WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Wendyf]

My brother and sister in law are visiting for a couple of days and today we went on a walk from Salterforth along the canal to Cockshott bridge, up Hodge Lane before heading down past Dye House, on towards County Brook and into Foulridge via Hey and Daubers. What struck me was the extent of the holly hedging the fields around those farms above Foulridge, I've never seen anything like it before. Coffee at Cafe Cargo before walking back along the tow path to Salterforth.
Tomorrow we are thinking of trying the coffee at the Esse cafe on a walk from Earby, through to Sough then up the bridle way to join the canal in Barlick. We thought we could then head across past Rainhall to Gill church and on to Thornton in Craven before heading back to Earby.

[Stanley]

Interesting post Wendy. I have noted the same thing in hedges and it prompted me to go for a dig into Holly. You might remember this, if not do a site search for holly and you'll find what I came up with. I found it fascinating.....
John Clayton sent me his latest research paper which gathers together all the work he has done on Malkin Tower, it's a good paper and I asked him if anyone could access it. Here's his response "Stanley - have put a link to the PDF on my site at www.barrowfordpress.co.uk - this is the site home page - the link is by clicking the letters mtr in red top left of page."
Well worth looking at if you have an interest.

[Wendyf]

I'll have a look at John's paper once my visitors have gone. The hedges we saw yesterday were just holly, not a mix of holly and hawthorn which you see more often, they were very striking!

[Marilyn]

You may recall in previous years when I declare the Cockatoos arrive en mass. We'll.."the boys are back in town" as of half an hour ago. Hundreds arrive on the same day. The screeching is unbelievable. After weeks of stripping fruit trees and pooping all over every bit of outdoor space and furniture you may own...they depart...together. Awesome! ( despite the poo)

[Tizer]

`What all car owners need to know about how VW handled a seat belt fault' Which web page
`A plastic cable tie that doesn't fix the fault was meant to be permanent, and VW's decision to keep selling affected cars means 75,000 owners are now responsible for getting them fixed.'
After emission cheating, now it's cheating on safety!

An the housebuilders are cheating too...
'Our new-build home has 354 defects' LINK

[Tripps]

Seeing the riots and tear gas currently active in Paris, suddenly the idea of a new passport and a lunch in Paris looks less attractive. Last time I looked their petrol price was very similar to ours - yet they're having a grade one 'manifestation'.

Have you read the words to The Marseillaise - including the relatively mild

Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons!

and the Mayor of London has just sold Boris's water cannon.

[PanBiker]

All part of them being a Republic Tripps. Ordinary citizens are lot more clued up on politics and what their politicians are up to and have no problem in taking to the streets to make their views known if they disagree. Perhaps we should have done the same with our hoy toy and ruling classes at the same time. Maybe folk would be a bit more self aware and engaged in the running of their country rather than the pathetic "can't be bothered brigade", they make all the excuses not to vote then many are vociferous after the event. If you knock on peoples doors you meet quite a few of these sort. You are aware of my views, I would make the buggers engage.

[Stanley]

Wendy, that's unusual! All I can surmise is that Holly does make a good stock-proof barrier and it has the advantage of being a good browse wood source in a hard winter. (Besides being very bird-friendly.)
David, the report I heard about the water cannon suggested they had been sold at a knock-down price as scrap. Where so many of Johnson's bright ideas end up! (Remember the Garden Bridge.....)
Ian you could well be right. I remember Thatcher, at the time of the Miner's Strikes, saying that mob action wasn't the English Way. I thought at the time she should go back and read her history, every advance gained by the lower orders came as a result of cooperative action and that includes the Labour government of 1945!
On the other hand look up Fronde.... the ploy didn't always succeed.
Finishing Newton's engine and achieving one final cock-up! See shed matters.....

[LizG]

We had a State Government election in Victoria Australia yesterday.

My attention was attracted by the absolute thrashing our State Labor Government gave the Liberals yesterday. I have never seen the like. Methinks the Libs have a lot of rebuilding to do before the next election. What an embarrassment.

[Tizer]

Breaking news from the BBC at 09.45, 25 November 2018...
`The UK’s withdrawal agreement from the European Union has been approved by EU leaders, its chief official Donald Tusk has announced. The 27 leaders gave it their backing after less than a hour's discussion in Brussels. Mr Tusk signalled on Saturday that the deal would be approved after Spain withdrew last-minute concerns over Gibraltar. The deal needs to be approved by the UK Parliament, with many MPs opposed. Mr Tusk, the president of the European Council, broke the news on Twitter.'

[Marilyn]

My attention was attracted at 3am this morning. The schoolies concert finally came to a close...and some blithering idiot wound down the concert by proceeding to give an inspirational chat about life and destiny over the damn loud hailer. I hope he got pelted with rotten tomatoes! Most of the population of this town are retirees (in varying states of decay). We all have more past than future...we have all lived our lives and fulfilled our destinies. We just needed to get some ruddy sleep!
Two arrested for drug dealing and a few for drunken fights.
All over now. The buses will have picked the darlings up this morning. I hope they all feel sick and have splitting headaches.

[Stanley]

Nice to hear of a Labour success anywhere in the world Liz!
Sounds a bit like our Bands on the Square event Maz. Luckily we are about 500 yards away and if we have an east wind the double glazing takes care of the noise completely.

[Big Kev]

Sounds a bit like our Bands on the Square event Maz. Luckily we are about 500 yards away and if we have an east wind the double glazing takes care of the noise completely.

The Bands on the Square event does finish at 11pm though

[Marilyn]

How very civilised and tolerable. We live 2 kms from the concert. Wind always blows this way..And after 3 nights of hearing every head-banging song on the planet...I am exhausted. Mind you, I was speaking to the neighbour today and he heard nothing! ( sleeping pills apparently...) ( I don't DO sleeping pills...)

[Big Kev]

How very civilised and tolerable.

We are very civilised here

I live a similar distance from the venue as Stanley, in a different direction, and very rarely hear it when at home. Some of the time we're at the venue listening to the bands, it's a very good weekend.

[Tizer]

Most of the population of this town are retirees (in varying states of decay). We all have more past than future...we have all lived our lives and fulfilled our destinies. We just needed to get some ruddy sleep!
Two arrested for drug dealing and a few for drunken fights.

Two schoolies or two retirees?

[Marilyn]

Actually Tizer, they were "toolies".
"Toolies" are slightly older people too old to be schoolies...they are a nuisance and turn up every year too. They are banned from the concert and security is tight, but they still hang about ( legally allowed to drink). Some of them are older mates or boyfriends of schoolies.

[Stanley]

Maz, there must be some sort of economic incentive at work there. Local traders harvesting the cash? That happens here of course but we appear to have it well organised and under tight control.
The sound of Newton laughing at me from wherever he is now.... I have made yet another error! Is this engine jinxed? (See Shed Matters....)
A lovely piece on R4 about the marshlands in southern Iraq destroyed by Saddam Hussein in the 1990s. For at least 7,000 years this has been the cradle of civilisation, the birthplace of Abraham, and some say that they were the original Garden of Eden. Possibly the greatest act of vandalism ever.

[Cathy]

Meet KNICKERS from Perth.
He is a 194cm tall, 14tonne, 7yr old Holstein Fresian. He towers 1/2 a metre over the rest of the herd.
Originally bought as a 'coach', an animal that could take charge of the herd and show them the ropes of life on the farm. Goodness, have you ever seen a cow so big? And apparently Knickers is quite shy...

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[chinatyke]

That should be 1.4 tonnes! It's the Aussies bragging again!

https://www.perthnow.com.au/business/ag ... 881032899z

[Stanley]

Never mind Cathy, it's a still a big beast.....
Have a look at THIS if you are concerned about Queen Street and Helmshore Textile mills.

[Cathy]

Yes 1.4 tonnes, my eye's again.
But not happy with your comment China.

Have removed a comment. Why? Because I'm nice.

[Marilyn]

He is one big dude, that's for sure...(Big Knickers)

[chinatyke]

Yes 1.4 tonnes, my eye's again.
But not happy with your comment China.

Have removed a comment. Why? Because I'm nice.

Sorry Cathy, I didn't mean to offend you.

[Stanley]

Be even nicer Cathy and give him a break?
The Design Committee have been working through the night.....
The fact that Brexit came well down the running order in the later news yesterday. I think even the BBC have realised that it is no longer news but a boring spectacle.