Catherine M. Osborn

Reactions to Colonel Gaddafi’s death… from some of his friends

Catherine Osborn — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:28:56 +0000

“This is a momentous day in the history of Libya. The dark shadow of tyranny has been lifted…”

Barack Obama

“Sic transit gloria mundi (the glory of the world is fleeting). Now the war is over.”

Silvio Berlusconi

“The disappearance of Muammar Gaddafi is a major step forward in the battle fought for more than eight months by the Libyan people to liberate themselves from the dictatorial and violent regime imposed on them for more than 40 years.”

Nikolas Sarkozy

“The reported death of Muammar Gaddafi marks the end of an era of despotism and an end also to the repression from which the Libyan people have suffered for too long. Today Libya can turn a page in its history and embrace a new democratic future.”

European Council President, Herman Van Rompuy

“This brings to an end a bloody war that Gaddafi waged against his own people. The path is now finally clear for a fresh political start, in peace. Germany is relieved and very happy about this.”

Angela Merkel

Tony Blair has said nothing so far but is probably hoping this gets him off the hook as far as those secret meetings go…

The Bishop Centre, Taplow

Catherine Osborn — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:28:09 +0000

The news broke recently that the owners of the Bishop Centre in Taplow, a shopping centre for small, independent retailers, plan to demolish the site to make way for a giant Tesco. I put together my thoughts for the Facebook group that has been set up to oppose the plans and I thought I would reproduce them here. Please do take a look at the group and help if you can.

I have many happy memories of the Bishop Centre. When I bought my house ten years ago, I went there for paint and bits and pieces for the house. Then, when I was pregnant with my second child, I had a scan there. Since then, I have visited for christening outfits, toys and comforters and, most recently, arts and crafts items for my children. I’ve taken shelter in the cafe on rainy Sunday mornings and enjoyed egg and chips and steaming hot tea – my favourite!

Unfortunately, we live in a society where everything must be judged on its monetary value – it’s OK to rip the heart and soul out of a community as long as it looks good on the books. “Look!” they’ll say, “We’re giving the people of Maidenhead a choice AND delivering bottom line value.” The fact that we’re being offered a choice between peas and… um…. peas will be of little consequence.

Centres like these are gems in our community and should be treated as such. Take the Village Life (Shire Horse) centre. This could have been a really thriving outlet if the council had relented over the need for every trader to be operating a workshop there. Because it didn’t the centre closed and now there is an application to build houses in its place. If the application is approved, it will be an absolute scandal because the council will have kicked out decent, hardworking traders and replaced them with something much less desirable, from a planning point of view.

And yes, some of the Bishop Centre traders may well find temporary refuge in town centre, given the right concessions, but as soon as the economy picks up again the larger traders will muscle in and they will be homeless again. And when we protest, we’ll be told, “Market forces.”

I understand that the centre doesn’t appeal to all and that some people prefer mass-produced goods that cost next-to-nothing but they are already well-served by nearby supermarkets. It is a tragedy that people who are willing to pay that little bit extra for quirky, quality goods should be forced to make way for yet another bland, soulless outlet.

Cancer Part 2

Catherine Osborn — Thu, 12 May 2011 22:59:45 +0000

Just over a year ago, I decided to do the Race for Life. I can’t remember exactly why I decided to do it then, 25 years after I’d last run competitively, but I do know it wasn’t to do with grief – I distinctly remember my mum telling me, “Oh you don’t want to run, you’ll wreck your knees.” And then she died (well a few weeks later) and I felt motivated not only to make it to the finish line but to raise a decent amount of money and do it in a respectable time. Not because Mum died of cancer – she didn’t – but because I was angry at death for taking so many of my friends’ parents before their time and mostly because of the big C.

On the day, I took my place at the back of the runners and in front of the joggers. What I didn’t realise is that joggers generally jog faster than I run. My husband watched open-mouthed as I raced off into the distance, not wanting to be overtaken by the entire pack of joggers. If he was surprised at my start, he was flabbergasted at my finish – as I hauled my almost-dead almost-puking body to the finish line, he was still buying ice creams for the kids and had to do a 100m sprint of his own to cheer me over the line.

The outcome was a general feeling of euphoria – I survived the race, did it in a frankly miraculous time and raised more than I’d hoped to. Take a look at last year’s blog post and you’ll also see a list of people who have beaten (and continue to beat) cancer.

Happy, happy, happy.

Except… cancer doesn’t give up. I know it doesn’t have a consciousness as such but if it did, it would be, quite frankly, a belligerent bastard: “Cancer survivor? I’ll get you another time… I’ll take your Dad… I’ll take your whole bloody family… Why? Because that’s what I do.” As I write this, not just one but THREE of my friends have a parent with terminal cancer. There is no hope for them but there is hope for all of our children.

In the 20th century, antibiotics revolutionised the world. With luck, and a fair amount of effort, cancer could become a disease of the past in the 21st century. PLEASE support the Race for Life. Fewer people are taking part this year, which will mean less money for cancer research.

Thank you xx

Karren Brady and Sexism in the Workplace

Catherine Osborn — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:40:04 +0000

Karren Brady was said to be furious about the comments made by two Sky Sports presenters about linesman Sian Massey and her own views on sexism, whilst Katie Hopkins waded in, saying, “People like Karren Brady, who has appointed herself patron saint of all things equal, does not speak on behalf of all of the sisterhood.”

I would expect Karren Brady to encounter some sexism, given that she is a woman in a very male-oriented field (excuse the pun) but even I wasn’t quite prepared for what I found when I Googled her name – very revealing and, I have to say, fairly depressing.

Can the Royal Engagement Strike a Blow for Equality?

Catherine Osborn — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:34:54 +0000

Rumour has it that helicopter pilots are more likely to father girls, a theory with which the Duke of York may well concur. If so, that means that there is a more than 50:50 chance that Kate and Wills will produce a girl, quite possibly in little over 12 months. And if, like the Yorks, that girl is followed by another, then the question of succession can be swept under the red carpet for another generation.

But what if?

What if boy follows girl? Are we really going to tell that princess that, despite the huge strides made by women in the last 100 years, not to mention a pretty impressive 60+ year reign by Great Grandma, the top job is going to little brother? What excuse is there for male primogeniture in the 21st century?

Then, of course, there’s the matter of religion. Roman Catholics must renounce their religion to marry into the Royal Family although surprisingly, this rule does not apply to people of other faiths or atheists. It is this fact, perhaps, that exposes the rule for all its unfairness – this isn’t about maintaining the connection between the Church of England and the monarchy, it’s an archaic law based on centuries-old anti-Catholic sentiments.

At first glance, this second issue seems to be more complicated to solve but is it? It is rumoured that Prince Charles has indicated that he would like to be known as “Defender of Faith” rather than “Defender of the Faith” – a subtle change that could have massive significance. And his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which is only symbolic, could easily be handed over to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Although my children are Catholics, I’m not too concerned about their charms being passed up by the next generation of Windsors! However, I don’t want them to grow up in a society that specifically discriminates against them and peddles an ancient myth that boys are better than girls.

I believe that the best present we can give the Royal couple is to ensure that any daughters they have are treated fairly. If you agree, please write to your local MP and, for good measure, the Home Secretary and ask them what they plan to do to change the law.

You Know You’re a Mum When…

Catherine Osborn — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:19:32 +0000

Thanks to Christine Mosler for posing this meme on her blog.

You know you’re a mum when:

Brad Pitt - Still working, apparently. Photo: Thomas Peter Schulz (click for licensing info)

The attic is full of reminders of your former life – ornaments, skinny tops and books.
The 10 o’clock news is on too late to watch.
A night out with the one you love feels weird.
The common cold fills you with terror and you are fascinated by poo.
The last time you went to the cinema was to watch Brad Pitt… in 12 Monkeys.
You can catch vomit in your hands without gagging.
You no longer have a flat tummy and big, bouncy boobs… it’s the other way round now.
You frown on smokers…
…but not on people who let their kids run riot in the supermarket.
You no longer see pink clothes as being representative of the continued subjugation of women in a patriarchal society… just cute.

New Blog Site – Culinary Capers

Catherine Osborn — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:29:37 +0000

I’ve just launched a brand new blog, Culinary Capers for the Suddenly Single, for people who find themselves alone, for whatever reason, and are not quite sure what to do in the kitchen! It is inspired by my lovely dad, who has coped so amazingly since losing Mum earlier this year.

I want to keep this blog updated at least twice a week so I’m relying on all you lovely people to keep it updated with recipes, stories and ideas. Please do take a look and, if you like what you see, sign up via the subscribe button on the top right and pass the word on to your friends!

Thank you.

Deerton Natural Burial Ground

Catherine Osborn — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:44:22 +0000

Last week, I took a day-trip to Kent to sort out Mum’s probate and, after a lovely lunch in Hernhill, paid a visit to Deerton Natural Burial Ground with my dad and brother.

It was a really pleasant surprise to see how much it has changed in the few weeks since we were last there – now there are poppies, thistles, wild flowers, knee-high grass, butterflies and insects.

The only downside is that the rabbits no longer consider Mum’s grave to be a high enough vantage point; judging by the lack of fresh droppings, clearly haven’t paid a visit for a while!

When I got back home, I decided to make my first attempt at a panorama (click on the photo to see it full-sized). After trying to stitch the photos together myself, I discovered that Windows Live Photo Gallery does it all for you and it is already installed on my PC! It even smooths out the changes in colour that you see in the separate pictures.

Originally, I just posted the panorama to my blog so that my friends and family can see it but it has generated quite a lot of interest, hence the addition of extra photos! Natural burial is such a good idea, if you are interested in finding out more, please take a look at the following links:

Please feel free to suggest more.

Why We Need a Cure for Cancer

Catherine Osborn — Fri, 28 May 2010 04:00:00 +0000

I’m lucky to come from a family where longevity is the norm but every so often, once in a generation in fact, something happens to shock us out of our complacency. In 1941, great uncle Jim was killed, probably executed, in the Siege of Crete at the tender age of 23. Just over 40 years later, my dad’s brother Brian succumbed to liver cancer at the age of 39, dying just six weeks after he was diagnosed. Fast-forward to this year and my apparently healthy mum was struck down by a massive brain haemorrhage just one month short of her 70th birthday.

Although Mum obviously lived longer than my uncles, we still felt that she died too soon – we were robbed of her 70s and 80s and she was robbed of precious time with her grandchildren. In the midst of our shock, however, we comforted ourselves with the knowledge that she didn’t suffer for long – 30 seconds at the most. And, although it is difficult to look at the positives in situations like these, we are truly grateful that she never had cancer.

The weekend before Mum died, I remarked to her and Dad that I was really lucky to have both parents – all but two of my close friends don’t. In the last ten years, the toll stands as follows:

One mother lost to breast cancer
One mother lost to a brain tumour
A mother and a father lost to lung cancer
Two mothers lost to ovarian cancer
Three parents lost to other causes (stroke x 2 and Alzheimer’s)
One friend about to lose her good friend to cancer – a young mother in her 30s

Against that grim backdrop:

One friend is in remission from leukaemia
One friend’s husband is free of kidney cancer after it was caught early.
The sister-in-law of another friend has been clear of breast cancer for 5+ years
My father-in-law is a survivor of bowel cancer (10+ years)

In 2009, we learned that the Queen Mother was successfully treated for bowel cancer in her 60s. She escaped a painful, lingering death to die peacefully in her sleep in her favourite armchair, at the age of 101. Who wouldn’t want that kind of exit for themselves or their loved ones?

Finding a cure for cancer isn’t about cheating death, it’s about seeing our children to adulthood, watching our grandchildren growing up and possibly even meeting our great grandchildren. It’s about dying peacefully, without pain and, we hope, without fear. There will always be people who leave us too young but by eliminating cancer we can slash the number of premature and painful deaths.

In July, I will be running the Race for Life to remember Uncle Brian and raise money for Cancer Research. If you would like to help me reach my target of £250, please take a look at my sponsorship page.

(Link updated to 2011 page, 17/02/2011)

Thank you!

My Second Poem, a Ghostly Tale

Catherine Osborn — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:56:01 +0000

One night in 2006, when my son was small, I was lying on his bedroom floor waiting for the little monkey to go to sleep! Feeling a certain chill in the air I let my mind wander and before long, I had the beginnings of a poem complete with rhyming pairs and a clickety-clack railway rhythm. I sent it to my Dad, he said, “Good” (I’m tempted to send him something dire to see what he says then) and then I filed it away. Until last October. Writing Magazine had a poetry competition with a ghostly theme and I decided to send it in.

The rules stated that winners would be notified by February 15th and if we hadn’t heard by then, we could safely submit our work to other competitions/publications. February 15th came and went and I heard nothing. I also knew that runners up would get a mention in the magazine but I assumed that they would be informed and I still didn’t hear anything. So I resigned myself to the fact that my clickety-clack hadn’t impressed.

A few days ago, the April edition of the magazine plopped onto the mat. I ripped it open and went straight to the results page to see who/what had won and there, on the bottom left-hand-corner, was my name! It felt really good! I have decided to try it somewhere else and, due to the “previously unpublished” requirements of many competitions, I can’t publish it here but I will just share my little bit of joy with you.