FRUSTRATED! Blogger seems to have completely changed since I last entered it - cannot do anything with it, so goodbye folks, it's been good to talk to you all!

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

I  see that my last posting was back in sunny July - climate is a little different today, cold, wet and very windy. However, I have been very lax recently with blogging so my apologies and my wishes for a peaceful, happy and healthful time, both over Christmas and for 2014.

Something a little different for Christmas for you all:

Below is a picture of Rembrandt's "Night Watch". The Rijksmuseum museum in Holland wanted to bring art to the people and hopefully, they would come to see more. They took one Rembrandt painting from 1642, Night Watch, and did the following in a busy mall.

Before clicking on the link, take a good look at the painting. And view with sound on.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/a6W2ZMpsxhg?feature=player_embedded

Church of St Thomas Beckett, Fairfield

A pleasant Sunday ride on the hottest day of this year, so far (about 25c). This is the isolated church at Fairfield, dedicated by the monks of Canterbury who were responsible for "inning" (draining) this part of Romney Marsh in mediaeval times. Its full history can be seen here.

Plain brick outside because of the later renovation (see the history). But inside (ancient key kept by the local farm house) is an undiscovered 18th century gem of box pews and oak beams:

Then it was about time to head for Miss Mollett's "High Class" tea shop for a light lunch of Bacon,brie and cranberry toasties with salad, plus a large pot of tea. Just sitting outside in the warm sunshine and watching the world go by in the ancient village of Appledore.

SPRING (at last)

Sunday morning, April 7th and at last the bitter winds, direct from Arctic northern Europe, have abated and are swinging round to the south.

Sunshine and temperatures of 11c invited me to take the e-bike out for its first longish run since my minor stroke.

A welcome stop at the 10 mile mark was in the village of Appledore . Miss Mollett's home-made tea cakes, toasted, with butter and black currant jam were absolutely delicious.

Another 10 miles over Romney Marsh took me home. The cycle ride in the sun did me more good than all the tablets the doctor has given me!

GEOFF DUKE OBE

A message from one of my motorcycling heroes - from the days when motorcycle racing was a clean, sporting event, with riders in sober black leathers (no advertising), riding "real" motorcycles (not sounding like vacuum cleaners enclosed in Easter eggs).

Six-times World Champion, 33-times Grand Prix winner and‘Birthday Boy’

Geoff Duke OBE.

 

“As I celebrate my 90th birthday on Good Friday, I just wanted to thank you all for your kind messages, cards and gifts. It is always a pleasure to receive a letter from a fan and wonderful to know there are so many of you out there who remember fondly my racing days.

Unfortunately, I am no longer able to reply to all your kind messages and requests for autographs, but I wanted to let you know how much your letters mean to me. I remain a keen follower of our sport, and have always enjoyed meeting you and reminiscing about the old days at events all over the world.

 

Although I can’t make it to as many meetings as I have in the past, I hope to follow the 2013 season, especially the Isle of Man TT, which, as many of you know, is my ‘home’ event and has always been one of my favourite circuits.

 

As I mark my 90th birthday with my family, I will be recalling my career and remembering all the fans who played such a large part in it.

Thank you all.”

Please watch the following link:

http://www.dukevideo.com/Isle-of-Man-TT/Geoff-Duke?ticrumb=GeoffDuke90th%21

MAKING GOD LAUGH

Getting out of bed last Thursday my left arm and leg had pins and needles and were difficult to control, however I continued with my day which mainly consisted of teaching a youngster to drive a 12 metre coach.

Next morning there was no improvement so I rang my doctor who said he did not even want to see me, but to get myself up to the Emergency Department of the local hospital at once as I had probably had a stroke. And so it turned out. An MRI head scan later I was put to bed and connected to various machines and dials. Hospital wards are not places for a good night's sleep - mine looked just like this one, but at least I had the bed in the right hand corner.  So, after 3 days of restless nights, hospital food, medication, jabs and caring/cheeky nurses, they got fed up with me and chucked me out with a large bag of pills - some of which I intend to take (but not the statins!).

Apparently, especially considering the day's delay, I am a very lucky boy. Slight clumsiness to left hand and leg but otherwise OK. No physio needed, but no driving for 4 weeks (although they said nothing about cycling!)

I am a lean (155lbs), fit 74 year old. Non smoker, moderate alcohol who likes gentle exercise (cycling and dog walking). So it can happen to anyone.

It was Woody Allen who said "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans".

THE DAUGHTER OF TIME

In my reply to Roderick Robinson's comment to my last post I wrote that the controversial history of Richard III could be the subject of a detective story and mentioned Josephine Tey's  investigative novel on precisely this subject - "The Daughter of Time".

My own daughter drew my attention to Peter Hitchens'  commentary about the book on BBC Radio 4's "A Good Read", where he calls it one of the most important books ever written.

It is a short book, easily read in one or two sittings and pretty "unputdownable" for those who enjoy such things - available from Amazon, in paperback or Kindle.

You will never again accept historical record on trust!

KING RICHARD III

Many in Britain would have seen the fascinating Channel 4 TV programme on the discovery of the skeleton of King Richard III - a much maligned monarch or an evil monster according to who you believe. My daughter and I tend to favour the former. History is always written by the victors and Henry Tudor employed many spin doctors to legitimize his victory at Bosworth in 1485 and his subsequent reign based on a very thin claim. Shakespeare curried favour to the last Tudor (Elizabeth I) when he wrote his play, "Richard III".

With Richard's death it was given that the last of the Plantagenets had passed away - however there is a curious story that his illegitimate son lived on and is buried at a derelict church about one mile from the photograph in my previous post.

Now that the archaeologists who excavated Richard's skeleton have his DNA there is talk of them excavating the grave at this church to see if the story can be proven.

Since "Richard of Eastwell" died childless, our present Queen is secure in her succession!

"Loyaultie me lie"

SNOW'S ALL GONE!

There has been heavy snow and a biting, icy wind this last week. However a front came in off the Atlantic on Friday evening bringing warmer weather and rain. By mid-day Saturday things were as per photo above - so a 25 mile cruise amid the North Downs took up most of Saturday afternoon.

NEW YEAR'S DAY

With almost continuous rain for weeks now Christmas was a wash-out and I have been getting "stir-crazy" watching the water lashing down the windows.

However New Year's Day dawned with clear blue skies and last night's forecast was encouraging. The "electric Claud Butler" was unleashed (well, the charge cable was unplugged) and off we wheeled. A head wind was encountered as we toddled to Tenterden . I still can't get over the guilty pleasure of simply pressing a button on the handlebars to awaken the genie who assists with the pedalling!

Down Tenterden High Street, fairly empty on this Bank Holiday then headed for the ancient Isle of Oxney past a couple of vineyards (yes - good wine!) and the actress Ellen Terry's house.

Elevenses was taken relaxing in the SUNSHINE  near the Royal Military Canal

Two belated mince pies. The essential coffee flask will be noted (well laced with brandy - the engine needs a regular stoking).

Then it was a gentle meander across Romney Marsh for lunch at the Woolpack pub



















Home by about 3.00pm just as the bloom was going off the day. But a "day of days" indeed. A delight snatched from winter. 40 miles and no aching knees! (thank you electric genie)

Happy New Year to all  my readers!

TRANSPORT THROUGH THE AGES III

    It was a very snowy February in 1962. We had been married for about 3 years, money was short and I had sold my last bike, a Douglas Dragonfly, to cover wedding costs.

    I was desperate for another bike but they were all far out of my financial reach. A local old boy, quite a character, Percy Webb, did bike repairs in his old garage, one of a block and I was fossicking around behind it. There, almost covered in the snow from the roof was an old motorcycle! No wheels or headlamp, but otherwise looking complete. I scraped away the snow and saw the magic “Sunbeam”on the black tank – a 1937 350cc model.

    I went back when Percy was in residence (he worked when he felt like it and had not gone fishing!) and enquired if he might sell it. He sucked on the ever present pipe, said the bike worked before he had “stored” it , thought he had the wheels “somewhere” and suggested £5. I was earning about £7.00 - £8.00 a week then and we had a young child, too. It was out of my reach but he said I could pay him for it at 10 shillings (50pence) a week if I liked. That clinched it.

    A week later I went back – he had found the wheels and refitted them. The first ten shilling note changed hands and I pushed that old bike the 2 miles home through the snow-bound streets , almost sick with joy at having a bike again.

    Once home (down the back alley and into the shed of our terraced cottage) I stripped it down and repainted it with a brush and Japlac enamel. It was my first “restoration” of many since, but the most memorable. Nothing mechanical was done to it – it worked and I could not afford any outlay. But it went OK although I seem to remember some play in the front fork area.

    That little old Sunbeam gave me immense pleasure over about 2 years, when I sold it on to a young lad for his commute to work, for a whole £10 (£5 profit – those were the days!). It never let him down.

    48 bikes later and arthritis has led me to exchange my BMW R100 for a new, lighter Royal Enfield Bullet EFI (nostalgia for the 3 Bullets I had in the ‘60s), but it is always that old Sunbeam that sticks in the memory!

SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS FOR AGE

I have always enjoyed my cycling as much as my motorcycling, but in a different way. Most Sundays I meet up with Peter, an old cycling friend of similar age (74) for a leisurely coffee and cycle across Romney Marsh for a pub lunch together. The round trip takes in about 40 miles - unlike the 100 mile days of my youth, but still leaving my increasingly arthritic knees recognising every mile travelled on reaching home.

Peter suffers from an arthritic back and a few weeks ago arrived at our rendezvous, rather sheepishly, on an electrically assisted bicycle. The assistance can be switched on when required as steep hills appear. As he was leaving me behind on hills I fell to consideration of the advantages of such a machine to those of approaching age.

Amongst other good advice, the poem "Desiderata" exhorts us to: "Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth". I have a selection of bicycles and a web search showed that I could purchase a conversion kit for about £500, rather than a complete new electric bicycle for about £1,500, so I took the poem's advice, bought the kit and spent a couple of days converting the Claud Butler.

A revelation! One hardly realises it is fitted. The motor is in the front wheel and the battery slides horizontally between the panniers. At the press of a switch it is if a gale force tail wind has arrived to help. The act of pedalling keeps the motor assisting and in this mode the battery would last about 30 miles. However I don't use it on the flat so 70 - 80 miles would be perfectly possible in a day.

I shall still keep the other 4 bikes in the stable though!

ODE TO JOY

I think that this needs sharing with you all - quite wonderful. The childrens' reactions  are an affirmation of the effect of good music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo

ANOTHER ROYAL ENFIELD

 

A FAIR EXCHANGE II

 

A while since I wrote anything here. R.R. at Tone Deaf was kind enough to enquire if my silence spelt "bad news" and I was happy to re-assure him that all is well with me.

 

In fact life has been pleasant. Our daughter and husband have been over for 6 weeks from Australia. I am still riding bicycles and motorcycles.

 

My last post mentioned using £1600 proceeds from the sale of my BMW motorcycle to buy hearing aids. Fortunately these were on a "try or return" basis. I tried, considered I can easily do without them, and returned them for a full refund.

 

Then, whilst browsing eBay, I saw this:

 

 

Readers of earlier posts may remember my extolling the delights of a blue one of similar make. However, this is the latest model. European emission laws mean it comes with a completely new fuel injection engine (hydraulic tappets and self adjusting primary chain). Although a 2009 model it had only managed 500 miles before the purchaser took ill and laid it up. He eventually died and it was being sold by his executor. Too good to miss, I raided the piggy bank, hired a bike trailer and took off for Leicester to buy it.

 

This meant that I now had two Enfields, so the blue one went on eBay and was bought by a man from Belgium who came over for the day to buy it (he was going to buy one in Germany, but Kent, UK, via the Channel Tunnel, was closer and quicker).

 

The sale of that, plus the proceeds from the BMW sale covered the cost of the black beauty. ("Traditional" motorcycles always look better in black/gold, I feel)

 

A satisfactory result all round.

A FAIR EXCHANGE?



I have owned my beloved BMW motorcycle for 25 years - one could say we have grown old together. One could also say that the motorcycle is in better condition these days than its owner! Encroaching arthritis has meant its weight and riding position (heavy on the wrists and hands) is becoming a nuisance, so  I came to consider that discretion is the better part of valour and reluctantly decided to sell it. After all, I still have the lighter Royal Enfield to play with and the Honda Scooter for comfort and convenience.

So I put it on eBay for £1,600 - it sold within 3 hours! A delighted new owner came to pick it up a week later - it was not the happiest day of my life owning motorcycles!

I have ridden motorcycles for 55 years and it is only in the last 20 or so that riders have become increasingly aware of the damage that wind roar can do to the hearing (akin to the sound of a jet taking off nearby) and have started wearing ear plugs when riding.

The moral of all this is that my hearing has deteriorated to the extent that it needs help. The £1,600 I got for the BMW has exactly paid for my smart new hearing aids! Ironical!





"POSH MUSIC"

What constitutes "posh" music? There has been some discussion recently about this subject on the musical blog "Tone Deaf".

It is not, necessarily, inaccessible music and an inspired teacher can make classical music understandable to some who would never have considered it.

I always found that impenetrable character T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia), a.k.a. T.E.Shaw, fascinating. This letter he sent to Sir Edward Elgar covers the subject beautifully, I think.

EMERGING FROM THE CAVE

Those who have honoured me by visiting this blog over the years will know that from December to March I tend towards hibernation as symptoms of SAD tend to overcome me.However the sudden heavy snows which we experienced overnight led me to poke out my nose, leave my Black Dog in the kennel and enjoy (yes!) a ramble with Rex the Dog. As he enters our woods his first act is to survey it for squirrels to run after (he never catches one), but they were not in evidence today, sensibly staying warm and cosy within their winter quarters.

"Now - where are those squirrels"

The wood was glorious in its winter coat. The snow being of a sticky rather than powdery nature meant that there was an “icing on the cake” effect

There was even a touch of “Lowry” evident!

Then home to warmth and a whisky mac – a pleasant interlude to shorten my hibernation period.

HALLELUJAH!

About this time, on the first Christmas night angels were supposed to have sung "Hallelujah" to flock-watching shepherds.

Lately we have been discussing hymn-singing and Leonard Cohen (but not at the same time) at the
TONE DEAF blog of Lorenzo da Ponte.

Thus my reason for my Christmas present to you

HAPPY CHRISTMAS
AND A PEACEFUL 2012 TO YOU  

"COUNTRY BOY"

I have just been re-reading (for the nth time) this book by “Richard Hillyer”. The biography, to the age of about 17, of a boy born into a farm labouring family in 1901. Totally self educated, he managed to reach university and ended his long life (died 1980) as a Canon of Durham Cathedral having written a number of books. His real name was Charles James Stranks and the village he calls “Byfield” in the book is Hardwick in Buckinghamshire, UK.

Without sentiment or pastiche he brings out the grinding poverty of the farm labourer’s existence at the beginning of the last century – yet manages to convey the pride, courage and dignity which went with it. Elements of John Clare’s work come to mind.

It is available for a song on Amazon and worth every moment spent reading it. I thoroughly recommend it.

I was born in 1938 in a country village which had changed little from the years he describes. The Second World War was in progress as I became sentient to my surroundings. The young men had left the village to go to war. The dignified and respected elders, many with bishop-like mien, were left to labour on the farms. Tractors and fuel went to the war effort. The horse and cart ruled once more.

My maternal grandparents were farm workers, living in a tied cottage. With my own father away at the war I spent much of my time with my grandfather who was Horseman on that farm; a farm dedicated to fruit orchards, nut platts and some beef cattle; a horse and cart was ideal to thread its way through the orchards and along the narrow winding lanes between. The warm, sweet smell of hay in the horse stable comes to mind, as I write this.

Grandfather with "Duke" c. 1938

My first memory of release from my enclosed world was as a small boy of about 4, sitting on a folded sack on the edge of a cart, beside my grandfather as he took the horse about 3 miles to a village blacksmith for re-shoeing. It seemed to take for ever as we clopped along what is now a fast main road which I have since traversed, under power, in less than ten minutes.

Not all was good though. My grandfather caught a bad chill through being out in the rain and the farmer hounded him back to work too soon. This brought on pneumonia and he died in 1944, aged 54 (but will always be “ancient” to me). My grandmother had to leave the tied farm cottage within a month. Always a fighter, she had all the house contents taken to the village hall and auctioned them off. Then she entered service as a housekeeper, only retiring at 75 to come and live with my mother.

Like “Richard Hillyer” I came from such a background and attended the village school. Like him, my “prospects” would have been to enter a similar life had my mother not instilled a love of reading into me. Because of this I passed the exam to attend the local grammar school (the “11+”). There are those that denigrate grammar schools and this entry exam, but because of it I, a fairly poor country boy, was able to make my way in the world. I shall be forever grateful to her and that chance.

KEEP RIGHT ON.......

I have owned, ridden and restored motorcycles now for over 50 years. It is an activity I love and enjoy. Thus, in spite of increasing arthritis I do not intend to give it up.


I found this video clip a poignant and inspiring commentary, not merely about motorcycling, but on the general battle against life’s little difficulties as we approach old age.


Best watched with your sound on. You may click on the "4 arrows" symbol, bottom right of link, to increase view to full screen size.