Page 17 - Phonebox Magazine June 2009

Forgive me. I
start with sad
news. My
friend Jen Solt died
last month, aged
87. She will be
remembered for her
hospitality while she
and her husband
George lived in
Hollington Wood,
aka the Bluebell
Wood, Emberton.
Over 4 decades there were regular Mediaeval camps, archery drives, school visits, shooting parties, fireworks nights, bluebell days, and student dinners.
Jen was a ski racer (one of her ten bone-breaking accidents kept her out of the 1947/8 Olympic games), a mountaineer who climbed 4000m peaks until she was 70, and a pilot. Her home-brewed beer was much admired, and her knowledge of opera was encyclopaedic. In her middle years she started a career at Christies, the art auctioneers, which lasted well beyond retirement age. In the course of hugely varied adventure and travel, she had visited every continent in the world, including Antarctica.
When her great garden became too much, the couple moved into Olney for their last few years, where eventually Westlands in the Market Place ensured that she had a peaceful and painless end. We shall miss you Jen.
One thing I’m sure Jen would have known absolutely nothing about is graffiti. Blimey, what a tenuous link, sorry. This month we are featuring a 25th Anniversary edition of the classic of the genre, Subway Art. We have over 30 other graffiti titles. Buy 1 of those get Subway Art half price! That’s an offer to spray about the place. Actually, please don’t, the Council will blame me.
All our summer jewellery is in now. It’s a bit bright. Suggest you wear shades when you’re passing our window. Not at night obviously,
you’ll look silly. The yellow stuff
Jen on her 80th birthday
is already a hit. It’s halfway between buttercup and citrus yellow. Buttertrus? I don’t think that will catch on as a name somehow. Anyway, you can see from the picture, it’s v colourful.
Going back to the Council, because I know you love them, I had a bit of a go at one of their lorries recently for belching sustained smoke and in doing so being unkind to the air at the southern end of the High Street, which as we all know, pongs a bit already. The MK Citizen picked up the story and a Council spokesman responded with some feeble excuses. I urge you all to read about it on my blog. His phone number and email address are shown. If you agree
with me, have a go too. Let’s strike a blow for local power. I’m not suggesting you man the barricades, or throw petrol bombs, because that would be jolly naughty, and I’d get arrested for treason and/or incitement to riot, but a stiff word into his voicemail wouldn’t go amiss. If you agree with him though, and want to rant into my answering machine, please speak up because I’m a bit mutton jeff. I think it was Jen’s homebrew wot done it, or her Wagner at 300 decibels. I should have worn earplugs round their house. Buttertrus ones, of course.
Phonebox Magazine 17