Friday, May 30, 2008
30th May. Crazy Rocking Horse and a gentle walk.
Today the weather has been better - not summer, but at least dry.
This morning we were at home and I described half a dozen more things for EBay.
I am giving myself masses to deal with once the crazy activity at the shop is all over - just one more day of trading.
Bill and I went to Ardingly this afternoon with the intention of writing up our sales so far this week - to save time later on.
It was a crazy madhouse and almost impossible to get to the book because Kate was busy writing up sales all the time.
There were a number of us in there and all able to help with wrapping and carrying and unlocking cabinets.
It was very sociable - just what we will all miss so much. There were cups of tea and Peter went to the post office stores and bought chocolate bars.
But, unbelievably, tomorrow it will all be over apart from the clearing up which is major task for everybody.
Tomorrow we will go over again in the afternoon. We are all enjoying the level of sales just now - even if little profit is being made. But somehow none of us could have coped with Rocking Horse life being like this all the time.
I am hoping that we can fit in a couple of car boot sales tomorrow too.
Faygate in the morning and Edenbridge in the afternoon.
Bill has doubts about Faygate because he has an appointment with a physiotherapist (arranged by the solicitor) at a quarter past nine. I think we can still get in a good hour at Faygate before that. I can't go on my own because Bill hasn't put me down as a driver of the hire car.
This evening I am putting some of Bill's photos from yesterday for you to share when he walked back from the town centre.
For those far away, who don't know, Crawley has been a thriving little town for centuries. But just after WW2 it was decided that Crawley, along with other places ringed around London, was ripe for expansion and a New Town was formed, which seems to be still developing 60 years on.
Bill's pictures show how the old and new link together in the centre.
St John's church is in the town centre. Many of Bill's brothers and sisters were married in this church - and Bill was a choir boy when very young.
Close by is Queen's Square. It was once a large open shopping square, but this space has been reduced by the building of new shops at one end and we feel they have spoiled things. The bandstand has been used for many interesting things.
In our teens we specially loved the Sunday afternoon jazz bands playing there and young people dancing all across the square. There are still musical performances for shoppers to stop and enjoy. And during one Crawley festival our Ashley played the part of God in a church production when he was about 10 years old.
This morning we were at home and I described half a dozen more things for EBay.
I am giving myself masses to deal with once the crazy activity at the shop is all over - just one more day of trading.
Bill and I went to Ardingly this afternoon with the intention of writing up our sales so far this week - to save time later on.
It was a crazy madhouse and almost impossible to get to the book because Kate was busy writing up sales all the time.
There were a number of us in there and all able to help with wrapping and carrying and unlocking cabinets.
It was very sociable - just what we will all miss so much. There were cups of tea and Peter went to the post office stores and bought chocolate bars.
But, unbelievably, tomorrow it will all be over apart from the clearing up which is major task for everybody.
Tomorrow we will go over again in the afternoon. We are all enjoying the level of sales just now - even if little profit is being made. But somehow none of us could have coped with Rocking Horse life being like this all the time.
I am hoping that we can fit in a couple of car boot sales tomorrow too.
Faygate in the morning and Edenbridge in the afternoon.
Bill has doubts about Faygate because he has an appointment with a physiotherapist (arranged by the solicitor) at a quarter past nine. I think we can still get in a good hour at Faygate before that. I can't go on my own because Bill hasn't put me down as a driver of the hire car.
This evening I am putting some of Bill's photos from yesterday for you to share when he walked back from the town centre.
For those far away, who don't know, Crawley has been a thriving little town for centuries. But just after WW2 it was decided that Crawley, along with other places ringed around London, was ripe for expansion and a New Town was formed, which seems to be still developing 60 years on.
Bill's pictures show how the old and new link together in the centre.
St John's church is in the town centre. Many of Bill's brothers and sisters were married in this church - and Bill was a choir boy when very young.
Close by is Queen's Square. It was once a large open shopping square, but this space has been reduced by the building of new shops at one end and we feel they have spoiled things. The bandstand has been used for many interesting things.
In our teens we specially loved the Sunday afternoon jazz bands playing there and young people dancing all across the square. There are still musical performances for shoppers to stop and enjoy. And during one Crawley festival our Ashley played the part of God in a church production when he was about 10 years old.
The town council endeavour to inject some culture into our lives and some weird and wonderful sculptures have appeared around the town. They make interesting landmarks.
This is The Broadwalk. It was the first part of the New Town shopping centre to be built and links the old Crawley High Street with the new shops. As a 13 year old I found all the new development most exciting and was drawn into the coffee bar life style. Much time was spent in Siesta - at another table would have been another group of young people, including a certain Bill Monk; but we didn't get to know each other at that time.
The old town had a number of pubs and inns. The Brewery Shades stands to one side of the entrance to The Broadwalk.
The White Hart and The Brewery Shades in the distance were not part of my normal social life during my youth.
But the most famous of the Crawley landmarks - The George Hotel - was very much a part of my world.
It was once a coaching inn, with stables at the back for the horses.
The inside is full of character.
Groups of my friends would spend much time there. We hear a lot these days about the problems of under age drinking. In those days it still occurred - my favourites were gin and bitter lemon, vodka and lime and rum and blackcurrant and long before I was 18. But of course, in those days, there was not the money for over indulgence. And on the whole we were nice wholesome young things.
I met Bill at about the same time that I went away to train as a teacher and drifted away from The George.
But we did go there for the annual cycle club dinner and dance in the ballroom.
Almost opposite is the very old building known as The Ancient Priors. It is now a wine bar and there have been restaurants there before today. As a child my mother took me there to have my hair cut. And old postcards show it to have been and antiques shop.
Legend has it that there is a tunnel bewteen The Ancient Priors and The George Hotel - for smugglers to make a getaway.
The level crossing and The Railway Hotel.
The jazz club was at The Railway every Wednesday. There used to be a large ball room at the back. It burned down within days almost of me leaving town to go to college. I went with my best friend Diana and we met up with quite a large crowd. Another crowd included a certain Bill Monk - but we didn't meet up there.
The railway gates have changed of course.
It was more or less over the railway that the airship I showed you a couple of days ago was to be seen. That shot was from the other side of the gates and actually in Brighton Road.
Half a mile to the south of the railway gates, Brighton Road looks like a leafy hollow.
Our house is amongst the new development just a couple of hundred yards further south - why.... that could almost have been our own Bertie Berlingo heading homewards!
The footbridge on which Bill is standing appeared in the 2 days that I was in hospital giving birth to Jamie - so it is almost 40 years old now.
Writing all this has made me want to write more - another project for the so called leisure that is coming my way.
Bill can do many more then and now pictures - showing how things have changed from the original postcards.
Bill has just come through expressing weariness. I should make a drink and let him get to bed.
Goodnight.
