Beam me over Scotty!

 

The most arduous thing of the day is consulting the menu of that small beach restaurant, on a island off Thailand. Life can be hard.

Here is Boo Boo in deep thought. He simply cannot decide between the giant Prawns or his favourite Tom Yum Goong spicy soup..

Lady Magnon is visiting her two youngest grandsons for a couple of weeks, and like all grandmothers is 'spoiling them rotten'.

Here (below) is The 'tousle-haired' Cherub, also consulting the menu. I just wish I was over there too; but someone has to look after Billy!

Just look at that water. I'd be in there in an instant; I love swimming in the sea. 

Dogs in Islam: A Sunday Special.

Oh no! I knew Billy was up to no good. It seems that he's KEEPING ANGELS AWAY from our house. Did you know about this???

In the past I've noticed a few (who I presume were) Muslims being wary of Billy, but I always thought that (even though he's a Border Collie) they imagined he might tear them to bits. Now I see that it's all the fault of those Islamic Angels of theirs. Thank goodness that Protestant Angels are so much more animal-friendly.

The woman in the video also goes-on about 'losing two mountains daily', what on earth is the woman on about???

Do they REALLY believe all this gubbins?

We all know that religion is based on fear, and their hierarchy's desire for money. Maybe in times past people really DID believe in gods, devils, heaven, hell, etc, but we now live in different, more aware times. I have nothing against people signing-up to any religion, but it does annoy me when their followers talk blatant nonsense about things that we ALL know couldn't possibly be true. 

I do think it's about time that religions spoke the truth, and stopped their Mumbo-Jumbo. What they don't seem to realise is that if they became more like 'philosophies' than 'religions', they might attract far more members, and their coffers might fill-up (that's what it's all about). As it is, their members are quitting in their droves; and they're taking their money with them.

My own nearby church (St Nicholas) has been without a priest/vicar for the past FIVE MONTHS. Are we surprised?

Amazingly, the 'Pollsters' had it right.

 

It may not be of any interest to anyone other than certain residents of the UK (or even of Manchester), but there has just been a Parliamentary By-Election in 'Gorton & Denton' (Manchester). The previous incumbent, Nasty Andrew Gwynne (Labour), had resigned after a string of foul antisemitic, racist, and generally offensive remarks; and the seat was open to all-comers!

Well, as predicted the replacement Labour candidate (Ms Stodge) was NOT elected, and the seat fell to The Green Party's Hannah Spencer (above, with charismatic party leader Zack Polanski).

The Greens ran a fascinating campaign. They promised a variety of toxic policies that the good people of G & D could hardly fail to embrace.

Amongst their policies are to legalise ALL hard drugs, including Heroin, Crack Cocaine, and the 'date-rape' drug GHB. They also want to cut the Defense Budget, and to scrap all our Nuclear Deterrents (great timing). They wish to support Hamas and Al-Qaeda, give votes to prisoners, legalise prostitution (it is already legal), raise the minimum wage from £11.44 per hour to £15 per hour, and to give all illegal immigrants a nice house and a wage; regardless of having to look for employment. 

As The Green Party now have just FIVE MP's sitting in parliament, their toxic and cock-eyed policies will luckily make no difference to the safety of our country; but for the folk of G & D almost anything was better than having the previous foul-mouthed Socialist.

Ain't life wonderful!

Garden Birds

When first I hung this bird feeder in the Apple Tree in front of the house, I really wasn't sure if I'd have any takers. My last year's offerings went uneaten, and I ended-up throwing them away.

However, I'm pleased to report that this year I seem to be having some success. As you can see from the photo, the level of the seeds has dropped by about a couple of inches, so the birds are enjoying them. And that's after the feeder having been re-filled several times.

We've actually now seen quite a few birds feeding there. At least a dozen Sparrows, a pair of Magpies, and a Robin. Frankly, I'm very surprised that more birds haven't turned up, but maybe some more will in time. I'd like to see a few more interesting birds taking advantage, but none yet.

I'm sending-out an open invitation. All birds are welcome; except Seagulls!

Planning permission

In 1975-ish, I noticed a small ancient stone-built ruin of a cottage in a field not far from our house. It was about 200 yards away, and I thought it would make the most wonderful Garconniere for my oldest son, Kimbo. 

The cottage later proved to be about 300 years old, and had simply been allowed to fall into disrepair. It had only half a roof, the downstairs had an earth floor, and it had neither water nor electricity. It was a RUIN.

However, it obviously had 'possibilities'. It had a wonderful huge fireplace, an old stone sink, and its position overlooking perfect countryside was spectacular. I bought it.

Then came the question of renovation; with all that that involved. I won't go into details, but getting planning permission was long and arduous. When eventually it came through, it stated that the finished work must be covered all over with 'cement rendering'. As you can imagine; I ignored that bit!

It should be noted here that it is very common for a Frenchman to take a lovely ancient house, and turn it into a modern-looking 1950's monstrosity. They seem to hate 'age', and old features.

Now, some 50 years later, it is our own little home (we sold the other one), that Kimbo also adores.

Planning permissions are usually long, drawn-out, processes. When I converted our old Tobacco Drying Barn, it wasn't too bad, and everything went quite smoothly. I'm rather sorry that we don't still own it.

Here in the UK, planning rules are very strict, and you dare not put a foot wrong.

This below is a classic example. A Romanian named Daniel Toma built this 'Garage' onto the side of his house without any permission, and has been told to take it down. He is refusing.

Well, that might be OK in Romania Mr Toma, but not in Hertfordshire, where his neighbours have all gone crazy. I think you'll agree that it's an eyesore! Occasionally 'planning permission' is essential; and occasionally is also CORRECT.

 

Growing season '26

Spring is in the air.

I shall be growing vegs again at Haddock's this year.

I'm hoping that Kimbo will have planted a few Tomato plats before we arrive in early June, then I shall revive a small overgrown 'raised bed', where I will sow Pak Choi (Bok Choi) and some mixed Lettuce.

I'm also hoping to plant more Peach trees.

Both the Pak Choi and the Salads are quick growing, and we should have a decent crop after about 6 weeks; if not earlier. The Pak Choi can be eaten very small, and the mixed Salad leaves are of the 'cut and grow again' variety; essential in Summer.  

I shall of course put-in a few Tomato plants back here in Brighton, as I did last year. It was such a pleasure to find a good crop of ripe Tomatoes when we returned last September. 

We (Kimbo) have heavily pruned the old Greengage tree this year. It had become very overloaded with high-up dead branches, and there was lots of new grown lower down. I'm hoping it will still have plenty of fruit this year; my last year's Greengage Jam was wonderful. The tree is the last of the fruit trees that were in situ when I bought the derelict little cottage about 45 years ago (I was living just 200 metres away at the time).

 

Winter Olympics

 

I tend not to watch much sport on TV, other than The 6 Nations Rugby tournament.

Frankly, the Winter Olympics leaves me cold. I enjoyed a snippet of the Short Track Speed Skating, the Tobogganing, and some of the Snowboard jumping and swirling, but all the other snowy stuff really isn't my bag. Thank goodness it's over!

However, this year's Winter Olympics has been dominated by one 'sport':.... CURLING (a combination of Darts and Bowls, on Ice).

Over the past couple of weeks, every time I've consulted the TV schedule, it's been Curling, Curling, Curling, and yet more bloody Curling.

Well I don't know how you feel about it, but for me Curling is amongst the most uninteresting of sports since the 'Irish Paint Drying' competition of 1988.

Who on earth at the BBC thought that the British public would watch hour after hour, day after day, of Curling? No doubt the sport has a small audience in Auchtermuchty, but elsewhere I imagine that fans are extremely thin on the ground. 

Launch big lump of stone, brush at ice frantically, and hope that it end-up in the target. That's it.

I shall NOT be writing a letter to the Curling Department at the BBC Sports Centre, as this will only make matters worse. What I will say is that I would have much preferred to have watched a few children using tin trays as toboggans, or even some international snowball fighting; but NOT Curling. 

Curling should be restricted to Ladies' Hair Salons.