Now this might sound weird to some of you but I am just a sucker for a new catalogue. I bloody love them. The anticipation of what will be inside and the smell of shiny new paper gives me little goosebumps. It's right up there with the feeling you get when you get your new shoes out of the box (again maybe that's just me).
This week my new well known store directory arrived, I put it to one side so that I could enjoy it when I could sit down and give it the time it deserved. This got me thinking about my love/love relationships with catalogues and where it all began.
As a child I remember the arrival of a new catalogue being quite an event. Back then the catalogue of choice for my mom was Kays. We didn't have a lot of money and that was old school poor not like these days when you can have a car, plasma TV, computer, phone, game console but can't afford 'luxuries'. I remember not having a fridge and using a bucket of cold water, running out of 50pence pieces to put in the rented TV (the TV rental was paid for by the 50ps), no heating and having to share our phone line with several others. So Kays was the answer to well, just about everything. School uniform, clothes, toys, bikes, Christmas, carpet, washing machines could all be paid for weekly. It was great. Basically if it wasn't in Kays and couldnt be paid for at 20 pence a week then we weren't getting it.
However for me as a child the best bit about anew catalogue was that I got to have the old one to cut up. Initially I cut out toys that I wanted. Later I cut out the people and outfits. This got quite elaborate and I would cut out outfits and transpose them onto the heads of models I liked. I would create what I called layouts so my flappy cut out person could move about them in a Frankenstein-esque one dimensional dolls house type scenario.
Can anyone else relate to this? No? Just me then. It was the seventies, I didn't get out much, kids TV was only on for a couple of hours a day and my mom preferred educational games like scrabble. Great but when you're on your lonesome not much use. I was creative but I was bored. I actually think these fantasy paper worlds were the forerunner to Sims. Some computer genius stole my idea. I was sitting on a goldmine and I didn't even know it.
Later on I graduated to the heady heights of Grattan and Freemans but they were never as precious to me as that trusty Kay's catalogue that came out for each life event to see what we could order.
Anyway this seasons offering of shiny store directory fails to light my fire like the old days. The anticipation was right up there in the Kay's category but the selection of rehashed fashions and homewares just doesn't grab me (didn't I wear that style about 20 years ago?) and it fizzles out like a damp firework. The only alternative use these days is a door stop or weapon of choice for self defence. Plus to add insult to injury you have to pay for the damn thing. Give me a Kay's any day. Can't quite bring myself to throw them out or cancel my subscription though. I live in hope of creating the dizzy heights of my childhood and there is always that outside chance.
Sunday, 26 July 2015
Sunday, 10 May 2015
Best friends 4 eva 💓💓
I guess I've always been quite lucky that I've had quite a few friends over the years. My first best friend I met at the tender age of 5, Gemma. We were thrown together as her mom worked at the pub next to my parents shop. She was younger and when she started school she got a new best friend but we still hung out. I still see her occasionally now more than 40 years later.
My next best friend was Kate we bonded in the playground, she was a year above me and I was in awe odf her. Her family lived in a big house, I lived in a flat. Her mom baked and was a bit of a hippy. She Introduced me to Holland & Barrett and the weird Intoxicating smells that were all new to me in there. She also had older brothers which Was a new experience for me. She had another friend called Sally and one day she decided she couldn't have two best friends and so that lunch time whoever called for her first was to claim sole best friendship. It was back in the days when all kids went home for dinner from school. I though had a working mom, unusual at the time and would have granted me the permission to stay and have school dinners. I hated them though so as we lived over the shop my Dad was around so I went home. This gave me the advantage over Sally as her mom made her go in and eat a proper dinner. I was lucky that day that my dad was busy so I hastily made a jam sandwich and rushed back to Kate's to be victorious. I will never forget the look on Sally's face when she arrived and I was already there. Brutal but that was the law of the playground.
Kate and I were best friends all through my formative years. I found her family fascinating and wanted to be there all the time. Her mom did yoga, meditated used wholemeal flour. her brothers played guitars, her dad painted, rode horses and collected vintage cars. This was a whole new world to me. They also had a caravan in the country and we used to go off there at weekends. I only realise now that my own parents might have felt a bit left out in all of this but my grandad lived with us and I would do anything to get away from his horrible mean ways.
Kate's family moved to Redditch but this didn't stop us, we would take it in turns to stay the weekend at each other's. Kate started high school and a year later I started secondary school. We started to see less of each other as we both made new friends. We still had crazy weekends together sometimes at the caravan under the very lax supervision of her brothers. I also went to my first concerts with Kate. We saw Chic, Gary Numan, Japan, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran to name a few. Then we both got boyfriends and started to drift apart. We would still spend hours on the phone though. I made new friends. I met up again once with Kate years later when we both had kids but we didn't stay in touch. Last I heard she was living in Malvern and home schooling her kids.
In about the 3rd at senior school a new girl came into our class. She merged into our friendship group. Her name was Jackie and over 30 years later she is still my bestest best mate. We see each other as often as we can and go out with our spouses too. They have to get on whether they like it or not. She is my rock and has been there for me through thick and thin. Good times and the very worst times. We both have the same sick sense of humour and enjoyment of taking the p out of everyone including ourselves. We know what the other is thinking and can finish each other's sentences. We also share a love of shoes. The friendship group from school was a strong one and we all still see each other all these years on. We laugh until we cry and our now larger in most cases, bellies ache.
I also have my old bank days friends, two lots. We see each other about twice a year.
My other group of friends, known as the conservatory club are a mixed bunch. The foundations come from the kids school but we've all bought along a friend or a waif and stray. We all have one thing in common and that we are mad as a box of frogs. I would wouldn't have it any other way. I love them all and am. Truly blessed.
My next best friend was Kate we bonded in the playground, she was a year above me and I was in awe odf her. Her family lived in a big house, I lived in a flat. Her mom baked and was a bit of a hippy. She Introduced me to Holland & Barrett and the weird Intoxicating smells that were all new to me in there. She also had older brothers which Was a new experience for me. She had another friend called Sally and one day she decided she couldn't have two best friends and so that lunch time whoever called for her first was to claim sole best friendship. It was back in the days when all kids went home for dinner from school. I though had a working mom, unusual at the time and would have granted me the permission to stay and have school dinners. I hated them though so as we lived over the shop my Dad was around so I went home. This gave me the advantage over Sally as her mom made her go in and eat a proper dinner. I was lucky that day that my dad was busy so I hastily made a jam sandwich and rushed back to Kate's to be victorious. I will never forget the look on Sally's face when she arrived and I was already there. Brutal but that was the law of the playground.
Kate and I were best friends all through my formative years. I found her family fascinating and wanted to be there all the time. Her mom did yoga, meditated used wholemeal flour. her brothers played guitars, her dad painted, rode horses and collected vintage cars. This was a whole new world to me. They also had a caravan in the country and we used to go off there at weekends. I only realise now that my own parents might have felt a bit left out in all of this but my grandad lived with us and I would do anything to get away from his horrible mean ways.
Kate's family moved to Redditch but this didn't stop us, we would take it in turns to stay the weekend at each other's. Kate started high school and a year later I started secondary school. We started to see less of each other as we both made new friends. We still had crazy weekends together sometimes at the caravan under the very lax supervision of her brothers. I also went to my first concerts with Kate. We saw Chic, Gary Numan, Japan, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran to name a few. Then we both got boyfriends and started to drift apart. We would still spend hours on the phone though. I made new friends. I met up again once with Kate years later when we both had kids but we didn't stay in touch. Last I heard she was living in Malvern and home schooling her kids.
In about the 3rd at senior school a new girl came into our class. She merged into our friendship group. Her name was Jackie and over 30 years later she is still my bestest best mate. We see each other as often as we can and go out with our spouses too. They have to get on whether they like it or not. She is my rock and has been there for me through thick and thin. Good times and the very worst times. We both have the same sick sense of humour and enjoyment of taking the p out of everyone including ourselves. We know what the other is thinking and can finish each other's sentences. We also share a love of shoes. The friendship group from school was a strong one and we all still see each other all these years on. We laugh until we cry and our now larger in most cases, bellies ache.
I also have my old bank days friends, two lots. We see each other about twice a year.
My other group of friends, known as the conservatory club are a mixed bunch. The foundations come from the kids school but we've all bought along a friend or a waif and stray. We all have one thing in common and that we are mad as a box of frogs. I would wouldn't have it any other way. I love them all and am. Truly blessed.
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Where for art thou undomesticated goddess?
Hello, yes I am still here, still alive just not been writing. Why? Lots of reasons really.
There have been big developments on the work front. After a time of change and dissatisfaction I finally made a decision and applied for a couple of new jobs internally. I was lucky enough to be successful and was in the enviable position of being to be able to choose between two new roles. I have now been in my new position 8 months and it's going well. Lots to learn, new challenges but I'm enjoying it.
The biggest change has been my decision to return to work full time for then first time since I became a mom back in 1989. Two things: 1st - I'm fast approaching my fifties and facing the joys of the menopause and I hadnt appreciated how tiring I would find it. 2nd - I hadnt appreciated how not having time to do chores during non work time in the week would hugely impact my weekends.
The extra money is great though so it's not all doom and gloom.
So I'm adjusting, the family is adjusting too, well having to as they are having to fend more for themselves as I can't now 'do everything'. This can be tricky for all of us. I feel guilty, I've always been so organised, always prepared meals, run around for everyone. I don't have as much time for my elderly parents and friends as I used to either which is hard. It's good in other ways though as they do need to be more independent.
I am going to try and make a concerted effort to write more though. I am still suffering the wide awakes. The brain goes into overdrive thinking about, well all kinds of crap really, things I need to do being just a part of it so I'm thinking writing may have a Harry Potter/Dumbledore pensive effect of emptying my brain into another storage vessel. Here's hoping....
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