Belgrave Rd Traffic Lights

Seven days ago I took an X46 up to Kenford to get some Photos of the snow. On the way I noticed the traffic lights at the bottom of Belgrave Rd weren't working. Today I was on the sea front taking some photos of the mist and I noticed the traffic lights still aren't working.

 

Mind you, the traffic seems to be flowing much quicker now than back in the good old days when the lights did shine. 

Oak Tree

Taken 29 Dec 2010

Soon be 2011

I've just watched one of those end of year programs called, I think, The Most Annoying People of 2010. Only the first 50 were on tonight so I will have to watch tomorrow to find out who the most annoying person of 2010 is. Will it be Nick Bye our beloved mayor (elected but not for much longer if comments in the Herald Express are anything to go by) or his one time best buddy Chris Lewis ( the most photographed man in Torbay) or could outsider

Elizabeth Raikes (Torbay Council's chief executive) who put in a late run with her threat of police action over an unemptied bin. I am not sure I will ever find out because most of the annoying people were basically unknown to me being C or D list celebs I don't give a damn about.

But there are people out there who would I am sure have know every single one of the and known why they were so annoying. Take a radio phone in quiz show on earlier in the day. The contestant had to answer 7 questions correctly to win. The first answers to the first 5 questions consisted of people who had a good chance of being on the TV program mentioned above. It was clear the DJ asking the questions liked the girl on the phone because question 6 was a maths question. Not something simple like the value of pie to the tenth decimal place or 2 to the power 10 or explain Pythagoras's Theorem in 17 words or less. No this was really hard; What is 27 minus 3. America had moved several inches further away from Europe by the time she answered but she got it right. Final question, get this right and a World Cruise for two with 50 thousand quid spending money plus her very own detached villa next door to Wayne Rooney plus free TV licence for a year was at stake.

"Who is the Deputy Prime Minister?"

You would have needed an atomic clock to measure the time between the end of the question and the answer. Lightening could not have struck faster. The fastest gun fighter in the West would have had a bullet between the eyes before he had even reach for his gun. Cheetahs all over Africa would have stared in wonder. Light would have to admit it is a slow coach compared with our contestant. Absolutely not even a nano second's hesitation.

"No idea."

　

Jumping on a Bandwagon

Aviation minister Theresa Villiers said an airport should be fined when it "does let passengers down and doesn't prepare properly for severe weather". (From BBC web site Sunday evening).

Yeh right. Make em pay. Just a couple of problems with this blatant jumping on a bandwagon. Who exactly will end up paying? I mean, where do the airports get their money from. That's right, from Joe Public that's who. The poor sods who have spent 2 or 3 days sleeping on the floor of some airport lounge when they should have been on day 2 of a midwinter holiday. The very people that, at first glance, the idea of fining the airport is supposed to protect. Now it will just cost them more to sleep on the floor of the airport next year.

Problem Two. Let's be fair, airports floors weren't the only place travellers spent an unexpected night or two. What about all the motorists stuck in their cars or in community centres because someone hadn't cleared the roads, that is, hadn't prepared properly for severe weather. And who was that? Well the government that's who. So if you are going to fine the airports for allowing severe weather to disrupt travel plans then how about fining the Department of Transport for the same offence?

Flu Jab and 112

About six years ago I walked into work one winter's morning and there was a nurse waiting. Stagecoach had arranged for any driver who wanted a flu jab could have one. So I had one. I can still remember how sore my arm was as I drove the bus between Brixham and Newtob Abbot that day and decided I wasn't going to bother again.

Yesterday I had an appointment at the doctor's, a regular check to make sure my heart was still going. It was. The nurse then asked if I wanted a flu jab. Remembering my sore arm from years ago I almost refused but only almost. When I got home 30 minutes later, sore arm and all, I put the telly on there was a story about how many people were in intensive care with flu. Not a bad idea this flu jab thing.

An item in the local paper prompted by the Coast Guards suggested that if you needed emergency services, Police' Fire, Ambulance, Coast Guard, Mountain Rescue or Pothole Rescue and are using a mobile and are unsure of your exact location you should use 112 instead of 999. True, not only is it true but it will help the emergency service you require find exactly where you are from you phone’s signal. While checking this fact out I also came across on item on the web that stated that your mobile would work even if there was no local signal available. How would it work? It would pick up a satellite signal, even if you were on the London underground. What a good idea. Then a bit more digging. Sorry this last piece about the satellite isn’t true. Your mobile just isn’t built to send a signal to a satellite. So where did this idea come from. What prick set this rumour going. Somebody must have. Own up now and don't do it again you naughty boy.

PS 112 works in most European Countries but hopefully you will never need that information.

PPS Merry Christmas from Santa's Grotto to all.