Category: General

One rung at a time

One of my younger brothers (younger being a relative term as he’s just celebrated his 60th ) is a yacht skipper and has, for years, owned a sailing business based in the Greek islands.

Nice lifestyle really. Summers spent sailing round the islands, organising flotillas, charters and the like. During the winter he returns to the UK and undertakes short term contracts as a commissioning skipper on new yachts for boat builders, checking specifications, testing equipment, sea trials, worldwide deliveries and so on.

Continue reading “One rung at a time”

Ongoing FYI

It is a rather peculiar experience to be a British person onlooking the Olympics from elsewhere especially as I still read the British papers on a daily basis.

I detect a dissonance between the two.  I have read in the UK papers about the enthusiasm for the opening ceremony which I have to say has not really been reflected here.  In WA state we pick up both Canadian and US radio and television.  Both/all were excessively polite about the ceremony, far too polite! Quirky and creative being the most often used words as various struggled to describe and understand the whole affair, frankly it wasn’t really suitable for a world wide audience.  It was then dropped like a hot brick.  I suspect that it was all too political and a potential minefield to correspondents, there was actually a comment on Canadian radio to the effect that were there no white people left in London? Incredible considering they are the most anal PC bunch known to mankind!!!

Today there has been much made of empty stadia, angry ticketless Brits, Olympic events not open to the public and a general wonder why Locog cannot get their act together to fill the seats.  Romney was slated here for making rude remarks to the Brits re the readiness of the UK to host the games.and duly slunk off to Israel ASAP. I note a couple of commentators beginning to ask whether he had a point!  I have been captive today for a couple of hours in the kitchen making redcurrant sirop so have been treated to a variety of talk shows and talking heads on my mini kitchen counter TV.

I have to say in mitigation the NBC’s coverage of the games is absolutely DIRE, were you to see it you would actually thank God you had the BBC (What a heresy!!!)  We have watched any clips etc on Canadian TV which have made a far better job of the whole affair.

I would be interested to see what Chris and Low Wattage have thought so far of other denizens reactions Also what Bo and Bearsy make of the coverage and reaction in their antipodes..

‘Abide With Me’

What is the purpose of an Olympic opening ceremony?

One is to introduce the competing athletes to the world and the other major purpose is to introduce the host country to all watching.  It is a prime opportunity to showcase the host nation to the world and express how that nation feels about itself and its values.  I personally do not think it can be viewed as ‘just’ an entertainment.

I think last night presented a dilemma and sent a very mixed message which perhaps reflects the utter confusion of modern England.  I say England because I feel there was little more than a passing nod to the fact that there are four composite nations within the British Isles. The show was London/urban centric, reflected in how much time was apportioned to the various scenes.

The initial nostalgic unrealistic pastoral idyll (Spousal unit complained he didn’t see the sheep shagging!) was very quickly passed over in favour of the industrial scene which I thought the best by far of the show.   Perhaps more ‘Lord of the Rings’ than anything else but at least demonstrated that we had some creditable mechanical engineers left if nothing else!  At least the first two section were tenuously relevant to our past.

Continue reading “‘Abide With Me’”

Crazy Little Stamp

The Freddie Mercury stamp controversy of 1999 has reared its ugly head again. Dare I say it, FEEG with his love of all things HD has done an Enoch: he was right. Advances in science has produced new evidence that makes the original outrage a picnic by the Serpentine. Magnification techniques have revealed all.

Let me fill you in with all the dramatic events concerning the history of the first stamp scandal. Before the millennium the Royal Mail sought to introduce new stamps commemorating some of the top 100 Greatest Britons of the last 1000 years. Naturally, the lead singer of Queen was the first person chosen. Naturally. A live photograph of Freddie in his pomp bringing ballet to the masses was a delight for philatelists everywhere. The Mercury stamp was one of those that you didn’t want to lick. The problem was in the small print. Photographic print that is. Continue reading “Crazy Little Stamp”

Curious

Late last night on my way to bed I routinely check for emails and flick the headlines.

I saw an article, can’t remember which paper, that announced that the asylum seeking had started amongst the ‘athletes’ of the corporatefest.  Amazement was being expressed that this individual had not even waited until after his race! (Apparently the only race that counted was to the benefit office!)

Evidently a middle distance runner (how apt!) from an unnamed East African country had gone from his training camp up North to the police and asked for asylum.  They had called in Border Control who had removed him.  He had not wanted to move into the ‘village’, presumably because of too tight supervision and the anticipation of being herded back onto the bus home?  It was rumoured that another official from the same country intended doing likewise.

Subsequently this morning, all trace of the story has been removed, I cannot find reference to it anywhere.  So there you go folks, another one on the gravy train.  I doubt they had the sense to take him straight to Heathrow! Evidently this is quite usual but they generally have the grace to enter their event first!  I wonder why the story has been censored?

And Janus wonders why we would rather not pay our taxes? Or our plumber’s taxes?

Equally I wonder why this ‘athlete’ actually wants to come to the UKSSR I can’t imagine that anywhere in East Africa has Zil lanes, wall to wall CCTV, child tax spies etc etc.  But then they already have corrupt dictators, nepotism, croneyism and oligarchies there so I expect he will feel quite at home in Merry Olde England.

Perhaps Janus will send him his first month’s cheque!