Monday 16 March 2009

Hatches, Matches & Dispatches


Wednesday is my favourite day of the working week - by a long chalk. Mostly because I haven't worked on a Wednesday for eons and now especially, as it is the only day when I am not at my desk but at home with my littlest man, catching up with domestic duties.

We have an regular routine. Up and out early, to deliver the biggest little man to school. Then we pop into town to peruse the market stalls, stock up on fruit & veg and essential supplies like new plants for the garden (pretty vital in my book) and then onto the newsagent. For little A it's the highlight of the week, a proper packet of sweets all to himself. Sometimes buttons but usually smarties, to be savoured one by one in the buggy while mummy chooses a magazine and picks up the paper.


Because this is one of my highlights of the week. Half an hour, reading our weekly newspaper from cover to cover, with a cup of coffee, when the shopping is all unloaded and little A is busy building rocket ships.
I've worked in communications all my career and I'm a bit of a news junkie. Being married to a journalist means that home life is pretty dominated by it too and over the years the way we access it has really changed what with 24 hour channels and the Internet. But there is something very old-fashioned, and a bit exciting really, about having to wait for market day, when the town paper is printed, to catch-up with the smaller world right on our doorstep.


I read it all. Front page stunners, spats on the letters pages, nostalgia, what's on and who's been born, who's passed on and who is celebrating what. I read the farming page religiously; its a link with the fields outside my window. Some of it I understand a tiny bit (what's at auction - the only cattle market left in the county is in our town) but much of it is above me (European subsidies anyone?)

It might feel a bit behind the times but I do enjoy sitting down with the paper like people have done for more than a hundred years and feeling that this is where I belong.

17 comments:

Knittings Nice! said...

Not behind the times at all....my local paper is very much the same...every Friday......like yours full of everything....local and exciting, different markets/events/local sales/bootfairs etc....sometimes the simple things in life are the best.

Shsjndkdns said...

Sounds like a lovely way to spend a morning, lovely photographs too, you have a brilliant way of displaying things. I love your photogaphs x

Pipany said...

What a lovely day your Wednesday sounds Steph. Isabella is going through a really challenging phase as she hurtles towards being three and I must admit I can't quite believe we'll ever leave this phase to get to the playing quietly one. Ah wel, at least I can read of yours. Have a lovely week Steph xx

Anonymous said...

Hi Steph. Glad you popped over. Many thanks for your comments. Wentworth Castle is very near Wentworth Woodhouse. Apparantly, 2 brothers who lived at the Woodhouse fell out, and one of them went off and built Wentworth Castle. The whole Fitzwilliam story is fascinting. Your post about newspaper made me think about how I read a paper - I tend to skim through, only reaing the bits that "grab" me. Your photographs are - as ever so pretty.

Lesley (Notesfrommydays) said...

hello there :-) thank you for your comment and I am getting my 50's housewife apron and cleaning supplies ready to pop round and help you out LOL
you know I don't ever buy the national papers but i do like the local ones for the same reason i suppose in that i can keep an eye on whats going on around me ! i love your pictures and you have some lovely jugs!!! im a jugaholic (amongst many other things )
lesley x

Tvert-om-tanten said...

Hello! I just found your blog, and I like it a lot! You live at a beautiful place =) I love England - never been there, though...

Greetings from Norway

pinkgreen said...

Sounds like a great way to spend a morning. I love reading the paper too, although not the local one. Unfortunately Andy gets to ours first and tells me all the interesting bits so when it is my turn there's nothing new to learn!
Love the Spring flowers and your jugs!
Cathy XX

Frances said...

I so agree with you about the pleasure of sitting down long enough to really read through a newspaper. Over here in the States, lots of the major city newspapers are beginning to go totally digital, which strikes me as a very, very big change.

I think that my "local" paper, The New York Times, just might be able to hang on to its printed version a bit longer.

I do love visiting your site.

julie said...

Sounds like a lovely morning that you have there. A little something for everyone. Funny, but no matter how much things progress, I don't think there will ever be the same level of satisfaction that can be gained from reading a proper newspaper or a proper book. Call me a Luddite, but I hope they are here to stay...

MelMel said...

Lovely pictures, what a pretty home you have!

I have to admit....we don't watch the news or read the papers.....the only news i catch is on the radio....!

Of course I know that Maggie Thatcher is still in power, we are not that behind!:>))))
xxx

A Thrifty Mrs said...

I work for a local (or regional as our ed likes to call it) paper and find that so few people sit down to read them which is a real shame. I get all of my news from papers and the world service - occasionaly radio 4. I hate TV news.
I love local papers to find out all about bootsales etc, I just wish more people would use them.

Love your pretty photos. :)

Carol said...

I must admit that I avoid all papers! I like to get the headlines from the radio or tv but rarely pick up a newspaper.
So tomorrow you are Off! yippee, I bet you really do love your Wed's..I still love Fridays...leftovers from my days of working in the city!
Have super day tomoorow Steph.
Carol xx

cathleen said...

What a lovely post...and those hyacinths...mmmmm...would love to stick my nose in them!!!

alice c said...

One of the things that I love about local papers is their old fashioned names. I grew up reading the 'Falmouth Packet' and now I live in a part of the country where the local paper is called 'The Informer'. Very Dickensian!

Niki Fretwell said...

Hi Steph,
Glad to hear you've enjoyed your day - and this lovely spring weather makes visiting the markets even better, doesn't it?
Loved your photos too,
Niki

gayle said...

It's every Thursday with us, but I don't always read the paper. At the moment I always check as we need somewhere to rent. I know what you mean re your son looking forward to it. I have Thurs and Fri with Emily and she counts the days towards it.

Bobo Bun said...

Sounds like a lovely comforting way to spend the day. I also like looking at the properties for sale and daydreaming.