Whilst doing research for a story about a little fellow called Fergus Fungus, I realised that there is lot to be discovered about the world of fungi.
In English we use a mix of words e.g. mushroom, toadstool and fungus (pl. fungi) whilst in German up to now I can only find the word “Pilz(e)”.
Continue reading “Flying Fungi”There’s an old adage that says:
“you can take the lass out of Yorkshire but you can’t take the Yorkshire out of the lass.”
I am pretty sure that rings true for me. As I have mentioned before I was born and bred in a small village in North Yorkshire and, even though I moved away when I was 18 to go to university, I still feel there is a bit of Yorkshire in this “lass”.
Last year my uncle who lived in Tollerton, passed away at the good old age of 90. I truly miss our chats on the phone and it’ll be strange not to drop-in when we are in the area. Being one of the last of his generation of villagers, Uncle Jim could often fill in any missing gaps in my history. It feels like the end of an era!
Maybe that’s why I’m planning a trip back up North this summer with a view to promoting Yorkshire as a great place to visit. There is so much to see and experience and sometimes I have the feeling that people abroad are missing out on a hidden gem! Of course, I am slightly bias!!
I am on a mission: to tell the story of Yorkshire, it’s folk and places. “Pat Hope, nee Almond, ambassador of Yorkshire”.
I don’t like to use stereotypes but here’s a few things that some people ‘associate’ with a proud Yorkshire lad or lass. In future posts I will go into more detail:
I wonder how deep my Yorkshire roots really are!
It’s not goodbye … it’s si’ thi!
Or as Uncle Jim would’ve said “tatty-bye”!
“Bunter Hund”, literally translated, means multicoloured dog and you may ask why on earth my friends and I were talking about one of these!
Well, simple! We were having a conversation about being conspicuous and self-conscious – the idiom “sticking out like a sore thumb” came to mind. We agreed that this was the English equivalent for “Bunter Hund”. In English it can have negative connotations.
Continue reading “Bunter Hund”It’s been ages since I wrote anything here. I’ve had lots of ‘moments’ which I should have recorded but I didn’t, and now I can’t remember them!
I’ve decided to use this blog like a diary – whenever anything happens or I am inspired by some weird and wonderful fact, I’m going to drop you a line.
After the terrible time of Corona (known as Covid in England), which actually seems so long ago now, I decided to reduce my English For Fun business to a bare minimum. I still meet with my “walk and talk” friends regularly to chat in English. Conversation is never boring and often ‘throws up’ some question about vocabulary or a difference between Germany and English culture.
Continue reading “Forgetting Things”
I recently made a “StoryDoor” for a friend who loves holidaying in a campervan.
What do people mean when they talk about a “campervan“, “camper” or “mobile home“? Generally it depends on the size and amount of luxury it has.
Does it have a fixed roof, a rising-roof or a “pop-up” roof? Has it got a toilet or shower? What kind of bed(s) does it have? Has it got a built-in kitchen?
The word “recreational vehicle (RV) is used more in America.
One thing it is NOT, is a “caravan”!
Continue reading “Carry on Camping”
The coronation of King Charles III at the weekend was yet another example of British pomp and ceremony.
You could say it was a “right royal performance”!
Food for thought:
What does public opinion say about having a monarchy in Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
What are the pros and cons?
Continue reading “Coronation Chicken or Duck?”I know it’s not quite the season to talk about Christmas but, after visiting Dublin in March, I felt an explanation was due as to what a “pantomime” is.
According to Wikipedia it is
Continue reading “What a Pantomime!”..a British institution. Pantomimes take place around the Christmas period and are nearly always based on well known children’s stories such as Peter Pan, Aladdin, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty etc. Pantomimes are performed not only in the best theatres in the land but also in village halls throughout Britain.
Wiki
In November 2022 I was sat on the sofa watching “The Graham Norton Show” on English TV. Apart from being an entertaining chat show with interesting guests and never a dull moment (especially with the red chair when people get tipped backwards), this programme is usually worth watching just to catch up with the latest films, series or books etc. This particular evening it inspired my husband and I to book a trip to Dublin.
Continue reading “A City Break in Dublin”
“Molly Malone” (also known as “Cockles and Mussels” or “In Dublin’s Fair City”) is a popular song set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become its unofficial anthem.
It is unclear whether this song is based on a real woman. Molly was a popular name in Ireland in the past, derived from the names Margaret or Mary. The song is about a hawker who sells fish from her barrow whilst walking through the streets of Dublin.
Continue reading “Molly Malone”