Penguin68

Mick Mac - I am not sure that feather colour is matched by skin colour (it isn't in the chickens I eat) but visually I do of course consider myself black and white (but never grey!) Showboat - your response to Neil's question is one I concur with. However I suspect that one may interpret actions by other groups more swiftly (and in a condemnatory fashion) than you would of groups whose behaviour you are more confortable with. As someone on the wrong side of 60 I am more wary of young people (of whatever colour) because I no longer share or have real knowledge of what idioms and actions actually mean. 'Gay' meant cheeful when I was young, then homosexual and now apparently 'bad' (or sad) - so if I heard someone calling me 'gay' I might find it difficult to interpret it correctly, but would probably be most concerned if it was a young person speaking when I was most unsure what he/ she actually meant by the word. However much we fight it 'people like us' are more reassuring than 'people not like us' - whether that's an age, a sex, an education, a religion, a social class, a nationality etc. etc. thing. We all try to act on the basis of what real individuals are, not what their 'group' may represent, but one of our human skills is actually classification of things, which exactly militates against these good intentions.

I have no children now at (any) school at all, so I have no 'interest' (any form of stake) in this, hence I am disinterested but not, as it happens, uninterested in what appears to be a compounding series of misunderstood-communications both within the school and within this forum. There are real problems with defining racism; some believe that people who form part of a racial minority who may have been, or who are, oppressed cannot themselves ever be racist - thus in the UK only white people (the unoppressed majority) can be racist. Others perceive that judging anyone simply by the external criteria of skin colour or national origin suggests a racist attitude, regardless of what the ethnic background of the one judging is. There are also some people who would define racism as being based only on the pereception of the one who feels discriminated against, outwith any intention of the one seen as discriminating - hence the concept of institutional racism where the intent of the 'racist' is not an issue, but simply the balance of the processes the 'racist' is operating. I personally believe that intent is a requirement, although knowledge that an inherently discriminatory system is being worked within can be seen as 'implied' intent. I am not sure that someone is a racist simply if they are unable to put themselves in another's shoes sufficently to be sensitive to what could be interpreted as 'racism' even where it is not, and never had been, intended as such. Often that requires levels of knowledge and experience far beyond the normal. 'Lynch-mobs' have never been part of the UK experience of racist activity - such that portraying one (especially one which nods towards the Gothic horrors of the Frankenstein myth) might not have been seen by someone not sensitised to the history of the Southern states as being racist (although clearly violence towards racial minorities by groups is not, sadly, unknown in the UK).

of a couple of vacuous over priviledged leaches I do not know the couple personally (neither I suspect does ratty) - so I cannot comment on whether either or both are vaccuous - their public statements are necessarily guarded, so they may appear vaccuous - but the Prince does appear to be holding down a quite serious Services job and Ms Middleton has certainly worked (if only in the family firm, although I know many people who work very hard and effectively in family firms). I see no evidence in Ms Middleton's case, of over-privilege - she is a normal daughter of a successful middle-class couple, so unless being middle-class is a sign of over-privilege I don't think she, at least, qualifies. Neither, yet, is she in any way benefittng from the public purse (I don't think Prince William either is in receipt directly of public funds other than his Services salary, presumably the same as any other offcer of his rank/ experience). Clearly he does have the benefit of being the son of a very wealthy man, but that does not make him a leech. By all means attack the concept of an hereditary head of state, and a deference society which sees merit simply in being royal, but equally the reverse of the coin (attacking an individual soley because of their heredity) is also unthinking. I hope that the couple have a happy married life togther as I would wish any couple marrying. I will not be watching the festivities as I care no more about them than any other couple marrying, but I would not wish to deprive those who will enjoy the spectacle of their fun. And 'the rest' of us are not all facing the prospect of austerity and hardship, although undoubtedly some of the rest of us are.

This might be a solution http://reviews.homebase.co.uk/1494-en_gb/328419/reviews.htm

Now when Concorde used to fly over - that was LOUD! I live under the old flight path as well - it was loud, but boy was it beatiful. My heart lifted everytime I saw it.

Oh, goodeee, the prospect of clowns

Two things - I don't understand why (possibly) rude and (possibly) thoughtless cyclists should be branded as ignorant. In what way are they demonstrating lack of knowledge? Care, perhaps. Second - cyclists if coming up fast behind pedestrians need to make sure that the pedestrian will be holding a steady line - elderly pedestrians (I'm one) can easily veer sideways or stagger - obviously anyone with a child may make sudden sideways movements (or their child might) - as a walker I occcasionally have to do so to avoid unexpected gifts from thoughtless dog-walkers. When I have cycled I tended to slow down when passing people in case they made unexpected movements, as a driver I certainly do when passing cyclists - who again do not always maintain a steady line - for instance when steering round potholes. A cyclist coming up very fast behind you and apparently not slowing or 'noticing' you, the walker, can leave you genuinely scared that it was only by chance that they avoided an accident, had you by chance (and reasonably) diverted your path at the moment they passed. Cyclists are very quiet, if you are talking, or listening to music, or just slightly deaf they can come as a real and unwelcome surprise as, and when, they spin past you.

Well, at my time of life, it's not in The rapia

I've got water problems - always put it down to age...

Curiously probably not - the cold weather foxes are Arctic foxes, whereas us penguins are strictly Antarctic.

To be wholly honest I prefer foxes in my garden to cats - cats can be equally noisesome regarding their lavatorial habits (and tom's when marking territory) and at least the foxes tend not to massacre the birds - they both are equally helpful (foxes possibly more so) when it comes to rodent control. And cat's can also be noisy. Foxes, unless very tame, don't beg for food or try to ingratiate themselves into multiple households, and I prefer their territorial displays to those of aggressive cats. And foxes, if they are trying to catch my fish, aren't doing so blatantly in front of me with a sneer! Additionally I'm not allergic to foxes but cats give me asthma.

Amazingly most councils charge the cost of crematoria (where they run them) and cemeteries to 'Leisure & Recreation' The only logic is that both tend to include large open and cultivated spaces (i.e. gardens of remembrance) and hence call on the same skill sets as parks.

Fair do's iarnr it takes a certain chutzpa to advertise yourself and your firm under a headline of Dog Crap - that's almost post-modern in its explictness!

Bully for Barry

At the 1 Forest Hill Road surgery they are advertising closing times for several events, including the Royal Wedding (well I suppose it is) and something called Seasonal Break, which apparently happens at the same time as I (a committed and indeed militant atheist) will be taking time off to celebrate the Christian festival of Easter. Good Friday and Easter Monday are now apparently Seasonal Friday and Seasonal Monday. Could any committed Hindus, Jews or Moslems who read this forum let me know whether they would be offended by reference to Easter as a description of the set of bank holidays we are just to come into - as in 'Easter Break'? As (also) a republican should I be asking the surgery to refer to the bank holiday on 29th April as a seasonal wedding?

James As the road works to further narrow Underhill etc. etc. are actually now underway (some days earlier than you suggested) my comments were in an appropriate place - 'road works on Barry Road' - this is the most up-to-date thread directly addressing the issue and I have used it - albeit the initial road works discussed on the thread have now appeared to move down to the Underhill intersection works. Frankly traversing Barry here is now a nightmare, with the junction at the southern end now severely narrowed (I hope just by the construction) and right-of-way given to traffic driving towards Whately Road (but of course as there is limited vision it is difficult to give way where you are obliged to, as you can't see oncoming traffic until you reach the actually junction). If 5 weeks of this doesn't lead to accidents I will be very surprised.

It is normally easier, and safer, to prune trees when not in leaf, the weight (and consequent danger) of boughs is much reduced. This does lead to autumn (in fact early winter) pruning of trees that do put on flowering growth in the summer - so this is lost - although trees should anyway be pruned, not savaged, unless they form part of a managed wood for pollarding. Pruning trees should be about removing damaged and dangerous elements, elements growing where they are not wanted (into buildings) and sometimes a general thinning to reduce overall weight (a protection against storm damage). The 'short back and sides' favoured by councils isn't pruning, it's vandalism. Properly pruned trees should still (even when spring flowering growth which grows in summer is 'lost') have sufficient blossoming growth to offer a decent show (and feed the bees). As many blossom trees only leaf-up fully after blossoming they can be safely pruned post-blossoming and still put on growth for next spring's show; again, where fruits and nuts follow, leaving sufficient on the tree for human or animal harvest. It is typical of many councils that they employ experts (tree surgeons) but don't think to listen to, or take, their advice.

If I was a cynic I would think that the officer responsible for this bizarre and inappropriate decision, like me, suffers from 'hay-fever' triggered by tree pollens. I take the anti-histamines and learn to live with the beauty and the utility of flowering and blossoming trees. Clearly he/ she takes the Colonel Gaddafi option when faced with recalcitrant nature.

Amongst other things, the blossom offers substantial food sources for bumble bees, now out and about and hungry - removing the blossom deprives them - and we know the problems we are facing as bee populations plummet.

As I have already noted, the effects of the raised areas will be to slow down cars crossing Barry or turning into Underhill, which means that this increases their chances of being struck by cars speeding along Barry. It is possible that the raised position of cars waiting to cross/ enter Barry will give them better visibility (which is good) but that is, I believe, an unintended consequence, if it happens at all. The ramp work will further narrow the junction for users of Underhill, again making easy progress off Barry and into Underhill a greater problem. The problem is with Barry, a solution based around Underhill makes no obvious sense.

Since the road narrowing will remove parking places and (for instance) delivery points for local traders - and some of the shops would probably expect people to need transport to take things away (i.e. furniture and other bulky items) that they had bought I suspect that this isn't an issue of high speed traffic over pedestrians but accessibility. Except late at night (or very early in the morning) I have never, in over 20 years, been able to drive at high speeds along the relevant bit of Grove Vale (even had I wanted to) because of existing traffic and the multitide of crossing points.

It is interesting to drive at or slightly below the legal speed limit on local roads in ED to see the fury of those who wish to travel faster - perhaps we should make it an intentional act to drive legally around the place to set and enforce the limits that others wish to flout. Maybe white van men (not that these are the only speedsters) would stop usng our roads as cut-throughs and access them only when they need to get to properties in them.

Writing as someone on the hillier parts of ED - having too high a pressure would be a boon, particularly in the summer when flow can taper off to a trickle. But most showers (I thought) run off the cold water tanks, not direct from the mains (hence problems with negative head pressure when showers are installed in attic extensions). I assume that you are in a ground floor flat and taking all your water direct off the mains and not via cold water tanks, as would be more normal in a house, particularly for showers. If your cold water is mains powered and your hot water comes from a static cylinder (i.e. without a booster pump) then I can see that you would have a problem once the mains pressure was increased. But I would get more than one quote about a remedy.

James You wrote that the work would take 5 weeks and things would be improved by Friday April 8th - do you mean 5 days or, as I fear, 8th May

My house phone can dial out but when i call my house phone it does not ring but i can hear it ringing on the mobile I would have thought the only way this could happen is if your landline is forwarded to your mobile. If you have BT broadband this might help http://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8610/c/426,2348,1038,1043 have just discovered that even though I thought my phone line was up and running, turns out that I have a line, but am on someone elses phone number In earlier posts I have said that BT has had to manually reconnect all 2000 pairs (twice) to link forward to your premise and backwards to the exchange - I suspect that live pairs have been linked, but have terminated onto the wrong part of the frame in the exchange - so that your pairs have linked through to someone else. BT have 'mixed up' the lines - but only because they were having to splice in a new length of cable - you will probably have terminated onto a line-pair which is not connected to an ADSL rack (the system which enables broadband). BT should be able to re-jumper at the exchange (rather than having to go back into the repaired section of cable) - if you can find the number of the phone that is ringing when yours is called that would probably help speed up their repair process.