PIRATE QUEEN

Posted on May 24, 2020 by John Yeo | 7 Comments

THE PIRATE QUEEN

by John Yeo

The Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, was perturbed as her ship pulled away from Clare Island. The plan was to sail to England and plead for mercy from Queen Elizabeth. There were just two major hurdles to climb. Her two piratical rivals Drake and Raleigh were reported to be at court. Granuaile, as she was popularly known, had encountered both of these pirate seafarers on the high seas and there was no love lost between them. The ship was first scheduled to visit Galway harbour to stock supplies. Granuaile and her bosun Patrick met with some fellow seafarers in a hostelry near the Spanish Arch. It was here she received a message from Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham, warning her not to attempt a meeting at this time as her two infamous rivals knew her plans and were waiting. However, the message clearly inferred she would be received by the Queen.

(149 WORDS)

Word count: 149. Written for this week’s What Pegman Saw writing challenge. Every week, Pegman takes us to a new place on Google maps, and we get to search around for whatever sights catch our fancy.

This week Pegman takes us to Galway, Ireland.

Connemara Galway Folklore and Legend
Connemara’s bleak and beautiful landscape and strong tradition of storytelling have given rise to fantastic superstitions, folklore and legends which were passed down through the generations in tales told by a winter fire. The most legendary of these surely Granuaile or Grace O’Malley, a fiery 16th-century pirate queen. She married Connemara man, Donall O’Flaherty, one of the ferocious O’Flaherty clan members, and they lived for a number of years at Bunowen near Ballyconneely. Renowned for her bravery, wrath and lawlessness, she became the scourge of any English ship that dared to sail her waters.
Confident to the last she reputedly sailed to London to meet Elizabeth I, secure a pardon for her wayward son and a pension for herself.

THE CAREFREE DAYS

Posted on May 23, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

SATURDAY 23rd MAY 2020

THE CAREFREE DAYS

by John Yeo

These photographs bring back a lovely memory of a time in March 2017 when we attended a wonderful concert performance by Andre Rieu and his wonderful orchestra. I can’t help thinking that these days are over now for the foreseeable future.

I remember we entered the crowded arena, where our bags were screened and we joined a throng of people attempting to locate their seats. I must admit there was order in the chaos and the security people were very helpful in locating our seats, we were soon seated comfortably awaiting the show to begin.

A spectacular colourful musical extravaganza followed, featuring the orchestra, a female choir, three tenors and three diva sopranos. This was professionally overseen and put together by Andre Rieu, a showman and a character supreme. The female musicians in full length colourful ball gowns and the smartly dressed male members of the orchestra made for wonderful entertainment. They all seemed to be enjoying the experience enormously, which added a wonderful flavour to our evening’s entertainment.

Then the stunning scenery and dramatic effects added to the occasion and brought out the wonderful timeless music. The audience were invited to dance in the aisles and sing to the popular strains of well known songs.

The show seemed to go on forever, with encore after encore. People were dancing in the aisles and still singing to the music, as the security people were trying to establish order and safety.

I have to look back on these unrepeatable photographs and think how sad it is, we will probably never again feel the unabandoned exhilaration of being a part of thousands of people crammed together just enjoying a musical extravaganza such as this.

Life for everyone has changed out of all recognition since the arrival of the Covid19, Coronavirus pandemic. Some changes will be permanent. Although the current social distancing measures will certainly be eased in the future, I doubt if the memory of the ease of this sort of disease transmission will ever be forgotten and crowded arenas such as the one shown in these photographs will surely be a thing of the past.

FRIDAY 22nd MAY 2020

Posted on May 22, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

FRIDAY 22 MAY 2020

We had a busy day yesterday on the allotment. Having completed preparing our three Bean wigwams, we went on to transplant some Beetroot plants and water some of the existing plants in the beds. Our Rhubarb hasn’t done particularly well this year and a good friend who has a surplus kindly gave us some impressive stalks. Margaret has them in the photograph ready to transport them home. Our friend gave Margaret a good idea for a recipe for a Rhubarb and Strawberry crumble, something we haven’t tried before. Our Strawberries are still in flower and we look to be expecting a good crop around the beginning of June. Hopefully with another donation of Rhubarb stalks we will try it out.

BEANS

Posted on May 21, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

THURSDAY 21st MAY 2020

BEANS

by John Yeo

Today I intend to write about Beans. Yes, common Runner Beans. Part of most people’s childhood in the west is an introduction to the English fairy tale, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’

Where the indomitable Jack sold the family cow for a handful of beans that later grew into a giant beanstalk. Later after a few, ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman,’ yells, the giant dies and Jack and his Mum live happily ever after feasting off the proceeds of the hen that lays golden eggs.

We planted our Runner beans on the allotment yesterday.

I constructed the above wigwam from a bundle of 10 new

6 foot bamboo canes for the beans to climb. Margaret has volunteered to climb this particular beanstalk to harvest the freshest tastiest beans at the top on the frame. If she does encounter a giant, I will be at the bottom with a pair of pruning shears.

It won’t be long before we are enjoying fresh new potatoes with mint and gently steamed fresh beans. Runner beans are a great source of fibre, which not only plays the lead role in making sure our digestive system is running at its best, but has also been shown to help prevent weight gain, some cancers, heart disease and diabetes.

We also have some french bush bean seeds in rows alongside the mighty runners. These will certainly not be high enough to harbour any giants or hens laying golden eggs.

I looked up the phrase ‘Full of Beans’ and this is what I came up with.
Originally, this phrase was known as “Full of Prunes” and then “prunes” was replaced with “beans”. The phrase originated in Europe in the 14th century when horses were fed with beans grown solely for fodder. After feeding the horse, the owners often noticed that the horses became quite energetic and lively. Hence the phrase originated to refer to this state of liveliness.’
Source: theidioms.com

The beans in Jack and the Beanstalk are believed to be fava beans and they have a magical history all their own. With evidence of their incorporation into diets dating back to at least 6000 BC, fava beans are one of the oldest cultivated plants. Their hardiness and ability to endure cold climates contributed to their endurance as a crop. It also earned the beans magical status in Sicily, where they were considered more than merely food.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/fava-the-magic-bean/

One of the things I notice occurring frequently on the social media areas of public entertainment is the propensity of people who tend to jump on the bandwagon. Since I’ve begun to cultivate my blog and publish on a more frequent basis, I’ve had several emails offering me work. I have to say I usually explore these offers but I have never been guilty of taking the bait, particularly when the person refers to the mysterious ‘us,’ i.e. ‘Would you like to write for us?’ When tackled about who these unidentified ‘us’ are, the reply is usually a woolly, ‘some very big people.’ …

I offer this advice to all prospective grow your own bean experts.

‘Beans and some other legumes, such as peas and lentils, have a reputation for causing gas. Beans contain high amounts of a complex sugar called raffinose, which the body has trouble breaking down. Beans are also rich in fiber, and a high intake of fiber can increase gassiness.’

AUTHENTIC ARGUMENT

Posted on May 20, 2020 by John Yeo | 1 Comment

Photo by John and Margaret

WEDNESDAY 20 MAY 2020

I thought I would indulge in some flash fiction today.

The photograph is a picture I snapped in a theatre Margaret and I visited in Stratford-upon-Avon, five years ago. The bust that is central to this display is of course the immortal bard surrounded by colourful costumes. There is a small fountain tinkling away in the foreground giving some wonderful atmospheric sound effects.

Supposing, just supposing, the great playwright came back to life and applied to act the leading role in a production of one of his plays.

AUTHENTIC ARGUMENT

by John Yeo

A letter received by a would-be Hamlet.

THE AUTHENTIC SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Dear Sir.

We are pleased to inform you that your application to play Hamlet in our current production has been successful. In view of your extensive past experience of playing this role, and the excellent performance you treated us to at the interview. Please report to the director at the theatre next Wednesday morning, where you will meet the rest of the cast.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathon Milton

~~~~~~

Wednesday at the Authentic theatre

‘Hello Luvvies, wonderful to meet you all, I am here to replace your leading man, I hear he is not very well, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m William! I understand if we have a successful informal rehearsal first, then we can have a full dress rehearsal this afternoon.’

‘That’s right William, Grab a stool and start following the lines when we begin. You were very impressive during the interview, everyone was amazed at the way you read your lines from memory. Although there were a few anomalies and variations from the script. Nothing we can’t iron out though. After all, we don’t want to change the words of the immortal bard.’

Later in the pub, the talk is all about the wonderful, trouble free rehearsal of the morning and the full dress rehearsal to follow, this afternoon.

‘William please have another good home brewed stout! Sorry they don’t serve sack here, perhaps if we ask them to order some especially for you, then you can enjoy it while you are working here!’

‘Fine thanks! I won’t have another drink now. If I drink too much then I will be heady this afternoon.’ Replied William.

Back at the theatre, William is shown to the star’s dressing room. ‘Here are your costumes made to an authentic Elizabethan design. Good job you are the same build as our previous leading man. The makeup artist will be along shortly.’

‘WHAT! I was under the impression this was an authentic production. You have even altered the original words out of all recognition. I know the author, William Shakespeare would never have applied modern day makeup. I am not a circus clown man! I would like to see the Director.’ Shouted William irritability. ‘Get him at once!’

‘Yes Sir!’ said the stage hand.

The Director arrived and was stunned to hear about this turn of events.

William shouted at him, before he could open his mouth. “If I’m expected to mouth incomplete sentences and words that have been subtly altered, then to have this muck applied to my face, then I refuse to play the part. It’s bad enough that the original play has been altered forever over the centuries.’

The Director scratched his head and firmly replied, ‘Are you mad? This play is a word-for-word adaptation from the Folger library, based on the First Folios. Now I suggest you get your coat and clear off back to where you came from!’

William was taken aback by this attitude and as he was putting his coat on he shouted, ‘I will refer this non-authenticity to the trades description department of the Lord Chancellor’s Office.’

Photo by Mike on Pexels.com

CORONA CRUISE

Posted on May 19, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

TUESDAY 19th MAY 2020

CORONA CRUISE

I was trawling through my library of photographs to find something to ignite the fires of inspiration when I came across this photograph of the bow of a cruise ship we were traveling on three years ago. The bow pointing towards an empty sea, with the sea touching the blue sky on the horizon looks perfect. There is no clue to the destination the vessel is headed for or the port from which it has just sailed from. I got to thinking the first impression that springs to mind is of a luxury cruise in the sunshine to a tropical destination. Always something of a dream for the landlocked worker until this covid-19 pandemic arrived. We are all struggling to overcome this coronavirus monstrosity at the moment. In effect this picture just about sums up the whole pandemic in a nutshell. It is unknown where the virus originated and there’s certainly no sure outcome on the horizon. The recent stories of people trapped in the confines of luxury cruise ships that are floating virus factories have been horrific. This photograph could be viewed in the context of a floating, viral, germ carrier that is desperately trying to get a foothold and touch the first available port. For the passengers the prospect of utter luxury becomes a floating nightmare as the virus spreads throughout the ship and they are confined to their cabins in isolation. The very nature of a cruise ship, with its reliance on air conditioning and the close association of the passengers in the lounges and dining areas, make it extremely easy for a virus to spread. This brings to mind the recent norovirus outbreaks the cruise industry have been struggling with for the last few years.

Fortunately Margaret and I have never had the unpleasant experience of being involved in these sort of shocking circumstances during our cruising lives. We will certainly be thinking long and hard about any future sea cruises in the future.

AFTERNOON TEA

Posted on May 18, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

AFTERNOON TEA

by John Yeo

MONDAY 18th MAY 2020

AFTERNOON TEA

I thought I would display a photograph of a varied bone china tea set that we were served with, in a delightful little tea shop In

town. We love the authenticity of drinking tea from bone china.

The presence of a tea strainer suggests there are authentic tea leaves in the pot. This is another aspect of the ritual having tea that has sadly gone to the dogs with the universal introduction of tea bags.

Looking closely at the tea set, it becomes clear that not one of the pieces actually match. They are obviously a mismatch of various tea sets that have been put together randomly. I love the teapotwith the birds and butterflies, this was probably from an expensive tea set that suffered breakages of individual pieces over the years and it now lives with the remains of several other tea sets. I wonder if the proprietors of this tea shop rescued these individual pieces from charity shops and jumble sales.

I hesitate to think how many people have enjoyed afternoon tea from these separate pieces over the years and under what circumstances. There must be a thousand gallons of water and washing up liquid and gallons of tea that have passed through and gently caressed the delicate surfaces. Every cup tells a story.

THE MIRACLE OF LIFE

by John Yeo

A tiny spark of dormancy waits for revival,

Encased in a fuzzy cloud of mundanity.

When time and the mixture of conditions allow

Growth begins from within the uncertainty.

A creation of beauty is coming slowly together.

~

The beauty and the perils that await the entity,

As a fragile life becomes stronger with time.

The magical moment when a muddle of words

Takes a solid shape in a rough draft outline.

A creation shaped slowly with poetical guidance.

~

Words encased with fine vibrancy, line by line.

Ringing through the portals of the poets mind.

The entity that grew from a shapeless design.

A thing of beauty with strength and fluidity

Produced and nurtured from a tiny seedling.

A vision; then the growth of beauty in words.

THE MIRACLE OF LIFE

Posted on May 18, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

THE MIRACLE OF LIFE

by John Yeo

A tiny spark of dormancy waits for revival,

Encased in a fuzzy cloud of mundanity.

When time and the mixture of conditions allow

Growth begins from within the uncertainty.

A creation of beauty is coming slowly together.

~

The beauty and the perils that await the entity,

As a fragile life becomes stronger with time.

The magical moment when a muddle of words

Takes a solid shape in a rough draft outline.

A creation shaped slowly with poetical guidance.

~

Words encased with fine vibrancy, line by line.

Ringing through the portals of the poets mind.

The entity that grew from a shapeless design.

A thing of beauty with strength and fluidity

Produced and nurtured from a tiny seedling.

A vision; then the growth of beauty in words.

OUTFOXED

Posted on May 16, 2020 by John Yeo | 10 Comments

by John Yeo

A prompt response to the weekly Friday prompt from ‘What the Pegman Saw.’ A weekly writing prompt to write a story in 150 words based on a different photograph from Google maps.

Joey was acting as a gambler, a man who would bet on anything that moved or resulted in a half predictable result. Joey had met a man in a bar in downtown Providence. Clarke Ball was an avid entrepreneur who was heavily involved in the cruel sport of cockfighting. A deal was in the offing. Clarke was pushing Joey to buy a Rhode Island Red cockerel.

‘You can’t go wrong with this local bird, you put the money up and we split the winnings. Of course you, as the owner will take most, I’ll handle the arrangements for a small percentage.’

Later the two men met on the outskirts of town, Clarke pulled a box off his van. Joey took one look, then turned to his new friend and pulled out his police ID.

‘I’m arresting you for promoting illegal cockfighting.’

Joey had outfoxed another foxy villain

(148 WORDS)

NO EXCUSE

Posted on May 14, 2020 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

NO EXCUSE

by John Yeo

People are passing away here
The graphs tell a frightening story
The media screams in mortal dread
When a lockdown becomes mandatory.
This new deadly virus spreads rapidly
Infecting the populace everywhere
The daily toll mounts, life is cheap now
Our prospects are extremely unclear.

My determination for living today,
Rests firmly in the here and now,
Margaret, will always be my best friend
With me sharing every step of the way.
We face the rigours of age and decay
With no other weapons but our faith.
Faith that my wife and I will survive
And overcome anything in our way.

Our families touch our lives always
Entwined and part of us both.
As we face this pandemic together
With love and acceptance to all.
My soulmate and I came together,
We built our lives with tender care.
I look for her and knowingly smile
Whenever I turn round she’s there.

This new deadly virus spreads rapidly
Infecting the populace everywhere
The daily toll mounts, life is cheap now
Our prospects are extremely unclear.
We tackle this new plague together
Without regret, fear or despair.
We need no excuse for each other
Acceptance will always be here.