Monday 30 September 2013

On this day 125 years ago


After work today I went a short distance from my workplace to Aldgate, and to Mitre Square
to lay some flowers near the spot where Catherine Eddowes, my Great Great Great Grandmother was so cruelly killed.

The area has changed so much in the past year with building works and new tall office blocks seeming to pop up all around - the sign of the times I guess. The neighbouring school had just finished for the day and parents and pupils were busy leaving and walking past the very spot yet I doubt any of them had any clue as to what history lay on their very door step and probably have never heard of Catherine Eddowes.

 But the benches and the flower beds are still there as I remembered them  and it was is there where I left the yellow and white flowers in memory of Catherine.

Saturday 28 September 2013

125 Years Ago This Week

Catherine Eddowes was one of the victims in the Whitechapel murders. She was the second person killed in the early hours of Sunday 30 September 1888, a night which already had seen the murder of Elizabeth Stride less than an hour earlier. 
These two murders are commonly referred to as the "double event" and have been attributed to the mysterious serial killer known as Jack the Ripper

Catherine was the fourth victim, Catherine was/is my great great great grandmother.

Today myself and my partner Paul headed to the City of London Cemetery at Manor Park to put some more flowers on her grave. The anniversary of her death is actually on Monday,

I have been over to the cemetery a few times since we first found out about our connection with Catherine, the last time was a very cold wet January day when I meet up with the descendant of the first victim Mary Ann Nichols, she had come over from Canada with a film crew to make a documentary about the murders. Mary was the Rippers first victim
Both Catherine and Mary are buried close to each other in the cemetery

I brought a small oasis to place on Catherine's grave

when we got there we started the long walk through the cemetery to locate the grave - seems strange to say but I find cemeteries some what fascinating, I love looking at all the grave stones especially the really old one, some are so beautifully made and some tell the story of the person's life.

Once we had arrived I brushed off the dead leaves that had blown on to the plaque, Catherine's plaque is looking a little worse for wear compared to Mary's, though Mary's is slightly sheltered by a small tree

I am going to try and see if I can contact the Heritage Trail to see if they will restored the plaque and stone, whether they will or not I don't know, but if i don't ask ...
After all its 125 years since her death and a huge part of the East End of London's history

Speaking of history, I had mentioned on twitter about seeing tweets about the Murders.. this really happened its REAL.. women died, families were affected at the time, and even now there are descendants of the victims including myself. 
 For me although I only found out 5/6 years ago BUT reading some of the "ripperlogists" accounts on twitter and peoples views who follow them. I get upset mainly because people see the whole Jack the Ripper thing as a murder mystery story and not true fact..
there was one person who photographed themselves was kneeling down on the spot where Catherine was killed in Mitre Square holding up both hands doing the V sign. That was very upsetting for me.
BUT like I said it is real and we still remember them. 


here I am placing the flowers on my great great great Grandmothers plaque


this is Mary Ann Nichols plaque as you can see its slight in better condition than Catherine's lets hope I can persuade the Heritage Trail to fix it up.




Monday 23 September 2013

Chocolate Soreen

Whilst shopping at the weekend, I stumbled upon this in the bread/cake aisle.

Infact I heard this rather well to do lady speaking to her I suspect to be her husband " oh look CHOCOLATE Soreen" she cried.

At that point I was just passing by and stopped in my tracks at the word chocolate!
I've always loved Soreen, but to hear its turned chocolatey I was intrigued. 

When I got to the shelf I was greeted with a delightful purple packet with the word CHOCOLATE on the front..
YES I thought
On closer inspection I read on the packet it was a limited edition version celebrating 75 years of Soreen.

 "A chocolatey malt loaf with indulgent chocolate chips" I just had to buy one.


So tonight I opened it , it cuts like the original malt loaf, nice and squidgy.
my son and my partner were waiting in line for a taste and we weren't disappointed. it was lovely and the little chocolate chips are an added bonus.

So the chocolate Soreen gets 2 thumbs up in out household. and I can say it went down very nicely with a nice cup of hot chocolate 


Sunday 22 September 2013

a trip up the Shard

We had decided as a family we would go up the Shard once they started to let people up there, but one thing or another it didn't quite turn out like that.


What with work commitments and just getting everyone together was a nightmare. Then some family members including my children wouldn't go up - scared of heights LOL neither would my mum and my aunt.

So it was left to myself, my partner Paul, my dad, my uncle and my cousin David and his son Conor.

Unfortunately weather wise we could have picked a better day, but hey when you book in advance you can not predict the weather..

Its £25 to go up the Shard, but if you go along on the day and fancy going up there they charge a whooping £100 YES one hundred English pounds to turn up on the spur of the moment..

So if you do fancy it book it up in advance save some money.

Some might say £25 is even to much, but once you are up the top, the money is well worth the views you get.
HERE ARE FEW PHOTOS
         

This is the London Hospital Whitechapel right next to where I work

Not entirely sure what they were looking at

My dad thought he was on the star ship Enterprise with this view finder

At the beginning of your journey up the 72 floors the staff take your photo and at the end you can purchase them. These are pricey too but my uncle brought them and then I was given the job of adding the email address for the others to download at our pleasure 



All in all it was a great experience not sure I would do it again, I would if someone paid for me LOL



Silent Sunday

Silent Sunday







Friday 20 September 2013

Sensory Fun

SENSORY FUN

I been working with young children and especially children with additional needs for almost 30 years ( SENCO and child care worker) and in that time I have complied a collection of sensory play idea.

I thought I would share them here.

check out the play ideas page


Thursday 19 September 2013

33 things a child should do by the age of 10

I found this list amongst some of my papers at work - I'm a SENCO and a child care worker

I wonder how many of us adults HAVEN'T done these.. There are some I certainly haven't done.



1. Make a mud pie

2. roll down a grassy bank
3.collect frog spawn
4. make perfume from flower petals
5. prepare playdough

6. grow cress on a window sill
7. make a papier mache mask
8. build a sand castle
9. make a den in the garden
10 climb a tree

11.paint using hands and feet
12. organise a teddy bears picnic
13. have a face painting session
14. bury a friend in the sand but not completely
15. bake some bread


16. make snow angels
17. create a clay sculpture
18. take part in a scavenger hunt
19. bake a cake
20 camp out in the garden


21. feed a farm animal
22. pick some strawberries
23. play pooh sticks
24. recognise 5 bird species
25. find some worms


26. cycle through a muddy puddle
27. make and fly a kite
28. plant a tree
29. build a nest from grass and twigs
30. find 10 different leaves in the park
31. grow vegetables
32. create a mini assault course in the garden
33. make breakfast in bed for mum/dad









Ye olde chocolate ice cream


THE earliest English recipe for chocolate “ice cream” has been discovered after 350 years.


The  recipe was written at a time when chocolate was very different from the product we are familiar with today, and was recommended as a cure for insomnia, excess mucus or haemorrhoids.
It was made by shaking a salty cocoa liquid inside a container surrounded by snow and was eaten with spoons.
The recipe was discovered by Leicester University historian Dr Kate Loveman, who found it among diarist Samuel Pepys’ papers.
She said: “I tried it out and it’s like a solid version of the iced drinks you can buy in a coffee shop.

Age old problem of how to boil the perfect egg is finally cracked

from Daily Express, by Sarah Ann Harris:

 How to boil the perfect egg is finally cracked

WHETHER you like your egg runny, medium or hard-boiled, most people have struggled to get theirs just right.

One US company has finally come up with a solution that doesn't involve meticulous timing or standing over the stove.


The Rollie Eggmaster is an ingenious new device which helps to take the stress out of cooking eggs, leaving users free to get on with their morning routine.

Users simply crack two eggs into the Eggmaster's upright cylinder, place the wooden skewer inside and select a desired cooking time.

They return minutes later to perfectly cooked eggs wrapped around the eight inch long skewer.

Manufacturers Kalorik claim the product is perfect for students, singletons, dieters, people on high protein diets and those who just can't cook eggs.



Jill Frederico, from US-based Kalorik, said: "The Eggmaster came to life because we were looking for a quicker way to make eggs without the hassle or the mess you normally get.

"It's great for when you're on the go - you can cook your eggs on stick and take it to go, plus kids love the idea of eggs on a stick.

"It's also ideal for somebody who lives alone, on a high protein diet or wanting to control portion sizes.

The machine costs £19 and is due to hit UK shelves in the coming months.




Tuesday 10 September 2013

Nan it wasn't me!

An afternoon with Theo

It wasn't me!


Honest Nan, this has nothing to do with me


must have been the cat

who me??

I'll put them back

maybe I'll sort them out

or maybe not!

ok Nan! it was me!!!


Monday 9 September 2013

50 Facts About ME!


1. I'm a shorty, only 4ft 11in short. my partner is 6ft 2in tall
2. I have got two children, a girl 27 and boy 17 and one grandson  11 months
3.I have been married.
4. I am now divorced after almost 25 years of marriage
5. I had a divorce cake

6. I like my tea strong, not to much milk and a little sugar
7. As a teenager I used to ice dance
8. I share my birthday with Tinie Tempah
9. I used to dye my hair blonde
10. I am a chocoholic,anything chocolatey, I'm your girl

11. At primary school I played netball for Islington
12. I hate coffee. Don't like the smell or taste
13. I love watching WWE wrestling, have been a fan since 1985 
14. If I was a boy I was going to be called Mark!
15. I support Arsenal. I have done since I was little

16. My favourite number is 7
17. I love New York, my front room is done up in New York stuff
18. I was up the WTC 3 months before 9/11
19. I love my ipad mini
20. I can do sign Language

21.My favourite colour is RED
22. I hate cyclist who jump red lights and ride on the pavement
23. I'm a secret candy crusher
24. I do NOT have a face book account, probably the only person who don't
25. I am left handed and at school I was made to sit on my left hand and made to write with my right hand

26. My great great great grandmother was the 4th victim of Jack the Ripper
27. I went to see David Cassidy in the musical TIME over 30 times
28. I have one sister
29. I like to sit and people watch
30. I love tattoos, I have 2 one on each ankle and I plan on getting more

31. I am a cat lover, I do not like dogs
32. I love all things Disney
33. I have weird mixed up dreams, which I can often recall on waking
34. I tend to write lists for everything. I did 3 just for this!
35. My favourite group when I was younger was the Monkees

36. I am a total clean freak, if i see dust or dirt I have to clean it up
37. I am a Scorpio, which  definitely shows; I got a sting in my tail
38. I can not eat fish with the head on, can't eat something that's looking at me
39. I love all things peanut butter
40. I met my partner on MYSPACE

41. I have never ever smoked a cigarette
42. my first record I brought was "Thank you very much" by the Scaffolds
43. I believe in the afterlife and have visited a medium
44. I love watching Eastenders
45. I was once on the 70's childrens TV show MAGPIE

46. At my daughters wedding, I gave the father of the brides speech
47. I don't like horror films
48. My age in 2 months
49. I love taking photos, of family, friends, the cat and trees!
50. I love everything to do with Christmas