Last Day of Holidays

Tomorrow, the children go back to school. Bethen starts at her new Secondary school; The Deanery School in Wigan. This is a Church of England school that has an excellent reputation, and if any school is going to get the best out of Bethen, it will be this one.

Jayne goes back to Primary School, and is not particularly happy at the prospect of going to school without her older sister, but I'm sure she will be fine.

Anyway, as a treat (well it was a treat for me!) we did a 20-mile ride along the canal. Not our normal route up to Wheelton, but east towards Manchester. Some very pretty places along the way, but on this part of the canal, you are never very far from buildings and sites that remind you that the real reason for canals was work. In particular, this stretch of canal has a lot to do with the transport of coal, iron and cotton, and there are reminders of these industries all along the canal. At Leigh, there are a cluster of 5 mills, now converted to other activity, but with a little imagination, you are transported back 150 years and you can hear the shouts of men and women as they maneuver their boats along the canal. You can see the blinkered barge horses as they strain against the rope pulling the barges along the reach, and over it all, the grey/black smoke from the mill chimneys as the wheels of industry were kept turning.

It was a reasonable ride, except for the gates that British Waterways place across the tow-path. Whoever designed these gates had a real hatred of cyclists, as some of them are really difficult to get through. Moreover, on some reaches, the gates are less than 100 meters apart.

However, we made it to Worsley which is a really pretty village on the outskirts of Salford where the Duke of Bridgewater lived. He was a prominent coal mine owner in the late 18th century who wanted to get his coal; to Manchester cheaply. Later it was extended to the Trent and Mersey canal which meant that he could get his coal through to Liverpool. The final part of the Bridgewater canal - the one we cycled, was completed in 1799 and linked his canal to the Leeds-Liverpool canal at Leigh. There is no indication as to where the Leeds-Liverpool ends and the Bridgewater canal starts, but by the time we got to Worsley, the canal is a bright orange, polluted by water pumped up from mines along the way.

From Worsley, we cycled the roads to Swinton station - about 2 miles away and mostly up hill!, and got the train back to Hindley. Just in time, as thunder and lightening started and the heavens opened.

Click here for map of the route.

One final thing. One ambition has been realised and Christine is now a blogger. All support appreciated and her site is Kitchen talk.

Back Garden Camping

Over the last couple of days, and to keep them quiet while I endured the Cricket, I put the hiking tent up in the back garden. Needless to say, Jayne was very keen to sleep in it, so last night, Jayne and I slept out (Bethen was not that keen).

It's been a few years since I was last under canvas (in fact I think it was canvas in those days!), but I seemed to get back into it OK. Took a while to drop off, Jayne was out like a light, and of course we were awake pretty early due to sunlight and the fact that I had pitched the tent close to the bird table and the early morning avian squabble was pretty loud.

All in all, it was great and Jayne enjoyed it. We were up and about drinking tea at 6:30 am.

A couple of items on Iraq in The Guardian caught my eye. One was by George Monbiot who argues that Iraq should throw away Bush's self-serving timetable, and take the time to get it right. He particularly feels that the model to democracy should be those followed by Nicaragua and South Africa where the Constitutions were developed by thousands across the nation discussing openly in town and village halls - not a small, unrepresentative group cobbled together by an increasingly desperate US Administration to try and come up with something. The article is How to stop a civil war and is well worth a read.

The other article is by Adam Curtis who feels that the West and America in particular created the nightmare vision that is "al-Qaida" after 9/11 as a large, co-ordinated, powerful network, unlike any previous terrorist danger and capable of overwhelming our society and our democracy. He goes on to say that ".. our energies were going into fighting a phantom enemy. We were looking for a network that doesn't exist when we should have been dealing with an idea that does." He concludes that further "anti-terrorist" action is likely to lead to more marginalised young men taking up the struggle. His article, Creating Islamist phantoms raises some key questions in the West's "War on Terror."

One More Game To Go! and Katrina

Yesterday, England won the Fourth Test against Australia at Trent Bridge. If I have a heart attack, the blame will lie squarely with this England side.

After performing brilliantly over the previous 3 days, they clearly decided to put all supporters through the mill. On Saturday, England forced Australia to Follow On (that is when a team's First Innings score is less than 200 behind the other teams First Innings score: England scored 477; Australia scored 218) and put them into bat again. This time, Australia dug in and scored 387 leaving England to score 129 in their Second Innings to win. This should have been a stroll in the park. No pressure! Block and only score on the bad balls.

No, England decided to do it the hard way and allow Shane Warne and Brett Lee to run amok through the recognised batsmen. It was left to the England tailenders, Matthew Hoggard and Ashley Giles to wrap up the match. It was Giles who scored the last 2 runs off Warne which is poetic, as Warne has taken Giles' wicket 4 times in the series.

It's now off to The Oval for the last match. If Australia win, they keep the Ashes, if its a Draw or England win, the we regain the Ashes for the first time since 1989. I'm seeing my doctor for extra strength heart tablets!

To find out why the series between Australia and England cricket is called the Ashes then click here.

And to find out about the Laws of Cricket, then click here - good luck!

My thoughts are with all in the Southern States of America - particularly in New Orleans, as they prepare for Hurricane Katrina. I hope everyone stays safe and well. Good luck!

How To Give A Cat A Pill

1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cats mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding the pill in the right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth; allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for count of ten.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe, Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cats throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap, make note to buy a new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouses forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbours shed. Get another pill. place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cats front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cats mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 pint of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches finger and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop to order new table.
15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat and ring local pet store to see if they have any hamsters.

Road Ter Wiggin Pier

An occasional flurry into local Wigan "culture" with a poem written by Jeff Unsworth.

For those who need it, there is a translation down below.


The Road Ter Wiggen Pier

George Orwell wrut a book, tha knows, The Road ter Wiggin Pier.
He tried fot tell it eaw it wuz. Un eaw folk lived reawnd here.
He tried fot give a detailed view. Abeawt th'unemployed un't poor.
He even lived among um aw. Fot help im larn some moo'er.

He wrut abeawt aw't miners. What their werk wuz laahk.
Worr a poxy darty job it wuz. Enough fot mek thi skraahk.
Conditions were'nt reight gradely, werk'in undergreawnd.
Hot un cramped un dusty,wi not much room fot turn'in reawnd.

Tunnels, oney three foot heigh werk'in on their bally's.
Picks un shovells, scrawp'in coal, in order't get their tally's.
They trudged wom in their pit dirt. When their shifts were done.
It were ard fot tell which wuz thi Dad, black faces, every one.

Stripp'in off their darty cloo'us. Gerr'in in't tin bath.
This is wee'er yo'd see aw't scars, the pit faw aftermath.
Dark black lines across their backs, wee'er coal geet under't skin.
The wives would scrub but neyer would they be laahk what they'd once bin.

Condemned eawses, Orwell wrote. Areawnd th'area of Scholes.
Four rooms, two up two deawn. Sometimes flea ridden holes.
Leak'in roof, walls faw'in deawn un damp in moo'ist er't bricks.
Windows would'nt opp'n reet. Rent six bob un rates at thee un six.

Poverty wuz rife,George Orwell wrote. Thirty theawsund claim'in dole.
Tha were fain if tha'd even geet a job. Even digg'in coal.
He wrote mortality wuz very heigh un illnesses were rife.
Un generally or't folk areawnd these times had a bloody awful life

TRANSLATION

George Orwell wrote a book, you know. The road to Wigan Pier.
He tried to tell it how it was, how folk lived round here.
He tried to give a detailed view, About the unemployed and poor.
He even lived amongst them all, to help him learn some more.

He wrote about the miners. What their work was like.
What a rotten dirty job. Enough to make you cry. ( skraahk )
Conditions not being very good, working underground.
Hot and cramped and dusty, with not much room for turning round.

Tunnels only three foot high, working on their bellies. ( ballys )
Picks and shovels, scraping coal, in order to get their tallys.
They trudged home in their pit dirt, When their shifts were done.
It was hard to tell, which was your Dad, black faces everyone.

Stripping off their clothes, getting in the tin bath.
This is when you'd see the scars, the pit fall aftermath.
Dark black lines across their backs, were the coal got under the skin.
The wives would scrub but never would they be like what they'd once been.

Condemned houses, Orwell wrote. Around the area of Scholes.
Four rooms, two up two down. Sometimes flea ridden holes.
Leaking roof, walls falling down and damp in most of the bricks.
Windows wouldn't open right. Rent six shillings, rates at three and six.

Poverty was rife, Goerge Orwell wrote. Thirty thousand claiming dole.
You were glad if you even had a job. Even digging coal.
He wrote mortality was very high. And illnesses were rife.
And generally the folk around these times had a bloody awful life.

What America Does Not Believe In

Having now seen most of the deletions, amendments and insertions to the draft UN summit agreement, the rest of the World now clearly understands this Bush Administration's Foreign Policy. These changes were presented by John Bolton, a cynical, politically maneuvered appointment, placed to ensure that the UN is finally finished off. John Bolton's core belief is the US interests should always take precedence over the search for compromise with the international community. Here are some of the core values of this American administration:

1. America does not want "respect for nature". In other words, it wants the freedom to rape and pillage the world's resources for its own selfish desires.
2. It does not support all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all states. America arrogantly believes it is superior to all other countries and will pay lip-service to those countries' independence that "support" it, while having the freedom to violate other countries' freedoms and independence when it suits or needs.
3. America does not want the right of self-determination of peoples which remain under colonial domination and foreign occupation. Obviously, once America has invaded a sovereign state, it needs the time to subjugate the people, so that it can rape and steal that country's resources - the only reason America invaded in the first place. (Unfortunately, they are not very good when it comes to military action - inparticular; Exit stratergies).
   
4. America does not want to provide the UN with the organisation and resources to fully implement its mandates. Clearly, America wants to reserve the right to cherry-pick the countries it wants invaded, and as there is no oil in Dafur or Niger, that's why no action is being taken in those countries. There is no material spin off for America stopping children and babies being slaughtered by a regime that appears more blatantly vicious than Saddam Hussein's.
5. America does not want to implement it's part of the internationally agreed development goals, and in particular want to renege on the millennium development goals. In other words, America only provides help to countries that are useful to it.
6. In the global battle against corruption, America does not want corporate responsibility and accountability to be a part of that fight. Clearly, Bush's friends want to continue to make money by whatever means with impunity.
7. America does not want to develop a timetable to achieve the Official Development Assistance of 0.7% GNP by 2015. This Administration's attitude appears to be; "Who cares, if the rest of the world is falling behind, as long as we have everything we need, and no international body can hinder our greed and desire for other countries resources".
8. America does not recognise that climate change is a serious and long-term challenge that will affect every part of the world (including the USA). America does not want to develop institutions for the sustainable use and management of natural resources
9. America does not want to take action against man's role in affecting climate change. It's very happy being the dirtiest country in the world, allowing it's own population to choke on it's own pollution, and cares not that the pollution is carried to the rest of the world on the jet-stream and ocean currents.
10. On the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa, America does not want to provide prevention, care and treatment ..."on a grant basis, and encourage [its] pharmaceutical companies to make anti-retroviral drugs affordable and accessible in Africa". No, the Administration wants to be sure that its pharmaceutical companies can continue to make the outrageous profits it has been, well into the future.
11. Obviously, America does not agree that the use of force should be considered as an instrument of last resort. Come on, think of all those American arms manufacturers who don't make a profit unless countries are fighting each other.
12. America does not want to disarm. A great example to those who are thinking about developing the "bomb". If its right for America; its right for me.
13. America, obviously, does not want to co-operate with the international criminal court, or any other appropriate mechanism for international justice. It can't support this because it would be in the dock itself.

These are just a few of the things that Bush and his cronies want changed and reflected, to ensure that the draft charter is so watered down that it becomes meaningless. The reality, of course, is that Right-Wing America doesn't want a UN at all, as it can prove meddlesome when America is trying to secretly achieve its aims, or trample all over other people's freedoms. What a shining light of leadership and moral example to the rest of the world the US is at the moment.

In terms of human history, the UN is still in its infancy, with the prospect of becoming a true global power for good. Unfortunately, for the sake of greed and the moment, the American administration of today wants to destroy it. Perhaps it is "unpatriotic" to seek security through agreement, rather than violence.

Lost Job

Found out today, that I didn't get the job I had applied for. Pretty disappointed and a bit down about it, but I'll recover. I'll just indulge my depression with a beer or two, and watch the cricket on the TV. Freddy Flintoff is doing brilliantly and England are, at the time of writing, 353 for 5 which, for those who know, is pretty good.

I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh topic and keep you up-to-date with the cricket.

Rivington Moor

The girls returned from Grandparents yesterday. It seems like ages since I last saw them, and it was a pleasure to have them back in the house - I think.

Anyway, as a reward I decided that we should all go on a nice 8.5 mile walk over Rivington Moor and Winter Hill The walk starts from and finishes at the Black Dog Pub in Belmont (click the 'bigger' button and Belmont can be seen in the top right hand corner). The walk is a circular walk that starts by ascending to Winter Hill and the radio and telephone masts. This is a fairly sharp rise of about 500 feet to the top of the hill. There are great views of the Pennines proper as they wind their way north. At the top, you can see Darwen Tower (or as it is called locally, Darwen's Rocket as it looks a little like Buck Rogers' rocket - the black & white version) and Holcombe Tower. These towers along with Rivington Pike form a 31 mile walk called - unsurprisingly, the Three Towers Walk - supposed to be done in a day - oh yes?

This part of Lancashire is mill and coal country, and if you look carefully, the signs can still be seen. The landscape is dotted with mill ponds for example, that fed the mill races that kept the water wheels turning in the mills nestling in the valley. When we reached the top, the heavens opened, and even with waterproofs on, we were soaked to the skin, and then, as soon as it started, it stopped! English weather - don't you just love it? However, we soon dried out as we carried on toward Rivington. Jayne, who must have DNA from a mountain goat, was, as usual, out in front when she stepped into a particularly boggy bit and sank up to her mid-thigh and could not get out. Yours truly had to affect the rescue, and save the stuck daughter - all part and parcel of being a Dad! After she got through the initial fright and tears, Jayne, being Jayne, perked up and continued without complaint - apart from her now wet feet.

Lunch at Rivington Pike, a tower built in 1733 by John Andrews as a shooting lodge and look-out for his newly acquired lands. These days it provides a little shelter and some spectacular views across Lancashire. After that, it is a reasonably easy, but drawn out walk back to the Rivington/Belmont road and back to Belmont. Stopped off at the Black Dog Inn for a pint (or two) before heading home. The pub is a Joseph Holt's pub, which means the beer is a pretty good standard bitter, a nice edge of bitterness with a good body. A brass notice over the bar said:

" In six days, God made the World and then rested."
"In one day God made Man and then rested."
"Then God made Woman, and no bugger's rested ever since!"

It seems everyone enjoyed the walk, and Jayne was talking quite happily about her experiences in the bog. For me, it was quite different type of exercise to cycling, and made a nice change.

The photos are from a previous walk, the pictures from this walk will be put onto Flickr as soon as they are developed.

Sailing Across The Channel

Yesterday, a 33 year old woman sailed across the English Channel. A 22 mile stretch of water that has kept the UK reasonably independent for the past 1000 years. People sail this water every day of the week. An Amarda of boats, no less, cross the Channel all the time.

Well, this woman did it solo. So what? a fair proportion of those sailing across the Channel do it solo. So why am I spending time and bytes on this when I could be talking about myself?

Well Hilary Lister is quadriplegic. She suffers from a degenerative disease, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, and over the years it has progressed from her ankles and up through her body to her neck. I just can't imagine what that must be like, and I'm not sure if I could have coped as she has. She described herself as a "sporty" person who lived an active life, enjoying canoeing, swimming, rugby (good girl) and hockey. She only took up sailing 2 years ago to boost her self-confidence!

The voyage took six and a half hours, and she did it by using 2 straws which she sucked and blew down to control the rudder and sails. When she got to France her comment was: "I am just thrilled." I bet she was, and I bet all those who supported her from her husband Clifford through to her sailing instructors and those who just helped in any way they could were just as thrilled. I'm thrilled for her.

What a magnificent advert for the Human Spirit.

She summed up her reason for doing it so publicly, was to demonstrate to all, that the disabled "... do not need wrapping up in cotton wool, and can go out and do silly or dangerous things if that's what we want to do." Hilary said on TV this morning that everyone can acheive their dreams. I believe her.

She plans to sail around Britain next. I for one wish her all the luck in the world.

One other thing of note yesterday was that I had my second interview for a position at J D Williams. That interview took about half the time it took for Hilary to sail across the Channel - and I was exhausted!

Link

Flat Pack Furniture

We bought a computer/study desk for Bethen today. A self-assembly, flat-pack desk that has a slide away top for a key-board. Nice looking thing, grey powder-coated frame with tempered glass for the work tops. I have no problem with flat-pack furniture. Most of our furniture came in a box of one size or another and once assembled, looks pretty good. Our house could almost be used by IKEA to photograph their catalogue. So why the blog?

Well, the one thing that frustrates me even more than Tony Blair and George Bush are the diagrams that are supposed to pass for instructions. After many years of experience, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that there is a company that has the contract to do all the diagrams for all flat-pack companies. The main criteria for getting that contract must be a promise never to look at the finished article or attempt to put the item together. If they did do that, there might be a danger that the diagrams and instructions could be understood and the furniture assembled in quick time and without the use of "old-English" words to aid the process. No, today I was confronted with approximately 40 different pieces to put together, and 2 exploded diagrams of how they are supposed to fit together. Most of the items in the diagram look nothing like the real thing, so one hour later, I was taking the thing apart again to swap 2 pieces over, for the 3rd or 4th time. Fortunately, the children, who see me as someone full of sweetness and light, with never a cross word, would have been shocked with some of the phrases I used. I wasn't even aware that I knew some of those words!

Anyway, it's done now and she had better bl***y appreciate it!

I'm Being Spammed

I've just discovered that I am being Comment spammed. As such, I have had to put in place Word Verification on comments. I'm sorry for inconvenience, it is not of my choosing, but it appears to be the only way to keep most of it out. Clearly some immoral people and companies out there!

Cindy Sheehan

Today's Observer, which I have been reading in the garden, enjoying a beer and my first full day on holiday (that does sound good) had a very intelligent article, not so much on Cindy and her protest as such, but the debate that she has instigated in America about why American troops are being sent to a foreign land that was not threatening the US in any way, and being killed. She asks the simple question, what is the "noble cause" that her son died for? This is a debate that America has needed to have for quite some time, and has been stopped by Right-Wing fanatics as being "unpatriotic". To me, it is grossly unpatriotic to use your country's foreign policy for personal gain! It does seem that "draft-dodger" Bush is probably going to chicken out as usual in talking to this lady about her son's death. How many funerals of the "brave boys" has Bush been to?

Any way, the article talks about the deep division in the US over this issue. 54% of Americans now, finally, believe it was a big mistake to invade Iraq and a higher proportion now accept that they were lied to prior to the war happening. Professor Rick Stoll of Rice University points to that other US calamity - Viet Nam, and said that once support dipped below 50%, it was impossible to get it back. The momentum is clearly, now with the anti-war movement. As Bush is not standing again, he'll probably carry having America's boys killed for spurious reasons regardless. He probably recognised that he had lost all possibility of being a great president, way back in his first term. I wonder how long it will be, before Republican "chancers", looking to succeed him, start criticising the war - particularly the complete lack of an exit policy, in an attempt to woo those supporters who have now woken up to the fact that they were probably duped.

Clearly a few paid up members of Loonyville are still supporting Bush and toeing the party line such as that pinnacle of the intelligentsia; Rush Limbaugh, who is something called a "shock" jock. The only shocking thing about him is his support for the indefensible. The other great supporter who still clearly has difficulty understanding the complex issues surrounding Cindy's protest is Bill O'Reilly of Fox "News" who thinks that Cindy is only there to embarrass the President. What he doesn't seem to understand that for the rest of the World, President Bush has been an embarrassment to America for quite some time - particularly when he opens his mouth!

I'll finish now as the sun is still shining, and a bottle of Tangle Foot is calling me from the fridge. A few more pictures now loaded onto Flickr.

The Holiday Starts

That's it! I'm home! Cold beer from the fridge, sun still high in the sky - the holiday starts here. I've been really looking forward to this break for some time. Work has been incredibly busy and hectic with lots of work coming in, and fewer people doing it. Two things from this holiday - lose weight and get Christine signed up to Blogger!

It's Saturday

Today, the sun is shining brightly, the temperature is comfortably warm, families are out and about enjoying themselves - and I'm stuck in work!!

Ah well! A couple of more hours, and I'll be finished and more-over, able to start my holiday. Should be a nice quiet evening as the children are still over with my parents - Bethen is using up her free texts on her new phone texting Christine's parents who are on the Isle of Man celebrating their 50th anniversary. Hopefully the weather will be kind and Terry and Barbara have a good time. I've got the pictures from their celebrations last week, and I will be loading them up into Flickr tomorrow.

My holiday? No plans as yet, but with Christine working, we can't really go anywhere - can't afford it after the work we've had done on the house! However, we'll see if we can get a few days out and about. Not been cycling for a while, so that will certainly be an option. The blackberries and Elderberries are now ripening, and the best ones are along the canal - no pollution! Jayne and I brought back loads last year, Apple and Blackberry pie or crumble with custard, I can taste it now.

Anyway, for the next 2 weeks, the "real" world can take a back seat. I'll try to keep this up-to-date, but I can't promise. One joy/stress time to look forward to is the next Test match against Australia - and I'll keep my regular readers up-to-date from my perspective.

Mo Mowlam

It appears to me that there are basically two types of politician. There are those who see politics as a means of personal advancement, making as much capital out of their position as their “consultancies” allow; and there are those who enter politics and view it as a means of changing the world for the better. Mo Mowlam, who died today at the age of 55, was a politician very much in the latter camp. MP for Redcar, she was very instrumental in helping to get Labour electable because she believed that only a Social-Democratic party would ensure the most benefit to the most people.. When Labour came to power in 1997, she became Northern Ireland Secretary – the graveyard for many an aspiring politician. However, for her, this was a challenge she relished. She always believed that it was the politicians duty to talk to anyone if it brought about the opportunity for peace and security. She believed that terrorism can only truely be beaten by words and she was proved right. In 1998, the Good Friday agreement was signed, which effectively sounded the death-knell for the Provisional IRA. Atrocities still occurred, particularly at Enniskillen, but these were very much the actions of desperate splinter groups, which Republican politicians dis-owned.

Much of her success in Northern Ireland, was partly the result of her firm, life-long friendship with Bill Clinton, who believed, similarly, that the Worlds problems could be improved through intelligent politics, rather than violence. Mo had a very simple creed; violence begets violence – a lesson some politicians still need to learn. In 2000, Mo Mowlan received the Peace Prize for her work in Northern Ireland.

As a person, she was very approachable. She revelled in the company of others, and seemed very much at home with just about everyone. A truly natural and open person who seemed not to judge others very quickly. However, she had very firm principles, once saying the the Royal Family should move out of Buckingham Palace, and let the homeless of London move in. She was always a great defender, and fighter for the down-trodden and those who could not defend themselves.

Mo had been suffering an inoperable brain tumour through the Nineties, and was under chemotherapy during the Northern Ireland peace talks. The treatment made her lose her hair and gain a lot of weight. Typically, because she kept her illness secret, one right-wing paper described her as being like a “fat, Geordie trucker” – attempting to personally abuse both her and Geordies (people from Newcastle Upon Tyne).

Mo also had a wicked sense of humour, and apparently in one particularly difficult Northern Ireland meeting, she took her wig off – her way of lightening the mood and threatening to "head-butt" Jerry Adams if he didn't start moving in the right direction during the talks up to the Good Friday agreement..

She will be badly missed. The full story can be read at the BBC web-site.

Advertising Break!

Just came across this site for a winery in Oregon called Cameron Winery. Any wine company that uses a picture of Che Guevara must be worth trying!

Homesickness

Poor Bethen. Bethen came down with an acute bout of homesickness while at Guide camp, and Christine had to go and pick her up yesterday. It was a bit of a shock to me, as I’d psychologically forgotten that she is only eleven years old. I’ve fallen into the habit of viewing her as older than she really is, and believe that she will cope in just about any circumstance. Although she has spent periods of time away from home, this camp was the first time she has been away without being with anyone from the family, and in truth, she did very well. I’m very proud of her, and I hope it doesn’t stop her from trying out camping again. I need to remember that she is still a child – even though you could mistake her for an eighteen year old, the way she behaves from time to time. At heart, she is a pretty strong and resilient girl and I’m sure she will be fine.

Israel have started to pull out of the Occupied Territory in Gaza – 50 years after they first stole it from the Palestinians. Israel and America are trying to portray this as a move towards peace, but until they relinquish the West Bank – also stolen from the Palestinians, I can’t see there being a peaceful outcome. On the contrary, those Palestinians living in the Occupied West Bank will be more determined for the Israelis to leave. Bush, of course, has told Israel that he will support them if they decide not to leave. Clearly, the Middle East is yet another area of the World being manipulated by the foreign policies of other countries that are more concerned about their own self-interest. What’s really required is Justice for both Israel and Palestine. While Israel is supported the way it is, they have no incentive to make peace with her neighbours.

Israel is another example of the arrogance of the powerful.

Shoot to Kill

Disturbing news is surfacing about the death of Mr. Jean Charles de Menezes' death. This was the Brazilian electrician who was shot by Police on the 22nd July at Stockwell Tube station. Police statements at the time said that Mr. de Menezes failed to stop when challenged, vaulted the ticket barrier and ran down to the tube. Police reports also said that he was wearing a heavy winter's coat on a very warm summer's day.

It now emerges that his house had been under surveillance, and that when he left home to go to work, he travelled 15 minutes by bus to Stockwell, CCTV at the station shows him walking in and presenting his pass at the barrier, passing through the barrier and picking up a free newspaper. The only time he ran was when he reached the platform and saw his train about to depart. He ran onto the train, followed by the surveillance officer who immobilised him. Mr. de Menezes was going nowhere, and could not possibly do anything.

What happened next would appear to be quite apalling. An armed Police officer arrived, and with little or no warning, fired 11 times, hitting Mr. de Menezes 7 times in the head, once in the shoulder and missed 3 times. A passenger took a phone-camera picture of the aftermath, and Mr. de Menezes was wearing a light denim jacket. This information is coming from a leaked source, but it does have the ring of truth about it. The full story can be read on the BBC website.

This sort of reaction and over-reaction is precisly what the terrorists want. They want national governments to crack down on their own populations, curtail hard-won freedoms and control the populace. On the face of it, particularly in the UK and America, the terrorist has won.

In the UK, the move to ID cards and deportation of funny coloured people who wear scarves on their heads. In America, it can take longer to get through security at an airport, than the subsequant flight. The question is: who's winning, and who is allowing the terrorist to win?

A woman in London was asked whether she felt more secure with all the visible policing on the streets, and she said "no". It reminded her that there was something to fear. She much preferred to play the odds, and the chances of being a victim of terrorism is millions-to-one. Sensible woman.

Boscastle - One Year On

In the early hours of the 16th August 2004, a major flash flood ripped through the small coastal Cornish village of Boscastle. Fortunately, there were no deaths, but the damage was colossal with a third of the buildings severely damaged and 80 vehicles washed out into the bay. The event was memorable because it was being shown live on the BBC. By shear chance, the Beeb was filming a series of Doc Martin in the village, and so drama film-makers became, in seconds, news film-makers. While watching it, and in the immediate after-math, I had the very real feeling that the damage was so great, that the village would not recover. I did not count on Cornish toughness and determination. A year on, most of the village is now up and running, repairs are mostly complete and life is getting back to some normality. The Environment Agency, have put in some defenses to cope with excessive water build-up which should help.

How did it happen? After a dry, early summer, the previous 2 weeks had been wet and rainy. Boscastle nestles at the mouth of a narrow river-cut valley, surrounded by hills that are generally boggy. The dry weather had dried out the sub-soil, which meant that when the rains came, it couldn't penetrate into the ground. The water was absorbed by the top-soil and vegetation. On the night of the flood, Boscastle was the centre of a major storm that dropped a massive amount of rain. The surrounding land couldn't cope and so the water ran off into the local streams and then into the river Valency which flows through Boscastle to the sea. A large volume of water and a narrow river valley is going to lead to trouble.

The pictures of Boscastle today show a reviving village looking forward to the future. Most of the buildings have been repaired, and only the whiteness of the mortar give any indication of what had happened. We love the West Country, and Boscastle is definitely a place I would want to visit.

One place we have been to is Lynmouth which, on the 15th August 1952 suffered a similar, but even worse fate as Boscastle. Lynmouth is just up the coast from Boscastle in Devon, and is similarly placed at the head of a narrow river valley. In almost identical climatic conditions - dry summer, 2 weeks of rain then a major storm, the rivers West Lyn and East Lyn, which join in the middle of the village, catastrophically burst their banks. As well as tons of water, the rivers brought massive boulders off the tops along with a great deal of mud. 34 people lost their lives, and over 70 buildings were either destroyed or had to be demolished. However, the village is thriving today, and defenses have been installed against future problems. It is a very pretty North Devon coastal village, and I'm sure that Boscastle will also revive.

A Strange Day, Australia get the Draw!

With so many people off work today for one reason or another, today has been a really hectic day - and if I find out that they've been to the cricket, there will be trouble! Hopefully, there will be a few more in tomorrow.

Bethen is off to Summer Camp with the Guides. The weather is looking fair this week, but the nights are likely to be chilly. We've got her a superb sleeping bag, new boots, thick socks and plenty of warm clothing so I'm sure she'll be OK. In some ways, I really envy her. I've come to the conclusion that childhood is wasted on the young as they never appreciate it at the time. Jayne is over with Grand-Parents, though which ones, I'll find out later.

Today is, VJ day (Victory over Japan Day). I asked Dad if he was going to any of the commemorations, but he said no. He would much rather remember the day with his Grand-Daughter. Can't argue with that. Dad was also a Dunkirk vet, and I feel he was more at home with the people who went through that than his comrades from Burma. The children in Bethen's class still remember when Dad went into the school to talk about that time, and they were quite impressed when, at one point, Dad started to cry. The children were absolutely superb and dealt with it really well.

Well, I am now emotionally exhausted. Australia held on to secure the draw in the Third Test. England were unable to remove a ninth wicket to secure the victory they deserved. Any way, its on to Trent Bridge - a true seamer's wicket.