Greedy, mad, swivel eyed loons
This week the share price of Lloyd’s Banking Group went over 60p and so the government has reached the break even price for it’s shares. Royal Bank of Scotland made some gains too, so the government could get it’s 66 billion back that it pumped into those banks.
The midweek ramble
That’s Redhouse Park in the picture. It’s about 6 miles from here. I didn’t really want to drive that far, but I’m running out of things to photograph here. People seem fascinated by travelling. It must be some primitive instinct.
Spooky
I’ve used a spooky picture of the churchyard to begin today’s post. I think the original church was built about 700 years ago, replacing a castle and maybe some kind of pagan church. I can spend more time writing my Sunday ramble today, because I don’t have to cook Sunday lunch; it’s already cooked.
Am I getting paranoid?
I’ve used a picture of an English summer from 2011 today. Remember summer? Last year; it was rain, rain and more rain. There was a rumour that they were messing with the weather, trying to stop it raining on their Jubilee and Olympics.
Society today
“Wealthy elderly people who do not need benefit payments to help with fuel bills or free travel should voluntarily return the money to the authorities, the work and pensions secretary says.” (BBC News) I don’t know. Buckingham Palace is a big place to keep warm, they need their winter fuel payments. They hardly use their bus passes anyway…
The English eccentric
Today’s picture is of the River Tame, here in the Black Country. There are millions of flowers growing down the sides in Spring; this was last May. Only an English eccentric would know something like that. I shall check again this year and see if they grow along the Tame in Sandwell Valley.
Mid-week moan | Times are a changing
Do you remember hand carts? People used to sell flowers from hand carts years ago. They often grew the flowers in their gardens and they made a living out of selling them. (more…)
Treasure in the Black Country
This could be the only treasure map in existence with a motorway running through it. You may remember that I wrote about Princess Ethelfleda’s hoard of gold in my post just a year ago. We’re still looking for it. It could be buried at King’s Hill, there is a park there that’s suitable for scouring with a metal detector.
Looking forward to Spring?
Yes, it’s the Spring equinox in just four days! If you’re hoping for summer weather forget it, but we can expect blossom on the trees, tulips and daffodils and bluebells in the woods. I’ll be out there enjoying the fresh air and watching nature begin a new year. How about you? (more…)
Saturday ideas and thoughts
I don’t usually do sky pictures, they’re boring, but this one is unusual and I’m a bit desperate today. If you look carefully you can see the moon breaking through the clouds. We had another week of financial bad news. Both banks that are partly owned by the tax payer posted losses. Not real losses that would send them into administration like so many High Street businesses; these are just millions and billions lost ‘on paper’. (more…)
Who has all the money?
I have money in my wallet and money in the bank. We all think that we know what money is and how to use it to buy goods and services, but do we really understand the world financial system. It does seem to have become very complicated. Governments around the world are complaining that they are not only broke, but trillions in debt. What’s going on? (more…)
My birthday blog – I wish…
Yes, it’s my birthday and so a special birthday blog today. Today’s photograph was taken in Moorcroft wood. That might look like a lake, but it’s a hole in the ground left by open cast mining that filled with water. It was the coal that was mined here that fuelled the steam engines of the Industrial Revolution.
beef burgers and snow
This week we have seen Blockbusters in the news as the latest retailer to go into administration, following other famous names like HMV, Jessops and Comet. Then there was Tesco with it 30% horse-meat ‘beef’ burgers. Then there was the snow…
Sunday ramble through the art ways of the Black Country
Turner Prize
Walsall Art Gallery was in the news this week, they spent £471,000 on a bid to bring the Turner prize to Walsall. No, they didn’t get it; it went to Glasgow. They could always spend a few quid giving me an exhibition. I’ll send them some pictures to print, frame and put in the gallery. If they are throwing money around, why not throw it at someone local? (more…)
Boxing Day blues.
I’ve started with an artistic picture today. I used three different programs to do that one. It’s Boxing Day and I think there will be a few hangovers around today. For those of you asking about supermarket opening hours, I think they’re all closed except for Asda. You can check out iopeningtimes for most stores.
Merry Christmas 2012
It’s Christmas Day and I’m still writing. The weather isn’t very seasonal, it’s still raining. I think 2012 will be known as the year the rains came. I have a busy day ahead, turkey to cook and a buffet for guests to prepare. I hope you have found my blogs interesting through this year. I haven’t finished yet!
A week of nostalgia
Full Moon
There has been a full moon this week and a week of nostalgia for me. On Facebook the new ‘The History of Wednesbury’ continued to get more ‘likes’ and contributions. There is a lot of interest in local history now, Distinctly Black Country is another Facebook page. I also went to an informal reunion for Wednesbury Boys High School last night. It’s not often I admit to having gone to a grammar school.
The last Sunday ramble of November
Regular readers, will know that I’m into Neodigital Art. Art that has been produced using digital devices not a brush and canvas. What do you think of today’s picture? I’ll get an exhibition yet! (more…)
How to write a novel | different scenes
If you’re following my story about Nick and Lily, you will know that the narrator is telling the story. There are different scenes, when dialogue between the different characters, adds to the story. So far I’ve concentrated on telling the reader about what happens to Nick. I can have scenes that don’t feature Nick, but feature Lily instead.
Photography, speed awareness and art
Lake or pool?
I do get a few local readers on a Sunday. They might be surprised to know that today’s picture was taken locally. This ‘lake’ or pool as some people refer to it is about a mile away from my house. What do you think? Lake or pool? I might photograph that today, the sun is shining this morning.
Nightmares or just dreams?
I’ve used a photograph from the summer to start today’s post. We did have one or two sunny days, in between the rain. I went to Matalan this week and bought an umbrella amongst other things. You will notice that it hasn’t rained since. It’s cold but sunny today, I must remember never to buy sunglasses from Matalan…
Last of the summertime
I’ve used a picture of the hospital to start today, because my appointment came through. It’s not for four weeks, so I have time to remember how to park the car on the car park. It will be in the dark again, I do wish I could get appointments in daylight. I did change my clocks and watches last night and at midnight set the timer on my central heating to come on an hour early. (more…)
Another week closer to Christmas
I took this photo in May, doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun? At the time of writing I can see blue sky and sunshine, we didn’t see much of that through the summer and now Autumn is flying by. It will soon be Christmas and we have to prepare, save up for some stamps to post our Christmas cards!
Protests in the Black Country
There were protests by the English Defence League (EDL) yesterday in Walsall town centre. It appears the police made 28 arrests for violent disorder. People were concerned about this protest and so 600 police were drafted in. It all costs money to police a protest that frightened would be shoppers on a Saturday and wasted money, when money is tight. (more…)
