Pot Plants

After years of not having pot plants because I am not entirely able to take care of them, I have taken the plunge again:

DW

Garden Coming On!

It's early days but I am trying to get my garden, front and back, in shape.

Phase three arrived yesterday and now there are dozens and dozens of plants in the border at the front of the house now. Here are some photos:

DW

Grimwade Fights Back

Just been doing a bit of online research following a revival of thoughts on my Grimwade and other pie funnels.

I have found that all of a sudden, there are many pie funnels for sale on ebay and elsewhere. I also learned that there are other Grimwade brand pie funnels AND that my pie funnel is likely to have a value of between £30 and £40. I am not going to sell it, it the sentimental value that is important to me. If I were to sell it, I wouldn't let it change my life.

DW

Radio Star ... as near as!

If you were listening to BBC Radio 4 this afternoon at about 17:50 you would have heard my name being read out on the PM programme. No, not the "most wanted list" but to read out a message I had written to them a couple of days ago.

What has been happening is that a lot of very negative people have been given a lot of air time recently and what they are doing is trying to ruin the London Olympics before they have started. They have complained about the cost, about the legacy, about the ... well, even the grass and flowers no doubt.

In desperation I wrote this:

Positive Only


For crying out loud please put positive people on PM when talking about the Olympics. The woman speaking now is good: she understands what these games mean to competitors and the rest of us.


There you are, my twp penn'orth


DW

STOP PRESS

Just heard that the Queen and Philip had lunch at Burnley Football Club today ... their son Charles is reputed to be a fan!

DW

OLD Photos ... no longer with us!

Some photos of family members who had passed away, gone before us, gone to a better place ...

Looks like a good night out at the New Inn on Halifax Road, Todmorden. Left to right mum died 1982, George died 1989, dad died 1972: all others still with us!

Just look at this: a baby had been taken to hospital but had died. In the days of very few telephones etc, my auntie Emma, mother, was informed of the death by letter!

Another auntie of mine but one whom i could not have met since she died aged just five months old in 1895.Poor little Lily Williamson. Notice the memorial poem that is part of this in memoriam card that my granny and granddad had printed.

George, Judd, at the Queen Hotel, Todmorden. Christmas or New Year Party: he died 5 months after this photo was taken.

DW

Family Weddings OLD Photos

Here are a few photos to do with family weddings.

Left to right:auntie Emma Scriven, Richard Leah, Horace Scriven, dad, Peter Leah, mum. Step sister Judith's wedding to Brian Varley in 1957 at Cross Stone Church in Todmorden.

Susan's crafty fag at her wedding to Paul Seddon, George, Carol and Chris (Mrs Angus!) from left to right. Tod cricket club, 1984??

Mum and dad's wedding in 1947, Todmorden. Suave suit dad ... set off ONLY by the pullover!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DW

More Photos of OLD

From a trip to London with school in 1965

Ian Whitworth ... the brains of the class. Lincolnshire lad from Theddlethorpe. On the right is Stephen Kerr and in profile is Nicholas Kaberry ... another clever lad.

Left to right: John Lavery, John Sutcliffe, Allan Whittaker. John Lavery ... no idea what happened to him. John Sutcliffe was killed in a motor bike accident a few years ago. Every few years ago Allan and I exchange news ... every four or five years or so!

DW

OLD Photos ... never been revealed before

I came across a small photo album this afternoon and decided to scan all of them and post one or two of them here.

Photos with brief notes

I am leaning away from the horses because one had just bitten me ... dig the Hawaiian shirt ... not sure of my age there

With Tiddles the cat and Dusty the dog ... aged about 14 years

Wow! So COOL. Sixteen years old, walking down the promenade at Weston Super Mare.

Mum and dad I think the family agrees that this was in the Blackpool Tower building, or Blackpool somewhere. Not sure of the date either but late 1960s.

The family group. I am the coolest there because of my badge ... look at the pullover, left breast. SUPERCAR CLUB MEMBER. I've still got the supercar club membership card to this very day!

DW

The Gits!

So, depart from Terminal 3. OK!

Arrived and went about my business. However, when I started to go to the gate, it turns out that that is in Terminal 1. Just a short walk BUT, I would have been able to use a lounge in T1 but I couldn't in T3.

Grrr!

DW

Those Pesky Aussies!

Some people have absolutely no sense of decorum.

I am waiting at Abu Dhabi airport for my flight home. Had a coffee and a cake to maintain my girth and was happily minding my own business when a tall, slender, aristocratic looking gent came and sat at my table. He was soon to be joined by a lady whom I have assumed is his wife. Fine, no worries, as they say down under, Australians as they appear to be! 

Then he swanned off somewhere leaving the lady behind. Blow me but she stood up and without so much as a by your leave stood in front of me doing the kinds of exercises they recommend for staving off deep vein thrombosis. Very untoward.

When the gent returned, the table behind them had become free so they went to sit there and there they are now!

DW

Final Countdown!

Here I am with my latest crew!

DW

Well Done Manchester City

I am in the home of Manchester City, Abu Dhabi, as I type this and I have just watched the enthralling conclusion to the premier league for 2011 - 2012 as City sealed their grip on the League title.

It's a shame that Manchester United beat Sunderland in their final game of the season, giving them hope that they would be crowned champions. Ahahahahahaaaaaaa!

Well done City!

DW

A Tart Calls!

Every now and again I get an email out of the blue from a young lady who says she wants to get to know me. She attaches a photo with the message and she is always a beauty. I mean stunningly beautiful.

The scam is that I am meant to be flattered and excited so that within a week or so she will tell me that she wants to come and visit me. Then comes the bombshell, she needs 100 dollars or 400 euro or something for her ticket or passport or visa.

I know stories of men who have paid. Then paid again. And again ... but of course the girl never arrives.

Well, normally I let these message run for a day or two and have seen three or four variations of approach: money request within two days; money request within a week; and so on.

Today I decided to see who else had "met" Mariya from Eastern Siberia. It took me just 30 minutes to find her on a scam reporting site. It's very easy to do.

The point is, boys, if a woman you have never met tells you within days of writing that she can't live without you. And she is very pretty. And she is as much as 40 years younger than you. It is not genuine! You will not be the one to turn her from the dark side.

Here's a thing too: she might not even be a she! Who knows who is behind this scam?

Take care

DW

Arrived!

I have arrived at my destination after a 90 minute drive. Hot today!

My diet is going well but half way through the afternoon I felt wizened and in need of sustenance so I went in search of it. The best I could find was Burger King. Bean Royale was fine and quick ... fast food, don't you know!

31 degrees outside and Englebert Humperdink is belting out Winter World of Love in the background of this French style Cafe called Beaujolais!!

DW

Afternoon Tea is Back II

Using the computer now rather than the phone, here are the fascinating treats in store for anyone who takes afternoon tea at Raffles Hotel in the Wafi Centre in Dubai: Spring and Summer menu 2012.

All I can take credit for is scoffing the lot!

DW

Afternoon Tea is Back!

Went back to Raffles Hotel at the Wafi Centre Dubai for afternoon tea today and it was really good. Very creative!

Here's just one of several photos to drool over!

DE

Dubai Night Time and Me!

Here are some rarely seen views of Dubai ... and a suave one of me!

DW

Charger Charader

The other day I stared at my travelling mobile phone ... that's the one that gets the local SIM cards when I travel ... and realised that the battery was running down. Then I had a vision of the USB cable that connects to the phone being on my dining table and NOT anywhere near the phone.

Grr!

Last night I walked to the Mall and bought a new charger for around GBP12 and then charged the phone. All was well.

When I woke up this morning FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON I asked myself, did you check in your briefcase for the Nokia phone charger? The answer was, No!

So I looked in the briefcase and there was my charger ... not a USB cable but the full and proper Nokia charger.

Well, it really isn't unusual for me to have two chargers for a phone so having two chargers for the Nokia makes things normal. However, the manner in which I got the second charger makes me a charger charader ... and a clot!

DW

The answer's 23

I was asked today to list the countries I have worked in over the last ten years ... here it is:

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kyrgyzstan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Romania
United Kingdom
Afghanistan
Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Kuwait
Oman
Saudi Arabia
Switzerland
Hungary
Thailand
Singapore
Vietnam
Malaysia
Pakistan
Holland
Sudan
Albania
Qatar


Thought you'd like to know!


DW

It Couldn't have Happened to a Nicer Club!

The world knows now that Blackburn Rovers FC has been relegated from the Premier League.

Sorry for that ... not!

DW

Dubai Mall and Rather a Large Moon!

I managed to finish my work reasonably early this evening so decided to go for a walk to the Dubai Mall: just 15 minutes or so up Financial Centre Road from my hotel. The weather was not too hot and therefore I had a comfortable walk. I peregrinated for about three hours altogether, with a stop for dinner of about half an hour in the middle. I bought some of my favourite Molton Brown soap while I was there so t' job's a good 'un.

On the way back down Financial Centre Road I saw rather a large moon in he sky. Of course, my big moon snapping camera and lens are in the UK. The reason the moon looks so big is that it has just been at its perigee so is about as near to Earth as it gets ... so it looks bigger at the moment. It looks a LOT bigger. It would have made a nice series of photos too. Grr!

DW

This is good fun!

I found this accidentally last night but really enjoyed it. Of course, you will find that some of the people who left comments on that page are warped!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFCeJTEzNU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

DW

On the Sun Terrace

Well, it could be worse! I am sitting on the sun terrace of the hotel looking at at the Burj Khalifa which is about 300 - 400 metres away. About to eat for the first time in about 12 hours.

I know where I'm going ... !!

I arrived at Abu Dhabi airport early this morning so had to hang around for a while as my meeting wasn't scheduled until 11 am: I made a call and had the meeting brought forward though so that was good!

Then I got into the taxi:

Me: Al Salam Street, please
Taxi Driver: in Abu Dhabi?
Me: (inwardly) Oh! No! Here we go again, shades of Qatar!

We drove in the general direction of the city and I made 6 ... 7 ... 8 phone calls, handing my phone over to the driver. Of course, he KNEW the AREA but not the exact street ... Pfffft! We stopped at the building he believed to be the right one: labelled TAQA when it should have been labelled TRA. I went along with it and he carried my bags. Well, we had not arrived at my destination but we were within a block of it so that was alright then!

After that, with just two hours' sleep on the plane I had a 3.5 hour meeting and then had to wait for an hour and a half for a car to get me to my hotel. Let me be perfectly honest and admit that I was taken to the wrong hotel because of my own ineptitude but that was resolved fairly quickly!

It's just after 5 pm now and I had intended to have a nap and then ruminate on the output from today's meeting but will eat, then work, then sleep early.

Early start tomorrow.

Chin chin!

DW

Serious Gardening

After almost two years I have finally started to get to grips with the garden. Lawn mowed ... but it's had a bad winter; THREE new fruit trees ... Cherry, raspberry, blackberry; and herbs and flowers.

Take a look:

See your OWN Doctor Mister!

It is my deeply held view that any head of State must be able to be treated by the medical profession within his or her own country to retain any credibility at all. Alternatively, make it possible for all of their fellow countrymen to go abroad for medical treatment.

Banda in Malawi was treated in the UK and South Africa
Mugabe treated in Singapore at the moment
Chavez in Cuba now

I could do some research and find hundreds more no doubt. I don't care about their fine words and well intended policies, if they don't make health for their country a priority then they deserve the same treatment as everyone else.

Duncan

Sell by Date

I just read a story in which a woman had been found dead in a chair in her house eighteen months after she is thought to have died. They said they estimated the date of the woman's death by using the sell by dates on food in her fridge.

In that case, if that were to happen to me they could estimate that I had died as long ago as 2009! There are foodstuffs in my cupboards that go back that far. If son Andrew hadn't cleaned out my cupboards a couple of years ago there would be things still there from 2005!

DW

That woman and the Euro 2012 Football Championship

She's at it again: a very famous woman from across the pond. There's a Chinese dissident who is now probably under greater threat than ever before and the former Prime Minister of the Ukraine is seeking to benefit from this woman's attention. Disgraceful! None of her business.

More than that I see these wretched politicians are now lining up against the Euro 2012 Football Championships. Politicians here not going, politicians there not going ... GOOD! You would only be sitting in a seat you didn't pay for, staying in an hotel you didn't pay for, eating high quality food you wouldn't have paid for. Clear off! Let a proper football supporter have your seats.

DW

Broadband my 'arris!

All I wanted to do was to watch and listen to a short video on YouTube. Less than five minutes in duration but I didn't get to the end of it.

Stop start, stop start.

Will any broadband provider accept the challenge of giving me FULL access to their services without lying to me and give me £1,000 if they fail? Then I can watch this video in peace.

DW

Another airline tax? Get lost!

This is a simulcast with duncan's diacritical discussion Read this article and then my comments below http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8d2ca858-92f2-11e1-b6e2-00144feab49a.html#axzz1tFw6P9cn --oo0oo-- This is a joke, yes? Cameron agrees so that's it? The reality is that politicians these days are so undereducated in the ways of the practicalities of running a country that all they can think about is to increase taxes and hope that a problem will then be solved. The reality is that this is a matter of planning, forecasting and management. Is it a surprise, for example, that today, an Emirates A380 will arrive from Dubai at Heathrow (and Manchester for that matter) and another one will arrive from Singapore? Is it also a surprise that there may be more than 500 people on each plane? Is it also a surprise that this happens every day of the year? The point is quite clear, airlines have their timetables and their slots at our airports. We all know all of this. Now, just take another step or two from here: on average, how many Brits are on these planes?; how many are from the EU and so on?; how many are from the rest of the world ... la la la. Passenger arrival statistics are a matter of fact and have almost certainly been analysed ... haven't they? Finally, we get the the nub of the matter: the Border Agency knows all of the above much better than I do but in the end it's a matter of staffing and management since the plans and forecasts have largely been taken care of. Like other people on this thread, I travel a lot and would resent most strongly if ever more taxes were loaded onto passengers. For example, a recent flight: cost of ticket £42, cost of taxes and other charges on that ticket £121. Easy target or what? Duncan

New HR book from Tony Miller

There are at least two reasons for buying this newly published book: firstly, it's very practical and it's been written by a true master of his craft, DrTony Miller.

The second reason to buy is that the tables, charts and numerical analysis were driven by yours truly via Microsoft Excel.

Here's the link to Tony's site where you can buy the book.
http://www.tony-miller.com/the-new-hr.php

DW

Trapped ... Trapped!

Just take a look at the local weather forecast for the next few days ...

DW

Happy Birthday Dad!

Had he lived, my dad would have been one hundred years old today. He died just three weeks short of his sixtieth birthday.

I was only 19 when he died so I never got to know him as a man. As is often the case, all that is left of him are a few photographs and memories.

A quiet man with very little formal education, he was a partner in the family business. He finished his career as the owner of a pet foods shop on Halifax Road in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

It always seemed to us that he knew how to drive to anywhere without consulting any maps and wherever we went he always met someone he knew!

He never went abroad so he never had a passport. He never flew in a plane. He never read a book that I am aware of.

My parents were never demonstrative people and I only ever saw them kiss once: a peck on the cheek one Christmas following the exchange of gifts.

Were my parents in love? I didn't know the answer to that question until my dad died. My mother was devastated and it was something she never recovered from and in my opinion she died of a broken heart.

Birthday wishes dad!

DW

Very Good Soup

In these desperate times, cook some soup. Today I cooked broccoli soup and it has cost me one Pound for at least four servings: in summer that would probably be six servings. One medium sized onion, halved and sliced Two heads of broccoli One cup of cooked long grain rice One stock cube Water Two cloves of garlic, finely chopped One tablespoon of oil to sweat off the onions --oo0oo-- Sweat off the onions Add garlic and broccoli, cook two minutes Add stock cube and water Cook until broccoli is cooked Add the cooked rice Add salt and pepper Marmalise the soup QED DW

Happy St George's Day

It's 23rd April and today is St George's day. St George is the patron saint of England, among other countries. So, cry God for Harry, England and St George and celebrate the day. Today is also Shakespeare's birthday! DW

Back Home, Back in Control of my Diet

I am not a vegan but I eat many vegan meals and here is one of them.

Baked potato with a kidney bean and celery stew.

Excellent!

Praise the Scandinavians and the Dutch

When I worked with a Danish company I was introduced to their fabulous liquorice sweets ...sweet and salty versions. I have forgotten the brand name but yesterday, at Schipol Airport I came across something similar and here is a photo of what I bought ... weeks and weeks' supply of these sweets! Lovely!

DW

BSOD

Ever seen a blue screen of death? That's a BSOD! In Windows Vista and Windows 8 there is no BSOD, it's been replaced by a BWOD ... blue wheel of death. My desktop runs on Windows XP which is, in my experience, the most stable Windows we have ever had. When I go away on a trip I tend to leave my desktop computer on ... whnever I come back there is ALWAYS a BSOD waiting for me ...here is the latest one!

DW

Paradoxes

Insights from a seasoned traveller ...

I have found the following over the last year or so.

After a flight/combinations of flights exceeding six hours or so, I am GUARANTEED to get leg cramps over night IF I do not drink enough NON ALCOHOLIC fluid THROUGHOUT the flight(s).

I don't drink alcoholic drinks at all but they are not a good idea while flying anyway.

Secondly, the paradox: since I had the cramps over night, I clearly didn't drink enough on my return home yesterday, so I wonder why I had to get up for a pee THREE TIMES over night!

DW

Doh! Ah! Airport

Sorry everyone but Doha airport has a lot of catching up to do. I have been travelling through Doha airport on and off for several years now and it has gone from small and a bit busy to small and exceptionally busy to extended and rather dull.

I have arrived at the new terminal here and that was painless. I have not taken off from the new part of the airport yet and I am hoping for something good.

I just read that this year QatarAirways will take delivery of a new aeroplane every 15 days. Grand schedule.

The difficulty is that the airport and some staff here and with QatarAirways are not up to speed yet.

Life's tough!

DW

Knees up!

Well, not a knees up at all. At home I walk a lot and my knees are fine unless I overdo it. When I travel I KEEP getting caught out and ending up with an iffy knee.

Left knee this week and three days ago I thought I had taken care of it. This afternoon, though, it decided to bite back. Just a bit! Lesser mortals would need a knee transplant but not me!!

DW

Knees up!

Well, not a knees up at all. At home I walk a lot and my knees are fine unless I overdo it. When I travel I KEEP getting caught out and ending up with an iffy knee.

Left knee this week and three days ago I thought I had taken care of it. This afternoon, though, it decided to bite back. Just a bit! Lesser mortals would need a knee transplant but not me!!

DW

RIP Jim

A good old man I used to work with died last week. RIP Jim Herbolich. It was nice to know you and good to work with you all of those years ago. DW

Still Saving Whales

I just proved to my own satisfaction that one can put shampoo on one's hair and then using LESS THAN A CUP OF WATER get it into the required lather. I also know that it is possible to rinse one's hair with less than a medium sized jug of water. Just so that you know. Follow this: I sit down a lot when I am not working and I have found that sitting is a science and an art. It's fine to slob around but sitting upright in the wrong chair and/or in the wrong position moves one's innards around. I am now trying to put everything back in place. I am not talking about backs and backache but innards! DW

Killing Fields Memorial Day

Today is the Cambodian Killing Fields Memorial Day.

Never forget such evil and never let it happen again.

DW

Book Review: God is not Great

Christopher Hitchens died last year and until he died I had never heard of him. I read eulogies from his fellow journalists and then heard no more until last week when, by chance, I came across some video clips of Hitchens speaking about his views on religion and I found them fascinating. I then found that Hitchens had written a book, God is not Great: how religion poisons everything. I bought the book and have now read it. Firstly, I have only read a couple of chapters of Richard Dawkins The God Delusion and I have to say that Hitchens did a far better job than Dawkins. Religious people do not like God is not Great. Not because it tests their faith but because of what it reveals about what goes on in the name of religion. Hitchens tells us, almost in passing, that he has received death threats, nasty phone calls and threats of violence for holding his view that he believes that religions poison everything. Having been born and brought up in a country where freedom of speech is taken for granted, I wonder at who it could be that would so object to someone's views that they threaten murder. That's for their conscience! As for the book, it is entertainingly written and full of stories aimed at the three main monotheisms: Christianity, Jewry, Islam. He regales us with story after story of the things that clerics hiding under these three banners get up to and have got up to for millennia. Hitchens reveals a great number of sources too: he's not just letting off steam. I have to say that I read this book for the overview it provided and not to learn the deep and detailed information that Hitchens sometimes goes into: it's there if you want it, of course. I like Hitchens' style as it is keen, ascerbic, funny, witty, well sourced and contains many words that I had never come across before. At least it will improve your vocabulary. I have to say that another motivation for reading the book is that I arrived at a similar position to Hitchens vis a vis religion over the last two or three years having seen religious brainwashing and its consequences at first hand. No God will work in that way with those people: something else is most definitely going on and I could support these things no longer, having realised what was happening. I imagine there will be people who read this mini review and who might feel angry with me for having written it: well, that's for you to come to terms with. I am glad I read the book, I learned many things about religions that I did not previously know and Hitchens gives a message that we all ought to consider. You do not have to agree with him! What's wrong with the book? Well, Hitchens has a mission, to clarify why he thinks religions poison everything. He gives no time to the good that good people in religions often do. He does not attempt to redress any imbalances in his arguments at all in this respect. If he were alive to answer this point I am sure he would ask, why on earth should I? Overall, if you are deeply committed to your religion you might not want to read this book but I think you should suspend your faith, read it and then explore fully what Hitchens has to say. Don't dismiss this book with anger in your heart! If you give Hitchens a fair hearing and stick to your guns then fine. I recommend this book to everyone but if your English reading skills are weak, it will be difficult for you: Hitchens' English language skills are highly developed and he's writing for an educated audience. No offence to anyone, just a friendly warning! DW

Sundown Over Dubai This Evening

I am missing the chance to take many photos these days and since Facebook objected to the background tracks that included in the slideshows that I created in iPhoto I have decided to stop using Facebook completely. Moreover, I have just produced a very simple series of sundown photos over Dubai and whilst I was hoping to attach the video here I have found I can't. Nothing fantastic, just take a look at my page on YouTube where you will see the slideshow. Click this link http://youtu.be/8cr4Ig0xnzk DW

Tie ... no tie!

A good thing about wearing a bow tie is that if you ever slop pizza topping it cannot slop all over your tie ... it goes straight for the shirt!! Top tip DW