Tag Archives: shetland pony

An Interesting Postcode

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I had an interesting postcode last week, but events drove it from my mind.

It was ZE2.

I’ll let you rack you brains for a minute or two. Or, if yuo know it, I’let you look smugly round the room as people struggle with it.

It’s not, I can reveal, Zennor in Cornwall, or  Zeal Monachorum, Zeals and Zelah. And it clearly I also know Zouch in Leicestershire, but my knowledge ends there.  When you interrogate Google is also coughs up Zeal Monachorum, Zeals and Zelah.

However, you are safe to assume it is none of these.

The Marquis of Zetland actually lives round Middlesbrough, but as we all know, Middlesbrough is TS fro Teesside. We’ve had that before, and I used to live there. That’s how I know about the Marquis, and the lifeboat.

It’s because of this that I know Zetland is now known as Shetland.

So, after all that wandering round – we had an order from Shetland.

I’ve often said that if there was a job requiring a vast fund of useless trivia, I would apply for it.

Shetland was the base of the Shetland Bus during the Second World War, which, despite its name was not a Bus Service. It was a clandestine supply operation which helped the Norwegian Resistance tie up hundreds of thousands of German troops.

Now, of course, it is better known as a tourist destination and for the Shetland Pony.

It’s now just after 7pm and time to cook tea. In fact it’s long after I should have started but I’ve been lost in stories of lifeboats and latter-day Vikings.

I do love a good postcode.

I’ll just add a photo and get on with cooking. I have used the photo before, and am always able to think peaceful thoughts when I see it.

 

Something you don’t see every day

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I know from my own work that people take animals to Care Homes because the residents benefit from having animals around. We’ve even taken ducklings and chickens to visit when we’ve been to Care Homes, though the consequences can be messy, to say the least.

Seeing my father for his 88th birthday yesterday we found something we’d never considered before – a miniature Shetland pony visiting the rooms.  It’s not bad when you can reach 88 and still find something new to do.

The home has been doing well with events recently, and Dad has also been bowling and sailing, two other things he’s never done before.

As a family we’ve had a couple of bad experiences with horses over the years. Dad was cornered by one of his grandfather’s plough horses (an animal well known for nasty temper, as was the grandfather). His father was nearly killed by one of his gun horses whilst serving in the Royal Artillery during the Great War. It panicked whilst under fire and kicked him in the chest. However, I think I’ve mentioned this before so I won’t go on.

I didn’t have my camera with me, and I’d left my phone in the car too, so there is no photograph. However, I did manage to find their website so you can see what they do.

Sorry about the lack of photos again – I’m going to have to up my game. Here’s a cheery picture from the archive to make up for it.

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Care Bears on the Farm