David

The lone muscovy drake on the large pool at Perton, on the shingle beach where the Penk flows into the pool.

Teazle seed heads in the Compton Park wetland area. Mid-morning on Boxing Day, there were very few other people about waqlking off the excesses of the day before, perhaps put off by the slippy mud underfoot, left after the recent heavy rain.

A flock of what were probably goldfinches, wheeling around, catching the sunlight, as they flew over the River Severn by the Quarry in Shrewsbury.

Crochet cover on one of the postboxes on the Perton estate, shortly before Christmas.

The picture of thw whole thing was a bit rushed. Had to stand near the middle of the busy road.

Another day off from proper wildlife and nature pictures. Instead, some sculptures, weathervanes and graffiti which caught my eye around the country in years gone by.

The first two vanes are from Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. then Bridgnorth, Stratford on Avon (with starlings) and Worfield.

Hare from Bishops Castle, the sheep from Stratford again, and the rhino was one of the set which was Exeter’s contribution to the genre.

Graffiti from a changing display by the side of the Railway Walk at Lower Penn.

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