Screaming at the Television
I tend to get emotional watching athletics on television. Why I don’t know, but it is perhaps that at school it was the one sport I could do with any prowess.
I can remember being got out of bed by my father to watch Derek Ibbotson break the world record for the mile and Seb Coe breaking the 800 metres record in Oslo, but I never saw any of his or Steve Ovett’s wins in the Olympics as we were away both times.
One race stands out in my mind and that was Bruce Tulloh‘s victory in the 5,000 metres in the European Championships in Belgrade in 1962. I think my parents must have been away, as I was alone in the house in Cockfosters. I screamed and screamed the tiny Tulloh home.
Today, I was also alone as I wqtched Mo Farah win the 10,000 metres in another European Championships in Barcelona. I screamed again and this time, he didn’t just win, but had another Briton, Chris Thompson in second.
I am really looking forward to the London Olympics.
After tonight, I feel a bit better!
A Strategy for Over-60 Visitors to the UK!
Travel when you get older can get strenuous and tiring. But on the other hand, a country like the UK, where there are plenty of pretty good small hotels, restaurants with rooms and B&Bs in addition to expensive ones where you can really pamper yourself, is probably the ideal destination for the senior tourist.
I have just had it confirmed by a man close to the Fat Controller at ATOC, the trade body for the train operating companies, that Senior Railcards are available to anyone with the appropriate fee of £26 for a year, on production of a passport, which proves they are over 60. Holders get a 33% discount on all Standard and First Class tickets. So you don’t need to do too many trips before you have reclaimed the fee!
As an example of what you can do, take my trip to London from Cambridge last weekend. I visited the Olympic Park, Canary Wharf, Croydon and the National Gallery, all in a few hours on a ticket that cost just £21.10. If I’d wanted to see a play or have a meal, then I would have had time and my train ticket would still have cost the same.
My only problem with this sort of Awayday is getting to the station, as I can’t drive and taxis are just too expensive. But stay in Cambridge, Oxford, Reading, Bristol, York, Liverpool, Coventry or any one of a number of historic cities and towns, with plenty of attractions of their own, perhaps a nearby airport to get there from outside of the UK and good rail links to lots of other places worth visiting.
Another thing that should be mentioned is that the UK has one of the youngest train fleets in the world. On all the trains I used on the trip last weekend, not one was old and decrepit. Two were old, but very comfortably refurbished.
Remember too, these things about the UK.
- A lot of national and many local museums are free.
- Most major towns and cities have a decent live theatre.
- We have some of the best restaurants in the world. But if you are on a budget, it is generally not a problem these days, especially if like me you like Indian or Chinese food, as every B&B owner knows where the best local ethnic restaurants are.
- The shopping ranges from the expensive and swish down to some of the best street markets in the world.
- For those who like walking, we have them at all levels of difficulty. My favourites are to go up Primrose Hill, walk along the Thames and explore Hampstead Heath in London. But there are endless and many walks that are easily accessible from train stations.
- If you like horse racing, we have dozens of tracks from the grand to the somewhat quaint. All are different and few are the boring ovals, you find in many countries.
- You can choose times that fit or don’t fit in with annoyances like children going to school, harassed commuters as they go and come back from work and those dreadful flying midges in Scotland. This web site has details on the latter.
Hopefully, this blog will detail some places to go.
It’s Just Two Years to the London Olympics
AS it is just two years to the London Olympics, the BBC has had both television and Radio 5 broadcasting from the Olympic Park today.
On the Radio 5 phoe-in this morning, you got the usual doom-mongers and those from Scotland and the North decrying what they think is a waste of money. I got on and spoke badly about what I saw at the weekend and the public transport legacy. Others put it much better about how they were going to enjoy the Games.
I ended by imploring Nicky Campbell to use the North London Line to get home to Clapham. I forgot that he should go to Willesden and then take the West London Line.
The real losers over BP and the Gulf Oil Spill
So BP has posted a large loss, over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. We can now see who the real losers are.
Those who live in the area of the spill are being fully compensated, but as BP is making a loss, they will not be paying any UK Corporation Tax. And as BP will not be paying a dividend, any pension fund or investor who holds their shares will not get any return.
In other words the British Government, pensioners and investors will be paying for the failure of an American blow-out protector made by Cameron Iron and dodgy drilling practices for which an American company, Transocean, were partly responsible. It could also be argued that American government policy, which promotes offshore drilling, rather than the much safer onshore is also to blame. Read this from Professor Mark Perry.
Hote that if you think onshore drilling is bad, search Google for Wytch Farm. This is the largest onshore oil field in Europe and it’s around Poole in Dorset in the middle of beautiful countryside. Many don’t even know it’s there!And who successfully manages the field? BP!
We are mugs in this country and total lap-dogs to the greedy Yanks, who won’t economise on fossil fuel. But should we pay for their profligacy, mistakes and arrogance?
A Simple Asparagus Risotto
I’ve cooked risotto before, but I had some left-over asparagus and thought it would make good risotto. So I cooked this risotto from Phil Vickery.
The ingredients I used were.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 200g risotto rice (eg carnaroli or arborio)
- 250mlwhite wine
- 500ml hot vegetable stock – I used Marigold Bouillon
- 4 asparagus spears, blanched, chopped
- 25g unsalted butter
- 75g parmesan, grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
These quantities make enough for two, but as I was hungry, I made it for one.
The method was as follows.
- For the risotto, heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the shallot and garlic until softened but not coloured.
- Add the rice and fry for one minute, stirring frequently, until coated in the oil.
- Add the wine and simmer until absorbed by the rice.
- Add the hot vegetable stock a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition to allow the liquid to be completely absorbed, until the rice is cooked and all the stock has been absorbed.
- Add the asparagus, butter and parmesan, season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well.
I slept well after that last night.
The original recipe also contains details on how to make parmesan crisps. I’ll try those next time.
The Anonymous Widower 