Tomorrow morning I take possession of the keys of my new flat and begin a leisurely week of flitting and furniture arranging. My intention was to get moved in, dump the house and take the bike over to Europe for a week touring in the Alps then get back to five or six solid months before a longish break somewhere warm.
The thorn in that plan is that it hasn’t stopped raining all June and the forecast shows no let-up. It really is dismal. I was supposed to go down to Bournemouth last weekend then spend a couple of days riding back via Devon and Wales. But I set off on the Friday and hit a flashflood about 10 miles down t’road and had to turn back. I set off again on Saturday morning and hit another thunderstorm in the same place but this time I was waterproofed and I got there after about 5 hours riding.
Bournemouth itself was great – I am really taking to the place. So many bars and restaurants yet all in such a cozy sized town. I had always thought it was full of old people and perhaps it is but if so they are all lurking behind their net curtains. Although it does seem that English may be a second language but that is the case here in boring Bedford. I really must start taking Polish lessons.
We had a bit of a drive on the Sunday. We went to Lulworth Cove again but did more walking than the last time, including climbing this monstrous hill which overlooks the cove way down in the distance.
We also took a long walk along the Jurassic Coast – and it was a long walk – Keith has bought himself a new digital camera and stopped to take a picture of every rock on the coast (Geological rocks, not Afrikaaners). I found a fossil as you can see on the left. Go ahead – click to zoom in…
Its a great stretch of coast to go fossicking and full of people having fun with their dogs and kids. At one secluded stretch some club of bmx cyclists were using it as a practice area for rock hopping which must be where the stretch of coast gets its name: “mind’yer ass!”
But because the forecast was looking so bleak I headed straight back home on Monday morning instead of touring and have pretty much pottered about dodging perpetual showers for the whole week.
But before I leave this strand here is a cloyingly cute cat having a ziz on a wall in Lulworth Cove. Isn’t it just crying out to be tipped into the duckpond?
Altogether now…..”Aaaaaah”
Censorship is back!
If that is not enough to depress you then the latest news from Eastern Bloc England is that the Egg Marketing Board wanted to celebrate its 50th anniversary by rerunning its 1960’s ad campaign featuring Tony Hancock. These are of historical interest featuring the Lad himself, Patricia Hayes and one of the world’s most well-known advertising slogans, famously written by Fay Weldon in her pre-novelist days: “Go to work on an Egg” They are also quite funny as well as being a nostalgic look at tv of the past. But astonishingly some new Quango called the “Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre” – that’s GOVERNMENT CENSOR to you and me has banned the rerun of the series claiming it doesn’t promote a varied diet. Like, what advert ever does promote a variety of anything? The interesting thing is that that some dreary bitch from this organisation got on Radio Two and in a very smug and supercillious way said that “….they had wondered how quickly people would raise the charge of “it’s political correctness gone mad”" Like, hoho how predictable you all are.So they can’t even be accused of being out of touch or over zealous. They made this ludicrous decision in the full knowledge that it would spark an outrage. But of course they know best.
Its more than just nannying and interference, it is a retrograde step. It is censorship pure and simple. It is a modern day equivelent of the Lord Chancellor’s Office that reviews things beforehand and decides, upon its own bat only what we can, and cannot see.
If you want to risk the possibility of your door being kicked in by the British Secret Police you canClich here to watch those adverts.
Dear God this constant hectoring, nannying and intrusion is getting me down.
I’m bored with Bedford and when a man is tired of Bedford he is ready for life again. So I am regrouping and consolidating. I think the Summer will fly by. I am thoroughly enjoying life:- as time passes, more and more work is coming my way; I can pick and choose when and how much I work and I plan to work me little tits off until after the Christmas rush then have a nice long break somewhere warm and sunny. And without having to request time off!
So whilst the last couple of months have been a drag, now the weather is here and there is lots to do its going to be quite an active couple of months. I am thoroughly enjoying life. For a while back there, although delighted to get out of Lloyd’s I wasn’t sure what sort of alternative there was but now I am finding my feet and approaching the point where I am self supporting in a different career. Not as much money but a bit of variety and a lot of flexibility. One gig I do a bit is driving the Bedfordshire mobile library which is quite a pleasant little regular jaunt. lookey here: this is the view as I make the ten minute bicycle ride to work.
