valentine's day

having remembered the day for once, i cycled off from putney towards nine elms, pointing my smug grin into the freezing wind & popping in to my favourite paper shop, not far from the battersea dogs home

an odd-couple of long-since overgrown school kids, hopelessly addicted to laughter, hang out there in the early hours, & he'd forgotten the formalities occasioned by the calendar

from what she was telling him, as i was leaving carrying my guardian & peppermints, this may the last chance anyone might get to see him in public for some considerable time ...

the mystery prism 

prism

i bought this prism twenty years ago in a junk shop in malmesbury

the shop was run by a great character called john kadwell

no-one has explained what the prism was designed for

can you ?

im afraid the background is a little disturbing

the one and only ellen ROSE forward 

the nicest kind of journey

i took a train to wiltshire where my daughter ellen rose cooked a real good lunch & presented me with a fine porcelain bluebird

here they are