An Intermittent Blog

The last few weeks have been cold and wet, and sleet/snow-showers are forecast for the weekend. But today has been bright and sunny (I was in just a T-shirt in the office – quite a change from the thermal T and Arran sweater I’ve been wearing most of the time!), the clocks have changed so evenings are lighter, and it’s the end of the week.

So I left work at 1730 (having put in only just my contracted hours this week!), and by overground to Hampstead Heath. I went in by the entrance from Nassington Road, across in front of the Cafe, and up to the first pond. Glorious late-afternoon sunshine slanting in to all the different shades of emerging green :

In the foreground, the twiggy growth of ash shoots, the tight black velvety buds contrasting with the olive drab stems in a remarkable way. These shoots always remind me of the ash trees in the back field at Green Mount where we climbed as kids, and I have a deep affection for their commonplace beauty.

Walked on round the back of the Mens Bathing Pond and the Boating Pond, turning back down the front of the boating pond where the willows were in the bright greeny-yellow flush of spring:

Then halfway up Parliament Hill, before turning back down towards the Lido and Gospel Oak. There are still flushes of Lesser Celandine in the hollows – I cannot share Wordsworth’s delight in these flowers, as they’ve always struck me rather as the brassy blondes of the flower world: almost aggressive in their presence, and invasive by nature! Blackthorn blossom is fully out – indeed, in some places almost over. The May trees are well leafed, but the buds are still tight and green, though there’s some hope of May-blossom for May-Day.

So to Gospel Oak station as the sun was setting. I decided to catch the GoBLin (Gospel Oak to Barking overground) direct to South Tottenham, rather than the NLL to Highbury & Islington and change to the Victoria Line. This proved to be rather a mistake – just short of Haringey Green Lanes the train ground to an emergency stop! It turned out that a lorry had hit the bridge, so all traffic was suspended while engineers checked the bridge for safety. Actually, it was reasonably quick: we were moving again within 30 minutes, though it felt like an eternity as I’d finished reading the paper and had not much to keep me occupied!

So, eventually home around 2100h. Still, the walk was most enjoyable, even if I was much slower than usual over it (around 75 minutes for what can’t be more than a couple of miles at most). I realise anew how important it is to me to keep walking regularly, whenever the weather permits.

Bit of a busy week, really.

Monday was the first “Quaker Quest” meeting. I wasn’t sure what to expect – the train got me in much earlier than I’d expected, so I sat at Euston and had a coffee. Went to the hole-in-the-wall, and it refused to give me any money! (when I checked later, they’d hit me with an unexpected 3-months £150 bank charges … fortunately, I have a bit in savings so have managed to bring my current account back into credit, though savings is now rather empty!).

Arrived at the meeting house around 1815 for an 1830 start – did my usual thing of standing around shyly not managing to talk to anyone much, though several people came up and made welcoming noises. Would have been better if I’d felt like sitting down, but with the prospect of an hour and a half sitting, I didn’t dare risk it (I’ve still had a lot of back trouble, muscles spasming, aching balls, …).

Intro from the Quakers talking about their experiences, them we split into small groups of 3 attenders and one Quaker, to talk about where we were coming from (spiritually / religiously). Interesting – I was with a lass (guess in her early 20s) who was from a Catholic background, and who’d done the whole Taize thing, and a black lad called Chris, from a Catholic background, who was exploring an assortment of spirituality / life-after-death stuff. Then back to a main group session again, and the three speakers gave their experiences of Quaker worship. One woman gave an example of a meeting she’d been at where a guy started speaking about the evils of homosexuality. Once he’d sat down, after a few minutes, another member of that particular meeting stood up and spoke about love between humans. After another silence, another stood up and spoke about love of family members. After another silence, another spoke about compassion and understanding. And so forth. This spoke very clearly to me … clearly enough to know that I’ve got to get to the rest of the cycle of six meetings, anyway.

The actual meeting-for-worship was not quite what I’d expected – less tense, and I was much lss bored and fidgety that I’d expected. Only one short ministry, do do with Iraq, and with US soldiers contributing to the cost of medical care for a kid that had been badly injured … made me think. It was an almost palpable shock when the Meeting ended.

Chatted to Chris for a few minutes afterwards – hope he’s there next week.

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Busy week at work, even though I’d had Tuesday off. I’ve realised over Christmas that I’d got too much into the “work all the time” thing, so I’m determined to keep a better check on it this year. Knocked off around 1800h on Thursday, and walked down to the Kilburn High Road to grab a McDonalds – my first for about 18 months! But I just wanted somewhere warm and quick to eat and read the paper for half an hour, before catching the train to Gunnersbury for the read-through.

The read-through for “Much Ado” got off to a pretty slow start – a couple of new faces who were on time, but the old lags drifted in over the period up to eight o’clock. Not Mark L., of course, who was as always prompt. He ragged me gently about my short(ish) hair, as expected. We must meet up soon: he’s a really nice guy, and doesn’t always realise how valued he is!

When I got home, there was an e-mail from GMFA, asking if I wanted to be on the second pilot for the “Confidence-Building” workshop – short notice (Saturday) … they had revised the course in the light of the first pilot, and as I’d expressed an interest but that had been full, was I interested/available. Yes to both, of course, so that’s Saturday all day organised.

It may not be exactly thrusting myself forward on the scene, but it’s pretty much in line with my plans for this year to get out and do a few more thing in the evenings … it’s no good spending all my energies at work, then being too knackered to do anything else, so at least one evening a week I’m gonna try to do something, and not work, or work half day, the following day

Down to Green Mount on Saturday – slightly later than planned, arriving at 1600h. Had a cup of tea and went to lie down for a half-hour – my back is still rather tender, and tube/train/carrying an overnight bag does it no favours.

Mum invited her neighbours round for a drink at six – Kevin & Alan. They seem a really nice couple (CP’d, I gather), and are obviously pretty high-flyers in their respective fields, but intelligent, well-informed, and good company. I’m glad that Mum has people locally she gets on well with at the moment … that hasn’t always been the case!

A very early night for me – 2330h !. Still, I had got only a couple of hours sleep the previous night.

Up just after ten, and a brief stroll along the road to the end of the common and back. A bright sunny morning, after an overnight frost: the road was very slippy in the places the sun hadn’t yet reached (made particularly bad, as parts of the road do dual duty as streamlets when it’s wet, as it had been on Saturday evening).

the start of the common : the remains of a heavy frost on the bracken

Then Mum gave me a lift into Oxford, as no suitable trains, arriving almost dead-on 1215. I ran into Trevor J. on the pub threshold, and DD & wife were already inside. Busboy, and PJH & Helen, arrived later – Tony, and the overseas contingent, couldn’t make it this time. A very pleasant and convivial group – we stayed until just after three. I seem to have said that I’ll probably attend the formal dinner in April this year … it’s the 5th, so that might just tie in with seeing Mum around her birthday (which is 3rd). Black Tie and £50! Still, it’s at Wadham, and I’ve always admired the architecture there, so dining will be an experience, I guess.

It’s coming up to 36 years since we left school – amazing that so many of us are still in touch, and that we enjoy each others’ company. PJH said that he thinks it’s precisely because we had 25 years of not seeing each other, so all the status stuff about who had the best career etc was well & truly behind most of us by the time we met up (I did point out one exception to that … but he’s no longer on speaking terms with the rest of us!). Only another four years, and we’ll be Veteran Old Wainfleets – DD says he can’t face the prospect, so I’ve suggested that we could be an “Old Wainfleets Survivors’ group”! Also over lunch, I gently reminded DD about my question whether the OW’s (small) investments are guided by any kind of ethical investment policy … I’m sure he’ll make sure there’s some note of it before the next AGM.

DD & Jane gave me a lift up to town (parking in Christchurch, as DD is a Cathedral sidesman), and we walked up to Bonn Square together as they were going to the panto at the Playhouse. It was great to have a bit of a chat to them outside the group.

And so, the 1545 train back to London, and home.

E-mails from assorted TW4 people informing me that the next show will be “Much Ado … “, and was I interested in stage managing … I’ve replied that I’ll happily do whatever backstage is useful (except frocks). Prodcution week starts 18th May, so a long way away yet … though there’s a read-through on Thursday (10th Jan), which I’d like to get along to if I can.

Real life resumes with a normal working day tomorrow … and off to Friends Meeting House in the evening, as the six Mondays of the “Quaker Quest” introductory talks start at 1800h.