Povey Prattle

In 1955, having passed the infamous 11+ exam’ (still known to older folks as the “Scholarship”), I was enrolled in Fairfield Grammar School. (In England at that time, “Grammar Schools” were what Americans would know as “High Schools”. They were schools designed to prepare “brighter“ pupils for University, whereas “Secondary Schools were for those who would work in the trades, or in industry). So began five of the most miserable years of my life. I learned to hate F.G.S., and I was a miserable student. In “elementary” schools (Infant and Junior schools in England), I had shone. I was good at arithmetic, reading, writing - the 3 R’s. So it was no surprise that I passed the 11+ exam. Mum and Dad had hoped for a high pass so that I might attend the elitist “Bristol Grammar School”, or the well thought of “Cotham Grammar School” (for boys only). But that did not happen. Instead I was assigned to Fairfield. A good consolation prize, and much better in our minds than the local “St. ...

When we, the gang of Plymouth Brethren teens, were in our mid teens, Mr. Eddie Iles, one of our youth leaders, made us sing the song below. We protested, and hated the thing, especially the refrain. We despised the idea of a final judgment, and eternal hell. Already we were resisting Fundamentalist tenets. But “cursed be memory” , I have never forgotten the song. I woke up the other morning with it ringing through my mind. And it is a bit more radical that I could have remembered. That’s not to say that I recommend it! I dreamed that the great judgment morning Had dawned, and the trumpet had blown; I dreamed that the nations had gathered To judgment before the white throne; From the throne came a bright shining angel, And he stood on the land and the sea, And he swore with his hand raised to Heaven, That time was no longer to be. Refrain And O, what a weeping and wailing, As the lost were told of their fate; They cried for the rocks and the mountains, They prayed, but their prayer w...

If music be the food of love - play something unusual dammit! My local National Public Radio (NPR) station, broadcasting out of Tampa, and a source of classical music is in a rut. It’s the rut of Baroque music and Mozart, with a bit of Haydn and Beethoven throw in, and a constant repetition of two pieces by Vaughan Williams ( “The Lark Ascending” and “Variations on a theme by Thomas Tallis“ ), introduced each time with the bogus enthusiasm which to suggest “hey folks, here is something you’ve never heard before”. In the Baroque department we are overfed with Vivaldi, and especially with his “Four Seasons” - (the most widely overplayed bit of classical music in the WORLD - truly!) , and Bach, with his “Brandenburg Concertos” being repeated ad infinitum and ad nauseam. We almost never hear Choral music, or music for the Organ. And I have never ever heard a bit of Lieder. I e-mailed the music director of the radio station, and complained about his constant repetition of Bach’s S...

Brief Blog Day ..... cos I am off to the Opera again tonight, and will get home way past my bedtime. It's the last Opera of the season. We are to Così fan tutte by Mozart, which should be very pleasing. There is little not to like about Mozart's music. I had lunch today at the "Palm Cafe", almost a "hole in the wall" on 17th Street very near my home. This place is under the third ownership since a moved here (21 months ago). Wow. The new owner, a Mexican woman has hit the jackpot. I had a fabulous Chicken fajita - one in which I was sad when I ate the last mouthful - I wanted more! It came with the best coleslaw I have eaten in my life. Fresh, crisp and crunchy, with an unexpected ingredient. Just some very tiny bit of orange - enough to enhance but not overpower the 'slaw. I mentioned this to the owner, and she was proud to say that this was her very own recipe. I also saw some mouth-watering omelettes and burgers being served to other tables. ...

I forgot to blog yesterday. Just forgot. Did you miss me? I procrastinate about some things. Having my hair cut. Polishing my shoes (my Dad would be sorely disappointed!). Cutting my finger and toe nails. I cut my finger nails on Sunday. Yesterday I noticed that I had not done so for the second finger on my right hand. How do you do that? Trim the nails on two thumbs and seven fingers, and forget the eighth? D. was very upset at Res. House yesterday. He came to me in a bit of a panic. “There’s a guy out there”, he said, “reading in Arabic or Hebrew”. “It scares me“, he added. I tip-toed behind the reader. He was reading from the Jewish Scriptures. I could not be certain whether he was translating from Hebrew (on the right hand side of the pages), or reading from English (on the left hand side). I assured D. that it was O.K. to read in Hebrew (the original language of what Christians call The Old Testament), or even in Arabic. D. was not convinced. My Bank now has “gr...

I try to walk for 50 or 60 minutes each morning. I walk with my head down. Colleen, another walker, asked my why my head was always down. I told her that this is my “thinking time”. That’s partly true. The whole truth is that I walk with my head down so that I can ignore other walkers and their damn dogs. It does not work! But this morning I was thinking. Dangerous thoughts. You see, I get e-mails from good friends with wonderful pictures of nature, and of wondrous animals. And these e-mails often end with sentiments such as “How wonderful is the Creator who ‘painted’ these great pictures”. (That begs the question about the fact of evolution; and the part that humans have taken in shaping ‘nature’) But it raises an awkward question. If “God” is the Creator of all, and is to be thanked for the beauties of nature; than why is not he/she to be held responsible (i.e. blamed) for the enormous cruelties of this world? No “we’ll all understand it in heaven” piety will help me. Maybe...