Category: Uncategorised

Today, our eighth anniversary of moving in to our ‘new home’, in March – July, 2016 – we went on a riverboat ‘pleasure cruise’, ‘pon the river Ouse. Dad, Claire, Sam, Teresa and I.

I volunteered to ‘drive’ the boat. That lasted all of a few minutes. I couldn’t get the damned thing to go in anything other than circles! And with dad freaking out, I decided to bale out.

Sam took over, and did a great job. Eventually. But in the meantime dad just wouldn’t stop with the continual freak-out! We did, alas, wind up fouled in the reeds, and having to call out the marina cavalry.

They tutored Sam in the ways of nautical righteousness. And from there on in – well, with a small second dose of guidance – Sam steered us all the way to Ely and back. Well done, bro’!

Once arrived at Ely, we had to pass the waterfront by, turn around, head back, and then moor up. Dad was still incessantly stressing. But after a first attempt near-miss, Sam got us ‘parked’. He and I secured Bramble to the mooring posts.

There were several causes for our initial difficulties, in Bramble. First, we’re not seasoned or practiced boaties. Second, in a tiny light-weight boat, such as Bramble, strong winds continually blew us off course, very easily and swiftly. Third, dad was at the front on the way out. Again, the tiny-ness of the boat was unhelpful; on the way back, with dad at the rear, the engine sat lower in the water, giving more oomph.

Once moored up, Teresa and I had a picnic, on the park by the river, and decompressed from the appalling stress of the outward journey. Dad, Claire and Sam went to Teacock’s, for lunch. After a brief look around Waterside Antiques, we joined them, for tea n’ a choc’ brownie.

We ate and drank in the back garden of Peacock’s. Which Teresa and I had never been to before. Despite our many visits there.

Dad calmed down a great deal during this sojourn. But it took an awful lot of persuading to get him back on the boat, for the return journey. To his great credit he did finally capitulate. And so we headed back to the mooring.

We got back to the marina with time in hand. I think Claire wanted to go out again (and get our moneys’ worth, poss?). But the rest of us were for getting back to Terry Firmer!

I had allowed myself to get riled by dad’s continual carping on the way out. And I had told him, several times, to shut up. I felt awful about this afterwards. Even if such an admonition was justified.

But in the end, with Percy Verence, and patience and fortitude all round, we saw the cruise through, and even managed, eventually, to enjoy it. At least Teresa and I certainly did.

We ate a delish’ curry, followed by peach n’ raspberry trifle, out in the garden last night. Teresa wanted a fire, so we got the pot-bellied stove out.

Chester enjoying surveying his kingdom, from the lofty heights of the green room roof.

I’m currently working as a delivery driver for Amazon. Not a long-term solution, or plan. But working for me as a present or current stop-gap, whilst I work out what to do next.

Some memories…

The above is a screenshot of a view of our home from the Google Earth app. From the brief period when I had two MX5s.

Just watched this film. And loved it. Ok, it’s fairly heavily loaded with historical inaccuracies. But, as George MacDonald Fraser remarked, in The Hollywood History of The World, ‘The main thrust of Cromwell is true, it gets a great deal of history, and the sense of history, right.’

As our pal Pat lamented, as the credits rolled, ‘What happened to British film?’ And this is an exemplar of a style of filmmaking that Britain once did quite often, and often very well. The no expense spared historical epic.

The cast is stellar, and acquit themselves very well. Richard Harris doesn’t look like Cromwell, but he plays the role with great elan. Likewise Obe Wan Kenobi, in the role of Charles I.

For the military history buffs, seeing Edgehill and Naseby recreated is great fun. And indeed, the whole costume drama aspect of the production is superb. Marston Moor – a parliamentary victory, and the biggest battle of the ECW – is left out, however.

I won’t synopsise the plot. Suffice to say that I found the two hours twenty-odd run time epic, but not overwhelming. In fact, I read online (wiki) that the first cut of the film was three and a quarter hours long. I would love to see that version. What got left on the cutting room floor?

Like any good media, on an interesting subject, this film makes me want to learn more about the real history. And that, I reckon, marks it out as a success.

But don’t look too closely…

The bottom three horizontal slats are loose. And no matter how I tried, I could’nae get them to re-seat on the ‘staples’ they were originally affixed by.

In a variation in the ol’ jazzer’s exhortation – ‘blow, man, blow’ – I’m invoking the fecundity of nature, to clad our green room withal.

Went out to do a short afternoon shift. Got back, and fixed the duff/loose fitting slats:

So… another trellis panel and supporting vertical beam fitted.

Small but steady steps towards our garden goals make me happy! Simple pleasures.

Today I started watching By The Sword Divided, a BBC TV series from the early ‘80s that I dimly recall from childhood.

For some reason I’ve been thinking about the ECW, or English Civil War, quite a bit recently. A recurring fantasy being to sculpt wargaming figures for the conflict, or go see a Sealed knot re-enactment.

I found the entire series, currently available on YouTube. And watched the first three episodes. I love it!

It’s funny, because the music, from the theme tune to the programme to the incidental stuff, also appeals. And is very like a good deal of the David Munrow stuff I’ve been getting into.

I’m minded to delve into the earthier and folksier works of The City Waites, an early ‘musicke’ ensemble who are featured in the series.

* Some folk – our neighbour Mel, for one (she doesn’t have internet) – still do!

I picked up three trellis panels yesterday, free. I spotted them outside someone’s home. Bold as brass, I inquired if they were surplus to requirements. They were destined for the dump. Yay! Score.

I’ve slightly cut down one panel, so it matches, height wise, its’ opposite number. These trellis differ from the others we’ve used, thus far, in having doubled up the cross members, for a denser, tighter grid. Do I take out the extra timber? Or leave as they are… hmmm!?

A second larger panel is destined for the east (or house) side, at left as you look westwards, down the garden. This also needs a slight trim, height wise. Once again, do I leave as is, or remove the ‘extra’ cross-members? I’m inclined to leave as is!

Neither of these two new panels are fixed in place, as yet. They’ll require extra vertical posts adding to the main frame, for starters. But leaning up against the structure gives an idea of how they’ll look.

Teresa wants to use the third smaller left-over panel, pictured above, on the fence outside the kitchen window. To cultivate something green and pleasant up, thereby improving the view. A very good idea!

Our delivering, near Oakham, in or near Exton. Gorgeous village! Well worth a visit.

This church, a Grade II listed building, is now a chapel of ease, as opposed to a fully-fledged parish church.

I didn’t know what that meant. So I looked into it. Apparently a chapel of ease is for occasional usage, by those struggling to reach a more fully operational local parish church.

Or, in simple terms, a less used church. Given the decline in church attendance generally, across England, that’s saying it’s almost no longer in use.

I guess that also explains why the interior furnishings look more like a café or restaurant than a church?

First up, a gallery of the stained glass windows.

Given my recent acquisition of a couple of editions of Painton Cowen’s Rose Window book, finding one – even if only a dinky little ‘un- in the flesh, so to speak, is timely, fun and gratifying.

And to finish, a rather handsome bit of pavement, from up near the altar.

I purchased the above today, at St Mary’s Books & Prints, Stamford. It’s a terrific book. And I’ve already enjoyed poring over it a great deal. My edition is a 1990 reprint. The text and photos, however, date back to 1979!

I’ve subsequently discovered that a newer version came out, in 2005, with more/better colour photographs. Are they all still by Cowen, the author/photographer? As they are in the above older edition.

I’ll find out soon enough, I suppose, as I’ve ordered the (above) newer version! I’ve also ordered this:

I adore medieval stained glass. And I look forward to studying these books in detail. Indeed, I hope they might inspire me to get artistically creative again.

I have no idea if the following website is also Cowen’s work, or not. It may be!? Anyway, therosewindow.com claims to have a growing library of, at the time of posting, ‘over 1200 examples from all over the world.’

Here are a few (all the photos I’ve used here are, I believe, taken by Painton Cowen):

These kaleidoscopic mandala like creations really are sublime. And from what little I’ve already read of Cowen’s writing on the subject, he boldly delves into multifarious avenues of inquiry, regarding their origins, meanings, and how they were made.

Fascinating and inspiring stuff!