Saturday 30th October 2021

Of all the churches and cathedrals in London, the one I wanted to visit and photograph was Westminster Abbey. But, the Abbey didn't allow photography didn't go. And then a few weeks back, my friend, Aidan, started to post shots from inside, and as it turns out, photography, in most areas of the Abbey, is now allowed. So it was a case of when we would visit, not "if", and once we had a free weekend, I began to plan and book.

£25 to go in, each. £10 each for the new museum. And £15 each for a hidden highlights tour. It wasn't cheap, but then if you're going to do it, do it well!

All chores were done Friday, including shopping, so we were free to catch the quarter to eaight train from Dover. On the way we calledinto the garage to pick up some stuff to eat on the train, so we were set.

Saturday was also the last day of British Summer Time (BST), as the clocks would go back early on Sunday morning, then five long winter months would begin.

So, better make most of the daylight.

We were early for the train, so we ate breakfast on the platform, then once the train pulled in, I picked my favourite seats and we settled down for the hour run into London. THe one thing I hadn't planned well was the weather, and some rain was expected during the morning.

The train wasn't busy, and most people wore masks, though enough didn't to make one wonder if the message about COVID really hadn't got through. But then with Johnson as PM, we shouldn't be surprised.

We get off at Statford, and the rain was falling heavily even before we left the Essex marshes behind and entered the long tunnel. But at Stratford, day had become night and the rain fell in what is called stair-rods. I hoped that if we walked slowly through the shopping centre it might have eased by the time we needed to cross over the bridge to the regional station, but the rain was falling just as hard.

And there was no way to avoid it, so we just pulled our collars up and walked as quickly as possible.

Which is why, by the time we arrived at the other side, we were wet little hobbitses.

A quick walk to the Jubilee Line platforms, catching the next train out, we took seats and sat there, gently steaming.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived in Westminster, no dryer, really, taking the four flights of escalators to the surface, where outside it had, atleast, stopped raining for now.

Demonstrations are now outlawed in Parliament Square, so it was quiet, once you got to the other side of the road, its a five minute walk past the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament), and round to the entrance of the Abbey.

Amazingly, there was no queue, and once inside the doorway I show my e tickets, they were scanned and we were allowed in. There was a one way system round the Abbey, so I began the first circuit with the 50mm lens, thinking I would go round again with the wide angle, and a third time with the big lens to snap detail.

That was the plan.

Westminster Abbey is where the Kings and Queens of England and Britain have been crowned. Also, where until Henry V11 thought otherwise, they were buried too, so the chancel is jammed with tombs of many famous and infamous figures from history, from Edward the Confessor to William and Mary, most tombs are grand, some less so. As well as Kings and Queens, minor royals and members of the nobility also were either buried here, or had monument erected. As have military figures, and famousnames from the arts.

It really is quite remarkable.

That and the Abbey itself, in parts dating from just before the Norman COnquest, to a rebuilding just after to the 13th Century when Henry III pulled the old Abbey down and started to rebuild it, until he ran out of money.

But it was completed, and since then had filled up with monuments, so many, I lost count and gave up trying to record them all. Instead, marvelling at their range and beauty.

I walked down the nave, through the arch into the Quire, and it was as breathtaking as expected, then round the Chancel looking and photographing the tombs of the Kings and Queens, round Henry VII's chapel.

And then repeating it with the wide angle lens, taking shots of the various chapels and tombs, all the while keeping an eye on the time as we were to go to visit the new gallery musuem at 11, and then a guided tour of some normally off limit places at half past.

Neither of these allowed photography, which is a great shame as the views from the gallery were stunning down the length of the Nave and then the ancinent chain library and the sanctuary of Henry VII's chapel where we could reach out and touch the shrine of St Edward the Confessor.

The museum had dozens of funeral effigies of the Kings and Queens, some made I'm sure to look better than they did in real life, but others had a degree of realism about them. The one of Queen Mary seemed pregnant, while the one for Queen Elizabeth Ist had a tight corset, so she would have appeared in death as she had as a young woman.

There were carvings, ceremonial cloaks, replicas of the Crown Jewels, and so much more, but we had run out of time, as we had to get to the other side of the church for the hidden secrets tour.

Us and three other couples joined our guide as he showed us the latest escavations revealing the area where monks used to prepare for services. This is hidden behind screens now, and will soon become the site of a new visitor's centre. The trenches were filled with uncvered skeletons and bones, all human of course, and these will all either be rebuuried here or some other Christian place.

Next we went to the Dean's quarters where we saw where he prepared for services, and were allowed into, but not allowed to photograph the Jerico Room, before being allowed outside for a while, then walking around the cloisters, back into the chancel and into Henry's chapel to see the tombs and shrine. Envious looks rained down on us as we climbed the wooden steps into the usually closed area, and then only the people in the gallery above could see us.

It was, by then, half one, and we were footsore and thirsty, so I decided to clal the visit short, and instead we would make our way back to St Pancras for lunch at Yo Sushi before getting a train back to Dover.

We walked across Parliament Square to the underground station, caught a busy train to Green Park, then on the Victoria to St Pancras, through the station to the restaurant, where we got a booth next to the converybelt, which still went round and round, but no food went on due to COVID, so instead you scnned a QR code and ordered via the internet, paid the same way, and in ten minutes your food and drink arrived.

Like magic.

We ate well, so well we ordered some Japanese spiced fried and aother round of Taiwanese chicken.

Yummy.

Time then to go up the platforms above for the train back home, arriving just in time to buy a coffee and be on the platform when the train pulled in.

We get seats with a table and wait for the train to fill up before departure, but is really only half full. The family in the seats opposite have a right old time keeping up with their hyperactive daughter, who runs from one end of the train to the other, all the way to Folkestone. They'll be thankful for the welded rail for an almost totally smooth trip so there was no falling.

Back in Dover at quarter to five, home ten minutes later. We feed the cats, make a brew, have the final slice from the non-Christmas frut cake I made two weeks ago, and then settle down to watch the Spurs v Man Utd game, which Utd romped home winning.

I review my shtos of the day, and reflect on a job well done.

That'll do, pig.

Weekend roundup

As the UK makes final preparations for the COP26 climate conference, Johnson tries to unite the global richest countries, while at the same time, tensions rise with France over fishing.

You can tell a Government by it's actions rather than what it says. This Government has allowed the opening of a new coal mine in Cumbria, a new oil fields in the North Sea, cut taxes on short-haul flights while allowing millions of tones of raw sewage to be pumped into our rivers and the sea.

Make your mind up on that.

It emerged in leaked documents that the Government's plan for COVID was to allow most children in the UK to become infected. I mean, its what was suspected, but to see it confirmed is quite chilling. Children will die, and will get very ill.

But, what the heck?

As for Brexit, things are ramping up, but at the same time there is no change, and I refer to to my post on Monday, I think, a major change in attitude by the UK Government is needed, but it suits Johnson to play "war games" with the EU and France which appeals to its elederly support and the ERG.

Clocks went back at one this morning, there will be energy and food shortages on top of a fourth COVID wave and rampant inflation.

Merry Christmas.

Friday 29th October 2021

What can I say, other than we have made it to the end of the week, and its a party from two onwards.

Or something.

Jools seems to have been working five days a week for months now, when in fact its about six weeks, I guess. Her boss, Andy, is back home, but can barely get about to use the facilities. His wife is 15 years older than he, and is just about as mobile. I don't know if Andy can get better as it is, we hope so.

But with the changes made this week, work is bearable and Jools no longer needs to bring home three hours of filing to do done over weekends.

Which is nice.

But Friday is yoga day, so Jools leaves home at quarter past seven, and I am all alone with the cats.

And I should say, at this point, that it would appear Cleo has taken rather a shine to me. And who can blame her? She now hangs around me all day, every day, and either stares at me for hours on end, or curls up asleep near me. Which is rather nice.

Work is work.

I have been saying a bit more about work, maybe too much, but it has been quite a ride these few weeks, let us hope things will improve from now on. As it is, I have meetings where I hope that some more clarity could be brought, but it seems that despite having over two months to complete work, it had not been started, and "we've been busy this week".

Hmmmm.

It was cool and cloudy, and I didn't feel like going out for a walk, so I didn't. So, not much chance to take shots of the day, so have this one of dawn, just after Jools left home for yoga.

I work through to half two, then get busy with chores, all ready for when JOols came back, via Tesco. She had hunter-gathered well, but my prescription wasn't done, there had been a problem in them receiving it from my doctor.

I call the surgery, all I got after waiting for half an hour on hold was, "we sent it in October 17".

So, I go to Tesco to ask what the problem was.

Tesco on a Friday afternoon is a bit manic. I mean, people fighting over toilet rolls and mincemeat, or will be soon. There are gaps on the shelves, not many, but anyway, I was on a mission.

I go to see the chemist: she explained that she had not had an input on the electronic system, none since September 17th.

So, I walk back to the car and drive to the surgery, find a place to park on The Droveway, and wait in line in the most inefficient system know to the NHS.

I explain to the lady, who was who I spoke to on the phone.

She went inside and the pharmasist came out, she had a written prescription. THey sent it, but clearly it didn't get sent to the right place.

So, back to Tesco, and wait in line to hand over the prescription, then 20 minute wait for it to be made up.

So, at quarter past five, back home for a quick brew before the music quiz, and once that was done, back in the car to drive to Jen's for supper and cards. She had prepared pizza and ribs, which we made vanish in a clouds of crumbs.

A quick tidy up and then eyes down for two hours of card action, and with the pot won in double quick time, we were back home by nine and all ready for bed in good time, as we had a big day ahead of us in that London in the morning.

Thursday 28th October 2021

Thursday.

And the long, slow downhill slide to the weekend.

And I was awake at five when Jools got up, but laid in bed to give her time to bustle around, getting up at half past and joining her for coffee before she went out for a walk.

It was going to be a glorious day, even so early at just gone six, the sky was turning from black to indigo to blue before oranges and reds from the soon to be risen sun joined in the party.

I took shots and had another coffee before starting work.

Shall we?

We shall.

I dived into work, swimming against the tide of chaos, making some headway, enough to feel better about the day.

After breakfast and some early meetings, I see a gap so go for it, and head out for a walk while the sun shone.

Not much to report, really, but just about dry enough underfoot to walk over the fields to Fleet House, then down past the farm and up the down towards Windy Ridge. Muddy in the usual places, but it was possible to find a dry way through.

As I walked up the slope, a child on a sccoter coming the other way flushed a Peacock butterfly out, I rush after it, but it had already found somewhere else to settle and was out of view.

No other seen on the walk, along Green Lane beside the wood and then back down past the paddocks to Collingwood and home.

Time for a brew.

I know this is dull and repetetive, but it is life at the moment, and work pays the bills. I might be travelling soon, before Christmas, which would be exciting. If it happens. We shall see.

There is no Lammo on the radio this week, so I watch train videos, listen to podcasts and so make the time slip by until it was time to prepare caprese for dinner, which took all of ten minutes, of course. I made some garlic bread, and poured a beer for me and a cider for Jools and we were set.

Darkness comes before seven now, and we both do a lot of walking, so need no extra steps in the evening. I mean, I do, but don't, instead carry on filing pictures of churches in abbums on Flickr, and I realise how many churches I have visited. And I have only just started.

Brexit news

I am hoping to wind down my Brexit posts, as per my last such post where I stated that until the UK comes up with a realistic approach to the UK and our relationship, because geography and trade requirements mean they will just destroy the economy further if ignored.

So, anything else other than such a sea-change in attitudes is messing around the edges.

In the meantime, the fishing row around Jersey continues, with the French Government threatening to retaliate, showing that they too can play to a domestic audience. In reply this morning, without irony, George Eustance warned France that it should stick to what it signed up to in the WA.

No self awareness.

And the DUP are threatening to bring down the power-sharing agreement in Stormont unless its grievances with the NIP are addressed.

This would be a serious escalation, and would bring back direct rule from Westminster, and would then be hard to see how either side in NI politics could compomise in a way to save their faces.

All because of Brexit, which is damaging the economy twice as badly as COVID, is slowing the UK's recovery, and yet wasn't mentioned in the Budget once this week.

Realistic policies for real issues needed. By real policicians.

Send help.

Wednesday 27th October 2021

Welcome to the middle of the week. We hope you will enjy your stay.

I sleep through the alarm again, and wake up at six with again Jools going for a shower.

Here we go again.

I had some stuff to do during the day, including an introduction session with my boss' boss.

We have been hoping for clarity and information. Chance would be a fine thing.

Anyway, up and attem, with a coffee. Another coffee and then breakfast with a further coffee.

Will that do it?

The meeting went OK, just an introduction with what our our strengths and weaknesses. Should I have warned hom about my bullshit detector?

Maybe.

The morning was almost over. I should have gone for a walk, but my heart wasn't really in it, if I'm honest.

Somehow I keep myself busy through lunch, in which I introduce two slices of the bread I baked to butter and nutella, and then to a large cup of tea.

In short, not much happened the rest of the afternoon, but I managed to keep doing it until half four, when it was time to prepare dinner, or tea as we were having bangers and mash and beans.

Crushed potatoes rather than mash, and with Canadian salted herbs mixed in, though this was the last of the jar. However I have a recipe so I will make some more at some point.

Soon te house was full of the smell of frying sausages, and all very nice it was.

Jools came back from work, and reported that changes made has meant that work is now bearable, so is much less stressed. Which is nice.

The evening was full of cup football, though I got diverted in sorting my many church shots from elsewhere into albums on Flickr. There are hundreds, and randomly I began in the summer of 2014, and in 24 hours I have done 14 months. I am just stunned at the places I have travelled to and recorded. Its a good way to rediscover my photographs if I'm honest.

Liverpool score a second at Preston, and that's my cue to head to bed.

Budget

Growing up, once a year, children's TV was disrupted due to what the announcer would call, I though, the Budgie.

This was the budget, where the Chancellor would outline the Government's spending and taxation plans for the next 12 months.

Yesterday we got a bonus budget where the Conservative Chancellor announced a huge raft of spending, but coming a month after also announcing the biggest tax rises in a generation bringing the UK's tax burden to it's highest levels in peacetime.

THis is supplosed to be a post-COVID budget, but its not over, COVID that is, with nearly 44,000 fresh infections on Wednesday and a further 207 deaths, bringing a running total of 140,041, excess death rate is far, far higher.

All budget talk was of the post-COVID recovery, and yet the elephant in the room was Brexit.

But the Office for Budget Responsibility, (OBR) later said:

“so far the data that we've seen on impact of Brexit, especially taking into account fact new trading arrangements came in in January is broadly consistent with assumption we had, which is that it would reduce our long run GDP by around 4%”

Meaning the effects of Brexit will be worse than COVID, and will last until policy changes.

Reality check.

If you're keeping track, the economic hit from Brexit will be twice as bad as COVID, and that's from the Government's own analysis.

Tuesday 26th October 2021

Market day in Kings Lynn.

One of the market days in Kings Lynn.

Not market day in St Maggies.

The good news is Jools is all caught up at work, and workload seems manageable on an ongoing basis. Which is good.

She can go for a walk around here before she goes to work, and others in the office kick her out for half an hour at lunchtime so she gets away from the computer. Something she goes to the cafe on the beach for a coffee and slice of brownie. But this week, thanks to schools being off, its rather crowded, but warm enough to sit on the sea wall outside and watch life go by.

I manage to sleep through the alarm again, waking up just before six when Jools is ready for a shower. The cats are fed and heading off to their hidey holes for snoozing, although sometimes they sleep near me, just so they know if I am going to the kitty kibble jar.

And sometimes I do.

I have a new task, but IT issues mean it has been stuck for a couple of weeks, but my colleague, Henrik, found a work-round and I find more chaos. I stop at six gaps.

Sigh.

Outside it is a bright, breezy day, but nice enough for a walk.

So, when it is lunchtime in Denmark, I go out, walking up Station Road, pausing to look at the half-harvested field of corn, take a few shots, then walk to the war memorial and along besde the horse paddock. But it is muddy, and there is little to see, so I take the short cut back through the estate and to home, having been gone not half an hour.

No one missed me.

I have toast and pate and pigs in blankets. I call that a winning recipe, if I'm honest.

The afternoon ploughs on, and over in DK people knock off for the day, so then do I.

I feed the cats then prepare dinner, crispbakes, curried rice and steamed corn. Simple, but tasty.

And like that the day had slipped by again. Not much happened, but another day nearer the end of the year I guess. And there was football to watch, just the League Cup, but diverting, even if I didn't watch it to the end. Arsenal running out 2-0 winners.

Test and trace

By the end of 2021, Baroness "Dido" Harding, will have spent £37 billion on the test and trace, which I have previously called track and trace, which is n fact the post office system to following parcels to ensure they're delivered.

The Government, and Ms Harding, have also mis-named Test and Trace, by calling it the NHS Test and Trace, when it has nothing to do with the NHS.

Never did.

£37,000,000,000 buys an awful lot.

Spending a pound a minute would take, 25694444 days to spend.

Or 70,395 years.

That's a lot of money.

A lot.

And almost all of it has been spent secretly.

No one has seen a receipt.

So, the Good Law Project has been asking to see Dido Harding's diary for the last 18 months to see who she has met. The Government has rejected the request, twice, the latest because it estimates it would take over £600, the FoI threshold, to comply.

To, in short, after spending £37 billion on who knows what, six hundred quid is too much to spend to reveal who she met, let alone whether the meetings lead to contracts?

This is important, not only because of transparancy, but this bill has to be paid, and public spending will be either frozen or reduced as a direct result of the massive black hole in public finances. So, pay for doctors and nurses, care in the community for the old, sick and elederly, public services and everything lse will be under pressure, and yet they won't tell us where the money for this, which didn't actually work, went?

Yes, the whole point of Test and Trace was to stop a second winter wave of infections.

There was a second wave in the autumn, a third in the winter, and now a fourth as we go into another winter.

Monday 25th October 2021

Two years ago, we were just enjoying our last full day of our most recent holiday, where we visited Chicago, New Orleans and Houston. It seems like a different life now, I mean so much has happened in the time between. 603 days ago (604 from Tuesday), it was March 1st, 2020, and we were preparing getting our new car and preparing for a spring of summer doing lots of stuff.

So, here we are at the end of October, and little idea of when the pandemic might be over, if it ever will. We make few plans, other than we are going to that London on Saturday for reasons I won't reveal here, but I am not going to see the Queen or receive an honour! Next month we are going on a railtour, more details on that nearer the time, but does require a night away from Chez Jelltex. And into the new year I might be going to Rhodes chasing butterflies and orchids, another trip postponed from 2021.

In little over five weeks, we were supposed to be jetting off on our holibobs to New Zealand, but that has been postponed until the end of 2022, if NZ will let visitors in even by then?

Who knows.

But, back to work.

Jools had done several hours work over the weekend, filing, and needed to go in early to put it all away and prepare for more streamlining, meaning although I was up at half five, she had left by six. It was still dark. Outside rain hammered down, and continued for a couple of hours, making it seem like dawn stretching into lunchtime, or something.

I make a quick loaf so I have something to have for lunch, and am all ready for work at seven, although there was no urgent matters waiting as Denmark was only back at work after another week off.

I make another coffee and have some fruit. Put the radio on and I notice the rain eased, until suddenly the clouds parted and there was sunshine!

Low, autumn sunshine, but sunshine nonetheless, and the rain having washed dust out of the air, was crystal clear.

I went out for a walk.

Routes are limited now because of mud, and anyway there is only a tiny chance of seeing a butterfly or two, so it's mainly for the exercise now, and to have a break from the computers at home, which is a good as a reason as any.

I suppose.

I walked across the fields to Fleet House, then back along Collingwood. I mean, its not far, but I ambled and daudled, so it took half an hour, and I took a few shots as the sun was casting long shadows on the vibrant coloured fields and trees. It was like being in Oz!

I walked back home as clouds swept in from the west with the threat of more rain, but it never came.

I had baked the bread, so now that it was cooling, I cut a crust off and spread nutella on it to have with a huge cuppa.

Lovely.

Not much else to report, other than I watched a good documentary on Frank Zappa, someone I know very little about, and his reputation of being difficult was well earned. But he was also warm at times, cared deeply about others and did lots of good work. He leaft a huge archive. I was left with very different views on him, but daunted by the thought there are some 115 albums by home ant The Mothers. Who'd know where to start?

Time for dinner: courgette fritters, and cooked so frequently now, I don't really think about what I'm doing.

Heavy traffic into the port meant Jools didn't get home until six, and she was pooped, but caught up at work, and so was the best day since Andy went into hospital. Also good news was that he was discharged and is now home, recovering, rather than having to go to a local hospital, so things are really looking up.

And that was Monday.

Music, writing and to bed, to read for of Mr JCC's book.

You won, get over it

After a post by David Alan Green this morning, I think its worth saying a few things regarding Brexit.

Brexit has been done.

It is over.

Vote Leave and the Brexiteers in the ERG and elsewhere won, they got the Brexit they wanted.

Although we did say'll they'll regret it.

So, there is no Brexit, there is no remain. THere just is where we are.

And the same person who negotiated Brexit is the person who is now saying what a crap job he did and it has to be redone.

As a country, for our jobs, our children's, our economy, for our sanity' sake we need to, as a country, move on.

The current deal is the new reality, and we need to, as a country, accept that.

Politics, the media and us the public need to accept it, and try to make what we have, work.

If, as a country, in ecomomics, politics and in how we deal with each other, cannot move on, it will poison all aspects of life until we do.

On Monday there was a select committee where the person who negotiated Brexit and several Conservative MPs who ratified Brexit all agreed how bad Brexit was and had to be changed.

That they saw nothing mindboggling in this and how stupid this must seem to the outside world, then, I just don't know.

Brexit is here, reality is here, we need to deal with it. And move on. And grow up.

If that means Frost being replaced, so be it. If that means new leaders for the two main parties, so be it.

But please, lets just get on with our lives before it gets any worse?

Additional:

There are two realities no amount of jingoism can change:

1. Is trading gravity. In that you trade most heavily and economically with your closest neighbours.
2. Geography. As above, no amount of trade deal with countries around the world can make the country better off than trading with the EU.

The only priority should be to normalise relations with the EU and rebuild trust.

Sunday 24th October 2021

Second day of the weekend, and my shin splints were little better, and on top of that my back was grumbling.

I said I wasn't going for a walk in the morning this time, so instead Jools did some gardening, planting snowdrops for some early spring flowers.

We hope.

There was plenty to do in the house, as I had invited Jen and John for lunch; roast chicken and all the trimmings, and as I was concerned the chicken wasn't very pig, I bought sausages and bacon for pigs in blankets and was going to make stuffing too, though cook in a loaf tin rather than stuff into the chicken, so, non-stuffed stuffing. There would be the usual Yorkshire Puddings, roast potatoes, steam veg and gravy.

So after breakfast I have a shower and get busy, I was so far ahead of schedule, I was so proud of myself. Last, I got the steamer down, prepared the vegetables and loaded the two layers up and popped it on the stove ready for cooking.

At quarter to twelve, I put the chicken in, and half an hour later add the pigs in blankets and stuffing on the shelf below. As the chicken was nearly done, I put the veg on and set about heating the tin up for the puddings, popped the part-boiled potatoes in the fryer and made the gravy. I looked at the veg and saw no steam, but there was some change in colour. I was busy with other stuff so gave it no other thought.

THe chicken was carved and I opened the lid of the steamer, and a smell hit me. THe top layer looked OK, but not really cooked, but the leeks and carrots on the lower level were all burnt. Had the steamer run dry? No, I had failed to put any water in it at all. Eeeek.

The veg was partly edible, so I divided what was good out, served the rest and it was great, but I like things to be perfect, and it wasn't. But what was dished up was eaten, even the almost raw cauliflower.

We drained our glasses of wine and the others cleared up while I dealt the cards for a quick round of Meld, which would be done in time for the big game at half four. And I win the pot, the 30p is mine, all mine!

The football is glorious, Liverpool thrash Man Utd 5-0, and could have been a lot worse. Utd were so bad, it was funny, defenders running into each other, Pogba sent off. Sigh.

Nearly as bad as Norwich.

And that was it.

We have cheese and crackers for supper, listen to some radio and the weekend had slipped by once again.

The COVID nightmare continues

I read a report this morning that said Japan had killed the wave of Delta Variant cases with just being sensible. Cases are about 500 a day with a country with population twice that is of the UK, all restriction removed except masking, which has always been acceptable there.

Meanwhile, a report on the front page of the Torygraph this morning suggests that cases will soon peak here and begin to drop, this is because most children would have been infected.

This is the herd immunity the Government have been denying is their policy.

Most children will recover with no ill effects, a small number will get long COVID and a few will die.

Remember, this was avoidable, and is in fact Government policy.

All lives are equal but some are more equal than others.

36,537 new cases in the last 24 hours, although there is usually quite a drop on Monday's because of weekends. Tomorrow's will be more revealing. Meanwhile 38 more dead, taking the total to, well, I would tell you but the website has crashed. Too many, far too many.

Sigh.

Useful idiots

We can now add lamb and beef farmers to fishermen and the DUP as being useful idiots that helped deliver Brexit, and the Government then shafted them.

THe NZ trade deal delivers almost no benefit to the UK in terms of GDP, but will flood the shops with tariff free imports for 15 years, after which there will be no controls.

At all.

Farmers have been shafted.

Farmers are also the "gardians" of our countryside, if there is no grazing, then we will lose much of our remaining meadows and downland pasture.

In other Brexit news, the sea has been flooded with untreated sewage as companies have run out of chemicals to treat it, and depsite us being told that Brexit would increase envioronmental protections, this week Conservative MPs voted to allow even more sewage to be pumped into our lakes, steams rivers and the sea.

We are a Brexit plague island surrounded by a sea of shit and piss.

Everyone who voted for Johnson on his promise of getting Brexit down and levelling up the country. A word in your shell-like: Conservatives have been in power since May 2010 and have made the wealthiest even richer whilst the rest of us suffer with reduced services.

If the Government had really wanted to level up the country, it would have before now.

Ever had the feeling you've been cheated?

Saturday 23rd October 2021

THe weekend.

It seems that my march to Martin Mill on Friday gave me shin splints, thanks to my RAF training teaching me to bang my heels down to make marching in time as a squad easier. It has proven a habit impossible to break.

We did sleep in until after seven, dawn was showing well and it looked like it might be a good day.

But first we had to go to Tesco, not much needed, but milk and butter and fruit.

So, we get up, have coffee and are out just before eight, arriving at Tesco to find most stock available, we are not seeing shortages reported elsewhere, but we top up on Coffee and Grape Nuts, and get the rest of our stuff, pay and are out in half an hour. Most people were wearing masks, as were we, some where not, mostly the young, a Mother and three toddlers wandered around.

We came home, unpacked and had breakfast of toast and another coffee before we go out for a walk after 10.

It was a fine morning, bright but cloud sweeping in, slowly. So for the first part, walking up Station Road I was in bright sunshine, but once turning towards Windy Ridge clouds had hidden the sun, and it grew cooler.

I was looking for butterflies and flowers, Jools was picking up litter, with most of what she collected was fast food stuff from beside Station Road.

It is getting muddy, and blackberries and sloes are shrivelling up now, as the season ends, too late for crumbles now. I decide to cut the walk short and cut back down to Collingwood due to fallen trees and mud along Green Lane, lines of horses out on their morning hacks had churned up the mud even more.

I get home and find Jools already here as her bag was full before she reached the top of Station Road, such is the number of KFC and Maccy D wrappers and cups.

I make chorizo hash, hoping to be able to follow Norwich in the early game at Chelsea. I had hopes we might get something out of the game, as they had no fit strikers. We got something: our arses kicked. 7 (seven)-0.

Ouch.

Although I followed the three o'clock games on the radio and BB red button, my heart wasn't really in it. That was a defeat so big it demands major changes.

We shall see.

Later it was Brighton v Citeh, and Citeh score four all from Brighton mistakes. Brighton were not that bad, but Citeh were ruthless.

Sigh.

I go to bed at eight to read, but my eyes begin to droop at quarter to nine, so turn the lights out and drop to sleep.