Santa's On His Way

Look children - if you look very carefully you can see Santa's Sleigh tracks in the early morning sky. I was lucky enough to see this one sunny morning this week.

Santa is travelling around checking on where all the children are and planning his fastest route for Christmas night.

You can click on the photo to enlarge it if you can't see the tracks clearly. But look down near the top of the hill - Santa has just whooshed off to the right. Faster than the Red Arrows.

Youth of Sidmouth Town

Dan Gigg a 16 year old Sidmouth youth is trying to raise publicity and funds to open a youth cafe for Sidmouth teens. Remembering how I used to sit in a Wimpey cafe over one milky coffee for hours at a time laughing and giggling with friends I couldn't agree with him more. I think it is a good idea. Visit his web site to add your voice of encouragment and advice.

Unfortunately the email address appears to be not working and there is no way to contact Dan on the freeweb site. If anyone does know the correct email address please let us know.

Sidmouth Folk Festival

Sidmouth Folk Festival certainly livens up the town. I went down and enjoyed a walk along the Esplanade watching all the morris dancers, cloggers and the Sidmouth Steppers strutting their stuff. Then stopped awhile for a coffee in Dukes with a crowd of very good friends.

Where would any of us be without good, kind supportive friends. If you read this - you'll know who you are.

Well Fancy Meeting You Here ...

Well, lookee here ...... what a surprise - it's Mrs T ... walking through the market place in Sidmouth. Well fancy seeing her here. I wonder if she is aware she is on the internet? Fame of sorts.

Allow this film time to download. Then sit back watch the full panorama and see if you can see anyone you recognise.

April Fools Day

It was very difficult reading the daily papers today to decide which of the bizarre adverts or news items were this year's April Fools Day jokes. I particularly enjoyed the photo of Alistair Darling in a newsagents checking his Srcatch Card Lottery ticket - the photo taken by one 'ROLF LOIPA' being a bit of a give away.

The BBC seems to have invested a few minutes making a filem of flying penguins off on their summer holidays to some tropical rain forest.

The one April Fool that did catch me out to begin with was the Today programme on Radio 4 at 7.45 a.m. I was still half asleep (well that's my excuse for being taken in!) - reporting that following the most successful Spring bird count completed by many thousands of RSPB members during the last weekend in January the RSPB are now hoping that their members will assist in trapping all the visiting Siskins so that the RSPB and BA can return them to Scandinavia. I was just lazily thinking the RSPB were more mad than usual when the report started to explain just how the trap would work and that BA would cope with flying the birds back home as they wouldn't need luggage - when the penny dropped. I was tempted to arrange a 'flash blog' to the BBC and inform them that we were so outraged by the idea of forcefully repatriating siskins that we'd cancelled our RSPB membership with immediate effect.

Learning Curves

We are still coming to grips with how blogs work. We have much to learn still.
We haven't posted much as we are all suffering with coughs/colds or recovering from trips abroad. I hope that we'll have something interesting to say and will return soon. Thanks for popping in.

Brophy's Coffee Shop 2 date

I met LuLu this morning in the newsagents. She told me that she and her friends today had met for coffee in Brophy's . They had not been in there for a while as they had all been on various holiday trips. She said the coffee is much improved. It had strength and flavour. I'll try it again one day soon and judge for myself.

Updated: 10th March - It's confirmed - I tried it and the coffee now has some flavour and depth to it.

Thought for the Day

"TWO GLASSES OF WINE
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began he wordlessly picked up a very large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up every wee space. He asked once again if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full."

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for Life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you."

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18 holes. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the waste disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

" One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend."

This was sent to me via email today from my friend B. Why don't you pass this thought on to your friends too. Like most emails messages I have no idea of the original author. I'm not sure of the physics either but the thought is still valid.

The Big Opt Out Campaign

The Big Opt Out Campaign is gaining ground. Several hundreds of thousands of patients have demanded to opt out of the National NHS database. There is a copy of a letter available that you can download and send to your doctor to let him/her know that you do not wish for your personal private details and medical information to be stored on a national computer system.You can click on this link here: http://www.nhsconfidentiality.org/optoutletter

4 out of 5 doctors believe the scheme is risky.


The BMA site has more information on the proposed scheme: BMA Conference Policy on the Summary Care Record. At the Annual Representatives Meeting (ARM) 2007 it was resolved that BMA members should not cooperate with the proposed centralised storage of all medical records due to concerns about security and confidentiality. At the Local Medical Committee Conference 2007, GPs resolved that lessons must be learnt from early NHS CRS adopter sites.


As far as I can find out, it looks as if there are 4 pilot schemes running and there is to be a review before all patients records are uploaded to the national database in May 2008. Do read up as much as you can about both sides of the argument.

When you come to make a decision as to whether you agree with all your personal medical details being stored on a national database do be sure to bear in mind the Govt's record of maintaining confidentiality over other private and personal details. There have been leaks and losses of data: not once or twice but three times or more.The Chief Medical Officer is almost threatening that it will be a matter of life and death if the details are not available nationwide. But no-one has said that if you travel abroad, will this information be available world wide too?!

Brophy's Coffee Shop

On moving to Sidmouth 10 years ago one of the hardest elements of adjusting to a new town was the lack of a decent coffee shop. There were plenty of places to go for refreshment but nowhere that made a really good cup of coffee. I became a tea drinker instead. I tried further afield and the best that I could find was M&S Cafe Revive and Darts Farm at Topsham. Then Gary and his family started Brophy's Coffee Shop, in Sidmouth.

Well from the moment I tried the first coffee there I was hooked. Proper coffee properly made. Fresh, rich, and dark with no bitterness. The froth on the cappuccino held the sugar up strongly; a good sign. So I moved on to the Cafe au Lait. Bliss. Every coffee every day made to a really high standard. I became a coffee drinker again. Gary wanted Brophy's to become a meeting place. And it did. Sidmouth's version of 'Cheers' or a coffee shop such as in Friends or Frasier. Where your name is known and they remember your personal preferences.

Now Gary and his family are moving on. They close Brophy's on Wednesday. It will be sad to see them go. Gary has been a really good Host besides making such excellent coffee.

Updated: 12/07/08.
Just as I feared. I've tried 4 cups of coffee in the new Brophy's and it is no where as good.
You can tell just by looking at the coffee. No sign of floating 'crema'. No oily appearance on blck coffee. The cappuccino were too milky and hardly any coffee flavour. I tried asking for a strong coffee. This did have some flavour but no real depth, no aftertaste. It had no 'crema floating on top' the flavour is light, no substance. I'll have to go on a quality control search for a really good satisfying coffee.

Sat Nav Woes

I heard an item on the local radio. I thought it was very amusing as I was under the impression that a lorry driver had become stuck in a small Devon lane and not been rescued for 3 days. He had spent 3 nights in the lorry before he was 'rescued'. He had followed directions from his Sat Nav until he came to a point where he couldn't go forward or backwards. STUCK.

But reading is a far better way to pick up the full story: far better than idly listening and not concentrating properly. His lorry had become wedged but the driver didn't have to spend all that time in his cab. He wasn't so wedged in that he was unable to escape from his cab, as I'd thought. He was fed by a local family but he chose to spend the 3 nights in his cab. I can see that on listening to the tale I only picked up some of the facts.

I was beginning to think that there are still wild, remote places in Devon where a lorry driver could be trapped and maybe perish in his cab, after becoming wedged down a wee country lane, with no one around for miles to raise the alarm. In a spot where a mobile phone signal couldn't be picked up. Is there any such place? If so please let me know. I might chose to go and live there.

Low Flying Cows

Elf n Safety should do a Risk Assessment in the UK - perhaps they aren't aware that low flying cows could be a hazard. This couple were lucky to escape with their lives.

Spanish Old Codger

This blog just proves that you are never too old to have fun and learn new tricks.

There are links to translate to other languages. Do explore this blog.

BMW

What does BMW stand for? Is it:

1. Bayerische Motoren Werke - the automobile?



2. Bob Marley and the Wailers?



3. Boy Meets World - a TV series?



4. Black Mans Willy - a plant?

Yes you're right BMW stands for all the above. But it's answer number 4 that has brought a few complaints in to the BBC over 'Gardeners' Question Time'. BMW, or Black Man's Willy - is in fact Rhodochiton Volubile.

Was Dr Kelly Murderd?

I see from today's news reports that Lib Dem MP Norman Baker is once again raising doubts about whether Dr Kelly committed suicide or not. Would he have cleaned the knife he apparently used to cut his wrists? Is it a cover up?!



If I'm not around in future then you'll know the thought police or 'they' have been around to silence me!