I didn't find out about this until Sunday afternoon, but decided to go along as they were having free boat trims on the river. I got a bus from Hammersmith to Chiswick, and then walked down to Chiswick Pier.
The festival was rather small - there were a few stalls there, but not many, and the Boat Club was selling refreshments - I had a cup of tea and a scone with jam and cream before I left.
Fullers Brewery were sponsoring the boat trips, and I managed to get on the 4.00 p.m. one, which was the last. We sailed nearly down to Hammersmith Bridge, and then back to Chiswick Pier and had a further little trip up to Barnes Bridge and back. A very pleasant way to spend a good half hour on a warm sunny day - sitting outside on the top deck, with a slight breeze blowing in your hair.
Afterwards, I walked back along the river as it was such a lovely day.
Sunday, 27 July 2014
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Rally for Christians of Mosul
This morning I joined a rally outside the Houses of Parliament in support of the Christians in Iraq in general, and of Mosul in particular, who have been driven from the homes by ISIS. The rally was organised by Iraqi Christians and supported by Aid to the Church in Need, and for something that had been organised at very short notice, there was quite a crowd there. Nothing compared to the numbers protesting about Gaza, of course, for they are well-organised with a lot of support from organisations like the Socialist Workers Party, who were very much in evidence in Parliament Square; when I came out of Westminster station there were hundreds of their placards stacked up waiting to be collected.
The Iraqi Christians rally was a rather more sedate affair. Some people had brought along banners, which they held aloft, condemning the killing and exile of Iraqi Christians, and there were people handing out A4 posters for people to carry and stickers to go on people's blouses or shirts. There were also some people handing out rosary books.
There were a number of speakers, including at lease one Muslim, who condemned ISIS and said Christians had always been part of Iraqi society and had as much right to live peacefully in Iraq as everybody else, In fact, quite a few of the crowd were Muslims, some holding banner saying "In solidarity with the Christians in Iraq. ISIS does NOT represent us" or something similar. One I spoke to pointed out that ISIS were destroying the history of all Iraqis and that they were not just targeting Christians, but all minorities, including Shias.
I had expected we would all march to Downing Street, but instead only about twenty or thirty were allowed to go; the rest of us stayed where we were until about 12.30 p.m. before dispersing.
I was glad I went; Christians from the Middle East need all the support they can get, and for governments to know they have this support - maybe then they will do something to help them.
The Iraqi Christians rally was a rather more sedate affair. Some people had brought along banners, which they held aloft, condemning the killing and exile of Iraqi Christians, and there were people handing out A4 posters for people to carry and stickers to go on people's blouses or shirts. There were also some people handing out rosary books.
There were a number of speakers, including at lease one Muslim, who condemned ISIS and said Christians had always been part of Iraqi society and had as much right to live peacefully in Iraq as everybody else, In fact, quite a few of the crowd were Muslims, some holding banner saying "In solidarity with the Christians in Iraq. ISIS does NOT represent us" or something similar. One I spoke to pointed out that ISIS were destroying the history of all Iraqis and that they were not just targeting Christians, but all minorities, including Shias.
I had expected we would all march to Downing Street, but instead only about twenty or thirty were allowed to go; the rest of us stayed where we were until about 12.30 p.m. before dispersing.
I was glad I went; Christians from the Middle East need all the support they can get, and for governments to know they have this support - maybe then they will do something to help them.
Saturday, 12 July 2014
Giltspur Singers Summer Concert
A concert at St. John's Holland Road which concluded the tenth anniversary celebrations of the Giltspur Singers, which were formed by Dr. Christopher Maxim in 2003 - the name comes from the street in which the church where they rehearse is based.
The programme featured a wide range of music, mostly from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, and many with a country theme - including items by Reginald Spofforth, Samuel Webbe the elder, William Horsley, Robert Pearsall and others. Most of them were quite light-hearted and fun, rather than serious and heavy.
The first half ended with Gerald Finzi's "Lo, the full, final sacrifice", with its haunting introducation.
Following the interval, at which wine and soft drinks were available, there was a section entitled Three Pastoral Partsongs, with words by John Keats, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Thomas Hardy set to music by Christopher Maxim.
Then came the special feature of the evening: a number of pieces under the heading "Songs of Gods and Mortals" composed Christopher Maxim especially for the anniversary:
Hymn to Pan - words: John Fletcher (1579-1625)
Mistress Margery Wentworth - words: John Skelton (c.1460-1529)
Hymn to Bacchus - words: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Jenny kissed me - words: Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)
Hymn to Venus - words: Ambrose Philips (1574-1749), based on Sappho (c.625-c.570BC)
Mad Tom - words: Anon.
New music, but very old words, and all of them very, very different.
The programme concluded with two pieces for lute and voice.
The Giltspur Singers are a mixed choir, who all have other jobs during the day, although several are trained musicians and singers and all are enthusiastic about music.
St. John's is a wonderful church for concerts; the beauty of the church itself gives it an atmosphere that no normal concert hall can offer, and is especially suitable for pieces which are haunting and emotional, as so many of this evening's pieces were.
The programme featured a wide range of music, mostly from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries, and many with a country theme - including items by Reginald Spofforth, Samuel Webbe the elder, William Horsley, Robert Pearsall and others. Most of them were quite light-hearted and fun, rather than serious and heavy.
The first half ended with Gerald Finzi's "Lo, the full, final sacrifice", with its haunting introducation.
Following the interval, at which wine and soft drinks were available, there was a section entitled Three Pastoral Partsongs, with words by John Keats, Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Thomas Hardy set to music by Christopher Maxim.
Then came the special feature of the evening: a number of pieces under the heading "Songs of Gods and Mortals" composed Christopher Maxim especially for the anniversary:
Hymn to Pan - words: John Fletcher (1579-1625)
Mistress Margery Wentworth - words: John Skelton (c.1460-1529)
Hymn to Bacchus - words: Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
Jenny kissed me - words: Leigh Hunt (1784-1859)
Hymn to Venus - words: Ambrose Philips (1574-1749), based on Sappho (c.625-c.570BC)
Mad Tom - words: Anon.
New music, but very old words, and all of them very, very different.
The programme concluded with two pieces for lute and voice.
The Giltspur Singers are a mixed choir, who all have other jobs during the day, although several are trained musicians and singers and all are enthusiastic about music.
St. John's is a wonderful church for concerts; the beauty of the church itself gives it an atmosphere that no normal concert hall can offer, and is especially suitable for pieces which are haunting and emotional, as so many of this evening's pieces were.
Sunday, 6 July 2014
Allergy Show
I had a free ticket for the Allergy Show and Back Pain Show at Olympia so I went along. In the past it has been a fairly small affair, enough there to see everything in an hour or two. But this year, it was much, much bigger, with dozens of interesting stands, and I could have spent a whole day there. All the different foodstuffs were particularly interesting. I wasn't terribly interested in all the "Free from" products - I find things like gluten free bread and cakes rather tasteless - but there were so many other interesting food products there from all over the world.
In addition to all the different foods, there were products that I would have liked to have time to try, but time was rather limited, as I was going to a concert at four o'clock.
In addition to all the different foods, there were products that I would have liked to have time to try, but time was rather limited, as I was going to a concert at four o'clock.
Concert - Methodist Church
A concert by one of Mr. Bobb's star pupils, a young Ghanaian boy who is obviously hugely talented.
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Weston-super-Mare and Bridgwater
I caught the 7.00 a.m. train from Paddington to Bristol, and from there got a bus to Weston-super-Mare, which was fairly quiet at that time in the morning. After a wander round the front and the town, and a late breakfast (or early lunch) at a little cafe, I caught the bus to Bridgwater, which I hadn't been to before.
Bridgwater, a market town, isn't on the coast, but it is on a river, the River Parrett, which you have to cross to get from the bus-station to the town. At one time there was a quay and Bridgwater was an important inland port, with a vibrant industrial base.
The town itself is quit small and you can easily walk round it in an hour or two. I wandered around most of it, before going to the Blake Museum, which is where Admiral Robert Blake is reputed to have lived. Today it houses a museum in his honour, and quite a fascinating museum too. Before today I had never heard of Robert Blake, who was a famous as Nelson in his day. I spent a considerable amount of time in the museum, more than I intended, and then purchased some of their home-made marmalade which they were selling in the shop.
After the museum closed I had a look at more of the town, and also had something to eat - by this time, there were a limited number of cafes still open, and it seems Bridgwater is the sort of place where everything closes at five o'clock.
When I got back to Weston-super-Mare I found I had just missed the last bus back to Bristol, so had to get the train, which turned out to be less expensive than I expected, and the route was very scenic.
Bridgwater, a market town, isn't on the coast, but it is on a river, the River Parrett, which you have to cross to get from the bus-station to the town. At one time there was a quay and Bridgwater was an important inland port, with a vibrant industrial base.
The town itself is quit small and you can easily walk round it in an hour or two. I wandered around most of it, before going to the Blake Museum, which is where Admiral Robert Blake is reputed to have lived. Today it houses a museum in his honour, and quite a fascinating museum too. Before today I had never heard of Robert Blake, who was a famous as Nelson in his day. I spent a considerable amount of time in the museum, more than I intended, and then purchased some of their home-made marmalade which they were selling in the shop.
After the museum closed I had a look at more of the town, and also had something to eat - by this time, there were a limited number of cafes still open, and it seems Bridgwater is the sort of place where everything closes at five o'clock.
When I got back to Weston-super-Mare I found I had just missed the last bus back to Bristol, so had to get the train, which turned out to be less expensive than I expected, and the route was very scenic.
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