First, it's Rosh Hashanah - so for all our Jewish readers - L'Shana Tovah - Happy New Year.
Tomorrow is also the Christian (minor) feast of St Michael and All Angels. Known as Michaelmas. Which is pronounced here as Mikklemuss. There's a scruffy, leggy plant with small light purple flowers, that springs into bloom at the end of September and consequently is known as the Michaelmas Daisy.
You don't see it as much now as you used to, it's not popular in gardens now. Not fashionable. But I love that bloody plant!! When I was a kid it was everywhere. Gardens all over the country had it. It grew in cracks in the concrete in from of inner-city terraced houses. It grew in the slum where I grew up. It grew on the cleared bomb-sites.
Yes, when I was very small London still had areas where WW2 bombs had fallen and destroyed whole streets, the sites had been cleared of rubble but not yet built on. Largest of these was, of course, the site that is now the (extremely expensive) residential, commercial, and arts complex known as
The Barbican.
I'm quite fond of the Barbican. I actually like the architecture. And I love the theatre there. I've seen productions of Shakespeare's plays there with some pretty famous cast members. Kenneth Branagh (Henry V); Patrick Stewart (before ST:NG) in many different roles; Judi Dench (pre-Damehood). Josette Simon (OK - she's only really famous to
Blake's 7 fans but I like her *g*).
It's one of the few things I miss about London. Along with
The ENO, all-night buses (they stop running here in the sticks at 23.30 - earlier in the villages), the British Museum, and
Leadenhall Market. And being able to buy
ackee. You can't get them here.
I love the area where I now live. I love being so close to "the country", too the moors. I wouldn't live in London again if you paid me, but I do miss some things about it, sometimes.
Enjoy your updates, Good night and may your God/s go with you.
Ze
