Wednesday 4 July 2012

Last night in the Banner Cross Hotel

... where I can't get a signal, I learned that Dmitri  died that morning. He would have been 50 on Thursday. He had throat cancer, and was in a "bad place" according to Janet.
He died peacefully in his sleep.

Dmitri was one of the Lounge Bar regulars and used to frequent the "Bird Table". He was Greek, and had been a jeweller. His wife, whose name I forget, is sweet and talks to David when they go outside for a smoke.

I was wrong about the Android Blogger app showing all its naked html tags to the world. It opens in edit mode; you have to hit the phone's menu button and select View Blog to see your blog as other see it. These things come without a book of words, you know.

Arising from the quiz:

The tower housing Big Ben is to be renamed Elizabeth Tower by Act of Parliament. Not Queen Elizabeth Tower. St Stephen was invited to comment, but was too stoned to reply.


Sunday 1 July 2012

My kind of exercise

O My Gee! People are reading this! 1,215 up to just, according to the blog counter thingy. So, just for you, whoever you are, here's an email somebody nice sent me.


EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50


Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.
With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.
Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute.
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.


Oh, and Rabbits.
And sorry this looks crap on your Android. I shall fix. Later.
Later. Fixed.

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Now I can blog from my new phone...

I may start blogging again soon, and will explain why I haven't for so long.

Monday 5 September 2011

Ripon Weekend - Day 3, Sunday

...although I'm posting this in Bridlington on Monday!

I managed to struggle out of bed and get down showered and dressed in time for breakfast at 7.30. Kevin looking remarkably healthy after last night. A good buffet breakfast, with a special mention for the sausages. Walked to Cathedral, rehearsed in Song School and in the curved modern choir stalls in the nave. Also practiced processional and recessional hymns. I'd forgotten how difficult it is to walk and sing at the same time, or perhaps it was easier last time I did it!

A full congregation, Holy Communion, bells but no smells, and a witty and interesting sermon from the Dean. The Byrd went well, especially the Agnus Dei followed by the Durufle during Communion.

Afterwards we were invited up to the Library for a glass of wine and nibbles and to admire the Treasures. Lots of wonderful silver Flagons, Chalices and Plates of all periods: medieval, Restoration, Georgian, and over-the-top Victorian from parishes in the Leeds and Ripon Diocese, as well as the Ripon Jewel, and a 2000BC gold ring.

Rang Mum after the service. She sounded well.

Lunch in Flo's Italian restaurant near the Cathedral. Pasta with chicken and chorizo, a glass of beer (Leffe Blonde - mistake!) and a glass of red. I think most of the choir were there, except the ones who were staying out of town.

Moved the car to Sainsbury's car park, which I was told was free. It wasn't, so I had to pay £1 for 2 hour's parking. Took the refund section of the ticket into the store and chose 2 bottles of Cape Red and a packet of plasters. The checkout girl said "We don't do those" so I left the shopping.

Another rehearsal at 4, then 5.30 Evensong in the Chancel. Smith Preces and Responses again, Stainer Mag and Nunc in Bb, and Balfour Gardner's Evening Hymn, to which the Dean referred in his sermon, quoting the lines "Banish the dreams that terrify,/And night's fantastic company".

Team photo with George (when he'd finished regaling us with Saint-Saens and come down from the organ loft), then the drive to Brid, listening to the Prom, which turned out to be Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, which I guessed towards the end. Several places on the way had poor R3 reception, but I heard most of it.

Patchy fog meant the return journey took a bit longer and it was dark when I got to Gill's at 10 to 9.

Welcomed by David and Gill with hugs and a glass of wine, and by Rebel with much leaping and fawning.

Drinks in the Bull and Sun, taxi back. Phil and Mark joined us for supper, more chicken, with roast potatoes and beans from the allotment. David and I went straight to bed and slept soundly. The others apparently stayed up till about 3, but we didn't notice.

For the record, this is the music performed by The Sheffield Chorale at Ripon Cathedral on 3rd and 4th September 2011:
Saturday 3rd - Choral Evensong:  Psalm 18 (Turle); Magnificat (Wolstenholme); Nunc Dimittis (Stainer); Preces and Responses (William Smith, 1603-1645); O Thou the Central Orb (Charles Wood)
Sunday 4th - Choral Eucharist: Hymns: 449 (Soldiers of Christ, arise); 66 (Forgive our sins as we forgive); 495 (God is working His purpose out); 500 (Thy kingdom come! On bended knee); Psalm 119 vv33-40; Mass for 4 voices (Wm Byrd) (Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei); Ubi Caritas (Durufle)
             - Choral Evensong: Hymns: 18 (Ye servants of the Lord); 376 (I heard the voice of Jesus say); Psalm 108; Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in Bb (Stanford); Preces and Responses (William Smith); Evening Hymn (H Balfour Gardiner).

Saturday 3 September 2011

Ripon Weekend - Day 2, Saturday

Up betimes for drive to Ripon. After getting David ready, had tea, bread and Marmite, and set off at about 10 past 8. Phil wasn't back when I left, so he and Angela are obviously getting on well!

It's a beautiful drive from Bridlington to Ripon, through Sledmere, Fridaythorpe, then the sudden view of the Plain of York from the top of Garrowby Hill, and down into Stamford Bridge. After the dry run a few weeks ago I'd persuaded Kathleen, the Irish lady in my Tom-Tom who takes me home again, to avoid the A1M, so went parallel to the motorway for a bit before crossing the main road and entering the City of Ripon.

Arrived at Ripon Spa Hotel
at 9.50 to be told my room not ready until 2, and they'd stopped serving breakfast. Mike and wife Rose already here - they arrived last night. We must be in place at 2.45 for the rehearsal at 3, so the schedule is a bit tight.

Ripon Weekend - Day 1, Friday

(I'm actually writing this on Saturday.)

Uneventful journey to Bridlington. Disappointing meal at the Robin Hood, Middleton-on-the-Wolds. Got there at 1/4 to 2 to be greeted with "..but we've got no pie left." Not very nice lasagne instead. David couldn't finish his: I wish I hadn't started mine. Beer was good though. Jennings' Bitter.

Met Angela, who is prettier than I'd imagined her. Night in with chicken cooked by Gill, and wine.


Thursday 25 August 2011

How to make links without increasing the google rating of somebody you don't want to give more credibility to.

Copied here from Making Light, because I didn't know where else to put it.


"Here's the zero-Googlejuice trick. Pretend the pointy brackets are carets.
Standard link: {a href="URL"}link text{/a}
Link with rollover text: {a href="URL" title="title text"}link text{/a}
Zero-Googlejuice link: {a href="URL" rel="nofollow"}link text{/a}
Zero-Googlejuice link with rollover text: {a href="URL" title="title text" rel="nofollow"}link text{/a}
We have our comment thread set up in such a way that any link posted within a comment automatically has rel="nofollow" inserted. It discourages spammers."