It's Always More Complicated

It was not actually raining, just very grey and gloomy and damp, so I went out for my usual post-prandial walk.

And in the pocket park behind the house there were several people doing purposeful-looking gardening-type things, and I remembered that the other day I had seen a notice about volunteer wildlife gardening sessions, and maybe this was one of them happening.

I was not tempted at all to join in, or indeed to approach too closely, and proceeded on my way to the other park, where I observed several groups of tinies with accompanying grownups about some sort of nature study or some such - maybe it was Forest School day or something, although they did seem very little kids.

But honestly not the day for going out and relishing the beauties of rus in urbe and getting in touch with the healing powers of naychur - about halfway through my stroll it came on to rain.

Today I met cassandre for lunch - we had actually scheduled this for last Thursday but in view of the promised HEAT EVENT we rearranged.

We lunched at Honey & Co Daily, a deli/restaurant on the corner of Store Street and Alfred Place Gardens in Bloomsbury. Recommended.

Much catching up and good conversation.

We then flaneursed around Bloomsbury, commenting on whether Miriam/Dorothy Richardson in Pilgrimage would have passed through the places we did - doubt the Insect Hotel in Russell Square was there in her day - took in a ferret around Skoob Books, which still lurks behind the Brunswick Centre. Noted that there is also a new independent bookshop inside the Centre.

It was undoubtedly a much more pleasant day for the undertaking, even if the grass in the squares was still parched.

Some while ago partner observed that there was going to be a Flamenco Festival as in former years at Sadlers Wells, and we decided to book tickets for at least one of the offerings.

We of course had not anticipated (nor, I am sure, had the organisers), that it would take place during a Major Heat Event in London.

But anyway, we set off yesterday on what was not just the hottest day of the year but the century, eschewing the Tube and catching a bus instead -

- I suppose these temperatures possibly convey an additional aura of authenticity?

We were seeing Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía Tierra Bendita, which was amazing - particularly taken with the section involving some very intricate clicky castanet work - had great seats in the front stalls.

We had a snack beforehand at the on-site Fox Garden cafe, which is convenient, but not particularly wonderful foodwise.

And on the way home, spotted a fox flaneusing along our street.

I was going to say 'double whammy' but in fact the general checkup and hygienist session both went off without any undue issues.

Going down the road to get to the Tube there was some kind of filming going on round about the parade of shops opposite the playing field - I did not linger as it was entirely chokka with mysterious vehicles and equipment.

Dentist, as stated, could not find anything wrong but has recommended some Extra Speshul Toothpaste, which normally you have to have a prescription for but they were able to sell me a couple of tubes.... not literally under the counter.

New hygienist, and as is the wont of hygienists, they have their own way of doing things - I was not expecting the whooshy water thing so early in the game - and also they find something that no other hygienist has noted that one should be doing, in this case involving a rare and unusual kind of toothbrush (which I have managed to source via eBay).

I was intending combining this jaunt with a couple of errands in Camden Town.

May I say I was deeply unimpressed with what Rymans has to offer in the way of seasonal cards, I thought they would have a far large selection. Managed to find something, but, grump.

Buying something from the pharmacy counter in Boots was stuck behind somebody apparently stocking up possibly for an expedition into the wilderness.

The threatened rain did indeed come on as I emerged from Boots, I had hoped that my weather app was looking on the gloomy side.

This is being one of those weeks when I'm not sure if Mercury is in retrograde or in the opposite of retrograde, if there is an opposite.

In that some things are going unwontedly smoothly and unexpectedly well, and other things not, and plans being thwarted, etc.

E.g., further to the expeditious renewal of my library membership, I was going to boogy on down to the relevant institution to pick up my card and do a spot of light research (I think I may have copies of the books I need to look at but they are not in any of the places where I would anticipate them to be). However, it is chucking down rain in buckets, I think I will leave this until a drier day. Dangers untold and hardships unnumbered is one thing, sitting around with wet shoes in an airconditioned reading room is another.

However, in connection with the research, I remembered that Elderly Antiquarian Bookdealer/Bibliographer had mentioned to me a Person who has come up as Of Interest, and I thought I would see whether they are still around, and apparently they are at the latest report though nearly 90. And not only that, last year, why was I not told, there was published a limited edition from a small press of various of their uncollected writings, including an essay on the very person. This is something I would have bought anyway had I known it existed.

And lo and behold, I ponied up for this hardback, limited edition etc: and got a massively discounted price in their winter sale calloo callay.

On the prehensile tail, I managed to break a soup bowl at lunchtime. Fortunately not containing any soup.

Partner's substituted veggie burgers had to be panfried rather than ovencooked (we actually usually spend a fair amount of time making sure that they can) and have RUINED the frying pan with some adherent substance which scrubbing and soaking has failed to shift.

Fortunately we live in the future and I was a) able to consult Which about the best frying pans (they have quite recently surveyed these, yay) and b) order one for same day click and collect at the local Argos.

Even if we entirely failed in entering the details to get our Nectar points on the transaction.

In other news, it appears that there was SNOW some time earlier today or last night which was still lying in shadowed spots when I went for my walk. Bitterly cold out but very bright.

Parakeet disporting around the back gardens and adjacent park.

We have not seen anything more of the fox which came right up the steps from the garden to the back door, after a leisurely descent left its marker on the garden fence, and then got into it with next door's cat, which was sitting on the back fence going 'come and 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough'.

Wot a saga, eh, wot a saga, first time I have ventured significantly forth these many years -

And to start with, MAJOR HEAT EVENT.

In anticipation, I had - or so I thought - prudently booked a taxi via taxiapp, with a certain amount of leeway, just in case -

- which turned out very prudent, as when I went to check the booking this morning the app was showing 'network error' and this was clearly on their end rather than mine, and a little looking about suggests that this is not their first rodeo server problem.

So when, at designated time, taxi cameth not, I set out towards the Tube, not without some hope that a black cab might pass me on my way, but that Was Not To Be -

And on reflection, I should perhaps have waited for a Bank train, because getting out on Charing X platforms at Euston involves rather too many stairs.

However, Avanti kindly texted me the approx time my train would be boarding, and this all seemed set - although my (1st class) seat was aisle, backwards, there was nobody in the other 3 seats so I switched -

HAH.

When we reached Coventry, choochoo sighed and gave up, and we had to debouch and take the next Birmingham bound train - which was delayed....

At Birmingham New Street had considerable faff trying to discover a Way Out that would take me to a taxi rank.

When I finally arrived at hotel booked by conference organisers there was an immense performance trying to find the right group booking, as it was not under any title that I might have thought of but that of some hireling booking agency.

However, I am now in nice cool room and have had tasty room service snack. Even if I have had to wrestle with getting my laptop to talk to the free wifi...

(Larfs liek a hysterykle drayne.)

Life and work of Thomas Hardy to be performed at Stonehenge: Readings and performances will be staged at the ‘misfortune of ruins’ that long fascinated the writer.

The novelist and poet Thomas Hardy was fascinated by Stonehenge, using what he described as “the temple of the winds” both as a setting for one of his most striking scenes and as a lifelong inspiration, a pathway back into ancient times.
In what is being billed as a unique performance, the life and work of Hardy is being showcased at the great stone circle in Wiltshire as part of Salisbury international arts festival.
....
An orchestra will play music, ranging from the sort of folk tunes Hardy may have been familiar with to pieces by Gustav Holst and Peter Warlock.
....
It is believed to be the first time that a performance incorporating Hardy’s life and work has been staged at Stonehenge.
Lesser said: “Hopefully* it’ll be lovely weather and you’ll have this marvellous atmosphere as the evening develops with the light changing and these wonderful words of Hardy.”

I don't suppose they are going to represent Hardy in his lighter and realistic vein:

Yestere'en I was informed that contemporary editions of The Wind in the Willows omit 'The Piper at the Gate of Dawn' chapter.

My response was (after I had finished making like little Portly) - naturally - Kenneth Williams in Carry On Cleo

However, a little research this morning indicates that this is not, in fact, universal - even on US Amazon I found a Kindle edition in which the actual cover depicts the relevant scene. Though Kindle sample views fail to reveal actual contents and if chapter itself is included, Kobo previews do and most editions appear to contain it, though one (Dover Children's Thrift Classics) does commit expurgation.

If this does happen, one assumes it is because PAGANISM? the scene itself is a particularly sweet manifestation of the Great God Pan Thing which haunted EngLit and the English imagination from the Romantics until sometime during the post-WW1 era (cite to Ronald Hutton, The Triumph of the Moon). Is TWITW subject to bookbans across the pond?

***

In further national identity issues, today is Mad Dogs and Englishmen just staying at home:

I suppose it is not exactly good ton, when obits all over the place deem one lady 'Queen of the Bonkbusters' (Dame Shirley Conran, died this week aged 91) to growl and pipe up 'I'm the grandest tiger in the jungle' Queen of the Bonkbusters, as presumably Jilly Cooper has some right to do, at least since the demise of Jackie Collins?

(Given that there has been a flurry on social media over some hip-hop battle of 'beef', and extensive references to historical parallels over a range of fields, one rather wishes there could have been a diss-down between these rival queens of Bonk, no?)

***

I should probably take this more seriously, from several angles, but it doesdn't half strike me as in the tradition of Ealing comedies: Just Stop Oil protesters use hammer to smash Magna Carta display case: Judy Bruce, 85, and Reverend Dr Sue Parfitt, 82, tried to smash the glass surrounding the Magna Carta at the British Library (they did not actually smash the case).

***

Missed the Northern Lights last night (not sure if one would be able to see them here anyway - while they were reported this far south, there's a fair amount of light pollution around here). I am perhaps less troubled by this after seeing all the Day of the Triffids jokes all over social media and warnings to look out for unusual vegetation in gardens this morning.

***

I think I may already have mentioned toad crossings, enabling these amphibians to make their way to their traditional mating grounds without being run over: we now have adder tunnels to enable two separated populations of this endangered venomous reptile to mingle and increase genetic diversity:

The snake has has not been seen in Buckinghamshire since 2014 and is now virtually extinct in Oxfordshire. Greenham Common, which became a nature reserve 24 years ago after the closure of the RAF nuclear weapons base, is one of its last strongholds in the region. The tunnels opened for snakes this spring after radio-tagging studies showed two adder populations on the commons were not mixing because of the road. The populations need to meet each other to breed and boost their genetic diversity.