I am looking forward to registering and taking on another module with the OU in October. This will be an English module to consolidate my English skills.
I like writing very much and expressing my opinions, which is funny really because in real life I am very shy and reserved, as anyone who knows me will tell you! lol!
I hope I can succeed this module and that my life runs smoothly (that will be the day!) hopefully, in order for me to get this module finished.
🥐🧀🥖🥗🍗🍷
I can't help admiring our french cousins. They are on average a lot slimmer than the US or UK citizens and eat smaller much healthier portions!
This is probably due to their eating habits of a more Mediterranean diet. We in the UK on the other hand are much stockier and plump, living on an island that sees much colder, wetter, wilder, weather in general, so we have to eat a diet with lots of carbs particularly to survive the harsher, colder weather conditions.
However, the french love food and especially fine cuisine!
"Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup" meaning "eat well, laugh often, love much" is a common saying in France that sums up the nation's enthusiasm for food.
Note the "eat well" rather than "live well" - eating is to be savoured as a central part of life itself.
French movie star Leslie Caron knows a thing or two about French food, having run a restaurant near Paris for nearly 20 years.
"I eat sensibly – every day at lunch I have a steak with a big salad and I eat fruit, vegetables, yogurt and muesli," she says. "I seldom eat pastry – maybe once a year. I never eat desserts and I don't drink. That makes a big difference."
On the other hand, numerous studies have indicated that red wine, and French red wine in particular, contains high level of antioxidants. So French women can rest assured that one or two glasses a day are not only pleasurable but beneficial to their health as well. Santé!
Unlike the UK or the US
Food portions are much much smaller in France. It is quite common for french women to leave half her plate or save it for later!
Food is celebrated in France and enjoyed with family and friends. The french eat 3 times a day but they never eat between meals!
Food should always look pleasing to the eye and beautiful on the plate. Nouvelle cuisine is the popular choice of meal and remember less is always more.
So I think we can learn a lot from our french cousins. Bon appétit!
* Sources - Stylist.co.uk
*leoncechenal.com/french-diet- how -to - like- a - french-woman
I am still struggling to get my health back to normal again after the Covid. I am finding long walks just too exhausting, so I think I will try shorter quicker bursts of exercise instead, this will include walking the circuit of my village.
Starting from the park including the park, taking the longer route and ending up on the market place. This usually takes about 3/4 of an hour. I must set aside a time during the day between caring duties and study to take a walk.
My diet will have to change too, I just feel so heavy when I walk. I have decided to reduce and maybe even cut out completely, Carbs from my diet.
I am going to include instead low fat yogurts in my diet too.
Apart from that I will still eat vegetables, protein and fruit as usual. But no bread pasta, potatoes or desserts.
I have let myself go completely and piled on the weight. This is because I have been so busy doing my caring duties at home and going to appointments that I have neglected my own health. Now I intend to get back on track to a better health!
2024 this will be my year to get fit! 🏃♀️🏃♀️
We passed by these beautiful gardens on our walk across the fields to the next village, it was really a glorious sight. The renewal of Springtime!
Today was Easter Saturday, the sun was shining and the weather looked good. I asked J if he would like to walk with me across the field to the next village. He said he would and would be glad of a walk.
Set off walking across the fields, walking along the footpath. The first field was a small cabbage field, the smell of cabbage was quite pungent! We laughed, but I happen to like cabbages so I didn't really mind. From here we came into a lovely wild meadow, where we spotted wild yellow primroses, crocus, yellow gorse bushes. king cups, wood anemones, harebells and other wild flowers.
There was also the pretty white Hawthorn flowers growing on the hawthorn bushes, by the side of the footpath and the field.
J soon spotted 2 rabbits at the edge of the field scurrying quickly away, we watched as their little white fluffy tails disappearing quickly down the rabbit hole on the bank at the side of the field. When we came to the little footbridge over the stream, I commented about how deep the water was, and how fast it was flowing after the recent rainfalls. J agreed the streams were fuller than usual.
We sat on the footbridge to rest for a little while. By now we were about halfway there, but I felt tired already, so it was nice to sit and rest and drink a fruit juice. The sun felt very warm, but fortunately there was a slight breeze too.
Played at throwing sticks onto the water from the footbridge and waited until they appeared on the other side of the bridge. I think mine must have sunk as I couldn't see it anymore! J cheered as he saw the stick appear again still intact on the other side.
Next, we took the narrow footpath that ran along the backs of the gardens, beside the cows field except no cows were in there today, because they were in the lower meadow, beside the lake.🐂🐄 (thank goodness I am a bit scared of cows!)
We both liked looking at the back gardens as we passed by on the footpath, there was a riot of colours! One garden was full of brightly coloured tulips while another garden was full of golden yellow daffodils of all varieties.
There were quite a lot of different butterflies about, we saw a peacock butterfly, a yellow one, common white, a red admiral or painted lady? and a little blue one. A few very large bumble bees buzzing around the flowers too. Some ducks were quacking noisily, beside the pond in another garden! 🦆🦆
Soon we arrived at our destination, which was the little chapel in the centre of the woods hidden beneath the trees. Here, we were able to rest inside the little warm chapel for a while, and I whispered a little prayer of thanksgiving, that I even made it there, my first real long walk since covid!
I like this little chapel, with its quiet altar, its flowers, the candles and behind the altar on the wall, the words of the Lords prayer on the left side and the 10 commandments on the right hand side. Just to remind us what God expects of us.
On the way out of the church we saw the lady vicar just leaving the house of one of her parishoners nearby in the village, so I waved.. She knows me and she waved back. "Would you both like a lift back home?" She asked. "Yes please, that's very kind of you" I replied and gave a big smile and huge sigh of relief! "Thank you." I think God just answered my prayers, as we were both feeling so tired after that walk!
Christ of Saint John of the Cross. By Salvador Dali.
Picture from Wikipedia
'For God so loved the world" John 3v16
Ref. The Bible
Listen on youtube
To God so loved the world by "Hillsong" with lyrics
Easter is a time of renewal, of new life. Emerging from the dark winter days, we look forward to a new life in Christ. Christ who has died, Christ who has risen and Christ who will come again. Jesus Christ died for our sins to bring us closer to God.
All our sins will be wiped out, when we believe in Jesus's sacrifice, that he died for us to take away once and for all every sin we have ever committed. Only then can God look upon us as his pure children.
Repent, believe, receive!
"Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be white like wool."
https://www.biblegateway.com/
NIV version
Isaiah 1:18
Matthew 20:28
"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” That was his purpose, his mission on earth to show us the way and to lead us to God.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Ref. The Bible
🌻🌷🌾✝️📖
J'ai regardé les derniers épisodes de "Astrid Murder in Paris" en français. C'est à la télévision, sur la chaîne "More 4", le vendredi soir à 21 h.
La série policière policière met en vedette Sara Mortensen dans le rôle d'Astrid Nielsen, qui incarne une jeune femme autiste Asperger. Cependant, cela ne constitue pas un obstacle à son travail d'archiviste infiltrée pour la police judiciaire. Au contraire, sa mémoire photographique et son analyse pointue en font une force avec laquelle il faut compter.
Raphaëlle Coste est sa compagne dans le duo d'enquête criminelle, avec les méthodes uniques d'Astrid et les compétences comportementales de Raphaëlle, les deux font un tour de force pour la Sûreté de Paris. Alors que les derniers épisodes démarrent, ils nous tiendront forcément ici en Grande-Bretagne, sur le bord de nos sièges !
La Française et astronaute Sarah, a été choisie pour partir en mission vers une station spatiale, en préparation d'un futur atterrissage sur Mars. Elle n'a été choisie qu'au tout dernier moment pour rejoindre l'équipage, c'est donc très excitant mais c'est aussi un défi de suivre le rythme de ses collègues masculins (elle est la seule femme de l'équipe !)
Sarah essaie désespérément de trouver un équilibre entre l'amour pour sa jeune fille Stella et son ambition de devenir astronaute et de voir l'espace dont elle rêve depuis qu'elle est toute petite. C'est un événement très excitant dans sa vie.
Bien que sa fille Stella soit fière de sa mère, elle a peur de la séparation, elle craint ce qui pourrait arriver si sa mère ne rentre pas à la maison. Sa mère et son père (Thomas) ne vivent plus ensemble en famille et pendant l'absence de sa mère, Stella restera avec son père. En attendant le retour de sa mère.
Sarah a le cœur brisé lorsque Stella et Thomas ratent leur vol. Cela pourrait être sa dernière occasion de voir sa petite fille. Cependant ils arrivent le lendemain mais Sarah est désormais en quarantaine.
Elle a alors un pincement au cœur et décide de sortir furtivement de la quarantaine, elle réveille Stella endormie et l'emmène voir la fusée tôt le matin. Avant de laisser derrière elle sa famille et la terre qu'elle aime.
C'est un film dramatique, mais réconfortant, avec un défi intéressant, pour la femme astronaute et sa famille, alors qu'elle réalise enfin son rêve de longue date de voyager dans l'espace.
Film français de 2019 réalisé par Alice Winocour. Le film met en vedette Eva Green dans le rôle de Sarah et Stella (Zélie Boulant). Il met également en vedette Lars Eidinger dans le rôle de Thomas, son ex-mari et le père de Stella ; Matt Dillon dans le rôle de Mike, son collègue de travail.
🚀 🌠✨
Depuis que j’ai commencé à étudier les langues à l’OU, mon interêt pour regarder des films français n’a cessé de croître.
Regarder un film, c'est l'occasion d'écouter la langue et de comprendre les dialogues. J'aime entendre différentes langues parlées et accents. C'est une bonne idée de choisir des mots familiers et des mots qui peuvent avoir une signification similaire dans une autre langue.
Je suis assez exigeante, j'aime les films de bonne qualité, mais aussi les films qui me plaisent, en tant que femme et mère. Des intérêts comme : la vie, le monde naturel, la musique, l'art, les voyages, les drames, les détectives, les aventures, les mystères, des choses comme ça.
Quand j'étais très jeune, mes parents m'emmenaient voir des films au cinéma, comme "La Mélodie du bonheur" "La famille suisse Robinson" "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" "Les Trois Mousquetaires" J'ai aussi vu Charles Dickens "Oliver Twist" et d'autres films. Ce fut un régal et une expérience fantastique !
Plus tard sont venus la télévision et les vidéos. Regarder des films est un très bon moyen d’apprendre les langues. Cela implique d'utiliser vos yeux, vos oreilles, votre cerveau, vos pensées et vos sentiments. C’est également utile pour l’entraînement de la mémoire.
Vous pouvez démarrer une conversation avec « Avez-vous vu ce film ? (tel ou tel) "Oui, c'était génial et tu te souviens qui étaient les acteurs?" Et "quel était l'intrigue ?" "Où s'est déroulée la scène ?" "Qui étaient les personnages principaux du film ?" "De quoi s'agissait-il?" "Quel a été le début ?" » et « Quel a été la conclusion ? » Vous vous en souvenez ? » Alors oui, tout cela est très bon pour la mémoire !
🧠
J' éspère que cette lecture vous a plus. A bientôt!
Après avoir lu le livre d'étude que j'avais choisi et avoir accompli mes devoirs à la maison, j'ai décidé de faire une marche rapide jusqu'au parc. Le temps était frais et légèrement froid, mais cela a eu pour effet de me réveiller et de me rendre plus alerte !
Cette semaine, j'ai eu une petite blessure à l'épaule, probablement causée par une élongation ou une déchirure musculaire, suite à un mouvement brusque et rapide, pendant que je rangeais la maison.
Cependant, cela ne me rebute pas et je continue à suivre mes habitudes d’étude et de marche aussi régulièrement que possible. Il pleut un peu moins souvent ces derniers temps, il ne fait donc pas si humide mais plus frais. C'était assez revigorant et le temps était idéal pour marcher, car il y avait beaucoup d'oxygène.
Je suis entré dans le parc par l'entrée latérale, où j'ai été ravie de voir les jonquilles, les crocus et les coupes royales poussant tous sous les arbres. C'était un spectacle splendide à voir !
Ensuite, j'ai commencé à marcher le long du sentier devant le pavillon. Il ne s'y passe pas grand-chose aujourd'hui (pas de cours de remise en forme ni de danse) et tout était verrouiller.
En passant devant le court de tennis, celui-ci est entouré de nombreux arbres et forêts très ancienes, qui se balançaient au gré de la brise. Beaucoup de haies et de jeunes arbres plus loin, avec le bruit de beaucoup d'activité et le chant des oiseaux venant de l'intérieur.
C'était tellement bon de s'arrêter et de respirer l'air frais du parc, entouré de tous les beaux arbres. Le ciel paraissait immense et contenait de nombreux nuages blancs duveteux.
J'ai remarqué qu'une promeneuse de chiens était entrée dans l'entrée du parc et lançait la balle pour que le chien la poursuive, bien que l'avis indique "Tous les chiens doivent être tenus en laisse dans le parc", mais elle ne le laisse jouer trop longtemps, et elle remet bientôt sa laisse et repart, marchant d'un pas vif autour du périmètre du parc. Nous nous disons un joyeux « Bonjour » en nous croisant.
Bientôt, j'avais atteint les portes du parc, je traversais alors la route jusqu'au cimetière. Ici j'aime m'asseoir un moment sur le banc et partager mes sandwichs avec les petits oiseaux ! Je me souviens des paroles de Jésus "Considérez les oiseaux, ils ne travaillent pas et pourtant le Seigneur prend soin d'eux. Combien plus prendra-t-il soin de vous !" " Ne t'inquiète pas! "
Je vous salue et à beintôt !
🌳🌲🐦🦅🦆
French Film -" Full Time"
(À Plein Temps)
Ce week-end, j'ai regardé un film français intéressant. (2021) "À Plein Temps" L'histoire des luttes quotidiennes d'une femme célibataire de la classe ouvrière, avec deux jeunes enfants, Nolan et Chloé.
Julie, mère célibataire, vit dans un petit village isolé à la campagne, elle doit se rendre chaque jour en ville (Paris) pour son travail. Premièrement, elle doit emmener les enfants chez la baby-sitter très tôt le matin, avant de prendre le train pour se rendre au travail. Quiconque doit se rendre au travail peut probablement comprendre les difficultés de Julie en matière de transport.
Julie doit subvenir aux besoins de ses enfants et à tous leurs besoins pour leurs anniversaires, leurs vacances et leurs sorties.
Il est très difficile de joindre les deux bouts, de payer l'hypothèque de sa jolie maison, les frais de transport, les factures et la nourriture.
Pendant ce temps, son ex-mari ne l'aide jamais avec sa pension alimentaire, quand elle essaie de lui téléphoner pour lui demander un peu d'aide, il se rend indisponible et elle finit par crier de frustration dans le répondeur.
La vie est encore plus compliquée lorsqu'il y a une grève générale des trains, elle doit alors trouver d'autres moyens de se rendre au travail et d'en revenir. Elle finit souvent par prendre un ascenseur ou un covoiturage, arrivant souvent tard dans la soirée quand il fait noir, pour récupérer les enfants chez la baby-sitter.
On ne sait jamais vraiment ce qui va se passer ensuite! Peut-être qu'une catastrophe pourrait se profiler et que tout pourrait s'effondrer à tout moment.
Un film réaliste moderne, rempli de drame et de suspense. Cela vous serre le cœur.C'est un drame de la vie moderne et des souffrances d'une vie dans un monde capitaliste et sans compassion.
https://youtu.be/qC81LSu1B94
Director: Eric Gravel
Language: French
Leading actress Laure Calamy
Distributed by: Haut et Court
Our neighbour(the kind jolly man) has passed away yesterday. He suffered from his lungs and heart(a smoker) Not that we have had close contact, except to just say 'Hello' over the garden fence, but we get on well with him and his wife. He often brought us produce from his allotment.
After saying hello to him the same morning, he just dropped down dead a few hours later in the street!
We saw the ambulance arrive to take him away. I am still in shock! Another friend up the road is ill with bronchitis. There seems to be a lot of lung problems in our street at the present time.
Apart from all that I am still trying to study whenever I can!
Every day. I read the news in french, watch france24 in french, and I am reading a collection of short stories in french. It seems I am now at last enjoying the fruits of my labours of three years study of French! lol!
Now I can read French books and watch interesting french films not bad huh? Thanks OU ! 👍
Slowly starting to gear up for October, when I will be starting studying a 30 credit course in the English language. I have enjoyed studying English and liked very much the module "Creativity in language." As I like english writing. I have really learned a lot on this course!
The weather was a bit milder today. I decided to take the opportunity to get out and about, for some much needed exercise with my son, who has complex needs, including a heart condition.
He had not been out since we had all had covid 19 in December, so when I asked him if he wanted a little walk, I was so pleased when he said that he would. I asked him if he wanted to use his stick but he said no, that he would just lean on my arm instead.
We decided to go up to the large park, which is just near where we live. Thankfully it is much less waterlogged now than it was the other day. He put on his padded jacket to keep warm.
"Be careful I have not been outside since before Christmas" he warned me but he needn't have worried as I am completely slow myself now, especially after the covid!
He leaned on my arm, as we walked carefully at a snails pace. Our muscles hurt a bit but we got used to it after a while.
It was lovely to see that the woodland near the park was full of little white snowdrops and the new shoots of the daffodils and crocuses were coming up, because of all the mild weather we have had lately. The sun was shining albeit weakly and the weather felt a lot milder. It was good to get out for a walk at last.
🌲🌳🌾🌷🐝🦟🌥
The latest book I am reading in English is...."The Bible Hunter" by Jurgen Gottschlich.
The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the oldest surviving books in the world, and the earliest copy of the New Testament in existence. The Bible Hunter is the fascinating account of the manuscript’s journey from the fourth century to its present home in the British Library.
In 1844, academic and fundamentalist christian, Constantin Tischendorf, who was driven by his obsession with the origins of the Bible to a remote monastery in the middle of the Sinai Desert, discovered the manuscript in a basket of paper said to have been discarded by the monks. Later, Tischendorf managed to remove several sheets from the monks’ protective guard. and, with the backing of Tsar Alexander II, organised the loan of the documents to the Imperial Library in St Petersburg, where they remained until 1933.
Part travelogue, part historical study and part critique, The Bible Hunter tells of the author’s trip to Sinai, the history of the Bible and early Church and the lives and liturgies of the monks of St Catherine’s Monastery. A compelling and accessible study, The Bible Hunter raises important questions about the nature of scholarship, and about the complex issues of how – and in particular where – the treasures of Antiquity are best displayed.
JÜRGEN GOTTSCHLICH was born in 1954. He studied philosophy and journalism in Berlin, and went on to co-found the daily newspaper taz in 1979, working there as a journalist – and latterly as Deputy Editor – until 1993. From 1980 onwards he made regular trips to Turkey and the Near East. He became Editor-in-Chief of the Wochenpost in 1994 and has worked as the Istanbul-based correspondent of various newspapers since 1998; He has also written two books on Modern Turkey and its relationship to Europe.
* Refrences- Haus Publishing
* Translated byJohn Brownjohn
I believe cats are very good for my mental health!
You never feel alone when your cat is curled up beside you. Each morning when I get up at 8am, my cat is there waiting to be let indoors.
I let him in and make a great fuss of him, then I feed him. After that, he likes to sit next to me on the sofa, he purrs a lot, he looks at me, then he closes his eyes and settles down to sleep, right there beside me.
When he is deeply asleep, I sometimes put a soft cushion or a hot water bottle, with my scarf wrapped round it in my place.
Then I can move about and get on with doing a few tasks that need doing, like my studying, reading, listen to audios and typing notes up into my digital note book.
Sometimes, I can hear my cat snoring next to me! He looks very relaxed and peaceful, stretched out, lying there, I know he will be there with me the whole morning or even longer depending on the weather.
It may be raining outside, but I have my little fire on, and my little cat for company!
🐈🏠🌧 🌧 🌬
Frosty and cold with a little pale sunshine.
This was my first ever country walk since catching Covid 19, lasting from month ending November- December until January.
Today, I wrapped up warmly 3 layers of clothing, fur hat, 2 pair of socks, scarf and thick coat. Husband laughed at me saying I look like a babushka!
Set off down my road, through the little short cut at the end of the street, I headed straight for the large park, just past the wooded area, where here is the rear entrance to the park.
There was a lot of birdsong up in the trees surrounding the park. I saw a lot of back gardens on this side of park, with bird tables and feeding stations in the gardens, so the birds here are well fed and never far away, sitting up in the tree tops, bordering on the park.
I go at a very slow snails pace, (my muscles hurt a lot) I think to myself, just as long as I can make it around the park at least! After a while I began to warm up a bit and I was able to pass the tennis courts at a moderate walking speed.
Around the park there were lots of frozen puddles along the way. It has only a grass footpath, so it is not paved at all, just a basic mud pathway. I had to dodge the obstacles of the partly frozen puddles.
Before long I had soon reached the small woodland at the far side of the park. This smelt damp and earthy, I could hear some water trickling. The paths here were completely impassable at this point, due to the woodland footpaths being flooded. It looked strange, like the trees were growing up out of a swamp!
Fortunately, I was on the upper inside park footpath so not too wet. However, I still had to go around the puddles from the overspill from the woodlands to the park, to carry on walking through the park. It was either that or turn back completely. I decided to carry on!
After passing the childrens empty playground area, of the swings, roundabouts and slide, I carried on walking as far as the main park entrance gate.
To extend my walk I walked even a little further on, to the far end of the village, and part way along the country lane , this passes the water way.
There, just ahead of me, I suddenly caught sight of a white flash rising up - then another one. As I stopped I stood still to watch, focusing ny eyes, as up from the banks of the dyke there arose a pair of big beautiful white heron birds.What a wonderful sight!
I wished I'd brought my camera with me!
🕊🕊
When I first moved here I wanted to live a healthier, simpler way of life, to connect with nature, be away from the town and city, make a life with my family. This was my romantic ideal I suppose, but it wasn't planned it just then sort of happened, that we moved into a rented cottage in the country near my aunt.
My first home here was an old 300 yr old cottage, quite remote on the edge of a quiet hamlet, next to wheat fields and farm lands.
It was very 'rough' to say the least! Talk about being thrown in at the deep end! It was a complete culture shock after living in a town apartment!
We lived in that old cottage and we had to light the fire every day. This was my husbands task to do, I well remember him getting up each day at 5am bleary eyed, going to fetch the wood and coal from the coal shed, up the long garden path, ( even in a winter snow blizzard!) Then having to sweep and clean the fireplace, before laying down the fire and getting it to set alight.
We also had an allotment to look after, although it was mainly vegetables, we didn't quite get into keeping animals or chickens!
I was busy all day long looking after the two lively young children, which was a full time job for me, looking after a toddler and a baby. Cleaning and cooking.
We lived there in that very old cottage for 5 years and I loved it! although I had a bit of postnatal depression after the second baby, he had a heart condition, so I worried a lot. I soon recovered after about a year.
We used to like walking a lot with the children, one in the pram, one in the push chair, wandering about all over the countryside. Even better when they eventually both started walking! We learned all about flowers, birds, animals, trees all sorts of things from the natural world. We would borrow library books on the subject.
The children grew stronger and learned to walk and play, the eldest child helped his dad to stack up all the wood and help to do some work in the garden. He would pedal his little car or his tricycle around the garden collecting fallen apples to put in the carrier basket on the back, he would then pedal back to the house with them.
Once a week we caught the bus to the nearest village 7 miles away, to do all the shopping, even one very kind neighbour gave us a lift on a regular basis.as we had no car, but there was a regular bus service, but it was 3/4 of an hour to even walk to the main road to catch the bus!
Those were great times, but unfortunately eventually the cottage deteriorated, fell into disrepair and the landlord didn't want to spend the money on fixing up the windows and stopping the dampness so it had to be condemned.
Reluctantly we had to move into the nearest village, where we had much more amenities, shops and so on.
We found a modern cottage instead, which was owned by a very good housing association so much better healthier conditions all round.
The children went to the village school and thankfully we could still go out on country walks as there was plenty of farms, woods and fields around here where we live. When the children were in school I soon got a job in a small nearby cottage hospital. Where I worked there for some years as a HCA.
I worked at the hospital until it became a residential home, I worked there for a while, then unfortunately it closed, it was then I eventually decided to study with the Open University,studying a degree in English and Languages as I used to like to travel to France on holiday. It seems in life, we sometimes have to be very versatile!
🌲🌲🏡🏘
Over the Christmas break, I have been watching The BBC television adaptation(1976) of "The Signalman", a film based on 1866 short story by "Charles Dickens" The production was directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark and filmed on the Severn Valley Railway. The two main characters in the story are the traveller(who is the narrator) and the signalman.
The traveller was staying at the nearby local Inn, he is out walking one late afternoon, when he comes across a railway line, with a signal mans box beside the rail track. The signal man is standing on the track deep in thought. The traveller calls down, he waves to the signalman "Halloa! Below there!" The signalman standing on the railway below he does not look up, as the narrator thinks he will but instead he turns about and looks ahead into the railway tunnel. Eventually after calling out a few times the traveller finally gets the signalmans attention. The traveller asks if there is a way to come down to the track. At first the signal man says nothing, and then he simply points his finger to a footpath further along that leads down to the rail track.
The signalman appears rather wary, even afraid of the traveller for some reason. Saying he thinks he has seen the traveller somewhere before, that his face seems somehow familiar, but the traveller reassures him that he means him no harm, that he just wants to talk, as he is curious to know how the signalman passes his day there. After being invited up to the signalman's cabin, he stays a while and watches the signalman, as he goes about his mundane duties of anwering bells, from other signal men, giving telephone instructions and pushing and pulling the levers.
On his occasional breaks in between the traveller listens, as the signalman talks about his life, that he missed out on having a good education due to poverty and that he reads books to try to self educate. He goes on to talk about his responsibilities as a signalman, but then suddenly he stops, he seems afraid even of his own thoughts. He keeps looking at the bell and sweating, as if the bell was about to ring even though it does n't. "What is it that troubles you?" asks the traveller.
The signalman said he will tell the traveller more about the visions he is having, when next the traveller returns to visit. On leaving he especially tells the taveller not to call out next time, but to just come down the footpath path without speaking. The traveller is a bit puzzled at first but agrees to his request.
Upon the travellers next visit, the signalman speaks about the sight of a ghostly figure of a man of shabby appearance, waving his arm vigourously and saying the very same words the traveller had spoken when he first met with the signalman."Halloa! Below there! "
The first vision of the ghostly figure was followed by a terrible train crash inside the tunnel. This did indeed happen some years ago, nobody knew the cause. The second vision was of the spectre saying the very same words, "Helloa below there" that was succeed by another train crash near to the tunnel , in which a young lady was mysteriously killed. The last apparition and the most fearful of all, was of the ghostly man who was standing next to the tunnel and yelling "Below there! Look out! For God’s sake, clear the way!" The ghost was waving his arm about frantically and then covered up his face with his arm.
The signalman is clearly disturbed by what he has lately witnessed. He feels he is unable to prevent a looming disaster, but he asks for the travellers opinion on what he has just explained, about the visions.
The traveller who is an educated man of reason, and who is sceptical about the supernatural, tells the signalman straight forwardly his opinion, that he was probably over tired, his imagination was a little overactive and that he should see a doctor, and explain it to him, perhaps he may be able to help him give him some pills and cure him to these ghostly fearful sightings. As long as he is doing his job correctly, directing the trains, then he need not worry but to just ignore the ghostly warnings and carry on doing his job, saying that in any case, the visions do not actually try to prevent any of these disasters from happening. Accidents do happen, but as long as the signalman is doing his very best job that he can do, then he is not to blame for whatever happens. Reassured the signalman agrees and they decide to meet up again the next day.
However, the next day when the traveller arrives at the railway line, there is no sign of the signalman at all. Instead he sees a man, one of a group of officials who are investigating an incident on the line.
He is told the signalman is dead, that the driver said he saw the signalman standing on the railtrack lost in thought, looking at the tunnel and the signal man seemed oblivious to the oncoming train. The driver tried to warn him by yelling "Below there! Look out! For God’s sake, clear the way!" As he waved his arm frantically about, then he covered up his face with his arm.
(1) So had the signalman been given a premonition of his own death?
(2) Was it his conscience?
(3)Was the traveller a bad or good angel?
(4) Or was it fate?
It is the audience who are left to decide, based on what they have seen and heard in the film.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens
The Latest from the Cop28 Conference. Hosted by UAE in Dubai.
Here's a quick recap!
1 A decision was made on Loss and Damage Fund adopted at COP 28 approved the Governing instrument of the Loss and Damage Fund and decided that the Fund will be serviced by new, dedicated and independent secretariat.
2, An agreement to move away from fossil fuels and to reach net zero by 2050 but it was vague as to wether it was a phased out or a gradual reduction of fossil fuels.
3, Critics of previous COPs, accuse the summits of "greenwashing" - that is, letting countries and businesses promote their climate credentials without actually making the changes needed. There are still parts of the agreement wording that are vague and will need more clarity in future.
China and India have not yet committed to the agreement. They still depend heavily on fossil fuels. Lets hope eventually they will act.
However, these summits do offer the potential for global agreements and that has got to be a good thing.
For example, the 1.5C warming limit, agreed at COP21, has driven "near-universal climate action", according to the UN.
The Paris agreement has helped bring down the level of warming the world can expect - even though the world is still not acting at anywhere near the pace needed to achieve the Paris goals.
In the end whether COP28 was an acheivement or not will only be proved by the changes the world puts into practice in the years ahead.
Enjoyed the Christmas Carols from Kings and we ate mince pies. It felt cosy indoors with lots of candles on in the house.
Watched some DVDs and did some reading when I was able to feel a bit stronger.
Still watching the french Detective 'Maigret' films on Talking pictures, in french on TV. I prefer the french version because it helps me to remember the french language skills I have acquired over the last couple of years with the OU. I am hoping to buy the box set of Maigret this year when I can manage to save up!
My book collection is growing as I managed to pick up some books from the secound hand book shop in the city, well before christmas, for just a couple of pounds.
The weather has been too wet for walking lately in the country, it is full of potholes everywhere and muddy puddles. My walks have had to be confined only to the village, around the outskirts through the housing estates, by the pavements and along the established public footpaths. However, I am tired and short of breath by the time I return home. Hopefully this year it will be better. A Happy Healthy New Year to Everyone!
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