Buried Treasure, Blunt Instrument, and Rodents of Unusual Size

A very muddy concrete trough approximately 25 by 25 by 100cm, lying among green grass and weeds, with a somewhat muddy trowel in it, leaning against one corner.

Behold my buried treasure! While preparing for the demolition of a derelict shed, I found a corner of something concrete in the ground nearby. Hoping very much it wasn’t more concrete slab to need demolishing, I dug (with trowel, shown above for scale) and behold! it was a concrete trough, which last saw the light of day…sometime between 10 and 80 years ago. Having extricated it (with aforementioned trowel, spade, and crowbar) I plan to transfer it to the front garden and use it as a combination planter and miniature retaining wall.

Interesting Times

Edward II died in 1327 in a Most Unpleasant Way – or did he? The history books state that he died at Berkeley Castle on the 21st of September. His son started spreading the news two days later, having received a letter from Thomas de Berkeley (baron of Berkeley Castle) which, in Parliament three years later, the said Thomas de Berkeley denied ever sending. Whether Edward II died or not, then or not, there or not, a red hot poker was almost certainly not involved.

Continue & Comment

The Aargh of Shoes

Some people enjoy shoe shopping, and who knows? I might be one of them, if there was any chance of me actually finding what I am looking for. It has been about seven years since I last found a suitable pair of footwear in a shop, and even those were one size too large (but since they’re boots, I tend to wear them with thicker socks anyway, so it works).

What I want is not, I would have thought, excessive or unreasonable. What I want is only one pair of Just Right shoes: a plain neat pair of brown leather shoes in size 5 1/2.

Sibyllas bruna sko - Livrustkammaren - 75398
My favourite shoe shop’s nearest equivalent (aside from the Ideal Pair which briefly appeared in only one width: narrower than most), was a clunky pair of broad-soled shoes in brown leather and purple snakeskin with neon orange stitching and laces. I am tempted to suspect that this may have something to do with why they are now in the hands of administrators.

Continue & Comment

A Challenge from the Past

My wardrobe, now tidy
When someone steals another’s clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.
Basil the Great