STRIKE

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Did you know, Anna, that your head is heavier than a medium bowling ball?


I know because I am going for an X ray on my neck. The doctor thinks I may have something called Spondylitis and when I looked it up on the internet I found the useful little snippet about how heavy your head is.


This why, when I was ice skating, the coach would say... Don't lean forward, the weight of your head will tip you on your face. (On one occasion I realised my head was tilting forward and flung it back... too far back, and I fell backwards, cracking my head on the ice -
It's an 'extreme sport' , ice skating.)


I will let you know how I go on.


And, by the way... 'a big doll on strings' - you Swedish ignoramous.


They were re-enacting a true story of a little girl whose father was on the Titanic; she was wandering around Liverpool asking for news of him. Eventually she met up with her uncle (60 feet high in the re-enactment and dressed as a deep-sea diver) and they sailed off together (in the re-enactment, that is).


Don't worry, we shall meet in the near future - I promise you.


Your George

Why am I still not hearing from you Georgie?

I hope you do not have the depression! Of course England is bloody depressing place to be living. Is not only weather but also small narrow-mindedness of rulers like politicians, also a person can not buy cup of coffee after seven in evening. What a place!

I see from television that this town Liverpool is having celebration for 100 years anniversay of biggest disaster in history of sea. (I am shaking head as I write these words)

Also - how do they celebrate? They get some French people to walk big doll on strings through streets.

This is hard to be believing but is so.

I do hope you not depressed because I learn that this is real illness what people don't believe - some of them. So will not be telling you pull yourself together. (I remember when in ignorant I tell you to pull yourself together, you say - This may be ok for you but some of us are further apart than others!

This I am finding funny - but also not funny.

Please write soonest.

Your very concerned

Anna

I think this is silly idea. But I think also  perhaps you are using the irony?


In Sweden we would not allow such a race. But you English are still barbarians with the cock-fighting and bear-bating which is only recently been banned as what I have been told.


Not to be forgetting the foxes hunting which you think is traditional old English countryside sport and fox really enjoy it anyway. What a load of ballcocks. You say it best way to keep down fox population but at same time say you hardly ever catch fox. This typical of English  hypocrisy.


Anyway this will only be short one as I have seminar to attend.


Please tell me when we may meet.


I will not wait forever you know.


Yours frustratedly


Anna

Horses don't bet on people

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Apparently Claire Balding commented (at the Grand National) that is was lovely to see horses who had lost their jockeys still running and jumping the fences.


This has given me a great idea: If horses do love running and jumping so much that they will do it on their own - just for the fun of it - why not do away with the jockeys?


The horses would go faster (they wouldn't need saddles or the other stuff - just a sort of cloth on their back with a number on it - like greyhounds) and jockeys would no longer have to risk their necks (or the anger of owners and trainers when they lost).


I really am surprised no on has thought of this before.


Don't you think this would be a splendid idea, Anna?


Love.....George


(by the way - you haven't replied to my last post yet - I hope you are well)

Balls

Well, Anna, you may remember this photo... it was taken some years ago when I was trying to get my head together. 

Happily I am now much more centred and 'on the ball'.

Talking of balls - I have a few in my court at the moment. Including yours. So I shall return it now - with  a lot of topspin. Look out!

I am sorry we were not able to rendezvous over the weekend, but my brother Hector has been released into the community and has told the authorities that I will be responsible for him - what a nerve!

Naturally, I want to get this all straightened out, but for the moment he is kipping on Mrs Bulstrode's sofa. (Heart of gold, that woman).

He still has that nasty habit - which we won't go into - and he doesn't keep himself too clean, generally. But strangely, Mrs B has taken quite a shine to him. In a way, this lets me off the hook a bit - still, we cannot go on with this strange menage a trois - it just isn't seemly. (there is nothing sexual about it, I hasten to add... it is just so weird).

Coming back to photographs, I have recently been using my old lubitel 166. I bought a roll of HP5 and have taken a few pictures (I will let you see them later). It feels good to use once again a fully 'manual' camera: no automatic wind-on (you have the little red window and have to watch for the numbers as you wind the film); no exposure meter (I am using an equally ancient 'Leningrad') and of course the old 12 on 120 (21/4 square negatives).

Anyway, I shall have to go - I can hear Hector singing downstairs. I fear Mrs Bulstrode's got a few cans in.

Soon to be re-united

George

Lighten up is what you will need to be doing

Why are you thinking always recently of death, Georgie? Why not be thinking about Life, eh?


My brother Sven say Death is what happens to other people. And I think he is right. Do you understand what he is meaning?


Yes, Gerda has description which you give her in your e mail except head now shaved in manly fashion. I ask her if she remember you and she say - Ask him about night on top story of car park in Liverpool. What is she meaning by such remark?


Anyways, I do not go with her to London because demo is called off. This is due to fact of sudden change in weather to cold and students say they do not wish to be freezing their bits and their pieces off on some dirty London Street. As you know, coming from country where we have real cold, your piddling British coldness do not worry me. This I tell them and they say - Well you bugger off and demonstrate on your own which of course I am not preparing to do.


So will have to forget about meeting brother Sven on this occasion and anyway he probably is too busy getting stadium ready for June which is date for commencing of Olympic Games.


So Georgie, ball is now being whacked into your court, as you say.


Look forward to getting it swiftly returned.


(do you see how I pick up your quaint English sayings?)


Your Anna


(oh and not wishing to being pedantical, but you are spelling Pyrenees wrongly in body of post although not so in heading)

The Castle in the Pyrenees

I've been thinking a lot about death recently. Do you believe in an 'afterlife', Anna? I don't suppose you do - being Swedish and all that.

I have just finished reading 'The Castle in the Pyranees' by that Norweigian geezer who wrote 'Sophie's World'. I'm not sure what he's getting at really. The male character - a climatologist - espouses the scientific view: evolution and all that. Very persuasive. But his female partner believes we have a 'soul' that goes on when our physical body dies.

I like that idea. But where's the evidence?

Although I have told you about that dream I had, years ago, when I saw Annie's 'etheric' body leave her physical body (at least that's what a spiritualist said when I told her about it) on the Sunday evening. And the following morning I had an overwhelming urge to visit her. I could get no answer when I knocked, and there was a bottle of milk on the step.
Later that day I received a phone from relatives to say they had broken into the house and found she had hanged herself.

I do believe that Annie somehow contacted me at that final moment, in extremis. And I suppose you might say - well isn't that proof enough for you?
And yet my rational mind (she was always telling me to suspend my rationality) keeps nagging me... evidence? evidence? 

If you suspend rationality doesn't that open the door to all sorts of myths, superstitions, ritualistic behaviour... all that stuff?

Robert Pirsig suggests that rather than suspend , we should expand rationality to take in phenomena for which their is lots of evidence - even though it may be anecdotal (and therefore because of its nature is not  able to be investigated by scientific method). At least that's how I interpret it.

What do you think? 


It's raining. And as I look out of my garret window, over the suburban rooftops, for some reason I think about canals. I always liked canals in the rain. A sort of melancholy but comforting beauty. And me all snug in the cabin. And time seemed to stretch away... no rush, no hurry.


Anyway, Anna, I am going to get my haircut. I sometimes think of letting it grow, and becoming a hippy. I may do this one day.


Look forward to hearing from you,

Your George

Note: Magritte's picture is actually called The Castle of the Pyrenees

The civil liberties

Now just be looking here Georgie.

You think we Swedish people are stupid or something? Eh?

Of course I am knowing what is the Magna Carter. We learn English history in Swedish school - and what a bloody lot of barbarians if I may be saying so. And am not only  talking about what you do to ancient king with hot poker either.

And I learn that Barons who make King John (him what is known as 'Lackland') sign bit of paper is not for benefit for common folk. Oh no - is for Barons. They not interested in common folk they just telling king you not push us around no more matey, else - like historian Stanley Holloway say - there will be another coronation and you won't be taking part.

Also I know you joke with what is called the 'irony' when you say they do good by putting man in jail for tweeting offensive stuff. Because I know you are whingeing liberal yourself who believe in free speech.

Of course in Sweden we take for granted this right to the freedom of speech because we not barbaric country like Britain who is centuries behind the times and should try catch up if they know what is good for them.

But I am digressing. It is looking like weekend is a bit on iffy side -like what you say. Well all I say is we play it by the earhole. Because would much like to be seeing you. And not just for the carnal knowledge.

In anticipatory mood

Anna

Bugger of text is changing colour. Can't be arsed to mess about with it.