Coffee in the garden

This morning it was warm and sunny, so we had coffee in the garden for the first time this year.

Walk this morning

Earlier, we went for an walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey. By road, this is 5.3 miles away. It is owned by the National Trust with grounds big enough to avoid people even when busy. As this is the school Easter holidays, there were plenty of people there!

Notre Dame - Paris

The images of this world famous cathedral last night looked horrific and I was dreading seeing the photos this morning. Precious medieval ceilings and the spire have gone, but I was surprised just how much managed to survive. 

It will be rebuilt, although I may not be around to see it finished. Thick 850 year old walls stand some treatment!

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47945465

Breakfast

For the last few days one of our sons has been staying here with his family. He has cooked breakfast. The photo shows our son having his breakfast earlier. It was great to see them all.

That hum

A fair proportion of people say they can hear a very low frequency audio hum. I can hear it. I have heard it from very early morning (about 5.30am UK time) until now. At first I thought it was someone's washing machine, or perhaps a plane. It sounds a bit like a distant washing machine.

Could it be the distant noise of traffic? Low frequencies may propagate through rocks. It is a very low level, but definitely there. It is worse today than I recall. Weather conditions are a little misty and we can sometimes hear traffic on the A14 road (about 2 miles away) clearly on misty days, which must allow audio signals to propagate further. Normally we do not hear A14 traffic.

I expect someone could "see it" with suitable audio transducers and software.

Margaret are you grieving?

As one gets older thoughts turn to human mortality. All of us dies - this is more certain than BREXIT day.

One poem, spoken to a young child, that hits me is by Gerard Manley Hopkins, a metaphysical poet. You may know it. We are on this earth for a very short time really. Deep down, our mortality hits us in the pit of our stomachs.  Are we really just dust?

See https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44400/spring-and-fall

Springtime

Both our children and grandchildren have collected conkers from these old horse chestnut trees in our churchyard. No doubt children from countless generations have done the same. The trees were planted to celebrate the Battle of Waterloo (1815). Spring has sprung.

Norwich

Yesterday we went by train from Ely to Norwich, which is one of our favourite cities. It has some fine old buildings, a really lovely old fashioned market and a great Norman cathedral.

BREXIT Blues

If you live in the UK I expect, like me, you are sick and tired of BREXIT and the apparent inability of our elected MPs to agree on anything. A petition on the UK Government website calling for Article 50 to be scrapped is reported to have over 3 million signatures already. Experts think it very unlikely this is due to bots. Most votes are genuine.

No, most people in the UK and EU are appalled by our apparent lack of ability to agree on anything. There is no doubt that leaving the EU has terminally affected UK politics. A radical re-alignment of UK political parties seems highly likely in the next 10-20 years. I have little doubt that the EU will miss us, assuming we do leave.

BREXIT is going to have far reaching consequences. In the end, I am sure the UK will be fine, whether inside or outside the EU, but these next few years could be difficult as things change.

Cambridge Market

These flowers were on sale in Cambridge Market on Wednesday. Next door was a stall selling sweets. 

Kings Flowers

At this time of year the flowers on the Cambridge Backs look splendid. The ones in the photo were on the approach to Kings earlier today.

Alboran Island

Since childhood, small isolated islands have fascinated me. Until yesterday I had never heard of Alboran Island or the Alboran Sea.

See http://www.evs-islands.com/2008/02/isla-alboran-sp-isolated-mediterranean.html .

Daffodils

For a few weeks my wife has wanted to see the daffodils at Hare Park, Chippenham, Cambs. Today we went.  A few weeks ago there was a splendid carpet of snowdrops. The daffodils were disappointing; several clumps had no buds. Although there were daffodils in flower, there were far fewer than we expected.

Tree Trunk

We saw this on a recent walk. The pattern is great.

Returning Summer Bird Migrants

Slowly, the summer bird migrants are returning. Already in Devon there are wheatears, sand martins and swallows. At first just the odd one, whereas by mid April, many will be commonplace once again.

Newmarket

This is our "local" town where we do most of our food shopping. Considering it is world famous as the home of racing, it is actually quite an average sort of place that could do far more to make it look better.

There are lots of short people (jockeys) and drivers of "Chelsea Tractors" who own studs or racehorses or train these.

Considering the wealth some of these people must have, I am quite surprised Newmarket isn't a really splendid town. The photo shows Newmarket High Street on an average weekday.

HIV/aids Treatment Coming?

A UK patient with HIV who also has cancer is reportedly showing no detectable traces of HIV after undergoing stem cell treatment. I believe this the second reported stem cell success in the battle against HIV/aids. A proper treatment may still be some years away, but there is hope. Already drug treatments have changed HIV/aids to a condition that some people live with rather than die from.

See https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47421855 .

Nest Building

There are signs of nest building in the trees in our churchyard as the photo shows. These birds at least think it is spring. According to the weather forecaster it is from March 1st.

BREXIT - what next?

This is anyone's guess!

There are several big and important votes in parliament next week and it is in everyone's best interest that a deal is struck. The EU sells us more than we sell to the EU. No-one wants a "no deal" ending.

It seems to me like a game of "who blinks first", except this is no game. Actually I think the EU is miffed that we have the audacity to leave and is scared others might follow if the UK's deal is too good.  No doubt all will be clearer in a few weeks' time.

Holme-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

Last summer we spent a week in North Norfolk at Holme-next-the-Sea, where the photo was taken. The weather all week was perfect. Where we stayed (house and village) could not be better.

Eye, Suffolk

Back in the autumn we visited Eye in Suffolk which is a fine village with a splendid church. We ate at a little café on the LHS of the road leading down to the church (see photo). Café food was simple, tasty and low cost. We have eaten there more than once.

Glorious Devon

Another photo of where I lived as a child. Quite beautiful.

Blossom

The tree opposite our Post Office is a picture right now. It is laden with blossom. Sadly, this is very transient. A strong wind and another few weeks and it will all be gone.

Devon

In my childhood and youth I grew up in South Devon, where my ancestors lived. I moved away for work, although I return most years. My brother still lives there.

Grass cutting

In shirt sleeves, I cut my front lawn earlier. After lunch, I expect to cut the rear lawn. For February, it is extremely mild. It feels like a late spring day! These are the first cuts this year.

Mild

It is already 16.9 degrees C in parts of Scotland and it feels spring-like here in East Anglia. The photo shows "our" windmill with the blue sky behind.

Landwade Church

Yesterday, on our walk, we went past Landwade Church. This is a very isolated church which, at this time of year, is surrounded by snowdrops.

Windmill

This morning, we did a walk at nearby Landwade and saw no-one at all! My wife took this picture of "our" windmill at a distance of about 3.5km. It is right next to our home.

UK Politics

So, 7 people have left Labour. As my politics is fairly centralist, I support them and hope they are soon joined by others from whatever party. I hope they form a new centralist party. Come the next election, I expect another coalition which, I hope, is more on the centre than the extremes of both Conservative and Labour parties.

Boots and Flowers

Our local Montessori school has found a great way to use odd boots and make the place inviting too.  These were hanging outside the school earlier.

Old Forge

Our village has expanded quite a bit in the last 40 years, but it still has a village feel, which is good. At one time there were 13 pubs and lots more shops. 

I guess people are more mobile than 100 years ago, with most owning cars. One thing that went many years ago was the blacksmith's forge (see photo). I am not sure when this closed, but it was probably 100 years ago?

Love in the air?

These 2 collared doves obviously think it is spring already! They were together on a tree in the orchard next door. Until 1955 when their range expanded westwards, they were very rare in the UK. Nowadays they are very common.

Windmill

As this is right next door to us, we get rather possessive! At this time of year when the museum and mill are closed, volunteers are busy with maintenance work. That is why there is filler on the mill side. I expect before the season starts at Easter, the windmill will get a coat of paint.

See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/

Kings, Cambridge

This probably has a real name (sorry, don't know it) but it is the lawn separating Kings College from the River Cam in Cambridge, UK. In the summer, there are lots of tourists taking photos of punts or Kings College Chapel, but this is a cold January morning. 

Memories of John Betjeman's famous poem "Sunday Morning, King's Cambridge"  "
...The white of windy Cambridge courts, the cobbles brown and dry,..."

Cambridge Snow

As the photo shows, there was a thin covering of snow in Cambridge earlier. This photo was taken at about 1000z today.

Ice

We did a walk this morning at nearby Wicken. As the paths were muddy, we did a walk around the village. Although there was no sign of frost here, there were frozen puddles in Wicken, which is about 3 miles away "as the crow flies".

BREXIT

I have mixed views on BREXIT. I narrowly voted to "remain" in the EU, but there is a lot wrong with it.

It is by no means certain that Theresa May (UK Prime Minister) will get her "plan B" or any of the amendments approved in the UK parliament tomorrow night when these are voted upon. With regard to BREXIT, it is a case of "who blinks first" I think. The EU seems in no hurry, but risks lots of business and £39 billion.

I cannot for the life of me understand why agreeing a deal beneficial to both sides should be so hard. Surely it is in the best interests of the EU and the UK to forge a good deal. We are leaving, so let us go with good feelings on both sides.

The main issues are, as always, politicians with vested self interests.