Sunday Bloody Sunday

Ok I’ll ‘fess up that the topic of this blog was inspired by someone who is far more talented and entertaining than I could ever be Ladies & Gents meet : http://thedollsays.wordpress.com/

So The Doll’s blog kinda got me thinking about the Sundays of my youth. Cast your minds back to when Sundays were ‘a day of rest’ and there was nothing save for maybe your local corner shop open. It wasn’t really that long ago I think Sunday trading started (in 1994 or thereabouts). Hence Sundays were ‘boring’ when you were a child and retail opportunities and fun were on lockdown.

For me a typical Sunday as a child went something like this: swimming at the Westfield Lido with Dad and older Sister, sometimes Mum would come to watch from the viewing gallery. I say watch but whenever my sister and I were desperate to catch her eye to show off some fancy new acrobatic move we had just invented she was far more interested in thumbing through her ‘Ideal Home’ magazine. Next on the agenda was the Sunday Roast. It was always chicken because at the time chicken was cheap. That meant that the next few night’s dinners were also chicken based. Mum even used to boil up the carcass to make soup. I did grow up in the 80s honest, not the 40s! You can also see why my transition to vegetarianism was an easy thing with only dry old chicken to satisfy any carnivorous urges. It was also the one day of the week we got ‘proper pudding’ rather than the ubiquitous Neapolitan ice-cream or Super mousse.

After the delicious lunch my parents would then thumb through the vast range of Sunday papers and supplements. This is still a staple in their Sundays! This was of course pre-Eastenders Omnibus era so there was sod all on the television. If we harangued and whinged enough then there may be a small family outing after lunch. Nothing too riveting I can assure you. Usually a walk round a local garden, garden centre or stately home that sort of thing. All very dull and middle class but sometimes a tea room or ice lolly might feature that made it worthwhile. More often though an argument between Mum & Dad as they got lost en route or couldn’t find a parking spot.

If the weather was inclement there was no chance for one of these beanos. Instead Mum would tackle a pile or ironing in front of a ‘boring’ black and white film and Dad would polish the shoes ready for school and work. I am sure he did other stuff too but my memory is just of him polishing shoes.

Things brightened up around 5 o’clock on a Sunday evening. No, not because of Songs of Praise but because that was when most weeks you would sit, cross legged on your bedroom floor worshipping at your little tape deck/radio combo taping your favorite songs from the Top 40! Oh yes, this rite of passage didn’t pass me by and I think it was not that long ago I last threw out some tapes labelled as ‘Top 40’ ! You see I didn’t tape over them the following week, oh no, I catalogued them and kept them ad infinitum incase, you know, I just had the urge to hear ‘Camouflage’ by Stan Ridgeway or ‘History’ by Mai Tai. In the days before Spotify this is what we had to do! For quite some time I had a separate LW/MW radio balanced atop a small portable cassette player in order to achieve my quest. Sound quality was shite but at least I could still hear my beloved charts whenever I wanted to. This was the future!

Attempts to record the Top 40 were often interrupted by the drudgery of the weekly bath and hairwash. I know. Once a week! Ew gross! But it seems that this was the norm and not some soap dodging laziness on my part. Once the hair had been washed and your eyes no longer resembled that of a rabid dog once the shampoo had been fully rinsed out, then you were sated with a ‘snack tea’ as the main meal had already been taken at lunchtime. I know what the ‘snack tea’ consisted of as there is photographic evidence of it somewhere. With my Sister and me resplendent in those very long old fashioned nighties, which were de rigeur in the early 80s, with newly washed wet hair tucking into plates of sandwiches (possibly marmite), Sainsbury’s own brand crisps and Penguin biscuits with beakers of milk and squash to hand.

And then you really had to face facts that: Gulp! It was school again tomorrow. Doom! I remember being allowed to stay up until 8.35pm on a Sunday so that we could watch the end of ‘Howard’s Way’ so once you’d watched yet another episode with Ken Masters sporting some dodgy pastel coloured sweater trying to get off with yet another young girl you were packed off to bed. I will always remember that ‘Mastermind’ was next up on the beeb with its’ ominous and rousing theme tune. If you were in bed and you heard the closing theme tune to that segueing to the theme to ‘That’s Life’ you knew you really were in trouble as you hadn’t managed to get to sleep yet!

So there you have it, a charming insight into what Sundays used to be like before nearly everything opened. In writing this I think I do feel some sadness that now Sunday is essentially just another day rather than a little bit special. Although of course I enjoy the fact that you can go shopping to places that sell things other than plants and ornamental pots!

Musings, or, an excuse of a blog

I've been trying to think of something to blog about in the last week but alas, I am suffering from writers' block. There are far too many thoughts whirling round my head relating to my last blog and a weekend of intensive carb consumption, wine and sunshine has not assisted.


So instead, here are a few random things for your delectation that are inhabiting my noggin.



I did a core workout so severe yesterday that today it is a struggle to use a hole punch. That may sound odd but the hole punch here is no ordinary hole punch, oh no! this is a behemoth hole punch indeed! you have to stand up to use it and hence use a lot of your body weight to punch holes in things. Hence the twinge in my abs earlier. If this hole punch was, say, a sportsman it'd be David Haye! It's ok, I just won't file anything... who cares I AM LEAVING.



I am going to Wagamama's tonight with my friend Laura. Despite the fact that I have probably been to a Wagas on average every other month for the past five years I have, of course, looked at the menu on line to plan my scoffing. Futile really as I nearly always have the Yasai Chilli Men. I love the fact that most restaurant and coffee shop chains now put their menus online! I also love it when Nutritional Info is included. Suffice to say this has now ruled out Starbucks Peppermint Mochas for life and likewise 70% of the Pizza Express menu.


When did ice cream get so bloody expensive? I was rinsed nearly £5 for a measly scoop of Turkish Delight flavour in a plastic cup and a scoop of Mint Choc Chip in a slightly fancy chocolate cone over the weekend.


I am also momentarily distracted by this: http://www.pauls-boutique.com/default.aspx?scid=4&wcid=15&wscid=76


That is all.


What's going on in your brains?