[guide.chat] In Reply To: Book talk

  • From: "Elizabeth Kay" <ebeth.kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "Guide.chat" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:02:47 +0100

Have just read my own email posted this morning and have, as usual, noticed a 
few mistakes.Most do not matter,l just hit the wrong key or missed one out,but 
please, if you are a reader substitute 18h cebtury novels for 19th century 
because this mistake annoys me.
No more just now as I have a job that needs to be done. Elizabeth.
-----Original Message-----
From: Elizabeth Kay - Email Address: ebeth.kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 26/09/2012 12:37
Sent To: Guide.chat - Email Address: guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [guide.chat] Book talk

Talking about books: I have been a bookworm since child
 hood starting with comics and children's annuals at Christnas. My cousin's 
parents were  better off than mine  so whenever I went to their house I used to 
read his books, being very unsociable by taking no notice of anytjing ekse that 
was going on even if it was a birthday party. One of the  classes at school, 
when I was about ten years old,had silent reading for the last lesson on Friday 
afternoons. It was ny favourite lesson of the week bdcause we lived too far 
away form a library for me to borrow books. I remember reading David 
Copperfield and Oliver Twist  among many others. We had to talk to the teacher 
about the book we had just read before we could choose another one.I have a 
feeling children today would not be able to concentrate for long enough to do 
this today but it might be a good idea if they started early enough.  I was a 
bit older when my grandfather came to live with us for a time bringing with him 
a bookcase full of books which had belonged to Uncle Jack, my mother's brother. 
He emigrated to Chile in South America in the early 1920's leaving the books 
behind. This introduced me to a lot of 18th century novels. I specially 
remember George Eliots "Adam Bede" and  "Mill On The Foss" as well as some of 
Thomas Hardy and Jane Austin.          
I also readLord Lyton's "The last Days of Pompey". These were beautiful hard 
back books so youreally felt priveledged to read them.I took them with me whwen 
I married along with aset of Harmsworth"s Encyclopedia These would have been 
worth a fortune today bot were given to a jumble sale for church funds when we 
moved to a flat with no room for a bookcase in circumstances I do not want to 
talk about.

When my sight began to deteriorate about fifteen years ago I was devastated. At 
first I could read large print but eventially this became impossible. It was 
then I discovered the RNiB Talking Book Service, my saving grace. Like James I 
was annoyed at first to find myself falling asleep, partly I suppose beccause I 
like to close my eyes when listening. The RNIB must have realised this happens 
because the Daisy Player allows the reader to set a timer for thirty minutes 
afterwhich the reading stops. You can then rewind or skip back ten minutes at a 
time until you find your place again. I often do this in the middle of the 
night after one of my age related problems has wakebed me up ( A small electric 
kettle and a jar of Light Horlicks which does not need milk also helps). 
Forgive me for mentioning this but I am passing on tips for when you get to be 
94!  Will tell you about what I am reading now another time.  Love to all
Elizabeth

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