blacknikkormat

Captain Noel Chavasse's VC and bar bought by the Ashcroft Collection

2009-11-22T13:09:38Z

Truly humbling.

"Duty called and duty must be obeyed."

Captain Chavasse had already been awarded the Military Cross by August 1916 when, while he was serving in Guillemont, France, a unit of 600 men sustained 189 casualties. The young officer tended to wounded servicemen all day and night under heavy fire. He was awarded the VC for "conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty" after saving the lives of an estimated 20 seriously-injured men.
Almost a year later, Captain Chavasse was involved in the third Battle of Ypres, in which Allied forces recaptured the Passchendaele ridge, outside the Belgian town, over several months at a cost of almost half a million lives.
On the evening of July 31, 1917, Captain Chavasse received a skull wound. He had his injury bandaged but he refused to be evacuated. Instead, time and again and in appalling weather, he went into no-man's-land to search for and attend the wounded.
With virtually no food, in great pain and desperately weary, he again saved several lives. In the early hours of August 2, he was finally taking a rest at his aid post when it was struck by a shell. With everyone at the post killed or wounded, Captain Chavasse, who had at least six separate injuries, crawled for half a mile to get medical help for his comrades.
By now his swollen face made him unrecognisable and he was operated on for a serious abdomen injury. Yet he found the strength to dictate a final letter to his fiancée and cousin, Gladys Chavasse, in which he explained why he had carried on helping others despite his injuries: "Duty called and duty must be obeyed." He died on 4 August 1917, aged 32. The citation for a posthumous Bar to his VC praised "his extraordinary energy and inspiring example".

blacknikkormat @ 2009-11-18T08:54:00

2009-11-18T08:57:49Z

University is still monotonously bad. The class is going to fall apart. People will start walking out of lessons soon. Too many competing personalities, none of whom will acknowledge that the problem lies with them.

I've been putting weight on again, but fortunately I can still run. I did eight miles with the club on Sunday, then just over 5K in 25 minutes on Monday. I want to run at least three times, preferably four, each week.

Sam took me out for a curry last week. He looks like Will Self, the writer, and he's grown a beard. Self was on Question Time last week, and he's also grown a beard. I am beginning to wonder if they are one and the same.

Two of my friends have lost friends and relations this week, one at 19 and the other at 36, both natural causes. When it's young people, it makes me realise I ought to be thankful for what I have and to make the most of each day.

Eating habits

2009-10-30T08:20:43Z

I've been vegetarian since, I think, 2002. A real vegetarian, that is; no meat, no fish, nothing containing meat derivatives (some cheeses, for example). I lapsed for six months when I lived in Korea. This was in order to fit in with other people. They don't have vegetarians in Korea, they don't really understand the reasoning or the concept, and I thought along the lines of "when in Rome...". I ate meat on maybe five or six occasions while I was there.

I've recently started to question my vegetarianism. I'm still appalled by the conditions in which animals are raised and slaughtered, and I'm still of the opinion that my vegetarian diet is healthier than that of the majority of omnivores. I'm starting to weaken though. I had lunch in a pub in town yesterday, and all that appealed was a veg burger and chips. That's not quite true, actually. The steak , the Cumberland sausage, and the gammon appealed too, but I ignored them. The veg burger was nice enough, but a bit boring and predictable.

It's not just that I'm bored though. Much as I sometimes crave a tandoori mixed grill, I still love vegetarian curries. I wonder if being vegetarian is (or was) more about defining myself, or asceticism (I've learnt a new word today). When I say defining myself, I don't mean attention seeking. I mean giving myself an identity. I'm not sure really.

Asceticism though, yes. People who know me would agree with this one, I think. Self-denial has always appealed to me. I am, or have been, a puritan to some extent (not in the religious sense). I like simple things, stripped down to the bare minimum. I like old cars without power steering or ABS brakes, mechanical cameras with nothing but the basic controls, simple functional clothes, minimalist decor. I've often wanted to give up alcohol. I'd have made a great hermit. I think I may have grown up though.

I'm not about to rush into McDonald's and gorge myself on dead cow. I'm going to stick with a herbivore diet at home, but I think I might start to eat a bit of meat here and there at restaurants.

Lefty-liberal middle-class sandal-wearing hand-wringing.

2009-10-18T10:09:36Z

National Archives displays 'present anti-British view of history'.

No wonder support for the likes of the BNP is up, with an establishment like this.

And another.

2009-10-06T19:38:35Z

5 snacks I enjoy:
Cheese
Yoghurt
Peanut butter sandwiches
Chocolate
Carrots

5 bands that I know the lyrics of most of their songs:
The Who
The Rolling Stones
Mazzy Star
.
.

5 things I’d do with £100 million:
Buy a house miles from anyone
Buy a Morgan sports car
Buy a Feinwerkbau rifle
Buy a Leica camera
Give Pipi some money

5 locations I’d like to run away to:
Germany (south)
Switzerland
Austria
Czech Republic
Italy (north)

5 bad habits I have:
Greediness
Laziness
Intolerance
.
.

5 things I like doing:
Running
Reading
Shooting
Sleeping
Drinking coffee

5 things I would never wear:
A football shirt
.
.
.
.

5 TV shows I like:
Unreported World
Father Ted
Spaced
Peep Show
NCIS

5 movies I like:
The Outlaw Josey Wales
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
For a Few Dollars More
The Importance of Being Earnest
Kind Hearts and Coronets

5 famous people I’d like to meet:
.
.
.
.
.

That one was pretty boring too.

It's years since I've done one of these

2009-10-06T19:23:28Z

01. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
I need a shave.

02. When is the next time you'll have sex?
Too depressing to think about.

03. What's a word that rhymes with "door"?
Poor.

04. Favourite planet?
Saturn takes some beating.

05. Who is the 3rd person on your missed call list on your mobile?
I delete all missed calls as soon as I notice them.

06. What is your favorite ring on your phone?
Theme from The Dam Busters.

07. What shirt are you wearing?
An ancient black T-shirt.

08. Do you "label" yourself?
No. I used to try though.

09. Name the brand of shoes you're currently wearing?
Salomon.

10. Bright or dark room?
Now, bright. I prefer darker.

11. What do you think about the person who took this survey?
I've not seen her for ages and I ought to be a better friend.

12. Take a break...
I don't need to be told.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping.

14. What did your last text message you received on your mobile say?
Can't remember.

15. Where is your letter box?
In the front door.

16. What's a word that you say a lot?
Blithering idiot. Two.

17.Who told you he / she loved you last?
Can't remember. Depressing.

18. Last furry thing you touched?
Natalie (my cat, not musicalpixie).

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
A bit of Salbutamol.

20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed?
One part used in the camera.

21. Favourite age you have been so far?
29.

22. Your worst enemy?
Too many to mention.

23. What is your current desktop picture?
PC: Martina Beck, German biathlete, skiing. Laptop: Black screen with a TE Lawrence quote in the corner.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
No thanks.

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly, which would you do?
Fly. I'm quite sure I could make more than a million fairly quickly if I could fly.

That wasn't as much fun as I had expected.

blacknikkormat @ 2009-10-04T11:33:00

2009-10-04T10:41:22Z

I have a sore throat. I've had it for over a week now. I am not amused. Despite this, the running is going well, and I've been going to the university gym. Despite the 89kg (ten more than I want) I feel fit. I even dragged myself to the running club this morning, which was fortunate as there was a quite lovely girl there who I've not seen before.

University is boring me, but it's made bearable by the presence of a few good, interesting students. I've handed in my first assignment. Seven more to go, I think.

I took some photos of a couple of spiders in the garden last week. Not sure how they'll turn out as it was quite windy and they were swaying about in their webs, and I didn't use flash so the exposures were quite long.

Honourable atrocity mongers.

2009-10-04T10:33:11Z

Sea of blood as Japan slaughters thousands of dolphins.

More university.

2009-09-25T13:54:02Z

Despite what the lecturers continue to tell us, the course is not intensive. It's a stroll, at the moment at least. Assignments are exercises in box-ticking, requiring no original thought or analysis. It's not bad, but I'll be glad when it's over and I've got the certificate in my hand. It seems a few others feel this way.

I've bought an air rifle for teaching my nephews to shoot. Actually, I bought it for myself, but they don't know that. It's a 1978 Original (Diana) Model 23. They had a session with it a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it, although both were better shots with my pistol.

No other news.

London

2009-09-02T14:17:01Z

I went down to London yesterday to see Lena. It was most enjoyable.

We visited the Wallace Collection, which was fantastic. We only saw a small part, but next time I'm down there I'll see the rest.

I first met Lena when we worked at Waterstone's. I think we both hated it equally, and hated it for the same reasons. She's by far the most intelligent person I know. I'd say she is a genius. She says things that other people wouldn't say. "Do you blame your parents for fucking your mind up?"

I could fall in love with her, but she would drive me to suicide. She's not my type, fortunately. She's very pretty and has excellent taste in fashion, so I asked her to help me buy some clothes next time she's up in Manchester.

Visiting London makes one realise how completely shit Manchester is. Manchester city centre is a mess. It's a shit-hole. Even the people are better looking in London. I saw a female tramp who could have been a super-model if only she hadn't been wrapped in a filthy blanket clutching a can of Special Brew. The women were many times prettier than in Manchester; better dressed and they took better care of themselves.

The question is, will I ever be able to afford to live down there?

Just a perfect day...

2009-08-25T08:41:13Z

I often while away my ample free hours wondering what my perfect day would consist of.

Two scenarios immediately spring to mind. The first involves the German women's biathlon team and a large jar of Nutella. The second involves the entire Labour Party and a fair proportion of other assorted MPs, politicians and hangers-on, a big hole, and a JCB.

There might be a less debauched or less bloodthirsty alternative, I suppose:

Up early for poached eggs on wholemeal toast followed by two mugs of strong coffee then a run on the river bank. Home, bath and an hour or two reading followed by an hour of target practice putting up some wonderful scores. Lunch would be a goat's cheese salad, at which point I'd be joined by someone nice. The afternoon would be spent on a gentle bike ride on deserted country lanes (do such things still exist?) or wandering (town or country) with a stop for coffee and cake somewhere along the way. Dinner would be curry: vegetable jalfrezi, saag paneer, pilau rice, nan bread, after which we'd spend the evening watching a good film.

I think I have simple tastes.

Run, run, run

2009-08-25T07:45:51Z

I've decided to get in shape (again). I managed a fairly easy ten mile run on Sunday morning: three alone, five with the club then another two alone. Yesterday was rest day, and today will be four or five miles. My problem is not so much fitness as health - I eat too much. If I can get my weight down I'll be a much better runner. Hopefully I will get into a routine now, and manage to keep it when I start university.

Tom's first mountain.

2009-08-20T10:54:27Z

My nephews, Harry and Tom, both six years old, stayed this week. Harry is idle, but Tom is very much into the outdoors, so yesterday I took him down to Edale to walk up Kinder Scout. He performed brilliantly. We set off from the train station, up Grindsbrook Clough, headed east for a couple of kilometres when we got to the top, then down again, a total of maybe five miles. He enjoyed it, but was clearly terrified by the wind on the plateau. He was convinced he was going to be blown down the hillside.

A good day out, but it convinced me that I never ever want children. They talk nonsense constantly, and you can't discuss anything worthwhile with them (like how saucy the girl on the train in the tiny shorts looked, for example).

Holidays

2009-08-20T10:44:03Z

Well, the Offa's Dyke walk didn't quite go to plan.

I met Alex at Stockport train station. From there we went by train to Cheltenham Spa, intending then to take a train to Chepstow. Unfortunately, we got on the wrong train, and ended up in Stroud. Two more trains later, we arrived at Chepstow for the start of the walk. Beautiful weather. The official start point is a mile or two away from the train station, so we began waiting for a bus (no sense in covering the same ground twice). We'd been there maybe half a minute when a car pulled up and a woman offered us a lift to Sedbury Cliffs. Her daughter (short peroxide blonde hair, early 20s, quite tasty) sang along to "The Lady is a Tramp" for most of the journey.

The Harvey Offa's Dyke map proved to be crap. Not nearly enough detail. This, combined with the late start, led to us blundering about at 9:30PM unable to find the path. Fortunately a woman came out of a house and told us to camp in her garden. She then made us a brew and invited us in for a biscuit. It turned out that she and her daughter (mid 20s, very pretty in a natural outdoorsy way) had trekked extensively in Nepal and Ladakh.

Maybe I hadn't laced my boots properly, because by the time we pitched camp my feet were badly blistered on both heels and the knuckle of my big toe on my left foot. Five weeks trekking in Nepal and barely a red mark on my feet, four hours in Wales and they were bleeding.

Set off the next morning, beautiful day. Much pain from the blisters. Camped at the Rickyard Bunkhouse near Monmouth. Very nice indeed. We were the only campers there. Nice shower, quiet, beautiful views. An ancient sheep dog lay with us while we played Scrabble, and hobbled off to fetch his stick every time we threw it for him.

Next morning both Alex and I were struggling. His new boots seemed to be causing pain in his achilles on both ankles. We camped at the Little Oasis in Pandy. Another great campsite, owned by a real character, an old man called Bill who was a wealth of stories and local knowledge. We walked up to a local pub for dinner. I had vegetables in a stilton sauce and a couple of pints of Hereford Pale Ale. Both delicious. I was in such pain during the short walk back to camp that I decided to cut the holiday short and return home to rest my battered feet. Alex felt the same way. The next day we caught a bus into Hereford then a train to Stockport.

What we saw of the path was great. beautiful countryside, friendly people and nice towns and villages. However, we were both in such pain that neither of us would have enjoyed the rest of the walk. We'll probably continue it next year.

Holidays

2009-08-10T08:21:24Z

Off to Wales today to walk the southern part of Offa's Dyke. Weather forecast isn't too bad. Back in a week.

64 Years ago today...

2009-08-06T09:49:45Z

As many as 140,000 people died as a result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

I've always been uneasy about the Allied bombing campaign against Germany, both in terms of ethics and practicality, but I have no such qualms about the bombing of Japan. The treatment of Allied prisoners of war by the Japanese was nothing short of evil, and I don't believe the Japanese have faced up to their crimes in the way the Germans have. In fact the Japanese have come to see themselves as victims of a terrible war crime, no doubt encouraged by modern western liberal attitudes. I feel pity for the non-combatants who died at Hiroshima, but I firmly believe that the bombing was necessary. Not only was it necessary from a military and political perspective, but it was desirable; Japan deserved it.

Desert Island Discs

2009-07-26T12:36:19Z

According to the Radio 4 show, one must choose eight records, one luxury and one book besides the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible to take into exile on a desert island.

Records:

1. Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks
2. Cello Concerto in E minor by Sir Edward Elgar (Jacqueline du Pré's recording)
3. Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
4. Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven
5. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
6. 9th Symphony (Choral) by Ludwig van Beethoven
7. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths
8. 3rd Symphony (Eroica) by Ludwig van Beethoven

The luxury must have no practical purpose or be an aid to escape; recently the BBC have been quite lax in enforcing this, but I shall be faithful to the original rules. I'd have liked to have taken a rifle, not to hunt with but as a stress reliever, but I suspect this falls foul of the "no practical purpose" rule. Instead I'll take a supply of canvases and a box of paints and teach myself to paint.

I've never read the Bible, and it's of no spiritual interest to me. It might just be a decent read though, so rather than substitute it with another philosophical work I'll take it. Boredom would probably force me to appreciate Shakespeare more. My own choice of book would probably be Animal Farm by George Orwell or The Life of My Choice by Wilfred Thesiger.

blacknikkormat @ 2009-07-24T15:33:00

2009-07-24T14:44:36Z

Labour have suffered a crushing defeat in the Norwich North by-election to the Conservatives - defeated by a majority of more than 7,000 votes.

Great news. Words cannot express how much I loathe the Labour government. Let's hope the general election delivers similar results (and similarly cute MPs - Chloe Smith will surely be the tastiest MP ever when she sits in Parliament after the summer recess).

blacknikkormat @ 2009-07-16T08:52:00

2009-07-16T08:02:25Z

Running is going well. I've all but given up with the club due to their 0900 start on Sundays, but I'm still motivated. I've got a new running partner, a Zimbabwean ex-squaddie I met at the PGDE interview. He runs at a similar level to me, but he's a better sprinter so I have something to aim for. Nice chap too; probably going hiking with him next week.

I've had two Ashtanga yoga sessions so far, and I like it. I missed yesterdays session though as I'd eaten too many peanut butter sandwiches during the day and could barely move. Despite all the exercise, my weight has gone up to nearly 90kg. Must lay off the peanut butter.

Tomorrow I have an interview with the dole vermin, to remind me of my obligations when looking for work. I'd like to take a bag of hand grenades with me.

blacknikkormat @ 2009-07-01T09:17:00

2009-07-01T08:29:06Z

I started running again about two weeks ago. I've been doing about 6-7km a day. I had problems for the first few days, but it seems the running has stretched everything out and it's not so bad now. I went out with the club on Sunday morning and did a pretty good 14-15km. On Tuesday I saw a physiotherapist at the hospital who said I might need some inserts made for my running shoes - she thinks the pain is caused by over-pronation. She's booked me in for two more appointments.

When I signed on at the dole office last week, they gave me three completely unsuitable jobs to apply for. I looked at the fact sheets this morning and it seems I've missed the deadlines for them all. I wouldn't have got them anyway.

Much fun last night. Sadie brought in a live rat, which she then lost and couldn't be bothered finding. I nearly caught it, but it ran behind the fridge. When we finally moved the fridge, it was nowhere to be seen. My cats really are useless.

blacknikkormat @ 2009-06-17T20:17:00

2009-06-17T19:30:09Z

I'm officially dole scum. It's no fun. It's not that I have any qualms about taking money off the state, or see any stigma in being on state benefits; it's just so depressing having to go into the dole office to sign on. The staff are a mixture of woolly liberal do-gooders (who are nice enough) and people too socially inept to work anywhere else.

My ligaments are still causing problems. Being unemployed would be much more fun if I could go for a run every day. I'm up to 90kg. I've booked five yoga sessions; I've never been very bendy, and I'm sure it'll do me good. I went to a yoga class last year with Martina and really enjoyed it.

According to the Met Office, the weather should be nice next week. I might go camping for a couple of days.

I've realised that I love Martina. Unfortunately this realisation has come too late. I think I've already shown her that I am a pig, and I'm pretty certain she's not interested in me any more, if she ever was.

Danny's vile ex-wife telephoned me yesterday and asked me if I'd sell some of my sperm to her equally vile friend. She offered £1000. I declined. The friend weighs in excess of 160kg, and is a depressive alcoholic with liver disease and some other illness, the main symptom of which is laziness.

blacknikkormat @ 2009-06-03T09:12:00

2009-06-03T08:32:57Z

I've been buying books. I've still not got through all the books on my shelf, but I've bought more. Maybe I'm an addict.

Here's what's waiting to be read:

The Heimskringla (Icelandic history)
Pagan Scandinavia
The Catholics of Ulster (history)
Mankind in the Making (evolution)
The Selfish Gene (evolution)
Rutley's Mineralogy
A Concise Guide to Weather
Hebridean Islands
Skellig - Island outpost of Europe
Self Sufficiency (growing your own food)
A Prince of our Disorder (biography of Lawrence of Arabia)
Sahara/Himalaya/New Europe by Michael Palin
The Beckoning Silence (mountaineering)
Shackleton - Polar Journeys
Collected Stories (Roald Dahl)
Sherlock Holmes (short stories)
Twilight of the Idols/Ecce Homo/The Antichrist (Nietzsche)
The Trial (Kafka)
Oswald Mosley biography
George Orwell biography
Che Guevara biography
History of Western Philosophy
and
The Competitive Runner's Handbook

I'm awaiting delivery of a book of Anglo-Saxon history, a book on medieval manuscripts (which I only bought because I fancy the author, although it does look interesting), and a handbook of competetive air rifle shooting.

I went for a run yesterday. Only 5k, but it took me 35 minutes. I could feel my knee about to pull all through, but it held up for 28 minutes before causing serious pain. I'm pretty sure it's iliotibial band syndrome. It's frustrating knowing that I'm otherwise in good shape - my fastest 5k was 20:36, and I know if it wasn't for this I'd be back running that sort of time in a matter of weeks.

blacknikkormat @ 2009-05-26T12:43:00

2009-05-26T11:54:42Z

Good day yesterday. Went to Edale with Sam and walked round the east side of the valley. Good weather, did about 25km. My knee caused me trouble on the descents, but it wasn't too bad. I've got an appointment with a specialist on 30th June, but I might try some yoga before that and see if it helps.

I had an interview for a place on the PGDE course at university on Friday. It went well: a half hour talk overview of the course followed by very easy mathematics and English tests then an interview with the course tutor. I have a place provided I can sort out funding, which shouldn't be too hard. On completion I shall be known as Professor Nikkormat (well, after an MA, a Phd and about twenty years).

blacknikkormat @ 2009-05-18T14:57:00

2009-05-18T14:00:44Z

On Friday, I have an interview for a place on a teaching course. I'll be required to pass a literacy test and a maths test, similar to the ones here. I need to pass level two. I've just tried them: 40/40 for literacy and 29/40 for maths. I'm not worried about the literacy section, but maths is a pain in the arse.

A few photos from Nepal

2009-05-05T15:25:06Z

I took five folls of photographs while I was in Nepal. Owing to airport x-ray machines and piss-poor processing and scanning at Max Spielman (not to mention a bit of poor technique on my part), most of the photos aren't worth uploading. These are about the best:

Machapuchare

Looking towards the Sanctuary from Machapuchare Base Camp

The south face of Annapurna

Machapuchare again

And again

Annapurna South, viewed from Machapuchare Base Camp

Some Nepali porters descending

At Annapurna Base Camp