Mutterings - Apr 10

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

1. Song :: Funeral a moderately recent first performance of an early work of Stravinsky (who died 50 years ago this week.
2. Glass :: Philip (I've started on Music!)
3. Boat :: Skye (Song!)
4. Junk :: -et
5. Sheet :: (three) to the wind
6. Knit :: Purl
7. Gift :: Horse
8. Truck :: No (with such and such)
9. Small :: Bug (but they never are!)
10. Title :: Noble (titled aristocracy)

Swans

On a walk this week along the canal I passed 2 swans who were clearly far more interested in potential prey in the water rather than the threat from a human, I was little more than 1 metre from them.

Mutterings - Apr 3

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

1. Bingo :: King of the Mornings (Brazilian film about the melt down of a TV personality)
2. Sound :: Depth
3. Correspond :: 1-1
4. Moving :: Emoting
5. Inch :: Shuffle (towards)
6. Clog :: Wooden (I have some for the feet when piano playing)
7. Video :: Nasty
8. Bark :: Bite
9. Cloud :: Memory (going fuzzy)
10. Pig :: Napoleon (Orwell's Animal farm)

Mutterings - March 27

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

1. Frog :: Spawn
2. Milk :: Yogurt
3. Waist :: High
4. Thrift :: Shop
5. Brick :: Yellow (Road)
6. Kneel :: Homage
7. Rotate :: Axes
8. Jumpy :: Lambs
9. Style :: Rococo
10. Bruise :: Ugly

Mutterings - March 21

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

1. Horse :: Saddle
2. Green :: Fauré - one of his settings of Verlaine
3. Stomach :: Strong
4. River :: Wharfe
5. Flirting :: Side-eye
6. Red :: Shift - astronomical and the Alan Garner book
7. Eating :: ones words
8. Thyme :: Basket
9. Eyeglasses :: Monocle
10. Speak :: Silence

Mutterings - March 13

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

1. Keen :: Commander!
2. Charger :: Arab
3. Wearable :: Wristband
4. Owl :: Tawny
5. Head :: Salome (and John the Baptist!)
6. Cow :: Frighten
7. Records :: 78s
8. Countdown :: Final
9. Base :: First
10. Kid :: Deceive

ABRSM Performance Diploma

I see I first posted about my intention to do the ABRSM diploma 10 years ago - it's still not done, but I'm getting to the point of asking for the date! Here's my thoughts from 2011 The programme has changed a bit since then (as have the piano teachers, though I'm now back with the same one as then),and I'm now doing the performance diploma which is slightly easier and intending to submit it remotely - here's the lineup

• Scarlatti Sonatas in C K 308 and 309
• Stravinsky Tango
• Chopin Mazurka in C# minor Op 50 No 3
• Scriabin Preludes Op 11 Nos 10 and 13
• Mompou Cancion e Danza no 6
• Rachmaninov Etude Tableau Op 33 No 3 in C minor

The last 2 items are my own choice, I see 2 items are the same as in 2011, hopefully here I've lived with them a good long time, hoping to submit in April. Here's a recent video of me playing the Stravinsky.

very chunky chords! A couple of rhythmic issues still to be addressed!

Still waters

To go with the post from the end of Jan of Macclesfield in the snow, here are a couple from this week where it feels as if Spring has nearly arrived.

Mutterings - March 6

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

1. Clap :: Carers
2. Vision :: Perfect
3. Prone :: Fall
4. Congratulate :: Certificate
5. Lean :: Hungry
6. Thrill :: Chase
7. Chrome :: Browser
8. Host :: 127.0.0.1
9. Learn :: Look and (magazine from the 60s - or was it the 50s?)
10. Smell :: Rich

Mutterings - 20 Feb

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

1. Row :: Column
2. Happy :: Grumpy
3. Storm :: Welcome (to my life, at present!)
4. Clink :: Restaurant (the local women's prison at Styal runs a restaurant called the Clink, sometime we're hoping to go)
5. Mindful :: Calm
6. Massage :: Flesh
7. Water :: Reflection
8. Bingo :: Shout
9. Stomped :: Snow
10. Farm :: Barn

Mutterings - Feb 17

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

1. Mime :: Siegfried (must be that BBC Radio 3 is doing Wagner's Ring this week - though I have problems with that Opera!
2. Jinx :: High
3. Animal :: Run
4. Woman :: Gender
5. Correspondence :: Matching
6. Eggs :: Pancake (this is what happens when I do this late)
7. Tax :: Code (tries to find mine on gov.uk!)
8. Lima :: Ponte (Portugal rather than South America - we went there in 2019)
9. Squander :: Waste
10. Expert :: Driver

Mutterings - Feb 3

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

1. Recording :: Sound
2. Tumble :: Drier
3. Fixate :: Obsess
4. Border :: First (He's at the border first.. he turns and.. the end of Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale)
5. Humming :: Bird
6. Scratch :: Orchestra (see Cornelius Cardew)
7. Exhausted :: Mine (as in excavation)
8. Gurgle :: Pipes
9. Nostalgia :: Musical
10. Squeak :: Bubble

Mutterings - Jan 28th

This week's (well last week's!) free word associations from Unconscious mutterings are:

1. Wanting :: Waiting (maybe the old Access card ad - "taking the waiting out of wanting", maybe yearning of separation)
2. System :: 4 (ICL...)
3. Home :: Screen
4. Excessive :: Alcohol
5. Handy :: Andy (I think the cleaner rather than any TV person!)
6. Traditional :: Carols (listened to some earlier)
7. Buying :: Scheme
8. Tone :: Lean (tanned..)
9. Modern :: Technology
10. Needing :: Loving

Over the town

First thing in the morning is good for quiet walks, sometimes you get a sunrise but Monday was cloudy though with lockdown it was good to be out and enjoying the cold quietness.

View of St Paul's - it was the day the church remembers St Paul that day!

Mutterings - Jan 24

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

1. Finale :: Season
2. Old man :: [of] Hoy
3. Sticking :: Plaster
4. Hardship :: Fund
5. Change :: Better
6. Suppose :: Assumption
7. Jacket :: Bomber
8. Volatile :: Cocktail
9. Five :: Fingers
10. Pajamas :: Trousers

Teaser - err Tuesday - Jan 21

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!

He took a beer out of the fridge or made himself a mug of tea, and while Roxana perched on the sofa to paint her toenails with deft strokes of silver glitter he told her about providing technical support to editors who could spend days honing a manuscript, somehow manage to lose all their work with a couple of keystrokes, and want him to recover it for them.

It sounds highly responsible business.

From a book group book of a few months back - `Constance' - Rosie Thomas - I'm a little uncomfortable with some of the phraseology in that quote, but I was very impressed back when I read this very powerful story of loss and re-connecting - see this review

Teaser Tuesday is hosted here if you wish to go and thank Ambrosia or get other ideas.

In a window

On alleged Bue Monday here's something to encourage, spotted this in a currently closed cafe on a walk

unfortunately, it has now gone, probably Christmas decorations, the words changed periodically. You may also spot me!

Across the car park

An early morning shopping trip produced these lovely winter colours in the snow and the unromantic surroundings of a supermarket car park.

Mutterings - Jan 11

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

1. Crass :: Trump
2. Raging :: Trump (is this a competition ;) )
3. Delivery :: Turpin (highwayman - nearly!)
4. Cash :: Outmoded
5. Streaming :: Music
6. Trip :: at home
7. Business :: Call
8. Tiger :: Jungle book
9. Sneeze :: 7 dwarves - more Disney!
10. Bribery :: Trump (again!)

Mutterings - Jan 6

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

1. Discount :: Dat Count (sorry!)
2. Gluttony :: Christmas
3. Hype :: Social media
4. Imposing :: Edifice
5. Segment :: Chord (I think a geometry connection here rather than musical)
6. Controlling :: Abuse
7. Suspicious :: Glance
8. Prime :: Function (maybe 2ⁿ - 1?)
9. Auction :: Car
10. Epic :: Agile (software terms strike back!)

New Year

Another new year and as an intent let's try to breathe more new life here with some catching up and positive views. An early morning walk today along the local canal, quiet, frosty with the local birdlife giving a reminder that some things still go on. A bit too cloudy for good dawn pictures but then a boat with some heating appeared after rounding a corner under a bridge.

November colours

A short walk at the weekend along a local canal and 2 pictures:

Love the way the heron and the houses in the background go together so beautifully, and one of those heron legs is actually something in the street behind. This photo was taken < 5 minutes from the local railway station.

Mutterings - Sept 18

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

1. Medical :: Procedure
2. Half :: Better
3. Purpose :: Defined
4. Committed :: Relationship
5. Month :: November!
6. Focal :: Length
7. Coconut :: Shy
8. Confusion :: Embarrassment
9. Separation :: Divorce
10. Officer :: Gentleman

Defying International law

A letter I've sent to our MP (David Rutley) on the subject of the UK government proposing to discard bits of the Brexit withdrawal agreement Johnson/Cummings are not keen on:

I'm writing to you to express my dismay that the government is proposing to break international law in 'a very specific and limited way' - whatever that means! - over the Brexit agreement.

If I were to break the law even in a very specific and limited way, I'd expect to find myself in trouble with the police. I realise that our prime minister has trouble with honesty and integrity (and especially via his unaccountable and unsackable 'advisor' Dominic Cummings) but I would hope that you have higher standards and will argue against this breaking of the law and if it is brought to the commons will vote against it.

If we do this - despite Johnson claiming his deal was 'oven ready' and all conservative candidates signing up to it at the 2019 election - to discard the inconvenient bits sends a message to our international partners that it is not worth agreeing trade treaties with us which can be thrown away on a ministerial whim. You are also all breaking your word to the electorate as well as ignoring the very recent manifesto.

If we do this how can we possibly criticise the government of China for not sticking to the Hong Kong agreement?

a paragraph of more personal information elided!

feel free to borrow bits of this!

Mutterings - Sept 5

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

1. Jealous :: Dog (kd lang )
2. Lucky :: Strike
3. Road :: Journey
4. Pushing :: 50 (or some random age!)
5. Joint :: Pain (see above)
6. Knocking :: Door (heaven's)
7. Confused :: Drinking
8. Happening :: 60s
9. Stellar :: Reputation
10. Jump :: Shift (oh is that a bridge link - I thought it must be SF)

By the canal

I've been walking most days during lockdown and the following restrictions, there's old railways lines - now footpaths - and a canal very close to home. Today a heron was gently swimming on the canal watching passers by closely but not being alarmed!

And one from a few weeks ago:

Mutterings - Aug 31

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

1. Broken :: Glass (maybe spectre but that's a mis-spelling!)
2. Sabotage :: Criminal
3. Pass :: Card
4. Corn :: Sweet
5. Strangle :: Lock
6. Books :: Shelves
7. Relief :: Exhale
8. Mountain :: Path
9. Tomato :: Trellis
10. Tablet :: Android

..catching up (again!)

Mutterings - Aug 18

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

1. Alexander :: Graham Bell
2. Driver :: Device (geeky!)
3. Suck :: Blow
4. Approach :: Landing
5. Votes :: Up
6. Mister :: Sir
7. Low key :: Withdrawn
8. Cameras :: Press
9. Stint :: Arduous
10. Carpenter :: Plane

Mutterings - June 11

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

1. Dish :: Spoon (nursery rhymes..)
2. Crunch :: Bang
3. Fire :: Sack
4. Alaska :: Pipeline
5. Heights :: Balance
6. Force :: Luke
7. Birthday :: Cake
8. Sauce :: Gander
9. Gift :: Wrap
10. Winner :: Raffle

Mutterings - May 4

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

1. Baby :: Computer
2. Quarantine :: Lockdown
3. Self :: Care
4. Backpack :: Heavy
5. Digital :: Computer
6. App :: Jit.Si
7. Home :: Page
8. Show :: Boat
9. Cereal :: Bowl
10. Contract :: Bridge

Mutterings - 26 Apr

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

1. Vanity :: Fair
2. Healthy :: Lifestyle
3. Tooth :: Ache
4. Mug :: Coffee
5. Reach :: Out of..
6. Parenting :: Care
7. School :: Days
8. Whine :: Lunch (I get plenty of feline whines around their lunchtime)
9. Hotel :: de France
10. Nose :: Shostakovich (an opera!)

Mutterings - Apr 18

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

1. Triangle :: Isosceles
2. Shining :: Tor (see Alan Garner Weirdstone of Brisingamen, and not too far from here!)
3. Bunny :: Boiling (I've never seen the film)
4. To do :: List
5. Stuffy :: Room
6. Shake :: Rattle (and Roll)
7. Mug :: Tree
8. Julia :: Thomas (knew long ago!)
9. Hobbit :: Frodo
10. Hope :: Tunnel (at the end of!)

Mutterings - Apr 12

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

1. Ball :: Bouncing
2. Simplified :: Notation
3. Wash :: Rinse
4. Relative :: Safety
5. Calls :: Home
6. Lotion :: Suntan
7. Compassion :: Generous
8. Swipe :: Left (or is it right?!)
9. Burning :: Bush
10. Safe :: Deposit

Mutterings - Apr 5

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

1. Baby :: Steps
2. Telework :: Remote
3. Sleeve :: Record
4. Corner :: Shop
5. Ordered :: List
6. Grasp :: Wrist
7. Plastic :: Model
8. Slide ::
9. Communicate :: Face
10. Pant :: Short

Mutterings - March 28

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

1. Good man :: Saint
2. Static :: Electricity (or Variable!)
3. Anxiety :: High
4. Watched :: Variable (again - a debugger keeping watch on the value of a program variable)
5. Heart :: Aorta
6. First day :: Rest (of your life)
7. Certain :: Love
8. Forever :: Ring (Tolkien or Wedding?)
9. Impressed :: Ironed
10. Nervous :: Twitch

Mutterings - March 14

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

1. Wash :: Hands!
2. Finish :: Smooth
3. Veneer :: Respectability
4. Symptom :: Cure
5. March :: Scaffold (Berlioz!)
6. Correction :: Facility (such a nice euphemism)
7. Link :: Pointer (softwarey!)
8. Chapped :: Hands
9. Control :: Freak
10. Licked :: (into) Shape

Mutterings - 8 Mar

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

1. Decent :: Wholesome
2. Hypnotize :: Watch
3. Whirr :: Clock(!)
4. Baby :: Bird - the cats are getting ready!
5. Solid :: Space (not sure what's going on here!)
6. Take :: Heart
7. Discreet :: Email
8. Symbol :: Wagner's Ring
9. Orange :: Peel
10. Informational :: Sign

Rendering

I had space on the train up from London this week - and needed the relaxation to create this terragen render:

Not much apart from the lighting but it went well with my mood!

Mutterings - Feb 27

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

1. Welcome :: Mat
2. Importance :: Of No - I think I was thinking of this play which I've never seen.
3. Painless :: Procedure (but usually not!)
4. Scramble :: Bike
5. Election :: Rigged
6. Message :: Telephone
7. Providing :: Comfort
8. Evidence :: Preserved
9. Talking :: Book
10. February :: Snow

Mutterings - Feb 18

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

1. Flu :: Jab
2. Betrayal :: (of) Trust
3. Frustration :: Crying
4. 7:30 :: Alarm (but I'm usually up before this!)
5. Backward :: Looking
6. Vision :: Clouded
7. Freezing :: Fog
8. List :: (to) Starboard
9. Need :: Emotional
10. Cougar :: Claws

Teaser Tuesday - 13 Feb

Well a bit late but lets try to bring this back!
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!

Mrs Ellis had spotted them: Tom and Gabiella. She'd been a witness, one of the last people to have seen my sister.

From our BATS (book group) book of the month - `The Missing Girl' Jenny Quintana - we're currently working our way through the Author alphabet and this month is (surprise!) Q. I think this is heading to be traumatic if it isn't there already!

I see Teaser Tuesday is now hosted here if you wish to go and thank Ambrosia or get other ideas.

Mutterings - Feb 13

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

1. Burn out :: Emotional
2. Swallow :: Summer
3. Tiger :: [came to ] tea
4. Cough :: Audience
5. Notes :: Postit!
6. Balloon :: popup
7. Signal :: catch (an IT computer language connection!)
8. Cast :: Line (fish rather than chorus)
9. Push :: Over
10. Shiver :: Fear

Mutterings - Jan 28

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

1. Constant :: Gardener
2. Tragic :: Muse
3. Cougar :: JLR (Jaguar Landrover)
4. Inspect :: Clouseau
5. Stale :: Bread
6. Verbal :: Abuse
7. Annoying :: Tic
8. Pace :: Even
9. Friendship :: Lasting
10. Jade :: Green

A few weeks missing and I will attempt to beat more life into this blog with different posts!

Mutterings - Jan 4

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

1. Pathetic :: Symphony (but better as pathétique!)
2. Snapshot :: System
3. Start :: Menu (oh dear this is getting very geeky!)
4. Combine :: Harvester
5. Assertive :: Manner
6. Think :: Storm (maybe via brain)
7. Storm :: (don't think I saw this line, see above) Mental. But I was tempted by some half remembered lines from Cocteau's La Machine Infernale - I see Cocteau associated himself into the last one too!
8. Humor :: Sense (of)
9. Regain :: Ground
10. Resolve :: Firm

Mutterings - Dec 29

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

1. Parents :: Terribles - a Cocteau play
2. Controversy :: Political
3. Twitter :: rajm - me!
4. Minute :: Waltz
5. Back and forth :: Havering
6. Producing :: Litter (puppies rather than rubbish!)
7. Twigs :: Understands
8. Giants :: Walk
9. Clinic :: Dental
10. Amazing :: Grace

Mutterings - Dec 13

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

1. Pushed :: (onto the ) Stack - software algorithms!
2. Desire :: Heat
3. Fold :: Over (origami)
4. Ruffle :: IRC
5. Human :: Spirit (resists torpedo!)
6. Torpedo :: Chances
7. Lantern :: Magic
8. Terror :: Existential
9. Distaste :: Prim
10. Accomplish :: Sign

Mutterings - Dec 12

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

1. Host :: Communion
2. Nail :: Hand (take that how you will!)
3. Clause :: Subordinate
4. Pen :: Le (French politics..)
5. Therapy :: Retail
6. Highlight :: Pen(!)
7. Panting :: Desire
8. Education :: Primary (or Bad - Almodóvar
9. Contribution :: Financial
10. Lie :: Politics (and thinking of certain blonde headed - current - leaders)

Mutterings - Dec 6

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

1. Cloud :: Cirrus (carefully avoiding internet links!)
2. Officer :: Salute
3. Physical :: Exercise
4. Advantageous :: Position
5. Mobile :: Phone (having 'fun' here at the moment)
6. Threat :: Existential
7. Potential :: Energy
8. Confined :: Prison
9. Overlap :: Origami
10. Domain :: Web

Mutterings - Nov 23

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

1. Notification :: Popup
2. Screen :: Time
3. Purify :: Scald
4. Obsolete :: Version
5. Contaminate :: Drop (into)
6. Nightmare :: Shouting (in my case)
7. Show :: Tell
8. People :: Friends
9. Unique :: Solution
10. Install :: Package (software showing!)

Mutterings - Nov 9

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

1. Cancel :: Delete
2. Optimistic :: Outlook
3. Surrogate :: Mother
4. Tickle :: Fancy
5. Amber :: Insect (in)
6. Stuffy :: Old fashioned
7. Chaos :: Theory
8. Desktop :: Tidy (not mine!)
9. Dynamite :: Stick
10. Holidays :: Summer

Mutterings - Oct 25

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

1. Conceive :: [a] child
2. Exterminate :: Sink plunger (or a Dalek..!)
3. Forest :: Peace
4. Artistic :: Bent
5. Compulsive :: Twitch
6. Original :: Theme (Variations on... not sure which set I was thinking of! Elgar? Beethoven?)
7. Excessive :: Bureaucracy
8. Fancy! :: Free!
9. English :: Language
10. Conceit :: Artifice

Porto Meanderings

The full day we spent in Porto we followed the suggested InnTravel walks around the city. This picture is some of the tiles high up in São Bento, plenty more tiles there but I did like the ones up near the roof.

Evening meal was again at Jimao Tapas e Vinhos - enjoyed on both occasions!

Mutterings - Oct 13

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

1. Say something :: Anything!
2. Eventually :: Event-u-ally (said slowly) was it a John Cleese-ism?
3. Contract :: Bridge
4. Worth :: Harry (a UK comedian of the 50s)
5. Nasty :: or Nice?
6. Corrupt :: Politician
7. Virus :: Noro-
8. System :: Backup
9. Supportive :: Friend
10. Dictator :: Mussolini

Transfer to Porto

After enjoying another evening and breakfast at Calheiros we took an Inntravel arranged taxi to Porto for a few extra days stay at the Hotel Pestana . We'd arranged a trip to the Graham port lodge for a tasting that afternoon and so wandered over the river and a walk alongside admiring painted walls:


See the album for the rabbit! I'd rather gone off the sweetness of port but the tasting and introduction to the lodge was much enjoyed! That evening we ate at Jimao Tapas e Vinhos close to the hotel - busy I'd recommend booking (which we did).
Oh and at lunchtime we ate at da Terra - a vegetarian restaurant with a serve yourself infinite buffet!

Mutterings - Oct 5

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

1. Cold :: Fever
2. Center :: Stillness
3. Squared :: Root
4. History :: Course
5. Stiff :: Dead
6. Computer :: Board
7. Fold :: Tri(-fold) cord
8. Trip :: Fall
9. Away :: Manger (is it Christmas soon?)
10. Stuffy :: Old-fashioned

Around Calheiros

A final day of the manor houses' walk was a very gentle walk around Calheiros with grandstand views of the house:


For the rest of the day we enjoyed walks around the grounds with extensive gardens.

Mutterings - Oct 4

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

1. Care :: (in the) Community (allegedly!)
2. Siblings :: Siegmund (Sieglinde) must have been provoked by Jessye Norman's deth
3. Underpants :: Knickers!
4. Compassion :: Alongside
5. Best :: George - there is ancient football knowledge somewhere..
6. Festive :: Hat
7. Incomplete :: Specification - lots of those
8. Educated :: Eton - not me!
9. Similar :: Mirror..image
10. Pretentious :: Tw*t

Up to Paço de Calheiros

More on that even more receded holiday in May! The next day's walk was a very gently affair, we arrived at the final manor house around lunchtime. If you do this spend more time in Ponte de Lima - where by the way the lamp posts play brass band music at you - I think this was set off by motion detectors and they seemed to be still activating late into the evening, if you're allergic to brass band music walk down the middle of the road!



A slightly ascending route and we ended up in a wonderful room for 2 nights in the manor house - the picture is a view from the terrace outside the room. Extensive grounds and the house is worth the look around. There were quite a few groups for the evening meal in a grand dining room!

Mutterings - Sep 19

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

1. Guest :: Account
2. Intimidate :: Overbearing
3. Flavor :: Vanilla
4. Suspicious :: Glare
5. Contaminate :: Pollute
6. Bordering :: (on the ) absurd
7. Language :: Watch (your)
8. Corrupt :: Government
9. Satisfy :: Wine bottle
10. Monthly :: Pay cheque

Mutterings - Sep 15

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

1. Ring :: Wagner
2. Chess :: Gambit
3. Fulfilled :: Accomplished
4. Drawing :: Still-life
5. Favor :: Grace
6. Proof :: QED
7. Million :: Bonus
8. Pad :: Across (as in an animal padding across somewhere)
9. Chest :: Inhaler
10. Code :: Breaking the ...

Prorogation and Tory Whipping

I wrote this letter to my MP after an earlier exchange of letters where David Rutley's response failed to address any of my points and was clearly a form letter from conservative central office. I got the first response around 24 hours after my email, his was sent my post - why(?). I'm still waiting for a response from this.

Thank you for your speedy response to my email about the deselection
of rebel tory MPs, unfortunately your letter addressed none of my
points and seemed to be to be high grade flannel from Central Office,
but no doubt you're a little busy. Let me then offer these questions
for hopefully a more to the point consideration.

Were you there at the Chequers meeting which agreed that Tory MPs who
rebel on Bexit will be ejected from the party and not allowed to stand
in the future?

Do you agree with that position?

Will the same sanctions apply to anyone from the extreme right of the
party who votes against any agreement by Johnson's 'negotiating' group
delivered before 31st Oct?

Did you know about the decision to prorogue Parliament more than 24
hours before it was publically announced? (the leader of the House
appears to have difficulty with this question hopefully you can give a
more honest answer)

Was the decision to prorogue Parliament announced on 28th Aug discussed in a full meeting of Cabinet beforehand?

If the answers to either of the last 2 questions is no, then your
letter saying 'nothing to see here' 'usual practice' is clearly a
lie. I remember (you may have forgotten) that the decision to extend
the Parliamentary session was taken to give the time for Bexit to be
done. To therefore prorogue 6 weeks before the current departure date
seems a little at odds with that!

I guess these direct questions are a little harder to flannel around. I see his twitter handle on the linked parliament page is still incorrect - should be @DavidRutley rather than @DavidRutleyMP. David Rutley is a tory whip.

Mutterings - Sep 10

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

1. Baby :: Computer
2. Standard :: Gold
3. Pose :: Freeze
4. Rubbish :: Bin
5. Clear :: In the .. I'm thinking of this Blitzstein song
6. Hope :: Obama
7. Circumference :: Magellan
8. Scramble :: Rock
9. Gasp :: Interview (I was accused of this at an interview when a previous employer was brought up)
10. Hunted :: Look

Mutterings - Aug 25

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

1. Adopt :: Parent
2. Turbulence :: Nexus
3. Constituent :: Demanding
4. Reckless :: Fall
5. Habitat :: Hull (my brother in law worked at Habitat in Hull back in the 1980s)
6. Spare :: Tyre
7. Horror :: Film
8. Influence :: Destructive
9. Indulge :: Ice cream
10. Humanity :: Caring

A day in Ponte da Lima

(this is getting a bit drawn out.. sorry for the delay in adding updates!)
The next day was around Ponte da Lima, we took it gently around the town. But we did include a visit to the Vinho Verde visitor centre - with tasting!



That evening we ate at Casa do Provedor where I risked the local speciality of sarrabulho - pigs' blood rice and quite enjoyed the experience!

Into Ponte da Lima

The next day of our Minho holiday was the longest (17km) but probably the flattest! Ascent through vineyards and then down to the river Lima and along an Ecovia into Ponte da Lima


A pleasant walk but on a very hot day, a cafe was advertised in the instructions but we were too early in the season and it was closed. Eventually we reached the town and walked though the wonderful Plane tree avenue pictured above to our destination for the evening Mercearia da Vila a hotel rather than a manor house in an old grocer's shop (that website is all in Portuguese!) We ate out that evening at Taberna Cadeia Velha close to the river and lovely views of the setting sun!

Men and Volunteering

I was at a (church) Readers lunch today at which I was the only male and during our discussion we talked about ratios of men and women as leaders/volunteers in church events. Last night I attended a service rota planning event where (apart from the vicar) I was again the only male. I've just checked our list of volunteers to do Bible readings and that's around 75% female, our church is fairly well gender balanced (a slight bias towards women).

I also thought back to last weekend when - as a followup event to Macc Pride at which I was a steward (again a volunteer role) - there was a pub afternoon for feedback and news. When I arrived there were around 15 women and me(!) a few more women arrived before there was just one other male! I've also inspected the rota for St Michael's which opened its doors that day to welcome folk who wanted a break from the noisyness of the event (and some children's activities). Yes you guessed, again all female!

So more (on this limited set of data points) than just a church problem? I go to some geeky voluntary events which tend to be fairly male - but that's on a pretty male concentrated population to draw on? Is it that men are too busy wanting to be the main wage earner even when they're retired?

Mutterings - Jul 15

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

1. Baby :: Talk
2. Stripes :: Tiger
3. Family :: Home
4. Draw :: Firearms
5. Girl :: Power
6. Cup :: Ball
7. Tested :: Allergy
8. Vanilla :: Sex
9. Bronze :: Medal
10. Visit :: Holiday

Starting the Caminho

We left the Quinta da Malta - taking the packed lunch in a monogrammed bag and after a taxi transfer to the Santuario Nossa Senhora da Aparecida (a place of pilgrimage) we followed the Caminho de Santiago for the rest of the day. Fairly gentle and flat meeting a few fellow walkers en route who were mostly intending to walk a little further than us that day - onto Ponte da Lima - we were taking 2 days over that.
I think we got to our stop that night early afternoon Quinta do Sobreiro - we were the only guests that evening but were well looked after. It was a very hot day so we stayed in the shade the rest of the day.

Mutterings - Jun 30

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

1. School :: Secondary
2. Print :: Job
3. Falls :: Victoria
4. Manages :: Company
5. Hop :: Beer
6. Location :: Location..
7. Skipped :: Lightness
8. Sneeze :: Cold
9. Prism :: Spectrum
10. Program :: Pascal

An introductory walk

The initial walk was a gentle affair around Durrães as far as the Ponte das Tabuas - a bridge on the Caminho (pilgrim) trail to Santiago - a route we met a few times during the holiday!

It was a gentle walk I think we regularly beat the Inntravel timings by quite a bit this week. We were back at the Quinta da Malta for lunch and enjoyed a gentle afternoon with another bottle of local wine! We also had a look around the farm associated with the manor house with lots of organic produce which was used extensively in the food. We were a day behind some other walkers and during the afternoon some others arrived who then were a day behind us. Another relaxed evening meal before thinking about the first transfer walk.

Mutterings - 23 June

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

1. Late! :: Never!
2. Swallow :: Summer
3. Infection :: Hospital
4. Mobile :: Data
5. Honey :: Hive
6. Cup :: Goblet
7. Sensational :: Skin
8. Twist :: (and) Shout
9. Thump :: Agression
10. Work :: Hours

Mutterings - June 16

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

1. Guy :: Fawkes
2. Forces :: Equal (and opposite)
3. Governor :: Supreme (of the Church of England)
4. Done :: Sold!
5. Premature :: Baby
6. Insist :: Threaten
7. Congress :: Library
8. Invest :: Trust
9. Immunity :: White (blood)
10. Society :: Free

Manor Houses of the Minho

We're recently back from 10 days in Portugal - as ever an InnTravel walking tour! The photo album of the trip is here.
We travelled to Porto via Brussels and then tram and train to Durrães where we spent 2 nights at Quinta da Malta one of a number of manor houses which formed the stops for the trip - family homes rather than hotels but we were well cared for. .

We arrived for an enjoyable meal with lots of local wine and a gentle inspection of the huge gardens to the house.

Mutterings - June 4

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

1. Apartment :: Arondissement (I was listening to a programme about Francis Poulenc and his living in Paris)
2. Fitness :: Gym
3. Trouble :: Blast!
4. Storm :: Lightning
5. Winning :: Ways
6. Dryer :: Normal (from a social media cartoon "what's normal - a dryer setting...")
7. Photo :: Scan
8. Stomach :: Ache
9. er :: winn-
10. Pert :: Bosom (blames Daily Mail...)

and catching up...

1. Confusion :: Stammer
2. Benefits :: Fringe
3. Nervous :: Spasm
4. Stuffy :: Teacher
5. Illegal :: Drugs
6. Optimism :: Sunshine
7. Where :: Locate
8. Symptom :: Bruise
9. Dry :: Humour
10. Sarcasm :: Confuse

Mutterings - May 25

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

1. Anxiety :: Complex
2. Yellow :: River
3. Compulsive :: Tic
4. Nobody :: Knows (.. the trouble..)
5. Irritation :: Sand
6. Heartache :: Insomnia
7. Noise :: Phones (either head or mobile!)
8. Lock :: Head
9. Untimely :: Demise (Belloc?)
10. Disappointment :: Angst

Mutterings - May 8

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

1. Reference :: Dictionary
2. Sleepy :: Dozey
3. Deprived :: Sleep!
4. TNT :: Arabic (numerals - via this incredible (stupid) Petition
5. Complaint :: Back
6. Monthly :: Bill
7. Sarah :: Rachel (Old Testament..)
8. Records :: LPs
9. Butter :: Melt .. Mouth (and wouldn't!)
10. Shone :: Moon

Mutterings - May 5

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

1. Freelance :: Contractor
2. Bottle :: Courage
3. Links :: Missing
4. Choice :: Free
5. Materialistic :: Grasping
6. Case :: Attache
7. Fancy :: Takes (your)
8. Protection :: Climbing
9. Toast :: Burnt
10. Extravagant :: Show-off

Mutterings - Apr 25

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

1. Advice :: Line
2. Volume :: Button
3. Link :: Hyper
4. Learn :: Listen!
5. Save :: Screen
6. Upcoming :: Releases
7. Summer :: 1993 (film..)
8. Always :: Cline (Patsy)
9. 2019 :: Now!
10. Response :: Time

and last week's

1. Boardwalk :: Plank
2. Son :: Prodigal
3. Trampled :: Underfoot
4. 30 :: below
5. Speak :: Easy
6. Fun :: Games
7. Best friend :: Companion
8. Memories :: Cats (oh dear - Lloyd Webber...)
9. Shallow :: Rapids
10. Sun :: Reaction - the way the sun is powered..)

Two Op 1s!

An interesting day musically - piano meetup at z-arts - 4 Rachmaninov preludes by different players, a stunning Berg sonata (Op 1) I've never heard it live before and this was I assume an amateur playing it! Someone else played the first movement of the Beethoven Op 111 sonata- I played some Bach (fugue from WTC in G min we had a lot of that key from various people!) and then in the evening to the Northern chamber orchestra chamber evening with the Mozart clarinet quintet (played with the contrabass clarinet version) some Schubert songs for baritone acc by string quartet - including the Erlkönig (another Op 1!) and then the Schubert string quintet a wonderful performance. The string quintet was interrupted when the second violin's bow broke at the end of the scherzo, but a performance of intensity throughout. The baritone Matthew Sharp doubled as the second cello in the Schubert!

Here's Glenn Gould playing the Berg Sonata

Mutterings - Apr 14

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

1. Economy :: Urban
2. Podcast :: Music
3. Go to :: Unstructured (programming!)
4. Radio :: Gaga
5. Modern :: Harmony
6. Pleasure :: Music for (and old LP label)
7. Everyday :: Interaction (I resisted pleasure!)
8. Last month :: March!
9. Fundamental :: Tone (music again!)
10. 100% :: Give

Mutterings - Apr 5

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

1. Expectation :: Great (Dickens!)
2. Corner :: Case
3. Hesitation :: Deviation (Just a Minute)
4. Buzzing :: Discussion
5. Headache :: Sinus
6. Social :: Circle
7. Insurance :: Home
8. Foolish :: Things
9. Tiara :: Diamond
10. Senator :: Roman

Mutterings - Mar 21

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

1. Combination :: Lock
2. Frustration :: Weep (with)
3. Whatever :: Shrug
4. Backtrack :: Search
5. Shut :: It (Vince!)
6. Beautiful :: Laundrette
7. Mindful ::
8. Master :: Roger (Delgado
9. Contribute ::
10. Idiotic :: Babble

My mind appears to be trawling through film and TV! Rather late to come to this set of words...

Mutterings - Mar 11

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

1. Impatient :: Driver
2. Unplug :: USB
3. Spot on :: Vet treatment
4. Matter :: Mind (over)
5. Grouped :: Isolated
6. Frequently :: Absent
7. Scratching :: Pork!
8. Birthday :: Present
9. Quake :: California
10. Squeak :: Bubble

Mutterings - Feb 28

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

1. Stupid :: Boy! (Dad's Army?)
2. Delete :: This (C++ or hiding traces?)
3. Morning :: has Broken
4. Disassemble :: Decode (as in disassemble a program)
5. Schedule :: Tight
6. Required :: Field (too much form filling)
7. Denied :: Access
8. Calendar :: Julian
9. Wind :: Up!
10. Eyeliner :: Pencil

Mutterings - Feb 18

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

1. Cancellation :: Penalty
2. Suspect :: Interview
3. Fireplace :: Dogs
4. Spring :: Zebedee (magic roundabout strikes...)
5. Commute :: Retire
6. Places :: Recalls (to recognise..)
7. Fraud :: Electoral
8. Adoption :: Meeting (probably political)
9. Election :: Vote
10. Moving day :: Packing cases

Mutterings - Feb 8

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

1. Hurry! :: Late!
2. Dumb :: -o
3. Fudge :: Nut
4. Sturdy :: Theology (I had supervisions with John Sturdy from Gonville and Caius when reading theology)
5. Printing :: Press
6. Itch :: Scratch
7. Creaks :: Bow
8. Paste :: Cut
9. Waste of time :: Country Walk (well according to some - not me!)
10. Let down :: Betray

Mutterings - Jan 30

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

1. Doubled :: Fugue (well double really!)
2. Choreography :: a points!
3. Surprising :: Result
4. Punched :: Card (ancient IT..)
5. Followers :: Twitter
6. Stunts :: Fall
7. Comics :: Daily
8. Elaborate :: Deceit
9. Fumbling :: Climbing
10. Period :: .

Mutterings - Jan 8

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

1. Bias :: Die (a single cube with numbers ;))
2. Boxing :: Day
3. Kennedy :: Dead (occasional pop culture references here..)
4. Podcast :: Music
5. Myth :: Greek
6. Movie :: Star
7. Building :: Empire State (don't think I'd seen the next line?)
8. State :: Galleon - a Joyce Grenfell connection
9. Hotel :: 3 star
10. Book :: Lyrics

1. Scrabble :: Domino (at one point we had cats called Domino and Scrabble)
2. Gin :: Forest
3. Problems :: Emotional (Maths..)
4. Agreement :: (Hand) Shake
5. Superior :: Lake
6. Cough :: Syrup
7. Resolved :: Cadence
8. Joy :: Peace
9. Beginning :: End (of the)
10. Plan :: Map

Retired!

Oh, have I retired! That stage of life was completed at the end of last month ending two and a half years of happy employment at Codethink.

There was bread and cheese followed by a trip to Beatnitz - which had recently opened under Codethink's office. Once I get past Christmas I will (I hope) have a better idea of where things will go next!

Mutterings - Dec 23

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

1. Planned :: Attack
2. Constant :: Gradient
3. Solution :: Clear (chemistry rather than mathematics!)
4. Whine :: Cat
5. Everything :: Meaning of ...42
6. Stick :: Brown (what's brown and sticky...)
7. Measured :: Response
8. Faith :: Constant!
9. People :: Responses
10. Restaurant :: Menu

Mutterings - Dec 21

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

1. Podcast :: Feed
2. Newspaper :: Column
3. Standing :: Room (only!)
4. I don’t know :: Gnosis
5. Hooked :: Angling
6. Height :: Bar
7. Comical :: Situation
8. Couple :: Odd
9. River :: Bank
10. Surprising :: Result

Mutterings - Dec 13

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

1. Podcast :: Music
2. Literally :: Misuse
3. Scratch :: Buffer ( the default emacs situation)
4. Voltage :: High
5. Intense :: Spark
6. Chapped :: Lips
7. Attention :: Seeking
8. Morning :: Glory
9. Exhaustion :: Collapse
10. Mentor :: Software

Mutterings - Dec 7

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

1. Notification :: Emailed
2. Promise :: Keeper
3. Tailor :: Spy (leaping a few in the le Carre sequence)
4. Laughter :: Hysterical
5. Sneeze :: Gesundheit!
6. Forgotten :: (they fly forgotten..) Dream
7. Job :: Employment
8. Shift :: Night (or maybe Red - thinking of the Alan Garner novel set near here..)
9. Criticism :: Just
10. Holiday :: Long

Mutterings - Nov 25

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

1. Hack :: Space
2. Unimpressed :: Sniffy
3. Garden :: Shed
4. Saliva :: Drool
5. Ache :: Back
6. Elect :: Gevernment
7. Format :: A4
8. Temper :: Iron
9. Snail :: Horns
10. Holidays :: Walks!

Tiles

I wanted to have a photo of the new Codethink work offices before I retire at the end of this month to link with this posting back from 2009 of TNEI's offices in Newcastle. Here's the Dale St offices

Green and white used to be very much the fashion, I think I remember similar tiling being present in the Cussons offices in North Manchester where I worked on a project back in 1977?

Mutterings - Nov 17

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

1. Notification :: Email
2. Vote :: early, vote often!
3. Simmer :: Rage
4. Biology :: Textbook
5. Constant :: Planck
6. Nail :: Hammer (I wonder if my previous answer was the mental link of the compiler to 'nail'!?)
7. Filter :: Coffee
8. Curls :: Innocent
9. Sensation :: Pop
10. Strap :: -On (errrmm!)

Mutterings - Nov 4

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

1. Persistence :: Dogged
2. Access :: all areas
3. Pulp :: Fiction
4. Sincere :: Greetings
5. Dog :: Follow
6. Restriction :: Choke
7. Drilling :: Quake ( contentious fracking has recently started in the North west)
8. Pony :: Red (Copland..)
9. Monday morning :: Feeling
10. Retirement :: Nearly there!!! - see the announcement here!

Non-disclosure agreements

As non-disclosure agreements are in the news I thought posting one might add a little information to the discussion. This is an extract from one I was pressured into signing in 2009.

4. The terms of this Agreement are confidential and shall not be disclosed by either party to any third party except:-
4.1 in the case of the Employee his immediate family, provided such person agrees to maintain confidentiality; or
4.2 in either case for the purposes of taking professional advice in relation to this Agreement provided the professional adviser is bound by a duty of confidence; or
4.3 in compliance with any legal obligation to disclose, for example to HM Revenue and Customs or the Compensation Recovery Unit.
5. The parties agree and undertake (in consideration of their mutual promises to that effect) that neither will make or publish any derogatory or disparaging statement or do anything in relation to the other, which is intended to or which might be expected to damage or lower their respective reputations.

You'll see that I shouldn't be posting this (clearly!) but as the other party broke the terms of this (para 5 above) in a private briefing to ex-colleagues the day after it was signed I'm not unduly bothered!

Mutterings - Oct 23

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

1. Bitter :: Herbs (Passover)
2. Sister :: Brother
3. Health :: Service
4. Weekly :: Timesheet (not going to be many more of these for me?!)
5. Theory :: Relativity
6. Innocent :: Pope
7. Bar :: Barrister
8. Conditional :: if () ...
9. Basement :: Department store
10. Rehab :: Drugs

catching up again...

1. Peaceful :: Vista
2. Halloween :: nearly birthday!
3. Wave :: o/ (IRC..)
4. Always :: Present
5. Blow out :: Straw
6. Rumors :: Nasty
7. Family :: Commit
8. Unwanted :: Approach
9. Love :: Actually
10. Cubicle :: Work (but never had one inflicted on me)

Mutterings - Oct 10

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

1. Unexpected :: Arrival
2. Register :: Fast (a computing connection)
3. Argument :: Parameter (ditto!)
4. Calendar :: Mayan
5. Breakfast :: Croissant
6. Crossed :: Purposes
7. Sticker :: Laptop (my work one has a few!)
8. Simplistic :: Wrong (but what do I know!)
9. Jingle :: Bells! (a bit early..but advertising is prob not UK common parlance)
10. Cornerstone :: Faith (1 Peter in New Testament)