Monday, 23 December 2024

Ernest Hemingway once said

 




When people talk listen completely. Don’t be thinking what you’re going to say. Most people never listen. Nor do they observe. You should be able to go into a room and when you come out know everything that you saw there and not only that. If that room gave you any feeling you should know exactly what it was that gave you that feeling.
It’s a rare and profound gift to be fully present with someone, and yet, it’s something so few of us truly offer. Most people only half-listen, their minds already formulating their next words, distracted by their own thoughts, or zoning out entirely.
Imagine how powerful it would be if we listened more deeply—if we made a commitment to being fully engaged, to hearing and understanding not just the words, but the emotions and intentions behind them. Listening isn’t just about waiting for your turn to speak; it’s about absorbing what someone else is sharing and making them feel heard, valued, and understood. It’s about connecting on a level deeper than surface conversations, because when you truly listen, you open a door to empathy and genuine connection. And isn’t that what we’re all really longing for?
Beyond listening, there is also the art of observing, of truly noticing the world around you. When you walk into a room, take a moment to soak in everything. Notice the details—the way the sunlight filters through the windows, the color of the walls, the expressions on people’s faces, the way someone is nervously tapping their foot or laughing with their eyes more than their mouth. Most of us rush through spaces, our minds preoccupied and our eyes barely registering what’s in front of us. But there’s magic in paying attention, in being mindful of the small details that make every moment unique.
Think of the room not just as a physical space, but as an experience. Every room has a mood, a feeling, an energy. It could be the coziness of a room filled with laughter, the tension of a space where a difficult conversation just took place, or the warmth of a place that holds beautiful memories. The more we tune in to these subtle feelings, the more deeply we can understand our surroundings and the people in them. What gave you that feeling? Was it the way someone’s eyes lit up when they smiled? The scent of freshly brewed coffee that brought a sense of comfort? Or perhaps the distant echo of a song that stirred up a forgotten memory?
Being observant and emotionally aware in this way takes practice, but it also transforms the way you move through life. You become more sensitive, more attuned, more aware. You start to notice the way a friend’s voice softens when they’re talking about something they love, or the slight shift in someone’s tone when they’re hiding something. You begin to see and feel things that others miss entirely, and that awareness can lead to a richer, more connected experience of the world.
It’s a beautiful thing to be a person who listens with their heart, who observes deeply, and who feels fully. It means you’re not just drifting through life; you’re living it intentionally. You’re soaking in the fullness of each moment, aware of the beauty and complexity around you. It means you understand people better, because you’ve made the effort to see and hear them, to pick up on the nuances of their being. It means you can be the kind of person whose presence feels calming, because people know you’re truly there with them, not just waiting for your turn to talk or half-heartedly engaging.
So, when you’re in conversation, let go of the urge to plan your next statement. Take a breath, relax your mind, and give the person speaking your undivided attention. Let yourself be present, fully. When you walk into a room, slow down and really see it. Observe the details, feel the energy, notice the small things that make that moment unique. You’ll find that life becomes richer, fuller, and more meaningful when you learn to listen and observe completely. It’s not just about hearing words or seeing objects—it’s about feeling the fullness of everything around you. It’s about experiencing life, deeply and completely.



Stonehenge

 






















The Historian's Den

In 1915, Cecil Chubb, a wealthy barrister, purchased Stonehenge at an auction for £6,600 as a gift for his wife, Mary. However, Mary was not pleased with the gift, as she had expected something more practical, like a set of dining chairs. Despite her disappointment, Chubb held onto the ancient monument for a few years. Recognizing the historical and cultural significance of Stonehenge, he decided to donate it to the British government in 1918. His generous act was driven by a desire to ensure the preservation and public accessibility of the site.
When Chubb donated Stonehenge, he included specific conditions to benefit the public. He stipulated that the entrance fee should never exceed one shilling, making it affordable for everyone. Additionally, he ensured that local residents would have free access to the site. This gesture was aimed at fostering a sense of community ownership and appreciation for the monument. Chubb's donation marked the beginning of Stonehenge's transformation into a protected heritage site, allowing future generations to enjoy and study this iconic prehistoric structure. Today, Stonehenge remains one of the most visited and revered landmarks in the world, thanks in part to Chubb's foresight and generosity.



Australia

 





50 Surprising Facts About Australia
1. Australia is the world’s smallest continent and the largest island.
2. It’s home to the world’s longest fence, the Dingo Fence, stretching over 5,600 km.
3. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth and can be seen from space.
4. Australia has 19 different wine regions, producing some of the world’s best wines.
5. More than 80% of Australians live within 100 km of the coast.
6. It has over 10,000 beaches – you could visit a new beach every day for over 27 years!
7. Australia is the only continent without an active volcano.
8. It is home to the world’s deadliest snakes, including the inland taipan and the eastern brown snake.
9. The Australian Alps receive more snowfall than the Swiss Alps.
10. Australia has over 200 species of marsupials, including kangaroos, koalas, and wombats.
11. The country has a “white Christmas” but in the middle of summer, on December 25th.
12. Australia’s national floral emblem is the golden wattle.
13. There are over 700 different species of eucalyptus trees in Australia.
14. Australia is home to the world’s largest salt lake, Lake Eyre, which can fill up to 9 meters deep during extreme rain.
15. It has the world’s largest population of wild camels, originally brought by Afghan explorers in the 19th century.
16. The Australian platypus is one of the few mammals that lay eggs.
17. The city of Melbourne has been named the world’s most livable city multiple times.
18. Australia has the world’s largest living sandstone monolith, Uluru (Ayers Rock).
19. The country’s official name is the Commonwealth of Australia.
20. Australia is the only continent governed by a single country.
21. The Sydney Opera House has more than a million tiles on its roof.
22. Australia’s official language is English, but there are over 250 languages spoken across the country.
23. It has more than 30,000 species of insects, and new species are discovered regularly.
24. The island state of Tasmania is known for its pristine wilderness and biodiversity.
25. Australia’s famous “Outback” covers more than 70% of the country.
26. The Southern Hemisphere’s largest city is Sydney.
27. Australia’s national sport, Australian Rules Football, is played nowhere else in the world.
28. The Australian Alps provide about 1/3 of the country’s freshwater.
29. The “Australian Alps Walking Track” is over 650 km long, crossing through some of the country’s most scenic areas.
30. Australia has the world’s largest coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef, which supports more than 1,500 species of fish.
31. The Australian continent is drifting northward at a rate of about 7 cm per year.
32. Kangaroos and emus are featured on the Australian coat of arms because they cannot walk backward.
33. The world’s oldest known living culture belongs to the Aboriginal Australians.
34. Australia has a unique “superb lyrebird,” known for its impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds.
35. The “Tasmanian Devil” is a real animal, not just a cartoon character, and it’s native to Tasmania.
36. Australia’s largest city, Sydney, is home to one of the busiest harbors in the world.
37. The Australian dollar is one of the most traded currencies in the world.
38. Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, with around 70% of its land classified as arid or semi-arid.
39. The country has over 500 national parks, preserving its diverse landscapes and wildlife.
40. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, often called the “Coathanger,” is the world’s largest steel arch bridge.
41. Australia is the only continent where you can find the world's largest living structure (the Great Barrier Reef) and the world's largest monolith (Uluru).
42. The country has a network of railways that can span from Sydney to Perth, covering over 4,000 km.
43. The Australian Outback is known for its “bush tucker,” indigenous foods like bush tomatoes and wattleseed.
44. Australia’s wine industry is one of the oldest in the world, with vineyards dating back to the 19th century.
45. Australia has some of the clearest water in the world, with the Great Barrier Reef's water clarity often exceeding 50 meters.
46. The world’s largest cattle station is Anna Creek Station in South Australia, covering more than 23,000 square kilometers.
47. Australia’s unique wildlife includes the world’s only egg-laying mammal, the echidna, in addition to the platypus.
48. The country has more than 200,000 shipwrecks, many dating back to the 17th century.
49. Australia was the first country to grant women the right to vote in federal elections.
50. Australia’s national colors, green and gold, are inspired by the golden wattle and the eucalyptus trees.




Plas Power Hall


 


















Plas Power Hall. Comments made in 1990, courtesy of Mrs Gwyneth Williams.

CECIL ALDINS DOGS GO TO JOIN HIM IN MAJORCA

 






















A group of dogs belonging to the famous animal and dog artist, Cecil Aldin, pictured with Aldins daughter, Mrs Mason on board a ship, bound for Majorca where Aldin had moved in order to improve his health. Notable among the group is Micky the Irish Wolfhound, Cracker the bull terrier and Woggles the Sealyham Terrier, all of whom were immortalised in Aldins drawings. Date: 1932




David Bowie
























British And Irish TV And Film



The man who read the world: David Bowie’s son launches an online book club in his honour. Something not well known about Bowie: he was an avid reader, sometimes finishing a book in a single day. Rock star David Bowie was “a beast of a reader,” according to his son, Duncan Jones; so Jones decided to start an online book club to honour his literature-loving dad. The official Instagram account of the late rock star dubbed it the ‘Bowie Book Club’. David Bowie’s literary tastes were wide-ranging; including classics such as Gustave Flaubert’s ‘Madame Bovary’ and ‘The Iliad’ by Homer; novels s such as A ‘Clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Burgess and ‘Infants of the Spring’ by Wallace Thurman; together with a wide variety of nonfiction works: history, biography, art, architecture and more….. even the Beano!

Three years before he died, David Bowie made a list of the one hundred books that had transformed his life – a list that formed something akin to an autobiography. It’s telling that among Bowie’s final public statements was that this list of his Top 100 books was offered as part of the David Bowie Is museum exhibit. As Bowie has apparently left no memoir behind, the closest that he ventured to autobiography is this list of books. Some he chose because he wanted his fans to read them, but many selections have a deeper resonance in his work, in that they fuelled his creativity and shaped who he was. 


10 Medieval Phrases We Still Use Today

 





10 Medieval Phrases We Still Use Today
Ever wonder how much of our everyday language is rooted in the past? Many of the phrases we casually toss around have surprising origins that date back to the Middle Ages. In this list, we’ll uncover 10 medieval phrases that are still alive and well today, proving that some expressions truly stand the test of time.
1. No Man’s Land
Many might think this phrase dates back to the First World War, but its origins are actually from the 11th century. In the Domesday Book there is a place in England that is referred to as ‘Nomansland‘. Perhaps it was an abandoned settlement. Then the phrase can be seen again in the 14th century – it was used by Londoners to refer to a spot just north of the city walls where executions were held.
2. All that glitters is not gold
This phrase, meaning that appearances can be deceiving, has a rich history. Its earliest known usage comes from the 12th century, where French theologian Alain de Lille wrote, “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold.” Geoffrey Chaucer later echoed the sentiment in his 14th-century work The House of Fame, with the line “Hyt is not al golde that glareth.”
3. Stark Raving Mad
This expression, used to describe someone who is completely and uncontrollably insane, has its roots in medieval England. The word “stark” comes from an Old English word meaning stiff or strong, was commonly used in the Middle Ages to intensify descriptions. The term ‘Stark Mad’ emerges by the 14th century. Meanwhile, the word “raving” originates from the Latin rabidus, meaning “to be mad” or “to rave.” It was also used as an adjective to emphasise a noun, so it would eventually become incorporated into the phrase.
4. More Irish than the Irish themselves
This expression dates back to medieval Ireland and was used to describe Norman settlers who embraced Irish customs, language, and traditions more enthusiastically than the native Irish. These Normans, who arrived in Ireland in the 12th century, integrated so deeply into Irish life that it worried the English authorities, prompting laws like the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1366 to try to maintain English identity. It’s a phrase that highlights how invaders can sometimes adopt the culture they encounter so thoroughly that they outdo the locals themselves.
5. Blood Is Thicker Than Water
The phrase is often interpreted to mean that family bonds are stronger than other relationships, but its origins suggest a different meaning. A 13th-century story includes the line: “ouch hoer ich sagen, das sippe blůt von wazzere niht verdirbet,” which translates to, “I also hear it said that kin-blood is not spoiled by water.” It has been suggested that this implies family ties are more important than religious affiliations, with ‘water’ symbolizing baptism.
6. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
This phrase, meaning to avoid stirring up trouble or interfering in a situation that is calm, has roots in medieval England. It appears in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, where he writes, “It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.” There is even an earlier French version of this expression, which translates as “wake not the sleeping dog”.
7. Bed of Roses
One of the most popular pieces of medieval literature is Le Roman de la Rose – in one section, a character recounts a dream of touring a garden and finding a beautiful bed of roses by the Fountain of Love. The phrase, which later came to represent an easy or pleasant life, owes much to the rich imagery and associations with love and desire found in this iconic text.
8. Tom, Dick and Harry
This phrase is used to describe ordinary or generic people, often implying “anyone and everyone.” Its origin dates back to medieval Italy, where the term in Latin originally was “Titius et Gaius et Sempronius”. This phrase would get changed in other languages too, becoming in Italian “Tizio, Caio e Sempronio” and in French “Pierre, Paul ou Jacques”.
9. One Bad Apple Spoils The Whole Barrel
This phrase, meaning that one negative influence can ruin the whole, originates from the literal observation that one rotten apple can spoil others in a container. Geoffrey Chaucer hinted at this idea in his Canterbury Tales, particularly in The Cook’s Tale, where he wrote about how bad companions can corrupt good ones. Here is how he writes it:
Uppon a proverbe that seith this same worde:
“Better ys rotten appulle out of an hurde
Than for to let hem rote alle the remenaunte.”
And ryght so it fareth by a ryotes servaunte.
10. In My Mind’s Eye
The phrase, meaning to envision something in one’s imagination, goes back to the late 12th century when Joachim of Flora wrote in Expositio in Apocalipsim (Exposition of the Book of Revelation) this line: “I suddenly perceived in my mind’s eye something of the fullness of this book and of the entire harmony of the Old and New Testaments.”
Chaucer also made use of the phrase. In the The Man of Law’s Tale, he writes: “It were with thilke eyen of his mynde, With whiche men seen, after that they been blynde.”
Source ~ medievalists . Net