We have to admit that photoshopping 'selfies' is mostly a female obsession.
We've all seen those pouting, over prettified, portraits of phone-holding young ladies, that they post on 'social media' web pages, inviting admiring comments from followers and friends.
Having said that, this photo above is what I actually look like (in case you didn't know), no-frills, with all the obvious signs of ageing on view. No titivating was made in order to make me look any younger or more 'attractive'. I am what I am, and I am OK with that. I am old, wrinkly, balding, scruffy, and grumpy looking; with a vacant expression.
The photo was taken by a friend, who said he could loose me a few years/kilos by some non-invasive photographic cosmetic surgery. I refused, saying that 'narcissism' wasn't really my thing.
Instead he told me to take my jumper off, and took the following photo instead.
Lady M suggested that I use the picture as my Passport Photo.
This must be the most serious, saddest, and upsetting, aspect of today's UK.
Members of several UK Jewish communities are now afraid to walk the streets. Crazed Muslim attacks, on both people and buildings, have become so regular that one can understand their fear.
With all the dreadful antisemitism about, I think it would be timely to show the FULL FILM of the October 7th massacre on mainstream TV (with warnings). This might, hopefully, put an end to their puerile lies, and propaganda, once and for all.
I haven't seen it myself, and I don't wish to, but I've heard that the filmed images taken by the Hamas Terrorists themselves are so graphic that people cannot face watching it. The killing of babies, the raping and eviscerating of young women, and film of the 1,400 people being murdered, are beyond horrific, and it might make a few of the pro-Hamas Woke-folk realise what the people they support are actually like, and why the Israeli forces were obliged to retaliate.
Some of the most offensive online antisemitism has been been posted, or reposted, by Green Party election candidates. Above by Ifhat Shaheen (Smith). Three of their female candidates have been arrested. I do hope that people who vote Green on the 7th, know what they're voting for.
Their charming leader, Zack Polanski, is openly antisemitic (even though he himself is of Jewish origin), and is fawning towards the Muslim vote; as are Labour.
I have yet to hear of Jewish 'grooming gangs', of Jewish knife attacks, or Jewish drug gangs, or even of Jewish E-Bike phone snatchers. I fail to understand why people prefer to support the 'bad people' rather than support those who, pre-Oct 7th, supplied Gaza with just about everything they desperately needed; needs that were created by Hamas spending all the aid money and donations on arms (and their own pockets), and not on the citizens where it was needed.
It would be nice if certain communities could live peacefully with others, and not spread hatred all the time. Many of the Muslim demonstrators hold banners demanding 'FREE PALESTINE'. I think what they really should be saying is 'NO MORE HAMAS'. It is Hamas who are ruining the lives of the Gaza residents.
We now hear that the antisemitism in the UK is being sponsored, and encouraged by, a 'Foreign Power'. I think we all know who that is !!!
We live in an upside-down, inside-out, crazy world.
The previous time I bought Aldi 'Lamb Shanks', I made the mistake of buying the ones that had a Mint flavoured sauce. It slightly spoilt an otherwise very pleasant meal.
This time I bought the same thing, but with a Red Wine sauce; far, far, better.
Again I put a few spuds in to roast, then 15 minutes later the still-frozen Lamb Shanks. After an hour the dish was complete. No cooking to speak of, and just two small roasting dishes to wash-up.
As you might see, I added my own pukka home-made Mint sauce this time, and it was totally delicious. I probably put too much of the red-wine sauce on my plate, but.....
If you are like me and occasionally you don't feel like cooking, but want something delicious at a very reasonable price; go to Aldi, buy a few of these packs for your freezer, and you are ready for whatever life throws at you. There are two separate vacuum-packs of Lamb in each £7 packet, so also perfect for one-person households.
Verdict: 10/10 Totally delicious, at a bargain price (£3.50 each). 5 Star Yums.
I hope you can see this small creature (below bottom left). It's a Pine Marten (Fouine). He was caught on our surveillance camera jumping up into the Greengage tree, then immediately jumping down again on the other side.
We don't see them too often, as they tend to stay in the woods. I did once find one in an abandoned barn, where I was sheltering from a sudden downpour. It was running around like a lunatic trying to catch a panicking Bat. Some hope.
They can be destructive beasts. If they get into your house, especially empty holiday houses, they can create havoc. People have found their homes 'trashed' after a Pine Marten visit.
The are bigger than a Red Squirrel, with a longer tail, and a white flash under their chins. A really beautiful animal.
I just hope he/she hasn't managed to find a way into the house. Down the chimney maybe?
I was checking my 'comments' recently, when I noticed two from an unknown source, with the single word 'Glock' as the only 'comment'.
I was interested enough (before deleting) to see who or what it was all about.
Both were from the same person/company, and both offered to sell me illegal arms illegally, including an AK47 for 1,339 Euros.
As you can probably see, they come from a French supplier, and they went into great detail about how my identity would be secure and private. I could buy, and have 'privately' delivered, almost any hand gun, semi-automatic, or rifle, (plus ammo) in total security. In the UK, such things are BANNED.
I have no idea what prompted these comments, or how they came across my page.
I'm not in the market for an AK47, or even a Glock 44 for 699 Euros.
I suppose I should have kept the pages, but at least I did take these photos.
No wonder there are so many gang-members wandering our streets, armed to the teeth. Guns seem to be available anywhere.
It reminded me that in the late 60's I had one of these 'Tommy Guns' (below) in my possession overnight. I had a friend who was a big (legal) collector of old weapons, and another who was a (legal) antique firearms dealer. They had done a deal together, and I was asked to deliver the purchased machine gun to the buyer. It came in a wooden box with 100 rounds of ammo in another box. I felt like a criminal with the gun in my flat, and was only too pleased to hand it over to its new owner the following morning.
I recently found this icon whilst walking with Billy. It was tucked into a flower bed, in the churchyard. It's about 5 by 8 inches.
I took it home and, as it was very dirty, I left it on a table in the garden for a week or so. The paint had started to crack and lift away from the wooden board on which it's painted. You can see one of the worst cracks bottom right.
Lady M said she thought it belonged to the church, as there is a similar one inside. She checked later, and confirmed that they were indeed very similar.
I wrote to the Churchwarden, and sent a photo. He confirmed that it was from the church. Someone had half-inched it, then dumped it. He was 'mystified'.
I have no idea how long it had been outdoors in the flower bed, and I felt a bit sad that it was in such bad condition; so I decided to fix it as best I could.
I put a sheet of baking parchment over the top, and gently ironed it. It did flatten quite a lot, but still isn't perfect. Anyway I shall give it back to the church this morning. They have a service at 8 am, so I'll pop in a little bit earlier.
It's a hand-painted copy of an earlier icon; so probably not of great value. Even so, I'm sure they'll be happy to have it back.
I've always admired the way that criminals suddenly say they have become 'Christians', just as the prison parole board looks into their release.
And here is the fragrant Russell Brand doing much the same (with difficulty), after the preliminary hearing for his six cases of rape and sexual assault.
He wanted to quote something from his new bible for Piers Morgan, but he couldn't find it. He could at least have marked the page. What a plonker.
Brand is a nasty piece of work, and deserves all that's coming to him; even with that big cross around his neck, and that shiny new bible in his hand.
When foreigners are asked about 'English Food' (if they like it) they often say that they like our Fish-n-Chips. They never seem to know much about anything else.
In fact, after the French Revolution, when most of the Aristocrats had their heads chopped off, France's most sought-after chefs left their great Chateaux and headed north to England, and, as a result, our National Cuisine slowly became very similar to that of France (but don't mention that to a Frenchman).
However, one thing that has remained pretty constant over the years is that very simple dish of deep-fried, battered, fish, and it's accompanying potato chips. As good a meal as you could find anywhere in the world.
I do like pukka Fish-n-Chips, but the last time I had any from a fish shop/restaurant must be about 15 years ago, when I had some on The Palace Pier here in Brighton.
I do stick to the tradition of eating Fish on Fridays, but it's usually either Fish Fingers (which I love), or Salmon Steaks (which I love even more). Both are usually served with Chips; or occasionally with plain steamed Cavolo Nero.
When we eat Salmon, we both usually say how much we prefer it to any other fish, or even to meat. Salmon is the Food of the Gods. (We don't usually have the Mayo décor)
We should all eat more fish, especially wild SALMON.
We used to arrive at our home with the grass about a metre high; it was a nightmare. It took days with a small mower to tackle it.
These days, we have found someone who is prepared to look after things for us, and we now arrive to nicely mowed lawn and paddock, even Haddock's is given a trim. The battery on 'Rory', our mower, isn't too reliable, but otherwise our man has no problems. Below is a photo he recently sent; all looks OK.
I'm looking forward to being in the countryside again. As much as I love Brighton, I'm a country boy at heart, and I like nothing more than the peace and quiet of open fields and woodland.
My fingers are crossed that there will also be some mushrooms about, but it's never guaranteed. I shall be keeping an eye on the weather forecast over the next few weeks. Rain means mushrooms.
I have just one project for this year, and that is to put a handrail on the stairs. Two years ago, I came a cropper on the lower steps, which wasn't pleasant. Both of us now need something to hold onto.
Otherwise I shall be sowing some Bok Choi and a few Salads, and hopefully planting a few Peach trees. I also hope to make plenty of JAM. Our supplies ran out too early last year, and we probably need double the amount. We make Plum, Apricot, and Greengage jams. I shall NOT be making more Blackberry jam.... it wasn't good.
The BBQ will be dusted down, Oysters will be bought by the 'box-full', Snails will be eaten, Restaurants will be visited (They're getting better again), and favourite Charcuterie will be devoured in abundance.
We are also thinking of buying a big green 'Garden Bell-Tent' to accommodate excess Gen-Z'ers. Not too sure about it yet!
The Prince of Darkness is rarely out of our News. The Mandy farce has been going on far too long; all we're waiting for now, is for J Corbyn Esq himself to criticise Starmer; everyone else has !
However, here is Corbyn's ex-girlfriend Dianne Abbott (below) putting her pennyworth into the Mandy affair.
Heaven forbid that anyone should think that I am a supporter of the fragrant Ms Abbott, but amazingly she has (at last) got something right.
I think it's reasonable to say that Mandy has chased after the friendship of the rich and influential throughout his political life. His two sackings were caused by his dealings with dodgy millionaires, and his friendship with Epstein would never had existed had JE been 'poor'.
Mandy was a member of the Young Communist League, and his dealings with both Russia and China are suspect, and have been widely criticised.
There's not much more to be said about Mandy's ridiculous appointment to Washington, but to have heard Abbott criticising Starmer's judgement is the very amusing 'Cherry on the Cake'.
Not all illegal immigrants are criminals, but sadly many are; and with no real vetting system some real badduns slip through whatever safety net there is.
The BBC News was awash last Thursday with the story of an appalling rape here on Brighton beach, carried out by these three young illegal immigrants (below), one of whom was a runaway murderer from Egypt; he had also been convicted of criminal damage whilst in England. The other two were simply 'every day criminals' from Egypt and Iran.
The details of the rape were harrowing. They filmed her, they spat on her, and they kicked her. The poor young woman will never be the same again; she has been left in fear of ever leaving her house. I notice in the image above, that a lot of the smiling 'Woke' marchers are women, and one really has to wonder what they felt about this case; and of their own open-arms welcome to such people into Britain ?
I don't know the names of these three young men, and, frankly, I wouldn't print them even if I did. All three were housed at the beautiful and historic 3 star Cisswood House Hotel near Horsham (below); to the North of Brighton. Very nice too !
They will now serve long prison sentences, and will be deported at a later date (unless they claim that it would be against their 'human rights'). Their own countries will then decide what to do with them. I think we all know what will happen to the runaway Egyptian 'Murderer'.
Nigel Farage has suggested that we stop benefits to all these people, stop giving them nice hotel rooms, stop giving them mobile phones, and charge them for any use of our NHS. Someone I was talking to recently also suggested that they should receive the same punishment here for any crime, as they would back in their own country. Hmmmm; somehow I don't see that happening!
I hope all three are treated with the respect they deserve whilst in prison.
Meanwhile, it might be a good idea to stop importing such people into Britain.
When I was a wee sprog, like most small children, I was given simple jobs to do.
On Sundays, if Father was going walking/climbing, I was given the job of putting 'dubbin' on his boots. I loved it.
Sunday lunchtimes also involved small jobs. If we were eating Beef, it was my job to mix the Mustard. If we were eating Lamb, it was me who made the Mint Sauce.
The Mint grew in a large patch at the bottom of the garden. I would go down, pick some Nettles or Bracken, and return triumphantly to present it to my Mother, before revealing the actual Mint from behind my back. I continued doing this hilariously funny game for years.
I loved chopping the mint, using a large rounded knife to perform a rocking movement over the Mint to chop it as finely as possible. Then it was just a matter of adding the Vinegar and some Sugar, before filling our glass Mint Sauce Boat.
We ate Roast Lamb last night, hence the sauce. Delicious.
Jeremy Clarkson (who is always right) informed us yesterday (The Sunday Times) that the funniest thing in the world is watching someone fall over. In fact, in his Sunday Times article he even mentioned this particular video.
I don't think I've ever just fallen over as such, but I do remember bumping into a lamp post by not paying attention to what I was doing. I can remember the event as if it was yesterday; and I was only about 6.
This man above deserved everything he got; plus the continued humiliation of having become a YouTube sensation !
Do watch the whole video; it's worth it. But be prepared for some rather fruity language !!!
This must be the most beautiful, and uplifting, time of year.
Forget January 1st, this is when the year really starts, with fresh leaves appearing on the trees, and birds singing their little hearts out.
As I walk around, I can feel my lungs being anointed by the healing elixir of fresh air, and I feel rejuvenated.
Of course, I do enjoy the warmth of Summer, the sadness of Autumn, and the crisp morning air of Winter, but what stirs the blood the most is now; Spring.
With Billy in Tow, for our early morning walks, I feel really glad to be alive, and I'm sure Billy does too.
I'm not a tree-hugger, like our current King, but I do love trees and treat them with respect. These old Elms in the churchyard are magnificent. I don't know how they managed to avoid the Dutch Elm Disease that killed so many throughout the country, but they are thriving.
What wonderful weather we're having. It's perfect.
There seems to be nothing but bad news at the moment.
News often arrives Chez Magnon quite slowly; I have only just heard that Aston 'family man' Barrett had died. In fact he died back in February of 2024, but no-one told me.
Here he is in my garden in Brighton, enjoying a 'puff' in the sunshine with my friend, the writer, John Masouri.
Since hearing of his death I also came across this record 'Aston is the Man' by The Melbourne Ska Orchestra. It's not one of their better songs, but it is in honour of the great man.
Aston was a member, and the unofficial manager, of Bob Marley's Wailers. He also found the time to have 41 children; 23 girls, and 18 boys. Not bad going, eh ?
So, a belated 'Farewell' Aston. Your music influenced several generations, and continues to do so.
The voice and music of Bob Marley and The Wailers will live forever.
It has just been announced that we will give France another £660 Million over the next three years to continue with their highly successful 'anti migrant policies'. Government supporters must be jubilant.
We have now given France over £1.3 Billion to help stop the continuous influx. It was Rishi Sunak who first gave them £500 Million back in 2023, since when 84,000 illegal immigrants (that we know of) have managed to paddle across The Channel.
I don't want anyone to get upset, but I'm going to suggest something quite radical.
Rather than spend all our hundreds of £Millions on something that WE ALL KNOW won't work, why not send one of our 'all immigrants welcome' Ministers to Australia to see how their government's 'Operation Sovereign Borders' policy works (above). A round ticket, and a 2 day stay in Oz, would cost about £5,000 so we could make a saving of £659,995,000; which I'm sure would make Rachel from Accounts very happy.
Australia has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to illegal immigration; and it works !
Can't the UK do the same ? It's only those 20 miles between Calais and Dover that need to be patrolled !
They play chess better than humans, they build better cars, they answer any question I care to pose, and now they are beating us at running Marathons.
When all Robots are Solar Powered, there will be very little for humans to do other than replace all agricultural land and woodland with solar panels and windmills, start pointless wars, and attempt to occupy other planets that wouldn't normally sustain human life.
The more our boffins create 'replacement humans', the more we become redundant. And when Robots become capable of reproducing themselves, we might as well give-up, and become their slaves.
The one thing that amused me the most in this video of Robot Racing (above), was watching the human runners all taking photos with their phones (0.43 secs). It's almost like saying "What's the point of US running, if THEY can do it faster, and without breaking-out into a sweat".
Robots can now mow our lawns, clean our pools, sweep our carpets, do our shopping, cook our meals, drive our cars, and even trade in shares and commodities for us. And I can guarantee that there are boffins everywhere who are, at this very minute, trying to make humans even more redundant.
Humans are in peril; we are no longer needed, other than to be looked-after by Robots. Otherwise they wouldn't know what to do with themselves; nor would we.
Firstly I wish to say that I have absolutely nothing against Asian women running, but I'm not too sure about their racism.
What I did question when I saw about this on the TV News was, would it be allowed to have an exclusively English Women Run ? The obvious answer is No, it wouldn't.
I do remember reading about the National Black Police Association, and thinking the same thing. Would a National White Police Association be allowed ? Of course not. White Policemen would NOT be allowed to start an organisation that rejected prospective members on account of their skin colour, or ethnicity; and rightly so!
In these times when integration is so important, should we really allow Asian groups to separate themselves (by race) from non-Asians ? What do they have against running alongside English women anyway ?
What are they frightened of ? Come on you Asians; white English folks aren't so bad !
One weekly event that I try NEVER to miss is PMQ's, on Wednesdays at Mid-day.
Important questions are asked, and The Prime Minister is obliged to give answers. Difficult questions are often sidestepped by sitting PM's, regardless of their political persuasion, but our current PM has made it into 'An Art Form'. He simply replies to tricky questions by making nonsensical remarks about how everything is the fault of the Tories.
Starmer is not alone in dodging difficult questions; they all do it to an extent, but not EVERY WEEK and to EVERY QUESTION.
Just a week ago, even the Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, rebuked him for his constantly evasive replies. When leaving the house a short while later, Starmer had angry 'words' with Hoyle; as shown in the video. Yet again he is being urged to resign; but it'll take a lot to remove him.
We all remember 'Beergate' (below), when Starmer went all the way up to Durham in April of 2021, during lockdown, to a beer and curry party with friends, whilst Boris who stayed at his home, in May of 2021, to host a 'socially distanced work event' in the garden of No 10, was hounded-out of office. Starmer amazingly managed to remain glued to his post, having been exonerated by Labour 'friends'. He has no concept of 'doing the right thing', or even of admitting his mistakes.
The truth hurts, but avoiding the truth often hurts even more; as he's now seeing.
The recently re-surfaced Mandy scandal isn't helping him. He is STILL claiming that it's everyone else's fault, and that he didn't know that Mandy, who was a close friend of paedophile Jeffery Epstein, had failed his 'Security Vetting'. The whole point of the Security Vetting was to make sure that Mandy was suitable for the job; he wasn't, and everyone knew that other than the very man who appointed him. Watching Starmer squirming as he answered questions on Monday afternoon was embarrassing.
We all knew that Mandy had been sacked TWICE from government posts for lying, and it has now been revealed that he was also a director of the Russian Defence Company, Sistema, at a salary of £200,000 (plus added shareholdings). One can but wonder why they wanted him as a director !!!
Also, Mandy's own company 'Global Counsel' made £3.5 Million in 2024/25 from Chinese Biotech Co 'WuXiAppTec'. That's a lot of money !!! So, he was well-in with both the Russians and the Chinese, and doing very well from them both.
We now have to wait for the May 7th (?) local elections, before the next opportunity for Starmer to resign. If electoral predictions are correct, I'm sure he'll go. With any luck, we might even have the fragrant Angela Rayner as our next PM.
It would be almost as much fun as having Corbyn as PM.
Back in the early 2000's I became quite besotted with both the music and the dance of Bhangra.
I had only just discovered it, and its energy and liveliness became very appealing.
The dance comes from the Punjab area of India, and was originally a dance for farmers (men) to celebrate the harvest. I don't think it's an ancient ritual, it might simply date back to the 1950's.
I would love to join-in with these guys, but I don't own any trousers tight enough!
With a particularly low tide recently, Billy took advantage, and went for an evening paddle with lots of other dogs.
Brighton has a Pebble Beach, but with the tide so low, the sand is revealed. The destroyed 'West Pier' is in the background.
I believe there was recently a funeral service at the church, then these flags appeared, as well as lots of beautiful red Roses around some of the trees. I know nothing more.
And in the Dog Walking Park, it looks as if someone had a fight with a tent, and the tent lost. Other bits were spread about all over the place. Dreadful mess. It never ceases to amaze me how those who choose to lead an outdoor life, always leave so much litter behind. I suppose the two go together.
And finally, here are some of the Bluebells in the churchyard. They seem particularly beautiful this year.
I want you to picture the scene. Cro and Billy go for a walk, and Cro has decided to go prepared for almost every eventuality.
He imagines that half way around his walk, somebody's phone might suddenly go dead and will need re-charging.
Of course I never actually carry my own phone around with me (I tend to know where I am), but let's imagine that I find some damsel in destress, crying her pretty little eyes out. She can't connect to her beloved Tik Tok or Snapchat, and her life is no longer worth living.
Then along comes St Cro of the Coast to her rescue, and he offers to re-charge her batteries (any euphemism there Cro?) in the wink of a Lamb's eye (several hours).
I unclip the handy, and attractive, Solar Panels from my handy and attractive Rucksack, plug in, and we sit on a grassy mound together whilst her phone charges, and until she has regained her composure.
Little Miss Damsel is now so happy that she offers me a Polo Mint; but I refuse and continue on my heroic way; searching-out others who may have befallen similar fates.
Thank goodness for my handy portable solar re-charging unit !!! What would I do without it.
This video went 'viral' recently, for obvious reasons.
I have to say that since the outrage over the cutting down of the infamous Sycamore tree in Northumberland a while back, this must be the worst case of bucolic vandalism we've witnessed.
I have no idea who this person is, where he comes from, or why he wishes to destroy our ancient dry-stone walls. What I do know is that he's a Fuc*ing Id*ot, and should be given a bloody good thrashing behind the wall, before being made to rebuild it.
Dare I say, but he's obviously not of British heritage, so why one earth should someone who is benefitting from the generosity and liberalism of Britain, wish to destroy it. I really am lost for words.
This is getting (has got) completely out of hand. I hope that the authorities will look at him, and decide that he's not really the type of person we want in our country.
I'm always amazed by what I find beside the little Search Strip, at the bottom left of my laptop.
It's always some special day or other. Yesterday, for example, it was the day of the 'International Bat', which we are advised to 'appreciate'. Whether this is a Cricket Bat, Rounders Bat, or Flying Bat, we are not told.
Somewhere, someone sits at a desk making-up what 'Day' it should be. He, or she, certainly doesn't lack imagination.
They don't mention Saint's Days too much; other than St Patrick's Day. It's usually something like 'Save the Snail Day' or 'National Nail-Clipping Day'. Nothing is beyond the imagination of this anonymous adviser.
May I suggest that we have a 'Pencil Sharpening Day', or a 'National Smiling and Saying Hello Day', or even why not a 'Doing Absolutely Nothing All Day Day'.
It's become one of the highlights of my mornings, looking to see what I'm supposed to be supporting, doing, or remembering. Yesterday I was appreciating Bats, but I'm still not quite sure how I was supposed to do this; maybe I should have consulted ChatGPT for a few hints.
p.s. This morning I see that it's 'World Heritage Day'; whatever that means!
'Public Enquiries' are mostly just 'Jobs for the Boys', with predictable outcomes.
There has just been YET ANOTHER lengthy and unnecessary 'Enquiry' into the human failures that resulted in a nasty crime here in the UK; yet I have to agree with its findings.
As we all already knew, mistakes were made by almost everyone involved in this young man's life; most of which I shall ignore.
Warnings about his mental state were persistent, and he was eventually sent to a 'Special School', where at least ONE PERSON warned of the really serious danger he posed.
The Headmistress of The Acorns School in Lancashire, Joanne Hodson, wrote soon after his arrival, that he was 'very high risk, and was devoid of any remorse'. She was instantly criticised by a clever woke mental health worker, Samantha Steed, who accused Ms Hodson of racially stereotyping the young man as 'A Black boy with a Knife'. Joanne Hodson was shocked by the obviously stupid allegation, and she said no more. She had been effectively SILENCED by the Woke Polit Bureau.
Samantha Steed was rightly criticised by Judge Sir Adrian Fulford, at the enquiry, for bringing racism into the case. I don't know what, if anything, he said about Ms Hodson. I expect she was exonerated.
As a result of do-gooding, and various other woke actions, the violent and sadistic Axel Rudakubana (above) was allowed to roam free, and stab and murder three little girls, Bebe, Elsie, and Alica, at their morning dance class in July of 2024. On his rampage, he also seriously injured 10 others.
This young man was so seriously deranged that he should have been locked away in a secure facility for people who present a real danger to society; not defended by wokies who wish to brand everyone who assessed him as 'racists'. WHY are there no longer such facilities for such dangerous children?
Ms Hodson did the RIGHT thing, and Ms Steed did the WRONG thing. The sorry result is there for all to see. My resumé of the inquiry is very simplistic for reasons of brevity, but in fact the behaviour of Ms Steed, and those behind her, was disgraceful. They must understand that not every time that people talk about the behaviour or mental health of black people, is it 'racist'; occasionally it's simply THE TRUTH. Ms Hodson never made any mention of his colour.
Unfortunately there is no reprisal against 'stupidity'. Three little girls died in a savage attack, yet, I presume that Ms Steed continues as a so-called mental health worker. The constant mollycoddling of Axel R by all and sundry, including his own parents, was possibly the greatest insult to the families of the three dead girls; sadly that will live with them forever. RIP.
I visited Aldi to buy more of their delicious Lamb Shanks, but they had sold-out of the 'wine sauce' ones; then I spotted THIS (below).
Having been around when 'Duck à l'Orange' became fashionable in UK bistros (in the trendy 1960's), I was pleasantly surprised to see these in the same freezer compartment as the Lamb. I put my confidence in Aldi, and presumed that they would be as good as the Lamb Shanks. They are from the same producer.
The two pieces of Duck come in the same pouch, surrounded by fat; in fact they look very much like the vacuum packed Confit de Canard that we often buy in France. The Orange sauce comes in a separate sachet that is added half way through cooking. I found it all slightly suspect looking.
Again I put a few spuds in the oven to roast, then put the Duck in separately a while later to complete an hour's total cooking time.
This (below) was the result. The Duck itself was excellent and just £2.99 for the TWO Duck Legs. The next time I buy them I shall serve them as a Chinese style dish, with Rice and Beansprouts maybe. As pleasant as they are, roast potatoes are not right.
People moan about everything being so expensive these days, but at just £1.50 per person for a very pleasant meal; it's almost daylight robbery. I shall certainly be keeping a few packets of these in the freezer from now on; although I shall not follow their instructions.
Whatever will I discover next?..... Any suggestions gratefully received.
Verdict: 8/10. They need some 'culinary imagination'.
Personally I dare not leave the house without my bunch of SIX keys.
The front door has two locks, so two keys. At the back there is a locked 'garden gate' and a lock on the back door, so two more. Then there's the garage door, and a private gate that allows me to get from the front to the back of the house without going through the middle.
On a separate fob is the final key, for Debbi; The Compact Royce. But that I only take with me when I'm driving; obviously!
Keys are an essential annoyance. There is nothing worse than losing them, or realising that you've left them at home.
I have on ONE occasion only, left the car's key inside the car, and locked myself out. So annoying!
I would prefer to have a 'word-of-mouth' system, where I just say "Open Sesame" and the magic would happen. But I may have to wait a while.
Meanwhile I have a set of bulky keys in my pocket every time I go out.
I've mentioned before that I've had more work stolen than I have actually sold. So, I was pleased to be sent the below.
As a lowly painter, one can but dream of riches and reputation. But this is limited to a select few.
Even if one sells something just 'every so often', one can feel rewarded, but when one sells a major work, it's pure elation.
OK, I may be one of the world's most famous, and highly-collected British artists, but I still have to pay for my private jet, my tailor's bill in Jermyn Street, my grocery account at Harrods, and my permanently booked suite at The Savoy. And all that requires MONEY!
£150,000 divided by 60 years as a professional painter equals an income of £250 per annum.
Sotheby's have promised to send the cheque a.s.a.p.
The UK is known for its eccentricities, and amongst our 'musical' offerings were the duo 'Hinge & Bracket'.
Born from the same mould as Flanders & Swann (two men, one piano), the singing duo of Hinge & Bracket were 'National Treasures'.
Dr Evadne Hinge (George Logan), and Dame Hilda Bracket (Patrick Fyffe), performed songs from a previous, more sedate era, wearing their Victorian/Edwardian dresses, and singing in quasi-Soprano voices. They were essentially a Music Hall act, who also found fame on TV.
The song 'This is my Lovely Day', originally by Lizbeth Webb, is from the 1947 West End musical 'Bless the Bride'. A classic for H & B, that demonstrates their style and appeal perfectly.
Most devotees of University Challenge would have enjoyed this edition, and I'm sure they will enjoy it again.
'University Challenge' is a BBC TV inter-University Quiz Competition. Highly contested by all our major Universities.
Just in case you didn't know, the Scumbag College contestants are all from 'The Young Ones' TV programme, and The Footlights team are a group of other well-known UK comedians.
Griff Rhys-Jones plays the part of question-master 'Bambi' (Bamber Gascoigne).
These lovely old tiled front doorsteps are from a terrace opposite the church; just down the road from where I live. Several of the houses have exactly the same pattern
As you can probably see from the photo below, some are in a pretty poor state of repair (this isn't the worst).
One of them was really falling to bits, and I was very pleased to see recently, that a man was totally re-tiling it. I stopped for a chat, and told him how impressed I was with his workmanship. He had re-tiled the entire flight of steps; top to bottom.
Each small black and white square is individual; these are not interlocking bigger tiles all put together. The time and effort in creating the finished effect is extraordinary.
And here, below, is the finished job. Real craftsmanship.
I was about to photograph it, and he told me to come back in an hour, as he was about to grout it. He wanted me to see it in it's full finished splendour! And here it is....
You really would think they were the original Victorian steps; nice job!
