Go Skegness - Who?

Ever heard of Go Skegness? No? Worryingly neither had I until today.

Why do I say worryingly? Well this organisation, Go Skegness, has been given £5,700,000 (5.7 million pounds) to improve the transport infrastructure in the Skegness area. That is an awful lot of money being given to an organisation that has, what I believe, such a low public profile.

I am really pleased to see the money being allocated but would question some of the projects that it is being allocated to.

• A cycle route to Gibraltar Point.
• A cycle route Skegness to Chapel-St-Leonards.
• Measures to improve cycling connections within Skegness Town Centre.
• Enhancements to the public realm within the town centre and at Skegness Interchange.

There are also several aspirational things going forward.

I am always happy to see money being invested in our town and local area but this does seem to be a bit "off the wall" in its priorities.

If you want to get more information about this then have a look here: http://www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk/funding/view-growth-deals/go-skegness

Murderous Intent

Just when you think you have seen it all.

Just had a blooming great long-haired ginger tom in the back garden. It was stalking a squirrel. Never seen that before. Luckily the squirrel was one step ahead of the aforementioned potential murderer.

Have to say this incident has just hardened my, already, concrete view of moggies. I really cannot stand them. Horrible creatures which will kill anything furry or feathery and smaller than themselves. I know that there are many people that love their cats but, for me, I just wish they loved them and kept them in their own gardens.

Sorry if that has annoyed anybody but it is the way that I feel!

Ruffians In My Garden _ ASBO Required

My wife put some new bird food out yesterday in the garden. Something like a log of fat, the same kind of stuff that you can buy as fat balls. All of the birds seem to like it but unfortunately it has attracted the ruffian element. Forceful and aggressive creatures that bully each other and the other species that we attract.

The starling. Nasty little herberts they are. It is bad enough that we have the big fat wood pigeons hoovering every bit of food up in sight, now they can eat, but at least they are not nasty with it. I only wish we could have a say in who comes to eat at our table but it is all or nothing.

That's nature I suppose.

Bringing The Seaside To The Seaside

Saw this rather remarkable vehicle parked across the road from my house. Excellent paintjob I thought. It is a Bedford CF van, fairly rare nowadays.

I live about 200 yards from the beach in a very quite avenue so was very surprised to see it parked up.

While I was looking at it and snapping these images the chap that owns it came over and told me something about it. Very interesting tale. You can find all the information about it on a blog that is dedicated to Trevor. Yes it has a name. Have a look here to find out about this great project:
http://trevorthevan.blogspot.co.uk/

Independent Councillor - Such A Thing?

I ask this question simply because I cannot find one on the East Lindsey District Council and this has always been something that I am confused by.  

My view of an Independent Councillor is one who is free from party allegiance and is free thinking, allowing them to vote independently of anyone else. I think that is a logical view. This definition would back up that view:

Politics. a person who votes for candidates, measures, etc., in accordance with his or her own judgement and without regard to the endorsement of, or positions taken by, any party.

Now as I say I cannot find such a being in the ranks of ELDC councillors. Nobody actually listed as Independent. We have East Lindsey Independent Group and we have Independent/Liberal Democrat, but no actual Independents. 

Firstly I have no idea what an Independent/Liberal Democrat actually is but it certainly does not read as Independent. Secondly. If you are Independent then why would you join a group? Surely once you have joined a group then you are part of that group and are therefore, by definition, not Independent? The leader of the group, yes there is one, strange isn't it, is responsible for representing the group and responsible for allocating councillors to particular roles and committees within the council. Just as the leaders of the party groups do. So what is the difference between a party group and an Independent group? Nothing in my eyes. Are the group members going to vote on items independently?

To cap this off I would refer to an email I saw sometime ago when an Independent councillor informed the council that he was no longer and Independent but would be joining the Independent Group. Confused? 
As I said at the beginning. So am I. 

24/7 GP NHS - Sorry But It Won't Happen

As most of you will know I am a committed Conservative supporter but I have to say that I believe the 7 day a week GP service et al that has been announced today is a promise too far.

I really would love to see it happen but it cannot. Why? Simple matter of funding and logistics. There are nowhere near enough GPs in this country to make this a nationwide promise. It can take anything up to 10 years to train a GP which includes medical school, so where will they come from? In Lincolnshire the GP surgeries are struggling to provide the service they do now because of poor GP retention and the lack of GPs wishing to come and work in this area.

Secondly funding. It will take more money to provide a 7 day GP service than the government can provide. It is not just a case of providing the monies to enable GPs to work over the full week but there is also the additional cost of the support staff, administration, nursing, etc.

There is absolutely no problem with aspiring to provide all of this but to do so is, in my opinion, is beyond the ability of both the government and primary care.

I hope I am wrong but this does seem a promise too far!

A Big Thank You - 15,000

I would just like to take this opportunity of thanking all who have visited my blog. To all who have read my ramblings, rants and drivel and viewed by photos - A Big Thank You.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would attract this much interest.

Regards, Steve.

Natures Pallet - Mellow Yellow

Lichen on dead wood at Browns Lagoon Skegness.

The Sentinels

But protecting what from what?

Brown's Lagoon Skegness

Cracked Earth - Natures Architecture

A fascinating view of the mud plates formed as the earth dries out by the side of an inlet creek in the area of Seacroft, Skegness.

News, No News or Almost News?

Over the past few years, I have noticed a move away from reporting things that are really newsworthy. Once upon a time you could pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV and find news that was interesting or boring in even measure but it was factual and real.

Now it appears there is a need to sensationalise things. I don't mean that newsworthy items are being sensationalised, although that does happen in spades, I mean that non-newsworthy items are being sensationalised to become newsworthy, at least in the eyes of the hacks.

The item that has got my goat this morning and has prompted this minor rant is taken from the Daily Mail. It tells us that a Hotpoint washing machine exploded. In itself I suppose that has minor interest but is it newsworthy? Well they try to make it so by stating that it could have had consequences for a toddler. What? It could have injured a toddler that lived in the house? Not that it DID injure a toddler but that it could have done.

So could a flight of stairs, so could a pan of boiling water, so could hundreds of other things.

You can just imaging tomorrow mornings edition of a newspaper showing a photograph of a flight of stairs with a bit of loose carpet that could have caused injury to a toddler!

Please............!!!!!!!!

It's Been A Long 24 Hours!!

Loving listening to all the Labour lovies charging about the TV and Radio studios having their say on what has gone wrong with Labour and why they lost the General Election.

There has been lots of hot air expounded and lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth with lots of different reasons put forward.

The one that I am waiting to hear, but probably won't, is the reason of treating grown adults like children. Spouting things during the campaign that were clearly utter nonsense and which were seen as such by a population who have far more intelligence than the Labour Party appear to allow them.

The biggest load of old donkey? That is easy "We have 24 hours to save the NHS". They lost and guess what. 5 days later I have sneaked a peek and WHOOSH the NHS is still there! I am sure that there are millions of adults in this country that will be shocked at that bit of news!

GCSE - Love Them & Support Them

Today thousands of children embark upon the GCSE examinations. The next few weeks will be the biggest of their lives so far.

There will be tantrums, tears, elation, worries, sleepless nights and worse.

As parents what can we do? Be positive and be supportive.

Simply love them and support them through it!

It's Simon The Squirrel

To be honest I have no real idea if that is his real name but that is what the O'Dare household has christened him. He has been visiting our garden now for the last 4 or 5 years and is a really welcome guest. Not sure if it is the same one as originally popped in as we may be on Simon 2 or 3 by now but he is still referred to as Simon come what may.

He is a really fascinating little creature. Athletic, acrobatic and as cheeky as they come. We have got through 5 or 6 peanut feeders over the time he has been gracing us with his presence. Different designs have been tried to stop him demolishing them and thieving all the peanuts but to no avail. He works something out for himself and wins the day.

This last winter he has taken to burying the peanuts in our lawn. Not too bad in the winter when everything is dormant and miserable, but the little bugger is now digging little holes all over the lawn and retrieving what he previously buried. Ah well at least he is keeping the lawn aerated for me.

On the plus side he is like me, in that he appears to severely dislike wood pigeons, those over-stuffed vermin. Every time he arrives in the garden and there are any present he puts himself about and drives them away. Good lad! Gives the other birds the opportunity to avail themselves of the concoction of seeds, suet and porridge that the lady of the house provides on a twice daily basis.

As an aside, the early blackbird brood that I reported on earlier: http://steveodare.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/mother-and-babies-doing-well.html is doing really well and becoming more independent by the day. Just got to keep the awful local cats away who would murder them all if given half a chance.

Looks like today is going to be a good day on the weather front so I am sure the back garden wildlife will be out and about in abundance to keep me amused.

Immigration? Leave Europe? Why Vote UKIP?

I fully accept and understand that there are large numbers of the population for whom the number of immigrants coming into this country is a real concern and that most of those people also would like to see this country exit Europe if only as a means to control the immigration numbers.

I fully accept and understand that those very same people are looking to UKIP to achieve those things for them. I am sure that UKIP do actually stand for the same principles and can therefore see why UKIP are the party of choice for some. UKIP really would do those things if it ever had the chance to do so.

The problem here is that UKIP will not have that opportunity, not at this election and not at any election in my lifetime. They will just not get the seats in parliament that they would need to do so. A majority for them is really beyond their wildest dreams and even enough MPs to really make a difference in the House of Commons is a long, long way off. If you look at the polls, and give them any credence at all, UKIP will be extremely lucky to get a handful of MPs, anything from zero to 3!

When all of the flim-flam, counter arguments, statistics, etc. are boiled down they come to one thing. Politics is a numbers game. UKIP do not have and will not have the numbers. I will say again. UKIP cannot deliver what they are holding out, not because they don't want to but because they simply will not be able to. For the UKIP supporters who wish to get something done about immigration and leave the EU, I am sorry to say that but it is the truth.

So on to another truth. The only party in this country that can and is prepared to give the people of this country a say in whether or not it should leave the EU is the Conservative Party. If the Conservatives get a majority there will be a referendum and the people will be able to decide. It is blindingly obvious that in any campaign for an in or out vote there will be a great deal of weight given to the immigration issue. So both things that people are now expressing concerns about will be dealt with. The people will have their say! We hear a lot about UKIPs Peoples Army but by voting UKIP it will not have a real voice. By voting Conservative it will.

I would just address one other thing and that is the question that I have been asked on several occasions: "Why have the Conservatives not had a referendum in the last 5 years"? The simple and truthful answer to that is exactly what I have said above. Politics is a numbers game. In the last parliament there were simply not enough MPs that wished to have a referendum because the Lib Dems, coalition partners of the Conservatives, would vote against it. So there has already been 5 wasted years. Do those people who want to see the change want to see another 5 wasted years and probably more?

To be blunt. If the Conservatives do not get a majority in the House of Parliament after the 7th May then those wishing to actually have a say on immigration and the future of this country in Europe will have no opportunity to do so! Is that really what they would want?

Some may say this is a blog post made in desperation but they would be wrong. This is a blog post made by someone who actually wants the opportunity to have a say. Someone who wants the population of the country to have a say so that this whole issue can be resolved by the people of this country and then it can move forward in the way the people want.

Difficult decision I know but "Vote Conservative" and get your voice heard!

Hugely Sad. Rebecca Ferdinand Slips Away.

How devastating for Rio Ferdinand and his family, especially his 3 young children, that his wife has succumbed to cancer. A horrible disease.

My thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to the family and friends left to bear the pain and sorrow.

At this time of high excitement, promotion, relegation and play-offs, this type of news puts the world of football into perspective.

RIP Rebecca.

Laid Low By Lurgy!

Again! The Lurgy has got me again!
One minute fine, out running and getting on with life and the next minute, WHAM! The lurgy strikes.

Hot or cold? Can't make up my mind! Dizzy when I stand up and dizzy if I lay down.

Man flu? Could be I suppose but whatever it is it really gets up my nose, for want of a better term.

Hope this does not last. I need to be functioning properly.

This is starting to sound like a whinge so I think I will knock it on the head. Bloody Lurgy!