Here’s the video in case you need a sound guide https://youtu.be/hqbS7O9qIXE When a humble bardGraced a ride alongWith Geralt of RiviaAlong came this song From when the White Wolf foughtA silver-tongued devilHis army of elvesAt his hooves did they revel They came after meWith masterful deceitBroke down my luteAnd they kicked in my teethWhile the … Continue reading Valley of Plenty – Hand Washing Guide
LBC Reference
Harrogate – Agatha Christie
FINALLY managed to visit The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate a few weekends back. For Agatha Christie fans - this is the location of her mysterious ‘disappearance’ back in 1926 for 11 days. For a fuller version of the story, click HERE The story goes that in late 1926, Agatha’s husband Archie revealed that he … Continue reading Harrogate – Agatha Christie
NOTE – Rearranged White Swan Book Club due to the weather
Due to Storm Ciara, I’ve decided to rearranged our #LBCWSwan. No point in people travelling unnecessarily while the winds are up! Instead of meeting tonight, we will meet next Sunday, the 16th to discuss Melmoth by Sarah Perry.
Irish Eyes – Poets and Writers
On a recent trip home, I popped into the National Library and spotted this beauty. The painting is by the Danish artist, Claus Havemann. He has worked out of a studio in Cork for almost forty years. Who's who? The writers and poets shown in the painting: Samuel Beckett, Molly Keane, James Joyce, Seamus Heaney, … Continue reading Irish Eyes – Poets and Writers
FILM – Alive Inside
Did you know that 850000 people in the UK are living with a form of Dementia? And that's due to rise to 1 million by 2020, increasing to 2 million by 2050? Because - while I was aware that the numbers are high and that we're an aging population - I hadn't joined up the … Continue reading FILM – Alive Inside
Reminder – White Swan Book Club is next week
Not tonight. This is to facilitate New Years and getting back into the swing of things!
PICTURES – Douglas Coupland – Slogans for the 21st Century
Spotted these on the Guardian - HERE - and had to look them up. Douglas Coupland - do visit his website, it's a bit of a delight - is a Canadian author, designer and artist that I've been semi-aware of for years (he wrote Generation X: Tales for an accelerated Culture, JPod and Highly Inappropriate … Continue reading PICTURES – Douglas Coupland – Slogans for the 21st Century
National Poetry Day
The theme for this year is 'Truth' No Second Troy BY William Butler Yeats Why should I blame her that she filled my days With misery, or that she would of late Have taught to ignorant men most violent ways, Or hurled the little streets upon the great, Had they but courage equal to desire? What … Continue reading National Poetry Day
Our August and September Reads
For White Swan 11th August - The Silence of the Girls - Pat Barker 8th September - All the birds in the sky - Charlie Jane Anders For Horsforth 14th August - An Unwanted Guest - Shari Lapena 11th September - Factfulness - Why things are better than you think - Hans Rosling
BLOG – Happy St Swithuns/Swithins Day
How how I lived here for so long and not known that there was a British groundhog day?!?!? From Wikipedia: The name of Swithun is best known today for a British weather lore proverb, which says that if it rains on St. Swithun's day, 15 July, it will rain for 40 days. St Swithun's day if thou … Continue reading BLOG – Happy St Swithuns/Swithins Day
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