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Some reflections on 1992 This is a summary of what we were doing in 1992, written as a reflection from twenty-three years later, and based on diaries and photographs from the time |
| Peter: The general election result reinforced the enthusiasm of Important People at the office (these days the Department of Employment) to privatise (get rid of) what we are doing for the Training and Enterprise Councils; lots of activity with all of that but otherwise less-to-do in Moorfoot. Which leaves more time to do bell maintenance at Ranmoor as steeplekeeper (hence the hard hat!) and to sit in the front row for Jimmy White's 147 ( here which generated a cartoon in the Ringing World. Fame!) |
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Elaine: Still working at Rotherham Council in Drainage. Also helped with the bell maintenance at Ranmoor, and so another hard-hat. Volunteered to help at the IWA National Rally in Wakefield, on some water-supply piping and, err..., gentlemen's facilities. Then during the August Bank Holiday on the Lavender Boat which collects rubbish and, err..., toilet contents. Spectacularly fell in (to the canal, not the collection tank) and was given an old-style BW blue boiler suit (new ones are green) to change into and continue the err ..., emptying. |
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Iain: We went around the schools to exercise our theoretical choice of secondary school, and were all content with the default option. Then there's the mandatory buying of uniform and equipment, not all of which plays to personal enthusiasms. For example football: for some reason the kit never seems to get muddy.
Reminding Iain that the stick-in-a-pin baby's-name book had Ichabod close by, seems to create unnatural grumpiness. Some space here then for some memories of the first term at Tapton School. Book-reading maybe ... ... ... ... ... ... |
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Canalling: We made a second attempt at not-needing-to-hire-a-boat. There's a scheme from "Ownerships" which manages a boat that is owned by a group of (in our case twelve) owners, with some of us only using the school holidays. So next year it will be Copperkins for our trips.
In the meantime we had a fortnight and later a week from Middlewich, the first of which went over all the six aqueducts which span other navigable waterways. As you do. And there's lots of treasure to be found in t'cut to take back to the boatyard! |
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| Ringing: at Ranmoor continued ringing as usual, subject to sending the headstocks in batches to Loughbrough for refurbishment and after the many-hours of volunteer labour needed. The July Ringing course at Whirlow Grange was fun, and Iain attended as a trainee for the first time. Encouraged maybe by the new technology for learners? It's also a good chance to ring the handbells, of which we collected three more from Whitechapel Bellfoundry to make a set of thirty. And when not actually ringing, there are ringing dinners to attend. |
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IWA Festival: at Wakefield, lots of people, but rain turned the whole site into a muddy quagmire. Steve (boats with us) ended up in charge of Waterways Recovery Group people who did their best to cope. |
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House: has had its grass behind the hedge converted into a parking space.
Witham: Picture from Boston Stump was a separate visit after a ringing tour there: lots of steps to puff up. |
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