Rising cost on falling items, planners and we hope it's a minor problem

3 April

Here I sit broken hearted, paid a penny and only ... well, it cost a lot more than a penny these days. I was daft enough to go to London one Sunday when the marathon was on. I needed to go and headed for the toilets by Charing Cross tube station which are normally free. However, on that day a council workman was there charging 50p a time to go in. New Street station costs 20p last I was there. The station is being renovated right now so maybe it the price of 'spending a penny' will go a good bit. They have to recover their costs somewhere don't they?

Here in Weddington work has begun on the building of 300+ house on green field land just off the A444, Weddington Road. A long and hard fought battle was waged by the local people to prevent it going ahead, a battle that raged for around three years. I wonder how those dedicated folk feel now that a second development of over 500 new houses on a green field site, has been thrown out by council planners, for that very same reason, being a green filed site. There seems to be no consistency in these planning decisions, none at all.

Jan is still in bed waiting for the carers to come and help get her up, dressed and washed and so on. She had a bit of a bed night last night it seems so I've left her there today. As for me, well, I was really tired again last night and I was quickly asleep when I settled. Next thing I knew was needing to pee (back to nature again I see), but then slept on another three hours after that. Jan was saying as I got up that I had been calling out in my sleep. That would cause her to disturb but of course, I don't remember it.

Yesterday morning Jan's lappy gave the ghost it seems. She started it as normal but it came up with a black screen, white text again, so she clicked on Start in Safe Mode and that was as far as it got. I've taken it to a guy in Abbey Green I trust and he's calling me back later today to see what he can do with it. We're hoping it's just a minor problem, a new hard disc would be bad news for us dosh wise.

Now to find a photo ... 

Dinner on the hoof

And for a funny I offer ...

 Nescafe manages to arrange a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican.
After receiving the papal blessing, the Nescafe official whispers, "Your Eminence, we have an offer for you. Nescafe is prepared to donate $300 million to the church if you change the Lord's Prayer from 'give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily coffee.'"
The pope responds, "That is impossible. The prayer is the word of the Lord. It must not be changed."
The Nescafe guy says, "Your Holiness, we at Nescafe respect your adherence to the faith, but we do have one final offer...
We will donate $500 million - that's half a billion dollars - to the great Catholic Church if you would only change the Lord's Prayer from 'give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily coffee.' Please consider it." and he leaves.
The next day the Pope convenes the College of Cardinals.
"There is some good news," he announces, "and some bad news.
The good news is that the Church will come into $500 million."
"And the bad news, your Holiness?" asks a Cardinal.
"We're losing the Warburton bread account."