26th September 2025

 I start with a rose, I may not have a garden anymore but I can dream.  This striped rose is called Rosa Mundi and is an old rose, I had it in both of my gardens.  There are plenty of modern styled striped roses now.  But Rosa Mundi is a sport of the Rosa Gallica from Southern France, hence the name Gallica = Gaul.

It's legend goes back to a lady called Rosamund and here you will find a pretty story of her and this most precious rose, ancestor to many other roses.

"It is believed to be named was named after Rosamund Clifford (1150-1176), the longtime mistress of King Henry II. It is documented, that Rosamund, often referred to as “Rosamund the Fair, ” shared a loving relationship with the king from 1166-1176. King Henry and Rosamund’s family buried her at the Godstow Nunnery near Oxford with an endowment so that the nuns could place Rosa Mundi flowers at the tomb on the anniversary of her death"  Taken from here

The house was awake early this morning.  First of all the cat Mollie demanding that I should get up at 5.30 and put on the radiator for her because she was cold.  Then Andrew rushing out for a quick walk in the dark to settle his nerves, he has a deadline about 12 o clock this morning.  Lillie also up early to go back to London for the start of her term.  Though in actual fact she went back to London last Sunday to pick up the key to her room in a new flat, the usual overpriced accommodation you get in London.  She had come back on Monday for the funeral of a scout's leader.

So what have I been doing amongst all this?  Well listening to a podcast from Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart about how Charlie Kirk is to be the new martyred Christ of the Christian Nationalists.  Luckily our bishops are coming out against this, as did the American Pope the other day.  So the battle of words surge, some completely idiotic for sure.  Dwell on roses till times turn more sane.

Edit:  There was a fire overnight in an old building, a shop with a flat above.  15 fire engines attended and it has shut down the one main road that goes through the town.  There will be a lot of cursing in the morning traffic!