Masseur for Monsieur

“Masseur for Monsieur?”  An unusual enquiry in our grim northern clubhouse.  The gaffer, recently lucky on the horses, has brought in a ‘top’ rather gullible American striker, complete with personal preener.  We’re all in on it now, pretending we are some high powered Italian outfit, with what I call our new azure ‘lie’ kit.  Things came to a head when in the post match interview in disgust I remarked, “a win? ‘tis stale”  going further by describing the match, “a dower (but nothing) disgrace”.  

But I've changed my tune.  Next week we are up against our great rivals.  The gaffer asked my views on playing our superhero up front and I found myself saying “Orwell, that end? Swell!”

Big Birthdays

Elizabeth is 18

Elizabeth on her birthday

Sophie - posing philosophically for Joanna's art homework

Matthew Hobson

Our other amazing Sophie

 Margaret is 50

Thought for the Day

I recently found my collection of cuttings of Thoughts and Quotes which I have kept for many years.

Here is my collection.

"I am a man; I count nothing human foreign to me"  Terence, Roman Comic Playwright.

"The Union will not see its 300th anniversary" Said in 2001 by Alex Salmond, then leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party. Act of Union was 1707 so union is now 307 years old.

"What is life without dreams?"  Edmond Rosland, French Playwright.

"Even a god cannot change the past."  Agaton, Athenian Poet.

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy."  Robert Lewis Stevenson, Scottish Novelist.

"Nothing happens to any man that he is not framed by nature to bear." Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, Roman Emperor.

"In dreams begins responsibility." W.H. Yeats, Irish Poet.

"I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can do."  Lucille Ball, American Comedienne.

"A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy, and nothing can stop him." Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Novelist.

"The heart of man is made to reconcile the most glaring contradictions."  David Hume, Scottish Philosopher.

"There was never an angry man who thought his anger unjust." St Francis De Sales, Bishop of Geneva.

"Discovery consists of seeing what everyone has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi, Biochemist.

"Science must begin with myths, and the criticism of myths."  Karl Popper, Philosopher.

"History gets thicker as it approaches recent times."  A.J.P. Taylor, historian.

"A liberal man is too broad-minded to take his own side in a quarrel."  Robert Frost, Poet.

"One man with courage is a majority." Thomas Jefferson, US President.

"Despise the enemy strategically, but take him seriously tactically."  Mao Tse-tung, Founder of the People's Republic of china.

"Unless one is a genius, it is best to aim at being unintelligible." Anthony Hope, English Author.

"The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself." Rita Mae Brown, American Writer.

"If someone had told me I would be Pope one day, I would have studied harder." Pope John Paul I.

"Everyone threw the blame one me.  I have noticed that they nearly always do.  I suppose it is because they think I shall be able to bear it best."  Winston Churchill, British Statesman.

"For many years I thought that what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa."  Charles Erwin Wilson, American Businessman.

"The real question in not whether machines think but whether men do."  B.F. Skinner, American Psychologist.

"The conventional army loses if it does not win.  the guerilla wins if he does not lose." Henry Kissinger, US Sec of State

"It is a good rule in life never to apologies.  The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take advantage iof them." P.G. Wodehouse, English Humourist.

"It is as wholly wrong to blame Marx for what was done in his name as it is to blame Jesus for what was done in his."  Tony Benn, British Politician.

"You can make a throne from bayonets, but you can't sit on it for long." Boris Yeltsin, Russian President

"Life makes no absolute statements.  It is all Call and Answer."  D.H. Lawrence.  English Writer.

"It is seldom that any liberty is lost all at once."  David Hume, Scottish Philosopher.

"I know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road.  They get run down."  Aneurin Bevin, British Labour Politician.

"Life is too short to stuff a mushroom."  Shirley Conran, English Writer.

"In England there are 60 different religions, and only one source."  Francesco Caracciolo, Neapolitan Diplomat.

"Total understanding makes one very indulgent."  Mme de Stael, French Writer.

"Attention to health is life's greatest hindrance."  Plato, Greek Philosopher.

"A really intelligent man feels what other men only know."  Charles Montesquieu, French Historian.

The Incongruity of God

In Richard Holloway's memoir 'Leaving Alexandria: a Memoir of faith and doubt' I gained the impression that Holloway gradually lost his faith through a growing sense that God's logic just doesn't add up.  Holloway struggles with the incongruity of life and sees that there is no way he can fit the concept of a just, loving, merciful God into the reality of the world he sees around him.

My position is that in many ways I agree with Holloway, but I start from the position that my faith is secure, it's just my doubts that are not.  I remember the inspiration I took from an old university friend Christina, who said, "keep it simple, love God, and know God loves you."  Like a marriage that starts from the assumption that the two are staying together, so differences had better be sorted out, no matter how long it might take.

The incongruities I see in my faith are:-

The Bible - with bits missing.
This is a book made from the collision of different stories and narratives over 2000 year ago.  So many of the stories have tantalising bits missing.  I respect the wisdom of the early church fathers in putting the 'best bits' together.  But they were 'fathers'.  The sexual inequality of the time was preserved in this book, and then influenced many hundreds of years of civilization, reach out across the world.  A lot of it was fine, but a lot was not, such as slavery, and other discrimination.

All Born Sinners.
My favourite incongruity is the way humanity is designed to fail.  My analogy is that it is like waking up in the driving seat of a car heading full pelt towards a wall, and being expected to swerve and save the situation.  Not possible.  God does save the situation in a wonderful way, but why the set up?

The Creation of Destructors.
We are hearing about the horror of Ebola.  Generations before us were hit hard by the black death, and bubonic plague.  These are viruses that just kill.  They even kill themselves.  They appear to achieve nothing.   And they are described as some of the earliest life forms, perhaps important in the development of biological replication.  I is hard to argue that these mechanisms entered the world after the fall.  They are intricate to all life. This concept is accepted in Eastern thought as 'Yin and Yan'. God being both 'love' and 'hate'.  My logic is clearly very different from the Divine.

The Place of Organised Faith.
Another favourite theme of mine.  Evidence points to human existence over many thousands of years. Clearly knowledge of the events surrounding the life of Jesus are not essential for a meaningful existence on this earth.  There is no way many people can have known anything about Jesus in centuries past.  Other aspects of 'life' must be crucial to living life to the full.  Otherwise it just not fair.

But isn't that what Holloway was saying? However I do believe God has got the answers.

17th visit to Ty Coch

Once again my loving Godparents opened their cottage on a hill to the Leicstarrs.

Beautiful Ty Coch

Time at last to relax

We feel connected to Margaret's sister Mary and family as Hurricane Gonzalez moves from the East Coast USA over to Ireland and North Wales.  It's the same wind.

The light is wonderful on the day we arrive.

One of Joanna's amazing picture

Elizabeth with a local

In our element

Perhaps our last year together like this.

On the Wednesday  I went on an ill-fated trip to Leeds to do my Family Therapy course.  I past the Runcorn Chemical refineries which are amazing at night!  Trouble was, I got stuck on the M62 as it was closed to allow an air ambulance to land to rescue a lorry driver.  I was late to my lecture, and the journey took over 5 hours.

Runcorn by night (credited to the photographer)

Barmouth from Fairbourne Beach

The packhorse

On the way home we used Elizabeth life membership of the National Trust for the first time.  We visited Attingham Park; a Regency house with his and hers wings.  It also has an amazing 'Nash' picture gallery which started leaking 3 years after it was made.  The Trust is in the process of erecting a new water tight roof on it.

Attingham- Hers on the right, His on the left.

The amazing picture gallery.  We saw it full of scaffolding.

A very fine portico, but it did remind me of the modern  houses in Tripoli- Libya.

Sunday Morning in the Saddle

I'm traveling over to Hinckley to leave a 'Goodie Bag' for one of our cyclists. He had come to our event by bike, and couldn't carry his goodie bag home with him.  We had said we would get it to him.  All part of the service.

My route goes along the track of the old London Midland Railway out towards Enderby.  The village of enderby is quite old, with a number of thatched cottages, but it's not pretty.  Most houses are done up in a cheap, plastic windows and false stained glass.  I passed the home of my old boss Jayne, who once used her own house for some training we received 17 years ago.. She had style I remember.  Her house was ok.

The route next went through a village where a sweet client of mine lives.  Mother and daughter were not about so I didn't have to decide whether to stop and chat, or put my head down and pretend not to see them.

Normanton has a reasonably interesting Manor House with a series of lakes, but it also has a ford across the road.  Dave's not keen on getting his beautiful bike wet.  He can use the pedestrian bridge when we come back next year of the Tour de Leicestershire 2.  The low sunlight gave me company for a number of miles; my silhouette in shadow. I examined my cadence and was reminded of a trip I made to our local bike shop soon after I bought my bike.  I enquired about the price of have my gears changes for a lower set.  The attendant looked at me, and at my bike.  He said that any changes would cost as much as the bike. (how did he know it was a cheap bike from Halfords?)  An then he looked at me and suggested that I just needed to improve my cadence (pedaling speed.)  I guess they didn't need my business, but it felt like he could see right through me.

Leicestershire has some very working class towns.  Earl Shilton is one of them.  It was featured in Saturdays local paper with an article about what a rich vibrant high street it has.  I went down it today.  It's not pretty, but also not boring, so true.  Not one chain store in sight.

Earl Shilton - not pretty, but no chain store.  Not bad.

After Hinckley I headed through Aston Flamville, choosing it because I like the idea of  a burning village.  The route flew by through the villages of south leicestershire.  Frolesworth, where the church bell tolled, summonsing people to church and was sadly cracked.  Roger Button later told me it might be 350 years old.  I wondered how they would cope if I popped in for communicon in my tight shorts and red top. Leire, named after King Lear some say. And then perhaps Leicester?   At Saddington I saw a field full of cars.  It was the Sunday car boot sale.  100's of people staring into boots.  Kibworth, Carlton Curlieu with it's mysterious 17th century manor house, well hidden by large hedges.

Carlton Curlieu's hidden gem.

Then my tyres then seemed to give up.  The first puncture took some time to repair.  At the second I gave up and rang Margaret who came to my rescue.  I was only two miles from home, as I limped in on a slow puncture.

Waiting for whatever

I'm on my bike after many weeks.  And I am ready for whatever turns up.  Sights, thoughts, new vistas.

I'm waiting to see what will happen.  On one side of the road I see fly-tipping.  I wonder at this selfish action.  On the other side of the road, I see that all the pot holes have been filled since I last came along and smile.  I like the spray-painted arrows pointing out holes to be filled, next to the filled holes.

My route follows a wonderful road through Gaulby with it's beautiful church and Frisby, a perfect hamlet.
This is part of the route I am planning for next year's Tour. Descending from Tilton on the Hill I looked out across the whole range of the Charnwood Hills.  This will be a good route.  We have been offered the Dixon Farm for a lunch stop too.

Nothing else really.

Scotland's Victory

My reflections on the outcome of the Scottish referendum on independence.

Scotland 2
England 0
Wales -1
Northern Ireland (depends who's side you are on.)

Conservatives 1
Labour -3
UKIP -2
Lib dem 1
United Kingdom more of a 'no score draw' than it has ever been (possibly unsustainable.)

Explanation
Scotland has 'bounced' the Westminster politicians into giving the Scottish Parliament more powers, thus weakening Labour's hold south of the border.  Scotland gets more control without having to take responsibility for it's economic future.

The press talks about 'English votes for English laws'.  But what about Welsh MPs?  Wales has less devolution, but the mix of who should vote for what is complicated. Wales is now more of a minority nation with England.

The case for Northern Ireland is weakened by the outcome.  An independent Scotland would have forced the issue.  The current fudge prolongs the status quo, which may be helpful as political change can benefit from the passage of time.

Labour now has the prospect of not being able to control England.  It's main hope is that the conservative party splits under the influence of UKIP.

A YES vote would have created a much clearer cleaner outcome.  Not very British though.

I think the current state is in unstable equilibrium, and will fail.  I predict Scottish independence is on the cards, followed by Welsh independence.  Northern Ireland will become an autonomous province jointly administered by Ireland and UK governments, slowly moving more towards Ireland as the years go by.

Open House 2014

Do all nosey Londoners know about Open House?  Here is our story.

The house is now open and we rush to the queue,
Avoiding all eye contact, excited by the new.

Returning at four, we ascend the back of  'elephant and calf',
To view a vista of construction, corporate law firms making room for more staff,

Packed into the square mile, we notice 'Adult Ed.' runs rife,
See you next year, if you're tired of London you're tired of ......

What we did

Saturday
Gresham College.  Moved to Barnard's Inn Hall in 1991, a small medieval hall on High Holborn.  A centre of delivery of free adult lectures.

Gresham College- Barnard's Inn Hall

Dr Johnson's House

Dr Johnson's House.  A four story Georgian town house )1/2 price to NT members.)  Full of Johnson memorabilia including a replica dictionary.  The house is in a curious fragment of old London set amongst the mass of modern city buildings.

The Haberdashers Hall.  A bit of old London, set in modern London.  I enjoyed talking to the architects.


 St Mary Le Bow.  The rector, George Bush, author on an authoritative book on the church, gave us a talk for two to three hours. (I exaggerate, he told us about the good old times when sermons had to be long, as they often are in Africa.)

 The crypt (or undercroft) has roots going back to Lanfranc, the first Norman Archbishop.  We learnt that the bow in question related to the norman arches which we suggested to be symbolic of Norman domination in the city, much like British architecture in India.  The restored Wren church moved the tower to Cheapside with a balcony, an illusion to royal observation of jousting tournaments taken place below in Cheapside.

1 New Change, a new shopping centre with public access to it's roof.  Here a fine view of St Pauls exists for free.  I also noticed for the first time that the top of dome is cut away to reveal small windows.  Also a number of imperfections are made apparent from the new perspective.

we then crossed the Millenium Bridge and joined the throngs of people promenading along the South Bank, past the New Globe, Southwark Cathedral, and the Shard.

Sunday
Christchurch Spitalfields-  8.30 service in the chancel.  I met Derrick Stride again after 29 years.  His wife Tej is a headteacher now.

We abandoned Finsbury Circus after being warned of at least one hours wait.  We moved on to the Piper Model of the City in the Guildhall.  This is a beautifully constructed 1.500 model of the City, with explanations from the model maker himself.

The Piper's Model of London

Then on to the Bishopsgate Institute.  This is another place of Adult Education.

Bishopsgate Inititute Libary 

Next a journey across London to see the Friends Meeting House in Hampstead.

We then returned to the city via a Gilbert Scoot (office) designed water tower for St Pancras steam trains.

Our final building was 20 Crown Place (Pinsent Masons HQ).   Two stylish glass towers, a mother Elephant and calf (?),  We were taken by Simon (young lawyer with big heart, giving up his Sunday for the public) to the 15th floor roof garden for a view across the tower cranes of the city.  We mused that London was on an eternal cycle of destroying and rebuilding office blocks to house the lawyers needed to conduct such complex financial options.

Tension built as the city filled with queuing people and
manic racers furtively examining maps, and street signs

The Tour (De Leicestershire)

Our Logo- very similar to one across the channel for some reason.

Our den.  Anyone for Lucozaide?

The registrars

Ready for 76 miles round the quiet lanes of leicestershire.

Under starters orders.

OGCC- a select group of professionals

The back of James- he said it was a bit flat for his liking, coming from Derbyshire.

Only a two minute wait between groups

Our celebrity riders from Bedford.

Sarah Kerr, a name to watch!

 

Brad at the lead- another great young rider

Ruth is off.

The Bosworth Teacher- a flash of orange and black.

Keeping the union together.

Chris, the HeadTeacher, let us use the school.

Always a team.

Go dad go.

Sam Hind at the start line.

"Everyone gone.  You'll have to catch them up."

Darren cycled to the event,  He'll have some lucozaide.

what do we do now?  They've all gone.

I'll stop the place falling down.

Into contemplation.

Ah, their back- Chris Minto and Phil Lord.

Nigel Daw - 5th rider home.

Dave- "how long did Nigel stop for lunch though?1

Victorian Bathers-  sorry Dave, you all look very beautiful.

Darren from Open Hands comes home well.

Charlie is simply an champion.

Fiona- we are proud of you.

Sam Prestwich- another super young rider.

End with a Cream Tea.