Easter Monday, April 5th

[Kath Mulligan]

We set off with the intention of heading up to the Lake District today, but friends already there said that it was very wet, so we had a change of plan and went to Anglesey instead. Went to the National Trust property, Plas Newydd first, on the banks of the Menai Straits. Vin and I had been here once before and I had always raved to the girls about a stunning full length mural in the dining room by RexWhistler, so they were quite keen to see it for themselves. Glad to say they were just as impressed as we were. Had hoped to have a boat trip up the Straits to the Menai Bridge but it was very windy and choppy, so no sailings today. Afterwards we headed off to Newborough Sands which look across the Straits towards Caernarfon and Snowdonia, but there was quite a lot of low cloud over the mainland this afternoon, so couldn't see the mountains too clearly, although the sun had come out by the time we were coming home so have managed to get a couple of shots from the car. It was tremendous fun on the beach - cold and almost gale force winds which was really whipping up the sea. We spent ages watching some kite surfers almost flying along, in fact, at one point, one lad did become airborne for a few seconds! A really good day out. Have put a few photos in my album.

Kath

[adesmith]

Glad that you had a good day on Anglesey Kath! I saw your Facebook and thought 'I am sure that she was going to the Lake District'. It was quite cloudy in South East Wales today as well. We went up into the Brecon Beacons/Black Mountains with a picnic. Firstly we went to Patrishow which is a tiny little church right up on top of the mountain. It is very peaceful and beautiful. Because it is so far out of the way, it escaped the ravages of the Reformation and so I find it very interesting, Rood Screen, wall paintings etc etc. There is also a holy well which is probably the reason that the church was built there in the first place. We then went to Llangattock and drove to the top of the mountain for a scramble around. I used to camp there when I was younger so it brought back lots of memories. After this and after our picnic we headed on to Bronllys Castle which is really just a tower. The last time we went it was locked up (New Years Day) but this time we were able to climb to the top and had good views of the snow capped mountains. Its been a lovely weekend .

[jane jackson]

You both sound as though you've had a very good Easter Monday getting out and about. It was overcast down here but dry. The forecast for tomorrow onwards is good so I'm hoping it will continue into the weekend as we have friends coming and we're seeing "Beauty and the Beast" at The Minack performed by Kidz R Us from St Ives who are an excellent youth theatre group. As the show doesn't start until 8pm it could be a bit chilly so hope it's not wet as well!

Great photos on your album Kath.

[Kath Mulligan]

Typically, now the Easter holiday is over I think the weather is due to settle down again and become a bit warmer, so hopefully it should be ok for your visit to the Minack, Jane.

Kath

[adesmith]

Its a beautiful day here. I had heard that it was going to be a bit rainy so I have planned to do some sorting and tidying in my study. Going to start doing some work for school when Rupert has his nap this afternoon and then tomorrow he is going to his grandparents so that I can have a full day of it. I have been watching the news all morning about the election - I am afraid I find it all rather interesting especially all of the traditions and the formality. Rupert was fascinated by the Queens helicopter and wanted to know why she didnt have a car. He was even more interested when I told him she has lots of cars and a train! I think he thought it was all a little unnecessary!

[Linda]

Rain,more rain and even more rain and gale force winds...all night and so far all of today!
Yuk!
ferry disruptions too...so no post likely today. wouldnt like to be on it today anyhow especially if it goes to Gourock further up the coast as that means a three hour journey instead of one... :)

[Kath Mulligan]

Grey and windy, but dry so far here today. Since I have just put a load of washing outside on the line, including bedding, I am hoping it is going to stay dry too!

Do I take it that we are in for an election on May 6th then, Adrian? Have not put TV on at all this morning. Claire is most disgruntled that he is choosing her birthday to hold the election, but we are planning a day at Chester Zoo that day, so will have to vote early before we go. Have to admit that I shall be avoiding as much of the electioneering as I possibly can. I have lost all respect for politicians of all parties these days, apart from the very odd one or two, and tend not to believe a word any of them says! So, for the sake of my blood pressure, I shall avoid listening!!

Kath

[gloria townsin]

Yes it is May 6th.........and, bad as it is, I hate all the political speeches and pleadings. Whoever gets in will feather their own nest and all previous promises will be off!! Don't like the government we have but who will be better?

The weather here is lovely. Early Spring-like and at last the trees are breaking into a positive green, some with blossom. If only it would stay like this and just get warmer and nicer.........but at this time of year, well anytime of year really, it could all turn on a sixpence.

[Linda]

One thing I love about school holidays is the opportunity to have spring cleans, catching up on all the jobs I dont get a chance to do and one of those is washing loads of things and hanging them out to dry on a warm spring day........ I feel cheated at present....as its all wet and soggy everywhere! So i am clearing out papers and doing odds here and there.......its a sort of mind clearing exercise isnt it! :):)

[Linda]

I too hate electioneering and the rubbish we have to listen to on TV and radio...we have decided when any of it comes on we turn off!

As you say broken promises and use of language that says nothing and twists and turns- polictians in my book are timewasters, looking out for no-one but themselves.
The great ignored?!! eh! if only everyone would vote for all the small parties/individuals to send a message clear and loud to the big three that we have had enough of them!

[jane jackson]

Pouring here now! BUT the forecast looks good so do hope it doesn't change. Glad you're having a spring like day Gloria.

I'm having a clear out day too Linda and I know just what you mean about when you're working and then you have a holiday and have time for all the sorting out and catching up jobs.

[colleen]

77777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 7777777777777777777777777777777777

[Janet Swan]

I too hate electioneering and the rubbish we have to listen to on TV and radio...we have decided when any of it comes on we turn off!

Ditto for me too, Linda! However, I've made the whole process quite easy. We've had a pretty good MP for North Herts. for the past few years, he takes up our causes and spends a lot of time here, so he will get my vote again. As the meerkat would say, "simples"!!!

Janet

[Linda]

The suns out!! whoopppee!! at last!

[Kath Mulligan]

Ditto for me too, Linda! However, I've made the whole process quite easy. We've had a pretty good MP for North Herts. for the past few years, he takes up our causes and spends a lot of time here, so he will get my vote again. As the meerkat would say, "simples"!!!

Janet

Our MP is one of those who is standing down at the election - he says to pursue other things, but most folk reckon it is because he has come in for an awful lot of flak locally, and only just scraped in on a re-count last time, so he had very little chance of hanging onto the seat. I know where my vote will be going on May 6th and it's to a local man who has lived and worked in the area all his life, and been a very good local councillor for many years too.

Kath

[Linda]

mine and Jeff's are going to an individual if there is one..or one of the smaller partys depending on who...but no way is it going to L,C orD.

[adesmith]

I have to say that our MP here was/is very good. For years we had trouble (I hope that I havent shared this story before!) with children that met on the corner of the street just below our flat. They would be really noisy, trespass, create litter and generally be a pain. We spoke to parents but they didnt seem to want to know and on a number of occasions got the Community Wardens involved. It really was awful and had a big effect on our quality of life. I used to dread being at home on warm summer evenings and actually used to like it when it rained because we got a bit of peace and quiet. Anyway one day I just flipped and said to Rachel that I had had enough and I emailed the MP. Straightaway she emailed back and said that she would get onto it and within days there were police patrols and we had a phonecall from the Chief Inspector of Gwent arranging numbers for us to contact when and if necessary! The MP kept in touch to see if the situation improved and I was consequently very impressed. She is however not with the party that I usually vote for and so I wont be voting for her. If it was purely down to individuals I may have been tempted. Like I said I do enjoy the drama of politics and the election so I will find this next four weeks quite entertaining. I have to say though, I do agree with many of the comments made about not trusting any of them and I think it is only because I am so set in my ways that I favour the party that I do!

[colleen]

I too enjoy the drama of politics Adrian I find it entertaining and a study in human nature also quite amusing I am involved in a small way in politics here although not a major political party. My father was into politics so guess I come by it honestly.

[adesmith]

Do you know the Greenway Hotel on the Shurdington Road, Colleen? Just the otherside of Shurdington from Cheltenham. When I left school I went to Catering College (Gloscat as was) and then my first job was as a Commis Chef at the Greenway. After a year I decided that I preferred to work front of house and so I then worked in the restaurant. During the 1992 election campaign we had a mystery guest booked in with all of the restaurant booked out. Ironically it was booked under a Mr Brown! In fact it was John Major. We were only told the night before and then I was woken up at 6am (I lived in) by sniffer dogs etc searching the hotel. I was chosen to wait on the PM and all of his important guests with the Head Waiter. All the other waiters were jealous because they had to serve the press etc in other rooms. Anyway as you can imagine it was quite an experience and both John Major and his wife seemed genuinely friendly and made a big fuss of the staff (I suppose he was quite desperate for votes at that point!). One of the things that I do remember was the briefing about security. The chap pointed out that we would all have snipers watching us through the windows and that if there were gunshots we werent to worry about the PM (he would be got away by his body guards) but to get down on the floor immediately. I remember thinking that if shots were fired I really probably wouldnt be that worried about John Major and that I wouldnt need much persuading to get down on the floor! I do have a picture somewhere and maybe I should try and scan it in.

[jane jackson]

That sounds very exciting Adrian ~ have you a picture of you all lying on the floor?

Bryan is very interested in politics so no doubt the TV will be on a good deal but it doesn't do a lot for me. Our MP is standing down too. It would be a lot easier if we could all vote for the person we liked rather than for the party. Kath, your candidate sounds like a good bet for an MP with his local political background.

[Barbara]

We have federal elections every three years over here - and voting is compulsory for anyone over eighteen - so we find that for half the three years the polies are in election mode.
I've always been interested in politics too, although lately I haven't been that interested because there is really very little distinction these days between the two major parties (Labor and Liberal in Australia ). We currently have a Labor Government (Labor spelled without the "u" for some reason) after twelve years of conservative government under the Liberal Party.
It will be interesting to watch what happens in Britain.
:fencing:

[Linda]

Its pretty certain that a Conservative govt will get in...if Sky is anything to go by...if you watch the news and listen to the way they report on the parties when they are first elected and then at the end when they are due for relection. Sky has been negative about Labour for the last year and very positive about Cons since the same time. Its really quite poor on the part of the media who have tremendous power in the methods they employ in influencing how people think - most people wont really be paying attention to how they are being 'coached' into thinking about each of the parties.

[Kath Mulligan]

My worst nightmare would be Brown and his appalling cronies getting back in, not sure the Tories will be much better, but they surely cannot be any worse!

Adrian, thanks for giving me a chuckle with your tale about what to do if a sniper fired at John Major - think I too would have been hitting the floor and looking after number one first!

Kath

[Sybille Weber]

Election time over here in Germany, too (9th May). However, it will be just the regional election for our area (Northrhine-Westfalia).
From what you all say it seems the situation is not much better in Britain than it is over here. Many years ago I used to know exactly which party I was going to vote for. Nowadays you cannot really favour a particular party as the differences between the big opposing parties have become so small, and either party when being in government have disappointed people too much. Once, a few years back, I did as Linda said - voting for one of the many small parties, although I knew they would not be fit to govern a country, but I thought if several people voted for them they might perhaps at least get a foot in and have a little influence on the governing party. (It was a party fighting for the rights of animals.) Not sure what I'm going to do this time.

[Janet Swan]

Just finished watching the last episodes of Touch of Frost and just loved it especially as him and Phyllis Logan walked off hand in hand into the sunset.

On the lunchtime news today, they showed the alternative version of the final Touch of Frost. It seems they made two endings and David Jason got to choose which one to be shown. If you catch the alternative version, Colleen, have your tissues ready for a good cry!!!

Janet

[adesmith]

If a bomb went off we were supposed to try and get out as best as we could - it really was the strangest experience. I must try and find that picture. I need to start my album off on here but I will put some pictures in other than me and John Major!

Its the 'sound bites' on the media that scare me, Linda. A politician can speak rubbish for half an hour and the media can then manipulate it so that one really powerful statement comes out. Likewise they can speak very well and then it is manipulated down to one sentence that sounds bad. For many people the headlines and sound bites are all that they have time to hear and so as you say the media have incredible power. Somebody was complaining the other day that the BBC is biased towards Labour although from what I have listened to and watched over the last day or two all parties have had a bit of a grilling.

Kath, I agree about the awful possibility of Gordon Brown and Labour getting back in. To be fair any party that is in its 3rd term is starting to get a bit tired and a change is good. The one person that I absolutely cannot abide is Lord Mandelson (sp?) - he sends shivers down my spine he is so slimey!

Isnt it interesting that both Barbara and Sybille say that there is little difference between the main parties in Germany and Australia. Very similar to the UK.

[gloria townsin]

Re the political situ. They say 'if it aint broke don't mend it' but our polictical situ seems pretty broke to me!!

[Barbara]

That's not Labour's election slogan, is it , Gloria...ha ha ha...
:jester:

[Kath Mulligan]

Its the 'sound bites' on the media that scare me, Linda. A politician can speak rubbish for half an hour and the media can then manipulate it so that one really powerful statement comes out. Likewise they can speak very well and then it is manipulated down to one sentence that sounds bad. For many people the headlines and sound bites are all that they have time to hear and so as you say the media have incredible power. Somebody was complaining the other day that the BBC is biased towards Labour although from what I have listened to and watched over the last day or two all parties have had a bit of a grilling.

Kath, I agree about the awful possibility of Gordon Brown and Labour getting back in. To be fair any party that is in its 3rd term is starting to get a bit tired and a change is good. The one person that I absolutely cannot abide is Lord Mandelson (sp?) - he sends shivers down my spine he is so slimey!

Isnt it interesting that both Barbara and Sybille say that there is little difference between the main parties in Germany and Australia. Very similar to the UK.

Totally agree about the soundbites and media manipulation. It scares me to see how quickly some people seem to be being taken in by Labour's massaging of immigration figures, and election boasts about how they are the ones leading the country out of recession. Since they, as well as the banks, are the ones who got us in to this unholy mess in the first place, I think they have very little to boast about!

As for Mandelson, I couldn't agree more, Adrian. He gives me the creeps and what infuriates me more than anything is the power he wields over all of us when he isn't even an elected politician.

Sorry, shouldn't really turn this forum into a political diatribe. Will shut up about it all now!!

Kath

[Suzanne]

Oh dear! I think I must be one of the very few people who actually like Gordon Brown! My son Tom is able to vote for the first time, he is 18, but he says he has no interest. I asked him if I got him a postal vote would he then vote, to which he said yes! My daughter Hollie, like me, is quite interested in Politics, she actually took A level Politics, although hated the course as it wasn't anything like she thought. Very sadly I usually stay up really late on election night watching Peter Snow and his swingometer!

[adesmith]

Glad that you managed to encourage your son to vote Suzanne. I am always trying to persuade my pupils to make sure that they vote when they are older and very often they say 'why?' and 'whats the point?'. They are going to be running a Politics A Level course at our school for the first time in September. I wont be teaching it but it will be interesting to see what it covers. I will probably be staying up quite late to watch the election results but because its always on a Thursday I always have work the next day (at least its Friday I guess). Some times I set the alarm clock to wake me up in the early hours so that I can see how things are going. I think that this election will be quite exciting to follow because the outcome seems to be so difficult to call. I remember going to bed in 1992 and thinking we will have a Labour government and then waking up to find that it was Conservative that won.

Do you think that we should have a General Election thread so that those that find it boring can avoid it? Might sort one out now.

[Suzanne]

Adrian, I remember that election very well in 1992, I was also convinced we would have a Labour Government, I also remember Neil Kinnock's speech the next day. I too, am really unsure what is going to happen this election. I think my daughter was disappointed with the Politics A level course because she wasn't allowed to give an opinion! Must take after me in being quite opinionated! An election thread would be a good idea I think, I certainly am interested in other people's ideas, beliefs etc, although I would have to try and not get too argumentative!

[gloria townsin]

Barbara there are some huge posters around with G.B. supposedly saying how he got the country in a mess. Not sure if they are the Conservative Party ones or Liberal.........told you my knowledge of politics is nil.
Suzanne everyone has their own opinions and it's an uneasy topic of conversation in many ways. My Dad was a labour man all his life and had the terrible times of the 1920's to remember which is why he was also a union man. The unions were much needed in the days when bosses could just fire people for no good reason and the workman or woman had no power on their side. Unfortunately the Unions got too strong and made so many problems that they got a bad name. I think because my Dad talked so passionately about politics it kind of put me off because as strongly labour as he was so my Grandparents were Conservatives and loving them both I felt it was a kind of choice on my part and I didn't want to appear to support one idea against the other........silly isn't it but I've just worked out it is probably a main reason of my reluctance to take one side over another. Then with all the broken promises it kind of confirmed to me that non of them are really worthwhile.

[jane jackson]

As for Mandelson, I couldn't agree more, Adrian. He gives me the creeps and what infuriates me more than anything is the power he wields over all of us when he isn't even an elected politician.


Kath

That could be Bryan speaking Kath! I don't like him either though. Earlier I said that our MP Andrew George wasn't standing again but I've now discovered he's changed his mind.

[Kath Mulligan]

That could be Bryan speaking Kath! I don't like him either though. Earlier I said that our MP Andrew George wasn't standing again but I've now discovered he's changed his mind.

Good for Bryan, I knew he was a lovely man!!:agree::lol!:

I'm surprised to hear that Andrew George has changed his mind about standing again. I have been following his column in Cornwall Today for some time now and he was adamant that he was standing down to spend more time with his family following his little boy being diagnosed with leukaemia. Must admit he is one of the few politicians I do have time for, he always comes across as a genuinely decent, sensible bloke in his column, although of course, I don't know what he is like as a constituency MP.

Kath

[Suzanne]

I agree with you Gloria, I think it is good to hear different opinions as at times it can make you think or see things in a way perhaps you hadn't thought of. That is really interesting what you say about your dad and grandparents. I know my daughter, Hollie and I will be voting differently at this election, but we do have a joke with each other, and its good to have a 'friendly' argument!