Povey Prattle

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What do you know about Marwa el-Sherbini ? What are the roots and reasons for Islamaphobia? Do you know and have friendships with any Muslims? Why are Christians so obsessed about sex? Should gay and lesbian Christians and their relationships be “studied” yet again, by the C of E, or by the Episcopal Church? How many heterosexual relationships have been “studied” by the Church? What do you know about Judaism? Have you studied this noble religion? Do you know about the very many good things which Jewish people have contributed to western civilization? No replies needed. Just some questions for you to ponder.

Neither I, nor any of my family members are in this photo'. The great Head Mistress, Miss Fenlon (of whom more later) is on the right. What is of interest to me is the BCS sign on a building in the background. This is the Greenbank (Groceries) Branch of the Bristol Cooperative Society. Mum shopped there when I was a wee lad. These were days of rationing. A store clerk named Percy would cut a couple of bits of cheese of the big cheese wheel (using a cheese-cutting wire) for me sister and me - defying the rationing. Then Mum stopped using the store. Many years later I asked her why. It was because Percy wanted to have an affair with her! Now I understood the free cheese! There are no Poveys in this picture. But you will see Miss Fenlon (Head Mistress)(L) and Miss Smith, (Classroom teacher) (R). Each had an enormous influence in my young life. Miss Fenlon introduced us to the big wide world, and she had us listen to classical music at even aged five. She would always adress us as ...

I was "Googled" by a Bristol, U.K. man who was interested in my memories of Eastville Junior Mixed School, a.k.a. Combe Road School. He put me on to a Combe Road School website, I'll share some items from the Combe Road School site tomorrow. But in the meantime, here is a picture which I've had since 1954, which I scanned earlier today. It's a picture of the Eastville Junior Mixed School Choir. In the centre l-r is Mr. Ken Lewis,Headmaster; Mrs. Richards, Pianist; and Class teacher and Choir director Mr. Sid Richards. The photo' was taken in nearby Eastville Park. See if you can spot me!

Last Sunday evening my pals David and Ben had dinner with me at the home of my dear friends Ron and Charlotte. It was a lovely evening with a good meal. We chatted about - guess what? We chatted about Michael Jackson and Sarah Palin. In other words, our conversation was “driven” by the “media”. If only that “media” would lead us to chat about the horrors in Darfur, or the wretched state of Zimbabwe, or the mess in Afghanistan [and why our good President is WRONG on this issue], or the threat that global warning presents to our descendants. Michael Jackson (RIP) and Sarah Palin have no more than bit parts in the drama of civilization. I s’pose that it’s easier to focus on the bit parts, than on the big drama.

My pal David F stopped by the house this evening at 5:30 as he needed to borrow my car overnight. He came in for a drink, and then another, and by 6:30 I decided to feed us with a store-bought frozen pizza which I had in my freezer (in preparation for the apocalypse). Just then, another pal, Ben M telephoned, and he did not need a second invitation to join us. I cut up a big Portobello mushroom which had been hiding in my fridge, and added it to the top of the cheese and pepperoni pizza. Rummaging deeper into the fridge I found ¾ of a head of (gosh) iceberg lettuce, 2/3 of a cucumber, ½ of a tomato and a green pepper. This all made for an instant salad to go with the pizza. The three of us feasted on pizza and salad, and reminisced about the old days. In this case we were talking about yesterday when we three had been at Ron and Charlotte Thompson’s home for Fifth of July cheeseburgers, corn on the cob, coleslaw, and potato salad. That had been a fabulous evening with Ron and Ch...

Take “A” Avenue to the end, and turn left at the Walgreens onto “B” Boulevard. Stay on “B” Boulevard for three miles, passing two CVS stores on your left, and one on your right. (You will also pass two Publix Supermarkets on your right, and one on your left. At “C” Circus turn left (you will see a CVS on one corner, a Walgreens on the other, right next to a Publix). Stay on “C” circus, ignoring two more Publix stores, and eighteen Walgreens until you come to “D” Drive Bear left onto “D” drive (a CVS is on your left). In one mile turn right at the Publix, my house is half a mile away on the right, almost opposite a Walgreens. (PS if you happen to pass a Supermarket or Drug Store, please stop in and bring me a Gallon of 2% milk)