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!