Rain

Normally I like rain, especially when I’m inside and other people are not. I watch them getting soaked, and smile. At times in my youth I relished getting caught in the rain myself. Walking home from school through a torrential downpour without an umbrella (no child thinks to take an umbrella to school), I would sometimes pass deliberately under an open drainpipe as I went down Welshmill Road, in the knowledge that I couldn’t be any more soaked to the skin than I already was.

Last Friday afternoon, compelled to walk to the railway station through heavy vertical rain with nothing but my pathetic Sainsbury’s umbrella for shelter, I cursed the weather. It had entirely lost its appeal. I was compelled to take refuge briefly in a convenient shop on Trumpington Street, where I loitered in the blithely optimistic hopes that somehow my shirt sleeves would become marginally less saturated and that the rain would die down. After several minutes of procrastination I purchased two packs of Mentos. On exiting the shop it became apparent that the ferocity of the rain had not lessened with time. My vocal pleas for it to kindly fuck off were not heeded, and I plodded on depressed.

At some point on Hills Road, I had a revelation. No, not a revelation, but rather a reminder that when I was five, in Miss Loveridge’s class at St John’s, whenever going-home time was approaching and there was rain outside, we would sing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ together. Every time, without fail, the grey clouds dispersed, the sun poked out his impudent marmalade fingers (Vivian Stanshall), and by 3.30 you wouldn’t have known it had been wet at all, save for the trace of a rainbow in the firmament.

Trudging past Domino’s on one side of the road and Richer Sounds on the other, regretting that my journey was nearly over and that I hadn’t thought of employing this strategy earlier, but glad at least of the prospect of five minutes of walking in the warmth and dryness, I attempted a belated hum. Nothing.

Here is a Hungarian cartoon about a man with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Boyce

The list of subscribers to William Boyce’s Twelve Sonatas for Two Violins, with a Bass for the Violoncello or Harpsicord, published in London in 1747 by John Walsh (RISM A/I, B 1474), included:

The Right Honourable the Lady Harriot Beard.
Miſs Blofeld of Norwich.
Mr Fenwick Bull.
Sir William Codrington, Bart.
Richard Crop, Eſq.
Andrew Craſs, Eſq.
Hammond Croſs, Eſq.
John Cocks, Eſq.
Captain Crump.
Mr Crome. Four Sets.
Mrs Bourchier Cleve.
Mr Potts Crookenden, for the Muſical Society at Great Yarmouth.
Mr Moſes Mendas Da Coſta.
Mr Martin Eelking.
Marmaduke Fothergill, Eſq. Two Sets.
The Reverend Mr Fraigneau, Greek Profeſſor and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
Mr Tench Francis of Philadelphia.
Mr Palmer Firmin.
John Geekie, junior, Eſq.
Mr Starling Goodwin, Organiſt of St. Mary Magdalen Bermondſey.
The Reverend Sir Philip Hobby, Bart. Dublin.
Sir Joſeph Hankey, Knight, and Alderman of London.
Dr. Heinakin.
Mr Sheffield Howard of New-York.
Mr John Zephaniah Holwell.
Mr John Hippeſly, Comedian.
Mr John Johnſon, Cheapſide. Twenty-ſix Sets. [John Johnson owned a music shop]
Sir Atwill Lake, Bart.
Fiſher Littleton, Eſq.
Beeſton Long, Eſq.
Mrs Marten.
Mrs Maſon.
Miſs Marten.
Carew Mildmay, Eſq.
Mr William Mackiliken
Mr Maſon.
Mr Mainwaring.
Mr William Mawhood.
Miſs Nelmes of Wooton-underedge, Glouceſterſhire.
George Nangle, Eſq.
Miſs Peekie of Lincoln.
German Pole, Eſq.
Mr Pemberword of the Cathedral at Worceſter.
Mr Port.
Mr Horace Pine.
Capt. George Twiſleton Riſdale.
Mr Walter Rainſtorp, junior.
Mr Walter Roſewarne of Truro in Cornwall.
Mr Cuthbert Ridley, Organiſt of Preſtbury in Cheſhire.
Miſs Kitty Schyler of New-York.
William Scroggs, Eſq.
Mr Barrows Smith
Mr Thomas Sanden, Comptroller of the Cuſtoms at Chicheſter.
Mr Andrew Solinus.
Mr Sells, Harpſicord Maker.
Mr Valentine Scott.
Mr Torrent, Fellow of Merton-College, Cambridge. [sic]
Mr Peter Tibal.
Mr Walter Thong of New-York.
The Reverend Mr Frettwell Vandernan.
The Reverend Mr Thomas Warneford, A.M. Rector of Bagpath, Glouceſterſhire.
Mr John Wright, Dancing Maſter to the Royal Academy at Portſmouth.
Mr Waylet.
Mr Zinke.