Mar
31
2008
3

Haute de la Garenne

Jersey is currently at the centre of an inquiry into child abuse and political cover up. Haute de la Garenne is the former children’s home at the centre of the investigation, but the whole system of island government is suspected of being corrupt and covering up reports of child abuse in the past. On BB1 tonight Panorama looked at the investigation and spoke to some of the former residents of the home.

The stories are truly horrifying and the need for investigation is clear, but for an island community these revelations are dreadful, but unsurprising. It has been alleged that the police had reports of child abuse which were never followed up, and ‘professionals’ in social services also knew and failed to act. A small community, in which many people are related, or know each other through social clubs etc. is always going to be a difficult environment to police and regulate. This in no way excuses any of the behaviours and lack of action, but in some sense I understand how this could have happened. I wonder whether my beloved island home of Guernsey has hidden secrets such as this. I have no doubt that there have been cover-ups but I hope and pray that it is nothing like this.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
31
2008
0

RC Part 21 – Going Dutch by Katie Fforde

Onto one of my favourite authors, Going Dutch by Katie Fforde. She isn’t in the same league as Freya North but I nearly always find her books a ‘nice’ read. Her books are very similar in many ways; they are nearly always they are about a woman who has split up with her husband/boyfriend and her trials to moving on. There is always a happy ending, which I quite like when I am curled up reading a novel with a nice glass of wine and my cat purring on my lap. This one took a while to get going, and whilst I really liked the main characters, some of the others were a little shallow. Still, this would be an ideal book to read whilst you are lying on the beach. You don’t really need to think much about what you are reading and on some days that it quite a good thing!

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
29
2008
7

Yay for Oxford!

I have just finished watching The Boat Race. I love it. It can be very exciting and watching a load of fit men in tight lycra isn’t too bad either. Rowers do have magnificent thighs.

Of course I watched it this year to see if either of the boats would sink in the rather unpleasantly wet and windy weather.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
29
2008
0

RC Part 21 – 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

I have just finished reading 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. This is part of the Ship of Fools book group for April so I thought I would get a head start on it. It only took me just over an hour or so to read so a head start was hardly required!!

In all honesty there isn’t really a story here but rather a reflection on developing relationships and friendships through letters. (Similar to what we do online these days?) The book is a series of letters between the American Helene Hanff and the staff at 84 Charing Cross Road, London, a bookshop selling rare and second hand books. I think the best way to describe this book is to say that it is ‘charming’. The letters between the different individuals cover a 20 year period from 1949 – 1969.The post-war era shows Miss Hannf sending gifts of food and stockings to the staff of the bookshop, and her quest for a variety of hard-to-find books which nearly always are tracked down by the bookshop staff, in particular Mr. Frank Doel.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book, and I would have been unlikely to read it had it not been on the book group list, but I loved it and it will go back on my bookshelf to be re-read again in the future.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
29
2008
0

RC Part 20 – The Double Life of Anna Day by Louise Candlish

The Double Life of Anna Day by Louise Candlish is about a woman who sets out on a mission to ingratiate herself to her boyfriend’s mother. The only difficulty is that he refuses to introduces Anna to his mother, making lots of excuses as to why they can’t meet. So, Anna takes matters into her own hands, effectively stalking his mother by attending all sorts of events and even an art-group holiday. The book is quite funny in places and was a reasonable read, but as with many of my books it will return to the charity shop from whence it came. It passed the time of day, but I found the ending really disappointment. Maybe because it didn’t end happily ever after!

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
28
2008
0

Give me strength

Can you buy qualifications off the internet from Tesco’s these days? It can’t be that the person in question actually worked for, and passed a degree course. She would never have managed it.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
27
2008
4

Baby love

One of my colleagues sent me a link to this article about a guy called Thomas Beatie who is a FTM transexual. He underwent gender reassignment a few years ago but kept his female reproductive organs, His wife Nancy had a hysterectomy and he is now pregnant with their first child after being inseminated with donor sperm.

I cannot even begin to imagine what a big decision this must have been for them and the difficulties they are facing with opposition and prejudice from other people. The photo of him is amazing, although it does look incredibly strange. There is one quote from him which really struck a cord with me. He says ”Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire but a human desire”. In a world where there are so many unexpected and unwanted children I hope that they have a healthy child who will grow up to realise what risks her parents took to have her.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
25
2008
0

RC Part 19 – The Forget-Me-Not Sonata by Santa Montefiore

The Forget-Me-Not Sonata by Santa Montefiore is set in the Argentine and in England and covers three different generations of the same family. It focuses on family relationships, unrequited and unfulfilled love and the tensions that family betrayals can bring. This was one of my charity shop buys and was quite a sweet read but not exactly life-changing and therefore it can go straight back to the charity shop!!!

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
25
2008
9

Arse! (and a fat one at that!!!)

I recently subscribed to a Christian dating site and received an email from a bloke whose profile read… ”Emotional & spiritual connection are priority. But SORRY, but if youre more than 50 pounds overweight plse tell me now. 25 pounds is NOT a problem. 3w.caloriecounting.co.uk .Im NOT seeking perfection,Im 15 pounds overweight myself:-)”

Er…. let me think. Would I like to meet up with a bloke who is already obsessing about my weight? No thanks! I cannot quite understand why people write this sort of stuf fon a profile, in some ways I almost respect it as at least he knows what he wants, but then again I also think that it is then insulting to then email someone and say hello I would like to meet you, when I clearly don’t fit into his criteria.

I am fully aware that I am not a size zero (thank goodness), and whilst I would like to lose weight I would also like to meet someone who loves me, fat arse and all. I am quite able of obsessing about my weight all on my own without having a bloke to do it for me and I have to be really careful that my thought processes don’t become unhealthy. It is likely that I will struggle with my weight for my whole life, but I am trying to make changes to my physical health and I am slowly getting there. What I do not need, is that sort of emotional pressure.

I don’t think I will be extending my subscription somehow!!

EDIT…

Ps) Here is my email back to him…

“Well as I weigh significantly over your paramenters and expectations I can safely say that I would not be what you are looking for. It’s not about being self-critial but to I have to say that I find listing weight-expecations on your profile slightly disconcerting. Whilst I am in no way happy with my weight I refuse to let my life be run by what the scales say. I would rather be overweight and fit and healthy than obsessed by calorie counting. It’s not for me. It makes me miserable and feel unattractive.

I know that I will not be what everyone wants, but I hope to one day find just one person for whom I can be their cup of tea. Who knows. I might be successful or I might not, but I will not pander to the world view that thin is beautiful. SOme of the most wonderful people I know are overweight and happy and some of the most miserable people I know are thin.”

I thought I was rather succinct, and polite 😀

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |
Mar
24
2008
1

Freezing on a beach

DSCN3989

Today is my last full day in Beverley so we went over to Fraisthorpe beach and walked to Bridlington for fish and chips. It was absolutely freezing and the weather has been most peculiar. During the walk we experienced sunshine, hail that made your face hurt and snow and the wind was evilly cold. Fraisthorpe is a really wide, long beach and often there are kite-boarders out and about and mental people on windsurfers and jet-skis. The wind was so strong that it was blowing the sand so it looked like the desert.

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I guess we walked about 5 miles and it was lovely to be out and about, but I was knackered when I got home and managed to fall asleep in the bath.

All in all I have had a lovely few days. The rest and relaxation was very much needed and I am so fortunate to have family whose company I can enjoy in a beautiful part of the world.

Written by Anna Williams in: Uncategorized |

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