In this noisy, twittering world, loneliness is never talked about - Times Online

In this noisy, twittering world, loneliness is never talked about - Times Online

Institute of Contemporary Arts : Film : The London Nobody Knows

Institute of Contemporary Arts : Film : The London Nobody Knows

Eamon and Adam- Mary's sons were here for Christmas

Eamon and Adam were here for Christmas Day.

Longton, Stoke on Trent

We are enjoying ourselves in Stoke-on -Trent with Mary Nawal, Adam and Eamon, Angela and Ken. Its been wonderful but very lazy and the weight has piled on. We are out tomorrow to the local favourite place for the residents (and us too) TESCO Extra which is always packed.

Happy New Year to our many followers!

Christmas in Spitalfields

Some of the characters of Christmas in Spitalfields- including Susan in the choir, the snowman in our window and some of our friends in the City Farm

Our Christmas presents

These are some of our precious presents that some of our friends have made for us or sent us. Thank you!

Preparing for Christmas

John has been busy creating an outside space for the plants- covered by a sort of cling film and framed by wood with decoration sourced from skips. I am delighted with it and it makes outside seem like inside. We are beating the local artists with our creations.

Christmas in the west end

Sister J invited me to the Carol Service for the Deaf! It was at the wonderful Church of the Annunciation in Bryanston Square. (A place very close to my heart) I could sing loudly, out of tune without embarrassment . Tea and a pianist in John Lewis completed a wonderful afternoon and evening

Mary at the White House

Well Mary had a very special tour of the White House- courtesy of her friend - and she was able to stand outside the Oval Office. She is wearing a scarf made by my friend Joan (made to order from from Joan- plug, plug)and so Coventry went into Washington and a link with her mother's past life before the children. Ask me if you want a scarf,visits to the White House are not included!

Dine in offers

Its payback time... greed got the better of me and I succumbed to the offers.

Going down to Moorgate with my tartan shopping trolley, bright red coat on against the freezing wind I walked the twenty minutes trot to Moorgate M and S. Stoked up on the brilliant £10 offer and then up the escalator and out in record time... until

The trolley was so full I got stuck at the top. For an age I was trapped a the top scrambling to lift the trolley and stay upright- my legs going like a hamster on a wheel. I fell of course, and was humiliated as a man struggled to help me up, smiling at me encouragingly as he bucked under my weight. I got to upright position, with his help and was besieged by a security guard with a wheelchair and the store manager. She wanted to know if I was OK and what had happened. I did assure her it was the store's fault- if they did not run these generous offers then I would not have overloaded the trolley! I beat a hasty retreat, rushed home, John put the ghastly booty away and I had a bath to sooth my badly bruised body. History is repeating itself- my late mother broke her arm once when she slipped in the snow after a desperate visit to Tescos to save 10pence on four pints of milk!

The Minaret in Brick Lane

Well it had to happen. After murmurings in the East End Life- our council funded local 'newspaper' who described it as a 'steel structure' the Minaret was erected last week. A great ugly phallus two fingered salute (or so it seems to me) to the kafir who live around here.

The building, which happily served as a chapel, then a synagogue- without any fuss has become the final 'Up Yours' and Brick Lane and Spitalfields has been given its definitive identity- stamped with this huge tic.It is now part of a culturall heritage tour and this will surely tell us what to think and feel. Just in time to celebrate Christmas

Leon tasting

Myself and Joan had an eventful day. Checked out a possible life change and then spent a lovely evening- tasting Leons meatballs in Spitalfields- of all things!

Leons in Spitalfields is actually a great place to meet. No compulsion to buy but lots of food and you can have a coffee,meet your friends and read the paper. Mary and Ayo, when in London,live in the place! Its a great escape from domesticity

We met Carmen and Grace. Great couple of friends who were actaully interested in two older women and what they had to say. We were interested in them too- both had good 'newish' jobs and Carmen gave me some fascinating inside information on a school in Hackney!

Market in Stoke Newington

We tried our hand in Stoke Newington. Fairly successful but no sell out! Stoke Newington is a very fussy, funky wealthy area. Cutie kids and very colourful jewellery dominated the scene.

Our new worker in the market

On quite a rare visit to the market on Sunday we saw the first 'living statue' there. I am not sure if it was his first appearance but he was brilliant. He really captured the attention of the crowd by reaching out to touch people's hair - some were shrieking when they realised they had been touched. One little chap, approaching him to put a coin in the plate on the floor, looked up and said 'Don't hurt me, I am only a little boy'

Stereotypes about the East-End

I am quoting from a blog: 'Traditionally the east end has been associated with - the Kray twins, extravagant funerals, pie and mash, Barbara Windsor, the Queen Vic,dodgy geezers, going darn the market...

Well what is the reality? And more up to date perceptions. I am going to be thinking about this.
I have been showing my old friend round Spitalfields and the East End generally in the last few days- we were nursing together in East London nearly forty years ago!

The donkey in Westminster

Here comes the donkey at Westminster Cathedral. Archbishop Nichols was presiding. It was a packed Advent carol service and the vast majority of the congregation were school children. They had actors and the main narrator of the story was Joseph- in costume, who did make the story sound ludicrous as he explained something like 'when I got up the next day, Mary told me she was pregnant' It made you want to shout 'a likely story!'. I took baby Aira with me and met up with Sister J.

Meeting the author Jean Fullerton at Stratford Library

Ann and I went to meet the author- she specializes in east-end romantic fiction. I do not really like this genre- finding it very sentimental. But I always have an irresistible fascination with places I have lived in or known. Bound with regret that there is no-one alive to share it with now. And then again I found myself composing my own novel, set in modern east London- and knowing that I have not the energy to even start!