Codgering

Waiting for a train at York station (UK) and having a lovely coffee at Ugot, the platform coffee stand with a little "attitude" sporting bar stools and fake grass, I started talking to Stuart (left), John (middle) and Neil (right).  They were "codgering" - and they "codger" pretty much on a weekly basis. 
 
Three retirees, two Head Teachers, one banker.  One of them explained the guidelines to me in his lovely Lancashire accent. 

"You got to be old and you got to be daft and you've got to have a wide range interests, history, politics, soccer." 

Neil said the key to the origin of the group was that, "we love trains and we love transport."

That said, they meet at the station every Friday and, "either we get on any train that comes in or we have a plan."   

Today's plan is York and the Transport Museum.   
 
Neil referred to John as, "the other guy (who) came on board with us year ago."  They let him join for all of the above reasons and "because he bought a round - immediately!"   

But he needed a hat.  He couldn't really be a codger without a hat and not just any hat, the right sort of hat.   

So one day they walked across Manchester from Victoria to Piccadilly "which is all of five minutes but took two half an hours because we were getting on and off tram looking for hat for him."  Sadly, after all that effort John is not allowed to wear his hat when he is out with his wife. 




John is an avid train spotter but they all know a lot about trains and made sure I was fully informed about the difference between a locomotive (the engine) and a train, (locomotive and carriages with passengers).  

Then they filled me in with the history of Manchester train station (the oldest in the world) and some juicy bits which the history books don't tell you about Stephenson and his "rocket" (the first train in the world).

After that we went our separate ways.

I had so much fun listening to these three friends.   

Humorous, interesting and quick witted.   

This blog just cannot do justice to their repartee, jokes and general bantering.

Soon they are off on part two of a major codger-trip.

Lands End to John o'Groats (from one end of the Britsh Isles to another) by first class rail.

Part one was Manchester, London, Penzance, York.

Part two is to be York, Edinburgh, Inverness, Thurso, Kyke of Localsh, taxi across skye, ferry to Mallaig, train to Fort William, Glasgow and back to Manchester.  

In the event of their escapades becoming a film they will hold all rights.

The world would be a better place if more of us cogdered!



Copyright Jennifer Gold 2016

About This Blog

Why travelling with a laugh?  

Why not?  Laughing is so good for us.   

There was humor in so many of the ridiculous situations that I  have encountered.  

I am especially interested is finding animals in art and I use the term "art" lightly.  It could be a painting in a gallery, graffiti in an alleyway or the image of a bird in a wrought iron railing around a balcony.  

There are of course thousands of paintings, sculptures and artifacts depicting animals all over the world. I am looking not for just a horse but the expression on the horse's face. I wonder if the artist made the horse from the memory if it was one he or she had known. 

That dog under the table of an elaborate feast, did it belong to the artist or someone in the painting? Is it a message for someone?
 

And I especially enjoy ugly or strangely painted animals like the cat that looks like a rat in the painting of the Knox children (see post "Church Mice in Yorkshire, England").  Did a student paint that?  Did the little girl? How could an artist with such talent at painting faces, lace and clothing paint that rat-cat?

Although I might mention the symbolism of animals in art it is not the intent of this blog to dwell on the subject.   There are many excellent sources on this topic to be found on the web.  

Why travelling with a sigh?

Waiting in long, boring lines, dealing with bureaucracy, missing a plane.

Unspeakable cruelty to animals.  Unspeakable cruelty to people. Horrendous, unacceptable living conditions for both. 

A disrespect for the earth, garbage strewn on the beaches, in the streets, in the parks, the sea.   Pollution from heavy industry, exploitation of natural resources.

I cannot fix it.  I can say something about it.  Maybe something will change.

For the record, I only post things that I have seen but I love your comments about things you have seen that relate to my posts.  

My photos are my own.  I once said that I will always give credit for artwork but now I find that I have so many photographs stored in my computer I can no longer remember where I found the animals let alone who created them.   

If you find something I have not named and you can correct me, please do.  If I have posted your work or part of your work and you want me to remove it, I will.  

Copyright Jennifer Gold 2016

Animals in Paintings Doing Naughty Things!

Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1680-1755) the leading painter and designer for the Louis XV court has painted the fable by Jean de la Fonntaine from which the expression "a cat's paw" has apparently originated. 

It means that someone has been duped into doing something dangerous or difficult for someone else.  The monkey has persuaded the cat to reach into the fire to fish out hot chestnuts.  And while the monkey enjoys the chestnut it would seem that he is trying to decide if he can get the cat to fish out another one.  

Judging by the cat's expression I don't think that is going to happen.     

This fable may have been painted as a lesson for children?

But look at these two paintings by very different artists.  You have to wonder what they were thinking?  A joke? A political statement?

Luca Carlevarijs (1663-1730) has depicted The Arrival of the 4th Earl of Manchester, in Venice, September 22, 1707.  Judging by the painting it is a grand and momentous occasion.

But look closely at the dog near the group of people right of center!

 

Hmmmm ......!

And here, Emanuel de Witte (1617-1692) in his painting of the interior of a grand church Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam 1677 paints a dog happily relieving itself against a pillar. 

These details show life as it was - warts and all.   

Copyright Jennifer Gold 2016