A Seven Year "Hitch"

It's been a great two weeks for Britain's athletes at the Olympic Games - the culmination of seven years' planning from when the games were awarded to London and a lifetime of hard work for many of the competitors. As the Olympics were coming towards the end of a fantastic celebration of sporting achievements, my god-daughter Sharon was also celebrating seven years since she met James and on the anniversary of their meeting last Saturday, they became man and wife together. If their marriage is only half as good as the achievements of Britain's athletes then they will enjoy a long and happy marriage together.

   A seven year itch usually means the point where relationships start to cool but in Sharon and James' case, the anniversary would better be called the seven year "hitch" as they tied the knot. Every bride is beautiful but it has to be said that Sharon looked a picture and here's another picture that proves it.

Jubilee

Prince Charles was on TV the other night in a documentary for the Diamond Jubilee. In it he claimed to have a vivid memory of his mother wearing the heavy crown whilst practising for the Coronation. That may well be so but personally I find it difficult to remember anything at all from when I was just four years old. One thing that does stick with me from infants school was when someone had a birthday. Friends were chosen to stand in front of the whole school holding candles aloft whilst "Happy Birthday" was sung. I dreaded being chosen as I hated the hot candle fat running down my fingers. Another early recollection from my childhood was as a six year old but even then I only have vague memories of a visit to the Festival of Britain in 1951.

I suppose if your mother is the Queen then perhaps it is possible that you will remember grand occasions from when you were a young child. Having said that for many years, I had a vivid picture in my mind's eye of a fire in a row of garages off South Street in Ilkeston and my uncle and my dad pushing cars out of the flames. As far as I can ascertain, if such a fire did occur, it was about a year before I was born and there's no-one left in my family to ask anymore. One suggestion that has been made is that I overheard a conversation whilst at an early age and this has been transformed into a memory. Maybe the same happened to Prince Charles but maybe he does in fact remember. Who am I to say?

A Beanfeast

A beanfeast is slang for a celebration or festive occasion and although two of our grandsons have celebrated birthdays this week the bean feast we are looking forward to is when these beans that are just forming have grown large enough to pick and eat.

St George's Day

Not so very long ago Ilkeston was at the forefront in the country of celebrations for St George's Day with parades and fun events that attracted visitors from all corners of the country. Then rules, regulations, restrictions and prohibitive costs all conspired to put a damper on things so today the celebrations have been somewhat muted in the town although they do seem to be picking up elsewhere.

For the most part Ilkeston's nod to the Patron Saint has been restricted to a few flags flying from public buildings and some decorated shop windows apart from the pubs that have turned the day into an excuse for a beer festival. Even those people that did take the trouble to dress for the occasion congregated at The Borough where St George left his trusty steed outside whilst quenching his thirst.

Palm Sunday

Like many other places Palm Sunday was celebrated in Ilkeston with church services and in the sunshine this morning the congregation at St Mary's began their service by holding their palm crosses aloft outside the entrance as a sign of Christian witness.

Irish For A Day

Anyone locally with any connection to Ireland was probably in Nottingham today for the annual St Patrick's Day Parade but in Ilkeston it appears to have passed largely unnoticed. There were of course window displays in the shops selling greetings cards but apart from that it was only outside the pubs that the day was advertised.


On the Market Place an A-board exhorted people to become "Irish For A Day" with live Irish music from 6pm and another to celebrate the day with a pint of the black stuff. It's been quiet during the day but no doubt there will be plenty of good craic tonight.

Buckets Full Of Love

The cold winter may have held back the growth of spring flowers but there was no shortage on sale this weekend at several places in town and many like this one on Bath Street had blooms by the bucketful.


The reason of course is that tomorrow is Mothering Sunday not to be confused with the American Mother's Day which is in May. Other countries celebrate Mother's Day at various times during the year but Mothering Sunday is a Christian celebration that always falls on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Whatever the date and wherever you are, a simple gift of flowers to your mother has the same meaning around the world - love.