Couple of days ago I was asked why my blogs had deteriorated over past year and I had to be honest and say tha5 I had been put off by a “friend” who was more than derogatory about mine. However, while I’ll i obviously had little to write about as I was not leading my usually active life, and in addition , I do not know how to get pics from this I pad into the blog so have to remember to take a camera with me and use another lap top to do the blog, and that one appears to have a virus.
Anyway, snow here has me suffering from PMS. [parked motorcycle syndrome), creeping into the garage and checking that the optimiser is still keeping the battery live.
Masonic season well underway, so this week it was the OES, Tuesday, missed the lodge due to a snowstorm, Wednesday, the OES was cancelled due to the adverse weather again, Thursday , made it to Castlepark RA at Bonnyrigg, bit chilly, but good meeting. Today was at a District event for the OES so congratulations to Martha and John Black for their appointments as WM and WP of the Eastern District OES.
Back to the snow again, just a bit annoying when I get home and have no parking* space because the folks up the hill behind us feel they hadve a greater need of getting to work than we do, so , in fear of being snowed in they discover that they have a pair of legs capable of reaching their car if it is on apiece of the famous black strip.
Mercat Grill has a couple of great nights coming up, 27 th January an Australian themed wine night, food and drink at £25 if precooked, and on the 10th Feb a German beer night (£15) food and beers as a fundraiser for the Rotary International.
Nice wee touch tonight by Ian Stevens one of my old Department, who put up a pic of a Vandalbuster ruler, which we designed and produces way back in 1988 at the start of our successful Schoolwatch programme. in those days I had a marvellous proactive team of guys working with me.
IPA (International Police Association) still active, next regional meeting for me is in Stirling on 11th February, work being done now for Friendship Week in 2019.
The E&SESALTA Now has a countdown on the trip to South Africa in January 2019, a week of visiting wineyards, with the option of an add on holiday.
Saturday, 20 January 2018
Friday, 12 January 2018
Bloody road works everywhere
I now join the hundreds of commuters who on a daily basis are delayed by the many roadworks taking place throughout the county and country. From recent personal experience all three roads between Penicuik and Edinburgh were restricted by traffic lights on the same day. Worst being the hole in road at Milton Bridge where there has been little or no activity for the past week, yet the traffic lights have been causing delays all the time. Looks like they intend to power up the new speed camera at the Golf Course , so be warned. ( I remember the days when on the nightshift we just turned off the lights removed the cones and let the traffic flow when it was sensible and safe to do so - current H & S Regs are just a licence for folks to print money which could well be used elsewhere) Just more annoying is the fact that the Council Highways folks seem perfectly happy to allow these cowboys to dig up the roads and cause chaos as and when they feel like it.
The late Adam Montgomery would have had this sorted out toute suite.
On a cheerier note, something to look forward to, a wine night and BBQ style meal, Oz theme, at the Mercat Grill on 27th January from 7 pm. £25 up front or £30 on the night. AND also a German Beer night in aid of the Rotary Club of Musselburgh on 10th February. £15. Beers and sausage included.
Adam Montgomery RIP
One of these strange events, when I was thinking about Adam Montgomery and ten minutes later I heard on the radio that he had died in hospital after a short illness.
Like many others I had known Adam for many years, mainly through his various positions with Midlothian Council, and the various and many things he did for his own community within Penicuik.
He will be greatly missed by family, friends and the community, a sad loss.
Like many others I had known Adam for many years, mainly through his various positions with Midlothian Council, and the various and many things he did for his own community within Penicuik.
He will be greatly missed by family, friends and the community, a sad loss.
Sunday, 7 January 2018
Now into 2017, what’s new.
Firstly, according to tradition , I need to wish one and all “all the best for the New Year”, And despite being a grumpy old so and so I genuinely do.
New year and this following week has been as hectic as usual at the Grill, so I am pleased to say that I did manage to eventually get a day off on Wednesday.
For those who have fled our native shores for sunnier climes, they will be pleased to know that weather here has been crap, wet, windy and cold . BUT despite that I have been able to get out on the “Time Machine” and had a wee run down to see Andy at Border Bikes, But the bad news being that the Steed of Steel is still in Dock, now waiting on a new tank as the original is now weeping fuel like a sieve.
National news, despite buying three papers a day, I tend to look at the births , deaths and marriages, and provided my name is not in print I am quite happy. TV news also brings on bouts of depression so better that I pretend to be like an Ostrich and bury my head in the sands. I do that Andy Murray has ha down to return home from upside down land tohave some real work done on his hip, it was pretty obvious on the T. That he was suffering from his bad hip and should never have been away and playin* so perhaps he was doing what his sponsors wanted.
Trip into Edinburgh last week, visited two of Weatherspoons finest establishments, and sadly on these occasions not impressed. Caley was understaffed so food was being left overlong on the gantry, and on this occasion mediocre. Standing Oder, and with my long history and association of the place, so disappointed with the state of cleanliness, especially down in the toilet area which was badly I need of a deep clean!! Bit smelly.
Princess Street, home to however many beggars, many ho can earn a tidy living sitting there looking miserable, probabaly doing better off than me !! Just a shame that the con men and chancers do spoil
it for those who are genuinely in need . Already documented by journalists who have tailed several of the so called beggars and know that they are making a good living from their con.
Much as I would like to help, no way am I being taken as a mug.
Along the same lines, there were the usual folks trying to get members of the public to sign up to the big charities, so much a month direct debit, etc. So the recruiters get a bonus which I believe to be 70p in the £. next on this theme we have a former MO who is earning £400k plus as CEO of a major charity receiving hundreds of millions in Foreign Aid!!! Again an example of big charities being run as commercial enterprises to the benefit of the few. Add the corrupt payments to foreign officials and the beneficiaries get very little of the original donations.
Bit like the pressure advertising on the TV for these £3 a month donations, Leopards, Polar Bears, Water purification, homeless, and so on, when you subscribe to own your name gets added to a data base and then you get hunted. hence the number of folks who have signed up for multiple donations to several organisations.
Maybe next time
New year and this following week has been as hectic as usual at the Grill, so I am pleased to say that I did manage to eventually get a day off on Wednesday.
For those who have fled our native shores for sunnier climes, they will be pleased to know that weather here has been crap, wet, windy and cold . BUT despite that I have been able to get out on the “Time Machine” and had a wee run down to see Andy at Border Bikes, But the bad news being that the Steed of Steel is still in Dock, now waiting on a new tank as the original is now weeping fuel like a sieve.
National news, despite buying three papers a day, I tend to look at the births , deaths and marriages, and provided my name is not in print I am quite happy. TV news also brings on bouts of depression so better that I pretend to be like an Ostrich and bury my head in the sands. I do that Andy Murray has ha down to return home from upside down land tohave some real work done on his hip, it was pretty obvious on the T. That he was suffering from his bad hip and should never have been away and playin* so perhaps he was doing what his sponsors wanted.
Trip into Edinburgh last week, visited two of Weatherspoons finest establishments, and sadly on these occasions not impressed. Caley was understaffed so food was being left overlong on the gantry, and on this occasion mediocre. Standing Oder, and with my long history and association of the place, so disappointed with the state of cleanliness, especially down in the toilet area which was badly I need of a deep clean!! Bit smelly.
Princess Street, home to however many beggars, many ho can earn a tidy living sitting there looking miserable, probabaly doing better off than me !! Just a shame that the con men and chancers do spoil
it for those who are genuinely in need . Already documented by journalists who have tailed several of the so called beggars and know that they are making a good living from their con.
Much as I would like to help, no way am I being taken as a mug.
Along the same lines, there were the usual folks trying to get members of the public to sign up to the big charities, so much a month direct debit, etc. So the recruiters get a bonus which I believe to be 70p in the £. next on this theme we have a former MO who is earning £400k plus as CEO of a major charity receiving hundreds of millions in Foreign Aid!!! Again an example of big charities being run as commercial enterprises to the benefit of the few. Add the corrupt payments to foreign officials and the beneficiaries get very little of the original donations.
Bit like the pressure advertising on the TV for these £3 a month donations, Leopards, Polar Bears, Water purification, homeless, and so on, when you subscribe to own your name gets added to a data base and then you get hunted. hence the number of folks who have signed up for multiple donations to several organisations.
Maybe next time
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
