What a great big week.

Very little photographic evidence, but it has been a great week.  From the BGP pub session in Waltham Cross at the start of the week,  when I also managed to catch up with a friend and ate lovely home made Ethiopian food.  Then on Wednesday it was down to London to see the production of Lonely Londoners at the Kiln theatre.  I had to come back to Hertfordshire as I had salsa and some volunteer teaching on Thursday but then went back to London. Now today I have taken part in the Great British Birdwatch and been to the East Herts Green Party Campaign Launch, with Carla Denyer.   

As a journalist I interviewed Tony Benn, I was in Maggie's constituency reporting, but on the whole chose not to cover her visits myself,  a good friend of mine,  sadly now long dead, her husband, was in the first SNP Government,  another friend was in the first Bhutanese Government, which is pretty cool and I even met the brother in law of Ang Sang Suu Kyi,  but meeting both leaders of the Green Party is up there.   The party is tiny, compared with most in the UK, it does not get rich funders, supporters like myself have to put their hands in their pockets to make it work, which can be frightening at times, but despite the odds against us, we now have 4 MPs, 2 representatives in the Lords, and over 800 Councillors. With Trump in the White House and even the Labour Party in the UK throwing out their net zero policies, it is a doubly frightening time for the planet, so it felt wonderful to be in the room, not where it happened, but where it might happen.   More people need to vote green and around the world more needs to be done, but to have a bit of hope is not a bad thing. 

Red kite

Especially after a week when the felon in the White House decided to stop all "illegal migration" on the grounds that it is illegal, and the English school that I work for decided that having native speakers who live in England is too expensive. So, we are about to be replaced by A.I. Trump does feel like some weird A.I. robot that has gone wrong and Elon too.  Strange times but for a moment hopeful times too. 

Suffolk and Essex

 Suffolk has very much been in my heart since my late teens, from camping in "Hairy Mary's" field - not a name we can be proud of - to trips to Southwold and then Woodbridge to see Brie and John and then just John. Off and on it has been a key part of my life, so I was very happy to drag my partner around familiar places.  I got to spend 10 minutes communing with Brie to say farewell to her in a place that meant so much to her, even if the friendship did not last, I wanted to do that, but I also got to explore previously unknown parts of Suffolk for example Green MP' Adrian's constituency. 

Despite living over the river from Essex, and now regularly popping over Maldon way, which I really like, the Stour Valley was a revelation on this trip.   Flatford Mill has not changed much since I was last there about 40 years ago, but I do not think I have ever been more suprised by this county than after we emerged from Manningtree and this vast expanse of water opened out.   

Harwich where we were based, is much smaller than expected, but has some fine terraced housing, and an interesting history.  We learned much more for example about Pepys' role as MP and working for Trinity House.  But topping off the whole visit, was a chance to see the outside of Grayson Perry's House for Essex.    The trip was a Christmas present from my partner's daughter, so a big thank you to A.  

Also a big thank you to me, because on the Sunday before our trip away, my Christmas present to R, was to see the New Year's concert at Saffron Hall also in Essex.  I just love being in the third row able to watch every movement and to hear every sound.  Along with the familiar, there were new interpretations for trumpet from once famous but now forgotten composers.   A lovely treat. 

(Published without photos as having a problem with uploading images)

Christmas has come and gone, but happy memories live on.

 Christmas has come and gone, and I am tucked up in bed, with a nasty seasonal cough (unusually for me).  whilst it was nice to do the usual resevoir walk and very special to visit Mount Grace and Saltburn,  I felt disconnected at Christmas.  Perhaps that is what happens after two significant losses in the year. 

The dog loved the wild sea, there was a huge queue for fish and chips and people were surfing,  so an interesting first visit to this northern seaside town. 

 However, perhaps it is also because unintentionally I had so many treats before Christmas as I caught up with friends and family in Croatia and made new friends volunteering with Englishausen near Munich.  I have never been to so many Christmas markets before, and whilst I do not think of them as my kind of thing, and sadly I am aware that they can attract the wrong kind of attention,  they were great fun or it was great fun seeing everyone enjoying themselves so much and enjoying the differences and similarities between the markets, culminating in the one in Salzburg.  I have amassed a small collection of Gluhvein mugs which will hopefully help me remember this time when I am even more in my dotage.     I also still have not managed to see the whole of Sound of Music, but I know a lot more about where it was filmed and of course,  Mozart has been revisited.  The house where he was born said he was an internationalist because as a young man he could move around and work everywhere in Europe.    Interesting observation, in these really difficult times. 

        

Salzburg

Zagreb

Munich's main Christmas market.