Work obligations are keeping me from any meaningful posts even though we’re in a hard lockdown in the UK. My flat was completely unfurnished so I’ve been scrambling to find a couple of things online to create some semblance of a home. My stuff is still in transit too so feeling a bit disorientated (esp. on the weekends when recharging during this relentless year is absolutely essential). I didn’t ship any furniture but the Brompton and French press are stuck in limbo. I also shipped a scanner and found these very cool British First Day Covers (FDC) at Coastal Stamp Auctions in Brighton that I will eventually scan/post.
(1) A quote from Brick: A Social History by Carolyne Haynes:
“The advent of the printing press plus a growing scientific interest in improving all manufacturing and farming led to the writing of guidance as to the best practice to be adopted, and bricks were not to be excluded. Much of the literature was aimed at those commissioning the bricks so that they could avoid being cheated.”
(2) Keri Smith from unsafe space is really amazing. She was on Friday Night Tights and mentioned George Orwell. Her site includes a book club and the features titles/authors (e.g. C.S. Lewis, Huxley, and Rand) would be included in a Freedom 101 curriculum.
(2a) An Introduction to C.S. Lewis: Writings and Significance via Hillsdale College.
(3) A couple of **NEW** exceptional cafés to add to the list. The first is the Tide Tables Café in Richmond. It’s in a converted arch beneath Richmond Bridge and the views of the Thames are incredible. The next is the Lanes Coffee House in Brighton. It’s described as warm and cozy and that fits perfectly. The last is Coffeeology in Hammersmith. This was my neighborhood café for a couple of months. It has great coffee and the décor is eclectic. It’s not as quirky as the Foliage Café in Bristol but friendly and well-trafficked.
(4) As a museum director, I’ve been moved by a sense of the divine (Catholic Herald)
“But I love our neighbours: the delicious aromas coming from the kitchens; the choir practising on a Friday afternoon; the huge magnolia tree and late summer dahlias; and the boundless Christian patience of the Oratorians as we repeatedly disturb their monastic peace.”
(5) A History of London’s 25 Bridges over the Thames (Londontopia)
The image is from the Brighton Toy and Model Museum. Here’s a bonus photo.