A Saturday Night Painting

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Norham Castle

I am just trying to make an impression......

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Freedom!

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                        This belongs to Day by Day Photos a photographic site you must see!

Today there is much rejoicing in the streets of Raith, and many other parts of Scotland. The Scots election last night saw the Scottish National Party take an overall majority into the Scottish Parliament and take total control as the Scots Government. The Conservative Party of course failed once again. This party has been in the wilderness since the days when Margaret Thatcher's racist policies saw deprivation kill Scotland's once proud manufacturing base, hundreds of thousands without work, and those on the Dole informed that they were 'scroungers.'  Council houses sold off cheaply to residents, then resold for a fat profit and lost to those in need. Absurd policies which gave no thought to human need. The Liberal Democrats have been vanquished after Nick Clegg their leader took his party into a coalition with the Conservative Party in England. This party is now in deep crisis. However the Labour Party, once the natural party for many Scots, handled the entire election badly. Ignoring Scotland's requirements and concentrating only on the English needs their vote fell dramatically. A shocking state for this party, reflecting the failure to consider what the people want and following out of touch leadership.

So now the SNP lead Scotland for the next four years. Already many are looking towards the day of the next referendum in Scotland, asking if the nation ought to be independent once again from the English neighbours. It is at times like this that I find living in England an irritation!  I joined the SNP in 1968 when I was just sweet sixteen. We traipsed the streets putting leaflets through folks doors, debating with all the intellectual ability a 16 year possess, almost nil I can confirm, and touched on the major element in the Scots psyche - England!  In 1707, much against the wishes off the people, England forced Scotland into a Union, not just of 'crowns' but politically also, and moved the parliament to Westminster. Some Lords were happy while the nation seethed. During the following three hundred years it quickly became apparent that Scotland was not considered of much worth in England. An attempt was made to change the name to North Britain! When this failed the English just resorted to their Edward the First manner and called the Island 'England!  By 1968 we were all aware of the manner in which Scotland was constantly downgraded by England, no matter which party was in power. I recall the Wilson government making the entire nation a business productivity zone, and excepted Edinburgh and Leith from this! This was around 64-66 time. Incredible! We all found TV was English based and Scotland was almost forgotten. Major Scots stories were shown in Scotland, in what the BBC still refers to as a 'region,' but rarely mentioned on 'National' News. Scots tennis players were 'British' at Wimbledon until they lost, and promptly became Scots. Some believe this to be a myth but I can tell you it is true. The constant lack of regard for Scotland encouraged a proud nation to rise again, and it did!  Following on from Winnie Ewings election to Westminster in 1967 a stimulus was created and during those 1968 local elections some 368 council seats were won by the SNP, often much to the surprise of some candidates!  I recall however one seat in Inverness was won by a Communist Party member, his leader appeared on telly informing the world that "The Scots people had realised that Communism was the answer and soon they would rule Scotland."  He ignored mention of the SNP.

The emotion of those days I can look at with different eyes today. Long since I have realised that England was not Scotland's main problem, it is not nations but people that matter. The people in this case being English and let's be honest for the most part did not notice they treated Scotland badly, they just didn't notice it at all. Scotland was 'Up there,' a place for holidays and a nation to play football against once a year. When pushed most admired the Scots, it was just that they were involved in their own lives and didn't notice. In fact East Anglia usually doesn't notice much let's be frank! Many Scots delight in the union,and I do not refer to Rangers fans with a misunderstanding of Irish history here, many would rather the union worked as they consider the United Kingdom stronger than a single entity, and I agree with them. The time when Britain stood alone against the Nazi threat may well be the only time that 'Great Britain' really was 'Great' and indeed 'United.'  I think Churchill never used the term 'England,' a term constantly used during the Great War, but he referred to Britain at all times. How sad that the opportunity to make the nation great was lost by English indifference and indeed at times contempt. The saga regarding the return of the 'Stone of Destiny,' showed English contempt for Scots feeling. Actually come to think of it I mind how in 1953 this contempt was made very clear by the erection in the Craigmiller district of Edinburgh of a pillar box. With Elizabeth crowned as Queen of the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' the Post Office erected new pillar boxes when required baring the slogan 'ER II.' It does not take much knowledge to note that Scotland has never had a queen called 'Elizabeth.' Clearly this was unacceptable and something had to be done. This new council housing estate soon rocked to an explosion caused by a stick of gelignite shoved through the slit. This was done in such a manner to ensure no mail was damaged and nobody was hurt. The investigation that followed could not find a perpetrator.  I suggest knocking on Wendy Wood's door that day may have been helpful to their enquiries.  What am I trying to say here? I am attempting to say that Scottish Nationalism would not be noticed if England had treated the Scots as partners and not part of 'Greater England. Now we do not know where this will lead, and emotionally I am with Scotland.

However reality must be considered here. The world wide recession, let's not argue about who started this, this recession is not over and will cut deep for some time. The planet is over crowded and the birthrate is not slowing down. Global warming is real, no matter what daft folk say, and at any time glacial melting could raise the sea levels fifteen to twenty feet. Not much problem here but swamping some nations. Food resources are running out and already some Malthusian answers have been muttered in dark corners, the fat rich may not notice but the skinny poor certainly will. It may well be two or three years before Scotland considers a referendum on independence, but the world situation may be a very different place in that short time.  I hate to be a Jeremiah on peoples joy (actually I would love to be a Jeremiah, what a man!) but reality is the Scots strong point. Emotion is great but reality will win the day. Those who voted SNP this time may not the next, and during a referendum many more will vote than did last night. How Alex Salmond, probably the only proper politician in the parliament at the moment, how he deals with the economy will be the major point of his rule. Careful judgement might well see folks willing to separate themselves from the 'UK,' and this would be a very interesting time indeed.

This is a little rushed, and while I wish Scotland to be a strong independent nation again, I fear for it with so few powerful men to lead. Alongside Salmond there is who? Opposing him there is nobody. We need to raise some powerful leaders in Scotland and in very short time. 

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Vote!

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I did my citizens duty this morning and participated in the referendum on the voting system. I entered the Polling Station around 7:30 and was directed by a gentleman seated at the door to the row of cheap tacky tables on my right. Behind them sat three tacky women with paper and pens at hand. On the other side of the room two, or was it three more women fussed over the arrangement of their tacky tables. No-one else was in sight!
"Form a queue," said one of the girls. And I obeyed.
After making my cross, and spelling it correctly this time, I placed the two paper forms in the box which if not empty did not as yet possess many others. To echoing footsteps I took my leave and came upon no eager voters crowding the doors demanding to vote in this important referendum. This I thought strange even for that time of the morning. While local elections, and the second form represented this, fail to inspire the locals it has to be expected that a referendum on the manner of electing culprits parliamentarians has to be regarded as important. I wonder just how many will have bothered to find their way to a polling booth today? 

As I dragged my bulk towards Tesco and their bargains, the 'Own Brand Honey' has gone up 4p in the last week and they only made £3 billion profit this year, I pondered on our reaction to democracy.  In some places in this world people queue for hours to enjoy the right to elect an individual to a position that enables them to immediately forget why they have been elected in the first place. However in the UK we care little unless there is a major talking point involved. We have the attitude all to often that 'There is nothing we can do' or 'It makes no difference' and this is very sad because by deselecting a sitting member the rest get a wake up call, and numbers are required to make this happen.

One problem is the wealth in the nation. While many of us are unemployed and purse strings are tight we still have vast wealth! Many on benefits are (the 'Daily Mail' keeps telling us) are better of than those working. Indeed some are but I for one can assure you (and how!) many are not. Outside my door a line of expensive, often new or large, cars trundle slowly home in the evening 'rush hour.' So poverty is not like it once was. Fifty years ago the road would have been quiet apart from those occasional cars or business vans, a number of motorbikes, with sidecars maybe, and a plethora of bicycles! Those passing by would also be considerably slimmer than the fat rich (and poor) folks around us today, and can I just point out that this is a very baggy shirt! In short nobody cares enough to vote because we have enough, even if we have not got work. While this is good the lesson of history is clear, wealth brings sloppiness to morals and selfishness rules, precisely what is happening around us now. A liberalism that puts the individual first replaces a society that, in general, looks to improve the nation around them. Of course the choice lies (in the UK parliament) is poor. The leaders and most of their followers come from the punk generation, and it shows! Well educated and rich with no experience of real life, unlike the majority of those who have gone before.  There are also no great political divides outside of the Independence movement in Scotland. I wonder if we will be so reluctent to vote at the next General Election after the number of unemployed increase, financial collapse and much gnashing of teeth?

Still, at least we are not talking about that wedding!


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You think English is easy?

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This arrived by e-mail the other day. What appears quite easy at first can become a real tongue twister!

Read to the end .. . . A new twist

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce .

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row ...

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2

meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by

filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?
 

You lovers of the English language might enjoy this .

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report ?

We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP ! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP...

When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.

When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so........it is time to shut UP! 

Good innit? No idea who came up with this but I salute them!

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Tuesday, All Day

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I suppose one benefit from the end of Osama bin Laden is that he removed that wedding from the news. On the other hand they now talk endlessly about nothing else! Without a doubt this is a major story, however the news media do have a terrible habit of concentrating on one story often to the extent of ignoring almost all others. However if they concentrate on a decent football* story then I might well change my mind of course.

*By 'Football' I emphasise for one or two of my unlettered American readers, by 'football' I mean 'football' and not either 'Soccer' or that throwball game, the one that bores intelligent peoples, that they play in the United States!

Isn't it always the way. At one point last night I began in my cavernous head a post for today. It was excellent, it made a good point, it was worth posting. I knew the picture I would use with it, and I was sure that it would elicit a response. It was interesting, and not just to me, enjoyable, and in my humble view I was writing it very well.
I just canny mind now what it was!
How often does this happen? This is not the first time I have mentally written a post (as opposed to writing a mental one) and either forgotten what it was or when writing the thing discovered it just would not come out right. All too often the thoughts in the head appear to be right but as I write they do not work. Could it be that typing on such a keyboard as this, including the sticky 'E' makes it too easy to rush ahead of the thoughts. Maybe writing longhand would produce better results, if I could remember how to do that! Anthony Trollope wrote many books, lots of letters, pamphlets, essays, items for magazines and newspapers often while on the move. His job as boss of the Post Office in Ireland (then under British rule) meant constant travelling. On coach or in the train,and you know how shoogly they can be today, imagine Victorian ones, he wrote in longhand. At least that way his thoughts were slower in appearing on the paper.
In fact one of the ways people can overcome trauma is doing just this. The very slow process of writing in longhand can help the mind to sort out lots of confusion that trauma, especially serious trauma can leave a person. A great many men who came out of the war had serious difficulties dealing with their experiences. Guilt, conscience, shock, the loss of friends, sights often too revolting to mention, all these can be the results of war and in 1945 people were for the most part just told to 'get on with it.' There was nothing else to do!   While this may not be a total answer to trauma it can help the mind organise the thoughts and help ease the difficulties problems can give us.
Hmmm I think I might go look for a pencil.....


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Monday Blue Skies

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As I was sitting in the early morning sun looking at the deep blue sky the media was rejoicing in a story that had nothing to do with that wedding! Although I suspect one or two still managed to mention it on several pages.  US soldiers had taken out Osama bin Laden. After ten years of searching he had been traced to his hideaway in Pakistan.  An efficient cut throat operation removed him and brought some sort of closure for America and those bereaved on wounded by 9/11. The whole incident leaves many unanswered questions, and I doubt Wikileaks will help here, however time will reveal much of what has occurred.  One thing is sure, those who attack the United States in such fashion now know they face a very real threat of being caught. There is now of course a very real danger of reprisal attacks, on a smaller scale than 9/11,occurring in several places.Groups such as these will encourage suicide bombers, although not doing this themselves, and human life means little to them and their twisted philosophy sadly.

It is inconceivable that there was nobody in high circles in Pakistan that did not know of bin Laden presence in the country. His establishment was not far from a military base and the compound was clearly too important in the social hierarchy of that nation to have been ignored.  Maybe the government did not know of his existence, but someone clearly knew! What effect will this have on the many violent groups in Pakistan now? This poor country has an very ineffective government, and one that appears to care little for their people.  It does however have constant bombings, on buses, in buildings and in main streets.  There are shootings of people of all rank, even amongst the highest, and vast numbers of police and army have suffered at the hands of extremists of one group or another. Pakistan Taliban claim they will attack the government because of this, and it appears the suffering within this sad nation is to continue. Muslim kills Muslim, Christians are in mortal danger, and even cabinet members are shot for speaking out against the violent ones. On top of this floods devastated the land and little aid was forthcoming, within or without Pakistan.  This is a very sad nation at the moment, fear fills the people in a manner not known before reports a BBC journalist with many years experience of the country, and no end is in sight after this incident. At least the US can be satisfied that one major door from 9/11 has now been closed.

 

To lighten the mood somewhat here is a picture of a steam train. What could be better to lighten the mood? Nothing! This one, 'Morayshire' is as you can tell, a  Nigel Gresley built D49. By 'built' I do not mean Nigel actually 'built' the thing himself, oh no, he was the designer of the beast and he just 'designed' it and had others put the thing together.A machine such as this is not built in your garage you know. He did this while working for the London & North East Railway Company. In fact I do believe, but have yet to prove, my grandfather drove steam trains for them also in the late 19th century, or at least he did until drink appears to have made him 'move on' to labouring work! He was last known to drive the shunter down at the gas woks in Granton, in between pints. The lovely engine shown here served its time since completion in 1928 working the lines of Scotland. This lasted until 1961 when the ignominy began under Beeching and rail lines and steam engines disappeared overnight. The new efficient diesel and electric trains that appeared throughout the nation were much more efficient indeed, except when they broke down of course. The romance of steam remains, the aroma of the coal inspired steam filling Caledonian Station stays with me yet, as indeed does lots of little black specks that landed in my short back and sides. This engine is now preserved you will be delighted to know and has been known to run at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway.


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Sunday Evening and Nothing to Say

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Sunday evening and I have nothing to say so here is a picture of a door. 'A' used to like picturing doors, although I am not sure if this is one that would receive her consideration!  That lass tended to go for doors on ageing castles, châteaus and cathedrals. This is just an unused door on what is now a church with too small a membership to require more than one entrance, and this side door that once led to the gallery has not been in use for many a day.  The minister, a wee man from Glasgow, well past his 70th birthday, is a man who knows his God and continues to follow his calling. A grand speaker and canny man. His wife is what makes him what he is. The Bocking End Congregational Church once had several hundred attending, today there may have been less than thirty, especially as many are older than the minister, he has buried two thirds of his congregation since arriving 20 years ago! They are good people but the fabric is like me, a bit run down.

My empty, tired mind has nothing else to say. Many regard this as a good thing.....


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Can we Now Get Back To Normal?

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Guardian

Even the middle class, left leaning Guardian is dominated by this wedding.

OK it's over bar the fight at the party, the broken glass. several arrests and a whitewash covering it up until Wikileaks reveals what happened. For some strange reason the English Queen has decided not to go and made Philip stay at home also. Maybe she remembered he used to be in the navy? Soon this pair will fly of to their rich hideaway unknown to anyone bar thousands of paparazzi from dozens of countries. Goodbye.

The good side of such a wedding is the chance it gives some folks to enjoy a parade. The kids had a good time, the police get overtime for little effort, and the media can give a 'nice' story instead of desperately filling the news with nothing important. For many it is rightly a fun day out but I do find the women who follow such weddings somewhat cringe-worthy. Every time the groom looked at his bride hundreds of girlies exploded into sentiment. Every kiss was worth a photo and another gasp.  

Personally I suspect they have practised that often. The sentiment was honest but I did think it worrying that these women will be voting on how we elect our UK parliament in a few days, unless they forget while watching daytime television. Just as with Diana there are many living their lives through Kate. Hopefully she will keep a low profile otherwise the media will overdo the whole thing and the idolatry that arose then will return. People need something to fill that 'God' gap in their lives to give it meaning, and sadly Diana did this, I hope for her sake Kate avoids that burden.  I note also that ABC and CBS has this as their main story even though storms have killed around 300 in the deep south. I suspect they care little for the deep south mind you!

Two rich kids have got married, and she has married well. I hope it works and they have a good life. However I suspect the media will soon be interfering and attempting to break it up just to fill their grubby pages. Now we can get back to normal. I note the BBC has already begun to screen junk and with Saturday upon us at least the football will bring reality back to us all, hopefully.

Just in is this important comment from our friend in Aberdeen 'Kenfitlike.'

Wedding or no some folks had to walk their dogs, some of us had to cycle and some folks just had to get out and jog. With the blossom smelling sweet, the blackbirds, robins and finches singing it was an enjoyable (short) trip this morning. How nice to (almost) get away from everybody. How lovely to enjoy the Spring sun, when it eventually arrived. How lovely not to be bitten by any of the dogs that passed.

Stolen jokes.

What’s the difference between Iron Man and Iron Woman?

One’s a Superhero and the other is an instruction!!

What do you get if cross a motorway with a wheel barrow ?

Knocked over of course.


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Thursday

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I had hoped to cycle up the old railway today but was put off by the somewhat windy weather, the desire to stay in my pit and the need to visit the dole office. I must be the longest there by now, I know this as the security man muttered "Usual?" as I entered.  I took myself of to Sainsburys after this and spent a huge amount of money filling the freezer.  I pointed out to the lass at the checkout that she would not be there long, she kept smiling!

BBC NEWS

The US has been hit by very bad storms as this BBC map indicates. Hopefully none of our friends will be involve in anything untoward, although I fear one or two may well be in the line of fire.  The UK would give this major coverage if we were not concerned with who will be designing her dress! The media always knows what sells as opposed to what is important.

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Royal Wedding Build Up Post No 6

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Silly me I forgot to add the ring! The delightful Leazwell has reminded me that such things are important and desires that someone of wealth and influence purchases one of these for her.  Now while she claims they are available for $2 where she lives I myself could only find (among thousands of others) this beautiful (imitation) ring at a bargain price of only £6, details here.


I also must thank Mulled Vine for reminding me to post this:-

Getting Personal

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Royal Wedding Build Up Post No 5

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   The next Air Chief Marshall

                                                                             

As the excitement mounts I can hardly contain myself, just a few days to go before another days off arrives! To fill in the time both BBC and the ITV networks will be showing hours and hours of a royal wedding. Now just in case you missed this a royal wedding is a time of great joy for the United Kingdom. Throughout the land rejoicing takes place, street parties occur, business men moan at the loss of workers, souvenir sellers con masses of daft women and a few dafter men, and a wedding takes place in one of the big Anglican churches between two folks who don't believe in God and conducted by a man who has forgotten who God is. All in all a wonderful way for any government to make us forget about the thousands joining me on the dole, the house repossessions, the selling off, of the NHS, a new Vietnam in Libya and a recession that will once again kick us in the teeth after we have spent millions on security for this wedding. The happy couple? A couple of Hooray Henry's who have been born into money, will continue in money and spend the rest of their lives being harassed by the grubby media looking for dirt! In site of the money I pity them. The nation is of course divided here. While most are content to see this couple get on with their lives a republican streak is growing within the UK. The royal family became very popular during the war because of the behaviour of the King and his family. In recent years that generation has died off and the present one has seen Diana and her kind reduce the royals to material for 'Hello' Magazine. The respect has gone and instead of nice folks doing a job they are all to often satirised.  Now I reckon some of them do a good job, if you like that sort of thing, but the media wish Kate to become another Diana. I wonder if she is a publicity seeker? If not she may find them looking for reasons to hate her instead of false praise floating her way. TV has several dramas, films, and other programmes telling the delightful story of this couple, their families, their study, how they met, who knows them, and all based on what 'friends' have said. The World Cup had less coverage and that was important!  If you have failed to record these programmes you can always buy yourself or your loved ones or someone you wish to avoid a souvenir. Here are some examples a quick Google has found.

A classy Royal Wedding Tankard from John Lewis. This elegant cup tankard is a snip and £35 (plus p&p)

 

Possibly you would prefer a more realistic memento?  Mulberry Hall have the very thing. A strikingly lifelike limited edition Candle Snuffer, A bargain at £205 all in. Who could resist buying William to go with this and keeping a right pair on the mantelpiece to snuff the candles out before you go to bed? You will of course require candles after paying this much for these two! 

 

Relax in comfort through the over long hours of TV coverage with a John Lewis cushion. Just the thing to throw at passing males who wonder why you have lost your senses. A mere £68 plus p&p. 

Cynical anti royalists will not only be barred from ever entering Ibrox Park in future but may find £12 for a reverential thanksgiving plate worth a trip to John Lewis. 

However not being a cheapskate like some and very keen to possess an item that will not just bring the remembrance of royal nuptials to mind but is an investment also I personally will invest in this offering from the Royal Mint.

Not only the joy of watching them stare at one another in that locked box I keep under the floorboards but an item that will rise in value as they continue to fill the papers for years to come. Honeymoon period, children arriving, possible divorce, another child, King, rumours of split, depression, second honeymoon, attack by Fulham Chairman, death. All these will enhance my purchase and make an investment of £1550 plus p&p a real bargain. 

Oh yes, there was one other thing on offer but I cannot find a link. However I am positive one of you out there will know. Something for the (long) weekend I think.

 

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Easter Morning

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Andrewsfield

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Wiki

That great man Max had a wonderful post the other day concerning reporter Andy Rooney taking his place in a US B17 bomber as it flew on a mission over Germany in 1943. The beauty of such reporting, if 'beauty' is the word, is the first hand experience which nothing else can convey. A remarkable post!

This got me thinking about the many airfields that lie not far from my home. East Anglia, the region of England in which I am involved in Scottish mission work, is generally flat. This, plus its location on the east coast made it perfect for the many bomber and fighter squadrons that were required for use in the second world war. Close by are Wethersfield, used by the USAF until 1990 for a variety of operations, most concerned with the Cold War and now hosts the Ministry of Defence Police. Gosfield saw P-47 Thunderbolt fighters, Douglas 'Boston's' and 'Havoc' bombers fly on missions from there among others and closed in 1955. Rivenhall saw P 51-B Mustangs and B-26 Marauders at various times and was in use until 1956. Now it is reduced to being a mere gravel pit! Stansted was in military use until 1949 and is now very busy as London's Third Airport.

An excellent example of one such aerodrome is Andrewsfield.  Opened in 1943 as a base for bomber squadrons under the name 'Great Saling' a name change was required when Lieut. Gen.Frank Maxwell Andrews, the man in charge of all US troops in Europe was killed His plane came down in bad weather while on an inspection tour of Iceland. Great Saling changed its name to 'Andrewsfield as a mark of respect. This is the only named airfield. The airfield was used by both the US Eighth and Ninth Air Forces at times, and B17's of the 96th Bombardment Group flew one mission over Rennes, losing one aircraft, from Andrewsfield before being replaced by B-26 Marauder's of 322nd Bombardment Group. Constant missions were undertaken over enemy territory and the cost was high indeed. Only one aircraft, 'Flak Bait,' survived to the end of the war with 202 missions!

B-26 at Andrewsfield

 

After the B-26's moved to a base in France Mustangs flown by the Polish Wing flew escort missions and home defence sorties until early 1945. For a short time until the end of the war Gloster Meteor jet fighters were based here. Between 1948 and 1972 the airfield was allowed to degenerate. Unwanted by the RAF it slowly rotted away, apart from agricultural use, until the short grass strip was laid for the light aircraft that now use the field on a regular basis.

 Google maps comes into its own here. By inserting the town name it is easy to look around and find these, and indeed other, old airfield imprints in the land around here. Just how many were created through those turbulent years I do not know but from Norfolk down to London dozens, if not a few hundred, have left their mark on the land. I have some experience of war's leftovers as in front of our house were two huge Nissen huts that once housed anti-aircraft guns. This depot was established as defence against enemy aircraft flying up the Firth of Forth and heading for Rosyth, the Fleets base, or Glasgow, Belfast or some such area. However for the people of East Anglia they not only had the risk of bombing by German aircraft they also endured the constant noise of huge noisy bombers taking of and forming up high overhead on a daily basis. Even if their airfield did not fly that day others would and the constant noise must have had an effect on the locals. Some would say that in East Anglia many still reckoned the planes were big birds, but they are just being cruel, aren't they? 

The villages and towns round about had been used as a billeting area twenty years before during the Great War so numbers of servicemen arriving would not be a surprise. However many airmen were of course American and while movies had filled cinemas for years few had actually met someone from so far across the 'pond.' Not only that but they had money! It takes little to comprehend how a nation enduring deprivation after three years of war would be willing to accept these men into their midst. It takes less to imagine the local men's jealousy at well paid Yanks coming over here 'Over paid, over sexed  and over here!' The women flocked to them!  Nylon stockings and chewing gum could get a young man almost anything in those days!  Although it is amazing how many women appear to forget what went on during that time. Americans were welcomed in the main, and the British were well aware of how the RAF was suffering as it flew night after night on long missions deep into enemy territory. The locals knew that when those loud young men, often nineteen or twenty years of age, flew off they may well not return. 

Flying over occupied Europe was a risky business. Taking off in a heavily loaded bomber was a hard and difficult job. It took strength and courage. As the bombers crossed the enemy coast they were a target for enemy fighters, small specks in the sky closing in and five hundred miles an hour, with flashing lights on the wings. Each flash represented a bullet aimed at you!  German ack-ack was radar controlled and highly efficient. Black clouds would appear around the planes as they flew high, leaving a tell-tale vapour trail behind them. Each puff of black smoke contained shrapnel that could tear the nose of a plane, kill or maim the crew, damage an engine or bring you down. Over the target this would increase and other aircraft could at times cause risk to your own in the crowded air space. After the long steady run in to the target, when deviation from the route was impossible, the bomb filled aircraft was a sitting target, unable to defend itself. Dropping the bombs then running for home, once more under attack from air and ground forces, was equally dangerous as the run in to the target. The sight of fellow planes going down and being helpless as it twisted in the air would never leave many of these airmen. The lucky guys parachuted into prisoner of war camps, the unlucky didn't. Crossing the English coast would have brought great relief, but landing a damaged plane, often with wounded and pained men on board, was not a simple task. Many came to grief as they returned, Britain's weather not always helpful here. 

From what I can gather many made lifelong friendships and got on well except for the occasional jealous fist fight or mistake of referring to a kilted Scots soldier as 'wearing a skirt.' Such mistakes often led to Americans flying - flew through windows!  One bomber pilot spoke warmly of his attempts to integrate with the population. Mostly older men in the pub near his base. They suggested a game of 'Darts,' and he agreed. While he went to the bar for the aged, worn set kept there he noticed the locals dipping into their jackets for their own, finely honed darts. "As loser bought the drinks I reckon I kept the East Anglian economy going simply by playing darts," he later said. Around a dozen years ago it was not uncommon to see aged Americans with baseball caps encrusted with 'Eighth or Ninth Air Force' or some such flying group  wandering around revisiting old memories. No more today as these men are now in their eighties or nineties but survivors can search the web for blogs written by those who have visited, whether veterans or possibly their offspring tracing dad's story. Hmmm I wonder how many people I meet would like to meet their dad one day also? Some of course took back to Idaho or California a young woman hopeful of a life similar to the one portrayed in those movies that held them spellbound during the war. Reality was not always welcomed.

The RAF Bomber Command lost over 55,000 dead during the war. Bombing being the only way Britain could attack Germany directly until D-Day arrived in 1944. The US fliers lost around 30,000 in similar manner. Because of the accurate anti-aircraft fire the Brits decided to fly at night, in large, well spaced formations. The Americans decided their heavily armed places could do the job in the daylight with a tight formation covering each other. It did not work any better. However while some oppose the bombing of Germany, calling it a 'war crime' I can see no other action possible during the years 1939 - 1944 if Britain and her allies were to win the war. Few indeed who endured the blitz that hit so many parts of the UK thought the bombing of Germany should cease. Many did however feel compassion for those 'normal citizens' who endured as they had. When you sow the wind you do indeed reap the whirlwind!

When folks in Britain talk about the 'special relationship,' and this is mostly a media cry, they are referring in the main back to these war years. In spite of the sufferings it was surprisingly a happy time for many and the comradeship of that time has lived in their memories ever since. That is the reason many in Britain still refer to the war so often. The 'special relationship' of the locals and the US servicemen will endure in the hearts of many who lived through those days.

This video is a short version of the 'Memphis Belle' film.  It gives a good glimpse of the role of the American bomber during this time. By the way James Stewart the actor flew at least a dozen missions over enemy territory during this time. Although I have no link for this I do know he remembered his time in the UK with fondness and never forgot his service.

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Sadly the sun does not allow the brightness of the yellow rape seed to show in this picture which is a pity. With the bright sunshine all over England and Wales today, Scotland was cold and dreich as normal, the country would make a pleasant view from the air. The last time I flew at this time of the year vast acreage of rape seed fields could be seen as bright yellow slabs of colour. These fields stood out from the normal green and wheat coloured ones around them. A lovely sight. Much of this ends up as cooking oil, some being used to power vehicles in some areas! A couple of years ago a council bus service was using this and left the townsfolk hungry as instead of choking diesel fumes their noses were filled with the aroma of chips!  However as the cycle trip up the old railway and sitting in the park, reading my book and getting my arms sunburnt, nothing much else has occurred. 

Being 'Good Friday,' a name I still do not comprehend, I considered spiritual thoughts. This ended up as watching a BBC TV programme about Jesus which, unusually for the BBC, did not imply he was a fraud, a product of a passing Roman, or that God had a wife! Instead what I managed to see of this programme had only one major fault, actors! Why any documentary requires actors to portray historical persons in a programme is beyond me. This Jesus, and his compatriots, gave us a 'tour de force de overacting.' This gets in the way of the real Jesus and shows how little the producers really understand of the man. Still the archaeologists and professors, did appear to know what they were talking about although one woman had some rather strange opinions about John the Baptist! The programme continues tomorrow, and for once I am looking forward to a TV programme about Jesus, and that is unusual. I much prefer to read the book, it is easier to comprehend!   

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Global Warming

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Global warming has hit the UK! The rise in temperature that was promised a few years ago has arrived! Three days running I have sat in the gardens soaking up the sun, something I am not used to doing I can assure you, and over the Easter weekend they are promising more of the same. This is unusual as bank holidays normally indicate rain or snow, also the normal UK Easter position. This also means I am itching as the skin reacts to the unusual new experience, men are walking around in shorts,(and that is not a delightful sight to notice), and women are dressing as skimpily as they dare, which is all right by me. 

This light weather means I wake before five in the morning and cannot get back to sleep. I listen to the blackbirds, which abound round here, singing out their warnings and delights as they build their nests and prepare for the chicks that are soon to appear. The crows and pigeons squabble over remnants of peoples leavings and a thrush serenades them as the eat. Sadly there are less Blue Tits and Greenfinches around, I suspect the winter finished a lot of them. The air is full of sweet fragrance, people appear happier than normal, and money is saved as the gas and electric are used less. I love this time of year!

He passes me most days. One day he is wearing the first team shirt, then next a T-shirt with the club crest on it. If the weather is cold he wears a thick pullover, and sticking out underneath is what is clearly a Newcastle shirt of some sort. He wears tracksuit bottoms also with the crest, even his trainers are white with black streaks! On no occasion have I noticed him without something from the Newcastle United club shop. This man must be in his forties at least!

Now I like my club, I understand how people can allow something like a football club to get a grip of them, believe me, but at that age to always have something from the team on you is going too far! Whether he still has a woman I know not but he did have two kids in Newcastle shirts the other week in the park, probably his. 'Geordies' are of course in a world of their own but that does not mean you always wear team clothes, summer and winter! The phrase 'Get a Life!' comes to mind.   


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Royal Wedding Build Up Post No 4

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Daily Mail

Kate goes shopping!  Every day there is one more picture as the excitement builds for the wedding. Are you as excited as I? No, I thought not. The tabloids are having a fit with excitement!  There is a whole lot of desperation regarding who will make her dress. I have no idea who will do that, but I suppose it will be costing more than the benefits given to soldiers who lose their legs in Afghanistan. Although it may be that I am a touch cynical in my dotage. Why are people so involved with this wedding? I understand women getting fixations for such things but when royals are involved the media go into a world unknown elsewhere. There is also the DVD's to follow that will sell the 'Daily Mail' and 'Daily Express' for years to come.

 

 Virus

I clicked on a picture, of Alf Garnet of all things, and immediately a rogue antivirus opened up!  It started to run as if checking the system So I pressed the restart button to stop it. I ran my Avast! antivirus, Malwarebytes the anti malware programme and Spybot, all claim the PC is clean.
However, Google Chrome lost it's preferences, my NetMeter reset itself, and my Wallpaper Changer was wiped, although previous lists there remain it no longer lets me save new ones. A very strange result and I am left wondering what would have happened if I had not stopped this brute when I did or if anything is still hidden in there! 

Rogue antivirus programmes just begin running claiming there are many virus (virii) on your PC. Some will demand a high price to remove them, others just misuse your credit card. Once it began it cannot be stopped and often it will not allow you to download new progs to deal with it. I just press the restart button to stop it, and that appears to have limited the trouble it caused, or so I hope.  That's two in a week. Lucky me.

 

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80 year old

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The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just got married for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation.


"He's a funeral director," she answered.
"Interesting," the newsman thought.
He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first
three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years.


After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly,
explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in her early
20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, and a preacher when in her 60's, and now in her 80's, a funeral director.



The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had
married four men with such diverse careers.  She smiled and explained,


"I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go." 






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Sunday

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After perusing the papers it is clear there is little to read about today. The papers are full of words but mostly of routine things and ageing stories, nothing of the shock, horror variety to speak off. Although watching Hibernian lose to relegation bound Hamilton Accies did make me giggle so maybe that is a shock story for you. Bolton thrashed 5-0 by Stoke certainly is and Mr Wenger's Arsenal playing Liverpool and both getting last minute penalties was a bit of a surprise. But real shock news was not to be found today. Real 'scoops' are rare to find these days and papers are now filled with a variety of subjects to keep themselves going. Some have become gossip sheets asking "What is she wearing?" as if this was important as some meaningless celebrity seeks publicity. Stories, and most are just that, 'stories,' lean either to the 'hate' angle or the 'loveable.' Jade Goody was a good example of this. Her foul mouthed ignorant rantings enabled the tabloids to headline her outpourings and allow the reader to point the finger at her sin. The minute this villain found she was dying the press immediately turned and called her "Poor Jade" and at her funeral SKY gave this live coverage, with following helicopter naturally.  It is the same whatever the occupation, an individual is regarded as good or bad and the press scream indignantly or purr like a cat, if they think that is what the reader wants to see. Objective journalism is hard to find, even with the 'serious press.'


 I watched the football via one of those PC streams. This leaves me guilty as I know these guys who offer such things are gangsters on the make. Well, if not gangsters exactly, chancers at the very least, and doing very well out of it. I feel uneasy that I am lining their pockets on someone else's offerings. However at this moment I am unable to buy the pictures legally, Sky alone would cost around £50 a month and the man at the dole did not appear keen when I questioned whether this was possible. I choose to forget his actual words. However I forced myself through my guilt but still feel uneasy abut this. Had I been watching games not available here I may feel less worried, and Ukrainian football without an English commentator is far superior to listening to any football with one. The constant adverts blocking the picture also annoy, however watching the mighty Hibernian fail v Hamilton was snigger making. Maybe I should be kinder to those who struggle.....?




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Culloden

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On this day in 1746, the Jacobite army of 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' was defeated by Hanoverian forces in the Battle of Culloden. This was the last battle on British soil. This was not a battle between Scotland and England but a civil war and the end of the Stuarts attempt to regain the throne of the United Kingdom.




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ISP's

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The German vessels were nine miles away when the Royal Navy began firing. As the chase progressed huge shells soared through the air between the fleets. HMS Invincible suddenly turned into a ball of flame and sank within 90 seconds. Only six men were to survive. The battle continued into the night with huge shells flying miles to land on or near their enemy. Ships sank and others were damaged, still the fight went on.  As the Grand fleet pursued the enemy the phone rang. I put aside the plastic warships and climbed out of the bath. Dripping wet I went to the phone. It had stopped ringing and the caller was murmuring unwillingly into the ansafone. It was my sister asking advice about ISP's as her daughter had dumped placed a PC in her house for her to use. I excused myself, dried off and returned still with my mind in the North Sea of 1916. She declared at one point that her use of the phone was limited, although she took fifty minutes to say this, and we eventually decided what her chosen option ought to be. 


It is very hard to pick an ISP. Even though I have used this wonderful device for years I do not easily follow the lies offers that are proffered. Her daughter had printed out several, some which sounded good, but from this distance it is not possible to easily explain all the ins and outs of these companies. It is at times like this I wish I was back north. Each ISP offers cheap prices but then you require careful reading of the downloads, the allowance if there is one, whether a contract is required, if the phone is free all day or only at certain times, and so on. With different rates for 'Business' and for 'Home' and several offers for each the new user requires a lawyer to understand what they are reading. However she will eventually get something working, and then complain about the 'pap' that I keep sending her. I have wanted her to get this for years and while both her and her man will grumble I know they will be on the thing all day! How did we live without the PC in times past I wonder?

I attended the JobCentre again as per usual. My regular man was off and I was attended to by a kind gentleman who carried a pot belly that made me appear thin! How glad I was to see him, so glad when I got home I stuffed my face! However I am on what is called 'New Deal, ' and after a poor job search with my chap I went to meet the 'New Deal' woman. Nice lass tries hard, looks bored. The 'New Deal' entails a trip  to the big town for a discussion with what I am assured is a wise lady I who will find me a work placement in the area. Several weeks on the trip has not appeared, the work placements are hard to find! I could have told them that! However as the majority on this system are young I guess they are getting priority. From today's short meeting it is apparent I may never see big town after all. In short this is a government idea, pushed through against the JobCentre's best advice, that doesn't work as there are NO JOBS!  I will be sixty in a few weeks, I wonder if I will ever work again sometimes. However I am not downhearted, I know who looks after me, in spite of all this, and something good will happen, eventually! In the meantime, back to Jutland!

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