9 March 2020

Cedric


In Britain we call the tough doormen and doorwomen who wait outside night clubs "bouncers". They "bounce"  troublemakers back out into the street. 

Yesterday we were at Carsington Water - a vast reservoir near Matlock in Derbyshire. The automatic doors to the visitor centre were guarded by a bouncer called Cedric Swan. We managed to slip inside while his back was turned. He took a particular dislike to a small but muscular grey dog on a lead. The dog may have never encountered a swan before. The stunned expression on his canine face said, "What the hell is that?". The expression on Cedric's face said, "I'm gonna kill you you ugly mutt!"
The weather was changeable so we did not undertake the seven mile circuit of the reservoir. We just strolled about and managed to get rained upon for five minutes when on an exposed section of the lakeside path. I noticed these teasels in the water. They demonstrate perfectly how Carsington Water has recently been overfilled by flood water.
 Sometimes there were dramatic bursts of sunshine as in the picture below.
With soggy trousers, we got back in Clint's comfortable cockpit and headed for nearby Cromford where we visited a wonderful bookshop called "Scarthin Books". Upstairs there's a small vegetarian cafe in which we ordered delicious homemade soups with fresh wholemeal rolls. Mine was tomato, roasted butternut squash and basil. Shirley's was split pea soup.

As we were waiting for our soups to arrive we noticed these bookshelves. In fact, we chuckled when another customer picked "Bish Bash Bosh!" up and took it downstairs - presumably to purchase it. I had to restrain Shirley from  yelling after the woman, "Our son wrote that!"

30 comments:

  1. I wouldn't fancy my chances against Cedric. He looks pretty fierce.

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    1. He would have made mincemeat of you JayCee!

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  2. Cedric and the dog, brilliant photo!

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    1. I wish they had been a little closer together.

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  3. I love that top photo -- perfect framing. I wonder if Cedric has a nest nearby?

    Those poor flooded teasels! If there were any seedlings down around their roots I doubt they'll survive that deluge.

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    1. There were a few other swans around and in the lakeside hide birders had seen 41 different bird species that day. Number 41 was an oyster catcher.

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  4. I've heard that swans can be fierce. Cedric looks to be proof of that.
    I WOULD have told that lady that "my son wrote that." I could not have been restrained.

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    1. As you know, we English are generally quite reserved and humble.

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    2. "I could not have been restrained"....haha! :)

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    3. Ms. Moon would have been like Cedric the Swan.

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  5. The teasels and the photo with the dramatic sunshine are great!
    Swans are very able watchdogs (!), just like geese. But swans and geese rarely get along; if they teamed up, they'd soon rule the world.
    Who knows - the lady who bought the Bosh! book would probably have asked the two of you for autographs, if she had known that you are the parents of one of its authors.

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    1. I am very pleased with the teasel picture. Teasels should not be standing in water. Swans and geese ruling the world? Maybe they will when the coronavirus plague has receded. I can imagine them arguing in The Houses of Parliament.

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  6. It's a like Noody Holder. "It's Christmas!" Ker-ching! Don't trap your thumbs in the till.

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    1. Don't you mean Nudey Holder? Noddy Holder's identical twin sister and the fantasy goddess of your late adolesence?

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    2. Have you been self-isolating in your bedroom?

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    3. I don't self-isolate as much as I used to.

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  7. Brilliant "bouncer" photos... How do you know his name? (I suspect there is some reference that perhaps I should know, but...)

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    1. Swansea City FC have a mascot called Cyril the Swan. Cedric seemed an equally ridiculous name for a swan. That's all DT.

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  8. Cedric looks very dedicated to his job. I wonder if he gets paid, or if he just enjoys being in control.

    Great photos! I like the teasels and the moody sky. And how great to be present when your son's book was purchased - I wonder how many they sell each week and if they have a good stock in!

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    1. In total Ian and Henry have sold over half a million books now and the sales keep ticking over. But they are not all sold at "Scarthin Books"!

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  9. I love the picture of Cedric Swan and the dog! Their expressions are great. Poor dog was shocked by the appearance of such a creature. We have many geese around here and you learn quickly to not mess with them.

    How fun it must be to see your son's books when you are out! I would be tempted to say something to the person buying the book. A Mother's pride is a strong thing indeed.

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    1. In England a famous brand of sliced bread is "Mother's Pride"!

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  10. Swans can be very mean. You don't want to mess with a swan.

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    1. Even experienced birders like you need to steer clear of swans.

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  11. Teasels have gone extinct over here. Several years ago I helped a friend put together a story board for children, including a "fuller's brush" made of teasels. We had to use thistles, instead. They conveyed the meaning equally as well.

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    1. Teasels are interesting plants aren't they Joanne?

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  12. Doggo looks as though he wants to run up and give Cedric a good sniff, cedric looks as though he wants to peck the life out of poor Blue (that's the dogs name)

    What does it feel like to have a multi-published author in the family?

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    1. re. the last question - All my life if I have been a book lover and have harboured my own publication dreams for years. In contrast, Ian was never a lover of books and yet the publishers came knocking on his door. I am amused by this irony and slightly jealous.

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  13. Swans are like Canadian geese, not to be taken lightly. I told Miss Katie once to stay away from the geese at the edge of a pond because they bite and she just laughed at me. But they do.

    Lovely photos.

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