2013-08

Where’s that from..?
To ring the changes
Meaning - to vary the way in which some
task is usually performed in order to make
it more interesting
Derived from - the ancient art of bell
ringing where the pattern, or sequence,
of the order in which the bells are struck
is called a “change”. Each pattern has its
own order but, if variations are made and
the bells are struck in a different order, it
becomes known as “ringing the changes”.
The figurative use of this phrase was
already in evidence centuries ago. It
can be found Thomas Adams’ book, ‘The
divells banket described in sixe sermons’
published in 1614, when he wrote, “Some
ring the Changes of opinions”.
St Chad’s Church has two
rooms available for hire at
56 Abbey Lane
Sadie Hallatt
Mobile Hair Stylist
Call Sadie on
0771 2461064
Professional, reliable stylist with
over 18 years of experience
I
am currently living in the
fourth house I’ve had in twenty
years. During this time I have
seen many changes in home
décor. I couldn’t wait to stamp my
mark on my first home with my
husband. Although I played it safe
with magnolia paint throughout the
downstairs I stencilled ivy around
the arch in our lounge-diner, a
border of violets all through the
hall, and grapevines in the kitchen.
Around this time I also began my
love of Laura Ashley and all things
antique.
Around the mid-late 1990s and
a move to our second house,
everyone was getting much bolder.
Probably owing to all the TV shows
such as Changing Rooms, Home
Front, 30-minute Makeover, House
Doctor (for those struggling to sell
their properties), even Ground
Force for your garden. Yes – I
painted every wooden thing in my
garden ‘iris blue’, benches, trellis,
planters, even an old church pew.
Inside the house I went crazy.
I made a mood-board for each
room with before and after photos.
I’d moved on from stencilling to
painting murals on my children’s
walls. I had spotlights set into
a large circle on my daughter’s
bedroom ceiling, and painted a
flower around each light. It looked
great, but what a neck-ache!
During 2000 we moved to
Sheffield. Every house we
viewed was involved in the
awful bidding-war. We finally
had an offer accepted on a house
that we ended up going to sealedbids
for. Again, I created moodboards
for each room. This time, a
dramatic red dining room, ‘naturalstraw’
lounge, and ‘jasmine-white’
bathroom with many spotlights.
The electrician asked if I was trying
to make it look like the Crucible
Theatre! Another baby came along,
so did the loft-conversion. Then
after a major operation I spent the
summer making bunting for the
garden … yes, and the bedroom
and the lounge!
In January 2007 we moved to
our current house - the ‘Money Pit’,
in Woodseats. Even after twenty
years of decorating and revamping
houses I still did all my before and
after photos. This house had woodworm
galore, damp, a clapped-out
old boiler and dodgy plumbing to
say the least, but I love it!
I am not a lover of wallpaper
or feature-walls in particular, but
over many years of change I know
what I like. So I have another red
dining room (and probably always
will), my daughter has a mural on
her walls, and I still love making
bunting – even for my dolls house!
As we are all revisiting the ‘makedo-and-mend’
era, I have now
painted much of my old wooden
furniture, no ‘iris-blue’ this time, for
me it has to be ‘French-Grey’.
The only advice I would give to
someone wanting to redecorate or
do up a wreck is to please yourself!
At the end of the day, it is your
house. It’s supposed to reflect you
and the things you like. Fads come
and go so quickly – don’t ask too
many people for their opinions. If
you have a decorating disaster,
chin-up, and get out the
Magnolia paint!
Julia Craddock
Changing Rooms
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
email: office@stchads.org
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats
Page 22 website: www.stchads.org
Church Office: 9 Linden Avenue, Sheffield S8 0GA
Page 23
Tel: (0114) 274 5086
email: office@stchads.org
website: www.stchads.org