Dances With Wolves

On Sunday I watched the film “Dances with Wolves”, which was directed by and starred Kevin Costner. It was the winner of seven Oscars including Best Film and Best Director, and deservedly so.

It tells the story of Lt. John Dunbar who is dubbed a hero after he accidentally leads Union troops to a victory during the Civil War. He requests a position on the western frontier, and is sent to a remote outpost in the wilderness of the Dakota Territory, but finds it deserted. He soon finds out he is not alone, and meets a wolf he dubs "Two-socks" and a curious Indian tribe. Dunbar quickly makes friends with the tribe, and is eventually accepted into the local Sioux tribe, and discovers a white woman who was raised by the Indians. He becomes known as "Dances with Wolves" to them and as time passes he becomes enamoured by the beautiful "Stands with a Fist". Soon after, the frontier becomes the frontier no more, and as the army advances on the plains, John must make a decision that will not only affect him, but also the lives of the natives he now calls his people. He gradually earns the respect of these native people, and sheds his white-man's ways.

Not your usual Cowboy and Indian stuff, where all the Cowboys are goodies and all the Indians are baddies, but a well thought out and stimulating film, which deals in a very realistic and thoughtful way with the problems of the White Man gradually taking over the Indian Territory.

The music to the film is composed by the doyen of Soundtrack composers, John Barry, and contains the ever popular John Dunbar Theme.

If it’s listed in the tv schedules have a look at it. You’ll probably enjoy it.

STOP PRESS! Meriva Delayed by DVLA Because of Paperwork Error

A LESSON IN FRUSTRATION, STARRING THE DVLA AND OTHERS.....

As the family are aware I am exchanging my old Zafira for a Vauxhall Meriva. This was due to take place on Thursday of this week (Thursday 1st April) those of a superstitious nature might well have been aghast at the thought of picking up another vehicle on this date! However, suffice it to say that I am not superstitious. (I even commenced one of my jobs on April 1st!)

When the Phillips family arrived on Saturday evening to drop off Moliie and Tom, Gary greeted me with the news “Did you know that is is scheduled to snow heavily on Tuesday and Wednesday?” Was this the dreaded April 1st effect I asked myself.Supposing it was so snowy I couldn’t get to Pateley Bridge? What then?

I needn’t have worried, because about 11.00 am a brown envelope dropped through the letter box, and when I opened it I discovered it was from the DVLA, explaining that a current insurance certificate for the new Meriva had not been sent. In its place an insurance schedule had been sent! This meant that they had not been able to proceed with the issue of a tax disc for the Meriva, nor transfer the number plates from my Zafira on to the Meriva.

I had fixed the insurance change over from the Zafira to the Meriva for 1st April, so this meant that from 1st April onwards the Zafira would not be insured. I eventually got in touch with the DVLA, after about 20 minutes of waiting, and then an automated press 1 for, 2 for, 3 for 4, for etc. Eventaully I managed to speak to a real person. I explained to him what had happened and said did they need another insurance certificate with a date later than 1st April, as it was now very unlikely that I would be driving the car on 1st April!

The gentleman I was speaking to said he didn’t see what my problem was, in his lilting Welsh accent. I had already explained that under the current situation the insurance would run out on the Zafira (and be transferred to the Meriva on 1st April) – an NO It wasn’t an April Fools Joke. I didn’t want to be driving an uninsured Zafira around until the DVLA had sorted out the paper work for the Meriva. Eventually he came up with the helpful suggestion that I should maybe ring the insurance company! I told him that was my intention, but that I needed to know when to arrange a transfer of insurance. In other words, how long would it take for the necessary paperwork to be completed and back in my hands?

His not too helpful answer was typical “somehwere between a week and ten days.” I told him that would be no good for insurance purposes that I needed a precise answer, as I didn’t want to be driving round in an uninsured Zafira. Supposing I informed the insurance company to continue the insurance on it for another ten days and it took eleven days for the paperwork to come through, then what? I could see I would not get a straight answer from him so I thanked him for his (unhelpful) advice and eventually rang off.

I phoned my car insurance company and explained the situation. “No problem,” said the lady I spoke to, “We will issue you with a temporary insurance certicate for the Zafira, which will run until midnight on Sunday 11th April, at no extra cost, and if you need to extend the date and time of the change over just give us a ring!” Hurrah for the Prudential!

Better Than "Long Johns" for Keeping You Warm!

Those of you who are regular readers of this rubbish may recall a few weeks ago I mentioned that we were going to have loft and cavity wall insulation. We were given a date for the loft insulation to be done, but having acquired 40+ years “Stick it in the loft it might come in useful goods” we were obviously not going to get the loft cleared in time for the insulation fitters, so a new date was requested and given. This time we managed to clear all the “stick it in the loft goods” which had been piled up on the floorboards down the centre of the loft, and between the joists at each side of the floorboards!

Once the loft had been cleared we saw what had been unseen for nearly 40 years – the 60mm original loft isulation and the joists!

The contents of the loft were then piled high in the second bedroom, which looked pretty much like Steptoe’s Yard.

Thanks to Hannah and Ben for greatly assisting in the shifting of goods from the loft. Not forgetting Mollie, who not only helped in the shifting of goods, but also served up bread and butter, savoury biscuits, cheese, ham and salad to keep the loft clearers spirits up! Thanks Mollie!

Warning left fastened to the roof beams by the insulation fitters.

The insulation fitters arrived as promised on the date given and fitted the insulation, which is 200mm of extra insulation, so we now expect to have excellent heat retention, and begin to see a saving in heating bills.

Most of the goods brought out of the loft have now been sorted and graded into "take it to the tip", "send it to a charity shop", "hand on to the rightful owner" (Usually one of our daughters) and "keep it". It's amazing how much less goods have gone back in the loft!





It may be fortuitous that we have had a forecast of a drop in temperature and snow for the next few days. It will be interesting to see how much (should that be how little?) the temperature inside the house now drops overnight!

It's Those Wonderful Irish Again

It’s those wonderful and whimsical Irish at it again!


This is the collision between the Dublin Bus and the Dublin Tram on Wednesday 16/09/09

Now look closer, below, at the ad on the side of the bus that the tram went into.

The advert says it all!!

Merlin

I am one of those persons who like to have a few books waiting to read, a few CD’s waiting to be listened to and a few DVD’s waiting to be watched.




Last night it was the turn of a DVD entitled Merlin, which is one of a series given away by the Mail on Sunday from a collection called Magic and Fantasy. I usually find that most DVD give aways are pretty poor (hence the fact that they are given away) but the film Merlin was the exception to the rule.

Merlin (made as a three part TV Series in 1998) is quite a long film, running for 172 minutes.

If you are familiar with the stories of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, Guinevere, the Lady of the Lake etc. you will meet all these characters in the film.

The Arthurian legend is retold, only this time from the perspective of the life of the King’s Wizard, Merlin. Merlin is a creature born of pagan magic, living in a world converting to Christianity. The story begins with young Merlin being schooled in magic by the evil sorceress, Mab, and her apprentice, Frik. Merlin ultimately rejects her tutelage setting up a war between them which leads to her attack on Arthur. Unwittingly, Arthur impregnates his own half-sister, Morgan Le Fey, which leads to the birth of Mordred, an evil son who ultimately destroys Camelot. Merlin also unwittingly leads to Camelot's destruction when he selects Lancelot to protect Guinevere, whilst her husband King Arthur sets off in his search for the Holy Grail. The destruction of Camelot is based on mistaken information he gains from The Lady In The Lake. Through it all, Merlin tries to keep Arthur from the destructive path set by fate.

Starring such luminaries as Sam Neill (Merlin), Helena Bonham-Carter (Morgan Le Fey), Miranda Richardson (Mab, Queen of the Old Ways/Lady of the Lake), John Gielgud (King Constant) , Rutger Hauer (King Vortigern), and Isabella Rossellini (Nimue).

Looking through the first two pages of the Internet Movie Data Base reviews for this film I find that it is almost entirely given an 8, 9 or 10 out of 10 rating, and deservedly so.

Do watch it if you get a chance to see it.

The Eldwick & Gilstead Male Voice Choir

This is my bunch of merry men - the Eldwick & Gilstead Male Voice Choir. We are hoping to set up a website in the not too distant future and are looking for new members.

More Misery and Woe

It’s a misty, grey, damp November kind of a morning this morning, after yesterday’s budget, and it’s not the budget that’s making it seem miserable, although truth to tell there seems little in the budget to make me rejoice!

Looking at the main points:

The main losers are:

Drinkers

From Sunday duty on cider will rise by 10% above inflation and beers, wines and spirits will rise by 2% above inflation. This means that cider will rise by up to 9p a bottle, 36p on a 70cl bottle of spirits, 2p on a pint of beer and up to 12p on a 75cl bottle of wine.

Drivers

Fuel duty will rise by 1p a litre in April and then a further 1p in October. Although this avoids a large hike in prices in April (the price of petrol was expected to rise by 3p) it doesn't help ease the rising cost at the pumps.

Families who are facing inheritance tax:

The Chancellor is to freeze the IHT threshold at £325,000 for four years, abandoning his previous plan to raise the threshold to £350,000.

Smokers:

Tobacco duty will rise by 1% above inflation in April and 2% above inflation year-on-year thereafter.

Large home buyers and London house buyers:

The Chancellor announced a new permanent top rate of stamp duty of 5% for properties worth more than £1m, from April 2011. The highest rate previously was 4%, which applied to properties worth more than £500,000.

Taxpayers: Income tax and National Insurance

As previously announced, the Chancellor has decided to freeze all income tax bands, which will lead people to pay more tax on their earnings. There will be a 0.5% increase in National Insurance contributions from April 2011, although those earning less than £20,000 a year will be unaffected. It means that a worker earning £50,000 a year will pay an extra £1,248 a year.

Pension savers:

High earners will be hit with the tax relief on pension contributions to be withdrawn. This mainly affects those with earnings of £150,000 or more. Although the change won't come into effect until next April.

The Winners:

First-time buyers:

First-time buyers will not have to pay any stamp duty on properties worth up to £250,000. Mr Darling said the removal of stamp duty up to £250,000 would be in place for at least the next two years and come in immediately. However, this may prove a false economy, with house prices for first-time buyers rising thanks to a demand boost from the tax relief but no more homes for sale, as homemovers are not exempt from the tax too.

People without bank accounts:

The Chancellor confirmed that everyone will have access to a basic bank account. Darling said this would impact 1 million people.

Small businesses:

The £2bn apparently raised from the one-off tax on bankers' bonuses will be used to fund a £2.5bn 'growth package' for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Business rates will also be cut for 500,000 small businesses for one year from October 2010.

Savings:

The Chancellor has previously announced that the annual limit on Isas was to be increased to £10,200, from £7,200, in April – the limit was raised the over-50s in October last year. He added today that the Isa limit would rise in line with inflation each tax year from now on.

Out of all these main points the only thing that really affects me is as a driver I am a loser.

None of the above budget main points makes me deliriously happy, and it certainly reinforces my belief that the sooner this government is thrown out, the better!

Congratulations to Mrs Cameron

On the good news side of politics comes the news that Samantha Cameron is expecting their fourth child. There are bound to be those cynical souls who think it is a bit of good timing for the Conservative leader, but even I would question that attitude!

Samantha, who is 38, is due in September, raising the possibility of another child being born to a sitting PM, should the Conservatives win the general election. It would be only the second in 150 years. Tony and Cherie Blair had their fourth child, Leo, while residing at Number 10.

In good political style, the pregnancy was heralded by a manifesto. Last September, David Cameron said: "I don't believe Britain is over-populated. I don't have any plans to reduce it. I would quite like to add to it, personally, by quite possibly one, at some stage in the future."

Earlier this year, David Cameron revealed his wife would take a more active role in the election campaign than previous political spouses have, calling her his "secret weapon". Some might say she has deployed her trump card!

Ex Ministers for Hire

Yet more Labour Party members (and ex ministers) have been caught in dishonest and underhand dealings. When will it all stop, or do we have a thoroughly dishonest and corrupt government at the moment?

It now seems more than obvious that these people are in politics to make money – not to represent the people who once voted them into power. How many of us earn between £3,000 and £5,000 a day?

Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt and Geoff Hoon were secretly filmed as part of an investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches.

Mr Byers, a former transport secretary, was filmed saying he was like a "cab for hire" who would work for up to £5,000 a day and claimed to have saved millions of pounds for National Express, which wanted to get out of its East Coast mainline franchise.

Former Defence Secretary Mr Hoon was filmed saying he wanted to make use of his international knowledge and contacts in a way that "makes money" and that he charged £3,000 a day.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw is quoted as saying it seemed they had brought Labour "into disrepute" and many MPs were angry. It seemed they had brought labour into disrepute? Come on Jack you know damned well that they have!

Our Glorious Gordon has dismissed calls for an enquiry into the alleged actions of officials and current ministers. I wonder if he knows there are yet more skeletons in the cupboard!

The sooner this vile, dishonest, money grabbing, phony set of so called honourable members go, the better!

Start the Week With a Smile

Where would we be without the Irish? It’s another of those wonderful photos that ony the Irish can provide. They do give us untold opportunities for laughter don’t they?

In the photo below the workmen have been installing bollards to stop nurses parking on the pavement outside the Royal Hospital in Belfast. They are cleaning up at the end of the day, and getting ready to go home……..

How long do you think it will be before they realise that they can’t go home?

(By the way this is a genuine photograph - the situation has not been created specially!)

On this Day........

Today is the Vernal or Spring Equinox. It’s the date in the northern hemisphere when night and day are nearly the same length and the Sun crosses the celestial equator moving northward. The vernal equinox marks the first day of the season of spring.

Signs of Spring - when the crocus appear

Today, in 1865, saw the birth of one of our greatest composers – Johann Sebastian Bach.

Composer Johann Sebastian Bach

Today in 1963, the notorious prison – Alcatraz - built on a small island in San Francisco Bay was closed. The vicious currents surrounding the island made escape almost impossible.

Alcatraz housed some very notorious prisoners. The most famous of these convicts was Al Capone – the Birdman of Alcatraz – who used his time inside to study birds, doing time inside their own cages!


The notorious criminal Al Capone

How Stean Yet Again!

I went up to Pateley Bridge on Friday afternoon and called in at the Help the Aged Shop to donate them 38 LP’s, some CD’s, DVD’s and Audio Cassettes too.

I also called in to Nidderdale Motors to take in the necessary paperwork to swap my personlised plates from the present Zafira to the new Meriva. Personalised plates sounds rather “posh” and I always used to say that people who had personalised plates were “show offs”, and if I wanted some I only had have my car registered in Oban. However, when I retired I was “hoisted with my own petard” and presented with a set of personalised number plates as one of my leaving gifts!

As I had not had any dinner I went up to How Stean Gorge Café for something to eat. How Stean Gorge has been described (very aptly) as little Switzerland, and is well worth a visit. The gorge itself is spectacular, particularly after heavy rainfall!

As we pulled into the car park Ruby (our labrador) spotted a spaniel and as soon as I opened the back of the car up she was out and chasing merrily with the spaniel. At first mine host (Stan) didn’t recognise me – he was busy throwing a stick for the spaniel to chase, and Ruby was excitedly joining in the fun and games.

How Stean Cafe from the Car Park - the bridge is over the Gorge


Stan (mine host) seated far side of the table, outside the cafe.

Eventually, after we went into the café he recognised me, and persuaded me to tickle the ivories on the Yamaha Claviolina. By the time I had played a Bach Prelude & Fugue, Trumpet Voluntary, Country Gardens and Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, my meal was ready! I took the option of the tasty cheeseburger and chips. He very kindly threw in a free drink (non alcoholic – as I was driving!) with my meal.

A warm, friendly and welcoming greeting awaits you.

Notice the Claviolina to the right!

Stan tells me he has found my blog site, so I had better be careful what I say! I did promise him at least one photo of How Stean Café on my blog!

Goodbye Zafira, Hello Meriva

Today I’ve started the protracted process of beginning to bid my beloved 10 year old Zafira farewell! After viewing a Meriva in Nidderdale Motors a couple of weeks ago, and getting a very good part exchange offer I have finally taken the plunge.

Part of the deal was that I would have the personalised plate transferred on to the Meriva, and before this could happen I needed proof that the car was insured by me, so I had to get in touch with my insurance company and have the Zafira details swapped to the Meriva details. The insurance itself will take effect in April, when the car will gain a new 12 month licence.

Goodbye Zafira!

Hello Meriva!

So I have to take the insurance documents and the Zafira log book across to Pately Bridge, so that the personalised plates can be put on to the Meriva. The paperwork for this from the DVLC usually takes about a week, so to be on the safe side I have suggested that the date of exchange of cars be the first of April, as this will be the date when the Meriva is newly licenced.





We are also in the process of trying to tidy out the loft, in preparation for loft and cavity wall insulation, and 40 years continuous habitation of the same house tends to help you accumulate rather a large amout of “I’ll keep that, it may come in handy” type of goods! So the Help the Aged Shop in Pateley Bridge is going to benefit from the clear out of the loft! I have already taken about 30 video tapes and some audio cassettes to the Help the Aged shop in Saltaire yesterday. CD’s, Audio Cassettes and DVD’s are heading up to Pateley Bridge!

CD's & DVD's


Audio Cassettes




LP's

Oxfam in Ilkley have already received an 84 LP Record set of the Master Musicians, as well as a series of 5 ringbinders of booklets and 4 smaller ring binders of DVD ROM’s on "Know Your Computer!"

Leader's Wives

It sounds a bit like the latest "soap opera", but I'm really thinking of Mrs Cameron, Mrs Brown and Mrs Clegg!




34 years old Mrs Samantha Cameron is a director of the Bond Street stationery firm Smythson.

48 years old Mrs Sarah Brown is a public relations executive.

Mrs Nick Clegg (Míriam González Durantez) who has been maried to Nick Clegg for 10 years.

It’s good to tell that we must be fast approaching a General Election. Have you noticed how the leader’s wives have suddenly been given star billing? They get wheeled out at this time to show how they support their husbands, and to give sound bite quotes on how good their husbands are.

Am I being cynical, or do the powers that be really think that the wives are really going to influence the way I vote come the General Election? In all honesty I couldn’t really care less if David Cameron is untidy when he is working in the kitchen. That doesn’t make him any less able to be the Prime Minister.

We seem to be getting a plethora of “first ladies” featuring on TV and in the press. What a shame we can’t get some sensible political discussion between the big three on how they hope to rescue this once great country from the mire it has got into.

How about being really revolutionary and suggesting that the country is run according to the Ten Commandments? This would instantly solve a lot of our problems I’m sure!

Willy Russell's "Blood Brothers"

We went to see the musical “Blood Brothers” at the Alhambra last might. This was due to the fact that Sarah & Greg had bought us tickets for the show as a present.The West End production has been running since 1988, making it one of the longest running musicals! It was written and composed by Willy Russell.

Those of you unfamiliar with the story will find a very brief plot outline following….

Set in Britain, Willy Russell's Blood Brothers tells the story of fraternal twins who are separated at birth. One brother is raised in a family of great privilege and one brother is raised in poverty. Even with their different socioeconomic backgrounds, the two boys end up becoming best friends until a misunderstanding leads to a tragic ending.

Mrs Johnson & Edward (the twin who is given away)

It was a first rate production, and the cast received a standing ovation at the end of the performance.

Dig out Your Shillelagh! Dust Down Your Shamrock and Toast Him in Guinness!

Begorrah! It's St Patrick's Day tomorrow!



One of the emblems of St Patrick is the clover (or shamrock)

It is supposed to be very lucky if you accidentally find a four leaf clover!

The Irish don't miss a trick do they? They even have the emblem emblazoned on their national airline - Aer Lingus!

But the American Irish also manage to celebrate St Patrick's Day in style. Last year they turned the Chicago River in Illinois green!

So what do we know about St Patrick?

Little is known of Patrick's early life, though we know he was born in Roman Britain in the fifth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father was a deacon in the Church, like his father before him. At the age of sixteen he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. It is believed he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, possibly Mayo, but the exact location is unknown.

According to his Confession, he was told by God in a dream to flee from captivity to the coast, where he would board a ship and return to Britain. Upon returning, he quickly joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest.

In 432, he again says that he was called back to Ireland, though as a bishop, to save the Irish, and indeed, we know he was successful at this, focusing on converting royalty and aristocracy as well as the poor. Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the father, the son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish people.

After nearly thirty years of teaching and spreading God's word he died on 18 March, 461 AD, and was buried at Downpatrick, so tradition says. Although there were other more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principal champion of Irish Christianity, and, as such, he is held in esteem in the Irish Church.

According to legend, Saint Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people.

Originally the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue however over the years the color green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day as early as the 17th century. He is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish, and the wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs have become a ubiquitous feature of the day.

Then in 1798 in hopes of making a political statement Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March in hopes of catching attention with their unusual fashion gimmick. The phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing, derives from the song of the same name.

So dig out your Shillelagh, Dust down your shamrocks and toast him with a pint of Guinness!

How to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

I received an e mail today which I really must share with you....

It's called How to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity!


1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. On all your cheque stubs, write ' For Marijuana'

3. Skip down the street Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

4. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat,with a serious face.

5. Sing Along At The Opera.

6. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'

7. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Car Park, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives!
They're Loose!'

8. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity?


9. PICK UP A BOX OF CONDOMS AT THE PHARMACY, GO TO THE COUNTER AND WITH A STRAIGHT FACE ASK WHERE THE FITTING ROOM IS.

It's Called THERAPY!

Mothering Sunday Day Out

On Sunday we called over to Ilkley to collect Nana for her Mothering Sunday trip out, but before leaving I took a few shots of her garden.

Snowdrops in the garden at Victoria Avenue

Assorted flowers in the garden at Victoria Avenue

A fine display of Crocuses

It being Mothering Sunday we took Nana out for a meal at Town End Farm shop in Airton.

This has become something of a tradition as we have done this for the last few years. The Farm shop produces delicious home made meals – soups, quiches, pork pies, chicken & ham Ploughmans, 2 cheese ploughmans, baked potatoes with various fillings and even more delicious home made sticky toffee pudding, stickly chocolate pudding, etc.

The entrance to Town End Farm Shop

After eating, we usually take Nana on a trip through Kirkby Malham and Malham, then up to Arncliffe.

The churchyard always has a profusion of snowdrops at this time of year.

Seen in the churchyard of Arncliffe Church



The snowdrops were out in the churchyard at Arncliffe.




Arncliffe Church Tower




Arncliffe Church- Choir, Altar and East Windows




Arncliffe Church - a typlical stone built Dales Church




Lock on the Village Stocks - just outside the churchyard!




Arncliffe Village stocks