Fog, Town, Djokoviv, Farage

 

A slight touch of fog this morning.  A slight touch that did not remove itself until around 4 pm, at which time the sun had already gone down behind the trees and people were considering what was for tea tonight.

 

I therefore stumbled up to the shop noticing how quiet the town was, though a million people were wandering about the shop itself while few appeared at the checkouts!  Maybe they got lost in the fog?

Anyway, I obtained my few needs, hobbled home down the remarkably quiet street, and continued dissipation for the rest of the day.  It's what Saturdays are for.

 

 

I did peruse the press hoping for excitement, none came.  Loud screaming headlines, all the right-wing press slanting things their way, some trying to avoid blaming Boris by blaming the BBC, the secretaries, the civil servants etc.  Others pointing the finger and bellowing 'His time is up!'  He however, remains.

I was rather hoping his apology to the queen which contained no apology would annoy her so much she would call him in and sack him, which is the one constitutional right she retains.  This however, is one she would not use lightly, I think Charles however, may encourage this.

 

Nigel Farage is upset.  The Australians have once again detained the tennis player Djokovic for his attitudes to vaccines and playing fast and loose with the virus.  Nigel is upset the Australians have made use of a policy regarding immigrants that he wishes to bring into the UK on Djokovic and says they must not use this draconian policy that he wishes to use on UK immigrants because it is dictatorial and inhuman.  Hmmm...   

I also read someone saw a YouTube advert featuring our Nigel claiming Brexit failed but this insurance company can help you.  I wonder if anyone else has seen this and I also wonder how much he is making from this?  Such a tart this man.

 

Up and Down the Stairs

 

I awoke to fog this morning, I suppose I ought to have shut the window last night, and faced the day bravely with my eyes closed.  Having had to turn away a visitor yesterday because the place was in a mess, I had no choice but to clean today.  After a sparse breakfast of cereal and instant cappuccino I began to fall asleep again.  However, the need for bread, and being Friday a busy day, forced me to Sainsburys early.  Now last week folks were wandering around maskless, almost the majority cared not about masks.  Today, after stern warnings from Billy (I'm not responsible and I was not at the party) Bunter, concerning the latest virus all were forced to wear masks. As I was packing the bag and about to pay the lass had the temerity to ask me to lift the mask higher, I drop it as it steams up my glasses, I pretended not to hear, cashed the card, and headed home.  Masked people were all around and shocked I was to see this as many were happy to be unmasked only yesterday!  Do people really think the virus has gone away?  Did they not read about the sick in the NHS?  Do they trust the main stream media?  What is wrong with people?

What is wrong with me was the need to clean the loo, the kitchen and hoover, let alone the other things that required doing, next week.  Fair wore me out and it is not yet Christmas.

This has been a tiring week.  Several times a day I have been up and down the stairs, postman, deliveries for me, deliveries for next door, recycling out and having to explain to a white van man where he ought to be (a hundred yards that way), more deliveries, and up and down stairs.  Even a dodgy fellow with a tray of goodies seling things door to door.  This has happened before and I am still unsure if it is a con or not.  It reminded me of the various Indians that once brought dusters and pipe cleaners round the doors, mum always bought something from them.  Some of those men became millionaires, others estabished good shops and businesses.  I wonder what this lad was up to and where he will end up?  

My goods were not gifts, they were memory sticks.  I realised mine were, er, overloaded, and swapped things around with the new ones, only to find I needed more and more!  Then after they arrived I needed a colour ink for the printer so Amazon was back again, different driver, just as lost, and now I am determined not to spend anything more until after Christmas.

Oh, look at the books on the WOB website...  

A Foggy Day in ...

The mist descended today to remind us it was January.  After a quick stroll to Tesco I ventured out into the dank climate to remind myself that I ought to have stayed indoors.

I spent time indoors where the warmth was preferred scanning in pictures for my niece.  This done I also added some old fotos that I will annoy you with later.  It is amazing how long it takes to search for and then scan a few photographs.  The ones you seek are in the last album you search through and the ones you remember as near perfect are as far from that as I myself am.  That is quite far...

Amongst the old photos was this one.  A mostly red brick building with a great deal of fancy brickwork indicating the wealth of the company that created this artistic façade of green, gold and silver tiles in 1903.  What was once a Gas & Electric engineers company is now a mere art gallery, the 'Woolff Gallery.'  At the time I took the picture, probably on my way home through the back streets rather than by bus as this was quicker in the evenings, the street contained many interesting buildings which I ignored.  These can be seen on Google maps however.  The business died a while back and the art gallery moved in and changed its name to T.J. Boulting, which makes sense.  Many buildings in London, and indeed elsewhere, carry adverts still that go back into the distant past and it requires the head craned upwards all the time to find them.  Not far from Oxford Street this area is called 'Fitrovia,' this includes the 'Fitzroy Bar' once frequented by Dylan Thomas.  One cartoon featured this bar with one of those Blue Plaques given to the famous this time situated under a table in the bar with "Dylan Thomas Lay Here" inscribed thereon.

Miles away from there but down the road from the Maida Vale Hospital where I spent many a happy hour and occasionally worked also stands Lords Cricket Ground the home of the MCC whoever they are.  Outside the ground stands proudly this mural created in 1934 featuring sportsmen of various talents, clearly not something seen by cricketers of recent years.  Not that those who played cricket in the past held to high standards either of course.  The noble sportsmen, portrayed as something you may expect to see on the Parthenon rather in St Johns Wood, speaks volumes for those who created this mural.   The sculptor was Gilbert Bayes.

All that sunshine in London and we wake up to this!  In spite of the mess that London offers there is a wealth of interesting streets to walk down, history, people, events, many of which I would avoid at the time can be imagined all around.  If only most of the population were out when I pass through.

Christingle Sunday

Christingle, whatever that is, occurred today.
This is one of those Anglican advent things that I have never seen before coming here.  
The symbolic side represents Christ as light and that explains the candle on top.  The kids love it and are allowed to stand there with lit candles in hand, not something they can do often!  The vicar informed us he had to do a Health & Safety appraisal for this because candles were involved!  Just how we survived without insurance companies insisting on such daft precautions I do not begin to understand.  No accidents happened, nothing burnt down and all as usual enjoyed the day.
Symbols are often used in Anglican churches but in my mind they are not required.  Just say what you mean and get on with it is my way, too many symbolic candles, symbolic this and that and none are actually required however they like them and it gives the kids something to make them feel involved.  

An early morning frost and fog covered us this morning.  This was better than the smell of burning plastic that filled the air about this place when I came back at lunchtime.  Quite what was burning I know not but the neighbours will not be happy!  

There is still a moose loose aboot this hoose and he is annoying me. While all foodstuffs are unavailable he has now got into my plant and spread much everywhere during the night.  I again can hear him chewing at inaccessible places making it difficult for me to block him.  Two 'humane' traps have been ignored and if they continue to be ignored less humane ones will be employed. 
Happy Christmas!

FOG!

Fog lay thick and deep over the world again today.  Yesterday was dreich and I spent much time indoors seeking dead soldiers.  Today I sought Tesco for those things requiring replacement and ensuring I can survive the shops being closed on New Years Day.  
The weather looks great, fog today, fog or cloud tomorrow and rain on New Years Day!  Super!!!
At least we don't have snow as that is awful, though it might make for better pictures.
Nothing is happening, we await next week when the world returns to some sort of normality.  At the moment people are stuck unsure of whether to spend more money, getting ratty with the kids under their feet all day, and bored with junk TV, why is it so bad this year?
It was ever thus I suppose.  At least we are living off the fat off the land, my diet begins when this lot of food wears out, and many people are living of the thousand or so Foodbanks spread through out the country caused by the Conservative Party looking after its own so not all are living off the fat.
Proper Football tonight, hopefully successful, and then junk footy tomorrow.  
There will be little else to see with this weather....

  

Army Wife

Foggy Cat

This was the third picture I took of this cat this morning.  He was sitting on the tin roof involved in a stand off with a black cat that lay curled up on a hut roof beneath him just out of picture.  It may be they had been positioned like this for some time.  This as I say was the third shot and his expression indicates he was getting miffed by my interest in his doings.  I say 'his' but it could easily be a female cat, that looks is the look many a mother has given her offspring.  I have no idea where this cat or indeed the other cat came from.  This may belong further down the road, I often see a cat cross the busy road there in spite of the heavy traffic.  The black one was hidden to well to get a proper look.  All around us the world continues and we know nothing of it.  The pets that keep us company and always are so doting towards us can also enter the wild world whenever they wish.  The varied relationships between them remain unknown to us.  Some cats may travel several miles claiming the land around as their property, this clearly means trouble as so many live in close proximity.  Yet I suppose once they have avoided the roads the park is a great place for them to spend their day.  Birds, passing dogs, other cats, squirrels, rats and I notice a few rabbits now have found a dwelling in the park.  Occasionally a Roebuck will pass through late at night.  

The fog forced me out in an attempt to obtain a decent picture but sadly few were available.  However I did find many bushes covered in these soaking wet spiders webs.  These were hanging over many bushes and I wondered about the fate of the poor spider hidden somewhere in the bush awaiting his breakfast.  Just how do wee beasties survive in such conditions.  The fog/mist by the way lessened as the day wore on but did not evaporate completely and remains again tonight.  The creatures the spiders aim for must be lacking in numbers just now or has the very mild November weather fooled them into thinking it is a differing month?  

By the way as this is November that means Christmas is just around the corner!

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Foggy Night

Having spent the foggy morning in the museum feeding mince pies to the old folks listening to the children's choir as they entertained them I was not available when the postman called to deliver yet another Christmas parcel.  So tonight I dragged my weary bulk down the long slog to the sorting office. The fog had worsened, the night had fallen, the opportunity to attempt night shots beckoned.

Overworked posties vans rested for the night, overworked posties did likewise. Whether they rush home to note the price of their free (cheap) shares, donated by H.M. Government as a bribe to keep them sweet I don't know, but most will be well aware of their value today.  How lucky these van drivers are to deliver around the rural areas, especially in summer.  No struggling along with a huge bag on a bike, or pushing one of those absurd trolleys that the management now wish to insist all postmen use thus making deliveries even slower than they are now!  Sometimes you wonder how the men in the offices get their jobs. Could it be that when you have no experience of a job you will be able to suggest a better (e.g. cheaper) way of doing it?  Could it be an office wallah is just incompetent?  Most  sorting office managers had at one time been postmen today however many have little work experience (of any kind) and those above them clearly none whatsoever.  The future of mail delivery in the UK is not good!

This building was once the social club of the major works that stood opposite. After a hundred or so years of operation the company shrank and moved on, it may even yet operate in a small way elsewhere.  The building has served many purposes since, being closed by the constabulary occasionally, and now appears to be a mere pub.  The naming of such places tells a great deal about the area and the history thereof, it reflects on the clientele as well as the owners, it speaks of the townsfolk and indicates something of the local culture.  This one is called, 'The Pub!'  No doubt it tells you all you need to know of the locals!

Can you just imagine what life was like when we used coal to heat us?  Each house, plus every factory, pumping out coal smoke drifting over the towns. Weather like this brought down the mixture of smoke and fog which we referred to as smog, a choking blinding substance that encouraged bronchial disease, blackened buildings, led to traffic accidents killed more people than cold weather does today. Dickens 'Bleak House,' begins with a vivid description of Victorian London in the rain, people slithering down one side and up the other at Holborn Viaduct, or before that was built to be more correct.  Rain, mist, smoke, people, all mixed in together.  It must have been awful when smog fell and folks were so unhealthy anyway!  

Ah well, I got my packet, a tin of toffees and struggled home while looking for pictures. My life you see is so exciting, are you envious, what?......oh!    

   

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A Foggy Day

Just visible in this pic is the hazy mist that has hung about all day.  Behind me, but difficult to picture, the mist was thicker in the lower lying ground.  Until midday the mist was very thick and ideal for clever photographers to make the most of the opportunities.  One amateur was either in his kip or stuffing his face to much to make the effort to go out however and that football does not watch itself.  More of this tomorrow as autumn takes hold of us and winter begins to lower the temperature before it arrives.

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