Personal Blogs

Someone offered me a free trip on a steam train. I was really chuffed.

“Starter for one, name a bird that lives on the wing”.

Tom was forced to think swiftly.

Sedevacantism

An opinion holding that the Pope is not in valid succession and hence not a Catholic, undermining a well known retort.

Remember me when I am gone away,
   Gone far away into the silent land;
   When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
   You tell me of our future that you planned:
   Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
   And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
   For if the darkness and corruption leave
   A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
   Than that you should remember and be sad.

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.