Silly-Savvy Adventure – Pumping the Bellows

Patterns, pipes and kneeling pads surround me as I step up the aisle of St Gregory’s Church. 

 

Sadly, the organ pipes lie redundant, with no-one to pump the bellows, and no organist to announce my approach with my chosen hymn. Still, I don’t suppose anyone was expecting me – were they? And do I even have a favourite hymn? Can I make my own one up? Is that allowed? Or do I have to make my selection from the traditional hymn book?

I decide to forget the whole hymn thing. I can’t sing too well anyway and I’m not wearing my best church hat. Best not to draw attention to myself.

Instead, I take a little amble around and check out the living arrangements. A comfy cushion, complete with pomegranate motif, three handsome fellas immortalised in stained glass, innumerable Gothic-style arches and the most exquisitely-spiky-backed chair. Is this a seat intended for interrogation, confession and torture, or can I sit in it for a moment of quiet contemplation and prayer?

Neither.

I move on.

On and out.

On a lap of the churchyard, I find myself peering down onto the late Walnut Tree Hospital. Late because it is now home to some rather posh and spiffing-looking dwellings which, no doubt, made Babergh Council and the Housing Development company a few pretty pennies.

 

Still the conversion is more than tasteful and retains much of the original character of the building. What a pity that the same can’t be said for the rubbled remains of the deceased middle schools. Let’s hope that Belle Vue House receives treatment similar to that meted out for the Walnut Tree, rather than the horror of a bulldozer!

Look, Babergh, Sudbury is beautiful! Please, let’s keep it that way!

And, whilst we’re on the subject of retention and preservation, what’s going on with the old Conservative Club? Okay, so I’m no fan of old Boris, but he did win the last election, so somebody surely has a little bit of respect for all things Tory. And, in my view, the buildings, if not the politicians, have got to be worth hanging on to! Haven’t they?

 

Somebody, get on with the resuscitation! Please!

 

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

A Something Poem – January Blues

January slumps,

grumping and grumbling

at lives struggling

against the tumble.

 

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

Silly Poem – Everything

You don’t always

get the thing that is everything,

because the thing that is everything you already have.

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

Image by Klaus Hausmann from Pixabay

 

Other posts by Jay Cool:

Silly-Savvy Adventure – Chilton Cheer

Savvy Book – The Last

Savvy Comedy – Running Order

Silly-Savvy Adventure – The Chilton Underground

Amazing how everyday I find something special about Chilton. Who would have thought it must be possible to run out of surprises in such a small area – but seemingly not!

Today, I find myself wading through rivers of mud on a WWII airfield. Muddy, or not, I’m reasoning I should make the most of it, whilst the old runway (river!) is still visible. For, as I’ve previously blogged about, Babergh Council have plans to eradicate history with a housing estate.

20200110_130056

Is this wise, Babergh?

With old Trump so determined to trigger off a WWIII, perhaps we need more than a passing moment in which to consider the tragically short lives of the young men who gave their everything to give us our everything.

Sadly, as you can, if you look towards the line of trees, see, the building work has already started. New homes are being constructed alongside the airfield’s border with Waldingfield Road – homes for the wealthy, with bedrooms galore and sizeable plots. Can’t say I blame the buyers involved. A house with a garden in Sudbury has become a thing of the past.

Any available bit of space, any sliver of a side-garden, any mini-square of a back garden has, or is being, built upon. Just take a look at what’s left of the once-sizeable back gardens in Great Cornard’s, The Pot Kilns! For those who fancy being self-sufficient, and doing away with the need to purchase veg ‘n’ plastic products from Tesco, perhaps a piece of Waldingfield Road’s hedgerow is the answer.

Still, I find the sight of scaffolding, in a location such historical significance, somewhat depressing. And, once, the housing estates go up, it won’t be long before those sizeable back gardens alongside the airfield are sold to the new neighbours.

Why, Babergh? Why are you doing this?

Moving on, I stop to take a shot of Sudbury’s most valuable resource, sugar beet, a real beaut, kindly modelled for the occasion by Sprog 1’s hand!  Wonder whether the beet would make a tasty soup? Anyone ever tried it?

20200110_124731

It’s okay, Mr (Mrs?) farmer, we’re not going to steal the beet; I’ve spotted something far more nutritious! Mushroom soup anyone? Beansprouts?

20200110_130739

A closer examination, results in a speedy withdrawal. The beast is labelled up as a Supaseeder – is this the real thing, or just the film set for ‘The Day of the Triffids’? Not sure I want to find out! But on seeking cover in the adjacent copse, I find all ways barred.

I am on TV or what? Who’s going to pay me for this?

And do I really want the publicity? Harry and Meghan come to mind, and I decide I’ll give the paparazzi a miss. But the only way out, is down!

20200110_131416-1

A military bunker? Looks a bit dark and dingy – who knows what lurks below? Something soft and heavy swipes my forehead. A bag of dog poo? Yuck! Be it the paparazzi, or the BBC film crew that awaits, I think it wise to turn back!

Forget the alien fungi-thing, I’m sticking to beets, runways and hay bales!

Heading away from the Acton Lane side of the airfield, I make my way back to Waldingfield Road, bypass Chilton Hall (haven’t received my invitation for a tour yet), and take a left turn to one of my many favourite hotspots – The Horse Pond.

Sadly, I find that even the owners of Chilton Grove have got in on the whole new-build thing; the expansive grounds appear to be marked out for building plots! This is particularly tragic, as I was planning (post-publication of my bestseller) to add Chilton Grove to my property portfolio (mere pennies at £799,995!) of writers’ retreats. Sorry, ought to say writer’s retreats. I’m not inviting anybody else into my escape zones! Another possibility gone down the pan; first Belle Vue House threatens to get into the whole profit before people palava, and now Chilton Grove! What is going on?

What about our local history?

Come on Babergh – listen to this ingenious proposal! Why not attract tourists to the area? Turn the hidden-underground bunker into a visitor’s hotspot. Set up a museum next to it – display some WWII aeroplanes; get people down into the bunker to see what went on down there; give them the full guided tour and include visits to St Mary’s Church, Chilton Hall (doesn’t the Hall have some connection with that travel guy on TV, whatsizname?), and even Chilton Grove! Come on, Babergh, get onto it!

But, much to my relief, in spite of the surrounding development, The Horse Pond itself, is still a haven on tranquility.

But, for how long?

Copyright owned by The Silly-Savvy Salopian, Friday 2nd Jan, 2020

P.S. To the guy who lives in Chilton Hall (Lord Somebody-or-Other) – sorry for suggesting that a party of muddy-footed tourists should venture into your home. I fully understand if the prospect isn’t to your liking. How about just giving just me, Jay Cool, a tour? And, my mum and my Hubby and my best friend, and sprogs, and … etc.? Yes? We’ll remove our boots … honest!

Other posts by The Silly-Savvy Salopian:

Savvy Book – The Ginger Survival Guide

Silly Adventure – Bunny Soup in Chilton

Silly Adventure – Stranded in Cornard

Silly-Savvy Adventure – Chilton Cheer

What to do when the weather affects your mood?

It’s dull, cloudy and drizzly, and I’m feeling it. My cliff-top cave has a tendency to be damp and dreary, even on the sunniest of days – it’s windows being North-East facing – so the morning is as dark as dark gets.

So what do I do?

Pretend it’s warm and sunny outside, don my woolly hat, and walk out to my favourite hotspot – St Mary’s Church at Chilton. Sure, I’ve blogged about it lots before, but that’s the thing about life: every day is different! And everytime I do the Chilton walk, I see the local sights anew.

And the hedgerows bordering the pavements of Church Field Road never disappoint.

20200115_112754

Never again will I accuse the rain of being dreary. These berries are truly stunning; the red one sports a forest inside a translucent-upside-down dome. And, no sooner do I have this thought, then I pause a moment to think about Australia’s forests destroyed by fire. Never dis the benefits of rain! The drizzle is a reminder to celebrate all that is good in life, all that sustains and nourishes us. Hence, if this drizzle is followed up by a downpour, I won’t be complaining!

Yet.

This is all very easy to say, of course, when I’m standing under the protective roof of St Mary’s. The church’s interior is looking as beautiful as ever, and I find my friends, as I’ve come to think of them, members of the late Crane family, pleased to see me. Hardly surprising, when church service attendance is at all time low. Must be a lonely hangout!

Having said that, I do have it on good authority, that the church was packed to the brim, for it’s December carol service. And why did I miss it? Please forgive me, my little Crane family – I was at a football match! But I’m here now!

After a little chat with the Cranes, in which I promise to cheer their poor souls up with a touch of comedy someday, I decide it’s time to face up to my cave again. A SAD lamp – that’s what I need. Bring a little bit of sunlight in with the drizzle. Will look into it. Amazon? Google? Do you do freebie SAD lamps?

Fortunately, en route back to my cave, I find little florets of sunlight beaming out at me from the wayside, begging me to smile back at them.

20200115_112949

I do my best!

cartoon-chips-2029737_1280

Okay, allow me this one; I’m not at all photogenic and, besides which, I’m standing right next to McDonald’s! Plus, it’s a good opportunity to promote Pixabay. com – my top-fave website for free images!

Now, what to do next? Dark cave or McDonald’s?

 

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

Photo of ‘Chilton Berries’ by Jay Cool

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Further information about the history of St Mary’s Church is available courtesy of Churches Conservation Trust.

I’m informed that future events at St Mary’s include a Holy Week ‘Compline’ service, at 7pm, Tues 7th April, and a Summer Fete, at 2pm-5pm, Sat 11th July 2020. I’ve also heard that there may be stalls available for hire at the latter event; if there are any local organisations out there looking for some promotional space, contact the CCT (link above) for further information.

In the meantime, take a look at others post by Jay Cool:

 

Silly Adventure – Lavenham Guildhall

Silly Adventure – Bunny Soup in Chilton

Savvy Diary 57: Belle Vue Ball

 

 

 

Serious Poem – Doubts

Doubts in my head –

I beat them away, tell them to go, but still

they come back, so I push them, throw them, blow them

until

they pop and with clear head,

I know there’s time, still, to

get on.

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

Image by Kira Hoffmann from Pixabay

 

 

Savvy Poem – I See Them

Savy Poem – Burnt Ice

Silly Poem – Pink Lippy

Savvy Book – The Women at Hitler’s Table

Savvy Book – The Women at Hitler’s Table

‘The Women at Hitler’s Table’, by Rosella Postorino.

Received this beauty of a read for Christmas, courtesy of myself, as the general method of present giving in the Cool household entails going shopping with the purchaser and placing the wanted item in their basket. Perhaps not romantic, but it’s a fool-proof procedure for acquiring the exact piece of clutter you’ve had your eye of for weeks!

Clutter isn’t really the right word for this book, which is why I will allow Hubby to continue using it (keeps him happy), whilst I switch back to the word beauty.

The story is told from the point of view of Rosa, a young woman ordered to join a band of food tasters. In spite of the man she is serving, Hitler, it’s still incredibly easy to empathise with Rosa. Like the other women in the  same role, she has no choice about her situation. Newly-married, she is living in Austria with her in-laws. Her husband is fighting at the front, and following the death of her mother the blitzing of Berlin, Rosa has no safe-haven to return to. Austria was supposed to be her safe-haven; unfortunately, her in-laws live in close proximity to Hitler’s hidden bunker, and Hitler is becoming increasing paranoid. Hence, the local women have been called up to serve; Rosa and her companions have to act as human guinea pigs, tasting all dishes cooked up by the chef, before Hitler will partake of the same.

Under the daily threat of death by poisoning, Rosa ploughs on, taking her wages home to help out the in-laws. The reader’s empathy dips a little when Rosa embarks on a love affair with a Nazi officer.

At the same time the reader recognises that, like most people, Rosa is just doing what she can to survive; creating her own little bubble of space to live in, whilst cutting out the bits of existence she’d rather not dwell on, the bits she has no control over, the bits that would drag her down so low she would never re-emerge.

Rosa is able to step outside her role and see Hitler for what he is, an actor, a fraud with a ‘glued on’ moustache, performing his own little ‘cabaret act’. Rosa is just another member of his audience, a reality show, in which she is forced to participate, and to laugh at just the right moments to make the whole thing seem plausible. In Rosa’s words, then the more she ‘adapted, the less human’ she ‘felt’.

I have no wish to give too much of the story away, but will leave you, my own audience, with the following food-for-thought sentence:

‘Hitler nourished me, and that nourishment could kill me.’

And on that note, I’m sitting in Prado Lounge, and could really do with a kick of serotonin to cheer me up – any spinach on the menu? Eggs? Avocado?

Is it safe? Can I speak with the Chef?

“Excuse me! Excuse me, please … can you just take a bite from this before I …

No?”

 

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

 

Silly-Savvy Rating: 4/5

Reviewed book available to purchase from Waterstones (if you choose to purchase via the link, Jay Cool, will receive a small commission from the seller).

 

 

 

‘

Savvy Poem – I See Them

Inspired by Willa Cather’s novel, ‘My Antonia’.

I can see them now

although

I’d rather not.

Why then, do I see

them

and what they are?

Now.

When really

right now

I would rather

not.

See.

 

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

 

Image by skeeze from Pixabay

 

Other posts by Jay Cool:
Savy Poem – Burnt Ice

The Drilling: A Short Story

49: Sad

Silly Poem – Nurse My Toe

Inspired by fellow redhead, Fergie, and by Walter de La Mare’s poem, ‘Mistletoe’.

Sitting under the mistletoe,

I pause a while to nurse my toe.

I know I cannot not ease the pain,

indeed it drives me quite insane,

But if, by chance, I get a frog –

it’s just the tip that needs a snog!

 

Copyright owned by Jay Cool, January 2020

 

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Savvy Poem – Cruel Comfort

Savvy Poem – No Longer Relevant

Savvy Book – The Ginger Survival Guide