chrissy2sheds

A Sad Tale

2011-11-21T20:02:00.000Z

As you may be aware it is a sad time for SeaFrance . It seems it has run out of money, prospective buyers have not offered enough and although it is free to sail until January, as I write, Monday at 6pm ,the ferries are stuck in port.

I had a look through my pictures and found this one of SeaFrance Cezanne . A sorry tale in itself. This picture was taken in 2006 but since 2008 she has been laid up in Dunkirk. That is, until last month when she was renamed Western Light and sold to a company in Belize. This didn't mean a new life in the Caribbean however, she has gone to India and again as I write she is on the beach at Alang being broken up. The same fate has occurred for Sea France Renoir now Eastern Light she is at Alang too. The story doesn't end there because another Sea France ferry SeaFrance Manet was sold to Stena line and renamed Stena Navigator. Her usefulness is also at and end because a new ferry port at Cairnryan has opened and super fast ferries are being used. When I last looked Stena Navigator was moored at Belfast but she may see service again in between Spain and Morocco.

Returning to SeaFrance Cezanne she apparently had a sister ship called .Zenobia ..Unfortunately she capsized and sank in relatively shallow water on her maiden voyage off Cyprus. She is popular with divers someone out there may even have done it!

Not a good week for French artists either!

I must rush to finish this because Facebook are stopping external blogs from midnight.

Valentin Pikul

2011-11-11T17:21:00.002Z

For several years now the Port of Bideford has received visits from Russian ships. Originally they were used to transport clay to Finland and then on to Russia I believe, but this year they have, in addition, been used to transport spruce logs from North Devon forests and plantations to northern Germany.

The vessels belong to the North Western fleet a Russian company based in St Peterburg but the ones I have seen at least, are now registered in Malta. The vessels names are now shown in Roman lettering rather than in Russian script so they are immediately recognisable to those with no knowledge of Russian! Most are named after Russian authors and poets so if the question of Russian authors came up on Pointless the BBC quiz programme, Bideford residents may have a chance of answering it!

I thought it would be interesting therefore to look behind the name on the ship and find out a little about the person.

I chose Valentin Pikul as my first effort especially as we are thinking about those who lost their lives in military action this Remembrance weekend. . He wrote 28 works not much of which has been translated into English but one of his best known works is "The Requiem for Convoy PQ - 17 " which puts a Russian anti British and American slant on to what was one of the more difficult moments in the second world war where regrettably most of the ships under protection and lives of the sailors on them, were lost after a decision to scatter the convoy in the face of the reported presence of the German battleship Tirpitz. which Pikul blamed on the British.

Pikul lived in Riga Latvia and died in 1990. Had he lived one more year he would have seen Latvia's independence from the USSR. Lativia is now a full member of the EU (2004) and part of the Schengen area.

My pictures show the vessel loading clay about 2 years ago. It was dusk and the starlings were beginning to roost under the bridge and in June this year loading the logs for Germany. Valintin Pikul is moored in St Peterburg as I write this, but is due in Bideford later in the month for another log shipment.

Click on the pictures for a better view.

Seeing red

2011-10-29T17:59:00.000+01:00

We have all heard the old complaint. "I've been waiting an hour for a London (red ) bus then 4 come at once"

For me, over the last few days it's been squirrels. I have seen signs in Cumbria for ages to take care red squirrels are about but have never seen one, that is until now and they are everywhere! By the roadside, in the woods near Buttermere and on the patio outside the breakfast room where Barbara and I have being staying and where Barbara took this photo..it's better than mine! I expect I will be told that red squirrels have always been a feature at Capernwray!

A Misty Morning

2011-10-13T11:14:00.001+01:00

I found myself down on the Quay early this morning . It brought back memories as it was exactly office time! I had an urgent letter to post but I was too early for the post office. I did originally have a community run but that had been cancelled.

I therefore had more time on my hands than usual. The river was misty but there were dark clouds with the sun just peeping through giving the river a strange light.

RMS Lagona had arrived overnight from Newport to load clay. I have to say if the growth in the econony is measured by vessels coming to Bideford we are experiencing quite a boom at the moment.

A Right Array

2011-10-11T10:08:00.001+01:00

There was a stiff breeze blowing as Captain Meredith began to manoeuvre the Karen M a new container ship some 1500 feet long and 215 feet across the beam and 260 feet tall out of the Container terminal at Bristol Port a complex capable of handling the world’s largest vessels and built to handle 1.5 million standard 20 foot containers a year . Today Karen M had been loaded with 20,000 containers destined for South Africa and the Far East . The Bristol Channel had the attraction that it avoided the congested and shallow English Channel which made sailing such ships quite hazardous. . The terminal had been completed 3 years previously and due to its location had attracted trade from all over the UK

As the Karen M turned the tide began to ebb enabling her to make a swift departure down the Bristol Channel . Captain Meredith always concerned about the breeze, a remnant of Hurricane Geraldine that had caused severe damage to the Eastern Seaboard of the United Stares the week before, became alarmed when the Public service broadcaster weather news changed. It had been expected the storm would track north and cross Belfast and Glasgow . Geraldine as storms do, had a mind of her own and a severe weather alert had now been issued for North Devon and South west Wales.

He thought, had he received this news 1 hour before he might have waited in port as there was no ship expected at the berth for 24 hours. Because of the extra traffic the new terminal had created , about 750 movements a year, the Bristol channel had been divided into 2 lanes with incoming ships passing to the south of lundy and outgoing to the north. The outgoing passage however had been made more hazardous by the completion the previous year of the Atlantic Array offshore wind farm. This was situated in a block to the north of Lundy and 16 kilometres from the Welsh Coast. The Array comprised of 417 turbines 700ft high over (more than twice the height of the ship ) in the middle of the channel. The outgoing shipping lane was routed to the north but because of the size of his vessel Captain Meredith always approached the Array with a degree of concern.

Tonight was no exception and the strength of the wind was even greater than forecast some 140 kms per hour . As Captain Meredith saw faintly in the rain Gower rising to his right the ship was struck by a succession of gigantic waves, the vessel shuddered and Meredith was immediately concerned about his high deck cargo, what was worse there was a sudden silence broken only by the tone of the emergency phone from the engine room below . “The engines have stalled probably that wave sir, we are investigating but it may be some time.” Meredith was concerned and angry “time is not some thing we have” The wind was now gusting at 150 kms per hour from the North west and the vast Karen M began to drift towards the Array.

Meredith put out a mayday but within 15 minutes the Karen M shuddered as the mighty ship collided towards the aft with one of the outer turbine towers the ship stayed intact but the impact caused the turbine to collapse, one of its blades crashing down on to rear containers. This caused the ship to turn but this time it was not so fortunate as the next turbine impacted amid ships splitting the ship in 2 and causing its cargo to begin to tumble into the sea. The rescue helicopter of Celtic Marine Services Ltd arrived from Chivinor but it was powerless to help not only because of the weather but the presence of the turbines made it impossible to lower the winch man, the 2 halves of the ship by now drifting relentlessly into the the Array causing more turbines and a residential platform to collapse. The 2 halves of Karen M foundered in the middle of the Array with such containers that remained but also leaking the 1m gallons of heavy marine diesel that had been taken on board at Bristol, sufficient to last 30 days at sea. Those containers that broke free either beached on Lundy, north Devon or Wales or floated out into the Atlantic causing another hazard to shipping and endangering wild life. The oil came ashore over the northern tip of Lundy and on the beaches of Woolacombe Westward Ho! and Tenby in Wales. Only 2 crew members survived who managed to float off on life raft, Meredith perished with his ship as did 4 Array engineers from the platform.

In 2025 the early novelty of wind turbines had evaporated, there had already been complaints that the Array had decimated the Gannet population which nested on Skomer and Skokholm other birds such as the Manx Shearwater and Puffin had also been affected. The fishermen too had been counting the cost of their lost fishing grounds and the residents of Lundy, that was supposed to be a place of unspoilt calm, a marine conservation zone almost sacred ground, complained that their peace and the reason for it being one of the first MCZ, had been destroyed.

Grants too for such sites had dried up with the return to favour of Nuclear energy which was purported to be safer, the new plant at Hinckley Point with 2 reactors having been completed in 2022. With the insurance bill for the Karen M disaster running at tens of billions of euros it was decided, despite protests from the Green Party members of the coalition, to close the Array down and dismantle the remaining turbines.

It had all began in 2005 when the possibility of an off shore wind farm was investigated. By and large the public were sympathetic because unlike land based “windmills” these turbines were far out to sea and would not ruin England’s green and pleasant land.

It was therefore not until 2011 when Channel Energy ,as it was known at the time, prepared a consultation document and embarked on an pre planning exercise, that the full consequence of the project became known. All shipping to the site and most manufacturing would happen in Wales and the connection to the National Grid would be in North Devon at Alverdiscott some 15kms inland form the shore. The obvious landfall in most people’s minds was South Wales where it should have been able to plug in near the shore line but right from the outset National Grid had said there was no transmission space for another facility. Wales therefore got all the jobs and money to further the Welsh economy and Devon got nothing

Apart from Alverdiscott an alternative site for the required sub station was Yelland where there had previously been a coal fired power station. This possibility however was quickly discounted because of the interference with other users in the Estuary the cable laying would cause. It was ironic however that the loudest protest from Councillors and the general public at this time came from the Yelland and Fremington although the only impact of the Array for them was the view for Baggy Point, the turbines obscuring the south Wales coast. There was an apparent silence from Torridge which was more greatly affected, but in part that might have been due to protocol, not to prejudice the expected planning application despite some of the works being permitted development. Many thought however by silence, the District as a whole was sleepwalking into an environmental disaster.

Cornborough Range

Cornborough Range where the cables immerged from the sea was a protected area which through which ran the South West Coast path one of the Country’s top walking trails . Whilst the path itself remained open due to the contractor using Horizontal Directional Drilling, a compound had been constructed on the east side. The remains of the Bideford to Westward Ho! railway were just to the north and the cable route followed this for 500 metres before turning south. The cables were laid underground in ten trenches about 1 metre deep plus an access road which together required a strip of land 60 metres wide. In other words, wide enough to park 6 double deck buses or 12 cars end to end or the width of a motorway at its most generous, from fence to fence. The route meandered south past the hamlet of Rixlade under the A39 road and then east past Littleham skirting the Hallsannery Centre before diving under the River Torridge again by horizontal drilling. Thereafter it progressed east again to Alverdisicott in part alongside Gammaton Road. This had taken 2 years to install and had meant the removal of hedges that had formed part of the landscape since medieval inclusion. Although as promised the hedges were replanted, trees and long rooted species were avoided because of possible interference over time with the cables. Deep ploughing was also banned and access to the land was required at all times for maintenance and security. Farmers however, complained that the grass land above the cable corridor was of a poorer quality and livestock appeared to be disturbed when grazing there.

Torridge residents who had had to suffer 2 years of disruption had hoped that the power company would give something back to the community. Suggestions had included the restoration of the railway trackbed back to Bideford for recreational use. All suggestions however were ignored and again Torridge got nothing.

After the disaster the substation at Alverdiscott continued to be used as there was increased demand from other sources. The cost of retrieving the cable however was greater than the value of the metal it contained and it was left to become an archaeological relict in another age.

Footnote : Since writing most of this I read about the MV Rena in New Zealand . The N Z Prime minister was amazed that the ship was able to go off course like this on a clear night in calm sea.

Our trip so far in pictures

2011-08-23T20:18:00.000+01:00

In Facebook you may have to click on original picture. Click on picture for album in still pics

The Visit of Prinsendam

2011-07-24T15:43:00.000+01:00

Earlier this year it was announced that 2 Holland America line crises would be calling at Ilfracombe. There were high hopes for the first visit in May by the MS Rotterdam but sadly the weather had other ideas and the visit was cancelled at the last minute, the problem being that Ilfracombe is a "tender " port so the swell etc was critical.

The consolation prize was to be a visit by the smaller MS Prinsendam scheduled for Friday and fortunately despite a breeze and a threat of heavy showers this did take place .The vessel doing a loop de loop in the channel. It had only come down from Avonmouth all in a morning's work for the Balmoral .

Passengers began disembarking at about 8.00am some going on coach tours to Exmoor. The town turned out but I sensed the visitors were in no mood to mingle and didn't venture further than the band stand .

It was all aboard again by 3pm going on the Guernsey before steaming up channel to Tilbury.

The Prinsendam is not very large being the same length as Ulysses an Irish ferry

Autonomous

2011-07-02T18:31:00.001+01:00

A few weeks ago I was asked what autonomous meant. I believe it had come up in conversation or maybe a quiz. The answer is not necessarily straight forward but generally means an organization which can act independently but final ownership may be in the hands of others.

I was reminded of this again yesterday. Barbara and her sister had tickets for Wimbledon. I travelled too, so when they got off the train at Wimbledon station, I stayed on, having purchased a travel card, to Waterloo. I took the boat from London Eye to Tower Pier then made my way back by bus and tube eventually to Hampton.

What made me smile however was that many of the routes, most in fact in the western area, proclaimed that London United was now part of the RATP group. Who is that ? Well it is broadly the Paris equivalent of Transport for London and stands for Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens or in English, Autonomous Operator of Parisian Transports . Hence my recollection of autonomous. RATP's control I have to say, is far from autonomous here. The RATP logo showing the River Seine flowing through the Paris region which in turn shows a face pointing to the sky, appears up to four times on the buses while the TfL roundel is present once if at all.

I expect all this made the news in London when it occurred in March but like lots of other things I can't believe the French would be delighted if their buses were to be operated by TfL.

Looking at their website RATP who also took over Bournemouth buses are delighted by their acquisition and hope to expand any time soon. If this causes a few grey hairs at Stagecoach and First maybe it won't be a bad thing

A Sleepy Backwater

2011-06-13T20:23:00.000+01:00

I have been watching Coast on the i player. It should have been broadcast yesterday but got "bounced" by the motor racong although I accept the F1 had an exciting finish.

The were some good aerial views like this one of which I have taken a screen shot. I was a bit cross that Bideford was descibed as sleepy!

Would you want to go camping there?

2011-06-10T20:04:00.001+01:00

The construction of the Fullabrook wind farm is going on a pace and will I believe be complete by the end of next month. I had thought, erroneously .that West Down meant it would all be towards Ilfracombe but this is not so the turbines are clearly visible from the A39 and indeed in Bideford. From the picture there appears to be a camp site underneath two of them which appear from the angle of the shot to be precariously close together. Once the windmills get to work I don't think I would want to camp there. I'm not dead against the things and there are hundreds in Germany but I did believe there was an unwritten rule or understanding that they would not be put up within 2 K of residential accommodation. There is a competition in the Journal this week for a photo of them from the greatest distance, I may have ago. I took further pictures from above the market in Bideford but I think they can be seen further away than that.

A busy port and it's only Tuesday

2011-05-17T21:50:00.002+01:00

It has been a busy time on Bideford Quay. For the first time as far as I know, logs of Spruce were exported to Wismar on the North Coast of eastern Germany, carried on MV Roseberg.

The previous evening MV Konstantin Paustovski arrived to load a cargo of clay for Finland and both vessels loaded on Monday making for a very busy day.

MV Konstantin Paustovski left first thing this morning and MV Roseberg left at 6pm with a very full shipment. The voyage will take 4 days and I hope the crossing will be smooth. The Kiel canal will be used to avoid going around Denmark

Torridge District Council have an informative page about Torridge Shipping which can be seen here.

I Have A Dream....Go For It

2011-04-03T22:06:00.003+01:00

We enjoyed our annual away day yesterday at Speccott Barton a farm near Meeth on the way to Okehampton owned and run by a Christian family who have converted barns into holiday cottages and a larger one for groups

The theme of the day was to look at ourselves and consider where we are and how we can grow and move forward to spread the good news in an ever challenging world.

We were led by Jez our regional minister to consider our dreams or vision for the church. We considered this in groups and found we needed to be practical where peoples gifts are recognised and supported, to respect what is going on and not to do too much badly but try and do what we are best at well considering the demography of the church .

We were encouraged

Establish the giftedness that we have

Set aside a season for listening to God

Access our resources, our buildings that they be fit for purpose

Like others in the secular sector we considered SWOT

Our STRENGTHS

(i) Tuesday for older and physically less able people

(ii) Tots and Toddlers

(iii) Saturday Messy Church

Our WEAKNESESS the demography, Church is getting older, the building is old and difficult to maintain

Our OPPORTUNITIES To help next door, May house, which at one time was the church manse, is divided into flats for younger people who have experienced problems. Funding for them has been cut but there is more we can do including to offer the use of our larger space for recreational purposes. Further, we must start from where we are and do it well

Our THREATS not discussed at a great length but could include the many smaller groups and churches which have sprung up in Barnstaple and the rise in secularism and marginalisation of Christian work

We were urged to agree our vision and strategy and

GO FOR IT

Am I a dipstick or was it a sea gull?

2011-03-30T21:09:00.001+01:00

A sad tale which began yesterday. Remembering that the green bin was being emptied this morning I decided to do some tidying in what I call my "back back" garden which fronts the Clovelly Road and is really an extension of the woods next door. Well I took the mower down there and picked up detritus and old leaves. I went away however for about 5 minutes and on my return I was surprised to see that the oil filler cap and dip stick was missing. I searched the whole area and back to the garage but it was nowhere to be seen. I also thought it could only have fallen out even if it had become loose, if the mower had been turned upside down.

I put the mower away puzzled and I still am.

Well that leads me on on today. The car was in for service in Barnstaple but I decided as the sun had come out to cycle over via the Tarka trail to collect it.. I was making good time so decided to stop at Fremington and buy an ice cream at the newly opened cafe. I locked the bike to the stand and bought the aforesaid ice cream, fine but when I came to unlock the bike where was the key, nowhere to be seen. I unzipped my coat, my rucksack and searched the whole path back to the cafe. They were nice there and pulled out the fridge checked the till but still no key. I was beginning to panic as 4pm was fast approaching and I prayed please Lord show me the key but to no avail, there must be hope I thought. The manager was very nice and fortunately the bike bar was a type that could be undone so I was able to get on my way and arrive at the garage on time. God did not show me the key but certainly helped me find a way. But I did wonder what I was going to do. Walk on to Pottington? Then return later with a saw?

What happened? It may I thought have been a sea gull. A bright shiny key lying on the path with its plastic loop might have been tempting who knows.

During the morning I had been listening to some songs and a newish one of Stuart Townend struck a chord

There is a hope that lifts my weary head,

A consolation strong against despair,

That when the world has plunged me in its deepest pit,

I find the Saviour there!

WSR revisited

2011-03-25T11:40:00.002Z

I made another trip to the West Somerset Railway yesterday . Their Spring Gala is being held until Sunday.

What I was most looking forward to was a trip in the auto coach that was visiting for the event. This is coupled with special drives and rods to a pannier tank engine to enable the driver to stand at the front of the coach leaving the fireman in the cab of the engine at the back.

This particular coach is quite new in that it was built by B R in the 1950's rather than by GWR albeit to nearly the same design.

The other big attraction was a visit by Britannia now painted in overall black.

A Tenuous link

2011-03-21T12:48:00.001Z

The motor vessel MV Fokko Ukena has docked in Bideford this week to load clay. Just in front of it was our own MV Oldenburg loading supplies for Lundy Island.

I. as you do, Googled Fokko Ukena to see if there was any information on the vessel. There was quite a lot but I also discovered that Fokka Ukena was somekind of 14th century Warlord from Leer in East Frisia in Germany. He was apparently later expelled to the Netherlands.

The inhabitants of Oldenburg were at war at the time with East Frisia as the latter controlled the Ems River so a meeting of Fokko Ukena with the Oldenburg then would not have been a happy event.

In the 1970's MV Oldenburg plied around the Frisian Islands but more on the Eastern side

FOKKO UKENA

2011-03-19T19:28:00.001Z

We have had the highest tides of the year this weekend and this has brought the MV FOKKO UKENA to Bideford to load clay for Spain next week.

I wondered who the ship was named after but it seems it was some honourable 13th century German .

A 4 Church Trek

2011-03-04T17:57:00.003Z

It was announced in our Church two weeks ago that as part of the celebrations of the opening of their new building, Westward Ho! Baptist Church was going to be open to visitors today.

I therefore put it in my diary with the intention of walking from home and christening it with my muddy boots! Only heavy rain would have deterred me. The weather however was marvellous, a cloudless sky for the third day running. My walk in any event took me past Abbosham Baptist Chapel but with the sunny sky and and clear air, after an amazing hour at Westward Ho! I kept walking via Appledore to Bideford and in the process visited all four Baptist Churches in the Torridge peninsular.

The new Westward Ho! Church opened last week and I was awe struck at the technology to help with worship. . The church, I was told was very fortunate as two members were highly qualified to install the sound and vision systems and had begun their work at a very early stage.

I talked to Steve about his own vision for the new Church and he is very clear that it was to be a Church without walls, not only for Sunday worship but also for the whole community to use it too. He points out however that in the centre of the platform is the cross to remind everyone that first and foremost it is dedicated to Jesus.

As mentioned above I had decided to walk to all four Churches and I wondered if they were able to share the ministry now. I was pleased to hear that for the first time they had all come together last Sunday evening for a joint act of worship and the ministers from all four Churches now regularly join together to pray,

Although covered I saw that there was a baptistery in the centre of the building so that the congregation can sit round it in a circle. . "There is a baptismal service on Sunday" Steve told me. "Has the baptistery got a built in heater" I asked . "No we are still using yours!"

After an hour of conversation with Steve and Eric I headed out for the shore and continued my trek to Appledore and then on to Bideford.

West Somerset Mineral Railway

2011-02-28T20:23:00.003Z

For many years now , I have noticed when traveling back to North Devon by the high scenic route via Exford a strange structure which seemed to me to be an incline plane and I wondered how it got there and its history.

I learned more when I took a greater interest in the West Somerset Railway and how even before th GWR completed that a line in broad gauge, a standard gauge line had been constructed from Watchet by the coast right up to Gupworthy on the Wheddon Cross Road in the Brendon Hills

The purpose of the line which was built in about 1860, was to transport iron ore from the mines of the Brendon Hills to Watchet from whence it was shipped to South Wales and the Ebbw Vale Iron Works.

To transport the wagons down nearly 1000 feet the incline was constructed being about 1 kilometre in length with a gradient of 1in 4

At the top of the incline was the winding house which contained winding drums which lowered the wagons to the bottom and as a counterweight pulled empties up to the top.

The business was short lived because the market for the ore collapsed in the 1880's . The line continued until about 1898 when it closed. The lower part and the incline were revived for 2 years or so in 1907 but the line then faded away and the rails taken up for the war effort in about 1917.

This year however I got quite excited when Barbara found that a freight shed at the Gupworthy terminus was now a holiday let and we were able to stay there for the second half of half term week. . The station site is little changed the platform behind the freight shed where we stayed was used for transferring iron ore and on the other side a second track ran into a shed , sadly now gone save for one wooden post, from where more general goods were transported.

Most of the track bed has now been assimilated by farm land but sections can be clearly seen such as between Naked Boy Bridge and Burrow farm Engine house.

The Incline and the remains of the winding house have now been preserved and acquired by the Exmoor Park Authority. Access is now good and the whole of the incline and the path to the Burrow Farm engine House is accessible. Parking is difficult but there is a wide verge at Naked Boy Stone which is available.

I will post a slide show below click on original post for Facebook. See also their website

Carbolic soap in a Dickensian orphanage

2011-02-14T22:24:00.003Z

This was a headline in the Mail this weekend highlighting the autobiography of former TV critic Peter Paterson.

He was abandoned by his mother and banished to a "Dickensian Orphanage " a life of canings and Carbolic soap and one teacher who tracked him down in Wales, where is was sent by the Orphanage during the war, who allegedly delighted in practicing his Forces style of caning taking a long run up jumping ferociously in the air and bringing the cane down with a load thwack on his victim. ( Which outraged his Welsh host family )

This is of course just one person's childhood recollection of a system that was very different 70 years ago but it does not sit well with their up to date web site which says:

For over 140 years ... has been blessed to receive thousands of bequests which have allowed us to continue working with the children and young people who need us most. Over all these years we have continued our work with determination, professionalism and hope in the future.

I have not named the organization, not least because I don't want it crawled by a search engine. It has completely changed and is now one of the Country's leading child care providers. It is however highlighted in the book and article and hopefully, if they have not already done so, they will publish their own frank account of life in those hard times.

Light at the end of the tunnel!

2011-02-07T20:33:00.001Z

I have just realised it is a month since my retirement and am quite pleased the time has passed quickly. I was nervous at what I could do but I'm back in the office for holiday cover and I'm doing volanteer driving for a local charity so things are moving on

When working I used to park the car at the other end of Victoria Park so as I went home to lunch must have walked 2 miles a day. I have therefore been keeping this up and have walked to Westward Ho! from the house and with Barbara walked back from Barnstaple ... that is never ending.

I got the bike out last week and cycled along the Tarka trail . I manage to drop a glove in the Landcross tunnel and it took 4 sweeps of the tunnel to find it in the darkest corner!

Today I risked another benefit crystalisation event by getting out my new garden toy which included a branch lopper chain saw on an extended pole all was well until it got stuck so I had to get a ladder to clamber up to free it.

Tomorrow I'm off to Bishops Nympton to Helen's new house that is quite a project so should keep me busy too.

It is finished .. no be positive it's a new beginning

2010-12-24T22:09:00.004Z

It was nearly 12 months ago when I was told that 65 was to be no longer thank you. It upset me at the time because I was keeping busy and I had hoped to wait 2 years but it was not to be. I am not 65 until 7th January but with the long Christmas break and lots of leave owning I decided to go now.

I have been watching this big wall getting closer but I have got through it and you have to be positive. My new life beings right now.

What do I do well I want to walk the coast path and perhaps " raise awareness " I hate that cleche! of the path and maybe accommodate guests . Facebook advertising has implored me to sign up for a course in Biblical Hebrew, then there was the advert I saw to be the Station Master at Blue Anchor on the West Somerset railway. Others have encouraged me to buy a camper van and take off into Europe. We may do that but with our tent in the summer.

I had a good send off this week and I hope to buy a new laptop before 4th January with the proceeds! I did say at the time that one event that stuck in my mind above the rest involved a dog! It is all in the public domain. The dog in question was Rinka a Great dane bitch. Our client had gone on Exmoor and the dog had been shot. My boss was away so the client who was distraught about it spoke to me . The dog was at Bridgwater Police Station apparently I was the first to hear about this event which went on to change the course of politics

Well for the moment let's enjoy the season. A Happy Christmas to one and all.

Let it Snow

2010-12-18T18:36:00.002Z

We were in Tiverton last night and the expected snow arrived! About eight inches. The powers that be made a lot of fuss about the A361 Link Road. First closed then impassible except for 4 x 4.

I took this picture earlier but decided to go for it. For most of the way the road was empty towards Barnstaple although the surface was quite good. It's a shame that after the long hours and hard work of the gritter lorry drivers to clear the road they don't want anyone to use it!

2 hours left

2010-11-30T21:37:00.000Z

Ever since I started writing here I have managed to post something at least once every month but I see my last post was in October so to keep my record I have to publish in the next 2 hours!

But what? I saw a post on Facebook yesterday when someone wondered if the doom merchants had got the date wrong and that the world might end in 2010 rather than 2012. There was something to be said for that, the weather everywhere seems to be snowed in except here, the crumbling Irish finances and North Korea (the Red Horse of the apocalypse to some ) will they lob a missile at the US Aircraft Carrier or not.

I began to wonder what was supposed to happen in 2012. It all surrounds the Mayan calender which apparently ends at the 2010 winter solstice. Does this mean the world will end then or is it just a new beginning . You have to look and see what the Mayans might have been able to predict. A natural or man made disaster, a nuclear bomb, earthquake, volcanic eruption and so on would have been impossible.

The Mayans however studied the stars and their temples were aligned to them. The earth apparently will be in line with the middle of the galaxy on that solstice morn. I don't know the exact terms but it is a phenomenum which last occurred at least 6000 years ago , at the being of the biblical age. Will it pass just like any other day; probably, but it may mean the earth is open to the forces of the universe. Satellites may be wiped out ( bye bye Sky ) no more sat nav too. Power will fail, cars will stop and in 20 seconds the clock will have been turned back 200 years. I actually find that an exciting prospect.

None for weeks then 2 at once

2010-10-21T20:38:00.000+01:00

The Quay was busier today than it has been for many months. The Council purchased a smart new crane 2 years ago and I can count on my hand the number of vessels that have been there since. This week however Moormerland arrived on Tuesday and Celtic Voyager, she has been before, today. Both are loading ball clay for Valencia. To add to the busyness 3 trawlers were unloading their catch as well. I hope this is a sign that the recession is over

Snowball Rest in Peace

2010-10-12T22:38:00.003+01:00

We have received the sad news that Snowball is no more. I worked out earlier in the year that she was soon going to be old enough to get a driving licence but it is not to be.

Barbara reminded me that she came to us from Ford and Fairy Cross as a small kitten. She made her home here in Bideford although she had an argument, we think with a fox, one Good Friday. She needed emergency treatment not well timed.

When Helen moved to Tiverton Snowball moved too, although she spent may a happy holiday back here in Bideford. She didn't enjoy the best of health and in the end it was decided that the best option for her was to peacefully slip away. She will be sadly missed

WSR Gala 175

2010-10-03T14:54:00.006+01:00

We had another trip on the WSR yesterday to join in the autumn Gala which in the main celebrated the 175 anniversary of the GWR.

We caught the first train from Bishops Lydiard to Minehead. At 8am on a clear morning frost was in the air and the stillness at Crowcombe with the hiss of the steam heaters and mooing of nearby cattle was amazing.

Minehead was a hive of activity as the turntable was put to good use. I did not realise however until I saw it that it was operated by hand.

We then ventured back down the line to Dunster where a shunting demonstration was expected, then to Williton where we were able to go in the cab of a Southern engine "Braunton" It was then back to Washford where engine 88 of the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust gave a demonstration of the Whitaker token apparatus.

What's that? you may well ask. Well I didn't know either but it seems when travelling on a single line, trains need a token there being only one for each section of line. To get the token trains had to slow right down or stop but the S &; D engineer invented a mechanical apparatus, part was fitted to the engine and part in a holder by the track side. This enabled the train to get a token to continue without slowing down, 40mph being the attainable speed. This can be seen in some of the pictures. The engine is number 88 the one we travelled behind with Gilbert in the summer. This in some ways seems similar to the collection of mail bags although they are larger and heavier!

It was then off to Stogumber not cream teas today but nice chocolate cake.

I am publishing a slide show below in Facebook click the original post and the click the picture to see the whole album

Feed My Sheep

2010-09-25T18:40:00.002+01:00

For the first time ever ( other than a Christmas market ) I went to the Big Sheep today. Helen had vouchers! Yes I'm getting old ha ha and although I am still able to dress myself! if I'm honest, I didn't really want to go but once there I enjoyed myself especially as I could crawl around the slides and play mats on the pretext of looking after Gilbert.

One of the highlights was to feed the sheep who all flocked to us to take of the bag of feed we had bought.. good economical farming!... The only real gripe I had was if I had paid upfront to get in I would not have been pleased to have to pay, as you do, a further £1 in the slot for some of the rides. I did hear someone grumble about that so I am sure it must be said in the feed back questionnaires. I'm now pretty knackered.

The Table is Spread

2010-09-24T13:36:00.002+01:00

We had our coffee morning today in support of the Macmillan charity. We had lovely carrot cake and a tomato soup cake to mention just 2 items. Next door came as did our staff but many who called in apolgised "sorry I don't have time". I must say I felt like going into the streets of Bideford and to invite everyone I saw but I did n't! Maybe I was afraid someone might come in wearing dirty clothes!

Gilbert's Birthday

2010-09-14T22:54:00.000+01:00

I had a great day off today celebrating Gilbert's birthday. We ( Helen Gilbert Oscar and me ) defied the rain that covered most of the County and had a dry morning and early afternoon at Escot near Honiton. See slide show below. Click on it to see larger pictures and original post in Facebook

And then to BurgUndy

2010-09-04T18:38:00.001+01:00

Some may say it was a compromise but after living in a tent and spending 4 days on Swiss trains we settled in a Gite in Burgandy for a week.

It was a well presented 2 bedroom bungalow in a hamlet just south of Epinac. It was on a large secure plot with a basement garage that extended underneath the whole property.

We were able explore Autun with some Romans ruins, Beaune with its Sparkling wine factory and the Morvan.

At the end of the week we made our way north to Laon before catching the ferry home.

I am posting a slide show of pictures below. Click on the pictures to bring up the original album. In Facebook click on the original post.

The Black forest and Switzerland

2010-09-01T23:28:00.000+01:00

More photos of our trip in the Black Forest then on to the Bernese Oberland

You may need to click on original post in Facebook. Click on the slide show to see the full album and bigger pictures.

A good perk in Germany is the Guest Card. This gives you free buses and local trains during your stay

You need to take out a mortgage for this!

2010-09-01T22:28:00.001+01:00

We have just returned from a successful trip to Germany Switzerland and France part camping and part Gite.

In Switzerland we stayed in the Bernese Oberland at Camping Jungfrau Lauterbrunnen and decided to go for it and buy a 6 day pass even though we could only use it for 4 days ! In the end though we reckon we managed to save as much again on the basis that we would have had to pay the full fare each time.

On the first day we went to Interlaken went up to Harder Kulm there was still low cloud so the peaks were not visible that day.

The second day saw a trip to Kleine Scheidegg where we transferred to the train bound for the Jungfraujoch. Our ticket however stopped at Eigergletcher ( you need to take out an Equity Release loan to go further! )

The train however was crowded and we overheard folk say it was the clearest day for over a week which made us feel better. We walked back to Kleine Scheidegg and then took the train down to Grindelwald .We weren't finished though because we walked up through the town and took the tele cabins to First at 2168 metres

The third day saw us travelling up behind our camp site to Murren , first by cable car to Grutschalp then by train to the village. I am still wondering how the rail cars got up there. The sun was shining and the alpine peaks were clear shining majestically down on us. We walked part of the way back to Grutschalp took the cable car down and caught the train, immediate connexion Swiss style, to Wilderswil to travel up the Schynige Platte. This is a real mountain railway with good views thanks to a hurricane 10 years ago. No Dampffahrten today though never mind.

Our last day saw us take the train to Wengen ( in fact our second visit here ) then on to Mannlichen by cable car . After a short climb to Mannlichen summit we returned to Grindelwald in an older tele cabin similar to the ones we rode on in Tehran. The day was not done though because we walked through Grindelwald again and took the cable car to Pfingstegg . We had our lunch there, returned the way we came, but not to be out done has a second ride up to First. The weather was better, it had started to rain when we reached the top before and saw a hang glider take off.

We returned to Lauterbrunnen via Kleine Scheidegg thus ending our alpine travelling

See slide show above

No Hiding Place

2010-08-30T20:49:00.001+01:00

There has been a very well organised mini rally today over 300 cars turned up I was told.

We had decided to go for a walk at Hunters Inn. We saw the crowds lining the Link Road but thought that the minis were going straight to Ilfacombe. We had a nice lunch and a walk to the beach but just as we returned we heard a lot of reving engines and hooting. Yes it was the minis!! so we saw them after all.

A Pleasant Reunion

2010-08-08T14:34:00.001+01:00

I joined five members of my class at Hinchley Wood School on Saturday for a reunion lunch at the Anchor by the Canal at Wisley. This is the second occasion I have met them there.

I took some pictures as you do, and they can been seen in the slide show below

prom in the park Pixton Park July 2010

2010-07-20T21:06:00.004+01:00

Pixton Park near Dulverton was the venue for an evening of music earlier this month. Apart from a short shower in the middle of the evening the rain held off and everybody listened to the music while enjoying their picnics or partaking of the lamb roast cooked by traditional medieval methods. No electric spit here.

The music was provided by ALAS jazz band , the Tiverton Town Band and the Two Rivers Wind Ensemble. Everyone joined together for the traditional "last night" songs at the end.

Pixton is a an amazing Georgian mansion which is privately owned. It was I believe built by the Acland family and is the birthplace of Auberon Waugh.

Absolutely

2010-06-29T11:07:00.000+01:00

Last Sunday I saw a review in the Mail on Sunday by Craig Brown of Guy Deutscher's book Through the Language Glass which traces the flight and origin of Language. The book looks good and a one the teachers who bring students from Eastern Europe might enjoy.

Craig Brown's review is titled "Lost in Translation? Absolutely". and says there was an annoying fashion 10 to 15 years ago to say Absolutely instead of yes he then says it suddenly stopped. " Would you like a cup of coffee?" "Absolutely" and so on. I tried to find the review on line but without success so far but I disagree because it is everywhere now! I heard it at least 3 times this morning on the breakfast Programme..The children are enjoying the exercise ..Absolutely. "Do you think it is a good idea to start a campaign to stop it?".... Absolutely

155

2010-06-21T22:04:00.001+01:00

Yes it's a bus route but one with a difference. It takes you to Exeter via Tiverton a distance of about 60 miles often run by elderly double deckers.

The ride especially if the bus is late can be better than the average roller coaster at a fair ground at least as far as Tiverton, provided you sit upstairs at the front as I did ha ha on Friday afternoon on the way to see baby Oscar.

The time taken to Tiverton is just over the hour using the link road to South Molton and thereafter the old road via Witheridge and Nomansland. From the top deck you also see thatched cottages and farms hidden from view in an ordinary car. There are also views towards Exmoor and Dartmoor and in several places the road hugs the sides of the hill and you can look down into the valley below. If you are over 60 it is free today but will that be the case tomorrow?.who knows..

The route connects East Devon College with North Devon College now collectively known as Petroc. Maybe 155 would have been a better name!

I have posted a slide show of the route to Tiverton below. In Facebook you may have to click on original post.

World Cup Quiz

2010-06-20T16:58:00.002+01:00

Our service this morning had a Fathers Day theme. Our Pastor being a keen football fan also gave it a World Cup theme Afterwards he gave us a quiz to complete during the week this can be found below

It you want to have a go e mail me your answers plus enough info to identify you and I will hand them in. There is a small prize.

WORLD CUP QUIZ.

Please answer all questions, including the tiebreaker question.

1. Which country is otherwise known as ‘Bafana Bafana’?

2. Who was England manager before Fabio Capello?

3. Who were the England goalscorers in the 1966 World Cup Final?

4. Who said that the goal he scored against England was the ‘Hand of God’?

5. For which football club does England captain Steven Gerrard play?

6. What was the name of the original World Cup trophy?

7. Which country has lost the most World Cup Finals?

8. Where was the 2002 tournament held?

9. Where and in which year was the first World Cup held?

10. Which country’s team is known as ‘Les Elephants’?

Tiebreaker Question (in the event of a draw – nearest answer wins):

What was the attendance of the 2006 World Cup Final (to nearest thousand)?

“I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.”

oscar and Gilbert

2010-06-19T16:02:00.001+01:00

Oscar was born early on Wednesday morning 2 weeks early ( at least it wasn't 7!). It was all over during the short summer hours of darkness!

Barbara went to help on Wednesday evening and collected Helen and Oscar from hospital on Thursday. I went to see him yesterday all is well

There is a link below to the picture album

To The Top of England

2010-06-07T20:36:00.008+01:00

We booked the Camping Pod at Wasdale Head several weeks ago but little did we know that just the day before our arrival, West Cumbria would be turned upside down by the carnage inflicted by Derrick Bird.

The weather was fine but soon after our arrival the young couple in the pod next door recounted how they had been holed up in a cafe at Muncaster for one and a half hours while the drama unfolded.

On Friday the weather was fine so we set off to climb Sca Fell Pike. That is by the way the real point for staying at Wasdale Head in the first place. We soon met a small group who had already climbed up, they were off to Snowdon doing the 3 peaks challenge. Later we saw mini bus loads of mainly young people doing the same.

One of the good things about fell walking is you get to meet lots of different people. It is polite to acknowledge other by saying Hi, Good morning etc but when climbing up you have to stop a lot as do others, so you quickly get to know them. We saw a father (50+) with son (24+) who loved steam trains. A couple from Dover who complained justifiably that the new High Speed train was useless because it did not stop everywhere and dropped you off at St Pancras which meant that any time saved by using this more expensive service was negated by the need to take a long tube ride to get to the West End. We then met a chap from Whitehaven who claimed to be a drinking pal of the late Derrick Bird. His sister apparently was at one time engaged to one of the victims although happily, he survived.

I have to say I am confused as to what happened at the end. Did Bird drive or climb Hardnott Pass the most difficult driving road in the UK or not?

Well we got to the top of Scafell Pike. The walk took about 7 hours almost exactly the same time that it took to drive from Bideford.

On Saturday we visited my two aunties and uncles in Workington. I had my first go on a mobility scooter down the back alley! Before that however we walked around Loweswater the nearest lake to the West Cumbrian towns but very quiet. To get there however we drove through Gosforth, Egremont, Frizington, Rowrah and Lamplugh places that until Wednesday were mainly unknown to the general population. Rowrah may have jogged a memory because it was here that the school bus involved in the Keswick crash was based. We drove though the village and saw a lonely PSO standing guard outside Mr Bird's home but a few metres further on, the road bears right and ahead of you is the bus depot. The link is tenuous but the bus driver must I think have heard of the infamous Mr Bird.

I hope to post a slide show below click on the pod!

Wasdale

Chuck & Winnie

2010-05-31T22:21:00.002+01:00

Click
See caption to the pictures for the story

Which one is Gin & Tonic?

2010-05-25T20:08:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday evening Mike Latcham came to Church to be baptised. As he said in his testimony after an accident 2 years ago he had to be rebuilt and it was not possible for him to go down into the pool so he was baptised by affusion

Mike said he had been a Christian for 15 years but he had little time for God. God said "slow down" but Mike was having none of it until 18^th June 2008 on the A399 near Exmoor when there was a car in the wrong place at the right time. There was a collision and Mike went flying through the air "great I can fly" but it was not until he hit the tarmac that he finally got it.

That reminded me a little of a piece I had blogged earlier-

There is a passage by A J Cronin in his novel Hatters Castle. The heroine's lover Denis is on the train crossing the Tay bridge when disaster struck:

..the train with incredible speed, curving like a rocket, arched the darkness in a glittering parabola of light, and plunged soundlessly into the black hell of water below, where , like a rocket, it was instantly extinguished - for ever obliterated! For the infinity of a second, as he hurled through the air, Denis knew what had happened . He knew everything, then instantly he ceased to know.

Well that was fiction interwoven in fact but unlike Denis, Mike survived. He said that he attended accidents and seen people with less injuries than his own who had died and is sure God has a purpose for his life

I have posted an extract from the service on You tube You need to see it to get the title!

North Devon Wave

2010-05-14T07:50:00.002+01:00

The title makes you think of the golden sand at Westward Ho! or Woolacombe on a hot summer's day with the sea crashing on to the beach with millions of droplets shimmering in the sun.

But this time you are wrong , it's a bus. Stagecoach relaunched their 21 route last week with a blaze of publicity. I read that £1m had been invested in low floor buses and the service was being extended.

On Tuesday I drove to work in the expectation of seeing new Wright Eclipse Gemini with leather seats and Wi Fi . No such luck, the buses as so often happens in North Devon were hand me downs about 5 years old.

Where were they before? Google soon had the answer.

http://jel-stagecoach.fotopic.net/p32735041.html

Click on my picture for a better resolution

Done and Dusted

2010-05-12T21:03:00.003+01:00

...or is it? It has the makings of being the best thing since ..well 1945, let's hope so. The LDs though have yet another hurdle on Sunday it could be as dangerous as Becher's Brook. The Government has been likened to a pantomime horse. It is however the only horse around but will it jump Becher's the back half that is.

I see my childhood home in Sipson has been saved for the second time

Will they or Won't They....

2010-05-11T22:59:00.003+01:00

It has been quite an evening seeing the events unfold. N C to be deputy PM 4 other cabinet posts for L D MPs but.. at 11.00pm the LD's are still making up their minds. Surely they are not going to throw all this away now.

11.05 pm

A Mighty Double Cross

2010-05-11T09:55:00.006+01:00

Well am I surprised, no. I am old enough to have lived through 1974 . I remember that year we met at our Barnstaple office and saw the Jeremy Thorpe result. Later we learned it was a hung Parliament although Ted Heath had not lost as badly as Brown did.

There were negotiations but true to Liberal form whilst those undertaking them were fair, as soon as it was put to the wider Liberal activists it fell down. Ted then did the honourable thing and went to the Queen and the minority Labour Government followed.

It therefore came as no surprise to me that after the long negotiations as soon as N C put what was on offer to the wider church of Liberal Democrat M P's there would be trouble.

"We want more on P R we want clarification of Education ( not mentioning the Shadow Conservative minister has said he would give way ) "

So out they trouped at 5pm with the predictable news whilst again at that exact moment and apparently unknown to N C Brown came out said he was going to resign. Not yet, but by the time of the party conference. So we now have the Liberals wanting to cosy up with a lame duck Prime Minister and for the future PM to again, despite the new democracy of the leaders conferences, being someone the electorate had no notice of when they cast there vote.

It is now being said the Liberals were two timing the conservatives ( like the bride discovering her husband to be had been ( fill in the word ) the bridesmaid ) all along and seem to be prepared to enter into a coalition with the fairies.

The motley crew of Labour cabinet ministers met last night. How many of them I wonder will be prepared to give up their cabinet jobs to a L D . They will also be distracted now by the new Labour leadership contest. Don't lets forget too that one of the contenders is there by the grace of UKIP.

The most heartening thing last night was to hear candid comments by some Labour M Ps who don't agree with the sordid attempt by Brown and his cronies to hold on to power.

Where will it end. DC is being urged to stake a claim as a minority government and dare the rest to vote him down. If the Queens speech sets out what he believed the L Ds would accept then it will give them something to think about. A few labour M Ps might sit on their hands and he may be in with a chance.

The scramble for power

2010-05-08T19:28:00.002+01:00

I was very angry today to read in the Mail that the Conservatives might well have had 10 more seats if it was not for UKIP. This would have included Wells which went to to LD and Mr Balls the Childrens minister seat. With 316 seats Cameron could have formed a minority Government.

I have always thought that UKIP was an unnecessary party who do well as MEP's and who knew they could not achieve their wish, namely to leave the EU and cause as much damage as they could to David Cameron, which may have succeeded. One of the lasting images of the campaign must be that of the unfortunate Mr Farage in the wreckage of the small plane on election day.

I did send e mail to our MP Geoffrey Cox about this on 16th April but I didn't receive a reply but I set it out below

Dear Mr Cox

I had intended to return your survey but didn't do so sorry!

I believe however that with the success if I can say that of Nick Clegg it is becoming more important that the conservatives do not lose votes to minorities in particular UKIP

I believe they must be challenged head on especially over Europe. Their main plank to take Britain out of Europe doesn't address the consequences of it.

Lord Adonis for instance was saying tonight that travellers with E U airlines have rights they should exercise. This would not be available if we were to leave.

In addition I don't think it should be assumed that the rest of the EU will agree to us remaining in a free trade block. Other negatives for leaving could include

Britons could lose their residency status. A traffic jam from Calais to the Pyrenees perhaps

Manufacturing may transfer to the mainland .....Minis to Germany?

A return to exchange controls and £50 travel allowance plus only 2 bottles of wine!

We could lose our seat on the security council and we would be marginalised by the USA as isolationist

It would not mean the repeal of heavily gold plated directives

Increase cost of imported gas and electricity from France for instance

End of cheap food Lidl and Aldi & Netto

I suspect UKIP know this and maybe they want the opposite of what they say. A coalition of LD and labour which if last night is anything to go by is what Brown expects will mean P R and Brown for ever

good luck in your fight

Christopher Young

Decision Day

2010-05-06T13:02:00.002+01:00

Polling Day has arrived at last. It's a bit like the calm before the storm and its polling day weather, raining hard.

What will happen? Nobody knows. Will Greece influence voting? Nigel Farage has had a plane crash so will this affect his challenge to the Speaker.

I know for certain that GB will not go quietly if no party obtains an overall majority. I am also suspicious that there have already been secret discussions between Labour and Lib Dems to keep out the Conservatives.

For once the course of history may be in the hand of a very astute elderly lady.

My Facebook readers will probably have to wait until the next election to read this

6/5/10 1.10pm

Eleven minutes Late

2010-04-28T15:39:00.007+01:00

I have just been reading another book about railways. This one Eleven Minutes Late by Matthew Engel is very different from most of the others.

First and foremost it holds your interest and is very funny. Matthew explores the history of the railways in Britain but links it with real time experiences while travelling by train. It is a book I would recommend to anybody to take with them on a journey (especially say Exeter to Leeds and beyond) and make sure your reading of it is visible to the railway staff.

Without spoiling it too much,.. of Arriva X Country " this isn 't a long distance train , it's a commuter train" said the conductor and, of the 142 Pacer- "the most notorious type of train currently used in Britain ....lurk ready to pounce in remote corners of the system," hence the pictures. My Voyager however is still in Virgin colours with X Country stickers on it.

When dealing with the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879 Engel refers to an account by A J Cronin in his novel Hatters Castle. Engel's comment in red. The heroine's lover Denis is on the train:

There really is no accounting for public taste.

A J Cronin I think was wrong. In another book I read, they dug up the engine and restored it. Only the Victorians would have done that. Denis's experience I'm afraid happens too often today but not so much on trains.

Why eleven minutes late? Well apparently that is the point when the T O C gets fined.

Thickos may need a dictionary..... execrable, prurient, visceral, ersatz, aphorism, sagacious, inchoate but it proves, maybe, I read it.

You may need to take a pragmatic view of the language but Matthew is only quoting what he hears

A 142 Pacer lurking, ready to pounce in remote Paignton

2010-04-28T15:20:00.001+01:00

Away Day

2010-04-24T22:23:00.005+01:00

It is that time of year again for the Church Away day. I have to say I was not looking forward to it, the weather was good and a walk or bike ride called. God gave me strength though and I went and was not that disappointed. I only qualify this because I do wish we could change the venue although I accept the setting in the Devon countryside is peaceful.

The sessions were led by the Rev Dr John Colwell formerly of Spurgeons College but now Pastor at Budleigh Salterton.

His format was restful and liturgical broken into 3 sessions with a reflection in each. He based this on the prayer of Jesus in John 17.

Knowing God: Jesus want us to share in the same intimacy with God as he has. Don't put busy- ness in the way Allow God to get to know you now.

Prayer: Jesus was always praying, we forget but he remains faithful in prayer. He want us to be Holy like him but we must reach out to the unholy we need to stand out but not aggressively

Unity: Jesus prayed for unity but we find it difficult to be united. Our unity must be visible so others can see it . We read Psalm 133

How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!

For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe.

Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.

You can almost feel the oil running down Aaron when you read that.

Ashes to Ashes

2010-04-24T21:28:00.006+01:00

We are now in the middle of the General Election campaign and I haven't said much about it , not here anyway.

I was afraid that the news was going to be politics and not much else but how wrong I was. First there was the tragedy at Smolensk wiping out most of the upper echelons of Polish society including the President and his wife. Why did they fly together on this old Russian plane?

Then just as the first political debate was getting under way Iceland came to our rescue with a volcano which I fear is not over yet.

They say that 1 in 4 of the British people have been touched by this. I am sure that's right because I think I counted 15 people may be more who I know who have had their travel plans turned upside down. My brother for instance on his way back from New Zealand touched down in L A for a 1 hour stop over which lasted 5 days. Yes flights have resumed now but the volcano is still going . Another small film of ash has now been deposited on the car. What will happen if Katla erupts I hate to think . Maybe it will occur on May 6th!

Back to the politics. I actually enjoyed Thursday. Not the debate inside the Arnolfini but the goings on outside. The light show on the wall of the Arnolfini the chaos, the media scrum.

Some of the questions were naf but I must say I agree with Nick that Cameron's isolationist policy on Europe is ridiculous. He wants to stay in Europe but takes himself off to the sideline cuddling up to right wing east Europeans. What's the good of that. The main problem with Europe has been the fault of successive Governments here who have gold plated practically everything.

I hear Gordon has called upon Elvis he must be desperate.

What will happen on May 6th? I have no idea but a lot is in the hands of the good folk in Kirkaldy and Fife, and Witney. Interestingly, John Wesley was in Witney in the summer of 1783 where he witnessed thunderstorms and thick fog following an earlier Icelandic volcanic event which left the inhabitants convinced the end of the world was nigh. Maybe it will happen again on 6th May, who knows!

Digital Economy Bill (or should I say Act )

2010-04-08T16:08:00.004+01:00

I posted about this last month ( Music for All 17/3/10 ) and it now seems it has become law.

The Government with help, goodness know why from the Conservatives, has got this law passed. It has included an obnoxious amended clause 8.

the secretary of state for business ( Mandleson now ha ha ) to order the blocking of “a location on the Internet which the court is satisfied has been, is being or is likely to be used for or in connection with an activity that infringes copyright.”

This wide ranging clause will if enforced could mean the end of the Internet as we know it. Google are very upset about it and will be a mine field for lawyers and others.

I have just copied part of clause 8 above that may be an infringement of copyright. I suspect some bright person could say most of what we read courtesy of Google is a breach . Indeed a breach doesn't even have to be committed. I suspect that a Judge will not need any persuasion to say that Google is likely to be used for an activity that infringes copyright .. so our Internet in theory at least will become bland probably a Government inthanet affair . And Google will close as it has in China.

There is hope. I have been reading another Railway book " 11 minutes Late " I recommend this book, it's not for nerds . Apparently Gladstone got a law passed in the 19th Century which provided for the nationalizing the railways. It didn't happen then so this may not happen either.

The world has moved on too. Just as Supermarkets have moved on from " buy one get one free" so Spotify provides an amazing resource which if you just want to listen at home makes downloading unnecessary. And is free too if you are prepared to put up with British Gas adverts.

A Tenebrae Service

2010-04-02T20:19:00.001+01:00

We remembered Maundy Thursday in a different way yesterday. We held our service in the Tenebrae form

The purpose of the Tenebrae service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story, so this is not supposed to be a happy service, because the occasion is not happy. We sat in a circle with a table in the middle on which communion was spread with 8 lighted candles

It was divided into eight sections or shadows with readers narrating sections of scripture some of which were quite lengthy

First the Shadow was of Betrayal

“Judas Surely not I Rabbi”

“Yes , it is you”

There was no singing but between each section we listened to appropriate music and Communion followed the first section but the liturgy was replaced by listening to Eucharistic prayer

The first candle was extinguished and the room got darker.

The next shadow was of denial

“I tell you the truth this very night before the rooster crows you will disown me three times”

More music followed as it did in every section and the candles were extinguished

The next was The shadow of Separation then Anguish

“ My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death . Stay here and keep watch”

the Shadow of Treachery ,was next followed by the hypocrisy .

Pilate.. “ I an innocent of the man’s blood ..see to it yourselves”

The shadow of death followed

“ Crucify him Crucify him”

and lastly the Shadow of Humiliation

“They mocked him spat on him and led him out to crucify him”

We listened to When I survey the wondrous cross , the last candle faded away, the room was darker and we left in silence

A Bit of a Carrier

2010-04-02T18:34:00.003+01:00

I went to Tiverton yesterday to see Helen and Gilbert. I went by bus and at Instow I saw the bow section of the new aircraft carrier which had just been floated out and was about to go to Scotland. It will be not be finished till 2016. It is diesel powered and I wonder if the navy will be able to afford the oil by then. Scotland may be independent too who knows.

Sorry it is a long shot but click on the picture for a larger view

Mikhail Dudin

2010-03-31T20:47:00.001+01:00

The weather has been awful today and to make matters worse it has coincided with the high spring tides. The M V Mikhail Dudin, a Russian ship but now registered in Malta, has been in port loading clay, she has been several times before, including carnival time in 2008 but is the first vessel to dock for some time and has I think wisely skipped a tide because of the weather. The car park has reopened however and I was able drive Barbara's Skoda right up to the bow of the ship. There are not many places in England where you can do that. I expect Mikhail Dudin will sail for the Baltic tomorrow

Requiem for Cider

2010-03-24T20:11:00.002Z

Reading about the budget tonight I was reminded of that old cracker joke

"What is the difference between an apple and your favourite girl friend* ?

One you squeeze to get cider and the other you get side her to squeeze

Well cider's not dead yet but maybe soon with they massive 10% tax hike.

I think the London set of new Labour politicians just think of cider as a high alcohol volume drink consumed by young bingers and old men on park benches. This I think is unfair, I checked the volume in Asda tonight and most were around 4% about the same as beers and lagers.

The trouble is cider orchards are grown in the South West of England ( and Ireland of course ) and apart from the above probably by proportion, drunk by non Labour voters, so is way to reduce this budget deficit without endangering their vote.

* if you are a heterosexual male

Music For All

2010-03-17T20:25:00.002Z

I put a short post on Facebook the other night about Panorama reporting on the Digital Bill and file sharing and how 11 million plus could be criminalised.

There is divided opinion in the industry the old school want file sharing for free banned but the more enlightened believe they can use it to their advantage. The bill of course will have a greater effect which could in theory at least cause the closure of YOU TUBE and interfere with Facebook too. I am suspicious that the Government will make it as far reaching as possible because I am sure it hates the anarchic ethos of the Internet.

I am currently reading Fire & Steam an excellent book by Christian Wolmar about the History of Railways in Britain which I hope Chris will not mind me saying I purchased at Atlantic Village for a lot less than the cover price. The present controversy in the music industry and copyright itself has similarities to the upheaval the Railways caused in the mid 19th century when Stage Coach operators and canal owners suddenly saw their lively hoods going down the pan with the rapid advancement of the railway net work in the space of less than 25 years

Having made that post on Facebook I looked in my E mail in box and strangely sitting there was an invitation to join the free section of Spotify . Wikepedia seemed to think it was OK Norton doesn't like it and there are some arguments but I went ahead and installed it. At first I was disappointed because it seemed to be wall to wall Lady Gaga but I soon found I just had to type the name of an artist in the search box so now I'm listening to Graham Kendrick.

I was in Asda just now and as a test I picked up a CD at random it turned out to be Pixie Lott so on my return I typed her in so I am listening to her as well .

As another twist I got an invite for Limewire too. I think I might get one of those letters if I use that but I maybe wrong. It goes out of it's way to say it's protected by AVG so if you run that the computer won't think it's a Trojan.

It would be good if we had wi fi at church then I could use spotify and play anything in great quality sound at the touch of a mouse.

A Tale of 2 Towers

2010-02-28T21:39:00.001Z

We have seen all the family this weekend and arranged a trip to Castle Drogo which is now open at weekends in February

Set above the Teign Valley this castle was built in the last 100-75 years for Julius Drewe who had made his money founding the Home & Colonial Stores. I remember them. I believe they changed their name with the times to International stores then to Somerfield now part of the Co op. I wonder what Drewe would have thought of that.

Castle Drogo though is well worth a visit its medieval look on the outside leads to a family home inside. It’s where history meets metroland . Edwin Lutyens style being much copied in the 1920 1930’s housing boom. The inside is frozen in the first half of the last century which is interesting on its own , to see the library and the early 20th century technology including lighting and telephones.

Strangely when I arrived home there on the mat was this months Camping and Caravanning magazine. I pulled away the plastic and it fell open at an article about England’s newest castle yes..Castle Drogo

My thoughts don’t end there because today in his sermon our Pastor who is over viewing the old Testament spoke of the Tower of Babel. There are some similarities. The Tower of Babel was a folly to man’s stupidity gratifying themselves on there achievement without any thought of what God wanted. Castle Drogo is a monument to one persons wealth building a playground to pretend he was a medieval Lord. He insisted apparently on a flat roof which is now leaking and will need millions to repair

Do go though it’s a great day out and there are fine walks down to the river and the tranquillity of Fingle Bridge. The Castle is best photographed and is more tower like from a distance looking up from the valley. I was not able to do that yesterday

Non recyclable Waste

2010-02-23T18:17:00.001Z

For a change I was sorting out antiquities today. The chest was OK as was a small table but when I handed in this chair I got a smile and a shaking of head. "Sorry no label can't take it. " So off to the recycling centre I went. "No sorry we can't take it to sell, Trading Standards will see it and we will be fined. Put it in the non recyclable waste bin." So I carried it over and sat it gently on top at the back of the skip looking rejected and forlorn.....What a waste...

An Election....?

2010-02-19T10:36:00.004Z

Election fever is build up. I have a prediction that we may hear something early next week.

There are several reasons for this, not least politicians seem to have forgotten about Easter and even if the election is held on 6th May, Parliament will have to rise on 31st March.

I also believe the Conservatives are throwing away their lead. There are several reasons for this:

The bad publicity in the "Tory" press of Cameron's control freak attitude to candidate selection

His anti EU stance cuddling up to right wing Latvians

Refusing to attend the conference about care for the elderly. Yes a pre election stunt by Labour but the Charities' are attending, so the spin will probably go against him. His insurance policy seems little better than the tax. The confusion over "cut now or later" and the possibility of bad recession news is not helping either.

If the polls show a fall in Cameron's popularity this weekend I believe Brown will go for it with an election on 25th March.

Memorial Day

2010-01-27T23:09:00.000Z

Just a memory of our visit last year

Going........

2010-01-14T17:43:00.001Z

The new college buildings are in some respects nearly complete but regretably the theatre about 30 years old and the state of the art music suite built only 8 years ago are in the way of the new main entrance and have to go. It is a pity because I believe a local benefactor and a local trust contributed to the original building. Hopefully the facilities will be available in the new college. The digger just seen in the picture is in the middle of what was the music suite

Frozen Taw

2010-01-10T13:11:00.001Z

Winter is still making its present felt and today. It has been snowing all morning with more forecast for Tuesday.

We went to Barnstaple yesterday and the river looked awesome with patches of ice and snow

No Trains Today

2010-01-07T16:43:00.001Z

It's my birthday today so I had the day off and Barbara was home because the school was closed for the third day running because of the icy weather. The temperature was just below freezing but sunny so we went for a walk along the Tarka trail to Instow. Very different from August when James May attempted his record with the model train. He would have had trouble if he had tried that today. Lunch at the Boat House called then a walk back along the beach to the bus stop on the main road. At Bideford Quay disaster struck. I left my wallet on the bus !! so there was a half hour anxious wait for the bus to return from Westward Ho!

See more pictures in the slide show below. Click on original post in Facebook

Lundy

2010-01-01T23:26:00.000Z

Helen Crispian & Gilbert are on Lundy this week. Today has been clear and bright so we had a New Year's Day walk along the coast path towards Hartland. Lundy stood out of the sea as clear as it could be . Helen said she had been able to watch the Bideford fire works the night before from Lundy

Internet Radio

2009-12-29T21:04:00.002Z

I am in France tonight and the hotel has wi fi which is great

There is nothing on TV so I thought I would listen to the radio via my laptop

If you want the BBC except live TV no no no, it is OK Radio 3 fine but try Classic FM, Magic FM, Heart FM etc.. dear me no you get the following message

Listening outside the UK.It looks like you're trying to listen to our radio station from outside the UK. Unfortunately, due to music-licensing laws, we aren't permitted to allow non-UK users to listen to our stations online.

Why is there one law for commercial stations and another for the BBC . Is there a Facebook protest group about this. Lets make it a 2010 election issue

Happy New Year everybody

A Return To Duke Street

2009-12-27T17:43:00.002Z

We have spent two post Christmas days with Barbara's sister in Hampton.

We had a debate about what to do on Sunday morning and expecting to be shot down I suggested a visit to Duke St Church in Richmond. Normally there are two services but today not surprisingly there was one at 10am. They agreed to go.

We were early so we had a stroll around the Green but I was surprised that by the start the church, downstairs only, was about a third full.

The Pastor was away as was their projectionist so no overhead which made me less guilty that it was only books in Barnstaple too.

The service taken by elders and members,was very traditional and had little feeling. There was also nothing for the fair number of young people and children who were present.

We sung a carol to remind us of Christmas... See amid the Winter's snow the 3rd and fourth lines of the first verse make me smile

see, the tender Lamb appears

promised from eternal years

reminding me of an unfortunate restaurant experience

We then sang an old Issac Watts hymn

Not all the blood of beats

on Jewish alters slain

could give the guilty conscience peace

or wash away our stain

This was not a hymn I can remember singing before and the organist, who was good, rushed around , like Barbara sometimes, to find a suitable tune .

The hymn however did fit in with sermon taken from the writer to the Hebrews 9 11-28. I did wonder if trying to unpack this difficult passage about redemption through the blood of Christ was wise for the season and for the attentiveness of the children.

Afterwards I looked around and didn't see anyone I recognised neither did anyone speak to me.

I was expecting someone to say

" Hello have you been before" to which my reply would have been " Yes off and on, in particular 21st June 1969 comes to mind "

We left at 10.50 is this a Duke Street record?

Put It Back

2009-12-18T21:51:00.002Z

I was very concerned that the sign over the gate at Auschwitz has been stolen. I have no idea why but hope it was just a prank and that it will be restored

Oh for a flood...

2009-12-03T14:44:00.003Z

Don't misunderstand me I feel very sorry for those affected by the November flood in Cumbria not only those who have suffered loss of property and belongings but also those faced with the frustration of long detours to go to work, shop and indeed to Church. Quite a few of the folk who attend my aunts Gospel meeting in Workington live on the north side of town so up till now have not been able to get to the Church ( or should I say Gospel Hall! )

The flood has had some benefits which show what can be done in a short space of time. Within 14 days the Workington folk have got a new railway station, a free rail service from it across to the main station until the end of the year, a footbridge over the river and a Tescos.

Main Street in Happier Times

2009-11-21T08:54:00.004Z

I saw again the devastation caused by this week's flood and found this picture from I think 2005 but only 3 weeks earlier by the calender showing the full autumn colours of Cockermouth's tree lined Main Street.

According to the local paper this Sunday was to be a day of fun and celebration ending with the Christmas light switch on. Travel is going to be a problem now. The loss of the bridge in Workington means a 18 mile detour to get to Maryport.

I must also pay tribute to Bill Barker a Police Officer who without hestiation put the safety of others before himself.

Down the Mine...

2009-11-16T21:46:00.004Z

We have just returned fom a weekend in Cornwall. It was booked a long time ago and little did we know that there was likely to be a hurricane!

Fortunately the weather was far better than forecast and in our part of Cornwall near St Ives the worst weather was at night and Saturday and Sunday were breesy but bright. This made the sea more exciting to see..ha

We also paid a visit to Geevor mine. This is well worth a visit and you get taken underground via an addit rather than down the shaft. What I didn't realise was that miners were not hacking out lumps of tin like coal but rock with tin and other minerals in it and once mined there was a long process of crushing the rock and sifting out the valuable elements including gold, just a little, and arsenic , rather a lot. Mining however became unviable by 1990 and the mine closed but has been retained as a heritage site with a new museum.

The countryside round this part of Cornwall is covered with old mine shafts and mine buildings.

I will upload a slide show of more pictures below including the sea, powerful after the storm like Hartland 2 weeks ago.

The Wall Came Tumbling Down

2009-11-09T14:18:00.002Z

Today 9th November 2009 is the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin wall. I have been in Exeter today and on the way home listened to Jeremy Vine who ran his programme from a cafe in the old East Berlin.

We visited Berlin the following July when the GDR was still in place but the D mark had been adopted as the currency. We were able to chop away at the wall then, not sure if it was legal or not, and we still have a few bits.

Check Point Charlie was an ire place all there but open and deserted.

New Music for Old Churches

2009-11-07T08:08:00.004Z

As most people know our Church in Barnstaple dates from the mid 19th century, was poorly constructed and some say by trickery was Grade II listed in the 1980's. It is a common story across the country where many small churches are struggling to maintain such premises within the confines of listing procedure.

But wait, the papers have been full of stories of how planning changes will threaten our history and countryside. But what will the new guidelines say?

Well according to the Telegraph

Local authorities should allow the demolition or alteration of historic buildings where "material harm " caused to an area's heritage " is outweighed by the wider social and economic benefits of the proposed development"

This has been described as a charter to knock buildings down but may please many churches near town centres who would love to raise capital not possible at present to build more appropriate premises elsewhere

The Power of the Sea

2009-11-01T18:07:00.001Z

We have had Barbara's sister Anne staying with us this week. This afternoon we went down to Hartland Quay and were rewarded not only by the high tide but majestic waves blown in by the weekend gale. I will post a further slide show below. In Facebook click on original post

A New Way to Spend a Penny

2009-10-21T20:09:00.005+01:00

I popped into Asda Bideford tonight. I am not really sure why! I had taken Barbara to music so I think it was to see if there were any cheap baguettes ( what I do if I'm bored! ). At first I was disappointed the rack at the bakery was bare but then I met Garry and Caroline our neighbours. I told them the story but unknown to me at that point, they had taken the remaining ones but gladly without me asking gave one to me, yes it was marked down to 1p.

Embarrassed I went towards the tills. I had intended to creep through the self serve but I was stopped by the cashier supervisor. Would you like some free potatoes sir? Yes please!! so I had to brave the tills ( the tats had a special voucher ) and off I went. So I have 5 kg of unwashed potatoes which should be eaten in the next 4 days. I felt a little guilty but it was about 8pm so any they did not get rid of will have gone into the skip.

So there is the answer to my facebook post :)

Over a hundred miles by bus

2009-10-14T20:52:00.002+01:00

As I may have mentioned before, I learned from a visit to Arlington Court that the origin of the term local is within the distance you could travel in a day on horseback.

Maybe to bring this up to date it could be the distance you can travel in a day in an ordinary bus.

Well I tried it today It is Helen's birthday but she was working so I arranged to meet her in Exeter. I wanted to see my "train man " he has repaired and serviced my model railway locos many of which I didn't think would run again. Anyway I took the bus to Barnstaple and after seeing him caught the 155 to Exeter via Tiverton and Bickleigh. I met up with Helen and had lunch at Nandos in Princesshay. Nice Chicken spiced up Portugese fashion quite near the bus station too, good because the 315 to Bideford left at 2.15.

The weather was amazing and it was good to see the countryside I usually miss not only because I am driving but also because the hedges are so high.

I was back in Bideford at about 4.15 having travelled about 110 miles.

The Diasporic Church

2009-10-09T10:15:00.005+01:00

Last Sunday I caught some of the Songs Of Praise programme from Peterborough ( I watched the rest on the i player !!). It was led by Noel Richards and had been filmed in the KingsGate Community Church. This is an amazing new complex on the edge of the town and has a membership of about 1500 with over 50 nations represented.

My late uncle was once a Pastor of a Baptist Church in Peterborough and I wondered how the presence of KingsGate affected the traditional worshipping community in the town. I have to say I have no idea but it would be interesting to know the answer.

It made me think of our own situation however. We do not live in the town where we worship but whenever we have thought of changing I am sure God has had other ideas.

Two weeks ago to coincide with our Harvest we celebrated Back to Church Sunday. I believe one or two came but I stopped to think of all those who had worshipped with us but were now like a scattered tribe worshiping all over the town and beyond. I counted that if they all returned the downstairs of our Church would be full and we would have to use the gallery.

In most cases I do not believe it their departure was because of anything we as a Church or our ministry had done but it was more the attraction of the other place. Like Peterborough we have a larger "shed " church with lots of parking where it is possible to worship with 400 or so others in a contemporary charismatic way. Strangely however some who have left us to go there have moved on again but not back to us. It seems that when you have left one church, like marriage breakdown, there is no going back.

Don't misunderstand me it is not all doom and gloom by any means. New initiatives for younger children and parents on a Saturday have been encouraging and a departure on a Sunday evening from a traditional service to a soul cafe once a month has been successful. Our church is one of the few to meet on a Sunday evening so maybe there is a need out there.

A Different Way To Go

2009-10-09T07:38:00.005+01:00

Bideford came to a standstill ( again ! ) for a short time yesterday. All was hushed when the clip clop of horses hooves went by drawing a white hearse with a light brown / red coffin inside. The horses were white with red plumes. The cortege included about 12 cars . Who was it nobody seemed to know but I expect we will find out.

Two weeks ago there was a similar event but this time the hearse was a 1930's Austin which had been given a "body" from an old horse drawn hearse.

Is this the new idea , to go out in style. The problem is, the one who should be enjoying the ride can't because.........

All this for 30 seconds!!

2009-09-17T22:46:00.006+01:00

No that is not fair. Bideford has been in the for front of the news today as the finish line of the Tour of Britain cycle race. I have never seen an operation so meticulously planned . Even at 8.30 this morning most of the staging, barriers and equipment were in place . The Quay was transformed. There was entertainment throughout the morning and then at about 2.40 the air was electric as the riders arrived. The stage was won by Edvald Boasson Hagen seen above with Geraint Thomas and it seems he may be the overall winner. Not quite Tour de France but nearly I am told. I will try and post a slide show below. In Facebook click on original post.

Lamentations

2009-09-09T16:26:00.005+01:00

As part of the Sunday evening service this week we read chapter 5 of Lamentations. It is a cry to God for restoration but some of it felt a bit close to home now or in the future and I felt I could empathize with some aspects of Judah's plight.

verse 2

Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.

Jobs are are given to foreigners and many complain that foreigners jump the housing queues

verse 3

We are orphaned and fatherless.
Our mothers are widowed.

Not necessarily orphaned but families are in crisis with many children growing up without a father or father figure in their lives

Verse 4

We have to pay for water to drink,
and even firewood is expensive

We certainly have pay for water and fuel of all descriptions is certainly expensive

Verse 14

The elders have gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.

Here leaders would be banned without a CRB check and the musician would need an almost impossible to get premises licence to perform

There is hope

It's nearly all gone

2009-08-28T19:44:00.001+01:00

How do you empty a medium sized supermarket in 5 days. Well you announce a closing down sale 30% off everything and now 50%. There were some good bargains in the wine dept. It also had the best and perhaps only white goods dept in Bideford but I was too slow for a larder freezer! It succumbed not only to Asda but also I believe the Co op were getting out of larger stores after taking over Somerfield.

What next nobody seems to know. I have an idea :)

Where is the Train?

2009-08-24T22:38:00.002+01:00

The line has been laid by able volunteers but there was no sign of the train.
Early rain didn't help but regrettably there was news of vandalism. Coins had been placed across the track to short circuit it, dogs had peed on it and disgruntled cyclists were not prepared to let the railway interfere with their holiday bike ride.

I walked out beyond Instow and there was no sign of the train. It had left Fremington but that was the news 4 hours ago. The stewards were by this time complaining of a lack of information and James was apparently in a world of his own. They hope to carry on during the dark evening hours it may ( no pun ) arrive in Bideford at about midnight.

The picture was taken at Instow and I hope to place a few more in a slide show underneath. Click on original post in Facebook.

Jen & Dan's Wedding

2009-08-24T15:09:00.003+01:00

An amazing day not least because it was dry. Barbara was worried about the music, she need not have been, the group gelled as if they had all played together for ages. The sound man was a"bit of a problem" but everyone wisely ignored him.

We stayed in the reception village Llanymynech about 200 metres from the village hall though strangely nobody else seemed to have the same idea.

I hope to post a slide show below. In Facebook click on see the original post

Pods & Rain

2009-08-23T22:08:00.002+01:00

After Ireland Cumbria called. We had seen in the press information about Camping Pods. A Camping and Caravan Club site at Boot at the head of Eskdale had installed some.

The Lakeland weather made them attractive so we signed up for 4 nights and although quite expensive for 2 people it was worth its weight in gold because of the weather. Wednesday PM and night was particularly bad but it did not stop us from our planned trips. Wednesday saw us on a trip to see relatives in Workington. We left the car behind and put our trust in the Ratty and Northern Rail. We had diesel both ways, James May would have loved that.

Back to the podsI believe an electrical connection would have been useful. I saw several campers struggling with their own gas lamps which I would not have thought was particularly safe. Maybe it’s a national park planning problem

Dublin

2009-08-23T22:03:00.003+01:00

We spent a night in Dublin at Browns Hotel

”” Browns is a Georgian property in the heart of Dublin City. On the doorstep of Trinity College, the night life of Temple Bar is only a short stroll away and the shopping district is about a five minute walk. Here, you will find a refreshing combination of old and new enveloped in atmospheric surroundings. Each of the 25 bedrooms is decorated, mirroring the Georgian feel of the original building.””” So said the blurb

Well it was on the other side of the river to Trinity College as was Temple Bar, the shopping district near the needle was closer

It was an old building with the door lock held together with 4 chipboard screws.

It was on a busy main road and was noisy all night. A nearby sign said that the area was now covered by CCTV because of unruly behaviour!

It was easy to get to the port in the morning the only plus point. Apart from the hurling crowd there were very few Irish about

The buses come in football teams

See slide show below. In Facebook click on original post

Recalling the troubles......

2009-08-23T21:58:00.001+01:00

We have been in Ireland at an interesting time. It is 40 years since the troubles took off in earnest and it is 30 years since that dreadful day when the bombing of the army at Warren Point coincided with the murder of Lord Mountbatten at Mullaghmore. There was a programme about it on RTE and only after watching it for a while did I realise that from our cottage we were looking straight out across the bay to where it all happened. The Good Friday agreement has made Ireland a much freer place . The border has gone so sometimes you are in ROI before you realise it . We must have crossed over about 8 times and the only sign is to warn you of a change in the speed limit. In Beetek the UK and ROI share a pole like competing estate agents.There is still a feel of sectarian problems. Protestant areas fly union jacks and their version of St George. Driving into Enniskillen for the second visit to Asda I was conscious that I recognised the road, It was festooned with the Irish flag and then recalled it was Cornagrade Road which in the past has blocked Orange marches and has featured on TV. Culaville too was flying the tricolour which was not the case when we were here last.
We camped a night near Fivemiletown in County Fermanagh. Barbara spoke to the couple who were in a caravan on the next pitch. She recalled they told her they lived in County Antrim 6 miles north of Belfast. If I had been present ( in the loo block ) I would have asked if they shopped at Halfords!

Griannan Ailligh

2009-08-23T21:52:00.001+01:00

This is an amazing place. A prehistoric stone walled fort with 360 views over 4 counties of the north of Ireland. A must stop on the way down to Derry for a look at the shops and a walk on the walls. Derry reminds me of N Devon. Down river, the bridge is like Barnstaple, the Bogside is like Ilfracombe from Capstone Hill and looking over the Foyle has a feel of East the Water at Bideford. I suspect there are still some political tensions from the murals.

Slieve League

2009-08-23T21:48:00.001+01:00

Our visit to Slieve League started in mist and drizzle but the forecast was for it to clear so we went on in faith that the mist would be removed. After an hour the very top was still covered but we were able to experience the grandeur of it all.... but wait a minute is not Hartland just as good. Certainly the latter could be better marketed. The Slieve League is supposed to be the highest in Europe but Hartland and High Cliff beyond Bude cannot be much lower

The Fintown Rail Car

2009-08-23T21:44:00.001+01:00

To Fintown historic railway “a journey as grand as any in Switzerland “ is an old interesting rail bus on loan from a museum in Derry. The Line restoration history is similar to our Lynton Barnstaple railway. These railbuses were the mainstay of passenger transport in Donegal up to the 1960’s

Railway Refections

2009-08-03T22:38:00.003+01:00

It seems ages since I have written anything here. The last few weeks have been quiet, spent mostly grumbling about the dreadful weather with days of continuous rain.

I was cheered up today however because my railway magazine arrived. That raised issues which I may have emailed elsewhere, but I decided to write here instead.

On the cover of the magazine is a picture of a Grand Central class 180 train in what they say is the stunning new look on the East Coast. Inside however I read about the problems of National Express and the likely loss of its franchise but in a small box is a report that their application to install ticket gates at York station had been rejected. One of the main objectors was Grand Central whose passengers pay on the train and who would have been affected by the aforesaid barriers. This made me wonder if National Express were aware when they bid for the franchise that they might face open access competition.

The second issue in the magazine is the acclamation of the new class 395 High speed commuting over the the HS 1 line to St Pancras. Yes they are great trains but Ashford Kent would not have high priority for a high speed train if HS 1 was not nearby. At the moment the line is also used by Eurostar but this is to be opened up. There is also political pressure for us to use the train rather than fly. It therefore seems a pity that valuable train paths are being used for domestic services which may block European expansion to places such as Koln Amsterdam and Geneva . The line is unlike most of our railway built to the continental gauge.

The third thing I saw was DB Schenker has painted 2 rather elderly but efficient class 37 locos into its bright red German livery. There is apparently no plans yet to paint class 67. That made me think that the Royal train uses these. I wonder what the media would say if the Queen arrived in train hauled by an engine with DB on the front!

I here that James May is coming to North Devon to build the world's longest model railway, I will have to see if I can help.

The financial outlook is more cheerful. The pound is up which will help the holiday

Local

2009-07-11T22:04:00.002+01:00

It was the Farmers Market on the Quay today. It is very popular because the produce is local. Well what is local?.. a word we use all the time. By accident I found out last week because we took 2 Hungarian guests to Arlington Court and in the carriage museum it said..local is the distance you can travel in a day on horse back..

Back to the market Dan the fishmonger gave a cooking demonstration on how to fillet sea bass with the help of a volunteer from the audience and a squid too. Which would you choose? The fish was local.. how do you catch it on horseback?

Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T12:29:00.003+01:00

I suspect this will become one of the where were you when you heard about it moments.

We were down stairs watching Sky News they said he had been taken to hospital then suddenly they mentioned TMV had posted he was dead. A quick flip to CNN however just said he had been hospitalised so confusion reigned for about 45 mins until the sad news was confirmed.

He and indeed the rest of his family had connections here in N Devon. Even today nobody is really sure whether it was he who turned up at Barnstaple that night.

Barbara saw him later on. She went to a meeting in Exeter and the the station was crowded as he had arrived I think with Yuri Geller to go to a match at Exeter City. The family not I think Michael stayed in Appledore last year although from the Channel 4 programme I don't believe it was a particularly happy time.

Many will have mixed feelings but his death is a great loss to the music world especially as he was coming to London later in the Summer.

A New Speaker

2009-06-25T16:22:00.002+01:00

I find the "sour grapes" of the Conservative Party hard to understand. Politicians should have ambition otherwise they should not be in Parliament.

To say as some have, that they will challenge the post after the next election is premature. My guess is Cameron will get in with a slender overall majority, so displacing Mr Bercow which I assume would cause a by election, would not necessarily mean the Tories would win. Mr Bercow may have moved to the left but the Tories have moved to the right especially over Europe.

Being a fan of Europe including our own trips there , to France, Czech Republic, Germany and Poland , makes me despare of their anti Europe attitude. Why leave the centre right group for instance and cuddle up to far right wing MEPs from Eastern Europe who are probably nearer to UKIP and maybe BMP. The tories encouraged the eastern European countries to join the EU so the majority voting for such an organisation is probably the only way forward. UK citizens are discriminated against because the rest of Europe including non EU Norway and Switzerland have signed the Schengen accord meaning they have free movement while we have to buy an expensive passport and as happened in Poland have to queue up for ages to go through an old fashioned passport control at a side door to the airport building.

Yes some EU directives seem unnecessary but rather than leave there should be a review of how the Government and quangos have interpreted them.

A Walk on the Torrs

2009-06-25T16:16:00.002+01:00

I took Barbara to play in a concert in Ilfracombe again last evening. I decided , as usual, to go for a walk on the Torrs coast path towards Lee Bay. I like this stretch of coast as straight ahead is Lundy and to the right the coastline of Wales. It was high tide too which added to the atmosphere.

You can't help and think of stuff when sitting down and taking in the view. Several seats on this path which winds up the cliff, are perfect thinking spots and I have memories of it going back to as a child my parents brought me on holiday here on the Atlantic Coast Express to stay with a great friend of my parents who was Pastor of Brookdale Church. That was over 50 years ago but as mentioned below we have just been celebrating our 40th anniversary so time waiteth for nobody. Other memories are of more recent walks when the Ensemble were playing in the Band Stand.

The family all came to be with us on Saturday and joined with other friends and collegues at our party,a Hog Roast, which we held at Abbotsham Village Hall. There was a large leg left over so that will re emerge some time soon.

Everyone has gone home now so its back to normal. I was worried how it would work out but everyone was appreciative which was reassuring.

40 Years On

2009-06-19T23:03:00.000+01:00

It doesn't seem possible that it is 40 years on Sunday that Barbara and I were married at Duke St church in Richmond. We are having a party tomorrow for local family and friends

Nearly 40.....

2009-06-16T15:37:00.003+01:00

No not my age, I wish it was, but the length of my marriage. Why the picture of Isfahan? Well Iran features a lot in this story and is very much in the news at the moment. This time last week many were confident that the time of Mr Ahmadinejad was coming to an end but the suspicious clamp down at the end of the election foretold what was to happen next. Now foreign media is confined to hotels and Mr Ahmadinejad has gone to Russia confident that his will is indestructible. Only the next few days will tell.

Well back to the 40th it's on Sunday and I was looking around to find what was happening 40 years ago. I used to collect old papers and I found them in the loft yesterday I then iched all night! Some were interesting like the Sunday Correspondent and The Sunday Planet? Does anybody remember them? I had a few less interesting reprints but suddenly one caught my eye.. 1969 first man on the moon ( or was it a shed in Nevada :) ) it was 21 July not June but not far off! Maybe it took them a month to get there.

In my job I sometimes have to prepare a chronology of a client's married life which has fallen on stoney ground so I wondered about mine-

July 1966 -Met at a youth club barbeque. In fact right at the start in Richmond ..fast work

Separated 4 days later when Barbara went to stay with her parents and work in Iran for 12 months.. no emails ( not that there are any at the moment ) but reams of good old air mail letters

July 1967 Met up in Paris

1968.. Can't rememember the date got engaged!

21 June 1969 Married in Richmond. Barbara by now was working for BOAC so got cheap air fares. So it was off to Canada and America for our honeymoon. It didn't stop us running out of money and taking a night bus ..yuk.. to save on hotel costs

July 1969 returned to our flat in Chichester Court Ewell. You didn't just rent it but got a share in the whole block. This came in handy because 3 years later.. Michaela Strachan went to a nursery at the end of the street.

July 1972 we moved to Barnstaple although I worked in Bideford. We immediately got involved in the church. We were expected, someone had said we were going. It was holiday club time and nearly 100 children turned up! It kept Barbara busy.

September 1972 we gave up our flat in Ewell but got a refund cheque which covered our deposit on our house in Bideford

I had taken Barbara away from her work and she was unemployed until

October 1972 when she got work at Pickfords Travel ..so cheap holidays were restored! We continued to go to the Barnstaple church which is still on going today

February 1975 Stephen was born and

October 1977 Helen arrived.

January 1988 we moved to our present home on the other side of town.

We have had an eventful life returning to Iran 3 times. 2 during our early marriage which included a trip to Israel . It was good then there were no barriers and we explored on our own just like we did a few weeks ago when we went to Poland. Our most recent trip to Iran was in 2004 when the picture was taken.

As a family we have been on numerous camping trips ( still ongoing) including Berlin in 1990.

This is not all of it by any means but hopefully with God's grace we will have well, maybe not another 40 years but let's see.

A Time To Reflect

2009-06-03T11:17:00.003+01:00

We were able to go on a camping trip at the end of the Bank Holiday weekend and went to one of my favourite spots, Westermill in the heart of Exmoor where you can pitch your tent right next to the tumbing stream which is the young River Exe.

The weather was perfect and we walked over the farm which forms my favourite part of Exmoor and gazed into the blue sky and saw passing jet aircraft, 2 crossing quite close.

The pond behind the river gave great refections as did the lily pond at Knightshayes which we visited.

This made me think of all that has been happening here in recent days. Three Sundays ago our minister asked the congregation to tell him about an event in the week that had given great joy. I didn't say it, but thought, reaching page 9 in the Daily paper. The country has been obsessed with MP's expenses yes some were plainly wrong, but others have had I believe, a raw deal. MP's salaries were kept low for political expediency and an expenses scheme invented to compensate. Douglas Hogg who I expect will take his title when he retires as an MP ( I remember him as a junior barrister ) was ridiculed about his moat. I cannot see the difference between this though and clearing wisteria of the house wall. It it had been the gutters I don't suppose anything would have been said. Because however an issue of this has been made now the path has been set for a landslide of fringe single issue parties in the elections tomorrow.

That leads me to those elections and in particular the European one. I'm not sure how many votes we have, but as a quite enthusiastic Europe person I am disappointed at the negative attitude of the Conservatives. It is wrong in my mind to forsake the middle ground grouping and join the finge which presumably includes UKIP . This country had ratified the Lisbon treaty so I cannot see how that can be undone. President Obama is I beleive concerned that if the Conservatives take office they will pursue an isolationist foreign policy. I'm not sure what I will do tomorrow but I may tell afterwards.

I will try and post a series of relections from the weekend below.