where art collides philosoperontap

February 22, 2013

Lincoln A to Z Q9 maternity unit, Lincoln County Hospital

Filed under: A 2 Z — Tags: , , , , , — Trefor Davies @ 5:34 pm

Christmas Day 1991 was a quiet affair. The two of us had Christmas lunch on our own at the house in Greetwell Gate. Anne was heavily pregnant and now two weeks overdue.

We went out pretty much every night in the weeks running up to Christmas, determined to make the most of our last days of freedom. Six weeks earlier we had been in the Prince of Wales pub in the Bailgate. In those days it was a proper local. Small cosy rooms and good for a lock-in in the days before licensing laws became more liberal. I used to play rugby with the landlord Wayne.

At some point during the evening the conversation came round to the baby’s due date.  Officially this was the 12th December but of course these things are never certain. For a bit of fun we decided to have a sweepstake, pound in and whoever guessed the actual birthday right took all the cash. The only rule was that nobody was allowed to choose Boxing Day as this would be the day she would have to go in and have the birth induced had the baby not yet arrived.

We came out of the pub that night with the twenty quid sweepstake cash in our pockets. The whole pub had taken part. On the way home we passed the Raj Douth Indian Restaurant (now the Saffron) so we stopped off and blew the lot on a curry. I had planned to replace the cash at the appropriate moment before handing it over to the winner.

Winding the clock forward six weeks and the baby still hadn’t arrived so it looked very much as if we would be going in to the hospital on Boxing Day for the birth.  After the Christmas lunch I fell asleep on the sofa and Anne set to clearing away the table. When I woke up a few hours later the whole house was spotless. The nesting instinct had kicked in and the big moment was obviously about to arrive.

The contractions started early evening but were not close enough together for us to go in to hospital. I started recording the intervals on a bit of paper on the bedside table.  We didn’t get much sleep that night and by the morning had a complete record of the contractions which gradually got closer and closer together.

By 10am it was time to go in. The hospital was only a few hundred yards away and it took minutes to get there. For much of the time I paraded around the ward chatting to the nurses and availing myself of the huge supplies of chocolate that had been donated by grateful patients. It was a lot easier for me than for Anne who, this being her first child had a pretty hard time of it. We went through three shifts of midwives until finally, twelve hours after our initial arrival at the hospital, Anne gave birth to a fine baby boy who we named Thomas Alun Davies.

It was too late to celebrate as the pubs were by now all shut and I went home to bed a tired but ecstatic parent.

The next night I was back in the Prince of Wales with my mates to wet the baby’s head. The subject of the sweepstake was brought up and of course there was no winner. I told the boys that I had spent the cash on flowers without mentioning the fact that really we had spent it on the curry that same night.

In fact I did buy the flowers, from the Shell Garage on Burton Road. It being the day after Boxing Day the flowers were getting past their best but the woman in the shop, understanding their purpose, picked through all the bunches and gave me a huge bundle of the best she had which were fine. Back on the ward in the hospital Anne’s bed was surrounded by colour making everyone else’s look a little pathetic by comparison.

I kept both the piece of paper with the details of the contractions and the beer mat with the sweepstake guesses in my bedside table for years.  Sadly they were lost during our house move but the story remains a nice little memento of what was a big moment in our lives.

We visited the maternity unit another three times before settling on four as the ideal sized brood. None of the others took as long to come out as the first and there were no further sweepstakes involved though I’m sure I must have felt it appropriate to wet the baby’s head each time.

I have since been to the Prince of Wales on many an occasion but never again to the maternity unit.

Lincoln A to Z V5 North Greetwell – one horse town and no pub

Filed under: A 2 Z — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 12:32 pm

Part of the ancient Lawress Wapentake (apparently Lawress is Old English for “lark”) the village of North Greetwell lies on the Roman highway the A158 Wragby Road heading in a North Easterly direction towards the Lincolnshire Wolds. The village comprises perhaps a hundred residential dwellings, an Indian restaurant and a roadside filling station.

Note it is my firm belief that a village is not a village without a pub. It may well have an Indian restaurant, which is a big plus and which is certainly a step up from the Little Chef that was its predecessor but a pub it is not. The petrol station, which is useful and probably ok to nip out to for a bottle of wine or a sixpack of lager is also not a substitute. I will say no more on this subject other than it can’t be that much of a lark living there.

In 1801 North Greetwell had a population of 31 people. This was quite convenient because the parish church could only accommodate 35. The population grew steadily and by 1891 reached 93 persons. Ten years later this had dropped to 51 which must surely have represented some calamitous happening in the village. By 1911 this had risen to 75 but by 1921 had only grown another by four souls to 79. The Great War had taken its toll.

The nineteen twenties saw a rapid expansion and by 1931 the population was up to 253 which from the local parish priest’s perspective would have been a nice problem to have.

We do not know how he dealt with this problem and an examination, hitherto unperformed, of the church records might well shed some light on the issue. That degree of research does not however lie within the remit of this work and the church itself lies in V9, a couple of clicks south of V5 which seals it for me. Marriage records for the Lawress Deanery do go back to the year 1700 and the Anglican parish register dates from 1723 so we could probably find out what was going on.

Perhaps they had a marquee in the garden to accommodate the extra people or maybe market forces and the availability of better transport meant that some went elsewhere for their spiritual guidance. It’s amazing the lengths people will go to for a better quality biscuit to dunk in their post sermon cup of tea or coffee. I’m only speculating here. I don’t know for sure. For all I know all the local parish priests had a pact to buy the same sort of biscuits so that this sort of thing didn’t happen. It only takes the lure of more ten bob notes in the collection plate to make a difference though…

The village does possess a Manor House which in 1912 was the residence of William Bowser but that too lies outside square V5 and so is also not being given much airtime here.

In 2005 an archaeological dig was undertaken in the area ahead of some new houses being built. Disappointingly absolutely nothing of interest was discovered beyond some medieval furrows. We could probably have guessed that.

At the time of writing there are eight properties for sale in North Greetwell four of which are bungalows.  Prices range from £110k up to £250k. That seems to be a fair percentage of the housing stock on the market if you ask me and possibly down to the fact that there is no pub or maybe because it is on a busy main road. Who knows.

A quick online scout for what’s on in North Greetwell reveals nothing. So that means either they are all watching the TV, on the internet or out at the garage or the Indian restaurant. One little surprise is that the BT speedchecker shows that the residents of the village are blessed with pretty fast fibre broadband. There again BT has been known to be wrong about these things.

That’s pretty much it for North Greetwell. It would appear, and I may be wrong here, that the MP for the area is Edward Leigh (Conservative) who has no doubt made himself known to the residents in a doorstep campaign at some time or another. I note that Mr Leigh has three sons and three daughters and was President of Durham University Union. Fair play.

I will finish with the consideration that the title of this piece is “Lincoln A to Z V5 North Greetwell – one horse town and no pub”. I have no idea of the origin of the saying “one horse town” and although it seems to me it should apply to North Greetwell I am ok if someone comes back and tells me that they have a couple of horses stabled at the back of their house. I can believe it. Some of the gardens are quite big and equestrianism is a good hobby that provides one with exercise and a bit of healthy fresh air, as long as you stay away from the main road.

That’s all folks…

Oh and PS I know I said I wouldn’t say any more about the no pub bit but I did – sorry

February 21, 2013

V3 Mulsanne Park – sporting triumphs and utter dejections

Filed under: A 2 Z — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 2:40 pm

When our third child was quite young he went along to Saturday morning football at Mulsanne Park. We were never sure whether Mulsanne rhymed with frying pan or window pane. I was of the former camp but others in the family claimed the latter. Being of all seeing all knowing disposition I am of course right though the argument was never truly settled and I doubt that anyone cares or even realises it was an issue.

The boy was never going to make it as a footballer. I recall a beautiful spring day when the sun was shining and for once it was a pleasure to have to perform parental duties and take him and his pals out to Nettleham. There have been other times when the icy blast of a gale blowing across from the Urals  made me wonder why he wasn’t more interested in jigsaws as a hobby but this was not one of them. It was a perfect day for football.

Conditions that are right footballing are also ideal for other activities. At Mulsanne Park these conditions are, where the parents are concerned, good for sipping a cup of tea purchased from the pavilion and chatting with other parents. Some people are more interested in following the on field activity and I must say that to some extent I fall into this camp. However I do feel that I can with a degree of concentration adequately multitask and also drink tea and chat. I know not what the chat is about – as far as multitasking is concerned “remembering” is one task to far.

You should know I am not one of those competitive parents who shout instructions from the sideline and remonstrate with the ref when he thinks that a decision has not gone the right way. Still I do like to celebrate the on-pitch success of the boy. I can be very loud in my appreciation. No wilting lilly I.

This brings me to the other point about ideal footballing conditions and that is what is good for football is also good for spring growth. In the case of Mulsanne Park this might be a renewal of activity in the hedgerows and also on the playing surface itself. We like the new growth in the grass even though it means work for the lawnmower.  Unfortunately grass isn’t all that grows on a football pitch. Daisies also flourish.

On the beautiful day in question the lad was dawdling in the outfield and his attention was caught by a certain daisy. This daisy must have been a fast grower because the pitch had not long been mowed. The daisy clearly merited closer inspection.

Now one of the aspects of the game of football is that people run around the field kicking the ball this way and that and there is a good change if you stand in one spot that the play will eventually come your way. On this occasion with daisy inspection in full flow the opposition winger came thundering towards my lad who was totally oblivious to anything other than the daisy. The winger shot past and with only the keeper between him and stardom made certain of his place on the scoresheet and no doubt of lasting fame in the history of Nettleham Under 6’s football.

The boy looked up and trotted over to some other part of the pitch, neither jubilant nor utterly dejected.

 

Lincoln A to Z – G10 the problem seed

Filed under: A 2 Z,poems — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 10:16 am

a stroke of the pen,

global game

empire and politics

arbitrary decisions

divided peoples

straight lines

far off rulers

hewing of nations

fields of Fen Farm

North Kesteven Lincoln – Lincoln North Kesteven

just like that

February 20, 2013

Lincoln A to Z J3 – Griffinwood

Filed under: A 2 Z — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 12:15 pm

“WARNING – GRIFFINS NESTING”

Entry to this wood is at your own risk. The Department of Magic recommends that only groups accompanied by a certified magical creature expert proceed beyond this point. Whilst under normal circumstances griffins are known to be harmless they are fiercely protective of their young and may attack anyone coming within one hundred yards of a nest.

Under no circumstances should anyone enter during the hours of darkness.

Lincoln A to Z G8 transportation links

Filed under: A 2 Z,prose — Trefor Davies @ 11:55 am

It all started when us Romans built the Fossdyke. That was the old navigation between Lincoln and the river Trent. It was revolutionary in its day. Represented a dramatic cut in travel time and had a huge effect on trade. You could feel it in the streets around you on your way to the Temple of Minerva. Lincoln was a vibrant place in those days. Plenty of bars and cafes. You could even get wine from Rome and not have to depend on the sweet muck the locals around here liked.

The original Foss Way didn’t go through G8. It wasn’t G8 in those days either. It wasn’t anything really. We didn’t need maps. There weren’t all that many roads and usually you knew which one you needed. It was easy enough to ask if you got lost. If you want to see the original Foss Way it is still there on B21, K16 and L16. Take a look.

The Foss Way got called the A46 some time ago. Could well have been when they started drawing up these maps. I suppose they must have had their reasons. The new road would have been built fairly recently. Progress eh? The old one was good enough for us if you ask me.

Sometime before that they built the railway. Now that did cause a stir and a half. Objections everywhere. We didn’t have that problem when we dug the Fossdyke. Who was going to argue? None of this planning permission nonsense that gets in the way of progress, slows down the economic development of a place. No no no.

I was one of those objecting to the railway. After they built it I changed my tune. Marvellous it was. You could get to Newark or Retford in half an hour. Used to be a day’s march. Wow. If we’d have had it in Lindum Colonia we could have got to Newark on the train and spent the rest of the day playing cards or dice or whatever we used to do in those days.

I especially liked the old steam trains. They had character. Not like the modern diesels they have these days. Ok I know the diesels are more practical but the day that steam came to an end we lost something. Change isn’t always for the good. Choo choo.

February 16, 2013

Lincoln A to Z V3 Mulsanne Park – sporting triumphs and utter dejection

Filed under: A 2 Z,chinks — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 12:31 pm

When our third child was quite young he went along to Saturday morning football at Mulsanne Park. We were never sure whether Mulsanne rhymed with frying pan or window pane. I was of the former camp but others in the family claimed the latter. Being of all seeing all knowing disposition I am of course right though the argument was never truly settled and I doubt that anyone cares or even realises it was an issue.

The boy was never going to make it as a footballer. I recall a beautiful spring day when the sun was shining and for once it was a pleasure to have to perform parental duties and take him and his pals out to Nettleham. There have been other times when the icy blast of a gale blowing across from the Urals  made me wonder why he wasn’t more interested in jigsaws as a hobby but this was not one of them. It was a perfect day for football.

Conditions that are right footballing are also ideal for other activities. At Mulsanne Park these conditions are, where the parents are concerned, good for sipping a cup of tea purchased from the pavilion and chatting with other parents. Some people are more interested in following the on field activity and I must say that to some extent I fall into this camp. However I do feel that I can with a degree of concentration adequately multitask and also drink tea and chat. I know not what the chat is about – as far as multitasking is concerned “remembering” is one task to far.

You should know I am not one of those competitive parents who shout instructions from the sideline and remonstrate with the ref when he thinks that a decision has not gone the right way. Still I do like to celebrate the on-pitch success of the boy. I can be very loud in my appreciation. No wilting lily I.

This brings me to the other point about ideal footballing conditions and that is what is good for football is also good for spring growth. In the case of Mulsanne Park this might be a renewal of activity in the hedgerows and also on the playing surface itself. We like the new growth in the grass even though it means work for the lawnmower.  Unfortunately grass isn’t all that grows on a football pitch. Daisies also flourish.

On the beautiful day in question the lad was dawdling in the outfield and his attention was caught by a certain daisy. This daisy must have been a fast grower because the pitch had not long been mowed. The daisy clearly merited closer inspection.

Now one of the aspects of the game of football is that people run around the field kicking the ball this way and that and there is a good chance if you stand in one spot long enough that the play will eventually come your way. On this occasion with daisy inspection in full flow the opposition winger came thundering towards my lad who was totally oblivious to anything other than the flower. The winger shot past and with only the keeper between him and stardom made certain of his place on the scoresheet and no doubt of lasting fame in the history of Nettleham Under 6’s football.

The boy looked up and trotted over to some other part of the pitch, neither jubilant nor utterly dejected. Sorry if the title was misleading. I set out to write an imaganitive piece of on pitch excitement but that’s not what came out 🙂

February 10, 2013

Lincoln A to Z S seven, legendary plot

Filed under: A 2 Z,fusion — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 3:00 pm

Did Roman legions march up Bunkers Hill, battling their way through traffic to Skegness? As they left the safety and confines of their city was it understood they were passing a special place? Maybe.

Did St Hugh tending his stone-carrying flock of Cathedral builders stand atop the quarry spreading his spirituality wide. He might.

This place is special. You feel it as you walk the grid. The names stand out.  Stukeley Cl, Ross Cl, Alexander Wlk, Warren Ct, Exley Sq. Take them in, roll them off the tongue, digest.

No heart of empire can compare. Howe Ct, Novona Ho, Olsen Ri, Olsen Ct, Stark Wy. Badges of history, worn with fierce communal pride.

Onwards to Putnam Wy, Pitcairn Av, Palatine Ho, Padley Rd, Pigot Wy; the five pioneering ps personified, lack nothing, dream of adventure.

Reed Dr, Venables Way, Marrat Cl, Carlton Sq. Memory sticking, ship launching handles of twenty one gun salutes and squadron leaders’ flypasts.

Then the great names: Outer Circle Road, Wolsey Way, Carlton Blvd and, of course, again, Bunkers Hill.  Great corpuscular arteries, commercial lifeblood, food and drink.

And finally, the Carlton Centre. Grand central market, bread basket, meeting place, holiday booking point.

Go there. Spend time. See life happen. Be.

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