Aberfan

Lest we forget the tragedy at Aberfan

The Beatles

Ladies and Gentlemen........THE BEATLES

All hail the great leader!

Lets take a trip to North Korea!

While I am here there will be no posts for a week as I am on my Hols :)

Footie map

This makes interesting reading. It reminds me of a map I had as a kid. I really really fancy going to a match at the moment.

Auto beatnik poem

Auto-Beatnik Poem No. 41:

Insects

All children are small and crusty
And all pale, blind, humble waters are cleaning,
An insect, dumb and torrid, comes of the daddyo
How is an insect into this fur?Computer,

Glendale, California, 1960

Candyiosis

Candyiosis !

Trade Unions

I am a bit of a trade unionist at heart. If you have a trade union in the workplace you know you are going to be treated fairly and as long as the Union dont go over the top everything is in balance and everyone is happy.

If you are not in a trade union and you have a problem at work you can get in touch with these people.

• Acas
• TUC
• GMB

or if you want to go nuclear

• The Wobblies

Jabberwacky 2

This is a bit of a development from the post a few days ago about Jabberwacky. There is also a rather foxy lady called Joan who will talk to you. It really is very good and no stranger than talking to somebody a bit eccentric. Dont bother getting her to take her top off though :)

Tar tunnel

Wonder what it smells like?

Jabberwacky

If you are ever lonely this will keep you company. Sometimes the conversations you have with it are no weirder than one in real life.

Cheese

I remember these Cheesy records! They used to give them away as prizes at fairgrounds.

Mass Observation

I found these today. They are photos taken of everyday 1930's life in Bolton by the Mass Observation project. I particulary like the pictures of Kids Graffiti. It seems warming that somebody took the time to record these things

Pete Conrad

I am not here tomorrow as I am taking the Kids to Luton, however here is a picture of Astronaut Pete Conrad to tide you over. One of my all time heroes.

Woodhead Glossop Manchester

For a cheap trip out I thought I would drive the kids across the Pennines to Manchester

I filled up with Petrol in my home town of Rotherham, aimed the car up the M1 and drove over the atmospheric Woodhead Pass and parked up at Glossop station. This town has a frontier feel to it, with its back to the peak district it can only face westwards.

I bought a ticket to Manchester, an all time bargin at £3.90 (with family railcard) and settled down to enjoy the trip. There was a huge, and I mean huge viaduct at the first station, Dinting which felt like we were flying over the town. then we ended up at Hattersley, home of the Moors Murderers. I have to say that this part of the world seems cursed with more than its fair share of serial killers as further along the line in Newton for Hyde was the home of Dr Harold Shipman. Still we made it through unscathed, which was a good thing as the next station, with the beautiful name of Flowery field is the anti social capital of Manchester. Guide Bridge was next, home of Dan Dare creator Frank Hampson. We are now in the sky blue part of the city, with the City of Manchester stadium on the Horizon with the surprisingly huge sculpture "B of Bang" right next to it. Onwards through some very down at heel parts of town, including the very scruffy Ashbury (like Port Vale it isnt a real place) and the very forlorn station of Ardwick which only has one passenger a day. And thence to Piccadilly. (Hint if you ever arrive in Manchester by train the trams are free in the city centre).

On the way back over the Woodhead I was amazed how far Barnsley council penetrated westwards. High on the bleak moors there was a sign welcoming us there. I also decided that, after being raged by a idiot on the M1, that I hate driving.

Far far away

I am not here tomorrow as i have to drive to Luton to pick up my kids for the weekend.

Luton, its not really all that bad. In fact I spent some very happy times there. Its sort of "London Lite" if you see what i mean

Even the trains achieve near tube like regularity

Well I liked living there anyway.

Ossie Garvin part 2

Ossie Garvin the true story!

Ossie Garvin

Ossie Garvin

Who was he? Was he a Hllingdon councillor or was he a construction worker who died building the roundabout that bears his name?

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?grid2map?X=511250&Y=180750&zoom=1

Whatever he was he was probably going to have a tram stop named after him,then he would be on every tube map in existence. Sadly it seems the project could be cancelled.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/Map_21.pdf

I think thats pretty cool.

FS