Saturday, May 26, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Murder Near the Cathedral
People of my generation are probably familiar with the story of Thomas Becket and his death in Canterbury Cathedral at the behest of King Henry II. The T. S. Eliot play Murder in the Cathedral was the basis for the film Becket, with Richard Burton as the martyred Archbishop who was to become a saint, and Peter O'Toole as the king.
There was nearly a murder close by today, when my Satnav directed me home via the town instead of the motorway. When I hit a huge tailback of traffic, and was forced to do a u-turn to try and find my way back on-track, I really felt like murdering that obnoxious little machine. It's true that, if there had been no traffic, I might have been quite pleased, especially when the top of the cathedral's central tower hove into sight over the rooftops. It's been a long time since I visited.
I was on my way back from a trip into the cool countryside away from the stifling heat of the city. This, of course, means a zoo trip! I went to Howletts.
This snow leopard could have fitted on the shelf, but chose to hang its head off one end, its tail off the other, and its belly off the middle:
I think this silverback gorilla was trying to tell us something:
The male Barbary lion has no mane - he's been neutered, as he and his mate have FIV, a highly contagious feline virus. But he really wanted to detach this meaty leg from the chain holding it to ther fence so he could eat it in private:
Anyone know how a clouded leopard sounds? I could hear this one in its private quarters, but I couldn't see it: The park is a perfect mixture of sunshine and shade. Add in the animals, and lots of nice people (though not too many...) and there cannot be a better way to spend a day.
There was nearly a murder close by today, when my Satnav directed me home via the town instead of the motorway. When I hit a huge tailback of traffic, and was forced to do a u-turn to try and find my way back on-track, I really felt like murdering that obnoxious little machine. It's true that, if there had been no traffic, I might have been quite pleased, especially when the top of the cathedral's central tower hove into sight over the rooftops. It's been a long time since I visited.
I was on my way back from a trip into the cool countryside away from the stifling heat of the city. This, of course, means a zoo trip! I went to Howletts.
This snow leopard could have fitted on the shelf, but chose to hang its head off one end, its tail off the other, and its belly off the middle:
I think this silverback gorilla was trying to tell us something:
The male Barbary lion has no mane - he's been neutered, as he and his mate have FIV, a highly contagious feline virus. But he really wanted to detach this meaty leg from the chain holding it to ther fence so he could eat it in private:
Anyone know how a clouded leopard sounds? I could hear this one in its private quarters, but I couldn't see it: The park is a perfect mixture of sunshine and shade. Add in the animals, and lots of nice people (though not too many...) and there cannot be a better way to spend a day.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Memento Mori
Thoughts of my own mortality creep closer every time an icon of my youth dies.
The latest is Robin Gibb, gone too soon to join his twin Maurice in that great communal grave in the ground. (Sorry, no heaven for me.)
In 1968, as a 15th birthday present, I was given a ticket to see The Bee Gees at the Royal Albert Hall. Back then, there were the twins, Barry and two other musicians who were not family members.
By the time they had their "second coming" with the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, I was no longer listening to pop music, though I can still appreciate it was good of its kind. But my teens were enhanced by their early music.
In 1967, Robin was a passenger on a train involved in what became known as the Hither Green Rail Crash. Forty-nine people died. Gibb was covered in oil but uninjured.
Scary for me and my friends - but not as much for Robin - a bunch of us were out and about that night and decided to follow the dozens of emergency vehicles to see what was going on. We were close to the site when the police diverted us, but had already realised the problem was on the railway line. Later, when I found out how serious it was, I felt a strong link to the tragedy, and this extended to my feelings about the star who was aboard. Thank goodness he survived and was able to continue to give to the world he inhabited, both with his talent, and with his time and largesse, campaigning for injured servicemen and women, and for a memorial to Bomber Command from WWII. Sadly, he will miss the opening of the memorial next month, but hs will be remembered along with those it honours.
