Measure for measure...

 

Scrrobs has chatted about pounds and ounces several times now, and the revelation that we might be able to revert to Imperial measures is a great idea!

For years, there's been a whole building-full of government employees and their under-managers, managers, secretaries, cleaners, tea-ladies, light-bulb-changers etc., 'working' away at continuing the dreaded metric system of measurement under the dead hand of some plonker in Brussels, the identification of which I still cannot equate to (or is it with?),!

At last, Joe Public will be able to see how the supermarkets are ripping everyone off with their confusion on vegetables, like so much a kilo, 'each' or still in pounds and ounces!

I for one will cheer the day of reckoning from the rooftops!

And my pint of Shep's 'Old Grumbler' (7.6%) really will become a pint again!

Here we bloody go again...

All set to bugger up Her Maj's big days...

Edwina makes vino history...

 

The cultural exchange between Sodden Prickney and the Chilean village of Nargsville, had a shaky start, as Edwina Baggage, in her position as an advocate of Bicyclism, began to expound the base elements of the craft with Dr Norbert Iodine almost as soon as the plane left the runway, and the air hostess had to provide a blanket!

The various receptions given by Senor Shamus O'Blene, (no relation), in Nargsville prompted several impromptu outbursts of the niceties because Ms Cynthia Molestrangler decided to try and espouse the craft under the influence of several bottles of the rough, local wine (above), and nothing was going to stop her!

Councillor Basil Kalashnikov managed to down four bottles of the stuff before collapsing mid 'Sod everybo...' and had to be carried to his boarding house on a door, appropriated from the men's convenience in the village hall.

It was agreed that although the twinning visit was a great idea for cultural acclaim, the bicycling escapades were much more rewarding, and in future, when the Mayor of Nargsville was due to arrive, a special reception was to be provided by first, Miss Amelia Newt, followed by Ms Cynthia Molestrangler, and finally, Edwina Baggage, and a photographer from The Bugle.

Norman Wibble was not consulted.

Last man Standing...

Oh bugger...

Gerry...

Senora O'Blene and I have been immersed in the third or fourth series of 'New Tricks' this week, and to learn of this is so sad!

We remember 'The Sweeny' from a way back, and also bought the set of 'Minder' with just him as 'Arfur's' mate, so tonight we'll raise a glass to a great bloke!

I had a chance to meet him about fifteen years ago, when I was working on an event at a golf club with a few well-known names and also clients of the firm! The day was a hoot, and I can still remember him, sitting at a table on his own with a pint, and he winked as though a chat should be in order, and because I really had to keep the buzz going with the event, all I managed was a wave back and I never made proper contact!

Oh bollocks, I really wish I had...

Teacher in the cells...

Scrobs had an email recently, from the Secretary of his Old Boys Membership Group at his old school.

It was an obituary for a master, who was a Housemaster when I was there in the sixties, and although he never taught me, of course, I remember him well! He taught maths mainly, but some other peripheral subjects, and also was in charge of the Naval Section of the CCF, so was quite a busy bloke.

I didn't go to the memorial service, as it was a day's drive away, but on reading the eulogy, I was surprised to find out that after retiring, he spent about ten years working with young lads in prisons, to teach them to read and write!

To me, this was an admirable consequence to a life in academia, and I hope that those who managed to learn the basic skills have managed to improve their lives.

I was discussing this with Senora O'Blene, and she, as a retired teacher, mentioned that it must have been an incredibly challenging occupation, as there's a vast difference in teaching young children to read and write, with books and coloured pictures and trying to do the same with adults, who have already become weary with new tech, TV, films and worse.

Of course, I'll never know how he managed to keep all this going, but clearly he managed to get across the basics, and the lads just may have learned that there's a lot more to life than football, fags and a fight!

That's a worthwhile legacy I'd have never even thought about!

Get yer Cuban 'eels 'ere...

 

Just the other day, the wireless in the car sounded out some spectacular drumming by Bill Bruford, who is one of the best drummers, even the best, I've ever heard! His drums with the main band members of Yes is just fabulous, and I could listen to his playing all day!

Looking at the clip above, one wonders what some of the kids actually thought drumming was way back then, it was a bit 'thick'!

Sandy Nelson's 'Let there be drums' started it all off for Scrobs...

But Tony Meehan's 'See you in my drums' was a classic which I still love...

I won a radio prize for 'knowing ' that solo once, mainly because I spent most nights in 1962 hearing it from the record player downstairs at school...

And I never had a pair of Cuban heels!

Potter of the Rings...

So one of the most successful authors of my generation, J.K.Rowling, is left off the BBC's list of influential books to mark our Queen's seventy years on the throne.

"Suzy Klein, Head of Arts and Classical Music TV at the BBC said: 'Nineteen years on from the Big Read, the Queen's Platinum Jubilee feels like the perfect opportunity to foreground some of the greatest writing from across the Commonwealth in our Big Jubilee Read. 

The list of 70 books - one for each year of Elizabeth II's reign - is a real opportunity to discover stories from across continents and taking us through the decades, books that we might never have otherwise read, and reading authors whose work deserves a spotlight to be shone on it. 

'It's a really exciting way to share the love of books with readers of all ages, and to give book groups and book borrowers a plethora of great titles to try, borrow, share and discuss.' "

J.K.Rowling has done more to get children and the rest to start reading good stories, and her Harry Potter series - although I don't read that 'sort' of book, took the world by storm! I do devour her Robert Galbraith novels as they are a fabulous read, so like a lot of 'adults', I'm attracted to her style of writing, but to apply a typical BBC dictum (retranswokery), is a disgraceful insult.

She's made many film-makers, publishers, actresses and actors incredibly rich from her novels, but, like a lot of one-hit wonders, the bit parts she gave their first jobs to, just go with the flow, and I'm glad I can't be arsed even to look up their names and what they've 'done' next!

J.R. Tolkien has been treated the same way, and I well remember my dad reading all his stories!

This discrimination is all to be expected from a bloated tax-payer-funded 'broadcaster'!