Walking in the countryside part 1

As part of my summer holiday this year, I wanted to do something different. So, I’m on a walking holiday. We’re based in a hotel and every day there are a choice of four walks: short easier, easier, medium and harder. I chose the easier walk today, which was just right to get me used to walking again. I was blessed to be walking with some very experienced and knowledgable people, and I learnt a lot about the local area, words and trees. Here are some highlights:

 

This is St. James’, the Church in Clapton-on-the-Hill. The village is small (about 90 residents) but very beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We noticed the gate leading into the churchyard was made of horseshoes.

 

Those I was walking with were particularly interested in the trees and fruit trees that we passed. I think they all make their own jam, go blackberry picking and so on. As we walked along, I decided to photograph the plants as they talked about them, so I could remember what they looked like.

The picture to the left is a rowan tree, complete with berries.

These are crab apples. Apparently there is some folk lore associated with these. If you have the pips and are sitting infront of a fire with your sweetheart, throw the pip into the fire. The result will tell you how passionate your relationship is.

We saw lots of these today, but I don’t think they are ripe yet.

These are sloes. According to my guides, these look ripe, but are not yet. They are apparently quite tart in taste. The best use of them is to make sloe gin, which a friend of mine does, and it tastes really good.

 

As well as these, we saw damsons, blackberries, plums and tomatoes. We also looked at trees and their leaves, which I will leave for another post.

Here is the Windrush river…

What I learnt today (or yesterday)

• Only 3% of street robberies in London were solved using CCTV images
  The most common argument I have heard for CCTV is that it is a deterrent – people are less likely to commit crime for fear of being caught. I have remained sceptical – but this statistic seems ridiculous! Found via The Anchoress.

• Since learning about 20th Century history in school, I’ve been of the opinion that a more socialist government is a good thing. I generally don’t agree with the Conservative Party. But then, I haven’t really agreed with the Labour Party since they’ve been in power (which is really all I’ve known of them). Which leads me to ask the question – have I been had?Also via The Anchoress, I came across this post about the collapse of some American financial institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (from the Grouchy Old Cripple in Atlanta). What intrigued me is the video, which outlines who noticed the potential for collapse, the action they tried to take and the obstacles in their way.

• I don’t know what I want, what I really, really want. Should I? Madonna syndrome: I should have ditched feminism for love, children and baking via Jennifer Roback Morse.

• WALL-E captured my imagination completly when I watched it today – just through the animation and the words ‘WALL-E’ and ‘EVE’. Amazing.

Witness to Life

There has been a lot in the media in recent days about Jade Goody. The former Big Brother contestant has been suffering from cancer for the past while (I want to say the past year?) and has now been given  two months to live.

I admire Jade for her courage in facing this situation in public. I found this video on the Critical Studies in Television website, which highlights the positive impact this story is already causing:

The increase in awareness of cervical cancer is a good thing, especially the uptake in tests.

However, what has struck me the most is Jade’s decision as to what to do next. With two months to live, the things that have been reported in the media as the things that Jade will do be to get married, to spend time with her children and to provide for her children by having them Christened and earning money for them.

Wow. To get married and to have her children Christened.

Today, the Chartered Management Institute publish a guide for employers now that religious discrimation cases are on the rise. The mainstream media often seems hostile to religion and religious practices, often promoting the negative or the extremist viewpoints. And yet, here we have someone who has money and celebrity, someone motivated to act now, choosing Baptism and Marriage.

Jade Goody may be dying, but in these actions, it seems to me that she is witnessing powerfully to life.

Did you know?

Stephen’s Lighthouse linked to this today. I’d never heard of the ‘Did you know?’ series, but I was intrigued. Yes, some of the stat interpretations are a bit off, but food for thought none the less.

I’m going to think a little more on the final question before I post an answer. What do you think it all means?

Technology, entertainment and design (TED)

Came across a site new to me today called TED – Technology, Entertainment, Design. I like the tag line – Ideas worth spreading.

I poked around the site. I really like that the site contains videos of talks from TED Conferences – that the content is available freely, not hidden away or restricted, but open to be found.

I’ve only watched a couple of videos so far, but I found them really thought provoking.