Alt.Mustardland

Good morning all. GLO, I have no experience of strokes. I do know that they vary in intensity. A woman who attends my Tuesday group recently suffered a stroke but, within four weeks was back attending the group with no apparent ill effects. I guess that for some people the effects are more severe. A...

Interesting way to cast a vote. The West Midlands Mayoral Election on May 4th has six candidates and voters have to mark their first and second choices. My wife used to do the count and, says that a similar system used for the Euro elections caused chaos at the account. Voters had only marked a seco...

Sorry pressed the awrong button.

Just to complete the story:

The ballot paper was returned to 'Mother'. How she voted, whether she took my advice, I have no idea.

Will I have never had trouble at a PS, in terms of disruption. Annoyances: people who want to make a fuss, those who have turned up at the PS and think they can still vote, some claim not to have heard about the election and that's my fault, etc. At last year's referendum, there was something on soc...

Had a really good walk this morning. Lots of bluebells, wild garlic, wood anemones and, lesser celandine in evidence. As we passed a large pool with a reed bed quite close to the pathway, and we saw a Reed Bunting clambering through last year's dead stems. Weather wasn't too bad when we set out, clo...

GLO, we've all done that - lost lengthy posts. Before I start my normal ramblings, I would just like to say how sad I am to read of the policeman being shot in Paris. Both OH and I love France and the French people. It's so sad what has happened in that country in the last eighteen months. This morn...

GLO, quite understand your annoyance about the address change. Has there been any explanation from the local authority have done this? I've worked in a temporary Polling Station on several occasions. Locally, the were essentially a typical cargo container with, a wood panel lining, a door and a coup...

Good morning all. Not sure where you live Will but, we too have rain. It's fairly light, more like an annoying e Felipe endrizzle. We're told that it should pass through quite quickly. I certainly hope so as, I'm hoping to get out for a brisk walk later this morning. GLO, I've worked with this parti...

Good morning all. Which Julian Barnes book is it, Rwth? He's an author that I admire and, I'm trying to find time to see the new film of one of his books, 'A Sense of An Ending'. Particularly enjoyed that once. I won't be acting as Presiding Officer at the June General Election. On the 8th June, OH ...

Dull, cool, but thankfully dry here in the Wild West. If it stays reasonably dry, I might venture out to start the annual battle to reclaim some of the garden from the forces of nature :-) Like all tyrants, I employ mercenaries to carry out such battles on my behalf. Domestic issues out of the way....

Good morning to all. Pleasant start to the morning here, albeit cold. OH and I did manage to fit in a walk yesterday afternoon. There were showers on and off all morning but, we decided to risk it and, headed for the South Staffordshire village of Kinver. As it turned out, it stayed dry and we had a...

Good morning all. It's starting out as a wet Easter Bank Holiday Monday here on the Western Edge of the Black Country. OH have plans for a walk later but, it's weather dependent. If we don't go walking, I may head out for an hour alone. The fact that it's a Bank Holiday reminds me of a previous such...

A Happy Eeater to everyone.

May we all have peaceful times ahead.

GLO, I'm just amazed, at a time when local authorities claim to be short of money that, so many of them find mad schemes to spend cash on. My wife worked for social services in a neighbouring authority for around thirty years. As such, she lost count on the number of times that the decision was take...

Rwth, You'd be amazed how many people come into the Polling Station, explaining that their wife/husband/mother/father/choose any other possible relationship is ill and asking if they could vote on their behalf. The answer is "No", There is no room for manouvre. Absentee voters have two pos...

Good morning all. As promised, I attended my Presiding Officer training yesterday. As usual, a couple of new problems that cropped up in one or both of last year's votes were dealt with. Apparently, a respresentative of one political party adorned his car with party posters and parked it outside sev...

Actually GLO, personally being Wolverhampton born and bred, we can claim a piece of of Peggy Mount too. She spent several years early in her career working in Rep in Wolverhampton.

Will the Pedlar wrote: I agree regarding RA as Maigret. He makes a surprisingly good "straight" actor.

So does 'local boy' Lenny Henry and, (Not local, at all) Bradley Walsh. See them as 'Actors', rather than 'comedians' or 'comic actors' these days.

Good morning all. Just been on a 4.6 mile walk halfway through which, I had a haircut. I also called at the local decent coffee shop prior to the return journey. Cool breeze this morning. In about an hour I'm off into Wolverhampton for my Presiding Officer training, ahead of the election of the (Not...

Charlie Resni k was OK. I also enjoyed Prime Suspect with Helen Mirren. Out of the 'new' crop, DCI Banks is good and, I particularly like 'Grantchester'. Find the character of the Rev Chambers really interesting. Rather keen on Rowan Atkinson as 'Maigret' too. He's closer to the enigmatic character ...