Aufwiedersehen 2011

Village Dance - pencil drawing by Nigel A JAMES

Auld Lang Syne
by Robert Burns – 1759 – 1796



Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min`?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wandered mony a weary foot
Sin’ auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne . . .

We twa hae paidled in the burn,
From morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin’ auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne . . .

And there’s a hand, my trusty fierce,
And gie’s a hand o’ thine:
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne . . .

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I’ll be mine;
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne . . .



Aiblins – perhaps

A kennin – a little

Gowans – daisies

I wish you a very happy new year!

Rebecca Hughes - A Kitchen Chat

Rebecca Hughes in her kitchen - photo by Araka Acs.

The Beauty of Future Summers

Ten years in the future is a long way away, but, the ten that have just gone have either flown quickly past – or - have crept snailpacingly by to where they are now which is the same as where they were then! But, action means speed, and, the more that one does, the quicker the clock actually turns - and time, for Rebecca A. Hughes and her partner Jeremy, has become shorter and shorter since they started their business just ten years ago!

But, what is important is now; and, the seeds which Rebecca and Jeremy then hopefully planted are now blossoming. And the results are amazing! Their gardening landscape business, Oakapple Services, has well and truly taken root in the green north of England where they live!

In the beginning was the vision, and, with this in mind, Rebecca went to work on herself by turning herself into herself by making her hobby her life. At first came the hard work of learning – studying garden architecture is a hard and time taking challenge; and then followed the task of convincing future clients; and then finally, the turning of barren garden plots into islands of beauty and penetrating goodness and peace.

But, when good things start rolling, they take on a speed of their own, and one has to run to keep up. Word quickly spread!

And now, with just ten very short years to their credit, Rebecca and Jeremy are busier than ever; and their works of pure horticultural art aren’t secrets any more. They are there and growing for all to see, admire and enjoy!

After-all, when an acorn starts growing, its strength keeps going for ever, but, where it is planted is very important, for it provides a quality of life for many future summers as well!

Jamie Burroughs in Focus

Jamie Burroughs at London Airport - photo by Nigel A.  JAMES

Travelling Made Him

I had the very great pleasure of meeting Jamie Burroughs whilst passing through London airport last week, and, maybe, the airport was the best place to meet him, for, this man is a traveller and airports have been, for him, the starting points of many discoveries.

And, it is not only places and people that one meets upon one’s travels; one can also find hidden surprises that have been lying in wait and deep down within us for a very long time. And that’s exactly what happened to Jamie whilst he was cutting and hacking his way through the untamed snake infested and disease ridden jungles of Borneo.

He had just finished his second book; a novel with a deep philosophical slant, when the urge to leave his native England overtook him, and so it was, that he took leave of Southend, his home base in England, and went to the east!

And there he saw, quite literally, the light. He discovered that the light in the east had something about it that the shades and the shadows of the north were mysteriously missing. And, so fascinating and moving it was, that it brought out his love for photography as a vehicle and means for fine arts. And this was a turning point for Jamie.

And, so he continued his tour of the east, but now with a different perspective to his pictures. He went to Hong Kong, he went to Japan; and many other places as well; and now, back once again upon his native shores, things are changing, too.

He is, right now, in the process of opening a brand new studio which will not only allow more space for his fine-art photography, but also, enable him to maintain his excellent portrait work, for which he is already well known

And, what then will follow for this man of destinations? More exhibitions, maybe? A new book? A new direction? Only the future can tell, but, one thing is certain, Jamie Burroughs is a man to be watched!

www.jamieburroughsfoto.com

Heinzpeter Thiel - A Man of Minds!

Heinzpeter Thiel whilst studying his Schedule - photo by Nigel A JAMES

An Historical Academic Event!

There are those who have a desire for learning, and there are those who can provide the sought after knowledge; but the gulf between the two can never be bridged unless a visible means be established to knit the two sides together. And this has more to do with feelings than anything else, and, five years ago, Heinzpeter Thiel had just such a feeling that led to a brand new beginning for the learning of many - he founded the Hietzing Academy!

Heinzpeter Thiel had been living in Hietzing, a leafy well-to-do suburb of Vienna, for many happy years when he retired, and, it was then that this ex-journalist and publisher decided that the windows in his schedule could be easily filled with the pursuit of learning and the gathering of knowledge. But, where were the interesting and meaningful topics that he was looking for? The answer was nowhere! And so, he started the Hietzinger academy.

And now, within the space of just a few very short years, and, with the tremendous help of his wife, Hildegard, and, of course, the local council, the Hietzinger Academy has become even much more than Heinzpeter’s wildest of very wild dreams! There are many more like-minded people than he ever thought possible; and, what started as small has now become an indispensable part of many people’s lives!

And, one of the academy’s most popular events are its “back to school days”. These are days, where, just like the ones of long, long ago, people are able to recapture the spirit of learning and brush up their often forgotten lessons of yesteryear - and all complete with real teachers, a class room, a break, and, a time-table to match!

And teachers, as Heinzpeter discovered, are just as keen as everyone else. Not only are the classes and lectures always full to capacity, there are, too, more than enough people who are willing to pass on their knowledge in, what is, a meeting of minds where the coming together of wanting and giving takes place, in, what was, just a few years ago, a vision of Heinzpeter Thiel!