Thursday, December 11, 2014
And now for some good news
These are dark days – literally and figuratively – so I thought I’d share some good news with you that might have passed you by. Or… if you just want some visual cheering up, you can skip to the bottom for some of my domestic December photographs from the last few years.
1/ The blanket ban on sending books to prisoners in England and Wales was last week declared unlawful by the high court. Mr Justice Collins quashed the ban imposed by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling, and ordered him to amend his policy on what can be sent to prisoners. Read more here.
2/ Russia's richest man has revealed that he bought US scientist James Watson's Nobel Prize gold medal, and intends to return it to him. Steel and telecoms tycoon Alisher Usmanov said Mr Watson "deserved" the medal, and that he was "distressed" the scientist had felt forced to sell it. Read more here.
3/ Loggers did not accidentally cut down the world’s oldest tree – a story circulating on Facebook. Read more here.
4/ Ireland has become the latest European Union member to approve a non-binding parliamentary motion seeking recognition of Palestinian statehood. Lawmakers in Britain, France and Spain already have passed similar motions calling on their governments to follow Sweden, which was the first western EU member to recognize Palestinian statehood officially.
On the home front, I’ve finished the screenplay and sent it off for someone working in the film industry to look at. I shan’t hear for at least a month and I have an ON Christmas to think about between now and then, so it won’t seem such a long wait. Fingers crossed. It’s a weird thing that when you type up something you have written in rough it seems to immediately assume an air of authority. Have you noticed? It was the same with the screenplay. When it was all formatted correctly it looked brilliant. It’s not, of course. But at least it has its best bib and tucker on for its first foray out into the world.
To celebrate, I’m having pancakes for breakfast.
And now for the pictures…..
The ancient stone bridge in Bakewell:
The viaduct carrying the Monsal Trail:
Our lane:
Dave (nutter) :
The kitchen prettied up for Christmas:
Chione when she first came to live with us:
The back window in my study:
Breakfast by the fire in my study:
Yes, this one is really December:
The man who hates Christmas:
Absent friends:
Postscript: I can’t get over the delight I feel on listening to this saxophone duet. Check it out.
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2 comments:
This post sounds so much more hopeful than the last, Sue. I'm glad. The photos are lovely. Do you have snow now? I hope you (and those of the family who want to share it) have a lovely Christmas. Fingers crossed for good news re the screenplay in 2015.
Thanks for your good wishes. We have had snow but it's only settled on the hills fleetingly. These photographs are from my December albums from the last few years, not just this year.
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