King David and Achilles

Reading up on the connections between David, Jonathan and Goliath (Samuel I)

And Achilles, Patroclus and Hector

Same narrative about besties and 1-2-1 battle

Sophocles - Ajax

He falls on his sword. All a bit gloomy, apart from him going nuts and slaughtering all the cows and goats

A nice weekend just gone

I forgot to mention that Saturday Jo and I went into Norwich for breakfast at the copper kettle. Then a mooch about and met Sazz and Razz at the Playhouse for a cuppa. Then down to Magdalen and a look into the the usual secondhand shops. Then home and out to buy shorts... and a tele.

Sunday was an early workout (over did it!), then a food shop, followed by a lovely barbecue at Sazz & Razz again. With their daughters, a friend called Kathy and her daughter, and Rachel's brother Steve.

A lovely weekend

Ben Coates - Why the Dutch are Different

a mixture between travelogue, history and social commentary. A bit tedious for a while. but picks up later on with discussion around immigration, religious tolerance, welfare, and social attitudes.

The return home to Britain was touching

Robert Graves - Goodbye to all that

Most of the book is in the trenches. A beautifully banal way of describing the carnage and hell. A utterly superb read.

Trench stinks of shallow buried dead
Where Tom stands at the periscope,
Tired out. After nine months he’s shed
All fear, all faith, all hate, all hope.