I want to go out in a burst of flame

Like a firestorm passing by

Or a small but energetic volcano.

I want people sitting at home to say

“What was that”?

Then carry on as normal.

Technically almost all unmarked mute swans on open water in Britain belong to the monarch. There’s a terrific blog post here that goes into the fascinating legal history of this prerogative.

However there is an exception; ownership of unmarked swans on the reaches of the Medway around Maidstone was granted to the borough by Elizabeth l (or maybe James I). So the swan I photographed on Wednesday is the responsibility of the Mayor of Maidstone.

Read more about Medway swans here.

On Wednesday four of us took an excursion on the River Medway (more to come on this). Just before we left Maidenhead I spotted this swan squaring up to its own image in a car door.  I have a crow living in my garden that pecks its own reflection in the window of the back bedroom, the same thing I suppose.

Life’s a bright

Blue streak.

A kingfisher

On the wing.

Don’t miss it!

Just sampling this Belgian Abbey-style beer. The brasserie was founded in my lifetime but the beer stands up well with more venerable monastic brews. I was impressed. 7.5 %.

Here’s the blurb aka tasting notes

St-Feuillien Blonde abbey beer has a surprisingly perfumed bouquet, with a top note provided by the aromatic hop varieties and a delicately bitter taste. Spices provide a fruity touch. Saint-Feuillien Blonde tastes full in the mouth with a robust malty aroma and a dry, hoppy finish. It all makes for an excellent digestive.

A bit flowery perhaps, but the beer really is very nice.

Really overpriced!!! I felt I was paying through the nose.

Is this a valid inference?

Source: Thinking fast and slow, by Daniel Kahneman

For a dare.

French for grapefruit, and the name of the chief character in the book Monsieur Pamplemousse by Michael Bond, author also of Paddington Bear.

I don’t know why but the word suddenly popped into my head, and it made we wonder (for some reason) what grapefruit is in other European languages.

Looking at a few, there are basically two strands

1. Many languages, such as German, Danish, Russian, Gaelic ohave borrowed the English word, and that seems to have arisen from the fruits growing in clusters like grapes. I looked at some images and they really do, so the etymology is plausible.

2. Other languages have borrowed from Dutch pompelmoes = ‘fat lemon’, hence pamplemousse and Italian pompelmo etc.

I love grapefruit but I can’t really eat them nowadays because they might interfere with my medication.

The barrister F. E. Smith (later 1st Earl of Birkenhead) was renowned for his sharp wit in court. For example

Judge: I have read your case, Mr Smith, and I am no wiser now than I was when I started. 
Smith: Possibly not, My Lord, but far better informed.

There’s bigots but no smallots. Why is this?

Oh god this food is crap.

Plates are cold.

Really slow service.

And too loud.

Why did we come here.

How many stars?