January

Minutes to midnight and I open the lounge curtains in readiness for the anticipated fireworks. I look to the west where the lights of the villages,snuggling on Cannock Chase, twinkle in the distance. To the North the steep hill falls away into town and on the far side of the valley lies Newhall, sadly not Wythenshawe, Manchester.  To the south the road continues climbing and curves away towards the now dark, deserted common. Atop the hill looking eastward 2 telephone towers stand sentinal above what was once the municipal tip. They stand beside the Ski Slope, which is now at the centre of the National Forest. I pour myself a large tot of whisky, noone is here to supervise the size of the bevvy! On television, Jools Holland counts down to the birth of a new year, the church bells peal out their welcome and the sky is ablaze with coloured fire. I think of Alex, my youngest grandchild - in eight short days he has been born and celebrated his first christmas and New Year. 18 days later he undergoes serious heart surgery at St James Hospital, Leeds. Thanks to the expertise and dedication of those Doctors and Nurses he is soon off the ventilator and back home in Jorvik. I have a cold.

February

My Monday trips to the brewery capital of England continue, with breakfast at the Café B. Most of the sales are over and as usual I seem to miss all these ‘bargains. Snow 6” deep is forecast we get short of 2”!  Manchester United continues to lead the Premiership.

Alex is well enough to visit – He does not like his proscribed medicine – He enjoys his super extra milk food!

March

On my blogs I meet some new interesting people – msn insists on calling them “Friends” which I admit is better than “buddies” but still falls short of a real definition. They are companions on my internet journey of discovery. United beat Liverpool 1 – 0. ! Alex and his parents move into new apartment in Jorvik. My eldest son, short of cash, rings to tell me I am to be a granddad for the sixth time – am I a Father or Money tree?

April

Mondays, and continue visit to Café B for breakfast. The weather is warming so pay visit to a local garden centre – buy stone, plant pots and plants, and slug pellets! Had to get new prescription from opticians. I have this large blob affecting the sight in my right eye – like seeing a large fly in my peripheral vision. Bloody annoying! Popped over to Ashby del a Zouch for a pie and pint with power station work colleague. Rang China to speak with English student.

United 5 points ahead of Chelsea with 3 games to play…….!

May

United eliminated from Champions league.

Completed paperwork for application for old age pension. This is one birthday, one landmark in ageing that I am not looking forward to!  Hospital appointment regarding eye defect, had to travel on public transport. This surprised me as a “friend” whom I had driven on several 100 mile round journeys to Northfield,with no thought of reward, did not even offer to take me 10 miles. Some friend.  I have Macular degeneration. Of all my senses I think eyesight is the most precious. Do I keep them closed longer, read less, who knows?

Manchester United win the Premiership for the 9^th time out of the last 15 years ! CHAMPIONS.

June

Well the Footsie reaches an all time high so I sell my ‘save as you earn shares’ at a 100% profit. The new car I was thinking about will soon be a reality. Holiday in edinbugh arranged – Nic, Marie and Alex will see the new babe! It rains and rains and rains ! Weekend in Jorvik cancelled – west Yorkshire flooded!!

July

My bank has been swallowed up by a larger rival so am being deluged with new accounts, plastic cards and all the rest of the paraphinalia necessary to the modern banking system. Large tracts of Gloucestershire are under flood water, being nearer London the press coverage, like the rain, is saturated. Sheffield's fate is unknown, for many weeks! Took a friend out for a meal  which we both enjoyed. The slug population are enjoying the wet tropical conditions - run out of salt!

August

Two weeks until I hit the dreaded 65, decide to have a tea party and invite my Granddaughter. Seems my dread of reaching this milestone was a kind of premonition of pending doom! Civil war breaks out among my children, the wicked witch stirs her evil brew. Cancel holiday in Edinburgh. Have tea party,attended by next door neighbour with daughters and older neighbours with daughter from Newcastle and her friend. Visited Jorvik where I spent a pleasant 4 days.

September

The fencing all weatherproofed and the changes to the garden completed. Had lunch in garden - summer begins? Watched England beat Israel in 2008 European Cup qualifier. Since when has that country been in Europe? Major computer problems and unable to participate in blogland. Cooking is becoming a bore ! Now borrowing books from library on a regular basis - this free  local authority service should be used otherwise we may lose a valuable civic service. Made some plum brandy!

October

Had a pie and pint with friend then coffee at home where she showed me her holiday snaps. Swimming with dolphins in Mexico! One half of the infamous political double act has gone, Blair resigns and Gordon Brown takes over. Do the establishment like him? Everything that could go wrong is going wrong, is this coincidence? The boss at cafe B leaves and my Monday visits reduce - surprising how one person can create a pleasurable ambience. Went to surgery for flu jab Saturday - aching joints all Sunday. Tasted Plum Brandy - Yuk!

November

Bought new monitor, however the printer and scanner will not operate. I am realising that as I get older my views are becoming more entrenched yet appear to be in unison with more people than I expected. Could be I am not as prepared as some to dumb down for the sake of political correctness. Drove over to Nottingham for an away day!  Made my Christmas puddings - threw away the cherry brandy!

December

Slight change of plan for christmas I am going up to Jorvik to spend the holiday with Nic, Marie and Alex. Reduce my carbon footprint by not going into Burton - too crowded with early festive shoppers. Friend joins me for 'candlelit supper.' Decide not to blog about christmas or the hippocrites who will be 'celebrating' the festival.

I enjoyed Alex's first Christmas. Walking around the streets of York seeing the student carol singers and musicians, the roasting chestnuts on a brazier, an amble through the Shambles. I cooked the dinner and Santa remembered where I was!  Now almost a week has passed and later tonight I will tune my TV into Jools Holland show, open the curtains to watch the expected firework display and toast you all with a large glass of special malt. Happy 2008 dear bloggers - whereever you are. 

 Whilst tidying a kitchen cupboard I came across an old plate. It has the well known design, much loved by Victorians, of The Willow Pattern.  The term "Willow" is applied generally to many of the copies of the blue-and-white porcelain imported into England from China during the last half of the eighteenth century,  For a century and a half the "Willow Pattern" was to be the stock-pattern of nearly every British Pottery manufacturer, and although at times its popularity has waned, it appears to be making a comeback. My Mother told me many years ago the story depicted on the plate. Here is that story:  

"There was once a Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter, Koong-se. He employed a secretary, Chang who, while he was attending to his master's accounts, fell in love with Koong-se, much to the anger of the Mandarin, who regarded the secretary as unworthy of his daughter. The secretary was banished and a fence constructed around the gardens of the Mandarin's estate so that Chang could not see his daughter and Koong-se could only walk in the gardens and to the water's edge. One day a shell fitted with sails containing a poem, and a bead which Koong-se had given to Chang, floated to the water's edge. Koong-se knew that her lover was not far away. She was soon dismayed to learn that she had been betrothed to Ta-jin, a noble warrior Duke. She was full of despair when it was announced that her future husband, the noble Duke, was arriving, bearing a gift of jewels to celebrate his betrothal. However, after the banquet, borrowing the robes of a servant, Chang passed through the guests unseen and came to Koong-se's room. They embraced and vowed to run away together. The Mandarin, the Duke, the guests, and all the servants had drunk so much wine that the couple almost got away without detection, but Koong-se's father saw her at the last minute and gave chase across the bridge. The couple escaped and stayed with the maid that Koong-se's father had dismissed for conspiring with the lovers. Koong-se had given the casket of jewels to Chang and the Mandarin, who was also a magistrate, swore that he would use the jewels as a pretext to execute Chang when he caught him. One night the Mandarin's spies reported that a man was hiding in a house by the river and the Mandarin's guards raided the house. But Chang had jumped into the rageing torrent and Koong-se thought that he had drowned. Some days later the guards returned to search the house again. While Koong-se's maid talked to them, Chang came by boat to the window and took Koong-se away to safety. They settled on a distant island, and over the years Chang became famous for his writings. This was to prove his undoing.

The Mandarin heard about him and sent guards to destroy him. Chang was put to the sword and Koong-se set fire to the house while she was still inside. Thus they both perished and the gods, touched by their love, immortalised them as two doves, eternally flying together in the sky."

This is a larger version of the well known design.