Jane's Local, The Jolly Woodman

This is the little pub just down the road from where I live. It is said to be the best pub in Beckenham. Well I won't argue with that. What a great place it is, friendly, full, and for me, the ideal place to imbibe at the end of a very busy week.

Tomorrow, I will meet my daughter, Joanne, for a lunchtime pint. I feel I've earned it this week what with blogging, video making, writing, music practice, and little bus journeys here and there.

This morning I had a voice test with the choir mistress of Beckenham Ladies Choir. That seemed to go well, and I will be singing in the concert at St George Church, Beckenham, on 8th June. I'm looking forward to that, especially as it is a joint concert with the Blaenavon Male Voice Choir. You can't beat a bit of Welsh for good voices - I hear there will be a touch of 'You'll never walk alone,' It is a charity event and you can get a ticket either at the door (7.30 p.m. start) or else from the Beckenham Bookshop on the high street.

And now I'm going to sign off, take a peep at what my Face Book friends are up to, then make a nice cup of tea. That should bring me nicely to Alan Bennett's History Boys, my little TV treat of the night.

Do tap me on the shoulder and say hello if you are in the Jolly Woodman tomorrow lunchtime. Whatever you are doing this coming weekend, have a good one, and don't forget to spread a little happiness wherever you can.

Love Jane x

Living Next to God!

My lovely flat in Beckenham, and the church next door. I'm living next to God. How wonderful is that?

Hello from sunny Beckenham. As you can see, spring has sprung, the grass is green, the flowers are showing their full glorious colours, and wonderful warm sunshine has brought out hints of outside life. The cafebars of the town have set there al fresco tables, summer shorts and tee-shirts have been pulled from under winter woollies, and the sound of children playing in the school playground somewhere behind my flat, is making for a very pleasant morning.
I am looking forward to my daily stroll, a bit later on,  to take advantage of the weather while it lasts. The forecast isn't too great, but winter has passed so I doubt we shall see sub-zero temperatures for a good few months.

Spring has sprung, as they say.

I have wintered extremely well, the flat is cosy, small so easy to manage, and I am in walking distance of the shops. Of course I can catch a bus, and my Freedom Pass enables me to hop on and off not only buses but trains too. It is a wonderful thing to have, and I am not shy at using it. Everybody over 60 is entitled to a Freedom Pass, have you got yours?
Well, I have not been idle over the last few months. I have had a few health problems, but nothing too serious. I did come down with that dreadful N-something virus, and that was quite nasty, but I did lose a few pounds and that is always good. Anyway, in between all of that, I have been practicing hymns to play at church, and songs to sing in the Beckenham Ladies Choir. Of course I have been writing too, and I was overjoyed to receive a cheque from Amazon, of a hundred pounds for sales of my book, Tears from the Sun - a Cretan Journey. Speaking of which, I have also sold a few copies to friends in Beckenham. I wonder if the little bookshop here will be interested, I might just pop in one day and ask them.
Anyway, must get on. I have my cello and piano practice to do yet, I want to write my daily 2000 words, take a stroll out, and, Lord look at the time, it's time for lunch. Today I'm on a ham and pickle sandwich, courtesy of a lovely slice of roast ham on the bone which I bought in Sainsbury's yesterday.

Have a good day, wherever you may be, and I'll talk some more soon.
Jane x

Cheap Furniture from Hays

This coming Friday I will move into my new flat in Beckenham. It is an exciting time. Reliant on the state pension plus credits, I am obviously on a low budget, but hey ho, what is new there. Jo and I went along to Hays, just outside Beckenham, where there is a second hand furniture shop. I managed to get a bed, a settee, 4 dining chairs and a big desk for under £200. And the mattress is a brand new one. It is a start. I already have a few bits that I have collected over the weeks: pillows, bedding, crockery,cutlery, champagne flutes. Oh yes, I have to have champagne flutes. And I have bought a china teapot. It really is a new beginning.

All I need now (and I say need as opposed to want) is an electric kettle, and iron, and most important of all, curtains. I shall be trawling the charity shops in the next few days. Oh, and I will treat myself to a cheap printer so that I can print off my poems to submit to magazines. Now I am living in Britain, that will be so much easier.

For those of you who are new to my blogs, I do spent a lot of my time writing. In fact, I have written and published a book, Tears from the Sun - a Cretan Journey. It is based on experiences of a past life, I lived in Crete for 18 years. And my next novel is almost finished. As for poetry, I have always loved reading and writing poetry. I don't think it will be long before I am knocking on the door of the Beckenham poets, to ask if I can join their circle. I have discovered the Beckenham Book Shop, what a joy! And I have joined the library.

But for now, it is the run up to Christmas and all things festive. The lights are on in Beckenham, and there is lots of tinsel in the shop windows. Father Christmas is on his way, turkey, food and fun!

So, that's me for now, I wish you all a very happy Sunday wherever you are.
Love Jane x