Tuesday 31 March 2009

Gardening

When I was a teacher I felt it was like gardening people. Many of them were in bud, many bruised and a few blooming awful. Joking aside, some were coming into bloom well before others. Now that I'm retired and gardening with plants rather than with people it seems to me there are similarities worth exploring. Slugs! Do you know how amazing they are? Their sense of smell is far better than a police sniffer dog. They can catch the scent of a favourite food 20 feet away. Maybe some of you have found slugs and sometimes snails halfway up a high wall and wondered what on earth they are doing there, not on earth. My friend, Richard, typing this, suggests feeling high, it's time to mate. Any comments on that?

This puts me in mind of Eleanor Roosevelt. She once had a garden rose named after her. On reading the catalogue, she was far from feeling flattered. The words read, "No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." Sex education in schools, unlike the birds and bees in gardens, is considered a controversial topic, except to kids. Do you think teenagers throbbing away at their desks should be introduced to an anecdote, in the name of history, the like of which relating to Mrs Roosevelt is given above? Also controversially, if there are "slugs" and "weeds" in a classroom who refuse to be fertilised by the wisdom of the teachers, as in the Garden of Eden, should they be expelled. Please spot the anomoly in my logic as demonstrated above! (I used to love teachers who could admit error, when the were in the wrong. Trouble is, I can't remember any). YOU?

Monday 2 March 2009

On Tour!

If you live in the North-West of England you may wish to know that Christopher will be exhibiting and speaking at two Mind, Body and Spirit Fairs this coming weekend, 7th and 8th March 2009.

On Saturday 7th March between 10am and 5.00pm he will be at the excellent Mind Body and Spirit Fair held by MBS Fairs at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, L9 5AS. He will be giving a talk at 13.30 entitled "Religions, Robots and Rabbits". Aintree is quite easy to find, but directions are here and the fair is held in the Exhibition Centre which is straight ahead of you as you enter the course. Look for Merlin! There is usually ample parking on site and refreshments are also available. Entrance is £4 adult, £3 concessions. Accompanied children under 16 are free.

On Sunday 8th March between 10am and 6.00pm Christopher will be at the Nantwich Mind Body and Spirit Fair organised by Rosemary Douglas and held at Nantwich Civic Hall, Beam Street, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 5DG He will be giving a talk at 14.30 on "Sacred Secrets, Healing Sounds". Nantwich is on the A500, J16 from the M6, about 3 miles west of Crewe and again, there is ample parking very close by the Civic Hall. View a map here. Refreshments should be available on site but the beautiful town of Nantwich is well served with alternative refreshment venues. Entrance on the day £4, concessions £3. Advance tickets and weekend passes are available, see website.

Christopher will have a range of material available for sale on both days and is always ready to discuss any aspect of his work - look forward to seeing you there!