Democracy yes a boring Malcolm post

Been bumbling around ranting since last Thursday and its getting worse.

We live in a democracy in this country so I am told. Little sign of it since and including last Thursday as far as I can see.

Police Commisioner voting, yes that, I voted so I can moan and will do so there.

Turnout appalling, information delivered to your door about each candidate appalling, comments from our government the next day when the laughably low turn out was announced included; We expected a low turnout for the first one, its the media they didnt publicise the candidates as much as they should.

A farce sums it up especially when the first announced commisioner a conservative magistrate made comments like, lessons need to be learnt.

People were going into polling stations saying I only got material from one candidate so I will vote for him. and does anyone know who the candidates are and who I should be voting for.

How is it democratic that a commissioner is apointed after getting 50 percent of the votes which in themselves represented only 10 percent of eligable voters.

And now we hear that surprise surprise big business could be corrupting government. We also hear that we should not resist developments because we need to do all we can to rebuild the country out of the recession. Doesnt that just prove the first sentence of this paragraph. So HS2 sounds like a done deal.

that nice mr o'leary

Well I am speechless, I never ever ever thought I would agree with anything that Michael O'leary of Ryanair said.

So what did he say, well a paragraph from The Gaurdian 19/11/2012 is coming up below;

Asked what he thought of proposals for a new hub, which the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has backed in the Thames estuary, O'Leary replied: "In parliamentary language it would be unprintable. Insane, stupid, harebrained." He said the need for new surrounding infrastructure alone made it all but unworkable.

Crayfish and male sterilisation

Could not resist this story I know its a couple of weeks old now but its not old if you have not seen it, truth or not its worth a giggle.

Nip it in the bud... nude swimmers told to wear clothes as aggressive crayfish multiply in Hampstead Heath ponds

21 September 2012 London Evening Standard website.

A vicious breed of crayfish has invaded Hampstead Heath ponds and begun nipping swimmers.

The red swamp crayfish, known for its aggressive behaviour and long claws, is multiplying so fast that 5,000 of them are believed to be in the pools.

Bathers in the men’s pool, where many swim naked (allegedly), have been advised to wear clothes.

Regular Peter McCafferty, 43, said: “I’ve been seeing more and more crayfish being pulled out and I’m very wary of them.

“I’ve had a couple of nips on my toes in the past few months. But some people have been nipped in altogether more sensitive places, which doesn’t bear thinking about.”

eight cranes and thirteen storks over cambridge

So there I was on the hill at Coton and then I see them all over Cambridge, eight cranes and storks how many, yep thirteen.

Blimey what a sight and you can see them too if you want, eight tower cranes on building sites scattered across the town and the storks or should that be the stalks of the thirteen new wind turbines away to the east out six mile bottom way.

lovely day for a walk or two

Lovely sunday with glorious autumn weather so went for a walk or two, well strolls some folk would say as neither was that long but I have been working too hard lately so thought take it easy today.

Had a bit of a stroll beside the River Cam in the morning Clayhithe way. Surprised by the number of people about but all friendly. Saw some nice wildlife as well such as these two.

Not a brilliant picture I know but I was even more surprised when another Roe Deer joined them. A mother and two young who calmly grazed just the other side of the river about 200 yards away.

On the way back to my car I heard a squeaking and thought cygnets, sure enough a male Mute Swan appeared closely followed by five cygnets, nothing special there you might say well two were what are called Polish cygnets, and I was transported back to Milton Country Park where for years we always had Polish cygnets from the only pair of swans we had on the site. The Polish ones are the white ones, the grey colour is switched off in there genes. They are not too common either so there I was wondering if they were descended from that pair all those years ago.

Then this afternoon it was onto the Coton Countryside Reserve where if you go to the top of the hil you get the best view over Cambridge from anywhere I think. The sun was shining and the Buzzards were squabbling overhead when I got there, 3 of them for a while. A lovely relaxing day.

when is a primula not a primula

Now this will sound a bit like a rant but theres a point.

I popped into a local garden centre Saturday to buy some bedding plants for a client, got home and then noticed that I had been charged too much for one pack, it had a reduced label on and they had not chraged the reduced price.

Anything else, well yes. I bought a pack of Primulas and looking at the the till receipt it said Bellis perenis, faffed about Daisies in other words.

Now hang on says I and looks at the pack which says by the bar code, general bedding, which was more understandable and true.

So I calls the centre and yes if I call in they will reimburse the overcharge so I did. I then asked about the wrong name on the till receipt and got the answer, we will look into it.

Does it matter, it would if you had to take them back me thinks. And then again surely it should be right under consumer law. But then what do I know.

It said to let just Friday

So there I was driving down Histon Road in Cambridge just last Friday and I see this sign on some railings and had to laugh.

I mean who puts a up a To Let sign on the railings of a cemetary. Have the council evicted someone for causing trouble I wondered, anti social behaviour perhaps or not paying there rent.

It tickled my terrible sense of humour, so I thought go back and take a picture, its funny, so back today Sunday and what do I see its now Let.

So what can we draw from this, wait for it.....



They are dying to get into this place.