Last of the group of friends

SEDGEMAN Jimmy On Monday 16th January 2017, suddenly at Treliske Hospital, William James (Jimmy) aged 80 years of Pendeen.

An 80-year-old man has died after his car was involved in a crash with a parked car in Pendeen this week.

Emergency services were scrambled to Boscaswell Terrace at 8.55 am on Monday after a silver Ford Fiesta collided with a parked car - a purple BMW - but police have only just released the details.

At the time of the collision the 80-year-old local man who was driving the Ford was taken to hospital with what was thought to be a minor head injury.

However, a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police has since confirmed that the man has died.

Kel phoned several times this week with news of Jimmy. The local grapevine insisted Jimmy died at the scene, but the local newspaper says otherwise.

Geevor mine where Jimmy worked closed years ago. The group of friends had known each other from schooldays. Most if not all spent their lives in the village of Pendeen on Boscaswell estate.
True Cornishmen with strong Cornish accents. It took time to tune in to what they said. Women of any age were always (allus) addressed as 'maid'. Men were allus 'pard'. At the weekend they spent time in Penzance, wandering along the Promenade, 'aving a bit of a natter. Then they went on their routine pub crawl. They drank and smoked heavily. Often opinionated, some had hearts of gold. They could always be counted upon to 'set the world to rights'.
Theirs was the generation that went down the mine on leaving school and spent their working lives down there.
If the mine had continued, the next generation would have followed in their footsteps.

History repeating

The older I get, the more noticeable it becomes as events clash with one another. 

December is already marred as there was the anniversary of a funeral on the 18th. 

January is forever marred by the events of 1984. What an appropriate year you might say with the Orwellian story '1984'.

33 years ago, but it feels much fresher in my memory. But, it isn't every day you lose someone that was of great importance to you. Or that their sudden demise coincided with your dear friend's birthday. The events of January 1984 resound across the years. At least nowadays I no longer sink so rapidly into the depths of despondency. 

This is were social media raises its ugly head. There folk post poignant remembrances which at this time of year tend to hit a nerve.

Putting on my tech awareness 'hat', it makes me uneasy to read how much really personal information folk share so openly and so carelessly on-line. Less is more as in asking those folk to omit personal data, leave it stored safely in that most human of memory-banks - your brain.

Curious

Borrowed from a post by an on-line friend.

Granted I have a soft spot for all things owl in many forms. Apparently this image is of a plaque on a building in Cambridge.

Two dates might be someone's life from 1851-1934.

The owl clutches a scroll in its' claw - often a sign of learning, accomplishment sometimes a degree. It's perched on a mortar bowl with accompanying pestle. Then there's the 'ribbon' with necessary Latin tag-line.

Curious...hoping it'll be made clear eventually.

Spoilt rotten

Yesterday evening MJM went for a celebratory Chinese meal in Woolton. There's a restaurant on the High Street that's been run by the same family for many years.

My neighbours had decided we had a good reason to celebrate as according to them, I've now joined the Silver Threads like them.

They'd planned the meal. Over the years we've refined our menu choices and opt for the Early Bird menu. Mavis is on a restricted diet, yet allows herself a few what she calls 'naughties' when dining out. We used to have duck with pancakes etc. but Marilyn had decided it was not for her. We'd taken to having dry spare ribs instead as none of us like the sauce that usually accompanies the ribs. 

When they chose the banquet including duck, I queried it and ingenuous as ever, Mavis said she and I like it and we'd order spare ribs for Marilyn.

The meal progressed, the staff know Mavis well as she goes there fairly regularly with different sets of friends. 

We began with chicken and mushroom soup. Nothing unusual you may think, apart from it not being on the menu. None of us drink alcohol with the meal so they lalways provide a jug of iced water (without charge).

Next, we each choose a different dish that we like. Typically, Marilyn hardly touched hers and asked for a 'doggy bag'. That way she has her Chinese meal at home the next day.

As I was looking in my handbag to pay my portion of the bill, Mavis dropped the 'bombshell'. They were paying the bill for me! 

How lovely to have such thoughtful, caring friends.