The Mudeford Mag | February 2021

2 6

Hedgehogs: T he Gar dener s Friend

Welcometothe

Hard to believethatweare over halfway throughthe winter monthsand daffodilsare already inbloom, asuresign that spring is on itsway

With everything elsethatisgoingoninthe world,it mayhaveescapedyourattention that Valentine sdayislooming andalthough you won tbeable to book atable at yourfavourite restaurant this year,why notspoil yourselfor aloved onewiththe recipes that canbefound onpagesS12andS22. Andifyou are sending abouquet to someone checkout page S18tomakesure youchoosethe right flower and colourto avoidany misunderstandings!

Best Wishes,Julie

Please be assuredthispublicationhas beendeliveredwiththeutmostcareand considerationinthese difficult times.

8. Balance in Your Life

10. Puzzles

12. Tom s Monthly Poem

14. All Saints Newsletter

16. Wine of the Month

18. Mudeford Memories

S2. Short Story

S4. Skincare Myths

S6. Sky Watching: Sirius

S10. Travel: The Seychelles

S12. Recipe: Cherry Shortbread Hearts

S14. Mary Gernat, Artist & Illustrator

S18. Language of Flowers

S22. Recipe: Salmon Cooked in Wine

S24. RNLI Mudeford Lifeboat Guild

S28. Tracking Birds of Prey From Space

S30. Point Ayr Lighthouse

Photo:JanZikán~UnSplash

FromCafayate ValleyinNorthernArgentina.

1800mabovesealevel.

Thisis averyinterestingwine.Madefrom Bonarda(100%).Duringproductionthegrapes aredestemmed,coldsoaked(toobtain aricher/ darkerwine)itisthenmaceratedfor 3weekspost fragmentationwherewinespends 8monthsina mixofAmericanoakbarrels.

Blackcurrantandplumsonthenose.

Fullbodiedbutdeepandsilkycoupledwithgood cleanacidity.

Aperfectwinterwarmer.

Withover60displays,hereatCoastalour teamboastsanimpressive70yearscombined experienceworkingwithintheBathroomand Plumbingindustry.Wehavetalenteddesigners, knowledgeablefittersandanunparalleledrange ofbathroomproductsandtilesthatmeans wecandesigntheperfectbathroomforyour spaceusingourimpressive3Dphotorealistic DesignSoftware.

Left: 3DimageofMrB’sBathroominBeaulieu

AluxuriousspacewhichMr Bsaid:

“Ourbathroomsweredesignedby Taraandwe areoverthemoonwiththe result.Theproducts andthetilesshechoseforusworkperfectly andthewholeprocessfromdesigntosupply wasseamless. Ican’trecommendCoastal enough!

Right:TheFinishedProject

Memories of Days Gone By

If you would like to see more photos of the local area please visit: www facebook com/mudeford keep the old days alive

Christchurch Fountain Corner1956

Nextyearmayseemalongwayoff,butwith demandcurrentlyoutstrippingsupply,nowis thetimetothinkahead.Withleadtimeshaving increasedsignificantlyduetocovid19,ifyou orderyourbuildingnow,bythetimeyou feelthosefirstraysofspringsunshine,you'll haveagardenroominplacereadytogo. Ifyouwouldliketoknowmoreabouthow youcantransformhowyouliveoutdoors,visit usforalittleinspirationor call us forafree brochuretosee whatyoucancreate.

OurlargeshowsiteissituatedatStewartsGardenCentre, LyndhurstRoad,ChristchurchBH234SA

Yourgarden,Yourway

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Gardening Jobs for February

Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter

Sow some vegetables under cover

Prune trees and summer flowering clematis

Prune wisteria

Other Jobs to Consider

Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off

Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches

Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges

Mulch beds and borders

Prune winter flowering shrubs that have finished flowering

Chit potato tubers

All equipment and essentials needed for the above jobs can be found in store, ask any member of staff for assistance /StewartsGardenCentres

Fa llingin Lov ew ithDavid Ag ain

Shor tStory by Mark Laming

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a ids iledatherashepluggedthe leadintothesocketandtherefollowed agrindingsoundasthe otorgathered speed.

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Photo: Rémi Walle ~UnSplash

the asinheengagedgear. arolwas right,thedesignwasflawedasthebrush eca ewedgedintheu endandwater wasthrownupwardsonto a id sface andclothes. estruggledtofreethe rush and arolcouldn thelp utlaugh. he crossedo ertowhereherhus andwas leaningo erthetoilet asin. twaslucky hehadn tpressedthedetergent uttonas itcouldha egoneinhiseyes. he uickly unpluggedtheelectrictoilet rush.

arolthen reachedout ahandand pressedtheflushbuttononthetoiletand therewasanenor oussplurgeofwater thrownupwardsontoherhus and sface.

oustupidwo an soaked. hydid youdothat ass e atowel.

hepassedhi his athtowelratherthan herownone.

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iswifesighed owa outyouin ent aco on sense achineyoustraponto yourheadeach orning. ow getthis essclearedup.

hatnight arollayawakethinking ack toherhus and sin entionsandwondered ifhe’dfinallygotthemessagetogiveup onthosecra yideasofhis. hethought backtohispreviousefforts.Therewere theself closinggatestostopthepost an lea ingthe open. eigh ours reported seeingsparksco ingfro thehingesand wiresthatleadto acar attery. nd what a outtheinfa oustoolthatsupposedly ena ledtheusertostoreanironing oard onthe ackof adoorreadyto epulled down. hepro le wasthedoorhadto e intheclosedpositionandpre entedanyone enteringthe roo whileitwasdown.

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hes iledandthen read thecard. he was o ed ythe essageand regretted gi inghi such ahardti e. oddingshe thankedhi andtoldhi shealsolo ed hi .

ellgoandgetyour ook.

hedidn tha etheheartto re indhi she d eenusing a indle readingde ice foratleast ayear. hen arolwenttothe edroo shehidher indleinthewardro e andpickedupanoldpaper ack ook.

ackinthelounge a idasse ledhis in entionandplacedtheclipon apageof herchoice. hede icewassurprisinglylight andturnedthepageseffortlessly.Putting asidethethoughtthatso eoneelse ay alreadyha eco eupwiththisidea she congratulatedhi . hewasgenuinely i pressedand owedtoditchtheelectronic ook reader. he dgo ackto reading actual ooksandonceagaine periencethe thrillofowning feeling s ellingandlo ing a ook. hepassionfor readingwould e enhancedandshehadherhus andto thankforthat.

hene t orning a id roseearly. e wasdeter inedtopro etohiswifethat hecoulddesignande ecuteso ething outstanding. utinthegardenshed thatser edashisworkshophethought

sshekissedhischeekshewhispered potondarling.

tfeltlikeshewasfallinginlo ewith a id allo eragain.

Sirius,TheSky’sBrightestStar

Sky WatchingwithRufusHenderson-Smith

iriusiso lyoutsho ebyour u the oo a d acoupleofour olar ystem ei hbours e usa d upiter. hisstar whichappearsi the co stellatio of a is a or the reat o iseasilyspottedatthistimeof year ustabovethe outher hori o movi astto estbelow rio . he reeksbelievedthe reat o a dthe ittle o a is i or were assisti rio whilsthewashu ti .

o iveyoua ideaofthema itude ofthisstar itis timesmore lumi oustha our u butthefact thatitis early li ht yearsfrom arthaccou tsforitscomparative smallsi e oursu li hto lytaki arou d mi utesto ethere.

hysicso suchde sestarsis i comprehe sible somethi about thesi eofthisma a i ewouldwei h arou d to s

a ymythssurrou d irius the o tar saidtoberespo sibleforthe orther emisphere shot mu y o ays thatoccuri eptember. Itrisesarou dthesametimeasthe u i late ummer ori i allythou ht to ivethe u moree er ya d warmth

he yptia susedthestarasa cale dar realisi thatwhe irius roseafterthe u itsi i edthestart ofthea ual oods.Importa tfora atio whoseeco omyreliedchie y o a riculture.

o ifyou etthecha cetolookoutto seao aclear i ht trya dspotthe o tar placedi theskyby eusto celebratehisspeedi thehu t.

Canis MajorshowingSirius

Canis Majorand Canis MinorbelowOrion

Aguide to theS eychelles

stra el restrictionscontinuetolinger wouldliketosharewithyou aguideto the eychellesas are inderof alu ury destinationthatyoucanescapetoonce nor ality resu es. fyouarealo erof paradise eacheswithpowderysands lapped ya urewaters the 5islands which akeupthe eychellesare lessed with hundredsofthe . eyondthe each there snoshortageofscenichikes a ongsttheunspoiltnaturereser es i ranttownshipstoen oyandnatural wonderstoe ploreinthissu li e ndian ceanarchipelago.

nownas thelandofperpetualsu er uchoftheislandsthat akeupthe eychelles re ain uninha itedtothisday with any re ainingasnaturereser es howe erthethree ainislandsarea eleeofhotels arsand restaurants not to entionthepicture perfect eaches.

eychelles tatistics

opulation97 000

apital ictoria

urrency eychelloisrupee

ciallanguage reole, nglish rench

i e one 4 lightti e 0 hoursfro ondon

sanincreasinglypopulartourist destination,youcanflyvia aconnection stopin ubaior bu habiwith mirates and tihad .Nowevenmoreaccessible andaffordable,the eychellesis agreat placetospend ualityti e whetherits withthefa ily as acoupleortra elling solo. oucanalso isitthe eychellesas partof acruiseitinerary il erseaha e acruisefro an i arto ahein pril22.

sland hoppingisalways afa ouritefor isitorsandtheislandsof raslinand a igueare ust 5 inutesaway y planeoranhour yferry. here youwill finde cellentopportunityforswimming, snorkelling,hiking,golfing,sailingand ore.

he eychellesis adrea honey oon destination withthewhite sand eaches crystalwatersandalluringsunsets aking itonesofthe ost ro anticspotsinthe world. t sunsurprisingthat rince illia and ate iddletonchoseNorthIslandfor theirownhoney oon alongside awhole hostofotherfa ousfaceswhoha e isitedtheislandsfor aro anticescape.

ereare afewofourtope periences fornewlyweds nwindwith acouple’s assageo erlookingthe ndian cean. Hireaconvertibleminimokeand e ploretheisland. n oy aromantic candlelitdinneron asecludedbeach. osnorkellinganddisco ertheincredi le arinelifeup close.

Thecoral reef-filledwatersofthe eychellesmakeitperfectforflyfishing anddiving.Thebestfishingspotscanbe foundon lphonse sland andthe est ti esforsnorkellingare prilthroughto ayand ctoberthroughtoNovemberas thewaterisclearandcal .

tisnow orei portantthane ertotake outtra elinsuranceassoonasyou ook yourne ttrip. ra el ounsellorsha e enhancedtra elinsuranceoptionsfor ra el ounsellorcusto ers pro ided y ush nsurance underwritten ytifgroup. tnowincludes o id 9co er.

ouldyouliketo recei e yweekly e ailsfortra elinspiration hey ight gi eyouso eideasandtheycontain usefuladviceandhotelideas,offersetc. hereisusuallyone aweek pleasegetin touchwith eifyouwouldliketo recei e the .

fyouwishtoplan atriptothe eychelles orifyouha eanyothertra elideasin indpleasecontact e you llen oy e clusivebenefitssuchasfullfinancial protectionand a -hourdutyo ceto supportyou efore duringandafteryour trip.

T: 01202375150

M: 07929626156

E: sally.pullen@travelcounsellors.com

W: www. travelcounsellors.com/sally.pullen

THELANGUAGEOFFLOWERS

t snearly alentine s ayand illions willberushingouttosendflowers. raditionallythiswill e redrosesofcourse. thers aychoosetheirpurchaseson the asisofcolour s ellore enprice ut there sawholelanguageand eaningto flowerstoowhichiscalled loriography.

oses: ed osesas ostwillknow sy olise o eand esire utchanging thecolouroftheflowerleadstodifferent connotations. ore ample, ellowisfor friendship inkforperfecthappinessand rangeforfascination.Thereare different meaningsforspecifictypesof rosetoo, suchas ea oses eaning ll re e er always and og osesconnectingto painandpleasure. ormationsalsohave ani pact. hinking acktothetraditional do en redroses a unchof asingle loo eans lo eyouor stilllo eyou whilstanassort entofcolours represents thesenti ent you ree erythingto e. do en redroseshas eco ethenor becauseofthesignificanceofthenumber twel ewithinnature philosophyand religion. henu er 2often represents afullcycle so 2 onthsoftheyear 2signsofthe odiac 2hoursona clockforinstance. romancienttimes, culturesaroundtheworldha ede eloped calendars asedoncyclesoftwel e and

thereare any ythologicaland religious connectionstothenu eralso. heuse of 2acrossthenaturalandspiritualworld eansthat 2or ado en hastakenon auni ersal ualitywhichenhancesthe significanceof ado en roses.

Turningnowtootherflowerswefre uently uyinthe

arnat ons: arnationsnowco ein manydifferentcolours,butpinkwastheir originalcolourwhichpro a lye plainswhy theyarestill referredtoas pinks rather thancarnations. inkcarnations ean llne erforgetyou whilst redsy olise ad irationandyellow re ectionand disappoint ent sopro a ly esttoa oid those

l es: iliesofallcolourssy olisepurity andde otion utthiscanchangeslightly dependingonthecolour. igerlilies representconfidence,prideandwealth,so agoodchoiceifyouwanttoi press ut also oyandhappinesswiththeir right orangeandpinkcoloursand ayellow lilyalsostandsforhappinessaswellas thankfulnessanden oy ent. helilyis recognisedasthe thanniversaryflower andis agoodoptionforpeoplecele rating a ilestone.

Photo: DebbyHudson

Photo:Natasha Welingkar

Tul ps: epresentloveandpassion. ellow ones ean there ssunshineinyours ile whereas redtulipsareadeclarationoflo e andwhiteonessay worthyofyou. Thetulipwasfirstcultivatedon alarge scale ythe urkishpeoplewhosawitas paradiseonearthandwasthereforeused in any religiouspoe sandartwork.

the reek od arcissuswhowasso

o sessedwithhisi ageinthewaterthat hedrownedtryingtocapturehisown reflection.

Daffodils: sdaffodilsareoneofthe earliestflowerstobloominthespring, theyarenaturallyassociatedwithnew eginnings. owe er theycanalso sy oliseinspiration creati ityandinner reflection.Theybelongtothenarcissus genusfa ilywhichgettheirna efro

rees as: Thebeautifulfreesiaflower representstwothings trust indicatingyou arehonestinyourfeelingsande otions andalsofriendship. ivingtheseflowersto so eonesy olisestheyareyour special friendorloyalpartner.

fcourse thereare any orewonderful flowerstochoosefrom,soifyou really wantto esureof akingtheright impression,it’sworthaskingyourflorist a outtheir eaning.

Photo:Josh Mills

Photo: TijanaDrndarskr

Photo: KrisztinaPapp

Photo:Jessica Lewis

TR B R S R R S

hristchurch arbourattracts awide rangeofbirdsthroughouttheyear a smorgasbordofcommon,uncommon andrarespecies.

Towardstheendof ,the arbour wasgracedwiththepresenceof oneofthe smosticonicand endangeredbirdsofprey the beautiful en arrier, ircuscyaneus.

Whatmadethis individual especially interestingforlocalobserverswas that,unusually,they newthebird s entirelifehistory whereandwhen ithatched,whereitwanderedafter itleftthenestandwhen it reached hristchurch arbour.

irdersandornithologicalresearchers arefascinatedbyavianmovements, bethey purelylocalorinternational.

Lagertha the i ingnamegivenby aturalEnglandtothe hristchurch arbour en arrier emergedfrom alatenestin umbrialastsummer.

en arriernestsinEnglandare usuallyfoundamong heatherandbuilt ofheatherandlinedwith negrass.

Thisparticularnest,however,was madeofrushesand locatedin a eld ofrushes,aswerethreeother nests within metres.

uringthebreedingseasonin England, en arriersfre uentupland areas.Inwintertheymovetocoastal marshesandlowlandheaths.

smallmicrowavetelemetrysatellite tagweighing ust . gm wasattached toLagertha afemaleor ringtail en arrier on uly,beforesheleft thenest,soscientistscouldfollow her movements.

Trac ingbirdsofpreyfromspacehas openedup avaluablenewresearch windowandprovides newinsightsinto theirmovementsandthepotential threatstheyface.

fterleavingthe nest,Lagertha,who wasnamedafter a i ingshield maiden,spenttimeontheeastcoast ofEnglandbefore headingdiagonally acrosscountryto limbridgeonthe evernEstuary.

Lagerthathen ewto hristchurch arbourwhereshespent vedays cheeringuplocalbirdersasshe huntedovertheentireareaand roostedatdus . nfortunately, communicationwas laterlostwith Lagertha.

ingtail orfemale youngmale

en arriers aremottled brown birdsdistinguishedin ightbytheir conspicuouswhiterump. alesare muchmorestri ing,palegreybirds withdistinctiveblac outer wings.

en arriers,whichsportaone metre wingspan,areonthe edListofbirds ofconservationconcerninthe and aspeciesof eyimportancefor biodiversityconservationinEngland.

naction plantoincrease en arrier numbersinEngland,published in anuary ,statedthat a populationsurveyconductedin hadfound ust territorialpairs,of whichonlyanestimateddo enwere inEngland

learly,thereismuchmoresuitable habitatavailableintheEnglish uplandsthanthereare en arriers. ersecutionoftheseemblematic raptorsis ama orproblem.

nsurprisingly, breedingsuccess ismoresuccessfulonmoorland wherethereislittleornogame bird shooting.

Thesightof amaleorfemale en arrierisenoughtogladden anybirder sheart,andthoseof usfortunateenoughtolivenear hristchurch arbour havebeen blessedthiswinterwithfre uent sightingsofLagertha,aboutwhichwe already nowsomuch.

upportlocalbirdsandthe conservationofthemby oiningthe hristchurch arbour rnithological roup chog.org.u

ll hotosby lan ayden

PLUMBING,HEATING &DRAINAGE

DRAINSINTERNAL ANDEXTERNAL HIGHPRESSURE JETTING

MANUAL RODDING

EMERGENCY

PLUMBING,BLOCKED TOILETS ANDLEAKS

NONEXCAVATION RELINING CCTVSURVEYS

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FULLYQUALIFIED ENGINEERS

BookReview ur al tes y anna ent

Abrilliantliterarydebut,inspiredby atruestory:the finaldaysof ayoungwomanaccusedofmurderin Icelandin1829,oneofthelastexecutionstotake placeinIceland.

Inspiredby atruestory,BurialRitesis abrilliantdebut novelwrittenbyHannahKent.SetagainstIceland’s starklandscapein1829,AgnesMagnúsdóttiris chargedwiththebrutalmurderoftwomen,oneof whichisherformermasterandissenttolivewitha familyonanisolatedfarmwhilstsheawaits Wherexecution.

Horrifiedattheprospectofhousing aconvicted murderer,thefamilyatfirstavoidAgnes.OnlyTóti, apriestAgneshasmysteriouslychosentobeher spiritualguardian,seekstounderstandher.Butas Agnes’sdeathlooms,thefarmer’swifeandtheir daughterslearnthereisanothersidetothesensational storytheyhaveheard.

Rivetingandextremelywellwritten,thisbookcomes highly recommended.

Aproblemshared…

has een apro lemofepicproportions or riory eterinary ro p ithas eena timeofadaptationandchan e e arenow hopin that ysharin thepro lemaro nd the oldada ewillholdtr eanditwill ecomea pro lemhalved

e are sin o r ranchs r eriesas away ofspreadin staffandclientsasm chas possi le dditionally theyare etters ited tosocialdistancin d etotheirlayo t r s r eriesareat i hcliffe(onthe i hstreet nearthe o p andat rans ore(opposite the akeryintheoldtelephonee chan e

ildin othhavesi na eforsocial distancin andsanitiserisavaila le

etsatthe ranchs r eriescanseeallro tine appointments –for animalswhoaren’tlikelyto needadmittin orinvesti ations hisincl des thin slikevaccinations healthchecks ear

i hcliffeisopenwithvetappointmentsallday

onday ednesdayand riday am – pmand pm – pm

esdayand h rsday am – pmand pm – pm

pro lems itchiesorskinpro lems lameness and psett mmies

rseappointmentswitho rre isteredvet n rsescan ereally sef lfornailclips

secondvaccinations(ifthefirstonewaswith oneofo rvets anal landsandrepeat in ectionsofon oin medicationlike ytopoint orvitamin oranimalsono rhealthcare plan theirsi monthlycheckcanalso edone withthen rseattheseappointments

y tilisin thespaceandstaffwehave availa leandpreservin thehospitalat hristch rch weaimtocontin eofferin o r f ll ho rservice aswehavecontin edto dothro ho tthepandemic hankyo to allo rclientsforyo rs pportandwewish everyone oodhealthaswemoveintothene t sta e

rans oreisopenwithn rseappointmentsinthe mornin andvetappointmentsintheafternoon

esday ednesdayand riday am – pmand pm – pm

i hcliffe r ery r shin eeth

BOAC Experience

In memor yofBrian Grinterwhosadlypassed away in November2020

Thefollowingarticleisaninsightintothe British Overseas AirwaysCorporation.

Written by Brian Newman Grinterwhostar

tedhis careerwithBOAC inBristol’s old airpor t,Whitchurch,in1944. Laterstationed at Hurn,whenBOACtookoverthe RAF Officer’smesswhen WorldWar 2ended.

“Afterthe war, Hurnbecamethenumberone Internationalairpor tforlongdistanceflights fromtheUK ,including Australia, India, South AfricaandtheUSA.

The‘Kangeroo’servicetoAustraliacatered foramaximumofninepassengersandits royalmailcargo.I ttook twoand ahalfdays ofstopgapflyingonan Avro ‘Lancastrian’, developedfromthefamous wartime Lancasterbomber.I twastheonlyaircraftof thetimethatcouldofferlongdistanceflying without refuelling.With itsfrontand rear gunturrets removedand replaced by pointed streamedfairings.Bombbays wereremoved to accommodate extrafueltanks,makingthis ‘SilverBird’ amuchmoreattractiveaircraft. Thecrewconsistedofthe Captain, co -pilot, navigationand radioofficers.Beforethedays of computersandwithlittleinthe wayof radar agreat dealdependedonthenavigator and radioofficer to keeptheaircraftontrack . In somecases,still relyingonstarnavigation visiblethroughthe ‘AstroDome’ontopofthe plane.Altitude wasusually at amaximum of10-12thousand feetintheLancastrian. If it wasnecessar ytoclimbhigher overpoor weather,oxygenmasks wererequired by both crewandpassengersas compared totoday’s modernaircraftwhich canflyeasilywitha pressurisedcabin at 35,000 feet.

Mostof my trainingas asteward washands on.Just amatterof“there’sthe aeroplane, there’sthe passengers,now getonwithit!”

Afewoftheladsdidtheirfirsttripona trainingflight, wheretwo completecrews wouldfly to Karachi, to familiarisethemselves withthe route.Commercialflights were still intheirearlydays andit wasonsuch aflight thatwelost twotraineestewardsandthe ex RAFcrewwhentheir’Lancastrian’crashednear Paris.

My firstflightwas a12hourhaul to Lydda, TelAviv.OnarrivalatHurnIwasshownwhat foodanddrink wassupplied forthejourney, thenon to theplane.Withthehelpofthe1st Officerweensuredpassengers were safely strappedin, knewwherelifejackets were stowedandhowtousean ox ygenmaskif required.Eachpassengerhad abunk to be erectedaftertheinflightmealofporkchops, potatoesand vegetables.

As youcanimagine,reston a12hourflight in aconvertedbomberwith four Rolls RoyceMerlinengines,wasnoteasy for thepassengers.Myjob wastostayawake spendingmanyhoursinthe ‘AstroDome’ takinginthebeautifulviewsoftheclear Mediterraneanskies.

BrianGrinter

It is raining. It is cold. I have had Covid-19 over the New Year period. whose son then tested positive. Odds of me contracting the virus? Very slim. vulnerable side, I thought it best to be safe. No one was more shocked than me when it came back positive. My friend then tested negative…it remains

I do credit my recovery to some degree, with maintaining my fitness and illnesses that come to bite, but we can control how we respond to them. It is often very hard to stay motivated in

I have tried to keep a journal of things that I am grateful for, things I can improve upon and amazing things that I have experienced toda laughing at silly happenings, not getting upset by the news- I can’t control it but only how I react to it, the feeling of strength in my body when I completed my exercise class. It sounds daft, but actually e n in an informal way it is very grounding. Try it- you may be surprised how positive it makes you feel.

Physiothe Physiotherapy is so much more than just physical rehabilitation of the body. It is also rehabilitation of the mind.

asing blood flow and strengthening up our bodies as best we can promotes the feeling of control and wellbeing. Endorphins are

So, if you are struggling to find motivation and are feeling down in the dumps let me see what I can do to help you. Minimal effort for maximum gain. The first bit is recognising you need a boost. Then a tailored exercise programme to get you going, and some energy from knowing you are being supported may just help you to bounce into Spring! I love that side of my job- we can energise each other, and life seems so much better when not going it alone.

CHARTERED PHYSIOTHERAPIST REGISTERED WITH THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS COUNCIL

TheLas tLet ter

By Colin Seager

Sittingonthestairs,lookinglikeshe dressedinthedarkElla,headinhands, istransfixed by theburgeoningheapof lettersandfreebiespilingupagainstthe frontdoor.Somanynow thatshehas to comeandgothroughthe kitchen. Atopisa “sorry we missed you” cardfromRoyal Mail, tellingherthataletterneeding asignature couldn’t be delivered.

Ican’t deal withthis.I’llcallSimonhe’ll know whattodo, he’llhelp.

‘Hello Mum,what’stheproblem, you soundupset.Ithoughtyou’d got overthat. It ’s nearlyfiveyearsgone.I’llbewith you in acoupleofdays,we’llgo to thesorting officetogether.Youdon’towe anybody anythingnow, nobody ’s gotanyreason to hassle you. Stop worr ying.’

‘I know dear,it’sjust,well,I’m afraidthat perhaps I’ve overlookedsomething.’

‘Mum, youweren’t theonlyone.There were thousandslike youwholosttheirjobs

becauseofthepandemicandstruggled to paybills.Butthat’sinthepast.You’reOK.’

‘Thanks to youSimon, Icouldn’t have doneiton my own,butever ytime somethingelse comesthroughtheletter boxitsetsmeoff.Ithinkthepileisalive, waiting to pounceonme.’

‘Epistlophobia,that’swhatit’scalled Mum.’ ‘I’veneverheardofthat.’

‘Notsurprised,Imadeitup.I’ll recommendit to theOED compilers.There mustbe alotofitabout.I t’safearofletters, particularly formal ones.Ignoreeverything forthemoment. When Isee you, I’lltr yto help younailthisonceand forall.’

‘Thanksson,whatwould Idowithout you? Don’tforget to usethebackdoor.’

SimoninsistedthatEllasat opposite him at thedining roomtableashe went throughever yenvelopeandpieceofjunk mail.

Photo:SharonMcCutcheon

‘ThereyouareMum,thatwasn’t sobad wasit?Nothing at all to be afraid of.No demands,nohatemail,threegoodoffers, onefromHottershoesstillindate.Things arestill abittightfor you, maybethat’s worthfollowingup,you toldme you neededsomenewsandals.Get your coat and we’llpickuptheletter at thesorting office. Bring yourpurse,you’llneed your debitcardasID.’

Addressed“Privateand Confidential” theletterfromsolicitorsSimmondsand Simmonds wasbrief.Thepracticewas dealingwiththeaffairsofthelate Mrs. Beatrice EverettandaskedElla tocontact them to makeanappointment.

‘So, Mum,what’sthisallabout,whoisor wasMrs Everett?’

‘You know dear.That’llbe Beatie,the widowwholivedalongthe road.Afterall the restrictions were liftedshe movedto anapartmentinoneofthosesheltered housingblockstheothersideof town.Oh, that’ssosad.’

‘Wait amoMum,isthattheone…’

‘…yes. Duringlockdown, youremember, Ilenther Stubbymyhousecat. She was desperate, she couldn’t have physical contactwithanyone.Ifeltsosorry forher. Would youcomewithme to thesolicitor?’

Themeeting wasshor tand businesslike. Ellaleftwiththe knowledgethatwhen probate wasgrantedshe wouldbe twentythousand poundsbetteroff,alongwith aletterfrom Beatie.Inaclearopenhand BeatiethankedEllafromthebottomofher hear tforlettingherhave Stubbytocuddle. ShewrotethatElla’scompassionate action hadsavedhersanityandherlifeduring thosedarkdays.

‘Thereyougo Mum. Couldn’t have planneditbetter.Neveragainbeafraidof aletter.’

©Colin Seager2020

Photo:NellyAntoniadou

i ing ardens

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