Thought for the week ...

VE Day street party

Despite all things coronavirus, appropriately distanced street parties took place all across the country yesterday.  Here's Papa Bill celebrating with his neighbours (complete with his VE Day mug from the 40th anniversary) ...

Where are they now? James

It was a cold morning in mid-January in 2012. I had just gotten off my BA flight from Nigeria to England. I stepped foot in the UK for first time as a student looking to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Greenwich. I had combed through many university prospectuses looking for a place with the right balance in curriculum and rich student diversity. That was why I settled on the University of Greenwich for my MSc in Electrical Power Engineering.

May 2012 day trip to Minnis Bay,
Kent with Philippa & Andrew

Days passed as I managed to complete my student registration and get used to new weather, very different from what I was used to. One day, I stopped by at the student centre for an inquiry and by the corner was a soft-spoken lady who handed over a slip inviting me for various extracurricular programs especially for international students. That lady was Lynne Martin – the Associate Chaplain at the Medway campus of the university. Together with others she ran the Chaplaincy activities like Sunday Lunches and TABLEtalk programs. I particularly became keen on the TABLEtalk program because it was a gathering of international students - and some locals - where we shared fun times and learned from each others viewpoint and diversity.

Looking back, I would say my interactions at TABLEtalk was one my most rewarding experiences on campus. I got back home to Nigeria after my program in 2013 and picked up a job as an engineer in electric utility. My job at the time was in a location in the southwest of Nigeria. It was a new experience because as you travel to different parts of Nigeria, you will be greeted by its diversity in culture and ways of life.  It was easy to fit in given what I had learned from TABLEtalk about how to interact and appreciate different perspectives. I changed jobs twice since then, but I am now back at Nigeria’s capital where I call home these days. My recent interest in infrastructure development has led me into more finance and planning job roles and I am looking forward to pursuing this new path.

Me and Mimi

Things are really moving so fast. I met my wife who had returned to Nigeria in 2016 after many years in Spain. It was easy to connect given my world view on so many things. We welcomed a set of triplets in October - yes two girls and a boy! We are on an exciting journey raising them.

From left to right:
Herma (girl) , Fadanari (boy) and Imani (girl)  

Thanks to social media, I have kept in touch with a few friends from Greenwich – and hope to celebrate a reunion someday.

Best wishes to all and please keep safe.

James Barka Sajou

VE Day celebrations

In 1945, parties in the street and crowds cheering in Trafalgar Square marked Victory in Europe Day, the end of six years at war.  This year, 2020, is the 75th anniversary of VE Day and our May Bank holiday this year, was moved to May 8th in order for us to celebrate those who gave so much  ...  sadly other things have conspired to nix many of those planned gatherings, but never say never!!!  People are still being encouraged to decorate their homes in red, white & blue and join in both TV and virtual celebrations.

Me with Papa Bill and Uncle Bill at the
WWII tunnels in Ramsgate

Papa Bill's memories  ...  my dad was 11 at the end of World War II and his family lived down an alley in east London.  Their party was held at a junction where three roads met together, close to St Margaret's Church.  He remembers they built a big bonfire in the middle of the road; people brought tables and chairs out of their houses and shared food, to party and celebrate together.  You could hear the boats on the River Thames all blowing their horns, and church bells were ringing, which hadn't happened during the war.  Special VE day mugs were given out. He also remembers that the council had to come and mend the road afterwards because the bonfire had done a lot of damage  ...  in war-torn London I'm not sure that was a big deal.

Uncle Bill's memories:  Uncle Bill was just five when the war ended. He lived with his family in Liverpool and right outside their house were tram tracks with no space to party, so neighbouring families joined together for their celebrations.  Bill's eldest brother had recently completed his training in the Irish Guards and was part of the Victory Parade in London.  Two of Bill's sisters travelled to London for the celebrations and amidst thousands of other visitors to the capital, they miraculously ran in to their brother!! Uncle Bill's most vivid memories were of the food they saw for the first time after the war had ended, such as bananas and peanut butter that was sold in slabs like ordinary butter 😁

So, how will the nation celebrate in the

middle of the coronavirus???

Here's what's happening on the BBC ...
11am: A two-minute silence will be held to honour the service and sacrifice of the wartime generation and reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.
11.15am: The nation is invited to join in with the Royal British Legion’s VE Day 75 Livestream. Grab a cup of tea and tune in as the generations of the Second World War and today are brought together to chat about their shared experiences. This 45-minute programme will feature stories from those who served and sacrificed, as well as recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today.
3pm: The Nation’s Toast to the Heroes of World War Two. Take part by raising a glass, cheering and clapping on your doorsteps and saying: “To those who gave so much, we thank you.”
9pm: A pre-recorded address by the Queen will be broadcast at the exact moment her father, King George VI, gave a radio address on May 8 1945.
9pm: Fancy a sing-along? After the Queen’s address, the nation is invited to come together in a rendition of Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again on BBC One.

May the 4th be with you!!

I'm really NOT a big Star Wars fan, but know many who are.  Last year I did a 'May the 4th' quiz for staff at the University of Kent, but don't have access to that right now.

So, I found this quiz done by the Guardian newspaper, which I thought some of you might like a go at.  I tried it and scored a grand total of 35%  -  more by luck than knowledge.

Apparently, the spice mines of Kessel, known as the Dark to veteran miners, were a series of labour camps on the planet Kessel, where various slaves from various species, were forced to mine a medicinal spice mineral into a dangerous drug. Sounds like hard work to me 😕😕😕

Take the quiz

May the 4th Quiz

Thought for the week ...

Movie Madness Quiz

The Challenge:  to guess the titles of 30 movies depicted in picture format.

The Prize: a scrumptious English Afternoon Tea for FIVE lucky winners (once the madness of coronavirus is over).

Disclaimer: your answer may fit but the Quiz Master's answer rules.

Q1  -  three words

Q2  -  four words

Q3  -  two words

Q4  -  three words

Q5  -  three words

Q6  -  two words

Q7  -  five words

Q8  -  five words

Q9  -  two words

Q10  -  one word

Q11  -  two words

Q12  -  one word

Q13  -  four words

Q14  -  one word

Q15  -  three words

Q16  -  two words

Q17  -  four words

Q18  -  three words

Q19  -  one word

Q20  -  two words

Q21  -  two words

Q22  -   one word

Q23  -  three words

Q24  -  three words

Q25  -  one word

Q26  -  three words

Q27  -  one word

Q28  -  one word

Q29  -  three words

Q30  -  three words

Answers are given below - in teeny weeny writing 😄😄😄

There were only SEVEN entrants  -  how sad  -  see results below.  The Quiz Master's final decision is that you ALL get to join me for English Afternoon Tea next term!

MOVIE MADNESS QUIZ answers

1. Game of Thrones 

2. 50 Shades of Grey

3. Blade Runner

4. Life of Pi

5. Full Metal Jacket 

6. Space Jam

7. Tale of Two Cities

8. Silence of the Lambs

9. Baby Driver

10. Cars

11. Toy Story 

12. Signs

13. Singing in the Rain

14. Gladiator 

15. School of Rock

16. Charlie’s Angels

17. Message in a Bottle

18. Eat, Pray, Love

19. Skyfall

20. Snow Dogs

21. Space Cowboys

22. Rocky

23. The Lion King

24. 12 Angry Men

25. Alien(s)

26. The Bucket List

27. Seven

28. Paycheck

29. The Kite Runner

30. Proof of Life