Lights!

 

 

Ok, it's a bit blurred, but I was leaving the club late last night...  

The first Christmas lights of the season, in NOVEMBER!  What is the matter with people?  Good grief!  Just because sloppy drama adverts are appearing on TV to line the pockets of desperate shops we do not need to have Christmas lights in November!  OK, I have done almost all my shopping already, but really this is wrong!  I am of course not a fan of the Christmas season.

The Spam meeting was however most enjoyable.  Chat was good, fun was had, and all men contributed well.  This in spite of a barmaid who obeyed her own orders and slapped those who got out of line.  Some women do not know their place I say!

My ear still hurts...

 

Monday Moaning

Another day of joy and happiness.

I collected the new sealant from the ironmongers early today and have still not got the job done!  A new problem arose in the loo: this entailed pulling things up, cleaning and fiddling about which led to me putting the sealing off until later.  Then there was the emails to deal with, and the Covid Test run by some university that came through the door (old people get lots of these things) and that took longer to understand and pack than anything else.  

With that sent off I turned to the laptop.  I attempted to renew a Xmas gift subscription, it did not work, then it did, but at all times I was confused and slow.  Being Xmas I sought other gifts; after a while I gave up as they were hurting my eyes and all looking either the same or too expensive.  There was also a lot of 'tat' with high prices available.  The 'tat' I want has to be cheap.  

Oh yes, I did manage to buy something for myself...

After lunch, which has left the place stinking of fish, I failed to get motivated to seal the end of the bath.  I still have also to finish the new work there I notice, more to be done...tomorrow.

 

 

 

The great event began with Joe Biden arriving in Edinburgh and chugging his way 40 miles to Glasgow. This way he avoided all the private aircraft carrying those attending the gathering.  Boris, keen to appear 'Green,' has warned the 'end is nigh,' and 'something must be done,' all the while allowing a new coal mine to be dug, another oil field to begin and shit to spew out across England and Wales rivers and coasts.  Jolly good these men were not planning to swim here...

Will anything happen?  China and Russia are not sending their President, and this broken world will still be broken later, especially after the hundred million dollars promised the last time have not been paid to the small nations to aid their environmental work.

 

It's Poppy time again.  This means I will buy one, find it missing, buy another, wonder where it went, and find a third, which I will hang onto with both hands!   That's the usual situation.  

Also we now find the chancers getting aboard the money bus.  All sort of poppy merchandise will appear that does not offer cash to the Legion.  Goalkeepers gloves are available, covered in poppies, but I doubt the Legion thought that one up, nor will they benefit.  Some dubious items will pass on some cash, most will just line their pockets with poppy items that ought not to be seen in public.

 

 

Christmas Moon?

This morning I began Xmas shopping in earnest.  That is, I trudged up to Sainsburys for a few bits, glanced at the area where toys, fripperies, and books are kept, noted that Christmas stock is beginning to appear and that empty shelves near the toys are now filled with wine and shampoo. Sainsburys continue to pretend Brexit is not hindering supplies.

I then trudged round to Tesco.  There I glanced upstairs at their toys, etc and managed to avoid buying anything for myself.  I did however buy the first of the gift cards (Embaressed somewhat I bought Amazon cards as it is easier, even though they still only pay £4 an hour as far as I can see) and made my way home rejoicing that I can still walk.

Then, being brave, I took my knees, now aching, up to B&M and browsed their several aisles of toys and stuff, Christmas is here all year as far as I can see, and bought one or two small things used as 'Thank you's,' to various peoples.  No miniature whisky this year as yet, I suspect they are sitting in a lorry at the Scottish border.  No paperwork hold ups there, just the driver having a kip.

So, now I am browsing the list of what came last year, who has died on the card list, who can be dropped, and beginning to work out how much will be required.  (Note, none have been added bar NIck, the new great nephew.  I'm good at making friends.)

 

 

Ha!  You thought there would be no more moon shots!  Wrong!  After 30 minutes of struggle I managed to gather this one, though it required a bit off work on the laptop afterwards.  The moon does not appear to have changed any since last year, though it was higher in the sky, or could I have been lower on the ground?  It is all so confusing.  What is really confusing is having a clear sky, no clouds and the chance to picture the moon, so unusual!

 

Women's Work!

 

The brief glimpse of sunshine that entered via the grubby kitchen window today revealed the dust that not only swirled in the air as I walked but also lay in thick layers on various items of furniture.  This surprised me as I dusted, hoovered, swept and polished two weeks before christmas and cannot imagine how it became so dusty this quickly.

So, instead of doing useful things like reading and playing solitaire I splashed bleach across the bathroom, 'Brillo Padded' the sink, and much of the floor, rubbed, pushed, sweated and struggled until it was half clean.  The Loo floor, where much rubbish landed, can wait.

The dust was scraped from the unused TV and the various bits attached, much to the spiders dislike.  Dust circles around me still!  Tops dusted, here, there and everywhere, and only the hoovering to do to make the place look habitable.  However, as I have lost one piece from a new Jig-saw that my niece gave at Christmas, this comprised an old photogrpah she found turned into a jig-saw, I therefore cannot hoover until I get down on my hands and knees and search all the floor first.  This could take some time.  

Ironing, it can wait, though it does require dusting again...

Then it was the kitchen, the Hob was polished, the metal shelving inside the cooker was scrubbed with the wire thingy, and the cooker itself will be done soon, honestly.  

So, where are all the women helpers?

My back aches, my arms ache, everything else wabbles a bit, and there is still much to do.

Do you remember the 'Flash' advert in the late 50s?  Here a woman with a black and white tiled floor pushed a mop in a straight line across the floor.  A clear distinction was noted between the bit 'Flash' cleaned and the grubby floor around.  Many women fell for this, even if they did not have such floors.

Of course the stuff did not clean any better than what other cleaners offered, and today I saw this in action.  Another powerful cleaner that, if left for 15 minutes, will clean the grubbiest grime.  

No it will not!

They forget to remind you about the muscular effort required!

Even then it is not perfect.

These things are all the same, only the amount of detergent or soap bubbles varies, the results depend on your effort and the regularity of use.  

That however, explains the bath...

Sky News

Parliament Square is choc-a-bloc with Scottish fishing Lorries protesting about the death of their trade caused by Boris and his 'treaty.'  He has been on promising delights in 5 years time, money to support now, and once again lying in his teeth as another aspect of his work falls apart.  Still, the media will support him, Brexiteers will swallow this, especially those living in France and Spain!

 

 

On facebook, that source of knowledge not found anywhere else, I placed a picture of two books I wanted for Christmas. This was good as soon one of these books arrived, then another, and today a third copy of the same book!  How do you keep this from three people?

Three copies, and Mike Smith did not write any of them, sitting proudly on the shelf.  The book is good, I finished it quickly, and the photos were wonderful, however I do think families ought to communicate together better. 
Anyway, the other book is still missing...

 

Christmas

All this festivity began when a 14 year old lassie received a visit from Gabriel, the angel. Informed she would carry the Christ child she accepted this task but remained somewhat perturbed, as you would. Gods call is never easy, while he young husband accepted his part also neither expected to have to walk 30 miles to deliver the child in a cave used as a stable. A long walk but no way could these two afford a donkey, and anyway, he would have ridden it, not her.

Resting with the child the aroma of sheep from the shepherds who spoke of choirs of angels above must have increased their wonder as to what all this was about. Some time later the Magi arrived, a complete contrast to the shepherds who reflected the lowest in society. How many Magi arrived is unknown though three gifts were left. Three men sitting on camels pointing at a star while carrying a flask of coffee and a pack of sandwiches does not reflect the thousand mile journey from Babylon the men took to find the child. The star, possibly a conjunction of Saturn and another planet, was observed in Babylon and China in 7 BC and again in 5 BC and possibly this was the ‘star’ they saw. These men left precious gifts which was just as well as soon after they were walking again, this time to Egypt. King Herod, a sick man who found paranoia easy to excuse, bumped off all those children under two as soon as he could to ensure his Kingdom was safe.

He then promptly died in 4 BC, unmourned.

With Jesus return expected soon Jesus followers did not spend much time remembering his birth. Just looking to where he was working was more important. Informing the world of his death for their sins, his rising from the dead and the need to turn to him, and the day when we shall all stand before his throne was what was important.

It took many decades before people began to consider Matthew and Luke’s birth accounts of Jesus as worth celebrating. Who decided this first is unclear and many began to dispute the date in the 3^rd century. By 336 AD Christmas was being held on December 25^th, possibly because this was nine months after the ‘Annunciation,’ or perhaps because the Roman Solstice occurred on that date. In truth no-one actually knows the date when Jesus took human form but it was more likely to be between March and May rather than December. Anyway, the shops are busy at this time of year so who wishes to be giving birth then?

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is a cold, dreary place for many and the winter solstice, the day the nights begin to grow longer, is always welcomed with celebration. I suspect that way back in the days just after the last Ice Age some 10,000 years ago the peoples there knew exactly the date of the solstice and celebrated just as we would. ‘Christmas’ now takes that place for most.

In the British Isles the celebration became a 12 day event, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas,’ and for a people mostly living a hard life in poverty this was an excuse to party at a time when parties may well have been few. Food and drink began to be taken in great excess especially during the very cold 1500’s.

The Reformation however soon interrupted the enjoyment. The drunkenness, violence and excess led to much bother and the celebration was seen as ‘Papist superstition’ by the growing number of Puritans. Scotland eventually banned this ‘superstition’ in 1640, although under Charles II this was lifted for a time from 1680 until 1690 when it was reimposed. By 1712 the Act was lessened and Christmas once again became the centre of the English winter. None can explain however why the Charles Dickens type Victorian Christmas became so popular. Possibly in England people rejoice in Rickets, poverty and slums? None of these appear on the Victorian Christmas cards I notice. Scotland continued to celebrate New Year rather than Christmas well into the 20^th century. Indeed Christmas Day only became a holiday in 1958 and Boxing day only in 1974. Quite how the Church of Scotland did not notice the feasting and drinking at New Year is not explained.

For many years Christmas has been nothing but a sentimental, commercial exploitation! Christ, his birth, death and resurrection exchanged for an imaginary Santa Claus figure flying through the air on a sled pulled by reindeer, while plastic snowmen are found lit up all around, even in the middle East! I am not convinced it was meant to be like this?

Even the best churches fall for the ‘empty, vain, Christmas.’ Christmas trees, a pagan symbol, worshipped in central and eastern Europe are found in every church. Prince Albert started this and the camp followers of royalty soon decided they had to do the same. No-one questioned the purpose, no-one objected. So now glistening trees drop pine needles into peoples feet in churches everywhere while lights flicker and go out with annoying rapidity, while none question why there is a ‘Fairy’ on the top!

Is this what Christmas should be?

The good side is found where people get the family together again, often the only time bar funerals and weddings. All this is good, presents, food and drink consumed, games played, children excited, punches exchanged (the men are just as bad) and all cannot wait to do it again next year.

Christians remember Jesus came, and look to him coming again, proper churches of course do this every Sunday, and they renew their decision to follow him weekly, indeed daily as they ought.

No Santa required, Jesus presence and forgiveness is enough.

 

Somme, Christmas

 

 

18th November 1916 was the last official day of the 'Battle of the Somme.'  The battle cost around 400,000 casualties, that is, dead, wounded and missing, of the British Imperial Force and probably similar casualties on the German side.  

The choice of the Somme was not one agreed by General Haig, then Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, this was a choice forced upon him, as 'Loos' had been forced upon Sir John French the then Commander in 1915, by the London government wishing to submit to the French.  The 'Battle of Loos' was still being fought, officially or otherwise, in 1918!  The London government at all times sided with the French, ignoring their own officers advice and accepting whatever the French wanted.  This attitude cost more lives than bungling officers would.

The Somme was an area unsuitable for fighting, gently rolling hills, many wooded areas covering one another, and with an army of volunteers with almost no battle experience it was likely to be an interesting place to have a battle.  The end result saw an advance of a few miles, but this advance, though costly, did break the back of the regular German army, and this effect lasted until the end of the war.  The result in November meant that the UK now had an experienced army, many lessons had been learned, tactics changed, commanders exchanged, and a victory won.  

While this battle raged Verdun was the scene of French losses equal to those on the Somme.  The German idea was to 'Bleed the French army dry' and instead it bled its own army at the same time.

In the East the Russian 'Brusilov Offensive' cost over 1,3 million casualties, at least.  In the East the war swung back and forth causing widespread destruction and little advantage for either side.  

1916 was not the year to choose to enlist in any army in Europe.

 

There is no escape, Xmas is upon us.  OK it may be 6 weeks or so away and we may be in November still but it is upon us now.  Sainsburys this morning had stacked the shelves with Christmas cake, mince pies, puddings and booze, lots of booze.  I evaded them all as I saw the prices!  I have been slowly stacking up for Brexit and now I must begin to store the Xmas stuff.  Not that this means much change for me, however it is now time to prepare.  This means cards and posted stuff must be ready, Covid has hindered Royal Mail and thousands of extra staff will not really cover the work as well as the regulars.  I always post cards on December 1st, this gets mine away well in time and reminds others to send me one.  Some do.  Charge Cards for gifts are different as so many shops have closed.  I noticed 'Peacocks' the cheap clothes store is closing, others have already gone, and charge cards are no use if the business is bust.  Looks like chocolate through the post this year, 'Cadburys' anyone? 

 

 

Lucky Me!

I hobbled down to the Sorting Office this morning to collect a packet that has waited there since January 6th.  My strained back would not let me go until today, it appears fine just now, and so off I went expectantly.
The small box was off the wrong shape to go through a letter box clearly, the weight was minimal, and the plastic around it weighed more than the goods inside.  The postage costs also outweighed the purchase price.
Inside I found a bag of Christmas Brussels Sprouts made from chocolate, that is Sugar, Palm Kernel oil, Dried whey (MILK), fat reduced Cocoa Powder, Emulsifier (SOYA Lecithin), Stabiliser (Sorbitan Tristearate), Vanilla Flavouring, as you would expect.
I feel the wait was worth while.
This gift comes from a lass I have known for years and years, I worked with her husband in 1975, probably before you were born, and they returned to Northern Ireland when it was a bit more peaceful where he died during an operation, he never recovered consciousness.  All very sad.  We had begun to exchange expensive gifts by that time, each Christmas I would send over two tea bags or a sachet of soup to receive by return of post a thin string of Christmas glitter or a broken pencil, they claimed it was OK when it left!  Such quality ought to be continued I say.  If only all my Christmas folk were that cheap!

BBC

In all this I missed the cricket while sipping tea all morning and had to make do with the 'Hits' as Sky calls it.  This was not pleasant as England were scoring lots of runs.  Most annoying especially after the arrogant way Boris ignored the Scottish MPs yesterday in the House.  His attitude merely increases Scots distaste for him and while this may be a 'Phoney War' period it will mount up and catch him unaware.  Boris now sits happily as PM surrounded by enemies all of whom carry a knife with which to use on his back as soon as the chance arrives.  Yes Mr Gove I do mean you.  Soon Boris will be watching more cricket with a new woman or two.

Monday Mumping

Forcing myself out to the Saturday market for an urgent visit to Tesco, what kind of a fool forgets bread the day before? I found myself caught in the rain.  Naturally after I got home the "Passing shower" as the man on the radio warned us from lasted until then.  Shortly after dripping my way home and seeking out the 'big coat' for winter blue sky appeared.  This did not improve my mood.  I met the postman on the way back, he also sought out the weather man early on, all postmen do, and was not happy with his forecast.  Usually I must say the BBC get this right but on occasion it goes wrong.  As indeed did the postman's opinion of the weatherman.   

With the sun dying in the afternoon I had to venture out again for those last minute presents.  The main items have been dealt with long ago and the small things for little people or the occasional gift these have taken much longer.  Eventually, thanks to 'Poundland' I managed to complete the job - or so I thought as when I began to scribble on here I remembered another!  I think I will go back to the old idea of falling out with people in late November which leads to reconciliation after the new year.  That way saves much spending!

This morning, after a Sunday off, watching three football matches and sitting around like a slob,  I woke feeling almost human again.  As I ventured through from the 'west wing' I began to list the few jobs requiring attention, the tidying up of the mess, the last card to post and paying in to the bank on Christmas cheque received.   Note that, paying in!
As I considered the options in the dark, dank room I stepped on my glasses that somehow found their way under my feet.  Now irreparable I had to add 'Specsavers' to my day.  This has been coming for several months now and I kept putting it off as I hate such things as eye tests.  These are never satisfactory, something is always not quite right, and it is always my fault.  However this was now out of my hands.
So I posted the last Xmas card, I bet there is another tomorrow, I paid the cheque in via a machine at the bank, well on the second attempt with the teller girls giving me that look, and wandered around to a nice young blonde in Specsavers who treated me as she does her granddad and booked me in for Wednesday.  
To get their I had to wear the 'other pair.'  These are the tinted glasses I got for the hot summer days which fill the middle months of the year.  I never needed these while in Edinburgh!  So, in spite of fearing I would look too 'cool' for this town I wore them under the grey skies above.  Nobody noticed, except when I fell off pavements.  
I must say it is good to feel almost human again.
Almost.

What is he up to?
Boris has given his friend Dominic Cummings the right to change the way the Civil Service operates.  Hmmm.  Dominic has long wished to fiddle with this and other aspects of the nation, the monarchy, the constitution and so on.  Also how parliament works.  Hmmm this could be interesting.  Rumours abound, none of them healthy, and we approach a situation under Boris such as we have not seen for a long time, if ever.   The voters who wished for an end to EU rule, control of fishing, better farming, sovereignty and no more black people coming into the nation are about to get a shock, not just from the bills they will pay under the new NHS!

 

Xmas.

'Tis the season to be jolly!'

'Christmas comes but once a year

 and when it does it brings good cheer!'

There can be no doubt these words were written by a madman!  
Today is the first Monday of December, most of my Christmas cards have been posted, most will have arrived by today.  This not only avoids the Christmas rush it reminds those at the other end to send me one also!  As they collect their post guilt and panic will begin to arise and then the consideration of cash while a rushed list of names is scrawled somewhere.  A list that will be amended when the forgotten are remembered later.  

I reckon I require one or two small gifts for young kids of my acquaintance, nothing expensive as they will already have too much, just tokens, and possibly one for an adult and some things for my sisters parcel, full of junk usually.  Most disappointed with the charity shops this year, nothing suitable was found at the weekend.  I may have to visit those in town before finishing my Xmas shop.

I hope you have started yours...

  Al Jazeera

There is little positive to have come from the Terrorist attack of Friday bar removing the election from the front and indeed middle pages of the media.  A lone attacker, influenced by a minority reading of Islam kills two people working in rehabilitating those caught up in crime and terrorism.  Some degree of irony in there.  

Sentenced to 16 years, but allowed out in 8, and freed early on licence because he was not considered a threat has allowed the politicians to spend much time blaming one another rather than finding a mere secure way of dealing with such persons.  

Personally I would suggest let him serve his sentence, that however might be too radical for some.  Cutting his sentence half way through could be dropped, but some would object.  Not letting him out on licence early might also be an approach but again that makes me sound like a 'Daily mail' reader, and that would never do.  Still had such a situation been followed two useful people would still be alive and being useful with several others no longer wasting time in hospital and missing useful work.  

To suggest spending more on the constabulary, prisons, probation service and anti-terrorist work might be seen as expensive.  This is true, however the cost to society and individuals with such incidents occurring might be greater, but not however recorded in government fiddled statistics.  Had this been the case we might have better prisons, less re-offending, more rehabilitation and less terrorists walking the streets.  Just saying like...

'Tis the Season to be Jolly...?'

No it isn't, not yet, but the attitudes of the people in town today represented the Christmas cheer we meet annually.  Women blocking the way with buggy's, women walking into you in shops, miserable faces all around, cheerless shop staff cheerlessly dealing with the cheerless customers who cheerlessly obtain needless cheerless goods for others to break or wonder how to hide.  In short the Christmas season has started already.  All I needed to find was a drink sodden Santa Claus to make my day!

The day was indeed 'Dreich!'  Gray, rain sprinkled clouds from the south east hurried across the sky, blowing the remaining leaves around the streets and chilling those forced to walk therein.  Indeed the only bright lights came from the ambulance helicopter which landed in the park opposite to collect someone and rush them onwards to hospital.  
Umbrellas early on, removed by the 'breeze,' as the weatherman calls it, sprinkling rain afterwards and many a coat turned up and yet, as I wandered out of B&M after a fruitless search for children's cheap gifts I passed a man and his son in t-shirts.  Macho men who walked fro the covered car park to the shop showing us their strength.  Ponces!  

 
Boris has been on the hustings again, or rather has not been.  He was to attend a debate in his own Uxbridge constituency on December 5th or 6th, date not sure as yet, but has not responded to the call to attend.  This is the normal local debate at any election and he knows he ought to be there.  Possibly he cannot cope with an outraged audience, such as the one facing Dominic Raab at his local meeting in Esher.  He was 'booed' and catcalled and did not have an easy time.  Boris is not good at handling such scenario's.  Maybe he will just run away?  If he does they will just put an empty chair there and ask questions anyway, the chair might know more.
Of course it may be a ploy?  Maybe he hopes to be deselected by the election.  Possibly he hopes the electors will choose another candidate and dump him.  That would save him losing face with his financial backers and avoid having to deal with the Brexit farce.  We shall see.

Now I discover, this shows how little I have looked at news today, that a 'Question Time' special is to be aired tonight with, it says, 'Leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson and Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party Boris Johnson facing topical questions from an audience.'  This will be the only real debate, depending that is who asks what questions!  I suspect myself, if she is allowed to speak, that  Nicolas will wipe the floor with them all, however I will expect the chairwoman Fiona Bruce to ensure she does not get a 'fair crack of the whip.'  I wish I could watch this....

Unfortunately, as always, this programme will clash with the Linlithgow Rose v Falkirk Scottish Cup Tie at the same time.  How inconsiderate and quite possibly racist is that?  I am convinced this is to stop Scots watching the debate.  I wonder if Boris will actually show, if he does not will they 'empty chair' him or cancel the programme?   
It appears each leader will be given 30 minutes, they will take questions from the audience (how are they selected I ask?) one after the other.  Then I suspect they start breaking bottles over one another's heads and screaming blue murder.  It may not be nice but will suit the TV audience well...

The dreich weather along with my dreich walk about town, caused by missing the Free Bus, meant no photos were possible in the mirk.  So, instead we see a lot of old birds who hang around here, or did in times past.

Christmas Lights, Rain and Moaning!

In several streets locals have paraded their infatuation with large electric bills by hanging millions of coloured lights over the front of their houses.  Some people think this sweet, puritanical types,e.g. me, think what a waste of time and money.  While decorations and twinkling lights do brighten the dingiest of streets none of the streets involved are in need of such brightening.  If I dare to ask what plastic snowmen or even more plastic trees have to do with Christmas I get funny looks and/or blank stares.  Worse still are those desperate to be the first to erect hundreds of such idol worshipping lights and also the ones with the greatest electric bills.  These happen to be the usual 'Daily Express' reading little englanders who sped their time worrying about immigrants living off the country.  
Wandering around the other night I passed this lamppost with the towns lights twinkling upon it, to me it looked somewhat cheap and nasty, which it is as there is little money to spend in the towns Christmas fund and cheap lights satisfy or you do without. 

As you can see I am full of the Christmas spirit!  This is partly because I have just eaten a rotten cheap dinner and exhausted my weary bulk by looking out for one decent Christmas card for someone forgotten, spending £13 on cards and still not being sure if this one will do, it will have to now!  At least I have several good cheap ones for next year.  
The idea of imposing the nativity on the mid winter festival may have appeared clever at the time but there was no St Nicolas stories then and the commercial pap that surrounds us alongside all this Santa nonsense, snowmen and plastic trees does little to convey the real story.  Arguing with people on forums reveals how little people, even those in their 40's, understand of the Christmas story.  The populace is not only unchurched it is ignorant of what churches do, except maybe marry or bury people.  This makes discussion difficult when you have to explain as you go along basic things people once took for granted.  The mind set has changed and not for the better.  
Living in a world of rain does not help the mood either.
Much better here than in the west of course, but farmers and ducks are apparently happy with things as they are and would like it to continue well past the Brexit debacle.  I would be pleased if my shoes hold out and water does not come through them again.

Nov 30th

 

Being St Andrew's Day I expected to be woken for a breakfast of 'Neeps & Tatties' with whisky following.  Instead I found myself at work covering the two wimmin who ought to be there on Friday.  One has a husband and his wealth has enabled them to obtain a property of some sort in Portugal where they oft flee to when the mood is upon them, and that mood arises often it appears to me.  Off she went taken the other with her leaving me to suffer the burden of a Friday morning at work.

At least two women came in to browse, one came in to buy, a local collection who care for those not quite with it came in for an hour and the postman and one delivery arrived.  I found the pace telling!

At least with the new system now I can get on the computer and was given the task of searching for Victorian Christmas Crackers.  These as you know were begun when a chap who's name I forget noticed a French sweet wrapped in paper called a 'Bon-Bon.'  From this he decided wrapping things that way was a good idea and later he after watching the spark from the fire he added the 'bang' that enlivens many a Christmas party.  He added jokes later and it appears we are still using the same ones today!

This meant little time for St Andrew, however as he is also a saint in Romania, Russia and elsewhere it matters not as he will have lots to do over there tonight.  It is claimed he reached Scotland when a monk landed in St Andrews, conveniently, announcing he had Andrews bones in his bag.  This made them all wealthy religious and the town prospers today, mostly from students filling the pubs and foreign types using the golf course which Andrew never used I expect.

At least I had 'Neeps & Tatties tonight although the mince was not the same as a Haggis would have been.

Tomorrow rain will drench us again after today's bright blue sky and the cheery weatherman has informed us that is also the first day of the meteorological winter, so we can all rejoice about that!  I will sort the cards out, that is add stamps to them as they are all ready for posting, fix one or two small parcels for posting on Monday and inform the world my Xmas has been dealt with.  

That usually puts a smile on peoples faces.  

The LIghts are Coming On.

The needs of commerce are many what with the Brexit confusion ahead and online shopping hurting the bare High Streets any excuse to make money is required.  Tonight as dusk was well under way I slogged up the road in a vain attempt to capture light, cheer and photographs.
I got crowds and darkness.

While the world continued on its pleasant way the crowds were gathering in front of the stage where the local radio station ran what it called 'entertainment.'  The local radio station is not Radio 3 I need not add.

The throng were riddled with those in Santa hats while Santa himself, hiding behind the main stage, spoke to his helpers giving instructions on how the young girls in thin costumes ought to behave during the act.  A shot of the 'English Whisky,' wisely on sale under another name, would have been beneficial for he girls, even if none of them had yet reached secondary school, they looked that cold. 

I have no idea how these sticks work but vast numbers of kids were carrying them around and the salesmen were making a good profit from them.  I suspect the many variety of food stalls were also making a good profit as they were crammed most of the day I heard one tell his mate.  These have been coming for a while now and clearly know how to get cash from poor people.  They got none from me when I saw their prices...

  
I thought at first this armour had someone inside but it appears it is just standing there advertising.
Standing there was what many folk were doing thus making progress through the concourse difficult.  I have seen better behaved football crowds but they were not full of women with pushchairs! 

 
What are they?  I have absolutely no idea but there were lots of them around.

One thing I used to enjoy when a kid was riding on these roundabouts.  The nature of the vehicles aboard fascinated me than and does still now.  I never noticed the price but I fancy it wasn't 6d like it used to be.

On the way home I passed the catholic church which for reasons of its own has services on Saturday night, possibly to keep the priests out of the pubs I suspect.  They finish in time for 'Match of the Day.'  I love the window but it is only at night when the building is in use that we see just how good it is.  Built in the 30's I think.
I suppose the Christmas lights have come on now...

Caesaromagus

As part of the Christmas shop I joined the happy throng in Caesaromagus this lunchtime.  I had intended to go to the wee town of Great Dunmow and search the Oxfam shop there, rich town rich pickings, but the bus for Caesaromagus came in and I hopped on.  I was going to go there on Monday anyway as Waterstone's Bookshop was my aim.  
So sitting in the sun drenched, not quite zimmer, bus we toddled along through the Essex countryside, green and pleasant, with a mass of greenery to be seen all around from the top deck.  How lovely to get out of town and see distant woods and fields resting for the winter, some of course were still producing green things of various shapes and other the green that comes form having been harvested and prepared for the next round of farming.
The city was crowded, the stalls in the centre joined by a Frank Sinatra imitator sitting on a pedestal accompanied by his big band produced by a tape deck and a loud speaker, not too shabby was he.  At the far end a chap was playing a steel drum kit extremely well also and I wondered if they had licensed the music offerings in the town centre, there were no Bob Dylan clones to be seen.
One or two of what we now must call 'homeless' were to be seen, one sat Muslim prayer style before his empty coffee cup, another had laid out lots of kids toys for sale, though where he got them from is unknown.  
It was almost a summer like scene the day very warm and winter still only threatened for later in the week.  I worked my way through the disappearing number of charity shops and trudged all the way to the far end of the centre to find a one time cheap charity shop now charged huge prices for old goods.  We have become used to some doing that but it is a sad day when they all turn out this way.

The Waterstone's staff were as efficient and cheery as always happily letting me buy three grossly expensive book vouchers while smiling all the time.  I bet she is on a bonus!  The staff were helpful and I found the other day when shopping that was the case in many places in town so I did something about it.  On the local facebook page I put up a post suggesting folks spoke f the good service in various shops and many people jumped in to do just that.  Far too many spend their time miserable and moaning about things but here there was a good response to those who gave good service.  Grasping my vouchers, neatly placed in small envelopes for me along with the myriads of paper bits I made my way through the town.
I had been looking for the charity shops for items relating to our Tuesday show day where we have to dress up.  This appears easy for the women as they have an abundance of offerings at home,  I however as a mere man have to work at this.  One item only I bought, a maroon bow tie, on a stretchy cord, for £2:99 was a bargain from the Caesaromagus Oxfam shop, a place with more bargains than their expensive Bookshop round the corner!  Again the service was pleasant.
Having done all I could I ventured into the cathedral where the bell ringers were giving it laldy high above.  Either they were practising or they were drunk on communion wine, I was not sure which but the sound was continuous for a very long time.  Amazingly the place was deserted, in the middle, possibly to drown out the noise from the bells, a lass was heaving a hoover across the huge empty floor while a man began carrying chairs ready for the next day.  It looked tiring work so I made my way out again.

My last task in the ever warming day was another trip through the indoor market.  On the way there I passed the Essex County Council building which features one block that was built between 1919 and 1939.  Interestingly just above the doorway we find these swastika features.  Part of the decoration that runs around the building.  It was queried a couple of years ago why these were created at that time, Hitler having come to power in 1933, yet no answer has been forthcoming.  It may be a coincidence, possibly a mason had a Moseley like tendency but we may never know.  Nothing has been done about removing them and so far no-one else has complained.  Boris probably admires them...
In the market I collected my chicken bits from the butcher, his vegetarian sausages (he says they contain meat) and then I bought three huge chunks of cheese as I was tempted by the sight of so much on offer.  The nurse did say that time I miss drop cheese but really she is trying to kill me, I must have cheese or I die!  So I bought some including some black 'carob' filled cheese.  The woman said no-one had died from eating it, yet if they had would she know...?

On my way to the bus early this morning I met a lady saying "Excuse me."  Normally I would answer but I know this woman.  Sadly she is mentally ill and once before stopped to ask for 'a penny.'  It took a moment to realise all was not well.  Recently the facebook page has had a long tale of her knocking on doors late at night asking directions or for money.  This has worried some women who were alone at the time.  It worried one mum who discovered she offered to 'toss off her 15 year old  son for £5' an offer we are sadly not able to conform or deny nor to know whether he accepted the offer or not. A later post claimed she wanted £15, a 15 would find it cheaper elsewhere.  Today I made use of a passing mum with pushchair to avoid answering this oriental lady and hastened towards the bus ashamed both of my cowardice and inability to know what to say or do for her.  She is known to the police, probably has some sort of care somewhere but this leaves me guilty about doing nothing and having no idea how to handle the situation.
Helpfully have spent all my money and was seated on top of the bus for the return journey my steaming debit card smouldering in my pocket only one other passenger came upstairs. He sat on the other front seat and proceeded to talk to himself all the way home.  He also had clear problems, possibly from birth but somehow I suspected brain damage from an accident, and I thought it might be a sign of some sort.  I was very wary when once home and piling my new debts on the desk I opened my e-mail very carefully indeed.  You never know what some loon might send me...
Christmas shop almost done...