One hour of careful observation by us produced a meagre result, namely 1 Blue Tit, 1 Coal Tit, 1 very cheeky Robin and 2 Wood Pigeons.
By our standards a poor result but understandable as I had been very remiss in cleaning our feeders and they were in a very sorry state, so Saturday I took them all down, dismantled them and gave them a good clean and disinfectant and filled with fresh seed.
While watching we did see a pair of Red kites on the wing, two huge and magnificent birds.

The games afoot!

When High Tory Andrew Mitchell MP publicly withdrew his support of Boris Johnson this afternoon in the House of Commons debate, that was a sure signal to Conservative members that the revolution is ready.

A new Prime Minister by Easter is getting more likely,

Your thoughts?

It is 6 years today that we lost the best ever broadcaster, Sir Terry Wogan. Lovingly remembered by all who still miss his dulcet tones on Radio 2.

https://mol.im/a/10457923

Veterans find employment in Lorry Driving

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-60140431

Jesus College at Cambridge University are going to remove a statue of Tobias Rustat, who died in the 17th century, because of his links to the slave trade. He actually earned less that 2% of his fortune from slavery and the £2000 donation he made to the college was from money made after he was no longer involved in the slave trade.
At the same time the college have happily accepted donations of £200,000 from the Chinese State and £150,000 from Chinese smartphone company Huawei.
When someone from the college was asked, "aren't you being hypocritical accepting these donations? what about the plight of the Uighers, who are essentially modern day slaves?". The man from the college replied, "The Uighers are below my level of caring".
I really think we should stop wasting our time removing statues of people who died hundreds of years ago, and put more effort into rescuing existing slaves and people in forced labour.
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/jesus-college-cambridges-plans-remove-20744583

Does your budgie talk ?
https://tinyurl.com/mrxn3mpy

Following the Government’s shocking decision to approve the use of the banned neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on sugar beet in England, a debate will take place on Wednesday 2nd February to discuss its use and impact on pollinators.



Former Shadow Environment Secretary, Luke Pollard MP has secured a Westminster Hall debate at 0930 on Wednesday 2nd February to challenge the Government decision. This follows over 60,000 signatures from members of the public calling on the Government to include action on pesticides in the recently passed Environment Act, that would have stopped this wildlife harming chemical being used. MPs voted against the inclusion of this amendment.

Buglife and other environmental campaigners will be briefing MPs ahead of the debate. Please ask your MP to attend and speak up in favour of protecting pollinators.

Thank you for standing with me on this issue.

Paul

@adler Cowley -
You may recall that recently I posted to the effect that I had taken a gamble and risked some money on plugin energy saving devices.
All the clever dicks told me that I had been conned, possibly true,
Now while it is early days yet the results from daily readings suggest that I am saving, on average, 1.66Kwh's per day, doesn't sound much but based on my average annual consumption over the last 20 years this will equate to 606Kwh's p.a. or 12.4% which on my present tariff will amount to £121 p.a.
Now I am on a 2 year contract taken out immediately before the price explosion so am already paying far less than most, so hopefully I am not so dumb as the smart "experts" thought. (less)

Drink-driver banned after ‘driving through’ McDonald’s restaurant

Must have mistaken it for a drive through restaurant!

https://www.aol.co.uk/drink-driver-banned-driving-mcdonald-085008926.html

https://tinyurl.com/mvmucb2h

To all fish and chip lovers out there, have you tried the Parade Fish Bar, on Balham High Rd??. If not, I would recommend this shop to you, I have been using it for a long time now, best in the area!!,without a doubt, and NO rip off prices.
Yesterday teatime, my wife and myself ate in there, she had cod, and I had plaice, absolutely delicious, and the shop is run by very friendly people, our food was cooked to order, and served piping hot.
Total cost for 2 excellent meals, a miserly £17!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The last few days I have had the pleasure of visitors in the shape of insects I have never seen before. They look crossed between a mosquito, a fly and a very small moth. They hang around lights or well lit areas. They are not very active or fast. Sadly I have taken pleasure in exterminating them with my magic zapper. Though not proud of killing my visitors…
Has anyone seen those? Know what they are?

Many cat trees are advertised for sale as such when in fact they are only suitable for kittens. The size of the beds and platforms are different. Pointless buying a kitten tree that will only be suitable for a short time. Do pay attention to the sizes mentioned. I get offered for my rescued cats unwanted cats trees which are in fact kitten trees and not much use to cats. But most people are not aware. Better off too large than not large enough. Also it is better to buy one which has pillars covered with string/rope rather than partly covered. More likely to get used for scratching. You might waste money unless you acquire a suitable one. Best to get a taller model if there are dogs or small children around. And don’t forget suitable toys and best quality catnip items such as Yeowww bananas. Not to mention best quality food rather than cheap rubbish. Do spoil your kitties. They deserve it!

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/tomato-juice#antioxidants

A daily dose of tomato juice is high in nutrients and beneficial to good health.
Fact or fiction ?

I was lucky enough to get to see Dad yesterday in his dementia nursing home. We weren't sure if they had relaxed any rules but happily they are still very careful. The visit includes:
Standing outside and doing a LFT before being able to sign for the visit
Walking outside to the conservatory that had been washed down and prepped , we are not allowed into ANY parts of the care home other than this so do not come into contact with anyone.
Visit undertaken with gloves, masks and aprons
Going out the same way so as not to see anyone from the home.

They are being very careful which I am totally grateful for!

This organisation called my landline this morning. The caller didn't address me by name but introduced himself as Alex from the Medical Alert Service and said that they understood that I might be eligible for a medical alert pendant, free of charge. He then immediately asked if I was over 50, which I didn't answer.
I told him that I had not requested any such call and asked how he had obtained my number. Not satisfied with the assertion that his manager gave him a list of people to call every morning, I asked what name was associated with my number on that list - which he did not answer. I repeated the question, varying the wording slightly, twice but he avoided answering and ended the call.

Does this sound familiar?
If he'd had any form of my name as well as the number, I'd be wondering which of the organisations I'd recently first dealt with might have shared my details.
The lack of a name to go with the number suggests that they might have called me by random dialling, although I didn't notice the characteristic pause before the caller took over from a machine.

Now doubts have been raised about NoVaxx and his convenient positive test

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/59999541

It always seemed damned strange to me

Please sign this petition to save the man who drove into a murderer from being prosecuted

https://www.change.org/p/maida-vale-police-maida-vale-driver-is-a-hero-and-shouldn-t-be-charged-with-murder

An absolute great

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60154371.amp

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59505637.amp

We asked thousands of people: Do You Trust Boris Johnson?

The results are in…

34,612 people completed the poll.

54.5% (18,875) of people said YES.
45.5% (15,737) of people said NO.

from unredacted

And their children. Just to survive

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/afghanistan-parents-sell-children-and-kidneys-to-feed-starving-families-12525919

Why? What do members think

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/06/henry-damon-marvel-villain-red-skull-captain-america

This was happening in the outback of Australia

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/14692174/worlds-most-inbred-family-four-generations-incest/amp/

Click on

The changes will be made to The Highway Code from 29 January 2022.

There are changes in 8 important areas:

introducing a new hierarchy of road users
crossing the road at junctions
walking, cycling or riding in shared spaces
positioning in the road when cycling
overtaking when driving or cycling
cycling at junctions
people cycling, riding horses and driving horse-drawn vehicles on roundabouts
parking, charging and leaving vehicles

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-highway-code-8-changes-you-need-to-know-from-29-january-2022?utm_source=dvsa&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dvsa-direct

Does anyone use Cashback - just wondering whether it's worth doing or not worth the effort? Thanks.

Is anyone playing Wordle?

You can tell when you are old quite easily, when you have to sit down to put your knickers on, you are old, QED.

Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-stretch-of-the-england-coast-path-opens

From one of my Australian friends.

https://www.tiktok.com/@sbsnews_au/video/7033295323267206402

For those of you living in Australia, you will know who Jacqui Lambie is and what she stands for. For those of you who live overseas or who do not know of her, Jacqui is an Independent Member of the Australian Parliament who says things in a forthright manner (what we in Australia know as "Calling a spade a spade", as opposed to "beating around the bush" in a meandering manner as so many elected politicians do trying to please everybody. In this video clip she is speaking about the anti vaxxer movement around the world who are fighting against directives whereby people in essential services and industries must be inoculated against Covid 19 to remain employed i.e.: No Jab, No Job. I think that she has hit the nail on the head and admire the way she has put her argument.

We could do with this endearing lady here in the UK…..!!!

Jacinda Ardern has totally lost the plot. She still thinks she can totally eliminate Covid and has put the country into lockdown because of 9 Omicron variant cases in Aukland.
She gets away with her draconian measures because of her soft voice and that smirk she has. And the New Zealand media being up are arse.
Even Australia has realised Covid is now endemic and will never go away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU59ktGHxgo

I do not post many letters and a book of stamps lasts me 2 years or more.

I have just found out on the web that postage stamps do not date even if the postage is increased and can be used 1st or 2nd class at face value forever for a one ounce letter.

Nice to know.

Unluckiest lad in Britain': South Londoner gets all 6 EuroMillions numbers for £14 million jackpot but accidentally picks the wrong draw

https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/unluckiest-lad-britain-south-londoner-22861071?utm_source=mylondon_newsletter&utm_campaign=myeastlondon_newsletter2&utm_medium=email

medical incidents in the crowd at football stadiums this season?
It seems to be almost every week that a match is stopped for about 10 minutes as about 20 hi viz wearing medics and stewards wade into the crowd because a supporter has fallen ill.
Another question is why do they need so many when only 2 or 3 wouild do?

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/athens-greek-snow-b1999258.html

Hundreds of hospital workers in London, including porters, cleaners and catering staff, are to go on strike in a dispute over pay.

Members of Unite employed by outsourcing company Serco will strike at two London hospitals within the Barts Health NHS trust; the Royal London near Whitechapel and Whipps Cross in Leytonstone.

Workers will walk out for two weeks from January 31.

Will you be taking part in counting the garden birds? I personally won't and can't seem to get my head around this concept. I could count the same blue tit or robin that flies around in my garden l00's of times!

Just three people complained to the publisher saying the author's description of ethnic minorites was offensive. So the publisher have parted ways with the author.
The thing is the people of colour that she is describing wrote an open letter to the publisher saying none of them were offended by what she wrote. But the publisher still cancelled the author.
https://unherd.com/thepost/picador-cancels-poet-kate-clanchys-books/

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/man-dies-days-after-gp-26024857

Turned away by a GP 🥲

I have a Panasonic recorder and Sony TV. Visiting relatives were using the TV and now I find I can watch recordings but can not record. The recording list shows “Scene selection has changed and on each programme it should record “GuideS” Can anyone help me to put it right? Please note not technically minded so need granny proof instructions. Thank you

https://act.38degrees.org.uk/act/dont-sell-off-vaccine-research-centre-openletter?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=blast2022-01-23

This line from episode three of, Rules of the Game, by Maxine Peakes character Sam just had me in stitches.
At the weekly cheese club Sam says that her teenage daughter will be going to work with her as a work experience. One of the other women says, "that must be wonderful taking something you've grown to work".
Sam replies, "It's my daughter, not a potato".

It's a London derby for Super Sunday. Get your predictions in by 4pm.
Good luck

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/22/partygate-inquiry-given-access-to-log-of-staff-movements-in-and-out-of-building

It looks as if Johnson might not have to worry about the cost of dealing with the £840 per roll wallpaper that is falling down. From the Times: 'Boris Johnson’s money problems may have gone from bad to worse after it emerged that his peeling £840-a-roll wallpaper is non-refundable.

'The prime minister is said to have hired a team of specialist decorators to salvage the “gold” print after it started coming off the walls of his Downing Street flat. Soane Britain, the luxury interior design company hired to redecorate the flat, does not offer refunds on its wallpaper once hung, meaning that Johnson and his fiancée, Carrie Symonds, could be left thousands of pounds out of pocket.'

So much to enjoy about that, including an overpriced design company looking shabby.