Not all good news ...

It's been a busy couple of weeks: Term started and I had to get back up to speed with teaching. It's a bit weird not being Programme Director, but I'm learning to love it. French classes started too.

Took Jane (one of my Chinese PhD students) to Heathrow last week - she's safely home now.

Yesterday went to Wales to seem Mother-in-law and Father-in-law. He seems to be a bit worse again and the nursing home staff are worried that he might be in discomfort/pain -- that's not good news at all.

Then today I'm spending writing lectures for next week and doing some cooking!

Terry Pratchett - Nation

As a long time Pratchett fan, I was delighted to see his new book on sale just before we went to Nice. There was even a free pen!

Well, it's been a struggle. I thought, for the most part, it was amazingly derivative (e.g. Harry Harrison's A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! from 1972 ...). There were some interesting twists, of course, but I'm not convinced that this is Pratchett at his best - or anywhere near it. I'll read it again in a couple of weeks in the hope that I missed the best bits first time round.

So ...

Back from Nice, where the sun shone and the food was good. Actually warm enough to sit on the beach and swim in the sea.
Took trips to Cannes and to Ventimiglia, but probably won't repeat either.

So now, back to work - new students arrived yesterday!

Today, one of my PhD student has her viva voce examination -- I don't think she needs any luck, but a few good thoughts wouldn't hurt ...

And still it rains

The rain continues.... I've just spent an hour outside clearing storm water drains. I've never seen the garden so wet; the vegetable patch is a pond, the path is a river and I'm being (slightly) amused by watching the neighbours trying to bale-out their patio with a bucket when, clearly, there's nowhere to throw the water - hope they haven't got a big problem, though...

The weather forecast continues to be vile. It could stop now. Really.

FOR THE RAIN IT RAINETH EVERY DAY

I've never really believed that Shakespeare existed, but the quote from 12th Night (above) seems to say it all at the moment. It's raining AGAIN!

It's really quite depressing and the garden's suffering too - several plants (some of them quite old) have died because they can't stand being so waterlogged. The pond in the picture (not the best pic ever, I agree, but shot from my study window in the rain) is really the path. Maybe it'll discourage the squirrels from digging in the lawn?


MAKE IT STOP, PLEASE!

IT FEELS LIKE AUTUMN

I know that, technically, September 1st is the beginning of Autumn, but it isn't usually noticeable so early. Mornings and evenings are cool: it's still raining: the nights are drawing in: the leaves have started to turn.

We haven't really had much of a summer this year. Gloomiest August on record and highest rainfall for years.

Still, off to nice in 10 days time, so maybe we'll see the sun there?

Back from Montreal

So we're back from a great holiday in Montreal -- a fascinating experience and there'll be more in the blog soon.

It was interesting to find a Mason sculpture not far from where we were staying - The Illuminated Crowd.

Have to say that I thought it was quite similar to the 'Forward' sculpture that used to grace Centenary Square her in Birmingham until it was destroyed by vandals in 2003 ...

I'm not a very creative person, but it seems that (yet again) an artist has an idea that's too good to only use once (is this self-plagiarism?).

Aristocracy

Turns out that I have a family crest and motto!

Surnames were not used in Britain until the 11th Century and there are records of Matthews back to about 1260. There seems to be some dispute about whether the name is properly spelt with 1 or 2 Ts, but there is some support for the idea that 2-T Matthews comes from Wales in the family motto:

Y FFYNNO DUW Y FYDD
(What God willeth shall be.)

MECCANO AT SKEGNESS

Well, we had the joy of bumping into some of the Meccano aficionados who were eating and drinking at a hotel we visited. It was quite interesting watching one of them force his presence onto another group. I don't want to say these folk were anoraks, but they did make train-spotters look like interesting people!

Otherwise some mixed weather...

!!!!

Can't stop laughing! Just look at the comment left on the previous post!

(If you don't have Meccano wherever you are, look at the link.)

Wow, I'm so excited now I can't wait to be there! (For those who don't have irony where they live, the OED defines it as A figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the opposite of that expressed by the words used; usually taking the form of sarcasm or ridicule in which laudatory expressions are used to imply condemnation or contempt)