For those who didn't follow the links - it's a beautiful Christmas song sung by a Norwegian women's choir.
The words were written by Christine D. Hamilton who is my third cousin. Christine has lived in the USA almost all her life but was born in Norwich and left Norfolk when she was just one year of age.
Her mother Doris was my second cousin and was born in Norwich in 1920 as Doris Steward. That was the same year as my father was born and there is just a chance that they knew each other, although my father never mentioned her. Doris' father was Arthur William Steward and my father had exactly the same name, although they were different people.
Doris died in 2011 at the age of 91. She had lived the majority of her life in Utah, having emigrated following her marriage to Cyril Durrant who also came from Norwich. Cyril and Doris adopted the Mormon faith whilst in Norwich.
Doris was in her late eighties when we visited Utah with cousin Belinda and husband Clive. We went to see her in a town by the name of Provo and had a delightful day. Her memory was pin sharp and she remembered her days growing up in Norwich with great fondness.
After we returned to England, Doris telephoned me a couple of times and we had lengthy chats. She took me on a walk round the Norwich that she vividly remembered and I was able to tell her what had changed and what still existed.
One of the things that fascinated me about Doris was her accent. Yes it was American, but mixed in were certain words that can only have come from Norfolk and the land from where she was born.
Before Doris died, the family had the foresight to ask her about her life and I have put together a transcript of this which I will share with you in a future blog. It's quite lengthy but very interesting from an historical point of view.
But back to that song. Christine Durrant was born in 1948. Over the years she has been a keen poet, writing hundreds of poems and a special one every Christmas and it is one of these that was picked up by that choir in Trondheim in Norway. Christine wrote the words and her friend wrote the music. Do give it a listen. Christine kindly sent me the music which I have been playing on the piano and I would love it if one of our local choirs would perform it at Christmas. Watch this space on that one.
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Every time I hear the place name Trondheim I can't help laughing. I have never been there and there's nothing funny about the place but it takes me back to the time when police officers from Trondheim visited us in Norfolk on an exchange programme. They presented our Chief Constable of the time - Ken Williams - with a strange candle holder in the shape of a Norwegian woman police officer. Our Chief was less than impressed with this gift and insisted I had it for my part in organising the exchange. Over the years it seems to have got lost!!!
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Until Christmas there was a magazine in Norfolk entitled "Let's Talk." It was a chatty magazine about Norfolk matters and reminiscences and had a niche market. It featured memories, old photos and articles on the county.
Without any notice the magazine stopped publication with that Christmas edition. I guess the new owners might have felt it rather parochial. I was sad to see it go.
Now Chatterbox, the Norwich based talking newspaper, is gong to launch a monthly audio magazine which it is calling Just Talk. It will be a mix of prose, features, music, poetry and more and I was delighted to be asked to contribute articles. So I'm going to start with the story I have outlined above.
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I've taken to doing jigsaw puzzles again but there's just one problem. Before I buy or get hold of a new one, I have some unfinished business.
Problem is a 1,000 piece puzzle is partially complete but I have no box or photo to show what it should be. So in effect I'm puzzling in the dark.
Another puzzle has pieces in a number of bags and I'm not sure that there won't be some missing. Such are the problems of my life. I find doing jigsaw puzzles very calming which surprises me because it's a pretty pointless pastime as you spend days (and sometimes weeks) doing them, feel a sense of achievement when they are complete and then you break them up again.
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Couldn't help smiling at an item on the morning's sports news on TV. Apparently Bolton Wanderers Football Club is renaming its stadium following sponsorship from a local company. The company's name is Toughsheet. It will now be known as the Toughsheet Community Stadium. The sports presenter said "if you don't like the new name, well that's Toughsheet."
"You'd better be careful how you say that," came back his co-presenter.
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Lingo is a word based game who on ITV television in the afternoon. It is hosted by Adil Ray. I have nothing against Mr Ray who behaves in a matey sort of way. But he annoyed me yesterday. In the final game the winners ended up failing to solve any of the word puzzles. That meant they were going home with nothing.
"Never Mind. You've had a good day," said Adil Ray.
I wonder if he would be so happy about things if the producer said.
"We aren't going to pay you for that edition, but never mind you've had a good day."
Somehow I think not.
Lingo was followed by Tipping point:
Question: "Which Monarch was on the British throne at the start of the 21st century?"
Contestant's answer: "Queen Victoria."