Snowy Durham

Bright winter sun...

...lighting up the Cathedral!

Who do these strange prints belong to? (in the back garden!)

...not this strange beast!

100 things...

The BBC's list of 100 things we didn't know this time last year is an amusing look at some of the trivia plucked from the news this past year.
I especially enjoyed learning that 1 in 18 people has a third nipple (#78) and Croydon has more CCTV cameras than New York (#91), plus many other exciting bits of information that will no doubt enrich my life...

I'm tempted to start my own list!

It was Beauty...

...who killed the Beast.

Beautiful girl, brave hero, a creepy fog, a shipwreck, scary natives, a T-Rex or three, giant centipedes, stampeding dinosaurs, man swallowed by giant eel, a car chase, jungles (real and urban), slapstick, romance, tragedy...oh, and a giant ape!

King Kong was excellent fun!

If only we all had heroic writers and furry apes...she didn't even lose a heel!

From the summer..!

I've finally retrieved some Canada photos that I'd thought I'd lost!

The Widow and the King

I've just finished reading 'The Widow and the King', a Christmas present from Leo and the sequel to a book we both enjoyed in the summer, 'The Cup of the World' by John Dickinson.

As in the first book, I was caught up in the dark storyline and the strength of the characterisation. There are no good guys or bad in this world, just individuals caught up in events bigger than themselves, whether they be enemies become friends, friends acting in foolishness, or the simply self-serving. The characters drive the story here, bringing real surprises. And this is no lightweight children's fantasy, there is death and betrayal aplenty, and some genuinely fearful moments.

The book's protagonist, the Prince Under the Sky is a chilling enemy and trickster, subtle and masterful. He brings treachery and despair, but is ultimately powerless to act without his servants. He acts to deceive, offering choices where none exist, and demanding a price for power. As Ambrose discovers, even the truth he tells is lies, lies...

What appears at the outset to be a simple fantasy novel, is full of memorable ideas and imagery - favourites in this sequel are 'the Doubting Moon' and the protecting ring of white stones. The novel is woven throughout with explicit themes of power and evil, Kingship and Law. I was also struck by the boy's all-too-real struggle with forgiveness and justice.

My favourite moment in the book comes towards the end. Ambrose has forgiven the traitor, to the surprise of all:

'What?' barked Aun. 'You're going to save him? Let him go?'
'Save him?' cried Ambrose. And he jabbed his finger at Aun as if to pin him against the courtyard wall. 'I'm saving you!'

Christmas Eve Adventures

This should have been posted before the previous entry, but never mind!

Christmas Eve was a day out in London for the Millers. Mum had booked us a tour of the Thames Tunnel by tube which made for an unusual start to Christmas Eve!

The Curator of the Brunel Museum took our tour...a small man with a voice loud enough to speak over a tube train, but with a irritatingly small amount of stock phrases, uttered with huge enthusiasm but nevertheless starting to grate after the 20th or 30th time: "Welcome To The The 8th Wonder of the World!" "This is the Oldest Tunnel of the Oldest Stretch of Line in the Oldest Underground Railway System in the World!" "It's the First Tunnel Under a River Anywhere in the World!" etc etc.

The story of the Thames Tunnel is actually an amazing story, full of engineering triumphs and disasters, 19th Century politics and public-relations genius, such as the banquet in the half-finished tunnel. It is Isambard Kingdom Brunel's first public engineering project and paved the way for the London Underground. The tunnel has had a colourful history - including some time as "The First Underground Shopping Arcade!" but it's now part of the East London Line - thus the 'tour by tube'.

From our underground adventures we continued South, getting as far as Decathlon - the sports superstore at Surrey Quays. It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without some last minute shopping! As we left, the Sun was setting dramatically above the high rises...




Early evening found us on the South Bank and admiring the London Eye, as ever! The Golden Jubilee Bridges at the Hungerford are also a favourite.


We crossed the River and made our way up to Trafalgar Square for the Christmas Carol Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields. It had a slightly surreal quality to it, being recorded by BBC Radio for their Christmas morning service on Radio 4, but nevertheless some great carols and an excellent excuse for being out and about in a dark and festive London!

Barbecued Turkey a Success!

Yesterday certainly had its surreal moments. Pass-the-parcel at church, a bear to dinner, dad with a blow torch and the aforementioned turkey..

Christmas morning started off in much the same way as ever, opening my stocking. Santa had brought me a slinky, some sour worms and a pair of polka-dotted girls' boxers...it made an interesting start to the day!

Some theology books and new pjamas later and we were off to church. It couldn't be worse than last year, we reassured ourselves. In fact, it was very much better. It was about as far away from a traditional Christmas service as you could imagine and probably the most informal church service I have ever been a part of (but then that's what C-brook does best..)

We walked into a room lively with people greeting each other and children everywhere. 'Celebrate good times, come on!' was playing on speakers and it seemed appropriate for the mood of the morning! What followed was a cheerful and eclectic mix of celebration and earnest message. We were treated to a dance, an 8-instrument rendition of Away in a Manger from the kids, the shortest nativity ever (on PP- nicely done!), a game of pass-the-parcel-with-a-message, a drama/dialogue on the meaning of Christmas, and a prayer for us to 'take this gift home'. All led by a family of 6 - the four girls doing an impressive job taking us through the craziness of the morning.


Christmas Lunch was a little more complicated than usual, due to a broken oven. Veg was boiled and microwaved, but the turkey found a new home in the barbecue!


Lunch was attended by a most distinguished visitor, Grandpa Bear. He came dressed for the occasion and in good Christmas cheer.

Leo is regaled with stories of past glories...

"What do you call a polar bear wearing ear muffs..?"


Dad took the opportunity to try out his new present - the kitchen blow torch! We stood back, but the turkey wasn't so lucky...

Home thoughts

There's something about coming home to Ilford that makes my 'normal' Durham life just feel like a dream, though of course a good one! I feel detached from the events of only a few days ago, as if they happened to someone else. There's something about fitting into old patterns, and being around people who've known you a long time, which tends to bring out the best and the worst. I'm definitely in post-term collapse as well, which does reduce me to getting through the here and now, and in lowest gear..

What's been interesting this time home has been re-discovering yet again that life here is not where I left it. It's always slightly odd to return home and find that things have changed here as much as things have changed for me in Durham - I expect things to still be the same! At a party here this evening the people I knew were a minority. 3 or 4 people had arrived before someone whose name I knew arrived at the door! I'm glad that my family are busy in their lives and meeting new people, but it's a 'double-take' experience for me each time.

Since I was last home there have been big changes in the garden especially. Dad has built his new shed and it's all shiny new wood planking still. It looks amazing - I'll put up some pictures soon! And it appears massive, although it's a bit of an illusion because it's very wide but not very deep. All in all, I'm impressed and proud to look at it and say 'my dad made this!'

We had the opening ceremony this evening. Everyone came outside and an old friend of dad's cut the ribbon and let everyone in for a 'tour'! The Miller Bear was keeping guard outside, dressed in a santa costume.. looking as marvellous as ever.

On the cover of Time Mag

Interesting choices...TIME Magazine has named Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates as their Persons of the Year. The articles are well worth a read (although you'll have to look at an advertisment before they let you at them!), and include a fascinating look at the political influence of Bono. I was intrigued to read about the relationship between the three of them and the way they're able to use their combined talents and resources as leverage in the sphere of global health.

Christmas Quiz!

Hey folks - have a go at these Christmas questions. Something for everyone I hope!

Answers on a postcard comment..


1. How much older than Jesus is John the Baptist?

2. Who told Mary and Joseph to go to Bethlehem?

3. What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph?

4. When did baby Jesus cry?
a) when He opened the wise men's gifts
b) whenever babies usually cried
c) when the cattle started lowing
d) "No crying He makes"

5. Just what is a "heavenly host"?
a) an angelic choir
b) the welcoming angel in heaven
c) an army of angels
d) none of the above

6. In which carol can you find the following example of animal neglect:
“The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind”

7. What happened eight days after Jesus' birth?

8. What does Jesus’ name mean?

9. When is the feast of St Stephen?

10. In which carol will you find a rude wind’s wild lament?

11. What colour are the petals of a Poinsettia?

12. What are these carols normally known as?
a) Arrival Time: 2400 hrs - Weather: Cloudless
b) Loyal Followers Advance
c) Delight for this Planet
d) Give Attention to the Melodious Celestial Beings

13. What does Mariah Carey want for Christmas?

14. Where was Saint Nicholas born?

15. Who was Scrooge's dead business partner in "A Christmas Carol"?

16. How many sides does a snowflake have?

17. According to the carol, what type of pudding should we bring you?

18. What is 'A Visit from St Nicholas' often known as?

19. Reindeer are wrongly depicted on Christmas cards, at least for this time of year. Why?

20. What did Harry Potter get for Christmas in his first term at Hogwarts?

By their eyebrows you shall know them...

Here's a little photo competition for Kings people.. can you guess who these eyes belong to? (clue: they're all people we know and love!)
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Delirious?

Whitby

Miller's Amusements


Tourists and fishing


Gorgeous December sunshine


Seymour and frog



Seymour...?


James is frustrated that the Abbey gates are locked..


Whalebone arch


St Mary's




Seymour is surprised by the sudden appearance of Daleks on Whitby Pier

PMQs

On the BBC website you can watch the first clash between Tony Blair and David Cameron, the new leader of the Conservative Party. Prime Minister's Question Time is always one of the most watchable and entertaining parts of politics - and this interaction is no exception. The first 6 minutes are well worth a watch..

BTW - if you're wondering why TB's first response is brushed off so quickly, it's because a Backbench MP's first question must be pre-tabled (the standard question is to ask the PM to list his engagements for the day) but he or she is then allowed to ask a 'supplementary' question on any topic they like...

Festive Feast

Christmas Dinner for 14!


Chris P studies the Funday Times


A new sport


...with After Eights?


Post-lunch napping