RIP + David Farrant 1946 - 2019 +

The Human Touch Blog ~
David Farrant

Take a Break

I decided to go out for a while at lunchtime. I needed a couple of things from town and I thought I could relax a little in the Woods. It was a beautiful day today, the only thing that spoiled it was, it’s a Bank Holiday  In the Woods there were a lot of people about, but not if you know where to go.

Sitting on a secluded bench, there was a ‘cool heat’ and a smell of almost unworldly freshness, and the noise of dirty traffic and chattering people seemed an eternity away. Its strange how the mind is so often distracted – trapped – by material things. Sometimes only quiet solitude can help awareness of this, and provide a temporary escape from the monotonous droning.

It was almost blissful just sitting there aware that all material commitments had temporary faded into oblivion. I was still aware of them, of course, but they had certainly lost their immediate potency.

At one stage I idly wondered what the time was. I never wear a watch – although I have one – and very rarely have any precise sense of time. Now, I realised it was sometime between 1.o’clock and 3. but that was mainly because I’d noticed the Church clock on my way to the Woods. I knew it wasn’t as late as 3 – you could tell that by the sun – so I guessed it was somewhere around 2 o’clock.. I knew it didn’t matter anyway, I could just go home when I wanted.

When I eventually left the woods, it was after 3, and a woman approached me.
“Can you spare a cigarette”, she asked almost pleadingly. She had obviously seen me smoking, so I gave her one from the packet.
“Do you want a light”, I asked, noticing she was just holding the cigarette limply in a fallen hand. She didn’t answer but silently nodded her head. I lit the cigarette.
“God bless you”, she mumbled quietly, then she just walked away quietly.

I had never seen her before but I guessed she was from the mental hospital just around the corner.

For some reason I am always being approached by some patients, even when I’m not smoking!

Maybe its just the way I look, I don’t know. But its not because they recognise me in any way which is why some other people approach me. Those people I do mind (unless they happen to be friends), but never the hospital patients.

It was quieter than normal back indoors, but that was still due to the Holiday.
David

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email

24 Responses

  1. Hi, David
    I’m new here and have read this thread with much interest. There are a few points that I would like clarification upon in the near future: I shall raise these soon and look forward to your remarks.

  2. “May I ask one thing . . . Are you male or female!?”
    That is where cats have the advantage, David. They don’t have to ask, they use their, er, senses.

  3. Hi Molecule,
    Thank you for taking an interest and any questions or comments would be most welcome. All we ask is that you do not use real names or identites of anyone when posting (this is only in accordance to normal Internet policy).
    May I ask one thing . . . Are you male or female!? Not wishing to appear rude, and you don’t have to answer!
    David (Farrant)

  4. Look, you pesky cat!
    I was only asking out of curiouisity. And don’t come back and say its because I’m a “womaniser”. I was just wondering who he/she was, or at least their gender!
    Why don’t you just ‘curl up’ inside your ‘heavenly basket’, and go back to sleep!?!?
    David

  5. Well Farrant, we meet again!
    Trust you to be skulking alone in the woods chatting up women. Sounds like the poor woman had a lucky escape, as well as a lucky strike.
    I was taking advantage of the lovely weather and took the old ice cream van out for a spin. And to think, she only wanted a strawberry mivvy…..

  6. “I have no need to ‘chat up’ women anymore. I just wait for them to come to me!”
    In your dreams Farrant!
    And on another note, I waited outside the swimmimg pool for hours yesterday and I only sold 3 Cornettos and a Mini Milk. Why did none of you tell me the pool had closed!!!! Anyroad, I’m off to collect my biretta from the dry-cleaners so catch you later.
    The Purple One.

  7. You ony had to ask!
    No the swimming Pool has been closed for years now, and all the cleaning staff were made redundant. Could have saved your petrol. Actually, could be wrong here, I’m not sure if ice cream vans are electric or not, like milk floats!??
    David

  8. Mine runs on diesel at the moment but my wife is having it converted to run on copies of my unsold books. The carpigiani machine runs on hot air alone.
    I’ve just collected my biretta from the cleaners and the pom pom’s been pulled nearly off and it STILL smells of fish. At least my old sparring partner has a new blog for me to enjoy.
    The Purple One.

  9. Of course I will behave myself Farrant!
    It would be beneath the dignity of my office to do otherwise 😉
    The Purple One.

  10. “Of course I will behave myself Farrant!
    It would be beneath the dignity of my office to do otherwise”
    FOR PURPLE ONE,
    Well, if you’re truly sincerel about the above (and forgetting “space ships”), you could make a start by calling me by my first name, rather than by my surname.
    So, let’s see your true motivations and just address your next post to ‘David’!
    Not really that difficult, if you try!
    David

  11. I ask because the comments are closed on your recent new entries.
    Also I wonder if you could comment on this.

  12. Thanks for that LJB’s cat.
    Yes I will certainly comment on that, but its going to have to be tomorrow now ’cause of time.
    All I would like to say at the moment, however, is the quote in the American newspaper which said:
    “He said there were likely “internal issues within the Wiccan community,” but the tossing of raccoon entrails in May was probably a “bastardization” of Wiccan practice because the religion doesn’t condone blood sacrifice or harming others.”
    How true that is!
    But I will come back to this tomorrow.
    Only to reassure you now, don’t worry too much about it. It was a racoon – not a cat!
    David

  13. Hi David,
    Seems like another of the sensational press has linked ‘Salem’ and ‘witches’ again. Having studied this case in depth, let me assure you dear friend, that this was greed and avarice dressed up as witchcraft – land grabs, famine, war – all got blamed on a handful of vulnerable people. Witchcraft was never a serious player in the Salem game.
    Now, back to what I was originally going to say. You are so fortunate that you live near to Highgate Woods, On the occasions I have visited, the woods seem to echo a ‘susurrus’, a kind of ‘undersong’ of the Earth. Very pleasant, Given that (perhaps) it is a magical place in its own right, I am not at all surprised that people are attrached to you. You are a lovely person – why shouldn’t they be?
    You are Highgate’s raison d’etre! heh heh!

  14. I am not at all surprised that people are attrached to you.
    I meant to say ‘attracted.’ (It’s not the first ‘doozy’ I’ve made today…!)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DAVID FARRANT

1946 - 2019

BROWSE BY MONTH

SEARCH SITE

BLOG TOPICS

From the vaults ...

A flashback to one of David’s comedic, profound or quizzical blog entries. Dive into the archives to find more gems. 

Video Blues

Sorry everyone. But I did try to warn you! I am referring of course to the huge text size in “The Ghost of Hillcrest”. This

READ MORE »

RECENT POSTS