A Lark Ascending

I'd say we read that into these places, based on what we know of their history plus the impact of their visual appearance. Doesn't make it any the less powerful. It's not hard to see why certain places have fed a belief in the supernatural. The old Cornish tin mines that surround where I am now have that effect on me. Made more powerful by the fact that my family's genealogy can be traced back to people who worked those places in the 18th and 19thC.

Thanks, sidewinder - looking forward to it. It's not far (though I'm sure you have other priorities). Enjoy Falmouth (though I expect you are there for work).

Definitely not. Though I do like the use of the word 'ghosts' to describe the sense of the past that can seem to haunt certain places. I recall Chris Wood enthusing about an old cinema he was playing in and referring to the 'ghosts' present. Not a supernatural statement but a reference to the way some places can affect your mood and give you a sense (real or imagined) of a continuum with past.

Gorgeous here overlooking St Ives bay. Really heavy showers yesterday evening but always ablue bit of sky in view. Best run of weather I've had in Cornwall for some years.

Don't hear it often but sometimes when I'm driving on a late Sunday afternoon I hear it and find it quite eerie and beautiful. Having been brought up in Catholic churches where the music is quite bland I'm always quite taken by the Anglican choral world.

Elijah Wald - Escaping the Delta Nice bit of restoring a 'legend' to a human scale.

Arrived in Cornwall on Wednesday afternoon to be told it hadn't rained for weeks. Two hours later the heavens opened and it didn't stop for the first half of the night. Fortunately Thursday was gorgeous and it's pretty good today too if a bit cloudier.

John would be good. We've only had one. I'm sure there's lots of fights to be had with the church. Actually, I'd recommend going back before the dynasty that can be traced back (at a stretch) to the Normans - how about some good Anglo-SAxon royal names: Hengest Horsa Oisc Octa Eormenric Æðelberht I Eadbald Æðelwald Eorcenberht Eormenred Ecgberht I Hlothhere Eadric Mul Swæfheard Swæfberht Oswine Wihtred Ælfric Eadberht I Æðelberht II Eardwulf Eadberht II Sigered Eanmund Heaberht Ecgberht II Ealhmund Eadberht III Præn Cuðred Cœnwulf Ceolwulf Baldred Ecgberht III Æðelwulf Æðelstan I Æðelberht III Æðelred I Cerdic Cynric Ceawlin Ceol Ceolwulf Cynegils Cwichelm Cenwalh Penda Cenwalh Seaxburh Cenfus Æscwine Centwine Caedwalla Ine Æthelheard Cuthred Sigeberht Cynewulf Beorhtric Egbert Æthelwulf Æthelbald Æthelbert Æthelred Alfred the Great Edward the Elder Ælfweard? Æthelstan And that's just the Kings of Kent and Wessex. There's some good Viking ones too. Canute could be a good one - trying to drive back the the forces of modernisation and equality (using the alternative spelling - Cnut - is just inviting trouble. Always causes my dyslexic students problems). We have a winner!

Perkin

Honey roasted parsnips with a roast dinner! Amazing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/honeyroastparsnips_88223 Use olive oil instead of butter.

Oliver

Just turned BBC news on to be met with endless whittering about when they are going to leave the hospital. "So what will happen next?" "We'll, they'll come out the door, down the steps and get into a waiting car." Cutting edge journalism from the lefty BBC.

Standing outside IKEA waiting for a full on monsoon to pass! (20 minutes later Nottingham traffic in total chaos as various bits of road turned into rivers. Had to do a 6 mile detour to travel 1 mile).

I fully expected a Daily Mail headline of 'Another Welfare Scrounger Bleeds The Hard-Working British Taxpayer.'

This week's 'I'm too cool to like Jarrett' thread.

Ah, South Cadbury. Recall reading Leslie Alcock's "By South Cadbury, is that Camelot..." many years ago. Think it was based on the big dig there in the 50s/60s.

Which hill fort is that, Sidewinder? A bit small for Maiden Castle.

That was my next stop on that trip after Boscastle (the next one being Penzance). Tintagel was great but the pub I stayed at not far from the castle was haunted ! The main street is haunted - by lost hippies selling King Arthur tack and New Age bric-a-brac. Like Glastonbury.

Hoping for a nice coast walk to Tintagel. Also back the other way to Crackington Haven. But I could be bailing water.

Visions of Thursday:

I get my Naxos discs either via e-music (you need a subscription) or from Classicsonline which is like any other vendor. Anything with less than about 15 tracks is cheaper on the former (they charge by the track); over that and it's cheaper on COL (standard price per album). Have a look here for Classics Online: http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=3564 (It switches from US $ to real money when you register/log in - £4.99, I think). You usually get liners included on more recent recordings, not always on the older. There are links on the Naxos site to liner notes: http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.554456&catNum=554456&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English#

Voice from the Mountain Top: Post-impressionists are in. Surrealists are most definitely out.

Oh no!!!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23393858 And where am I on Wednesday - Boscastle. Which in 2004 looked like this: (though it looks like nothing could stop the pasty deliveries)