It is hard work being a grandparent we just back from our garden visit to see our wonderful grandson. Delightful!!!!! So no time to blog properly. Will do a longer one tomorrow. Anyway Monday’s answers.
a) Tulip comes from the Persian word for turban b) The 1883 eruption of the volcano Krakatoa is the loudest sound ever recorded on Earth c) The de Havilland Mosquito was called the Wooden Wonder d) U2 is the name of the plane and the group e) Sticky Fingers was the Stones album.
Well a slow start hopefully to normality. We are really excited that at last we will be able to see our grandson Owen on Wednesday, videos, pictures and zoom calls have been helpful but we all want real life!
It has been a lovely day and it was great to have a ride without wearing a jacket! Enjoyed the flowers and blossom looking resplendent in the afternoon sun.
General Knowledge today!
a) The common name for which flower stems from the Persian word for “turban”? b) What is the loudest sound ever recorded on earth (not space)? c) Which famous WW11 aircraft was called the “Wooden Wonder” ? d) The name of which high altitude reconnaissance US aircraft from the 60’s is also an award winning music group? e) The artwork for which controversial Rolling Stones album cover was conceived by Andy Warhol?
Just been out to look for the Worm Moon (first Super Moon of the year) but sadly there is much cloud at the moment. Will try later. It is called a Worm Moon by Native Americans who related it to Spring when earthworm trails became visible!
Longer blog hopefully tomorrow and maybe a picture of the moon!
It was a badger footprint in yesterday’s blog picture. It did surprise me where it was by the river and a long way from any known sett. Occasionally we see Otter prints in the mud by the river. Spring signs everywhere seeing lots of birds carrying nesting material the Great Tit below has its beak obscured by the moss it was gathering. There is also a picture of a Sand Martin (hard to photograph so it is a dot) they are usually the earliest migrant to arrive. Will try and do a quiz on Monday.
Different sort of quiz today! A live question! I took this picture yesterday while doing our monthly bird survey out on the River Severn. It was on the mud close to the River. Answer tomorrow not difficult print to identify but it surprised me being in that place! I was hoping to see my first Sand Martins of the year I have been looking for the last few days and we saw 10 straight away. Ironically there were well over 200 on the lake close to our house today. I do enjoy doing our monthly survey it is beautiful out by the River. Really lucky to live where I do, especially in a pandemic! Often hearing Curlew, Redshank and occasionally Oystercatcher going over our house at this time of the year.
My quiz team won again last night, we are on a run of four successive victories. This weekend there is no football for me to get stressed over! The cricket promises to be interesting this weekend!
Apologies for the presentation yesterday from the PR blurb about my book. The proceeds from the book will go to the Alzheimer’s Society. So I will repeat this information nearer publication time. The book will retail at £7.99. I should hold copies and books I sell all the proceeds will go to the charity. If possible please avoid Amazon because there will actually be nothing we make on the book if sold through them. Independent Bookshops are the next best bet of ordering the book. More about this as publication, launch events etc. get closer.
Tuesday’s Shakespeare answers
a) Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona b) Anne Hathaway is Shakespeare’s wife c)Kiss me Kate was adapted from The Taming of the Shrew d) “All the Stage……..” comes from As You Like It e) Shakespeare is buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon not Westminster Abbey!
This is the publicity blurb for my soon to be published book from the Troubadour Publishers web site ! The official publication date is June 28th. I will keep mentioning it! Apologies for presentation difficult to cut and paste from the Troubadour Publishing web site. Quiz answers tomorrow!
PIG THE LEGEND
The answer is Abby Brown; a girl who questions her own sanity when she thinks she hears a pig warning her that Gloucester, where her grandparents live, is a dangerous place. Dangerous – Gloucester? You have got to be joking!
Despite the warnings, she is reluctantly compelled by unfortunate family circumstances to spend her summer holiday in this “dangerous” place. While in Gloucester, she stumbles across the mystery of some old coins, a ring and a carved wooden horse – but what significance do they have?
Stories from the past are intertwined with the difficulties of the present day with the action switching between Abby’s home, Gloucester and WW2 France. Abby sometimes finds herself in the Siege of Gloucester in the middle of the English Civil War. Soon convinced that she is the only one who can help both her Grandfather and a mature Gloucester Old Spot pig, she realises she must act. Time is running out and if she doesn’t move quickly, she might not be able to save their bacon!
I am currently reading Maggie O’Farrell’s tragic story Hamnet which plays with the footnote in Shakespeare’s history about his son 11 year old son Hamnet sad death. I am really impressed by O’Farrell’s writing and her compelling narrative. It got me thinking of Shakespeare and the extraordinary collection of his writing and how his work stills speaks to us today. It reminded me that to mark the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016, The Blunderbirds (Brian Dimmock and I) went on a cycling Shakespearean tour of Gloucestershire schools. It was a fairly anarchic performance, featuring songs and a story I wrote, as well as one performer wearing a dress (guess who!) I did write the story for the anniversary and I played around shamelessly with some of his characters and plays.
Guess what today’s quiz is on? SHAKESPEARE!!!!!!
a) Romeo and Juliet is set in which Italian city? b) What is the name of Shakespeare’s wife? (she has a different name in Hamnet!) c) “All the world’s a stage” is the phrase that begins a monologue in which play? d) Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate is an adaption of which play? e) Where is Shakespeare buried?
Well we haven’t had that much to say on Story Telling this year for obvious reasons. Hopeful that might change in the coming months. There are a couple of stories or at least reminiscences with the answers connected with yesterday’s painting quiz.
a) Michelangelo of course painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, I have to say I found the crowds off putting when we visited there a few years ago. b) Claude Monet painted Poppy Field in 1873 c) Impasto means thickly applied paint
d) Jack Russell is the former England cricketer who is well known for his painting. One of England’s most gifted wicketkeepers who can forget his wonderful legside stumping of Dean Jones off Gladstone Small in the 90/91 Ashes. Of course he is one of Gloucestershire’s finest and I once opened the batting with him! (some of you know this story) I was playing for the Archway School staff team and Jack was a 15 year old pupil when he walked out to bat with me. My advice to him was “Look for the quick singles Jack!” he promptly hit three successive fours! I don’t think he ever looked back from that moment!
e) Degas is famous for painting Ballet Dancers. Many years ago the cluster of schools that my school was a member of were doing a joint project on The National Gallery’s Take One Picture and it was Degas’ Beach Scene. I wrote a story based on the picture that was shared by all the Severn Edge Cluster of Schools. I had Degas struggling until he met a girl by the banks of the Seine and the rest was history!
Well today’s title refers to my football team who almost certainly achieved safety today with nine games to go! Brilliant achievement! COYH!!!!
It has been an action packed couple of days. Yesterday I made the mistake of going for a long cycle ride thinking the weather was going to be OK. So I went on my super duper carbon bike without mudguards, Big Mistake!!!! I got a real soaking and myself and the bike got absolutely filthy. Normally I enjoy the route I chose over the tops via Bisley for the views, grey unrelenting mizzle was all I got!
Have managed to fit in much today. Preparation for decorating a walk around the lake as well as watching the Mighty Hatters. Spring is definitely in the air, hawthorn out, buds and blossom on trees and we heard Chiffchaffs and the explosive burst of a Cetti’s Warbler. All good for the soul!
As I am decorating thought today’s quiz could be on Paintings!
a) Who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling? b) Which impressionist artist painted the Poppy Field? c) What is the meaning of the art term impasto? d) Which former England cricketer owned an art gallery in Chipping Sodbury and is a well known artist? e) French artist Edgar Degas is famous for painting which particular subject?