Boadicea's Chariot

As usual, a government report is published and produces no result whatsoever. The Airports Commission’s report on which option is best for a new runway in the south east of England amounts to not a lot. The recommended solution is a third runway at Heathrow with the rider that Gatwick is also a credible alternative.

The truth of the matter is that the result will be dithered over for as long as possible and it is likely that Gatwick will be chosen to have a second runway, as fewer ministers constituencies are affected by any new runway, as well as the fact that far fewer people will be affected, although Heathrow makes more economic sense. It will not affect us either way, as we live relatively close to both of the airports, but not close enough to be troubled by extra planes. In the meantime, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and various other continental airports are expanding apiece.

Oh well, In the end I expect demand will be so high that there will be a new runway at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead.

What do you guys think?

This idiot, whose name I had never heard before, is apparently standing for the leadership of the LibDims.  I don’t know whether this suggestion will actually be on his manifesto.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11709766/Peppa-Pig-childrens-show-should-have-gay-characters-Lib-Dem-candidate-suggests.html?WT.mc_id=e_DM28261&WT.tsrc=email&etype=Edi_Pol_New&utm_source=email&utm_medium=Edi_Pol_New_2015_07_01&utm_campaign=DM28261

What possible reason could a childrens’ programme for a very young age range have for bringing in homosexual characters? My two little granddaughters love the Peppa Pig characters. There are boys and girls, Mummies and Daddies and some grandparents and other adults.  There are no sexual connotations whatsoever and no need to introduce any.  If the LibDims really want to commit political suicide, they now know what to do.

All of you have,  presumably, heard about the Pandas in Embra Zoo. According to Sleekit Salmond, and the Scottish Government , Department of Misinformation, they were a gift from China to Caledonia to celebrate the historic links between us.

Let us ignore the fact that those historic links include two Jocks being involved, root and branch, in fomenting the Opium Wars.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/the-opium-wars-how-scottish-traders-fed-the-habit-1-465743 Continue reading “Christopher aus Trier in Embra – Part 1”

Can anyone explain why this vital discovery has taken so long? Bearsy? Boadicea? Apart from those who actually box kangaroos in circuses and fairs, is it relevant to the rest of us?  I can understand the researchers from St Petersburg State University wishing to visit Australia to escape a Russian winter, but couldn’t they have found something else to research? The water carrying capacity of camels perhaps?

Excitement is building in the Mackie household as we await the impending State Visit by Christopher. Nine days and counting. We have been exchanging e-mails as I try to ensure that Mrs M and I (and the dog Dougal) offer him a fully immersive and totally unforgettable Jockland experience.

It would seem that his Aunt is a regular visitor to Caledonia. From her correspondence with him, it is clear that she knows my country very well indeed and that I’m going to have to pull out every stop to satisfy him and to make sure that he reports back  favourably to her. Continue reading “Travels with Christopher’s Aunt – Embra”

Should my paperwork from China not arrive prior to my departure date, I have found another possible career: a diver for the Philippines. After reviewing the following video, I concluded that I would be at least as talented!

In the past I periodically posted music videos but have not done so in some time. Here is an effort to redress that.

I apologise that so much of my inspiration comes from France and I have to give links to French newspapers. This is an interesting problem.

http://www.nicematin.com/nice/un-sdf-se-fait-retirer-son-chien-les-commercants-lancent-une-petition-de-soutien-a-nice.2240237.html

A homeless man, though it turns out that he does have a roof over his head, has been begging on the streets of Nice accompanied by a Jack Russell puppy.  This little dog has now been taken from him by an animal welfare charity. Local businesses have drafted a petition to have the dog returned to the man.

It turns out that, although a kind waiter brings the man food and the dog always gets some, French cuisine does not always agree with canine tummies.  This beggar has already had animals removed from his care. Personally when I see beggars anywhere accompanied by cats and dogs, my first instinct is to cut the leads and make off with the animals.  A friend of our daughter kindheartedly bought some food for the dog in one instance and needless to say got a mouthful of abuse by way of thanks. Presumably you don’t get much by way of drink or drugs in exchange for a tin of Whiskas

Personally I think the local businesses in this corner of Nice are wrong.  The beggar lost his wife and daughter in a fire, it is reported, but no one put a collar and lead on him and made him sit all day on the pavement.

Hello all, as you may have noticed I have been away more-or-less continually since February.

It was an odd time. I spent a total of 3 weeks during the last three months at home, the rest being spent travelling backwards and forwards to Nuneaton, where my parents used to live.

Mum and Dad went into hospital on the same day. Mum came home after a few days and was attended by care workers four times a day. Dad remained in for six weeks after a fall which hurt his back. He was medically fit, but couldn’t walk for some reason that they didn’t really understand. Before Dad came out of hospital Mum was back in with kidney and heart failure. I held her hand for two weeks until she finally lost the battle on 18th April. Dad went into a care home two days before she died. He was medically fit but not able to walk except very short distances with a frame. After he understood that Mum was gone, he turned his body off. It was as if a switch was thrown and he died on 22nd May.

Why am I telling you all his? Well, I am not looking for sympathy, and am certainly not wishing to make anyone sad with such news. I would like to tell you what I have learned from the recent events.

Firstly, I had a very good relationship with my Dad and we were very close. I was the ‘chip off the old block’. We understood each other. Conversely, my connection to Mum was not so good. We were very different characters and never seemed to get close all through my life. I had expected that I would have very little emotion on her death, whereas would find it hard to deal with the loss of Dad. Well, the opposite happened. I was good for nothing immediately following Mum’s death, whereas I took Dad’s with very little emotion or sadness. Is this because of our past relationships working the opposite to what I would have imagined or is it simply that Dad wanted to die as he had lost his life partner, therefore it is difficult to be upset when it was his wish?

The second thing I learned is the power of the mind. Mum’s body and organs were in a severely ill condition for the last two months of her life. Even the doctors told me two weeks before she died that she only had a few hours left. But despite the terrible condition she hung on, never complained and always gave us a weak smile. She fought until the very last breath, against all the odds. Dad was medically fit when she died, but after 66 years of marriage had no wish to carry on alone. He closed his eyes, shut out the world and managed to destroy his body in one month, such that he died quickly. The contrast between their ends was controlled more by their will to live or die, than by their medical condition.

Despite the loss of my parents in such a short time I really can marvel at what I have seen and learned from them recently.