Category: Local (To Me !!!)

View From The Conservatory


Yet another glorious day weather wise. Blue skies and sunshine. Even with the doors open the temperature here in the conservatory is 28degC.

I have been observing the activities of the pasta thieves. We had a pasta/pesto salad the night before last. The excess pasta was put out for the birds. However, it’s not just the birds that seem to like the pasta. Hence the mention of  “pasta thieves”.

The Carrion Crows are back. Since they are birds then there is no issue with them eating the pasta. They are somewhat greedy though. Racking up the fusilli in their long beaks, four and five at a time. They only do this to collect them then they move to another area of the lawn where they drop their cache and eat the individual pasta pieces.

I did say “pasta thieves”. The other culprits are the squirrels. I don’t really have a problem with them stealing from the bird table. They also seem to have a liking for pasta. Munching away, jaws going nineteen to the dozen, every now and again their heads popping up to look around. A single fusilli twist projecting from their mouths like a big fat white cigar. Very comical.

There is nothing like nature to put you in a good place mentally.

Fighting hard to displace my general sense of well-being are the guys working to tidy up the trees and bushes over on the roundabout a few hundred yards away. They are doing a grand job but as is the norm these days they are reducing the cuttings to wood chips. The machine makes a horrendous noise and has been running for two days now. Hopefully tomorrow they will have moved sufficiently far away that I won’t be able to hear them.

 

Once more, for Emsworth and St George! – What about the rest of the country ?


Lets hear it for the people of Emsworth.

They are doing just what our government should be putting in place. How come the English, as a nation, don’t celebrate our Patron Saint. Yes the flags might fly but that is about it. Yet for St. Patrick’s day all the stops are pulled. Round here the pubs are more likely to be pushing a St. Patrick’s Day special with green beer etc. but for St. Georges day, nothing.

St. Georges day just passes as a notation on the pages of diary.

I think Emsworth has it right. We as a nation should celebrate St. Georges day and it should also be the day that is used to mark a day of respect for our armed forces and most of all as a day to celebrate being English.

I can hear the politically correct brigade saying “Ooo we can’t do that, we might upset some ethnic population Britain”. Well as an Englishman I am upset that we kowtow to everyone elses needs but never to our own.

The government flounders around, making noises about doing away with May Bank Holiday and replacing it with a Bank Holiday on St. Georges Day or perhaps Trafalgar Day in October.

Why do we have to lose May Bank Holiday, why can’t we have additional Bank Holidays ? Do something for the people, not to the people for a change.

Once more, for Emsworth and St George! – East Hampshire – The News.

Major expansion of Waterlooville gets the green light after 15 years


The inevitable has happened.

Approval has been given for some 3,000 new homes to be built closing the remaining green gap around Waterlooville. Apparently this is a reduction on the original 9,000 that was being sought. So something positive has come out of nearly 15 years of discussion and debate.

But lets not be swayed by the fancy artists impressions or the statements that the houses will be in the architectural style of nearby village, Hambledon. Many things can happen over the next few years. Permission to go ahead with the development is somewhat like the salesmans foot in the door. Now the real business will begin. I just hope that our councillors and the planning authorities keep a watchful eye and a tight rein on the developers, making sure that they deliver the goods.

From my perspective the real issue with this development is not the number of houses. No, the real issue is the increase in traffic around the Waterlooville area.

3,000 new houses means that there will possibly be between 3,000 and 6,000 additional vehicles. Many of which will be contributing to the twice daily rush hour traffic congestion. I just hope that our infrastructure is able to cope.

Again, from my perspective, the level of traffic noise has increased over the last 20 plus years that I have lived in the area. This new development is only going to add to the problem.

I will be watching with interest to see how this all rolls out.

 

 

 

 

Major expansion of town gets the green light after 15 years – Politics – The News.

RIP Jet Harris – A True Diamond Geezer


With the death of Jet Harris the world is missing yet another great artist from the world of music.

One of the earliest tracks that I can remember hearing was Diamonds by Jet Harris & Tony Meehan. That was long before I knew Jet Harris had been one of the Shadows.

I just loved that tune and still do.

For those of you who have never heard it Go Here

My thoughts are with his family.

Ex-Shadow member Jet Harris dies – National – The News.

View From The Conservatory


Quite a dull day today although I am happier than in my last post. At least I can eat and drink fairly freely as the gap left by my missing tooth is slowly healing.

Have just spent 10 minutes or so watching a pair of Carrion Crows raiding my garden for food. We had Kung Po Prawns and Rice for dinner last night. As usual I did too much rice. The excess was scattered for the birds which is what had attracted the crows. They are magnificent birds. Jet black, looking so smart. What is amazing is that they are one of the bigger birds to settle in the garden yet they seem to be quite nervous. The image above was purloined from the RSPB web site. I would have posted one of my own photos but to have moved to get my camera would have scared my visitors away. More details can be found by following the link at the bottom of this post.

While on the subject of beasts with beaks, I was doing a bit of sticky beaking myself this morning.

I spotted a guy in a bright yellow jacket outside the front of my house. He had a short ladder leaning against the trunk of the very big Beech tree. He had climbed the ladder and was about to hammer something into the trunk. So of course I went out and asked him what he was doing.

It appears he works for the local council and is carrying out a survey of the trees for which they, the council, are responsible. He was tagging this tree as he is going to make a note about one of the branches which is getting a bit long and heavy. In his view the branch needs some of the sub branches to be removed to take some of the weight off the main limb. Apparently, Beech Trees are prone to dropping their branches.

Seems likely he was the guy I accosted a few years ago when I spotted him taking measurements. At that time one of my neighbours had contacted the council with a view to taking the tree down.  So todays chat just reinforced the continued interest, by at least one of the residents, in keeping this tree safe and intact.

While he and I were chatting we were surprised by a small army of council workers either sitting on or following a  variety of power mowers. Now during the year we do get visited by these guys. Usually their numbers are limited to 2 or 3 on mowers with a guy following on foot with a leaf blower. Today we were blessed with the arrival of not 3, not 6 but 8. The noise was phenomenal. It’s all very well the drivers having ear protectors but what about the unsuspecting residents.

 

Anyway, I guess I’d better get back to work. Have to knock off early today as I am going for  physio appointment later. Also, big smile, we are expecting a visit from my granddaughter and great-granddaughter. So bye for now.

The RSPB: Carrion crow.

Patient Who Bought His Own Food While In Hospital Wins Compensation


Michael Cooper spent two weeks in Southampton General. Rather than eat the hospital provided food,  every day he made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast, lunch and tea. He described the hospital food as “not fit for pigs”.

Both my wife and I had the misfortune to have a stay in the Queen Alexandra (QA) at Portsmouth. The food there is also disgusting.  Between us we experienced some sort of Gammon/Ham which was grey in colour, sandwiches where the butter/marge had been applied to the outside of the sandwich and I was not sure what was on the inside. Lets say it didn’t taste like chicken. A rubber omelette and vegetables that had been cooked to within an inch of turning to mush. In general  all offerings were totally bland, flavorless.

I understand that when you are not well you have a depressed appetite but surely the purpose of the food should be both to sustain and also to encourage you to eat. My experience is that the food supplied does neither.

Mr Coopers stand and court case success is to be admired but it should not be necessary. We keep hearing about the Jamie Olivers of this world working with the hospital caterers to improve the food supplied to patients. But we also keep hearing that the hospital food revolution is failing along with the other hospital services.

I accept that standards in some NHS hospitals are very good. But doesn’t creating a standard mean that all NHS hospitals should perform to the same level.

It isn’t happening !!!

View From The Conservatory


Well its dull and grey outside and the wind has its dander up. Pushing and shoving the trees about. At least it’s not raining.

Just having my breakfast, Tea and Tablets. Don’t worry, they are legit, for my blood pressure. Just part of the daily routine, five in the morning and one at night. God I hate that little white one. It starts to dissolve as soon as it hits any part of your mouth and hangs on for dear life. It tastes disgusting. Half a cup of tea has not gotten rid of the taste.

Radio Paradise is serenading me as usual …. currently “Cold Shot” by Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Man he was good. Just thinking of all those guitarists that have passed over, what a jam session they must be having. Oh and now another favourite of mine…”Keep The Streets Empty For Me” by Fever Ray. The vocalist, Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson,  sends tingles down my spine with this number.

Teenage terrors banned from every Portsmouth shopping areas


I hope this works. Many people like me are sick and tired of reading about or even observing the sort of behaviour these girls have employed.

What I would like to know is what have their parents been doing about their behaviour in their pre-teen years. How did they get to the point where they thought this was OK behaviour.

All I know is that if I had behaved like they have when I was their age my parents and particularly my father would have come down on me like a ton of bricks. I was no angel but I certainly knew right from wrong and would have been terrified if the results of my actions brought anyone to my parents door let alone the police.

So I say again, I hope this works. I also hope that the authorities have the courage to carry through and arrest them should they break the ban.

Teenage terrors banned from every Portsmouth shopping areas – Law and Order – The News.

Ice block falls from the sky on to Cosham High Street


And they say “Nothing Ever Happens In Cosham / Cosham Is Boring”

Well thats obviously B’ Locks.

Either they had an unexpected delivery from a passing plane or its a message from the gods.

 

Ice block falls from the sky on to Cosham High Street – East Hampshire – The News.

Guys and Dolls – A Class Act


I had the great pleasure, on Saturday night, to see Guys and Dolls. This being the latest production by the Stage One Youth Theatre Group. This group never cease to amaze. Although they are, by definition, an amateur group their productions are anything but. The members of the cast range in age from 8 to 18 and they are perhaps the most enthusiastic group that I have ever encountered.

Anyone who has ever trod the boards will know how daunting it can be to step out in front of an audience. The members of this group seem to overcome any reservations and burst onto stage if not with broad smiles on their faces then with a gleam in their eyes.

Guys an Dolls was no exception. Although this was not perhaps their best ever production, it was right up there with the best.Certain aspects of this production were a bit shaky and there were a couple of bum notes from the orchestra. The highlights of the show, for me, were the performance from Megan Healy as Miss Adelaide, Sam Ring as Sky Masterson, Natasha Brown as Sarah Brown and James Lawbuary as Arvide Abernathy. All managed to sing and act at the same time with particularly strong vocal performance from Ring and Brown.  All in all it was an exuberant show and most of the audience that I observed when leaving were in high spirits, with smiles of pleasure on their faces.

Over the years I have seen many Stage One performances including Les Miserables, Oliver, Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story, Oklahoma, Bugsy Malone and Me & My Girl. As you can see from this list they do not shy away from the more complex productions. These shows have moved me through the whole gamut of emotions, from tears to full belly laughs. To my way of thinking these productions are great value for money. Where else can you be entertained with music and action from the West End shows without having to pay West End prices.

A beer before the show, and ice cream in the interval, brilliant entertainment and NO ADVERTS. Top Class

Welcome to the Stage One website!.