I saw "Sand in the Sandwiches" at the Oxford Playhouse yesterday. I am a volunteer usher, so am lucky to be able to see lots of productions.
A good production draws you in, involves you, entertains you, makes you think - laugh - cry. This was a one man show, which I hadn't realised. There was no action or interaction - no plot. Edward Fox, who is 79 was on stage, alone, for the whole show, lasting the best part of 2 hours. As someone who realises that my memory is not what it was, I find that alone hugely impressing. I imagine that the fact that much of the dialogue is Betjemans rhyming poetry helps - but even so...
Fox has a very distinctive voice & way of speaking. He has a way of running words into one another whilst having very aristocratic "cut glass" diction. He is quite softly spoken. The problem with the performance was that I couldn't hear a lot of the script. (Yes I did have my hearing aid in).
This production is not the only one I have experienced the frustration of having to guess what has been said. It's also increasingly true of TV, where there seems to be a fashion for whispering - "The Fall", "Person of Interest" to name but two. The text is important. It isn't an adjunct to the acting.
I'm not sure where the blame lies. You would think that in this highly technical age, with sound systems only dreamt of 10 years ago, technicians would be able to get the sound levels right. You would imagine that directors would, at some point, put themselves in the situation of the audience in the back row, or their living rooms, to see if the message was getting through. You would think that actors were properly trained in voice projection or would wear today's unobtrusive microphones.
I know I'm a "grumpy old woman", but there are an awful lot of us who go to theatres & many people have hearing problems. Several times yesterday members of the audience left the auditorium to go & get a loop headset. Listening to comments as the audience left I know I was not alone in being irritated.
John Betjemans words deserved better.
Sunday, 30 October 2016
Sunday, 23 October 2016
Identity - Who am I?
Identity - Unique identifying characteristics held by no other person or thing, which make us recognisable individuals.
Fortunately I can still remember my own name, although I realise that might change because I can't say the same about other people's names! But there is so much more to identity.
I am a woman, a pensioner, a widow, British with a dash of German, white, heterosexual, reasonably intelligent & well informed, (although that might change along with failing memory).
I like lots of things - music, art, reading, friends, meeting people, travelling, dogs, the countryside...
I'm interested in lots of things - politics, justice, fairness, equal opportunity, Buddhism, ethics, different cultures...
I don't like - self absorbed people, (people who don't ask about me & listen, as well as talk about themselves = Drains), prejudice, racism, fundamentalist religion, bores, ....
I think I am - kind, thoughtful, generous, a good friend, outgoing....(I might also be deluded).
I know I can be - short tempered if stressed, too honest, intolerant of fools, organising, controlling, too conscientious, sometimes judgemental / too black & white...
The thing is we humans are highly complex beings. We have intellect & emotion. We have physical characteristics & traits of character, some of which are learned & some inherited. We are the product of our genes, our upbringing & our experience. We change over the years we live our lives. So how do we define ourselves & how well do we know ourselves?
Maybe we all need to ask ourselves "who am I" & think about the answer. I'm beginning to think that the whole point of life is to give ourselves time to reflect on this. Until we do we will be rats in a maze. We each have the software & the hardware - we just don't use them to their full capability.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-personal-identity-definition-philosophy-development.html
Fortunately I can still remember my own name, although I realise that might change because I can't say the same about other people's names! But there is so much more to identity.
I am a woman, a pensioner, a widow, British with a dash of German, white, heterosexual, reasonably intelligent & well informed, (although that might change along with failing memory).
I like lots of things - music, art, reading, friends, meeting people, travelling, dogs, the countryside...
I'm interested in lots of things - politics, justice, fairness, equal opportunity, Buddhism, ethics, different cultures...
I don't like - self absorbed people, (people who don't ask about me & listen, as well as talk about themselves = Drains), prejudice, racism, fundamentalist religion, bores, ....
I think I am - kind, thoughtful, generous, a good friend, outgoing....(I might also be deluded).
I know I can be - short tempered if stressed, too honest, intolerant of fools, organising, controlling, too conscientious, sometimes judgemental / too black & white...
The thing is we humans are highly complex beings. We have intellect & emotion. We have physical characteristics & traits of character, some of which are learned & some inherited. We are the product of our genes, our upbringing & our experience. We change over the years we live our lives. So how do we define ourselves & how well do we know ourselves?
Maybe we all need to ask ourselves "who am I" & think about the answer. I'm beginning to think that the whole point of life is to give ourselves time to reflect on this. Until we do we will be rats in a maze. We each have the software & the hardware - we just don't use them to their full capability.
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-personal-identity-definition-philosophy-development.html
Friday, 21 October 2016
Christmas is Coming..
..and the goose is getting fat - But not everywhere.
The charities I support monthly with direct debits increase annually at Christmas. I don't send any cards. I don't give presents, other than to immediate family. I start a new charity instead. I've been doing it for years now. So the list of charities grows. I try to give to smaller niche charities which empower people in the developing world to be able to feed themselves, make an income & access education & healthcare.
I particularly like charities like Tree Aid www.treeaid.org.uk & Re-cycle www.re-cycle.org I also give to medical charities. Charities like the Micro loan Foundation https://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk & Camfed https://camfed.org help women to set up businesses & access education.
It doesn't really matter what the charity is, it's just really nice to feel that I am helping, in a very small way, to redress the imbalance between the haves & the have nots. It seems appropriate to think about this at a time when we spend ridiculous amounts of money. People who have very little can do an awful lot to become less dependent on aid with small amounts of money. It counterbalances my negative feelings about the excesses of Christmas in the UK.
People in the UK are really good about giving to charity when there are big disasters, or to something like Children in Need & Red Nose Day. People are generous & respond quickly. What we are not quite so good at is regular giving so that Charities know that they have money they can rely on to meet day to day need.
The charities I support monthly with direct debits increase annually at Christmas. I don't send any cards. I don't give presents, other than to immediate family. I start a new charity instead. I've been doing it for years now. So the list of charities grows. I try to give to smaller niche charities which empower people in the developing world to be able to feed themselves, make an income & access education & healthcare.
I particularly like charities like Tree Aid www.treeaid.org.uk & Re-cycle www.re-cycle.org I also give to medical charities. Charities like the Micro loan Foundation https://www.microloanfoundation.org.uk & Camfed https://camfed.org help women to set up businesses & access education.
It doesn't really matter what the charity is, it's just really nice to feel that I am helping, in a very small way, to redress the imbalance between the haves & the have nots. It seems appropriate to think about this at a time when we spend ridiculous amounts of money. People who have very little can do an awful lot to become less dependent on aid with small amounts of money. It counterbalances my negative feelings about the excesses of Christmas in the UK.
People in the UK are really good about giving to charity when there are big disasters, or to something like Children in Need & Red Nose Day. People are generous & respond quickly. What we are not quite so good at is regular giving so that Charities know that they have money they can rely on to meet day to day need.
Check out all the quotes on Google about giving. It's the best Christmas present you can give to yourself as well as others.
Thursday, 20 October 2016
A Night at the Opera - Glyndebourne's "Saul" by Handel
I went to my local "Picture House" yesterday to see the Glyndebourne production of Handel's "Saul". This is probably the earliest opera I have seen, written about a hundred years after Montiverdi began the operatic tradition.
Saul is a Baroque opera, nothing like the more familiar Romantic operas of Rossini & Donizetti, the Comedia operas of Mozart, the Verismo of Puccini for example. I really don't know enough about opera - I'm sure you could study it for years, so I'll stop there.
I do know that "Saul" was written as an Oratorio so directors can pretty much do as they wish with it because the production is not written down. This production was visually stunning from the outset. The vivid & beautiful costumes, the clever & eyecatching sets, the superb chorus & visually arresting dancing were all a joy & a delight. I did think that some of the dance movements were too modern for Handel, but that's probably nit picking. The singing from both the soloists & the wonderful chorus was bright & alive - As was the superb orchestra.
To be an opera star now you have to have more than a good voice. You have to be able to act well, the cameras are up close & personal. You can't get away with the woodenness of Pavarotti for example. You also have to be able to move well - Principals have to be able to dance & sing at the same time, just like pop stars.
What I didn't like was some of the more gratuitous elements. The introduction of Homo Erotic relationsghips & male kissing - the, for me very off putting, appearance of the male witch of Endor who is portayed as hermaphrodite with pendulous boobs which Saul suckles. Seeing milk dribbling from his mouth & then being expressed over his head really put me off. What on earth did that add to the story apart from inches of press coverage?
As a long time opera lover I am getting a bit p.....off by the seemingly increasing liberties taken with productions in the name of art. I'm sure some directors can justify themselves with pretentious drivel, but the bottom line seems to me to be exactly that - Generating prurient interest & bums on seats.
I wish they would just let the music & the story speak for themselves. I really don't mind innovation & new interpretations. I do mind rubbish.
Saul is a Baroque opera, nothing like the more familiar Romantic operas of Rossini & Donizetti, the Comedia operas of Mozart, the Verismo of Puccini for example. I really don't know enough about opera - I'm sure you could study it for years, so I'll stop there.
I do know that "Saul" was written as an Oratorio so directors can pretty much do as they wish with it because the production is not written down. This production was visually stunning from the outset. The vivid & beautiful costumes, the clever & eyecatching sets, the superb chorus & visually arresting dancing were all a joy & a delight. I did think that some of the dance movements were too modern for Handel, but that's probably nit picking. The singing from both the soloists & the wonderful chorus was bright & alive - As was the superb orchestra.
To be an opera star now you have to have more than a good voice. You have to be able to act well, the cameras are up close & personal. You can't get away with the woodenness of Pavarotti for example. You also have to be able to move well - Principals have to be able to dance & sing at the same time, just like pop stars.
What I didn't like was some of the more gratuitous elements. The introduction of Homo Erotic relationsghips & male kissing - the, for me very off putting, appearance of the male witch of Endor who is portayed as hermaphrodite with pendulous boobs which Saul suckles. Seeing milk dribbling from his mouth & then being expressed over his head really put me off. What on earth did that add to the story apart from inches of press coverage?
As a long time opera lover I am getting a bit p.....off by the seemingly increasing liberties taken with productions in the name of art. I'm sure some directors can justify themselves with pretentious drivel, but the bottom line seems to me to be exactly that - Generating prurient interest & bums on seats.
I wish they would just let the music & the story speak for themselves. I really don't mind innovation & new interpretations. I do mind rubbish.
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
A Dog is for Life - Finale
Having a pet appeals to a basic instinct in humans. Man socialised dogs, & vice versa, way back in history. It is thought dogs were first domesticated when man was a hunter gatherer. It's a symbiotic relationship, of mutual benefit.
We are drawn to small creatures with appealing eyes & winning ways. Look at how animals are portrayed on all the documentaries on TV.They are guaranteed to make anyone rush out & get a pet. Especially if the animals are in shelters & have had a troubled existance. Even the websites & publicity of rehoming charities ensure that the images make us want to take the animal home. Puppies are the extreme example. They are surrogate children.
It's undoubtedly true, & is backed up by evidence, that animals have a beneficial impact on people. Most people care for their pets, although ill treatment can be truly shocking. The problem is that the majority of people do not understand dog psychology & how to properly train & socialise a dog. It isn't enough to teach a dog to sit or shake a paw - (How anthropomorphised is that?)
A dog needs to learn his place in the family hierarchy & it should be at the bottom of the list. A dog's basic needs should be met & it should be secure & loved. It should not be allowed to do everything it wants & dictate a family lifestyle. It should not be overfed with treats & spoiled any more than a child should.
But we British are soft about our animals & we perhaps do not go into pet owning with enough knowledge & information. Hence the number of animals which are badly treated, abandoned, given up or even killed. At least we have animal charities, but they are inundated because of our thoughtlessness & ignorance.
I made a mistake with Bandit despite trying to be informed & logical. Both of us were lucky that Blue Cross would take him back again & he stands a good chance of being re-homed. I now wonder whether the whole area of pet ownership should be much more regulated. Should we just be able to look on sites such as Preloved & Gumtree to get a dog without any checks & balances being in place. That just suits the notorious puppy farmers everywhere & isn't in the interest of dogs or owners.
The root of it is that too often pet owning is a decision of the heart & not of the head. That way is bound to lead to mistakes & heartache.
PS
I've developed a chest infection overnight - How on earth did I think I would manage with something like that?
We are drawn to small creatures with appealing eyes & winning ways. Look at how animals are portrayed on all the documentaries on TV.They are guaranteed to make anyone rush out & get a pet. Especially if the animals are in shelters & have had a troubled existance. Even the websites & publicity of rehoming charities ensure that the images make us want to take the animal home. Puppies are the extreme example. They are surrogate children.
It's undoubtedly true, & is backed up by evidence, that animals have a beneficial impact on people. Most people care for their pets, although ill treatment can be truly shocking. The problem is that the majority of people do not understand dog psychology & how to properly train & socialise a dog. It isn't enough to teach a dog to sit or shake a paw - (How anthropomorphised is that?)
A dog needs to learn his place in the family hierarchy & it should be at the bottom of the list. A dog's basic needs should be met & it should be secure & loved. It should not be allowed to do everything it wants & dictate a family lifestyle. It should not be overfed with treats & spoiled any more than a child should.
But we British are soft about our animals & we perhaps do not go into pet owning with enough knowledge & information. Hence the number of animals which are badly treated, abandoned, given up or even killed. At least we have animal charities, but they are inundated because of our thoughtlessness & ignorance.
I made a mistake with Bandit despite trying to be informed & logical. Both of us were lucky that Blue Cross would take him back again & he stands a good chance of being re-homed. I now wonder whether the whole area of pet ownership should be much more regulated. Should we just be able to look on sites such as Preloved & Gumtree to get a dog without any checks & balances being in place. That just suits the notorious puppy farmers everywhere & isn't in the interest of dogs or owners.
The root of it is that too often pet owning is a decision of the heart & not of the head. That way is bound to lead to mistakes & heartache.
PS
I've developed a chest infection overnight - How on earth did I think I would manage with something like that?
Tuesday, 18 October 2016
A Dog is for Life - 4
I have just returned from taking Bandit back to the Blue Cross. Last night precipitated the decision.
I walked him at 10, just before I went to bed & put him down with a dental chew. I had just settled in bed myself when he started making noises which became whines & then barking. The last thing you should do is respond if a dog does this. You should leave them & hope it stops. Otherwise you are rewarding behaviour that you don't want. However I have neighbours with small children on both sides who would hear it as clearly as I did.
So I went down - again & again. I gave him a rawhide bone. I left the radio on. I left the radio & a light on. I gave him his ball to play with. Nothing worked & it went on for over 2 hours till after midnight. By this time I was quite stressed & having fibrillation problems. So I had to bring him upstairs & put him in my ensuite bathroom. That meant I could tell him to shut up every time he barked. Eventually we both got some sleep.
I have no idea what set him off after the first quiet night. But there had been a warning when I left him for 1 1/2 hours to go for a swim yesterday. He barked. So I waited in the hall till it stopped & left. I don't know if he barked for the whole time I was away.
You really can't subject neighbours to this on a regular basis & I woke up with a migraine feeling dreadful. So, sadly decision made.
In addition, although I put him out in my courtyard first thing to pee, he did nothing. Then when I went upstairs to get dressed to walk him I came back to find he had peed in the kitchen again. Just like yesterday when he peed after I had walked him before leaving to swim.
Bending down is a big issue for me - to clean up his mess, to put his harness & lead on, to towel him down when it's been raining, which it did this morning. I hadn't thought about the impact of having a small dog on my conditions. None of that is good for me.
It was emotional to leave him. It means that I have to accept that I can not have a dog at all. I felt a failure that I hadn't thought it through from my health perspective enough. Blue Cross were fine about it. Very sympathetic. I suppose it happens sometimes. I'm not looking forward to explaining to my grandsons why I have taken him back. I know they will be very disappointed.
I'm sure Bandit would make a lovely pet for someone with the time & patience to train him properly. I do think he needs a garden though. My courtyard isn't enough.
I walked him at 10, just before I went to bed & put him down with a dental chew. I had just settled in bed myself when he started making noises which became whines & then barking. The last thing you should do is respond if a dog does this. You should leave them & hope it stops. Otherwise you are rewarding behaviour that you don't want. However I have neighbours with small children on both sides who would hear it as clearly as I did.
So I went down - again & again. I gave him a rawhide bone. I left the radio on. I left the radio & a light on. I gave him his ball to play with. Nothing worked & it went on for over 2 hours till after midnight. By this time I was quite stressed & having fibrillation problems. So I had to bring him upstairs & put him in my ensuite bathroom. That meant I could tell him to shut up every time he barked. Eventually we both got some sleep.
I have no idea what set him off after the first quiet night. But there had been a warning when I left him for 1 1/2 hours to go for a swim yesterday. He barked. So I waited in the hall till it stopped & left. I don't know if he barked for the whole time I was away.
You really can't subject neighbours to this on a regular basis & I woke up with a migraine feeling dreadful. So, sadly decision made.
In addition, although I put him out in my courtyard first thing to pee, he did nothing. Then when I went upstairs to get dressed to walk him I came back to find he had peed in the kitchen again. Just like yesterday when he peed after I had walked him before leaving to swim.
Bending down is a big issue for me - to clean up his mess, to put his harness & lead on, to towel him down when it's been raining, which it did this morning. I hadn't thought about the impact of having a small dog on my conditions. None of that is good for me.
It was emotional to leave him. It means that I have to accept that I can not have a dog at all. I felt a failure that I hadn't thought it through from my health perspective enough. Blue Cross were fine about it. Very sympathetic. I suppose it happens sometimes. I'm not looking forward to explaining to my grandsons why I have taken him back. I know they will be very disappointed.
I'm sure Bandit would make a lovely pet for someone with the time & patience to train him properly. I do think he needs a garden though. My courtyard isn't enough.
Monday, 17 October 2016
A Dog is for Life - 3
The thing is that Bandit has Duracell batteries & I don't. I've got the cheap Ikea ones! It's quite a revelation. I knew that I have to pace myself & not overdo things & rest, but I wan't expecting this. I found it quite difficult to do my normal half mile swim today because of all the extra walking taking Bandit out for training & toileting.
Although he is a small dog, having him on a lead is having an impact on the Fibromyalgia in my arms. Bending down to put his lead on & take it off is not doing my heart problems any good. I'm having bad hot sweats & get breathless. I'm also finding it really difficult to unclip his collar or harness because my hands are bad.
None of this is what I was expecting. All the problems are because of my health, not his behaviour. The real problem is that all my health issues are chronic. None are going to improve, quite the opposite.
I still think I should give it a week. But I do need to make my mind up because I don't want him to be upset by another return to the Blue Cross when we have bonded. At the moment I could just be another foster owner.
Although he is a small dog, having him on a lead is having an impact on the Fibromyalgia in my arms. Bending down to put his lead on & take it off is not doing my heart problems any good. I'm having bad hot sweats & get breathless. I'm also finding it really difficult to unclip his collar or harness because my hands are bad.
None of this is what I was expecting. All the problems are because of my health, not his behaviour. The real problem is that all my health issues are chronic. None are going to improve, quite the opposite.
I still think I should give it a week. But I do need to make my mind up because I don't want him to be upset by another return to the Blue Cross when we have bonded. At the moment I could just be another foster owner.
A Dog is for Life 2 - Bandit
I'm not at all sure that it's going to work with Bandit for several
reasons, none of which were the ones I anticipated.
He hasn't messed in the house or destroyed anything. He hasn't seemed too bothered about being left overnight. I've managed to take him out for walks regularly enough & he is fine on the lead, although he doesn't respond to commands from me as well as his handlers.
It's me not him I think. I anticipated enjoying having a dog around, but don't really like the continual presence of something needy that I have to watch continuously. He is very agile & hyper & will need constant training not to jump on furniture. He doesn't settle & is into everything. Although well behaved at the Blue Cross, he's not so good here. It's a very different environment.
I found our first morning very difficult. I don't feel good first thing & got up earlier than usual so I could take him out for a walk, which was an effort. I really didn't feel well. It's early days I suppose, but I think I am too accustomed to being on my own now & being able to completely relax when I'm tired.
But it is only the first day. I think I will give it a week. A dog really is for life & I may have left it too late in mine to adjust to a new one.
PS
Spoke too soon. After taking him out @ 7.15 & again mid morning I got back from 1 1/2 hrs swimming at lunchtime to find a big puddle in the kitchen. Seems illogical - how can you tell how long you can leave a dog?
He hasn't messed in the house or destroyed anything. He hasn't seemed too bothered about being left overnight. I've managed to take him out for walks regularly enough & he is fine on the lead, although he doesn't respond to commands from me as well as his handlers.
It's me not him I think. I anticipated enjoying having a dog around, but don't really like the continual presence of something needy that I have to watch continuously. He is very agile & hyper & will need constant training not to jump on furniture. He doesn't settle & is into everything. Although well behaved at the Blue Cross, he's not so good here. It's a very different environment.
I found our first morning very difficult. I don't feel good first thing & got up earlier than usual so I could take him out for a walk, which was an effort. I really didn't feel well. It's early days I suppose, but I think I am too accustomed to being on my own now & being able to completely relax when I'm tired.
But it is only the first day. I think I will give it a week. A dog really is for life & I may have left it too late in mine to adjust to a new one.
PS
Spoke too soon. After taking him out @ 7.15 & again mid morning I got back from 1 1/2 hrs swimming at lunchtime to find a big puddle in the kitchen. Seems illogical - how can you tell how long you can leave a dog?
Friday, 14 October 2016
A Dog is for Life
Such a quandry! I really don't know what to do.
I love dogs - Not in a soppy anthropomorphic sort of way - They are animals after all.
I had a much loved German Shepherd & have been toying with the idea of a smaller dog for ages, as company now that I am on my own. It would be nice to have something to welcome me home to an empty house. Talking to a dog is certainly preferable to talking to myself! I didn't particularly want or need a pedigree dog. I prefer to give a home to a rescue dog. There are, after all an enormous number of them.
So I have been looking at dog charity websites for months. I have found a very nice JRT - Bandit, at the Blue Cross in Burford who seems to fit the bill perfectly.
We have been introduced & he seems very confident & fairly well trained. Blue Cross are very organised & helpful. So, what's not to like? Why the hesitation?
Well it's a lifestyle issue - Mine, not his. The problem of caring for & managing a dog when you are on your own & frankly getting on a bit. It's going to turn my daily routine upside down & curtail my freedom enormously. At the moment I can do what I want to when I want to & for as long as I want to.
I have built up a life. I'm a volunteer for 2 local organisations. I swim most days. I go to the cinema & to exhibitions. I meet friends & also stay with them overnight. A dog should be OK for a couple of hours, but 6 hours is about the maximum. You can't leave them indefinitely. They need exercise & toileting. They get bored & anxious on their own.
So what do I do? Give up going out for the day? I don't have any family who can step in. My daughter works & has two boys at school. You can't put a dog in kennels for a day out it's disruptive for them.
The internet may have saved the day. I've found several websites where local people who are willing to visit or walk a dog advertise. There do seem to be plenty of people who are available to do this for a fee.
It's so amazing - You can literally find anything on the internet.
PS - Saturday
Bought food, chews, treats & a dog tag this morning. Collecting Bandit tomorrow. It's a big deal. I had to cancel seeing Miss Saigon tomorrow night - couldn't leave him on his first night in a new home. Time will tell.
PPS - Sunday
Paperwork completed, cheque paid. Now we are home after a very excitable journey in the car - my twin Grandsons, not the dog. Not sure this is going to work. Bandit is very hyper, doesn't settle & is into everything. At the moment he is destroying a tennis ball. Nothing like Mable my GSD, but then that's not surprising - very different dogs! Although well behaved at the Blue Cross not so good here.
But it is only the first day.
I love dogs - Not in a soppy anthropomorphic sort of way - They are animals after all.
I had a much loved German Shepherd & have been toying with the idea of a smaller dog for ages, as company now that I am on my own. It would be nice to have something to welcome me home to an empty house. Talking to a dog is certainly preferable to talking to myself! I didn't particularly want or need a pedigree dog. I prefer to give a home to a rescue dog. There are, after all an enormous number of them.
So I have been looking at dog charity websites for months. I have found a very nice JRT - Bandit, at the Blue Cross in Burford who seems to fit the bill perfectly.
Well it's a lifestyle issue - Mine, not his. The problem of caring for & managing a dog when you are on your own & frankly getting on a bit. It's going to turn my daily routine upside down & curtail my freedom enormously. At the moment I can do what I want to when I want to & for as long as I want to.
I have built up a life. I'm a volunteer for 2 local organisations. I swim most days. I go to the cinema & to exhibitions. I meet friends & also stay with them overnight. A dog should be OK for a couple of hours, but 6 hours is about the maximum. You can't leave them indefinitely. They need exercise & toileting. They get bored & anxious on their own.
So what do I do? Give up going out for the day? I don't have any family who can step in. My daughter works & has two boys at school. You can't put a dog in kennels for a day out it's disruptive for them.
The internet may have saved the day. I've found several websites where local people who are willing to visit or walk a dog advertise. There do seem to be plenty of people who are available to do this for a fee.
It's so amazing - You can literally find anything on the internet.
PS - Saturday
Bought food, chews, treats & a dog tag this morning. Collecting Bandit tomorrow. It's a big deal. I had to cancel seeing Miss Saigon tomorrow night - couldn't leave him on his first night in a new home. Time will tell.
PPS - Sunday
Paperwork completed, cheque paid. Now we are home after a very excitable journey in the car - my twin Grandsons, not the dog. Not sure this is going to work. Bandit is very hyper, doesn't settle & is into everything. At the moment he is destroying a tennis ball. Nothing like Mable my GSD, but then that's not surprising - very different dogs! Although well behaved at the Blue Cross not so good here.
But it is only the first day.
Sunday, 9 October 2016
"Things I Know to be True"
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all ye know on earth & all ye need to know" Keats
I ushered at "Things I Know to be True" at the Oxford Playhouse last night. It was a wonderful performance. It managed the difficult task of being funny, honest & touchingly sad at the same time. The cast of six were all excellent. It made me think - about family realtionships, about what I know to be true.
When it comes down to it if I was to make a list of things I really know are true it would probably be very short - We are born, we die. We love & hate & experience all the emotions in between. If we are lucky we make relationships that enrich our lives. However we can never really know someone else. All of us keep something back. We all have secrets. We all massage the truth at times in our lives, often because we don't want to hurt someone else.
The only truth I really know is my own truth - What I think, what my values are, what matters to me. We are all capable of deluding ourselves, but I believe that at some level we do know ourselves. The good & the bad.
We all have choices to make about which path to take. Our decisions shape us into adults. We don't live in isolation, everything we do or don't do affects others.
If we were all able to be "true" in the real sense of the word maybe the world would be a better place.
I ushered at "Things I Know to be True" at the Oxford Playhouse last night. It was a wonderful performance. It managed the difficult task of being funny, honest & touchingly sad at the same time. The cast of six were all excellent. It made me think - about family realtionships, about what I know to be true.
When it comes down to it if I was to make a list of things I really know are true it would probably be very short - We are born, we die. We love & hate & experience all the emotions in between. If we are lucky we make relationships that enrich our lives. However we can never really know someone else. All of us keep something back. We all have secrets. We all massage the truth at times in our lives, often because we don't want to hurt someone else.
The only truth I really know is my own truth - What I think, what my values are, what matters to me. We are all capable of deluding ourselves, but I believe that at some level we do know ourselves. The good & the bad.
We all have choices to make about which path to take. Our decisions shape us into adults. We don't live in isolation, everything we do or don't do affects others.
If we were all able to be "true" in the real sense of the word maybe the world would be a better place.
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
A Cross Passenger on Cross Country Trains
I caught the 14.14 from Birmingham International to Oxford on 23rd Sept. It
was a very short train & was completely packed when it arrived.
People were standing throughout the train. I am 71 & have a disabled railcard. Standing on a moving train is quite difficult. Someone did kindly give up their seat for me at Banbury. This is not the first time this has happened to me.
If I pay for a ticket I expect to get a seat, especially as I rarely travel in peak times. Train companies appear to treat paying passengers no better than cattle & should be ashamed. I met a middle aged lady who had had to stand from Scotland.
The refreshment trolley was unable to operate because of all the people & luggage in the aisles. The shelves above the seats are too shallow for a lot of cases & elderly people or women cannot lift heavy cases that high. The luggage racks by the doors are totally inadequate for the number of people travelling.
Surely companies have a pretty good idea how many tickets have been sold & how many are likely to sell on the day. It is their job to provide adequate trains to meet the demand. This just seemed like total incompetence to me, which at the least causes people huge discomfort & at worst is a H&S risk.
I sent a complaint to Cross Country Trains. The following are their responses.
"I am sorry for how busy the service was, our franchise does not have the resources to acquire longer or more trains, but we do understand that crowded trains are a daily problem that we face.Unfortunately we have only been allocated a set amount of coaches which is set out in our franchise agreement.
Please be assured that we are looking at ways that we can alleviate the pressure on our busiest trains, by altering the workings of our higher capacity trains to more closely match demand. We also encourage those that are flexible with their travel plans to travel on quieter trains. Whilst I'm sure you will appreciate the challenges we face to try and provide enough seats for all of those passengers travelling, it does not take away the fact that your journeys with us have not been as you would hope to expect and so I would again like to apologise for any discomfort caused.
For future journeys I would recommend you reserve a seat, you can do this at your point of purchase, by calling 03447369123, at any ticket office or by using our Ten Minute reservation service via the following link https://www.
I responded:-
You have not addressed the issue of the lack of accessible luggage space at all.
Cross Country responded:-
"Our franchise, like all others operating in the UK, is set by the Department for Transport (DfT) who prescribe the services we must provide and the frequency of trains to deliver this. This specification was set by the DfT in 2007 at the start of our franchise and we procured all available trains to deliver this. Since then the railways have seen unprecedented numbers of people seeking to use rail as their preferred form of travel and our trains, like those of other operators, are seeing instances of crowding throughout the day on many services. We have recently extended our franchise for a further 3 years and we have been provided some additional coaches to provide further seating for our passengers however access to new coaches is limited. There are currently no trains suitable for us to lease in the UK, this situation is unlikely to change for many years.
As we are limited to the number of coaches we have, we try to encourage passengers to travel on quieter services by offering cheap advance fares. This does help passengers who cannot choose to travel on quieter services as if we didn’t do it the services during peak times would be much busier than they currently are.
As mentioned in my previous email, we provide a number of options for passengers looking to reserve seating for their journey. If you were unsure of the train you were travelling on you still can reserve a seat up to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time by using our ten minute reservation service via the following link https://www.
I can fully appreciate your concern about the number of passengers travelling on our trains. However, unlike bus and air travel, there is no legal limit for the number of passengers on a train. This is because trains are deemed safe no matter how many people are on board. Under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) train operators must manage risks from overcrowding ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. They may be liable for problems arising in hot weather but given that trains are walk-on services, it is not feasible to limit passengers to the number of seats."
I responded:-
I didn't expect to be sympathetic to Cross Country Trains, but I am. The whole set up seems ridiculously incompetent to me & the root of the problem appears to be the Department for Transport. The least important people in the equation are the passengers.
Surely passenger needs & safety should be at the heart of Government policy. I can't help feeling that a transport system which is privatised & driven by shareholder profit rather than excellent service values is never going to achieve customer satisfaction under the current system.
Anyone who travels on trains in Europe knows it can be done. Why not here?
If I pay for a ticket I expect to get a seat, especially as I rarely travel in peak times. Train companies appear to treat paying passengers no better than cattle & should be ashamed. I met a middle aged lady who had had to stand from Scotland.
The refreshment trolley was unable to operate because of all the people & luggage in the aisles. The shelves above the seats are too shallow for a lot of cases & elderly people or women cannot lift heavy cases that high. The luggage racks by the doors are totally inadequate for the number of people travelling.
Surely companies have a pretty good idea how many tickets have been sold & how many are likely to sell on the day. It is their job to provide adequate trains to meet the demand. This just seemed like total incompetence to me, which at the least causes people huge discomfort & at worst is a H&S risk.
I sent a complaint to Cross Country Trains. The following are their responses.
"I am sorry for how busy the service was, our franchise does not have the resources to acquire longer or more trains, but we do understand that crowded trains are a daily problem that we face.Unfortunately we have only been allocated a set amount of coaches which is set out in our franchise agreement.
Please be assured that we are looking at ways that we can alleviate the pressure on our busiest trains, by altering the workings of our higher capacity trains to more closely match demand. We also encourage those that are flexible with their travel plans to travel on quieter trains. Whilst I'm sure you will appreciate the challenges we face to try and provide enough seats for all of those passengers travelling, it does not take away the fact that your journeys with us have not been as you would hope to expect and so I would again like to apologise for any discomfort caused.
For future journeys I would recommend you reserve a seat, you can do this at your point of purchase, by calling 03447369123, at any ticket office or by using our Ten Minute reservation service via the following link https://www.
I responded:-
- "Our franchise does not have the resources to acquire longer or more trains" - Why not? If you don't have the capacity to meet demand & don't have sufficient carriages or finances to increase provision then you should not be the operator, especially as you admit that "Crowded trains are a daily problem that we face".
- "We also encourage those that are flexible with their travel plans to travel on quieter trains" - That is no help to many people who have no options.
- "I would recommend you reserve a seat" - I did on the outward journey, but had no way of knowing which return train I would be able to catch.
You have not addressed the issue of the lack of accessible luggage space at all.
Cross Country responded:-
"Our franchise, like all others operating in the UK, is set by the Department for Transport (DfT) who prescribe the services we must provide and the frequency of trains to deliver this. This specification was set by the DfT in 2007 at the start of our franchise and we procured all available trains to deliver this. Since then the railways have seen unprecedented numbers of people seeking to use rail as their preferred form of travel and our trains, like those of other operators, are seeing instances of crowding throughout the day on many services. We have recently extended our franchise for a further 3 years and we have been provided some additional coaches to provide further seating for our passengers however access to new coaches is limited. There are currently no trains suitable for us to lease in the UK, this situation is unlikely to change for many years.
As we are limited to the number of coaches we have, we try to encourage passengers to travel on quieter services by offering cheap advance fares. This does help passengers who cannot choose to travel on quieter services as if we didn’t do it the services during peak times would be much busier than they currently are.
As mentioned in my previous email, we provide a number of options for passengers looking to reserve seating for their journey. If you were unsure of the train you were travelling on you still can reserve a seat up to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time by using our ten minute reservation service via the following link https://www.
I can fully appreciate your concern about the number of passengers travelling on our trains. However, unlike bus and air travel, there is no legal limit for the number of passengers on a train. This is because trains are deemed safe no matter how many people are on board. Under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) train operators must manage risks from overcrowding ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’. They may be liable for problems arising in hot weather but given that trains are walk-on services, it is not feasible to limit passengers to the number of seats."
I responded:-
It would appear that
much of the responsibility for passenger discomfort & annoyance with
train services lies with the DfT. In particular the fact that the
spec's they set for franchises are not reviewed & updated frequently
enough. This would appear to make it impossible for franchises to
respond quickly to the demands of increased passenger numbers. It has
long baffled me why successive governments have never produced an
integrated transport policy for the UK.
I
had no idea of the option to reserve a seat 10 mins prior to departure
time & will use this in future if I don't know what time I am
returning home. So thank you for the information.
I
have to say I am amazed that there is no H&S requirement for any
limit to numbers travelling on trains. While I can understand that it is
a walk on service & passengers would be unhappy if they were
refused access to a train, that does happen with buses, which have
advertised maximum numbers standing & seated. I cannot see any
reason why a similar rule should not apply to trains.
The
information you have given me confirms my view that train passengers
often get a pretty rough & expensive deal. What does surprise me is
that train operators do not make more fuss about this situation. It
would seem to be in the companies interest to publicise this information
widely & encourage passengers to become involved in order to make
our train service at least comparable to the service standards on
continental Europe.I didn't expect to be sympathetic to Cross Country Trains, but I am. The whole set up seems ridiculously incompetent to me & the root of the problem appears to be the Department for Transport. The least important people in the equation are the passengers.
Surely passenger needs & safety should be at the heart of Government policy. I can't help feeling that a transport system which is privatised & driven by shareholder profit rather than excellent service values is never going to achieve customer satisfaction under the current system.
Anyone who travels on trains in Europe knows it can be done. Why not here?
Sunday, 2 October 2016
All in the Mind
I have always been very task orientated. I am organised. I have prioritised lists. I have a calendar, a diary & a weekly magnetic planner. I keep a notebook.
Hitherto I would always be busy, working through my prioritised "To Do" list. I would rarely "waste" time. Every day would be packed from breakfast until after supper.
Now the 71 year old me seems to have morphed into someone else. I still have all the above, but I don't seem to have the energy or the inclination to get things done. So things can stay on my list for a very long time if I don't feel motivated to do something. The younger me wanted everything done yesterday.
For example, I have been meaning to tidy up the plants & plant some bulbs in my courtyard for weeks. I didn't want to do it. I know that bending & using hand tools causes me problems. I also know in my logical brain that I can pace myself & stop. However it wasn't getting done. The only reason it is now done is that my daughter took me to the garden centre this morning & I actually bought the bulbs. I'm really pleased that I will have Spring bulbs to enjoy. It was a job worth doing. I would have been irritated with myself if I hadn't done it.
So, what's the problem? Why do I do all sorts of displacement activities rather than getting things done that need to be done? I don't know. Some things just don't seem to be as important as they once were. It isn't just avoidance of pain, although that is part of it. I simply don't feel that I have to "do" in order to be a worthwhile person.
I am content to "be" a lot of the time. I'm more & more reflective & I research more because I want to know stuff. The computer is to blame for a lot of my time disappearing without obvious outcomes.
Time to think is really important & all too often modern life just doesn't allow us to do that. We are always busy. We don't listen enough, see or feel properly. People pay fortunes to briefly go on Retreat, to detox in Spa's. We frantically move from one thing to another & don't really live our lives in a healthy way.
Maybe it's one of the few benefits of ageing. You finally realise what is really important to you.
Hitherto I would always be busy, working through my prioritised "To Do" list. I would rarely "waste" time. Every day would be packed from breakfast until after supper.
Now the 71 year old me seems to have morphed into someone else. I still have all the above, but I don't seem to have the energy or the inclination to get things done. So things can stay on my list for a very long time if I don't feel motivated to do something. The younger me wanted everything done yesterday.
For example, I have been meaning to tidy up the plants & plant some bulbs in my courtyard for weeks. I didn't want to do it. I know that bending & using hand tools causes me problems. I also know in my logical brain that I can pace myself & stop. However it wasn't getting done. The only reason it is now done is that my daughter took me to the garden centre this morning & I actually bought the bulbs. I'm really pleased that I will have Spring bulbs to enjoy. It was a job worth doing. I would have been irritated with myself if I hadn't done it.
So, what's the problem? Why do I do all sorts of displacement activities rather than getting things done that need to be done? I don't know. Some things just don't seem to be as important as they once were. It isn't just avoidance of pain, although that is part of it. I simply don't feel that I have to "do" in order to be a worthwhile person.
I am content to "be" a lot of the time. I'm more & more reflective & I research more because I want to know stuff. The computer is to blame for a lot of my time disappearing without obvious outcomes.
Time to think is really important & all too often modern life just doesn't allow us to do that. We are always busy. We don't listen enough, see or feel properly. People pay fortunes to briefly go on Retreat, to detox in Spa's. We frantically move from one thing to another & don't really live our lives in a healthy way.
Maybe it's one of the few benefits of ageing. You finally realise what is really important to you.
Saturday, 1 October 2016
Yemen - Famine & War - UK Arms Trade Responsible
I'm old enough to have seen the extent of man's inhumanity to women & children as well as man. War is despicable and an admission of a failure to use our God given ability to communicate, think & be rational. War is failure on an epic scale. No one really wins & millions are killed, maimed & caused unimaginable suffering.
At the moment I am so angry I really can't put it into words. If you don't know what I'm talking about watch Channel 4's documentary, aired last night about Yemen - "Yemen’s forgotten war"@krishgm and @unreportedworld witness the horror of hunger. https://youtu.be/sIJppFpRbsc
www.oxfam.org.uk/what-we-do/emergency-response/yemen-crisis?cid=psc_FB_Yemen&dclid=CMifiLrguc8CFQuJ7Qodwx4DJQ
I cried throughout this programme with pity for the people, especially babies & toddlers. But also in frustration at the part the UK is playing in this. We are now the second biggest arms dealers in the world. We are fuelling the conflicts in the middle East & elsewhere & our companies are making billions from other people's suffering.
I am ashamed.
We are selling bombs & planes to Saudi Arabia & they are bombing the infrastructure for importing more than 90% of the food which Yemen depends on. Babies are dying slowly of malnutrition & people are starving. Medical treatment is virtually non existant & people have no money for medicine.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-is-now-the-second-biggest-arms-dealer-in-the-world-a7225351.html
https://www.caat.org.uk/get-involved/act-now/lobby/91
I have sent a letter to my MP, I have signed a petition, I have sent money, I have shared on Facebook - Big Deal! I know it it isn't enough, but I don't know what else to do. It is so frustrating.
There must be effective ways to stop all this madness in the world today - but what? Politicians are obviously not the answer. People do have power if they act together in sufficient numbers. But how do you achieve that?
At the moment I am so angry I really can't put it into words. If you don't know what I'm talking about watch Channel 4's documentary, aired last night about Yemen - "Yemen’s forgotten war"
www.oxfam.org.uk/what-we-do/emergency-response/yemen-crisis?cid=psc_FB_Yemen&dclid=CMifiLrguc8CFQuJ7Qodwx4DJQ
I cried throughout this programme with pity for the people, especially babies & toddlers. But also in frustration at the part the UK is playing in this. We are now the second biggest arms dealers in the world. We are fuelling the conflicts in the middle East & elsewhere & our companies are making billions from other people's suffering.
I am ashamed.
We are selling bombs & planes to Saudi Arabia & they are bombing the infrastructure for importing more than 90% of the food which Yemen depends on. Babies are dying slowly of malnutrition & people are starving. Medical treatment is virtually non existant & people have no money for medicine.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britain-is-now-the-second-biggest-arms-dealer-in-the-world-a7225351.html
https://www.caat.org.uk/get-involved/act-now/lobby/91
I have sent a letter to my MP, I have signed a petition, I have sent money, I have shared on Facebook - Big Deal! I know it it isn't enough, but I don't know what else to do. It is so frustrating.
There must be effective ways to stop all this madness in the world today - but what? Politicians are obviously not the answer. People do have power if they act together in sufficient numbers. But how do you achieve that?
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