Time and place have the power to stir emotions deep within us, but where are those kindred places where I felt safe, where I felt I belonged, and where I felt my soul gently nourished?
I love your comment about the ritual of afternoon tea. As a child my Yorkshire grandma Alice always had a welcoming tea tray, either the utilitarian post war one or the fancy one with Victorian ladies in silver foil with delicious home made apple pie.
I continued this tradition with my children after school and on holidays we always look for Cream Teas with freshly baked scones, jam, strawberries 🍓 and clotted cream.
A heartfelt beautiful message. And needed now more than ever - people are seeking slowness and rituals of afternoon tea and connecting with others.
I relate to your Granny David as my memories are similar. I remember a huge brown teapot and tea cosy. My granny loved birds and flowers and I inherited all her ladybird books of the natural world 🌱
Beautiful memories, David, thanks for sharing! ✨ My grandparents' house and garden as well as the small public library of my hometown were spaces that nourished my soul as a child, special places I have very fond memories of. (Funnily enough, I returned to this very library later in life to work there as a librarian. The child in me was over the moon to get her own key to that magic place for 24/7 access.🤩)
“I’ve often been accused of living in the past. I don’t think this is strictly correct, but I have certainly always been interested in the past. I see the way in which the past shapes us, the way we cannot escape from it, and the way in which it influences our understanding of the present”.
I think that those of us who study the past, are interested in the way not just how previous generations lived, but also how choices that were made then shape how we currently live today 😊💫
Another space which we have slowly reintroduced is after lunch, our midday meal. As a child we always had a 'rest' after lunch and at boarding school it was the same, a chance too lie on our bed and read a book and, if it was the correct day, a ration of three sweets from our Tuck tins! Now we all sit down after clearing up lunch have a calming drink and we still read or all least answer emails or read interesting posts on social media or, in my case, I have to admit sitting for half an hour too watch a TV soap from Australia a bit of a ritual for me adopted after baby David was born as I quiet few minutes when he hopefully slept!! I also remember in my first few jobs I worked as an assistant matron in a boys prep school and they too had rests after lunch and I read to them as they sat on the floor around me to listen to the next episode! It was also a good time to get to know each one of those small boys.
Thank you for writing this, David. It really slowed me down—so considered.
I particularly loved 'I’ve often been accused of living in the past. I don’t think this is strictly correct, but I have certainly always been interested in the past. I see the way in which the past shapes us, the way we cannot escape from it, and the way in which it influences our understanding of the present.' So simply and eloquently expressed.
Very true, David. Even if we don’t have access to the same physical spaces anymore, we can take with us the feeling of belonging, of nurturing and seek to create those spaces elsewhere. Lovely piece! ☺️
I love your comment about the ritual of afternoon tea. As a child my Yorkshire grandma Alice always had a welcoming tea tray, either the utilitarian post war one or the fancy one with Victorian ladies in silver foil with delicious home made apple pie.
I continued this tradition with my children after school and on holidays we always look for Cream Teas with freshly baked scones, jam, strawberries 🍓 and clotted cream.
So lovely to keep these traditions alive and to pass them on 🌸🙏
A heartfelt beautiful message. And needed now more than ever - people are seeking slowness and rituals of afternoon tea and connecting with others.
I relate to your Granny David as my memories are similar. I remember a huge brown teapot and tea cosy. My granny loved birds and flowers and I inherited all her ladybird books of the natural world 🌱
So many beautiful, timeless rituals 🌿🌸
Beautiful memories, David, thanks for sharing! ✨ My grandparents' house and garden as well as the small public library of my hometown were spaces that nourished my soul as a child, special places I have very fond memories of. (Funnily enough, I returned to this very library later in life to work there as a librarian. The child in me was over the moon to get her own key to that magic place for 24/7 access.🤩)
So many lovely memories 🌿 Thank you for reading 🙏✨
Such happy memories for me as you were growing up 💕🙏
“I’ve often been accused of living in the past. I don’t think this is strictly correct, but I have certainly always been interested in the past. I see the way in which the past shapes us, the way we cannot escape from it, and the way in which it influences our understanding of the present”.
I think that those of us who study the past, are interested in the way not just how previous generations lived, but also how choices that were made then shape how we currently live today 😊💫
Yes, that’s so true ✨ Thank you for reading 🙏🌿
Another space which we have slowly reintroduced is after lunch, our midday meal. As a child we always had a 'rest' after lunch and at boarding school it was the same, a chance too lie on our bed and read a book and, if it was the correct day, a ration of three sweets from our Tuck tins! Now we all sit down after clearing up lunch have a calming drink and we still read or all least answer emails or read interesting posts on social media or, in my case, I have to admit sitting for half an hour too watch a TV soap from Australia a bit of a ritual for me adopted after baby David was born as I quiet few minutes when he hopefully slept!! I also remember in my first few jobs I worked as an assistant matron in a boys prep school and they too had rests after lunch and I read to them as they sat on the floor around me to listen to the next episode! It was also a good time to get to know each one of those small boys.
Thank you for writing this, David. It really slowed me down—so considered.
I particularly loved 'I’ve often been accused of living in the past. I don’t think this is strictly correct, but I have certainly always been interested in the past. I see the way in which the past shapes us, the way we cannot escape from it, and the way in which it influences our understanding of the present.' So simply and eloquently expressed.
Thank you so much for reading 🙏🌿
I loved reading this so much 🥰❤️
❤️❤️❤️
Very true, David. Even if we don’t have access to the same physical spaces anymore, we can take with us the feeling of belonging, of nurturing and seek to create those spaces elsewhere. Lovely piece! ☺️
Yes, I think that’s very true 🌿 Thank you for reading 🙏✨