Joseph Priestley

I was pleased to see the statue of Joseph Priestley bedecked with poppies when we visited Birstall Market Place this morning to pickup some fish.

Joseph was born in 1733 in Fieldhead on the edge of Birstall 
He is known best as the man who discovered oxygen, but also invented artificially carbonated water  and a rubber eraser.
His political views did not endear him to the establishment and in 1794 he and his family left for America and settled in Pennsylvania where he died in 1804 aged 70.
Now known as the " father of modern chemistry ".
Several of his descendants became physicians, including the noted American surgeon James Taggart Priestley II of the Mayo Clinic.

Back home for breakfast and then to Pinderfields Hospital for MrC to have another injection into his eye.
It meant that I could visit friend M who is still in hospital having treatment for leukaemia.
I took her some gingerbread hoping she can manage a piece or two as she has no appetite as has lost her taste. Fortunately it is beginning to come back which is making her feel better.
The recipe we call “ Josie’s Moggy” is a recipe M gave me many years ago.
Anyhow it cheered her up and she said she would have a piece for her dinner.
Hopefully she will be able to come home soon, and then will go back three days a week for treatment. At the moment she is taking tablets and having injections.
It was nice to see her smiling as I left.