A Woman's Best Friend

Not much generates a reaction from me in this violent world of ours these days, but this just did.

Here is one life that just may have been saved if this stupid ‘pets not allowed’ rule had been relaxed. I treasure the company from our old pooch. She’s 15, had more strokes than I can remember and yet when I’m in the house alone with her, I still talk to her as if she understands me. Julie accuses me of wanting her to live forever, but I simply want her to go peacefully in our garden, which has also been her domain from the moment she arrived. She’s been the perfect companion for two little girls to grow up with. She was soft enough to let them dress her up, yet she stood by them and growled whenever a stranger called at our house. I therefore completely understand that this poor woman in her frightened state, simply wouldn’t leave her dog behind, it’s obvious that she thought of her as the one companion she could rely on. It’s such a shame that the people who made this rule didn’t stop to think about a dog owners loyalty to the one character in their life who hasn’t betrayed them!


nick

9-1, but I'm feeling bad!

Of all the clubs to do this too, I'm really sad that it turned out to be Wigan Athletic who Tottenham routed yesterday. I was impressed with Wigan when I heard that adult season tickets could be bought for just £250. There's plenty of clubs who could take a leaf out of that book and return the game to the working class supporter. Now I discover that the Wigan players feel so bad for letting down their travelling supporters that they have promised to personally refund the ticket costs to those who travelled south and had to witness the hammering.

In the cynical world of modern football where cheating is rife and even rewarded, Wigan Athletic stand head and shoulders above most.


nick

What can you get for £1m?

For a nation that should be justifiably proud of its overseas aid budget of £9.1bn this financial year, an additional £1m of aid to the people of Cumbria would appear to be rather miserly in comparison, to my reckoning just £3 per head.

I'd ask the Prime Minister to re-think our strategy in respect of this dreadful flood disaster and to cast his mind back to New Orleans 4 years ago. Citizens given woefully inadequate assistance by their own Government still evokes considerable anger. If there's one thing the British taxpayer would be happy to see extra money spent on, it's their fellow citizens who desperately need our help today and tomorrow.


nick

Is Jenson English or British?

I’ve made a formal complaint to the BBC about bias this morning. Now before I sound too much like Victor Meldrew I have to say I don’t make a habit of this sort of thing, but they’ve really got my pip with this.

Today they proudly proclaim on the BBC Sport website that Jenson Button joining Lewis Hamilton at McLaren means an “all English” team. Alongside this headline is listed a tennis headline. Reading that story I quote “Britain's Andy Murray has been drawn in the same group as world number one Roger Federer”.

So because the English journalist who wrote this story has no English tennis star to report on, Andy Murray (a proud Scot) becomes ‘British’. However when it suits the BBC, English F1 drivers remain exactly that, English. Now it may sound pedantic to some, but trust me it is bloody annoying to those who are conveniently tossed aside from the United Kingdom when it suits the BBC. Still at least I now fully understand why so many Scots support 2 teams, Scotland and anyone who’s playing England.


nick

Update

Hmmm.....'Britain's' has been changed to simply 'Andy Murray, yet McLaren remain an 'all English team'.

It may get worse before it gets better

I have a bad feeling over the seizure of 28 North Korean merchant sailors aboard a chemical tanker by Somali pirates. In a week when the navies of North and South Korea have clashed resulting in sailors killed and wounded, the prospect of the North Koreans showing any patience with criminals illegally kidnapping their citizens doesn’t seem likely. Idly standing by and simply negotiating doesn't appear to be the North Korean way. This latest kidnapping is way beyond the seizure of 2 pensioners on a small yacht. When we do see a fleet of North Korean warships in the Indian Ocean blasting Somali pirates out of the water, the world will do what exactly? It would be strange turnaround if the European Union Naval Force were suddenly defending the Somalis.


nick

Adh mór ort

Good luck to the next door neighbours this evening as they take on France in Dublin. A brace for our Robbie would be most welcome to help see the French watching next summer's World Cup on television at home.


nick

Taxi for Jermyn Street

Obviously there’s quite a few bob knocking around at the BBC according to the revelations of top executives pay published this week. If there is just a little left over, could someone please buy Matthew Amroliwala a new shirt to wear on Crimewatch.

The faithful old white granddad collar needs to be rested.


nick

Ottenga bene presto

Shocked to hear Carlo Cudicini has been seriously hurt in a road accident this morning. Get well soon Carlo!


nick

The United States Marine Corps League

At 11am today, the 11th day of the 11th month, I shall be in a meeting of Crossroads North Wales where we will mark the moment with a minute’s silence in honour of British & Commonwealth sacrifices. During that time I’ll also spare a thought for my pals, members of the United States Marine Corps League who this year allowed Julie and I the immense honour of sharing their Memorial Day tribute to their fallen comrades in San Ardo, California. As time takes its toll, the majority of Corps League members are now Vietnam veterans, but they never let you forget the depth of gratitude owed to those who gave their lives in the service, particularly at Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal.








Semper Fidelis


nick

I was there...well 4 months later

I am photographed here on the site of Hitler’s bunker, some 4 months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, 20 years ago. By the time we had arrived, there were scores of Turkish street vendors selling a multitude of East German tat at the Brandenburg Gate. The area had been located in the ‘No Man’s Land’ zone. I am told it is now all built upon.


This fella was a former East German Detective named Frank Bauer. He invited us to his flat in the town of Gräfenhainichen. It was basic and yet there certainly wasn’t anything but a warm welcome from him and his wife. He later showed us around the Police station where this picture was taken. Lori was 3 and as for Julie's hair, well it was the 80s!
I remember driving through a village on the way to Frank's. We saw a sign saying Bar/Cafe. We stopped for a drink and it was a bloke's house! We sat in his lounge as he poured out a beer, a wine and a Coke. It was a bizarre experience as we exchanged a few words in broken German. His initial foray into the world of capitalism trying to make a few marks was strange indeed.



The Soviet War Memorial was in fact located in the West. Consequently the Red Army soldiers who guarded it, were in turn guarded by British soldiers. You really couldn’t have made some of it up!

Apols for the poor quality of scans from old photos. As for the wall? It was a blot on the decency of humanity and all I could think at the time was bloody good riddance!


nick

Doghouse songs

Blown away on Saturday evening at the Liverpool Olympia by just about the best fun you can imagine. If I get to 68ish, I just hope I have half the energy he has.


nick

I didn't even know he was gay

Why should I? It’s none of my business, but there again it’s no one else either! So I was saddened whilst mooching around this morning to find this pathetic adjudication notice on the PCC website.

The Daily Mail never ceases to amaze me with its ability to plummet to new depths of tacky journalism seemingly at will. Let’s simply hope they are turning off readers and advertisers in droves.

My late father worked in Fleet Street all his working life. I reckon some of today's output would just make him slightly ashamed of what it has become.



nick

Life Line Screening

Thank you so bloody much, whoever sold my personal details to a company called Life Line Screening!

Apparently this American company is now plying its trade in the UK and this morning I’ve been terrorised by their letter which screams “Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of men and women in the United Kingdom – and a leading cause of permanent disability”. There’s a lot of drum beating about being over 50 years of age too. They must know I’m 52. Mooching around the web shows these characters have been at this for a while now.
I also found this interesting letter to Karen R Law, the Director of Clinical Operations for LLS. Kind of sums this company up!

So for a modest £139 I can go to a local community centre (!) and be given 4 different screenings by an accredited consultant, who is most definitely not a doctor. If I’d like to cough up another £10 I can be screened for an Osteoporosis Risk Assessment too. Bargain eh?

Thanks, but no thanks.


nick