Happy Christmas

 

Happy Christmas!!

Right, its Christmas Day, its sunny, lets go for a walk! We'll just walk along the Thames Path, what can possibly go wrong..... oh....

Well Putney maybe flooded but it looks pretty:

Maybe its a sign to go back and check how the roast is doing:

That looks ok!

Time to press on & make the trimmings....

Ah! That's good!

Now put one's feet up (the washing up can wait) and watch The Queen:



Fab job, your Maj! Seriously, who thumb's down The Queen?

BTW, if you want something magic to watch this Christmas, you must see the absolutely brilliant and lyrical The Last Igloo:

Partially filmed in Tasiilaq, which I remember visiting.

Happy Christmas everyone!!

A Berlin Christmas

Earlier this month I was in Berlin (above) and it looked pretty Christmassy:

You couldn't go more than 100m without having to fight your way through yet another Christmas market: I really don't get the attraction of these.

But it was rather Insta-friendly...

Happy Christmas 2018!

Happy Christmas to all!

This is the seasonally decorated Cutty Sark in Greenwich. How great does that look?

Buff LOLs Yachting!!!

G'day all! Buff Staysail here! Buff by name and Buff by nature!

Well here's one for the books. I gave me ol' ma an iPhone and she'd has been getting into texting me at all times of night and day. But she says she doesn't understand Buff's replies - all this OMG and LOL nonsense.

So as its Christmas, Buff offers this easy to remember translation of the most common terms:

LOL: Luff Or Leach? Jeez, who can remember which side of the sail is which? Does it matter anyway?

OMG: Or Maybe Goose-winged? That's sailing downwind, not the Christmas day roast, obv.

IMHO: I Might Hike Out. Or not. Probably not.

TLC: Total Lines Cock-up. Typically happens during a spinnaker hoist - the skipper should never have asked for a gybe set

WTF: Wingsail Takes Flight. As in the America's Cup, until that nose dive of course!!

FFS: F*** Foiling Sailing. What traditionalists say about the America's Cup.

BTW: Boat Taking-on Water. Now where's that safety boat?

ISO: I'm Sozzled, Ok? While not technically a sailing thing, it is a good excuse for navigators that "forget" one of the marks

YOLO: Yachting Optional, Lunch Obligatory. 'Nuff said, you know ol' Buff!!

NSFW: Not Sailed For Weeks. JP, I'm looking at you!!!

IRL: I-forget-what-about-the Reaching Line. Seriously, mind's a blank on this one

Well there are probably more but its xmas and ol' Buff needs to lie down for a bit for some mysterious reason. But maybe you can fill in some of the missing ones for me.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

This is Buff Staysail, over - hic - and out!!

Merry Christmas

Crisp Winter Nights in London

The Thames's Christmas Lifeboat

Christmas morning and the city awoke. It is the season to be merry and many started that day with happy cries surrounded by loved ones.

But not all.

For at least one Londoner it was a cold, bleak midwinter day, with nothing to celebrate, a day where legs took them down to Wandsworth Bridge and that final leap.

However they were not forsaken. Even early on Christmas day, when others were having their morning coffee, one of the Thames lifeboats was on standby together with a police boat, hovering in the water below the jumper, ready to save their life.

And so it was all day long. The picture above was taken on the evening of Christmas Day, and there, still, the lifeboat was on out patrol.

The good shepherd of the Thames, watching out for Londoners, every day of the year.

Happy Christmas from London

Bombay Bicycle Club's In The Bleak Midwinter

I really enjoyed seeing the Bombay Bicycle Club at Earls Court a few weeks ago and here they are in action in their version of the suitably seasonal In The Bleak Midwinter.

The Thames at Night

The Bursledon Blogger has been up in London to see the lights and the giant blue chicken in Trafalgar Square (not sure if I've posted any pics of it, but it is very big and very blue). He found Regent Street a bit of a struggle and I sympathise.

My top tip to see the lights of London during the Winter is to take a boat trip down to Tower Bridge and back. The Thames Clippers have a regular service and whoosh all the way to Woolwich, which is quite a way but Embankment to the Tower has most of the sights and is a lot shorter.

I went in a group on one of the little ships, namely the MV Kingwood, and had a fantastic evening.

Worth getting a bit cold if the view is good as this.

London's top four outdoor ice rinks

So after four years study here are four of London's top outdoor ice rinks for those winter months.

1. Somerset House (above). The original and the best. Lovely size and location, often sold out for a good reason.

2. Hampton Court (below). Another great location and less crowded, plus you can visit Henry VIII's palace or go on the river (except when its flooded)

3. Tower of London (below). This is where I had that horrid prang which sort of put me off it but its an unbeatable location though of course a bit touristy:

4. The Natural History Museum (below). Bit small but handy for those in SW London and there are dinosaurs next door and as we know everything is better with a dinosaur:

Any favourite rinks out there that I've missed?

Twelfth Night at London's Bankside

Wassail!!

Yea, verily it be twelfth night, and old London Town has been visited by the GREEN MAN!

He arrived by boat, the Thames Cutter, Trinity Tide (above), which was rowed by honourable men of great strength for the tide did flow most powerfully.

The ancient and legendary GREEN MAN brings fertility, a promise that SPRING will come again.

And he was welcomed by much crowds and the good and the great of SOUTHWARK:

But some were much afeared, as there were the forces of darkness to be overcome, for BEELZEBUB himself was to be cast out:

Stirred to great words were all present and "Wassail" did cry out not once, not twice, not thrice, but uncountable times, in praise of the RIVER and the GLOBE:

The Globe Wassail

Blowe wind, Globe bear well

Spring well in playing

Every lath and timber

Bear the tongues of poets

Next New Year's summer!

Wassail!

And then with great cheer the good folk of London Town went their separate ways, some by foot and some by the mighty River Thames:

The Boat Wassail

Blowe wind boat bear well

Ride well on the tide

Every beam and every sail

Bear the crew bravely home

Each sailing day!

Wassail!!


More from the Lions part here.

Ice Skating at Hampton Court

London is spoilt for choice when it comes to Christmas ice rinks, many at spectacular locations, and over the last few years I've been trying them out.

I only go once or at most twice a year and each year there's a lot of wobbling before even more wobbling and hesitant steps. Ice skating isn't really my thing.

But back in 2012 when skating at the Tower I had this bad fall and damaged the ligaments around my lung, which I really don't recommend, and I was determined not to let it put me off.

So I went down to the highly impressive Hampton Court which was Henry VIII's pad and you could see why he'd want to invite his many girlfriends back to it:

It's on the non-tidal part of the Thames in London and the recent storms meant the river was high and rushing, flooding the banks:

Even though these three photos show a clear sky it did actually rain during the skating session, but only for a short time.

But I didn't mind that: any skate you don't end up in A&E I'd call a good one.

Christmas at Sea by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand;
The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand;
The wind was a nor'wester, blowing squally off the sea;
And cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee.

They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day;
But 'twas only with the peep of light we saw how ill we lay.
We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout,
And we gave her the maintops'l, and stood by to go about.

All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North;
All day we hauled the frozen sheets, and got no further forth;
All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread,
For very life and nature we tacked from head to head.

We gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide race roared;
But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard:
So's we saw the cliffs and houses, and the breakers running high,
And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye.

The frost was on the village roofs as white as ocean foam;
The good red fires were burning bright in every 'long-shore home;
The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out;
And I vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about.

The bells upon the church were rung with a mighty jovial cheer;
For it's just that I should tell you how (of all days in the year)
This day of our adversity was blessèd Christmas morn,
And the house above the coastguard's was the house where I was born.

O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there,
My mother's silver spectacles, my father's silver hair;
And well I saw the firelight, like a flight of homely elves,
Go dancing round the china plates that stand upon the shelves.

And well I knew the talk they had, the talk that was of me,
Of the shadow on the household and the son that went to sea;
And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way,
To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessèd Christmas Day.

They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall.
'All hands to loose top gallant sails,' I heard the captain call.
'By the Lord, she'll never stand it,' our first mate, Jackson, cried.
… 'It's the one way or the other, Mr. Jackson,' he replied.

She staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good,
And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she understood.
As the winter's day was ending, in the entry of the night,
We cleared the weary headland, and passed below the light.

And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me,
As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea;
But all that I could think of, in the darkness and the cold,
Was just that I was leaving home and my folks were growing old.


Poem by the author of Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The Christmas Bear Speaks

An ALARM CLOCK! A frigging ALARM CLOCK!

All I wanted was a bit of time off, some quiet, to catch up on my sleep, but no such luck.

No, that Hare would only go and wake me up. And why? To see a tree with a couple of lights on it.

Seriously? Is that it?

I've spent years travelling the wild forest; endless, countless green trees reaching up to a moonlit sky, with the flames of the aurora flashing across the sky. Now that is a sight worth seeing.

"Well now you're up" said the Hare. "You can help out."

So I wrote what felt like hundreds of cards, wrapped dozens of presents, cleaned and pealed the potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, put the stuffing in the Turkey (poor bastard), basted the roast, prepared the onion sauce.....

Then there was the moment for the Christmas Spirit to bring in the presents, which I'd imagine I'd do rather well, but the Hare said it was speciest for the Bear to play that part so the Hare did it while I brought in more firewood.

After dinner the Hare went off for a snooze but I had to entertain the smaller animals, which left my fur sticky and smelling funny.

Then the Hare came back refreshed with a new list of tasks to do.

I could see outside the sky crisp with stars, one of those magical nights promising shooting stars, and I wished I was out there. Or asleep.

Preferably asleep.

But no.

An ALARM CLOCK! A frigging ALARM CLOCK!!

Winter in London 2012

Some more photos for Tillerman of London in winter 2012:

 This is an installation at Canary Wharf called Voyage:

Ice skating at the Tower of London

In recent years more and more ice rinks have opened up in London around Christmas and previously I've tried the ones at Somerset House and the Natural History Museum.

This year I headed east to the Tower and jolly good it was too. I still think Somerset House is the best but the Tower's rink is larger than the small one outside the NHM and who can fault that setting.

Of course I was overtaken by who knows how many 6 year olds, but I don't mind that - honest!

However I do mind the chap who rammed into me at the precise moment I was wobbling causing my feet to fly up and my bottom to go crashing down.

I think I've earned a small brandy after dinner - for medical purposes, you understand.

Xmas presents

I remember one of the excitements as a kid of Christmas was the whole "so what did you get?" discussion at school afterwards.

Now I'm a big kid but still asking the same question, though this time to the blogging community.

Me? Oh, amongst other things (some to be blogged in due course) I got this book which looks very interesting and as well as sailing even has some equations in it.

Now I must make good a promise and send an email about a wetsuit for a nephew.