where art collides philosoperontap

Little Lincoln Imp Cheese

Up bright and early and ready to go for a swim. This hopefully will be a theme of my two weeks at home and in the absence of jury service. Just having a sit at the kitchen table before I go. No point in getting there too early. It’s a question of timing. Too early and the pool is still quite full. My ideal time is to be getting into the water at 8.25 and to have half an hour of lane swimming before they kick you out.

It’s still a fine bright autumnal morning. Still a good time to get the last fine weather jobs done, although I think all of ours have been done. Now it’s about tidying up the garden. I’m not really a tidy up the garden sort of person but I don’t mind doing a few things such as trimming a bit of hedge.  Maybe even gathering the cuttings and putting them in the green bin.

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Went out to the Bomber Command Memorial to see the Lancaster flyby. Couldn’t get near the memorial itself as it is largely still under construction and fenced off but parked up near the allotments at the top of South Common to watch with a crowd of enthusiasts. I had been given 10.35 as the flypast time but word came that it was still at RAF Conningsby having work done to its undercarriage so this seemed unlikely. A coach departed the official site so I gave up and went to do an errand Lloyds Bank in the Bailgate instead.

Now home and having a cup of tea. Featured image is a Little Lincoln Imp cheese, some of which I shall be consuming for lunch with some white bread purchased this morning from Curtis’ in the Bail.

Btw the Bail is having some of its block paving redone. It’s been falling apart. Doesn’t seem like long since they put it down. Expensive. Also whilst I remember I ordered a couple of books off Amazon last night: “Protestant Dissenters in Wales 1639 – 1689”  By Geraint H. Jenkins and “A Social History of the Nonconformist Ministry in England and Wales 1800-1930″ by  Kenneth D. Brown. Will look forward to reading those. I discovered recently that John Wesley was responsible for starting the singing of hymns during church services. People had previously only sung psalms. Who knew? Note they both have a middle initial. Convention amongst authors of religious histories maybe? 🙂

Little Lincoln Imp cheese is nice btw but quite expensive for what you get. Not sure I would buy it again at that price (£6.50 ish for a relatively small chunk).

Be there or be absent 🙂

Sunday morning with Classic FM. Very relaxing. Just had a cooked breakfast. 2 slow cooked spicy Lincolnshire sausages from Curtis’ butchers in the Bailgate, 3 rashers of streaky bacon, one fried tomato, fried egg, fried bread and two slices of toast. I’m having another relaxing day. It is the sabbath after all.

Got the History of Llandysul Church booklet through the post yesterday. One of my great uncles was vicar at the end of the 18th century. Turns out there was also a rector. This is interesting. David Davies was also at some point rector of Bangor Teifi. He may even have been the last rector of that parish. I need to dig into it a little more. Was he promoted from vicar at Llandysul to rector of Bangor Teifi? I may have the deets but would need to plough through them and now is not the time.

Another observation this morning. Lots of spider’s webs around. The window cleaner is coming on Monday.

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Picked a load of apples. My new 10 foot ladders makes a big difference although one of the trees hasn’t done particularly well this year. Small apples. Martin left some leeks and other leafy stuff from his allotment. He’s been very generous this year so I took one of the bags of apples around to theirs.

Took John and Matty to some church youth group laser quest event in North Hykeham and then stopped off at the West End Tap for a swift beer with Nige before coming home for Anne’s excellent paprika chicken. Nige is booking us in as a table for 10 at the Lincoln Taphouse and Kitchen for the Sunday of the Christmas market. Graham and Carol are coming together with Terry, Nige, Hansk, Joe and Charlotte. A good time should be had.

Now I’m sat in front of the open fire. It’s the first time I’ve lit it since the summer. Not really cold enough but it is a very nice luxury.

Btw I’ve announced the first Online Arts Festival by philosopherontap. Check it out and come along, whether you have something to display or just looking. Should be interesting.

that time of year

Another absoluuuuutely beautiful Autumn day. I wonder when the first storm will hit us. In the meantime am enjoying the season.

Rattled off a few quick jobs already this morning and it is only 9.43. Fixed two out of three non functioning floodlights. The third is going to need a new lamp unit (or whatever it’s called) fitting. Fixed the clothes airer in the utility room. Cord had broken. Also replaced nail with hook and rehung the wooden bunting that had been brought down when the airer collapsed. Quite good eh?

Today is going to be a day of relaxation and intellectual stimulation. We have tickets for the BP Portrait Exhibition at the Usher Gallery and are going with Helen and Martin Britten. This will be followed with lunch at the Collection museum and then four lectures related to local history as part of Lincoln book week. I think we will need to be in place quite early for this as I’m sure the lectures will be popular.

Phil is also coming around at lunchtime to finish off the few remaining bits to do with the roof/guttering.

Hannah is back from her first business trip overseas (after two weeks in full time employment). Barcelona. We have only been given a few snippets on Facebook so she will have a lot to tell us.

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Later. Great duck breast in port and garlic and ginger sauce, sautéed spuds and runner beans. Shiraz, port.

Had a lovely day out with Helen and Martin. Stopped at the Cardinal’s Hat and then the Morning Star. Home now watching TV.

Bridget Jones’s Baby – a must watch movie

I have to confess that one of my favourite movies is Mary Poppins. It’s a nice happy movie with the odd bit of excitement, emotion and a very happy ending. Well this is what Bridget jones’s Baby was like. I was somewhat trepidatious about going to watch it. Did so really because otherwise Anne wouldn’t have had the chance to go. It was terrific. Go and see it.

Kept me out of the pub and we walked there and back so that’s around two hours of walking today. Not bad. Featured image – chimneys silhouetted against the fading light.

Nuff said.

Orsen Cart tour in Lincoln

Factory reset on Virgin router today. Hopefully that will resolve the painfully slow connection times. Have been resorting to using my phone as a hotspot. Also note that I can’t find the MiFi. Hopefully not lost whilst travelling. It was a freebie from EE. Ah well.

Swung by the Bail to buy sausages and cheese and thence to one of the rentals to return the deposit to a departing tenant. Mick is on holiday. Need to get that one re rented but it will wait until Mick gets back.

Quite a pleasant walk really, although you do notice that it gets fairly chilly when out of the sun. Fortunately there is plenty of sun around. Otherwise been actually doing some work today. Have a conference call at 3pm. Wossthatallabouteh?

Anne and I are off out to the flicks tonight. Bridget Joneses Baby, or some simlar title. Love is… Means an earlyish tea (chichen fajitas) and then a walk down for a 7.30 showing. I’d like to bet the actual movie won’t be on until 8pm.

Pic is the horse and carriage tour starting in the Bailgate in Lincoln.

roadworks and continental markets coexist

Quick visit to my accountants Wright Vigar this morning and then a stroll around Lincoln city centre. Lots of road works going on, a continental market making the normally wide street narrow and then two security vans trying to squeeze through.

Bought a small 6 grain loaf plus some mixed olives, sun dried tomatoes and cheese. Walking up Steep Hill bumped into Shannon who then pointed out the beer shop where Suzie was working so we went in to say hello. Carried on up the hill until Joff’s caff and have stopped there for a cup of green tea and a little relaxation.

I very rarely spend time in the city centre without good reason. You can never walk in a straight line. Purchased some Roubles for John’s forthcoming Russia school trip.

Featured image is the patisserie in the high street this morning. Very French blokes behind the counter.

Home Sweet Home

It’s nice to wake up in my own bed. Snuggle up to Anne. Go downstairs to make the tea. Be offered a bacon sandwich (because we have to use it up). Have a second cup of tea. Ease gently into the morning. With the possible exception of a quick trip to Brussels I am now home for three weeks. Wahey. It’s been a busy summer.

I suspect that the shorts are shortly about to go back into the drawer until next season. I may take the opportunity to rearrange the wardrobe and drawers. Might also look to ordering some wood although we do have a lot of stuff on the pile at the bottom of the garden. It’s mostly old furniture and shelving and needs chopping up or sawing. Ok for kindling but not for the real deal.

A loud jazzy noise is coming down the stairs. John is up for breakfast. At least it’s not Radio 1.

Returned last night to the news that Anne is now Chair of the Friends of William Farr School. Proud of her. I asked whether she was a chairman, chairwoman, chairperson or simply just chair. She wasn’t sure. Doesn’t sound right being married to a chair. An inanimate wooden object. It is easier to say though. Try it.

The loud jazzy noise is fading away as it retreats upstairs.

The front door opens and closes behind a departing school run. The house is quiet.

Began following a really useful twitter account last night. @howoldishenry provides a daily update on how old King Henry VIII would be were he still alive today. You never know when that info is going to come in handy and it is a good reference source for any neo-Tudor studies anyone may be undertaking (I may have invented a new movement there).

In other news we have just booked a weekend in Clematis Cottage in Tealby for February whilst John is away in Paris on a school trip. We won this in the raffle at Joanne Haylock’s charity ball in the summer. Yay. Tealby is not very far but it will be a nice break. Two pubs I think and local walks.

Right. Gotta get on with things. Catch ya later.

Featured image is a campervan mug. One of a pair sent by cousin Janette. Thanks Janette. Check out our campervan rental website Anne’s vans.

The afternoon shift

Spent the day on the ITSPA stand at Convergence Summit South. For the last time ever. The show is morphing into something else in Birmingham. Whatever. We had a barrel of Daisy Gold on the stand and it was beholden on us ITSPA council members to lead by example.

Andy Rawnsley and I were about to leave to walk to the station when someone I had fed a beer to offered to drive us there. We ended up at the Euston Tap pub before Andy left to catch the 18.00 train to Manchester.

I walked to the Kings Cross Tandoori for some nosh as I had an hour before my 19.06 left. Weird conversation on the table next to me. Some bloke talking to his mate. He was speaking out against Facebook. The pal was clearly a Facebook user and was trying to agree diplomatically with the dissenter. Ex girlfriends seemed to be involved in the conversation.

The talk moved on to a proposed boys golfing trip whereby the girls would be able to go off and do their own thing. Belton Woods was mentioned as a “great hotel”. They really lost me there. Belton Woods is just a modern corporate edifice with no character. Hey…

On the train some bloke came and sat opposite me. After a couple of minutes he decided to move to a different carriage. Must have been something I said! Now listening to a bit of late night jazz. Ruby, My Dear by Charlie Rouse.

Quite a full train. A lot of them will get off at Peterborough. Good oh.

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Gibberish – the language of the Gibbers. A once proud people the Gibbers lost the plot. Nobody knows where the plot went or tbh are particularly bothered but go it did sending a whole nation into disarray.

They didn’t walk around in circles in a confused manner but did start making incoherent statements about subjects known only to themselves. Some Gibbers would vibrate their lower lips with their forefingers exacerbating the problem of communication.

The biggest issue facing the Gibber people is the fact that not only can nobody outside their community understand a word they are saying but none of them can understand each other either. Each Gibber therefore lives in a world of his or her own.

None of them have a problem with this because at least they each understand what they are trying to say, even if nobody else does. Those speaking Gibberish are kings in their own cocoon.

And a barrel of Daisy Gold

Usual great trefor.net exec dinner last night. Got a little heated when we discussed Brexit so I had to move the conversation on. We were all cream crackered having been on our feet at Convergence Summit South all day. Food was a bit of a disappointment. They didn’t have any steaks and not enough steak and ale pies but we got by. I ended up with ham, egg and chips. Fine. I like ham egg and chips.

Adjourned to the bar afterwards drinking brandies and whiskies.

This morning is a beautiful Autumn day. I passed on my usual walk around Hampton Court as my new shoes are giving the back of my foot a bit of gyp. Instead sat in the lounge bar tapping away.

Now I’m sat doing booth duty at the ITSPA booth at Convergence Summit South. How did I get lumbered with this? Ah well. Just a question of deciding when is the right time to have the first beer. After lunch. Probs.

Looking forward to an abstemious time for the next three weeks. I’m currently not going anywhere until Madrid towards the end of October at which point it will be ten days away. Part of that will be with Anne which will be great.

Hampton Court

Usual great LONAP social last night following the AGM. Belgos on Kingsway. Hit the hay relatively early. Woke up to find the shower not working. Waited around 90 mins but ended up having to use a flannel and a bottle of water. Not good. Suggested that some “consideration” would be appropriate for my next stay which is 8th Dec. I got an email from the front of house manager telling em we would be upgraded to highest available spec room. Fine.

Now in room 3 of Kings Arms at Hampton Court. I stay here every year for the convergence summit south show. It’s the best room I’ve had. 4 poster bed. What’s more the shower works 🙂

My two panel sessions at the show went well. ITSPA have a barrel of beer on the stand so I took a pint along for the second, ITSPA session.

Now headed down to bar for some pre dinner drinks.

David Starkey lecture

Excellent night at the Drill Hall to see historian David Starkey. His lecture was about how the Tudors chose their successors. Lots of plotting, getting competitors out of the loop. He drew a parallel with the Brexit situation in the UK. There was an equally large event in the reign of Henry VIII with the English reformation and the split from Europe and the Catholic Church.

I asked him whether there was anything in history that pointed to economic unrest following the separation. In Tudor times there were massive problems, as much down to the dismantling of the mechanisms of raising cash by (the very much disliked) Henry VII rather than the separation from Europe as far as I could see.

I was pleased to note that the walk back up the hill, whilst not totally effortless was relatively straightforward. The legacy of 12 days on the trail with the coast to coast.

This morning I am back on the southbound train headed for the LONAP AGM. I like these LONAP meetings as the folk there are all a really nice crowd. We have a few beers afterwards needless to say. I get into Kings Cross and will have a roughly 30 minute walk. Only issue with that is the leather shoes I’m wearing not really being suited to walking the city streets but I’ll be fine.

In the meantime it’s a full English with toast on the train.

Rumours on the wire that there’s going to be an announcement at 07.45 re labour party split. It’s now 07.53 and nothing has happened. Ah well.

The house was quite cool this morning when I got up to make the tea, at 06.30. Another sign that the Summer is behind us. I have my LONAP fleece with me. No rain forecast. Just cooler weather. Like.

Sweet Home Lincoln

Joe picked me up from the station at 5.15 and we went for a swift un at the Morning Star en route. Traffic continues to be terrible downtown with all the road closures in place for the revamping of the bus station.

The eurostar was also late in to St Pancras having been held for fifteen minutes inside the channel tunnel. Not the best places to hold a train. The upshot was that instead of a three hour layover in Kings Cross I was there for forty five minutes. On the Eurostar I’d had red wine with my meal and had a couple of pale ales on the train north to keep going.

Had chicken rogan josh for tea and basically snoozed on the settee for the rest of the evening before having an early night.

It’s now Saturday morning. I’ve started my new book – “John Wesley and the Church of England”. Promises to be an interesting read. It requires undisturbed reading time in order to give it the appropriate amount of attention.

Now waiting for Phil the roofer to turn up to finish off a few bits and bobs before heading down to Coops’ to pick up Anne’s car.

Proper cooked breakfast this morning. Breakfasts when travelling and staying in hotels are rarely as good as you get at home. My plans for the day have been somewhat altered by Anne. I had thought we were off to the Usher Gallery and the Collection for the day but that apparently is next weekend. Gives me time to relax and do a few bits and bobs. I’m cooking a steak and ale pie for tomorrow’s lunch so will need to get the ingreds for that. After lunch Joe is heading back to Newcastle and the start of year two.

He still has a couple of gigs to get through today – West End Tap at 4 and the Tap and Spile later on. He’s put a band together especially for this.

more as it happens…

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Four hundred odd quid to get Anne’s car through its MoT. It’s a Citroen C4 and actually quite a nifty little motor. Only prob is we can’t insure the kids on it so it will have to go before John turns 17. The Micra is becoming a beast to drive and I don’t think it is worth keeping it beyond the insurance year which is end of October or simlar.

The filling for the steak and ale pie is simmering away on gas mark 1. I’ll give it 6 hours or so today to get a very tasty and tender pie.

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Feeling very relaxed

Just had a black bomber cheese in a Waitrose flute baguette with some home made plum chutney washed down with a glass of cow juice. Interesting how families develop their own slang for things. I suspect it is mostly me rather than our family. It’s a bit like I chose the playful pet name gorgeosity for Anne. I never call her that but it is sometimes used where a leg pull is appropriate.

Radio 4 is on the wireless is on in the kitchen and I can hear some music emanating from somewhere else in the house. The garage perhaps. Joe is doing some soldering. He is mending a cable that I think may be required for this afternoon’s set at the West End Tap.

I don’t think I’m going to do any more jobs today. Sunday is the day for jobs. I’ve read my book a bit and now looking for some inspiration. I will have to stay out of sight a little as Anne may have other ideas on the jobs front.

Debating whether to wear one of my linen jackets for going to the West End Tap. It’s a lovely day.

Missed Eurostar!!

What a morning. Pleasant leisurely breakfast (bacon roll with HP) with Dave Cargill at the Hilton and then a taxi to the train station. I was doing my usually piece to camera in front of the departures board when a soldier with gun came up and asked to look at my picture. He thought I’d been videoing him. He went away happy and of course almost certainly appreciative of my vid:)

Eventually found the train – not easy because they only give you the final destination and not the interim ones. Had to ask at the information desk. Sat on the 09.54 on platform 2 I then realised that I should have caught a train an hour earlier. Doh. I was only going to have 14 minutes to make my Eurostar and check in closes 30 mins before departure. Fail. Had to call Eurostar and change my ticket at a price that was marginally less than buying a new one.

So now I’m sat in an empty departure lounge in Brussels with a two hour wait until my train. It’s too early to start on the beer so I have a bottle of water and a laptop.

On the plus side I’ve just been called by the Jury Service people and told that my services were no longer required as they had too many people lined up for the two weeks I was down for. Gave me the option of still turning up on the 3rd, deferring it to another time or being taken off the list completely. I opted for the latter. The letter I originally had said there was no way to escape but obviously this isn’t entirely the case. Result.

Now sat here feeling I should be buying something. A drink or something to eat. There isn’t anything there I want other than the bottle of water I bought when I got here. I had a good breakfast and will also have a meal on the train, albeit not really being up to much.

A mum and two kids have just sat down at the next table in the Coffee Club Caff. She is speaking a very dulcet French to them which sounds very nice. The kids are speaking both French and English in appropriate accents. Tres impressif.

The wifi in this caff is totally naff btw. I’ve used it to upload the two vids below as they will have been biggish files but am going to have to switch back to using my phone as a 4G hotspot.

The great thing about this Eurostar trip is that I will have connectivity all the way, having purchaysed a 500MB data bundle from EE for £3. great stuff.

Wearing my headphones again btw. There is a bloke behind my seat whose conversation is really annoying so it’s a way of shutting him out.

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Two out of three of us around this table with headphones on. The other guy is reading a novel. tend not to read novels myself. It’s called the fifth gospel. Doesn’t sound like my kind of thing. I’m ignoring him anyway. Listening to Life in the Fast Lane. The annoying bloke is still talking…