Monthly Archives: June 2007

29 June 2007

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Two intrepid climbers near the summit of the previously unclimbed Mount Shingle, on the North Norfolk coast, during their trek across the uncharted Cley Marshes – known in some quarters as the Empty Miles. This was a two-woman expedition, totally unsupported except for the cameraman, his friend and the occasional coffee and ice cream.

Happily they survived to tell the tale. A similarly dangerous expedition was in fact undertaken by one of them, with her husband (me) only four days later, when we left Norwich on the 10am train for Liverpool Street, followed by a taxi drive through unmapped road works to the Tate Gallery on Millbank. Good food at the Tate: after it, we went round the Hockney/Turner exhibition, which was pretty amazing. I really think late Turner (1830-50) is just about as good as you can get. Wonderful use of light, amazing composition, and the feeling that you’re looking into another dimension. Rilke said beauty was as much of terror as we are able to bear; if so, this is right where awe, terror and beauty meet. Even the ones that were barely started were marvellous.

We followed this by visiting the The Way We Are photographic exhibition, which was £6 each (concessions) more than the other one. Turner is free!! Nevertheless some remarkable pictures here, mixed in with some rather average ones. It’s amazing how some of the pioneer photographers overcame technical difficulties to produce really artistic, poignant pictures.

We returned to the West End by bus. The driver was unable to “find” £1 change for our £5. Past the Houses of Parliament, where there was hectic media activity: a lesser event today was the abdication of Blair and the coronation of Brown as Prime Minister. Plenty of anti-war protesters also there, and in Whitehall. Very, very slow progress down Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. When we heard today that a potential car bomb had brought traffic in the area to a standstill, we wondered how anyone had noticed.

We walked up St Martin’s Lane and had a meal in Med Kitchen: a superb rib-eye steak for me – one of the best I can remember eating. Green beans and chips. Dot had a salmon fishcake, which was also excellent, and we shared fries. Both of us had creme brulee to follow. We were going to walk up to Tottenham Court Road, but the sky went black and water started falling from the sky, so we doubled back and went into Leicester Square Tube Station, where the guy in the ticket office had no interest whatsoever in his job, talking to colleagues and doing other things while a queue built up. We had no alternative but to wait. It reminded me of Italy.

Had a bit of a wait for the train home, but all went smoothly, although it got colder and colder.

Yesterday we went to Reepham for a hair cut. I went for a walk but failed to find my cousin Barbara’s house, so will have to check the name. Afterwards we had lunch in the old station – excellent – and then went to check on the dinosaur park in case the weather at the weekend is good enough to take the children there. Afterwards back by country lanes to the A47. Brief break, then Dot went off in my car to Park Farm and I took her car for a service, then walked home (about three miles). Dot went to visit her aunt, then to Gillingham in the evening as a governor.

Today, after I finished my page for next Monday, we started by picking up the car. Weather still very showery, as it has been for days, when it’s not been solid rain. I left Dot to pay and drove back into city, where I called at Prospect House with Aunt E’s ad, then paid in some cheques. Brief visit home, then went to to UEA to see a production by Eugenia’s translation group, which turned out to be a half-hour of sketches based on Molly Bloom’s monologue in Ulysses. Surprisingly well done. I don’t know what I had been expecting, but it was fascinating and very clever in parts.

Afterwards called in at Morrison’s for a big shop for the weekend: our family are coming up to see us. Dot now has her head down working on a school report.

Oh, I forgot. On Tuesday I finally tracked down my cousin Jon, who was staying at a caravan park at Ludham in his rather luxurious motor home. It was the first time I had met him for many, many years, and I had never met his wife Dorothy before, although they have been married for 46 years. They live in Axminster, Devon.

I can only conclude that all Dorothys are something special, because she was lovely. Had a really good 90 minutes or so there, talking about family history and getting some details for the family tree (I gave Jon a printout of what I have so far). Then rushed back home (beating highways authority plans to prevent anyone entering the city by blocking roads and causing general congestion, which I am sad to say is ongoing today), just in time to meet Ruth K, with whom I’m doing a song recital / poetry reading for charity in November. Guess who’s doing the song recital aspect of it. Worked a few things out. In the evening went to Ed’s for the Tuesday meal while Dot finished her previous report.

25 June 2007

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Just a shot of my favourite flowers, taken in Suffolk a few weeks ago. Pictures of last weekend’s activities at Blakeney not yet available.

Arrived at the Manor Hotel fairly early in the afternoon – amazingly the first to arrive, but quickly joined by friends Alan and Rosemary. Booked in: we had a first-floor room with a view of the estuary and a four-poster bed. Actually it wasn’t just a view of a four-poster; it was an actual bed. Also a small entrance hall with table, and a walk-in-and-hit-your-head cupboard.

The other three members of the party arrived as we were unloading and after a pause for thought and recuperation, most of us went down to the Blakeney Hotel for tea and scone. Why the switch of hotels? The Blakeney has a first-floor lounge with a fantastic view out across to Blakeney Point and very tasty scones. That’s not a view of tasty scones but actual tasty scones.

The forecast for the Saturday had been pretty appalling, so we were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves walking throught the Cley Marshes nature reserve in pleasantly warm weather after parking at the new visitors’ centre. We did the three-mile round trip first, taking in the shrinking shingle bank and a new hide. Apparently the shingle bank moves inland a metre a year, but it felt quite secure, though small. Saw lots of interesting birds and flowers. A twitcher showed us a spoonbill through his telescope: we also saw loads of avocet, some redshanks, oystercatchers and lots of other less unusual things with wings. Towards the end we saw a couple of marsh harriers, which were pretty spectacular, and some penguins. OK, I lied about the penguins. We had tea/coffee/ice cream at a ramshackle hut at the end of Beach Road which seemed to double as a library or secondhand book store. Apparently it will be replaced in spring 2007. So the notice said. Whoops. As it wasn’t there, I took a picture of it.

Walked on into Cley village where Dave found a great little tea shop: West Cottage, which had the proud boast that spring tides came up to its wall. So lots of fun there in spring. Nice light meal – I had egg mayonaise roll – but the sky was turning black. When we reached a pottery shop it started raining and looked to have set in. So after a while I took an umbrella and walked back to the reserve for the car. This was further than I had anticipated – about a mile. As I was approaching it, the lightning and thunder was getting so simultaneous that I was worrying about possible damage to the umbrella from a lightning strike, but happily this didn’t happen. I did get pretty wet, however, and after picking up the other three Dot and I drove home so that I could change. Dave and Julia stayed optimistically at the visitor centre in the hope of the sun breaking through.

After leaving the hotel in dry clothes, we found really black skies inland of Blakleney and wrote off the rest of the day. However, magically, when we got to Cley (about two miles) the outlook seemed much brighter, and we all walked out again to a group of three hides in the middle of the marsh. It was from the second one that we saw the marsh harriers.

Back in Blakeney, we repaired yet again to the upstairs lounge at the Blakeney Hotel before returning to the Manor Hotel for the evening meal. In between Dot and I made one more brief trip out to try to find some barn owls: we had received some directions from a twitcher earlier. No sign of them (we were probably a bit early), but it was a delightful little walk in warm evening sun. The evening meal was excellent, and we had coffee etc afterwards as usual, spending much of the time boasting about our grandchildren.

After breakfast yesterday the others headed for home, possibly via Holt and Burnham Market, while Dot and I drove up to Wiveton Downs – another delightful spot new to us, only a couple of miles south of Blakeney. Walked around a bit, but it started raining, and so we got back in the car and drove to Kelling in search of a gallery that a photographer exhibiting at Blakeney had recommended to us. On the way we called at Salthouse Church, where there was an exhibition by Sally Lawford: unusual ideas, and the church was very atmospheric.

The Stable Gallery at Kelling was also interesting: Dot and I were the only ones there apart from the woman in charge, and we ended up having tea and cake, as well as buying a chair for the downstairs loo. Don’t ask.

Back in Norwich we went home, then walked to the Bishop’s Garden for a writers’ event at which InPrint had a stall. Bit of an in-crowd, but quite fun despite the indifferent weather, and at least there was only a smattering of rain. Rupert, Lisa, Tonia there with families. Also met Nick Caistor, Tessa West. Dot decided the look of PVM boxes should be improved and volunteered to help. She’s right: it needs doing.

21 June 2007

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A big week for Oliver, who has learned to ride his bicycle. He showed real determination and independence, and it was great to see his delight when he managed it – on a video sent by David. Today I was able to see him riding down the street “live”: David held a webcam out of the window, and Oliver went up and down two or three times, with Vicky watching from a distance. The picture here goes back a couple of weeks, when he was still getting a helping hand in the garden from Nana (but always wanting to do it on his own). This afternoon he goes with his mother to his new school for a familiarisation visit.

Dot missed this morning’s ride because she was inspecting a school at Wreningham. On Tuesday she was out all day taking Aunt E to visit Aunt J at North Walsham. Rather wish I’d gone, but I did speak to both of them: E to find out why Dot was so late back, and J later to thank her for keeping a paper for me and to mention that I’d met a friend of hers (Yvonne K) at Welborne. Dot and E had lunch at Elderton Grange, and Dot was enthusing about it.

The weather has improved a bit: it’s quite warm, but we still have occasional quite heavy showers. Other parts of the country are much worse hit: part of a rail track was washed away on the England/Wales border.

I spent most of yesterday working on a translation / interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer using the original Aramaic text and commentary on it. Aramaic is a much richer language than English, because its words (and their roots) have wider associations, usually based on verbs and vital human activities. I was trying to create a sort of prayer-poem, and I was reasonably pleased with it. It’s based on a book called Prayers of the Cosmos by Neil Douglas-Klotz. Obviously I don’t speak Aramaic, so I was heavily dependent on the translations and expansions given. Here it is (feel free to skip):

You who created all things perfectly
out of what did not exist
You who are mother and father to us
the source of light and blessing
whose breath flows through and transforms all it touches
rising and shining in space so that we can know you
through the song and vibration of the universe

we plant a garden
a holy shrine
within ourselves
separate
letting go all that would distort or inhibit
your focusing light,
your wisdom, your peace

Come like a fruitful arm
a coiled spring
to release the potential of the earth
Come and fill your children
with delight and faith to go forward
bearing the music and the spirit of your kingdom
in new directions

As stars swirl together in harmony
your heart’s desire is an irresistible force
Let this be true of our hearts too
in word and vision
without break or discord
as we sigh together with the living earth
our home

Take us forward step by step
Give us the food and understanding that we need
Breathe into us warmth, passion and creativity
Produce within us fruit and light
fulfilling what lies within the circle of our lives
an illumined measure of your abundance
nourishing each other

Through forgiveness return us
to our uncorrupted state
clear and unburdened
free of secret debt and hidden entanglements
accidental offences and frustrated hopes
Embrace us with the purity of emptiness
just as we free and forgive others
consistently
repairing relationships

Do not let us be diverted from the purpose of our lives
by surface temptations
or seduced by what is false
and illusory
Do not allow our minds to be lost in forgetfulness
like flags waving aimlessly
in the wind
but break the seal that binds us to what is immature, unripe
or inappropriate
Free us to walk your path with joy

For your field is fertile and all-sufficient
You determine all in your royal universe
Yours is the force that produces and sustains
Yours is the glorious song
light and sound in balance
astonishing fire
from one age to another
in the cycle of time
gathering to gathering
mysterious
grounded and true

17 June 2007

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My grand-daughter Amy at the wheel, pausing for a moment’s reflection. Women drivers, eh?

Welborne is over – an exhausting but fulfilling weekend, with quite reasonable weather on the whole interspersed yesterday by a couple of half-hours of torrential rain which brough a chill as well as sogginess to the air. I think our marquee looked pretty good, and the poetry reading went well, despite meagre attendance today and competition from live music and a town crier yesterday. Very little sold, sadly, though I did manage to get rid of a couple of my original books. Dot came along this afternoon, and we both attended a reading by novelist Tessa West which was excellent (although only six of us were there). Dot bought one of her books, which she signed. Much higher numbers for live music outside and clowns: maybe community activities and more serious stuff don’t really mix. I still love the Welborne Arts Festival, though. Lovely setting.

We spent most of Friday transporting the pictures etc to Welborne, hanging and organising.

On Saturday Dot went to a Wall Hall reunion in Suffolk which I was sorry to miss. I spoke to a couple of the “girls” on the phone – Liz and Jeannie – when I rang to check that Dot had got there all right (through the driving rain). I got myself on an outrageous rump steak in the evening on the assumption that Dot would have eaten, and she had – but she was still back earlier than expected at about 8pm. So we were able to have a relaxing half-an-evening together. Tonight she has gone to an Ambient Wonder event at which she is taking a leading role, but I decided to stay at home because I was very, very tired and because I thought she might do better without me. This evening, I mean. Not generally.

PS There has been an outbreak of very slow driving on the lanes and roads between Norwich and Dereham. On returning from the Welborne Festival yesterday I got caught behind a red Toyota whose driver seemed to think 30mph was a bit excessive, and today I had a similar experience behind another elderly driver on the same road. In each case the driving was so bad it required a real effort not to unintentionally tailgate them on corners, and overtaking was out of the question because you couldn’t believe the driver in front would keep far enough to the left on the narrowish roads. Extremely frustrating and inconsiderate driving. Amy would do a lot better.

11 June 2007

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As it turned out, there was also a piece on the EDP Books page last week about my poetry prize, but I hadn’t spotted it until someone pointed it out. A bit overkill all in all, but I can hardly complain – though this one featured yet another photo of me I’d never seen before.

The image above was created by Tonia Jillings, one of our InPrint group, from a poem I’d done in response to a bigger work of hers. Think it looks rather fine, really.

We’ve just had a meeting of InPrint concerned mostly with preparations for Welborne, but also talking about the future – and it went much better than I thought it might. Perhaps that’s because I was acting as secretary and therefore didn’t know what was going on… The weather forecast for Welborne at the moment is disastrous – heavy rain – but as the BBC have never yet got a five-day forecast right, I’m pretty optimistic.

One or two other things. I may have done my last bit of NVQ assessing. We had a meeting on Friday at which it turned out – unsurprisingly – that Archant were thinking of switching to the NCTJ under a new system. All a bit vague, but at present no candidates to be assessed. End of an era?

The day before I went to a reading by Caroline Wood – one of the founder-members of InPrint – from her first novel, Noah Quince. The reading was in the Millennium Library, and was quite packed. Another InPrint founder-member, Marilyn Jeffries, was there and so was Peter Bright, former EN sub-editor who is a good guy. Had quite a long chat, went home and ordered the book on Amazon, together with poetry by Rita Anne Higgins, the judge in the Fish poetry competition. By sheer chance I have her reading one of her poems on a poetry CD I was given, and I’m delighted to say I really like it. Very Irish and witty.

At the weekend Dot and I dropped in on my nephew and his wife and showed them some of our pictures of Florida – seems like a lifetime ago. Very pleasant evening which included tea and cake.

Today Dot has been to Watton on a PSCL schools visit, and she should be back shortly.

6 June 2007

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Just back from a four-and-a-half-mile walk. The weather has turned cooler again, and grey overhead. Threats to rain have not materialised so far. Over the weekend it was sunny and warm, and we spent Friday and Saturday indulging ourselves with the grandchildren at their home and at Woodside Farm, a favourite spot, where Oliver steeled himself to feed the animals and succeeded! Amy dragged me into the play barn to go with her into the “scary bit”. As far as I was concerned they were all scary bits, because it was built for someone about a quarter of my size. But she needed me to, actually, so that was all right. Oliver is way beyond needing anyone to accompany him, and is on the verge of riding his bicycle without stabilisers: in fact he did a pedal or too while we were there. He also understands the difference between “need” and “want”, which is pretty amazing.

On the Saturday the Coomes came to visit, hence the picture of Phil and David. Their children are growing up fast, and Phil has reached an age we can’t mention.

Went into Bally on the Sunday afternoon (following church lunch) and stayed when Rupert had finished cleaning up from his paper-making workshop the previous day. Few visitors, and the Open Studios were not a success as far as numbers were concerned. But we produced some good work. On Sunday we meet to discuss where we go from here (after Welborne, that is).

Dot is busy working on her Oakington report, following a game of pitch-and-putt yesterday and a long session with Barbara on philosophy on Monday. I’ve had messages from various people following my unexpected appearance as poetry award-winner in the EDP Art, Antiques and Collectibles supplement. Amazing how many people read it from cover to cover.