This week the much-loved actor, George Cole passed away at the age of 90.
Most of us loved his most famous character of Arthur Daley, who went from one disaster to another as not only was he accident prone, but totally incapable of organising his affairs, so he avoided trouble with people like the Revenue and small-time low-life.
It struck me that if Arthur ran a Financial Advice company, that was as well-managed as everything else he did, would you put a brass farthing of your money with his company to look after and grow.
Certainly not!
So why does anybody seriously think about voting for Labour candidates in an election, when they can’t come up with a foolproof and sound method for electing their next leader? The system is so full of holes, that allow interest groups to hi-jack the process, that the final result could be far from what real Labout members want!
To return to my pension example, when you are voting, you are voting to create a good future for yourself, your children and your grandchildren.
So can you be sure that the political party you favour has the capability to manage the economy, if they can’t manage something relatively simple, like electing a leader?
If you go back a few years, the Labour Party of Michael Foot and the Tory Party of Ian Duncan Smith were a shambles, as they drifted too far from the centre.
Only when both parties elected leaders with a bit of sense; Kinnock and Howard respectively, did the parties reorganise themselves sufficiently, so that they were able to regain power a few years later!
August 8, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | Labour Party, Politics |
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When I improvised the utensil rack, I wasn’t sure how to fit the cut end to the brick wall.
These pictures show how I did it.
Note that the single bracket now holding the rail can support the weight, unless I put too much in the pot, so all the dowel does is locate the rail in the correct position.
July 26, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | IKEA, My Kitchen |
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I use a set of utensils from Joseph Joseph which sit on a carousel. The trouble is they take up space in my small kitchen, so I thought I might put them on the side of one of my new wall cabinets above the cooker. In the end I took an IKEA Grundtal rail, but as it was too long, I shortened it and supported it from one end.
Obviously the end on the brick wall will have to be fixed and tomorrow, I’ll be going to a well-known DIY store to get the bits to create the fitting.
July 25, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | Cooking, My Kitchen |
1 Comment
I have a selection of smaller Le Creuset dishes; in both 1.1 an 0.6 litre sizes.
They have a problem in that they don’t stack well. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, one pole fell onto one of the 1.1 litre dishes and reduced it to several smaller pieces.
I then found this Variera pot lid organiser in IKEA at just £5. Which is less than a replacement dish!
It certainly did the job, even if they are not pot lids.
July 24, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | Cooking, IKEA, My Kitchen |
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This morning the Hungarian Handymen put the wall cabinets and my new cooker hood on the walls.
There is still a bit to do, but it has certainly released some more space. I also now have wall cupboards that don’t constantly take lumps out of me, like the steel ones did.
July 21, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | IKEA, My Kitchen |
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Meridian Water is a large property development in North London which sits in the curve of the North Circular Road between Edmonton and Walthamstow, with the large Tesco and IKEA stores on its Southern boundary and the Edmonton incinerator to the North. Wikipedia describes the current site like this.
The Meridian Water development site is centred 1.2 km south east of the town centre of Edmonton Green. It comprises an area of approximately 0.82 km², 0.72 km² of which is land capable of development.
In economic geography the site consists largely of vacant or ailing industrial/transport use, and in natural geography is characterised by the waterways of the mid-Lea which pass through or beside it to the east: theRiver Lee Navigation, the Lee Diversion, the River Lee Flood Relief Channel, and Pymmes and Salmons Brook.
It is very much a part of North London, that is not doing its best to boost the prosperity of the city. The developers have a £1.5billion plan for the development of the site. This Google Map shows the area.
Meridian Water
Most of the site is between the North Circular Road and the various rivers and canals, although a portion is on the north side of the A406. This aerial photograph with the development marked in red comes from this page on the Enfield Council web site.
Aerial View Of Meridian Water
What has this massive development got to do with Crossrail 2?
Note the loop in the red boundary to the top of the picture. That encloses Angel Road station, which is clearly shown on the Google Map.
Meridian Water needs good transport links and this report in the Enfield Independent describes what Enfield Council and the developers are doing about it.
Enfield Borough Council has named the firm it has chosen to turn Angel Road Rail Station into a ‘thriving’ new hub.
Atkins, a global design and engineering firm, has been chosen to design the new rail and bus terminal, which will see an increased service of four trains per hour.
It is also stated in some place that the station will be renamed Meridian Water.
As Angel Road is on the list of probable Crossrail 2 stations in the Lea Valley, only a stupid developer would not want to have their development directly linked to Crossrail 2 and all the cornucopia of destinations it brings.
I also wonder how much the developers would pay to have the upgraded Meridian Water station, as a terminus, from where trains could turn back under London.
July 19, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
Transport/Travel, World | Before Crossrail 2, Crossrail 2, Development, Housing, Meridian Water |
3 Comments
My mother described herself to me as a Ponders Plonker, as she had been born in Ponders End. I think at some time she may have told me she had been born at home.
So as census records show that in 1911, her parents lived at 32 Clarence Road, I took a train to Ponders End station and went for a walk.
As there were several brothers and sisters and the family had moved out from Stoke Newington, I thought the house would have been bigger.
But according to an elderly lady I met, it appeared the houses had been built around that time, so they were probably the first owners. As my grandfather was working as an engraver with I think his premises somewhere in the Barbican area of the City, transport from Ponders End station to Liverpool Street would have been easy.
Judging by the age of much of the property in the area, my grandparents would probably recognise most of the houses and other buildings.
July 18, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | Enfield, My Family |
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According to this report on the BBC, Greece has now voted through the bailout conditions, so that they can get further money from its debtors.
But will this be the end of the tragedy?
I doubt it!
The Greeks voted for the end of austerity in the last General Election and they have now got Austerity Plus. But they do get to keep the euro!
That sounds like a recipe for trouble!
If there is a lesson in the story of Greece and the euro over the last few years, it is that you must not fiddle the books, bribe the electorate and you must above all keep the finances in order and hopefully balanced.
Did anybody tell the Greeks that euros don’t grow on trees in Brussels?
At least the sun won’t go on strike! This is the one light at the end of the tunnel.
July 16, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
Finance & Investment, World | Economy, Europe, Greece |
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What the Labour Party hasn’t realised is that the electorate has changed radically over the last twenty years. More of us have gone to University and everybody now has much better grasp of the issues facing the country. Even if they are getting on in years or not very politically informed, they have a friend or relative who understands the complex issues. So gradually the electorate is realising that the old philosophies of both left and right don’t work.
July 16, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
World | Labour Party, Politics |
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I’m just watching the Tour de France on ITV4, as I put together the next couple of IKEA cabinets for my kitchen.
The adverts are completely aimed at the wrong person.
1. There has been two different companies trying to sell me Funeral Insurance. Why would I want a funeral and anyway, I won’t be going or remember it. We should just post our bodies to the nearest hospital for dissection practice or a pet food factory to do something useful.
2. There are also adverts for Skoda cars. I don’t drive and have no interest in the sort of boring cars bought by plebs. Or in any car forv that matter unless it doesn’t pollute my walking space.
3. Santander Bank. Only idiots, bank with Head Offices in other countries. Remember Iceland and Scotland!
4. Petplan, Pets are for the lonely and conservative.
5. Loans. I don’t need to borrow money.
6. Car Insurance. See point 2.
7. Barbecues. I hate them!
When somebody invents a television that doesn’t show adverts or trailers in live television, I’ll buy one.
July 15, 2015
Posted by AnonW |
Sport, World | Advertising, Cycling, Television, Tour de France |
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The Anonymous Widower 