Zonked.....

So here is a picture of Cowdenbeath.....

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

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

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

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

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


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

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Museum Folks

Happy Tour

As luck would have it one of the early visitors to the shop this morning was a chap from the Ukraine! He had brought an Italian friend in looking for London souvenirs.  Braintree ones would not mean a great deal back in Naples for some reason.  Interesting talking to him, a man who spoke very good English, better than the locals can, and understanding as a Scot can his opposition to a dangerous Russia with a mad leader threatening his nation.  His pride in not being Russian was clear!  This lucky man now has his wife and new child to care for and I suspect one day they will return home to the Ukraine, but not yet! The situation there is indeed tense, and it has become clear there have been bad boys on both sides, and as is the way in those far flung regions few politicians are to be trusted. Talking of untrustworthy politicians I note David Cameron has been talking tough yet has plans made to do absolutely nothing when the balloon goes up.  It is one thing to send jets into Libya or 'aid' to Syria but Mr Putin (is his first name 'Ras?') with his nuclear weapons, thousands of soldiers and big guns is a different matter.  As it is if we do anything the gas will either be turned off or trebled in price and only Mr Gas Chairman wishes for that!  

VinMag

The day began by discovering the place was not yet opened up properly.  Lights were off, TV's off, and no money yet in the till!  This was sad as the first visitor was awaiting entrance.  However she was keen to talk, so keen that once the money had been placed in the till, lights and TV's on it took me fifteen minutes to get her actually into the museum proper.  Even then she talked as I attempted to log the photo machine on.  A real nice woman with interesting things to say, the kind we need to have visit, but I could not get things done.  I had to dump her suddenly as another lass appeared ready to spend money, that could not be allowed to wait.

This woman had a relative who worked for Courtaulds' for many years, beginning by 'knocking up' workers early in the morning for one shilling and sixpence a week, good money at the time for him.  It appears he spent his life there and enjoyed every minute so last week she bought one of our £20 books on the company.  There are three volumes in this history and today she returned for the other two! Lovely lady!  I sneaked a CD of talk into the bag free of charge, £2 in the sale, as it featured the voices of workers from all the towns past industries and fitted in with her purchase.  The relative will have a very happy Christmas this year!  I also told her last week to get him to write down his story, all he could remember, as this would be good history, and he is doing this!  I am looking forward to seeing his work.

All these one time industries died after the second world war.  Competition from Asia and elsewhere reduced their lifespan sadly.  These were highly industrial companies for the most part, elements of which survive, but the days men worked forty years in one company have long gone.  In the middle of the nineteenth century the mill employed around two thousand people, mostly women on five shillings a week, alone!  Being Unitarians they shared the social concerns of many and treated the workers well in spite of the wage.  They built schools, hospitals and churches in all the towns the operated, the churches were for many denominations also, and doctors and houses were also built.  They would not tolerate unions, such people were removed but they had a paternalistic approach as did many in their day and to some extent this lasted until the end.  What remains of the company appears to be based in Asia today.  

Other welcome and weary travellers passed through today, enjoying the offerings and spending cash in the shop.  How nice to see them and the cash! In today's world we need this as the money we obtain is dying out daily. Desperate measures are required to bring in sufficient resources just to keep

the museum running.  

Bocking Mill

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I've Pict a Good One.

Wiki

Just before the rain began earlier today I crossed the park and found myself tempted to sit on a bench and watch the clouds gather.  This was because it was so Spring like at the time.  The grass was bright green, a flock of wood pigeons happily chewed their afternoon supper ahead of me, the sun glinted on the rubbish the ignoramus's amongst us leave behind them and the few passersby almost smiled a greeting.  The bench however was bespattered with an earlier rain burst so I meandered on.   
I had to meander as earlier that day I had cleaned the house, dusted the bookshelves and even started again the exercise programme that usually lasts about three days.  The aches in my knees helped me meander slower than usual.  Little kiddies run by faces wreathed in smiles, jealousy makes me want to kick them!  I can remember a time when I happily ran, well actually when I think of it running was never my style!  How glad I was that I became a goalkeeper.  Those people who consider running ten miles in an hour and a half fun while being kicked all over the park are clearly mentally disturbed in my view. On the occasions when running was required it was inevitable that some dork would be twice as fast and twice as determined.  I was I remember quite good in the 'sack race,' a habit I took over into my working life.  Cycling is better than running in every way I say.  You get to where you are going normally at least three times as fast, the lack of weight bearing not only eases my knees it is more comfortable, unless you get a free narrow seat that was soon flung away, and on a quiet side road the easy travel allows enjoyment of the world around.  Fields of growing crops noticed in sunshine can be so relaxing, indeed invigorating, bird song can be heard with the absence of cars, blooming flowers add to the fragrance of the world around.  Just don't pass any pig farms!  Hills are a bit of a problem but life gets better when you are heading on the downward slope.  Now I am in the mood for the bike but nothing can be done till the morning, and then I am at the museum.  I bet the day after will be full of rain.  Bah!

I was going to make a note about the Picts those folks from the north east of Scotland about which so little is known.  Tantalisingly they left little in the way of writing but many a decorated stone or cave offers some insight into their lives.  No doubt they were left over from the Iron Age and as we all know not keen on the Romans who stupidly thought they could walk in and take over. Rome did indeed build many small forts in a line all the way to the north of Scotland, one at Cramond in Edinburgh, but could not keep them open.  They say the IX Legion marched in and disappeared somewhere north of Perth but nothing has been found of them yet.  The Picts, basically those living in a line north of the Firth of Forth all the way up the east coast, did little to make themselves friends with Rome.  Few really know where they originated, the Iron Age life appears to be the style they lived, they hunted, were tough indeed, and by a thousand years ago had been absorbed into what is now Scotland.  One in ten apparently has Picts DNA in their blood.  I have Sainsbury's cheap 'Red Label' tea in mine.  
The Anglo-Saxons 'Northumbria' reached all the way up the east coast of England and spread right up to the Firth of forth.  They got no further than the Romans but probably like them thought it was not worth the bother.  If not fighting invaders Picts possibly spent their time fighting one another.  Whether they wore 'woad,' the blue paint or not is debatable but the Picts appear to have lived in small groupings with no major centres.  Cereal crops, sheep, pigs and horse appear to be popular so they could well look after themselves probably in family or clan groups, much like the Gaels in Ireland and elsewhere in the west.  
What language they spoke is not clear and anyone speaking to an Aberdonian today might well confuse his 'Doric' with an ancient Pictish sound, it certainly means little to me.  All that "Fits fit," and "Furryboots min?" is all too much I say.  The Picts left many standing stones, carved in an elaborate manner, what they mean no one knows, but that does not stop folks explaining it mind.  They had their art, traded far and wide, and gained a ferocious reputation.  So little is known of them that they have raised many tales, all fantasy, about their lifestyles.  Even Asterix has them in his latest book!  I just wonder what football team they supported.....

I was going to mention them but canny be bothered tonight as I'm falling asleep as I scrawl so I will just leave a couple of decent links regarding these folks and you can do the work yourselves.

NMS  :  BBC Scotland  :  Wiki  :  OrkneyJar  :  Pictish Stones

Wiki

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Another Book Endeth

While in Colchester a while back I obtained, at half the £3 price, an aged version of Bede's 'History of the English Church and People.'  £1:50 in my view was a decent price although the original price was six shillings when reprinted in 1960!  Six shillings is worth today Thirty Pence! How come old things are worth more as time passes yet you and I appear to be worth less? From today I am going to wear a price tag!

Bede was born in the year 672 or 3 near the modern day town of Sunderland in England's green and pleasant north east.  At least it was green and pleasant at the time!  It is possible he came from a 'noble' family who wished him to enter the monastery as monks were influential at the time.  Several women, of similar backgrounds became Abbess's and highly influential in the politics of the day.  His life otherwise would have been as a Saxon noble a very fraught lifestyle.  
Bede, who called himself 'Beada' when he wrote, his name being altered to Bede by time and language. He entered the monastery at Monkwearmouth when seven years of age and worked between there and the later monastery at Jarrow for the rest of his life.  He did however travel to York and Lindesfarne and it is possible he travelled further.  The only means at the time being horse, boat or feet!   His life, which he clearly enjoyed, was one of study, teaching, writing, and the monks daily routine.  Bede died on Thursday, 26 May 735 (Ascension Day), aged 62.

Bede was committed to his study and he was certainly in the right place, the library at the monastery contained around two hundred books, an enormous amount for the time, and these covered both religious and classic authors. Bede wrote scientific and historical works as well as theological.  His books also covered music, something that was very important to the monks, grammar and chronology. New music arrived from Rome and this had to be taught to the monks throughout the land.  He knew Greek and wrote is readable Latin
His best known work is of course his 'History.'
There is a slight problem to begin with here, the book is titled 'English Church and People,' but this requires some explanation.  Bede was an Anglo Saxon, an incomer after the Romans had left around the four hundreds.  To Bede these Saxons, divided into several realms, were the 'English.' When he talks of the 'British' he refers to those living in the west, usually Wales.  The 'Scots' are of course Irish and the Scots Christians originate from Iona, an Abbey begun by Columba many years before.  Those from Scotland were of course Picts, a people who have disappeared from sight, although their DNA still hangs about many Scots ('Scots' Scots that is).  The Scots religion is almost identical with the Roman version brought later by Augustine to Canterbury but Bede spends an inordinate amount of time to ensure they get the 'correct' date for Easter!
Simple really when you think about it.

Wiki

Bede is keen to record the Kings who became Christian, that is Roman Catholic. Those that do are praised as noble, those that do not are seen as bad pagans. Bede tends to a bias against Mercia possibly a bias caused by the Mercian's unhappy habit of attacking his people.  The Kings appear to be happy to war with one another whether 'Christian' or not it appears to me.  The job of being King tends to involve a lot of war, and there was a lot of war in Saxon times.  
The 'History' was completed in the year 731 and begins with a geographical account and a history dating from Caesar's invasion.  Christian Roman Britain, St Alban, and Augustine are covered, the latter bringing Christianity to the Anglo Saxons.  Bede covers Penda, Edwin, the Council of Whitby where the Scots (from Ireland) lost out to Rome, and on up to his own day which he leaves tantalisingly as he has no way of knowing what the future will bring for his people.  

Bede's Christianity is very Roman Catholic.  His admiration for Rome, a place he is unlikely to have visited, is clear.  This is surprising as his knowledge was great yet he finds no conflict between being a 'priest' and no such role being found in the New Testament!  His obedience to Rome removes such questions from his mind.  Throughout when he informed of a miracle, some of which are interesting, others somewhat dubious, he appears to accept them without comment.  Possibly he merely adds them as this was what those in his day accepted as fact. These are often accompanied by an explanation that the story originated with someone honest. Some do appear unlikely but for myself I have found such things, moments where God works in the lives of those around us, and why should he not?  At times the narration appears to consist of who was Bishop, when they died and who replaced them.  This can be wearing after a while. The historian will find this useful but it makes for poor reading.  One Bishop looks like any other to me.  The same can be said of the Kings.  Names arise and fall, first in one area then another, some become famous others are soon forgotten.  Those that return to paganism are seen to die soon afterwards, those that stay 'faithful' die glorious deaths or are killed by wicked people.       

I confess this was a disappointing book for me.  It would be wrong to expect a history similar to those published today however the listing of peoples while useful is somewhat drab.  Too much concern for the 'correct' date Easter and almost nothing about the daily lives of the people outside of the monastery walls.  To both nobles and monks the people were the lower orders and their absence except when being preached at tells us something of the separation of the important people from the common. This is not what Christianity should offer!  
For those interested in the 'dark days' of the Anglo Saxons this is a must read. We know so little, although much is being discovered daily, that Bede shines a light into the world later vanquished by the Norman invasion of 1066. The world of monks, often in freezing conditions, writing their books, often wonderful pieces of art, the fields farmed by those possibly on subsistence levels, the wars, the Vikings, the rich jewels of the royalty, and the land.  Land used mostly for farming with the cold North Sea in the background.  Even today the north of Northumbria near Lindisfarne is quite empty and to me always an attractive area.  I wonder however how empty the land was in the seven hundreds?  Small huts would adorn the land, villages and towns would prosper, and many travelled the highways, covering many miles, whatever the weather. Not sufficient tales are told of these people by Bede, most of his tales come from within monastery and Abbey walls.  I feel this is a lack indeed. 

Bede may not have known this but he was recognised for his scholarship in 1899 when he was declared by Rome as a 'Doctor of the Church,' the only 'Englishman' named thus.


Bede  :  Durham Tomb  :  Bede's World

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Daffs

The daffs were looking good this afternoon, allowing the sun to offer them sufficient semblance of heat to pretend Spring was around the corner.  The sky once again offered a lot of blue, as did most folks faces as the cold wind ignored the sun and chilled us to the bone.  
I was up early as my luck was in as usual.  My luck being the need to iron shirts last night as all had been through the wash.  My luck showed as I began the first, the iron died!  I knew it died as the steam stopped steaming and the smooth iron became sluggish and a slug like trail appeared on the garment. Experiments soon proved the beast was dead and this morning I wandered in the sunshine to Tesco before the crowds gathered and splashed out £5:50 for a luxury new one. Now I have several weeks worth of shirts (five) without once asking help from a female.  The answer I usually receive is not worth offering here.

Tomorrow rain is promised all day, hooray.....  

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Hey Ewe!

I posted a picture a wee while back of tartan coloured sheep.  The other day I came across this picture also.  These sheep belong to a man who's name has run from my head (was it Adams?) at Boghall Farm near Bathgate.  Only Scots would make a Hall in a bog you understand.  Anyway this chap has for some years past dyed his sheep various colours often regarding events at the time. Recently they were dyed purple to support the Erskine charity appeal.  Erskine look after wounded soldiers and purple is their colour.  Quite what was happening when he multi coloured his sheep here I know not.  They can indeed be seen as you pass along the motorway from Edinburgh, Scotland's capital city to Glasgow, where we keep the lower orders.  I just remember that I saw them a few years ago as we passed, i canny mind what colour they were that day however.  
Many farmers now do this to their sheep, this can be done for practical purposes in counting them, twenty red, twenty blue etc, and occasionally such are used in adverts and farmers are always keen on money making schemes.  Some think this harms the flock but it seems to be quite safe.  Poisoned sheep do not retail very well at market anyway.  Sheep can in fact cope with certain poisons very well, although copper does them a lot of harm as arsenic does us.

These boys were participating in an advert regarding Ireland in some form or other.  Some folks rear sheep they have to sit outside chewing the cud with of course, but I myself would never mention this in polite company.

Guardian

Officers of the 42nd Highland Regiment, The Black Watch, photographed by Roger Fenton in the Crimea during the war with Russia in 1854.  Today we read of Simferopol airport receiving several Russian cargo aircraft carrying hundreds of troops.  Clearly Putin is acting the strong man once again, the Russian Fleet is based in the Crimea and he does not wish to lose that port, and in spite of warnings from the US and Europe he clearly intends to support his people there in the eastern half of the Ukraine.    
How easily wars begin.
Barbara Tuchman, that great American Historian wrote 'The March of Folly,' in which she shows how wars begin through peoples misunderstanding of one another and the motives behind each action. Ukraine is divided into two halves, the majority wishing to be part of Europe, the Eastern half predominately Russians descended of those moved there by Stalin wish to associate themselves with Moscow.  For centuries Ukraine was seen as part of the Russian sphere, something many Ukrainians rejected and still reject.  Indeed during the war many wished to support Hitler if it got rid of Stalin! Hitler merely had them shot.  Today a large number wish to join with Russia and the propaganda tells them their opponents are 'fascists,' and a danger.  In fact they are probably just well educated and desire contact with the EU rather than domination by Putin. I tend to side with them, Mr Putin clearly does not.
Will arms be raised in the west?  It appears nothing has been said anywhere, and careful words only will be made public.  A delicate stage has been reached, if Putin sends troops to retake Kiev rather than protect his port this could be dangerous.  

Watching Paint Dry.

Yesterday the chill in the air was softened by the blue in the sky.  Daffodils lowered their bright yellow heads in the wind, bright 'cotton wool' clouds scudded by, dogs chased imaginary objects yapping in the park.  I awoke this morning to rain lashing the grubby windows, the huddled masses cowering under hoods, caps and umbrellas as they headed to work and the decision to stay indoors and finish the painting was made for me.  

That was not long after seven of the clock and moving at a fast pace I was up and painting by ten thirty five.  A second coat of cheap white emulsion in the small bathroom, a first coat on the small hall.  The balancing on the three step ladder is improving and I only fell off once.  That wall was getting painted anyway!  The ceiling looks good now even though my sense of direction failed me several times.   Even better it looks good enough not to require a second coat, which is good as there is little paint left.  In the morning all the pictures will be put back on those nails you see sticking out, once the grime is removed from them, and life can return to some sort of normality.  

The normality means returning to building that PC.  Now that most bits are in and connected I have come across yet another problem, the not connected bits, the connected bits that may be connected to wrong bits, and why is there no connector for one or two bits?  All very confusing to my befuddled mind. Now the paint is no longer bespotting my glasses I can spend more time watching how the experts do it.  If they have the same bits I have, naturally.  

      

The clouds returned at several times today.  I ventured out for bread as another dark looming cloud brought spots of rain but it did allow me this shot.  The type of shot we get a lot of at this time of year.  It might yet be a shot of snow tomorrow if my aches allow me out!  

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Correspondence

This is the similar to the pile of letters, documents, bills and requests for money piling up on the desk, not counting those that have fallen down the back. Having spent another enjoyable day at the museum throwing stuff out, she was not very pleased I can tell you, and chatting to aged visitors I return to the long list of things that remain untouched even yet.  Naturally while watching Manchester United struggling in Greece they will be left untouched for a while yet.

Well watching Man U struggle was a waste of space.  Even Brighton were better last night.  The tackle by Carrick at the second goal was so poor my grannie could have done better, and she died in 1915! The media will restart the Moyes witchhunt again, drooling over their chance to knock someone down when he is already down.  This will all come good again in the end but the poor Manchester United fan will suffer for the next season or so.  Mins you most of them will be swapping their bus trips to Manchester for the bus to Chelsea if they win the league, won't they? Mind you the Greek side Olympiakos were no slouches, and they did their part well.  My grannie would have scored twice against them mind!

A quick look through the press show nothing has happened today.  Ther media have nothing to offer as normal except brief details of the 'Tour de France' which passes close by later this year.  I would venture a look if it was not for the millions of people blocking the road at the time, all roads being blocked also at the time.  Tsk!  I must look into this near the time.  
I wonder if Grannie ever rode a bike....?  
  
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Monday 24th

After a breakfast of stale bread and mushrooms, the mushrooms were growing on the heel of the bread, I decided I needed to both exercise and shop so I wandered far down the road to the 'Lidl' place where folks tell me things are real bargains.
The lied!  As in a previous venture there I found the store cluttered, confusing, prices badly displayed if displayed at all and the customers rough!  Not what I am used to in Tesco.  The bread was poor and overpriced, two items I bought were under false prices and nothing appeared to be cheaper than the regular shops, so why do folks claim this place is cheaper?  Not to me it aint.  The three main supermarkets have cheaper prices in my view, or maybe I just know better as to how to work them I wonder?  Having walked all that way in chilly bright sunshine I then had to walk all the way back again, not one person offered me a lift.  
Having discovered on Saturday just how unfit I am I rediscovered this while crawling back home. Several cups of tea and a long perusal of Jerry's new book I then had a choice of fixing the PC at last or painting the bathroom.  Here again I was wrong as I realised I had to make soup first.  Lentil soup of my own recipe, the kind of thing that puts hair on your chest, it certainly does that for the pot I make it in!  I will leave it fermenting overnight to see what happens. I may get a Nobel Prize for chemistry one day.  Then came the painting. However after struggling with the first coat, including the ceiling, including learning the art of falling off without landing in the bath, I decided that was enough and found myself fair puggled with all the effort.  The second coat can wait, and luckily I have the museum tomorrow so it may wait until Wednesday.  However after all this I still have loads of stuff that require attention!  How come I am so busy, in between medical assistance, that so much has not been done yet?  Do I need a secretary perhaps?
I would have written something much more interesting but I was forced to watch Hull City beating Brighton tonight. Tsk! 

The picture is just part of the old workhouse/hospital extension that caught my eye in the sun this morning.  Looking up you often see such things on buildings, on occasion they are interesting.

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Laff!

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A Small Mistake

A small but not fatal mistake was to rise when not quite awake and cycle up the old railway when not quite up to it.  Weeks have passed since I journeyed up there, it showed!  Oh how my knees are letting me know it showed!  Still, I saw the sun, even though the cold air cut through me, I saw the countryside again, the occasional dog walker, one or two joggers and most of them being what I call 'London overspill.'  These are folks who commute to London during the week and never return the 'Good morning,' as London folks do not know how, and stare straight ahead as if you do not exist.  During the week the passersby are much more friendly.  
Returning to home quicker than expected I returned to bed to recover.  After that I forgot to do anything much and spent the day watching football.  Other things can be done later......

  
Lighter mornings that make me rise early, sunny evenings that offer interesting skies, but I ignore them to watch the football and suffer aches.  Good job I am not one to complain, that's all...

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Clearing the Mess!

Having reached the end of the week and not being forced to cover lazy skivers folks at the museum I finally started on the looooong list of things awaiting attention here.  I changed the bed for a start, and it's not even the end of the month yet, had the washing machine purring away, moved the plant and cleaned the window area as a man will soon appear to renovate the sodden wooden frames, laid out the pile of mail that requires answering and working out where the money required for this is to come from, placed my newly arrived 'old man's so much off the price Railcard' into my disintegrating wallet while dreaming of train trips far away, sorted the desk into some sort of organisation, sent an Amazon voucher to my niece for her 50th birthday (I burst into tears here let alone her) via her husband as she will not be able to work the email, checked if the bookcase I was admiring at the shop up the road was still on offer, it wasn't bah, inserted a working lightbulb into the common stair so we no longer walk into the doors as we enter, visited Tesco for the special offers and fell asleep.
How nice to have a day off!

The paining still awaits, I could not paint the bathroom as I had the dirty big plant in the bath while I sorted the window, the ironing of shirts had to wait because, well just because, (any offers to do it out there...?  oh!), considered rewriting the items prepared for the museum into some form of proper English but just couldn't face it, and I am now looking at the PC that I am rebuilding, awaiting the courage to continue the work.  It appeared so easy in the pictures!
So instead I have walked around the town looking at the sunshine while freezing all the while, how does that work?  I passed the shops where shiny things attract my wallet wandering down the back streets where I hoped to see more of the sun, instead I saw lots of kids and assorted people making the most of the last day off the half term holiday.  
So, shall I do the tricky PC work now?  Let's eat first....

Now as I was saying....hold on, Dundee United are playing Motherwell tonight!
Bye!

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Relaxing Music for the Needy

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Nothing to Say

So here is a picture of a Highland Coo all dressed up and ready for action.  
The sad truth is that while rising early was on my mind I did indeed awaken at six but fell back to sleep and reawoke at 8:30!  Not only but I awoke exhausted! Why?  By ten I had managed to finish breakfast and half dozed my way through the morning.  It was time to return to the museum before I had done anything, so nothing is done!  What happened?  Nothing!

The museum was once again busy, hundreds passed through, actually only a reasonable number but the kids passed back and forth many times each, and young and old appeared to enjoy their visits.  The boss had a slight mishap when the kitchen cupboard containing the plates gave way and dropped the two boxes of glasses on the floor.  We salvaged 15 out of considerably more. 
Ho hum!   
However by the time I get home I am washed out, nothing is done, and I cannot get the little gray cells to function properly.  The news is the usual bunk, Tony Blair seen as having shoved his nose into dubious happenings, the Westminster government getting 'friends' to frighten Scots into voting 'No' in September, floods fill the land still while Cameron promises money and we trust his promises, and the Ukraine heads towards civil war and it's everybody else's fault!  So nothing to comment on.  There is the Australian arrested for giving Christian leaflets to folks in North Korea of course, he could do 15 years but at 75 he may not be too worried.  He will certainly not get out quickly.  Some things need to be subtly in North Korea, and not when in a small guarded party. 

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Hard Work!

Tuesday is museum day, unless someone skives off and I am back later.  Being half term the brats wee ones are annoying their parents by demanding attention seeking action, standing in herds outside (and inside) shops like the neds they are, and crowding the streets when decent societies keep them locked up ins school.  Our one presentation this week is something about fitness.  The kids jump about for a minute then find their pulse.  What else they do I know not as this was too energetic for me, so I hopped it back to my seat.  
However since arriving we had been on the go as there was a second event to be organised and no one had done the preparation the day before!  The poor girls were running around desperately looking for things that ought to have been prepared for them.  I kept out of the way as they breathed fire while smiling sweetly to the folks attending.  
A reasonable number of parents brought the kids in for a look around.  This led to many conversations with one or both parents, WW2 Burma, old town history and history of a local farm, spelling off names were discussed.  Great stuff!  We also managed to make some of them part with their cash!  This was indeed good!  The kids all behaved like kids, which is why dad or mum bringing them on his/her own were sweating blood by the time they left.  Lovely to see! The wise mums bring kids to the events and leave them there.  They then wander through the shops, sit in the cafe's or entertain themselves in peace for an hour or two.  
Would you believe tomorrow someone has cried off and I will be in during the afternoon.  Tsk!

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Happy People

CNN

Here we see a happy group of people, some may be acting quite a bit of course. I wonder whether the smiles for the young leader concern the new of the UN report which has outlined the atrocious conditions in this unhappy land.  I have taken some interest in NK for a while, such places hold a fascination based on the limited news that comes from there.  The secret and very dangerous state does make me want to look over the border and see what is going on.  For a very long time we have known of the cruel regimes behaviour, the supposed nuclear weapons, the labour camps and the starvation that occasionally hurts the land, now however the world may be forced to pay attention.

Cruelty is not unusual in that part of the world.  The Japanese declared Korea a 'protectorate' well over a hundred years ago, and peace has not returned to this unhappy land, at least the northern half, since. Korean women were forced to serve Japanese soldiers during WW2 and many guards on the 'Burma Railway' were in fact Korean.  Survivors often stated these men were much crueler than the Japs! During the Korean war of 1950-53 James Cameron and Bert Hardy brought reports and pictures of the terrible treatment given by the South Koreans to prisoners from the north and questioned why we defended them. This did not make them popular!  

While South Korea appears intent on following the west into chasing vast wealth the people in the north endure their situation usually devoid of much information from the outside world. They are not all ignorant of the goings on elsewhere but they are wise enough not to mention it.

The masses of rockets aimed at the millions living in the South Korean capitol Seoul tends to put most folks of military action.  Especially when even a decisive campaign might lead to vast numbers of dead. So what can be done to enable change here?  I suppose nobody knows, but at least this report may well offer positive impetus to change in North Korea, and any improvement however small is to be welcomed. 

Good old George.  Once again he has risen silently and put his foot in it.  He has decided, supported by the Lib-Dem and Labour leaders, that Scotland cannot use the 'Pound' if they desire independence.  A brilliant piece of support for the 'Yes!' vote!  It appears to have worked superbly.  We all know that whatever they say today will mean nothing tomorrow, when Scotland is free the 'Pound' will most likely still be the currency used.  Ramblings from unknown EU leaders may also support the 'No' vote but in the end mean little, the EU will support Scotland in the end, in spite of Madrid!

I like it!

  

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'Sunday' on Sunday....

Waking from an enjoyable dream that dissipated instantly my bleary mind was welcomed into the world by the wireless.  Hiding my eyes from the bright light that came through the opening in the grubby curtains I listened far from attentively to yet another bland Sunday morning BBC offering, this one cleverly called, 'Sunday.'  This purports to be a news programme for those who have some sort of 'faith,' and results in being another middle class liberal approach to the subject like most everything else on Radio 4.  Jesus is rarely mentioned, his book only to find 'inconsistencies.'  I heard news of the pope tweeting in Latin and this was followed by another justification for 'gay' vicars as apparently the Church of England has made another compromise regarding this.
I switched off.
I can only take so much from the 'blind leading the blind' that I thought stuffing my unhealthy breakfast down my throat and having the weekly bath more important.  My neighbours consider at least one of these important also I have found.  Worse still there was no 'Match of the Day' to watch while straining to keep the eyes open.  Instead I stared at the blank TV screen out of habit. This is a bad sign.
  
I cogitated on what had filtered into my mind.  In his book 'Knowing God,' Jim Packer tells of meeting a man who has been removed from his job in an Anglican establishment because he actually accepted the bible as the word of God.  He was a bit down because of this but on the other hand as he put it, "I have known God, and they don't!"  What he meant is clear, the others had a religious opinion, he on the other hand had 'met' Jesus in a very real way, as indeed all Christians have.  
He did not necessarily mean seeing any manifestation but in a very real sense Jesus himself had revealed himself to him.  It can happen suddenly and sometimes unwanted, as it did with me, or over a period of reflection, however one day the individual can say they have 'met' with God.  The bible will become clearer when this happens, although as this man discovered not everyone will accept this.  Too many in all churches today have not met Jesus, their religion is based on 'loving others,' but it lacks something, the God behind it.  That is why evangelical churches grow and established ones fail, if there is no Jesus the church becomes at best a social club.  This may be nice for those attending, but it is not God.  The one who has experienced Jesus in his life is never the same again.  The bible guides the believer into an understanding of who he is and what he is, those who fall into opinions not based on what is found there suffer many problems.  The Church of England today suffers because they no longer base their life on this book.  Instead many who have not experienced the Living God offer platitudes and opinion, a church indeed without power. Jesus power changes things! The subjects this morning included gay priests, yet the new testament has only one priest, Jesus.  He is both the offering for our sin and the Great High Priest, through his atonement we can be saved and find a new life. The fact that this never crops up in such programmes indicates the failings of the programme and the CoE.
Gay priests?  You cannot be a 'priest, the new testament has only 'elders.' Their job as church leaders is to point to the Messiah himself, not priests who stand between you and God.  
Can a Christian be homosexual?  Yes, but he will know this to be not part of Gods plan and seek to bring this under Gods control.  Those who advocate living together and same sex marriage are far from their God and clearly in the wrong.  The Christian has to bring every aspect of his life to Jesus and put it under his authority.  Many fail here.  Jesus however knows those who are his and is always there to forgive the repentant and support them as the attempt to follow him as a disciple. 
Some have decided it is 'discrimination' to oppose 'gay priests,' on the grounds of 'equality.'  This is false.  'Equality' it is not, equal as an individual but gay behaviour is not of God.  It is correct to oppose anything that harms Gods world and his people.  There is indeed discrimination, we find it where Christians are harassed and abused by the gay lobby simply for speaking the truth.  News reports have spoken of many harassed this way, even though the report is biased against the Christians.  The laws recently passed on the UK and Scotland will soon see many churches suffer for refusing to allow gay marriage.  Some will be taken before the courts, courts which will support the gay lobby as they have shown often before.  We must get used to this, in days to come those who know their God will be asked to suffer more than this. The west as a whole is going through a change which will affect each one of us.  It is not just the climate above that is changing, the liberal west has lost all sense of any 'absolute.'  The spirit of the air is determined to keep it this way.  We need to be clear where we stand, either for Jesus opinion or for the worlds.       

The church, whatever denomination, must return to preaching Christ crucified and his Lordship. Those who meet Jesus realise their need and must change their ways, turn their life right around and put their faith in this man who is God.  They can receive the forgiveness for sin from the one who gave his life on the cross for them.  Their life will then be hard, but Jesus will never leave them, I have found this, and if he continues to still be here for me he can be there for you.  Jesus is alive, and those who know him have many tough times, but he is worth knowing.


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Storm Shopping

Early this morning, well early for me, 'First Bus' transported me south to the big town in a search for 'Maplins' once more.  By leaving early, and only six minutes late, I intended to avoid the stormy weather America was sending us once again.  By the time we reached our destination the rain was lashing the grimy bus windows and huddled pedestrians filled the streets.  By careful use of both 'market,' from where I later purchased real meat from the butchers stall, the shopping centre where women search for 'shiny things' and grossly overpriced 'Debenhams,' I managed to reach my destination with minimum fuss and not quite soaked to the skin.

The River Cam flowed fiercely through the town centre showing a deep yellowish colour reflecting the rain coming off the farmland through which it passes.  Not quite over the banks but as high as it can get.  Dodging the last dangerous umbrella I reached my destination and with the help of a young assistant obtained quickly what I hope to be the correct equipment.  This cost no more than an arm and a leg, reasonable for the bundle on offer some say. They of course are not paying!  Reasonably helpful and somewhat knowledgeable the shop was efficient but sometimes in the big town I feel people are unused to relating with customers.  Men especially are often ill at ease in such places even though they may be happy to discuss the items concerned.  Still they were good enough for me and I will certainly visit again.

As usual I sat in the dim light of the cathedral to sleep meditate for a short while before heading home again. The picture is lighter than true as it shows the building better.  This building goes back a long way as do most of them, the first vicar being recorded in the 1200's.  This church has been renovated to allow for present day needs which includes whitewashing the walls, lighting, modern chairs, and thoughtfully created side chapels.  However it does remove much of the old 'feel' of an ancient building in my view.  Some decry the removal of pews but these are a recent addition.  In days of yore there were no chairs, you stood and participated until the days when the rich folks decided they were going to sit.  If you were tired during a service in the past time you went to the side and either found a ledge to sit on or leaned against the wall, hence the phrase, 'going to the wall.'  Many such phrases come from English church attendance.  The memorials dating from the 1700's or so stand out glaringly from the rest of the buildings, that would upset those named if they knew, most now forgotten even by present day descendants.   Victorian stained glass clashes somewhat with the modern setting but needs must for a building that is in constant use.  Still I like it and unless several hundred folk are attending something or other it serves a need for a few minutes quiet.  

     
Had the weather been less inclement, and the bus stopped more often on the way home, it might have been possible to capture some of the interesting wee houses on the way.  Sadly the journey out was hindered by people getting on the bus, thus delaying our journey somewhat. These selfish folks did not seem to realise that I was in a hurry and that if there were fewer stops the bus would get to its destination quicker.  Few were around on the way home, the rain I intended to avoid keeping them trapped indoors.  These wee houses here line up alongside others that appear to go back into the mists of time.  Now owned by the wealthier types rather than struggling agricultural labourers, they find themselves surrounded by recently built overpriced housing.  These are fine for folks who wish to raise children outside of the town but change the atmosphere of the once small 'village' completely. 

'Valentines Day,' has arrived again, here is a little something for Cupid!

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Thursday Shopping!

This depressing view is how we shop today.  Romance tells us that in the past small shops were friendlier, more sociable and more human.  The last is certainly true!  The sociability and friendliness depended on the shop owner but their size at least was easier for as human to comprehend.  Today large shopping centres are geared to the rich man in his automobile, leaving a depressing emptiness outside, even if clean and safe.  The large buildings house all those shiny things we long desperately for, whether they make us happy or just fill our emptiness is another question.  Today in search of something shiny I took myself to the Stanway centre by bus, I left the Bentley in the garage.  

Now some weeks ago it came into my head to fix the broken PC, I need this in working order in case the laptop dies, dead computer means life as we know it comes to a halt, and that will never do! Struggling with this idea I was in Chelmsford, at Maplins shop, investigating a motherboard an other nameless bits on the shelves there.  My brilliant brain decided to leave it and investigate PC World and the vast stocks on their shelves, therefore I was here in their Stanway shop.  Here I discovered, via a friendly and competent young assistant, that since uniting with 'Curry's,' PC World/Currys no longer stock the inside bits for PCs, only shiny new ones.  The young lad suggests I try 'Maplins,' they stock motherboards he offers helpfully.  My slumped shoulders headed for the bus stop where I caught the next one into Colchester itself in the vain hope that their shop would be readily available in the town centre, it wasn't!  Bah!  So I wandered about, avoiding the charity and book shop temptations keeping my eyes upwards looking in case something interesting was to be found.  Several bumps into people and street furniture later I changed my approach.

      

Behind the Roman wall at what once was the edge of town stands St Mary at the Wall a redundant church that has stood here for around a thousand years and now is merely an 'arts' centre.  I suspect it will be an excellent venue according to the many big names that have appeared there, it must hold a thousand or so in the main hall.  Had it not been for the dual carriageway someone had dumped in front of me I would have had a closer look.  

This is a pub called 'The Bull.'  They have enabled even the daftest to realise this by placing a 'bull' high above the door.  This of course was what was done in days of yore when education was lacking, even the daftest could tell the difference between a bull and a Swan, as many were named.  The flags are out to tempt people to watch the 'Six Nations' rugby which is on at the moment. Sadly the sun shines on the other side of the street hence the dullness.

  

The Edwardian's liked fancy buildings!  The Baroque Town Hall was built in 1902 with a rich patron, James Paxman, paying for the tower soaring high above crowned by the statue of St Helena the towns patron saint.   Inside and out it represents the wealth the men of the town wished to impress upon the world, and bask in reflected glory themselves.  No doubt some of those men were around when Henry Charles Fehr sculpted the war memorial raised in 1923.  The usual words bedeck the memorial as the townspeople attempted to believe their war was indeed just and glorious.  Memorials raised today do not inspire such admiration I think.

I was unable to find 'Maplins,' probably because it lay on the other side of town from where I landed, so instead had a closer look at the 15th century gatehouse to St Johns Abbey, the only remaining part of said abbey.  Besieged during the English Civil War, which was not very civil as may lost their heads here, the gatehouse survives although behind lies merely a car park, and only for the use of the members of the organisation based here.  

At one time this supported a statue of either a saint or a local worthy, today it just wears away in the rain.  The siege may also have caused damage, the twin was almost worn away.  

Inside the small gate reflects the small size of people in those days, six foot tall people were unusual at the time, and I wondered about the people who peered from the windows at those waiting outside for them.  The Benedictines moved in late in the 11th century and moved out when Henry VIII kicked them out.  The Abbot refused to hand the place over and was gently hanged just outside the gate. Henry had no patience in those days.  The Lucas family took over and moved in, sadly they supported the crown during the civil war in 1648 and this led to their end and the bits of damage to the gatehouse.  The buildings inside disappeared over the years.

I was impressed by this wee house, dated 1823, clearly enlarged since and more so round the back I noticed, but remaining a delightful small cottage.  I am not jealous I state here, not jealous at all.  St John's Green primary school also drew my admiration, although I am not willing to attend there.  Built in 1898 in a kind of Dutch style it reflected the weaving history of the area and the Flemish connections from the past.  

  
As infants rarely have the ability to read I am struck by how many old schools put directions above the doors to ensure the wee ones went into the right area. Maybe they were a wee bit brainier in those day?

This area abounds in churches that date back a millennium, the disused Church of St Giles goes back to the 12th century but I am not sure what it is used for these days, signs are not obvious. The tower got my attention, that appears very Saxon in its style but it dates from around 1700ish.  As always it has been amended and added to over the years but now lies quietly surrounded by the iron railings that also go back to the 1700's.  

Behind me as I took this picture lay the main police station, the cells I believe lie behind the small square, thick glass windows I leant against, you may no better.  When this station was built in the 80's an archaeological dig discovered 371 Roman burials and this building dating from 320 - 340.  The evidence indicates this could be the earliest church building in the British Isles but further evidence is wanting.  Some reckon it is possibly a Roman soldiers Mythraeum, but they would, wouldn't they?   Ever known archaeologists to agree?  Bah!

Having wandered around the town with my money still in my pocket I splashed out on a £1.50 coffee from this man at the bus station and well worth it it was! I was intrigued as to how somebody ends up running a very successful coffee stall and it transpires this man is an ex-serviceman.  That got me wondering also.  Now he may be happy in his work, he may be making a good profit, this is a busy place to operate, and he may well make sufficient to keep his family happy but it suddenly seemed sad that a man who risked his life in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan should be running a coffee stall.  As stated he might well be happy but it seems to me men who have risked lives for the nation could be getting better treatment than they do, especially when they are capable, knowledgeable and possess that amiability we often find in such men. I am just glad he is as fit as he is, IDS would be naming him in parliament otherwise.

While admiring Coggeshall's old buildings and remembering I was going to visit there I found this cat that I noticed last time.  He slinks on the roof high above the crowd looking for birds that are not gathering in front of him.  Maybe they think he is real!  It reminds those with cameras to always look up, and check it is safe to do so, as above the shop doorways there is often something intriguing awaiting you. 

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