Writers cramp! ©
  • JOHN AND MARGARET'S FRONT PAGE~~
  • Copyrights Explained
  • Blog~~Scribblings~Scrawlings and Scratchings
  • Words ~ Words ~ More Scribbles
  • Gardening Blog
  • General Blog
  • John's Poetry ~2013
  • Friday Flasher
  • Inspiration Monday
  • Poem-a-day November 2016
  • 750 WORDS Section Two
  • Untitled
This above all; to thine own self be true. 
William Shakespeare

WORKHOUSE TALES ~28 FEBRUARY 2016

29/2/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Image provided by Gressenhall Workhouse
WORKHOUSE TALES
by John Yeo

MR POTTS REPORT

    He started on the work gang I am associated with, Roger East, he called himself. A rough, dirty incredibly offensive fellow who would truck no nonsense from anyone. He worked hard, he played hard and he swore volubly and offensively at anyone who crossed him. I have heard tell he struck someone with a spade, severely injuring them, hence he had arrived at the workhouse on his release from prison.
     He was sadly uneducated and spoke in monosyllabic sentences. Yet the Guardians thought the world of him. He was second in charge of the institutional farm and by golly his clothes reeked of cow manure. A harsh hard man who worked alone in all weathers, a survivor, who lived hard and always slept alone on the floor of the dormitory in the clothes he stood up in.
      My colleague in the records office had no prior information on him whatsoever. He had been released from prison into the workhouse to get sustenance and all his earnings were squandered on drink. A legalised life sentence of interminable work with shelter provided. A permanent institutionalised inmate. A man who would be dismissed with no pension at the end of his working life or his working abilities.


ROGER EAST'S STORY


     I am Roger East from Norfolk in East Anglia.  It’s been a rough ten years since I left the army. I was a Signalman in the Royal Signals for two years. I got on well there. After I had completed my basic training. I was shipped off to fight in the Crimean war for a year, before I was hit in the leg by a sniper in the battle of Balaclava and returned home to a base job. At the end of two years I was discharged into civvy street, with a limp, wearing a standard demob suit and very little money. I got digs, but the money quickly ran out, and I found myself living by my wits. I drifted around doing odd jobs for a while, mainly on farms. My spare money went on drink in the local pubs, I enjoyed supping a few pints.  I got into a few scrapes over the next few months.  I would doss down where I could, sleeping in empty railway carriages in the goods yard, there were quite a few of us sleeping there, with nowhere else to go.
     Some nights a gang of youngsters began to jeer at the people sleeping in the carriages, and one old fellow was severely beaten. I carried my spade everywhere, then about a week later I was approached and the gang began to push me around. I picked up my spade and wrapped it around the head of the biggest lout, then I began swinging around at the rest of the gang. They ran for it carrying the injured leader with them, I never gave chase, I was too breathless to bother.
    The next night the police arrived and arrested me for assault. I was hauled into court and the magistrate sent me to prison for six months. I survived the rough violent days and nights in prison, the conditions were harsh and the days dragged by.
    As it became near my time for release, I was up before the Governor for an interview, there was another man in the office at the same time, who introduced himself as Mr Potts.

     “Well East, you will be leaving us soon. What are your plans? Where will you go?”  Asked the Governor.

    “I dunno yet, I will find work I suppose.” I said  

     “That’s not good enough East, I think you will be destitute and living on the streets of the parish. I am going to recommend you to be detained in the workhouse at Gressenhall, where you will work for food and shelter, until you have somewhere to go.”

      “I am not sure I like the sound of that Sir, but I will give it a try.” I replied helplessly, I knew there would be no sense in arguing.

      “Good! Mr Potts here is a Guardian from Gressenhall and he will look after you and escort you to your new home. I don’t want to see you back here again. Good luck to you!”

      “Thank you Sir.”  I responded with a great deal of apprehension.

     That’s how I finished up here in the “Spike, I can look after myself, but the conditions here are not much better than jail. The food is simple, basic bread and gruel, with beans for a treat. We are not allowed out at all and drink is strictly forbidden. I have been allocated a job on the farm and I look after the animals, lately I have been shunned by some of the other workers who say I smell of cow muck. I never worried about that as I don’t mix with people very well anyway. I was tricked by the Guardians who sent me to the sick bay, where I was forcibly scrubbed by three other workhouse inmates. I will deal with them individually later.
    I have been made second in command on the farm now and I can save a bit of the money I never see. I was able to get hold of some money from the office to buy soap and toothpaste, but my friend who visits the farm sneaked in some drink for me and I gave the money to him.
     I am not sure where I would go if I didn’t live here now, or what I would do. I have become a forgotten nobody, serving a legalised life sentence of interminable work, with shelter provided. A permanently institutionalised number. A man who will probably  be dismissed with nothing at the end of my working life or abilities.

Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

0 Comments

BIRD LIFE ON THE ALLOTMENTS ~ 11TH JULY 2015 ~ 750 WORDS

12/7/2015

0 Comments

 
 BIRD LIFE ON THE ALLOTMENTS ~ 11TH JULY 2015

  The cockerel was crowing loudly while the hens were fussing around him clucking and squawking and cleaning up what little scraps of food were available. The caged hens were a target for wild birds who found it so very easy to swoop down into the chicken runs to steal their food.
   Rooks were cawing in the treetops establishing there territorial boundaries. It was not unusual to see a small group of rooks, mobbing and attacking a much larger bird, such as a heron that had probably accidentally strayed too close to their rookery. 
   A group of four or five magpies, possibly a family group, were pecking around the weedy uncultivated field. The young were fully fledged and almost ready to fly forth and set up their own territories. Generally by this time the parent birds would have chased them away to fend for themselves. 
   There were several blackbirds flying around, mainly scavengers, stealing berries from the un-netted fruit bushes all over the allotments. Males, with their distinctive yellow bills, and the females with their plain brown plumage, for the most of these wonderful birds the breeding season is now over. The male blackbird is responsible for the superb melodic song usually heard early in the morning. The song is reputed to be a territorial call, announcing to the world there is a nest nearby and to stay away, or else.
   Then of course there are the smaller birds flying around, small sparrow-sized finches that dart into the forests made by raspberry canes, searching for spiders. A great variety of spiders that weave their webs between the canes hoping to catch some unwary flies that take shelter between the canes.
   Wood pigeons are everywhere, scavenging for anything  or everything edible. Sadly the pigeons are classed as public enemy No1. by the allotment holders, mainly due to  their appetite for fresh new grown vegetable leaves. One or two of the allotment holders have guns and  spend a lot of time taking pot-shots at these birds and killing them. There always seems to be enough pigeons to plug the gaps and replace their dead. I can't help thinking of the story of the now virtually extinct carrier pigeons. There were millions of these birds in existence until man came along and virtually wiped them out by hunting them down and killing them in huge numbers. 
    A flash of blue caught my eye as a normally very shy bird fled for cover when I approached the allotment gates. These beautifully marked birds are indeed very shy and it is very unusual to catch a glimpse of a jay at this time of the year. Jays are a woodland bird,  they usually come out of hiding in the Autumn when nuts and berries are coming into fruition. They have a reputation of being a very aggressive predator who will rob other birds nests of their eggs and young. 
    Very soon as summer merges into autumn the skies over our allotments will be full of flights or skeins of geese. Honking loudly and flying over in a V-shaped formation, a sight that is always wonderful to see and observe. This noisy incredible display is guaranteed to stop me working on the allotment as I gaze at their formation in wonder. There is always a leader of the flock at the very tip in the front of the skein. I often wonder how he is selected to lead, would it be by survival of the fittest? Or perhaps the oldest, most experienced goose takes the lead instinctively.
    There is usually a family of pheasants in residence, I often wonder why these large birds spend most of their lives on the ground. I suspect they hunt for food on the ground and it is far simpler to run for cover than take flight at the first sign of a threat. They do eventually take flight if the danger is a very real threat, flying swiftly off with an impatient call of alarm. The male bird always fills me with admiration for his colourful plumage. I will never understand the blood-lust of hunters who go out of their way to shoot and kill such  beautiful creatures. I guess it is a relic of times long gone by when ladies would wear the colourful feathers in their hats.
  When autumn has passed and we are in the depths of another cold winter, the little robin red-breast will become much more noticeable hunting and scavenging for food during the harsh winter winds and rain, frost and snow. A much loved little bird that is famous for decorating many millions of greeting cards at Christmas. The robin will bravely come begging for scraps of food wherever there are people and food could be had for the asking. Although he is a handsome, perky, lovable character, our robin can be a very aggressive little fellow, when he is staking out his territory ready for the spring breeding season. I have seen two male robins on the allotments pecking hard at each other fighting over their territory.

(854 Words)



Copyright © Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved

0 Comments

The Shortest Cruise ever~~~~

7/1/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture



After the show we returned to our cabin to sleep off the journey and unpack some of our eight suitcases, fortunately we are able to leave the bulk of our belongings on board.
 The following morning tea was available from the room service in our cabin, and we put the final touches to our suitcase arrangements, and also to arranging the clothes we intend to leave behind before we leave. We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the Lido restaurant watching the waves rippling on the water, and there was a beautiful sunny start to the day. I managed to take some really nice photographs on deck.
   We made very good time on our journey back to Norfolk, until we got to Thetford forest, where there was a long traffic jam. Our Saga driver Everard did a U-turn and we headed off through Brandon. 
  I was sad to notice that a lot of wonderful trees are getting savagely cut down and removed as part of the scheme to make a dual carriageway on the A11.         I sincerely hope these will be replaced. We passed by the interesting looking, "Elvedon estates", and I made a mental note to look these up on the internet.
 We reached home at about 4.00pm. A very memorable overnight stay aboard our broken down ship, the dear old Saga Ruby. She will be repaired, and we will return~~~~
 

0 Comments

A Lovely pre-70th Birthday Weekend

14/10/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
We made our way to Lianne and Dave's house. When we arrived we found the front door was decorated with balloons with a large sign saying Happy Birthday. Of course the penny never dropped, and I did not associate this message with my forthcoming birthday.  We then enjoyed a very welcome cup of tea, and spent a great time playing with our Ronny, and catching up with Lianne and Dave and all the news.
  


Picture
Lianne then produced some birthday cards and mysterious parcels and Ronny and I slowly opened them, to reveal an array of presents for my 70th birthday. Suddenly there was a feeling of suspense as Lianne appeared from the kitchen door carrying a beautifully iced birthday cake with candles burning on top. I took a deep breath, and with the help of Ronny I managed to blow the candles out and make a wish. We then enjoyed munching huge slices of home-made birthday cake with smiles on all our faces.


Picture
 Lianne had plans for us all to visit a Thai festival in Poole Park featuring the food and culture  of the country of Thailand, a beautiful country that we have all visited in the past.
  We arrived at Poole Park in glorious sunshine. There were crowds and crowds of people moving around a tented area that was full of multi-coloured flags and bunting. There was a mini fun-fair in full swing.
  We strolled past a stage that had music blaring from a couple of loud speakers. Many people, native to Thailand were present, and the colours of the traditional Thai costumes were wonderful to see. There were also many individual tents preparing and selling traditional Thai food.
  We headed for some tables and chairs and ordered and consumed a wonderful authentic Thai lunch. I enjoyed a traditional Thai green curry and rice, that brought back vivid memories of our overnight stop in a hotel in Bancock


0 Comments

Baltic Cruise aboard the Saga Ruby

21/6/2012

0 Comments

 

Leaving the White Cliffs of Dover.                      June 2012

Picture
  We headed off in our Saga people carrier to Cley village. This is a very picturesque village on the North Norfolk coast, famous for bird watching and smoked fish. We collected our fellow cruiser and travelling companion Susan, from a lovely house, that was  hidden away at the end of a beautiful long secluded country lane. 
  We enjoyed a pretty uneventful drive to Dover. The rain was teeming down for most of the way, so I sat back and enjoyed the wonderful panoramic views of the beautiful English countryside that we were about to leave behind.
  On arrival at Dover cruise terminal our luggage was magically transported to the ship, and we were leisurely processed through the boarding procedure.
  Margaret and I were shown to our cabin, and after the usual tasks of registering our credit cards, and discovering where our dining table was located, we went off to enjoy a very welcome afternoon tea.

Picture
  During which time the ship sailed away from Dover and we watched the famous white cliffs gradually recede into the distance.
  We then retired to our cabin, before taking part in a mandatory fire drill, after which we bathed and changed. 
  We then went on to to enjoy a wonderful five course Saga Ruby dinner, followed by an entertaining and colourful, singing and dancing show presented by the on-board entertainment team.                            

乂◕‿◕乂  乂◕‿◕乂




Transit Through the Kiel canal

Picture
 The Kiel Canal links the North Sea  and the Baltic Sea. It is 61 miles long and is the safest most convenient shortest,and cheapest shipping route between  the two seas. 

Picture
 I got up very early, and enjoyed my early morning cup of Earl Gray tea which was delivered to our cabin promptly at 7.00am, by the room service.
 Margaret and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast and then worked it all off by attending the line-dancing class.
 We then attended the lectures on the itinerary of the first few ports-of-call, we will be visiting. We decided to include an extra trip in Helsinki, an advertised strenuous trip, that we are hoping, Margaret's
poor aching legs will be able to cope with.
 We then enjoyed a lovely al-fresco lunch on deck of grilled fish and meat. We were quite lucky really, we managed to eat our lunch in glorious sunshine, however as soon as we had finished eating it poured with rain.
 After lunch we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon before we reached the Kiel Canal and I began taking photographs of the scenery and the passing ships


 The Kiel Canal Can be very picturesque, with lovely riverside houses and farms, and much bird life along the banks. In contrast there were large wind farms and industrial sites in the distance, which is an example of the heartland of industrial Germany. 
 The waterway is very busy connecting the North Sea to the Baltic Sea and is the most widely used maritime canal in the world An average of 250miles (460kms) is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland peninsula. This not only saves time but also avoids potentially dangerous storm prone seas.
 There are large lock gates at each end of the canal, and it was very interesting to see our Captain at the helm, directing operations as the "Saga Ruby"was  maneuvered through them.
 

A Nice relaxing at sea

Picture
 We enjoyed our early morning tea  in the cabin.  
 After breakfast, I took part in an hours line-dancing. This was followed by a lecture about the up-coming ports of call. Following this we decided to book a tour ashore when we reach Poland.
 The sun was shining beautifully, so we decided to spend the rest of the morning relaxing on a couple of sun loungers on the Lido deck. We were served another excellent al-fresco lunch, of grilled herring straight off the barbecue. We then spent the rest of the day totally relaxed on our sun-loungers. Margaret attended a fashion lecture in the afternoon, while I continued to relax, buried in my book.
 At about 4-30pm, we retired to our cabin to dress in our formal attire, to attend the Captains welcome aboard party in the ballroom. I wore my white Dinner Jacket with a royal blue bow tie and cummerbund and Margaret looked stunning in a long royal blue dress with a black short woollen shawl on her shoulders.

 We enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the dining-room, I had lobster tails and Margaret enjoyed the roast lamb.
  After dinner, we danced in the ballroom to the live music played by the Saga Ruby orchestra. This was followed by some entertainment from a comic magician, which we found quite funny at the time, but not a very memorable experience. Then we retired to our cabin and we both were almost instantly fast asleep. A lovely restful day at sea.
Picture


Stockholm~~~~Sweden

Picture
I got up at 4.30 am and I went to take some photographs of the stunning scenery on the way into the harbour. We passed some wonderful islands with fir trees on them, containing bays and boats and some beautiful buildings. The journey into Stockholm takes about 4 hours, through a maze of the most beautiful little islands, containing homes and villages and many small bays. Unfortunately it started to rain quite heavily and I had to get back to our cabin. I managed to get some good photographs and I will try again on the way back.


  After breakfast we changed and prepared ourselves for our first trip of this Baltic cruise, to Drottningholm Palace which is the permanent home of the King and Queen of Sweden. We travelled out of Stockholm by coach for a 15 minute drive to the palace. The trip through the very clean and well maintained city of Stockholm was made very interesting by a running commentary from our Swedish tour guide. The city is spread out over 14 islands and neighbouring peninsulas and is connected by over 40 bridges.

Drottningholm Palace
Picture

  We reached Drottningholm Palace and we began taking photographs of the gardens and the wild fowl in the lake. The palace from the outside looks very stately and well maintained. The guards in uniform, with fixed bayonets, were changing their tours of duty, while we waited and we were allowed to take photographs of them. There was an impressive array of statues alongside the lake, predictably getting used by the local pigeons as perches.
  We entered the front of the palace, where we were informed that photography and taking pictures is strictly forbidden. This rule was strictly enforced by a band of palace attendants, who were obviously students and very enthusiastic, and keen to carry out their duties.
  The wall hangings and the paintings and furniture on display were wonderful to see and admire. A feeling of the opulence and the lifestyle of the royalty of Sweden was everywhere. 
 A very memorable example of a wall hanging was displayed in the first room we visited, and showed an angry bull being grasped by the neck, by an early Greek hero. We moved through the three or four floors of the palace that were open to the public, and admired the the beautiful furnishings and treasures that were on display everywhere. 
 Another stunning memorable painting, was of a pack of hounds tearing two foxes apart. The artist had captured the cruelty and vicious expressions, and the deadly looking teeth of the dogs, brilliantly. 
 Then we visited one of the bedrooms belonging to a royal princess. This was furnished as a memoir to a prince who died young, together with his young wife. The princess had the bedroom walls painted black. There were many paintings in this bedroom depicting life after death and resurrection and a feeling of the sadness in the life of this young royal was revealed.
 After our tour of the palace, we went on to explore the gardens which were very well maintained in every way. There were statues and fountains in the formal Italianate gardens, with beautifully kept lawns and a wonderful lake full of wildlife. The lake was the home of hundreds of Swedish ducks, which our guide informed us were unique to the palace, and  had simply arrived many years earlier from the mountains.


Below is a slideshow of photographs of the palace and the gardens. Click the first picture and press the play button~~~~~


We then boarded our bus and returned to the Saga Ruby. I managed to snap a few more photographs of the stunning scenery on the way out of Stockholm. There are thousands of very small islands that make up this area, many of them are inhabited, with one or two homes and a jetty with the owners' boats moored. The islands are also full of evergreen trees and some are very rocky. The bays and inlets and waterways  are stunningly beautiful and the sea and water plays a huge part in the Swedish lifestyle.

helsinki~~~~~~~Finland


Picture
Following an early breakfast in the Lido restaurant, Margaret and I boarded a bus to take us on a "Highlights of Helsinki" tour. We had sailed from Stockholm overnight and we arrived in Helsinki at 5.30am.
 Our first stop on our trip was a visit to the Temppeliaukio Kirkko, a church hewn from solid rock with an amazing impressive copper ceiling. There was also a huge built in organ with massive organ pipes that rose from the floor to the ceiling. We were also lucky enough to be able to hear a young lady playing beautifully on a grand piano. The rock was impressive and the feat of engineering required to construct this wonderful church was incredible. We were allowed to wander around and take photographs at our leisure, and Margaret purchased an icon at the entrance. The church is Lutheran, but Russian orthodox church icons were on sale.



DAY SIX~~ST. PETERSBURG~~TUESDAY 26TH JUNE

Picture

0 Comments

A Nature Ramble around a Lake full of life.

4/5/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
It was a glorious Spring day in May; the sun was shining, with a nice breeze wafting through the trees. Margaret and I had the morning completely to ourselves, such is the restful nature of a Spring break at the beautiful holiday village of Gunton Hall in Suffolk. We were visiting primarily, to celebrate Margaret's birthday, and we were enjoying the leisure facilities, and the beautiful peaceful atmosphere. We both felt fairly stale from our indoor cerebral pursuits, of playing Scrabble and completing the Daily Mail cryptic crossword, and decided exercise and fresh air was essential to blow the cobwebs away.
We set off to enjoy a nature ramble around Gunton Park lake. The lake is very pretty and is two acres in size,having a circumference of about two miles,allowing for the twists and turns of banks, bridges and reed beds.

We set off on foot to the lake, through the wonderfully kept formal mini gardens, to the more natural wild flowers and shrubs surrounding the lake.
There are many varieties of bird life, and wildlife in profusion. The setting is beautiful, we had just missed the hosts of wild golden daffodils, but we were able to photograph some beautiful flowers that were blooming in their season.
We crossed the first bridge, and commenced our slow ramble along the path beside the lake. There were many banks of primroses growing along the sides of the bank of the lake, with blue bells and violets in profusion. Some of the rhododendrons buds were on the point of bursting into bloom, and everywhere there was a feeling of new life, and Spring was uppermost and visible everywhere.
Some of the wild ducks had bred early and the ducklings were gathered around their parents, who kept a wary eye on us as we passed, and were ever on the lookout for danger in the shape and form of predators.
The slideshow below illustrates more than words can ever describe, the beauty of the May afternoon, in a small corner of England.
We stopped for a break to simply sit and enjoy the beauty of the bird life and the natural surroundings, before heading back to the chalet we were occupying, in the grounds of Gunton Hall, for a very welcome cup of tea, and a well earned rest. Overpowered by the absolute beauty of Nature and the natural world.
0 Comments

17th April 2012.....One day in the Garden!

18/4/2012

0 Comments

 
  The rain came teeming down with a healthy life-promoting April shower. The garden soaked up the moisture and breathed in the precious liquid with open leaves, petals and blades of cultivated grass on the manicured lawn. Even the garden birds took shelter from the force of the deluge, Everywhere the garden was so wondrously fresh, and welcomed this life promoting essential fluid. The early Spring flowers on this one day in the yearly cycle of birth and re-birth, were looking their best, to attract the life continuing attention of the pollinating insects that thrive on the nectar they produce.
  Tiny Forget-me-nots in their thousands, everywhere making a blue and green carpet between the larger showiest blooms of the Tulips, resplendent in the many cultivated colours and shades of the floral rainbow on display. Forget-me-nots, as the name implies, bring to mind the increasing number of people that have touched our lives who sadly are not here to enjoy the spectacle. The Tulips, ephemerally beautiful, a short lived tasteful display, bringing memories of when the bulbs were set. How one small insignificant little brown bulb, can have silently within the earth, metamorphosed, and pushed a part of itself unerringly towards the light of the sun, to become so gloriously beautiful. Carnations, in various shades, pure white, and purple and white variegated, cultivated by genetic manipulation to preserve the beauty of the desired shade and combinations of pastel beauty.
  Everywhere there is a carpet of shades of green, setting off the rainbow effect of the colours of this glorious April display. Chlorophyll within the leaves of the plants and the blades of grass on the lawn, giving them their green attire, enabling them to soak up the sun to acquire energy, to contribute towards photosynthesis.

A day
to remember as renewed life Springs into being!
Indeed a day to remember, as renewed life Springs into being! Rebirth celebrated naturally!
0 Comments

An Enigmatic Conundrum

16/4/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein  
  This image was posted on"Facebook", on the internet, on 15th April 2012, the image has an immediate appeal to the perceptive senses. The concept of woodland mermaids, or in this case terramaids, half tree, half woman, dancing in the natural environment, brings to mind all the related faerie tales and folk lore, embedded in worldwide literature. Dryads or female tree spirits dancing in the forest.
  I wonder if this appeal to the imagination is the lure of the picture, as 835 people had ticked the "LIKE" box, and the image was shared by 432 people, who in turn had probably shared it with countless others on the internet. Such is the nature of the World Wide Web.
  The lack of male terramen is evident, and also the conventional shape of the young women, based on the accepted modern sense of the fashionable beauty of a certain age group of young women, is also apparent. Where are the rest of us? It cannot be the identification of the viewer with the dancers or dryads that appeals to the senses, but an  appeal to the innate sense of mystery and imagination that permeates the mind of the admirer. A mental escape into the realms of magic. 
  The Einstein quote adds another layer to the conundrum.  "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better".  A very logical scientists quote, linked to an image of mystery and imagination, adds another dimension to the picture. Creepy half lighted trees, combined with mysterious beautiful dryads, linked to the cool logical thought of a brilliant scientific mind.   Instant appeal to many shades of opinion! The picture only lacks a religious element to engender universal appeal. 
 
John Yeo  ©                                                                                                                                       ©  16/04/2012   
0 Comments

Margaret at work and play, by John

4/4/2012

0 Comments

 
I decided to display the following set of photographs that I have snapped over the last few years, in response to Margaret's post. They also show Margaret, indulging in, just some of the myriad interests that have consumed her time and energy since we have been married. Looking over the photographs again, brings back many happy memories of our time together. I also consider myself very fortunate, to have fallen in love with such a very special talented person.
0 Comments

"An insight into Kupang" Capital of West Timor Indonesia.

14/3/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Map of Timor Island showing the capital, Kupang.
  Margaret and I travelled to West Timor aboard the small but cosy  Saga ship  the "Spirit of Adventure" on a trip to the North coast of Australia. The ship docked at Kupang, during a heavy tropical shower of rain, which was quickly followed by the expected bright sunshine.
  We were welcomed by some of the local Timorese people dancing a traditional cultural dance.
Picture
Colourful coaches, West Timor style.
  We boarded a brightly painted local bus to find that the built in double seats were very small and we were unable to sit together in comfort. As these are the local public transport buses in disguise, hastily commandeered for the day to convey us tourists, I began to appreciate the smaller stature of the West Timor inhabitants. We had a police escort driving and clearing  the way in front of our convoy of eight small buses. This was an essential,  due to the wide variety of  traffic on the roads. The roads were full of ruts and bumps, and we enjoyed a hair-raising ride through the city centre, as we stopped the trade in the local stores, because the locals stopped what they were doing to enjoy the spectacle. Our tour guide on the bus was a very enthusiastic local girl, who proudly pointed out some of the important local buildings that we passed, including the Governors house. I could not help noticing in contrast though, the run-down squalid housing and general poverty on display, as we drove through the city. 

Textile and rug making factory

Picture
Our first stop was a textile and rug making factory, where we were able to watch some of the local people, hard at work producing some beautiful rugs and textiles. We were able to purchase some of this work, to take home as souvenirs of our trip to West Timor.

Kupang Cultural Museum 

There are various artefacts on display in the museum, reflecting the skills and lifestyle of the local Timorese people.
This is the skeleton of a whale that had been washed up and stranded on the seashore and the uses that the people had made of this bounty from the sea.

Lasiana Beach

Picture
  The next stop on our cultural tour was a visit to lovely Lasiana Beach.
  We were driven in our buses, past some very colourful buildings and constructions , run-down and poor shacks, and shops and stalls, selling a wide variety of locally produced food and goods to the local population. 
  When we reached Lasiana Beach, we were greeted with the wonderful banner that is illustrated opposite, welcoming us to the beach. Music was being played, and many local people had turned out to welcome us, and to have a good time dancing, and to enjoy the afternoon in a spirit of carnival.
  First we were treated to a display of Palm tree climbing in the traditional way, by an incredibly agile young man, who made this well practised skill look very easy. The young man gathered some fruit from the very top of the tree before shinning back to the ground. We were able to enjoy the fruits of his efforts whilst we sat and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon entertainments.

Then we enjoyed some local music, and traditional dancing, performed by some of the local people in their traditional  cultural costume. The sound and the colour was fantastic, and almost all of the local population turned out to enjoy themselves, and we were made to feel very welcome.
This video shows a musician playing a Sasano, which is a harplike, traditional musical stringed instrument, made from bamboo, set in a container made from palm leaves. I managed to get behind him while he was playing to enable me to video his fingerwork on the strings.
This is a slideshow presentation I put together showing the highlights of a wonderful trip to a very friendly, vibrant and colourful part of the world which Margaret and would certainly hope to visit again.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Authors

     John and Margaret, Writers and Photographers at large.

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2016
    July 2015
    January 2013
    October 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    September 2010

    Categories

    All
    17th April 2012. A Spring Day In The Garden.
    An Enigmatic Conundrum.
    A Reflection Of John.
    A Reflection Of Margaret.
    Australian Bird Life
    Baltic Cruise Aboard Saga Ruby June 2012
    Bird Life
    Fiction
    Floral Display!
    Hop Festival
    Indonesia
    Morris Dancing
    Nonsense Art Rant.
    Seaview Wild Life Park...
    Watercolour Painting
    West Timor
    Woods And Seashore Walk In Gunton Suffolk.
    Writing

    RSS Feed

    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.