Why?

 Good evening.

It's been a cold cold day today. I took Billy a walk and have spent the rest of the day sewing. 

Something is bothering me. A niggling question which I can't find an answer for. 

Why is our Government escorting thousands of young men across the channel, and flying them in on chartered airlines, then putting them up in hotels. They are given food, mobile phones, and spending money. They also have access to medical care and dentistry. Oh and not to forget, they supply interpreters to help those who come with no English language skills. 

Why is this happening? Now they are moving them out of the hotels, sometimes in the dead of night by the coach load, and distributing them into various camps and HMO's. 

If the men are not allowed to work how come they get all this free. What do they do all day? How many more are coming? When does it stop? 

I have a solution. An idea came to me. Thinking outside the box. These lazy freeloaders should be sent back to sort their own country out. We should organise swaps. Send us all the women and kids, which the men have abandoned. I'm sure the women would be keen to learn new skills. Organise child care, so they have the chance to study, get a job, and adapt to their new lives. 

Yes, that's a good solution. Get rid of the men, we don't need them. They are a drain on our society. 

Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip.   ilona

Thanks mum.

 Good morning. 

This video made me cry. 

In praise of his mum. 

A bright young lad who is able to express his feelings about home schooling. 

Thanks mum.

Catch you later.   ilona

Blots on the landscape.

Good evening.

My delicious and filling lunch was a vegetable omelette. Mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots, with grated cheese. Then I set off for a walk, taking my litter picking stick and a bag with me. 

The first part of the walk was on tracks on the edges of fields. I knew there would be no litter there, because very few people use them. When I came out on the road and walked into a village, that's where I found litter, loads of it. I filled my bag and emptied it into a litter bin on the roadside. 

Off I went again along the road and by the time I got to the park I had another full bag. There are bins behind the cafe so I emptied the litter into one. 

Along the road, behind a hedge, I found this massive fly tip. They have used this spot before. it is mostly cannabis plants and root balls. They come along under the cover of darkness. Those black bags are heavy, so I suspect they use a small tipper truck. The farmer will have to get rid of it because it is on private land. 

A short distance along there is another entrance to a field, and another pile of rubbish has been dumped. 

I filled my bag a third time from the grass verges and had to leave some of it behind. I need to make another walk along there. 

Fly tipping and littering are endemic. People have no social conscious, they don't care. We are turning into a third world country. Very sad. 

Now I'm going to cuddle Mayze. Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona

Just chuck it. . . . .anywhere

 Good Morning.

I try and do my bit to keep our village tidy. Take my litter picking stick and a bag out with me whenever I have got an hour or two to spare. The village itself doesn't get too messy, but further afield on the roads that lead in and out, we seem to have a fresh plague of fly tipping. Add the takeaway wrappings and drinks cans which are tossed from passing cars, it can get a bit out of hand. 

This picture is from a video which found it's way to my screen. The place, Digbeth in Birmingham. What a filthy mess. There are flats and houses close by. How can people live near this. How do they tolerate walking past this every time they leave their front door. 

I suspect there are similar scenes in most major cities. People move into a new place, they accumulate some items they need to furnish it, they move out and the landlord then has to clear the flat or house ready for the next tenant. Dodgy house clearance man and van cart the stuff off and dump it where ever they can. Usually in a quiet lane under the cover of darkness. Our island is turning into a shit hole.

I

There are a keen group of litter pickers in Scunthorpe, doing their best to clear the worst of it away. The Council supply the red bags, and they are left in a prominent position to be collected by the Council workers. 

Now I am going to have my breakfast and go out, because the sun is shining.

Have an absolutely brilliant weekend. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Self help books.

Good afternoon.

When I was a teenager, and well into my twenties, I had a fascination for self help books. I bought copies to keep, and I read them over and over again. I had almost nil confidence in those days. Always wondering if I was pretty enough, or clever enough, or good enough. Who would want to know a skinny bean stick with a flat chest, rabbit teeth, and national health specs. I tried my best to fit in, but it was hard work. 

Then I found some interesting reading in self help books, which helped me understand a lot more about myself. The titles are tucked away inside my head. 

Helen Gurley Brown wrote a book called Having it all. 

American author and editor Helen Gurley Brown first achieved fame for her best selling book Sex and the Single Girl. After becoming editor of Cosmopolitan, she transformed it into a top-selling magazine for young women in more than twenty-seven different countries.

Tony Robbins wrote a book called Awaken the Power Within. 

Anthony Jay Robbins born February 29, 1960) is an American author, coach and motivational speaker. He is known for his seminars, and self help books. 

Susan Jeffers wrote a book called Feel the Fear and do it anyway. 

Susan Jeffers (1938–2012) was a renowned psychologist and author best known for her work in the field of self-help and personal development.

These books gave me some of the tools I needed. Although they didn't have all the answers, they helped.

My learning still goes on to this day, and now we have the internet in addition to books.

I have just come across this video from Hope Regained. Easy listening, clear and concise speech.

I copy some of the blurb. Individual chapters can be accessed by clicking on the thumbnails below the video, if you are watching on yoootooob. 

Do manipulators avoid you? If you have high emotional intelligence (high EQ), toxic people can sense it immediately. In this Hope Regained podcast episode, discover the 6 signs of high emotional intelligence and learn exactly how emotional intelligence protects you from manipulation tactics like gaslighting, love bombing, and narcissistic abuse.

Intro - Why Manipulators Fear High EQ People What is Emotional Intelligence (High EQ Explained) 1: You Can Name Your Emotions (Protection from Gaslighting) 2: You Don't React Impulsively (How to Stop Emotional Manipulation) 3: You Read People's True Intentions (Spotting Toxic Behavior) 4: You Set Strong Boundaries (Narcissist Kryptonite) 5: You Don't Need External Validation (Breaking Free from Approval-Seeking) 6: You Take Emotional Responsibility (Stop Toxic Blame Games) How to Develop High Emotional Intelligence (5 Practical Steps) 1 EQ Skill Manipulators Fear Most (Self-Trust Explained) Recap & Final Thoughts

Thanks for popping in. It's the weekend, so make sure you have a good time. 

Toodle pip.   ilona 

Zippy crafts

Hello there, glad you could join me here on my little blog. 

It's been a lousy day for bad weather. I did a dog walk early before it all started, but it has been non stop rain all afternoon. 

My bank balance has taken a bit of a hammering this month. The bills were expected so I was ready for them. 

Car Insurance £484 - annual payment.

Utilities, gas and electric £393 - quarterly payment.

Anglian Water £84 - half year payment.  

On checking my bank statement I see that there was a deposit of £200 in November. That was the Winter Fuel Payment from the Government. So that cancels out half the utilities bill. Lets hope the temperatures will slowly rise from now on and the heating won't be needed as often. 

I am playing with this project at the moment. I bought some zips, found them cheap in a bargain box at the Quilting Show. No plan for them, but something will happen. I have sewn these onto a piece of backing fabric, and put a bar across the top. I did think  I might make a bag, but now it's looking like it might be a wall hanging. I have an idea which will include buttons. Watch this space.  

That's it for now. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Canal boats update.

Several narrowboats trapped by a canal collapse have finally been lifted out so that they can rejoin the canal network.

A large hole appeared in the bank of the Llangollen Canal near Whitchurch, Shropshire, on 22 December, causing its water to drain into a nearby field.

Two boats fell into the breach and others were trapped when sections of the canal had to be closed off.

In a highly anticipated operation, a 90ft (27.4m) crane and several haulage teams worked to remove eight boats from Whitchurch marina so they could be transported by lorry to the Aqueduct Marina near Crewe on Wednesday.

Lots more photographs on Taylors Aboard Facebook page.

Here's one I moved earlier. 😁😜😆 Intercity carriages are a similar length. Forty foot trailer extended to 60 feet, with a ten foot overhang on the back. 95 feet long in total. 

A job well done methinks. 

We just want to thank everyone involved in helping us escape the Llangollen canal! Thank you to Whitchurch Marina for organising everything and lifting us out. Thank you to Steve Foster Cranes for lifting us out with the 100-tonne crane! Thank you to Ray Bowren and A S Taylor for the haulage, and thank you to Aqueduct Marina for lifting us back in! Thank you all so much!

Catch ya tomorrow. Toodle pip. ilona

And so it goes on. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . and on and on. Another letter. 

 How many more times do I have to tell them! I have religiously done as I was asked over the years, and told them why I do not need a television licence. The letters keep coming. Are there any other circumstances where you have to contact suppliers, or anyone that you buy goods or services from, over and over again, to tell them you no longer require their goods or services. No, you tell them once and then stop payment. 

Waiting for the knock at the door. I hope it is a 'he', and someone young, good looking, and sexy. 😁😵😜

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

Brainwash Yourself

Good morning. It is Wednesday and I am off to Coffee Morning shortly. 

I use my computer mainly for educational purposes, because there is always something new to learn. I cannot sit in front of a screen and be drawn in by banal celebrity entertainment. I used to watch soaps, and anything else which gave me a reminder that someone else was in the room, even though it was a face on a screen. It was company for a while. 

One day it suddenly came to me. My life was being taken over. It got me thinking outside the box. What is the point of watching soaps, quiz shows, celebrity shenanigans and suchlike. I asked myself, when did watching television stop becoming entertaining? When I realised that all I was doing was watching other people working. 

I had enough drama, entertainment, and fun, in my real life. I don't need to watch other people earning a crust. They go to work, learn a script, then perform in front of a camera. Yeah there might have been one or two documentaries thrown into the mix, but they were few and far between. Not worth paying for the licence to watch them. So 25 years ago I got rid of the tele and stopped paying the licence fee. 

So what do I do now? I find useful stuff on the internet which interests me. 

I came across Chase Hughes. 

Chase Hughes is the founder and CEO of Applied Behavior Research, a leading expert in the field of human behavioral science, and a neuroscientist. After serving in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, Chase developed world-class behavior science tools, such as rapid behavior profiling and enhanced persuasion techniques, which he teaches to the United States military, law enforcement, Fortune-500 CEOs, doctors, attorneys, executives, and intelligence organizations.

We discuss: how to reprogram your mind and take back control of your life, why being comfortable is the gateway to self-sabotage, how to shift your relationship with discomfort, the blueprint for rewiring your dopamine system, why people stay stuck and how actually to break free, how to become more emotionally resilient. Read the Wellness disclaimer.

This is an interview he did with Doug Bopst. There was such a lot in this video which resonated with me. Parking it here because I need to watch it again and make notes. 

Now I am off to Coffee Morning.

Thanks for popping in. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Universal News

Good morning. 

I've just been to the Post Office in the church. Notice on the door says it is not open today due to equipment failure. That could mean anything, but I read it as the computer has malfunctioned and there is no connection to the internet, and no way that transactions can be completed today. Oh well, it happens. 

It's that time of the year again, the trek to Switzerland has begun. Maybe trek is the wrong word. It doesn't take any effort to step into a limo, climb aboard a private jet with your entourage of bag carriers, then get ferried to your posh hotel for your annual holiday in Davos. 

Rebel News are on duty at the airport to report on how the meet and greet all works. Guests walking  across the tarmac. Lots of people we have never heard of.   

After a week long conference, the WEF will be revealing their new plan about how the rest of us should be living our lives. None of them have been elected, except for a few new faces in this years shindig. Some puppets, er politicians, have accepted invites to attend, to the consternation of many who question their motives. Have they sold out to the Globalists, or have they a cunning plan to infiltrate the very heart of the richest people who pull their strings. Who knows. Whatever the outcome, they can throw ideas around, nothing will change. 

I see that David Icke is soon to start his UK tour. Two events are sold out. I haven't booked a seat this time. I saw him in Derby, and read everything he posts online, so I am up to speed with his concerns for the future. 

Now it's past midday, so Good Afternoon. It's sunny and dry, so I might go out after lunch.

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

More pics of the quilting show.

Hello.

As well as all the beautiful quilts on display there were also a lot of stalls selling everything you need to make your own artistic masterpiece. Ladies were loading up their bags. For a lot of people an outing to a sewing show is a must. Many of them travel miles because there are no arts and craft dedicated shops in their area. Here it's very convenient, everything under one roof. 

I found a box full of zips, four for £1. Couldn't resist having a rummage in that. All colours and all lengths. I spent £3 and bought 12. Not sure what I am going to do with them, but I've made a start by  sewing them together. 

Here is the walk around the quilts video I recorded. 

I joined the ladies at Crafty Club this morning. We had a laugh and put the world to rights. 

Thanks for popping in. Now I'm off out to do a litter pick before it gets dark. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

If you love quilts . . . . . .

Good morning. It is Sunday and it is raining. There might be a walk later, but in the meantime I have enough to keep my grey matter occupied here. 

Some photo's from the Quilt and Sewing event yesterday at Newark Showground. The first show of 2026. Let's look at the magnificent quilts on show. Some of these are massive. The skill of piecing and stitching fabrics together is off the scale. The artist starts with a centre picture, then builds the surrounding areas with smaller shapes and colours for the background. If you look closely you can just about make out where the background overlaps onto the picture. Imagine collecting all that fabric and cutting it into the shapes and sizes that you need to complete your masterpiece. Pure magic. 

Then when all the pieces are in place you blitz the whole quilt over with hours of machine sewing. 

Lots of medium size quilts. 

Then smaller quilts. They can be any size you like. 

There are some very worthy prize winners in the smallest of these wall hangings. 

I recorded a video of some of the quilts, which I will upload now and post later. 

I treated myself, spent some money on a superduper LED lamp for my craft table. That will brighten things up a bit. Now going to unpack it and set it up. 

Thanks for popping in. Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip.   ilona

Get out, we want your house.

Good afternoon, or is it Good evening. 

I've been out today. Coming up later will be photo's and a video from the Quilt and Sewing Fair at Newark Showground.

I started to prepare this post when I got back on Thursday but didn't get round to finishing it. I took some photo's on the outskirts of Derby as I was passing through, inspired by this video I found about a week ago. Charles Veitch is an investigative journalist, and puts himself out there in the middle of all the mayhem. He comes across as someone a bit bolshie and not afraid to voice his opinion. You might even think he looks a bit rough on the outside, but he is a smart guy. I watched an earlier video from a few years ago when he describes his upbringing, his education, and and how he came to live in different parts of the world.  

I have copied a few of the comments underneath this video which sheds some light on how 16 houses in Derby came to be abandoned. 

Expansion of the adjacent A38 dual carriageway. They were subject to compulsory purchase orders several years ago.

m38 motorway ️ £646 million over 4 years , starting in March 2026

They've been looking to widen the roads/A38 near there for years. Buildings and trees etc removed. Most people in these houses were simply bought out. I think the last person finally left but stayed in their house there, refusing to budge, for a long while after all the others were boarded up.

The row of boarded-up homes in central Derby, specifically those on Queensway near Markeaton Island, are vacant due to a long-standing plan to widen the A38 road. The properties were acquired by National Highways (previously the Highways Agency) through compulsory purchase orders for the now-cancelled road-widening project.

One house belonged to Gail Roberts who was the last to leave. See Derbyshire Live article "Last woman standing on Derby street set to disappear" You can read the story of Gail Roberts here.

These are my pictures.

This is a shocking state of affairs, though I suspect compulsory purchases are happening all over the UK when the Government wants the land. How much did they pay the owners of these 16 houses? Who owns them now? Will the widening of the A38 at Derby ever be completed? This has been going on a long time. The Government must be sitting on mega acres of land. 

Have a good weekend. See you tomorrow. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Watching Aimee work

Good morning.

Another quickie today. Aimee has been working on excavators for a long time. After the narrow boat rescue I think she has reached star status. There are lots of videos of her at work, on yooootooob. Here is one of them. 

Click 'Watch on youtube' 

Now I must get ready for a full day of busy - ness.

Enjoy your weekend. Catch ya later. Toodle pip.   ilona

Three minutes of your time.

Ladyva is in London. Just passing through. 

How come someone can be so beautiful, and have so much talent, and she can sing too. Makes you sick, doesn't it. 😁😂😃😄🎹🎹🎹  ilona

Toodle pip.   ilona