The View from the Hill on Saturday 3rd July
A lunchtime blog following our drive home from Peterborough - we stayed overnight in a Premier Inn (no sign of Lenny Henry) and to use Mrs B's own words - the room was adequate.
We came back via the scenic route of the A15 and A17 rather than A1 and A52. We hadn't driven that route for some time and although it is a bit of a trek the Lincolnshire countryside can be quite charming in a sort of flat and run down sort of way.
We had declined breakfast at the Premier Inn as it would have been an extra £15 and Mrs B didn't think she could eat £7.50's worth of croissant. So we stopped at Christy's Farm Shop cafe in Hockerton where Mrs devoured more than £7.50's worth of sausage cob whilst I was a good boy and ate the vegetarian breakfast. Scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms,sauté potato and fried bread with toast on the side. Now before you get all upset about the fried bread and the toast - I didn't eat both. Mrs B had the fried bread in her sausage cob. The star turn of the breakfast was my view of the windmill - a beautiful white modern structure sticking out of the Nottinghamshire farmland - very space age.
So we arrived back in Mansfield, and we have just returned from Tesco - and you know how I love going to Tesco!
I think I might watch a bit of the football to see which of England's sworn enemies can overcome the over - the best result would be that the referee sends them all off and nobody progresses to the next round.
I managed to be quite un-grumpy at the party by the way - there again I did have competition!
OK, now Mrs B wants to go shopping again so this star trek from Peterborough is not yet complete...4 - the voyage home will continue.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Humans make illogical decisions.
Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home
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Saturday, 3 July 2010
Friday, 2 July 2010
The View from the Hill on Friday 2nd July
It's my nephews birthday today and we are heading south, for the first time in a long time we are going to a family function. For the last few years we have not gone to many mainly because we couldn't take the dogs and we had no one to let them out so we were limited on the time we could be away - but now we have no reason not to go, we are going.
Now I'm going to be honest - I dislike big gatherings, family or not, it is usually too loud for me and I can't hear what is being said plus I'm not very good at the politics of the thing and I manage to put my foot in it some how. Not that I don't love my family, and it will be lovely to see the nieces and nephews again, but I guess I'm just old and miserable and grumpy and given half a chance I would be out playing on the trampoline with the children.
I suppose over the course of our marriage I have often been the cause of Mrs B losing touch with people, because of my recalcitrant and stubborn nature, because I would rather it just be me and her - and it has become a standing joke that we will walk into a house visiting friends and the first thing they will say to me is "I know - you're not stopping long!"
People reading this will be shocked I know, that the man so often full of jokes and smiles is such an unsociable grump, but I am. If I were not married to Mrs B, I would probably die a very lonely miserable person - but luckily she is there and this means I will just die a miserable person.
Anyway, we will go to Peterborough and I will do my best not to be too dismal or depressing, hope it's not raining though and the trampoline is up!
Sam, Max,Tyler, Connie and Lily-Rose - 5 - reasons to be cheerful
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Ian Dury
It's my nephews birthday today and we are heading south, for the first time in a long time we are going to a family function. For the last few years we have not gone to many mainly because we couldn't take the dogs and we had no one to let them out so we were limited on the time we could be away - but now we have no reason not to go, we are going.
Now I'm going to be honest - I dislike big gatherings, family or not, it is usually too loud for me and I can't hear what is being said plus I'm not very good at the politics of the thing and I manage to put my foot in it some how. Not that I don't love my family, and it will be lovely to see the nieces and nephews again, but I guess I'm just old and miserable and grumpy and given half a chance I would be out playing on the trampoline with the children.
I suppose over the course of our marriage I have often been the cause of Mrs B losing touch with people, because of my recalcitrant and stubborn nature, because I would rather it just be me and her - and it has become a standing joke that we will walk into a house visiting friends and the first thing they will say to me is "I know - you're not stopping long!"
People reading this will be shocked I know, that the man so often full of jokes and smiles is such an unsociable grump, but I am. If I were not married to Mrs B, I would probably die a very lonely miserable person - but luckily she is there and this means I will just die a miserable person.
Anyway, we will go to Peterborough and I will do my best not to be too dismal or depressing, hope it's not raining though and the trampoline is up!
Sam, Max,Tyler, Connie and Lily-Rose - 5 - reasons to be cheerful
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it
You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks
Ian Dury
Thursday, 1 July 2010
The View from the Hill on Thursday 1st July
Soon be Christmas adverts on the television - July, perhaps we will get some decent weather now.
I will have to try and avoid Panorama tonight, it's the fox attack babies and their parents - I can feel the nation clutching their hankies as we get to see the scars on the little fat babies - and the bugles are already sounding and hordes of men on horse back are pounding through the streets of London, hunting urban foxes. It's not news Panorama, it's sensationalistic poop!
And if they caught the fox that did attack the babies, obviously it should be sent to prison for rehabilitation - although the Clegamoron government seems to want to send less offenders to prison because the figures suggest those on short sentences re-offend more often than those on longer sentences. I think I have an answer - no more short sentences, everyone gets long sentences.
I heard this figure yesterday which sums up the problem of prison and offending - less than one percent of children in the UK are in care but 23% of the prison population is made up of people who were in care...obvious answer again is don't put children in care let them stay with the parents so they can be abused and killed - at least that way they won't end up in prison, their parents will.
No, that's silly of course - there must be another way.
I don't mind how cushy prison is but when people come out, they go back to the same life that led to criminality, so prison is a punishment but it doesn't change the way of life for the criminal.
Here is my plan - once you are sent to prison the first time, you get released only if you agree to wear an electronic tag but if you re-offend within a year you get sent to prison for a minimum of 5 years, no matter the offence. After that five years, you are released with your tag but again if you re-offend the next time you go to prison for life. I think they call it three strikes in the USA - and I agree it can be harsh but think of the upside - prison building will make jobs, prison officers will be needed - more jobs.
Don't look at crime as a bad thing, think of how it can regenerate the UK economy! I commend the idea to the house.
We could alway go back to corporal punishment too - pubic flogging for minor offences - think of the viewing figures that would get - nearly as much as Panorama tonight!
And now - 6 - of the best...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Punishment - The justice that the guilty deal out to those that are caught.
Elbert Hubbard
Soon be Christmas adverts on the television - July, perhaps we will get some decent weather now.
I will have to try and avoid Panorama tonight, it's the fox attack babies and their parents - I can feel the nation clutching their hankies as we get to see the scars on the little fat babies - and the bugles are already sounding and hordes of men on horse back are pounding through the streets of London, hunting urban foxes. It's not news Panorama, it's sensationalistic poop!
And if they caught the fox that did attack the babies, obviously it should be sent to prison for rehabilitation - although the Clegamoron government seems to want to send less offenders to prison because the figures suggest those on short sentences re-offend more often than those on longer sentences. I think I have an answer - no more short sentences, everyone gets long sentences.
I heard this figure yesterday which sums up the problem of prison and offending - less than one percent of children in the UK are in care but 23% of the prison population is made up of people who were in care...obvious answer again is don't put children in care let them stay with the parents so they can be abused and killed - at least that way they won't end up in prison, their parents will.
No, that's silly of course - there must be another way.
I don't mind how cushy prison is but when people come out, they go back to the same life that led to criminality, so prison is a punishment but it doesn't change the way of life for the criminal.
Here is my plan - once you are sent to prison the first time, you get released only if you agree to wear an electronic tag but if you re-offend within a year you get sent to prison for a minimum of 5 years, no matter the offence. After that five years, you are released with your tag but again if you re-offend the next time you go to prison for life. I think they call it three strikes in the USA - and I agree it can be harsh but think of the upside - prison building will make jobs, prison officers will be needed - more jobs.
Don't look at crime as a bad thing, think of how it can regenerate the UK economy! I commend the idea to the house.
We could alway go back to corporal punishment too - pubic flogging for minor offences - think of the viewing figures that would get - nearly as much as Panorama tonight!
And now - 6 - of the best...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Punishment - The justice that the guilty deal out to those that are caught.
Elbert Hubbard
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
The View from the Hill on Wednesday 30th June
I am a Shetland Pony this morning, as is Mrs B. We didn't make Glastonbury but last night at the Trent fm Arena we passed a loud evening in the company of some old friends.
From our excellent seats we had a great view of Les McKeown (55) and his Bay City Rollers followed by Leo Sayer (62) then David Essex (63) and finally The Osmonds (218). It started at 19.30hrs and we left at around 1977.
We only booked the tickets last week, Mrs B stumbled upon the details one evening and we decided that we should relive our childhood musical memories - and we had a good sing and a little boogie and there were lots of arm waving too. Not bad for a room full of middle aged people.
I expected McKeown to be well past his sell by date but he was great, a little on the beefier side than in his youth but he sang all of the songs you expect from the Bay City Rollers and he got quite an ovation. Then this little turd of a man with curly hair came on - Leo Sayer. He shouted "Are you having fun?" and I shouted back "We were until you came on!" He didn't take the hint and stayed on for about thirty minutes before making way for the interval which was much more enjoyable.
Then Mrs B started to get really excited - as a long time fan of David Essex, she could sense his presence - and sure enough he strolled out on stage just as cool and handsome as ever (bastard).
He sang a few of his hits and then he started singing a couple of songs from the musical he is in - All The Fun of the Fair. It's at The Garrick Theatre in London and it must be closing soon and not doing too well as he said that if you ring the box office and say you are a friend of David, you get a free ticket for each one you buy!
The same is true if you ring the theatre where The Wizard of Oz is showing - say your a friend of Dorothy and you get a free night with Graham Norton.
Finally, The Osmonds - well most of them. Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Jimmy...still the best close harmony singing you can hear. Still as sickly sweet as being drowned in honey...which reminds me, what the hell has happened to Sugar Puffs!
Mrs B and I had a great night, she shang-a-langed all the way home and then we had a cup of tea and went to bed...yes, we are middle aged.
All aboard....7....never thought my heart could be so yearny
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gonna make a Sentimental Journey,
to renew old memories.
Brown, Homer and Green
I am a Shetland Pony this morning, as is Mrs B. We didn't make Glastonbury but last night at the Trent fm Arena we passed a loud evening in the company of some old friends.
From our excellent seats we had a great view of Les McKeown (55) and his Bay City Rollers followed by Leo Sayer (62) then David Essex (63) and finally The Osmonds (218). It started at 19.30hrs and we left at around 1977.
We only booked the tickets last week, Mrs B stumbled upon the details one evening and we decided that we should relive our childhood musical memories - and we had a good sing and a little boogie and there were lots of arm waving too. Not bad for a room full of middle aged people.
I expected McKeown to be well past his sell by date but he was great, a little on the beefier side than in his youth but he sang all of the songs you expect from the Bay City Rollers and he got quite an ovation. Then this little turd of a man with curly hair came on - Leo Sayer. He shouted "Are you having fun?" and I shouted back "We were until you came on!" He didn't take the hint and stayed on for about thirty minutes before making way for the interval which was much more enjoyable.
Then Mrs B started to get really excited - as a long time fan of David Essex, she could sense his presence - and sure enough he strolled out on stage just as cool and handsome as ever (bastard).
He sang a few of his hits and then he started singing a couple of songs from the musical he is in - All The Fun of the Fair. It's at The Garrick Theatre in London and it must be closing soon and not doing too well as he said that if you ring the box office and say you are a friend of David, you get a free ticket for each one you buy!
The same is true if you ring the theatre where The Wizard of Oz is showing - say your a friend of Dorothy and you get a free night with Graham Norton.
Finally, The Osmonds - well most of them. Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Jimmy...still the best close harmony singing you can hear. Still as sickly sweet as being drowned in honey...which reminds me, what the hell has happened to Sugar Puffs!
Mrs B and I had a great night, she shang-a-langed all the way home and then we had a cup of tea and went to bed...yes, we are middle aged.
All aboard....7....never thought my heart could be so yearny
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gonna make a Sentimental Journey,
to renew old memories.
Brown, Homer and Green
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
The View from the Hill on Tuesday 29th June
Sorry to break the news to you this way but...dear burglars, you are too late now, having a new alarm fitted today.
That's probably tempting fate but as I don't believe in fate I'm not sure how tempting it will find my comments.
As I move towards the terminal stop on this year long writing project, I have been reviewing how my blogs have changed over that period, from some serious posts via absolute drivel. I suppose it records many things including my mood during the past twelve months. I think it's clear to see that I am a combination of a comedy genius and a miserable old bastard.
There have been days (like today) when knowing what to write about has been difficult, and there have been other days when the words have flowed out of me like brown steaming poo out of a cow. I have peddled my rubbish around the globe with readers in the USA, France, India, Australia, China, Iran and places in the UK as different as the Houses of Parliament and Skegness.
For all time, my ramblings will be accessible via the internet, it will become an historical document and who knows if in some future time, aliens might find it and start a whole new society based around the teachings of Drew - fascinating.
Have you tried googling yourself - I bet you have, but if not you should have a go because you will be shocked at what might pop up. For example, I apparently run a second hand car dealership in Enniskillen. The whole Google results page is devoted to the Irish Drew Baxter, with just one entry about a life without faith right in the middle and then two pictures of me at the bottom of the page - I am now famous enough to make the first page on Google!
Better go and make the house a little more tidy for the alarm man - although when he walks in and sees who he is working for - he will be alarmed, and what stories to tell his grandchildren. "I fitted the alarm for Drew Baxter - no not the one from Enniskillen"!
Do you know what they use to make French bread - 8 - when the wind comes right behind the rain...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
To be occasionally quoted is the only fame I care for
Alexander Smith
Sorry to break the news to you this way but...dear burglars, you are too late now, having a new alarm fitted today.
That's probably tempting fate but as I don't believe in fate I'm not sure how tempting it will find my comments.
As I move towards the terminal stop on this year long writing project, I have been reviewing how my blogs have changed over that period, from some serious posts via absolute drivel. I suppose it records many things including my mood during the past twelve months. I think it's clear to see that I am a combination of a comedy genius and a miserable old bastard.
There have been days (like today) when knowing what to write about has been difficult, and there have been other days when the words have flowed out of me like brown steaming poo out of a cow. I have peddled my rubbish around the globe with readers in the USA, France, India, Australia, China, Iran and places in the UK as different as the Houses of Parliament and Skegness.
For all time, my ramblings will be accessible via the internet, it will become an historical document and who knows if in some future time, aliens might find it and start a whole new society based around the teachings of Drew - fascinating.
Have you tried googling yourself - I bet you have, but if not you should have a go because you will be shocked at what might pop up. For example, I apparently run a second hand car dealership in Enniskillen. The whole Google results page is devoted to the Irish Drew Baxter, with just one entry about a life without faith right in the middle and then two pictures of me at the bottom of the page - I am now famous enough to make the first page on Google!
Better go and make the house a little more tidy for the alarm man - although when he walks in and sees who he is working for - he will be alarmed, and what stories to tell his grandchildren. "I fitted the alarm for Drew Baxter - no not the one from Enniskillen"!
Do you know what they use to make French bread - 8 - when the wind comes right behind the rain...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
To be occasionally quoted is the only fame I care for
Alexander Smith
Monday, 28 June 2010
The View from the Hill on Monday 28th June
We lost a football match...get over it.
The post match analysis was brilliant, with the likes of Shearer and Dixon, Taylor and Pleat all saying that the players had under performed and that the FA needs a shake up from the grass roots level.
I thought Chris Waddle was going to have kittens as he vented his anger about the FA and Mark Lawrenson will obviously never be allowed anywhere near Sepp Blatter after some of his comments on live BBC.
Basically, we were outplayed by a better team and I refer you all to my blog of the other day in which I stated my opinion about a lack of real desire to play for your country when you still have millions in the bank.
And all this fuss about the goal that was not allowed - can't change it now and it would have meant we would have lost 4-2 instead of 4-1. We lost.
Moving on - a nation turns its hopeful eyes to Wimbledon, because Andy Murray is still in with a chance - a British winner in the making or a Scottish loser, either way, England will feel good.
We did have a British winner yesterday, David Horsey won the BMW golf tournament in Germany and then last night as I was getting ready to go to bed I switched onto the coverage of the US golf and saw Bubba Watson win his first tournament - then he cried and thanked god, so I went to bed.
Because god really is helping some redneck golfer win a golf match whilst letting all that oil pour into the gulf of Mexico!
The countdown continues and I ask you did England win? - you reply in a German accent...9
On with the motley....
+++++++++++++++++++++
You must never be satisfied with losing. You must get angry, terribly angry, about losing. But the mark of the good loser is that he takes his anger out on himself and not his victorious opponents or on his teammates.
Richard M Nixon
We lost a football match...get over it.
The post match analysis was brilliant, with the likes of Shearer and Dixon, Taylor and Pleat all saying that the players had under performed and that the FA needs a shake up from the grass roots level.
I thought Chris Waddle was going to have kittens as he vented his anger about the FA and Mark Lawrenson will obviously never be allowed anywhere near Sepp Blatter after some of his comments on live BBC.
Basically, we were outplayed by a better team and I refer you all to my blog of the other day in which I stated my opinion about a lack of real desire to play for your country when you still have millions in the bank.
And all this fuss about the goal that was not allowed - can't change it now and it would have meant we would have lost 4-2 instead of 4-1. We lost.
Moving on - a nation turns its hopeful eyes to Wimbledon, because Andy Murray is still in with a chance - a British winner in the making or a Scottish loser, either way, England will feel good.
We did have a British winner yesterday, David Horsey won the BMW golf tournament in Germany and then last night as I was getting ready to go to bed I switched onto the coverage of the US golf and saw Bubba Watson win his first tournament - then he cried and thanked god, so I went to bed.
Because god really is helping some redneck golfer win a golf match whilst letting all that oil pour into the gulf of Mexico!
The countdown continues and I ask you did England win? - you reply in a German accent...9
On with the motley....
+++++++++++++++++++++
You must never be satisfied with losing. You must get angry, terribly angry, about losing. But the mark of the good loser is that he takes his anger out on himself and not his victorious opponents or on his teammates.
Richard M Nixon
Sunday, 27 June 2010
The View from the Hill on Sunday 27th June
After missing two episodes of Doctor Who (mainly because the stories were crap and James Corden was in it) I returned for the final two episodes and was glad I did.
Matt Smith is still annoying as the Doctor, a 900 year old school boy, but the story was brilliantly full of moments where you had to go - wait a minute!
Far too clever for kiddies and now all over the country there are geeky adults trying to unpick the various impossible threads and work out why this happened and how this will affect that and who is River Song etc etc.
I have the answer to all those questions - it's not real, it's telly and they can do what they want.
One question I would like to pose for all the Whovians - as all the alien species gathered to put the Doctor in the Pandorica - where were the Ice Warriors? The Daleks where there, the Cybermen, the Sontarans but no sign of the Ice Warriors nor of the Yeti's.
Discussing the world of fantasy seems appropriate today as millions of England fans are living with the fantasy that we will progress in the World Cup - it's Germany, we last beat them in 1966, at home, and we had Bobby More, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst - now we have....well you get the point.
Amazingly, I just looked at the clock and it is 7.35 - a message to me from a former self - even I am communicating with other versions of me, and the message is understood and I can today announce that we (my self from today, yesterday and the future) are ceasing the writing of a daily blog with effect from the 7th July 2010.
I don't think the ripples of this news will have the same effect as flying the Pandorica into an exploding Tardis but never the less, the time has come.... 10, coo coo ca choo
+++++++++++++++++
To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings.
Lewis Carroll
After missing two episodes of Doctor Who (mainly because the stories were crap and James Corden was in it) I returned for the final two episodes and was glad I did.
Matt Smith is still annoying as the Doctor, a 900 year old school boy, but the story was brilliantly full of moments where you had to go - wait a minute!
Far too clever for kiddies and now all over the country there are geeky adults trying to unpick the various impossible threads and work out why this happened and how this will affect that and who is River Song etc etc.
I have the answer to all those questions - it's not real, it's telly and they can do what they want.
One question I would like to pose for all the Whovians - as all the alien species gathered to put the Doctor in the Pandorica - where were the Ice Warriors? The Daleks where there, the Cybermen, the Sontarans but no sign of the Ice Warriors nor of the Yeti's.
Discussing the world of fantasy seems appropriate today as millions of England fans are living with the fantasy that we will progress in the World Cup - it's Germany, we last beat them in 1966, at home, and we had Bobby More, Bobby Charlton, Geoff Hurst - now we have....well you get the point.
Amazingly, I just looked at the clock and it is 7.35 - a message to me from a former self - even I am communicating with other versions of me, and the message is understood and I can today announce that we (my self from today, yesterday and the future) are ceasing the writing of a daily blog with effect from the 7th July 2010.
I don't think the ripples of this news will have the same effect as flying the Pandorica into an exploding Tardis but never the less, the time has come.... 10, coo coo ca choo
+++++++++++++++++
To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings.
Lewis Carroll
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