COMPLETE The Small House at Allington - mas

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » June 27th, 2021, 12:47 pm

Hi

Here is Chapter 8

I hope it is ok, despite my having some sort of +
sore throat/ cold. If you think it needs re-recording, please say, as I don't want to leave something for posterity that is not up to scratch!

I hope all is well with you

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_08_trollope_128kb.mp3 21:51.2

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » June 27th, 2021, 2:02 pm

Chapters 7 and 8 are PL OK. Chapter 8 sounds just fine. I could hear a slight difference in your voice in the intro, but nobody else would notice it, I don't think, and it was normal by the time you started reading the text. Sorry to hear you are under the weather!

I just read this morning on the BBC that there is already some discussion of extending your lockdown even past its currently-anticipated end in July. That must be so discouraging, as the finish line keeps moving!

Our news this week isn't COVID, for a change, but the heat. We're expecting to exceed the previous record on any day for a high tomorrow--by several degrees. We rarely need air-conditioning here, so most homes don't have it--even some care homes do not. I love the heat, but it is hard on the elderly and the very young. Just hoping the power grid stays up under the extra load!

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » August 23rd, 2021, 8:46 am

Hi

At last another chapter! sorry for the long silence.

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_09_trollope_128kb.mp3 35:17.3

We have had a lovely near fortnight visiting places that have meant something to us in the past - three days at the sea-side, where we used to have a holiday house, and the children spent their holidays running about on the beach; four days in Cambridgeshire (which I had never really visited because when you are a student, you don't); two days in the Midlands, where I was born (we were taking some photos of the house my father had built - my parents first house - and the people who lived there came out to go somewhere, so we got into conversation with them - which was lovely) and two days in the Peak District, where Helen grew up. We were due to spend some time with Richard in Bolton, but he rang us while we were in Cambridgeshire to say he had COVID, so we had to make hasty changes to our schedule! We spent an evening with our eldest, John; as we drew up on his drive, Chris, our middle one, rang and told us to stay in the car as Mel had just been "pinged" - contacted by the track and trace team - to say she had been in contact with someone with COVID and she must isolate! We waited while she arrived home from work, went indoors and did a lateral flow test, and contacted the track and trace team. It turned out it was her sister who had initiated the scare - but the information was out of date, as the contact had been longer ago and there was no need to isolate! So we were able to relax and enjoy the evening! Such is the new normal!

I hope all remains well with you

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » August 26th, 2021, 5:47 pm

Chapter 9 is PL OK.

It's good to have you back, although your holiday sounds really refreshing. I hope Richard is doing well? Everyone in my family is well, although families of friends are struggling. Our local hospitalizations are higher than they have ever been and everything is mostly shut down again. If this goes on much longer, I think I shall take up the cello. I've always wanted to play, and now that there are teachers online, we're no longer limited to local teachers. That would be a new adventure.

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » August 29th, 2021, 9:24 am

Hi

Here is Chapter 10

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_10_trollope_128kb.mp3 26:38.7

Learning the cello sounds wonderful - although I hope that the COVID issues don't drag on that long!

Apparently we have a considerably higher infection rate than 12 months ago - but fewer deaths and less hospitalisation.

Our church is beginning to start back, though wearing masks and with social distancing. But a lot of people haven't yet returned, and the large number of voluntary helpers with the children's work do not seem to be volunteering again - I think a lot of them may have been overwhelmed by home-schooling at the same time as working from home!

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » September 4th, 2021, 4:16 am

Hi

Here is another short chapter

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_11_trollope_128kb.mp3 21:09.2

I have a busy week ahead of me, so I won't get a chance to edit the whole of the next chapter until the week after.

Blessings

Nick

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » September 4th, 2021, 8:39 pm

Chapters 10 and 11 are PL OK.

My busy week was last week, as you could probably tell by the delay. But the deadlines are met, the software rollout is complete, and life returns to normal.

Enjoy your busy week!

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » October 1st, 2021, 9:38 am

Hi

Here is Chapter 12

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_12_trollope_128kb.mp3 45:50.5

Life is still a bit manic - but with lots of good things, including a day out at the seaside (Brighton, where my father was born and one of my grandmother lived) by train.

We are beset by people panic buying petrol art the moment, because the Government said there was no need to panic buy petrol! We have a scarcity of HGV drivers, so that some petrol stations were experiencing a delay in delivery of petrol - so hordes of people decided they had better top up their tanks, whether they were in need or not - so the roads are now clogged up with queues (lines I believe you call them) for petorl, and people can't get to hospital appointment, drop their children off in nursery etc.

We are fortunate in having petrol in both our cars, and not having many journeys we have to make.
Sailing was cancelled Wednesday, partly because of the weather and partly because people didn't have enough petrol, hence our trip to the seaside.

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » October 8th, 2021, 5:09 pm

Finally had time to enjoy chapter 12. Marked PL OK.

Have been busy this week with the visit of my brother from Ohio. He is almost like a twin to me, and we had all the geek fun of showing eachother the software we've been creating since we saw eachother last.

I don't envy you the petrol queues. I remember our gas lines in the 70's. How awkward it was, never knowing if you would be able to get where you needed to go. As I grew up in an semi-rural area without any public transportation, cars were our only mode of transportation. I suppose the challenges are similar now, with people not wanting to be confined with others of unknown vaccination status in a small air space on public transportation.

Hope all continues well with you. I'm guessing there is a winter hiatus for sailing. Will you get more sailing in before winter if the petrol situation improves?

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » October 21st, 2021, 1:22 pm

Hi

Here is Chapter 13

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_13_trollope_128kb.mp3 31:25.2

It sounds as yhough you had great fun with your brother. I have no siblings - but I am very blessed in my two brothers in law - particularly Paul, the elder, who was my friend at Cambridge before I met Helen (through going to stay with him).

As we hoped, the petrol queues have died down - before we actually needed to tank! It really was a case of panic buying causing the problem.

We carry on sailing (weather permitting) throughout the winter, although we alternated weeks between sailing and going for an organised ramble. These have been promised to be shorter and less challenging this year, as we have all aged more than a year's worth during the year of lockdown. Sadly one of our sailing friends had a heart-attack and died 10 days ago - we are all getting old chronologically, even if we still feel 17!

We are due to have a mini-break this weekend, going to stay for 3 nights in a hotel near our middle boy and his wife and daughter. We are planning to visit Whipsnade Zoo as a family on Monday.

Keep safe and enjoy the chapter

Nick

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » October 22nd, 2021, 6:37 pm

Chapter 13 is PL OK.

I'm always amazed at the depth Trollope gives his characters, telling what they know about themselves, as well as telling what they don't see. And it's always interesting to hear your interpretation of them, as you speak in different voices than I gave them in my head. In a way, I get to see them partially from your point of view. And that's fascinating.

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » November 12th, 2021, 8:47 am

Hi

Here is Chapter 14

https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_14_trollope_128kb.mp3 21:37.3

I am intrigued by your comment that you see the characters differently - or at least hear them differently. Was that the same for the other books? Can you describe the difference?

I hope you continue to keep well - we are both well but quite busy at the moment. There is a lot of mixed feeling about COVID - on the one hand it is still rampant, and a lot of people are still very worried by it

On the other hand a lot of (especially younger people) want to return to normal behaviour and can't see what the fuss is now so many are vaccinated. Most of the deaths seem to be in unvaccinated people, yet there is still quite a lot of resistance to getting vaccinated!

With best wishes

Nick

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » November 25th, 2021, 11:15 am

Chapter 14 is PL OK.

Hope all continues well with you and Helen. Sorry to be so slow with this one. It came when I was traveling to my daughter's in Colorado, to see her new house. And then they came here afterwards. It is so wonderful to be able to see family again. I don't think any of us appreciated it enough in the past. I'm sure I didn't. Today is Thanksgiving, and all my family in the local area will be gathering. What fun!

ArleneJoyce · Post by **ArleneJoyce** » December 12th, 2021, 7:45 pm

Just realized I didn't answer your question about characters being different when you read them. This is something I experience with most audiobooks. Listening to a book is almost like reading a different version of the book. I hear things I don't remember reading, and I get a different feel for the personality of the characters and even the atmosphere. It's not just a case of reading vs. listening. My kids and I listened to both versions of the Harry Potter books--read by Jim Dale and Stephen Fry. We all agreed that it was a different experience--almost like seeing a remake of a movie.

NKWhitley · Post by **NKWhitley** » January 31st, 2022, 4:14 am

Hi Arlene

Thank you for the explanation.

Once again apologies are necessary for the long time-lag. Life has been abnormally hectic. Sorry!

I hope you and your family remain well. Although COVID restrictions have been eased, the virus is still rampant, with many (including our political leaders) in denial! Fortunately the current variant does seem less virulent, with fewer people in a life-threatening state - but almost all of our immediate family have had it recently, despite being double (or triple) vaccinated one for the second time. Our local primary school, where Helen is a governor, had to send a whole year-group to work from home (6o children, of whom 20 had COVID) because all but one of the year-group teachers had COVID, caught almost certainly from the children!

Anyway, here is Chapter 15
https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/smallhouse_15_trollope_128kb.mp3 37:04.4.

I hope you enjoy.