Arts
In The Bleak Midwinter
This is a poem written by Christina Rossetti, set to music first by Gustav Holst in 1906 and then by Harold Darke in 1911. This is by Darke : Swiss Bob 2025
Blog
Christianity
Christmas at Christmas With Christmas
Spending Christmas at Christmas with Christmas sounds a very Puffin thing to do. First of all, we’ll have to decide when to meet. The eagle-eyed among you may point out that we’ve missed our chance, [more…]
Hobbies
Christmas 2025 Crossword
First correct entry out of ‘the hat’ wins a Trump GP mug AND a GP keyring. Email entries to me by 6.00 pm tomorrow, subject ‘Crossword’. Contact here on email © Richard Puller 2025 [more…]
Arts
Fabulously Festive Fridays – Plank Spanking
Welcome back my friends to the flamboyance that never ends, and please be welcome to yet another of our regular sprout-fuelled snuffles around the sweaty intergluteal cleft of popular culture. I trust you all enjoyed [more…]
Arts
In search of Christmas in mainland China
Hongkonger spent the weekend before Christmas over the mainland border in Guandong province. Different to Hong Kong? Oh yes. I can recall many years ago landing in Hong Kong in December to be confronted by [more…]
Arts
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Painted in about 1470/75, it is in the National Gallery. In memory of Caroline Catherine McNicholas 2nd October 1957 – 3rd January 2022 OldTrout
Drinking
Cocktails At Six
The nights have drawn in and once more we are approaching that strange time of year when apparently everyone is going to parties, or in my case not. So, if any of you are going [more…]
Literature
A Nativity Story
Somewhere high above the earth, in what, at that time would have been called ‘the heavens’ was a light, a light with a purpose. The purpose of this light was to guide the various characters [more…]
Hobbies
Overland to Russia, Part Five
Just off Red Square in Moscow, by a Metro entrance, is a curious little basement exhibit, the Museum of the USSR. The day I visited it, I was almost alone as I viewed the dozen [more…]