When I got up in the morning I found out she'd by crying all night...
Sunday, January 11. 2009
Landy for scrap?
After a broken cylinder head, loads of simple work and now a pool of frozen water on the inside, I walked away from the landy last night, give it a kick on the flat tyre and said that it old girl your for the scrap heap.
When I got up in the morning I found out she'd by crying all night...
When I got up in the morning I found out she'd by crying all night...
Monday, January 5. 2009
Tories are all in a muddle
re: the bbc's story about the Tories latest change of heart.
Adrian Hollister is annoyed with the latest Tory tosh. If you read the bbc's article on the latest Tory statement it makes great comic reading and just shows how much the Tories are prepared to make it up to grab a headline or two. Take a couple of snippits for example...
"Mr Cameron says he would scrap taxes on basic rate taxpayers' savings and would increase the level of non-taxable income for pensioners by £2,000 a year." For this read: The Tories want to ensure that all retired people vote Tory. This is perhaps in keeping with the demographics of the Tory party - being mostly retired and stuck firmly in the past.
"The Tories have said the tax cuts will be fully funded, paid for by lower public spending." For this read: We want to take away public services - perhaps bus services, health services, social services - who knows, but it will be something. Remember what happened under Margaret Thatcher - "she made us financially richer but socially poorer". Something that as a society we are still paying for today.
Then some classic Tory tosh...
"Our vision is a good future is of a less materialistic country" - err your the globalisation and consumerism party are you not?
"a contributor society not a consumer society" - I don't see the rich kids in the Tory party giving away their time and money to society do you? I wonder if they think this only applies to the 'common people'?
"Mr Cameron also announced plans for a review of broadband services" - review all you like, how about taking actions?
The last word goes to Yvette Cooper, chief secretary to the Treasury, who summaries it well:
"David Cameron talks about the 1970s. The truth is the Conservatives are returning to the worst of Thatcherism in the early eighties with no support for jobs or the economy and cuts in public services as well."
Adrian Hollister is annoyed with the latest Tory tosh. If you read the bbc's article on the latest Tory statement it makes great comic reading and just shows how much the Tories are prepared to make it up to grab a headline or two. Take a couple of snippits for example...
"Mr Cameron says he would scrap taxes on basic rate taxpayers' savings and would increase the level of non-taxable income for pensioners by £2,000 a year." For this read: The Tories want to ensure that all retired people vote Tory. This is perhaps in keeping with the demographics of the Tory party - being mostly retired and stuck firmly in the past.
"The Tories have said the tax cuts will be fully funded, paid for by lower public spending." For this read: We want to take away public services - perhaps bus services, health services, social services - who knows, but it will be something. Remember what happened under Margaret Thatcher - "she made us financially richer but socially poorer". Something that as a society we are still paying for today.
Then some classic Tory tosh...
"Our vision is a good future is of a less materialistic country" - err your the globalisation and consumerism party are you not?
"a contributor society not a consumer society" - I don't see the rich kids in the Tory party giving away their time and money to society do you? I wonder if they think this only applies to the 'common people'?
"Mr Cameron also announced plans for a review of broadband services" - review all you like, how about taking actions?
The last word goes to Yvette Cooper, chief secretary to the Treasury, who summaries it well:
"David Cameron talks about the 1970s. The truth is the Conservatives are returning to the worst of Thatcherism in the early eighties with no support for jobs or the economy and cuts in public services as well."
Sunday, January 4. 2009
A Nag's Tale
I do enjoy a good walk with the dog's, so much so that the traditional greeting is "Adrian Hollister, ah yes I've seen you walking your dogs" followed by "don't you also do Green things?". Helpfully there are more tracks paths and fields around Chaddleworth than anywhere I know. All of them lead to green fields, stunning views and past some wonderful odd things too - the bridge over the duck pond, the beach lined lanes in the middle of no where, and some great living art sculptures.
My walks are usually 3-4 hours though so finding somewhere that I will enjoy and the dog's will be happy with can be quite difficult. I've done trips to Ilsley, Farnborough, Great Shefford as well as trips along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Newbury to Great Bedwyn (and back via train!).
All have been unplanned and some have ended in 6-8 hour journeys! I was given the AA 1001 Walks in Britain book for Christmas and scanned it for anything in my area. As it happens walk 194 is in Chaddleworth and 193 is in Farnborough - two areas I walk regularly. Both taking routes that I'd not tried before. This week I tried the 194 walk from Chaddleworth to the abandoned medieval village of Whatcombe and back.
Knowing the area I could expand upon the walk slightly and took the route via the edge of Spray Wood, back to the Church and then down to Manor Farm. The hill from Manor Farm to the A338 seems steeper than the 90m climb suggests but the views are stunning. Crossing the A338 and heading past Whatcome Stud there is another 100m climb to the top of Kite hill. It's then downhill past Henley farm on the return leg. The last hill is another 100m climb via a restricted byway to the edge of Chaddleworth. As a last variation to the guide I headed past the stud and across the fields to give the dogs one final good run.
All in all a good three hour walk and a great guide. I'll try Farnborough next weekend - it's a longer distance but only 50m climbs.
My walks are usually 3-4 hours though so finding somewhere that I will enjoy and the dog's will be happy with can be quite difficult. I've done trips to Ilsley, Farnborough, Great Shefford as well as trips along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Newbury to Great Bedwyn (and back via train!).
All have been unplanned and some have ended in 6-8 hour journeys! I was given the AA 1001 Walks in Britain book for Christmas and scanned it for anything in my area. As it happens walk 194 is in Chaddleworth and 193 is in Farnborough - two areas I walk regularly. Both taking routes that I'd not tried before. This week I tried the 194 walk from Chaddleworth to the abandoned medieval village of Whatcombe and back.
Knowing the area I could expand upon the walk slightly and took the route via the edge of Spray Wood, back to the Church and then down to Manor Farm. The hill from Manor Farm to the A338 seems steeper than the 90m climb suggests but the views are stunning. Crossing the A338 and heading past Whatcome Stud there is another 100m climb to the top of Kite hill. It's then downhill past Henley farm on the return leg. The last hill is another 100m climb via a restricted byway to the edge of Chaddleworth. As a last variation to the guide I headed past the stud and across the fields to give the dogs one final good run.
All in all a good three hour walk and a great guide. I'll try Farnborough next weekend - it's a longer distance but only 50m climbs.
