The wee small hours.

I get up at 5 am. Never 4.30 am, or 5.30 am, but at 5 am.

This gives me about 30 mins to make myself a cup of something hot, and to have a small amount of breakfast, such as these Anchovies on toast below.

I then take a few pills to keep myself alive, before sitting down in front of my laptop at 5.30 am.

Like all bloggers, I then carry-out a list of essential tasks. I post the day's wisdom, answer comments from the previous day, then go to the list of other blogs I follow, and make some witty remarks. Then it's down to business.

I answer all my incoming Emails, send a few of my own, and delete all the spam that has accumulated over night. I look at the Weather Forecast, and read a few News articles from the MSN selection. If I still have the time, and I have nothing better to do, I might even have a quick look at my Facebook page, but only in desperation. 

By this time Billy has started to give me 'knowing looks', and if it's light enough (about 7.30 am) we will head-off together to the 'Rest Garden' by the church; about 200 yards away, for his first emptying walk of the day.

There are usually a few other stalwarts around, and we always greet each other. Billy chases Pigeons, Seagulls, and Squirrels, as we do our single circuit of the park before going around the church itself on our way home again.

It's a really lovely time of day (as long as it's not raining). I do like the dusky look about early mornings, and people seem friendlier too. There's a mutual understanding between those who share the quiet of the pre-rush hours. I have become friends with road sweepers, bin-men, postmen, paper-boys, and various cats.

Then back home to a cup of freshly ground coffee, and to the rest of the morning spent wandering aimlessly (unless I have tasks to do). 

It's a great life.

 

Stone

I suppose it's because I worked briefly as a stone-cutter, that I like to have bits of old stone carving around me. I first studied stone-cutting under Hilary Stratton, who worked with Eric Gill.

For a while I worked 'commercially' stone-cutting for my friend FB in France. He installed stone windows, doorways, fireplaces etc; mostly in medieval styles. We had to fetch the stone, cut it, and install it. It was back-breaking work, which is why I didn't continue for too long. Our methods were quite primitive too; he didn't believe in machinery.

I began colleting bits and pieces of old cut stone about 50 years ago. I have bits all over the place, both here and in France.

I'll let you into a secret. If you find a small ancient walled cemetery out in the French countryside, rather than walking around the cemetery itself, walk around the OUTSIDE of the wall. The French like many other  nationalities, believe in the notion of 'Out of sight, out of mind', and they throw all their unwanted funereal rubbish over the wall. This makes for wonderful scavenging. You would be amazed at what you'll find.

One such find was this Corinthian capital that I later made into the lamp you see. The smaller pinnacle beside it is a souvenir of the Great 1987 storm, here in Brighton. Bits of old monuments were broken off by falling branches, this was one small bit.

When I look at bits of old carved stone, it always makes me think of the people who carved them. Even that capital probably took quite a few hours to cut, whilst constantly checking measurements, checking pattern, and making sure it will fit perfectly into its place. Not as easy as it looks. Then someone throws it over a wall, like rubbish.

Charming!

 

Benefits claimants under attack.

Over this past weekend we read that Sir Keir 'freebie' Starmer has added those who live on benefits to his list of those he intends to clobber. He wants to stop the scroungers (who he describes as a blight) from visiting their Spanish villas, and restrict their car ownership to just TWO (or at a push, three).  For heaven's sake Starmer; these are your core supporters; the very people who voted you in!!!

I now hear that just like the Farmers (who they may join-up with) they will soon leave their comfortable Surrey or Cotswold homes, Jump in their Land Rovers (see the subtle link?), and parade around Westminster shouting "Free money for anyone who demands it", and "Hands off my comfortable lifestyle", etc. 

It's difficult to see who he can add next to his list of Labour Party deserters, there are only the powerful Union members left, and he can't touch their inflated salaries (other than to add to them).

He thinks he can save £137 Billion by being beastly to the scroungers. Well, maybe he can, but he'll lose £137 Billion worth of his supporters at the same time.

So; he's had a go at pensioners, at businessmen, at the people who grow our food, and now he's having a go at his hard core LABOUR VOTERS. The only people he's helped so far have been wealthy Rail Union members who've been given a huge pay rise.

p.s. I also now see that an online petition demanding a re-run of the recent election gained over 1.800,000 signatures on the first days of opening, and is gaining 100,000 per hour. 

He's not making himself popular, is he!

Men Behaving Badly Sailing

An evening 'down the pub'.

Padron.

Strangely, I had just been thinking of writing to the manager of my 'hypermarket' to ask him/her to stock Padron Peppers. I tend to do that sort of thing!

Then, almost as if in answer to my prayers, there they were in amongst the more common Peppers. A very familiar looking pack, not unlike the ones I buy in France.

I buy these often in France, but I'd never seen them sold here. Anyone who has visited a Spanish Tapas bar will know these well.

They are simply fried in Olive Oil until they blister (about 5 mins), then are sprinkled with coarse sea salt, and left to cool a bit. They are NOT spicy hot, but mild and almost sweet. They are eaten tepid.

                                           

If you're tempted, try the larger Sainsbury's. Just say Cro sent you!

Black Pudding.

I do understand that Black Pudding is not to everyone's taste; more for the thought of it than for the actual flavour.

I've had great difficulty finding decent Black Pudding here in the South of England. Even versions that claim to have been made in Bury (the home of English Black Pudding) have been extremely disappointing. I still occasionally buy it anyway.

Back in France I have no problem finding really good Boudin. My current favourite is the above; Boudin Landais from Leclerc. It has just the right amount of each ingredient. Delicious.

Being a Southern boy, I had never encountered Black Pudding; it simply didn't exist down here when I was young. My first introduction was on the Shropshire/Wales border, in a 'greasy spoon café'. I had ordered a 'Full English' and found amongst the delights were some strange looking black discs. I had to to ask what they were, which prompted some strange looks; as if I was some bizarre alien.

Anyway, I loved it, and so started my continued search for a better and better product. I need to visit more Black Pudding shops; if I can find any!

 

Canine Therapy.

 

If you are feeling depressed, unwanted, unloved, alone, permanently miserable, invisible, and/or useless, I have the solution. GET A DOG.

I'm out-n-about twice a day with Billy, and I have noticed one glaringly obvious fact; dog owners are 99% extremely friendly. Non-dog people simply point their faces either at the ground or at their phones. They walk around with giant earphones on (or are they giant ear-muffs?), as if the rest of the world doesn't exist. They never greet you. Dog walkers, on the other hand, always smile and say a cheery 'Good Morning', and possibly chat for a while. It's like being a member of a 'Friendly Club', with all non members looking as miserable as sin (most of them, anyway).

I'd noticed this way back in the early 70's when my first son was still in a buggy, and our dog, Hamlet, was still a puppy. When we went into town on market days we could hardly walk a few yards without someone saying Koochy-Koo to the tiny Kimbo, or stooping to stroke Hamlet. Again, it was like suddenly being admitted to a secret club.

The next question must be, what type of dog should you have.

The three friendliest dogs that attract the most attention must be Golden Retrievers, Black Labs, and Yellow Labs. Coming in at a close 2nd place must be Border Collies, and most shaggy Terriers. But be warned, if you have any of these expect your days to be very different.

Walk down your High Street with any of these dogs and you will be assailed by fellow dog lovers who will recognise you as a fellow 'Nice Person'. Expect delays.

We've all heard of people taking Therapy Dogs into care homes or hospices. It is quite amazing the effect of stroking a Golden Retriever can have on the elderly or infirm. Faces light-up, and they become more animated. The effect is instantaneous.

So, there you are. Get a Dog; preferably a Golden Retriever.