School Holiday Activities

Looking for something to occupy your children. It would seem that parents in the Middle-East might have the answer. See the happy expressions on these Shiite children as they sign their names on rockets that will shortly be blasted off to kill and maim Isreali children. Look how proud their mother looks in the background as she takes pictures of her children enjoying themselves.

It certainly keeps them out of trouble!

Or maybe they are Isreali children writing a message to their counter-parts in Lebenon.

Whether Isreali or Hezzballah, these pictures are sick.

Is it me, or has the world finally gone mad!

A Summer Sunday

Today has been a truly lovely day. The weather perfect. A great opportunity to chill out and relax.

The day kicked off with the annual charity bike ride between Manchester and Blackpool, a ride of 58 miles in aid of Christie's Cancer Hospital in Manchester. Most of the people cycling past looked pretty happy, but the day was still young, and it was going to get decidedly hotter. I wish them all well, and hopefully achieve their objective - Blackpool Tower. I intend to join them next year. There is further information on the Bike Events web site. There is another ride in September, - the Manchester 100. You can choose either 100 miles or 100 kilometers. I know which one I'm going to choose (I think kilometers is a great way to measure distance!)!

After we waved most of them by at the end of our road, Christine took the girls walking to drop Bethen off at her friends for a sleep-over. I decided to check out my newly serviced and updated bike (new saddle [about time], new panniers and new extension to the handle-bars) and so took it for a quick spin along the tow-path. It was amazing. I managed speeds I've never done before on this bike. Everything felt tight and slick - a real joy to ride. Afterwards, we all met up, - minus Bethen, at the Kirkless Hall pub for lunch, and spent the afternoon watching canal boats going through the locks.

A classic, perfect English summer's day.

Another Anniversary

Today is the anniversary of the London Bombings of July last year. 52 lives were lost, hundreds more were injured to varying degrees, hundreds more directly affected. It has left a trail of blighted lives, - husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons all taken on that day. All those people are in our thoughts today, and pray they find the strength to continue to strive for a fullfilling and peaceful life.

Has it changed us? Have we as a people changed? Certainly the Government thought we had and attempted to bring in draconian "anti-terrorist" legislation, - most of which has faced intense opposition from the population. For most of us, radically changing our lives and the basic principles upon which we define ourselves as a society, would mean that the terrorist would have won.

Terrible things will happen, and those who perpetrate those atrocities need to be hunted down and punished, but what we must never do is surrender to the terrorists which seems to have happened in America, and has almost happened here. We are a freedom and liberal loving society, and will resist all attempts of the executive where we can to use spurious and cycnical means to apply governmental control - for which I give thanks.

Independence Day

Taking this opportunity the thank America for the vigorous celebration of our 14th wedding anniversary. You really shouldn't, you know. You really should save your money, - lets face it, you've got a war to pay for and Haliburton share price to support, but we don't begrudge the effort.

The years seem to have flown by since then, and we have been joined by two fellow travelers in life, - our girls. Both of us have waited a long time before tieing the knot, and I for one do not regret a minute of it. When I look back at where we've traveled and how far we've come, I can't wait for the next few years.

So if you can, make one of those rockets for us. Thanks