Migrant birds

Around this time most of our summer migrant birds are heading south for warmer weather and more insects. Most swifts will have gone now to return here at the end of April or the start of May next year.

Today I saw a swallow and that may be the last this year. Some young birds may be around for a few weeks and it is just possible some may remain in South Devon and South Cornwall all year. Just a few may survive on the coast where there may be insects near seaweed all year. I once saw some swallows in South Devon on Dec 7th but that is very late. No, most are now gone to return next spring, at least gone from East Anglia. Some travel thousands of miles all the way to South Africa - a truly remarkable journey -  often returning to the very same next site they left. Quite remarkable.

The migration of birds is almost miraculous. I am sorry to see them leave but my heart is always glad when they return.

Of course, to some birds we are seen as warm! The Whooper and Bewick swans join us for our winter as do the fieldfares and redwings.

Waxwing

If really lucky, we might even see a waxwing. I keep looking but have failed so far. Some winters there are thousands, but I have not been lucky, as yet. They are often seen on berries in supermarket car parks. You just have to be in the right place at the right time.

See http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/w/waxwing/ .

There is something good in every season.

UPDATE 1750z:  There were 2 swallows overhead in the pleasant afternoon sunshine.

Burwell Museum and Windmill

Burwell Museum now includes the restored windmill. Entirely manned by volunteers it is a truly exceptional museum and there is so much to see and do. Our grandchildren love going there. Luckily we live right opposite the windmill and can see it when we eat our meals!

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

Several updates to the East Anglian Churches blog

Today we visited the delightful Norfolk town of Hingham with its greens and fine Georgian houses. We ate lunch at the Lincoln Tea Shoppe and Bistro which is across the main Norwich-Watton road from the church and just off Fairgreen. Onthe way there and back we visited several churches and I have updated the church blog to include this.

Earlier this week we returned to Dalham church so I have updated the entry last February for Dalham too.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Stroke

Stroke - I am still finding things out. The latest revelation seems to be an inability to realise when spellings are wrong. In the past I could easily tell when things were wrong but sometimes it is days before I spot a spelling mistake or that a word is missing.

I also struggle with words - I just cannot bring to mind the right word. I know this did not happen before. I have been struggling since Saturday for one word. I still cannot recall the right word! FRACTAL! Now I have looked it up I shall probably remember it. It is almost as if dragging things up from some parts of my brain is harder than it was.

Jeremy Corbyn elected Labour leader

You either love him or hate him it seems. Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as the new UK Labour leader by a huge majority that would not have been believed just a few months ago.

I cannot see his left wing views finding favour with the voting public and I cannot see Labour regaining government at the next General Election due in 2020. He has radical views (very left wing). Personally, I think some of his ideas are good ones. We live in interesting times.

After WW2 a very left wing government was elected (ousting Churchill) and introduced the NHS and nationalised the mines and the railways. Who can tell what people will want in 2020? Maybe when Cameron leaves office we will see a big swing to the left?

Churches blog updated

Last week we visited Blythburgh and Ufford Churches. I have updated the East Anglian Churches blog to include these. I may add further photos later.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Yet another stroke artifact?

Something else I have noticed is I find it harder to spot spelling mistakes. In the past spelling mistakes were obvious: words just shouted out as wrong, but these days I find I struggle more to even realise the spelling is wrong. Sometimes it is my keyboard but more often it is my inability to spot the error. This is I'm sure an after-effect of my cerebellum brain bleed and not old age.

Also, I tend to forget some things. I may have posted something along these lines before! If so, you may have read this already in the last few months - please accept my apologies. Thankfully, my intellect is still sharp.

Aldeburgh trip

Cottage next to Ufford Church

Today we went to Aldeburgh on the East Coast of East Anglia. We stopped at Snape Maltings for lunch and stopped at Ufford Church on the way there and Blythburgh Church on the way home. Both are famous. At Aldeburgh we saw the famous shell sculpture on the beach. Some hate it, but it is quite dramatic. I like it. It stands about 4m high. At 154 miles, round trip, this was my longest drive since my stroke. At the end I was tired, but it was a lovely day in the September sunshine.  The drive to Devon (where I come from) should be doable with a break on the way there and back.

Sculpture on beach at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldeburgh .

Longest reigning monarch

Later today the UK queen will beat Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch in British history. I have mixed views on monarchy: it seems to work here (at least with the current queen who is well respected) and I cannot readily think who would be president if we were a republic. Yet somehow the idea of rank and privilege grates on me: why should someone be queen just because her "line" is royal?  No,  I think our queen has served us well, but I have mixed views on the monarchy as a concept.

UPDATE 1856z:  It is official.  The present queen is the longest reigning British monarch of all time.

Syria needs fixing!

I am no politician, but Syria is being torn apart by civil war. An end to the conflict has to be ironed out or the deaths and displacement of millions will go on. The refugee crisis now unfolding is a symptom of the deep unrest in that troubled nation.

It is high time the major powers (USA and Russia in particular) worked together with all sides to forge a fair and lasting peace. No vested interests please, just the well being of all the people in Syria.

It still puzzles me why not a single Gulf state has taken any Syrian refugees.

Butterfly

This morning we did a walk at nearby Anglesey Abbey (NT).  I think this butterfly was dying as it allowed me to get very close indeed without moving. It was on a bush in the herbaceous border.

Weather

According to the Met Office records we had 10% more rain last month than average for August. We seem to have had a very dull summer here with few settled periods:  we seem to have had a few good days followed by rain and yet more rain. We seem to have had no big blocking high pressure systems that give good weather for several weeks.  Maybe we will see this in the autumn?

China and the FTSE 100

Despite the bad times in China that are rocking markets around the world, the UK FTSE 100 share index is currently up 2.11%. It seems like it wants to recover lost ground but is being held back.

My own view is that what is happening in China is deadly serious and we are heading for another huge crash that, especially for the average Chinese, will make the Wall Street Crash of 1929 seem tame. This could result in revolution in China and real turmoil over there. We will not come out of this unscathed. The world is just shutting its eyes and pretending it is "business as usual". It is not! 

The age of low cost imports from China is gradually ending and the world has to adjust. No doubt sweat shops in other poorer countries will replace China, but personally I hope it means more real manufacturing in the EU and USA.  At the moment almost everything you buy is "made in China".

Mr Cameron

Yet again Mr Cameron talks out of his backside WRT refugees. We should be doing our part alongside the rest of the EU to help genuine refugees. Does he REALLY expect the rest of the EU to be on his side when thinking of changes ahead of the referendum? He is doing everything to alienate most EU countries.

More spooking by China

This afternoon the FTSE 100 share index is down by around 3.5%. The main reason is weak economic data from China. The markets are getting clear signals that China's economy is far from healthy and this is well and truly spooking the markets. It could still fall further in later trading.

More stroke artifacts

Yet another stroke artifact seems to be an inability to spot spelling mistakes as easily as before. Sometimes it takes me ages to think how a word is spelt (or is it spelled?). Often it is hours (or days) later that I notice the mistake! In writing this short piece I made at least one mistake whilst writing it.

Singing for the UK Prime Minister

This evening we are off to a concert in Ely Cathedral and this reminded me of the occasion many years ago when my wife was singing a choral concert in the same venue when the Prime Minister of the day, John Major, turned up! He was surrounded by bodyguards and wanted to just be "ordinary" but the committee insisted he got front row seats! His daughter was playing in the orchestra.

The Cambridgeshire Choral Society starts rehearsals for the new season later this month. You are welcome to join. Men are especially welcome.

House quiet again

All the grandchildren have now gone home and the house is quiet again. It was lovely to have seen them all in the last 10 days. Having them is great, but we do get tired these days! Would I have it any different? No. We love them all.

Blair - oh, DO shut up

As if anybody would pay good money to hear what this "left wing" (so called) politician has to say. He is rumoured to earn £150k for just one after dinner speech.

Yet again he is telling us all that Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable. At least Mr Corbyn has guts. No, Mr Bliar, shut up - you had your chance and showed your true colours later. I am afraid I trust Mr Corbyn a lot more than you. Who can say what the electorate may want in 5 years' time? I have not voted Labour for several years but like what Mr Corbyn has to say. Maybe a strong left winger and left leaning party is what we will need?

Simple pleasures

It is surprising how the simplest of things give pleasure. Today, for example, our "London" grandchildren took great pleasure in collecting conkers and helping to make tarts with the blackberries collected yesterday.

This evening I enjoyed yet another game of chess with our 7 year old who this morning wanted to vacuum clean the house! No it is often the simplest things that we, and they, remember.

The photo shows them helping in the back garden before lunch.

Daddy-long-legs

It is that season again with lots of spiders in the house and plenty of daddy-long-legs. Luckily neither worry me. In fact, I quite like both.

One year we had 15 daddy-long-legs in our bedroom! I love the way these creatures just bumble around bumping into everything.

Yet more stroke after-effects

This morning my wife was talking about a road in our village. I could not remember at all where this road was. Most things I remember well, but it was as if this part of my memory has been erased. I am pretty sure this is yet another artifact of my stroke and nothing else. Of course, I wonder what else is missing! I need triggers to jolt my memory. Oddly, since the jolt this morning I have had no problem at all remembering where this road is. It is as if I needed the jolt to recall the memory.  Another thing: I seem to be far more emotional than before. Things that would not have made me tearful can bring on the tears nowadays. I am sure this is my stroke. Overall, I still feel giddy, still have problems with many thin drinks and certain things still exhaust me. To others I look perfectly well, whereas inside I still feel very poorly. In many ways if I looked less well I might be better understood.

More on the climbing FTSE 100

The FTSE 100 share index here in the UK recovered further today, presumably based on better short-term news out of China.

UPDATE 2004z:  The FTSE 100 ended the day well up, climbing 3.56% on the day.  People seem to think the crisis in China is over. Think again.  As they say, "we ain't seen anything yet". Batten down the hatches we are all in for a very rough ride. This will make 1929 look like a walk in the park.

FTSE 100 recovering?

It is too early in the day to be sure, but at the moment the FTSE 100 index is well up on the dramatic falls seen yesterday.

China is still spooking the stock markets around the world. Investors are worried by the slower growth in China and are wondering if its engine is losing steam and the impact this will have on the world. Lots of us are dependent on China as big pension funds may have invested heavily in China.

East Anglian Churches - blog updated

Last week we called at delightful Aylsham in north Norfolk on our way to Blickling (NT). We visited the church there and I have updated our East Anglian Churches blog.

See http://eachurches.blogspot.co.uk/

Summer?

Unless we get an Indian Summer I think we have now seen the best of the summer weather. There has been no prolonged good weather all summer. Today it feels much cooler and there are 3 lows waiting to drop rain on us. We have had heavy rain over parts of the UK today. A few years ago we had our best weather all year in early October.

Park and Ride services

It always puzzles me why some local authorities make it cheaper to park in the centres of busy cities than use Park and Ride services, when provided. Park and Ride services should be priced so that they are always the less expensive option otherwise why bother?

Another stroke side-effect?

Another after-effect of my cerebellum brain bleed seems to be a degree of lack of inhibition. Sometimes this is seen as being tactless,  and this may be so, but maybe I see things "as they are" more clearly now and am prepared to express this? There is no doubt this gets me in to trouble at times.  In many social situations it is better to say nothing than the wrong thing.

BTW, I am on no medication for my stroke, just statins which I have taken for years which keeps my cholesterol in good limits with no side effects that I am aware of at least.

BBC loses Met Office as weather forecast provider

Next year, the BBC will no longer use the Met Office for its weather forecasts. I have no idea who they will use instead. I very much doubt the forecasts will be any better, but at least they will be able to buy better seaweed.

Brunch at our local farm shop

All being well, we hope to treat our "Kent" grandchildren to brunch at La Hogue later this morning.

Grandchildren

This weekend we have our younger son from Kent and his family staying. The grandchildren are still very little and quite a handful! Later next week we have our "London" grandchildren staying. Quite a week.

FTSE 100 well down today

The FTSE 100 is down to close to its lowest point for a year. Maybe, just maybe, things will recover a bit next week, but this looks serious. Personally, I think it will fall well below 6000 before we see any recovery.

The markets now have a new worry on top of all the other worries - a snap election in Greece. What with the slow down in China, the risk we in the UK will leave the EU, falling oil prices, there is a lot of uncertainty around. This spooks the stock market.

As someone famous once said," you ain't seen anything yet".

Starlings

We live right next to a restored windmill which is almost 200 years old. As I write this the starlings are gathering on the windmill sails. I think they congregate on the windmill before heading off to a roost. At the moment there are about 40 birds, but sometimes I can see more than 100. At one time starlings were quite rare, but we see a fair few!

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_starling .

Sepura shares up today

Despite the falling FTSE 100 share index, I see that shares in my old Company, Sepura, are well up today.

Sepura makes and sells TETRA digital radios which are sold worldwide mainly to public safety organisations. They also sell DMR radios.  Since I left, many years ago now, the shares have done well and have risen a lot.

Maybe it was me going?