April Happenings  part 7   We're having wonderful clear frosty mornings, and I tried a walking meditation and heard my first Cuckoo. I also took off my slippers and walked barefoot on the icy grass. I read about this Tibetan practice somewhere , but I'm getting too old ,or I don't...

April Happenings part 6   I've been watching a series about BA the airline , not the sheep, with horror, it seems that the management attitude towards the cabin crew is as bad as ever. Let me tell you a little story of mine. Coming off a night flight from Delhi...

April happenings part 5    Before catching the train to London to hear  my favourite song writer, I popped into the art gallery in Chichester , I'm a member, to catch their latest haul. This English artist Leon Underwood enlisted in the camouflage corps in WW1 . And he did the...

April Happenings part 4   Post, post Easter Had a bit of surprise when I arrived at the monastery on my Sunday walk from Stedham, loads of cars and Thai visitors, it's the Asian New year and the food was up a notch. Once again the sun shone down upon the...

     Should we Apologise ?   I checked in the dictionary and there are two contradictory definitions !  1) to offer defensive arguments ,to make excuses 2) to acknowledge and express regret for a fault without defence.      And there is also the   Apologist  one who apologises for...

April happenings part 3   Post Easter frolics I've started an early morning swim , and if you arrive before 9am you have free use of the sauna and jaccusi , which makes my visit to Leslie, who has early stages of dementia even more pleasant . Though when I arrived he burst...

Is it always for the Best ? Blessing in Disguise , One door closes another one Opens,   I'd like to explore through my experiences and people I have met ( and hopefully any comments that you contribute ) , whether there is any truth or relevance in this statement. When...

April Happenings  Part 2     Easter Frolics First I have a confession the lettuce miracle is over, it lasted one night only ( I have a ton of the stuff in the fridge ) but the good news is that if I follow Mr. K advice , and go over...

Urban Icons  ----Hokusai says---my friend Mike   My friend Mike is a very creative chap and the pictures he takes of the streets we walk on , but very rarely notice ( unless you trip and fall ) are remarkable. He also is a poet and offered up this piece, from...

Around Australia and a bit of Japan by Brompton  wow factor 91/2 /10 Winter 2012 I decided to get a three stopover round-the-world job first leg Hong Kong . When I first visited HK in the sixties as a BOAC steward though it already was this amazing emporium , you could...

April Happenings   Part 1 I thought I would give a monthly report on what's going on in this little corner of England , West Sussex is  nestled against Hampshire and Surrey.  I could present in the style of Garrison Keillor, " Welcome to Stedaaam , where the men are upright...

Though I haven't cycled in Africa , I did visit Kenya, Nigeria , Ghana and Libya when I was an Air Steward. On a night flight to Entebbe I noticed a Christian Monk on board and he came up to the galley to have a chat, as he noticed I seemed...

Precept ( 8 )  Going Alone: an in -depth look at non-attachment   This really is the very big one in our lives. On a cycle ride there is a lot of stimulation with new countries ,people and cities to visit. But in this Blog I want to explore what loneliness...

A Tip for Easter : Let us Eat Lettuce    Just returned from my Sunday ritual, a walk along the river to the Monastery for lunch and a quick polish of my patents brass plaque on the bench in the cloisters. Chatting to a friend after the meal, I mentioned my...

In the precept FEAR ( 5 ) I look at fear around cycling , here is a very complete examination of the subject from my friend who presented Hidden Anger.                        5 Truths about Fear    1) The fear will never...

On being competitive  A deeper look at precept ( 6 )   In many ways I think this may be the most difficult one to get to grips with. Anyone who has been following the ups and downs of Lance Armstrong will understand how damaging the need to win can become....

On being assertive. A further look at Precept ( 7 ) This isn't going to be a rant on how awful car drivers are to cyclist, no this is going to be sensible advice on using busy narrow roads with a degree of control and safety .   Being assertive means...

http://youtu.be/fv38J7SKH_g

                       Life before and after Bricycles   When my marriage fell apart , I turned to my bike and a new cycle came about namely Bricycles the cycle and campaign group of Brighton UK a town by the sea made famous...

Palestinian support---Israeli hatred--- Projection---Compassion   I recently spent a day with the Palestinian Solidarity Group in Portsmouth . There was a lovely Middle Eastern lunch laid on for free, prepared by who I imagine were ladies from that area. The program was much as you expect, several presentations of the terrible...