Keith and I were having a nostalgia moment.
"This time last year," I remarked, "we were not far off going to France."
"Hmmm, not much chance of that this year," Keith said sadly.
"Well, I could drive."
I noticed a sharp movement as Keith cowered in his wheelchair, a look of abject terror on his face.
"Ooooh, no," he quavered. "All that road rage!"
"But I could do road rage in French," I suggested persuasively. "I could even do the arm-waving."
Keith cowered even further.
"Maybe you'd like to get yourself to the shop today," I said acidly.
Justice?
An interesting item which dropped into my inbox today. Read on.............
This is a story to give one confidence in the impartiality, decency and fairness of our police and judicial system. On 14 November 2002 octogenarians Paul Carlisle and his wife discovered a small fire in the boiler-room at the back of their large farmhouse near Hay-on-Wye. They applied fire extinguishers and called '999' before starting to remove valuable pictures and belongings from the far end (West) of the house. Two policemen answered the emergency call within minutes and ordered the owners to stop entering the house and to leave immediately although the fire had not then spread anywhere near to where they were rescuing their valuables. Capt. Carlisle quite reasonably remonstrated, whereupon he was physically manhandled into a cage at the back of the police vehicle on his head with his feet in the air. He was to remain in this uncomfortable and undignified position for about twenty minutes. His wife was locked in another police car and driven off to a neighbour at her request. Meanwhile a posse of eight police and three ambulance drivers stood around and watched the fire slowly spread through the house. Several neighbours who had gathered to help, were also told to keep away. Over half an hour after the first police arrived, they deigned to call the fire service and within ten minutes a local amateur crew arrived, the Brecon fire service being on strike at the time. By now the fire had spread and taken hold. The firemen failed to control the blaze; the house and most of its contents were destroyed. The insurance cover was inadequate and the Carlisles are some £750,000 out of pocket, besides having lost irreplaceable heirlooms. They contend that the police acted unreasonably by forcibly and falsely imprisoning the owners in the first place, instead of allowing them to remove valuables when there was no physical risk whatsoever; and negligently by failing to call the fire service immediately so that the fire could have easily been brought under control, in which case both house and contents could have been saved. Capt. Carlisle further suspects that because over many years he has felt compelled to take issue with the local police in person and in the press over alleged minor driving offences, he is being deliberately and vindictively victimised. He has been harrassed on a number of other occasions. He also finds it curious that a number of law firms have declined to represent his claim for damages against the police. Meanwhile the police are pressing for his case to be struck out as 'having no reasonable prospect of success' whereas in an age of natural justice the reverse would probably be true. In support of their claim they have submitted evidence that Capt. Carlisle considers bears little relation to the facts. For example they have defended their decision to prevent entry alleging that thick smoke was pervading the house, whereas there was no smoke at the time and a strong SW breeze was blowing away from the house, according to eye-witnesses. One police statement has claimed Capt. Carlisle was arrested, but he denies he was formally cautioned before being manhandled. They claim they were trying to save the Carlisles, as was their duty, but are they seriously suggesting they were prepared to incinerate themselves for property however valuable? It seems highly unlikely! One is therefore entitled to ask whether this is a reasonable way to 'assist' two distressed elderly citizens witnessing the entirely avoidable destruction of their home, by ensuring no one did anything to save it until it was too late. 'Nil combustibus pro fumo ' (Michael Flanders) The hearing has been transferred from Brecon to the High Court in Cardiff and is listed for 2pm on Thursday 27th April.
This is a story to give one confidence in the impartiality, decency and fairness of our police and judicial system. On 14 November 2002 octogenarians Paul Carlisle and his wife discovered a small fire in the boiler-room at the back of their large farmhouse near Hay-on-Wye. They applied fire extinguishers and called '999' before starting to remove valuable pictures and belongings from the far end (West) of the house. Two policemen answered the emergency call within minutes and ordered the owners to stop entering the house and to leave immediately although the fire had not then spread anywhere near to where they were rescuing their valuables. Capt. Carlisle quite reasonably remonstrated, whereupon he was physically manhandled into a cage at the back of the police vehicle on his head with his feet in the air. He was to remain in this uncomfortable and undignified position for about twenty minutes. His wife was locked in another police car and driven off to a neighbour at her request. Meanwhile a posse of eight police and three ambulance drivers stood around and watched the fire slowly spread through the house. Several neighbours who had gathered to help, were also told to keep away. Over half an hour after the first police arrived, they deigned to call the fire service and within ten minutes a local amateur crew arrived, the Brecon fire service being on strike at the time. By now the fire had spread and taken hold. The firemen failed to control the blaze; the house and most of its contents were destroyed. The insurance cover was inadequate and the Carlisles are some £750,000 out of pocket, besides having lost irreplaceable heirlooms. They contend that the police acted unreasonably by forcibly and falsely imprisoning the owners in the first place, instead of allowing them to remove valuables when there was no physical risk whatsoever; and negligently by failing to call the fire service immediately so that the fire could have easily been brought under control, in which case both house and contents could have been saved. Capt. Carlisle further suspects that because over many years he has felt compelled to take issue with the local police in person and in the press over alleged minor driving offences, he is being deliberately and vindictively victimised. He has been harrassed on a number of other occasions. He also finds it curious that a number of law firms have declined to represent his claim for damages against the police. Meanwhile the police are pressing for his case to be struck out as 'having no reasonable prospect of success' whereas in an age of natural justice the reverse would probably be true. In support of their claim they have submitted evidence that Capt. Carlisle considers bears little relation to the facts. For example they have defended their decision to prevent entry alleging that thick smoke was pervading the house, whereas there was no smoke at the time and a strong SW breeze was blowing away from the house, according to eye-witnesses. One police statement has claimed Capt. Carlisle was arrested, but he denies he was formally cautioned before being manhandled. They claim they were trying to save the Carlisles, as was their duty, but are they seriously suggesting they were prepared to incinerate themselves for property however valuable? It seems highly unlikely! One is therefore entitled to ask whether this is a reasonable way to 'assist' two distressed elderly citizens witnessing the entirely avoidable destruction of their home, by ensuring no one did anything to save it until it was too late. 'Nil combustibus pro fumo ' (Michael Flanders) The hearing has been transferred from Brecon to the High Court in Cardiff and is listed for 2pm on Thursday 27th April.
Busy, busy, busy
Busy sorting out job applications today. Which ones should I apply for? Which ones would I be wasting my time applying for?
And then, there's all the jargon to be re-acquainted with as well as new terms to get to grips with. Education doesn't stand still for a moment so since 2004, the Primary Strategy has bedded in as well as "Excellence and Enjoyment" and in Wales, the trialling of the revised Foundation Stage (incorporating Early Years and Key Stage 1).
And THEN there is (are) WALT and WILF. (Don't ask!)
And then, there's all the jargon to be re-acquainted with as well as new terms to get to grips with. Education doesn't stand still for a moment so since 2004, the Primary Strategy has bedded in as well as "Excellence and Enjoyment" and in Wales, the trialling of the revised Foundation Stage (incorporating Early Years and Key Stage 1).
And THEN there is (are) WALT and WILF. (Don't ask!)
Tagged
H. from It's a mum's life tagged me the other day. The idea is to list a few weird/noteworthy things about myself so here goes:
1. I have a spider phobia
2. I can't bear buttons. They make me feel sick.
3. I am left handed.
4. My handwriting is appalling - by anyone's standards
5. I blame this on being left handed.
6. My great-great-great grandfather was a baronet.
7. Another, more recent ancestor was a colleague of Lord HawHaw during WW2.
8. When I was 11 I played the piano in a local concert having never had piano lessons.
Sorry, nothing very earth-shattering there, but maybe Dale, Michelle and Shooting Parrots would like to take up the baton and run with it.
1. I have a spider phobia
2. I can't bear buttons. They make me feel sick.
3. I am left handed.
4. My handwriting is appalling - by anyone's standards
5. I blame this on being left handed.
6. My great-great-great grandfather was a baronet.
7. Another, more recent ancestor was a colleague of Lord HawHaw during WW2.
8. When I was 11 I played the piano in a local concert having never had piano lessons.
Sorry, nothing very earth-shattering there, but maybe Dale, Michelle and Shooting Parrots would like to take up the baton and run with it.
Armed headteacher
The headteacher of a local primary school was arrested last week on suspicion of illegally possessing :
a .9mm semi-automatic Walther P38 pistol,
a .22 semi-automatic rifle,
an Enfield .38 revolver,
a Llama .22 semi-automatic pistol,
a Browning 6mm pistol,
a Webley revolver,
a 49 Samson Luger 9mm.
He is also accused of possessing prohibited ammunition - 190 Blazer rounds and 239 hollow point bullets.
I know classroom discipline can be difficult these days but is this perhaps going a little too far?
a .9mm semi-automatic Walther P38 pistol,
a .22 semi-automatic rifle,
an Enfield .38 revolver,
a Llama .22 semi-automatic pistol,
a Browning 6mm pistol,
a Webley revolver,
a 49 Samson Luger 9mm.
He is also accused of possessing prohibited ammunition - 190 Blazer rounds and 239 hollow point bullets.
I know classroom discipline can be difficult these days but is this perhaps going a little too far?
Successful people
I have found six teaching jobs to apply for beginning in September, mostly part time and/or temporary, which would suit me quite well as I shall also need time for my counselling placement in due course. I look at the job descriptions and feel enthusiastic, then I look at the application forms, at the request for my date of birth, and I feel less optimistic. I have considered not filling in that bit.......
Someone told me recently that one of the six signs of a successful person is that they never give up. OK, I wonder what the other five are? Hiding their date of birth?
Someone told me recently that one of the six signs of a successful person is that they never give up. OK, I wonder what the other five are? Hiding their date of birth?
Daylight robbery
Dentist today. £80 for filling, clean and polish! Why doesn't Wales have NHS dentists!!!!!!
Lazy day
On a Bank Holiday when 'someone' decides to watch 'Das Boot' in its entirety in German (with English subtitles), what is one to do?
Hook up to the MP3 player, dig out some light reading and relax.................oh and surf the blogroll of course!
Hook up to the MP3 player, dig out some light reading and relax.................oh and surf the blogroll of course!
The answers
Thanks to those of you who had a go at guessing what the mystery photos were. The blue and white one was the material of Keith's shirt and the other one is the living room carpet.
Keith is disappointed that no-one attempted to guess what he would like to have posted. Suffice it to say, you wouldn't have liked it. He has been watching too many documentaries, one of which was about dust mites and other such similar creatures. There was some wistful talk about possible 'pets' in the carpet.......
Keith is disappointed that no-one attempted to guess what he would like to have posted. Suffice it to say, you wouldn't have liked it. He has been watching too many documentaries, one of which was about dust mites and other such similar creatures. There was some wistful talk about possible 'pets' in the carpet.......
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