Monday, August 18, 2008

Quick Blog - Busy Day

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A busy day. Starting with my Blood Test, then over to Joan's for coffee. Across to Carlton for Y's 'nails' and quickly to the Cheesecake Shop for lunch.

Up the A60 then to Mansfield for Nat Trst Outings Committee meeting at Jean's. An excellent meeting, lots of laughs and much work completed.

Lots of jobs acquired too, but I suppose that is what it's all about.

Picture 1 is to demonstrate the 'racial harmony' among our garden birds. The goldfinch shall dine with the blue tit.

Picture 2 is another blue tit, alone, on one of the starling-proof feeders.

This blog post will have to be short folks, because I'm tired out and we have things to do tomorrow. This evening we watched the last part of Richard Dawkins, The Genius of Charles Darwin, and I found it the best balanced of the series.

There was a discussion between Dawkins and the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop gave a coherent account of himself. A more doughty opponent than the school kids previously used.

Comments

Jill ..... Ikea is rather a "love it/hate it" place for us. As it's so close we like to go quite early, for breakfast, before the busier time begins. Also, we actually find it an interesting store to browse in and I love the design of so many of their products.

We don't mind going for something specific - but a "wander round" is OK too.

So pleased Jenny is 'on the mend' and I hope your visit was a success.

Bungus .....

Interesting that you have come round to frozen mashed potato because we have gone off it. It seems too runny - but I suppose it is a matter of personal taste.

My phrase 'not Amazon's' was intended to convey the point that the problem with the SD cards was mine and not the fault of the firm Amazon who supplied them.

I am surprised by your lack of knowledge of Carl Sagan and that the webpage I linked you to was obscure. So please click here for his Wikipedia page which is more helpful.

Reg .... Thanks for the stuff about Ikea and I'm persuaded by your theory about Broxtowe Council's lack of knowledge about Giltbrook and the surrounding environment. One is also tempted to speculate about decision makers and little brown envelopes. A different but nearby problem is the ridiculous and mostly ignored 50mph speed limit on the bypass. What on earth was that all about ?

anonymousRob ....... You are 100% right about the nonsense of extending the IKEA site without an adequate road structure. It's going to be a nightmare at peak periods. If I take Y to the tram nowadays, I mostly take her to either Hucknall or Moor Bridge due to the problems of reaching Phoenix Park via the A610.

How interesting about the fire and for the benefit of other readers please click here to read the Chad rport, with pictures. Glad you sorted out a copper-proof route home. Sounds like there was much evidence of right hand not knowing about left hand etc., among the emergency services.

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We aim to have a quiet day tomorrow because on Wednesday we are going to Beningborough Hall in Yorkshire with Mansfield National Trust. Let us hope the weather is better than today. It has been so stormy.


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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Speed Limit A610 Should either be enforced or scrapped. There were some accidents (fatal) before the installation of the central crash barrier. The authorities Shoud get their stories straight over the 40 mph bit. Notts say both sides of a dual carriageway must be the same speed limit therefroe the 40mph streth coming away from the motorway.
Our EPS LAngley Mill Councillor Asked Derbyshire About the other end of the A610 At Codnor where both side are differant and was told No such ruling.
Rob--- I have some leaflets on Lumsdale let me have your e-mail via RG and I will send you copies.
It's 35PC AGM at Chesterfield on Sept 13th and I am hoping to take some of them there on the Sat morning if you are interested.

Anonymous said...

I was watching a moderately entertaining but largely unsatisfactory film the other evening (starring Robson and Jerome and featuring George Melly, Alf Garnett, and several other decent actors, all wasted) and suddenly Graham Stark appeared, reminding me for no reason of ‘Fred Yule and Dino Galvani’. That’s it.

Pleased your birds continue to delight.
Our mouse (I think there are probably others) has mastered the upside down flower pot deterrent to get to the bird nuts hanging from the washing line (photo by email). I was able to watch him from a couple of feet away for perhaps 30 seconds while he kept an eye on me before he went home.

I would somehow expect the Archbishop of Canterbury to provide a better theological argument than a bunch of school kids.

The frozen mash I had was certainly not at all runny (something that I also do not care for).

I’ve looked at the Carl Sagan webpage but I’m afraid there appears to be not much in his wide field that interests me a great deal.

Reg:
Thanks for locating Ikea Complex. All your points seem well made but I have to say that last time I visited Eastwood it appeared to be at its last gasp anyway (compare with Ollerton which improves little by little apart from the market).
The published blog pictures do not give enough info to make much of a judgement but these sort of developments are seldom architecturally up to much (the Birmingham mirror store an exception). On the other hand, some prisons are rather impressive, eg, Dartmoor.

Rob:
The cycling team have really ‘swept the board’ as they say (have you seen the comparative medals table? Amazing; a dozen or so more medals more than anyone else). I think Chris Boardman has it about right; I could not understand the Madison at all (I have always thought it to be a dance) but the rest of the cycling I loved. I recall seeing the Amateur, and later Professional, World Champion, Reg Harrison, in an invitation race at Rufford Colliery sports ground in the 1950s and failing to understand why sprinters would go slowly (I also recognised him, in the 60s, dining in The Mackworth, a posh hotel near Derby).
A Silver for GB in the High Jump has just been announced. And now a Gold in the Women’s 400m! Why have I never heard of anybody?

We don’t get Midlands TV so I had heard nothing of the Annesley fire. I suppose it may get a mention in our Chad tomorrow (Wed).
The old ambulance driving acquaintance I met up with recently lives in Annesley (a private ‘self-build’ development on the road leading down from near the Badger Box to Newstead Village). I’ll enquire whether he was evacuated.

There is also a long stretch of largely inexplicable 50mph on the A6097 (Lowdham, Gunthorpe).

Anonymous said...

Apparently 3 teenagers, two aged 14 and one aged 16, have been arrested and released on police bail having been accused of arson following 'our' factory fire. Local rumour has it that they are the 'usual suspects' and they set light to a hedge bottom which spread to the factory.

4 more golds in the Olympics today; the bicyclists have done very well and deserve a haiku in their honour:
Pedalling like mad
They gather gold in Beijing
Sprint, pursuit and team

That's not very good and maybe more thought and time will produce a better one - over to you Bungus. Apparently Chris Hoy's bikes are built at Heanor.

I also meant to do a haiku around procrastination but I put it off.

Rob

Anonymous said...

Nothing about the fire on our news. I supposed it was the fumes that made the police want to evacuate everybody?

I hope it keeps fine for you tomorrow at Beningborough Hall, it looks interesting - never been there.

Friend in hospital with broken leg is recovering, but not getting nearly enough physio. In a ward with five other ladies, four of whom don't speak English, the one that does is very deaf. I do wish she had better company. No permanent doctor for that ward, and no ward sister. Her family complain that it is very difficult to talk to anyone in authority aboy prognosis, etc.etc. She is hoping to go to a rehab. unit before she comes home, but far more people needing the unit than there are places. Jen says the food is appalling - and she is not a fussy eater. She is losing weight - but now we are all taking in sandwiches etc. hopefully she won't. Ths is the same hospital where I had the op on my arm, and I threatened to sit on the floor....

Liked the bird photos. I have been endeavouring to clean ours up, I have found all the rain sort of clogs them up - and some are sprouting! Think I may have to get new ones. Unfortunately our local pet stall has closed down, I used to get all the seeds etc. from there, far more varied and cheaper than Sainsburys.

Another good day at the Games!

I made a coffee and walnut cake and took it with me to have tea with a friend on her birthday - Noreen, tell Y - beautiful bouquets of flowers from her sons and cards, but no visits.....