Swan-like indifference
The bright sunshine belied the chill of the late September morning. The surface of the river was a series of ripples in the north-westerly wind. Standing watching the water, a moment transfigured the morning. From the south, out of the sunlight, came a flight of four swans. The birds moved through the air with an effortless grace, gradually losing height … [continue reading …]
The people I miss
“Do you miss Ireland” asked the head of department. “I miss the craic, the characters”. To be honest, I especially miss the characters and those who told the stories of the characters. One friend in Co Laois would tell wonderful stories of those whom he met: “Mrs Murphy had cats, eleven of them. Her cottage had a galvanised iron roof … [continue reading …]
Another GCHQ
Illuminated signs on the M5 motorway warn of delays at Junction 11 from tomorrow, 29th September until the end of March. The junction is to be upgraded. Not before time, the huge volume of traffic bound for GCHQ causes tailbacks from the roundabout onto the southbound carriageway of the motorway. The traffic conditions are very different from those at the … [continue reading …]
The old scams seem to work
There can be few people with email addresses who have not received at least an occasional email that seeks details that would allow the sender to defraud them. The “Spanish Hostage” scam is the oldest approach used (thus named because when it began two centuries ago people wrote letters claiming to be held hostage in Sapin and promising abundant reward … [continue reading …]
Mud-larking
John Masefield’s So Long to Learn recalls moments from his childhood days. The memories seem to belong to a lost age of innocence: Sometimes I was taken on a mud-lark up the mill-stream, dressed for the occasion in my oldest clothes and strongest boots. Passing under the viaduct, I came to that water, as it ran through a pasture turned … [continue reading …]
A reflection for Sunday, 27th September 2020
“Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you”. Saint Matthew Chapter 21 Verse 21 Jesus’ words would have outraged his listeners. How dare he suggest that those who regarded as beyond respectable society would have a place in heaven ahead of those who were devoutly religious. Jesus’ words … [continue reading …]
Balanced days
The minutes fall away from the days, the long hours of May, June and July recede into the past as the dark half of the year approaches. Journeys to and from work will soon be made in darkness, the landscapes of the Severn and the Avon disappear into a dark blanket. Sometimes changes can take place which only become noticeable … [continue reading …]
Frozen history
Written in 1964 by Bob Dylan, The Byrds’ 1965 hit All I really want to do was played on BBC Radio Six during the evening drivetime programme. For those unfamiliar with Radio Six, it is the BBC’s platform for alternative and independent music. Most of the airtime is devoted to current music from current bands. Undoubtedly, the listenership has an … [continue reading …]
Still waiting
Sunlight shone through a gap in the curtains. The sound of a tractor passing the cottage told Maggie that it was later than she thought. Her clock had stopped at some point and she had not replaced it. Normally waking at the same time each morning, Maggie had felt that a new battery for the clock was not necessary. The … [continue reading …]