We collected Mum's ashes today and scattered them. I'll take Dad's to the same place when the time comes.
It was a good day to do it, the sun shone!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Voof Voof
Apparently a shortage of animals suitable to be police dogs has prompted Police Management to import Alsatians from Germany,
A trial of the by Derbyshire Police has been deemed a success, prompting 16 other forces to recruit the canines at £2000 pounds each.
Unfortunately the imports cannot understand commands in English. According to one handler "If you say, 'let go' in English, they just look at you like you are crazy,".
Handlers have had to learn a series of orders in German, including "sitz" (sit), "platz" (down), "aus" (let go), "holen" (fetch) and "bissen" (bite).
A Derbyshire Police spokeswoman told the Press Association news agency said they were attempting to get the dogs to respond to English.
"We are repeating the German commands in English so they are becoming bilingual," she added.
Police have opted for German Alsatians as they are deemed to be more efficient and obedient than those bred in Britain because of a strict breeding regime. Are we surprised by that? Methinks not
A trial of the by Derbyshire Police has been deemed a success, prompting 16 other forces to recruit the canines at £2000 pounds each.
Unfortunately the imports cannot understand commands in English. According to one handler "If you say, 'let go' in English, they just look at you like you are crazy,".
Handlers have had to learn a series of orders in German, including "sitz" (sit), "platz" (down), "aus" (let go), "holen" (fetch) and "bissen" (bite).
A Derbyshire Police spokeswoman told the Press Association news agency said they were attempting to get the dogs to respond to English.
"We are repeating the German commands in English so they are becoming bilingual," she added.
Police have opted for German Alsatians as they are deemed to be more efficient and obedient than those bred in Britain because of a strict breeding regime. Are we surprised by that? Methinks not
Friday, January 11, 2008
Stop Press!!
I've booked a weeks holiday with Dad in May. We're going to Norfolk. No I will not be birding per se. From a blog interest point of view unfortunately you'll get photos of places you've seen before sorry!!
Will book another one tonight and then will start booking my solo holidays.
Will book another one tonight and then will start booking my solo holidays.
Elections
I am back at work and life moves on.
Anyway so what has happened in the world since I last looked.
Ah yes our American cousins have started the process to determine who will be the next President of the US.
Now I don't profess to understand how this works. In some places they have primaries and some places have caucuses. I've no idea what the differences are.
In this country party members elect a leader, in the US you can register as a Republican or Democrat or Independent. If you register as independent you can choose for which parties primary you wish to choose the candidate.
For the Democrats at the start of the week Hilary Clinton was having her obituary written and then she meet young Mr Obama in New Hampshire. Now I have no clue how good either of them will be as President but I no that I will have to listen to countless speculation for the rest of the year.
For the Republicans there are no obvious front runners. Some guy called Mike Huckerbee won in Iowa, it seems that being an Evangelical Christian was important (oh God help us) and in New Hampshire John McCain won BIG. He has the drawback of supporting the "surge" (and of being old - but hey why should that matter?) in Iraq but to me he has the advantage of having fought in a war so at least knowing the consequences of what his future actions would be. Something Mr Bush never had.
The planet has shrunk enormously and none of us can do something and say sod the consequences for everyone else. America may be the biggest player on the block but it can no longer ignore the opinion of the rest of the world. They can vote for whoever they want but the relationships they form with their "neighbours" will greatly affect their lifestyles.
Have a nice day y'all
Anyway so what has happened in the world since I last looked.
Ah yes our American cousins have started the process to determine who will be the next President of the US.
Now I don't profess to understand how this works. In some places they have primaries and some places have caucuses. I've no idea what the differences are.
In this country party members elect a leader, in the US you can register as a Republican or Democrat or Independent. If you register as independent you can choose for which parties primary you wish to choose the candidate.
For the Democrats at the start of the week Hilary Clinton was having her obituary written and then she meet young Mr Obama in New Hampshire. Now I have no clue how good either of them will be as President but I no that I will have to listen to countless speculation for the rest of the year.
For the Republicans there are no obvious front runners. Some guy called Mike Huckerbee won in Iowa, it seems that being an Evangelical Christian was important (oh God help us) and in New Hampshire John McCain won BIG. He has the drawback of supporting the "surge" (and of being old - but hey why should that matter?) in Iraq but to me he has the advantage of having fought in a war so at least knowing the consequences of what his future actions would be. Something Mr Bush never had.
The planet has shrunk enormously and none of us can do something and say sod the consequences for everyone else. America may be the biggest player on the block but it can no longer ignore the opinion of the rest of the world. They can vote for whoever they want but the relationships they form with their "neighbours" will greatly affect their lifestyles.
Have a nice day y'all
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Bird Flu at Abbotsbury
As some of you will have read I visted Abbotsbury Swannery earlier this year. It was with great regret that I read that three mute swans found dead there had the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Other Swans are currently being tested. This could be disastrous news.
Other Swans are currently being tested. This could be disastrous news.
and so
If these things can go well it went well.
Wednesday morning dragged. It's hard to believe time can drag so much. Still the rain abated and the sun shone.
Lots of family and friends turned up. The usual embarassment of me not recongising half of them and having to be introduced "I'm your cousin...", distant relatives who last saw me when I was ooh so high. At one point someone was walking towards us and Dad turned to me and said "who's that?". I had to smile as normally Mum would have turned exasperated and told us exactly who it was.
The hardest part was following the coffin into the chapel and when the curtains closed, the eyes were a tadge damp then. The service was nicely done, when the chap taking it said "Noreen was a lady who was always a pleasure to meet" he could add "and I can say that as someone who has known her since teenage years".
We didn't have a wake, we chatted to people and then I took Dad home for a cup of tea. As soon as we sat down it felt as if I was balloon and someone had let all the air out.
Dad is looking to the future which is good. After the service he was chatting to his brother in law, Dad said he had been thinking of buying a new car (his is a J reg) but with mum's illness had done nothing about it. Bill said go on do it so I've taken him down and bought one. Its brand new and comes with a 5 year guarantee. We'll pick it up Saturday week. I'm also going to book a couple of holidays. The last 8 months especially have been hard for him.
He'll keep himself busy, knowing Dad I expect to come home from work and find him having done something at my place. Ooh look the grass has been cut. I hope it is a dry summer so he can enjoy sitting in the garden.
I sort of drifted at times during the service, I remembered happy memories, kicking the ball over Three Horseshoes Hill when I was at Primary School, laughing at Dad as we sheltered from the rain at Killerton House. Dad loves the rain :D
I've shed a few tears but I know that Mum would never have got better and she loved life and would not have wanted to just exist.
Rest in peace Mum. You're always live in my heart.
Wednesday morning dragged. It's hard to believe time can drag so much. Still the rain abated and the sun shone.
Lots of family and friends turned up. The usual embarassment of me not recongising half of them and having to be introduced "I'm your cousin...", distant relatives who last saw me when I was ooh so high. At one point someone was walking towards us and Dad turned to me and said "who's that?". I had to smile as normally Mum would have turned exasperated and told us exactly who it was.
The hardest part was following the coffin into the chapel and when the curtains closed, the eyes were a tadge damp then. The service was nicely done, when the chap taking it said "Noreen was a lady who was always a pleasure to meet" he could add "and I can say that as someone who has known her since teenage years".
We didn't have a wake, we chatted to people and then I took Dad home for a cup of tea. As soon as we sat down it felt as if I was balloon and someone had let all the air out.
Dad is looking to the future which is good. After the service he was chatting to his brother in law, Dad said he had been thinking of buying a new car (his is a J reg) but with mum's illness had done nothing about it. Bill said go on do it so I've taken him down and bought one. Its brand new and comes with a 5 year guarantee. We'll pick it up Saturday week. I'm also going to book a couple of holidays. The last 8 months especially have been hard for him.
He'll keep himself busy, knowing Dad I expect to come home from work and find him having done something at my place. Ooh look the grass has been cut. I hope it is a dry summer so he can enjoy sitting in the garden.
I sort of drifted at times during the service, I remembered happy memories, kicking the ball over Three Horseshoes Hill when I was at Primary School, laughing at Dad as we sheltered from the rain at Killerton House. Dad loves the rain :D
I've shed a few tears but I know that Mum would never have got better and she loved life and would not have wanted to just exist.
Rest in peace Mum. You're always live in my heart.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Well done Sheringham
I've just ordered a book off of Amazon called in Search of England by HV Morton. Morton is a travel writer who started in the 1920's and went through to the 60's, In Search of England was one of his earlier books. I picked up the book after seeing him featured in a TV programme where celebrities followed the routes of travellers from previous eras. I found the idea of reading a Morton book interesting because his world is one I can to a degree touch. His world was that of my parents and grandparents.
So anyway if you don't mind I'm going to lament, probably for the 173rd time, the loss of a simpler quieter time.
What provokes me to write on this again? Well I've learnt that Sheringham on the Norfolk coast has rejected the building of a Tesco's there. Now I ought to add that I don't dislike Tesco's per se, living as I do a gentle 5 minutes stroll from one it does make my life so much easier, but the Tescoisation, or if you prefer the turning of Britain's Town into a series of clones does make travel more boring.
When I was a lad Travel was exciting, a new town would promise a shopping centre different to the one I was in. There would be a whole raft of independent shops and the product ranges even in bookshops would be different. Today virtually any town in Britain will have the same identikit shopping centre. A Supermarket possibly two, a Boots, a Smiths, a Dixons, a Marks & Spencer etc etc. Oh and a wapping great warehouse village of do it yourselfs stores. Some towns have adapted these shops in to the townscape better than others but still there is nothing different. The magic of exploration has gone. When you arrive at a town, and there are some, that excitement returns.
So I applaud Sheringham. I have spent a lot of time along the North Norfolk Coast. Travelling along the old A149 is like a time tunnel, I'm pretty sure you could stick me down 30 years ago and I'd feel right at home. There would be changes no doubt but those changes would be more subtle than they have been in many parts of the country. The only place I notice real change is at Hunstanton where the small parade of shops feels denuded. Is it a coincidence that Hunstanton has a Tesco? Sheringham has a whole raft of small independent shops including a rather good bookshop. I hope it maintains this tradition.
So anyway if you don't mind I'm going to lament, probably for the 173rd time, the loss of a simpler quieter time.
What provokes me to write on this again? Well I've learnt that Sheringham on the Norfolk coast has rejected the building of a Tesco's there. Now I ought to add that I don't dislike Tesco's per se, living as I do a gentle 5 minutes stroll from one it does make my life so much easier, but the Tescoisation, or if you prefer the turning of Britain's Town into a series of clones does make travel more boring.
When I was a lad Travel was exciting, a new town would promise a shopping centre different to the one I was in. There would be a whole raft of independent shops and the product ranges even in bookshops would be different. Today virtually any town in Britain will have the same identikit shopping centre. A Supermarket possibly two, a Boots, a Smiths, a Dixons, a Marks & Spencer etc etc. Oh and a wapping great warehouse village of do it yourselfs stores. Some towns have adapted these shops in to the townscape better than others but still there is nothing different. The magic of exploration has gone. When you arrive at a town, and there are some, that excitement returns.
So I applaud Sheringham. I have spent a lot of time along the North Norfolk Coast. Travelling along the old A149 is like a time tunnel, I'm pretty sure you could stick me down 30 years ago and I'd feel right at home. There would be changes no doubt but those changes would be more subtle than they have been in many parts of the country. The only place I notice real change is at Hunstanton where the small parade of shops feels denuded. Is it a coincidence that Hunstanton has a Tesco? Sheringham has a whole raft of small independent shops including a rather good bookshop. I hope it maintains this tradition.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Transported in Time if not Space
I was listening to Classic FM yesterday and was instantly transported back to my childhood. It was Sunday evening and I was getting ready for bed.
What you ask? Well the piece of Music they were playing was from the Spartacus Ballet by Aram Khachaturian. Specifically it was the part of the adagio which was used in the Onedin Line.
For those of you of an age the Onedin Line was a TV series that ran from 1971 - 1980, it was set in the nineteenth century and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin (played by Peter Gilmore).
Given everything else is repeated on satellite these days I'm surprised this isn't.
Another thing that transports me back is when I hear Sing Something Simple as sung by the Cliff Adams singers.
Weird, bit like a mental time machine!
What you ask? Well the piece of Music they were playing was from the Spartacus Ballet by Aram Khachaturian. Specifically it was the part of the adagio which was used in the Onedin Line.
For those of you of an age the Onedin Line was a TV series that ran from 1971 - 1980, it was set in the nineteenth century and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin (played by Peter Gilmore).
Given everything else is repeated on satellite these days I'm surprised this isn't.
Another thing that transports me back is when I hear Sing Something Simple as sung by the Cliff Adams singers.
Weird, bit like a mental time machine!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Sunday Morning over the Forest
I got up reasonably early and went to the forest. Was it meant to be so cold overnight?
Still good numbers of Bullfinches about. They are stunning birds when the sun catches the bright red chest of a male with the black head and slate grey back. Lots of Great Spots about one went haring after a Sparrowhawk. A coal tit and Siskins were a nice addition to the small year list.
The lake had 20 or so Pochard joining the normal Tufties, Teal, Gadwall and Mallards. It summer the lake has Mallards and Tufties in winter stuff drops in. Two Great Crested Grebes there. The lake has a breeding pair. Its one of the joys of summer to see them with there stripey headed babies.
The real star today was a Kingfisher flashing over the lake as I walked around suddenly TWO flashes of blue!
I finished off with a fox!
Still good numbers of Bullfinches about. They are stunning birds when the sun catches the bright red chest of a male with the black head and slate grey back. Lots of Great Spots about one went haring after a Sparrowhawk. A coal tit and Siskins were a nice addition to the small year list.
The lake had 20 or so Pochard joining the normal Tufties, Teal, Gadwall and Mallards. It summer the lake has Mallards and Tufties in winter stuff drops in. Two Great Crested Grebes there. The lake has a breeding pair. Its one of the joys of summer to see them with there stripey headed babies.
The real star today was a Kingfisher flashing over the lake as I walked around suddenly TWO flashes of blue!
I finished off with a fox!
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