A whole day blog post (x3)

 Good morning.

I am going to do something a bit different today. This post will be a 'Day in the Life' format. I will keep the computer running, and will be coming back to it to add some updates. A running commentary if you like. It's going to be another hot one, so I will be in and out of the house depending what jobs I have planned to do. 

7.30am. First coffee drunk, with half a banana and a slice of bread with passion fruit curd. Mickey upstairs, he likes it there. First bowl of food served. Oscar has been in for his breakfast. Mayze has gone outside, she likes to snooze in the shelter at the summer house. I will be delivering her food to her out there. First wheelie bin collection lorry has been. Another one to come. Two bins being emptied today. 

7.40am. Checking around the internet. Latest happenings. Rupert Lowe has called off Restore's talks with Reform. It's getting personal and Rupert can't be bothered with it. John Cleese is having a spat with Mathew Stadlen. Andy Burnham says middle class areas will need to play their part and take more asylum seekers. Kelly-Jay Keen says the police want to speak to her about her speech at the Kingdom Rally, and a couple of Tweets. She says, come and arrest me. Burnham's prison plans could raise risks of mistaken releases. Lucy Davis, The Office star, reveals incurable cancer diagnosis. It's too late for chemo. The Home Office says they are going to cut down on dodgy shops on the High Street.  

Back soon.

9am. Eating breakfast at the computer. Slice of bread spread with peanut butter, fried egg, grated cheese. New post from The Home Office. 

Home Office

@ukhomeoffice

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13 more asylum hotels have closed and are being returned to local communities: Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Loughborough Chimney House Hotel, Sandbach Britannia Ashley Hotel, Hale Gold Thorn Hotel, Wolverhampton Grand Metropole Hotel, Blackpool Nottingham Hotel, Nottingham Grosvenor Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon Staycity Apartments Deptford Bridge, Lewisham Needham House, Hitchin Holiday Inn Bridgwater Holiday Inn Express Dunstable Dubrovnik Hotel, Bradford Best Western Brook Hotel, Norwich

Back soon.

9.30am. Breakfast finished. I watched this video while eating. This is a talking point for yoootooob creators.

Back soon.

Conclusions

Oh boy, it's been hot again today. I started work in the garden a bit earlier than usual, to do some hedge trimming along the back hedge. It has gotten a bit out of control and I need to keep the height down. Two step ladders, shears, secateurs, and loppers were needed to attack it. The sun comes up behind it, so if I start early I can do it in the shade. 

After several breaks of sitting down indoors for ten minutes, I eventually had to stop. It became too hot as the sun came round overhead and to the side. Time to retreat indoors at 3pm. Then I had plan 'B'. Go to The Range and get the cat food. On the way there I came across this fly tip. Now I've got to put a report on the Council web site. 

I knocked up this video this morning. 

Not everything you see or hear on the internet is truthful and honest. There is a lot of fearmongering going on. It's up to you to sort out what you believe and what you don't. Some of it will be true, but there is a lot of theatre going on. A lot of drama. A lot of trickery. Calm down, take your time to digest everything and come to your own conclusions.

Now I am tired. I will continue in the garden tomorrow. For now I am going to get a mug of Horlicks. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

How now brown and black cows.

 Good evening. 

There has been another breach on the Llangollen Canal. Yoootoobers, Taylors Aboard, posted a report with some drone pics. At the top of this picture you can see that the curious cows came to have a look. 

This pic made me smile. Cows doing what cows do, forming a herd. Oooooh look, let's go for a paddle. ha ha. 

Hedge cutting today, but it was just too darn hot. One hour was enough. 

I'm just back from a Billy walk. Now I've got to water the pots and the raised beds. Please can we have some rain. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

Exciting

 North Lincolnshire Matters4

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Long-Term Empty Scunthorpe High Street Shop Set to Become New Nail Salon

A long-term empty shop unit on Scunthorpe High Street is set to be brought back into use as a new nail and beauty salon.

The return of another business to a long-term vacant unit will be welcomed by many town centre visitors, particularly as efforts continue to bring empty shops back into use and increase footfall along Scunthorpe High Street.

Below: The vacant shop unit currently being fitted out

Something to look forward to? Pity they can't move nail bars online. 😫😬😝

Toodle pip.   ilona

Ugly blot on the landscape

So what did I see at Barnsley yesterday? A monster warehouse, with hundreds of loading bays, and a thousand trailers. What an ugly sight that was. 

It's obvious where all this is going. We stay at home and everything we need will be delivered to our door. No need to go out anywhere. No need to go to work, we get a basic allowance from the Government. 

Pics from the litter pick I did today. Will I still be able to do voluntary work. A bag of bread buns I found in the corner of the Industrial Estate. I asked a young man who was passing by, if he knew where it came from. He said one of the food factories gives the staff any excess bread they have left over to take home at the end of their shift. Someone decided they didn't want it, or didn't want to carry it home. I have brought it home for the birds. 

A new grot spot found in the corner of a field behind some of the Industrial Units.  It will take a few visits to clean it up. 

Start of another pile. 

That's all for now. Toodle pip.   ilona

Relics of the past

Happy Sunny Sunday.

A few more pics from yesterday at Elsecar, which is near Barnsley in South Yorkshire. There is an antiques centre, a big one. I didn't look around it all. Some interesting relics from the past, but there is nothing I need or want. I don't collect stuff any more. If I was in the market for buying things to set up a new home, I would definitely search out second items from days or even years gone by. Antiques still have a lot of life left in them, unlike the cheap chipboard stuff which will have a very short life.  

Don't bother with a posh jewellery shop, some beautiful items here. 

Garden tools galore. 

Maybe I should start my own bottle collection, from what I find in hedge bottoms. 

As a committed Ford girl, I was tempted to buy this. Nope, don't need it. 

It was becoming hotter by the minute as I looked for a shady place to sit. A bench next to a wall gave some respite. Two young ladies sat down next to me. I exchanged pleasantries as I anticipated a light hearted conversation. One of them was tapping away on her smartphone. A couple of minutes later they both got up and made their excuses, they had to go and catch the bus home, which was due any minute. 

I walked out of the Heritage Centre in search of the village. It was really too hot to go for a walk, but I made the effort. The church seems like a good start. As I entered the gate to go to the front door I was approached by a lady who seemed pleased to see me. She asked me if I would take a photo of the four of them together. There was grandma who was married at the church many years ago. Daughter, possibly in her fifties, grand daughter possibly in her twenties, and great grand daughter who was in a pushchair. I was happy to oblige, as chief photographer for a few minutes. 

I saw quite a lot of wonky graves in the churchyard, and in the burial ground across the road. Headstones leaning perilously to one side, some collapsed altogether. In this day and age of health and safety messages everywhere, I was surprised to see no warning signs here. Sadly the church was locked so I couldn't look inside. 

Across the road from the church is this beautiful old mill, now an Arts and Crafts Centre. The stone construction is typical of the architecture in Yorkshire. 

I was beginning to feel a bit wilted so I headed back to my car. Time to go home. Just one more place to stop and take photographs. Something I had seen on the way to Elsecar, which had shocked me. 

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

Where did I go today.

 I usually have a leisurely coffee first thing, look out of the window to see what the weather might be like, check if there are any events written on the calendar, then decide if I am going to go out or not. This morning it was a 'yes' let's do it. Then I get the cats sorted out with their breakfast, pack some food for me in the rucksack, and off I go. 

Down the M181, across the M180, down the M18, join the M1 northbound, off at junction 36. Then some minor roads to Elsecar Heritage Village, not far from Barnsley. All without a satnav. About one hour. Here is the link to the web site. 

I have been here before, in January 2020, so I am due another visit. Here is a link to that blog post. 

There is a Craft Fair on this weekend. Indoor stalls and outdoor stalls. Eating and drinking outside in the courtyard. It was very hot. I looked for a bench in the shade. 

More pictures to come tomorrow. The nights are drawing in, and I am going to get a glass of wine before I chill and watch a video. 

Catch ya tomorrow. toodle pip.   ilona

Never forget

 Good morning.

Here we are at Saturday once again. Another weekend to relax an enjoy ourselves. Make sure you have a plan. 

If you think that Dr Peter McCollough is lying, best to skip this video. If you think he is onto something you might like to invest sixteen minutes of your time to listen to his joined up writing, dot the 'i's and cross the 't's', to confirm what you already know. 

Of course, the corrupt Government might like to think this is all water under the bridge, and try to sweep it under the carpet. We have to move on for sure, but I will never forget. 

It's sunny, go outside and enjoy your weekend. 

Toodle pip.  ilona

Too late.

 Good morning. 

Question. What's the evidence? 

My answer. Use your eyes, 

use your ears, 

engage your brain, 

and the evidence will become obvious. 

Someone who rejected everything I was talking about over the last few years, now knows better. 

And it's too late. 

Make sure you live your life now, because tomorrow may never come. 

Looking sunny today. Have a good weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona

Goodbye Anna Maria

Good evening. 

Today I went back home to Burton upon Trent. We said goodbye to my sister Anna Maria. 

It was a lovely service conducted by the Reverend Brian Williams.

Anna's story was written by herself, and was read out by the Reverend. 

I was there early so I had a walk around the grounds before the car arrived. A few moments of quiet reflection. I was here a long time ago when our mother died. I can't remember what year that was, it's all a blur. 

Our brother Stephen died in India, and his widow brought his ashes back to England.They were scattered in the same place where mothers ashes were buried. Just by that tree. 2014.

March 2015. Anna and Rocky at Stapenhill Gardens. 

It was a friendly family gathering today. Although I left Burton 25 years ago, and before that I was hardly there anyway when driving took over my life, people from way back remembered me. After the service we went for refreshments just down the road at Ashfield House. 

Now I am going to bed. Thank you for popping in. See you soon. Toodle pip.   ilona

A walk to the park with my stick

Numbers were quite low at Coffee Morning. I suppose some people are on holiday now. The Pilates group always come in at 11am after their session in the Village Hall. Only two of them today when there are usually eight or more. Despite a reduction in numbers the chatter was still very loud. 

I went a walk this afternoon to the park, taking my picking stick and a big carrier bag. I filled it once on the way there and emptied it into the big bin behind the cafeteria.   

And filled it again on the way back and emptied it in the bin at the Playing Field. I also filled the litter bin up at the bus stop as I was passing. These grass verges haven't been done for a long time so I was finding lots of squashed and mangled drinks cans from when the mower machine had gone over them. 

The wind made the job a whole lot more difficult. I probably should have used the trolley but I didn't think I would find enough litter to fill a red bag. A delivery of new red bags has arrived in the volunteer pod. Thank you Candace for that. 

That's all for now. Toodle pip.   ilona

Drama

I was close by to this last night, finishing off my litter picking. I saw the smoke, the fire engines were rushing to the scene. 

 Normanby Park Riding School

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Thankyou for all the kind messages. We are grateful for your support. We’ve lost all our hay/straw, rugs and some tack. Also our trucks, yard cars, trailers. I know these are material things and can be replaced. We are extremely grateful that all our liveries, our children and all riding school clients got out safely. No words can explain the devastation, we are completely heart broken! Watching our hardwork going up in flames is just heartbreaking. I can’t thank our amazing staff and helpers who managed to free all the horses and ponies out of the back barn. We will keep everyone updated!

Reading through the comments so many people want to help with donations of stuff that's lost, and manual work to put things back to how they were. It happened about 6.30 - 7 pm, so there would have been people around to rescue the horses and ponies. No one is talking about what caused it.

Now I am going to Coffee Morning. Catch ya later. Toodle pip. ilona

Dead end road

Litter picking is easy when you know where to look. This is one of my regular spots. A short piece of dead end road to nowhere. Youngsters come here at night, sit on that concrete beam, swig their beer, and drop their cans behind it. I come along with my stick and pull them out. It's quiet, no traffic, just a few pedestrians, cyclists and scooters. 

One very full bag, one carrier bag of glass bottles, a nearly new wheel trim and half a broken one. And an empty plastic container that used to have ad blue in it. All left at my usual litter bin awaiting collection. I am pleased to say that all my previous bags have been collected. 

I did a Billy dog walk tonight. It's difficult to get him to pose for the camera. I bribed him with a treat for this one. 

Then he had a pee. 

It's been windy and muggy hot today. This weather is baffling me. The heat is wearing me out. We desperately need some rain. 

A nice surprise on the garden tonight. I counted seven hedgehogs. I saw two babies eating together from the same pile of food. I think word has got around and they are bringing their mates. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.  ilona

Sing along with Jesus

 Good afternoon. What you see is not what you get. 

Elias Grace is not a real singer. He is AI generated. 

What happens when a man who looks like Jesus steps onto the America's Talent Arena stage… and sings one of the most beloved hymns ever written? Tonight, Elias Grace delivers a breathtaking new version of How Great Thou Art unlike anything you've ever heard. From the very first note, the arena goes completely silent. The judges lean forward. The audience stops moving. And as Elias begins to sing, the atmosphere changes.

How to hook people in. 2,129,525 views since 17th July.  36k thumbs up.  4230 comments, and people actually believe it's real. How easy it is to be sucked into the AI machine. 

There is no public figure named “Elias Grace” who is recognized as a singer; available search results show no artist by that name.

Elias Grace sang "How Great Thou Art"... and the arena stood still.

If you could say ONE thing to God right now, what would it be? Write it below — your words matter.

And tell us WHERE in the world you're watching from!

AI Disclaimer: This video is a creative production made using artificial intelligence, including AI-generated visuals, music, and storytelling. The characters, performances, and scenes are fictional and created for entertainment and artistic purposes.

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Well if you like this sort of thing, go for it. In this crazy world people are desperately searching for the meaning of life. External forces are pushing us all in one direction. Look inside yourself to find your own way through.

Enjoy your day. Toodle pip. ilona