Eternal Refuge

This weeks prompt at photo_scavenger was half, and a colleague of mine gave me the idea. She asked me for the recipe for ANZAC biscuits (one I can quote), and I started off by saying "a quarter of a pond of flour" - and she asked for a translation, saying she hadn't been around that many centuries (cheek!!!!). Anyway, it gave me the idea -


However it also reminded me of the verses I had to learn when I was at school, and, of course, at the time I was learning these I was doing maths with "pounds, shillings & pence (for those who don't know - 12 pence in a shilling, 20 shillings in a pound)

12 inches in a foot
3 feet in a yard
5 1/2 yards in a rod/pole/perch
22 yards in a chain
10 chains in a furlong
8 furlongs in a mile
5280 feet, 1760 yards or 80 chains in a mile

16 ounces in a pound
14 pounds in a stone
112 pounds in a hundredweight
2240 pounds in a ton

5 fluid ounces in a gill, ¼ pint
4 gills, 20 fluid ounces in a pint
8 pints in a gallon

Anyway, this will either bring back memories or confuse

Happy Sunday everyone

12 What subject were you worse at at school?

LOL - on a day when I post art work, there are 2 answers to the question. My second worse subject was art. For one thing I am colourblind, which teachers found weird (in a day when our main medium was the basic 5 paint colours and a mixing palette), however, my art teacher also said that I found it impossible to draw a straight line, even using a ruler!

However, my worst subject, by far, which I actually had a teacher refuse to have me in her class I was so bad, was English.

So, yet again, I have to thank BtVS, Spike, Spuffy, and ultimately James for getting me writing, yes my first way to LJ was in writing an alternate end to BtVS, and ... as they say ... the rest is history. Sorry, Miss Bodmin, but I do enjoy writing (even if it's ages since I have done any.

Yep, English and Art teachers go and look at my 2 other journals, d4s_icons and d4s_fic

When I was 11, until I was 18 I did sports 3 ties a week, plus learnt Judo .... and never once did I ever manage ONE press-up.

Today at gym I went to a core-class and did 40 second "plank", then a 10 second gap, before doing the same, with lifting one leg and holding for 5 seconds, then the other leg, then an arm, then the other .... and again.

Yay - high-5 Deborah ... Truly happy with yself.

As you can possibly guess I'm not at work today - waiting to go back to the doctor ... I have an infection in a Wisdom tooth (started yesterday) and I'm on anti-biotics ... but just need stronger pain-killers, as the ones I have are not touching it!

Oh well, I can honestly say it's something new!

My Monday was spent at work ... and weirdly as I arrived the CD was already playing (they tend to have an assortment of "general" tracks) ... but this week I had to laugh as the first track I heard was a blast from the past - The Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays



For some I know it will bring back sad memories ... but for me January 1979 was when I was taking my mock A level exams.

Also, on Monday, I proved a lot of people wrong. Everyone who knows me says I can't catch ... well, I caught a person!! A medical student, was in a clinic, came out of the room a bit wobbly. The receptionist saw her behind me, called my name and I caught her to take her down to the ground so her head landed in my arms ... so, yay, I can catch!!

My Bible reading continues, and today took me to Psalm 46 ... which in turn, took me to The Dambusters March.

Whether you are a Pacifist, or not, The Dambusters "happened" ... and were an amazing boost to moral at the time (just ask my Dad!) ... when the film was made, again a brillaint film, with Richard Todd as Guy Gibson VC, and a brilliant March was written by Eric Coates.  We are opening the 2nd half of our September concert with this, btw.

For me it also brings backa  great school memory ... I first heard this piece played ona  piano when I was 11, by a boy called Ian.  He couldn't read music, and only ever learnt one piece of music ... this.  It is one of those stories that is hard to believe, but is true.

So, sit back and enjoy a great piece of music -




May all those who have died (or continue to suffer) for the cause of freedom receive peace ... Never forgotten.

( Psalm 46 (King James Version) )
Back in the 1970's I lived in Essex, and for a short time attended a Church at Harold Wood, where Richard Bewes was the vicar (he's now at All Soul's Langham Place) ... during that time, he wrote a few hymns ... one of which isGod is our Strength and Refuge ... to the central part of the tune of The Dambusters March.

At our concert in September, Bude Orchestra is playing the version as in the top You Tube, but we are having a soloist to sing the hymn ... It's below the cut if you want to know what I'm talking about.

( God is our Strength and Refuge )


I hoped you enjoyed a trip into my memories, a great tune, another lovely Psalm ... and the combination, turned into a hymn.

And so I continue with my Picture Meme that I snagged from hell0kittyangel ...

Day 1 — Your Best Friend ... Toni
Day 2 — Your crush ... James Marsters
Day 3 — Your Parents ... Mum and Dad
Day 4 — Your sibling ... Nick & Tim
Day 5 — Your dreams ... here
Day 6 — A Stranger ... here
Day 7 — Your Ex-boyfriend/girlfriend/love/crush ... N/A
Day 8 — Your favorite internet friend ... Annemarie (& Stefan)
Day 9 — Someone you wish you could meet ... The Queen & Prince Philip ... and James, of course
Day 10 — Someone you don’t talk to as much as you’d like to ... College
Day 11 — A Deceased person you wish you could talk to ... My Grandparents

Day 12 — The person you hate most/caused you a lot of pain

I don't actually hate anyone ... and that is honest.  However for my last 2 years of junior school and my 7 years at senior school I was a victim of bullying.  Those scars linger ... no, I don't have marks on my body, just on my heart - my reactions to people, my isolation ... many things.  Over the last couple of years I have managed to accept that those feeling will always be there - that's not to say I don't feel sad when I think of them, but have learnt that I have some amazing friends around the world who don't care what my faith is, that I wear glasses ... or that I'm close to my family ... Thank you.

However I am very proud of the school I attended.

 

The Coopers half was started in 1536 (and the year we moved to the West Country Tim and I attended a service of 450 years celebration in St Pauls Cathedral ... that was a special time.  Coborn was the younger schooll having been founded in 1701.   I started there in 1972, and when I started the school was in the process of moving to Upminster ... and was pleased to be involved in the opening celebrations.  If you want to read more, then you can go to their website

The Coopers Company Crest ... A livery Company Crest that I am entitled to still wear.

 

The Coborn School Crest ... our year was the last year to wear this, as the school fully amalgamated in 1973, and only The Coopers Crest was worn after that.

 


( Pictures still to post )

   

   

 

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Yes - before I was 11 I went to 5 schools!!!

Flintmountain Primary School, Flint, Wales
I went there for a term and a half - it was a bilingual school (although I never learnt much ... and have forgotten it all) and our teacher was in her 80s!!

Branfill Infants School, Upminster, Essex
I went here for the rest of that school year.  However the reading they were doing was in ITA and as they had no maths lessons, I had some during play time so I could maintain what I already knew!  So Mum and Dad sent me to a Private School -

Butts Green Infants School, Hornchurch, Essex
I was only here for 1 year as that is as old I you could be - but I have some good memories of this place - including a brilliant Easter Egg Hunt ... the only one I have ever been on.

Goodrington School, Hornchurch
... and another private school ... and huge happy memories.  I loved being here, but it was too expensive for Mum and dad to afford more than me, so at 9 I left to go to

Upminster Junior Schhol, Upminster
I have great memories of the education here - really good stuff, and 2 great teachers ... but this is where the bullying started ... and followed me to ..

The Cooper's Company and Coborn School, Upminster.
An amazing school with a livery company heritage.  Again, the education was brilliant - very stict uniform and attendance rules until I left at 18 ... but a brilliant place.   Just afetr we had all left, Tim and I went to St Paul's cathedral to attend the 450th anniversary celebrations.

Back in 2008 I posted this picture of myself, that was taken in 1983 - But, today I am also going to post a picture that was taken (slightly) before then -

Two Months old -



3 Years old



My first school photo - Branfill school, Upminster, June 1967, aged 6 (just)

For those of you who don't know what I mean:-

So, I dared jaded_jamie to ask me 5 questions - they, and their answers are behind the cut.

One thisng I will say, Jamie, is that you have asked me the most difficult question I have ever been asked on any meme.... They were all interesting and a couple have made me think - but one has been pretty impossible to come out with an answer for ....

So, if you want to see what Jamie asked -


( About hymns, James, work, school and Dr Who ... and what I answered ... then click here! )