Flash

Above, a crippled tree bent double by the prevailing wind. It was in the Staffordshire Moorlands south west of the spa town  of  Buxton and I was there yesterday.

It took me  exactly one hour to reach the village of Flash which is where I parked my South Korean jalopy - Clint. Flash is a small village but pretty noteworthy because it is the highest village in The British Isles. It also has the highest parish church and the highest pub - "The New Inn"'. Perhaps the altitude got to the signwriter - no apostrophe in "Britains" and an unnecessary capital "V" in  "village". Tut-tut!

Below you can see Three Shires Head which is where the counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire meet.  According to legend this is where crooks would meet in past times to complete business deals or traffic goods - in days when each county had its own discrete law enforcement arrangements. One county could easily be played off against the other.

In the middle of the afternoon, as I returned to Flash via Wolf Edge, I  captured the following two images that seem to  convey something of  the character of that wild and lonely  upland region.

The north wind blew and there was a  distinct chill in the air. We have enjoyed a mild November so far  but up  there around Flash and the outlying farms, it was clear that Winter is on her way - like the scary Snow Queen on her sleigh.

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Gay and Grey ( Gray)

Just four weeks to Christmas and The Norwegian Postal service has filmed a gay themed advert that centres upon two older gay characters.

It’s sweet and relevant and underlines just how older gay men are often made invisible, in social media, cinema and television. 

Of course we will always have the waspish, screaming queen stereotypes in such shows as  Vicious but serious and positive depictions of older gay life have been few and far between.

I spent a good hour this morning, walking the dogs and when ambling, I listed all those gay films I could think of. The Korean film Twilight’s Kiss (2019), the American Love Is Strange 2014 and Pitstop 2013

and the French/Israeli movie Kol Erev ( 2010) 

Not a definitive list, but it is a short one

Pitstop

Love is strange

Twilight’s Kiss

Kol Erev

Anyhow like I said , it’s almost December.

And today it feels it, as there is a crispness to the air.

Having said that, the sweet peas that have covered my garden arch over the front gate are still blooming albeit delicately and I have cut them with the remaining geraniums, yellow roses and oxeye daisies and have put them in a small vase on the kitchen table

This morning I’m wrapping the Christmas decorations I bought yesterday. Every year I send some to friends in Australia and Derbyshire and this year I’m on point with the tradition. 

Tonight I’m writing Christmas cards, which is another tradition I have always enjoyed.

There is something constant and warming and comforting when you sit down with a quality pen, a pile of cards and your address book.

I think it’s an old fashioned activity now.

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/3nNIktG