Eternal Refuge

Yesterday morning as I was waking up one of the questions that the radio show was asking, was about first gigs/concerts.  Most of you who know me know that James was my first one, although I had played in numerous orchestral & band concerts.

However my story is Mum

1944, she was just 16.  She lived in a village in Northamptonshire and within 5 miles of the village, there were 3 USAAF airdromes.  Well they had a concert at the closest one, and althugh her parents weren't pleased she decided to go - after all it was in daylight & free .... so that gave her an advantage.

So, yes, she went.  It was packed with the staff, and locals, as concerts during the war were good for moral, but also everyone knew who the performers were (that's why Mum wanted to go)

Well, have you guessed ...

Yes, it was the Glen Miller Band.  He memory of everything always mentioned the fact that between note the band chewed gum.

So, if you are going to have a "first", then Glen Miller is about as good as you get!!!!


Glenn Miller & The Army Air Force Band - "IN THE MOOD" - November 13, 1943
I had to share this piece as it's one of my favourites, and one when I was in a Band I always found hard to play!!


And this is a picture of her about a year later -

Well I survived 4 days before "crashing" again ... so took the day off, although sadly my immediate manager has insisted I am tested for Covid, so this afternoon I get the test and hope that it's a speedy answer.  I know it's just my CFS not wanting me to set an earlier alarm.  But these are the days we are all living in, and working in a hospital means the alert needs to be at 200%

The weather is not doing so well, although that means I don't have to water the tubs around the garden.  As mine is patio I have loads of assorted ones (no design, just colours), so that saves me a job!!

One advantage that I have done in in the last few weeks of feeling better is re-reading the full series of Anne of Green Gables.  So lovely to re-read the full set straight through.  It was especially nice as I read the books that had been Mum's, and most were gifts from her parents so it was lovely to read the inscriptions, as well.

Well I had better get on and get the housework done ... where do the hours go?

Hope you are having a good weekend x

Yay, I have managed to track down the next month's list, so am able to do question 1 .... complete with a photo!

1 What's your favourite flower?

I love roses ... and this one is very special -

and it smells as great as it looks.

This rose is very special, as it was Mum's favourite when she was a teenager. So, when she got married, her parents brought it with them on their first visit to their new home ... So for those who know their geography this first moved in 1953, from Northamptonshire, Essex, North Wales, back to Essex, North Cornwall, Torbay, and is now in Exeter


( And the rest of the month )

So, today was Day 1 of my 100 length swim for charity, and I ended up feeling very rough this afternoon ... so slept the time away, rather than starting my challenge. I decided that, rather than push myself today and then being ill or tired, I was going to "switch off" today. So I slept for 3 hours, and d feel a lot better.

I also need to catch up with my meme -

4 What's the best museum you've ever been to?

I truly love The British Museum and the V&A in London ... but even better is The Wallace Collection, also in London.

The Wallace Collection is a combination of rooms set as they were in the early 19th century, plus artwork (including some Canalleto's, which I love), and then museum cases .... of which they have the oldest complete horse armour.  So, for me, a great combination for everyone (and it's free).  I have been at least 4 times, and there is always something different to spot ... and they have a great coffee shop!

... to swim 100 lengths.

Guide Dogs (for the blind) is doing a May100 challenge, and as I need a challenge I am going to do this. I do support a puppy-in-training (the present one is called Fletcher) in Mum's memory. Watching her lose her sight was heart-breaking in the extreme, and this challenge is doubly special as it was her who taught me (and my brothers) to swim ... to begin with just in the sea around England when on holiday, and then occasionally at a swimming pool where Dad worked.

She kept swimming until she was 80, as she is in this photo taken in Rhodes of the two of us.



So, I am raising money as part of this challenge, as you can see here

On the same day that we went to Stanwick, we also went to Raunds, to see the Church, and hopefully the cemetery to see my other set of great-grandparents (however there was absolutely no parking there, so we just went to The Church) ....

My grandfather was born here in 1896, and christened in St Peter's Church .. so worth a visit!

( Visiting Raunds Church )

I grew up knowing about RAF Chelveston, as an American base during the war. Mum actually saw Glenn Miller there and it gave her a love of band music, that she passed on.

During the Second World War the airfield was occupied by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. It was given the USAAF designation Station 105.

In early 1942, Chelveston was turned over to the American Eighth Air Force. The first USAAF unit to occupy Chelveston was the 60th Troop Carrier Group. The 60th consisted of the 10th, 11th, 12th and 26th squadrons, equipped with 53 C-47 aircraft. On 9 August 1942, the 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) took up residence on the station. The 301st was assigned to the 1st Combat Wing at Brampton Grange. Its operational squadrons were the 32d, 352d, 353d, 354th and 415th Bomb Squadrons, each equipped with Boeing B-17F Flying Fortresses. USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Chelveston were:
442d Sub-Depot[2]
18th Weather Squadron
2d Station Complement Squadron
1059th Military Police Company
1632nd Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company
876th Chemical Company (Air Operations)
2030th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon
5th Mobile Training Unit
309th Medical Dispensary

During the war this, and 2 other airfields would circle over Stanwick, while getting into formation ... sadly 2 planes miss-timed on one occasion while Mum was outside, and almost killed by having her lungs collapsed by the force of the explosion. Someone saw her fall down, and came and thumped her on the back, which meant she took a deap breath in.

In 2007 a memorial was made to celebrate the American heritage( In memory of the USAAF )

90 years ago Mum arrived at this village, and to the day Jiffy and I were there.

Mum so wanted to live longer than her mother, who died on her 90th birthday, but was only 87.  So Jiffy and I are here for a couple of days, as we are hoping to visit Auntie Mary tomorrow.  We spent some time in the village, went into the Church (where Mum was christened), then to Grandma & Granddad's graves; then to Raunds, where Granddad was born, and again to the Church (which is under major repaires as the East wall was falling off!!)

Sadly, although I have my camera, I forgot the pc cable .. so other photos will have to wait.



We then went to Stanwick Lakes, where I bought a snack lunch and then had a good walk. This place "didn't exist" when Mum knew the village ... but some of the water was used for a local mill, where Mum also learnt to swim.

And so back to our hotel mid-afternoon. Poor Jiffy is exhausted, which is nice to see!!! I am also being a good girl, and not over-doing things.

Also, must catch up on the February Meme -

February 14 - Who do you love?

Well, I have to say Jiffy ... we are sharing a holiday together, after all.

February 15 - Who was your first celebrity crush?

I can't remember the order, as 2 were close together ... and I still like them both.

Cary Grant -


Steve McQueen -

When I was a teen, most of the girls in my class were either Robert Redford or Paul Newman fans ... trust me to be different!

I am (as aver) sorry that I (again) disappeared. The flu that started at the beginning of this month is still with me. I have spent the last 2 - 3 weeks sleeping. Over the last couple of days I have been able to stay awake during the day, so progress is being made; however I am still sleep a minimum of 12 hours overnight. Jiffy is happy to have me around, and as he loves sleeping he is quite happy to snooze the days away. I feel guilty about the work missing me, and I have missed a few birthdays here ... so all in all I have had a fuzzy time!!

On another note it is weird to think that it was 2 years ago today that Mum died. Can't believe that it's been that long, but as Brenda pointed out when she text me this morning, Mum is still very much alive in our hearts and minds.

I am not around much, but had spotted this meme that kazzy_cee and hobbituk have been doing. I liked the look of it, but have recently started too many memes only to abandon them. However manoah has done the whole thing today so thought I would also give it a go .....


( 70 questions and answers, more or less. )

39 - Put your iPod on shuffle and write down the first ten songs that pop up.

1. Pomp & Circumstance No 4


2. All that she wanted - James Marsters


3. Bad - James Marsters


4. Katie - James Marsters


5. Bless 'em all


6. Blocking Brainwaves - Ghost of the Robot


7. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen


8. Be Thou my vision


9. Long Tall Sally - Elvis Presley


10. Bye Bye, love - Everley Brothers

Honest. I didn't cheat 3 (4) are James Marsters.



40 - What were your highs and lows of the past year?

Obviously loosing Dad was the low point ... as was helping him to cope with loosing Mum and also his independence. Although I do have some good memories of some of those days.

So spending time with Dad was special ... as was my trip to London. I plan to go back to London in November again, and know I will see Dad again in Eternity.



The list of 365 questions can be found here

13 - What are you looking for from life?

I honestly don't know that there is anything.



14 - Who is the last people to tell you they loved you?

I don't know ... Mum used to say it to me all the time.



The list of 365 questions can be found here