The View from the Hill on Friday 6th November

It is either a misty morning or the residue of a thousand fireworks still hangs in the air - perhaps I might go outside and sniff the fog to find out.

Even with the TV turned up nice and loud the poor old dogs were left a little shaken by fireworks party our neighbour held, and I have to say that our already strained relations were not improved by this very loud and very long event. They now have a flag pole in the garden...anyway.

Watching an episode of the West Wing (as we do every night) I heard the quote 'good fences make good neighbours' and all though that quote was a warning about separating ourselves too much from the rest of the world, I think having a clear dividing line between you and people you don't really care for can be useful!

I tried to watch Question Time last night but it was Robert Kilroy Silk and he is just too difficult to watch and hear, and when you combine that with Peter Hain and his holier than thou attitude to the whole world, well I just got fed up and fell asleep on the settee. Talking of Kilroy though reminds me that we will soon be visited by the return of some not very well known people eating insects in the jungle - and I'm sort of looking forward to it, in fact I suggest they take Jedward and put them in the jungle and then force the contestants to dance a waltz around the camp fire as they sing, in this way combining the very best of British TV all in one show.

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On this day in 1814, the inventor Adolph Sax was born. He invented the saxophone.

On this day in 1854, John Philip Sousa was born. He invented the sousaphone.

It's a good day for phone inventors...

My relative, Brightling Norgay, was part of the team that invented the Iphone. He was on the team to find a name for it and decided initially to call it the 'phone of many applications, comes in any colour you like as long as it's black' - he was then asked to leave the room.

Whilst out of the room he saw a snake crawling across the car park of the office at Apple and it reminded him of the opening titles to I Clavdivs - and he immediately had a bright idea - he ran back into the office and shouted at the top of his voice - 'Let's call it the I I I Ph ph ph, III, Ph ph pho phone"

He now works for Talk Talk

And that's a fact!