Housing costs in the South Hams, Devon

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28648704.

The gap between house prices and average earnings is huge in the South Hams with a ratio of 14.8 times. This makes most homes unaffordable to locals who work there. Average house price there is £304,012 and average earnings £20,478.

Places like Salcombe will impact results and some remote inland villages, with poor infrastructure, will be a little less bad. It is becoming a very serious issue.

97th birthday

Had my mother not had cancer a few years ago, she would have celebrated her 97th birthday today. Both my brother and I thought she would make it to 100, but it was not to be.

Grandchildren gone home

Well, the house is almost quiet again after the visit of our son Chris and his family. Just an old friend Josie is still here. She will be leaving soon. Josie is God mum to our smallest granddaughter.

Family day today

At around 12 noon, we are expecting our son Chris and family to arrive from Kent. They plan to go to the annual Pumpkin Fair in Soham and then some are off to nearby Newmarket to see The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe performed at the Nomads Theatre. It should be a nice weekend for them and for us.

Image on LHS is located at http://www.sohampumpkinfair.co.uk/images/mrpumpkin_welcome.jpg .  

Image copyright is with originating website and link will be removed if requested, but you are getting free publicity!

Our granddaughter surrounded by pumpkins!

Stomach PEG coming out soon (stroke)

Having seen the dietician nurse in clinic at Addenbrooke's today, it is now likely that my stomach PEG will be removed "in the coming weeks".   Just how it comes out will be decided shortly.   It means that the water I currently inject directly into my stomach will have to be by mouth soon. As my swallow of liquids is still not that easy, this will be non-trivial, but do-able. Regarding alcohol, the dieticians could see no reason why the odd glass of wine should be an issue, but they suggested I discuss with my GP in case it is linked to the pills I take. I doubt this.

"Deadly serious" computer security vulnerability

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29361794 .

Computer experts are warning about a new vulnerability that could affect many millions of computers worldwide.

Lower cost car insurance?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29339753 .  It looks like car insurances may drop in cost soon. I hope so, as insuring cars is an expensive business. In my own case I have to declare my brain bleed a year ago to my insurer as "a pre-existing condition".  I have no idea what difference this will make to how much I shall have to pay. Not too much I hope.

Never trust a politician?

The last time I voted Conservative was in a local election some 40 odd years ago. I am what people call "a floating voter" as I vote according to my conscience and a have voted Labour, Lib Dem and Green in the past. Although I have sympathy with some Labour policies, I find it hard to trust the current Labour leader  who seems ineffective to me. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29335450 .

At the moment I am very undecided who to vote for in the General Election next year.  Maybe when their policies are better explained I'll be able to decide. Voting Conservative rather goes against the grain - their policies do seem to support the well heeled, but they have done a reasonably credible job so far in the coalition government in the last 4 years. Labour is likely to have stoked the National Debt even more. This worries me for the future.

The basic message is we have to learn to live within our means as individuals and as a nation.   Whichever party truly believes this and has the right policies will (probably) get my vote.   It is a long time since we ruled the world and had an empire that allowed us to exploit it.

UK wide webcams

See http://www.camsecure.co.uk/Camsecure_Live_Demo_Index.html for a map listing many UK free webcams. A useful place to look.

Windy in S.Devon?

Every few days, I check the webcams in the South Hams.

Just looked at the one in Hope Cove where it looks cold and windy. See http://www.camsecure.co.uk/SalcombeHopeCove.html . As I write this, it is dark. The flag is visible blowing around in the wind. In the daytime it is a lot more interesting.

Hope Cove is where there were Lapthorns nearly 500 years ago, and possibly much earlier too. I have one record of a Lapthorn sharing a piece of land nearby (parish of South Huish) in 1428.

Anglesey Abbey with granddaughter

Today has been quite an energetic day for me. Firstly I walked to and from the doctors.

Then "Active For Life" at the gym in Newmarket and then, after lunch, a 1.82km walk at Anglesey Abbey (National Trust). The latter was with our son and his daughter. At the end I was very tired.

The picture shows a line of dahlia heads stretching nearly as far as the eye can see with one of our sons and granddaughters.

Lawns

Today marked a milestone in the recovery from my brain bleed:  I managed to cut both the front and back lawns in a single session in the garden. OK, by the end I was very tired, but at least I managed it. The lawns are not that small either. The front lawn is tapered and is about 80 feet long. The rear lawn is about 15-20 feet wide and 70 feet long.

A natural?

Our grandson has a way with animals. He loves them and cares for them and they seem to reciprocate.

Here he is holding a small bantam hen. Before long he will be wanting pets.

When he grows up, I can see him as a vet, but he may change. He is a very gentle and loving little boy.

As a child I had a tame bantam hen called Margaret that ate off the same plate as our cairn terrier. She was very tame. Our grandson reminds me of the love I had as a child.  When that little bantam eventually died, I was heartbroken.

Our house from the church tower

This panoramic view is on the Burwell Community Website. Our house is just visible as the roof in front of the windmill. Please visit the link for more information about the village and a bigger, clearer panorama.

http://www.burwell.co.uk

Burwell Museum - worth a visit

http://66.147.244.76/~burwellm/

I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Burwell Museum. It is PACKED with interesting exhibits and "punches above it weight". Ideal for everyone aged from 3 to 103.

Open 11-5 Thursdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays Easter to late October.

Anglesey Abbey (National Trust)

Anglesey Abbey (NT)

This afternoon we went to Anglesey Abbey (NT) for a walk of about 1.6km. The dahlias are still out but they are now past their best.  They have a novel way of using the old dahlias heads - see picture. Some are in a 220m line of dahlia heads and some are hung from a tree as in the photo.

Although still giddy and I tire easily, the walking itself is not problematic. In fact I enjoy it very much. We bumped into 3 old friends whilst there.

From Al Jazeera news - does bombing help?

See http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/09/confronting-isil-why-bombing-d-2014918103329702304.html .

Interesting piece by Rachael Shabi on the Al Jazeera website questioning whether or not bombings in the Middle East actually helps stop terrorists. In the past, these moves have failed.

Imams speak out

Imams have published a YouTube video pleading for the release of British taxi driver Alan Henning. They condemn holding him ("an innocent humanitarian aid worker") as being against Sharia Law.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29289304 .

"Executing this man is totally haram," he said. "Impermissible, prohibited according to sharia for a number of reasons."

Salmond to step down

It seems a pity to me but apparently Alex Salmond is stepping down as First Minister of Scotland after not winning the referendum. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29277527.   Although he did not win, I thought he was magnanimous in defeat. It is a great shame he is stepping down.

Autumn

It is amazing, although not too surprising, how just a few weeks can make so much difference.

Although the grass is still growing vigorously and needs cutting every week still, the nights are really drawing in now and it will be dark at 7pm very soon now. Some of the trees are turning golden.

We have had a very good summer and the autumn fruits and berries have been 4-6 weeks early. Most mornings I can still find wild blackberries on my strolls. I love all seasons - we are lucky in the UK to have 4 distinct seasons all lovely in their own special way. I agree with the Met Office seasons which, to me, fit well:

Dec, Jan, Feb - winter
Mar. Apl, May - spring
June, July, Aug - summer
Sept, Oct, Nov - autumn.

My favourite season of all is spring when things come alive again with fresh new growth and the migrant birds return from winter in Africa. In the meantime, let us enjoy autumn and winter for their special charms. On dry days, usually in January, the light is low and wonderful.

I hope next year that I am fit again. This year has been hard as I have been so unwell.

Scotland votes to stay in UK

Good news but more devolved power likely across UK as "yes" to an independent nation was quite strong.

Archbishop admits doubts about God.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29255318 .

The Archbishop of Canterbury explains that it was acceptable to occasionally have doubt, and still be a Christian. He added: "The extraordinary thing about being a Christian is that God is faithful even when we're not. When we get into the wrong place he comes alongside us and says, 'Right let's go from here.'"

His remarks were made at an event in Bristol Cathedral in which the Archbishop spoke about why he believes in God and how his faith in Jesus has transformed his life.

Scotland decides

By tomorrow morning we should know if Scotland is to leave the UK or stay as part of the union it has belonged to for 307 years.

Although I hope people there stay in the UK, it is their decision. If they leave, I suspect it will prove hard.  Most results won't be known before breakfast, so I won't be glued to the TV overnight, fun though it might be. Breakfast TV will have all the results probably.

We have some affinity with Scotland. One of my sons was at university in Glasgow for 4 years and then worked there for a year.

Ebola and economies

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29239604 .  The World Bank believes the current Ebola outbreak could ruin many West African economies. The Ebola outbreak is killing thousands. President Obama has warned of the dangers to the world from it and has offered more troops.

There are some vaccines being tested, but it is early days for these. The real danger is if it spreads to more populated nations when further spreads could be even harder to contain. Imagine Ebola on a tube train.

Scottish Referendum

The vote tomorrow in which Scotland will decide if it is to leave the UK will be a close call according to the experts. Whatever the outcome, we have to respect the views expressed.

At the moment it looks like the "yes" vote i.e. Scotland votes to leave the UK, may just win. If it does, I suspect that Scotland will find it gets quite hard quite soon.

Personally, I agree with Mr Salmond on Trident: it is a total waste of money and Scotland will be better without it. Mind you, the vote is very important for far more reasons than this. I urge all Scots to think carefully.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29235191 .

 Apparently the .scot domain name will soon be available.  See http://www.lcn.com/dotscot?utm_campaign=dotscotlaunchfb&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=CAsidebar .

UPDATE 1625z:  There are a lot of people in the "don't know" or "undecided" category. A lot will depend on these votes. It could go either way. The latest opinion polls show a narrow lead to the "no" campaign, but there are lots of undecided voters who could swing the result either way.

Spare £1.95M anyone? Landmark, Salcombe.

See http://search.savills.com/content/assets/properties/gbetrsexs140087/EXS140087_02_gal.JPG .

This fine "Arts and Crafts" house, which was once owned by author Paul Gallico, is on the market for £1.95million.  I fear the developers will simply sell to the highest bidder and the site will be extensively redeveloped, mainly for greed and a quick profit. The sellers own sales literature even says, "Possible redevelopment opportunity". It is pretty clear what they want.  This is a very fine house, which should be kept as it is. It has real history with it once being Paul Gallico's home where many of his books were written. It is a rare gem.

See http://search.savills.com/property-detail/gbetrsexs140087 . This building should be listed and developers prevented from making "a fast buck" by selling such houses! Salcombe is rapidly being ruined by the greed of those with no real interest in the town.   Already locals are being priced out. In 20 years Salcombe will be dead - just a playground for those with "loads of money" and very little sense. My dad used to call them the "Hooray Henry" brigade. You know the type. Salcombe is beng bought up by those earning silly money such as Premier League footballers and bankers and the like who earn millions in bonuses for basically gambling with OUR money. Sorry, but I get very angry when I see good, hard working locals unable to afford to live in their own town.

I have no idea whether listing a building that is on the market is possible or not. To try, write to customers@english-heritage.org.uk .

Spelling mistakes

It is taking me a long time to discover some of the subtleties of my stroke last year. Some after-effects are very obvious, but others more difficult to discern.

I am finding that I am quite slow to notice spelling errors in my blog posts. Usually these get corrected but on my other blog I had a spelling mistake in a title for most of the day before I spotted it! I think my intellect is fine, but I do seem to have more problems with spelling and short-term memory.

Gaza in ruins

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-29086193 . Exactly what are Israeli aims in Gaza? The wholesale destruction of the state? Looking at these images, one could be forgiven for thinking this.

It is high time the Middle East states around Israel accept Israel's right to exist in peace with its neighbours, and high time Israel forged real peace deals with its Arab neighbours. Live and let live, in a just peace, fair to all.

Stroke update

I read one of my posts from very early in the year. In it, I was hoping that after 6 months at home I would be fully fit. That proved optimistic!

It is now September and I still have great fatigue, speaking is poor (breath is short with little expression/modulation)) and effortful - people find it hard to understand what I say unless I speak very slowly and very deliberately - my balance when walking is not good and drinking can be hard work. Food is, generally, little problem now. Overall, I still have a way to go.

I believe I am now ready to drive the car again (I wrote a reminder to the DVLA this weekend as the neurosurgeon wrote to them in June saying I was fine to drive. My U3A course starts October 8th or 9th I think. It would be good to be driving again by then.

My aim is to be off my PEG before the end of this year and to be fully fit again before the spring. Please.

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness

A delightful photo of our two "Kent" grandchildren taken this autumn in a field near their home this weekend. They are lovely children. We love them lots.

Hope Cove, Devon - webcam

See http://www.camsecure.co.uk/SalcombeHopeCove.html . This webcam is not always on and is best viewed in good daytime light. They suffer from slowish broadband speeds in Hope Cove. You get a good view of the top of the beach from the Sun Bay Hotel, when on.

There are several other Devon webcams listed on this site.

For a full UK index see http://www.camsecure.co.uk/Camsecure_Live_Demo_Index.html .

David Haines - RIP

I cannot understand why, in this day and age, we have to descend into the barbarism of the Middle Ages in defence of any religion. I thought mankind had matured? It beggars belief that some young men choose the path of violent extremism. Surely hearts and minds are better molded by acts of kindness and love? Kindness and love encourage the same to be nurtured and grown. Violence is evil, by anyone.

Stroke - one year on exactly

It is exactly a year since I had my cerebellum bleed and operation. I am still giddy, still have difficulty with some drinks, but my limbs all work and I can eat most foods OK by mouth. At one (low) point I was told I might never, ever, eat or drink again by mouth. I still get frustrated that I am still not "right", but I guess I have come a long way and I should be grateful to have recovered as well as I have.

Peter and Linda visit

My second cousin Peter and his wife Linda called in on their way back from a wedding near Beccles today. They live in a lovely house on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. It was really good to see them both. It is many years since we last met up.

Peter sees my brother quite often in Devon, usually when Plymouth Argyle (football) are playing at home. Peter is a keen supporter.