The oldest person in Britain has died aged 112 and was born on 29th March 1908 which was before Selfridges came to London. Joan Hocquard died at her home in Poole Dorset yesterday. It sounds as if she had a good life as well as a long one. Her nephew (he must be a good age I should think) said she didn’t believe in dieting and enjoyed butter and cream and other tasty morsels that she fancied. She had travelled with her parents as a child and in the war drove an ambulance in London. (As did my mother in law although probably in Manchester where she lived). Joan came down to Poole because she loved sailing and seems to have enjoyed her life there. On her 100th birthday she refused a birthday card from the queen as she didn’t want people to know how old she was – I’m sure no one knew. Curiouser and curiouser is that she shared the exact birth day with Bob Weighton from Hampshire who until May this year was the oldest man in Britain. That must have been a good day to be born in 1908.
Today my Spanish sister in law Maria Teresa was 80. I don’t know what she’ll think of me splashing the news around the world but from a video I saw she seemed to be having a jolly time with the family. And, I must say you would never guess how old she was if I hadn’t told you. Happy Birthday or Feliz Cumpleaños Tere.
The Manchester Evening News has reported that a coronavirus vaccine could be available to BHS staff within a few weeks. Now I don’t wish to pee on anyone’s fireworks especially just before Guy Fawkes day, but I’ve been hearing about a vaccine nearly being ready since the beginning of the pandemic. I was always told when I was growing up that ‘nearly is as good as not at all’. Just saying and waiting.
I hope you remembered to adjust your clocks today – those ones that are not digital. I hadn’t and thought I was a bit late having dinner tonight but then remembered the kitchen clock needed a bit of tlc. Anyway you’ll be glad you’re not working for the queen. There’s a man at Windsor Castle who has the job of turning back 400 clocks for the queen. He then has to wind them all up every week. I don’t know what his job title is but could it be The Royal Winder Upper? I doubt it, it’s more likely to be something boring like the Royal Time Keeper. There are another 600 clocks at Buckingham Palace. It does make me wonder if Her Maj. doesn’t have a watch. Time to sleep and sleep to dream. Nighty night. 😴💤😴