Half way through, Ghurkhas and Bright Eyes

30 June 2013

A short one today - I have a lot to do ...

Here we are; half the year gone already; we're on the downward slope now to Crimble and New Years Eve.  I've had the an idea that maybe this year we might get away for New Year and I've found a hotel on the Isle of White that fits the bill.  We'll see later.  But doesn't time just fly by?

Yesterday we rode into town for a few hours.  I'd forgotten all about it but the local retired Ghurkhas had organised something for Armed Forces Day.  I hadn't realised just how many Ghurkhas there are in Dorktown.  Gamecock Barracks is situated about five miles from town and whichever unit is stationed there, they always get fully involved with the town.  At the moment it's 30 Signal Regiment, and they have a strong Ghurkha element within it. 

Jan ended up kicking herself cos she didn't take her camera with her where as I always have one with me.  I got loads of photos of them dancing in the street.  Even so, none of those are my start shot of the day.  Dorktown has a wildlife rescue centre based here too.  Being a charity dependant on voluntary contributions, whenever there is anything going on in town they are there as well, hoping for funds.  Yesterday they had a barn owl and this beauty ... 

on display; a long eared owl!  Can't add him to the year list though, but what a shot!

Funny time ...

Today is Happy Wife Day
Always Love Wife.
No Life Without Wife.
Remain Loyal and Faithful to Wife
Keep Wife Happy and Satisfied...
Never Mind whose Wife......:-)        

The cost of justice, a long way to fall and a new book

28 June 2013

Warwickshire County Council is at it again!  In 2005 the Warwickshire Justice Centre was built in Dorktown at a cost of £13 million.  The idea was that the one in Dorktown would serve the north of the county while the one in Leamington Spa would serve the south of the county.  Now it seems that the courts here in Dorktown will soon close to criminal cases and all such cases will be heard in Leamington.  What a horrendous waste of public money! 

The cost to the public doesn't stop there though does it?  When this crazy idea starts all accused persons will have to travel to Leamington meaning a two hour return journey at a cost of £8.70, without the costs of getting to Dorktown station.  I haven't found any bus ticket prices.  To drive is a 40 mile round trip.  Add in the parking charges too and the cost increases.  Of course it's not just the accused is it.  The same prices will apply to witnesses, and remember, expenses can be claimed back.  So what is hope to be a cost saving exercise is likely to cost much more!

Ian Brady appeared at his recent appeal by video link; the two accused men held in connection with the murder of the off duty soldier also appeared by video link.  In the same news broadcast it was announced that the government was planning to do away with all paperwork connected with court cases and have high speed access to all the documents through computers.  This idea isn't just about saving money though, no. it's also about speeding up the whole process of justice.  Far too much paper work slows it all down so why not get rid of it all?  Good idea eh?  I won't hold my breath!

Today's photo ... 

is part of Bempton Cliffs.

And today's funny ...

A man goes into a Barnes and Noble book shop and asks the young female clerk "Do you know the new book out for men with short penises? I can't remember the title."
She nods and says, "I'm not sure if it's in yet."
The man said, "That's the one. I'll take a copy."       

The BEEB, tennis and fuses

27 June 2013

It's that time of year again folks!  Silly tennis coverage on telly will play havoc to the BEEB's schedule.  I'm not interested in the tennis itself but I know that are a lot of folks who are. so I don't begrudge them being able to watch it.  I do get angry though when the BEEB starts playing silly buggers with telly shows during this two week period.  If a game is still going on coming up 6pm they will switch coverage of the news from BBC1 to BBC2 - even though that is where it's been on all afternoon.  Why not leave it there instead of moving it.  There have been times when the same bloody game has been shown live on both channels!  Why for pete's sake? 

Yes, I have complained to them over it and as per usual they have always ignored my comments and haven't even replied to say they have received it even.  They just go on in their own way ignoring every one else no matter what they say, and that too seems to be par for the course for them.  Of course they did act when the Savile story broke, but I'm not sure they would have done if there hadn't have been possible criminal and or political repercussions over it.  

It's not just with tennis though is it?  If there's a footy match on, or even worse, cricket, they will change everything to keep it on.  

Regular readers will know about my views on the BEEBs appalling weather forecasting.  So why do I watch it the BEEB and not change to ITV?  Well, the news coverage is usually far better on the BEEB.  And don't forget, we pay their wages with our telly licences! 

Jan couldn't get the blade fuses yesterday so I shall be off into town soon to try to get them at Halfords.  I might well find my way round to the Willy White on my travels too.  We'll see ;-)))

Another bird photo today ... 

a grey heron at Blacktoft. 

And today's funny is ...

I looked at the destruction. Smashed windows, cars turned upside down, buses on fire, people running scared, police unsure what move to make....
I turned to the wife and said, "Chin up darling, you did your best, maybe I should park the car?!"

          

Planning, big balls and busted batteries

26 June 2013

The News starts off with a story of one of the two new developments in the town centre.  This one is around the area of the library, justice centre and a car park across the from the justice centre.  We are promised that the plans will be made public on July 18th.  We will see ...  Something else we will have wait for is whether Sainsbury's will be given permission to turn the Cock and Bear pub into a local supermarket.  So the town is set to lose yet another pub; a pub which was popular and busy up until Mad Maggie forced the breweries to sell of their pubs.  The idea of the sell off was to free up the drinks trade and given drinkers a greater choice.  So yet another well intention idea has been a total waste of time and dosh! 

Still on planning then; there's no word yet on the redevelopment of the Abbey Street/ring road part of the town centre.  And what about the proposed plan to build 300 houses on Weddington Fields.  That idea has gone off the boil since a buried EA report was found and made public.  The report stated that the area was likely to be at serious flood risk for many years to come, in not permanently. But the town still needs to build a large number of houses and the arguments for and against various area still rumbles on.  The two area usually named are the Weddington/St Nicholas Park area and the Woodlands in Bed'th.   

In both areas there are lots of objections, understandably of course.  But of the two I would sooner protect the Woodlands simply because of the large amount of woodlands (the name says it all!") and their wildlife populations.  As with all things, someone will end up disappointed.  I bet it's Woodlands!

The American health care system is the best in world - if you can pay that is!  This morning we sat and watched a Channel 4 show, The Man With 10 Stone Testicles.  What a mess that man was in.  He could pee or dump properly; walking was a nightmare.  Most surgeons he had spoken to said they were not willing to operate cos the risks.  He finally found one that said he would - the costs was $100,000+.  Here's a man who can't work because of his condition yet he was expected to pay that much to save his life.  Eventually the op was done for free by the same surgeon.  They were able to save the patients penis and testicles and the growth of his scrotum was weighed at 139lbs.  Luckily for the patient someone said he would the job for free while the rest of American health care industry sat back and refused to help.  Thankfully we here in the UK don't have to worry about that - yet that is!      

This morning we tried to fix the two batteries I knackered.  We had bought 3amp blade fuses cos I'm sure that is what we needed, but when we opened up the first battery pack the design was totally different than earlier models.  Now while Jan is off in town she will be looking for 30amp and 5amp blade fuses.  Hopefully they will do the trick and we can both have a spare battery with us when we go out.  Hopefully that is all we need, if not we shall have to get them sorted at our local mobility store.

Yesterday I posted seven photos onto my flickr page; even out of 187!  Thankfully I wasn't paying for film and possessing.  Anyway - here's the best of the shots ... 

a gannet, taken at Bempton Cliffs.

And it's time for a funny ...                                                                                   

John F Kennedy, Indira Gandhi, John Lennon. If history teaches us anything it's that if you don't want your child assassinated, then don't name them after an airport.

Birding, late up and an injustice!

25 June 2013

Yesterday was a birding day!  Sunday was a bits n bobs day where we did a lot but achieved not much at all really ... but yesterday was a good day for both of us even if I did manage to knacker two scooter batteries.  I should have known better really; but I didn't feel up to walking a round path at Bempton Cliffs.  The path was too rough for the scooters and I managed to blow the fuse on both my batteries.  Not good at all; but we did get to see what we went there for - puffins, kittiwakes, gannets and guillemots.  Razor bills, fulmars and black guillemots would have made it even better.

After Bempton we set off for Blacktoft Sands.  It was that we have seen spoonbills twice so our hopes were up for them again; they weren't there but we still enjoyed our slow ride around there.  Altogether we listed 55 species and added 12 to our year list.  Another good day's birding but as usual we had to return to Dorktown ..  ah well.

Our doorbell going at 10am woke this morning, the posting another eBay buy for Jan.  Both of us were pretty well shattered by the time we arrived home; after being up 14 hours so a late morning was well on the cards for today.  So now it's back to normal again, and that means an early look at the News.  One of the bits I did on Sunday was to drive to Walsgrave for some shopping.  On the way over I drove past two guys who has set up a tent on one of the busiest road junctions into town.  It's a protest encampment; "Why?" you might ask.  Well, for the last six weeks he has been to the council asking for a house and been turned away every day.  It seems that a single man is the lowest of the low when it comes to housing. 

Both of these men are actively looking for work but no one will employ them because they don't have a fixed address; yet the council are making little if any effort to find them one.  It's not just getting work that is a problem for them.  One of them isn't allowed to see his two kids until he has a home.  As one of the said, "If I was a single woman I would have got a place straight away."  He also says that kids would have bumped up the needs ladder; being a foreigner would also have done the same.  Yet because he is a single Heterosexual English male, he's bottom of the needs ladder.  What a travesty!

I get pension credit; I also get an Army pension, so every year I get a letter from the pension credit office asking for details of my Army Pension.  Every year I send them a copy of the annual Army pension projection for the coming year.  And every year I have to send two copies of it cos they manage to lose the first copy.  The second copy is sat there ready to post - again!!!

So then, a photo ... 

A man shorting out his shopping in Coventry.

Today's funny ...

A lady walks into Harrods. She looks around, spots a beautiful diamond bracelet and walks over to inspect it.   As she bends over to look more closely, she unexpectedly farts.  Very embarrassed, she looks around nervously to see if anyone noticed her little 'woopsie', and prays that a sales person was not anywhere near.
As she turns around, her worst nightmare materialises in the form of a salesman standing right behind her - Good looking as well.  Cool as a cucumber, he displays all of the qualities one would expect of a professional in a store like Harrods.
He politely greets the lady with, 'Good day, Madam. How may we help you today?'
Blushing and uncomfortable, but still hoping that the salesman somehow missed her little 'incident', she asks, 'what is the price of this lovely bracelet?'
He answers, "Madam - if you farted just looking at it - you're going to shit yourself when I tell you the price."