Sunday, May 30, 2010

Fares Please !

It's not often I see an old fashioned red London bus outside where I live so of course, I have to take a couple of photos!



Dennis

Actors come and go these days and only the few become legends, to me Dennis Hopper was one of those few who reach legend status. Dennis Hopper died yesterday after a battle with prostate cancer, aged 74. In the movie True Romance he features along side Christoper Walken in my most favourite film scene ever, I think I may have posted it in a blog before but I'm also going to post it again in tribute. He was a larger than life character who has done some classic films and he's done some turkey's too. He wasn't just an actor, he was a painter, a sculptor and lover of photography. Right now, I'm going to sit back and indulge in my favourite movie scene, Dennis you'll be missed!


Monday, May 24, 2010

Weddings

Weddings eh? They come, they go, a short window of revelry and sign of commitment and love. Have I ever come close to being married? The simple answer is no, not really. Would I ever get married? Well maybe but it would be a low key affair, a few close friends and probably a secular humanist partnership ceremony at that, no church for me thanks.

During my life I've been to weddings aplenty, even my own parents, though I hadn't yet popped out to introduce myself to the wide world. I know people that got married early and are now divorced. Someone I know recently got married, a whirlwind affair seemingly that left me wondering. I have to confess to being cynical when it comes to marriage, I saw my parents marriage crumble over a few years and it wasn't pretty. My dad got married again and divorced again and vows never to marry again.

I consider my friends Dave and Gary as probably my two closest friends, Dave has been married twice, both whirlwind romances, I didn't go to either wedding because of my personal view (something that's never sat right between us since). Gary married in Hong Kong, I muse to if it has tamed him or just made him more determined to party hard when away from the Mrs, the lines are fudged really.

Weddings to me are self indulgent affairs, a show of vanity, a stroking of ego's - a day in the limelight and that is pretty much it. I've never been able to get excited about weddings on any level really, which is why I tend to avoid them if possible.

That said I could never be so sure as to rule it out forever but I think the chance of me living with someone is more likely, that said I can be a solitary creature, though for the right person I'm sure I'd work at it. A friend put weddings on the same par with funerals yesterday, and reflecting back I can't remember a wedding I actually enjoyed. Oh come to think of it I did like the wedding of Ming the Merciless and Dale Arden in the movie 'Flash' : -

"Do you Ming the Merciless, ruler of the universe take this Earthling Dale Arden to be your Empress of the hour? "

"Of the hour, yes"

"Do you promise to use her, and not to blast her into space until you grow weary of her?"

"I do"

Class !!!

And now some readers will think I am a miserable git, oh well. I should add, anyone happily married, getting married etc should treat this just as a personal opinion, not a sweeping statement!

Friday, May 14, 2010

A Bit Of Self Realisation

As week's go, this one hasn't been easy. On reflection though, lessons have been learned, perhaps ones that needed to be learned too. My first accident in the car, my beloved 'Nell' has woke me up to the fact I have been to complacent, too cavalier in my driving of late. The fact is I have improved as a driver, and in instances when I have my old man in the car beside me I want to demonstrate that but ... there is a point where confidence crosses into folly.

Fortunately the accident was no big deal, very minor cosmetic damage to both cars. I'm not sure who was at real fault but it brought it home to me just because I am in familiar territory it doesn't mean I should let my guard down. What surprised me was how calm I was, how I dealt with it. I was more concerned initially about the other guy where I guess back in the day I would have been ready to wage war for far, far less. I'm a lot more measured these days, I don't anger easy like I did in my confused youth.

However after I decided to take a more business like approach to insurance and things but not after first being reasonable, as I write this blog I hope I am not tempting fate by saying nothing seems to have happened, both myself and the other party involved seem to have resigned ourselves to the fact if was no big deal and have rectified our own damages.

The following morning my fridge died, almost as if to throw karma in my face for later taking a defensive stance with my insurance just in case I was about to be shafted for such a petty incident. Then yesterday I thought my washer had died on me as well, fortunately it hasn't and it seemed to be fine this morning, yesterday probably being down to me overloading the washing machine drum on one side with a pillow.

The selfish fact this week was I was worried about money, it was the factor in all my thoughts, the notion that if the other guy decides to try and take me to the cleaners with my insurance I'd lose my no claims bonus for what was basically a scuffed bumper for him. As I'd bought a new sofa that day that added to my financial concern not to mention the need for a new fridge. On top of all that June looks set to be a busy month, weddings, Gary is back from Hong Kong and a plethora of other social engagements and activities.

Last night I went to play the board game 'Risk' with some friends as we usually do of a Thursday evening. I wasn't going to go, so despondent did I feel when I thought the washer had given up on me that I suspect I'd be bad company, however I really did need to escape the confines of my flat. I'm glad I do go, the company was as always excellent and Billy's theatrics , voices and prose made me smile again.

So on to the real message of this blog and why I felt compelled to type it. Tonight I watched 'How to live a simple life' (Friday BBC2 9pm) with Peter Owen Jones. I think he did something called around the world in 80 faiths some time ago, basically Peter is a parish vicar on the south coast. Firstly I have to say I am a secular humanist and not a man of faith but Peter isn't a man that constantly rams home the holy message, far from it, he's quite the humanist in his ideals. The program was basically about Peter walking 200 odd miles from Sussex to Devon living in the footsteps of St Francis, carrying no money and begging for food and shelter to complete strangers. It was a compelling piece of television and I felt humbled as I watched Peter on his arduous journey, all he had to rely on was the generosity and selflessness of others.

It hit home to me about how during this week how much I have thought and worried about money and how important it is to have friends and loved ones that give their help without question. I'm not sure I would want to embark on an adventure such as Peters but I wish I could have an adventure or road trip of sorts to give me that fire back. I seem to be lacking zest and enthusiasm for life of late. I've learned a bit about myself this week, some good, some bad and some being the odd bit of self revelation.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Dynamic Duo !

So Brown went last night, with dignity. Cameron is in No.10 with Clegg as deputy. Today I watched the 30 so minute Cameron/Clegg press conference in the gardens behind 10 Downing street in which they said they are new united coalition. I have to say, they looked good together, and despite the doom and gloom brigade constantly reminding us of yesteryear (not just you either Pat) I think they may have just changed British politics forever, possibly for the better. Yes, I am optimistic, and why shouldn't I be? In fact why shouldn't others be, after all, this was how the vote panned out, nobody won with a gaping majority, and neither do we have a majority controlling parliament, so as a nation we basically will reap what we sow.

Politics has changed over the last few days, times change, people change and where the nation moved forward under Blair when he took over, I suspect we will move forward again. It's a coalition that looks charged and ready to go, ignore the naysayers and merchants of pessimism and give them a deserved chance without hanging onto fetters of the past. There may be cuts, and it could well get worse before it gets better but with team work and a seemingly new found dynamism, hopefully something may come out of this coalition.

yours optimistically


A Hobbit in the Midlands

Sunday, May 09, 2010

On It Goes

The talks go on, Clegg and Cameron have spoken by phone and in person, a clandestine meeting was arranged following the VE day commemoration. Brown like a barnacle clings on, neither voted in the first time, nor this time either, yet ironically still prime minister. Let's hope he goes soon.

Friday, May 07, 2010

Hung !

So then, a hung parliament. A huge shift to Conservative with Labour losing 90 something seats yet the Conservatives didn't get the magic number of 326 seats for a majority. Clegg of the Lib Dem's now chatting to Cameron, lots of talk of reform for the electoral system. I kind of hope Clegg and Cameron do a deal, and Brown goes.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Almost Election Time.

So, we are mere hours away from the general election and by this stage I am thinking everyone wants to vote and get it over with. I don't recall any other election with this much media coverage or hype (one sided coverage if you're part of Murdoch media of course).

The good old BBC has come through with impartial coverage, though one has to wonder if the Tories get in how much pressure the BBC will actually be under.

Anyway, on to my final thoughts and what really matters to me, what I want out of it all.

It's evident that politics is more centred these days, gone are the days of gulf's between left and right politics, sure you still have more extreme smaller parties but the main three seem very mainstream these days, as if none want to do anything to challenge convention. The irony is a time will come where a party in the future will have to deal with tough decisions as problems in our social fabric become more prevalent and out of control.

My dad said to me many years ago when I was old enough to vote that 'Any working class man should always vote Labour' and after all that time that statement has hung in my head, I will always agree with it.

Sadly I am not a fan of Gordon Brown but neither will I heap the whole of the worlds and this country problems squarely on his shoulders, because quite simply it's not all his fault. Blair irked me towards the end, I was glad he went, Brown seemed capable at first but slowly and surely he was destroyed by the press whilst the Tory party slowly but surely - rebuilt. It's all about faces these days, people are gullible and taken in by the media too much, unable to think beyond what they are told by it. Most people tomorrow will be voting Tory simply because after a few pints in the local they will be able to shout 'Yay for the Tories, I voted for the winners'.

On reflection I have much to thank Labour for. My swift surgery on the magnificent NHS, that gave me a new lease of life. Benefits I was paid whilst sick. And generally not a bad standard of living.

Tomorrow I think I can pretty much guess on what the results may be, and unfortunately I can't see Labour winning, Mr Brown sadly isn't charismatic enough for the press, and as it becomes evident our election process is becoming more American and about personalities then he obviously has a face that doesn't fit. That said, not all has been good with labour, they've made some genuine mistakes and done things very badly at times, they've also had some bad luck too. There's some complacency in there as well, some bad personnel etc. I think if they lose the election they need to go away, restructure and reinvent themselves once again, and come back better, stronger with a new face at the head of the party. How will Cameron or Clegg fare if they win, I don't really know but Brown I feel, although coming across inept at times does have more experience.

Having read chunks of all the main party manifesto's its all pretty much generic stuff, either using the other parties old practices and expanding upon them or along similar sounding themes.

All I want in my heart is for the NHS to go on, it is something I feel passionate to my very core about, as it has rescued me health wise on many occasions, from my eyesight to shiny new hip joints.

I want to see safer streets, instead of gangs of cowardly thugs seemingly roaming them at will causing all sorts of problems for all ages. Society needs to get tough because this problem will only grow with time.

I want to see honesty and fair dealing with politicians, banks and corporations.

I want to see industry grow again and jobs created, things to be built here once again.

I want to see arts and culture flourish, peoples abilities celebrated, our national esteem to rise.

I want a secular society, and no involvement at all from the church.

I want less European involvement in our affairs, and I definitely don't want to see the Euro replace the Pound.

Less encouragement/advertising for companies or websites that lend money to people that really can't afford it.

Good education for all.

All in all, I don't really want much, just society to improve and not decline, like it seems to slowly be doing.

Come the morning, I will be there early to vote, probably 7am as I have to go into Nottingham soon after. I will probably have to tactical vote tomorrow, such is our voting system here, which radically needs to be changed.

Till tomorrow then!

Chinese Comments

For some reason I keep getting Chinese comments, in Chinese, so I am clueless to their content. As much as I love China and all things Chinese, comments or links in Chinese will NOT be approved on this blog - ever.

Thanks for your interest.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Bottesford

I didn't realise how close this lovely little place was to me. Bottesford is about 20 minutes or so south of where I live, situated in the vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, though it must be just over the border as I'm in Nottinghamshire of course.

Bottesford is a domesday village that before the Norman conquest had Danish-Saxon-Norse occupants, given the village names nearby. There's evidence of a medieval settlement there too. Though it was a farming area the Grantham canal was built through the parish in the 1790's and railway stations opened in 1850 and 1879 . Most of the village formed part of the Duke of Rutland estate till after the first world war. Later in 1920 Bottesford became a tourist attraction when on May Bank holiday of that year 700 people visited the village by train.

During world war 2 there was an airbase constructed in 1941 and Bottesford claims the dubious distinction of being the last place in Britain to be bombed, on March 20th 1945.

On Market street in the village is the Bull Inn, probably the oldest pub building in the village. It was once run by Olga Healey, sister of Stan Laurel and Laurel and Hardy did indeed visit the pub in 1955. There's lots more history to Bottesford, it's a lovely peaceful place and very typical of a middle England quaint village, it's well worth a look if you're in this neck of the woods.