From my Window

I was cogitating the other day on passers-by.  By that I refer to those people who have been walking, cycling, hobbling, past my window these past hundred years or so I have been here.  With that superstore up the road ready always to rob them of their money, there are always people moving back and forth.  The town centre is to the left, the shops, cafe's, events and market traders, all attracting crowds, just like the pubs do in the evening, or so I am told.  

Dog walkers pass by, sometimes avoiding dogs not to their mutts liking, all heading for the green acres opposite.  Vehicles abundant pass by as fast as they dare, except late in the afternoon when the shoppers mix with the factories coming out and those sitting in their flash cars dreaming they are Jeremy Clarkson are limited to 3 mph at most.  

Humanity passing by.

There are many faces I no longer see passing.  The somewhat miserable woman of a certain age has long gone, from the male care home for the mentally hindered several no longer pass by.  I wonder if Covid, age or other disease did for them?  One chap on a bike always spoke, he remembered the town market complete with cattle in the Square, and must have seen much of the last war also as a young man.  He no longer passes, though he rode his bike to the end.   It is a good image, a main thoroughfare, it contains all of local life, young and old, good and bad, they all pass by one way or another.  

Occasionally we see the constabulary at work, checking a late night care that 'forgot' the traffic lights were red, chasing a wander man across the park, or driving home round the corner to end their shift, always hoping no-one will call for them on the way.  In the past, when pubs closed at 11 pm, we often had gangs swarming down here, shouting and yelling, occasionally damaging items, or happily leaving a pint glass or two on our front (thanks guys!).  Since they began varied closing times this rarely happens, only those intent on trouble bother, bother. 

Anyway, tonight the sun still shines, dogs are being walked by young men, it used to be almost always the women, and various happy young couples who have moved in recently exercise in the sun.  

I think I will exercise sleep...

Homing Pigeon?

I noticed this chap a few days ago while limping towards Sainsburys.  I was impressed by the efforts to hinder pigeons, of which there are many sleeping on the roof here overnight, from perching on the windowsills.  I am always impressed by birds as they consider the many ways in which they can not only make it through the day, but also improve their lives by simple actions.  Here, one bird, by the simple action of smashing the window, possibly while flying at high speed with his eyes closed, has gained entry to the top floor of this very ancient building.  

This building stands in what is called 'Little Square.'  This marks the spot where the early market first arose over 800 years ago.  This came about by the Bishop of London, who owned this side of the town, persuaded King John, he of ill-repute, to allow a market here weekly.  King John considered for a few moments the tax raised by such a market, his debts obtained by fighting very badly when claiming France as his kingdom, and allowed the market to begin, and added one down in Chelmsford around this time also.  The tax played on his mind I reckon, more than the cabbages available on the ground.

This building, wood and plaster, has stood here for a great many years, I suspect several hundred, but I have not got that information to hand.  

The block of houses contains four shops on the ground floor, as a market should, most are in good condition still, however, the one at the end, where the pigeon roosts, is somewhat less tidy.  There is a shop at a the bottom, which I think is now closed.  A first floor for accommodation for those who like to 'live above the shop,' and this top floor for pigeons to look down on you.  Like too many shops in the town life appears far from this one.  I think the owner, or tenant, has another along the way, but I could be wrong.  Either way, someone needs to look into the building, accommodation and a shop all in one, in the centre of town, just off the main drag?  Someone will make money here surely?   

Boring, Cold, Saturday

Pah!  So much for weathermen!  No snow of any kind, not even sleet, though it is planned for late afternoon, aye right!  

Instead a strong northwesterly has been blowing icy wind through the cracks in the window frames and forcing me to make use of the old man's heating allowance already.  If the wind came from the west I could survive better, but no, it cometh blasting from the Arctic and is happy to do so.

I forgot to eat properly last night, maybe that is why I felt so bad this morning.  The head was not woken up until I ate dinner, such as it was.  Funny how eating is good for you.  Thus I have just sat here awaiting tonights football.  I wondered if the Flu Jab yesterday was having an effect, the tender area there is quite large for such a Jab, more 'tender' than normal, but I think it was just lack of eating.  

 

The storm has been the only story in some papers, I note the Tory rags have ignored Conservative Dougie Ross's claiming for expenses while forgetting to enter his £30,000 linesman takings in the Holyrood register.  I suppose to the Tories that is not a problem, more a way of life to them.  The 'Glasgow Herald' however does splash an ex-SNP member as being questioned by police, no charges so far.  Dougie appears ignored.  The rest cast fear about the latest version of the virus, especially as it may 'Halt Christmas!'  though Christmas will go ahead whatever.   The usual Saturday scare stories and little actual news, the Conservative Party will not allow this.

 

 

Tedious Saturday

You may be surprised to hear I spent most of my time today listening or watching to football.  I had little energy to do anything else.  While watching West Ham United defeat Manchester City to many peoples surprise I also attempted to fix the other laptop.  This I considered finished and then I began to download Windows 10 onto it in an effort to complete the healing process and also to finally remove !in 8.1 and it's awkwardness.  Hours ago, long before the teams took the field I began.  Hours later we are still at the 'Upgrading Windows' bit.  40% completed it claims while still only on the 'installing features & drivers bit.'  I suspect I may be here for some time and the electric bill will be screaming at me soon!
However I see some satisfaction.  By not getting the anti virus in quick enough I found I had those annoying advert that arise whenever you attempt to search something.  I also encountered some difficulty downloading items but that I believe was because 'McAfee' was used as an antivirus and had established itself everywhere already thus stopping other things working.  We shall soon (maybe) see if I have overcome this after removing as much of 'McAfee' as I can find.  He, like 'Norton' like to get in everywhere and must be removed item by item.  This means my emergency laptop will soon be ready, once new Memory is installed, to work properly.  I used 'Crucial' as it is efficient to get memory however the brute is not allowing me to log in constantly telling me my password etc is wrong.  I change it and it is still wrong.  They want shooting I say. I will fix that later, when I can be bothered.

Visit London

In days to come people will ask, where were you when Japan defeated mighty South Africa in the Rugby World Cup?  I will answer "Watching West Ham defeat Manchester City like normal people would be."  If they ask whether I watched the opening ceremony (I never watch the tedious opening ceremonies) I will say "I was watching St Mirren lose to Raith Rovers like normal people would be!"
And if they foolishly ask about GB beating Aussieland at Tennis I will say "What?"  "I'm sorry, I was having a life!"

p.s. The Kiwis will win the rugby anyway, they always do!

Thursday Twittering

 

As I picked up the mail this morning I found a card lying there.  The electricity man come to check the meter and I had not heard his knock (the bell has long been bust).  I suppose I did not hear this because I spent two minutes hoovering a path through the dust around that time and that deafens everyone, especially the chap below who works nights.  It's a giggle though!

I noted the card informing me he would return tomorrow morning, between 8-12 am.  As I intend to be on a bus by 9:15 I may miss him.  Now this is interesting to me as normally I check my own meter and send it in online, today was the company attempting to ensure I was not cheating them. 

His problem is made worse as the meter is not in the house but in the basement entered around the back.  My downstairs neighbour will never answer the door, he would be awake when this chap called, so he would not be informed of this.

However the card helpfully states that I can mark the details from the meter on the card and leave it where the electric man sent to check the meter can see it, a normal procedure right enough, however he is supposed to read the meter himself!  So to ensure I am not cheating them I fill out the card normally and leave it for him!  Brilliant!

If only banks were as helpful...

On the start of Windows 10 there is an 'app' that tells you the weather.  On mine today, and indeed I've just noticed it remains there yet, the weather informs me the temperature is 65% and 'mostly sunny.'  When I first noticed this, in between the WiFi disconnecting for no reason, the thin rain was coming straight down as it had been for some hours.  It has restarted again, without the thunder, and will continue most of the night the BBC weather man claims.

Where I wonder do Microsoft get their info from? 

Tsk!  Now I click on it a change has arrived the temp has gone up to 67 and it is now, mostly cloudy.'

Someone must have stuck their head out of the window.

Where Are They Now

The reason the weather has deteriorated is because I have a wish to visit Camolodunum tomorrow.  I must change my book voucher even though I bet there is nothing I wish in the only store open to me.  A walk through the shops, in spite of the women using them, is a must, and then home to iron shirts once again.  Scots schools have begun to return I believe, down here they are always a month behind.  We have our last kids activity on September 5th, that's four Saturdays away, so I suspect if I don't get the earliest bus, 9:15, I will meet the brats spending folks money.  It is possible the rain will keep them indoors.

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GRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!

Having mentioned the successful download of Windows 10 naturally enough I happily spent some time trying to work out what had gone wrong and what had been fine and dandy.  While doing this connection with the world was lost, wi-fi ceased, this however returned within a minute indicating this was one of the BT people mucking about with the lines somewhere I bet.  It is not the first time this has occurred.  
Later I went to switch the beast off, this on Win 10 means clicking the 'Start' button and closing down.  It did not work.  Nothing moved.  Hmmmm.  I right clicked and there was the opportunity to shut down, this I did.  
Later I attempted to open up and this appeared:-

 GRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!
Sign out it said, so I did, several times and back in again to see if it worked.
It didn't.
I opened the other laptop that does not work right, indeed never has.  Some bad boy got in there and I am not sure he has completely gone yet.  I download Spy-bot and anti Malware and they say the file in corrupted!  Hmmm.
Anyway I have managed to get him sort of working, Windows Live Mail went on OK today so some of it works, but the bad boy may still be there.  While playing with him and searching for a variety of good advice re Win 10, "open start button" they say but it will not open!!!  I searched around and this was a common fault in the early beta modules.  
I tried again and LO!  Win 10 began to update, and then updated again, and now appears to work properly.   Hmmm, how long before the next update doctor....?

Actually I find the screen size a wee bit bigger, I adjusted it and went back to default as it suits my eyes, but it still is not quite right to me.

Windows Media Player however did not bring over the music I had on there.  I cannot say about videos as I had downloaded or dumped all mine the other day to make space, none were worth keeping.  On my music folder however the music there has come over.  I had some radio programmes and they have disappeared (or I may have forgotten I downloaded them) and I wonder if copyright is involved here?

Oh and to make everything seem better Selfridges have opened the Christmas store!


7:40 the brutes doing it again!
The start will not start so I canny shut down.  If I do I canny get back in.
One suggestion was on offer online, but it invles entering that I like item on the keyboard.  A straight up and down line sharing the key with two other things I never use.  I canny get this to work! Grrrr!
I'm not happy.

Computer Stuff Innit?

The Windows 10 upgrade arrived today.  I have yet to upgrade, and the beast is going slow for some unknown reason as it is, and I am in two minds whether to go ahead with this confusing upgrade business.  One thing is clear Microsoft will know everything about us that it does not know already and 'they' will be keeping tabs on us even closer than before.  If only I had brains I could use one of them Unix type browsers.  If I had brains I would of course be living in a warm country, by the sea, with several servants seeing to my every need.  As it is I'm clearly dumb!  
I will await indications from the geeks around us as to whether this new OS works, if I have brains enough to work it, and what are the pitfalls, mistakes and obvious bits Microsoft have forgotten.  I suspect within the week a million updates will be flowing around the ether stopping the hackers enjoying themselves, interfering with peoples private computer worlds is a job for the police and tabloid journalists after all.
One thing, every blog now has that daft cookie message on it but I have not seen it on mine, does it show to others I ask?  I understand the need for this but wonder about going too far with such things.  Surely a small message, whether accepted or not, should suffice?
I have tried to remove things from the laptop today but even that went wrong.  I have placed the info on discs, pictures fill discs, this took time and was well organised I thought.  However as I went to add fotos to these discs they were either full or I could not find the appropriate disc!  Maybe I lost it, deleted it or didn't make one and deleted the previous stuff by mistake, anything is possible here.  Still it filled the morning didn't it?  My technical expertise is limited but today I must confess it was falling apart, I knew I should have eaten better last night, that's the problem!  Something is slowing the beast and with half a brain and the failure of the malware finders to find anything I conclude it must be me.  Bah!  
This is typical of course, work on fixing things in the house is half finished and many half started ideas leave a mark in odd corners,usually wreathed in cobwebs.  My documents folder has many such great ideas I have began and dumped when reality came along, and this desk is awash with books and papers for reasons long forgotten.  The story of my life really.  
I prepare for the kids tomorrow, the bullwhip suggestion has been useful, extra staff laid on, hopefully, and chocolate produced to keep the girls near me.  A useful tip for men failing to attract them, a bag of chocolates produce a response like bees around a honey pot!  If they talk too much give them toffees, that does not fail either as they cannot refuse and then cannot talk, wonderful idea that works! 

Clear Sight

 

I see the world clearer now.  By that I do not mean I have read and understood all the propaganda spewed out of the various political parties, no siree.  No-one understands those, not even the writers let's be honest.  I did however receive the Tory leaflet through the door today, personally addressed to me.  This tactic of personally addressing such leaflets is motivated by a desire to convince the householder that he is worth something to the candidate, nobody believes that!  So a glance at the picture of the smug git was enough to put me off.  Certainly he has abilities, clearly he has some experience of life, there can be no doubt he suits this Tory dominated constituency but will I vote for him, I doubt this very much!  He did not reply to my Twitter tweet asking him one question, only the Labour man managed that to his credit, the two others I asked also failed to answer. Today's media is quiet on the election however, just another Cameron fear story re the SNP. Nothing regarding policy, just one of Clegg's promises that mean nothing so it shows the Conservative Party are struggling indeed if their media are quiet.

However we get away from the point!

The point is I can see clearer now.  Indeed I see better than I have seen for ages.  You see work has begin on the outside of the crumbling building and scaffolding has been erected for the men to (slowly) do the work.  Naturally one is off at the hospital for some results and the other is off elsewhere today.  All we have is a couple of scaffolders erecting even more poles and planks remarkably quietly.  This erection allowed me to make use of the scaffold to clean my windows!  You see owing to several problems, sloth being the most obvious other than the weather, it has not been possible to actually clean the windows without much stress and hassle.  Today however I clambered onto the scaffold and removed eons of dirt from the outside of the glass.  It strikes me now I am sitting watching the gray clouds gathering outside that I forgot to continue and clean the inside also. Oh well, another job for tomorrow.  

 

Where do 'bluebottles' come from?  You know those big blue flies that race in the window flying around seeking escape and usually leave by the way they entered?  I ask because each day this week I have had one on the window that will not go to the open kitchen window but wanders around the front one.  This forces me to get up and open it and chase the brute around until he leaves.  This window remains closed because of traffic noise yet it is this one the beasts insist on visiting.  Maybe once I clean it they may find it less interesting.

Tesco today announced a loss of £6.9 Billion.  This has much to do with clever accounting that failed and opening too many large stores where they were not wanted in the first place.  Many stores have closed, jobs lost, others threatened.  The books are now clean and we move on they say.

Considering the manner in which prices have grown so sharply, I spent £35 now where I spent £20 before yet they make losses?  I find it hard to believe.

Musing Wasted.

I sat in the early morning freshness the park offered this morning and mused. This resulted in a wonderful post concerning friendly people, dogs, crows and daisies.  The east wind caused a wee bit of a chill and at eight in the morning the sun had not removed the cloud cover yet leaving what to me was a perfect Edinburgh Summer afternoon.  Up there the folks would be taking their shirts off, putting on dark glasses and asking for sun cream!  Here they wrap up in large coats and mutter about the cold!  Tsk!
Sadly however while I enjoyed the fresh air, especially as I had not really got out yesterday, and I was intending to hide my face behind the laptop today, first to remove the glitch that has arrived and them seek out dead soldiers, things did not turn out right.  The thing is I did manage to work out how to fix the Windows Live Mail, it would not send photos and IE came up by itself and that would not work.  It appears something has been switching things off.  The 'proxy' setting was on, but it ought not to be on! That fixed Windows Live sent pics again.  Little things have been arriving, a strange new 'Google' page for one, yet the defenders claim all is well.  Bah!  The search for dead men got somewhere, a better picture emerges, yet there is such a long way to go, and now I have to meet someone on Saturday to offer information we don't have! Tsk!

The things started well, but after lunch all fell apart.  I fell asleep, diner took for ever, I sauntered out, and once the muck I called dinner was over my sister phoned.  You will of course realise that as she is a woman and has not been on for months she had lots to say!  She did!  Lovely it may be, informative, enjoyable, but my ear burns now!  This means my wonderful erudite post fell from my brain and once again, late, unready, I am filling space waffling contacting the real world via the internet, which may not be wise after all.  Why does the brain function so well at different times. My body gets weary yet my brain offers deep thought late at night, however before that, around now, it is befuddled.  Early in the morning I am either still asleep or desperate to get going, but the brain is not always as sharp as it is late at night, why?  Who knows what state it will be in if I wake at three in the morning.  Bah!

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Waiting, Still Waiting....

Yesterday I woke early and spent time making space round the windows as the carpenter was to come and measure up the frames for replacing.  Everything was moved, and this meant clearing my desk of all the piles of baggage and dumping them somewhere safe.  The windows were sort of cleaned up, left open to allow air to circulate, and then I waited.

Shortly after his agreed time he called to say he could not find the house.  I discovered he was at the 'edge of town,' so I gave directions and informed the hero I would be waiting at the door.  I then went downstairs and waited.  

Now remember I live on 'Stane Street.'  This one time muddy track was hardened by the Romans to ease troop movements from their capital Camulodunum.  The road is therefore more or less straight for fifteen or so miles and if he was at the 'edge of town' he would be here in three or four minutes.  

He wasn't!  

After half an hour or so, in which I took a broom and cleaned up the front to avoid the glare of passing motorists and in the process discovered just how unfit I am (gasp) I gave up.  Possibly the poor man was not on this road and had entered by another means, possibly he was in another town, possibly he was facing in the wrong direction and headed into Camulodunum itself?   I might never know.  He might still be driving around for all I know!

That escapade wasted my whole morning leaving me today in a dwelling turned almost upside down and with much to do.  Naturally I realised I must take action here, so I fell asleep.  After this I got myself round to writing the leaflets for the museum, or in my case stealing making use of museum stuff I found online.  I am attempting to collect a handout for those visitors who ask questions and find the girls at the desk have no answers for them, they tend to be there just for the shop.  Whether it comes to anything we must wait and see but it is fun scribbling all this stuff even if no-one likes it.  

The freezing cold yesterday, on a very sunny day, has left me chilled and wheezing now.  I told you I was ill!  This means I cannot be bothered investigating the nonsense found in today's news. However I must ask why are we having almost live coverage of that South African murder trial? What is it about this weird athlete that makes it so important?  This country has a fine heritage of madmen, psychopaths, murderers and the like why do we need to suffer blanket coverage of a South African one?  Can it be more important than the Ukraine situation, the five million killed in the last thirty years in the 'Democratic Congo,' or any other war, disaster, tragedy or local murder nearer home?  I find this all very strange I must say.

Not quite as strange as yet another day of police corruption and mishandling of a murder inquiry arises. The Lawrence murder of twenty one years ago still brings accusations of police criminality as we hear of smear campaigns against the family, police connections to one of the accused, files withheld from previous inquiries and who know what to be uncovered now.  Some ageing policemen will be seeking refuge in Russia before long methinks.

Each day however I note that the Westminster governments desperation regarding Scotland's coming independence produces more and more propaganda.  Each time it gets more absurd than before.  The other day another oil company chief, not based in the UK, claimed Scotland should stay in the UK, even though that was not quite what he said and he cares only for his business money anyhow.  Then it was the Banks will have to move to London if Scotland is independent.  no one claims how much that will cost these banks.  Each day a lie is published in the London based media and soon I expect to read the Loch Ness monster will move to an English lake if Scotland chooses independence, Haggis will be taxed, Scots air is actually English and rain will not fall on Scotland after independence!  The last bit sounds quite good.  All part of the English governments attempt to keep Scotland paying for tax breaks for the rich in the south east of England!  

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Now I'm not one to complain but....

Why I ask, when something works perfectly well, do we need some cretinous minded lout coming along and 'improving things?'  The BBC website is one such example.  Having moved into new Manchester, sorry, Salford, studios it has been decided to 'upgrade' the excellent BBC website in keeping with the new layout in Salford and BBC London.  This means the football pages are full of white space and absurd yellow banners, meaningless unrelated content is pinned for weeks where it is not wanted and required content is not always easy to find.  The 'upgrade' to the BBC iPlayer has gone the same way. The screen above is the 'simple' layout some fourteen year old geek has offered us, and as you will expect it does not quickly lead to the sought after item. WHY can 'designers' not design things to be simple enough for stupid people to operate rather than fancy enough for someone who will only admire the layout and not actually have to use it?

There now follows a few minutes quite as I lie on the floor chewing the ends of the rug.

When I got this laptop it came equipped with 'Windows 7,' while before I used 'XP.'  'XP' was excellent and gave me all I required, it also allowed me to use the 'Outlook' Mail service which is far better than 'Windows Live,' a system that fails to live up to its name!  However someone somewhere insisted on changing things, needlessly!  Bah!  

  
Google Maps have done this also!  The old system was perfect and I used this often.  Now the thing is not straight forward, lists appear at the side unwanted, the wee man will not land on the street chosen, the tools are useless, pictures arise from the bottom for no reason and 'my location' does not work yet the location is there on the absurd space taking list at the top left!   I click on the map to move it and the address, with picture, appears at the top left.  I don't want it!  If I want a picture I will ask for one! Just give me the map!  This is a needless and failing upgrade!  Go back to the old system Google!!!!


Now look, that rug is frayed at the edges.....

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Another Old Photo

An ancient shot I took while studying with the Open University.  This was a week long session at the Royal Holloway place in the south west of London.  Marvellous building, fantastic place to be.  It was begun as a college for women, I think since the false equality laws took over it is now open to anyone rich enough o pay the fees.  A week there was enough for me mind, had I been young and studious it may appeal but by that time I liked my own place too much.  I would finish the course but the history on offer is poor and each costs £2400 these days.  Beyond me now, but never mind, I was a poor student and was only doing it for me myself and I.  Lovely individual rooms the girls had I must say.  Sufficiently large for one, possibly cool in winter, own sink and fire, and the stairs would keep them fit!  A real fine Victorian building this.  He also constructed a psychiatric sanatorium nearby, in use until the late 80's, made in similar style.  Some studying might have wondered if they were in the right building at times I suspect. 

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A poor attempt to capture the stained glass window. Without a telescopic lens it is a bit of a failure.  

In real life the window is well worth a look.

***

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins
on the ice in Antarctica – where do they go?


Wonder no more ! ! !


It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic
bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.


The penguin is very committed to its family and will
mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of
compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.


If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members
of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes
in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is
deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.
The male penguins then gather in a circle
around the fresh grave
and
sing:


“Freeze a jolly good fellow”


“Freeze a jolly good fellow.”


“Then they kick him in the ice hole.”

(In spite of what some may say there is no truth in the rumour that this was stolen from 'Kenfitlike.')






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Pub Crawl

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This morning, being a Bank Holiday, I strolled out through the quiet streets to attempt to take pictures of the houses in which my dead soldiers resided.  By that I mean when they were alive, as they stopped living their when they became dead, the council would not allow it. Anyway it was quieter than a Sunday today, the sun almost shone, the rain threatened and moved away, and I took one or two hasty shots. I am not too keen on taking pictures of houses when people are seen inside. The gruff question regarding what I am playing at can cause offence, I've found. The policeman's quizzical look can also hinder a steady camera and therefore early morning is the most suitable time for such work. Amongst the interesting finds, to me at least, was this old pub I once delivered to.  It ceased to operate as a public house a good few years ago and now houses this small company, and the two attractive young secretaries.  Funny how I always remember such young women. Not that my memory is that good but they were early thirties, wearing green and blue tops, had nice....anyway, the windows. Wisely they have not removed the windows, or indeed repainted the place, although the massive amount of traffic outside their door today means the paintwork suffers badly. If you look close enough you will note the cleverly crafted advert for Spirits which can be seen. 

 

In days of yore all pubs informed the world outside that they offered 'Fine wines,'  'blended whiskies,' and 'Famous Ales,' often on frosted glass panes. Whether they lived up to the adverts depended on how much the drinker imbibed I suppose.  Until the absurdity of the feminist influence some public houses were drinking dens for men only, and I think this may well have been one such. Small, close to the massive Iron Foundry round the corner, and in the evening full of spit and sawdust, heavily drowned in cigarette smoke and a haven for the working man in which to lose his weeks wages before going home to be belted by his wife!  Hmmm maybe this is an improvement!

It appears there were forty three public houses in this small town at one time. There is only about a dozen today. I wonder what that says about society today? We have drunks on our streets night after night the press tell us, is this such a novelty? Could it be it was only drunk working men in days gone by, so that is alright then?  Jesus drank wine, and the best he served up at a wedding, but he was never drunk, so drink has its place, not remembering what you did last night does not. Actually I have trouble remembering what I did last night anyway.

The Victorians had great trouble with water supplies and drinking beer was a much safer option for many. Living in squalid accommodation meant that gas lit pubs, often with entertainment on offer, (this grew into the Music Hall) and the companionship of like minded souls made such places an attraction. Better housing, the radio, TV, the death of heavy industry and the end of male only pubs has brought about great changes in society's approach to pubs. The recession today means more buy their booze from supermarkets and drink at home rather than be ripped off by a 'local.'

People get very romantic about pubs these days. The media tell us the streets are full of drunken yobs (shocked that many are women as if that is something new) yet tell us we ought to help keep pubs open as they are centres of the 'Community?'  Really? Maybe in a village situation but not in the real world. Sad to say that these places mean little to me today. Drink is fine in its place but a bottle of Guinness is more than enough for me today.  The desire to spend money on drink holds no joy, although the companionship of good people found there does!  The men who filed in the 'Freemasons Arms' after work, bringing a smell of sweat, cigarettes and iron with them, would be amazed to see the plush pubs on offer today. They would probably be delighted with many of them but regret the passing of their own little hideaway.  The women, rightly stuck aside in the 'snug, would be much happier with the pubs of today, the cleanliness, the brightness, although whether they would care for the twenty foot football screen depends on many things. OK, who's round is it? What? er...is that the time? er, em... I must be off now, I er,  have a bus to catch, bye....


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Painting

Do you realise just how difficult it is to paint the window? Mind you is is several years since I attempted this and I had to relearn everything again. There again every time I have a tea break I need to relearn everything again but that's another matter.This takes forever this painting lark! I forgot how trying painting frames could be! Getting the brush to apply the stuff is hard enough, but getting it wiped off the glass when the brush makes a mistake is wearing me out! I had hoped to finish it, but naturally there are some bits that cannot be reached when the paint is still wet. Then there is the problem of the window dropping down when my paws are full of brush and tin, panic sets in, manhandling of wet window leaving paint on me that is somehow transferred to everything within a mile and a half! Then half an hour like 'Laurel & Hardy' until I get back into the swing of things. Naturally when I finished for the day, worn out and weary, I began to rinse the brushes under the tap. It was as I done so I realised this was 'undercoat' and not 'emulsion!' As I stared unbelievingly at my paint covered hands I realised there was no 'white spirit' in the house! (Why don't we call it 'Turpentine' any more?) This meant a sticky trail through the town until I found some from a cheerless non - English speaking type for whom smiling was a crime! (No it wasn't Mike S.) However the undercoat is now on most of the woodwork, and quite a lot of the floor, just a bit to finish when the rest is dry. Tomorrow we gloss. 'Once more unto the window we go!' As someone famous almost said.

Of course, then there are the other windows that needs doing also. I need a job to give me a rest!