The Philanderer

Everybody, love somebody

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:59:00 +0000

I have embraced the Edinburgh Festival this last week and its been a fun time. A few of us from the team went to see 'The Blues Brothers Banned', a rip roaring 60 minutes of classic songs from the film plus a few more added in for good measure. They added humour, as they searched for the cowbell, and showed a range of musical and athletic skills which were top class.

The two of us who try to go to the gym most nights decided we should join their ranks as they were running up the aisles playing guitar, leaping speaker stacks and jumping around keyboards.

As well as Jake and Elwood there were two doo wap girls, each of whom belted out their own solo, a trumpet and sax, two guitars, two keyboards and a drummer, eleven people in all. The lead guitar probably had a better voice than the two front men.

We then hit the town and went for a curry in a well regarded local restaurant. The food was a disappointment, very bland and small portions, so we won't try that again.Luckily the bar over the road stayed open so we staggered back to the hotel in the wee small hours.

The festival continues this week with more fringe acts, and then the Mela and book festival take over until the end of the month, after which hotel room should come back to their normal prices!!

Still its a sound place to be, I just wish it would stop raining, its been bucketing down for weeks. i feel sorry for the tourists as the City is very easy to walk round, but there are still a few bars we have yet to visit which we can take shelter in...hic!

A Little Something for the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 11:21:00 +0000

Now there is a phrase to bring a smile to the faces of the older generation,A phrase which has been mouthed by barbers to their clientele for many years. I must admit though, that the young busty wench who cuts my hair in Scouseland has yet to mutter the phrase. She is more likely to say would you like a tissue sir, another phrase which taken out of context would indicate that extras have been provided alongside the hair cut.

Now where is this all leading you may be asking. Well actually it all about my experience yesterday in Boots the Chemist. There I was standing in line behind a bit of fit, when she asked for the morning after pill. Blimey I thought there is a question you don't hear every day of the week, but it just went to confirm one of the greatest lines I have ever heard at the cinema.

The Likely Lads, Bob and Terry, in the film of the same name were on holiday in Gosforth and looking for a bit of action. The weather is awful and Bob is getting a bit down in the dumps. 'E, we will never cope off on a day like this' he said. 'Don't be so sure' says Terry with a glint in his eye, ' lets go to Boots, there are always women in Boots'

Its as true today as it was then.......now must go and get my haircut!

Don't get shirty with me matey......

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:04:00 +0000

I am concerned about a worrying trend which is very evident here in Edinburgh, although Ii have seen symptoms of it all over the Country. it started many years ago as a youthful trend, but is now being embraced by men of all ages.

Why do they wear their shirt outside their trousers?

I have been analysing this to try to find an answer.......OK so the world population are becoming obese, and this particular mode of dressing may well hide the beer belly in the manner of a maternity gown for men. We do tend to be more slothful these days as well, so are we just too lazy to tuck ourselves in?

I am not aware of any major fashion advertising campaign which has extolled the virtue of free flowing shirts, and no iconic figures who started the trend. So all in all I am at a loss to explain it.

I, for one, just cannot embrace the style, and continue to spread my shirt fabric over my tum as tightly as it will go........the Buddha would be a good marketing name for that sort of style, after all my body is a temple!!

I'll get you Butler

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Edinburgh is a tremendously impressive City. Its road are flecked with granite chips which make the surfaces resolute and durable, its road system in the centre is laid out in a grid , with the Royal Mile linking the castle to Holyroyd House. Alleyways and paths wind between shops and bars, and the natives scurry about like ants on a rose bush.

It is rather sad, therefore, to witness the devastation which is surrounding the construction of the new tram system.

Many cities have embraced the idea of introducing trams as a fast and convenient mode of transport. Croydon was a building site for years as they struggled to join the high society of Wimbledon Village with the rather less appealing New Addington council estate, via the city centre, Purley and Merton. In their case, however, there was no heritage to protect. Manchester managed to integrate their system with little or no change to the architecture and tradition of the City, and it has been a huge success.

Edinburgh, however, is suffering. The aforementioned roads are being dug up because all the main services run down the centre of the road, and this is where the tram lines are to go. Consequently the services are being moved to the kerb side, roads are being blocked off or made one-way, and worst of all ,a number of old traditional buildings, pubs, houses and so on, are being demolished.

They are only building one line at present. It will run from Leith in the North to the airport, via Princes Street and Haymarket where it will follow the railway lines. There are already worries though that the funding will run out and the tram line will terminal at Gogarburn, about a mile short......

Still when its built they will be able to illuminate the trams at Christmas like they do in Blackpool, and I can't wait until the rugger chaps at Murrayfield see how many people they can have hanging off the side.

Sweatie socks

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:41:00 +0000

Its been a while since my last post, a situation which has been created by the need to do some real work at last. On Monday, just past, I was in London, got a phone call in the morning, and promptly ended up in Edinburgh where I am likely to be for the remainder of the year........that said the client has yet to sign the contract, so it might all change again shortly.

The travel up here has been a bit stressful though, missed my flight last week due to roadworks overruns on the M4, then today I was stuck on the tarmac for 2 hours as Edinburgh was fog bound and we were restricted from taking off.

Still I am here now, and this week its the warm up to the Edinburgh Festival. Its the jazz and blues week until Sunday when the main festival and the comedy fringe kicks in. Hotels are upping their prices, but we are well catered for so hopefully it will be a bit of a giggle.

The only trouble with proper work is that four day weekends become a thing of the past, oh well, just have to get used to it I guess.....

Hello ello ello

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:05:00 +0000

Our cruise was part of SHMBO significant birthday celebrations, and was preceded by a bit of a bash at the house up North. Lee J Harris, international vocalist, banged out a couple of live sets in the garden, and that prompted a 22;:30 visit from the local constabulary. Two WPCs turned up to say they had had a few complaints about the noise. Now what saddo complains about a bit of noise at that time of night on a Saturday eh! and what does it say about the area when they send two WPCs round. The outdoor activity terminated at about midnight, and a great time was had by all.

Contrast our plod experience in Oxton, with what then happened in Chiswick two nights later. In Oxton there must have been instant attendance for a noise pollution problem which is actually a council matter. In Chis SHMBO and I are strolling back from a libation on the High Road at about 23:00, when we notice a shop door open. Hmmm we think, bit strange, so I venture in shout a bit and find nobody there. So what do Ido, its an interior designers and full of good stuff, loot it or call the Bills?

Of course, like a good citizen, I call the local cop shop. 'We will get a car to you soonest' they say. 30 minutes later I ring back to say I can't wait any longer and they indicate it is not a priority and they have no cars available anyway. Luckily when we popped in today the owner indicated noithing went missing and thanked us for our trouble.

Interesting aspect of the way the two constabularies work. I wonder if somebody else had rung and reported me as an intruder on the premises how quicly the twos and blues would have been there.

Evening all!

Island Escape

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:36:00 +0000

We have just returned from a cruise around the Eastern Mediterranean and the Tyrrhenian Sea, taking in Majorca, Menorca, Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia, quite a little island hop in fact. Given we have already been to Cyprus this year, and plan to visit Jersey in September, this must be the year of the island.

Our plan was to visit Corsica and Sardinia with a view to seeing if they were worth a longer one centre trip, and we both thought they were. Sardinia is the second largest Mediterranean island after Sicily and Corsica is the most mountainous. Both have wonderful beaches and very picturesque towns and villages. The food reflects the French influence in Corsica and the Italian in Sardinia. All in all a good time was had by all.

Unfortunately we did not find our property sold on our return, but there still appears to be interest, so we have started to look around at the apartment market again to see whats on offer. I was going to say flat market, but then that's what it is innit?

SuperLambBanana

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:20:00 +0000

Well the Liverpool Capital of Culture team have at last made a difference which all of joe public can enjoy.

125, two metre tall replicas of Taro Cheizo’s iconic SuperLambBanana sculpture have been painted, decorated and adorned by local artists, schools and community groups, to create a free to view, open air, public art spectacular.

The sculptures will only be on display until 25 August after which they will be auctioned off, and there is a web site dedicated to them or read the wikipedia entry.....and follow this map link This is a picture of the original.......

Baaaabara

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:05:00 +0000

Well I, for one, am delighted that the alleged sexual antics of the England rugby team in new Zealand have been dropped. The old adage, 'what goes on tour, stays on tour' seems to be put at risk by the increase in kiss and tell stories which involve women who do not understand the moral high ground needs to be maintained.

That said, I can't help feeling that if David Strettle had had Ugandan discussions with a sheep, the new Zealand public would never have let it drop!

Pink is the new white

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:43:00 +0000

On Monday evening my son and his fiance, and my brother-in-law and son
ventured to Lords for the 20/20 game Middlesex v Surrey.

It is the biggest closest derby in cricketing terms and was supported by a good size crowd......the Middlesex players and club are supporting Breast Cancer charities this season so the kit and surroundings were coloured to reflect the theme.

Surrey batted first, but it soon became clear that Middlesex have become a very professional 20/20 side, and after restricting Surrey to 141, there was never a doubt that the youngsters in the home side would knock the runs off....they duly obliged. They now stand top with 4 wins out of 4. Four of their squad are 21 or under, Malan, Godleman, Housego and Morgan, and Smith and Shah have been missing recently through injury and England duties respectively.

There then followed a bit of celebrity hunting, and Matthew was luck enough to be caught with Andrew Strauss, while Jack Rowell and Paul Allott were seen in the outfield at close of play.

Baby boomers

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:23:00 +0000

I have always been intrigued by the way my life has centred on West London, given the various detours it has taken.

I was born in West Middlesex Hospital,on the Isleworth/Brentford border, and first went to school close by. I then moved to Plymouth, returned to London for further education (some would say that was a waste of time). After living in North, South and West London, I finally ended up living not a mile from my place of birth. Full circle in fact.

Now I notice that my place of birth, the very maternity ward in which I popped out into the world, is being knocked down, presumably to allow the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to earn some money for new and better facilities. Some of my oldest childhood memories are also associated with the old Victorian blocks which are fast being transformed to a pile of rubble.

I had my adenoids and tonsils removed in the late '50s, and remember being positioned next to the fish tank. It was my job to switch its light out every night when I went to sleep. The few times I forgot, I was given a right telling off by the ward sister. I also remember being dressed in a cowboy outfit to go down to theatre, as part of a cunning plan to take the fear out of the procedure and make it seem like a good old adventure. The next few days I had nothing but ice cream and jelly, so it can't have been all bad.

Now where did I leave that pen I was just using, and what were the names of those people I was with last light? Funny thing that memory.

Uncle Tom Cobley and all.....

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:39:00 +0000

I spent the weekend in Devon, visiting my mum in Plymouth, and do a bit of other stuff. Some of that stuff involved meeting 'off the record' Dick and his wife Gill at the Leaping Salmon in Horrabridge. It was a very pleasant luncheon, and Dick was keen to point out his two page spread featuring his Mongolian adventure, that was prominent in the FT colour supplement of the day. If only the locals had realised they had a prominent feature writer and Jack Rowell in the same pub together, we might have had free drinks all afternoon!!

The trip to the pub wax precluded by a trip to Widdecombe, and that proved to be a bit more of an adventure than planned.

Last Saturday was the Dartmoor Discovery Ultra marathon, a 32, yes 32, mile road race through the country lanes between Princetown, Ashburton, Widdecombe and back to Princetown. The winner did the race at an average speed of 7 minutes per mile, in a time of 3 hours 45 minutes, amazing when you consider there were not too many flat bits of the course.

It was not possible to close the route to traffic, as it was really the only route around Dartmoor, so to avoid the runners and the vehicles coming in the opposite direction was a bit of a mission. There were no fatalities though I am pleased to report.

Will I be entering next year? No I don't think so, I am struggling to be fit for my September 10K.

A sting in the tail

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:15:00 +0000

I have just finished reading 'The Empty Chair' by Jeffrey Deaver. It is not in the 'Vanished man' class but not bad. It features a character referred to as the insect boy, who is at one with the small creatures of his environment. He uses references from insect based research books to theorise that if human life were to become extinct, the earth would survive quite happily without them, loose all the insects, however, the we would all be doomed.

With this in mind, I have been alarmed to read of the problems currently facing the world bee population. Bees matter. They make honey which I thoroughly enjoy, and the fertilise many of our garden flowers and fruits, but the bumblebee population is falling dramatically.

Some of the decline is due to insecticide usage in agriculture, but more worrying is that they are now under attack by parasites. Government assistance in isolating and eradicating the diseases which affect them has been cut to £1m, a reduction of 20%, just at the time it is most needed. researchers have been laid off and inspectors sacked.

There are 270,000 hives in Britain. Last Winter one in five colonies perished. Half of Italy's 50 billion honey bees died last year, and Colony Collapse Disorder has wiped out 2 million colonies across America and billions of bees worldwide.

We need bees, just as the insect boy said we do, and he is not alone. Einstein was said to have calculated that if bees disappear off the surface of the globe, mankind would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more life. I think the government need to reverse their funding policy soonest.

You've all done very well......

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:30:00 +0000

My cousin Mike retired on Friday, and not with early retirement or any other concessions. He is 65 and has done a life of work stretching back to early sixties. There are not too many people left like that, so all credit to him.

I remember he worked early on for Hoover, and whether with them or another firm, he used to visit us in Plymouth when he was called upon to work in HM Dockyard at Devonport. He then took a late degree at MARJON when it was in Chelsea, and then worked for Davy Engineering and other such companies as one got taken over or absorbed by another.

They gave him a good send-off although I think he would quite like to carry on with them, as the future must be a bit of a challenge when you have had the work ethic drilled into you for all those years.

People today are more fortunate to have 'work/life balance' programmes which mean you can work from home, do four day weeks, or even three if it suits, and take sabbaticals to explore some long lost hobby or interest you wish to resurrect.

He is mad about cars, and knowledgeable about most things so I am sure a niche will present itself to him, I did notice the Boy Scout organisation are looking for a volunteer successor for Peter Duncan the Chief Scout, when he steps down next year, otherwise he will just have to become a professional sports watcher and follow various teams around the World. I could get used to that.

Gentlemen that reminds me......

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:32:00 +0000

I brought a Rag Mag today. I can't remember the last time I did so, but the student doctor, in his scrubs, on the tube did a fine job with his patter and his collection bucket. The rag was that of the London and Barts Hospitals associated charities, and as both hospitals have a place in my life, it seemed reasonable to contribute.

The college rugby team used to go pulling on a Wednesday night at the London nurses home after our games. Those who were out of luck then ended up in one of the local Indians off the Whitechaple road eating chicken on the bone, as it was 50p cheaper. well we were students after all. Barts Hospital looked after my aged Uncle in his later years, when he was a resident of Charterhouse, in Smithfields.

The format of the mag has not changed a whole lot, loads of risque jokes, all very sexist, definitely non-PC and occasionally racist....I love it.

The only things missing from the Rag Mags of old were the letters of support from the Prime Minister, celebrity actors, or other dignitaries. Oh well,maybe next year......

The Fat Lady Sings

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:19:00 +0000

So farewell then Beryl Cook
Painter of ladies of grand proportions
She made her name in Plymouth
With images of The Dolphin Hotel
And left us with the feeling
We were all regulars at the bar

Dawn French was a fan
And Fur Coat hangs on my wall
Her exhibitions spanned 30 years
But her ladies never changed
Larger than life
With a smile to match
I wonder if the angels will pose?

After E J Thribb (171/2)

Fore!

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:07:00 +0000

I really do wonder why I am still working! I have just spent a very enjoyable week in the Scottish Borders playing golf, and, as with sex, when its good its very good, and when its bad its still pretty good.

I played Hillside just outside Birkdale prior to the tour, to get into the swing of it. Hillside is one of the top 100 courses in the UK and is a very stiff test for anyone who plays it. It took me a couple of holes to get going but all in all I was pleased with the performance.

With that experience behind me, I stepped onto the first tee at Brampton near Carlisle, looking forward to making a good attack on the Nixdorf Masters trophy, an event which I had been runner up on two previous occasions. The course was extremely hilly and we got a fair ribbing from the locals as we huffed and puffed our way around. The event is always played of three quarters of handicap, so for me receiving only 12 shots was a tough ask. I ended up with 31 Stapleford points which was effectively 1 over par so I was very pleased.

That pleasure turned to elation when I found out 31 was the winning score. A good start to the week.......

Next day we played a parkland course at Tolwoodley near Hawick. I battled round that at 1 over too, for 35 points but was pipped by a colleague with 38, but won my match in the Ailsa Craig Cup to keep the momentum going. We then had probably the worst curry I have ever tasted, in a tandoori place in Hawick, ugh!

Wednesday saw the tour move to The Roxburghe course in Kelso, a championship standard course for which Sergio Garcia holds the course record at 66. It was one fo those days when almost everything went right. I played the front 9 in 39 shots, 3 over par gross, and kept the momentum going for most of the back nine, but a few three putts and a couple of poor holes saw me finish with an 86, two under par, but enough to win the day.

Finally we played the Hawick course, another designed for mountain goats. There were four people in contention for the Top Gun trophy, and as I halved my match, all four of us went down the first again in a play-off. Unfortunately I got dumped out there, and with one other dropping out at the second it all went down to the third. Frank unfortunately hit two balls into the woods, so handing Mike his first title win.

The Ailsa Craig was halved at 8 all, so Frank and his team retained it,although I was more than happy with the stash I was able to take home.

Steve and I stopped at Sedburgh on the way back and played a tidy little 9 holer before arriving back in Scouse tired but refreshed.......now, where shall I go for the next trip?

And there is the unmistakable figure of Lester Piggott, or is it Joe Mercer?

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:44:00 +0000

Me and the missus went to the races yesterday. Well, it was called Knutsford races, but it was actually a point-to-point meeting in a field at the back of Tabley Hall. It was really quite good fun.

There were eight races in all, and most had between 8 and 15 runners. There were plenty of bookmakers around the place, as well as refreshment outlets and a few retailers selling the obligatory checked jackets, felt hats and designer wellies.

Loads of people were in no need of these, however, as they were well decked out in designer county wear. The car parks were full of Range Rovers, Land Rovers and other 4 x 4 gas guzzlers, each with a boot stashed with booze, barbecues and Belinda or Brian.

One poor child was wearing her pony club top, monogrammed with her name, Tabitha. Her mum was either a Bewitched fan, or thought a spot of magic had conjured young offspring from place or places unknown.

Point- to-Point has been a traditional add-on activity for the hunting and farming community for centuries and is used to keep the horses and riders in some sort of trim when the hounds are not active. Horses used to race cross country between 'flags', the points, taking any route they could to win the race to the finish, but these days the racing is on more conventional tracks, as with the meeting yesterday.

It is not unusual to get a fair bit of skulduggery at these meetings, and one odds-on favourite was placed nowhere yesterday, prompting a stewards enquiry. On the whole though it seemed to be good honest endeavour by a predominantly young set of riders. We had a couple of places, although most of the races went to form, so betting on the favourite had no value. That said a 25-1 outsider won the last.

Must put new designer wellies on my Christmas list ready for the meeting next year.

Bottoms Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:26:00 +0000

So the name dropping continues......

While walking along the Thames path at South Bank this morning I came upon MP Lembit Opik tonsil tickling his girlfriend, or possibly wife according to some reports, Gabriela Irimia, who is one half of the Cheeky Girls. It was all being capture on film.

Anybody interested? No I thought not.

You want how much?

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:45:00 +0000

I have got the hump, and it has been caused by an e-mail which I have just received from Oxfam, concerning their charity shop pricing.

Oxfam have just announced plans to open a 'designer' outlet in Chiswick, West London, a well to do suburb whos' residents can probably manage without second hand clobber. This is really the thrust of my gripe.

Their existing shop sells designer gear donated by well meaning residents like Ant and Dec, and the nearly new shop owner who gives them his can't shift stock. They price it fairly high.

I have been in a few times and tried to haggle and negotiate for items only to be told that the price is the price, so I always walk out empty handed.

So I thought I would e-mail Oxfam and explain to them that they get most of their goods for free and that they are after all, a second hand shop, why will the staff not allow price reductions?

What did they say? Well, they have an obligation to the people who donate the items, and the people the charity supports to get the best price for the items, and so the price you see is the price they want. Furthermore, it would stress the 'old dears' who man the shops as volunteers if they were under pressure to negotiate.

Well as far as the first point is concerned I am sure any price they get is better than junking the stuff, or selling it on e-bay, and the people who donate have no expectation on price, and with regard the second point, the battle axes in the Chiswick branch are more than capable of holding their own when faced with people looking for a bargain.

They then go on to say that if it does not sell they reduce the price, but move the items to a different outlet, Hounslow, Feltham or Bedfont no doubt.

Wake up Oxfam, you are a glorified car boot sale punter, start acting like one!!!

The perfect Ten....

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:14:00 +0000

This has no reference to events in Wigan on Sunday, but to the annual ten Tors expedition which has been running across Dartmoor this weekend. The route varies with age, but forces the participants to visit ten of the Tors on Dartmoor as indicated on their joining instructions.Teams consist of six people and the route has to be completed by 5pm on Sunday, with the participants spending the Saturday night on the moor. You may recall that last year the whole event had to be abandoned as the weather was so bad. Poor visibility, rain and wind contributed to the decision to evacuate 2,500 kids at short notice. The Armed Forces who police the event acted with military precision to complete the task with minimum trauma to the teams.

This years event had already been marred by the death of one girl earlier in the year while her team were practicing for the walk.

This weekends event, however, went much better. Most of the teams completed the course, and those that were removed from the route early were forced off by blisters or heat exhaustion, as the temperatures this year hit 80- degrees.

All six members of the team need to complete the course to ensure they all get a commemorative medal, and I can remember my pal Stu doing it while we were at school, and telling us stories of how they literally had to drag one of their team the last few miles to the finishing line in Oakhampton in order to get theirs.

So well done to those that completed the walk this year, and to the organisers and the military for sustaining the event into the future.

A week is a long time in politics

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:06:00 +0000

....and a long time not to post a blog entry, so whats been happening?

There have been a number of developments regarding previous stories in the last few days. Most significant has been the election of Boris 'The Spider' Johnson, as the new mayor of London. jolly good show I say as it removes Ken 'The Newt' Livingstone from office and removes the sleaze which allegedly followed him around in the London Assembly rooms.

Tomorrow is the start of my second year of Blog writing, so that means the house must have been on the market all that time, or near enough.We are not really any closer to selling, but there seem to be some new people dragged along by Foxtons to at least show a bit of activity.
I still can't work out the way the hit tracker works, it says 942 people have visited but I am sure it is not counting unique id's so will need to see how to sort that out....something for a quiet day at the office maybe?

There is no Clampitts tour this year, but SWMBO is off with some amigos loco to sunny Spain at the weekend, definitely lock up your husband time. I shall take advantage to play a few medal rounds of golf and make sure my handicap is still kosha. Next week is the IBM national golf tournament qualifier in Ilkley, then its off to the boarders in Scotland for a bit more Ailsa Craig trophy hunting. I must try not to win the Rabbit this year, which reminds me, I wonder where it is? As I was captain of the winning Moose Cup team in Portugal this year, I must be attracted to trophies associated with animals.

Well that's a brief summary of things past, I am just off to get the kids off the bouncy castle and cut all the trees down in the garden, you just can't be too careful these days can you?

Some like it hot

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:06:00 +0000

In discussions yesterday, I learnt of a little known conference which took place in New York during March. it was widely ignored by the British press, and politicians, one can only reason that it was because the findings were in direct conflict to the global warming containment measures which the government are putting so much emphasis on. Clearly CO2 emission control and other related measures are a big revenue earners, and anything which rocks the boat is seen as unhelpful. It is unfortunate that most people in Britain are being denied a balanced augment.

This is the matter as summarised in The Spectator by professor Philip Stott:

Why has the UK media, in pretty well all its forms, failed to report ‘The Manhattan Declaration on Climate Change’, signed in New York on March 4, 2008?” The meeting at which the ‘Declaration’ was agreed [‘The 2008 International Conference on Climate Change’, March 2 - March 4] was attended by over 500 people (scientists, economists, policy makers, etc.), with over 100 speakers delivering keynote addresses, or participating in panel discussions. Sadly, I think we know the answer, and it is one that reflects very badly on our supine UK media [the only exception of note appears to be The Sunday Telegraph, March 9: ‘Climate dissent grows hotter as chill deepens’]. If ever evidence were needed of the dangerous ‘control’ of our media by pernicious grand narratives, then this is surely it.

And the Manhattan Declaration itself? This is it:

‘Global warming’ is not a global crisis

We, the scientists and researchers in climate and related fields, economists, policymakers, and business leaders, assembled at Times Square, New York City, participating in the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change;

Resolving that scientific questions should be evaluated solely by the scientific method;

Affirming that global climate has always changed and always will, independent of the actions of humans, and that carbon dioxide (CO2) is not a pollutant but rather a necessity for all life;

Recognising that the causes and extent of recently observed climatic change are the subject of intense debates in the climate science community and that oft-repeated assertions of a supposed ‘consensus’ among climate experts are false;

Affirming that attempts by governments to legislate costly regulations on industry and individual citizens to encourage CO2 emission reduction will slow development while having no appreciable impact on the future trajectory of global climate change. Such policies will markedly diminish future prosperity and so reduce the ability of societies to adapt to inevitable climate change, thereby increasing, not decreasing, human suffering;

Noting that warmer weather is generally less harmful to life on Earth than colder:

Hereby declare:

That current plans to restrict anthropogenic CO2 emissions are a dangerous misallocation of intellectual capital and resources that should be dedicated to solving humanity's real and serious problems.

That there is no convincing evidence that CO2 emissions from modern industrial activity has in the past, is now, or will in the future cause catastrophic climate change.

That attempts by governments to inflict taxes and costly regulations on industry and individual citizens with the aim of reducing emissions of CO2 will pointlessly curtail the prosperity of the West and progress of developing nations without affecting climate.

That adaptation as needed is massively more cost-effective than any attempted mitigation and that a focus on such mitigation will divert the attention and resources of governments away from addressing the real problems of their peoples.

That human-caused climate change is not a global crisis.

Now, therefore, we recommend -

That world leaders reject the views expressed by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as well as popular, but misguided works such as An Inconvenient Truth.

That all taxes, regulations, and other interventions intended to reduce emissions of CO2 be abandoned forthwith.

Agreed at New York, 4 March 2008.

500 scientists, economists, policymakers and business leaders, eh? Bang goes that consensus!

Symphony for the Devil

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:55:00 +0000

Well the house position continues to be less than desirable, so i have taken the decision to move agents again, and have effectively sold my soul to the estate agent that is Foxtons.
Foxtons have a reputation for hard selling, and hard drinking, so lets hope the first will lead to celebrations involving the second. They have also suffered from bad press associated with some of their selling tactics, and were in dispute with one of the ex-Blue peter presenters over management fees for a flat she rented out.

All I know is that they are reputed to get the highest price possible for the properties they handle, and will hopefully tap into a market which has so far eluded Haarts and Hamptons ( Too many aitches there shurely....ed).

In the meantime we have started to view a few flats as we monitor whether the prices of these is falling. Chiswick Village is an area which has an abundance of property for sale. of its four 1930s red brick blocks, three border either the underground or overground, so we are favouring the fourth block which does not. There are 280 flats in all, so I am wary of substandard communal heating, higher than average service charges and the overall internal decor. I am currently canvasing on the local Chiswick web site to see if I can gain any intelligence.

Another of the blocks we were considering has just been identified with asbestos infestation, and each tenant has been handed a one-off bill for £25,000 for decontamination. i think we will give that one a miss for the moment.

So the search goes on, but first and foremost we need a buyer for SC. That said, it is a double rollover tomorrow!!

Window on my world

noreply@blogger.com (Simon Weathers) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:02:00 +0000

In August of last year, I was extolling the virtues of having a shed, but was disappointed that mine did not have a window. Well on Sunday I sorted that problem.

The side wall of the structure was suffering a bit from the battering it takes form the prevailing wind. It sweeps in off the Irish Sea and down the Dee Estuary and batters us most of the year. Indeed, the house could be called 'Wind House' rather than 'Hill House' such are the number of days one can sit comfortably in the garden.

So, rather than replace the timbers, I thought I would fix a plastic sheet in a DIY window frame. It all went well and I now am able to find tools and other artifacts without rooting around in the semi-darkness, with the light of the door to assist me.

Now like all projects I take on at home, one job inevitably led to three others, I wonder if there is a law to cover this? Anyway, I cleared out about three black sacks worth of rubbish so can now see the workbench and have sufficient storage space to get me through the coming months. I really must get that old battered armchair and a sky dish, then I will be made up!!