Cats

Daily Mail

Cats are good!  People who do not like cats are saddo's I say.  The cat is a highly intelligent, self possessed, self confident creation that brings fun, humour and affection to millions.  The cat is practical also.  If you have mice scratching at the skirting boards a cat sniffing around will keep them from bothering your cheese.   Spiders and flying beasties will not only keep the cat entertained and fighting fit the beasties will not bother you for long and they will help keep the cat fed.  Admittedly they have a problem with budgies and other flying creatures, often leaving them at your feet as a present, but we all have awkward hobbies.  My brother brought home a small black and white kitten when I was about two years old, 'Patchy' survived for 13 years.  When a kitten she managed to get out the window and clamber up to the fourth floor of the building where she got stuck.  The young lad in the flat there stretched out and brought her back in, never again did she go out the front door.  If we were talking to someone on the stair landing she might have a peek over the edge but approaching footsteps chased her back inside.  Surprisingly she was an excellent watchdog.  Sitting on the couch in that half asleep mode her ears indicated every noise that came near the stair door.  The neighbours coming and going was indicated by the ears going up but the eyes remaining closed.  However strange footsteps opened the eyes and the ears were fully active, no stranger could approach secretly.  My brother left to join the RAF and at one point had been away for about two years or more, however the minute his foot entered the stair door downstairs the cat shot off to await his arrival.  She was first to greet him as he opened the door.  Her most enjoyed hobby was at night, when all was dark and quiet, she would chase a marble we had left lying around up and down the long lobby.  This was before the days of carpets and we could hear the 'bull' rolling and a screeching of claws on the lino and a bump as the cat raced into the door at the end.  This would go on until Dad got annoyed and threw something, like Mum, at the cat.


Our next cat was half factory and half Persian.   My brother in law was given this at work when the factory cat had kittens, somehow it ended up with us, possibly because the kids were too young at the time.  This one lasted about 14 years also.  When we noticed the cat constantly drinking my young nieces tea we had to dedicate that cup for the cat, and he then demanded his cup of tea whenever we had one.  If we did not make that half cup of milky tea the brute would glare until he got his way!  He always did irrespective of whoever the guests might be.  One regret I have had is the impossibility of keeping a cat in the places I have stayed.  There again I would be suffering malnutrition if one lived here, the brute would eat everything and leave me nothing! 

  

Now who can fail to be impressed by this wonderful steam engine?  What an impressive sight!  The short clip is found at the end of the 'Daily Mail' item.  The writing is pretty inept, but sadly that is all too common these days in the media.  Rushed stories to fill space, lack of understanding of the subject, and too much space to fill.  The engine however does look good.  How I would love to hang around one of those preserved lines.  Excellent pictures on the article.  How could any human being not enjoy this?   

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Dawn Sunshine

A night of peaceful slumber, broken only by the town drunk yelling at his personal windmills, saw me wake twenty minutes before six. The bright sunshine brought out the deep green in the grass all across the park.  Birds chirruped as they danced through the branches, nibbling the buds on the trees, high overhead an airliner sped east, leaving an ever so slight trail across the bright blue of the morning sky.  I decided to rise, threw aside the newspapers that I had kept to keep me warm all night, and left the damp park bench in search of breakfast.  

Having fought two crows and one raven over the leavings from a polystyrene food container I reached for the bike and decided this might be a good day for exercise.  Before leaving I checked the e-mail and slung a cup of cheap tea down my throat.  Actually slung was the correct word as I dropped it and spilt tea all over the laptop! "Dearie, dearie me," I said.  That explains the tea stains on the page you are reading.  

While the rising sun blinded those heading towards its rising this did not prevent the north wind from chilling my hands as I raced slowly along the old railway line.  I was so early only two dogs were walking their owners at that time.  This fine brown horse awaited me as I neared the village, although to be fair, he neither awaited me nor was interested in me, and he refused to show me his best side.  His mate, not shown, is not shown because he made a point of showing me his worst side, and emphasising this in what I would call a needless manner!                                                

 The farmhouse in the distance is typical of many houses around here.  From what I can gather some go back many, many years although inside they are sometimes much adapted as they are not always that large.  The mud caked floor tends to be expensively tiled, sometimes old flagstones still exist.  I notice that the rooms were usually small and wonder how many would live in such a place?  The occupants would most likely be the 'better sort,' so imagine what the farm labourers possessed!   Some look very good indeed but the half million required to buy one is quite steep, and these houses are usually right on the roadside, this was fine in 1750 with an occasional highwayman, herd of cattle or stage coach passing, not so fine with boy racer and his mates today I warrant.

Later I took my stiffening muscles to 'Chris & Jim's' to take a weight of my mind by having my hair cut.  I was surprised they remembered me as it has been so long since I entered the place.  By far the best barbers around, and it is no wonder they are popular!  It does however appear to me that  one of the few shops that open and survive are hairdressers or barbers!  There must be nearly two dozen around here, mostly aimed at women of course, but today men appear so fussy over their hair.  Footballers show their increased wages loosens their fashion sense by appearing on the field in wilder and wilder hairstyles.  The more absurd they appear the more likely some twat will copy them.  Of course young players not only copy fashion the hair identifies them on the field, and a good game will be noticed by those that matter.  An old trick which still works.  Proper men of course just let their hair grow Hippy style, although we did worry about 'split ends' a lot......

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Suspicious Bird

I have met a few suspicious birds in my time, for some reason few appear willing to trust my intentions.  The big Crows that live in the park trees are always moving off when passers-by approach, while the Goldfinches and Blue Tits rush off at high speed, especially when they catch me at the window spoiling their feed from the remaining nuts hanging there.  The Blackbird sitting here was watchful as I approached, no nearer than ten feet, but the wee camera did OK here.  You will of course know that Blackbirds are the first to break the quiet in the early morn.  Blackbirds, then Robins, then Thrushes I believe open up the dawn chorus because their eyes are larger and more susceptible to the first light, or so I hear.  It sounds true because when I was a postman I left here at four thirty in the morning, long before you lot left the dream factory, and as I turned the corner a blackbird would sing out at the far end of the street, then another at this end and before I had gone fifty yards they were all at it.  A right cacophony of birdsong, and delightful it was too!  Whether the intention was to waken the dead or just remind their neighbours that this was their patch is unclear, while the amount of noise from one small bird is amazing.

Window

Nothing came......

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Sunday Night Music

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Saturday Night Music

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Clouds

Today the sun returned to greet us and pretend it was the month of May.  In spite of the snow falling in the Grampians we found large areas of blue showing between the clouds.   Such a change after days of gray fluff hanging above us and happily drenching the unwary with sudden downpours.  Today I sat and watched the vast clouds in the distance.  As I have said before having spent so many years in concrete London where the sky is seen only by looking straight up I still find pleasure in watching the clouds in a blue sky.  Today their movement was hastened by a brisk wind.  Chasing my cap assured me how brisk this was!  So I sat and watched the cloud formations in the distance and marvelled at the sheer size of the things.  Climbing thousands of feet into the air and often stretching for miles, continent wide on occasion.

When I first came out here I realised why John Constable spent so much time painting clouds.  He  dwelt, in some comfort I should say, about thirty minutes drive for here, well thirty minutes if you drove like my driver did that time.  'Scuse me while I breathe deeply for a moment.  He (Constable) spent much time sketching and painting clouds.  Possibly he wondered what created them and blamed the industrial revolution for polluting the planet and creating global warming, possibly not.  Possibly he just painted and got on with his work.   

Why I wonder are they so flat at the bottom but not in the middle?  Could this be to let planes take off without hitting them, as some of us once loudly told one another while watching planes depart at Gatwick. "It's so the planes don't get scratched," we said, much to the irritation of anoraks listening in to pilots radio messages on their handsets.  Apart from the Daily Mail' who regularly post pictures of clouds that look like the UK, or a giraffe or Jesus, it is possible to become entranced by the shape of clouds.  Wind currents play about with them sometimes making intriguing patterns.  There again, maybe I have just spent far too much time indoors this week....?

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Unfortunate Links

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Tuesday Tittering!

Sadly having been busily engaged in doing the thousand and one things required to scrub clean the condominium in search of a healthier environment, walking in search of some fitness, searching for dead soldiers and finding one or two lying about, and since hearing the news regarding American Bill Miller pulling out of the deal to save Rangers form oblivion, I have been laughing so much I cannot post.  So you will have to do with a picture of a 'Clutterbups.'

The bones creak from what went before but the sides ache from this news.  Now why would an American wish to buy a football team he has never heard off,playing a game he has never played and knows nothing about, in a nation he has never visited?  Now he says he has received abusive e-mails from Rangers fans!  Lucky man, some of us have to meet them to receive abuse!  Some of course might say he was a 'chancer,' dealing with the administrators of the tax avoiding club, who are also 'chancers,' while they attempt to sort the mess left by the 'chancer' who saw his chance to make money by he had billions, when in fact he did not, by buying the club from the main 'chancer' who had run up millions of debts and ran away, supported by his lackeys in the media.  Of course I could be wrong here.....  

Here is the latest on Bill Miller, whoever he was!  The Washinton Post also mentions this story, the Tennessee Towing Tycoon runs for home after being told 'Yank go home!' Sadly Bill has no idea of the type of people he was dealing with in Glasgow.  A proper understanding of the situation would have saved him much abuse. What an embarrassment this whole escapade has become.  Yet in spite of it all the press friends of David Murray enjoy their succulent lamb and still refuse to attack the shambles.  Had it been any other club then some journalism might arise, but not for Rangers.  What a disgrace to Scotland this has become.  'Yank go home' for your own sake!

Just published, Douglas Fraser speaks with some credibility here.

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Quality Architecture

Early this morning I trundled around on a bike with a soft back tyre.  The incessant rain hindered my health regime and while just sitting there gathering dust the tyre has slightly softened.  I should fix that - soon.  I attempted to avoid the stiff breeze which naturally was always against me but the route did take me past this!  We could pay a guessing game as to what it is used for but being bright you would soon guess I guess.  This aged town has a few interesting houses, some going back several hundred years, a lot of steady Victorian buildings, and large modern housing estates.  Occasionally objects revealing the past occupation come to light and I wonder if this is one of them?


Today this ramshackle tin hut is used as a garage, often a variety of vehicles can be seen parked on the area to the left of the picture.  Always appears busy when I pass and some heavy vehicles are parked there, possibly he specialises in those.  Down the side you can see what once were windows.  I suspect the building of the housing estate in the fifties led to stone throwing brats in the sixties. This has led to corragated iron over said window and darkness inside since then.  It must be pretty cold working there are the whole front of the building opens up to allow access.  Heaters etc are seen inside when passing but even so.  A real workshop, of the type now outlawed by Health & Safety legislation and rare in large garages.  I suspect the two men suffer as it is their business, and possibly enjoyment also.  Rather akin to places that existed fifty years ago.   


Two strange happenings as I scribbled this tonight.  The first was the deep pink glow in the sky far off.  This is the first sunset noted round here for a while.  The red lurking behind the trees indicates a good spell of sun tomorrow, and we need that in this area.  The other thing is aircraft!  Two friends of mine, an extended family of which I am a part and to which I owe a great deal, are flying off to Thailand via Delhi tonight.  By means of Flight Radar a very interesting device, I was enabled to track that they took off on time.  Ten minutes late on an Indian airline is good going in my book.  Tracking the flight I noticed the flight plan took then right over my head!  Possibly the pilot does not know where India is situated, or maybe it's a woman driver.  Anyhow fifteen minutes after take off I could here them pass overhead at just over 17000 feet and heading for 400 miles an hour.  A strange thought that they were so close, and being father and son I suppose they are close, sitting next to one another I mean.  Twenty years ago the idea of tracking aircraft in flight, (they are at this moment at 33,000 feet and travelling at 570 mph just north of Osnabruck) was laughable, in fact it might not have been available to the public ten years ago!  The wonders of the micro chip and the benefits thereof are many.  As i wake around six tomorrow morning they will be attempting to fight their way through the airport in Delhi to catch their connection.  I might think off them there, if I can keep the eyes open. 



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St Peter's

As I pushed my way through the crowds in the market today I passed a few African types proffering leaflets.  These were regarding their recently established church.  I pondered when they first arrives a while ago quite what made them settle in this town.  For a start I found when I came here some time back that this was a very 'white' English town, a surprise to me after twenty years in Notting Hill!  Why did a small group of Africans begin a church here?  Today there in fact two 'African' dominated churches, and one of them at least contained several illegal immigrants.  This was exposed at a social evening when a young lady indicated in mid conversation that she worked for the Customs people, turning around she noticed half the crowd that were behind her had disappeared!  The churches no doubt are genuine enough, but some amongst them may have a different view of their 'social' role.  Possibly that is why they began their own church rather than do the obvious an check out those already up and running.  The point I am aiming for is almost here so yawn with your mouth shut.


Churches begin for a variety of reasons.  English churches often began on pagan spots when the Romans were around, wooden churches were raised under the Saxons, the Normans altered those with stone, later many Lords decided to build their own, to stop them mixing with the lower orders I suppose.  A variety of reasons saw 'parish' churches and non conformist churches to develop.  Theological differences and Pride often split churches causing new ones to emerge, as indeed did personal ambition.  In Victorian days 'Livings' as they were called, were often controlled by the most powerful man, or organisation, in the district.  Anthony Trollope wrote about the infighting of the Mid Victorian Anglicans in his delightful book 'The Warden,' and several others that followed.  We have reached the point at last, sip coffee, sit up straight and listen.  St Peter's Church came into being because a rich woman fell out with the vicar of the parish church.  That is why the building stands there, in what was once a field on the edge of town!  That is the crux of this tale.

Miss Frances Wakeham was the daughter of the Rev Perryman Wakeham, most probably vicar of St Michael's the parish church.  Certainly the house in which she resided, 'Marshall's' was very large, with an extension added in 1850 that was bigger than most houses in the area at the time, and vicars in those days were very well off indeed.  The vicarage opposite the church, mentioned some time back, possibly arose when this lady moved into her Big House, set in the mid century in pleasant gardens of some size. This lady, as was common in that age, most likely knew her social importance.  Indeed she also was a granddaughter of a man who had once been Dean no less!  However there came a time long after her father had gone the way of all vicars when a dispute arose.  The residing vicar of St Michael's wished to 'move tombs' for reasons not stated, possibly hygienic or to improve the grounds, although this is unclear. Whatever the disagreement it appears she lost out, and possibly revealed the reason she remained a spinster all her life, her personality, her attitude.  Maybe she was indeed to be found in a 'Trollope' novel?  It was said she claimed she would 'Pay the vicar back,' and her Christian commitment was such that when she died she indeed did do this! 


The blessed lady left £4500 (and this is 1893 we talk about) to the church.  However she did not give it to the parish but ensured it went elsewhere.  Now this town actually is two separate towns joined as one in the 19th century. The Roman road that runs through the town separates the two halves and the parish to the north came under an Anglican 'peculiar.'  A what?  It appears the way Anglicans run their organisation means that a church is tied to a local cathedral, the home of a 'Bishop.'  However for historical reasons that are two complicated to understand the northern parish, under St Mary's, belongs to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and is described as a 'peculiar,' as indeed are many Archbishops. Quite what he wishes to do with it is not made clear.  However the money was provided specifically to establish a new church.  


Now spiteful Frances, (Can I call you 'Fanny?' What.....Oh!) realised that St Mary's is some distance from the Roman road and the parishioners required a new church nearer the road, especially as the town was growing apace.  The English way was to have people attend a local parish church rather than the nearest.  To prevent some slipping over the border into St Mikes parish she arranged for a new building close by.  By insisting the church was built within two years or the cash went elsewhere she ensured a rapid building process would follow.  The first service took place in 1897, in a building designed for growth.  Holding some three hundred seated, but designed for alteration to 600 when the time came, St Peter's now has a strange, indeed ugly, look.  The interior they say is excellent, but I have to take their word for that.  An effort has been made to ensure the grounds are neat, and the rain has enabled the plants at least to flourish.  Much of the land once given (half an acre 'given' by one Mrs Southcott) has been sold for housing, and that of a decent quality.  

As with all things life changes in ways not expected.  The church continued but the growth did not. The population stopped growing, War arrived and changed attitudes to all things, the cash to add the tower, let alone the expansion, never materialised.  The church was left with a stunted look on the outside, somewhat similar to many houses I noted built in the thirties back home.  Nowadays this 'Anglo Catholic' church attempts to play its part in the town.  The bells ring when folks get married, services are held, and a vicar has been appointed once again.  The crowds however do not come.  A church cannot be established unless the good Lord sets it up himself.  Man's ambition, personal desire, theological debates, and pride, as here, are not good grounds for God's Kingdom.  He himself must inspire the creation of a church, not a dispute regarding tombs.

The Dean who laid that must have been strong!

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Rainy Thursday

I sit here perusing the things done today while the rain pitter patters on the window once again, and I cannot remember what I have done today.  It has been quite busy but for the life of me nothing appears to have changed in here.  The 'To Do' list is now approaching its second volume, so I have not touched that, the carpet is gray with dust, so no hoovering, and the sink blocked with dishes, so that's normal.   What did I actually do?  I wrote a couple of e-mails to intelligent folk, begging, perused the press and was depressed by it, bought milk and bread and argued with the woman in 'Morrison's.'  Actually I argued with the 'self service' machine.  These brutes always go wrong for me, and this one is particularly bad.  Not only is it badly designed, possibly by a 'work experience' teenager, wearing headphones and a sulk, but the woman nags all the way through and at the wrong times.  The bag is to far from the basket of goods, the voice constantly tells you "Please wait for an assistant," although you are not aware of any fault, and of course it will not progress until a long suffering assistant arrives. 
"Place item in the bag," the ratbag says in that irksome voice. 
"IT'S IN THE B-A-G!" In inform her, "Please wait...."  
Eventually I enter four items only into the bag, choose, under her direction (three times) how to pay, enter the cash, once I have worked out how to, into the appropriate slot which doesn't look appropriate to me,  and stand there awaiting action. 
"Please enter your cash......"
"It's in woman, as your head will be soon!"
Assistant enquires wearily, and rushes of to other machine as "Please wait....," rings out. 
A short eon later the change arrives, the receipt pops out, just after "Please take your bag."
I head for the door muttering. 
 "No wonder your man left you, divorce was not enough, drowning in the bath would be better."   "Please take your bag" 
"I've got the bag woman!"  
"Thank you for shopping at Morrison's." 
"Get lost!"
Those smiling checkout girls at Tesco look better to me as I wander away, muttering......


Maybe now I know why I did so little after that......


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Now look....!

Enough is enough!  Being weaned in Edinburgh I am used to rain.  Gray skies are my birthright!  However I do think this constant gray sky and rain is a bit much.  Now as you know I amnot one to complain, and I am grateful this rain makes up for what we have missed, and this will benefit us all when Farmer Jones gathers the crops, however I could do with sunshine again.  We had some yesterday while travelling to Chelmsford, and more on Monday so I am grateful for that, but it seems to never end, a bit like a normal Edinburgh summer really.  Having endured the '76 drought in smoggy London, and having been evicted chosen to move to the country I expected that sunshine, green views, peace and quiet and all day long blue skies would be mine out here in the wilderness.  However the 'driest county in England' proved, during my time as a postman, to be a lie.  As indeed was the idea that Essex was flat, I can tell you it aint mate!  However this constant gray skies, rain, and smiling weather forecasters warning that more, much more is to come, and from the freezing north at that, then I begin to think it is time to be peeved.  Now the advantages of rain is to be seen everywhere.  The park is covered in Daisy and Buttercup (the flowers not Farmer Jone's milk cows) as you can see.  This is wonderful to me, and attracts lots of wildlife, at least those that have not been drowned or frozen already!  Only people who have to cut the grass object to such rain!  I watched some Starlings bounce off the tree in the park and flounce around like House Martins.  Lovely I thought, but when the rain, and it will be torrential, comes tonight where will they nest?  Mrs Blackbird passed me earlier, her beak stuffed with hay like items, heading for her nest, I wonder how she will fare tonight?  I cannot understand how birds survive in such times?  Some will however.

As you bring out the galoshes cogitate on these:-

Jesus loves you. Nice to hear in church, terryfying to hear in a Mexican prison

How many Spanish guys does it take to change a light bulb? Just Juan.

Two negatives make a positive but only in Scotland do two positives

make a negative - "Aye right."

After announcing he was getting married, a boy tells his pal he will be

wearing the kilt. "And what's the tartan?" asks his mate.

"Oh, she'll be wearing a white dress," he replies.

 

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The Meeting

It was chauffeur driven to Chelmsford for me today.  Yes indeed a meeting concerning a Great War exhibition, of sorts.  This was the second meeting apparently and as such little had been formed, nothing decided, and it seems to my little mind that is still the case.  A glance around the room at people from several museums, bodies, and interested parties (me) told me that several wished to increase the tempo of the meeting.   Leaflets, websites, educational resources, who do we aim at, objectives, these were some items discussed in a manner that forced me to yawn with my mouth closed.  Funding I knew I would not comprehend, neither did anyone else, and the discussion dragged on leaving me amazed that so many people had so much time to give, and waste. Sadly I am sure they did not have that time and endured for the sake of the project, knowing that speed, direction and result will appear, maybe money also.  The project to commemorate the Greta War is indeed a huge one, but when so many people are coming from differing angles possibly now is the time to break up into small groups and develop differing aspects that way, but I managed not to say anything, just in case I was right.




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Sunshine

A shot of village England from the train as we passed at high speed today.  A shot a second or so earlier would have given a slightly better view, however the big houses, the church, and the green represent the usual English village that tourists love.  Whether the pub remains open or whether actually living there is good is another matter.  The TV programmes often show folks looking for a small, quiet village to retire to.  They talk of community spirit, a local friendly pubs, and give the impression they can fit in anywhere.  Maybe so but do the villagers take to them I wonder?  Some folks live forty years in a village and are still reckoned as outsiders by those born there. I suspect if you have money and do not upset the routine you may be alright, but it could be too cosy for some.  Occasionally incomers are known to demand the church bell stops ringing as they came to the country for quiet, some even demand local chickens or cattle in fields are removed.  That is not how to endear oneself to the locals.  One or two houses are available however £6-900,000 would be required for the bigger ones, good luck!

While up town being browbeaten and nagged by Helen (Is there a school women attend where they learn to bully males?) concerning job searching, I noticed the river was deep, fast flowing and as you can see a bit murky.  This reflects the rainfall over the past month.  I noticed from the train the river had flooded in many places, on occasion filling ready made holes and flood basins, yet we know the rain is insufficient to find its way deep into the earth, to fill reservoirs or aid farmland in the long run.  Personally I think we have had enough, but I do not posses a garden, a crop nor a vast need for water.  The hosepipe ban continues but some would say there are still too many mains pipes leaking that water companies are too busy counting their profits to notice.  They may have a point.




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Hope Springs Eternal.....

Hope sprang this afternoon after I hobbled home from my walk around the various town banks.  Being the Sabbath the banks are closed and I merely looked in the windows and allowed myself to dream for a moment.  Having done so I made my way home to my cocoa when I espied the fuzz parked outside the park!  Hooray I thought, a raid!  Visions of armour clad polis waving large truncheons practicing for Olympic duty crossed my mind.  As I approached I was disappointed to note only one vehicle parked there.  I was more disappointed when five custodians of the law sauntered from the park, no adolescent brutes gathered, no blood on their truncheons and no sign of removal of the half grown miscreants!  It appears a mere general enquiry was under way, no arrests, no reason to whine to the council, no chance of closing the park to the screeching brats, no happy thoughts after all.

Still, one day.....

I had wandered out after a morning filled with rain hammering onto the dirty window panes, an afternoon watching Celtic taking Rangers apart while avoiding shouting 'Third Division, you're having a laff' at them.  I followed this giggle by sniggering my way through Hibernian's feeble attempt to defeat a poor St Mirren side.  Oh the satisfaction of knowing that by the grace of God I was born into the Heart of Midlothian family, such joy!  Sometimes I sympathise with those lesser people not of such a privelaged life.  The rain ceasing offered an opportunity to see the outside world once again.  Sadly it had closed and I merely spent my time as  windowlicker outside the various banks.  One day I will actually be allowed inside one.  

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Customs Post

Angela Merkel lands at Charles de Gaulle airport.

Customs man: "Nationality?"

Merkel: "German."

Customs man: "Occupation?"

Merkel: "No, just a few days."

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I Have Nothing to Say

It's one of those weeks. The things that have impressed themselves on my mind, the museum, dead soldiers, Rangers men lying in their teeth, and our corrupt government have not been the stuff to raise laughs or interest those in far flung places such as Texas or Dalkeith.  No sir my scrawls have gained little attention and on top of this the rain keeps coming down.  The weather is of course a talking point in the UK.  With the vast Atlantic on one side and the continent on the other weather patterns vary considerably.  Left over US hurricanes lash our western coast and drop rain everywhere while snowdrifts from the Arctic arrive via Siberia from the east.  This leaves a lush, green landscape in which crops can happily grow.  However it can also depress those who spend several days at a time with raindrops falling on their heads.  Gray skies do not bring smiles, although in the UK blue ones don't do that either.  Walking into a closed glass door however can bring a smile to those standing nearby!  It has been known for the wind (The Mistral?) to blow north from the Sahara to arrive in the south of England on occasion.  While it deposits vast amounts of sand grains in the southern aspect of Spanish homes, while leaving the north grit free but chilled, rarely does the dust come this far.  It does however bring a welcome warmth, we miss it at the moment.  What is arriving, whether from west or south, is Atlantic rain!  Tons of it is falling, a months supply at a time, and the plucky Brit is doing what he does on such occasions, he grumbles!  Of course while the rain is indeed heavier and more persistent than usual it is Springtime and this weather occurs every Springtime to some extent.   The plucky Brit of course has forgotten this and merely whines about how bad it is, global warming, ice age, and the Labour Party's fault!  Unless we have to the answer is to stay indoors unless the sun shines, but that would lead to folks complaining about being trapped I suppose.

Not being one to complain, or indeed to blow my own trumpet,  and I remarked as much this morning in Tesco's where the lass made a comment about kids behaviour.  "I wasn't perfect," she claimed, "But they are so bad today." I took the opportunity to remind her I had been perfect as a child, and her story changed. "So was I," she lied!  The young woman following on suddenly woke up to add, "That makes three of us."  I decided I was in a store full of gloating maniacs and left before anyone else joined in.  But is it true?  Are kids really worse today than 30, 60 or 100 years ago?  I doubt it.  Human nature doesn't change and certainly not in that time.  Culture does, discipline does, and we live in liberal times where freedom easily becomes licence. Personal freedom is more important than other people, and consideration for them lessens from parent to child.  However all is not lost and never indeed was in danger of being lost.  People were just as bad in the past, two major wars, a depression and less wealth all round covered up selfishness and human sin.  Things are more open today, exaggerated by tabloid press, and the good that has always been done by all manner of people still continues.  However that said all brats should be locked in school 24 hours a day, seven days a week in my view!

The museum has a Victorian classroom, a very good practical idea in my mind, that educates the brats on past teaching methods.  Dressed accordingly, but with shoes not worn by kids in the past, they learn the highly disciplined schooling of the mid Victorian times.  I thought of this yesterday while attending a meeting to discuss a new layout for the museum.  Surrounded by knowledgeable people who knew their subject i was a bit out of place, but opened the gob anyway, and found truly I was out of place.  After a morning discussion I confess to still not being sure of what has been decided, my lack of concentration, the debate, and many suggestions means I await the next news.  The Victorian times do interest me.  Vast changes in western society, influencing the entire world, mass movement of people, railways, leading to industrial development, increasing wealth, and indeed leisure times.  They are so near to us it is possible to identify with Victorians in a way we cannot with those of previous centuries, they were too different in every way.  Our towns are still based much on Victorian development, as is the rail system and much else.  Prices have changed somewhat mind!  It's a very interesting period and I would like a time machine to go back there for a look around, although taking all the medicine I require with me of course!

 I did however discover a wonderful thing today.  The old telly, no longer used since the 'analog' was replaced by 'digital' signal, does in fact play the videos that are stacked around here.  This is good as there is many wonderful programmes available, much better than the junk now filling TV.  I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get use of them again.  I remain content with small results.  Great events shake me not!  Who said cheapskate.....?  

Of course much of my time has been taken up on newspaper sites adding pertinent comments on the Rangers FC situation.  This club, sectarian to make money, arrogant and offhand to the rest, has been discovered fiddling the taxes, around £49 million, and this added to failing further tax by fiddling the way they paid players doubling the money owed by the 'loyalists' to the queen they sing about each week.  The abuse, the threats and the refusal to accept blame has risen to a level that would embarrass residents in Barlinnie Prison.  Pleading a 'special case' because '"It's us," appears to be the theme.  I am happy to report few attempt to justify their behaviour on the comments, almost all condemn them.  It is the club that whines and bleats in a shameful manner, blaming this one and that but never admitting their fault.  Regrettably  the more they speak out the more I hope for their demise.  An altogether terrible situation all of their own making.

Not much to laugh about, although I did laugh at Rangers, saw humour aplenty amongst the volunteers at the museum, laughed at folks blogs, where intended I mean, and am within myself beaming these days.  Have I been drinking......?

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Market Day.

Businessweek

Market Day failed miserably as the thunder and lightning, rain, hailstones and wind tended to put the buyers off.  In between storms I braved the elements and set out, just to avoid listening to Rupert Murdoch lying to the Leveson enquiry.  If he was not going to lie he was going to put someone else into the mire.  He is not called the 'Dirty Digger' for nothing.  When I was a lad there was an attitude that appeared to say 'respect your leaders, betters, adults and other people.'  Today it is impossible to find this attitude and the behaviour of those very souls has made it thus.  Of course teaching kids to listen and respect is a good thing, but respect also needs to be earned, our leaders, in politics, media and even sport, do not deserve respect.


I broke off to listen to various news report and enjoy my repast of 'Flanders Mince.'  Murdoch was it seems intent on his fantasy world.  'The Sun,' being the only 'independent' newspaper he claimed. He is kind of right of course, all others have their own slant, Murdoch goes where he thinks the money is to be found, so I suppose that is a kind of independence.  His integrity was surpassed by Jeremy Hunt, a cabinet minister, as he defended e-mails sent from his department to Murdoch company during Hunts investigation of Murdochs BSkB takeover.  It appears Jeremy knew nothing and his assistant has fallen on his sword.  How convenient!  I remain convinced myself that the minister has absolutely nothing to hide!  Integrity is this governments watchword. The honest 'Daily Mail' loves to fill its pages with Murdoch's troubles.  it remains less keen to state that the editor may well be given the boot for his performance at the enquiry that now attempts to hang Rupert. You will be pleased to know that our leader David Cameron stands by his cabinet member.  He might as well, soon he will be standing beside him in the dole queue! Oh by the way, that nice mentally unbalanced friend of Dave's, George Osborne, the one ion charge of the money, he has admitted we are back in recession.  I suppose he will once again lower the taxes of the rich because of this next week. 

Football of course is run by honest men, integrity is their watchword!  Unfortunately Rangers owner Sir David Murray forgot to pay the income tax as required, some £49 million worth of forgetfulness!  It appears there was dubious dealings with payment to players also and now the tax man is investigating.  To avoid trouble clear up the situation Murray dumped the club on a fall guy sold the club to a multi millionaire businessman who paid £1 for the club and promised to sort things out.  It appears he was in fact a fantasist and has since been banned for not paying taxes (£19 million?), selling four seasons of season tickets to 'Ticketus,'  has been playing fast and loose with the money, which he doesn't have, and is now the man the media attack for hurting their club.  Murray however they never mention, hmmmm?  Sanctions resulting mean the club may die.  All Scotland is in a ferment!  Rangers fans demand action, Scottish football fans demand the club dies.  We await the result of several inquiries, police investigations, court cases, and hopefully the Rangers dumped into Division 3!  


Has there ever been 'integrity' in football, or indeed politics, media or anything else?  I doubt it.  Hammurabi made his famous laws several thousand years ago, the bible is full of crime condemned, and as Thudydides says,"Human nature doesn't change."  The only honest person can ever be our self, everyone else cannot be trusted.....

Oh and it rained a lot today....

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A Good Use for the Brute!

Yes indeed at last I can justify using this brute of a laptop. In spite of things moving when they shouldn't, links disappearing and the spelling failing miserably I have found this machine to have one great use, I can use it while lying in my bed!  Yes indeed, here I was tonight, watching the football in comfort while glancing outside at the pink and blue sky, and drowsily ending my day, who could ask for more?  Well me for one, but this is at least one advantage the PC could not offer.  Sadly however as I was awake at five this morning, and rose at six after manfully attempting to return to my dreams, this means that I fail to see clearly while watching the game on the laptop as my eyes keep closing.  This is somewhat annoying.  The wonderful post that ran through my mind today has turned to slush.  Possibly I could still use it, some say it would fit!  The rain that spent much of the day drenching the world  forced me to stay inside and clean the oven, and it is not yet six months old!  Still is stopped me looking for dead soldiers for a while, and while I keep finding info on some I can see I am only half way through my list.  I wake in the morning to the sound of military music from 1914 these days.  I pull my second hand gray army blankets over my head while I drop off into slumberland with the news that Chelsea defeated a football team tonight by using Walter Smith style tactics.  How depressing!           


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