Roses

We have a pot of roses out on our patio. The colour is lovely. I am not sure how long they will look good.

Black Friday - I hate it!

OK, retailers are having a hard time, but this recent import from the USA makes me want to vomit. It is purely about profits and how to encourage people to spend more. If you can, boycott it. 

In my view retailers have to adapt or go out of business. Online sales are a reality. Those that adapt will remain and those that do not will close. Maybe a good model is a mix of retail places and online? Models like John Lewis comes to mind. You often browse in the shop, but buy online then collect from a John Lewis or Waitrose store.

Like the commercialisation of Christmas, Easter and Halloween, I think Black Friday has no place in UK society. If you like this sort of thing in the USA, by all means keep it there. I, for one, hate it. It is retailing of the worse sort.

All change

In the UK BHS has closed its doors. Many of the shops are now being occupied by other retailers. This one in the Grafton Centre, Cambridge, UK is undergoing extensive changes. I have no idea who is coming here next. Boring to many, but a reminder to me of when these changes happened. Picture taken from a moving bus.

Student Flats in Cambridge

Years ago we bought a car from West's garage in Cambridge. They moved and now they are building new student flats on the site. This photo was taken from a bus tonight in the dark. No doubt these are "posh" flats with en suite facilities. Not a bit like we had back in the 1960s.

The leader of the free world on a visit to Asia

So the president of the USA is on an official visit to Japan, South Korea and China. I am not sure if anywhere else is on his agenda. I hope he is presidential and not the butt of more jokes. Maybe he can stop tweeting and actually engage his ears?

Allegedly his views on the causes of climate change are at odds with scientists who have access to facts and evidence. Oh silly me - this is all rubbish and a Chinese plot. I quite forgot. Fake news.

Daffodil bulbs

We had a few bulbs left over, so these have been planted in these pots and in the garden where we had sweet peas over the summer. Hopefully they will come out sometime in the winter or spring. At the moment they look pretty boring!

Catalonia and Spain

So Catalonia has declared independence from Spain. Basques next? Euro crisis looming?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41780116 .

Mugabe loses WHO role

Unsurprisingly, there was widespread condemnation of the World Health Organisation making Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe their goodwill ambassador. This appointment has now been revoked.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-41713919 .

Catalonia - a looming crisis?

Catalonia is quite a rich part of Spain. Spain cannot afford for it to break-away. It is hard to see how the EU would handle this. If Catalonia goes, surely the Basques will want to follow? This would leave Spain in a right mess. By comparison, BREXIT is quite simple and clear. Personally, I think this will grow into the EU crisis of 2018.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41678086 .

Autumn

You can tell it's autumn! This was our nearest garden centre this morning.

At the other garden centre they had lots of Christmas things on sale. Well, it is October and profits are profits. Personally I think Christmas things should only be allowed for sale in December, but I am a grumpy old man!

Rain

Yesterday it rained.  If it rains in Cambridge, we are quite unlucky as rainy days are quite rare. We get them, but it rains far less in the SE of the UK than in the west.

Food

Every Tuesday and Wednesday I travel into Cambridge for University of the Third Age lectures.

On Tuesdays it is, "Weather and Climate" and on Wednesdays, "Samuel Pepys". We are very lucky in Cambridge having a huge variety of courses.

Afterwards, my wife joined me for lunch.

Wicken Fen

Today we did a 2.4 mile walk at Wicken Fen. For me, this is a long walk these days!   Sadly, since my stroke, I find long walks tiring these days.   Wicken feels wild.

This windmill used to pump water.

I was hoping to catch some very late swallows, but saw none. A few little egrets, but no swallows. Most swallows have now flown to warmer weather in Africa - what a good idea.

Life "on the edge"

Often, I find it hard to explain to others just how I feel inside having had a stroke 4 years ago. Outwardly I look well and "normal".

And yet I feel giddy when on my feet all the time and I get tired very quickly. The best way I can describe life is "on the edge". My voice is very poor and I find verbal communications hard these days.

In many ways I am lucky. Inside though I still feel well below "normal".  I am not looking for sympathy, but I do feel frustrated and quite understand how hard it must be for others with hidden disabilities. People may be suffering inside when you don't realise.

Autumn flowers

Autumn cyclamen at Anglesey Abbey earlier this week. Photo taken by my wife. At every time of the year there is something to enjoy there. Dahlias are nearing their end and in a few months the first daffodils will be out.

Toadflax (I think)

This was growing wild just a few metres from our bungalow. It must have just flowered as I'd not seen it before.

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