Familiar Haunts: Grand Union Canal

Our time in England has been a time of reminiscing, firstly back in MK and now in Lincoln. These two places where I lived for 38 years in total, so familiar. As well as visiting old friends it has been a chance to revisit places – familiar haunts.

Grand Union Canal

A place of many runs in combination with Caldecotte Lake. Narrow boats and wildlife. This pictures from recent and past visits.

Familiar Haunts: Caldecotte Lake

Our time in England has been a time of reminiscing, firstly back in MK and now in Lincoln. These two places where I lived for 38 years in total, so familiar. As well as visiting old friends it has been a chance to revisit places – familiar haunts.

Caldecotte Lake

Probably the place I visited most often in my time in MK – place of countless runs and walks over the years. We walked it On one of the hottest days of the U.K. this year. A large lake on our old doorstep when we lived there.

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Caldecotte Muse

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Muse.” When we lived in Milton Keynes I would often visit our local lake. Caldecotte was much smaller than Lake Victoria but was the scene of many photos. The local pup/restaurant/hotel was built in the shape of a windmill and could be seen from across the lake in many places. It appeared in many photos.

Weekly Photo Challenge: ROY G BIV in an English Garden

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “ROY G. BIV.”

Following on from my earlier post from our Tanzanian garden I decided to look through the archives and do the same for our former English garden back in Milton Keynes.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Broken Bones

A different take on this Week’s Photo Challenge: Broken.

On 26th January 2012 my wife, Anita, was cycling to work. It was a little icy that day and thankfully she wore her cycle helmet. Near to work she turned 90° as she approached an underpass and the bike slipped from underneath her – she fell off the bike at high speed.

I was at work when I got the call – half way through a Year 11 ICT lesson, Carol (one of our administrators) approached the door and beckoned me outside. To be disturbed mid-lesson was unusual, to be disturbed half way through a year 11 lesson unheard of. I left the room to hear the news – Anita had been knocked off her bike and rushed to hospital. The thoughts that ran through my mind as I made a quick exit and drove the 45 minute journey home. The first call was to Anita’s parents. The sudden shock of the news and the request they come quickly. At the time my work in Thame was at least 45 minutes away from home and on frosty roads even longer than that. The next call was to Anita’s sister – living in Northampton, a mere 2o minutes up the M1 from Milton Keynes. She would be there before I was.

Arriving at the A&E department at MK General, I found her – the helmet had been severely dented but there were no head injuries. Her arm had been less lucky. The impact of the fall had shattered both Radius and Ulna.

Thankfully passers by had come to her aid – ironically one was a theatre nurse in the hospital, a parent from the same school as my daughter and who would later on be in the theatre when she had the operation.

The broken bones were screwed together with plates and after a 4 hour operation I received news (at gone midnight) that everything was OK.

Months of physiotherapy followed and initially there were positive signs of movement. However as time progressed things were not looking good. The bones were growing too much and were pushing on the wrist. In July of 2013 a second operation took place to purposely break the bone, remove a section and re-plate.

This took place a few weeks before I was due to travel to Vietnam / Cambodia. We had agreed I should travel and so I did. One morning in Buon Ma Throut I awoke to the news that her bones had broken whilst in the cast. A further emergency operation was required and an new plate fitted.

Nearly two years on the bones are healed, though the movement of the left arm is significantly reduced.

In years to come the longer plate may need to be removed.  An incident which occured in a split second has had an impact lasting many years.

Visitors

Today we welcomed our first visitors from the UK since our arrival in Tanzania. Although we did not know Steve and Judy well, they were members of our old church in Milton Keynes.

They are in Mwanza for a month visiting various NGO’s whom they support in their charity Wabia Network. These organisations within Mwanza and the surrounding areas are Tanzanian run but supported through their organisation.

We spent about three hours chatting over tea. It was great to hear news from the UK as well as to share some of our experiences here and to hear about their work too. All too soon it was over but it was a good time. For those at  St Mary’s, we have given to them a gift for you, which they will bring back when they return, we hope if will find some use and remind you of us.  

For now we have welcomed our first guests and though I appreciate we are off the beaten track here, hopefully we will have other visitors from home over the years.

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A year ago this is what I was blogging

We’re Back!

T Minus 1

Fittingly we are back in Milton Keynes for our last full day. It is familiar as if we haven’t left, but yet strange to think that we won’t see this place again for a few years. We’re here to collect Matt’s GCSE Results. However we are using the opportunity to catch up with friends one last time, visit my daughter’s old guinea pigs at other friends. We also have a last round of injections and some last minute purchases. However, just at the moment I ‘m enjoying a (last?) coffee at Costa.
Leaving here today will be bitter – sweet, but we will leave with fond memories. Goodbye MK.

From Milton Keynes to …… Abingdon

T minus 20

So here we are at last. Our last morning in MK. Our last day in the house. Two days and a lot of clearing / packing later we are ready to leave. There’s still a lot to sort and to cull (in the end we had to pack without sorting – there was just too much to do in too short a time) but that must wait. All the “stuff” is in Abingdon barring one last car load. We will return there in two weeks after a break in Cornwall, Somerset and Lincoln and a day in Bicester.
Waking up to a near empty house is weird – less so because our bed is staying – but still weird. There was no food in the house and so off to Dobbies for breakfast (MK garden centre – known for it’s cheap and filling breakfasts). We had forgotten that this was the venue of St Mary’s monthly drop in / breakfast – so it was great to catch up one more time with some SMB folk especially as many of those there were in our Home Groups over the years.

Then back home (for the last time) to tidy up. It actually takes a lot longer than we imagined, the remaining contents fills our car to the brim and then it is a vacuum through and a final trip to the dump.

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In addition a mountain of pink sacks deposited with rubbish that will have to wait for collection.

So we leave our home (already it’s someone else’s house) and head off to Abingdon. We’re on route to Newquay, but it’s taken so long we’ve decided to stop over for the night and travel down a day late for 10 days under canvas. So concludes the first phase of our move to Mwanza!

Friday Costa

T Minus 70

It’s a ritual. It started two years ago. At the time Anita was recovering from Her broken arm and undergoing physiotherapy on a Friday afternoon. I was able to finish work early for a few weeks and we always would pop to our local Costa (a UK coffee house franchise) for a drink after the session. It’s become a routine, not every Friday, but most Fridays. Usually for me it’s a Skinny Mocha, for Anita a Toffee Creamy Cooler. Today however (given the heat) it was a Strawberry & Lime Cooler for both of us. It’s a nice routine to have.

I imagine that Mwanza is unlikely to have a Costa let alone a Starbucks 🙂 , although Tanzania is a coffee growing country – we’ll need to find another weekly treat. I’ll miss my Costa Coffee though.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Split Second Story

A submission to the Weekly Photo Challenge: Split Second Story
Each week of the year my church ( St Mary’s Bletchley) donates, packs and delivers a Food Parcel to many needy families from across the city.
At Christmas we add a gift parcel donated by church members and local community.
This photo is from Christmas 2011 (over 50 families supported), each year there are more and more families referred to us by Social Services across Milton Keynes.

Four Crosses

T Minus 92

I had four crosses today. Four decisions to make, although realistically for me three choices were really one.

Travel Theme :Blossom

Taken from our very own garden – I make no bones about sharing pictures of our amazing Wisteria blossoms in combo with the Ceanothus.

A submission to this week’s Travel Theme: Blossom

An Ode to Milton Keynes : Of Concrete Cows and Roundabouts

T Minus 107

Of concrete cows and roundabouts
A life lived here or hereabouts

Do you know what life here means?
Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes

When I declare I’m from MK
I wonder what it is you say?

If I reveal I’m from this city
Do you look on me with pity?

Or do you look upon me down?
If I say I’m from this town.

A place of Tarmac, steel and glazing
Where cows stand still but never grazing

Where roads run straight, past new estates.
To  roundabouts that everyone hates.

These are popular misconceptions.
The myths of Britain’s general perceptions.

When I moved here in ’88
I thought it was a place I’d hate.

But over the years I have grown to enjoy
This city, despised when I was a boy.

What people afar will often mistake
Is a town full of greenery, park and lake.

Here in this city you’ll find if you look
Woodland and meadow and canal and brook.

A modern city, yes it’s true!
But places to rest and relax too.

Fast roads which get you from place to place.
With minimum traffic to slow down your pace.

Yet near to the streets, all hustle and bustle.
You can walk through the woods and hear the leaves rustle.

Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes
Do you know what life here means?

A life lived here or hereabouts
Of concrete cows and roundabouts.

© Graham Long May 2014

This came to me on the road home tonight and I wrote it down in half an hour. It comes from conversations with people who don’t know Milton Keynes.

All pictures below taken in Milton Keynes

 

 

Grand Union

T minus 110

The Grand Union Canal flows through the heart of Milton Keynes. It’s a lovely waterway especially in the Spring and a real haven for wildlife.

Garden Panorama

T Minus 131

Taking stock of a weeks work on the garden

Passing 5K

T minus 135

About a year ago I took up running as a way of losing weight, keeping fit and improving stamina ahead of a trip last summer that was to include trekking in Vietnam and in Cambodia.

It is unfortunate that all the house preparations in recent weeks have prevented me from doing this.  When up to speed (forgive the pun) I usually run between 3 and 8 miles – though I have been known to run 10-12 on rare occasions. My aim and intentions over the Easter break is to get back into running – though a heavy cold at the moment is hampering this goal. I would also like to get back into the 5K Park Run locally – though I realise running in Tanzania might be more of a challenge (I’m no Mo Farah!) and I might need to find some other form of exercise.

 

On the subject of  5K, in all the pleasure I had in sharing my Liebster Award yesterday, and all the Deck Painting. I completely forgot to mention that our blog has now surpassed 5000 views and  is attracting over 100 views per day on most days. As you can see a number of bloggers are visiting from Asia, as well as those from Europe, North America, Australasia and Africa.

Thanks to all those of you visiting my site it’s much appreciated.

Country	Views
United Kingdom	4,797
United States	110
United Republic of Tanzania	52
South Africa	46
Sweden	27
Ireland	24
Australia	24
Germany	22
Thailand	17
Singapore	14
Spain	9
Taiwan	9
Malaysia	8
Greenland	8
Lao People’s Democratic Republic	8
Canada	7
Norway	6
France	6
New Zealand	4
Italy	4
Venezuela	3
Gambia	3
Isle of Man	3
Philippines	3
Uganda	2
Malawi	2
Indonesia	2
India	2
Republic of Korea	2
Netherlands	1
Bulgaria	1
Czech Republic	1
Austria	1
Belgium	1
Portugal	1

 

 

Spring Garden

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Out garden is probably at its best in Spring. I will miss it. The Ceanothus and Wisteria blue combination is sill to come but for now it’s the red of the flowering currant and the yellow of the Forsythia and Keria Japonica which dominate.

MK-2

MK + 9346 (T Minus 143)
This is part two of the history of my time in MK following on from MK-1
1991 to 1993
In early 1991 I was still living in Stony Stratford but had moved to my new teaching job at Lord Grey School in Bletchley. It’s proximity to St Mary’s meant I was travelling down the A5 every day but Saturday and sometimes twice. In church I had been elected onto the PCC and was a Youth Leader (although I gave this up just after I moved job). I was also active in the Drama Team and took on a leadership role in 1992.
In my new job I had responsibility for ICT in Science and my first promotional point. I had got the job in unusual circumstances. The Head at the time was a bit of a “Wheeler Dealer” and both I and the other candidate were both appointed after long deliberation. We were both Chemists. I was to remain at Lord Grey for 10 years.

In 1991, I left my lodgings in Stony Stratford and went to lodge in Bletchley, with a youth group friend (Richard). He and Beth who were now engaged had bought a house and I was to lodge for a year. After the untidiness of my first lodgings it was a bit of a change. I was not the tidiest of lodgers (I hadn’t needed to be) and this probably annoyed my new landlord – particularly my habit of leaving the washing up. My decision to cook Honey Roast Duck one Sunday probably did not go done well either. Nonetheless Richard tolerated me with good humour. We would often play cards of an evening after I had finished my work and with other friends usually played Hearts (quite competitively).
During this time I travelled abroad to Czechoslovakia on holiday with Oak Hall and remember having returned to MK after a 24 hour coach trip and a 3 hour car journey crawled into bed at 4am and promptly sat on a wasp. Whilst I had been abroad a wasp nest had hatched in the room a number of new wasps – not fun!

I lived there a year but in early 1992 moved out. For a short period I rented a house with three others in Bletchley. The house was rented to the daughter of a couple and to two others. It was an interesting mix and we didn’t really get on. This rental was cut short when all of sudden the daughter decided to move out and the house went up for sale.

Living in catchment had not been easy and do I decided in July 1992 to rent a place of my own further away in Hodge Lea. I had a one bed apartment for a year. It had a good view over the city and gave me my own place for the first time.
However, things were changing at work. I had thought long and hard about moving on from MK but my “Wheeler Dealer” head had persuaded me to pull out of one job interview and had given me promotion instead. I was appointed KS3 co-ordinator and the new promotion meant I could consider buying my own place. I purchased a house on Emerson Valley and moved in August 1993 with no furniture. The kindness of friends at St Mary’s provided a lot of what I needed. So I was set up in my own place and committed to living in MK long term.

Little did I know what the next two years would bring…..

MK-1

MK plus 9340 (T minus 150)

I first came to Milton Keynes in the summer of 1988, though in truth I did so reluctantly.

Equinox Living!

T minus 158

Today is NOT the equinox! Even though the length of the day today ( from Sunrise to Sunset) is almost exactly 12 hours here in Milton Keynes.