Something nasty

Sure it couldn't be Lammas time without a few words from Judith Starkadder. And the fearful fear is that something nasty may return to the woodshed.

I see the Cold Comfort Farm woodshed as a metaphor for human progress and endeavour - rather like Prometheus, Frankenstein's monster or the Millennium Dome. The things we make have ostensibly noble ends - be it to give humanity fire, to extend our understanding of life, or to make the Queen sing Auld Lang Syne. Or - as it may be - to keep the wood safe while it dries, ready for us to burn - creating a fire that warms the heart of man and leaves little pin-hole burns on the Axminster. But all the time, if we're not careful, there's something nasty lurking behind it all.

Happy Lammas Day. Whatever it is all about.