Oh Dear !

Yesterday Prime Minister Gordon Brown saw his election campaign wagon derailed by a pensioner, Mrs Gillian Duffy, on her way to fetch a loaf of bread. The fault of course wasn't Mrs Duffy who asked very pertinent questions, largely about state pensions and benefits relating to herself, though she later asked, in one sentence 'Where are all these East Europeans flocking from?'

The Prime Minister handled the conversation very well, answering all her questions and basically his chat ended with the life long labour voter concluding she would again vote labour. Good television indeed you'd think.

So, Mr Brown should have been pleased, he should have got in his car and thought 'chalk that one up as a success in front of the cameras but sadly he decided to call her 'A bigot'. Personally I didn't see anything bigot related in the exchange, she questioned a relevant issue that people feel affected by. Instead though, Mr Brown wasn't pleased, he asked who picked the woman for him to chat too and claimed she was a bigot, all caught on microphone. Oh dear!

Now, we all say things like that, especially in the workplace, we vent our opinions of others after certain events, it's only human to release stress or frustration in such a way, so I don't think Mr Brown was being nasty or vindictive, though it did raise questions, many questions.

The main one being, how much is the Prime Minister in touch with 'real' people and issues? For years labour have been avoiding issues on immigration, admitting they haven't monitored figures and many other issues I could dredge up. When I've seen Labour minister Phil Woolas interviewed in the past he has often avoided many pressing issues seemingly, it's almost like the immigration issue is taboo at times.

Personally my opinion of immigration has softened, I ask myself what direct harm has it done to me?, and the answer is none at all. For the last few months I have worked with immigrants at a homeless centre in Nottingham and this has given me more of an open viewpoint into things. Also I've made a couple of friends nearer to home, Polish and Hungarian which has been rewarding and insightful. This all said, I still feel immigration needs tighter controls and monitoring. Whilst I can see why people use the centre in Nottingham, and the benefit it gives them, I can't help thinking they'd be better in their own country with support and family, as we don't have an extended structure here to deal with homeless immigrants, plus we have many of our own sadly. As a human being though I will help anyone, and that is how I see my work, helping a fellow human being, so I put any political issues aside, that is for the politicians to deal with.

A friend of mine raised the good point of what if someone from the BNP or UKIP parties said something similar to Mrs Duffy on camera, then they would be labelled 'bigots' immediately, and he is right. But, many people support those parties, and so would disagree with him, saying any comment was relevant. The difference is that people expect challenging comments from the BNP et al, it's expected, it's what they do. They are parties with direct goals, that appeal to certain people within this nation, Mrs Duffy, as a pensioner was more bothered about her pension payments and benefits than immigrants, she made a comment, and in truth who hasn't seen a change in communities because of immigration, it doesn't mean to say (as we are generally tolerant as a country) that we dislike them.

I suspect the whole immigration thing will come full circle in time, look at history from the middle ages onwards, Norman Barons, Flemish weavers, Jewish money lenders, later you had Irish after the famine, the commonwealth influx when we had labour shortages in the 50s, and so on. Now we have the east Europeans, seemingly in waves, the Polish came, many are going back, some have settled. Next it seems to be the Romanians and Hungarians, I suspect the pattern will be the same. What the above all have in common though, is when things are bad on the home front (which they are), is that we blame the minority, as we have done in history. That I suspect is why Mrs Duffy made her comment, but we have to consider that change doesn't come easy for some and there are issues regarding immigration.

Getting back to Mr Browns silly comment, well he did the decent thing, he apologised (like he had any choice?) and said he misunderstood Mrs Duffy, which is complete rubbish. It raises earlier questions about his temperament within the press, and to be clear here, Mr Brown did say later on BBC radio 2 that he thought the question was 'annoying'. Though I said earlier we all make mistakes like that in life, we often have the time to make amends, Mr Brown unfortunately doesn't have that time in the run up to the election.

The press of course have made a big deal about it, the Murdoch press will do anyway, but they should also be addressing Mrs Duffy's other conversation items other than immigration which was ironically the least mentioned.

The press were also eager to report Boris Johnson talking to 'chaotic' crowds yesterday, talking to all and sundry and even speaking Polish to impress immigrants, which is always going to look good, though talking to the public on camera is always a gamble I guess, you just have to have the savvy, which sadly I feel Mr Brown lacks.

The press have slowly crucified Mr Brown since he's been in office, and we can't squarely blame him for the financial mess, it's a world affair. I've always voted Labour, had socialist ideals but now we mainly have central politics over direct left and right, political parties look more generic than ever and it is more about personality than party these days, but then look at great leaders of the semi recent past, and its often individuals that have the more profound impact. I'm still not sure who to vote for, and the last debate is almost upon us, can Brown swing it around?

And for the pendantics and a bit of fun, the definition and history of 'bigot'

bigotn bigot [ˈbigət]a person who constantly and stubbornly holds a particular point of view etc (nothing constant or stubborn about what Mrs Duffy said).

History ....

Bigots may have more in common with God than one might think. Legend has it that Rollo, the first duke of Normandy, refused to kiss the foot of the French king Charles III, uttering the phrase bi got, his borrowing of the assumed Old English equivalent of our expression by God. Although this story is almost surely apocryphal, it is true that bigot was used by the French as a term of abuse for the Normans, but not in a religious sense. Later, however, the word, or very possibly a homonym, was used abusively in French for the Beguines, members of a Roman Catholic lay sisterhood. From the 15th century on Old French bigot meant "an excessively devoted or hypocritical person." Bigot is first recorded in English in 1598 with the sense "a superstitious hypocrite."

Centurion

So, it was off to Nottingham today, to Cineworld, a cinema in the city centre I'd never visited before to see Neil Marshall's new movie 'Centurion'. Having loved Mr Marshall's past movie 'Doomsday' and the period of history Centurion was set in, it's fair to say I was looking forward to the event.

Was I let down? Hell no, it was an amazing Romano/British period romp, lashings of action, a simple story and great actors that didn't ham it up. I like Michael Fassbender and Dominic West anyway, but the supporting cast were all damn good. Without any spoilers the story is simple, it's the story of the Roman 9th Legion (legendary handy dudes) that go up into Scotland (Or Pictland as it was then) to kick arse, and basically have their fortunes reversed, leaving a handful of desperate survivors to get back behind their own lines, and safety.

The plot is simple, there's no complicated sub plots which just let's you sit back and enjoy what is a solid little movie, with some amazing visuals, and some very scary (yet sexy) Scots in pursuit of the survivors. It's not often I enthuse about movies these days but this one is bloody good, 'bloody' being a descriptive word for the film. It's all filmed outdoors and no green screen stuff techno stuff, and I believe it was all filmed on location in the north of England/Scotland.

What vexes me is that my local cinema advertised it (Reel Cinema) then it vanished off their playlist for the following week. It also wasn't on locally at Mansfield or Lincoln either, so why are we not promoting great British films? My local cinema would rather have the now jaded Alice in Wonderland on for another week, surely it can't be taking any money by now?! It just doesn't add up, had they shown this 'Centurion' for a week, I am sure they being a multi screen affair would have made on it.

Anyway, great movie, story, cast - and thanks Neil Marshall for another great film.

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Sleaford

These photos are about 3 weeks old now, so still look a bit wintery, though the day was actually quite nice. Been past Sleaford many a time on my way to the coast but never actually stopped off to have a nosey around. It's a nice little place so I will drive over there in the near future again to explore further.

And so, The Election

So Gordon Brown has gone to see Lizzy (that's the Queen by the way) and got parliament dissolved for a May 6th election. I'm undecided at the point who to vote for, traditionally I have always voted Labour, however this time I am not so sure. Politics seems very generic these days with little distinction between right and left, it's all very moderate and about personalities.

One things for sure, it'll be interesting, so the stage is set, the die is cast, let the mummers enact their destiny.

Proud

Last night I attended the charity night for remembering Russell Speed (Big Russ) and raising money for MacMillan cancer support. At the time of writing this blog I am unaware how much was raised exactly but the last I'd heard it was over £1,000.

It was an excellent evening, two great bands and a packed pub. There was a real sense of community, throngs of laughter and heaps of generosity.

I've had friends pass away before but none have been so fondly and fittingly remembered as Big Russ was last night.

The staff of the Fox and Crown deserve a special mention, they worked tirelessly all night to make it such a great evening, it's a fantastic pub with genuine people both friends and staff alike.

Everyone concerned should be proud of themselves for raising money and honouring Big Russ!

Persecution, I Don't Think So

The Sunday Telegraph ran an article yesterday called 'Britain is persecuting Christians'. The article tells how 640 prominent figures (mainly teachers and religious leaders) have signed a letter stating that teaching sex education in schools to minors is undermining morals etc. They are also aggrieved at recent cases where they state christians have been seemingly persecuted or discriminated in the work place. They are calling upon the government to drop legislation regards teaching sex education to pupils as young as seven, stating they need a childhood first as one example. Whilst I am inclined to agree children do need a childhood I also think they need to be aware of adult issues too, especially in today's modern society where media and television exposure only leaves kids asking questions at an early age anyway.

Back when I was at school I recall my parents tentatively telling me the basics, I suspect it was probably awkward for them, in school I don't think we got the official lowdown till about age twelve, by which time we all knew about 'how babies are made' and just sat there giggling nervously as the teacher prattled on but this was the late seventies after all.

Firstly I think in today's society you can certainly structure how it is introduced to young curious minds. In later years of course you can introduce the safe sex elements, which I suspect is pretty much how they handle it anyway these days.

Of course, if religious or faith leaders had it their way there'd be none of it, we'd be filling young minds with nonsense about Adam and Eve and big storks coming alone bringing bundles of joy. As a species of course we are driven to procreate, you reach puberty and all hell breaks loose in your mind and your body, if matters aren't understood then of course accidents occur, as they did back in the day so to speak when conceptions happened at early ages for a lot of women. These of course were women that had to endure shame, hand the baby over to elders or strangers and loads of other horror story scenarios. When asked why they'd had a baby so young the majority would plead ignorance as regards sex, so would males, after all it was a taboo subject. Most people had to find their own way forward sexually, gaining information either by experience first hand or by asking others shyly in confidence.

Thankfully we've moved on, sex isn't such a 'difficult' subject anymore, so explaining what is a perfectly natural act shouldn't really be a big deal, however we do need to be sensible about the approach and application of it. Emphasis in this day and age needs to be on the pitfalls of having children at an early age and the dangers of unprotected sex.

What I am really saying is young minds need to be open and not closed at an early age so things become understood.

As for people being discriminated in the workplace because of their faith, all I have to say is that firms and companies do have ethical frameworks and rules in place but that's the nature of the beast in the workplace anyway, rules vary from place to place. Whilst I personally would have no problem with anyone wearing a crucifix I can also see why organisations take a neutral line on religion, it just makes things easier. I don't think there's any prejudice against christians like they state, sure, exceptions may have been made for some faiths, Sikh's wearing turbans being the obvious one that comes to mind but this really isn't new. The work place should be a religious free zone except for issues of common sense. The place of work and the place of belief and worship need to be kept separate. You wouldn't talk (as we say in Britain) 'shop' in church, neither do you want someone rambling on about religion and morals in the work place.

Personally I am glad we are more open these days as a society and that the Sunday school mentality is beginning to fade, the truth of the matter is that christians are losing the grip they had in bygone days, when ignorance was preferred and sex was something muttered about whilst looking around cautiously.

Friendships

I've always been a person that takes friendships seriously, though that said in all honesty I have very few close friends. At the start of this year I pondered the friends situation and decided to strengthen some of the friendships I have. There's no really easy way you can do this apart from just being honest and straight with people and of course giving them more of your time and be more understanding of them. Personally, sometimes I do myself no favours, I can be brusque at times, maybe arrogant to some, and I don't think people always get my humour. I also have a habit of speaking my mind, though these days I do generally tend to think more before I do so.

The good thing over the first quarter of this year is that I do feel I have improved several friendships with people. I think the recent passing of my friend Russ has also made people closer in the community I socialise with, I suspect a good few of us have been reflective of our friendships with each other.

I do think it's hard to strengthen some bonds, people have different outlooks or allegiances and some people can be judgemental at times, including myself, which is why I decided to try and be more accepting of others this year, to try harder in general.

Fortune has favoured on me since I moved here and I've made some good friends, though there's the odd one or two that I feel haven't really accepted me into the fold just yet. Recently I've connected with some old school friends and that feels good, hopefully I will see more of them and catch up about the past (cringe!!!) in the coming months.

One thing is for sure though, as I get older I increasingly realise how important good friends are.

Street Sage

I've been enjoying my weekly jaunts to the Nottingham project immensely of late, it's good to experience a change of scenery and new sights and sounds, though I like my little town, but sometimes it can be a little mundane at times, if only through familiarity.

This Wednesday gone by, I awoke feeling very fatigued. The night before had witnessed the onset of a cold, aches, sniffles and the usual heavy feeling around the nose and forehead. Part of me wanted to call the day off, recline back into bed and seek solace in the warmth of my quilt but with a great effort I clambered out of bed groaning loudly as the cold engulfed my skin. The usual morning routine followed, kettle on, wash, clean teeth, switch PC on and check emails and sit and wake with a cup of Earl Grey and a mint flavoured Kit-Kat.

My cold was seriously encroaching upon my well being, my nose running like an out of control freight train and every limb had a gnawing icy ache. I didn't want to miss Nottingham, plus I wanted to put some posters up of a friends band in a couple of music shops there as his band is playing an unsigned bands music festival this Sunday in Birmingham. So armed with some pain killers, tissues and hobbit like resolve I wearily marched off into the new day.

The day passed pretty rapidly, I was on my own for a while at the project in the morning but joined by others later, there were a couple of amusing events and some really interesting (though a few odd) people drop into the project during the course of the day. At 3pm I was on my way, heading back to Nottingham train station albeit at snail's pace, sniffling with cold and cursing my aching bones.

It was then I decided to try to reach out and connect with the city. Now this next bit may seem bizarre, so bear with me but it's something that is kind of like an extension to my psychotherapy training , an idea of sorts put into practice and form by letting go to your surroundings or 'Street Saging' as I've nicknamed it.

Still with me? How does it work? I'm as mad as a hatter you say?

Well, the secret to it is simply like an extended empathy with your immediate surroundings, a case of active listening, people watching whilst shutting your own thoughts down to reach out and connect with others around you. I know, it's hard to take on board but the secret is using the vibe of the city as a kind of conduit to extend yourself out and actively try and feel how others around you are feeling. Of course body language is essential but I've found I can also reach out when listening to music on the ipod too. I think its something like 80% of all communication is done via body language, it's something we can all read and understand, sometimes its evident and sometimes it's more sublime but we can all understand it and read it to varying levels, more so actively examine it if know what you are looking for. There's nothing hard or complex about street saging, it's basically people watching in it's base form, it's just I feel that a little more knowledge and awareness does help you see and feel more of what's out there.

As I was really tired it wasn't hard to mute my own thoughts and try and connect with what was going on around me. I saw an Indian guy, smartly dressed but looking lost and lonely, he aimless wandered gazing around as he did so, trying to connect with someone or perhaps hoping to see someone he knew. He was short like me, had large eyes and in truth looked a little odd, it occurred to me that because of the way he looked he had possibly suffered rejection by people of his own community, though this of course is only speculation, as I try to fathom why he looked so forlorn. In truth of course I'll never know but I could sense he felt alone and a part of me wanted to reach out and say 'you don't have to feel lonely mate, let's have a coffee and a chat but as we all know you can't just go marching up to people, it's just kind of how you'd want it to be in an ideal open world, but alas it's not. I could have been wrong about him but my feelings were there all the same, it's just the empathy feeding back to you.

As I walked on I saw other people, a guy walking with a bad limp, probably due to some deformity or accident, he seemed to avoid gazing at people, he looked down and ambled on almost shutting the outside world out, as if he wanted to get from A to B without noticed or ridiculed. Several people in and I was lost with thoughts and feelings of others detached from your own personal stuff, I'd forgotten my cold completely as more and more I was drawn into people around me, not so much staring but just taking a glimpse and you stroll past and taking on board how they look to be feeling.

In some ways my heart sank, there seemed to be a lot of lonely lost souls that day, I mused to myself many things such as 'do they have many friends, where do they live, are they just wallflowers that want to let the world pass them by, simple because it's easier that way?'

As I journeyed home on the train I felt emotional inside, whilst cities can be infectious and exciting places they can also be sad and lonely, not because of the obvious candidates such as down and outs, big issue vendors and such but simply because of how sad the average man or woman in the street can look and how alone and vulnerable they seem to be.

Street saging doesn't have to be so depressing, though it's good to be aware that others around you can be sad, it's good to notice vulnerabilities and try and understand them. There's times when I have let go and street saged only to be lifted by others around me, small children laughing or having wonder in their eyes. Lovers embracing, having just met up after being apart, old people holding hands having been married for decades and simply people smiling to one another. I put my thoughts to a friend briefly last night and he say he understood completely where I was coming from, I'm sure others understand my angle too.

When I look at people I always see optimism, and hope inside that despite the fact they are looking sad, tomorrow they may well be feeling happy or turning a corner better things. If only more people tried being human more often, forgetting personal thoughts and reaching out with empathy - can you imagine how much a better world it would be?

Malta

Sometimes when you are really ready for a holiday you perhaps subconsciously place your hopes on wanting it to be good. I think I did that prior to my recent holiday to Malta, as it turns out it wasn't a bad holiday (though not amazing either), it was a welcome respite from the cold weather, time to think and reflect and time to have a bit of fun.

Arriving at Luton airport and checking in I was worried about the weather, the clouds were heavy and full of snow and as my dad had recently had a holiday at Christmas cancelled due to the bad weather I was on tenterhooks. We queued for the check in and just happened to be behind a female Maltese volleyball team, each and everyone stunning looking, my spirits began to rise. So we boarded the plane and the heavens cascaded with snow, not good. Seat belts on we nervously waited, time dropped off the clock slowly, a lorry with some kind of jet wash hurriedly caressed the aircraft with icey cold water washing any traces of offending snow away, suddenly we were away, thrusting engines hurtling us down the runway - my heart leapt and in my mind the ride of the valkyries music thundered forth in elation.

About three hours later the lights of Malta appeared on the horizon, I squinted out of the window as the plane dropped and saw a pretty church lit up in the late evening, orange street lights surrounded it, a harbour, boats and moving traffic - touchdown.

It didn't seem overly warm as we disembarked but then again it wasn't cold either. We were through the airport in a flash and our transfer driver was waiting. Onto a mini bus and a roller coaster ride later (yep the Maltese drive like maniacs) and we were at the hotel. On booking in we were told a floor of the hotel had been flooded and we were being transferred to a 'sister hotel'. Another mad dash in a mini bus, some protestations at the new hotel reception and we were upgraded to fully inclusive, result. It was late, I explored a little and felt more than a little despondant that we didn't seem to be near anything really, and so travel tired and left wondering I went to bed.

The next day the sun was astride the sky in no time, breakfast inside me it was time to ask questions and explore. it turned out my reconnaissance the previous evening had yielded little because basically I'd been up the wrong streets. My spirits rose as I got my bearings and began to discover things and then we left for the capital Valletta.

The capital is comprised of many adjoining areas, Vallatta being on the main promontory that is flanked by various harbours and inlets. It's a very pretty place, lots of old buildings and interesting fortifications and architecture. It didn't take long to discover the bar where the late great actor Oliver Reed had died whilst filming the movie 'Gladiator'. it was a busy little back street pub with English charm and character adorned with lots of movie posters of the actor in past roles. A few pints later and I began to relax and think 'I'm here, I'm on hoilday - at long bloody last!'

So, Malta, what did I think to it? Well it's a bit of a mixed bag really. I liked the place but it has a generic Mediterranean feel about it when you're away from the touristy bits. Some places like Mdina and Mosta have real charm, history and depth, though that said many other places have a very unfinished or 'derelict' (as one Brit in the hotel said) feel about them. Some of the pavements are particularly bad and there seems to be a good few half built apartments and other buildings.

It's not a big island, so exploring is fairly easy, though the old yellow and orange buses are real bone shakers with no suspension. Some buses have been passed down from father to son and are decades old, the jewel of the family. Sadly the bus drivers themselves aren't the most friendly characters, no doubt they've seen tens of thousands of tourists and have been asked the same questions time over. The roads in Malta aren't great to be fair and there seems to be lots of one way systems. The Maltese love their cars, most families I am told have 2-3 cars, most young Maltese men like to pose around in them booming music forth, the older men do the same but play 80's music! I have to be honest and say I didn't feel the Maltese were the best drivers in the world, they are generically continental in their style with a manic speed demon edge. They seem to drive with abandon and rarely indicate leaving the whole thing a guessing game. It seemed to be every time you crossed a road there was a car bearing down upon you.

The Maltese as a people are a mixed bunch, not overly friendly but not aloof either. Much like any country there is good and bad but in fairness the Maltese I'd say aren't a bad lot. They speak good English, are polite and helpful when approached (apart from the bus drivers!). I noticed how observant they are about current affairs, especially goings on abroad, the UK in particular. My feeling was now and again the Maltese get fed up with tourists flooding their small island but they also acknowledge we're a good source of revenue. I guess like in other places the rule of one price for tourists and another price for locals applies. One thing I did pick up on was the Maltese concern with immigrants, mostly from Africa but according to the barman in my hotel there are a lot of Bulgarians and other east Europeans coming to the island now. There was a Bulgarian maid in the hotel that was very charming but there were a lot of African males walking the street on some occasions. I was told most Africans make for Italy but get stopped and sent back to Malta where the Maltese have to deal with them. There are a lot of camps of immigrants to the south of the Malta I'm told. I never felt nervous walking the streets at night though, the Africans seem to be in search of a better life and not criminals.

Maltese women are absolutely exquisite creatures, beauty personified and probably up their as some of the most gorgeous creatures I've seen on my travels. Maltese women have a certain class of their own. They wear great outfits, carry themselves with grace and pride. Dusky skin, long locks of dark hair, curves to die for, they are a mix of European, Italian and slightly Arabic looking at times, that said some looked very English too, with a resplendent aura.

It wouldn't be fair to draw too many conclusions about the Maltese as I was only there a week, for the most they seemed nice people, however I would have liked to immerse myself in their culture and language more. Some things are evident about the Maltese, they have a strong sense of family, they are fervently religious, patriotic, observant and perhaps a bit materialistic as they do like their fine clothes and cars.

It's no secret that I love my history and for this reason I was looking forward to Malta. Most of the big players in history have occupied the little island and made their mark. The Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs and various European powers have all contributed in some way or another to leave Malta how it is today. I sampled a few places of historical interest, Wignacourt tower, Fort St Elmo, Valletta, Mosta, Mdina to name some. The actual places, what you pay to get in them and what is on offer varies greatly though. The Knights Hospitalars museum/show in Mdina cost 5 euros, was said to be award winning but just turned out to be a tour with crackling headsets viewing waxworks dolls (though some were very lifelike and spooky). The re-enactment of troops training at fort St Elmo in Valletta was good, but we only stumbled on the show just before it began so missed the tour of the fort but the actual place was across a weed strewn concrete plateau that really wasn't signposted well, a case of follwing the crowd.

I got the feeling some historical places of interest just seemed to be there for the cash in value and are lacking in some areas, though to be fair I never really felt ripped off, just left feeling a little disappointed in some instances. The best thing is to read up and pick and choose, or just talk to other tourists or locals to get feedback.

Personally for me Malta was a welcome break, the weather reached 75 degrees at times and it was great to stroll around in a t-shirt feeling warm and content but not over baked. There's some lovely little bars there, some lovely views and I especially liked the area of Sliema just north of Valletta. Sliema has a very cosmopolitan feel about it, great shops, restaurants and cafes and the whole area feels quite modern, great for when you want to escape the historical touristy stuff (and with good pavements!). St Julians is also a nice little bay/area as is St Pauls which in contrast is very quiet. Bugibba, the area where I stayed is ok, a typical holiday place festooned with English style bars, clubs and more than its fair share of tacky shops. It's a clean place, plenty of places to eat and drink and is quite small and easy to traverse with good bus links, facilities and a really good cinema.

Would I return to Malta? The answer is probably yes but I'd probably go to Sliema for a long weekend with friends. It's not that cheap a place really, the locals aren't happy with the Euro still either. Malta is worth a visit (for the beautiful women alone!) but generally only attracts the retired sort for any duration, mainly because the weather is favourable and English is spoken everywhere. I would recommend Malta for a short break to anyone, especially younger people wanting a vibrant capital to explore. It wouldn't be a bad family holiday either and the oldies (mainly) love it there.

So that's Malta, and here is some photos for you to enjoy!

Mosta Dome

Wignacourt Tower

A vintage Perkins Bus

Re-enactment at Fort St Elmo, Valletta

Fort St Elmo battlements

Valletta

Mdina (the silent city)

Sliema coastline

Valletta main street

Valletta street & architecture

A street in Mdina

St Julians

Carnival parade in Valletta

St Julians

Valletta view from the Sliema ferry

View from just outside Fort St Elmo

Yours truly, ponytail flapping madly in the breeze!

Funky Chicken Little Song

They kept playing this in the cinema in Malta, now I can't get the tune out of my head. Maybe they have it in some cinema's over here but I've not seen it yet, anyway, it makes me smile, so here you go!

Traveller's Tales

Well here I am sat in a cyber cafe in Bugibba, Malta. Today I've been to Mdina, called the silent city because there's no cars there (though there is a few). It's a beautiful place, winding alley ways, lots of quiet nooks with an amazing view overlooking the island. Then it was off into Sliema for some retail therapy and food.

The hotel is ok, the staff are friendly. Initially on arriving at our hotel we were told there had been some sort of flood and had to be transferred to a sister hotel. My heart sank and I thought 'here we go!' but after arriving at the second hotel and venting our displeasure we were promptly upgraded to fully inclusive.

The resort of Bugibba is quiet but it is off season, there's some good little bars though and the local beer 'Cisk' is smooth and refreshing. I'm also enjoying 'Kinnie' which is the preferred soft drink on the island.

I think the weather has been touching between 65 and 70 today, lovely and warm, and oh those Maltese girls!!! I've found a tattoo shop nearby, looks very professional and I'm gonna check out tatts and prices in the next day or so and treat myself to one maybe.

So there you go, a little blog from the wandering hobbit in Malta, photos to follow when I get home!

Come On Lads!

Poor old Notts County Football club, it's been a real roller coaster of a season for them. Today they lost to Fulham in the FA cup but did get quite far in the tournament. I recall blogging at the start of the season, filled with glee at the arrival of Sven-Goran Erikkson, Sol, Son of Schmeical and an endless pot of money. Now that's all gone, First Sol Campbell left after one game, then the mysterious arabic backers pulled out and the club has now been sold by the Chairman Peter Trembling for £1, to Ray Trew, former chairman of Lincoln City. Sven has left but is some sort of new club figurehead/president (non-paid/active).

Still, on the up side Ray Trew is held in high regard seemingly, and knows the Football business well. County were in 4th position in the league last I looked, and could still well get promotion. Fair play to Sven too, he stuck by them for a good while when many expected him to walk, I just hope in this new role he can influence the future of the club. I just hope in these turbulent days of stability for many clubs my favourite team Notts County can hang on in there. Come on lads, you can do it!