Entertaining

 Is the coast clear? Is it ok to come out now? Have they gone? 

This post has self combusted. It is no longer here. It has disappeared. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

 

I made a book today.

I went out today, to the Ropewalk Arts Centre at Barton. I noticed a Bookbinding Workshop advertised in the current edition of their brochure. I fancied that so I paid my £55. I was lucky to get the last place. 

Eight of us sat at a long table, with the teacher at one end telling us what to do. We were given a box of bits, tools, glue, needle etc. We could make a portrait or a lansdcape book. I chose portrait. There was a selection of coloured papers which we could chose for our cover. Some of the ladies didn't want me to take a photo of the room, so I could only take this one where I was working.  

Here is my book. Two different papers for the front and back cover. 

It was fun. The ladies were jolly, we had a laugh. We finished about 2.30pm. I didn't realise how hot it was today until I stepped outside. Then I went in Tesco for a few things. I couldn't get out quick enough, it was freezing cold in there. The checkout lady was wearing a fleece jacket. A young girl was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I was shivering.  

Now going to chill with a glass of wine, then get the hedgehog food out.

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

Problem solving.

 Good morning. 

My first coffee at 6am. I shared my bed with two cats. Oscar has decided he rather likes the soft comfort of two duvets, so now he joins me and Mickey and we sleep together. I think he is fed up of waiting for me to get up in the mornings. I see it rained overnight, so that's probably why. A night on the tiles is not so appealing when it is chucking it down with rain. I thought I might water up (the pots) last night, glad I didn't bother. Nature has done the job for me. 

I wake up with all kinds of thoughts running through my head. Some of them would make good blog posts, but an hour later they have fizzled into oblivion. I will however jot down a few notes from what I remember about my early morning thoughts this morning. 

Problem solving is something I have always been able to cope with. I have never been really stuck for long. There is always a way round a problem. I can think of several instances where I have felt there is no solution. But I am often proved wrong. 

Like the time I got the lorry stuck in a small space in an unloading bay at a Kwik Save shop. I must have done a 20 point shunt trying to get out. I thought about ringing my boss and asking what I should do. I took a few deep breaths and thought, that's a daft idea. He was 100 miles away, I have got to sort this out myself, and I did. Just keep trying, don't give up.

Like the time I was in a yard in Birmingham, just loaded up some pieces of machinery on a stepframe trailer, inside a Lucas factory. All fastened down with chains and straps. Pulled very slowly through a narrow gate onto the road. Two tall pieces of machinery wobbled and crashed to the ground. A big pool of oil covered the road, which had to be closed. It was a bus route which added to the problem. So what did I do wrong? Every day driving a truck is a learning curve. I was rushed to get my trailer loaded because there were others waiting to go in after me. The crew loading with the crane wanted the job done quickly. I was inexperienced. What I learnt then was I had to work at my own pace. 

Like the time I thought I might be pregnant, I was 19. I took a chance, thankfully I wasn't. My solution was to never take that chance again. After a long time taking the contraceptive pill, I needed to find a different solution, and so I was sterilised. 

Like the time I got tangled up with someone who was a control freak. He wanted to dominate my every waking moment. The questions, the interrogations, were intolerable. The solution, I had to finish it after a couple of years. Enough was enough.

Like the time I was doing long seven day hikes. Halfway through a walk I stopped in a town and found a B & B. I was knackered and needed to take half a day off. Or, the time I was on the last day and wanted to reach my destination. I could see the Humber Bridge on the horizon hours before I got there. I kept  going even though I was at the point of collapse. I made it. From Selby to the bridge was 30 miles. Finished at 9pm. 14 hours of walking. The solution, keep going. 

Like the time I wanted to go to Moscow. I asked my friends if they wanted to come with me. This was years ago when it seemed a silly place to go on holiday. My solution, I went alone, joined a package holiday. It was fascinating. 

Like the time I bought my first house. Small terraced cottage. It needed a lot of work doing to it. For a while I lived in dust, bare walls, and no floor, while the work was done. It took all my money. Skint again when I bought my second house. Three bed semi detached. Needed work doing but I couldn't afford it so I lived in it as it was. Third house. Skint again. Moved 100 miles away. Better house I can live with the decor of the previous owner. Still here 25 years later, still not decorated. Now not skint. 

Finding a way through all the obstacles in life has not dampened my spirits. There will always be a solution. Other people may deal with their problems in their own way. There is not one solution that fits all. 

People sometimes start a sentence with 'why don't you bla bla bla'. Just because one person finds a solution to their own problem does not mean that the same solution will apply to others. Everyone has to find their own way in life. Just make sure you are going in the right direction.

Now it's chucking it down with rain. I shall go and join my friends at the Coffee Morning. 

Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.   ilona

My third eye.

Good morning. No Crafty Club today. People are busy doing other things. Some are away on holiday. The sun is shining. Lovely.

I like taking photographs, and spend time looking for some interesting subjects. I delete a lot and don't use them. I tweak them on the computer, with cropping, contrast, and saturation.

 Getting the right angle for a shot is important. I came across this scene and took about ten shots from different angles. Whittled them down to three. I couldn't decide which angle works best. I like the different colours of the trees behind the farm buildings. 

The blue hose reels match the colours of the doors in the building. Still a little bit of blue in the sky, but the clouds are coming over. 

I like the uniformity of the way the water hoses are lined up. 

New types of drinks cans found discarded at the side of the road. Plastic. Would make dinky little tee light holders. Cut a hole in the top, and hang them in a tree. 

Baby ducks getting stuck into the new £3 charity shop mini pond. Picture taken through a window. They haven't been back. I live in hope. 

These boots did appear on the blog. I have massively tweaked up the contrast. New title for this picture, Don't let the grass grow under your feet. 

Camera always in pocket, just in case I come across something interesting. Canon SX740 HS. 40x optical zoom. 

Have a good week. Toodle pip. ilona

More solar

 Good evening. 

I have retrieved two blog posts from the Drafts folder, and merged them into one post. More Solar Parks are planned, but Sir Dieter Helm, a Professor at Oxford University, says these won't solve our problems. 

The solar park between Dauntsey and Christian Malford will be the size of 160 football pitches - it's been approved after a government inspector overturned the local council’s refusal.

A solar park the size of 160 football pitches will be built after a government inspector granted planning consent - overturning the local council's refusal.

The 23 megawatt Swallett Energy Park, which will be built between Dauntsey and Christian Malford in Wiltshire, and will cover 114 hectares (281 acres).

A meeting of Wiltshire Council's strategic planning committee in March 2025 had voted down the plans, citing landscape concerns and the impact on designated heritage assets, with more than 50 letters of objection sent by residents.

The solar panels are expected to be able to produce enough energy to power more than 9,400 homes.

Listen to Dieter Helm. 

BBC Politics

@BBCPolitics

"China burns half the world's coal, so we don't solve our problems by simply closing down British industries," Sir Dieter Helm, professor of economic policy at Oxford University.

Some comments.

BBC should pay attention. Dieter Helm knows exactly what he's talking about. An activist lunatic he ain't. Either UK gets it act together on affordable energy or we're finished. Political sales pitches are no longer acceptable.

Time to scrap the net zero bollocks and kick-start British businesses to produce things for British people. The fact we're having this nonsense thrown down our throats when it'll have zero effect is madness.

Makes our right-on rulers feel virtuous. We export their guilt by importing the carbon in cut-price products manufactured abroad.

Yes, they burn coal to make products for the rest of the world. They’re not burning it for their own consumption FFS. They’re burning it in our behalf.

Now it's time for dinner. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip. ilona

How to live off grid with kids.

Good morning.

And Happy 60th Birthday to Terry Miles, the famous boogywoogy pianist from St Pancras Station community piano. I think he is doing a live show from home this afternoon.

I'm going to slip this recommendation in here. If you are at a loose end and the weather is crap, stay indoors and give this video a watch. Mathew and Charis are two vets, as in animal vets, not veterans, they got off the daily grind and set up a small holding in the wilds of South Wales. They have two children and live in harmony with the countryside. Watch how they did it, listen to their story, because we all might have to do something similar when the lunatics have taken everything away from us.

Ben Fogle journeys to the Pembrokeshire coast to live with Matthew and Charis.

Mayze continues to make progress. The panic is over. 

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

Learning starts at birth

I was going to write a post about the current situation, until I saw this. 

I have never had a child, never wanted to be a mother, but I can see how very precious children are. 

This video sends out a clear message. 

Teach your child the skills you yourself already have. Whatever those life skills happen to be. Creativity has no boundaries. 

Have a wonderful Saturday. Toodle pip.   ilona

Tools

 Good morning. Mr Twiiiiteroo keeps sending me messages. No, I ain't joining your club. I am not sending you any money. 

Increase my visibility - No thanks. I like hiding.

See fewer ads - I ignore them, easy to scroll through. 

Get paid for great content - Nope, don't need to earn money. I have enough.

Try enhanced Grok AI tools - No thanks. I have a brain and will continue to use it. 

Access to 20+ Premium features - Don't need them.

Build credibility - I am credible to me. That's enough.

Boost your replies - People can ignore me, it's their choice. 

Get paid for great content - as above.

20+ more Premium features - as above. 

Thank you Mr Musk for your platform. It makes good reading. I prefer to be an observer from the outside looking in. Dipping in and out as my time allows. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

£120k Life Savings

This is a sad story. Please be aware of how easy it is to scam some people. 

Scammers are professionals. They know how to befriend people. These kind of scams don't happen instantly, they go on for a long time. They suck people in by dangling a carrot, and brainwashing them into believing they will become very rich. There is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme. Be on your guard. This brave woman tells her story to prevent others falling into the same trap. 

Toodle pip.   ilona

The question is, why?

 Good morning. With reference to Cro's blog post today about immigrant rough sleepers. I have found  answers to his question. 

Why have they not been either moved-on, or even deported? What do these people think they're doing? This is a major tourist area, in one of the world's greatest cities.

This is what Bernie says. 

Bernie

@Artemisfornow

You want to stop the boats? I've heard all the parties, politicians and commentators say they do. Well, they can't. In this long post I've put the "solutions" and the reasons why they won't happen. it's a tangled web of laws and treaties the UK has signed up to, often without a proper parliamentary vote, they make most “solutions” for stopping the boats legally impossible. Don’t forget CRAG ( constitutional reform act 2010) this takes power FROM ministers and was introduced in 2010 by … Labour!

1) Push the boats back at sea – Likely illegal under:

2) Arrest every individual as they land and put them in a camp – Likely illegal under:

3) Deport all arrivals – Likely illegal under:

4) Hold all existing migrants in camps – Likely illegal under:

5) Withhold all charity funds and benefits – Potentially illegal under:

6) Withhold all but emergency healthcare – Likely illegal under:

7) Do not provide legal aid – Likely illegal under:

8) Deport all migrants failing asylum status – Legal only if safeguards met:

9) Keep failed migrants unable to be returned in a secure camp indefinitely or until they agree to be deported – Almost certainly illegal under:

so... that's where we are, parties can promise what they like but the truth is, we cant stop the boats unless a leader is willing to break the Quangos and the lawyers, and the law, in order to change the law! The boats will keep coming…. because they can.

Some comments. . . . . .

The laws you mention don't stop action against the boats. It's the pedantic interpretation of them that does. Interpretation by civil servants who allow their own political biases to dictate their work.

once international law is written into UK law, our own courts and quangos enforce it. That’s why ministers get blocked by our own legal system.

Well, indeed, you've hit the nail on the head there needs to be a will to accept that these international laws and treaties are acting against the safety of this country and to disregard them and/or repeal them. Hungary, Poland, Greece, France have all broken rules with regard to immigrants

The Gov can Call a state national emergency, they did it with covid 19 and had no problem suspending citizens human rights. Emergency powers Act 1920. National Security Act 2023(FIRS)

There’s literally nothing they can do within the current framework, and it’s deliberate. The web of laws, treaties, and quangos was built to make stopping the boats impossible without tearing the whole thing down.

Basically you seem to be confirming ,what many think, that the UK government is complicit in enabling this invasion of our country by largely fighting age men. The question is why?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To read the discussion, and the relevant laws, in it's entirety, click this link.

This is not just a British problem, it is happening all over the Western World. It is part of a much wider plan. Join the dots.

Thanks for popping in. Off to Coffee Morning. Toodle pip. ilona