Memorial programmes. Community spirit. Language.

There have been lots of programmes about 9/11, all no doubt worthy but not all very interesting. On Radio 3, 6.45 on Sunday evening, the Sunday Feature this week was about The Studio in the Sky. About a group of artists, from various countries, on a residency in the Twin Towers in 2001, and how 9/11 affected their work.. Some of them worked there in the evening as they also had day jobs. Amazingly, only one of their group died and that because he slept overnight in the studio, they all had keys and 24 hour access. Others would have been there early but were delayed by phone calls, errands to run, etc. One got out of the lift on the 91st floor just as the plane struck. She managed to walk down all the stairs, carrying her flip flops because they slipped on the wet staircases -sprinklers on. It took her years to make art again. She made a sculpture of a huge flip flop. The greatest praise from all of them went to Michael, the one who died, who was acclaimed by all as the greatest artist of the group. 

Worth listening to if you have access to BBC iPlayer. Much less mawkish and sentimental than some of the 9/11 programmes have been. 

I read a report recently of a man in Croatia, a truffle hunter, who found a truffle weighing 1.3 kilos. It was in the Guinness book of records but has since been superseded. He could have sold it for vast amounts of money but instead he put on a feast for all his village and shared it with everyone. That’s community spirit.

Here are some odd words from old English:

Swan-rad = swan road = the sea.

Gangelwaefre = web weaver = spider.

Bancofan = bone cave = body.

Uht - is a word for something we don’t label; that time before sunrise when the mist is hanging in the valleys and  the stars are still visible. They say every language has a word others don’t possess. The Galicians (and possible the Portuguese) have morriña, that special nostalgia for your home country. Maybe we should reintroduce uht into modern English.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone.