All posts by Keith

I’m a controversialist and catalyst, quietly enabling others to develop by providing different ideas and views of the world. Born in London in the early 1950s and initially trained as a research chemist I retired as a senior project manager after 35 years in the IT industry. Retirement is about community give-back and finding some equilibrium. Founder and Honorary Secretary of the Anthony Powell Society. Chairman of my GP's patient group.
beliefs

Today

Although we always think of 21 December as being the shortest day and the Winter Solstice, in fact this year both fall today, 22 December. The Solstice was actually at 05:30 UTC (aka. GMT) this morning. And today is the shortest day (time between sunrise and sunset) of the year in London; with just 7 hours 49 minutes 43 seconds of daylights today is just 1 second shorter than yesterday, and 5 seconds shorter than tomorrow.

Almost every culture around the world has a rite (often a festival of rebirth, light or fire) observing “the turning of the year”: that time when the days start lengthening and we know Spring is on the way. For most of us in the western world the Roman Saturnalia and the Celtic fire festivals have been admixed by Christianity to make our Christmas.

So we had jam yesterday and although there’s no jam today there will be jam again tomorrow.

quotes

Quotes of the Week

Thin pickings in terms of thoughtful/amusing quotes this week — everyone must be on Christmas holidays already. But here are the few I have seen.

Fitch has downgraded six of the world’s largest banks (Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse). Commenting they said the downgrades
reflected challenges faced by the sector as a whole, rather than negative developments in idiosyncratic fundamental creditworthiness.
[BBC News]

We are of course aware that kingdoms are governed and laws upheld primarily by prudence, fortitude, moderation and justice, and the other virtues which rules must strive to cultivate. But there are times when money can speed on sound and wise policies, and smooth out difficulties.
[Richard FitzNigel, Treasurer to King Henry II]

Finally two thoughts of unknown provenance …

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

food+drink

[51/52] Carrots at Elveden

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Carrots
Week 51 entry for 52 weeks challenge.

Rainbow carrots for sale yesterday at Elveden Estate Shop, Suffolk (on the A11).

I love Elveden Estate Shop and we try to drop in every time we go to see my mother. The estate is certainly doing it’s best to diversify capitalise on it’s asses. When we were there yesterday morning it looked as if there was a shoot later in the day as all the beaters were gathering and being fed breakfast! And we dropped in again just before closing time yesterday evening when there was a bus-load of people descending on the place, I guess for carousel rides and a party.

The shop is actually a small complex of shops, but don’t expect the usual slightly scruffy farm shop. This is a high class estate shop and truly professional in everything they do. As one might expect they major on food, selling a wide variety of quality groceries (many produced by the Estate) and not always at high prices. There is also a small range of vegetables and some superb meat. Wherever possible the veg and meat is sourced from the Estate or the local area. Sadly on this visit, because we already have our Christmas meat arranged and weren’t certain to get to Elveden, we just picked up a couple of pheasants and some veg – so roast pheasant for dinner today followed by game terrine for Christmas! These rainbow carrots are really fresh, straight from the farm, and delightfully tasty.

As well as the “produce” shop there is a great coffee shop/restaurant (the best full English breakfast I think I’ve ever had), a small range of garden plants and a couple of gift shops. At this time of year there is always a stall or two of crafty things, plus Christmas trees from the Estate. And this year there was a carousel too!

If you’re in the area (and that isn’t so unlikely with a CentreParcs just down the road) Elveden Estate Shop should be on your “must visit” list, if only for coffee and cake. The shop is well back off the road in what was probably the old stable blocks; there are entrances from the A11 (almost opposite Elveden church) and the B1106. Don’t miss it!

More on the shop and the Estate.

Noreen also blogged last year about breakfast at Elveden.

memes

Listography : Christmas

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Kate’s Listography this week asks that we write about five things which make Christmas, Christmas for us. So …

King’s College Carols. The traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols has been broadcast from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge on Christmas Eve afternoon since before I was born. There will be very few years when I’ve not heard it. For me this is the real start of the Christmas festivities and is always associated in my mind with the smell of baking mince pies!
Fairy Lights. There have to be fairy lights. As a very minimum fairy lights on the tree. But these days we usually indulge in a few more, depending on our fancy at the time. And I like to see twinkly lights anywhere and everywhere at Christmas. Somehow they bring out the spirit of happiness.

Royal Institution Lectures. Every year the Royal Institution in London puts on a series of science lectures for children (really aimed at young teenagers) and over the years just about every respected scientist in the UK has presented them. Each year is a different theme, by a single lecturer. And for many years now they have been televised; I remember some very early televised lectures by Prof. Eric Laithwaite on engineering! This year I’m delighted that they are once again being televised by the BBC; although they are now only three lectures (there used to be five or six) hopefully this means they will have been less dumbed down than of recent years when commercial TV has broadcast them.

Carols. I like carols. I always have done. Yes, I like a good sing, but I also have fond memories of singing carols in the choir at school and of carol singing. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas with out some good carol singing.

Opening presents round the fire on Christmas morning. This is a childhood tradition which Noreen and I have kept. Christmas morning sees us sitting round the fire, usually with a large gin & tonic, opening our main presents. Another present tradition from my childhood which we keep is having small (in size and value) presents under the tree which we open after tea on Christmas Day evening.

These are just some of the essential ingredients of my Christmas.

Happy Christmas, Everyone!
words

Word of the Week : Widdershins

Widdershins

  1. Moving in an anticlockwise direction, contrary to the apparent course of the sun (considered as unlucky or sinister).
  2. In a direction opposite to the usual; the wrong way.

The opposite of deosil or deiseal, in a clockwise or sunwise direction.