Category: General

Halfway through planning this year’s holiday, I realised I hadn’t yet put up a blog about last year’s, which caused enough ructions. These went from my cousin’s son-in-law’s “They’re going where? Are they mad?” to daughter’s conviction that Putin’s thugs would be trying to shoot us out of the sky.

On arrival we were greeted by this lady:

Though she has a sword in her right hand to deal with enemies, she holds a cup of wine in her left to welcome friends – the Mother of Georgia. Continue reading “What I did on my holiday”

This is just a friendly note to remind everyone that I will be in the United Kingdom next month, including wild and woolly Wales. From 8-10 in London, 10-13 in Christchurch and 13-15 in Cardiff, paying homage to Dame Shirley Bassey, parenthetically before going off to Ireland — the Republic and Ulster — for a week.

Sorry, Chris, it is a bit scatological but here goes anyway…….

Guess where I am!

 

We all go in there from the street

When we feel we need to pee

We very rarely have to queue

Unless we’re a lady!
Continue reading “Pome for March”

Today I received a second series of immunisations – two injections, one on each arm. My new GP, a no-nonsense German woman of some academic distinction, instructed me to return twice more before I fly off to the UK next month. My former GP has refused to forward my immunisations record to her. For the sake of keeping all records together and ensuring that I am prepared for the world’s nastiest diseases, I am to receive all regular immunisations again. I am, as a result, a human pincushion with more holes in his skin than a Glasgow junkie on the Sunday morning after his dole cheque was cashed.

Continue reading “March Poetry Competition”

You have to understand that I am going to be a 65 year old horticultural virgin in a week’s time.

My first memory of a garden was in Singapore where we all lounged as others laboured. Back to Caledonia (stern and wild) in due course. I remember a Rowan tree and lots of grass but I have no recollection of other growing stuff requiring cultivation. I was still too young for conscription into Mum’s garden task force. Continue reading “Is this Japanese Knotwood? Number 1”

I have just booked aeroplane tickets to Edinburgh for 25 June of this year. Rest assured that the inability to receive a refund for cancelled tickets will ensure my visit.

….the joy of grandchildren.

Well to be fair, it’s a last Christmas story actually but in the tradition of a lot of the British redtops, never let the truth get in the way of a good headline.

Just before Christmas last year we, (Grandma and Grumpy)  took the oldest grandchild Rufus, to a little fund raising event at the local children’s centre, part of which was Father Christmas in his grotto. Rufus, who is just three, was adamant that he wanted to go and see him. We strolled around the stalls for a bit buying little bits and bobs while Rufus kept insisting that he wanted to and go see Santa

I should explain that normally we all spend Christmas here in Cornwall but, as my son in laws father died earlier this year, they decided that they would spend the Christmas with his Mother, aka “Nanna” in Birmingham. Continue reading “This years first Christmas story or…”

The thirteen years between 1932 and 1945 were not Germany’s finest. We all know what happened and there is no need to go into a detailed discussion about that. Part of the injustices done during this time include the forced purchases of priceless artwork for pittances by the Nazi State. Since 1948, the Federal Republic has done everything in its power to try to rectify these injustices. This includes making legal exemptions for the rightful owners and their heirs in terms of furnishing evidence that said treasures were taken using illegitimate means as there isn’t always much evidence left even in the most egregious of instances. Compare this to the Swiss who used their banking secrecy as a double-edged blade. Those who could furnish all other evidence that bank accounts were rightfully theirs, including records of death of the original holders, still could not access their inheritances because they did not have the right numbers. Continue reading “Rectification of a past injustice or an effort to make a fortune?”