Blog Comments

Thanks for the photo journey.

Paulclem,

I was just about to hit the hay when your blog suddenly caught my eye. The allotments sound very much like the "Victory Gardens" promoted here in the States during WW II. The colors are wonderful as I am sure the fragrance is no less!

Thanks for sharing this. Perhaps you can employ another war effort technique and attach used shoe soles to your bike wheels.

Gilliatt

Originally Posted by The Comedian

Interesting blog, Paul. As an American, I hadn't heard of the phrase "Sent to Coventry" before. Oh and I love the pictures too -- England has such deeply rooted history that is so, ever present. I was struck by this the one time I was in you neck of the woods.

Thanks. We're very lucky as you say. Coventry isn't far from Stratford-Upon-Avon and London is an hour away on the train. I'll never forget coming out of Tower station on the underground and walking into this panorama of the Tower of London. I'd not long since been reading some historical novels in which it figured, and it brought a fantastic sense of history even though it was a busy rush hour.

Originally Posted by qimissung

A-h-h, I hadn't heard that. It was so much more interesting when I thought it referred to mayhem and death. It is still English in origin, though, right? Do you know what it does mean?

I'm not sure. i just looked it up, and it seems that the plague theory has been questioned, but there's nothing conclusive. There are different versions in different countries, so perhaps.

Originally Posted by prendrelemick

That is intresting Paul and a much better tale than the one I was told, that After Peeping Tom looked upon the naked Lady Godiva no one in Coventry would speak to him.


We visited Coventry Cathederal last year on a wet Monday and were the only visitors-so we got a guide all to ourselves, an old man who remembered the night it burned down.

Cheers. You probably noticed that the centre has a focus problem. Lots of historic bits scattered here and there. Thinking back, there was probably a lot of roadworks there too.

intend to post about the Blitz and the cathedrals at some pint.

Interesting blog, Paul. As an American, I hadn't heard of the phrase "Sent to Coventry" before. Oh and I love the pictures too -- England has such deeply rooted history that is so, ever present. I was struck by this the one time I was in you neck of the woods.

A-h-h, I hadn't heard that. It was so much more interesting when I thought it referred to mayhem and death. It is still English in origin, though, right? Do you know what it does mean?

That is intresting Paul and a much better tale than the one I was told, that After Peeping Tom looked upon the naked Lady Godiva no one in Coventry would speak to him.


We visited Coventry Cathederal last year on a wet Monday and were the only visitors-so we got a guide all to ourselves, an old man who remembered the night it burned down.

Thanks Virgil. I hope it didn't come across as too schoolteachery. Coventry is my adoptive city, and I know more about it than my own city. It is a pretty interesting place, though they haven't made the most of it in the planning of the city.

We used to think Ring o ring o roses referred to the plague, but this has been disputed, as the symptoms don't fit the plague very well according to Wikipedia.

Nursery rhymes are pretty interesting though.

Yeah, "sent to Coventry" is not an idiom that survived the trip across the ocean, sadly. I wonder why. Cheldre here still sing "ring around a rosy" and other nursery rhymes, and those are English in origin.

Interesting blog. I loved the pictures, and the saying. It's something I might tuck away in some recess of my brain and use sometime.

Thanks Paul, for the history lesson and the phrase. I've never heard "sent to Coventry" before. We don't have that here.

In a Buddhist Holy City?



I suppose they might want the relics for which the Pagoda has become a place of pilgrimmage. They are installed in the dome - or shouldn't have mentioned that?

Holy City of Birmingham
----

Sweet lord! - when did Birmingham become a Holy City?

Are you not brewing trouble for the future when factions start fighting for their "Holy City"? ;-)

Hi Virgil. It's not too far - 40-50 miles just roughly guessing from the map. Birmingham is the second city and has a good City Centre.

How wonderful Paul. That is fascinating. If ever in Birmingham I will have to do so.

Is Birmingham D.H. Lawrence country? How far is Birmingham from Eastwood? I have promised myself that one day I have to check out Lawrence's origins.

Originally Posted by BeccaT

Love the blog! Greatly amusing.

Thank you Becca

Originally Posted by qimissung

I think Jack Russell's have more energy than I could tolerate, but he sounds adorable. I'd love to visit and admire him if we lived on the same side of the pond.

As Virgil said, very well written. I was grinning the whole time I read this. Give him a pet for me, would you? And your little cat, too.

We're lucky that he likes his sleep, and gets grouchy if therdee's a lot going on in the evening and he can't get his beauty sleep.

Tenzin was a twin with our other cat Sparkle - named by my daughter - who died last year. She's half Siamese, but she had the quietish half.

Originally Posted by The Comedian

Most enjoyable blog -- as I read your vignette about your pets, I couldn't help but think that Dorje is a lot like us: making a big stand for our small kingdom. . . . gggrruff!

Agreed - he certainly does make a stand. Funnily enough he's not a morning dog, and would rather stay asleep until 10 or 11. He loves the holidays when there's no rush to walk him, and dislikes the working days when I have him out at 7am.

Originally Posted by Virgil

Oh almost all dogs LOVE the snow.

Do you mean the pictures of the snow dog in my profile page? That's Sasha, our Golden Retriever that passed away in 2003. She was more attached to me. Our current dog is a yellow Labrador Retriever and she is defintely more attached to my wife.

I looked at Pussnboots profile and album. Is that the dog you meant? I've seen the one on your profile - they seem a bit diffenent. Both nice looking dogs.

I think Jack Russell's have more energy than I could tolerate, but he sounds adorable. I'd love to visit and admire him if we lived on the same side of the pond.

As Virgil said, very well written. I was grinning the whole time I read this. Give him a pet for me, would you? And your little cat, too.