Blogette Number 2.
What a great start to the year, mainly rain, followed by more rain, then it rained. All the rain caused quite a lot of flooding. Further north they had snow, lots of snow, then flooding as it melted. So maybe not such a great beginning.
To cheer us all up, we went to the Pantomime. Snow White this year, great entertainment and really funny. For my American readers, Pantomime is a musical comedy stage show that is a staple of British culture and is often performed during the Christmas and New Year season. It’s anarchic in character consisting of much mayhem, subtle innuendo, hilarious jokes, plus music, song and dance. The word “pantomime” literally means “all kinds” of “mime”. It is thought to have evolved from the Elizabethan and Stuart era’s early masques, and the Tudor “Feast of Fools.” Pantomimes are known for their silly storytelling, exaggerated facial expressions and gestures, and role reversals, where the principal boy is played by a girl and the Dame by a man, (don’t ask)! It was brilliant, very funny with some really talented actors who could act, sing and dance all at the same time.
The Devonshire Park Theatre is a Grade II listed building. It is one of the finest examples of small Victorian Theatre in the country. The Devonshire Park is a wonderful old theatre with many of the original features still intact. Whilst there, I happened to go to the toilet (bathroom), there was installed an original chain operated Thomas Crapper Water Closet. In it’s time, a revolution in toilet flushing. In the late-19th century, a London plumbing impresario named Thomas Crapper manufactured one of the first widely successful lines of flush toilets. Crapper did not invent the toilet, but he did develop the ballcock, an improved tank-filling mechanism still used in toilets today.
Crapper’s name would become synonymous with the devices he designed and sold (although the English word “crap” predates him by centuries), thanks in part to American servicemen stationed overseas during World War I. These soldiers, unfamiliar with the relatively new-fangled invention, referred to the toilets as “crappers”, due to the Crapper brand’s ubiquity in England and France, and took the term back home with them after the war. (Not the actual toilet systems of course, they wouldn’t fit in hand baggage.) Although this design is now quite rare, it is why so many British people still say, “don’t forget to pull the chain,” even though modern WCs have a lever or push button, and not a chain in sight.
A marvellous and quite beautiful example of Thomas Crapper’s work.
On January the 11th, I was guest poet/writer/speaker at a ‘Creative Writing Group’ which meets every month. I was really quite nervous about it, as they not only listen to the poems but then discuss them afterwards. What if they asked me profound questions about my motivation or inspiration about a poem? Can you explain the meaning behind a specific line or stanza? How do you choose the themes or subjects for your poems? Do you have a specific writing process or routine? How do you deal with writer’s block or creative challenges? Which poets or writers have influenced your work the most? Do you have a favourite poem that you’ve written? Why is it special to you? To all these question the answer would be, “I don’t know, I just write this stuff!” I could easily field the writers block question by saying, ” I have a nice cup of tea, or go onto writing one of the two books I have as works in progress.” As to the other questions, no idea! However, it was fine, there were no awkward questions, just positive comments about what I had written and analysis of my writing which I never knew about. I was careful to avoid reading any of my ‘edgy’ poems, as, being a church group, they may not have been amused.
The Creative Writers run along side ‘Flow Café‘, a monthly café where there is tea, coffee, homemade cakes, and sausage or bacon rolls. There are arts, crafts and games for children, a knitting/crochet group and the chance to sit down and have a good natter. It’s all free, but if you want to make a donation, we collect each month for a different local charity. We also have a table for our BSL Community (British Sign Language), here they can sit and communicate in a relaxed atmosphere and mix with people who really understand them. If you are deaf and wish to come and join them, then you will be most welcome. Although advertised on social media, the advert forgot to give a venue. I hope nobody missed out.
As we are talking of church, on the Sunday we had our “All Age Service.” The idea being, once a month, the Sunday School teachers have a week off and the service is designed to engage with a wider and less mature demographic, (which suits me down to the ground). Our Children and Families Worker, who for this story we will call Simon, because he is called Simon did quite a good job. He led all the worship, he is quite a gifted multi-instrumental musician and singer, although he can only play one at a time. His wife, who we will call Rachael, for that is her name, is a brilliant cellist, who trained and obtained her degree at the Trinity College Of Music in London. She also plays piano/keyboard incredibly well and is always a treat to hear. The remainder of the band were from our youth section, who also did a jolly good job. There was a quiz for the children which the adults struggled with and an interesting sermon at the end focusing on Worshiping God, Being a God like community, and Sharing the Gospel. His sermon was interrupted by a couple of grumpy old men, Jez and Ken, who went up on stage looking for big tubs of chocolate. Once found, they shared with the congregation. The analogy being on sharing the Gospel with others. Next week, our senior minister, Chris Short, is beginning a brand new series about the Sermon on the Mount.
Well, what a busy January so far. I think I need to go and have a lie down.
©Joseph R Mason and Richard J Kirk – 2025
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Thank you.
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