ON YER BIKE, BORIS - you just cannot win.

 No blogs for a year, and despite my promises to find other items,  forgive me.    Bit of a hoo ha today because Beloved Boris was spotted out on his bike some seven miles from home!!   Might not be right for Boris but in my travels today I saw four of our lycra clad enthusiasts who, being well out in the countryside would have travelled at least ten miles on their exercise bash.    Not getting into it,  but if folks are driving ten or more miles to go for a walk, which should not be longer than one hour, it just disnae make sense.   Waiting to see what words of "wisdom"   Empress Nicola Crankie will have for wee Scots tomorrow.     She is yet another who lived by the saying  "Do as I say, not do as I do" !!!

I am more concerned about those who do not wear masks,  but at my age I am not risking a punch in the face for passing comments.  Last week a guy tried to get into Costco without a mask, caused such an uproar refusing that Police were called to deal with him,  and he lost his membership. 

We are doggy sitting once again,  Lilly the labrador, so looks like a late walk in the cold is in the offing,  had hoped that the snow had gone and temperatures were rising,  but no such luck, back to the Minus C readings on the thermometer.

  

HARD LUCK, BONNYRIGG ROSE, AND MAYBE MORE.

No snow today,  all gone here,  mild but wet and windy so not really any better for getting out and walking.

Not very often I comment about football teams and especially those who lose,  however, I did sit and watch a determined Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic, lose narrowly to Dundee on Saturday night.   What a disappointment to Bonnyrigg who were winning with only ninety seconds to go,  however Dundee slotted in an equaliser just before full time and went on to win in extra time.   Being a friend of their Manager Robbie Horn I know that he was as gutted as his team, however, he was preparing for the expected clash on Tuesday with Kelty Hearts,  BUT  I believe all leagues, other than Scottish Premier have been stopped as of today.

Going to be interesting to see how Celtic get on tonight against Hibernian FC,  having to self isolate fourteen of their first team following one of the players testing Covid positive after their return from their trip to Dubai last week. 

On Chanel 4 News tonight, a comment about Boris being seen on a bicycle allegedly seven miles from home,  perhaps it is time some of our Lycra clad brethren were checked out, some  many more miles from home.     A couple found 120 miles from home, out to photograph seals !!!  Three carloads of friends heading for wales from the south of England to go hill walking.    

The lockdown appears at times to be a real joke, sadly the majority are doing their best to make it work,  but a reckless minority just do not give a toss.  Today, a driver whose passenger tested positive and whose isolated, turned up for work as normal and his supervisors allowed him to remain!!  

There appears to have been a bit of an uproar in the USA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Bit of an understatement to say the least.  Seems that Mr Trump Caused a riot at the Capitol Building where five people died (one a Police office murdered by a demonstrator), and now I hear that a second Police Officer has since died.  Tonight it would appear that the Senate are attempting to Impeach Trump for a second time.  Man is a maniac and should be removed from post immediately.      A few days to go before Biden takes over, and then Trump's problems will really begin.  Seems that his two top golf courses are about to lose the patronage of PGA and the USPGA.

Oh,  and finally,  Tesco were charging £5.50 for their Lurpac,  a discount of £1.50 for Tesco Club Card Holders.    Seems strange how the price yo yo,s so much when Costco can keep it around the same price of  £5.49 / £5.70 for weeks on end. 

SWEDISH BARREL KNIFE AND MY OLD SCOUT KNIFE

During the current lockdown I was having a rummage about the house and found these two knives tucked away in a box. 

Having started to clean them up I checked out the markings on the Swedish Barrel knife and found that it had been made by John Engstrom and dated 1874, although he did manufacture into the early 1900's.  It would appear that these little knives are quite collectable, not that I have any intention of selling it at the moment .

This knife, which I had attached to my Scout belt and had always thought as being from the Scout shop, turns out to be an ex army issue but dated 1949.  These knives were produced in their thousands, in Britain,  but appear to have been sold to different countries throughout the World. I have another, with different markings,  but have also seen one which was issued to the Italian Navy,   currently worth around £70. 

 

INTERNATIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION, THIN BLUE LINE AND FRIENDSHIP TOKENS

The Thin Blue Line  badge is being worn by a great number of serving Police Officers as it is in honour of  Police Officers who have died in the line of duty,   the badge shown has been produced by the International Police Association, and may also be worn.   Quite sad that earlier in the year, one of Glasgow City's "elected  councillors" wrote to the Chief Constable demanding that Police Officers remove these badges from their uniform as they did not conform with the Police Scotland Uniform Regulations  !!!!,  what a load of rubbish.    Just so happened to be a couple of days before the hostage incident where the bloke killed the other in the hotel for immigrants,   hope the Councillor wrote and supported the Officers who attended.

There are Friendship Tokens, which you can give to close friends as gifts, started off in the military I think as Regimental tokens,   very nice and an unusual gift.   I am sure there are now collectors of such tokens.   This token and the badge were obviously produced for the 70th Anniversary of the IPA which has a massive membership Worldwide. 

 

Sunshine, bloody chilly, and in lockdown

 It has been a stunning day here, bright sunshine, although the temperature never rose above 0 C,  in the garden it was about -8C,     Despite this, and in view of the current lockdown rules, I did wrap up warm and take a walk round the park and playing fields opposite the house. (Bit nicer than yesterday)

Despite the inconveniences of the Lockdown, being sensible, do we really have an option is we want to remain safe and protect our own lives and those of our friends and family.   Living where I am makes life easier, both now and especially last year during the warm weather when city dwellers really suffered.  So, despite everything, I  may grumble a bit,  however I can have a bigger gripe about the many shortcomings of other aspects of life by our beloved leader  (Empress Nicola)and her henchmen / women within he current Scottish Government.

My biggest concern, following phone calls with several elderly friends today, is the effect the lockdown is having on people living on their own.  Telephone conversations are one thing,  but personal contact really is essential.  One other,  his wife is in lock down in a Care Home, in an area with no Covid, however he will not be allowed to see her at all until such time as the restrictions are lifted,  just cruelty in mind,  there must be away round this somehow.    

THE MERCAT PEN - AS DONATED TO NHS

 Thought I would pop this photo in, just in case someone now in possession wonders what the story is. 

Possibly about two and a half years ago, prior to being admitted for a big operation I wondered what to do for the nursing staff, other than buying cakes and sweeties.     So a couple of phone calls and I had ordered a couple of hundred of the mini torch pens which were distributed and really well accepted.  Since then, between myself,  the LAird o Cockpen RA Chapter and the mither Shed of the Corporation of Squaremen I have bought another 1200 pens which have been distributed to hospitals throughout the Lothians and Falkirk.     I managed to dish out the last few on a surprise visit to the A&E,  ERI , when some of the staff were seen to be using pens from earlier visits.     Time to order a new batch.  

FREEZING FOG, SUNSHINE and FORTY SEVEN FRACTURES !!!

 Under normal circumstances,  with the eco system which usually haunts Penicuik, I would suspect that we would be under several inches of snow by now.  However, for some strange reason this year,  to date we have had things pretty chilly down as low as Minus 6 C but very little snow ( although the DJ on Radio Forth 2 has just given a warning of snow for tonight).    Pavements have been horrendous with black ice, and Midlothian Council, along with most other Scottish Councils have inundated with calls to fill up Grit Bins.    Sadly we still have the opportunist thieves who are cruising the area and stealing salt from filled bins and probably charging folks to salt their paths!!!

Top photo was taken at 2 pm today in Penicuik when it was Minus 1 C,   a short time earlier the second photograph was taken of Edinburgh Castle, from Keir Street, when it was a balmy 3C in the sunshine.

Even in the sunshine great care was needed as the pavements were still very dangerous with black ice.  We spoke to a lady this morning whose sister had been taken to A&E at the ERI with a broken leg following a fall,  she was number FORTY SEVEN in the queue to have treatment.     The answer, same as with Covid is to stay at home unless you really must go out, GIVE THE NHS A BREAK PLEASE