Family day today

At around 12 noon, we are expecting our son Chris and family to arrive from Kent. They plan to go to the annual Pumpkin Fair in Soham and then some are off to nearby Newmarket to see The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe performed at the Nomads Theatre. It should be a nice weekend for them and for us.

Image on LHS is located at http://www.sohampumpkinfair.co.uk/images/mrpumpkin_welcome.jpg .  

Image copyright is with originating website and link will be removed if requested, but you are getting free publicity!

Our granddaughter surrounded by pumpkins!

Stomach PEG coming out soon (stroke)

Having seen the dietician nurse in clinic at Addenbrooke's today, it is now likely that my stomach PEG will be removed "in the coming weeks".   Just how it comes out will be decided shortly.   It means that the water I currently inject directly into my stomach will have to be by mouth soon. As my swallow of liquids is still not that easy, this will be non-trivial, but do-able. Regarding alcohol, the dieticians could see no reason why the odd glass of wine should be an issue, but they suggested I discuss with my GP in case it is linked to the pills I take. I doubt this.

"Deadly serious" computer security vulnerability

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29361794 .

Computer experts are warning about a new vulnerability that could affect many millions of computers worldwide.

Lower cost car insurance?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29339753 .  It looks like car insurances may drop in cost soon. I hope so, as insuring cars is an expensive business. In my own case I have to declare my brain bleed a year ago to my insurer as "a pre-existing condition".  I have no idea what difference this will make to how much I shall have to pay. Not too much I hope.

Never trust a politician?

The last time I voted Conservative was in a local election some 40 odd years ago. I am what people call "a floating voter" as I vote according to my conscience and a have voted Labour, Lib Dem and Green in the past. Although I have sympathy with some Labour policies, I find it hard to trust the current Labour leader  who seems ineffective to me. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29335450 .

At the moment I am very undecided who to vote for in the General Election next year.  Maybe when their policies are better explained I'll be able to decide. Voting Conservative rather goes against the grain - their policies do seem to support the well heeled, but they have done a reasonably credible job so far in the coalition government in the last 4 years. Labour is likely to have stoked the National Debt even more. This worries me for the future.

The basic message is we have to learn to live within our means as individuals and as a nation.   Whichever party truly believes this and has the right policies will (probably) get my vote.   It is a long time since we ruled the world and had an empire that allowed us to exploit it.

UK wide webcams

See http://www.camsecure.co.uk/Camsecure_Live_Demo_Index.html for a map listing many UK free webcams. A useful place to look.

Windy in S.Devon?

Every few days, I check the webcams in the South Hams.

Just looked at the one in Hope Cove where it looks cold and windy. See http://www.camsecure.co.uk/SalcombeHopeCove.html . As I write this, it is dark. The flag is visible blowing around in the wind. In the daytime it is a lot more interesting.

Hope Cove is where there were Lapthorns nearly 500 years ago, and possibly much earlier too. I have one record of a Lapthorn sharing a piece of land nearby (parish of South Huish) in 1428.