Now it is time for me to catch up with you all properly!
Click on photo for a larger view.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Monday, 28 April 2008
The Joy of Train Journeys
Today was my regional TU meeting in Nottingham. So I set off early to meet a colleague at the station and collect two others along the way. We had arranged that we would all be on the same train by the time we got to Birmingham!
But we hadn't bargained on the new direct train to London breaking down and making all subsequent trains late!!!
The train before mine was a stopper (calling at every station) and it was 20 minutes late leaving only ten minutes before mine which was on time and a non stopper. Well of course that meant we had to stop at all the red signals and we were severely delayed. Due to this, the train in front kicked it's passengers off at Wolverhampton which meant that all those passengers needed to get on our train which was already full!
Why was it quite so full? The proper train had broken down and this one had only had two carriages instead of four... We had been greeted with an apology as we got on the train!
The sea of faces waiting on the platform when we got to Wolverhampton was quite alarming. We set off and were treated to weird announcements such as 'Weee! Green Lights'! The explanations and apologies were quite amusing! We were so crammed in that it was boiling hot, the air was stale and I began to feel a bit squiffy. One poor girl went quite white and I thought she was going to pass out. I did offer her my seat but she sat on the floor instead, thankfully that helped her recover. I hate to think what would have happened if there had been a train accident or another emergency.
Eventually we reached Birmingham and searched the masses for our missing colleagues. Amazingly, the one who had caught the stopper had managed to cram onto our train after being kicked off at Wolverhampton. It seems that on Wolverhampton station there was a lot of shouting to keep back, stand clear and not get on the train.
Of course due to the delays we missed our connection. We arrived at the meeting 30 minutes late...
I bet you are wondering about the journey back. Well between Nottingham and Birmingham it was stop at every red signal so we missed the connection again. And guess what, all the trains were still 20 minutes late.
But we hadn't bargained on the new direct train to London breaking down and making all subsequent trains late!!!
The train before mine was a stopper (calling at every station) and it was 20 minutes late leaving only ten minutes before mine which was on time and a non stopper. Well of course that meant we had to stop at all the red signals and we were severely delayed. Due to this, the train in front kicked it's passengers off at Wolverhampton which meant that all those passengers needed to get on our train which was already full!
Why was it quite so full? The proper train had broken down and this one had only had two carriages instead of four... We had been greeted with an apology as we got on the train!
The sea of faces waiting on the platform when we got to Wolverhampton was quite alarming. We set off and were treated to weird announcements such as 'Weee! Green Lights'! The explanations and apologies were quite amusing! We were so crammed in that it was boiling hot, the air was stale and I began to feel a bit squiffy. One poor girl went quite white and I thought she was going to pass out. I did offer her my seat but she sat on the floor instead, thankfully that helped her recover. I hate to think what would have happened if there had been a train accident or another emergency.
Eventually we reached Birmingham and searched the masses for our missing colleagues. Amazingly, the one who had caught the stopper had managed to cram onto our train after being kicked off at Wolverhampton. It seems that on Wolverhampton station there was a lot of shouting to keep back, stand clear and not get on the train.
Of course due to the delays we missed our connection. We arrived at the meeting 30 minutes late...
I bet you are wondering about the journey back. Well between Nottingham and Birmingham it was stop at every red signal so we missed the connection again. And guess what, all the trains were still 20 minutes late.
Sunday, 27 April 2008
Freedom of Speech
You might remember that I posted about a demonstration that was taking place about the building of the Military Academy in St Athan. I didn't go myself but I wanted to check on how the demo went. PCS view here.
Whilst reading around the events of the day I was alerted to this article published in the guardian today:
Whilst reading around the events of the day I was alerted to this article published in the guardian today:
"The power of the police to mount surveillance operations at peaceful protests will be challenged in court this week.I for one hope that the case is won! I don't see why someone has to have their picture/details taken just because they want to express an opinion!
In a case seen as opposing Britain's move towards a Big Brother-style society, the High Court will determine if police are legally entitled to take photographs and compile information on protesters even if they do not break the law."
Book Meme
- Pick up the nearest book.
- Open to page 123.
- Find the fifth sentence.
- Post the next three sentences.
- Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.
There must be over a hundred books right be me so I am using the book I am currently reading for my book group.
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
At the Unkapani quay, I left my longboat a little after Black and his Enishte had left theirs. I was behind them as they leaned on one another and mounted the hill. At the site of a recent fire in the shadow of the Sultan Mehmet Mosque, they stopped and exchanged parting words.
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk
At the Unkapani quay, I left my longboat a little after Black and his Enishte had left theirs. I was behind them as they leaned on one another and mounted the hill. At the site of a recent fire in the shadow of the Sultan Mehmet Mosque, they stopped and exchanged parting words.
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Silbury Hill
The May edition of Heritage Today has a very interesting article on the latest discoveries regarding the mysterious Silbury Hill. The hill is near Marlborough just on the edge of the A4.
In 2000 a large hole opened up and archaeologists and engineers teamed up to find a solution. The hole was caused by a shaft that had been sunk by the Duke of Northumberland in 1776. Furthermore the soil was seeping into various tunnels that had been channeled into the hill over the years. The largest tunnel was created by Professor Richard Atkinson in 1968. The BBC sponsored him to carry out the dig and Magnus Magnusson presented a programme from within. The entrance can be seen in the following picture (from Heritage Today magazine). To repair the hill all the voids had to be filled from the middle outwards with bags of chalk followed by a chalk and water mixture. The door to the entrance has now been placed in the nearby Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury.
In 2000 a large hole opened up and archaeologists and engineers teamed up to find a solution. The hole was caused by a shaft that had been sunk by the Duke of Northumberland in 1776. Furthermore the soil was seeping into various tunnels that had been channeled into the hill over the years. The largest tunnel was created by Professor Richard Atkinson in 1968. The BBC sponsored him to carry out the dig and Magnus Magnusson presented a programme from within. The entrance can be seen in the following picture (from Heritage Today magazine). To repair the hill all the voids had to be filled from the middle outwards with bags of chalk followed by a chalk and water mixture. The door to the entrance has now been placed in the nearby Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury.
There have been many theories as to the significance of the hill; burial chamber for an ancient king, a platform for druid sacrifices and astronomical observatory are among the suggestions. The stabilising of the structure enabled archaeologists to shed a bit more light on the hill. It is now certain that there was no burial beneath the mound. A piece of pottery at the site has also established that the Romans had a settlement there.
Due to radiocarbon dating using pieces of antler it has now been established that the hill was started around 2400BC and probably went on for several hundred years. It is composed of a series of layers secured by stakes, then gradually built on top of. The mound eventually got covered by different layers of local material; clay, chalk, topsoil, turf and even some sarsen stones. Whilst looking in the main tunnel the archaeologists realised that the hill had started off as several mounds which later joined into the single mound, initially it stood 5 metres high. The mound grew to 25 metres high, the top part consisting of chalk that had been quarried from an adjacent ditch. At this stage it appears that the mound was left for a while as there is a layer soil showing signs that grass had colonised it. After this rest period more chalk was piled on top until the hill eventually stood at 37 metres high. It is the largest prehistoric mound in the whole of Europe that has been hand made by humans.
Due to radiocarbon dating using pieces of antler it has now been established that the hill was started around 2400BC and probably went on for several hundred years. It is composed of a series of layers secured by stakes, then gradually built on top of. The mound eventually got covered by different layers of local material; clay, chalk, topsoil, turf and even some sarsen stones. Whilst looking in the main tunnel the archaeologists realised that the hill had started off as several mounds which later joined into the single mound, initially it stood 5 metres high. The mound grew to 25 metres high, the top part consisting of chalk that had been quarried from an adjacent ditch. At this stage it appears that the mound was left for a while as there is a layer soil showing signs that grass had colonised it. After this rest period more chalk was piled on top until the hill eventually stood at 37 metres high. It is the largest prehistoric mound in the whole of Europe that has been hand made by humans.
Click on photo for a larger view.
I shall leave you with the final paragraph from the article.
Silbury Hill has been called the British equivalent of the pyramids, but why did Stone Age man build it? Nobody knows, exactly. Quite apart from any ritualistic significance Silbury may have had for its builders, just constructing it would have been its own reward. Having such a great shared purpose would have helped the community to cohere. Perhaps future generations will say something similar of the people who came to repair the monument in the early twenty-first century. why has Silbury been mended? Because our nation is strengthened through doing it.
More interesting facts about the mound can be found on the Silbury Hill page of the English Heritage website.
Friday, 25 April 2008
The Inkblot Test
Kate has just done a depressing test and needs something to cheer her up! That got me thinking... I remembered an inkblot test I took quite a few years ago, which made me smile. Mmm what was the site called? I know it has changed it's name since I did the test. Ah yes Tickle.
You don't need to do the test unless you want to, but it is well worth just looking at some of the pictures and the questions beneath. Some of the questions certainly make me smile :-)
A sample picture inkblot picture:
You don't need to do the test unless you want to, but it is well worth just looking at some of the pictures and the questions beneath. Some of the questions certainly make me smile :-)
A sample picture inkblot picture:
If you decide to do the test you can only get a summary (unless you choose to pay). Here is mine. Do you think this is me? I know what I think ;-)
Thursday, 24 April 2008
A Bitty Day!
Firstly: Organising train journeys why is that so complicated?! I guess because our rail service isn't the best, making it complicated for everyone to meet up in the same place at the right time!!!
As part of the train sorting out conversation it came to light that one of my claim forms for the PCS conference should be in by Friday 27th April (is there a Friday 27th April???). I had to drop everything else and sort out the claim form and find a first class stamp. *fingers crossed* it gets there in time!
Then I noticed on the PCS website that I am supposed to be at a meeting on Monday. I hadn't received any details about it... The problem is that the mailing list thinks it knows me but it has listed my email address incorrectly. I thought the problem had been sorted a few weeks ago!!! I think it's sorted now.
In addition to all of those irritations, the gas board still haven't got back to me, I have heard nothing about my new car which was supposed to arrive in the UK tomorrow and my leaky tap is still leaky...
As part of the train sorting out conversation it came to light that one of my claim forms for the PCS conference should be in by Friday 27th April (is there a Friday 27th April???). I had to drop everything else and sort out the claim form and find a first class stamp. *fingers crossed* it gets there in time!
Then I noticed on the PCS website that I am supposed to be at a meeting on Monday. I hadn't received any details about it... The problem is that the mailing list thinks it knows me but it has listed my email address incorrectly. I thought the problem had been sorted a few weeks ago!!! I think it's sorted now.
In addition to all of those irritations, the gas board still haven't got back to me, I have heard nothing about my new car which was supposed to arrive in the UK tomorrow and my leaky tap is still leaky...
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
How English are You?
Just for fun :-) I have no idea which one I got wrong, it must have been the one about my age ;-)
You are 90% English.
Congratulations! You may now take your place as a subject of Her Majesty.
"And did those feet
In ancient times,
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
In England's pleasant pastures seen?"
Well, no, but it's a cracking good tune.
How English are you?
Create a Quiz
Happy Saint George's Day
The Telegraph reports:
"English Heritage has launched a campaign to dispel the apathy surrounding St George’s Day and encourage more people to celebrate their patron saint."English Heritage have produced a guide Top Celebration Tips which can be downloaded from their website.
"As the custodian of some of England’s most important landmarks and buildings, we're encouraging everyone to join together on this important day, whether at work, school or at home, to celebrate our national saint. As a nation, we have a lot to be proud of, from our beautiful countryside and architecture to the historical figures that played an important part in making England what it is today."In addition to this they commissioned a new poem to celebrate the day:
THE TRUE DRAGON
St George was out walking
He met a dragon on a hill,
It was wise and wonderful
Too glorious to kill
It slept amongst the wild thyme
Where the oxlips and violets grow
Its skin was a luminous fire
That made the English landscape glow
Its tears were England’s crystal rivers
Its breath the mist on England’s moors
Its larder was England’s orchards,
Its house was without doors
St George was in awe of it
It was a thing apart
He hid the sleeping dragon
Inside every English heart
So on this day let’s celebrate
England’s valleys full of light,
The green fire of the landscape
Lakes shivering with delight
Let’s celebrate St George’s Day,
The dragon in repose;
The brilliant lark ascending,
The yew, the oak, the rose
Brian Patten
St George was out walking
He met a dragon on a hill,
It was wise and wonderful
Too glorious to kill
It slept amongst the wild thyme
Where the oxlips and violets grow
Its skin was a luminous fire
That made the English landscape glow
Its tears were England’s crystal rivers
Its breath the mist on England’s moors
Its larder was England’s orchards,
Its house was without doors
St George was in awe of it
It was a thing apart
He hid the sleeping dragon
Inside every English heart
So on this day let’s celebrate
England’s valleys full of light,
The green fire of the landscape
Lakes shivering with delight
Let’s celebrate St George’s Day,
The dragon in repose;
The brilliant lark ascending,
The yew, the oak, the rose
Brian Patten
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
A Bit of a Demo
On January 17th 2007 my colleagues at RAF Cosford learned that their bid for the Defence Training Review had been rejected in favour of a new "Super Site" in St Athan, Wales. This meant that they faced an uncertain future, as many are unable or unwilling to make the move to Wales. They also faced and still do the prospect of privatisation. Although I only mention Cosford, it isn't the only site that will be expected to relocate.
This Saturday a demonstration in Cardiff has been called by the 'St Athan's Military Academy Campaign'. The event is supported by 'UK Stop the War Coalition' and many other organisations. Different organisations have different reasons for objecting to the proposed Military Academy.
From the PCS point of view there are several issues; risk to the front line, loss of skills, compulsory redundancy, lack of accountability and cost to the local economies. A detailed account of the concerns can be found here.
A personal take - do we really want the Defence of our country in private hands?
This Saturday a demonstration in Cardiff has been called by the 'St Athan's Military Academy Campaign'. The event is supported by 'UK Stop the War Coalition' and many other organisations. Different organisations have different reasons for objecting to the proposed Military Academy.
From the PCS point of view there are several issues; risk to the front line, loss of skills, compulsory redundancy, lack of accountability and cost to the local economies. A detailed account of the concerns can be found here.
A personal take - do we really want the Defence of our country in private hands?
Monday, 21 April 2008
Saturday, 19 April 2008
The Perils of an English Barbecue
Recently Nunyaa asked all her readers what a Non Aussie Barbecue was like. Well for me an English barbecue means that no matter how sunny and uncloudy it is when you start cooking, it will surely be raining before you have finished. I have searched through my old photographs and found a really good one of a typical barbecue for me! I wonder where the rest of the people have gone? There were quite a few around shortly before I took this picture ;-)
In the following picture there was actually sunshine for a change :-) It shows a typical spread of food. I know it looks a lot but there were around 30 people and it was for a big celebration!
As you can see there were contingency plans in case of rain and we had everything we needed ;-) Being a lover of books I do have quite a few cook books including ones especially for barbecues.
PhotoHunt - Thirteen
This one challenged my imagination a bit. Then I thought, there must be a book around the house somewhere with Thirteen in the title. So I present to you ‘The Thirteen-Gun Salute’ by Patrick O’Brian.
I have to admit I haven’t read it so I can’t tell you what it is like. I have seen the film of his first book though, which I did enjoy.
I have to admit I haven’t read it so I can’t tell you what it is like. I have seen the film of his first book though, which I did enjoy.
Friday, 18 April 2008
More Pixar Fun :-)
I am off for a meal out tonight. I wonder if I will ever get going on my diet properly!!!
I am also trying out a new bit of software to help me with my blogposts… We will see if it works OK in a minute!
I hope you enjoy my silly bit of Friday Pixar fun :-) It rather reminds me of one of Nunyaa’s posts from earlier this week.
Thursday, 17 April 2008
The Old Jewish Cemetery
Following on from my recent posts about Prague I would like to share with you the Old Jewish Cemetery. It was founded in 1478 and for more than 300 years it was the only burial ground where Jews were permitted. It is quite compact in space so burials were on top of one another, sometimes up to 12 deep. The site contains an estimated 100,000 bodies and over 12,000 gravestones.
The stones are amazingly jumbled and quite fascinating. I like the following picture because to me it shows the cycle of death and life.
The stones are amazingly jumbled and quite fascinating. I like the following picture because to me it shows the cycle of death and life.
And here you get an impression of how close the gravestones are.
The only way into the cemetery is through Pinkas Synagogue which was founded in 1479. Today the Synagogue is a memorial to all the Jewish Czechoslovak citizens who were imprisoned in Terezin concentration camp and later deported to various Nazi concentration camps. On the walls of the Synagogue are the names of 77,297 people who didn't return! The building also houses an exhibition of children's pictures from the Terezin concentration camp.
My first step into the building, seeing all those names on the wall was quite overwhelming. There was no way I could have photographed it for lots of reasons but here is a photo so you can get an impression of it...
My first step into the building, seeing all those names on the wall was quite overwhelming. There was no way I could have photographed it for lots of reasons but here is a photo so you can get an impression of it...
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Chatty Blogger Award!
Liz has given me this Chatty Blogger award! Thank You Liz :-) & I always thought I was a woman of very few words...
Now to pass the award on... all my blog friends deserve awards. So I will go with Liz and pick chatty blogs. So for this criteria I choose:
Nunyaa
Sally
D
jmb
Bob &
Welshcakes (I know Liz did too xx)
Now to pass the award on... all my blog friends deserve awards. So I will go with Liz and pick chatty blogs. So for this criteria I choose:
Nunyaa
Sally
D
jmb
Bob &
Welshcakes (I know Liz did too xx)
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Late with my Challenge
Only late with posting it, I took the photo in the right week. I didn't really like any of them, so I had a bit of a play in Photoshop! I look a bit seasick now...
Click on photo for a larger view.
Monday, 14 April 2008
No News is Good News
Last December I posted about the 'Good News' regarding the lengthy campaign to save jobs at Sapphire House. You can find more information about it here.
Following a process called 'Post Mapping' we today received our letters to tell us if we had a place in the new organisation. The process was complicated and fiddly as the new organisational structure is different and has higher grades than the existing organisation and also fewer staff. In addition to this process there are also two different voluntary early release schemes running! Some people quite understandably want to take the money and run.
All the people in my grade have been classed as Post Duplicate (PD), which means there are too many of us and and depending on how many people leave we might have to compete for our jobs... But on the plus side there will be vacancies higher up, which we should get the chance to apply for.
So now we have to wait...
Meanwhile the Cosford Campaign continues...
PS: The gas board were supposed to fit the new radiator today, there was a no show and I still have my leaky tap. Too many things to sort out...
Following a process called 'Post Mapping' we today received our letters to tell us if we had a place in the new organisation. The process was complicated and fiddly as the new organisational structure is different and has higher grades than the existing organisation and also fewer staff. In addition to this process there are also two different voluntary early release schemes running! Some people quite understandably want to take the money and run.
All the people in my grade have been classed as Post Duplicate (PD), which means there are too many of us and and depending on how many people leave we might have to compete for our jobs... But on the plus side there will be vacancies higher up, which we should get the chance to apply for.
So now we have to wait...
Meanwhile the Cosford Campaign continues...
PS: The gas board were supposed to fit the new radiator today, there was a no show and I still have my leaky tap. Too many things to sort out...
Sunday, 13 April 2008
Saturday, 12 April 2008
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
My book group got together to discuss this book last Thursday, there were 8 of us in total.
Synopsis from the Transworld Website:
'It's just a small story, really, about other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, a jewish fist fighter and quite a lot of thievery...'
It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The book thief is narrated in the all-knowing matter-of-fact voice of death, witnessing the story of the citizens of Himmel Street:
When nine-year-old Liesel arrives outside the boxlike house of her new foster parents, she refuses to get out of the car. Liesel has been separated from her parents - 'Kommunists' - for ever, and at the burial of her little brother, she steals a gravedigger's instruction manual which she can't read. So begins a love affair with books and words, and her illustrious career.
So what did the group think of it?
Well four members of the group including me really loved the book, two were indifferent to it, one hadn't read it and the other hated it with a passion.
The reasons for liking the book - The writing style and especially the narration by Death, who is actually nice and just doing his job... As a distraction when he collects each soul he focuses on the colour of the sky and there are some nice descriptions of this throughout the book. The story that is being narrated is the one of Liesel and interspersed in bold throughout the book are notes and thoughts by Death. It describes every day life in Germany and the human aspect and the dangers of the time. There are some really interesting characters, there was one in particular that we all liked (I won't spoil the book for you by giving you more detail about the characters). During the story a book is written for Liesel and as there is no paper available, the pages of 'Mein Kampf' are whitewashed over so that the new story can be written. But the old words refuse to disappear completely and seep through in parts. We also liked the how, why and where she stole the books from.
The reasons for not liking the book - It was almost a rant the book was considered so awful. Written for Children, far too long, bad writing style and patronising. I think that sums it up. Oh yes and Death was irritating!
Afternote: The book was first sold in Australia as an adults book and later in America as a children's book. In the UK it had two editions, one for adults and one for children.
Well four members of the group including me really loved the book, two were indifferent to it, one hadn't read it and the other hated it with a passion.
The reasons for liking the book - The writing style and especially the narration by Death, who is actually nice and just doing his job... As a distraction when he collects each soul he focuses on the colour of the sky and there are some nice descriptions of this throughout the book. The story that is being narrated is the one of Liesel and interspersed in bold throughout the book are notes and thoughts by Death. It describes every day life in Germany and the human aspect and the dangers of the time. There are some really interesting characters, there was one in particular that we all liked (I won't spoil the book for you by giving you more detail about the characters). During the story a book is written for Liesel and as there is no paper available, the pages of 'Mein Kampf' are whitewashed over so that the new story can be written. But the old words refuse to disappear completely and seep through in parts. We also liked the how, why and where she stole the books from.
The reasons for not liking the book - It was almost a rant the book was considered so awful. Written for Children, far too long, bad writing style and patronising. I think that sums it up. Oh yes and Death was irritating!
Afternote: The book was first sold in Australia as an adults book and later in America as a children's book. In the UK it had two editions, one for adults and one for children.
PhotoHunt - Twist(ed)
The first picture is the twisted trunk of a Quince Tree, this one was taken at Mosley Old Hall. I posted a close up of one of the buds here.
I am not sure what type of tree the second one is, but it was taken in one of the gardens at Belvoir Castle. I like the lines twisting round the trunk. The interesting thing about it though is that it is studded with coins, which I think you can just about see in the picture. I have no idea what the significance of that is!
Friday, 11 April 2008
Me from a Different Point of View
Click photos for a larger view.
So this is me the Warhol way! Try it out for yourself here.
I couldn't choose between the two, what do you think?
I couldn't choose between the two, what do you think?
Rays of Sunshine
For Sky Watch Friday.
The sun setting over Portland Bill. It was taken last September when I was away with my work colleagues. It was a beautiful evening and there were some fantastic views.
The sun setting over Portland Bill. It was taken last September when I was away with my work colleagues. It was a beautiful evening and there were some fantastic views.
Click on photo for a larger view.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
Memories are Made of This
James has challenged all his readers to make a collage of items that have special memories. Well here is my attempt at capturing some special things and memories.
The photo can be Viewed LARGE here and if you are curious about the items they are listed as tags on flickr. There should be one of these in the photo but they have decided to hide in that safe place of mine!
One of the photos from my memory box :-)
Choosing a favorite track of music is much more difficult. It really depends on my mood and my musical tastes are very varied. But my favorite album of all time is Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, so I a have chosen the title track from that album as it fits the post :-)
So now I challenge you all to have a go at it ;-) :-)
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
My Blog as a Graph
Click here for large view.
For the technically minded this is what the different colours mean:
blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags
Monday, 7 April 2008
Broadband Hassles
I had this nifty site sent to me in an email today. My internet connection has been playing up for some time now, so I thought I would test it out! It is an up to 8MB package and my exchange can manage 4-5MB. So the result doesn't look so good does it?
A few months ago Pipex were taken over by Tiscali. The change in speed seems to co-inside with the changeover from the Pipex to the Tiscali server. It could just be a co-incidence and there is something wrong with the BT line, I guess I need to make a phone call to get the line tested by the Pipex/Tiscali...
A few months ago Pipex were taken over by Tiscali. The change in speed seems to co-inside with the changeover from the Pipex to the Tiscali server. It could just be a co-incidence and there is something wrong with the BT line, I guess I need to make a phone call to get the line tested by the Pipex/Tiscali...
Sunday, 6 April 2008
My Space Rearranged
I have been rearranging my space after the arrival of my new desk! This picture only shows my desk area, but just out of shot there are lots of books and more space for just relaxing :-) Oh yes and through that glowy area is my garden :-)
A central heating update: The gas board came round and did a really thorough job. Full system flush, a new pipe and lagging round the existing pipes! The verdict... one radiator is a bit iffy, sometimes it gets hot and sometimes it doesn't, I think it will need replacing :-/ and the woodpecker? I thought he had gone, but he keeps popping up now and then!!! More work needed.
& just to be irritating the bath tap has started to leak too...
A central heating update: The gas board came round and did a really thorough job. Full system flush, a new pipe and lagging round the existing pipes! The verdict... one radiator is a bit iffy, sometimes it gets hot and sometimes it doesn't, I think it will need replacing :-/ and the woodpecker? I thought he had gone, but he keeps popping up now and then!!! More work needed.
& just to be irritating the bath tap has started to leak too...
Click on photo for a larger view.
Tales for the Inner Child
My flickr friend Sati has recently made a book using some of the beautiful images that she has created. The book is called 'Tales for the Inner Child' and can be previewed on the Blurb website. I had not heard of this website before. It looks like fun, you can even convert your blog into a book on there!!!
Sati's images can be seen on flickr, the ones in the book are all from this set.
Sati's images can be seen on flickr, the ones in the book are all from this set.
Saturday, 5 April 2008
PhotoHunt - Glass
This is the stained glass window of the Oriel Chapel which is part of the Old Town Hall in Prague. You can see the window from the outside in my last weeks PhotoHunt picture of the tower. The chapel is situated on the first floor and was built in 1381. The windows of the chapel were destroyed towards the end of WWII and replaced in 1987.
The Jewish Quarter of Prague has some fascinating history and the oldest synagogue in Europe is situated there. The Old-New Synagogue was built around 1270 and is also one of the earliest Gothic buildings in Prague. It is still the religious centre for Prague's Jews. It was originally called the New Synagogue until a newer synagogue (which has since been destroyed) was built close too the existing one. The inside is quite fascinating, but it was far to crowded to get a good feel for it when I visited. The windows are quite different from those of the Oriel Chapel.
Friday, 4 April 2008
Changing Viewpoint
For Sky Watch Friday.
The first view of the Wrekin hill I took in March last year. I took the second picture on my trip out and about last Sunday. It is the same hill viewed from the opposite side. After taking this shot I turned round to get the final shot!
The first view of the Wrekin hill I took in March last year. I took the second picture on my trip out and about last Sunday. It is the same hill viewed from the opposite side. After taking this shot I turned round to get the final shot!
I know which view I prefer...
...which do you prefer?
...which do you prefer?
Click on photo for a larger view.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
How Peaceful are You?
I try ;-)
You Are 81% Peaceful |
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Stonehenge - A New Theory
On 31st March a new archaeological dig started at the ancient Stonehenge site. The excavation is being undertaken by the BBC Timewatch team. The progress of the dig can be followed on the BBC History homepage.
The purpose of the dig is to find out what Stonehenge was really for. Two of Britain's leading archaeologists Professor Timothy Darvill and Professor Geoff Wainwright have come up with a new theory:
"Timewatch archaeologists are carrying out the first dig for almost half a century inside the stone circle of the world's most famous Neolithic monument. Their aim is to unearth evidence for a startling new theory - that Stonehenge was built to heal the sick. Check this site regularly for video updates and breaking news."
The purpose of the dig is to find out what Stonehenge was really for. Two of Britain's leading archaeologists Professor Timothy Darvill and Professor Geoff Wainwright have come up with a new theory:
"The whole purpose of Stonehenge is that it was a prehistoric Lourdes," says Wainwright. "People came here to be made well."
This is revolutionary stuff, and it comes from a reinterpretation of the stones of the henge and the bones buried nearby. Darvill and Wainwright believe the smaller bluestones in the centre of the circle, rather than the huge sarsen stones on the perimeter, hold the key to the purpose of Stonehenge. The bluestones were dragged 250km from the mountains of southwest Wales using Stone Age technology. That's some journey, and there must have been a very good reason for attempting it. Darvill and Wainwright believe the reason was the magical, healing powers imbued in the stones by their proximity to traditional healing springs.
The bones that have been excavated from around Stonehenge appear to back the theory up. "There's an amazing and unnatural concentration of skeletal trauma in the bones that were dug up around Stonehenge," says Darvill. "This was a place of pilgrimage for people...coming to get healed."
Click on photo for a larger view.
These days it is almost impossible to visit the stones without sharing them crowds of people. I do have a vivid memory of a school visit to them. We were able to go and stand in the stone circle, look up at their immense height and touch them. As a young teenager from this viewpoint they were quite awe inspiring!
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