Crotchety Wednesday

Google announced today that it was the first day of Autumn.  We call it Autumn although Americans and others call it 'Fall.'  This as you know is because they cannot spell 'Autumn.'  In this part of the world the leaves have already begun to turn golden, that is 'golden' to those of a poetic nature and 'yellow' to those who are realists, and many leaves have already fallen from the boughs.  This off course was hastened by the rain and wind of recent days.  In some parts of Scotland this event has yet to be noticed as the snow, whatever name you may use for it, is still lying there freezing everybody.   

A glance at the online 'Daily Mail' this morning offers insights into the world in which we live.  The BBC's big story is the Volkswagen failure in which lies re the emissions will cost the company about £18 billion to put right and a loss of trust that may take years to rebuild.  The 'Mail' finds an Israeli soldier shooting a 'terrorist' more appropriate.  Later in the day this changes to a young 'volunteer' being ordered to drive a car bomb into a target in Syria.  
'Volkswagen' 'the peoples car' created during one of Hitlers frauds in the thirties was supposedly created to enable the German folk to have a car.  Instead the money paid weekly went to building the arms industry and once war came all thought of personal cars disappeared.  For years the German efficiency, reliability and trust has sold millions of cars worldwide, maybe that has ended now.  BMW must be worried.  The emissions may well have killed thousands in the UK alone, do I hear the sound of ambulance chasing lawyers ears pricking up?  It is indeed time cars were cleaned up they do harm us more than we acknowledge.
Three cars in the UK may have to be recalled, the Volkswagen themselves plus all Skoda and Seat models, thousands of cars!  The cost, the interference with drivers, the time, all this adds up and Ford and the rest must be laughing, while checking their own figures also!

Dave of course fills more space as yet more anger is expressed by Lord Ashcroft.  Yesterday we heard that while discussing bombing Syria or Libya the Chief of the General Staff General Richards seems to have reminded Dave that being a member of the Eton Cadet Force did not mean he was able to understand the military implications in the Middle East!  Today we hear of his travelling by Concorde, his rich childhood, how former PM's Thatcher and Major thought him 'shallow' and a supposed attempt by the KGB to recruit the young lad on his 'gap year.'  As a child he was entertained to a millionaires children's party with all the best stuff available, I was not invited. Hmmm, some of this sounds a bit exaggerated and yet the consideration that others thought him shallow is obviously true, because he is!

   

Much more serious is yet another attempt to make men guilty for women's behaviour.  Alison Saunders, theDirector of Public Prosecutions has made the outstanding statement that any woman who gets drunk, wakes in a strange mans bed, should then contact a 'rape counselor!'   Brilliant!  She makes use of him but as she has had a drink (how much is not mentioned) he is guilty!  This from the woman at the top of the prosecuting authority! 
I drive a car when drunk.  I crash and injure or kill someone. 
Who is responsible me or the person hit? 
If I am guilty because i was drunk and driving then a woman who gets drunk is also guilty, why can women not see this?  Who is to say the girl got drunk so she could lose inhibitions to have sex and then blame someone else?  Why is the man guilty?  Would this be rape?  No!  It would be drink enabling two people to act without due care and attention.
The women in the UK are determined to blame men for everything, women are never guilty, indeed there is a move afoot to close all women's prisons and never jail a woman again!  Men of course would be locked up.  I suppose this is 'equality.'
Rape may be a crime, drunkenness is a two way crime.  Wise women are careful what they drink and who they spend time with, honest women also do not blame the man for their actions.
When men are accused of such crimes they are named and I say that ought to stop now.  Woman who cry 'rape' and lie are not always named, that should end also.
Men these days are automatically considered criminals in this world, this is the result of middle class feminism and it is destroying the world.

Even worse news than any other is yet another attempt by the 'Bay City Rollers' to reform.   This group was seen by a friend of mine in 1969 and he considered them at that time to be the best commercial, that is 'Bubble Gum' group in the city.  By 1974 when they appeared in the charts there had been 35 members worked through the band and what became 'famous' was this bunch of wee neds rather than a commercial music combo.  How sad we thought, we of musical appreciation, to see what depths they have plummeted yet have now found thousands of wee girls buying their records and posting their pictures n the wall.
Of course it fell apart.  The two mainstays spent their time fighting each other, I said they were neds, the manager was later jailed for doing things to wee boys and one of their own followed him into prison for similar offences, I forget which.  One at least, which one I know not, they all look the same to me, spent much time as an estate agent in the city grumbling about parking tickets yet continued to park wherever he liked, another had kept the band going  (Les McKeown) around the world, and who really cares about the others.  So here they are once again reforming the band to cash in on the ageing women who once liked them.  Those grannies will be less interested in neds these days and more likely spending too much time killing the brain cells watching daytime TV, some may even have found a life! 
I will refrain from adding a YouTube video of the group for the sake of decency.

This irks me!  This is a local park and the other day a group of what we now call 'travellers' drove in and parked without any by or leave. There is one group of people who appear to be able to do what they like anywhere in this country and get off with it and it is such as these.  Here they have damaged the park, no doubt that will recover, but elsewhere they park on cricket or rugby pitches, local parks and private fields, sometimes causing great damage and leaving tons of muck behind and they pay nothing for it and the police can or will do little.  
I had them some years ago camping on the park opposite, some £2000 was spent clearing up after them.  It cost a great deal more for the council to bar their way after that.  Several unsavoury incidents arise when they appear and this lot can always hide behind their 'race!'  I wish I could.  It is time these folks, who have plenty of cash, just look at the vehicles and the caravans towing them, it is time they paid their way and were forced to pay towards each council when they park.  I suspect no government has the guts to take a stand here, few votes in this as they often park in what are already Conservative areas.  I may write to the MP as he is new to this and has to learn how bad this can be around this part of England.  I note that Ireland, where so many of them originate, has limited their areas of operation and possibly charged them money.  Maybe that is why so many are here living off the dole.

I'm  certainly a bit grumpy this morning...

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The End Must Be Nigh Now

A glance at the press today reflect the mess that this world is in.  The main story concerns the youthful happenings of the present Prime Minister one David Cameron.  The tales, if true, are what many of us would expect from such an individual but leave me either laughing at his history or frowning at the sadness of it all.  
The revelations come from a book about to be published and now serialised in the staunch Conservative supporting 'Daily Mail.'  If these stories are not true the papers lawyers will soon be looking for another job.  If however they are true maybe it is time Dave moved on in disgrace.    

Michael Ashcroft sat in the House of Lords for many years even after it was revealed he did not live in the UK.  To be a member of the Lords an individual must be UK based most of the time, Ashcroft has spent most of his working life based in Belize, for tax purposes!  He is reputed to be a Billionaire and possibly richer than Belize itself.  He made his money in business and supported and worked for the Conservative Party giving three million pounds to them after Tony Blair came to power and has since given up to £8 million to their coffers.  He claims to have been offered a 'top job' by David Cameron who failed to supply once he had come to power alongside the Lib-Dems at the previous election.  Ashcroft was probably snubbed because of his power and ability but is not a man to be crossed.  Therefore he has produced this book, aided by an ex 'Times' political writer, pointing our Cameron's many shortcomings in a deliberate attempt to remove him.  It might work.

What has appealed most, so far, to the media is the strange activities of those many student groups in Oxford University circles.  It is well known Cameron as well as George Osborne and Boris Johnson belonged to the 'Burlington Club,' a groups of very rich spoilt brats who got drunk, wrecked restaurants and the like and behaved like 'Hooray Henry's' but never got jailed because they were rich.  Some say Cameron was a 'quiet' member of this group.  There was also another 'club,' one that apparently did not include a 'membership list' instead people just joined.  It is said an initiation ceremony for the 'Piers Gaveston Society included our Dave placing his 'Boaby' inside a dead pigs mouth, hence 'Twitter' etc, have been er, hamming it up all day.  A third and not unusual accusation regards the smoking of cannabis, a not unusual event among students.  Cameron at one time, e.g. before he was famous, was in favour of relaxing the law on drugs possibly because he saw a family member or friend suffer badly from Heroin effects, this touched him deeply as it would.  

David Cameron has said he 'will not dignify claims made in the book,' which to some is admitting the claims are true!  His friends have been quick to tarnish the story by claiming the book is just 'revenge' which it is, lies, unfounded allegations with no evidence, or some claiming that 'That's what students do!'  In my short experience of the 'Open University' I was made aware of some instances of interest but never on any occasion did a pig get a mention, dead or otherwise.  

However the real parliamentary danger lies elsewhere.  David Cameron claimed he had not realised 'until a month ago' that Ashcroft was a 'non-dom' and should not be in the House of Lords.  The book makes clear he knew for about a year before this time.  That could include therefore 'lying to the House of Commons' a serious event.

Did any of these things happen?  We cannot tell, but no lawyers yet involved.  Do the people behind him think Cameron has no beliefs bar be in power and is considered a 'Tosser' by the majority?  Well yes I suggest that is true, after all George Osborne really runs the Conservatives and government.

But this is not the only thing bugging me today.  

In St Andrews at the weekend a 'hate preacher' was stopped by a man playing the bagpipes.  It appears this chap was preaching something to the market place using an amplifier.  What he was saying I did not discover but he was, it has been said, asked to turn down the sound but refused.  

The glee that this man has been stopped does worry me.  Why?  Because he was, they say, preaching anti-Muslim and anti-gay but nothing of what he says has been recorded.  

Putting this incident aside we now live in a world where being 'gay' is greeted with cheers and being 'Christian' is open to ridicule.  How can this be?  How come in thirty years the West now considers such behaviour normal and if you indicate this is not true you become enemy number one?  Is it a sense of 'equality?'  That cannot be the case for if 'equality' was important so would Christian belief be free.  

The government are now desperate to introduce a new extremism law. The intention of this would stop Muslim extremists encouraging young folks to join ISIS or the like but instead it hinders almost everyone from stating their beliefs as this would offend someone, and who is to decide what is 'hate?'  A Gay judge perhaps?  We have already seen that in action and it was biased towards gays.  A politician?  Who?  The Home Secretary Theresa May perhaps?  She is determined to make a shot at being PM so her approach will be tainted with her future.  We are moving into a society where freedom of expression, already limited, will be removed further.  This happened during the war when a severe danger faced the country and as such was seen as part of the defence.  It was removed at the end of the war but this law will extend further into the future and who knows what government will exist then?

Freedom is already reduced at all levels of society.  Calling a woman 'Dear' or 'Love' gets a rebuke from wee girls, who in my case do not like the reply, and can lead to trouble for some individuals at work.  Touchy wee girls should not be allowed to harm relations at work I say.  Too many minor incidents cause needless fuss, just imagine if I complained about what offends me!  

The world political situation never changes, just the people and places involved.  However so many things indicate Jesus return soon, and before then the world will only get worse. Moreover has there ever been a government with such a situation to avoid talking about?  Cameron can be glad he has three weeks away from the House as party conferences take place, however the further revelations from this book will interest many of us. 

Tedious Saturday

You may be surprised to hear I spent most of my time today listening or watching to football.  I had little energy to do anything else.  While watching West Ham United defeat Manchester City to many peoples surprise I also attempted to fix the other laptop.  This I considered finished and then I began to download Windows 10 onto it in an effort to complete the healing process and also to finally remove !in 8.1 and it's awkwardness.  Hours ago, long before the teams took the field I began.  Hours later we are still at the 'Upgrading Windows' bit.  40% completed it claims while still only on the 'installing features & drivers bit.'  I suspect I may be here for some time and the electric bill will be screaming at me soon!
However I see some satisfaction.  By not getting the anti virus in quick enough I found I had those annoying advert that arise whenever you attempt to search something.  I also encountered some difficulty downloading items but that I believe was because 'McAfee' was used as an antivirus and had established itself everywhere already thus stopping other things working.  We shall soon (maybe) see if I have overcome this after removing as much of 'McAfee' as I can find.  He, like 'Norton' like to get in everywhere and must be removed item by item.  This means my emergency laptop will soon be ready, once new Memory is installed, to work properly.  I used 'Crucial' as it is efficient to get memory however the brute is not allowing me to log in constantly telling me my password etc is wrong.  I change it and it is still wrong.  They want shooting I say. I will fix that later, when I can be bothered.

Visit London

In days to come people will ask, where were you when Japan defeated mighty South Africa in the Rugby World Cup?  I will answer "Watching West Ham defeat Manchester City like normal people would be."  If they ask whether I watched the opening ceremony (I never watch the tedious opening ceremonies) I will say "I was watching St Mirren lose to Raith Rovers like normal people would be!"
And if they foolishly ask about GB beating Aussieland at Tennis I will say "What?"  "I'm sorry, I was having a life!"

p.s. The Kiwis will win the rugby anyway, they always do!

Friday Mumbling

In June this year the nation commemorated the signing of the 'Magna Carta,' the 'Great Charter of the Liberties.'  This great charter was sponsored by the Archbishop of Canterbury in an effort to ease the situation between King John and his rather irked nobles.  Johns demands for money for his French wars, which he kept losing, and his somewhat tyrannical approach upset the nobles, especially those based in Essex.  The peoples of this region have always been first whenever a cause of trouble was to arise.  During the Peasants Revolt in 1381 an the non conformist religious strife of the post Reformation years Essex folks led the way in rebelling.  This I need not remind you is an attitude that has not yet diminished! 
The museum would have preferred to have this exhibit earlier in the year but other events came first and this exhibition has been touring the land and during this week the hard working staff (without me obviously) have been erecting the exhibit for show next week.  Such a shame I was not available to erect a castle or two...
The Charter John signed less than willingly allowed for much protection for the individual (as long as he was a noble that is.  Serfs, villeins, slaves and anyone else who was not noble, rich or well to do just had to lump it.).  Peace there was not however and a short nasty war erupted and the brave Essex nobles moved themselves into fortified London (which was on their side) while John ran about Essex destroying their lands and taking their castles (which were either poor defensively or the folks inside just gave up), the nobels leaving their people to fend for themselves, how noble!
Luckily after this John not only lost most of his treasury in a place called 'The Wash' when the baggage train got stuck in the mud but he himself did the decent thing and died.  This left his son Henry III as king but being only nine years of age he was more interested in his electric train set, Lego and smartphone to actually work at being king.  This meant a wiser noble who supported the King had to become regent and he quickly issued a for of the Charter in an effort to ease the troubles.  By 1217 a form of peace and a renewed 'Magna Carta' was issued along with the Charter of the Forest (a much needed document as Forest covered much of the land and had specific laws) and a form of peace ensued. 
As time passed the Charter formed a base for laws, often reissued according to later Kings requirements and while totally useless in today's world (some try to use this in an effort to avoid paying parking tickets and other minor legal problems without success) the Charter is claimed by many as the basis of legal rights in many nations.  Whether that is true is debatable, certainly serfs and villeins worldwide may disagree, and a lot of other happenings go into making a nations laws.
Next Tuesday I will see the results of the lassies work, if they force me to work hard I will appeal to the Magna Carta for relief!

 
I was made aware summer had not yet left the premises by the thunder that rang out as I attempted to make a stew from the leftovers.  The noise of the clouds banging together was added to by the hissing of the hailstones that followed shortly afterwards.  While this did not last long the rain that accompanied this lot managed to eke out a decent length of time for what the weatherman calls 'showers!'  The sight of a nine year old in the distance who had managed to leave school in time to walk through it with no appropriate apparel either makes you feel sympathy or just grin like I did.  Poor mite, but we have all been there and he will be greeted by a caring mother who will belt him for not finding shelter somewhere, isn't mum grand?
As I speak the gray sky has darkened somewhat and the rain is again teeming down.  This is the time I stand at the window, coffee cup in hand, waving to anyone who looks up.  I usually get a wave back...  One of life's delights is to sit indoors, warm and cosy, while outside the rain hammers down.  This is an enjoyable experience, one of creations delights, although for many this weather will be doing their patios and back doors no good at all if it continues like this.  Down the bottom of the big hills the richer citizens will be unhappy as this often causes the drains to overflow with sad results.  Leaves from trees tend to block drains and no-one cares until it is too late.  
As long and thunder & lightning stay away I am happy enough in here.  Mind you I burnt the dinner again....

Oh and I've just discovered I had the window wide open through in the west wing!  TSK!

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Lazy Post

But funny.
Sophisticated satire on PR during the days of Tony Blair.

A Day in the Life

This is the view I am forced to endure at the moment, except that at the moment it is obscured by the rain belting down.  This rain is I understand the remnants of yet another American hurricane that they send us regularly in an effort to increase the numbers of road accidents from English drivers failing to note the rain that blocks their view from their windscreen.  Quite how so many appear ignorant of rains ability to make roads slippery, especially when leaves are beginning to fall onto them, or that it takes longer to stop when on wet roads amazes me.  It is amazing the police who have just asked people to open their eyes.  I am told 'El Ninio' or whatever it's called on the far side of the Americas is promising to send us the worst winter since 1962/3 when it was horrid, I canny say I am looking forward to that!  Anyone got a bolthole in Portugal they don't use...?

 

This stuff, and the honey, is rapidly running out.  It appears the 'Hot Toddy' is something to be taken occasionally and not consistently as I had misread.  Ah well I will not require any more after tonight as healing is with us and soon I will be outside again.  How can such a small thing interfere with life so much?  How can people indicate that 'dribbling' is not a new thing for me in such a sarcastic manner?  The whole museum has suffered with this and I suspect it began with one of the kids during the summer.  Bah!  At least they have to go to school in the rain!

 

Islington Gazette 

 

Jeremy Corbyn had an excellent start to his public duties during Prime Ministers Question Time (PMQs) today.  By asking questions sent in by the public and mentioning their names he forced the Prime Minister to answer the question and avoid insulting the questioner, he cannot insult the public, at least in public anyway.   Corbyns attempt to have a better PMQs by speaking quietly and avoiding the childish nonsnes also worked as the PM found this difficult.  Indeed Cameron lost it when asked a reasonable question by the Scottish Nationalist Leader in the House and replied in his usual blustering arrogant Eton Prefect style to be put down very well by the SNP leader.  A good start by Corbyn although one woman asked if this meant he could not respond to the PMs answers this way, I see it as possible and if he can keep the PM acting like a decent chap he will all too often see this breaking down to Corbyns advantage.  The PM will react in fury and look bad on PMQs, this is the only parliament most people actually watch so it is important. 

       

The rain started hours ago and has continued non stop since.  There is nothing for it but to stop a passing jet and run off to the Riviera for a few days.  Anyone coming with me...?

   

Monday Dullness

It's been that sort of day.
I could have fussed over the make up of the new Labour shadow cabinet.  I could have read all the papers created by middle class white men asking why the new shadow cabinet is made up of middle class white man and no women.  I am told Victoria Derbyshire had a panel of five women discussing why the shadow cabinet did not contain women!  Irony is not her thing.  One wonders how she got her job?  The fuss over whether there are women in the cabinet or not ignores whether they can do the job!  None suggest that any of them have a talent, the few that do actually have a job there but are ignored by the female critics who I suspect could not do the job either.
The fuss over Germany closing its borders to more 'refugees' I ignored, the hassle from Jose Mourino losing his cool as his team Chelsea lost again made me titter but then I let it lie.  No doubt many other serious and important pieces of pap flashed across the news today but I missed them.  It made not a bit of difference.
I did add a piece of research on the non local service folks buried in the cemetery and spent far too long looking for the info.  That filled my afternoon and in the end was of no interest to anyone anywhere in the entire world.  Still it kept me off the streets that I was keeping off anyway as I suffered alone with no nurse to care for me.   

Sniffling

Sniffling forced me to remain indoors all day today, suffering but not complaining!  I wish I had stayed in yesterday also as I was washed out afterwards.  Nothing much happened today although the Tory press appear transfixed with the new Labour leader.
Jeremy Corbyn, another middle class left winger now has the leadership and is forming his policies as we speak.  What these will be and whether any will work is debatable, but what we have now is unacceptable and what was opposed to it was too similar to be acceptable.  
For too long the Labour Party has sought the middle ground simply to get elected.  In doing this they forgot the people who they were supposed to represent.  'Class structure' is not what it was in the UK but the large middle class vote tend to go for the Tories as they fear Labour will steal their cash.  These are the same people who pay through the nose for gas & electric, plus water, and commute by rail murmuring about the privatised prices charged.  Will they never learn?
Certainly the Tory papers, the Daily Mail, Telegraph and Sun, will be attacking Labour now with tales off woe and despair, infighting and fear.  The fear of course is that he challenges their position on all things and people will soon realise this government is destroying not building a nation!

 

 Of course it could be worse....

Ah yes, thanks for reminding me, I need to put some honey in my Hot Toddy, this local stuff will do the trick, G'night all...

Drinking Saturday Away

Today was 'heritage Day' a day in which museums everywhere were open and entrance was FREE!
Foolishly I accepted the request to arrive when I would have preferred to lie about the house wasting away for a change.  Many people arrived, some for the last day of the WW2 exhibition and many just because it was free.  A few even spent money!  
What an opportunity to see museums, houses and historical buildings, many rarely open to the public, for free and often with a guided tour.  So many places were open today I wish I had been elsewhere.  Sadly too few people knew about these open days and I had to drag some unwilling folks into the building.  They were all grateful when they left I must say as a museum, especially regarding your own history, is a fascinating place, a place to bring back memories and reminisce.     
I am zonked and asleep with an hot toddy in my hand, I bet I spill it...

Before Breakfast...

Long before seven this morning I trundled the bike up part of the old railway to look at the mist hovering over the land.  Even most dog walkers were still abed which indicates the chill in the morning.  The sun was dissipating the mist as I arrived, low lying clouds lay like an Edinburgh Haar over parts.  

To think a developer now wishes to plant several hundred houses here (plus GP etc) and the farmer is very keen to sell.  A couple of years ago similar plans for 500 houses were turned down after a long campaign, I suspect similar to arise now.  This is a wonderful natural spot, well cared for by the Park Rangers and so many houses will ruin it.  With this grasping governments attitude 'build and be damned' and a desperate need for housing this one may get some homes built.  There again maybe there is not so much need for housing after all, maybe stopping greedy Russians and Chines buying all of Central London and raising the cost of houses would enable Brits to obtain one already built?
Maybe encouraging people not to divorce might keep families together, support marriage rather than destroy it, tell single women to find their own accommodation when they have a baby rather than use council ones.  All such ideas will not get votes but could improve society.
We are being forced apart by the spirit of the air.  Independence and not community is the bias in the airways.  Self rights are more important than society duty, me first, and let others hang is the way.  Today parliament debate the 'assisted suicide bill.'  This is to allow people who wish to die to do so.  To many consider this a 'right' and others from compassion think it a good idea.  I remind them of the woman today who has been found to have written a note from her husband claiming he wished not to be revived, and she had poisoned him and written the note herself.  'Assisted suicide' is an excellent way to remove ageing or sick family members, especially if there is money to be found in the will.  I await their deliberations tonight.

I exchanged s few friendly words with one young lass as I grasped the camera expectantly noticing her dog, a golden retriever, wandering in and out of the wet grasses that abounded today.  I was glad I did not have to wash the beast when I got home, and she had another somewhere about also.  As I turned for home, my knees requesting this, I noticed this figure heading towards me.  She had the right idea, cycle alongside the dog, it makes him run faster and enables you to get home quicker! A not unusual idea and worth considering as the dog and you benefit.  Unless you fall off obviously!

   
High above holiday makers and a few business people headed elsewhere.  This may have been an inland flight to Edinburgh or Belfast possibly but it may well have had a European airport in its sights.  No-one appeared to wave from the window.   The thought that this seven in the morning take off meant the travellers probably left home at midnight or three in the morning to get to Stansted for the flight shows the problems re air travel today.  The flight to Edinburgh takes an hour, the preparation for take off three!  I may just cycle there next time.

After a massage from the Vietnamese Curry House and Takeaway Massage girls I might feel better however now I think I have been run over by a bus.  They say this makes you fitter, 'they' are not doing it....

Nothing to Crow About.

I walked around the world today, then took a picture of it.  Three days running I have worked, today I went in to help cover for an hour ans was locked in all day/  People not turning up and not calling in are annoying, especially as I need my beauty sleep.  So little staff and too much dumped on one person who I am trying to help, although I keep making mistakes!  Fun today as two lots of kids came through, around 90 altogether, and spent their money after learning about WW2.  Jolly good it was too.  Another busy day, another day of running around hurting my knees, another day of not cycling as I was busy.  Tomorrow I intend to sleep all day!
One group from an old folks home came in, six in all, two cares and four old folks, to wander about or be pushed in their chairs, and reminisce about the past, a distant pass for some.  It was a mixed emotion dealing with them.  One or two had difficulties and we had little time to talk and while that was good I suddenly realised what it might feel like to be old and losing the poser of movement.  One man in particular was carrying a tired body but a good mind.  Illness has hurt him but he still had things to say if we could have time with him.  It sent a cold stab through me to think I might end up like that in 25 years.  The mind alert but the body not working as it did once. 

  
The good thing about working so much is that I can ignore the press. A scan through the papers puts me off looking any deeper, the people change but the stories do not, and I feel none the worse for being none the wiser.  What I have noted is not good but worse will come, the world is a bad place, it always has been, but our part can be made better by ourselves making it so.  

No Post...

Back to Normal

How nice to see the museum back to normal, short staffed, awkward questions, disappointed visitors, no-one making my tea, only one sale, heavy boxes to lift, my chocolate robbed, and having to look through 800 wedding photographs.
Not a child in sight, how quiet and tidy the place appears once it has been tidied up!  I did spend some time cleaning paint of one or two tables, the result of arts and crafts last week, that was required as the tables will be used for tea and biscuits by some group or other.  Otherwise I spent my time looking for photos and answers to a man's query.  Sadly there are no photographs of his street, little information and less to go on.  It just shows that we need to take pictures of our locale and place them where they are required, the local museum, for further investigation in years to come.  That is a hint by the way...
Tomorrow and Thursday I will spend time there again.  Where are all the volunteers these days?  At least in the morning I will make use of the bike, a massage may be needed later if anyone is around. Well if that's your attitude....

Once upon a time such as these were kept in 'Doocots' for use as meat during the long winters.  Where I was raised the 'Big Hoose' at the back on whose land our estate was built in the early fifties possessed one not far from us.  As kids we regarded it as some sort of witches house or a place to find rats.  In fact it was just an empty shell slowly disintegrating.  It still stands but I reckon it has now been roped off by H&S for safety.  I think these boys taking the sun early the other morning would not be as healthy as birds feeding on the one time fields of northern Edinburgh.  

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A Day Trip

In Camolodunum again today, I travel the world you know, I discovered a church building I had passed but ignored for some reason.  This lay behind the Roman wall, note the red bricks and the construction of the wall, solidly built to ensure no more Boudica's attacked and burnt the place down again.  Amazing to see these walls, ignored by most through walking past them daily, these solid walls were erected in the first century and stand proud, if not beautifully, today.

This was the first time I had noticed St Mary's by the Wall, and naturally I first took a picture of the once elegant door.  It is likely a Saxon church once stood here, the Norman's liked to build stone churches where old wooden ones once stood, and this one dates back to the 1200's.   You can see the lack of respect for history as the lower walls are built using portions of the Roman wall!  The tower above is probably the only remaining original portion, the church was rebuilt in the 1700's and many unreadable tombstones stand there some from that date as far as I could make out.

During the English Civil War, which imperiously included invading Scotland by the Margaret Thatcher of the day, one Oliver Cromwell, the church was used for defence by the Royalist side as Colchester opposed Cromwell and the Parliamentarians.  Whether the people had a choice is not noted!  A man named as Thomson set up his gun there and directed fire on the besiegers until the many returning cannonballs brought him and the tower down.  The top of the tower has been renovated with red brick and shows in between the remaining Roman bits.

I wondered a bit about the sign above the door.  What kind of church is this that has a licence for booze?  A Catholic one looking after the priests?  An Anglican one with a thirsty vicar?  In fact it is a redundant building now used as the Colchester Arts Centre.  I didn't go in.  There may have been a chance to look around but I considered they may have an 'art' exhibition on and I would possibly express my opinion, and I don't like losing new friends...

The graveyard is a bit of a mess in truth, this was one of the better graves established in 1797 but imaginatively I forgot to check the name.  They clearly were important enough to have a block of stone and iron railings around their tomb.  Most of the others must have dated that far back, the town must have been on the up during the 1700's and wealth flowing in the right places, but the place is a sad site now.  Only one drinker was found there today and we shared a couple of words but clearly many more waste their lives here.  How sad is that?

 On the way to the bus driven by a man unsure of the braking capabilities on offer I once again was impressed by the war memorial.  This angelic creature is a magnificent example of war memorial of the time.  Totally ridiculous regarding the conflict but like many others a magnificent creation.  What soldiers thought I know not, but less was spent on wounded men's care than on this!

 

On the way home I bought two appropriate inner tubes for future use!  No fool me!  This time I spoke to someone who knows about bikes, and recognises an idiot also.  This shop ought to be nearer home I say!

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Morning Wander

This bright yellow thing hung above the trees this morning trying to pretend it was summer. Nobody was fooled.  We have too deep an ingrained cynicism to be fooled by the big yellow thing pretending it is hot when we all know it is warmer at the North Pole than here on some days when it shows.  We still walk out in it, men in shorts trying to impress their girl and cleverer men in thick jackets like me!  

The Bocking Windmill is one of the many in East Anglia, some which actually work, and may open during the year to visitors keen to climb about in them.  I find them a wee bit boring myself but from the history point of view Mr Miller made a lot of money and was in an important position in his world.  Each village required at least one mill of some sort or other as flour was the basic requirement for the daily bread and a local mill was important. On occasion this one opens to visitors, but rarely as far as I can see.  My boss has the key and he controls the thing but not enough wish to visit to make it worth opening more.  I doubt we will ever see flour coming from there.  The one we saw long ago in Woodbridge worked well enough selling its own flour to all who had a desire to bake.

If I remember right these are 'Teezles.'  These were, and probably still are, used by weavers and cloth people to 'fluff up' cloth.  There were a few of them growing wild around this green area today, whether these grow in the far east where most of our cloth comes from now I know not so how do they 'fluff' their cloth I wonder?  We could gather them and sell them on I suppose.

Now that September has arrived we will at last be free from people talking about cricket surely? The local clubs entrance looks a wee bit tired today, a bit like the local clubs players I suspect.  I have no idea if they are any good, I don't read the local paper, and only when passing do I see men of varied physical shape throwing the ball around or standing talking to themselves in distant corners of the ground.  They could be the second XI I suppose.