Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 23:04 on 13 October 2024
Bradford-on-Avon‘s War Memorial is an obelisk standing on a square base with urns at the base’s quarters. It occupies a small green space near the bridge over the Avon at the town’s centre:-
Great War dedication and names Adams-Curtis;-
Great War names, Dagger – White:-
Unveiling dedication:-
World War 2 dedication and names:-
Posted in Trips at 12:00 on 12 October 2024
The hotel we stayed at in Bradford-on-Avon was right beside the Kennet and Avon Canal:-
Canal lock at Bradford-on-Avon:-
In operation:-
This was once the lockkeeper’s house:-
We took a stroll along the canal and came upon a World War 2 pillbox:-
This small blue plaque on the pillbox states it was once part of a stop line which in case of invasion was intended to prevent German troops crossing the canal:-
Posted in 1960s, Events dear boy. Events, Friday On My Mind, Music at 12:00 on 11 October 2024
I saw in Tuesday’s Guardian that Zoot Money has died. He was one of the most celebrated performers of Rhythm and Blues in the early to mid 60s and a staple of the music press at the time.
His band had only the one real hit, though, Big Time Operator, which I featured here.
This is Zoot and his band playing what was in effect his signature tune
Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band: Barefootin’
George Bruno (Zoot) Money: 17/7 1942 – 8/10/2024. So it goes.
Posted in 1970s, Events dear boy. Events, Football, World Cup at 20:30 on 10 October 2024
Dutch football legend Johan Neeskens has died. He was part of that magnificent Dutch side of the 1970s which reached the World Cup final twice in a row but unfortunately did not manage to win the trophy.
Neeskens also had a secondary assist on the superb goal – aided by a sublime pass from Johan Cruyff – he scored against Brazil in the 1974 World Cup .
Johannes Jacobus Neeskens: 15/9/1951 – 6/10/202. So it goes.
Posted in Architecture, Bridges, Trips at 12:00 on 10 October 2024
Bridge over the River Avon at Bradford-on-Avon:-
The peculiarly shaped building to the left was once the town’s lockup, where prisoners were kept overnight (presumably till they sobered up.)
Bridge, reverse view:-
Reflections:-
Rivert Avon:-
Posted in Architecture, Trips at 12:00 on 9 October 2024
Bradford-on-Avon is a town in Wiltshire. It had been recommended to us by our daughter-in-law as being worth seeing so we booked three nights there. It has some fairly old buildings like the one on the left below:-
Just to the left of the above is The Bridge Tea Rooms:-
These are quaint inside:-
Another street view:-
The Catholic Church was once the Town Hall:-
The Swan Hotel:-
There is a particularly steep hill down into the town which is quite hilly overall as you can see from the houses in the background here:-
Posted in Reading Reviewed, Scottish Fiction at 12:00 on 8 October 2024
Canongate, 2024, 334 p, including 2 p Acknowledgements.
“The reception area had been designed with an eye to vomit and violence.” Thus begins this book, which if you hadn’t already known this was a crime novel would certainly have alerted you instantly.
Jim Brennan is the son of a minor criminal who managed to evade a life of petty crime and has worked himself up to the position of vice-Chancellor at the Universty. He has lived comfortably with his wife Maggie and children Eliot and Sarah till his existence is turned upside down by Eliot’s arrest for possessing drugs with the intention to deal. This drags him into the shady world he thought he had left behind as he finds himself having to dance to the tune of the gangsters to whom Eliot owes a large amount of money, all while navigating the problems of his work – a student who has committed suicide, the University’s possibly compromising connections with China, the Principal’s impending retiral, a Physics professor’s antipathy and the overseeing of granting of contracts for new buildings.
This odyssey into the darker side of life leads him into contact with Eddie Cranston, now a low-grade criminal lawyer with a sideline in helping youths to stay out of trouble, a property developer called Henders, an ex-student named Becca and – eventually – with one of his father’s old sparring partners.
In a conversation with Henders he contrasts the change in attitudes over his life by saying, “‘My dad was a low-grade hardman. An occasional enforcer with what we’d now call anger management issues. Back in the day folk just said he was mental.’”
There is, though, really only one incidence of violence in the book – which occurs offstage – and also a death in the climactic scene, but on the whole the novel doesn’t actually deliver on the threat of that opening line. Not that that’s a bad thing.
As a portrait of a man caught on the horns of a prickly dilemma it is entertaining enough with Welsh’s typical good writing and convincing characterisation.
Pedant’s corner:- “on the brew” (usually rendered as ‘on the broo’; from burroo, a west of Scotland corruption of bureau, itself short for Employment Bureau, the precursor of Job Centres,) “breath smelt of fruit pastels” (fruit pastilles,) “an urge to hoick and spit” (to hawk and spit,) “wedding band” (is a USianism, the British is always wedding ring, which was used five lines later, so maybe this was to avoid quick repetition,) Henders’ (several times; Henders’s,) “hung themselves in despair” (hanged themselves.) “He got to his feet, ending indicating the meeting was over” (either ‘He got to his feet, ending the meeting’, or, He got to his feet, indicating the meeting was over’,) “made it barely seemed to matter” (made it barely seem to matter,) “before he hung himself” (hanged himself,) “Rowan was on her knees in the kitchen, cleaning the oven, when Jim entered the kitchen” (doesn’t need two mentions of the kitchen.) “A barbers manned by …” (A barber’s,) “that another pair of eyes were observing him” (another pair … was observing him.) “A crowd of students were streaming down the hill” (a crowd … was streaming.) In the acknowledgements; “Writing a books is nice work if you can get it” (either ‘Writing a book’ or, ‘Writing books’.)
Posted in Trips at 12:00 on 7 October 2024
We had a short amount of time to look about Lichfield. It was the birthplace of Samuel Johnson whose statue is in a square in the centre of town:-
Nearby is a statue of James Boswell, Johnson’s travelling companion and biographer:-
Johnson’s birthplace is free to enter (though a donation is welcomed.) For a photo of the exterior see here. On its ground floor there is also a small bookshop. It’s a bit of a warren with several floors and lots to see. The room below is where he was born:-
Bench belonging to Johnson:-
Bureau originally belonging to Boswell:-
Pages of Johnson’s dictionary:-
Posted in Art Deco at 20:30 on 6 October 2024
Glasgow’s St Enoch Square 1955.
I don’t remember ever seeing the rotunda to the right side of this picture.
(Photo from Britannnia Daily’s facebook.)
Posted in Trips, War Memorials at 12:00 on 6 October 2024
Boer War Memorial Dedication:-
Name plaques:-
Memorial flags including the Chindits:-
World War 2 Roll of Honour, Staffordshire Regiment:-
Memorial, to Burmah Campaign, 1853:-
Sutlej Campaign, 1815/1816, Memorial:-
