Should Tube Stations Be Sponsored?
It has been proposed that London Underground stations should be sponsored. The story is here in the Standard.
On paper it looks a good idea, but I doubt it would work as well as expected.
Look at the obvious example of Harrods, which effectively has its own entrance into Knightsbridge station. How would Harvey Nicks feel about being served by a station called Harrods?
Perhaps an idea that might work well, but probably would not raise as much money would be to allow the bus or train information system to say something like. “This is Knightsbridge. Alight here for Harrods”
But even then, how do you sort out the Harrods/Harvey Nicholls problem?
Angelina Jolie’s Example
I’ve never had breast cancer, but my late wife, C did, in her late fifties. She caught the cancer early and luckily only had a lump and lymph nodes removed, followed by a course of radiotherapy. She made a complete recovery and the cancer never returned. Sadly she died of a totally unrelated cancer a few years later.
I think Angelina Jolie’s upfront approach to her double mastectomy is to be praised. It’s reported here on the BBC. I know that Angelina has a lot more money than all of us and probably had the best surgeon, that money could buy, and C had a surgeon, who works extensively in the NHS, although she went privately. But her outcome was good and provided she was careful about what she wore, no-one knew that she’d had an operation. She was still able to wear a bikini, as I reported here. She also had to be reasonably careful about the bra she wore.
One thing that worried her, was that from professional experience, breast cancer operations, were quite a large cause of divorce, and I think she worried about my attitude to her body, after the operation. So I would also praise Brad Pitt for his support of his wife. Too often, in C’s experience, men often went looking for a perfect model.
I think my advice to anybody going through cancer or any other serious medical treatment, is to make sure you get a doctor, who you can trust and get yourself as fit as you can both before and after the treatment. And don’t rush things! Even with my stroke, the best advice I had was from a man, I bumped into on a train. He turned out to be a retired professor of medicine, who’d worked a lot with stroke patients. He said that time will be the biggest healer. I think now, three years later that has been very true.
I also wonder if those going through serious operations, in a stable relationship have a better chance of recovery.
I Get Turned Down For A Turn Up
I was talking to a friend, when she said that she had a dress that needed shortening. She was also rather worried about getting the length right.
I suggested that she come round later in the week, and I pin it for her, as it is one of my skills, even if I haven’t used it in some years. She could even take it to my dry cleaners down the road, where the owner’s mother does a good job, if the repairs she’s done for me are any guide.
It would have been a convenient time for me, as the table is still fairly clear.
The table is very stable and it must be countless times, that I’ve got C to stand there, whilst I got the length of one of her dresses just right. I used to sew them up for her, but for perhaps the last five years of her life, she got someone in Cambridge market to do the cutting and sewing.
At least in that case, it wasn’t my fault, if she didn’t like the new length of the dress.
Getting the length of a dress on a lady absolutely right, is very difficult. C’s problem, was that she had a very small waist for her height and it was very easy to get the proportions wrong, so in the end I usually relied on good old golden section.
In the end, my friend decided to take the dress to a dressmaker of whom she knew. Sometimes, it’s good not to be wanted, as if I’d got it wrong, I’d have been deep in it.
The Floods In Central Europe
A few weeks ago I was in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Southern Germany.
Now it seems that much of the area is under water, as the BBC reports.
I know it was only luck, but I certainly got my timing right.
I’ve never ever been flooded out in a house and I don’t ever want to be.
My hearts go out to all of those who are suffering.
Summer Over Haggeston
The blue sky just asked to be photographed.
I wish I’d taken a few more. But then, if I had, the summer will end before it starts.
Still I did buy a raincoat yesterday and that will put the mockers on it.
Quiet Please
This notice was outside a pub near me.
Quiet Please
I think I’ll go and see if the pub is as entertaining as the notice.
A Mess Of Cables
Cables seem to come with the ability to get tangled. I just had to sort this mess out today.
A Mess Of Cables
Roll on the day, when everything is wireless!
My Unique Dining Room Table
Unique is defined as being unlike anything else or one of a kind. I didn’t make it, as it was made by a furniture maker called Julian Ellis, out of Suffolk Oak. But it was to my design brief.
I wanted an elliptical table, as that gives the most space at mealtimes and also because the ellipse is the perfect shape. After all, circles are only a specific form of an ellipse with only one focus.
Note how the small leaves drop, so it can go against the wall. This was needed as at Debach, we had a long narrow kitchen.
It must be getting to be near to forty years old and all it will need to see me out is probably a proper polish.
Balls Loses The Next Election For Labour
It is reported today, that Ed Balls has said he will cut the winter fuel payment to wealthy pensioners.
it wouldn’t bother me, as any extra benefits I get from the government, I make sure goes into my charity pot, where I give money to charities that need it for good causes.
Many of those losing their benefit will be Labour voters and this sends a signal, that perhaps some of their other benefits like excellent pensions from public sector jobs might not be safe. So they might think about not voting and some might abstain or worse, as far is Labour is concerned.
I have this view, that politicians of all persuasions and colours are not to be trusted with my money, as they’ll all find vanity projects to waste it on. I won’t name any projects, as I quite like some of them from all sides of the political spectrum, but obviously not all.
Crap Dangerous Staircases Of East London
I have taken some pictures of the staircases in various railway stations across East London.
There is no alternatives to any of these, as they are lift-free stations. So just imagine, how the elderly, those in wheel-chairs and those with buggies cope.
The Anonymous Widower 