Ok I KNOW how much you look forward to me waffling on about planning holidays!!
So this is the agenda for this year.
Just after Easter I'll be heading to Wiltshire staying at the Coppleridge Inn Motcombe, Things to see? Salisbury Cathedral and Wilton House plus a few NT houses maybe Longleat and the last church I need in Wiltshire,
In May I am "doing" Sussex staying at the Old Forge near Hailsham near Eastbourne been there before. and then on to the Horse & Groom East Ashling near Chichester. Highlights Bateman's (the home of Rudyard Kipling), Bodiam Castle, Chichester Cathedral, Parham House and the odd chuch in the West
In July we go FOREIGN. Well South Wales :D 3 nights at the Greyhound Inn, Llantrisant near Usk, 4 nights at the Falcon Hotel Carmarthen and back for a night at the Sloop Inn - LLANDOGO. Highlights? Loads of Castles including this, St David's Cathedral, some welsh churches and a house or two. Oh and there may be a trip to Skomer.
In August I'm heading to North Wales for more castle's, houses, cathedrals and churches. I'll be Staying @ the Lion Inn Gwytherin and then going to the Old Black Lion Hay-On-Wye for 3 nights.
I'll take Dad away for two weeks but until he has a clue about his eye op he doesn't want to book anything.
And at some stage I'll slip a trip to Norfolk in :D
Friday, January 09, 2009
Thursday, January 08, 2009
The story of Basil
In April a Cockerel turned up in a garden on Henderson Avenue, Gateshead. The Cockerel was adopted by several neighbours called Basil.
However Basil fell foul or fowl (;) of housing rules which forbid tenants from keeping farm animals and there were complaints about crowing. Basil's keeper was told by Gateshead Housing Company in October that she had 15 days to remove Basil or the police would take action.
Basil inspired a page on Facebook and his plight reached the Queen.
Basil was rehoused by Claire Thorburn at her farm. She had recently lost her cockerel. She has 23 hens and Basil has become "close" with one particular ex battery Hen called Bonnet and it is hoped that there will be chics in the spring.
According to Ms Thorburn
To see some footage of Basil.
However Basil fell foul or fowl (;) of housing rules which forbid tenants from keeping farm animals and there were complaints about crowing. Basil's keeper was told by Gateshead Housing Company in October that she had 15 days to remove Basil or the police would take action.
Basil inspired a page on Facebook and his plight reached the Queen.
Basil was rehoused by Claire Thorburn at her farm. She had recently lost her cockerel. She has 23 hens and Basil has become "close" with one particular ex battery Hen called Bonnet and it is hoped that there will be chics in the spring.
According to Ms Thorburn
Everywhere Basil goes Bonnet runs along after him, she is really in love.
This is a case of true love conquering all, she is a battery hen and her survival has defied all odds, and he fought against eviction from his Gateshead home and became a celeb in the poultry world.
To see some footage of Basil.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Stop Press
Well Dad popped in and guess what? The boiler had stopped. He eventually banged it and guess what it came on!
British Gas coming Friday - GROWL.
British Gas coming Friday - GROWL.
Baby it's cold inside
When I went out yesterday I left the heating on low. When I came in I turned it up did a few things then an hour later went for a shower. Now subconsciously I had thought the house was cooler than it should have been but thought nothing to it until the hot water quickly turned to cold.
I went around checked the boiler which was chuging away but the radiators were cold.
OH FLIP!!!
I played around a bit with various switches and no joy. So I waited 20 mins for British Gas to answer the phone and got an appointment for today. Now whilst waiting for the call to be answered I had checked the radiator by the phone and nothing. No sooner did I put the phone down and the flipping radiators were getting hot. Shakes head in frustration. I then spent a further 10 mins waiting to cancel the call.
I did check this morning and the radiators were PIPING hot when the heating came on. I guess my fiddling released a sticky switch.
Still I was very snug in bed last night all tucked up.
Oh it seems we had another snow shower. I use the term in its wimpy South East England sense.
I went around checked the boiler which was chuging away but the radiators were cold.
OH FLIP!!!
I played around a bit with various switches and no joy. So I waited 20 mins for British Gas to answer the phone and got an appointment for today. Now whilst waiting for the call to be answered I had checked the radiator by the phone and nothing. No sooner did I put the phone down and the flipping radiators were getting hot. Shakes head in frustration. I then spent a further 10 mins waiting to cancel the call.
I did check this morning and the radiators were PIPING hot when the heating came on. I guess my fiddling released a sticky switch.
Still I was very snug in bed last night all tucked up.
Oh it seems we had another snow shower. I use the term in its wimpy South East England sense.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Challenging our perspectives
If you live in the West it is easy to dismiss other cultures contributions to the development of scientific knowledge.
Didn't it go the Greeks, Romans, dark ages, Renaissance, the englightment (17th, 18th century), industrial revolution......
Oh we may mention the Chinese and Gunpowder and such like but that's about it.
Professor Jim Al-Khalili has a series called Science and Islam on BBC Four at 9pm. It started last night and continues on January 12th and 19th. I missed last nights (was watching Three Men in many boats) but I did read his article about the 11th century Arab Physicist al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham. al-hassan used a scientific method long before it was established in the west. He was also working with prisms and light some 7 centuries before Newton.
As Professor Al-Khalili rightly states this shouldn't surprise us. The ninth to thirteenth centuries was a golden age in Arabic Science when Western Europe was stagnant.
Reading Professor Al-Khalili's article, which is well worth reading al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham sounds like a remarkable man, did surprise me but in thinking about it it shouldn't have. For instance the forerunner of modern chess was called Shatranj. The Arabs produced books and analysis the quality of which wasn't seen in Europe until the 18th century.
It does show that our Western centric view of world History needs challenging from time to time.
Didn't it go the Greeks, Romans, dark ages, Renaissance, the englightment (17th, 18th century), industrial revolution......
Oh we may mention the Chinese and Gunpowder and such like but that's about it.
Professor Jim Al-Khalili has a series called Science and Islam on BBC Four at 9pm. It started last night and continues on January 12th and 19th. I missed last nights (was watching Three Men in many boats) but I did read his article about the 11th century Arab Physicist al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham. al-hassan used a scientific method long before it was established in the west. He was also working with prisms and light some 7 centuries before Newton.
As Professor Al-Khalili rightly states this shouldn't surprise us. The ninth to thirteenth centuries was a golden age in Arabic Science when Western Europe was stagnant.
Reading Professor Al-Khalili's article, which is well worth reading al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham sounds like a remarkable man, did surprise me but in thinking about it it shouldn't have. For instance the forerunner of modern chess was called Shatranj. The Arabs produced books and analysis the quality of which wasn't seen in Europe until the 18th century.
It does show that our Western centric view of world History needs challenging from time to time.
Monday, January 05, 2009
It's cold out there
As I poked my head through the curtains my initial thought was "oh gawd its snowed". The radio was saying that there was snow on the M11 in Essex (hello its a big road a clue would help!!) but when I tiptoed out it looked as much like a very heavy frost, about 5mm of snow? Stop laughing OC.
I wasn't sure whether to go down the M11 to one office of backroads to the other. As it was I took the back roads and they all seemed to have been gritted.
Of course OC will be laughing her head off but we have had a rather cold last few weeks and temps of down to -10c are forecast.
We haven't had a bad winter for quite a while, indeed when I was a lad ('ark at 'im) snow was regular and took days to clear but now even a few weeks of sub zero temperatures has the writers at sensationalist tabloids reaching for headlines of coldest winter for decades.
Of course the cold snap will affect certain species of wildlife more than it does us. Some species of birds are at the edge of their range and hard winters can knock them back.
Dartford Warblers have done relatively well since the really hard winter of 1962/63 wiped them back to 10 pairs. Today there are over 3,200 pairs mostly in Southern Counties of Britain and East Anglia, but a hard winter could have a devastating impact.
I wasn't sure whether to go down the M11 to one office of backroads to the other. As it was I took the back roads and they all seemed to have been gritted.
Of course OC will be laughing her head off but we have had a rather cold last few weeks and temps of down to -10c are forecast.
We haven't had a bad winter for quite a while, indeed when I was a lad ('ark at 'im) snow was regular and took days to clear but now even a few weeks of sub zero temperatures has the writers at sensationalist tabloids reaching for headlines of coldest winter for decades.
Of course the cold snap will affect certain species of wildlife more than it does us. Some species of birds are at the edge of their range and hard winters can knock them back.
Dartford Warblers have done relatively well since the really hard winter of 1962/63 wiped them back to 10 pairs. Today there are over 3,200 pairs mostly in Southern Counties of Britain and East Anglia, but a hard winter could have a devastating impact.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Pulling up the Duvet
I was going birding this morning but when I woke up it was cold so I turned over pulled the duvet tight around me!!
I don't need any more books, I have a big pile in the "junk" room yet to be read, so what do I do Friday? Bought some books!!
Tesco's had collections of books for a fiver. I picked up John Le Carre's "Karla Trilogy" featuring George Smiley and three Jack Higgins novels (annoyingly not the Eagle Has Landed. No idea if I'll enjoy them but it represents good value I thought 6 books £10. I also bought John Harvey's Cold in Hand - the first new Resnick novel for years.
I'm an impulse buyer where books are concerned, I'll see something buy it and then not read it for TWO years!! I kid you not. It goes in the pile and then something I REALLY REALLY want will come out!! Always the way eh.
Now excuse me I have a book to read.
I don't need any more books, I have a big pile in the "junk" room yet to be read, so what do I do Friday? Bought some books!!
Tesco's had collections of books for a fiver. I picked up John Le Carre's "Karla Trilogy" featuring George Smiley and three Jack Higgins novels (annoyingly not the Eagle Has Landed. No idea if I'll enjoy them but it represents good value I thought 6 books £10. I also bought John Harvey's Cold in Hand - the first new Resnick novel for years.
I'm an impulse buyer where books are concerned, I'll see something buy it and then not read it for TWO years!! I kid you not. It goes in the pile and then something I REALLY REALLY want will come out!! Always the way eh.
Now excuse me I have a book to read.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
It's Norfolk and it's cold
So off to Norfolk. I went to meet Dave and Joy and Joy's friend Sue and off we went.
Signs were good with two Barn Owls seen en route. We did the traditional drive around the Wolferton Triangle to dip the Golden Chicken but NO its a Golden Pheasant!! Pete wanders off to tick a lifer.
We stopped to let Sue enjoy the spectacle of thousands of Pink Feet Geese fly overhead making there familiar atmospheric calling.
David timed the arrival with the snack bar opening. The Bacon was lovely but the bread could have been newer. The cup of tea was well needed.
Titchwell was bird light. Still we added both Godwits, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Ringed Plover, a single Dunlin and Snipe. The tide was in but there weren't hundreds of birds. Lots of Sandering and off coast Red Breasted Merganser, Common Scoter of LOADS of Great Crested Grebe and 3 Red Throated Diver.
I have to question young David's sanity. Its January its the North Norfolk Coast and he's wearing a light top and a leather jacket!! And he said it was cold!! The rest of us had more sense.
We popped to Thornham Harbour to see if the Twite were about, well we never saw them but we did see a Rock Pipit.
Not many photos for you.
We then headed to the Lifeboat at Thornham. Chips were lovely but not as nice as the Chocolate and Guiness Cake and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
one day I'll see blue skies!! Photos look so much better when there is Sun!!
Signs were good with two Barn Owls seen en route. We did the traditional drive around the Wolferton Triangle to dip the Golden Chicken but NO its a Golden Pheasant!! Pete wanders off to tick a lifer.
We stopped to let Sue enjoy the spectacle of thousands of Pink Feet Geese fly overhead making there familiar atmospheric calling.
David timed the arrival with the snack bar opening. The Bacon was lovely but the bread could have been newer. The cup of tea was well needed.
Titchwell was bird light. Still we added both Godwits, Redshank, Spotted Redshank, Ringed Plover, a single Dunlin and Snipe. The tide was in but there weren't hundreds of birds. Lots of Sandering and off coast Red Breasted Merganser, Common Scoter of LOADS of Great Crested Grebe and 3 Red Throated Diver.
I have to question young David's sanity. Its January its the North Norfolk Coast and he's wearing a light top and a leather jacket!! And he said it was cold!! The rest of us had more sense.
We popped to Thornham Harbour to see if the Twite were about, well we never saw them but we did see a Rock Pipit.
Not many photos for you.
We then headed to the Lifeboat at Thornham. Chips were lovely but not as nice as the Chocolate and Guiness Cake and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
one day I'll see blue skies!! Photos look so much better when there is Sun!!
Friday, January 02, 2009
Waxwings and things
I mentioned to Trish before the New Year that there were Waxwings seen at Maldon in Essex and did she want to come up and...
So we set off early this morning and parked at Morrisons at Maldon and.... nothing a cyclist stopped us and said he was going to look at another roundabout so we walked to it (he stopped on the way back to say approx 15). We got there and.... yes there they were in the tree cameras pointed up and birds flew!!! Still we got to see them.
We headed back to Amwell. Without a scope I couldn't find a Smew BUT did see a female Goosander, Goldeneye, Snipe and Siskin.
Great Tit
Dunnock
Long Tails
Great Tit
Reed Bunting
Wigeon
Cormorant
Great Crested Grebe
Goldeneye
Cormorants sitting in the trees
We had lunch at the excellent Rainbow and Dove the best pub in Harlow, that isn't much of a compliment really but the pub is very good. I'm not sure it is technically in Harlow.
So we set off early this morning and parked at Morrisons at Maldon and.... nothing a cyclist stopped us and said he was going to look at another roundabout so we walked to it (he stopped on the way back to say approx 15). We got there and.... yes there they were in the tree cameras pointed up and birds flew!!! Still we got to see them.
We headed back to Amwell. Without a scope I couldn't find a Smew BUT did see a female Goosander, Goldeneye, Snipe and Siskin.
Great Tit
Dunnock
Long Tails
Great Tit
Reed Bunting
Wigeon
Cormorant
Great Crested Grebe
Goldeneye
Cormorants sitting in the trees
We had lunch at the excellent Rainbow and Dove the best pub in Harlow, that isn't much of a compliment really but the pub is very good. I'm not sure it is technically in Harlow.
Its a New Year
Ooh its a New Year.
Of course the sun shone blue and.... like 'eck as like it was grey! Quelle surprise.
I hopped over to the forest to start my 2009 and bird year. First tit seen? Long Tail (they have done well this year),
first finch? Bullfinch lots of them which was nice to see. The lake was very heavily frozen the ducks (Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, Wigeon) were all in one place along with the Great Crested Grebe Pair.
As I strolled back to the car I realised I hadn't seen a Blue Tit. I did see one by the car but not until I saw the first Marsh Tit!
The rest of the day was spent lazing around watching telly!
Of course the sun shone blue and.... like 'eck as like it was grey! Quelle surprise.
I hopped over to the forest to start my 2009 and bird year. First tit seen? Long Tail (they have done well this year),
first finch? Bullfinch lots of them which was nice to see. The lake was very heavily frozen the ducks (Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Pochard, Wigeon) were all in one place along with the Great Crested Grebe Pair.
As I strolled back to the car I realised I hadn't seen a Blue Tit. I did see one by the car but not until I saw the first Marsh Tit!
The rest of the day was spent lazing around watching telly!
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