Little town, big idea
We like Romsey. The small Hampshire market town can provide our basic needs – ‘Tea Cups’ tea shop (coffee and Cinnamon cake especially yumpshiss) and ‘Mole Valley’s’ country store where horse stuff and clothing can be found.
What more does anyone need?
Books. I prefer reading to TV and pop into the ‘Superbooks’ book shop and charity shops in search of reading material whenever I can.
Let’s see, what else? Clothing shops and, rare to find now, an independent department store. And one of those ice cream stores where the ices are a little too sugary and overpowering for my taste, but Sue loves them.
Coffee shops of course, can’t go anywhere without those nowadays.
Let’ see, let’ see, what else is special about the place … Oh yes, of course! Romsey is Makaton friendly. As far as I know, the only town that is. www.makaton.org/blog/out-and-about/Romsey will provide the back story.
I realise Makaton isn’t BSL, but what has happened is that people in shops are more aware then ever of communication difficulties. Great, what a positive for the world. I’m not going to pretend that everyone is perfect, some still forget to make sure a deaf person can see them speaking. On the whole though, big improvement. We went into a shop we’d visited only once, months previously, and the assistant must have remembered that Sue is deaf because the care she took when talking with Sue was noticeable.
Thinking about that; I’ve noticed that older people are often more ‘unhelpful’ when speaking with a deaf person while youngsters are very considerate. So, when my pal told me his granddaughter was learning “some sort of signing” at nursery I realised how Makaton is improving communications. Not just that, the teaching of the skill is improving understanding and awareness which, I’m sure, is something quite special.
I realise if I’d had children I would have known all that a lot sooner. In my defence, I’m sure I’ve improved parenting by not being a part of it. I can only just about look after myself and feral children with axes and a taste for big V-Twin motorcycles wouldn’t have done the world much good.
What more would you expect from someone descended from Vikings apart from nice long, curly, hair and a beard. I did, I had hair halfway down my back and it was deep brown. Now I have a short, white crop. Like Dirty Harry said, a man has to know his limitations.
Sun’s out, have fun. Visit Romsey – try Tea Cups.