A few years ago, I watched A Place in the sun presented by a lady called Amanda, her surname escapes me at present but one thing that stuck in my mind ever since is that she had come to a conclusion that there are some people who come to live abroad and seem totally clueless as to how to be a sensible ex-pat, deciding that they left their common sense behind on the plane.
In the light of the current weather conditions, I am totally and utterly amazed at the number of people who are arriving at Heathrow and Gatwick despite repeated appeals and warnings, not to come unless there is a definite certainty that their aircraft will take off then arrive in the offchance to find that their flight is not taking off at all but find themselves marooned at the airports. These are people who want to get away from it all. I have come to the conclusion that they haven't lelft common sense on the plane because there are no aircraft to leave their common sense on but rather they have left it in the deep freeze. Have I missed something somewhere perhaps? I thought there was supposed to be a recession, that we are in it altogether to deal with a period of austerity. All I can say then is, what recession if these people swan off to far flung places with small children, mark you, as well as old people, contributing to Global warming which surprisingly enough go hand in hand with the current conditions. Has it entered the minds of these people that the exhaust from these aircraft are contributing to the melting icebergs in the Arctic, causing the Gulf Stream to gradually sink, no of course they have not because they do not believe it exists. Well the last laugh in years to come, will fall on the sceptics but then it will be too late won't it.
I reckon that Wikkileak editor, Julian Assage who is alleged to be Swedish, is probably in that grand house in Suffolk, killing himself with laughter for the Scandinavians would no more think of going away to sunnier climbs than jump into their nearest lake and die of hypothermia. The Norwegians above all, love their country,whatever the temperature and happy to stay put. What they do is when they go out is just put on an extra couple layers of clothing and then when they visit their friend's houses, just simply peal off the layers, restoring them when they leave. Yes. OK, we rarely get these conditions but think back to last year and the early part of this when we had similar conditions but the Norwegians, Danes and Swedes know they are going to get this kind of Scandinavian weather and who is to say that we may not get it again next year.
Yes it is cold but that is winter fortunately or otherwise. This is natural and if you think about it, on the whole, this will kill the alleged cold and Swine flu germs that have emerged once more. Germs and bacteria on the whole do not like extremely cold conditions. In fact if you think hard about it, when a doctor examines you for some reason, they always have luke warm or cold hands, why, simple, to kill off any underlying bacteria, bearing in mind they have probably examined someone with complications from a virus.
It is time for the sake of climate and purse, people need to develop and retain common sense, it is a vital tool to survival. At one time, people wanted to go abroad to Switzerland or Austria to ski and go abroad in the summer to warmer climbs although again, I cannot think why when we also get hot summners as well. What is wrong with learning about your own country. My mother who was a voluntary worker from home for Cats Protection once had a call from someone in Leicestershire, asking if she could come and pick up her cat. Yes you read it correctly, nobody looks at a map let alone know the whereabouts of their own country. Alright, you may get the odd rainy day here and there but there are plenty of places to visit, country houses, if you have a caravan with an awning or even a beach hut, why not take some games such as Monopoly or scrabble. Who knows you may discover that one of your children or even grandchildren are short on the spelling front. I heard the other day that boys are four or five years behind in reading. That should say something.
Monday 20 December 2010
Wednesday 19 August 2009
I am new to blogging so please be kind
Well, I have made a huge giant step for mankind, no I have not stepped on the moon or any other planet although there might be a few of you reading this, be wondering just where I have been all this time. I suspect there are some who are a great deal younger than myself who have blogged from day one so please kind souls, bear with the slow bunny.
I can hardly believe that it is three months since I started Writer's Bureau comprehensive course which I am thoroughly enjoying I hasten to say.To be honest, I have had quite a few cracks at the whip with these sort of courses so this time I am determined to make it work and this could be many ways of practising the art of writing. I voted to do fiction so I have been scouring various sources to write fiction. I have already devised a story based on the Susan Lamplugh case, well the idea anyway for after all, that is where writers are inspired, surely. Also been reading Woman's Weekly fiction to say nothing of online stories so on the whole I can safetly say, I have been doing market research, perhaps in my conscience, a little oo much maybe, who can tell but I have the final part of my assignment, the analysis.
Writing has always been my ambition really, probably inherited from my uncle,P.R.S.Hunt,my mother's brother, who wrote articles and book on horticulture and gardening, the latter did not quite rub off on me but the former did. That is not to say that he did not write stories of course but returning briefly to hortculture, if there are any green fingered peope reading this, scour your bookshelves or visit a second hand book shop and I bet you will lay hands on just on of his many books, beautifully illustrated by his wife, Cynthia Newsome Taylor. Sadly, he died while were were abroad in Portugal and it was ironic that my mother was going to do some research for him at the time - mind you, where she would have found the time with my father's lofty position as Naval and Air attache, I do not know but when my mother is determined to do something, she will do it as a rule.
So now I have done a blog. I suppose it is an introduction about myself. Yes I have had a few things published in the past, an article in the Lady a few years back about the ludicrous regulations that prohibit parents taking photographs of their children performing on the stage, simply because that nasty piece of work Ian Huntley spoiled it for everyone else then I wrote a piece about our local Corncraft in Suffolk Norfolk Life, I have twice been te local correspondent so writing and publishing has seeped truly into my bloodstream from an early age. In fact one particular school prefect who set a small number of us a punishmnt exercise to write a composition - don't ask me what it was now, I could not for the life remember although several of my contemporaries said I was not really even involved but I went ahead nonetheless - what harm could it do, it was practise after all and you can never have too much of that if one wants to be a writer. I hasten to add it was pen and ink on paper as there wasn't a typewriter around bar the one used by the school secretary of course but fortunately in those days, people could read my handwriting which is perhaps more than they can do today, namely my mother. However I digress. It transpired that my exercise did the rounds among the prefects because one of them said they were so impressed with my piece of work. I must have blushed slightly with pride, especially when she asked if there was anyone in my family who had the talent to write so I volunteered my uncle's name - well who coul resist such an opportunity. Who knows it might well have helped to sell one of his books, unbeknown to me.
Your next question that might be floating in your mind is, do I have a lavish large study with a massive desk, rows of bookshelve etc. No I don't and perhaps I only wish but contrary to the old saying 'be careful of what you wish, I am going to do the opposite. No, my workplace is well, small by perhaps many people's standards. Now this should be a lovely exercise for your imagination until one day, I buy myself a digital camera and take a piccy to quote the current colloquial expression. My study area is by the back garden door which faces north. At this time of year with a plastic wire and wood framed trellis. Occasionally the odd local wasp flies in to see if humans work as well as they do or perhaps they are afer something juicy and sugary. I have a two drawer wooden teak desk, top one holds my pens, staplers etc, lower one holds notepads, stickies, etc. On the desk itself, a wire tray rack which needs overhauling and sorting out, a printer, above which a noticeboard. I have a cd player to my left and telephone, one with large numbers so if I can't find my specs and in a blind panic to find the numbes, they are staring at me - joking! Also to my left are jumble of washing powder boxes, useful for keeping index cards then a filing cabinet, also needs sorting, on top of which, a photocopier an laminater
To my right, white panted computer desk which I had since 1990 from the time when I had my very first computer, an Amstrad - sounds almost like the dark ages when I look upon it. Served me well to a point but one certainly did not have the fonts that are available now, not to mention the software as a whole. Now I have a flat screen and a slightly smaller CPU. Yes I am slowly catching up on the natives. One day, who knows, I might consider a scanner although lord knows where I would put it if you can imagine my desk at present. Oh yes, on the desk where I work generally, a collection of pen dispensers and desk light, updated as well, smaller and more malleable - hope I spelt that correctly and bright blue, the anglepoise I had before gave up the proverbial ghost last year in March.
Must close now, at some point I will write on of my short stories or perhaps the early stages of a novel for you to read. The important thing is, I made a start with my very first blog
I can hardly believe that it is three months since I started Writer's Bureau comprehensive course which I am thoroughly enjoying I hasten to say.To be honest, I have had quite a few cracks at the whip with these sort of courses so this time I am determined to make it work and this could be many ways of practising the art of writing. I voted to do fiction so I have been scouring various sources to write fiction. I have already devised a story based on the Susan Lamplugh case, well the idea anyway for after all, that is where writers are inspired, surely. Also been reading Woman's Weekly fiction to say nothing of online stories so on the whole I can safetly say, I have been doing market research, perhaps in my conscience, a little oo much maybe, who can tell but I have the final part of my assignment, the analysis.
Writing has always been my ambition really, probably inherited from my uncle,P.R.S.Hunt,my mother's brother, who wrote articles and book on horticulture and gardening, the latter did not quite rub off on me but the former did. That is not to say that he did not write stories of course but returning briefly to hortculture, if there are any green fingered peope reading this, scour your bookshelves or visit a second hand book shop and I bet you will lay hands on just on of his many books, beautifully illustrated by his wife, Cynthia Newsome Taylor. Sadly, he died while were were abroad in Portugal and it was ironic that my mother was going to do some research for him at the time - mind you, where she would have found the time with my father's lofty position as Naval and Air attache, I do not know but when my mother is determined to do something, she will do it as a rule.
So now I have done a blog. I suppose it is an introduction about myself. Yes I have had a few things published in the past, an article in the Lady a few years back about the ludicrous regulations that prohibit parents taking photographs of their children performing on the stage, simply because that nasty piece of work Ian Huntley spoiled it for everyone else then I wrote a piece about our local Corncraft in Suffolk Norfolk Life, I have twice been te local correspondent so writing and publishing has seeped truly into my bloodstream from an early age. In fact one particular school prefect who set a small number of us a punishmnt exercise to write a composition - don't ask me what it was now, I could not for the life remember although several of my contemporaries said I was not really even involved but I went ahead nonetheless - what harm could it do, it was practise after all and you can never have too much of that if one wants to be a writer. I hasten to add it was pen and ink on paper as there wasn't a typewriter around bar the one used by the school secretary of course but fortunately in those days, people could read my handwriting which is perhaps more than they can do today, namely my mother. However I digress. It transpired that my exercise did the rounds among the prefects because one of them said they were so impressed with my piece of work. I must have blushed slightly with pride, especially when she asked if there was anyone in my family who had the talent to write so I volunteered my uncle's name - well who coul resist such an opportunity. Who knows it might well have helped to sell one of his books, unbeknown to me.
Your next question that might be floating in your mind is, do I have a lavish large study with a massive desk, rows of bookshelve etc. No I don't and perhaps I only wish but contrary to the old saying 'be careful of what you wish, I am going to do the opposite. No, my workplace is well, small by perhaps many people's standards. Now this should be a lovely exercise for your imagination until one day, I buy myself a digital camera and take a piccy to quote the current colloquial expression. My study area is by the back garden door which faces north. At this time of year with a plastic wire and wood framed trellis. Occasionally the odd local wasp flies in to see if humans work as well as they do or perhaps they are afer something juicy and sugary. I have a two drawer wooden teak desk, top one holds my pens, staplers etc, lower one holds notepads, stickies, etc. On the desk itself, a wire tray rack which needs overhauling and sorting out, a printer, above which a noticeboard. I have a cd player to my left and telephone, one with large numbers so if I can't find my specs and in a blind panic to find the numbes, they are staring at me - joking! Also to my left are jumble of washing powder boxes, useful for keeping index cards then a filing cabinet, also needs sorting, on top of which, a photocopier an laminater
To my right, white panted computer desk which I had since 1990 from the time when I had my very first computer, an Amstrad - sounds almost like the dark ages when I look upon it. Served me well to a point but one certainly did not have the fonts that are available now, not to mention the software as a whole. Now I have a flat screen and a slightly smaller CPU. Yes I am slowly catching up on the natives. One day, who knows, I might consider a scanner although lord knows where I would put it if you can imagine my desk at present. Oh yes, on the desk where I work generally, a collection of pen dispensers and desk light, updated as well, smaller and more malleable - hope I spelt that correctly and bright blue, the anglepoise I had before gave up the proverbial ghost last year in March.
Must close now, at some point I will write on of my short stories or perhaps the early stages of a novel for you to read. The important thing is, I made a start with my very first blog
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