Thoughts 02/28/2011
I'm confused - and, it's a small measure of how confused I am that I can't make my mind up into which category (listed in blue - to the right) this blog should be placed. It might, for example, be classed as Sport; however, I sense that the issues raised stretch beyond sporting boundaries (pardon the pun) and suspecting that 'Miscellaneous' might be too vague, I've decided that 'Thoughts' might be an appropriate home for it. What caused my confusion, by the way, is the fact that the decision by a professional cricketer (hence, the earlier pun) to announce that he's gay has made the front-pages of, not just the gutter-dwelling red-tops, but in most of the broadsheets, too. Now, before going any further, in the light of recent criticism, perhaps I should consider the fact that many of those who read this blog hold views which might be considered rather more politically correct than my own. However, a recent blog outlines where I stand - and why. Furthermore, rather than just talk in a so-called enlightened manner, I try to behave appropriately. Anyway, turning to the cricketer's announcement, my confusion arises from the fact that, if homosexuality is to be accepted in this day and age, why is such a big fuss being made - especially (and paradoxically) by a media composed of people who, in the main, would consider themselves to be the epitome of political-correctness? Surely, publishing lurid headlines which might give the impression that being a gay sportsman is something out of the ordinary is entirely counter-productive - especially in cricket - where it wasn't all that long ago that the game was divided into what were known as Gentlemen and Players. Accordingly, to imagine that some of the public-school educated 'gentlemen' might not be what, in those days, were referred to as queer is almost inconceivable. However, I don't believe that the likes of Freddie Trueman, for example, would have cared a tuppenny damn about the peccadillos of their team-mates. He and his ilk would have just got on with the game. What a shame that those attitudes seem not to prevail these days. n.b. I wonder if some of Freddie's ilk came from a well-known Yorkshire moor. 1 Comment Miscellaneous 02/24/2011
I can't remember if, around the time of the Royal Army Service Corps reunion in north Devon, last October, I mentioned that I had managed to contact one of the DUKW drivers who featured in a few of the photographs in my journal about the UK nuclear tests at Christmas Island in the fifties. Unfortunately - perhaps as a consequence of being exposed to radiation - he hadn't been enjoying very good health and wasn't able to attend the reunion. However, I was able to put him in touch with another DUKW driver with whom he had been especially pally and they had managed an occasional chat on the telephone or, perhaps, Skype. Sadly, however, he passed away shortly after the arrival of the new year and I've been led to believe his family gained great comfort from the fact that the survivor took the trouble to attend the funeral. Life, however, goes on and, yesterday, by an intriguing coincidence, whilst I was trying to show my Best Man (who I met on Christmas Island) how I used the internet to trace our former colleague, I managed to contact another one who also featured in some of the photographs in the aforementioned journal. I even managed to find his 'phone number; so, we were able to chat for a while and exchange contact details - which, as soon as I've completed this blog, I'll forward to the rest of our little group. Interestingly, my Best Man and our 'new' old friend live quite close to each other and they're making plans to meet up for a noggin - or two. Rather more interestingly, it emerged that they had previously met at a school parents' meeting over thirty years ago - a situation which illustrates the fact that maintaining old acquaintances seems more important as time passes; something which younger readers might want to 'take on board'. Miscellaneous 02/20/2011
Over the past year, or two, I've recorded the efforts we've made to provide the local bird population with an adequate food supply during (by south of England standards) the quite severe weather conditions we've experienced during recent winters. As a consequence we've been rewarded by a succession of visitors outside (somewhat appropriately) our kitchen window - and, as I've also mentioned, those visitors haven't only been of the avian variety. For example, local foxes have become interested and - more excitingly - it appears that we've been added to the route march which a neighbouring badger family undertake each night. Not surprisingly, catching these nocturnal visitors on camera isn't that easy; however, daytime visits aren't as difficult - and, here's one of them.........  Even more intriguingly, during this visit from a local squirrel (see above), he/she was joined by one of a number of pheasants who inhabit our woodland......  Sport 02/19/2011
Following the commendable performance by the players and supporters of Crawley Town Football Club at Old Trafford, I've been rather surprised by the quite vehement reaction from certain elements to the club's relationship with The Sun Newspaper. In making this observation, I was initially inclined to use the word 'disappointed' rather than 'surprised' by the reaction. However, I recognise I haven't been close enough to the place of my birth in recent times to experience the strength of feeling which exist as a consequence of the ill-informed comments the newspaper printed following the Hillsborough disaster. Accordingly, accepting there is no doubt these sentiments are sincere, I'm writing this blog in the somewhat unlikely hope that someone might explain - or justify - to me why the players and the supporters of the Sussex team should be held accountable for decisions made by their board of directors - or whomsoever is responsible for gaining sponsorship for their team. Miscellaneous 02/17/2011
This small collection of figures has been on a shelf in the smallest room in our house for almost as long as I can remember and not one single person has remarked on their significance - and it took me ages to find a boat in the right colour....... ................Philistines!  Memory Lane 02/17/2011
 My wife bought a couple of coconuts, recently, and I was reminded of my time in the south Pacific region during the UK nuclear testing programme in the fifties. It might not be obvious to those who have only seen coconuts as they are presented in greengrocers or at fairgrounds (above) - but the rough-skinned item in which the milk is contained is actually cultivated (or grown) inside a smoother outer shell about the same size and shape as a rugby ball - as shown in the picture (below).........  ......and, what is especially interesting about them is that some of us on Christmas Island used to paint the name and address of a loved one onto the outer skin, attach a postage stamp, and take the coconut to the British Forces Post Office in the same way one would in order to send a parcel and, in a couple of weeks time, a rather intrigued postman in the UK would deliver it to the aforementioned friend or relative. Thoughts 02/15/2011
During a recent conversation, I suggested that the circumstances in which the coalition have found themselves is not dissimilar to those faced by Margaret Thatcher when she became Prime Minister in 1979 - in that both were forced to make unpopular decisions in order to get themselves (and the country) out of the mess left by their predecessors. In 1979, however, the dilemma was slightly different from that in 2010 - because, in addition to the issue of debt repayment which Conservative governments perennially inherit, the more pressing problem of how to re-establish the government's authority over the trade unions needed to be addressed. Now, lest it be forgotten, during the period leading up to the Winter of Discontent, industrial action had become known throughout the world as, "The British Disease." In the motor-manufacturing industry, for example, the likes of 'Red Robbo' were creating havoc on the shop-floor and, at a more senior level, TUC leaders seemed to be able to wander in and out of Downing Street pretty much as they pleased - whilst the Prime Minister, James Callaghan, seemed powerless to intervene. From Mrs. Thatcher's point of view, therefore, addressing these issues must have seemed daunting; however (and I don't expect very many to agree with my opinion), in Arthur Scargill, she had the perfect accessory to implement the changes many considered were necessary. I really do mean this, by the way, because, putting aside the rights and wrongs of the argument and the militancy of the response, I believe that a more astute negotiator - Jack Jones, for example - would have been able to extend negotiations for years rather than weeks. Furthermore, I don't find it difficult to suppose that those who were advising Mrs. Thatcher, at that time, had a pretty shrewd idea of what might happen. Accordingly, it could be argued that Mr. Scargill was thoroughly 'conned' into behaving in the manner in which he did. Certainly, the ease with which the subsequent 'so-called' anti-trade union legislation was introduced was, at least in part, parliament's response to the bitterness which had been introduced into the equation. Sport 02/12/2011
As I've mentioned before, given the choice between watching football or rugby union on TV, I have usually chosen the latter in recent times. So, it was no surprise that I had decided to watch England play Italy rather than the Manchester derby this afternoon. My younger son, however, was watching the soccer as I wandered into the lounge to collect something or another and, almost inevitably, I glanced at the TV screen at a time when the sort of incident which has put me off the game was taking place. I can't recall his name - but, the City right back was charging down the right wing and although Paul Scholes was chasing as fast as his little legs would take him, he was fighting a losing battle and (as usually happens in these circumstances) the City player was dragged to the ground leaving the referee with little option other than to show the United veteran a yellow card. Now, clearly, it isn't just Manchester United players who break the laws of the game. Jamie Carragher, of my own team Liverpool, for example, would be amongst the front-runners if the title of Master shirt-puller were ever created and, although there is a difference between 'fair' and 'unfair' fouling, the fact of the matter is that all fouls should be subjected to disciplinary action. What concerns me, however, is that referees seem to turn a blind eye to some infringements - until, that is, the offence is so blatant they have little alternative other than to blow their whistle. The effect of this inconsistent behaviour is two-fold. For example, players are quick to recognise weak refereeing and tend to 'push their luck' to the absolute limit. Secondly, if and when a player is eventually penalised for a misdemeanour, it isn't unusual to see an aggressive and, all too often, obscene response - as Paul Scholes demonstrated during the aformentioned incident when he clearly told the referee to, "Fuck off." Sadly, this sort of insolent disrespect towards officials is becoming the norm rather than the exception and, perhaps more than any other single issue, illustrates the difference between association football and rugby union - where the authority of the referee is absolute. Quite frankly, until this problem is addressed, I believe things will only get worse and, sooner or later, even the most blinkered soccer fans (and TV executives) will become disenchanted by behaviour which, at times, is little short of downright cheating. Thoughts 02/09/2011
Interestingly, this started off as an e-mailed response to a 'tweet' until I realised that my Blog might be a better place for it to be aired. So, I hope you both enjoy it. I'm in my seventy-third year and, although a long way from being immobile, I know many of my generation who are and it's interesting how many are turning towards the internet to meet their needs. Communication by e-mail, for example, has become the norm, internet shopping is becoming more common, and I don't suppose I'm alone in saying that I can't remember when I last bought a newspaper. However, although I have never been what might be called 'a big reader', I'm actually reading significantly more since getting a computer than I ever did previously - and I don't just mean newspapers. Having said that, from a personal point of view, I'm not sufficiently interested in 'reading' to invest in something like a Kindle. However, I do have an idea of what they are; so, I was rather surprised at the reaction to a recent suggestion that it might be a good idea to make them available to children as an alternative to libraries. Now, by an interesting coincidence, I had pretty well come to same conclusion myself. Although, my own inclination had been to provide each household with such a device because having immediate access to reading material through the internet can only enhance everyone's desire to read. Furthermore, invaluable though libraries have been over the years, it is stupid to ignore the fact that technological advances (such as Kindle) would make them redundant in any case - whether, or not, a government was obliged to make savings. Sport 02/01/2011
I recognise that some might disagree, however, as someone who was born in the city, I have to say that Fernado Torres's decision to leave Liverpool Football Club, whilst unfortunate, is not that surprising. After all, promises which may have been made about where the club 'was going' when he joined, almost certainly haven't come up to his (or the club's) expectations. On the other hand, putting aside his recent lack of form and apparent motivation, no one could deny that his scoring record is a testament to the fact that his contribution and commitment to the club has been outstanding. Accordingly, since the grass is always greener on (or with) the other side, it really should be no surprise that he has succumbed to the goodies on offer at Chelsea - which, by the way, I wouldn't be surprised may have dangled in front of his eyes as long ago as during The World Cup Finals in South Africa - and, if that were to be the case, it would go a long way towards explaining his aforementioned apparent lack of motivation. Anyway, all that is water under the (Stamford) bridge. Furthermore, although it might seem somewhat disloyal to my own heritage, it could be that his decision had nothing at all to do with football - given the choice between a scouse or a southern counties accent for his recently born son (for the more sensitive, that's a joke). However, whatever reason, there is no excuse for Liverpool fans burning replicas of Torres's shirt. That sort of behaviour might be OK in Baghdad or Afghanistan but it's not appropriate in Anfield. Since writing this blog, I've heard suggestions that Sky TV provided the shirts and encouraged 'fans' to burn them. Whether that is true - or not - is a matter for conjecture. What is alarming, however, is the fact that it's entirely believable. |
