Questions, questions.

This week has been one of questions, some asked of me, some I’ve been asking. And mostly, fortunately, getting answers.

At work questions were of the type “can you do this?” to which the answer was “Yes”. Fortunately what I was asked to do would all be in “the book”, so saying “yes” was not difficult.

And the book. Went to see my ex-Head of Department on Wednesday, who is not head of another business school. Getting there following the satnav would have meant swimming, as the Severn was a tad high and satnav was sending me along the river bank. Eventually got there through a very slow trafficked city centre. Great meeting, several complimentary things said about the book and the teaching methods employed. Fortunately on Tuesday I had been able to assemble the remaining bits I’d written into the main document. However when the page count suddenly shot up from 220 to 279 I realised that I’d pasted a little too much. Rectified and presented. Ex-HOD has kindly agreed to write a foreword.

Back to work on Thursday met up with a colleague for a coffee. We’d been planning this for months  for many months, but circumstances on both our parts had conspired against us. We work in adjacent buildings, so it should have been easier than it was to get together, but …

Anyway it was important that we could meet as there is a birthday today, 29th February, which makes it a bit special.

Saturday saw me finding royal memorabilia of my mum, a 1935 King George V Silver jubilee mug, 1937 coronation mug, 1952 coronation x 2 mugs, and 1952 coronation and 1977 Silver Jubilee teacups with saucers. I also found the surviving part of her doll’s tea service.

I then ventured to the caravan dealers wondering whether I could keep or exchange, the decision came to keep. I of course had to go through telling them about Sandy since we’ve been going there for ten years and have bought three caravans from them. Motorhomes are out of the question, too expensive. Then it was off to a couple of antique emporia to see if anything I found, having been in the back of the cupboard for thirty plus years, was worth anything. The answer came back “not much”, What I did find out was that the main constituents of these stores was that it was someone else’s tat dusted off with a price tag applied.

Silver Jubilee King George V and Queen Mary, 1935.

Coming home I had a brainwave. I was going to spend money on a log store so that I’m ready. However I’m taking down wood panelling and framing which I was going to recycle to kindling. The recycling has not modified to a reuse and it’ll build the log store. The cash I was going to have to spend on a store has now been spent on tools that I’ll need for other jobs.

I must get one with the minor demolition before the woodburner installers come, And buy some more boxes. What I’m going to do with them once they’re emptied I don’t know.

Music:

Elgar, Introduction and Allegro, for string quartet & string orchestra in G major, Op. 47, Royal Northern College of Music Students with the Halle Orchestra, conductor Sir Mark Elder.

Composed in 1905 and initially given a lukewarm reception, this is a masterpiece of restrained writing. The contrast between the quartet and strings is better developed here than in some of the more ‘shouty’ performances.

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