Alt.Mustardland

I must search for Dunkery Beacon.

Gotta go. Will look later.

I have just seen another film called Edie. About an old lady played by Sheila Hancock, who escapes from her daughter's plans to put her in a home and decides to climb Suilven near Inverness. She climbed it, then I discover that it wasn't a bluescreen fake but a real climb. About 800 Mtrs high. She was 83 when she did it, so I'm filled with shame and will do better starting with Dunkery Beacon and work my way up to Pen y Ghent, or Whern.

So Cassie is quite a Mature Lady.

The Pedestrian Crassing over the Railway (The London, Tilbry and Southend Loop) was closed some time ago, - It was dedicated to a PSPB reserve and the "New Town" built around it. And I don't like the Walk to the High Street to Cross the Road and Rail bridge and through suburbia to get there, so the Best bet is a Bus up to Crown Hill in Langdon Hills. I'm not really up to walking uphill that far. Sometimes a Nice view (Over the Main Route of the Railway). I'm reluctant to say that a Copse "spoils" the view at this time of year, because the Tree Foliage is so dense that the Gap in the Copse show ony The Dock. which is two or three miles away.
I was thwarted as I'd walked to the railway and had an hours wait for the bus - The Driver did say thay the previous bus Had run, because He just passes it on its return run ?? - Looks Like he had by-passed the Station... Having nothing to Kill the Time, I watched some Blokes digging a hole - Little did they know that Ny Grandad planted the Gaspipe their to the Station and Stationmasters House (You may have heard of The Stationmasters Daughter - went to School with My Auntie Eadie)... She (the stationmasters Daughter, not My Auntie Eadie) became an actress ... Carry on

Cassie is elderly. At 15 x 7 she has reached the age for a Royal birthday card. My shack is well insulated and lying well away from the sun keeps her cool, so just popping out into the garden for a breather is enough for her most of the time. I take her with me on my weekly shop, then we go for a stroll in the woods preferably higher up to catch a breeze. There's woodland about 1/3 of the way up Dunkery Beacon and the trees meet over the road in what was called in Shropshire as a goggin. There's moss on the banks as well so when we are going up there in the car she derives great pleasure from the experience. She also likes waiting at level crossings, perhaps in days gone by I would pass a few crisps back to her, but I can't reach to the back compartment of the Volvo.

We do see deer too crossing in front of us quite often, and once on a drive to Stoke Pero on a single track road we saw about 20 roe deer crossing ahead of us. I always drive slowly in the lanes and brake without apology if the road is full of pheasants and partridges, or a herd of sheep or a rabbit caught in the headlights. I nearly mowed down a pedestrian the other day driving up the North Hill into the setting sun. I was going very slowly, because I couldn't see very well, then this chap appeared a couple of feet in front of my bonnet. I was only doing about 15 mph, so I could steer round him, but he didn't turn round and never knew how close a call it was. I saw him again on my way back walking downhill, but I had better visibility and thus had more warning.

Oh? Did it rain?
I'm not going to say that it did Not Rain.. I never noticed it.

I'll try to avoid the Duchess of Devonshire... My Holidays of Long Gone days were in The Lake District, including Sailing on the Lake at Mrs Devonshires abode... The Sunk Dingy/Yacht was removed from her lake.

How is that Dog of yours - The Heat, and the lack of getting out and about is Frustrating for Humans, but I don't know How it affects Dogs. I remember My Mum's Alsation would enjoy 100 m.p.h. Runs over the Park (It was more than a Park, but that will do for now). He was not as bright as I thought - He tried to keep up with a Greyhound.
Afraid the Estate of My old Home got a message on Radio recently. Seems that the lack of traffic, and people going about "life" has encouraged Deer to commandeer much of the area to roam...

After listening to rain during the night, I looked out of the window to see in the pots on the terrace, the lilies that were in bud, opening. They are supposed to be scented, and because indoors they can be overpowering, I thought I'd try planting them outside. I'm still at the stage of being surprised by the survival of plants and delighted when they flower.

I've been catching up on films I haven't got round to seeing and today it was Colette. Although the starring actress looked a lot like the real person, I'm beginning to be irritated by seeing Keira Knightley in everything. She was surprisingly good in Georgiana, (5th Duchess of Devonshire) and eerily like Georgiana's GGGneice Princess Diana Spencer. Samuel West is less exposed and very good too, but playing a very annoying character took some of the enjoyment away.

Wont be Aspirin, I'm already on a Daley dose of Aspirin, so cannot take more...
One Doc gave me Naxoprofen (amoung other stuff). but a later (i.e., younger and more recently trained) Doc prescribed something else - But I don't think its as effective.

Not if you're on anticoagulants I hope.

I ought to go out today ... I havn't, but I should.
Afraid The Black and Decker man next door is Building a ... Well, looks like a Chalet, but it's taking the Garden - perhaps a King size playhouse.
Bloke next door t'other side Seems to have Lorry loads of Furniture being shifted out,
Bloke on third side (i.e., across the footpath to the next courtyard, but our houses meet over that footpath) seems to have left, and Builders instaling new Kitchen and bathroom and possibly more, for their next tennant.
and a fourth house is having much "Rumbling Wheelbarrowing" over the rickety paving past my house (continuing under my first storey through the Footpath.

I think some might have delayed during Lock-out, but .... Think I'll aim to shops for Aspirin...

It's so hot today I'm sitting still and thinking cool thoughts.

Pooter just gone sulky - keeps disconnecting and re-connecting.. I think I know how it feels... I'll go and find/raid a tranquiliser shop...

Probably being hushed up to avoid sympathetic responses. The tide of hatred for 'foreigners' is turning

Actually ... something else ... I read a problen in my "on line" local paper, but I have heard nothing on the Radio... The A12 road was closed for 12 hours, but no details of accident, just "Police action", but the Photos included a squadron of ambulances, police cars, and some unmarked, plain black cars with "Hidden" Blue lights.. (Home office?/PLO dock Poiice?/Interpreters? - Who knows) It was only when the road was re-opened was it explained (in Minimal detail) that a freezer lorry had been halted forced open by the fire service and 16 Illegal Immigrants treated by the Ambulance Service on site, and the driver and one passenger "helping with enquiries".
Now, I have heard nothing on any National Report. Is this now so common that it is not newsworthy???? Thats all.

I'll tell you a story...
One of the Ford bods was visiting our Factory. The Army had changed a spec, because they had a different bit of ammunition to tow. The Army (Common now, but unusual then) wanted more than one supplier, so the modification applied to both makers (Ford, and Guy). The new design required a different tow connection, and at a different height. The Guy bloke thought nothing of it and vaguely said it would be done for another couople of quid... Ford do their costings to decimals of a penny, and wanted the drawings, No of bolts, washers, torque level and UTS of all components and so on, so wanted the spec for it to be properly costed. ... Ford still exist, whatever happened to Guy??? Thats why they wouldn't discard decimal of a penny just because the machinists would cost them more.. a paltry sum must at some point be the division betwixt worthwhile or a loss... I had very similar problems on costing some nuclear medicine surgery tools.. But public money .... Ah, that's different. Millions of £'s trains scrapped without ever turning a wheel when there was a change og Gov.

So the magazine prod seems to indicate a move to "normality" - whatever normality is? I'm more concerned with loosening the rules, and we have not even had one winter of Corvid yet. in fact not even an Autumn...

Tesco seems to be reducing "in-store" baking. Don't know how far they have got yet..

Too tired - Have to go... A lot of domestic"Things" to sort in the morning... A Had a Coven... I mean "trimphate" of Social bods on Friday - waiting when I came home from the catfood shop - all about probs back to address changes (was it Hamlet, or Macbeth, that had the three women stirring things). Too many aspects that pass their desks fo different reasons - so each of them want yet another three more "Helpers", when I'm already knee deep in "Helpers" .... More Paper, ink, and tranquilizers to be bought in the a.m.

Have fun....

If Fords were paying 40,000 people but just restricting pay for 167 seat and trim workers to the extent that they would stop production for weeks on end rather than add a paltry sum to the overall pay cost they were as thick as tree stump trump. My Rhodesian friend gave up motor mechanics when there was no fun in it any more.

I've just sent off the magazine for printing also online copies still without planned services but the 5 churches were opened this week for private prayer. With any luck the flower arrangers will start up again.

I'm back to reading again for a couple of weeks. I was quite annoyed to find no bread in Tesco on my weekly shop on Thursday. I had to go again on Friday. I only go to Tescos because they stock the brand and form I want.

Fords... I think that was back in the day, when I was an Apprentice. (Don't laugh, but about that Time My firm had just started making parts for Ford - Rear Spring Shackles for HGV which ford used to make) - 1965-70 - there are stories of that also. 40,000 people at Fords then ... I think now that they just assemble (not make) engines for a Japanese maker...

Dogs are very good at detecting illness. I hope you are up to date with your medication. When I was very ill, Cassie was all over me. But sometimes she keeps out of the way when I'm ill and very friendly when I'm not. Yes it's weird, but the Alsatian may think you're a sheep and needing protection. It's rather charming don't you think.

I've had a couple of phone calls from family and friend, and just watched "Made in Dagenham" the film about the women Machinists who held Ford to ransom over Equal Pay. I see another lot had to strike all over again in 1984. I've been doing an online course about the Suffragettes and I'm simmering over that too.

Hi, I was just pondering on what you were up to.

Now, You'll like this...
I was out today - minding my own business, - (Honest: I was). When I left the road to walk home through this estate, there was a Dog in the Garden of a House by the road.. He is normally in "Lockdown", so not usually separated from his Households Family; normally with them all the time. He got up and ran along beside me - again unusual for an Alsatian (particulartly this devoted beast) to leave his house and "Escort" me. When I reached my Courtyard there were the household opposite sunning themselves (The Sun shines in the front of their house, but in the Garden of mine), but the had this noisy Yappy dog (might have been a Pug) - it came over to me Barking at me... Alsatian kept him at bay until I was indoors.....!!!!!!!

Wierd innit?

Nice day today. My cleaner was due so I had to get dressed and empty the food waste into the Dalek compost bin in the garden. Cassie went toddling off and I noticed that my drain was overflowing so I had to call my plumber and put off the gardener for an hour or so. I've already budgeted for that so it isn't a big deal except for juggling space and time. The cleaner's boyfriend has promised to muck out my gutters next week so that will be fun.

The weather is lovely now. after a week of frequent heavy rain, we have sunshine and not many showers.

I'm busy with the parish Magazine, but have been distracted by an 8 part series on Netflix about a fire in a charity bazaar in Paris. It drew heavily on the Dreyfus issues, but managed to snatch a happy ending for the three main characters.

Something coming through the ether... There was (or is) a painter who's Pictures included Elephants or BR's last Mainline-built Steam Loco's (Think his name was Shepherd ... but my memory is sinking rapidly) who always included a Mouse in his pictures - one such Picture of a filthy, uncleaned, oilstained disreputable Evening Starten-encoupled Freight Loco (The Only Freight Loco painted in Express Passenger guise although the colour was not visible through the muck, and alledgedly?? Molycoddled as the last of the line.. with the mouse by the track??

At some time (apart from taking my Club on Weekend walks) I also met people on Regular Holidays in Edale.. Thus on to accasional subsequent meetings. One meeting was in the Home of our group Lived in a Thatched Roofed Cottage That was the end of a Footpath to Oxford Centre. It was Ruskin's House and He had told his students of the wonders of doing "Manual Work" to form a Path to the Colleges, which, of course. made his walk easier...
The thatch did include embelishments in the roof that identified the thatcher who had to re-roof it every tens of years up to his retirement. Norfolk Thatch lasts Longer but unacceptable in Oxford? (and Loft Insulation was unnecessary???)