Porthcawl Sea View

 

At first sight this appears a rather uninspiring view.  A dark grey sky, restless grey waters, grey stonework filling the screen, and little of joyful movement to be found.  However, early this morning I began watching this, I filled the screen with it as background while I did other things, and became taken by the sea, the restless, ever moving sea.  

There is something relaxing about watching waves build up and heave themselves over the breakwater, or is this a sea wall?  The incoming tide carries great weight and as many know erodes vast areas of coast line in the UK.  The Norfolk coast on the east of England has for many years seen villages and even towns disappear under the sea.  Heavy tides in winter can crash across the beach removing vast tons to distant parts never to be seen again.  Dunwich famously is now a mere collection of debris where once a town stood.  The sea now covers several hundred yards of what once was a busy, bustling town.  On the west coast of Ireland the half circle remains of a Neolithic settlement can be seen.  Originally this was a round defensive wall, not far from the edge of the cliff.  These cliffs are not the soft east of England shores but hard rock with a cliff now quite high.  The strength of the Atlantic waves can be seen among the ruined settlement where large stones, many tons in weight lie scattered around.  These once formed the cliff, now they have been hurled high up and onto the clifftop.  It is no wonder the people moved inland!

That said, the sight of waves gently or as this morning, with a somewhat rougher edge was still a pleasure.  The waves splash along the wall, every so often building up until first, at the lighthouse end, they crash across the wall, and then much more powerfully, crash over the wall, reaching even to the further side.  Such a sight is not unknown in most parts of the UK.  In Arbroath, on Scotland's east coast, the football team ground is only a small road with away from the North Sea.  Crashing waves are a danger during storms  as they are known to come over the football ground wall and saturate anyone taking a corner kick at the time!

Considering how powerful waves can be, how much water there is between one land mass and another, and how difficult it is to create a raft that can cross such water, I am always amazed that man took to the water just to see what was 'over there.'  They reckon (Note the use of the word 'they' to fill in when I do not know who) that five thousand years ago, and maybe more, men made a couple of dugout logs, attached to a sail, a craft that travelled across the Pacific ocean enabling them to reach places like Fiji and other far spread islands.  What skill!  What talent, what courage!  This comes from that strange desire to look around the corner just to see what can be found.  I think we all have that to some extent.  But sailing such craft?  Amazing.  Just as in similar fashion we crossed from the British Isles to what is now Ireland.  A hollowed out log probably, and an adventurous, possibly mad, young man or two.  Maybe they were just trying to impress the women?   But how many did not survive the experiment?

The camera is situated on the Porthcawl RNLI building looking in a south east direction along the southern coast of Wales.  The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) operates a small but lively lifeboat from breakwater.   While a lifeboat was arranged by wealthy locals in the 19th century the RNLI as we know it today has operated from here for some 50 years.  In the past lifeboats were just large rowing boats, the operators local men who knew the sea, and knew the risks they were taking to save lives.  In my view there can be few volunteer organisations more worthy than one where the operators, in spite of the training received today, understand that each time they leave shore they may not return.

Fast rubber boats, high skills, good training, yet in the past strong me rowed out into the roaring seas just to save people.  Lifeboats developed, attempts to enable boats avoiding sinking grew, but in the end whatever safety feature is created it is the man in the boat that counts.  

There is little to equal such an enterprise as this.

Wales

 

Wiki

 

I was watching a bit of the Wales v Scotland ruby match this afternoon when I recalled these three 30 minute programmes on Wales on BBC Radio 4 by Jeremy Bowen. Jeremy is better known for being shot at by various peoples out in the Middle East where he normally works as a BBC foreign correspondent.

These three interesting programmes give an insight into the growth of Wales as a nation, the historical background and present day realities.  All from a man who was born and bred in Cardiff.  

We all know Scots history, a thousand years of English oppression and all that, but nobody knows Wales.  Wales is just that bit on the end of England, annexed by Edward the Thug a thousand years ago and ignored ever since.  sScots empathise with the Welsh quite easily, Wales rugby fans have always found a welcome in Scotland, it's the Scots rugby fans we refer to as 'Hooray Hamish's.'  Having an oppressive neighbour next door does bring a shared understanding.  Wales however, is not Scotland and the story is a very different one.  These three programmes are well worth a listen.

 

The Auld Enemy

 

It is quite normal for Scotland to go down to Wembley and win.  After all we have been doing that for almost 150 years and as we invented the game, developed it through 'scientific football,' and provided the best players the world has ever seen, though Pele, Eusebio and Maradonna were all right, if you like that sort of thing, it will come as no surprise to see us put the arrogant imperialists back in their box.  So, needing to win at Wembley last night was not something to worry us.  However, having displayed all the intellect of one of Boris Johnson's cabinet members, we threw away our chances of going through by losing badly to the Czech's a few days before.  Therefore, we needed at least a point and in the end hard work, team work, and individual brightness brought us a no score draw, and I think this was two points dropped.  

England, as the English press have it, were not very good.  Nothing is said re Scotland outplaying them?  England, the manager tells us, "Got the point that ensures qualification," which is true.  What manager Gareth Southgate did not mention was the vermin of the English press would have savaged him, a decent bloke, had he lost to what they consider an inferior product.  His team and tactics reveal a sensible man.

However, this is just England.  The game used to mean a great deal, not now.  From 1872 until 1972 the Scotland v England clash provided an outlet for national pride, now it means little.  Scotland has long lost interest in these games apart form the points. Certainly we wish to win, but for me Scotland require to develop a team that can take on European sides and win, beating a 'British' side like England means little.  Our loss to the Czechs showed we need to play a style that can beat such sides, power and strength against England means little.  The game against Croatia, who desparately need to win to avoid the wrath of their own fans, will reveal both our managers tactical ability as this level and our ability to play against such teams.

Forget England, Scotland requires to amend the league structure, change the way TV covers the game and how such cash is used, and develop young players who can make it at international level.  We need to get players once again who can get the ball down on the grass and beat the opposition, players like Bobby Walker, Tommy Walker, Jimmy Johnson and Jim Baxter.  We are way short of this today.

We also must ask, how do Wales do it?  No league of their own to speak off, players spread across many nations, yet they continue to play in all tournaments, qualifying more often than Scotland.  Having one man earning £600,000 a week in Spain cannot be the reason, he is only a part of that.  

Scotland must ask why Wales are better than us?

  

Good News and Bad, for Some.

Another Edinburgh Derby, another Derby played at Hampden, another victory for the Heart of Midlothian.  Rain, storm, offside goals and dives for penalties did not cease the onward advance of the men in maroon.  

Indeed it was ever thus, since the first cup final between these two clubs, the Heart of Midlothian winning by 1 - 3 at Logie Green Road, and in all subsequent major semi and finals the Heart of Midlothian succeed.  The last final was in 2012 where the wee team bravely lasted until the end of the game, not counting the one sent off, and lost by 5 goals to 1.  Tee Hee, it is inevitable the Big Team will win such games.

Look at the overall record.

 

1896

 

Since the first meeting between these clubs at the East Meadow in Edinburgh on Christmas Day 1875, which the Heart of Midlothian won by one goal to nil, success has always been with the men in maroon.  So far some 651 game have been played between the sides, the Heart of Midlothian winning 286 Hibs 206, mostly with the help of biased referees.  6 games were abandoned, the Hibs went home when the could not take another beating, or complained it was 'too cold.'   The Hearts have scored some 1100 goals and with the help off dubious penalties and their friendly linesmen Hibs have accrued, what they say, is 924 goals.  Hmmm.  In simple terms what this means is that if Hibernian wish to win as many games as us it could take them 20 years to catch up, but as you realise, that will never happen.

 

The sad news regarding the passing of Sean Connery is not a surprise, he was 90.  However, he is without a doubt the best actor Scotland has produced and will forever be 'James Bond' to one and all. He went from a milk round, horse and cart and all, to 'Dr No' and Ursilla Andress.  Not bad for a milkman.  He delivered in Comley Bank for the 'St Cuthberts Dairy,' my dad did the same round for 'The Edinburgh & Dumfrieshire Dairy,' known as the 'Dummy.'  He went from that to the United Wire Works.'  It does not seen fair...

 

 

I will not mention this, just in case the folks in Taffs Well are listening....

Sunday Night

Sunday night entertainment was spent crawling through the ever darkening streets attempting to find a spot where I could picture the sunset and feature the large crescent moon.  By the time I found a spot it was quite dark and the moon itself looks awfully small in this pic, but it is there!  Wonderful sky tonight, the colours are hard to beat as the sun sinks below the distant horizon (there must be hundreds of them there, one goes down there every night!).  In spite of the beauty of the skies above I noticed that few appeared to notice.  How we miss so much by looking no further than our nose!  

Star

The football world was upset today by the news of Gary Speeds death. He was found hanged at home early this morning. Police state that no suspicious circumstances were involved. Forty two year old Speed was manager of the Welsh football team and had a good reputation within football.  Only yesterday he had appeared on a TV football programme and had spoken to one or two of his friends and appeared outwardly to be happy enough.  Both TV and radio have been filled with stunned friends and colleagues sharing their shock at his death.

The reason for his suicide is not yet known but several articles end with reference to the Samaritans and stress the importance of 'talking to someone' if a man has problems.  This is a wise precaution as many men feel despair at their various situations yet will not talk about it to anyone.  Some feel weak if they talk, others embarrassed.  The Samaritans, as well as doctors and other agencies have seen it all before and are well able to offer a non judgmental listening ear, and able to direct individuals to the help they require.  No man needs to suffer in silence!  

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You Canny Trust the Welsh!

Now, as you know, an Englishwoman has claimed the English invented the Haggis, Scotland's national dish. This imperialist attempts to acquire Scotland by stealth, piece by piece and pudding by pudding, it appears! The fact that her claim is based on a recipe found in an English book from the sixteen hundreds shows the lie. Scots women did not use recipe books, their mothers taught them domestic chores from childhood, as indeed proper mothers have always done! Just because this middle class girl possessed a mother more intent on her career rather than teaching her daughter the important things, like how to cook, make curtains and look after the male of the house, is no reason to imagine folk living in 'Black Hooses' in Scotland were not brought up properly, they were! While herding the cow, and sowing the oats (not like that) the lass of the hoose also ensured the haggis were caught, skinned and cooked without looking at any recipe book. Just as well as nobody taught them to read until the reformation came along!

Anyway we move on to another lesser people attempting to purloin Scots culture - this time the Welsh! These sheep chasing hill dwellers have long been renown for their gathering on hillsides in order to form 'Male Voice Choirs,' - at least that is what they say, and for having more rain fall on them than any other part of the United Kingdom. As the lesser of the Celtic nations, they come just above Cornwall and Brittany, and even then that is better than their Football World Cup record of course, the Welsh are renown for 'hanging on the coat tails of their betters, and by this I mean especially, the Scots. This desperation to be accepted as a proper nation, as opposed to being just a large English county full of biggish hills that have failed to become mountains, and inferior type rugby union players, this desperation has led to them over reach themselves and to go where only the Japanese have gone before - they are making counterfeit WHISKY!

Not only are they calling this cold tea, 'whisky,' but they are actually calling it 'Welsh Whisky' as if this is something to be proud off! Ptah! To make matters worse these purveyors of the dupe liquid (known as Wisgi Cymreig to them, at least to those that actually speak that strange garbled tongue which they claim is Gaelic) these purveyors are charging up to £320 a time for a bottle of the amber fluid! Have they gone mad? (Actually that gives me an idea. Maybe I ought to open a whisky shop?)

Naturally one ought to be happy about such imitation. For one, unlike the Japanese, they did not call it 'Scotch,' nor did they use a name such as 'Queen George IV,' so things could have turned out much worse. Mind you they have forgotten to put the strength of the stuff on the label, did you notice? For another thing there is no doubt the Welsh, like the English wumman, are merely admitting what we all know, that the Scots are indeed superior to those South of the border, or in the case of the Welsh, just 'over the hill!'

TV Obsession

If it's not one thing it's another. TV needs an obsession these days. Luckily Michael Jackson died so we could then endure wall to wall coverage of the loss of one of the most over rated singers for years. Famous less for his meaningless song and dance routines than for his demented and very confused personality. Living proof indeed that fathers need to do their job properly! While there was some nodding acquaintance with the occasional dead soldier from Afghanistan or Obama meeting the Russian leaders and curtailing thousands of nuclear warheads, we return quickly to Los Angeles and the hangers - on around the coffin. BBC, Sky News, and elsewhere indulge themselves with live coverage of the PR stunt designed to ignore the questions nobody wanted to ask. Like what did go on with the small boys, and who is the father/mother of his 'children? Instead we have hours of singers, mostly black, ensuring they are seen to be where they need to be seen whether they really cared or not.

Cynical? Oh yes! A showman dies in the United States and his family come along to mourn or attempt to reclaim their boy. No wrong in that in itself, although the show outweighed the reality. Emotion to the fore while there will be a fight for the money behind the scenes. What with all the hangers on and empty noise from an abundance of 'must be seen' persons, praises and tears from fans I confess I am left feeling cold. The solemnity of the returning bodies of 'our boys' who fell in a different life however fills me with admiration, not least for the self control of the young wife watching her man come home - in a box. TV however does not use the latter to fill their 24 hour screens, but a dead pop singer is an obsession with nothingness that can be enjoyed.

Today the funeral is over but the English are once again obsessed,this time with Cricket! Yes cricket! Rounders with two bats to you and me (rounders is what Yanks call Baseball for some reason unknown). More importantly to the English this cricket is what they call 'The Ashes.' In the days of long ago they started challenging the Australians to cricket matches. This proved popular and today this is something of huge import to those whose brain seized up during primary school days. It is claimed that after one defeat by the Aussies (apparently the English lose quite a lot in this contest) the visiting captain taunted his opponent by declaring the "Death of English cricket!" If only....

Later some women presented a small urn containing some burnt material, some claim it could be a bail, but a more reliable voice insisted it was a woman's veil, appropriate for those who play this game I would say. TV executives see cricket, and especially the 'Ashes' as important. Wall to wall coverage is however limited as the 'England & Wales County Cricket Board' stupidly sold the right s to Sky, so most folk cannot see it! This does not stop them talking about it everywhere however.

England of course is awash with arrogance, especially when they perceive the Aussies as having a weak side. During the last meeting England won, celebrating with a meeting with the slime ball Tony Blair in Downing Street and an open top bus tour of London. Dearie me! They only won because one of the Aussie world class bowlers was injured and the victory was meaningless, but don't tell them this. They are England and therefore they are bound to win!

Their self belief to the fore England has turned its enmity on the Welsh. Playing the first test in Cardiff the English object to the Welsh national anthem being played before the game, and instead demand their own! Imperialism is never far from an Englishman. Imagine being in a foreign country and demanding your anthem is played! England does! In fact the organisation behind this goes under the name 'England & Wales County Cricket Board,' so why not play the game in Wales, and why object to their national anthem? Imperialism, no other reason. Funny how there have been Welshmen in the team, and South Africans, Pakistanis and even Scotsmen, sometimes as skipper, but please don't play the game in Wales or mention their anthem! TV however is obsessed with cricket. The anthem is debated, the pitch, the weather, the stadium, the history, the people, the past people, the ball, the bat, the 'silly mid off,' and all the rest over and over on all the channels. Today the game actually got under way, and the Aussies are well on top. There could be another five test thrashing in sight for England (& Wales). This would be sad, wouldn't it? Tee Hee!