blogs - 2016 - november 2 fireworks display 5 last …...images & text © beryl l pratt blog...

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

2016 November p1 A of 14Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand


2016 November p1 B of 14Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand

2 Fireworks Display

5 Last Leaves

7 Vintage Cars

11 Party Game

PDF Date: 15 August 2019

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Blogs - 2016 - November

Images & Text © Beryl L Pratt

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https://long-live-pitmans-shorthand.blogspot.com

https://pitmans-snippets.blogspot.com





Fireworks Display

Last Saturday was Fireworks Night here inthe UK. Instead of hugging the radiator andrushing to the window to see nearbygarden fireworks rising over the trees androofs, we travelled to Blackheath in southeast London to see the firework display tobe held on the heath. The weather forecastwas quite reasonable for an evening out inthe open and possibly standing aroundwaiting for things to begin*. It is not myhabit* to go out in the evening and seeingthe lighted windows of houses whilststanding at the bus stop and train stationdid make me wonder whether the displaywould be worth the chilly journey. But Iwas well wrapped, ready with calorific

snacks in the bag* and camera to hand,determined to swap the radiator for aradiant display, to be enjoyed first handrather than odd twinkles of far-awayrockets in the gardens over yonder, andoften gone before I can get the camera out.

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

* "habit" and "hobby" Helpful to insert thevowel

* "bag" "bucket" "pocket" Helpful to insertthe vowels, also "basket" if badly written

Fireworks Display

With no rain or great cold, the event wasgoing to be well-attended. As we changedtrains, so did hundreds of other passengers,all going the same way as we were. Wesqueezed onto the second train, and theneveryone poured onto the platform atBlackheath. The exit is a short tunnel-likealleyway and everyone shuffled up theslope. Some people on the right hand sidehad stopped walking and were just

standing chatting, and the rest of uscontinued on slowly. The reason becameclear as we passed the alleyway cashmachine near the top! The village waspacked with people, and those notcongregating outside the pubs and caféswere walking along and eating on the move. We had an hour to spare and so made ourway to the heath to see what washappening there.





Fireworks Display

We left the bright village shops and roads,and entered the blackness of Blackheath.The name means dark coloured heathland,in past centuries a wasteland* of gravelpits and workings, a dangerous area wherestage coaches and riders travelling across itcould be attacked by robbers andhighwaymen. The flat grassy heath is nowsurrounded and criss-crossed by roads, butthe lights on these had little effect on theblackness and we strained our eyes to seewhere we were walking. There were anumber of carts selling flashing LED wands in the shape of swords, windmills and stars,so everywhere we saw lines and circles oflight being waved about by the children,without being able to see much of the

owners at all. We passed the long queuesat the row of food vans and I wasamused* to see for sale "Foot LongFrankfurters" that could easily feed twopeople, one starting at each end! Healthfood this was not, but I would sayguaranteed to keep the eaters stoked* upand warm.

* "wasteland" Not omitting the T, as thatmight be misread as "wetland"

* "amused" and "amazed" Always insertthe vowel

* "stoke" Insert the vowel, so it is notmisread as "stocked"

Fireworks Display

In the distance we saw the funfair in fullswing and we headed for that, feelingrather like moths in the dark, attracted tothe brightest lights. Funfairs nowadays arebest seen at night, and like everywhereelse it was full to capacity, with noisycrowds and excited children, and the riders’screams and squeals were drowned out by

the music and sound effects of the rides.One of my favourites to watch is theDodgems, less fierce than some of theothers but still fun for all ages, and itseems there is more colour as the shinymetal floor reflects the neon lights, and thecars seem to be gliding on a neon-lit mirror.





Fireworks Display

It was time to make our way to thefirework arena. The surrounding barrierfence was hidden behind the crowds but wenavigated by skirting round the people whowere* lining its edges. We waited patientlyin the dark, surrounded on all sides by theilluminated wands and a few people wavingreal sparklers. Eventually the announcersaid it would start in five minutes, to good-humoured boos from the crowd, as it wasalready five past eight. At last, everyonewas invited to join in the countdown, andthe show started with spectacular bangsand starbursts. In the middle there

were* some gentler more sparklyexplosions. Rising curtains of fireballsshooting upwards with smoky trailsproduced loud cheers. At one point therewas a large soft burst of falling stars thatspread outward and seemed to cover uslike a giant white lacy parasol, whichproduced oohs and aahs from thespectators. The screamers made fieryspirals skywards, amidst showers ofsparkling white specks.

* Omission phrases "who (w)ere" "they(w)ere"

Fireworks Display

The moment the display ended, everyonearound us had the same idea as we did, getback to the village, the railway station orbus, and get home. People quickly filled upthe village’s main streets, which are laidout in the shape of a letter Y, so twostreams of people converging into thenarrow part at the bottom of the hill madefor gridlock. Fortunately, this was entirelyunder the control of the myriad of policeofficers, who had closed off the ends of thetwo roads with barriers and were lettingpeople through alternately in an orderlymanner. We all moved along patiently,stopping and starting, flowing round thelitter bins and trees. When we were finallythrough, we decided to walk to our second

station and by the time we arrived half anhour later the crowds had dispersed. Wewere glad at last* to be sitting on theplatform with our chocolate biscuits, thenthe relief of the cosy train ride and thefriendly warm bus, depositing us almost atour door. It was definitely worth the effortof venturing out into the night and the nexttime* we see it will be on the televisionwatching my video of the event, andcertainly close to the radiator this time.(973 words)

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

* Omission phrase "ne(k)s(t) time"





Last Leaves

Today has been gloriously sunny and not atall cold, just a touch of chilly dampnessfirst thing in the morning, and I have beenmaking the most of it, the last moments ofsomething like summer. I had checked theMet Office* weather forecast, with thepromise of all-day sunshine followed by aday of heavy rain, and then grey cloudyweather for the next week*. So I plannedto go out to one of the parks, to see whatwas left of the summer plants and to getsome autumn photos. I found that I had

the park almost to myself, with just ahandful of other people wandering slowlyover the lawns and under the trees,enjoying this bonus day of sunshine. Thegrass was an intense healthy green andthere were* circular carpets of red andyellow leaves under many of the trees.

* "Met Office" = Meteorological Office

* Omission phrases "ne(k)s(t w)eek" "there (w)ere"

Last Leaves

The park is well supplied with a variety ofmature trees, some native and someornamental imports, but all with plenty ofspace around to allow unrestricted growth.They were all casting long shadows on thegrass, making for extra interest andcontrast in the pictures. The dark fir treesand evergreens* make good backdrops tothe golden* autumn leaf display but upclose they made me think ahead toChristmas. It is barely possible to see theirspiny branches without imagining themdripping with glittery* baubles and tinsel. Iam glad that these ones will continue

growing thick and healthy, in open spacesso that they can reach their natural sizeand best shape.

* "evergreens" and "overgrown" Insert lastvowel to prevent misreading

* "golden" OK without vowels, but insertthe diphone in "glowing" as this is similar inoutline and meaning

* "glittery" Ensure the final dot vowel isaccurately placed, so it does not look like

"glittering" with Dot Ing





Last Leaves

The river was flowing slowly but generously,and the overflow channel on the other sideof the* lawns held a long shallow ribbon ofweedy water. There were* no longer anylaughing and shouting school childrenrunning up and down the sides of it, butinstead some placid Canada geese wadingthrough and nibbling the grass on thebanks. A couple of them made it their jobto stand still and stare back at me as I was

watching them and aiming the camera.They were not checking out a threat butmore expecting or hoping for some action,preferably something edible. I matched mywalking to their slow waddling speed andso I got past without alarming them.

* Omission phrases "on the oth(er) side ofthe" "there (w)ere"

Last Leaves

One area of interest was a newly plantedstrip next to the rose beds. Last time* Iwas here it was a sea of holes, waiting forthousands of daffodil bulbs to be droppedin, but now it is covered in green netting,with patchy green tufts underneath, theresult of several weeks* of grass growth.This will be a magnificent display nextspring, as the bulbs will be at their best intheir first season in their new home. I canalmost see it now, a long street ofgolden* flowers waving in the breeze onanother sunny* day, but in March and April,

with summer approaching instead ofreceding. (492 words)

* Omission phrases "las(t) time" "severalwee(k)s"

* "golden" OK without vowels, but insertthe diphone in "glowing" as this is similar inoutline and meaning

* "sunny" "snowy" "sun" "snow" Generallybest to write the vowels in these





Vintage Cars

At the beginning of this month* we went upto Regents Street in Central London to seea vintage motor show. I am not a carenthusiast but I do like to see historicalitems, especially ones that have beenlovingly restored and cared for, and I amalways up for a day out somewhereinteresting. The whole of Regents Street,which is normally full of traffic, waspedestrianised for the day and I wasamused* to see that the barrier was aplastic hedge of the type one sometimessees around the outside seating* areas ofpubs and restaurants. It actually looked

safer than the usual invisible grey metalfences, as its solidity and colour made itstand out from its surroundings. It added acountryside feel (ever so slightly) to a smallpiece of the hard and dry lookingmetropolis.

* Omission phrase "of this (mon)th"

* "amused" and "amazed" Always insertthe vowel

* "seating" Insert the vowel clearly thick,as "sitting" would also make sense

Vintage Cars

All the vintage cars would be going on theLondon to Brighton Veteran Car Run thenext day, but today was their day foreveryone to gaze, admire and dream.Every single one of them was in perfectcondition with smooth spotless paintworkand gleaming brass fittings (of which therewere quite a lot), polished and resemblingsolid gold. The large headlamps and sidelamps glistened like miniature lighthouselenses, and the simile continues with thehorns, with their rubber bulbs and coiledtubes, to alert people rather than cut

through the fog. There was just oneexample of an unrestored car, apparentlytoo far* gone to do anything with, a carshaped object of rusted iron full of holesand decaying wood, although I would notbe in the least surprised if someone wereable to rescue it from completedisintegration and restore it to workingorder.

* "too far" Use full outline for "far" whenalone





Vintage Cars

The London to Brighton Run first tookplace* on 14 November 1896 and wascalled "The Emancipation Run". TheLocomotive Acts up to 1878 had kept thespeed limit down to 2 miles per hour intown and 4 miles per hour* in the country,with the requirement that an escort walksome distance ahead of the vehicle carryinga red flag, to warn of its approach. TheLocomotives On Highways Act of 1896 hadincreased the speed limit to 14 miles perhour*, which obviously did away with thenecessity for the red flag. This first run waspreceded by a celebratory breakfast wherea red flag was torn in two by LordWinchelsea, and instead of a flag escortthey had a "Flying Escort" of hundreds ofcyclists. The next Run took place in 1927,

and has been held on the first Sunday inNovember continuously, apart from a breakof eight years during the Second WorldWar due to petrol rationing. The organisersemphasise that it is a run and not a race.The maximum average speed allowed is 20miles per hour* and all the vehicles have tohave been built in 1905 or earlier. Since2010 there is also a "Future Car Challenge"version of the run, travelling from Brightonto London on the day before the veterans,to showcase modern energy-efficientvehicles.

* "took place" Note that the phrase "takenp(l)ace" omits the L hook

* Omission phrase "m(iles) per hour"





Vintage Cars

Many of the owners were dressed in periodcostume, the ladies in long dresses andlarge floral and feathered hats, and thegentlemen wearing full-length* leathercoats, a variety of sensible hats and caps,goggles and long boots. All the vehicleswere open to the elements and a fewhad folding hoods which would only coverand protect the back and many with noprotection or windscreen at the front.Although the leather seats looked quitecomfortable, I don’t think they would havemade up for the discomfort of the primitivesuspension and the hard narrow tyres, butthen maybe the shaking, rattling and rolling,with faces set firmly against the wind,added to the sense of adventure andexploration. I am sure hands would be onhats a lot of the time, with the straps,ribbons and feathers* streaming behind.The wicker baskets fixed to the sides orback brought up mental images of picnicfood inside, complete with proper* plates,knives and forks, all carefully prepared andstowed, ready for the decorous, refined andscrumptious country feast. Some of the

vehicles had delightful wicker umbrellaholders on the outside of the chassis, sothat the passenger could instantly withdrawit when needed, or maybe in summer itcontained the lady’s parasol. Considering how the gentlemen felt they neededgoggles against the wind, one couldassume that the umbrellas served the moredaintily dressed lady passengers in thesame capacity, especially now that thewind in their faces was not 2 but 14 milesper hour.

* "full-length" The two L strokes have to beat slightly different angles in order to bewritten in succession like this, see "foully,vilely" etc on www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/theory-14-L-forms.htm#vowel-indication

* "feathers" Insert the vowel, as "features"could also make sense

* "proper" Always insert the first vowel,and the diphthong in "appropriate", as theyare similar in outline and meaning





Vintage Cars

There were* also some modern vehicles inthe show. We saw a new electric bus, whichgives a smooth and quiet ride, and which Iam looking forward* to riding on moreregularly when they become morewidespread. There were several very smartelectric cars all attached to their chargingpoints, to show how easy it is, hoping towean* us off petrol. There were* someracing cars, clean and silent, just itching tostart themselves up and zoom away atmaximum speed. At one end was a largesimulator and it was obvious from itspitching and lurching behaviour that theperson inside at the time was scrapingaround the virtual circuit, demolishing all

the virtual barriers and scattering thevirtual crowds. We did not* stay to seethem virtually stagger out, green faced buthappy with their achievements.

* Omission phrases "there (w)ere""looking fo(r)ward"

* "wean" Helpful to insert vowel, as "win"could make sense here

* "we did not" Not phrased. The outline for"did not" has to remain in position. Ifphrased, it would be above the line andmean "do not".

Vintage Cars

Parked under a small gazebo were severalchunky police motorbikes, in dayglo yellowand white, with a small boy sitting on oneof them, leaning forward and barely able toreach each of the handles, but obviouslytotally smitten with it and probably in aweof those who ride them as part of their job.

We walked back along the street, taking inall the cars again, and I happened to noticea well-known large toy store. I thought,this is definitely somewhere to return toanother day, where I will find a multitudeof toys to marvel over, just like the carenthusiasts were doing with their largertoys in the road outside. (1030 words)





Party Game

When I was buying some fruit in the marketa few days ago, the stallholder put theitems in my bag for me and it remindedhim of the party memory game. He startedsaying "In my bag I put some apples" then

"In my bag I put some apples and bananas"and then the game goes on, with eachperson having to remember and repeat allthe previous items and adding a new one.There are endless variations on this,whether it is adding to a list of words,finishing the previous person’s sentenceand giving the first part of a new one, orrepeating a simple story and thinking upthe next thing that happened. I rather likethe version where each person has a secretword on a piece of paper and has to use

that word when it is their turn to finish thesentence and then has to continue andsomehow justify the nonsense that has justbeen created. Later on I was reading aboutstenotyping practice and came acrossmention of pyramid sentences, where thelearner keys the first word several times,then adds the next word, and progresseslike this until the whole sentence is beingkeyed without error. This avoids having tolearn the new key combinations all atonce*. This method can be used inpractising shorthand with exactly the samebenefits.

* Omission phrase "at (wu)ns"

Party Game

I acknowledge your letter.

I acknowledge that you are a capableperson.

They acknowledge that he is capable ofworking in a commercial office.

We acknowledge that you are capable butthe commercial side may cause somedifficulty.

You acknowledge that he is capable buthis commercial difficulties have ledto financial loss.

Party Game

Here is another variation, againpractising contractions where each shortsentence repeats the last contraction of theprevious one. These are much easier tomake up quickly and tailor to your ownlearning or revision needs*, using words

that you already know, whether you are atthe beginning or end of the shorthand booklessons.

* "needs" Insert the vowel, as "ends" couldalso make sense here





Party Game

The letter will inform you of the insurance*policy. The insurance company showedsome interest in my case. The interest onthis account is identical to last year. Wehad identical letters from the organisation.This organisation has a very good financialposition. The financial report must be sentimmediately. Our immediate need is toobtain the fire certificate. I have received*my certificate in the subject ofmathematics*. He said that he would domathematics at university. The universitystaff had to familiarise themselves with thenew subjects. I familiarised myself with thepoints listed in the preliminary report. Our

preliminary plans are to amalgamate theoffices. We shall amalgamate the twodepartments and establish a new one. Theywanted to establish themselves in theinsurance business.

* "insurance" Can also be written asintersection using N with circle S

* Omission phrase "I have (re)ceived"

* "mathematics" The shorter words "maths"and "math" are normal outlines, above theline and vocalised

Party Game

Lastly* there is that one stubborn outlinethat you are tired of tripping over, whichrefuses to allow itself to be written quicklyand correctly. You may have, unwillingly,come to expect it to do that and that justadds to the problem. Instead of writing itimmediately and without fuss, it is easy togive in to thinking "Oh no, it’s that wordagain." Thus the half a second allocated towriting it is used up on anticipating the

trouble instead. For the beginner, alloutlines tend to feel like that and thissolves itself as familiarity and skill increase,but I am referring to one outline thatblatantly ignores the call to action andneeds stern treatment to bring it intoobedience.

* "lastly" Omits the T





Party Game

I did this with the word "correspondence"and wrote it very large hundreds of timesuntil the paper fell apart under the wet ink.It is easier to include it in sentences so thatyour pen is always moving and thetroublesome outline gets swept along in theflow and is not given any chance tomisbehave or protest. Once you have your

sample passage or sentences before you inshorthand, there is no need to have anylonghand on the desk. You can just readand remember a sentence and then write itrepeatedly down the page, saying it outloud to yourself. Line-length sentences areyour best friends!

Party Game

This time last year I was a commercialstudent. I studied commercial matters atcollege and had lots* of commercial books.The commercial course was quite easybecause I enjoy commercial subjects. I satmy commercial exam and duly received mycommercial certificate. I applied for acommercial job and had an interview withthe Commercial Manager. He said mycommercial grades were very good and

offered me a job starting as a commercialassistant. It would be great if one day Icould become Commercial Manager of mydepartment and make a success of mycommercial career.

* "lots" Insert the vowel in this and in"masses" as they are similar in meaning andoutline if not written neatly





Party Game

Obviously all learning is like this, buildingupon what you know, but in shorthand it isespecially beneficial to spread out the effort.It is not a big deal if you fail to recite thenine times table perfectly, or recall all thechemical elements or the prime ministersof the last hundred years, because you arenot being timed to the second. Inshorthand you are being timed moment bymoment and you have to recall each outlineinstantly. Getting behind or leaving gapscan put a dent in confidence that will affect

future writing as well, if allowed to do so. Iwould suggest you use this method on allthose outlines that need additional effort,as well as new material. Your personalnotebook listing outlines that havecaused* hesitation is a good place to start,in order to* redeem and retrain thetroublemakers and get them back into fullreadiness for service. (954 words)

* "caused" Special outline, to differentiateit from "cost"

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