Happy St George’s Day! 🏴 Enjoy this celebratory poem written by Mick Westwood to mark this special day… https://www.silversurfers.com/showcase/article/st-georges-day/
Happy St George’s Day
Category: Comment
Right Now #3
Yup, right now, I am listening to Summer Of ’69 by Bryan Adams.
Seems appropriate as the clocks changed last night as we moved into BST. The loss of one hours sleep means that it is officially Summer whilst in reality, nature still thinks it’s Spring.
Whilst there is an implicit sexual meaning behind Adams song, 1969 was a momentous year for events of interest on a global scale.
On a personal level, in May of 1969, I started my apprenticeship as a Fitter and Turner. Initially I spent two years based at the Flathouse Apprentice Training Centre, then completing my training in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth. To complete this course I had to leave home, move into digs some 90 miles from home.
The first-ever Concorde test flight took place March of 1969, conducted in France. It’s such a beautiful plane, but really noisy. When our pooch was still alive, every Sunday afternoon, we used to take him up on Butser Hill. We would see Concorde flying low on its descent into Heathrow. It’s such a shame it isn’t flying now.
July of 1969 saw the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Astronauts Aldrin and Armstrong were on the moons’ surface for just under 22 hours, but theirs was a jaw-dropping achievement.
The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair took place in August of 1969. Nearly half a million people attended. Strange that it is referred to as Woodstock but actually took place about 40 miles away at Bethel.
On a darker note, 1969 was the year of the Manson Family murders. Named after cult leader Charles Manson. Five people were murdered by the cult, including a heavily pregnant Sharon Tate, wife of movie producer Roman Polanski.
President Richard Nixon announced the end of the Vietnam War in December 1969 and immediately began troop withdrawal. This proved to be somewhat premature as in April 1970, the war spilled over into Cambodia.
Thank you, Bryan Adams. Your song has acted as an historical trigger.
Everything
What makes you laugh?
The question is, ” What makes you laugh?”
The answer, for me, is “Everything.”
Everything is fair game as a subject for a laugh, and I can find humour in just about any situation.
I will laugh at jokes, be they one liners
I waited and stayed up all night and tried to figure out where the sun was. Then it dawned on me.
or shaggy dog stories
A tall, weather-worn cowboy walked into a saloon and ordered a beer. The regulars quietly observed the drifter through half-closed eyelids. No one spoke, but they all noticed that the stranger’s hat was made of brown wrapping paper. Less obvious was the fact that his shirt and vest were also made of paper. As were his chaps, pants, and even his boots, including the paper spurs. Truth be told, even the saddle, blanket, and bridle on his horse were made entirely of paper. The sheriff walks in, and of course, he arrests him immediately — for rustling.
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than sharing a “dad joke” or, in my case, “grandad joke” with my grandchildren, especially if it elicits a “Oh Grandad!!!” response accompanied by a groan.
What’s an owl’s favorite kind of dance? The hooooooola!
What’s a ballerina’s favourite numbers? Two-two!
To be fair, these usually trigger eye rolling from my wife and kids, too.
Also, I am not averse to a little schadenfreude
e.g. after a waiter treats you badly, you secretly enjoy seeing him trip and slop food on the floor
I am pretty sure my sense of humour has been developed due to exposure to my father, ex matelot, and policeman.
My dad had to deal with many incidents as a policeman, and at times, his humour was quite dark. I think most folks who work in emergency services develop dark humour as a form of protection. I think some of that rubbed off on me.
My sense of humour was further enhanced by my working life, initially as a Fitter & Turner in Pompey Dockyard working with like-minded colleagues as well as alongside more matelots on RN ships.
Matelots have a wide ranging, some might say, disrespecting humour. Brought about by the unique environment in which they work. Again, working alongside some of these guys has had an effect on me.
So, everything has a funny side, at sometime, you just need a warped mind like mine to see it.
And finally …..
1. Did you hear they arrested the devil? Yeah, they got him on possession.
2. What did one DNA say to the other DNA? “Do these genes make me look fat?”
3. My IQ test results came back. They were negative.
4. What do you get when you cross a polar bear with a seal? A polar bear.
5. Why can’t you trust an atom? Because they make up literally everything.
6. Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine.
7. What do you call a hippie’s wife? Mississippi.
8. What’s the difference between an outlaw and an in-law? Outlaws are wanted.
Happy St George’s Day
Follow the link below to see my previous thoughts on how little we think of the English patron saint compared to the patron saints of the other countries that make up the United Kingdom.
This year, my online calendar doesn’t even mention St. George’s day. And yet, staring me in the face are entries for St. Patrick and St. David both celebrated in the same month.
The people of this country do my head in. They get bent out of shape because Nike introduce a multi colour version for the England football strip, but seemingly ignore St. George, for whom the flag is a symbol.
And let’s not forget that the cross of St. George forms an integral part, if not the basis, of the Union Flag symbol of Great Britain, the United Kingdom.
I did a quick trawl of the interweb to find out what was happening in my area to celebrate St. George’s Day. Well, apparently, not much.
I found several instances referring to parades and services associated with Chichester Cathedral. Sadly, they were all for years gone by.
Also sad, if there is any truth in it, is this text
We do recognise St George’s day In England, although as a more multicultural society it is not observed by all. There is also an air or Political correctness that abounds in England today that the St George’s flag (white with Red Cross) is viewed by some as racist.
https://www.quora.com/
Racist !!! Where the hell did that come from ? The national flag of multicultural England is racist. More woke/BLM bullshit.
Similarly, another snippet
Observed on the 23rd of April each year, you’ll find parades and a range of celebratory activities popping up around England. Expect to see the symbol of St George (a flag with a red and white cross) everywhere, as well as people flooding the streets and local pubs, as well as church services.
https://www.rabbies.com/en/blog/how-celebrate-st-georges-day-2024#:~:text=Observed%20on%20the%2023rd%20of,as%20well%20as%20Church%20services.
At the grand old age of seventy-two, I can safely say that I have never seen a parade for St. George, nor people flooding the streets.
Most churches will hold services for St. George and some pubs will certainly put up some bunting and promote St. George, in the hope of drawing in a few more punters.
But, St. George is not embedded in our psyche. If we had a national holiday, then more people might sit up and take notice.
But that isn’t any more likely now than it was in 2011 when I lasted posted on this subject.
What Tattoo ?
What tattoo do you want and where would you put it?
I have never ever felt the need to have a tattoo. In my mind, it is a form of self mutilation and is in the same category as body piercing.
Some friends in my peer age group who have tattoos have also expressed their regret at having them.
It seems to me that it is a young person’s affectation or ….
…. is it just me being a grumpy old man?
Local Council At Fault
Simon Carter states that the only way to reinvigorate our town centres is to shut down the internet !!!
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-22-1834/content.html
To a certain extent, he is correct. The Internet is a contributing factor but not the sole reason Waterlooville is in such a sorry state.
And, of course, 60’s architecture isn’t wholly to blame either. But, it doesn’t help to alleviate the sad, drab appearance of Waterlooville centre.
Bright sunshine goes a long way to enhance the appearance of the shop fronts. But despite the sunshine, what is notable is the lack of people. Just two people walking thru and nobody sitting at the tables outside the cafe.
Compare that view to the picture I took last week on a dull day.
Not a single person in sight and no amount of sunshine is going to improve this view.
A significant factor in Waterloovilles’ demise was the decision to divert the A3 and to pedestrianise the main thoroughfare and therefore removing passing trade.
Further planning decisions to allow the development of retail parks away from the town centre have further reduced the footfall needed to sustain the businesses that have disappeared over the years.
The diverted A3 subdivided Waterlooville, and with the retail park providing free parking, while the town centre car parks charged for the dubious pleasure, there was further incentive to stay away.
Blaming the Internet is too easy and distracts from the part that Havant Borough Council had to play in getting Waterlooville to its current state.
If You Carry A Knife You Are Planning To Kill
In my view, if you leave home carrying a knife, then you are already of the mindset that you may use it.
If you use it, then you must be aware that you are, potentially, going to kill someone.
That is not manslaughter. That is murder.
While Betteridge didn’t take the knife out, he must have accepted it from Hansen, and he did wield it with tragic consequences.
And, again, in my view, Hansen, who supplied the knife, bears equal responsibility and should also be charged with murder.
Neither Betteridge nor Hansen can be unaware of the countrywide incidents involving knives and the subsequent consequences.
Far too many knife related deaths are being reported on TV and in the press.
And yet, Hansen still carried a knife out onto the streets and at some time passed it to Betteridge, who then used it to such devastating effect.
In the early hours of Saturday, August 5th, 2023, the lives of three eighteen year olds were changed forever, along with the lives of their friends and family.
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-11-2029/content.html
Plans But No Real Substance
This is the face of a deluded woman.
Deluded because she is annoyed that folks, when they visit, can’t see the councils plans.
Journalist Christopher Howse of The Telegraph published an article on the demise of Waterlooville. He presented his view after a single visit.
Well, I found myself in Waterlooville centre at around 13:00 on Monday and I think Mr Howse is pretty spot on.
Although there were a few people wandering around, they didn’t look much like shoppers, more they were just passing through. With no shop fronts to attract them, invite them to pause a while and browse. It all looked pretty desolate.
All that was missing was some tumbleweed blowing around.
Despite the best efforts of those businesses actually open, it is not an attractive place to be.
There are many barber shops here, but all but one had no customers. The bored proprietors were sitting drinking coffee or fizzy pop.
The coffee shops all seemed to be fairly busy, but due to a distinct lack of interest in chipboard, there wasn’t much to keep me window shopping.
After around 45 mins, I had completed a full circuit of the town centre and took myself off to join the coffee drinkers.
I’m sorry, Councillor Robinson, but visual impressions of the town don’t convey the potential that HBC plans to build on. I really do applaud HBC for what they are trying to do, but as I have said before, I fear it is too little too late.
A misguided HBC has mishandled the planning of both Waterlooville and Havant centres, and the local residents are paying the price
The Telegraph’s View Of Waterlooville
Over the years, I have, in several posts, made some disparaging remarks about the state of our town (village) centre.
How it is slowly decomposing, and becoming something of a ghost town.
Well it seems we have now come to the attention of The Telegraph, one Britain’s national broadsheets.
The English high street: Waterlooville, Hampshire – how a town centre dies
This has become an object lesson in how a thriving town can be ruined by poor building and haphazard planning
This is the opening salvo of a sad description of how Havant Borough Council planners have mismanaged the development of Waterlooville and then, having fouled it up they have sat back to let the rot set in.
Further into the article, reference is made to the Wellington Way Shopping Centre website. I didn’t know it had one.
“Wellington Way Shopping Centre, right at the heart of the town,” says its website. “Offers a great mix of high-street names and boutiques. Come on down and enjoy the atmosphere.”
This is followed by …
You would have to be deranged to enjoy the atmosphere.
I have long bemoaned the fact that the planners diverted the A3 London Road to dogleg its way around the town centre. Effectively isolating the town centre from the new shopping experience that is the Wellington Way Retail Park. The Telegraph had this to say …
Since 1983, the A3 has roared in a dog-leg bypass, leaving the London Road, the main shopping street, as a comfortless pedestrian open space.
I note that the Telegraph didn’t comment on that part of the retail park experience which is the parking.
Only a moron would create a retail park with two motor vehicle entrances but only one exit. Parking is free for a set period of time, monitored by NPR cameras. Many folks have found that they have been fined due to it taking over an hour to exit the car park, thereby exceeding the free period.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/27/english-high-street-london-road-waterlooville-hampshire/
Don’t get me wrong. I know that HBC are working hard to turn things around. But, as I have also previously stated, I believe it to be too little, too late.
They have already subdivided the town centre by diverting and pedestrianising the A3. This is a change that they are highly unlikely to reverse.
Today, a Monday afternoon, I have just circumnavigated the town centre. There were a fair few people around, but it was a long way from the bustling town it was. And despite the clean-up work, it is drab, uninviting, and sad. The Telegraph are not far off the mark.
Danger in Numbers
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-4-2033/content.html
I’m baffled.
I love wild animals when they are in their own environment or failing that, in a well run zoo especially when they are working to protect endangered species.
What I don’t understand is why private individuals feel the need to keep dangerous animals as pets !!
And I find the stats published in my local paper somewhat troubling.
Among the creatures kept in the Portsmouth area are Suphan Cobras, White Lipped Vipers, and a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.
In Havant, there are, apparently, 37 Chinese Alligators !!!
And these are only the ones that are being kept legally with the proper Dangerous Wild Animal licenses.
How many illegals are there ?
WrAnTz 