FINISHED READING- Another England by Caroline Lucas

In the UK, the far right have basically occupied the high ground in defining what Englishness is. Wrapped in flags, nostalgic for Empire, exceptionalism and clinging to the frail ideal of England as being a morally superior culture. The regular repetition of these major shibboleths has consequently poisoned social and political discourse, to the extent that even a supposedly socialist party believed it had to resort to the same toxic gutter and morally emptied itself of all principle and empathy, in order to curry popularity.

Caroline Lucas, in this perceptive book, looks at what Another England to that of the far right might look like. What dignified role can pride in your, country, people and place have these days? She chose to write this book to put out some ideas of her own on paper, to kick off a discussion. A discussion that left leaning parties are noticeably wary of even broaching, for fear of justifying the very views they wish to oppose. Such is the curious political bind we are in, everyone knows Reform needs to be challenged in this area and their selective use of what is thought to be patriotic, but merely resort to name calling.

What defines a nation is really all about the stories we tell ourselves. Because whatever they are, these manifest in how we relate to and behave in the world, how we treat others, and the environment. And in a country where more and more people are struggling to make ends meet, giving them hope and pride is not insignificant.  Lucas begins by utilising our heritage of English literature as an entry point into discovering what that other England might look like. The poetry of John Clare bemoaning the enclosures, the stories of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell about the human costs and wrongs of the Industrial Revolution. It's true that as the first modern industrial nation, we also were innovating the social responsibility of capitalists. Pioneering a welfare state and the NHS.

There is also the frequency of protest throughout English history, as an agent for change. How the actions of ordinary people of England have forced social, economic and environmental improvements, stretching from the Peasents Revolt, Kett's Rebellion, Levellers, Diggers, Chartists, Suffragettes all the way to Occupy and Extinction Rebellion. These point to a progressive demand for social, economic and environmental justice running like a positive vein of English blood through them all. This starts to tell you of Another England that isn't regressive or toxically obsessed with resisting the imaginary blandishments of 'wokery'.

She makes some suggestions about a way forward, but this is a work in progress. For this is really about the renewal of our broken democratic contract with the people of this country. That England needs to be better represented as an electoral entity.  That practical things like net zero needs to be reached now, not in 2050. We need to stop behaving as if the climate emergency can be put off or delayed. Britain, and it's governments currently have a lack of urgency about this and many other issues, it responds slowly and incrementally, this is somewhat endemic and it's making us all poorer, sick and apathetic. 

Don't read this book expecting to find all the answers here, it is simply giving you a few much-needed directional pointers. We all have to discover for ourselves what we believe we want our country to be and then fight for that.  

But as James Baldwin so succinctly puts it -   

'Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it's faced'.

CARROT REVIEW - 4/8

WATCHED - The Way Down (2021)

The first settlers in America came to escape religious persecution, and to practice the religion of their choice without government interference or restrictive institutional supervision. It is unsurprising then that freedom to practice whatever your religious belief or none, became a First Amendment clause in the US Constitution. Such idealism has over the centuries of the United States existence allowed hundreds and hundreds of religious denominations to surface. Even though within the burgeoning ranks of evangelical Christianity, they sometimes appear to stretch or stray from the essential teachings of Jesus, to the point of perversion and beyond. The Way Down, comes as yet another documentary about an idealistically driven Christian sect that becomes an oppressive cult. And over its five episodes it becomes clear exactly what needs to happen for even the most well meaning of religions to slip into becoming a cult.

Gwen Shamblin was brought up in the Southern Baptist tradition within her own family. And its apparent that their hardline approach to Christianity, influences The Way Down Workshops and the Remnant Fellowship that Gwen develops, pioneering her own unique approach to religious practice. Its a weight loss regime, that sees obesity as a prime indication of a lack of godly focus. As Gwen puts it, too much bowing down to the fridge, and not to God. The implication being that the depth of your devotedness to God will manifest in your being slim. You hear this, and you look at Gwen Shamblin and her preposterous pile of hair, and you wonder quite how anyone could fall for this load of buncombe. But they did, and that is what makes this documentary compelling viewing.

There are plenty of to camera confessions from former Remnant Fellowship members. Often concerning the all male hierarchy of elders, directed by Gwen, controlling the lives of men and women in the movement. Often using their children as leverage to keep them there. Threatening they could take their children from them if they left. Cruel punishment regimes for troublesome children recommended by Gwen, resulted in the death of one child.  Men or women who could not loose weight would be ostracised as defective practitioners to be treated as suspect. This movements growth cannot be based entirely on Gwen Shamblin's manipulative behaviour or dubious charisma. it's also about creating a self reinforcing belief culture where your level of fervent practice will receive its own reward. So people dedicate themselves to this devotedly. And when things do go wrong, no one is allowed to publicly acknowledge why this has happened, to question why it happened, or make recommendations to prevent it happening again. They are just told to move on and forget it.

Had not Gwen been killed in a plane crash, these scandals might never have never come out. Her own children Elizabeth and Michael exhibit all the signs of being quite damaged personalities. The Remnant Fellowship gradually at her instigation, become entirely self contained and self referential. Businesses and services were all managed in house, drawn from and serving members only. All the power, direction and control of the movement came from Gwen and a small group of male elders acting as her administrative acolytes. The Fellowships hierarchy became both judge and jury on the rectitude of its members, that moved swiftly to discredit anyone who left or criticised the Remnant Fellowship. 

This self containedness, barricaded against the influence or censure of the surrounding culture, which meant it was difficult to question or contradict any of the ideas held, both from within and outside of it. Impossible for anyone to ascertain quite how wealthy the movement had made Gwen Shamblin and her family. It seems the First Amendment itself provides statutory protection for these religious sects, from outside interventions unless an illegality or heinous offence can be proven to have taken place. I guess those founding fathers naively put more trust in the good nature and moral upstanding of religious practitioners than we would these days. 

CARROT REVIEW 5/8

The Way Down, can currently be seen on HBO Max.

2026 PLAYLIST No 12 - Go Fuck Yourself by Fat Dog

Fat Dog - Go Fuck Yourself

One of my favourite tracks of last year was Fat Dog's, All The Same. With no signs yet of a new album, Go Fuck Yourself is a stand alone single, for now at least. The album Woof was a bit of a patchy affair. But Go Fuck Yourself with it's Euro disco backing track is a delight. No way a track with that title is ever going to get the airplay it deserves, but it is really a beauty. One gets the impression Joe Love the lead singer could be a bit of a miserable git, his songs do seem to have a studied hostility and stroppy indifference at the core of them. Not a hint of humour or self deprecation. Fat Dog appear to have a high turn over of band members, losing bassists and drummers with some frequency. The rock- klezmer- techno of the first album, has morphed now into something which remains addictive, but has perhaps less original things to say musically. Love also appears, like Getdown Services,to be not afraid of flaunting his Lad Bod.

2026 PLAYLIST No 11 - Radiator by Getdown Services

Getdown Services - Radiator

This duo from Minehead, have been ploughing a very particular furrow for a few years now. The rapport between them is similar to a comedy double act. They've been friends since childhood, and there is a mutual affinity and love here for making affectionately barbed music together. With this song Radiator, and a storming appearance on Later with Jools Holland, I think they are about to step up another notch in their visibility and popularity. 

Getdown Services, aka Ben and Josh, are authentically who they are, nothing about them feels manufactured, squeaky or clean. These are Lad Bods, with spare tires and a bouncy over intoxicated energy.  Radiator is an idiosyncratic song about being caught in a cramped room where you can't turn down the radiator. Their songs are often about such small insignificant details of ordinary life and the culture that surrounds them.  The lyrics are witty, acutely observed, pointedly satirical and frequently profane. Meanwhile the dance groove of Radiator infectiously grinds on with great gusto, and finishes with Josh playing a truly demonic cacophony on his guitar. This was the moment I fell in love with these guys. 

Though they have echoes of the langerous and laconic qualities of John Cooper Clarke and Alex Turner, they are very much their own thing. It could be easy to dismiss them as a novelty act, but that would be doing them a real disservice.  Don't take their lack of seriousness for shallowness, there is a lot of depth here if you look for it. What they are producing is enjoyable music, that possesses a great life affirming verve, which also keeps a keen eye on what can be lovingly lampooned. They are also clever wordsmiths to boot. Currently my band of the moment.

SCREEN SHOT - Sisu ( 2022 )

On one level all that could be said about this film, is that it is bloody gory. This film will not be for the faint hearted. It has a similar mode of operation as a John Wick movie, in that it is really a sequence of carefully orchestrated set piece instances of utter hilarious carnage. And it is unsparing, heads get blown to pieces, land mines explode in someone's face, knives are thrust straight through someone's cranium. Yes, it is all patently ridiculous, as cod as the German accents, but a mischievous tongue is being firmly held here. This film will cause a few chuckles at the absurdly grisly lengths to which it will go. If you are looking for carefully drawn characters or want to understand their motivations in going on a killing spree, then please look away now.  The many ways explored of executing and slaughtering, are done here entirely for comedic effect. And it is quite often laugh out loud fun to watch. As cartoon violence often is.

The film is set in Finland, near the end of the war. The Nazi's are in retreat, but are executing a scorched earth policy as they make their way to leave. The film opens with a man digging holes in a landscape, he's looking for gold, whilst the planes fly over on their way to fire bomb a city into dust. One day he does find gold, life transforming mega amounts of gold. He packs up that gold and sets off on his horse to cash in his haul. He encounters Nazi's on the way, but makes very short shrift of them, and leaves a grim catalogue of mutilated bodies behind him. And so this is how the film goes on. 

The Nazi's want revenge, which only grows more intense when they discover just how much gold the man has on him. But they don't yet know that this is Korpi, a Finish assasin who is renowned for being unrelenting in his pursuit once his anger is raised. Is he immortal, or just good at evading death? Because there are repeated times in Sisu when you would think this man was a complete gonna, but comes back yet again on his mission of seeking revenge. Dialogue here is brief and perfunctory.

Whilst this film is not remotely attuned to being subtle or nuanced, the director Jalmari Helender knows exactly what he is aiming at here and pulls it off with aplomb. He is fortunate in having Jormma Tomilla playing the lead Korpi, without his 'man with no name' taciturn abilities, this film would not have enough to hold your emotional attention. Gore is never enough, you need at least to be rooting for Korpi, And you do. There is a sequel from 2025 which I suspect Hubby will be itching to watch before too long.

CARROT REVIEW - 5/8

FINISHED READING - The Book Of Trespass by Nick Hayes

"We need space for the mind to rave, to wander and to dream. Access to land is access to experience and access to nature is access to our own wild, spiritual mind. And while the current logic of property forbids our experience of land unless it is sold, we are expected to buy weekend tickets to access our own wild creativity."*

It is a telling statistic that 92% of land and 97% of waterways in England is in private ownership, and hence out of bounds for ordinary folk to walk or sail on without paying for permission or permit. That is only the starting point for Nick Hayes excellent exploration of that most English notion of private property as akin to a divine right. You are not allowed to question how this ownership came about either. Hayes notes that when common public land has been openly stolen by landowners, once it becomes their own private property any discussion broaching on that illegality, becomes as off limits as how the landowner came by his original estate in the first place. Because actually the parcelling out of land to a select group of individuals, well, none of that stands up too well to close historical or ethical scrutiny.

The lions share of our present land ownership distribution has its origins in 1066 and the Norman Conquest. William the Conqueror gave land to his nobiity who'd helped win that conquest. Kicking out the Saxon chiefs and putting in his own men. These brought with them their own culture, that loved to hunt in forests.  So they set about creating new forests with a hunting 'chase' built into them. Land that previously had been open for all to forage and hunt, became private land that you might lose your life if you were caught trespassing or 'poaching' upon it. This fencing off of what was once common land, was the first of many such thefts of collectively owned land for individual private benefit and profit. And so this has continued, common land continues to be constantly accrued by the wealthy landowner, corporation or investment  company. Acts of Enclosure began in the 17th century, greatly accelerated in the 18th, and carried on until just before World War 1. The destruction of feudal land use and peasant livelihoods ranged wide and deep, which led to a slow building exodus from the countryside into the industrial towns in the 18th-19th century.  To own property and land was to gain access to unimaginable privileges, advantages those of us who don't own land can never acquire. 

" Property decides what is proper. It decides what land is for and who land is for. If you can't afford to pay for access to city clubs or country festivals, or if you don't own property spacious enough to create your own community gathering, if no landlord will give you permission, there is simply nowhere for you to commune. As long as what happens on the land is governed by a select few there will never be a society that reflects the values of anything but a tiny minority of its citizens. If we are truly to discover what we have in common, we must be allowed to gather on common ground. "*

When a local council brings in a developing company to revamp a public space, this often entails the selling of the land to that company. And hence once common land held for us by our councils, becomes private land. If you wanted to start a march or protest in this once public space, you'd be very promptly turfed off, because this is now private property and there are no rights of assembly here. Gradually common land and public spaces are being eradicated, and our sense of belonging and having access to this land that surrounds us is consequently diminished. The ability of ordinary folk to dissent and protest is being kettled and corralled, into ever tighter defined areas. This lack of available space and freedom to breath easily or publicly vent, leads us into ill health and a crisis in the nations physical and mental wellbeing. Property law becomes then a major way the establishment limits the effect of dissent, which unfortunately even people kept outside of the establishment fence, with aspirations, seem to buy into.

This impoverishes ordinary lives, where ease of access to walk the land we were brought up in, to breath its sea air, and swim freely in our rivers, are all carefully ring fenced by signs that warn Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted. Nick Hayes has been one of the founders of The Right To Roam campaigning movement. It's aims modelled upon the Scottish Right To Roam law which was introduced in 2003. Other European countries have the right to roam in law as part of their birthright - Norway, Sweden. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, Czech Republic and Switzerland. So it's not the batshit crazy, neo- marxist idea English landowners would like to make it out to be. In The Book of Trespass, Hayes cleverly mixes facts, statistics, historical research and his own adventures in trespassing. As an artist, he is often in search of the forbidden, the out of reach places, the woods and landscapes we cannot see because they are behind a literal wall of exclusion. He wants to draw and paint these things simply because they are so rarely seen. And through out the book we are shown some of his stylish artworks. He is also an excellent painter in words, very vivid pictures of the qualities of a particular forests, the pleasures in lighting fires outside, of gazing up into the night skies above dilapidated architectural follies, or the experience of kayaking down the Thames towards Runnymede, or the jeopardy involved in searching for mythic oak trees. He shows us what we are all missing out on, because it's hived off behind a barbed fence, with an equally barbed sign.

"More often than not, I and whichever friend I could persuade to join me met not one other soul on our trip. We walked, sat around, talked, took in the day, lit a fire, slept, cleared away our rubbish, and left. And the most striking discovery of all this rambling was just how wide the world is, how many hills, lakes, woods and dells there are to this land. If England is full, it is full of space. And the walls that hide it."*

A friend loaned me this book, after seeing the documentary Our Land about the Right To Roam movement, that Nick Hayes is a part of. I found myself being unexpectedly captivated and completely enthused by it.  Part polemic, part the diary of a true nature lover, and a very deep and thorough dive into the scurrilous nature of property and land ownership rights in England's green and pleasant land. Lack of land, or access to land, being a canker on England's sense of individual liberty and view of who we are. Highly recommended.

CARROT REVIEW - 7/8

* All quotations taken from The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes, 

   Published by Bloomsbury, 2021

SHERINGHAM DIARY No 139 - When The Chips Are Down

To all of you for whom this is your first viewing of this blog, Welcome, and happy browsing. Thank you for your interest and visit.

April was the first month when this Cornucopia blog topped over 110,000 viewers. March got close with just short of 95,000. And it's been busier over the quieter months of Winter too. May last year was my busiest of that year, at 65,000. 2026 has exceeded that most months,  If it continues to follow that pattern then 150,000 may be feasible this May.  This upsurge in views over the last few years still feels slightly perplexing.  I keep posting the same sort of stuff I do normally, and though it's interesting to watch what happens each month, it does seem that this is nothing to do with me.

Advert Tag Line No 1 -Stop the leaks, Stop the yawns.

Having reached the statistically significant Benchmark of 100,000, Blogger has started to offer me Ad Sense, which is automated advertising on the site. There are days when the idea of earning money through the blog appeals, but mostly I feel reluctant -to very hostile against doing so. Ever increasing levels of advertising enshitify everywhere on the internet.  I am not alone in finding it irritating. My adding to this with my own blog would, hence, be hypocritical of me. Blogger says you can exercise some control over what and where. But I really do not trust that assertion. That this is a mindless automated algorithm, tells you all you really need to know. I like to approach my blog, however humble, as free of the constant pressure to consume or tolerate a sales pitch interrupting the moment you idly click on a site.

Advert Tag Line No 2 - Nature's Wrinkle Fighter 

Whilst we are on the subject of enshitification  The first thing You Tube does now when I click on it, is shove some random Short in my face, that it thinks I might appreciate. This can be when I've just got up in the morning. I am not in the frame of mind to tolerate any of this first thing. I become annoyed as I madly search for someway to make it bloody well stop. My tablet screen also appears to have become hyper sensitive to my fingers merely hovering over it. So adverts or other You Tube posts suddenly pop up whilst I'm perhaps deeply absorbed in a interesting video on prehistoric archeological anomalies in the Saudi Arabian desert. I kid you not. Take a look at these!

Advert Tag Line No 3 - A softer bit for every tot

Having recently spent a few days with friends in Southwold, we've realised a short break before the busy Summer season kicks in, is actually beneficial and an all round good idea. Whilst in Southwold we visited all the usual places we like, but spread these out in a more relaxed fashion across two days. On the third day we took a trip down to Aldbrough. My recollection of it was as a pretty seaside town with not a lot more to it. This was reconfirmed. It still has a fine beach sculpture designed by Maggie Hambling, but not much else. The shops are mostly middle brow art galleries that wouldn't scare any horses, it has three delicatessens, yes I did say three, plus the obligatory clothes, giftware and interiors shops. But, we looked at all the chip shops in the town, and not one cooked chips in vegetable fat. It was exactly the same in Southwold. 

Our friends had loaned us their year passes to The Red House, Benjamin Britten and Peter Pear's house, which boasted it had a cafe. We drove there in the hope of finding chips. It turns out the cafe has a coffee percolator and a small range of pre-packaged biscuits & cake. I'm only mildly interested in Britten, and Hubby hardly at all, so our desire to know more soon expired, or was perhaps near to none existent in the first place. So still sans the holy grail of chips we terminated our visit with extreme prejudice, and drove away.

Advert Tag Line No 4 - Relief could be as simple as a shower 

We then imposed our presence upon the small, but grubby, town of Leiston, whose sole remaining function is as a conduit that enables you to reach Aldbrough. Currently Sizewell C is in the process of being built. All the preparatory access roads to enable the largest project currently under construction in England, are presently being levered into the picturesque country idyll and the wealth stuffed backwoods of Suffolk. The fight against Sizewell C was lost, however much tooth and nail was expended. These same local campaigners have switched to fighting the horrendous heavy traffic load rumbling upon the quiet roads, greens and ponds of their villages. Evidently a battle royale is being fought over these 'Rat Runs'. As everywhere are placards and yellow cut out cartoon rats on sticks lining every verge and hedge alongside the roads. Whilst I sympathise with the undoubtedly hellish situation, I can't help but feel they are going to have to grin and bare with this, until the infrastructure is completed. In this context protest seems a bit of a self indulgent whim.

Leiston is the logistical nub of all this cacophony of heavy haulage. Did they have a non animal fat chippy, no they did not. We resorted to sating our hunger in the back of the local Co Op supermarket. Here a Subway franchise was crammed into one desultory unused corner. We had a baguette stuffed with various forms of highly processed protein vegetable matter with accompanying raw condiments. And once we tucked in, found it to be OK. But even though it had all these supposedly good healthy real ingredients in it, it still felt as though it was meant to be eaten by toothless babies. No one frequenting Subway is ever required to own a full set of teeth, just a firm gummy jawline. Having successfully parked our hunger, and to avoid hearing the details of the health and safety inspection of Subway that began as we left, we drove home without further distressing any locals.

In the local elections, Sheringham defiantly hung on to its very effective Lib Dem Local Councillor, Liz Worthington, whose stepped up to County level.  Quite an achievement when all around fell prey to the deceptive lure of Reform. Norwich City Council, which has in the past invariably been a loan red beacon of Labour in a sea of Tory blue, has now turned resolutely Green surrounded by the polluting sewage swill of anaemic azure.

Currently Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, is having to endure the mother of all character assassinations. He made one critical misjudgment, a chink in his armour appeared, and the right wing press are now down on him like a ton of bricks. Having literally run rings around them for the last six months, they are now giving him the Jeremy Corbyn treatment. Followed in very quick succession by the Angela Raynor treatment. These they subject only to left wing politicians that looks too worryingly popular to them. Throw any old mud at them cos some of it will stick in the public's mind. It's not pretty, and it would be nice to think the sort of tittle tattle they are digging up was insignificant. But in the hands of the right wing media this is all about the sullying of publicly favourable perceptions consistently over time. Meanwhile the greasy ( gifted into being a crypto multi-millionaire apparently ) Nigel Farage, is left relatively blemish free, all unexamined squeaky and clean, nothing to see here.

Meanwhile I finished a decorative piece for the garden. We had a metal arched framework that once held a mirror until it inevitably broke. I've been intending to cut up an old metal lampshade and make it into panels to fill in random panes, plus casts in air dry clay and spray them white. Its not my finest executed piece, but it fills the space well. That's one less thing to think about and I can move on to the next job on my rolling to do list.

CHURCH LARKING - Aylsham Parish Church

Like many Norfolk towns Aylsham benefited from the prolonged boom in wool and cloth trading in medieval East Anglia. A priest was first sent here in 1066, and work on building a church began over a hundred years later. All that remains of that first church is the large Lady Chapel window tracery, the roof and chapel having been heavily refurbished in 1489. Some decorated roof timbers with an 'M' for Mary design, date from this period. This refurbishment undoubtedly brought it up to scratch with the north and south processional aisles that were installed earlier in this period. Viewed from the outside the window nearest the Lady Chapel looks abruptly cut off on one side. As most of the window tracery was replaced in the 19th century this might indicate there was a minor miscalculation in the window layout. 

Lady Chapel window and painted roof

Lady Chapel - 15th century Piscina

The remainder of St Micheal and All angels church, the tower and south porch are largely mid 14th century, built under the financial auspices of John of Gaunt, with the chancel being entirely rebuilt a century or so later. So this church was constantly upgraded to the latest architectural fashion, and there was enough surplus money washing around to finance that. 

As you look down the nave you can't help notice that the nave structure bows outward alarmingly. This may simply be a remnant of previously insecure foundations or the consequence of its original roof outweighing the ability of it's arches to hold. The remaining church architecture is largely unchanged since the small spire was added in 1600. Mostly it has been restoration work since the mid 19th century Victorian makeover by Rev Edmund Yates, who was an enthusiastic adopter of the Oxford Movement. But, it has to be said, this has been done with a degree of sensitivity. The nave roof though completely replaced, reuses most of the ceiling bosses from the original medieval roof. All the present pews installed at this time are in keeping, as were the several examples of fine stained glass you'll find scattered around the church, which are Victorian or later. Most are of a very accomplished quality, but you will find a couple of windows that were painted in enamels that have since deteriorated very badly. 

A deteriorated bit of stained glass

The very beautiful east window, with it's four evangelists, unfortunately ended up being partly obscured by the massively imposing reredos placed in front of it. This reredos is notable for two reasons. First, It was designed by John Repton, the architect son of Sir Humphrey Repton, the famous landscape designer, who is also buried in a tomb which rests against the outside chancel wall. Second, the reredos though it looks full on Victorian Gothic Revival, does very cleverly include some of the remaining upper structure from the original medieval roof screen, which sets ones imagination off reassembling it all in one's mind.

Sir Humphrey Repton's Tomb Memorial 

Medieval rood screen panels.

Aylsham has managed to retain all sixteen of the lower panels from its medieval rood screen. These portray all the typical saints you would expect. Unusually, they also include portraits of two Aylsham medieval wool merchants who paid for the rood screen to be gilded - John Jannys and Thomas Wymer.  The saint's faces have all been damaged or erased during the Civil War, but the original quality of the rood screen painting does however still impress. If you look up to the left of the screen you will find the blocked up doorway that would have provided entry to the rood loft itself. The rood loft, before the age of pulpits, was where sermons would be given, and in the absence of a gallery, where musicians might play. Behind the pulpit you'll find a locked gate and a small spiral staircase that still ascends to that doorway.

This staircase once led to a rood loft

15th century font

Wine glass Pulpit

Other pieces of church furniture to look out for include a rather fine 15th century font, with its carvings of the instruments of Christ's passion and symbols of the Evangelists. At its base are the coat of arms of John of Gaunt and Sir Thomas Erpingham. There are some worn medieval brasses set into the floor in the north aisle and the altar enclosure. Aylsham also has an extremely rare carved wooden wine glass pulpit from 1637 with its classically inspired panelling. This pulpit's staircase was entirely replaced in the 19th century. 

Altar sedilia with squint on the right

Through the squint towards the altar

Just to the right of the altar shrine you will find a squint in the wall that allowed you to view the sacrament. These are normally outside the church looking in, and are often referred to as Leper's squints. Was this squint originally outside, but is now inside. or was it conceived as an internal squint from the start? It is most likely a historical remnant from before the present wider chancel and aisles were installed. Otherwise one might be left to conjecture that Aylsham once had an anchorite cell, or an internal space set aside for ill people to view or take sacrament. Though there is no historical record of either happening here. 

For such a small town the church of St Micheal and All Angels, is a rather fine remnant of the medieval period, when it was truly flush with money,with a desire to use their patronage for status and prestige.

SCREEN SHOT - Our Land ( 2025 )

 

This documentary quietly reveals the level of privilege and self entitlement embodied in the English ownership of land. It presents the ideas of the group Right to Roam, that is campaigning to be able to roam freely and responsibly over the English countryside irrespective of who owns the land. This is a right already enshrined in law in Scotland.

The arguments against this from landowners varies. Some see it as almost their divinely given right to possess, bequeathed to them through sometimes centuries of ancestral ownership. Others that they are stewards of the countryside, and they are preserving and maintaining the countryside for our benefit. Irrespective of whether the rest if us can have access to it. Others recognise the need for people to have access to the countryside. To manage and accommodate that access, to limit, but channel the roaming through defined spaces and routes.

The Right to Roamers see land and having access to countryside as a fundamental right that has been robbed from the English people. Either handed to the French nobility by William the Conqueror, actively stolen from common land during the act of enclosure or bought with money made through slavery. Both campaigners and landowners both recognise the value of nature to them for their individual health and wellbeing. Some want access purely for themselves, whilst others want access to be for everyone.

Our Land - Trailer

The film endeavours to let the landowners state their case, but is primarily supportive of the campaigners argument. And in one landowner they found your archetypal posh - aristocrat who would seem a laughable caricature, until you realise he is a real person and this is what enshrined privilege really looks and sounds like. At root landowners tend towards seeing open access to their land as a fundamental assault upon their right to express their total personal ownership of that land. As one guy tellingly stated, they could have access to his land just so long as they were prepared to pay for it.

The Right to Roam make a quite simple request for responsible open access to the countryside. The landowners immediately turn this into an extremely complex issue, of checks, balances and qualifications. It really doesn't need to be that big a deal. The example in Scotland is that provided you make it clear to roamers how they are expected to behave as they roam, that people do respect the land  the animals and your requests. It's not difficult or hard unless you make it so, by resistance to embracing it as the positive thing it could be.

Ultimately this becomes a matter of the law, and what the government and establishment will support. Both sides claim they have rights on their side. Rights of ownership or rights of access. However, both of these are based on idealised moral assumptions, that these rights are in some way innate and inalienable ones in relation to human liberty. When in reality these can only be granted because the law allows this to be so. The law decides whether the right of access to roam is theirs to give, or ours to have.

As a documentary this laid out the broad case and what issues from that. It's cogency flagged by the end, as it started simply repeating previously stated standpoints. It didn't appear to know how to draw the documentary to an end, by either concluding its arguments well, or providing a telling image or statement. If anything this documentary felt too gentle, middle class and respectful. 

CARROT REVIEW - 5/8

2026 PLAYLIST No 10 - Focu 'Ranni by Rosalia

Rosalia is currently touring the world with her performance of LUX. To coincide with this, three tracks previously only available on the CD/Vinyl version have been added to the digitally available download. LUX - The Complete Album, is of course purely a marketing device. But putting that to one side, the three tracks Focu 'Ranni, Jeane, and Novia Robot are welcome additions. 

Rosalia - Focu 'Ranni

I can see why they might not make the grade for the first edition of the album. There are similar themes, some are great, some not quite great enough. After all LUX is a long album already, stuffed with 15 tracks clocking in at nearly 50 minutes. Could it bare three more tracks, making it over an hour in length, without overstaying it's welcome?  However. I have become rather obsessed with the track Focu 'Ranni, it's just such a beautiful melodic ride she takes you on, into which the startling exultation of a choir of treated vocals give you this unexpectedly invigorating chorus. 

Rosalia's voice is her weapon, that she pierces your heart with. It's such a joy to hear it being employed with all the soft delicacy and subtle nuance she is capable of, on Focu 'Ranni. I've had moments of being enraptured by it, her voice erupts from such depths of feeling into expressiveness. Focus Rani appears to concern the all consuming fire of love, and this can be interpreted either as a terrestrial or a spiritual love affair, which she's debating whether to entirely surrender herself to it. Continuing the religiously inflected intensity that runs through out LUX. It's a marvel.

CARROT REVIEW - 7/8

FINISHED READING -The Golden Road by William Dalrymple

The image we have of India in the UK, is of a third world country, one of our ex Empire colonies which the British civilised and brought democracy too. But this view is not entirely in alignment with what is known about its history prior to the British Raj, nor how it is today. William Dalrymple in The Golden Road, sets out a compelling case for India being one of the world's main civilising cultures, from which we have inherited more than perhaps we might wish to fully acknowledge.

India brought highly developed civilising ideas to Europe from quite early on, which Europe then took and developed further. India was a dominant trading nation even during the days of the Roman Empire. Hoards of Roman gold coins keep being found in India wherever there's an archeological dig. India was always a kingpin of the spice trade, luxury fabrics, minerals and gems. The Romans could never get enough, and sunken shipwrecks have revealed just how much their appetite for bling was being fed by Indian traders. It's estimated a good forty percent of all high ticket price goods sent to the Roman Empire, were being imported from India. And when the Roman Empire fell, and that trade dried up, the Indians swiftly changed their primary focus from West to East, to the economies of China. Korea. Malaysia, Philippines, Cambodia and Japan.

Historians refer to the effect on Medieval Europe of trade opening up via the Silk Road. Even though The Silk Road is a modern concept invented by a German geographer in 1877. But for at least a millennia prior to that, India's Golden Road, as Dalrymple has named it, was a far greater influence on the development of culture and civilisations both east and west. This appears to have been a fact largely forgotten or brushed over post the age of Empires.

The rise of an adventurous entrepreneur Indian mercantile class was key, and with them they brought their religion, their culture and their mathematical prowess. As they sailed both east and west on favourable winds. And it was initially Buddhism they brought with them. Buddhist sutras contain many references to merchants and traders as converts. They were the early adopters of what was then a new and relatively fringe faith. Buddhism became the dominant faith in India entirely due to Ashoka's conversion and widespread promotion of it. In comparison to this, Constantine making Christianity the faith of the Holy Roman Empire feels a bit lukewarm, and more of a strategic than a heartfelt conversion. Ashoka just went for it big time, and the effects of his enthusiasm spread around the known world via its trading network.

There are records of figures like Amoghavara and Vajrabodhi, actively travelling around South East Asia spreading their Vajrayana message of tantric rituals and mandalas. Which in succeeding generations strongly influenced by them, built the temples of Borobudur and Angkor Wat, both of which utilise mandala ideas in the construction of their vast temple courtyard complexes. 

Buddhism and goods to trade, were only two things which they brought with them. By far the greater influence came through the practical and mathematical ideas that travelled with them. The creation of large courtyard universities centering around a library, as places of learning, similar to Nalanda, was one such idea that became embedded in European cities. The mathematical concept of zero, was a logical development from the Mahayana Buddhist notion of shunya. Indo-Arabic numerals, is another of its mathematical legacies to The Renaissance. The game of chess originated from India too. 

All of these, and more, arrived in Europe from India via Islam. The presence of Islamic Moors in Spain brought much of what the Arabs had learnt from trading and invading India, into the European sphere of its intelligentsia and cultural development. Chinese figures such as Xuangzang travelled to India, specifically to visit Nalanda, in order to copy Buddhist texts to bring back to China. His ten year round journey became so inspirational, because his return coincided with the ascent of Empress Wu, who was another active royal proselytiser for Buddhism. Even if her personal ethical practice we would think these days to be more than questionable, in how far it fell short of the ideal.

That the British East India Company came to India in the first place, was because India in the 17th century was responsible for 46% of all world trade, and they wanted a bigger slice of it. Which ended with the East India Company becoming the first corporation to hold its own standing army, in order that it could take over India and asset strip it. When that all went seriously pear shaped with the Indian Mutiny, the British dissolved the East India Company. Repackaging the Empire as a benevolent force for good, including making Queen Victoria it's Empress. And we know the rest. By the time it became independent India hung on to 4% of world trade. Since then it has consistently regained the trading ground lost during it's colonial years. And some would say India could well become the world's third largest economy before too long.

William Dalrymple, writes with incredible verve and love of the telling details. Which makes this a hugely enjoyable book to absorb the contents of. As he richly recounts the story of the Indosphere, and the quiet revolution that it brought to the world. This is a fabulous and revealing book, that begins to set the historical record straight.

CARROT REVIEW - 6/8

RISING UP MY DUCK PILE - May 2026

The book duck light has now been named 'Pickle' so my Book Pile, that became my Duck Pile, could be called my Pickle Pile. There are some new entries, and that old pile stalwart Poetic Diction finally got read, you'll be pleased to hear, so it is here no more. Ready to be released back into the world of second hand chances.

BERNARD McGINN - THE MYSTICAL THOUGHT OF MASTER ECKHART

In the realm of medieval Christian mysticism Master Eckhart is thought to be somewhat seminal. McGinn's book comes highly rated as an introduction to his controversial, but none the less influential writing. I am quite looking forward to getting round to reading this. But I suspect I will really have to be in the right headspace for it.

Christmas Present 

YUVAL NOAH HARARI - SAPIANS

Another book which I'm looking forward to getting around to reading. I've been impressed with the clear headed nature of his mind when interviewed. So I'm hoping he writes in a similar vein.

Waterstones

DIARMAID McCULLOCH - LOWER THAN THE ANGELS

McCulloch is always a really peachy historical read. This one is all about sexuality in Christian theology and how it's terribly oppressive response is not always supported by what you actually read in the biblical source material. I expect this will be regularly punctuated with his usual dry witty commentary.

Christmas Present 

RICHARD V REEVES - OF BOYS AND MEN

I've seen him being interviewed and he delivers a quietly eloquent and right on the ball explanation of what the masculinity crisis actually is. Without a hint of the casual misogyny or outright toxicity that can often accompany the discussion of subject matters such as this one, particularly on the internet.

Christmas Present

BELL HOOKS - THE WILL TO CHANGE
I've read a few books on the masculinity crisis written from a male perspective. I came across this book by the famous feminist Bell Hooks, and I'm interested to discover how she views it. It didn't look like this was a dismissive hatchet job.
The Book Hive - Norwich

REBECCA SOLNIT - HOPE IN THE DARK

This short book reviews the history of activism and social change over five decades. Subtitled Untold Histories Wild Possibilities, though written originally ten years ago, it offers us reasons for continuing to have hope even in the direst circumstances of 2026
The Book Hive - Aylsham

DAVID GRAEBER - THE ULTIMATE HIDDEN TRUTH OF THE WORLD
Came across David Graber through an interview with his frequent collaborator David Wengrow. Graber who died in 2020 was a social anthropologist and anarchistic thinker out of all the usual boxes. And I was intrigued enough to want to read something by him. This is a collection of essays on a variety of subject matters.
The Book Hive - Aylsham

LAMORNA ASH - DON'T FORGET WE'RE HERE FOREVER
I saw her being interviewed on The Sacred podcast, and thought she seemed really open and frank in her investigative writing. Here she is examining what a new generation of young people might be seeking from religion. That in the end became her own journey of discovery.
The Book Hove - Aylsham

WILLIAM DALRYMPLE - THE GOLDEN ROAD 

This is an early history of India, when it was the premier major trading country for centuries, from the time of the Roman Empire til it's peak in the 7th century CE. The sphere of influence of India, it's culture, intellectual and religious has been far reaching on the countries to the East and West of it. Dalrymple presents his case with a zest and enthusiasm that bounces off the page. The British Empire created a view of India as a backward civilization, that required our intervention, gifting them democracy etc. This could not be further from the truth. The British moved in to asset strip the resources and manufacturing, of India. At the time the British East India Company arrived India represented 45% of all world trade, which by the time the British left was reduced to 4%.

Currently Reading

Christmas Present 

CAROLINE LUCAS - ANOTHER ENGLAND
I'm currently really wanting to understand better the whole area of national pride and patriotism, and whether it is possible for these to be held in a healthy way, without it descending into xenophobia and much worse racial and cultural superiority and exceptionalism. Caroline Lucas offers up a few enlightening possibilities in this timely book. 

Currently Reading
The Book Hive - Norwich

KAZUO ISHIGURO - THE REMAINS OF THE DAY

I've not read any Ishiguro before. This is of course his most famous, and reputedly his best novel. I just saw it going for a pound in a Nottingham charity shop, so couldn't resist buying it.

Charity Shop