Ode to Joy

Just watching the Proms on BBC TV and they are singing Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Wonderful. 

I do hope we manage to negotiate a sensible way forward so we stay in the EU. There is much wrong with the European Union, but there is also much that is very good. We have had peace in Europe (well almost) since WW2 and this must largely be due to the European Union binding nations together.

I have much respect for Germany - a nation with a wonderful musical tradition - and hope it continues its path of peace. WW1 and WW2 were sad blips and are history now. Germany is a different place these days. I have visited several places in Germany for work and holidays. It is a lovely country with beautiful countryside and hard working people.

See http://europa.eu/index_en.htm .

Brown lawns

We have just returned from a week on the Isle of Wight. Many parts of the lawns at our bungalow look dry through a lack of rain. There was a thunderstorm here a few nights ago, but I suspect little rain fell.
 
The lawns usually bounce back in the autumn, but this year everything is about 4 weeks late flowering and the lawns have actually remained green for longer. I think summer is finally catching up with the lawns though and I expect they will remain dry for several weeks now unless we have lots of rain or I water them furiously. If lawns are watered they need a lot of water that goes through to the roots. In many ways the grass is better left.  In order for them to look decent and keep the weeds down, it is tempting to cut the grass too short.

MPs salary - too little?

The Daily Mirror newspaper reports that a UK MP is "having to count the pennies" on a salary of £90k a year. Poor man. Does he not understand how REAL people live? For most MPs their salary is to be £74k a year with lots of perks on top.

Home again

After a week away on the Isle of Wight with our son and family we have now returned home. Sadly the weather and the holiday home were both a bit of a let-down (it was wet most days) but we had a great time nonetheless. Funny how your own bed seems special. The little grandchildren didn't seem to notice the weather: they had plenty of fun.

A hard life - just how do they manage?

So UK MPs will now get a basic salary of £74k following a 10% pay rise. If I understand right they also get a host of allowances and index linked pensions. What a hard life.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33552499 

UK weather

Is it any wonder people in the UK enjoy talking about the weather? For several days our son and family have been on holiday on the Isle of Wight. The weather dad been appalling with lots of rain. There is little prospect of it changing any time soon.

Budget reaction

Although for those in work with 2 or fewer children the budget is probably neutral, I think it is fair to say reactions have been mixed. Overall, I think it was quite reasonable, although it would have been better to have gone after the very high earners too.