600

Just a brief update from the weekend:

Dad and SM came up Friday to stay for the weekend, so I had a mad moment or two beforehand tidying and putting away. Not that the place was really a mess but Dad in particular is a bit fixed in his ways and expects everything to be "just so" if you follow. SM has also recently had an operation on one of her feet, so mobility is something of an issue for her and it was helpful not to have too many obstacles about the place. You get the picture.

Saturday LL and I arranged to meet Dad at Lockey Farm in nearby Arborfield where they were holding their first open weekend. The sun shone and the sky was blue, everything was fine with the world. The farmer and his staff were running tours of the farm for a small fee, which we all enjoyed. The farm has over 6000 (Columbian Blacktail) free range chickens who get the run of some 40+ acres. In addition the farm has wonderful pigs and a large flock of sheep who were lambing.

Later I paid a brief visit to the area of outer Reading previously known as Worton Grange, to look at this lovely house.

This grade 2 heritage listed (protected) building is a former farm house and is now known as Little Lea Cottage. It is now surrounded by modern development and is in effect on a little island all of it's own. I never knew it was there. The reason I went to check it out is that apparently there is a family link back in the 1850's. Fairly recent for us although I know some overseas readers may feel that far back is the dim and distant past, given the relative short history of their own countries LOL. Oddly Dad remembers delivering newspapers as a lad to this house (after WWII) without realising the family link.


The Royals have also chalked up another couple of good results, moving them nicely up the table:

12 Apr Scunthorpe 0 - 2 Reading
16 Apr Reading 3 - 1 Leicester


Oh yeah and this entry marks 600 posts. Well done, me!

Does My Hair Clash With My Shirt?*

*Or what happens when children are allowed to pick their own clothes LOL.

What a lovely day, with temperatures at 20 degrees Celsius in the shade in my garden. Not bad for early April. In fact an excellent day for playing in the park and then back home for toasted cheese sandwiches. Mmm.

Oh and I should mention I got another pot back from college this past week. It's Marbled Blue, my Stoneware glaze of choice at present. It will be uploaded to Webshots shortly but in the mean time, take a look at this:

Nottingham Forest 3 - 4 Reading

The Royals move to 5th on 66 points.

Specs Appeal

Isn't it strange how the oddest things make us happy? A couple of weeks ago, I ordered some new glasses from one of those web-only retailers where you supply your prescription details and other information, then off your order goes into the depths of the Wibbly Wobbly Web. Or something like that. Over here glasses cost from around £70 (about $112) for the most basic specs on the high street, so when it's suggested you could pay less that half that, there's got to be a catch, right?

With light weight scratch resistant lens, supplied all the way from Hong Kong for only £23.50 (around US $37), how could I go wrong LOL?




Recent footie results have gone rather well for The Royals:

19 March Barnsley 0 - 1 Reading
2 April Reading 2 - 0 Portsmouth
5 April Reading 2 - 1 Preston

Reading are back in the play-off zone, right at the crucial period of the season. They just need to hold on for a few more weeks and then win their play-off matches. No pressure then LOL.

Sunshine

Can I take a moment to recommend a film, currently showing at Cinemas..?

"Oranges and Sunshine" is the story of Margaret Humphreys and the formation of the Child Migration Trust. This truly moving account, set in the 1980's, tells how Margaret a Social Worker from Nottingham, discovered vulnerable children- who had been placed into the care of the State- had been shipped to far flung Commonwealth countries to start new lives. This was done without the knowledge or consent of the parents and in some cases the children were told their parents had died and that they had no choice. They were promised better lives but in many instances they ended up being split from siblings, living in hardship and for some in abusive situations.

Migrant children arriving in Australia.










The film focusses on the displaced children sent to Australia but in reality many were also sent to Canada, New Zealand and (the former) Rhodesia, with the knowledge and approval of the respective governments.

Britain had also sent vagrant children from London to Virginia, the first British outpost in America, back in the 17th century in order to boost the population. Forced migration would continue for some 350 years, with over 100,000 children being affected. The Home Children scheme as it was known ended with the last arrivals in Australia in 1970 but it was not until 2009/2010 that the Prime Ministers of those countries (Gordon Brown and Kevin Rudd) formally recognised and apologised on behalf of both nations.

Margaret's book "Empty Cradles" has been re-released (to coincide with the film) and sales have helped fund the work of the Trust.

Cut-Out

I've just uploaded here, 5 images from 2 of my most recent pots. As always the latests pictures are at the far end of the folder.

Stoneware glazes used are Light Oatmeal and Fiord Blue with Blue/Grey. Unfortunately the Oatmeal seems to have run a little too thin and has pretty much burnt away. I'm intending to see if I might be able to re-glaze it in the coming weeks but since the clay has now vitrified, a second glaze may not take and instead simply run off in firing. We'll see and as always I'll publish the outcome.

Missed Data?

Yesterday was the official date of the 2011 UK census, where all households have by law to declare certain facts. These include the total number and details of anyone present overnight, the type of housing (number of bedrooms etc). You get the picture. We have a Census every 10 years with the only exception being WW2, I believe.

I'm not sure exactly how long it will take the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to upload all the data and start producing (meaningful) information. The idea is that this will directly influence the future provision of infrastructure such as roads, schools, houses and hospitals. As a result this will also have a direct bearing on future taxation, and there was me thinking the Government just plucked a figure out of thin air LOL. The only information that will be published will be statistical trends, with the raw data locked away until 2111.

I dutifully completed mine yesterday and popped it back in the post. I could have submitted it electronically, completing on-line but I felt there's something nice knowing in 100 years time my descendants- should they wish- will be able to actually view my handwriting. Perhaps I'm a little old fashioned...

Anyway I did notice one omission from the questionnaire which given the make up of many modern families seems quite major. Nowhere on the form is there a question relating to the number of offspring under age 18 who for whatever reason live at another address. To me this seems quite important and something of a missed opportunity to gather meaningful data. Did this not occur to the ONS when they spent the last 10 years planning the Census? Perhaps they are all middle class men of a certain age, nicely secure in their slightly out-of-step view of society and insulated from the real world?

Maybe my outlook isn't so old fashioned after all.


Update: It's also been pointed out that for some unknown reason, the current Census does not ask for middle names. Strange.

Look Up

On a recent trip into Reading I lifted my gaze from street level (and trying to dodge idiots!) and noticed just how wonderful some of the building in my home town really are. Here's a picture I took at the Broad Street Mall (St Mary's Butts) end of Broad Street.

There's another one of those nice stone balconies at the far corner, just out of sight. Now if only I could find out some of the history of this building...



UPDATE 10 April 2011. I've been advised by a reader, that this building was once the McIlroy Department Store, built at the turn of the twentieth century and closed in the 1950's. Apparently the McIlroys were once a prominent family in this great town. Read a little more here. 

Not Long Now (Part II)

The BBC have just launched this short "prequel" for the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who, which is due to air Easter weekend. Can't wait, can you? 



Please note, this may not work outside the UK however versions may be available on YouTube or similar but to be honest I haven't checked. Readers in the US may also view this prequel/trailer here on the BBC America site.

Amber (May) Mean 'Go'

At last common sense might prevail. I've experienced this type of system while travelling in the New England area of the US, where a flashing traffic light means "proceed with caution." Seems to work pretty well both day and night overseas, so why can't a night time system work here? Or at least let's discuss it. 

Things That Make Me Go "Grrrr"

In no specific order:

• I sometimes truly worry this (once) great country is becoming a nation of half-wits. For example it really grates with me when I hear the word "nuffink" instead of "nothing." If we can't express ourselves correctly, what hope is there? The word "init" is another I have a love/hate relationship with. Then again why do nearly all teens try to express their individuality by sounding like every other teen and use some sort of rap/gang speak? Learn to speak proper, just like what I does lol.
• Yesterday I nearly ran a woman over in my car. I was turning right at a mini round-a-bout and was part way through the manoeuvre when without warning she stepped out from the kerb in front of me, totally oblivious to her surroundings. Now here's the best bit: she was pushing a pram with a baby inside. FFS! You won't hear me swear too often on this blog but you get my point. I sounded the horn, stopped to remonstrate with her and I know she heard me but she carried on as if nothing had occurred.
• The European Union and the UK regulator OFCOM have ruled that mobile phone termination charges must be reduced. That is the fee companies charge each other (and ultimately pass on to end-users) for services such as international roaming (using your phone on another network, while travelling abroad). This is fine but these companies will seek to recoup the shortfall by other means, in order to maintain their profits. For example I've just been notified one service I use a lot will increase from 20p per minute (about 30c/min) to 92p per minute ($1.47/min). That helps me how?  
• The kids in the rent-a-house behind me don't seem to understand the concept of "quiet." Every Saturday night their parents seem happy they are outside in the dark screaming the place down. These are teen and pre-teen children- shouldn't they be tucked up in bed? The clocks change this weekend, meaning our peaceful neighbourhood will be subject to disruption for longer. At least they are better than the Uni students who were there last year. It was definitely the party house then. Grrrr.

 Feel better now, I've got that off my chest

Spud-U-Like?

I've invested the grand sum of £1.00 (about $1.60) on four seed Potatoes to try growing in a container. Just a bit of fun you understand and maybe I'll even end up with a crop that will supply a few meals..?

For the record these are Rocket variety, for sowing now (done) and with a little luck should be ready around May/June time. I think I might even get some other types for cropping later in the year. Mmmm...

Tomorrow marks the Spring Solstice, when the Sun leaves the Southern Hemisphere and re-enters the North. Not long 'til Summer!

Super

Apparently tonight's "Super Moon," where our nearest natural satellite is at it's closest to us for 19 years, will herald the end of the World. Or something like that lol. Thought I'd best post my own (poor) image quick before the whole of time and space goes up it's own you-know-what.

And should you wish to see some professional, in focus pictures take a look at the Daily Mail site.

While I'm about it, here's a picture of LL taken last weekend (yes, a bit late I know) when we went down to visit Dad and SM. If the World does go boom, this might be the last chance to see him lol.
















It's serious business eating Ice Cream, dontchaknow.