E.H. Shepard

 

E.H. Shepard

Illustration from 'Winnie-the-Pooh' by A.A. Milne

Original illustrations were black and white

Ernest Howard Shepard (1879 - 1976) showed a talent for drawing at a young age. He was a friendly boy with a liking for practical jokes and was nicknamed ‘Giddy-Kipper’ by his peers. The name remained with him, in the shortened form of ‘Kip’ for the remainder of his life.

Illustration from 'Winnie-the-Pooh' by A.A. Milne

Original illustrations were black and white

Although he is probably most recognisable as the illustrator of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ and ‘The Wind in the Willows’, Ernest Shepard produced many cartoons representing war images and political figures for ‘Punch’, the ‘Illustrated London News’ and ‘London Opinion’. 

Only single men under the age of 30 were initially allowed to enlist in the forces in World War I, to his frustration – he was a married man of 35 when war was declared. He was eventually able to enlist and was posted to France as a junior officer.

British propaganda against Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, 17th November, 1923

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

His elder brother was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, July 1^st, 1916. Shepard was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry at Arras and served with distinction in the Italian Campaign. All the while he recorded his experiences through his drawings. 

                 Illustration from 'The King's Breakfast' by A.A. Milne

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

After he was demobilised, he became a staff member of ‘Punch’ magazine and was asked if he would consider illustrating some verses by A.A. Milne. He agreed and the verses were published as ‘When We Were Very Young’ in 1924 and were followed by ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’, ‘Now We Are Six’ and ‘The House at Pooh Corner.’

         Illustration from 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame

                          Original illustrations were black and white

Subsequently, A.A. Milne introduced him to Kenneth Grahame, who had written ‘The Wind in the Willows’ in 1908 but had not found an illustrator he liked for it. Shephard visited Grahame at his home in the Thames Valley, in Pangbourne, and was inspired to create the drawings for the book. They greatly pleased Grahame. 

' . . . there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.'

        Illustration from 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame
                    Original illustrations were black and white

Shepard continued to work as the chief cartoonist for ‘Punch’, covering important events like the Abdication, the outbreak of World War II and the rise of Churchill. In 1953 he was sacked as leading cartoonist from ‘Punch’ by Malcom Muggeridge, who wanted a fresh look for the magazine.

Shepard grew to resent his ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ illustrations because he felt they overshadowed all his other work. He was heard to refer to Pooh as ‘that silly old bear’.

In similar vein, A.A. Milne, disliked the fact that his children’s books were better recognised than his plays and novels and film scripts.

 

Microfiction 2

 

Microfiction 2

 Image source unknown

This was another microfiction prompt from 2010. The challenge was to write a response in 140 characters or less – and spaces are characters!

I had two reactions to this prompt.

#1: She squinted but couldn’t decipher the instructions. She always forgot to read them before getting into the shower. Laser eye surgery was definitely on her to do list. (140 characters)

#2: So this was the elixir of life but must she drink it or apply it? And did she really want to live forever in the present economic climate? (138 characters)

I’d love to know what your offerings would be.

Things that appeal

 

Things that appeal

Remembering the Muppets the other day and how much I enjoyed watching them from time to time made me start thinking about the appeal of children’s films and television programmes. 

Frankie and Susannah came to live with us ‘just for a few months’ after they had to leave their home in London. Selfish men don’t have any consideration for their small children! ’Nuff said.

Frankie was 16 months old and Barry and I had the privilege of seeing him grow and develop. Susannah was commuting to London every day, leaving early and arriving home after Frankie was in bed. A most agreeable part of the day was sitting with him on my lap and watching cartoons. Bedtime stories were another pleasure.

It quickly became apparent which cartoons were simply for entertainment and which had underlying messages and subtle nods to adult viewers. The ones I particularly liked were ‘Peppa Pig’ and ‘Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom’. Both were created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker and many of the voice actors were common to both.

Peppa Pig was a young piglet encountering many of the experiences that little children have – going to pre-school, visiting the dentist, shopping, playing with friends at the park, swimming. Her favourite thing was splashing in muddy puddles. It was quite common when we were walking the dogs in the woods to see young children emulating her, sometimes to the irritation of their parents!

‘Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom’ was for slightly older children and was centred around a miniature magic kingdom. Ben was an elf and his best friend was Princess Holly. Her efforts at magic were not always successful. They were charming and funny characters, with ‘good hearts’.

Once we had started reading Julia Donaldson’s wonderful stories with Axel Scheffler’s amazing illustrations, we entered a different world of make-believe. Many a walk was enhanced by a search for the Gruffalo, the most persistent of Julia Donaldson’s creations.

The Gruffalo, 'with terrible claws, and terrible tusks in its terrible jaws, and knobbly knees and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of its nose'

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The ‘just for a few months’ extended to 5½ years until Susannah found a nice house nearby. It was the right time for them to move and now they’ve moved again, to an even nicer house. Frankie is no longer a little boy but a ‘twixt and tween’, that awkward stage between childhood and adulthood. I remember adolescence so well – it was horrible!

Wallace and Gromit in A Close Shave'

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Some of the best and most talented people are engaged in producing entertainment, in book or other forms, for children and for the children in adults. It is sad if we completely lose our propensity for child-like wonder.

 ‘Wallace and Gromit’ and ‘Up’ remain screen favourites, but books from long ago retain their appeal, too. ‘Heidi’ and ‘Black Beauty’ brought tears. ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and ‘Little Women’ introduced characters in Canada and the USA.  

‘My friend Flicka’ and ‘Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes’ lurk in my memory, as well.

                    Which books and programmes or films do you cherish?                                                               

Halfway

 

Halfway up the stairs

There is a bedtime ritual in our house. Herschel usually grabs his bed space an hour or so before the humans then Janice and Gilbert go up and make their preparations.

 Some time later, Barry stokes up the fire, checks the doors and windows, makes sure the fridge and freezer locks are engaged, to foil the ever hungry and resourceful Jellicoe, and tells Roxy it’s time for bed. She trots ahead and goes partway up the stairs, then sits and waits for him. She usually stops on the 7^th or 9^th step. Then they have a conversation about the day, talking about the things that have happened and what might happen on the morrow. There may be biscuits involved.

Sometimes, Gilbert decides to go and find out what’s holding everyone up (especially if biscuits are involved!)

The photograph of Roxy and Gilbert brought to mind the little poem by A.A. Milne, though the child in the verse, Christopher Robin, is halfway down the stairs to begin with, and then halfway up.

Halfway down the stairs

Is a stair

Where I sit.

There isn’t any

Other stair

Quite like

It.

I’m not at the bottom,

I’m not at the top;

So this is the stair

Where

I always

Stop.

 

Halfway up the stairs

Isn’t up

And isn’t down.

It isn’t in the nursery,

It isn’t in the town.

And all sorts of funny thoughts

Run round my head;

“It isn’t really

Anywhere!

It’s somewhere else

Instead!”

The poem was included in the collection of poems in ‘When We Were Very Young’, with illustrations by the inimitable Ernest Shepard. Harold Fraser-Simson, a composer of light music, and best remembered for his musical, ‘The Maid of the Mountains’, set many of A.A. Milne’s poems to music, including ‘Halfway Down’.

It is a very sweet song and became well-known after it was used in ‘The Muppet Show’. In the first season, Robin the Frog, Kermit’s nephew, sat and sang it on a flight of stairs. It was one of Jim Henson’s favourite Muppet songs and was sung at his memorial service.

The song also featured in an episode of ‘Family Guy’.

 

Dog food*

                            The late Foxy, working Labrador, not greyhound

One day I was at the pet shop, stocking up on pet essentials – food and toys, that is, we have enough pets for the time being. Queuing up to pay, the customer behind me noticed the large bag of dog food in my trolley.

‘Oh, have you got a dog?’ she asked.

‘No,’ I said, ‘I’m starting my dog food diet again tomorrow.’

‘Does it work?’ she asked.

‘Well, the last time I tried it I lost 3 stone in six weeks,’ I replied, ‘And it’s so easy. You just keep a handful of kibble in your pocket and every time you feel peckish you eat a little. It’s amazing. I never felt hungry and I bought the Perfectly Balanced Nutritionally Complete mixture so that I got all the vitamins and minerals I needed. I saved a fortune on groceries and cooking, too.’

‘You said you’re starting it again,‘ she said. ‘Why did you stop?’

 ‘The side effects,’ I said.

‘Oh?’ she said, obviously longing to know but too polite to ask.

‘The first thing I noticed was that although my hair was really shiny, it was growing longer all over my body and I had an urge to keep scratching. That wouldn’t have been so bad but I was finding it difficult to get my leg up high enough to scratch behind my ears.’

She nodded sympathetically.

‘Then there was the water. I was drinking gallons of water every day so of course I spent a long time in the bathroom. Even when I was walking along the street I had the urge to mark my territory, so to speak, and then when I went to the doctor for my ‘flu jab, she asked me why I had gone down on all fours. She looked a bit surprised when I barked at her, then licked her hand.’

‘So that’s when you stopped?’

‘No, I was chasing a handsome Labrador across the road and a car knocked me down.‘

‘So why are you starting again?’

I looked at her in amazement. ‘I lost 3 stone in six weeks. That’s reason enough, surely?’

 

* Original idea pinched and adapted from elsewhere 

Whales

 

Whales

There are 90 species of whales and simply, there are two major classes – the toothed whales and the baleen whales. Baleen whales do not have teeth but plates of baleen made of keratin, the protein that forms human finger nails and hair. To feed, they take in enormous volumes of water which are sieved through the baleen sheets hanging from the upper jaw to extract krill and plankton.  

                                        Drawing showing baleen 

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Whales evolved from land-living animals related to prehistoric ancestors of hippos that lived more than 50 million years ago. The largest of these enormous mammals are the biggest living animals in the world. 

Chart showing whale sizes relative to man (top left)

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The blue whale is the greatest animal that has ever existed. The blue whale can reach 30 metres and weigh around 180 tons, though there have been reports of animals measuring 33 metres and weighing 200 tons. Its life span is about 90 years, though the oldest recorded survived an estimated 110 years. 

Blue whale skeleton, Natural History Museum, London

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

This is outshone by the bowhead whale which can live for over 200 years. Australia’s national science body, CSIRO, estimates the bowhead’s maximum lifespan at 268 years. The bowhead has an enormous mouth, the largest of any animal, measuring almost one third of the length of its body. 

                                Drawing of bowhead whale
                                Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Like the blue whale, it is a baleen whale, and its baleen plates are the longest of any whale, with a maximum length of 4 metres (13 feet)

The second largest whale is the Fin whale, also a baleen whale.

The third largest whale is the toothed Sperm whale, the largest toothed predator in the world. It has a huge head, roughly one third of its body length. There is a great size difference between the sexes - males are 30% to 50% longer than females and three times heavier.

Sperm whale and skeleton

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

By contrast, the smallest whales, both toothed whales, are the dwarf sperm whale and the vaquita porpoise at around 2¾ metres (9 feet) and 1½ metres (5 feet) respectively.

As air-breathing mammals, whales must surface periodically to breathe in and out through the blow holes on top of their heads. The sperm whale, which dives deep to catch squid, can remain underwater for 90 minutes.

Scientists have discovered that the great baleen and sperm whales can capture carbon from the atmosphere equal to that of thousands of trees. When they die, their bodies sink to the ocean floor. When land animals die the carbon stored in their bodies is released almost immediately but the carbon at the bottom of the ocean can remain there for centuries – this is known as ‘blue carbon’. It may take up to 1000 years for the elements of a great whale carcase to return to the surface.

Each great whale can sequester 33 tons of carbon dioxide, compared to the 21 kilos a tree may appropriate in its lifespan. Before commercial whaling, there were 4 to 5 million whales in the oceans. Now there are 1.3 million and though they are protected by law, other factors threaten them, like noise pollution, which can disturb their communication, climate change, plastic waste, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing equipment. There are 13 great whale species, of which six are endangered or vulnerable.

Additionally, whales play a most important part in fertilising the marine ecosystem. Phytoplankton are microscopic organisms that form great carbon sinks. They sequester around 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually and produce at least 50% of all the oxygen in our atmosphere.

 Whales have some of the longest migratory journeys of any animal on this planet. As they swim, they stir up minerals from the depths and broadcast them across the seas. This is known as the ‘whale conveyor belt’ and gives the phytoplankton the nutrients they require for growth. Whales expel iron, phosphorus and nitrogen in their excrement, which also feeds the phytoplankton.

These magnificent, awe-inspiring animals are vital to our planet and to our survival.

I have tried to ensure that this post is as factually accurate as possible but there is conflicting information on some matters, so please don’t shoot me if I have unintentionally misrepresented facts. 

For example, one source stated that the bowhead whale was the second largest whale species; it was not at all clear if that meant it was numerically or physically large. As all other sources I looked at declared the Fin whale to be second in size only to the Blue whale, that is the information I have accepted as correct. 

As far as Bowhead whale numbers are concerned, there are 17,000 in the North Pacific and 1,300 in the North Atlantic and it is not considered vulnerable and is of least concern. Its numbers are increasing, but it hasn't got the largest population.

Numerically, the Minke whales have some of the greatest numbers - 515,000 in the Southern Hemisphere and 150,000 in the North Atlantic. Sperm whales have between 300,000 and 450,000 individuals. Compare this to the Blue whale population, estimated at between 10,000 and 25,000 animals. The Fin whale is estimated to be anything from under 100,000 to about 119,000.

The numbers are not huge. Whales do not reproduce rapidly and produce only singleton calves.. Pregnancy lasts from 9 to 18 months, depending on the species. Minke whales give birth every one to two years. Other species may only have one calf every few years. Whales also take many years to reach sexual maturity.        

Chilly

 

Chilly

        Frost Fair on the River Thames near the Temple Stairs, 1683-1684, by                 Thomas Wyke
                                Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

It has been chilly recently, puddles turned to ice, leaves frosted, breath lifting on the quiet air. It’s winter, it’s what is expected. Our winters are not as harsh or as long as once they were. There were years when the ground remained cold solid for months, though this has not happened for at least ten years. Even so, the winters were not then severe enough to maintain a frost fair.

The Thames Frost Fairs took place from the late 7^th century until the early 19^th century, although most of them took place in the so-called Little Ice Age, between the 17^th and 19^th centuries. That was a time when the River Thames froze more often than it now does, and also a period when the river was wider and ran more slowly.

AD 695 marked the first officially recorded time the river froze solid. It remained frozen for six weeks and local tradesmen set up their stalls to attract business from people enjoying the novelty of the frozen river. It was not officially registered as a frost fair.

The Thames froze several times in the 16^th century. Henry VIII travelled by sleigh from the centre of London to Greenwich in 1536. In 1564, his daughter, Elizabeth I, frequently ventured onto the ice to practise archery, while little boys played football.

                                            Great Frost, 1608
                                    Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The first named Frost Fair was in 1608, during the reign of James I (reigned 1603-1625) A pamphlet written at the time said:

“The great frost. Cold doings in London, except it be at the Lotterie. With Newes out of the Country. A familiar talk Betwene a Country-man and a citizen touching this terrible frost and the great Lotterie, and the effects of them.”

The ‘citizen’ recounted his experience of “being shaved in the middle of the frozen Thames: an experience to be remembered in the afterlife!”

In the 17^th century, during the winter of 1683-1684, the River Thames was frozen for two months. The ice was 11 inches thick in London and disrupted shipping and trade in the North Sea. People enjoyed many activities on the ice, including bull-baiting and horse and coach racing as well as the more usual ice skating.

John Evelyn (1620-1706) was a garden designer, horticulturist and diarist. In his account of the Frost Fair of 1683-1684 he wrote “Coaches plied from Westminster to the Temple, and from several other stairs too and fro, as in the streets; sleds, sliding with skeetes, a bull-baiting, horse and coach races, puppet plays and interludes, cooks, tipling and other lewd places, so that it seemed to be a bacchanalian triumph, or carnival on the water.”

He also commented on the effects of the extreme weather on the poor and on wildlife.

“The fowls, fish and birds, and all our exotic plants and greens universally perishing. Many parks of deer were destroyed, and all sorts of fuel so dear that there were great contributions to keep the poor alive...London, by reason for the excessive coldness of the air hindering the ascent of the smoke, was so filled with the fuliginous steam of the sea-coal ...that one could hardly breath.”

There were further frost fairs in 1715-1716, 1739-1740 and 1789. Frost Fairs on the Thames were frequently of short duration with rapid thaws leading to loss of life and property. In January 1789, a ship anchored to a riverside public house was dragged from its mooring by melting ice. It caused the building to collapse and five people were crushed to death.

The final Frost Fair occurred in 1814, and was held between Blackfriars and London Bridges from February 1^st to 4^th. Temperatures had remained below freezing from 27^th December 1813 to 7^th February 1814.

                    Frost Fair  of 1814, by Luke Clenell (1781-1840)
                            Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Londoners flocked onto the frozen Thames to enjoy refreshments like hot chocolate, beef, gingerbread and gin and entertainments including nine-pin bowling and dancing.  During this fair an elephant was led across the ice below Blackfriars, no doubt to the wonderment of onlookers.

There were several printing presses on the ice, one printer, George Davis, typesetting and publishing a book of 124 pages called, ”Frostiana; or A History of the River Thames In a Frozen State: and the Wonderful Effects of Frost, Snow, Ice, and Cold, in England, and in Different Parts of the World Interspersed with Various Amusing Anecdotes.” In his introduction he wrote, “as an additional object of curiosity, it may be proper to mention, that a large impression of the title page of this work, was actually printed on the ICE on the RIVER THAMES !!”

The ice started thawing on February 5^th and several people drowned.

The climate was changing, becoming milder. In addition, the old London Bridge, with its 19 pillars, was demolished in 1831 and a new bridge constructed. The new bridge had wider arches, allowing freer flow, and the river was dredged and embanked, making the river deeper and faster-flowing and thus less prone to freezing.

Up to snuff?

 

Up to snuff?

                                 Japanese snuff bottle, circa 1900

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Snuff is tobacco in powdered form designed to be sniffed into the nose.

If someone is said to be ‘up to snuff’ it means they are considered capable, knowing, astute. It is a phrase that has been in use since the 19^th century.

Snuff comes in many guises.  Some is pure ‘fine’ snuff made from a blend of tobacco leaves. Other snuffs have scents or flavours added, like coffee, orange or whisky. Individual customers may have snuff prepared to their own requirements.

 Painting of man taking snuff

Image courtesy of Wikimedia commons

The apparatus associated with snuff is collectable and includes snuff boxes made from a variety of materials, some valuable and intricate, small spoons, and bottles. It is important to keep snuff dry in airtight containers.

                                   Snuff box circa 1730-1740

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

My prejudice against snuff stems from my mother remarking that it was a dirty habit. I suppose she must have known people who took snuff. I have only ever met one snuff sniffer, once, a very long time ago.

A more up-to-date expression is ‘up to scratch’.  It derives from bare-knuckle boxing which differed from street fighting in that it was governed by a set of rules. At the beginning of each round opponents would be required to stand with their toes against a line scratched in the ground, to ‘start from scratch’.  Any boxer not able to do so was considered defeated. After a knockdown a boxer had eight seconds to make his way unaided to a cross in the centre of the ring. If he failed, he was not allowed to continue.

                                  Tom Cribb, bare knuckle boxer

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Bare-knuckle fighting originated in 17^th century England. Though most competitors were male, some females also took part. By the late 19^th century bare-knuckle fighting had given way to fighting with boxing gloves. However, there has been a resurgence of bare-knuckle boxing in the 21^st century. It is not a pretty sport.

Post script: I really hated writing this post, particularly the section about snuff, but I had started it and felt I must finish. Perhaps you have hated reading it . . .

Seeing is believing

 

Seeing is believing

                                                Image source

This beautiful little rainbow owl is quite delightful, a perfect miniature, small enough to perch on your finger.

It is rare and was hunted almost to extinction in the early part of the 20^th century when collectors were anxious to add its colourful feathers to their collections. Conservation efforts have seen an increase in numbers in Montana. It can also be found in parts of China.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see such an exotic bird?

Sadly, there is no such bird as a rainbow owl. The image is of a barred owl or ‘hoot owl’ which has been digitally enhanced.

                                            Barred owl 

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

This is just a bit of fun dreamt up by someone with a sense of humour, but the serious message underlying it is that people are too gullible, too ready to believe what they are told, particularly if it is supported by photographic or video ‘evidence’.

Thus are people led astray, suspending disbelief, denying their instincts and allowing themselves to be guided along dangerous paths. It is exciting to be part of a movement, and when the numbers grow, so does conviction. Charismatic leaders can persuade their followers to heinous acts. Humans have free will. Too many permit their will to be bent to someone else’s bow.

 

Days to remember in January 2024 – 3

 

Days to remember in January 2024 – 3

  Wassailing at Maplehurst, West Sussex. Cider is being poured over the roots of the tree.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I always remember 14^th January because it was my mother’s birthday. It also may be St Hilary’s Day, which is a moveable feast and falls on 13^th or 14^th depending on the calendar. This year, 2024, it is celebrated on 13^th January. Hilary was a French bishop who rigorously held to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

 Folk lore holds that St Hilary’s Day is the coldest day of the year, obviously only in the northern hemisphere. Hilary term refers to the spring terms of the English and Irish law courts and the second or middle academic terms of Oxford University and Trinity College, Dublin. Other names for university spring terms include Epiphany term at Durham, Michaelmas at Cambridge and Candlemas at St Andrews.

17^th January is the Old Twelfth Night, when wassailing takes place. Wassailing refers either to house visiting or visits to orchards. Wassail initially meant either hail or farewell and was practised in England before the Norman conquest. By the end of the 16^th century spiced ale was known as wassail and was a special drink for Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night. Revellers would go from house to house singing and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in return for gifts. This still takes place while the orchard wassailers visit apple and pear orchards in cider making areas like Somerset and Herefordshire.

In the orchards people gather to sing wassailing songs to bring good harvests. Cider may be poured over the roots of the trees, usually one ‘King’ tree, as a blessing. The wassail drink is traditionally served like punch in a large bowl. It may contain warmed ale, wine or cider mixed with cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and other spices. Some recipes add honey and eggs. It is passed from person to person with the cry, ‘Wassail’.

Not all those who wander are lost

 

Not all those who wander are lost

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

How true! 

Susannah has just sent me a clip about a drunken Turkish man, B.M. He may have been befuddled by drink but he knew his duty to his fellow man and joined a search party looking for a missing person. The misper – see, all those misspent hours watching television crime dramas have not been in vain! – had been drinking with some friends and wandered away into the woods. His wife, being unable to contact him, called the police.

B.M. and his fellows searched for hours, B.M. not knowing who they were looking for. Suddenly, one of the rescuers called B.M’s name. At this point B.M. realised he was the missing person and had been looking for himself.

How this realisation was received is not recorded. I think there are several reactions that may have been observed:

1: Oh, thank goodness you’re safe.

2: That’s the last time you go out drinking.

3: You’ve made a fool of yourself.

4: You’ve made a fool of me/us/the police.

5: What the blazes were you thinking?

6: How could you be so stupid?

7: How could I have been so stupid to have married you.

8: How could we have been so stupid to let you wander off, drunk.

9: Next time I/we won’t bother to come looking for you.

10: There’d better not be a next time.

I wonder if B.M. had a hangover the next day?