I have to admit the news has really been getting to me. If I hear one more thing about Jon Venables I think I'll scream.
As far as I can understand this young man is once more in prison. From the press & the fuss you would think he has been found guilty of another terrible crime. But at this stage we don't even know for certain if he's accused of anything serious. He could just have dropped some litter.
Even if he has been arrested for a serious crime, he hasn't been tried. We have no idea if he is innocent or not. He may be innocent but with all this press coverage he's not going to get a fair impartial trial. And meanwhile his fellow prisoners may realise who he is and beat him up or some such behaviour.
The killing of baby Bulger was 17 years ago. Surely this man has grown up & may have developed into quite a different person. Would you want to be judged for what you were as a 10 year old? I'm not sure I would.
One thing is certain is that he won't have had a normal childhood. It must have taken a lot of readjustment to the real world outside prison. And if this is the sort of reaction of a fair society, he won't have had much help in making the readjustment. I just hope the second child involved in the Bulger murder, isn't to be hounded, not because of his actions now, but because of the actions of Venables.
Please don't get me wrong. Anyone who has committed a crime should be punished. If there is to be a trial, the past behaviour of Venables may have relevance. But it is then, and only then, that his identity should be revealed. And if he is found guilty, it is then, and only then, that he should be condemned.
Part of the point of prison is to rehabilitate, & afterwards to give a second chance. This is particularly pertinent for 10 year olds as Venables & his partner in crime were at the time of the horrific Bulger murder. Any children change as they mature, hopefully for the better, even those in prison. At 10 they are young enough to change.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Fresh shoots of spring
I've just been having a look at our bog garden. I'm anxious whether any of the plants we put in last year have survived.
The dogwood has looked healthy all winter. Their brightly coloured stems bringing some cheer to the mud patch. I've even been wondering if we shouldn't just fill the whole garden with a range of dogwoods of different size & colour. Even bare colourful stems help to hide the fence behind. And some varieties grow tall enough to hide some of the houses behind.
This morning, though, I was rewarded by the sight of a few, very fresh, reddish leaves emerging from the mud. The ligularia is coming out of its winter sleep. The at present red leaves will turn more chocolaty as the season progresses. So that's some more plants that have survived.
There's still no sign of life in the hydrangea. I'm particularly anxious about this. It seemed to droop very quickly when the bog became a lake rather than a mud patch. It would be a pity, partially because this was the big central plant, & also because the flowers were a gorgeous shade of blue. It was also the most expensive single plant.
There's no sign of the globe plants either.
I'm telling myself it is still early in the growing year. I'm just being impatient. We're not really out of winter yet. We've certainly not got beyond the season of ice & frost. That will be another month or so.
Meanwhile I'm starting to see signs of new life elsewhere in the garden. The new shoots of chives are pushing up through the soil. The fennel is looking so fluffy, at least near the ground. The crocuses & snowdrops are in flower. The birds are madly partnering off & flying around with twiggery in their beaks.
Spring is definitely on its way, if a bit hesitant at the moment.
The dogwood has looked healthy all winter. Their brightly coloured stems bringing some cheer to the mud patch. I've even been wondering if we shouldn't just fill the whole garden with a range of dogwoods of different size & colour. Even bare colourful stems help to hide the fence behind. And some varieties grow tall enough to hide some of the houses behind.
This morning, though, I was rewarded by the sight of a few, very fresh, reddish leaves emerging from the mud. The ligularia is coming out of its winter sleep. The at present red leaves will turn more chocolaty as the season progresses. So that's some more plants that have survived.
There's still no sign of life in the hydrangea. I'm particularly anxious about this. It seemed to droop very quickly when the bog became a lake rather than a mud patch. It would be a pity, partially because this was the big central plant, & also because the flowers were a gorgeous shade of blue. It was also the most expensive single plant.
There's no sign of the globe plants either.
I'm telling myself it is still early in the growing year. I'm just being impatient. We're not really out of winter yet. We've certainly not got beyond the season of ice & frost. That will be another month or so.
Meanwhile I'm starting to see signs of new life elsewhere in the garden. The new shoots of chives are pushing up through the soil. The fennel is looking so fluffy, at least near the ground. The crocuses & snowdrops are in flower. The birds are madly partnering off & flying around with twiggery in their beaks.
Spring is definitely on its way, if a bit hesitant at the moment.
Friday, 5 March 2010
All arranged
The thing about having a bright & sunny day at this time of year is that it tends to be followed by an absolutely freezing night. Last night was no exception. Once more I got up to a frosty white morning. I had a look at the thermometer outside. Again it read -11C. Brr... But the morning is staying bright which is some compensation.
As the Fox's readers will know, we've finally got our train tickets sorted. Now I just have to let Virgin Trains know I will need assistance at the stations. I just hope the journey goes as well as everyone tells us. The pessimistic part of me suspects the worst, but there's no harm in hoping. We've done as much as we can to make it easy.
I have to confess it still amazes me that it's taken nearly a month to organise a weekend away. I just hope it will be worth it. The hotel sounds as though it should be a bit of luxury, unlike the noisy place we stayed at in Liverpool. The show should be inspiring. And London will still be an exciting city to visit.
I'm telling myself if it is a success, & we fancy going again some time, it should be easier. Now I have my railcard. We've located helpful websites. We know where to find the info we need.
But oh, the simplicity of my last trip to London. Turn up at the station, buy a return ticket, straight down to London, fabulous day out (job interview, Monet's "Water Lily Pond", Westminster Abbey) then back on an early evening train. All I needed before I set out was the train time. Easy. And I never realised just how easy at the time!
As the Fox's readers will know, we've finally got our train tickets sorted. Now I just have to let Virgin Trains know I will need assistance at the stations. I just hope the journey goes as well as everyone tells us. The pessimistic part of me suspects the worst, but there's no harm in hoping. We've done as much as we can to make it easy.
I have to confess it still amazes me that it's taken nearly a month to organise a weekend away. I just hope it will be worth it. The hotel sounds as though it should be a bit of luxury, unlike the noisy place we stayed at in Liverpool. The show should be inspiring. And London will still be an exciting city to visit.
I'm telling myself if it is a success, & we fancy going again some time, it should be easier. Now I have my railcard. We've located helpful websites. We know where to find the info we need.
But oh, the simplicity of my last trip to London. Turn up at the station, buy a return ticket, straight down to London, fabulous day out (job interview, Monet's "Water Lily Pond", Westminster Abbey) then back on an early evening train. All I needed before I set out was the train time. Easy. And I never realised just how easy at the time!
Thursday, 4 March 2010
The washing seems to have dried quickly this week. I'm taking it as a sign of increasing warmth. I've even been getting the ironing done today, earlier in the week than our winter norm.
The sun has returned again today. Yesterday's sun was purely the metaphorical sun brought about by a highly successful culinary experiment - crispy monkfish & scallop kebabs. That put us both into a good mood.
Today the Fox is in charge of the cooking. He's making a simple bacon & tomato sauce to accompany some pasta bows. It's an old favourite which he has rarely done so still seems adventurous to him. At times, though, old favourites are very welcome.
Meanwhile I'll continue working down the freezer contents list. The next item is smoked duck breast. Now, I wonder what I can do with that. Adapt a smoked chicken flan recipe, perhaps? Or how about warming it up in some green ginger gravy? I'll have to put my thinking cap on.
The sun has returned again today. Yesterday's sun was purely the metaphorical sun brought about by a highly successful culinary experiment - crispy monkfish & scallop kebabs. That put us both into a good mood.
Today the Fox is in charge of the cooking. He's making a simple bacon & tomato sauce to accompany some pasta bows. It's an old favourite which he has rarely done so still seems adventurous to him. At times, though, old favourites are very welcome.
Meanwhile I'll continue working down the freezer contents list. The next item is smoked duck breast. Now, I wonder what I can do with that. Adapt a smoked chicken flan recipe, perhaps? Or how about warming it up in some green ginger gravy? I'll have to put my thinking cap on.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
A bit of sunshine
It's amazing what a bit of sunshine can do. It raises the morale of all.
Even before we left the house, my spirits rose just from the sight of the golden crocuses in full bloom in the front garden. So cheery as they seemed to reflect back the sun.
We toodled along the prom to the Pub. The water was an intense bright blue. Across the bay, the snow-capped fells seemed to be standing more erect, more to attention. The odd brightly painted boat bobbed on the gently moving waters.
We had a quiet drink or two, doing the Times puzzles with PD. They seemed so much easier than they had been on Monday.
On the way back we stopped at Morrisons. I found the monkfish & scallops I'd been looking for for weeks - I'd concluded we'd have to make a special trip into Lancaster Market, where there's a good fish stall. We hastily got some. We're having them for dinner tonight.
As we went round the store we bumped into our church's lay preacher & her husband. They stopped to pass a few cheery words.
Eventually we got to the till. Even here, the lady was filled with good cheer, enthusing about the sunshine even though she was stuck inside working. It's nice when staff can relax sufficiently to be humans rather than automatons.
Today once more the world is looking grey, the light flat, but it has been great to have a couple of days of blue skies with a hint of warmth on the skin if you've been able to be in the sun. A real tonic for the spirits. Roll on spring.
Even before we left the house, my spirits rose just from the sight of the golden crocuses in full bloom in the front garden. So cheery as they seemed to reflect back the sun.
We toodled along the prom to the Pub. The water was an intense bright blue. Across the bay, the snow-capped fells seemed to be standing more erect, more to attention. The odd brightly painted boat bobbed on the gently moving waters.
We had a quiet drink or two, doing the Times puzzles with PD. They seemed so much easier than they had been on Monday.
On the way back we stopped at Morrisons. I found the monkfish & scallops I'd been looking for for weeks - I'd concluded we'd have to make a special trip into Lancaster Market, where there's a good fish stall. We hastily got some. We're having them for dinner tonight.
As we went round the store we bumped into our church's lay preacher & her husband. They stopped to pass a few cheery words.
Eventually we got to the till. Even here, the lady was filled with good cheer, enthusing about the sunshine even though she was stuck inside working. It's nice when staff can relax sufficiently to be humans rather than automatons.
Today once more the world is looking grey, the light flat, but it has been great to have a couple of days of blue skies with a hint of warmth on the skin if you've been able to be in the sun. A real tonic for the spirits. Roll on spring.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Paeon to a simpler life
Once upon a time it was possible just to pop down to the railway station, buy a ticket & be away. Life seems so much simpler in those pre-privatisation times. Now I feel bombarded by a whole array of options.
I accept part of the difficulty arises from me using a wheelchair. This means I will have to notify the train company that we will need assistance at the stations. The Fox seems to think we will only need a small overnight bag so he'll be able to push, but I can't help thinking we may need something more than that. Usually when we go away for a couple of nights we do only take a small overnight bag. And a carrier bag with sandals & books, & a bed cradle, &.... Everything will have to go in this one bag to London. What is more, we're staying in a rather posh hotel where we may feel a bit more comfortable looking a bit smarter in the evening rather than being in our scruff all day long, especially if we were to decide to go the whole hog & eat in the restaurant one evening.
Then comes the question of ticket. There seems to be only one direct provider of trains on the route we want, Virgin Rail. At least that much is easy.
But, do we turn up on the day & get 50% off the full price as I am a wheelchair user? Or do I buy a disabled railcard at £18, which would get us a third off even the cheapest tickets? Would I be saving the £18? Admittedly the railcard would be valid for all trips within 12 months, but would we want to travel by train again? This is the first time I will have got on a train for at least 20 years. The reality of train travel with a wheelchair may turn out to be more difficult than we're told. It may be as bad as we have feared all these years, despite the introduction of anti-discrimination laws.
Certainly I can see the advantage of getting advance tickets. That way the Fox can ensure getting a seat. A friend recently came back from holiday & ended up standing all the way from Gatwick to Manchester, not an appealing proposition for the Fox.
On top of which, if I do get a railcard, advance tickets are cheaper.
Oh why do things have to be so complicated? I tell myself it's known as progress. In theory it should mean we can travel cheaper. After all we're not limited to times as to when we go, but it does add complexity.
I accept part of the difficulty arises from me using a wheelchair. This means I will have to notify the train company that we will need assistance at the stations. The Fox seems to think we will only need a small overnight bag so he'll be able to push, but I can't help thinking we may need something more than that. Usually when we go away for a couple of nights we do only take a small overnight bag. And a carrier bag with sandals & books, & a bed cradle, &.... Everything will have to go in this one bag to London. What is more, we're staying in a rather posh hotel where we may feel a bit more comfortable looking a bit smarter in the evening rather than being in our scruff all day long, especially if we were to decide to go the whole hog & eat in the restaurant one evening.
Then comes the question of ticket. There seems to be only one direct provider of trains on the route we want, Virgin Rail. At least that much is easy.
But, do we turn up on the day & get 50% off the full price as I am a wheelchair user? Or do I buy a disabled railcard at £18, which would get us a third off even the cheapest tickets? Would I be saving the £18? Admittedly the railcard would be valid for all trips within 12 months, but would we want to travel by train again? This is the first time I will have got on a train for at least 20 years. The reality of train travel with a wheelchair may turn out to be more difficult than we're told. It may be as bad as we have feared all these years, despite the introduction of anti-discrimination laws.
Certainly I can see the advantage of getting advance tickets. That way the Fox can ensure getting a seat. A friend recently came back from holiday & ended up standing all the way from Gatwick to Manchester, not an appealing proposition for the Fox.
On top of which, if I do get a railcard, advance tickets are cheaper.
Oh why do things have to be so complicated? I tell myself it's known as progress. In theory it should mean we can travel cheaper. After all we're not limited to times as to when we go, but it does add complexity.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Blind belief & faith
I actually managed to get to church yesterday. Second time this year!
The sermon discussed the difference between "blind belief" & "faith".
The former he reckoned is unquestioning belief where everything is accepted hook, line & sinker. The problem with this sort of belief is that, in times of trouble (& they come to us all), they can be easily shaken because there is no basis for the belief. Indeed the whole object of belief is often completely thrown out as it failed to solve the problem instantly.
Faith, however, the priest reckoned, is more akin to doubt. Questions are asked, answers sought. Only then is there belief, faith. This form of belief is strong because so many questions have already been asked & yet the belief has remained. Sometimes the faith has continued despite no answers having been found & yet a certainty in the veracity of the object of faith remains. In times of trouble it survives because, although it may give no instant answers, there is trust that ultimately there will be.
I found this sermon quite reassuring. I sometimes question the strength of my faith, even its reality, yet I never question the reality of God. It's reassuring to know this priest, too, has his doubts, his questions, &, too, his faith.
We're having an interregnum at our church at present. The quality of priest is variable. Most are retired &, one suspects, should remain retired. But this priest I like. He reminds me of Roger Livesey in the film "A Matter of Life and Death". He seems a very amiable man, with little affectation, & yet he also strikes me as a very intelligent man with a deep insight into his fellow mankind. I always come away with some grain to mull over for a while.
The sermon discussed the difference between "blind belief" & "faith".
The former he reckoned is unquestioning belief where everything is accepted hook, line & sinker. The problem with this sort of belief is that, in times of trouble (& they come to us all), they can be easily shaken because there is no basis for the belief. Indeed the whole object of belief is often completely thrown out as it failed to solve the problem instantly.
Faith, however, the priest reckoned, is more akin to doubt. Questions are asked, answers sought. Only then is there belief, faith. This form of belief is strong because so many questions have already been asked & yet the belief has remained. Sometimes the faith has continued despite no answers having been found & yet a certainty in the veracity of the object of faith remains. In times of trouble it survives because, although it may give no instant answers, there is trust that ultimately there will be.
I found this sermon quite reassuring. I sometimes question the strength of my faith, even its reality, yet I never question the reality of God. It's reassuring to know this priest, too, has his doubts, his questions, &, too, his faith.
We're having an interregnum at our church at present. The quality of priest is variable. Most are retired &, one suspects, should remain retired. But this priest I like. He reminds me of Roger Livesey in the film "A Matter of Life and Death". He seems a very amiable man, with little affectation, & yet he also strikes me as a very intelligent man with a deep insight into his fellow mankind. I always come away with some grain to mull over for a while.
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