Sweden 2005

This is a representative view of Stockholm... a truly lovely place...if you have not been there, go at once.
It is representative but not literally true since there are no red capital letters in the sky... Stockholm City Council might wish to give this serious consideration..I certainly like it...though my judgement may be tainted by Mr Map...more to come





This horse is very important to the Swedish ...for reasons that escaped me...I was absent mindedly reading a beer can when that was being explained but I saw many horses around Royal Palaces/houses and never did I see a Royal Guard on such a mount.
I never bought one because I believe this to be a shabby tourist gimmic. As proof that I was shrewd, I returned to England with over 100 krona... I thank Mr Map for that, for recommending the purchase of a Stockholm Card...though, regretably, it does not apply to beer purchases...take note Swedish Tourist Board...this is free market research





This flag was majestically flying somewhere...I was some distance off in Skanson... but never mind the flag,( pretty as it is, in a garish sort of way), look instead at the sky. Bright and blue and with white fluffy bits... now Stockholm is as far north as the Shetlands and the sky is never this good in the Shetlands. Sweden has surprisingly good weather and deserves a visit by Michael Fish





This is one of the world famous Swedish leprechauns in traditional attire but with an expression that be-lies her strict Felling upbringing...clearly she survived the Sixties turpitude at Oxford..( the dance hall not the University...obviously..)...but she succombed to Swedish liberalism....and dress sense!
She is often seen hanging about the stairs at Sergels Torg. Just smile at her and say "Can yer mind, as a bairn, when yer Muther used to play war with yer?"
In these pacifist times it means little to us but she gets very nostalgic about life in war torn Felling in the 40's





This is a picture of the four intrepid travellers while waiting to be flown to Sweden from paradise (actually Luton Airport)

Jon is missing from the photo but he is acurately described on the wall. Martin finds this highly amusing





This is the first formal photograph of the FSRMAFYNMOFS (Felling Schoolgirls Reunion Meeting After Forty Years,Nay More, On Foreign Soil)
Neither Martin nor Annette were around in Felling forty years, nay more, ago and are therefore inelligible to be on this photo....I am surprised at Martin's lack of attention to detail



This is a replay, without interlopers, but with alcohol, something well favoured by
FSRMAFYNMOFS members
Frankly, they all like a dram or two




And this is Valerie enjoying a tram or two.. oh yes Stockholm has some lovely old trams





Meanwhile, because Margaret said that Jon was like an animal in bed (though she never said, well not to Jon anyway, what animal he was like) she went off in search of a bed fellow who did not keep her awake all night. Here she is making her choice.
And a good choice she made. Apparently.
Carl was as good as gold and only disturbed her a couple of times, once when he neighed and once when he went into the kitchen looking for his oats
The soldier, by the way is called Gustav. Marg rejected him because, apparently, he snores like a Jon





This is Martin,.. you guys already know him as Mr Map,.. explaining the rudiments of map reading to two people who would have better understood advanced nuclear physics.
Margaret got lost going to the Coop shop but she did manage to create a small explosion or two, while failing to follow through... that's a story for another time








This is Rhoda getting stroppy on a Swedish tram...accusing Valerie of copying her homework...back in 1959. Margaret, the peace maker, distracted them by remarking that they were very well co-ordinated in complimentary shades of blue
Peace in our time...but would it last?





No.
It would seem that Margaret had agreed to colour match with Rhoda for the forthcoming evening soiree and at the last minute switched allegiance to Valerie... this inflamed the beige but fiery Rhoda






Valerie got the brunt of of Rhoda's wrath and clearly was forced back to Rhoda's preferred colour choice... beige at night, blue in t' morn





Margaret goes for Valerie's jugular because the following morning Valerie had abandoned M's favoured black in preference to R's blue. For M it was no longer black OR blue but black AND blue





Valerie phones the fashion police and complains about the irritating Newcastle folk who like black and blue but are fundamentally black and white underneath. The Police issued this photofit







WANTED but not a lot





With the Police on her side, Valerie relaxes with a well earned game of blow football ( which is illegal in Sweden, hence her secretive mannerisms)





Not long later, Rhoda is once again challenging fashion alliances, this time with Clara who had agreed to wear beige but chose instead her Mother's choice of white, having forgotten (somewhat immaturely, in my view) that she, Clara, very much relies on her mother to dress her
This is her Mother laying out tomorrows clothes

With so much aggro going on, Valerie seeks to hide behind the baby... and almost succeeds

Margaret uses the baby as a shield. History, not I, will judge this cowardly act






David is an Advocate and is not very easily intimidated. Nevertheless for fear of recriminations later David gathers evidence that Father and Daughter are in matching white in their matching white kitchen. Mother is there too but she is unseen against the fridge





A compromise is reached but, as compromises do,
it leaves no one
fully satisfied.... though Mrs Beige, now in blue, standing head n shoulders above the others, looks slightly self satisfied, bordering on smug, some, though not I, would say





Buoyed by victory, Rhoda demands that Margaret go forth and seek attire a tad more pastel

and so.....





...Margaret seeks retail therapy and studies these nice frocks.
For a brief moment, she appeared to be heading for Rebellion Corner but, at the last minute, after a stern look from Rhoda, she plumps for a nice blue...





number,,, with a not very diplomatic touch of red and white
Very fetching





Val, now in beige, puts all squabbling behind her and settles for a nice cuppa





As does Margaret, now in blue. "My tea is tepid, I'd like it to be a little 'otter" she says






No sooner said, than done


And on the subject of smooth good looking hairy faces...





... here's Frederick, who joined us for a beer or three on a rainy night in Stockholm's pub quarter. Not equipped with cameras that night this is actually a pic of Frederick when he was in love, and in England and soon may he return there... work that one out for yourself





And here's Valerie. She is not, at this moment, actually snoring (we can tell because her eyes are still open) but she is nevertheless about to be prodded by Margaret, who is practicing her incredible prodding skills for later on when Jon will sample Margaret's double jointed dexterity...and, no doubt, be prodded as well





And, finally, here is a picture of Jon, just to prove he was there...it is his head in profile..see his little eye, huge nose, big chin and mishapen ear....unmistakably Jon


As a trailer for more Swedish pictures, here's Margaret, with a bear behind









If you wish to see more of what Stockholm has to offer click here