One post I can post on with the Red Blogger box and the other I can post on with the headder bar where it says new post ?????

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I`m really in the pooooooo NOW :O(( ONLY SIX MINUTES TO SORT IT OUT AND i RUN OUT OF LINKAGE TO THE NET) five now actually no four "Christ I type slowly" three no two now only On

I now have two blogs running at the same time with the same name and sighn in capability so I dont know which one I wll post on

Dohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! so now what do I do?????????????

iouhyug kuyvgkuvkbv

ojughtrdxbgok

IOW Trip

For those of you who think the trip I mention above is some drag induced experienced your wrong! I have never been into cross dressing,Well except for the odd period in my life when I used to wear an "A" l,ine, "shift" with my 13 studded, issue, black leather boots, Levis jean jacket, floppy hat and a "poachers bag" that sure got me noticed for a while especially in Paris where I was based at the time, or perhaps it was the goatee beard.

Anyway I went to the Island on Thursday to help a client/mate of mine with his sea trials. I stayed in the same art deco hotel as last year (photos to follow when I have sorted my desk top which went to blue screen for some reason. We had a great time sorting the boat out and manouvering in and out of the tiny creek without going aground was fun. in the evenings we ate out with me returning to the hotel at around midnight. The night manageress was convinced that I was up to no good, as I was gone before the reception was really manned and with being back so late, (with no real traces of me having used the room, as my rooms are always left almost with military prescision, as I had found it). in fact I found out later that she thought I had recently released from Parkhurst the islands "Maxsec", prison, can you believe it? Me, Nah never.

I found out that my mate who is ex special forces, had suddenly aquired Meneures desease, and that I could expect him to suddenly become dizzy and fall over, wherever he was, so to lighten his already over burdened feelings that he was the only person in the world who had this incurable desease and wouldn`t ever be able to work again because of it (after all what wealthy Arab wants a personal bodyguard that periodically throws himself on the floor and projectile vomits?) I threw myself on the floor of sainsbury`pretending to vomit to see what his and everybody elses reaction would be. He just walked off and just left me, or so I thought, and everybody just walked around me, it wasn¬t until I got up that I found that he had found an empty larger can and surrepticiously left it on the floor behind my back, so the passers by thought that I was drunk and showing their distainlike him ignored me. I quickly realised that he wasnt going to come back, having found the tin, and got up and joined him in the car where he was laughing his head off. I now feel guilty for such a show of extrovert ineptitude :o((.

I can understand now why ordinary people could just walk by and not assist, and discussed this with my mate who having spoken with the relevant society, and is "T" total, now carries a card explaining his predicament.

Well I had a great visit and we laughed a great deal and we were both sorry that I had to return to the mainland, I had long standing a lunch date in Southampton. Having not encountered his problems, other than my exhibition in sainsbury`s for four days, my mate decided that I had cured him, (he had been suffering attacks every three days which lasted for a couple of days each) I rang him when I got home only to find that he had just started an attack and wouldnt be answering his phone for a couple of days :o((. About three hours later he rang me back saying that he was back on his feet and that he was OK and that I may not have cured him but I had given him a tonic by visiting, great news.

My journey back from Cowes (the sailing Mecca of the western world) to southampton was an hour and even before we left cowes/medina, river a sailing yacht had slowly overtaken the ferryon its port side and pulled across its "slowly increasing in speed" bow. the skipper signalled three toots and stopped the ferry in a very short distance narrowly missing the yacht. The Yachtsman just turned and looked and carried on (almost in distain). he was under power at the time although he had his sails set. Being compitent in both sail and power I believe that there is often a time to stand on but this wasn`t one of them! Pr*t!!!!! The rest of the journey was without incedent and I had a perfect Tai lunch with Dim sum to die for (best I have ever tasted) in a fairly recently opened Tai "Tapas" restaurant in the student digs area of Southampton, with superb company.

Upon arrival at home I found that my Compbox was "Kaput" as I stated previously and to get my lap-top (this one) to work I had to check out and find a fault which I first thought was the battery but turned out to be a " shorting joint" on a spurious plug. So pleased with my efforts I drone on here for a bit :o))

The calm before last weeks storm

Well! so much for sex on legs :o((

Nine posts is all I got for my previous posting, thats bad, real bad I thought at least I`d get some mickey taking :o(( Sh*t! I just thought, You dont think that I`m serious do you? Pah! nobody could ever think that of me, could they? Perhaps I should take another tack and abuse politics or religion? maybe I would get more comments? or maybe I should just ask the question! Am I booring? I know the answer already so don`t bother, Yawn !!!! sad so sad.

I`m a lumberjack and I`m OK!

I am told that including some sex into a blog will get you more readers, well here goes :o))

(yea right!)

Look who got caught today while the weather was ok! among my list of jobs to do was clean the patio`s so I got on with it in brilliant sunshine and the warmth of the approaching summer! Pah!! within five minutes I had my lumberjack shirt "blue Crocks" on and "mucky legs". After another five hours I had finished about 75% of it. Still thats another bit of my jobs done. I`d sooner have been pressure washing the bottom of my boat, but then I did that in Februrary Brrrrr!

Can you read and understand it?

I'm one of the 55. Are You?Don't even think about using spell check!!!!!!!!

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghi t pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

Wreid Hhu?

there I am

getting out of the car and stepping back, shouting to the pup to "stay" as I put my boots on ready to take her for a walk, when a blonde lady passing in her four wheel drive stopped, lowered her window. and said quiety there is a thing called a hand-brake for that you know. ???????

Should children witness childbirth?

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call.
The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr old girl,
to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped
deliver the baby.Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked.Mommy pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born.
The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom.
Connor began to cry.The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-yr
old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.Kathleen quickly responded, 'He shouldn't have crawled in there in the first place,
smack his ass again!'

Kitrstie Rebecca

She doesnt do much! I have to pinch her to get her to do anything! :o)) not really Isn`t she lovely? Doting grandfather or what???????thats me!

Kirsty Rebecca born 23-04-2008

Today at 11-50 the surgeon helped her to take her bow to the world as if he was a magician producing a rabbit from a hat. Mother and Baby are doing well.

Am I a proud Father and grandfather? you bet I am :o)) Yeeeeeeesessssssssssssssssss!

Tomorrow is the big day

Sam My daughter, who as you know, got married last year, is due to have her first baby tomorrow at 09-10 (C section) We am looking after the pup ( Sophie 1 year old yesterday) for a couple of weeks , that will keep me fit walking her each day for an Hour. I guess that my boating season will be shortened as I expect My wife will want to be involved with looking after the baby :o(( rather than being on the boat for weeks at a time. So I guess that I must plan some more trips and deliveries to keep me busy.

Yes I`m "worried a little" that all will be well but there is nothing that I can do, so I can`t really worry about it but a small concern creeps in now and again. Sam is very laid back and unconcerned about it and takes it all in her stride so 10-00 on Monday we will all know how its gone :o)) I guess that there will be much celebrating in the household tomorrow?

I suppose I could get the dog a life jacket and take her down to the boat with me. Mmmm might be a bit of a pain, maybe when she is older and better behaved!

Windy day? just checkout that ensign.

What an Easter? I guess as its the earliest for a good few years, we must expect bad weather. I got a load of jobs done on the boat and watched the rain , on one occasion snow too! and read.
I tried all the newly opened eateries and a few of the existing ones,around the marina, so thats another easter done with. I guess that I shouldnt even comment badly on our weather as our friends in the northeren hemispheres have it much colder and wetter than us. The delivery jobs are sparse this year so I guess that I will just scratch around and generally take it easy for a while.

Dont you just love it?

Live like there'll be no tomorrow,
Love like you've never been hurt,
Dance like nobody's watching,
And keep growing older - not up! :o))

A sleepy canal hollow in the backwaters of La Belle France

A long-shot of the Captainerie of the marina, it really was quiet, with only one other boat owner there (my idea of heaven) :o))

The little trap in the wheelhouse deck through which the engine has to be lowered!

The last few days have been taken up with removing and replacing/installing a reconditioned Perkins 4108 marine engine into a friends "Neptune" Yacht, that broke down on the way to the Med. The ( blue) engine on the trailor weighed it at about six or seven cwt and had to be carried over the wooden "gangway" and lowered on to the engine mounts in the bottom of the bilge, the broken engine having been taken out and returned to the UK for us to Refurb, so if anybody would like a refurbed Perkins 4108, I`m your man.

The "Gangplank" I found floating in the canal and weighed (wet) about the same as the engine itself. Anyone who has tried to get an item that big and awkward out of the water will know that it isn`t easy (an understatement) in fact It must have looked like an excerpt from a Keystone Cops movie. :o)) In the third photo down I have included a (poor quality,sorry) photo of a Peniche, as opposite to where we were installing the engine was a boat yard that built and refurbished these craft (used to transport millions of tonnes of goods along the French waterways) The shere size of them in such "width challenged" canals is quite impressive especially if you have joined them in a lock or meet them head on in a tight bend. Often they are skippered by a woman, and a child, they carry all their needs in the accomodation and generally those owned by the skipper are their homes as well. it is not unusual to see their motor car aboard too!

"Take nothing but memories" But

40 Years on and I haven`t aged very well! I guess that its as a result of the life I have led? Tee Hee :o((

my family were hungry :o(( (guess who 40 years ago, when the spiny lobster still inhabited the coast of the UK)

My little angels wedding day!

No we hadn`t had a row although it looks like it :o)) the photo was taken by an unofficial photographer (professional) Tee Hee! seconds after the official one had taken theirs, and it was "B" cold.

My speech commenced with me slowly pulling a single barrelled shotgun out of a parcel explaing that it had been used at my wedding to prevent me changing my mind and that it had also been in evidence on their day in case, too. Initially the audience didnt realise what it was. I presented it to the groom explaing that the stock was a collapsing one. And then having explained that this facility would stand him in good stead during his marriage, as it had for me! I collapsed it revealing a colourful feather duster which I plucked from the breech and handed to the groom, much to the hilarity of the audience! the speech got better from then on. The other speeches were great and far better than mine :o((

Who said that?

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country... Corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

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- Abraham Lincoln - Nov 21, 1864

Oh no! not another one ?

I have another rodent visitor, or the same ones come back again (I think not, as the teeth marks are less powerful and much smaller) so out comes the trap and I will try three times more and then the killer comes out (the head ache maker) sorry, thats the way it goes in my house, I`m compassionate untill my piles tweak and then its death! :o)) more later

feel like a real sh1t today

its frosty here this morning and I have been on the hunt for " game" and this morning the poor little field mouse was caught, where he had been raiding my food cupboard, in my live trap.

After several nights of patient stalking! I set the trap each night and after 3 nights, wammo!! I caught the little chap! so its off to the bottom of the garden by the warm compost heap and the shed to release him and off he goes straight under the shed. Boy do I feel like an a`hole kicking hi/her out in the cold. I take nothing into account of the hundreds of white mice, bread for food that I "humanely" killed to feed to various animals, along with rabbits etc. or the animals that I had put to death for various other reasons, illness, culling etc :o(( boy have I been mean in my life? unless you are the hungry animal recipient, Big cats, small cats, snake etc. I really feel bad about todays eviction, strange isn`t it? I hope it survives. But doesn`t come back of course! :o)) they do make a mess in their search for survival. Perhaps I`ll take some food down for it when its settled in! :o)) I hope the foxes dont get it, perhaps I should trap it again and look after it in the garage, no that would be cruel, keeping a wild animal in captivity when there is an alternative, Unlike captive bred Zoo animals! Oh what to do? :o((

Is it too early to wish everybody

A very merry Christmas!

The mundane life of the retired!

Saturday morning, the weathers rubbish, the wind is blowing at 70+ knots and "stair rods are drumming on the galley roof ". Not much life around the marina today except for a stretcher and several police men attending a boat (who knows? looks like a death). Later on I had a walk across to a friends boat and ended Joining him and his family in a Middle eastern equavalent of bubble and squeak (no sheeps eyes though) eventuially I went back to my boat and climbed into bed at about 11.30. The Wind was increasing and boat a couple down from me had as usual, (inconsiderate Owners) developed noisy halliads. I quickly checked out the selection of kitchen knives displayed in the galley in case I couldn`t sleep (not much chance of that) and turned in.

I was awakened by stronger winds, driving rain, the noise of the halliads was now unbearable but it was light and so I declined my imediate instinct to nip aboard and cut them six feet up the mast (nasty b*stard) I lay for five minutes contemplating whether or not to make some tea, and checked my watch! Pow!!!!!! it was 09.51 and now Sunday morning, I had slept through all that noise of squeeking fenders, "halliad tap" and wind and rain so a quick shower was in order and a trip to the Cafe for breakfast.

Another of my friends from a sail boat was there too and looking very bleary eyed, told me that he had been awake all night and that he had registered winds of over 100 Mph ? He fell asleep while I was eating my breakfast and I shook him to tell him that I was off back to the boat It is still chucking it down and blowing at some 70 kts. Yawn think I might have a sleep this afternoon :o)) (yea right!)

I`ll never get the hang of this program :o))

the boat is lifted scrubbed,antifouled and relaunched so thats another job I wont have to worry about for a while!

another job done for a year or so!

I`ve been Tagged

I've Been Tagged!
OK, here are the rules: Once tagged, link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list. List 8 random things about yourself. At the end of your post, tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged!I was tagged by fuff

(1) I was a ferral kid, who`s mother died at the age of seven, I spent most of my young life on the streets when not at school.
(2) I was tied into an apprenticeship when I was 16 and hated every minute of it, to the extent that on the day it finished, I changed jobs.
(3) I love the outdoors and had slept rough in much of the UK and some of the continent by the age of 20, spending considerable time alone.
(4) I loved 1 to 1 competitive sports and so boxing, wrestling, Judo, athletics,shooting and a few others were my favourite areas of enjoyment. I am never happier than when with my family or on my boat, I love the sea.
(5) I consider myself to be a typical "Mr nearly good enough" never truly forfilling my aims. I am always never quite good enough.
(6) I am an atheist, but believe that as everything has its own particular "frequency", which therefore includes humanity, and as It can`t be said that "the body is the person", or that "the brain is the mind", that when "the carbon bits" have gone ( the body has rotted away or been incinerated) the frequencies stay, somewhere? one thing is certain I will find out someday?
(7) I am a practical joker and am always being told that I enjoy "winding people up"
(8) I am now tea total, having spent 70% of my life "over imbibing" (as I thought that I became more witty and better looking after a few drinks) as always I was never quite good enough :o))

I choose
The following person to be tagged (I dont know anybody that hasnt already been)

Bilge inspection!

this week I have been on the boat for a so called training period with a "friend" mid week I got an engineer friend of mine to climb into the bilge and change some anodes (as Im too fat to do it) and fill the engines up with anti freeze ready for the winter! (as you do) I was filling up a water bottle with distilled water ( from on the deck) and carrying it to the engineer so he could top up the batteries "as he was down there" :o)) and I slipped on a small water covered ledge that I was using as a foothold and very suddenly and forcefully ended up in the bilge, in pain, commenting that "Im all right " " didnt hurt" to find that my friend and the engineer were very concerned that I may have damaged myself!

Well! I took the full force of my not too insignificant weight as I hit, the wheelhouse deck supporting beam, with my port kidney and floating rib! I couldnt breeth and was really quite pithed off! I managed to stant and found that my watch was busted and in the bilge on the diametrically opposite side of "the engine room" (well compartment) and my wallet and its contents had been thrown around the inner hull surface in the bilge water and grease!. Yes it hurt but being a big brave soilder! I didnt make a fuss and we carried on! I found out later that I was bleeding internally and did so for about 9 hours which I guessed was as a result of shifting one of 6 kidney stones that I have and must do something about soon :o)) I also couldnt breeth deeply and had extremely sharp paines whn I did! my floating rib had moved further in than on the otherside and clicked when I wiggled it prior to passing out (not really but the first time I tried to reposition it I thought I had been stabbed by a sword! Sooo I am nearly healed now but somewhat shaken as a result of not having anyone to cuddle me, as mummys little soilder was really quite frightened in spite of it all and I am certain that I had cracked a rib which has now stopped clicking and the floating rib seems to be back in position. Boy am I going to be a funny colour for a while!

On the last day (thursday) I had a phone call from my son to tell me "not to worry" but mum has had an accident and looks like she has gone five rounds with frank bruno! Apparently the puppy caught sight of a squirrel in the garden and ran at full tilt through the gap in the patio doors as she was letting her out, but before she could open them properly! Of course she had the lead securely wrapped around her hand "to keep the pup under controll" of course she fell onto one knee, of course her hands were elswhere and yes of course she headbutted the patio with her face!

My what a transformation (from a beautiful mature lady to a beaten up one ! I know what you are thinking!!!!! but I have a "pink chit" to say that I was on the boat at the time !! really I do! Oh yes I do! The blo*dy kids didn`t tell me until two days after it happened as they didn`t want to worry me (and at their mothers insistence too) but if they had? I would have gone home immediately ( if only for a few hours) :o)) and maybe not have not fallen into the bilge? (Don`t you think of anyone else than yourself :o)))? of course I do and I am at home now and looking after her! She knows nothing about my acrobatic exercise and I don`t intend to tell her for a while, at least not until she is OK and then we can both laugh about it! Christ I just sneezed then and boy was it painful! tee ouch! stu*id *od!

I came across this quote today!

I have often quoted the last part never knowing who`s quote it was!

"Houses, are but badly built boats so firmly aground that you cannot think of moving them. They are definitely inferior things, belonging to the vegetable not the animal world, rooted and stationary, incapable of gay transition. I admit, doubtfully, as exceptions, snail-shells and caravans. The desire to build a house is the tired wish of a man content thenceforward with a single anchorage. The desire to build a boat is the desire of youth, unwilling yet to accept the idea of a final resting-place."
– from Racundra's First Cruise by Arthur Ransome

The Brecon beacons in all their splendour!

What a great pub to stay at. The food and lodging was something else. I have never eaten such good wholesome food or slept so well.

What does one do for a weekend?

Well instead of the whole week on the boat I took myself off to the Brecon beacons in dear old wales, arriving on friday mid afternoon and returning late on Sunday! I had a really enjoyable time meeting a lot of new and interesting folks including the owners of the countyr pub/hotel situated at the base of a mountain (hill) in a splendid valley.

My purpose? Id like to be able say, was to walk, ride and or to climb but time/age precludes that I`m afraid) I actually attended a conference, in fact it was the first conference of its type in the UK in that the theme was "free or over unity energy. Boy did I enjoy myself! I have always enjoyed learning new skills or discussing old and forgotten ones along with similar interests and fields.

I gave a small presentation, with a question and answer session, reference my development and the cells that I have built and the successes so far, in the belief that if I share all the information I have obtained the likelyhood that people should have to die in the cause of protecting oil suppies will (may) lessen and no longer will our children have to die to protect the fortunes of the few.

The other presentations mainly regarding magnetic OU engines and general electronics were brilliant if a little (lot) over my comprehension but perhaps I`m not being fair to myself, I understood in part but tended to shy away a bit :o(( the conference in fact lasted a full, well filled, two days, with demonstrations of Stanleys Meyers work along with other demonstrations .

I now look forward to tidying and reorganising my workshop and getting back to some new ideas to increase production with the eventual inclusion of one of the cells, successfully, into my engine installation/s ?

I really feel that this year is the year that will see great forward movement in the realms of alternative , cheap or free fuel supplies.

I started home at around mid afternoon and laboured through the beautiful countryside only to find Blo*dy Fu*k$%£^ng "TIN TENTS" everywhere. damn RVs and caravan wobbling along at about 20 miles and hour around the tight and dangerous bends of the otherwise idillic countryside, at no time did they pull over (like the farmers do, when they feel that they have inconvenienced enough other road users) they just continued for mile upon "Sodden" blo*dy mile.

On one occasion the car in front of me started to flash his lights and toot his horn but still they wobbled all over the road and speed up when a slight possibility appeared for safely overtaking. Fu*%$£"*ng Tin Tents they ought to be made to travel after midnight and then only after the owner has passed a suitable course of instruction and a stringent test! "Bah Humbug" !!!!!!!Bloody Fuc*&%£$ng TIN TENTS they really Pi*sed me off and caused me to take at least another hour to get home :o((

Still I did so safetly and I guess thats all that matters to my family? I suppose !

Really worth a listen

Found on another bloggers site (thanks Cha cha!) have a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpariswhatsup%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F

Well I`m dancing now how about you? no worries about the hair though! :o))

Well I went and?

I arrived at 12-00 on the dot and sat in the bar seating area and ordered a slim coke (decaff too or I`ll be flying around the walls in minutes) at 12-15 I was wondering if I had got the right day? :o))

At 12-30 the guy who had to come the farthest (Duncan, a guy that joined as a labourer and became a qualified electrician with our help) about 70 miles turned up with his second wife and went to the bar, I remained where I was and waited for a few more to arrive, then came the department manager and his wife and then the welder and then the electrician, by which time my cover was blown (no I wasn`t trying to hide from buying a drink, honest! I think I was actually shy and embarrased in some way) about ten others arrived progressively.

I`m not a "hail fellow well met " type of person, so I spent time with each and gained a lot of information about their now lives after "Chessington" only a couple of them still work there with most retired early or running their own companies. One engineer out of now 27 turned up and only about 4 in that total still work there, from my time.

It was great to chat but disturbing to find that quite a few have had major illnesses including one chaps daughter whom I know well actually contacting breast cancer at 21 years old but I am told that she seems to be coping well with it now?

Others have had bypasses and one a 40 year old, now a senior member in an information technology company has a degenerative muscular illness and expects to be in a wheelchair within six months :o(( so sad so very sad! I of course said all the usual things like there are plenty of other things in life that will kill you first, and live for today, etc! but I guess that I was just being selfish and I guess that it was really more for my grief that to help him that I said it? (what does one say in such a situation having done the gambit of questions as to, is it cronic? can they see a cure in time, etc?) and such a really nice guy too!

It makes me wonder why old B*st**ds like me still survive, reasonably unscathed, not that I`m ungratefull you understand. We broke up after about 17-00 (yes it did really go on that long) vowing to make it happen within the year. I got the general feeling that they all enjoyed their time at Chessington and that perhaps I wasn`t such a bad boss.

More than a few actually said that it was "the best thing that they could have ever done"! Given that those now retired probably had no pensions when they joined and after being there for over twenty years? in that time, a few had actually, with the now regular work, paid for their houses and retired drawing their pensions, and enhanced by "old age pensions" too, were living quite comfortably.

As we all shook hands and started to part I felt quite humbled and priviledged that they would wan`t me at their meet. Long live the old members of the Maintenence and engineering departments of Chessington world of adventures! :o))

No boat this weekend!

Here I sit listening to the rain! Saturday we had visitors in the form of Sophie the Pup and her mum, Sam our daughter, Sam had an appointment with the beautician over the road (works from a cabin in her garden) although for the life of me I can`t see why she thinks she should need any treatment (I guess I am biased?).

We puppysat for an hour while Sam had here treayment and then the grandkids and their dad Paul arrived. They aren`t too sure of the pup yet as she is like a "highly sprung" wind up toy and occasionally nips them when she gets excited , but they are getting better ! after about an hour of this I dissapeard to meet an old friend for brunch I have to say that the nickname my Grand kids use for me is "Grumps" so I guess that you can see why now?

Wow, the rain is getting harder! Today I have been invited to meet some of the staff from where I last worked, who are staging a reunion at a pub near the park, some of these I haven`t seen for 10 years or more, not sure that I am looking forward to it? but I must go! what to wear:o)) I haven`t got a thing suitable, :o)) should I wear a suit as in the employed times? or go in my, now usual garb, of combats and silly tee shirts Hmmmmm. Has to be combats and low profile, I`ll creep in, shake a few hands and creep out? Fat chance! I feel a speech coming on!!!! Ohhh No not that, anything but that! I bet I get asked though :o(((( Awwwwww! I`m so bad an speeches, perhaps I wont go? More Later!

Unashamedly copied from Annie Hill`s latest posting!

where I worked (when I did such things) we had a "dressing mirror" so that staff could see how the looked before meeting the public. on it was a sign that stated "You are looking at the worlds greatest predator"
Rob!

Annie said!

One of these river dolphins lives in India, one around the Amazon, and one, which I've had the privilege of encountering, lives in the Rio de la Plata and some other rivers in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.The fourth one was restricted to the mainstream of the lower and middle reaches of the Yangzi-jiang River below the Three Gorges, central China; and in neighbouring tribuatries and the outlet of Dongting Hu.In the 80's, little was known about it and scientiests of the Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology were studying it. At the time, some concern was felt for their future and local scientists were seeing how they could best be protected. They were caught on fisherman's lines and valued for the medicinal qualities of their meat and fat, although not heavily hunted.A more recent study has been done on these delightful little (1.5 - 2.5 m) dolphins. On 8 August 2007 they were officially declared extinct.In spite of humanity's best efforts, these are the first cetaceans we have completely wiped out. I doubt that they will be the last.Next time you snap up a bargain,'made in China', remind yourself of its real price.Well done, Homo Sapiens. Annie Hill!

Rob said!
"Remember extinction is for ever"!

Don`t eat flat fish or Lobster!

Serves me right, look what it can do to you over a period of fourty plus years ! Oh I`m the larger version by the way! Grand son and I were doing the Sunday roast when this picture was taken! Yea right :o))

The rape of the planets resources

I can`t say that I`m proud of this photo and many more like it that I have but, in the sixties my famuily was hungry and money was short. I could dive to sixty foot ( and more) all day long if required and yes I had hair :o)) Spiny lobster were easy prey and Plymouth UK was our port. The largest Lobster I collected and weighed was 12lbs but there were bigger.

One thing that we never did was take berried femail Lobster and always left them where they were ( a rigid discipline) we always collected them by hand never spearing them as some do today in other countries. However even with our so called"misguided disciplins" the Spiny Lobster stocks off the UK went deep and are rarely seen today, by todays divers. we ate all that we collected rarely funding our "sport" with any revenue that they might have brought in! we never took more than we needed!

This guy is responsible for the coating on the computer disc

Marcel Vogels ( a self taught Physicist) site, Whilst more of a tribute to him and his lifes work is really worth a read!
http://www.vogelcrystals.net/legacy_of_marcel_vogel.htm#intelligence

I Had a bouncy damp thrash on a benny2 on Sunday

Force 6 and rising We left Brighton with me at the wheel, with two crew and one minor sick machine (poor soul, the grandchild of a crew menber) dodged the moored dreger at the mouth of the inner harbour which has just finished the channel dreging???? and placed almost centrally in the bouyed channel I Ran aground! Bum!!! there should have been a min or 2.5 metres and it was showing 1.8 and Yes we draw 1.9? ho hum! lots of fiddling with the engine and crew moved from stb to port and off we go again! Around the wall and the lump is about 2+ metres and 30 kts of wind from the SE we headed into the wind to allow us to get the sails up which happened to be in the direction of the end of the pier and the wind is now just off the nose and from our port (lee shore syndrome! the main went up with two tucks in it and still very little drive so the genoa went out 50% and away we went. after an hour and as we approached the end of the pier (too close to pass it safetly we tacked out to sea and having now had about an hour and a half "bounce and soak" treatment we headed back to the marina ! the young lad was now below suffering from "inseperability from a red plastic bucket syndrome" and as sick as a Pig with Grandfather in attendance! we set the mainsail and genoa to "goose wing" (against my better judgement but briefly fun) and off we took . Unfortunately the washing machine effect of the sea passing under the hull did nothing for my steering and so with the main starting to lose drive and beginning to luff I shouter "Boom" and she came across, about 6 inches from my nose, sweeping the deck, with the remaining crew member on deck flattened in the cockpit keeping out of the way as he tightened her in. we were now about a mile off the entrance and could easily see the waves spraying over the Caissons of the harbour wall, and knowing the entrance well ,as I do???? we took down the main and carried on in with the genoa only at about 6.4 knots (more than with the main up as it was back winding the foresail) I decided that we would approach quite open so as to see anything that was coming out (fools) and turned when the wall cleared with the intention of hitting the channel full in the middle (given our experience on the way out) which we did so with the starboard channel marker at least 20 feet off our starboard beam, and the wall about the sam off the portside, I waved back to some people on the end of the wall and promptly ran aground again (B*gger) so once again an embarrased "wriggle and a rev" and we were off again into the inner harbour. I have to ask myself if Brighton are responsible in any way for ensuring that they actually have and maintain the sorrect stated (on charts and almanac) clearance in the harbour (entrance as well as the berths)

The bits I hit must have been spikeybits as we showed 2.6 metrs and then went to 1.8 and as we went over back to 2.8, was well in what should have been the dreged channel (ie between the marker bouys, and have been the minimum). I had a great sail on the return the wind hit 35 knots on a couple of occasions and I guess that the boat did about 10 knots for a short while ( goose winging) she sailed like a dingy and was very responsive ( except to grounding :o)) ). Contrary to my feelings that I wouldn`t be asked out to sail on her again because of my ineptitude in the case of the grounding/s (I had no crystal ball did I ?) The Owner and great crew member said as I left haviing commented that he wouldnt want me to crew anymore etc he said what are you talking about? Ive found someone as mad as me, who actually likes rough weather! you are welcome any time you like! So perhaps I`m not such a failure as I thought :o)) Tee hee!!!!!!! Hee, Hee, I had a great time!!! now its time for the Funeral :o((

Funeral on Monday

Of a friend. I was quite shaken at how he looked when I saw him last and even more so when I was told that he had 6 months to live after an exploritory operation. You can imagine how we all felt when his wife called to tell us he had died without coming out of hospital! I dont know why Im writing this but I guess that it helps to come to terms with my own "mortality" another fight with a more powerfull wolf, won by the wolf! Bloody shame! I really feel for his young family he must have only been about 50+ years old and a really nice guy! so sad :o((

Some Ferro boat this is!

http://1000daysatsea.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-04-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&updated-max=2007-05-01T00%3A00%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=36

Wooooow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-y0MdPXslo

Soooooooo! Is the human race a sexually transmitted disease?

I keep batting on about the indiginous specis of England

and how we will become as the American indian and Australian Aboriginies, and its starting already I read in the Tabloids that the Environmental Agency (those responsible for the rivers of this green and not too plesant land and the enforcement of the environmental protection act, and other revenue entities). Advertised a job for an "ethnic liason officer"or similar title with a rider that they were an equal opportunity employer! A young lady who is just finishing her degree in environmental studies applied and was told that she was not suitable as she was white english! had she been white welsh or scottish she would have been considered :o(( can you believe that? already we are not good enough to be employed in such a post in our own land! Time to go! and leave the UK to the political Jackals of europe!after the UK jackals have finished with it of course.

I have in my minds eye the carcass of John Bull with its torn "union jack" waistcoat, picked clean by illegals and malformed, incompitent government. Walking away in the background wearing Bulls top hat I see a rather bloody leading politician, and like the "Pied Piper leading a stream of (also bloody)Illegals! So I`m a Pessimist? its no different to being an optimist only I`m not so happy? or just simply more Pi*sed off :o)) Yawn!!!! Time for bed!

The scribblings of Ardie (1978)

A thought for today!

"for the man that goes to sea for fun, a journey to hell and back would be a mere indulgence! (Ardie 1978)

Bought myself a mountain bike !

so that I can get some serious exercise and as a result I have discovered a whole new world! the world of sore buts,aching joints and sweat. So far I have done about thirty miles on it including riding straight into the home going "Gay Pride"march an its last leg to Preston Park just outside Brighton.

I have mostly cut out lunch and hope that it will all go some way to improving my health (forgetting the aches and pains)

I`m really enjoying my new found form of transport and am quite surprised that I haven`t lost bits of my bike when leaving it in the racks in Brighton, but so far I haven`t (I guess that I shouldn`t speak too soon).

Such simple pleasures that as a kid I wouldn`t have thought twice about owning and riding a bike, now bring a whole new view of life! Yes I have one at home, but only a fold up one on the boat and that is so difficult to ride with its weak constrution (I`m 16 stone) and small wheels.

My home Bike is really for off track riding and also uncomfortable to ride (I took a ride today when I got home and its not a patch on my new (down at the) boat one so I guess that I have some ajustments to make.

Brilliant isnt it?

My heart, having been replumbed ( privately) some 8 years ago with a new shiny, titanium, Aortic valve transplant, goes like a train! Pumping like it never did before. Today I checked my BP and its 182/109?????? Way too high so now my pumps great but the tubes are crap! so here we go again, another round of the specialists and more medication! Yawn!

Perhaps I shouldn`t get involved in trying to put the world to rights after dinner with friends? We touched on such subjects as 1 million immigrants each year being allowed into this country, innadequate health cover, people born in the UK being refused life saving drugs! on the basis of cost (what price a life) Gosh I get so wound up!

I really am fed up with the UK and the way that the government is forcing us further into slavery (Now we have to wait until nearly September before the average man gets out of his annual debt to the government and is allowed to earn money for himself) what can we do? Nothing but vote for the alternative. Will that help? of course not because the immigrants that have now been given British nationality will be voting the same government back in! The indiginous specis of the UK is reducing, any one that can is leaving the sinking ship (Englands green and plesant land) for other countries such as Mexico :o)), Japan, Spain, France, Bulgaria, etc etc etc!

I am beginning to feel like a "rattotuille type rat with three legs and an aversion to water standing on the quay waving the millions of other able, rattotuille type rats off across the sea on their bits of driftwood cardboard boxes and detritus in the hopes of finding a better place!
:o(( These are very sad sad times!

Rant over! Joke time! Man dies at 98 years old from a heart attack, A close friends wife ask his wife how it happened? wife says that in later years they used to have sex only on a sunday to the sound of the slow chimes of the local hurch bell and for years, they had good slow and easy Sex. "he would still be here if it wasn`t for the ice cream vans unexpected visit" she said ! :o)) !!!!!!!!!!!!! Tee Heeee (shouldnt laugh at yer own jokes I know)

Read next post first

Got to my lunch date safetly, had a great time but! some guy wanted to punch me out, for bullying a guy for que jumping! said he was my man if I wanted bullying! I said that he was very brave or very foolish and that I knew which one he was. He walked away confused! stopped and thought about it and started to walk back but obviously thought better of it (I need this on my 64th birthday? I said that my day had started badly!) My friends arrived and sat down informing me that a fellow friend had been given 6 months to live as he has been diagnosed with stomach Cancer! Nice guy so sad so very sad!) We ate our meal and I said nothing about my "counter" altercation! even though the guy, who over the course of our meal, a head taller than me, now four or five pints heavier, than when he first came in and still ten years younger. kept coming up to the counter to be served, glared at me , (and was duly "surepticiously" blown a kiss, so my wife and guests couldn`t see what I was doing) I fully expected to have it all kick off as we left and went out into the car park but to my surprise and I have to admit a little dismay he was nowhere to be seen! Bring back any memories Squiffy?

The Thames water is now over the pontoons and there is a very high water lever forcast for
00-00 tonight! and tommorow night as the water finally makes its way down from the upper reaches! already there are a coupe of boats sunk on their mooring , somebodys pride and joy gone!

Whoo Hoo todays my birthday!

64 Today! I never thought that I would live this long! mind you it started badly, firstly I put my shorts on back to front (never done that before Tee Hee :o)) ) then I used my aftershave as a mouthwash, I still can`t taste anything! then a friends cat was rushed into pet hospital! Soooo! I guess I had better drive carefully to my lunch with friends.

More Sophie!

Watch out Beckham, here I come!

Thought for today!

"Those believing that authority is the truth, need to consider, whether truth should itself, be the authority?"(Ardie 1978)

What a privilege

What a privilege, yesterday was the first time she was allowed to go out into the garden after having had her innoculations. She (Sophie) was very reticent at first, but apart from playing havok with the local ant population and inhaling as many as she could before I stopped her she went and sat in the middle of the lawn part of the garden totally bemused ( like my old male Gorilla did when he was accidently let out (with that "sh*t I shouldn`t be out here" look) . within about thirty seconds she was exploring. She was startled by a collar dove being "put up" from under a laurel bush, by a wet nose (hers) and sat and watched it as it flew around the garden, finally dissapearing off into a tree. she wasn`t too happy to have a harness on her but soon got used to it.

She smelled the flowers and tried to eat everything that would fit into her mouth! unfortunately she came a cross a stinging nettle in an old pot and sniffed it, to her surprise it bit back and she jumped back and looked at me for reassurance, which she of course got! we ran around a couple of times and I decided that for a first time that was enough! (for me anyway) and we went back indoors! I feel so priviledged to have been able to enjoy her first times out in the world snffing and exploring and learning (not to sniff stinging nettles) she is on a sharp learning curve from now on and its wonderful to be able to enjoy her experiences with her I am indeed very lucky!

The sun setting over a dream destination

Photo thanks to Blue sphere project

Wow! such responsibility?

I have just found out recently, scientists from the Smithsonian institute have now finshed researching the origins of the native american and have found that their DNA contains not only the same A,B,C, that the northern Inuit eskimos have, but also another, which is now called X which europeans (French) have, which has only been found in the very early peoples of Normandy, so now it is being said that some 15,000,000 years ago the eskimos and the europeans Have "known" each other, possibly travelliong in boats across the Atlantic via the vast ice shelves that existed then and probably by skirting them as they did on hunting trips in more modern times taking refuge on the ice in bad weather.

Interestingly enough I am of Norman heritage ( more like a Bloo*y Eric) so perhaps my ancestors were those that really colonised the US long before Coplumbus and his Pooofy Tykes :o)). Just think of it, I could be in line for the throne of the Americas? Mind you, I wouldn`t want to leave my roots here so I would rule from home, I could be a sort of distant monachy, I could be known as "far king" Rob!!! Nah!!!! more like "barking" rob :o)))))))) Yes I`m boored!!!!!!! but the first paragraph is true and I am a norman!

Well thats another one done!

Safetly snugged up at Plymouth Yach services after a battering she showed no real sign of any stress! except a Yankee that refused to be furled ( the furling line became detached from the drum and all attempts to wrap a sail tie around it were just shrugged off by the wind and vessel motion, and a failed zip on the "lazy jack) sail bag arrangement.

Leaving the Cherbourg breakwater. look at that sea. At 0900 it was a calm as a millpond. the forecast said that it would get loud later! and it didn`t dissapoint in anyway! (writers note I wish I could load the photos up in the right order :o(( The second down photo indicates the state of the current, ( I had turned to Port giving me a bit of an advantage from the adverse declining tide) I decided to trade about 3 hours of foul tide for getting some way off before accepting the natural push towards the SE bottom corner of the shipping lane off Alderney, which worked out well, given the time frame, I was to have approximately two tides with me and two against. The journey (unlike my last delivery which took 5 hours from Brighton to Cherbourg in a gin palace) took 25 hours, of the worst weather I have experienced this year so far. The boat a "Trident" was bomb proof and behaved very well I had 7.5 knots through the water at one point with only the Yankee up.

I found out later that there was no electric to the binnacle, so at night, no compass? (quick flash of a torch, , do I hear, which I resorted to then my night vision was totally shot! My course through the hours of darkness 10-30 to 05-20 looked like the trace of a drunken spider who had walked in ink :o)) Hee hee!

Just keeping the cockpit clear of water was more my concern as following seas on one occasion nearly up to the lower crosstrees threatened to break over the stern. Fortunately there was only one breaking sea that I missed, and failed to react too, that swamped the cockpit at about 06.00 this morning.

Having turned along the coast of La Belle France to head down to Guernsey before crossing to Plymouth (my course gave me the minimum distance of crossing of the area used by shipping, and yes I saw lots of them!) whilst just being off the actual TSZ itself, well almost ,as I did just "cut a bit off" the bottom SE corner off Alderney/guernsey :o((. As the weather started to decline the old "Corbiere" light looked very forboding as I hurtle past it at all too close a distance for a sudden "wind swing".

With the initial calm I took the oportunity to set up the Aries wind vane which worked well for about an hour but as the vessel became more over pressed it couldn`t cope and I couldn`t make use of it again during the trip! if there hadn`t been so much weather helm and had the boat been better balanced it would have been fine but in the conditions (which really needed me to "hove to") no.

As I said I encountered many large vessels on the journey mostly mid channel and during the night hours and mostly exiting the TSZ, who`s "Officer of the watch" probably couldn`t believe their eyes at the sight of the lone, small vessel, bucking and rolling her way across the channel, often ahead of them, having just crossed their bow or having veered to approach their stern (in plenty of time not to cause them any stress, of course :o))).

The seas on the UK Salcome side were heaped up towards the shore, very confused (crests breaking from all angles) with winds showing at, often, around 3o to 40 knots, and now I was almost running parallel to them dipping down into the dips and turning into the sometimes quite high, approaching waves to rise safetly ride out of them (works for me!) but! I missed one sneaky one and the wave broke right over the vessel from the port side knocked her flat and shovied her along the surface, scooping up a cockpit full of water before I knew it! Fortunately the cockpit doors were shut tight and the four cockpit drains were terrific, it was gone without any trauma (much! and a resounding "thank heavens for my 20 year old Musto Oceans").

Some time during the night ( yes I know I should have put it in the log) the owners newly installed chart plotter went down with a fault message! something like "I`m not happy with all this bouncing around so I`m going to shut down!" which was, of course, on what I had previously set my course. True to good "Naval tradition" a secondary one had been plotted for such an eventuality on the chart table 128 GPS, but that was not on the bridge! ( and with no compass, you can imagine?) Daylight came slowly as the cloud cover was dense and the nearly full moon not visible. The ever increasing washer dryer action got worse, not really finding any respite untill I surfed through the Eastern entrance of the breakwater at Plymouth yesterday at 09.00 having just passed( but due to heavy swirling mist, not seen much off) the greater Mew stone, and the shagstone.

The next thing, having had no sleep for at least 36 hours and just two packets of Buscuits and a hurried "cook in the bag" french meal and soup ( quite palatable actually, reminding me somewhat of photos I had seen of Marys "Misu concoctions" ;o)) ) I had to brave the great British train journey home via Paddington! £65 quid for a one way smelly slow trip? I could have got better from a pusher on Rose street, Edinborough! :o((

Guess what? as I walked back into my house my wife (bless her!) said "Have a nice trip dear" Just what do I say to that? "Oh! Great thanks! you know how they are? great to be home though" particularily as some 12 hours earlier I had sat nearly waist deep in water wondering where the next wave was to come from! the joys of the "well found" boat this one was a 38 foot excellent, home finished,Trident, God (May be there is one) bless the owner on his build capability!"

A new addition to the family

Her name is Sophie and she`s ten weeks old. She belongs to my daughter and as they have to work and she can`t really be left on her own for any length of time or go out into the garden yet, we look after her during the day. Isn`t she Beautiful?

The UK alliance of indiginous peoples

What would the requirement be to join such an association. I know there is an American indian and aboriginal australian version, All indiginous peoples etc, what is their personal history/requirements to belong to such an association I wonder? I was born in the UK as were my parents grand parents and great grand parents, and great great grand parents, would I be suitable to join such a UK association. bearing in mind that I havent set it up yet?

The Foresters

I had a great meal in the Foresters in the new Forest on Saturday evening. It was Bloody raining and miserable but the meal certainly brightened the evening considerably! :o))

Well the Hydrogen project is off and running

Finally I got the electronics and with water spewing out everywhere ( it is a protetype after all) she fired up. I had enought time to fill a two litre plastic container with hydroxy and a mosfet (200amps) blew (Its OK, I can sort that ,or rather my electronics man can) I placed the container of hydroxy in a rubbish bin (dust bin) and placed a firelighter on it. I lit the fire lighter and retired to a safe distance 20 foot? withing a couple of seconds I had the biggest bang that I could possibly have had in my garden without the police being called. My ears were wringing for about an hour . I had my story ready that an aerosol can had been burnt accidentally on the carden bonfire :o) how does that sound? would it stand up? I couldn`t I was dizzy for about five minutes. All the electronics guy could say (having said that it couldnt possibly work right up to yesterday ) was "Christ! whoo hooo! that was definitely hydrogen!
Now its back to the refinements and build a better cell that doesn`t leak water everywhere. boy was that successful or what! perhaps I shouldn`t say too much more?:o)))))

Another weekend around the Marina! Yawn.

The Dregers back into the marina and again and all the boats in the way are sent off around the marina to temporary berths. I took this photo when the tide was pretty high but not the highest tide, which is the eqinoxal tide and its about a meter higher. so you can imagine just how much of the inner breakwater is showing above the water! and what happens if the sea is rough at this time. I have seen the spray coming over the wall to a height of thirty feet or more!

The picture above this one shows the chalk cliff where the Marina was dug down into the sea. There is a true cross section of boats as can be seen too!

The second photo shows the entrance road into the Marina and some of the shops and restaurants along the way! the palm trees have faired well considering they were "planted" only 12 months ago approximately! also note the orange Tuc Tuc whih do a roaring trade much to the discust of the Cabbies, great fun they are too! :o))

I thought it was about time I did a bit of gardening on my pontoon so I spent a couple of hours making some molluscs etc, homeless by hoeing them off the surrounding pontoons! unfortunately the older couple on the boat next to mine are really inferm and haven`t had their boat out and scrubbed for, must be, ten years and the weed growth is a metre long on the bottom which of course effects mine! so Ho hum! I thought that if my pontoons were a little clearer I might just benefit a bit!

last year I "got in" and scrubbed the bottom myself but that was four months after the antifoul had been applied. now ten months on I think I would need a shovel and the marina has a lead time of seven weeks before they could pull me out!! :o(( ( Blo*dy useless disorganised lot) Ah well!

The palm trees I mentioned above are of course artificial! ( but great copies) unlike those that were installed in "port aventura" in Salou Spain, where I tried to disuade them from having real ones which they intended to dig up each fall and transported them to their own fifty foot greenhouse! imagine the cost each year!

I am oftem asked "why Brighton" and "where can you go from brighton" to which I reply "at 24 knots" anywhere! Within a short distance there is the solent newhaven, eastbourne, Facom, a middling distance and there is the whole of the french coast and the english coast and given a long cruising distance, the Scilly Isles and who knows where else? I delivered a gin palace to Jersey on route to Spain via biscay but the weather was too rough, so it sat in Jersey for a month, after which time I was on another delivery and couldn`t finish the trip so I don`t see Brighton as having too much problem with its location unless you are a sail boat and I guess that the solent is where you want to be. I did when I had a sail boat with a berth in the Beauleiu river ! Dartmouth and Brixham! Ah the joys of the powerboat two hours to the solent two days to the scillies! I wish I was back sailing though :o(( I really do.

Something that is worthy of note, it is claimed that Brighton can accomodate a couple of super yachts if they are small, although I wouldn`t like to try to "swerve them around the main wall in a south easterly 5 and up as the entrance needs to be approached with caution when the weather is up! a boat found this out a few weeks ago when they ran aground at the entrance ? the Brighton RNLI inshore lifeboat couldn`t help them, so a larger one came from Shoreham, I believe, and took them to the Solent where their keel finally fell of and they burst into flames. Not entirely the fault of the marina antrance I know but once the chain of events starts, things can happen fast at sea. I felt so sorry for the crew I believe that they had come all the way from the Baltic without incident too.

Things I have done

I walked over to the reptile house where we were about to film a short piece for "the six oclock show" to feature Danny Baker in an aligator enclosure (yes they wanted him to enter the "cage" with the aligator) and report back to the studio. I spotted the Butty wagon (as you do ) and headed to the lamps and general melee associated with a TV crew I met with the producer,the camera man, and sound lady (girl) and the star himself (a nice but twitchy guy, who wouldn`t be under the circumstances our alligator at the time was 3 plus metres nose to tail and had featured in a James bond film with his actual owner, we were just looking after him for a while) the head Keeper was waiting by the entrance to the enclosure armed with a short broom handle and we made our approach towards him I requested that the crew "made it in one" as I doubted that a second chance would be forthcoming, they shook hands with the head Keeper recieving their safety brief and I entered the humid and well light enclosure which consisted of four walls decorated to look like a swamp area, a deep but smallish pool, four walls which consisted of a large area of glass for public viewing and a ceiling that produced UV light and fine water sprays as we wished it.

The aligator was settled in to the bottom of the pool unaware as yet as to what was going on and facing away away from the 750mm X 1 metre high door which lead to a narrow walkway around the pool terminating in a basking area under UV and heat Lamps at the farthest end of the enclosure. This area was where the camera man, myself and the sound recordist were to carry out the filming from, Danny Baker was due to squat in the corner to the rear left of the Aligator and made his report. the contents of which I don`t fully remember as on our entry, I had been given the short broom handle by the head Keeper to control the aligator "in the event that he made a challenge upon us ?" ( and why wouldn`t he as they are reknowned for their territorial nature), I went to my predetermined station and assisted the camera man and sound recordist to their positions alongside of me ( the camera man and recordest were to my left hand side. I was marginally between the aligator and them)

The camera man took aim and the recordist emptied her carry bag and put togeather the "mike stick"plugging it into her recording gismo firmly strapped acros her body and lowered the Fluffy gerbil like mike over the water pionting it toward Danny baker. I noticed that she was shaking uncontrollably and that the length of the support boom exagerated this so that the fluffy gerbil (mike ) on the end was swaying about and shaking furiously. They announced that they were ready and Danny baker started his report with something like "Hi folks guess where I am "(yea right nearest the door sprung to mind remembering also that the aligator was between us and the miniscule door) "I`m in" (pan back) the Aligator cage at ????????. at this moment the aligator ( lets call him reg for the purposes of this post ) decided that it was time to float to the surface to have "a shufty" at what was going on, which he did. Danny Baker having suddenly taken in the true size of him, stopped mid sentance visibly shaken the fluffy gerbil now only being supported by one of the recordist hand, as the other one was positioned firmly into mine holding on as tight as if she was in child berth. The camera man a seasoned guy with many war theatre scenarios to his credit just carried on filming oblivious of any threat and why wouldn`t he after what he had been through.

The sound recordist turned towards me and asked if we were OK in a very shaky voice to which I replied sure he just likes the look of your Gerbil ( which incidently you should try to control) and anyway I`ve got this, and shewed her the broom handle. stating that he wouldn`t come anywhere near us all the time I have this. My hand was now white and all feeling had gone from it.

Danny Baker believeing that I had it all under control carried on. I took the oportunity to look around for the head Keeper only to find that he had made his way to the front of the public viewing area and was watching through the glass ( afterwards he told me that it was important that he could acess Reg`s mood at all times and the front of the viewing area was the best vantage point (yes like the time he shut me in with a stunned sun bear because it had suddenly sat up and started to convulse, he said later that he didn`t want it to escape, what about me? I was deep in the den behind the bear and had just removed the anesthetic dart and was in the middle of applying Tetramycin spray to the unfortunate bears arse, I think I probably would have sat up too! I will remember forever the look on the faces of the other keepers as one at a time they peered in at me through the small barred ( prison type) viewing window to see if the bear had savaged me and if it was possible to get the remains out? I told them not to be so silly and let me out. My legs did feel a bit weak later on I have to say)

Anyway I digress, More power to his elbow Danny Baker duly finished his report the camera man duly stopped filming and it was time to remove ourselves from the enclosure. the gerbil had kept Reg occupied as he slowly opened and closed his vast mouth, working out speed, distance and velocity for his mighty leap to devour it (he was a slow thinker bless him) and having done that, it all of a sudden dissapeared into a carry bag and was now out of sight. He started towards the place he had last seen it (the recordist carry bag) at this time Danny baker was being helped out of the enclosure by the head keeper and I had moved to the other side of the couple with me so I was the last out, the sound recordist having briskly walked down the narrow pond side was nearing the door when Reg decided to turn around (not easy in a pool a little larger that you are but try he did and he startled the camerman who I believed banged his head on the top of the low door as he evacuated at a newly found speed. now it was my turn after all I was the "safety man" .

I started my walk I thought quite nonchalently, around the narrow path along side the pool and as Reg finally made his turn half in and half out of the water , I was approaching the door, at any moment I expected to feel his teeth in my calf or backside. he crashed back into the water and nothing happened except I got a little wet, Reg was by now a bit confused ( not dificult if you are an aligator living in a human world and treated as a pet) but hey! OK! nobody was hurt and the show got its footage. we shook hands, Danny Baker duly signed autographs, I went off to the main gate to refuse entry to some gypsy types who wanted to fight me (another story) and off the film crew went rejoicing. It went out that night and only Danny baker and Reg ( obviously) were seen, and due to a very good professional camera angle showing him almost sitting on Reg`s back. even though it was only a three minute spot it looked great! The things I have done in the name of profit :o))

Would I be classed as a racist if

I mentioned that some time ago I read a discussion report about the need for and eventual formation of an american indian association (for want of a better way of explaining it) in the US, for the very reason that they were the indiginous specis and believed that they needed to speak with one voice. I also read a similar document regarding the Aboriginal tribes in australia where they as one nation negotiated a considerable amount of their land back via the government.

My next question has to be that we the English must now be fast approaching the point of no return where our next step, must be, to ourselves form an association or federation of the indiginous specis of England and start to do some negotiating of out own.


Clearly our own form of democracy doesn`t work with our debt to the IMF rising in leaps and bounds, and certainly allowing our country to be occupied and our commerce taken over by former enemies must be the last breaths of our once great and free country? Where do we go from this point. there is no suitable party for us to vote for? the current one is headed by an invader, The national front is (and I am no expert) exactly that, a fighting force to keep britain british at any expense, I stand to be corrected of course! The liberals were only ever set up to divide and separate the main parties allowing for the manipulation of the masses. and the conservatives who had set up all the policies (before being voted out) that were then expedited by "the current party now have no wind in their sails and no real leader .

A lot has been said about the importance of the "grey vote" Why? pensions funds are depleting, hospital care is reducing, stealth taxes are increasing, (and I include the paying for parking when visiting Town halls, Hospitals and many other already "paid for" establishments. I don`t mention taxation as that is a blog on its own and some, but regarding death duties, one pays tax all our working life and then when we die the government takes it away. This just reinforces the comment regarding JOB, one definition as to the formation and meaning of the word job is that it stands for Just over broke! All of our lives (and I include those of great wealth) we strive and accumulate in our own particular manner for the future and for what, the national trust gets our grand houses (they own , yes own, more real estate and coastal frontage than MacDonald's ) the tax man takes our financial equity and relations etc received little if anything and if they do it is again taken from them in stamp duty on property etc and once again the eventual death duties.

I therefore have to ask again are they really worried about the grey vote? not a bit. embarrassed yes to such an extent that because so may old folk were found dead in their homes suffering from Hypothermia they gave those over 60 a fuel subsidy! great eh? shutting the door after the horse has bolted, given that most of the grey majority are from the indiginous sector.

I have gone a bit off track but think that I have possibly formed some of the foundation as to why I feel the way I do about the indiginous peoples of England and their reducing rights. I am a Royalist and cringe at the thought of a president of this country, of a single person with the responsibility for life and death both here and abroad. Whilst the queen is only figurative head of state she is human and kind and rich in her own right although of the house of Hanover!

So would I be called a racialist if I called for the indiginous specis of England to stand up for its rights. would I be classed as racialist if I, as Idi Amin did called for all government commerce and industry ( what industry we have given it, yes given it, to our colonies and former enemies) be returned to English ownership. would I be racially pilloried? if the English kids with families, currently homeless were given priority over the immigrant population. am I being unjust if I asked for all immigrants not having been granted british citizenship by a fixed date be returned to their own countries by force if necessary (even though it is possibly too late for the British economy to recover for at least the next one hundred years)

Neither am I a communist ( once defined as a man with nothing that wants to share it with everybody) I am not a Maoist or an Idealist in any way. Yes I don`t want children dying in wars over oil and I believe passionately that soon (this year) an alternative fuel will emerge to reduce oil consumption possibly replacing it! Just watch this space.

I`m not a revolutionairy unless the queen is leading the revolution but I do believe that we need to change our constitution, that those agrieved, indiginous people, need to be heard, before we loose control of our small green and pleasant land!

I am actually of Norman descent ( more like an Eric you might say) but given that both France and England once had nothing but a forest as a boundary and because the English channel didn`t exist back then, I do claim to be a member of the indiginous specis,

Rant over! indigestion gone! its 03-30 and its time for sleep! maybe just one more blog to read :o))

A visit to the broker

Things are moving on and I have now seen a boat that I may have to have, so out of courtesy,I wandered up to the brokers to explain that he hadn`t yet recieved my signed contract because I had changed my mind To which he loudly said WHY! I explained that I was now maybe going to part exchange my boat for another, with cash ajustment, somewhere else. His immediate and quite agressive reply was, WELL YOU WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY US OUR FEE!

Wow!!!! I didnt expect that but I calmly asked him how so, to which he replied, sneering, Well WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH YOU! could you show it to me? i said, I am now beginning to think that maybe there is something in the verbal contract side of things that I have missed ("a verbal contract isn`t worth the paper its written on") so he stormed off to a filing cabinet and got a contract out and turning to the contract side of document he pointed to the signature and said quite cockily. so who`s signature is that then? to which I replied, not only is that not my signature the 37 Bavaria (my boat is a 41 foot princess a completely different vessel) isn`t a boat that I would own, let alone try to get you to sell.

He deflated completelywas silent and confused for a few seconds and then started to try to repair the damage done. I am so sorry I mistook you for someone else (given that I`m sixfoot one bald and nearly eighteen stone) dont try that on with me there aren`t many of us about I said, I am afraid that I couldn`t do business with you, on a basis like that. Where is the head off ice of your company? (as I was about to write to them to explain my discust at his action. he had only visited the boat to explain how I would carry out my part of putting my boat on to their brokerage list) I walked out and continued my day. which was to include a search for a nice bottle of expensive red wine to give to him for not taking up his original efforts, needless to say I didn`t go there or never will.

A couple of hours later whilst walking back from the Brighton bus I was suddenly accosted by the Broker who was more than apologetic and commence trying to explain that he had issues with my twin and that they were trying to rip him off etc, etc, I listend as politely as I could and thanked him for his concern and assured that he neednt worry about offending me, as his brokerage was the very last place in the world that he would have any need for exercising his limited customers skills on me as I will never darken the dooor again.
Why cant things be easy for a change???? :o))

A thought for today

"You only ever regret, that which you never had the Balls to do anyway!" (ardie 78)

Boy! do I have some regrets :o))

A broker visits

Well the boat will be on the market this weekend, maybe, possibly. No! it will be, I have made up my mind, I can`t get the boat I want until I have sold this one.

Now all I need to do is decide what I really want, given that my existing boat has been used as a weekend cottage for the last year or two and that both my other half and I have mutually benefitted from its accomodation and enjoyment over the last couple of full years. What I really want is 64 foot and in the states but possibly out of my attention span range, in that I would never finish it completely (given that I am still finishing, perhaps re-finishing! my home which I first built , or didn`t? depends on which way one looks at it, some thirty plus years ago ) so which way to go.

I really like the Idea of sail but the accomodation is crap unless one gets up to something like a Swan 65 and then the headroom (I`m , 6 foot one inch, ish) isn`t always very good either particularily if heeled over. My other problem is that I want to do some distance sailing before I`m too old :o)) but my other half doesn`t like sail boats or sailing so I guess that if I go that way, I won`t be spending much "leisure"time with her anymore (what are you talking about you are retired everyday is leisure time) . If I went for something with a wheelhouse and big windows and the diner and galley up there, I guess that would be more acceptable to her but, why jeopardise the safety element with large vulnerable windows and a we don`t go anywhere anymore anyway as I try to keep her happy sitting in "our cottage" (Ive had a few of those too and finally I got rid of them, the last one being a four in one 17th century thatched cottage in Lulworth, Shi* if you ever hate anyone? leave them a thached cottage in your will ! ) So you can see my quandry! a nice sail boat ( a large steel ketch, maybe plastic) and I forfill my wishes and a large power boat and I can go to sea periodically and sit in my berth, cottaging? ( whoa!! I think that has a Gay connotation?) So, In my cottage with occasional forays out to the continent. Am I being too ambitious having last sailed (thursday last week actually!) well, owned a sail boat some twelve years ago when I was much younger!!!!!!! hell !!!!!!!!!!I aint old now just 63YO

I really have a problem perhaps I should let the boat go and then sit back for a while and see what happens. the last time I did that I went to sail. I have also just paid for the mooring for the year, so thats out! What to do?

Thoughts

"Globulation!" has to be my word for the day? :o( such a descriptive word that intimates so much without having any true singular meaning! is it associated with fluid mechanics? perhaps a bodily function or is it even the act of conjoining nuclear particles? I dont know if its truly a word in the English dictionary at all? if it isnt why shouldnt it be? "id" is. I always have a smile when I use it in a basic gutteral north country accented chuckle. Often I will say "I am so happy I think I will globulate?" or "Look how the water globulates around the bulb keel", or "it looks as if its going to be a great day for a globulation" There has been much consternation with my past uses, as Marketing execs, senior directors and others ( you know the sorts) have struggled to recall this word to mind and thus understand what I was saying so as to argue upon it.

A recent excert from Bull Sh*tter of the year awards 1973

A purbeck sunset

My visit to monkey world last year was, as usual, the highlight of the season, here I am chatting to Jeremy and his lovely daughter, whom I have had the pleasure of knowing for all of her lifetime and a lot of his! The sunset photograph above, reminds me that Jim Cronin, who`s original idea, Monkey world was, Is no longer with us, and that my next attendance at Monkey World will be for his memorial service! So sad, so very, very sad, such a gifted and talented man gone!

I first met Jim when, as young men, Jeremy and he came into my office to bounce a few very entheusiastic ideas off me, Monkey World was but a twinkle in their minds, Jeremy I already knew from our friendship, when he worked for a famous recording stars manager, who had his own private zoo in Weybrige , jeremy was the zoo manager, head keeper, animal behaviourist and keeper of over a hundred animals including Horace a beautiful siberian tiger , a selection of primates among which was "winny" (winstone) a one eyed gorilla male of three and of course a tiny Amy who (Amy was his orang-u-tan, who now grown up, resides permanently at monkey world as the matriarch of all she surveys) neglected by her mother, Jeremy had saved her life and taken her under his wing.

Jim explained his thoughts to both myself and the marketing manager Jo and we sat in stunned silence, at such an amazing idea and concept. Rescuing wild animals worldwide and bringing them to the UK to form their own self regulated family groups, which was also to include groups of adult male chimpanzees living successfully together, a world first! he really thought out of the box.

All this of course could not have been successful without the strong and quiet backup and particular expertese of Jeremy in the field of Ape management and behaviour. Jeremy to my mind, the greatest Ape manager in the world today, actually thinks like an Ape! in fact I first set eyes upon him while he was Brachiating close behind a male Orang, who having "nipped" him was trying to escape his wrath by screaming and swinging at speed around the cage with jeremy closing in hot persuit. Jeremy was indeed the Alpha mail of this particular group of animals. A real character, himself and indeed like myself and all the staff or Monkey World will miss Jim immensly. Not to mention Alison his lovely wife who intends to continue with Monkey world and achieve the longterm goals envisaged by Jim,

To Alison, may I wish my hearfelt condolences to you at this sad, sad time!