Author: Soutie

Money down the drain

It was JM’s post with his London bus picture (here) that got me thinking.

In these times of belt tightening, budget cutting and austerity I certainly wouldn’t be happy with what appears to be a very expensive advertising campaign informing locals of what they already know!

London bus

There is apparently also a ‘tube campaign’ and billboard ads… Continue reading “Money down the drain”

Hostage crises

It was pure coincidence that shortly after reading The Daily Mail article on the hostage drama in London’s Tottenham Court road that the front page of my Weekend read had a report of a hostage drama at Durban’s Westville Hospital.

I had been intrigued not so much by the London hostage taker or his reasons for his actions but by the response of the British police and their uniforms. (You can click the picture to get a larger view and read the collection of high tech gadgets that this officer is carrying.)

The article tells us –

“Thousands were evacuated, Tube stations were closed and streets locked down over a wide area of London’s West End.

Snipers, bomb disposal squads, nuclear biological and chemical warfare specialists and dozens of armed police were scrambled to the building on Tottenham  Court Road, one of the city’s busiest shopping streets.”

I then had a closer look at our chaps (picture on next page) Continue reading “Hostage crises”

Ironman 2012 Port Elizabeth

2012 Volunteer

Just finished my first shift marshaling this years Ironman South Africa. which is being held right here in Algoa Bay for the 8th consecutive year.

A 3.8km swim, 180.2km cycle followed by a 42.2km run.

The weather is awful, cold, a strong westerly wind and occasional showers (it poured down early this morning.)

Although the lead cyclist only came past our intersection at 8.15am my crew and I were on station from 5.30am. We had the road closed by 6.00am and spent the rest of the morning fielding inquiries from motorists, most of whom were quite reasonable about the whole thing, as always we had the odd idiot who thought that he was more important than the wellbeing of the almost 2000 entrants but we’re quite adept at handling them and all in all things have gone rather well so far.

I’ll head back at about 1.30pm and help finish off the last hour or so.

I might just catch 40 winks in the meantime 😉

Off choc

 

Imagine my disappointment when I opened the wrapper and was confronted by this?

I stopped at my local corner cafe yesterday and although I rarely purchase sweets or chocolate was tempted to buy a Cadbury’s Bournville slab.

As you can see my chocolate hadn’t withstood the summer heat as well as it should have.Is that a sell by date on the wrapper? (20 Jul 2012)

‘Never mind’ I thought, I’ll eat it anyway, I couldn’t, it’s awful. Crumbly, dry and tasteless.

I immediately called their helpline, I was too late, it only operates during ‘office hours’ What’s the point of that? This is an emergency and they only work office hours!

I know that life’s tough here on the Dark Continent, but let’s face it, there can be no excuses for this.

I wonder if, after the Kraft takeover if it’s even made here anymore? (The Cadbury’s S.A. head office and factory is right here in Algoa Bay)

I’ll be giving them a ring a bit later today, I’ll keep you posted.