Teaser Tuesday - 26 October

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Reading is a bit slow and hard work at the moment so I'm still in the same book as a fortnight ago!

With her erratic programme and the seasonal wandering of some families, it wasn't surprising to get visits like that of Gheitha, who arrived and filled the clinic one day with her beautiful brood of ragged coffee-cup-eyed children. Their ages ranged from three months to about eight years.

(the children are called Gasaam, Geseem, Geseema, Baseema and Basaama).. coffee-cup-eyed.. what a vision!
From Marguerite van Geldermalsen's "Married to a Bedouin" her tale of marriage to, and life among, the Bedouin living at Petra.

My excessively polite twitter feed

I've generated a TweetCloud from my twitter feed and, as you'll see from the screen shot it is terribly polite, 'please', 'thanks' and 'sorry' all in there! The TweetCloud app does ask for authorisation but then adds a tweet to your feed without checking with you - so if you don't want the ad you'll have to do without it!

Bran Loaf

I was on the rota to provide the after church breakfast this morning, as part of it I cooked a bran loaf - from an old Scargill recipe and as I had a few requests for the recipe, here it is.

• 3 cups All Bran (or equivalent)
• 3 cups soft brown sugar
• 4 cups mixed dried fruit
• 3 cups milk
• 3 cups self raising flour

(apologies for the non weight quantities!) I used this quantity for this morning but it's industrial quantites, you may want to cut it down a bit - it depends how hungry you are!
Mix all ingredients except the flour in a bowl and leave in the fridge - the recipe says overnight, I usually leave it for 3 hours or so. Then add the flour and mix, you may need a little more liquid for a mixture that isn't too stiff. Put into greased lined tin and cook for 1hr at 180C and then 45mins at 150C - test that it's cooked in the middle before removal. I left mine in the oven for an additional half hour with the heat turned off before it was cooked through.
Slice and eat! I think, at Scargill we spread it with butter but I now think that's a bit too much and usually just have it plain.
One of our cats - now deceased used to love this recipe! Here's a link to another recipe I did a few months back for after service breakfast!
I wrote the above recipe from memory but have just checked the book and it is correct!

Mutterings - 24 October

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Sarcasm :: Really?
2. Coke :: Drugs
3. Frank :: Open
4. Party :: Political
5. Witches :: Halloween
6. Intentional :: Deliberate
7. Crisp :: Crunchy
8. Lockers :: School
9. Walking :: Festival - in Bollington
10. Fundraiser :: Political

Janis Ian - When I lay down

I see that suem is err enthusing about Cliff Richard so here's an antidote (maybe)

But when I lay down,
I lied
When I lay down,
I lied
to make them happy
and I lied so they would care
I lied 'cause i was lonely
and I lied 'cause i was scared
I lied so some would leave me
and I lied so some would stay
I lied until I lied my life away

Mutterings - 17 October

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Freak :: out
2. Homework :: Exercise book
3. Favor :: Every Good Boy Deserves (mnemonic for the notes of the treble clef)
4. Encounter :: Brief
5. Shake it :: All About
6. Felony :: Lawbreaking
7. Loops :: Shaker (work by John Adams)
8. Groove :: Record
9. Funding :: Charitable
10. Plot :: Gunpowder

Teaser Tuesday - 12 October

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Al-Barra, Umm-al-Biyara, Umm Zeitoona and Umm Saysabana blended northwards to meet Umm Sayhoon, a long dusk-pink ridge that ran back to the east and climbed halfway up the side of the Sh-rah to complete the circle.
At our juniper camp we gathered dry twigs. Mohammad, singing, made tea.

From Marguerite van Geldermalsen's "Married to a Bedouin" her tale of marriage living at Petra. This is our BATS (book group) book of the month.

Mutterings - 10 October

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Intruder :: Sinister
2. Repelled :: men of Hastings (there's a sign - or was a sign - on the beach there about invaders being repelled by the men of Hastings!)
3. Trench coat :: 60's fashion
4. Lipstick :: Red
5. Humongous :: problem
6. Oven mitts :: singed (our's are)
7. Case :: study/law
8. Daughter :: in-law
9. Attorney :: listened (I may need one!)
10. Shaken :: but not stirred

A play fight

A play fight
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

As a final picture from Alpujarras i thought I should add this picture of two of the spanish(!) kittens at the hotel in Capileira. The photo I took of kittens in Almeria has been rather popular and here's a photo of two of our previous kittens from long ago!
These two were very friendly and even their mother was happy for them to be played with by strangers - though not when they were enjoying ham from the hotel kitchen. There's a couple more photos of them next to this one in flickr - click on the photo!

Simon's Cat in 'Cat Chat'

Yes I know it's been up most of the day and i've only just got around to it, been distracted!

Wind turbines

Wind turbines Cramlington
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

These wind turbines weren't here last time I was up in Northumberland, not commissioned yet but they're to supply the Merck Sharp and Dohme plant in Cramlington with most of its power. One other picture of the turbines on my flickr pages - next to this one (click on the photo)

The Hotel Dog

Sammy
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Sammy was very keen on walking groups especially if they take him with them as a guide and is a fixture at the Hotel los Bérchules. We had a stormy night before our last half day - we had to truncate the holiday because this hotel was booked up but maybe that was as well in view of the weather! Lunch in Bérchules and then a taxi ride back to Capileira and a drive back to Malaga where the plane left 3 hours late.. but the walking and eating break did us good! As before the full album is on flickr and I hope to get some of Beth's photos off her sometime!

Mutterings - 3 October

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Panels :: Beating (and Grunewald Altar panels!)
2. Repetitive :: exercise (thinking piano here)
3. Pancakes :: Lemon
4. Quarterly :: Bill
5. Impulsive :: Move
6. Episode :: television
7. I am :: who I am
8. Horrendous :: accident
9. Inhumane :: treatment
10. District :: nurse

Above Trevélez

Above Trevelez
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Our last inter hotel walk was from Trevélez to Bérchules, a cloudy day with some rain so at least we weren't burnt off! This was - of the full walks we did - probably the trickiest to route find. Maybe it would have been easier in the Spring when the ground was greener - though we did see, the next day, some other folk in the InnTravel tour using the road rather than the longer version of the walk probably because of all the rain which had fallen. There's a bit where you are instructed to follow an overgrown acequia (looking like 2 parallel lines of vertical slates) - which looks like this!. The loose dogs do indeed run away when you pick up stones! The path down towards Bérchules is marked by more figs, mulberries and walnuts. Stayed at the Hotel los Bérchules, contrary to the walking guide notes there appears to be at least one other restaurant but the hotel's restaurant was simple, homely and much enjoyed!

Trevelez - barrio alto - upper town

Trevelez - barrio alto - upper town
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

The next day should have been a walk to Trevelez but we'd been warned by the folks ahead of us that wayfinding was difficult, in some places the advertised path was impassible - and they'd been chased, and stung, by a swarm of hornets! Did I mention it was a 17km, 7 hour walk? We therefore took the easy option of the bus - though we did walk to Busquistar. The Bar Vargas was closed the day we went though - Wednesday - but there is another bar elsewhere in the village - which had a number of puppies as opposed to the usual cats, see the album for canine photos! Once in Trevelez we found the Hotel La Fragua - quite a way above the bus stop in the barrio media. We walked to the upper town (in picture) to have a drink while admiring the view of the valley and town. That evening we ate in the hotel restaurant - restricted menu choice being on an inclusive package - but very good (see the hotel website for the full menu!)

Still Walking (Aruitemo aruitemo)

The Silkscreen showed Hirokazu Koreeda's film Still Walking last night, here's a clip:

A very gentle film, no great drama but the undercurrents of what isn't said in family relationships are always there. It tells of a family reunion to mark the anniversary of the death of the sons, the individuals have changed aged since then and the extent to which they are willing to recognise that, is the plot. There's the trailer on youtube too but I liked these two scenes!

Teaser Tuesday - 28 September

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

"Mae Mobley's sleeping?" I ask.
"Finally." Elizabeth fiddles with a clump of hair that's slipped out of her roller, grimaces at its obstinacy.

Mississippi in 1962 from Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' - this is our Book Group book of the month - I need to get a move on with this as the meeting is less than a week away!

The Taha valley from Pitres

Looking into the Taha valley from Pitres
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

The walk for the following day consisted of a circular walk around the Taha valley very steep with rocky paths and ruined mills. We found a pleasant bar in Ferreirola (not mentioned in the walking instructions) where we had a long and leisurely lunch.

Just before you reach Ferreirola there's a spring called La Gaseosa providing free agua con gas! The walk ends with a punishing climb back up to Pitres! Dinner was again at the Hotel San Roque.

As before my full photo album is here

Mutterings - 26 September

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Return :: of the Jedi (not sure I've sen it though!)
2. Alarms :: and excursions (I thought this was Thurber but it appears to be Michael Frayn)
3. State :: stable
4. Picture frame :: gilded
5. Wreath :: memorial
6. Arrest :: -ing, police
7. Sincere :: open, honest
8. Nathan :: god-son (mine), David & Bathsheba (Old Testament)
9. Bag :: Punch
10. Arched :: windows

The walk over to Pitres

View from the crag
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

There was a certain amount of trepidation faced with the first non-circular walk after the difficulties of the first day! Today's was though far easier, it went up the shady side of the hill above Capileira with views over to the Mediterranean and the Atlas mountains just being visible then just after we joined the GR7 (a long distance walk) we reached the point in the photo - now on the sunny side of the mountains and time for a rest. The walk heads through the Barranco de Sangre scene of a vicious battle between the Moors and Spain in 1570 and then into Pitres and the Hotel San Roque (after a stop at a bar for drinks, tapas and fending off a cat) where we stayed two nights.
The hotel is very small but we were well catered for - there were though noisy workmen due to some emergency repairs! That evening we thought we ordered 1 litre of vino but ended up with a litre of Rosé sherry (25%) - we only realised when most of the way down the first glass having been warned about the robustness of the wines!
Here's a rather interesting weblog El Paraje de las Alpujarras on walking and culture of the Alpujarras.

And here's some music from the area played in the same hotel:

Les Feuilles Mortes - Yves Montand à l´Olympia

Another autumnal piece:

Nabbed the link off entartete musik where's there's also film of the younger Montand singing the same piece, what a distance he has travelled between the two interpretions - this is hairs on the back of the neck stuff. I love the music of Joseph Kosma...

Teaser Tuesday - 24 September

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

They visited some unknown English friends - perhaps tutees or conversation partners - who spoke a little French and had advised Rimbaud 'to go to the country or the seaside to recover completely'. He even took them to the docks and pointed out the Antwerp ferry, presumably without mentioning the tearful scene when Verlaine had left for Brussels.

From Graham Robb's biography of Rimbaud which I've just finished - a really good read particularly on his long silence from poetry after the splendour of his youthful poems. I loved the bit where he managed to get himself expelled across a collection of European countries as a way of getting home. Strongly recommended.
A few years ago we spent a week in France staying at a gîte which was built on the site of the farm at Roche to which Rimbaud continually returned - now it has a poetry themed walk.
I picked up my copy in the local Oxfam where the inside flyleaf has the original owner's name and the message 'To ____ Enjoy Rimbaud make sure you give it back though theif(sic) face ___ xxx' not sure whether it was given to Oxfam by the owner or thief-face!

Windfarm in the Poqueira valley

Windfarm in the Poqueira valley
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Three years ago on our first visit to Spain we walked in Almeria, this time we were a month earlier and in the Alpujarras. Drove from Malaga airport - in a hire car - up the hairpinned road to Capiliera and rewarded by this sight of a windfarm in the evening light. We stayed at the Finca los llanos and ate the first evening at Casa Ibero - recommended for vegetarians - though all of us had a meat main course! It appeared to be connected to the local Buddhist centre O Sel Ling. Next day we thought it might be a gentle breaking in walk but we were warned by the folk who were a day ahead! One of us slipped and fell off the path and it ended with the path being a walk up a stream! In between though, there was the spectacular bridge over the Poqueira - see the flickr album for some photos - we just did the beginning and end though this did involve the difficult bit! The walk was circular and we returned to Capileira for a meal at the hotel, I tried the plate of Alpajarras specialities - sausage, black pudding etc, lovely but having gone for the starter which I thought was a selection from the starter menu but was actually lots of salami etc., I rather ran out of steam! For dessert the English translation of the menu suggested 'house tart' which suited our naughty sense of humour!

Mutterings - 19 September

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Mustache :: Beard
2. Person :: Individual
3. Restore :: craftsman (restoration work)
4. Discretion :: better part of valour!
5. Lamp :: light
6. Pillow cover :: allergy (cat tries to sleep on mine!)
7. Arousal :: excitement
8. Seattle :: Microsoft (sigh!)
9. ATM :: at the moment (just to be contrary)
10. Custard :: Pie!

Back from the Alpujarras

Looking back to Trevelez
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

We've just returned from a much needed few days walking in the Alpujarras region of Andalucia. Another trip with an itinerary provided and hotels booked by Inn Travel. Hot and dry but much enjoyed, the photo album is here on flickr - rather too many pictures of cute furry animals and not enough of the scenery! I'll blog more about the separate days soon!

September

Something seasonal!

I'll get around to listening to it too when I have a faster connection- this is Lotte Lenya who was married (more than once!) to Kurt Weill - the composer of this.

Conistone Pie

Conistone Pie
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Many years since I've been up on Conistone Pie - this weekend we were at Scargill on a weekend for those, like us, who have been assisting with the re-opening of Scargill over the past year - a wonderful time was had of meeting, meals and an excuse to re-visit the place. The Saturday afternoon walk was up to Conistone Pie and quick dash back - for us - to catch Phil Stone talking about the current position, development plans and the future.

Mutterings - 5 September

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Gangs :: West Side Story
2. Contact :: lens
3. Surprisingly :: docile
4. Penciled :: in
5. Ignore :: comment
6. Let’s go! :: Charge!
7. Cornerstone :: Bridge
8. Influential :: opinion
9. Holistic :: massage
10. Lovesick :: parrot (that's probably from 'sick as a')

Mutterings - 29 August

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Bangs :: Hair
2. Diaper :: Nappy
3. Coffee table :: Mosaic (my parents used to have one of these designed/assembled by my Dad, can still see it in the memory)
4. Cops :: and robbers
5. Matches :: flame (and something tecchie about regular expressions)
6. 250 :: 6 short of 256
7. Hurricane :: lamp
8. Bad :: Wicked
9. Confirmation :: Bishop
10. Fiber :: of my being

Teaser Tuesday - 24 August

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

After a time beneath the cedar he had ceased to be inhibited by Sonia's presence. In fact, there was something he took from her that he found also in her brother: a sense of uncritical encouragement.

Like last week - well what do you expect, it is 600+ pages long! - an extract from Sebastian Faulks' Human Traces.

Mutterings - 22 August

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Leads :: Jump
2. Concierge :: Paris
3. Thousand :: Island (or Autumns of Jacob de Zöet)
4. Engines :: Feersum - oops now stuck in literary connections!
5. Argument :: Good (Parameter - to a function)
6. 2006 :: 4 years ago
7. Knot :: Reef
8. Fuck :: Sex
9. Handsome :: is as handsome does
10. Ridge :: back

Lilies after the rain

Lilies after the rain
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

The garden continues to blossom especially after all the rain we've had this month! Here's the white lilies which have just opened, there's a couple more pictures on flickr (click on the picture - and see the adjacent images)

Cat and Book-box

There's a new Simon's cat video on youTube....

Teaser Tuesday - 17 August

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Jacques sat don next to Oliver and took his washed hands between his own. The surge of adult confidence he had felt with Tante Mathilde had now deserted him; he was like a child again.

Sebastian Faulk's huge novel on the mind and madness 'Human Traces'

Bulwer-Lytton Contest 2010

The results for the Bulwer-Lytton 2010 contest are up - it's a competition for the worst opening sentence of a novel (you only have to produce the sentence not the rest of the work). I think my favourite of the quoted ones was:

The dark, drafty old house was lopsided and decrepit, leaning in on itself, the way an aging possum carrying a very heavy, overcooked drumstick in his mouth might list to one side if he were also favoring a torn Achilles tendon, assuming possums have them.

Mutterings - 15 August

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Rhythm :: and Blues
2. Baby :: Child
3. Sanctimonious :: Cant
4. I like :: Rhythm!
5. Constipated :: fed up
6. Sleep late :: exhaustion
7. Over easy :: American
8. Erratic :: Course
9. Umbrella :: Company
10. You don’t :: Say

Simplicity

Emil Gilels playing the Bach/Siloti prelude in B minor. Rapt simplicity - but it is not easy!!

Teaser Tuesday - 10 August

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Looking down from the rail, I noticed the streets near the docks were lined with what seemed to be black perambulators, some kind of mobile coal scuttle, I assumed, used for bunkering ships. Later I learned that these were British cars (all made pre-war), a species I had never seen before.

JG Ballard returns from a childhood in China to post-war Britain, and isn't very keen. From his autobiography Miracles of Life visionary and life-affirming! - if you know his early work and Empire of the Sun (his fictionalised version of the early part of his life there may not be many new insights but Ballard is always worth the read.

Proofreader?

Spotted this in the current (September 2010) BBC Music Magazine in a Signum Classics advertisement -

an Orthadox Christian priest, theologion, biblical scholar..

Must have been dictated down a bad phone line with no proofreading? Here's a scan with the offending text beneath the image of the cd. I have the Tenebrae cd of the Poulenc 'Figure Humaine', which is wonderful, so it is a shame their advertising doesn't match the content.
Typed this blog entry very carefully (I hope!!) - but I expect someone will now tell me that the Orthadox church exists and it has theologions!

Mutterings - 8 August

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Coma :: -tose (toes?), unconscious
2. Aristotle :: Philosopher
3. Pink eye :: Rabbit
4. Expensive :: Dear
5. Dancer :: Ballet
6. Lipstick :: Lesbian
7. Buffer :: Double (computing term!)
8. Stilettos :: High heels
9. Booming :: speakers (as in feedback)
10. Rap :: Charge (Police)

Teaser Tuesday - 4 August

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

I was on the first téléphérique down to Winkermatten next morning, waiting patiently for the Zermatt Co-op to open to buy shampoo. At the baker's I picked up three almond croissants for our treat - I did not have enough cash for four.

Alison Hargreaves matter of fact celebration on her way back to the campsite after her solo ascent of the North face of the Matterhorn - just one of the 6 North Faces she was to solo that year.

Behind the makeup

A few weeks ago we attended a double bill at the Buxton festival of Luciano Berio's Recital I and George Benjamin's Little Hill. I'd never been to the Buxton Opera House before, it's a lovely little building a bit cramped but fits very nicely with that era of spas and opera going.
I don't think I'd heard the Berio work before - maybe performed on the radio by Cathy Berberian back in the 70's(?) - it was written for her in 1972 -as the preliminary write up said it is rarely heard - and a real tour-de-force by the soloist. The work tells of the reaction of the singer as she reacts to the events around a recital, her accompanist not turning up. The singer is instructed to include some works from her repertoire - so a typical Berio-ish 60's pastiche but moving in its portrayal of someone attempting to find her voice. Susan Bickley brought over the inner struggle of the performer wonderfully.
I'd not heard the Benjamin work before but I loved the sound world he conjoured up, the strings forming most of the sound. A retelling of the story of the pied piper. More than a dash of political corruption! Here's a review of the double bill from Snape.

Mutterings - 1 August

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Sexting :: Not me!
2. Corrected :: Proof
3. Rewind :: Tape
4. Heard :: Rumour
5. Amazon :: Basin (and there's a website somewhere....)
6. Running :: Tackle
7. Illegal :: Action
8. Tracked :: LP
9. Generate :: python language construct (a generator is one)
10. Towel :: Knowing where one's .. is (Blame Douglas Adams)

Hmmm, only 14 posts on this weblog last month - it was June 2007 when the traffic was last that low - I hope things will improve this month!

Teaser Tuesday - 27 July

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Now we heard the glass of windows break somewhere, and suddenly a long thin arm of bright yellow flame came streaking out, seemed to hang solidly in the night air, showing up my father's upturned face, and no doubt mine, and then just as strangely retrieved itself, with a horrible roaring moan, worse than any wind. It seemed to me in my enormous fright that the fire had spoken a word: 'Death, death', said the fire I thought.
'Jesus, Mary and Joseph' said my father...

That's a dramatic random quote!! Couldn't resist going slightly over 2 sentences for that final exclamation. From Sebastian Barry's 'The Secret Scripture' our book group book of the month.

Anthony Rolfe Johnson

The tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson died this week (in the youtube clip above he's singing with Simon Keenlyside), he always seemed so youthful - starting singing professionally at 30. Here's the Guardian obituary - the one in the Telegraph is also interesting but has him as been married one less time! They (the obituaries) both share the same wonderful photograph of him.

Born in Tackley, Oxfordshire, he was encouraged by his parents, but with no thought of taking up singing as a career. Instead he took an agricultural degree and became a farm manager, singing hymns he had learned in church to his herd of cows.

Another member of the choral society in Crawley, West Sussex, a singing teacher, told him he was in the wrong job. He eventually decided to go to the Guildhall School of Music, London, for a four-year course, which included performances of two Britten operas. When he sang Acis in Handel's Acis and Galatea in Cambridge, he was on his way. He felt as if he had been asleep for 10 years, and had suddenly awakened.

And he woke us to some wonderful performances - I'll be taking his cd of Nocturnes in the Hyperion Series of Schubert songs to listen to this week..

Mutterings - 25 July

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Inception :: Birth/Start
2. Anticipation :: thrill
3. Space :: Frontier
4. Earn :: Money
5. .com :: US-centric (boom!)
6. Hello! :: Magazine (sorry! - or is that another?)
7. Equivalent :: Mathematics
8. Swore :: Blind
9. Actions :: speak louder than words
10. Expletive! :: Deleted! (showing my age here)

Biter bit!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures
I must see how our resident mouse and (near resident) squirrel are doing in my absence.

The farewell! (and presentation)

The farewell! (and presentation)
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Andy Ruth Bull and children at the garden party for their leaving Macclesfield. There's a few more pictures here on flickr. Andy will be inducted at St Marks Bredbury in September (and we will miss them!).
Many, many years ago, I spent two terms at Sandy Lane Primary School in Romiley....

Teaser Tuesday - 20 July

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Jack looked at him. He drew a long breath, then another. He asked softly, "Have you heard of Emmett Till?"

Thought it not fair to miss out the third sentence! I'm back reading (I teased it a fortnight ago) Marilynne Robinson's 'Home' enjoying it but I think I preferred the Gilead point of view on the events (far slower breathed!)

Mutterings - 18 July

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Deals :: Cards (shady)
2. Alive :: Breathing
3. Smooth :: Man (but my brother Esau...)
4. Materials :: Science
5. Arrest :: Under
6. Locker :: School
7. Evidence :: Lack of
8. Operation :: Pain
9. Opal :: Jewel (...car)
10. Investigation :: Criminal (or Under again!)

Teaser Tuesday - 13 July

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

But Oost, on whom Grote's rum is having a benign effect. `Aye it did'. "Oost" is from "oost-Indische Compagnie" who funded the orphanage, and who'd deny there's "East" in my blood?

(Another extract, see yesterday for a slightly different feel) From David Mitchell's The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - was nearly put off this by an uncomplimentary Guardian review but having heard a Radio 3 review of it I decided to give it a go. The interaction of East and West, Holland and Japan at the end of the 18th century. Here's Geoff Coupe's thoughts on the book.
(apologies for folk who comment here from teaser tuesday - I'm in a hotel on a slow connection but will eventually get around to looking at your links, for which I am grateful!)

Stillness

DSCF8175
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Another week of working away - two books to read (or at least start) and I enjoyed the conjunction of these two passages:

I can remember, as quite a small boy, lying beneath a huge chestnut tree and staring up into its branches, wondering at its nascent fruitfulness, and resting not just under its presence but somehow within it. All this is part of the person I am, but, for the present, it is chiefly lost to me. I am much too busy....

from Stephen Cottrell's DO nothing to change your life.

Gardening is harder labour than Jacob is used to, and yet, he admits to himself, I enjoy it. His tired eyes are rested by the living green; rosefinches pluck worms from the ramped-up earth; and a black-masked bunting, whose song sounds like clinking cutlery, watches from the empty cistern

from David Michell's The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet.

The picture is another from Buxton's Pavilion Gardens - anyone want to name the plant?

Mutterings - 11 July

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Dickens :: Expectations (Great)
2. Collection :: Stamp
3. Weekends :: Lazy
4. Travel :: Education
5. District :: Lake (NW England)
6. Vampires :: Fangs
7. Peep show :: Sleaze
8. Crochet :: Music (with Evelyn and knitting not far behind)
9. Lion :: Witch (and wardrobe)
10. Fetch :: Stick! (woof!)

In the Pavilion Gardens conservatory

In the Pavilion Gardens conservatory
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

We had a trip to Buxton today and I spotted this hothouse flower in the conservatory of the Pavilion Gardens.

Teaser Tuesday - 6 July

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Yes. Pious girls have tender hearts. They believe sad stories. So I have heard. All to their credit of course. And they usually lead sheltered lives.

far(!) more than 2 sentences from Marilynne Robinson's 'Home' - following on from a recent read of her Gilead, I've moved onto her next book.

Mutterings - 4 July

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Authorized :: Version
2. Flirting :: Eyes
3. Bad :: timing
4. Digit :: Check
5. Sexy :: Underwear
6. Combinations :: Underwear
7. Guard :: Buckingham Palace
8. Retina :: Eye
9. Motion :: Sickness
10. Concert :: Orchestral

Bat!

I spotted this last night clinging to the outside of Scargill next to the drying room - it makes up a bit for the glowworms we didn't find (and the midges who found us) a couple of nights ago!

All of the above!

Sounds like a bargain - at least for the pedants amongst us - though it didn't include their delicious brandysnap baskets. From the Racehorses in Kettlewell's menu

Teaser Tuesday - 29 June

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

Straight and GLBT people alike can look at Sodom and Gomorrah for what they were, as mentioned in Ezekiel: arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, haughty, detestable and all in all inhospitable. But the greater point that Jesus made to his disciples as he elevated the Sodom and Gomorrah story was that regardless of what the people of Sodom did, nothing was more tragic than a person turning her back on Almighty God to yearn for things manmade.

(on Lot's wife) from Andrew Marin's Love is an Orientation - link is to suem's review.

Up on the Estate

DSCF8155
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Just had a quiet walk on the estate - there seemed to be some folk getting excited in the Marsh Lounge. Lots of butterflies and moths, go here for a chimney sweeper moth photo (at the end of the set).

Mutterings - 27 June

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Collectors :: Butterfly
2. Passion :: Fruit
3. Winner :: Michael (sorry!)
4. Uninhibited :: Free
5. Challenge :: Competition
6. Self :: Absorbed
7. Your :: My
8. Viewer :: Perspective
9. Random :: Kindness (acts of)
10. Vice :: Screw (that's a workbench tool connection!!)

Across to the wardenage

Across to the wardenage
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

(or should that be di-rectory?) We're caretaking for a few days at Scargill again. Sitting in the sun-lounge and watching the sun set behind Knipe Scar. We have done some work! but the evening vistas are so special.

Cones

Well a bit more than cones but this is the view from west of Cramlington where I've been staying this week. Industrial but with wide open spaces just outside the town!

Teaser Tuesday - 22 June

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

This is again from our latest book group (BATS) book:

`it will be purgatory anyway.' He began sobbing again, but my head was swimming, I was too weak to call out any more, and I crawled back to my stinking mattress.

From C J Sansom's Dissolution.

Mutterings - 20 June

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Executive :: suite
2. Director :: yes-man (let's not go there)
3. Dress :: code
4. Studio :: flat
5. Accountant :: money-man
6. Unit :: test (IT terminology)
7. Engaged :: Hired
8. Safety :: First
9. Post :: Horn
10. Dialogue :: des Carmelites (opera by Poulenc)

How to be ignored

.. what twitter is for. For a suitable fee, I'll ignore you too!

Sunset and White Nancy

Sunset and White Nancy
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

And last night we had another Summer Walk in perfect conditions. This was in the Rainow area, passing through Ingersley vale and ending up at the Robin Hood pub in Rainow. On getting back to Rainow we were greeted with this splendid sunset. White Nancy is the conical monument on the hill (Kerridge Hill) on the left of the picture. A couple more pictures from the evening are on flickr where this picture is hosted.

Piano Diploma Programme thoughts

Over the past few weeks I've been thinking about entering the ABSRM Piano Diploma exam which has as its main component, a 35 minute recital (with programme notes!). There's a long list of repertoire to choose from but you can choose up to seven minutes of your own selection. At the moment the recital looks like this:

• Scarlatti Sonatas in C K308 and K309
• Ravel Sonatine
• Messiaen Vingt Regards No 2
• Mompou Musica Callada XIII
• Chopin Mazurka C# minor Op 50 No 3
• Brahms Op 116 No 2 A minor
• Beethoven Bagatelle b minor Op 126

I like this there's a split between Spanish/Gallic and the more Germanic styles, from major to minor, there's a central hunk of Catholic mysticism and the Beethoven acts a bit like an encore. The Scarlatti Sonatas are very simple, at least in mood and would play me in nicely so the flashy Ravel acts as a good counterbalance. The Mompou and Beethoven are my own choices. It's a mite under 35 minutes. I've put this programme on Spotify and if you have that installed you can listen here - not played by me!
The only snag at the moment (so far!!) is whether the Ravel Sonatine (especially the last movement) is too ambitious, I'll give it a try but I'm wondering about a fall back position which replaces the Ravel with the Debussy Sarabande from the suite Pour le Piano, which I was already working on and (to keep some sort of classical/modern sonata and to prevent it becoming too bitty) inserts either the Beethoven Op 90 or 54 before the final item - needs further thought by me especially as it would then be pushing towards the time limit but reactions, here, are very welcome!

Two Lampposts

Two Macclesfield lampposts, I'd been thinking of one of these for the Barnaby photo competition - particularly the 108 steps photo but the bin was just too unwanted and went for a view from the other direction! Lots on Barnaby on the Loop blog but this is the official site.

Teaser Tuesday - 15 June

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

This is from our latest book group (BATS) book:

'So the kitchen is normally locked at night?'
He nodded. 'Yes, to stop the monks and servants helping themselves.'

From C J Sansom's Dissolution. Some questions about historical accuracy so far, and I'm pretty certain the Great Bible wouldn't have been around in 1537, but early days yet..

Cat in a basket

Cat in a basket
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Not had a cat picture for a bit- so here combining gardening and cats is Hecate monopolising the clippings basket. If you follow this picture to flickr there's another of her obstructing the actual clippings.

Mutterings - 13 June

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Offense :: Criminal
2. Bench :: Judge's
3. Kissing :: Gate
4. Timely :: Rescue
5. Yellow :: Belly
6. Get up and go :: ..has gone
7. Beer :: drink
8. Calories :: not a problem!
9. Blast :: Icy
10. Window :: on the world

The garden again

DSCF8137
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Fairly grey day but lightened by the wonderful display of lupins, clematis etc., more pictures in the flickr set

Sun and Bosley Cloud

Sun and Bosley Cloud
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Last night was walk number 5 - still no rain - on Gun Hill near Rushton Spencer - the sky threatened but the rain held off! The Flickr album has been updated.

Compromise agreements

A view from a receiver. Now that it's over 6 months from my enforced exit from my ex-company, let me put something down about my views on compromise agreements in the hope that it might help others who get one of these pushed at them. I shall need to be careful in what I write here but I believe it to be important that various views are out there. This should, of course, not be taken as legal advice - as part of considering a compromise agreement you will need to get that anyway - it is purely a personal view and might well contain issues you might wish, if you are in a similar situation, to take up as part of your own legal discussions.

• A compromise agreement is a document signed by both the employer and employee whereby the employee gives up rights to take any recourse to employment tribunals.
• There are normally confidentiality clauses in the agreement restricting what can be said to third parties about the terms of the agreement and indeed whether the existence of the agreement is confidential.
• The company will seek to get the compromise agreement signed between any redundancy announcement and your moving elsewhere. This is likely to put you under pressure, you need to take a long hard look at the terms. My view is that if you feel you have a good case in front of an Employment Tribunal you should be reluctant to sign the agreement in view of the, likely, restrictive terms. I wanted to get past this and 'get on with my life' believing that I was soon to find alternative employment. If you don't have an early return to work the terms of the agreement may make it difficult for you to discuss your situation with (for example) job counsellors.
• The compromise agreement may enable your ex-company to ignore any bits of the relevant legislation which they have not already flouted - I suppose it depends upon your view of that and how much you trust your ex-employers.
• As stated above, legal advice is a requirement for signing one of these, take your time with that, your ex-employers should be paying and you need to explore all options.
• You need to look seriously at the payment your ex-employer is proposing to make and compare it (for example) with the legal fees they are stumping up to get the compromise agreement through. Are you worth more than however many hours of lawyers time your payment amounts to?

Teaser Tuesday - 8 June

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

When Bertie was gone, Beulah touched the bony knob on her wrist. Styloid process, she said the words over and over again that night when she was going to sleep. She imagined Joe taking her temperature.

Playing Doctors and Nurses in a strict Protestant sect in Eire from Martina Evans 'no drinking no dancing no doctors'. This is a re-read so it comes with that recommendation!

Mutterings - 6 June

This week's free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Group :: Abelian (oh, the power of mathematics), also sex (lets not go there!)
2. Pollution :: Smoke
3. Getaway :: Run (Clean)
4. Mail :: Stamp
5. Believe :: Trust
6. Chimney :: Sweep
7. Curses :: Swears (libcurses was also trying to be heard for Linux/IT people)
8. Contrite :: Penitent
9. Eyelash :: False
10. Jobs :: Steve

Garden June 2010

Garden June 2010
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

Took this picture of our back garden today where Beth has been very busy over the last twelve months! Just for a comparison this is how it was in June 2009.

..I've got a tricky blogpost I'm working on and this is probably delaying tactics...

Heading down to Wildboarclough

Heading down to Wildboarclough
Originally uploaded by rajmarshall

This was Thursday evening walk 4 which started from the Cat and Fiddle on the Buxton road, headed down to Wildboarclough and then to the Stanley Arms. The flickr set has been updated.

Contemplation and Music

Via the Silence email list - accessible at gmane.music.john-cage

Instead Cage's work offers us the invitation to see the world as a blessing. And that is surely the first step towards making it whole. Cage suggests that viewed properly each movement we make is part of a dance, each breath the catch of a song, each thing we see a thing of wondrous beauty. If we understand the world's beauty how could do anything but cherish it? As Cage himself would say, "Everyday is a beautiful day." Let us make it so.

from a sermon, more about Cage than faith but lots on spirituality, well worth the read IMHO.

And for something completely different!

Also on that obituary page last week (for Anneliese Rothenberger I referenced in my last post) in the Guardian was that for Edoardo Sanguineti. My knowledge of Italian avant garde poets and playwrights is a bit limited but his name rang a bell and I read on. I got to the mention of Laborintus and light dawned! He had a long working relationship with Luciano Berio providing various libretti for him. Here's a video of part of one of those works Laborintus 2 completed in 1965, a wonderfully wild piece - do stay for the really unhinged bit from around 5' to the end!

Unfortunately no subtitles and some Italian might help! There's a recording of this on a short Harmonia Mundi release (at least there was when I bought it!)

Sophie!

Anneliese Rothenberger who sings the role of Sophie in this production of Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier died last week. This is the presentation of the Silver Rose:

Just wait for those stratospheric soprano lines tearing at the emotions - and the unforgettable orchestration. Handkerchiefs to the fore - not least on stage!
I'd missed this obituary and had to recover the newspaper last night after spotting a followup letter yesterday.
The film has German subtitles - if you really want the version with English then you need to go here - the film is 10 minutes but, for me, 10 minutes to be treasured. All the alternate emotion and control of the young Sophie just out of convent school.

Teaser Tuesday - 1 June

Teaser Tuesday
The rules are:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title and author of the book that you’re getting your 'teaser' from .. that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!

I was searching the plain, riding with two horses,
In the stony fields east of the post-station, on a bank where bamboos sprouted,
After long winds and brief daylights, beneath the dreary stars,
Dampened by a black flag of cloud which hung in the empty night.

To right to left, in the air, in the earth, ghosts shrieked from wasted flesh.
The curds drained from my upturned jar, mutton victuals were my sacrifice.
Insects settled, the wild geese swooned, the buds were blight reddened on the reeds,
The whirlwind was my escort, puffing sinister fires.

A bit of a departure - this is part of the poem An Arrowhead from the ancient Battlefield of Ch'ang-p'ing by Li Po in the translation of A C Graham