Miscellaneous 05/23/2010
 

Before starting a blog, I decide which category (see right) it should be put into. Today, however, what I'm about to report could be described as a stroll down 'Memory Lane' as well as being a 'Ramble' during 'Retirement'. So, the obvious solution is to put it in 'Miscellaneous'........

Although getting about isn't normally too much of a problem, negotiating airports is a challenge for my wife; so, when I booked our flight to and from the USA, I requested wheelchair assistance. Not surprisingly, the Virgin Atlantic staff providing that service at Heathrow were commendable. Sadly, however, and not for the first time in my own experience, what we encountered at JFK  was awful.

As far as I could tell, there were only two men assigned to push at least five wheelchairs from our aircraft into the terminal. As a consequence, the chap looking after my wife was trying to push somebody else's wheelchair at the same time; so, I ended up pushing her (my wife, not the other person). Heaven knows what someone a little more senile than myself would have done.

To add to our problems, it seems that JFK is one of very few airports in the world where a fee is required to get a trolley. Putting aside my natural  reluctance to pay for a service I expect to be free, I hadn't any cash because it had been my intention to get US money at the airport - and those facilities were a little further along the line from where we were. The upshot of all this is that I had to 'hook' our bags together (a bit like a train) in order to exit the airport.


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Whilst planning our trip, we had decided to take a bus ride rather than a taxi into Manhattan. Hindsight is a wonderful thing - but, had we known how bad the weather would be in New York when we arrived, we would have taken a taxi. Apart from the fact that we got soaked whilst transferring our luggage from the bus to a taxi at Grand Central, it had been so overcast during the journey that we didn't even see the Manhattan skyline (which had been the whole point in taking a bus).

Fortunately, however, the view from our bedroom was a lot better on the following morning..........


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We were in New York for four days and, in that time - amongst other things, we visited two friends, took a cruise around the island, and attended a Suzanne Vega concert where we saw Lloyd's new Small Ensemble for the first time.

We and our guest had been allocated some very nice seats quite close to the stage. However, Lloyd thought that the sound might not be too good for us because we were right underneath one of the amplifiers - but, to be perfectly honest, I thought it was OK. Getting a special mention from Lloyd caught his mother and I off guard a bit - but, so long as he only does it every fifty years, we can live with it.


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The visit to NYC ended up with a pleasant AMTRAK train journey up to our family in New England.

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Sport 05/15/2010
 

For someone born and, for some time, raised in Liverpool it hasn't been easy to accept that both my sons support Chelsea Football Club.

I suppose it could be claimed that there are mitigating circumstances in the fact that, although there are some clubs on the fringes of where they were born in The Peak District, there are no significant teams actually in the region to which they could pledge territorial allegiance. However, declaring  affection for a team as far away as the capital (and, in so doing, by the way, ignoring the ancestral claim of my father's side, Tottenham Hotspur) is hard to bear.

Anyway, those are the facts and I have to live with them and, if I'm honest, it's hard to deny that the 'glamour boys' of the Chelsea  side of the seventies (when my boys were growing up***) did have a certain appeal.

Today, Chelsea play Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final and, for my generation, there are elements of the encounter which re-ignite the magic which used to be associated with the occasion - which, by the way, was extremely significant in the past. In the sixties and seventies, for example, Cup Final day was (I believe) the only Saturday of the whole year where BSM driving instructors were allowed to have the day off so they could watch it on TV.

So far as today's match is concerned, however, the 'magic' factor is a consequence of the extremes of fortune the two participants have experienced in recent times. Chelsea are one of the richest clubs in the world. Portsmouth, on the other hand, are in the hands of The Receiver and facing bankruptcy. This is quite a sad situation which, to a large extent in my opinion, can be attributed to The Football Association.

Since the sport started to become organised, generations ago, the football season - i.e. the matches played throughout the winter months - was administered by The Football League. At the same time, the organisation responsible for selecting the county's international side, The Football Association, operated a knock-out competition which culminated in the Cup Final - at Wembley Stadium, more often than not.

However, in the early nineties, by taking (some might say, stealing) what had previously been known as the First Division out of the Football League, The English Premier League was formed - paradoxically, by The Football Association. In the meantime, it has prospered to such an extent that it is considered by many to be the most successful in the world.

However, this has not been without cost - as has been demonstrated by Portsmouth FC's current situation. Put in very simplistic terms, professional football has become a commercial operation. Furthermore, from being a national pastime, it has become a global business of mind-blowing proportions.

Sadly, this has resulted in significant changes to the game - both on and off the pitch. Insofar as the players are concerned, a combination of the introduction of foreign players and the financial incentives associated with success has led to an increase in practices which border on downright cheating. From the supporters' perspective, meeting the aforementioned financial gains for the players has resulted in enormously increased costs at the turnstiles.

As I've mentioned elsewhere in this blog, from a personal point of view, the game has become less attractive than it used to be. In fact, so far as watching it on TV is concerned, given the option of Rugby Union, I'm becoming inclined towards the latter.

That said, it is the Cup Final, after all; so, I shall be watching it. Not that this will impress my sons too much; because - apart from a natural reaction to their disloyalty - in the good old British tradition of supporting the under-dog, my sympathies will be with the supporters of the side from the south coast.



***
In compiling this blog, I'm reminded that, for each of the boys' ninth birthdays, I drove them down to London to visit the Chelsea football stadium at Stamford Bridge. Apart from a pilgrimage to the ground, one of the reasons for the journey was to spend some time explaining the facts of life to them. My own experience was that I had been pretty badly served in this respect and I was determined the same shouldn't happen to my own sons.

After one of the trips, my wife casually asked one of the boys (they know which one) if he learned anything of interest.To which she received the reply, "Oh, it was pretty much what we're taught at school - except that dad made up some pretty revolting stuff."

Going on from that story, I recall attending a meeting where parents were being asked for their views on how, what, and whether sexual education would be allowed at that particular school. In particular, I remember that the only objection was from an extremely religious woman who was concerned that none of the 'ladies' in the more explicit drawings were wearing wedding rings.

How times have changed!




 
Rambling 05/14/2010
 


In a few days time, my wife and I are heading across the pond to visit our family in the U.S of A. To some extent, the timing of the journey was influenced by birthdays and anniversaries. However, another factor was that Lloyd has a gig in New York, next week; so, we're going to spend three or four days there before heading up to New England.

I like New York. The last time I was there was when Lloyd and his son, William, appeared at a Mark Bolan tribute concert in Central Park and I stayed with friends of theirs in Brooklyn. One of the highlights, from my point of view, was walking across the bridge into Manhattan.

Speaking of walking (and that's what this particular blog is supposed to be about) in anticipating the trip, I probably haven't been doing as much as I ought to, recently. So, since this morning was nice and sunny, I dug out my walking boots, waist belt, jacket, scarf and favourite walking stick before heading off........


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..............into the Surrey Hills.
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Since retiring, I've categorised the walks I undertake - and today's was a Grade 2. That means it was fairly evenly divided between tarmacadam lanes and off-road paths and bridleways. It took a little over an hour and, as is usually the case, the more I perspired, the more items of clothing I removed - wrapping them around my waist as I did so........
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Election 05/13/2010
 

Election 39

Reminder: Latest blog at top of page. Earlier posts towards the bottom.

I've compiled a chronological record of my thoughts (minus the links) contained in the Election blog. On glancing through it, I have to say I'm rather proud of how prescient some of it was.


 
Election 05/11/2010
 

Election 38

Reminder: Latest blog at top of page. Earlier posts towards the bottom.

History in the making.......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8675265.stm
 
Sport 05/11/2010
 

STOP PRESS:

Sensational rumours are beginning to emerge that Manchester United football club are refusing to relinquish The English Premier League title.

In a further development, Arsene Wenge and Pat Rice, of Arsenal (who came a distant third), are reported to have spent the weekend negotiating with Roman Abramovich and Carlo Ancelotti of Chelsea (who actually won most points) with a view to sharing the trophy in return for certain concessions.

In the meantime, however, unknown to the Chelsea bosses, Sesc Fabricas, Sol Campbell, and Theo Walcott have been holding secret discussions with Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney about the possibility of forming a rainbow alliance with newly promoted Stevenage Borough FC, Glasgow Rangers, Linfield, and TN Saints (formerly Oswestry Town and Llansantffraid FCs).

Sir Alex Ferguson, who revealed the talks in a hastily arranged news conference outside Old Trafford, also announced that (for the good of the beautiful game) he intended to resign his position of team manager. However, in order to allow a successor to be selected, he would remain in office until the start of the next season.

In all of these quite extraordinary events, there is no evidence to suggest that a single season-ticket or shareholder has been consulted.


 
Election 05/08/2010
 

Election 37

Reminder: Latest blog at top of page. Earlier posts towards the bottom.

Almost as soon as the results had been declared, someone (he knows who he is) commented on Twitter, "Now we have positive confirmation that the Labour party must be re-built on its original basis of principle, and not expediency."

As it may have become obvious as this blog has developed, my own opinion, for what it's worth, is that - accepting the fact that there is liitle doubt that allowing expediency to replace principle may be the least of their sins - demolition might be a more appropriate course of action for New Labour.

After all, young Mr. Clegg has reminded the Great British public that the time may have come for the original party of reform in the UK to be given the opportunity to provide a credible opposition to the Tories. If forming an unlikely alliance might be the first step in that direction, who am I to discourage it?


 
Election 05/07/2010
 


Election 36

Reminder: Latest blog at top of page. Earlier posts towards the bottom.

Here is the noose:

It's a hung parliament.


 
Election 05/07/2010
 

Election 35

Reminder: Latest blog at top of page. Earlier posts towards the bottom.

Now that electoral reform is all the rage, perhaps the first step should be to find a way to get rid of that tawdry little man who sits in the Speaker's chair as a testament to the vindictiveness of a group of shabby New Labour MPs.

By the way, I suspect the only reason the UKIP guy's plane hit the ground is that it was trying to get down to an altitude where the little s**t could read the writing.........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8666202.stm


 
Election 05/07/2010
 

Election 34

Reminder: Latest blog at top of page. Earlier posts towards the bottom.

I suppose, there's a certain irony, having spent some time putting this little blog together over the past two or three weeks, that when it came to 'the compression point' - i.e. Election Night - I should be visited by a dose of the trots (the non-political kind) which sent me to bed at about the same time that the polling stations were being closed.

Anyway, when I woke up this morning and had a quick gander at how the election had gone, it seemed to me that there were an awful  lot of another kind of trots who had been invited to carry out an exit strategy.

I can't wait to see what happens.

All of these shenanigans (and those which are bound to follow) only serve to make me wish I had a better command of language than that with which I've been endowed. For example, I'm sure something could be made of the scenario where the effluent are trying to get rid of the affluent - or, vice versa.

More later........