Banned and Redeemed in Gardens

I'm peeved.

The 'Online Mail' has banned me and not even told me I was banned!

I feel rejected.

Of course I was only on there to wind up the 'wide eyed loons' who abound on the site, helpfully indicating the falseness of the DMs scribbles.  However, this appears to have been unwelcome.  I know not why, others agreed with me, maybe they have been banned also?   This of course is very much the Tory way these days.  Dictators push one line of thought and ban all others.  In the UK only the far-right are allowed to speak, just watch BBCs 'Question Time,' and see dictator led debate for example.  Only one line of thought is allowed.  Those who question this are browbeaten and not invited back.  

Now, with so much more time on my hands I must make the most of it in a positive manner.  Maybe I will spend more time of 'Twitter,' now of course known by some as 'X.'  But he has stopped Firefox from using Twitter as that browser blocks his data stealing, others do not.  So it means much less time there.

Dearie me, I am going to have a lot of time to myself now...

Well, hold on a minute!  

I have just been for a short 40 minute walk that used to take 10 minutes, round the gardens and when I return the situation has changed.  I can once again post on DM, possibly it was a 'blip.

Blips online are not easy to deal with.  At Sainsburys this morning the lassie was struggling to get onto her phone.  It seems that the staff must do everything by phone these days, holidays etc, and logging in does not work!  

Firefox would not let me log into Twitter this morning, this was a problem.  It worked elsewhere, Edge and Chrome, but adverts appeared as the adblocker was not working there.  Most annoying.  However, later, that also appears to have ended.  Others tell me Musk has been playing around with Twitter, changing servers and fiddling with things, so this may play a part.  However, he is a rogue so we do not know what he will do tomorrow.

The sun was quite hot, the flowers were opening everywhere, and the Bees were filling this bush and having a jolly old time there.  Of course, where I pressed the button they moved inside the flower!  The rear end appears to be their best side as it was offered most of the time.  

These blue things are ripening in time for the birds to enjoy.  I expect soon they will be covered in feathered friends chomping away.  I did not try them myself...

Long Weekend

It is the time of the year when the yellow flowers begin to announce themselves.  This brings joy to the bees and other beasties that will flock to them once they emerge from their cocoons.  These ones were improving a small grass area at the side of the pavement by reflecting the amazingly strong sun this morning.  As the white blossums begin to fade the yellow flowers appear alongside many other colourful wee buds.  This makes everyone much happier and the scowls around us hide an enjoyment we all share.

Naturally, this being the May Bank Holiday, the weather has already turned and cloud is covering us now.  Monday will feature rain and sunshine with occasional lighting bolts.  Just what you want on a Holiday Monday. 

In spite of the sun I managed to make communion this morning.  How nice to meet friends, share grumbles, be ridiculed and get a lift home.  I was somewhat tired, this became obvious as I found myself heading for slumber when the vicar was preaching.  I think we need to offer coffee before the service, not afterwards.  

For reasons unknown the press has ignored the results of the local elections for the most part.  No paper led with it, the tabloids ignored it, and the Tory owners remained in a huff in their non-dom status overseas.  I suspect communication between them and Keir will be on the rise, that the media will become stuffed full of lies, as already happens in Scotland, and Rishi may well be forced by the nazi part of his party to rush into an election.  Maybe this will do us all a favour and rid us of the Suella's of this world?

 

A Walk in the Public Gardens

I was very gallus today, I ventured across to the Public Gardens, a place I have not seen for a while.  Once I was here early every morning, before the kiddies arrive. It may be I have not entered this place since cold November. 

Once, this formed part of the garden on the Courtauld family.  Then, as was their family way, they donated this half to the townspeople.  Later, the house and the rest of the gardens became the High School.  Public gardens were a very Victorian pleasure at the time.  This explains the excellent layout, the huge Cedar trees, two in number, which dominate the green space, and the wide variety of trees and shrubs that were planted way back then.  

What had been the gardeners cottage, built in the usual Courtauld 'Arts & Crafts' style, red brick with blue designs throughout, is now used as a coffee shop, partly to make money for the gardens, partly for old people to meet.  

I avoided this.

The sky was blue, the east wind chilly, and few people were around.  Even the kiddie play area was empty, though one or two passed by.  Some healthy people even played amateurish tennis for some reason.  That is, hitting the ball from one side to the other and going outside the large mesh fence to collect the balls gathering over there.

Under the towering Cedar we find this stone with added brass plate attached.  The gardener might have been good at his job, however, he failed to indicate that planting such a tree under the Cedar meant it would not get as much light as required, hence the Oak does not reach as high as it may.  It still lives mind, and is well taken care off.  I wonder what happened to the old clerk?

The auto-focus on my pretend Leica kept annoying me.  No matter which setting I chose it would wait until I was ready then blur the picture.  I love technology!  Almost by accident I found this wee flower in focus beside me.  No idea what they are called, there is a sign somewhere but I could not be bothered looking, but I am once again in wonderment at such fragrant 'Lilies of the Valley,' here today and gone tomorrow, yet designed so well, so colourful, and so attractive.  In a short time the gardens will be full of such things. 

Of course I passed the war memorial.  The wee crosses are lined up well.  I knew one name, found I think two others, the other one may be a civilian 'killed by enemy action' elsewhere.  In spite of everything people still remember correctly.  

 

A very blurred picture of a 'Dunnock.'  This, along with a young 'un and a Wren with tail in the air, were feeding ahead of me.  These would not wait while I focused so snapshot at distance it was.  Being close to midday most birds were elsewhere today, and I will not be there early when they come down for breakfast.  

In Victorian fashion the Courtauld's were not afraid to leave signs indicating what they had done for the town.  Indeed, this family gave schools, churches, doctors, houses and even a Hospital to the town.  There has been many similar donations to the other towns where they established Mills.  All this has been much appreciated.

There is zero chance of any Conservative Cabinet Millionaire doing similar today.

Cutting down an old tree and leaving it in an ordered disordered fashion has produced results.  This area allows wildlife, some far too small to be seen, to thrive.  I did not seek them out.  

The Daffs may be out but the stark branches show that we are not yet fully into Spring.  This means my Spring Cleaning may be left awhile, again...

Sunny Sunday

I remained indoors this morning, sleep was fitful during the night and I did not fancy the walk.  The possible lift did not call so I remained eating and fiddling about instead of Kirk.  Naturally, with the sun at the zenith, around 12:30, I walked out across the park, round the gardens, and back down past the town centre.  Not that far, about 45 mins or so, but in the bright sunshine.   

My thermometer reads just under 80F, and tomorrow it may get worse.  Maybe I ought to have bought that overlarge hat yesterday anyway?  Nothing much appears to be happening.  Things are quiet as people sit in the sun, or hide from it, Twitter is full of Tory lies and bull, nothing in the press about Boris having a wedding party at Chequers on the taxpayer, thus indicating all the press men were there.  He has not gone, and he cannot be trusted!  He is up to something.

So, a feeble football match to fill the afternoon.  I would have been better asleep, catching up on what I missed last night.  Waking up every hour yet unable to return to sleep!  

Nothing new is on the horizon today.  The sun is keeping folks busy.  Boris's party has given them hangovers.  Tomorrow it all starts again...

Saturday Trials

Saturday, a time to take it easy...

Contents Insurance time.  I have found the Post Office one is cheap, so I got that.  'Admiral,' wished to renew last years, which is dearer.  I decided not to renew.

So yesterday I tried to log in to the website.  

Nothing happened, I was not recognised.

Yet the renewal form came through OK?

This means calling them, which is always a challenge with such folk.

I called, "Sorry, all our operators are busy, there could be a long wait."

I hung up.

I tried later, same story.

This morning, being keen, as if, I tried again, and again, and again, and again.

I tried the website again, played around but got nowhere.

One page offered one of those remote digital answering people.

I asked my question.

"I do not understand your question, do you mean one of these choices?"

I chose.

"Please phone to one of our operators."

Above this beast was a sign saying 'Please don't call unless you need to....'

I went on to Twitter and ranted.

A couple of hours later I took a walk.

I returned, worn out, gasping, and felt it right to call again.

This time the voice said, "Thank you for calling etc...many of our colleagues are working from home, so the sound may be somewhat distorted."  
The voice, always a woman you note, told me a colleague would be with me in a minute.  

A minute!

Music played, not 'Greensleeves,' but something soothing.

An advert for Motor insurance from what I think was a different voice came on.

Music.

This minute is not the 60 second minute developed around 5000 BC by the Sumerians I thought.  This minute is one of those beloved by bus companies and train operators that promise action in 60 seconds but take at least three times that time.

The motor advert again.

Music.

The 'Your call is important to us,' (because we want your cash) comment came on.

Music.

Eventually the number rang.

An American accent (that's what I call working from home!) from a friendly young lady.

I explained, she tried to fend me off onto other insurances, I pleaded poverty, she relented, and ended the renewal.  

Call ended.  All over.  Another long time stress comes to an end.  

I am not sure what is more tiring, walking or calling a service centre? 

Now a couple of more favourable calls to make, sadly emails will not do on this.  My phone bill will be higher than the gas at this rate!  Bah!

Oh, and after all this Admiral responded on Twitter!

Brexit and Gay Brownshirts

The Brexit dividend is with us, says the man from the Bank of England, £444 million a week it is costing the UK!  Money just trundles away from us, and leaves many asking "Where is the £350 million a week saved for the NHS?"  No answer is the reply.

One Tory MP claims people can make a meal for 30 pence, another says if you want more money work more hours, or get a second job.  She herself is on £84,000 plus £200,000 expenses, and whatever 'other job' she has.  Today Labour demanded a 'windfall tax' on energy companies, Boris muttered something and ignored the question.  No change there.  Someone asked me "Is this the worst government you can remember?"  "Yes!" is the reply.  All those bad governments, including Thatcher, were better than this. At least Thatcher would not leave the EU just to keep her job.

More 'Stonewall' love abounding I note.  An 18 year old at a private school questioned the 'Trans' ideology being pushed by the school.  She was hounded out by other girls, the teachers doing nothing but claiming she was upsetting the majority.  This school has many visits from Stonewall.  

Police, Fire and their leaders met at a conference this week to encourage integration of gays and trans.

They said nothing about integrating victims of crime, foreigners, elderly or disabled, but only the Stonewall favourites.  I wonder why?

Why are such people involved in events like this?  Do they not deal with individuals as individuals?  Or do the police and fire require special preparation for their job?  Saying this I have just noticed a special 50p coin has been produced for gays!  Why?  

There is also a row as some African players, Muslim or Christian, will not wear shirts dedicated to gays.  Some object to this stand, especially as one player in Blackpool has announced he is gay.  For some reason this makes him a hero.  Fail to develop normally and be praised.  What a strange world.

Opposition to those who disagree with the gay life is growing throughout the nation.  It has become accepted that being trans or gay is normal, when it clearly is not.  Those who claim such people are being their 'true selves' are wrong.  This is a broken person, like the rest of us, and only Jesus can heal and make us whole.  Encouraging people to live a false life destroys them, and society.  Browbeating opponents will never work, gay Brownshirts will come to a bad end soon.

       

Grumbling...

 

Saturday afternoons are baneful.  Last season I could enjoy watching the Heart of Midlothian via PPV TV, but not now.  UEFA ban Scottish football being shown this way in England, why?  Who wishes to watch meaningless English games?  Overpaid, over publicised, over important, they are not worth the huge wages on offer.  Anyway, I want to see my team!  If I was in Scotland or Ireland I could see it, but not in England, why?  This is a disgrace!

This means while football is on I see nothing.  No games from anywhere in the world.  Not even Japan!  Tsk!  

Now, with a full game being shown later, at 6 pm, on BBC ALBA, I cannot even look at Twitter in case the score of that game, St Johnstone v Livingston, is revealed.  This is all very annoying, especially as we saw all the games last season. Bah!

 

Nothing happening today.  News is quiet being the weekend with only the death of Amess yesterday filling space.  Even Boris gave up his holiday for that, this did surprise me.  The leaders laid flowers today in ceremony.  I would not lay flowers, this appears to me to be a catholic thing, certainly an English thing which now has spread into Scotland.  People lay flowers and tributes to a dead person, usually one they do not know, often one who they may dislike in real life!  I can understand the emotions of the moment but laying such tributes is not my way.  Of course with Diana this became nonsensical, the nation ran out of flowers and a huge pile 20 feet high rotted away in Kensington Gardens.  A nation without God seeks something to follow, even something as shallow as Diana.

I suspect Monday will see statements in the House and tributes brought.  I hope Boris and the rest behave themselves.  I doubt however, that this will bring an increase in cash for Police, though better protection for MPs might be found.

 

 

Sunday Blether

The Bees and the beasties have been making the most of the times.  The gardens are full of bright coloured flowers inviting them to feed and investigate.  They are also full of midge like flies and kids, I am not sure which is worse.  

 

 

In between the thunder, lightning and rain we see blue sky around here.  Up north they are melting in the heat, fires are seen in woodland areas, not helped by idiot campers and their fires, and firemen are busy everywhere.  

London meanwhile is again flooded, the thunder round here was the edge of the storm, we were lucky.  In the south east heavy rain filled rivers and streams, underground passages flooded, as indeed did railway stations and the Underground.  The heavy rain we saw passed away quickly enough.

 

Climate change is real, whatever people say, and worldwide we are facing heat, rain and conditions which we are unable to control.  Russia suffers forest fires and soaring heat, Germany endure heavy rain and floods, all unusual for the time.  Whatever the cause it is time we opened our eyes to the problem, but as usual money talks.

Heading home as rain began to fall these three RAF aircraft flew over in formation.  I think these are 'Chipmunk' aircraft, they used to be the first line in RAF training but things may have changed.  It is also possible these are overflying some event (can you under fly an event?) and may no longer be official RAF planes.  Nice to see however, though I noticed the passing women gave no thought to the craft above, tsk!

 

 

I have had problems with the Blogs.  Some of the War Memorials cannot be found, though I can reach them.  Google tells me this is a problem they can fix.  However, as it involved the mobile phone this meant I had to reset the thing.  This has been having problems recently, I lost all my numbers, and other things fell apart, so a reset was required.  Naturally, since getting the phone they have altered everything and it took ages to work out what I was doing, much still has to be done.  Tomorrow I need to investigate the 'robots' problem, whatever that is, which needs fixing also.  This would be easy if I knew what they were talking about!  I am in an area of which I know nothing.  With my technical ability I could lose everything, especially my mind, by nightfall.  

Not Quite as Dreich a Day

 

The sky has been gray all day.  However, exercise was taken, twice!  This entailed walking around town and across the park and home again.  Later in the day I vetured out in similar fashion and now wish to sleep for 14 hours.

 

 

I wandered through the Public Gardens, having noticed these Bees outside the Congregational Church enjoying the flowers.  There were quite a few Bees crawling on the pavement looking the worse for wear also.  Possibly the weather, possibly they are reaching their end.  Lying so small on the pavement will not help them.

 

The gardeners, all volunteers, were being ordered about by the female sergeant major as I passed.  Interesting how I see no Butterfly's these days.

 

I mentioned to one that I had not seen this type of Poppy before.  There were many around, tall and colourful in the gray air.  It is a pity there was no sun as these would look very good in sunshine.   The sergeant interrupted and the woman, like the rest, all retired folks I suspect, hastened back to work.

 

Since the actual gardener retired some years ago a company has been employed a couple of days a week to tend the gardens.  I am not sure who opens and shuts them on other days.  However, whoever is responsible has done a great job in continuing the varied plants on show, colourful and always worth a look.  Especially when the mums have got the little brats out of the way.

 

At the War Memorial I noticed all the wreaths from last November had been cleared away.  What remained however, were the stones left by schoolchildren.  It appears to be the thing these days to paint stones for a variety of reasons, schools here encourage kids to do this for Remembrance Sunday. 

I think this a great idea, simple, enjoyable, and remains in the memory for the kids.  It is also cheaper than a wreath!

Now it is time for the football.  I am full of confidence, actually it is Haddock but that's another story...

 

Funny