Category: Local (To Me !!!)

Horses are threatened by planned land sale


Come on folks – Dig Deep For A Good Cause – Not Asking For Money – Just A Bit Of Land

 

Who, in the Lovedean area, has a field that they can lend / rent to Jillian Hall and her horses ?

Horses are threatened by planned land sale – Politics – The News.

I Want One Of These


I would love one of these new properties. Gilkicker is an iconic location with fabulous sea views right across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.  There is always something going on here with commercial shipping passing through, the continental ferries running in and out of Pompey, Royal Naval vessels based in the port and of course the Isle of Wight ferries and hovercraft. Then of course there are the myriads of sailing and other pleasure craft buzzing around.

There is only one fly in this perfect ointment, one spanner in these well oiled works, just one minor problem.

I can’t afford one !!!

I have no real idea of what the price might be but one thing is for sure I’ll just have to put more effort into winning the lottery.

As long as these properties don’t have ownership of the beach area below the fort I can live with the disappointment. This is a favourite walking and fishing area.

Controversy as luxury homes at fort site are put on sale by agents – Politics – The News.

Police ‘disappointed’ as football hooligan avoids punishment


The police are disappointed ??? So should any right-minded, law-abiding citizen be disappointed.

This guy is a serial offender, is abusive even to the magistrates and shows no remorse. Why didn’t the prosecutor have the guts to push this through even if it was the second time of asking. There shouldn’t have been a second time.

What is wrong with our namby-pamby court system ?

Police ‘disappointed’ as football hooligan avoids punishment – Law and Order – The News.

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 !!!