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such an overpowerng smell...

While walking through town last Saturday, I almost wretched.  It was the smell, you see.  No, not the smell that is seen, but rather it was the strength of the smell about the place that was oh-so-strong.

There is often a smell in town, from the river, which often mimics a blocked up sheugh.  But last Saturday's smell was sweeter, stronger, more overpowering.  It brought back happy memories of winters of long ago.

Then the penny dropped: Christmas Wonderland has re-opened, along with singing Santas, incense burners and fibre-optic Christmas trees. 

Why not? Sure Tesco are selling Christmas tat already too.

Autumn

Autumn's golden sun reflects off golden leaves and children return to school,
There is a hint of a chill in the morning air and evenings are getting dark.

Day is caught in the shadow of winter to come.
This irresistible force conquers all before it until the sun flees in December.

The darkness enters our homes and enters my soul.
Nothing is light any more.

Like a blanket, the dark wraps tight around me.
A few fortunate ones escape its web and ask me what is wrong.

Nothing is wrong, for this is how it is and this is how it has always been.
This is right – darkness without and darkness within.

In Spring it will loosen its grip, toying with me like cat and mouse,
Until I am tired and old and the Final Darkness wins.

My razor - a tribute

Jasper Carrot used to do a routine about twin-blade razors, where he would have a laugh at the need for two blades. Would a hair hide, see the first blade go over, stand up for joy at its escape and be decapitated?

Nonetheless, for most of my shaving career I have used one of those twin-blades. Firstly, a Wilkinson Sword that got lost in the process of moving house, a Boots knock-off that stayed in a dingy student flat but used the same blades (and is probably still in that flat), and a Gillette twin-blade that replaced my trusty WS.

Alas, the end is coming near. First the patents on the blades ran out so Boots & co made their own versions, hitting sales. Then came the three-blade razors. I did flirt with one of these (is was a Christmas present) and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. The handle was lightweight cheap plastic, the blade loading mechanism was dodgy, and the blades were not at all cheap. Plus, the wires in front of the blades (why?) made cleaning near-impossible. My other flirtation - a single-blade disposable - ended with the bucketloads of blood it claimed that made me anaemic for a year afterwards.

Now, we have the four and five-blade razors (why?). Not only that, but some of them have a battery. I've never used a battery powered multi-blade-razor, but I'd love to know why a device that has existed in some form since Neolithic man realised Neolithic woman prefers his face to be smooth, and relies on simple downward strokes of the blade, needs 1.5 volts.

So, with the onslaught of technology came the inevitable. Gillette blades left the shelves of Boots around a year ago, making way for the battery-powered new boys. Today I noticed the Boots own-brand blades are no longer (out of stock, I hope!) and the other chemist who sold the Gillette blades no longer sells them.

So, with three blades to go, I feel I must accept the inevitable. My twin-blade appears to be outdated and unloved by others. I feel like a Windows 95 user whose perfectly functional PC must go because the people who made his new printer have forgotten Win95 ever existed.

Where to next? Shall I go to a four or five blade? Shall I have a battery? Will I be a Luddite and get a 'classic' single blade razor (maybe not so silly - see a review, via http://tinyurl.com/2j5gjh)? Will I grow a beard and resemble Charles Darwin by Christmas. I don't favour the latter as, between you and me, by beard has a noticeable ginger streak that looks weird amidst a black surround - like a badger gone wrong.

All suggestions welcome....