Tag: Boats

The World Athletics Championship – A Retrospective

A Retropsective on the World Athletics Championships, More on the Inhumane Despicable Sociopath case, some photographs and some important links.

INTRODUCTION

As well as my title piece I have some photos, links and infographics to share, including a section following up my much shared “Inhumane Despicable Sociopath” post..

BRITAIN’S BEST EVER

At the World Athletics Championships which concluded yesterday Britain won a total of four gold medals, their best ever. Mo Farah with both the 5,000 and 10,000m, Greg Rutherford (Long Jump) and Jessica Ennis-Hill (Heptathlon) all ascended the top step of the podium in Beijing, all having experienced Olympic misery there seven years previously. There were also a stack of best ever performances from less experienced British athletes, encapsulated by BBC TV in this infographic…

Young Guns

Shelayna Oskanp-Clarke had never previous broken two minutes for the 800m, and until Proctor did so no British female long jumper had ever gone beyond 7.00m. The performances of Asher-Smith and Hitchon were also British records. Dina Asher-Smith having already become the first British woman go sub 11 seconds for the 100m and being part of the 4*100m relay team now has three British records against her name.

INHUMANE DESPICABLE SOCIOPATH: A FOLLOW UP

Partly because of a twitter storm conceived by a well known twitter user named Gail which tied in perfectly with it my blog post about the revelations of DWP deaths, forced out after a long and hard fought campaign, was very widely shared. I have a number of superb related links to share in this section:

Now, a few infographics about this story, starting with this great tweet:

Killer Stat

This, formatted like a DWP case study, differs from them in being a true story:

Simons Story

Finally to the end this section, a screendump from a text book of the future that somehow appeared on my screen…

THE IDS

A PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERLUDE

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LINKS

I am dividing this in to two main subsections, starting with…

AUTISM

Within this section I am starting with a case which is reaching a conclusion soon…

JUSTICE FOR KAYLEB

I have blogged about this outrageous case of an autistic grade 6 boy facing a lifeltime with a felony conviction, but since the case is now going through the courts I include these two links:

Also, for twitter users (I have already done so btw), here is a temporary profile pic you may wish to use in solidarity with Kayleb:

JK

OTHER AUTISM RELATED LINKS

THE REMAINING LINKS

I start with a couple of petitions:

I have three more links to purely text based material:

  1. From patienttalk comes this about helping a disabled child to have a better experience at school.
  2. This from Shelter about the fact that golf courses take up as much of England as does housing.
  3. This post from anotherangryvoice deals with the much peddled myth that national economies are like families.

My last link is to a wonderful protest song by Welsh singer Charlotte Church.

Birds, Butterflies and Bonkers Trade Deals

An announcement of some Anti TTIP action, some important links and some good pictures from in and around King’s Lynn.

INTRODUCTION

I have many things to cover in this post, including a number of very important links.

THE BONKERS TRADE DEAL

The bonkers trade deal is officially known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP for short), and I am mentioning it in this post for two reasons:

  1. This Saturday at 11AM there is action taking place against it, starting outside Top Shop on King’s Lynn High Street.
  2. And linked to the above, I got my action pack from 38 Degrees through the post today.

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LINKS

To begin today’s links section, a nod to youth…

THE CASE OF THE DRACONIAN DRESS CODE: AN UPDATE

This refers to an American school whose dress code is both draconian and being applied in a very sexist way. This has given rise to a change.org petition, and today there has been coverage on yahoo:

  1. The Petition
  2. The Yahoo piece
  3. To conclude this subsection a photo showing the “revealing clothes” for which a girl was called, which ignited the controversy:
    When this falls foul of a
    When wearing this falls foul of a “dress code” I think the problem is fairly obvious.

    JUSTICE FOR KAYLEB

    Just a single link, but I make no apology for giving it a whole subsection to itself. This is a truly shocking case involving a 6th grader (English equivalent of this would be a year 7 student) facing the possibility of spending his life with a felony conviction on his record. Please sign and share this petition.

AUTISM AND CREATIVITY

Another single piece, this time courtesy of Huffington Post, about a study into autism and creativity. I start with a quote from the piece:

“Wong and Doherty said we should think of autism in terms of differences rather than deficits. And these differences, as the study suggests, can give rise to important and unique creative insights.” NB The italicisation is theirs not mine.

The full article deserves to be read and shared. Naturally as both an autistic person and the creator of this blog I wholeheartedly concur with the notion that autistic people can be especially creative!

SCIENCE AND NATURE

My final two links, the second being in the nature of a segue:

BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES

I bring this post to a conclusion with some pictures taken in and around King’s Lynn yesterday morning and today…

Rain brought this beauty out yesterday morning.
Rain brought this beauty out yesterday morning.
Also from yesterday morning.
Also from yesterday morning.

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Sunday Snippets

An account of yesterday, with some good pictures. Also some high quality links and infographics.

INTRODUCTION

Although some of the links I have were located this morning, this blog post is really, as the title suggests, about yesterday.

A MORNING WALK

My walk started with the parkland. There is always plenty to see there, and although it was to elusive to capture on camera, I even got a glimpse of a water vole before it darted under cover. Still I did get some good photos…

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I left the parkland via the Seven Sisters gate and headed past the South Gate and thence to the river via Hardings Pits, which at this time of year means one thing to a photographer…

BUTTERFLIES

There were many  of these creatures in evidence, and I was able to get several good photos…

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The river although not at particularly high tide was looking splendid…

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Of course no walk along the Great Ouse would be complete without…

CORMORANT PLATFORM

This structure, which I have named for the birds that are its most distinctive users was once again proving popular…

DSCN4418 DSCN4419 DSCN4423 DSCN4424 DSCN4426 Back in the heart of the town, there were many boats in evidence. One was a small family owned boat using the jetty, and there were various research vessels, at least one of which was owned by company called Gardline…

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EAST RUDHAM

A Sunday lunch in East Rudham and afternoon spent sat out in the sun were both very enjoyable, and the latter yielded some good pictures…

I had noted a while previously that this £2 coin had a special picture on its reverse (the obverse was the usual prrofile of a ludicrously over privileged woman) and so I picked a suitable moment at which to photograph it.
I had noted a while previously that this £2 coin had a special picture on its reverse (the obverse was the usual prrofile of a ludicrously over privileged woman) and so I picked a suitable moment at which to photograph it.
Wild marjoram, freshly harvested for use in cooking.
Wild marjoram, freshly harvested for use in cooking.
Wild marjoram serving its principle function as a bee magnet.
Wild marjoram serving its principle function as a bee magnet.

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BACK TO KING’S LYNN

Arriviing back in King’s Lynn I bagged a few photos on the way home. A quick check on the computer revealed the Australia had emerged from their tour match at Northampton with a draw – cause for celebration on their part given recent events!

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LINKS

I have a variety of links to share with you, starting with several about…

AUTISM

This section opens with a link to today’s issue of The Sparks of Autism. From that splendid online compilation I have singled out one piece for special mention, which started life as a blog post by gymbunnymummy entitled “20 things not to say to a parent of a child with autism“. My next autism related piece is a story about a Russian supermodel standing up for her autistic sister after the latter was refused service at a cafe. I end this little section with a link to a campaign on change.org to get “Avonte’s Law” passed.

COUNTERING SEXISM

I take the opportunity of having this section to once again remind people of the project to create a museum that really is about the women of East London. My next two links belong together:

My final link in this section is to a petition calling on Amazon to stop selling books by Roosh V

SCIENCE

My science related links are four in total:

POLITICS

My final three links are all political in nature. Firstly, from disclaimermag comes this piece entitled “The Loathsome Linguistic Wriggles of Officer Involved Shootings”. My next link comes courtesy of Vox Political and is entitled “Browns Speech Unintentionally in Support of Corbyn”. Finally, courtesy of primepolitics comes this piece entitled “time to bring politics into the 21st century” which also serves as a useful to segue to my final section containing…

INFOGRAPHICS

MSMV NHS Cuts UAF Triumph

The Great Outdoors

An account of the Ordnance Survey’s Get Outside pledge, the associated hashtag and my own activities in relation to that pledge. Some important links and a platinum infographic as well.

INTRODUCTION

The title piece refers to a scheme being promoted by the Ordnance Survey, which I choose to endorse by way of this post. I also have lots of other links to share, and a very funny infographic about the right wing Republican approach to religious freedom to share.

THE GET OUTSIDE PLEDGE

I was already moving towards lengthening my walks to and from the bus station on work days before I came across this idea being promoted by Ordnance Survey. For twitterites like me there is a hashtag, #GetOutside that you can use to publicize this. I urge you all to check out this link, and if you can make a pledge of your own.

Yesterday morning I got underway a little later than planned, but still got in a bit of riverside and parkland walking, while yesterday evening, my first post-pledge journey, I got off the bus at Gaywood and took a long walk home. Here are some pictures from these walks…

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Enviro-serve, the company running at least some of the boats pictured above were set up to provide appropriate vessels for people developing renewable energy – check out their “about us” page.

Now, here are the evening pics…

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"Cormorant Platform" at high tide
“Cormorant Platform” at high tide

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LINKS

I have lots of links to share, and so have divided this into subsections, starting with:

PREVENTION OF TROPHY HUNTING

This section includes three links in total, two petitions and a blog:

.RELIGION

This subsection also includes the infographic. Lots of goodies here:

A COUPLE OF PIECES ON THE LABOUR PARTY

Two excellent pieces about the current state of the Labour party:

ANTI-DISCRIMINATION

I conclude this post with a number of links that relate to issues of discrimination. I make no apology, given the current standards of behaviour of the DWP for including a piece about the welfare state in this section.

A Sunny Sunday in West Norfolk

An account of a walk yesterday morning, the journeys to and from East Rudham, and Sunday lunch in East Rudham, with a subsection devoted to bees enjoying wild marjoram.

INTRODUCTION

This post concerns yesterday, and us set part in King’s Lynn and part in my parents village, East Rudham. A running theme is nature. I hope you will enjoy it and that some at least of you will choose to share it.

PART 1: KING’S LYNN, MORNING

It was a beautiful sunny morning, so I decided to take a long walk from my flat, planned to finish at the bus station in time to catch the 11:55 bus to arrive in East Rudham for Sunday lunch. Right at the start, the upper Purfleet yielded these pictures…

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South Quay then yielded a few more good pictures…

A gull swimming in the Great Ouse
A gull swimming in the Great Ouse

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A few minutes later came one of the regular highlights –

CORMORANT PLATFORM

The set of pictures I have this time indicate precisely why I have given this structure which sits at the meeting point of the Nar and the Great Ouse the name I have…

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Before leaving the river there was just time for a couple of shots looking back at the town…

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On leaving the river I headed through Harding’s Pits, which at this time of year means…

BUTTERFLIES

It is difficult to capture butterflies on camera, but I got a few pics…

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After this, the next pictures worth sharing came from near the end of the walk, along a stretch of river near Morrison’s…

My photographic comment on Australia's recent batting performances!
My photographic comment on Australia’s recent batting performances!

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A VARIATION ON THE USUAL BUS JOURNEY

A combination of a spectacular day and herd mentality increased the journey time to Hunstanton and the sea to two hours and rendered the Knight’s Hill junction with the A148 effectively unusable for buses, so the X8 towards Fakenham went by way of Leziate, Ashwicken and Roydon joining the A148 just short of Hillington and its first out of town stop. Thanks to this intelligent alteration of the route the bus was only a couple of minutes late arriving at East Rudham.

PART TWO: EAST RUDHAM

Following a delicious lunch of roast beef the afternoon was spent sitting out in the courtyard outside my parents house, until it was time for me to get the bus home. I was reading the book by Robert Bakker that I mentioned in a previous post – keep an eye for a review in the near future – and also endeavouring to do photographic justice to…

THE BEES

As well as being useful for bringing out the full flavour of lamb, the wild marjoram that grows in abundance just outside my parents door is much appreciated by bees. Bees are a vitally important part of the ecosystem and are under ever increasing threat from the combination of the insensate greed of pesticide companies and the cravenness of governments (the latter do not have the guts to stand up to the former). Their activities so close to where I was sitting were an irresistable opportunity for the only sort of shooting I am interested in – that done with my trusty Nikon Coolpix P530!

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THE RETURN JOURNEY

The bus turned up precisely when it was scheduled to, and until it hit the now customary traffic jam on Gaywood Road (at which point I decided to get out and walk the rest of the way) it ran exactly to schedule all the way.

PART THREE: KING’S LYNN AGAIN

In this last section I am going to share some pictures from yesterday evening and also the pictures I got of the bus station immediately before setting out…

The new London Connections map, one of the many things that can be obtained from the visitor's centre at King's Lynn Bus Station.
The new London Connections map, one of the many things that can be obtained from the visitor’s centre at King’s Lynn Bus Station.
On the reverse side the whole of the South East.
On the reverse side the whole of the South East.

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The front of the vistor's centre and the Lynn museum
The front of the vistor’s centre and the Lynn museum

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Focus on the visitor's centre
Focus on the visitor’s centre
The clock, courtesy of King's Lynn Civic Society.
The clock, courtesy of King’s Lynn Civic Society.
The barrier at stand C - interleaving Captain Vancouver and the Custom House.
The barrier at stand C – interleaving Captain Vancouver and the Custom House.

A Sunny Morning in West Norfolk

An account, complete with a fine haul of photos, of a walk around King’s Lynn. This is followed by some important links and some interesting infographics. Please share widely.

INTRODUCTION

Being up bright and early this morning and noting the sunny weather I headed off for a walk. The body of this post is devoted to sharing the best sights from that walk. After that I have some links and infographics to share. I hope you enjoy this post and will be encouraged to share it.

THE WALK

My first ports of call were…

THE TUESDAY MARKET PLACE AND ST NICHOLAS CHAPEL

These places looked very fine in the sun. The extensive restoration work on the chapel is now nearly complete.

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From there I headed to…

BAWSEY DRAIN

This is a far more significant waterway than that name may suggest, and was rewarded with a clutch of fine pictures in that section of the walk…

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Watching and waiting in the undergrowth...
Watching and waiting in the undergrowth…

I left Bawsey drain part way along it’s length to head towards the Great Ouse by means of a nice route that I know, but I am briefly going to diverge from strict geographical recounting for a subsection on…

BUTTERFLIES

The butterflies were out in force, but it is always difficult to photograph them due to their speed. Nevertheless, I did get some good pics to share…

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This was the last butterfly I got, while walking through Hardings Pits
This was the last butterfly I got, while walking through Hardings Pits
This was the first butterfly pic I got today.
This was the first butterfly pic I got today.
The only non-animal flyer I got today - a helicopter (Helico- = spiral, pteron = wing)
The only non-animal flyer I got today – a helicopter (Helico- = spiral, pteron = wing)
This one had its wings folded.
This one had its wings folded.

ARRIVING AT THE GREAT OUSE

Just a few pics here, but it was a delight to see the river at very high tide…

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My next set of pictures are themed around a small but (to me) very significant little landmark which I have dubbed…

CORMORANT PLATFORM

The very high tide meant that most of the structure was submerged, and the presence of boats and the river and West Lynn Church on the far bank also contributed to a great set of pictures…

A brilliant piece of photobombing by the flying gull!
A brilliant piece of photobombing by the flying gull!
Multiple species of bird coexisting peacefully.
Multiple species of bird coexisting peacefully.
The platform and a boat.
The platform and a boat.

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The church contributing to the scene.
The church contributing to the scene.

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Two cormorants took wing in my direction.
Two cormorants took wing in my direction.

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Not all of the boats i saw on the river were there for leisure purposes – there was also a…

RESEARCH VESSEL

Four pics showing the boat and website details…

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From here all that was left was…

THE HOME STRETCH

The pictures I took in these final few minutes are very varied…

One last boat pic.
One last boat pic.
The Custom House.
The Custom House.
Looking north from the Lower Purfleet.
Looking north from the Lower Purfleet.
An adult moorhen in the Upper Purfleet
An adult moorhen in the Upper Purfleet
The smallest baby moorhen I have ever seen.
The smallest baby moorhen I have ever seen.

We have reached the end of my walk, but I do hope some of you stay for the…

LINKS

I have a shed load of important links to share, starting with some on…

CONSERVATION

My first link comes courtesy of Huffington Post and features Richard Dawkins giving Idaho huntress Sabrina Corgatelli the full treatment.

My next three links are part of a developing story involving airlines stopping the idiots from getting their “trophies” home…

  1. First to step up to the plate by refusing to carry such items were Delta.
  2. Who have already been joined by American Airlines and United.
  3. On change.org a petition is taking off to get South African Airways to impose a like ban.

Although it was a universally revered lion whose demise sparked this activity they are not the only species targeted by noxious individuals, and my next link is to a take part petition on behalf of the elephant.

Finally in this subsection, from Mark Avery comes a story about hen harriers which was written in response to a piece in the Telegraph that was shockingly inaccurate even by the “standards” of that detestable rag.

SCIENCE

Just a few links in this subsection. First up, a brilliant scheme from Norway to combat climate change (unlike the “I’m all right Jack” types who currently form the British government these people can see beyond their own immediate concerns). I am also classing as science these two connected links regarding London postcodes:

1)From londonist an interesting post about why London which has compass point themed postcodes beginning with E, SE,SW,W,NW and N has no S or NE postcodes.

2)The website of the author of the above piece, mapping modernity.

Finally in this section, a quirky piece about science facts, accompanied by a graphic. courtesy of viralands – there are 22 facts in total in this piece.

Scientific Facts

DISABILITY AND AUTISM

A few links in this section, which i shall present as a bulleted list:

CELEBRATE SUFFRAGETTES NOT SERIAL KILLERS

I mentioned this yesterday, and the story has moved on since then. My source today is Socialist Worker with a piece giving great detail, including the fact that the museum which got planning permission on false pretences did not open yesterday as planned – let us hope that in it’s current incarnation as a musuem dedicated to Jack the Ripper it never does open its doors. here are the two links:

  1. The Socialist Worker article.
  2. The 38degrees petition

ODDS AND ENDS

A final bulleted lists of links that did not belong anywhere above but which I wish to share:

INFOGRAPHICS

A few infographics to round things off…

Earth Age End the Great Housing Giveaway IDS

There is a link to the story behind this earlier in the blog.
There is a link to the story behind this earlier in the blog.

Social Exclusion Map Stop benefit sanctions

Sunday, Monday, Today

An account of the last few days, with some excellent pictures, some important links and a great infographic courtesy of Dr Lisa Sulsenti.

INTRODUCTION

My last blog post was about my cousin Olivia’s wedding on Saturday. This post tells of Sunday, Monday and today, with plenty of pictures. Also, I have some links and infographics to share. Talking of sharing, I hope that some of you will choose to share this post as well.

KEGWORTH HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTRE

While possessed of precisely zero architectural appeal, the Kegworth Hotel and Conference Centre is clean and comfortable…

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I have plenty of good pictures from inside the hotel…

This is a 24 hour roman numeral clock - can you spot the deliberate mistake in the numbering?
This is a 24 hour roman numeral clock – can you spot the deliberate mistake in the numbering?

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Detail from the ornamental glasswork at the reception desk.
Detail from the ornamental glasswork at the reception desk.

My bedroom had some pictures as well…

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You will note a degree of duplication between the public pictures and those in the rooms!
You will note a degree of duplication between the public pictures and those in the rooms!

SUNDAY LUNCH

My cousin Richard and his fiancee Ida are off to her native Sweden soon, and he had the idea of a farewell pub lunch at the Plough in Normanton on Soar. Eventually after a few cancellations, 12 of us were there for this excellent meal, which we ate outside overlooking the river itself, much used by boats and birds…

Richard and Ida
Richard and Ida

I have lots of splendid pictures from this event, and both the food and drink were magnificent.

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Tables overlooking the Soar
Tables overlooking the Soar

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The local product - look up Leciester Rugby Club for more on the name.
The local product – look up Leciester Rugby Club for more on the name.

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As well as boats at surface level, a plane flew high over our heads.
As well as boats at surface level, a plane flew high over our heads.

HOMEWARD BOUND

I travelled back as a passenger in my aunt’s car, since we live very close together in King’s Lynn. Taking pictures while in transit is not easy, but this one worked…

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After helping my aunt to unload her car I walked back to my flat by way of another river on which boat travel is not unknown, the Great Ouse…

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DOWN TIME

Knowing the effect that such a busy weekend would have on me I had taken the precaution of booking this week as leave to enable myself to have some quiet time. Last night was a group meeting for KLASS (more on this in a future blog post), but apart from that it has been a very quiet couple of days.

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To give you an idea of how vast an eyesore this building is, this photo was taken from a point that is a 20-minute walk from the building itself!
To give you an idea of how vast an eyesore this building is, this photo was taken from a point that is a 20-minute walk from the building itself!

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LINKS

I have as usual plenty of links to share with you, starting with…

CONSERVATION

  1. From the Humane Society comes this on banning trophy hunting.
  2. From petitions.whitehouse.gov comes the call for the US Government to do the right thing and extradite Walter Palmer to Zimbabwe so that he can be charged for his crime.
  3. Huffington Post provide this story about a certain Sabrina Corgatelli posing alongside her kills.
  4. And this is thedodo.com’s take on the same story.
  5. From the same source as 4 comes this on Giraffes.
  6. From change.org comes this climate change petition.

OTHER LINKS

From 38Degrees by way of Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, comes a petition entitled “Celebrate suffragettes not serial killers”. I quote the opening paragraph of their explanation and urge you to sign and share:

“A new museum gained planning permission by promising ‘the only dedicated resource in the East End to women’s history’, but has now been unveiled as a venue dedicated to the violent crimes of Jack the Ripper”.

A shocking story of religious persecution from Patheos in which a seven year old was the victim, merely for telling a classmate that they did not attend church

My next story concerns a police officer who is already facing a lawsuit for handcuffing children in a very dangerous way, and should as the story makes clear be suffering more than that (defo a jail term measurable in years for this crime).

My next link is to a petition calling on Lego to produce toys that show disabled people in a positive light.

Now, a sad blast from the past. Unbelievably Kevin Healey is still suffering impersonation on twitter and still apparently receiving no protection – please either sign and share the petition if you have not already done so or keep on sharing it to apply pressure to twitter.

I found my last link by way of the aforementioned Natalie Bennett, and it is to a story in the Yorkshire Evening Post about a crackerjack plan for a disused railway viaduct in Leeds.

INFOGRAPHIC

Dr Lisa Sulsenti has produced this infographic providing guidelines on fireworks…

Fireworks

Cormorants, Classical Music and Campaigns

Pictures from King’s Lynn and East Rudham, mention of two uppcoming events at King’s Lynn Minster, a large number of important links and some high quality infographics.

INTRODUCTION

I hope you will enjoy this very varied post and that some of you will be encouraged to share it. Talking of sharing, here are a couple of recent comments about this blog from twitter:

@obiwandar “Great blog. pictures, activism, tips WOW”
‏@spacesheepy loving the photos & duckies ~ nice blog Thank you for sharing 🙂

BIRDS, BOATS AND PLANES IN KING’S LYNN

In the break between innings of the delayed women’s ashes match at Worcester (yesterday was washed out entirely, so the whole game is happening on the reserve day) I went out for a walk and was delighted to see a cormorant in residence. As these pictures show, it was far from the only interesting sight of the day…

These model planes (two feature in these pictures - 5 pics in total) are by way commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
These model planes (two feature in these pictures – 5 pics in total) are by way commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

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The Great Ouse looks a bit choppy.
The Great Ouse looks a bit choppy.

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Two boats at the jetty - "Pero" and regular visitor "Kalyptos"
Two boats at the jetty – “Pero” and regular visitor “Kalyptos”

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The flag drooped at just the wrong moment, but the gull made the pic worth keeping.
The flag drooped at just the wrong moment, but the gull made the pic worth keeping.
And I got the flag, plus an ornate weathercock as a bonus, at the second attempt.
And I got the flag, plus an ornate weathercock as a bonus, at the second attempt.
This stonework is on the side of the Magistrates Court
This stonework is on the side of the Magistrates Court

LINKS

I have a large number of links to share, and I am going to start with the various campaigns that feature in this context.

CAMPAIGNS

Within this subsection I am going to give each campaign its own small slot…

STOP TTIP

The campaign against TTIP is gathering momentum. 38 Degrees members, of whom I am proud to be one, are organising a day of action all around the country on August 22nd. The particular details for North West Norfolk are:

North West Norfolk / TTIP Day of Action

  • Sat 22nd Aug 2015, 12:00pm
  • Outside Top Shop, High Street, King’s Lynn

For more or (hint) to sign up for the event please click here. There is also a specific link for joining.

HELP YAZIDI WOMEN AND GIRLS KIDNAPPED BY ISIS

I encourage all of you to sign and share this petition from change.org. I am going to share a buzzfeed article that gives detailed coverage of this issue and the petition itself:

1)The article

2)The petition

THE JOANNE FOWLER PETITION

Joanne Fowler has posted an update on the petition she set up following the horrible and needless suffering her father endured at the end of his life:

1)The petition

2)The link to her Facebook account.

ON ORCAS

The campaign over Seaworld’s treatment of orcas has recently gained some coverage in the San Diego Tribune:

1)The article.

2)The petition

OTHER LINKS

The remaining links I am going to share in this post divide naturally into two groups…

HUMANISM

Two pieces here, one about an event and one excellent article:

1)The event

2)The article

OTHERS

First up, courtesy of independenclive, a horror story about someone who dared to take part in a protest immediately before an appointment, was refused entry to the building and then sanctioned for missing the appointment.

Then comes this Guardian piece on cuts to children’s mental health services.

Vox Political make another appearance in this blog, providing the signpost to another DWP related horror story, this one involving a suicide…

1)The VP ‘signpost’ piece.

2)The full article courtesy of the Daily Star.

My final link is to this piece about providing the police with training for dealing properly with autistic people.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

While at my parents in East Rudham for Sunday lunch yesterday I saw these two leaflets…

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…While I am sure that both events above will be excellent, it is the one on October 10th which really appeals to me. All three headline composers are among my favourites, while the subtitle piece was the first piece of classical music I ever heard, initiating a life long love. Here is a close up of that leaflet…

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A full listing of organ recitals at the Minster can be found here, while among the many things that can found at the Minster’s official website is this piece about the organ.

INFOGRAPHICS

Today has been a bumper day for infographics…

Attlee

The next three pictures are all related...
The next three pictures are all related…

Iceland LXI

Feminism Stop Homophobia Welfare

A FEW FINAL PICTURES

I bring this post to a conclusion with these pictures from East Rudham yesterday…

My parents new camper van
My parents new camper van
Inside the back of the camper van.
Inside the back of the camper van.
Once this pigeon nest was identified as reachable from ground level it did not survive long.
Once this pigeon nest was identified as reachable from ground level it did not survive long.

Twitter Following Approaches 2,500

INTRODUCTION

As well as my title piece, I have some pictures and some links to share, and a small section about the Great Centenary Charity Auction, and some photos. I hope that you enjoy this post enough to share it.

TWITTER FOLLOWING APPROACHES 2,500

My personal twitter following currently stands at 2,496. When I set up my personal twitter account back in late October, after some six months administrating the account of the Great Centenary Charity Auction (@great_auction) I had little idea that it would prove quite so successful.

THE GREAT CENTENARY CHARITY AUCTION

The first Great Centenary Charity Auction, held on June 28th, raised in excess of £20,000. A second is planned for March 2016. It is for this reason that a series of posts are being put out on the official website, www.greatcharity.org advertising successes from the first auction to build for the second. The full series of such posts runs as follows:

1)Lot 101

2)Commando Knife Cuts The Mustard At Auction

3)RFC Uniform Flies High At Auction

4)Another Success Clocked Up At The Great Centenary Charity Auction

5)British War Medal Brings In Big Money At Auction

I have already mentioned the twitter account, and there is also a facebook page, www.facebook.com/GreatAuction which I urge people to like.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERLUDE

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TWO FINAL LINKS

Although these form the end of this post, they are very important:

1)A Belfast Telegraph about the shooting a bird of an extremely endangered species that had been adopted by a school.

2)An account of how a secular student society in Manchester had its entire website deleted shortly after receiving an ominous communication from Saudi Arabia.

A Day Out In Norwich 4: The Wensum

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to this, my fourth post about a family day out inn Norwich this Thursday. Previous posts about this day are:

1)Introductory Post

2)Enter the Dragons

3)Lunch at the Belgian Monk

I hope that you will enjoy this post and be encouraged to share it.

THE WENSUM

The Wensum is the river that flows through the centre of Norwich. There are many fine sights to be seen along its banks. Here is a view looking along one bank…

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You will notice a boat in this shot, here is what it looks like closer up…

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Is there any information available about this riverside? You bet there is…

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You may have glimpsed a stone bridge in the first picture I showed. I have a close up of the centre portion and two shots showing how the smooth waters of the Wensum reflect it back…

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Here is the approach to river via Ferry Lane…

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Two pub signs on opposite sides of the river provide a fine contrast – one an unusual name in a plain style and one the commonest of all English pub names in a more elaborate style…

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After these signs we came to a decorative wooden seat…

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Now we come to the exraordinarily named Cow Tower, one of Britain’s oldest artillery placements, dating from 1398…

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Next, one for the swan fanciers…

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These water lilies made for decent picture…

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Two more closing shots for you, from just before we left the river for the last time…

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