Optimistically I set out to run round the village this morning. The temperature is supposedly up to 3° or 4°, hardly warm but still above freezing. So one would expect some thawing to be taking place. And indeed, the millponds are no longer frozen, but the trodden snow on the pavements now has an extra sheen. Drizzly rain has fallen and has instantly frozen as it has hit the trodden snow. Consequently the pavements are slippier than ever. So it goes!
Those of us of a certain age greet each other as we go around, reminding and advising each other to be careful on the slippery surfaces!
Now for a bit of language stuff. Here is a little something I found the other day:
“Not to start an argument, but jammy eggs are the BEST way to eat an egg! We’re talking perfectly set whites with a slightly set yolk that still has a soft, “jammy” texture! If you haven’t tried them yet, consider this your invitation!
After scouring the internet and dozens of tests, we’ve nailed down the method and timing (to the second!) for PERFECT jammy eggs EVERY TIME! Put ‘em on toast, in salads and bowls, or have them on their own as a protein-packed snack. Let’s get jammin’.”
So basically, “jammy” eggs = soft-boiled eggs. I wonder why food writers feel the need to use nursery language. I have heard soft-boiled eggs referred to as “dippy eggs” or “soldier eggs”, the latter because you then slice your toast into “soldiers” which can be dipped into the still liquid yolk of the egg! There’s nothing quite like nursery food on a cold winter’s morning!
The item about “jammy” eggs suggested putting them in salads (actually I prefer hard-boiled in salads, preferably with a dollop of mayonnaise) or “bowls”. That last one does not refer simply to a piece of crockery but the the trend to serve stuff in a shallow bowl rather than a plate - a combination of ingredients, prettily presented. It’s a fashionable thing at places that do “brunch”, or so I am told.
Recently there have been articles about the benefits of learning Latin. Arlene Holmes-Henderson, a professor at Durham University has been encouraging the introduction of Latin into the curriculum of state secondary schools. Great strides have been made but it can’t be right, she argues, that pupils at private schools in the UK – 7% of the total – get good access to the classics curriculum while for the rest it is patchy. “It is certainly the case that there are fantastic state-maintained schools that have a vibrant classics curriculum. But it is a postcode lottery and that is not fair,” she says. Here’s a link to more of what she has to say on the matter.
Judging by these letters in response to Professor Holmes-Henderson’s ideas, there are plenty of people in agreement with her.
The same things could be said of music and the arts in general. So many state schools have had to cut provision of these “luxury subjects”.
Personally I would argue for the reintroduction a compulsory modern Foreign Language component for years 10 and 11 but I fear that that may be another lost cause. Learning a foreign language, ancient or modern, and discovering the culture of the people who speak it have a civilising influence on the world!
But now it seems that the Bridget Phillipson, who became Secretary of State for Education when Labour moved into Number 10 Downing Street, has decreed that funding for the Latin Excellence Scheme, which has introduced Latin into quite a number of schools, is to be axed. This is regarded as a mistake by people who understand such things. And even if you sympathise with the need to make cuts or changes in education funding, you might think that the funding could remain in place until the end of the academic year.at least. There are secondary school students who have embarked on a GCSE course which they now might not be able to complete.
So much for equality!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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