Sunday Cycle

Sunday is my first day of the week yet the diary and all calendars today all begin on Monday!  This is annoying and puts me off.  Last week I missed my sisters birthday (she has had plenty of them) because it was on the Monday and I did not turn the page soon enough to realise.  This annoyed me because it saved me money and you know how much I hate that!  I love to give money away to others and i failed to do so this time.  
Not that she has money worries, for some time both she and her husband were both buying failing Lottery tickets and winning nothing, she stopped buying and placed the money that would have gone on tickets on the mantelpiece.   One year later he had won around £10 and she had a hundred sitting there gloating, as indeed was she.  This is however somewhat annoying again as I was relying on her winning several million pounds and then passing some on to me, this is now unlikely to happen as he will waste his millions on his daughters alone, selfish man!
Folks who gamble are funny.  One man I knew spent each day in the bookies placing small bets (he said) and every so often winning a few pounds.  In his mind he was breaking even over the year but you and I know he was losing hand over fist.  Betting companies work online giving them reach to people worldwide who throw their money at them happily.  This enables several such companies to spend their millions on more adverts for the mug, more advertising from sponsoring sports events, two alone do this in Scotland, and from such advertising bring in more cash than they can shake a stick at, if that's their idea of a good time.  
The temptation to win big is very strong especially if you are in financial trouble.  I went in for it a while back when unemployed and try as I might I got nowhere with the Lottery, no million pound cheque found its way to me.  However I knew this was daft and trusting Jesus has never left me down so I returned to that and on the day, much later, when later I found I was paying out more than I was taking in Jesus provided.  The taxman gave me a refund that arrived that day and both Gas & Electric told me to pay less than I was paying monthly!  I could survive again.  The thought that I could use vast amounts is always a temptation but I would probably make a mess of this, now having moved from Pauperism to Poverty I am quite happy.  

The sun tempted me to cycle to church today.  By the time i got there, five minutes later, I was puggled and looking for an ambulance.  I got little sympathy from the congregation however and remarkably when I came home afterwards I raced up the road with little stress, bar the Audi I met when going round the roundabout, he was not slowing down, and as I climbed the stairs with no trouble I realised cycling short distances was indeed making me fitter.  I will be back tomorrow and will follow the same route, without the Audi, and hopefully this will be beneficial also.
of course I canny stand up now I have been sitting watching football all day, I have siezed up!

It Was Better When...

Facebook has a page just for our little town.  This is an excellent idea and many pictures, adverts and much information regarding the museum happens to appear there on occasions, I know not how.  The page is used by many to conjure up memories of Braintree from days of yore.  A great many are now living abroad, some from work, some because life causes us to move away from home and a number of women who married the abundant supply of 'rich' Americans working at the many air bases that sprung up during the second world war.  The last base did not close until the late 90's and every so often these women return with their man to see relatives and have a jolly good time.  One, now widowed, arrived last Tuesday just as we opened to wander around the shop and obtain gifts to take home again.  Such folk use the facebook page to keep in touch with their past and keep an eye on the developing town. 

One  topic is the constant whine that 'The town is not the same,' or 'It's not as good as it was,' or the grumble 'It was better in my day.'  Maybe it is because I look at history and read things from the past, maybe it is because they are grumbling old people or maybe it is because they are right I know not but this annoys me.  The town is certainly changing, it has altered in the 21 years I have been here, but what these Moaning Minnie's forget is that the town always changed and altered, and old people just like them constantly grumbled that it 'was better in the past.'  
Look at the change to the market, the difference between the crowds before 1914 compared to those in the late 30's as seen above.  No animals are seen in the top picture possibly because it was a Saturday market and Wednesday may have had animals, possibly the animals are round in the high Street, I have seen pictures of Bulls there in the 60's.  Todays market cannot compete with either but if they could bring this back would the grumbles like it?  No, they would find many complaints.
For a start the women would complain about animal leftovers on their shoes, much abounding in the past, and then complain about the inconvenience of having to go from one stall to another for the daily needs.  The convenience of Tesco's would suddenly appear bright and the quality of goods improving, let alone the amount of cash no readily available for most was just not there in the past.
the men in the top picture are complaining about the cost of a pint, almost a shilling where in the bottom picture it might have been only 3 pence in some places.  The women in the top will be fussing about fashion in just the same manner of those in the lower picture, but in the top one more will have cash to buy more readily than the majority on poor wages in the bottom picture.    
All in both pictures will be grumbling the 'Kids have it easy today, not like when we were that age.'  The kids, if still around are saying just that very thing today while in the market.

The past is another country and far too many people live in it.  They look at the town and see it when they were young forgetting that what they enjoyed was not the town but their life in the town. The town they now see does not fit in with their memory but young folks today are having exactly the same thoughts as they, but will look back in thirty years time grumbling about how the town has changed.  'What is has already been and will be again.'  I am glad I moved when younger, I am glad I moved here, because I do not look back on my Edinburgh childhood and long to return, indeed many things make me glad not to be in Edinburgh, the early 1970's were not a good time for me and my memories are not always good.  I do have good ones from all places I have stayed as well as bad but too many forget the bad things that occurred in the past and block them out viewing their youth as a good place, forgetting the fears, problems and mistakes that have left scars but can be ignored.
Braintree & Bocking had around 12,000 people between them in 1914, when I arrived there were 30,000, now there is 40,000 and things do change and not always for the better.  The car enables folks to visit the big towns for shopping at big stores, the web enables online shopping and tastes change as well as markets.  The market has stood for over 800 years and will continue for many more, ever changing and always with grumbling people fussing about nothing all around.
Maybe they all ought to learn from me, I'm not one to complain...    

Friday Faffle

Yes indeed the election is well under way.  For the most part I have avoided it but all hours of the day are filled with talk, mostly gibberish, from all sides.  Promises abound but not so much as lies do, fingers are pointed over there while ignoring the fingers pointed at themselves, and the great mass of the population take to social media to spout ignorant twaddle, which you are now reading.
We have the local election for County Councillors (which will be won by Tories) and a month later this election (which here will be won by Tories) and then we have no more - until the next time.  I wonder how many will vote?  The County council one will be poor regarding turnout, however I expect large numbers for the real election which is a shame as the closed minds here will vote for the Tories unthinkingly or indeed the rump of the UKIP lot.  How I wish there was more choice around here.

 
I have spent much time engrossed in transferring stuff between laptops.  All relevant things must be placed on this new bright shiny one and the museum stuff left on the aged old one as there is too many links to change.  Naturally hours have been wasted going from one to another and back again while forgetting if I was going or coming half the time.  So many photos, and this does not have the photo gadget I have on the other laptop, this has ceased according to Microsoft.  The new Photo app I am not sure about.
I did however take the opportunity to send emails to many people.  There were so many to answer, which is unusual, and all required a little thought, a little thought as you know is something I can manage easily.  Much of the morning was wasted in this manner.  I cared not and enjoyed myself.  The afternoon was a flurry of housework, a flurry not seen for many a day I can tell you.

This hard work is interfering with my book reading.  I seem to be getting nowhere with that.  The books I am into are just not nearing the end as I plough through them intermittently while doing so many other things (and suffering sloth of course).  There really needs to be another day added just so I can sit and read books.   Possibly you say it could be me being slow?  Well certainly I note how slow I am these days, in fact only the other day I was overtaken by a walking funeral in the main street of this town.  I was a bit miffed when the leader asked if I wanted a lift...
I'm slow at getting up, slow at breakfast, slow and wondering what to do, slow at rescuing burnt things from ovens, slow at everything these days.  In days of yore I was never fast but at least I could move, run on occasions, and get around town avoiding the crush but now I just slog along slower than old men with zimmer frames.  Maybe I ought to borrow one...?

Surprise at Work

Several surprises at work today, the worst being made to transfer the kitchen stuff elsewhere while the builder rebuilt it!  Long before my starting time I was lugging things about and sweating in a manner not known for many a day.   This is not a situation I wish to repeat.  It does show however how much is contained in a small kitchen and questions must be asked about most of it.  Still the builder is a good guy and soon we will have more space in their yet I bet the majority continue to dump everything in the sink and do a runner as always.  
Good job I am not one to complain or I may have had to when the first visitor arrived as I opened the door intending to sit, drink tea made in the cleaning sluice, and instead I was forced to chat in an inane manner while she looked for gifts.  I just wished to lie back and breathe without gasping.

   
As we are in a mess at the moment, one exhibition comes down and the second begins to claim space, the museum is flooded with helpers running around with little idea what to do.  I help by keeping out the way or removing white 'Blutack' from the back of information cards.  The woman in charge muttered something about me 'finding my place,' stole some of my chocolates and disappeared in a whirl of waste paper and exhibition stuff.      
I however continued with my work, two male visitors, one Museum Friend and two more helpers for the clean up, two phone calls booking events, all this while attempting to read one of our books and doing without tea as mine went cold and no-one was free to aid my distress.  So I filled in time by taking pictures of stock with a small and not too good camera to see what I could get from it.  This entertained me if not being very productive.  

 
Another surprise came at lunchtime when one of the women Generals came out of her interminable meeting with the big boss to inform me of Theresa May's decision to have a General Election on June 8th.  Naturally this is interesting news and reveals something of the impotence of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn.  Had he been a successful leader she would not risk this.  
It is right that the Brexit farce requires a General Election not a referendum in which the people were lied to as a mandate for Brexit.  However as the Conservatives are 20 points ahead in the polling it suggests she will win, wipe Labour out for years and bring about an even greater chance of Scots independence.  The Conservative policy of making the poorest face the burden of austerity will keep them out of Scotland, other troubles such as the 'Rape Clause' will lead to the Scots Tories suffering badly up north.  I forsee a Tory win but elections are not referendums, voting for Brexit does not always mean voting Tory, especially as the cost will come home to roost soon enough and the Labour voter will suffer much more than the middle class Tory.

 
As we have local council elections on May 5th folks are not happy about another election a month later.  In this area it matters little, this part of the nation is Conservative controlled at local and County level with little room for opposition to show.  Not only do we have the country peoples who are often the bedrock of the Tory Party but we also have the 'Working Class Conservative' who votes  for them because he thinks they give him more money in his pocket.  ON top of this UKIP the loony Conservative voters abound in this area, a mixture of 'little Englander' and 'Racist,' these folks will not even eat curry in case they fail the Empire!  So whatever way we vote the Tory MP will be returned, the majority of local and county councillors will be Conservative and nothing will make much difference for me.  Already the local Labour Party have dumped leaflets on us and in a few weeks we will be flooded by them and the recycling bag will be overflowing with lies, half truths and desperation!
Oh joy!  Two months of this to look forward to.

Once I had hobbled home I was confronted with more surprises.  The boys were fixing the broken flooring in the hall, the flooring that has been broken for nearly 20 years!  I expressed my surprise and was confronted with demands for tea!!!  This I managed to ignore as I pleaded weariness from my mornings endevours.  This obtained no sympathy, workmen I find often fail to empathise with those who do less than they.   Nonetheless I made tea for me and left them to it.  I bet I find the floor totally taken up tomorrow when I go down, just for spite!

Now important things are at hand, Real Madrid playing Bayern Munchen!

Easter Monday

Being the Easter Monday holiday almost everything was shut.  Thankfully Tesco still opened to feed those who almost starved over the past few days.  I had to go there as I found a sink was blocked and while I managed to clear it last night found my bank holiday beginning with pouring smelly stuff down the plughole.  It seems to work but it does annoy when that happens, especially late in the day.  
For the rest of the day I sat at this laptop trying to finish updating the WW2 memorial that collapsed. The problem is that while I have basic info on all the men I have not got the links to hand for further information so I have to trawl through the sites to find that again.  That takes time and working at the speed to which I have become accustomed it took lots of time.  It is getting there but slowly and what slows me down is finding interesting bits of info which I must read and then forget what I was looking for in the first place.  Bah!      

On the other hand as there was nothing on the TV and I found less on the radio I suppose this kept  me out of mischief.  The question is why are TV programmes on holiday periods so poor?  Do they save up the rubbish to fill space or is it the programmes they have are all poor and they show them hour after hour?  For instance 'Who do you think you are,' the series where famous people I have never heard of seek their ancestors, has been running for four days now.  While the idea of this programme is good the outworking is poor.  The whole point is less about finding the empty headed starlets great granny it is about finding a story about great granny in a workhouse so they can add sentimental music and force tears from said starlet.  That is not seeking ancestors that is a reflection of the small minded TV we have dumped on us by the Islington set today.  Certainly finding granddad in a lunatic asylum might produce a reaction but why force tears about someone born a hundred years before you were born?  My granddad's first wife ended in such a place but ought I to be weeping?   He might have done, the children might but really this is just a reflection of the loss of the 'stiff upper lip.'  Whatever it is it is not history.

Possibly I misjudge the attitudes.  I am constantly finding poignant information when researching people.  For instance this lass here, a member of the ATS who died far from home in Coventry during the war.  Her little band were supporting heavy anti-aircraft guns, either firing the things or working searchlights alongside possibly, either way from action or disease she died aged 19 only.  That is  tear jerking especially if there were no more children in the family.  I can find no other information on this lassie, who knows the situation, but can we weep for people we never met?

While I sat in here in the gloom with only the starlings banging away at the feeders for company I know you lot were still stuffing chocolate eggs down your throat.  I am not jealous, just as I am not the one running to the dentist asking why there are no teeth left.  
No I enjoyed the gruel which was all I could afford, the bit of stale bread left in the wooden box, and washed this down with stale water to avoid using electricity and spending cash.  No don't feel sorry for me, you enjoy being overweight....

Halleluiah!

 

An excellent morning at St Paul's remembering Jesus rising from the dead, death and hell defeated and the potential for life, real life, everlasting given to us.  That said while we struggled through a couple of unknown songs, still unknown to me I must say, such songs reveal the lack of formality at this church, a friendly place that is informaly formal.  The most moving time was the kids search for hidden Easter Eggs.  That lasted about 35 seconds!   These were the 'Real Easter Eggs' produced to show the real meaning of Easter, you possibly didn't see them in the shops as while some like Tesco stock them they are usually hidden away.  Sainsburys neither stocks them or speaks about why though I am told they do Halal chocolate.  I wonder if this is true, you know how tabloids lie to the readers.

One miracle was waking tired and dizzy, unsure whether to go out or not.  Just before time I did rally and made it OK though I felt a bit faint early on.   However when I got home I realised I felt better than I had done for days and walked home quicker than ever having made sure I spoke to all the pretty girls first before leaving.  

While I took a handful of small eggs with me for the kids I myself received nil in reply!  Now I am not one to complain but I gave one to the pretty girls at work, small ones to the kids and my chocolate addiction continues, though sparingly at the moment as I have none to eat.  

Painted and decorated eggs go back a long way, some have been found in Africa dating to 60,000 years ago and the peoples of Mesopotamia and Egypt also saw eggs as a symbol of death and rebirth.  Some think Christians in Mesopotamia picked up the idea of painted eggs from Persia and later through the Orthodox Church it spread into Serbia and Russia and thence to Rome where it was adopted as normal practice.  On occasions symbolic colour is used but today the only symbol we note is the price of the egg.  

When we were young no eggs existed, sugar rationing did not end until 1954 I think and chocolate egg sales were slow to develop at a time when cash was short.  We did however paint hard boiled eggs and roll them down hills in the local park, though why we did this remains a mystery!  These were then scoffed and probably passed off as lunch!  Times were hard.  

I suppose the eggs found today have gone already.  Few will remain until tomorrow and then the kids will be threatened by a dentist visit!  Oh joy!

Another Boring Day

I noticed these weeds (when does a flower become a weed?) when looking for dropped coins as I walked the streets this afternoon escaping the laptop.  Spring has an abundance of such at the moment, or is it just lazy men refusing to cut the grass I wonder?   Possibly the Monday holiday will see many happy men toiling in the garden.

 

It is a wonder this planet, the sky changes colour minute by minute, just looking in a different direction and the hue changes, the sea is a vast moving region that delights at all times, unless it is swamping us!  The greenery that flourishes in our wet climate, the verdant hues all around, the world is a marvellous lace yet we make it a litter bin by carelessness or lack of concern.   

This cartoon sums it up.  Vast quantities are floating about the seas killing wildlife and hindering shipping.  Some the result of storms sinking ships and damaging coastal towns, other vast amounts of individual rubbish thrown aside thoughtlessly that now bobs along heading your way.  

The UK is a filthy nation, litter lies around everywhere, occasional attempts at clean ups exist but councils don't help by charging enormous amounts for businesses to dump stuff, locals can do this free but as business has to pay uncaring types dump things in back roads!

Ah well, charging 5p for a plastic bag has lessened the amount floating around nowadays.

Good Friday

 

'Good Friday' is not what it was.  Once upon a time this was a well received day off for unbelievers and a day to commemorate Christ's crucifixion for believers.  Today it is almost a normal day.

At eight this morning I heard lots of banging and thumping going on downstairs.  At first I thought it was a local shopkeeper working on the neighbours garden as he was doing this the day before but no it is the men fixing new PVC windows into the downstairs flat.  On Good Friday I ask?  

Not only a walk around the town shows the churches with doors open, a parade of witness soon to start, and while I expected some shops to be open to grasp every penny available I was surprised at how many are open at normal times.  The museum is open as usual also as it was last year, very strange I say but there will be events going on and folks will come in.  Two nearby building sites are working, JCB digger breaking new ground over the road to disturb us all.

People are out and about but not in massive droves,not yet anyway.  For so many it is a day off, I believe factories have closed, surely they would to save money, for many however it appears double time payments (if they are available) are more important.

 I joined the redeemed sinners for a contemplative hour this afternoon.  A few readings, a song or two, and imagined opinions from Pontius Pilate and others thrown in to try and understand their point of view.  I read the Caiaphas part.  He was the somewhat pretentious Sadducee who was High Priest that year.  The 'elite' wished to keep their position and Jesus threatened that and he was not best pleased.  I played his words like a high handed councillor defending his position, a position he did not seem to consider wrong.  Quite what he thought when the disciples continued to follow the man Jesus he thought dead I don't know but it must have worried him at some time, there again possibly not.  The Centurion, Pilate, Caiaphas all had seen Crucifixion before, though the Jews never used it just the Romans, the Jews preferred to stone people but time was short and the Passover under way so Roman death it was.  Each knew something was different about Jesus, Pilate of course did not like nor trust the leading men, indeed I think they got him transferred some time later, the Centurion was used to deaths and recognised something in the manner Jesus took his death, Caiaphas was just too busy gloating over his victory to think straight.

I was glad I did not get the last part to read, it was quite long and contained the imagined words of Judas!  This was a part I would not have been happy with.  Being typecast as a pretentious, self important, proud, smug Sadducee is OK, but not Judas.  

The group broke up quickly and quietly afterwards.  Some lost in thought, some unsure what to do now, and so we drifted of home.  A different approach to Easter, it makes me wonder what will be on offer on Sunday morning!  One thing is sure I will avoid the church tomorrow as 'Messy Church' takes pace, a time when kids play around, create things and get in a mess, I will stay well away.

Boring Again!

Nothing happened twice today.  What with the Easter break the news is quite boring,  folks are either away on holiday or finding things to occupy the kids, and I have been stuck in here ironing a pile of shirts.  This was important as there were no more in the cupboard.  While in Tesco this morning I was tempted to buy another one t save me ironing the rest, the need to spend cash put me off. 

 

While I was ironing I played a video on the laptop from youtube.  This featured a 'cab ride' in a diesel engine running at high speed from Colchester to London Liverpool Street some years ago.  As I watched I found it very relaxing and pondered on the many videos of seaside, birds, country areas, rail and I presume aircraft and boats also, a wide and varied array that are available on youtube and elsewhere that normal people would ignore.  I however find such things not only interesting but relaxing.  Maybe it's just my inherited crass stupidity or maybe there is another reason but I enjoy such videos.  Rail cab rides allow you to see the drivers view, really interesting on lines often used personally, and give an understanding of how lines operate.  It is fair to say that since privatisation they operate mostly in similar ways to the past but the profits go to a few and while the service deteriorates the prices go up!  At least those clever folks who make such videos keep their own profit while sharing their videos online today.

    

A railway compartment from the 30's.  While we travelled on them often most people would avoid us as no-one wishes to be trapped with kids on a train so often we were in quiet compartments.  I remember not only the wire like luggage rack above, the strange leather belt contraption that opened the windows but also above the seats three rather boring aged pictures  of Scottish landscapes, aways rather dull I thought.  However when travelling from London in the 80's I used to have a compartment to myself on the Aberdeen train as few realised it stopped at Waverley at three in the morning.  Always an enjoyable trip by myself I remember.   A museum visitor noticed the picture and commented that no-one ever spoke in those compartments. 

Horses, Homes, and Hopeless Election

I was surprised to hear how many various animals were being saved by the animal sanctuary that parades in the town centre twice a year.  Beginning with donkeys they now have a variety of equine type creatures plus goats and cats and almost anything that gets dumped on them or saved by them. This was one wee pony happily stuffing himself and making friends with wee girls who found the special feed they ought not to have found, the pony liked them a lot.

    
Usually there are other animals, chickens, sheep etc, but the only other one that should have appeared, a donkey, was not in the mood and would not come to visit.  Anyone who deals with animals knows that they rule the roost, not you!  The man accompanying the animals and the table spread with things no use to me but helping to aid their funds was very helpful and chatty.  I have the link somewhere and one day will visit them on their home site if possible.  Remus

 
My landlord, now 86 years of age, has begun to forget things.  This is worrying for a man who has a sharp mind.  He has been diagnosed with early dementia of a mild type but that means little if you forget things constantly.  I begin to worry as to what this means for the home as we have no idea who would run the company if he gave up.  However today I have been tired and spent much time forgetting things also.  It is worrying the things that get forgotten, like switching of lights, oven, shutting doors and forgetting what I am doing while staring into a cupboard.  I am not sure whether this is age, dementia or just stupidity, it is hard to tell.  My typing is awful also, red lines appear constantly as the words do not spell themselves very well, I blame the laptop.  However if the landlord goes what happens to me then?  Ah well life is full of interesting developments.

So far two election leaflets for the County Council have dropped through the door, one Tory (who will win) one Labour.  I glanced at both wondering whether it was worth bothering to read them as they always say the same things and do what they wish anyway.   This area always vote for the Conservative in spite of the facts as the rich middle classes (of whom there are many) outnumber the divided poorer lot.  UKIP, the fascist/protest/numbskulllittleenglanderpeople  have taken some votes from the Tories and run them close last time, however Brexit has killed them and the Labour Party with its non-leader offer little in response.  What a state politics has got itself into.  The national UK government is abysmal with no opposition bar the SNP and local governments are abysmal with not enough people willing to come out and vote to remove the chancers while we can. I could read the leaflets but think recycling them will do the world more good.

 

Weeks Work Finished

Yes indeed my weeks work is over.  10 in the morning till one is work enogh for me I say.  In fact the girls at work made it abundantly clear that such hours were indeed sufficent for them also.   I see this as concern for my welfare.  
The second week of Half Term saw another thousand kids cram into the hall, each paying £2 a go, mums also staying paying only £3 to keep them company.  Cheap enough when considered against the prices charged at more commercial ventures.  Having stuffed the till with slippy new £5 notes and almost run out of one pound coins, both old ones and some of the shiny new ones, I sat back to drink my tepid tea and found myself confronted with the middle classes coming to see the last week of the art exhibition.

Saturday will be the last chance to see the 'Skinny Dippers' as the show ends and the girls prepare for the textile exhibition that follows.  I am not sure I wish to look at knitting, crochet, or textile stuff  yself but this is how we survive.  The present exhibition has brought in the crowds and at times so will the next one but I longfor a proper HISTORY exhibition!

       
A glance at the tree opposite the other day saw the wood pigeon settling down on an almost bare branch for the night.  Today the same tree is awash with green!   Spring takes so long in arriving and suddenly breaks out all over the place.  Marvellous!  Naturally I have been inside missing it.

Now I have time and if I find energy I must get out and take pictures of something different, I wonder what?   Anywhere interesting is stuffed full of kids, anywhere else isn't or is too far off beam and what is left?  Hopefully I will find out sometime this week.

Palms

 

Being Palm Sunday the kids were in and appropriate music was played.  The day was delightful and most were happy for the most part, at least the looked happy scoffing the cakes afterwards.  However I awoke early this morning and forced myself back to sleep a couple of times until a BBC radio programme called 'Sunday' was heard.  This is supposedly the 'religious' programme, once Christian and now a mixed bag of anything but bible based news.  Their favourite subject is sex, pushing gay sex being the BBC, women, and any trouble anywhere that is as far from bible truth as possible.  Now I am happy to see, or is that hear, other religions mentioned, today however I was a wee bit miffed that questioning whether the Resurrection occurred or not the individuals asked about this tended to be unbelievers!  Having two sides of the story, one for and one against is not wrong but the impression was that those who chose not to believe (no question was asked as to how they got their evidence that there was no eternal life) were given more credence than those who did believe.  A discussion on the survey that was behind the question began with a somewhat woolly Anglican and a woman from the survey.  I quickly gave up and wondered why a more open debate, with someone offering help to understand the resurrection as well as the opinions of those who disbelieve it (most in my view have not investigated this) did not occur.  Like so many other aspects of life Jesus and belief in him is not allowed in public debate, yet millions believe in him in one form or another, why is the BBC unwilling to tolerate him?

I cycled to church today, against the wind going and against the wind coming back home again.  Now tell me how this can be?  The east wind was quite strong going there, turning south the wind grew stringer and my debilitated body was not enjoying the puffing as I finished the ten minute ride.  On the way back I expected to be blown along at a fair old rate, not a chance, the wind now came from the west!  How does this work I ask?  I do not mind cycling against the wind as long as it blows me back home but this is just unfair!  

However that said two days short bike rides and already I feel better for it.  I breathe deeper, my muscles are reappearing (not that this says much) and the ache in the knees is considerably worse, except of course when I stand up after sitting for a while!  Now I must pump up the tyres, add some oil in several places and possibly even clean the thing, though that can wait, all cleaning waits in this house.     

Gloom to Bloom

After two days of sunshine the weather improved enough to begin the day with thick mist.   It was not just the mist that was thick, this thicko decided to get on the bike and look for a place where the sun was cutting through said mist, I didn't find it.

My knees were aching anyway so I did not think this would make them worse, it may improve things in the long term, so of I trundled discovering how low the tyres could get yet still carry my bulk.  Again I enjoyed the quietness of the streets before the town came alive, again I listened  to the birds serenading me, again I could not see them for the mist.  I did see the occasional not very happy individual dressed for Saturday overtime, how I miss those days?  One or two cycled past not too keen to get in on time, Saturdays are often less urgent than week days in some warehouses, the bright Hi-Vis vests seen long before the wearers were.

 
Watching the park opposite I often see a Blackbird defending his patch.  Other Blackbirds, Thrush's or whatever that arrive are swiftly confronted as he protects his land.  This morning as I crossed the road this one was sitting surveying the quiet morning, it was clear this was the owner of the land.  He sat not six feet away from me, not moving, not fussed, quite confident in his self as I took a few shots of him.  He is certainly not a young one and as I made my way across the park I could see him still sitting there quite at peace.  I suppose breakfast was over, the intruders dispatched, the traffic still quiet, few people around so now was the time to sit and watch.  

   
By the time I got home and recovered from my exercise I noticed the mist tinning and soon the sky was blue, the sun shining and I was trapped here filling out forms!  Much of the rest of the time was trying to work out if I had a virus on the laptop or not.  Three devices claim I did not, yet I am sure something has arrived.  I did break away from the laptop and the football long enough to cross the park and deliver one form to the Council offices.  Everywhere people were acting as if it were summer!  Are they mad?  

My knees ache...