Archive for the ‘My life’ Category

Overheard on a bridge over the river in York

Posted: 19th January 2012 by graham in My life

A mother pushing a small child in a buggy, alongside the wall, going over the bridge… Child: Mum can I look at the river? Mum: What the f… do you want to look at the river for, it’s only got two boats on it? I think it is so sad that the child’s enquiring and [...]

Cut-throat shaving and the unexpected

Posted: 14th January 2012 by graham in Gadgets, My life

Some things I thought were predictable but I have been taken by surprise by some things in my adventure with cut-throat razor shaving (cut-throat = straight razor in USA). I had a holiday recently and not needing to rush out in the mornings I was able to take a little more time to think more [...]

One of my hens has crowed

Posted: 16th December 2011 by graham in My life

A while ago I started to have a suspicion that one of the two young ‘hens’ I had bought was starting to look more and more like a cockerel at it grew. Eventually I was in no doubt. Yesterday it crowed for the first time. I filmed it and you can see it by clicking [...]

At first glance these razors appear rough, crude and primitive to a Western eye. That of course is to allow our ignorance to lead us to miss the point. The traditional Japanese razors are produced to look elegant in their simplicity. It is as though the maker rejoices in the beauty of the metal’s texture, [...]

Having seen some in the summer, I had been pleased to get two Araucana hens a few weeks ago at a good price from a local auction. I knew they were not mature so I have been waiting patiently for them to start laying. I got them for the blue eggs that Araucanas lay and [...]

Getting used to my straight razor

Posted: 28th November 2011 by graham in Gadgets, My life

This morning I used to my Ford & Medley straight razor. I am still trying to get used to it though. I have discovered that my skills at shaving with a DE razor, gained over many years, do not seem at all transferable. It still takes me too long. It turns out my razor is [...]

Well, perhaps not quite like that. My latest Ebay buy is a straight razor made by Ford & Medley of Sheffield long ago. It caught my eye because the price was very low despite the description that it was unused and in ‘as new’ condition. This seemed almost unbelievable for a razor about 100 years [...]