<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The mid winter solstice is fast approaching, (21^st December for those of you that have lost touch with their roots!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">We will be celebrating with our usual sun downer walk and party.<span>&nbsp; </span>As everyone seems to have gone video crazy on the site, you might like to see the one I made from photographs shot around last year&rsquo;s shortest day in the National Forest.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The words and photographs are mine, the music and vocals are my friend&rsquo;s, Julie Holland.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">These videos are a great way of adding another dimension to your poetry.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I&rsquo;ve uploaded the video to Youtube as it is too large for our site.<span>&nbsp; </span>If it had been small enough to go on Writelink, I would have clicked the video tab and got the code for the video and pasted into the blog in just the same way as the Youtube code.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QyHwJgf_LZg" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QyHwJgf_LZg"></embed> </object> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><span style="font-size: small;">Our winter solstice walk proved a wonderful occassion as usual.&nbsp; This year the weather was fantastic!&nbsp; Clear blue skie, sparkling frost and snow and brave sunshine which resulted in an unbelievable sunset.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">I managed to get a poem out of the walk which I've fitted to the photographs I took of the day.&nbsp; Hope you like it!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Have a lovely Christmas!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YjiDX-bDp5k" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YjiDX-bDp5k"></embed> </object> </p>

<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> </object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I&rsquo;ve never considered myself to be luckier than most people, but the gods certainly seem to be smiling on me at the moment!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">It began last Friday when Nearest &amp; Dearest and me went along to a ceilidh or barn dance as they used to be called when I first began skipping and hopping to lively jigs in the far off times of my primary school days.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">This one was being staged as part of <a href="http://www.bignationalceilidh.co.uk/">Water Aids Big National Ceilidh </a>which they hold every year, encouraging as many morris sides and other organisations to put on events. <span>&nbsp;</span>The proceeds are used to supply fresh, clean water to developing countries.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The one we went to was put on by <a href="http://www.sgtmusgraves.force9.co.uk/">Sergeant Musgrave&rsquo;s Dance</a>.<span>&nbsp; </span>We had a great time, but dancing aside, incredibly my raffle tickets were drawn out not once but, FIVE times!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I can&rsquo;t remember when I last won ONE raffle prize, but 5 in one night is unheard of!<span>&nbsp; </span>Of course I only accepted one, (the biggest box of chocolates, I&rsquo;m not THAT altruistic!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">On Monday I paid a quick visit to the English Folk Song and Dance Facebook page.<span>&nbsp; </span>For being one of the first 10 to write a short testimonial I won one of their pencils.<span>&nbsp; </span>O.K. it might not be much, but it is part of the trend!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">More lucratively, I opened the post yesterday to find TWO of my premium bonds had won &pound;25!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Looking back it seems like I&rsquo;ve won something every 3 days so roll on Monday!<span>&nbsp; </span>Or maybe I&rsquo;ve had my lot?<span>&nbsp; </span>The power of three may have exhausted itself, things come in 3&rsquo;s so they say!</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: small;">Well I didn't either until I happened to stumble across it while surfing the ether.&nbsp; In defence I've been off-line for the past couple of days and not seen much TV or radio either.&nbsp; Fortunately my week long pilgrimage walking the Cotswold Way proved very a huge source of inspiration as I wrote not one but FIVE poems!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Not quite the one a day which was the target I'd set, but not too bad considering most were composed on the hoof with the aid of a pencil stub and a minicle note book!&nbsp; Here's one of the better ones and a bit of video to go with it which I made from some not very remarkable photographs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Wonder how many poems we can get on the blogs by the end of the day?</span></p> <p> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qbyCnw6nzEE" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qbyCnw6nzEE"></embed> </object> </p> <p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Belas Knap</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Be still!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Let silence speak</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">and tell of ancient feet</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">which took the long and winding way</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">to this place, hallowed blessed</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">where long dead warriors rest.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Listen!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Their names are whispered in the breeze</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">which hints of long past deeds</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">that raised them from the common kind</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">to lay forever in stone enshrined.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Pause!</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">And if you&rsquo;ve the mind,</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">gather flowers of the sweetest kind</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">and lay them gently on the stone</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">so they shall know they&rsquo;re not alone.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>