Got back a couple of weeks ago from a great fortnight’s holiday in Estartit, on the Costa Brava, about forty miles from the French border, courtesy of Brian & Gayle who own two caravans there.

The weather was near perfect the whole time, giving Madge and I a great preparation for our annual October trip to the Red Sea in a couple of weeks’ time.

Pics below show the distinctive Rock which makes Estartit an unmistakable destination; the view of the sea from Camping Estartit, the caravan site where we stayed; a group ‘photo of us and our hosts Brian & Gayle; and a couple of shots of myself and Madge at the seafront.

It’s a great life if you don’t weaken !

The following is taken from the National Trust website in the U.K. :-

Turn to tap water – refreshingly local It’s safe and tasty and free:

The tap water in the UK is safe and healthy to drink, in fact it’s among the best quality water in the world.

In blind taste tests many people could not tell any difference in taste between bottled water and tap water. (Have you Bottled It? Sustain)

Transporting bottled water creates 33,200 tonnes of CO2 in the UK alone, which is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 6,000 homes. More than 50 per cent of the UK’s recycling plastic is sent overseas for recycling. The main destination is China.

 As a fully-paid up Wrinkly with increasingly stiff joints, I can only marvel at these super-flexible contortionist females from the Forties era:-

Expert Predictions

“The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives.”

–Admiral William Leahy, U.S. Atomic Bomb Project

“There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom.”

–Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923

“Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons.”

–Popular Mechanics magazine, forecasting the relentless march

of science, 1949

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”

–Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

“I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the

best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won’t

last out the year.” –The editor in charge of business books for

Prentice Hall, 1957

“Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances.”

–Dr. Lee DeForest, “Father of Radio & Grandfather of Television”

“But what … is it good for?” –Engineer at the Advanced Computing

Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered

as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”

–Western Union internal memo, 1876

“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would

pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” –David Sarnoff’s

associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s

“The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than

a ‘C,’ the idea must be feasible.” –A Yale University management professor

in response to Fred Smith’s paper proposing reliable overnight delivery

service. (Smith went on to found FedEx, the Federal Express Corp.)

“I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper.”

–Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in Gone With The Wind

“We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”

–Decca Recording Co., rejecting the Beatles, 1962

An Obituary printed in the London Times – not a joke and makes you think !

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn’t always fair; and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don’t spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well -intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason….

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I’m A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

The following little story is pure fiction, and the names, characters and locations are figments of my imagination.
No reference is intended to any person living or dead, although, believe it or believe it not,  all the following names are to be found in the U.K. electoral register. 

The number of actual occurrences of each name in the UK register are indicated in brackets after each name.
** If you wish to check out how many people share your own name, or check if any other bizarre examples actually exist on the UK electoral register, click on the
following link:-

www.yournotme.com/

I woke up suddenly, feeling chilly. I’d left the Ida Down (2) off again !
As I had breakfast reading about the adventures of Dan Dare (1 last year, no longer listed) in my vintage Eagle comic, I thought I might go to the pictures in the afternoon – there was a choice between the new Homer Simpson (1) film, or a Harry Potter (22) movie with a Donald Duck (1 last year, no longer listed) cartoon. The Marjorie Tee (2) of the time, I would probably plump for the movie and the cartoon.
After I had breakfast, I decided to go for a newspaper, and as I crossed the road I tripped over Arthur Brick (2) lying in the gutter and was narrowly missed by a car with dinted wings. I recognized those wings- the owner was none other than  Albert Ross (37) who was always positively flying along the road.
As always, I enjoyed the sight of the lovely Rose Bush (7) in the Rose Garden (1) opposite. They always look good when the sky is blue and the Theresa Green (54).
Eileen Dover (2) the wall to have a sniff at the roses. Magnificent ! I looked at my watch. Crikey- I’d have to Luke Sharp (8) or I’d be running late. Just then, I saw my mate George Cross (108) the road.
“Now Luke Hare (2) George,” I exclaimed, “it’s ages since you bobbed round to see me. When Hugh Last (1) saw me, you said you’d look at those antiques my Auntie left me to give me some
Val Hughes “(1 last year, no longer listed, but 346 Valerie Hughes are currently listed).
“Tony Chance (4) I’ve got to come round is next week,” said George, “I Ben Dover (2) backwards to fit you in, but Ida Lott (1) on my plate this week. My roof was damaged and I had to get a Ruth Slater (37)  to fix it, and to top it all I had a dud ‘phone call from some foreign John Doe (75) who wouldn’t give his name.”
“It was probably some Paul Little (192) guy working for a call centre in India,” I said, “and he’d get nowhere with a salesman like you- from what I can remember, you could flog a Rick Shaw (2 last year but no longer listed) to a Chinaman or a Ray Gunn (2 last year, no longer listed) to an alien !”
“Have you seen Albert lately ?” asked George. “You mean Albert Hall (185), I said, feeling in my Lucy Lockett (4) for an Annie Seed (3) ball. The guy whose wife has such a Hugh Jarse (1 last year, no longer listed) ?”
“That’s him,” replied George, ” The last time I saw her she had this sheer dress on, and I swear I couldn’t see a pantie line anywhere !”
“You should keep your eyes to yourself, George,” I said, “but I must admit I’m attracted by the sight of a Nicholas Bird (108).
“Anyway, I’d better be getting on,” said George, “I’ve got to call and see Peter Wheater (1). He’s such a silly billy. Oh, and by the way, Mary Christmas ! (12).

** Since originally writing the above last year, I have re-visited the UK register via yournotme.com and found a number of changes since last year. Most of these I have edited into the above story.Quite a few names are no longer so numerous, and some have gone altogether, whilst a couple have become more numerous, presumably because of births and deaths.

Dear old Ida Lott is still there, and so, I’m pleased to see, is Peter Wheater. Peter attended Sunday School with me over sixty years ago.

Gone, presumably for good, are Dan Dare, Luke Sharp, Ray Gunn, and the immortal Hugh Jarse. Ben Dovers are down from 70 to just 2, and the George Cross po;ulation has shrunk from 126 to 108.  More numerous are Nicholas Bird with +8, Paul Little with + 9 and, delightfully, Lucy Lockett with +1.

Just got back from our regular January “Winter Warmer” break at Nidd Hall, a Warners’ adults only hotel in the Yorkshire Dales.

We were concerned about the road conditions in the Dales, since we were in the longest cold spell in the UK for 30 years, and many minor roads were impassable with deep snow. However, in the event, we had a clear run on good roads and the cold spell then eased off towards the end of the week, and we drove back in torrential rain.

As always, we had a lovely relaxing time with good food and drink, excellent evening entertainment and plenty to occupy us during the day including games of table tennis and ballroom dancing.

Pics below show the impressive entrance hall dome, the entertainments complex, our Warners’ welcome pack, and Madge and I braving the elements down near the lake.