Wednesday Rumblings

Sometime ago I wanted to visit Egypt.  The history, tourist sites, heat and fancy foods all attracted.  Now, I canny be bothered going anywhere.  That said, Egypt, seen here from space, is an interesting phenomenon in many ways.  The ancient history, fancy writing, and those huge pyramids let alone the architecture built by pharaoh this and pharaoh that.  All worth viewing.  

Egypt today is once again run by a dictatorial regime, but can you run such a country any other way?  The vast majority of the populace are young, jobs few, conditions not good, and opportunities up and down.   What hope for the future outside of history?  That appears to be all Egypt produces.  There is agriculture, though whether any arrives here in the UK since the absurdity of Brexit I doubt.  There is Natural Gas, coal and oil, but the poor do not benefit, as 'trickle down' works in Egypt as well as it works anywhere else.  Some very rich Egyptians as well as very poor ones.

Now Islamic, once a powerhouse of Christianity with only vestiges left, and the Coptic Christians, going back many centuries, suffer needless abuse by Islam.  

Egypt guards the Suez canal, a wealth creator if ever there was one, and surely one of the most important waterways in the world?  We saw recently how one ship blocked the canal for a few days and disrupted China's economy by ding so!  

Egypt is a powerful nation in the region, a very large army which keeps itself above the rest.  Always ready to take over government when called upon, and even when not called!  

Egypt is well worth a guided tour if you can keep the hawkers away.

Tunbridge Wells Train Station. Photographer Neil Nevinson, 1950s.

Why is it that pictures like this, taken in the 1950s can be so simple yet so good?  If I try to take this picture it will be very different.  OK, the camera and lens will make a difference, but even so the fact that it is dated, black & white, and the outfits also of a differing age all present a view that varies from anything we can capture today.  

Adverts ought to have a special rate of tax added to them.  The more deceitful they are the higher the tax!  Take this one, three flimsy pathetic non foods, add a few pieces of rounded cardboard and wow, something worth looking at!  All lies!  And apart from what is in the meat, what is the cheese made out off?  We will not ask about the bun.

I got an email regarding the Gas today.  Like the recent Electric one it was forcing a new tariff upon me, a more expensive one, to save me when costs rise soon, while celebrating costs coming down now.  I smell a rat.  Indeed I went for the change, is there an alternative?  I checked the increases, all the while noting prices are falling yet my costs rise.  If the Labour Party was a Labour Party it would be bringing this nonsense to an end, but they will not.  It is clear that this Labour Party is for the  business word, thon billionaire who started 'Phones4U' (if that is the correct name) is now donating to Labour because they are for business instead of the workers.  A true conservative party!  

We have been taken over by a right wing coup, big business, often in the USA or Saudi have made use of the mess we are in to force the Farage's upon us, divide the nation, give us Brexit and now Freeports and SEZs.  Prices will rise, wages stagnate, more social problems lie ahead under Labour.  This may not affect Scotland so much but now we know how the SNP has not got independence in sight, in spite of the latest manifesto.  Deviants and weirdo's may be OK under the SNP but independence is far from important.  The middle class Scot shows his comfort lies in Westminster. 

I Say BBC!

We are all well aware re the BBCs political correctness and their 'lefty liberal' approach, though that does not appear on the BBC News where the Conservative Party and far-right headbangers rule, but this one is interesting.  The advert, for a music producer, is aimed at people who are disabled.  There are certain things you must 'identify' as including being 'dead.'  Somehow I am unsure that this is a typing error.  

Another vacancy includes reference to 'Sliced Bread.'  I remain unsure as to whether this is a programme or providing sandwiches for the workers.  

This of course I found on Twitter, where it originates I know not, but it will please the 'Daily mail' and the moron readership awaiting the opportunity to spell their name next to the 'Reform' candidate.

I wonder if this is true?  It certainly appears that way, as all those still with large lands tend to be Lords and Dukes etc.  Whether they have any money is of course another story but they do posses much land.  It is slightly different in Scotland, the richest, largest landowner I think is a rich Dutchman, though that may just be my memory.  However, it may well be those landowners might be the descendants of Willie, you and I may be descendants of them also, hopefully.   

How many do you still have in the cupboard?

Insurance Robbery

A glance at the calendar informs me that Thursday will be the Summer Equinox.  From that date the days get shorter and the nights longer.  I am not sure this will make much difference to us!

I spent a wee while attempting to log in on the Home Insurance site.  This did not work, probably because it has run out and they have not informed me.  Tsk!  So I did a search of the overpriced Home Insurance sites, hoping to get a quick answer.  Eventually I got one, paid, and await the documents arriving soon...  We shall see.  These folks are as crooked as energy companies and estate agents so something will go amiss unless the years finishes first.  Online of course, so no lying at the other end, bar difficult to read print.  It is cheap, as is all things in this house.

It's noticeable how little place is given in the 'Online Mail' to politics these days.  I suppose they are mostly concerned with their own in house politics perhaps?  Little liking for Sunak, much coverage of the lying Farage, but I do not think they like him either, maybe they fear him?  Celebs and royals fill the space, with the same people clicking on each story.  

Scotland, Euro 2024

Tonight the Scotland side begin another adventure.  Usually this ends in failure, often glorious failure, and hopefully we can go one better tonight, qualify for the next round and get some satisfaction for the travelling fans.

Naturally all the leading men are there, as you would expect.  Alex is here with other Alba folk, the FM is round the corner with many of his lot in tow, and a wide variety of true Scots are in Germany for the party.  As expected a party has been in swing since they arrived and most Germans are quite happy to have them bagpipe playing, singing and dancing in the main squares.  Not counting one man who grumbled about being on nightshift!  

All those Scottish shirts filling the town remind me of my reaction when moving to London.  All around me people wore England shirts, now while I expected to see this I was also somewhat taken aback at the time as it seemed to me so unusual.  It took me three or four years to get used to being surrounded by England shirts, flags and all, though this is how it ought to be in London, but it still was a strange sight.  Just as strange was the sight of working men getting excited by a cricket score, this time it was Essex they supported, and this made me giggle.  No working man to my knowledge in Edinburgh mentioned cricket, though some did indeed play it.  

There are still many people who do not realise that moving 'down south' is moving to another country, there is NO 'United Kingdom' and there never has been, there is only two nations with one dominating the power over the other.  It is time that was ended and Scotland independent and able to make mistakes by themselves.

Whether this would improve upon Steve Clarks Scotland side is however, a debatable matter.

Disgusted!

Disgusted!

I am disgusted!  I hobbled down to Tesco around 8 am as always this morning, to collect bread and other things, all of which were quite heavy today.  Stumbling back up the road, admiring the flowers on show everywhere, the blue sky, the sun shining, the chirping of the birds which you can hear if you use the back road, I was then disgusted!

As I reached the end of the road a man, about may age, offered to carry my bag for me!

What?

I presented such a picture that he thought he needed to help me!

The knees did ache today, after yesterdays exercise I ought to have remained indoors but required bread, so out I went.  But really!  He thought I was in such a state!  All others just ignore me, so I suspect he is one of the JWs looking for custom!  Pah!

Then I spent an hour having my ears bashed by my sister.  Her husband, now 87, is in hospital having, we think, suffered a mini stroke, with other problems they have now found.  He has shown signs of GaGa in recent months, and spends much time asleep, though since retirement that has always been true, and now we await developments.  A wee bit worrying for the girls, though his granddaughter has no problem with going in an bullying him as always!  The nurses love it!  Who knows what will happen there?

With all this I have not wasted time on the Twitter duels.  I only annoyed one woman this morning, I am so slack today!  I did however, discover Scotland play the opening game in the Euros tomorrow night.  At least that means I can watch this and rejoice at our success.  Maybe...

Bay Evening Jeremy Mann

Victorian Paintings

William Arthur Breakspeare - Blue Eyes

 

It would be easy, when looking at Victorian paintings, to imagine middle class women and artists models doing little but sitting around at odd angles.  The number of women slowly falling of divans, beds and ancient marble impressions of Greece is astounding.  Maybe a lack of exercise was responsible?

William Arthur Breakspeare - The Alluring Student

 

There again, when they are standing it is clear they are up to no good.  Poor Victorian women, how they suffered!  At least this one, unlike so many has not just thrown her dress on and almost missed, like all the rest.  Though I suppose it would be crude to imply many Victorian art works were just porn in oils of course.

Henry Herbert La Thangue - A Sussex Orchard

It is also amazing how many country pictures appear.  So many are like this, colourful, sun shining, horse happy, just two young people working away.  The 12 year old boy, working 18 hours a day like his sister in this painting from the 1890s are headed for 50 or so years of such toil.  The house the family of 10 share is only theirs as long as the farmer keeps them on.  If dad is the farmer then they move to a better place as soon as possible.  The mud floor of the small cottage, with outside toilet and well for water, has only two rooms and space in the attic for the kids.  At this time agriculture had settled down but it had gone through many bad years.  Who knows how they had survived during that period

Hubert von Herkomer - On Strike 1891

Sir Hubert has offered a different, less romantic impression of country life here.  The 'Nicky Tams,' those strings tied around his trousers just under the knee to stop rats running up, indicate an agricultural worker, and not a happy one at that.  Earning possibly 6 shillings a week, with tied cottage, was not much for long hours in the fields.  While country folk know how to eat 'off the land' it is still hard going at times.  Many strikes up to the Great War in 1914 and some by that time were still on 7/6d or up to 15 shillings for ploughmen in some places, but only after much strife.  

John Henry Henshall - Behind the Bar 1882

  

The place to gather to eat, get warm, and meet friends was the public house.  In towns and cities these places were light, gas lit, warm, and far from the rotten homes many lived in.  Food and drink was available and out off the odd song and dance act grew the variety theatres, one of the best places to find entertainment in Victorian days.  'Beer shops' were also allowed to flourish for 40 years or so, but the increase in trouble following the drinking got them closed down, much to the brewers annoyance. Such caring people!

Samuel Bough - Dysart on the Coast, Sunrise

Tommy's Folly

Tommy Robinson is an individual who plays the English hero.  He claims to stand up for the working class white man who has been dealt badly by all these immigrants swarming into the land.  Of course he is not what he appears.

For a start he is the son of an Irish couple, and they are usually not very English.  His name is actually Yaxley-Lennon, and while pleading bankruptcy and poverty there are those who consider he is raking it in from foreign sources, though I of course cannot prove these allegations.

Having led a demonstration against the Palestinian demos, which included his riotous white working class neds clambering across the Cenotaph itself while he made off in a hurry, he has now made D-Day an opportunity to display his AI skills.

This was posted on Twitter, and has of course done the rounds considerably more than he could have wished, while revealing his lack of AI ability and his inability to understand how to invade a beach.

Most men on D-Day came off the landing craft and headed onto the beach and then attempted to make their way inland.  Tommy's men appear to be heading out into the sea!  Naval types will indicate the ships in the picture do not fit the day either.  All indicative of Tommy and his men's approach to facts I say.  

Note also, these men are US troops, not British!

D-Day 80th Commemoration

Wiki

We need not repeat all the details offered by press and media regarding the D-Day landings commemorated today.  A mass of detail come of it accurate, has been printed: also many individual stories of the few remaining men who served on the beaches, in the air above, or on the sea beside.  

Over 100,000 men sailed over a very bumpy Channel, Royal Navy ships noisily bombarded the German defences, aircraft dropped bombs and harassed the defenders, while men left the landing craft to save the world from another 'Dark Age,'  

And indeed this they did.  

Allowing for 50 years of a 'Cold War' with the Soviet Union the peace they earned has lasted in Europe up until now.  80 after the end of one major war it is to be wondered at that no major war in Europe has once again returned.  Possibly this was because of the 'Third World' hosting the 'Hot War' between the two remaining great powers?  While Europe saw unprecedented wealth the rest suffered 50 or so million dead.  

However, peace there is, in spite of the small wars that have erupted since.  The elderly, sometimes quite fragile ex-servicemen who gathered on the beach today accomplished something extraordinary with their victory.  Only now do these men allow themselves some sort of congratulations.  Most men I knew, and like many others, I grew up amongst them, never saw themselves as the 'Greatest Nation,' it was just a case that they had no choice, "You just had to do it, you just had to get on with it and make the best of it." was the most common type of response.  "Avoid 'death or glory men' keep well away from them, and you may survive," has been said before.  While some understood the reason for war many had no deep comprehension, it was just a job that had to be done.  Of course flying a bomber, sailing in a battleship or driving a tank gave lots of joy to many young men, and the excitement, when you survived, made life back home quite dull.  Some sought medals and glory, not all survived, some just wanted to get home again.  Almost all found a comradeship not known at home.  

'Operation Neptune' got the men ashore, 'Operation Overlord' continued for many weeks at great cost, always pushing back a reluctant to leave and very competent defender.  Many weeks and months of war lay ahead after June 6th, more people died in the period leading up to the German surrender than in previous years, many of course civilians.  

We could take a very long lifetime to read the adventures of all who participated in this operation.  The preparation at a high level, the spying on the ground, the men and women who risked their lives to pass on information, the me who lie there still filling the neatly laid out war cemeteries.  Many stories would make you weep, others would allow you to laugh, and others let you ponder what might have been had this operation fail.

Churchill of course suggested many absurd alternatives to D-Day, this because he feared another Gallipoli and thousands of dead men on the beach.  Norway was one, even Portugal another!  The Chief of the Imperial General Staff understood his fears but somewhat roughly brought them to an end.  Soldiers expect casualties in a way politicians do not.  In the end casualty numbers were considerably less than expected, the beachhead was secured and victory inevitable.

There is a great deal more we could say about these men but regarding them as something above others, especially todays youth, is not one I would go for.  The young men today would react in similar fashion if required, the culture may have changed but the response, as we can see with the way young men defend the Ukraine against Russian attacks, would be the same.  

Let us however, remember those who served as themselves, let us avoid using them as an extension of English Nationalism as some do, let us see them as themselves, for most became dads and grandads and we ignored them most days until the November Armistice Services, let us remember them for themselves.

50th Northumbrian Div

Rambling on...

It's been that sort of a day.  I open my wallet and these creatures are found flying all across the room!  I wonder how long he has been in there?  Is it true I wondered looking at him, that a myth is a female moth?  I never know these things. 

Anyway, my baking is coming along nicely, until you have to eat the produce.  

Flat bread, made with brown multiseed flour.  I now have found how filling and unsuitable for public consumption this can be.  More have been made for the morning, unless they have gone mouldy, and later I may try some with common white bread.  All this to save me the walk up the road!  

I notice that recipies do not indicate how long it takes, and what an amount of work is required, to clean up afterwards.  Is there a reason for this?  I'll leave it all till tomorrow...

So the Scottish cricket victory over England was a washout.  Who expects rain in Barbados?  I watched some of the India v Ireland match but soon gave up.  Ireland may be improving but are yet far away from one of the world's top sides.  Note how interested I am getting in this kids game!  

I must get out more.

One reason I switched things off was the electric bill.  Once again they say the deal is running out and I must switch.  I perused the offers, selected the one I thought fit, and discovered the daily charge has risen from 35.93p to 50. something!  This when they say the cost is coming down!  The energy cost has indeed slightly, very slightly reduced, but the daily charge is a disgrace.  I am considering writing to Ofgen or whoever it is and demanding changes.  No point in writing to an uninterested MP as he has gone walkies.  

Chancers one and all.

Twitter is choc full of election tat.  And tat it is as there is little real debate or room for debate.  It is either us or them and all others can scram.  No-one is listening, many are pointing 'over there' and Nigel the chancer is seeking recompence.  

Hardly worth using it today.

Cricket & Nigel

 

Naturally, when Scotland play, let alone when they play England, 'rain stopped play!'  Stopped being the wrong word as it did not start at 3:30 as promised, the start waited for almost an hour before we got going.  Now it has stopped again for rain.  However, once they got going the Scots batsmen got going!  Tearing into the feeble English bowling and reached 60-0 by the time the rain came.  A good start but only a start.  Hopefully much more to come from this.  

One point that must be made is that this international World Cup game is being played in Barbados!

Barbados!  One of the sunniest places in the world and rain stops play!  Now if this happened in Raeburn Place, Edinburgh nobody would notice, indeed it would be expected, but Barbados!  Sun, sea and rained of cricket, it would not make a good tourist poster would it?   

In the meantime what do they do?  They talk about ENGLAND of course.  Run the clips from other natches and return to talking about ENGLAND again.  Are you surprised?  

 

The money making grifter has after all returned.  Having decided not to stand again as an MP, and having made clear he has better things to do that spend Friday nights in Clacton, he had decided to dump the prospective Reform candidate for Clacton and replace him with himself.  How very Nigel!  Having 53% of the Reform Party, it is more a company than a party, Richard Tice has only 33% and has been rudely shoved aside and Nigel has taken over.  Clearly the fear of being in the USA and following Donald into jail has spooked him.  Much better to hide in the House!  What chance has he got?  He has failed to be elected 7 times already, this is his best chance, but will he win?  We all hope he fails.  We shall see.

Weather & Biscuits

Something wrong here.  

This map, showing today's weather, appears to infer that we are covered in cloud down here in England while Scotland is bathed in sunshine.  Surely that canny be right?  It has certainly been a day of lightish cloud today, cloud not wishing to move on, but Scotland without cloud?  That's abnormal!

Across the very north it is cloud covered, as you would expect way up there  further north than Moscow.  Rain, hail, snow and storm you would take for granted, but almost clear everywhere?  This is a sign of global warming if nothing else is!

   

I decided to do the Spring Clean, you remember I began this about five years ago, before Covid!  This means moving things, hoovering, dusting etc, and dumping whatever lies beneath the layers of grime.

This began because of the workman fixing the floorboards that creaked a bit too much for the neighbours.  Moving things meant revealing smut that had grown over time, and once removed, the floorboards fixed, I was left with a desire for more.  

Last week I began with the record cabinet.  

The records, some good ones, most ex-library, Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, and various classical types, have not been used for at least a dozen years.  While I have an aged player it canny be connected to anything, not that I wish to play any, I don't want any good ones scratched now.  Things were moved, unused muscles put to use, and much satisfaction gained form the enterprise.  Next up I thought, will be under this desk.  Under there I may find dead cats, ancient coin horde or possibly a tenant or two who had disappeared, you never know.   However, though feeling the effects of actual work, something I have avoided religiously, I observed through my clammy window the front required weeding, and that bush had to be cut down to allow light into the ground floor apartment.  Hmmm, thought I, I'm in the mood, let's do it.  

A couple of hours later, having swung the axe, well those clipper things, vegetation was spread across the front.  I had chopped the bush, picked many weeds, cleared one third of the front and much of the middle when I realised I was dying.  My knees would not take any more, so I dumped one very full bag of greenery where it should not be dumped and retired to make coffee and stuff my face.

Since then I realised my mistake.

One job a week was the aim, not two.  One job and then allow the ageing bones to relax, but not me!  By Saturday I was not useful for anything, though I had to visit Sainsburys early.  Sunday came and I was all for sleeping, however, I was detailed to read 1 Samuel 3:1-10.  The call of Samuel.  So I went.  Sloth like I raced along the road, the sun shone, the weather was pleasant, the joggers and the cars all passed me by.  In church, all the young women asked for me as always.  

Yes they did!  

Tired and not thinking clearly, my mind floating throughout, at the close of the service while leaving I attempted to remove a Bumble Bee that had become trapped in the doorway.  A cloth was used to direct it towards the open door where I tried to shake it off.  The brute would not leave me!  So I stepped outside to place him on the uncut grass with wee flowers suitable for such beasties - and fell flat on my face.  My knees did not like this and as I struggled to rise one of the Nigerian young men lifted me up.  Good job he was there.  Two other men stood and watched, neither able to lift in their own aged poor physical condition, though Ian removed my wallet to 'make my task lighter' he said.  

I may get it back next week.  

How embarrassing!  Good job I got a lift home after that.  

Tee Hee, at least this puts me off cleaning this week, that will wait until next at the earliest.   So it is eat and sleep and watch the cricket I have been led into.  

In spite of it all, once I had eaten and slept that off, I realised there was no bread.  This means either a trip to the shop in the morning or bake biscuits.  I chose the latter.  Here are two, untasted, imitation oat biscuits.  These you will never see in the shops!  To the side are two 'Wartime Shortbread' biscuits, also not available in the shops, now or later.  However, in 45 minutes I have provided something to fill a gap and give me reasons to grumble again.  I ache all over again...back to watch Sri Lanka lose at cricket.

This Cricket Nonsense

Cricket, that strange English phenomena where a gang of men stand around almost motionless in a field while another tosses a ball in the air for yet another to hit with a stick!  What a waste of life!

That said, I have been watching the cricket on tv these nights.  This is not 'proper' cricket, just a kind of kids game cricket, keeping only the best bits and avoiding the long slog in the sunshine.  the bowlers helpfully toss the ball in such a way the batsmen cannot avoid knocking the ball out of the ground.  It appears to be an easy game to play.  And the crowds!  They get so excited don't they?  With the half term holidays it means loads of kids are in the grounds in the evenings and they do enjoy it.  Every '4' or '6' that flies away is greeted by excited cheers and a waving of pre-printed numbers.  On the whole the crowds I have seen in the games are quite well behaved, though kept separate I think.  This encourages women to come with the kids but it also encourages others to drink all night.  These women are easy to spot!   

In the evenings I usually watch football, and in the days without it I realised it was not the football I was watching all to often.  No, it was my mind, tired after a day requiring something easy to watch with little thought , and without football my mind would not unwind, there was nothing to ease it down.  

Now, T20 cricket takes its place, less cerebral but much more sunshine!  

Who got me onto this?  A woman! This of course, is not something I would be watching if I was in Scotland.  They play proper games there.  

I notice it is also available on YouTube.