JANE’S JOTTINGS is settling down to watch


Stocking Fillers One


of my favourite times of the Christmas holiday ‘The


Snowman’ on television. Those fabulous illustrations are faithful to Raymond Briggs’ crayon.


book, lovingly drawn with


The crayons used by Briggs are made by Derwent, named after the Cumbrian lake, close to where graphite was first discovered and used to make indelible marks by shepherds on their flocks.


At the Pencil Museum in Keswick, you can see many of those famous drawings.


When I was a child, Derwent crayons were the business. The boxes weren’t cheap but came in different sizes. One Christmas, Santa did the trick and, at last, I owned a set of twelve colours.


It was a sign of status rather than artistic skill which led to a few children having super-opulent spreads of 50 or more colours. Think of Joseph’s coat of many colours. How I envied those girls. Even the boxes had grander, shinier pictures of Derwentwater in the sunshine.


It’s funny how children interpret each other’s class and background by such


SEnine


simple yardsticks but I was always happy to be ‘one of the pack’. It was a sign of breeding, of course, whether the better-off girls were willing to share their treats or not.


It was sad when Booers in the High Street closed, as it was home for high quality art materials on our doorstep. You could even buy Derwent crayons individually and make up your own set


– very handy for filling up our daughter’s stocking.


I don’t know what sized box Briggs had but surely it was more important what he achieved with his imagination than the number of pencils he had.


Jane Webb has lived in Eltham since '85 with her husband and daughter. She has taught at several local primary schools' FOOT PAIN IS NORMAL ISN’T IT? FOOT PAIN IS NORMAL ISN’T IT?


Our Podiatrist/Chiropodist, with over 20 years experience is able to treat and advise on a huge variety of foot problems, no matter how large or small, whether they are causing you pain or are just unsightly.


DON’T IGNORE FOOT PAIN! CALL JAMES GRABHAM NOW


Common complaints include: Hard skin, corns & cracked heels Ingrowing nails Arch and heel pain Verrucae Bunions Diabetic feet


8


020 8294 0066 020 8294 1113


Home visiting service available


James Grabham MChS SRCh DPodM Eltham Health Clinic Ltd 93 Eltham Hill Eltham SE9 5SU


Vote at elections, it is your right


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40