where art collides philosoperontap

February 1, 2013

The cold nose

Filed under: chinks — Tags: — Trefor Davies @ 5:28 pm

The cold nose

I sit here motionless waiting for my nose to warm up. The heating has just been switched on but has not had time to sufficiently warm the space around my nose to have any effect on its temperature.

I could I suppose rub my nose but that doesn’t seem totally right because actually the rest of me is just as cold as my nose. It would  be odd for my nose to be the warmest bit of my body.

It would not be unreasonable for you to wonder why I am sitting here waiting to warm up. Why don’t I at the very least go and get a blanket or a coat or a warm pullover? Not unreasonable at all.

There are some things in life that are mysteries. The meaning of life, how old is the universe and why I am sitting here being cold?

The mystery is compounded because I am unlikely to ever find the answer to the first two questions but the third is one that needn’t even be asked. I am all powerful in that respect.

The cold nose…

January 26, 2013

Two old men sat at a table

Filed under: chinks,poems,poetry — Trefor Davies @ 8:06 pm

The two old men were sat at a table outside a pub. It was a freezing cold January morning. Not a day to sit around chewing the cud and watching the world go by. This was theatreland and wherever you looked there were billboards advertising shows.

What were they doing there? Had they just come off a night shift at a theatre? It seemed unlikely. It was around 9.30am. Were they on their way to work? What’s the story?

Everyone else scurried by, heads down obscured by scarves, hands shoved well and truly in pockets.

When I am older and time is no longer on my side will I sit quietly waiting?
The story of a life, recounted, a nodding audience, dwindling.
My simple needs, a cup, a taste, the finest in a lifelong gathering
Collections of the day, the careless mind retreating.

January 20, 2013

The right kind of snow

Filed under: chinks,prose — Trefor Davies @ 5:09 pm

snow scene at Whisby Nature ReserveIt’s not very often we get the right kind of snow in this country. You know the sort, penny sized falling deep settling crystals grinding everything to a halt for days and the schools all close and kids celebrate and go out to play snowballs and sledging and come home cold, wet and exhausted to consume gallons of hot chocolate with buttery crumpets huddled around the open fire.

This year there was promise but the first flake flurry came merely as a token gesture. Grey skies arrived and folk left work early on Friday to avoid the “worst of it”. Travel warnings intermingled with announcements of thirty thousand homes without power in Wales confirmed our suspicions. We were in for a goodun.

No fresh snow came on the Saturday but there was enough on the ground to go sledging on West Common. Walking on the road, cleared by the gritters, was easier than walking on the pavement. It took me a lot longer to get to the Prince to meet Ian than it normally would but I was warm enough. I was dressed for the worst. The forecast was still for snow.

The snow didn’t come. It was cold out but the house was warm as toast. I had stocked up with coal on my way home from work and was up before dawn cleaning out the grate and setting the fire. It felt like a man’s job but I knew that in years gone by it would have been done by the woman of the house. The caustic smell of the ash made me cough and reminded me of my grandfather who was a miner and who died before I was born. Seeing the fire relight from the heat of the coals left overnight was quite satisfying.

I sit here now, still waiting for the snow. It is still promised and for the kids there remains the hope of no school tomorrow. Cold noses and frozen hands are eagerly anticipated. In an ideal world it should be the right kind of snow but in practice we’ll take any kind. Crumpets ahoy!

January 1, 2013

A Carwyn James story

Filed under: chinks — Tags: , — Trefor Davies @ 6:36 pm

Philosopherontap interviews Alun Davies who played rugby with Welsh fly half Carwyn James in the 1950s.

December 31, 2012

Inside carwash

Filed under: chinks,the art gallery — Trefor Davies @ 3:07 pm

Inside a car in a carwashNo words, just soap suds…

December 30, 2012

5 laptops in the front room

Filed under: chinks — Tags: , , , , — Trefor Davies @ 5:26 pm

I walked into the front room. There were the four offspring all sat there with laptops open. I soon joined them. Anne beavering away in the kitchen; steak pie. The fire struggled to light. Apparently the wrong kind of paper. It’s going now. A little tlc from Tref. We are listening to QPR v Liverpol over tinterweb. Liverpool are winning for a change. QPR are firmly entrenched at the bottom of the league.

Joseph and I had a lovely six holes of golf. His game is coming along. Had his first par put today. Missed it but it will come. There were few others out. People are bunkering down over the holidays though the weather today was fine for golf. Cold but no problem if you wrap up properly. I bought a new thermal hat with the Lincoln Golf Club logo. Ten quid for cash. Could’t find my Himalayan hat before leaving for the club. Would be disappointed to lose that one. I’m sure it will reappear.

After the game we had a drink in the clubhouse. Joe had a hot chocolate and I had a warm Guinness (as opposed to Guinness Extra Cold!). They had set the place up for New Year’s Eve. Only around 50 people signed up for it apparently whereas they normally get 80 or so (apparently). Not my kind of thing.

Back home the fire is now going and I’m on another Guinness. It’s quite relaxing sat here with the kids listening to the football. It would probably not be the same if we were losing.

Back to work tomorrow. I have some prep to do for my BBC appearance on New Year’s Day. Talking to William Wright (@MrWilliam) on BBC Radio Lincolnshire about technology developments in 2013.

Before golf today Anne and I went for a swim. They normally have lane swimming at Yarborough Leisure Centre at lunchtime on a Sunday but today they were short staffed so part of the pool was “roped off” and there was just the melee of the general swim. I’l be back in the pool tomorrow morning before going to work.

Anne is still beavering away in the kitchen but Hannah has gone out downtown on the lash! A very social animal is our Hannah. No worries 🙂

That’ll do for now. 2013 i going to see a big increase in the amount of content on philosopherontap hence these posts that are more of a diary entry than art but I’m sure it will develop in the right way.

Ciao

December 29, 2012

The Dull December Day

Filed under: chinks — Trefor Davies @ 2:31 pm

It is, as it says on the front cover, a dull December day. The period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve when we are all just hanging around, killing time. It’s too wet to play golf, almost certainly bugger all on the telly and although I’m sure I could find some jobs to do there is very little inclination to do them.

At this point I feel as if I should utter an audible sigh but actually this enforced lethargy is not too bad really. Everybody else is getting on with something. I could sort out my wardrobe. I just bought some clothes in the sales and need to throw a few things away so’s I can find space.

Hannah has taken John to play footy in Welton. Joe has gone to watch Lincoln City v Gateshead with some mates and Tom has just got back from a run around the block.

I do need to clean out the grate but I’m not sure we will be lighting the fire today. The problem with having the fire on is that if everyone else decides to watch the tv then I’ll be on my own in the front room.

The rain continues. One the wettest years on record apparently. Played havoc with the crops. We were alright until they declared a hosepipe ban and then of course it rained for forty days and forty nights. Twice! I’m sure the lawn will have even more moss in it next year.

Hannah and I just had lunch at the Burton Road Chippy. I had haddock, chips and mushy peas and she had fish cake and chips. A nice little meal out. We have her for another week and then she is off skiing with Durham University for 8 days. Just 1,400 or so close friends. You have to pity any other poor holidaymakers who might find themselves in the same resort. Nightmare!

This year for the first time that I can remember Dunham bridge is closed because of flooding. The Trent often breaks its banks there but I’ve never seen the bridge being shut before. Vindicates our decision to live at the top of the hill I say:)

For what it’s worth I’m off downtown in a bit to Maplins. Anne’s laptop has stopped charging and I want to make sure it isn’t the charger before taking any more drastic action. It might also be the battery but I don’t think it is. We haven’t had any trouble with this battery before. I’ll let you know anyway.

Overall it’s been a very successful family Christmas. I’m actually looking forward to January now and the chance to have a quiet time and renew the exercise regimen. It won’t happen of course. The quiet time that is. I’m pretty confident of getting back into the swim of it in the pool.

That’ll do for now. I feel a job coming on.

See ya.

December 26, 2012

The Unbirthday Letter

Filed under: chinks,miscellany — Trefor Davies @ 6:42 am

Just another ordinary day like all the other ordinary days. You wake up, get out of bed, brush yer teeth keef, have breakfast maybe – pick yer jumbled order. Order yer jumbled picks, four candles, oze.

Grunt into the morning. Pick a pair of trousers from the pile on the floor, retrieve a shirt and hey presto. Overnight the offers have come in. Can you come and do a breakfast show for Radio one? Radio twit twoo five arrive alive oh, four more candles. Handles for knives and forks, fork’n knives.

Put them to one side. Today there are other things to do, fish to fry, flags to run up the pole, or the Lithuanian. God save the King, God help everybody that needs it.

Sing isn’t yer thing, although you like a good song. Chanson d’amour. Goodness gracious me. A wandring minstrel I, a thing of shreds and patches, of ballads songs and snatches and dreamy lullaby. Uh?

Nobody said anything had to make cents. Tuppence. Hippy bathday, happy barfday. Moaning. A far as we’re concerned there is nothing of any particular note happnin.

Everybody talkin bout camras, scamras, watch the vid, make the vid, luxuriate in advertising revenues that pay for the next skiing holiday, should you opt in.

stretch that font sur le pont, quel concoction.

Just another day, it’s a perfect day. Act two scene one, the Steep Hill room at the Wig and Mitre. Yah yah waffle waffle, how do you do, duck. Might wear a new tie, before I die. A tie to die for? That’s one thing I have school to thank for. That and amo amass amat, amamus amatis amant.

New York, London, Paris, Lincoln, everybody talk about unbirthdays.

Uchelgaer uwch y weilgi,

Gyr y byd ei cherbydau drosti

Chwithau oll longau’r lli,

Ewch o dan ei chadwyni.

 

So long and thanks for all the Capn Birds Eye cod bites in breadcrumbs, cook from frozen.

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy

December 18, 2012

#Carol singing bash at Morning Star

Filed under: chinks — Tags: , , , , , — Trefor Davies @ 7:10 pm

Morning Star

Get on down to the Morning Star tomorrow night for a spot of carol singing. That’s Wednesday 19th December starting at 8ish with Colin Dudman on the piano forte. Last year’s was a great success and it will be even better this year.

See ya there?

PS Greetwell Gate in Lincoln.

December 2, 2012

The Sunday afternoon peace

Filed under: chinks — Trefor Davies @ 2:24 pm

Kids are doing some homework or quietly getting on with something. Anne has popped out to Tesco and is picking up the printer ink that I thought I was going to have to go and get myself. The fire is burning away nicely in the grate and the front room is pleasantly warm.

The freezer has been defrosted and is now switched back on awaiting contents. In the meantime the frozen food remains nice and frozen in a bin in the back garden. The temperature is below freezing and so it has been a perfect time to do the job.

In a while I’ll go in to the kitchen to get started on preparing the Sunday roast. It’s just me, Joe and John as Anne is off out to the Bishop’s Palace with the girls for afternoon tea. We are having free range organic corn fed chicken with all the trimmings. They got all the right buzzwords into that package.

Next weekend it’s the Lincoln Christmas Market and we have the exciting prospect of our usual Saturday night market party. We will have all the family back for that. Even though Hannah has another week of term she is making the effort to come home for it.

We are all looking forward to Christmas this year. It will be another full Davies family gathering with fourteen of us sitting down to a full rack of beef on the Sunday. Before then I have my usual trefor.net xmas bash at the Phoenix Artist Club in London – 150 – 200 or so folk coming along to celebrate the passing of another year. A few of the boys are coming down from Lincoln for it and it promises to be a great night out.

All is well and there is no tension in my world.

November 26, 2012

The lift at Grange Tower Bridge Hotel

Filed under: chinks — Trefor Davies @ 2:12 pm

The lift at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel  prior to going to see the Rolling Stones in concert at the O2 on Sunday 25th November. The journey is from the 14th floor to Ground level taking in views of The Gherkin (St Mary Axe), The Shard and the Tower of London.

November 18, 2012

That Autumn feeling

Filed under: chinks — Trefor Davies @ 11:46 am

That fresh faced rosy cheeked cold but beautiful Autumn day feeling warmly wrapped up soup seeking bread dunked leaf drift Sunday morning walk.

July 7, 2012

One hour in the life of Trefor Davies

Filed under: chinks — Tags: , , , — Trefor Davies @ 1:00 pm

I’m back on my regular settee in the cafe at Thorpe Golf Club whilst the kids have golf lessons. They do a pot of tea for £1.50 which lasts most of the hour of the golf lesson. I’m wearing a pair of rugby shorts and sandals – not something that would ordinarily be countenanced at a golf club. This one is more enlightened. I’m playing myself later. Just nine holes because there’s a competition on so we are letting them get out of the way before we start. It’s going to mean I’m less knackered for going out later. Are off to the Bell at Coleby. Very good apparently. I think I may have been there but it is likely to have been a quarter of a century or so ago. Chances are it will have changed. I’m driving there and was going to drive back but decided to treat myself so we are getting a taxi. Whilst I’m here I’ve picked up my 5 wood which I left for repair a few weeks ago. The head flew off when the kids were using it at the driving range! I never use it myself but figured it was worth repairing. Cost me £3 which is a real bargain. I never seem to be able to get on the wifi here and the mobile signal is rubbish hence me spending some time writing. The weather forecast is not good for when I play so whether we do actually end up playing is a moot point. We shall see. There is a radio blaring out some radio 1 type music at one end of the room (perhaps it is radio 1 :)?) and the TV at the other end has a cookery programme on. At 11.20 am on a Saturday! Dont people have better things to do with their lives? The till chings. Cups clank and I’ve just discovered the woman behind the counter is named Sue. Odd that, considering I’ve been quite a regular fixture here every other Saturday morning for a few months now. A girl comes in wearing a cricket sweater with dark and light blue stripes at the collar. She has matching blue trousers. On my third cup of tea and the pot is now empty. Good job really or I’ll be spending the rest of the day going to the toilet. Sign behind the cafe counter says “We don’t do fast food… We do fresh food , as fast as we can!” there is a woman sat reading the paper who is the only other regular I can say I recognise. She normally seems to be wearing a work suit and has a load of paperwork to read but not today. It’s a magazine I think, not a newspaper. The grrr of the coffee grinder grows louder. I had initially confused it for a whoosh but no, it’s a grrr (three r’s only but continuously repeated). I note that the “Monty” breakfast is £4.95. I expect its good value. Last week I had breakfast at The Bread Street Kitchen”, a huge new Gordon Ramsay restaurant. It was excellent fair play. I stayed off the carbs. I’m trying to lose weight, more by lifestyle change than strict dieting. Cutting down on eating rubbish, less alcohol etc. Friday nights are a bit strange mind you. I normally fall asleep on the settee after a few beers and some wine. Not now. Fourteen minutes to go and I’ve just taken a break to send a couple of tweets. Nothing earth shattering, just my usual wittiness as appreciated by all my followers no doubt otherwise why would eh be following me? The dregs of my tea are cold but they have still been consumed. Waste not want not eh? Eh? Come on now you know it makes sense. I should be preparing for an after dinner speech I’m giving on Tuesday night. It’s at the Murco Petroleum annual sales conference. It’ll be my second ever after dinner speech. I’m building up a track record here. The first was at a local Rotary Club where I was asked to talk for ten minutes or so about what we are doing at work (lots of investing). I needed to keep it relatively non technical so I dumbed it down considerably. Imagine my surprise when I walked in to the room to find that the average age must have been well north of seventy and even the term Gigabyte, the most technical bit of my speech, was beyond some of them. Ah well. I also went on for considerably more than 10 minutes. You live and learn, I hope. That’s your hour. I type slowly on the iPad. Catch you later…

July 6, 2012

Open sesame

Filed under: chinks — Tags: , , , , , — Trefor Davies @ 7:18 pm

Another philosopherontap.com production

July 2, 2012

The drinking game

Filed under: chinks — Trefor Davies @ 11:34 am

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress