The Olympic Site Is Protected
I took this picture at the start of the Greenway just as it crosses the canal at the western site of the Olympic site, close to Hackney Wick.
A Pill-Box by the Olympic Site
Two guys in this pill-box with a couple of PIAT anti-tank guns could stop anything.
Church says, “Parties Unite Nation!”
It’s all here.
A bishop I phoned up, was unavailable so he couldn’t comment, although his spokesman said that too much fun wasn’t good for people.
The Great Storm
I’m posting this because of the horrendous storms in the United States. It actually comes from my old blog, which I no longer update.
On the 16th October 1987, we experienced one of the worst storms in the UK. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a hurricane, but it caused more damage than any storm for 300 years.
At the time we lived at Debach, north of Ipswich and we were without electricity for nearly two weeks. Luckily we cooked on a gas AGA and surprisingly the phones kept going.
It is also the time, when I had the narrowest escape of my life.
I’ve always got up early in the morning to work, as it is the best time, when you don’t get interrupted by phone calls or family. But that morning although I was up, I wasn’t in the office as luckily there was no power. At about six-thirty the chimney blew over, came through the roof and went right through where I normally sat.
We’d also turned out two horses in the field that night for the first time. One was an old racehorse, who’d been confined to his box for two years with leg problems and the other was a newly-weaned foal.
They had no problems, as instinct kept them to the safe place in the middle of the field, with their backsides to the wind.
So does the Internet help?
Hopefully the warnings and the weather forecasts would be better. But I suspect that the chaos might actually be worse, as many people would be unable to connect and would be suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms.
Discount from a Dutch Flower Company
I’ve just been offered a discount from a Dutch flower company, because we have a royal wedding. Are the Dutch getting excited too?
What’s Going On?
I happened to pass Westminster Abbey this morning on the top of a 24 bus.
This is the video I took.
What’s going on?
The Light From IKEA
As I said here, I bought a light and here it is installed by the front door.
IKEA Orgel Vreten Light
It looks good for something that cost just £20.47. It also uses three small SES bulbs. I got three in Sainsburys in Dalston for just £2.99 each. They were 8W Phillips Tornados.
I think that possibly the one from Selfridges may be more elegant, but at £75, it should be.
Sainsburys should be congratulated in pricing energy-saving bulbs at a competitive price. John Lewis are cheaper, but most retailers charge about £4 for this bulb. Especially, as you can buy tunsten bulbs for pound or two in the market next door.
Now Is The Time For All The Good To Come To The Aid of Universities
A friend and I recently gave some money to Liverpool University for pancreatic cancer research.
What we hadn’t realised was that as Liverpool University is in tier three of the government’s Matched Funding Scheme, this means that they add one pound for every three pounds raised. So if you say give £100, which with Gift Aid is actually £125 to the University, another £42 will be added. There are conditions and not all universities get a one to three topup.
Full details of the scheme are detailed here.
The scheme ends in July 2011, so if you are thinking about giving some money to a University, perhaps now is the time to do it!
People Look Different on the Radio
I’ve listened to Louise Perry many times on BBC Radio 5 doing the traffic reports and I suppose I had a picture of her in my mind.
But today she appeared on BBC Breakfast and if it wasn’t for her voice and the caption underneath, I wouldn’t have known it was her.
But as the late great Brian Redhead said, “If television had been invented first, radio would be the dominant medium, as the pictures are better.”
Melvin Bragg on the King James Bible
Melvin Bragg has just said on BBC Breakfast that the establishment was very much against publishing the bible in English, as then everybody could read it. He then said asomething like they thought it would destroy society and that there is still a view in the establishment that the general public shouldn’t know anything.
He also said that once the bible was in English, then everybody could discuss religion.
So did the King James bible break the superinjunction of its day?
The Anonymous Widower 