In response to an overwhelming avalanche of requests (Thanks Annon & Lois - or whoever) here is the latest published pome.

Echoes of my Father

Fragments of a time of life long past
Hints of what was and hearts so brave
Young eager faces, bright and keen
All now dust and to us lost
Wavering images of honest bravery

I lost my father well before I thought
How much I wanted to know
About his story and the part
He played in serving Britain’s need
At Gallipoli, before his wound

Browning photos in a box at last
Discovered spur me on to save
His memory. Oh had I been
Told of duty at what cost
Of men who fought against sheer knavery

A faded paper foretells how they fought
Facing death at dice’s throw
The smart cloth and bright buttons’ art
Picture them brave before they feed
War’s mill, life’s dreams lost in savage sound

My Father pictured on his favourite horse
I know his Army number but
A war beyond the one to end all war
Destroyed his records and stole from me
His story. Fragments left fuel my remembrance

(Hides behind pillow and quivers a lot) Well, Henry’s been after me again and I have, indeed, been delinquent. I’ve also been delinquent about going to the gym. There’s been a lot going on and I can’t get it all straight in my head.

Part of it is that I’ve been ‘volunteered’ again. I went to a business do and met the Director for Economic Development for Poole. (Reverent silence) After a bit of chat he volunteered me for DorMen. Which sounded like big blokes with tattoos in dinner jackets smashing stroppy people in the face. Nope. Dor(set) Men(tors) for Business. In other words trying to help people with small businesses who have problems. Fascinating.

So last week I had a lady dressmaker, a couple making hand-built kayaks and a painter / artist. Phew.

Meanwhile Herself is off to another Dolls House Fair. She’s giving it a lot of wellie - and doing v. well.

Health-wise I had a serious blood test and a meeting with the Doc. I’m STILL overweight but the rest of it is much better. I saw ‘Buster’ on the tv who is still working at 100 years of age. That would be good. Hmm.

Delighted to read Henry’s blogs and the question of publication. All I have to offer is that another poem has been published. Knowing how wickedly difficult it is to have one’s poetry published (other than by self-publishing) I’m quite chuffed. I must find time to write more.

I think this blog is rather flat - which may be part of the reason why I’ve not posted for a month. Nothing moving to say - unless I get on a hobby-horse!! And I’ve got a few of those. Mainly about the worst government (no cap. g for this lot) that we’ve ever had which is destroying my country. So we won’t go there.

Well, for good or ill I’m here. I’ve been having my nose rubbed in the truth that people work from their perception of others, not ‘facts’. So perhaps we should stop, step back, and challenge our perceptions of others. We could well be wrong about them.

It’s good to be back again. Go in peace. Dad

Hot evening and Jools Holland playing. But I have to attend to my faithful and despairing audience. (Adjusts hat on swelled head)

Henry phoned to say ‘Dad, you’ve dropped off the radar. Are you OK?’ He’s good, is Henry. (Basks)

Well I’ve had a few minor health thingys - but mostly Herself has been flat-chat on teeny-tinying for Fairs and web-site orders. I’m so proud of her and what she does. And then there’s the computery.

It’s simple, right? We have a Small Office. 3 PC’s and 1 laptop. 4 printers. We used to have a network which is hard-wired. Installed by a PERSON when I could afford to pay someone. Good. Got new m/c’s and want to re-build network. Simple. Oh mother - !!!!

One step at a time. Sneak up on it. Move computers to sites. Yup. Scrabble about under desks (again) to locate network connections and cables. Yup. Connect PC’s to wiring with existing cables. Yup. Being fussy I labelled the original cables - 1, 2, 3. Spare cable for laptop marked ’spare’. Find cable labelled 5. Huh? Move on.

Go to PC World and buy 5 port switch. Bring home. Open box and scratch head. Back of box has 5 ports for ethernet cables and connector for power. Front has 9 little lights with no markings. Huh?

Return to PC World saying - Huh? Nice man (they’re all VERY NICE) phones supplier saying ‘5 port switch in 8 port box what do lights mean?’ Well, apparently that was impossible. And went on for some time.

After all that he said ‘I wouldn’t do it that way anyway’.

Return confused 5 port switch. Buy new box. Open bottle.

What is it with computery?

I’ve signed on to a single interest chat group (if that’s the right term). The interest is an author of childrens’ books and the books he wrote. Innocent - non-political. The people in the group are so horrid to others. Which is so far outside the core themes of the books he wrote. (Alright - it’s Arthur Ransome and the Swallows and Amazons books. If you haven’t read them - you should)

How should we deal with people who are being verbally horrid? By bypassing what they say and looking forward to positive things, not back to negative ones.

Easy to say. Very hard to do. And I fail, from time to time. After all, he WAS rude - wozznit??

Have a peaceful week, friends - Dad

Well. I had a bad night, OK? So when the question of breakfast arose I thought - ‘Stuff it - I want kippers’ Because we have hidden away real Manx kippers. Fried in butter they are GORGEOUS!! Urp!

Then I came to the challenge of installing the new computery. Head in hands. Lying on the floor. Wondering why x didn’t work. And.

But it’s there. Next problem - re-build the network. Not today.

Now shield your eyes, you delicate female persons but I have a problem. NO - NOT that problem.
I’m sick and tired of stupid spam mail about medication and my pesonal bits and pieces. But try this one:

Wow! Check out this huge enlargement patch sale!

Hmm.

This is a sale of a patch that only works for huge enlargements?
The patch to be sold consists of a huge enlargement?
This is the biggest ever sale of h.e.patches?

How can we stop this revolting stuff? I’m old, mildly wise and unsurprised by most things - BUT
I don’t need this - and my dear wife who also sees this stuff certainly doesn’t need it!! And they don’t speak English either!!

Dad’s thoughts today?

Every decade our life objectives change. It seems to work almost exactly at the zero - 10 / 20 / 30 / & etc. Have you revised your objectives for your next decade? You really should. It will change your life and you need to change your life. Go in peace - Dad

I know this thing.

At the Pyrford pub half a pint of lemon & lime is £1.80 and a pint is £3.07. Huh?

How do I know? I foned Spirit Group. 7 times. Listened to so-called music for 15 mins and hung up on 4 times and switched to The Cruise Store call centre in Accrington once. Cor!

FINALLY got a Manager having been told there were none - do they think I’m totally stupid or merely mildly daft?

We got on fine. I said I had been abused and what were they going to do about that? Call back Monday. Also asked how a pint of l & l could cost £3 plus given what 2 litres of lemonade costs in Tescos. Huh.

More news as it unfolds.

Dad

B RILLIANT NEWS!! Herself had an urgent brain scan for a possible brain tumour - ‘It’s probably nothing - -’ - and then learned she had to wait 4 months for the result. Talk about the elephant in the room. The two of us carefully NOT MENTIONING IT. Why not phone the hospital? Actually because having phoned 8 times - always engaged - one loses hope. Why not ask your GP? Perhaps. Well I’m in some danger of taking this up because I love you to bits and this is stupid. Oh well. She did. And he phoned last night and said ‘All clear - nuffink’ All gone elephant, return to what passes for normal living. Please be happy for her (and me - a bit)

Lovely gentle rain for about 4 hours this morning so no need to water the new plants. Mind you the humidity now is about 120% so we’re both working on computers and not moving much. I’ve never thought of wringing out a polo shirt before.

Which brings me to the great computer re-jig. Well. New Toshiba Laptop installed and working. If you remember I scored a £100 plus VAT (!) credit on a special offer price. So that’s a result.

We have been burrowing under desks and clearing out stuff we should have binned ages ago to make room for moving other stuff about. So off to the tip today with a dead fax, a dead shredder and 3 huge bags of paper including a mound of shredded special stuff. Then out with the vacuum cleaner to remove n years’ worth of dust. And we found all sorts of wires and widgets disconnected in the past and left languishing by the folks we used to be able to afford to do this for us. Why leave it lying there? People can be weird. Phew. Despite the rain we were hot and sweaty and it’s a right pain rolling about under desks.

The rain having cooled things down I went for the next phase - moving old PC (renamed PC 3) from Desk 2 to Desk 3 in the Library. Now don’t laugh. For my work over the years I’ve acquired a library of about 1,000 books and they had to go somewhere. So having had one of the original two garages converted to make an office (v. smart it is too) I then quite illegally had a Library with shelves, a big stationery cupboard and a desk etc built into half the remaining garage. The rest of the space is filled with - well - more stuff. Plus a motor scooter with only 500 miles on it and a decrepit bicycle from the days when - -. This PC won’t be on the network (it’s only Windows 2000 which HATES networking) but has much stuff on it and is v. useful.

So we moved it. I got sweaty and dusty but we turned it on and it’s fine. Phew! Now we move PC 2 from Desk 1 to Desk 2 and plumb it in to the network. Puff. THEN we install brand new PC 1 on Desk 1 as a server and finish the network with an internet link through a new hub. Wozzit.

I’m sure you found that fascinating. But it’s like that down here in Dorset.

Meanwhile the birds with their young bring great pleasure - and we now have Mr & Mrs Jay plus two new kids. These birds are so shy that it’s a great treat to see them feeling secure in the garden - eating, bathing and generally owning the place.

I have come to loathe e-mail. People can be so nasty. And it’s so easy to be misunderstood. I joined a blog ring related to a particular interest of mine and having watched for a while posting something meant to be upbeat and positive. But I was a newcomer and NOT part of the establishment. So rocks fell on my head for daring to be challenging (called aggressive).

So my thoughts today are to take especial care over e-comms. Try not to trample on people - not that you would!

We are all governed by perception, not fact. Managing other people’s perception is a key element in effective communication.

Hmm. Sounds like a lecture - so please read it as I intended it, not as you see it. (Perception, see?)

Have a peaceful day - Dad

A funny day today. The Management Committee (Herself and I take the notes) decided that it was too hot for me to go to the gym. Oh well. The part of me that suffers from errors of omission and commission felt guilty. The other bit - with the sweaty socks and underwear - thought ‘That’s a good idea’.

Then there’s the on-going installation of computery. Well, who would expect anyone to crawl under desks in this weather? But I’ll think about it - honest.

So I turned to and wrote significant e-mails to people. With attachments. So that’s OK.

Does music make you cry? In my youf (sic) I was a chorister in both Church and Abbey (a.k.a. Cathedral) and sang in other choirs. No more. That hurts quite a lot, in truth. But today I loaded John Denver on the m/c as I typed away and off he went. There are two songs that reduce me to tears. Sunshine on my shoulders and My sweet lady. Done. Finished. Tears pouring down my face. I’ve thought about that and concluded (rightly or wrongly) that as I have aged I understand much more clearly the significance of the words. This leads to an awful thought - one day I will be old enough to understand it all - and the moment I do I’ll snuff it before I can explain it to anyone. Spooky or what?

I’ve been scanning and sending stuff from my past to sundry people and children. As I said in my last post I missed out on my Dad. But will anyone care a damn about my history? Probably not. Just more baggage.

What a pathetic blog. But I’ll let it stand.

Dad’s thought today?

Winners are part of the answer but Losers are part of the problem. So don’t be a Loser - OK?

Have a peaceful day - Dad

It’s swelteringly hot (100 degs in old money) and Emmy Lou Harris is singing.

New computers today - and what a total pain it is. Plug and play? Plug and swear a great deal.

To make room for the new stuff and fire up the network we have to shift stuff. What stuff? Opening long closed boxes and saying - ‘Grief!’ The Tip is going to get a battering when we get all this old stuff down there. BUT - Wait a moment. Some of this stuff may be of historic value (well a bit, anyway) aaargh. Would my dear offspring like to have this? Oh Hell.

It’s too hot to say much. But - Dad thought -

‘To thine own self be true’ Shakespeare and Hamlet. Yup. What self are you? Perhaps a mix of attentive nature and assertive behaviour? That’s quite good.

Your Self?

Go on - think about it and then LIVE IT!

May your God go with you, friends - Dad

My Father died when I was in my thirties and knocking myself out with my career. So I never asked him about his life - because I know he’d always be thgere and I could ask him next week. Phut. Will my offspring feel the same?

Sun burning down, Brendan Croker playing, time to think at last.

As you all know, Jays are incredibly beautiful birds - and very, very shy. So few people ever see them. They are big - as pigeons but a much nicer shape - and have a lovely pinky brown body, white and bright blue wings and a Mexican moustache. They are described as the most colourful of crows. Well Herself loves her birds and our back garden is planted and managed for them. So we have Mr & Mrs Jay plus two new ones as residents. They are so confident that they spend ages in the garden, eating, drinking, bathing. It’s hard to get things done because they are so lovely to see. Aaaah.

Herself has been in a frenzy for a while because on Sunday she has a Dolls House Fair at which she is exhibiting. She makes such lovely things. Gobsmacked, I am. Please wish her well.

OFFER: Join in! She has a half-litre brandy bottle full of Smarties (M & M’s kind of thing) and FOR FREE you can enter the Smarty Challenge. How many are there? The answer is somewhere between 1 and 500. If you guess near enough you win £15 of Vouchers to buy in-miniature stuff (pls see web site in-miniature.com) You know you heard it here first!!

I’ve been flat-chat this week mostly with Year in Industry stuff. This scheme places students in a company for a year between leaving school and going up to uni. Phew! Award semi-finals, a presentation to a school and a student who got fired. I give up. I’m going to hibernate from now to Monday when it all breaks loose again.

So much to say - so little time.

Dad’s thought?
Every day needs a Focus. Is today a day for ‘work’? (go for it) Is today a day for ‘celebration’? Is today a day for ‘reflection’? Is today a day for ‘rest’? Re-arrange your priorities according to ‘your day’. Dear me, it prevents guilt and simplifies choices.

Sleep well and have a tranquil weekend -

Dad

Lovely evening and sweet music playing. Herself is watering the new plants in the front garden and is off tomorrow to help with her Mum’s 80th. birthday. I have to say that I love my wife to bits - and we discussed this phenomenon yesterday. We decided it’s because we are friends first. It’s good, though.

A funny day today. Odd e mails to answer, odd stuff to do in the village. BUT - cheese fondue for lunch. Oh do I love that.

So why is the world full of idiots? Example 1 - Mail shot from Staples - where we have a business account - and we liked the Toshiba laptop. Phone up, give credit card details. Mail shot says free next day delivery. No. Call a few days later - where laptop? Not availbale. But I ordered it and ‘he’ said it would be shipped. Nope. Cancel order? Nope. And etc. And etc. Phoned today - Toshiba will deliver it in 2 / 3 days. Stupid.

Example 2 - Nationwide Bldg. Soc. Don’t ask. 3 phone calls and the last one hung up on me. Fourth one - get some sense. AAaarrggh.

Now I’ve been to the gym Monday and Wednesday. Increased my work on each machine every time. And now I ache everywhere. Should I go there tomorrow? Pls vote yes or no. I#ll do what you say.

Dad’s last word?

Just for one day you will not be afraid.
Just for one day you will put your past into its place - in the past.
Just for one day you will look out for what is lovely in the world.
Just for one day you will offer friendship and beauty to others.
Just for one day you will be calm, relaxed and amiable.

You can manage that just for one day. So manage it for the next day, too.
And if you fail? No sweat. Start over again.

You know you can do it.

Love to you all - Dad

Evening time and unusal for me to be writing a blog. Playing Chet Atkins. Been a hot day and is now a calm pre-night.

Well the weekend was fine. Friday I visited and stayed with long standing friends (since we were all teenagers) in their new house. Then on to Lucy, Matthew and THEN stayed with their Mum. All really great visits. Come Sunday I’m on the boat with Henry and Trouty. Call for directions, drive there and park up. Car behind me pulls up in front of BIG GATES and a small guy gets out and opens gate 1. Scuse me I say, but I’m supposed to meet a boat here - could you tell me where it might be? Oh, you must be Henry’s Dad. Knockout. Henry hasn’t got the boat there yet so Stuart brings out a chair for me to sit in whilst I await Henry’s arrival. Beat that. Magic. SUCH a nice bloke.

Smashing trip on the canal, lovely picnic lunch, and, and. Perfect.

Drove home. Marvelled at driving idiots. Oh well.

Knackered today after all this social intercourse but went to gym and raised performance on all machines. Promise myself I’ll repeat Wednesday and Friday. Grow muscles (again) Be strong. Die later. Huh?

Lots more happening but it’s late. Dad’s thoughts?
Be very conscious of your body language. 55% of what you communicate to others comes from what they SEE of you. Think friendship and so out-think the plug-uglies. Sleep well. Dad

Well, here I am playing the music, the sun shining down benignly, peace and calm around. Now.

Off this morning, sharp as a pin, dressed to impress and wearing the Calcutta Light Horse tie. (Oh come on, you all know about the CLH - surely. If not, please ask) Doing my mentoring job with a Student who has some problems. That was good. He’s a nice young person.

Then Herself’s Doctor brother plus one son visits. Lots of ‘war stories’ from my time as an undergraduate in Cambridge and an Officer Cadet - and later on in business. Then they saw a pic of me in my kilt so I got them to try one on. ‘Oh, isn’t it heavy!’ Yup. That’s why it looks so good.

Why do people wear trousers when they go walking? A kilt is so much more comfortable.

T’other son was up at Cambridge and last year asked for help. Doctor Dad has a different knowledge base and asked if I could help. So I did. And had a load of fun doing it. Well, the work I did earned a Star First. Now you might say that was unfair because I did the work - not him. But he had enough nouse to ask me. Hmm. Whatever. To me it’s my Star First.

White van appears outside - ding-dong. Bottle of malt whisky and two crystal glasses from my apologetic bank - and that on top of the three figure sum into my a/c last week. Cool.

Herself is off tomorrow to visit bereaved Mother. Not easy. Doctor brother says that if a close loved one dies - move the furniture. Otherwise the close person will get ‘flash-backs’ - and think they’re going mad. I never thought about that. The mind is a wonderful thing.

I’m ingesting small but significant quantities of malt whisky and have about run out of steam after all that. So what is today’s thought?

People are funny. We are all driven by our perception of others - not by the facts. If I think you are rude - then for me, you are rude. The fact that you did not intend to be rude and can’t understand where I’m coming from is irrelevant.

Work with other people’s perceptions and manage your own perceptions of others. Easy? Never. Vital? Always. Sleep tight my friends - Dad

I’m off next weekend to spend time with my lovely kids. Kids? they’re in their 40’s.

My beloved Lucy, Matthew and - er - ‘Henry’. I can’t wait.

I love my kids so much. The joy of seeing them, of hugging them. Indeed of kissing them. To think that they kiss me - at our age and stage. My heart bursts with love for them.

We hope for so much for our kids.

What wise words has Dad today? Surely we all love our kids. But remember - other people are other people’s kids. Perhaps we should love them too.

Sleep well - Dad

Just for a change, the sun is shining. I’m listening to Glen Campbell. Well, someone should.

Lovely phone call from Henry’s Mum. I love her so much.

Off next weekend - with luck - to see my lovely kids (kids!!) and a couple of (truly) old friends. That will be so good. But I have a problem. The lovely but menatlly disbaled son of one of my old friends expects to see me in my kilt. And all the kit. Hmmm.

Which brings me to my last post. I expected a torrent of comment. You think it doesn’t matter? Well, if so, my Country is lost.

It’s hard for me to to think calmly - but -
The feminist movement has shot itself in the foot. I have been pro-active about the place of women in the world. But many women are not seeking equality. Equality of opportunity but deference to gender. Well ladies - one or the other. I know which one I vote for. Why not you?

A long standing friend of mine received a copy of an editorial published in the Australian press. And sent me a copy. As it happens, Herself was, as I’m sure I’ve yarned to you about, a £10 Pom - she emigrated to Australia for £10 and stayed there for 10 years. She misses it desperately and keeps trying to get me to get us to visit - preferably for an infinite period of time. So the following script rang a big bell with her. And it does with me. Because the parallels with the UK (oops, sorry, bliar has destroyed that - but you know what I mean) are too close for comfort. But no-one here is saying what this guy is saying so clearly. Hmm. I share this with you not to start a riot but to kick-start some thinking. Hopefully.

Our Country - YOU Have the right - the right to leave !

After hearing about Sydney not wanting to offend other cultures by putting
up Xmas lights; after hearing that the State of South Australia changed its
opinion and let a Muslim woman have her picture on her driver’s license
with her face covered; this prompted this editorial written by an
Australian citizen. Published in an Australian newspaper.

Quote:
IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.
Take It Or Leave It

I am tired of this Nation worrying about whether we are offending some
individual or their culture.

Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in
patriotism by the majority of Australians. However, the dust from the
attacks had barely settled when the “politically correct” crowd began
complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is
seeking a better life by coming to Australia. However, there are a few
things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently
some born here, need to understand. This idea of Australia being a
multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our
national identity.

As Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language
and our own lifestyle. This culture has been developed over two centuries of
struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have
sought freedom. We speak ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese,
Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part
of our society, Learn the language!

“In God We Trust” is our National Motto. This is not some Christian, right
wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and
women, on Christian principles, founded this Nation, and this is clearly
documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our
schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of
the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. If the
Southern Cross offends you, or you don’t like ” A Fair Go", then you
should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are
happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don’t
care how you did things where you came from. This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND,
and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all
this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our
Flag, Our Pledge, Our National Motto, or Our Way of Life, I highly
encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, “THE
RIGHT TO LEAVE".

If you aren’t happy here then f#@* off! We didn’t force you to come here.
You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted. Pretty easy
really, when you think about it.

Well, like it or not - that makes one think. So-called multiculturalism in the ragged remains of our once united and focused land is simply setting person against person. For that reason alone I think it is a lousy concept. But what a very tangled web faces us.

I’m very troubled for what used to be my country. I’m almost glad that I’m old and so won’t see how this horrendous mess plays itself out. I pass the poisoned chalice to you youngsters.

And my closing thought? Cherish and protect our innocent young who know not that they will carry the burden of our future on their slim shoulders.

My love to you all - Dad

Finished re-planting the front garden and putting down the bark mulch. A nice job. Now we start on the back. The poor old garden suffered badly because I wasn’t well enough to look after it - so it needs a big makeover. With the help of Julian who does the work (I just pay the money and buy the stuff we need) it should all be fine by the end of the summer. Aaah.

Herself had the brain-scan this morning. Now we chew fingernails waiting for the result. Brain tumour or not? Please cross everything for her. We’ll be on a knife-edge for at least a fortnight.

Meanwhile I got another result from a certain Bank which has been messing me about. £150 in my account and 3 bottles of superior malt whisky. Presumably to prevent me from remembering what they did.

Meanwhile have offered Henry the loan of my metal detector and have to drive up there with it. So I get to see the family. That’ll be good. Do I get a percentage of whatever he finds? Hmm.

Lastly have been interested to see chatter on Henry’s site about giving up smoking. For some time I was an expert because I gave up regularly. I started smoking because back in those days (Think WW 2) doctors said that smoking was good for your health because it killed off the germs - true! Anyway one Sunday Henry’s Mum and I were sitting in front of the fire reading Sunday papers and I said I was giving up (not again!) and would she? Answer - yes if you’re still not smoking next week. Action replay - next week, fire, papers, I said ‘Have you got a cigarette?’ Ask most smokers and they haul out a packet and wave it at you without another thought. So she did. I can see it in my mind’s eye today. A packet of 20 Senior Service with only two fags gone. So I threw it on the fire. The row that followed was well nigh homicidal. But she stopped too. Which is how Henry’s Mum and Dad stopped smoking. And, no, I have no idea why it worked then when it hadn’t worked several times before. But neither of us smoked again. And Henry was a small babe in a carrycot at the time.

Dad’s thought today? A life spent trying and making some mistakes is much more valuable than a life spent doing nothing but complain about the mistakes of others.

Peace to you all - Dad

Things have been a bit busy this week! But here I am with the rain pouring down and listening to Chet Atkins with Mark Knopfler. Just what I need today.

Service of Thanksgiving for Herself’s Dad today and I should have been taking her there and joining in. But I was up last night with problems at both ends and am still in that state! So Plan B is that she went up on her own, with the cold lunch for 10 made early this morning and will overnight with sister. Back tomorrow. There are some weird bugs about. And I feel really bad not being with her.

I sent the following letter to the D.Telegraph (don’t worry, they won’t publish it):

Seeking to enjoy the Young Musicians’ final I was reminded brutally that modern music is wholly unmusical and without merit. Which reminded me that modern art is inartistic and real filthy beds, dead animals or drunken explosions of colour lack any merit. Meanwhile many of today’s children are inarticulate, innumerate and illiterate. So from whence come the people who teach our young to be inept and unable? And who is teaching the teachers to sabotage our cultural life?

But have you any kind of answer to my question? Looked at objectively, our so-called civilisation here in the UK (oops, sorry, bliar has destroyed the UK - but you know what I mean) is seriouly uncivilised and getting worse week by week. Public bad behaviour, untaught and undisciplined children, gross levels and types of crime, ever lower standards everywhere - the list could go on for ages. What on earth is driving this ever downwards? But it’s reaching catastrophic proportions and we all seem to be sleepwalking down the slope. And no-one is kicking up a fuss. Just one-off grumbles about one-off events. Where’s the National Movement to stop this NOW and turn it around?

Surely no sane person wishes to live in the environment we have now - let alone the abyss into which we are being pitched?

Back to the Young Musicians - the wrong person won it. It should have been the pianist. Stunning. As for the percussionist - as a one-time drum player, including military band, jazz and classical - words fail me. Is he thinking of adding tap-dancing, eating ice-cream and juggling 5 multi-coloured balls to his act? Save me!!

Shades of the film Mrs Henderson - I played the drums in a jazz club in a basement across the (narrow) road where The Windmill Theatre is. Cor, I was wicked in those days!! But you knew that, didn’t you?

Think positive, Dad!! Yeah - got a result yesterday. Four phone points in the house. Two in the office - one for fax / phone and the other for phone. One in our bedroom. One in the living room - with a walk-about phone. Had it for some years and the battery has died. Cheaper to change the phone than buy another battery - if you can get one to suit an old piece of kit. So off I go.

Study phones and find only one that also has an answerphone facility. OK. After some trouble find a Person. I’d like one of those, please. Pause. Gets key, opens doors to stock. We haven’t got one. Oh. Well that’s a bit silly - why is it on display? AH but we have some NEW phones that are NOT on display. Go on, show me. Here’s this one. GOOD - does it have an answerphone feature? (Sighs) Yup - you can see the green button on the pic on the box. Are you SURE? Yup. So I buy it.

Get home, open box, grab instructions - and you’ve already guessed - NOPE. No answerphone. Back in car, down road, ask for The Manager. Made a strong case for being messed about. Much clattering of computer keys. We haven’t got one in stock. Oh. I will credit you for the one you returned, would you like the display one for nothing?

Well, that’s a result. I thanked him a lot. It’s very smart and has all sorts of fancy features, too. It’s worrking a treat.

Time I left. So what’s Dad on about today?

There’s a game called Prisoner’s Dilemma. It was created to study the effect of choosing to co-operate - or not - with someone with whom you negotiate. You will find lots of references on the internet. The bottom line is that you get further by co-operation than by power-play. Depending on the real situation. So I might gain with a power-play today - but what about tomorrow. Anyway -

If your opening approach to others is co-operation rather than isolated power-play - in general you get more of what you want - and less of what you don’t want.

Hey - have a peaceful day - Dad

Well, dear me, a lumpy day today. Herself is still with her family so I’m on my own. Up at 5 o/c this am (that’s usual) got the morning papers at 6 and drank tea / read papers for a while. Then off to the Village - so nice. The people are so nice to me. Then two long phone calls from (literally) old friends asking for my help / advice / w.h.y. about stuff. So that was nice too - and I’ve spent a bunch of time creating a PowerPoint Video Presentation for one of them. ‘Cause he can’t do it himself.

Watched the Qualifying for F 1. Looking forward to the race but Herself is having lunch with Mum and won’t be back here in time. Oh well.

I shouldn’t show off, but one of my old friends said such a nice thing about me:
You’re a person who lights up a room when you come in - not because you have left.
What a lovely thing to say.

Well - off to make supper but here’s a thought:
If all the economists in the world were laid end to end they wouldn’t reach a conclusion. So who said that?

And my thought? Why not be nice to people - they may have had a really horrid day in which case you will bring them pleasure. If they’ve had a good day - they will share their pleasure with you.

Sleep well, friends - Dad

Why is my SECOND blog published before my FIRST blog?

Answers on a bank note please!!!!

Dad

Which first? The good or the bad? Well it’s a lovely warm and sunny day today.

And thanks to Jane for suggesting California as an alternative to Vermont. I was fortunate enough to spend about 10 years of my business life working in International as people put it. So I saw most - not all - of the world (watch out or I’ll tell you about the British Trade Missions I led to the USSR and India) and a fair amount of the USA - including California. I was often in San Fran, LA and San Diego on business - and over time spread myself about by car to sightsee and enjoy. I must have had the occasional bad experience, but none come to mind. I have some lovely memories of lovely people. Apart from an occasional lack of sense of humour over security (and this decades before 9 / 11).

I was staying in a large hotel in LA. Breakfast tray from room service. Being a tidy chap, I went to put the tray outside my door. I happened to be stark naked at the time. Don’t ask me how, but I over-reached myself and the door - on a very strong spring for security reasons - slammed shut behind me. Well now. Stifle scream and see wall-phone for maids to use. Call down. Pls. will someone let me back into my room NOW - if not sooner. And run into deep suspicion. Hang on to phone, face to wall, assailed by transfers and long waits whilst phones brrr somewhere. At last deep cross questioning. How could I PROVE I was the occupant? Try that with no clothes on. Suggest that nudist robbery was a very unlikely form of sport in LA - or anywhere apart from a nudist colony. And what happens? They send a VERY BIG MAN with a VERY BIG GUN who stands well back and DEMANDS that I face him, then DEMANDS that I prove who I am. You couldn’t make it up.

However the adult readers amongst us will know intuitively that standing naked in a hotel corridor trying to reason with a gun-wielding idiot whilst the occasional disbelieving guest passes by (direct to the Front Desk to complain, doubtless) makes the male dangly bits try and hide themselves. So I’m not even a - how shall I put it? - robust looking nudist. Probably about as - how shall we say? - ‘well formed’ as a 7 year old just after swimming in a country stream in November. Stupid sod. Him, not me. I told him to open the door, open my passport which was lying exactly THERE and I would tell him the dates of the latest three stamps in it and the countries that made them. Well THAT was stupid of me. With a BIG GUN who needs to know about passports? However, it worked in the end. When I checked out no-one would look me in the eye. Yeah, it’s a c-o-o-l place, California!!!! And thanks, Jane. Don’t let me know your address or I might just - -. No, don’t go there.

Enough for this blog - I’ll write another.

I’m on a GBS kick just now (oh, you’ve noticed) ‘Do not do unto others as you would they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same’. Couldn’t put it better myself!

Dad