Last week, national lockdown 3.0 began. With over 80,000 people in the UK who have died from the virus we simply don’t know how tough things will get before things improve. Generally people are compliant with the rules; we’ve been told there may be more enforcement; and we’re grateful that the more vulnerable after being vaccinated. My own mother, who’s in her mid 80’s, received her first vaccination injection last week.
Last week, the children began home school again. It’s much more organised than lockdown 1.0 (schools were open during lockdown 2.0) and they seem to be getting on with the work. My Lenovo Chromebook is getting a daily workout with home studying!
Last week, some of the news was showing empty shop shelves in Northern Ireland. Not because of the pandemic, it’s because of Brexit. Those more cynical UK citizens might be saying the pandemic is convenient to keep Brexit/ EU/ border control issues out of the news. There’s definitely not been as much coverage as I thought there would be… but it’s there! Last week’s news was taken over by events at the Capitol Building in Washington DC, USA, last week.
And last week was back to work – I’m so glad I avoided starting on Monday – it made for a shorter first week back. It’s amazing how lazy I can become… so quickly. It’s a good thing I need to earn a living!
Growing up in Southampton means that you know about at least two famous historical ships – the Titanic and the Mayflower. And this year is 400 years since the Mayflower sailed from this port town.
The thing that impressed me most about hearing the story of the Mayflower is that it’s about a group of people that fled religious persecution. It’s essentially the story of a group of people who wanted to live and worship differently than the dominant religion at the time and were being persecuted for that. They gathered together, got a ship (the Speedwell), and sailed from Holland to Southampton where they met the Mayflower ship, which had set out from Rotherhithe, London. The Mayflower was carrying 102 passengers who wanted to build a new life, in peace, across the Atlantic Sea. Half of those passengers died within the first year in their new home (mainly from disease having arrived in November 1620). But essentially they were colonisers, settling where other people already lived. That always seems to end in pain for those who lose their land for no other reason than someone else wants to live there! This website gives a great in sight into the full story of the event and it’s position in terms of native Americans and the colonisers: https://www.mayflower400uk.org/education/the-mayflower-story/.
So, these past several months one of my work projects has been conservation work to the Pilgrim Father’s Memorial (aka Mayflower Memorial) here in my hometown, originally constructed 1913. As it is literally a 5 minute walk from my former primary school, I can’t tell you how many times, over 40 years ago, I saw the memorial and heard the story of the Pilgrim Fathers.
The commemoration weekend here is in 2 weeks – 15 August 2020. Despite knowing about the commemoration date for the last, well, hundreds of years, the Culture team were a little slow to get going on the conservation work and had to be rescued (financially) by the Property team. An exemption request submitted to Procurement was eventually approved and a specialist main contractor was appointed in February. However with stone to be sourced and carved, completion of the works for the commemoration weekend was always ambitious. And then, the pandemic was declared!
The first half of the contract took place in the stonemasons yard with lots of photographs being sent showing the stonework progression. I really wanted to go to the mason’s yard so was rather disappointed that the pandemic meant this was too high a risk to take, especially with 5 of us at home, since the yard was in another town.
However, with site works commencing in May, I was finally able to visit site and hold external site meetings, rather than conference calls. And this past week, with copper Mayflower ship back atop facing West, the upper layer of scaffolding came down to reveal the refreshed mosaic dome, renewed stone work and, at night, a beacon light shining out from it’s quirky Art Nouveau/ Arts & Crafts style fire basket metalwork. The memorial isn’t the tallest of columns, about 15 metres or 50 foot. And it’s location means that most people in town probably will never see it, unless they make an effort.
But it is a story, an event that happened, 400 years ago and, like with any real event, it shouldn’t be forgotten.
I am descended from people who, not wilfully, were transported across the Atlantic Sea from the African continent to work and effectively colonise islands of the sea. Many of them died within months of arrival, from disease, from hard labour, from abuse, from broken hearts. Though there is no specific monument with their specific name that I can definitely say they are my descendants, I still feel proud that somewhere in my family history, I am descended from survivors.
Waiting for a building to complete is like waiting for spontaneous labour to start.
I can say this because I’ve seen a few building projects complete and because I’ve waited for labour to start, four times.
My latest project is a small new block for a local school consisting of a kitchen, hall and a classroom. In fact, it has been under construction for about 38 weeks. The school will start moving in some furniture over the next few days as they need to decant out of half of their existing Victorian school into the new building for the rest of term so we can remain on programme and continue the major refurbishment of the Victorian building. It’s a great project but difficult for the school as they’ve had to deal with changes to the routine.
I thought you’d be interested in seeing some of my earliest sketches for this project from my personal sketchbook. I’m really pleased with the outcome for the new building visually and functionally. It’s a compact layout, minimising circulation space, optimising orientation (it’s long elevations face east & west so it’s not prone to overheating) and traditional materials complement the adjacent Victorian architecture. This sounds a bit like an architectural journal but that’s part of the architectural language which one develops to sell proposals, to clients, to planners.
I’ve surely stated this before but I do love being an architect 🙂 it is a very rewarding though humbling profession. Humbling because we are constantly learning from specialists around us – architects are the generalists of the construction industry. Rewarding because it is the images of our imaginations that can become reality and we have to share that, through drawings and words, with the specialists.
The phrase at the beginning I used today in an email to the headteacher to try and show empathy for how they are feeling, desperate to move in before end of half term this week, but it is my responsibility to confirm that if it’s safe and ready to handover to the school, that it’s complete. Right now, it’s not so I’ve told the contractor, as we agreed for the last 38 weeks that the school will begin to move in furniture. I had to tell the school that the furniture will have to stay in the middle of rooms until the contractor had finished some small aspects, like fitting skirting to a store room. Nothing too big but enough for the project manager to step in to the email conversation and suggest that plans were changing. I explained nothing was changing, the school can still set up their rooms by theend of the week. I’m sure all well be fine and I’ll visit tomorrow but as architect, I’m administering the building contract and I also have the role of principal designer (under UK health and safety legislation) so I’m going to deliver this baby when all are safe and ready!
Dear friends
I’m trying to slow down. But since this post has taken a week to write and publish, you can see I’m not succeeding!!
A couple of incidents have made me realise that I should take more time to smell flowers, so to speak.
I went to the women’s conference last Saturday when in one workshop, on entering, we were invited to select a name after reading:
Jesus is coming to your home in one hour. Who are you?
With little hesitation I selected Martha, deep down I know I’m not really Mary and I figured, in a self righteous manner, “most people will choose Mary and I’m different.” As the workshop continued, and two women portrayed Martha and Mary with reference to scriptures from the Bible, I felt myself drawn into those times, and I could relate to Martha perfectly. I knew I would want everything to be perfect for my Visitor. I do the same now, if His representatives visit, His missionaries, our home teachers, my visiting teachers, so how much more would I do it if He visited. Even though I would stop when the door knocked, I imagine my first words might be, “I’m sorry everything isn’t ready.” Rather than, “Welcome, I’m ready!”
During the workshop there were discussions on multi tasking, using time wisely, preparing, and I went to other workshops where following the Holy Ghost was encouraged. The overwhelming sense I had was to slow down, that was my message.
I returned home. On seeing the school uniforms not washed and my dear family in a rather relaxed state (my dear husband had taken the children to a science fair), I poured the laundry into a bag and announced I was going to the launderette and would pick up Son1 from work on the way back. Dear husband intercepted my path with some words on knowing your limits and that he’d already assigned the uniforms to the children to wash by hand – “it’ll do them good!” So, after assessing the children’s nutritional needs – we’re not hungry (owing to a big, late, lunch of hot dogs and chips which I caught the end of), we don’t need any food before bed – I took myself to bed!
This slowing down is not consistent and is certainly difficult. This last week, I forgot my lunch once having made sure everyone had theirs, went to London for training (traveling to and from London during rush hour is never ‘slow’) and barely crossed anything off my work to do list. I am trying hard not to run faster than I have strength and there have been some relaxing moments – treating myself to some catch up episodes of The Good Wife but I did fall asleep during those!!
I don’t really have a game plan, except to try keep a balance…. that may need more naps – I fell asleep after church this past Sunday 🙂 … it may mean simpler meals… and it definitely means involving and trusting the Lord with my priorities!
Dear friends
So life keeps going with all that it brings.Â
The funnies: –
Me: (on why there’s a mid season break for extended filming) I don’t think it worked like that in my day!
Daur2: What? You twerked in your day!!??
The compliment: –
Local Heritage officer: (on looking at my latest project) A very well designed extension.
This is why I’m an architect, I love creating spaces for all to appreciate 🙂
The surprising/ thought provoking: –
Female friend (mother of 2, same age as me and the LDS seminary teacher): It is cancer. Their going to operate next month, remove it completely and I have to decide on whether to have reconstructive surgery later in the year. It helps to talk about it.
And then Mothering Sunday: –
My mother: (after lovely dinner prepared by my dear husband and why it’s not Mother’s Day) It originally started so those downstairs [ie servants] could visit their homes/ mothers at least once in the year.Â
My children and husband (expressions – similar – in a card): Thank you for being the best Mummy!!
Latest read: – I’m reading Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje – I’ve read it before; it’s one of my older books retrieved from the garage last spring; it’s a great, poetic read.Â
Latest on running: – I’ve been running a little bit during these wintry mornings – I need to improve my stamina! but my latest running partner (another mum with dog during early morning seminary) will be teaching seminary (in the absence of the teacher for surgery), so I’m not sure whether to go down to the park to run on my own… it’s quite light in the mornings now but it’s a big grass and woodland area. There are other runners… I’ll think on that one.
View on my typical early morning run
Finally, to international women’s day, that this is, I can’t say I’ve done anything particular but I did decide (yesterday) to go to the LDS women’s conference on Saturday – I didn’t have much choice, my mum declared she wasn’t going if I wasn’t! I also thought on how if we don’t support such activities and conferences, they won’t be organised. It simply means a whole Saturday out… at least a friend is driving this year (it’s towards London). The workshops do look quite interesting and despite my cynicism, I know I will enjoy the day, and probably meet some old friends.
After all this, I recognise that our family is greatly blessed by our Father in Heaven. I am very grateful for where we live and the time we live in and the opportunities we have. A different place, a different generation, and we would be living very different lives. That goes for all of us. Take care.
That was what the teacher said and, of course, she is totally correct. Our youngest didn’t want to go back to school after the Easter break and his actions last week showed it. “He kept saying I can’t do it” Miss X told me and I mentioned how he struggled with the ‘man in the moon’ (language) work. Miss X looked over her glasses at me and replied “this was maths!!”
I’ve always felt primary school, particularly here in UK, is so difficult for boys. It’s dominated by female teachers and girls often develop sooner the social skills which help learning. It seems the work place is so much more the reverse!
Princess Architect 