Feest Isolation Days – 24 September
This morning the skies are grey again and threatening to spit rain on us. Ollie our tree pruning man came round and sorted out a few trees that needed attention. He contacted us one day years ago by simply putting a card through the door. That has led to a lot of work for our chap! Our neighbours and two friends now use his expertise as well. Nice!
While I was leaning out the window and asking Ollie to make sure he saves our willow tree (it is leaning over wayyyyy too far to make it through winter storms without some help), our window cleaner parked up to clean the neighbour’s windows. Another good chap! We found him through searching the web and reading all the excellent reviews. They were right! Banter with the boys out the window is fun! And it wasn’t even nine o’clock. My windows get done next week I’m told. Fine. More banter! These are the sort of exchanges we all need and miss when they never happen.
Before Ollie
I heard a thoroughly good programme on Radio 4 last week all about Virago Press. In a series called “Reunion” Kirsty Wark speaks to people who have accomplished something or other together and gets them united once more to talk about the event. This week was all about the Women’s Press Virago. It is a great listen. The history that comes through besides the information about the publishing house itself is fascinating. You can listen here!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000ml9z
They reminded me about the Greenham Common protests. These well organised protests were aimed at stopping the storage of nuclear missiles at the RAF Greenham Common base. In April 1983 I joined about 70,000 female protesters for a day as we formed a human chain around the chain link fence at Greenham.
My nearly one year old son was in his pushchair as were so many other children with their mothers. We were largely all women and we had something to say to the soldiers on the other side of the chain link fence. I placed my fingers through the chain link and a soldier pointed his gun at them and motioned me to move them. I smiled at him and said I didn’t think my fingers were going to do any harm. I think those nuclear weapons might though. We are mostly mothers I remember saying, and we want our kids to have a future. I said something else to him that made him smile, I don’t remember what, but I do know that when he smiled and our eyes connected, for a minute or two he became a human being. And moved along. My hands remained where they were. The missiles by the way, were removed in 1991. It’s just that some things take longer to get rid of then others…
There were brave women who lived at Greenham and were treated shabbily by not just the police, but by many locals as well. It was amazing to have participated. “All we are saying, is give peace a chance”. I’ve been singing that same tune for years. Do listen to the women of Virago on Kirsty’s programme, they will undoubtedly spark a few memories for you as well.
Memories are an interesting place to be at the moment, but staying with now isn’t bad either.
Look at what Ollie has done to our Willow! Impressive.
Banter with the boys, even at Greenham with soldiers, reminds me that somethings never change!
Stay safe and stay positive!
With love
Kathy x