Hen Weeks

Teapot was out on a hen day yesterday with her friends at Hoar Cross Hall. She was not looking forward to it but in the end enjoyed it very much.

She came home early evening full of the facilities and the experiences of the day. Being of a sensitive disposition and not wanting to be too shocked by these things I managed to distract her attention by telling her of my incompetence in failing to record "Strictly Come Dancing" on the VR. VRs are unknown on Gallifray.

The mention of a chair with an automatic massaging facility was enough for me....along with the reference in the brochure to kick boxing!

It all took me back to the visit I made on business a year or so ago to Bradford. Waiting for the clients to arrive I passed a few minutes with the Telegraph and Argus and especially the letters page. It was full of letters mourning the closure of Jasper Ramsbottom's finishing school for young ladies. This had provided a long and distinguished service to the mill owners of Bradford who used to send their daughters there for a week's "finishing" before the big day of the wedding.

The young ladies learnt to hone their skills with the following courses:

• laying fires, bringing the coal in, cleaning out the grate,
• the correct temperature for the water for the dolly tub,
• how to achieve 40 strokes to the minute with the posser
• black leading the grate
• meat and 2 veg 7 days a week on housekeeping of less than a £1
• success with the donkey stone
• darning by candle light

....and much more. The big finale was the yorkshire pudding making competition!!

Jasper's place was an old stone built mansion on a track from the road out of Skipton to the dales........which reminds me that Big Al is in that area this weekend and his half cousins are called Ramsbottom. I wonder!

Watch this space or may be his blog!!