Funny ol' night

Weather

Funny old night last night up here on the Wolds, thunder and lightning on and off,followed by substantial snow again and the winds come up, so blizzard conditions at the moment.  A631 very quiet!

I'll have to have a word, the Guardian arrived an hour late, blooming paper girl!!


Arsenal fan?

http://www.barbelsociety.co.uk/Auction_tables.htm

A days fishing for 2 in the company of David Seaman former Arsenal and England goalkeeper and Jeff Woodhouse Content editor of http://www.fishingmagic.com/
The day must be taken mid-week in early March or late June 2011 and will be on the banks of the Thames at Marlow on the The Compleat Angler Hotel stretch. The day will also include lunch in the Bowaters restaurant compliments of http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/compleatangler/


Reserve £200



Cee Low Green

Now the more I hear this guy the more I like him

Live Well - Laugh Often - Love Much

Tales to tell

Taster

We have one curry restaurant in the town now that my favourite in the area has closed.
It's called Gateway to India, it was the first place we tried for a curry after moving up from the Milton Keynes area.
8 years ago, we agreed it was bland in flavour and the dishes were full of gee, this indicated pre-cooking  to me from past experience.
So we abandoned any hope of a decent curry in Market Rasen, and headed for Louth, just a bit further away, where we found just one worth return visits.
Then the Taal arrived with it's freshly cooked approach good flavours and not swimming in gee.
The one redeeming feature of the Gateway is it has Lal Toofan, but that will not be enough to entice us back.
Looks like I will have to master the art of "Indian" cooking myself and maybe find a retailer where they stock the beer.


The Association of Barbel Fishers

I wish the Aof BF well, but miffed, worried, criticism?
Where does the little man get it from.
You must stop making up stories, Tony. Walter Mitty certainly has an imitator of grade 1 proportions.



60 people paying a £1(plus 40 sycophantic followers) to have a look, is a great success?
Yeh right!

 I think I may try that wrinkle for a bit of beer money.

Thought for the day?

The Banking Crisis simply explained...


Young Paddy bought a donkey from a farmer for £100.
The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day...
The next day he drove up and said, 'Sorry son, but I have some bad news. The donkey's died.'
Paddy replied, 'Well then just give me my money back.'
The farmer said, 'Can't do that. I've already spent it.'
Paddy said, 'OK, then, just bring me the dead donkey.'
The farmer asked, 'What are you going to do with him?'
Paddy said, 'I'm going to raffle him off.'
The farmer said, 'You can't raffle a dead donkey!'
Paddy said, 'Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead.'
A month later, the farmer met up with Paddy and asked,
'What happened with that dead donkey?'
Paddy said, 'I raffled him off.
I sold 500 tickets at two pounds a piece and made a profit of £898'
The farmer said, 'Didn't anyone complain?'

Paddy said, 'Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two pounds back.'

Paddy now works for the Royal Bank of Scotland .

Fishing

Contemplation

Yesterday morning up at 7 with a cup of tea , trying to coax myself into going for  a trip down to the Trent.
9 am I got the call from Mick about Denise, although she had been unwell for some years now, it was still a big shock.
Started me off on the memory trail of friends, a lot of them far to young to be dying, and many of them in the last 7 or 8 years, co-incidence or not, since my early retirement.So most of them about my age.
I purposely aimed at retiring, mainly because I had enough of earning the commercial property big buck for some other bugger. Always been a doer rather than a creator I suppose.
Anyway, this is enabled us to do lots of world travelling that many don't get the opportunity to do, and not worry about where the next penny comes from.
In other words, we do what we want when we want.
So to those that read what I have to say on this Blog, take heed, go and do what you really want to do while you can, you never know what may be around that next corner.

Oh yes Fishing!
10am still deep in my thoughts "what time you coming home from fishing" says The Boss.
"I don't even know what time I'm going or, where I'm going" say I, "anyway my hemp seed may still be frozen in the garage. It's a bit bright"
Looking for excuses not to go?

I made up my mind, a fling at the Trent to see if I can get a barbel out in November. Thermals on, big coat to hand, Kelly Kettle and makings in the boot.
Off I go 11am.
Half hour later on the Lincoln ring road still don't know what to do, go for the tidal at Sutton or South Clifton, or go and poach Hazelford, just for the crack, or settle for Lady Pit.
Close approaching Newark make your mind up time, "sod it Lady Pit" then I say to myself "what if the slope up is sopping wet, is the road good enough, will I be able to get out of the place".
I know the Octavia is not the best at handling slippery slopes, I remember when I first got the motor, frightening the life out of Hugh Middleton as I attempted to get the motor back up the flood bank at Sutton.
He was, I'm sure expecting me to slide down into him and then the river!!
Mind made up, still Lady Pit.
4pm, four hours all alone with my thoughts, not a bite to show for the hard work of making my mind up,  although a little maudlin, pleased that I did make my mind up to venture to the riverside.
Now the slippery slope....a bit of slippy slidey but up we go, "dodge the potholes, don't want another hole in the sump", and arrive at the gate, now closed after being open all day to let the big trucks in, to pick their load of sugar beet.
"Sod it what's the combination number, where's my card"
Just over the hour later, home to faggotts, mash and peas.

Must go and empty the car, at least the hemp seed will still be frozen, hope my lob worms aren't!!

Winter Fuel Allowance
Filled up the heating oil tank last week, checked out the bank account this morning to see if the transfer to the account had occurred, it had, and also a £250 credit today from the DWP, thank you.
I forgot all about that.

Joke for today
An American tourist asks an Irishman
 "Why  do Scuba divers always fall backwards off their boats?"
To which the Irishman replies
"If they fell forwards, they'd still be in the bloody boat ."

My latest visitor
From Taiwan, I just wonder what could be interesting to an ol' China.
I don't think it's my Blog or, anybody else's who count the numbers visiting theirs ;o)

Rest in Peace

Denise Huckle February 1949 - 23/11/2010

I've just heard, another friend of over 25years from our Castlethorpe,Bucks days passed to a better place this morning at 2am.
The 3rd of our pub darts team friends from that village to die at a young age.
She and husband Mick moved up fairly close to us within a year of our move to Lincolnshire.
Denise, just a month older than me, was a career teacher, finishing with early retirement through illness, must be about 10 years ago.
Our love and thoughts go out to Mick, their son and daughter Simon & Samantha and their 2 grand daughters.

RIP Denise

Really?

A Snood clip!

Accused

I don't watch a great deal of television but just watched the Accused which as a story line was brilliant and well written.
BUT, I think at the very end production let itself down.

If a soldier whilst serving on military duty murders a fellow soldier, isn't that an offence under military jurisdiction, surely not for trial in a civilian court?

It ended up in civilian court, and that doesn't seem right to me.

Am I wrong?


Joke

A woman walks into the Liverpool benefits office, trailed by 15 kids...
'WOW,' the social worker exclaims, 'Are they ALL yours?
'Yeah they are all mine,' the flustered mother sighs, having heard that question a thousand times before.
She says, 'Sit down Terry.' All the children rush to find seats.
'Well,' says the social worker, 'then you must be here to sign up. I'll need all your children's names.'
'This one's my oldest - he is Terry.'
'OK, and who's next?'
'Well, this one he is Terry, also.'
The social worker raises an eyebrow but continues.
One by one, through the oldest four, all boys, all named Terry.
Then she is introduced to the eldest girl, named Terri.
'All right,' says the caseworker. 'I'm seeing a pattern here. Are they ALL named Terri?'
Their Mother replied, 'Well, yes-it makes it easier. When it is time to get them out of bed and ready for school, I yell, 'Terry!' an' when it's time for dinner, I just yell 'Terry!' an' they all come runnin.
' An' if I need to stop the kid who's running into the street, I just yell 'Terry' and all of them stop. It's the smartest idea I ever had, namin' them all Terry.'
The social worker thinks this over for a bit, then wrinkles her forehead and says tentatively,
 'But what if you just want ONE kid to come, and not the whole bunch?'

'I call them by their surnames!'

Job done

Fishing

Job completed for 6 months, hopefully if all goes well with mum, I shall be out on the river as much as possible this coming week.
Probably a visit or two to the tidal Trent, with a new "flavouring" recommended to me by a certain bait company.
If the big river is not on song, then the Idle beckons for some roach fishing.

I had to laugh

Just back from the visit to my mum's.
A big laugh almost as soon as I got through her front door.
I was expecting a number of 'phone calls, so re-directed my 'phone to my mum's. I didn't tell her that I had done that though.

Anyway, she said" Just had a call from somebody at the Bible Society she wants to talk to you, sounds like she needs help"
After 3 hours on the road a quick rush to the loo was needed!

One hospital visit out of the way for mum, a Colonoscopy revealed nothing untoward.
The CAT scan cancelled on Friday, is now on Monday and is the one we need to get the results from.

The Edgar Wallace

That visit to meet my old workmates worked well too, 7 real ales on offer all 4% plus, tried 6 then had to eat. Not a great deal of reminiscing about old times, we see each other too often probably.
At £3.40/£3.45 a pint I really savoured it, especially when it's £2.40 in The White Hart.
Next one in early December with the really old boys, to try the Jugged Hare, Vauxhall Bridge Road, organised by me.
I'm told we went there on my birthday in March, I can't remember it, and I organised that one too. It must have been good!

I had to laugh again!!

I was reminded of Life of Brian sketch following on from a new organisation name, so I thought I would remind you too.

Who would you trust?

Little Shite!!

There you go, Rocca asked me not to post what he wrote to me about Bob Roberts,in the pheasant comments.
Goes off to Spain and sneakily puts on a link to the dummy web site*.
Shame I'm too trusting and deleted the comment at his request.
Just confirms what I've always said, the poison dwarf is  completely untrustworthy.

If you don't know who he is, and you see him on the bank...just watch your back!

Talking of Doppelgangers!








* dummy website offensive material removed, so I have amended the above by way of acknowledgement..


 Proposed cuts to the National Health Service

The British Medical Association has weighed in on the new Prime Minister David Cameron's health care proposals.
The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
The Gastroenterologists had a sort of a gut feeling about it, but the neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve.
The Obstetricians felt they were all labouring under a misconception.
Ophthalmologists considered the idea short-sighted.
Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!" while the Paediatricians said, "Oh, Grow up!"
The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the Radiologists could see right through it.
The Surgeons were fed up with the cuts and decided to wash their hands of the whole thing. The ENT specialists wouldn’t hear of it.
The Internists thought it was a bitter pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new face on the matter...."
The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were pissed off at the whole idea.
The Anaesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas, and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the arseholes in London.

Shame

I just came out of the shop with a meat and potato pie, large chips, mushy peas & a jumbo sausage.
I noticed a poor homeless man sat outside, he said  'I've not eaten for two days'

 I told him 'I wish I had your will power'

Talking of pheasants!!

From today's Guardian

Duck hunters are flouting the law on the use of lead ammunition.
The law banning the shooting of ducks and other wildfowl with lead shot is being widely flouted across England, according to a government-funded study.
Seven in 10 of the ducks checked at game-dealers, butchers and supermarkets were killed with lead ammunition, while surveys of shooters and shoot organisers revealed that many admitted they did not always comply with the regulations introduced in 1999.
The measures were meant to stop the death of waterbirds from lead poisoning caused by them mistakenly eating spent shot which they mistook for food or grit needed to aid their digestion. This was thought to account for one-in-eight bird deaths. But no one is known to have been prosecuted for breaking the law which could result in a £1,000 fine. The regulations also ban lead shot being used to kill any birds below the coastal spring-tide high-water mark or in specified wetlands.
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), which wrote the report with the help of surveys by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), said there had been no improvement since the trust conducted a smaller study with the RSPB in 2002. Non-compliance remained "high and widespread". Businesses selling duck killed by lead pellets are not breaking the law.
The checks indicated how the law was particularly poorly observed on inland game and duck shoots. Wildfowlers shooting birds in coastal areas were less likely to supply game outlets, the report noted.
The BASC surveys found up to 45% of those responding admitted not always complying with the law. Some did not believe lead poisoning of wildlife was a sufficient problem to justify the regulations and others believed lead shot was more effective and less expensive than alternative ammunition, including steel, tungsten and bismuth.
The WWT is calling on the government to do more to ensure the law is obeyed. It recommends that offences are reported, and said shoot organisers should make compliance with the law a condition of taking part, and that game-dealers should demand that all their suppliers had behaved legally.
The BASC agrees all regulations applying to the use of lead shot should be observed. A spokesman said: "We need to address the problems this is showing up."
The Lead Ammunition Group, a panel established by environment department Defra and the Food Standards Agency, is to report on the health impacts of lead shot on both wildlife and humans next summer.

Pheasant plucker

Fattening up!

Two of 5 cock pheasant in the garden at the same time today, dodging the guns no doubt, their territorial instincts have disappeared for the time being.

Notice the colour variation, the second one may be some throw back from the original introduced from the Caucasus in the middle ages?

The Chinese variety introduced in the late 17th century, had the white neck-rings!

Down to me (3)

The gales

Student riots

Stir crazy

Fishing

I've not been out since fishing the River Lot, and I have to say i'm getting chairbound.
This magazine editing lark just goes on and on, but I now have everything done it's just a case of setting it out to see if I'm oversubscribed with articles, or need to beg for some more.
One thing for certain things are getting tough out there, many angling related company marketing men have had there advertising budgets cut, or withdrawn, and some are going through all sorts of organisational changes.
Still, editing is only twice a year for me,and I am still enjoying it, so no problem. I'll carry on 'til some young buck wants a go!
The weekly and monthly magazine guys have this going on continuously. Good luck to them I say.

Goodbye to  friends to many of us in our formative years of angling on the tick.

Anyway, my mind started drifting today, walking the Idle and Bain and Upper Witham hunting out those roach and chub, and who knows a barbel.
I see the tidal Trent is up a bit, water must be warm still, so perhaps a couple of sessions before the temperatures drop off.
Any chance of a final warm spell, I wonder?
I've day or two to sort out on the Kennet, the Hampshire Avon and the Severn, depends on more important matters, but the indications are it may be the roach approach for me.

Talking of friends

I'm off down south again next week, firstly to get my mum sorted out with some tests, and then later in the week, a lunchtime 'til late meet, with my mates from the 60's.

The Edgar Wallace (he of Four Just Men and King Kong fame) in  Essex Street WC2 is our chosen watering hole. A place I used to frequent on my trips, timed perfectly to deliver the packets of title deeds to our solicitors in the street, in those early  humble filing clerk/office junior/tea boy, working days.







We've already sorted our Christmas one at the Jugged Hare Victoria, with even older not seen so often friends, from the same period of time. We've all grown old together, so a few absent friends will be toasted, I'm sure.

This friendship thing is all about unselfishness, trust and reliability, something that I have only rarely found since those wilder days in London in the late 60's and 70's.

It's down to me (2)

Student tuition fees

BP's Gulf spill

I must not mock the afflicted , I must not...........

"methinks the lady doth protest too much"

Often when people resort to calling names it is because they have no valid argument left and emotion takes over and begins to dictate their actions.
Since "facts" will no longer support their argument the next thing you know they're resorting to insults.
Well some that is, this one started that way and distorted facts as well.


Dear Mr Fantasy





No Sparra's??

I take the blame, all in my garden

 

Morning DJ

For the second morning on the trot this week,i've turned on the radio and turned it off quick!
Why?
I thought Chris Evans would turn me off after the Wogan retirement,but no he hasn't,in fact I think he's pretty good.  Certainly cheers me up every morning.
BUT, why oh why put that rank amateur stand in, Richard Madeley on?
The bloke is probably the worst local radio broadcaster I've ever heard, switching to Smooth less inane rabbit, Lynn Parsons is good..

It's down to me.(1)

Engine failure on a Quantas airline
Eruptions and tsunami in Indonesia
Anne Widdecombe still in Strictly(apparently)



I must not mock.............

Spreading the net

2131!

Somebody must be telling you all about my Blog,  37 new viewers yesterday.
Thanks

Three Dog Night: Liar





But who's lyrics are these?

Look deep in the mirror, look deep into its eyes
Your face is replaced, a creature you despise
but I know what you're made of, it ain't much I'm afraid
I know you'll be lying until your dying day

Public service

Only me!!!

It was our fortnightly visit to the local last night for quiz night, and who should we meet standing on ceremony at the bar, and I'm sure there's is one in every village, club or Society.
You know the one, he stands at the bar telling everybody, who he thinks may be listening, that "the committee should be doing this and that," and "if he had his way they would be doing it this way."  In this case the Parish Council were the target.
Now, I've served on one or two committees, and I do know there is at least one of this type of individual attached to all organisations, either by residence or membership.
They are the type of individual who no matter how much you butter them up with "that's a good idea" or "we could do with somebody like you on the committee" will without any hesitation say "oh I haven't the time" or " they wouldn't let me have my say".
In other words they are all talk and no action, unless of course they can dip in and out if it serves their purpose. He may need funds for his pigeon loft, or has something to sell.
How many of you in your town club or village has one of those?
I currently know at least one, oh yes and the bloke at the bar!!!
It is this type of individual that stops many a fine person taking part in an organisation in any form, or come to that, saying "stuff it, I don't have to put up with this".
The work involved can either be very little, but very important, or take hours and hours of time at certain periods.
We all have time, if we are really that interested.
The last thing any volunteer for such work wants, is the smart Alec whingeing on and on about "you don't want to do it like that you should do it like this".
However, you do have to have those die hards on board in your organisations who will rise above the Mr Don't of this world because otherwise....bugger all gets done.
No cricket pitch will get mowed, the darts league folds, and those village bonfire nights never get arranged.
Fortunately, some organisations have the thick skinned, or bloody minded individuals on the committee, who won't let the pettiness affect them, and the organisation struggles on.
In fact I know it gives a committee a good laugh at the infantile inadequacies of such an individual as....this bloke





Remember remember

Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606)

Be careful with your fireworks tonight, especially if your village hasn't the volunteers to organise a communal event.

Love Story

I will seek and find you.

I shall take you to bed and have my way with you.
I will make you ache, shake & sweat until you moan & groan.
I will make you beg for mercy, beg for me to stop.
I will exhaust you to the point that you will be relieved when I'm finished with you.
And, when I am finished, you will be weak for days.
All my love,


The Flu

Now get your mind out of the gutter and, go get your flu shot!

1999

Unique visitors

To all my 1999 unique visitors, all that in only 6 months.
Thanks for viewing, now increasing at over 30 a day, so something I write must have interest.

My apologies if some of what I write is not very nice to read, at least I don't use profanities.
But, there are one or two Internet bandits spreading malicious lies, who appear to be somewhat jealous of my achievements for an organisation I support, and put a great deal of effort into.
At least one has been forced to remove his fake website signature. All he needs to do now, is apologise to me for his malicious activities over at least the last two years.
Apart from that if he thinks anybody really believes his tripe, he has another think coming. Facts are facts
One day these bandits will realise that nobody, well apart from their cronies, really takes a great deal of notice of their ramblings.
Until then I will quite happily and unrestricted continue to play games with them.

BUT, I will try my best not to soil this Blog with direct reference to them again.


Childbirth at 65
(Still a chance )

With all the new technology regarding fertility, recently a 65-year-old friend of mine was able to give birth. When she was discharged from the hospital and went home, I went to visit.
'May I see the new baby?' I asked
'Not yet,' she said 'I'll make coffee and we can visit for a while first.'
Thirty minutes had passed, and I asked, 'May I see the new baby now?'
'No, not yet,' she said.
After another few minutes had elapsed, I asked again, 'May I see the baby now?'
'No, not yet,' replied my friend.
Growing very impatient, I asked, 'Well, when can I see the baby?'
'WHEN HE CRIES!' she told me.
'WHEN HE CRIES?' I demanded. 'Why do I have to wait until he CRIES?'


'BECAUSE I FORGOT WHERE I PUT HIM, O.K.?!!'