Red letter day.

Today I tied my boot laces for the first time.

Then I went on down to the allotment and dug a tshort trench which I then filled  with manure.
This required using a spade and a fork for the first time and was bloody hard work.

This follows my conviction:

If you don't use it :you lose it.

Which is something I  take to heart as an eighty year old!

SLDC planning department

Questions it would be good to have answered:

Are the planning officers  of SLDC as strict with big businesses such as Persimmons as they are with private individuals?

Is the planning department adequately staffed in order to carry out it's duties effectively?

Why are Persimmons allowed to use new coping stones on a large section of it's wall.

When will Persimmons be paying for new equipment in Mill Dam as agreed in the conditions of the granting their planning permission?

Why is the planning department being threatened by a judicial review?

Are  the people of Ulverston going to support the funding of this revew?

Why are people with plenty of money holding back from supporting this revew if in fact this is actually the case?




Go to the campaign page

and here for the full story

Walking in the dark

This is a thing I love doing.

Obviously people in Towns with street lights everywhere never experience this . But those of us that live in the country that can walk away from artificial lighting can enjoy this experience. It's surprising how much you can see when your eyes get used to it. Townies who are convinced you can't see resort to a torch. But sadly if you do this you miss out on all the fun.

More later.

Julia Donaldson- an amazing author of children's books

Those of you that read my blog will know I'm a very big fan of Julia Donadson because of her skill in writing children's stories which are incredibly cleverly written.


If you have any contact with children, you would be very wise to know all about her.I'm at the moment reading Toddle Waddle to a three year old and she's now got used to reading through the whole story at a slow pace, taking in every bit of information that is there on each page.

I've been described as an educational genius by top people in London who have watched me teach and I assure you that if you use this book with a child in a thoughtful way, he/she will quickly learn to read because of the way it is written.(this assessment of my abilities will not go down well here in Ulverston as most people haven't a clue as to what I achieved while teaching in London)

"A prophet is never accepted in his own country.'(Jesus Mark 6:4)

She deserves the in depth article that was written in last Sunday's  Observer:

Julia Donaldson: I'm like the mouse in the Gruffalo

Here is my reading of :Room on the Broom by Julia  Donaldson - on Youtube

R.H.Irvings work in in Ulverston with Persimmons

I have always found R H Irvings Construction to be a great firm as they work with difficulty as a contractor for Persimmons who I sadly wouldn't trust an inch.

They are at the moment doing a brilliant job here as they put the final touches to preparing the pavement and other parts of Union Lane in connection with the new housing called Hoad View

Reliability

I realise how fortunate  that I have friends and workers that are totally reliable.

However I am increasingly coming across  people who make promises they don't keep.

These people knock the stuffing out of me. It is totally against my nature.

When I make a promise I move heaven and earth to fulfil it. No matter how much I regret having made the promise in the first place.

Why do people do it?

To make themselves feel good at the time?

 Surely we can do without these kind of people in our world

They just sap our belief in people in general.

It's so rewarding to meet people who still honour their promises come hell or high water. They still are to be found, especially when they live amongst us in Ulverston, where they are to be found in quantity. Perhaps this is a rare experience in the other worlds these sad people live in. I would find it a living hell to live amongst this kind of person.They must live in worlds where this is commonplace.

 It's as though they aren't made of flesh and blood like ourselves but of hot air inflated clouds that disappear before our eyes even as we watch them in the sky on a hot summer's day

Rod Demick at the Swan

Rod Demick is singing at the Swan again this next Sunday July 13th at 5 pm, then again at same time sameplace: July 27th


He was great when I heard him last

Welcome, Krys, to Ulverston

It's great to have people like Krys planning to come and live here.


He's a little bit mad like myself and Dave Mister Monster Crossley who with Andria of Loopy generated all the knitting that appeared in Ulverston  recently. Not to say there aren't many more here like us!

What many who frequent this blog can't get their head round is why one would waste one's time doing 'silly' activities that serve no purpose other  than having fun.

To which I reply isn't that what's life  is all about.

I met Krys on the beach this afternoon down by the Priory, having had one of their delicious lunches.

I knew immediately he was my kind of mad when he challenged himself and his partner to build the highest balancing tower of stones from the beach, starting ridiculously with, not a large stone , but with a small one and then preceded to stick twigs into his constructing without toppling it.

We had a great chat and I was delighted to find he is an unusual potter without a kiln- which is where I come in with my two foot cube kiln without a use at the moment  (because of my stroke).

I'm hoping he'll join me and possibly be willing to encourage others of you to make pots to put up around Ulverston as we have done on The Railings on Gill Banks up from The Gill . Here about 200 local people (together with visitors passing by as they start the Cumbria Way) have made all sorts of things to add to our outdoor gallery which -not many people realise -has been featured internationally in the up market Ceramic Review. The story behind this project is told on my web site at
http://www.myulverston.co.uk/railings/ from which this picture is taken:

A great day playing chess on the market

Taken my Mike Towsend of B'ham and gratefully forwarded to me by email

I had a whale of a time playing my arch villain Peter Hanks (because he keeps beating me).


This time after a rubbish start when Peter allowed me to start again, I planned a carefully constructed attack .Peter didn't see it coming and I was able to capture his major pieces which led to check mate a few moves later.  WHOOPEEEEEE.

Next game true to form I lost.  aaaaah

Jennie starts collecting jam jars

This at the top end of the Gill at the beginning of the Cumbria Way

These will be for the candlelit walk in October