What's in a name ? Schizophrenia.

WHO LIVES WHERE IN PRIDE & PREJUDICE ? Longbourn,  Meryton,  Hertfordshire is where Mr and Mrs Bennet and their daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia and Kitty live. Lucas Lodge is the home of Sir William and Lady Lucas and their children Charlotte, Maria and other siblings. Charlotte is Elizabeth ( Lizzie)'s close friend Mr Collins, the heir to Longbourn, is the clergyman for Hunsford,  Kent Lady Catherine  de Bourgh and her daughter Ann live in Rosings, Hunsford. Charlotte marries Mr Collins  after Lizzie refuses him, and goes to live at Huns ford parsonage. Netherfield Court, Meryton is the rented property of  Mr Bingley. He also has a home in London. Pemberley, Derbyshire , is the estate of Fitzwilliam Darcy , Bingley's friend,  and his sister  Georgiana Darcy.  Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy's cousin and Georgiana’s guardian. George Wickham , Denny, Colonel Forster and Mrs Forster are all part of the militia regiment which arrives in Meryton at the

LANGUAGE OF A PANDEMIC ------------------------------------------------ Sign outside a school in Belfast Wuhan wet market, China, deadly source of a new  virus, unknown, misunderstood, a form of pneumonia. The Chinese deny it now. Don't believe their doublespeak. Lungs under attack, breathing struggles. The virus Spreads. It  floats and splatters in coughs and sneezes.  Germs germinate. You may  walk , run, ride or  fly , There's  no escape if it has you in its sights  Droplets and globules unceasingly  multiply. Test,  trial, temperature, fever, burning, take over.  Immune systems, body functions, slow down, shut down. Decline , descend , die. Or recover miraculously. The ones who fight it come to our rescue. Doctors, nurses, health care assistants. Paramedics, porters, ancillaries,  angels all. NHS, hospitals, old and new , build and adapt , wards. Ventilators vital for breathing , machines and medicine. Oxygen is the key to survival. Masks,  gloves,

' Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans'. These words by John Lennon have always resonated with me. Many times  over  the years my plans have been changed by events. Now in 2020 the plans of much of the world are having to be delayed, postponed, rescheduled or abandoned completely. The  restrictions put on our movements by governments around the world prevent us from travelling any distance. Inter country  journeys  have become almost impossible. How can it be that only a month ago people were getting onto trains, planes, ferries and cruise ships without any impediment ? We just didn't see  that the pandemic was drawing ever closer and that everything would change. My own plans for this coming easter were to travel by car and ferry to Ireland  with my husband and son to visit my granddaughter. I had considered flying then hiring a car but opted for the ferry from West Wales to Ireland instead. Shortly after I made the ferry  booking the a

Rainbow in Yellowstone National Park Maybe you have noticed paintings and drawings of rainbows appearing in windows in your neighbourhood ? Here in our seaside town in Wales we have certainly seen them. I think the children were encouraged to make them just before the pandemic resulted in the premature closure of the schools in Wales. This rainbow is arched over an idyllic landscape in Wyoming but all rainbows bring cheer and pleasure to the beholder.  The rainbow has been the most recognisable sign of hope and renewal since the Bible announced it as God's promise that the world would not be flooded again. However in these times of severe and damaging flooding in many areas followed by the current lethal virus pandemic the rainbow is more a sign of resilience and some community togetherness. The Queen referred to  the appearance of the rainbows  in her recent broadcast to the nation which was a message to encourage everyone in their efforts to fight the virus  even i

The  PARTING by James Tissot This painting is in the  collection of the National Museum of Wales. I am a member of the Friends of the Museum and we were asked to choose an item from those on display and write about it. We can no longer visit the museum in person or hold our talks about the work behind the scenes so this is a way of connecting with the artefacts on display. Many of the works of art can be viewed in the museum's online collection and The Parting is one of these. It depicts a  British  soldier  in his red  uniform who is about to  go  back to his regiment and is  feeling distraught about the prospect as he sits head in hands while his wife , her face  anguished and serious as she contemplates being left alone , tries to comfort him with her hands on his shoulder. A second lady looks across at them with deep concern as she prepares tea at the table. The three sit in a parlour with a bay window and through the window can be seen boats rowing out to the warship at a