Journal of an English Gentleman

A pair of moggies looking for a home!

2009-09-02T23:10:39Z

On behalf of my good friend vitktigeir, a message to UK folk, and particularly to those of you in the northwest...

Fudge (male, ginger) and Smudge (female, tortoise shell), both two years old, neutered and vaccinated, are in need of a new home, due to the machinations of evil property moghuls!

With animal rescue centres full to bursting at the moment, the alternative is grim, so please pass on the message to anyone who might be able to help!

Storybook Moon

2009-08-05T23:10:40Z

I haven't updated for some weeks, though I have made some notes that I intend to turn into a general update.

Now, whilst you all wait for that to happen...

Ambling around the park with the hound, a half hour ago, I was fascinated by the sky. There was a perfect storybook moon, a pale disk delicately streaked with drifting wisps of cloud. And stretched across much of the sky, and gently glowing with moonlight, was a cloud pattern that looked for all the world like the scales on the underbelly of a dragon.

One of those fine moments when one can be open to both the science and the art of it, and enjoy the beauty of both.

Boo...and YEAY!

2009-05-20T13:12:48Z

On the downside...

My doormat has been gifted with vague political hyperbole from (strictly in alphabetical order!) the BNP, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP. Woo! They insist that we can achieve absolutely nothing in the EU, or absolutely nothing out of the EU, and, whilst I am moderately fond of some of the work done by Greens on the local scale, their MEP candidate seems peculiarly obsessed with a certain Italian political movement of the 1920s and 30s. Come on people, focus! What are you actually going to do if my beautiful vote gets you your own expense account!

And, joy of joys, I have bumpf from Giordano Bruno and the Cameron Clan to look forward to!

On the upside...

Eddie Izzard is performing at the Grand Theatre next Tuesday evening.

Get yer tickets at...

http://www.lancastergrand.co.uk/

RPG pleasures

2009-04-30T09:54:40Z

Rule #1) If the actions of your character sometimes surprise yourself, your ref and the rest of the players, and yet are clearly understandable in hindsight, then all is well.

:o)

Chase the Morning, from 'Repo! The Genetic Opera'

2009-03-30T17:34:58Z

A mighty fine track?
A mighty fine track!

A gothically valid duet from Sarah Brightman and Alexa Vega.

Chase the Morning - Repo! The Genetic Opera
Uploaded by gsides

Southport quest!

2009-03-27T00:32:00Z

Ye gods and little fishes!

Our wee Komedy Klub has had tickets booked for Rob Brydon for a good many months, but it was only in the last couple of weeks that I began to wonder what he'd actually be like when doing stand-up.

The answer...

Damn fine!

Thoroughly recommended, see him if you get the chance. The best contact and communication with an audience that I think I've seen.

On the other hand, whilst Southport has some lovely buildings, and is clean and tidy, the parking options are dire. The car park at the theatre was nowhere near big enough, and side streets were packed with parked cars, yellow bands and elite roaming parking wardens. It took us so long to find somewhere that we missed the support act, but, heck, I don't think I could have safely laughed much more in one evening.

All the best to Dick and Ffion! ... ;o)

Week of Culture ... ;o)

2009-02-13T23:40:13Z

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, at The Grand Theatre

http://www.lancastergrand.co.uk/biographys/sir_gawain.html

Top stuff, with passion and humour!

Final performance in Lancaster tomorrow evening. Recommended.

What is it about Tokay?

2009-02-12T00:05:35Z

I've just returned from a lovely evening at the Dukes. We saw Dean Spanley, a movie (based on Lord Dunsany's novel) which I can recommend highly! A wonderful recreation of the sights, sounds and spirit of Edwardian England, and a heartwarming tale, with a cast of seriously good actors.

The Dukes is showing it again at half-eight on Friday. Get there if you can, this wee gem isn't on general release!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135968/
http://www.deanspanleythemovie.co.uk/

Old Father Valentine

2009-02-10T23:01:27Z

I have 'inherited' an old Norfolk tradition from a friend of mine, and I do my bit to spread it around my neck of the woods, 'cos it's great fun!

Father Valentine leaves gifts on the eve of Valentine's Day, or thereabouts. He places them on the doorstep of the recipient, knocks on the door, and disappears into thin air, or beats a hasty retreat! If someone answers the door, and spots the gift, the traditional response is to shout, "Thank you Father Valentine!" at a volume that will be audible to anyone who happens to be concealed in nearby shrubbery... ;o)

Gifts tend to come as a selection box of things, and whilst some variants of the tradition involve considerable expense, I rather like the one that says that gifts should be cheap, and preferably slightly daft or peculiar.

The appeal of the tradition is that it is inclusive and creative. Father Valentine can leave gifts for friends, kids, parents or grandparents, and whilst he can leave romantic gifts for a lover, such things move away from the crass, commercial circus that is the popular alternative.

Go on, why not raise a few smiles by gifting someone with a beautifully wrapped and amusingly shaped vegetable!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/articles/2005/02/01/valentines_2005_norfolk_traditions_feature.shtml

Attenborough on 4

2009-01-31T11:34:03Z

There was a thought-provoking little snippet on Radio 4 this grey and blustery morn.

The presenter introduced Sir David Attenborough as a well-known atheist, and he corrected her, expressing that he hoped he was a well-known agnostic. In the following brief exchange he said that he considered having a closed mind in this area to be unscientific, but that empty speculation was pointless.

I'd like to see more moderates like that, and less extremists.

Science, architecture, and a fast buck!

2009-01-28T16:24:26Z

rant

I like sash windows.

I like that they were apparently invented by that fine gentleman of science, Robert Hooke, back in the 17th century. They are easy to operate, ventilate rooms efficiently, last for generations if well-made, and are easy to clean.

So, what do we do in our institutional buildings? Nail them shut, and install air conditioning units, which are expensive to buy and fit, expensive to run, have a far shorter life-span, are hell to clean, and create an atmosphere as pleasant as a soggy cracker...at best.

Sure, if you live in a hot climate, air conditioning is a boon, though some of the Roman and Persian technologies seem more elegant and efficient. And if you really must have a tower block, then opening a window for ventilation doesn't work once you get high up, but tower blocks are a pretty silly design from the point of view of psychological well-being, community, etc.

To be honest I'm also tempted to put the boot into the use of steel-framed buildings outside of earthquake zones, but that's just about cheap, short-lived buildings designed, and, more importantly, paid for, by people who think of buildings as disposable, rather than reusable.

Pah, morons!

P.S. They laughed at me in Frankfurt! (I didn't get to Heidelberg.)

/rant

Mmmm...nice.

2009-01-18T02:13:54Z

It was grand to see so many folk at The Park. It's a much nicer rendezvous point than the Bobbin, especially since the refurbishment.

And thanks to one and all for a very pleasant evening, and plenty of quality pizza... ;o)

Looking forward to more movies, more gaming and more LARP plotting!

Wassail gentlefolk!

Science and Islam

2009-01-06T00:46:48Z

A surprisingly good piece of telly from the dear old Beeb, recommended to scientists, Muslims, and any other human beings out there!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gksx4/Science_and_Islam_The_Language_of_Science/

The techbox says...

2009-01-02T22:31:54Z

In 2009, mr_jez resolves to...

Find a better cinnamoncupcake.
Go to 0_soliloquy_0 every Sunday.
Volunteer to spend time with spike369s.
Give some nordicladyfis to charity.
Be nicer to luvlymish.
Cut down to ten darius_of_lancs a day.

The tide turns, from Yule to the New Year!

2009-01-01T15:38:00Z

I spent a lovely Yuletide week with my folks, down on the Kent edge of the big city. Shadow and the folks got on famously, which put my only worry to rest, and allowed me to relax and have fun. There was a great deal of food, a good deal of hearty conversation and lots of festive cheer! The hound and I headed out to explore on most days, down the road to our local park, up to Chislehurst Common, and repeated trips to the wonderful Greenwich Park, with views down to the old Royal Naval College, and across the Thames to the heart of the city. I returned to the site of the Roman ruins investigated by Time Team back in '99, and finally made time to amble around the Anglo-Saxon burial tumuli to the west of the Royal Observatory. Top fun!

And then last night was the traditional New Year's gathering hosted by luvlymish and mostlyfoo. It was grand to see the old gang, and a few new faces, though some few folk were sadly missed. Nevertheless, a fine time was had by all, and it was one of the most pleasant welcomings of the new year I've had for many a moon. There was a sense of fun and activity, without over-reliance on telly, tech toys or alcohol (despite the enthusiasm of a handful of individuals, who were largely filled with bonhommie!).

Wishing you all a joyous, wondrous and prosperous New Year!

Wassail for the Yuletide!

2008-12-20T17:21:50Z

In this neck of the woods the sun has set and the Mother Night begins, first of the twelve nights of the Yuletide that run up to the New Year.

However you celebrate the midwinter, I hope you will be making time for love and laughter, time for kith and kin, time to remember your roots, and time to wonder about the mysteries of the unknown that draw us onwards!

There is a tradition that tonight is a good night to remember our female ancestors, the disir, the clan mothers, and it's a tradition I hold to. Time to raise the mead horn!

Mmmm...nice.

2008-12-18T00:27:55Z

Dining out with an old friend, laughing and swapping Yule pressies...a grand evening.

And the manager liked us so much he kept the place open late for us to finish up, and gave us chocolate gateau to take home.

Win!

Wishing you all well, gentlefolk.

Playing Games

2008-12-14T18:54:25Z

Hearty thanks to the gang of brave souls who joined me for the two-session Axis & Allies wargame marathon. It intrigues me mightily that whilst many cases have been made for the various deeds that may have shortened the real war (decoding Enigma being high on the list), our game seemed to hinge on two rather more colourful points (Allied dice sal aside!), ie.:

a) Italian fleet dominance of the Black Sea, and
b) The Nazi deployment of the VW Microbus (Well, OK, mech inf, but you get the picture!)

Still, great fun on these long, cold winter evenings, and I'm up for more!

Well, I didn't know that...

2008-12-13T13:49:14Z

Here in the UK, the Equality Act states that, legally:

(a) “religion” means any religion,
(b) “belief” means any religious or philosophical belief,
(c) a reference to religion includes a reference to lack of religion, and
(d) a reference to belief includes a reference to lack of belief.

I believe in free speech...

2008-11-18T22:16:47Z

Yep, for everyone, including you, me, the whole merry show at Westminster, the BNP, the Muslim clerics that talk about terrorism, Neo-Nazis, Michael Palin, Anti-Nazis, the LGBT crowd, the people that don't want anyone to frighten the horses, the Greek Orthodox Church, Satanists, pagans and Uncle Tom Cobley and all! ... ;o)

-----

This rant inspired by this evening's very fine Alistair Cooke memorial lecture on Radio 4.

Details about the programme here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fjf82

And iplayer link here...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/playlive/bbc_radio_fourfm/

Quote of the morning...

2008-09-30T11:25:21Z

“You cannot prove the nonexistence of God; you just have to take it on faith.”

-- Woody Allen

Hard at it!

2008-09-22T21:07:26Z

Finally, a good, dry weekend when I didn't have anything much planned.

After an intriguing discussion on Friday evening, which started a bit slow, but really revved up as people got into it (thanks to all of you who were there!), I spent most of Saturday and Sunday working in the back garden, and in the front yard. And I'm quite happy with my progress!

The thing is that I really need two or three more such weekends throughout the autumn to tackle the gardening, the crafting of the path, and the repainting of the back gate (and sheds!).

Arg.

Always more than you think!

Still, a lot done, and there was time for shopping, swimming, having a get-together in the park with folk, and indulging in some chat and gaming.

Now gotta fit in my college work somewhere... ;o)

Wassail one and all!

Heh

2008-09-20T21:56:35Z

You Are 44% Goth

You definitely have some gothicness going on, but you're far from being a stereotypical goth.

You enjoy certain elements of goth culture, but you're not going to be into something simply because it's goth.

It's likely that you're the type of person who totally defies labels. Good for you!

If you are into something, it's because you sincerely love it. Not because it projects a certain image.

Are You Goth?

Midgard shows its mettle!

2008-09-13T19:52:03Z

A grand day, even though I have been gifted with a wee cold just at the moment!

I was up at eight and out to walk the hound in the park, which was satisfyingly quiet, then off with Rat and Doug to Lowther Castle, near Shap. Today the gardens were fully open to the public for the first time in seventy years, and we wandered happily around a vast and secret landscape, with delicate features partly hidden beneath a veil of moss, brambles and bullrushes. Lowther is developing, and more wisdom (and images!) can be found here...

http://www.transforminglowther.co.uk/

They're open tomorrow as well (11am - 4pm), and I certainly recommend the experience. You can always round it off with lunch at the Queen's Head (http://www.queensheadaskham.com/) in the beautiful nearby village of Askham. We did, and, as they say...OM NOM NOM NOM!

With a lovely afternoon and evening I've had a chance to cut my lawn, for the first time in too many weeks, and the opportunity to wander in the park under a clear and cloudless sky, to see the sun sink in the west, and the moon rise in the east, smiling cheerily as he goes!

When hadrons collide...

2008-09-10T13:36:35Z

"Gentlemen, these are boffins..."

[This will make sense if you have, a) been listening to the way the current LHC story is being reported in the media, and, b) read Toby Frost's God Emperor of Didcot.]