Another sunny day!

  .


.

Lovely people here in Ulverston

While the national and international scene is horrific, isn't it great that we've got so many helpful people here in Ulverston! It's best to focus on what's happening locally rather in our dismal newspapers!

We've just had someone fixing a leaking overflow pipe and replacing as light switch all at the rate of £15 per hour. Service with a smile too - what a treat to have these kind of people around. What's more this guy will turn his hand to most things we need doing.
Then we've got another guy who's very good at fixing household appliances: at the moment he's fixing a fridge door that won't close because the hinge has been badly designed.

Then we have a great set of neighbours who are doing favours for each other, yesterday it was the gift of a very large  box of raspberries.We in our turn are able to give excellent free bread and loads of sweet peas from our garden and allotment.

Would it not be helpful to us all if this information about local workers were posted here?: something I am only too happy to do if requested.

Europe

It's so sad to hear that  the UK is bent on leaving Europe. Therare so many benefits to staying part of,and influencing Europe. The value of democracy is disappearing. We're paying the penalty of not having a nation trained to think clearly as a result of our educational system.

sleep

Another hard nigh without much sleep:gives me a chance to get some exercises done!

Stetched to breaking point

I'm becoming increasingly aware that we are all becoming stressed to the limits of our ability to cope.

If you stop and ask why, I think you'll find it's because of our decrease in our ability to be helpful to each other.

The causes of this are many:

Greed, driven by share holders who have lost touch withe effects of their company's policies on real people such as :

bankers

property investors that drive the price of houses up causing us to take on ridiculously high mortgages

the lust, which has become inbuilt in us all, to buy at the lowest price, putting out of business small family enterprises who really care about their clients. This is true of the increase in the growth of large chains of supermarkets who process their customers like robots and not humans they really know as you get in a small shop.

Contrast the way you are treated by Graham at Smith and Harrisons with the alternative :buying on line. What drives this? The desire for goods at a lower price.

This isn't the best analysis but the best my befuddled mind (operating after a stroke when I can't sleep at night) can do.

Please write me an encouraging comment if you read this and agree in any way or wish to be helpful.Thanks.

Great doctor and Osteopath

It's great to have a doctor that really shows an interest in you and does everything she knows how to help: last time is was,how to avoid cramp in the night and it works!It's great.

Had a great time yesterday with a work over with my none working muscles: I've now got a wide range of exercises yo do.Looking forward to seeing my left arm back in action.Next it will be my fingers. I aim to beableto use a fork on the allotment soon.I've got potatoes that need digging up.

Great Poster !

So what does this music sound like? Let's look on Youtube
Introduction




Full version:

How much longer, Persimmons?

I was told yesterday that the people in the new houses built by Persimons at Hoad View, Ulverston are very upset.

They tell me that these people, some of whom moved in to their new houses as much as six months ago in November 2013.:

Still have no standard phone connection

They say that they are continuously given new dates when this connection will be made , yet when that date arrives, no phone has been installed and that when they try to get an explanation from Persimmons:

Persimmons ignore their enquiries

Can someone please confirm that this is true?

I'm told that the problem iswith BT and that the people in the new houses are encouraged to contact them.

My point is why as I understand it, did Persimons make promisses and then not give explanations.

Furthermore, can't Persimmons put pressure on BT with a penalty clause in their dealings with BT.They surely can exert more influence than individual people.


If you want to comment please leave your name. Sniping at me as 'anonymous' is not acceptable here.

Our councillors, Irving, Pickthall, Airey,and Hornby,are being given the chance to help, but will they?

From: Geoff Dellow

Date: 25 June 2014 10:38:15 GMT+01:00

To: aournorthwardcouncillors

Subject: Things you could do for you constituents

1.None of the people in the new houses have land lines and most have waited since november 2013  see
http://geoffdellow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/how-much-longer-persimmons.html

It seems that BT need some strong representation made to it as Persimmons appear to be shedding all responsibility

2.Though the road of Union Lane has been resurfaced it stilll lacks double yellow lines at the intersection with Stanley st. This leaves a very dangerous situation as people are parking right at this intersection with it's blind corner. There have already been several near misses.

Perhaps one of you would like to help:  full credit will be given on my blog (circulation 500)  to any action taken  !! (please copy me in to any correspondence you make so that I can do this

Geoff

Responses received as follows:
From Pickthall:

Bid put in for double yellows.

Colin P.

My reply to Colin Pickthall:

Colin, 

I think you will agree the people in the new houses feel powerless to get a phone which they have been repeatedly promised this by Persimmons who now refuse to answer their enquiries. They just pass the buck and say it's the fault of BT who then do nothing.

Shouldn't this too be the concern of our local leaders who care for the people surround them?

Who do you suggest they turn to for help?

Geoff

A Cabbie Abroad

What a wonderful program on BBC2.

Did anyone see it and what did you think?

To find out more go here

Sunday 9pm for a few weeks

It ain't fair

Sadly we have been brought up in our culture to expect fairness:

At school and at home our immediate cry was "that's not fair".

The honest and most helpful response would have been:"Tough, no it isn't . Get used to it"

Sadly most people in our culture don't give this response s.

So most of us get all screwed up about life not being fair, when if we stop and think, we know it isn't and we should never expect it to be.

Realistically it  is impossible for life to be fair and we all would be happier if we stopped expecting the impossible.

Unfairness we live with:

Some people had caring parents some didn't.

Some were born with the chance of an education some weren't.

some worked from the age of eleven in Cambodia under repression earning peanuts some were instead able to go to school here.

Some here in England happen to have had a heart attack and were flown by helicopter to a specialist hospital in Liverpool where their lives were saved. Others had no suitable hospital nearby and died.

So no, life is not fair, let's  get used to it!

The secret is to make the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in and make the most of it and not waste time and energy worrying about fairness!


How many people agree with me? Please leave a comment using your real name.

Good workmen and services

It seems to me that it would be helpful to all of us to share our knowledge of good reliable commercial help:

Good shops and services; good workmen:

 These I am willing to share.


Is there any interest with any of you?

Speak up if you think there is.

How about my view:

When you find someone really good, don't tell anyone, except your very best friends( if you tell everyone then they will be so busy in the future that they won't be there for you).

This is true of the doctor I have found: she is truly amazing and her identity is a closely guarded secret!

Only my best friends need ask who she is.  The rest of you can get lost!

Progress

As you can imagine my main interest now is recovering from my stroke.

I've hit a patch when it will be just hard slog.

Use it or lose it

 is an excellent slogan for my recovery

Getting my left hand to work effectively will, I now realise, be hard.
I'm having to rely on help from outside the NHS as I've had little to nothing from Furness General.

Exceptions have been:
Steve, the occupational therapist who came to help with rails in my house:he gave excellent advice.
Tessa Pemberton, the speech therapist was also excellent.
Luckily I've found an excellent doctor, but no resources beyond her. So it's just a matter of getting on with it.

Enjoying life

My solution which will carry me through the crises that I have met so far is to:

Have things that you are passionate about. For me these are:

1.  Having really good friends who respect and love sharing their life with you.

Fortunately I have several  of these.

2.  At all times liking yourself.

3. Having fun particularly with children age 2 to 6:
they are best when young: truly honest so that you know were you are with them. I love those that are wilful and have a great sense of making the most of life. I love provoking a reaction from them.
I love doing silly child like things with them.I love their alert curiosity.

4. Having access to music that is played/performed passionately.

5. Having access to outrageos art that is played/performed passionately.

6.Playing a musical instrument myself and creating my own music

7.Doing things I'm good at: successfully solving problems. Asking difficult questions and trying to find the answer: the main one at the moment is "do I mind if I die?"and "What does it mean to live life to the full?"

8.Moving to music

9. There will be many more

Please note:coming up soon

What a great lot of activites: I loveit!  see    http://www.furnesstradition.org.uk/

Life is tough at the moment

so it is!

So let's makethe most of it!

Allan Wilson photographer

Monster, Monster, Monster,

Hoorah,Hoorah,Hoorah,Hoorah,

My What a weekend

Thanks Dave Monster Monster Crossley

Tenor Horn 1

Two pictures worthy of our attention

This picture just completed by Graham Twyford find it on Facebook page:   Furness Artists

This one conveys for me the Fun of the Ulverston Candlelit Walk which takes placeon Halloween  see Facebook page :  Candlelit walk

Help :My memory is playing me up

This could be the result of my stroke. I worry that I am failing to communicate with my friends.

Life feels incredibly difficult at times.

Sadly I have a very strong guilt complex which doesn't help.

I'm incredibly hard on my own failings.

I've always been a perfectionist.

Rod Demick At the Swan earlier today

The Swan rocked to the sound of Rod's music.

 There was applause all round.

 Rod had us all singing to nearly every song :we were having such a good time.

 Old men couldn't resist and were dancing in the aisles!

Rod has a rare quality as singer: empathy.

You can't stop getting infused by his sense of fun and enthusiasm for life.

Here is an activity that defies a society of cut backs and materialism.

Please spread the word :Rod is an act not to be missed.

We are indeed privileged to have him and his wife living and singing  Ulverston.

 No wonder Rod has a regular spot at the Swan every fortnight:17:00 to 19:00. next one 29th June.

Wool bombing comes to Ulverston

Thanks apparantly to Loopy and Natterjacks (?)

Midas the story in real life

As a child, I was very impressed with the foolishness of the king who had his wish of having everything he touched turned to gold.

Isn't that what is happening to us now?

The more we respond to the wish to have everything as cheap as possible we are being trapped by the same philosophy.

When you stop and ask yourself what you really enjoy, it isn't the ability to own things.

In reality things provide relatively little enjoyment. What we really appreciate is genuine friendship from other people :something that is given freely.
By buying always the cheapest we are drawn to Amazon, Persimmons and Ebay: firms that are gaining far too much power and provide no human friendship.they are thirsty for power and control and in reality provide no friendship whatsoever.They are like the cold gold that Midas gained by his ability to turn warm friendly people into cold gold.

Beware of creating cold monsters by choosing the cheapest all the time a lot more real enjoyment is to be had from things that are given as with the knit ware that has been posted all over the town.This is true human fun and warmth - not cold gold

Wow have you seen the knitting in Ulverston

It's amazing:I just had to go out filming it all.

Apparently ,it's called wool bombing and we caught somepeople in the middle of a bomb.

aI and alot of my friends thinkit's fantastic.

Let's hope my filming works out.

Are Persimmons letting us down again?

As I understand it, the terms of the conditions of the planning agreement are being broken.

Why aren't the excellent local builders who built this wall being used to finish it?

The new coping stones in contrast with those done by local builders Edward Waddington

These stones look completely out of keeping with the rest of what is a very attractive wall.

The result is not acceptable. It will be an eyesore to all those that appreciate good workmanship

Clearly new replica coping stones are being used

The matter has been reported to SLDC Planning department

I think you'll love this!

Moving to music

I just love it!       We do this twice a week even now after my stoke: I just love it!

potatoes

Here we come !
Just had them for dinner:  delicious

Returned to Ulverston

Tired and emotionaly exhausted but extemely happy.

What a wonderfull place :I witnessed about 200 people of all ages from 7 to 80 making music together in many different ways;string orchestra,;orchestra with woodwind and brass:choirs; recorders;big band with brass;improvisationand trad jazz.There was every kind of music there all done on a shoestring budget.

Well worth all the effort. I'll be back to this amazing organisation on a regular basis

Let's be positive

As it's going to be some time before my left hand can recover after my stroke enough to play my clarinet, I'm off to Lancastert today to explore buying and having lessons in playing a tenor horn which is played entirely with the right hand.

I've found a tutor, Adrian Boardman. who teachers from the Lancaster Community Trust that uses the building of the Lancaster Gramaar School on Saturdays. He recommeds buying a Sovereign Tenor Horn.

Off to see him  in Lancaster on my own this morning-should be fun !

Just bought a Tenor Horn and already have a lesson lined upwith Adrian Boardman thisSaturday if it arrives in time.

Colin Pickthall and the picnic tables at Gill Banks

How helpful do you find Colin Pickthall's response to the following enquiry?

He seems incapable of taking on board requests from his constituents .
Is he not being evasive and unhelpful? 
Personally I have given up trying to get Colin to do anything to do with council business in North Ward.

It was the picnic tables that I was trying to talk to Colin about when I was fobbed off yet again:the man is a real pain. see my previous posting re his behavior

To: "jpickthall@btinternet.com" <jpickthall@btinternet.com>; "townhall@ulverstoncouncil.org.uk" <townhall@ulverstoncouncil.org.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, 4 December 2012, 12:12
Subject: Gill Banks

Dear Sirs

I am writing to express my wish to see the picnic tables reinstated at Gill Banks and a return of the delightful pottery that has been decorating the railings.  As a regular user of the footpath who has enjoyed many a sandwich at lunch times sitting and admiring the vista I have missed them over the past few months.  They are a great asset to our community.

Please can you advise me as to what plans you have to reinstate them?

With my thanks in anticipation

Thank you for your e-mail.  I am very wellhe aware of the saga of the picnuic tables, and the complexities of landownership and the Town Council's responsibilities.  You will no doubt be aware of the rumbustious history of these tables and their mysterious movements.  As the Gill path is to be partially closed for the first six months of 2013 while Cumbria County Council and the Enviroment Agency do substantial flood defence work on the beck at The Gill end, the "delightful pottery" will have to find a new home and the debate over the picnic tables will no doubt be renewed later.

In case you have not seen the map of where the work is to take place, and the alternative path indicated by the County, I will forward you a copy.

Best wishes,

Colin Pickthall.

Hooray - success

Union lane road surface is now finished. see our campaign


Now we wait for the road markings to help prevent serious accidents.

once again:

 ANDREW MOSS THIS IS CLEARLY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

clarinet

Just taken this to David Kyle to have it's left hand holes bunged up so I can 'play' it right handed- in theory!
If that doesn't work out then it's this that I can plat right handed!

Could be a Tenor Horn:anyone got one for me to try?

What do you all think about the prospect of hearing this an the market place!
Bugger the politicians , and thoughtless people in general

Let's make music:

What an lovely inspirational  video:

It's a stunningly beautiful day

Whayhey!   We're off to the allotment to get plants in!

Feeling good.

To hell with death , pain an disppointment:

Live for the day!

I've been doing excercises:focussing on opening my hand- easier said than done, alsoraising and lowering my arm .

Next will be my individual fingers:105% recovery here I come

(I aim to be better than I was)

Spotlight on Ulverston North Ward

Colin Picthall , former local  MP;leading light of the Labour Party  here;and husband of the outgoing Mayor Judy Picthall, has just distributed  a leaflet to the north end of Ulverston, which ends as could be predicted:

LABOUR, working hard for Ulverston

So what truth is contained in it?

As usual there are a lot of half truths, with many that I can't verify

"we now have a healthy reserve to fall back on"

So why, yesterday when Alan Henshall of Samavar,the superior chocolate shop, asked Judy Picthall,promoter of Ulverston in Bloom suggested the council for a few further flower tubs around the former Trustees Savings Bank to brighten up the junction of Market St and Union St was he told "sorry the Town Council can't afford this.

"The mayor's  initiative in setting up"Super Saturday" Markets on 4 separate Saturdays"

Yes weren't they great? Well done. 

But why with this success and the road closure in place on Market street on Market Days, haven't we had many more during 2014, we clearly now have the small amount of funds needed to promote the Town's creative talent for this kind of thing.

the only part of this leaflet that rings true is the statement at the bottom:

"the Conservatives have backed us"

But sadly what can we expect from them with a new Mayor like Helen Inving

Sadly except for a few shining examples the Town Basket is full of bad apples with little taste for hard co-operative work.

dealings with Colin Pickthall:

From: Geoff Dellow <gd@tygh.co.uk>
To: Judy PICKTHALL <jpickthall@btinternet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, 15 October 2013, 19:37
Subject: contact

Judy and Colin,

I was totally mystified by Judy's comment today.

Wasn't the purpose of the event (the "popup concilotin the Gill)for constituents to meet their councillor?

This was my purpose too.

I waited, and waited. I didn't want to stop you make more valuable contacts but the reason I waited was to talk to my councillor and not to chat.

The chat was a preamble to help us communicate about more important matters.

I am genuinely trying to make contact with Colin as my councillor. I have come to assume that he'd rather not so one gets to a point that one gives up trying.

Of my three town councillors the one I appear to communicate best with is Margaret Hornby.

After some time one gives up in order to preserve one's own sanity.

As this is not Colin's email I am trying to reach him by phone and as a last resort I will call round at his house.

Geoff

Colin's reply:

Geoff,

 

This is my e-mail too.

 

Sorry, I thought we had a talk of some sort.  Sorry it was not of the requisite quality.

I suggest you stick with Margaret, who is an excellent councillor with endless patience.  I'm afraid I am not and have not.

 

Cheers,

 

Colin.

Having the time of my life

Just had a stroke and enjoying every minute of it

Why ?

Because evey day I achieve something new.

Today I did the washing up.

Beat that for the hieght of having fun!

Never haveI had the opportunity to achieve so much and so fast.
You couldn't find another situation were the rewards were so immediate.
What makes it so exciting is that I'm able to do it all for myself after all who else can do it?
So where have I hadmost help?

Not where you'd expect,


Steve the occupational physiotherapist : the guy who checks out your house for hand rails has given me the most insightful help.

He has helped me understand how to cure myself. When you understand thebasic principles, that's all you need if you're a very good problem solver as I am.