Squash on Monday and table tennis on Tuesday and, now Matt is getting in to the running, Jim is getting more serious and drags me out for a run in the cold and wet when he gets back from a late shift at 11 at night. All three of us are signed up for the three Jane Tomlinson 10k runs this year but the lads have gone a stage further and applied for the Great North Run half marathon. A step too far for me - well, about 6 miles too far.
Friday, and Matt and Sam (and Bones) come over to join us for the York Panto. Mad as ever and just as popular, its a York tradition.
Thursday night and its the first in the new module, 'The Psychology of Intelligence'. Mostly the same class as before but three new faces. I'm reading 'Frames of Mind' by Howard Gardner rescued from Margot's library. Quite old (1985) but it introduced the idea of multiple intelligencies that I like the sound of. I tried to read some Piaget but I think he may have been writing in French as I barely understood a word and gave up.
Having watched the movie of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the got hold of the BBC series from Matt, Margot found me a copy of the John le Carre book in the charity shop hoping it would all begin to make sense. I'm about half way through and it is becoming a bit clearer but I may have to watch the film or TV version again before it all falls into place.
On Friday Margot and I went to the Old School Picture Gallery for an event (and free champagne) to mark the Holocaust Remembrance Day. http://www.schoolhousegallery.co.uk/exhibitions-current A terrific gallery of photo portraits by Matt Writtle of survivors with their life stories plus some ceramics and a rather strange delivery of the Declaration of Human Rights. The woman concerned had memorised all 30 Articles plus the Preamble and recited, rather laboriously, as she has done in 31 location or so around the country with another 10 or so to go. It was good to be reminded of what they are, but the memory feat came across as a bit of a stunt and if anything a distraction from the text itself. Also, considering she had done it 31 times she did make a lot of mistakes. Still, well meaning and certainly a damn sight better than I could do.
Only half the portraits - which were stunning, just faces but with very strong lighting and slightly over life size so you could scrutinise them in a way you obviously wouldn't do with the real person - were there. The rest were at the University and we saw them today (Monday) after an interesting panel discussion about the Holocaust and how it is remembered - or not. There was also a film event based on interviews with three of the Human Rights defenders at the Centre for Applied Human Rights. One, from Burma was there on Friday and has invited us to visit him when he goes back to Burma. The film had been at the Friday event but hadn't worked very well on three old TVs. Today it was projected on the University's 360 degree viewing room with four 20 foot screens and was much more impressive.
In between we had popped up to Scotland. A nice meal out with all the family - Alec (with whom we stayed), Chris Mary and Noah (and future baby brother), Martin and Lyn, and Edna and Alan. Moira joined us for coffee and afterwards we wandered along to the Police Club for a couple of drinks.
Sunday we met Christine and Stuart for a 5-mile walk in the Pentland Hills. Brilliant sunshine and an icy cold wind but fantastic views across the city from the top. That evening we had a Burns supper with neaps and tatties and veggie haggis (oh yes, and whisky). Very nice.
And so back home.
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