Weather the Storm

This brought terror to the newsrooms throughout the land yesterday.  The blizzard raced through terrifying reporters with nothing else to talk about and leaving acres of print space, TV and radio hours full of snow.  
It is usually like this in the UK.  
Certainly the weather was harsh in some areas, certainly Esmeralda the boiler would not work until I went to bed, certainly it was cold, below freezing!  However we all know it will halt trains, stop buses, cause traffic accidents and last no more than 48 hours, which indeed it did, less probably.
However TV, radio and press were on hand to cover each and every snowflake, except mine I should point out, and fill those empty spaces happily.  
Along with the stormy weather there were expected to be high tides surging down the coast along the North Sea.  The low lying areas of Essex and Eat Anglia have suffered much over the years from such tides and the authorities, armed with police, fire and ambulances abundant, recommended evacuation for many people.  A great many refused to budge, various reasons were given but in reality they know their neighbours canny be trusted and while the police were roaming the streets they feared break ins from locals more than high tides. 
In the end the high tides were not as high as feared, damage was minimal, no lives lost, everyone went home happy.  Well apart from those now complaining the police overreacted, much money wasted and such warnings were not required.  I suspect these are the same people who are first to claim the police/fire/ambulance/authorities did nothing and now look!  It was ever thus.
Very true that the police overreact all too often these days but if you ran the service how would you run such emergencies?  Good luck trying.

 
Cold in Sainsburys car park on Saturday morning, much colder two hours later when that snow blew in at 50 miles an hour.  I of course was waiting for Esmeralda to start up!  In fact I have just switched her on again and almost immediately she has failed.  Typical!  Fiddling with the thermostat keeps me warm mind.
These Saturdays are strange when there is no football.  Scottish Football closes down for three weeks in January to give players a break and avoid bad weather, bad weather which we all know is worse in February and March!  However it leaves a gap in the day.  English football may have its points but it is not worth getting stressed over.  Roll on the restart up north I say.
I heard one or two strange things regarding football.  One was the supposed comment by a commentator that Totenham Hotspur footballers were badly paid!  Now in football terms this may be true but earning £40,000 to around £100,000 a week before tax dodging is not bad in the minds of the local factory worker, the shop assistant or the man struggling to keep his business afloat with Brexit scaring him.  Sometimes footballers are strange.
Another one is the condemnation of one such footballer probably at the higher end of the pay scale, more £200,000 than £20 a week, and the condemnation is his desire to move to another club for 'big money.'  He wants away so he can earn proper big money and other players (who have done similar) are claiming 'That never happened in my day," liars one and all!  

Tomorrow we have rain...

Look Up!

One thing I took time to do was look up at the many adornments found on London buildings.  The folks in the past who wished to show off their cash did so by lots of twiddly bits on the structure and a variety of carvings supposedly reflecting their business.  Time has passed and many of their places are now occupied by another but the residue cannot be taken away without harm to the look so they remain happily in place.
Salisbury House was opened in 1901 and runs from the side street into Finsbury Circus and along 'London Wall.'  The position on which it stands was occupied by the 'Bethlem Hospital' better known as 'Bedlam' from 1676 to 1815.  A variety of occupants now fill the offices.  

Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury,  KG, GCVO, PC, FRS, was, as you know, Prime Minister three times between 1885 and 1902.  He led the nation Tony Blair style into the Boer War amongst other things and led the Conservative Party from the House of Lords, not something that would go down too well today.  In 1902 he passed on the PM job to one Arthur Balfour, his nephew by the way.  Hmmm...  
He himself died a year later in his 70's.   I suspect the office block was named after he.                          

This 15 foot lighthouse stands high up on the corner of a building in Moorgate.  It was possibly while the occupiers were known as the 'Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation' that the Lighthouse appeared.  In times past it appears a light actually shone from the top!  The company has long since been swallowed up by one and that by another until today they are part of 'Aviva' and have long left the building.  

It is clear the ocean had an influence on the man asked to add flowery bits to the building.  Poseidon glowers magnificently at the buses shoveling fumes up his nose and he does not appear happy about this.

Why horses?  In Greek mythology Poseidon the god of the sea had a horse as his sign, go figure!  Interestingly and on a different subject, some say he was also god of earthquakes, remember 'Troy?  That was taken by a 'wooden horse' and some say the city thought to have been Troy was destroyed in an earthquake several times.  2 + 2 leads to speculation.
Today the building belongs to 'Habib Zurich' a bank based in Pakistan.  It was closed so I didn't ask for money.

I remain perplexed as to what the bare breasted lassie has to do with Lloyds building.  The Globe makes sense but the Owl or the Beehive must be obvious to someone, not me.  

Another large office block that I suspect but canny find evidence for was built about 1900 ish.  It shows the pretentious lust for Empire that lusted within the London heart before the Great War.  This doorway is full of it, the flagpole being one of the few remaining but I suspect at that time a great many more were able to fly their flag on important occasions.

  
This magnificent Phoenix rises from the fire above a building whose whereabouts I forget.  He manages to possess two flagpoles alongside him and must be an impressive sight when the flags fly.
While the buildings change the companies that use them it is good that such things can be seen still and these are fabulous creatures, even if a bit over the top somewhat.

    
The thing about 'looking up' is to look 'up' at buildings on the other side of the street otherwise you cannot see items properly and are better aware of the surroundings thus avoiding lampposts and other obstacles.   On the side wall of the Mansion House I saw this fading notice.  Clearly in times past poster posters and other miscreants did not consider this a building to respect.

'Popes Head Alley' intrigued me as I wondered if at one time the alley possessed one on a stick, an old London habit.  However it was the 'Popes head Tavern' that stood there, a place of refreshment that goes back into the mists of time, certainly the 1400s saw a tavern here.  Samuel Pepys stopped playing with Mrs Fitzimmons for a while and had his first "Dish of tea" alongside "Cakes and other fine things" at the tavern.  It of course suffered under the Great Fire but was rebuilt on the same spot.

It appears that at one time there were many 'Church Courts in London and much confusion was caused by their appearance.  So in the fullness of time these were renamed to stop people landing miles from where they ought to be.  This one does not appear on Google Maps and neither does St Margaret!  It's a funny old world innit?

 
When William the conqueror arrived in 1066 there were many Jews who arrived alongside him.  The main role given them was money lending as this was banned among 'Christians' at the time.  After Williams enthronement the commercial life of the nation was encouraged by Jewish money lending.  Times have not changed that much as this system, not just with Jewish money has continued and developed greatly in the last 35 years, note the economic collapse!  Jews were useful as money men but also the English fear and lack of understanding of those who are different soon raised its head.  Jealousy gives way to lies and bad propaganda and the Great Synagogue was closed because of the trouble brewing for the Jewish population.  The London area where they lived was called 'Old Jewery,' a magnificent coincidence!  The Pograms saw riots and mass murder in several places and Edward I, the barbaric thug of a King, threw them out of the land in 1290.   Jews remained banned until Oliver Cromwell allowed them to return in 1656.  Famously many arrived in the East Eng during the 19th century and were again objects of racist abuse.  Charles Dickens chose 'Fagin the Jew' as his leading bad character because he disliked Jews.  He would go down well in UKIP today.

 
Along Wood Street we find this huge concrete block that is the main police HQ.  Naturally the door was shut!  It appears that all police stations are closed or only work part time, just like criminals!  The idea being we are all on social media and able to contact the Rozzers any time we like.  Not if we are old constable, or sick, don't carry a phone or a hundred other reasons.
This concrete block of a building which towers above is a result of the Blitz.  The whole area bar one church tower was flattened and rebuilt in a white brutalist dull style.  Not a street to loiter in.
Just to the side of the PC home lies a small lane called 'Lovers Lane,' hmmm...

The Tower of Sta Alban is all that remains of a church that may have stood here since Offa King of Mercia, he of building a Dyke fame, began dedicating churches to Alban and some claim this was one of his.  Certainly a church was here in the days of King John and any building was destroyed during that Great Fire, so many buildings we see were burnt out over a great area.  During the Second World War the Luftwaffe took a dislike to the church and most of it was burnt out.  The shell was demolished in 1965 and the area renovated.  The Tower remained and I just read is a private dwelling, good luck to him mate!  I hope the bell has gone.

  

Wimmen on Bikes!

Today the second stage of the 'Women's Tour' set of from our wee town.  Racing against the wind but in warm sunshine the girls would run about Essex, up the hill at Halstead I can hardly walk up and make their way to Clacton on Sea, and good luck to them there.  I managed to get out in time to watch them hurtle down the hill preceded by a vast number of Police Motor Cycles and support vehicles, all 'Skoda' by the way. 

The difficulty with such events as this is that you stand in one place and the bikes rush past.  This is great when they do a roundabout route but in these races they flash past and are gone.  This happened here.  I took this pic when attempting to focus and then just pressed the button.  Quite tolerable I think, but who wishes to cycle around a hundred miles in a race?

When the race began these kids from some organisation or other precede the riders.  Supported by police escort they wended their way ahead down the main road and once they got half way down the hill they parked up.

Being female becoming screaming banshees was something they managed with little difficulty. They were joined by a school filling the area opposite in making much noise as the girls cycled past.

What a great incentive this is for the kids.  A day out of school, learning cycling, one of the great free enjoyments (once you by a bike), a super way to get around, safer for girls of all ages making their way home at night rather than walking on pavements, and sheer fun as well as useful.  I should point out at this point one of the young lassies working on a project at the museum came off her bike and fractured her elbow!  We still make her work, occupational therapy!

Last year the 'Tour de France' on it's foreign week came within two miles of here.  Too far for me to cycle especially when you see more on TV.  Naturally when they riders passed up the road the TV went to an advert break!  I am not sure what channel this lot were on as I was too busy wandering around to look for them.  Then I had to visit the museum for orders.

Motorbikes are made for covering the 'Tour,'  these powerful beasts wend their way between the array of support cars in front and behind, each with a specific purpose.   It was difficult to count them as about twenty raced past at one go, mostly police blocking roads as the race passed by.

Not all had to race around, some just blocked roads and 'controlled' quietly.   For motorcycle police such events must be a great part of their duties, often bringing close contact with the public and this could be enjoyable, usually.

 

Back at the aftermath of the start the crowds thinned and the police there were dealing face to face with the public also.  As I passed several were in discussion re the serious crimes in the town, serious enough to them 'anti-social behaviour from neds' being heard as I passed as well as late night weekend drunkenness.  Now as this area has a very low crime rate it is clear the fear of crime is worse than the crime.  Wary of late night town centre when pubs close is important but not if you are indoors watching telly Missus.  Young neds are indeed a pest but few complaining actually get bothered by them.  It happens and it is not nice, but the fear makes it worse than it is. 

I have never seen so many police in the town.  Events bring thieves with them so it makes sense, crowd control also is required, however I suspect there was little to bother the representatives of the law.  This chap may have filled in the time but does not appear to have caused them much worry.  This in many peoples mind is what policing ought to be about, meeting the public, showing a presence, and deterring as well as catching thieves.  However 'austerity,' the Conservative Parties watchword of the day meant that cuts had to be made therefore more police are in cars and less than ever wandering town centres.  Something wrong somewhere.

This was a good day for the town and I suspect more such events will now be seen passing through here.  It would be beneficial if the next one went straight past my window instead of making me get up out of the house! 

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Carnival Day

The eager crowds were out, as was the sun, for the carnival parade.  One day in the year when the entire town meets together.  Most have the responsibility of either their kids beside them or spotting a known child on one of the floats and ensuring you get some money into the buckets and nets they hold out as they pass.  The museum wall made an excellent viewing platform and allowed younger kids a safe place to avoid boredom, at least the one that ran past me fifty times was happy enough avoiding boredom! Gran, forced to chase him, was avoiding boredom well also.

The Saturday staff ignored the few visitors who made it through the crowds and soaked up the sun while being annoyed they had run out of suitable leaflets to force on to  present to the punters.  We had some visit before the parade but most afterwards follow it to the parades end where the fairground has been set up, the children enjoying the many rides, the men ruing the closure of the local hostelry!  That has become a 'Tesco Express.'

 
Naturally, as you do in Essex four hundred miles from Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh, the pipes always lead the parade!  'A Scottish Soldier'  was aired as they passed and I considered them the most musical of all the offerings presented to us today.  I suspect these lead many of the local carnivals and most people probably follow all the carnivals around as each small town and villages has one and this keeps the kids happy during the better summer days.  I suspect most of those participating in their floats show up in each march also!

I saw more of these today than I usually see around town these days, no not our man Stuart drinking his lunch, I mean policemen!  I say that and the police station is behind us and their cars turn the corner all the time, usually going in, not out.  Austerity leads to less noticeable policing as staff are cut, although 'Diversity officers' still get £32,000 a year in comparison to a new Bobby's £17,000, why?  On occasions they will blow the siren near my back window just for spite I'm sure.  Today there were lots of them, some even wearing these strange helmets and rumour has it that a blue lamp is contained within but I have never liked to ask.  He didn't recognise me anyway.

This man was having a ball with his flag!  Whatever the reason for the parade the flag was an instrument to be put to use and he was making hay when I noticed him.  For such is the day made and I assume the flag is now above, and possibly in, his bed!

I don't normally go in for candid pictures especially of children but all around they were having a ball watching on expectantly waiting for the next float.  Maybe I am missing the now grown up kids up north or maybe it is just a granddad phase but I enjoy watching them enjoy these days.  Someone of course ought to have ensured these were given info re the museum programme but no leaflets were ready, not that I am one to grumble as you know but here were three £5's for one special event standing here awaiting information. 

This lass on the right was pointing at the museum and telling her uncomprehending friend something about the place, so I snapped her.  I suspect her school or her mum has brought her in and she has remembered well.  Hopefully she will return and it is a shame the girls behind me did not notice this.

This is one of two that appeared to me to be about that Alice woman.  Someone we know wrote a book about her.  Standing at the rear gossiping is Alice herself, ignoring her fans.

I never knew this lot existed and I suppose that is one reason they join in the parade, a good free advertisement.  I preferred this lot to the numerous stick twirlers of varying ability who passed by.  Exercise helps you lose weight they told me, it was my considered opinion that some majorettes have not discovered this yet!  These lads however looked fit enough and this appeared to be a well organised youth group.  As a teenager this would be an attractive option - apart from the bruises and broken bones of course.

 

Then the aging 'Mods' arrived.  Usually they sit at the 'greasy spoon cafe' on a Sunday morning.  No doubt regaling one another of daring do against 'rockers' on their 'BSA's,' 'Triumphs' and 'Norton's' on Southend beach back in the sixties.  The scooter I think is a good way to get around town.  Until recently Stirling Moss, once Britain's greatest racing driver, used one as it was easier in London than anything else.  Only age made him give this up.

 Rent a Princess?

A singing group from afar, six miles away, appear to be putting on a show but I have no idea what it might be.  The cannon firing smoke was good however.

Throughout the country this sort of event will be occurring now.  Not the most earth shattering of events but certainly full of fun for the young ones.  They enjoy parading, mostly sitting waving from a forty ton truck, something mum probably has heart stopping worry over, while dressed up appropriately as a character from the theme.  Something I once disdained as of no interest I now find enjoyable, possibly because of the reaction to certain of the personnel involved as we watched this go by. 
Back to boring old European Champions League final now..... 

The Ancient Near East, A Very Short History.

This wee book is one of dozens produced in this style.  The intention is to produce a short book to inform the reader of a particular subject, and the subjects range far and near.  It looks a worthwhile series.
This book takes us back before what most folks consider to be history, back before the Romans, the Greek, the Egyptians, those places we consider 'ancient' or 'Classical,' to the generations that lived in Mesopotamia long before.  The poor teaching of history, both professional and popular, leaves out what happened in what is now southern Iraq, even though it is considered to be the place humanity apparently began to settle so long ago.  Certainly where the book begins, 3600 BC, large towns were in existence and the usual problems known to us today bothered them also.  Uruk I think it was had 25,000 folks crammed inside the mud brick walls, although many may have dwelt outside of course. Personally I wanted to go further back but if you have no knowledge this is a good place to begun as here at this time writing begins.
As population growth continued small city states developed into empires.  Some were quite keen on peace and prosperity, others were somewhat rough.  It is interesting to see how many leaders built an empire but encouraged people to live peaceful lives.  The Assyrians however were clearly different in this.  While others revealed their works by carvings on walls depicting the temples and cities they built, the Assyrians depicted the king as waving his bow about, taking cities and chasing wild animals.  His peace was putting hooks in the noses of the rebellious.  
This is an interesting, delightful short read, with takes us from a temple document at Uruk in 3100 BC to the Persians ending the Babylonian empire around 500 BC, ish.  If you know nothing about such an important period, and much of what we know was known then, this book is worth a read.  Of course there are problems, the woman who wrote it was American!  This shows clearly in the grammar ....tut! 

      
Life is not fair.  These chaos arrived to entertain the kids and found rain and gloom.  Some sun on Saturday for them and a wee bit more on Sunday but not much and by teatime they are dismantling everything to head off to the next place.  The town was quiet at the weekend, a Carnival in a nearby town taking the kids away.

Yet when once they leave the sun shines.  Not that I have seen much of this. They claim, as they always do, the sun will be a belter tomorrow and Friday and warnings have been issued.  Climate change is occurring and we had better realise this.  Could it really be the end of the world this time?  Maybe we had better give that some serious consideration.

They done it again.  Out of the blue this appears outside my window, badly parked,  and no polis in sight!  Why?  What were they doing?  Who were they visiting?  Why do they never explain their movements to me, that's what I want to know.  All this integrity for them, they will never get to be Chief Constable if they insist on doing the job properly I'll tell you that! 

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Democracy in Action

The voting paper had two folds in it, opened out it was over a foot long, all the major parties and quite a few loony's were on offer.  "Right," said I as the young ladies at the desk proffered the paper and gave instructions on its use,"Where is the Scottish Nationalist?"  One of the girls sighed quietly.  I fear she believed me.  The choice entered with a big 'X' in the usual manner of a Hibernian footballer signing his name I vacated the premises.  Voting takes place in the Museum Hall and my Big Boss who is in charge of the operation informed me the day had been light (about ten thirty) and no-one ventured over the door until half an hour had passed.  Rather unusual for here even allowing for the increasing number of postal votes.  The EU election does not go down well.

The main parties were all represented and I did not want any off them. However a vote for UKIP, racists in suits, does influence government policy as the Conservatives are terrified they will lose out to them. Indeed the right-wing media has spent the last weeks attacking UKIP at every opportunity but offering absolutely no Tory policies!  That tells you the fear at Conservative HQ.  A while back I wrote to the local member of parliament and in the middle of the letter I mentioned "..it was brave of you to vote for the 'Bedroom tax' when UKIP as so strong in this area..."  he did not reply!  Personally I think we should vote for UKIP, I believe in England for the English!  The best thing for them to do would be to give £250,000 to everyone else and send them back to their own country, but wait until after September.

Is it not funny how in Afghanistan people queued for hours to vote, knowing that bombs could explode at any time, rifle fire could break out and death was minutes away yet in the UK such an important vote leaves us bored or disinterested.  People died in various parts of the British Isles over many years to get us the right to select which lying rogue will represent us, or here put their nose in the trough, yet we stay at home.   Always vote, but I would like a 'None of the above' added at the bottom.

Possibly the insistence of the Police helicopter to hover over my head when I was sleeping working had some connection to the crowds waiting patiently to vote.  It could be spite on the pilots part as I have yelled at him to sling it before now as these brutes are noisy.  It looks like he is watching us but more likely his cameras are aimed a mile or so further down the main road, away from us and towards some drug dealing types who are moving into the area. These are not welcomed here especially as a recent murder was caused by this. Rarely do the constabulary explain why they make such a fuss, not that I am nosey,  but I do ask!  
Ha! Acting suspiciously.  Here is the reason and naturally he deafens us while watching something a mile away, typical!  Nobody arrested and thousands spent.  Is it cheaper to put police on the ground I wonder?