heleninwales | Reading

Building on a $29,000 fully serviced lot in my post-industrial city reveals a brutal financial paradox fueling the housing crisis. While land is cheap, construction costs for a modest home now easily exceed $250,000 due to rising labour and material prices. The catch? Once finished, the home's appraised market value in these neighbourhoods often falls far below that total investment.

This "appraisal gap" stops development in its tracks. Banks won't mortgage what doesn't value, leaving vacant lots empty and the housing supply stagnant while demand—and rents—soar.

Meanwhile, current candidates for city council don't seem to get it. While they debate high-level Housing Action Plans and social housing targets, they ignore the ground-level math making private builds impossible. Until leadership addresses this valuation trap with concrete tools, these empty lots will remain scars on our streets.

kazzy_cee

Yesterday, Mr Cee and I joined the U3A 'London Explorers' group on a trip to see the Hogarth stairs and the magnificent Great Hall of Barts Hospital in London. St Bartholemew's Hospital (known as Bart's) is the oldest teaching hospital in London, and the modern part of the hospital specialises in cardiac and cancer care. It is an NHS hospital, meaning it provides comprehensive, generally free-at-the-point-of-use secondary care to patients (including overseas visitors).

A hospital has stood on the site since 1123, and the original four blocks of buildings surrounding a square were built in the 1730s by the architect James Gibbs. Four buildings were designed not only to help prevent the spread of disease and fire, but they also meant that they could be built consecutively as funds were raised.

The North block was the first to be built and contains the King Henry VIII Gatehouse and the only statue of the King in London. Henry was instrumental in re-founding the hospital in 1547.

Once inside the courtyard, you can see the lovely North wing built in the Palladian style. More photos under the cut.
( Read more... )

Our group had booked a guide, but the entrance hall and Great Hall are free to view by the public (you don't need to book ahead). It's well worth a visit as there is a lot of information and a short film which explains the history and the recent restoration.

As we walked back to the train station we passed St Paul's - so I had to take a photo of one of my favourite London places with a particularly dramatic sky.

eve_prime

Pod, by Laline Paull. I had really appreciated her book from the perspective of a bee, and my book club is now reading this one, where we get the perspectives of two dolphins and a few other sea creatures. It was intense! And much more violent than I was expecting. As with The Bees, there’s more “culture” for these species than is likely (although for the dolphins it didn’t seem too unreasonable). Another tweak to reality that helped with the story she was trying to tell is that there was surely more interspecies communication than actually happens, especially in a few cases. It was very well written, a great imaginative exercise, excellent at building empathy for what humans are doing to the oceans. Oh – also, I liked that humans weren’t called “human,” but rather “anthrop,” which was a great way to shift the reader’s perspective to the other species; in general, “people” meant other dolphins.

flemmings

The weather page could say it was 10C when I left the house today but that was the chilliest 10C I've ever experienced. Nothing like a grey day and wind to make things feel like below freezing. Wore my winter coat and a scarf but thought I'd be OK with half gloves and no, I definitely wasn't. Had to wrap hands in scarf to keep them warm. But had chicken and vermicelli at Pour Boy, plus cocktail, then walked back up to Dupont because you're supposed to have a brisk walk after such indulgence. Did get the return to nephew's invite mailed off, though noticed too late that I didn't put my return address on the prestamped envelope. Ah well. Must trust the post office to be reliable.

The downstairs beanbag is not only the wrong shape for use on the back, being cervical, the insides have finally become too scorched for use. I was googling 'back heating wraps' last night and finding nothing but amazon and temu offerings. This because I could never remember the name of the super excellent moist heat wraps I use for my poor twinging elbows at night. So to have it here, they're Thermalon, and they're Canadian, and I have a third one now on order from them so I needn't keep lugging one downstairs and back up all the time. I should have ordered two, in fact, and used the second for warming my bed at night. It's true that the aged shouldn't shower every night because lord but it dries the skin out, and washing of pits and bits is sufficient for the lethargic retired. But showers are the only way my feet get warm enough when I go to bed since my circulation sucks. Magic bags don't do the trick being again the wrong shape. But a large flat Thermalon might heat enough area to keep me warm.

Meanwhile the temperatures have sunk and it's now snowing again. March is still too early to be saying How long, oh lord, how long, especially since this summer is supposed to be a scorcher. But-- how long, oh lord, how long?

smmg

An Teanga Bheo: Corca Dhuibhne by Diarmuid � S�

Tá na leabhair Ulaidh agus Conamara sa siopa ollscoile ach fuaireas an leabhar so sa siopa sa bhaile. Táim an-sásta!! I'm committing to the Munster Irish, I'm converting.

Current Mood: excited
Current Location: ireland

smmg

I love the Italian opera that's based off of it, and I'd like to be able to read/see the original German play too.

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: ireland

soemand

The winter landscape is vanishing at an epic rate today. We’ve hit a messy "perfect storm" for rapid snowmelt: a heavy 50mm of rain paired with unseasonably warm 10°C temperatures. This combination is liquefying the snowpack faster than the ground can handle.

Unsurprisingly, the "usual suspects"—those low-lying roads and dips—are already flooding. My commute tomorrow is shaping up to be more of a boat trip than a drive. Between the standing water and inevitable detours, it’s going to be a slow, "fun" crawl.

oursin

This is so much what I've been thinking about a different period that I'm writing about - that it's there, even though people are saying It's Ded, it's just not doing the flashy newsworthy visible stuff or the results are the things are are not, or no longer, happening: The one thing everyone gets wrong about feminism.

***

I am a great admirer of Professor Athene Donald's blog, and I like this recent post: Unintended Consequences - in particular perhaps this apercu:

Business gurus tend to talk about ‘being authentic’ as the right way to lead. But if you are a testy, over-bearing soul being authentic may be very destructive for those around you.

So much that.

***

This is another story about mobility in the world: Looted from a royal palace: The medieval jug now on display in London:

A large bronze medieval jug bearing the English royal coat of arms would be a rare find if dug up in England, but somehow it had ended up in West Africa, in modern-day Ghana, thanks to early trading routes between nations.
Dating from between 1340 and 1405, the jug is the largest surviving bronze ewer from medieval England. Decorated with an English inscription, royal heraldry and coat of arms, it was originally a luxury object — but its meaning changed dramatically as it moved across continents.

***

I've had to do with either this artefact or another very similar in my working days, I did not know about the biological contamination (we didn't know for quite some time about the radioactive notebooks, either): a parchment scroll designed to guard against the dangers of childbirth:

Until now, this scroll’s worn surface and suggestive staining constituted the main evidence for its use in childbirth. However, new research by Sarah Fiddyment, presented in the exhibition, reveals that human proteins found on the scroll’s surface indicate the presence of cervico-vaginal fluid. This is an important breakthrough in the burgeoning field of biocodicology, which seeks out the invisible traces left behind by users of manuscripts, as they held, rubbed or kissed a parchment.

(I hadn't heard that story about the dormouse, but wot she does not mention the Godalming rabbit lady?!).

***

You know, I would have sworn that back in my working days I came across something appertaining to this historic event: How smallpox claimed its final victim, but I'm unable to trace it.

hrj

My essay? book? blog series? Let's call it a "book posted in installments" The Theory of Related-ivity: A History and Analysis of the Best Related Work Hugo Category has begun appearing on my blog at: https://alpennia.com/blog/theory-related-ivity-segment-i.

The series will appear in parallel at File 770. At some point after the whole series has appeared, I'll also release it as a e-book. (I figure it's a nice low-pressure project for learning Vellum.)

This was a really fun geeky research project with some interesting (if not always surprising) conclusions. Best Related Work challenges Hugo voters to think about what "related" means and what constitutes a "work" with few administrative constraints. My study asks: how do Hugo nominators answer those questions?

I hope the study might spark conversations, although that means I'll need to keep on top of approving comments on the blog. (All comments are pre-screened due to spam.)

puddleshark

Cold and grey and windy. On the high ground down by the coast, very cold and grey and windy. But the Skylarks were singing their little hearts out, their song louder even than the wind. C. told me of a new footpath opened by the National Trust, heading down from Weston Farm in Worth Matravers to join the Coast Path, so I went for an explore...

( Skylark Alley )

eve_prime

We had another afternoon symphony concert today, starting earlier than I could get myself anywhere, but I arrived at intermission, which was fine by me. In the first half they had something about iron foundries, which surely involved clanging, and then an accordion (!) concerto, which I’m sure was interesting, but I didn’t miss it. The second half had Schubert’s “unfinished symphony” and the Romeo and Juliet overture by Tchaikovsky. I wore a mask and sat more than arm’s length away from anyone else.

My cold symptoms weren’t as bad today, and I wasn’t as tired, so I also went to the library and the further supermarket on my way home, in case my energy is lower tomorrow. Unfortunately, my dishwasher broke this weekend, so I’ll have to wash dishes by hand and arrange for a repair-person. Also it looks like Parker would benefit from a visit to a vet, if I can figure out how to do that.

Meanwhile, with meals today I’ve been watching the latest of the Hannah Swensen mysteries on the Hallmark Mysteries channel. It’s frustratingly bad – the body was discovered around Minute 22 (including the minutes for the commercials) and as of Minute 49 nobody has even mentioned the word “motive” or speculated on who might have wanted to kill her. The argument she had with her friend at Minute 12, witnessed by our heroine, has been entirely ignored. I wish the script had been written by a professional, rather than the actress who plays the heroine…

jacey

Narrated by Matt Addis.

September 1145. Two small boys discover the corpse of a Templar knight in the Forest of Wyre on Worcestershire’s northern border. The corpse carries a parchment revealing the identity of a traitor. (We’re in the time of the Anarchy, when Stephen and Mathilda are slugging it out for the crown.) Bradecote, Catchpoll and Walkelin are sent to investigate. Because of what the children saw, the locals believe the knight has been killed by the Raven Woman, a mythical bird shapechanger who haunts the forest. William of Riversford denies knowing who the corpse is, but Bradecote doesn’t quite believe him, and his instinct turns out to be correct. The corpse is Ivo de Mitton who fled the country many years ago accused of killing his family and burning down their house, all but the youngest who is now grown and is the last of his family in charge of Mitton. There’s a parchment on the corpse suggesting that a prominent Lord is planning to turn traitor against Stephen. But something is off. The Sheriff’s trio find the investigation throws up more questions than answers, Was there a second knight? Who is the Raven Woman? Did Ivo kill his family all those years ago? The story gives up its answers slowly and effectively as the corpses mount, stretching out the dramatic tension. Matt Addis’s reading is excellent as usual. I’ve been binge listening to these books, but this seems to be the most recent, so apart from a couple I missed along the way, I’ll have to wait for the next one.

jacey

It’s Summer 1145. Bradecote and Catchpoll, complete with Under Serjeant Walkelin are sent to solve the murder of Walter, the steward of Evesham Abbey. There are tensions between the Sheriff and the Abbot, between Bradecote and the current castellan, and between the Abbey and the castle. It turns out that the Abbey’s steward is not the good man the Abbot thought he was, but a reprehensible individual, guilty of many different crimes. A second murder implicates the castle’s serjeant, who seems to be out of control. Is there a connection? It’s a twisty story which puzzles the Sheriff’s officers until the final revelation. Bradecote and Catchpoll eventually not only solve the present murders but a historical one, too. It’s nice to hear Matt Addis reading the story after Jonathan Keeble’s reading of the previous book I listened to.

flemmings

Snowed again last night, an inch or so, as the winds of March kept my house chilly. Temps rose steadily during the day, disposing of the snow,nand will continue to rise overnight, to 'do we really need the heat on?' levels ie 10C/ 50F. But yes, yes we do, because the winds of March are still blowing. Rain tomorrow and then wind again as temps drop back to the minuses. Follow the bouncing ball.

Thus was indoors all day and accomplished nothing bar a half hour of exercise and a fast reread of The Moving Finger, one of the better Christies. Maybe tomorrow I will tackle those dishes, do a dark wash, and write those belated letters, but today is all sloth all the time.

jacey

Audiobook narrated by Jonathan Keeble.

June 1144. A body found in woodland turns out to be a Welsh messenger on his way to see Earl Robert of Gloucester. Bradecote and Catchpoll are sent into Wales, but the murdered man, though sent on an important errand into England, turns out to be a lecherous menace to any women he sets eyes upon. In the end the answer to the murder lies not in the message, but the messenger himself. Jonathan Keeble reads it well enough, but he’s not as good as Matt Addis who has read all the other Bradecote and Catchpolls that I’ve already heard. I know what the main characters' voices sound like - and in this, they don't. Also it's one of the bland covers. Why change cover style and why change narrator? Seems a bit odd. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good story.

jacey

April 1144. A distinctively dressed corpse is fished out of Flatbury Mill leat on the river. It turns out that he is an Evesham horse dealer who has been stabbed and tipped into the river upstream. Investigations lead Bradecote and Catchpoll (with under-serjeant Walkelin) at first to his young wife (who has a couple of lovers) and the man’s brother, but then they discover that the dead man’s sister has married the ill-tempered lord of Harvington and has died in mysterious circumstances, without her family being invited to the funeral. Is that another murder? There’s a dispute over the ownership of a mill between the lord of Harvington and the Abbey in Evesham, and Harvington has recently hanged a scribe for theft—the same scribe who verified the mill-lease as belonging to Harvington. When a Harvington serving girl is also killed, Walkelin is falsely accused. Bradecote and Catchpoll must mount a rescue before unravelling the knotty mystery and solving the various crimes. As usual, Matt Addis’s reading is excellent and the twisty plot engaging. Just a puzzled reader's question: why change the style of the covers? This is very bland.

jacey

Audiobook narrated by Matt Addis.

September 1143. Bradecote is the recently appointed under sheriff and Catchpoll is the wily and experienced serjeant-thieftaker. A series of deliberately-set fires in the city of Worcester stirs the population. Bradecote and Catchpoll must find the culprit before the whole city burns, but that means finding the link between the victims. At first that seems impossible. What connects Simeon the Jew with a silversmith, and an old healing woman? For a while all they can do is set a firewatch, at first believing that the property owner is burning out his tenants so he can redevelop the area. Gradually they piece threads together, discovering the motive delves back into the past. Matt Addis reads well and differentiates the voices beautifully. Bradecote speaks English (unlike most of the nobility of the day who still speak Norman French) and the local characters all have Worcestershire accents, which seem perfectly natural for story purposes. Catchpoll, in particular, sounds beautifully grizzled.

soemand

This should make for an interesting commute/day tomorrow. The ground is still rock hard frozen, and gfs has a rainfall warning ⚠️ flashing for the next two days.

We usually get spring flooding, and I’d bet tomorrow we do. I have alternate routes into and out of work, so I’m not too bothered.

oursin

Last week's bread held out admirably.

Friday night supper: ven pongal (South India khichchari).

Saturday breakfast rolls: eclectic vanilla, came out a bit more vanilla-y than usual.

Today's lunch: Norwegian halibut fillets panfried for slightly less long than suggested on packet, as I have found this in the past to be a bit of an over-estimate, served with samphire sauce, baby cauliflowers quartered and cooked thus (used lime and lemongrass vinegar for the acidulation) and La Ratte potatoes roasted in goosefat.

soemand

Today’s sunshine felt like a gift, the kind that nudges you into action before you even realize you’ve made a plan. I took the opportunity to pull the tarp off the sailboat—a mid‑March ritual for me, though I’ll admit I usually do it earlier than most. There’s something satisfying about being ahead of the curve, especially when I’ve got a few improvements in mind that I want to tackle before launch season arrives.

At this point in the year, I’m willing to gamble a little. Sure, we might still get the odd snowfall (grrr…), but the days are warming up enough that anything we get now will melt quickly. That’s close enough to spring for me. With the tarp off and the sun on my back, it finally feels like boating season is inching its way closer.

Current Music: Simon and Garfunkel; BOTW.

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Helen

March 2026

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Page Summary

soemand - 🏠
kazzy_cee - A tour containing Saints, Kings and glorious architecture...
eve_prime - Book completed
flemmings - (no subject)
smmg - Fuaireas an leabhar so ar an deireadh seachtaine
smmg - Nice find in the university bookshop
soemand - 🌧️
oursin - A miscellanea
hrj - The Theory of Related-ivity
puddleshark - Weston Farm to St Aldhelm's Head
eve_prime - Sunday things
jacey - Booklog 29/26: Sarah Hawkswood: Feast for the Ravens – Bradecote and Catchpoll #13 – Audiobook
jacey - Booklog 28/26: Sarah Hawkswood: Litany of Lies – Bradecote and Catchpoll #12 – Audiobook
flemmings - (no subject)
jacey - Booklog 27/26: Sarah Hawkswood: Faithful Unto Death – Bradecote and Catchpoll #6 – Audiobook
jacey - Booklog 26/26: Sarah Hawkswood: Vale of Tears – Bradecote and Catchpoll #5 – Audiobook
jacey - Booklog 25/26: Sarah Hawkswood: Ordeal by Fire – Bradecote and Catchpoll #2 – Audiobook
soemand - Frozen ground meet 40mm of rain
oursin - Culinary
soemand - Mid March Rituals.

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