A Collection Cull

With close to 58,000 photographs in my iMac Photo collection, and thousands more in colour slides and negative format from 1942 to 2012, today I grasped the nettle and began a long overdue cull.

Survivors include me in 1942 and my Dad and me in 1943 produced by my maternal grandfather in Leicester where I was born;

this was taken by a crane driver with whom I conversed in Soho Square Gardens, featured in: https://derrickjknight.com/2012/10/17/meandering-through-soho/

Sam, Holly, Malachi and Orlaith visited us at Minstead on https://derrickjknight.com/2013/03/13/a-hunting-we-will-go/ One of the pictures on that post was produced by Malachi;

this car sent up spray in Minstead on https://derrickjknight.com/2013/03/18/6868/

this was the view of Hampshire fields from the plane on 17th April 2013 when I was returning from Sigoules where https://derrickjknight.com/2013/04/17/she-snatched-my-wallet/

I wasn’t quite so high up when I photographed this scene outside Waterloo Station. It is contained in

https://derrickjknight.com/2013/04/23/taking-a-hint/ – this Pastel Painter in St James’s Park gave me the title of the post;

Jackie bought this hydrangea in Romsey Market on 27th April 2013, https://derrickjknight.com/2013/04/27/just-to-wind-me-up/

this horse drawn cart rounded Minstead in https://derrickjknight.com/2013/04/29/the-benefits-of-hearing/

The total of my digital images has been reduced to 57,343, but perhaps that is enough links for now for anyone who wishes to delve into the archives.

Meanwhile Jackie is continuing with her cull of the shrubs on the Front Drive.

Later, I began reading ‘The Heart of the Family’ by Elizabeth Goudge.

This evening we enjoyed the second shepherd’s pie Jackie had made yesterday, with similar vegetables.

The Last Two

‘The Dream’ and ‘Greenshaw’s Folly’ are the last two of the Entrées in the Crime Club Choice selection of Agatha Christie’s 1973 stories in ‘The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding’.

The Author’s two most popular sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple are therefore linked – one following the other among the pages. Each murder also involves the deception of fabricating a false identity exposed in the first case by the Belgian Detective, and in the second by a dear elderly aunt.

The Dream is a recurring nightmare related to Poirot by Benedict Farley and seemingly predicting his demise. The detective was flummoxed. “He was puzzled. His busy mind was going over and over the story he had been told. Yet in the midst of his mental preoccupation, a nagging sense of something wrong obtruded itself. And that something had to do with himself – not with Benedict Farley.”

“That dream was very important” said Poirot, who was told “If we hadn’t got your word for it….” the implication would have been “that [Mr Farley] had committed suicide.

Greenshaw’s Folly opens with a typically engaging sequence catching the reader’s interest:

“The two men rounded the corner of the shrubbery.

” “Well, there you are,” said Raymond West. “That’s it.”

“Horace Bindler took a deep, appreciative breath.

” “But my dear,” he cried, “how wonderful.” His voice rose in a high screech of aesthetic delight, then deepened in reverent awe…….”

Folly itself is a double entendre in that it refers to the remarkable building, about which “One wonders how he ever got hold of an architect to carry out these ideas.” and to his own unfortunate activity.

“with her mouth pursed up very prunes and prisms” displays both the author’s partiality for alliteration and her liking for humorous description.

Possibly the first reader of this book, to use as a bookmark, tore the corner off a page of the Daily Telegraph a few days after this library copy entered circulation. We can also see from the line of text above the use that Miss Marple makes of her memory of someone from her past to inform her about likely traits of those she currently contemplates.

This reminds me of the story of Crocker’s Folly which I once frequented that features in

A Screwdriver Comes In Handy

Referring to ‘The Dream’ above the Marylebone mistake also involved suicide.

Traditionally roast lamb leftovers were minced up on Monday to provide the meat for shepherd’s pie, so it was appropriate that Jackie added to bought mince the leftovers from the recent roast lamb we had enjoyed with Louisa for tonight’s meal which also included pure white cauliflower, orange carrots, and green beans, with which I finished the pinotage.

More On The Front Drive

Today Jackie spent two more long sessions on clearing the east side

of the Front Drive; the first in the morning, taking her about half way;

the second after lunch, taming a stretch of rose Félicité Perpétue.

I rendered minimal assistance in chopping and bagging some of the clippings.

This morning I had posted

Four-And-Twenty Blackbirds

This evening we dined on a rack of pork spare ribs in barbecue sauce with Jackie’s savoury rice and melange of onions, mushrooms, runner and broad beans flavoured with oregano and basil. I drank South African Coastal Region Pinotage 2022

Four-And-Twenty Blackbirds

The twist in this, the fourth story in the Crime Club Choice selection is that Hercule Poirot appears to anticipate a murder – all on account of a blackberry pie reminiscent of the Four-and-Twenty blackbirds in the “Sing a Song of Sixpence” English nursery rhyme that inspired Agatha Christie to write the piece.

The regular waitress of the Gallant Endeavour at which the Belgian Detective dined one day with his friend Bonnington, shared the friend’s impression that men, like me, rarely change their meals in their favourite restaurants, so, when she told these two men that ‘Old Father Time’ had suddenly done so, and what is more, deviated from one of his normal two particular days a week over ten years, this piqued Poirot’s interest.

We were kept waiting and wondering how Hercule could have predicted the crime, the victim, and the perpetrator, until he confronted the killer with definite proof.

“They nodded to each other, swaying about, hanging on to adjacent straps. Then at Piccadilly Circus there was a general exodus……” is just one example of Dame Agatha’s descriptive encapsulation of location as she presents the two friends travelling in a crowded tube train.

Clearing Front Drive

Jackie has spent some time each day recently clearing the rather overgrown front drive. On another oppressively slate grey day she came to the end of the task.

Much of the solanum, roses, and honeysuckle trellis has been cut back; as have

shrubs on the other side, and the euphorbia by the front door cut down. The mossy soil is now mulch around roses.

I filled four more spent compost bags ready to add to the next dump collection pile;

Jackie then swept everything,

including these channels previously full of soil and weeds now replaced by gravel.

Later I read ‘Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds’ by Agatha Christie which I will feature tomorrow.

This evening we dined on Southern fried chicken; savoury vegetable rice; oregano and basil flavoured melange from yesterday, with which I finished the Morgon.

Which Season?

The side effects of my BCG procedure have subsided today, and squirrels and moles have ceased burrowing.

When I returned from wandering around the garden with my camera on this shirtsleeves-mild-slate-grey-air morning listening to the

trickling of the Waterboy, I found that unless I culled my 57 pictures I would be in danger of flooding my readers, so I managed to reduce the offerings to forty.

Having neglected to water the nasturtiums in front of the garage trellis we thought they had died.

New growth is now flourishing. Will we see them Bloom?

The last of the smaller crab apples seen in this image alongside fuchsia Delta’s Sarah have been abandoned by the wood pigeons,

and blackbirds are moving on to the larger red ones.

Other fuchsias such as Army Nurse continue to adorn the shrubberies.

Busy lizzies and erigerons alongside each other drape the patio’s low wooden wall.

Violas are potted everywhere.

Some can be seen alongside cyclamen beyond the stumpery ferns.

Such as these nerines and this lace cap hydrangea brighten beds.

Dahlias we would of course expect at this time of year;

But maybe not so many pelargoniums and geraniums.

This viburnum and our numerous bergenias are also in season,

but solanum sharing a perch above a dead trunk is perhaps surprising at this time.

Leaves from the copper beech flitter rustling down to

the Rose Garden,

to nestle among seedlings of forget-me-nots, campanulas and aquilegias and rose petals,

many of which have yet to bloom or to fall. As usual all these images are labelled in the gallery.

in closing with this blue geranium, orange and yellow bidens and mauve petunias I have to acknowledge that I have no idea which season we are experiencing.

This evening we dined on chicken Kiev; boiled potatoes, spinach, carrots; cauliflower and leek cheese; and a melange of onions, tomatoes, runner and broad beans, and mushrooms flavoured so well with oregano and basil as to make the delicious smell match the taste. I drank more of the Morgon.

Animal Repellent

For lunch today we joined Helen, Bill, Shelly, and Ron at Camellia Restaurant in Everton Nursery. My choice was beef steak casserole with plentiful vegetables. I drank water.

In order to combat the suspect squirrel Jackie has purchased and installed a solar powered Motion Activated Animal Repellent that emits a high-frequency sound which small animals do not like but is inaudible to humans.

It does seem to have proved effective in deterring the squirrel.

She has also been clearing the mole’s ejected soil from between the stones of the footpath through the Weeping Birch Bed. This has been a daily task. We will see how successful this morning’s effort has been tomorrow.

This evening we dined on gammon sandwiches and tomato salad.

The Under Dog

This morning I underwent the postponed third session of my BCG vaccine installation series at Southampton General Hospital. The procedure was carried out on time with the usual smooth, efficient, friendly, informative, and humorous care by Anna Cornwall.

The anticipated painfully irritating after effects to be expected for 48 hours produced the usual difficulty in concentrating on anything else, so here is a review I made earlier:

This is the third story in the Crime Club Choice of Agatha Christie’s tales entitled “The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding”.

Once again we have the perspicacious Poirot unravelling the alleged facts in a case of Inspector Miller’s and coming to a different conclusion.

With the spare precision of her character description reflecting that of her main protagonist, Christie matches his skill – or is it the other way round? “His eyes swept over Lily Margrave in a quick comprehensive survey, taking in the details of her neat black suit, the touch of white at her throat and the smart little black hat. He saw the elegance of her, the pretty face with its slightly pointed chin, and the dark blue, long-lashed eyes. Insensibly his attitude changed; he was interested now, not so much in the case as in the girl sitting opposite him.” Naturally he was not the only man attracted by her, thus providing an element of a the intrigue.

In complete control of her characters’ dialogue, Christie guides the conversation with such as “His eyes invited her to go on.” She pays attention to tone, as in “The disparagement of her tone, though vague, was evident, and Poirot beat a tactful retreat.” The manner of speech is also relevant, for example ” “Yes, yes, quite so,” said Mr. Mayhew without enthusiasm.”

Dame Agatha catches the note of the Belgian’s spoken English with accuracy and humour, as in “She is anxious that no one should disturb the sleeping dogs.” and “one would hardly think a young man of that type would have the – how do you say it – the bowels to commit such a crime.” On the other hand he can use idioms to good advantage: ‘See a pin and pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck.”

The detective’s own obsessive nature is indicated by such as “Poirot’s right hand strayed out and straightened one or two of the objects lying on the table near him.” This quotation also suggests the author’s love of alliteration as does “quick comprehensive survey” above.

The well-crafted story is told with humour and meticulous detail connecting or refuting all elements as appropriate in order to establish the truth.

This evening we dined on flavoursome baked gammon; boiled new potatoes; piquant cauliflower and leek cheese; tender cabbage and leek; crunchy carrots; I also decided that one small glass of Collin-Bourisset Morgon 2022 could not irritate my bladder any more than today’s procedure has done, so I drank one.

Squirrel Suspect

In the murky light of an overcast shirtsleeves-warm morning I photographed a few garden views from the windows above.

I then dead-headed some of our roses, and

photographed a few still flourishing. The first is Compassion, from above; the red carpet rose is in the Weeping Birch Bed, as is Rosa Siluetta Lavender; the pink Festive Jewel, yellow Absolutely Fabulous, and red/gold Mamma Mia are all in the Rose Garden.

The first of these dahlias was also viewed from above.

Begonias white and pink continue to thrive.

Red/purple Army Nurse, pink and white Garden News, and the ubiquitous Delta’s Sarah are long lingering fuchsias.

These yellow chrysanthemums and red cyclamen will hopefully be safer than the recently planted tulips of which Jackie bought a number in three figures.

Some time this morning the bulbs began to be exhumed and eaten, we suspect by a squirrel which can read the labels. They have already ravaged the area around the patio. Even if these animals are illiterate they will probably eschew daffodils to which they are not partial. If not squirrels, who knows?

This evening we dined at Rokali’s where the food and service was as good as always. I chose methi goust; Jackie, ponir shashlik, and we shared sag rice. I drank Kingfisher and Jackie drank Diet Coke. I may not have mentioned before that the knives actually cut and the forks and spoons do not bend.

Pumpkins And Witchcraft

This morning we stacked the Hyundai to the gunwales with more bags of garden refuse and a large aluminium container. One of the bags contained the roots of the felled bay tree, the stump of which bears the initials of Aaron, Mark, and Steve who rid us of the tree. The last named now works at Efford Recycling Centre and helps us a great deal when we unload our garden refuse.

Later, I finished reading Agatha Christie’s ‘The Under Dog’ which I will review soon.

On our return from the tip we noticed a pumpkin display drawing attention to the sale of eggs from a resident of Christchurch Road which pointed us towards Burley later the afternoon.

On the way up Holmsley Passage we followed a cycling family before

watching the efforts of another driver persuading ponies to scarper.

Burley was in full witchy celebration mode. The first eight of these images all bearing titles in the gallery are mine. The next nine by Jackie, who also photographed

a clock to confirm our location.

This evening we dined on delicious smoked haddock cheese centred fishcakes from Lidl; Jackie’s piquant cauliflower and leek cheese and crunchy carrots, with which I finished the Fleurie.