Scrooge is alive and well in Norwich

I have had a small whisky during the course of this evening, so I did look twice at this as I didn't believe what I was seeing the first time, but really, come on. I mean, are the idiots in charge of Norwich City Council really serious?
Hairdressers will have to get a licence to serve alcohol if they want to offer their customers a small glass of mulled wine in the spirit of the Christmas season, otherwise, they risk being fined £20,000 or facing 6 months in jail.
Very sensible really, of course. After all, offering a small tipple to one's customers is right up there with robbery, violence, murder... Could anything be worse?
I am reminded of the constant comment of tennis player, John McEnroe in his heyday:
"You cannot be serious, man!!!"

Woolies bites the dust

Over the past few days, it has been obvious that Woolworths was in trouble, but today, the axe has finally fallen and one of the High Street's best known shops will soon disappear for ever. It is a tragedy, of course, for the 30,000 employees who will lose their jobs and it appears that, because it was regarded as 'a lame duck retailer', it did not qualify to be bailed out by the government
I have heard all the arguments about Woolworths being outmoded and outdated and, I have to admit, I rarely go in, but that wasn't always the case. Way back in the sixties, Woolies was the place to go for us teenagers for much of our shopping. That was where we bought our make up - Miners, for choice and, guess what - it's still going strong! My first bra was bought there (OK, too much information, but it gives you an idea of their range of stock) as was my first bikini and then, years later, Ladybird underwear and clothes for my children in their early years.
The shops had an outdated look though, even then, with their open, glass-framed counters and rickety wooden floorboards but it was 'the Woolies' look' and when our local branch was revamped and updated, it was curiously disappointing as it became just like any other store in the area. Somehow though, it wasn't quite the same as other retail outlets and lost its way over the years, selling bits of everything that most people would go to other shops to buy, rather than focusing on a few lines that they did well.
It's a sad day for Woolworths and a horrible time for their employees.

Scrooge chez Jennyta?

"Oooh!" I exclaimed as I scrolled down my bloglist, "Here's a post about how to have a frugal Christmas!"
"Hmm, easy," was Keith's reply, "Live with Jenny!"
(This from a fully grown man who has just asked me to put beefburgers and fish fingers on the shopping list.)
Not sure whether it's an insult or a compliment.

A quick snack

OK, I know it's only a grey squirrel and the photos are not very good, taken as they were at great speed before this little fellow scooted off, and it was grey and dismal outside - as usual these days, but he is cute, don't you think?

Taking your baby for a walk

Now this little gem of research, funded by an education charity the Sutton Trust, must really have stretched the grey cells of the researchers. Come on, folks, how much intelligence/common sense does it require to conclude that babies fare better if they are facing whoever is pushing them in their buggy so that they can interact with them? I used to make that and similar observations frequently when my children were at the baby and toddler stage, but then I used a 'proper pram' and a pram seat for whoever was next up in age. As Silverback says in his blog on the same subject, it can hardly be conducive to a relaxing experience to be hurtling along, inches from the ground, headfirst towards legs, bicycles, shopping trolleys and traffic exhaust fumes. Having arrived at the same conclusion as this study thirty years ago, I am wondering if, in the interests of education and child welfare, I should volunteer (well, not volunteer exactly as I should require exorbitant fees, just as these researchers doubtless received) my services to the next survey to be undertaken.
Any ideas as to what that might be?

Siarad Cymraig?

I'm all for keeping ancient languages and cultures alive but I did think this was perhaps taking things a little too far. Welsh has been used officially for the first time at an EU meeting, when Welsh Culture Minister, Alun Ffred Jones spoke in Welsh to the Council of Ministers.
Several thoughts immediately occurred to me:
I would be extremely surprised if there are any Welsh speakers who do not also speak English.
I would also be extremely surprised if any non-Welsh people present at the Council speak Welsh.
In that case, why should it be necessary for anyone to speak in Welsh at this meeting?
Apparently, £841 million is spent annually on translation costs generally so who is footing the bill for this latest undertaking?
Silly me, I should have guessed:
"The extra costs of translation are being borne by the Welsh Assembly Government."
Translated into plain English, that means us - i.e. taxpayers in Wales.

Farewell, John

I was sad to hear the news this afternoon that John Sergeant has decided to leave 'Strictly Come Dancing' but, having read J.J.'s post, I am disgusted. The judges have been quite nasty to him over the past few weeks and I thought that last week they had possibly been told to lay off him as they were a little more positive, but this piece seems to indicate that his position has been made untenable by the other contestants. If this had happened in school or the workplace, it would have been denounced as bullying. Have they forgotten that all but one of them is going to be voted off during the next few weeks anyway? How sad that what should have been family entertainment during the weeks before Christmas should instead have deteriorated into a back-stabbing free-for-all for prima donnas.
For me, the fun has gone out of it and I'm not sure that I will bother watching the rest of the series. At least John Sergeant kept faith with the spirit in which the programme was conceived and remained a good sport throughout. It doesn't seem that anyone else did.