Children must be protected, of course ... no argument here. This means to me that children must be protected from the adult world. There is no question of "contributory negligence"when a child is injured in any way. However, over the years it seems to me that the adult world is seeking ways to absolve itself of responsibility to the child. I know that there are laws regarding child protection but I want to draw attention to a small matter of the information given on medicines or materials likely to harm children.
I remember when instructions or information on any harmful material simply stated "Keep away from children". This was then amended to "Keep out of the reach of children". Something must have happened recently to have an addition to this, that is "Keep out of the reach and SIGHT of children". I wonder when someone will see fit to add "SOUND".
Perhaps the best way to protect children from harm is not to have them at all.
Walter Vego
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Weather and climate
There is a clear distinction to be made between "weather" and "climate". The weather report that one hears several times a day is often mentioned as "climate change". Whatever the weather, the effect of "weather" on the individual and the population is profound.
In the UK we seem to be unprepared for any change in the weather. Spring rains, summer heat, winter snows are all equally unexpected.
We may not believe in a changing climate or global warming, as a matter of fact, we do not believe the weather reports. Why should we? Chop down the trees, burn the oil, live fast, die young, postpone the bills, we can pay the price....tomorrow .... Ahgggha ..... too late, money won't work anymore.
Walter Vego
In the UK we seem to be unprepared for any change in the weather. Spring rains, summer heat, winter snows are all equally unexpected.
We may not believe in a changing climate or global warming, as a matter of fact, we do not believe the weather reports. Why should we? Chop down the trees, burn the oil, live fast, die young, postpone the bills, we can pay the price....tomorrow .... Ahgggha ..... too late, money won't work anymore.
Walter Vego
Thursday, 21 January 2010
My Holborn
I have lived in Holborn for this last sixteen years. I applied to come back to London on a scheme called ‘Mobility’. This scheme allows pensioners to move nearer to their families. This in theory takes the pressure off the social services as a family member would be near enough to look out for their ailing old parents. My son lives at a very easy distance from me in Willesden.
In the middle-ages Holborn was all grass fields. Holborn got its name from the river Holbourne which was a tributary of the River Fleet which itself was a tributary of the Thames.
Holborn is well situated not far from the central shopping centre of Oxford Street - famous for its bargains and frequent sales. It is always on the itinerary for tourists.
Covent Gardens - famous for its street entertainment - is another exciting place not far from my doorstep. The performers include musicians, clowns, stilt-walkers and jugglers. It also boasts of a Transport and Theatre Museum where you can wander down the ages with old fashioned buses and dated vehicles. At the movie museum you see the early technology of the twenties dating back to the time of films like ‘Sing Fool’ the first talky as well as stills of actors and actress past and present.
Not far from my dwellings is theatre land, all with glittering and sparkling productions, musicals to set your feet tapping with wonderful lyrics and unforgettable music, plays that thrill you and frighten you and give you culture. You laugh and cry with the emotions that come across the footlights at you, plays that open you up to all walks of life and situations.
I am not far from the city with its wall to wall history and many fine buildings. You stand in awe of St Paul Cathedral. I have spent many hours in the public galley in the Old Bailey. These ancient buildings are all part of the view from my window and I am amazed that these building have stood so long the test of time. I wonder how long the modern building of today will last.
Hatton Garden is a street that runs parallel to Leather Lane which incidentally is a famous street market. Hatton Garden dates back to the 16th Century and was then and is today the street of jewellers.
Holborn has many colourful characters and can boast of Sir Francis Bacon who was a lawyer and said by many to have written Shakespeare plays, Hiram Maxim who invented the machine gun.
This area is convenient as it is so accessible for travelling around London and the out-lying districts. It was very useful when I belonged to a First Aid Organisation which called for me to travel to different places - convenient transport was at hand.
The time I love most about Holborn is the weekends when I set out to go to church on a Sunday morning and there are very few people about. More people tend to work in Holborn than actually live here. The streets are calm with very little traffic - a great peace prevails in the area, in stark contrast to the hurly burly of the weekdays.
I love this place particularly in the summer when the sun is shining and casts a shimmer over its ancient buildings as I pass. I feel a sense of awe as I ponder the scenes of long ago and wonder about the lives that have lived in this magical place before me. I imagine the ladies in their long skirts. The men in tight trousers, colourful caviars and flock coats. This was Dickens' London and it is conceivable that the Holborn portrayed in his many novels was indeed about the squalor, degradation and sufferings of the poor in this part of London.
Compare this to the up-market and affluent homes and businesses that exist to day of Holborn -noted for being the centre of the legal profession and the home of justice. Today Holborn is a place of excellence - a hive of big business.
I feel happy living here in this part of London as I was born here and the playground in Coram Fields was the same playground that I used to play in as a child and is the same playground that my grandson played in when he was small.
My life has gone a full circle as I am now back in Holborn where my life began.
I have come back to my roots.
In the middle-ages Holborn was all grass fields. Holborn got its name from the river Holbourne which was a tributary of the River Fleet which itself was a tributary of the Thames.
Holborn is well situated not far from the central shopping centre of Oxford Street - famous for its bargains and frequent sales. It is always on the itinerary for tourists.
Covent Gardens - famous for its street entertainment - is another exciting place not far from my doorstep. The performers include musicians, clowns, stilt-walkers and jugglers. It also boasts of a Transport and Theatre Museum where you can wander down the ages with old fashioned buses and dated vehicles. At the movie museum you see the early technology of the twenties dating back to the time of films like ‘Sing Fool’ the first talky as well as stills of actors and actress past and present.
Not far from my dwellings is theatre land, all with glittering and sparkling productions, musicals to set your feet tapping with wonderful lyrics and unforgettable music, plays that thrill you and frighten you and give you culture. You laugh and cry with the emotions that come across the footlights at you, plays that open you up to all walks of life and situations.
I am not far from the city with its wall to wall history and many fine buildings. You stand in awe of St Paul Cathedral. I have spent many hours in the public galley in the Old Bailey. These ancient buildings are all part of the view from my window and I am amazed that these building have stood so long the test of time. I wonder how long the modern building of today will last.
Hatton Garden is a street that runs parallel to Leather Lane which incidentally is a famous street market. Hatton Garden dates back to the 16th Century and was then and is today the street of jewellers.
Holborn has many colourful characters and can boast of Sir Francis Bacon who was a lawyer and said by many to have written Shakespeare plays, Hiram Maxim who invented the machine gun.
This area is convenient as it is so accessible for travelling around London and the out-lying districts. It was very useful when I belonged to a First Aid Organisation which called for me to travel to different places - convenient transport was at hand.
The time I love most about Holborn is the weekends when I set out to go to church on a Sunday morning and there are very few people about. More people tend to work in Holborn than actually live here. The streets are calm with very little traffic - a great peace prevails in the area, in stark contrast to the hurly burly of the weekdays.
I love this place particularly in the summer when the sun is shining and casts a shimmer over its ancient buildings as I pass. I feel a sense of awe as I ponder the scenes of long ago and wonder about the lives that have lived in this magical place before me. I imagine the ladies in their long skirts. The men in tight trousers, colourful caviars and flock coats. This was Dickens' London and it is conceivable that the Holborn portrayed in his many novels was indeed about the squalor, degradation and sufferings of the poor in this part of London.
Compare this to the up-market and affluent homes and businesses that exist to day of Holborn -noted for being the centre of the legal profession and the home of justice. Today Holborn is a place of excellence - a hive of big business.
I feel happy living here in this part of London as I was born here and the playground in Coram Fields was the same playground that I used to play in as a child and is the same playground that my grandson played in when he was small.
My life has gone a full circle as I am now back in Holborn where my life began.
I have come back to my roots.
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
A little mystery
I seem to be having a slight contretemps with the post office at the moment.
Just after Christmas a card from a post office in London was put through my door stating that an item had been sent but with insufficient postage. If I sent the same card back with £1.30p in stamps attached, they would deliver the item. Of course I did that, but all that happened was that it was sent back but with no more messages on it!
All very annoying as I am intrigued to know what the item is and who the person is who has sent it!
I took the card to Mount Pleasant post office where a nice man said there was nothing wrong with the stamps I'd put on and he was as mystified as I was. He made some squiggles on it and posted it himself. Big stuff !!
That was well over a week ago, and I'm still waiting !
Any ideas? Comments gratefully received.
Polly.
Just after Christmas a card from a post office in London was put through my door stating that an item had been sent but with insufficient postage. If I sent the same card back with £1.30p in stamps attached, they would deliver the item. Of course I did that, but all that happened was that it was sent back but with no more messages on it!
All very annoying as I am intrigued to know what the item is and who the person is who has sent it!
I took the card to Mount Pleasant post office where a nice man said there was nothing wrong with the stamps I'd put on and he was as mystified as I was. He made some squiggles on it and posted it himself. Big stuff !!
That was well over a week ago, and I'm still waiting !
Any ideas? Comments gratefully received.
Polly.
The image is from
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Greetings
Dear Friends at the Millman Street computer learning centre,
My very best wishes to you all for a merry festive season and a bountiful New Year. Special greetings and good wishes to our tutor (Veronica), plentiful may her garden grow in the new year with fewer weeds and less ravenous snails. I am proof of her teaching skills since a year ago emails were beyond me and "blogging" was something one did between consenting adults in private.
So! A Happy New Year to All....
Walter V.
My very best wishes to you all for a merry festive season and a bountiful New Year. Special greetings and good wishes to our tutor (Veronica), plentiful may her garden grow in the new year with fewer weeds and less ravenous snails. I am proof of her teaching skills since a year ago emails were beyond me and "blogging" was something one did between consenting adults in private.
So! A Happy New Year to All....
Walter V.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Surrender
I am bruised, battered and beaten, survival depends on surrender. So, I surrender, give up, have tied the white flag to my flag-pole. This means that I shall cease to complain and fulminate inwardly.
I promise to overlook all examples of the split infinitive. Why? Because it is now so widely used as to become normal. I will also cease to worry about "inverted commas". These are used indiscriminately and it is difficult to recognise direct speech. Don't worry, no help is at hand.
My recent rage is against the "tautology". Example, "A new innovation". One is enough.
The lesson for today is "Remain cheerful" and all will be forgiven.
Walter V.
I promise to overlook all examples of the split infinitive. Why? Because it is now so widely used as to become normal. I will also cease to worry about "inverted commas". These are used indiscriminately and it is difficult to recognise direct speech. Don't worry, no help is at hand.
My recent rage is against the "tautology". Example, "A new innovation". One is enough.
The lesson for today is "Remain cheerful" and all will be forgiven.
Walter V.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Who was Henry Croft?
His name may mean nothing but his contribution to children's charity became a byword in London Cockney Folklore. Henry was a roadsweeper and rat catcher. In fact he was reputed to be one of the best of his generation. His area was Charlton Street off the Euston Road. The London at the time was riddled with death and illness including destitution with child mortality extremely high . If you were destitute your only recourse was the workhouse which was one step above living on the streets. His friends were Costermongers (Street Traders and Market Stall Holders), Beggars, prostitutes, thieves and Vagabonds.
The fashion at the time was pearl buttons. All wore them on their boots and shoes. It was the fad of the times. He noticed that everywhere he went he found lots of loose buttons on the floor especially in Charlton Street market. At that time they were not expensive. So he started to collect them and sell them at a small profit. The broken ones he sewed on his working suit so he stood out when he went charity collecting in the Market for his favourite orphanage up by Chalk Farm somewhere.
One day while he was collecting the chief costermonger asked him what he was doing and was so impressed by his fortitude he decide to contact all the other costermongers throughout London and outside markets to collect for him. To celebrate they wear pearly suits and dresses when they collect births, marriages, death and their harvest festival at St Martin in the Fields, in the Strand.
So from one person's good deed sprung a tradition that is now known the world over and doesn’t it make you proud to be a cockney and a Londoner.
El Moano
The image is from www.paviyarns.co.uk
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