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The Exquisite Adonis Blue

The Adonis Blue, loveliest of all the blue butterflies and rivalled perhaps only by the White Admiral as a thing of delicate wonder in flight, adorning as it does the beauty of the chalk uplands of southern England. This is the butterfly of our joyous childhood excursions to Hod Hill, where, I hope, it will continue to flourish long after the footprints of rapacious men fade from view.

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Ars en Ré

 
The Stuttering Cyclist and the Maid of Ars

I cycled down to Ars
I cy-
I cy-
I cycled down to Ars
One sunny day in May

And when I was in Ars I
Ars I
Ars I
Saw a maiden pass I
Met the Maid of Ars

I took her for a glass, I
Glass I
Glass I
Took her for a glass, I
Took her for a beer

I said I’m fond of Ars I
Ars I
Ars I
Said I’m fond of Ars I
Said I loved her here

She thought I’d said her rear she
Rear she
Rear she
Thought I loved her rear
That sunny day in Ars

I said that it was true too
True too
True too
That I’d be true to you to
You and to your Ars

I’ll take you up the aisle
I’ll I’ll
I’ll I’ll
Take you up the aisle, I’ll
Take you up the Zzz

I’d rocked her off to sleep I’d
Sleep I’d
Sleep I’d
Rocked her off to sleep
Her nose was in her beer

And then popped out her glass eye
Glass eye
Glass eye
Plopped into her glass I
Saw it stare at me

She didn’t look so hot then
Hot then
Not then
So I forgot her bot then
I cycled out of Ars

I’d met the maid of Ars I’d
Ars I’d
Ars I’d
The Glass-Eyed Maid of Ars I’d
Lived to share the tale

For I had met the Maid of
Maid of
Maid of
Ars and she was made of
Arse, but for her eye

So now I tilt my glass I
Glass I
Glass I
Tell tall tales of Ars, aye
Until my glass is dry
 

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St.Martin de Ré

“It is a beauteous evening, calm and free,

The holy time is quiet as a nun*

Breathless with adoration, the broad sun

Is sinking down in its tranquillity…” (Benny Hill**) …

* Not that quiet, I confess…

**In fact Wordsworth, come to think of it…

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Friends at rest?

Das Los der Waffen wechselt hin und her:
Kein kluger Streiter hält den Feind gering.
Auch ohne Hülfe gegen Trutz und Härte
Hat die Natur den Schwachen nicht gelassen. (Iphigenie auf Tauris V iii)

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Pete

In loving memory of Pete, whose friendship I shall never forget.

Simon Wheeler, OB, has made this rather wonderful short film to commemorate Pete Simpson’s life on the occasion of the 90th. It is beautifully narrated by Tom Wheare.

Pete Simpson

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RIVM telde 27.000 nieuwe Lyme-gevallen: waarom is er geen vaccin tegen de ziekte (terwijl dat er wel wás)? – Wetenschap – Voor nieuws, achtergronden en columns

Het Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM) heeft het afgelopen jaar 27.000 nieuwe gevallen van de ziekte van Lyme geteld. Wij vroegen ons af: waarom is er nog geen vaccin tegen deze nare ziekte? We zochten het vorig jaar uit.

Source: RIVM telde 27.000 nieuwe Lyme-gevallen: waarom is er geen vaccin tegen de ziekte (terwijl dat er wel wás)? – Wetenschap – Voor nieuws, achtergronden en columns