The first Lord’s Mayor’s shows were not held annually
Up, and it being my Lord Mayor’s show, my boy and three mayds went out; but it being a very foule, rainy day, from morning till night, I was sorry my wife let them go out. …Here I staid three hours, and eat a barrel of very fine oysters of Wolfe’s giving me, and so, it raining hard, home and to my office, and then home to bed. Read the full diary entry by clicking on the date, above.
Yes they did have weather in those days. We forget what a historic event is the Lord Mayor’s show, manifesting as it did in 1189 but annually from 1751. The Lord Mayor is elected annually and is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London, a political and administrative post which has only existed since 2000. Prominent among the floats are the 12 great Livery companies such as the Grocers, Fishmongers, Goldsmiths etc.
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Matias Ventura or just plain Matt, the lead of editor focus for WordPress, writes about innovation
……Which is scary! Because change always is, and this is a big one. But a scary thing is usually a thing that leads to growth, if you can push through it. Ten years ago, agencies and developers worried that software like WordPress would ruin their business because clients wouldn’t need help updating their sites any more, and would maybe even just start building their own sites. But their worse fears didn’t come true — instead, it created new opportunities for everyone.
I find this very helpful. We hear of ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. I wonder why people including myself are afraid of risk taking. Maybe we should think of all the things that could go right, rather than the converse. I always have a Plan B, for what to do if things go wrong but you cannot plan for all unexpected events. I have noticed that people with the fuel of will power melt all opposition and create a tidal wave of self belief that conquers all. Perhaps vision is the limiting factor or it could be sheer cowardliness or laziness. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18
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Francoise went on a trip with Age UK seniors and passed Chew Magna Reservoir which is part of the system that supplies Bristol with water. It was very much down; this being surprising as we have had so much rain. Dips in level occur over the summer so maybe it will restore in the winter.
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Our allotment a few years ago. It’s not bad but could be improved.
Just a short blog today. I spent most of the time digging on my allotment so that the rain and frost could break up the soil.
A new committee member, Will, is turning an unused and unloved plot into a trial bed. He is killing the weeds by putting carpet on the ground and will leave them for six months to die for want of light. What a perfect day. Not a cloud in the sky.
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