Boadicea's Chariot

Rousham Vista

A few weeks ago I was invited to an event at Rousham, a rather wonderful privately owned garden which is open to the public, but not to children, from 10 am to dusk each day.
The event was a fund raiser for a group of cyclists (The Valley Girls) who are planning a cycling trip across India. The star attraction was advertised as being ‘Pippa Greenwood, giving a talk about growing vegetables’ – plus a chance to mingle and nibble with a glass of wine and wander the garden until dusk. For me the star attraction was the chance to see the wonderful garden.

The weather was not promising. There were several heavy downpours of rain in the few hours leading up to the start of the evening, and I debated going in wellies… however the clouds cleared and we had a lovely evening among the borders.

Continue reading “Rousham Vista”

The Cubes of Picasso

Catching up on some out standing TV programmes on my hard drive I watched a Perspectives show on ITV presented by Michael Portillo and focusing on the life of Pablo Picasso. It’s a lively hour of entertainment about bullfighting, Guernica and Spanish art. Portillo skirts over the many love affairs of the artist and concentrates on Picasso’s artwork and the influences on the man from Malaga.

Nearing the end of the programme Portillo draws on the comparisons between Velasquez’s Las Meninas painting and the many recreations Picasso manufactured. The Picasso variations are rendered in the cubism style.

Continue reading “The Cubes of Picasso”

AC/DC Live Wire

Prince’s 1999 song was rarely played on December 31^st 1998 yet a year later was used extensively on various radio stations/disco 2000s to welcome in the millennium. We partied 364 days and whatever minute it was too late. One of these anomalies we have in life. I didn’t party. I was Doctor Whoming behind the sofa, with my whimpering K9, awaiting Armageddon. Something wicked this way comes.

The millennium bug was the end of days. Looking back now I don’t know why I was so worried. I did not possess a computer at the time (Y2K). The worst that could have happened to me would be that the toaster wouldn’t work. And this would have nothing to do with broadband issues or other related online jargon. The trouble would be dodgy wiring in the plug; when you’ve chubby fingers it’s hard to put that little wire in the right place; Major Tom to earth etc. Still, like the glorious Gaynor, I survived.

Currie Cup ~ E.P. v W.P

The Currie Cup is reputed to be the oldest rugby provincial competition in the world and after a 12 year absence my Eastern Province is back in it!

It’s the top tier of S.A. rugby and yes, you’ve probably guessed by now we (EP) have never won it.

We won’t be winning it this year either but that matters not, the season kicked off last night with our first pool game against Western Province.

After our highly successful Super rugby campaign last year most of our players have been bought / stole / enticed away to ‘bigger’ clubs. (A Scottish bunch even enticed our coach away along with one of our best flankers!)

So, lots of new names to learn last night, lots of fringe players from last season getting a chance to step up to the big time lots of mistakes and drama but who cares (not me) another great night of rugby in our very own new stadium.

You can see that the Eastern Province team have reverted back to the famous Red and Black hoops kit, no more pandering to advertisers and promoters, no more dull black or white shirts that any true EP fans have absolutely no affinity with whatsoever, no, back to our famous red and black.

As you all know by know, results are hard to come by down here, suffice to say that we scored our first Currie Cup try in 12 years in the 32nd minute and led 11-10 at halftime, then the wheels fell off.

But a great evening, a great competition, it’s good to be back! Continue reading “Currie Cup ~ E.P. v W.P”

We didn’t start the blogging

Tocino, Bravo, the wolf cousin O Zangado
Gaz, Jazz, razzmatazz, Mrs O’s flowers in a vase
Pseu’s a snapper, Donald’s laughter, gardening matters
The poetry prize we’re all after
G’day Bearsy, Howzit S-Man, G’day Bilby
Sheona, how’s it gaun? Continue reading “We didn’t start the blogging”

‘There’s a Breathless Hush in the Close Tonight’

Please forgive me for this. I trust that I am amongst friends?

I was born British. I don’t believe that I am either better or worse than anybody else for that. I’m just happy that it happened to happen. I’m a Briton of Scots provenance and a loyal subject of Her Majesty.

I would like to die in the same state but there is a torn-faced waste of space who is trying to deny me that possibility. Tonight, Sleekit Salmond is going head to head with Alistair Darling and live on TV in what has been billed as a ‘game-changer’ I hope that he falls flat on his jowls.

Just in case you don’t know the pome, I also hope that Mr Darling plays up big time tonight.
Continue reading “‘There’s a Breathless Hush in the Close Tonight’”

And you thought Battleships was bad

Possibly only Christopher and Bravo will have heard of wei qi. It was while reading Henry Kissinger’s excellent book On China (hands up all those that thought TR/JW only read Spider-Man and stuff like that) that the diplomat described the game that originated in China 2,500 years ago. Continue reading “And you thought Battleships was bad”

A poem for Mr Mackie!

This is a favourite theme of mine, as you may have gathered

The loneliness of the solo piper.

Oh, the bagpipes howl and the bagpipes scream
When they are massed together, they really take the cream
The sound of a band of pipe and drums
Gets the listener going and he hums

But when a piper is caught alone
The noise turns one’s heart to stone
Never was such cacophony
As makes one beg hard for mercy

So, let it always be said
Pipes and drums go to your head.
But if a feral piper alone is found
Stamp him hard into the ground!

Poetry Competition – ‘A Musical Turn’

Cherished colleagues I invite you to submit entries for the August poetry competition on the subject heading “A Musical Turn”. This may relate to a dance, a musical instrument, a phrase in a song, even an unusual musical chord (go on Jason you can make one up). You can even write a song which I may put to music.

I realise that this subject may fall on deaf ears but anything on “sound” or ” noise” will be accepted. Please use your imagination but I have to say that musicality will win bonus points. Closing date 31 August – midnight GMT.

Ding-dong.