Russell Brand has been arrested following an incident with a photographer.
Who'd be a celebrity? I can't stand Mr Brand myself but I do have some sympathy with celebrities. Once you are outside your own home you are considered fair game, sometimes even when you are in it. The argument is always that if you rely on publicity for your career then the public has a right to access at all times. By the same token though, if you are a teacher, and paid for by the public purse, should members not be able to stop you in the street and insist you spell them a word or add some figures up? Perhaps I can get the postman who lives on our estate to go deliver my mums card to St Albans?
It seems to me that the sensible thing is, when celebrities are working they are on call, when they are not working, just leave them alone. It's not like they are stalked to get a good news story, it is always to try and feed the "publics desire" for seeing rich or successful people suffer. Because these days what passes for entertainment is magazines and programmes full of stories to make the populace feel better at others expense. Watch X Factor in the early rounds, not to hear good singers but to watch "the freak show". Big Fat Gypsy Wedding isn't shown to improve relations between the travelling peoples and the general public. And what's worse is that these people appearing are so desirous of being celebrities they make idiots of themselves just for their 15 minutes of fame.
The Magnificent M sometimes asks the kids at school what they want to do when they are older. No more train drivers, doctors, nurses. Boys want to be footballers, even when they can't kick a ball for toffee and the girls all want to marry footballers. Apparently a footballers wife is a career choice.
Now, if you are at the concert I'm in tonight, could you all cheer really loudly and scream when I sing my solo line. After all, I don't want to be left out. I'll be signing autographs after!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Reading
Literacy levels in primary schools are slipping.
Just part of the full headline but one that appears with remarkable regularity. The Chief Inspector of Schools made one very good point; we've got to stop coming up with soundbite solutions. This has been the role of government for years now to say something clever and then try to implement it in school. The trouble is, by the time you have implementation it's time for another soundbite. That has left a trail of confusion. Are you teaching the alphabet, phonetics, phonics.... and if it's confusing for the teachers then it sure is for the kids.
The next problem is that the main wave of teachers coming through now are the ones where literacy was already badly taught and their grip of grammar is weak and their spelling is average at best.
So, teachers have to be "hardline" now. I'm not sure how. The biggest help will be reading to them. That would be the parents job but then many of the present parents are the children who didn't learn to read before. You can force in rules of grammar and pronunciation as much as you like but that is only part of it. It's the listening that the new children do that teaches them vocabulary and the rules of English. Because it's only by listening to certain words in the context that it's set that means someone knows whether the title to this blog refers to a pastime or a town in Berkshire.
Just part of the full headline but one that appears with remarkable regularity. The Chief Inspector of Schools made one very good point; we've got to stop coming up with soundbite solutions. This has been the role of government for years now to say something clever and then try to implement it in school. The trouble is, by the time you have implementation it's time for another soundbite. That has left a trail of confusion. Are you teaching the alphabet, phonetics, phonics.... and if it's confusing for the teachers then it sure is for the kids.
The next problem is that the main wave of teachers coming through now are the ones where literacy was already badly taught and their grip of grammar is weak and their spelling is average at best.
So, teachers have to be "hardline" now. I'm not sure how. The biggest help will be reading to them. That would be the parents job but then many of the present parents are the children who didn't learn to read before. You can force in rules of grammar and pronunciation as much as you like but that is only part of it. It's the listening that the new children do that teaches them vocabulary and the rules of English. Because it's only by listening to certain words in the context that it's set that means someone knows whether the title to this blog refers to a pastime or a town in Berkshire.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
No Smoke Without Fire
Kerry Katona is in trouble for saying there isn't any real harm in having the odd cigarette whilst pregnant.
Ms Katona puts her foot in it again. This time in defending her fellow "Face of Iceland" colleague Stacey Soloman who, wait for it, has been deposed as "Mother of the Year" having been caught smoking whilst pregnant with her next child.
I've never smoked and can't really be doing with it but I have a bit of sympathy for them in as much as, harking back to yesterdays post, this is a relatively new medical phenomenom. Not immediately recent, but 50 years ago it wouldn't have been picked up at all. All the medical advice is not to smoke during pregnancy because all these things can happen to the baby. They always said that t would make babies smaller but I think I'm right in saying that the average baby weight is less now that it was 50 years ago.
Funnily enough we were talking about smoking at work on Monday. It seems so natural not to go to pubs and restaurants and they be smoke free but it isn't that long ago that it changed. One of the guys was saying that 20 years back he knew someone who owned a restaurant who decided it should be smoke free. He reckoned the bloke would go bust within 6 months, but he didn't. And I can remember working through the Good Pub Guide looking for the few pubs that were no smoking, or at least with one no smoking bar.
But more worrying than the smoking angle is, how do we survive when Stacey Soloman is Mother of the Year. Although I am prepared to say this is a step up from Katie Price.
Ms Katona puts her foot in it again. This time in defending her fellow "Face of Iceland" colleague Stacey Soloman who, wait for it, has been deposed as "Mother of the Year" having been caught smoking whilst pregnant with her next child.
I've never smoked and can't really be doing with it but I have a bit of sympathy for them in as much as, harking back to yesterdays post, this is a relatively new medical phenomenom. Not immediately recent, but 50 years ago it wouldn't have been picked up at all. All the medical advice is not to smoke during pregnancy because all these things can happen to the baby. They always said that t would make babies smaller but I think I'm right in saying that the average baby weight is less now that it was 50 years ago.
Funnily enough we were talking about smoking at work on Monday. It seems so natural not to go to pubs and restaurants and they be smoke free but it isn't that long ago that it changed. One of the guys was saying that 20 years back he knew someone who owned a restaurant who decided it should be smoke free. He reckoned the bloke would go bust within 6 months, but he didn't. And I can remember working through the Good Pub Guide looking for the few pubs that were no smoking, or at least with one no smoking bar.
But more worrying than the smoking angle is, how do we survive when Stacey Soloman is Mother of the Year. Although I am prepared to say this is a step up from Katie Price.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Living is Killing Us
Eating red meat regularly increases your chances of heart disease and cancer.
The idea red meat is bad for you has been around for ages. Along with virtually any other foodstuff you care to mention. Diets have changed over the decades. Our diet now is much healthier than it was but that is because it needs to be. 100 years ago, or really before that, we needed the calorific input. Day to day life was was energetic, both for men in employment and for women in the home. Nowadays we obviously have little to move for. Other than nipping to the loo you can pretty much spend an entire evening without moving. Remote controls, laptops, mobile phones, every convenience for you to sit on your backside for hours on end.
And so now we investigate everything we can about what we eat in order to make ourselves healthier. And what have we found? Food isn't particularly good for us. In a lot of cases though it is the same food we have had for centuries. True, the amount of processing has increased and the additives are a problem. So it becomes whether red meat is bad for us or whether the aftermath of how the cows are raised is bad for us. But then not all food was healthy in the old days.
The problem isn't with what we eat but in what we expend in calories. The less you move, the less calories you burn and, in addition, your digestive system doesn't work as well, which means food residues and the chemical compounds within spend longer in your body.
Now, I admit, exercise is not something I enjoy. And the older I get the less I fancy the look of it, but if I am to shake off some if this weight, I am going to have to do some because you can only cut so many calories out of your diet. But when I was young, of school age I was for ever out and about playing some game or other. We'd spend hours playing tennis or football or anything we could make up. But more and more, young people don't play out. Whether it is because it is perceived as not safe or whether kids have already learnt that a sedentary life is an acceptable life I'm not sure.
So perhaps in looking more and more at the food perhaps we need to work out how much more exercise we can get into peoples lives. But how we do that Lord only knows.
The idea red meat is bad for you has been around for ages. Along with virtually any other foodstuff you care to mention. Diets have changed over the decades. Our diet now is much healthier than it was but that is because it needs to be. 100 years ago, or really before that, we needed the calorific input. Day to day life was was energetic, both for men in employment and for women in the home. Nowadays we obviously have little to move for. Other than nipping to the loo you can pretty much spend an entire evening without moving. Remote controls, laptops, mobile phones, every convenience for you to sit on your backside for hours on end.
And so now we investigate everything we can about what we eat in order to make ourselves healthier. And what have we found? Food isn't particularly good for us. In a lot of cases though it is the same food we have had for centuries. True, the amount of processing has increased and the additives are a problem. So it becomes whether red meat is bad for us or whether the aftermath of how the cows are raised is bad for us. But then not all food was healthy in the old days.
The problem isn't with what we eat but in what we expend in calories. The less you move, the less calories you burn and, in addition, your digestive system doesn't work as well, which means food residues and the chemical compounds within spend longer in your body.
Now, I admit, exercise is not something I enjoy. And the older I get the less I fancy the look of it, but if I am to shake off some if this weight, I am going to have to do some because you can only cut so many calories out of your diet. But when I was young, of school age I was for ever out and about playing some game or other. We'd spend hours playing tennis or football or anything we could make up. But more and more, young people don't play out. Whether it is because it is perceived as not safe or whether kids have already learnt that a sedentary life is an acceptable life I'm not sure.
So perhaps in looking more and more at the food perhaps we need to work out how much more exercise we can get into peoples lives. But how we do that Lord only knows.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Murderous Intent.
A man with "Locked-In Syndrome" fights for right to die.
Since the headline first thing this morning we now know that Tony Nicklinson can take his "right to die" a step further by having it fully discussed both in Parliament and with medical representation.
I, for one, hope he succeeds. I know that there are lots of moral reasons on either side of the argument but it always strikes me as strange that it is considered humane to put down an animal that is in pain, has little chance of survival or will have no quality of life but when it comes to a human me must keep them alive at whatever cost.
I know that if my mum was on a life support system or in such a mental or physical state that she has no quality of life, she wants to be helped off. She has told me so. I know it would be very hard to make the decision but I know that is what she wants and I love her enough to give her her final wish. But I hope fervently that I never have to.
It's going to be interesting to see what the final outcome is but I suspect that in the end the law won't change. Although to not change the law is discriminatory to the disabled. The able bodied are able to take their own lives, even as assisted suicide the "patient" has to administer the drugs themselves, but the severely disabled can't.This is why Tony is fighting, because he can't administer those drugs, so why, if he asks someone to do it, with all the safeguards that can be put in place, is he not given the same right as the able bodied?
Since the headline first thing this morning we now know that Tony Nicklinson can take his "right to die" a step further by having it fully discussed both in Parliament and with medical representation.
I, for one, hope he succeeds. I know that there are lots of moral reasons on either side of the argument but it always strikes me as strange that it is considered humane to put down an animal that is in pain, has little chance of survival or will have no quality of life but when it comes to a human me must keep them alive at whatever cost.
I know that if my mum was on a life support system or in such a mental or physical state that she has no quality of life, she wants to be helped off. She has told me so. I know it would be very hard to make the decision but I know that is what she wants and I love her enough to give her her final wish. But I hope fervently that I never have to.
It's going to be interesting to see what the final outcome is but I suspect that in the end the law won't change. Although to not change the law is discriminatory to the disabled. The able bodied are able to take their own lives, even as assisted suicide the "patient" has to administer the drugs themselves, but the severely disabled can't.This is why Tony is fighting, because he can't administer those drugs, so why, if he asks someone to do it, with all the safeguards that can be put in place, is he not given the same right as the able bodied?
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Aspiration
This is somewhat connected to the previous post.
One of the feeds I follow on Twitter is for The South Bank. Just to keep up with who is appearing there. During this weekend they have been discussing Feminism, yet again.
One of the threads concerned the programme Ladettes to Ladies and whether the term Lady should be dropped as a term for women as it packages them in a certain way. Bollocks, or whatever the female equivalent expletive might be! Here is an example of dumbing down again. Rather than try to better yourself and your social standing lets all head the way of the lowest common denominator, the "Lad" so that we can drink, sleep around and basically do what we feel like. That is not feminist equality, that is sexist jealousy.
I don't mind if young women want to go out and drink all night and sleep with every Tom, Dick or Harry, but then, don't complain you can't find any decent husbands. Men have lots of different "types" as well. The Lad is just one of them, and letting young girls know that the emulation of that one single group is worth striving for is condemning them to a life well below their own expectations.
I would rather live in a world where everyone could just be themselves and be the best they can, but it isn't here now whilst men idolise footballers and women can vote Katie Price as mother of the year.
One of the feeds I follow on Twitter is for The South Bank. Just to keep up with who is appearing there. During this weekend they have been discussing Feminism, yet again.
One of the threads concerned the programme Ladettes to Ladies and whether the term Lady should be dropped as a term for women as it packages them in a certain way. Bollocks, or whatever the female equivalent expletive might be! Here is an example of dumbing down again. Rather than try to better yourself and your social standing lets all head the way of the lowest common denominator, the "Lad" so that we can drink, sleep around and basically do what we feel like. That is not feminist equality, that is sexist jealousy.
I don't mind if young women want to go out and drink all night and sleep with every Tom, Dick or Harry, but then, don't complain you can't find any decent husbands. Men have lots of different "types" as well. The Lad is just one of them, and letting young girls know that the emulation of that one single group is worth striving for is condemning them to a life well below their own expectations.
I would rather live in a world where everyone could just be themselves and be the best they can, but it isn't here now whilst men idolise footballers and women can vote Katie Price as mother of the year.
Education for the Masses
University students are going to strike this week to show what campuses will look like if the government continue to put up tuition fees.
University students have been protesting for as long as I can remember and before. A large group of young people is always going to have a political element. They will also probably be as close to socialist in their views as they will ever be. Idealism is the badge of students. With their whole life before them why should they not think they can change the world. Every generation believes this but I suspect the vast majority end up in no better or worse place than their parents, living in a world that just repeats it's triumphs and disasters over and over again.
The big difference this time ought to be that there are many more students out on strike. With the political push that everyone should have the opportunity to go to university, and by renaming all the colleges to their senior counterpart, there should be 10 times the number of studentsnot bothering to get out of bed picketing.
I think the education system as a whole has lost it's way, although there are encouraging signs that at infant/primary level they are returning to the old skills of learning the alphabet and multiplication tables. They say that the education system has not been dumbed down but there is no way that the pass rate of GCSE and A levels hasn't been dropped to increase pass rates. I have had this argument with my brother for some time. He believes that it is just different but still as hard. If that was the case then the "real" universities wouldn't be re-testing people for admission. Some of the university lecturers we know are tearing their hair out as students turn up to take degrees without the knowledge to begin, and crash courses need to be run to get them up to level.
Nothing will change now though. Who is going to reduce the number of university places. How wonderful is it that your children can go to university now when before they would have done the same course in the same building but only have gone to college.
I wish we could go back to a system where the academic went to University, the mainstream go to college and those who have struggled academically go to technical college or art/music colleges where they can be taught useful skills or to evolve their artistic skills. No-one is made intelligent by the fact they can attend a university rather than a college but lives are ruined by taking the colleges away from the less academic and putting nothing in it's place.
University students have been protesting for as long as I can remember and before. A large group of young people is always going to have a political element. They will also probably be as close to socialist in their views as they will ever be. Idealism is the badge of students. With their whole life before them why should they not think they can change the world. Every generation believes this but I suspect the vast majority end up in no better or worse place than their parents, living in a world that just repeats it's triumphs and disasters over and over again.
The big difference this time ought to be that there are many more students out on strike. With the political push that everyone should have the opportunity to go to university, and by renaming all the colleges to their senior counterpart, there should be 10 times the number of students
I think the education system as a whole has lost it's way, although there are encouraging signs that at infant/primary level they are returning to the old skills of learning the alphabet and multiplication tables. They say that the education system has not been dumbed down but there is no way that the pass rate of GCSE and A levels hasn't been dropped to increase pass rates. I have had this argument with my brother for some time. He believes that it is just different but still as hard. If that was the case then the "real" universities wouldn't be re-testing people for admission. Some of the university lecturers we know are tearing their hair out as students turn up to take degrees without the knowledge to begin, and crash courses need to be run to get them up to level.
Nothing will change now though. Who is going to reduce the number of university places. How wonderful is it that your children can go to university now when before they would have done the same course in the same building but only have gone to college.
I wish we could go back to a system where the academic went to University, the mainstream go to college and those who have struggled academically go to technical college or art/music colleges where they can be taught useful skills or to evolve their artistic skills. No-one is made intelligent by the fact they can attend a university rather than a college but lives are ruined by taking the colleges away from the less academic and putting nothing in it's place.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Mr Watson, Come here, I want to see you.
For reasons of shopping, housework and all sorts I didn't get to hear the Heart news this morning so, rather than miss a day of news blogging, I thought I would look back at the news for March 10th. And I discovered it is the 136th anniversary of what I think is probably the most amazing invention ever.
On March 10th 1876, Alexander Graham Bell picked up his prototype telephone and made the first telephone call uttering the words in the title.
I have always found the telephone interesting. Like most kids I did the two cans attached by a piece of string thing and I also remember having a plastic version of the same system which must have some connection to a Gerry Anderson programme such as Fireball XL5 of Supercar.
I remember as a cub scout going to learn how to make a phone call from a public payphone. That in the days where you pressed button A to connect and button B to return your 1d if there was no answer. Our phone "numbers" still had letters in them. Ours was EAL 5234, part of the Ealing exchange. Using the phone at home was still quite special. We didn't really phone friends very often because we saw them at school and we could survive until the next day without contact, unlike the present generation. If it was really necessary to speak to my best mate I'd nip round to his house and see if he could come out to play. We had old dial phones obviously, and then push button phones. We even had a trim phone with it's strange warbling ringtone.
But the thing that makes it such an astonishing invention for me is that I can pick up a phone and speak to someone virtually anywhere on the planet within a couple of seconds. It doesn't matter how many thousands of miles away they are, they are just a few key-punches away.
And of course the things we can now do with mobiles and data sending etc is impressive but it still doesn't beat punching a dozen or so numbers and speaking to a friend or relative on the other side of the world and then sounding so close you could say "come here, I want to see you".
On March 10th 1876, Alexander Graham Bell picked up his prototype telephone and made the first telephone call uttering the words in the title.
I have always found the telephone interesting. Like most kids I did the two cans attached by a piece of string thing and I also remember having a plastic version of the same system which must have some connection to a Gerry Anderson programme such as Fireball XL5 of Supercar.
I remember as a cub scout going to learn how to make a phone call from a public payphone. That in the days where you pressed button A to connect and button B to return your 1d if there was no answer. Our phone "numbers" still had letters in them. Ours was EAL 5234, part of the Ealing exchange. Using the phone at home was still quite special. We didn't really phone friends very often because we saw them at school and we could survive until the next day without contact, unlike the present generation. If it was really necessary to speak to my best mate I'd nip round to his house and see if he could come out to play. We had old dial phones obviously, and then push button phones. We even had a trim phone with it's strange warbling ringtone.
But the thing that makes it such an astonishing invention for me is that I can pick up a phone and speak to someone virtually anywhere on the planet within a couple of seconds. It doesn't matter how many thousands of miles away they are, they are just a few key-punches away.
And of course the things we can now do with mobiles and data sending etc is impressive but it still doesn't beat punching a dozen or so numbers and speaking to a friend or relative on the other side of the world and then sounding so close you could say "come here, I want to see you".
Friday, March 09, 2012
Giving and Receiving
Today is the last day of Heart's "Have a Heart" Appeal.
Like most radio stations these days there is a week of fundraising. Heart have been raising money for Childline. And like most other radio stations they have been having a week of auctions. Today you could buy the chance to betrapped entertained for a champagne trip on he London Eye with Shane Richie and another was afternoon tea with Jason Donovan.
I don't know when the trend of raising money by auction started but I've often thought if I had the money I might go for one. It does however strike me as being somewhat selfish. You have money you are willing to give to charity but you want something in return.
Anyway, I know what I shall spend my money on. It will be a private concert with either Jamie Cullum or Michael Buble. I'm not bothered about either but M has left me in no doubt that those are exactly the right things for me to bid on.
And after all, I don't want to upset her or I might end up in a condition where I need a charity auction to raise money to rebuild me!
Like most radio stations these days there is a week of fundraising. Heart have been raising money for Childline. And like most other radio stations they have been having a week of auctions. Today you could buy the chance to be
I don't know when the trend of raising money by auction started but I've often thought if I had the money I might go for one. It does however strike me as being somewhat selfish. You have money you are willing to give to charity but you want something in return.
Anyway, I know what I shall spend my money on. It will be a private concert with either Jamie Cullum or Michael Buble. I'm not bothered about either but M has left me in no doubt that those are exactly the right things for me to bid on.
And after all, I don't want to upset her or I might end up in a condition where I need a charity auction to raise money to rebuild me!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Boris Bike Bonanza
The Boris Bike scheme has now extended to Westfield and Limehouse.
So there are now something like another 3000 bikes for hire. I've not yet checked them out so don't know what they cost or how the scheme works but they seem to be popular so at least that's one good thing.
There was more cycling news yesterday evening on tv. They were doing a report on the fact that the number of cyclists being injured on the roads in increasing. The fact that there are mor cyclists might have something to do with it but they did have one amazing fact that had come up in research. You'll never believe this, but...... cyclists who are hit by HGVs tend to sustain worse injuries than those hit by cars! No, surely not. Who'd have believed it!
But more interesting was a report of an accident between cyclist and car filmed by the cyclists on-helmet camera. Now, it was the car drivers fault but this is what happened. The cyclist approached a mini-roundabout with a fork left and right as an exit. The cyclist exits towards the right fork whilst a car comes straight out of the left hand fork and hits him. As I say, the car driver was at fault, he didn't stop as far as I could tell and just entered the roundabout without seeing the cyclist. But what also happened was that as the cyclist approached the roundabout he didn't reduce speed either nor, unless he is particularly adept at steering one hand, did he indicate he was going to move to the right fork. So yes, it was the car drivers fault but the cyclist must be held at least partly responsible. And to be honest, whether I was on my bike or in my car, I would have been watching that approaching car and getting ready to change my course if I thought there was problem.
So we are back to the age old problem of cyclists taking some responsibility for their own safety. And not be like the guy this morning who decided to cycle through a red light whilst chatting on his hand held mobile phone.
So there are now something like another 3000 bikes for hire. I've not yet checked them out so don't know what they cost or how the scheme works but they seem to be popular so at least that's one good thing.
There was more cycling news yesterday evening on tv. They were doing a report on the fact that the number of cyclists being injured on the roads in increasing. The fact that there are mor cyclists might have something to do with it but they did have one amazing fact that had come up in research. You'll never believe this, but...... cyclists who are hit by HGVs tend to sustain worse injuries than those hit by cars! No, surely not. Who'd have believed it!
But more interesting was a report of an accident between cyclist and car filmed by the cyclists on-helmet camera. Now, it was the car drivers fault but this is what happened. The cyclist approached a mini-roundabout with a fork left and right as an exit. The cyclist exits towards the right fork whilst a car comes straight out of the left hand fork and hits him. As I say, the car driver was at fault, he didn't stop as far as I could tell and just entered the roundabout without seeing the cyclist. But what also happened was that as the cyclist approached the roundabout he didn't reduce speed either nor, unless he is particularly adept at steering one hand, did he indicate he was going to move to the right fork. So yes, it was the car drivers fault but the cyclist must be held at least partly responsible. And to be honest, whether I was on my bike or in my car, I would have been watching that approaching car and getting ready to change my course if I thought there was problem.
So we are back to the age old problem of cyclists taking some responsibility for their own safety. And not be like the guy this morning who decided to cycle through a red light whilst chatting on his hand held mobile phone.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
And in other news
Just checking the stats and have discovered that, although this blog has been going nigh on 6 years, 15% of all the page views ever, took place last month. Blimey!
Home and Away
Various bodies have suggested poeple holiday at home in the UK as a tribute for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee and to celebrate the Olympics.
The first point is that should you choose to do that would you please avoid London. It's not that many days since they were suggesting perhaps those who live and work in London might like to bugger off somewhere else during the Games and not get in the way of a) the sponsors, b) high spending visitors, c) the sponsors, d) essential traffic and e) the sponsors.
As the bodies doing the suggesting are, London Eye, Alton Towers and Butlins, one must assume they were rather hoping it would be their own attractions that benefited.
I suppose this follows the normal annual appeal to stay here or, as we now call it, have a staycation! I certainly had UK holidays when I was young. In fact up until I was 16 I'd probably only had three foreign holidays, one was courtesy of my best friends family. one was a school trip and the third when 16 was to Mallorca. That was so long ago that Magaluf was still a reasonably undeveloped area just down the coast from Palma Nova. Foreign travel, although becoming more available was still the expensive option. But nowadays would I expect to go abroad? Would the expensive option be UK? Even if abroad is a bit more expensive is it worth it for the guaranteed weather?
Nowadays I think of abroad as an annual holiday destination and the UK for long weekends or second holidays. What say you? And will you stay to celebrate this year or get as far away as possible?
The first point is that should you choose to do that would you please avoid London. It's not that many days since they were suggesting perhaps those who live and work in London might like to bugger off somewhere else during the Games and not get in the way of a) the sponsors, b) high spending visitors, c) the sponsors, d) essential traffic and e) the sponsors.
As the bodies doing the suggesting are, London Eye, Alton Towers and Butlins, one must assume they were rather hoping it would be their own attractions that benefited.
I suppose this follows the normal annual appeal to stay here or, as we now call it, have a staycation! I certainly had UK holidays when I was young. In fact up until I was 16 I'd probably only had three foreign holidays, one was courtesy of my best friends family. one was a school trip and the third when 16 was to Mallorca. That was so long ago that Magaluf was still a reasonably undeveloped area just down the coast from Palma Nova. Foreign travel, although becoming more available was still the expensive option. But nowadays would I expect to go abroad? Would the expensive option be UK? Even if abroad is a bit more expensive is it worth it for the guaranteed weather?
Nowadays I think of abroad as an annual holiday destination and the UK for long weekends or second holidays. What say you? And will you stay to celebrate this year or get as far away as possible?
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Fit to Drop
Experts have warned Olympic athletes not to shake hands with spectators in case they pick up infections.
The ways in which I could have posted today with this story are varied and numerous. There can't be a satire programme on tv, radio, or relevant magazine who won't have a field day with this.
What do they think is going to happen? Hordes of foreigners coming over here with their nasty foreign germs. The working classes thronging to see the stars as they go about their daily business, coughing on their hands and then offering a handshake?
I suggest that from now until the actual Olympics, all UK athletes should live in oxygen tents, eating only sterilised food and, should they need to venture out, don space suits to protect them from a stray streptococcus.
After all, we wouldn't want any of our athletes to slump to 17th from their expected high of 15th!
The ways in which I could have posted today with this story are varied and numerous. There can't be a satire programme on tv, radio, or relevant magazine who won't have a field day with this.
What do they think is going to happen? Hordes of foreigners coming over here with their nasty foreign germs. The working classes thronging to see the stars as they go about their daily business, coughing on their hands and then offering a handshake?
I suggest that from now until the actual Olympics, all UK athletes should live in oxygen tents, eating only sterilised food and, should they need to venture out, don space suits to protect them from a stray streptococcus.
After all, we wouldn't want any of our athletes to slump to 17th from their expected high of 15th!
Monday, March 05, 2012
The Benefit of Hindsight
The Government are to re-look at their decision to cut child allowance to families where one partner earns £40k.
And so they should. How can it be fair that a family where the joint income is 2x £39,000 and you keep it, whereas 1 x £41,000 and you lose it. I'm a Tory by nature but even I think that is the most absurd piece of mathematical economics I have ever heard.
I actually think they are looking at the entire situation wrongly. Instead of working out the family income for child allowance they should be looking at the number of children. It's a simple enough system. You get the allowance for your first two children and then nothing.
There, that isn't difficult.
Why should we have to support families who choose to have lots of children? And these days it is a choice. We have universal contraception in this country. Not to use it is a choice. I know there is a religious argument against contraception but, if a particular religion thinks mass procreation is a good idea then let it pay for it. I don't have a problem if someone chooses to have more children as long as they can afford to support them. Historically we often needed larger families due to infant mortality but that, to all intents and purposes, has disappeared, at least in this case. The Catholic church in particular wanted the Catholic population to spread and become a majority but that argument is surely redundant as I cannot see a reason to populate a particular religious group these days unless you are planning a religious war. (I am sure there are other religions I could pick on but The Roman Catholic Church is perhaps the highest profile one in the UK.
Compared to my ex I am positively liberal. She would then go on at +2 children to start fining families by way of tax allowance loss at best. Actually, she would probably vote for +2 euthanasia, but that's another story.
The argument is of course it penalises the poor. And yes it does to a degree, but there is no argument I can see for them wanting to have lots of children.
Of course my system can't be brought in overnight as that would be unfair to larger families as they exist, or, perhaps we can keep the pay out as it is today but draw a line at some point and then bring it in. A years warning or so would be enough.
I reckon that would save a lot more money in the long run than the present proposal. I await Mr Osbourne's call!
And so they should. How can it be fair that a family where the joint income is 2x £39,000 and you keep it, whereas 1 x £41,000 and you lose it. I'm a Tory by nature but even I think that is the most absurd piece of mathematical economics I have ever heard.
I actually think they are looking at the entire situation wrongly. Instead of working out the family income for child allowance they should be looking at the number of children. It's a simple enough system. You get the allowance for your first two children and then nothing.
There, that isn't difficult.
Why should we have to support families who choose to have lots of children? And these days it is a choice. We have universal contraception in this country. Not to use it is a choice. I know there is a religious argument against contraception but, if a particular religion thinks mass procreation is a good idea then let it pay for it. I don't have a problem if someone chooses to have more children as long as they can afford to support them. Historically we often needed larger families due to infant mortality but that, to all intents and purposes, has disappeared, at least in this case. The Catholic church in particular wanted the Catholic population to spread and become a majority but that argument is surely redundant as I cannot see a reason to populate a particular religious group these days unless you are planning a religious war. (I am sure there are other religions I could pick on but The Roman Catholic Church is perhaps the highest profile one in the UK.
Compared to my ex I am positively liberal. She would then go on at +2 children to start fining families by way of tax allowance loss at best. Actually, she would probably vote for +2 euthanasia, but that's another story.
The argument is of course it penalises the poor. And yes it does to a degree, but there is no argument I can see for them wanting to have lots of children.
Of course my system can't be brought in overnight as that would be unfair to larger families as they exist, or, perhaps we can keep the pay out as it is today but draw a line at some point and then bring it in. A years warning or so would be enough.
I reckon that would save a lot more money in the long run than the present proposal. I await Mr Osbourne's call!
Sunday, March 04, 2012
On a Knife's Edge
Extra Police being deployed in South London following yesterday's two stabbings.
There hardly seems to be a day goes by without a stabbing somewhere in London. Of course, carrying a knife now is a crime, when I was young it wasn't a crime to carry a knife, although it would have been to use one in a crime obviously. I don't think most young people carried them routinely except when in our scouts uniform and then we'd normally have a sheath knife on our belts in case we wanted to quickly whittle a stick. The occasional boy at school had a penknife, and the very occasional one had a flick knife. The latter being more a case of interest than of intended use.
It wasn't that we didn't have weapons should there be a fight. Not that I was ever involved by choice. The kids who were into such things used combs!
No, we weren't so effeminate at our school that a fight consisted of rearranging someone's coiffure! The rage at the time, for weaponry or not, were metal combs. We all had them. Not that half of us ever combed our hair, nor would they have been much use if we had wished to, as we wore ours at shoulder length, (well it was the 70s!), and it needed brushing. But come metalwork on a Tuesday afternoon, there would be a couple of lads who would be at the grinder honing the "spine" down to a sharp edge.
I only ever saw one incident involving one of the combknives, the problem being it was me and a friend being threatened. To cut a long story short, the person who threatened us ended up in borstal for a few weeks. Mainly because I swore blind it was a knife he was carrying. Funnily enough I ran into the guy a few months later at Griffin Park, home of the mighty Brentford FC. He was friendly enough and promised me it wasn't a knife. I admitted I knew and he was fine about it. I guess he saw it as an occupational hazard. Bang to rights and all that.
And today in South London there are Police roaming the streets, unable to stop anyone in case it's considered discriminatory, until perhaps someone gets stabbed. And it wouldn't be difficult to arrest people these days as to my knowledge, no-one is carrying a knife around legitimately anymore for whittling sticks.
There hardly seems to be a day goes by without a stabbing somewhere in London. Of course, carrying a knife now is a crime, when I was young it wasn't a crime to carry a knife, although it would have been to use one in a crime obviously. I don't think most young people carried them routinely except when in our scouts uniform and then we'd normally have a sheath knife on our belts in case we wanted to quickly whittle a stick. The occasional boy at school had a penknife, and the very occasional one had a flick knife. The latter being more a case of interest than of intended use.
It wasn't that we didn't have weapons should there be a fight. Not that I was ever involved by choice. The kids who were into such things used combs!
No, we weren't so effeminate at our school that a fight consisted of rearranging someone's coiffure! The rage at the time, for weaponry or not, were metal combs. We all had them. Not that half of us ever combed our hair, nor would they have been much use if we had wished to, as we wore ours at shoulder length, (well it was the 70s!), and it needed brushing. But come metalwork on a Tuesday afternoon, there would be a couple of lads who would be at the grinder honing the "spine" down to a sharp edge.
I only ever saw one incident involving one of the combknives, the problem being it was me and a friend being threatened. To cut a long story short, the person who threatened us ended up in borstal for a few weeks. Mainly because I swore blind it was a knife he was carrying. Funnily enough I ran into the guy a few months later at Griffin Park, home of the mighty Brentford FC. He was friendly enough and promised me it wasn't a knife. I admitted I knew and he was fine about it. I guess he saw it as an occupational hazard. Bang to rights and all that.
And today in South London there are Police roaming the streets, unable to stop anyone in case it's considered discriminatory, until perhaps someone gets stabbed. And it wouldn't be difficult to arrest people these days as to my knowledge, no-one is carrying a knife around legitimately anymore for whittling sticks.
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Weather Watch
8:00 am News - 28 die in USA Tornadoes
Overnight, America had dozens of tornadoes hitting what I think is the mid-west. Meanwhile, New Zealand was experiencing what is known as a "weather-bomb". No, I'm not sure either but having caught up with a number of other social networking friends it appears to have been a very short sharp shock of weather where the temperature plummeted, winds soared and torrential rain fell. Meanwhile here in the South East it is just going into March and we already experiencing drought conditions.
One thing I learnt at school was that the UK never suffers the greatest extremes of weather as we are a maritime climate, yet more and more the weather does appear to be changing from how it used to be. The environmentalists are as always happy to jump on the global warming soapbox, and yet records show that the average temperature now is one degree lower than in Elizabethan times. There are the "rose tinted glasses" memories of yesteryear when we has snowy Christmases and boiling hot summers, though reality is different, Easter having more snow than Christmas and summers only being really good on an 11-12 year cycle. But there is no doubt that the type of weather we are having is different.
And what is different though is something known as The Madrid Line. (Not to be confused with The Madrid Fault Line). The Madrid Line is used in the glazing industry to identify the point going round the globe with ideal conditions. It passes through Madrid hence the name.
Or it did.
The line now passes through Paris rather than a few hundreds miles south. The earth has tilted. To me this makes much more sense as to why our weather is different from the "norm" as the "tilt" has happened in less that 25 years. And it is predicted it will only take another 13 years to tilt enough to put the UK on The Madrid Line.
Now, I don't think it's really a tilt. It is known that the Earth wobbles on it's axis and it is obviously in a state of wobble. Hopefully we will wobble off back to where we were because regardless of whether we know what the weather will be from one day to another, the seasons will change from their traditional months of the year, and that will be bad news for birds, beasts and land as well. And the Earth wobbling seems so much more plausible than death by aerosol.
Overnight, America had dozens of tornadoes hitting what I think is the mid-west. Meanwhile, New Zealand was experiencing what is known as a "weather-bomb". No, I'm not sure either but having caught up with a number of other social networking friends it appears to have been a very short sharp shock of weather where the temperature plummeted, winds soared and torrential rain fell. Meanwhile here in the South East it is just going into March and we already experiencing drought conditions.
One thing I learnt at school was that the UK never suffers the greatest extremes of weather as we are a maritime climate, yet more and more the weather does appear to be changing from how it used to be. The environmentalists are as always happy to jump on the global warming soapbox, and yet records show that the average temperature now is one degree lower than in Elizabethan times. There are the "rose tinted glasses" memories of yesteryear when we has snowy Christmases and boiling hot summers, though reality is different, Easter having more snow than Christmas and summers only being really good on an 11-12 year cycle. But there is no doubt that the type of weather we are having is different.
And what is different though is something known as The Madrid Line. (Not to be confused with The Madrid Fault Line). The Madrid Line is used in the glazing industry to identify the point going round the globe with ideal conditions. It passes through Madrid hence the name.
Or it did.
The line now passes through Paris rather than a few hundreds miles south. The earth has tilted. To me this makes much more sense as to why our weather is different from the "norm" as the "tilt" has happened in less that 25 years. And it is predicted it will only take another 13 years to tilt enough to put the UK on The Madrid Line.
Now, I don't think it's really a tilt. It is known that the Earth wobbles on it's axis and it is obviously in a state of wobble. Hopefully we will wobble off back to where we were because regardless of whether we know what the weather will be from one day to another, the seasons will change from their traditional months of the year, and that will be bad news for birds, beasts and land as well. And the Earth wobbling seems so much more plausible than death by aerosol.
Friday, March 02, 2012
Fuel's Gold
The Average price of fuel will hit an all time high today.
And indeed it did. Fuel in the UK is now an average price of 137.4, which is pretty much the average in this here bit of London.
Gone are the days when going out for a drive on a Sunday was affordable. If we went out into the country for Sunday lunch it would cost us more for the fuel than the food. So I worked out what likely journeys for me are costing.
To go to work costs me an average of £10.20 depending where on my patch I have to get to. Which means with meetings and self generating appointments, I probably have to spend £100 to earn any money. And my last sale didn't even net me £100 in commission.
To visit my mum costs about £15. Not a lot as a one off but she has been quite I'll for the last six weeks and I can't afford to go see her as often as I would have liked.
My father lives in the Norfolk Broads. That's a £50 round trip before we add on stopping for food because the trip is quite a slow one as the roads aren't great. Anyone who has suffered the Elvedon Forest will know what I mean.
I'd like to do Blackpool again but we are talking about £110 round trip. Luckily I would have at least one other in the car to share the cost if not two.
We were going to go to the Scottish Highlands to see where M's family come from but we are talking nearly £300 on the drive there and back without running around whilst we are there.
For the first time since I passed my test in 1974, I'm starting to wonder if driving is worth it!
And indeed it did. Fuel in the UK is now an average price of 137.4, which is pretty much the average in this here bit of London.
Gone are the days when going out for a drive on a Sunday was affordable. If we went out into the country for Sunday lunch it would cost us more for the fuel than the food. So I worked out what likely journeys for me are costing.
To go to work costs me an average of £10.20 depending where on my patch I have to get to. Which means with meetings and self generating appointments, I probably have to spend £100 to earn any money. And my last sale didn't even net me £100 in commission.
To visit my mum costs about £15. Not a lot as a one off but she has been quite I'll for the last six weeks and I can't afford to go see her as often as I would have liked.
My father lives in the Norfolk Broads. That's a £50 round trip before we add on stopping for food because the trip is quite a slow one as the roads aren't great. Anyone who has suffered the Elvedon Forest will know what I mean.
I'd like to do Blackpool again but we are talking about £110 round trip. Luckily I would have at least one other in the car to share the cost if not two.
We were going to go to the Scottish Highlands to see where M's family come from but we are talking nearly £300 on the drive there and back without running around whilst we are there.
For the first time since I passed my test in 1974, I'm starting to wonder if driving is worth it!
Thursday, March 01, 2012
The Choicest Education
1 in 6 Children missed out on their 1st choice school last year.
Today was the day when parents started to find out which schools their 10 year olds will be attending from next year. As the headline said, not all got their first choice, but theoretically you can't extrapolate that from the forms submitted because you are not under any duress to place your first choice first. That aside, there are ways of increasing your chance of getting your child into the school you want. It's a mixture both of following the rules and also knowing how to use them to your advantage.
Unfortunately, tomorrow, both the primary school and secondary schools will have parents turning up to complain about placements. And often it's the fault of the parents for not doing things properly.
Each year, as the children go into Year 6, M's headmistress holds a meeting for all the parents to explain what they need to do to get their child into the school they want. About a third of the parents don't bother to attend. It is explained, very clearly, that if youmwant your child to go to a church school you better be in church every single week from now, and you should really have been going for the last two years. For a church school there are two forms to fill out, not just the main one. Don't be late submitting the form(s). Put down al 6 choices. Make them realistic, not half way across the borough unless you really do want them in that school. Having an older sibling at a school no longer gets you up the queue.
Tomorrow will see the parents turn up who didn't do what they were told. Some didn't send back the form and their children will go to any school anywhere in the Borough that has a place left and it won't be top of the league tables! It's not really fair on the kids but it has to be the parents responsibility. And it's not for the want of the school reminding parents what they need to do.
The is always talk about how it is unfair that the rich get to go to all the best schools but sometimes you have to make the best of a situation you are in. You might not be able to send your child to a private school but at least care enough to fill out a form correctly particularly when their is a school full of teachers willing to help you.
Today was the day when parents started to find out which schools their 10 year olds will be attending from next year. As the headline said, not all got their first choice, but theoretically you can't extrapolate that from the forms submitted because you are not under any duress to place your first choice first. That aside, there are ways of increasing your chance of getting your child into the school you want. It's a mixture both of following the rules and also knowing how to use them to your advantage.
Unfortunately, tomorrow, both the primary school and secondary schools will have parents turning up to complain about placements. And often it's the fault of the parents for not doing things properly.
Each year, as the children go into Year 6, M's headmistress holds a meeting for all the parents to explain what they need to do to get their child into the school they want. About a third of the parents don't bother to attend. It is explained, very clearly, that if youmwant your child to go to a church school you better be in church every single week from now, and you should really have been going for the last two years. For a church school there are two forms to fill out, not just the main one. Don't be late submitting the form(s). Put down al 6 choices. Make them realistic, not half way across the borough unless you really do want them in that school. Having an older sibling at a school no longer gets you up the queue.
Tomorrow will see the parents turn up who didn't do what they were told. Some didn't send back the form and their children will go to any school anywhere in the Borough that has a place left and it won't be top of the league tables! It's not really fair on the kids but it has to be the parents responsibility. And it's not for the want of the school reminding parents what they need to do.
The is always talk about how it is unfair that the rich get to go to all the best schools but sometimes you have to make the best of a situation you are in. You might not be able to send your child to a private school but at least care enough to fill out a form correctly particularly when their is a school full of teachers willing to help you.
New Month - News Month
Once again, I'm going for a blog a day. Each days post will be from the lead story in the news. Not just any news, but the one that wakes me up at 7 in the morning on Heart radio.
The reason for choosing that is that it rarely co-incides with the real news of the day. Sometimes it is serious, other times much more important just to London, and sometimes it is just downright not news, like if Katie Price has lost a false nail. The only proviso I shall make is that I may go for the second or third lead story if the first is a repeat of another already blogged during the month. First post later. And don't think you can steal a march by checking their website because this mornings story doesn't appear on their newsfeed.
The reason for choosing that is that it rarely co-incides with the real news of the day. Sometimes it is serious, other times much more important just to London, and sometimes it is just downright not news, like if Katie Price has lost a false nail. The only proviso I shall make is that I may go for the second or third lead story if the first is a repeat of another already blogged during the month. First post later. And don't think you can steal a march by checking their website because this mornings story doesn't appear on their newsfeed.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
News Month
Having blogged every day this month I am about to repeat the feat in March.
Starting tomorrow - News Month
My Way
Even if you don't sing along, at least read it to the tune. And it's a tribute to all those who took part in Mashers Marathon
And now, the end is here,
And so I post, my final Feb blog,
My friends, I've posted here!
Ideas and thoughts, in this my weblog,
I've posted everyday, All twenty nine, Along this highway.
But more, much more than this,
I blogged it my way!
Regrets, I've had a few,
I didn't post more about Paris,
Nor posts about my youth,For which I would,
Have been embarrassed.
I Blogged about my life, and let you in, not in a shy way,
But more, much more than this,
I blogged it my way!
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
That what I wrote, was dreadful poo,
But through it all, When there was doubt,
I'd get a thought, and write it out,
I made a note, and then I wrote, this blog in my way!
I've read, each Masher post,
each Wrightweb word, And Brennig musing,
And Toffeeapple came,and left comments,
With no abusing,
To think, we've had all that, in just a month, of Sat to Fridays,
And more, yes more than that, I blogged mine, my way.
For what's a blogger, what has he got,
If not his words, then he has not,
The posts to fill, twenty-nine days,
To let the world, hear what he says,
The record shows, we've done all those,
And blogged it our way!
And now, the end is here,
And so I post, my final Feb blog,
My friends, I've posted here!
Ideas and thoughts, in this my weblog,
I've posted everyday, All twenty nine, Along this highway.
But more, much more than this,
I blogged it my way!
Regrets, I've had a few,
I didn't post more about Paris,
Nor posts about my youth,For which I would,
Have been embarrassed.
I Blogged about my life, and let you in, not in a shy way,
But more, much more than this,
I blogged it my way!
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
That what I wrote, was dreadful poo,
But through it all, When there was doubt,
I'd get a thought, and write it out,
I made a note, and then I wrote, this blog in my way!
I've read, each Masher post,
each Wrightweb word, And Brennig musing,
And Toffeeapple came,and left comments,
With no abusing,
To think, we've had all that, in just a month, of Sat to Fridays,
And more, yes more than that, I blogged mine, my way.
For what's a blogger, what has he got,
If not his words, then he has not,
The posts to fill, twenty-nine days,
To let the world, hear what he says,
The record shows, we've done all those,
And blogged it our way!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Decision Time
It's time to make a decision about what I do for work. Not from the point of view as to what I do about my present job, that's simple, commission only is not providing the money needed, but what to do next.
I fancy going back to work in an office. I last did that properly 30 years ago next year and a part of me has always missed that "working as a group" thing. Sales work, even as part of a team, isn't quite the same. The problem is whether I will find it all too restrictive. I'm used to pretty much doing what I want during the day, when and where I want to.
I also quite fancy estate agency, having worked in insurance and double glazing, it would be nice to get the hat-trick of most hated jobs.
What may be in the pipeline though is to help run a pub. There is a landlady I know of who is looking for a manager and I have an in. I'm aware of how much work is involved in the licenced trade but it is a bit appealing. A mix of office and admin work, some time behind the bar, and a chance to have input into how the pub is run. I think I might be having a visit on Friday to check it out. Watch this space!
I fancy going back to work in an office. I last did that properly 30 years ago next year and a part of me has always missed that "working as a group" thing. Sales work, even as part of a team, isn't quite the same. The problem is whether I will find it all too restrictive. I'm used to pretty much doing what I want during the day, when and where I want to.
I also quite fancy estate agency, having worked in insurance and double glazing, it would be nice to get the hat-trick of most hated jobs.
What may be in the pipeline though is to help run a pub. There is a landlady I know of who is looking for a manager and I have an in. I'm aware of how much work is involved in the licenced trade but it is a bit appealing. A mix of office and admin work, some time behind the bar, and a chance to have input into how the pub is run. I think I might be having a visit on Friday to check it out. Watch this space!
Monday, February 27, 2012
A Tale of Two Eateries - Day 2
Our Saturday night meal was the focal point of the weekends visit. A joint 60th birthday party for the two hosts. Somewhere special needed to be found and the place chosen was Le Charlot.
Le Charlot
Le Charlot is definitely a destination restaurant. Seafood being it's raison d'etre.
Designed in the Belle Epoque style there are mirrors everywhere, walls, ceilings, cabinets. Whether this is to make the place look bigger, more opulent, or to let the waiters check their appearance every 5 minutes it is hard to tell. This photo is taken in the waiting area. A place we were to spend some time in as they had managed to lose the booking for the 13 of us. Perhaps the number of diners should have warned us! To be fair, they managed to rearrange things so we could dine but fitting in a party of 13 can't be easy on a Saturday night unless of course you are not as busy as you would like. They also provided free aperitifs because of the wait, but only for the 6 who turned up first and discovered the error.
The delay however gave us a chance to peruse the menu. Expensive sums it up pretty well. A normal main course costing anything from a miserly £30 to a more wallet busting £70. Of course, for those on a limited budget, you can buy your clams individually at only €5 each! Luckily there was a fixed price menu of £22 for two courses, or £27 for 3. Our hostess had booked us in for those. Phew!
As I mentioned yesterday, I chose the Meli Melo as a starter.
And pleasant as this was it didn't match the extravagance of the starter yesterday. This of course being more of a nouvelle cuisine version. At least they got the starter right. When it came to the main course though things went awry again. I ordered Quenelles on the understanding from the waitress that it contained no cheese, not any at all, not even the teeniest weeniest bit. It turned up smothered in cheese. Whilst deciding what the French for "you blithering idiot" was one of the other guests said he would swap with me. Problem solved and very nice it was but I did feel a bit guilty he'd been deprived of his first choice. For dessert our French host had ordered birthday cake and the restaurant kindly placed that in the same box as the table booking, so another black mark for Le Charlot. To make up, they cobbled together a couple of desserts and stuck sparklers in them. Passable enough but not exactly the highlight of a birthday meal as the cake may well have been.
Wine of course was drunk but our hosts picked up the tab so that was rather generous as the wine was as expensive as you would expect in such an establishment. That being the case, it ended up slightly cheaper than the night before but nowhere near as good value.
Unfortunately, Le Charlot appears to have done what too many high profile restaurants do and believe it's own hype. This usually means they rest on their laurels and don't see their reputation falling away. Maybe we just hit them on an off night, or series of off nights if you count the booking fiasco as well, but if you have one night in Paris and you want somewhere to eat, La Vieux Belleville is definitely the one to go for!
Le Charlot
Le Charlot is definitely a destination restaurant. Seafood being it's raison d'etre.
The delay however gave us a chance to peruse the menu. Expensive sums it up pretty well. A normal main course costing anything from a miserly £30 to a more wallet busting £70. Of course, for those on a limited budget, you can buy your clams individually at only €5 each! Luckily there was a fixed price menu of £22 for two courses, or £27 for 3. Our hostess had booked us in for those. Phew!
As I mentioned yesterday, I chose the Meli Melo as a starter.
Unfortunately, Le Charlot appears to have done what too many high profile restaurants do and believe it's own hype. This usually means they rest on their laurels and don't see their reputation falling away. Maybe we just hit them on an off night, or series of off nights if you count the booking fiasco as well, but if you have one night in Paris and you want somewhere to eat, La Vieux Belleville is definitely the one to go for!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
A Tale of Two Eateries - Day 1
Considering I expected to have 5 or 6 posts from Paris during this month I'm only on my second. Being there for 2 evenings it will come as no surprise to know we ate out twice. Two very different styles, two very different experiences.
Le Vieux Belleville
This, I would say, is what you expect when you think of a Parisian eaterie. A cafe with basic furniture, yet comfortable enough, a menu written on chalk boards that changes daily, and entertainment which on our day was the woman in the centre of the page playing the accordion. Belleville is in the North East part of Paris and at the same altitude as Sacre Couer and just round the corner from the restaraunt is a small area with views over the city.
The first thing to comment on was that unlike the UK, where it is considered the height of effrontery to ask for water with the meal, here you could not stop it. Bottle after bottle of still water arrived, all free, and baskets of fresh baguettes. No small print mentioning a £2.50 surcharge for bread in this establishment. I could quite happily have dined out on that!
But instead I had a pate for starter. A little bit of a safe choice but excellent. A companion had a salad called Mali Melo which tends to be whatever is available with a honey dressing. So good did it look that I chose that the next day as my starter even though I don't like honey. And the thought of me having a salad for starter! The main course was veal. You never see it here now, or incredibly rarely. It wasn't a thin escalope but a proper "chunk" and so tender that it really did "melt in the mouth". Cooked pretty much as braising steak.
To finish, A Creme Caramel. A proper creme caramel. Firmer than we normally get here and just the right amount of caramel not to overpower the body of the dessert. Being two thirds made up of French people, our party also got through a reasonable amount of wine. Just the house wine but it certainly went down well.
The entertainment consisted, as mentioned before, of a woman playing the accordion. But that was not the full extent of it. Before each song she would hand out sheet music and we would all sing along.
These were songs of Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier and what must have been songs from the music hall era. Everyone joined in, even those who would not usually be caught singing in public. Between songs she would find out where all the diners had come from. The place holds about 30-40 covers and amongst us we numbered, apart from the French, English, Welsh, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian and even Colombian. You could call this a tourist trap and yet quite a few locals popped in for a quick drink and a sing.
We left about midnight. Mainly because the metro stops at half past and we wanted to get back, but most people seemed to work on the fact they would stay till she finished and they'd get home somehow. The bill? £27.00 each. And worth every penny.
Le Vieux Belleville
This, I would say, is what you expect when you think of a Parisian eaterie. A cafe with basic furniture, yet comfortable enough, a menu written on chalk boards that changes daily, and entertainment which on our day was the woman in the centre of the page playing the accordion. Belleville is in the North East part of Paris and at the same altitude as Sacre Couer and just round the corner from the restaraunt is a small area with views over the city.
The first thing to comment on was that unlike the UK, where it is considered the height of effrontery to ask for water with the meal, here you could not stop it. Bottle after bottle of still water arrived, all free, and baskets of fresh baguettes. No small print mentioning a £2.50 surcharge for bread in this establishment. I could quite happily have dined out on that!
To finish, A Creme Caramel. A proper creme caramel. Firmer than we normally get here and just the right amount of caramel not to overpower the body of the dessert. Being two thirds made up of French people, our party also got through a reasonable amount of wine. Just the house wine but it certainly went down well.
The entertainment consisted, as mentioned before, of a woman playing the accordion. But that was not the full extent of it. Before each song she would hand out sheet music and we would all sing along.
These were songs of Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier and what must have been songs from the music hall era. Everyone joined in, even those who would not usually be caught singing in public. Between songs she would find out where all the diners had come from. The place holds about 30-40 covers and amongst us we numbered, apart from the French, English, Welsh, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian and even Colombian. You could call this a tourist trap and yet quite a few locals popped in for a quick drink and a sing.
We left about midnight. Mainly because the metro stops at half past and we wanted to get back, but most people seemed to work on the fact they would stay till she finished and they'd get home somehow. The bill? £27.00 each. And worth every penny.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Berk on a Bike
Last week we went for a walk on Sunday with friends. We had to walk up a hill for about 100 yards. It felt like 100 miles. I am unfit. There is no way round it. There is beginning to be no way round me either. I'd make a useful barricade in a passageway. Although I am half a stone lighter than this time last year I am half a stone heavier than I was in the summer. This and that being the case I decided it was time to unleash the bike!
It has to be at least a year since I last sat upon it's gel filled saddle. And the bike appears to have recovered. Last time it was out of it's storage cupboard I fitted some nice new tyres so it was about time I gave them a spin. So I pumped them up to within an inch, or possibly a psi, of their lives and donned my helmet and backpack.
Off I went, scything through the estate as though knife through butter. Frozen butter, I would judge from the speed. At one point I even had to change up a gear because I almost went quite fast. That didn't last long and I changed back down again to keep pace with a family of tortoises.
I did however reach my destination. The Library. Unfortunately I found the book I wanted rather too quickly so didn't have as much time as I would have liked for a rest. Back aboard Dobbin, (I don't know a suitable name for a bike), and returned to the bosom of my family. Well the bosom of The Magnificent M but let's not dwell there. That was very nearly a round trip of possibly the best part of the majority of a large bit of a mile!
The bike did well, the rider less so. It still confirms my opinion I am unfit. Except now I know that as well as being unfit to stand and move my legs, I'm also too unfit to sit down and move my legs. Excellent!
It is not that many years, about 6, that I cycled from London to the South Coast near Brighton with a mate. I won't be doing that next weekend but, we have this plan for another trip. We want to go to France and cycle the route that Henry V troops took for Agincourt. So that's Honfleur, to the Battlefield, we will then give the famous speech as in Shakespeare's play, "St Crispin's Day" etc, and then back to the coast.
UPDATE - The car saga. The car hasn't been lost. It is still at the Police Pound. They decided they couldn't tell the insurance company that under the Data Protection Act because the insurance company had phrased the question in such a way that some of my friends personal information, her address, would have to be given across. That would be the address she lives at. The address that the insurance company hold. Now that we have had a word with Her Majesty's Constabulary it should now reach it's natural conclusion of scrappage and pay out. And yet........
It has to be at least a year since I last sat upon it's gel filled saddle. And the bike appears to have recovered. Last time it was out of it's storage cupboard I fitted some nice new tyres so it was about time I gave them a spin. So I pumped them up to within an inch, or possibly a psi, of their lives and donned my helmet and backpack.
Off I went, scything through the estate as though knife through butter. Frozen butter, I would judge from the speed. At one point I even had to change up a gear because I almost went quite fast. That didn't last long and I changed back down again to keep pace with a family of tortoises.
I did however reach my destination. The Library. Unfortunately I found the book I wanted rather too quickly so didn't have as much time as I would have liked for a rest. Back aboard Dobbin, (I don't know a suitable name for a bike), and returned to the bosom of my family. Well the bosom of The Magnificent M but let's not dwell there. That was very nearly a round trip of possibly the best part of the majority of a large bit of a mile!
The bike did well, the rider less so. It still confirms my opinion I am unfit. Except now I know that as well as being unfit to stand and move my legs, I'm also too unfit to sit down and move my legs. Excellent!
It is not that many years, about 6, that I cycled from London to the South Coast near Brighton with a mate. I won't be doing that next weekend but, we have this plan for another trip. We want to go to France and cycle the route that Henry V troops took for Agincourt. So that's Honfleur, to the Battlefield, we will then give the famous speech as in Shakespeare's play, "St Crispin's Day" etc, and then back to the coast.
UPDATE - The car saga. The car hasn't been lost. It is still at the Police Pound. They decided they couldn't tell the insurance company that under the Data Protection Act because the insurance company had phrased the question in such a way that some of my friends personal information, her address, would have to be given across. That would be the address she lives at. The address that the insurance company hold. Now that we have had a word with Her Majesty's Constabulary it should now reach it's natural conclusion of scrappage and pay out. And yet........
Friday, February 24, 2012
School for Scandal
I see Michael Gove, Schools Minister, decided to make a pronouncement this week. apparently there is to be a clampdown on Head Teachers who let children have time out during term time for holidays. I have news for him. It's already in place and has been for some time.
If a parent asks to take their child out of school during term time they will be refused. If they then choose to take the child out of school, or if they do so without asking, the school writes to them informing the parents that an entry has been made against their child's name for unauthorised absence. What happens then is up to the local education department. Usually nothing, but it isn't the schools fault.
There can of course be times when children have to miss school due to perhaps a death in the extended family which might mean travelling away and it would be a hard head teacher who clamped down on that, unless of course we are talking about their 7th Grandparent to die!
There is one thing that annoys teachers more than any other absence though. When a parent says they are taking their child out of school in term time because it's cheaper to go on holiday then. Unfortunately teachers don't have a choice. Whilst everyone complains about the wonderful holidays teachers get, and that will be a rant for another occasion, they still have to pay more because it's school holidays. And not only that, wherever they go, there are going to be kids cos they are on holiday. How would the parents like it if they turned up at the school one day to be told they need to take their child home because the teacher had decided to have a fortnight off! And usually it's the kids who can least afford to have any time off if they are going to stand a chance of getting their SATS at the right level.
So Michael, instead of laying into teachers yet again, check your facts and then do something about the parents!
If a parent asks to take their child out of school during term time they will be refused. If they then choose to take the child out of school, or if they do so without asking, the school writes to them informing the parents that an entry has been made against their child's name for unauthorised absence. What happens then is up to the local education department. Usually nothing, but it isn't the schools fault.
There can of course be times when children have to miss school due to perhaps a death in the extended family which might mean travelling away and it would be a hard head teacher who clamped down on that, unless of course we are talking about their 7th Grandparent to die!
There is one thing that annoys teachers more than any other absence though. When a parent says they are taking their child out of school in term time because it's cheaper to go on holiday then. Unfortunately teachers don't have a choice. Whilst everyone complains about the wonderful holidays teachers get, and that will be a rant for another occasion, they still have to pay more because it's school holidays. And not only that, wherever they go, there are going to be kids cos they are on holiday. How would the parents like it if they turned up at the school one day to be told they need to take their child home because the teacher had decided to have a fortnight off! And usually it's the kids who can least afford to have any time off if they are going to stand a chance of getting their SATS at the right level.
So Michael, instead of laying into teachers yet again, check your facts and then do something about the parents!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Adding Insult to Injury
I test drove a Hyundai Amica today. Not for myself, for a friend. Very strange due to it being an "upright car". I can't decide if it's like driving a car like van or a van like car. Absolutely no street cred being seen in it but nippy enough so it'll suit my friend fine.
She has had to buy a new car though because some local oiks decided to nick her car a couple of months back. They were actually caught in the vehicle whilst joy riding but have decided they are not guilty. Hopefully the court case is soon assuming the CPS decide there is enough evidence to prosecute.
But the most distressing part of the whole thing is what happened following the theft.
The police did all the forensics, it took them the best part of a week. They then told her that the car was ready. She had asked them if the car was in ok condition and they said it was. When we got there to pick it up it was anything but. Apart from being covered in fingerprint powder which is the devil's own to get off as you may well know, they had gained entry by peeling back the rear driver-side door, there was no way that was going to go back into place.
Not being an expensive car it was decided it was beyond economical repair. No problem said insurance man, what we will do is this. "You sign the car over to us. We will dispose of it and send you the money for the salvage". So that was what happened. Or was supposed to.
Four weeks later no money has changed hands because the car has been lost. Last time we saw it it was at the police pound. The insurance company never collected it. The Police have released it. Where is it? Tomorrow we are off to the police pound to try and find out because the police refuse to speak to the insurance company. Meanwhile the insurance company are still collecting insurance premiums.
Nearly solicitor time methinks!
She has had to buy a new car though because some local oiks decided to nick her car a couple of months back. They were actually caught in the vehicle whilst joy riding but have decided they are not guilty. Hopefully the court case is soon assuming the CPS decide there is enough evidence to prosecute.
But the most distressing part of the whole thing is what happened following the theft.
The police did all the forensics, it took them the best part of a week. They then told her that the car was ready. She had asked them if the car was in ok condition and they said it was. When we got there to pick it up it was anything but. Apart from being covered in fingerprint powder which is the devil's own to get off as you may well know, they had gained entry by peeling back the rear driver-side door, there was no way that was going to go back into place.
Not being an expensive car it was decided it was beyond economical repair. No problem said insurance man, what we will do is this. "You sign the car over to us. We will dispose of it and send you the money for the salvage". So that was what happened. Or was supposed to.
Four weeks later no money has changed hands because the car has been lost. Last time we saw it it was at the police pound. The insurance company never collected it. The Police have released it. Where is it? Tomorrow we are off to the police pound to try and find out because the police refuse to speak to the insurance company. Meanwhile the insurance company are still collecting insurance premiums.
Nearly solicitor time methinks!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New Talent
I've just been watching the a new comedy duo, or new to me, Watson & Oliver. I actually think they are quite good. I rarely think that of new comedy talent. Armstrong & Miller was the last comedy I liked. And apart from Benidorm and Outnumbered, both a little old now, that's about it. Well, I don't mind a bit of Harry Hill.
Not everything worked but I did like the Sense & Sensibility spoof. Question Hour was good. Even the John Barrowman finale worked. The "eyebrow" sketch worked in the main but went on a little too long and lost it's way. The Wills and Kate one wasn't bad. I shall definitely watch episode 2 but can they keep up the level.
That may be my comedy tv highlight of the week, but then again, the new series of Benidorm starts Friday.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Tweeting for Beginners
I've been looking at Twitter again.
I made a twit of myself about 3 years back but stopped pretty quickly. I'm thinking about it again but I've found a problem. Nobody else I know is on Twitter so I have no followers nor can I co-opt any. I can tweet to my hearts content and absolutely nobody knows. This rather makes the point of it redundant.
Already today I have tweeted that I was eating a chicken burger. Three years ago I was in a pub in Yeovil. I'm about to mention pancakes.
I suppose I shall do it for a few days and lapse again from lack of attention.
But for the time being, I do know that Jonathon Ross has a stomach upset and Philip Schofield talked to his brother.
Monday, February 20, 2012
War of the Roses
It wasn't just a straight election. I'm a Yorkshireman, my opponent a Lancastrian.
3 days to go - As a society that prides itself on having little in the way of politics, is it worth sending an e-mail reminding people I am standing for chairman but asking that whoever they vote for at least please vote? Does it make me sound pompous or as though I am thinking of the Society? Decision - No, it could backfire on me.
2 days to go - Knowing that my opponent would actually not be there for the vote, could I trust the outgoing chairman, who was proposing him, not to say something as he introduced the vote along the lines of, "don't hold his absence against him". Set up one of my supporters to object if really necessary.
1 day to go - I discover that one of the people I was counting on to vote for me voted for him "because he's a really nice guy". Yeah, cheers!
The Vote - I'm expecting to lose. The Nice Guy factor has been niggling me all day. I know I am probably not the most popular person. I tend to keep myself a bit to myself. Point of Order - "Can Dave Vote?". "No". Damn! All the names go in the box and they go off to count. Few minutes delay whilst the rest of the committee get re-voted on. Then the result.
Yorkshire win!
Now I suppose I better do something with my year in office. Apart from making everyone bow when I enter the room and call me Sire when they speak to me!
3 days to go - As a society that prides itself on having little in the way of politics, is it worth sending an e-mail reminding people I am standing for chairman but asking that whoever they vote for at least please vote? Does it make me sound pompous or as though I am thinking of the Society? Decision - No, it could backfire on me.
2 days to go - Knowing that my opponent would actually not be there for the vote, could I trust the outgoing chairman, who was proposing him, not to say something as he introduced the vote along the lines of, "don't hold his absence against him". Set up one of my supporters to object if really necessary.
1 day to go - I discover that one of the people I was counting on to vote for me voted for him "because he's a really nice guy". Yeah, cheers!
The Vote - I'm expecting to lose. The Nice Guy factor has been niggling me all day. I know I am probably not the most popular person. I tend to keep myself a bit to myself. Point of Order - "Can Dave Vote?". "No". Damn! All the names go in the box and they go off to count. Few minutes delay whilst the rest of the committee get re-voted on. Then the result.
Yorkshire win!
Now I suppose I better do something with my year in office. Apart from making everyone bow when I enter the room and call me Sire when they speak to me!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Not as bad as things seem.
There was a report a few months back that only just over 50% of those living in London were born in Britain. Last night there was a report on London Tonight saying that 25% of people sent to prison in the Met Police division are foreigners and how dreadful this is.
Now, it took me two goes to get my maths o'level but, and I could be wrong, if the population of London is 50% foreigner but only 25% of those sent to prison are foreign, then they are under represented.
Eventually, as a society we have to stop wringing our hands and worrying about how horrible we are to anyone not lucky enough to be born here. Or if not, at least be able to do maths as well as I can.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Concert Itinerary
Following on from yesterdays musical post I have spent today practicing for a concert coming up in March. As well as all the chorus work we get to do a solo each, either solo or as a duet or something. As well as doing a duet I am also supporting other people so I'll actually take part in three come the day. That'll help keep the nerves going.
I have a monologue to help out with. I shall be playing Hardy.
I am accompanying someone singing Pacing the Cage.
And in a bid to increase my repertoire of musical numbers M and I shall sing Something Good from sound of Music. But without all the soppy bits in the video!
What I would like to play is Lily, Rosemary & The Jack of Hearts. It doesn't fit the theme though so I'll have to keep it for an open mic night.
I have a monologue to help out with. I shall be playing Hardy.
I am accompanying someone singing Pacing the Cage.
And in a bid to increase my repertoire of musical numbers M and I shall sing Something Good from sound of Music. But without all the soppy bits in the video!
What I would like to play is Lily, Rosemary & The Jack of Hearts. It doesn't fit the theme though so I'll have to keep it for an open mic night.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Children of St Cecilia
Our family have, for some reason, had three generations of musicality.
Myself and my brother each have our niches. His is really with guitar playing. Both modern and classical. He learnt classical guitar from a pupil of Segovia. This, I understand, is the next best thing from Segovia teaching you himself. For myself nowadays it is singing operas and musicals although I play flute reasonably well, guitar passably, and piano to the point where I can get a tune out with a lot of practice.
But it is one part of the family sideways which has the real talent. My cousin has run some of the best brass and silver bands on the second tier of that genre, one of his light opera groups won virtually every award at this years Buxton G&S festival. And he, like his dad before, is an exceptional piano player when it comes to popular songs. But this week it is his son who has been in the spotlight.
Johnathan is a percussionist and has grown up playing in his dad's bands, but last year he exceeded his dads efforts by being accepted by Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band. As a Yorkshire family we are immensely proud of that achievement. The equivalent of one of playing for the County at Headingley. By chance I clicked over on the tele the other night and saw the Radio 2 Folk Awards were on the Bed Button. I fancied some background music so had it on. Halfway through I got a surprise, B&R were backing The Unthanks. I haven't seen him for a bit but I still knew which of the three percussionists he was. (The one on the right, receding hairline).
I have no idea where this musical ability comes from. Go back a further generation and nothing. Thank you St Cecilia for blessing us with your gift.
Myself and my brother each have our niches. His is really with guitar playing. Both modern and classical. He learnt classical guitar from a pupil of Segovia. This, I understand, is the next best thing from Segovia teaching you himself. For myself nowadays it is singing operas and musicals although I play flute reasonably well, guitar passably, and piano to the point where I can get a tune out with a lot of practice.
But it is one part of the family sideways which has the real talent. My cousin has run some of the best brass and silver bands on the second tier of that genre, one of his light opera groups won virtually every award at this years Buxton G&S festival. And he, like his dad before, is an exceptional piano player when it comes to popular songs. But this week it is his son who has been in the spotlight.
Johnathan is a percussionist and has grown up playing in his dad's bands, but last year he exceeded his dads efforts by being accepted by Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band. As a Yorkshire family we are immensely proud of that achievement. The equivalent of one of playing for the County at Headingley. By chance I clicked over on the tele the other night and saw the Radio 2 Folk Awards were on the Bed Button. I fancied some background music so had it on. Halfway through I got a surprise, B&R were backing The Unthanks. I haven't seen him for a bit but I still knew which of the three percussionists he was. (The one on the right, receding hairline).
I have no idea where this musical ability comes from. Go back a further generation and nothing. Thank you St Cecilia for blessing us with your gift.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
An Inspector Calls
An Inspector from Customs & Excise in this case. Except he wasn't an inspector but a collections agent. He delivered a letter to tell me I owe them £8600. That's all the estimated payments since my last payment, in 2004. Only one problem here, I haven't traded with VAT since 2002.
It's not like they haven't been told. It's not like they haven't had the relevant forms returned to them. Indeed, the payment made in 2004 was not actually due to them, but it made more sense to pay it and shut them up than to fight it at the time.
Luckily he seems very nearly sensible and appears to believe it to the point where he is going to report it back to the office. It raises an interesting point though. How do you prove you are not doing something? How do I prove that I haven't actually been setting up contracts and charging VAT and not putting it through my accounts. Although if you were going to do work and not declare it how stupid would you be to think "perhaps I should charge them VAT as well". No matter what you do you cannot prove it.
It's a bit like, how you prove you are not beating your wife up.
You can ask her - well she's hardly likely to say, you'tr beating her up.
Where are the bruises then? - People who know what they are doing don't leave marks.
In the end it's not really possible. So I am offering to do something that puts the onus on them should they come back and I need sort something. I am going to swear an affadavit that I haven't traded using that VAT registration and then lodging it at court. They then have to accept it or try and get a case of perjury against me. Hopefully I don't have to run to the expense of the swearing the affadavit but at least that'll kill it.
Meanwhile, my ex is fighting the local council who, having agreed she was entitled to Housing Benefit, now have a different department saying she wasn't. The grounds they have given for reclaiming the £7200 were proved incorrect when it was first awarded. Everyone who looks at it says it is ridiculous and of course she was entitled, but nobody knows how to actually stop the bureaucratic machine. So, solicitor involved from next Tuesday.
Just as an extra. Her bank have organised her statements to be delivered to the branch which is what she wants. After 6 months not one has turned up. They keep checking the computer. It says they have been sent but they can't tell which branch. So they change the computer settings again. And it still doesn't turn up. What they can't do is ring up and speak to someone to see what is happening. In the meantime she wants a statement and "computer says no".
When did things get so bad that things can't be sorted with a phone call, with two people speaking verbally instead of through an email or contact form. All three of these things could be sorted very simply. But that isn't the option given so hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, are being spent on the first two items rather than someone just press a button and sort things. Is it incompetence or a fear of doing something in case you are wrong and get sued? Lord knows, but someone, please get them sorted!
It's not like they haven't been told. It's not like they haven't had the relevant forms returned to them. Indeed, the payment made in 2004 was not actually due to them, but it made more sense to pay it and shut them up than to fight it at the time.
Luckily he seems very nearly sensible and appears to believe it to the point where he is going to report it back to the office. It raises an interesting point though. How do you prove you are not doing something? How do I prove that I haven't actually been setting up contracts and charging VAT and not putting it through my accounts. Although if you were going to do work and not declare it how stupid would you be to think "perhaps I should charge them VAT as well". No matter what you do you cannot prove it.
It's a bit like, how you prove you are not beating your wife up.
You can ask her - well she's hardly likely to say, you'tr beating her up.
Where are the bruises then? - People who know what they are doing don't leave marks.
In the end it's not really possible. So I am offering to do something that puts the onus on them should they come back and I need sort something. I am going to swear an affadavit that I haven't traded using that VAT registration and then lodging it at court. They then have to accept it or try and get a case of perjury against me. Hopefully I don't have to run to the expense of the swearing the affadavit but at least that'll kill it.
Meanwhile, my ex is fighting the local council who, having agreed she was entitled to Housing Benefit, now have a different department saying she wasn't. The grounds they have given for reclaiming the £7200 were proved incorrect when it was first awarded. Everyone who looks at it says it is ridiculous and of course she was entitled, but nobody knows how to actually stop the bureaucratic machine. So, solicitor involved from next Tuesday.
Just as an extra. Her bank have organised her statements to be delivered to the branch which is what she wants. After 6 months not one has turned up. They keep checking the computer. It says they have been sent but they can't tell which branch. So they change the computer settings again. And it still doesn't turn up. What they can't do is ring up and speak to someone to see what is happening. In the meantime she wants a statement and "computer says no".
When did things get so bad that things can't be sorted with a phone call, with two people speaking verbally instead of through an email or contact form. All three of these things could be sorted very simply. But that isn't the option given so hundreds, if not thousands of pounds, are being spent on the first two items rather than someone just press a button and sort things. Is it incompetence or a fear of doing something in case you are wrong and get sued? Lord knows, but someone, please get them sorted!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Parisian Chic
When people think of Paris the word chic often comes up. That is partly because it is a french word and people like to sound as though they know other languages. (By the way, if I here anyone other than the Irish using the word "craic" I will beat them to deth with a shillelagh. Take my word for it, next time you go to a St Patrick Day do, the "craic wasn't mighty", you just had a good time!). Anyway, chic. Or stylish as we call it in English.
What was most noticeable is that everyone manages to wear their clothes with ease. It doesn't manage what style of clothing they wear it is just "right". It didn't seem to make a difference what age they were, or what sex for that matter. No matter what they look like physically it would appear that they have worked out what suits them best. Even the plainest of women has a hairstyle that suits, clothing that fits correctly.
We had a shop just down from the hotel with dresses that are on M's shopping list the moment the Euromilions jackpot heads our way.
Now to be fair, there are certainly shops in London that have couture clothes that can match, but this shop isn't in a main shopping area and they had another branch on the other side of the road that did more day to day clothes although still exceedingly stylish.
One of the arguments often used to pooh-pooh the French fashion choices is that here in Britain our youth have their own fashions that are cutting edge and make them individuals. That's true to a degree, but youngsters there manage to carve out a style of their own, nothing like their parents, and not dissimilar to British youth fashion but they wear it "correctly". They can wear jeans down off their hips but that doesn't mean halfway down their arses. Indeed, within 48 hours of being back I was confronted by British fashion on a pink theme!
Apparently, there is no French word for "Chav".
What was most noticeable is that everyone manages to wear their clothes with ease. It doesn't manage what style of clothing they wear it is just "right". It didn't seem to make a difference what age they were, or what sex for that matter. No matter what they look like physically it would appear that they have worked out what suits them best. Even the plainest of women has a hairstyle that suits, clothing that fits correctly.
We had a shop just down from the hotel with dresses that are on M's shopping list the moment the Euromilions jackpot heads our way.
Now to be fair, there are certainly shops in London that have couture clothes that can match, but this shop isn't in a main shopping area and they had another branch on the other side of the road that did more day to day clothes although still exceedingly stylish.
One of the arguments often used to pooh-pooh the French fashion choices is that here in Britain our youth have their own fashions that are cutting edge and make them individuals. That's true to a degree, but youngsters there manage to carve out a style of their own, nothing like their parents, and not dissimilar to British youth fashion but they wear it "correctly". They can wear jeans down off their hips but that doesn't mean halfway down their arses. Indeed, within 48 hours of being back I was confronted by British fashion on a pink theme!
Apparently, there is no French word for "Chav".
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Technology
As mentioned yesterday I have been wondering who has lived through the greatest time of invention and is it indeed ourselves. They reckon 95% of all the scientists who have ever lived are living now so have they made the big difference?
This cropped up during my recent reunion. And indeed some have already commented. I suppose the big thing for me is who has seen the most change even though perhaps the main invention was just outside their life.
When I was born there were still cars, television, radio, most household appliances, so I have mainly lived through innovation and advancement. True, microwave ovens have arrived, and there has been space travel and exploration but so far I can't say that has impacted my life in a big way. Computers of course are the big change and after their emergence it has been the prolific introduction of items using that technology that make it look like advancement.
I argued though that my grandparents must have seen a different world from the beginning to the end of their lives. My maternal grandparents were both born in 1895 in Lancashire. (Yes, I know, but they did have the sense to move to Yorkshire when they were old enough!). As kids they would hardly have seen a car, probably didn't know anyone with a telephone, obviously no television, a very basic radio if any. They had electricity as they both worked in the mills but not necessarily at home. Nothing in the way of kitchen appliances as we know them.
By the time they died, all those things were commonplace. They'd seen the introduction of airplanes, my grandfather never having been on one, but my grandmother did, even if it was only to fly from Leeds to the Isle of Man. So much did she enjoy it she would have happily spent the week just flying backwards and forwards.
And once upon a time, when I was young, people would be making plans to go to The Ideal Home Exhibition to see the houses of the future. They displayed things that we could only dream about owning, although most of us do now. But this year it will just be a chance to buy things similar to those we have now, just bigger and better or perhaps smaller and more portable. I remember going and seeing a microwave oven, something that seemed so space age we couldn't begin to understand how it worked. To be fair I'm not sure I still do. Maybe I will be surprised and this year there will be a transporter like on Star Trek or something that converts potatoes into musical instruments. But I suspect it will be more unnecessary plastic items and that stuff you can clean your car with that's so tough you can fry an egg on the bonnet and not damage the paintwork, but really, you shouldn't try it for real.
This cropped up during my recent reunion. And indeed some have already commented. I suppose the big thing for me is who has seen the most change even though perhaps the main invention was just outside their life.
When I was born there were still cars, television, radio, most household appliances, so I have mainly lived through innovation and advancement. True, microwave ovens have arrived, and there has been space travel and exploration but so far I can't say that has impacted my life in a big way. Computers of course are the big change and after their emergence it has been the prolific introduction of items using that technology that make it look like advancement.
I argued though that my grandparents must have seen a different world from the beginning to the end of their lives. My maternal grandparents were both born in 1895 in Lancashire. (Yes, I know, but they did have the sense to move to Yorkshire when they were old enough!). As kids they would hardly have seen a car, probably didn't know anyone with a telephone, obviously no television, a very basic radio if any. They had electricity as they both worked in the mills but not necessarily at home. Nothing in the way of kitchen appliances as we know them.
By the time they died, all those things were commonplace. They'd seen the introduction of airplanes, my grandfather never having been on one, but my grandmother did, even if it was only to fly from Leeds to the Isle of Man. So much did she enjoy it she would have happily spent the week just flying backwards and forwards.
And once upon a time, when I was young, people would be making plans to go to The Ideal Home Exhibition to see the houses of the future. They displayed things that we could only dream about owning, although most of us do now. But this year it will just be a chance to buy things similar to those we have now, just bigger and better or perhaps smaller and more portable. I remember going and seeing a microwave oven, something that seemed so space age we couldn't begin to understand how it worked. To be fair I'm not sure I still do. Maybe I will be surprised and this year there will be a transporter like on Star Trek or something that converts potatoes into musical instruments. But I suspect it will be more unnecessary plastic items and that stuff you can clean your car with that's so tough you can fry an egg on the bonnet and not damage the paintwork, but really, you shouldn't try it for real.
Monday, February 13, 2012
New Technology
I bet you thought I was going to miss today's post didn't you! It's the result of a long days work and straight on to rehearsal.
Anyway, sneaking in at this late hour is a short simple post. One that leads on to tomorrows post and also one that marks my first ever post on an Apple product, the recently arrived iPad!
The question for tomorrow is............ do we live in the best age for inventions or have we missed the boat?
Anyway, sneaking in at this late hour is a short simple post. One that leads on to tomorrows post and also one that marks my first ever post on an Apple product, the recently arrived iPad!
The question for tomorrow is............ do we live in the best age for inventions or have we missed the boat?
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Old Age Approaches.
Very shortly I am off round to some friends. We will have a chat, a drink, and then we will retire to the dining room where we will play Canasta!
It's a rummy derivative but when we started playing a few weeks back we realised we were all sat there emulating out parents and grandparents who all played, particularly of a sunday evening.
As far as I know it will not be de rigeur to don a cardigan slippers and smoke a pipe during proceedings!
And when I practice online it is this site I use.
It's a rummy derivative but when we started playing a few weeks back we realised we were all sat there emulating out parents and grandparents who all played, particularly of a sunday evening.
As far as I know it will not be de rigeur to don a cardigan slippers and smoke a pipe during proceedings!
And when I practice online it is this site I use.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Fame & Fortune
Well sort of fame, and little in the way of fortune.
Tonight we are off to a local quiz. Now, I'm relatively competitive at most things. I don't like losing at cards, I always want to improve my score if I'm playing a solo game, but when it comes to a quiz I can't entertain the idea that I might only come second.
It isn't just about getting the answers right, that's a given, but I am also extremely focused on the questions. And woe betide any question master who gives a slightly vague question. Should they be unfortunate to go with an incorrect question they can expect hell! If I aren't winning, I'll certainly be questioning the questions.
I once did a quiz, inter company thing it was, and the question came "what is hectoplasm?".
Me : "Can you spell that?" I asked, perfectly reasonably.
QM : "H-E-C-T-O-P-L-A-S-M"
Me : "Don't know"
QM : "It's the stuff ghosts are made of"
Me : "No it isn't. That's Ectoplasm. That's why I had you spell it".
QM : "Oh well, you didn't give the right answer, so no point"
Me : "I'm sorry, you didn't give the right question for the answer!"
QM & Me get very close to trading blows after which I storm out and who knows how it all ended.
Let's hope tonights goes a little smoother. If not, I may be appearing at a court near you.
Tonight we are off to a local quiz. Now, I'm relatively competitive at most things. I don't like losing at cards, I always want to improve my score if I'm playing a solo game, but when it comes to a quiz I can't entertain the idea that I might only come second.
It isn't just about getting the answers right, that's a given, but I am also extremely focused on the questions. And woe betide any question master who gives a slightly vague question. Should they be unfortunate to go with an incorrect question they can expect hell! If I aren't winning, I'll certainly be questioning the questions.
I once did a quiz, inter company thing it was, and the question came "what is hectoplasm?".
Me : "Can you spell that?" I asked, perfectly reasonably.
QM : "H-E-C-T-O-P-L-A-S-M"
Me : "Don't know"
QM : "It's the stuff ghosts are made of"
Me : "No it isn't. That's Ectoplasm. That's why I had you spell it".
QM : "Oh well, you didn't give the right answer, so no point"
Me : "I'm sorry, you didn't give the right question for the answer!"
QM & Me get very close to trading blows after which I storm out and who knows how it all ended.
Let's hope tonights goes a little smoother. If not, I may be appearing at a court near you.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Helen
Inspired somewhat by Mashers post for the day it reminded me of Helen, one of the admin ladies I used to work with in the dim and distant past.
At the end of the 1970s I worked for an insurance company in Ealing. My department was on the top floor along with the Surveyors, one of which remains a friend to this day. They had two support workers. Firstly, Doug, who was a miserable old bugger but inspired me, in as much as just to shut him up, to enter the British Dominoes Championship. But that is a story for another day. The second was Helen, in her 60's I would think, and spinster of this parish. As my mate J.C. would say, when she died she'd be going back "unopened".
As mentioned in the comments on Mashers site, Helen looked after the tea machine on our floor. It was a standard vending machine but it didn't cost us money. Along with tea and coffee, and in those days you just got coffee, no skinny latte chocatino or americano nonsense for us, you also had Bovril and also a cold orange squash. Helen both restocked the machine as well as cleaned it. she also had the job of getting drinks for Doug and the surveyors throughout the day.
She had the endearing habit of getting up for drinks and shouting "anyone for a beefy one?", then collapsing with laughter. It was endearing for about a day. By the time she'd done the same thing 10 times a day, day in, day out, it paled somewhat!
I've mentioned elsewhere about the cleaning habits following the route of floor, nozzles, hoppers. It certainly added to the piquancy of each selection. The other problem was she wasn't much good at filling the hoppers with care, so quite often the orange squash might have some coffee in it, and if you fancied a beef tea there was a good chance that's what you'd get.
Apart from mis-filing everything, she once tried filing company's in the L folder for Ltd because she knew you filed things under the last name, she also answered the surveyor's phones. Now, to be fair, when she was young I doubt she ever used a phone so you could forgive her getting things a little muddled. Unfortunately it would be rather annoying for the surveyor concerned as she would answer the phone and the client would ask for someone by name, she would then put her hand over the receiver and ask if he wanted to speak to them. Unfortunately, what should have been straightforward, turned awkward because a) she would cover the earpiece instead of the mouthpiece, and b) she'd say " it's those annoying lot at ^^^^ Brokers, do you want to speak to them or shall I say you're out?". Many a surveyor was seen to wish the floor would open under them. It made no difference how many times they told her about it, she still got it wrong.
I'm sure by now she is tending the big vending machine in the sky, so be warned, if you get there and you hear an angel running around shouting "Anyone for a beefy one?", ask for a transfer downstairs!
At the end of the 1970s I worked for an insurance company in Ealing. My department was on the top floor along with the Surveyors, one of which remains a friend to this day. They had two support workers. Firstly, Doug, who was a miserable old bugger but inspired me, in as much as just to shut him up, to enter the British Dominoes Championship. But that is a story for another day. The second was Helen, in her 60's I would think, and spinster of this parish. As my mate J.C. would say, when she died she'd be going back "unopened".
As mentioned in the comments on Mashers site, Helen looked after the tea machine on our floor. It was a standard vending machine but it didn't cost us money. Along with tea and coffee, and in those days you just got coffee, no skinny latte chocatino or americano nonsense for us, you also had Bovril and also a cold orange squash. Helen both restocked the machine as well as cleaned it. she also had the job of getting drinks for Doug and the surveyors throughout the day.
She had the endearing habit of getting up for drinks and shouting "anyone for a beefy one?", then collapsing with laughter. It was endearing for about a day. By the time she'd done the same thing 10 times a day, day in, day out, it paled somewhat!
I've mentioned elsewhere about the cleaning habits following the route of floor, nozzles, hoppers. It certainly added to the piquancy of each selection. The other problem was she wasn't much good at filling the hoppers with care, so quite often the orange squash might have some coffee in it, and if you fancied a beef tea there was a good chance that's what you'd get.
Apart from mis-filing everything, she once tried filing company's in the L folder for Ltd because she knew you filed things under the last name, she also answered the surveyor's phones. Now, to be fair, when she was young I doubt she ever used a phone so you could forgive her getting things a little muddled. Unfortunately it would be rather annoying for the surveyor concerned as she would answer the phone and the client would ask for someone by name, she would then put her hand over the receiver and ask if he wanted to speak to them. Unfortunately, what should have been straightforward, turned awkward because a) she would cover the earpiece instead of the mouthpiece, and b) she'd say " it's those annoying lot at ^^^^ Brokers, do you want to speak to them or shall I say you're out?". Many a surveyor was seen to wish the floor would open under them. It made no difference how many times they told her about it, she still got it wrong.
I'm sure by now she is tending the big vending machine in the sky, so be warned, if you get there and you hear an angel running around shouting "Anyone for a beefy one?", ask for a transfer downstairs!
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Surrey Lifestyle
Last night we were watching Escape to the Country on BBC2. Normally it involves couples who want to leave the town and get into the countryside to an idyllic property with no neighbours to overlook them, with fabulous views for miles, with handy local amenities which must include food shops, pubs, schools, clothes etc. no major roads but easy access to work 50 miles away, at least 5 bedrooms even though there are only 2 of them and it must cost less than a bedsit in Harlesden.
Last night wasn't much different other than they were moving about a bus ride away from Wimbledon to Surrey, the northern border of which is 2 miles down the road at New Malden. But as well as looking at properties they always have a little interlude doing something i n the new area that they can look forward to taking part in.
Yesterday it was Llama Trekking!
Surrey is full of Llamas and Alpacas. Probably nearly as many as in the Andes. If you drive down the A3 you can see them off to the left when you get down Cobham way. Now, if I was thinking about going llama trekking I might fear I'd look a bit of a dickhead riding along on a llama, it's not exactly a macho image. But I needn't have worried because when you go llama trekking in Surrey you don't do anything as gauche as actually riding the llama. You pay for the privilege of walking for miles leading the llama along on a rein.
Surrey - The only county in England where you can convince the populace to pay vast amounts of money to take your livestock on their daily exercises!
Last night wasn't much different other than they were moving about a bus ride away from Wimbledon to Surrey, the northern border of which is 2 miles down the road at New Malden. But as well as looking at properties they always have a little interlude doing something i n the new area that they can look forward to taking part in.
Yesterday it was Llama Trekking!
Surrey is full of Llamas and Alpacas. Probably nearly as many as in the Andes. If you drive down the A3 you can see them off to the left when you get down Cobham way. Now, if I was thinking about going llama trekking I might fear I'd look a bit of a dickhead riding along on a llama, it's not exactly a macho image. But I needn't have worried because when you go llama trekking in Surrey you don't do anything as gauche as actually riding the llama. You pay for the privilege of walking for miles leading the llama along on a rein.
Surrey - The only county in England where you can convince the populace to pay vast amounts of money to take your livestock on their daily exercises!
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
When Computers Go Bad
To be fair, I am blaming the whole computer, when in fact it is just the power lead, but I can hardly keep the laptop running long enough to make a post. I have to position everything precisely to even get power going in. The slightest movement means I lose power and it just turns off. Slight movement equaling breathing!
I could transfer to the main computer which is M's but there is another problem. She can touch type. I need to see the letters. This is the keyboard!
I think the easiest option might be to buy a new lead. And quickly if I want to keep posting each day. If it keeps playing up I may have a nervous breakdown, a heart attack or blood pressure so high that I explode!
I could transfer to the main computer which is M's but there is another problem. She can touch type. I need to see the letters. This is the keyboard!
I think the easiest option might be to buy a new lead. And quickly if I want to keep posting each day. If it keeps playing up I may have a nervous breakdown, a heart attack or blood pressure so high that I explode!
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Out of the Comfort Zone.
Recently, I have frequented a place which has had a high proportion of vegetarians eating there. On the first time I visited I would say that 25% of the people who came in and ordered within earshot went "vegetarian". Obviously they could have just taken the Vege option even though they are carnivores. What is amazing though is that you wouldn't expect a vegetarian to even consider eating at the place. To the point that one would consider it a meat eaters paradise.
The place involved is Click Here
How can an "eat all you like" carvery be such a magnet to non-meat eaters? Well, they actually do have four vegetarian options, three of which are relatively unusual, but that is not what they were opting for. The way it works is you can have the £5.75 carvery but opt for no meat, just the yorkshire puddings and the veg and you only pay £4.25! And my, do they go for it!
The staff are very used to it and 9 times out of 10 the people serving at the carvery table are careful not to use any tool used for cutting the meat in doling out the Yorkshires. Even if they do, they are happy to sort it out as they accept it was their mistake. That's another thing that sets them apart from a standard restaurant that usually work ion the fact it is the vegetarians fault for not accepting just a bit of meaty inclusion, however small.
It is such a popular magnet that if you ever have to take a party of people out and it includes veggies I'd recommend it.
And there are two other good reasons to choose that. Firstly, I don't think there is a meat eater who wouldn't want to eat there. And secondly, some of the desserts come with the "bottomless custard jug", as much custard as you want!
It was a lucky find for the custard-loving vegetarian that I know!
The place involved is Click Here
How can an "eat all you like" carvery be such a magnet to non-meat eaters? Well, they actually do have four vegetarian options, three of which are relatively unusual, but that is not what they were opting for. The way it works is you can have the £5.75 carvery but opt for no meat, just the yorkshire puddings and the veg and you only pay £4.25! And my, do they go for it!
The staff are very used to it and 9 times out of 10 the people serving at the carvery table are careful not to use any tool used for cutting the meat in doling out the Yorkshires. Even if they do, they are happy to sort it out as they accept it was their mistake. That's another thing that sets them apart from a standard restaurant that usually work ion the fact it is the vegetarians fault for not accepting just a bit of meaty inclusion, however small.
It is such a popular magnet that if you ever have to take a party of people out and it includes veggies I'd recommend it.
And there are two other good reasons to choose that. Firstly, I don't think there is a meat eater who wouldn't want to eat there. And secondly, some of the desserts come with the "bottomless custard jug", as much custard as you want!
It was a lucky find for the custard-loving vegetarian that I know!
Monday, February 06, 2012
Battle of the Titans.
The world of opera and politics have been rocked today as it has been announced that our outgoing Chairman has found someone to oppose me as the next Chairman of our local opera/musicals society!
I actually don't know what he has against me as Chairman as I'm not actually going to do anything too radical. But for the last few weeks he has been asking anything with a heartbeat to stand for the position. If he's doing it to annoy me it hasn't worked as my opponent would be fine as Chairman. Actually, I sort of think that I perhaps might know the reason. He knows that I won't stand any nonsense from the company. Two years ago he managed to get rid of a director who wouldn't kowtow to the demands of the ladies chorus. He knows a) I would back the director in the same situation, and b) I introduced that Director, and perhaps there are some documents that will become available for my perusal that haven't been available before. He's always maintained he had nothing to do with it even though most people worked out what he did.
Anyway, this was the best post I could come up with today. Keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow's is a lot more interesting. And I really can't understand why the BBC didn't lead with this story on the news. I'm just off to rehearsal to see what might happen. If I never post again you know it turned nasty!
Sunday, February 05, 2012
The Boys are Back in Town
Once in a while some of my ex-schoolmates and I get together and talk over old times. Although to be fair there is a little less reminiscing and more catching up with news for the last few months. I mean how many times can you relive the famous Chalk Fight at the Back Stairs. And there are a lot of memories between us. Our collective age is just short of half a millenium!
We are all beginning to look a little older than we did when we first met, over 40 years ago. But one of them has been a friend since infant school and we have known each other 50 years and pretty much kept in touch throughout. There was a report a few days ago, possibly in the Grauniad, listing the top five things that people in the final stages of a terminal illness wished had been different in their lives. One of them was to have kept in touch with friends rather than just lose touch and drift away. I may have many things in my life I would change but one I am content with is the friend base I have kept throughout my life. The internet has made a great difference. These reunions came about through Friends Reunited. Most contact between us is via e-mail. But it doesn't matter how you stay in touch as long as you do.
Why not track down an old mate today, you'll both appreciate it if you do.
We are all beginning to look a little older than we did when we first met, over 40 years ago. But one of them has been a friend since infant school and we have known each other 50 years and pretty much kept in touch throughout. There was a report a few days ago, possibly in the Grauniad, listing the top five things that people in the final stages of a terminal illness wished had been different in their lives. One of them was to have kept in touch with friends rather than just lose touch and drift away. I may have many things in my life I would change but one I am content with is the friend base I have kept throughout my life. The internet has made a great difference. These reunions came about through Friends Reunited. Most contact between us is via e-mail. But it doesn't matter how you stay in touch as long as you do.
Why not track down an old mate today, you'll both appreciate it if you do.
Saturday, February 04, 2012
The Post Nuclear Family.
As some of you may know, my youngest step sister is living in San Francisco and, because the law allowed it, she is married to her long term female partner. They have one child, father unknown but my sister being the mum. They have been talking about having a second and this time her partner will carry the child. I'm not sure how these things work but some of us were wondering whether it was possible to have the same "father" as before. What a strange set up it would be. The children would be biological half siblings by a parent they have never met and each would have a separate mother who are married to each other thus I guess, making them full siblings. Families are becoming so complicated! By the same token, I rather like the idea of the set up so I hope it's possible. But I wouldn't fancy being the genealogist of the future who tries to work it all out.
In other news.
I know it's childish but can I be the only guy who sniggered like a 10 year old knowing that the Groundhog Day proceedings take place at Gobbler's Knob? Fnaar Fnaar!
And we hear today that Chris Huhne is being taken to court, within the next 3 weeks. Some time back we heard that John Terry is going to court but not till after the Euro Championships which we "need" him for. Not that that was taken into consideration, not at all. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.
In other news.
I know it's childish but can I be the only guy who sniggered like a 10 year old knowing that the Groundhog Day proceedings take place at Gobbler's Knob? Fnaar Fnaar!
And we hear today that Chris Huhne is being taken to court, within the next 3 weeks. Some time back we heard that John Terry is going to court but not till after the Euro Championships which we "need" him for. Not that that was taken into consideration, not at all. Just a coincidence, I'm sure.
Friday, February 03, 2012
The 274th Emergency Service
Last night I attempted some car repairs on M's daughters car. We thought a fuse had gone. It hadn't. That's my knowledge exhausted then!
I used to get annoyed by the AA adverts describing themselves as the 4th emergency service. More on behalf of The Coastguard and the Mountain Rescue Services who are perhaps a little further up the rescue food chain. Luckily though I guess more people only have involvement with the AA than the others so at least that's a good thing.
The AA themselves though are not above messing things up. Many years ago, back when I were nowt but a lad, I worked for an insurance company. As in most offices we had a file of "funny claims". One involved what had started as a car breakdown. The insured duly rang the AA who sent someone along to sort the problem. Whatever it was that was wrong, it wasn't helped when the patrolman "passed a spark" and set fire to the engine which then engulfed the car. Having not made a claim for many years I don't know whether you still have to provide a drawing of road layout etc but this insured had drawn a picture of his car in flames, a stick man running around brandishing a spanner and the AA van with the words Arsonists Anonymous on the side. I hope we paid out, if only for him keeping his sense of humour.
There were two other claims in there I really liked. One, and we shouldn't really laugh but it just read funny when confronted with it, was for a man who lost his arm due to an accident. In the section where it asked what problems he had since his injury, he wrote that when swimming he could only go round in circles. The other, a household claim for some stolen cd's as part of a burglary. The broker, perhaps not up to date with the latest in 1970's beat combos listed one, not as Mott The Hoople, but Muff the Hoopie. I can't help sniggering whenever any of their records get played. Then again, it could have been my dad who once went out to buy a record by Vangelis and came back with one by Van Halen. Parents eh!
I used to get annoyed by the AA adverts describing themselves as the 4th emergency service. More on behalf of The Coastguard and the Mountain Rescue Services who are perhaps a little further up the rescue food chain. Luckily though I guess more people only have involvement with the AA than the others so at least that's a good thing.
The AA themselves though are not above messing things up. Many years ago, back when I were nowt but a lad, I worked for an insurance company. As in most offices we had a file of "funny claims". One involved what had started as a car breakdown. The insured duly rang the AA who sent someone along to sort the problem. Whatever it was that was wrong, it wasn't helped when the patrolman "passed a spark" and set fire to the engine which then engulfed the car. Having not made a claim for many years I don't know whether you still have to provide a drawing of road layout etc but this insured had drawn a picture of his car in flames, a stick man running around brandishing a spanner and the AA van with the words Arsonists Anonymous on the side. I hope we paid out, if only for him keeping his sense of humour.
There were two other claims in there I really liked. One, and we shouldn't really laugh but it just read funny when confronted with it, was for a man who lost his arm due to an accident. In the section where it asked what problems he had since his injury, he wrote that when swimming he could only go round in circles. The other, a household claim for some stolen cd's as part of a burglary. The broker, perhaps not up to date with the latest in 1970's beat combos listed one, not as Mott The Hoople, but Muff the Hoopie. I can't help sniggering whenever any of their records get played. Then again, it could have been my dad who once went out to buy a record by Vangelis and came back with one by Van Halen. Parents eh!
Thursday, February 02, 2012
With These 5 Rings I Thee Wed.
On arriving back at St Pancras International I came across this huge sign.
To be fair, it is on one of the Olympic souvenir shops and I know Visa are the authorised partners, but something about this just isn't right. From a number of perspectives.
Now, I'm sure they take cash and don't mean you can only pay by Visa but I would have thought announcing that at the door reduces the number of people who will pass through the door. And certainly if you have Mastercard, Diners and AmEx you can feel a little offended.
I know different payment schemes cost different amounts to belong to but normally Visa and Mastercard go hand in hand. I would have thought it was a restrictive practice to accept only one of them. Although I'm probably wrong.
I don't like the wording either. Why not just write, "we are proud to accept this companies money and restrict how you pay, stifle competition, and sod you if you don't hold a visa card". If it had said they were proud to have the Visa tie up then that would be legitimate advertising.
I'm probably making something out of this where nothing really exists but it looks to me like the cart is pushing the horse here and the sponsor is more important than the customer. But then, isn't that the way of most major sporting events now, why should it be any different in the wider world.
To be fair, it is on one of the Olympic souvenir shops and I know Visa are the authorised partners, but something about this just isn't right. From a number of perspectives.
Now, I'm sure they take cash and don't mean you can only pay by Visa but I would have thought announcing that at the door reduces the number of people who will pass through the door. And certainly if you have Mastercard, Diners and AmEx you can feel a little offended.
I know different payment schemes cost different amounts to belong to but normally Visa and Mastercard go hand in hand. I would have thought it was a restrictive practice to accept only one of them. Although I'm probably wrong.
I don't like the wording either. Why not just write, "we are proud to accept this companies money and restrict how you pay, stifle competition, and sod you if you don't hold a visa card". If it had said they were proud to have the Visa tie up then that would be legitimate advertising.
I'm probably making something out of this where nothing really exists but it looks to me like the cart is pushing the horse here and the sponsor is more important than the customer. But then, isn't that the way of most major sporting events now, why should it be any different in the wider world.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Febtastic
So here it is. The beginning of a month of posts.
I decided that I should look back over my blogging history and see how difficult this challenge might be.
First thing I discovered was that I missed my 10th blogging anniversary. It was 6 months ago. Which means I started some time in the first half of my 40s. That seems a long long time ago. Unfortunately, archives are no longer available which make it difficult to find some of the information I wanted. Such as how long I have been linking to Masher. I killed off my last blog 5 years tomorrow and he was on the blogroll then. Doesn't time fly when you are enjoying yourself.
Anyway, the main reason to check back was to see when I was at my most prolific, to see if 29 posts in 29 days was something I ever achieved before. So I looked at the first posts for my first blog. 66 posts in 29 days! I think it's better for everyone that I've dried up a bit!
I decided that I should look back over my blogging history and see how difficult this challenge might be.
First thing I discovered was that I missed my 10th blogging anniversary. It was 6 months ago. Which means I started some time in the first half of my 40s. That seems a long long time ago. Unfortunately, archives are no longer available which make it difficult to find some of the information I wanted. Such as how long I have been linking to Masher. I killed off my last blog 5 years tomorrow and he was on the blogroll then. Doesn't time fly when you are enjoying yourself.
Anyway, the main reason to check back was to see when I was at my most prolific, to see if 29 posts in 29 days was something I ever achieved before. So I looked at the first posts for my first blog. 66 posts in 29 days! I think it's better for everyone that I've dried up a bit!
Monday, January 23, 2012
I've been to
Paris for the last three days. That's probably 5 days of my February posts sorted once I've written them.
Huzzah!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Masher's Marathon
I know you won't be able to contain your excitement but for February I will be joining young Masher in his efforts to blog a post every day. An exercise I like to think of as The Masher Marathon. That's 29 posts. It's taken me since Christmas Day to have made the 29 previous posts. That would be impressive except we're talking Christmas Day 2010. An astonishingly prolific 2.2 posts a month.
I may be up against it!
Friday, December 16, 2011
The Agony & The Ecstasy 2
Actually on this occasion it's mainly just the agony.
I've been quiet recently, not for my usual reason of not being arsed, but because I've been in hospital again. What should have been a quick one day op to repair a hernia turned into a three day stay. My half hour op took three hours. The good news was that they were still able to carry out the repair as keyhole surgery. Not the usual 2 holes, on this occasion there are 9, plus an extra one for a drain. A few more and I could have become the Human Advent Calender. Anyway, the pain is slowly subsiding thanks to Mr Co-Codamol and Mr Ibuprofen.
The ecstasy would technically have been my birthday on Tuesday although for me it's another agony. Most people get angsty with the big birthdays, those that end in "0". They never bother me. For most of the previous year people are saying, "so, ?0 next" and by the time you get there you're used to it. The ones that get me are the ones ending in 5. And that's one I've just had. So as of 1.47pm on Tuesday I became nearer 60 than 50. How did that happen? I coped well with 30 and 40, I wasn't even too phased by 50,but 60? 60! I mean, that's old people!
So there we are, hurtling towards 60 and held together with sellotape!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Agony and The Ecstacy
I was impressed when a group of 5 girls from our local secondary school walked along talking about the use of the word scrutiny. That's quite an impressive word for these here parts.
It all went downhill though when they then had to have a long and non-decisive conversation as to whether you spelt it with a "c" or a "k"!
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Morals
I upgraded my phone yesterday. It's a smartphone and no doubt smarter than me so with luck I'll have worked out how to use it by the time it's upgraded again in two years time. However, that information is by the by.
Whilst waiting for the guy in 3 to do things very slowly I read some of the advertising around the walls. Each snippet was to tell you some of the things you could do with the phone such as "why not take photo's of colleagues at work". Wow, that's cutting edge! Anyway, the one that interested me was to do with internet access, the last suggestion being "and maybe get a bit of help with the pub quiz". Now, I've done enough quizzes over the years to know there have always been people who will cheat. Perhaps nip out to the gents and phone a friend but this is the first time I've seen something blatantly enticing people to cheat. What will they advertise next? Why not video someone entering the combination into a security door? Why not photo somebody's signature so you can copy it?
OK. Cheating at a pub quiz is hardly the biggest crime in the world but the principle is just plain wrong. Many people enjoy doing them and want to pit their wits against other humans, not the internet. We do internet quizzes when we want to do that. But it does fit in with the general idea these days that you shouldn't do anything too taxing when there is a way to get it done for you. I devise quizzes as well and am having to change the way questions are formed in order to stop searches on phones. Gone are the days when "what is the capital of Gambia" can be posed. Nowadays you have to use 3 part comparative questions such as " what is the connection between the European Anthem, a large St Bernard and a political history by Esteban Buch"? The answer being Beethoven but google is not good at finding the comparison between three things quickly enough.
Maybe it's just me being an old codger again but it just seems that's another, if very tiny nail, in the moral standing of the modern society.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Treading the Boards
Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be Elisha Whitney from Anything Goes!
And every night till Saturday.
Plus a Saturday matinee.
And I'm knackered already.
Saturday, October 01, 2011
What would happen if..... Number 1
There was the usual report in the paper this week of a criminal who can't be sent back to his homeland because he would be in danger of torture and thus to do so would infringe his human rights. I'm not too sure if anyone would be that upset as he was one of the bombers from the 7/7 London attacks.
However, that aside, I was wondering what exactly would happen if, having won a case to say he can't be sent back under the Human Rights Act, what would actually happen if we did? What penalties would await us? You see, I don't actually think anything would happen.
I would much rather live in a country that repatriated murderers to their homeland, even if they were going to be tortured, than live in one that said everyone can stay here regardless of their crimes and set ourselves up to be the laughing stock of the international community.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Modern Life
You know the youth of today are getting lazy when they need a battery operated eraser.
I mean, how much energy is required to move your hand a short distance left and right?
Monday, August 29, 2011
I have been to the land of the Phillistines......
....and returned. Unscathed.
So back now from North Wales.
The Good and Bad Points
BAD:
All road signs written in two languages: Somewhat caught between two stools as it would be a disaster to just use Welsh. No-one would know what the hell was going on. Can't just use English otherwise it dilutes the Welshness of the country. The result is you have half the time to read everything you normally would as you search for the English bit.
Lack of mobile signal: Well, I suppose when you are on holiday this isn't really the biggest crime that could be committed, but it must be a pain if you live there.
GOOD:
For once, the weather: About half a days rain over a 10 day period. Unheard of!
The roads: In better condition generally than those in the South East. Then again, a track up the side of Snowdon would probably win on that count.
Think Bike!: Except in Wales all the posters are aimed at the motorcyclists responsibility to think car and look after their own safety.
Litter: There was very little. Even in the seaside towns we visited we hadn't realised how clean the streets were until we saw some litter and realised that was the first lot we'd seen. No wading through pizza and burger boxes for the residents of Conwy.
So, in conclusion, Wales has finally grown on me. I shal still make it the butt of some humour when I am there, and the weather is one of the big keys to enjoying the place, but there is quite a lot right with the area.
London slips further down the league tables of civilised societies!
So back now from North Wales.
The Good and Bad Points
BAD:
All road signs written in two languages: Somewhat caught between two stools as it would be a disaster to just use Welsh. No-one would know what the hell was going on. Can't just use English otherwise it dilutes the Welshness of the country. The result is you have half the time to read everything you normally would as you search for the English bit.
Lack of mobile signal: Well, I suppose when you are on holiday this isn't really the biggest crime that could be committed, but it must be a pain if you live there.
GOOD:
For once, the weather: About half a days rain over a 10 day period. Unheard of!
The roads: In better condition generally than those in the South East. Then again, a track up the side of Snowdon would probably win on that count.
Think Bike!: Except in Wales all the posters are aimed at the motorcyclists responsibility to think car and look after their own safety.
Litter: There was very little. Even in the seaside towns we visited we hadn't realised how clean the streets were until we saw some litter and realised that was the first lot we'd seen. No wading through pizza and burger boxes for the residents of Conwy.
So, in conclusion, Wales has finally grown on me. I shal still make it the butt of some humour when I am there, and the weather is one of the big keys to enjoying the place, but there is quite a lot right with the area.
London slips further down the league tables of civilised societies!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Welsh for Beginners
I am presently holidaying in North Wales. In fact I've been here for a week already. I am slowly learning Welsh.
Ysgol = School
Slow = Araf
Hen Golwyn = Old Colwyn
Dim Palmant = No Footpath
Rhybudd Talu Cosb = Penalty Charge Notice
That last one has cost me £35 to learn. And there weren't any Dim Parcio signs to be seen!
Ysgol = School
Slow = Araf
Hen Golwyn = Old Colwyn
Dim Palmant = No Footpath
Rhybudd Talu Cosb = Penalty Charge Notice
That last one has cost me £35 to learn. And there weren't any Dim Parcio signs to be seen!
Thursday, August 04, 2011
In The Know
I just used what I have decided is an oxymoron.
The towie cognescenti.
I reckon there's a good chance that those who know what towie is, probably don't know what cognescenti means.
Now, I'm pretty sure which side most of my readers fall, so for your edification, towie = The Only Way Is Essex.
A bit worrying that I knew that though.
The towie cognescenti.
I reckon there's a good chance that those who know what towie is, probably don't know what cognescenti means.
Now, I'm pretty sure which side most of my readers fall, so for your edification, towie = The Only Way Is Essex.
A bit worrying that I knew that though.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Welcome
If you've popped over from todays blog by Diamond Geezer, Hello! But I shan't be detaining you long.
Monday, July 18, 2011
It started in Greese.
Overheard by M today on the bus home.
Young Lad (approx 21) to two youngsters, (about 12)
YL - Guess what I'm doing next summer. It begins with an L.
2Y - Dunno. Is it some sport?
YL - Yeah sort of, I'm going to the Lympics!
1 of 2Y - It don't start with an L! It isn't the Lympics. It's the Alympics, it starts with an A!!!
M decided not to try and correct them, it seemed like rather too much energy for too little gain.
Young Lad (approx 21) to two youngsters, (about 12)
YL - Guess what I'm doing next summer. It begins with an L.
2Y - Dunno. Is it some sport?
YL - Yeah sort of, I'm going to the Lympics!
1 of 2Y - It don't start with an L! It isn't the Lympics. It's the Alympics, it starts with an A!!!
M decided not to try and correct them, it seemed like rather too much energy for too little gain.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Can't even think of a title for this post. Well, I can but they are too lighthearted and despite there never being an occasion I can't joke about, this is actually one.
Had a letter today from The Royal Marsden to say my chief surgeon, Tim Christmas, has died after a short illness. It feels like he has saved so many peoples lives that the pay-off was his. Totally illogical, but he is a big loss to the world of cancer surgery.
Had a letter today from The Royal Marsden to say my chief surgeon, Tim Christmas, has died after a short illness. It feels like he has saved so many peoples lives that the pay-off was his. Totally illogical, but he is a big loss to the world of cancer surgery.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Never Knowingly Over-intelligent.
I don't know why we do it, but we do.
We don't watch that many reality tv programmes but we decided to watch Popstar to Operastar. It was interesting because Clare from Steps turns out to be pretty good. The problem is, it was the semi-fianls and the great British public had the vote.
So Clare, having knocked out the Queen of the Night aria form The Magic Flute, and damned well considering how long they've been doing this sort of singing, managed to be voted off in favour of Joe McEldery, winner of X Factor and bugger all else since then, who has yet to actually sing anything in the slightest bit of an operatic nature, apart from Nessun Dorma, which in the intro he thought was an opera, not an aria. Still, at least that puts him on a level with Opera Barbie, (Katherine Jenkins, the "Opera Star" who has never sung in an opera), one of the judges, who will no doubt go on to have a duets album with him after he wins next week by singing the famous Italian Aria Shaddapa Your Face.
I'm off for a lie down!
We don't watch that many reality tv programmes but we decided to watch Popstar to Operastar. It was interesting because Clare from Steps turns out to be pretty good. The problem is, it was the semi-fianls and the great British public had the vote.
So Clare, having knocked out the Queen of the Night aria form The Magic Flute, and damned well considering how long they've been doing this sort of singing, managed to be voted off in favour of Joe McEldery, winner of X Factor and bugger all else since then, who has yet to actually sing anything in the slightest bit of an operatic nature, apart from Nessun Dorma, which in the intro he thought was an opera, not an aria. Still, at least that puts him on a level with Opera Barbie, (Katherine Jenkins, the "Opera Star" who has never sung in an opera), one of the judges, who will no doubt go on to have a duets album with him after he wins next week by singing the famous Italian Aria Shaddapa Your Face.
I'm off for a lie down!
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Light as a feather!
Well, maybe not quite, but my "slowest diet in the world" regimen is working, if slowly. I have gone sub-17 stone for the first time in 10 years. Another 9 pounds and I'll hit my first target of my cruising weight of 16st 3lb. Hopefully make it to there over the summer. That'll make my walking weekend in October a little bit more comfortble.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Jacqui
So today we say goodbye to Jacqui.
Jacqui who I met in 1981 at a party along with someone I knew from scouts. Little did I know then they were to become mine and Lindas best friends.
Jacqui, whom we were with when she found her wedding dress.
Jacqui, whose mum made my snooker table birthday cake for my 30th birthday.
Jacqui who was my confidante, and I hers, during our late 30s and early 40s.
Jacqui whom we went to hospital with the day she found out she had a brain tumour.
Jacqui who went through the operation but was never quite the same.
Jacqui whom we saw less of because Linda's lifestyle change meant we didn't really see them anymore.
Jacqui, who in the last two years became iller.
Jacqui, who 2 weeks ago finally succombed to her illness and has gone to be with her dad.
Bye Jacqui. Love you.
Jacqui who I met in 1981 at a party along with someone I knew from scouts. Little did I know then they were to become mine and Lindas best friends.
Jacqui, whom we were with when she found her wedding dress.
Jacqui, whose mum made my snooker table birthday cake for my 30th birthday.
Jacqui who was my confidante, and I hers, during our late 30s and early 40s.
Jacqui whom we went to hospital with the day she found out she had a brain tumour.
Jacqui who went through the operation but was never quite the same.
Jacqui whom we saw less of because Linda's lifestyle change meant we didn't really see them anymore.
Jacqui, who in the last two years became iller.
Jacqui, who 2 weeks ago finally succombed to her illness and has gone to be with her dad.
Bye Jacqui. Love you.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Are London Price too high?
So, if you had quarter of a million to spend, a 2 bedroom flat on an estate in Osterley or a 7 bedroom 18th Century house in France.
Of course, the tennis court does need resurfacing!
Of course, the tennis court does need resurfacing!
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Old New Technology
I help out a friend who, following a career change, has decided to be a music promoter so when gigs happen I help out on the door and looking after the on-night accounting.
A couple of months back she promoted John Otway. Amongst his unusual instruments was the theremin.
Last night it was The Transmitters. And there on stage was a theremin!
Ah, the theremin! Supposedly the first all electrical musical instrument. I've seen it played, I've read a decription of how it works. I don't understand it but I fancy a go, and they don't cost that much. It does however look like magic, just plucking music out of the air. Marj is considering getting one for her music classes at school. Maybe "the geeks" who aren't artistic might connect with music that is presented in such a scientific way. Maybe they'll buy a kit and build one in science club as well.
There are tons of bands who use the theremin, most of which you won't have heard of, but probably it's biggest exposure, particularly for those of us around in the seventies was Crazy Horses by The Osmonds. So, not a guitar trick at all then.
I say, let's have more theremin related music. Only another 8 years till it reaches it's century and still sounding as weird today as it did back then.
A couple of months back she promoted John Otway. Amongst his unusual instruments was the theremin.
Last night it was The Transmitters. And there on stage was a theremin!
Ah, the theremin! Supposedly the first all electrical musical instrument. I've seen it played, I've read a decription of how it works. I don't understand it but I fancy a go, and they don't cost that much. It does however look like magic, just plucking music out of the air. Marj is considering getting one for her music classes at school. Maybe "the geeks" who aren't artistic might connect with music that is presented in such a scientific way. Maybe they'll buy a kit and build one in science club as well.
There are tons of bands who use the theremin, most of which you won't have heard of, but probably it's biggest exposure, particularly for those of us around in the seventies was Crazy Horses by The Osmonds. So, not a guitar trick at all then.
I say, let's have more theremin related music. Only another 8 years till it reaches it's century and still sounding as weird today as it did back then.
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