Weekly Poem - Sea-Fever by John Masefield (1878-1967)

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown splume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

 

Sea-Fever

by John Masefield (1878-1967)

Find out more about John Masefield, poet and author of the wonderful children's books The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights by clicking here

The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp - Weekend Film

The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp is a 1956 British black and white part-fantasy comedy film directed by Alan Bromly and starring Felix Aylmer as a second hand store owner, and Diane Cilento as the Angel. I've never seen it but having read the book by Charles Terrot I would very much like to, here is a scene via Youtube:

Christmas Tree's - Sweet Paul Style - Christmas Inspiration

A stack of vintage tins make a wonderful Christmas tree shape from Sweet Paul 

but if you prefer something a little more traditional how about this :

 

A vintage Christmas tree displayed in a large vintage jug.

 

Images Sweet Paul

Weekend Read - The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp by Charles Terrot

"On a certain Monday in May, business was very slack in Mr. Webman's second-hand store. Just before closing time, however, there came into the shop the most beautiful girl Len Burrows, the assistant had ever seen. Beside her stood a full-sized harp. Was she an angel? She looked like one and behaved like one, but here she was in Mr. Webman.s East End shop apparently trying to raise a loan, and on her harp of all things! Nor did she seem too scrupulous about how she came by the money. yet it was curious, as time went on, the effect she had on people, the way ahe brought out the best in them, the way in which, in the end, she showed them the way in which their happiness lay."

So far I'm completely completely and utterly charmed by Charles Terrot's The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp and now I've found out that there is a 1950's film of the book starring Diane Cilento which of course I'm now quite keen to see.

Christmas Inspirations - Mister Finch and Wild Acre Flowers

Other people's blogs are a constant source of inspiration a 5 minute blog hop and I'm longing to decorate a mantle shelf with old jars for tea light holders and toadstools like Mister Finch who says, "Lots of toadstools and candles in jars. Simple.... and to be honest looks really nice all year round!"

I also want to make a wreath like Belinda's,  Belinda likes her wreaths "quite skinny and sparse, slightly quirky and unexpected".  I can get an almost endless supply of hogweed seedheads and as I too love this wreath's  "snowy ice-queenishness" I'm going to try and give this a go.

An old firewood rhyme - Weekly Poem

Beechwood fires burn bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year
Store your beech for Christmastide
With new holly laid beside
Chestnut's only good they say
If for years 'tis stayed away
Birch and firwood burn too fast
Blaze too bright and do not last
Flames from larch will shoot up high
Dangerously the sparks will fly
But ashwood green and ashwood brown
Are fit for a Queen with a golden crown.
Oaken logs, if dry and old
Keep away the winter's cold
Poplar gives a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke
Elmwood burns like churchyard mould
Even the very flames burn cold
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread
So it is in Ireland said
Applewood will scent the room
Pearwood smells like a flower in bloom
But ashwood wet and ashwood dry
A king may warm his slippers by!

Very appropriate for the time of year don't you think? Keep warm!

Beer Advent calendar - One for the men

 

Caught by the River has a beer correspondent, Ben McCormick, and Ben McCormick also has a blog of his own, Beer Advent Calendar. Every day in December leading up to Christmas Ben samples, and writes about a beer from his beer advent calendar, a crate of 24 beers. We're told that we can "Expect random anecdotes, the odd complaint and sometimes frankly absurd metaphors as Ben tackles the seemingly simple task of drinking a beer a day in the run up to Christmas."

If you'd like to join in, and of course it's not really just for the men, here's a list of the beers to be tasted:

Magic Hat #9
Brasserie Lefèbre Barbar Bok
Orval Trappist Ale
Mikeller The American Dream
Brooklyn Lager
Kernel Export Porter Cacao
Summer Wine Brewery Mokko Milk Stout
Redchurch Brewery Old Ford Export Stout

Kernel Imperial Brown Stout

To Ol Mochachino Messiah
De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier
Jupiler Bière Blonde
De Molen Geboren & Getogen
Sierra Nevada Imperial Red Ale
Lindemans Cuvée René
Brewfist Burocracy
Kernel B.A.D.S.C.C.A.NS. Galaxy IPA
Lovibonds 69IPA
Winsor & Eton Kohinoor IPA
Delerium Nocturnum
Ska Brewing Pinstripe Red Ale
Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout
Curious IPA
Dominion Hop Mountain Pale Ale

Ben has no idea which beer is behind each of the numbers so they aren't listed in any particular order. You can follow this unusual Advent, make comments etc over at Beer Advent Calendar.