The Toorington Bells – Ted and His Prize Winning Carrot

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Photo -  Tasting Her Veggies - by Nigel A.  JAMES

The Toorington Bells – Ted and His Prize Winning Carrot

Ted is the odd ball of Toorington. He's had many interesting jobs and knows much about many different things. And, Ted has an interesting story.

In 1972, Ted became the youngest member of the TVS – The Toorington Vegetable Society. A vegetable club. And, in 1982, Ted grew a sensation. A perfect carrot that was 1 metre long!

Ted became a star! A vegetable star. But, how did Ted grow such a very big carrot?

No one ever found out. Ted always kept it a secret. And, no one in Toorington – Ted included - has ever succeeded in growing such an enormous carrot again. But, there was one thing that wasn't a secret. The taste of Ted's very big carrot.

After winning first prize for his carrot, Ted gave it to Raechel at the Toorington Arms. And there, this great tasting carrot became part of Ray's tasty meals for more than a week. And, not very surprisingly, Ted and his carrot soon became a permanent part of the Toorington Arms.

Hanging on the wall to the right of the bar is a photo of Ted and his carrot and the cup that they won. And, the snug of the Toorington Arms became known as Ted's Carrot Snug. An original thought. The only snug in the world with a carrot in its name.

Carrots and potatoes are just like the people who grow them. Long, round, and short, and other shapes, too. And, of course, vegetables are very intelligent. Maybe, we are what we eat. How often do you eat potatoes? And, are you intelligent, too? Ted only eats carrots and spuds; that's why he is a very clever man.

Over the years, Ted has often won prizes for his very long leeks, his giant potatoes, and his very happy peas. Ted is a very happy man. His life is his carrots and spuds. A spade, a fork, and a vegetable patch are all that are needed for a wonderful life. Have you, too, got a vegetable patch in your little garden? If not, you should have. Then you, too, just like Ted, will be very, very happy and possibly even clever as well!

Eat up your greens - the results are amazing!

                                          Tasting Her Vegies!  Photo by Nigel A. JAMES

A - The Most Famous Bridge in the World and a very close Call.

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Picture - Tower Bridge by Nigel A. JAMES

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is without doubt the most famous bridge in the world. It was built across the Thames in 1877. And, every time a large ship wishes to pass, the bridge has to be opened. And, in 1952 there was almost a disaster!

A London bus was crossing the bridge. The red double decker was near the centre when the bridge began to go up. A ship was on her way to the sea! But the driver was quicker than the bridge!

Instead of braking, he drove faster and the bus jumped the gap. No one was injured, but, the bus was badly damaged.

And, Albert Gunther the driver? The Queen awarded him a medal for bravery; he had saved many lives.  Albert  Gunther became a national hero.

It was a long time ago when a bus flew over  the Thames in the middle of London.

Vocabulary

almost – fast

awarded - verleih

braking - bremsen

centre – Mitte

crossing – überqueren

damaged – beschädigt

double decker – Doppeldecker

drove – fuhr (drive/drove/driven)

famous – berühmt

gap - Spalt

injured – verletzt (injure/injured/injured)

instead – statt

large – groß

life/lives - Leben

saved – rettete (save/saved/saved)

Queen – Königen

Without doubt – ohne Zweifel

Questions

Where is Tower Bridge?

When was it built?

When was there almost a disaster?

What happened?

How many people were injured?

What did the Queen give the bus driver?

Was the bus damaged?

                                              Tower Bridge - By  Nigel A. JAMES

Lucy Abel and the Bus and the Snow - A real life adventure

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Picture - The School Bus by Nigel A. JAMES

Lucy Abel.

The Bus and a Test

Lucy Abel - A Bus and a Test

It was the middle of winter a long time ago. The world was covered in snow and the world was at war. Lucy Abel who was 11 and her little sister of 8 had been evacuated to the north of Austria from their home in Vienna. The 2 girls were now in the vast forested region called the Waldviertel.  A very cold place to be. It was colder than anywhere else. And life in the forest wasn't that bad But, there was only one thing. The school bus.

The school bus left early each day. Every morning at a quarter past six. Far too early. But, there was one other bus. A later one  at a quarter past seven. And so, one evening, Lucy Abel decided to have an extra hour in bed and go to school on the quarter past seven. A very good idea. It was, after all, the middle of winter and the mathematics exam was to begin at eleven the next day. And, maths was the hardest of all.

No problem. Lucy was prepared and ready and waiting. And, then came the bus. And, then came the shock. Lucy, the driver explained, was only allowed to take the official school bus. The one that had already left. Lucy went as white as the snow. She thought of her maths exam. Lucy started walking. School was14 kilometres away. Lucy only had 3 very short hours, Lucy walked fast to keep warm. And, with just 10 minutes to spare, Lucy arrived in time for the test.

Lucy relaxed. But, not for long. The air-raid siren went off. Enemy bombers were coming. There was no time to spare. Speed was essential. The children gathered their belongings and ran into the forest. And, there they waited and waited.

Then came the all-clear. Nearly three hours had passed. The children and teachers went back to the school. But, now, sadly or happily, no time for the test. The exam was postponed. The children were all given a slice of warm bread and a bowl of hot soup. Then, home on the bus they all went.

Rules are rules, and in Austria rules really are rules. From that day on, Lucy always got up for the official school bus, and never again did she have to walk through the forest to school. And, ironically, the enemy bombers never came back again. But, this isn't the end of this story. The maths exam was held the next day. And, Lucy Abel passed with an "A" - the best note of all.

It was winter a long time ago when Lucy Abel walked through the forest to school. A war time adventure she's never forgotten.

                                                   The School Bus - by Nigel A. JAMES

Harry Golden - The Golden Years

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Picture - Harry Golden's Library

The Golden Years – Harry Golden and the Carolina Israelite

In 1958, when Harry Golden wrote Only in America, he was at the top of an incredible success story. His very own paper. The Carolina Israelite. It was monthly, had 16 very packed pages and was as diverse and as interesting as its readers. Harry Golden wrote it from home. And every single word in this unique publication was his own.

And, Harry Golden's very own story was just as unique as his paper. When he was young in New York, he tried many things. He was a porter, salesman, editor, journalist, and many other things, too. A great life for getting to know and understand people. And, Harry Golden was also a brilliant writer and listener. He had all that was needed for success as a journalist. And, after moving to Carolina, Harry Golden founded The Carolina Israelite. A newspaper with something for everyone.

And, The Carolina Israelite became a success. Many people said that Harry Golden's articles – which, by-the-way, he called editorials - were like letters from a friend. And, when time came round for the paper - time came round for the family. Reading the  Carolina Israelite together was the highlight of the month for many American families.

But, of course, sooner or later, everyone has to give into age, and in 1968, Harry Golden wrote the last of his editorials and put The Carolina Israelite to bed for the very last time. And there has never been anything like it since. Harry Golden was a nonconformist. And, that's how it was - and only in America!

The Golden Years – Harry Golden and the Carolina Israelite

                                                            Harry Golden's Library

Gerold's Garden Shed - A new world record for building a shed

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Picture - Gerold's and Erica's house in Vienna - before the shed!

Gerold's Garden Shed  

Last week, my good friend Gerold told me the story of his new garden shed. The shed itself was nothing unusual; but, its story is very unusual. The story of Gerold's shed.

The shed was delivered in pieces. A kit. All Gerold had to do was put it together. And so, that same afternoon, Gerold and two of his friends began this very simple job. And, all went according to plan.

And then, came the time to put on the roof. Four walls were steadily standing. Soon, afternoon tea and a well deserved rest. Gerold and his friends were proud of what they were doing.

With one man at each corner and others inbetween, the roof was carefully lifted. It was slid into place. But, something was wrong. There was no way of fixing the roof to the rest of the shed. Gerold and his friends were totally confused. They looked at the shed, they looked at the plans, they walked round the shed at least four or five times, and then they looked at the plans once again. They just didn't understand. Putting up a shed was meant to be child's play. But Gerald and his friends were no longer children.

And then, just at that moment, Erica, Gerold's wife, came out of the house. And, she saw the problem at once. Gerold and his friends had put up the shed upside down! The top was at the bottom and the bottom was up at the top.

The shed had to be turned up the right way. And, this took a very long time. The shed wasn't so steady as believed, and the shed seemed to have a mind of its own. But, all's well that ends well. With one door and one window and the roof fixed firmly in place, the shed was now ready and waiting for spades and forks and other garden tools. Then came the time for the final inspection.

Erica, Gerold's wife, came out of the house once again. And, Gerold and his friends just couldn't believe what they heard. The shed was in the wrong place! It should have been built in the opposite corner. The shed needed moving. But, it would have to wait until the next day. The sun was beginning to set.

The moving of the shed was easier than expected. The job was finished by lunch time. In total, one and a half days for a three hour job. Gerold and his friends had established a new very slow record for putting up a shed. And, Erica, Gerold's wife, was happy as well. And, everyone enjoyed Erica's goulash. Beer and a goulash. A great way of ending a job, and a wonderful way of ending a story.

Last week, Gerold and his friends put up a shed. They're never going to do it again. One shed is enough! Gerold's upside down garden shed. A story that's now very funny.

                                     Gerold's and Erica's house in Vienna - Before the new shed