Anglesey July 18.4



Beaumaris

evening light summer shadows
reflections strong deep colours
Covid respite corner





The castle is just at the end of the Main Street, perfect for a rehearsal.
 Begun 1295 - building stopped, castle incomplete 1330 - Edward I ran out of money.
Nice sailing boats.

Other trips to the coast





There is nothing to do here but sit, or maybe fly a kite.




A young slim man with a ready smile in a lifeboat T and official badge asked if we were into RNLI. "If you subscribe today you can have a teddy bear." He was from Wirral and down here because of staff shortage. He kept talking, nice boy with no friends.
Bob went to the shop - it was full.

A scruff walked past us in Newborough car park, carrying a paddle and a plastic bag. Bob was intrigued, "Have you lost your boat?" Scruff pointed to the bag, "It's in the bag."
We deduced he had an deflated inflatable. What he said next was a stretch, "I've just been round the island." We didn't see him as any kind of athlete.

We stopped for a coffee in front of the Bulkeley Hotel. Waitress service. Three people sat next to us had been waiting a long time. But now the coffee bar was shut - too busy. But there's only five guys here. The others then left. 
I took a toilet stop in the hotel when we'd finished. The lounge was totally mobbed.

I went to catch the Lions v SAa result. A local pub. Too late it was over. Could I get any common sense out of the drinkers? No. We'd won and we'd lost. Scattered? Taking the piss? Didn't like the English? All of the above.


Older role model - Ronnie Wood

Michael Odell, Times July 17th.


Born 1947. Face like a walnut. Still recording and planning a tour.
Two lung cancers, surgery and medically clear (30 a day).
7 stints in rehab for drug and alcohol problems.
Gardening in lockdown. Charity work for Tusk. Author.
He keeps a bookmark with a quote from 
Albert Einstein - 'I never think about the future, it comes soon enough.'

As an aside - Jagger had aortic valve surgery in 1919.

Latest exercise advice

From Peta Bee, Times July 19th. How to keep a healthy heart.
Is there anything we don't already know?
Mostly cut down on stuff - salt, red meat, alcohol, smoking (stop).
Start/increase fatty fish, green leafy veg, yoga/meditation, two and a half hours a week cardio.

Do you measure your waistline? The tummy can be a reserve of highly active metabolic shit. Better measure than BMI. Less Than 37-40 inch men; 31.5-34.6 women. As I recall the issue is where you measure. Mine is 36-38 (through the naval) depending how strong my abs feel.

Reassuringly don't overdo it. Risk of atrial fibrillation. If you are worried, check with your doc.

This sort of stuff keeps coming. I have consistently suggested find a programme that suits you and do it regularly.

 

Latest exercise advice, July 11.3

 Exercise

Harry Jameson The Times Saturday July 3. Male chauvinism.

All about looking good on the beach. Unashamedly aimed at men - 'the older we get, the harder the struggle to lose weight and keep fit becomes.'

A three week makes-a-difference plan - good luck.

  • Four 30-40 minute strength sessions per week
  • Daily 30-50 minutes cardio
  • Stretch 10 minutes daily
After three weeks admit yourself to a physio clinic for sports injury rehab.

AND - don't drink beer. 2 small bottles is the same as a cheeseburger. Slimline gin and tonic instead.

After three weeks, shoot yourself.

Garden Glimpses





Honley Ladies Choir Birthday Girl - Di






Echoes - The Long View

I know we are not supposed to look backwards. Rumination and all that and I agree. Having done some basic research on my family however, the nineteenth century and the Victorians fascinate me.



For example Covid and Cholera. Did you know that cholera came from India, along the trade routes? A UK story. Covid is global.

Not related. How do you deal with overpopulation? Back then poverty and hunger was managed in workhouses - designed to be worse than living at home. Our current global problem is climate change, again related to overpopulation. The answer - Branson, Besos and Musk will take industrial processes into space.

Scarborough July 8.2


Dates from 1806. Coal-fired brazier, then candles.
1843 raised to height of 16 metres, accommodation for harbour master and keeper added.
1844 gas powered.
1914 hit by German shell, top half badly damaged.
1931 rebuilt. Accommodation now yacht club HQ.  (Wiki)

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Lunch at Scalby Mills. Outside tacky. Menus stapled to the tables.

Putting next to the clock on the Esplanade. Uneven surface, bare patches, potholes.
"It's the rabbits," said the greenkeeper, "They reak havoc with their JCBs."

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From the Bus Top


Peasholm to a large flock of Canada geese



Reflections of Yorkshire CC and their WW1 players
Courtesy of the N Riding









 

The other grandad just got married - July 2.1

Garden Glimpses




Dave's Notebook

Lovely day with the happy couple. Tried some new recipes for the BBQ - mostly okay. They tied the knot this week at 315.

The cricketers have lost their direction. Have you already heard this somewhere? They need a new choreographer. The bedwarmer is an heirloom from the Addy's of Hillhouse (clic on link). I occasionally did a sleepover with guzunder at Granny Addy's. Soundtrack from the coal shutes across the road. Floodlit. Turned night into day.
Then one day a builder knocked it over and halved it's price. Thanks for gorilla.

Sad event in Aldi's. I'm next to an asian couple who are collecting breaded fish. Good looking bloke, neat trimmed beard, pyjamas. Wife must have been close to heat stroke. Chucking them in the trolley like no tomorrow. I didn't really care, but my sense of the ridiculous is no help sometimes. "There'll be none left," intended as a joke. The humour stayed behind the mask. They put some back and made a swift exit.

I am on PPP most mornings since our deck has been painted. Pigeon Poo Patrol.



Tony has a garden centre above Slaithwaite. Sells brilliant eggs. Three courgettes and tomatoes later, planted out, along with what we really went for - marigolds. Tomatoes not so good. Courgettes okay until a little leaf trim resulted in a sliced stem. So I watched out for a replacement.
  Saturday morning down the greengrocer market in Holmfirth. A plant stall. "Have you any courgettes?" "It's my son's, but I'm sure we had one somewhere." Our first contact with Brenda. A slightly dotty elderly lady from Saddleworth. Delph actually, close to where we used to live in the late 70s. Found it hiding under sweet peas and now thriving.
  I cannot recall how we got onto Yorkshire Day. "Did we know anyone who does drystone walling?" Brenda helps run an Aug 1st charity festival in Upper Mill. Brass bands and stalls etc. And presumably a wall. The childbride mentions Forget-me-not and they become related. "Yes we can do a kids tombola, any gazebos?" "No they are wet and mouldy." "Have you a card?" Brenda hunts around - it appears from somewhere in her bag.
  The other Sheila (team Sheila) agrees, haggling with HQ about gazebos. It's booked. But other things more pressing from HQ and the childbride sadly has now cancelled, The new schedule includes Osset brewery which is a great day for me. But disappointment for Brenda.
All because I sliced a courgette stem from Tony. Great eggs - people drive from all over.

The table in Oxfam gets my vote again. The guy behind the screen says it's prudent not to interfere in selection or design. Carry on ladies.