November 2021 – Page 3 – derrickjknight

Incineration Completed

This morning I posted https://derrickjknight.com/2021/11/17/a-knights-tale-66-horse-and-dolphin-yard/

Jackie continued with the garden refuse incineration and after lunch

we emptied the last of the compost bags’ twiggy bits onto the middle bin to let them dry out before finally burning them; then carried half a dozen of the now empty bags to leave them at our free horse manure source in South Sway Lane. The yellow plank on the compost bin was the wonky mantelpiece we replaced soon after we arrived seven years ago.

Opposite the horse field in the lane a young copper beech was lit by the low sun.

We popped into Kitchen Makers where we delivered Richard’s jacket that he had left behind yesterday, then continued into the forest.

A bush of holly berries nodded to a tree draped with poppies of remembrance in Church Lane.

As we left Brockenhurst a silhouetted pony ambled across the road. Jackie parked on a patch of gravel beside the speed limit sign while I photographed

this animal and its companions against the still lowering sun.

Mushrooms grew on the verges of Sandy Down.

Wintery sunset signalled its approach from behind trees at Norley Wood.

This evening we dined on slow roasted belly of pork with crunchy crackling and Bramley apple sauce; crisp roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding; tender runner beans; firm Brussels sprouts; crunchy carrots, and tasty gravy, with which Jackie drank more of the Chardonnay, and I drank Azinhaga de Ouro 2019.

A Knight’s Tale (66: Horse And Dolphin Yard)

In 1975 Jessica, Michael, and I settled in Horse and Dolphin Yard in the centre of London’s Chinatown.

This photograph of Jessica reflected in the Peel Boys’ Club taken in July that year suggests that our move took place in the summer. The flat was one of two in an historic courtyard building owned by the City of Westminster, and obtained for me by Bill Ritchie, then Director of Social Services. The ground floor was dedicated as a storeroom to the parks and gardens department. There followed five Soho years during which a mine of stories was quarried.

It was probably in 1976 that Jessica photographed me with, from left to right, Pete, Michael, Matthew, and Becky. This was the one occasion on which I visited a favourite family holiday resort mentioned in my last episode – too basic for me. There was no running water, which was gained by means of a cold pipe on the hillside; everything was damp; you had to walk past next door’s chained up snarling dogs straining to get at you, and dig a pit every morning in which to bury the contents of the primitive Elsan. The family loved it.

Pete lived in an estate opposite us at The Peel. He and Michael became friends there and continued their relationship afterwards.

In no particular chronological order, there will follow a series of Soho stories.

Michael, in his early teens decided to keep and breed rabbits. Now, there isn’t much room in Chinatown, so there was nothing for it but a rooftop farm. Michael, always inventive, built a runway across the roofs in the Yard, using ladders to circumvent the different heights of the various roofs he had to pass before reaching his chosen site. This was the flat roof of the then offices of Boosey & Hawkes, the largest sheet music publishers in the world. The staff there, incredibly, had no problem with what was happening. In those days produce for the myriad of Chinese restaurants in Gerrard Street came in wooden boxes which were discarded and left for the binmen. These boxes made good firewood, but Michael had other uses for them. He used them to build rabbit hutches and to make a safety barrier for his pets around the perimeter of the roof.

An elderly woman in an upper floor of a block of flats overlooking the area received so much pleasure from watching the rabbits frolicking in the sunlight that she took to leaving vegetable scraps on our doorstep to supplement their diet.

One of the ladders reaching from our roof to the next one spanned a skylight which was so begrimed as to be invisible. That is why, when one of Michael’s friends decided to jump instead of using the ladder which Michael had carefully placed to avoid such an eventuality, he went clean through it. I was summoned, peered through the smashed window, and saw Simon in the clutches of a gentleman who had no intention of letting him go. I rushed round into Gerrard Street, managed to work out in which building the boy was being held, searched through the warren of rooms until I came to the right one, and persuaded the man to release him. The lad was unharmed.

Years later, Becky sent me this photograph of her own daughter,

Florence, outside the entrance to this yard, which, now containing up-market

eating places has totally changed from even then. In the mid-seventies £1 could buy you a good set meal in Gerrard Street

From Moonrise To Sunset

While I scrapped more archived papers Jackie added them to continued burning of garden refuse this morning. As I had better luck uploading pictures today, I have used this one that I had given up on yesterday.

Richard and Alan fitted the doors to the entrance lobby and to the airing cupboard. The chest of drawers shown beside the airing cupboard is to go.

Early this afternoon Helen and Bill visited and enjoyed coffee and inspecting the work of Kitchen Makers.

Towards twilight we took a drive into the forest.

The moon rose to grace the pastel canopy over Paul’s Lane, Coombe Lane and the Burley Road from Norleywood. A murder of crows assembled on telegraph wires, and trees wore their autumn clothing.

We were back home in time for sunset.

This evening we dined on oven fish and chips, peas, pickled onions and chilli cornichons with which we both drank Val di Salis Chardonnay 2020.

Burning Summer’s Clippings

This is the diary post for 15th November. We had no internet connection last night, so I could not publish it then.

My uploading struggles continued today, but I did manage to transfer the last problematic image to yesterday’s post, and made more progress with shedding.

Richard from Kitchen Makers skimmed the ceiling of the former dressing room and fitted a new light into the airing cupboard in which he has built new shelves offering more space.

Jackie, meanwhile, made a start on burning the summer’s garden clippings. True to form, I had to abandon uploading a further one of these images.

After taking over bonfire duties later this afternoon, I published https://derrickjknight.com/2021/11/15/a-knights-tale-65-the-peel-institute/ The illustrations to this were already the WordPress Media file.

This evening we dined on a second helping of Jackie’s wholesome winter stewp with fresh crusty bread, accompanied by the same beverages as yesterday.

A Knight’s Tale (65: The Peel Institute)

From August 1974, when I produced this photograph of the St Pancras skyline which has now changed considerably, Jessica, Michael, and I lived in a house leased to The Peel Institute, a boys’ club in Lloyd Baker Street in Islington. It was our home on condition that I performed not very onerous caretaking duties in the clubhouse. The Lloyd Baker Estate is a very trendy area in which to live. For us, it was short-term, pending the refurbishment of the very elegant house. We enjoyed a beautiful garden which I was happy to maintain.

Matthew and Becky enjoyed hanging out from the balcony.

Following a very mild summer, on Christmas Day 1974 I picked a bunch of fresh, vibrant roses. I still have the colour slide of Jessica’s photograph to prove it.

Remaining an important community facility, ‘The Peel was founded in 1898 by Sir George Masterman Gillett MP for Finsbury for 14 years. He explained that it was “to supply the young men… with a social centre for recreation, open every evening in the week that the “Peel institute” came into existence”

They met in a Friends’ Meeting house that was previously a woodyard that had manufactured a long wooden instrument called a “Peel” which was used to place bread in huge ovens. The meeting house was commonly known as “The Peel”.

In the first half of the twentieth century The Peel was “a place where the men of the neighbourhood can have a rational evening’s enjoyment without the temptation of the public house” Although influenced by their Quaker faith, there was “an entire absence of thee and thou”.

In the period between the wars the Peel greatly expanded its work, developing a network of illustrious Vice-Presidents and supporters and greatly expanding the number and range of activities.

In 1936 it was said that “in any one week no less than 1,000 families are connected with the Institute, using one or other of its buildings or the Playing Field”

In 1940 the Institute’s headquarters and other buildings around the old courtyard were demolished by enemy action.

The 1952 annual report states that “there is little sign of poverty, young people, both boys and girls, are sturdy in physique well dressed and confident. Most of them read though they seldom write… they earn wages which their fathers, let alone their grandfathers, never dreamed of. The immense housing programme of the local authorities, largely on cleared bomb sites, has totally changed the housing conditions of the people. Nearly every home now has a wireless set, some have television… in spite of the abolition of poverty and the spread of education, men and women of to-day reflect so little on the meaning of life… it is clear that the need for the work and influence of Peel is as great now, for different reasons, as it was half a century ago – or greater, since the new reasons are more vitally important than some of the old ones, as the spirit is more important than the body”

A ‘Peel Old Boys’ club’ was launched which undertook activities such as “gymnastic classes three times per week, 2 football teams, fortnightly whist drives, indoor games, holidays” and in 1958 they established an Old Age Pensioners’ Club

In 1977, the Day centre was opened, running from 10am-4pm Monday to Friday with lunches served and activities e.g. bingo and films, outings. The youth club operated 5 evenings per week. There were 2 clubs; junior and senior. Juniors undertook activities such as “candlemaking badge making, painting and discos” while seniors “more sports orientated” especially football.

The Peel was recognised by a visit from Princess Diana in 1986.

One report states that the neighbourhood has “housing is of a low standard, employment prospects offer few opportunities for personal growth and status. The Kings Cross ‘culture’ presents issues and attractions towards prostitution, drugs, crime and violence”

In 1996 The Peel Centre at Percy Circus opened with areas for day centre and youth club. It was said that “the new centre will provide safe playing space in the Clerkenwell and Kings Cross area for young people of all ages”.

In accordance with the Peel’s plan to “reboot” the charity financially, the Peel Centre was disposed of 2016 in order to release substantial capital funds. The Peel moved its base of operations into the 3 Corners Centre in December 2016 and has adopted a ‘satellite’ model of delivery more appropriate to current and foreseeable needs.’ (https://www.peelinstitute.org.uk/our-history)

We learned later that the second husband of Jessica’s Aunt Elspeth had previously taken parties of boys from the club to climb Snowdon from his cottage in the foothills. My one outing there will follow later.

A Productive Day For The Head Gardener And The Maintenance Department

Today’s pattern for me was very similar to yesterday’s, in that I spent much time wrestling with uploading photographs to WordPress, and eventually was forced to give up on one; intermittently applied myself to scrapping or shredding fifteen years of paperwork; and posted https://derrickjknight.com/2021/11/14/a-knights-tale-64-changes-in-residential-care/ with photographs which were already in my WP media file.

The Head Gardener and The Maintenance Department, on the other hand, had a very productive day.

Her wrestling was with the far more manageable wreckage of the wisteria arbour, which necessitated a heavy prune enabling her to free the fallen posts. She has recovered her favourite view down the garden from the stable door.

The following day I successfully fought to upload the last photograph in the series.

I had managed to clog up the shredder by overloading it and working it too long. Jackie unclogged it and insisted on sharing the task – probably to ensure that she would not need to repeat the exercise.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s stupendous, wholesome, winter stewp, thick enough to stand a spoon up in it, with fresh, crusty, yet soft, bread rolls. She drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Fleurie, which involved opening another bottle.

The Artist’s Own Embellishment

Between struggles with blogging posts today was spent on sorting cupboards; shredding and recycling documentation going back fifteen years; and making administrative phone calls. Unfortunately my shredder takes a rest every ten minutes or so.

There were no illustrations to https://derrickjknight.com/2021/11/13/a-knights-tale-63-a-course-and-a-change-of-position/ so I was able to post that late this morning.

I spent a considerable amount of time wrestling with transferring five scanned pages from Dombey and Son. In the event I gave up on the last one, to which I will return on another day. I don’t want to omit any of Charles Keeping’s superb illustrations.

‘They were all three put aboard the Son and Heir’

‘Mr Tootle, professionally clothed’

‘The little cavalcade drew near’

In ‘Mr Carker broke into a trot’ the dogs are the artist’s own embellishment.

This evening we dined on second helpings of yesterday’s Red Chilli takeaway meal with the same accompanying beverages.

A Knight’s Tale (63: A Course And A Change of Position)

From 1973/4 I attended a weekly training session for Local Authority staff supervisors conducted by Janet Mattinson. It was as a member of this group that I first met Maggie, née Cook, who coincidentally lived in a flat in the aforementioned ( in episode 61) Dolphin Square.

During the second year of the course, attendees were required to present their version of a chosen supervision session that they had conducted. When my turn came I was rather nervous. This is because one of my own supervisees was also a member of the group. Everyone thought it would be a good idea for me to present a live session with that person.

In 1974 I secured a post as Assistant Area Social Services Officer, soon to be renamed Deputy Area Manager, in Westminster Social Services Department. Muriel Trapp, my manager, and I were responsible for four teams of Social Workers and a hundred or so Home Helps. There were four Social Work Team Leaders and a Home Help Organiser. Apart from standing in for Muriel when necessary, I became allocated supervisor for two of the Team Leaders. One of these was Maggie Cook. This meant it was a live session with Maggie that I was to present. I don’t remember anything about it, but it must have been found acceptable.

Maggie was to become Mrs Michael Kindred. There will be more of a developing friendship which would lead to the existence of Mordred in due course.

A Pony For GP

On returning from our trip yesterday, we admired the progress that Richard and Alan from Kitchen Makers had made during our absence.

The frame for the internal front door was well under way, and the new vestibule cupboard in position.

Today Richard completed the architraves for the entrance door and the new sitting room upstairs; and fitted the wardrobe drawers – all to an immaculate standard.

Afterwards, Jackie announced that she would like to find a pony for GP.

Off we went into the forest, where, just outside Burley, we found

the very creature.

We stopped on Hordle Lane to admire the sunset.

Afterwards the Assistant Photographer pictured

violas in the iron urn with bidens beside their container; and the blooming white chrysanthemum that she had grown by rooting in water one of the flowers from Becky’s Mother’s Day bouquet.

This evening we dined on Red Chilli’s excellent takeaway fare. My main course was king prawn naga, Jackie’s was chicken sag. We shared tarka dal, mushroom rice, panir tikka, sag bahji, and plain naan. There is enough left over for tomorrow. Mrs Knight drank Hoegaarden while I drank Patrick Chodot Fleurie 2019.