Month: Jan 2026

#1411 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment
Cobbles in St Ives.

We missed celebrating the Winter Solstice on the 21st of December in Penzance due to grief for our dog and a friend’s chest infection. But we are gathered here together in St Ives for the weekend of Inbolc.

The world does feel as if something is shifting.

The views from our roof terrace were full of early morning promises.

Just like last night we wandered streets and alleyways with no particular purpose or plans. A ‘good’ coffee was an essential but as a target for a day that was it.

A coffee with the best view in the house was a bonus. Double bonus and a gold star when achieved twice.

On a meandering cliff walk I found the perfect name for a character for a novel. (As yet unwritten).

Rusty Lovelocks

Who is Rusty Lovelocks? What genre?

Romance

Erotic literature

Adventure

Historic fantasy

Crime

Psychological thriller

For some time I have wanted to rehabilitate the name Beryl. Of all the lovely gemstone names, Beryl seems not to have floated back into fashion. And yet I have never met a bad Beryl.

How better to do that than write a novel featuring Rusty Lovelocks and Beryl Heliodor.

Beryl Heliodor brings gravitas and a touch of Skandi Noir. A strong woman.

Rusty Lovelocks, sexually ambiguous, softer maybe but with a fierce loyalty and intelligence.

Whatever sort of novel might I write. But  I digress.

Today is about the reality of sunshine. And Imbolc. Things to look forward to.

#1410 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Cornwall1 Comment

We are on a little winter adventure. But first we stopped at a cafe that we used to visit many years ago. Just a cafe in an old stable, nothing fanciful.

The last time we came we were turned away. The cozy stable cafe had been discovered as a ‘location’ for a Television Series. Beyond Paradise.

Turned away because of filming it is many years since we have gone back. The sign predates the filming by possibly 50 years. Do not enter signs in gaudy neon were the modern itteration.

Today however it was on our way to the winter adventure. The old stable has glammed up quite a bit.

The Stable. Port Eliot

A good breakfast and coffee set us on the road to the far end of Cornwall.

St Ives

Walking the streets of a seaside town on a winter night is such a lovely thing to do. Warm pubs have space,unimaginable in the Summer. The one we chose, The Sloop has been welcoming people since 1312. 724 years of offering beer and spirits to whoever walks in the door. A building that has just had one job. Barrels and bottles, the unchanging tools of the trade. Inn Keeper the centuries old job title. How many jobs can say that after 724  years of time. My lifetime seems tiny and inconsequential in the face of such continuous history.

#1409 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn weather, Winter1 Comment

Waking up with a different perspective. Not a deep philosophical epiphany. Just the first morning with actual sunshine since the big winter/post-Christmas tidy-up and I am facing our Ikea lampshade from a different direction.

I believe we are at the end of the urge to tidy up and reposition furniture. There has been some clearing out but I sense more could be done when the daylight hours actually provide genuine daylight. This morning’s early effort was short lived. As morning tips into the afternoon a luminous Greige is the default version of daylight.

Similar light fitting, same lampshade, different room.

We have had between twice and three times the normal level of rainfall in January. The last two days of the month are scheduled to drop even more heavy rain on our already sodden souls. It has crossed my mind this morning that these lampshades are like mood reflectors. Upstairs the sun-touched one brought me the same visual joy as a tasty meringue, downstairs I have just replicated a grey raincloud. Nobody needs another one of those in my humble opinion.

I appreciate that other people in other locations might have a different perspective. Which is exactly where this blog began.

A circular economy of thought…

#1408 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and LolaLeave a comment

Wandering the cobbled backstreets of Plymouth hunting down my hair stylist who has swapped salons. Successfully as it happens, and I have had my winter haircut. I feel like a Spring lamb or perhaps more like its mother who has had a woolly winter coat sheared off. Co-incidentally the sun came out as I skipped up this lane with considerably less curls than an hour earlier.

Talking of curls, we have had Miss Lola in our lives for 10 years this week.

A bit like me with a new hair cut she looks a little different this week compared to her first week with us.

She is paler and curlier. Her pale is just paler, mine is greyer. But that is what ten years looks like.

#1407 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity, Stonehouse Lawn Tennis Club, StormsLeave a comment

It has been a tough week at the office. Three large storms have taken one tree down and two huge boughs off others. Storm Chandra the last of 3 arrived yesterday and took down another already damaged bough.

On a positive note this morning, no rain, just wind, a lot of wind and some sunshine.

Tranquility Bay was looking and feeling fairly untranquil.

A day that required a dry robe and wellies.

The dry robe had a bittersweet moment for me in one of its huge pockets . On the day our dog Hugo died we went walking on the beach and I found a rock that looked like a cracked heart.

#1366 theoldmortuary ponders

I had tucked it in my pocket and forgotten about it. Until this morning.

So while I was busying about photographing damaged trees for Tree Surgeon quotes the heart shaped  pebble found its way into my hand. I immediately realised what it was. A comforting sensation rather than completely sad. I might keep it in my pocket.

#1406 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Serendipity1 Comment

The last week of January, not that I am counting!

One whole month since Christmas and only a small piece of Christmas Cake left, 4 mince pies and a late arrival Christmas Pudding.

The date on the box says 1849, so that is quite a late arrival.

Last night our evening dog walk took us past one defiantly gorgeous Christmas tree alight in a warm and cozy 6th floor sitting room. Credit to the home owners for keeping the festive faith for so long. We still have ‘Winter Lights’ in the yard.

This scrag end of January is stormy and grey. Not much to recommend it in the outside world except the Aurora Borealis on clear nights last week.

©Aaron Jenkin

We didn’t get quite the same glorious show on our little peninsular but pictures like this,dropping into my Social Media, have made some lovely memories.

©Stephen Thompson

I believe my efforts to take a more positive attitude to Winter, and in particular January, are paying off but it occurred to me last night,that in all hierarchical lists something has to come bottom no matter how much embellishment is applied.

This week will be the long farewell to my least favourite, but more bearable  with a positive attitude  month. 

#1405 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn ponderingLeave a comment

November and December in Asia and Australia tricked my skin that winter had not arrived. Late January and the truth has started to hurt. Skin soothed by an early Southern Hemisphere Summer is now calling out for richer moisturiser and at the same time as rejecting it by breaking out under the pressure of heavier creams. Rain and constant storms and a small dog requiring a walk are not good friends with my face.

These hand blown baubles were reflecting the weak sun of a rainy day on the Mornington Peninsular, Victoria. They look like tiny apothecary jars. I wish my bathroom cabinet looked as pretty as I search for balm to nurture my sore skin. But they remind me of a moment not so long ago when rain did not wreak havoc with my complexion. Mornington has an extreme heatwave warning today. So absolutely no point  wishing I was there right now, my skin would still be sore, but for different reasons. The baubles would be more vivid in harsh unforgiving sunlight.

Studio & Co. https://share.google/RjfcMofOEqUTTGyxO

#1404 theoldmortuary

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Storms1 Comment

Storm Ingrid is punishing us today. We have barely cleared up from the last unnamed storm of earlier this week.

“Storm Ingrid is punishing us today”

This phrase came from a weather report but it made me laugh for an entirely different reason.

I used to work in a children’s hospital in Brighton. It was everything you might imagine such a place to be, the staff were dedicated and lovely as you might expect in such a place.

One of our Medical Secretaries called Ingrid was also a much in demand local dominatrix. She enlivened tea breaks with her stories of  her additional occupation. Sometimes she would  slip out during her lunchbreak, do some dominating and come back. We could sometimes spot if she had been servicing a foot fetishist because she returned to work in a different colour tights. She sold worn tights as part of her lunchtime deal.

For a little while we had an Australian radiologist who had recently retired from providing radiology services to remote areas of Australia. It had been an interesting but at times lonely career. Living and working in Brighton was somewhat of an eye opener for him. Ingrid took him under her wing in all sorts of ways. Sometimes he would go off with her for lunch. He was unaware that we all knew what her sideline was. After ‘lunch’ with Ingrid he would return to work late and flustered. His mood unpredictable for the first part of the afternoon.

” Ingrid has been punishing him’ was our code for leaving him alone reporting in a darkened room.

After a few months he moved back to Australia. His retirement tour of the U.K finished after only one city. We never saw Ingrid again…

#1403 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn pondering2 Comments

I love a soundbite. A tiny little statement or sentence that sums something up.

Nostalgia is not a Strategy – Mark Carney at Davos yesterday.

Headline grabbing from the Canadian Prime Minister at Davos when most headlines are grabbed by the Pussy Grabber.

Far be it from me to disagree with a Prime Minster with integrity but how can anyone possibly strategise without nostalgia.

Strategies are built using current information and past experience.

People are usually only sentimental or wistful about things in the past that were successful, pleasurable or effective.

All things that would be admirable in a strategy.

You might wonder why my humble blog is pondering the lofty soundbites of a World Leader. Well, when Mr Carney was running the Bank of England our thighs briefly touched whilst sitting on the underground in London. In truth the only famous thigh I have ever briefly touched in a non professional situation.

I don’t imagine he remembers that moment so I will not be firing off a quick email to him to help him with his next speech.

But if you are reading this Mark.

It is impossible to Strategise effectively without Nostalgia.

Learning from past mistakes etc.

#1402 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Stonehouse Lawn Tennis Club, Storms1 Comment

The Game of Storms. Trouble in Paradise. In the past week the tennis club that I help to run has been the location of an entirely different sort of competitive game. Last week Storm Goretti shed a large bough from one of our Ash trees into the gardens of our neighbours.

  This week an unnamed storm dropped one of their Sycamore trees into our walled allotments.

A storm tit for tat that needs to stop. Thankfully neither incident caused any harm to humans.  Humans though,on either side of the wall have worked together to clear the debris.

The smell of recently felled hardwoods has filled the air with woody fragrance which is a small recompense for the sound of shrill chainsaws that has dominated the usual peace of the place.

Not so tranquil days at the club that overlooks Tranquillity Bay.

We are so lucky that no-one was harmed.

Love All