Saturday 30 April 2016

Tuesday 26 April 2016

26th April 2016 - just a thought

Thought for the day : "Some days I amaze myself, others I just put the washing in the oven"


 just a thought

Monday 25 April 2016

25th April 2016 - An incredible Journey

Thought for the day :"The earth without art is just eh!"

Not much to report today - too much paperwork and getting ready for the first CP event of the year - with the Tavern...

But a lovely story from Aberystwyth about a dog that made his way home ..


A sheepdog originally from a farm in Ceredigion appears to have made the 240-mile solo journey back to its birthplace from its new home in Cumbria.
Pero, a four-year-old working sheepdog, escaped from Cockermouth on 8 April only to reappear on the doorstep of Alan and Shan James' Farm near Aberystwyth a fortnight later.
His previous owners have no idea how he found his way back.
They now plan to keep Pero.
Mrs James said: "The farmer in Cockermouth was looking for a dog that could round sheep and follow a quad bike, and we thought Pero would be ideal for the job.
"We told the farmer to take him away and see if he'd be willing to work for him on his farm up north. And so Pero left us at the beginning of March."
But it seems Pero would not settle in his new home, and while out working on the farm, he bolted across the fields.

"We'd been told that Pero had disappeared, and was nowhere to be seen " said Mrs James, who lives with their five children on the sheep farm in Penrhyncoch.
"But then, last Wednesday evening, April 20, my husband Alan went out to check on the animals after supper and there was Pero on our doorstep."
"It was a bit of a shock, and the dog was going crazy after seeing Alan.
"No one called us to say that they'd dropped the dog off, and even though he has a microchip no one's been in touch either to say that they've found him.
"It's a total mystery as to how Pero has managed to find his way back to us. We know that dogs can find their way home, but 240 miles is a long way to travel."
Now the family wish to find out if anybody has had an unfamiliar black and white sheepdog calling around looking for food at any time over the last two weeks.
"When he came back, he wasn't hungry or weak, so he must have managed to find food somewhere. He must have stopped in places along the way," she said.

Lovely story ...

Reminds me of days gone by and Delft... dogs are amazing

Cheers!

Sunday 24 April 2016

24th April 2016 - Shaka when the walls fell

Thought for the day:"I asked my wife "what should I do with this 6 metre roll of Bubble Wrap" - "pop it in the corner she said!""   6 hours it has taken me.. "

Makes me laugh ..

Meanwhile - back to lego and in this case Ruddlan Castle - 50,000 bricks..



Cheers

Saturday 23 April 2016

23rd April 2016 - Sir Thomas of Accon

Thought for the day: "I was addicted to the hokey pokey - but I turned myself around.."

Today I rejoined an old Chivalric Order..  well to be truthful I did not leave the order - I was a founder back in 2004 as I recall but fo rmany years have not been able to participate..
Today I became a joining member in Carmarthen with the intention of trying to help strengthen the Chapel ...

So, some history...

That we have a revival of this very English Order of Chivalry is due to the untiring efforts of our first Grand Master, Sir John of Dorking. John spent more than twenty years searching the archives of the Guildhall Library for information about the Order of St Thomas of Acon intending initially to write its history. Happily, he discovered the report of the Installation of the Master in 1510, an account so unusual and so typically English, that he felt compelled to revive the Order, albeit Masonically, rather than attempt to compete with the many histories of these Islands - some, alas, more lurid than accurate which vie for public attention.

In former times, few could read or write so that memories were better developed than ours. Pythagoras forbade all writing, considering it "the destroyer of all memory"; fortunately most people were more tolerant. It was not necessary to record what was to be spoken, nor to give more than headings of the order of events; such clues as have survived require imaginative interpretation. Good stories, on the other hand, (such as those of Becket, father and son), were written down for use as homilies by priests.

The Third Crusade began in 1189 AD, and on the 8th June 1191 King Richard 1 (Richard Coeur de Lion) arrived with his forces, before the seaport of Acre, and captured the city in 5 weeks. Amongst the English force was one, William, the Chaplain to the Dean of St Paul's, who when he saw the corpses of the Christians about the walls of Acre, had compassion on them. With the aid of a few helpers he buried a large number of the dead, and tended the wounded. 

Seeing that his actions were being appreciated, William formed an Order for the express purpose of burying Christian Knights who fell in battle in the Holy Land. 
To this first purpose he added a second, the raising of monies to redeem ransomed captives captured by the Saracens. The Order being formed at Acre its name was incorporated in the title (the Anglicised version ofAcre being Acon). 

The Order was so successful that William was able to build a church and churchyard that he dedicated to St Thomas 'a Becket, thus the Order became entitled the Commemorative Order of St Thomas of Acon, Through disease and death of the other knights fighting in the Holy Land, this Order of English monks was pressed into service as replacements, and became an Order of military monks, (it was also at this time circa 1279 that the Prior lost his pre-eminent position, this being accorded to the Master), fighting alongside the Knights of the Temple, the Knights of the Hospital of St John the Almsgiver, the Knights of the Hospital of Lazarus and the Teutonic Knights of the Hospital of St Mary. King Richard I rewarded their valour by according them the status of an Order of Chivalry. Of all the five noble Orders of knights in the Holy Land at this time, only this Order had a purely English foundation - a fact of which we should be justly proud.

In England the Order acquired the property of the Becket family in Cheapside where they built a Chapel and a headquarters. Following the battle of Acre, the Order of St Thomas of Acon merged temporarily with the Order of the Temple. When the knights were subsequently driven out of Cyprus, the Chapel of the Order ofSt Thomas was the only church on the island permitted to ring its bells. Remains of this church can still be visited.

Old records are sparse, the last admission into the Order being recorded on the 2nd February 1367, but that the order continued is not in doubt as the records of the Installation of a Master in 1510 mentioned above demonstrate and it was listed as one of the Orders dissolved by Henry VIII.

At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538, he offered the Chapel of the Order for sale, and, in memory of St Thomas (Thomas 'a Becket being canonised barely two years after his death during the Lentern period in 1173), and in view of the association of his father, Gilbert, with their trade, the Worshipful Company of Mercers purchased it. 

The Chapel in Cheapside was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and the present Mercers Hall and Chapel were built on the site. This is a matter of historical record, lengthy articles have been published in the "Historical Review", which is available in most public libraries and in several books. 

All that remains today to remind us of that building is the recumbent statue of Christ, which lies at the entrance of the new Mercers' Chapel. Additionally, the Church of St Thomas, in the City of London, was built in honour of St Thomas 'a Becket, and the Mayor, on the day of his Installation, always attended Mass in that church, before proceeding to St Paul's.

So - enough history lesson for one day ..

Cheers


Friday 22 April 2016

22nd April 2016 - Aisle Altar Hymn...

Thought for the day :" When people say "you are going to regret that in the morning" I sleep in till noon 'cos I'm a problem solver.."

Someone brought to my attention a small fact about Ronnie Corbett's funeral this evening ..
Guess what you can see here ..


This was the altar at the solemn funeral proceedings ...

This was upon the coffin..

But ...  lets have another look at the altar .. what do we see there ??
They did it without mentioning anything .. count the candles - there would normally be two ..

I understand that as the ceremony went on - more people counted the candles and nudged their neighbour and slowly the message sank in

Nice One - Whoever made the decision ...   Four Candles !!

RIP Ronnie Corbett  - in a year when we have lost a number of people already this year ..

and add Alan Rickman, Paul Daniels, David Gest, Natalie Cole,  David Marguiles, Dan Haggerty (grizzly Adams),  Clarence Reid, Glenn Frey, Paul Kantner,  Frank Finlay,  Harper Lee,  George Kennedy,  George Martin,  Keith Emerson,  Sylvia Anderson,  Frank Sinatra Jnr,  Frank Kelly, and Terry Wogan......and the last Chimp from the PG Tips adverts..
Do you know ....



By the way - if you do not know the relevance of the title of this blog... There was a nervous bride to be who was so worried about her wedding day int he church that the vicar took her aside and explained that it was a simple ceremony and nothing to worry about ..
It was in three parts
First - she would walk up the Aisle and be presented
Second - that they would both stand before the altar to make their vows...
Third - that after the vows there would be a hymn ...
All she had to remember was the three steps for marriage ..
Dutifully she went away - reciting the three points in a mantra
"AISLE ... ALTAR...  HYMN..........AISLE ... ALTAR...  HYMN.........."

But - Four Candles !
I lift my glass
Cheers 



Wednesday 20 April 2016

21st April 2016 - Double Yellows

Thought for the day :"I can't believe I went out with an apostrophe - she was so possessive"

So - the issue of parking continues from bad to worse ..   Here we have a set of double yellow lines that is so small it can only affect a toy car - but it seems that the requirements of the parking regulations mean that any area not painted must be painted ...   I leave this for you to view..





There might alwaysb  be someone who falls foul of the law though ...


Oh well
Glass of Scotch it is
Cheers !


20th April 2016 - Smoking on File

Thought for the day :"I saw a bumper sticker "I am a Vet so I can drive like an animal" and I thought - I know a lot of gynaecologists" 

I have one of these ..   I have no real use for it .. I wonder if I should do something ..

There are some things that can cause some problems they say, the paint upon the cabinet can cause fumes - but others say they have smoked for years in this sort of cabinet..

Seems like a nice idea ...  

I am sure that we could work on this for the future...   Smoking !!


and of course a glass of Chateau 41 ..
Cheers




Tuesday 19 April 2016

19th April 2016 - Like this Post? Not this Post box

Thought for the day :"As space telescopes use mirrors - we will never know if there are vampires in space…"

I spend some of my time developing a nice little gallery which illustrates some of the worse aspects of the driving public...   However, sometimes it is not the driver but the organisation that gets it very wrong...  Take this example...

This is the Tesco Express at Chobham in Surrey...   you can clearly see the parking space which you cannot use...

Royal Mail has confirmed that it is looking into the matter and plans to move the postbox to a suitable alternative location.
“The postbox was conveniently placed, blocking the parking space in this busy store.
“We are not sure what came first, the space or the box but find it bizarre that no contractor realised this when working on the site.

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We always try our best to make it as easy as possible for customers to shop with us.
“The postbox was in place before the store opened but we’re very grateful to the customer for raising it with us.”

Royal Mail spokesman Sally Hopkins said: “The postbox was moved to its current location, as agreed by both parties, when the shop became a Tesco Express.
“There were no parking bays marked out at that time.
“We are now looking to move this box as it is too low in the ground.
“We will be in touch with Tesco to discuss a suitable alternative location that is easily accessible for customers and our postmen and women who collect from the box, as well as making sure it is clear of any underground pipework or services.”

Seems strange that no-one noticed until it was brought to their notice by a passer by....

So, with those few thoughts
Cheers !



Monday 18 April 2016

18th April 2016 - Optical Illusions and Parking

Thought for the day :"If a woman is always right, and a man is always wrong - if a man says that a woman is right…."


Saw this lovely picture today - it is one of those that you can stare at for ages and not see what it is - and then "Click" you see an image - it is an obvious one - and then you cannot "unsee" it again..

Not even going to give a clue - let you work it oput yourself ..


(sadly I am sure this is an urban legend - I think I have seen another version before - but why not go with it??  I never usually spoil a good story with the truth!)


Outside Bristol Zoo there is a carpark for 150 cars and 8 buses. For 25 years, it’s parking fees were managed by a very pleasant attendant. The fees were £1.40 for cars and £7 for buses.
 

Then, one day, after 25 solid years of never missing a day of work, he just didn’t show up; so the Zoo Management called the City Council and asked it to send them another parking agent.
The Council did some research and replied that the carpark was the Zoo’s own responsibility.
The Zoo advised the Council that the attendant was a City employee.
The City Council responded that the lot attendant had never been on the City payroll.


Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain or France or Italy … is a man who’d apparently had a ticket machine installed completely on his own and then had simply begun to show up every day, commencing to collect and keep the parking fees, estimated at about £560 per day — for 25 years.
 

Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over 7 million pounds … and no one even knows his name

Well - I lift a glass to him if he ever existed - and if he did not - then he should have done 
Cheers 




Sunday 17 April 2016

17th April 2016 - Lego on the Square

Thought for the day:" I think people my age are  a lot older than me - just saying"

Well the day started very bright and sunny though still a little cold, As the day progresses it is getting colder and there are a few black clouds on the horizon...

So, we will start the day with pancakes I think and see if how the rest of the day goes.

I am not a great one for games but if I wanted a lego set  - I might well go for one of these ...






Meanwhile - on my memories form Facebook this little gem popped up  - I rather enjoyed that as well.


So - Sunday then ...  a day of rest
Cheers





Saturday 16 April 2016

16th April 2016 - Nostalgia ain't what it used to be

Thought for the day :"Whoever put the letter "B" in the word subtle deserves a medal"
So, feeling a bit more domesticated today. Sat down and did some accounts to start the day and found myself looking at a twitter post which amused me...   How to measure your wife for an ironing table!





They are adjustable and the whole thing made me chuckle a little... Of course there are other old adverts that can make you realise how much society has changed in quite a short period of time.. Here are a few that I found..

Nice additions to the kitchen....  

Of course in my house, the expert in the kitchen happens to be my wife... and I think this woudl still be appropriate for her - she would probably appreciated it ....

I'll drink to that ....

Not all would be considered appropriate these days of course... but a free booklet will help ..

And of course some grooming tips ...

and the correct attire ..

Oh well ...  of course, if the cooking skills are not so good then you can be sure of a good reception as long as you don't spoil the beer...
 

And that about does it for a Saturday ..
Cheers!
and a word for the wise...




Friday 15 April 2016

15th april 2016 - Just a thought

Thought for the day : "If your car goes at at the speed of light - would the headlights work?"

Think there is no time tonight for anything except a picture
Cheers





Thursday 14 April 2016

14th April 2016 - Just a thought

Thought for the day : "People tell me I have a unique way of lighting up a room …Its called arson and the people are called witnesses.."

what can I say ???

Wednesday 13 April 2016

13th April 2016 - Coastal Images

Thought for the day:" I didn't lose my sanity - I sent it away for its own protection"

 a strange haze along the shoreline today ..  It was a low band cloud that spread across the estuary with a slight reddish tint to it - against a very bright blue sky with a few wispy clouds high up...
The camera phone does not really do it justice - but it was strange enough to make me stop and try a picture...

On this side the Gower disappeared into the distance ...

Strange stuff happening ...
Oh well
Narberth this evening ... see what the weather brings there

Cheers