Winterwonder£and in Hyde Park

Pound-land

Several days this week I have cycled past the tall dark green hoardings that fence off a large expanse of Hyde Park. Behind these walls is Winter Wonderland

Their Website declares ‘With over 100 spectacular rides and  attractions, Christmas Markets, a wealth of themed bars, cafes, restaurants and street food, plus free live music, we'll keep you festive from 10am to 10pm!

Closer investigation reveals that the Bar Ice has a £15 entrance fee. A complimentary drink will be included in the price of entry. Oh hush my acerbic spirit. It’s Christmas.

Olives of Puglia

Right outside the office in Milan, every Wednesday morning, there is a street market. 

Via G Borsi Milano

The stalls were just packing up as we ventured out at lunchtime to take a look. 

Tour guide Luca, our local colleague, escorted us up and down the thoroughfare explaining what was what.

He introduced me to some excellent salami and fabulous hard cheese for the pasta.  The best advice was on olives from Puglia. 

Luca told of frying olives as a antipasti:
Set your frying  pan over a flame, add the olives then add a healthy glug of pugliese olive oil and a couple of smashed cloves of garlic, then a couple of peperoncini those little hot red chili peppers and at this time of year something sweet like Cointreau.  

Eccellente! Grazie Luca!

“Like the shock of fondling a raw sausage . . .

“Like the shock of fondling a raw sausage, blindfold, at a gay party...”

―Vivian Stanshall

Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (1978)

Read more at http://izquotes.com/quote/269027

I mis-spelt sea area ‘Wight’ in my last blog post. An shocking blunder, however its impact provides the opportunity to cite Viv Stanshall’s breath-taking line from Rawlinson End.

Embarrassment and shame is heightened by my having sailed in this lovely sea are on numerous occasions!

. .”Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Bourne End

 . .”Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Bourne End. Wind W or SW 7 to severe gale 9 increasing storm force 10 in Humber”. .

Listening to the weather forecast is rather like supporting your favourite team

In my case it is Thames. And when you hear the forecast you are thinking about what it will be like one hundred miles inland.

. .”Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Bourne End, Wooburn Park. Wind W or SW 7 to severe gale 9 increasing storm force 10 in Humber”. . Winds across the landscape  And I was lucky to  have pen paper to hand.

”Humber, Thames, Dover, White, Bourne End, Wooburn Park. 

A lovely library near Slough

The Kedermister Library, a super place to read books in latin

Well, after a pleasant exchange of emails with the Vicar of St Mary’s Langley I was in!

Rather, I had set up an appointment to see the Kedermister Library. The visit took place last Friday under the  unctuous  supervision of Reverend Robin Grayson

The Kedermister Library is a rare surviving example of an early 17th-century parish library. In a room, richly decorated this collection of lovely books is preserved in situ in the decorated wooden cupboards originally designed for it in 1620. 

Founded around 1613 by Sir John Kedermister (d. 1631) it was established to provide for the education of the rector of St. Mary's, and presented to the church in perpetuity by Sir John.  (Sir John made his money from the careful stewardship of the King’s land here about.)

You will need to go to the British Library to see two of the Library's treasures, the Kedermister Gospels (an 11th-century illuminated manuscript) and the Pharmacopolium or a booke of Medicine (a manuscript herbal of 1630). (However a photocopy of the latter is on sale in the church.

All in all, this library is a marvellous room of treasures; and accessible through the asking of.

http://langleymarish.com/stmary/about/contact-us/