When icicles hang by the wall
And Dick the shepherd blows his nail
And Tom bears logs into the hall
And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipp'd and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
Tu- whit;
Tu-who, A merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
International Migrants Day is celebrated on December 18th. Our association received an invitation to an event held in the Marcelino Camacho Auditorium in San Sebastián De Los Reyes.The small gathering had representatives from four continents and was organised by El CEPI(Centro de Participación e Integración de Inmigrantes)
Local
authorities were there to listen to real life testimonies of people who have
crossed oceans to start a new life and build families but whose roots are very
strong .With patience and perseverance their prospects improved and one lady expressed the feeling we all have, that the Spanish are noble
people. El CEPI has been home from home for them.
Introductions
were made and smiles shared and we came away with our names written in
beautiful Arabic and Chinese script.
Our
association extends a welcome too.
Today we listened to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s beautiful Christmas song ‘ Happy Xmas (War Is Over)and learned that their son Sean continues to carry the torch for world peace.
The famous couple released their anthem Happy Xma s (War Is Over) in 1971 to the backdrop of the Vietnam War, and as part of their protest against this war which continued until 1975. Sean Ono Lennon's short film War Is Over! won an Oscar in 2023.
He is promoting a new picture book War Is Over! which aims to reach
a younger audience and inspire us all with hope for a better and more peaceful
world through empathy and understanding. ‘We hope this will be a topic of
conversation among friends and family, ‘Sean said.
Well, this topic was suggested to us by Antonio for our Wednesday get-together
on December 10th Human Rights Day and it led to a stimulating discussion
The United Nations General Assembly appointed this as the day of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1950.
Today 125 years ago Oscar Wilde took his final breath.
His grave is in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris with the following lines From ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol.’
And alien tears will fill for him
Pity’s long-broken urn,
For his mourners are outcast men
And outcasts always mourn.
The following notes are taken from Collected Poems of Oscar Wilde, Wordsworth
Poetry Library with notes by Dr Anne Varty, University of London.
Robert Ross, friend and literary executor worked hard to rehabilitate the
reputation of his friend and to bring Wilde’s estate, bankrupt in 1895, back into
credit for the benefits of his sons Cyril born in 1885 and Vyvian born in 1886.
At the age of 28 Wilde lectured in America promoting Patience, an opera
by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Wilde is rarely remembered as a poet, this aspect of his work has been eclipsed
by his extraordinary life, stories and plays.
‘Requiescat’ ‘May she rest’ was a poem written by Wilde in 1874 in memory of his sister Isola who died in 1867 shortly before her tenth birthday, when Wilde was twelve.
Tread lightly, she is near
Under the snow,
Speak gently, she can hear
The daisies grow
This was the only poem by Wilde that Yeats chose to anthologise in his
1895 edition of A Book of Irish Verse.
To commemorate the passing of Oscar Wilde on November 30th 1900 in Paris we are invited to attend a well-deserved tribute that allows us to be the ones to doff our hats in respect, figuratively speaking.
The fame he achieved in his lifetime has only grown and his works speak for themselves.
We are very grateful to the Bloomsday Society for this opportunity to hear a selection of readings from the works of this well-loved author, playwright and poet.
Contrast and compare the two pictures.
Conference of the Parties COP 21 Paris 2015 and COP 30 Belém, Brazil 2025.
Meanwhile Australia and Turkey both want to become the next UN climate host for COP 31 in 2026.
This invites a lot of discussion.
Wednesday 12th November 2025 18:30h U.P. Sanse.
Yesterday we took out our copies of Collected Works of OscarWilde to read this inspiring children's story by Oscar Wilde. Sammé found a nice cartoon adaptation which we are sharing with you as today is his birthday.
Both are classics.
How cartoons have changed! This one was made in the '70s.
On another note, here is a dramatic film that has been neglected.This star studded film was made in the 60s and is certainly worth watching. It is quite riveting. And sad inevitably.
Thou shalt not kill.
In the language
of Moses. In the language of Jesus. In the language of the Prophet.
You must
put down your weapons.
You must
give them no right or reason to kill you.
Native
Americans made a collection to send help to Ireland during the famine. That
money reached its destination.
Workers in Liverpool
sent food aid in a boat to Irish strikers in Dublin. It reached its
destination.
The little
boats saved the lives of thousands of soldiers at Dunkirk.They reached their
destination.
Right now
the flotilla is on its way to bring moral support, food and medicine to the people in Gaza.
We want
these boats to reach their destination.
Stop the killing. Please.
Devastating fires in the countryside of Spain during the summer months have been broadcast throughout the world.
So many heart breaking stories of people helplessly watching the flames engulf their villages. The fire fighters bravely battled against seemingly impossible odds. Everybody watching the sky, waiting for the rain to come and give them some respite.
This follows the deadly floods in Valencia and Andalusia that took over two hundred lives on October 29th 2024. The country was beginning to recover from the worst natural disaster in Spanish history caused by torrential rain and other factors that will be looked into and hopefully dealt with efficiently.
You hardly have time to recover from one scenario when another comes along.
Our most sincere thanks to the people on the frontline and all the emergency services.
Where would we be without you?
