Yorkshire Pudding
"O God, I could be bounded in a nut shell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." - Hamlet Act II scene ii
24 October 2025
Triumph
23 October 2025
Foxes
22 October 2025
Latitude
21 October 2025
WEST>>>
Our semi-detached house was built on a hill. Consequently, as you step down the street the houses also step down. The neighbours above look down on our garden and we look down on the other side's garden.
Above us there's Tony and Jill - a lovely couple who are now well into their eighties. They have lived on this street for fifty years. Between our two houses, near the back doors, there's a brick wall with a concrete panel on top of it.
Recently, I repainted our side of this rough-textured panel with white masonry paint. In idle moments I have often thought about adorning it with a mural - perhaps sunflowers or a giant robin but a month ago, a much simpler idea came into my simple mind.
The garden is west facing so I thought of painting the word "WEST" upon it followed by an arrow. I know the idea is slightly bizarre but as I said to Tony and Jill when explaining it, "I am a bit mad". The design I had in mind would be reminiscent of the painted directional graphics that may still be spotted in old football stadiums.
20 October 2025
Apples
2025 has certainly been a remarkable year for apples here in Great Britain - a genuine mast year. Several newspapers have reported as much and people with apple trees in their gardens agree that this year has been quite special.
We have five old apple trees in our garden which we have looked out upon for thirty six years. Throughout that time, the four big trees have given us lots of green cooking apples each autumn. But this year something very odd has happened because the apples that hang from those selfsame trees have turned red for the very first time. (see picture above)
Scientists might explain that perfect growing conditions with plenty of summer sunshine will often trigger much greater production of a red pigment called anthocyanin and that seems to be what has happened to our apples.
In all previous years, our apples have been so tart they would make you wince. They have only been good for pies, crumbles and apple sauce - all requiring the addition of sugar. In spite of that history, today I thought I would try one of this year's red apples and sure enough I could eat it without squirming.
Though not quite as sweet as many modern eating varieties, the level of sweetness was more than acceptable and I carried on to eat the whole thing.
When it comes to apples, I might have to wait another thirty six years for a similar mast year. I will be 108 years old when that crop arrives.
19 October 2025
Two
18 October 2025
Absentia
Like yesterday's "Fossils" blogpost, this one has been "scheduled" to post via the magic of Blogger.
We are currently down in this country's sprawling metropolis. See the video at the top in which a much younger Ralph McTell sang about "The Streets of London", focusing humanely on those who are overlooked or neglected in big cities - people like shadows who nonetheless have stories to tell. Did anyone ever aim to become homeless - living out on the streets? I doubt it.
Ralph McTell is now eighty years old. I guess we are all getting older. Years flicking by, one after the other.
Yes. We are in London, visiting our grandson Zachary and his parents too. I doubt that we will see a West End Show, visit an art gallery or grip the railings outside Buckingham Palace, hoping for a glimpse of King Charles III and the true love his life - Queen Camilla. Zach will be two years old next weekend.
Hopefully, the three o'clock train from St Pancras will bring us back to Sheffield as daylight begins to wane on Sunday.
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