I’ve been doing some research into how to save the planet and make people happy at the same time. I like to think the Laundry hits both targets, ker-ching.
Here are some eerie facts I learned while studying: (more…)
Red sky at night shepherds’ delight (makes my think of pink angel’s delight desert). Red sky in the morning, sailors’ warning. What a beauty of a morning it was too- well time will tell us if today’s pink curdled clouds lead to torrential rain and storms or blue, blue skies till the evening draws in.
Superstition meshes quite well the warped laws of reason I had as a kid
If you could be any animal, which animal would you be? Harriet asked me over lunch today…I couldn’t decide so I googled it (first port of call for any difficult question…right?) but all I found was a rubbish website which told me I was a tiger. No reason, no justification, just pop your name in the box and there you go. A tiger. Rubbish. (more…)
This week we’re still thinking about tradition and country ways. My friend and ex-laundry manager Jess showed me this passage from “Discovering the Folklore of Plants by Margaret Baker:
“The mandrake has an ancient reputation as “Devil’s apples”. (more…)
Autumn leaves are on the ground like a rainbow upsidedown.
Whoop. This week I have had an autumn-tastic time. Rambles past castles, tea, sheep worrying, tea, leave crunching (competitive), tea, watching the Empire Strikes Back (does this count, I was drinking tea at the time), hot scones, roasts, tea, sparklers, tea*. (more…)
Feeling a bit snotty this cold and crispy morning so thought I might write to you lot about everyday ailments and the things that you’re supposed to do to cure them. Sources of information vary from ‘Old Wives’ to google and even people that I’m only friends with through by the powers of facebook, which seems to just carry on amazing with its aptitude for reuniting me with people in my class at school who I never even spoke with. Is that because you only remember people’s surnames if you had to share a register with them? Anyway.
On this day…
In 1982 the Mary Rose was recovered from the deep. I don’t remember that but, here is one person’s recollection
“I was 10. Our teacher made us sit through it on TV for the whole day. It was boring beyond belief” – thanks Dominic. (more…)
While I was away having a low carbon adventure in Europe (I’ve decided never to fly again) my travel buddies told me about…..the anarchic hand. This condition is a brain injury related syndrome where one of your hands performs actions against your will. Here are some of my favourite examples
My name is Gemma and I am the newest member of the Laundry team, as of about 3 weeks ago in fact. I am settling in just fine and just thought I’d add a bit to the discussion that goes in these ere parts… So I was flicking through the TV channels last night, after an exhausting resettlement into my sister’s flat, and was drawn in by one of those random, but sometimes quite interesting documentaries on channel 5; this one was going by the title of “My Brilliant Brain” – who could resist?!
(more…)
When my friend’s brother was younger, he had a cat called Scallywag, a tom cat. One holiday, they were driving round a roundabout in Birmingham (not sure if that was the final destination of their holiday – I shall resist all other comments) and Scallywag made a bid for freedom through the slightly open back window. Despite driving round the roundabout for the next few hours and combing the surrounding area, Scallywag was not to be found. The dejected family were about to carry on their way, when suddenly the cat was spotted! Elated, they grabbed the moggy and shut it firmly in the car.
Hello when Harriet was guest starring last week I was off in Wales watching my friends play which he put on in his barn at midnight. It’s based on Welsh mythology and he is touring with to schools to teach kids about saving the environment. There is a camp dragon in it (yes, really!)– I had a thoroughly good time and learned from my nature loving friend about all these weirdo animals, sounded a bit mythological to me – see what you think….
Gardening….
The British are apparently mad for gardening, an offhand observation might say what (traditionally- I know, I know- we’re all budding Gordons and Jamies now) we lack in the kitchen we make up for in the… garden 
(more…)
I’ve taken on a big subject this week – it’s a big week, it’s a year since I started working for Laundry this week – hooray a year of blue bag krazee times – ah the memories. So to celebrate I thought I would debate the nature of reality. (more…)
It all started a couple of weeks ago when I came home to find my housemate prowling the house in his dressing gown, armed with a saucepan and a bowl of carrots. He was on a mouse hunt, as he’d spotted one scampering across the living room, and this was his hunting equipment.
It’s snowing - hooray - well I hope it is as I am writing this from sunny (but cold) Wednesday. (update: hurrah it is snowing. Well hurrah because it looks pretty, boo because it means we all spent far too long getting to work today and The Laundry vans are battling the elements picking up bags!)