Joyousness in Hull

There are some times which affect a person so much, they remain indelible in the memory.

I’ve no doubt yesterday at the KC Stadium will be one of those for me…

Apologies for the picture….

Shanghai Daily

Football re-decision

I withdrew my notice to step down.

New manager, new players next season and new procedures to lessen the workload; I can live with that.

Too much to look forward to!!!

It’s a sad day

As I write this, there is a battle taking place all round us. Not a physical one, but one of words, backed up by praise on one side and bitter abuse on the other.

I’m speaking of the reaction to the death of Baroness Thatcher, the most prominent politicians of recent times, the only female Prime Minister to date and possibly the most divisive figure of the last 35 years.

I grew up in the 80s, as the country was recovering after the economic disasters of the 1970′s and the Iron Lady was at the forefront of that recovery.

It all comes down to which side of the political spectrum you come down on. I know there are many hardcore socialists who will be singing and dancing tonight in response to her passing. And why? Possibly because she made it that the unions could never bring this country to the brink, like in the Winter Of Discontent in 1978-79. In that you hold the reason for the way the National Union of Mineworkers were faced down some years later. The power of the unions was later diminished, albeit hand in hand with the reduction in the manufacturing industry to what we have today.

During the 80s, this country recovered and became a country to be proud of again. No longer were we the ‘Sick man of Europe’ and that recovery lasted until the recent recessions we have suffered.

Although its to be expected, I find it disturbing that some hated the woman so much that they resort to massively disrespecting the person. To speak ill of the dead reduces the speaker and enhances the reputation of the dead person in my opinion.

Far better to go by the words I remember my Gran once saying “If you can’t say anything good about someone, then say nothing.” Although you can’t defame the dead, there’s no need to disrespect them.

Football decision time

Well that’s it. 

 I’ve decided it’s time to take a step back from the football club, and go back to being a fan of the Beavers again at the end of the season.

 

It’s not a snap decision as I’ve been mulling it over on and off for a while. I’ve stopped enjoying the game, always thinking about what’s next to be done, and suchlike. 

 

Plus there are family reasons that have to be considered as well, and all this has come together to make me decide to return to the terraces.

 

Seeing as the end of the season is approaching, just some three weeks or so away, I feel that’s the right time to hand over to someone with fresh ideas and who has the time to devote to the job. I no longer have to freedom to unobtrusively complete club tasks during the working day, as I had before. I do not want to jeopardise the position I have in the current economic climate.

 

I know there are things I will miss, like free entry to games but when the benefits no longer outweigh the obligations, then that will be a small price to pay.

One more thing that bugs me.

This one will probably annoy others but heh, this is MY blog etc.

4: what I call The Buggy Mafia.

Picture the scene. A busy, crowded bus, not even any standing room. At the next stop there’s a mum with a buggy, who demands in a strident voice to get on… Demands that people move! No. Especially No if it’s between the hours of 7-30 to 9 am or 5-7 pm.

Only exceptions is for child care or medical appointment, that’s all. If a wheelchair user requires the space, they would get it, with no problems at all but to demand we move like some buggy-pushers do, no. As I said, child care and medical only.

Right, you can all abuse me now…

Things that annoy me

It’s all pretty quiet in the trenches of life so here’s some ravings…

1: Adults cycling on the footpath

Ok, if it’s shared access, that’s fair enough, no issues there. But where it isn’t and you belt along the pedestrian precinct or ordinary path, then you should be prosecuted. It’s dangerous for those on two feet, especially when the cyclist has all the protective gear on. It’s the pedestrian who needs protecting! If you don’t want to ride on the road or cycle path, THEN DON’T GET A BIKE!

2: People insisting on sharing music (no headphones!)

I have no objection to people playing whatever music they like through their headphones/earphones while traveling. However I can’t stand those people who still play their music FOR THE WHOLE BUS TO HEAR! It may be good music, but does that mean I have to hear it, even when I don’t want to?

3: Littering

Now, I was always told that there was no excuse to drop litter at anytime, and this was the days before widespread litter bins. You bagged it up and took it home if there was no nearby bin. Today, the attitude with some people says that it doesn’t matter as there are people to clear it up. The buses can be as bad with people using them as a mobile cafe, and then just dropping the litter where they sit. What impression does it give to strangers in town??

I might expand on this in the future…

Today’s the day

People I share my birthday with
1707 – Charles Wesley, English Methodist hymnist (d. 1788)
1778 – Joseph Grimaldi, English clown (d. 1837)
1863 – Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria (d. 1914)
1878 – Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union (d. 1953)
1916 – Betty Grable, American actress (d. 1973)
1946 – Steve Biko, South African anti-apartheid activist (d. 1977)
1954 – Ray Liotta, American actor
1963 – Brad Pitt, American actor
1964 – Robson Green, English actor and singer
1969 – Justin Edinburgh, English footballer
1978 – Katie Holmes, American actress
1979 – Mamady Sidibe, Malian footballer
1980 – Christina Aguilera, American singer

People who passed on today
1737 – Antonio Stradivari, Italian violin maker (b. 1644)
1787 – Francis William Drake, British Admiral and territorial governor (b. 1724)
1971 – Bobby Jones, American golfer (b. 1902)
1993 – Sam Wanamaker, American actor (b. 1919)
2000 – Kirsty MacColl, English singer and songwriter (b. 1959)
2011 – Václav Havel, playwright, philosopher and dissident, last president of Czechoslovakia, and the first president of the Czech Republic (b. 1936)

Notable events
1777 – The United States celebrates its first Thanksgiving, marking the recent victory by the Americans over General John Burgoyne in the Battle of Saratoga in October.
1898 – Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat sets the first officially recognized land speed record of 39.245 mph (63.159 km/h) in a Jeantaud electric car.
1912 – The Piltdown Man, later discovered to be a hoax, is announced by Charles Dawson.
1966 – Saturn’s moon Epimetheus is discovered by Richard L. Walker.
1969 – Capital punishment in the United Kingdom: Home Secretary James Callaghan’s motion to make permanent the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, which had temporarily suspended capital punishment in England, Wales and Scotland for murder (but not for all crimes) for a period of five years.