1   Yesterday on BBC Radio 4 there was a programme called Soul Music. It is a series where they take a song and examine how it has touched various people very deeply. One of the people interviewed was Chris Ferguson, Astronaut, who described watching from the space shuttle, Endeavour, when the 40 minute night becomes day and how the colours are heart wrenchingly beautiful. He told how each of the families at home made recordings of two or three favourite songs which the astronauts used in turn as their ‘wake-up’ music.  One of his was the soul music of the day – ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’.  Click here for the programme in case you would like to listen and here is the song. The whole programme is full of touching stories.  I really hope you can listen.

2   Our Clematis Montana is flowering beautifully over the roof of the shed.

Clematis Montana

3      One to amuse – and perhaps set you thinking…….

 — To Whom It May Concern —

This poem about ice cream
has nothing to do with government,
with riot, with any political scheme.It is a poem about ice cream. You see ?
About how you might stroll into a shop
and ask; One Strawberry Split. One Mivvi.What did I tell you ? No one will die.
No licking tongues will melt like candle wax.
This is a poem about ice cream. Do not cry.

     — Andrew Motion