Trolley 734

Actually two trolleys, both from the council car park opposite the entrance to Epsom station, captured yesterday (Saturday) afternoon in the course of my second circuit.

The second came with various, still half-full tins and bottles. Easy enough to empty and dispose of, not an activity which needed rubber gloves or anything like that.

The trolleys had been preceded by a pair of fluffy slippers in Station Approach, perhaps the sort of thing that a young female might wear while clubbing? Just one of them snapped above.

And a pair of rather cheap looking handcuffs. Perhaps the whole lot came from the same well-oiled party on Friday night?

Wheeled the trolleys across to M&S where I found a lady taking some trouble to get her Zimmer frame into a trolley, followed by a bag of shopping, after which she proceeded to push the whole ensemble around the fairly busy aisles. I wondered how many people she was going to poke with the legs of her frame. Maybe she should have placed it fully upside down, rather than on its side?

Onto to the market, to find that the grand red and white lorry (of reference 2) which used to house the barking butcher has been downgraded to a van. Both from Perrys Meats. According to carcheck, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI. Failed just one of six MOTs. Bodywork looks quite smart for a ten year old vehicle. Not so sure about the stuff inside.

According to Bing, plenty of Epsom Perry on Facebook. Not so sure about the Perry of reference 3, a veteran of Ginger Pig, a butcher I use from time to time. Unconfirmed sighting.

Carried on round the Screwfix passage, checking a suspect tree on the way, the tree with the fine fungus below, previously snapped at reference 4. I think the owner of the tree - whom I had passed on my first circuit - is starting to worry about the state of the trunk - despite the apparent health of the tree above. What is happening down there that there should be such a fine fungus? Is the tree going to fall down? Or perhaps he wants it down for some other reason. And then how would one of the many professional tree surgeons knocking around our part of Surrey investigate the matter, without taking the fence to pieces? Bore holes?

Is the fungus anything to do with the green litter bin still at the foot of the trunk back in October 2022 - this last according to Street View. Scar of bin and some root heave clearly visible under zoom.

PS: somewhere along the line, perhaps from the TV drama 'Joan', I have got the idea that 'brendas' is slang for handcuffs. Denied by Bing and Google. Denied by Gemini on the prompt 'Is there a word like 'brendas' which is slang for handcuffs'. So perhaps I misheard. But pushing Gemini a bit further, I get the reply snapped above. I was amused by its last suggestion. Clever stuff though.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/trolley-733.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/04/trolley-562.html.

Reference 3: https://oldspitalfieldsmarket.com/food-and-drink/perrys.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/screwfix-passage.html.

Group search key: trolleysk.

Trolley 733

A Sainsbury's trolley in Station Approach this morning. Which meant walking a little further than I had in mind, but I captured it anyway. Having got through the new-to-me branding stuck to the handle and the advertising panel in the basket, the back of which is visible right.

Did my business with Ben the Butcher in Upper High Street and then made my way to Kiln Lane. Where Sainsbury's are part way through a major refurbishment, part of which is a move to glass fronted cupboards from open display. Part, I think, of their trying to do something about the epidemic of thieving - an epidemic which must be putting a few percent onto the prices that the rest of us have to pay. But what with their moving all their goods around the shop and putting the squeeze on checkout ladies, lots of customer ladies of BH's generation - including BH herself - are not best pleased.

Part of the deal looks to be repairing the boundary fences.

And part of the process is a large tent in the car park, presumably for the temporary storage of stuff while things are moved around inside. The sort of tent which I remember appearing in the course of previous refurbishments. I was impressed this time by both the size and the neatness of the concrete anchors - not really practical for camping from a regular saloon car. Guy ropes and tent pegs it will have to be.

But like the regular refurbishments of public houses, all to be paid for by the customers, some of whom don't give a toss about the décor. And we are unlikely to stop using Sainsbury's even if the décor is a bit tired: it is the most convenient supermarket for us by a fair stretch. Plenty of slack there. That said, I do like the décor and general appearance of the newer Tesco's stores and it does make our Sainsbury's look a bit tired! The Tesco store at Ryde on the Isle of Wight comes to mind.

Some autumn life in a line of green alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens), complete with a few flowers. For spring life, see reference 2 - in which connection I might say that I still try to call the stuff blue alkanet. Don't seem to be able to erase that one from the brain. For botanical stuff, see reference 3.

And so back home, via Middle Lane and the Screwfix passage.

[The Cahills’ home was damaged last month in the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. 'It was amazing to see everyone pull together' Mr. Cahill said. 'We really feel bonded to this community now'. Credit...Louis Cahill]

PS: where, later on, I was interested to read the piece at reference 4 about lots of redundant churches coming onto the market in the US. According to Brown: '... Since about 2000, the number of Americans who belong to a church, synagogue or mosque has plummeted from around 70 percent to around 47 percent in 2021...'.. Which adds up to a lot of redundant churches. For which there are takers, but, as here, it is tricky and expensive. Not for the fainted hearted. But at least the Bible Belt looks to be getting thinner.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/trolley-732.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/04/trolley-667.html.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentaglottis.

Reference 4: For Sale: Hundreds of Abandoned Churches. Great Prices. Need Work: As church congregations across the United States wither and disappear, the buildings they leave behind are becoming private homes - T.M. Brown, New York Times - 2024.

Group search key: trolleysk.

A new cut

That is to say a chance purchase from the Waitrose meat counter, where they seem to be making a point of having a small number of interesting cuts of beef.

With this one being 850g of something called beef featherblade from Aberdeen - or at least from a cow named for Aberdeen. The lady behind the counter explained to me that long cooking was the idea.

In the event, I sliced into strips about a quarter of an inch thick, and started it with some melted butter around 11:05. Slightly worried about the layer of gristle which I had not cut out. Added some finely chopped onion and maybe 3/4 of a pint of water at 11:35. Added a little celery before the meat was declared cooked at 12:30, at which point I strained the meat and put the latter aside to stand.

Made the liquor into gravy and gently cooked some mushrooms in the gravy before adding the gravy back to the meat.

Greens, with stems chopped in the now usual way, 5 minutes. Rice, 25 minutes.

Ready to roll.

On the plate. Very good it was too, and with what had appeared to be gristle cooked down to something quite tasty.

Stewed plums for dessert. After all of which I slept for an hour or two.

Enough left for a retread for one the following day. I think BH took a dive in the freezer.

An excellent discovery.

In the margins, I also discovered the the Internet is quite fulsome about this featherblade. Odd that I had not heard of it before - so all credit to Waitrose. For the Internet, see, for example, reference 1.

And at about the same time, a trip to town for plums from Waitrose, apples and oranges from a new to me stall in the market. Large satsumas, on the watery side. Very large apples from Poland. Rather good. I don't recall ever having Polish apples before.

'Flavour fall' plums from Spain. Rather curious texture and taste for a plum, not really on a par with a proper English plum, but not bad. Investigating this afternoon, it seems that they are a cross between a plum and an apricot, for which see references 2 and 3.

And then down the passage behind the Ebbisham Centre, where I passed but failed to capture a Waitrose trolley.

And then the other end of the mural first noticed at reference 4. Probably the reason why I went down the passage in the first place. To find that it was a rather more elaborate and rather better effort than I had thought from the bird end. I suspect that we have a series of eminent Epsom ladies, with the one at the left being the rich eccentric Lady Sybil Grant, to be found at reference 5. Also keen on dogs. Next along, Kathleen Riddick, an Epsom musician, leading light in the Surrey Philharmonic Orchestra (probably better known and regarded then than now) and winding up in Ashtead rather than Epsom. Next district.

Slightly odd to have such a grand theme for a mural in such an obscure - and often tatty - passage. Notwithstanding, I think I would rather have it there than full frontal in the market place.

References

Reference 1: https://www.salterandking.co.uk/products/featherblade-steak?variant=30145558541.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluot.

Reference 3: https://www.frankpmatthews.com/advice/plumcot-pluots-and-aprium-hybrid-fruit-a-comprehensive-guide/.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/08/around-epsom.html.

Reference 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Sybil_Grant.

Suburban greenery

Following a recent inoculation of some sort at Horton Retail - an efficient bit of inoculation it was too - I thought that I would return through Long Grove Park, a route which I had not taken for a bit. With a search this evening suggesting around eighteen months. And with reference 1 suggesting clockwise passage then, while this passage was anti-clockwise. Always something of a surprise how different the same things look from the other direction. 

I was very struck by how green and spacious it all looked. A good part of the green around the old mental hospital had survived for the new inhabitants to enjoy, even if there were not very many of them out on this occasion - the middle of a Saturday morning. 

Being picky, carved out of the grounds of what was the Manor Hospital, rather than Long Grove Hospital, which was on the other side of Horton Lane. Perhaps that is why it was once called South Field Park - or perhaps Southfield Park - in the way of the new school in the corner, for which see reference 8. Another school with space in its marketing budget for a fancy website. Undreamed of at the Girton Glebe of my younger days.

Leaves just starting to turn.

A young fir tree of some sort, coming along nicely. Presumably planted at the time that the new houses went up. Google Images is quite keen - although not unanimous - on the Deodar Cedar of reference 2. An identification which I would, so far, go so far as to say plausible - and fitting given the horticultural pretensions of the directors of these old hospitals. I need to take another look.

While this one is Wellingtonia No.12, first noticed more than four years ago, back at reference 3, and doing well enough now.

A couple of the seriously old pollard oaks, most of which are to be found on the Common proper. Now into the grounds of what was the Manor Hospital.

And just to prove there is still some individuality left in suburbia. A resting camper van in a quiet cul-de-sac. From carcheck at reference 4 we get 'Make=IVECO-FORD, Model=DAILY 59E12, Colour=Grey, Year of manufacture=1997'. So not as old as one might have thought and Bing confirms that this is are a real make and model combination, a little to my surprise. Nevertheless, the MOT has expired and of the 7 tests that were taken, 4 were fails.

A clump of dwarf cyclamen growing on or around the stump of a large tree, in front of a house on Christchurch Road. Google Images gives a majority vote for Cyclamen hederifolium of reference 6, which looks fair enough. On the other hand, there appear to be lots of varieties of cyclamen about these days, so I can't be too sure without doing a bit more work. But not now.

While on the Wellingtonia above, Images gives a near unanimous vote for the giant redwood, aka Wellingtonia, with images of handsome specimens of same scattered all over the country and beyond. Not confused by the monkey puzzle right. Just as well to check from time to time what it does when I know the answer already.

Back home, a good autumn showing for the jelly lichen. Green rather than the near black I sometimes get.

And an autumn showing from one of the two anniversary roses, this one bought from the shop at Wisley. The telephone doing a rather better job here than it did on the dahlias of Middle Lane, previously noticed.

And lastly, the bricks. Tidied up into a single line, pending their being put away properly, should the brick stoppage reported at reference 7 prove permanent. Starting to show their age after two or three years of use. And few of them were actually new in the first place.

PS 1: Microsoft is still sending me advertisements from the Sun Hotel in the City, presumably triggered by browsing activity at the time, nearly a month ago now, of the post at reference 5. Advertisements built on imagery of hotel registration which do not look as if they actually come from the hotel in question. Generic. Lazy.

PS 2: I commented recently on the UK's poor record with outsourcing big projects. I see from reference 8 that we are not much better at large procurements, with two out of the three bidders dropping out of the procurement for a new fleet of helicopters for the RAF without having made a formal bid, a formal response to the invitation to bid. A dropping out after what one supposes to be a serious spend. A procurement which might get the chop anyway.

[Hafod cheddar produced in Llangybi, near Lampeter, was among the stolen cheese]

PS 3: A correspondent has alerted me to reference 11, reporting the theft by fraud of 22 tonnes of high-value cheddar from Neal's Yard Dairy, I assume from their cheesehouse under the arches at Bermondsey, a place noticed five years ago at reference 12. First thought was that a theft of this sort could take them down if they were not covered by their insurance. Second thought was what on earth with the thieves do with the stuff. What kind of an operator would buy stolen cheese in bulk? Very wasteful just to boil it down to pig food or something. Perhaps it has got to Romania, or perhaps even feeding the troops in the Ukraine, this last being a fairly corrupt (if put upon) place. Third thought, reading the BBC piece again, £300,000 does not sound as bad as 22 tonnes. A valuation at about half the retail price. Neal's Yard is a fairly big operation and I dare say their bankers would be good for the loan of a sum of this sort.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/03/made-it.html.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedrus_deodara.

Reference 3: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/07/wellingtonia-12.html.

Reference 4: https://www.carcheck.co.uk/.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-bent-crane.html.

Reference 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamen_hederifolium.

Reference 7: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/bricks-off.html.

Reference 8: https://www.southfield-park.surrey.sch.uk/.

Reference 9: UK’s defence helicopter competition in disarray after two bidders withdraw: Airbus and Lockheed Martin pull out leaving just Leonardo UK in the contest to replace ageing Puma - Sylvia Pfeifer, Financial Time - 2024.

Reference 10: https://uk.leonardo.com/en/home. An Italian outfit. Whatever happened to Westland and their friends?

Reference 11: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cje03dq2pyyo.

Reference 12: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/08/east-pole.html.

Trolley 732

Two trolleys from the M&S food hall, captured in the car park run by the council underneath the main block of flats built across the road from the railway station. Returned to the food hall in good order, where there was still a good supply of the smaller trolleys on the stack.

Out into the market to view this car from Wilson's, our big local dealer. A new model, all electric MG. Google Images in no doubt that it is the shiny new MG Cyberster. Not at all like the much smaller MGs which were the one of the popular sports cars of my younger days, along with one of the TR series, possibly TR3 or TR4 by then. The days when regular saloon cars would struggle to crank up to 80 mph and when acceleration was important when overtaking on two or three lane roads - which was what many of the trunk roads in those days were.

I thought that the young man from Wilson's who was minding the car was quite knowledgeable about it, he had done his homework, read the fliers. Although he was a bit coy about the top speed, talking vaguely about more than 150mph on a straight. Keen on the car having two engines, one for the back wheels and one for the front. Equipped with its own web site at reference 2. Now owned by the SAIC corporation of Shanghai, more or less a heritage operation by Chinese standards. But big. How long before I see one on the road?

Home via the chemist - Pearl were busy doing vaccinations this morning, but there was a separate queue for chemicals - and then the Screwfix passage. Where I remembered that the other day I had bumped into an Ordnance Survey surveyor doing some odd job for the Land Registry, I guess something about the land around the town end of the passage, the bottom of Stones Road. He explained that the Land Registry used to have its own surveying department but that they had all been transferred to the Ordnance Survey, who now do their work as a subcontractor. Perhaps this suited the Survey, with its own surveying needs well down with the coming of satellite imaging and the associated IT.

Requirement for surveyors' chains well down too. The sort of thing snapped above and to be found at reference 6. One of its conveniences, for example, is that ten square chains is an acre.

Home to a spot of grilled cod, as advertised at reference 5. Actually our second attempt. About seven minutes on each side, skin side first, brushed with melted butter. Not bad, but next time I will use fish bought fresh on the day: this was bought a week or so ago from the market man from Lowestoft, then frozen. It lacked the firm texture that I think I could have got with fresher fish. And maybe avoid the tail end.

Getting quite partial to grilled tomatoes again, topped with a little black pepper and rape seed oil. Something we used to have regularly years ago, but stopped for some reason.

Then a snooze, then onto the Toby Carvery at Ewell East for a celebration, one of a number going on there, early that evening. Reference 7 gives the idea. With the operation concentrated around London, Birmingham and Liverpool/Manchester. A few clusters elsewhere, but nothing north of Edinburgh and nothing in Northern Wales or Northern Ireland, let alone the other Ireland.

The Toby Carvery brand is one of the larger members of the Mitchells & Butlers group, which itself got into trouble in 2020 or so and is now 57% owned by a small consortium called Ozyzean, registered in the Virgin Islands.

Google turned up the snippet snapped above from LexisNexis. Big business never seems to be simple. Was it always thus?

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/trolleys-729-730-and-731.html.

Reference 2: https://www.mgcyberster.co.uk/.

Reference 3: https://www.saicmotor.com/english/index.shtml.

Reference 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIC_Motor.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/10/cross-dressing.html.

Reference 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunter%27s_chain.

Reference 7: https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/south-east/ewellepsom#/.

Group search key: trolleysk.

Special needs statistics

This being notice of another foray into government statistics, prompted by the piece about children and young adults with special educational needs at reference 1. Three things stand out. First, that the system needs more money thrown at it. Second, far too much of what money there is is being spent on very expensive private provision. Third, how do we account for the massive growth in the last decade. One supposes that the special needs themselves are more or less static, so it is not the growth there. 

However, my present concern is with the presentation of the statistics - for which the form seems to be that you go to reference 2 and cook up your own. 

The first statistical point about the first of the graphics above is that it does not give an 'other' line, which I compute to amount to around a third of the total. So there is quite a lot missing. The second is that it only covers those with an education, health and care plan (EHC), perhaps a quarter of those with special needs. In part, those with the greater need, in part those with parents with the time and energy needed to fight with local authorities about provision. With special needs generally accounting for well over 10% of the 9m pupils in England.

The snap above gives a breakdown of all those with special needs - in which autism does not figure as largely as it does in that above. What we do not get is any idea of how many of these pupils are illiterate, which while perhaps not a diagnosis, is a major handicap in today's workplace, likely to lead to poor employment outcomes, delinquency and crime.

I assume that 'missing' is the combination of those without special needs with those for whom there is no code for specific need. Which may account for my failure to reconcile the totals here with those given by the Financial Times.

And this is about as far as I got. But I still remain to be convinced about this DIY approach to statistics. Yes it is all there, but it is really only all there for the professional. For the professional who knows his way around the system and knows what questions to ask. I rather miss the fat and stodgy statistical publications which did rather more of the work for you, even if the tabulation you really, really wanted was always missing.

I see an analogy between the digested news you get from the likes of the Financial Times and the raw news, the rubbish you get from less reputable outlets and on social media.

But perhaps this comes down to money too. Producing decent statistical digests is an expensive business which is unlikely to be able to recoup its costs from the paying public. So offering DIY instead attracts a government which is trying hard to cut costs.

References

Reference 1: Special needs support in England is financially ‘unsustainable’, report finds: Urgent reform is needed after demand for extra educational support doubles in a decade, warns watchdog - Peter Foster, Anna Gross, Financial Time - 2024.

Reference 2: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/special-educational-needs-in-england.

Cross dressing

That is to say a performance of the Schwanengesang (D957) by Anne Sofie von Otter and Kristian Bezuidenhout at the Wigmore Hall. The first time I had heard it sung by a mezzo and the first time I had heard either of the performers. But we have heard a soprano sing Schubert at least once, and liked it well enough. See reference 1.

The first time also that the cycle had been broken in two places, here by two short piano pieces, D915 and D178. We were told to keep our applause for the breaks, which was good: I don't care for lots of clapping as one goes along. I wondered whether there was something about the mezzo voice which meant that it needed to be rested in this way. Later on, I wondered how being the child of a Swedish diplomat posted to Berlin during the second world war would shape her character. A rather awkward posting, as things turned out.

A bright cool day which saw the first outing for Stockholm 2, that is to say the folding seat first noticed at reference 2, with the idea being that it was a half way house. It did not provide the full-on support of the rollator, but it did provide a seat should need arise and it could, at a pinch, be used as a walking stick. Plus, it did not get in the way nearly as much as the rollator; it was a lot less bother on public transport.

Journey to London only enlivened by the sight of a northbound goods trains involving tankers at Wimbledon. Then it was very hot again when I got off the tube at Oxford Circus. Passed on Olle & Steen on this occasion, settling instead for a rather cramped coffee bar more or less opposite All Bar One. I took a coffee and croissant - both good - with the catch that the builders next door set off a very noisy burglar alarm which drive me out onto a seat (not the Stockholm) outside. Where I had the consolation of a very smartly turned out lady sporting shoes with high heels which were see through. Rather effective at 5 metres.

A little time to spare, so I was able to exercise my Stockholm in Cavendish Square, host to its usual interesting mix of people. The advantage of having my own chair was that I could sit in the sun, which would not have been possible otherwise. The seat worked well enough, but it did not provide as much support as the rollator and one was not as relaxed. It would have been better had there been a suitable post or tree to lean against - as there would be, for example, on most railway platforms.

On the way to the hall, this drain cover caught my eye, partly because of the cracks - presumably someone had driven something too heavy over it - but more because of its having been named for Brecknock Road. But more of that below.

On into the hall, which was full for the occasion. But I was lucky to have a couple of no-shows in front of me, so seat K2, in the left hand wall block of seats, worked better than it might have otherwise.

Von Otter turned out in a fancy blue blouse, which looked like an expensive item to me, and a long dark skirt. A smart turn-out from someone who cared about such things. The young page turner, by way of contrast, was much more self-effacing, as was proper, except for a sparkle about her nose. Was she wearing a piece of nasal jewellery or was a dab of makeup catching the light? The music for the pianist appeared to be been especially assembled and bound for the occasion, and to include some pages which folded out. I would have been interested to see exactly what had been done, but it did not occur to me to attempt to go back-stage to scratch that one!

I did not attempt to follow the words, but I did like the demonstrative style, even if I did not recognise the closing song - Die Taubenpost - a song which I thought I knew well and have sometimes thought a bit creepy in content. Someone taking an unhealthily intrusive interest in the other life of his beloved.

By way of encore, we had a short piece, spoken to music. It sounded funny but I have no idea what it was or what it was about.

Out to a fine lunch - with lager rather than my usual wine - at 2Veneti of reference 4 - a place we use from time to time. Bread and olives, with both bread and olives being better than I had remembered. A fine piece of grilled cod. Hazelnut ice cream - ice cream for the second time in as many weeks - not having had it in a restaurant for years.

I must work out how to cook cod in this way. Grilling fish not being something that I have done since we used to take mackerel on a reasonably regular basis.

Out to inspect all the fine new temporary traffic lights festooned around Wigmore Street - being dug up yet again. They seem to like road works in Wigmore Street and Cavendish Square, with the south western corner of this last having served as a builder's yard for what seems like years and years.

And so onto Oxford Circus, the tube and home. I did stop over at Raynes Park but did not think to inspect the books that may have been there.

Drain cover

Back home I wondered about Brecknock Road. First, where was the drain cover made? I suppose now that the plumber of Brecknock Road who sold it to the council had ordered it from up north somewhere, rather than making the things himself, rather as you might order up branded clothing now.

Second, why did the name of this road in north London seem so familiar? A road which runs south from Tufnell Park tube station, quite near the Ward Road which was, coincidentally but at different times, home to a couple of members of the family. A coincidence which did not seem to account for the familiarity.

I remembered the 'Boston Arms', then a sleepy, old style boozer, used occasionally, but not the 'Aces and Eights', presumably rebadged since my day.

Not on my cycle run from Holborn to Wood Green, which ran up Camden Road/Seven Sisters Road a little to the east. But it was on BH's 134 bus route from Kentish Town to Hamden Road bus garage, very near the Pembroke Road a little to the north of Muswell Hill where we lived upstairs for a bit, back in the 1970s. Accommodation which was notable for its having a bath in a cupboard in the kitchen, a bath which we shared with another lodger. And a landlady from Ireland who had never seen a kipper before she caught BH cooking some.

Then there was Colney Hatch Lane, the Colney Hatch once being the familiar name of a famous mental hospital, also near my first allotment, at the junction of said lane and the North Circular Road, important in the days before the invention of the M25.

So a fine old trawl through our days in north London, but not a sufficient account of the familiarity of Brecknock Road.

Swansong

Then yesterday evening, I thought to listen to the the songs of the Schwanengesang again, using what I imagine was a famous recording by Fischer-Dieskau and Moore from Deutsche Grammophon. In which, the last song sounded much more familiar - and much better. Furthermore, at home, unlike in the concert hall, I chose to follow the words, supplied as a parallel text.

On the other hand, I was rather put out by what seemed like the terrible recording. Was my not-very-old hifi giving out on me or had I forgotten what vinyl sounded like? Not something I had used for months, my use of it having fallen right off since we started going to live concerts on a regular basis.

I then tried some Schubert piano sonatas, an old recording on a relatively new CD, and that sounded rather better.

The words were clearly the words of a man, and I associate to the remarks of a one-time correspondent about all the modern cross dressing in Shakespeare; remarks to the effect that the poetry in question was intended for a male voice and would not work with a female voice. Different shaped throats and so on and so forth. Quite apart from the sexes being quite different in other ways that mattered in this context. No doubt he would have had some suitable wriggle to cover the original use of boys to play the female parts. While I wondered yesterday about who played the older females - with the canon including several parts for same.

All very odd.

General Gordon

In the margins, I read of the looting, sacking and burning of the Summer Palace complex in 1860, near what used to be anglicised to Peking, by the Anglo French force involving Chinese Gordon, in the book first noticed at reference 5.

Having now taken a look at reference 6, it seems that this account is, to say the least of it, a rather simplified version of what happened. Nevertheless, it would not be surprising if the Chinese retained some anger towards the French and British about it. Now restored as a World Heritage Site, attracting around 10 million visitors a year. Compared with our Polesden Lacey which has now slipped out of our top ten with just 384,000 visitors in 2023-2024. With my never having heard of maybe half the places in the snap above. Up north?

It also seems that my gloss of the Second Opium War at reference 5 was a bit sloppy. Just as well that I waited to checking thing on an atlas before getting any deeper into this book, primarily about Chinese Gordon himself.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/12/trouser-roles.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/08/stockholm-2.html.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sofie_von_Otter.

Reference 4: https://www.2veneti.com/.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/09/raynes-park.html.

Reference 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Palace.