Missing airliner MH370

http://regmedia.co.uk/2014/03/18/boeing_777_9m-mro_mh370.jpg

Yet more mystery surrounds this flight's disappearance. It seems incredible a large passenger carrying plane can just "disappear" without trace.

Although I am in no position to judge, there is something odd about the Malaysian Airline's briefings: something does not ring true in their accounts. May be it is just scant data, or are they hiding something?

Gay Marriages

From tonight, same sex couples can be married in England for the first time. I think the laws in other parts of the UK may be different. 50-60 years ago, this would be unheard of and my parents will be turning in their graves.

In many Africa nations, attitudes are not unlike those here back in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Personally I think gay people have every right to marry if they so choose. Many will disagree and think this makes a nonesense of hetrosexual marriage.

See:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26773016

Last year my (female) wife and I were invited to a civil partnership ceremony but we were unable to attend.

Walking and balance

Today I managed to walk (with Lis) to the Cambridge Building Society, the Bank, Budgen's store, the Post Office and a friend's house - Jenny Mansell's - which for me, in my current state, is a long way.  For me, it is not the walking as such that tires me, rather it is because I get giddy (poor balance following my stroke) and THIS tires me. Quite often I feel like I've drunk 8 pints of beer, when I haven't had ANY alcohol now for over 6 months. I am told that the brain finds new pathways and ways of managing, but it will take time.

I have the feeling that after the weekly physio sessions in Ely yesterday the giddiness was slightly better, so the more exercise I do the better? Today I have reduced my liquid (peg) feed down from 900ml a day to 800ml which will reduce the time on the pump to under 7 hours.

Grandchildren

Tim with Amandine and Lucien playing " Hide and Seek"

Today, one of our sons, his lovely French wife and their 2 delightful young children came up from London for the afternoon as Lucien's school was on strike. The grandchildren are 6.5yrs (Lucien) and nearly 3yrs (Amandine)  and they cheer me up no end. These days they play well together, spending about 30 minutes playing hide and seek. Lovely to see little Amandine counting to 20 in both English and French.  On Sunday our other grandchildren are coming up and they will be here for a few days.

Swifts, swallows and martins

Swallow (sometimes called Barn Swallow)

For me, spring never properly arrives until these have arrived on UK shores. Sand martins are already being seen in  Devon (first arrivals in March) but swallows are rarely here much before early April,  usually about April 10th in East Anglia. Usually I get to Devon at this time of the year just as the swallows arrive from S.Africa. This year, because of my poor health,  I shall have to give this a miss.

Swifts are rarely here before the end of the month of April. Once here, swifts seem to be everywhere! I love to hear their screams on the wing. To me, the swift is a real summer bird and a sign that "all is well with the world" when they arrive.

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

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

Numbers of house martins have been down in recent years.

Ickworth House and Grounds - National Trust

See: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ickworth/ .

Lambs outside the little church at Ickworth

Part of the extensive grounds

Ickworth House and its extensive grounds are located not far from Bury-St-Edmunds in Suffolk. The grounds make a fine place for walks that vary in length from less than a mile to over 7 miles in length. At this time of year there should be plenty of daffodils and young lambs. My wife and I hope to go there this afternoon and walk to the newly restored little church on the estate about 500m from the main house. Although wobbly, I should be able to manage this. The image (LHS) is located at http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/suffolk/Ickworth_House.htm .

Very young Ickworth lamb enjoying the sunshine

Part of the main building is nowadays a 4 star hotel called The Ickworth Hotel.

UPDATE 1645z:  Plenty of lambs at Ickworth but the daffodils are 1-2 weeks behind those at nearby Anglesey Abbey 25 miles west.

Visit to Kings College Chapel

Kings College Chapel

Living not far from Cambridge it is all too easy to take for granted the wonderful places on our doorstep that people travel around the world to see. Being "locals" were can get into Kings with a photo-card that costs just £7 for 3 years. Being OAPs (old age pensioners) we can do a free " park and ride" into the city saving diesel and parking dues. Getting from the park and ride stop to Kings is about 0.5 miles walk each way, which even with my wobbliness I could manage.

Kings is a truly inspiring building on the edge of the River Cam finished in the reign of Henry VIII. There is a great sense of peace inside. The fan vaulted ceilings have to be seen to be believed. It is of course from here that the world famous "Nine Lessons and Carols" are broadcast each Christmastide. People queue for seats at this in the rain, and sometimes snow, for up to 30 hours! I have attended sung Evensong there in the past without queuing.

My wife wandered down to the river to get a few more photos whilst I stayed in Kings. At this time of the year there are fewer visitors than in high summer. Cambridge also attracts English language students especially in summer.

Punts near Kings

If you have never visited Cambridge you are in for a pleasant  surprise when you do. Be sure to walk around the Backs (area adjoining River Cam around the colleges , visit Trinity College, Kings College and St John's College. A walk along Trinity Street is also worth doing.

Cambridge feels more rural than Oxford in my opinion. The town still feels "old fashioned" academic even though many of the new high-tech companies are on the edge of the newer city. Many of these spun off from university research. Heffers (Trinity St) has a wide selection of academic books down in its large basement sections.

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