David

In Germany, New Year’s Eve, Silvestro or St Sylvester’s Day, is usually celebrated with a lot of alcohol, a lot of fireworks let off everywhere at midnight, but also with a now long established ritual of watching a long TV sketch, “Dinner for One”.

During the day, most if not all TV channels broadcast at least one version. Mainly the original, performed by the sketch’s creators, Freddie Frinton and May Warden, in a version recorded by a German TV channel back in 1963. It’s normally shown with its original English-language soundtrack, without subtitles.

This version is now available on YouTube in many different uploads, including this one.

Sometimes local TV channels will put on German version; theatrical performances, before a live audience, originally broadcast live. Here’s one filmed in Frankfurt for the local channel for Hesse.

Taking things even further, a recreation in local dialect. Plat Deutsch (Low German) is the version of the language from the north of Germany, a version which some believe is under threat. Here used in “Dinner for One” from a Mecklenburg TV channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSxZFih-YsY

Cormorants (or perhaps the same bird seen on different occasions) flying along over the long loop of the River Severn which almost completely surrounds the modern centre and original settlement site of Shrewsbury.

Around the New Year, some of the posts get a bit whimsical. This welcome mat, with its picture of a bee, was outside the “My Little Wedding Shop” by the High Town station of Bridgnorth Cliff Railway.

Cormorants, or just possibly the same cormorant on different days, fishing in the stretch of the River Severn which runs along by the Quarry in Shrewsbury.

The rock-cut steps on the riverside path of the Breadwalk at Ludlow recently, slippery after a prolonged patch of heavy rain.

Two pairs of goosanders on the Severn by English Bridge at Shrewsbury, in the middle of December. The females (especially) seemed to be getting fairly aggressive; one or the other threatening one or other male, or the other female.

Females also adopting an odd posture. Stretching their necks out low, so their whole body from beak to tail was just above the water line.

The males in contrast were raising their heads as high as they could above the water.

Finally realised this must have been part of their courtship routine when one of the pair started mating midstream (not pictured).