Poetry is a way of thinking. By ‘poetry’ I mean not just poetry but everything that works in a similar fashion - by imagination and instinct - such as music and art generally (it’s handy to remember that ‘poetry’ just means ‘making’) - and by ‘thinking’ I mean rather more than the narrow sense in … Continue reading A Way of Thinking
Author: jfmward
Author, bicycle enthusiast
In the belly of the beast
This one is for hard-core hub-gear fans - epicyclists? - only. It shows the dismantling of my hundred-year-old Sunbeam 'Newill' hub, which I did a few years ago. At the moment, the sequence is on Flickr as a set, and some of the shots are a bit dark, though if you blow them up, you … Continue reading In the belly of the beast
How many gears does a man need?
(for the map of this route, see here) This question was prompted by my ride to Elcho Castle on the Dream Roadster (I suppose it also has an echo of the Tolstoy short story 'How much ground does a man need?' which is well worth looking out, but I can't find a link at present). … Continue reading How many gears does a man need?
Saddle Strain – a cautionary tale
The aesthetics of saddles are curious: a visit to eBay shows that old saddles (often well past their prime) command a lot of interest - yet in an age where retro sells, the principal maker of leather saddles (Brooks) is only slowly reviving their classic heritage... chestnut brown leather looks so much better than plain … Continue reading Saddle Strain – a cautionary tale
‘Hence, loathèd melancholy’ – an evening ride to Elcho Castle & environs
(for the map of this ride, see here) I am prone to melancholy, usually accompanied by inertia and lethargy, a strong disinclination to do anything. Yet I know that physical activity - a walk or a cycle run - is a sovereign specific against this ailment. Yet you have to force yourself, for all that, … Continue reading ‘Hence, loathèd melancholy’ – an evening ride to Elcho Castle & environs
Dream Roadster Shakedown
(for a map of this route, see here) This started inauspiciously: I set out intending to go over by Callarfountain into Strathearn, a fine rough path that would suit the roadster I thought, preceded by a stiff climb that would test the Mountain Drive (and me). I didn't get far - about a third of … Continue reading Dream Roadster Shakedown
Dream Roadster Shakedown – an inadvertent trailer
This started inauspiciously: I set out intending to go over by Callarfountain into Strathearn, a fine rough path that would suit the roadster I thought, preceded by a stiff climb that would test the Mountain Drive (and me). I didn't get far - about a third of the way up Glenlochay Road in bottom gear … Continue reading Dream Roadster Shakedown – an inadvertent trailer
Stories: the Odyssey and Ulysses
Stories are tales of the past recounted in the present. Each of these elements - the past, the recounting, the present - is important to an understanding of how stories work. In storytelling, the important relation is not between the story and its original (a mistake moderns are increasingly prone to make) but between the … Continue reading Stories: the Odyssey and Ulysses
But is it REAL? Is Art a Joke? – Five Funny Things
I have been thinking about abstraction recently, particularly the relation of what is abstracted to what it has been abstracted from, since it seems to me to have a bearing on things that are of interest to me, such as philosophy, metaphor and art. So I was amused to run across a couple of things … Continue reading But is it REAL? Is Art a Joke? – Five Funny Things
Education compared to a Penny-farthing Bicycle
‘A growing body of literature has linked the ability to delay gratification to a host of other positive outcomes, including academic success, physical health, psychological health, and social competence.’ - Wikipedia articleI don’t know about the rest, but I find the link with academic success interesting: I can see why it might be the case, … Continue reading Education compared to a Penny-farthing Bicycle
COMPLEAT TROWZER 