Oak Tree

Taken 15 Jan 2011

Of to Australia next Week

I'm of to Australia next week for a family visit. In previous trips to Oz I have stayed in Sydney with my sister Ann then gone up to Tweed Heads to visit my other sister, Cath. Tweed Heads is on the New South Wales and Queensland border, only about 100km south of Brisbane. Recently though Cath has moved to Tasmania so I will not be getting anywhere near the flooded areas. How ever I received a photo taken in Tassie a day ago showing that even there flooding has occurred. Nothing like on the scale seen in Queensland and just recently in Brazil. The images from Queensland and Brazil show just how delicate the balance between nature in it's benign and destructive moods actually is. Some say it is all down to climate change while others put it down to weather patterns that throw up these huge climate anomalies purely at random. I can thing of such dramatic events even in my own experience. The winter of 1947, the long hot dry summer of 1959, the winter of 1963 when it snowed for months on end. Then 1973 when the BBC weather forecast consisted of three words, Hot, Dry, Sunny. The forecaster just moved then around the map. Even last year the cold and snow we had through out December were most unusual. What ever is causing the unusual weather the world seems to be having doesn't take away the pain and suffering of those people directly effected.

The question still remains. Do we spend billions to counter the possible effects of possible climate change, something that might not happen or do we sit back and hope the 'once in a generation' side in this argument are right. I wish I knew. But it's not my problem. I'm too old to still be around when the worst case scenario turns up which is a shame because I would like to have found out which side are right. Possibly that is the problem, most people, who are in a position to take the expensive action, that is the politicians, feel they are in the same position I am and don't want to spend money they wont see any benefit from. And because they would get voted of at the next election.

Three pictures of an Enviro 400

I had a ride on 19658 ( reg number WA60FHP 1375 miles on the clock ) today, from Paignton Bus Station to Torquay. First I went upstairs and have to report the seats were just as comfy as any other decker on the fleet. Later I sat down stairs and again the seats were OK, nothing like my earlier experience on a number 2. The seats across the back two rows are plastic so after the feet up on seats brigade have done their worse they can be easily wiped down. There are two seat right behind the door, great view of the road ahead and grand if you want to chat to the driver. (Please don't). The second shot is the carrying capacity, I make that a hundred and one passengers when full. The 3rd photo I took after I got of at Cary Parade and shows slight damage to the back nearside of the bus. Didn't occure while I was on the bus.

The buses have some connection with Marks and Spencer's, whether they have bought them outright or just contributed to the cost I am not sure. The 32 now runs all the way to the Willows when Marks and Sparks have a big store if you are wondering about the connection.

A couple of photos taken in Fleet St

These are the two new Enviro 400s that Stagecoach are running, for the time being, on the 12 route. They were ment to be on the 32 route but apparently a risk assesment was carried out and there were a couple of issues concerning tree branches and curb stones. Once they are sorted I should imagine they will start running between Marychurch and the Willows. I haven't ridden on either of these two buses but I did, to my regret take a ride on a number 2 between Teignmouth and Newton Abbot a few months ago. I found the passenger seats very hard, almost painfully so. Maybe the problem has been sorted with these two.

Football Result and George, the wimp Osborne

Please note, bewarned this post contains a swear word. But it is about George Osborne so that makes it alright, almost.

This evening Crawley Town, a team in the Blue Star Premier League defeated Derby County, a team in the Champions League in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. In case you aren't too familiar with the exact nature of English football it means a team in what is in effect the fifth rank of English football beat a team in the 2nd rank. What that means to us here in Torquay is our football team( in the 4th rank ) play Crawley Town at home on Jan 29. It also means the Torquay United have a very good chance of making it to the 5th of the most well know knockout competition in domestic football for the first time ever. If we win that game we are only two games away from appearing at Wembley in the Cup Final. So where do you expect I will be on Saturday Jan 29 at 3 o'clock? Got it in one. I'll be in Tasmania on holiday, that's where.

And remember George Osborne a year ago when he was Shadow Chancellor saying how the moment he came to power he would do something about the obscenely huge bonuses Banks were paying out. Well he's done it. He's done that something. He walked up to the door of the nearest bank to the Houses of Parliament and hammered on the door shouting,"Open up in the name of the Government." When the door was opened half an inch he politely asked, "Please don't pay big bonuses, I'll look bad."

"We'll think about it", was the reply. "Now go away, your letting the cold in".

The door was then shut in his face. And despite this polite request you can guess what are the banks going to do? They're going to ignore him completely and pay out extremely obscenely huge bonuses because they know there is shit all he can do about it.