blog archive pitman’s new era shorthand · 2019-06-16 · fireworks night in the united kingdom*...

Images & Text © Beryl L Pratt www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand-reading.org.uk

2012 November p1 A of 19Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand


2012 November p1 B of 19Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand

2 Fireworks Night

5 Let Me Rephrase That

8 Thames Barrier

12 Favourite Gifts

16 Cutty Sark Update

18 Shorthand Christmas Cards

PDF Date: 8 April 2019

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Blogs - 2012 - November

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Fireworks Night

In the United Kingdom* the 5th ofNovember is called Fireworks Night, a namethat has taken over from Bonfire Night or,in the past, Guy Fawkes Night. Thistradition has changed over the years, withless history, fewer bonfires and aconcentration on the fireworks themselves.The celebration was originally athanksgiving day for the survival of KingJames The First after a failed attempt toassassinate him. The purpose of theGunpowder Plot in 1605 was to kill theProtestant king and replace him with aCatholic head of state. Guy Fawkes wasdiscovered guarding the explosives thathad been placed beneath the House of

Lords*, and he and his accomplices wereduly executed. The King gave permissionfor celebratory bonfires to be lit, as well asthe holding of thanksgiving services inchurches, an Act being passed inParliament called the "Observance of FifthNovember Act 1605". In the centuries sincethen, effigies of Guy Fawkes have beenmade and burned on the bonfires, andother characters occasionally added,depending on who or what was seen as thecurrent threat to the status quo.

* Omission phrases "(U)nited K(ingdom)""House (of) Lord(s)" This is using the shortform for "lord"

Fireworks Night

During my early years, we would save upall the combustible rubbish for the day,keeping it as dry as possible. The weekbefore, children would ask their families forold clothes with which to construct theirdummies. Old coats, trousers and sockswould be stuffed tight with newspapers.The head might be made of an old pair ofnylon stockings, and a mask drawn onpaper or cardboard to represent the face,or one could buy a moulded paper mask,which children often wore themselves

before the event. A hat for the head wouldhide the ball of newspaper. A pram orpushchair would be borrowed or a cartmade so that the Guy could be wheeledfrom pitch to pitch, the most favouredbeing outside the larger shops, or nearrailway stations or bus stops at the end ofthe afternoon, due to the numbers ofpeople passing by. Every passer-by wouldbe asked "Penny For The Guy" and the bestGuys might receive more than a singlepenny.





Fireworks Night

This was more a boys’ exploit, as far as Iwas concerned*, but I was alwaysinterested in proceedings and results.Money obtained would be saved up to buythe fireworks, and I think watching thecoins mounting up in the collecting jar gavejust as much pleasure as seeing thefireworks burning. As well as the

excitement and anticipation, the childrenenjoyed the realisation that monetaryreward followed on from hard work,creativity and inventiveness, and all thisgained by reusing stuff that would havebeen thrown out.

* Omission phrase "I was (con)cerned" Fireworks Night

In those days single small fireworks weresold, as well as larger boxes with a mixedselection. The names were quicklymemorised: Roman Candle, Vesuvius,Molten Lava, Golden Rain, Silver Fountain,Jumping Jack, Crackers, Bangers, CatherineWheel. The brightly illustrated fireworks inthe shop’s glass case were ogled, read andreread over the week, and decisions whichto purchase were mulled over and rehashedmany times. I think the general consensuswould be one of each if possible*, and thenextra Bangers if cash permitted. Every one

of them had the instructions "Light TheBlue Touch Paper And Stand Well Back" or

"Retire Immediately." On the night, adultswould dispense them one at a time* from afireproof box such as a metal bread binwith tight-fitting lid. Several empty milkbottles would be half buried at the end ofthe garden, from which to launch therockets.

* Omission phrases "if poss(ible)" "at (a)time"





Fireworks Night

My favourites* were always the Sparklers,as it was the only one that could be held. Idisliked the Bangers, which were* all soundand no light, but my least favourite was theJumping Jack, because not only did you notknow where it was going to jump, but youalso had no idea when it had finished.Sometimes a stray one would give an extralast jump just when you thought it was safeto get closer. They would find me standingbehind an adult, asking where it was now,and straining my eyes for the glimmer oflight that showed it had not yet finishedburning. A firework that failed to light wascalled a "damp squib" but investigating thiswas a matter for adults, as it couldsuddenly come to life just as the person

was applying another flame to it. A squibcorrectly refers to a small explosive deviceor firecracker that is used as a detonator,and therefore not designed for display, andwhich originally needed to be kept dry inorder to* work properly*.

* "favourites" uses reversed Vr, "favoured"uses normal VR

* Omission phrases "which (w)ere" "inord(er to)"

* "properly" Insert the first vowel, and thediphone in "appropriate" as these aresimilar in outline and meaning

Fireworks Night

On the morning after, the air reeked ofsmoke, as did yesterday’s clothes. Thesooty remains of fireworks littered thegarden, with the beautiful illustrations inshreds, although one might find a postage-stamp* sized piece still attached to a stump.Sticks from the rockets could be found lyingaround the streets. All the splendour of thenight before was now cold grey ashes on astill, damp November morning. At the timewe had no camera to record the event andI suppose that we probably enjoyed it morewithout the distraction of trying to recordand capture the displays. As single

fireworks sold to children became lessprevalent, so did the construction of theGuy, along with an increase in the suspicionthat any coins given would be spent onother items, especially ones that one wouldnot want to be responsible for encouraging.Public firework displays to celebrateFireworks Night became more common,and it seemed to make more sense toattend those and see a very much largerdisplay of pyrotechnics for our money.

* Omission phrase "pos(t)age s(t)amp"





Fireworks Night

Bonfires have been used throughout historyto bring people together, and a largecrackling bonfire is almost like a fireworkitself, with the plumes of sparks rushingskywards with the smoke. They have beenused for funeral pyres, religious ceremoniesand beacons. Whether one is just disposingof rubbish, or as the centrepiece of acelebration, a bonfire derives its attraction

from being an act of defiance against coldand dark. It gives the same sense ofcontrol and security that one gets fromhaving a real living fire in the grate indoors,providing warmth, light, a rosy red face, anendless supply of hand-toasted bread, anda captivating way to overcome thediscomfort of a gloomy winter evening.(1071 words)

Let Me Rephrase That

To give yourself a taste of high speedwriting without any stress, sweat, bother oraggro, you might like to try this littleexercise. Make up a 60-word passage thatcontains lots of phrases and familiaroutlines. Trawl through your textbook orthe phrasing pages on the main website forideas and keep to simple common wordsthat flow readily from your pen. Tailor thepassage to be undemanding and pleasant,with no surprises or outlines that you are

not totally familiar with, to avoid hassle,hesitations and challenges. Practise itassiduously and all the time maintainingthe most even graceful flow of outlines thatyou can manage, concentrating on thatonly and not rushing ahead to "beat theclock". With such a short piece, you willknow the text by heart after writing it a fewtimes, and you can then say it to yourselfas you write further.






Here are a couple of sample 60-wordpassages full of phrases and time-savingintersections that enable you to fly alongthe line with ease, and no vowel signs arenecessary with such simple matter:

"Dear Mr Smith, Thank you for your recentletter* which we have received* thismorning. I acknowledge receipt of theapplication form for the post of shorthandwriter* to the Legal Department of thiscompany. I shall be glad if you will let usknow the earliest that you may be able tostart with us, if offered the post."

"We do not think that you will be able to finda more convenient way to learn the subjectin the course of the next few months. Weare taking this opportunity to send yousome of our leaflets so that you can informyourself in regard to the* best way ofmaking the required improvements to yourcommercial skills."

* "letter" Downwards L in order to join thephrase

* Omission phrase "we have (re)ceived""short(hand) writer" "in (re)gard (to) the"


Each of the above passages takes up threelines of a shorthand pad, so you can writeone of them seven times down the page,allowing you to settle into the writing stylethat you are aiming for. With all the usualmental challenges ironed out and removed,you can write consistently neat, gaplessshorthand and maintain a light hold on thepen, avoiding the disastrous speed-killingwhite-knuckle "death grip" that prevents

your fingers from moving easily. Cultivatinga relaxed flowing style at a comfortably lowspeed is just as important as the usual maddash for high speed at any cost, the costgenerally being a descent into illegibility, aproliferation of gaps and an unwelcomedent in confidence, none of which willinspire you to greater effort or to continueyour study of the subject.






An evenly-paced writing style reduces theunhelpful habit of hovering in thought (orpanic) before writing each separate outline.If you are always stopping between outlines,this momentary but regular inactivity canturn to "shorthand paralysis" but once you

become accustomed to smooth writing atan even rate, there is less opportunity forthat to happen. Your speed on theseprepared passages will gradually increaseof its own accord without you having tomake extra efforts in that direction.


Once you have a collection of suchpassages, they can be re-used to introducenew outlines and phrases. The knownmatter carries you along effortlessly andthe new outline gets absorbed quitepainlessly, without you needing to slowdown, and with no time lost in page-turning. As you keep modifying thepassages, they will turn into entirelydifferent ones over time, much like theparty game of Whispers. Sometimes thereis just no opportunity to phrase a row ofwords, much to the shorthand writer’s*frustration. If you try the sample sentences

above without any phrasing at all, you willhave a hard time keeping up the speed thatyou have already achieved with phrasing.Phrasing puts together in shorthand wordsthat naturally belong together in speechand so produces an even greater reflectionof the spoken words, which makes readingback easier. Following this simple rule willalso keep you from the temptation to joineverything possible, which can seriouslyreduce legibility and speed, when doneinappropriately.

* Omission phrase "short(hand) writer's"






Despite not attempting high speed on thistype of exercise, it is interesting tooccasionally time yourself to see how youhave improved. If you can write it in aminute, that is 60 words per minute, 45seconds is 80 words per minute and 30seconds is 120 words per minute. It ishelpful to weigh up the speed achievementagainst how scribbly and wayward thewriting may have become during thisexercise. If it is* unreadable scrawl, thenthat speed has less worth, although youmight be glad that you at least* wrote itwithout gaps. Reasonable neatness andcomplete legibility will give value to thewords a minute figure that you are

congratulating yourself on. All shorthandlearning consists of adding new words tothose already known and this method isbased on that. It provides valuable practicein an agreeable and comfortable manner,as a rest and a change from the more tiringhigh-speed efforts that you will also bemaking from time to time*. (857 words)

* "if it is" Halving to represent "it"

* "at least" and "at last" Always insert thevowel

* "Omission phrase "from time (to) time"with both T sounds represented by halving

Thames Barrier

A few weeks ago* I visited the ThamesBarrier in South London to see the gates inoperation on one of their monthly tests.The day was cold, but bright and dry, so Ilooked forward to being* able to view allthe gates across the river. Following theirprovisional time schedule on their website,we made an effort to get there early but onarrival saw that one of the gates wasalready closed. We walked further alongpast the barrier. A short while afterwards,we heard a siren go off and noticed that the

smaller landward barrier, which normallyrests aloft, had been lowered. We rushedback to our first viewing place, on thedownriver side of the installation, in orderto get in a good position for somephotographs.

* Omission phrase "few wee(k)s ago" "inord(er to)"

* "to being" Through the line, based on theshort form phrase "to be"





Thames Barrier

I am not quite sure what I expected,maybe a giant wall of steel surging out ofthe murky waters amidst a pile of foam,waves and sloshing sounds, suitablydramatic to match the importance of thework that it was built to do. It was nothingof the sort. The curved gate rose extremelyslowly from its position on the riverbed,and its progress towards the surface couldbe tracked by observing the rotation of thecircular trunnion shaft, with its rows ofprotective wooden rubbing strips, whichenabled us to see how far round its quartercircle it had travelled. Eventually a verythin black line grew out of the water andbecame thicker and thicker*. Seagulls flew

over it, as if they were in a hurry to getthrough the gap. Some ducks wereswimming about at the base of the piersand, as the mighty gates rose in ultra slowmotion, not the slightest little wave cametheir way to disturb their meanderings. Thisis of course exactly as the designersplanned it, so that there is no disturbanceto ships or shore through unexpectedwaves caused by its operation.

* Omission phrase "th(icker and) thicker"See more at www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/phrasing4-omission.htm#OmittingRepeatedSound

Thames Barrier

The siren sounded before each gate startedmoving, but I don’t think it was for visitorswith cameras, although it was a handysignal to switch on, point and zoom in. Wesaw one of the barriers go up and downtwice and we joked amongst ourselves thatmaybe they had to check something again,a bit like going back to the house before aday's outing, to make sure that you reallyhave locked up properly*. Using their owncomputer models of the conditions,supplemented by information from theMeteorological Office, the NationalTidegauge Network, coastal stations andother sources, the necessity to use thebarrier can be forecast 36 hours in advance.

During this time the Duty Controller has tomake his decision and, if the barrier is tobe deployed, he must advise river trafficand users, instruct the closure of thesmaller gates on the tributaries, and thenclose the barrier itself just after low tide.The normal sequence is to close thelandward gates first and proceed towardsthe centre. The gates are opened sometime during the next low tide, when thewater level is the same on both sides.

* "properly" Insert the vowel, and thediphone in "appropriate" as these aresimilar in outline and meaning

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/phrasing4-omission.htm#OmittingRepeatedSound







Thames Barrier

London’s flood defences were rebuilt afterthe North Sea floods of 1953, when a highspring tide combined with a heavy stormtravelling round the coast of Scotlandresulted in a swell of high water beingfunnelled southwards, affecting Holland,Belgium and down the east coast of Britain.There was no night-time radio broadcasting,and areas already affected had theirtelephone lines destroyed and so could notwarn those further down the coast. Seadefences were breached, the landinundated, and people and their homeswere swept away at night without warning.Residents had no chance to make plans to

evacuate or prepare in any way. The onlymeans of communication in the areas wereamateur radio operators who formed avoluntary network. Loss of life includedthose on ships and fishing vessels thatwere lost at sea. After this catastrophe, inHolland the Delta Works scheme wasplanned to protect their land frominundation via the river estuaries, and inthe United Kingdom improved flood defenceplans were drawn up, with the ThamesBarrier designed to safeguard the City ofLondon*.

* Omission phrase "City (of) London"

Thames Barrier

The pier engine houses are the best-known* and recognised part of theinstallation and are constructed of timberframes with a cladding of steel sheets.There are ten gates spanning the river, sixnavigable ones, with their rising gatesresting on the riverbed and four non-navigable ones at the banks whose gatesare kept aloft and then lowered whenrequired. The rising gates are made ofhollow cells, so that air and water can enterand leave as the gates change position.Each rising gate weighs fifteen hundredtonnes and the gate arm attached to thetrunnion shaft weighs eleven hundredtonnes, most of which is solid steel blocksto counterbalance* the weight of the gate.

Each shaft is rotated by a rocking beam,using an oil hydraulic system powered by190-horsepower electric pumps.Underneath each gate is a curved concretecill, the largest of which weighs tenthousand tons. Underneath the cills arepairs of service tunnels running betweenthe piers containing power cables, servicesand drains. The riverbed between the piersis protected by a filter layer of 6-tonnerocks to prevent the scouring of the bed asthe water flows faster between the piers.

* Omission phrase "bes(t) known"

* "counterbalance" On its own "counter" isdoubled





Thames Barrier

Since it became operational in 1982, theThames Barrier has been raised over onehundred times. Smaller gates on othertributary rivers along the Thames are alsooperated in conjunction with the mainbarrier. Its protection works both ways, asfloodwaters from upstream can also pose athreat if they are prevented from flowing

away to the sea by an oncoming high tide.Closing the gates keeps the tide waters out,thus retaining the low level on theupstream side of the barrier and giving thefloodwaters more room to collect safely,before being released on the following lowtide.

Thames Barrier

I lived near the Thames for many years,with my home overlooking the town ofGreenwich and the river valley. The riverseemed to represent not only the backboneof the City of London*, but also a morenatural and uncontrollable element of thelandscape. It appears to be well tamed,with the jetties and miles of warehouses,factories and ships making full use of thewatery highway, and the embankments andriverside paths seemingly defining itsboundaries. But I knew that rivers are bynature not willing to be tamed and on awild stormy night of heavy rain I wouldsometimes imagine looking out of the

window at first light to see the whole rivervalley under a sheet of silent grey water,not really possible with the 50 metre heightdifference between the river and the flathigh ground along whose edge the housesin our road were situated. My anxious flightof imagination was easily dismissed, butthose who live in the areas threatened byThames flooding might find it reassuring tovisit the barrier on one of its test days, tosee the means of their protection in action.(1195 words)

* Omission phrase "City (of) London"





Favourite Gifts

When I was very small, I was given a doll’schina tea set. It was gleaming white with alittle flower sprig on the teapot, the milkjug and on the side of every cup. I wasutterly captivated by this new ability tocontrol and dispense the shapeless, shifting,slippery water in the teapot, pour it out,transfer it from cup to cup, and pour itback into the teapot to start again. Theclink of the cup on the saucer was anespecially satisfying and luxurious sound. Icould* also most generously give some of itto those around me, giving me a reason to

do all the pouring back and forth*. Once Ihad been given a supply of water, I needednothing further, other than perhaps a fewtiny squares of bread to represent thecakes. The satisfaction gained from the teaset game was the element of control. Thewater could be stored, dispensed andmoved around at my whim.

* "I could" Not phrased, so it does not looklike "I can"

* Omission phrase "back (and) forth"

Favourite Gifts

A few years later I had the wonderfulChristmas present of a dolls’ house with ahinged front, and opening windows anddoors. The windows had a diamond glazingbar pattern, and there was a staircase upthe middle. Although I was delighted, I wasrather short of furniture, so I could not playwith it properly* until I had made a fewitems to fill the rooms, mostly matchboxesstuck together to make beds, tables andchairs. My brother enjoyed fitting a small

torch bulb to the central hall wired back toa battery that remained hidden at the rearof the house. The house was gloomy andcold until that little bulb came on, andmade it into something welcoming andwarm-looking.

* "properly" Insert the vowel, and thediphone in "appropriate", as these aresimilar in outline and meaning





Favourite Gifts

Another Christmas my parents bought me agarden modelling set. It consisted ofminiature bricks that snapped together tomake walls, plastic flower beds and tinyplastic flowers that could be inserted intothe holes in the beds with a special pointeddibber. There was a selection of trees thatstood up by themselves on large flat bases.Cardboard rectangles of printed stripedgrass and crazy paving in squares and

curves enabled me to rearrange the gardenlayout ad infinitum. The garden would bespread out on a large tray or in the shallowlid of a box. I augmented the supply withcellophane and shiny paper for ponds,cotton wool bushes, and scraps of greenfabric to make larger vegetation or hills. Ikept the garden set for many years, andendless variations on garden shapes andthemes were tried out during that time.

Favourite Gifts

At the age of about twelve, I received atotally unexpected Christmas gift from anuncle, a beautiful box of watercolour paintsin tubes*. Some months previously, he hadlet me use his paints. He squeezed out arow of blobs and showed me how to mix it,how to draw and fill in, and how to erasewith just water and a soft brush. This itemtops my list of best gifts ever, because ofthe startling effect it had on me. It hadnever crossed my mind that I could everown something so wonderful, and here wasa whole box of new tubes in my hands, asmy very own possession. The tubes would

have been no more precious if they hadoozed liquid gold and the Alizarin Crimsonone was especially favoured, being thickand creamy, and of a good intense hue thatcould be diluted almost indefinitely. Nodrop of paint was ever wasted and over theyears I refilled the box many times. Thishas remained a lifelong interest, and it allstarted with that little black metal box,diminutive in size but huge in impact.

* "tubes" Helpful to insert the diphthong,as "tubs" could also make sense in thiscontext





Favourite Gifts

A gift does not have to be an object, it canbe someone passing on a skill. Gaining theknowledge and ability to create or dosomething makes you realise that thedesired result rests in your hands, and isnot out of reach after all. My Nan was aprodigious knitter and I admired thequantity of items that she was able toproduce, some for family use, and some forfriends and neighbours, to gain a verywelcome extra income. I would spend timeholding the wool hanks while she wound itinto balls. One of my aunts taught me how

to knit, and I duly copied everything shedid. As she came from Spain, I ended uplearning the Continental method of holdingthe wool in the left hand, so what I did wasentirely different from how my Mum andNan knitted, but I was able to do it twice asfast. Sounds a bit like the shorthand! I wasdelighted to be able to produce clothes formy dolls which were quick to make fromcolourful oddments. These were rapidlyfollowed by simple hats and scarves, evenbetter as they kept me warm rather thanthe dolls.

Favourite Gifts

I now have a real house to look after, realjugs and cups to pour drinks into, and areal garden, all requiring the usual cleaning,dusting, washing up and weeding,something I did not have to bother withwhen playing with the toy equivalents. Myfishpond with real goldfish is much betterthan a piece of shiny paper. I have evenhad a go at cementing a few brickstogether on a little piece of the garden wall,

but I do draw the line at moving treesaround for effect! My painting cupboard hasgrown considerably, and I am glad that Ino longer have to restrict paint use to thetiny dabs that can so often result in acramped style. I still love the crimson butnow it is more likely to be fountain pen inkwhere I can enjoy it while doing otheruseful tasks.





Favourite Gifts

Children may receive all sorts of giftsthroughout the years, whether newpresents or second-hand items passeddown, but those that match their wants anddesires will be the ones that areremembered with special appreciation andgratitude. A variety of toys and gifts allowsdreams and ambitions to start to become a

reality, and, having had a free taste of theactivity, they are then better able to decideif they want to continue with it. I amalways grateful to thoughtful familymembers and friends who have allowed meto try out, practise and gain more interestand skill in various subjects, many of whichhave blossomed into lifelong hobbies.(1089 words)





Cutty Sark Update

A few weeks ago* we went to see therefurbished Cutty Sark clipper ship atGreenwich. I was not so much looking atthe ship, whose appearance I was wellfamiliar with, but my interest was in theglass canopy. I had seen lots* of picturesof the proposed glass enclosure, but seeingit for real on a clear sunny day was quiteastounding*. It is designed to look as if theship is once more* sailing on clear blueseas, and the final result has certainlyachieved this. The ship itself is held up on asteel girdle* and the glass meets the shipat what would have been water level.Inside the canopy is a museum and youcan walk around underneath the hull. Atthe entrance end, there is a small areawhere you can buy souvenirs. Just like thereal sea, the canopy changes colour withthe sky, deep blue or icy grey. I think itwould be quite interesting to be there whenthe rain was pouring down hard on it, andone would certainly get a feel for life as afreezing* wet deck hand trying to work in ahowling gale. There is a spacious clear

paved area all round, so that the peoplecan spread out and get a view of the wholeship at once*. Being a rather cold day, itwas not crowded so we were able to standwell back and get reasonably unclutteredphotos.

* Omission phrases "few wee(k)s ago" "at(wu)ns"

* "lots" and "masses" Always insert thevowel

* "astonishing" and "astounding" Alwaysinsert the vowel in these and theirderivatives

* "girdle" Ensure the G is thick, and alwaysinsert the vowel in "cradle", as themeanings are similar in some contexts. Youcannot insert a vowel in girdle.

* "freezing" and "frozen" Always insert thevowel





Cutty Sark Update

Some of those visiting may compare thiswith other museums and displays thatthey have seen, maybe better, maybenot, but the comparison in my mind iswith how it used to be when I lived in thearea and visited the ship regularly manyyears ago. The Cutty Sark wasinteresting historically, but notparticularly attractive, being housed in aconcrete hole in the ground, with propsto hold it up, rather a sad sight for sucha magnificent ship that has spent its daysgliding and battling through the oceansof the world* at high speed. Whilst it wasundergoing refurbishment and repair, Ihad read several articles criticising thework being done on the ship. Someseemed to want it to be a seaworthyvessel once again* and lamented its staleexistence as a museum piece. Others

realised that this would mean replacingso many parts that it would be almost anentirely new ship and that if one wantedto see it afloat, it would end up being areplica. I am so glad that someone withimagination came up with a solution tothe problem of the ship not being at sea,and had the amazingly* creative butsimple idea of bringing the sea to theship, which serves both for effect and forprotection of its fabric. The design fullydeserved to be the winner when all theoptions were being discussed.

* Omission phrase "of (the) world""wu(n)s again"

* "amazingly" and "amusingly" Alwaysinsert the vowel

Cutty Sark Update

Inside the Discover Greenwich VisitorCentre nearby, the River Thames itself hasturned to glass, or more likely plexiglass,as can be seen in this picture of a glowing*rope of lights set into the floor of theCentre, which serves as a mini-museum aswell as souvenir shop. The loops are anaccurate representation of the course of theriver at Greenwich. In one of the glasscases the Thames seems to have turned toresin, in a model of King Henry theSeventh’s Palace of Placentia on the banksof the river. As the river was notconstricted like it is today and was able tospread out at will, it was obviously thought

quite safe to build right at the water’s edge.There is now nothing left of this Palaceexcept for a few bricks and tiles discoveredduring excavations in 2005*. The Palacepredated all the other royal buildings thatare still present in and around GreenwichPark.

* "glowing" Insert the diphone, so it doesnot look like "golden"

* "2005" Long slash to represent thecurrent century, arbitrary sign with nophonetic value





Cutty Sark Update

Outside the National Maritime Museumthere is another ship that has had anencounter with glass, an artistic renderingof a sailing vessel entitled "Nelson’s Ship ina Bottle". The bottle is about two metreshigh and sits atop a tall plinth near theentrance to the museum. This is oneattraction that is very easy to get a goodphoto of, even on crowded days, becauseat that height no-one can obscure the view!The ship with its floral batik-style sails is

safely ensconced in its protective case, butI think that on some days it does envy thelovely Cutty Sark who is sailing free on herown sea of glass, with the fresh air blowingabout her and the figurehead Nannie Deeonce again* facing with grittydetermination everything that the weathercan send her way. (785 words)

* Omission phrase "wu(n)s again" Shorthand Christmas Cards

When I learned shorthand, it was a well-known and common subject, but it hasbecome something of a novelty to manypeople, and very many are not even surewhat it is. This means that news of yourjourney towards mastery of shorthand is aready-made conversation starter, maybeeven an ice-breaker at parties and aperennial wow-producer, as long as you cansuccessfully demonstrate your skill bywriting what your friends say and reading itback to them instantly. But how are theygoing to know in advance that you havestarted on this stenographic adventure? Toavoid becoming a shorthand bore, you mightlike a more attractive way of letting peopleknow where your talents are headed. TheChristmas "mailshot" is the ideal opportunity

to introduce some shorthand into yourcorrespondence, giving your unsuspectingfriends and relatives a riddle to ponder andask you about when they next see you. TheChristmas card sending marathon might getan injection of enthusiasm if you canpublicise your shorthand ambitions. Thepicture gives a selection of the mostcommon wordings that appear oncommercial cards, so that you can eitherwrite inside the card, or use theappropriate* part of the graphic on the frontof your own hand-made cards, suitablyedited to a more festive colour scheme.

* "appropriate" Always insert the diphone,and the dash vowel in "proper" as these aresimilar in outline and meaning





Shorthand Christmas Cards

Further vocabulary can be found on thegeneral shorthand reading pages whereyou can search the Christmas Carols,Christmas Story and Bible reading pagesfor suitable words, phrases and sentencesto write on your cards. You could* evenmake your own wrapping paper covered inall the Christmas outlines in various colours.If the Christmas card endeavour issuccessful, then the principle could beextended to your other stationery, creatingpersonalised headed notepaper or noteletsfor use throughout the year. Your publicityexercise may result in finding a friend orrelative who also knows shorthand, or isinterested, or someone may come across ashorthand book for you in their travels,which they will now recognise as theprecious treasure that it is and inform youof its whereabouts or send it to you,

instead of passing it by as a momentarycuriosity. But if instead they decide to giveyou a Christmas present of a supply ofrather boring office pencils, instead of amore extravagant and luxurious item, youwill at least* be well prepared for yourefforts next year, when I hope you will beworking towards the hundred words aminute milestone, and onwards andupwards to greater successes. (417 words)

* "You could" Not phrased, so it does notlook like "you can"

* "stationery" Mnemonic for the spellings =stationERy papER, stationARy cAR

* "at least" and "at last" Always insert thevowel

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year

Happy Christmas Noel/Nowell

Peace On Earth Goodwill To All Mankind

Love Peace Joy To The World

Rejoice Christ The Saviour Is Born

Unto Us A Boy Is Born

Season’s Greetings Festive Greetings

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