Chat GPT

Have you tried asking questions on Chat GPT?

Personally, I haven't. But my son, Kimbo, uses it occasionally. Just recently Lady M found an old George VI 1947 halfpenny coin in the park, and of course Kimbo had to ask all about it.

He sent a photo, and asked Chat GPT if it was worth 'a fortune'; the response was really amazing.

Not only does the reply sound like a real person, but it is filled with so much information that you almost feel lectured-to. It even goes into aspects that weren't asked-about. The answer was so comprehensive, that it was hard to imagine that this wasn't a real (well-informed), live person.

I find it all rather creepy, and almost dangerous. I hear that the current state-of-the-art Chat GPT is only just scraping the surface, and that very soon such AI sites will be more intelligent than most humans; which they probably already are!

If you haven't yet used the site, I suggest you have a go. You will be amazed.

p.s. The battered halfpenny was worth a farthing (at best)!

 

There is some corner of an English garden that is forever growing Vegetables.

This small raised bed was constructed by the Volunteer Gardening Group who (including Lady M) keep The Rest Garden, where I walk with Billy, looking so splendid.

I noticed yesterday morning that, this year, they have planted Rhubarb, Bok Choi, Strawberries, Chives, Rosemary, and a few flowers. There is still space for more. Last year it was covered with self-sown Pumpkins; a few of which I took.

I think this is a wonderful idea. It's a tiny area, so not many of us will benefit from the crops, but those who will (including me again I hope) will be very fortunate.

I saved some seeds from one of last year's better Green Pumpkins, and will sow them in amongst the flowers, etc, nearby. Hopefully some will survive and I'll have some more this Autumn.

One of the few things we lack here in central Brighton is a Communal Vegetable Garden. NOT an 'allotment' as such, but just a small joint veg' growing patch where anyone can participate, and eventually help themselves to what is grown. I'm sure it would be extremely popular!

This raised bed is a miniature version.

 

Totally BONKERS

 

Ignoring the rights and wrongs of the war in Iran, one of the most bizarre sides to the current conflict must be that people are being arrested in the UAE for taking photos of war damage. I see that 70 Brits have been arrested, and face 10 year Jail sentences, for taking photos of bomb damage in Dubai (above).

The authorities claim that it shows their country in a bad light. However, what shows them in an EVEN WORSE LIGHT, is arresting innocent people for telling, and showing, THE TRUTH.

It has to be said (because it's true), that certain cultures really are totally BONKERS.

In The West you might be in trouble for lying, whilst in The Middle East it's the TRUTH that'll get you in very deep poo! Bizarre!

Given Names, then and now.

 

Just prior to upping-sticks and moving to France, I was teaching at the prestigious Prep' School, Windlesham House (above).

Recently I was looking at their Wiki site (to glean some info) and took a look at the list of some of the better known 'old boys'.

Amongst the more recent ones, whose names people might recognise, were Sir Michael Hordern, Duncan Goodhew, Chris Whitty, and Guy Ritchie. All with perfectly normal Christian names.

However, going back a bit, I came across Christian names that were much more adventurous. Imagine naming your son one of these....

Ichabod, Debonnaire, Roden, Saumarez, Lepel, Leveson, Colthurst, Hay, Osmond, Bentley, or Sutton. All more like Surnames than Given Names.

Just like the naming of Dogs, one needs to be able to shout a given name without either you or the Dog/Person feeling embarrassed. The name also needs to be short, sharp, and clear.

Imagine shouting to your son "Debonnaire (or Ichabod), come here; it's lunch time"; rather than "Billy, come here... etc". Whilst giving your sons (and daughters) interesting names, one needs to remember that they should be practical.

There was a recent trend for giving children the names of where they were conceived, so we could have had Bolton Brown, or Frinton-on-Sea Smith, or even Torremolinos Thomas. Not a good trend.

Wines were also popular for a while, and lots of girls were tragically named 'Chardonnay'; we even knew one called 'Chablis'.

So, when you're choosing a name, make sure the poor child won't be constantly embarrassed by shortening it into something obscene, or that it isn't a well-known Italian word for 'Ugly old Cow'. 

Muckle Flugga

 

The UK has some pretty rustic outposts, as well as a few very sophisticated, cosier locations.

One of the former (a lump of offshore rock, with a lighthouse), MUST, at some time or other, have been the subject of a national COMPETITION, to find the most appropriate name for an inhospitable island.

The island, which is part of The Shetlands, off the north coast of Scotland, is just about the most remote and barren place you could imagine, and one has to pity the poor builders who were sent there to build its Lighthouse.

Anyway, someone obviously won the 'Name The Rock Competition', and the lucky winner came up with the very appealing name of MUCKLE FLUGGA. A name, I'm sure you'll agree, that has a certain 'ring' about it.

The name is perfect; I couldn't have thought of anything better. And if you're thinking of holidaying in the area, contact someone who's bound to be called 'Hamish', who keeps the key. Accommodation is free, but you will need to sign a disclaimer against death, frostbite, boredom, and all forms of rock-inflicted injuries. 

I can still hear my mother saying "Cro, if you don't behave yourself, I'll send you to Muckle Fugga". 

"Oh...... NO!

Idyllic England.

This picture (below) is exactly how I remember rural life when I was small. We lived on the edge of a small Surrey Village, and our large garden backed onto open countryside. We also had our own Chickens, Ducks, and Bantams, as well as a large Veg' garden, and plenty of Fruit and Nut trees. So I'm no stranger to bucolic life.

Country life isn't all that different today. The Tractors are definitely bigger, and Hay Bales have changed shape, but otherwise life is much the same. Fields are ploughed, seeds sown, and crops harvested. Cows are still Milked, Pigs fattened, and Sheep sheared. Fields look much as they did over half a century ago, and their surrounding hedges continue to be trimmed. Rooks still nest in noisy gangs high in the Oak trees, and Rabbits run wild amongst the Wheat and Barley. 

One of the few noticeable differences these days is the absence of Haystacks. When I was small, beautifully crafted Haystacks would always be topped with hay-sculpted animals and birds. Pheasants were a favourite. Serious competitions were held for 'Best Haystacks'.

The other major difference is that the Farmers themselves now all have glum faces, but the cause of that is beyond their control.

I would have quite enjoyed life as a Farmer. I did once contemplate buying a farm in Wales It had a lovely old stone farmhouse, loads of stone-built barns, etc, and about 20 acres of good level land. My only problem was that at 25 yeas old, I knew nothing about farming, so I bought a similar stone-built farm in S W France instead, which had just one Hectare of land; not all of which was level.

I grew Wheat and Maize, and I harvested an annual crop of Chestnuts from a small area of ancient grafted trees. And as I had been taught as a child, I grew all my own vegs, and had a run-full of Hens.

Farming runs in my distant family, as I imagine it does in almost everyone's families. I think I would have made a good 'arable' Farmer. No Cows or Sheep or Pigs; just acres of Leeks, Spuds, and Onions.

Now I shall never know. 

 

Joe Lycett.

You'll like this.

Funny AND informative is unusual. But here is comic Joe Lycett offering both.

Enjoy (I did).

 

Maxi-Luddites

 

It doesn't take a genius to understand that all of our Agriculture, and our infrastructure and domestic Construction industries, rely heavily on machinery that use fossil fuels; mostly Diesel. Without that fuel everything would grind to a staggering halt. I have yet to see any Tesla Tractors, Diggers, or Bulldozers around.

Luckily we have plenty of Oil and Gas reserves in The North Sea, but our LUDDITE Minister of Energy Security and Net Zero, the fragrant Ed Milybloodyidiot (above), wants to ban all fossil fuels, and use the light breeze and whatever sunshine we get instead. He refuses to allow our major Oil Co's to drill for our own fuel reserves (of which we have plenty); so we buy from Norway and elsewhere at greatly inflated prices instead. OK, being 99% 'eco' is a pleasantly endearing Woke idea, but we do need to be practical as well.

The most disturbing effect of their Net Zero policies will be on Agriculture. This bizarre government has already caused chaos by stopping farms being handed from Father to Son/Daughter by the imposition of crippling Inheritance Taxes; most farms will now have to be sold to pay huge tax demands. That, and the lack of Diesel Oil for their tractors, will soon bring UK farming to near STANDSTILL. How come that everybody seems to understand this, other than our current bunch of blinkered politicians?

It is no secret that the world's major manufacturers and suppliers of Milifool's beloved Wind turbines and Solar panels are CHINESE. For some strange reason, our politicians prefer to support THEIR economy rather than our own. No wonder that Starmer was visiting China recently. Will we soon be eating Chinese Spuds and Brussels Sprouts?

And it's not only that. The next time you visit your supermarket, take a look at all the parked cars, and see the number that are either Chinese (EV's) or Japanese. Why is it that even our own citizens prefer to support THEIR economies rather than buying European?

All answers on a postcard please to The Luddites of No 10 Downing St, London.

Avian 'des res'.

I am 'now' successfully feeding our local birds (mostly Sparrows) at the front of the house, but I'm having less success at the back.

I installed this very well built and solid bird box about 4 years ago, and although it is in a secure position, it has yet to have any residents. I haven't even seen any birds having a tour of inspection.

It has a good watertight roof, the inside is clean and 'cosy', and it is situated away from prying Cats or Foxes. In other words (to me) it seems ideal for a blossoming family of Blue or Great Tits.

I suppose I could hang a seed-filled feeder nearby to attract them, but that may prove to be counter-productive.

Anyway, I've given it a clean, installed a 'Vacant' sign, and am crossing my fingers.

For heaven's sake; it even has Roses around the door (or it will have). What more could they possibly want!

 

An Essential Change to the Law!

On Saturday morning, I was waiting at a traffic light, when a man pulled-up behind me wearing the EXACT type of large pale-grey hoodie as this woman is wearing below.

Originally I simply thought he looked a bit of a plonker, as it was a lovely warm sunny day. But then I noticed him looking sideways both right and left.

As his head moved, I noticed that the hoodie DIDN'T. Meaning that he couldn't see anything out to either side.

Personally I wouldn't be seen dead wearing a hoodie, let alone wearing one on a warm day in a car. It's no different to a horse wearing blinkers.

So, here is an open letter to Lord Hermer KL, the UK's Attorney General....

"Dear Sir; I would be grateful if you would recommend an immediate ban on the wearing of 'hoodies' by all bike, car, and lorry drivers. It is a danger to other road-users, and other than looking ridiculous, it is also totally unnecessary.  May I also recommend an 'on-the-spot-fine' of £500 (or more). Thank you; Cro".

 

Another Product Test.

My shopping is usually very disciplined; I have my list, and I stick to it.

But occasionally, just occasionally, I throw caution to the winds and invest in a total unknown.

I just happened to be looking for a favourite brand of Choucroute, when I noticed this (below). Spichlerz Rusiecki Miesiwo (I hope I've spelt that correctly).

It didn't really give many clues as to what it was, but it did claim to be 'Dish of meat au jus'; I was intrigued.

I thought it must be Polish, and be made of Pork. It looked rather like the Jamboneau I buy in France, with a solid looking lump of meat surrounded by jelly. But I wasn't sure if it was a type of paté, or a mixture of paté and meat, or even a solid piece of preserved meat. It didn't say, and I couldn't see!

In fact it was solid meat (not minced), and was probably made-up from several pieces. It WAS very similar to the French Jamboneau, but maybe not quite as tasty.

I found it amongst the foreign foods at Sainsbury's, but I don't know if it's sold everywhere. I'm sure most bigger stores would have it. Online it was advertised at £2.38 from Asda, £2.50 from Sainsbury's (which is what I paid), and £4.26 + £19.99 delivery from londongrocery.net (they must be bloody kidding!).

It was certainly worth buying; I enjoyed it, and it wasn't over expensive. If you like that sort of thing I would recommend that you give it a go. Serve with buttered toast and a few gherkins!

Verdict: 8/10. It could be better seasoned, but otherwise very pleasant. I shall certainly buy it again.

Harry Hill

Harry Hill isn't on TV much these days, but he was always amongst my very favourite comedians.

I once went to a show of his at The Theatre Royal here in Brighton; it was without doubt the funniest evening of my life.

This very short video comes from his TV show 'TV Burp'. A classic of the style of clips he showed.

One of my real hates, is people who don't speak clearly. Mumbling has become 'fashionable' (especially amongst actors); so here are some good examples. Enjoy!

And don't ask me what they're saying (except for the final one) because I don't have a clue.

 

Strachey, Bloomsbury, and Charleston.

Of all my literary heroes from the past, I haven't heard the name of Lytton Strachey mentioned for quite some while. Maybe he is simply 'out of fashion'; if indeed he was ever 'in'.

I first came upon him whilst still at school. I was doing a project about the role of Florence Nightingale in world medicine, and discovered his book 'Eminent Victorians' (in which she featured). Strachey's writing, and highly individual perspective, made him appeal at once.

These days I associate Strachey with Charleston; the Bloomsbury group home on the other side of The Downs from Brighton. Strachey didn't actually live there but was a frequent visitor to Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell, and others. This portrait of LS (below) is by Dora Carrington.

Much later I bought Michael Holroyd's rather heavy-going biography of Strachey, which I still have; and occasionally browse.

In many ways LS was a man of 'fringe importance'. He appealed to a specific audience, and his critical writings only appeared in 'fringe publications'. Regardless, there is something essentially 'English' about his writing. Very 'Bloomsbury'.

LS lived in Wiltshire, at Ham Spray House, near Marlborough (below). The photo shows L to R Carrington, Frank Partridge, and LS himself.

I think Strachey is now ripe for a revival. A BBC biopic maybe. Or even a Bloomsbury Romcom? I would, of course, play the part of scruffy painter Duncan Grant.

This (below) is me back in 2022 in France, reading a letter from Virginia Nicholson (co-author of the ultimate Charleston book I'm holding). She had written the book with her father Quentin Bell (son of Clive and Vanessa Bell), but he sadly died just before its publication. She wrote to me "From one of the authors, and in memory of the other, best wishes, etc". The book, and her kind letter, is one of my treasured possessions.

The Bloomsbury Group were certainly people about whom there is plenty of scandalous subject matter. It would make 'essential' viewing (Channel 4 maybe?).

Mojtaba Khamenei

 

Regular visitors here may remember that I wrote about Mojtaba Khamenei (above) back on 3rd Feb this year.

He's a charming fellow. Son of the late supreme leader (now with his 72 virgins), he had access to unlimited funds to amuse himself, wherever he fancied; mostly in London. I see that his late father, the fragrant Ayatollah, managed to amass a 'fortune' of between $95 and $200 Billion. All this whilst many of his people could hardly afford a loaf of bread.

It must be strange to have access to unlimited money. If he sees a £40 Million house that he fancies, he just says "Send the bill to Iran", and it's his! And he moves on to the next one.

The big question is (as with so many Islamic leaders), where does all the money come from?

Arafat was the first leader I'd heard about who 'commandeered' vast amounts of his people's money. Since then almost every Hamas senior figure has managed to acquire a few dodgy £Millions or even £Billions; Yahya Sinwar having even deposited his stash in a Jewish Bank in Tel Aviv. The bloody cheek! 

It's well known that these people steal money that belongs to the citizens of Iran, Syria, Gaza, etc, and they have no shame in doing so.

The latest I heard of Mojtaba himself, was that he MIGHT have lost a limb, and MIGHT be in a coma. News is sketchy. As with most of these people; their stolen £Billions don't do them much good! You can only spend so much.

Mojtaba is of course a Cleric, like his father before him; but does The Koran not teach that one 'Should not steal'? Surely a Cleric should know better. 

Wine from The Red Sea.

 

I've drunk wine from many parts of the world.

France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, the USA, Argentina, Greece, Chile, Peru, Portugal, Morocco, S Africa, and a few other places that I've probably forgotten. But I'd never tasted an Egyptian wine.

With Kimbo and Suzie just back from their short jaunt in Egypt, I was presented with a bottle of 'Shahrazade' Cabernet/Merlot wine. 

On the back label it promises that the wine is 'Rich with the blessings of the ancient Nile terraces'; whatever that means.

It's a light red at 12.5% alc, and offers 'A flavour of red berries and spices, mingled with jammy ripe fruits; complimented by silky smooth tannins'.

As you know, I do like to assess new tastes and flavours, so I put on my sommelier's hat, and went to work.

Verdict: 2/10 (they lied)

If you have always wondered why Egyptian Wine isn't more popular; I suggest you try 'Shahrazade'.

Jack Hargreaves

Many people these days will NOT know the name Jack Hargreaves, but when I was a wee Whipper-Snapper he was one of my great heroes.

He had a TV programme called 'Out of Town', where he sat in a garden shed, and talked about all things bucolic. It was one of those very relaxed programmes that taught you so much, without really trying.

He didn't dress-up, he sucked on an old pipe, spoke with a country drawl, and he fiddled with bits of string. He was the epitome of an easy-going countryman. Here he is driving his Horse and Trap; not unlike the one we had as children in my native Surrey village of Lingfield.

Many years later, here I am (in about 1975) outside my original Farmhouse in S W France (below), driving a very similar Horse and Trap.

The Trap was mine, but the Horse (Joe) belonged to some friends who were visiting in an old Gypsy Caravan. They were travelling from the North to the South of France; an eco-trip.

When our friends reached the South Coast of France, after SIX months on the road, they sold both Horse and Caravan. If I'd known they were going to sell, I would have made an offer.

The Caravan had been bought in Ireland, and was of the type knows as 'An Open Lot', the Horse came from London, and had been working as a Rag-n-Bone-Man's Horse. He was a Welsh Cob, and behaved perfectly.

This below is the Caravan that Joe pulled, with me and our first two small children. Jack Hargreaves would have approved!

Still proclaiming.

I recently heard this song being used as the backing for some BBC Radio play (I can't remember what it was).

The Proclaimers were a strange phenomenon on the music scene. Scottish twin brothers, Craig and Charlie Reid from Auchtermuchty, sand alluringly old fashioned songs that became huge hits. Their songs 'Letter from America', and 'I'm gonna be' (I would walk 500 miles), took them to the top of the UK charts.  

This particular song 'Beautiful truth' is amongst their best. A beautiful relaxing melody.

 

The Cancelling of a National Hero

It's a sad day. Churchill's portrait is to be removed from our £5 banknotes. Instead we are to have some more acceptable cute cuddly Woke animals.

They (?) are chipping away, and airbrushing our history, bit by bit. They topple statues, detest Remembrance Day Poppies, ban certain history books, throw their hands in horror at any mention of 'Empire', spray over important monuments, and re-name offending streets; all in the name of Woke-ism. 

Most countries celebrate and cherish their history, but not us. The heroic past of our nation, our greatest achievements, and our history, is being slowly 'cancelled'. Our current crop of Woke Lovies see much of Britain's past as unacceptable, and they work hard to remove anything that offends their Woke credentials.

Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it. We have to accept what they do without complaining. We are powerless, and must wait for a different government with more backbone to reverse matters.

However, just for fun, I'm showing this delightful photo again (below) of a very young Lady Magnon (bottom left) sitting patiently listening to Winston Churchill at our Embassy in Washington. The great man will NEVER be whitewashed in this house!

Making it someone else's problem!

I don't get into town much these days even though the main shopping area is only a few hundred yards away. Brighton is also quite 'hilly', which I find a problem. It's easier for me to go out of town by car, and do all I need there!

As such I don't see much of any homelessness there may be, although I have mentioned previously about a few people who lived in tents in the Park.

However, having seen this headline (above) in my Msn News Feed, I am presuming that there is still a problem. Usually at this cold time of year, the 'homeless' stay at home; one is more likely to see them in Summer when the weather is better.

Unlike our Government who dither over everything (except raising taxes), our Labour Council is grasping the nettle, and dealing with the 'homelessness' problem by sending Brighton's nomads over to Eastbourne; known everywhere as 'God's Waiting Room'.  

I'm not sure what the elderly population of Eastbourne will make of this. They are used to their quiet, uneventful, OAP-filled, seaside town; NOT having a bunch of drugged-up scruffy individuals, sitting on the pavements with their hands out.

No doubt they'll soon all walk back along the coast to the town they love, and which offers them a much more pleasant lifestyle.

Good try Council, but don't start celebrating too soon.

 

DRUGS

I'm not a drug user, and never have been. As an Art Student, in the late 60's, I did once smoke some Hashish, but it sent me to sleep, so I didn't bother again.

On my early dog-walk yesterday morning, I noticed a small, suspicious looking, plastic bag on the ground in the Twitten behind my garage; an area often used by local crack-heads. It was a small plastic Ziploc packet that contained a number of even smaller packs. It looked very suspicious, so I picked it up (not wanting any small children to find it), and took it home.

Above, is what it contained. About a dozen very small packets containing white powder.

I have no idea what it is, and have no desire to find out. I presume it is either Fentanyl or Cocaine or something similar.

So, what does one do with such a find? I don't know if the Police will be interested, and I don't want to dispose of it in it's present condition. Do I flush it down the loo? Do I incinerate it? Do I bury it in the garden?

Some dealer must be as 'Sick as a Parrot' this morning, and no doubt he'll be seen scouring the area, over the next few days!

Now I have to decide what I'll do with it.

(Some time later). I contacted the Police, and in no time a couple of very attractive and friendly young female PC's knocked at the door, and the offending stupefiants were taken into custody. They seemed very grateful.

Do not be surprised if my name appears in King Charles's Birthday Honours List, for services to the community above and beyond the call of duty. Cro Magnon OBE.

Never a dull moment !!!

Product Test.

I fancied some Fish Fingers for supper, but there were only TWO left in my freezer. Not enough!

Inside the freezer cabinet at Sainsbury's there were two very similar looking packets, which I'd not noticed before. One was for Cod Fish Fingers (the type I had at home), and the other was for Pollock (which I'd never previously tried). They could easily have been confused.

As I'd heard Rick Stein going on about how we should all be buying Pollock rather than Cod (to save Cod fish stocks), I plumped for the Pollock, which were also considerably cheaper; I think less than half the price.

I fried them in the same pan, but kept them apart. As above; the Cod was on the left and the Pollock on the right.

Frankly, taste-wise, I could hardly tell them apart, I had to really concentrate on finding any difference. If anything, I found the Cod to be very slightly 'sweeter', but overall they were much the same. Both very nice.

I served them with some simply fried 'Little Gem' lettuce.

Verdict: Pollock Fish Fingers, 10/10. I shall certainly be buying them in future! 

I'll leave the Cod to swim another day.

 

Starmer in the poo again.

 

Poor old Starmer, I'm almost beginning to feel sorry for him. Whatever he does; he gets wrong.

Tru*p isn't happy with him; nor is Tony Blair. He's being attacked from all sides; even his own!

The US President recently said "We'll never forget the lack of support, from a once great ally". He also told Starmer not to bother with his little warship as the war was almost over! Macron has now helped-out in Cyprus instead. The French President told the residents of Cyprus that if they couldn't rely on the UK, they could always rely on France.

Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves..... Sadly not any more under Starmer. We are now a piss-poor naval nation!

Blair also rebuked him for not having backed the US right from the very beginning.

Of course, with such a huge Muslim population in the UK (who I expect are Labour voters) he doesn't wish to rock the boat. I'm sure both Churchill and Mrs T would never have considered such trivialities; but elections are looming, and he needs EVERY vote.!

This dreadful inditement of UK defence policy comes just as The Army holds a referendum about the wearing of makeup and hairstyles amongst the rank and file. With their new 'Woke' policy on 'gender', they are asking ordinary soldiers if they think they should be allowed to wear makeup and have their hair permed. I have yet to hear the results.

Shadow defence minister, Mark Francois noted "Replacing facial camouflage with mascara will hardly deter Putin". Well said MF! 

I believe that Starmer has now phoned Tru*p to apologise, and to attempt to repair the damage he's caused to the UK. Some bloody hope!

As further response to the Iran war, Starmer is to strengthen laws concerning 'Hostility towards Muslims'. They will create laws against 'Prejudicial Stereotyping', and general 'Disrespect'. It looks as if the pro-Hamas lobby has won yet again. I shall obviously need to be more cautious in the future, of what I say about terrorist groups. 

Oh dear oh dear. 'Will no-one rid us of this turbulent lawyer'???

p.s. I see that our little boat has now left harbour, and is heading for The Med'.

So, how's it going?

 

The new Green Waste bins system (that I was slightly dubious about) is now in operation, so I thought I'd have a look inside my nearest one.

It's been 10 days since they were 'open for use', and I suspect that, just like the nice little plastic boxes that were delivered to every home, the system is being ignored.

I have just looked inside my nearest bin, and there was NOTHING inside, not even the vestige of a rotting lettuce leaf. Rien de tout!

It's not that people here are anti composting or methane-ing. Most people, like Lady M, are very conscientious about recycling, etc. It's just that this is a recycle-too-far, and people can't be bothered.

We already have to sort through all our rubbish, and picking out that cabbage leaf or potato peel is just too much.

Maybe in time they WILL be used, but for the moment they remain unloved. I'm even wondering if the interior stainless steel bins won't soon attract the 'light-fingered' brigade, and they disappear just to end-up in people's gardens (not that I'm suggesting such a thing).

Butter

I'm very keen on butter. 

I think my very first awareness of butter as a product, was in France as a young 10 year old boy; I noticed that not only did it have a totally different taste to my usual post-war butter (which came from NZ), but it was also a different colour; it was almost white. Even so, there was something very 'haunting' about its flavour.

This has now changed and French butter is very similar to standard English butter, and equally uninteresting.

In France I always used to buy the excellent 'Buerre d'Isigny', but I don't see it on offer as much as I used to. It was excellent.

Meanwhile, here in the UK I have become bored with the blandness of the Sainsbury's butter that I usually buy.

In a recent Sunday Times, there was a breakdown of the very best UK butters, and the one that came out on top was Sainsbury's (yes, them again) 'Taste the Difference', West Country Farmhouse Butter with Maldon Sea Salt. The difference in quality is noticeable at once. It's more expensive of course, but you get what you pay for! You could almost eat this stuff by the spoon-full.

I also always have a small pack of Garlic & Herb butter in the freezer. I'm lazy, I know!

People tend to think of butter as just plain 'Butter', but it's not. Look around and you'll find some really nice butters; it's worth having at least one really good one in the fridge at all times.

 

Abandoned!

 

I feel abandoned. 

OK, I have one grandson studying in Oxford, and another studying in Hertfordshire, but otherwise it's just me who's representing the Magnons in the UK. All the others are overseas.

Kimbo and Susie are in Egypt, Lady M, Wills, Boo Boo, and The Cherub are in Thailand, my daughter Tenpin is in Oz with her two boys, and my sister is in NZ; leaving just me to hold the fort, here in our ancestral home of England.

Like many families these days, we do tend to spread our wings. Even I (the stay-at-home-lad) have managed to live more than half my life abroad; even though it was not far away in Southern France. I quite expect that very few families have all the members 'at home' these days.

So, I've been making sure I descend the stairs carefully, cross the road cautiously, and do not pour boiling water over my feet. I don't want to be found having 'passed-away' without anyone knowing.

Lady M has been away for over a week, but will be home in a couple of days!

Eddie the Eagle.

With The Winter Olympics and The 'inspiring' Paralympics now coming to an end, it's timely to remember England's (very amateur) Ski Jump hero; Eddie Edwards.

Regardless of being someone who came LAST in most of his competitions, he was seen as a 'National Treasure'.

He represented England's attitude towards sport of all sorts. 'It matters not who won or lost, but how one played the game'.

Eddie may never have stood on a podium, but he stood high in everyone's esteem.

There's even now 'The Eddie the Eagle Ruling', which states that competitors in the Olympics must have reached a certain high standard in their chosen sport before being allowed to compete. So, no more Eddies. What a shame.

These days Eddie has returned to his original trade, and is a Plasterer!

Eddie, we salute you!

National Mourning.

I suppose the most iconic UK Radio 'soap' of all time must be The Archers; a simply story of country folk. I believe that it is also the world's 'oldest soap'.

The action takes place in the village of Ambridge, where the Archer family run a farm; 'Brookfield'. As with all UK 'soaps', much of the activity is centred around the village Pub'; The Bull.

The BBC programme's mythical Pub', is based on a real one; The Old Bull in Inkberrow, Worcs. England at its finest!

Sadly, like so many Pub's in this 'New England' of ours, The Old Bull is about to CLOSE. This lovely old 17th Century Public House will close its doors thanks to excessive taxation having made it uneconomical. New taxes imposed on businesses everywhere have forced unimaginable chaos, and closures, and The Old Bull is one of the latest victims. Pubs are closing by the dozen all over the country, and no-one in government seems to mind. Let's just hope that its closure is only temporary, and that it will re-open when we have a more realistic government; otherwise it would make the most wonderful house (I do hope not).

It is a strange inditement of government policy that these days, the more a Pub' stays open, the more it loses money. Most only survive by providing 'Pub Grub'.

The Archers radio programme started on 1st January 1951, but The Old Bull had been serving beer since the early 1600's. Its closure is a GENUINE national tragedy. 

High Taxation is a vicious circle. Increased unemployment has to be paid for. To pay for it we have to increase taxes. The increased taxes causes more unemployment; and so it goes on. The enormous ensuing 'Benefits bill' is said to be rising by an extra £18 Billion this year alone! Dreadful.

Quad erat demonstrandum. RIP The Old Bull.

 

I am H.A.P.P.Y.

I've mentioned several times on this page, that I am very keen on Breast of Lamb (Lamb Ribs).

A really nice new 'Deli' has recently opened nearby, and whilst visiting my Pharmacy (Boots) I popped in to say hello.

I was able to buy several things that I can't find elsewhere, and the people were both friendly and charming; which is a bonus. 

The two pieces of Lamb were cut for me directly from a whole carcass, by a pukka Butcher, and I was amazed to see that they cost just £5.93.

My favourite way of eating the Lamb is cut into two pieces, cook on the BBQ, and sprinkle with Cumin powder before serving (or Ras el Hanout, which I also bought yesterday). In the Summer I serve it with a simple Tabouleh. There's not a lot of meat on the ribs, but they are delicious. Have a roll of Kitchen tissue handy; this should be eaten with fingers!

Otherwise it goes into an Irish Stew, or a Lamb Tagine.

However it's eaten, it's the tastiest cut of Lamb..... and the cheapest.

I am very happy to have an excellent nearby supplier.

 

What Special Relationship?

Trump has described Starmer as being 'No Churchill'. In fact Starmer has dithered so much recently that both the French and the Spanish have had to step-in to defend our presence in Cyprus. He's no Churchill indeed.

Meanwhile at home, a Hamas supporter has daubed paint over the statue of Churchill outside the Houses of Parliament. He has been arrested.

It's a very sad state of affairs when some a misguided fool should desecrate the statue of one of our greatest wartime leaders. It just shows how low some of these people can descend. 

As for the UK/USA Special Relationship; our government is doing its best to distance themselves. We recently ruined our relationship with the EU, now we're doing the same with the USA. However, Tru*p is partly to blame by imposing crazy tariffs on our exports. Not a friendly gesture!

I also remember back in 1965 (?), when the USA were fighting in Vietnam, Lyndon B Johnson phoned Harold Wilson to enlist the support of the UK. Wilson refused, and said that he'd never heard such obscenities over the phone from a US President. The Socialists aren't too popular across the pond!

Sadly a country that once was a World Power-House, is now seen as WEAK. We need another Churchill. One can but wonder what Starmer would have done during The Falklands Crisis?

Yes...... Nothing!

Bears

In the animal 'cuteness' stakes, Polar Bear Cubs must be top of the list.

Most of us, of a certain age, have always loved Polar Bears on account of Rupert. He was an adolescent bear, with a mother who always wore an apron, and a father who wore plus-fours and smoked a pipe. Just an every-day family of Polar Bears in amongst a world of humans.

I know that most Teddy Bears are gingery/beige colour, and they are named after a Bear that was probably darker, but I would like to suggest that the very best Teddy Bear imaginable would have the face of a Polar Bear Cub, and the body of a traditional early Steiff.

I didn't have a Teddy Bear as a child (just Alphonse), but I do occasionally buy them as gifts for new-borns. One baby, who was born at the height of Winter received a Polar Bear 'Teddy', which was almost as 'cute' as the one's above.

However, when going around all the shops that sold Teddy Bears, I was amazed to see how very few traditional Bears there were around. Mostly they were horrible Japanese objects that would have scared most small children to death! I probably should have looked online; although even there it's disappointing.

All three of my own children had proper Bears.... Bryn, Mrs Pins, and Harry. 

 

It's all right for some!

Some people have all the luck. If you can call it 'luck' flying in and out of The Middle East.

My son Kimbo is a constant traveller. He has recently been in Dubai (lucky escape), and is just about to go to Egypt.

I have suggested that he takes a Flack Jacket, and Armoured Sombrero; just in case. I believe he is going where it is considered 'safe', but you can't trust those crazy Iranians. 

Meanwhile, Lady M is building sandcastles on a small Thai island with Boo Boo and The Cherub.

I am staying at home with Billy, and crossing my fingers!

 

The Good, the Bad, and the Dangerous.

As we welcome the beginning of WW3, Iran is playing its part by bombing fellow Muslim countries (Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Iraq) who have nothing to do with the present conflict.

Iranians (and many others) have been celebrating the news of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's demise. They can sense a new era of democracy; although when it will come is anyone's guess!!!

Meanwhile in London a few cock-eyed protestors mourned the passing of their darling Ayatollah, and praised his tenure as 'Supreme Leader'.

Yes, it was the fragrant Jeremy Corbyn, and his charming brother Piers, who led the protesters, and supported the Mad-Mullah's 30 year regime of brutality. They blamed Iran's evil on everyone but Khamenei and his nasty henchmen. Amazingly, they were proud to show their support for the man who ordered the killing of tens of thousands of his own people in recent times. They were there to sing the praises of the No 1 sponsor of world-wide terrorism. 

I find this both disgusting and, frankly, unbelievable!

There is one glaringly obvious truth in UK politics, if you follow the ways of the middle-of-the-road politicians/political parties (Lab/Con/Lib Dem), you are probably safe to be allowed out and about. But if you follow the words of the Corbyn brothers you are probably NOT.

Why is it that BAD people always support each other? There isn't a single member of the 'Axis of Evil' countries that these brothers don't love and support.

 

I say you fellows; here's one I made earlier!

These 'Food Waste' boxes have been appearing all over the place. They were originally delivered to each home, and simply left on the doorstep in advance of the new food waste bins being inaugurated at the end of this month (March).

Since then I have seen them all over the place. It looks as if people simply don't want them, and are discarding them!

This particular one I found by the big dustbins, and I rescued it. Someone had taken the plastic bags (that comes with them), and chucked the actual container itself.

So, what does one do with a spare container? One makes a 'Tuck Box' of course. It will be perfect for use in the car, on long journeys.

Appropriate 'Billy Bunter' decoration was completed by group effort.

Verdict: 10/10

 

Bacon

I'm on a bit of a diet at the moment; no wine (almost), and hardly any pukka breakfasts. Thankfully my son, Kimbo, joins me every Friday morning for a 'sorting-out-the-world-full-English'. And it always gets me dreaming about proper BACON.

Bacon is a thorny subject in England; much as Haggis is in Scotland.

Generally, and I mean GENERALLY, English Bacon isn't as good as it could be. The taste is good, but when you see it frying, you understand at once how it's been made; the QUICK way!

Rather than being salted in the traditional manner, it is injected with a salt/water solution, which cures quickly, then seeps out as 'white gunge' when cooking. OK, it's only salty water (with a few inoffensive chemicals), but it looks horrible.

This bacon below is of my own making, and as long as you have a good supply of Belly Pork, Preserving Coarse Sea Salt, and Sugar, you can have a permanent supply of un-sullied home-made Bacon, that you will never forget.

The process couldn't be simpler. Take a large lump of Belly Pork, preferably from the thin end (no bones), and rub into it a mixture of coarse Sea Salt and Brown Sugar (2 parts Salt, to 1 part Sugar), and plenty of coarse ground Pepper, then lay the whole thing on a layer of the same mix, and cover with yet more. A large clean washing-up bowl is an ideal container.

After 4 days, rub off all the Salt mixture, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Then hang somewhere 'airy' in a muslin bag (below) for a while (a large French inglenook fireplace is ideal), until you can wait no longer.

 

You are now ready to taste the flavour of Real Bacon; Bacon how it always was. The Bacon of our ancestors. The first thing you notice is that no gunge comes from the meat when cooking, the second thing is the taste; delicious. This is the un-smoked Streaky Bacon that the Italians call Pancetta.

Once you have made your first lot, and you see how easy it is, you will also see where you might change things to suit your own taste. The above is the BASIC recipe; added herbs and spices are optional.