"Our" windmill video

As this file is nearly 4M large, I have added it as a Dropbox public link. It shows our local windmill with the sails turning. As a public folder, you all should be able to access the file. This windmilll is just over our garden wall and was recently fully restored. It is about 200 years old.

See https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/15047843/windmill.mp4.

Churches Blog - minor changes

Today I have made a few changes to the East Anglian Churches blog - a few text changes and a few new photos added. No new churches until later in the week.

Concert reminder

A reminder that there is a very fine concert on in Cambridge, UK, on the night of April 25th, 7.30pm, at the West Road Concert Hall. This is a great venue with excellent acoustics. If you can come you will not be disappointed. Details are on the attached poster (click to enlarge). You can get tickets before the day (see website www.cambschoral.org.uk for details) or on the door.

Burwell Museum - new look

Our local Burwell Museum has been undergoing a facelift over the winter months. There is now a brand new cafe and shop and many of the exhibits have been changed. It really is superb and well worth a visit.

The visit also allows a good look around the fully restored windmill. The windmill is literally over our garden wall. Quite a few TV programmes have used the windmill recently. Our bungalow has been on national TV at least once, albeit for just a few seconds!

Peacock butterfly

A few days ago we were in Cambridge at St Botolph's church. This butterfly was trapped inside, so I carefully picked it up and took it outside where it could feed. Its wings were closed, so it was only when it was outside that I could identify the species as a peacock, one of our loveliest in the UK.

"London" grandchildren gone home

Our home is very quiet tonight.  Our "London" grandchildren have now left and the others are on holiday with grandparents in Australia. All  4 are aged 7 and under and we love them all.

Sadly, the innocence of young childhood soon goes, so we are making the most of them.

USA and Cuba talking

Like many of my age, I was at school in the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis. I remember going to school wondering if we would be in a nuclear war before the day ended. I was terrified and greeted the peace that broke out at the weekend as if life had started again. Years later I found out that it was even closer than anyone of us knew.

Image is on Wikipedia site.
"LeMay Cuban Missile Crisis". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LeMay_Cuban_Missile_Crisis.jpg#/media/File:LeMay_Cuban_Missile_Crisis.jpg

I find it odd that relations between the USA and Cuba have been so distant for so many years. The Cuban Missile crisis was 1962 and we are now in 2015. At long last, moves are being started to defrost the hostility. Not a minute too soon.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-32263880 .

Churches Blog Updated

Yesterday we visited the oldest building in Cambridge. This is St Bene't's Church (opposite the famous Eagle Pub where Crick and Watson cracked the secrets of DNA). It is very close to the original Cavendish Labs and the world famous Corpus clock (modern - looks like a gold disc with an over-sized insect on top) which is about 100m to the left along the road.

The church dates back to 1000AD. I have updated  our East Anglian Churches Blog accordingly.

So tired

Narrowboats on the R.Cam

This morning we did a walk totalling about 2km down to Bottisham Lock on the River Cam and back.  It involved climbing over 3 stiles. I just cut our back lawn this afternoon.  Now I am totally exhausted!

Give me an hour and I'll be OK, but cutting the grass was so very exhausting, even with 3 breaks.  In normal circumstances I would have been tired, but today it was a combination of (a) the first proper cut at the right blade height this season, so cutting was extra hard and (b) my cerebellum brain bleed after-effects.

Normally I can manage to cut both front and back lawns in one go, but I was just too exhausted to do the front lawn today. Maybe tomorrow?

Overall, I still think I am mending, but my level of fatigue after most physical and mental effort is still very high.

Swallows in Cambridgeshire

The Cambridge Bird Club "What's About" page is now reporting swallows locally again.

Usually I see swallows in Devon in the first week of April, but it is often mid-April until I see them around up here. I guess if you look hard you will see the odd one or two earlier.

The image on the RHS is on the RSPB site and not here. It will be immediately removed if causing copyright or other issues.

See http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/s/swallow/

Returning swallows

The Devon Wildlife website is now reporting the return of lots of swallows. This is good news. Spring returns!

Needless deaths

The world has recently seen a spate of needless deaths. Life is precious and this is so very sad. My wife and I were debating who was killed in the IRA car bomb on the UK parliament in 1979. I thought it was someone else, but it was Airey Neave.

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

King's College, Cambridge added to churches blog

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

King's College Chapel is probably the most famous building in Cambridge and is known the world over. Yesterday my wife and I went there for a lunchtime concert (great) and I have updated the churches blog.

This is a view of King's College Chapel from the River Cam.

Springtime

What a difference a week makes!

It now feels like spring with the birds singing again, buds coming through on trees and bushes, the grass starting to grow and a general feel of spring in the air. It is still cold at times, but overall the feeling is that spring is definitely in the air at last. We had a mild, wet winter, but it will only be a few weeks or less until the summer migrant birds (swallows and house martins soon, swifts at the end of the month) arrive.

I am looking forward to sitting out in the garden again on a light evening. Mid June it is still light here after 10pm.

FTSE 100 up today

The FTSE 100 share index was up again today by 0.54%. It is still some way below its high spot which was over 7000. As the next General Election approaches and there is continuing uncertainty in Greece, more rapid fluctuations are likely.

At the moment, the outcome of the next General Election outcome is a total guess. The 2 big parties (Conservatives and Labour) are still neck and neck at 34% according to recent opinion polls.

Big FTSE 100 falls

The FTSE 100 index fell to 6773 tonight, which is a fall of 1.72%. I think further falls are possible as we run towards the next General Election, the outcome of which is very uncertain.

Rainbow and churches blog

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

Rainbow

Today we visited Wilburton St Peter church located some 10-12 miles north of Cambridge.  Parts of this light and airy church date back to the 13th century.

Today was a showery and blustery day.   On the way home we saw a great rainbow, but it soon disappeared.

Poll tracker

We are now officially in the run-up to the next General Election here in the UK.The two major parties, Conservative and Labour are neck and neck with 34% of the vote. In politics 6 weeks to the General Election is a long time and the odd gaff could rapidly change things.

I am still undecided who to vote for but at the moment it is probably LibDem. If not "first pass the post" I'd probably be voting Green. In this constituency I shall be voting tactically.

For the poll tracker see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/poll-tracker .

Further stroke update

Taking B12 supplements had no effect whatsoever on my fatigue. Currently I am suffering from extreme fatigue, giddiness when walking and poor speech and swallow of some liquids. I am beginning to question if I shall ever be right again. I am determined to be my old self again but it is harder now as any improvements are very small.

Knox and Sollecito acquitted of Kercher murder

So the top court in Italy has acquitted them.

As long as justice has been fairly done I am happy. I have not been following this very closely but it was an odd matter. Amanda Knox seems to have had a strange life in recent days with the threat of extradition back to jail in Italy. As this was from the highest court in Italy I understand it is final.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32096621 .

Clocks go forward tonight

In the UK, clocks go FORWARD an hour to British Summer Time (0100 GMT becomes 0200 BST). It means we get less time in bed, but the evenings are lighter again. It will not be dark until after 1930 BST, which will be good.

Of course, we are now in grass cutting season again. I did a small cut about a week ago and will probably cut again next week.

East Anglian Churches blog - updated again

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

This has been updated today to include St Edward, King and Martyr in Cambridge. This little church has a famous place in the English Reformation as the place where Robert Barnes gave one of the very first Reformation sermons. Hugh Latimer also preached here. The very same pulpit is still in use to this day.

Our 7 year old grandson's day was made earlier this week when he was shown the bells and rang some of them.

Ali, who I think is the tower captain, was really very very kind. Thank you Ali for making his day.

Total exhaustion

Until I had my cerebellum brain bleed in Sept 2013 I had no real conception of total exhaustion. At the  moment almost any physical or mental activity rapidly leave me in a state of near collapse - I get totally exhausted and I just have to rest to regain my strength and equilibrium. At night I sleep very well yet it is usually after breakfast that I feel really, really exhausted.  I guess people with MS and ME feel like this often, but it is very hard for others to appreciate. I hate being like this.  Being on the computer is one of the few activities that does not tire me.

North Sea jobs go

Jobs are being cut in the North Sea oil industry. Although, of course, I hope those losing their jobs soon find new work, we need to invest far more in renewables and less in the past. Oil and gas do not need subsidies. We should be looking to the future.

Also, whilst I can fully understand the short-term benefits of fracking, I see this as a backward step: far better we were investing more in better insulation and renewables.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-32065506 .

East Anglian Churches Blog - updated

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

I have updated the East Anglian churches blog to include Isleham Priory. The entry for Isleham church has also been updated.

Letters from a future king to the government to be published

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32066554 .

The Guardian newspaper has won a ruling that letters from Prince Charles to government ministers some years ago are allowed to be published.

Falling FTSE 100

Already this morning, the FTSE 100 share index has tumbled 1.27% and I have the feeling further falls are likely.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business/markets/europe/lse_ukx .

Rain

We seem to have had far more rain here in East Anglia in recent years. When I first came to this part of England 45 years ago it was pretty dry.   Nowadays we seem to get our fair share of rain. Climate change?

FTSE 100 below 7000 again?

Although there is still a chance it will creep back again, it looks like the FTSE 100 will close below 7000 this evening. With the continued uncertainty in Europe I can see it falling back quite a bit in the coming months.

Lady Day - March 25th

Today, March 25th, is Lady Day. This was an important day years ago linked to the old liturgical calendar, the courts and legal matters.

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

FTSE 100 falls a bit

Although still above 7000, the FTSE 100 index fell 0.26% today. It was in positive territory for most of the day.

I think we could see a lot of turbulence in the run-up to the next UK General Election and in the days and weeks that follow. All the polls suggest a tight result with a clear winner unlikely.

It would not surprise me to have another coalition government. In my view this would be no bad thing if the Lib-Dems were part. I hope UKIP do not do well as they seem to be a messy party with few thought out policies. All they really want it seems is the UK out of Europe. Most of us want a better deal with more control of our borders, but a vote for one of the major parties is likely to be more useful in a "first past the post" election

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business/markets/europe/lse_ukx .

Visit from my brother

This afternoon we picked up my brother John (4 years older than me) from Cambridge railway station. He travelled up from Totnes in Devon by train.  John was a regular visitor when I was in hospital. It was last June that he last came up as every time a visit was planned we seemed to have grandchildren. He is staying until Friday. It is great to see him again.

FTSE 100 reaches new heights

Today, the FTSE 100 reached new heights, some way above 7000. I wonder if it will crash soon?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32014998 .

Stroke - further update

Although there are signs I am still making a slow recovery, I am really aware of my health shortcomings currently. Although my poor swallow of thin liquids and poor voice are perhaps the most obvious symptoms to others, it is my fatigue that gets me most. It appears that both physical and mental  activities exhaust me. Having 2 of the grandchildren for 2 nights and picking them up from Birchhanger Services has really tired me out far more than I expected.

It seems I have to pace myself more and not exhaust myself. It is not just physical activity. I need to be careful not to tire myself mentally too. I am told that it is my brain learning to rewire itself. Both physical and mental things are exhausting right now. Plenty of rest is needed.

In the last 1.5 years I have suddenly felt so much older and so much more more vulnerable.

Semi-tame ducks

For some time now we have had  a pair of tame mallard ducks waddling around our close. Today they were curious when we arrived home and came into the drive and front garden. The photo shows our granddaughter Amandine looking at them. When they realised there was no food on offer, they went down the road.

Grandchildren

We have our "London" grandchildren staying for a few days and nights. The house goes from order to disorder very quickly! 

I am still suffering the after effects of my cerebellum brain bleed in Sept 2013 so I get tired quickly. I really love seeing all my little ones, but wish I had more energy.

This is a recent picture of them all taken by one of my sons in Kent.

St Helena and its new airport

After hundreds of years of isolation being served only by the regular mail boat from Cape Town every few weeks, St Helena will have an airport (£250m) opening next year. The population is only 4000, wages are low and the opening of the air link is likely to change this small territory for ever. It was once the home of Napoleon after his defeat at Waterloo. Otherwise it has no real claim to fame. It is located in the South Atlantic.

Tristan da Cuhna much further south remains without air transport.
Relatively near Ascension Island has air links with the UK and the Falkland Islands.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31945384 .
See also http://sthelenatourism.com/ .

FTSE 100 - will it reach 7000 today?

The FTSE 100 share index has been up and down recently.  However, it is edging (on average) ever closer to the 7000 barrier and as long as it continues its climb today, it could end the day above 7000. We'll soon know. If not today, it seems likely this barrier will be broken, although it could fall again just as fast.

UPDATE 1508z:   At the moment, the FTSE 100 index is at 6991.41.

UPDATE 1614z:  Well, it climbed over 7000 and currently is at 7013.

UPDATE 2005z:  It ended the day at 7022.5 i.e. way up.   I wonder how long before it has a dramatic fall?

Eclipse - a non-event here

As there was quite thick cloud here, the partial solar eclipse was a bit of a non-event here, although it was better elsewhere in the UK. I did a walk at the best time. Although the clouds were dark and it looked like it was about to rain, the sun was not visible here sadly. This was a partial eclipse but at 95-98% in the UK still pretty full. I remember the full eclipse in 1999 as we were on holiday in Gloucestershire and got good views. The next chance is in 2026.

East Anglian Churches blog

Today we went up to the north of the fenland area (these days pretty dire!) to visit Walpole St Peter, which A.Clifton-Taylor called the loveliest church in England. The East Anglian Churches blog has been updated.

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

Israeli Elections

So exit polls suggest no clear winners, so no surprises then. Coalition governments are a way of life in Israel and there will no doubt be some tough bargaining in the coming weeks.

All I hope is that whatever coalition is formed that it takes the peace process seriously for once. The Middle East has too many conflicts and a good, solid peace deal with Israel's neighbours is way overdue.

I am always amazed that the Israeli's seem to choose  conflict and violence to settle old scores. Let peace blossom.  Israel, you know it makes sense.   I know it takes at least 2 to forge peace, but frankly Israel has not even been trying for as long as I can remember. I was born in 1948.
  .
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel .
.

Oil prices

Funny (strange) how oil prices have fallen again in the last week or so, yet prices at the pumps have increased. Of course, the big oil companies will have many reasons for the lag. Let us hope prices for oil and diesel do actually fall again.

Judges and porn?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31920906 .

Although we live in a free country and, within reason, people are free to choose what they look at and read, the judges who were caught with porn on their work PCs must have been stupid. My personal view is you should be free to watch/read whatever you like in private as long as no-one else is impacted. Using a work account is not acceptable.

UK Met Office weather forecasts - rubbish?

We spend millions on new super-computers yet our Met Office seems incapable of making a decent weather forecast! We planned to meet our son and granddaughter at our local  farm shop in the (promised) sunshine so our granddaughter could enjoy the slides, swings and toy tractors. Sadly the forecast is now for light rain! Honestly, even over a few days the forecasts change so much that they cannot be relied on. Basically a piece of wet seaweed would be as accurate.

UK General Election - May 7th 2015

Well, this time I really have no-idea who to vote for! Historically, this was a safe Conservative seat but the standing MP (Sir James Paice) is not up for re-election. Tactical voting is probably essential. As stated previously  there are things in the policies of all parties I like. There are also bad things about most parties. I think I shall be using my "first pass the post" vote to vote for the least bad party.  There is no single party I want to vote into power. At the moment it is either Labour (but I cannot stand Ed or some of his shadow cabinet) or Conservative (David Cameron is a good leader, but I dislike many of his policies). Last time I voted Lib Dem, but fear wasting my vote this time around. I voted Green in the European  elections, but here it was not "first pass the post".

Upcoming Cambridge Concert

This is advanced warning of an upcoming CCS concert April 25th 2015 at the West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge. This is a great venue with good seating, great acoustics, warmth and local parking. This should be a great concert.

Sand martins in Devon

Spring has (almost) sprung! There have now been several sightings of 20+ sand martins in South Devon. These are among the first of the migrants to return. They are the smallest hirundine.  Sand martins have dark brown upper parts and they winter in Africa.  In recent years sand martin numbers have plummeted and they are now on the RSPB's "amber" list.  There are estimated to be 54,000-174,000 nests in the UK. This sounds a lot, but numbers are dropping because of droughts on their migration routes in some years.

By the month end we should have house martins and swallows back in Devon who will have flown 6000 miles to be here in the UK again. When the swallows return here in East Anglia you know all is still well with the world:. they have been making this journey for many thousands , if not millions, of years. Most return to the very same nests they used last summer, if they can. I find the return of the martins, swallows and swifts a real joy. It makes me glad to be alive.

Tikrit

Saddham's old stronghold is currently being fought over in Iraq and may fall to Iraqi government forces soon we are told.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-31883430 .

Afghanistan war

Brave men and women fought in Afghanistan, but overall with hundreds of UK service men and women dead and thousands injured or scarred psychologically was it worth it? The British have fought in Afghanistan since the first half of the 19th century. We again left with a job half done. Wars are no way to win hearts and minds.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31866944 .

365 Project

Both my wife and I are doing  the "365 Project". The idea is simple: just take a photo every day of the year. It makes a very good record of what we have been doing. Some choose to put up arty photos but we choose mainly "ordinary" photos i.e. the stuff of everyday life - things that may mean something to us but may not mean a lot to others.

Today we went to Wimpole Hall so I chose this tame robin as my picture for today.

See http://365project.org/ .