories told to me that Florence and her husband John had spent some time in India, and there are photos to confirm that. They clearly moved in the Indian Society circles of the times – which would have been the early to mid 1950s, so just after Independence from the “British Empire”

So who was Rani Maharaj Singh? The photographs were taken to commemorate the YMCA Carnival in 1953

Florence Ramage nee Worship

Florence Ramage nee Worship

Rani Maharaj Singh was the wife of the first Indian Governor of Bombay (1948 – 1952), the Honorable Raja Maharaj Singh. In 1949 She led Bombay’s City Council for child welfare with funds that had been pledged by UNESCO.

In 1952 Rani Maharaj Singh is mentioned in the Day books of Eleanor Roosevelt. With the entry for 11th March 1952 reading “…..We returned on time for a luncheon given by the Governor and Her Excellency, Rani Maharaj Singh. It has been a great joy to have Mrs. Pandit here, for she is the most thoughtful hostess imaginable………”

So it would appear that Rani Maharah Singh held quite a place in the history of India and it really is quite interesting how she came to meet Florence Ramage, perhaps at a fund raising event.

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Goucher Video / DVD

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Julie Goucher

Back in 1993 we had the opportunity to video a selection of material that my father in law had of his family.

We recorded the material initially on a camcorder tape then transfered it to Video and more recently to DVD. I have now managed to photograph the photographic images using my iPhone. Now the images are OK, not brilliant, but OK and at least I can work with them. It was a nice couple of hours having a look at the material. There was information that I had forgotten we had. Which just shows it is good to go back to basics once in a while.

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