USAF to leave Mildenhall, Alconbury and Molesworth bases

This will impact our local economy but I am not sorry to see the US leave these bases. They were always sinister places that gave me the creeps driving past.

There was some talk of moving Marshalls plane repairs from Cambridge to Mildenhall. I guess that becomes more feasible now? Of course the negative impact of these places closing as USAF bases is a loss of thousands of local jobs It also means lettings of homes to US airbase personnel will end too.

Ebola - UK nurse still critical

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30694638 .

The UK nurse who caught ebola whilst treating others in West Africa is still described as "critical". She is receiving experimental treatment, but the outcome is uncertain. We all hope she makes a full recovery.

Speech therapist

Today, a new speech therapist called and she has set up further sessions most weeks during January and early February. The good news is she can tell things, with my speech and breathlessness, can be improved and she has given me more exercises to do.

I was favourably impressed with the new girl.

My speech is the most obvious of my disabilities: I find communicating by voice hard work currently, although I am hopeful that this will improve. My aim is to be able to communicate by voice as I used to be able to do.

FTSE 100 and Sepura shares

This morning, the FTSE 100 share index has been up on recent days, although the markets are still volatile. Sepura - where I used to work - shares (SEPU) are up at the moment too. So far, a good(ish) day but a lot can still happen!

Museum today

It was a busy morning at the museum opposite our bungalow. A lorry was unloading timber for the new museum cafe.    Several volunteers were on hand to help. The top of our close had been coned off to ensure the lorry could get as close as possible.

See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

Further FTSE 100 slide

The  FTSE 100 index was down another 1% this morning, a very poor start to the new year. It may yet recover some ground, or fall even more during the day. I think we are in for some rough times ahead.

FTSE 100 index slides

The FTSE 100 share index is down 2% currently. I guess the market is being spooked by elections in Greece later this month and the continuing turmoil in the Eurozone.

The question is are the pundits right that the FTSE 100 will end the year around 7000? If they are right it is worth sticking with  any shares we might have. The only thing that is certain is the experts are guessing and no-one knows the future. Who expected oil prices to tumble quite as steeply?

UK Ebola nurse

The latest information is that Pauline Cafferkey,the UK nurse who was confirmed as having contracted Ebola whilst working in West Africa, is still critical but that here condition has "stabilised". I wish her well and so hope the experimental treatment she is receiving works. I guess we will soon know.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30657485 .

Our back garden in early January

Our back garden in early January.

At this time of the year, the garden seems asleep and nothing much is happening. Under the soil though, things are stirring. In a few months the gloom of cold winter days will be over, blossom and bulbs will be out and it will again be time to start cutting the grass.

Every season has its pleasure but roll on spring and light evenings!

Canterbury by train

Grandson with some of his paintings.

Today we went by train to see our younger son and his family. The train takes about 2.25 hours each way and we get about 5 hours in Canterbury We could have longer but I find this long enough. Our younger grandson is only 5 but his painting and knitting are both excellent: he has real talent way beyond his years.



Both the young grandchildren, and my wife and I, really enjoyed their dad's cooking. He did an excellent meat and potato pie.

Sociable day

This morning we were invited to neighbours for coffee and this afternoon we went to other friends for  drinks and eats. We are still enjoying the Christmas holidays.

Finding a pile of ancient coins

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-30654568 .

Imagine the massive excitement of discovering a massive hoard of ancient coins (estimated value £1M) that has been buried for 1000 years! When the true value is determined I understand the reward is divided between the landowner and the person who discovered the hoard.

Windmill

This is a photo from our bungalow lounge window of our local, 200 year old, fully restored windmill that is, literally, just over the garden wall. When we eat breakfast we have a great view!

The windmill now sports 4 new sails and when the wind is from the west, they are usually pointing in our direction. Today, the wind was more from a north westerly direction as the sails are in the north west.

See http://www.burwellmuseum.org.uk/ .

Bank bonuses

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30648333 .

Having worked for around 40 years and never getting a bonus ever, I was sickened to hear of the huge bonuses recently paid out by the bank Goldman-Sachs. Sorry, but they get paid silly money to be what?

In my opinion, no-one deserves this sort of money.  Like professional footballers, some people earn stupid money to basically gamble our money. I am sure these people lead stressful lives but so do lots of people who never ever get a bonus.

Stroke update

As it is the first day of the new year,  2015, it is time for some new resolutions and a health update. The latter is for me really so I can calibrate future improvements that I hope to see during the year.

Health update
Currently, I have 4 main issues. When walking or doing anything physical I get very tired.  I get giddy when walking. Drinking thin liquids (e.g tea or coffee) is hard and only possible in small sips. My voice is very poor and speaking tires me. I get breathless.  People find me hard to understand.  This is very frustrating as, to me, it sounds loud and clear. Although I am allowed alcoholic drinks, wine tastes sharp and I do not enjoy it. Most food is now OK. I can drive but, by and large, I have only driven locally.  Improvements have slowed considerably in the last 6 months.

Resolutions

• To do exercises so that when I speak I can be understood;
• To continue to improve my stamina;
• To be able to drink wine again;
• To be able to drink water, tea and coffee normally again;
• To take a picture for my 365 project daily;
• To do field experiments on my radio before Easter;
• To visit the South Hams. Last year was the first time ever I'd not been to Devon.

More than anything, I want to get back to normal health again. 2014 was disappointing as I was hoping to be fully fit again by now.  Perhaps I was being naive and did not realise just how lucky I was to be as good as I am? Anyway, I really hope 2015 will be the breakthrough year.

Happy New Year

May I wish every blog reader a very happy new year.  None of us knows what the future holds - as far as we are able, the future is ours to determine unless health issues scupper these.  Whatever your circumstances, I wish you best wishes for a happy, healthy and fulfilling 2015.

FTSE 100 share index

After a moderate start, the index has been drifting lower during the morning. Although just higher than it started the day, I fancy it will be in negative territory by the close. 

Most forecasters are expecting a new all time FTSE 100 high (7000 +) by the end of next year, barring any shocks.

Early spring?

We have just been to Anglesey Abbey and there were just a few daffodils in flower already, which is very early for up here. There were some snowdrops and hellebores coming out too. Spring early?

Early daffodils (Dec 30th 2014) today at Anglesey Abbey

Slipping FTSE 100 index

At lunchtime the FTSE 100 had fallen about 1% and it look like it could go lower still this afternoon. In the whole of 2014, the FTSE 100 has fallen about 4-5%.

UPDATE 1615z:  The FTSE 100 index has fallen about 1.42% so far today.

Ebola - case in the UK

So, a case of Ebola has been confirmed in a health worker returning from Sierra Leone. She is now in isolation. Let us hope she recovers and few others have been infected.

Greece to Italy ferry fire

This was a stupid incident,which smacks of incompetence or poor training.

Why were the crew so poorly trained that the fire was still burning away after 24 hours? Why did people have to be 24 hours or more in some cases waiting on the upper deck to be rescued? Why did anyone have to die? Apparently, 10 people died.  All survivors are now reported to be off the ferry.

I know the seas were bad, but one gets rough weather and crews should be able to deal with this. Sorry, but someone needs to be held accountable.

Broadchurch - series 2

Not sure how we came to miss the first series on TV - we saw it on DVD instead. There is a follow-up series (series 2) on ITV starting on Jan 5th. We will be watching this as the first series was very good dr

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadchurch .

FTSE 100 index

This morning, the main UK share index started up a little bit but seems to be drifting lower as the day progresses.  It looks likely to end little changed on the day, unless there are late surprises.

UPDATE 1712z:  The FTSE 100 ended the day marginally higher.

Another plane goes missing in S.E.Asia

Although the indications so far are that this is a tragic bad weather accident, the mind inevitably goes back to the loss of MH370 earlier in the year, of which no trace of wreckage has ever been found. AirAsia flight QZ8501 flying to Singapore with 162 passengers has not been heard of since requesting a change direction due to bad weather.

UPDATE 29.12.14 1237z:  Indications suggest it crashed into the Java Sea. Tragic. There is a search and rescue mission  in progress although hopes of finding any survivors are slim.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-30620761 .

Simple pleasures

Over the Christmas period we have seen all our family and all our grandchildren. This is a picture of our "London" grandchildren walking up the lane to the windmill that is next to our house. I am ahead of them.  Our house is to the right, just out of the shot. You can just see the hedge bordering the front garden  on the right hand of the picture. The windmill has recently been restored. It is nearly 200 years old.

Service of 9 lessons and carols from Kings

We have just watched and listened to this service. We recorded this earlier over Christmas. Since the end of WW1 in 1918, this service has been held in Kings College Chapel. It is now broadcast worldwide.

Kings College Chapel is one of the world's most famous buildings. We
have a free pass to get in. Being local, it is all too easy to take all the splendid buildings in Cambridge for granted. Since retiring, I have taken them for granted far less than when I worked in Cambridge.   My wife and I often say what a wonderful city it is. If we were on holiday here we'd enjoy it!  We really are very lucky living so close.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_College,_Cambridge  .

See http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services/nine-lessons/history.html .

Christmas time

Whether you celebrate Christmas as a Christian or simply as a time in mid-winter when you can enjoy some good food and family company, I hope Dec 25th was a very happy time for you.

What happened in the Middle East over 2000 years ago this Christmas may never be properly known, but just perhaps something extraordinary did happen back then. The stories about it have passed down over the centuries. They may be inaccurate, mixed up, partly myth, or totally wrong. Somehow though I have a deep sense that in this muddled, often contradictory, set of accounts there is something timeless and important we need to respond to.

And here is the famous poem by John Betjeman that senses this. In the midst of the humdrum activities of Christmas - the presents and the food and the decorations - there is that mystery. What really happened? What is the message?

Christmas

The bells of waiting Advent ring,
The Tortoise stove is lit again
And lamp-oil light across the night
Has caught the streaks of winter rain.
In many a stained-glass window sheen
From Crimson Lake to Hooker’s Green.

The holly in the windy hedge
And round the Manor House the yew
Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,
The altar, font and arch and pew,
So that villagers can say
‘The Church looks nice’ on Christmas Day.

Provincial public houses blaze
And Corporation tramcars clang,
On lighted tenements I gaze
Where paper decorations hang,
And bunting in the red Town Hall
Says ‘Merry Christmas to you all’

And London shops on Christmas Eve
Are strung with silver bells and flowers
As hurrying clerks the City leave
To pigeon-haunted classic towers,
And marbled clouds go scudding by
The many-steepled London sky.

And girls in slacks remember Dad,
And oafish louts remember Mum,
And sleepless children’s hearts are glad,
And Christmas morning bells say ‘Come!’
Even to shining ones who dwell
Safe in the Dorchester Hotel.

And is it true? and is it true?
The most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window’s hue,
A Baby in an ox’s stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me?

And is it true? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant.

No love that in a family dwells,
No carolling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this single Truth compare -
That God was Man in Palestine
And lives to-day in Bread and Wine.

— John Betjeman (1906 - 1984)

Template for blog?

I am experimenting with a more cheerful template. Please let me have any feedback on this e.g. is it clearer? Is it worse? etc. The basic content should still be as before.

British Rail

Yet again,  British Rail is in trouble. Over running engineering work has closed Kings Cross station in London and poor passengers are badly lacking information. This is not excusable. British Rail need to try harder to ease the problems for passengers.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30607689 .

City Link administration

Some 12 years ago I witnessed first hand the entering into administration of Simoco. Happily I survived and entered the new company Sepura that came out of the ashes. Grown men who had worked for years left with virtually nothing. Some were in tears. It was a very sad day.

So, when I heard about the administration at City Link, announced on Christmas day, my heart sank. Apparently the company had been in trouble for some while, but an announcement on Christmas Day is the ultimate in bad timing. I wish those who will lose jobs every hope they soon find new work.

Family gone home

After a couple of hectic, but enjoyable weeks, during which we have seen all our family including both our sons, their wives and all our grandchildren, the house is again very quiet. It was lovely to see them all, but I was very tired.

Christmas

We have family here from Dec 24th until Dec 26th so blog updates will be infrequent during this period. May I wish all readers a very happy Christmas whether with family or alone. For some this can be a difficult time. It is the season of love and kindness. My hope is you find love and kindness whatever your situation. 

Birthday today

Today is my 66th birthday. There were times in the last year or so when I thought I would never see this day or this Christmas, but slowly my body is recovering, thank goodness.

This last year has been very tough for my wife and I, so I sincerely hope that 2015 will be a better year for us.  Lis has been my carer as well as my wife and I am so grateful for her love, patience and kindness.

Stroke update

Of late, I have become frustrated that I am not making improvements at the rate earlier in my recovery. I still get giddy, still get tired too easily and still have issues drinking thin liquids. I expected to be back to full health by now. Maybe in 2015?