Fifty Years On!
The students are going off to University about now!
Fifty years ago, probably to within a few days, I went off to University for the first time.
In some ways my situation was unusual in that I had been offered an unconditional place by Liverpool University and the way they worked, you had to accept them or possibly lose it.
I didn’t actually go to the University or Liverpool before it was time to go up to University about the end of September.
So on the day of my first trip North of London, I packed everything I was to take in a big cheap cardboard suitcase and took the Tube up to Euston to get a train to Liverpool.
My first memory of the trip, was coming into Lime Street station, through the deep dark wet cutting that actually goes under the University. At one point, I remember thinking looking out into the gloom, that the North is rather dark.
When I arrived, I had to get a Crosville H13 bus to my digs at Huyton. I managed the climb up the hill with my case well enough and found the digs at 178 Huyton Lane after a short walk!
I’ll admit that at times in those first few weeks that I did feel a bit homesick. But it’s amazing how quick University can get that out of you.
It all worked out right in the end.
The next year, I met C, who was to be my constant companion for nearly forty years until her sad death in 2008.
I’ve made a good success of some of my life and I only have a couple of regrets.
After I crashed my Cessna, I should never have given up flying.
A few years before C died, we had a long chat about the future and we virtually decided to move back into London. But we chickened out! Probably, because she liked her work too much and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t persuade her to join a Chambers in London.
It wouldn’t have changed the course of her life, but we would have had a couple of good years, in this wonderful city that I love.
I still visit Liverpool and she is the other lady in my life!
But then both have been very good to me!
So if you’re going up to University for the first time this week! Don’t worry!
Megabrew
The merger of the world’s two largest brewers; Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller, that is reported here on the BBC, will not affect me one jot, unless the new company decides to use its power to make it more difficult for everybody to buy real beer and cider.
What to me is frightening about the merger, is that they don’t have one gluten-free product, that I would drink. So single-mindedly they will force people down the route of their chemically produced crap.
I have a feeling that if this merger goes ahead, there will be repercussions that they don’t like!
The Comments On Jeremy Corbyn’s Cabinet
I have found that one of the most enjoyable things at the moment is to read the comments by readers on the quality press on Jeremey Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.
This is from the Guardian.
If someone had told me 20 years ago that one day I’d be looking at a Labour front bench team including Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott I’d have laughed in their face and suggested they needed to consult a health professional.
Well I’m not laughing now
As is this.
while the briefs occupied by Luciana Berger (mental health) and Gloria De Piero (young people and voter registration) have no equivalent in David Cameron’s lineup.
How can you shadow a non existent minister?
And this from The Times.
Why has Corbyn not announced the appointment of a Shadow Minister of Magic Money Trees? Probably a lot more use than most of the other jobs allocated in the past forty eight hours.
I didn’t feel; that looking at other papers would give an unbiased view.
But he is certainly bringing out humour from the public.
Jeremy Corbyn Courts The Rural Vote!
There is an article in The Spectator entitled Meet the new anti-meat, anti-shooting, pro-badger shadow Defra secretary.
Transport for London’s Visitor Centre At Liverpool Street
One of the things that Transport for London said it would do, when it closed Ticket Offices, was to open Visitor Centres at major stations.
This one at Liverpool Street station has been rebranded. It is one of several at main line stations and airports.
I know it was early on a Saturday, but I was the only person looking at what was on offer.
Looking at the London Pass, I think it could be something that a serious visitor would buy.
I can’t help feeling though, that as time progresses, the Visitor Centres in Central London will see fewer and fewer visitors, as London’s contactless ticketing system, will make travel advice something that can be handled easily by the station staff.
I may be wrong, but I think only Liverpool and Edinburgh have proper Visitor Centres. The one in Liverpool is placed on the platform where Virgins arrive from London and the one in Edinburgh is on Princes Street at the top of the escalators from the station.
Every large destination should have a comprehensive Visitor Centre, especially if they are a major interchange to other trains, trams and buses. The oferinmgs in some places is certainly not good enough.
Is This How To Fight ISIS?
I first read about ISIS-Chan in The Times and I’m surprised that this Japanese character hasn’t spread into more of the media.
I did find this article about the anime in this article on CNN-Money.
The idea is to so fill Google and the other search engines with the harmless stories, that the real hardcore ISIS filth becomes impossible to find.
Let’s hope that the UK and other governments are creating masses of similar material in their fight against the evil madmen of ISIS and other terrorist groups.
Those that choose to spread their perverted material by the Internet should be strangled by the Internet.
Pure Gold In The Fight Against Unwanted Calls
This morning on my mat was a card put through my door by one of umpteen mini-cab companies that are a real swarm here.
But the card is pure gold, as it listed both a landline and a mobile number.
So any caller on either my landline or mobile gets a polite message asking him, (Is it ever a her?), to ring my mobile or landline.
Those that throw rubbish on my doormat, will find these nuisance call merchants will give them a few minutes of idiotic chat.
Walking From Three Bridges To Hanwell
I walked from Three Bridges via the Grand Union Canal and Hanwell Locks to Hanwell station.
From the canal it was a walk through houses and I didn’t take any pictures.
The Kelpies
The Kelpies are best described by these pictures.
I liked them and their setting in the sun was excellent. This Google Map shows their location to the West of the M9 Motorway and South of the River Carron.
The Kelpies And The Helix
The area to the South has been converted into a park called The Helix. I came on a bus called The Loop from Falkirk Grahamstown station.
A Lady In The Wrong Job
I know she was elected, but this report on the BBC, surely says that she shouldn’t have stood for the post if things she would have to do were against her religious beliefs.
There must be other jobs, where religious or other beliefs mean you should not be appointed.
Suppose a doctor believed that homoeopathy had the cure for everything, they would not make the World’s best GP, unless all the patients, they saw were fellow believers.
The Anonymous Widower 