Friday 23 November 2007

Lavender Blue and things

I thought it was time to do another entry, time slips away so fast though goodness knows what I do with it? I did remember to get my batteries charged and take the latest pictures of The Lavender Blue shop window, twice before I tried only to find the batteries were flat, ah well third time lucky.

Last Tuesday, In my capacity as The Residents Forum Secretary, I went to a meeting organised by the Peterborough City Council, entitled ‘’Building Cohesive Neighbourhoods ‘’, it was extremely interesting, and there were some very good speakers, We have in this region 17500 new immigrants, putting a strain on all our resources, Housing, Police, health care, Schools etc, of course many are helpful to our economy and many are doing jobs we wouldn’t want to! In the Fens where a lot of fruit and vegetables are grown ,there are lots of packing companies employing these people and many work hard ,long hours ,They all need to live somewhere and there are I am afraid many unscrupulous landlords ,And of course there are culture differences ,The chairman ,and chief executive of the city council Ms Gill Beasley  was to take our findings , (we had workshops and discussions in the afternoon)to London where she was to be in discussion with MP Heather Blears the next day ,as was the Chief of Police for the Cambridge area ,(also a Woman  who’s name escapes me ! )to appeal for an additional two million pounds to help with policing.

A lighter note, it is very cold and sunny here today, I have just had notification that my heating allowance, is now in my account, so I can turn up the heat lol ,Here in this country everyone over sixty are awarded an annual £200,towards heating costs ,I pay my heating ,gas and leccy ,on a direct debit so two hundred pounds is very nice thank you ,

I told you Ihad finished my cardi ,its made in chunky wool so is nice and warm and looks better on than in the picture ,Well I am now going to brave the elements and go and get Maurice’s Euro lottery tickets for the draw this evening ,So every one as usual ,keep warm and lots of Love From

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lavender Blue their window always looks good, you can see a lot of work goes into it, like the cardi nice colour, you've done it just in time as it's turned really cold. It's nice talking to you in journal chat, hope you get a cam soon then we can see you.

Take care

Yasmin
xx

Anonymous said...

oh that store front looks lucious!!  Love the sweater too....  will be nice on a cold day.  
hugs my friend
d

Anonymous said...

awwww!  Jan....you put a big smile on my face as your page opened up for me.  Thank you!  
I was wondering what the theme would be for Christmas at Lavender Blue this year.
Isn't the window pretty and traditional.  I love that big letterbox christmas card.

We have our fair share of immigrants here in the Lakes.  Mostly Polish workers and they are very nice people.  Hard working too.  They work all the hours that God sends them to save up and make something of themselves for when they return back home.  I know of one chap who works in our newsagents who has said he likes it too much to go back home so he is going to stay.
My only bugbear with them is that they don't bother to pay road tax.  They get away with it if they have Polish license plates for some reason or another. I hope that doesn't mean they are not insured for accidents too?  How would people get compensated otherwise?   Something for our government to think of too I think.
We have some quiet and friendly young Poles living next door but one.   They are renting this holiday house here until Christmas.
The owners have emmigrated to Australia.  Wonder what that tells us too?
Oh well!   Lets hope your area gets some financial help from the government soon.  It must be awful for schools etc trying to integrate so many into their infrastructure.
I know we have signs in Egyptian, Polish and Romanian in our Docor's surgery and on the phone boxes too.   So there must be quite a lot working in the Hotel an Catering Industry here.
Stay warm...which I know you will do with that lovely cardi you have just knit.  I have dusky pink chunky cardi too.  I love the colour.
Take care
Hugs
Jeanie  xxxx



Anonymous said...

Love the store window, looks so nice. That sweater is beautiful, & warm I'll bet. {{}}
Have a good wkend.
Sug

Anonymous said...

The shop window looks good Jan. What'll you do when they turn it into a starbucks?

B. x

Anonymous said...

The cardigan is beautiful!  Have a great weekend! ~~Kath~~

Anonymous said...

I like the cardi very  much.  Yes the £200 is good but it does not cover the heating bills especially with the vast increases this year.  It should be raised and pensions should be index-linked.  Loved the photos of the shop.

http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/JeannettesJottings/

Anonymous said...

The shop as usual Jan looks tremendous.So many shopkeeers do take a pride in putting on sucha wonderful display all year round and your Lavender Blue shop is one of them I have to say.I love alsorts in there,best not taeke a ride out or you would be taking picture sof it empty anf his highesses bank account would end up the same LOL!!!Some polish men worked with partner last year and told there workforce if they do six months work here, Our Govenment give them a bonus of £1,000p tax free ,which they take back home after the six months and then return again after there allowed holidays are over,and look for work elsewhere on there return.The then said bonus is repeatedly given.How true this is I do not know,but thats what they told Partners worksmates.I have just been for all my Christmas shopping apart from fresh things one needs at Crimbo,and it was heaving,I am glad to be back,it's freezing and sleating.Brrrrrr.Happy to read you got your heating allowance.I feel we have to be grateful for small mercy's what do you say? Don't you be spending  it all at once,down at Lavender Blue save something for me to buy LOL!!Have a lovely evening.Take Care God Bless Kath astoriasand http://journals.aol.co.uk/astoriasand/MYSIMPLERHYMES

Anonymous said...

Sorry Jan forgot to mention love your home knitted dusky pink cardy,I think you will look fantastic in it,you modern gal Whoo Hoo LOL!!Well done you look to be a beautiful knitter. God Bless .Kath astoriasand.

Anonymous said...

The pics of the window and cardi are great, and well done on the £200! Crank up the heat lol!
luv bella xx

Anonymous said...

I love your sweater.... you are a wonderful knitter. the shop window is so nice again. did you stop and buy any of the goodies in there?
Sandra

Anonymous said...

Have a nice weekend, Jan

Anonymous said...

((((((((((((((((((((((HUGSTOYOU)))))))))))))))Have a nice weekend.

Anonymous said...

Good to see you Jan.  That is sure a nice thick cardi you have knitted for yourself.  That is sure to keep you warm on these cold winter days...boy has it been cold today !!  what a lovely shop that Lavender is it is full of such lovley gifts. I am sure I would be spending a fortune if I visited there !!  Love  Sybil xx

Anonymous said...

Lovely interesting entry, Jan - keyword WARMTH!  Loved the cardigan.  Can't remember where my heating allowance surfaced last year, it's not in my PO or bank account, although like you, I have had a letter.
Bunny xx

Anonymous said...

I loved the pictures Jan, I can't believe how close we ar to Christmas.  I spent the afternoon wrapping up presents ready to deliver to family members in Devon and Cornwall.  

It seems as if your winter fuel payment came just in time, it is soo cold this evening.

Anonymous said...

hi jan.lovely pics.good luck with the lotto.have a good weekend! take care mrs t x
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mleppard06/eternity/

Anonymous said...

Oh how I'd love to visit that shop.  It looks very interesting.  Your cardigan is beautiful.  That's one thing I've never learned to do....knit.  Keeping my fingers cross that you get the right lottery ticket.   Linda in Washington  

Anonymous said...

Hi! Jan...My kind of shop, loved the display in the 'Summer', all the Rosy things!
Would love a walk round there.Like the Cardi....I love dusky Pink too.
Difficult to keep warm tonight...a real nip in the air.
Aileen......X

Anonymous said...

That shop is always so pretty....
Good luck on the lotto Maurice! (over here they pronounce it more reece..LOL)
Lyn

Anonymous said...

Jan, I would love to go in that shop!!! I always enjoy looking at your pics of it, they take so much care,,,mmmm cardi looks lovely and the colour too...Linda xx

Anonymous said...

That shop is beautiful and so is your cardi. I love that color. You did beautiful work. Wish we had a heating allowance here. Helen

Anonymous said...

I do so love it when you post pictures of Lavender Blue!  What a lovely shop and what a beautiful cardigan as well!  Very nice!  You did a wonderful job on it!  I shall have to check out account to see if our heating allowance went in as well!  Woo hoo!  Have a great week!
Marie
http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/

Anonymous said...

Good entry Jan highlighting some of the problems with immigrants to our country. I personally have no objections to anyone who wants to come here and contribute to society in a positive way, but saddly a lot of eastern Europeans are coming here purely to make money and to do so they are running brothels and selling hard drugs. We need tighter borders before we lose ourselves completely.
Debbie
xxx

Anonymous said...

It was great to get the fuel allowance wasn't it? It will help considerably in fighting the cold weather. Your cardi looks nice. I wish I could knit...never was any good at it! Love Conniexx

Anonymous said...

My favorite shop window looks lovely, as ever, Jan!  The UK is becoming a melting pot like the US, isn't it?  Love your sweater!  You have such talent.  LOL....crank that heat up and keep warm.  Love xx Chris

Anonymous said...

The shop looks great!  Enjoy your day.
Missie

Anonymous said...

Jan the pictures of  "Lavender Blue" shop window are lovely ~ that meeting sounded interesting ~ 17500 new immigrants ~ that is a frightening amount of new people putting a strain on resources  ~ your Cardie looks lovely anfd I hope Maurice's lottery ticket won something for you :o) ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan, nice to speak to you this morning! I love that shop, their window dresser is very talented. That's a hell of a lot of immigrants. We have around 300 working at our hospital as cleaners, they're brilliant workers! Glad you got the heating allowance, it's been below freezing here all day, brrrr! Jeannette xx  

Anonymous said...

Glad you got your heating allowance, i love the shop front as always but especially love the little rocking horse in the middle. Hope that you are well and warm as toast. Love you to the stars and back. Kate x x x x

Anonymous said...

How i do love reading your entries Jan.  Though I don't always comment, I DO read and enjoy.  I'm not old enough for heating allowance (ho ho ho ) but we also pay D/D so Keith gets his 200 quid and I spend it!  All we need now is for it to turn up in the bank.
love, Angie, xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan ,lovely to see an entry from you ,I haven't been on here since Friday and Daniel and Maisie came for a sleep over .Lavender Blue window is indeed lovely ,so many things to look at and to buy.Your new knitted Cardigan looks very nice ,like the colour .Glad you enjoyed the meeting ,certainly makes you think all those immigrants!! Thankfully its not so cold today ,Have a good Sunday ......With much love Jeanxx...lovely graphics

Anonymous said...

I love the Lavender blue shop...the little town we visited on Friday had some very like it.  What a treat to get some money to help with heating...they do not do that for us here in the US .  Those that are very poor or are disabled  are the only ones to get assistence of any kind

Anonymous said...

good luck with the euro draw,lets hope you win second prize...well i am winning the first one im afraid,lol xx
http://journals.aol.co.uk/zoepaul6968/domestic-chaos/

Anonymous said...

Love the pics and your cardi looks very warm and cosy :)  Think I should knit one, if only I could knit lol.........

Jenny

http://journals.aol.co.uk/Jmoqueen/MyLife

Anonymous said...

love the shop front, very traditional and christmassy, nice cardi, my nan showed me how to knit, I htink i managed a scarf but thats about it! Take care x Beckie

Anonymous said...

Love your shop pictures and the sweater is beautifull.    I haven't done any knitting in a few years, and was just thinking the other day that I should start again.  Have a good week.      Dawn

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan...I love your pics and your cardi its lovely, i like the shawl collor. I hav'nt been commenting lately, i will have to get round to reading some journals that i've neglecting lately. I have finished my cardi, i had to leave it for a couple of months then picked it up again. I seem to be losing concentration which i've been doing quite a lot of that lately, more so since i've been on my latest meds. I will be knitting or chrocheting something soon, i'm not sure which as yet. I do hope your keeping well Jan...Best wishes and take care!

Astra!

Anonymous said...

I would love to go shopping in the little shop!  Looks like they have lovely things.  Your sweater is beautiful.  I love the color.  I bet it flatters you nicely.  Hope Maurice won lots of money with the lottery tickets.  Perhaps you could come to America and I can show you around.  : )
Hugs, Kathy

Anonymous said...

Hi Jan, I'm catching up here. Your cardigan is beautiful! I love the color and the style! You are talented to be able to make that with your own hands. Good job!
And of course, Lavender Blue doesn't disappoint us. Their window looks lovely! Thanks for taking the pics. I enjoy seeing the window so much.
Hugs..Pam

Anonymous said...

Lovely pics Jan and a lovely cardy - clever old thing! My arthritis stops me from knitting now - sigh.....  Will hopefully be popping into Lavender Blue tomorrow, they have some lovely gifts, pity you didn't take any pics of the inside Jan, it was all lovely and silvery when I was last in there.
Aol cut me off for 13 days, so sorry for not commenting on any blogs - I now have 100s of emails to plough through!

all the best
Freda

Anonymous said...

Oh you are very talented love your cardi just beautiful. The shop likes to change it's window around alot. This one is pretty in green and red. I like it.
Take care, Chrissie