D-Day landings

Just watching a TV programme about the D-Day landings on Omaha Beach. I did not realise the troops had to climb 150 foot cliffs under fire first! The chances of it all going badly wrong were very high. These men must have been incredibly brave. It is not until now did I realise just how brave these people were on my behalf.

 I pray we never have to sacrifice young lives ever again in such a way.

Chppenham Park - Cambridgeshire

Chippenham Park Gardens, Cambridgeshire, today

This Sunday, the gardens were open at Chippenham Park so we visited them to see the flowers. Unlike NT properties (we have subscriptions so visits are "free") we had to pay to pay to get in but, this once, it was worth it. Some of the beds are wonderful. It was good for me to do more walking as well.

Blog readers

Today this blog has been read (already and there are 3 hours still to go) by more people than on any day in the last week. I have no idea why this should be so.

UPDATE 2200z:   133 reads of this Miscellaneous Musings blog today so far.  My amateur radio blog gets about 1000 visits a day regularly and has a dedicated bunch of 115 subscribers.

Local Gilbert and Sullivan

Every spring (Met office summer) in mid-June the Swaffham Bulbeck Summer Theatre puts on a G&S production in a local barn. It is a village highlight. We rarely miss going unless we are away.

"Patience" Gilbert and Sullivan

This year it was "Patience" and, as always, it was very good. All the cast are locals and non-professionals but you would never know. We went to the Saturday matinee. Luckily we bought tickets on the internet this morning as they nearly sold out.

http://www.sbsummertheatre.com/Patience%20Poster%20Small.jpg

It was good to be able to go today and be "normal" again - the stroke did not stop me enjoying myself although normally I'd have a glass of wine and was unable to today. Maybe next year, God willing.

Iraq chaos

Since before the fall of Saddam Hussein I have been completely against western intervention in Iraq.  The cynic in me says we only were interested because of oil. Were it some tinpot non-entity in Africa we would have let them sort out their own future. My son and his then girlfriend attended the anti-Iraq war rally in London years ago. I am proud of them and their stand.

As it is, we have the worst of both worlds: Iraq deaths during and after the war have been huge and now it is on the brink of outright civil war. Saddam was bad but the chaos that has followed is arguably at least as bad. For the same reasons I fear for Afghanistan.

Some are even saying Tony Blair (the UK Prime Minister who took us into the war) should be prosecuted for war crimes. He is certainly leading a very nice lifestyle now as a so called Middle East Peace Envoy. It seems a million miles away from his so-called Labour roots. Sorry Tony but your lavish, truly capitalist, lifestyle makes your days as a Labour PM ring very hollow to many including me.

Ely Physio and garden

Today I had to go to Ely for more physio to help my balance. The physio keeps telling me I am making progress although I am finding it hard to detect. I have written to my doctor to tell him about something I found on the Internet that may be relevant to one of my symptoms. I have another MRI scan June 30th.

When we got home we did some gardening. My wife did some more planting and I got the hose out to do some watering. At the moment the garden is looking good. Tomorrow my brother-in-law and his wife are coming for lunch.

Indian rape

The recent rape and hanging of young girls in rural India is horrific and another reminder of just how far some countries have still to come to become truly civilised.  We in the west were just as bad not long ago. We have to remember this, but in this global age there really is no excuse for such barbarism. Countries like India , Pakistan and similar have a long way to come.

The world is judging you by your actions. Civilised nations don't allow such acts to go unpunished.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-27807539 .