Wockley

The bankers continue to bleed us.

2012-02-23T18:30:00.002Z

I note today that The Royal Bank of Scotland today posted its latest financial report today and sad to say they continued to reflect a loss. The latest figure(s) say that in 2011 the bank lost £2billion pounds. To be fair this is less than the previous year.
This is the bank that is 82% owned by the British tax payer, & I reckon judging by this loss chief executive Stephen Hester ain't got any reason to crow about!
What sticks in my gullet is that despite this (still) massive loss he awards his investment bankers the grand total sum £800 million! How can he justify this amount in 'bonus' payout whilst the bank still makes a loss? Shouldn't this amount be ploughed back into the financial coffers of the bank that I part own??
Stephen Hester says that he believes that it is "...... important that we reward good people for making progress within the banks...."
C'mon Steve, take a reality check: 99% of the British public hasn't had a pay rise for a least 2 years, families in the major cities are having their family diet subsidised by charity run food banks, the % of elderly people suffering from malnutrition in the UK is rising, the unemployment figures are increasing monthly and you award your leeches a further pay bonus!!
Tell me Mr Hester, when your planet was destroyed, did any more of your kind make it to this trouble planet we call earth??

A difficult time....

2012-02-19T11:53:00.003Z

This is my first posting for what seems ages. I've been quite preoccupied recently. that's my excuse & I'm sticking to it!
This year I'm 60; my body though tells me that I feel about mid 50. However, psychologically & emotionally I feel at an age I am unable to recognise because I feel so battered & bruised.

I've been a psychiatric nurse since 1971. I've seen, (& for the main part coped with) many many changes in the National Health Service. I've seen the way that we as nurse are supposed to deliver the care to our patient's change, due to Government & local care suppliers demands & financial cutbacks. But I have tried to be consistent in the care I give. I have,- like all nurses arrived for duty early and stayed over our finished time all for no extra financial gain. And if I'm honest no extra financial remuneration was expected.
I have arrived home many a night emotionally and sometimes physically bruised.. Dragged myself out of bed on a cold winter morning & somehow cycled to work. But on reflection I wouldn't change my time.

But yesterday I feel that I experienced an emotion attack form a quarter I never (but maybe should have?) expected.....From my Mom.
I've posted previously of how mom 'gave me away' to my maternal grandmother as a 'replacement' for grannies deceased illegitimate son who was killed in the Birmingham Blitz of 1941.Its become apparent recently that mom (like ALL of us) is damaged due to many factors & issues in her life, & it has emerged that she grew from an early age to dislike her mom due to her mom's morality & the fact that her mom had her put into care as she had ? rheumatic fever et al.
Yesterday was the anniversary of my biological fathers death & my brother took her to his grave. En route he drove to her fathers & mom's joint grave before treating her to lunch. She was apparently unmoved by the visit to her parents grave(s).
My daughter & I arrived later at the graveyard after Stephen & mom had left. I said a couple of prayers & then cleaned up the weather stained gravestones before heading home for a hot mug of coffee.
Speaking to mom later, asking her if she'd had a nice day she was non committal. I told her that I washed her mom's & dad's stone whereupon she exploded verbally & shouted that SHE-my biological mother-" was NOT my mother & that she hadn't gave birth to me". Stunned, I questioned her & again she reiterated that she (June not my granny) was not my mother. I hurried as best I could a near polite goodbye & ended the call.
Minutes later, she called back, & said that she was "sorry", & didn't mean what she had said.
Now, I'm not stupid enough to think that my biological mom is not my biological mom ( is she??!), but mom's comment which was prompted by hurt & anger at my washing the gravestone tells me much about mom's feelings towards me. They have in fact confirmed them.
Hurtful & lonesome as they were the comments were in fact liberating in a way. I now have confirmation of where I stand in the maternal relationship.
Hours later however, she apparently told my brother distorted facts about past events in my families & her relationship. AKA lies.
I'm torn between damage limitation & severing the maternal relationship or continuing the relationship in which I provide a degree of care for her. However in both scenarios there will be 'collateral damage to lots of people.
What to do???
On a cheerful note: As I type here seated at the kitchen table I see Robin's, Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Dunnock's & the occasional wren flying to the bird table feeding at the seeds I have put out for them. Its lovely. all this whilst John Prescott is on 'Desert Island Discs'. on BBC Radio 4. This too is a treat. I recommend that if any of you are interested you log into www.bbc.co.uk & log on to the Radio 4 link for 'listen again'. You'll not be too disappointed.

Thanks for reading my ravings...(as opposed to my rantings!).
x

Winter has finally arrived!!

2012-02-04T21:24:00.002Z

Brrr!!!
Although the temperature has now warmed up from -4C this morning in Birmingham to a current 0C, with this increase in temperature the God of Winter has graced the environs around these parts with her mantilla of snow.
Its been falling silently but relentlessly since 1303(GMT) & now, at 2115 (GMT), the snowflakes in their beauty continue to parachute down from the heavens.
Like the kid that I still am,I've been out throwing snowballs from the loft bedroom window & listening to them "boom" as they land with a dull thud on the roofs of the parked cars outside my house.
Remember people...."growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional"-that's' one of my motto's & beliefs & I'm sticking to it!!
However to give you a taste of what the snow looks like (if you need an example!) in Birmingham B14, I took a photo a short time ago for you glance at & shiver...

Stay warm people wherever you are...or if you're in your summer, stay chilled, have a beer, & think of us poor sods in the Northern Hemisphere!.

Still have all my fingers....

2012-02-03T21:59:00.001Z

The temperature outside at the moment is -3C. Charlie Coal moans like the devil each time he returns from a wander about his estate and each morning the residents of the street can be seen scraping the frost off their car windscreens whilst exhaling clouds of breath that puts one in mind of dragons about to launch themselves into the air.

Kepping warm is both a trial and fun to be honest., we all dress ourselves in layers of clothes so that we look like the 'Michelin Man' from the old tyre advertisements!. Woolley though is working hard to generate heat. Both by action & in my attempts to provide heat for the occupants of the homestead.. The wood-burning/multi fuel stove is going full blast on a daily basis. Charlie Coal lies comatose before the stove worshipping the warmth brought to him by

the god cast iron stove!

BUT: in order to provide fuel for the all consuming stove I have to either buy fossil fuel, buy logs or...recycle wooden pallets. And that dear reader is what the above photo is all about.. I've never been keen to throw things away. One of my philosophy's is,"..,," might come in useful one day...". Thus I have a shed full of junk, old nails, screws, 3/4 empty tins of paint etc etc. So the stove was yet a further opportunity for me to go out & collect/recycle (junk). I, along with my neighbour Jim (the man whos mobile phone got washed down in the shared sewer-see an earlier post) keep our eyes peeled for burnable wooden pallets that we can saw & chop up. C'mon people...its free fuel!!!

Sawing with a bow saw might be fine manly work, the stuff that wild he men of the Canadian Rockies do stripped naked to the waist whilst drinking neat 'red eye' whiskey, but I'm a flabby city boy from Birmingham whilst Jim is a real ale loving fella from East Belfast. So we're not really made for the blisters, sweat & skin lacerations that sawing & chopping sends our ways.

Sooooo...Woolley brought an electric chain saw!! Now I'm renown for being clumsy,. I trip up, bump into things (other cars whilst driving for example) & generally am noted for being an accident waiting to happen. Thus, you can imagine the reaction of the family when I announced that it was my intention to buy the chain saw. They grimaced, exhaled loudly & pleaded with me not to do it. To compromise I said that I'd not keep it in our shed, not use it 'unsupervised', in fact, not use it too often even when 'supervised'.

And that, is what the photo is all about. The job done Jim & I felt rightly proud of the 4 wooden pallets we'd sawed up in a fraction of the time it would have taken had we used the bow saws. Damn it, we hardly broke a sweat. But still, there was great effort in sweeping up the sawdust that we had to rest & have a glass of ale post sawing!! And I still have all my fingers!!

So if you have a woodburning stove...recycle...& buy a chainsaw!!

He's driving me to distraction.....!

2012-01-28T22:15:00.000Z

There's a saying that goes something like... 'When the cats away...' Well Kate's away in Belfast this weekend visiting her (very) elderly mom & it would appear as if the 'cat' in the literal sense of the word-(also known as) Charlie Coal is taking full advantage of the breakdown in 'normal' routine & boundaries which are normally set for him when Kate is about.
He's in & out of the house, is very vocal and constantly looking for food. I mean, he follows me about the house where ever I go. He ate his breakfast this morning, went out to play,but within 15 minutes returned and sat meekly beside his empty food dish smiling, staring at me as if saying " C'mon then, Paul, just a little smackeral if you please my man". It was jolly difficult to resist him, & so I gave in. Normally Kate would tell him to "get the hell out & not behave like a gannet." But the buggers got me where he wants me-I'm a sucker for his gustatory feline demands,
Given the opportunity, Charlie is a furry feline food processing unit. Today he's been strolling about the house like the lord of the damn manor! Periodically having a scratch, lounging where he shouldn't be lounging and having something to say as he migrates from one room to another with grandeur befitting a peer of the realm.
I've just been graced with his presence for a brief moment in time.....long enough for him to cast a glance at me, meow, then stroll out intimating that he wanted to once again wished to patrol the environs & go out to play.
I had been instructed by a cat...I HAD to obey.

You wait matey... The boss is back tomorrow.....lets see you try the "I'm the head-honcho around here" guise then!!

The Oscars 2012

2012-01-25T18:55:00.001Z

I have never been much of a film goer. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of films I have inspired to see . I am not one of those who like some friends who go religiously to the movies every other week.
Thus, I haven't got any interest at all in who or what wins an Oscar . However I do feel aggrieved that the lovely, sexy, Meryl Streep is up for an Oscar for her portrayal of that witch Margaret Thatcher.
Despite my libidinous feelings towards M/s Streep there is no way under God's heaven that I could allow myself to go & sit through a film which portrays the debacle that Thatcher presided over & was instrumental in engendering when she was Prime Minister of these Islands.
I still feel physically sick & I shudder to my marrow when I hear Thatcher speaking the Prayer of St Francis.
Sadly both for M/s Streep (though she don't give a shite) & for me, is that my wanton desires for her are a tad less potent.
However, I would commend to you Amanda Redman (pictured to the right & below)The fact that these 2 ladies are both blond is coincidental I assure you people.

The lovely Amanda Redman

The hard sell,charities & cold callers at the door.

2012-01-24T09:59:00.004Z

Kate and I donate to varies charities-not only when there's a crisis somewhere or other, or a street collection, but also by having a 'Direct Debit' from our bank whereby a fixed amount is taken out each month to the charity of our choosing.

Lately though I have to admit that I'm getting mighty pissed off with some of them.

What's happening is that most-(if not all of the Direct Debit charities) phone up initially at at time when they know you're home from work and at home. in-usually teatime.

First of all they thank you profusely for donating as you do to the particular charity then they attempt to persuade you to increase your donation. No matter how much you attempt to explain your own financial situation the person at the other end of the phone continues to harangue you until you either give in and increase your contribution of make some FIRM excuse and say "goodbye".

These calls really piss me off. Its begging by another name. If I wanted to increase my donation I'd do it . I don not want to be harangued by some faceless beggar on the phone who patronises me then begs for a few more quid.

Last night took the biscuit. Again around teatime-0about 630pm or so there was a knock at the front door. Opening it there was a young girl-she couldn't have left school more than 2 years ago I reckon. She thrust at me an ID badge and asked me to consider giving her money for, or taking out a Direct Debit mandate for 'Save the Children Fund'. Now SCF is one of the charities we give too, but guess what....she asked me to increase it!

More power to her-going from door to door doing this on a dark chilly January night but I can't help but think that she had to do this or else the Department of (un)employment would stop her benefit (bastards that they are).

Times in the UK are hard. That rat Cameron & all the other arse licking ex public school boy rats in his Cabinet along with his catamite side kick are pushing people to the brink with their ruthless policies. In order to make a living and in order to ensure that they continue to receive their unemployment benefit, people have to take any job. Thus I (along with others in our street) have had a succession of 'cold caller's selling everything from magazines to offers to change our phone supplier. Now I think that if I wanted to change, take out a sub' to a magazine whatever, I have enough about myself to go & organise this. So you can imagine how pissed off I feel when these lads come to my door. I do my best to be polite & not show my displeasure at their (cos I'm aware that its an awful job & that they probably have to do it) but I have sent some of them away with flea in their ear on a few occasions!!

I wish some Jehovah Witnesses would call!!- Remember those days??

Finally I'd link to bend your ears on Banks etc. No, I'm not going to rant about the bankers being the cause of all the present troubles in the world because we all know that to be the case,& I have spent many a rant postulating this belief.

BUT: each time \i go into my local Building Society to pay a bill the teller asks me when my house insurance is due? (come to that, when I renewed my car insurance over the phone they asked me the same question then!!) Of course I have that information ready at hand....as we all do...don't we?? Then they give out the sales pitch,telling me (you) how good their banks rates are. I feel like saying "Look love, fuck off! I have enough know how to look around for a good deal without you pressuring me to take out your organisations latest deal". I don't say this of course.

They've been told to ask this. No doubt there's a faceless bastard of a manager lurking nearby listening to see if they ask the question. And, if they do manage to sell a deal then everyone (including the teller) get a bonus. But I loathe this hard sell technique.

These people & organisations have to make money, squeeze the man in the street for a bit more. Well I got a bit of news for the sellers......The man in the street ain't got any spare dough. So BACK OFF!!

Etta James - At Last. Rest in Peace & Love Etta

2012-01-21T15:48:00.000Z

January sunset

2012-01-14T18:59:00.003Z

The colours in the sky around sunset at this time of year never cease to touch & fill my heart with warmth. Tonight's was no exception, this sunset and the beauty given to us free by nature I snapped on my mobile phone from my back door this evening.

Interesting photograph

2012-01-10T21:49:00.000Z

Tuesdays is my 'market day'.
I either cycle or drive into the city centre of Birmingham to the outside market. The markets area lies in an old area of Birmingham where in the 16th Century Birmingham Manor House stood surrounded by a moat. Though the area of Digbeth dates back to 700AD. The Manor House has long, long since gone & the once the moat was filled in c1817 a market was established. This area lies now between what is known as Smithfield & Digbeth.
Anyway. I go to the market weekly & get my vegetables etc- you get better quality & variety than at the supermarkets & frankly, at a cheaper price too.
Today as I strolled down a side street towards the market the watery winter sun was shining on my back shining on my back. To my right was a demolished pub but on my left was the old (not sure how old) Digbeth Police Station. But: In front I noticed the reflection of the Police Station on a glass fronted office block & I took the opportunity to snap it with my mobile. I like to share this photo with you and I have incidentally enclosed the frontage photo of the Police Station.

The Frontage of Digbeth police Station.

What gives....??

2012-01-09T19:33:00.002Z

Charlie Coal has a problem. (And no wonder living in our house I hear you say!)
Whenever we happen to leave empty bag or box lying about the poor deranged feline leaps in to the cavity & sits there for an indeterminate length of time or until we actually tip him out.
Tonight was no exception:
After taking delivery of a new pair of winter boots, Esther left the empty box on the floor. Quick as a flash Charlie jumps into the box vacated by the boots! I took a quick snap of him, &, as I type now he has curled his rotund feline form into the (much too small) box & is asleep.
I enclose a picture for (hopefully) amusement!

Health & Safety law gone crazy

2012-01-09T19:20:00.001Z

Take a look at this young man to your left. His name is Eric Carter.
The photo was taken in c1941 when Mr Carter, now aged 91 years, was a fighter pilot ace in The RAF flying Hurricane fighter planes over Russia.
Eric today went to a museum in Stoke on Trent & saw a Hurricane of the type he flew against the Luftwaffe throughout the Second World War. He asked if he might have a closer look, & perhaps sit in the machine for 'old times sake'.
Guess what??.... He was refused by the museum staff. They apparently cited the 'Health & safety Law to prevent him from doing so. They said that the paint on the plane ..."had traces of radioactivity in it and that the seat was unsafe...."

God help us & save us all from the 'Nannie State' that is the UK today.
Its a bloody good job that there was no Health & Safety legislation in 1941 otherwise Eric & hundreds of other brave young men like him would never have took to the air! As Eric said " Its a pity the Luftwaffe weren't so caring as the Health & Safety people!"
Health & Safety....protecting us from ourselves....
Prats.

My work

2012-01-07T22:26:00.000Z

My work cause me to feel tired. Tired physically, mentally & emotionally. After working a shift (& I only work 2 days weekly!) I go home & fall asleep in the armchair seated in front of the blazing fire. Its a bugger, because I'm trying to read & have my music on in the background. Next thing I'm full of Zzzzz's for about 20 minutes.Then I awaken & feel esurient for a morsel of chocolate of Marmite sandwich.. On Friday evenings I find myself reflecting upon the days.
The stories I have heard, the emotions I have unconsciously taken on from the person I have sat with, & often I feel an overpowering sense of sadness & helplessness that I'm unable to exorcise the angst from the person. I guess though that none of the guys I work with would have any clue that I 'suffer' these torments at the end of the day, given that outside of the sessions with patients I'm clumsy, chatty, cracking jokes & occasionally losing the plot when the photocopier decides that it won't work for Woolley!
But yesterday my boss (whom I respect as a fellow nurse, manager & man (even though he does follow a 2nd rate football team!) informed me that my employment might end at the latest in mid March 2012. He added that it may also terminate earlier, on February 6th 2012. This is because the worker whom I'm 'covering' returns for maternity leave & that funding for my post runs out.
This news saddens me. I love the work. I love 'thinking on my feet', giving some therapy to the patients I see, I love the crac with the others in the team. And yes, I will miss the periods of projective identification that sometimes overwhelm me during my spells on duty.
It will pain me to leave the people I've met, their histories & emotions that they have shared with me & the sheer pleasure I obtain from working with & being with professional nurses.

Dianne Abbott & racism

2012-01-07T15:28:00.002Z

Of all the 'isms' the one which I abhor, which I believe is steeped in ignorance, superstition and above, all fear, is racism. The evil creed of racism has recently reared its malevolent head across a broad front in British society. From football, to the recent court case regarding the murder of the late Steven Lawrence, racism has made the headlines & proven itself to be alive & festering in 21st century Britain.
The latest manifestation of the evilness of racism came 2 days ago when Labour Member of Parliament Diana Abbott made an outburst on 'Twitter' when she said that "White people love playing divide & rule. We should not play their game".
I like Diane Abbott. I believe she would make a fantastic leader of the Labour party. She is intelligent, assertive, & committed. The Labour Party needs a leader who will stand up & be counted, a leader from an ethnic minority & its about time Labour had a female leader. So imagine my dismay when I head her retort this week!
On the one hand I think she has a valid point, & one of the reasons I support Diane is that she says what she thinks (& believes?). But these comments frankly cause me to feel a little disquiet. Better if she had said that "Some white people..." Rather than be so global. And I wonder too, what action the (weak) Labour leader Ed Miliband have undertaken if a none black or Asian Member had made these comments? Hmmm...
Wherever it comes from racism is abominable & must not be permitted.

A Lovely poem I'd like to share

2012-01-05T20:04:00.000Z

My Heart is Heavy.

My heart is heavy with many a song
Like ripe fruit bearing down the tree
But I can never give you one-
My songs do not belong to me

Yet in the evening, in the dusk
When moths go to and fro,
In the grey hour if the fruit has fallen,
Take one, none will know.

Sara Teesdale

Margaret Thatcher.....and Christmas 2011.

2012-01-04T17:08:00.001Z

I came upon this photograph in a Christmas edition of The Daily Mail. Now, there is no way under God's heaven that I would ever buy such a right wing reactionary rag, but it was brought into my house by my eldest daughter-(where have I gone wrong?) "its for the puzzles daddy" she bleated in a mitigating whimper! So it was that Lord Rothermere's rag rested in our back kitchen for 2 or 3 days over the 21st Century's Yuletide vulgarisms.
Anyhow: The accompanying story read that Lady Thatcher was left alone, abandoned & lonely over Christmas when her two (adult) children were in Barbados & away skiing respectively. Doesn't my heart bleed for her. (not).
Obviously her kids have no relationship nor any connection with her, because during their formative years she was off buggering up the UK, creating mayhem across the globe & destroying the UK Trade Union system.
So Thatcher was left in the care of the other woman in the photo' over Christmas & the right wing rag made the most of it...."the Iron Lady alone at Christmas" or something like that it said.
Good enough for her after what & how she did to the UK miners during the long torturous of her premiership.She sent thousands into destitution & poverty by her totalitarian policies. Destroyed whole communities, extirpated families, created thousands of disconsolate spirits & brought about the death of many by her abominable polices & attitudes.
Moreover, perhaps she should have spent Christmas in a similar position & state to some of those I just mentioned-she should have a meagre Christmas dinner, sat in unheated house, with no future assured and be lonely. I shed not a tear for that woman.And I never will.

Thankfully, Christmas is over

2012-01-04T09:40:00.001Z

Phew! its over! Christmas I mean. And I wonder how many of you out there share that view?
Christmas, that period of the year of enforced joviality, the time of high unexpressed emotions that all too frequently turn into high expressed emotions! This unfortunately was the case in the Woolley house this year thank to my mother.
My mother, due I think to her Ego & Super Ego defence mechanisms bring diminished 'thanks' to her 84years has recently been most unpleasant in her (formerly held in check to some degree) manipulative but sad not her lies. Her Narcissistic personality disorder has in short come to the fore.
For many years we have noticed that she has lied and displayed some unpleasant behaviour in her relationships within the family, but tended to dismiss it has eccentric but over Christmas her behaviour & lies reached a crescendo & couldn't be tolerated any longer.
She came to use on Christmas Eve. Had supper & then we drove her to Midnight Mass. Returning home, we had a glass of wine, put a hot water bottle in her bed & we all retired (not all to her bed I must add!) Christmas day we all ate a cooked 'Ulster Fry' breakfast (thank you Kate), went to the local pub for a snifter, returning home after 1 hr or.so. We then all opened our presents t when Chris & his partner Rebecca came round for lunch. The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the stove.
All went to bed comfortable at around 10pm. The following day saw us cook breakfast for mom before me driving her the 8miles to my brothers for the the day.
That's when the shit hit the fan! She told my brother & his in laws that she had been sent to her room, told not to come down whilst we had a riotous party downstairs! I wish!
My brother & his wife told me this story independently, we challenged mom who... denied it initially, then said that my brother tells lies, then she said that she said it fir a joke! Now she's asking for "forgiveness" (he word) At times she changes her story & says that she "doesn't remember saying anything, then says that my brother "shouldn't tell tales..."
Her latest caper has upset the whole family, they reflect & thought that they had given her a nice family Christmas but...apparently not.
This is that latest in a life time of capers that mom has pulled over the years,& sadly, a picture is beginning to emerge to my (formerly estranged) brother and me of what our mother was/is really like.
The good thing about this is that now my brother & me have become closer. We have met up twice now in the last month-more than in the precious 10years!
I forgive my mom. I find it difficult to to forget. Perhaps because I'm still trying to digest the incidents of the past involving her,my dad, brother & me. I do know that my responses to her henceforth will be more
measured, almost clinical in there nature.
And you know....You can chose your friends, but you can't chose your family.

Lonely Christmas 2011.

2011-12-26T16:26:00.000Z

Alone And Drinking Under The Moon

2011-12-20T20:02:00.007Z

Amongst the flowers I
am alone with my pot of wine
drinking by myself; then lifting
my cup I asked the moon
to drink with me, its reflection
and mine in the wine cup, just
the three of us; then I sigh
for the moon cannot drink,
and my shadow goes emptily along
with me never saying a word;
with no other friends here, I can
but use these two for company;
in the time of happiness, I
too must be happy with all
around me; I sit and sing
and it is as if the moon
accompanies me; then if I
dance, it is my shadow that
dances along with me; while
still not drunk, I am glad
to make the moon and my shadow
into friends, but then when
I have drunk too much, we
all part; yet these are
friends I can always count on
these who have no emotion
whatsoever; I hope that one day
we three will meet again,
deep in the Milky Way.

Li Po

Latest UK unemployment figures December 2011.

2011-12-14T14:39:00.003Z

David Cameron's policies aren't working & he is succeeding in driving the UK to the wall, isolating the UK within Europe, increasing the number of children living in poverty in 21st century Britain & creating a legacy of a wasted generation of young people who can't find work; take a look at the latest UK unemployment figures released today.
The U K as the highest number of unemployed for 17 years. The figure today stands at 2.64 million people. And that's JUST THE PEOPLE CLAIMING BENEFITS, It doesn't include those ineligible for state benefit. If you counted those God alone knows what the figure would be.
Youth unemployment (those young people aged between 18-24 yrs) now stands at 1.027 million people. Shameful.
The overall figure has been swelled by 67.000 job loses in the public sector.
David Cameron is rapidly creating a nation of 'haves & have nots', with the later in the majority. He is creating a generation of wasted youth. creating depression, anxiety & hopelessness.
Meanwhile the (un)employment minister-Chris Grayling makes placating utterances designed to reasure us that things are on the up.They are if you a government minister in Cameron's government or a banker lining your own & Camerons pockets.
Happy Christmas Mr Cameron.

Don't panic buy

2011-12-14T14:10:00.000Z

Not a day goes by without me have a little nibble of chocolate. A square or 2 of Cadbury's Dairy Milk here, a peck at a Twix bar there or a full blown Mars bar. I love chocolate, be it plain, milk or white, stuffed with peanuts, caramel , raisins or my personal favourite-Turkish Delight coated in Fry's (Cadbury's) milk chocolate. Easter with its chocolate eggs is a time when I inevitably make myself feel sick & swear by the end of Easter Sunday that I'll never touch another bit of chocolate. But come Monday...
So you can imagine my concern today when I read of a looming cocoa shortage. Yes. apparently with 8 yrs or so the world will be in the midst of a chocolate desert., & we'll need an area of land equivalent the size of the Ivory Coast just to satisfy the worlds taste for the stuff! OK then lets get at ..... invade the Ivory Coast tomorrow & plant cocoa trees by the score. What's the problem? After all if we invade a sovereign country called Iraq for no better reason than to satisfy the paranoia of G.W. Bush & laughing boy Tony Blair then we can go ahead & invade the Ivory Coast without any compunction or hesitation.

But lets not panic. There is enough to go round, its just the greed of the affluent West worried because we'll have to pay a bit more for what for years we have paid a pittance for & exploited the farmers who grow our cocoa bean trees. So don't panic buy, don't rush out & buy your own body weight in Cadbury's Roses or Bounty bars, cos' its gonna be fine.

The best place for the mobile?

2011-12-12T14:31:00.000Z

Take a look at the attached photo. The story behind it is as follows:

I went out the back this morning to bring in some kindling wood for the stove when I came across my neighbour about to lift up the inspection lid of the sewer that his & mine house share. I must explain that on occasion the sewer gets clogged up- the houses were bombed by the Luftwaffe in 1940 & were rebuilt the best they could be considering the shortage of materials. Anyway, there he was..."is it blocked again?" I ask.
"No" he replies, & then tells me that whist on the toilet he dropped his mobile phone down the lavatory pan which he accidentally then flushed away! He'd dialled the number from the land line & heard it ringing from underneath the inspection lid-in the sewer!
I gave him a hand (as any decent neighbour would do) & low & behold there was the mobile phone in the sewer-as the photo shows.
As I hold aloft the inspection cover he reaches down when suddenly there's a rush of 'blue' water gushing down the channel to the right of the channel where the phone sits!! Some has flushed the toilet sending forth a torrent of disinfectant diluted piddle!! Grabbing a strategically place bit of timber, I attempted to push the phone out of the line of fire of the excreta that was heading relentlessly towards my neighbours Nokia.
"Its had it now, it'll never work after that lot gets into its innards" says I.
But....... After he fished the phone out of the sewer, gave it a wipe first with a kitchen towel, then with some antiseptic wipe gel I have around for such emergencies. I dialled his number......it worked!!
Wonderful. especially when you consider that all he payed for the phone was £16.

He's been at it again!!

2011-12-11T19:31:00.001Z

No, I don't mean Cameron or any of his cohort of coalition ejjits, but my Cat Charlie Coal.
He's been street fighting again. This time he's got a laceration on his right cheek caused by some other feline pugilist in the neighbourhood. The first we noticed was when the furry thug growled at me when I attempted to tickle under his ear, & I guess there's of lot of people out there who'd growl if I attempted to tickle them under the ear, but be that as it may/may not be the fella is injured.....again.
This is proving costly. I mean trips to the bloody vet -(y'know the lady with the dreamy Scottish accent)-it cost £56 a time for a shot of antibiotic! Kate says that its getting out of control, these fur ball fisticuffs, & that a trip to the dreamy Scottish vet is not going to happen for poor old battered Chas'. So its down to old fashioned grin & bare it matey & no treat for my ears were we to visit Fivelands Vets.
The little sod's so aggressive! I mean; he had his nether regions snipped off when he was a bundle of feline mischievousness, & that. allegedly, is supposed to curtail Tom cats aggressiveness. I'm wondering what the hell would the bewhiskered fiends behaviour be like were we to have left him with the 'full set'!

This comes after a day when he sat on my log chopping post watching me has I tided up the lower part of the garden. He sat there looking cute but nevertheless keeping a chary eye on my activities on his territory.
I took a snapshot of him for your amusement.
But for the time being Charlie you got sweat it out, rely on our TLC & pray that Goddess Bastet will bring about a speedy healing.

Thank you David Cameron

2011-12-09T20:14:00.000Z

Everyone would agree I'm that the world is in dire financial straits. Europe especially, is in a mess financially. First the Irish, then the Greek, Portuguese & most recently the Italian economies crashed necessitating massive bail outs from the European Central Bank in order top prop up the ailing Euro.All this was caused by the greedy, callous grasping behaviour of bankers-not only in Europe but worldwide. Moreover these low lifers are apparently continuing their destructive, amoral behaviour.
The leaders of Europe have been a little tardy in dealing with the crisis, not wanting I guess to upset the aforementioned bankers as it is they who fund their political positions & futures. However now, the leaders of France & Germany appear to have grasped the metal & come up with a plan that I hope will be the salvation of not only the European Union but the greater world.
I admire Angela Merkle the Chancellor of Germany. She is a driven, intelligent person & is determined to hold the EU together whilst at the same time doing her level best to ensure the Euro stays as the common currency. President Sarkozy also has to be applauded for his contribution in putting together the latest package which will hopefully resurrect Europe's financial markets & economies.
Then... What does that dick Cameron do???
He plays the veto card & all but scuppers the treaty!! Who does he think he is Benjamin Disraeli?? It was in the late 19th Century that that former Conservative Prime Minister of the UK pursed a foreign policy that he called 'Splendid Isolation'. Cameron clearly has aspirations to emulate him & the Marquess of Sailsbury-God help all us poor bastards in the UK.
We ARE European Cameron, we belong in Europe & Europe wants us (I think?!) Cameron says that "I did it for Britain..." How many other despots have said that they did so & so for their nations good?
Thanks Cameron. We all know that your Government will never tax or chastise the bankers that got us all in to this sorry financial state, as YOUR government is so far up the arse of the bankers that its hard to see where your end & the bankers begin!
I take comfort though in the fact the Judas Nick Clegg is pro Europe & may, just may have the balls to challenge Cameron on this one in some way. If he does then.... it may spell the death knell of the loathsome Coalition Government that we have here in the UK & force a General Election. I hope...but I ain't holding my breath.
You've really isolated us now Cameron. Thanks. Thanks a bunch prat.

Peace!

2011-12-05T10:37:00.000Z

Peace & reconciliation has returned!

Unreasonable?

2011-12-03T11:49:00.002Z

This post might upset & may even anger some readers but I feel I've got to get it off my chest. Damn it there's no one else to tell how I feel to.
I live in a female dominated house. Theres Kate my wife & Esther my daughter. Very occasionally they have a row, neither of them will give way, they both have to have the last word in an argument & last night was no exception. As usual (& like most arguments) it was over something trivial. It blew up & somehow or other I got roped in when I was trying to act as a 'United Nations peacemaker) so finally neither of them ended up speaking to me either! I suppose that sometimes even UN peacekeepers get shot or wounded.
It continued this morning. Kate wanted an apology from Esther, she refused & wanted an apology from Kate. I tried again to make the peace, attempting to persuade Esther to apologise in a way that wouldn't cause her to lose face. This was going OK & Esther attempted to do so & negotiate. I was blamed for this by the elder lady who then put her coat on & went for a walk. Esther then retired back to bed. Round 2. Holy Mother of God!
I reckon, rather my male logic tells me that they are both being unreasonable. C'mon ladies, lets not be so arrogant & omnipotent, none of us know how long we've got left, lets make up. Sorry is a small word but it has to fill so much of your heart. Its to late to be sorry when you're dead or unable to communicate
Its my belief that the aim of an argument should not be victory but rather progress & growth of a relationship, but sadly at the moment my house appears to be entrenched in a war-zone which offends my spirit. I'm stuck right in the middle of 'no (wo)mans land'!

Like this poor fella...I'm stuck in the middle of two immoveable
pillars!

The public Service workers strike, Jeremy Clarkson &..... Cameron

2011-12-01T21:38:00.001Z

Yesterday saw over 1 million Public Service workers in the UK strike over the outrageous cuts & readjustments imposed on us by Cameron's Government in their punitive attempts to reduce the countries financial deficit. You can read for yourselves how they want to hack into the services but amongst other things it would mean us working to 68yrs of age, paying more into our pension pot & receiving less at the end.
Now all this state of affairs we ALL know was brought about by corrupt greedy bankers who even now are awarding themselves bonus's of £8,000,000 in one instance. Capitalist bastards. Making money from our money & spending t on their lavish lifestyles.
At a march in Birmingham yesterday we heard from a care assistant in an old folks care home who said that she receives the national minimum wage £5 odd per hour. She said that she actually sweats whilst she works & if Cameron as his way she'll have to work until she's 68yrs of age doing this work.
Then Cameron says that the likes of this hero "has no right to bring the country to a standstill". What a nerve!!
I have no special grip against the Royal Family but didn't they bring the country to a standstill when one of them got married last April??? And who paid for that fiasco?

And now that prize prat Jeremy Clarkson: He came out & said whilst being interviewed on the BBC (who were conspicuous by their absence yesterday) that those who were on strike yesterday ".... should be taken out & shot in front of their families". How dare he! When his prat of a TV presenter sidekick Richard Hammond was involved in that near fatal RTA some time ago, it was thanks to them that he would have shot that put the fool back together, saved his life, nursed him, gave him physiotherapy, fed him, etc etc & did not ask for any reward nor praise (they didn't get either anyway). Think on Mr Clarkson. Think on.

Now Cameron tells us that his plans to cut the budget deficit were inaccurate. That it'll be another 5 years until the country is back in the black. He thinks(?) C'mon Dave...you an't got sa clue have you?
Surely the way to make money for the nation is to get people working again. We have youth unemployment in excess of 1.000.000-is to keep the retirement age at 65yrs old then the young would have jobs because people would be retiring. But if you don't let folks retire til their 68yrs old + then there are no jobs for the youth to go to....or is that too simple~??You tell me.

Food for the soul

2011-11-26T21:50:00.001Z

As I type I'm listening to Leonard Cohen. The lyrics of his songs are pure ambrosia for the soul they really are. His poetry strokes the heart & soothes my spirit on this cold, dismal Birmingham night,
The words of 'In My Secret Life' resonate within me, whilst 'Love Itself' awakens the slumbering romance in my heart that November as sedated. Wonderful.
The man is a gem, a genius & a gift to the spirit.
I recommend that you take a listen to (if not these songs) but to some of his other works. For I'm sure that you too, like me will be recharged & moved by the rhapsodist that is Leonard Cohen.

Can I share with you?....

2011-11-21T22:20:00.001Z

A short post (by my standards!), but tonight I gave a CD a spin which I ain't played for a while & realised just how lovely it is. So lovely that I recommend that you give it a blast to. Assuming of course you have it in your collection.
The music I refer to is Dvorák's 9th symphony ('From the New World'). Its truly lovely.
Apparently it was performed for the first time in the then recently built Carnegie Hall in New York in 1893.

Incidentally I ordered yesterday some stuff by the great Leonard Cohen-can't wait for it to arrive!!

November.

2011-11-20T21:36:00.002Z

The month of November causes me to feel flat emotionally & mentally. I have a feeling akin to not having any excitement, joy & energy sucked out of me, a metaphor for these feelings would be that I feel like a bath of water that is slowly draining of water. The warm & the bathing effect of the warm water ebbs away leaving the bath empty & cold (with the bath toys-rubber ducks(!) washed up on the bottom of the bath).
In Birmingham, November at the moment is dank, dismal, foggy ( or is that just my mood??) and covered in a thick layer of grey cloud. I try to tell myself that above that layer of greyness is a clear bright blue sky but its damn hard to paint that picture into my depressed cognition. The once golden leaves are all off the trees, lying strewn on the ground, wet, sodden memories of the summer gone.The trees bare, remind me of wire coat hangers denuded of clothes.

Outside today it was drizzling, people looked through each other, wore clothes the colour of which reflected their countenance & the weather.
I know all this sounds miserable, a scenario to sit at home with & listen to the great Leonard Cohen singing Joan of Arc. I don't know! However....Lets be optimistic... maybe I/we should see November as a period of calm before the storm of enforced joyousness that is Christmas. That time of complete financial & gustatory insanity. Maybe we should prepare for Christmas- for Advent appropriately & live a little bit more austere before we all go ape-shite at or around Christmas.
(Can you tell that at best I am a tad ambivalent about Christmas!??)
Charlie Coal has the best idea though. November to him is the same as any other month except that (as we speak) he's stretched out on the sofa sleeping dead to the world in the heat of the wood burning stove. Smart cat that lad!!

O well... toss another log on Woolley, make a cup of cocoa & put a Leonard Cohen CD on the player.
Happy November everyone!

The work

2011-11-07T18:41:00.000Z

I meant to post this on Friday last but i was tired out physically, mentally and emotionally. Not to mention that it took me almost one & half hours to drive the 9 miles from my work place home on Friday!-The traffic was awful , its just that the UK is too small for the amount of cars that people have with the majority of cars having 1 person only in them at peak times.
Be that as it may. I think now that I'm not working full time I feel more. I mean, that when I was working 40+ hrs weekly you get so caught up in the daily hassles, everyone's issues blur into one & you haven't the time to think & reflect. But now.... well I have the time to reflect upon the grief, the personal turmoil & torture that some of the individuals I encounter are or have experience(ed). And you know....these days I often feel overwhelmed with unhappiness after hearing & sharing their stories. A Kleinian like my Katie would call what I'm experiencing 'Projective identification' ,what ever. All I know is that the feelings I experience on a Friday evening after 2 days of work in a community mental health team are not pleasant & I often feel drawn to tears. But if I feel like this how do the poor people I have seen feel?
Some people carry so much upon their shoulders.....

Children & Family

2011-11-06T19:43:00.001Z

This weekend has been entertaining, joyful & has caused me to reflect on upon the era of our lives that Kate & I currently find ourselves in.
We took a drive up to Tadcaster in beautiful North Yorkshire stayed overnight with our daughter who married in 2010. We all went to the classic Leeds grand Theatre we we saw & listened to Toumani Diabate. He hails from the African republic of Mali & plays an instrument native to that country called the 'Kora'. It was a dream to behold & to listen to well worth the £15. Whilst there our daughter looked after us, cared for us, cooked our dinner & breakfast-altogether cared for us. I reflected upon the times when these situations were reversed. When as a child we cared, cooked for her (I guess we still do!) & when I sat up all night with her boiling a kettle of water to keep the atmosphere in her room moist as she had the croup. She was, is & will always be our little girl. But now this little girl is a woman, & caring for u, & teaching a class of (sometimes) unruly 13 & 14 yr old teenagers! Ah how time changes roles!
Then tonight, our baby-Esther goes out on a date with a boy! The last one of our children to begin their hopefully long & painless flight from the nest. I know that I am her father, & I'm biased but she looked stunning!! Have a look for yourselves people & please, please be honest. Do you agree? She has her moms good looks I reckon, but there's some little part of me in there somewhere to!

But: She's out at the movies as I type & I hope she'll have a great time and pray that she'll be safe. God help this guy if he breaks her heart! But in truth the reverse is more likely to happen!
What I'm trying to say is this..... that holding tight with loose hands is painful, difficult & reflective.

Rest In Peace

2011-10-30T20:20:00.000Z

This week end saw the death of one of a great British eccentric. He was a tireless worker for various charities & 'Fixed it' for lots of kids. I refer to the death of Sir Jimmy Savile.
Sleep well Jimmy.

A rant about cafe/coffee bars in the UK

2011-10-30T20:05:00.000Z

What is wrong with the Brits? please don't all shout at once out there, because I could spend the next half dozen posts telling you things which you may not have thought of as wrong with the Brits & our culture.
However there is one thing that really pisses me off BIG time.
Its this: I love my coffee, I love it black & strong, I like it at home & I especially love to linger in a cafe chatting with a mate or watching the world pass by.
But this is how it goes in the UK: You go into the cafe/coffee bar & have to queue up to order you drink at the counter, You stand there & carry it over to your table yourself & then the Cheeky bastards expect a tip or else there is a large cup placed nearby the cash register for the customer to put a tip in!!
Now tell me-what am I giving a tip for?? Its not for the privilege of being served at the table!
On the continent you sit down in a bar, cafe,or coffee bar & the waiter comes to you in moments to take your order & then returns with your coffee, whatever in a short while. But here in the UK its as if its a chore for the staff to serve you & that we (the customer ) should be damn grateful to be served at all.
Its happen twice to me in the last couple of days. I have incidentally tried just sitting down & waited for a member of the staff to come & serve me but only to be ignored.
Yesterday Kate & her friend Sharon were in a local cafe. They had two coffees, & Sharon ordered & ate brunch. They then sat there for some 45mins chatting. Then as lunch time drew near the waitress came over & asked them to vacate the table as they needed it for the lunchtime! WTF!! I'm sorry but I think I would have made a scene of this kind of very poor customer service. I've had enough of being taken for a prat.

Wockley est de retour de la France!

2011-10-23T21:34:00.003+01:00

Vernon Cathedral

Oui! I am! And what a return journey, what a lovely (though it was damn hard work) time we had.
I've eaten my first plate of Snails- Escargot- which were delicious served in their shells & swimming in garlic & herb butter. And en route home suffered a 3.5 hour traffic jam on the infamous M25 London orbital motorway which is surely the largest car park in the UK?)
Vernon is a lovely town, steeped in history, near by Monet's garden, museum & garden. I visited these & would recommend these as a must if any of you plan to go to France. Unlike the residents of Paris, the people of Vernon aren't rude. rather they are civil, they smile at you & are friendly & warm.
The worst point of the (working holiday) was the day spent at Euro-Disney. We took the 45 teenagers to that hell hole which at worst is akin to entering one of the 7 circles of Hell & at best 7 hours spent in one of the most surreal environments surely in the whole of Western Europe. The kids however were very well behaved & all turned up at the pre agreed meeting time in time for the return trip to Vernon.
I spent a wonderful day in Paris with my daughter & brought some nice clothes, ate some superb food & drank exquisite coffee. French home cooking served by my family-Pascal & Maire was beyond description.It was the closest thing to gastronomic paradise i think that I'll ever encounter.

I won't bore you any further with my rantings & raves about my love of France & all things of French, but I'll enclose a couple of photos of Vernon & may post a couple more at a later date.

.

france....

2011-10-12T16:36:00.000+01:00

From today til around the 21st October I'm off to Normandy in France. Last yr I went with my daughter, who teaches in York (of the Minster) & 30 odd (& 'odd' being the operative word her people!) 14-15yr old kids from her school & another school in York.
You know I'm sure I posted about this trip in 2010!) Whatever. I'll stay again with Marie & Pascal in the lovely town of Vernon, the trip is marred though by a day at Disneyland Paris which for me is like entering one of the 7 circles of hell. Still its a small price to pay for 8days of France.
I will miss Kate, Esther & of course Charlie Coal loads & I'll post again later in October.
Au-revoir fir now!

News on the Silver Dream Machine.

2011-10-10T09:51:00.000+01:00

'Esure', the company that insurances the Silver Dream Machine have decided that the aforementioned car ( BK 09 NLR) is repairable. I am happy about this. However, I have to say that the way that I, as a customer of 'Esure', have been treated by the company & by the garage that has The Silver Dream Machine in its clutches is appalling.
I have not received 1 telephone call from 'Esure' throughout the the time that they have had my car-I have had to make at least 8 calls to them since the car was recovered. I have attempted to phone the garage (on the advise of 'Esure') only to find that the phone engaged at 430pm continually until 5pm when it switched to answer-phone informing me that they were closed! Bastards!
I would strongly advise any potential customers of 'Esure' don't. They take your premium & that's it...."sod you" appears to be the attitude of the company towards its customers. I paid my premium of £350 (pa) for fully comprehensive, legal protection, no claims protection etc up front. Only to be disregarded & forgotten about when I needed the company to help me.
I phoned them again today at 815am & I was a bit assertive...."I WANT a courtesy car delivered to my home by 12noon, & I DON'T WANT a Ford Ka as that car is too small for me to climb out of" (I'm 6'3''). I also demanded compensation for the manner in which I feel that I have been treated-they have had my car for almost 2 weeks! they have agreed to pay me £10 per day, but are unable presently to state from what date.

I advise you people don't purchase insurance from 'Esure'.
O, & I ain't finished with them yet... but I'll wait 'til I get the Silver Dream Machine back......

The Silver Dream Machine

2011-10-04T14:50:00.000+01:00

Last Friday, (to quote the late great FDR: "A day that will live in infamy....") not only did I experience a stress ridden day on Duty, experience the full arrogant, omnipotence of the Home Treatment Team at my place of 'mindful caring', but en route home I had a smash (RTA) in my car-The Silver Dream Machine.
I unfortunately crashed at around 40mph in the arse end of a small Ford Transit mini bus. My poor Skoda suffered a dent in the bonnet (hood), cracked wind-shield, both air-bags were released, a smashed number plate & cracked plastic bumper at the front. There was little damage to the other guy & thankfully none of use were hurt. Coupled to this I lost my new mobile phone brought a few days earlier by my son-all my contacts are lost into the bargain!
I managed to drive to a local motel where the staff very kindly allowed me to use their phones & ultimately park my car up for the night. The AA said that it would be 4hours before they could tow me home/to a local garage & then charge me £108 for the privilege! (& I'm a member of that motoring organisation!) As it was I waited the 4 hours, got a cab home & got my car insurance to meet me on the Saturday & take the car to a repairer.
It pains me to write about the saga as I'm still having some minor flashbacks of the accident, but I know that its therapeutic.
So now I'm waiting for the car insurance people to tell me if the car is a 'write off' or that they'll repair it. This waiting adds to my sense of powerlessness & low mood. Though there is a sense of liberation in not having a mobile phone &, to some degree, a car at hand.. having said that its causing Katie alot of hassle viz a vie transport.
So: I hope on many levels that the car is fixable, please keep everything crossed for me (& the Silver Dream Machine!)

One lazy cat....!

2011-09-28T16:01:00.001+01:00

After a hard night in the alley,Charlie Coal is zonked on the most comfortable chair in the house.

Autumn Song

2011-09-23T21:13:00.002+01:00

Autumn Song

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf
How the heart feels a languid grief
Laid on it for a covering,
And how sleep seems a goodly thing
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

And how the swift beat of the brain
Falters because it is in vain,
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf
Knowest thou not? and how the chief
Of joys seems—not to suffer pain?

Know'st thou not at the fall of the leaf
How the soul feels like a dried sheaf
Bound up at length for harvesting,
And how death seems a comely thing
In Autumn at the fall of the leaf?

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

59

2011-09-21T15:05:00.003+01:00

I've now been on this earth 59years. My birthday was spent like a I guess a 59yr old grunter would spend his 59th birthday: I spent the day reading, listening to music, went for a cycle ride & later went for a curry at the wonderful 'Kings Balti' at the top of our road. Perfect idleness!
Now (as you might expect) there's a story surrounding Kings Balti:

The evening previously we called in & booked the table. I casually asked the manager if they would have any of my favourite Indian dessert-Ras Malai in. As usual he smiled & said "no Paul, sorry". (They never have it in, but their curries are the best for miles around with the exception of Saleem's on Ladypool Road-John in 'Oz will know both places).

Anyway,Kate, Esther, Chris & his partner Becci duly enjoyed our curries, As part of the usual game asked if they had any Ras Malai. With a smile the waiter said "no sorry sir". Then.... within 3minutes the manager appeared with a takeaway container full of the delicious sweet along with 5 small dishes!!

"these are on the house" he says. Well I was delighted-& he had no idea it was my birthday meal either!! The day was complete.
Incidentally, I I share the belief that growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional
Happy Birthday Woollie!!

Autumn

2011-09-12T08:54:00.001+01:00

I love all the seasons of the year, summer not to much as (when we here in the UK are lucky enough to have...) too much sun & the associated heat. I think now about my friend John in Australia, & I wonder if he experiences the diversity of seasons that here in England we joyously have. Sometimes we experience all 4 seasons in 1 day!! I reflect that now, as our leaves being to tumble down from the myriad of tree types in Highbury park, spring is approaching in Australia.
Autumn does however bring about a tad of sadness for me. I reflect upon that the year is drawing to its close, the green & the lovely bright colours in my garden will soon be no more, & I wonder what will be different next year?

I'm lucky enough to have a plum tree at the bottom of my garden & as usual now I have made jars & jars of golden plum jam which I'll give away to anyone who wants one(!). I still have lots of plums left-wind falls as well as those surplus that I've picked. I read a story some time ago about a group of railway engineers who were repairing the track in Nottinghamshire (or somewhere) & they came across a number of oldish apple trees along the side of the tract. They apparently wondered how come they came to be growing there,& it transpired that when the track was first laid by the Irish Navvies in the late 1890's they threw their old discarded apple cores into the grass...the rest is easy to see!
This inspired me. What I do is throw my windfall plums over the garden fence into the wooded area of Highbury Park where, I hope, they'll grow. Then, some years later-long after I'm dead & gone plum trees may grow & bare fruit! I can hear people now as they walk their pets thru Highbury Park-" I wonder how those plum trees got to grow their...? I've taken this one step further though: I've been collecting acorns, conkers-(Horse Chestnuts) seeds from some of the plants in my garden & I throw theses too into wooded areas of the park(s). I guess its debatable that I could be considered a hooligan, but I consider myself some sort of conservationist!
This morning we have strong winds that make the tall Poplar trees in the park dance & sway like drunken sailors dancing the Hornpipe, the noise of the wind in their branches sounding not unlike the roar of the sea. The weather man on BBC Radio Four tells us that here in the UK we're experiencing the 'tailend' of hurricane Katrina-great comfort to the poor birds who are being blown around the sky like ninepins! However it does mean that there are more acorns & conkers for me to collect.
Speaking of conkers.....I remember as a kid going around to the local Horse Chestnut tree armed with a couple of big stout sticks &, along with a a few other kids we'd throw these sticks up into the tree hoping to knock down a few choice conkers to play 'conkers' with.
We'd take the best ones home, either baked them after soaking them in vinegar then thread them on a piece of string to play 'conkers' with at school the following days. I note now that there are lots of conkers actually left on the trees. Kids are no longer throwing sticks up to knock them off & for this I blame 'Health & (bloody) Safety: Kids are now forbidden to play conkers at school JUST IN CASE they may hurt themselves! What shite!! To be honest I cannot recall any child that I ever played conkers with sustaining a 'conker related injury'-Ah, the good old nanny sate.....protecting you from yourself. Madness, sheer madness.
Still, whatever you do this autumn, I urge you to look at the colours, listen to the wind blowing thru the trees because despite all the brutality & unhappiness about us, its still a beautiful world.

Back!!!

2011-09-09T21:33:00.001+01:00

Wockley is back people!! I have a new laptop-sadly the old faithful died & was beyond repair & this new machine is very fancy with lots of new fangled things which I ain't got a clue what they do & a mouse button as sensitive as my mood on a cold Monday morning in January. Nevertheless I'm slowly getting to grips with it & I have (as you would expect!) lots to say on recent events in the UK, the world etc.
On a cheerful note, I'd like to report that me & Kate have just returned from a lovely week spent on holiday in the tiny Cornish fishing village of Newlyn. We stayed in a small self catering apartment overlooking the tiny harbour & had lots of walks, plenty of real ale in tiny pubs & good grub. Not to mention Cornish Pasties+++!
We saw wildlife in abundance ranging from seals, dolphins & all sorts of bird life.
The most memorable event was a theatre performance at the Minack open air theatre. This open air theatre has.has its backdrop the open sea & is perched precariously on the cliff tops with rocks for seats! Fantastic!!
We watched 'Fiddler on the roof' Truly memorable.
I'll bore you all later with a few posted photos.

A sick computer...

2011-08-23T16:13:00.000+01:00

I type this post on my daughters laptop. The other night my laptop suddenly burst into a chorus of whines & screams that sent poor Charlie Coal sprinting for the door! He though,t I guess, that it was the cat equivalent of the banshee, when in fact it was I'm sorry to report the death throws of our 3 yr old laptop.
I wanted, as a fully paid up & Mass attending member of the Roman Catholic Church to call Father Fitzpatrick to the house & ask him to administer said laptop the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. (The Last Rights to all you heathens out there.).
Kate told me to stop talking like a prat, & anyway, he'd probably tell me to "feck off" in his South Co Kerry drawl, which wouldn't matter cos I can't understand a damn word he says anyhow! But be that as it may, not even the Roman Catholic Church administers the Last Rights to computers these days.
So..... Its sick. Its in the menders hopefully undergoing surgery as I type. What I'm trying to say is that for the time being the world will be free of my rants etc cos my access to the net is limited. BUT....
I'll be back....

Fighting...again!

2011-08-20T18:58:00.002+01:00

Although I like dogs; in truth, I'm really a cat person. My earliest memory is of a cat my grandma had when I was about 4yrs old. I recall him being a ginger tom cat called 'Tiddles' & my grandma used to call him in at nighttime & generally fuss over him. granddad on the other-hand, being a pragmatic old Irishman, used to berate her for "fussin' over a bloody animal". Be that as it may, our earliest memories & experiences do determine how we behave, feel & express ourselves to & in the world. What we like, dislike, how we judge etc etc. (coincidentally, I guess I was lucky-my grandma though a bit of a 'live wire' as far as men were concerned(!), she was a firm Socialist in her beliefs & used to read me passages from Engels & Marx-none of yer Grimms fairy tales!) ANYHOW....I think that's why I'm a cat person. It has bugger all to do do with Engels & Marx though as far as I'm aware, but might explain my antipathy towards to right wing political parties.
Wheres all this leading too?? I'll tell ya:
Kate has said for a long time that she believes that Charlie Coal is a bit of a bully (my post of June 9th 2011)-he often arrives home with wounds which have been caused by ?fighting? Well, the other day Kate actually witnessed him 'in action'. There is a house down the street with at least 5 cats & Charlie was noted to be seen chasing some of them under parked cars, hissing & growling whenever 1 appeared, attempting to throw a vicious right hook at 1 & Kate witnessed him literally rolling in the gutter with another! Kate attempted to stop the brawl but without success
Charlie it appears is the Jack Johnson of Westfield Road, HE is the bully &, as I suspected, a pugilist!
But I love him to bits. Bless his little, furry, pugilist paws!
Kate swears that she'll not fund the vets bills should he sustain a wound though. Charlie is, what what we used to call the tough kids at school, a 'hard knock'!

Ginger beer

2011-08-15T23:01:00.003+01:00

I've always been into ginger beer. As a kid I used to buy the odd bottle from the 'Alpine pop man' who used to drive around the area delivering fizzy pop to whoever.I considered it a sign of affluence if a family had the 'Alpine' man actually deliver pop to the house. Sadly, my mom & dad either were skint, couldn't be arsed to have it delivered or (most unlikely!) thought fizzy, sugary drinks were bad for kids.
Anyway; I made some the other week but being a big city boy now I decided to enter the premier league of ginger beer & make it alcoholic. So I added to the mixture fresh yeast. Kate was anxious that I didn't cause an explosion in the house ,& insisted that I release the pressure on a twice daily basis. The smell from the cupboard which houses the central heating boiler was at times overpowering-a yeasty, gingery smell that on reflection was cruel to Charlie the cat (his bowl was adjacent to the cupboard) & the smell made him run out of the kitchen when I opened the screw lid of the bottle(s).
The day dawned last Saturday for the sampling & we took 2 bottles (4 litres) of the magical elixir with us to 'Lahore Karachi' Balti Buffet restaurant on Ladypool Road. Lovely!
As usual I got it all wrong.
You see, this restaurant is a buffet restaurant & you can eat as much as you want for the princely sum of £8.95p-BUT:- I see this as a CHALLENGE NOT AN OFFER..... & I left with a sore gut, full bladder & spinning head from the ginger beer.
The ginger beer was I believe, 4% alcohol content-& it was gorgeous!
As I type I have another 6 litres on the go in the home brew bucket my friend John Middleton gave me. Incidently, I am attempting to increase the alcohol content of this 'vintage'.

Who needs the 'Alpine 'man!!

My last rant on the recent UK riots & looting....honest(!)

2011-08-11T19:33:00.005+01:00

So the looting & rioting appears to be on the wane. Those arrested for the outrages include a 19yr old millionaires daughter, a classroom assistant teacher & some 11year old (budding) psychopaths.
I hope now (albeit that I'm pissing in the wind!) that Cameron , his Judas catamite Clegg & George Osborne will look again at their plans to cut the police budget by 20% thereby reducing police on the beat numbers by approx'100,000 officers.
Cameron et al say that even despite the proposed cuts there will still be enough police officers to patrol the streets & afford the public protection. HA! Last night (fair play to Cameron) he did "flood the streets of Birmingham with police". What he didn't disclose (but the Chief Constable of the West Midlands force did) was that the West Midlands police were supplemented by police from West Yorkshire constabulary & from the Strathclyde force in Scotland! Oh & we have enough police to keep our streets safe do we? Whilst West Yorkshire police are down her looking after us Brummies the Tykes in Yorkshire are running wild.
Cameron, you have once again demonstrated that you are a prize Prat.

Now I have a thought about those yobbos who robbed, mugged, smashed & looted:
I'm a great fan of restorative justice. If we consider that university students have to pay upwards of £5000 for tuition fees whilst studying & most are left paying back their student loans way into their late adult life, then those thugs who smashed & destroyed our cities should be made to pay back in money for the things they smashed & stole. If they were 18yrs or under then I believe that their parents should cough up the bill.
Everyone's talking of "their rights..." well, with Rights comes responsibility, & these bastards have demonstrated that they are not responsible so therefore they deserve no rights. Make of that what you will. Harsh maybe but....
Its all about accountability.

Goodnight all!

North/South divide

2011-08-10T10:20:00.001+01:00

Its long been said that there is in the UK a divide between the South & the North.
Northerners berate those living in the South as wet, soft & to some degree posh, whilst those living in the South accuse those in the North as being thick, stupid, slow witted & backward in life style.
Where exactly the North ends & the South begins I'm not too sure, but I have heard that the City(?) of Watford marks as being the beginning of the South. Personally I think the South begins at just outside Coventry & thus everything North of that is...North!

My point is this: Last night the Government flooded the Capital (London) with over 16,000 police. Needless to say there was little or no civil disturbances. These police were drafted in it appears from other forces the length & breath of England. Perhaps as a result of this depletion on police number elsewhere to secure London, there were riots & looting's last night in most of the major cities of England, including 3 men killed in my home city of Birmingham.
There we have it: The seat of Government has to be guarded. The rich, money centre of the nation must be wrapped in a blue cotton wool whist everywhere else can go to hell. The news caster on the BBC Breakfast News announce with a smug smile that "...due to overwhelming police presence there was little or no disturbance in London last night..." I'm alright Jack bugger everywhere else.
The North can burn the South must be saved.
But I would remind those money making centres in the south that it was on the backs, blood & bones of the former industrial North that you made your money....& then your bankers subsequently broke the Country throwing millions into unemployment.
Sadly, I don't think that the "North will rise again" (with apologies to those in the Southern States of the United States!)

Looting & rioting across the UK.

2011-08-09T13:28:00.001+01:00

Everyone who has eyes to see must by now know that since last weekend across the U.K. there has been rioting & looting carried out for the main part by young people. This criminality (as its been described) has blighted London, Bristol, Liverpool & last night my home town of Birmingham.
I have many feelings & thoughts about these events to be honest.
I believe that these thugs are completely out of order in robbing local corner stores, mugging other citizens & breaking into private residents & robbing the occupants of their belongings. Inflicting physical harm to others is also unacceptable. My heart goes out to the police who, like the 'lions led by donkeys' of the Great War (1914-1918) had to stand their ground whilst having rocks, petrol bombs & sticks thrown at them.
On the other hand; I believe that what has happened over the last few nights are/is the fruits of past & present UK Government policies in respect of education, job creation & training, economic policies, housing provision, welfare benefits etc etc.
Looking at the news footage it would appear as though the looters/rioters were all teenagers, they stole material things (mobile phones, plasma TV's, etc). I'm willing to bet that 99% of these looters/rioters were unemployed, not in any form of education, or at best in school, but were none achievers requiring 'special need' education.
Cameron recently cut/stopped 'Educational Maintenance Allowance' so these disaffected young people have no incentive to stay in education, train for a job, or improve their numeracy & literary skills as well as get a few academic qualifications. They see that others in society have material things & they want them-so they get them anyway they can.
For every 1 job in the UK there are apparently 8 people chasing that job. What chance has a scruffy, inarticulate, poorly qualified young teen got in getting that job?
They have nothing to lose in rioting & looting. They know that the courts are lenient in their handing out of punishments. They are aware that the prisons are overcrowded. They have nothing to do, no prospects so there you are...the fuse is lit....the bomb exploded last night.
As I said I feel for the police. What a job they have. Cameron has returned from his hoilday in Tuscany & has said that the "streets will be flooded with police this evening" Bollocks Cameron.
In London last night there were police from the Met'. The City of London police, British Transport police, Kent police, Sussex police to name but a few forces helping out the hard pressed Met'.
Let us not forget that Cameron has cut police numbers & by this time next year there will be 100,000 fewer police on our streets. I am told by a would be recruit to the West Midlands police that he was told by the personnel dept that NO police forces in England are recruiting at the moment & that this lad has been told he has to wait at least 5years before he can apply!!
Chickens coming home to roost or what Cameron? You have at least 2 coppers on your doorstep don't you Dave?!
Then there's a smug neighbour of mine who, (in his posh Southern accent), denies that there are no problems within the present system, & that the army should be employed on the streets to crush the rioters/looters who are nothing more than thugs, wasters & dossers who don't want to work after a lifetime of dysfunctional behaviour at school. But I think that he's forgetting that all out troops are employed in an unwinable war in Afghanistan?? And that all that might be true, but these same "thugs etc" tend to come from poorer families.

Its grim though & its sad.

What goes around....

2011-08-03T15:54:00.000+01:00

....comes around or so the saying goes.
A couple of months ago a lady down the street who lives alone was having an Asthma attack. The lady is now estranged from her family following her taking them in from the streets. In return for this act of kindness they robbed her & old her stuff to buy drugs-nice guys-I think not. Any way there was no one to help when she was experiencing the Asthma attack. Kate &^ me met her on the street in a dreadful state as she was attempting to get to the local A&E dept. We took her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital & stayed with her 'til she was stabilized & then took her home. We thought nothing of it, its what we should all do for each other ain't it.

Anyhow. I've been meaning to buy me a hose pipe to attach to the outside garden tap to water the flowers for MONTHS but its always been near the bottom of my list of priorities. Instead I make 1/2 dozen trips back & forth with the watering can. So Imagine my delight when I met Kathleen on the street whilst I cycling home today & she presented me with a lovely , brand new 'Hozlock' garden hose! I am delighted!!
BUT: Here's the fly in the ointment: The tap I have outside is so old that the fitting on the hose won't fit it & they no longer make a suitably sized adapter. Bugger!! My friend John at 'York Supplies' (hardware store) hunted deep in the bowels of his shop for a suitable adapter but to no avail & said that my only recourse is put a new tap on. Simple!!? Is it hell as like. I did this, forgot to turn off the stopcock for the mains supply before removing the old tap & was hit with a forced jet of cold water in a place where it was bloody painful. There was water all over the place, it was like a scene from an old silent movie!! My daughter was in fits of laughter,Charlie Coal ran down the garden like a greyhound (dog) out of a trap & I was soaked to the skin. Kate won't be too amused when she see the water splashes on the windows either!
But what the hell. Thank you Kathleen, not only have you given me a lovely hose, but you've also provided me with an afternoon of fun.

Post script to the previous post

2011-08-02T12:29:00.000+01:00

I hear from UNICEF that approx' 4,000 children a day are dying in Somalia. This isn't, (contrary to popular belief) widely reported.

I noticed the headline on (wait for it......) The Sun 'newspaper ' on Saturday last which read 'Woman goes to bed as a 30 year old & wakes up 15' Jesus Christ & all the Holy Orphans just what the feck is going on & is wrong with &/in the UK? On Sunday I noticed a headline which read of a 13year old boy had been killed by his 'X-Box'. "Bloody hell!" I thought, that awful, thinking that the machine had fallen on him from a great height, or that he'd been a victim of abuse or attack by muggers or burglars throwing the gadget at him or him defending his property- (the aforementioned X-Box. But no.....the guy had developed a Deep vein Thrombosis as a result of playing excessively on the 'X-Box'.

Whilst any loss of life is a tragedy, the first word that comes to my mind is "Twat!" What was he thinking of to allow this to happen? But that's it...he wasn't thinking .But my point is: Is that all the 'reporters' of these newspapers believe to be newsworthy?

And then at Mass on Sunday there was not one prayer mentioned in the 'prayers of the faithful' for the victims of the famine in Somalia. I'm alright Jack, bugger you.

Famine in the Horn of Africa

2011-07-28T21:50:00.000+01:00

Seeing the images of starving people, children, emaciated, dying upsets me, makes me angry & causes me feelings of impotence at not being able to help the situation.
I hear the news on BBC Radio 4 say its due to climate change & poor harvest yields but I have my doubts on this. Its my belief that there is sufficient food available. This line, this rationale, is put out by the same people who caused the present crisis throughout the world by their greed & speculation:The bankers.
Now however the bankers have, I believe caused this crisis, this famine by their gambling on the food & grain harvests & supplies. Thus; they have sent the price of grain rocketing sky high whilst they, the affluent bankers, make a handsome profit & the poor subsistence farmers of Eastern Africa can't afford to buy the grain.
Hence we have a famine.
Have you ever seen a poor banker?? I thought not.

Too soft?

2011-07-25T17:30:00.001+01:00

My maternal grandfather (God rest him) was a wise old Irishman from Co Westmeath Eire. His (& mine) claim to fame was that his brother John, was a celebrated author & playwright whose pen name was Brinsley MacNamara. Anyway enough of that. My point here is this: He had a saying that he used when he felt that someone was being taken advantage of & it was..."(so & so) would stand for the three card trick".
You know, I think that that applies to me.
I'm too soft, a mug I let people especially family walk over me. They get away with blue murder, they & others are all too ready to give their opinion on what I'm wearing, reading my choice of music etc etc. Where as I never pass any opinion on any of those topics to others. Maybe I was brought up to well mannered, or I'm shy, I don't know.
What comes to mind is my sister in law, who. upon reflection as a paranoid persecutary personality (but is that justification?) openly mocked & criticised a book I was reading to my face in front of others. (the book was one of a trilogy about Julius Caesar & his relationship with Marcus Brutus, the Roman Civil War etc. A lot of the story was poetic licence granted, but I enjoyed them greatly.) I stood & tried vainly to explain my reasons why I liked the book & so forth, but these also were put down. Now I think I should have told her-"Look ******, stop being such an ill mannered arrogant snob & fuck off.
In fact I think there are lots of people who rile me & I should tell them exactly what I think,maybe tell them to shut the fuck up or to fuck off.
I'm tired of being taken for a mug, a fool and..."standing for the three card trick" So.......

Aching and sore all over!!

2011-07-25T00:21:00.001+01:00

Against my better judgement & after weeks of 'persuasion' from Kate I finally got round to sanding down the floorboards in the front & rear lounges.
So....Along with Jim-my next door neighbour we I shared the cost of hiring a sanding machine, an edging sanding machine & various sizes & grades pf sandpaper. Jim sanded his rooms on Friday, and the plan was for me to sand our the following day. The scene was set then on Saturday morning for the job to begin. I tried, God I really tried to procrastinate, postpone & generally avoid beginning the job, but after dropping the car at the garage for a minor repair, returning home I found Kate had my work clothes, & cup of tea waiting telling me " OK love you ready?"
So the torment began. The sanding machine weighed like Mr T, & like the aforementioned man of steel it had a mind of its own! It was the devil to steer as I attempted (using all my limited strength) to push it back & forth along both lounges. The noise was horrific-(fortunately I had some ear defenders) but the dust... a sandstorm in the Kalahari desert must resemble my home! It was bloody everywhere. (as I type its still in my ears).
The edging sander was/is a complete waste of time as it is heavy. It was so ineffective that I ended up using my electric hand drill with sander attachment to do the edges of the rooms & the bits the large machine left undone. The jobs were finally completed after the best part of 11h rs-with a break of 30 minutes for a sandwich at lunch time. So there we were at 850pm-showered, knackered, aching and gasping for a beer.
Upon reflection that people was the final blow & the cause of my present pain & discomfort.
Today & now every bone & muscle in my 58yr old body aches & is crying out. Pain grips me tighter than a Scotsman holding a £10 note.Waling is a torment, I'm walking around like John Wayne with diarrhea.
Kate says that I can varnish the floors next week!! But I seem to recall that slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833! I don't think Kate realizes this, & to be honest, I ain't brave enough to tell her at the minute. Give my body time to recover & I'll varnish the floors. And then??-?I've gotta paint the hall way & the stairway to the loft conversion.
But for now I can't even think about that torment, my mind is occupied with the struggle I'll encounter in climbing the stairs to bed. Bring on the Paracetamol !!
Good night from a sore and aching Birmingham

Phone hacking, resignations & public enquires

2011-07-20T21:47:00.000+01:00

The phone hacking outrage has not yet it appears, reached its conclusion and sadly (for some people affected by it) the repercussions continue.

Paul Stephenson, the Police Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has resigned, whilst the arch demon in all of this Rupert Murdoch claims he "has never felt so humbled" & yet he denies ALL KNOWLEDGE of the scandal & refuses to accept any responsibility for it. Instead, he throws hundreds of people on to the unemployment lists, whilst he & his silver tongued son glibly talked their way through the latest House of Commons enquiry. The bullshit however was brought to a pragmatic climax when the hero of the hour threw a custard pie at Murdoch Senior! Brilliant. Only then did Murdoch's child bride throw a punch at the poor assailant-Great street theatre!!
I feel for the average copper struggling to keep law & order on the streets of London. How their morale must have suffered by the slur that has been levelled at them in the bribes stories. The scapegoat in all of this is their boss Paul Stephenson who courageously put his head on the block & resigned his job.

I can't help though reflect on the banking crisis. I ask you...how many bankers have resigned their jobs as a result of the debacle in the financial sector??
While I'm at it how many politicians have resigned as a result of the Iraq war?
On a lighter note I think that we should have a Commons enquiry into the number of Commons enquiries!

The News of the World, phone hacking etc...

2011-07-08T21:42:00.001+01:00

So this weekend will see the last ever (supposedly) edition of The News of the World. Quite honestly its not a loss to either the greater world of media nor to the UK.
Since its its inception that 'newspaper' has not given its readers 'The news OF he World', rather it illustrated numerous stories of women being assaulted, photos of boobs & backsides in equal measure & celebrity gossip. It was/is in short gutter press.
But the nail that finally sealed its fate was the disgusting, callous phone hacking. It appears as though Andrew Coulson et al apparently sanctioned the hacking into of the mobile phones of the families of deceased soldiers, the phones of at least 2 murdered teenagers and God knows who else in a wicked attempt to gain a story at any cost. The editor & his staff also apparently paid money to the Metropolitan police to obtain tip offs of juicy stories.
It appears to me that the motive for the unforgivable actions of Coulson et al is quite simply money. It sold newspapers to those sad people whose sole purpose in life is to immerse themselves in the misfortune of others & who gain some perverse satisfaction gazing at the naked breasts of some celebrity.
Silent on the whole issue so far is Rupert Murdoch. I will say no more about that.
I wonder though just how wide spread is this unruly action-the phone hacking? Consider: Rupert Murdock's news empire (News International/News corporation) has tentacles in every continent-Its my belief that very soon we will hear that there has been phone hacking in the United States.
But for the present all is not lost; to those sad individuals who morn the passing of the rag, I say this in way of 'reassurance': I predict that the 'newspaper' will be relaunched-it'll be a Sunday version of its sister daily rag-'The Sun'. So the sad perverts still win.
For me though, I have lost all faith & confidence in all newspapers.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

2011-07-07T19:12:00.001+01:00

Last night/early morning I have the sad misfortune to pay a visit to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital's accident & emergency dept with one of my close family. I feel now that I must comment on the service that we received & observed whilst there.
Everything that is excellent & praise worthy about the UK's National Health Service was in evidence last night. Patient care was & is magnificent. Staff-from the cleaners to the consultant in charge of the department were courteous, professional, empathetic & kind. Nothing was too much trouble. We we made to feel as if we had actually paid big money for the service. My family & I were offered refreshments, accorded total privacy in a clean, clinical yet relaxed environment.
When my family member was transferred to the ward where overnight stay was arranged, the standard of care did not lessen.
Birmingham and The UK should be rightly proud of our National Health Service. We must not allow any government to dismantle it and/or sell it off to the private sector.
Thank you NHS & thank you to everyone at Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

A solution...??

2011-07-06T11:06:00.000+01:00

If any of you guys out there have a spare 15-20 minutes going spare on Wednesday afternoon I urge you to tune into BBC Radio Five Live-check it out via the wonders of the Internet.
You'll hear what sounds like a cattle market. Bedlam, a bunch of moronic hoodlums shouting the odds at one another & getting paid very handsomely for doing so. Frequently Cameron when asked a question says something like " I refer the question to....." God alone knows what he's on about, but it seems to me that's it a way the bastard has of avoiding answering the question.
So.... how about this suggestion: In an attempt to prevent this I think that at the\beginning of 'PMQT' goats-at least 6 should be released on to the floor of the chamber of the House of Commons. Members of Parliament-especially Cameron are then to be FORBIDDEN to referring to them EVER.
Can you imagine it-all these goats milling about the chamber of the house? Nibbling at the fixtures & fittings of the seat of Government. Wonderful! All the twats who are supposedly the representatives of the people paying no heed to the them with the goats periodically butting the odd MP. Brilliant!!

Bombardier of Derby.

2011-07-06T10:50:00.001+01:00

Bombardier train makers in Derby have been making trains, rolling stock etc not only for the UK, but for the rest of the world for almost 100 years.
They put in a tender to make trains for 'Thameslink' -London's light railway. This tender was worth apparently £1bn for the company & would have secured jobs for not only the City of Derby but also for the various component manufacturers scattered around the UK.
Sadly, in the face of similar tenders from Germany & France, Bombardier lost the contract. It was awarded to Siemens-a German company. They will now have the contract to make the trains & rolling stock for Londons' railway.
Crazy. Totally crazy.
In awarding this contract overseas Bombardier have been been forced to make 100,000 of its employees redundant-not to mention those from the component companies. The Honorable Vince Cable- the Coalition business secretary has quickly 'leapt to the defence' of Bombardier employees by blaming the policies of the last Labour government! What a cop out!
In Germany & France apparently they have some sort of a law that compels companies to chose tenders submitted by companies from their country especially if the tender is for good to be used in their own nation. But not us, O no.
While I'm at it I must comment on what the leader of Her Majesties Opposition has said about the scandal: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. As leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, is about as effective as a chocolate fireguard. A waste of time. Ineffective. Why hasn't he launched into the ineffectiveness & impotence of the Government in its sacrificing of British jobs? Why??-because he is a closet Conservative.
The whole situation stinks.
Cable, Cameron & Miliband should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

Wimbledon 2011

2011-07-04T10:12:00.000+01:00

I not a fan of tennis. Never have been. I have memories of it when I was a kid of it being a game for Toffs. All that strawberries & cream served throughout the games not to mention the strange scoring system. I hate the bloody game.
But now its over for another year-thank God! What seals my dislike for the game is the rewards gained by the winners of this sport of toffs. The winners of the women's & men's singles each net a prize purse of (wait for it....) £1.6million GBP.
Now that is totally immoral &, in my opinion unjustifiable. When we consider that there is a famine going on in the Horn of Africa with thousands trekking miles for water & dying daily, how can we in the west live with ourselves? Its shameful. Western decadence at its worst. And its not limited to tennis alone. All sports appear to be dominated by money, money, money.
I used to as kid go to watch Aston Villa FC, & I still look out for the results of their games but there is no way I could live with myself knowing that the shower of shite who call themselves 'professional footballers' take home sometimes in excess of £200k a week.
Today I feel saddened.

Network rail....more excuses

2011-06-29T17:28:00.000+01:00

We were fortunate in the UK the other to experience summer. It was lovely, the mercury in the thermometer reached a dizzy 29degrees C! People walked about in shorts & shirt sleeves, the cat, (God help him in his black fur coat) spent most of the day stretched out under a shady shrub in the back garden. Cool lager and salads were the order of the day.
But not for those poor sods who had to travel via train. As usual the trains weren't only late, they were (lots of 'em) cancelled. Now in the autumn Network Rail cancels trains because of leaves on the tracks (honest, no shit). In the deep mid winter they cancel trains because either the points are frozen or their is snow on the track. (you do find that in winter in the Northern hemisphere strangely enough)
But the reasons for the cancellations last week were the best yet. Network Rail announced that they....."were forced to cancel trains because the overhead power lines were either melting and at best wen't functioning correctly..."
Brilliant!! I have to ask though what happens in places like India were summer tempetures are in excess of 35 degrees C?? As far as I'm aware the trains continue to run.
Network Rail...get yer act together!! We pay a small fortune to use your third world service the least you can do is give us a service &/or offer us a plausible reason why you can't.

The Public Service strike on June 30th-comments made by Francis Maud M.P.

2011-06-27T18:20:00.000+01:00

Our comrades in the teaching and public service unions are going on strike on June 30th. They're striking because Cameron & his Judas catamite boy plan to increase the amount the workers contribute to their pension and for teachers increase their retirement age to 68years of age.
I listened to Francis Maud, Conservative member of parliament for Horsham, on BBC radio 4 this morning, and quite honestly what he said he said like a utter twat. He wants teachers to work til their 68yrs old, said he is concerned about the effect the strike will have upon single parents and here's the best...he said that parents could work voluntary in schools on the day of the strike.
OK. Let me deal with his points one by one: He said that teachers should work 'til their 69yrs old. My daughter works in a jungle of a secondary school in inner city York. She leaves the school at approximately 1645hrs (the kids leave at 1530hrs) She spends this time at school doing work she is unable to do during the day. She has to meet with colleagues, act as a social worker for those kids with special needs & family issues as well as deal with dysfunctional parents.When she gets home she has marking, lesson planning etc to complete. By the end of the week she is shagged out physically, emotionally & intellectually. She is not alone in this either.
Can you imagine how a teacher are going to feel by the time they reach 68yrs old??!!
Secondly, its very heartwarming to here Mr Maud expressing concern for the plight of single parents-the bloody hypocrite! His Government is the one that ACTUALLY CLOSED CHILDREN'S CENTRE'S.
Finally; is Mr. Maud for real?? Bring parents into work voluntary when the teachers are on strike? I assume of course that every parent who chooses/offers their services will be in possession of a full CRB (criminal records bureau). I think not. Its a paedophiles dream come true!
Mr. Maud you're a plonker.
Power to the people!!!!

A poem of W B Yeats

2011-06-23T21:24:00.001+01:00

WHEN YOU ARE OLD

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Further evidence of the 'Nanny State'

2011-06-22T20:57:00.000+01:00

As if we needed further evidence that the 'nanny State' is alive & well look no further than than the esteemed College of Psychiatrists who, in a report today, announced that people over 65yrs of age should limit their alcohol intake to 1 half pint of beer a day for men & women.
Now come on lads..... When your 65 a number of factors have to be considered: Firstly when you've reached 65 years of age & worked (if you're bloody lucky in this country) you should be entitled to a binge at least weekly! Secondly, there are a lot of people (65yrs & under) who (& I'm aware its a bad choice) use alcohol as a mask to hide from the shit life that the Coalition Government /the bastard bankers have gotten us into.

It our choice. If we wanna pickle ourselves in a lake of booze then its our call.
Typical of this Government-Protecting us from ourselves.

Fathers Day #2

2011-06-21T13:49:00.001+01:00

Fathers Day came & went. The kids treated me to card, dinner out & a cookbook from my daughter in Yorkshire. However my opinion of the memorial day remains the same though.
If I sound bitter perhaps I am; a bitter, grumpy old man. Having that knowledge saddens me abit to be honest. I shouldn't be to be fair. I have a home-paid for, 3 loving children & no great money worries in a land beset with debt & unemployment.I have 3 children all in full time employment so...
But if I might be permitted a moan.....Retirement, (even though I'm only 58years old) hasn't turn out what my idealistic head & heart thought it would turn out to be. I'm working harder than when I was in full time employment. I work 2 days weekly in payed employment & spend the other time caring for my dysfunctional mother. Mind you, I learnt so much about her of late-her personality, her relationship with my father, her mother, & my brother & me. I've discovered that I was 'given away' as child to my maternal granny to replace an illegitimate son killed in the Birmingham Blitz of 1941. How does that cause me to feel??- Confused, bitter & explains to me why I feel very alone at times.
Mom seems to have a degree of developmental (nutritional) mild learning disability, deprived of certain nutriments as a young child, which is becoming more obvious now she is elderly. I reflect upon my growing years with her & I can see the signs now.She presents some personality disorder traits. That's not as bad as it sounds folks, cos' its my belief that WE'RE ALL on a line of personality disorder(s). Some of us more extreme & dysfunctional than others.
I'll end of this note then.... how many of us can honestly say that we are happy & satisfied??.

The Birmingham Blitz

This made me chuckle

2011-06-21T13:21:00.001+01:00

http://youtu.be/h6CcxJQq1x8

For anyone who likes cats I think this TV commercial will give you a chuckle too!

A Rant

2011-06-18T18:14:00.003+01:00

Just in case any of you readers may have forgotten I would respectfully like to take this opportunity to remind you that I am a 'grumpy old man'.
The object of my grumpiness at the moment is that money making scam known as 'Fathers Day'. This weekend in the UK sees the 'celebration' of that same racket. Its all bullshit in my opinion. Along with its sister racket/scam: 'Mothers Day'; I believe its a money making racket for card manufacturers, florists, confectioners, & anyone else involved in the cheap tacky gift business. People drive (thankfully my kids aren't in this category) miles to spend a few hours with their parent(s) on these days, & then, job done, they might not bother for the next 12 months! I have observed that florists put up their prices on the week approaching 'Mothers Day'. Bastards.
Its a racket. An opportunity for insincerity, & i cannot bare insincerity.

More shite on the TV.

2011-06-17T22:00:00.000+01:00

I had a chuckle tonight. My sense of humour is at best a tad bizarre. At worst sick.but just a few minutes ago I saw a commercial on the TV that is totally bloody stupid, daft & I guess stereotypically racist in its portrayal of a Spanish male.
Its advertising kitchen paper towels of all things-called 'Plenty'. Its set at a wedding & someone spills some wine. Panic ensues when... BANG! A guy appears dressed as a matador, wiggling his arse in tight pants saying that "Juan Sheet can clean up..." But the way he says "Juan Sheet" it sounds like "One Shite!"
Bullshit.

See what I mean? Or am I overreacting?

Public service pensions

2011-06-17T21:49:00.000+01:00

The latest offering of crap and plan designed to drive the proletariat further into the ground was issued from the gobshite Government was revealed today:
Today they announced that those who work in the public service areas (except police, military & fireman) will have to work up to 66years old whilst at the same time pay more into their monthly pension. At first glance you might think....so? That's fair & OK ain't it?
But no: Those who work in the public service are frequently engaged in stressful, demanding jobs. And whilst as a 25 year old an individual can daily cope with the pressures & stresses of dealing with psychopaths, would be suicidal patients telling you that they're gonna top themselves, or staff in general medicine dealing daily with blood, gore & vein s in their teeth, as a 60 year old I think it might not be so easy. You just ain't got the stamina as a 66year old as you have when you're 26years.Fact.
Come to that, if Cameron & the other prize twat want to reduce youth unemployment surely you needs jobs for them to go to?
But if the jobs are full of old grunters like me there ain't gonna jobs for them are there??
Well thought out Cameron.

Ryan Giggs

2011-06-13T10:12:00.004+01:00

I reckon its legally safe now for me to speak openly about Ryan Giggs. Mr Giggs, for those of you who are blissfully unaware, is a soccer player who plays for Manchester United (spit, gob!) & Wales who is at best a bit of a philanderer, and actually (if those excuses for newspapers 'The Sun' & 'The News of the World' are to believed) one dirty, sexist shag happy git.

Up at my local mini mart -(Rupri's)- yesterday,treating myself to a couple of cans of 'Abbot Ale' (a reward for having coped with my mother for a day & night) there on the counter was the 'News of the World' sporting the headline boasting (I think?) that 'Ryan Giggs is the father of my illegitimate baby'. No doubt another enterprising young tart had spotted yet another gap in the Giggs saga & had jumped on the band wagon & had made a few bucks. I say bloody good luck to her!

Every day last week though there was a copy of 'The Sun' in our office, & it sported a different headline daily concerning the aforementioned Ryan ( the bastard shagged my doberman) Giggs. You could be forgiven that there is feck all else going on in the world-is there a war in Afghanistan?, a revolution in Libya?, Are people being slaughtered out of hand in Syria?? Does 'The Sun' & The News of the World' give a feck anyway???-Apparently not. In their opinion all the great British public are concerned about are the bed hopping antics of Ryan (the bastard shagged my great, great grandmother) Giggs.. What do you expect though??-Both rags are a Right Wing press who believe that the less the working (?) man/electorate know about the real world the better.
Yet I sense an opportunity to make a quick buck though. And why not??! Today I can announce that "I was date raped by Ryan Giggs in 1954". Look out for this story in all of the tabloid rags coming soon to a newsagent shop near you folks! The fact that I was only 2 years old at the time, & that Ryan -(I caught him with his cock in our fireplace-he thinks he's fucking grate!)-Giggs wasn't even born then, has bugger all to do with it.

BUT: You know, who really gives a flying feck about what, whom & how Ryan Giggs lives? As long as I don't find him actually shagging on my doorstep causing me to trip & fall over him & his flozzie, I don't bloody care!!

My cats a pugilist!!

2011-06-09T22:09:00.000+01:00

I had a serious talk with Charlie tonight. Fresh from my rant about Cameron et al I was not up for any of his nonsense.
You see he's bee fighting again- in fairness he's better than he was last night when he didn't budge from his bed & hissed at me when I attempted to tickle his ear. ( Years ago there were some women who would swoon were I to tickle their ears (honest)! LOL!
Anyway, in the UK you're charged £46 ($33) for an antibiotic jab & £20 ($10) just for the privilege of a vet looking & treating your cat & insurance companies won't pay out for cat fights. So I told bucko that he had to rely on whatever natural immunity he had to heal himself. He looked at me as if my trousers were undone at a wedding as I ranted at him as he lay supine on his bed. " you gotta put a lid on this pugilism Charlie, who do think you bloody well are Mike Bloody Tyson?" "You ain't mate, you've had your bits cut off, you're furry & cute & Kate's giving me a hard time so you are NOT going out to play tonight-not to fight you ain't!"
Then I melted, give him a fuss, called him for supper & told him not to behave like a tit & if he did get ill I'd pay more money than I have sense to get him well.

And Charlies response??? He smiled slowly with his eyes. Ahhhh...

If you ever doubted it.....

2011-06-09T21:21:00.000+01:00

If any of you readers of my humble ranting blog ever doubted that our Prime Minister & his catamite Judas sidekick Clegg are completely & utterly out of touch with what is REALLY going on in the UK, & how their extreme political policies affect the man in the street. Then I suggest you watch his shite for brains speech in response to the Archbishop of Canterbury's spot on comments today.

Cameron said (amongst other Homer Simpsonesque comments); that "...it is right to take people off benefit, and get them back to work..." D'oh!! But Cameron...... there ARE NO jobs out there you twat! Your policies have caused numerous employers to close, make thousands of people redundant whilst at the same time encouraging companies to move their business offshore.

By the way folks: I went for a spin on my bike tonight. My bike proudly sported a sticker that said.'Assembled in Britain'. I felt sick. That's what British industry has come to-one giant assembly line.
Sad. Thanks Messrs C & C.

But on a lighter note... The 'Big Lunch' Kings Heath

2011-06-06T11:25:00.002+01:00

Our street got together yesterday as part of the national 'Big Lunch Day' And it was not only a success, but a good crac. The road was closed to traffic, lots of people cooked- & we all had a shared table. There were games for the kids, live music,drink of course junk etc for sale & sunshine!
The beauty of my street is that its so multi national. We have people from all corners of the world living here together in peace. So...we had some wonderful national traditional dishes brought to the table(s). We had French , Polish, Indian, Pakistani, Jamaican, Irish, English , Afghan, Kashmiri & Greek food sharing a place as, in the same way we, the people of Westfield Road share our street & add to the colour & spice that is Birmingham.

A Workers right...R.I.P.

2011-06-06T11:02:00.002+01:00

Today Cameron & his Judas sidekick Clegg showed their true colours & intentions. They today bared the birthmark of right wing Conservatism.
Nor content with a pay freeze for public service workers, bullshitting the country with the their 'Big Society' doctrine-which is really another way of saying to the population that "you're going to put up with fewer nurses, less provision for the elderly, dirtier streets, larger class sizes,increased waiting time for hospital admissions, more people sliving on the breadline "....etc etc. They announced to day that they plan to go one step further than the terrible dragon Margaret Thatcher did in her persecutions against the working person. Cameron et al have announced that if the Trade Unions go on strike later this year aginst his imposed cuts in public service he will make it effectively illegal to strike. (he has actually said that a Trade Union must prove that they have had 50% turn out in any ballot for a strike).
God, Cameron the terrible dragon would be SO proud of you you smug smooth arse hole.

Not that their are many 'workers' left mind you, the Government has seen to that, & at the same time reduced all & every state benefit. And what has the Lily livered Milliband et al said about this? Naf all. Nowt. Sod all. Nothing. Resign Milliband & do the working person a favour, let someone else do the job. (but who??)
However, we have a war & the Olympic Games so that's OK then ain't it?! These pointless & expensive pastimes take our mind off the real world don't they?
Incidentally. My belief is that we all have only ourselves to blame for either voting for Cameron/Clegg or worse still not voting at all in the General Election .
RIP Workers Rights.

Advertising & toilet rolls.

2011-06-04T15:02:00.000+01:00

Those of you who read the rants etc that I post on this blog will be familiar with my rant a few weeks ago about toilet paper. In that post I ranted that how absurd I believed it is that we are encouraged by advertisers to spend a mint on 'soft, quilted toilet paper', when all we do is wipe our backside on it then flush it down the pan.

OK, get this: I saw a commercial on TV last night which had Labrador puppy dogs playing musical instruments, relaxing in a supposedly 'gentlemens club' & smoking Havana cigars! What were they endorsing??....Toilet rolls!! WTF!! The commerical continued & showed us that we could ,(if we were insane enough in my view)-buy the afore advertised (soft) toilet rolls printed with coloured stars on. Jesus Christ on the mountain!. The world has gone totally crazy. Half the world doesn't have enough to eat, young people of all creeds, nations & religions are being killed in their thousands weekly in wars & the 'Third world' is chain to a debt imposed by us the 'First world' And what are we encouraged to think about & spend our frozen salaries on???...pretty patterned loo rolls. Bullshit!!

But can anyone tell me please....What have Labrador puppies playing musical instruments, relaxing in a 'gentlemans club' got to do with the softness & effectivness of shit house tissue?

I ain't gotta clue but I'm sure someone out there has.

Frustration!!!!

2011-05-30T21:38:00.000+01:00

God I'm getting cross!!
I have just seen Cat Chat with Caren & Cody's post of the cat singing Star Spangled Banner (totally brilliant by the way)- I wanted to post a comment but when I try I'm met with a drop down menu of things which may as well be in Serbo-Croat as far as I'm concerned cos I ain't got a clue what the hell they mean! Then when I take a guess I have to keep signing in to the Blogger website-shite!!
And that's not all: Today's is a bank holiday over here, Its almost June (high summer) and the bloody temperature is 11 degrees C! Now come on God....stop messing about, get yer act together & send us abit of sunshine or I might just turn up late for Mass next Sunday morning!! O & could you please stop the rain??? Please....

The dirty rat....

2011-05-25T21:52:00.000+01:00

If I or anyone else needed evidence that Charlie Coal is over his recent dose of illness it was provided by the aforementioned cat on Monday last. And it was a treat to behold.
our garden backs onto a railway line-not a major one-it runs to Mid Wales from Birmingham so we on;y get small trains. On the the other side of the track (as it were!) is Highbury park which was the former estate of Neville Chamberlain. Anyhow...
...There I was on Monday sitting relaxing, reading my book, listening to some Lightin' Hopkins when II hear Charlie miaow. In he saunters with a live rat in clutched firmly between his jaws. The bloody rat was squeaking and wriggling its legs in an attempt to get away! Dear God!! Charlie looks up at me as if saying "here you are mate, this is by way of saying thanks for looking after me when I was sick..." I couldn't be cross at him. BUT...Kate would have a blue fit if she'd seen it. So very gently I said "thanks Chas', but no thanks " & I motioned that he take it outside & do what he would like to do with it.
He did fortunately...he dropped it, played with it & then half ate the dirty rat. After he had finished I shovelled up the remains of the poor vermin & flung it over the railway where it was no doubt finished off by the 1455 from Birmingham to Taly-Bont!
Apparently, here in Birmingham we're told that we're never more than 15feet away from a rat/ (some look more human than others in my experience!). Evidential.....
On a serious note I read somewhere that when your cat brings you a mouse, bird or rat, its because he can't understand just why you don't hunt. What he's doing is saying "look this is all you gotta do, its dead easy....look!"

But be that as it may, it was so pleasing that Charlie is back to his old self.

This week....

2011-05-20T22:21:00.001+01:00

The week is almost over now. Its Friday nite and I'm sitting here suppin' a pint of Guinness. Wonderful. Today was the quietest day that I've spent manning the duty 'phone for years! I completed 1 assessment of a a sad young man and received only 3 fax referrals from local GP's. Normally, its akin to an actor appearing in the play Macbeth to say the name 'Macbeth' for a nurse to say that a shift is "quiet". This is usually the kiss of death & the catalyst for all hell to break loose! But today was the exception. Lovely.
I arrived home to find that the workman had completed the installation of the wood burning stove we are having put in the front room. Better still, the mess left was less than I expected.
Further good news is that Charlie Coal is almost back to his old self. As I speak he is playing with a small leaf on the floor beneath my feet! Its a treat to see him on the road to recovery it really is.
Finally Kate returns tomorrow from her week away looking after her 96 yr old mom in Belfast. I'm so looking forward to her return and to hearing all her news from the family in Belfast.
All we need now is for a sudden, unexpected cold front and snap to descend on Birmingham & we can then spend a cosy nite around the fire with a nice bottle of French red wine.

The British: By Ben Zephaniah

2011-05-18T11:32:00.000+01:00

The British

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures

And let them settle,

Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years

Add lots of Norman French to some

Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans,

Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese,

Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians

And Pakistanis,

Combine with some Guyanese

And turn up the heat.

Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians,

Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some

Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese

And Palestinians

Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish

Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future,

Serve with justice

And enjoy.

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.

This poem I think should be about my city-Birmingham which is home to so many colours, languages & nationalities all existing (for the main part anyway) in peace & harmony.

I'd like to show you these....

2011-05-17T14:14:00.001+01:00

I gotta say that I think that the guys who put together the layout of this blog etc have done a good job.
I mean, I'm not the bright pebble on the beach when it comes to working with & operating computers, so imagine my surprise when messing around with my last post (rant) I discovered some photographs that I'd taken August 2010, at my eldest daughters (Claire) wedding to Ed in Dingle-southwest Ireland.
Thus; I'd like to bore you all senseless with two of my favorite photos of the day. One is taken on the beach where the film 'Ryans Daughter' was filmed-(but I guess that your all to young to recall that film) & the other was taken outside the church-St Marys' RC in Dingle.

I know that I'n biased, but I think she is beautiful.
Ahhhh....!

Personal choice......?

2011-05-17T14:02:00.001+01:00

I went back to my family doctor again this morning. This was a pre arranged appt booked to once again take a blood specimen to check out whether I was diabetic or not. Apparently the last 2 fasting results were 6.2mmol, which I'm told ain't good.
So. I fast for 12 hours, awake & without my beloved home made rhubarb & ginger jam on crusty bread & cup of Earl Grey tea, cycle up to see the gorgeously stylish nurse Erica. She then tells me that she ain't gonna take my blood but rather leave it 'til the autumn. Now I can forgive nurse Erica anything- not just because she is so stylish, but also because her body language is relaxed & she has time for each patient. However today she annoyed me a little.
So I had no blood taken. But then she tells me that although my blood cholesterol is "ok & respectable", my HDL's are too low & she launches into this spiel about how & what I should eat if I want to live to a ripe age & avoid this & that bloody illness.
Theres much too much of this sort of shite flying about this country in my opinion. I was ona train recently & was tiold not to leave "my valuables on the train & please ensure that I've taken all & every bit of my luggage" What the hell??!!! They are MY valuables & its MY luggage-if I want to leave it on the train I'll bloody leave it!! The lovely nurse Erica is feeding me the line she has to I know- she is an agent of the 'Nanny State'-where the state does everything (including think) for you. Its all about control I reckon-call me paranoid but....
If I wanna have a heart attack by the time I'm 60 then its my decision. If I don't wanna have treatment for the aforementioned MI then its my choice ( I would like to however at this moment in time anyhow!)
Its the same when we travel on aircraft. We're told to "pay attention whilst we instructed on how to put on the life jacket. Feck off!! If I don't wanna wear one I won't! & don't tell me to pay attention-I had enough of that when I was at school.
There you have my rant for today people.

However, I am a little disappointed that I won't see nurse Erica until September though!!

Charlie Coal

2011-05-14T23:44:00.000+01:00

I am very pleased to write that the health of Charlie is improved. Though still having analgesic drops in his food daily, not jumping up on to the window sill to watch the world go by, Chas' is happily walking better & lets us stroke his back where previously it was sore for him.
I sense that he isn't totally recovered, & I wonder if its the painkillers that make him sleep more than usual (especially during the daytime). What I do miss greatly is him not jumping up onto my lap as he used too for a fuss, but I hope & pray that he will begin to once again enjoy the activities that he formerly used to.

Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts & prayers for Charlie.

Cameron, Clegg & the NHS reforms

2011-05-09T19:52:00.003+01:00

It would appear as if the prime Minister David Cameron might be finally seeing the light. Following his proposed reforms to the National Health Service, his partner in crime Nick (the Judas) Clegg has, it seems had an attack of 'sour grapes' prompted I think, by the Lib-Dems atrocious performance in last weeks local elections, & their failure to persuade the electorate to change the voting system in the UK.

Clegg (remember he is supposed to be running the country along with Cameron) spoke out & criticized Cameron & the proposed reforms in no uncertain terms.

Now to you Mr Cameron I say this: Clegg is a weak willed, inexperienced politician, but above all Mr Cameron he is a Judas-today's comments by him prove this I think.

I rest my case.

This is the limit!!

2011-05-09T12:05:00.004+01:00

We all to a drive up to see Claire (my eldest daughter) in Tadcaster (Yorkshire) yesterday-Sunday. as it was her 30th birthday.

Aside of forgetting the Sat Nav', getting lost, & returning to Birmingham via the counties of the East Midlands of England- Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire & skirting thru Leciestershire, via the loathsome town of Grantham (remember thats where Margaret Thatcher hailed from) but, we all had a lovely day in the warm sunshine of rural Yorkshire. Wonderful.

But then: driving thru the lovely olde English village of Wetherby I drove into a pot hole that was the depth of a lunar crater. It jarred our bones, I lost a hub cap off the rear wheel, not to even think about whatever damage occurred to the suspension of the 'Silver Dream Machine' -aka my Skoda Roomster.

"Right then, the bastards" thinks me, having just payed £210 ($105) for the 'privilege of driving/keeping my car on the public roads I'm gonna sue the bloody council for damages to my car. However first we all had our lunch & only 1 beer in an idyllic country pub. So en route back to Claire's house we stopped with the intention of taking a photo of the hole. However: The bloody thing had just been filled in!! The tarmac was still wet & warm. Bastards!!I can't still believe it! How come??

It just ain't right nor fair. I believe some local resident witnessed the event & came out & filled the hole with a handy bag of redi mix tarmac they had in their shed. Very kind for those motorists who might do as I did but to late for me.

Sods law I reckon. But I had to laugh....

My Cats a junkie!

2011-05-07T20:31:00.006+01:00

I took my (still) sick cat Charlie to the vets again today. The vet was lovely, she had a melodious Scottish accent that made everything seem better & if if she were to practice CBT, her voice would bring about an orgasmic distraction.

However I stray past the point.

The point is that Charlie is very sick, I actually shed a tear yesterday when I looked at old photos of how he was pre illness. He avoids us, he hisses & growls when we go near him, generally its very, very disturbing & we all here at number 104, have a strong feeling of impotence about his illness.

Anyway, Moria, (the lovely vet) gave us 20 minutes of her time & lovely accent. Sadly I don't think Charlie appreciated any of this , well would you if you had a thermometer stuck up your arse & had your legs, spine etc twisted this way & that? No I think not. I think though she found the trouble.

When she felt his spine he almost climbed the wall. She thinks that he may have either an infection in 1 of the discs in his lumbar vertebrae or he has bruised that part of his vertebrae where she felt. This might have been caused by the big bully cat who lives 4 doors up fighting with, & jumping upon Charlies' back. The vicious bastard!

What can we do/has been done?

Well she has grounded Charlie for 5 days, he had 2 injections-I of Metacam-a feline painkiller & another of a stronger painkiller. He also has to have 0.05ml of the aforementioned painkiller put in his grub daily til' we return to see the lovely Moria next Wednesday.

Since the injections poor old Charlie has been completely off his face! The poor fella is totally spaced out on painkillers. Having said that he looks much less tormented by pain, & allows us to stroke him. And, like any cat of mine, he still manages to make it to the kitchen to eat his supper! That's my boy!!

Thank you to St Gertrude of Nivelles & St Francis

We wear the mask....

2011-05-07T10:24:00.004+01:00

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

We Wear the Mask

WE wear the mask that grins and lies,

It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,

And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,

In counting all our tears and sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, while

We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile

Beneath our feet, and long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

The Tiger

2011-05-01T23:13:00.002+01:00

THE TIGER

The tiger, on the other hand,

Is kittenish and mild,

And makes a pretty playfellow

For any little child.

And mothers of large families

(Who claim to common sense)

Will find a tiger well repays

The trouble and expense.

Hilaire Belloc

The price of love??

2011-04-30T19:54:00.003+01:00

As you know Charlie my cat is sick. So this morning after being greeted with a couple of hisses & a spit ( my usual foreplay from Kath) I took him to the vets again.
The poor fella, I wish he could speak with me & tell me just what it is that's troubling him, I feel utterly hopeless in my attempts to help him. Taking hold of him by the scruff of the neck I gently put him in the cat box & went to see the unfortunately named Dr Fox (the vet).
Once there Charlie was inspected, injected & then rejected (in a manner of speaking). He had his leg prodded,tummy felt for lumps, his balls felt & the final indignity-a thermometer stuck up his arse.

All it appears was/is normal. The possible conclusion was that (as usual) his sickness is possibly due to a fight. He may have a would that is infected ? on/near his back thigh that is infected under the skin-ugh!!
Anyways, he was given an antibiotic injection, a script for some more analgesics & the instruction to bring him back in 2/52 for a blood test.

Then.....as if in an act of passive protest Charlie pisses on the floor of the examination room!! Thats my boy!!

All this cost me £53.60p....but there is no price on love is there?

A couple of rants & a catch up.....

2011-04-28T21:07:00.002+01:00

Me & Kate went down to London this week. We got the coach & went to the Tate Modern art gallery & had a delightful time. However the day was a tad marred by by the crowds-thousands of people appear to have flooded into the city for the bloody Royal Wedding. Outside broadcast TV trucks were all over the place, portaloos seemed to be literally growing out of the ground in readiness for the urinary & faecal needs of those plebs who are foolish enough to give up their time to watch this the royalist of marital fiasco's. Crazy.
Me? I don't give a tinkers cuss about the wedding. Its on every TV station from first thing in the morning, it seems as if the whole of the damn country has gone mad. To be honest I'd sooner stick a hot poker up my arse than watch it.....I have no interest, though I do wish the two of em good luck

To a worry I have: I am quite worried about my cat. Poor Charlie has lost his joie de vie, he's not jumping onto the window sill anymore, walking slowly & winces each time I stroke his right rear thigh. Bless him, he's still eating though. I took him to the vet, his TPR were OK (this was last week) but I got some painkillers for him. They appear to help a little but he's still in pain-he hissed at my daughter a while ago when she stroked his thigh. I don't know whats amiss with him but I'm taking him back to the vet on Saturday morning. Watch this space.

So now its Syria that's in turmoil.
People are once again dying. Being slaughtered by their own despotic leader while the world gazes passively on. Tell me then, why is the world doing nothing, why are the rich nations of the West intervening & coming to the aid of the populace of Syria? Simple.....There's no oil in Syria.

Back to the Royal wedding folks: I see that Prat Cameron has withdrawn the Syrian ambassadors invitation to the wedding. Crap!! What a pathetic gesture from a sexist, patronising Prime Minister. Moreover, if we were to do this with any morality, the invitations open to other nations in the world who oppress their citizens should be withdrawn. I'm thinking of Saudi Arabia-who have invaded Bahrain & govern their own people with a cruel despotic hand. But there again, Saudi do supply us with Oil-we don't want to upset them do we??? What hypocrite's we are aren't we!!

I won't bore you any more people, and if you are watching the wedding...don't mind me, I'm a grumpy old man!

What is the point?!?!

2011-04-12T22:27:00.003+01:00

This evening I saw a commercial on television that caused me to question the sanity of the average UK shopper.

The commercial in question was advertising toilet paper. The stuff is apparently quilted & "extra, extra soft...." The commercial features a cuddly bear wrapped in the stuff. It really is total crass.

For God's sakes its toilet paper... its for wiping your backside on. save your money & the planet people, buy the (much) cheaper stuff cos after all it only gets flushed away.

Spring morning in Birmingham

2011-04-04T12:54:00.004+01:00

The air outside in my garden is still this morning. Bright yellow Daffodils announce to the world that new life was being born again, & theres blossom on the plum tree at the bottom of the garden. But today is chilly at 9*c, the sun hiding its face behind grey clouds while the nuthatch goes about his business; nest building, & teasing Charlie. I've seen two new birds in the grey sky this morning. They weren't nest building though. They are a dull colour & their song chills me to the bone. They prey on the maimed, the scared & the traumatized. They song is mournful as their wings beat the air of south Birmingham. One of these birds is called 'The Merlin' -not the stuff of King Arthur is this wizard though, rather its an army helicopter carrying yet more wounded & damaged young soldiers to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Close by in attendance is its sibling the Chinook, the thud, thud, thud of his wings rhythmically seems to cry "prepare the sick beds for the damaged souls that I hold in my belly". And then the beasts disgorge their victims leaving them to the physicians to attempt a healing. Then the birds fly off to search for more prey. Today spring is monochrome & has a song of pain & sadness about it. Stop this war now!! Cull the Merlin & Chinook.

Cameron, I think I have it sorted for you.....

2011-04-04T12:39:00.002+01:00

I'm not sure about the UK et al involvement in this Libya thing. I reckon that we hear propaganda from all 3 sides in this conflict. I do know that each time a Cruse missile is launched it costs £3,000,000. That is just about money to keep me supplied with Abbot Ale for life. (just). Seriously though, what the hell is going on here? Cameron & his Judas catamite Clegg announced that they plane to scrap so many RAF fighter bombers & squadrons the other week. But Dave I got an idea!!! Ok, so we need planes to bomb the world & Gods Mother over there in Libya. We ain't got those planes. Sooooo..... why not spend a few bob & hire some Ryan Air &/or EasyJet planes to do the job(s) for you? Job sorted Dave!

Me......? Clumsy??

2011-04-02T10:33:00.003+01:00

I'm a bit ungainly I'll admit.....6ft 3ins, weight about 14stone, 33'' legs , size 12 (UK) shoes & if all that weren't enough I'm as blind as a bat-short sight. The odds are stacked against me I'm sure you'll agree people. But honest I don't deliberately set out to reek havoc & leave a trail of destruction wherever I go, its not my intention to leave in my wake a scene that resembles the the turmoil that the tornado left in Moseley a few years ago. I recall a sad, shameful 'situation' a few years ago when I was a CPN based in Stechford. As be my usual wont I walked in a some dog turd. I then trailed the offending shite, (complete with horrendous smell) throughout the building. The whole damn building stank like a Parisian sewer. My mate & colleague John, with the honesty & (?) tact that is peculiar to those former residents of East London said something like "Facking 'ell Woollie wot you walked in?" He then pointed to all the debris left on the carpets throughout the base. The shame of it. I then became known as 'Captain Cack'. Anyhow. Yesterday was as you all know April Fools Day. And in true to form the Gods sent me trouble. Going into base I tripped head first over a paving slab, tore my trousers & bled my knee. You know theres something about taking a tumble in public ain't there? You feel a total prat don't you? You look around to make sure that NO ONE saw you trip & fall. & then you pretend that you ain't hurt. You could have broken your leg in 1/2 dozen places but fuck it, you get up PDQ & dart off to where you gotta go. Then..... Preparing the interview room to assess a patient I attempted to put a battery in the clock. The clock came off the wall, dropped on the floor, the glass broke & I left a dirty great hole in the wall where the screw once was that secured the clock to the wall. As luck would have it Robin (my manager) is very sympathetic & understanding. So ended April Fools Day 2011. Oh, my shoes?? Their knackered. Then soles come off the left shoe.

Twelve Months

2011-03-31T19:43:00.004+01:00

Today is my 1st anniversary of me leaving full time employment. I know its a cliche, but the year has flown by. It really has & left in its wake some memorable events.

My daughter married, my wife achieved a MA & is in the throws of offering private therapy, I've returned to work on a part time basis, thanks to 2 new friends in Vernon, Normandy I've grown to love France & all things French even more & lots of other things that I won't bore you with!

Last Saturday I went on the TUC march in London-fortunately I didn't witness those psychopaths who reeked debacle on the streets of the capital. Their actions achieved nothing except alienating those of us who want fairness, equity & an end to the destruction of British society that Messrs Cameron & (Judas) Clegg are reeking & they reinforce the belief held by those who regard anyone who disagree with the establishment as anarchists.

But back to the anniversary. I began a 'new' job. I'm on the 'nurse bank'-ie I work temporary in a department of my choosing. I'm working in a Community Mental Health Team-2 & 1/2 days a week, 1/2 day as a community psychiatric nurse with 3 patients on my caseload & the remaining 2 days manning the 'duty' or crisis telephone. This suits me fine. I'm being paid as a 'band 6' nurse & I know the team. BUT: the irony is that I'm based in the office I left 1 year ago! This feels strange, very strange. I never dreamed that I'd return to that office. I didn't like it then. It was thrown together, a disorganised hooch potch put together by a manager who's remit, it has now become apparent, was to hasten the dismantling of the 'Gateway' service. However, now the environment is warmer,& the manager knows what he's about-even though he supports West Bromwich Albion & is crazy about heavy metal music!

Happy anniversary Woollie!!

Libya & the 'no fly zone'

2011-03-20T13:17:00.002Z

I have to say that I agree in principal with the response of the UN to the crisis in Libya. The establishment of a 'no fly zone' with all that that involves will not only give the population some protection from the despotic Gaddafi, but will also hopefully give him & other despots the message that the world will no longer put with genocide.

Who am I kidding??!! I believe that the motives of the 'West' are purely selfish & motivated by the Wests insatiable thirst for oil.. The West in truth don't give a flying fuck for the Libyan populace in their struggle for democracy-the West wants to ensure that who ever 'wins' in the conflagration will still provide them with oil. Plain & simple.

Now, apart from being a fully paid up member of the cynics club, how do I arrive at this conclusion?
Simple dear reader-What did the West do when Robert Mugabe was reeking havoc in Zimbabwe? When the population were literally dying in the streets from famine brought about by his crazed economic policies, when his henchmen were murdering anyone who dared to voice opposition to his regime?
Nothing. The West did sweet sod all. And why??? Because Zimbabwe has not got any oil.
What did the West do in Ruanda? That country was torn apart by genocide but the West did nothing. Why? Because there was no oil.

And what is the West doing about the despotic regime in Saudi Arabia? Nothing. Because they supply the West with....you got it....Oil.
By the way...ask yourself why did we really go into Iraq???
I won't bore you any further.

UK Government Policies re retirement & pensions

2011-03-17T21:56:00.004Z

Its almost been 1 year since I retired from full time employment & the last few days I've been reflecting upon these last 12 months. I'll try to put the thoughts in some sort of order (that, in itself is a laf-as order & Paul Woolley are not words that don't often go together!) & I'll attempt to submit then on this blog in a day or so. Anyway, to the point. I've been thinking about with UK Government's current policy as regard retirement & pensions for those retired. It seems as though Cameron (the prat) has, or plans to increase the retirement age to up to 70 years for men. At the same time I note that the number of unemployed has, for the 3rd successive month increased. Now I ain't the brightest pebble on the beach, but look at it this way: If you increase the retirement age then those already in work won't be leaving, so..... there won't be jobs for those leaving school, college etc etc. Now does that add up or what?? The young jobless will (as they are doing now) go into further education-ok. But then Cameron puts up tuition fees to £9k pa for students. What a wanker that man is! He dismantles the NHS, the armed forces-scraping jet fighter Squadrons of the RAF-he then wants a 'No Fly Zone' in Libya (yeah...) I won't bore you with the rest. What a mess.

Further proof....

2011-03-07T15:08:00.002Z

As if any of us needed further proof that bankers, ( who got us into the present financial pit) don't give a damn about their customers or the nation as a whole comes today when Bob Diamond the chairman (in greed) of Barclay's Bank awarded himself another bonus.

This time he awarded himself £6.5 million ($10.5898 million ). At the same time loans for mortgages & to would be businesses have been refused.

And what does Cameron have to say about this??? Nothing. And why should he? No doubt Mr. 'Greed' Diamond is a member of the Conservative party. This despite Clegg saying that if elected he'd cap the bankers bonus's. Crap. Another broken promise.

In fairness to Mr Greed other CE's of banks have all have enormous bonus's awarded:

Bob Diamond, Barclays (chief exec since Jan 2011): £6.5m
John Varley, Barclays (chief exec until Dec 2010): £2.2m
Stuart Gulliver, HSBC: £5.2m
Stephen Hester, RBS: £2m
Eric Daniels, Lloyds: £1.45m

All this is going on whilst front line nursing staff are being made redundant, petrol is in excess of £7 a gallon-$11.4044, state benefits for the disabled are being slashed & the West Midlands has the highest rate of under 18 (yrs of age) unemployment.

Say no more.

The people of Barnsley shout it loud!!!

2011-03-06T13:37:00.005Z

Proportion of the vote in the Barnsley by-election

I see that this week the good electorate of Barnsley shouted out with a loud voice what they thought of Judas Clegg & his bastard Conservative coalition.

In the local by election of Thursday last Judas Cleggs Liberal-'Democrats' finished 6th-even way behind the Fascist British National (Nazi) Party. Well, what did the prat expect? Does he believe that the British public are totally stupid? Yeah, I know he fooled alot of the electorate in the last general election but the worm is turning. He betrayed the country on so many levels not least by his reneging on pre election promises- bad move. Equally bad move - joining with the loathsome Cameron & his gang of thugs in the coalition.

I was never so happy when I heard the Barnsley result:

Proportion of the vote in the Barnsley by-election

Dan Jarvis (Lab) 14,724
Jane Collins (UKIP) 2,953
James Hockney (Con) 1,999
Enis Dalton (BNP) 1,463
Tony Devoy (Ind) 1,266
Dominic Carman (Lib) 1,012

This is taking the piss......

2011-03-01T18:40:00.003Z

This post/rant fully illustrates the point(s) that I mad in my previous post. If you'd care to 'google' the name of the above gentleman-Ashley Cole-you'll get the full story.

But if you don't feel so inclined.....The above fellow plays 1st team football (soccer) for Chelsea Football Club. He earns (wait for it....) in excess of £160,000 per week.

The other day he took an air rifle into the clubs training ground & shot a young 'work experience' lad. He didn't kill the lad fortunately but nevertheless...

Anyway Mr. Cole was not charged by the police he was fined two weeks wages by the club. And the lad who was shot?? Nothing. Not even an apology, not a free ticket to the next game, nothing.

Mr.Cole can well afford £132,000-the money stays in the clubs coffers anyway. Far better if they'd donate the money to a charity or give it as a good will gesture to the victims family.

There appears to be one law for the celebrities of this world & another for us, the plebs.

An opinion that some of you might not agree with....

2011-02-28T21:32:00.005Z

I'm watching BBC TV this evening. Some of the stuff they put on is utter shite, crap that makes me question my licence fee. However, now & again they screen a classic period drama that is pur art.
Not so this evening. 'Crimewatch' has been on. This is a police produced programme where unsolved crimes are aired in the hope of bring the perpetrator to 'justice'.
Quite honestly the programme is horrific. It interviews victims of rape, brutal theft & the the relatives of those murdered. The programme doesn't spare any adjectives, its awful.

We heard of the cruel brutal rape of an innocent 20yrs old woman, the mother of a man murder sobbing as she told how her life has been ruined since her sons death, how a 86yr old resident of a care home had her bed set on fire which subsequently led to her death & of a 14yr old school girl raped in her own home.

And whats done to punish moreover act as a deterrent to the evil persons who perpetrate these crimes?? Very, very little.

My view is that the punishment should fit the crime. Any man who rapes a woman or who rapes another male should be emasculated-their bollocks should be cut off. Murderers should serve LIFE in prison. This sentence should reflect the damage they have inflicted-no TV in the cell. No daily newspapers, no mobile phones, 3 visits allowed per yr. Locked up for 20 hrs daily. They have rejected the 'norms' of civilsed living by their actions, so therefore they should 'live' according to their own code of morality.
I would bring back the public stocks so that the thugs who ruin the lives of others could be publicly humiliated. No mercy- what mercy was shown to the 20yr old raped by the piece of gar.bage who acted upon guttural sexual lust?? The bastard who murder the 86yr old in her bed??

Then the those who commit crime should be made to face their victim & look face to face the damage they have done, the scars that they have inflicted upon the souls they have regarded with such contempt. (This is of course assuming that the victim wishes to see again the scum who violated their life)

It sems to me that crime is paying, that a large proportion of society have no or little respect for either the rule of law or for others & do what the hell they like when they like.
Its time we took back control of the streets.

Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.