I had enjoyed Christmas Day greatly. Church in the morning was followed by an excellent lunch “over the road”. Boxing Day was spent quietly at home doing very little, but, feeling in a state of contentment. I remained disillusioned with the output of Christmas day-time (and evening) T.V. but I did have Netflix films and YouTube documentaries as an escape from T.V. presenters wearing Father Christmas hats etc!
On Sunday, I was in good time for the final Eucharist of the year at St. John’s Church. As usual, we were socially distanced, as was the choir who sang to their usual exemplary standards. Bishop Jack is taking over while the Rector continues to recover from her recent illness.
I heard an amusing account of a child’s first word, the other day. “Bubble!”
Yesterday, Monday, it was frosty and cold. It took a while for the frost to evaporate from my red car. My lame silver car was wired up for the battery to be charged overnight. This morning, it’s a case of “Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow!” It’s still snowing! But for once, I am quite pleased. I used to detest the stuff, and the cold weather that came with it. But these days, I rather the like the spectacle of a blizzard and its effect on the surrounding countryside and trees.
To all Friends and readers of my blog, Season’s Greetings and all the very best for a vastly improved NEW YEAR.
Blue Skies and a sharp frost on Christmas Day in the Morning.
I chose not to attend the First Communion of Christmas last night, and thus went to bed at an almost respectable hour, and was up in good time for church on Christmas Morning. The sky was as you see it in the picture, and the air as still as a lamp-post. The downside of such wintertime tranquillity, a sharp frost! Before making breakfast, I decided to check at least one of my cars would start. The red car was frozen up and the doors wouldn’t open. The silver car’s battery had drained. Instead of a breakfast of porridge and banana, I hastily put a marmalade butty together, consumed the same and legged it to St. Mary’s, arriving ten minutes’ late. After the Covid formalities were completed, I was shown to my seat and for a third time (or is it fourth time?) the Order of Service was of little use…I had left my glasses at home….yes, again!! I was intrigued with the sermon highlighting in unfamiliarly graphic detail, just how unglamorous it was to be a shepherd at the time of Christ’s birth. The young curate spoke extremely well. The Christmas carols were set to modern melodies, and I still can’t get my head around “While Shepherds Watched….” to the tune of On Ilkley Moor Baht’at! But, it was a good service and I am glad that I didn’t get there too late!
The walk home seemed much harder work than the walk to church. And dark clouds started to gather as I progressed homewards. I discovered that the frost had thawed off my red car, and was now able to open the door, and found, to my relief, the battery wasn’t flat.
The “fleet”
I ran it to Parsley Hay and back without stopping the engine so as to keep the battery charged.
Parsley Hay.
I returned home in good time to join Roger for the first Christmas Dinner he had ever prepared single-handedly. It was magnificent. We spoke to family members on Zoom, and I found myself trying to recall (because I was asked to) my lengthy South America voyage from January to March. I was a little embarrassed at not being able to offer much of an intelligent account; my mind went blank! Apparently, there is an art to communicating on Zoom, a bit like leaving a message on an answer-phone. I got the feeling this proved of more interest than I anticipated.
Those of you who bet on a White Christmas will be “quids-in”. It snowed in Harpur Hill, Buxton this afternoon. Here’s the proof, folks!
You may need to enlarge this image!
I was glad to hear from my Godson and nephew, Christian and his family in S.E. London, who gave me and other family members such a wonderful Christmas last year. This year has been vastly different for everybody everywhere; not much in the way of family gatherings. Nevertheless, I will have good memories of Christmas 2020.
Reading through the last blog, I see enough errors to warrant re-publishing on Google, http://www.davidscruise.wordpress.com The corrected blog reads much better than the one via your e-mail.
This time last year, I was ensconced at the Clarendon Hotel, Blackheath. I had travelled in stages to London, via Carlisle, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness Edinburgh and Leeds. I had travelled to Edinburgh on scheduled service trains, where after an overnight stay, took my First Class seat on the final run of an H.S.T. Inter City 125 train, restored faithfully in its entirety to 1970s Blue/Grey livery. As this train, now a spectacular museum piece, rolled into Edinburgh’s Waverley Station, it looked brand new both inside and out. This was a fabulous trip, and unknown to me at the time (apart from coming home after Christmas) my last train ride in the U.K., that is, until the pandemic has subsided.
InvernessInverness Edinburgh
The term “social distancing ” was one I was not familiar with back then. But it is mentioned in an earlier movie “Contagion” the plot-line of which has many parallels to how 2020 would turn out.
The year which comes to a close in eight days was not all bad, but world-wide, it has been unpredictably different, and for very many, not nice at all. I count myself very fortunate, that apart from the irritations of enforced restrictions, new legislation and a continual fear of inadvertently contracting Covid 19, the most major impact has been merely a curtailment of my travel plans. But, I do miss the normality we all took for granted a year ago. However, I did enjoy the unexpected opportunities the various lockdowns and restrictions created. It was good to explore the local countryside which previously, I had only driven through. And we had lots of good weather.
Just as I predicted, it seems that some kind of trade deal has, at long last, been agreed between the U.K. and Europe, “just in the nick of time”. No doubt, our revered prime minister will be hailed a hero for his determination and unwavering efforts. Sorry, I don’t “buy any of this”. But, I am thankful, it seems, that this particular saga is over, even if there maybe plenty more “cliff-hangers” to come in the New Year.
The winter solstice has now passed, Saturn slips away from its “Great Conjunction” with Jupiter. Gradually, the daylight lengthens and before long, we shall be lamenting the passage of the Summer solstice which right now, seems such a long way off. I am optimistic, because I remember my father as somewhat the opposite. It’s cold now, but there will be warm days to come!
I just have to avoid this pandemic like the plague, and may be, just may be, I can enjoy renewed confidence when life returns to a more familiar normality.
What a disappointment! The closest observable Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn was way back in 1226, 794 years ago. (1623 is recorded as the last closest Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, but apparently, not able to be seen). Last night, Sunday, the skies were clear enough to be able to discern a bright Jupiter and the pin-prick image of Saturn as the two planets appeared to very gradually draw closer. Tonight, at around 5 o’clock, the heavenly bright light was not visible from Harpur Hill; North Derbyshire just isn’t the place for winter gazing into the night sky. I did look out, but saw nothing through the mist and cloud cover, all of which I understand will be gone tomorrow!
It seems the virus has mutated to something more contagious. I always understood that the Covid-19 was as contagious as it was possible to be. Now 40 countries refuse any form of transport/travel from the U.K. Are we the only country where this “thing” has mutated? Thankfully, I have no real reason to venture far from home, and with care, should still be able to avoid most risks. I still plan to go to Church on Christmas Day and join Roger for a celebratory meal in the afternoon.
Much to my surprise, I received a hand-delivered communication from the Friends of Buxton Station requesting anecdotes of my Railway career. This would presumably join other such accounts from former colleagues. I am always a little reluctant to commit my recollections to paper, but will submit some kind of an offering which I hope will be of some interest.
Another day draws to a close. On YouTube, a magnificent Advent service from Lincoln Cathedral provides a wonderful alternative to the junk on offer by the usual T.V. channels. The music and singing is magnificent, and flawless, even with occasional weird descants and unfamiliar words to “Hills of the North Rejoice”! The wonders of modern technology, and now a similar service, from Durham Cathedral begins. I have been to neither Durham nor Lincoln Cathedral, but St. John’s, Buxton has associations with Durham. We are extraordinarily fortunate in Buxton to have such talented choristers and musicians, and the annual candle lit Advent and Christmas services at St. John’s.
Perhaps I was a little unfair to the “usual channels”. Tonight, BBC4 had a most interesting documentary entitked “Charles Dickens’s Invention of Christmas”. My only gripe was one of the presenters flicking through, ungloved, priceless 19th century books and magazines as I would flick through a present day magazine at the dentist’s! This happens a lot on the telly, along with frequent misuse of the word “unique” coupled incorrectly with an adjective. Such an error at school would have generated deserved rebuke from my excellent English teacher.
All of a sudden, midnight is but 21 minutes away. I shall finish watching Durham Cathedral’s Advent service and then “hit the hay”.
The week leading up to the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, looking back, seems unremarkable, uneventful and perhaps, uninspiring. That doesn’t mean to say it was a bad week, except that, for many, the week did end badly. I, along with numerous others had great misgivings about the five day relaxation of the Covid 19 rules during Christmas. I learn today that the mutated form of the virus which is now getting everyone in a spin, has been known about since September! Brilliant!
I wasn’t expecting to make it for Eucharist at Christ Church, Burbage at 9.30 this morning. Yesterday, I had started watching (on recommendation) the Netflix series, The Queen’s Gambit. It was so good that I watched (and enjoyed) all seven episodes until 1am, and then, had a good deep sleep, as ever, interrupted by the usual trips to the bathroom, and several strange dreams, one being about an imminent explosion on the London Underground I was trying to avoid – which I did, by waking up and going to the loo!
However, I wasn’t late for church. Outside, it felt much colder than the 4 – 5 degrees Celsius; a strong breeze was blowing, and after the service, we stood (socially distanced) near an illuminated Christmas tree, adorned with numerous names of those no longer with us. I was ill-prepared to stand in the cold as each name was read out. Three quarters of the way into this commemoration, I started to feel the effects of the cold, and wondered how the rest of us were coping. These days, Anglican worship feels more like a work-out with the frequent alternating between standing and sitting or kneeling. This was particularly noticeable when resuming attending church after my heart operation, now, just over three and a half years ago. And, it is three years ago, this month, that I wrote my first blog. While it’s hard to locate right now, I do hope that it has not disappeared forever.
At last, the roofer came yesterday to fix, once and for all, the leaking carport roof and thus, negate the damp problem in the kitchen/diner. Heavy rains during the week had wet the carport floor after water had ingressed through the roof and down the side of the house, discolouring paintwork on some items displayed on that wall. Another heavy downpour last night proved that some further work was needed, although today, I could see no further problem.
I suspect the week ahead may be much as any other, except that Friday is Christmas Day. The government have, reduced the five day relaxation of Covid restrictions to just one day in a last minute quest to limit the spread of this still prevalent virus, which is developing into a more contagious form. The south of England and London are now in a new Tier 4 which is more or less like a new period of lockdown.
Tomorrow at around 5pm, Saturn (eleven times further away from the Sun) will appear nearly on top of Jupiter (six times further away from the Sun), giving the impression of an unusually bright light in the heavens. (The Great Conjunction). Earlier tonight, Saturn was invisible to the naked eye, but was discernible through binoculars. As darkness continued to fall, it was just possible to see Saturn above Jupiter, slightly “top-left”. Jupiter (The Bringer of Joĺlity) shone out before any other planet or star could be discerned in the dusk sky.
This evening, St. John’s held its traditional candle-lit Carol service. It was magnificent, even if there was a surfeit of modern interpretations of well known carols. I might not be overly keen, but these unusual versions do deserve to be afforded public performance, and on more than just one occasion.
Candle-lit Christmas at St. John’s
Because of the pandemic, singing by the congregation in the Church remains prohibited. However, St. John’s wriggled through a loop-hole, allowing the congregation to join in the final carol, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”…..outside in the Churchyard, provided we were all socially distanced. It worked! In these days of a spoiled Christmas, just for a few glorious moments, and thanks to the heavens not opening up, the congregation was able to join the choir outside the church building for the final carol, creating a brief but wonderful extra Christmas ambiance.
“Hark the Herald…”
Happy Christmas folks, and thanks for reading, David 20.00hrs 20/12/20.
Saturday was one of those days, disappointingly wet and featureless, after an extremely pleasant and sunny Friday, the day before. I did watch the final two episodes of The Stranger, and have to disagree with some of the reviews of that final episode. I suppose with “not everything concluding “nicely”, this might have been frustrating, but I am left looking forward to a future series when we shall see “what happens next”. By the time Series 2 comes out, I will have forgotten about it anyway. I continued with various jobs around the house, prepared food as required, and cleared up afterwards. Being in the mood for some heavy-ish classical music, I trawled YouTube for some weary inspiration. I had already located an excellent performance of Mahler’s 5th Symphony which I managed to “lose’ part way through the Adagio, fiddling with the “remote”! However, I came across an almost best ever Pictures at an Exhibition, the Ravel orchestration, live, complete with encores. Wonderful! especially a “best-ever” Great Gate of Kiev which was raised to new heights as this final movement journeyed towards its triumphant finale. A couple of renditions of A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, another favourite, continued my ill-thought out programme of music for Saturday night; I concluded, watching archive footage of the Halle Orchestra under the baton of Sir John Barbirolli. Seeing a small part of the inside of the now demolished Free Trade Hall in Manchester revived wonderful memories of parents who would take me to these concerts as a “special treat”. No Christmas cards were written on Saturday.
Yesterday, Sunday, was even more wet and miserable than the day before. I had overslept but just managed to make it to St. Mary’s before the start of the morning Eucharist at 10.30. However, like the previous Sunday, the day didn’t start well. This time, I had forgotten my mandatory face mask, as well as, I would discover once inside the church, my glasses! Thankfully, St. Mary’s had spare new face masks, so I didn’t have to be turned away. Being Father Keith’s farewell service in the Parish of Buxton, the church had its maximum congregation social distancing would allow, and although I had booked in advance, I was shown to the last available seat, at the side of the pulpit from where I could see absolutely nothing! It’s ironic. When Fr.Keith arrived in Buxton, I was very late for his induction at St. John’s in 2013, having come straight from work. There was some food left over, however!
Roger came over for Sunday lunch, this time prepared by the Tradesman’s Entrance on the Market Place. This proved to be magnificent. Unfortunately, my idea of keeping the desserts (fruit crumble) warm in the oven was not quite so intelligent…they were just edible after losing their caucasian colouring somewhat!
I finished writing the main batch of Christmas cards last night.
Today, following a reasonable but intermittent sleep, I was awake just before 9am. I had cleared up the previous evening. I shall venture into town, post the cards I have written, and hopefully, the roofer will come to fix the carport and hopefully prevent further damp undermining part of the interior decoration of the kitchen-diner.
One question remains; will we come out of Tier 3 on Wednesday? It would be nice!
Once again, SEASONAL GREETINGS, David, 10.21hrs, 14/12/20.
” I hate to put it to you” announced Dave Cousins at a Strawbs concert in the Buxton Opera House not so many years ago, “There are just 30 shopping days to Christmas!” (30 is a rough guess, I think that concert was in November).
And this year, despite all the “warnings” Christmas Day this year is in just two weeks. I have had tons of time to prepare, but this year, just like any other, I remain ill-prepared.
The week started much as any other in November, cold grey and damp and more or less stayed that way, with bits of mist swirling around intermittently throughout the week until Thursday. I was far from interested in going walking at the end of the week, if cold winds were going to blow, and the dampness continue.
I did get to write and send a number of Christmas cards. And today, Friday 11th December, blue skies made their first appearance this week. The previous Sunday had also been mild. Today, I did feel like walking even if somewhat out of shape. Roger joined me for a return trip to the Goyt Valley where we retraced our earlier steps of the summer to the Whaley Bridge end of Burbage Tunnel closed to railway traffic as far back as c1893. It was slightly chilly but far from unpleasant, as the pictures I enclose show.
This remote countryside is less than fifteen minutes’ drive from home.
Before going to bed tonight, I shall watch a further episode of “The Stranger” on Netflix. This version was filmed in and around Manchester and Stockport; the local setting not detracting from a good story set originally, in New Jersey. Best watched at 1am! I have just read some of the reviews which tell me the final episode (8) is disappointing….great! I shall enjoy the final two episodes tomorrow.
For whatever reason last night, I found it hard to concentrate for any appreciable length of time. The cloak of fatigue had descended prematurely, and, if I had “used my loaf”, I would have gone to bed equally prematurely.
Rather than wash up, I shoved all the used cutlery and crockery into the dish washer which will now be loaded ready to go in a day or so. But, at around 10.15 last night, although tired out, I didn’t feel like “getting my head down” quite yet. The news channels wittered on about Covid and Brexit (it’s hard to tell the difference), and the rest of what was on offer was of little or no interest. But now, with my fancy Sky package, I can access anything I want to watch or listen to, from Mahler to the Patti Smith Group, or, watch a train journey over the Cromford and High Peak line. I have yet to “type in” Manchester Corporation buses, my very first interest as an infant!
So, last night, I adjusted the ear pod headphones, and typed in one of the first tracks I played as a D.J. in the late 1970s, “Because the Night” by the Patti Smith Group. I found five different renditions including the studio version which was once part of my record collection. Mixed in there was a performance by the still lovely Joan Baez, singing the Dire Straits anthem “Brothers in Arms”. This hour of musical indulgence straggled midnight as, without disturbing the neighbours, I was “blown away” not only by the music, but, with the ingenious technology to make all this possible.
Buxton this Saturday morning and, snow-covered hills seen from the end of our lane.
The mellow tones of last night’s “play-list” seemed to lull me into a good sleep, and for a second time, this morning, I awoke disgustingly late. I needed to go into Buxton primarily to send a parcel across the north Atlantic, and buy further Christmas bits, as well as binders in which to insert my collection listings. There were plenty of people in town, obviously busy preparing for Christmas. I am never ready for this time of year, but I am trying to make an effort.
This afternoon, I arrived home and heated up some tomato soup (not the tinned variety), lightly buttered two pieces of wholemeal bread, and settled in front of the TV where I had found a stunning performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony. It is rather like bi-polar disorder set to music. I have loved this work ever since my elder sister introduced me to it while I was still at Primary School. And the performance with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra (which I never heard of), conducted by Claudio Abbado lifts this already overwhelming work to a new level. Thus, I am leaving the remaining four movements to later tonight.
Although cool, around 3 degrees Celsius, there is little or no wind, and it is pleasant outside. Annoyingly, the cafes have to remain closed, and thus I have to prepare my own meals, which means staying at home. With luck, tomorrow will also be nice. Our local pub does excellent take-away Sunday lunches. I shall avail myself of one of these. I am booked to attend Eucharist at Christ Church Burbage tomorrow morning. If I over sleep a third day, I may well not make it. One week after Advent Sunday, because all churches were closed due to the pandemic, St. John’s are celebrating Advent tomorrow evening. Behind the scenes, the Parish are working “flat-out” to make the best of an unprecedented situation this Christmas.
Time to prepare a late lunch, and hopefully start on the Christmas cards!
Thanks for reading, David, Saturday 5th December 2020, 15.38hrs.
2020 is commonly referred to as e.g. The Lost Year, The worst year Ever, etc etc. I was lucky; for anybody stumbling across this blog for the first time…I spent almost the first three months of this year on a cruise ship, dodging the Covid bullet until a slightly premature arrival at Southampton on 27th March (Day 1). The U.K. had been in lockdown for three days, and the journey home was eerily quiet. We weren’t allowed to travel more than walking distance from home, save for essential shopping, and other “exemptions”. Traffic on the roads was possibly at 1950s levels; it wasn’t quite safe enough to walk along the middle of the A6! But, the quietness was deafening as nature seemed to “continue where it had left off” centuries ago. It was all “rather nice” but, of course, simultaneously catastrophic for very very many.
Friday 4th December.
As the week drew to a close, it felt much colder, and the snow arrived, a small amount yesterday and a more substantial drop during today. But this is nothing like the snows of 1981 when it was not uncommon at the beginning of December for snow “up to the knee-caps”.
I slept well last night, apart from from a few necessary “bathroom visits”, then, eventually waking up at a very satisfactory twenty minutes past nine! But I had no inclination to venture into town to join in the festive retail therapy. Instead, I relaxed in my nice warm house, watching the first snow of winter stick to the ground outside.
Yesterday, I called in at the Parish Office, and as usual, was made welcome with a cup of Earl Grey tea. While there, I booked my place at seven church services during December. However, I shall give the First Communion of Christmas a miss, only because it straggles midnight, and these days, I am pretty tired after 10pm.
We are now out of lockdown, but where I live has now been placed in Tier 3, which is almost as restrictive. Shops are open , but hotels, restaurants and bars remain closed. All this is being reviewed on 16th December and with the current fall in new cases, High Peak may well be placed in the less restrictive Tier 2 which does allow restaurants, bars and hotels to operate under strict regulations.
Being over 70 years old, I have to be more careful, and thus, keep away from crowded areas, public transport and events. It is very strange; for the first time, as far back as I can remember, I have not travelled on a U.K. train for almost a year, the last time being from London Euston to Macclesfield after having visited family in London over Christmas. I stayed at a favourite hotel, The Clarendon at Blackheath; I can still recommend this place. Their curry at dinner is magnificent, and breakfast, too.
Now that a vaccine against Coronavirus has been approved, it feels as if there is “light at the end of the tunnel”. We have just one further obstacle to negotiate, i.e. the final severance of the U.K. from the E.U., with or without a “deal”. This news item seems to have (maybe just for today) usurped Covid from the top news slot. Either way, the news has me switching to either YouTube or Netflix for some much needed escapism.
Thanks for reading, David, 21.36hrs 4th December 2020.
David's Cruise 