Waking before six at this time of year is not a bad thing in my view, unless like me you have had insufficient sleep yet the brain will not close down. This dumb approach to life left me spotting this picture first thing and attempting to reproduce the yellowness of the early morning sun, quite something today. Within a few minutes I was on the bike and racing slowly towards the old railway in an attempt to enjoy cycling when its quiet.
Fifteen minutes later and the cloud was beginning to blot out the sun, typical. Instead I pondered over the farmer who has sown wheat here and is half way through harvesting the crop. He has been desperate to sell to a local money grabbing developer for years and once again has put in a bid to erect around 500 houses. This would fill the space between town and village causing much upset and ruining the old railway as a glimpse of country much loved and required by folks like me. Who can blame a farmer for wanting out? Once Bexit comes and the promises of Brexiteers are seen as hollow regarding the cash farmers would receive, fishermen have just began t understand that also, then food production will be unprofitable and Farmer Jones's all over the shop will be unhappy. However a strenuous effort by people with talent has opposed this move once again and it may well be that they will succeed in stopping this development. Several others are ongoing all around this area, the Tories are keen to build on 'green land' as their friends the developers are cashing in and they get something out of it, those with expensive homes get bills and debt while we all lose a green lung.
Farmer Jones has got the huff once again and forced the Rangers to erect fences ensuring the public do not take their dogs onto his land, something they have been doing to his fallow fields for years. Behind this one he has also chopped trees and attempted vainly to block the long established path and ensure he is continued to be loved by local residents. Further up the road a similar large plot was threatened with housebuilding and someone bought the fields and turned them into a decent nature reserve, well it will be in a few years when grown. That would cost a great deal here however as the area is quite extensive.
How nice to see the bike out in the country again. Not that I went far, just far enough to wake me up, and then return to do the ironing and have a jolly day with that....any woman willing to lend a hand?
It's that time again, the time when new people are moving in. All morning there were bumps and bangs next door as I thought a furniture van was at work, instead it was merely women scrubbing, hoovering and cleaning the quite clean flat. I failed to spot any of them so have as yet no idea who is moving in however a black woman arrived later for a look around, maybe it is for she? Maybe she with the big car, parked next door cheekily, is the new tenant. If she can afford the car what is she doing here I ask? The problem is we have no idea what new folks will be like, noisy, quiet, young or old, and we don't want any happy young folks in here I can tell you, all that joy and life, it would be out of place. Another misery who ignores everyone unless he has too that is what we desire. I am sure we will know more soon enough.
There has been an envelope lying there helplessly for a day or two addressed to someone unknown. I now everyone here yet this name is new. It clearly was ignored by the herd of elephants cleaning next door (can I call them 'scrubbers?') and suddenly I realised the flat round the back might have a new tenant as a new car (Mercedes) lies outside (where do folks get the money and yet move here?) So as I popped out I popped round and knocked on door. Venetian blinds closed, a sign regarding witches hangs in window and slowly the door opens slightly to reveal a darkened room where a darkened face with darkened make up failed to shine within. I explained my mission and found I had reached the target, or as least the targets 'partner.' I explained why the mail came to wrong address and promised to shove it in the letterbox. The 'Goth' for that is what it might be, accepted gleefully (is gleefully the right word?) and closed door in fear of the light. I hastened back to my door, collected packet, obtained a cross and a piece of '2 x 4' just in case, ventured forth and posted item as promised. As I moved away at speed a cry of 'Thank you" could be heard but I waited not and ran all the way to Tesco.
Neighbours are OK in many places however the new ones often take some time to break in. If this black woman is moving in does she have money? Is she honest? Is it one of those scams where they use the flat as an address? Or worse is she part of one of the black churches that have sprung up here? One can never tell until they move in and start partying or getting visits from the constabulary. No doubt now that I have been neurotic about her she will be lovely even if she is female...
This was destined to be a good day, the sun shone through the chill wind, the shops were empty again, no new neighbour moved in the flat next door as yet, and I will eat properly tonight! What else do we need? I will tell you what we need, a good result against the green bigots!
And a good result we obtained! While the Glasgow media pander to the green bigots by declaring how weak Celtic's squad is at the moment (not counting the multi million players appearing for them today surely?) the fact of the matter is that the Heart of Midlothian tactics were better, even though the claim is they did not quite work, that the players were more determined, that our play was better and we scored yet another wonder goal! Even John Beaton, he off the flashing yellow and red cards, did not book as many as usual indeed cautioning two of the bigot side, and overall the game went well all round.
A happy manager as he sees his side begin to take good shape and prosper as they ought. I look forward to the next few games, many of which we have every chance of winning, and note how the Glasgow media will ignore us until we threaten their hold, then they will unsettle our players with lies about 'bigger' clubs wanting them, the usual lies. A good time lies ahead.
OK! OK! We wanted rain but you can stop now! Passing showers they said, they did not say how slowly they would pass. Still this will soak into the ground and ease the grass around us. It also keeps kids at home out of the shops and that is always a good thing.
It has been one of those weeks when it was difficult to read. The mind found Calvin's 'Genesis' a bit hard, similar readings made the brain work to much and nothing else was easy reading to my mind. This comes from the heat of recent days leading to unsettled sleep patterns, doing too much (Ha!), and the knees being very troublesome this week making things difficult. All in I found little to hold onto either on TV or in books. This is annoying as little can be done when in such moods. I have done things of course, some cleaning has to be done whatever, yet the desire to move has been lacking. Now the weather has become normal I hope this will die away. Funny how I can stand in front of a bookcase and not find a book. None fit the mood, are easy enough to read or interest me at the time. Yet all have played a part, some were marvellous and will not be found again in a charity shop, others were dipped into as required and may be read properly one day. Saying that it does appear a shame that so many words just lie about, this leaves me wishing I knew someone who could make use of them, yet retain them in my bookcase! Consider how many words lie on the shelves, not all good ones of course, some pretty rotten, but the vast output from someone's mind that has played a part in my, and others, lives. Our thoughts put in print to change the world. Hmm, I wonder how changed it has been since I started scribbling...?
This was the view this afternoon. A fine view I say after several weeks of too hot sunshine. The truth is we were all rather glad the weather had cooled. 90% is fine for a day or two but after a few weeks it has a debilitating effect on those not used to it. Sleep is disturbed, irritation arises, mistakes become common and the difficulty of cooling down yet always being either too hot or two perspiring to be comfortable. Today we have normality and the rain has fallen all day. I avoided this by visiting Tesco before the crowds woke up and after I returned home the heavens released the rain. It has not stopped since just after eight this morning. This is the summer weather we are more used to and capable of dealing with. People in Aberdeen had to go to evening classes to learn how to operate sun tan lotion, never having had a need for this before. In nations in which high temperatures are constant folks deal with it better, rise early, midday you hide, sleep and if required work once again in the evening, Spanish football for instance often begins much later than ours because of this. 'Mad dogs and Englishmen' go out in the midday sun indeed, I noticed photos of such taken just before the Great War where men in three piece tweed suits walk around Greece visiting monuments, all the while smoking pipes and being English. No wonder they are all dead.
In desperation for something interesting on TV I came across reruns of this quiz. It was one of the better ones, I think revived with Jeremy Clarkson insulting people, and I always found the first five, easy, questions the hardest. This was because they always featured at least two or three on present day 'culture' of which I know nothing. Today there featured one chap who did not know what nation made use of TASS as a press agency. This was not a surprise as he was under 30 years of age and probably knew nothing of the Cold War. He eventually did not answer took his money and ran, however the answer he would have given was correct. It amazes me how little we know about things that happened before we were born. Actually I know a great deal but only because the major event was a world war and it was always in folks minds then but prosperity and peace do not encourage folks to look at much of what has gone before. Also we did not spend time living in fear during the Cold War and most time was spent in indulging ourselves if we could. Those under 30 have little requirement to look back over the previous 40 years as in their minds I suspect little happened and it would not be possible for them to understand the outlook of the times. I do Like 'Eggheads' when it is on, the questions are slow enough for me to consider an answer, while 'The Chase' has too many questions on 'TV culture' and is asked too quickly for my mind to answer these days. Today I need time to ponder a question these days before I get it wrong.
Have you ever wondered what happened to all those folks you once knew. The neighbours of your childhood, folks at school, those early jobs? It surprised me somewhat to consider that the girls in my memory, the ones who used to throw themselves at men, are now well into their 60's and 70's, many are into their 90's if they still survive. I wonder what became of them? I expect that when I moved on they found it hard to contain their grief, this of course might be a misunderstanding on my part, but what did they do afterwards? The nurses in the hospital could not remain their forever, it was demolished some years later, their careers as high powered nurses could get them work anywhere at the time and some were, others would soon be married or paired off and are they now glowing grannies with a pack of kids troubling them? Clearly some from that time would be dead long since, this tends to happen I find. I first entered the strange world of work in 1966 and few from those days would remain now. The management were at least in their 40's, the big boss almost 60, and many of the workers in the whisky bond were far from young, today the remnants will be in their 70's at least. The next job also only lasted a year, and I was lucky in that, but few of those will survive today, I wonder how they fared.
This huge building was the brewery in which I lodged and grew up over some four years. Here the girls threw themselves at me also but there again those girls threw themselves at anything male so that really doesn't count. It is funny how memory of such people is crystal clear, except names, few names remain. Incidents, good and bad, abound and sometimes I wonder what happened to the folks there who were so good to me, they gave me enough money for a single ticket to London when I left in 1971, hold on...! Interestingly, yes it is, almost all those places I worked over the past century no longer exist! Almost all are large blocs of flats, as here, or housing estates of some sort. This reflects something of the changed industrial landscape of the nation. So many factories I once knew have gone, production now in China or Bangladesh instead. Leith, wherein I first worked had many whisky bonds, most are now blocks of flats for the gentry. Even the rough Leith docks pubs now supply staff called 'Rory, ' if you understand my meaning. That would not have worked in the 60's. I miss many of the girls from the hospital, the men would be long dead mostly being in their 50's then, I suspect most died by 1990, the result of smoking early on and the usual age concern diseases. It s strange to think I left Maida Vale in 1982, which is 36 years ago, and even the loveliest lass will be near 70 now. When working there I pondered those who had passed that way before and were soon forgotten, how few remember us even if we are 'stalwarts' of an organisation for many years. Only the famous doctors are remembered and even then the memory fades. Jings I'm feeling moody tonight. Where is the whisky bottle...?
This is indeed a quiet wee town, ideal for rearing small children and resting older folks. Teens and twenties might feel aggrieved at the lack of enjoyment, hence the 'Boy racers,' high pregnancy rates and single mums, and a few wee neds in town centre. It remains however quiet and safe. This morning I safely cycled to St P's where I enjoyed a morning service while avoiding arguing with Vicar 2, indeed I only fell out with one woman which is near a record for me and that when helping dry the dishes which I need not have done. Cycling back the quiet road, and most are quiet during this holiday period, I searched for nourishment, found a stream for the poor Aberdeen v Rangers game followed by the poorer Manchester City v poor Chelsea game, ate, snoozed and awaited the Hibernian v Motherwell game at six pm. While this was going on I heard the police helicopter overhead. It is easily recognisable as it circles around noisily while keeping an eye on some event way over there. Busy with the games I took little notice. Later I heard it back again but once more my attention was distracted by important issues, until half time that was, then I had a quick squint and forgot it. It transpires the quiet wee town had seen a fire in a field in one part of the town, possibly deliberate possibly accidental, and an accident at a major turning possibly caused by the driver watching the smoke from the burning field rather than the road which has caused much blockage to traffic. It transpires that a car knocked down a 'moped' rider in his 50's, 'moped probably means 'Scooter,' a 'Vespa' type I guess as lots have them around here during the summer. In fact the road was only opened at 8:30 pm so much police work there. This required another helicopter, the ambulance version, which landed and collected at least one person. However the police helicopter was required to show itself once more as not far from me a police operation was underway with the usual plethora of police cars we normally never see and armed officers in attendance. Someone it transpires had taken possession of a Crossbow, an instrument of death that I believe may be illegal to own, caused an 'affray' says the media and wandered across to the other side of town, near me, where the gentlemen of the law overtook him and asked him nicely to decease his affray, pass over his crossbow (and knife) and assist them with their enquiries. More blocked roads, good job this is Sunday, more nosy people taking pictures for the local press, more flashing blue lights, more police saying nothing except the bare minimum while we all follow facebook and Twitter to discover who the bad man was. Oh yes and there have been sightings of Wallabies wandering the streets, owners unknown! I think I may stay in tomorrow and do housework...
Just after six this morning the brain damaged head of mind got me out on my bike to see if it and I still worked. In bright sun and with only an occasional dog walker or early morn jogger to pass I slogged along further than my knees would like. For twenty minutes I enjoyed running around the quiet town and arrived home in fine fettle, except that when leaving the bike I could hardly walk! However I forced myself to trundle about the park to loosen my pins again. Since then I have done nothing but stare at the laptop, eat, watch or listen to football and wonder why so may people go out in the sun on a Saturday. It's an easy life today, but a lot of creaking going on.
The other day there was an item re the couple who won £57 million on the Lottery. They were pictured in the paper shaking champagne bottles and talking of how they almost lost the ticket. I was not impressed. Winning the Lottery is a good thing and after I read this I found it hard not to dwell on what I would do with the cash one seaside home coming up I think, but on the other hand I would not be allowing them publicity revealing my name and how much I had won. It appears that if you win and accept publicity the Lottery people give advice on making the most of then money, no publicity no advice. I think it may be possible to find such advice my myself in reality. The publicity might be seen as a safe bet when suddenly confronted by such a large amount yet on the other hand you are now known to be rich and the media, evil, selfish and abusers of the rich, will follow you daily seeking bad stories to reveal to the voyeuristic readership. Whatever hard luck you endure will be front page news, especially on slow news days, and those that know will wish for a handout from the media for tales of past misdeeds. Of course I have always been nice, so this is not a problem for me but you never know what may arise once your name as a very wealthy Lottery winner is known. Good job I trust Jesus and do not buy these things, yet if I could just have that house...
Early this morning I took myself over to the gardens before the mums arrived with their kids. It was quiet, the top gate was blocked off so almost no-one was there, jolly good I say.
The idea was twofold, to loosen my aches from yesterday and to play with the manual settings on the camera. The bones creak still and the camera produced a great many failed shots! At least one creature stirred in the gardens this white cat that yelled along after me, I am not sure whether it was lost or hungry, I suspect both.
The cat and I wandered slowly among the trees, he meowing not me, until we separated near the grass part. Being not long after nine I expected more people but in times past I have arrived early and in the quiet found many birds and creatures going about their business, maybe the early morning heat was putting wildlife off.
The barking high above me announced this wee man who was upset about something. I had noticed one other squirrel running about and maybe this is he possibly upset because all others have gone to ground. His bark, there is no other word for the noise emanating from him, his bark could be heard everywhere, very loud for such a wee creature. I did speak to him but he just turned his back on me.
Then the disappointed seagulls hovered around. Disappointed because there was little in the way of foodstuffs to fight over, normally early on there is something left lying about. How do birds cope with the heat, let alone other weather situations? It seems to me they appear at the hanging feeders less in high temperatures possibly because other food is more readily available, possibly it is just too hot? I know not why? Gulls fly in to feed on farmland and return in the evening to the estuary to sleep on the sea, rather them than me. There were only a handful of them around today also.
I almost got this purple thing right. Few flowers around except those planted by the garden staff, mostly green stuff at the moment, except for the grass which is like hay.
This wreath lay at the memorial today but I am unsure who it represents. At first I thought it was referring to the Korean War, also called the Forgotten War as few wanted to know about it at the time and few know about it know. Between 1950 and 1953 the Korean peninsula was the scene of the first UN operation, many nations participated but the UK sent a relatively small number of troops (led by Australians) so soon after the second world war, several thousand died mind. On the other hand it reads '16 Med' which could refer to the RAMC in which '16 Med' serve today with the 16th Airborne Division. I do with people would make things clear for my little mind.
What is this all about? This took several attempts with manual setting before I got one that I could actually see that is what this is about! What is it? I have no idea...
Having bought, carted upstairs, scrubbed and filled £20 worth of bookcase the other day with the remains of the videos that have littered the floor since the beginning of last year I saw another, much better, bookcase outside the wee shop on the corner this morning. As I obtained Bookcase 'A' he mentioned he might be obtaining more furniture with a move he was doing on Wednesday. Therefore as I passed heading for the early morning bargains in Sainsburys (ha! Bargains!) he called out as I slouched along. I kept walking as I was not sure if I could afford or wanted another small bookcase and perused the money grabbing supermarket caught in two minds re the purchase. At home I immediately forgot the bookcase and began the hard work of stuffing my fat face and getting on with the needs of the day - or doing nothing as it came to be. By early afternoon I had remembered the expensive bookcase (Bookcase 'B') and plodded along dutifully feeling somewhat obliged to view it properly as he does offer us good things and reduces his invented prices for us. It was a better bookcase and by this time I had justified the purchase even though I ought not to have done so, but I did! So I made for the shop, obtained the goods for a reduced £15 'Because your a good guy and it cost me nothing' said he, although he could have said that re 'A' also but didn't, and while he cashed in I made of with my heavier than I thought bookcase 'B.'
The weather it was warm, the sky blue, and I as carried the goods the fifty yards my face became a similar colour. Then I had to climb stairs with loose shelves wishing to leave me, stair light leaving me in the dark, keys not fitting lock and eventually the job of finding space. After a look around the prefab I decided it had to go by the bed. This would create space there but would it fit, no it would not! However 'A' would fit so 'A' had to be emptied of contents and replaced by 'B.' A simple task, just as simple as removing the wee table and boxes underneath in the bedroom, except for the wires from the lamp getting caught, things falling, dust that has lain undisturbed since Disraeli passed by deciding to arise, and me, myself and I falling over the bin which I moved out of the way under my feet. Much cleaning required, dust removed, more cleaning required and then change the bookcase contents. To remove videos from 'A' meant moving 'B' close but not too close, space small. This meant scrubbing 'B' just to ensure fit for use, then transferring videos, all numbered in wrong order, into place, finding there were too many for 'B' and then moving 'A' which liked to fall over when being walked while 'B' being heavier, and containing half the videos, liked not to move. Once in place, sweat dripping off me for the first time this year, I finished the content sorting and humped 'A' into place by my bed. Scrubbed, hoovered, dusted, and all in place I then moved books from proper full sized bookcase 'C' which was overloaded into 'A.' All this took time and effort, and you know 'effort' is no longer a part of me, but eventually all was in place, clean, packed and the necessary repairs completed. The more I try to develop this place bit by bit over the years the more I wish I had just bought proper furniture at high cost in the first place. It would stop this house looking like a junk shop. There again if that was the case I would appear out of place I suppose...
An old foto that caught my eye at the time. I wonder where I was? The media is so poor today. Holiday time allows for 'fake news' to arise but all we see are deaths, rapes, crime and absurd folk doing things that kill them or others. The good things don't sell papers and anything good is always made sickeningly sweet that it makes you puke. Sentimental rubbish, girls boobs or death and destruction fill the dying press, yet little knowledge regarding the Brexit collapse that will soon be upon us. I already have three tins of corned beef in the stockpile!
I know where I took this, Spitalfields before the middle classes gentrified the place. Now the run down houses and derelict market are full of trendies with expensive tastes. Offices blocks and refurbished houses, very expensive, abound and of course Liverpool Street Station is round the corner. Weavers have been here for hundreds of years and many buildings reflect something of this. Who inhabited these I know not but I love the shutters, especially the ones that block just half the window. What a great way to keep people out. Some of these go back to Georgian times and I understand one or two are preserved in aged fashion and these would be worth a visit if ever up that way. Spitalfields huge church was used for many years as a place for down and outs (a much better term than homeless) but these were removed as indeed were the rotting coffins in the crypt (a messy venture I have somewhere on a video) and now the place is a glowing marvel. I wonder if God is there now?
The little darlings enjoyed themselves today, except for one three year old who was removed by an irritated grannie who decided the darling was not behaving correctly, and as always happiness reigned. Busy day with kids and mums, phone calls and making mistakes, visitors and their questions. Then it is home to stare at the laptop wondering why there is no football on! Poor show this.
Weather normal today, rain most of the morning, no sun, and occasional dry spots, dank and dreich but warm, a normal Summer in Edinburgh that. I dealt with this in the manner I grew accustomed to while in Edinburgh - I remained indoors. Here indoors with the aid of a newly obtained cheap bookcase I cleared lots of videos from the floor, the floor they have been lying on for about 18 months since I painted the room. Of course my delight at my bargain (huh!?) was somewhat dimmed as the videos are about an eighth of an inch (ask your dad) too tall for the immovable shelves. However it cleared a space, bar the dust, and soon I will be sorting other items that have lain around for too long without being attended to. Well I may leave that until my exercise kicks in again. You see I keep starting this exercise business and find it does me good, however there is always a problem interfering and I end up missing out and have to start again. So tomorrow while the washing is churning around the machine, while I watch something interesting on TV or laptop, I will once again stretch, moan, lift and moan, stretch and follow the old order once again. If successful I may become strong enough to lift Calvin's commentary on Genesis and begin reading the thing.
While awaiting the football this afternoon, the Heart of Midlothian won by five goals to nil as you may expect, I indulged an old habit, no not that one, I went looking for portraits. I have not taken such photos for a long time, there are no girls around here, and I found myself in the mood to do just this while the rain fell outside. So I perused the web stealing poses in which to imagine I may one day find someone daft enough to let me practice this art. I have taken many attempted portraits over the past hundred years and three have been worth it, I think I need practice. At least it gave me many ideas, some above my station, and one day I will have a model and maybe actually get the camera set properly, we wait in hope.
At last a wee break in the weather. For what appears to be months the temperature has kept itself very high, the winds from the Sahara bringing their heat to us and that part of the world on the receiving end of higher than usual temperatures as far as I can see. Global warming, mostly man made, is hurting us. In Essex yesterday and possibly today 35% has been seen, my front room, which faces north, reached to just over 90%! It was unusual to move about and feel the air in the room warm as you walked through it. I suppose all these naked and near naked bodies sweating away have actually done themselves some good by allowing the skin to breathe, however for those looking in this could have been an unpleasant sight, shall I offer a photo of me perhaps..what?...oh!
Tuesday was a very busy day and finished a tiring week for me. Running around to seek items for the opening of the exhibition wore me out and on the day I failed to eat properly, as you do. For the next three days I have been almost dead, lie not helped by making a mess of the photos I took of the kids. At least one woman hates me, one more than usual I mean. It is a funny thing but if you eat and sleep properly your mind works better, if you are lax in such things life degenerates somewhat and problems occur. Maybe Donald Trump needs a new cook? My mind is almost normal now, what's that you said...?
The curate and I got around to discussing Calvin's commentary on Genesis as you do and in the end we both bought a second hand copy to investigate. I had found a translation from 1847 by the Rev John King online and considered it somewhat difficult to read, the form of language being Victorian. Therefore I found the book on Amazon to aid the tax dodging billionaire's profits while paying just over £9 for the privilege. Today I sauntered early down to the sorting office for the book the postman did not wake me up to deliver yesterday. I sauntered back clutching my prize and cheerfully opened it up to discover this version was a 1975 print of the Rev John King's 1847 translation that was free online! Sometimes I wonder about my stupidity!
I awoke before six this morning. I usually do when totally knackered. It was not possible to sleep, I had little interest in the 15 minute 'Farming Today' sexist programme. Edited and presented by females each time yet all the farmers who do the work and male, typical BBC. This did not interest me, neither did 5Live's giggling girly presenter nor the male who found her hilarious. Radio 3 offered opera, TalkSport offered mindlessness constantly interrupted by lengthy adverts all in a fake Lahnden accent aimed at white van drivers in the south east. I rose, knees unhappy, and struggled through to the east wing. Stirring up the dust on the floor, I really must hoover soon, I found the kettle and attempted to make coffee but unthinkingly made tea anyway. Here I noticed the French Brandy bottle on the shelf, I was sure it was half full when I came in yesterday. The day has been spent unsuccessfully sending mums the pics I took of their darlings. Unsuccessful in that some have said 'This is not mine!' Others have not replied and one has sent her pics to my boss, my boss is now under the channel tunnel on her way to a month off! (She has become 40 and feels old, pah!). My brain is so tired I am leaving it to congeal until things sort themselves out. Maybe I ought to just finish the bottle. I dare not ask how the rest are doing.
Update, by six this evening I think I have sent the photos I took to the appropriate mums. I await complaints...
A man was arrested for preaching outside St Paul's. Cathedral staff apparently complained about him reading from the bible. He has a loud voice and upset the 'peace' of the cathedral. This is not the first time this has happened and a policeman did indicate it would be ''remiss' to move him on from a place of worship.' The cathedral now allows him to speak for 30 minutes at a time. How nice of the. Possibly they could read, preach and offer the bible themselves rather than be a tourist attraction. Personally a quick look at most cathedrals shows many to be very far from God and possibly allowing the National Trust to take over those that are failing would be one way of saving the CoE a vast fortune. Some of course are Christian based but not all and it is easy to tell the difference simply by looking at the bookshelves to see what they sell. A great many were begun during Norman times less for the glory of God and much more for the indication that the Normans were in charge! While these are tremendous buildings to visit proper churches are usually small with less than 200 members. There again how many actually attend Sunday services at such places apart from tourists trying to avoid the entrance fee?
A cheery face has just informed us that the heat will remain and Friday possibly will reach 36% in East Anglia, which is this region. I suspect I will not be going anywhere soon. It may also lead to thunderstorms, lightning and pouring rain, which will run off rather than soak into the ground. So while being burnt to a crisp we will be cooled down by monsoon like raindrops. I am looking forward to visiting Tesco.... However the sun has been too hot too long, global warming is a problem the rich money grabbers deny while slapping factor 50 sun cream over their inflated bodies while on their yachts. We will see much more of these weather changes over the next few years. While I like some warmth I think 70-75% is good enough and a room touching 88% is not a happy place to be. The daft folks sitting in the sun will be crowding the doctor and chemists for weeks to come. The little sun I have seen has left me scratching the itch and possessing a reddening nose. Not bad maybe but we need a cool breeze now. There again I did a washing the other day and all was dry by evening.
