Category Archives: ramblings

Oddity of the Week

The view of the dome of London’s St Paul’s Cathedral from Richmond Hill, some 10 miles distant, is protected by legislation. As Diamond Geezer, visiting Richmond Hill, reports:

A protected line of sight exists to the northeast, with a narrow gap cut through Sidmouth Wood in the precise direction of St Paul’s. And this invisible beam from Richmond exerts considerable influence on planning policy in the City ten miles distant. Buildings along the viewing corridor must not interfere with this view of the cathedral, so there are no tall office blocks or skyscrapers either in front or behind within a margin of two dome widths. Richmond’s protected vista is the precise reason why the Cheesegrater retreats to a triangular point, and why Liverpool Street station is as yet undefiled by highrise development.

Coming up in September

Some of the events and traditions coming up during September. Everyone’s back from holiday (and in days of yore the harvest is almost done) so there is more happening this month.
1 September
On this day in 1914 the Passenger Pigeon become extinct when Martha, thought to be the world’s last passenger pigeon, died at Cincinnati Zoo.
3 September
Outbreak of World War II in 1939 when the UK declared war on Germany.
6 to 21 September
Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight. Discover and celebrate Scotland’s culinary heritage. No, not just whiskey and haggis, but a great deal more besides. There’s lots of information at www.scottishfoodanddrinkfortnight.co.uk.
9 September
This day in 1839 Sir John Herschel (son of astronomer William Herschel, discoverer of Uranus) made the first photograph on a glass plate. He made many other contributions to photography, astronomy and botany.
11 to 14 September
Heritage Open Days. Four days to explore more of England’s beautiful architecture when over 4000 buildings that are usually closed or charge for admission will open their doors free. Find more information at www.heritageopendays.org.uk.


15 to 21 September
National Cupcake Week. Many of my friends seem to be cakeophiles, so they’re going to love National Cup Cake Week — a chance to show off your baking skills and eat cake. What’s not to like? More over at www.nationalcupcakeweek.co.uk.
19 to 22 September
Great British Beach Clean. Organised by the Marine Conservation Society this is an opportunity to look after your local beach by helping clean it up. Find an event near you at www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/events.
21 September
Autumnal Equinox. One of two days a year when we get exactly 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night, the Autumn Equinox marks the passage from summer to the dark days of winter.
22 September to 23 October
Seed Gathering Season. Through this autumn festival The Tree Council aims to inspire everyone, particularly school children and families, to gather seeds, fruits and nuts and grow the trees of the future. More information and events over at www.treecouncil.org.uk/Take-Part/seed-gathering-season.

29 September
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel. Falling as it does near the equinox, it is associated in the northern hemisphere with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days. In medieval England Michaelmas marked the ending and beginning of the husbandman’s year and was one of the English quarter days. The traditional food on this day was goose, nicely fattened on the grain it had gleaned amongst the fields of stubble.

Five Questions, Series 6 #2

So here, at last, is the answer to the second of the five questions I posed back on 3 July.


Question 2: If anything is possible, then is it possible that nothing is possible?
Logically yes, of course. If anything is possible then naturally it is possible for nothing to be possible as we have to assume that the null set is a valid entity — just like zero is valid in our number system.
But then we have to ask whether nothing is possible in reality. And the answer would have to be that no it is not possible, because there are things all around us which are not nothing, so nothing cannot be possible.
Reductio ad absurdum then says that in our universe, as we understand it, anything cannot be possible, because we have just shown that nothing is not possible; whereas if anything is possible, nothing must also be possible.
Confused? Welcome to the world of the logician. Now go and read Alice in Wonderland for a gentler introduction.
More when you brain has had a chance to recover!

Five Questions, Series 6 #1

Many weeks ago, for a value of “many” roughly equal to 4, I posted the questions for Series Six of “Five Questions”. And I said I would answer the first one a few days later. But I didn’t. With everything else going on it got overlooked. Now the vultures have come home to roost and it’s time to catch up and answer that question. Here goes …


Question 1: To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
Well I suppose to some extent the answer depends on whether one believes in free will or not. If you don’t believe we have free will, then clearly whatever our lives feel like we have have no control at all.
If you do believe we have free will then one might be able to control one’s life.
It happens that I think we do have free will, but nevertheless I have done little to control the direction my life has taken. I am not one of those driven people who plot out what they want and go get it. Some people seem to have their whole life mapped out from the time they’re still in nappies. And some never do. I’m very definitely one of the latter.
Right from an early age I drifted with whatever was going — or more likely opted out, if I could, of anything I found at all uncomfortable.
I remember at the age of abut 14 knowing I wanted to do science, but I did nothing positive to go and make it happen apart from choosing school subjects that I was good at.
The same with going to university. I knew I didn’t want to go to Oxbridge (and anyway school didn’t think I’d get the grades — I did!) but apart from that choosing universities to apply to was not much better than resorting to use of a dartboard.
My research opportunities were serendipitous. Yes, I’d applied for an MSc place but didn’t think I had the grade and was stunned when offered it. My doctorate was a case of doing well enough on my MSc course and being in the right place at the right time; again not at all expected or looked for.
When I buggered up my post-doc and was looking for a job it was a case of who would be daft enough to employ me. IBM did and I stayed there for the rest of my working life. Only twice did I say “that is the job I want and I’m going to get it”; I did get both jobs but only each time at the second attempt. Beyond that I drifted into whatever job I was reorganised into next. The only other positive decision was when changing jobs at the time Noreen and I were planning to marry. Her job was tied to London and I opted to take a London job rather than one on the south coast so Noreen could keep her job.
Oh and I made a deliberate decision to take early retirement, although we were all being gently nudged in that direction and I was ready for it.
Outside work, I’ve also very much drifted along. I don’t recall anywhere that I have ever said “that is what I’m going to do” and gone to get it. It’s all been very much more low key than that. If the opportunity is in front of me, and I feel like doing whatever it is, then I will; but I won’t chase after things. I can’t be doing with the stress and hassle of it all.
OK, that means I’ve never got on as far as maybe I could have done. I’ve always wanted to get on, get to the top of whatever I’m doing; get better paid. But I’ve never been prepared to put in any extra effort for it.
And, you know, that’s maybe not what this life is about for me. Maybe it is all more about reducing stress as much as I can; being comfortable; trying to maybe help others; learning some balance — balance I didn’t have when I was younger.
In the words of the cartoon cat Garfield: “Eat and sleep. Eat an sleep. There must be more to life, but I do hope not.”

Coming up in August

Interesting events an anniversaries in the month ahead. But yet again there isn’t a lot going on this month, probably because it is holiday season. Anyway, here’s what we have …
1 August
Lammas Day which is the festival of the wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year. On this day it was customary to bring to church a loaf made from the new crop, which began to be harvested at Lammastide. It coincides with the Christian feats day of St Peter ad Vincula (St Peter in Chains). Lughnasadh (Lammas) is also one of the eight sabbats observed by Pagans and is the first of their three autumn harvest festivals, the other two being the autumn equinox (Mabon) and Samhain.
1 August
This day also marks the Accession of George I in 1714 following the death of Queen Anne. He reigned until his death in 1727 and was also Elector of Hanover from 1698 to 1727. It was during George’s reign that the powers of the monarchy diminished and Britain began its transition to the modern system of cabinet government led by a prime minister.
3 August
Friendship Day. Celebrated on the first Sunday in August, Friendship Day is a worldwide opportunity to celebrate the joys of friendship. Find out more at www.friendshipday.org.
4 to 10 August
National Allotments Week. Once again the National Allotment Society is encouraging allotment sites across England and Wales to open their gates to celebrate the enduring nature of the allotment movement and hold a party for their plot-holders and the wider community. More details at www.nsalg.org.uk/news-events-campaigns/national-allotments-week/.


13 August
Birth in 1814 of the Swedish Anders Jonas Ångström who is generally accepted to be the father of spectroscopy — study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy (light, radio waves, x-rays etc.) — on which so much of modern science and medicine is dependent.
20 August
In 1864 JAR Newlands (1837–98) produced what many consider to be the first periodic table. Although Dmitri Mendeleev is given all the credit for the periodic table, Newlands got a large part of the way to Mendeleev’s solution some five years earlier. However the Chemistry Society in Britain ridiculed Newlands’ ideas and declined to publish his papers, thus possibly denying him a prior claim.
28 August
The 1914 Battle of Heligoland bight between Britain and Germany in the SE North Sea. The battle was won by the British and restricted the movements of the German Navy.

Lines on Maps

Yesterday I came across this map on Twitter …

africa

It shows Africa with its national boundaries (black lines) as they were in 1959 and (shaded) the continent’s division into ethnic/linguistic areas — ie. basically tribal areas.
Note just how many of the national boundaries are (a) straight lines and/or (b) cut straight across tribal areas. Every country contains multiple tribal/ethnic/linguistic areas.
Yet, we expect these peoples to be able to get on with each other as nations and embrace our democratic traditions. And we’re surprised when they can’t!
Is it any wonder they can’t get on, there is continual civil war and countries wanting to break themselves asunder. It is basically all the result of us, white man, drawing “arbitrary” lines on maps.

Life on an Even Keel

Around here we like life on an even keel; things going along smoothly. Yes, of course there is the occasional annoyance, like broken washing machines or pond pumps, but they are seldom catastrophic or disasters and are generally easily fixed or bypassed.
What surprises me is that this seems to be totally contrary to the way many of our friends and acquaintances operate. They seem to be unable to ride along smoothly, bobbing along on the waves of irritation. They seem to have to stagger continually from one crisis to the next — often several at a time — with even the smallest setback being an end-of-world catastrophe and needing others to help dig them out of the midden.
I can’t understand how people can operate like this. It would do my head in and seems to be so mentally destructive. It must be either a way of life of their choosing or an ingrained manifestation of adolescent angst which they cannot shake off.
Now, OK, I’ll admit we don’t indulge in many of the activities which are more liable to provide unforeseen (even foreseen) disasters. We don’t have kids, or kids-kids, so we don’t have to cope with illness, accident, the vagaries of schools, lost boy/girl-friends etc. etc. We don’t own a car (in fact neither of us can drive).** We own our house and don’t move every 3 years. We don’t spend all our leisure time flying round the world in search of sun, sand etc.
[** Not having kids and not driving are probably the two greenest things we’ve ever done, or ever can do, in our lives.]
We decided years ago that these were things we didn’t need to do, so we wouldn’t. I calculated many years ago that using a taxi when we need one, although it feels expensive, is actually cheaper than having a car, and so much less stressful — it hardly ever stops us being where we need to be; and for longer journeys we enjoy trains. Our house is adequate for the needs of the two of us, albeit not in the very best of areas, and we’re not ones for wanting to boil like lobsters in sunnier climes.
That doesn’t mean we don’t do things and don’t get to the places we need/want to, though it does mean we need to plan ahead a bit more, thus foregoing a certain amount of spontaneity. We try to think ahead and make considered, rational decisions: plan twice, act once.
Of course things go wrong. And when they do, well that’s life. You pick up, shrug your shoulders, work out how best to fix the problem and move on. It is neither a drama nor a crisis.
As an example, a couple of weeks ago we were both due, the same afternoon, to go to the dentist for our bi-annual check-ups and abuse by the hygienist. Our dentist is 7-8 miles away and we keep going to him because he is so excellent, despite that it needs a taxi. In fact on this occasion a friend had promised to run us over there in return for petrol money, coffee and cake — fair enough. But at the appointed time said friend didn’t appear; and mobile phone contact failed.
Having reached past the appointed hour, even for Plan B, we rang the dentist and explained nicely what had happened and rebooked the appointments. If the dentist decided to charge us for late cancellation, as we expected and knew he should, well such is life; it happens occasionally. In the event they haven’t charged us. It turns out said friend was ill for a couple of days and hadn’t been able to top up his phone; hence the lack of contact. Yes it was inconvenient and it might have cost us money, but it wasn’t a grand tragedy. We carried on and enjoyed a bonus free afternoon!
Basically it is as Noreen says: we don’t do panic, excitement, drama or surprise; we just roll along letting things largely wash over us; taking everything in our stride. It all seems to be common sense — but then as we know there is no such thing!
I’ve had to learn to do this; I don’t know how I did it, but it has certainly helped me a lot over the years. I couldn’t have done project management at the level I did without it.
OK, our approach is not always benign. For instance we don’t always put the effort we maybe should into having things repaired, but resort to throwing money at the problem and buying a new one — although that is always a considered decision. We’re lucky that (at the moment) we can afford to. And of course it’s all doing our bit to keep the economy going. It is all part of keeping things ticking along gently and evenly so we don’t, for example, spend three weeks without a washing machine while someone fails to source replacement parts. Yes, it’s a trade-off between a peaceful existence and being green — slightly less green, maybe slightly better karma and certainly lower blood pressure? We could, I’m sure do better …
But having said that I just do not understand how people can exist on a continual roller-coaster of drama, panic, crisis and catastrophe.
It’s probably good that we’re not all alike.

Wearying up to the Weekend

I’m tired. I want to sit and fall asleep but if I do I won’t get any dinner, because the time is approaching.
The week started off quietly, but the last couple of days have been surprisingly heavy.
Yesterday morning Noreen and I had our first introduction to yoga breathing, and some simple yoga. That’s quite tiring because I’m not very flexible (I never was) and not at all fit (entirely self-inflicted). You are also having to concentrate like mad on what you’re being told to do!
After a quick dash home and some lunch it was off to the optician for my annual eye test. Which is fine, although as I’m diabetic I always get my optician to do a retinopathy scan (basically photograph the back of my eyes). This involves drops in the eyes to dilate the pupils and leaves you unable to focus for several hours. Disorientating to say the least and, as yesterday, it sometimes makes you feel a bit queasy and in need of a lie down. So that too is quite tiring. In fact I often sleep for an hour or so when I get home and my eyes recover.
(Yes, as a diabetic you do get a routine annual NHS retinopathy scan, but I like my optician to do it as well — if only because I get to see the pictures!)
In case anyone is wondering, which is what your retina looks like through a camera lens (this is my right eye yesterday).

retina

Today I have spent the whole day in a training session (on healthcare commissioning, since you ask). On a warm day; in an inside conference room with 15 other people and no control over the aircon. Luckily it was actually interesting, so I didn’t fall asleep despite the temptation!
But brilliant — along the way today I managed to get a couple of things cancelled next week. So I get a free day. Well that’s the current theory, anyway. Better book a day out so we have to get up early!
Arrggghhhh!!!!! But tomorrow it is up early again as it is supermarket day (we normally go on a Friday) and the only sensible time to go is early morning before it gets too busy. Roll up to the supermarket and look to see if there are any good reductions on the meat counter. Then off for coffee and breakfast before tackling the bulk of the job. Hopefully home by mid-morning.
Maybe I get a lay-in on Sunday? Well here’s hoping anyway.
Retirement is such hard work! How do we ever find the time and energy to go to work? Beats me!

Coming up in June

Some interesting events an anniversaries in the month ahead.
1 to 30 June
National Microchip Month. Is your pet microchipped? By 2016 all dogs will be required by law to be microchipped. And it is well worth having any animal microchipped — we have found the owner of one cat, and had one of our cats found and been contacted purely because they were chipped. It is an easy, cheap process and doesn’t distress the animal. Any vet should be able to do it and your pet’s details are then on a national register. There’s a lot more information at www.petlog.org.uk/national-microchipping-month.
1 June
Asparafest 2014. Held at Ashdown Farm, Evesham this is Worcestershire’s asparagus themed music and food festival and all part of the British Asparagus Festival. Full details at www.asparafest.co.uk.
6 June
D Day Landings. The 70th anniversary of the 1944 D Day Landings which were the beginning of the end of WWII.
13 June
First V1 attack on England was on this day in 1944, just a week after D-Day.
14 & 15 June
Open Garden Squares Weekend. Around 200 gardens across London take part in Open Garden Squares Weekend each year. There is a real variety — from the traditional private squares to contemporary roof gardens, not to mention skips, prisons, museums, schools and allotments. Feed your curiosity in this magical two-day event. More information at www.opensquares.org.
14 June
Trooping the Colour. The annual parade on London’s Horseguards when the Queen inspects her troops. British military pageantry at it’s most splendid.
14 June
World Gin Day is a celebration of all things gin, giving us a legitimate excuse (not that we need one) to try all of the exceptional gins that are currently on the market.


20 to 22 June
Evesham National Morris Weekend. Morris sides from around the country come together in a national festival to dance the end of the asparagus season. Lots more information at www.nationalmorrisweekend.co.uk.
20 June
On this day in 1214 the University of Oxford received its charter.
21 June
Summer Solstice. The longest day in the northern hemisphere.
21 June
National Flash Fiction Day. Flash fiction is a really short story — basically, it contains everything you would write in an ordinary short story, but it’s much more condensed, often to just a handful of words. And Flash Fiction Day aims to celebrate all that’s good in this art form. There’s lots more information at https://nationalflashfictionday.co.uk/.
22 June
The first even cricket match was played at Lord’s Cricket Ground — the current one, that is, because Mr Lord had two previous nearby grounds both of which had to move because of property development. So it was third time lucky!
23 June
This day in 1314 witnessed the Battle of Bannockburn when the Scots decisively routed the English.
24 June
St John’s Day; Midsummers Day. This is the day on which many religions, from Christians to pagans, celebrate mid-summer.

28 June
Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo on this day in 1914, and act which precipitated World War I. The event is marked in the opening chapter of Anthony Powell’s novel The Kindly Ones.

Auction Delights

Yet another selection of the weird and wonderful from the catalogue of our local auction house. Nothing really outrageous this time; no mounted walrus heads; cranberry glass figurines of Hitler; stuffed guinea pigs. Just a collection of oddities put together and called a lot.
A still life of a loaf of brad (sic) with cheese and a bottle of beer, oil on canvas, gilt frame
A Dunhill cigar cutter, a Dunhill white metal lighter and a small erotic carving
3 miniature books, a small collection of miniature porcelain gnomes, and a silver-mounted perfume flask
A spring-loaded bone-handled corkscrew inscribed ‘BK&C’, a pair of old field glasses, a boxed pair of Nikon binoculars, a pair of opera glasses, magnifying glasses, and an unusual small candle holder, being held up by a frog on top of a tortoise
A late Victorian ornate silver bachelor milk jug and sugar basin, Birmingham 1896
How do you sex a milk jug, let alone determine its marital status?
A large quantity of miniature souvenir cheese dishes with covers including Margate, Ipswich, Alfriston, Bath, Lincoln, etc.
A White Star Line plate, a quantity of Wedgwood Bournvita cups, plates and coffee pot, a small quantity of commemorative ware including the coronation of 1937 George VI, a small quantity of souvenir ware including Walton-on-the-Naze and Northampton, a Victorian bisque nodding mandarin, a bisque figurine of a girl, etc.
Seven Wade Nat-West piggy banks including two Fathers, a Mother, Baby and three different children.
Clearly a very modern family indeed.
A good quantity of tribal art including masks, crocodile figurine, backbone necklace, carved hardwood bellows, pipes, African wall mask styled as an elephant and decorated with feathers, plus other interesting objects.
A boxed set of six Babycham glasses, a Wedgwood green jasperware box, a Wade dish entitled Wagon Train, a Belleek heart-shaped trinket box and cover, three boxed key rings, four Time-for-Tea boxed miniature collectable teapots, a horn, a figurine of an angel with Jesus, a figurine of a lady, a set of knife rests, three blackbird pie funnels, a quantity of small animal figurines including a Goebels rabbit, a Russian blue and white alligator, and other blue and white Russian figurines including two children on a wolf, a potter, eskimo, ladies, etc., a small quantity of thimbles, a quantity of souvenir ware including a clog advertising Guildford and a pig advertising Hove, a Coalport figurine of an owl and another of a snail, an Avon black cat perfume bottle, a Portmeirion white glazed jug, a Herend dish decorated with flowers, a Russian ceramic bear, a white glazed Naples figurine of a cherub playing a flute, three David Winter cottages, and other collectable items.
… interesting items including Victorian Frister & Rossman sewing machine, a leather briefcase, a Bush radio, Smiths mantel clock, three Oriental embroidered pictures of birds, Old Foley jar and cover, a large wash jug decorated with roses, copper jug and cover, three silver plated jugs, plus other interesting china items including wall plates, jugs, etc.
A quantity of fishing equipment incl. seat, nets, rucksack and fishing rods in a blue carry-all container and a pair of curtains
Two boxes of interesting artefacts incl. an old Oriental metal bell decorated with dragons and masks, a Dinky toy Ensign glass airliner model plane, old brass animal collar, a pair of heavy metal ankle bracelets, old metal pipe, replica pistol, snake candlestick, heavy Oriental brass vase, two heavy metal African figures, a pewter tankard, and a large metal tankard
Two Tanzanian Nyamwezi water divining wooden staffs of figural form, male and female
A huge collection of 75rpm (sic) and LP records
and again …
A collection of LPs, 45s and 75s, (sic) some of which date back to the 60s
A quantity of camping equipment incl. tents, stoves, kettles, plates, in a metal trunk C219CMC 1944, belt, pen, musical dog figure ‘The Last Shout’, a boxed brake lights, a military box, an old BBC Bakelite broadcasting item no. 2 model with adapters for aerial, earth and phone, an old leather suitcase and a trunk containing a leather case, torches, a quantity of Practical Engineering magazines, and various Machinery magazines, a pair of leather driving gloves, etc.
Three cartons of assorted National hats from around the world
and again …
A collection of national hats from around the world … including SE Asian straw hats and a Native American headdress