Cherie's Place - Thought for the Week

When I posted last weeks thought for the day, the quote was taken from my special quotes list that can be found on my website. I thought it might be nice to post one a week on my blog. Most of them are nice thoughts, but one or two are a bit edgy.

I have just counted them up and surprisingly there are 52 (a years worth)!

So without further ado:

Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.
Jean Anouilh

PhotoHunt - Metal

James and JHL have both posted on the story of a shopping centre that has decided not to allow Brownies and Guides to sing in the centre due to health and safety reasons, ending a tradition of 20 years. Several reasons were offered as an explanation, but they sound a bit like excuses to me.

This brought back memories of Christmas time when I was at school. I sang in the choir and played clarinet in the orchestra. The Christmas season was always very busy. Besides the end of term concert there was always at least one other concert. We always spent at least two evenings singing carols in the local hospitals and old peoples homes.

I don't know whose idea it was, but one year after the hospital visits, just for fun we went on to sing carols in one of the local pubs. Quite unexpectedly the landlord passed an empty beer glass round and collected money from his customers, which we passed on to charity. The following year we went singing round a few of the local pubs, something that went on to be an annual tradition.

But the occasion I loved the most was Christmas Eve, singing carols by the Ironbridge. Over the years more and more local people turned up and joined in. This particular event was led by a very special man who always made sure he reminded everyone of the true meaning of Christmas. The singing only lasted for 30 minutes, but by the end of it you knew it really was Christmas.

Some photos of a very metal Ironbridge:





For more PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

The Latest from Private Eye on PFI

The latest edition of Private Eye tells of a recent NAO report “allocation and management of risk” in Ministry of Defence PFI Projects.

"with its standard introduction whitewash declaring that “deals are delivered satisfactorily, on time and on budget”.

Only the small print reveals that they were only “on time and to budget following the contract signature”. Given that costs frequently go through the roof in the 45 months it takes on average to get to this stage for deals worth more than £50m, the statement is therefore meaningless."

It has this to say about the Defence Training Review (DTR):

Undeterred, as the Eye has reported, the MoD now plans a £12bn PFI deal to privatise defence training across all the services. Unsurprisingly about 30% of this plan has already been pulled and the rest is way behind schedule.

And on the "defence fixed telecommunications system":

"meanwhile on the "defence fixed telecommunications system" PFI contract with BT. The NAO reported that "staff in call centres operated under the contract were artificially inflating call numbers to meet targets for successfully completed calls". Though the filched "service payments" of £1m have been repaid, as has the £122K cost of an MoD police investigation, no compensation or fine has been paid and BT keeps its £200m a year contract."

The full article can be viewed here.

Our country in their hands...

Jung Typology Test

I found this over on Ginro's Blog. I am not too sure about this result, what do you think?

You need to bear in mind the quiz he suggested before was the Gender Analyzer. This test was to see if a blog was most likely written by a male or female. My result tells me I am 81% male!

I then checked out a few of my blog friends blogs, it made me chuckle a lot ;-)

But moving back to the Jung Typology Test...

The results are:

Idealist Portrait of the Counselor (INFJ)

Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes.

Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization.

Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language. Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena.

Mohandas Gandhi, Sidney Poitier, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jane Goodall, Emily Bronte, Sir Alec Guiness, Carl Jung, Mary Baker Eddy, Queen Noor are examples of the Counselor Idealist (INFJ).

S is for Sunnycroft

Sunnycroft is a late 19th century red bricked suburban (gentleman's) villa. Over the years it has remained largely unaltered. The house was lived in by the same family soon after it was built until 1997 when it was taken over by the National Trust. The house has received little modernisation and most of the original contents remain in tact. Extensive grounds surround the house which consist of gardens, orchards, pigsies and conservatory.

INTERESTING FACT: I used to work with a lady that visited the house/owner before it was taken on by the National Trust. So she had a few stories to tell about that.

For more ABC pictures check out Mr Linky.

Stonehenge - Update

You might remember my post earlier this year about an archaeological dig at Stonehenge. The purpose of the dig was to find out what Stonehenge was really used for. At the time they were trying to reveal if a new theory that 'Stonehenge was built to heal the sick' was in fact true.

The latest issue of the BBC history magazine reveals some of the findings:

Until now, Stonehenge has normally been percieved as having been in use, as a functioning religious site, for just 1,500 years (3000 to 1500BC). However the new research suggests that the location might have been considered sacred ground for almost 9,000 years, with the monument itself constructed halfway through that timespan.

Two archaologists Dr Michael Allen and Dr Charles French suggest that a bizarre natural phenomenon that originated in the Ice Age first led prehistoric people to regard the spot as sacred.

The phenomenon - a geological one, known as pariglacial stripes - manifests itself, especially in dry weather, as a series of strking parallel stripes in the grass. - are caused by the presence of alternating bands of poorer and richer sub-soil nutrients. During the Ice Age, freeze/thaw processes massively accentuated previousl minor undulations in the surface of the chalk bedrock, with nutrient-rich win-blown silt being deposited the the 'troughs'.

It was totally coincidental that these stripe aligned themselves with the the midsummer sunrise and the mid winter sunset (summer and winter solstice).

Evidence from this a previous excavations suggest that around 9,000 years ago Stone Age people built sacred structures with using totem-style post. A burnt pine wood fragment was found during the current excavation and previous digs have unearthed appropriately sized post holes.

The dig has also revealed that some sort of ritual activity was taking place 300 years before the first phase of Stonehenge was built in c2950 BC and possibly also in medieval times almost 3000 years after the last building phase.

Thought for the Day

The wisest mind has something yet to learn.
George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

Blogroll

I am in the process of re-organising my blogroll. I have taken out the duplicates and now show the Bloghounds group first. I have taken out one or two links that have had abusive posts on them lately, as I don't like to see nasty remarks/post titles in my sidebar. I have a good RL friend whose link I have never included there because some of his posts can be quite abusive. But as he knows I do still read his blog ;-)

It is however a work in progress and I have not quite finished with it yet.

PhotoHunt-Reflection

I wasn't sure which picture to use for PhotoHunt, so I was quite pleased one of my emails this morning, provided me with the answer. Garden Visit have asked if they can use another of my photographs. This one was taken in Wollerton Old Hall Garden which is also where I took the picture of the red roses I showed you recently.

For more PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

Festive Gift Fair

In days gone by, Christmas preparations, adverts, and shop merchandise etc. didn't happen until after my Birthday. There has been a Christmas creep... the Christmas season seems to have grown in length year after year.

I have this standing joke, where I tell people Christmas doesn't start until after my Birthday. It is quite funny at work when they all get into the spirit far to soon, then I tell them Christmas doesn't start until after my Birthday ;-) It leads to some fun and good natured comments, discussions and reflections :-)

Ooops sorry! It seems the thought of going to the Festive Gift Fair tomorrow has got me all carried away ;-)

R is for Rose

Just for you, some roses from my garden visits and just for fun the meaning of roses.

The meaning of colour:

* Red: Red is the symbol of love. To give red roses says "I love you still"
* White: Shows purity and innocence. They also represent humility, youthfulness and charm.
* Pink: To give pink roses shows grace, joy, and gratitude. Pale pink also has the meaning of fun attached to it.
* Orange: Desire and enthusiam. These would be a great choice to give to someone if you want the relationship to develop further. Lilac and Lavender roses also show these feelings.
* Yellow:Joy and friendship - yellow roses don't specifically show love. They can also represent starting over,or a new beginning. Yellow tipped with red shows friendship falling in love.

What the number of roses means:

* 1: Love at first sight - you are "the one"
* 2: Mutual love and feelings
* 3: Also says "I Love You".
* 7: Together for ever
* 10: Represents perfection. To give someone 10 roses shows you feel that way about them.
* 12: The standard for "be mine". Often given on Valentines day, when for a married couple,actually 7 or 10 might be a better choice. (slightly cheaper as well! ;-)
* 13: A sign of enduring friendship
* 15: Im sorry

An finally:

* To give a mix of red and white roses. This shows unity, and togetherness.
* Pink and red rosebuds. Young and lovely...perhaps the perfect gift for a young lady?

For more ABC pictures check out Mr Linky.

Defence Special

The latest edition of Private Eye features one of it's Defence Specials. It reports on faulty chain guns on the Warrior vehicle, the difficulties of the anti-Taliban war effort in Afghanistan and the difficulties in the plan to privatise military training.

Regarding the problem with the chain gun Private Eye have this to say:

The Warrior is the tracked vehicle used to transport soldiers on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, and its chain gun is reloaded by an electric motor and fired by and electric pedal inside the vehicle. Internal papers leaked to the press reveal that the army had known it was involved in the "undemanded fire" incidents since at least 1999 in which British troops have been injured and Iraqi civilians unintentionally killed.

And on my old favourite Defence Training this:

With the credit crunch also having put costs up the £1bn, something has to give. So when defence minister Bob Ainsworth announced that the MoD was ploughing ahead, he pointed out that “considerable progress has been made in driving down costs”. This will involve cutting the length of training courses by 25 percent through “compression, rationalisation and harmonisation”. Officially that means cutting waste but those involved in defence training say there is nothing like the scope for 25 percent cuts.

So defence training will have to suffer to spare the PFI deal, even though the off-balance sheet allure of PFI - which defence ministers admitted was the reason for a PFI in the first place - has vanished as all PFIs are going back on the books.

Click on image for the full defence special.

Gardens Again

This week I was asked if one of my flickr photos could be used on the Great British Gardens website. I was informed that for every image used £5 is donated to charity. I agreed and my photo was added to site and I was told that the money had been donated to Redhall Walled Garden in Edinburgh, which helps people recovering from mental illness. I sure that some of you will be just as pleased as I am with the choice of charity.

It is a garden I had not heard of before, so it is one to add to my list of gardens to visit.

Another of my photographs appears on the Garden Holidays Worldwide website.

PhotoHunt - Ruin(ed)

Wenlock Priory is a lovely peaceful place to visit and has a wonderful atmosphere.

Picturesque ruins of a large priory of Cluniac monks, whose love of decoration is reflected in the glorious carving of its 12th-century chapter house and rare 'lavabo' - a tiered washing fountain in a topiary bedecked cloister garden.

Parts of the great church also stand, against the backdrop of the full-height infirmary wing. Set on the fringe of beautiful Much Wenlock, not far from Buildwas Abbey and the Iron Bridge.

For more PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

The Sally Meme

I actually found this quite difficult. I tried to think of things that are totally new to everyone. I think a failed on at least one of them.

First, the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me...

1. I never watch Television.
2. I have a scar from a smallpox injection. It is in a very unusual place.
3. My photograph has appeared in the newspaper on numerous occasions.
4. When I was at junior school we had a project that involved observing stick insects. Most of us ended up with one at home. Despite the fact it was slow, squishy, harmless and looked like a stick it scared the life out of me!
5. My Mum and I often buy the same clothes although we never shop together or see what each other has bought before hand.
6. When I was a child I had a severe case of the measles which permanently affected my eyesight. I also have no sense of smell.

I am supposed to tag 6 people, but most people seem to have been tagged with this already. If you haven't I tag you, go on give it a go ;-)

Q is for Quadrangle

The quadrangle in front of Coughton court is planted with a colourful array of flowers which are a delight to behold. In addition to this courtyard garden, there is also a walled garden which features a rose labyrinth.

The house has been lived in and owned by the Throckmorton family for nearly six centuries.

The name Coughton (pronounced "Coat-un") suggests a settlement or farm known for the hunting of woodcock or game birds. It is believed that there was a medieval house on the site when John de Throckmorton arrived in 1409 to marry into the de Spiney family. The Tudor gatehouse in the centre of the present house was constructed around 1530 with Elizabethan half timbering added to the courtyard wings. The house has remained relatively unchanged since. Clare McLaren-Throckmorton inherited the property in 1989, and lives in the North Wing. Clare still manages the gardens and grounds and runs the Plant Centre. The National Trust currently manages the house, restaurant and shop and will do so for a further 13 years.

For more ABC pictures check out Mr Linky.

Homeward Bound

Leaving France in search of the White Cliffs.

Now I am looking forward to next year, the proposal is Antwerp.

Armistice Day 2008

Today marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the first world war.

These photographs and video were taken two years ago today after attending the remembrance ceremony at Menin Gate. They show Tyne Cot which is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the world. Nearly 12,000 service men are buried there and the memorial bears the names of over 35,000 British and New Zealand soldiers who died in Ypres Salient after mid-August 1917 whose graves are not known.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Laurence Binyon

The Lion Mound

Both Ginro and Gallimaufry figured out where I was standing and Liz was thinking along the right lines.

I was on top of the Lion Mound from which you can view the entire battlefield that was the site of Napoleon's last battle. Perched on top of the mound is a cast iron lion which symbolizes the victory. It "announces the peace that Europe won in the fields of Waterloo”.

I also went in the panorama which is a circular building with paintings reenacting the battle. The sound effects that accompany it, are really quite convincing and it transports you back in time...

The Local Speciality

After the Grand Arch we were taken to the centre of town to see the sights and have lunch. The town square is quite difficult to photograph because you can't get far away enough away from the very tall buildings to get a decent photo. The first photo is my best attempt. Apparently it is the building where Karl Marx wrote a large part of the Communist Manifesto.

After we had seen a few of the sights I tempted everyone to waffles. Well you do have to to try out the local delicacies don't you? Although this photograph is from a previous occasion.

I bet you all thought I was going to post THAT statue didn't you? Well this is a family blog so I thought it would be much better to post a picture of a Chocolaterie instead ;-)

The final picture was taken at the place we went after Brussels. I shall leave you to guess where it was taken and give you the answer tomorrow!

PhotoHunt - Together

Detail from the main statue on the top of the triumphal arch featured in yesterdays post.

For more PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.

Flying Visit

While I was staying in Lille I had a day trip to Belgium. First stop was Brussels and the obligatory visit to Heysel Park to see the Atomium. Whilst there a young man asked me to take photographs of him in front of the monument, he seemed very pleased with the results.

This was followed by a very brief visit to Cinquantenaire with it's triumphal arch. Amongst other things the arch contains a military museum and a fine arts museum. I am told the military museum was brilliant but I decided to head for the roof top for an elevated view of Brussels.

When everyone was rounded up and back on the coach we made for the centre of town, but I shall tell you about that another day...

Four Things

Ordovicius tagged me with this meme, so here goes...

Four jobs I've had

1. Amending publications
2. Working in the personnel department
3. Procurement
4. Trade union official

Four films I can watch over and over

1. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
2. Moulin Rouge
3. Star Wars Trilogy (the ones with Harrion Ford ;-) )
4. Shrek

Four places I've lived

1. Three bedroom house
2. Two bedroom house
3. One bedroom flat
4. In my current secret location!

Four TV shows I love

1 -4. I haven't watched TV for years...

Four places Ive been on holiday

1. France
2. Cyprus
3. Italy
4. The former Yugoslavia

Four of my favourite meals

1. Roast Chicken/Turkey Dinner
2. Bacon and eggs.
3. Brisket as cooked by my Mum ;-)
4. Coffee and Walnut Cake (I have it for lunch every now and then ;-) )

Four websites I visit daily

1. Bloghounds plus the members.
2. Statcounter (to see who has been visiting)....
3. PCS
4. Shropshire Star

Four places I'd like to be right now

1. Back in Lille...
2. Bruges
3. Prague
4. Quiet solitude on my own.

Four bloggers I tag

Sally

Liz

JMB

Pupazz

Dona Nobis Pacem

BlogBlast for Peace - November 6th 2008.

Gare de Lille Flanders

Apart from the photo I showed you yesterday these are the only other pictures I managed to get of Lille. They were taken after a lovely evening meal, duck breast slow cooked in wine with herbs, it was delicious.

From Wiki:

Lille-Flandres is the main station of the city of Lille, France. It is a terminus for SNCF Intercity and regional trains and was named Flandres in 1993 when Lille-Europe station opened.

The station was built by Léonce Reynaud and Sydney Dunnett for the CF du Nord. Construction begun in 1869 and ended in 1892. The station front is the old front from Paris' Gare du Nord and was dismantled then reassembled in Lille at the end of the XIX^th century, and extra storey as well as a large clock were added to the original design. Dunnett added the Hotêl des Voyageurs in 1887, and the rooftop in 1892.

More tomorrow on some of the other places I visited over the weekend...

P is for Powis

I have previously posted about Powis Castle with a brief history, but today I am going to focus on the gardens of which I gave you a taster of a few days ago. It is one of my favourite places to visit.

For more ABC pictures check out Mr Linky.

Fun & Charity

Every year I get the chance to go on a coach trip and have a fun weekend whilst raising money for the charity 'Hope & Homes for Children'. This year the destination was Lille which is a beautiful town and we all had a great time. Unfortunately I haven't got many photos of Lille itself because it rained when we did the walking tour. I managed to keep dry but I didn't think I could manage juggling a camera and umbrella at the same time and keep me and the camera safely dry. It just gives me an excuse to go back again soon ;-)

It was All Saints Day when we did the walking tour and the Cathedrale Notre Dame de la Treille was holding a ceremony to celebrate the Saints. Building of the Cathedral was begun in 1854 and finally declared complete in 1999. The initial building work was gothic in style, but the later work was designed by local architect Pierre-Louis Carlier in collaboration with Peter Rice, who engineered the Sydney Opera House. As you can see, it is quite modern in appearance and the rain doesn't do much for it's looks.

More on Lille tomorrow...

What Makes a Good Friend?

I haven't done one for a while so I think it is time for a fun Meme. Entirely appropriate for a Sunday I think :-)

The line you really can't be friends with is really quite true ;-)

You Are a Good Friend Because You're Supportive

You are almost like a life coach for your best friends. You give them help when they need it... but you also know when to give them a push. People tend to rely on you for moral support and advice. You've probably always been mature for your age, so this is a role that's you're comfortable with. A friend like you is one of the rarest kinds. You are both a good mentor and companion. Your friends need you most when: They are confused or worried You really can't be friends with: Someone who only wants to complain Your friendship quote: "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

What Makes You a Good Friend?

PhotoHunt - Blue

It is getting towards that time of year again. I took this photo of the memorial at the top of La Grande Mine when I visited last year. A bit tenuous but it is a beautiful blue sky.

Lochnagar is now privately owned and you can visit this enormous crater quite easily from the village of La Boisselle. Simply follow the signs for: La Grande Mine.

It was created by the largest charge of explosives along the front that morning: 60 000 lbs (27 000 kilos) of ammonal explosive. This is the largest mine crater ever made by man against an enemy.

The crater should not be entered as the sides are quite dangerous. There are a number of small memorials around the edge of the crater and the large cross at its entrance is made from church timber that originated on the Tyne.

When it exploded the mine created a hole almost 30 metres deep and a 100 metres across with debris being thrown a kilometre into the sky.

Each year at 07:30 hours the Friends of Lochnagar hold a short service of remembrance up at the cross. The service is informal and probably the better for it, but arrive early for there are a goodly number who arrive each year.

For more PhotoHunt pictures check out tnchick.