From The Country That Brought You The Lada; The New Battle Tank
Ever since I met a British Army General a few years ago, whose opinions of large battle tanks were distinctly sceptical and I had several drinks with a US Air Force A-10 pilot, I’ve always thought that tanks are a waste of money, except for perhaps frightening the population of countries you’re not invading, as the Russians have been doing in the Ukraine.
What adds to my sceptism is that if you look at tank warfare over the last hundred years, when a country makes a big improvement in tank size and firepower, other nations attempt to leapfrog them. As you can’t rustle up a thousand tanks immediately, countries think laterally. In the Second World War, we countered German tanks by developing the Hurricane IID or flying can opener and the PIAT anti-tank gun. In the 1970s, the Americans designed and built the A-10 Thunderbolt, one of whose jobs was to be to destroy Russian armour.
You can rest assured that research and development is going on in countries, who might be threatened by tanks to develop the next generation of tank killers.
So when I see that Putin has spent billions of roubles to develop the T 14 Armata, I just think he has got more money than sense.
I didn’t even laugh when I read this article in the Daily Telegraph, which says that a tank has broken down in the rehearsal for an important parade.
The General would probably have said that this is typical tank reliability.
Boring Architecture
I passed the site of the old Middlesex hospital, where two of my children were born today.
The building except for the chapel and the Nassau Street fontage could be anywhere in the world and it doesn’t really do the site justice.
I don’t like it, one bit!
Street Art In Fitzrovia
Traffic light control boxes are being used as canvases for art in Fitzrovia.
There’s more in this article on the BBC web site.
A Second Dazzle Ship
After seeing Snowdrop in Liverpool last week, as I walked along the Embankment, I noticed that HMS President had been given the same treatment.
Although it is not as bright.
Thames Tideway Tunnel – Preparatory Works At Blackfriars Bridge
As I walked along the river from Cannon Street, I noticed what looked like a small oil rig in the middle of the Thames.
t is actually a secondary site that is being used to develop a new Millenium Pier as the old one is in the way of construction works for the new Thames Tideway Tunnel at Blackfriars.
It was good to see that they are putting up pictures of what they are doing.
This picture clipped from this page on the tunnel website, shows an impression of what the completed works will look like.
Tideway Tunnel At Blackfriars
Blackfiars Bridge leads off over the river at the top right of this image.
When completed there will be a public space with shops and a cafe.
The web site for the Thames Tideway Tunnel is impressive.
The Standard’s Take On The Election
This was yesterday’s front page on the Standard.
The Standard’s Take On The Election
I would like to be voting for a Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition. Steady as she goes!
Seriously though, after looking at the list of candidates, I think I’ll vote for Paul Birch of the Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol Party.
Three Days In Preston
It may seem strange to go for a holiday in Preston. But I had time to spare and so I went to Liverpool last Wednesday and then spent the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights in the Premier Inn at Preston, with the extension of exploring the area using the trains and then seeing Ipswich at Blackburn on the Saturday.
I have visited Preston several times and I stayed in the hotel once, because it is an easy walk from the rail station.
The council are sorting out the town with new pavements, road layout and maps on liths.
It is a great improvement and will be even better when it is completed.
It would be good if Preston station was improved, especially as it will become an electric hub for local services all over the North West, with new electric services to Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester and possibly a few others like Colne in the next few years.
Would I use Preston as a base for a tour of the North West again?
I have one problem with Preston and that is the bad provision of gluten-free food in the town. There is only the one Pizza Express that I would trust and the Marks and Spencer doesn’t stock any gluten-free sandwiches.
Perhaps to stay near the station in Carlisle, Liverpool or Manchester would be better!
I used one of UK rail’s Rover tickets, which is called a Freedom of the North West 4 in 8 Day Rover. This is the rough availability.
The rover allows travel to Carlisle from Barrow, Dumfries, Lockerbie and Hexham.
It also covers the area bounded by the Settle-Carlisle, Barrow, Morecambe, Blackpool, Southport, Shipley to Bradford, Leeds, Halifax, Oldham, Manchester, Liverpool, Warrington Bank Quay to Helsby, Chester, Shotton, West Kirkby and New Brighton.
Available any 4 days within an 8 day period.
And you can use it on all the franchised train companies like Merseyrail, Northern, Virgin and TransPennine! It’s a two part ticket.
My Rover Ticket
No ticket inspector seemed to give it more than a cursory glance.
I actually didn’t know the ticket existed, when I went North to Liverpool. So I should have bought the ticket at Lime Street and saved myself about a tenner. I returned via Manchester, so I used the ticket to get from Blackburn to Manchester Victoria after the match.
These tickets are certainly a good way of having a few days away and seeing the country. This map of the north west part of Northern Rail’s franchise.
Northern Rail NW Map
The southern boundary of the ticket I used is roughly defined by Liverpool, Chester, Warrington and Manchester.
London Gets A New Garden
The British on the whole love their gardens and London’s new garden over Crossrail Place, the shopping centre on top of the Canary Wharf Crossrail station has now opened under its plastic roof.
It will be interesting to see how this station-cum-shopping centre develops. The cinema opens soon and there’s a floor and a half of shops at least to open before the station opens towards the end of the decade.
Choose Your Clothes With Care
This picture captured from BBC Breakfast, illustrates that presenters and guests should be careful how they choose what to wear.
Colours On The BBC Breakfast Sofa
Perhaps it’s time that the BBC got a new set without a red sofa.
Everybody Razzle Dazzle
I took these pictures of the Mersey Ferry; Snowdrop, which has been given a razzle-dazzle colour scheme by Sir Peter Blake.
I like it.
The Anonymous Widower 