EU sour grapes?

Although I voted to remain a member, I detect a note of "sour grapes" on the part of the EU. Do I detect a note of bitterness that the UK will no longer pay some of the budget?

It seems perfectly reasonable to me that the UK wants the same policy to apply to all people who wish to live and work in the UK irrespective of the nation they come from.

It also seems quite reasonable that we would want to start work on trade deals whilst we are in the transition period.

No, I am beginning to detect an air of "sour grapes" on the part of the EU. In the end I think the EU will regret this.

All we really wanted was more control over who lives and works here on this small island. We will still trade with EU nations and others as we choose.

Random Kindness

In the news we tend to hear about bad things, but rarely good things.

Well, in my experience there are far more kind people than bad ones. Since my stroke over 4 years ago I cannot remember all the kind things people have done for me.

Only today I received something in the post totally free that a kind person had sent me. It was heartening to hear of other acts of kindness by total strangers on the BBC Breakfast TV programme.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-42872907

Grumpy old man

OK, I have definitely qualified for grumpy old man status!

Over lunch I glanced through one of the many gifts on sale in the brochures we get sent in the post. I noticed a "New England Chair" that was £450!! It was probably made in a sweatshop in China for £5. Now, some may pay this (perhaps a footballer on £400k a week?), but count me out!

Now, I have nothing against small businesses (or large) making fair profits, but this is ridiculous in my view. Some suckers may be persuaded to part with their money, but not me.

Garden Birdwatch

Every January, I take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch organised by the RSPB. You watch the birds in your garden for any 1 hour and note the maximum number of each sort seen in the hour.

This year there were no blackbirds, no tits, no collared doves. In fact there was a real shortage of small birds. I may just have been unlucky or maybe it was the fact that we have had more frosts which have killed off smaller birds? Anyway this year I saw 2 robins, 2 starlings, 3 jackdaws and 4 black headed gulls and nothing else.

Cheese rolling

This saddens me. A cheese rolling contest has been cancelled this year. They hope to do it in 2019. We English like doing odd things and it would be sad if this tradition died out. It has been held in the Cambridgeshire village of Stilton for 50 years.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-42788965 .

Building Site

Our local pub (The Crown) has been empty for years. Last week the builders started work. I think the site is destined for several new houses.

Amaryllis

Currently, we have 3 of these glorious plants. They are truly amazing going from just a bulb to a tall plant with beautiful flowers in 4-6 weeks. They give us lots of pleasure is January which can be a long, dark month.

One plant is well out with lots of flowers, one is clearly growing and this one. It is hard to tell if this one will grow.

UPDATE Jan 21st 2018:  Definitely growing!

I recently had a comment on this post in what looked like Arabic. As I was unable to translate it, it has been deleted. Comments please only in languages I can understand please!