Looking Forward In The Rear View Mirror

Around a year ago I decided to make several resolutions for 2014, I succeeded with 3 out of the 5. 

One of my successes was promising myself a little spare time each month and put some ramblings to the digital equivalent of paper and write a blog.

This was the first time I had done anything like this and I would like to thank the 400+people who have opened and hopefully read about my take on things.

The subjects have varied wildly depending on what caught my eye at the time, they have ranged from Groundhog Days, to Good and Dark Friday's. From musical opinion to poignant anniversaries and social comment. A lot of the subjects are still valid today, which brings me to this particular ramble.

As this is, more than likely, the final blog of 2014 I thought it would be good to share some hopes for 2015 and relate it to some of the topics covered.

One of my early attempts was written at a time when thousands of people were being affected by serious flooding caused by exceptional storms and aided by poor planning and even poorer investment. The British "blitz" spirit was shown as the poor people rowed up high streets in anything that floated. I can't help thinking they would have preferred their river to have been dredged more or having the correct number environment agency staff doing the job they do so well rather than reduced numbers, or more money channelled if you excuse the pun to prevention rather than a single rail line reducing one journey by 20 minutes.

There was also a hope that lessons had been learned about planning so weather wouldn't bring chaos as easily as it did...this hope is extinguished because I write this twenty four hours after a few inches of snow practically brought the Midlands and North of England to a stand still, a disgrace, for a so called top table nation. 

A highlight of 2014 from an entertainment point of view was the reunion of the remaining Python's. Though it was never going to be anywhere near their younger days, it was a pleasure to have them and their comic genius in the forefront once again. 

As I stated in my blog at the time though the small mindedness of the  politically correct minority almost ruined it with senseless censoring. Can't the great British public think for themselves? If a show with a reputation for adult humour is being shown live then guess what? You will get some adult humour, if you don't like it turn it off...I am hoping that this kind of nonsense ceases in 2015 though I very much doubt it, I fear as we move into election year what we see and hear will be as controlled as ever. 

On that subject as a follow up to another blog I really do hope that the sleeping giant known as the "voter" will rise from its decades of slumber and meander down to its local polling station in May and give the country a true reflection of its feelings rather than the tiny, and I mean tiny, percentage of potential extremists seizing their moment, the consequences this time of saying I can't be bothered are very dangerous indeed. 

When I look back over my ramblings this year I am disappointed that the majority seem like a rant. But as unimportant as my views are its vital that opposing views are aired to the minority driving the agenda at the moment. 

One resolution from me would be to be able to write about more positive things in 2015, to blog about normal everyday stuff...I have a feeling though that this would one resolution I would fail to keep. 

I hope you all have a great New Year and happy and peaceful 2015 and thanks again for reading. 

Seasoning Reasoning

Now before I start I need to say that this is not a rant against depression which is a serious and debilitating illness and should never be taken lightly.

My point here is the annual moan in by people saying " oh aren't these dark nights awful?" Aren't these dark mornings awful?" Isn't it depressing? Etc etc etc... As if this is a rare event.

Allow me to explain why it happens...and how lucky we are.

It all stems from elementary geography...

This is the planet Earth...where we live

We are here...

Now as you will notice we are quite northerly...in fact very northerly...

It gets better...billions of years ago the Earth was knocked a little skew wiff and ended up at a slight angle...

This slight leaning is what gives us the seasons and as we are northerly between October and March our days are shorter and nights longer but...guess what? In the summer we have very long days and hardly any night...but that tends to be forgotten...I said at the start that we were lucky...here's why...if it wasn't for the natural weather phenomenon that is the Gulf Stream we would have extreme Siberian type winters most years...instead we have what we have and considering our position on our planet that justifies the word lucky.

So the next time you feel like moaning at it being dark at 4 or not light until 8 think about the dawn breaking at 3:30 and sun setting at 22:30 in just s few months and enjoy the special atmosphere that is Autumn and Winter. 

Dark Friday

Over the past few months there has been a sometimes fierce debate about influences and invasions from abroad.

Influxes of people, ideas and cultures undermining our British way of life, whatever that may be.

These discussions have tended to be directed one way...across the channel or the North Sea...mainland Europe, the source of all our troubles.

However, in my opinion, whilst the leaders of the major parties...and UKIP... Focus to the east, we need to keep at least one eye on the west and our cousins across the Atlantic.

Well,actually, we don't need to keep an eye on them, we need to avoid taking our eye off the ball and seemingly accept anything that isn't from Brussells.

Our relationship with America has been special and we have stood together on many occasions in the past and I am sure we will in the future but the influence of culture seems to have been notched up over recent times and we seem to be encouraged to accept it.

Here are two very different examples.

NFL being encouraged to create a franchise in England...not only encouraged but if the price is right they can use our national stadium, oh it's ok, the football team, sorry soccer team can go and play in towns and cities out of the way, at least we would fill Wembley for the NFL, well we would to start with until the novelty wears off... Next it will be rounders...err baseball at Lords!

Second example is the import of something that has, today, shown the worst side of our population. The introduction of an Americanism that works perfectly well in the States but over here?...

Black Friday is an excellent concept...a gift to the nation to finish off the most important holiday of the year. A chance for all to save a little money on early Christmas presents or just on that something you need.

Import that concept to a nation taxed to the hilt, cut to the bone, austerity weary and not in holiday mode and Black Friday turns very dark indeed.

Some of the scenes today in household name stores were difficult to watch and in a word shameful.

Scenes were so similar to the looting seen during the riots except this time they fought each other to grab the item but then raced to a till and pay the reduced sum before rushing home with their booty.

I wonder what these people think of themselves when they watch on their new...cheap...flat screen televisions? If I'm honest it will be a badge of honour.

Why has this been allowed to happen? Could it have something to do with thousands of pounds a second being flung at our tills?... I'll let you answer that, but I will ask one final question on this very Black Friday...would this have even been considered if today would have been noir vendredi? Or Schwartz Freitag? I feel the answer would sadly be no, any other answer and our leaders speech on the perils of immigration, made today of all days, would have contained I am sure a couple of extra paragraphs warning us that we are being further undermined from the East...it's not just a moral compass they lack.

History Repeating Itself?

Just a couple of weeks ago the nation honoured the men and women who gave their lives in conflicts since 1914.
Quite rightly the nation stopped and reflected on their sacrifice and stories were told and re told about the events that led to their horrible end.
As it was the centenary of the commencement of the First World War there was, quite rightly, a lot of focus on how that terrible and some would say pointless conflict was allowed to happen, relevant and thought provoking.
The Second World War was slightly different.
Our brave men and women, ordinary normal hard working non military men and women were fighting something totally different.
They were fighting a regime that had come to power in a country rife with, division, poverty, social injustice, inequality and for a vast majority of their population a sense of hopelessness and betrayal by their leaders.
The regime seized on this and began to implement their plan.
The plan was quite a simple one. Feed on all of the feelings the population was experiencing, emphasise, sympathise, put an arm around them and whisper in their ears, "it's ok, it's not your fault, it's theirs" and proceed to blame a minority of the population.
Put the burden of the majority of the populous at the doors of those who were deemed to be different, unorthodox, atypical...foreign.

These people were labelled as sponges, taking as much as they could and not giving anything back, depriving the idiginous people of their right to work, earn and live as they wanted to.
It is much easier to blame these kinds of people rather than the establishment or governments because  in bad times people like someone to point a finger at and it is much more simple to blame a person rather than a faceless governing body that may be based hundreds of miles away...these people lived in the same town and were a tangible presence.

The regime knew this and they soon had the desperate deprived people believing them and the persecutions started and the rest as they say is history...or is it?

I wonder what the brave people honoured so recently would make of their countries latest MPs? Or the party or society they represent?
Times are hard...money tight...injustice rife...division rampant...inequality everywhere...hopelessness and betrayal commonly felt. The establishment taking no notice and indeed fuelling it.
Who does this new "people's party" blame? Put the burden of the majority of the populous at the doors of those who were deemed to be different, unorthodox, atypical...foreign. Oops that was a copy and paste! Well actually it was no accident because it is exactly the same and people are actually believing it...all over again.
Lets have a look at what these people have supposed to have done... Plunged the economy into crisis by gambling trillions of our pounds in the financial markets? Oh no that wasn't them....inflict austerity not seen since Victorian times...still not them...Create a society where number one is the only one that matters...nope that wasn't them... Threaten a Heath service that is the envy of the world...except the U.S. but that's another story...and that is still not their doing...

Struggling to find what they have done...oh wait! Times are hard so blame the minorities, the ones who are different etc...

Now there are two sides to this coin and those of you who have read this far will now see the balance,  the ones who have stopped reading are probably blocking me and avidly reading their new party's leaflets for comfort.

The second side to this coin is that all parts of the populous must resist this new finger pointing blame game and not react in an insular defensive way...the huge majority of peaceful hard working people of all faiths and nationalities need to prove the bigots wrong and dismantle their arguments in front of their faces...How? By showing that they understand that only the divided fall...discourage the extremists in their own societies, allow their children to learn with other children about the different faiths and societies they will live in when they grow up for the more insular minority groups become the more they fuel the fires of the new party and its sheep...

On The Right Track?

How many times have you heard this?...
"Usual queues this morning on the M25 junctions 5-3....M6 in Southbound congested between junctions 12 and.....M62 in Cheshire tailbacks due to clockwise M60 queueing between junctions 9 and 17....
Without putting words into your mouths I would imagine your answer would be two or three or more times per week...the same problems in the same places at the same times every day. Of course the three examples above are not isolated, I could have included the M1 the M4 the M8 and many numerous A roads nationwide.

It seems strange that in the times we live in where every minute of every day seems to be judged on whether it has been productive that as a society we seem prepared to waste so much time staring at the break lights of the vehicle in front.
So we look to our leaders for some plan, some light at the end of the Blackwall or Bryn tunnels.

The master plan seems to be a new train line...Yes...one...train line.

Admittedly its a fast one which will cut journey times between London and Birmingham by 20 minutes...in around 10-15 years...

That's not all...this one track will then head towards Crewe and Sheffield...20 years...possibly even Glasgow and Edinburgh by the time I'll be getting my birthday telegram from King George...

And as if that excitement wasn't enough there is now talk...yep...talk of an East/West track between Liverpool and Hull....I don't think I will see that one...



So , what do we do in the meantime? We sit...and wait in the same places at the same time every day.

Not that anyone will ask me and the few people who read this blog don't include, as far as I am aware planners or transport workers, but here are my thoughts.

The cost of this single track is reputed to be around 50billion pounds at completion. Eye watering figures. So firstly I would reduce the amount by 8billion, the amount needed to help the NHS to survive, leaving 42 billion to sort out not one track but a whole attitude towards transport. If I may I will use myself as an example of what I mean.

I had to go to a meeting a few weeks ago 35 miles from where I live.


I had to travel through one of the examples at the start of this blog and it took me two and three quarter hours to travel 35 miles.

So as I was sat there wondering how the driver in front could get his finger that far up his nose I instead began to think of an alternative...what if I had got the train? This was the outcome...

I live just over 2 miles from my nearest railway station, so a 40 minute walk...how about a bus? I hear you shout...well, because of my local bus companies narrow thinking I would have to get 2 buses to get to my station and they don't start to run until around 7...way too late for me...oh and they stop at 5:30 at night...

So a walk it is...when I arrive at my station I can get a train direct to either Liverpool or Manchester I can even get a train to Norwich, 5 hours away if I so desired...but a train to my two local towns? Nah...

So I would get on the train to Manchester, only 1 an hour to the main Manchester station. Thirt five minutes later I am in Manchester...now to the Tram...or rather 2 trams as my meeting destination is on a different line...so the 3 or 4 mile journey could take half hour or more...and then I would have it all to look forward to on my return journey....with all the walking and waiting it would have taken me around the same length of time as in the car...that shouldn't be the case and isn't, in my opinion right.

What could improve? Well I believe it is firstly an attitude problem, public transport services are not public and are not a service, they are a business hence why there are no buses from parts of my town to the station, why? Because apparently most people have cars...can you begin to see potential issue here?

Being a business is also the reason why there are not enough trains and 2 sardine carriages an hour is more cost effective than 3 comfy ones every half hour...you can almost hear the millions of car doors slamming and engines starting up can't you?

But what if public transport really was a service? With flexible timetables, bus companies and authorities talking to train companies about timetables and demand...train networks looking at re opening some of the local branch lines left to rot following the first edition of narrow minded thinking in the 60s involving DR Beeching.

With this thinking I could bus,train and tram in half the time and be more productive for my company...

I can hear the calls now of we can't afford this...we still have 42 billion left...and the cost saved in time for business and individuals pays for itself...because I for one would hardly drive at all if this were to happen and the travel news would be that there would be no travel news...

Ah well back to reality and the suspense of whether his finger will exit his nose without causing any permanent damage.

Classical classics?

Those of you who have the good fortune, ha ha, of knowing me are aware of my love of music.
It is something that I have had for as long as I can remember and I pride myself on having quite a range of musical tastes and will give anything a chance...there is till hope Justin! Not much hope but never say never.

One thing though does irk me in the musical world.

I manage to keep it under raps...oops...for most of the year but around about now it begins to bubble and rises to the surface for is annual gripe.

The cause? Musical snobbery.

Allow me to explain...

As mentioned I will listen to all kinds of music, and this includes classical music. I have lots of classical in my collection and have frequented the philharmonic hall in Liverpool quite regularly and watching an orchestra perform live is one of the great joys. However.

My friendship with classical music or, rather, those who listen to nothing else, becomes strained about now, for this is Proms season, a couple of months dedicated to musical celebration. All the favourites are there, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart, Dr Who, Music from films, Lennon/McCartney...oh hang on let me amend that, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart, Dr Who, Music from films....the irk erupts.

Now before my irk takes over completely let me say that the three greats mentioned above are just that...great...music that quite rightly is played over and over again. So, why did I have to amend my list and remove two people who it is widely agreed were greatest songwriters of the last century?

Is it because they wrote songs? But are songs not music?
Is it because they wrote popular music? Surely Mozart was the pop star of his day?
Is it because their music is probably better than anything written since, including classical? We could be getting somewhere.
Is it because they are/were 2 normal lads who would probably have been refused entry into the Albert Hall let alone have their music played there? I think we are getting warm.

There seems to be a whole range of excuses for not having a prom dedicated to Lennon/McCartney Harrison...not even I could defend a Ringo prom...sorry Mr Starkey...but you do get my point.

Dr Who soundtracks and film music are as classical as anything they wrote and until music recognises their talent, achievement and sheer genius, the little irk inside me will bubble up every year.

But, don't take my word for it, I have, hopefully, placed a link to part of a classic arrangement of Beatle songs, if it works, and I keep my fingers crossed, please have a listen and make up your own mind as to whether what you hear would be out of place in any concert hall and would have the right to promenade with messers T, B &M...enjoy!





http://youtu.be/wBLf5nMVHq0

I wish to register a complaint!

I know that the subject matter of today's ramble is a week overdue but my return to work dictated that blogging became a secondary activity...sigh...

However....last Sunday evening I pre booked the sofa, the remote control, and very nearly donned my Spanish Inquisition robes (oops did I really confess to that?) and settled down with I have to say some trepidation to watch the final live performance of Monty Pythons Flying Circus.

The trepidation was there due to the fact that the 5 remaining comic genius es or is that genii? are now in their 70s and I was dreading that their magical sketches would look ridiculous, dated and dim the light of greatness that has quite rightly shone on them for almost 45years. I had this nightmare image of anti python people turning around saying "told you they were no good"!

I had no cause to be concerned, for as The Beatles of comedy wove their magic the less my brain hurt. Until.

Around fifteen minutes into the show something happened that I did not expect and it wasn't the inquisition...I thought my cable box had developed a fault as there was suddenly a odd shrieking noise for around one second...then another...then another and then it dawned on me...told you I should have been a lumberjack...it dawned on me that in July 2014, 45 years after they first broadcast on mainstream television, Monty Python were being censored!!! I almost choked on my Albatross wing...

Worse was to come....a whole routine was omitted and replaced with a pre recorded sketch of MIchael Palin as a modern day Mary Whitehouse figure, the reason? The routine was a little rude....

I did try so hard for this crass political correctness not to ruin the evening but it very nearly did, not because I missed a routine but because the need was felt to dictate what we can and cannot watch or hear in our own living rooms because it was before 9pm.

Ah yes, the famous watershed, that magic time that ends at 9 pm because that's when everyone under 18 goes to bed and switch off their phones, tablets, and snuggle down dreaming of lollipops and kittens ....

These same little people have just sat through, news bulletins showing how people can obliterate each other, the aftermath of bombs and gun fire, they have sat through soap operas that show how drugs, violence, depression, cause depression and chaos, they have sat through advertisements promoting gambling and various other useful pastimes...but can hear Monty Python say f**k ? Or heaven forbid let them witness some laughter and joy...no,they can't!! Oops I just censored myself!! It's catching...

My brother used to sneak me downstairs to watch python in the early 70s much to mums fury but the point is did I then go to school next morning saying fuck bugger shit all the time? No...because the same mum dad and brother taught me that it was wrong...the same kind of parental responsibilities that seems to be lacking now...

There is though a more serious and much more dangerous aspect to this, in that, nameless faceless people are deciding more and more what is good for us and what they think is bad for us and this is something we have to wake up to or free speech and an open mind may become a thing of the past.

As a footnote, the stupidity of the above did not ruin it for me, and the viewing of history was as glorious as I hoped it would be...

An Englishman abroad?

After being struck down by shingles shortly after my last blog the timing of  my holiday couldn't have been better.

And I couldn't have chosen a better place to hopefully fully recharge the batteries than Scotland.

We chose to travel by rail so I wouldn't have to drive, and clean, efficient trains got us to Inverness in around 6 and a half hours of travel...marvellous.

It was during the first leg of this journey from Warrington to Glasgow it occurred to me that it could be one of the last times that I could make this trip in this way, as it is possible that, the next time I come up I may need my passport, as Scotland may be a foreign nation.

Some of the things I heard and saw on this journey convinces me more that this would be a great tragedy.

The train was populated by a cosmopolitan group including Asian, Japanese, European, and British.

Notice I used the word British there and I do so because that is how it came across to me, the English were travelling to either visit friends or family or, as ourselves, holidaying.

The scots who joined us at Carlisle were heading home after working for their company, in, England.

These were a typical group of workmates, filling the carriage with noise and banter between themselves but at no time did they give three cheers and sing Flower Of Scotland as they crossed the border just north of Carlisle, nor did they disparage the country they had just left, nor was there any digs at fellow passengers who were clearly from south of Carlisle.

The reason? Cynical people might say " they didn't want to get thrown off the train" or they are against independence anyway" I think it's more the fact that whether we like it or not we are far too similar to be different.

The four peoples that make up the United Kingdom certainly have their own traits and traditions and all have differing views on a wide range of issues, just like any family, in fact all four disagree amongst in each other. However when you look at things more closely there are far more similarities than differences, all of what combines the individual ingredients of Britain were present in that carriage, let's hope that if all of us in that carriage have to repeat the journey again in a year or two we will still be starting and ending in the same country.

Heroes For A Lot More Than One Day

Almost two years ago the David Bowie classic "Heroes" was played many many times a day as we celebrated huge success at London 2012. The heroes in this case were our Olympians. 

Today the word hero has again been used in abundance, this time to mark special people on a special day. 

If you weren't aware today, June 6th, is the 70th anniversary of D Day. The day that was to all intense and purposes the beginning of the end of World War II. That last sentence is so easy to write, yet, that so called beginning was an ordeal that few of us can imagine, and now, sadly, even fewer of us can say what it was like to be there.  

Those who know me are aware that I am not what you might call a flag waver, most forms of fervent patriotism leave me cold if not a little wary, as everyday normal people suddenly morph into nationalistic Churchillian bulldogs. I think my indifference to this kind of patriotism stems from more recent conflicts and really anything to do with Britain in general where the waving of a flag, preferably really large ones, makes everything better. As the saying goes they hide behind the flag. 

Seventy years ago the men, boys, in those boats had no flags to hide behind, once the fronts of the carriers dropped they were exposed, with just their courage and wits to get them to beach. 

If they made it...then they had just entered another stage of brutal combat that was to last for months, yet that foothold was so important. 

A year later when the fruits of this initial labour was gathered in, these men, young men for they had ceased to be boys, were hailed as heroes but as part of the whole nations relief, and , once the celebrations passed these heroes went back to their homes and families and jobs they were forced to leave from 1939 onwards, because, yes, these were not soldiers, they were engineers, plumbers, electricians, shop keepers, miners, dockers, drivers, they were just like you and me. Listening to some of them speak today was truly humbling and they were so matter of fact, they told it like it was, no flannel, no action man stories, no jingoism, no flag waving, the phrase I heard many times was" I was doing my job" 

The understating I heard time and time again was truly remarkable,  it was a lesson in true patriotism, a lesson that a great many people in this country could do with learning. 

It's time to come out from behind that flag! 

Apathetic performance and a pathetic decision

This year marks the centinary of the beginning of the First World War, seventy years since the d day landings & 86 years since everyone has been entitled to vote. Three very different anniversaries but all with a connection. As a result of the gargantuant effort and sacrifice of millions of ordinary people during WW1 the powers that be kindly allowed ordinary people to vote and have their say...though it took another 14 years for them to recognise that women may have the same thinking power as men and in most cases more. Then as we all know came the greatest threat to the new found emancipation with fascism and dictatorship threatening our shores, June 1944 was the beginning of the end of that, allowing a general public to at least have the minimum say when it comes to who ruins err runs our lives. Millions of normal everyday folk gave everything for that right and exercised it eagerly thereafter. Well eagerly upto the past decade or so. The turn out for elections must leave our forefathers wondering "why did we bother in the two wars?" And that feeling must be multiplied by the events of the past week. The 60% or so who didn't bother have helped to create a very dangerous situation, not only here but all over Europe, the same Europe everyone fought to free has been handed to people who would have it return to the 1920s and 30s. Insular, nationalistic, paranoid. The excuse of "they are all the same" does not wash anymore as,clearly, they are not all the same at all. Fuelled by nationalistic media and over exaggerated statistics, a great many of the 36% or so that did vote chose an extreme party. I will repeat that figure, 36%. Not even half.... What would the situation be like if 70,or 80% had voted? I hope beyond hope that it would have been very different. All the main parties need to take a good long look at themselves as much as the general public does as the self regulated, self judged vested interests have turned people off and that now needs urgent change as it is no longer just a case of " we will win with 40% of 36%" and leave it at that, these low turnouts are now threatening to make the extreme the norm and put in jeapordy the freedom won at such a cost. One last thing to think about, there have recently been elections in Afghanistan and India. How many saw the lines of queuing people waiting in some cases hours and hours to cast their vote, a vote that means so much to them, the same vote that seems to mean so little to us. I never intended this blog to become a outlet for spleen venting but I have to mention a decision that does have a kind of link to the above. Remember my term insular? Well I cannot see any good reason why our so called Education Minister has scrapped children reading American classics such as To Kill A Mockingbird, The Crucible or Of Mice And Men in English Literature. The reason? They are not British...apparently there is another reason for Of Mice...Mr Gove hates it...good sound policy reason that one! I can remember reading all three of these in English Literature and along with the 4 Shakespeare plays I can still remember them clearly now 30 years later! They are brilliant stories and powerful and I don't think it turned me off reading anything "made in England" since. I hope that these titles and others are still passed onto students for spare time reading as they should not be allowed to gather dust on the shelf or the digital equivalent on Kindle. Maybe Mr Gove doesn't like the tragic ending to Of Mice...perhaps seeing himself as Lenny asking George (or David) "tell us again why I scrapped this book?"

Initial Thoughts

Well it's been an interesting week with lots of things to catch the eye of the average observer. Letters seemed to have played a big part in defining some of the events of the last few days. Now I'm not going to do a Dickie Valentine here and wonder through the alphabet (that's one for the kids!) I'll just stroll through the ones that caught my eye...here's four to start with...U K I & P it's been quite a week for these guys...suddenly they are everywhere (apart from Newark) and nothing they say seems to stick or is just laughed off. Some of the utterances of some of their members have been disgraceful but it's treated like they are a minority fringe, mouthing off but never going to have any power so ignore it...at your peril in my view. Now how about these letters? H&S add a number on the end, let's say...2 and we will be on the fast track to, Birmingham, and we can get there 20 mins sooner than now, and then we will can get connections to the North and to Scotland. The thing is if you want to go further on HS 2 you may have to wait at Birmingham for a little while, about decade or so. I will be honest I still can't get my head around the needs for this...apart from the slight reduction in journey times I can't help feeling that improving what we have by spending a small percentage of HS2 would be more beneficial as my overcrowded train to Leeds last week proved. Other monies could then be used to sort out our roads and get the repairs carried out that are so desperately needed rather than issuing a paltry amount and then asking councils to "bid" for some of it, looks like Ill be continuing to combine my driving with potholing for a wee while yet. And talking of cars that brings me on to our final group of headline making letters, B B C & N if was to add the initials JC to this would it be clearer? No...not that JC! The other one, the one that seems to be able to do or say what he likes because he knows, he has the support of his employer who knows that he is watched by a few million people who really now should be waking up and voting with their remote controls. Part of my job is to talk to young people about equality and diversity and how people should be treated etc... And the consequences of failing to do this, not really much point when they put on the TV and see some of their heroes behave in such a way. I mentioned consequences there which brings me to my final group of letters, if the allegations are true then BBC...Y?

Good Friday?

I feel quite fortunate today as I have been enjoying the first of four days off...well needed I may add but none the less gratefully accepted. The reason of course is Easter, the moving target of religious festivals, sometimes early March sometimes, as this year mid April, obviously the Emperor Constantine couldn't quite decide when he fancied his Spring break at the council meeting which decided the festival dates, so Easter became a moveable feast. Now as those who know me are aware I don't normally do religion but I was reminded today of a Good Friday around 40 years ago which links in with all of the above. I was around 7or 8 and for some reason that I am unable to recall my dad had to go out on Good Friday afternoon, I went with him. Though I can't remember the reason I do remember vividly what I saw and heard, or rather what I didn't. We walked into the town and possibly for the first time in my life I saw no people, not a soul...just me and my dad walking through the town centre, not only were the no people but there were no cars, no buses, nothing, only my dad and me and some pigeons and I am sure they were there because they felt they should be. Now why would this spring into my mind today again? Apart from it being Good Friday of course. Well not too many years into the future Easter for me was a blurr of work for I was caught up in the aftermath of the changing attitudes of our land. How can people live without being able to do anything on one Friday and Monday each spring? How on earth can people manage without some kind of retail therapy for 24 hours? How can the economy survive?? Truth is they could live,manage and survive but somehow,as mentioned in a previous blog, we as a nation seem to think that we should never take any time off for no reason...hang on though...isn't it Easter? This brings me back to the point of not doing religion, if you are a believer Easter is the most important festival of the year, but in all the years that the erosion of the holiday took place I cannot remember much in the way of objection from our churches. First it was...a few hours open if you want, then 9-6 only, now it is a free for all with my local supermarket open 24 hours, a full bus and train service, all manner of places to go with your loved ones to be served and attended to by people away from their loved ones...very Christian. There has been a news story this week about bringing religion more into the public debate, if it happens then the people who debate it have to include all angles, and not do a Constantine and select the bits that suit. As I pointed out I don't really do religion but I would like to ask whoever leads the debate about where they stand on the story of ridding the temple of the sellers and the "den of thieves" though somehow I am not sure I would get an answer. Happy Easter everyone and if you have been lucky enough to have a few days off, stay in and enjoy, back to normal soon, see if you notice the difference. However if you feel you need to be Christian over the holiday pop down to your local tesco temple and read the sign which says "sorry we are closed Easter Sunday" and forgive them, for they know not what they do...or do they?

Odds and Apps

Did you know that as I write this blog the Venezuelan Ladies under 17 football team are pitting their wits against their Italian equivalent? Don't worry if you didn't I am not even sure that the majority of the good people of the two protagonists are sat on the edge of their seats huddled around the TV or radio hanging on the every word a South American John Motson. So, how is it that yours truly know about this iconic sporting event? Well...it's all to do with the Grand National, an annual flutter and the downloading of a couple Apps. Having performed a kind acupuncture on the list of runners and riders for tomorrow I thought why not avoid the annual trip to the betting shop and take a leap into the 21st century and have an online dabble, after all Vic Paddy Ray et al make it sound easy and entice you with offers. It was after the download and looking at each of the sites that the only thing that's easy is the losing of money. I listened to a debate the other week about why the number of people with gambling addictions is rising, it was similar to the debate I heard about binge drinking...the main cog in the wheel was ignored, the ease of obtaining your addiction. Off licences and supermarkets have made it so easy and in relevant terms inexpensive to obtain alcohol in greater quantities than ever, the new look book makers and their cyberspace offshoots have the same affect. Now, I know, that some of the few who read this will be saying" it's up to the individual" and in many ways your right. However, when an individual becomes a vulnerable individual then that attitude changes and when there a suddenly thousands of vulnerable individuals then everyone's attitudes need to change. Which brings me back to our young ladies football match. As I'm not a gambler I chuckled at first,shook my head and moved on, deleting the app, if I was a gambler there was a host of in play options with ever changing odds all just one click of a button, and another click and another click away and before you know it you could have lost more money the they took at the ground. And if under 17s international ladies football isn't your thing, you could always try, well, almost anything... My old grandad used to say he knew people who would bet on two flies crawling up a wall...have a bang on that!

Smart Resolutions & An Uneducated Debate

Well it's been over a month since I put to digital paper some of my inane drivel so I thought it was about time I continued to fulfil one of my New Year resolutions. In doing so it got me thinking, that's two thoughts in one paragraph! Why do people commit themselves to a pledge that in many many cases can never be achieved? I am maybe the wrong one to discuss this. I made 5 resolutions as the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve and 13 became 14. Of those 5 I have achieved 3 which I suppose isn't a bad percentage, and I suppose we are only a quarter of the way through the year...and I didn't say when I would complete them! And there lies one of the problems of resolutions in my view and it can be found in most walks of life or business, a vague target with an almost non existent timescale. Like all targets, and a resolution is a kind of target, it needs a specific goal, steps where you measure progress or not, be realistic and achievable and crucially have a timescale for completion. Most resolutions fail because they aren't covered by one or more of those SMART targets. Realistic and achievable I would imagine are the common pit falls, "I want to lose 2 stone by Valentines Day!" As they finish off the quality street in front of Jools Holland. My two failures fall into the timescale category and it's something I am working on, but I wonder as I discuss targets with groups of managers as part of my job whether or not this is a British trait both in the office and during the singing of Auld Langs Ayne? On a more serious topic this week saw some disruption in schools with a strike by some teachers. It never ceases to amaze me how fickle some of the great British public can be. I was fortunate if that's the word to be driving a lot on the day of the strike and from the 6:30 news the trap was set...these public sector workers...it's not like that in the private sector...don't know they are born etc etc etc...the debate about the reasons hardly surfaced again and when it was offered by some they were shouted down by the I work harder than you brigade...the basis of their argument was, I'd love their holidays, surely if you teach one child you can teach any child, I work weekends, one even said they should count themselves lucky they work indoors!! Classic tabloid ignorance fuelled by media and some ministers. It was the old divide and rule, us against them, goodies and baddies and the facts are lost. On the point of the hardness of the work all I can say is that 2 or 3 days a month I do a kind of teaching in my work and I can say without fear of contradiction I am more exhausted after those days than in any other job I have done and that's been 12 to 14 hour days in various retail roles...it is not an easy job. Back to those oh so balanced debates not once did I hear a mention of the most important people affected by this...here's a clue...schools are full of them and they will be in our place in a generations time...yes! Children!! Governments of all colours look on these young folk as pawns in their ideology...a child is not a commodity it's a person and we cannot treat them as such, they are all different have different strengths, weaknesses and all could offer something, if allowed to, or rather if those public sector slackers were allowed to do the job they are so good at...maybe our governments have seen Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd too many times!

David Bowie and the anything but common cold!

I felt it only right to add my congratulations to David Bowie after he became the oldest winner of best male at last nights Brit Awards. I'm not here to debate the merits of the win, it was a decent enough album, released out of the blue. It would have won the "Best kept secret by a Brit" award, if there was one. I just can't help looking at this, and not without a wry smile, from the point of view of those who these awards are for and who they are aimed at. Let's be honest most of the so called pop fans of today should have been in bed when the show was broadcast. For those who did defy their parents or watched in their room on their own TV Smart Phone or Tablet this result must have been puzzling. Here is a man...yes an adult...yes an adult pop star!who could be their grandfather or even great grandfather who hasn't toured since before they were born, only released one album in years,actually that's similar to some of their own, beating some of their own...I wonder if they thought leaving the xbox and GTA 33 or whatever was worth it. And I wonder too if that thought flashed through the minds of some of the marketing execs etc... Whose night of XFactoresque self publicity had suddenly gone off the rails slightly? I suppose there would have to come a time when manufactured music aimed at primary school ages would have its day...I'm not sure we are there yet, unfortunately, maybe Grandpa David has brought us a little closer though...another reason to congratulate him. This week for what seems to be the umpteenth time this so called mild winter a group of germs has been attracted to me and the old hankie drawer has taken another battering. With this in mind I was interested to read that scientists are close to providing a cure for the common cold...a miracle I hear you snuffle...I too would have joined in the communal nasal celebration if it wasn't for the fact that I also read somewhere that humans never get the same kind of cold or flu bug twice...it is always different! So I hope I haven't yet had the strain that the scientists are working on, I would feel very put out if I had got rid of the thing myself just as the cure arrives!

Planning...weather or not!

The extreme weather and it's horrendous consequences over recent weeks have brought out various different kinds of human nature, good, bad and down right ugly. Brave neighbours risking all to help others, those with adequate transport helping to move people out, any suitable abode made ready to house people who were all of a sudden, sodden. That's some of the good...then you get the bad and the ugly...looters, people robbing sand bags and then trying to sell them for up to £40 each...Where are the sink holes when you want one?! Then there are our leaders, nowhere to be seen for weeks, until it spread a little too close to home for comfort, suddenly waterproofs were found, wellies were bought and off they went with their good will, promises of the world and ...oh yes plenty of camera men. The one thing all of the above good,bad and ugly have proved is that we in Britain are still possibly the best in the world at reacting to situations and probably the worst in the world at being pro active. Why is it, and I know I am not the first to ask this, that our whole infrastructure and way of life stops with a few inches of snow, a heatwave, winds, rain? Why is it that a nation that reared some of the greatest minds, engineers, scientists cannot put plans into action that would at least give those poor people and areas a fighting chance when the forces of nature head our way. The answer is normally money, less money than will be needed now to put things right by the way, but nevertheless money, along with our leaders short sighted attitude of,"it will never happen again" I'm sure the the residents of Somerset would have heard that last year...and the time before that and the time before that...

Read All About It?

Whilst enjoying a few days off I am catching up with some stories and events that I have only been able to glance at recently. For instance the story of the famous celebrity girlfriend of a famous celebrity who apparently could have sent a intimate text to another famous celebrity. I read on as it tells me that the first famous celebrity didn't take too kindly to this and started to contact the second famous celebrity to state his position and the story making it sound like a showdown was on the way mirroring their celebrity big screen personas. Lost in the story of mega star multimedia mischief I was awoken from my superstar slumber by the last paragraph of the piece as this was a report on a trial, not of film star text threats but of how this information was apparently discovered...hacking. Now those of you who know me know that I am not naturally cynical...ahem...but am I alone in thinking it strange that newspapers and media concentrate on the personalities and glamour of the story rather than whether their industry is guilty or not? I will let people with less suspicious minds than me to decide on that one.

Rodent Revelations

Today saw me notch up another year. I could witter on about age and how it's only a number, or I could enthuse about the wonderful cards and presents I received and was grateful for... But that would be quite normal and as those who know me would confirm I try not to be too normal. I started to think instead about the more spiritual side of birthdays and whether I was typical, in my case, Aquarian. However as I don't believe in astrology there didn't seem much point. As a man with an always open mind I then looked at the day itself and if there were any pointers to me and my traits. What I found was quite interesting as I will explain. February 2nd is Or was known as Candlemas, or Festival Of Light. I love candles, pretty thin evidence I hear you yawn...well there's more. The reason 2nd February was this day was that it is the mid point between the shortest day and the spring equinox, so candles were blessed to ensure the light came. So...I love candles, and I also love winter ...still a coincidence? February 2nd is also the day that certain furry animals pop out from their hibernation holes to basically see how winter is progressing, if they discover a bright clear day and see their shadow they stop, do an about turn and you won't see them for at least another 6 weeks as winter still has something up its sleeve. If they discover cloudy conditions with no shadow then they may hang around or pop out again tomorrow as winter has done its worst. How, I now hear you bellow, does this back the theory that I was most certainly born on the right day and I am so February the second? Well, the more astute amongst you will know that the previous tale of rodent meteorology is better known as Groundhog Day, and the even more astute will know that was the title of a film set on... Yes February the second and starring Bill Murray, an actor I happen to like...clinches it rather. Why not check out your birth date and see if anything similar is there for you...let me know, and happy birthday for whatever day of the year it happens to be.