The Anonymous Widower

A Discussion About Race and Swimming

I found this article called Why don’t black Americans swim? on the BBC web site and it makes a lot of interesting points and the comments from readers are fascinating.

I can’t criticise anybody, as I don’t swim, but all my children do or did and of course C was a very competent swimmer. But my parents hadn’t got a stroke between them.

I seem to remember reading an article about swimming rates in various nations and there is quite a variation between some countries, where you’d think swimming rates would be similar.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | Sport, World | | Leave a comment

A Swimmer Has The Right Idea About the Boat Race

The Boat Race must be the most boring sporting event in the world.  After all, the same two teams always get to the final for a start.

So now the race has been interrupted by a protester swimming about in the river.

On the restart, the Oxford cox lost her steering and a German rowing for Oxford broke his oar. And now he’s just a passenger.

The swimmer has finally made it exciting.

 

April 7, 2012 Posted by | Sport | | 2 Comments

The Day Mrs. Thatcher Kissed a Sailor

The Times has an amazing story about how Mrs. Thatcher kissed a sailor, who was a bomb disposal expert in the Falklkands War.  Most of the story is here in this article about Michael Fellows from Sussex Life, but it doesn’t tell how they dived under the Cabinet Office Table to see the map of the Falklands on the other side.

I suspect the story will be reprinted in other papers later.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | News, World | , | Leave a comment

The Disgrace of Augusta

I quite like golf on the television, but I never watch the Masters at Augusta.

Like many people, I can remember when blacks could only be caddies or waiters. In fact the founder of the tournament insisted that in his lifetime, it was only contested by white players with black caddies.

At least now President Obama has weighed into the row about women being allowed to watch. But then he knows that with the issues of birth control and abortion likely to figure in the next election, it will help him get re-elected.

The Masters also have an interesting problem this year, in that one of their major sponsors, IBM, has a female Chief Executive. Will they go for money or ditch an outdated principle?

In The Times today, Matthew Syed, one of their most-respected sports writers, calls Augusta a laughing stock.

The Times also indicates that some Scottish golf clubs have a similar attitude to women and St. Andrews has a particular problem, in that the Principal of the University is female.

I also remember a friend, who couldn’t use a corporate membership at a golf club in the south of England. But being the man he was, he talked them round.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | Sport | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Grahame-White Aircraft Factory

This historic building is now part of the RAF Museum at Hendon and has been fully restored and added too, by moving the Watchtower to join it.  The latter operation was shown on BBC TV.last night. The building contains aircraft from the First World War and earlier and they are listed here on the Museum’s website.

In some ways, it is one of the best parts of the museum. The BBC programme was very much worth seeing as it gave a deep insight into Claude Grahame-White, who in many ways has become a forgotten aviation pioneer.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | World | , , , , | Leave a comment

Visiting the RAF Museum at Hendon

Yesterday, I went to see the RAF Museum at Hendon.  It is an easy trip from central London by public transport, with just a trip to Colindale station on the Northern line and then four stops on a 303 bus.

It is a museum worth visiting with a large collection of aircraft.  It’s also free to enter and the staff seem a lot more clued up than at some museums you visit.

I didn’t stay too long in the main museum and only took a couple of pictures, as I’d come to see the Grahame-White Aircraft Factory.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , | Leave a comment

Thoughts of Angel on the Drought

I’ve posted before about Thoughts of Angel at Angel station on the Northern line.

Thoughts of Angel on the Drought

This was their comment on the drought.

April 7, 2012 Posted by | Transport/Travel, World | , , , | Leave a comment