The net spreads far and wide.

20 December 2011

Good morning all - I hope you all feel on top of the world, just as I do right now.  Anyway, to business ...

A few years ago I looked at tracing my family history - yes I know - me and everyone's uncle does that.  There are three family names I was looking at.  Why only three?  Easy, my parents were cousins.  The three family names are Clark, Jayne and Bolter.  The family tradition is that the Clark side comes from a wealthy family of Glasgow lawyers ... opps, I got hold of a copy of gran and granddad's marriage licence.  Granddad Clarks dad was a haulier, not a lawyer.  And that's as far as I can get on that side.  Oh dear ...

On the Bolter side I got back to 1760(ish) with that name in a village called Abbey Dore in Herefordshire.  I actually drove down there and had a look around.  There's a nice parish church and a nice pub but little else.  They seem to be very imaginative in naming their kids down there.  Each generation on my side were called John Bolter ... see, I told you!

The Jayne side is certainly the most interesting so far.  There's a lot of Jayne's tracing the family history but it seems they can only get back to 1803 and there the trail goes cold.  However, I did get in contact with a lady named Janice Jayne Gemme who lives in the States.  Now, the other day I mention a friend of mine named Bill Howe, and at long last I come to point of this rambling on .... Janice has left me a Facebook message to say that somewhere the Jaynes and the Howes are linked.  Well I'm blowed!  Me and Old Bill possibly related ... sorry folks, I have to go and lie down now to get over the shock ;-)))  Seriously, thank you Janice for that one.  I'm sure Bill and will have fun debating that one.

 So what of Dorktown then?  Not much really I suppose.  There's little in the News, but that's normal at this time of year.  There's a front page warning from CAB about the dangers of 'payday loans' and massive APR's they attract.  My feeling on them is that if you need to borrow dosh this month how will you pay it back and manage to still have dosh to live on after the next pay day?  Seems like a very vicious circle to me.

Another warning is about the need to be careful in the Crimble crowds cos of pickpockets.  It's not just pickpockets though is it.  I've lost count of the number of time I'm seen ladies walking around with a shopping bag and their purse on display sitting there on top of it.  It's something we all need to be aware of everyday, and not just when outdoors shopping or just walking about.  Sad as it is there are light fingered people everywhere.  And it's not just the druggie kids either!  I know of one of the wealthiest people in Dorktown who will regularly shoplift something as simple as a Mars bar or a KitKat - not , he wants it or because he can't afford it.  He does it simple because he can do so and get away with it.  OK, it's only small time but it's still a crime and should be dealt with.  Why he hasn't been caught yet I don't know.

You will remember that I have mentioned the Town Hussy, or Mary Ann Evens, or her pen name, George Eliot.  This 'lady' was born and raised and went to school here in Dorktown.  So because of writing she is something of a local hero around here.  I personally find her writing totally impossible to read!  Whatever, there's a display in the local museum about her and it's just been given a revamp.  As part of it they have included a 'writing room'.  I suppose I will go and have a look at it some time.  I just hope that if I try using it I won't out the boring crap she did!

The brightest part of the paper today are the photos of all the school nativity plays.  Lots of colour; lots of happy smiling faces; always worth seeing.

Now then folks ... just four shopping days left!!!  Are you ready yet for the big day yet?