Life With Woodpecker

Arthritis and Me

2011-08-11T11:57:00.000+01:00

I am very slow to get going this morning after another very unsettled night. I had half a sleeping tablet and actually fell asleep while watching a wildlife programme we had recorded earlier. I awoke to find myself alone, the TV switched off, the light dimmed and myself covered over with a blanket (thanks to my nearest and dearest).

My first thought upon rousing from this slumber was that I had enjoyed a nice long sleep and it was probably approaching a time when people would be getting up to start their day. This thought was so far from the truth as I found out when I glanced over to the time display on the DVD recorder which informed me that it was not yet even midnight. I must admit to feeling somewhat disappointed at this revelation.

The night was set to continue as one of those that I experience so often now, a repeating cycle of drifting off to sleep only to be awakened a short time after. The arthritis is the enemy in my battle to sleep, sending forth soldiers of vengeance each time it discovers that I have laxed and let my defences down.

I feel loathed to move and so rearrange myself on the reclining chair on which I have fallen asleep and soon I have drifted again into that (drug induced) state. But not for long, the daggers in my back have woken me again.

I decide to go upstairs to bed and see how well I can fare on the memory foam mattress, the very expensive memory foam mattress, that has not been the success I had hoped for when we bought it. I lie at full stretch on my back and instantly feel the dull aching of my lower back and hips and so begins the struggle to find a position where all my inner bits are lined up in a way that does not agitate the nerves at the point where they branch out from my spinal column. This is not easy, and I am mindful not to make so much disturbance as to awaken my other half who appears to be soundly asleep.

The cycle of sleeping and waking continues but I am determined not to give in and constantly move and turn into whatever position seems necessary to gain each further moment of sleep.

At 5.00am I wake up and the pain is at a higher level now in my hips and back. From years of experience I know that this due to the very act of lying in bed and so it is time to get up, I am desperate too, for my pain killers. I wear an analgesic patch which leaches a continuous supply of pain relieving drugs into my system, but that in itself is not effective enough to kill the pain. So I take my first dose of Tramadol and Paracetamol, this will hopefully ease things off to some degree within an hour.

I make myself comfortable on the sofa, have a cup of tea and catch up with the news on Teletext and I have drifted off again, this time I am sure it is for a full hour, Wow.

Sometime later I stand in the bathroom having had a wash and brushed my teeth, I realise I feel good, no pain, maybe this is going to be a good day after all. I move away from the sink and that invisible hand starts to squeeze the bones at the base of my spine, sending tendrils of pain across my lower back, invading my hips, shooting down the nerves that extend the length of my legs to even irritate the sides of my big toes.

And so the day begins!!

The Flying Ants a Feast for the Birds

2011-08-07T20:50:00.000+01:00

Last week we witnessed a phenomenon that occurs here in the UK during late July and early August. It provides a feast for the birds and can be quite spectacular. I refer to the Flight of the Flying Ants.

Flying Ants

The high humidity we experienced for a few days was the trigger needed to begin mass swarming of the ants as these tiny insects monitor the day length, humidity and temperature to pick just one day a year to mate.

The natural instinct of the ant is to spread and form new colonies and with this aim the queens fly high into the air before mating with the males. Another marvel of nature and evolution is at work here because only the strongest and fittest males will manage to keep up with the females. The offspring of different colonies will come together thus blending the genes of the species and ensuring its survival.

I have read that the ants all co-ordinate leaving their nests on the same day once a year, but I find this statement to be very misleading. I do agree that a whole colony and indeed many neighbouring colonies will co-ordinate their flight to occur on the same day. However this flying of the ants will be witnessed on many days on which the conditions prove to be suitable.

Feast for the Birds

The first sign that alerted me to this event taking place on Monday of last week, if my memory serves me correctly, was the antics of the local Starling population. They were darting into the air from the conifer, pausing briefly in mid air, performing a pirouette, then returning to their place on the tree branch. It was marvellous entertainment, a bird brained ballet at its finest. Starlings young and old alike were taking full advantage of this natural feast.

I then saw as I looked up and down the neighbouring gardens that the sky was filled with birds. Starlings and House Sparrows were busily collecting the winged morsels everywhere and House Martins swooped endlessly in an effort to catch as many as they could. The flying feast comes at a time when the House Martins need to eat as much as they can, they are building up fat reserves in readiness for the long migration to Africa which they will shortly be undertaking.

But the biggest jaw dropping spectacle, were the Gulls. There were literary hundreds of them, ranging from those flying low down above the rooftops to the countless number that spiralled skywards, rising up and up in ever decreasing circles until barely visible, just mere specs against the backdrop of the sky.

And we live nowhere near to the sea.

Wordless Wings on Wednesday | Canada Geese

2011-06-15T20:33:00.000+01:00

Life With Woodpecker

2011-05-04T20:36:00.001+01:00

Mrs W and I visited Longton Park today to try out my new mobility scooter. Yes, I have taken the plunge and dug deep into my pockets in an effort to become more mobile and get myself out of the house. Walking has become increasingly more difficult and painful for me.

The afternoon was bright and sunny once more and the wind that has been quite strong during the last few days has abated somewhat. I must admit, it was good to be out and about again enjoying the air, the sunshine and the wildlife.

As we entered the park we saw Blackbirds and a number of Song and Mistle Thrushes hopping about on the grass, while Dunnocks and a lone Robin were busy scratching around beneath the shrubs. A Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over us and landed on the trunk of a tree immediately disappearing from view.

We approached the top lake and saw a Grey Heron standing motionless in the margins of the water then as if on cue it stabbed that lethal beak into the water and brought out a fish. A few shakes of the head re-positioned the poor wriggling fish then it was swallowed whole. The Heron dipped once more into the water, this time to give its beak and face a quick wash then with a couple of wing beats flew to the shore to rest in the sunshine.

A pair of Mallard had a family of ducklings on the top lake while on the bottom lake amongst the many coloured variations of ducks and geese, a lone Coot tended a group of tiny youngsters.

What else did we see? Crows, Wood Pigeons, a single Magpie, Chaffinch and plenty of Grey Squirrels.

The scooter? it was fine. It's just the mental thing about having to depend on a battery driven truck to get me around, but at least it will get me out and about again. So hopefully, there will be more of Life With Woodpecker.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T17:26:00.001Z

A Merry Christmas to all

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T11:19:00.000Z

Black Swans breed in England

2010-11-14T20:02:00.001Z

Although a native species of Australia and not listed as a British wild bird, I can report that Black Swans now breed in England.

A pair of these Black swans have been resident on the JCB lakes in Rocester, but not having been down there for a while I had something of a surprise to see them yesterday with three cygnets. These cute balls of fluff are not very old and I am worried that they may not survive the cold weather that is upon us. It is much too late for birds to be breeding in this country.

The Black Swan is the State bird of Western Australia and we have seen them in the parks out there during our 2 visits to Perth. In Australia they were breeding while we were there during the month of October, but of course in the southern hemisphere that is spring time and much more conducive to raising a family.

Hi Ho Hi Ho | It's Off To Work I Go

2010-05-26T20:17:00.003+01:00

If you read my previous post (Hands of Time) you may recall that I had left school and my father had very kindly on my behalf arranged an interview for a labourers job. It was Easter time and the year was 1966. I was to meet my dad as he finished work then he would drive me down to the place where I was to go for this job.

While still at school, I had actually gone through the application process for three apprenticeships, all successful actually, though I chose to accept the offer from British Rail. The job I was now going for was to fill the gap between me leaving school at Easter and September when the apprenticeship would begin.

Applying for the engineering apprentice positions involved initial interviews, theory exams, practical tests, medicals and final selection interviews. When attending the interview phase it was necessary to project the right image and being of smart appearance was considered essential. Best bib and tucker was definitely the order of the day.

At 5 o'clock I was there as agreed, waiting outside of my my dad's work for him to appear through the factory gate.
"Why are you wearing your school uniform?" he said as he saw me, dressed in grey trousers, black blazer, white shirt and tie.

"Because I'm going for an interview" I replied somewhat perplexed.

"It's a labourers job on a factory, you don't need to get dressed up for that" he said with something of a smirk on his face.

Ten minutes later I was speaking to a woman through a small hatchway, telling her that I had an appointment for an interview.

"You've come for the job 'ave you Duck, here fill this in while you wait." she said as she handed me a form and a pen.

I completed my name, address and date of birth, ignoring the section at the bottom marked "For office use only." I turned the paper over but the reverse of the paper was blank, I looked around to see if I had perhaps dropped another sheet on the floor, but this appeared to be all there was. The woman's head suddenly thrust itself through the hatch and said "Just go through that door there Duck." then recoiled back like a Cuckoo in a clock.

I approached the door that the Cuckoo had indicated and very gingerly knocked on the door. Nothing seemed to happen and I could hear no sound coming from within then suddenly the door was yanked open making me jump and gasp in surprise.

"Ah, there you are" said a voice belonging to the body that now filled the doorway, "thought for a minute you'd gone." He beckoned me into his office telling me to take a seat as he seated himself down behind the large wooden desk. He now looked me up and down as though not sure what to make of my appearance.

"Have you come for the labourers job? he asked.

"Yes sir." I replied.

"Are you still at school?"

"No, I left last week sir."

"Then why the bloody hell are you wearing your school uniform?" I am sure he wanted to say but refrained from actually doing so.

He glanced at the form I had handed to him then looked up saying "It says here you live in Alsager, how will you get here for 8 o'clock every morning?"

"My dad works in Tunstall and he will drop me off here each morning at about 7.45 which will give him time to get to work himself in Tunstall at 8.00." I answered confidently.

"We work 8.00 'till 5.00 with one hour for lunch. You'll get £4 10s (that is £4 and 10 shillings £4.50 in today's money) a week."
"Any questions?"

"Err no sir."

"Right then, you start tomorrow, report to reception 7.45 sharp."

And that was it. My first job. Interview done and dusted in five minutes flat. I must say the jobs market was so different back then, there were more jobs than there were people to fill them, especially unskilled jobs. I would meet lads who simply went from job to job chasing the best pay. My school uniform was never worn again and the following day I started work for real.

Although I had hated school, I soon realised that working for a living was going to be no picnic. On the dot of 8 o'clock I started work, there was no slacking and I could not take a note from me mum to excuse me lifting anything heavy because my arms still ached from the day before.

The business where I had this job was called Permaflex, they manufactured small ampules of lighter fluid used for filling cigarette lighters. Gas lighters had yet to be invented and people used petrol lighters similar to the well known "Zippo" consisting of a reservoir into which one poured the lighter fuel. The ampules contained enough fluid for a single filling.

My job was to stick labels onto tins, pack trays of the ampules into the tins, package them in cardboard boxes which I had to construct then prepare the boxes for dispatch. I had a table at one end of the warehouse and fetched and carried, stuck and packed for eight hours a day, five days a week. It was hot, heavy and very, very boring, it was not however the worst job I ever had in my working life.

If any of you reading this have ever heard of Permaflex based at Trubshaw Cross in Stoke-on-Trent, you may recall that the building caught fire and was burnt to the ground. But no, that was nothing to do with me, that was many years after I had worked there.

One of the songs I remember from that hot long summer of 1966 is Simon and Garfunkel's Homeward Bound. All day long I would be looking forward to being homeward bound myself. While stood at that bench filling a seemingly endless stack of tins I learned to switch off and escape into my mind, to think of things I would much rather do and places where I would much rather be.

Oh and I had a little insight into the world of merchandising and business. We supplied many different brands of lighter fuels, some very well known brand names of the time, but the only difference was the label on the tin, the contents were the same.

Hands of Time

2010-05-18T18:34:00.001+01:00

Someone surely has speeded up the Hands of Time, replaced the batteries in the world clock, making the fingers hurry around the dial ever faster. Perhaps our lonely planet has been influenced by a passing comet, causing it to spin more quickly around it's precarious axis.

Whatever the reason, time is going so fast, much faster than it used to pass by. Or is it simply an illusion, merely one of the effects of my getting older. Do you wonder at the fact that we are now midway through May 2010, it seems like only yesterday that we welcomed in the New year (well actually Mrs Pecker and I did not enjoy that celebration - see this post January).

When I think about this passage of time, as I often do, I see the image of a schoolboy dressed in a drab uniform complete with short trousers and knobbly knees, and that was senior school. This boy could not wait for the day that he would finally be able to leave Alsager Secondary Modern. Yes of course that boy was me, I hated that school, hated it with a passion, hated every last thing about it. I always felt that the day when I would walk across the stage to shake the hand of the headmaster and receive my bible and school report would never come, it always seemed to be so far away as to be unreachable.

Then one day, arrive it did, I could finally leave that school behind and go out into that big wide world out there. No more having to be at school on time, being told what to do, answer for my every action, obey the teachers, Oh what a shock I was in for.

I left school at the Easter holiday of 1966, no exams in those days at a secondary modern school unless you applied to stay on for an extra year. You simply left and went on to an unskilled job, an apprenticeship or very rarely to a full time college course. Jobs were plentiful, dole or handouts of any kind for a school leaver were not an option.

By the time I left school I had already been signed up to an apprenticeship with British Rail Engineering at the locomotive works based in Crewe. This appointment which was for a duration of five years (but therein lies another story) was due to begin in the September of that year, however because of my previously mentioned hatred of school I took up the option of leaving at Easter. I needed to get out as quickly as I could, not wanting to stay a moment longer than I could get away with.

And so it was that on the day before Good Friday 1966, I bid my school a last farewell and I looked forward to a long enjoyable lazy summer.

As my dad returned home from work on the Tuesday following that Easter weekend, he informed me that I had an interview for a labourers job the following day. I was to catch the bus to Tunstall where I would meet him as he finished work, then he would take me to Permaflex at Trubshaw Cross. I needed a job he said to fill the gap between now and September.

I was certainly out of the frying pan but I was headed most definitely for the fire.

Short Term Car Insurance.

2010-05-13T21:05:00.000+01:00

Short Term Car Insurance. Insure your car for up to 28 days with Aviva UK it said. Great way to add a temporary driver to your vehicle. There were also plenty of other companies offering the same product - it seems to be getting rather popular.

Search for short term car insurance on Google and it returns About 3,500,000 results.

Some examples of the descriptions on Googles results page:

"At Day Insure, we provide a range of temporary insurance policies; whether you need to cover a car for a day, or need a van for short term use."

"A short term car insurance policy is extremely useful for you and your loved ones' protection in these temporary situations."

"However, this short term insurance style has come back with some force and it has saved many people substantial amounts of money."

Here is some of the blurb I found on one site;

How does short term car insurance work?
Adding someone to your existing car insurance policy, such as a visiting friend or relative, can be risky because they could wipe out your no-claims bonus. However, by setting up a short term policy, whether it is monthly car insurance or daily car insurance, they can legally drive your vehicle without putting your discount at risk.

Why would you need short term car insurance?
Short term car insurance is ideal for a number of people including:

Those hiring a car or borrowing a friend's vehicle.
Temporary additional drivers, which could include overseas visitors.
Those lending a car to a friend or relative.
Drivers who have just bought a new car and need cover as soon as they drive away from the dealership, but who haven't yet had chance to sort out an annual policy.

So why would this be of interest to me, I hear you ask. Well my brother-in-law and his wife are coming over from Australia shortly and I thought it would be a good idea to let them have the use of our car during their stay of 3 weeks. We do at the moment have a second car so the one we would be lending them is a 1998 Ford Estate worth less than £2000.

Now keep in mind the snippets of the text that I have quoted above.

The quote for 3 weeks cover was

£467.10 with an excess of £500

Looks like they'll be using the bike.

Mother in Law continued or One in the eye for MIL

2010-05-11T19:15:00.002+01:00

Well things did not go as expected regarding Mil's visit to the Manchester Eye Hospital that I was telling you about in this mornings post Five hours in total she was there with Su and Si and came away without having it done. So far I have only heard a brief version of what happened.

Apparently the visit got off to a bad start when they said they had no record of an appointment and so were not even expecting her. She was however seen by the surgeon at some point and underwent a procedure whereby they inject the eye in order to examine the retina. The news was not good, she has two places where the retina has become detached which will need surgery to effect a repair with no guarantee that it will be successful.

She is now on the list but they could not give any indication as to when she will be recalled, tomorrow, next week, next month they could not say. Just go home and wait.

Surgeons, doctors, hospitals, medical staff may all do an excellent job technically, they can save lives, sew back severed limbs, perform all sorts of miracles but often they or the system is so removed from the emotional side of humanity.

Mil is a woman of 84 years of age. She was sick with worry this morning, anxious about the 90 minute journey to a strange hospital away from her home, away from her comfort zone. She was upset to think she was having to rely on others, her son and his wife to drive her to Manchester, myself and Mrs P to take their children to school (no I could not make that journey at that time of a morning because of my own problems) then friends to look after them after school if they are not back.

Now she has to do it all again, at a time and date as yet unknown.

Mrs P spoke to her just a short while ago, she says she is not going to have it done, she cannot face that ordeal again.

Mil is 84 years of age, is British has lived and worked in this country all of her life.

The School Run | The Mother in Law | Manchester Eye Hospital

2010-05-11T10:11:00.000+01:00

This is unusual, 9.30 and only on my second cuppa, no breakfast yet either. The reason - we've just done the school run, not a normal activity for myself and Mrs P these days. We had set out allowing plenty of time, with two schools to go to, on routes we had not travelled before at this time in the morning.

Everything went without a hitch though, no great hold ups and we even had to sit outside the second school for 25 minutes before the youngest nephew could go in to join his mates who had by then started to trickle into the school yard. All schools around here seem to have different start times.

So, why were we doing the school run? Well the answer lies with the dearest Mother-in-law ( Mil ). She has to be at the Manchester eye hospital at 9.00 this morning. Hopefully the magical genius of the eye surgeon will restore the lost vision in her eye, caused they are 99% certain, by a dislodged retina.

Poor Mil started to have loss of peripheral vision and floating black spots appearing before her eyes a few weeks back. She was quickly referred to a neurology specialist at our local hospital who then referred her to a specialist optician. Unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps) before she had received an appointment, her vision in that one eye went completely, that was at the end of last week.

I must say that once this happened they didn't hang about, she was seen the very next day by a doctor at the hospital and arrangements confirmed for the procedure to hopefully correct this detached retina be done today.

Of course as good as this response to the problem was you are then left with the task getting into Manchester at 9.00am prompt.

Robbie Williams | Reality Killed The Video Star

2010-02-22T20:57:00.000Z

My latest CD/Album of the moment has to be Robbie Williams' "Reality Killed The Video Star" and I make it my selection for #musicmonday this week.

I must admit to falling out of favour with Robbie since he did the "Swing when Your Winning" album, swing being one of the few genres of music that I do not like. Following that collection of critically acclaimed old time favourites, he seemed to dissapear into the wilderness for a while. His latest music however has resulted in that unmistakeable voice of his sounding once more in my lug-holes.

Robert Williams was born and raised in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, within a few miles of where I have lived all my life. I also worked for a period of around fifteen years in his home town of Tunstall where everyone seemed to have some connection to the Williams family. They knew him, grew up with him, knew his mum or lived next door to someone who's sisters uncles girlfriends dog was once boarded in the kennel next to his mothers aunties dog. He, Robbie that is not the dog, was never fortunate enough to know me personally.

I can't say I was ever a fan of the original Take That but from the minute that Robbie Williams launched his solo career I sensed a completely different style of music emerge from him. I was instantly hooked, not particularly on Robbie the man but definitely on Robbie the musician and performer.

His first three albums "Life thru a Lens" "Millennium" and then "I've Been Expecting You" each made their way onto my all time favourites list. I enjoyed the brilliance of "Angels" long before it became a hit and was universally loved by so many.

But what about "Reality Killed The Video Star." This I feel marks a return to the Robbie Williams sound that I first enjoyed. I believe the album was mostly written in Robbie's home studio and he collaborated with a number of songwriters to produce the tracks. In my opinion the time spent producing this piece of work was time very well spent, it contains all the old Robbie Williams magic.

Reality Killed The Video Star - Tracks:
Morning Sun
Bodies
You Know Me
Blasphemy
Do You Mind
Last Days Of Disco
Somewhere
Deceptacon
Starstruck
Difficult For Weirdos
Won't Do That
Superblind
Morning Sun (Reprise)

Released in November 2009, "Reality Killed The Video Star" is easily obtained on CD or on download. I have also played tracks from the album on my Blip.fm station.
Have a listen now by following this link http://blip.fm/woodpecker50

Snow Again

2010-02-21T19:54:00.000Z

I could hardly believe my eyes this morning as I peered through the curtains - Snow Again.

Most years a fall of snow would be a once-a-year event, this year it's becoming normal. Is this what we will come to expect in our winters. Are the changes to our weather pattern all a result of global warming, or is it simply a natural cycle of change.

I look out the window and I see very little activity, throughout the day very few people seem to walk up or down the street. The snow fails now to bring the children out of doors, at least around here. I cannot see anyone enjoying snowball fights or building snowmen, I am sure if I was young and fit I would have been out there today. As it is the day has been spent inside the house again, passing away the time wishing that the wintry weather would come to an end.

Snow for a Change | Weather Forecast | Staffordshire England

2010-02-19T08:56:00.002Z

We have not had any snow for a few days, apart from odd little flurries that failed to stick, until last night that is. Tucked away from the world inside our house cosy and warm, I was quite surprised to look through the window before going to bed to discover that it had been snowing. It was in fact still snowing, quite big fluffy flakes of snow and already it had laid a blanket on the ground. I quickly closed the curtains and shut it out, enjoying instead the feeling of warmth and comfort from being inside our snug little house.

The snow continued through the night. I am often awake throughout the night and sometimes unable to lie in bed, last night was one such night, so I did continue to sneak a peak through the window. Luckily we did not suffer a plummeting thermometer and so the snow failed to build up to any significant depth. As the morning progressed towards dawn, a very fine rain took over and the snow in places began to melt away.

As the daylight established the true start of morning, I could see the blackbirds waiting on the fence and in the Pear tree. Snow covered the back garden completely save for odd looking rings of bare earth around some of the plant pots and the birds maybe felt they would sink into the snow if they landed onto the herb garden where the mealworms are put out for them.

After feeding the birds and adding some warm water to the bird bath, for I had noticed that although not frozen solid the contents resembled a huge slush puppy, I decided to switch on my connection to the internet and see what weather was in store for us.

I think I'll just keep the curtains drawn !!

Koalas | wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T19:36:00.000Z

Blip.fm | Music monday

2010-02-15T19:15:00.001Z

I have recently signed up to Blip.fm a fun and social way to share music. One of the cool things about it that I like so much is the ability to link blips to your Twitter account.

A “blip” on Blip.fm is a way to share a song and with the option of adding a short message under 150 characters, like a tweet in Twitter. If you have linked your Blip.fm account to your Twitter account then the blip appears in your Twitter time line along with a link to the music. (There is also the option to connect with a Facebook account).

In "account settings" you can choose whether you want the links active or not. This is great if you are trying out songs or modifying your playlists and do not wish blips to show up in your Twitter updates.

With Blip.fm you become a DJ playing the music of your choice. You can also create your own playlist and listen to other user’s playlists as well. This is a great way to discover new music or perhaps be reminded of some of the songs you liked in the past. Discover other DJ's and add them to a list of favourites, keep blipping music and people who like what you play will choose to follow you.

Oh and by the way, it is totally free.

Blip.fm is simply another social networking tool with the emphasis on music, bringing together people who share the same tastes.

To sign up to blip.fm (quick,easy and safe) go to Blip.fm

If you would like to visit me on Blip you will find my station here; http://blip.fm/invite/woodpecker50

You can find me on twitter here; http://twitter.com/Woodpecker50

Poetry corner

2010-02-09T18:30:00.001Z

The boy stood on the burning deck,
His body all a-quiver.
He gave a cough,
His leg fell off,
And floated down the river

A streaker running through the park,
had buttocks like a peach.
Two old ladies had a stroke,
the third one could not reach.

Mumford & Sons | Music Monday

2010-02-08T17:11:00.000Z

I was watching Bargain Hunt at lunch time, this being my normal lunchtime activity if at home, when I noticed that the background music of the programme was that of Mumford and Sons. I decided to make the Mumford and Sons album "Sigh no More" the object of today's Music Monday selection.

Music Monday:
Music monday ( hashtag #musicmonday ) is a term given to a favourite trending topic featuring on the social networking site, Twitter. Those of you who are already a part of the Twitter community can find me on Twitter here; @woodpecker50 ). If you want to join twitter then visit the website and you are able to join in a matter of seconds. all you need to submit is a user name, password and email address.

Blip fm:
I have also recently joined Blip.fm, this is a free to join online radio station where you play the songs of your choice. You can then invite others to listen in to your songs or playlists if you so wish. I have only just started on Blip but it does seem OK and easy to use. There also seems to be a vast choice of music on there to listen to. Here is the link to my station - http://blip.fm/woodpecker50

Back to Mumford and Sons:
It was Christmas morning (2009) when I was first introduced to Mumford and Sons by daughter "P" who had been given the CD as a gift. She played it for me, being sure that I would like it and she was indeed correct. I immediately thought of them as being an Irish folk band, musically accomplished, performing a music rich in melody yet played with passion and vitality. The vocals were filled with close harmony, at times soft and gentle, then raw and rugged.

I was surprised to discover that far from being Irish they are in fact 4 young men in their twenties from West London. The genre of their music is loosely defined as folk rock whereas their individual backgrounds embrace jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk and rock.

They are a band of four vocalists, three guitar players, two drummers, a pianist, an organist and a bass player, while the banjo, dobro and mandolin are often thrown into the mix for good measure.

Needless to say I was soon out buying the CD for myself and have been playing it often ever since. Today I have featured on Blip.fm, four of what are possibly my favourite tracks off the album. Have a listen and see if you agree. The album is available on CD from all the usual outlets or for download.

January

2010-01-30T12:53:00.001Z

Dear friends, followers, bloggers, Twitters and Twits, please forgive me, for I have sinned. It has been 17 days since my last blogpost and that was to be honest a rather insignificant effort and the only one since I wished you all a Happy New Year. Tomorrow we see the end of January, one month already gone.

Blogging experts would no doubt give me very low marks for not posting regular updates, for not keeping my readers informed and for a general lack of content. I would be voted off "Celebrity come Blogging."

In my defence I would maintain there is little point in publishing posts when words of any significance elude me and meaningful discourse fails to form in the inner depths of my mind. I have in fact made many attempts and laboured in vain for hours in a fruitless endeavour to produce a string of words that could be in some small degree entertaining or at the very least be of some interest to my readers. Alas the more I tried, the less productive were my efforts. Page after page of scribble rewritten over and over again were consigned to the re-cycle bin.

This condition I am certain is very much to do with a state of mind, and the state of my mind recently has been in a very poor state indeed. That I am also certain is linked to ones physical state, the physical well being of a person being a factor where this temporary mental impairment exists.

This state of mind goes back I believe to the first day of January, to the very start of the New Year. Big Ben signalled the beginning of 2010, fireworks exploded in the sky, people kissed and Auld Lang Syne was sung throughout the land. I turned to Mrs Pecker saying "Happy New Year," she echoed the greeting then we both settled back in bed to go to sleep. We had been struck down with the Winter colds so many have suffered from recently. Not like normal colds, they have differing symptoms and seem to keep coming back.

Then of course there was the snow, great to look at initially with magical landscapes, but bringing chaos throughout the land. With my unfortunate disabilities that make walking difficult at the best of times, I became a prisoner in my own home. Knowing that I could not venture outside onto the treacherous footpaths made me want to go out all the more, that of course is human nature. The television people became totally obsessed with showing us repeatedly over and over again scenes of the snow until we were sick of seeing it. It also highlighted more than ever this new phenomenon of the outside news correspondents who are sent all over the country to report on every single news event. Why do they have to be there? How much does it cost to have so many people reporting live on camera from so many places?

"Look over there Mummy, look at that enormous snowman."

"That's not a snowman dear, that is a TV reporter with a large red nose."

We have also endured an unusually prolonged and severe spell of cold weather from December 2009 into January in addition to the recent widespread snow. Road gritting salt stocks had run so low that government ministers despite telling us that there were no shortages of stocks, asked highways authorities to review again their salt spreading strategy and prioritise local networks as necessary. The typical winter we have tended to have over recent years has always been mainly mild and wet with a few cold spells chucked in between. This winter seems to have been the complete opposite of this. More like winters I remember as having as a child back in the 50's and 60's. the latest news is that there is more cold weather to come. Sorry, I thought I would just throw that one in for good measure.

I suppose I can say that I have now made some progress as the end of January looms ever nearer with every keystroke I make. This is evident by the very fact that I am making those key strokes at all. I am actually writing again, whether you think it was worth the effort is I suppose another matter, but at least it is a start.

See you again in February.

Wordless Wednesday 13 January 2010

2010-01-13T19:57:00.000Z

Happy new Year | 2010

2009-12-31T21:02:00.000Z

Another year is almost over, it's almost time to welcome in another New Year. Happy 2010, well at least let's hope so.

For me this new year's eve will be a quiet affair. Mrs Pecker came down with a cold earlier in the week and now I have succumbed as well. This of course aggravates the arthritis and so the good spell that I have been enjoying lately feels to be at an end. Also my son-in-law has been hit by a tummy bug and that is where we had planned to be tonight, so New Year has been cancelled.

On the bright side I suppose I can look forward to waking up tomorrow without a hangover, and I have certainly had a few of those in the past. There have been the years that saw myself and Mrs Pecker staggering back from the Malt and Hops at 3 o'clock in the morning after a lock-in. The New Year street parties we used to have that went on until no one was left standing.

Then of course there was the year (many moons ago now) when Kevin Walker and I ran around the block in just our under-pants, boy it was cold. And then the year that I let him pierce my ear with a darning needle and a piece of soap.

Yes those were the days.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Christmas Past

2009-12-28T21:00:00.001Z

Well, I guess that's it, Christmas is over for another year, another Christmas has been and has gone, another Christmas past. All the excitement, all the build up, all the anticipation, then as if in the blinking of an eye it is simply a memory. I hope yours was a good one.

Of course the evidence of Christmas is still to be seen. The bins were lining the street this morning, lids gaping open, stuffed to overflowing with wrapping paper and the discarded trappings of an over indulgent two days. Empty cardboard boxes stood beside some bins advertising the fact that these houses now contained brand new TV's, Xboxes, computers and the like, "Attention burglars - these are the one's to break into." And of course you may be one of the parents who marvelled at how the young children played for hours with the boxes that the very expensive presents came in. How many of you said "next year we will just buy empty boxes."

Up and down streets throughout the land, boys and girls ride on bright new shiny bikes, play with radio controlled cars, try to stay upright on skates and pogo sticks, ride scooters. Behind closed doors, children and adults play with new toys, games, gadgets, and gizmos so numerous and diverse to be beyond mention. So The magic of Christmas does continue long past that short festive break.

I still remember some of that magic from my own childhood, from my own Christmases of the past. I well remember the time I received a Triang electric train set. It was a "Princess Elizabeth" locomotive with two maroon and cream passenger cars, I think I may also have received some extra track at the same time. I certainly added extra track, goods wagons, a crane and an additional Loco in subsequent years as gifts at Christmas and probably birthdays. Fifty years later I still have that train set, it is somewhere in my loft and this has reminded me that I must find it, bring it back to life and play with it.

As a young boy I did not see a lot of my dad, he was always working. It would normally be bedtime either before or soon after he got home. At weekends he had to work most Saturday and Sunday mornings so Christmas was special because he was at home and he got to play with me.

I guess these memories are probably the most wonderful gifts I have received over the years. Memories of my childhood, then of the special times when my own children were young and the time I had with them, playing with their new toys and being close together as a family. These are the true gifts that last for ever, these are the true magic of the Christmas past.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T18:43:00.001Z

To all my Followers, blog readers and online friends, I would like to wish a Merry Christmas.

Due to a variety of reasons, I have neglected to update this blog recently and for that I hope you will all forgive me. I intend to return to it in the new Year suitably refreshed and full of stories to tell.

So to each and everyone of you,

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

Flight to Australia | Part 2

2009-11-17T20:59:00.001Z

So now we had our boarding cards for the Flight to Australia, finally we could relax, we had arrived safely and successfully booked ourselves onto the flight. If you missed the first part of this series of posts relating to the recent holiday to Australia, then you can read it here > Flight to Australia.

Security is now very tight and rightly so, notices everywhere inform as to what items or substances are banned and detail the maximum size for hand luggage and the restrictions currently in force. This terminal 1 of Manchester airport seems to have changed beyond all recognition since I last flew out of here. But actually the last time I did fly from here was probably the last time we both flew to Australia and that is seven years ago.

With plenty of time on our hands, we ate a sandwich, I bought a small bottle of Coke for £1.50 (no the airport is not taking advantage of the fact that you can not bring liquids past security) sauntered through the shops, buying nothing, then found the designated departure lounge for our flight. Here we sat and watched the people of the world go by.

The prize for the woman with the worst dress sense went to the lady of mature years with the thigh high leather boots. I have nothing at all against older women dressing in modern or fashionable clothes as long as they look right and look good. She looked awful. I got the impression that the Manchester Women's Institute old aged pensioners society pantomime group were doing a version of Dick Whittington. She had definitely got the part of Dick.

I tried also to award a prize for the person with the most and largest hand luggage. What about those signs I saw earlier, advising us of the restrictions on the size and amount of hand luggage you could take on board. One piece of hand luggage it said. There were people with pull along bags bigger than my suitcase, plus handbags or laptops, plus bags overflowing with all manner of duty free. I am afraid I could not select a winner for this award, there were just too many to choose from.

I kept looking at my watch, the staff had been at the boarding desks for a while now and we were getting close to the planned time of departure.

"Bing Bong" sounded the tannoy. This was followed by a message stating that due to a technical problem we were going to be delayed by approximately 30 minutes. Oh well, that's no great problem we have a stop over of three hours at Dubai. A technical fault can of course be anything, not necessarily anything wrong with the plane.

"Bing Bong" the tannoy sounded again some while later. This next message now informed us that the delay would continue for another hour while the engineers worked on the plane to rectify the fault. As murmurs, mutterings and exclamations of f*** and s**t went around the crowd, Mrs Pecker and I looked at each other with feelings of dread. Not due to the fact that the problem was with the actual plane, it was more the feeling of deja vu.

This situation we had experienced the last time we travelled to Australia but it happened when we were on our way back home. From Perth we had flown to Kuala Lumpur then onto a small island named Langkawi to spend an idyllic few days. As we then waited at Langkawi airport for the short hop of a flight back to Kuala Lumpur we heard similar messages to those we had just heard. It was also a similar time of night and we had a connecting flight from KL to Manchester to catch.

That situation turned into a nightmare with the engineers and flight crew deciding that the plane would not fly that night. The airport had closed while we were waiting and at the news of the cancellation pandemonium ensued. The crowd, many of them locals were close to rioting, the heat was tremendous and there were no facilities open to buy drinks or food. Eventually some of the staff appeared with a quantity of bottled water but unfortunately much of this was simply plundered by a mob of youths who had no regard or respect for fellow passengers.

At some time around midnight we were ferried to a local hotel where we were given rooms and informed that planes would be laid on the next morning to fly us to Kuala Lumpur. They did their best in what must have been a very difficult situation to deal with.

On reaching Kuala Lumpur our troubles were far from over, we now had to be assigned a flight back to the UK. There were no flights to Manchester so we were booked onto a flight to Heathrow with an onward flight from Heathrow to Manchester and a very short time between the two. Unfortunately it was now still early morning and the Heathrow flight did not take-off until sometime that night. They did however put us into the Kuala Lumpur Airport Hotel which is absolutely fabulous. We had meal vouchers for lunch and for dinner and could eat whatever we wanted. I have never in my life seen so much food as there was at the lunch buffet. Food from every continent, to suit every possible taste, there were tables and tables full of it, and if you like sweets and puddings, you would think you had died and gone to heaven. This is where the rich and famous stay, we of course were dressed in the flight clothes that we had worn since the previous day, we had no access to the luggage. We spent the afternoon in the shower, in the bath, and lazing around in the big fluffy white dressing gowns.

The flight was late leaving Kuala Lumpur which then caused us to miss the flight from Heathrow to Manchester. That meant another delay, another ticket desk, another wait for a flight. Can you understand why it was we did not fly for another six years.

But back to the Flight to Australia that I was telling you about.

"Bing bong" that tannoy again, this time informing us that the fault had been corrected, all that remained was for the engineers to run the engines and we now had a revised departure time of 22:30 hrs.

And true to their word, at 22:30 - or as near to it as makes no difference - we were trundling down the runway picking up speed and rising slowly but steadily up into the air on our Flight to Australia.

Flight to Australia

2009-11-13T20:38:00.001Z

It was 01:00 hrs and exactly on time that we landed at Perth International Airport to complete our Flight to Australia.

After calling in the duty free shop to purchase some spirits for our hosts, we collected the bags and negotiated the very strict and thorough immigration control and customs. Stepping out into the arrivals hall we then saw R'bill waiting to greet us. Following the hugs, how are you's etcetera, etcetera, we stepped out into the rain. WHAT !! - yes we did - we took a flight half way around the world to Australia, to find the rain.

Our journey it seemed, had started so long ago and in real time that was indeed over 32 hours. It began on the Sunday afternoon when our dear son-in-law arrived at our house in plenty of time to drive us - myself and Mrs Pecker - to Manchester Airport. We were all prepared and waiting with cases packed, hand luggage ready, passports to hand and anxious to be on our way.

I quickly dashed upstairs to fetch my new zip-up top that was still in my wardrobe but imagine my surprise to find that also hanging there were all of my shirts that should be packed in the case. The case was quickly re-packed and we were on our way with hardly any time lost but we were allowing ourselves plenty of time anyway. This was to us such an important journey and if there should be any delays or hold ups on the way to the airport we would hopefully still be able to arrive with enough time to catch the flight.

I also felt a certain amount of apprehension since booking this Flight to Australia due to everything relating to it being done on-line. I purchased the flight tickets from Ebookers, obtained Evisas from the Australian High Commission website, resulting in no tickets, no physical visa, in fact nothing physical relating to the flight being issued at all.

I imagined arriving at the airport check-in desk to be humiliated and flightless, the staff rolling around on the floor,

"What did you say - You've not got any tickets" accompanied by uncontrolled roars of laughter.

"Sorry Mr pecker, there's no record of a visa here." Ha,Ha, "You say you did it all on line."

"We can not let you board a plane without the proper documents sir."

I could not stop thinking of what might be. So I printed off a copy of every receipt, every email, every flight itinerary confirmation that I could find. I had a complete folder filled with a whole tree's worth of paper just to be sure I would have anything they may ask to see.

We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and bade farewell to W with thanks for conveying us there, we had three and a half hours to spare before the plane was due to depart. Get through check-in and then I would be able to relax. The staff were already in attendance and gestured for us to make our way forward, there was no queue whatsoever, a situation I had never experienced before. I walked forward as I began to extract my huge bundle of papers from my shoulder bag.

"Have you got your passports please sir?" said the friendly young gentleman behind the desk.

"Yes, there you are" I replied, handing over the passports with one hand as I continued to free the sheets from out of the plastic sleeve.

"It's Mr and Mrs W.. travelling to Perth via Dubai" he said pleasantly "Is that correct?"

" Yes that's correct" I now had some of the papers free and started to point them in his direction.

"How many bags are you checking in today sir?"

"Two" I replied, but what (I thought to myself) about asking for some of these papers that are now falling to the ground and spreading themselves all over your bright shiny floor, so you know I have bought the tickets and got visas for both of us.

"Have you packed these bags yourself. Have the..... etcetera, etcetera...." he continued.

Yes, it was all that simple. From entering the numbers of our passports, the system confirms that we have booked and paid for tickets on that Flight to Australia via Dubai, the seat numbers allocated to us, and the fact that we have been granted entry into Australia as tourists.

I guess there was no need to worry at all.

Western Australia Holiday | Mindarie

2009-11-07T09:19:00.004Z

First I must apologise for taking so long to begin telling you about my Western Australia Holiday in Mindarie. Since returning home I had a lot of catching up to do, however I found it difficult to motivate myself and found it extremely difficult to get my body clock in snyc. Going out to the beginning of spring in Australia at the end of September did not seem to be a problem, but coming back to the British autumn four weeks later certainly proved to be a struggle.

Western Australia:

There were no sightings of Rolf Harris, nor did I hear any renditions of "Tie me Kangaroo down sport" or "Waltzing Matilda". I did see Kangaroo's, Koalas and Kookaburra's, plus many varieties of colourful Parrots and Cockatoos. You can see a selection of Australian birds that I managed to photograph on my other blog "My Garden Birds"

Kangaroos take a midday nap.

A Koala takes an all day nap. When they are not asleep, they eat. When they are not eating they are asleep. Yes they are my own photographs.

Due to the limitations imposed by my own disability and by the health of my sister-in-law, we were not contemplating trekking into the bush or travelling any great distances. It was a rather more sedate and relaxing approach to visiting the areas around Perth and spending quality time with friends and family.

Parks and gardens that we visited included the Kings Park in Perth, Whiteman Park, Yanchep National Park and the park and lakes of Joondalup. We also visited the coastal areas and marinas including Hilaries, Two Rocks, Yanchep and Mandurah. An adventure that will not be forgotten however was the day we headed down the Swan river to Freemantle on a friends boat, then out to sea to scatter Father-in-Laws ashes into the Indian Ocean. I'll save that for another post.

Yes the names of some of the towns in Western Australia are very "Ozzie". As mentioned above there is Joondalup and Mandurah then other great sounding places such as Yangebup, Mundaring, Kallaroo, and Wanneroo.

Petrol costs just half the price of what we pay here in the UK, but I guess that is the case in many other parts of the world too such as the USA. The roads are good, straight and uncongested. We were noticeable as Brits because we walked into the drive-in off licence. You can even drive into Bunnings, the Australian equivalent of B & Q.

A view of Perth taken from Kings Park.

Mindarie:

We stayed in Mindarie, a relatively recent suburb of Perth situated approximately 40 kilometers from the city. Mindarie is a highly populated family area that is very community orientated offering a great lifestyle with the harbour and Clayton’s beach close by.

There is a mix of residential property in the suburb, with some older style single storey homes, modern two storey designs, apartments and an extensive retirement village. You can find large mansions in the Clarecastle Retreat and waterside apartments in the Marina. Despite it's young age the Marina is currently being revamped with further residential development happening at the moment. Some plots around the Mindarie Keys harbour are currently for sale with a very hefty price tag.

Claytons beach.

Mindarie Keys - the harbour.

Sunset on the waterfront.

Western Australia Weather

2009-10-15T04:19:00.004+01:00

Although the small travel clock informed me that it was only 06:00 int the morning, the sunlight that filled our bedroom gave the impression of a much later time to someone who resides permanently in the UK. Rays of bright, warm, Australian Spring sunshine flowed through every conceivable space between the narrow angled slats of the window blinds. The forecast for today predicts bright clear skies and temperatures upto 24 degrees in this area of Western Australia.

When we had first arrived for this month long holiday to visit friends, relatives and to celebrate the 60th birthday of Mrs Peckers' brother, the weather was very different. Stepping outside at Perth International Airport we were greeted by the rain and cold windy conditions we presumed were being left far behind in Manchester. Western Australia has this year seen one of the longest and wettest winters that the local residents can recall.

Within two days of our arrival. the weather had started to improve, the rain was gone and the sun appeared in the sky. With the exception of a few cloudy and cooler days, the weather for us has been good and very pleasant, in fact it is now getting too hot for us to sit in. Sun screen is essential and we tend to sit in the shade apart from early in the day. When we are out and about we keep ourselves covered and of course apply the sun bloc.

The forecast is continuing bright skies and increasing temperatures for the remainder of our stay. Having heard that back in the UK the weather is very different, being cold, wet and misserable, I guess we will have to make the most of our remaining time here in Perth, Western Australia.

The Woodpeckers are in Australia

2009-10-05T09:50:00.003+01:00

Some of my friends in the Blogosphere and in Twitterville may be wondering what has happened to me and why have I been absent for the last week or more (No?) well as many of you do know, Mrs Pecker and I are in Australia.

Yes that is correct, we have jetted half way around the world to stay in Perth, Western Australia for a month. We are staying in Mindarie Keys with Mrs Peckers' brother and family and timed our visit to coincide with Bill's 60th birthday.

The weather when we arrived was rather unexpected (at least by us) because it was raining, very windy and rather cold. I can report now that it has improved dramaticaly since then and is bright and sunny. At this time of year it does not reach the extrememly high temperatures that are experienced during the height of summer.

During my time here I will only have limited access to the internet so my updates may be somewhat infrequent and short both on here and on Twitter. I will try to upload some pictures and details of what we have been doing shortly.

Oh what a lovely Pair | Pear

2009-09-24T15:30:00.005+01:00

I thought that might grab your attention - Oh what a lovely Pair, I think I may have misspelled the title though, A Lovely Pear would have been correct, but possibly not so attention grabbing.

The summer in our part of the world was rather lousy again this year and for this and other personal reasons, I abandoned my planned gardening projects. Mrs Pecker persevered with the Runner Beans and although they were very late to get going, eventually proceeded to crop very well.

We do have in the garden two small Apple trees and one Conference Pear, all totally neglected, never pruned, fed or cared for in any way. The amount of fruit they have produced this year has been phenomenal. The branches of the pear tree have been bent down to the ground in spite of many of the fruits having fallen when at an early stage of development. Likewise the apples, enormous quantities from such small trees, the fruit of these however have been plundered by wasps.

This Autumn I must be sure to get these trees pruned as they should be, then give them some proper care and attention next year. That little bit of effort will surely then bear fruit.

Courtesy isn't Automatic

2009-09-21T18:38:00.002+01:00

I realised just in time that the service was due on the car whilst we are away in Australia. Going beyond the due date could cause problems with the warranty so I managed to squeeze it in before we go. With having to be squeezed in at short notice I could not be very selective as regards dates and times and also the service customer options.

My local dealer offers either service while you wait, a half day at a local Leisure centre or a courtesy car. Well with my arthritis and lack of mobility the leisure centre option is about as much use to me as a tissue umbrella in a thunderstorm, not that I don't think it is a good idea. On the contrary, it is an excellent offer for someone who can make good use of it.

Service while you wait was (surprisingly I thought) almost fully booked with the only slots available being at times when I just could not be sat there sitting in the waiting room, drinking coffee and watching the world go by.

I opted instead for the courtesy car, automatic if possible I stated, because I only drive automatics now and have done so for quite a number of years. Having to use both legs when driving proves to be particularly uncomfortable for me and strains the area of my back where the arthritis is present. I know to you who are drivers, it may seem the easiest thing in the world to operate three pedals but please believe me it is difficult for me.

At 9.00 am on the dot I arrived at the dealership, hand over my car, signed the necessary paperwork and took the keys of my car for the day, the courtesy isn't automatic.

They have given me a tin box with a wheel at each corner, I thought as I drove away, indicating to turn right then seeing the windscreen wipers sweep across the front window. Why after all these years have Kia decided to move the controls onto the other side of the steering column. I nodded and made a face that I thought would look as if I wanted to clean my windscreen. There that is much better, cleaner now, wave to passing car, cause I usually Bloody indicate.

I now start to wonder why anyone buys a car with manual gears. This is becoming a right pain in the backside, literally, all this clutch moving, gear knob shifting, it seems so unnecessary when you are not used to doing it.

Coming up to the traffic calming bollards in the road I signal to the oncoming driver that I am letting him through by spraying 4 jets of water onto the windscreen. I can't wait to get my own car back.

They are calling me when the service is complete and I can collect my dear beloved car again. after lunch I decide to call into Hanley, there are still some things I need to get for our trip, I will tell you all about going to Australia later. Is it not exasperating when they have the style you want in the wrong colour and the colour you want in the wrong style, shoes that is. There was also the brown shoes, very trendy I thought when I first saw them last time I was here. Maybe a little too trendy for an oldie like me and a bit pricey too, but in my mind I had decided to throw caution to the wind and buy them. If only I could find them now!

I was thankful when the dealers rang to say my car was ready to be collected, I had had my fill of fruitless shopping. I returned to the car park realising as I got there that I had not a clue as to what the courtesy car actually was, but as I approached it soon came to mind, the little blue tin box with a wheel at each corner.

I pressed the key fob to unlock this little noddy car and nothing happened. I pressed again a little harder this time, with the same result. I now poked the key forward as I pressed, we all do that don't we with the telly remote when the channel wont change, thrust it towards the TV harder and harder, quicker and quicker as though it will really make a difference. So yes, back to the car, I was stabbing again with the key fob when this smarmy, clever clogs sort of bloke ambled towards me and said,

"Why is it that when you press that key fob, the car in the next row locks and unlocks itself?"

Bees and Wasps

2009-09-15T20:31:00.004+01:00

The Bumble Bee:

A Bumble bee is taking advantage of the sunshine to collect pollen from the Buddlea which still bears some flowers though most of them have now died away.

*************************

The Wasp:

Look carefully at the background and you may be able to make out that the Wasp is dissecting the remains of a butterfly. I do not know if the wasp actually killed this butterfly or simply took advantage of finding one that had already perished.

When I first discovered it (top picture) it was removing the head. Once the head was free of the body the wasp carried it away, though I do not know where. It did not travel very far because it soon returned to continue taking apart, with razor sharp pincers, the body until just the wings were left discarded on the ground.

I feel these pictures reflect the beauty and the reality of nature where nothing is wasted.

The Great Read Award | 10 Childhood Memories

2009-09-10T19:47:00.008+01:00

It is always good to know that you or something that you do is appreciated by others. I often wonder when writing these blog posts if they will be of interest to anyone else and if other people will enjoy reading what I have to say or looking at my pictures.

It brings me great pride and a sense of achievement to read the very encouraging comments from some of my blog visitors and fellow twitterers, and now I have had passed to me by Tim Worth The Great Read Award which I accept very graciously. The challenge that comes with this reward is to share ten things about yourself.

After thinking long and hard about this, I decided to share with you ten memories of my childhood. In fact ten memories from the years before I reached the age of ten.

I remember:

1) One of my earliest memories is of my first day at school. I see myself in a long sterile highly polished corridor full of sterile strangers and I am crying my eyes out. I continued to cry so much that they fetched my elder sister from another class to sit with me. Unfortunately she could not sit with me in school for the next 10 years. I guess from that day onwards, I learnt to be on my own.

2) Having no bathroom and the toilet being a small brick building in the yard. Toilet paper was squares of newspaper hanging on a hook. Luxury toilet paper was in the form of the tissue that was used to wrap apples and could occasionally be obtained from the greengrocers. We would sometimes have a bought Izal toilet roll, that hard shiny, slippery stuff, but only when we were flush. (pun very much intended).

3) A coal fire, this being the only form of heating in the entire house. During winter we went to bed in freezing cold bedrooms, dressed in thick fleece pyjamas and woolly socks. We had rubber water bottles to warm the beds before we got in.

4) Having the Fire Brigade come to the house to put out the fire that was roaring high up inside the chimney. I was rather miffed that I was made to go to Mrs Roberts' next door and could only watch by craning my neck over the hedge.

5) A small black and white television with one channel that broadcast for just a few hours each day. I remember watching The Woodentops, Muffin the Mule and Andy Pandy. The TV stood on top of a wooden cupboard that my Dad made. It took about 5 minutes to warm up before the picture appeared, I liked to look through all the little ventilation slots at the back to see the glowing valves inside.

6) Steam trains, dirty, stinking, smelly but fascinating and the main Crewe to Derby railway line ran behind our house where I grew up. Also close to us were the coal sidings where coal from some of the Staffordshire pits was transferred onto the main line coal trucks. The trains would wait at the points behind our house, fill with water there and wait for the signal to join the main line. For some reason, many trains missed or passed over the points and crashed into the buffers or even the bridge. This of course caused great excitement for us kids especially after dark when I would go with my dad collecting buckets of coal that had been shed from the wagons.

7) Waking up on Christmas morning to find a stocking at the foot of my bed containing an apple, an orange, nuts, sweets, a bag of marbles and a few other small toys.

8) The first egg laid by the chickens that we had raised from chicks. My dad built a wooden chicken coop for them to live in and they "free ranged" all over the garden. We ate the eggs that were wonderful and fresh with golden yolks and tasted superb. We later ate the chickens.

9) Going fishing for the first time with my dad. I thought it was brilliant to be in the countryside, in a field on the bankside of a canal, with a rod made from bamboo canes. We (or more probably dad with me watching) caught two fish which we took home in a bucket. Next morning I discovered the fish were floating upside down, stiff, slightly curved, and very very dead.

10) Going fishing again, in another field, by a different canal, then running like hell as my dad noticed the bull charging towards us from the other side of the field. This showed me that grown-ups do sometimes make mistakes and that there are some things (as dad pointed out) that you do not tell to your mother.

So there we are, ten of my early childhood memories. I would now like to pass on the great Read Award to the other side of the Atlantic, to Dawn, Jeff and Ballie who are travelling around the USA in a motorhome. It's Dawns Bloggy Blog - please take a look.

Bank Holiday Monday

2009-08-31T19:48:00.003+01:00

Well there we have another Bank Holiday Monday nearly over, almost done and dusted, another one come and gone.

If I was still one of the many who have to turn out to work everyday and to whom the bank holidays are one of the few days off to which I would be entitled, then I would to say the least, be slightly miffed.

As seems to be the norm, the weather has been far from good, not exactly rained all day but there was a definate chill to be detected in the air. It is of course raining now and the forecast for the next couple of days is for more precipitation spreading across the country from the west.

Another regular feature of the Bank Holiday Weekend is of course the traffic jams. The M5 and M6, at least around Birmingham and Bristol, will have been for a great part of the weekend at a standstill. A last minute rush to get abroad by plane will see crowds of frustrated travellers heading for the airports, while British Rail (or whatever it's modern day equivalent is called) will have decided to frustrate it's much needed rail travel supporters by scheduling essential maintenance work during this busy holiday period.

So What did you do on this Bank Holiday Monday?

Go to a garden centre or the DIY store?

Go to the beach? Sleep? Eat? Drink? Go for a walk? Go for a jog? Go to the pub? Blog?

If you happened across the "Jack Russell" forum then you may have attended "The 4th Annual Twilly Memorial Companion Dog Show with Obedience" held at Shareshill Village Hall, or of course headed of to Beacon Hill Country Park, for a wood cutting demonstration.

No? then answers on a postcard please to: or better still just tell us by leaving a comment below.

A British Garden | Butterflies

2009-08-25T18:50:00.012+01:00

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in a British garden, Butterflies were all around the Buddleia, it was easy to see why this is often referred to as the butterfly bush. Saturday had been a lovely day, Sunday continued in the same vain, warm and pleasant, I spent the afternoon chasing Butterflies with Jo-Jo.

We had decided to get a closer look at all these delicate flying creatures and discover exactly what species we could identify.

The Peacock Butterfly

Many of those present were easily identified as the Peacock Butterfly, a familiar sight in gardens across the British Isles, with quite spectacular eyes on the upperside of the wings that give this butterfly its name. The eyes are for defense as they appear very threatening to predators.

The Painted Lady

The next most prevalent were the Painted Lady, a species that amazingly originates from North Africa.

The Red Admiral

The striking colours of The red admiral, another relatively common species found throughout Britain. Although considered to be a resident species now, large numbers of the ones we see are migrants from the European continent.

The Large White

In lesser numbers now though they were more numerous in previous weeks were the Large White, or Cabbage White as they are more often known. Gardeners will recognise this as a pest due to the fact the caterpillars love to devour the leaves of brassicas.

The Small Tortoiseshell

Just a few of these Small Tortoiseshell butterflies were found, again this was observed as a species with vivid colours and markings used to scare away would-be predators.

We caught a few specimens so that we could get a close look at them but were very careful and let them go none the worse for their experience. In preference to the old practice of killing the butterfly then pinning it to a board for display I chose to take a few pictures with my camera.

Dovedale in Pictures

2009-08-24T19:59:00.005+01:00

I thought I would give you a look at Dovedale, on the edge of the Peak district and just a few miles from the market town of Ashbourne.
Such a beautiful place, peaceful and tranquil, even though it is filled with people at this time of year. A short distance from the path to the right of the Stepping stones and we left the sounds of the people behind us. Jo-Jo played in a tiny stream while we sat in the sunshine watching a family of Kestrels at play high on the cliff face.

The weather had smiled kindly on us again this weekend, during a summer that had been far from good. A gentle stroll, a sit on the grass, and an ice cream on the way home - perfect.

Bloggers Block

2009-08-21T18:14:00.004+01:00

When J. K. Rowling was writing "Harry Potter" did she have days when the words would not line up in the correct order? Did she have thoughts inside her head that no matter how hard she tried, could not be transferred into language that made any sense?

Whether she did or not, I have of course no idea, but what I do know, is that this has been happening to me rather a lot lately. Is it what is termed writers block, or in my case - Bloggers Block? Actually I am not sure if writers block refers to a condition whereby an author experiences difficulty in expressing thoughts into words or whether it is in fact a lack of ideas.

My problem, if I can just take a minute of your time to explain, is that I have a wealth of ideas, tales, stories, and humorous episodes from my past that I want to tell you about, in addition to my present day comings and goings. Unfortunately I seem unable to reach the point of actually transferring these thoughts onto paper - or indeed this digital media of the blog.

I could I suppose write down one of my old poems:

A young man jogging through the park
Had buttocks like a Peach,
Two old ladies had a stroke
The third one couldn't reach.

But I do not want to do that.

I wanted to tell you about our two trips to Dovedale last week, a place known to many, but one of new discovery to us. I wanted to describe the beauty of the countryside, the majesty of Thorpe Cloud (a high peak) the wonderful sight and sound of the river rushing and tumbling over swift rapids, squeezing noisily between boulders, or gliding deep and serene beneath a canopy of overhanging trees. Instead all I could think of was the woman whose feet slipped suddenly on a steep shale embankment causing her to slide on her bottom, feet first into the water. That of course would be cruel and insensitive of me to mention.

As indeed would be the mention of the woman on our second visit who suffered a similar fate at almost the exact same place, falling very unladylike and landing heavily and I am sure painfully on her backside. I would not want you to think ill of me by mentioning that I along with other members of my family (plus many other passers by) resorted to turning away our heads in order to hide the uncontrollable laughter that resulted from witnessing such examples of other peoples misfortunes.

So you see my problem, I do not seem able to focus on what I set out to do. I simply find it impossible to write at the moment, but hopefully this Bloggers block will soon leave me and I will be back to normal, writing posts that you will find of interest and I hope will be entertaining.

Will write soon - keep a lookout for my next post !!

Dovedale | Sunny Sunday

2009-08-10T16:47:00.002+01:00

Friday was nice, Saturday was not bad, but it was truly a beautiful Sunny Sunday. Just what a summer day should be like, but the sort of day that has been sadly lacking during the summer season in this country.

We went to daughter "P's" and it was suggested that on such a nice day we should venture out into the countryside with "W" suggesting an exploration of Dovedale. We are well acquainted with the tiny village of Ilam and the National trust property there but I am really not familiar with any other parts of the valley.

From the Derbyshire UK website:

Dovedale in Derbyshire and the Peak District, is owned by the National Trust and is farmed with many sheep on the rocky slopes and in the woods. It is little more than 3 miles distance between Thorpe to the south of the dale and Milldale in the north with the famous part being the wooded ravine between the stepping stones, a short distance from the car park at the front of Thorpe Cloud and the cave like Dove Holes. Dovedale's stepping stones appear on thousands of post cards and the area attracts a million visitors a year. Keep away on sunny weekend afternoons.

"W" has fond memories of the stepping stones and going there in his younger days with his dad and brother. So we went in search of the infamous place apparently featured on so many post cards.

In actual fact it was easy to find. Turning right over the bridge in Ilam, then a left turn immediately past the Issac Walton Hotel and there was the public car park. What a fantastic place, I could not believe I had never been here before, so close to home and so perfect. A steeply wooded ravine yet a level easy to walk pathway led away from the car park and is suitable for wheelchairs and people who have difficulty walking such as myself.

It was beautiful, it was majestic, it was magnificent, it was packed.

Yes the bright sunny weather had brought out hoards of people, it was absolutely heaving, like crowds exiting a football match, Yet it was still possible to walk and enjoy the countryside.

This area of Dovedale is now on the top of our list of places to visit mid-week when the children are back at school and in the winter I imagine it will be heaven.

A Sporty Afternoon

2009-08-05T11:21:00.004+01:00

Although the weather was lousy yet again - true of much of this so called summer - the rain would not be interfering with my Sporty Afternoon.

I started with a game of tennis, well actually 3 games, only one of which I managed to win, but the other two were close fought battles.

After the tennis it was time for a round of golf. Just a nine hole course but the level of difficulty increases as one progresses through the course. I managed to birdie the first and second, par the third but then it was down hill all the way. Down hill as regards my performance that is, I will not say how many over par my final score was.

I then had a bit of a training session with some target golf and putting practice and I must admit my putting is improving.

Following the golf I decided to indulge in a couple of games of ten-pin bowling. Not in competition with any one, just playing by myself for the enjoyment and a bit of practice. After a reasonably good start I soon went off the boil and my scores over two games were not impressive, I guess I need some more practice.

It rained for most of the afternoon but I did not really care, I enjoyed my Sporty Afternoon despite the weather.

I must admit this Nintendo Wii is brilliant and I just love the Wii sports game that came with it.

The Graduation | A Perfect Day

2009-07-23T10:54:00.005+01:00

Suddenly the day had arrived. The morning of Daughter "P's" graduation ceremony, a BA honours in Education, what a magnificent achievement. She had achieved a 2:1 while working full time in a demanding job role where she supported young children with special communication needs. At the same time she was also bringing up her own family, with I must say, a lot of support from her very loving husband.

Today was her special day, a day I am sure she always remember, as too will her mum and I. We were so proud as her name was called out and she walked across the stage in the traditional cap and gown, to accept the award bestowed on her by the University.

We set off early to allow plenty of time to drive into Manchester, the route on the Google map had seemed very simple and straight forward and indeed it turned out to be so. The last time Mrs Pecker and I had driven into Manchester turned into a nightmare. Not the actual driving in but attempting to drive back out. By the time we were ready to leave on this occasion, it being winter it had turned dark and begun to rain heavily. What had previously been a relatively easy route was subject to much disruption due to extensive road works. The heavy congestion and poor visibility soon found us heading further into the city centre with no idea of where we were going. One and a half hours later and we were headed for Bolton, that is the opposite direction to where we should have been going. eventually we were able to follow signs leading to the M6 which we did eventually reach. From that day up until Monday and the graduation we had not ventured into Manchester again.

This time as I said earlier, the road was easy and we were able to access a car park relatively close to our destination, "The Bridgewater Hall". We had plenty of time to spare, but now we could relax knowing that we had indeed arrived safely.

After checking out the hall and getting clear in our minds how and where everything was laid out, we set off towards the town for lunch. A matter of yards from the Bridgewater hall we came to the "Table to Table" restaurant set beneath the Premier Inn. It looked quite appealing and the menu seemed to offer plenty of choice that would satisfy our gastronomic needs. Indeed it did, good food and good service, and at a very reasonable price, perfect.

With our bellies filled we returned to the hall so that daughter "P" could be fitted with her robes, then made our way across to the town hall where the official photographers were located. The photos are a bit pricey, but it only happens once and although we would be taking pictures with our own cameras it is reassuring to know that at least one photograph should be perfect.

The afternoon we spent waiting for the preliminaries to the event to get under way and finally it was time for the ceremony to begin. A very grand affair, steeped in ritual and tradition and most of all a celebration for the achievements of all the students receiving awards today.

Finally it was over and we made our way back to the car park. The weather had been kind to us all day and although at times the sky had appeared to be filled with rain, each time we walked in the open, the rain never materialised. An easy drive back out of town heading towards Wilmslow and then we were home safe and sound at the end of the perfect day.

I still remember the occasion though now some thirty years ago when I had volunteered to drive my dear Mother-in-Law to Birmingham where she had been chosen to audition for the Nicholas Parsons TV show, "The Sale of The Century". She insisted that we started out in plenty of time to get there. I thought that beginning the journey at 08.00 for an audition at 14.00 was a bit over the top but I went along with it.

To shorten a long story I will simply say that we were stuck on the motorway for most of the day. We discovered later that a lorry carrying vegetable oil had overturned on the carriageway and in addition to clearing away the vehicle they also had to remove all traces of the oil from the road surface. When a motorway grinds to a halt and you are between two junctions, there is no where to go, and nothing you can do about it. We arrived at the hotel where the auditions were taking place at 17.00. All the TV people had packed up and gone home, the auditions were over.

Poor Mother-in-Law, poor me, I had spent a whole day enclosed inside a car with her, no escape, no where to go. It is said that trauma often causes one's mind to block out certain events that were particularly disturbing and erase them from one's memory. I believe this to be true because of that day I remember the beginning and the end but nothing of the bit in between. A perfect day - Not.

Harry Potter | Dementors | and me

2009-07-15T09:47:00.007+01:00

It is a fact that Harry Potter has been very much in my mind recently. Not surprising considering all the hype and publicity surrounding the much awaited latest film, plus of course the screenings of the previous HP movies on the TV. And I must admit to being a Harry Potter fan, but does this in any way explain the visitant, akin to the dark creatures of that wizarding world "The Dementors", that invaded my home. Anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films from the Prisoner of Azkaban onwards will of course know that the Dementors are creatures of pure evil.

The day was warm, admittedly not as hot as it had been, but warm enough that I opened windows to allow a refreshing flow of air through the house. Mrs Pecker was out today, everything was tidy, the breakfast dishes washed and I had wheeled out the grey bin to the edge of the pavement. Perhaps I should explain that our local council have introduced a new recycling scheme.

We now have three full sized wheelie bins, a plastic box, plus a plastic bag for clothing and paired shoes. All waste must be separated and categorised by us and disposed of only in the appropriate receptacle. Our bin men (can I call them bin men) will collect once per week with these collections alternating between recyclable waste one week and other non-recyclable waste the other week. So as I said, I had put out the grey bin which is for anything that can not be recycled and having stood in the hot weather for the last two weeks, I must admit that it did pong a bit.

Having completed all the usual Monday morning tasks, I continued my normal routine by starting to prepare lunch while watching Bargain Hunt. "What !!! No Bargain hunt?" Indeed, Bargain Hunt had been replaced with Cash in the Attic. I hate cash in the Attic, it is so contrived, so false, and as usual, a repeat. I ate my lunch in silence then went to my small office up the stairs and turned on my p.c. "Lets have a look what is happening on Twitter," I thought.

Harry Potter had reached the number one spot on Twitters list of "Trending Topics", so I began to take a look at what everyone had to say on the subject of HP, most of it of course relating to the new film.

It seems from initial critique, that the film Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, is being very well received and is said to be the best movie of the series so far. I can't wait to see it, which is of course incorrect because wait to see it is exactly what I must do. Until next week probably. But I am looking forward to watching it, and with great anticipation of being thrilled once more by this truly magical fantasy.

Being lost in my immediate little world of fantasy and escapism, I failed to notice the first signs of the malevolent presence, extending horrible invisible tendrils of evil and decay. The Dementors had arrived.

I am certain now looking back, that the first point of entry must have been the opened window of the front bedroom. The shapeless form had gained an easy unhindered access and began to spread out, reaching in all directions, invading the very fabric of the building. The house became filled by the acrid stench of decay. An essence of putrefaction, an odour of evil, rotting, stinking filth crept up on me threatening to tear out my very soul. I gasped for breath, feeling that the oxygen had been starved from the air that I tried to breathe, all that was good had been taken away, I would soon be no more than a shivering, whimpering wreck.

I staggered to my feet in a vane attempt to beat off this evil visitation, only to discover that the filthy, rotten, evil, stinking, nauseous stench, had pervaded the entire house. But Dementors it was not. It was not those evil creatures from the wizarding world of Harry Potter who had assailed my senses, for I could now hear that the bin men were in our street. The filthy, rotten, evil, stinking, nauseous stench of decay emanated from our local refuse collection vehicle.

I have never before known the "dust cart" or whatever else it should be called to smell so bad and I now have the deepest sympathy for the people who have to follow it all day emptying our bins.

This I presume is the sweet smell of recycling success.

Time for a Story

2009-07-10T00:41:00.002+01:00

I thought it was time we had another little story. This one I did not write myself but came across it in the personal columns of a free on-line advertisement site. Gumtree to be precise. Is it genuine? I will leave it up to you to make up your minds.

"You were in the arrivals bar in Dublin airport. You have long dark hair and were wearing a grey short sleeved dress. You were waiting on your friend and I was waiting to see if my luggage would ever materialise. We shared a drink and spent about a half hour in each others company. I was drinking a pint of Heineken and you were drinking vodka and lime. I will never forget your eyes they were piercing in their intensity and I just regret not telling you. I went to the toilet and you kept an eye on my laptop.
I have been thinking about you ever since and can't seem to shake your image from my head. I really think that we made a connection.
If this is you is there any chance that I could get my laptop back?"

A few days in the country

2009-07-06T20:43:00.006+01:00

I wondered initially if I was responsible with that last post, for bringing about a change in our fortunes regarding the weather?

Early on Tuesday afternoon we arrived with the caravan in tow at the site in Churnet Valley just outside Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Simon and Sue were already there, waiting to greet us and help with the setting up of our caravan, I can no longer manage this alone. The rain started to fall from the sky almost as the wheels had stopped turning . A break in the clouds and we decided to erect the awning, Simon being a big guy is a great asset with this task which we never bother to do when there is just the two of us, myself and Mrs Pecker that is.

Finally we were all done, awning up, electricity and water connected etc. etc. and soaked to the skin. I removed my clothes and literally wrung them out. Fortunately the site has very good facilities with an excellent shower block which I took full advantage of. A lovely cup of freshly brewed tea and I was calm and relaxed, sitting outside with the gang in the sunshine. Yes I did say sunshine. It peered cheekily from behind the clouds as soon as we had completed getting everything set up.

The sun may have been laughing but I did not really care, I do not mind getting wet anyway. This is what we had been waiting for, relaxing in the midst of the countryside enjoying the peace and quiet and the screaming and the smell. .... What was that, the screaming and the smell, yes that's right, on the hillside opposite where once there were horses, there were now pigs. Loads of them, free range of course, doing what pigs do, squabbling, screaming, wallowing in the mud, screaming, grubbing in the dirt, screaming, you get the picture.

In the evening, it being Simon and Sue's anniversary we went along to the local pub for a celebratory meal, none of us had pork by the way, and it rounded off the day nicely.

Wednesday was fabulous, we lazed about all day basking in the glorious sunshine, we did not even notice the pigs. That is not strictly true. The farmer seems to feed them in a shed at the top of the field, at the same time each night. Have you ever heard the noise that around 100 pigs make when being fed. No neither had I, it sounds more as though they were being skewered alive rather than being fed, incredible, blood curdling, eerie almost. If you had failed to notice that the pigs were there and then heard the noise, you would think that aliens had finally landed, you would probably flee for your lives.

Thursday gave us some heavy rain and thunder in the morning but then cleared up nicely. I even went fishing in the small on site lake and caught a few nice fish to round off another perfect day.

I felt that things went downhill from then. Many more people began to arrive on the Friday with loads of kids and somehow it was not quite the same it got really really busy. Before you hang me out to dry with the remark about kids, all I mean is we are surrounded by children at home, on all sides (that's what sounded familiar about the pigs) The peace and quiet that we had enjoyed had gone and I now longed to return home, back to familiar things.

I even missed Twitter, is that sad?

The Heatwave Cometh

2009-06-29T16:37:00.008+01:00

I do not recall biting the head off a chicken, sacrificing a goat or in some other way appeasing the weather Gods, but at some stage I must have done so.

My brother-in-law and his wife planned a week away in their caravan so they asked us to go too, "The weather is always good when you go away " he said.

July of last year, Mrs Pecker and I went to the Moray Firth in Scotland. The weather was brilliant, one of the best weeks of the summer.

For the past few years we have taken an early week's holiday in Wales. By early I mean March or April, when the trees are still bare of leaves and we can see all the birds. Each year the weather on these occasions has been exceptional for the time of year.

Many of our friends and family have now requested that we inform them when we plan to go away so that they can book their holiday at the same time, safe in the knowledge that the weather will be fine.

This as you may well imagine has not always been the case. In fact for many years as our children were growing up and we took holidays only within the UK, the very opposite was true. Whenever and where-ever we booked our holiday, the weather would be bad. You know the score, work all year, have one holiday, and it rains all the time, is miserable and cold.

The summer of 1976 was known as the year of the long hot summer. The entire country basked in weeks of unbroken sunshine, temperatures soared, tarmac melted on the roads. It was also the year we went to Norfolk. Due to restrictions imposed on me by my work, I could not take a holiday until late in the summer. That just happened to be the week during which the weather broke. If I remember correctly it was during the Tuesday night when we were awakened by the crash of thunder, the flash of lightning and the soaking wet bed. We were staying in a wooden chalet, the timbers of which had shrunk in the prolonged heat creating gaps through which the rain now poured. The long hot summer of 1976 had come to an end.

One year we decided to buy a caravan and spent 2 weeks sitting inside it watching the rain through the windows. Did you know that it is possible to concentrate 12 months worth of arguments into a 2 week period. We returned home (not speaking) and sold the caravan. The following year we went to Greece.

That is all many years ago now and like I said at the beginning of this post, we somehow always manage to have good weather whenever we go away.

And speaking of the weather, today has been hot and sunny as was the weekend. Our local weekend forecast was for torrential rain and thunderstorms but none materialised where we were although they did appear in many other parts of the country.

The weather for the week ahead is said to be good, with high temperatures, apparently the start of the predicted summer heatwave in fact.

Oh and did I happen to mention,

We are on holiday this week !!!

Monday | Monday

2009-06-22T19:55:00.004+01:00

Today had a rather unusual start in as much as I stayed in bed until 9.30. Not only stayed in bed but actually slept. I woke a few times in the night, but merely turned over and went back to sleep. Any normal day sees me getting up at 5.00 or 6.00am and most of the night I will have been waking constantly and rearranging myself in an attempt to find some kind of comfortable position. Maybe my body decided I needed the beauty sleep.

Staying in bed until this late hour put me all behind with my normal Monday routine and today daughter "B" was going to visit because she had not been able to get over yesterday. Yesterday being Fathers day of course. She would be bringing with her our 2 youngest granddaughters known affectionately as the twiddlers (I will tell you more about them another day).

My other half, Mrs Pecker, left as usual to spend Monday with her sister and I made a belated start on my normal Monday routine which involves checking the bank, updating spreadsheets, paperwork etc etc. Shortly after I had started these tasks, my daughter phoned to say she had broken down and was stuck on Morrisons car park. Another plan goes to pot. We will go to her later in the week now.

Another routine I have developed lately is to stop for lunch at 12.15 and watch Bargain Hunt. The latest episodes I think are an improvement and show more of the contestants actually deciding what to buy and what is likely to make a profit, helped of course by their expert. Today I was somewhat dismayed to find they were screening a repeat. I then surmised this would probably be due to today being the first day of Wimbledon Fortnight. I turned over the bread under the grill and turned over the TV to BBC2 and decided to watch the tennis instead.

I did love to watch tennis at one time, but have not done so for quite a few years. I decided to watch today and thoroughly enjoyed it. A British 15 year old Laura Robson was playing Daniele Hantuchova. Although Laura put up a very good fight, Daniele was the winner. What I did not watch good enough was the toast, cremated again !!

Although this blasted arthritis stops me from doing many things and greatly affects my mobility, it is important that I do keep mobile as much as I can. It is so easy to stagnate and find excuses not to do things and that is what I have become guilty of. I am determined to get back to my regime of daily exercise as prescribed by a specialist I saw a while ago. Also, starting today I aim to resume swimming on a regular basis, it is one of the best forms of exercise for anybody.

Swimming? yes I have been this evening, so at least one thing has gone to plan

Beryl's KitKat

2009-06-18T18:37:00.003+01:00

I thought we were in need of some lighthearted relief so decided to retell the story of Beryl's Kitkat. I would point out that Beryl told me this story quite a few years ago and insisted that it was a true account of events that happened that day.

My stepmother Beryl at one time enjoyed a weekly girls shopping trip to Hanley with her daughter Lindi. Every Thursday would find them catching the bus into town, wandering around the shops in search of bargains then calling into a cafe before returning home. One particular week, Beryl embarked on the outing alone due to Lindi being otherwise engaged.

After sauntering around the shops which being alone did not seem to take up as much time as normal, she called into one of the cafes they often attended. Perhaps because she was earlier, it was much busier than usual, indeed there were not even any trays at the self service counter. This was no problem however because being on her own she only purchased a milky coffee and a Kitkat, the large 4 finger one.

Having paid the cashier she looked around to find that there were no tables completely free, so she made her way towards a small 2 seater table near the window that appeared to have more clear space than the rest. No clutter of plates, squashed chips or spilt peas. She did however pause as she made her approach upon seeing that the current occupant of the table was one of those "punk rockers". With no better alternative apparent, she took the seat opposite this spiky haired, black clothed, metal adorned individual.

Neither of them spoke or acknowledged each other, the lad just continuing to stare out of the window holding onto the cup containing the remaining half of his own drink. After the first refreshing mouthful of the milky coffee, Beryl picked up the Kitkat from the table, removed the outer wrapper, opened up the silver foil inside then broke off the first finger. Mmm she thought to herself as she savoured the first bite, she always did have a sweet tooth. She was then horrified to see the adolescent punk reach across, break off the second finger of Kitkat and proceed to eat it. Beryl was literally dumbstruck. She could not believe what she had just witnessed. She looked around to see if anyone had seen what had just happened but no one seemed to be looking in their direction.

Not quite sure how to react, or what may result if she said something, she calmly took another drink of her coffee then broke off the third finger from the chocolate biscuit and proceeded to eat that one replacing the remaining piece onto the table in front of her. In response, the punk picked up this last finger, stuffing it into his mouth, before screwing up the silver paper which he then placed very deliberately on the centre of the table, then walked out of the cafe. Beryl just stared after him as he left the establishment. She could scarcely believe what she had just witnessed. She was practically in a state of shock. What should she do?

Once more she looked about her expecting to see outraged bystanders willing to offer support, but again it seemed that all around, people were unaware of what had taken place. She drank what remained of the coffee in her cup, her mind in a turmoil. What should she do? Should she call for the manager? Should she speak with the cashier? Should she interrupt the conversations of those around her to make them aware of this bizarre event that she had just experienced?

Utterley bewildered by the whole event, she eventually made her way out of the cafe, stumbling and brushing aside people as she went. In somewhat of a daze she caught the bus and made her way home, unable to get what had happened out of her mind. The scene kept replaying over and over inside her head. How could the youth have behaved in such an arrogant outrageous manner, taking such advantage of a lady of advancing years, on her own and vulnerable.

Finally she had made the safety of her own home and it was with some relief that she now stood before her front door. It was as she reached into the coat pocket to retrieve her house keys that she discovered her own KitKat where she had placed it when at the counter of the cafe.

Sues Cabin: Knowsley Safari Park

2009-06-16T21:00:00.001+01:00

Sues Cabin: Knowsley Safari Park

Knowsley sounds fantastic, I have heard only good reviews about it. Why I have never been there I don't know because it is relatively close and easy to get there from the motorway. straight up the M6 then across to the west on the M62.

I do remember going to West Midlands Safari park many moons ago and driving through the monkey enclosure. I am not sure what species they actually were, but not baboons. I think Knowsley is the only park to have Baboons running free.

As I said my visit to WMSP was quite a few years back and I had at the time a Hillman Avenger that was a few years old, anyone remember them. It had a very trendy radio aerial on the rear wing of the car, or at least it did when I went in. I drove out of the enclosure dragging the aerial behind me on the wire.

When we were clear of the enclosure and I was able to get out of the car, I just snapped off the wire, threw the crumpled aerial into the boot and forgot about it. From then on I did not use the radio (No cd players in those days, it may have had a tape player but I cannot remember).

Some time after this incident someone drove into my car while it was parked up at work causing considerable damage along the full length of the offside. The culprit owned up and the car was able to be repaired on the other drivers insurance. If you have one half of a car resprayed it will not match the weathered paint work of the other side and so I paid some extra to have a full respray.

When I got the car back it looked great, it sparkled, shone like a new car again. I decide that what would make it complete would be a nice new shiny aerial. This I duly bought from the local accessory shop and decided to fit it without delay. I opened up the boot found the cable and connected it to the new aerial I then went to thread the aerial through the hole in the body work.

Where was the hole? Who had pinched the hole when my back was turned?

Apparently they made such a thorough job when they repaired the bodywork that they filled up the hole.

Ashes to Ashes

2009-06-09T10:22:00.003+01:00

Well one of my favourite shows, Ashes to Ashes, finished it's second series last night, but the story is not complete. This television drama starring Philip Glennister and Keeley hawes was a sequel to the equally brilliant Life on Mars which featured the character of Sam Tyler played by John Simm.

The first episode of the first series of Ashes to Ashes begins when DI Alex Drake is shot and finds herself in 1981. Here she comes face-to-face with DCI Gene Hunt, a relic of old-fashioned policing that she had read about in Sam Tyler's reports. Alex comes to believe she is in a coma and throughout the two series becomes confident she knows the rules of the game. Unfortunately for her the game seems to change with each twist and turn but she must find a way back. She must return to be with her daughter Molly.

What is DCI Gene Hunts' postion in all this? Alex suspects that he may know more than he ever lets on. Does he know the reason she is here? Does he know the truth about what happened to Sam Tyler?

The final episode ends on a cliffhanger with Alex being shot again and returning to the present day. We see her in a hospital bed as she awakes from the coma and is reunited with Molly. Just as we think that the nightmare is over for Alex and she can regain her life we are witness to another turn of events.

Molly leaves Alex to rest but as she lies in the hospital bed she begins to get flashbacks of Gene Hunt and the crew. Visions of her days in the past. Gene is calling her, begging her not to leave, he wants her back, he is calling her, calling Bolly, dragging her back again.

You will be glad to know - well I was anyway - that a third and final series of Ashes to Ashes has been commissioned for next year. Filming will begin in the autumn and Ashes to Ashes will return to BBC1 in 2010.

The next and final series promises to finally “reveal all” about who Gene Hunt really is and what his alternative world means.

So will we learn why Alex is living in this parrallel 1980's world, what actually happened to Sam Tyler and what will become of Gene Hunt? Executive producer Simon Crawford Collins is quoted as saying "Viewers will not be left disappointed because the series promises to finish with a bang!”

For me that is something to look forward to in 2010 - Ashes to Ashes - The end !!

On This Day

2009-05-14T20:42:00.005+01:00

May 14th On This Day
1879 - Thomas Edison incorporated the Edison Telephone Company of Europe.
1897 - Guglielmo Marconi made the first communication by wireless telegraph.
2009 - Telecommunications company BT Group PLC said Thursday it expects to cut another 15,000 jobs in the next year after its Global Services division dragged the company to a fourth quarter loss of nearly 1 billion pounds.

And The Survey Says

2009-05-10T10:30:00.007+01:00

In a week when Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said she never wants to be leader, - well quite frankly who would actually want the job? - China tells officials to smoke more cigarettes, and Adidas profits fall by 96%, there are some interesting facts produced by surveys.

These are genuine - honest;

Apparently the results of one survey conclude that food and fuel cost more in motorway service stations than in supermarkets.

A second survey revealed the fact that since the opening of the new Severn Bridge, there has been less traffic using the old bridge.

Also if people work at home, there will be less traffic on the roads.

And the Survey Says:
In response to viewing these amazing statistics, I have carried out my own survey of surveys and found that 95% of surveys state the bleeding obvious.

____________

Happy Birthday Mini

2009-05-09T20:51:00.006+01:00

Also last week we wished a Happy Birthday to the Mini. I am of course referring to the car and not the mini skirt, that would come slightly later. It is however the mini car that celebrated it's 50th Birthday last week.

Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Corporation, it made it's debut to the Great British public in 1959. Everything about it was revolutionary, from the transverse engine and front wheel drive, to the mini-malistic (I just thought of that one)interior and the bare cockpit sporting a single huge centrally mounted speedometer. The mini was fast, economical, small, nippy, easy to park and superb to drive.

In 1959 I was just eight years old but I do vaguely recall being aware of it's birth because I was interested in cars and was an avid reader of everything to do with motors and motor sport. I drove many cars and won many races at that time in my imagination. But it would be a few years later that I became more aware of the mini and of all that made it the iconic motor car of the swinging 60's.

The mini had an appeal that reached out to everyone from housewives to the Beatles. Pop stars, fashion models, footballers, movie stars, celebrities and even politicians all had to have one. Except of course me. Although I obtained my driving licence in 1968 I would not own one within this decade. I did however have a good friend who with the help of a rather "well off" daddy had a mini-cooper. That was an awesome piece of mechanical wizardry. It could fly like a bullet and stick to the road like glue. Because the original minis were so close to the ground it was like hurtling across the ground on a turbo charged tea tray.

The performance of the mini was so outstanding that it soon became the star of the race track, blowing away the opposition at Brands Hatch and Silverstone and dominating the rally scene for many years.

During these 50 years of it's existence, I have owned (as well as I can remember) four of these cars. the first would have been at some time in the late 70's when I purchased a 1964 model from Silverdale car auctions for £20. I also had a white mini countryman (a sort of estate model) in which it was impossible to engage first gear. I could quite easily pull away in second gear but I had to be mindful not to stop on a hill.

The last mini I bought was a sort of mustard colour and had an automatic gearbox which was a bit of a rarity. I bought this one for my wife, unfortunately she did not like it and soon asked me to get rid of it. It may have been something to do with the large yellow sun flowers adorning the bodywork that she did not like. She said she was concious of people staring at her as she drove past.

Happy Birthday Mini !!!

Bob Dylan | Together Through Life

2009-05-04T20:46:00.002+01:00

Bob Dylan made a return to the top of the album chart with "Together Through Life" and set a new world record. This latest release, has reached the number one spot 38 years and five months after his last chart-topper, New Morning, in 1970.

At the grand age of 67, the infamous American singer-songwriter now holds the record for the longest gap between solo number one albums.

Apparently it was Tom Jones who held the previous record for the longest gap between number one albums. His 1999 Reload album went to number one more than 31 years after Delilah way back in 1968.

Just a Blank Monday

2009-04-28T19:37:00.009+01:00

Following such a lovely weekend, yesterdays outlook as I peered out of the window at 05.00 was decidedly grim. It looked cold and wet out there, so different from the blue skies and sunshine of the day before. This change may well have been predicted, but I seldom look at weather forecasts due to their frequent inaccuracies.

My reaction to the sight and sound of rain beating against the tempered glass of the window was simple. I closed the blinds, made a cup of tea and settled into a comfortable position on the settee. I took the first pills of the day, an unfortunate necessity which along with the analgesic patch bring me some relief from the pain. Sometimes I manage to drift into a light sleep at this point, but not today, I seemed to have too many useless thoughts spinning around inside my head.

Eventually I started to feel somewhat better as the medication began to have some effect and so made another cup of tea (we English and our tea) then went upstairs to log on and check my emails. Of course having become a Twitter, I just had to take a look at Twitter first, see who has been twittering, have read of all the messages, see if I have any more followers. I bid everyone a good morning then poised with fingers above keyboard awaiting signals from brain, but the old brain was blank.

I did all my Monday morning sort of stuff, checking the bank account, statements, bills, spreadsheets etc., etc. fetched prescriptions, put the bin out then went back to Twitter - still blank.

I had two important letters to write today, important that is to the people concerned. I could not think of what to say. I could not even start to write the beginning, I certainly did not know how it was going to end and there were no thoughts for the bit in the middle. Total blank.

Monday afternoon I had set aside for writing (wouldn't you just know it), my birding blog was falling behind, I had some spreadsheets that I had promised to design and I was falling behind with changes to the Flights India website. I had calls to make,but did not make them because in my mind I did not know what I was going to say. I had so much I was trying to do today but in fact I was achieving nothing. Everything had the same outcome, the same result, just Blank!

Instead of brain waves my head was filled with a stormy ocean, swirling around inside my skull, tossing my thoughts about like a stricken vessel lost in this turmoil of raging seas. Nothing would be achieved today, eventually I admitted defeat and gave up.

Calm was restored later. A soak in the bath, followed by Ashes to Ashes on the telly provided an escape from reality. I took my last pills of the day with a cup of Horlicks ( I know it sounds old fashioned but I have come to like it) then off to bed. I lay thinking of the day, all the things I had tried to do and failed to achieve and then my mind... gently.... drifted..... off....... away....... b l a n k .....

Twitter

2009-04-28T16:54:00.000+01:00

I signed up to Twitter last week. Or was it the week before, I'm not sure, time seems to go so fast these days.

A look at Life With The Woodpecker

2009-04-28T16:50:00.002+01:00

Here we go again. Following a few false starts with the old Blogging caper I have decided on a fresh start with a brand new Blog.

This is it.