Life must be filled up

Simon of the Stuck in a Book blog has been recommending The Red House Mystery forever. I’d never read it but seeing it currently on Amazon for 76p I snapped it up.

Also available: Dr. Thorndyke’s Case Book by R. Austin Freeman and a number of his other books. Has there ever been a better time for reissues of out of print books? I think bloggers can take some credit for this.

Not my words but taken from advertisements of the 1920s. I love the blog Read, Seen, Heard for its wonderful images. Today, these superb advertisements for Steinway pianos. Scroll past the Gillette razors and enjoy!

Spitalfields Life | In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London

I've been following with interest and horror the plans by the Geffrye Museum to destroy the Marquis of Lansdowne pub. I think they were undone by that fateful comment about having 'no interest in the culture of the labouring classes'. The council has seen sense and here's a small victory for the people.

A Legendary Name Returns to England's Lineup - NYTimes.com
English cricket in the NYT via Liberal England.

If I had my own radio show, I’d play this.
The SY6: We Make Hay



I got it from Liberal England

When I have left the boat a short time the seats become intolerably hot. What luxury to bathe now! It is gloriously hot,—the first of this weather. I cannot get wet enough. I must let the water soak into me. When you come out, it is rapidly dried on you or absorbed into your body, and you want to go in again. I begin to inhabit the planet, and see how I may be naturalized at last.

From the blog of Henry David Thoreau, here. It’s pretty hot where I am, too.

10th December 1854

Weather warmer; snow softened. Saw a large flock of snow buntings (quite white against woods, at any rate), though it is quite warm. Snow-fleas in paths; first I have seen. Hear the small woodpecker’s whistle; not much else; only crows and partridges else, and chickadees. How quickly the snow feels the warmer wind! The crust which was so firm and rigid is now suddenly softened and there is much water in the road.

You can read The Blog of Henry David Thoreau every day here. We also have slightly warmer weather today. The snow has gone but there are still a few frozen lumps around.

People who’ve read The Burry Man’s Day by Catriona McPherson may be interested to see a contemporary photo of a Burry Man. It’s here on today’s entry by Spitalfields Life. I find it quite terrifying.

Like me, the writer of Liberal England watched the programme English Soul, about Steve Winwood. He points out a few things the programme makers missed. Steve Winwood will be in concert on Radio 2 tomorrow evening, Thursday. It's a date.

I'm really linking to the blog for a wonderful little film about London termini of the 1960s. You don't have to be a train buff (I'm not) to find this interesting. It lasts just under twenty minutes and has a *great* soundtrack.

There are some blogs, like Cornflower’s, which I look at every day and others which I visit occasionally. Someone who only posts about once a month would have to be very good indeed to keep me on their visitors’ list. Who knows what I’m missing out there? Here’s three current favourites.



Spitalfields Life. I’m sorry I didn’t come across this one before. The ‘gentle author’ is compiling a wonderful record of London life but also sharing a garden. What wonderful plants you can buy (and so cheap!) at the Columbia Road market. You can almost hear the centuries'-old cry, 'All a-growing and a-blowing!' Lovely photos.

Liberal England. You don't have to be a Liberal Democrat to enjoy this, because it's not just about politics. The writer likes cricket, black and white films and The Yardbirds, amongst other things. Eclectic, that’s what I like. Here’s a fun link from there, to the Daily Mail-o-matic

Read, Seen, Heard. Some fascinating images.