I think I have become a fan. I have never been a "fan" of anything- not a full blown supporter. Jodie has the football. At this juncture I should say well done to Posh. They apparently have gone up a division, or a league or something, which is good. And the same weekend Manchester United won 5-2 to Tottenham. This all made Jodie very happy, and those of you who came in on Saturday evening will have heard her voice raised in football chants as she exclaimed her joy.
Those of you who missed her somewhat interesting versions of classic pieces, and joined us on Sunday instead, will have a notion of why I am now a fan.
We were joined by "Shakehandseric and the Collabor8tors". These guys are proper acoustic musicians. They play instruments and don't do things by computer!There were four on Sunday, but the numbers go up depending who can collaborate with them (now you get the name). Between them they play guitar, bass, drums, mandolin, harmonica, ukuele, banjo and piano. They even do accapella, which is impressive in this day and age of synthesised everything.
Richard Young is the main vocalist, and as "Shakehandseric" write his own stuff. Roberto is vocals and lead guitar amongst other instruments, and has several CD's. Andy plays piano, and John- one of our regulars- sings and plays guitar, banjo and sometimes even the ukulele.
They do covers if they are not singing Richards songs, a mixture of pop, folk and modern classics, from Dirty Old Town, I'll Tell Ma, If I said You Had A Beautiful Body to Valerie, Chasing Cars and Halleluia.
They were kind enough to give us a CD, which we will gladly play in the cafe to share with you all. They have a gig list, and you can see and hear them on www.myspace.com/shakehandseric
I am hoping they will join us again to play at the 24hour Sail, in aid of the RNLI in June, and also at the Parks 21st Birthday Celebrations in August.
Monday 27 April 2009
Tuesday 14 April 2009
Long live the Spring
The estate agents have removed the board, the planning applications have gone through and the new couple have moved in. The bird box is well and truely occupied, and the blue tits have been sitting on the shed roof, watching the comings and goings of the sailing fraternity, the chefs and the staff to ensure there is no rough behaviour in the neighbourhood. I've also seen them bring in the first few leaves and bits of greenery to decorate.
I was ten minutes late to work the other day due to the fact that I was watching two green woodpeckers bowing and dancing around each other. It was an amazing sight, one which I had never seen before.
Rosemary who comes in every day with her two daschunds, was telling me to watch the crested grebes. They bow and dance on the water, and apparantly run across the surface together. They are beautiful birds.
The Swifts are zooming over the lake, the Housemartins are arguing about territory and I am sure the Swallows are on their way. I have also seen Turns sitting on the buoys in the lake. They are more slender than the black headed gulls we generally have,and seem more graceful in the air.
Though Easter was a bit of a dull one for us, the birds are beginning to enjoy the Spring in earnest, and I think we should too. It's time to take time in the world. To just be for a while- take ten minutes to notice what happens around us, and watch how nature lives it life.
I was ten minutes late to work the other day due to the fact that I was watching two green woodpeckers bowing and dancing around each other. It was an amazing sight, one which I had never seen before.
Rosemary who comes in every day with her two daschunds, was telling me to watch the crested grebes. They bow and dance on the water, and apparantly run across the surface together. They are beautiful birds.
The Swifts are zooming over the lake, the Housemartins are arguing about territory and I am sure the Swallows are on their way. I have also seen Turns sitting on the buoys in the lake. They are more slender than the black headed gulls we generally have,and seem more graceful in the air.
Though Easter was a bit of a dull one for us, the birds are beginning to enjoy the Spring in earnest, and I think we should too. It's time to take time in the world. To just be for a while- take ten minutes to notice what happens around us, and watch how nature lives it life.
Thursday 9 April 2009
St Andrew- the history.
The History of Saint Andrew
November 30th is St Andrew's Day in Scotland. The patronage of the saint whose name means 'manly' also covers fishmongers, gout, singers, sore throats, spinsters, maidens, old maids and women wishing to become mothers. But just who was Saint Andrew and how did he become the patron saint of Scotland?
From the Sea of Galilee to the North Sea
The story goes that Andrew – the Galilean fisherman who was singled out to be Christ's first disciple – preached the Gospel in the lands around the Black Sea and in Greece and was eventually crucified on an X-shaped cross in Patras. The geography of his mission explains the balalaika, for Andrew is indeed the patron saint of Russia and of Greece as well as of Scotland. The association with a land he never set foot on is, not surprisingly, based on a number of conflicting legends, the most colourful of which is the story of St Rule.
Three hundred years after Andrew's martyrdom the Roman Emperor Constantine, himself a Christian, ordered that the saint's bones should be moved from Patras to his new capital city of Constantinople. Before the order was carried out a monk called St Rule (or St Regulus) had a dream in which an angel told him to take what bones of Andrew's he could to 'the ends of the earth' for safe-keeping. St Rule duly took what he could – presumably in a swift and frantic raid on the tomb – and after an epic journey with the aforementioned assortment was shipwrecked on the east coast of Scotland. He must have deemed that he had indeed reached the 'ends of the earth'!
Over a millennium later St Rule's Tower still stands among the ruins of St Andrew's Cathedral, which – in its heyday – was a great centre of Medieval pilgrimage. But the whereabouts of the relics is unknown. They were probably destroyed in the Scottish Reformation. During his visit in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave further relics of St Andrew to Scotland with the words "St Peter gives you his brother" and these are now displayed in a reliquary in St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh. But what these comprise – a distal phalange maybe, and the odd canonical fibula – is not recorded.
A day to celebrate Scots
Whatever the truth of these ancient legends, the Saltire is without doubt based on the cross of Andrew's crucifixion and maybe the significance we should take today is that Andrew, although sometimes overshadowed by his brother Simon Peter, was the first disciple. And maybe in the light of Scotland's immense contribution to human knowledge, it's legitimate to suggest that the hagiographers got it wrong – and that the shards that St Rule brought to the coast of Fife were shards of the saint's cranium.
However, it was only after Robert the Bruce's famous victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 that St Andrew was officially named patron saint of Scotland and the Saltire became the national flag of Scotland in 1385: a manly saint for a rugged, victorious nation.
St Andrew – Folklore
Achaia, Amalfi, Burgundy, Constantinople, Greece and Lampertheim in Germany also lay claim to St Andrew. As do anglers, fish dealers and fishermen. And maybe it's on account of the saint's 'manliness' but there are a number of intriguing 'man-catching' superstitions related to his feast day.
Around midnight on November 29, it was traditional for girls to pray to St Andrew for a husband. They would make a wish and look for a sign that they had been heard.
A girl wishing to marry could:
throw a shoe at a door. If the toe of the shoe pointed in the direction of the exit, then she would marry and leave her parents' house within a year
peel a whole apple without breaking the peel and throw the peel over the shoulder. If the peel formed a letter of the alphabet, then this suggested the name of her future groom.
German folklore advises single women who wish to marry to ask for St Andrew's help. The night before the 30th, if they sleep naked, they will see their future husbands in their dreams. Young women should also note the location of barking dogs on St Andrew's Eve, as their future husbands will come from that direction.
November 30th is St Andrew's Day in Scotland. The patronage of the saint whose name means 'manly' also covers fishmongers, gout, singers, sore throats, spinsters, maidens, old maids and women wishing to become mothers. But just who was Saint Andrew and how did he become the patron saint of Scotland?
From the Sea of Galilee to the North Sea
The story goes that Andrew – the Galilean fisherman who was singled out to be Christ's first disciple – preached the Gospel in the lands around the Black Sea and in Greece and was eventually crucified on an X-shaped cross in Patras. The geography of his mission explains the balalaika, for Andrew is indeed the patron saint of Russia and of Greece as well as of Scotland. The association with a land he never set foot on is, not surprisingly, based on a number of conflicting legends, the most colourful of which is the story of St Rule.
Three hundred years after Andrew's martyrdom the Roman Emperor Constantine, himself a Christian, ordered that the saint's bones should be moved from Patras to his new capital city of Constantinople. Before the order was carried out a monk called St Rule (or St Regulus) had a dream in which an angel told him to take what bones of Andrew's he could to 'the ends of the earth' for safe-keeping. St Rule duly took what he could – presumably in a swift and frantic raid on the tomb – and after an epic journey with the aforementioned assortment was shipwrecked on the east coast of Scotland. He must have deemed that he had indeed reached the 'ends of the earth'!
Over a millennium later St Rule's Tower still stands among the ruins of St Andrew's Cathedral, which – in its heyday – was a great centre of Medieval pilgrimage. But the whereabouts of the relics is unknown. They were probably destroyed in the Scottish Reformation. During his visit in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave further relics of St Andrew to Scotland with the words "St Peter gives you his brother" and these are now displayed in a reliquary in St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh. But what these comprise – a distal phalange maybe, and the odd canonical fibula – is not recorded.
A day to celebrate Scots
Whatever the truth of these ancient legends, the Saltire is without doubt based on the cross of Andrew's crucifixion and maybe the significance we should take today is that Andrew, although sometimes overshadowed by his brother Simon Peter, was the first disciple. And maybe in the light of Scotland's immense contribution to human knowledge, it's legitimate to suggest that the hagiographers got it wrong – and that the shards that St Rule brought to the coast of Fife were shards of the saint's cranium.
However, it was only after Robert the Bruce's famous victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 that St Andrew was officially named patron saint of Scotland and the Saltire became the national flag of Scotland in 1385: a manly saint for a rugged, victorious nation.
St Andrew – Folklore
Achaia, Amalfi, Burgundy, Constantinople, Greece and Lampertheim in Germany also lay claim to St Andrew. As do anglers, fish dealers and fishermen. And maybe it's on account of the saint's 'manliness' but there are a number of intriguing 'man-catching' superstitions related to his feast day.
Around midnight on November 29, it was traditional for girls to pray to St Andrew for a husband. They would make a wish and look for a sign that they had been heard.
A girl wishing to marry could:
throw a shoe at a door. If the toe of the shoe pointed in the direction of the exit, then she would marry and leave her parents' house within a year
peel a whole apple without breaking the peel and throw the peel over the shoulder. If the peel formed a letter of the alphabet, then this suggested the name of her future groom.
German folklore advises single women who wish to marry to ask for St Andrew's help. The night before the 30th, if they sleep naked, they will see their future husbands in their dreams. Young women should also note the location of barking dogs on St Andrew's Eve, as their future husbands will come from that direction.
Dearly Beloved
We are gathered here today to talk about names. My new Friend of the Cafe is a lovely man called David. He is the minister at St Andrews URC in Peterborough, and comes in to us for a coffee on his journey through the park on his bike. He sometimes stays, chatting to one of his parishioners for a while, and often chats to our staff. He also writes ideas for sermons while looking out over the lake, and passing the time of day with our customers. He wrote a sermon last month, which in part was about us.
He was discussing Abram and his wife Sarai, both of whom were made to change their names to Abraham and Sarah. He then went through our names and their meanings- Florian, meaning flower, Ollie, from the French Olivier, olive tree, Jodie is apparently a variant of Judith form the Hebrew meaning from Judea, and Charlotte means little and womanly the feminine of Charles.
I have a book that is very old, and within its pages it discusses onomantics- that is the divination of names. As it is so old, the names on the list are not seen so much these days Aurelia, Gaston, Alphonse and so on. The "meanings" of some are quite blunt, to the point of rude in some instances.
Oliver comes out as "Bearing Fruit:Delightful medieval name full of chivalrous bravery. Our Olivers still seem noble, sensitive, affectionate, reserved, always equable and sane" ( I never said the book was right!)
Judith-Jodie- means "who praises"
David comes out as "well beloved"
Charlotte is "the strong one: Judgment, good heart, energy, wisdom due to deep thought and true integrity. A Charlotte is active, hard working, a good companion, pleasant, fairly elegant. Her tastes are not very aesthetic, she is a simple and sane bourgeoise." (look at me!!)
The meaning of Andrew, the saint that gives his name to David's church means;"the conqueror. Pleasant appearance, simple manners, good company. Marries late. It has often been observed that many Andrews are bitten by animals or lose sight in one eye through some awkward person barging into them."
I don't know why Andrew was made a saint, it would be good to know if he lived up to this meaning.
There is no Amanda,Grant,Gemma or Sabrina, although I am sure we can find meanings for them all. They are perhaps too modern for my book, after all it does give in it's list of common names Hippolyte (a lover of horses) and Lucien with the ominous postscript "women don't trust them".
He was discussing Abram and his wife Sarai, both of whom were made to change their names to Abraham and Sarah. He then went through our names and their meanings- Florian, meaning flower, Ollie, from the French Olivier, olive tree, Jodie is apparently a variant of Judith form the Hebrew meaning from Judea, and Charlotte means little and womanly the feminine of Charles.
I have a book that is very old, and within its pages it discusses onomantics- that is the divination of names. As it is so old, the names on the list are not seen so much these days Aurelia, Gaston, Alphonse and so on. The "meanings" of some are quite blunt, to the point of rude in some instances.
Oliver comes out as "Bearing Fruit:Delightful medieval name full of chivalrous bravery. Our Olivers still seem noble, sensitive, affectionate, reserved, always equable and sane" ( I never said the book was right!)
Judith-Jodie- means "who praises"
David comes out as "well beloved"
Charlotte is "the strong one: Judgment, good heart, energy, wisdom due to deep thought and true integrity. A Charlotte is active, hard working, a good companion, pleasant, fairly elegant. Her tastes are not very aesthetic, she is a simple and sane bourgeoise." (look at me!!)
The meaning of Andrew, the saint that gives his name to David's church means;"the conqueror. Pleasant appearance, simple manners, good company. Marries late. It has often been observed that many Andrews are bitten by animals or lose sight in one eye through some awkward person barging into them."
I don't know why Andrew was made a saint, it would be good to know if he lived up to this meaning.
There is no Amanda,Grant,Gemma or Sabrina, although I am sure we can find meanings for them all. They are perhaps too modern for my book, after all it does give in it's list of common names Hippolyte (a lover of horses) and Lucien with the ominous postscript "women don't trust them".
Wednesday 8 April 2009
Selling out
Listening to the news the other day I was shocked to hear that Innocent Smoothies have sold out to Coca-cola for £30m. Now, Innocent are local boys- Cambridge, and have built their business based on proper fruit, 10% of profits going to charity, and being generally nice people, with a really good product.
I know £30m is a nice round sum, and I'm sure we could all do with that in our back pockets right now but surely they could have done something else other than sell to the multi-national whose record regarding ethics is not what we would hope.
I suppose I shouldn't be so shocked, Ben and Jerry's sold out to Unilever, Pret a Manger sold out to McDonald's, of all people, and Green and Blacks organic sold to Cadbury. I really hope that Innocent do keep their ethics and beliefs- their press people said that they were hoping to pass some of their theories onto Coke and change it in a small way. Interesting to note after a spat a few years ago that Innocent had with Coca-cola about Carbon footprints, Coke actually came out on top.
I know £30m is a nice round sum, and I'm sure we could all do with that in our back pockets right now but surely they could have done something else other than sell to the multi-national whose record regarding ethics is not what we would hope.
I suppose I shouldn't be so shocked, Ben and Jerry's sold out to Unilever, Pret a Manger sold out to McDonald's, of all people, and Green and Blacks organic sold to Cadbury. I really hope that Innocent do keep their ethics and beliefs- their press people said that they were hoping to pass some of their theories onto Coke and change it in a small way. Interesting to note after a spat a few years ago that Innocent had with Coca-cola about Carbon footprints, Coke actually came out on top.
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