Ruined view (Salcombe, Devon)

This view, out towards Bolt Head, has all but been RUINED by insensitive development on what was the Marine Hotel. Slowly but surely developers, keen to make a profit, are destroying Salcombe as it once was. It was a uniquely beautiful seaside town, but is rapidly becoming a smaller version of Torquay.

In 20 years at this rate it will be ruined unless locals put up a fight to save its character.

On Facebook I have been encouraging locals to get more active in local politics as this is the only way that dodgy approvals can be rejected: locals HAVE to be empowered to fight these leeches who often have no real interest in Salcombe's long-term well being. Many are only interested in selling luxury pads at inflated prices - far too much for locals - to rich wankers (sorry bankers) and professional footballers to occupy for a few weeks a year. This HAS to end.

Oh for the day when Salcombe LOCALS realise they have the power to do something about the ruin of their town by outsiders.

Stoke - update

This is an update on my stroke symptoms.

At the moment I get totally exhausted doing anything physically on my feet. This afternoon I cut the rear lawn, but it took an full hour and 4 breaks to do it. Afterwards I was well and truly "cream crackered"! I still get giddy when walking although I think this is a little better when on my feet but not moving. Turning quickly also makes me giddy. My other main symptom is a sickness feeling in my stomach and throat that is perhaps more like indigestion. I am still not sure if my medication make this any better.  My liquid feed (via stomach peg)  is now down to 200ml (over 2 hours) a day and, if my weight is maintained, down to nil the week after next.  My sense of taste is mixed up: some foods taste normal.but my taste of sweet and sour is scrambled. Yogurts,toothpaste, fromage frais, tirramasu all taste bitter, now. Tea without sugar tastes sweet! I have no idea if this will ever improve.

Overall I still feel I am getting better slowly, but I still suffer with the above symptoms and get very fatigued very easily.  I am desparate to get my health back to normal, but realise my recovery is going to take far longer than I would wish. It is getting my wife down - it is hard for her too.

One thing I have found out is who your real friends are. Some of the "showy" public Christians have been noticeble by their total lack of interest in my health and well being. Other people have been genuinely kind and helpful. I shall be forever grateful to these good folk. Don't go by outward show: the real friends stick with you for better or worse. One lady I hardly knew broke down in tears when he heard of my illness - bless her. Some people comment on how well I look. Indeed I look better than I feel inside or indeed am.

Kent train trip

Chris, Lauren and their children

Because I still cannot drive (stroke) we went to Canterbury by train to see our son, his wife Lauren, our 2 grandchildren and the Australian in-laws . Everything went very well. The trains were fine - all on time and clean - and our son and family very good hosts. My main stroke issue still is my giddiness when walking.

Australian grandparents on LHS

Malcolm

Our old neighbour Malcolm dropped in for a cup of tea today. He now lives in Canada and is over in the UK for a few weeks.  It was very good to see him.

Here he is with me outside our bungalow next to the roses. Malcolm is on the right side. The last time he called was last summer before my stroke when I was fully fit. Malcolm looked the best I've seen him in years

Malcolm lost his wife to a nasty cancer a couple of years back -  he still misses her a great deal. Somehow I think he is slowly rebuilding his life again.

Breakfast

Breakfast

This was me eating breakfast in the kitchen this morning. The photo was taken from the front garden outside and you can see the windmill reflected in the window glass.

Toy tractors

Amandine

Last Wednesday we went to La Hogue farm shop for lunch with our son Tim and granddaughter Amandine. She just loves the toy tractors and the slide there. Here she is about to pedal down the slope on one of the larger toy tractors. She is three years old next week.

Magazine junk

Some while back, we subscribed to Saga magazine as the deal was a very good one and the articles are pretty good on the whole.

I know this must be why it is not expensive but I just HATE all the junk flyers that come loose within the packaging. Usually, I shake the contents out and immediately recycle all the junk flyers, then you find there are even more loose inside the magazine itself! So darn annoying! None of this rubbish is ever read in our household.

As an example the Saga magazine has just arrived, so I'll count how many loose flyers there are inside the packaging. Seven. Personally, I'd prefer a few extra pages of ads within the magazine itself. The adverts might then get looked at!

Too late to vote now

The UK polling booths closed at 2200 UK clock time so if you did not vote by then I am afraid you've missed the opportunity to influence the result.

The next big test for the coalition government will be the general election next year. It is quite possible that people will adopt different voting patterns then. The EU election will be seen by many as a chance to protest.

I have a sneaking suspicion that UKIP will achieve less success than some have predicted. I personally hope the Green Party has a good show and wins a few more EU seats.

Privatisation of "core" esssential services

To me it is puzzling that "core" essential businesses are nationalised: that any profits go to shareholders rather than the general public. Likewise I cannot understand why the Royal Mail had to be sold off. Our postal service should be owned by us, the great British public. We should be re-investing any profits back into the Royal Mail, maybe reducing prices rather than improving dividends for the few.

I understand the arguments about "competition" but for energy services - gas, electricity, oil, coal, etc plus postal services, rail and buses surely should all be in public ownership? Yes, the power of irresponsible unions has to be curbed, but the argument for public ownership is a good one. It is wrong for services we totally depend on being in private hands.

I am totally against privatisation of "core" businesses such as energy.

Also, I have grave doubts over fracking.  Although it has the potential for low cost gas, how much better to  invest in clean renewable energy instead? Billions will be invested in fracking which is essentially trying to extend the life of fossil fuels with all the carbon released threatening climate change.

Plastic banknotes

When on holiday in Canada a couple of  years ago I was very impressed by the plastic banknotes which are very hard to wear out. I now see that a Scottish bank is introducing plastic £5 notes.   See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27517606 .

It would be a good idea if the Bank of England also introduced plastic notes. It surely must save money in the long run as notes would last much longer.

If I remember correctly, the Canadian notes had different smells for different values, helping those with poor sight to distinguish between note values.

Use your VOTE today

Whatever your political allegiance today is your chance to use your democratic right to help elect the MEP that you chose.

My wife and I chose to vote for the GREEN PARTY.   As this election is by proportional representation even votes for minor parties are not wasted.  I very much hope the GREEN PARTY does well and wins more seats. They would act as a moderating influence in Europe.  Their policies seem very sensible, unlike some others. Their catch phrase is "for the common good". These days they have moved on a lot and some forecasts expect them to out-do the Lib Dems.

In a democracy, of course, you are free to vote for whoever you choose. USE your vote.

Stroke and phone calls

Not sure quite why this is, but when friends phone why is it that several of them decide they have to speak "down" to me as if I was stupid? This happens time and time again and is very annoying. As far as I can tell my intellect is fully intact and I am very far from stupid! Maybe it is because my voice still sounds odd (a bit) and I have to speak more slowly to be understood? It must be even more of an issue for others with physical impairments much worse than mine.

If you are a friend phoning me please treat me absolutely normally. I am NOT an idiot and do NOT want to be treated as if I am.

Tides Reach Hotel (Salcombe) - good news!

The plans have now been made public and they please me! I was expecting a large hotel complex quite out of step with  the environment, but I am very pleased to say the developers have good plans that manage to blend a larger, modern hotel well with the existing surroundings.

See www.tidesreachdevelopment.com and look for the display boards from the Cliff House public exhibition held yesterday. I am well pleased this is not going to be an ugly concrete mess.

Designers - thank you, and well done!

A greener future?

In the Eastern Counties, Rupert Read has a real chance of becoming a Green Euro-MP this Thursday, not least because of proportional representation and voting, so every vote counts and minor parties have a great chance. Last time he polled 9% and he needs 10% to get a seat. Your vote could be the decider!

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm-KaOzqJw4.

Use your vote on Thursday May 22nd. A vote for the Greens is very much NOT a wasted vote!

Swifts

For the last week or more, swifts have been a common sight on the wing in the skies overhead. Swifts return from Africa around the end of April and the start of May. Usually, most have gone again by late summer, although I suspect many linger in Spain where in September they are still plentiful as are insects.

At this time of year swifts are very common, perhaps more common than many other species. There are a good number of swallows around, but, so far, I have not seen a single house martin. I may just have been unlucky but fear numbers are down yet again. The returning swifts are a real sign of summer. As the poem goes, "all's well with the world...".

Who should you vote for on Thursday?

Try this simple quiz and read, at the end, which party best matches you views.

See http://uk.votematch.eu/ .

Cambridge United promoted (back) into Football League

After several seasons in the Conference League, Cambridge United beat Gateshead at Wembley this evening to gain promotion back into the Football League Division 2. So next season they will be pitted against the like of Plymouth Argyle.

It was a tense end to their season  as they lost against Gateshead at Wembley last Sunday. The promotion is well deserved and, although (mainly) a "fireside supporter" it pleases me enormously.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27360422 .

It is a pity the BBC or ITV don't broadcast League 2 games live. MUCH less expensive than Premier League and the clubs would benefit enormously from the broadcasting rights.

Friends visit

Today we were visited for lunch by our old friends Jean and Alan who live in Letchworth in Hertfordshire. This afternoon they visited Burwell Museum and Windmill. These are friends from university days. We see each other not too often, but when we meet up it is as if we last saw each other just a few days ago. This is a measure of true friendship.

Salcombe (South Sands)

Some days ago I mentioned how my old hometown Salcombe was in danger of being ruined by out of character developments, mainly by profiteers from outside only really interested in profits and not the longer term best interests of the town.

From http://www.tidesreachdevelopment.com/plans-and-images/

Next week (May 20th, Cliff House) there is a public meeting on plans to develop the Tides Reach Hotel site at South Sands. See http://www.tidesreachdevelopment.com/plans-and-images/ . This is a chance for the general public to influence the planning decisions. In my view, apathy could take over and the whole plan get approved even  though it could ruin the area. Go on-line and get your democratic voice heard or visit the exhibition and complete feedback forms!

Maybe I am totally wrong although recent planning decisions make me think the developers have BIG ideas and they are assuming the plans will just be waived through.

Bizarre sounds this afternoon

This afternoon our ears were hit by a couple of bizarre sounds.

Firstly the sound of a bagpipe sounding a lament leaving a house in our Close to accompany the coffin of a neighbour who died having had Altziemers for many years.  Later the bagpipe could be heard as the coffin left the church.

Then the sound of a Rag and Bone man's van with the song "Any Old Iron". This I had not heard for years and years. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Any_Old_Iron_%28song%29 . At one time this was a familiar street sound, but not any more.

Chippenham

This is the OTHER Chippenham (near Newmarket) rather than the one in Wiltshire.  This Chippenham has a hall with a massively long wall than must have cost thousands when made in the 1700s. It also has delightful cottages (see above) which look like alms houses, or cottages for workers on the local estate.

Snailwell

Snailwell is a small village a few miles from here.  It is nothing special: a collection of delightful houses and cottages in the older part and a few more nondescript houses in the rest of the village.  It does have a splendid little church with a round tower. These towers are common in East Anglia but far less common locally.  This was the first church in which our grandson rang a church bell some years ago now when he was about 4.

Profound tiredness

One of the effects of my stroke is I feel profoundly tired when awake a lot of the time. This feels more like M.E. as this tiredness is like nothing I have known. Every thing I do requires immense effort.

Gradually, I hope these feelings will subside, but right now, coupled with my giddiness on my feet and a slight sick feeling all the time, life is a struggle. Some days are better than others and I tend to remember the worse days.

My pattern does feel like 3 good days forward followed by 2 bad (worse) days.

Roll on getting properly better.

Floating homes?

One possible measure to ease the problems of rising sea levels and inland flooding are homes that float. This is not a new idea: such homes have been a common site in Holland for many years. It has even been suggested that entire cities should be made that float. By the end of this century London and New York could both be regularly, or even permanently, flooded.

For ideas see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-27425225 .

Why I am voting Green next week

See http://reasonstovotegreen.herokuapp.com/ .

No political party perfectly matches my wishes but the closest are the Greens and they will be getting my vote next week. I do not see this as a wasted vote at all, rather a chance to say how I feel about many matters.

UKIP may pick up some  protest votes but I want to vote for a real party with real policies. UKIP seem to be strong on getting out of Europe but very little else. The Green manifesto looks well thought out. They have changed. Make up your own mind.

Use your vote next week.

The Greens - a wise choice.

Quadcopters

At a BBQ a few years ago one of the guests had a small quadcopter controlled by wi-fi from an iPad. Equipped  with stabilisers and an in-built camera it was able to fly over the assembled guests and we could all see ourselves on the iPad from about 20-30m above ground level. Prices then were around £200 but I expect prices have dropped. Great fun with iPad control and in-built camera. Of course drones have war uses, but this was a nice benign application. The design looked robust enough to survive the occasional crash although most have algorithms to land safely if out of wi-fi range, I believe.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27403761 .

Weather and moods

It is funny how the weather influences ones mood. Today here we have started the day here with very bright sunshine and I feel much better: still giddy and still slightly sick inside, but feeling much more positive.

At the moment I am on 400ml of liquid feed via my stomach peg. Next week this reduces to 200ml, all being well.  I am eating 4 meals a day by mouth (breakfast, lunch, tea and supper) and have 2-3 drinks by mouth. I am maintaining the same weight I was when on 900ml of liquid feed, which is 11 stone.

All being well, I shall be off the peg feed (directly into my stomach) during June and that will be a real milestone on the road to full recovery. I still have to conquer the giddiness and sickness.

Sepura shares

Sepura shares have been "on the up" recently. They fell back to around 132p but have climbed back to 140p. Not too long ago they were worth about 30p.   Unfortunately shares can fluctuate widely, but recent movements suggest Sepura must be doing something right.

Lawns

Most weeks, our "London" son visits us with our granddaughter Amandine. Whilst here, he usually cuts the front and rear lawns, bless him. To save him time, my wife Lis mowed (part of) the rear lawn.

Granddaughter Amandine (nearly 3) being a butterfly today

Lis dislikes me being ill: in days gone by I would do both lawns in about 1 hour. These days it is a real struggle for me. I wish it wasn't so, but I cannot help it.  I'd love not to depend on anyone. Roll on that day, please.

3 steps forward and 2 back?

This is the pattern my stroke recovery seems to take. Some days are good and I feel things are improving, only for this to be followed by a day or more when I appear to slide backwards.

Today has been a bad day: although food and drinks have gone down OK, I feel very giddy and tire easily. I very much hope I can overcome the giddiness. This and the uncomfortable sickness feeling in my stomach and food pipe are making life very hard.

If  I am honest, only sleep is a release.  Days are long and uncomfortable and I am sure no-one (not even my long suffering wife) understands just how miserable life still is for me. I very much want to be well again and able to do all the things I used to be able to do. But almost everything I do exhausts me. A slight bit of gardening and I am zonked out

I keep going because people tell me I will get better given time. God, I hope they are right as life as it is now is unbearable for too much longer.