Category: General

Germany ’48 – ’53 A Child’s Tale Part 2

My father did two postings in Berlin, one with his Regiment and one with another Corp, interspersed with a posting with back down the zone. It was whilst living in Berlin that I saw the results of war damage. Whole areas of Berlin were taken up with what us kids called the brickfields. These were acre upon acre of reclaimed bricks as far as the eye could see. The only people you saw working on them were women. In the two years since the end of the war the majority of the bombed out buildings had been taken down, but no rebuilding had started. Another thing that sticks in my memory is large signs on all the major roads stating that it was an offence for military vehicles not to stop and offer a lift to any service person in uniform. Life was very hard for the population. The German boys that I played with all looked very undernourished. If ever I had sweets or chocolate it was a real treat for them. It wasn’t all fun with the German kids though, both communities knew who had won the war! I had many a fight with them, sometimes we won the war, sometimes they did. I remember playing football with the local boys (even then it was England-v-Germany), I was the only one to have football boots. As children do, I grew out of them very quickly and gave them to one of the German boys. He was so emotional, he cried with gratitude. His father even came round to our house to thank us. I have to say, after that, my days of re-fighting the war were over! Continue reading “Germany ’48 – ’53 A Child’s Tale Part 2”

Cultural Experience

Today’s the day for my major immersion in the Edinburgh International Festival.

Obviously, I attend all Mrs M’s performances, although she has let me off ‘Daphnis & Cloe’ because I think that it is a total load of Boleros and because I have already watched the Proms performance this year on BBC 4. Got a good review but I still don’t relish Ravel. Continue reading “Cultural Experience”

Germany ’48 – ’53 A Child’s Tale Part 1

I first went to Germany in early 1948, aged 5. My father, then serving with a County Regiment, had been posted to Dortmund in 47. My mother and I travelled via Harwich to the Hook of Holland and then onward by train. The things that remain in my memory about the journey are that I, along with many more, was sick on the ship, the smell of vomit was everywhere, the journey seemed to take for ever and I was labelled like a piece of luggage. I also remember boarder guards checking passports and papers. All really strange and frightening for mother and child. Continue reading “Germany ’48 – ’53 A Child’s Tale Part 1”

Use and Misuse of Language

Following on from certain posts on this site concerning swearing and an article in yesterday’s Telegraph about the fact that students will lose marks for poor grammar, you will be delighted to know that I have decided to give my attention to the use of language in its various forms.

In broad terms, the purpose of language, I hope we can all agree, is for the communication of ideas, feelings and information. Leaving aside signing (and possibly other forms), language falls into two main categories, spoken and written. Within this context, we have several tools at our disposal that enable us to communicate more effectively.   Continue reading “Use and Misuse of Language”

A conundrum and wasps

We have a cat and we tend to feed her outside, unless it’s raining. Like most cats she tends to leave some of her food for Ron (later on) which please the crows and a few other birds that descend upon an unguarded food bowl.

Now for the odd part, we have noticed this summer that when we return home her food bowl always has a number of dead wasps in it. Why? Is there something in the cat food that’s killing them or is the cat killing them (highly unlikely).

Any body else come across this and if so is there an answer?

How true this is!

Anyone who has ever worked in the software industry will know how true all the thoughts expressed in this link are.

However, this is not quite the full story, although I am sure few of you will believe me. The really difficult bit is gathering the customer requirements (the real ones and not what the customer thinks they want), writing the specifications and design and then defining the testing regime. Writing the actual code is relatively easy, by comparison, as long as the design and specs are OK.

Sweirie Words

Well, since everybody else is talking about them, I thought that I would lob my thoughts in.

It is always difficult to know what is unacceptable in a different culture. If truth be told, it still rankles a wee bit that I got called to task for using ‘keech’ which is, I assure you all yet again, a totally innocuous word in Jockish. Whatever, water under the bridge and JulieT took it in the spirit intended, being a Jockess. Haven’t spotted her yet at the Embran Fringe/Festival, by the way, but I hope that she has/is enjoying it/them.

Recently returned from Oz, I am in awe at their relaxed attitude to absolutely everything, particularly their humour and their ability to poke fun at everybody, including themselves. Sometimes in robust language which I was able to cope with, having had an induction course from Bearsy and Donald. Mrs M was occasionally at sea with the whole thing.
Continue reading “Sweirie Words”

S.A. call for NATO to appear at the ICC

We are not talking International Cricket Council here but the International Criminal Court, the one that sits in The Hague!

Some here may remember that when our representative voted for the UN resolution to go and bomb the daylights out of Gadaffi and his mob that I suggested our representative on the Security Council perhaps mistook the vote for one of ordering lunch.

A couple of months later I reported that our lot admitted that they in fact had no idea at all what they had voted for and regretted the decision.

Well, would you believe that the second in command down here (that would be Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe) has now suggested, no, urged the International Criminal Court to investigate NATO and its commanders for ‘crimes against humanity.’ Continue reading “S.A. call for NATO to appear at the ICC”