Tesco Don’t Know Their Horse From Their Gluten
Tesco seem to have withdrawn their Free From gluten-free burgers after the horsemeat scare.
But they made a mistake in Oxford and got caught out by the BBC, as they report here.
As I’ve said before, the odd bit of horse won’t hurt me, but the levels of gluten in the usual burgers on sale in supermarkets most likely will.
An Olympic Boost For Rare British Dogs
This article in the Independent suggests that those rarer British dog breeds like the English Setter have had a boost in 2012.
And the Olympics could be the reason!
I see a couple of English setters round here and they really are the friendliest of dogs. We also had two, when our children were in their teens and you rarely find one, that can’t get on extremely well with everybody and especially children. They also don’t shed hair like other breeds, I could name.
Keeping Warm Outside
I have given up on the control system of my central heating and now use the damaged Mark 1 brain of a Control Engineer to switch the system on and off to keep the temperature where I want it. I have a nifty meter from Maplin’s, which gives me exact temperature and humidity.
Outside in the cold, I’ve turned to wearing my classic 1960s Liverpool University Engineering scarf. It’s all wool and I suspect, it’s rarely been cleaned, but it doesn’t smell too bad. Strangely, this morning, the BBC are at Hainsworth in Pudsey. They’re doing fairly well considering the recession, by selling cloth all over the world. They still make the all-wool cloth for university scarves like mine. They’ve also just said, that South Africa is the biggest market for blankets in the world.
I’ve also just ordered myself a cashmere football scarf in Ipswich Town’s colours from a company called Savile Rogue. If that doesn’t fix the weather nothing will.
Is This A Serious Or Crazy Idea?
There has been a story today about large numbers of very large wind turbines being built in the Irish midlands and the power generated being exported to the UK. Ireland would get quite a few jobs.
I think it could be one of those schemes, that may be al right in theory and budget, but doesn’t perform as it should, when it is built. In the article on the BBC web site, there are these closing paragraphs.
Richard Tol, professor of economics at University of Sussex, said he felt that the whole scheme was “crazy” and would not work in the long term .
“From an Irish perspective this is not selling the family silver; this is giving it away. There is no money staying in Ireland that I can see.
“But from the British perspective it is a good deal,” he said.
It would appear it’s being very much imposed on the Irish people and the Irish are not stupid.
So I would be very surprised if the scheme is ever fully implemented. But then I don’t like blots on the landscape, whether I can see them or not!
If we are going to have large wind farms, in my view the best place for them is offshore.
A Very Colourful Business
I would have thought that making pom poms was a business, where nimble Asian fingers were needed in a sweat shop somewhere East of the Gulf.
So I was surprised to see on the local BBC News that a lady has started a business called Paperpoms UK to make them in South London.
And it looks like she’s being successful!
So don’t ever knock a business idea because it seems a bit odd or very niche market!
Certainly, the free publicity tonight from the BBC, won’t hinder their success.
A Unique Station Indicator
I didn’t quite get the picture correct, as the display change was too quick for me.
A Unique Station Indicator
The sign is at Canonbury station and is between the two platforms; 2 and 3. Platform 3 is on the left and takes North London line trains towards Highbury and Islington station and the west, whereas Platform 2 takes East London line trains towards Dalston Junction station and the south.
When I got the camera out. it was showing trains to Clapham Junction station on both platforms. One has since changed to “Via Canada Water” to indicate the direction. I must get a better picture in the future.
I wonder how many places this happens regularly? But with a circular railway like the Overground, it will happen all the time, as half the trains at this station, go to Clapham Junction.
The Evenings Are Getting Lighter
It’s now over a month since the Winter Solstice and the evenings are noticeably lighter. I took this picture just after 15:30.
The Evenings Are Getting Lighter
The jagged building is Cromwell Tower in the Barbican, where we brought up our family.
Unfortunately, It’s still cold today, but we can now look forward rather than back.
According to this web page, in January the day gets a whopping 72 minutes longer in London.
And We Think It’s Cold Here!
Just look at this video from Chicago on the BBC’s web site.
It makes you cold, to look at it.
What Will Abramovitch Do Now?
After the farce at Swansea last night, it’ll be interesting to see what crazy thing happens at Chelski next!
I watched the match and I think the result was fair, as Swansea with a bit of luck could have won this leg of the tie too!
London Underground Stations To Avoid
Londoners all have the Underground stations they don’t use. Here’s a few of my list.
Green Park – I was talking with a friend last night about my experience here yesterday and she also said she doesn’t use the station either, although she has to when she goes to the Royal Academy. I don’t as I will use a 38 bus from the stop just around the corner from my house. Outside of the rush hour, it’s almost as quick and I have to get a bus to Highbury and Islington station to get the Underground anyway.
Kings Cross St Pancras – It may be fully step-free, but it’s another station with endless subterranean passageways and I still get caught out by going to the wrong end of the platform, when getting off a train. If you want to exit, it’s better to go to the Euston Road exits, as that way it’s generally a short walk and an escalator. Following the recommended route puts you in the endless passageways. But again, I have the luxury of a 30 bus direct to the station. When they finish the plaza in front of the station, bus access will get much better, so this station, should improve overall later this year.
On the other hand changing between the deep lines isn’t too bad, which can’t be said for Green Park.
London Bridge – This is another station, designed by an architect with shares in a shoe company. I would never change Underground trains here and avoid getting on them as well. It used to be much easier, when the 141 bus ran from the new bus station. It doesn’t at the moment, as after they’d built it, the sewer collapsed, but in a few weeks it will be different.
Victoria – This is another on the list at present, but probably only until the station and the Underground interchange has been rebuilt in a few years.
Bank – This is another station that I avoid at weekends to change onto the DLR, but it is much better during the week. It’s also improved over the last few ears, with several extra escalators. It will also get better in the future, as I believe it’s getting some more lifts.
Camden Town – It’s just so busy with all the markets and the tourists they attract. It had been slated for rebuilding completely, but nothing is on the cards at the moment. I either use a bus or the Overground to Camden Road station to get there.
I’ve already had a couple of suggestions from a friend.
Mile End – I know this one well and used to use it a lot, when my son lived round the corner. My friend suggests you should avoid it because it is a suicide hot-spot and because of it’s depressing decor. But I’ve always found it a good way to get onto the District or Metropolitan lines from the Central or vice-versa. It also has a very useful black cab rank outside the station, which is rare on the Underground.
Edgware Road – This is the subsurface station, which can be a nightmare as it is the gap in the Circle line. I’ve waited there in the past for a lot more than several minutes to turn the corner to the south. I was talking to station staff at Kings Cross and the new Circle line layout generates a lot of queries, especially from those, who are visiting London after several years.
You will notice, that I often do a split journey using a bus at one end. I also know the bus stops pretty well, so for example, if I was returning home from say Paddington on the Metropolitan line, I’d go to Moorgate station and get a 141 bus from there, as the stop is by the station. In a similar way, say if I was going to Wembley, I’d take a 56 bus to Barbican station and get the Metropolitan from there.
I do hope that Crossrail doesn’t muck up the bus connections too much. After all, it would be easy to go to Heathrow, by getting a 141 bus to Moorgate and then getting Crossrail direct to the airport.
You will also notice that two of the stations I avoid are on the Jubilee line. I don’t think, it was the best designed of the Underground lines and we are paying the price that shoddy design. Spectacular some of the stations like Canary Wharf , Westminster and North Greenwich might be, but couldn’t a proportion of the money been better spent at the interchanges like Green Park, London Bridge and Bond Street.
Westminster always amazes me, as I walk through its subterranean structures. But then it is in effect the foundation of Portcullis House; that grandiose monument to Parliamentary excess.
The Anonymous Widower 