Month: October 2011

Great South Run – Congratulations


I just wanted to say congratulations to all those brave souls who participated in the BUPA Great South Run on Sunday.

While I was reclining in the warmth of my living room, watching the Indian F1, several thousand hardy bods were facing the damp and windy conditions of Southsea seafront.

In particular I want to say well done to my next door neighbour, Gordon, who took part for the first time this year. He finished in a very respectable 94 mins and 27 seconds.

To all the runners, regardless of the reason for your participation,

CONGRATULATIONS & WELL DONE

Man is seriously injured in air gun shooting at Southsea house


Perhaps the mystery here isn’t the circumstances of the shooting, rather the venue chosen for the injured mans treatment.

Man is seriously injured in air gun shooting at Southsea house – Law and Order – The News.

Having read this article I am gobsmacked.

How does it make sense to send this man all the way to Southampton when we have an Emergency Department at the QA in Cosham ?

That is, he was sent to Southampton General Hospital, a journey of some 20 miles. This was deemed to be better for the patient, who had life threatening injuries, than going to A&E at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham.  A journey of around 5 miles.

I can only imagine that the huge hospital on Portsdown Hill, the one with A & E and the emergency helipad recently installed on the roof of the new building, doesn’t work over the weekend. Or is it perhaps the migration of medical skills from Portsmouth to Southampton now includes our local emergency care.

It beggars belief.

Footloose – Great Entertainment


Last night a group of us were treated to a fabulous show when Stage One presented Dean Pitchfords Footloose at Ferneham Hall.
As we have come to expect from the Stage One team the show was spilling over with energy. The kids in the cast positively glow with their enthusiasm.
Stand out performances for me were from Chris Hutton as the tense teen Ren McCormack, Matt Fisher as “slow” country boy Willard Hewitt, Luke Collins as the mean, moody and thoroughly dislikeable Chuck Cranston. For the girls it has to be Gilly Williams as the restrained and repressed Vi Moore, Ellie Jones as the disillusioned Ariel Moore and Connie Powell as Rusty.
Highlight of the evening and certainly the most emotive scene was when Vi Moore and Rens mother Ethel (Katie Winter) sing Learning To Be Silent.
The grand finale with the whole cast partying away with the title song had everyones feet tapping.

Once again Stage One have given a first class performance. I am looking forward, with anticipation, to their next production, Fiddler On The Roof.

Sir James Wilson Vincent “Jimmy” Savile OBE KCSG – RIP


  • Celebrity

  • Personality

  • Sportsman

  • DJ

  • Philanthropist

  • Radio and TV Presenter

  • Honorary Royal Marine “Green Beret”

He was all of those things and he was an icon.

For many years he was a fixture on british radio and television. His lasting legacy will be the charitable works that he was always heavily involved with in particular at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

We will miss your larger than life character ….

Goodbye Sir Jimmy

EU and Britain: Majority of British public want powers back from Brussels


EU and Britain: Majority of British public want powers back from Brussels | Mail Online.

Of course we do. The EUrocrats have been abusing their power for too long. Lets not forget the extortionate expensese that they claim while working for our benefit !!!

The theory behind the EU is great. The intent was to make life easier for folks who had to do business across the many borders that make up the european continent. However the reality is far from the ideal.

Year on year we have had petty rules laid down and the only fools that actually try to abide are us Brits. Prosecuting our own people for not abiding by stupid laws that common sense would have negated.

So yes, it is time to stand up and Fight for Britain, Prime Minister!

Well Done Hampshire Constabulary


The press are only too keen to do down the police and it would seem in this instance the Southern Daily Echo got it totally wrong.

Article from Southern Daily Echo

Follow the link below to see the Hampshire Constabulary response. Just once in a while it would be nice to see the press in this country provide praise for the police instead of doing them down at every opportunity.

They do a very difficult job and sneering articles like that published by the Southern Daily Echo do nobody any good.
Hampshire Constabulary: Hampshire Constabulary response to ‘End of the week’ opinion piece in the Southern Daily Echo.

Oh Wow


Just had my socks blown off by Sonny Landreth playing Broken Hearted Road from his Grant Street album.

This guy can do no wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCCyINISW3w

Albums I Listened to While Growing Up


Disraeli Gears – Cream

I have two albums that I listened to all the time in my youth. I have to thank John Peel and his radio programs for introducing me to these and many other bands. His programs were essential listening for many many years and, although I couldn't match him for the breadth of his musical likes especially in his latter years, I continued to listen to him right up to the end.

Bless you John, where ever you may be.

Disraeli Gears by Cream is the fist ever album I bought after hearing a number of tracks on the John Peel radio program. I was fifteen and at that time I lived in Battle, Sussex (UK). The only place to buy records (vinyl) was the local electrical store. They would put records by and let you pay for them weekly. Regular as clockwork I would walk down into town with my pocket money until had paid in full. I remember that Saturday afternoon walk, album tightly clasped, as I trudged the mile or so back home. That first playing, on the family "stereogram" made by my father, set the standard for my future listening. While my general musical tastes are diverse ranging through all musical genres. I keep coming back to electric blues and progressive rock.

My next album was On The Threshold Of A Dream. Quite a contrast from Disraeli Gears but once againa John Peel introduction. Pretty sure I bought this with money earnt in my first job. Just before I left home, headed down to Portsmouth, Hants (UK) to start my apprenticeship.

I was in digs for the next 3 or 4 years and initially bought a bright Red Dansette record player. Sadly mono so I couldn't enjoy the beautifull stereo of these two albums. However, that didn't stop me from playing them to death.

Threshold was totally worn out and I had to go buy another copy a few years later.

Triggered by going to see a number of bands in Portsmouth Guildhall (Led Zeppelin, Blodwyn Pig, Genesis) I slowly grew my album collection. Starting with Led Zeppelin II which was the album they were promoting when I saw them. This was quickly followed up with Ahead Rings Out by Blodwyn Pig as they were supporting Zep. Then Trespass by Genesis.

All of these albums formed the root of my record collection.

All of these albums are regularly played although I have either supplemented my vinyl collection with CDs and more recently have digitised all my albums so that they are available on my PC.

I have tried hard to like modern rock, and I do like bands such as Muse, Porcupine Tree and Elbow. However, I find I keep going back to those original albums. I am still following the band members who are still working and find I usually like their solo projects. Maybe not as much as when they were in those original bands but I feel there is a thread running through all their releases.

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View From The Conservatory


Well here we are again. Autumn, or is it Winter has got a firm grip. The temperature here inside is a balmy 15degC while the BBC Weather site is suggesting a max of 12degC today. Still at least its dry.

Since we now have new neighbours we have also a second cat “tag-team” patrolling our garden. I have previously mentioned the predatory pair of black moggies which are systematically reducing the squirrel and bird populations. Well it seems our new neighbours have two black & white cats. They have taken to snoozing in both our front and back gardens. So there seems to have been a bit of a coup or at least a territorial take over since the black team always used to sleep on or under our Adirondack seat but in recent times I have only seen the newbies there. Similarly, the black team used to sleep on our front door step during the afternoons. Now the near presence of the newbies snoozing by the fence seems to have frightened off the black team.

Now an interesting twist to this new state of affairs is the occasional presence of an enormous grey striped cat. As far as I can determine it looks like it may be a Maine Coon Cat or a derivative, whatever, this thing is HUGE !!!

So the status quo, from the cats perspective, has been tilted well out of balance. The result remains to be seen. Perhaps the re-jigging of territorial rights might distract these feline foes and that could be good news for the birds and squirrels.

Father of one’s fury after bank sends out abusive letter – Oh Really ???


So Steve Smith received a letter offering him a credit card account. The letter referred to him as F*** Off. The enclosed letter was addressed to “Dear Off” and included an application form with F*** Off printed on it.

Are we to believe that this 40-year-old schools examination officer has absolutely no sense of humour and can’t see the funny side to this.

So the Mail swings into glorious action again using words like Furious and Outraged. I did look to see if Mr Smiths 4 month old daughter was “traumatised” but surprisingly I couldn’t find the word anywhere in this article.

This really isn’t news.

Given all the unrest in the world and the financial mess that many countries are in, is this really the best the Mail can do.