To be a Penguin!

 I can't remember when it started, but one of our family traditions of singing in the car involved the changing of the words of songs to humorous effect. Annabel was the undisputed queen of this but sadly most of her offerings would not pass any censor, ever, anywhere, not even in barrack rooms nor ships of the Merchant Navy. A lot of her lyrics (I use the word loosely) involve fruit and body parts which fundamentally (that's a clue) should never be thought of in conjunction.

It must have been when the children had particularly Christian assemblies. Most of you probably think that this is simply the way it always has been but allow me to digress. In the seventies and early eighties I was teaching Primary School children and I can assure you that my assemblies were emphatically not Christian, and even less Worship. I feel more strongly about this aspect of schooling than almost anything else. Education in state schools should not be allied to any belief system at all, but learning ABOUT beliefs should be mandatory. Anyway.... both children knew the words and music to the wonderful Wesley hymn "To be a Pilgrim" set to the tune by Ralph Vaughan Williams. So, for evermore in my mind, the aspiration of this fine hymn is to become a faintly ridiculous, rather dapper looking flightless bird that aspires to being a fish or even a whale. I sincerely hope Penelope doesn't take offence.

Penelope was my commission from peacockemporium, a local craftswoman who volunteers at About With Friends as well as making exquisite things with threads and cloth. She's going to accompany me on the pilgrimage and is really looking forward to having her photograph taken with as many groups as we can get to pose. As you can see, despite staff shortages we've managed to kit her out rather well.

After the big ride she'll join all the other specially made unsung heroes basking in the eternal glory of the cherry blossom on the LEGO bonsai. You may have guessed that I don't take things terribly seriously....actually that isn't true at all: but
even serious issues can be taken lightly.