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May / June 2003 Archive

THE VICAR'S WIFE

Well, I promised to tell you about the routine the vicar's wife organised, to help her run her large house efficiently, single handed. She writes.

I keep a diary by the kitchen table, and for each day I -write the meals, timed to fit in with my husband's appointments, daily duties, visiting details, and meetings for myself.

To save work we have turned the smaller kitchen into a breakfast room, we also have lunch in there. In the winter the fire is lit in the dining room, which is used for tea and dinner, and as a sitting room in the evening. In the summer we eat outside on the terrace on the south side of the house, or in the shaded area of the lawn, from which we have a delightful glimpse of the sea.

My husband has a service most mornings, so he is up first, and puts the kettle on for my early cup of tea, which I have at 7-15am. At 5am I make the bed, clean the bathroom, I vacuum if necessary, and brush the stairs (It may seem odd to begin with these jobs, but this part of the house is furthest from the back door, and any later and I am constantly up and down the stairs answering the door) Prepare breakfast for 9am.

At 9-30 I wash up. and while I am doing this husband refills all the coalscuttles and cleans out and resets fires.

I now clean the study, and dining room. About l0-30am I tidy the larder, and wash the slate floor in the part of the room we use. At 11-15 I have a glass of milk and plan the day's meals, and then I prepare the lunch, and as much of the evening meal as possible.
12-30 to 1-30 I do one of the weekly jobs

1-30 Light meal in the breakfast room. After washing up I fill the oil lamps, which are still used in the hall, landing and our bedroom, and light the lounge fire. At 2-4 5pm I have a little rest.

At 3pm I pay calls, mainly sick visiting in the parish or do afternoon work such as mending or letter writing, before tea at 4pm.

At 5-45 I finish preparing the evening meal, and change out of the woollies that I have worn all day. While upstairs I turn down the bed. At 7pm we have dinner, and after clearing away we have coffee. If I am serving a hot pudding, I have to walk 96 paces to the oven, and of course 96 back, I am very glad of my little trolley.

We like to have our main meal in the evening if possible, but sometimes there are meetings to attend which upsets our routine. I0-30pm Time to fill the hot water bottle, bath and bed.

Well, so much for one lady's very busy day, are you exhausted reading about it? Next time I will tell you how she tackled the weekly jobs.
Cheerio for now. Yvonne

would like to do a page about pupils who have gone into the big wide world from our school.

Would you like to let us know what careers they chose and where they are now? Come on Mums and Dads and all you proud Grandparents. Let us know. No addresses needed. Just their names and what they are doing now. Perhaps they have moved to another area (or country)
DONT FORGET TO GET THEIR PERMISSION
We would love to hear from you and hope
to get along list of ex-pupils.

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THE COULBY NEWS PRINT GROUP
LANGDON SQUARE COMSf. CENTRE
COULBY NEWHAM, MBRO. TS80TF

COULBY NEWHAM COMMUNITY COUNCIL

What's going on?

Now that the elections are over we now live in 'Coulby Newham' ward instead of just 'Newham'. We still have 3 Councillors - Councillor Paul Thompson (also voted Leader of the Council again) John Geoff Cole (known by most as Geoff) and newly elected Mrs. Jan Brunton - all Labour. The Eagle Park area has now gone over to Marton West. Our former Tory Councillor - Terry Ward, also Mrs Ward, have been elected to represent Marton West. 'The Ward councillors in the truest sense!

At Community Council meetings applications for 'NO BALL GAME' seem to be gathering momentum.. Always an emotive subject If things become out of control please call the Street Wardens. They will patrol and keep an eye on the situation. At recent meetings residents complained about youths making life difficult in various ways - footballing till late, picking on younger ones and drinking and being a nuisance but nobody had reported the problem. Please - don't be shy. Tell the wardens.
They will patrol. PHONE 726001 before 5.00pm 726050 after 5.00pm Mobile 07919 303088.

No news on SAFEWAY but to complete the FOCUS/Lingfield Farm Pub site we are getting a Blockbuster video shop and Takeway. What more could a person want - a workout in Just Fitness, drink in the Pub, take home a McDonalds or Pizza and a video? FOCUS and the DIY will have to wait till the weekend! By the time you read this Motor World should have opened up in Curtess former shoe shop in the Parkway Centre.

On 14 April the Mayor of Middlesbrough Mr Ray Mallon was the guest speaker at Langdon Square. As always he was energetic, enthusiastic and informative. He arrived on the dot by Smart Car. We offered to park It In the cwboard but he said It would toe OK in half a space outside. When he said it does 60miles per gallon we were all tempted to dash out and get one. He has great faith In the wardens and more are being trained up at this moment -

At Forum 5 Mr Mike Birch outlined his planning application for Arcadia Nurseries. Now that the boundaries have changed Arcadia is part within the Boro. boundary, the rest still in Hambleton. In effect, new building regulations and injunctions from a nearby resident - means that Arcadia plans to swap round the present garden shop and very first greenhouse building. Access will still be from the present entrance. The new Coffee Shop is now a separate building. 60 people are employed at Arcadia. Mr Birch was very informative. We hope with all the information available the Planning Committee will make the right decision.

How about that new Nursery next to the Medical Centre! Big, isn't it? We enclose a draft copy of the Plan in this Coulby News to give you an idea of what's it's going to be like inside. Find out more from Susan Stark, Early Years Business Manager, guest Speaker at the next Community Council meeting on Monday 30 June in Langdon Square Community Centre. See you there!

Through the Looking glass

Hi folks, It certainly seemed that a lot of people enjoyed reading my article in the last issue of the Coulby News going from the comments I was getting from folk in the street. I'm sure many of you will have experienced just as many wonderful and exciting colourful days yourself. My memory of the transition from the 50's to the 60's reminded me very much of the film 'Wizard of Oz.' Everything starts off grey until Dorothy opens the door and 'Hey Presto' we're suddenly encroached with a flood of colour. Yes, the 60's certainly opened the door to colour and some of the best music ever brought to us by, The Beatles, Sgt Peppers. Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour, Psychedelia, Harry Krishna, Carnaby Street, Hippies, flower power, Mama's and Papa's, Twiggy, Slade, David Bowie, Rolling Stones. Boy George, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, Sandy Shaw, Marianne Faithful, Marc Bolan, Free, Queen, The Kinks, Dave dark Five, The Searchers, The Everley Brothers, The Walker Bros, and for Joan, Elvis Presley, and many many more. I'm sure you'll remember many more.

Yes, in my old grey days, the 50's era, I lived in a street house in the town off Canon Street and later to Union Street, and I always remember, on school days, having to wear those horrible short/long knee length grey flannel baggy, hand-me-down, trousers and white shirt for school. And 'white' as in shirt, had to be whiter than white, which was mam's top priority. Out came the posse, tub, and mangle and the box of Oxydol and away we go. Mind the left over hot water in the tub came in handy for us kids for a super soapy bath, yet we never came out as white as our shirts. Yes! I can see the advert now with the shirts on the washing line, one off-white, the other whiter than white. "Was it Oxydol that did the trick?" I actually think it was a womans' craze to outdo each other into getting their kids shirts whiter than everybody else in those days. Still, mum did the trick.

Into the 60's, all us kids seemed to dwell on was records, pop groups, fags, and dances. At one dance I went to was at an old church hall. The group that played were a bunch of kids, no older than school age. I discovered later that the lead guitarist was Paul Kossof and the singer who sang as if he had a prolonged sore throat and whose name I don't know, but they became famous as the group 'Free.' Remember the song and also the Wrigley's advert, 'All right now.' Another haunt I went to on odd occasions was the Astoria, situated near Wilson Street. Garden Street, near Marks & Spencers. It was a massive place. There was a large stage and a massive wooden pine-like dance floor. 1 can't remember whether any groups were playing when I was there or whether it was disco music, but I do remember I never did pluck up the courage to ask any lass to dance. The Beatles actually played there, which was another event I missed out on again. Not to worry.

At the end of the 60's and into the 70's, it was courting days, weird clothes and a mad Afro hair style. Yes. if you've ever seen that man on TV dressed with a big Afro hair cut. pink shirt, yellow flaired trousers, and the shades, that was like me. Mind I will admit, no way would I wear the shades, I'm not completely cuckoo. And later, another trip to the shops saw me in a long slimline, herring-bone-like overcoat, down to my ankles, a pair of khaki flairs, and a pair of 4 inch high platform shoes. I must have been the tallest lad in Middlesbrough and would have walked into the Mohawks basketball team with no problem. Mind those platform shoes were lethal. Never again. Anyway, to prove to you I'm not joking about the Afro hair style and the flairs, I have a photo laying around somewhere.

Anyway, back into the land of the living, well just about. Thank God I've now grown up. Well just a little. I think. Those were the days my friend..............

Bye for now...... Geoff Wishart