LONDON 1927

This is absolutely amazing. It's a compilation of colour film showing London in 1927, between the two great wars.

Thank you, Mary, for sending me this film clip.

Robert Burns's Birthday

It is 250 years since the birth of Robert Burns. He was born on the 25th January 1759.

ADDRESS TO A HAGGIS

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect sconner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit:
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.
Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer, 
Gie her a Haggis!

Viva la Vida TWICE!!!!!!!!!!

Here is Coldplay singing their song Viva La Vida.

Recently, Lady Gaga, was being interviewed on Radio 1. She was asked to sing a song live on the programme. She chose to sing Coldplay's Viva la Vida.

REGENCY POWER AND BRILLIANCE

Self portrait of Thomas Lawrence

The National Portrait Gallery are presenting an exhibition of Thomas Lawrence's protraits.

Here is a link.

http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2010/thomas-lawrence-regency-power-and-brilliance-minisite.php

Some Recent Pictures Of Kingston upon Thames

In many ways we are very lucky living in South London. Being close to the centre of the metropolis and having all that that offers is just one benefit.

London is made up of towns, villages and boroughs all joined together to make the greater metropolitan area that is called Greater London.

In The London Borough of Merton, where we live, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping. We have the centre of Wimbledon close by. Four miles in a westerly direction we have Kingston upon Thames. South of us, three miles away, we have Sutton and Croydon towns.Usually we use Wimbledon Town centre but often we go to Kingston upon Thames and occasionally shop in the other centres, just for variety.

We did some shopping in Kingston upon Thames just before Christmas.

Here are some pictures.

The High Street looking east.
The high street looking west.

The coffee shop in the John Lewis store.
This is the Bentall Centre. I took this on my mobile phone. The security here don't like you using cameras around the shops.