Through a glass darkly – 126

The BBC are pushing the boat out this week for the 80th anniversary of D-Day; the biggest opposed military landing in history. There are reconstructions every night this week, with live broadcasts from Portsmouth and from Normandy on Wednesday and Thursday. And a variety of D-Day films. My abiding memory of The Longest Day isContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 126”

Through a glass darkly – 125

Clearing out So, we are busy clearing stuff out in anticipation of selling the house and moving to a retirement apartment in Hexham.  [Spoiler alert: We won’t move to Hexham, but it was the only thing that McCarthy and Stone could offer when I looked on their website for a retirement apartment in or aroundContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 125”

Through a glass darkly – 124

Back to school again With hindsight I may have over-invested in the 60 Years On reunion down at CH. It was a long way down and back on the train, and involved two nights in a modest but friendly hotel in Horsham. For what was in truth a modest event: mid-morning gathering for coffee;  aContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 124”

Through a glass darkly – 122

Leaving Grenoble For Good Friday evening we had a Tenebrae service in the smaller chapel in the Centre St Marc. About twenty people came, for a service largely put together by David Bailey. It was a sober, thoughtful time in the semi-darkness, a selection of short readings and music culminating with Allegri’s Miserere. On SaturdayContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 122”

Through a glass darkly – 121

Grenoble Our time here in Grenoble is already drawing to a close. Susie returns to Edinburgh later this week, on Thursday morning. Craig and the girls will arrive in Edinburgh late on [Good] Friday, in time for the memorial event for Craig’s sister, Linsey, which will be held over in Fife on Saturday afternoon. IContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 121”

Through a glass darkly – 119

[un]Pop-Cons Tories want war chalked on the brickwork of a railway bridge is my first ‘political’ memory. The bridge was opposite Southfields station on the London Underground. It was probably the 1950 election. And the war reference may [or may not] have related to Korea. That memory is triggered by the launch of a newContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 119”

Through a glass darkly – 118

2B or not 2B ? We got home from Chantilly, but only just. Air France asked us to check in the day before we left, and download our boarding passes. Their website told us to scan our passports and a QR code. Which I couldn’t do. I am old enough to think that scanning isContinue reading “Through a glass darkly – 118”