Matt Tuckey is a writer from Oldham, England. He covers celebrities, night life, Manchester, fitness, creative writing, social media, psychology and events. Some of this may, in some way, help others. Or maybe it'll just entertain you for a while.
I picked up this short book in the Tesco charity bookshelf. I have a desk job supporting this line of work, so I figured it would be good just to learn a little more about what the Social Workers deal with.
Written by the South African Bill Jordan in 1985, the book advises Social Workers how to help their clients in their role.
It’s already badly dated. References to ‘handicapped’ people, ‘coloured’ servicemen and ‘retardation’ in children wouldn’t fly these days, and this was written in my lifetime, which is worrying enough. Jordan even admits to drinking before seeing his most difficult clients, and claims he took a bunch of ex-psych ward patients to the pub!
An interesting insight into the role of a Social Worker and the pressures that they are put under. I have no doubt that systems and technologies will have changed for the better in nearly 40 years, but the conditions and behaviours we’ll always see in society. Jordan discusses meeting people on their level, learning to be non-patronising, and learning to remain calm under stress.
Whether the clients are in Johannesburg or Northwest England, the advice given (some of it, at least) would probably still be relevant.
I’ve just spent the last month researching my Viking ancestry, and immersing myself in all things Viking. I’ve been trying to find out about my ancestors, the Toki tribe, that would have lived as Vikings until doing a deal with one of the British kings – between 793AD and 1070AD – to convert to Christianity.
My dad tells me that, before I was born in 1982, he and my mum visited a museum somewhere – they can’t remember where – in which they found a ceremonial spoon, handed either to the Catholic Church from Toki, or vice versa, as a confirmation of their conversion to Christianity.
I’ve asked loads of Viking museums. No-one knows of it. I still don’t know which of the Scandinavian countries Toki were from, or when they arrived in Britain.
I have, however, found tons of other information, which you can find by trawling back through the months posts: runestones, Old Norse lessons, Viking-inspired music, an 8th-century haircut, The Last Kingdom binge-watching (I’m in the 5th and final season and it’s complicated still), Viking-themed podcasts, conversations with museum employees, and with cultural organisations.
I’ve received wads of PDFs relating to the Viking era, featuring the odd mention of Toki here and there, but nothing solid about my ancestry.
I’ve also been eating twice a day, as Vikings did. My diet has consisted of mostly porridge and root vegetables, with a bit of meat thrown in. A lot of fish. All of this is in the tenet of Viking lifestyle, but that said, when you’re only eating twice a day, it takes a certain amount of time to get through the food that you have. I still have 2 packs of cereal on the go, and tons of processed food in my freezer (although a lot less than I had a month ago).
I’ve had a good go at beating personal bests at the gym, tailoring my workouts to that which Vikings would have done: rowing (including a 10-minute record of 2330m, around 100m more than my previous record), deadlift, chin-ups, dips, and using the pulley frame to simulate the movement of wood chopping.
Now, just before my birthday at the end of July, the plan is to move things from a more investigative stance to a more practical one. Don’t worry, no murdering with axes, raping or pillaging, but more authentic food, more workouts and hopefully some outdoor cooking.
I have not quite attained his physique as of yet. 2 meals a day are steadily paying off though. This week I obliterated my 10 minute row record, adding on another 120 metres.
I wondered if anyone had blended 2 of my big interests – Viking history, and contemporary House music. It seems they have:
I sat down and scrolled through the weighty supply of PDFs kindly donated by Emily North of Yorkshire Museums Trust. All of this was fascinating material, but I was specifically searching for anything pertaining to my Toki ancestors.
One of these documents was titled ‘Place Names and Personal Names,’ a thesis by Gillian Fellows-Jensen of the Institute for Name-Studies. In this there’s a mention of Tockwith, a village in York, about 63 miles (102km) northeast from me. The meaning is ‘Toki’s Wood.’
In a document saved as 11-7-Gibson, there’s a segment of a book. It’s titled RUNIC INSCRIPTIONS: ANGLO-SAXON AND SCANDINAVIAN, dated 10th March, 1859. A. Craig Gibson, author, details many findings of hogbacks and runestones, inscribed stones from the Viking era. One passage details the Toki runestone that I mentioned was displayed in The Museum of London.
“Of the other two Danish Runic inscriptions known to exist in England, the next date of discovery is that found in St Paul’s Churchyard in London in 1852; which is to the following effect: - KONAL LET LEGGJA STEN THENNSI AUK TOKI; in English, ‘Konal caused this stone to be laid, and Toki.’ A sentence very meagre and insignificant so far as regards historical interest.”
A few pages later, Gibson purports that in 1066 ‘this King of Norway invaded the dominions of his Saxon Namesake, in alliance with the rebel brother of the latter, Totsi the outlawed Earl of Nothumberland; and that the allies were both slain with 30 thousand of their army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge near York… Though defeated, this invasion was most disastrous in its consequences to the Saxons of England. Harold had to hasten southward, all unprepared, to meet the Normans; and, but for this Norwegian invasion, and the hard won fight of Stamford Bridge, the battle of Hastings might have had a different result.’
Another interesting find came in Durham E-Theses: Anglo Scandinavians in north east England and south east Scotland between the eighth and eleventh centuries.
In this, John Luke Carson claims that Toxside in Midlothian Scotland is ‘possibly derived from the Old Norse personal name “Toki” and a misunderstood use of the old English word “heafod” meaning height.’
Furthermore, this thesis draws from The Boldon Book, a survey conducted in 1183.
‘The entry for Preston recorded that land was held by Orm son of Toki, both Old Norse names (BB1982, 55) and that land at Carlton was held by William son of Orm, again showing possible links to Scandinavia (BB 1982, 57).’
‘Apart from Coniscliffe, the other ‘vills’ were recorded in The Boldon Book in addition to the three other ‘vills’ not mentioned in the HSC, which now formed part of the Darlington grouping (Johnson-South 2001, 112). One of these later ‘vills’ was Whessoe, where The Boldon Book recorded that two brothers, Orm and Toki, held land (BB 1982, 63). Both are names of Norse origin. The ‘vills’ making up the Darlington estate formed a continuous and coherent block of settlements and The Boldon Book recorded that tenants at three of these ‘vills’ had obligations commonly associated with composite estates (Johnson-South, 2001, 112), suggesting that either a new composite estate was being created or an older, fragmented estate was being reconstructed (Johnson-South 2001, 112).’
So, from this we can ascertain that the Toki surname had not changed into Tuckey until the 13th century at the earliest.
The last document in the email was Sculpture and Viking Age London, which has no author name or date, but was probably written by staff at St Paul’s Cathedral. It sheds further light on the Toki runestone that I’ve previously mentioned from my findings. Here’s a key excerpt:
“One of the most famous sculptures in England is this runestone discovered in the churchyard of St Paul’s cathedral in London in 1852. The runestone reads ‘Ginna and Toki had this stone set up.’ It shows a creature which may be a lion or dragon with its front paws entangled with a snake. The ringerike style is one of a series of Viking Art styles that were introduced to England in the 9th to 11th centuries. Ringerike style is characterised by plant and animal motifs with extended tendrils and knots, the animals have small heads and slender sinuous bodies and almond-shaped eyes. The style takes its name from a region north of Oslo and it was in fashion from c. 980-1070. The runestone in St Paul’s Cathedral was probably erected in the early 11th century, when Danish king Cnut ruled England from 1016-1035.”
Finally, away from this research, I’ve been trying to mix up the food I eat yet still stay inside the Viking principle. Have you ever had Basa fish? A first for me. My god. Taste sensation. With a few sweet potato chips and herb-infused breadcrumbs (marjoram was popular a thousand years ago in Scandinavia, so I banged some of that in), and natural yoghurt to stick the coating to the fish, these elements all fused to make a great Viking-era dish.
I turned to the Hairy Dieters cookbook recently to see what recipes match up with the kind of things my ancestors would have cooked a thousand years ago. This month and next, I’m doing a little Viking project, researching some family history (Tuckey comes from the Norse ‘Toki,’ a tribe that invaded Britain some time between 745 and 1069).
It turns out a lot of Viking diet would have been vegetables. So a veg soup recipe sounded just right.
Hairy Bikers recipes are always a good shout – they take a bit of time to put together (this one took me an hour and 40, and an hour of that was just chopping; you might not take as long) but the end result is usually delicious. I’m not sure 9th century Norsemen had mains-supplied stick blenders, so their soups may have been a little chunkier, but the veg – butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, onions – would have been a staple part.
The end result, with a little fat free yoghurt and dried chives to season, tasted good. A lot of effort, though. That said, I had enough for a few meals, and seeing as I’m only eating 2 meals a day, I was eating soup for a while…
A drawback I didn’t notice ‘til later: I was cooking this in a large non-stick pan. When it came to liquidising, I used a stick blender. The blade is protected by a plastic rim, but the rotating pole attached to the blade seems to have protruded a little – I bought it in 2002 I think and it seems to have given a bit - and has scored the Teflon in the pan. I should probably have poured the whole thing into a blender instead.
Steadily viewing Last Kingdom Season 4. Complex, brutal Viking drama seeing Saxon-born Uhtred, a Danish warrior, getting ever closer to reclaiming his ancestral homelands. Still a challenge for my feeble brain though. What is going on in it?!
Historic England got back to me about family Viking ancestry – that’s not their field. Fair enough.
Sarah from St Paul’s Cathedral replied, explaining that they don’t have the teaspoon I’m looking for, but her team also knew of the Toki Runestone mentioned by a couple of other places. Described as “an Anglo-Scandinavian grave-marker in the Ringerike style of the second quarter of the 11th century,” it “was found in 1852 during the construction of a warehouse in St Paul’s churchyard. On one side of the stone a runic inscription reads: ‘Ginna and Toki had this stone laid’. The original is now held at the Museum of London.”
Toki Runestone
Open to suggestions.
I took this week off so I could email a ton of places, but I seem to have exhausted them all already. Netflix Viking shows it is!
Insomnia? Drop off with some Viking ASMR:
Fancy some lectures on Old Norse from an expert and Wyoming resident? See Jackson Crawford’s YouTube. Fascinating discussions on the origins of the English language, with added roaming wildlife.
No real plans for the week now I've made these enquiries. More Last Kingdom and chinups. Which suits me.
I finished for annual leave on the 14th and am not back in work until the 26th.
I’ve so far poured tons of time and effort into Viking research, polishing off Season 3 of The Last Kingdom, which sees Saxon / Dane Hybrid Uhtred cursed by a seer and reluctantly teaming up with – and eventually facing off against—the weaselly Prince Aethelwold.
As British Viking history was largely recorded by the British kings’ scribes and other church historians, the Danes’ history of Britain went largely unrecorded, so the production writers are free to paint, within reason, what ever history they like. But a lot of the characters – both British and Danish - are historical, so who knows how much of this is accurate and how much is fiction.
Fun, but I find it very complicated. Thanks, Wikipedia, for the synopses!
I contacted a list of museums that may have some Viking knowledge, in an attempt to find this historical spoon, a personal family heirloom of sorts relating to my Viking ancestry.
Some museums couldn’t help, but the Dock Museum in South Cumbria explained they did have a few Viking artefacts. I managed to speak to Alex Whitlock, Finds Liaison Officer, who was at the time working with an archaeologist at The Dock visiting to identify objects. Neither specialised in the Viking Era, and Mr Whitlock explained that I’d be better speaking to a Norse specialist, probably found in York or the North East.
An email from Emily North from the Yorkshire Museums Trust proved fruitful. They had nothing in their collection with Toki inscribed, however Emily provided me with a horde – not of preserved artefacts - but of PDF documents relating to the Viking era and its etymology, how certain names and words have prevailed. I still need to sit and read through them all, but from a quick glance they look fascinating.
I have a lot more time available now to power through the research, but now that my main enquiries have been made, a lot of this will be watching Viking shows on Netflix.
I also made a grotesque but nutritious vegetable stew, and scranned this folowed by a bought-in apple pie and yoghurt, and a cheese and ham toastie, all of which Vikings would have been perfectly capable of making, according to my research.
Away from the Viking theme, this week saw 2 entertainment icons pass away. Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country for Old Men and The Road, died aged 89. The Purlitzer winning novelist was easily one of the best writers to live in the 21st century so far. His western epic Blood Meridian – bloodily violent but an astonishingly unique western tale - is in preproduction at the moment. Outer Dark is also a terrifying, twisty short novel but incredibly tense.
Actor Treat Williams also passed away this week in a road accident. Famous for the movie Hair – think Grease in a barbershop (I’d presume, I’ve not seen it) Williams has appeared in a ton of great movies, including – if you ask me – the greatest ever made: Once Upon a Time in America.
He also gave a great turn as lunatic Critical Bill in 90s gangster flick / Tarantino nod Things to do in Denver when You’re Dead.
This week has been Loneliness Awareness Week, hosted by The Marmalade Trust. ‘Marmalade Trust is the only charity in the world specifically dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness.’
From Active Care Group: Mind UK state that some people ‘describe loneliness as the feeling we have when our need for social contact and relationships isn’t met. But loneliness isn’t the same as being alone. You may feel content without much contact with other people. Others may find this a lonely experience.’
I have short term memory difficulties, a lifelong condition. I think when you grow up trying to get to know people but forgetting the vast majority of what they tell you, it can be difficult to get close to someone, to know who someone is. You forget what people tell you about themselves. You don’t learn the social cues. You don’t pick these things up through osmosis, through life generally, like most other people do. You have to work to be normal. You have to learn to listen, to gauge people’s responses to your behaviour. To adjust and adapt to be accepted. You have to make the same social mistakes a few times.
In that way, I’ve always felt I can’t quite meet my own needs, and that connecting to people was a huge effort. To make matters worse, as I get older, my patience with people diminishes.
I’ve also felt that memory difficulties, plus depression and anxiety, would put women off. People tell me this is nonsense.
I dunno.
Anyway. If you’re dealing with similar issues, you should combat them. Talk to your GP. Look for a support group. Try Hub of Hope for local groups.
Independent of this (according to scientists in Iran, at least) is the issue of anxiety. Psypost reports that anxious people will focus on threat detection (the threat of being outcast socially, for example, or the threat of physical harm) but that this can be reduced through training. ‘Focusing instead on neutral stimuli’ – i.e. distracting yourself from what it is causing the anxiety – is something I’ve seen mentioned in several places over the last few months.
In other news, depressing but unsurprising: DWP admit nearly all its websites were rated ‘very high risk’ on access, and could be breaking the law, exacerbating the already outrageous waiting times to get through on the phone.
But, this is what happens when you cut the budget to public services. I’ve sat on the line to DWP in the past. You really need a competent Welfare Rights officer to step in and do it for you – their phone line bypasses the queue, and they know what to say.
