Plumbing Pleasure - or the depths?

Just to let the curious know, that the washing machine cold water isolation valve replacement went successfully today without flooding the kitchen! For a change, it's been one of those days where everything goes all right, and without any problems. They do occur sometimes! Thanks to Wickes the DIY store for having the valve in stock, though the only down side is that you have to purchase a pack of two; even though only one replacement is required.
That's another peculiarity of life today, that you seem to have to purchase replacement things in pairs? for of course double the cost! I think I did remember a time in the past, when you could purchase hardware items singly, but that sales idea seems to be lost in the past now?

Anyway, the main thing is that the job is done now, and didn't take too long to do, and with a minimal amount of water leaking out when the isolation valve was fitted. So 'washing machine heaven' has been restored!

The first chapter of B.A. or my life? is coming soon....... so watch this space - it must be better than watching DIY paint dry? I hope!!!!

Another Tuesday, and another day at London City Airport.

Had some welcome time away from the computer and the 'blogging world'! Another Birthday has rolled past, and it makes me wonder where the year has gone?!
When you get past a certain age, Birthdays just seem to be a reminder of how much older you are getting, though naturally I try to make the best of the day, and usually go out for a meal and at least a few drinks as well!!

Another Tuesday, and typically unplanned and not predicted; having to do some plumbing in the afternoon, to a washing machine cold water isolation valve. Ended up wasting an afternoon trying to replace the broken plastic lever on it, finally having to remove the old valve which is beyond repair, and fitting a blanking plug in its place. At least no water leaks under the kitchen sink so far!!!! And the cold water can be turned on again.
So tomorrow will be another 'exciting' day? Having to get a replacement isolation valve from some where and then fitting it under the sink (without any new water leaks) - life can be so exciting and interesting sometimes? or maybe not!
Also trying to catch up with many other things that have been neglected due to being away this weekend.

As promised a long time ago, I will be adding some aviation related things, and talking about my experiences - I promise!! I know that there might be some people out there waiting extremely patiently?! for me to 'waffle' on about aircraft, airlines and my life with them - it will be all coming along soon......
     
At least last Friday and the weekend was better! After threatening to visit London City Airport (LCY) many times in the past this year, at last I made it on Friday! with some wonderful summer type weather, and took some really nice pictures there into the early evening, in the bright warm sun (for a change).

British Airways line up at LCY, with the brand
new A.318 Airbus awaiting more crew training flights for the day. The A.318 will be used on trans-Atlantic flights soon from LCY, via Ireland.
Quite a gamble for B.A. If there are enough wealthy customers around still in the City?!

Soon to disappear VLM Fokker 50, just about to land; and the airline to be taken over by City Jet. Yet another casualty of the economic recession to the benefit of City Jet!

Executive jet aircraft operations are one business that still seems to be booming! 
With this French Falcon 50ex rapidly speeding off into the warm evening sky - bound for Paris Le Bourget.

Finally, a typical sunny evening departure view from London City, with the stalwarts of the airport, the British Aerospace BAe.146's, which are now slowly coming to the end of their economic lives. This aircraft type made flying in passenger jet aircraft from this short runway airport, economically viable in the past.







An evening out in London as well!

Also made it out into town, for another nice belated Birthday evening meal for two on Saturday, at a restaurant near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. A very nice evening out, and a walk along the South Bank by the Thames in the mild evening breeze.

Colourful illuminated evening view from Hungerford Bridge, looking towards the South Bank.

                               And not forgetting the Houses of Parliament by night, with the moon above!

No Brain? No Brainer! Dislikes and likes of this week!

This American term of 'No brainer' has come back to 'haunt' us again on the airwaves! Used now by the supposedly well educated media journalists, and now some respected financial commentators and economists; it's another bad grammar and meaningless supposed English expression, 'coined' on the other side of the Atlantic.

I suppose that it must sound fashionable and up to date, for some un-informed people?

I think that it's meant to mean, 'It's clear', 'It's obvious', or 'perfectly / plainly clear or obvious'. Or even a 'simple decision' or 'simple choice'. All these expressions make sense in the context that they are used - 'No brainer' doesn't in proper English!

'No brainer' gives the impression that you have no brain! Or even one brain cell remaining maybe, to see that it's a stupid expression; and if you have no brain, medically you're dead!!! 
That's the logical conclusion of it all.....

I'm sure that Americans, and people that use the expression without thinking will disagree!

Changing the subject completely.......
The main thing I liked this week, was this tune I heard on a Channel 4 trailer for the T.V. programme 'Cutting Edge'. I have heard it before, but made the effort to track it down. It's a haunting sounding Indie rock track called Allies by the Blue States, and I like it a lot at the moment. In fact it's quite brilliant!!! Thanks to Channel 4 for bringing it to my attention.

Some might find the video disturbing, but somehow appeals to my dark sense of irony! And it sums up perfectly (in an American context) about the boring work routine for most people in modern office life and the futility of it, and the slender thread of life. Also how how some random choices and events can affect which slender thread of life that you take.
Fortunately, I took the first choice!
That's enough of my deep? thoughts for now! 

Hope you enjoy the tune and find the video thought provoking.....
 

A busy weekend - Kilmorey Mausoleum open day, and cycling in London.

I hope anyone out there in the blogging world that's reading this had a good weekend!
I had a busy time over the weekend, first helping out at the Kilmorey Mausoleum open day, which was very successful and quite hectic! since I was also the 'official' photographer as well.

We just managed to get the banner and bunting up in time, as the visitors started to turn up!

The visitors were keen to explore the grounds, and visit the Mausoleum.

























Interesting lens flare effect, due to the bright sunshine for a change!



Managed to also get out to the east end of London, and do some cycling around Rotherhithe, Bemondsey, Shad Thames and Tower Bridge. Took some interesting pictures as well, and here are a few:                  

After a bike ride through the crowds around the Tower Bridge area and the London Assembly Building, it was nice to stop off at the Angel pub by the river near Rotherhithe, and have a rest and a nice drink!













Then back to the routine at home this week, and adding more to this Blog! That reminds me, must do some shopping soon - such is life!......

It's the weekend again!

It's time to have a break from the computer and typing away at this blog, for a few days.

If there's anybody out there who actually bothers to read this stuff; have a good weekend as well, whatever you decide to do, and may the sun shine on you!

That's it, time to disappear for a while....... You never know, i might even return with some more daft thoughts to entertain you?

HTML Hell?

I wonder if any other Bloggers out there in the 'Blog World' experienced this yesterday morning?
When trying to type out yesterday's blog entry in the compose page, I noticed that strange things were happening with the post being published! The background went orange, with text going small and trying to be in at least two different fonts at the same time?! This led to a new unreadable odd font - most probably some people reading this blog at the time would think, "Thank goodness! I don't have to read this rambling rubbish anymore!!" 

Looking at the HTML text in the editor, and using my fleeting knowledge of HTML code, I could see that it was garbled and adding unwanted code instructions - Weird I thought..... I must have  offended the computer 'god' this time with my blog entries, or is there a 'ghost in the machine?!'
I tried to re-type the blog, but with no success.

Anyway, after leaving the computer for some time, when I returned in the afternoon and had to type the blog yet again! this time everything was normal and the latest post was published normally, though I've had waste over an hour and a half to re-do the entry!

Such are the frustrations of computers and the digital world at times! Spooky isn't it?

CRB Checks - not for me!

Bubbling away over the past week and being hotly debated, is the Criminal Records Bureau and the CRB checks.

It's all in the name - Criminal. The state automatically assumes that you're a criminal adult around children, unless proved otherwise!

Looking at the 'swanky' new website, another new expensive empire that has to be paid for, created for grey suited career civil servants. With the past history of government data bases; data getting lost or incorrectly accessed and abused, lack of data security, and no controls of how much it all costs when contracted out - who has much faith left in the 'Big Brother State'?!

As a volunteer myself, who occasionally comes in contact with children on Open days; If I was forced to undergo a CRB check to continue on volunteering, I would quit straight away out of principle, and for the cost to the charitable organisation that would have to carry out the CRB check.

All over Britain, it would most probably lead to the collapse of volunteers doing voluntary work out of principle, or because of the fees charged for the criminal checks.

Could this be New Labour's equivalent of the 'Dangerous Dogs Act'? Which brought the previous Conservative government so much ridicule! Rapidly followed by the 'Identity Card Act' for 'naff' legislation and law making! They must have spent too much time reading '1984' by George Orwell, and seeing if they can make it happen in real life!

Possibly a symptom of too much Labour political 'Whipping' of back bench MP's, to get the ill judged legislation through the house (forcing Member's of Parliament through veiled threats and bribes, to tow the party political line). I knew (political) S&M deviant practices would creep back into the blog again sometime!!!

Now would you allow 'plastic politicians', with their 'plastic' smiles and 'clammy' handshakes, hang around schools and children during the 'Hustings' - without a CRB check? According to the letter of the 'flawed' law, all MP's should have a CRB check as well, especially since a lot of their political decisions and daft new laws appear criminal!!!

So to appear politically unbiased, here's a few examples:

A rather apt and unfortunate picture for New Labour taken by the press! Of the 'Great Dictator Gordon' back to school - he needs it to re-learn what 'Boom and Bust' really means in economics!
Also lecturing the pupils on how he has improved on history, regarding state control and being 'Brother Number 1!'

Or New Conservative, new plastic tailor's dummy look for David Cameron! More like a dodgy back street car salesman, trying to peddle dubious political policies, (with sawdust in the gearbox) to unsuspecting children!

And not forgetting.... Er. What's his name? That other one of the Liberal Democrats.... Had to do a 'Google' to remember his name! Ahh... It's Nick Clegg - the quiet one!

I can just imagine the conversation: "Mummy told me not to speak to strange politicians!"

Some people would say, "Good idea this CRB check, get all those 'pervs' and 'child abusers' onto a data base and monitor them". Just one minor point, is from independent government research, the majority of child abusers exist in families and friends of the children being abused!

The main reason why a tiny minority of people, in jobs that are involved with children carry out child abuse; is that from the 1970's onwards with politically inspired budget cuts, people working with children and vulnerable people, have been treated as unimportant to society, in low pay, poor promotion prospect jobs, which tend to attract the wrong people for the wrong reasons.  
And lax reference checks have been carried out, due to desperation at times to fill unattractive vacant job posts.

Now what crazy half baked politically inspired legislation will be coming along next?!

Loser Lehmans through the Looking Glass.....

Noticing in the news, it's one year ago today that Lehman Bros. of Wall St. went bust - or was allowed to go bust by the US Government as a warning to other 'naughty' bankers.

After the 'Greed is Good' or 'God', the old revered and venerated saying in Wall Street, over the past couple of decades.

A sorry tale and parable of the 'Emperor's new clothes' in a banking guise; where arrogance, avarice, stupidity, and 'winning the lottery' style banking payouts, by bankers playing a lottery or casino type banking game all ended in tears!..... For the ordinary person and taxpayers in the U.S. and now the world.

With thanks to vault 45.com for the picture.

A financial 'pass the parcel' game of CDO's, MBS and SIV's, etc. etc. and other esoteric investment packages went on, which even they didn't understand! And the implications if they went wrong.
I think their MBA's are pretty worthless as well now!
Unfortunately, the money 'music' stopped and Lehmans were left holding the toxic parcel of debt! which is also slowly poisoning the other financial players in the room.

As the 'sage of Omaha' once said, "Derivatives and other complex financial packages are  weapons of mass financial destruction", or words to that effect.... "And when the financial tide goes out, we'll see which bathers are swimming without any trunks on!!"
In Lehman's case they were completely stark naked, and someone had also stolen their clothes and their Speedo's (for good measure) left on the beach!

Beware of false booms from prophets - I wonder if that includes me?!
Is this the end of 'Casino banking' or capitalism?

Okay, I know that you're thinking, "So how does this affect the average Joe or Joanna Blogs in the street?" Well if you have a house, watch the prices fall, and if you still have a job, watch out! The unemployed queues at the job centre are eagerly looking for new recruits!
All you can do is laugh at the stupidity of it all, and in the face of adversity.

Fetish young Fun?! Or GI Gimp?!

Noticed in Argos recently, a hideous looking boxed toy dressing up set called:"GI Joe and the rise of Cobra - or some such nonsense?!"
Disturbingly funny, what grabbed my attention strangely enough, whilst I was waiting in a short queue, was the grotesque, most likely Chinese made plastic 'tat' in the large garish box, which looked like a Gimp mask and attire from a fetishist day dream!

The horrible black 'sweaty' looking PVC style face mask, styled by someone (or maybe a focus group?) who seems to be influenced by Gimp rubber and plastic gear; or is having a knowing 'laugh' at the expense of innocent primary school age kids! with illustrations of fetish looking mask clad characters on the box, seemed to reinforce the view, "That they start fetish deviants young these days!!!" With all those nasty plastic crap weapons included - or maybe they're 'torture' implements for the knowledgeable?! I wonder what these toy designers are on? and what S&M are they influenced by?!!!

See what I mean!......

My thoughts also were, "What parents would buy that perverse ugly looking stuff for their young kids?" Wouldn't they be a bit worried seeing innocent young 'Darren' or 'Wayne' running about, clad in garb that would be fashionable in the local chapter of the fetish and S&M club?!" The whole scene sounds so ridiculously funny to me!

Showing my age and sounding 'prehistoric' now. Whatever happened to boys playing with Action Man (if you could afford them back then in the mists of time), with the rugged sticking out chin, eagle eyes and real gripping hands! Armed with a clean living 'manly' (in those days) lifestyle?!
Or girls playing with normal dolls. Not the eye assaulting, optical nerve and taste damaging! 'dripping' with glowing pink accessories, Barbie dolls we have today.

Also reminded me about talking to some American compatriots, whilst I worked for a U.S. company a long time ago. They told me about GI Joe and their childhood memories of the plastic moulded figure, dressed in what looked like D-Day infantry man uniform - most probably made in Hong Kong or Taiwan back then.

The poor unsuspecting GI Joes were quite often used for target practice by kids in the back yard, and 'filled full of lead', blown away to 'Kingdom Come', with an air rifle in Clint Eastwood style, whilst muttering, "Make my day Punk!..." For even more realism, a parent's Magnum could be employed, that would really finish off the job. That's what I call real childhood fun?! 

Anyway, that's definitely enough of my outrageous thoughts for now - I promise!! It's just that I have a dark sense of humour that's currently getting the better of me!

Now where did I put those plastic handcuffs?.... I can't seem to find them!........

And please don't get me started on inflatable rubber sheep, and who designs and manufactures them! It would make me roll around on the floor laughing for the rest of the day!

Taking things for granted.

All right! I know that I'm starting to write recent entries, as if I'm turning into a bit of a 'David Attenborough' - with hushed almost reverential tones describing wildlife! I promise to stop!
I suppose I'm more like a 'Rolf Harris' type regarding wildlife, without the beard and 'dodgy' singing and hit record singles! I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not?!! 

Anyway, back to what I was going to say.... We can be very complacent these days, and take things for granted, such as water supplies; and I was reminded about that fact, by driving past a major emergency repair to a local water main yesterday. It was a large repair effort just about finished, and explains why I had virtually no water pressure and running hot water at my house for one day last week.
I've experienced it a few times before in the past, and just have to get the trickle of water from the tap to eventually fill the electric kettle up, to provide me with some hot water to have a wash in the morning. It's just a bit of an inconvenience for me, but I'm reminded that a lot of people around the world have to make do with this, or less, every day for their washing and drinking purposes.

One typical observation though, is that when you haven't got much water to use in the basin, that's always when you find out that the plastic sink plug just doesn't quite fit properly, leading to the water leaking away faster than expected! So you really have to rush things with the wash! 
At least it stops you from spending too long in the bathroom!

The only thing that gets to me, is that we pay more and more water charges each year to private companies, for less water pressure, quality and service (apart from emergency repairs). I wonder if that's true free market economics at work? that the Conservative government introduced, when their policies created private water company 'monopolies' many years ago!
It makes you think!.......

Robins and routines.

The usual routine of life this week, and nothing too exciting happening. I suppose that applies to most people in their working lives. Though a good way to break out of the routine is to do something creative, and that's what I hope to do!

I feed a robin in the garden most days, and he was around as usual today, making rustling sounds whilst 'lurking' in the vine branches above where I put the food out for the birds.  
It reminded me about a couple of months ago, when I was feeding two cheeky young robins, squabbling amongst each other in front of me, about who would get to the food first.
The 'pecking' order though, is the parent bird first, who chases away the two youngsters! Has his fill of the food, and then allows the two 'argumentative' youngsters to feed next. Once they decide who is next!

They were fluffy scruffy looking 'balls' of brown and cream feathers! with the adult feathers just starting to grow though, and amazingly curious about things and myself.

One even stood still long enough, for me to take a picture of the juvenile bird!

Just hope that they make it through to next year.

Note: No mobile 'phone cameras were abused (used) in the making of this blog!

Autumn's suddenly arrived.

I had a pleasant few days away from the computer this weekend.
Makes a change not tapping away at the keys! Anyway, continuing on the 'ramblings'; I've noticed how the 'fleeting' summer has passed us by now, and that Autumn has suddenly arrived upon us. With leaves starting to fall from the trees, and being blown around in circles by sudden strong autumnal feeling gusts of wind, whilst I was walking in Richmond along Duck's Walk.

Watch out, Autumn's about!

Stand up Comedians and deliver!

This should be read with the song of Adam & The Ants playing in the background - it's going around in my head as I type this!
I was listening to the radio last night whilst cooking, and heard a comedy programme with four stand up (so-called) comedians from the Edinburgh Festival. I don't know, to me they sounded like second rate comedians with scripts written by third rate script writers! I listened to the complete show, amazed by the fact that there was nothing funny to laugh at! Maybe that was the ironic concept idea of the show, and it was way above me?!!
As usual, at least one of the stand up comedians has to resort to woeful strumming of their guitar; singing a supposed comic song, because they have run out of jokes or the typical dire ironic stories to tell.

Arrgh!!!! It's so cringe making to listen to, that it makes me want to gnaw the leg off an Okapi...(sorry that's a metaphorical protected species!) Anyway, you get the idea of the usual comedy stereotype acts that stand up comedians resort to.
Oh yes,  with thanks to Douglas Adams for the Okapi idea; a man who's writing and scripts were funny most of the time, and 'took the mick' out of 'worthy' science fiction in his day!
Back in the late 1970's, I remember stand up comedians when they first appeared - they weren't that funny back then, and it's about time they were put to rest now, with their tired political stance and ironic so-called jokes.... R.I.P.

Now what happened to "That was the day that was" series of shows? That was a very slick and 'bitingly' funny political satire series all recorded live on stage - must dust it off if I can find it in the comedy graveyard, take it down to the lab and put the 'electrodes' on it, flicking the switch; seeing if it comes to life again. Well, that's what most T.V. schedulers have to resort to eventually!

At least my meal was tasty - unlike the stand up comedy....

Pet dislikes for today!

I heard the term 'Staycation' today, yet again on the radio! The use of it has been 'creeping' in over the past couple of months; a lazy word used by even lazier journalists! Another ugly and meaningless 'Americanese' expression (I'm almost getting as bad as them using made up jargon!) - if you break the word down into it's parts.
It could easily be replaced by 'Staying at home' or  'Holiday in England' or whatever part of Britain you wish to spend your time in.  

Another bad and potentially meaningless expression is 'Clear blue water', used by just as lazy political journalists, and will most probably make it's unwanted return soon, when the 'Beleaguered' Brown has to announce a general election, most probably by next spring onwards.
Apparently it's meant to mean large political or policy differences. And don't get me started on 'Real terms spending' and economics!

There, that's my rant over, and I'm feeling a lot better now! Must be therapeutic!!!

Oh, I almost forgot; and finally, the nasty American habit of using euphanisms, to sanitise their unpleasant habits of oppression and torture of prisoners - sorry, ' Battlefield combatants' and 'Insurgents'! I must use their terms correctly! Not forgetting their cool water sports activity of 'Waterboarding', (Water Torture to you and me). It sounds to me, so much jolly fun and entertainment, having water sports in the warm blue Caribbean waters off the 'resort' of Guantanamo Bay - sorry, prison or concentration camp!

A modified version of the Beach Boys song comes to mind, "We're all going Waterboarding.... In the USA!"

Plus there's 'Extraordinary Rendition', and 'Redaction' of documents. The list could go on and on....

Or maybe I have got it all wrong?!......

Wartime reminiscences like dreams from the past.

Today is the 70th aniversary of the start of the Second World War for Britain. One of the most momentous periods in the last century, for both good and ill; which changed world politics, countries, economics, and the balance of power regarding which countries were military super powers.

Funnily enough, my Dad was talking to me a couple of days ago, about the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin's declaration of War speech on the radio, and how he remembered at the time, hearing it in his sister's dress making shop!

With thanks to the BBC website for the Neville Chamberlin picture.

He said that it all seems like a dream now, but still has vivid memories of that time.
Soon after, he volunteered to be an ARP messenger runner and air raid lookout at the beginning of the 'Phoney War' period - the quiet spell prior to the German air attacks on Britain.
There were plenty more memories after he joined the army later on, but that's another story!!!

My Dad's conclusion to it all, was that have we and the politicians learned anything from it? They are still making the same mistakes, wars are still being fought for no really good valid reasons, and innocent people still get hurt or killed. Politicians are too ready to send young men, and now women these days to war, and don't use diplomacy properly.
Just look at the current legacy of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East in general - It's nothing to be proud about.

Finally I asked him, "Could you imagine back then what it would be like today - 70 years on?"
He replied, " I couldn't have dreamed what it's like now. But we are no happier today, despite having everything."
"Despite the War, and having much less and a simpler life, I think we were far happier back then...."

It's a funny old world isn't it?!

Photo wanderings around London in July/ August.

I like to take unusual and quirky photographs when I wander around London, and there are plenty of opportunities, as I explore the streets. Here's a few recent ones.

This art installation was noticed in South East London on the side of a council tower block, whilst walking along the Deptford Wharf riverside path.

Hand tags, using a pot of paint for a change! By a bus stop in Southwark Park Road.

Three wooden carved bears wait patiently for something to happen! near Waterloo Station and the Waterloo Road.

                                        A distinctive wall mural over the Cubana Bar, nearby the Waterloo Road.

 

Interesting geometric bridge design and form, for the bridges over Sandell Street SE1.

On one Saturday, found some time to go on the Woolwich Ferry, which runs every few minutes between Silvertown (North Woolwich) and South Woolwich. It's quite an experience, and is free! At least something is still free to use these days in London!

It was meant to be closed down around 2005, but the service was saved due to popular public support. The experience is a bit like a mini car ferry crossing the Channel, but takes only about five minutes to complete the trip across the Thames!

A view from the Ferry, across the typically 'murky' tidal Thames, just downstream from the Thames Barrier. The Barrier, the Dome and the dominating Canary Wharf skyline on the Isle of Dogs , can be seen in the distance.

Motorbike Maintenance afternoon.... And no art of 'Zen' required!

A good excuse to do some work on the motorbike this afternoon in the garage, with the crazy changeable weather of sudden sunshine and heavy showers we have been having locally.

After being told by the MOT tester about a month ago, that the motorbike brakes were just about adequate to pass the test, I decided to adjust them when I got an opportunity. The rain bouncing off the garage roof and dark grey skies, provided a good opportunity for indoor work!

Being a typical Honda, they require very little maintenance! (a good excuse for neglect!!) And it's surprising how you can get used to riding a motorbike with wear in both front and rear brakes. It's been ages since I have adjusted motorbike brakes; and after a quick check of the settings in the manual, the brake and cable adjusters were set up in about half an hour.
Now the brakes feel a lot sharper, and I have to remember to adjust them a bit more often!

An oil change and chain adjust and lubrication are next on the agenda, in about 200 miles time.
Honda motorbike engines seem to have the ability to survive few oil changes as well. 
So watch this motorbike maintenance space - If you're still awake by then!............

Kilmorey Mausoleum & the August Bank Holiday....

Another day has flown past, and it's a nice bright morning for a change, as I type this. As you get older, the days seem to fly past, and it appears to get quicker the older you get!

Yesterday was the typical gloomy Bank Holiday, which the U.K. (in most places!) is famous for. Ideal for setting up this blog on the computer, then catching some sun in the late afternoon, when it felt almost like a belated summers day.

Normally I would have been doing my bit of voluntary work yesterday at the Kilmorey Mausoleum at Twickenham, but since it was a Bank Holiday, we usually decide to take a day off.
I got drawn into this volunteering, purely by chance a couple of years ago when doing some photography, and one Monday noticed a rarely seen sign on the black wooden entry door. The Kilmorey Mausoleum is a historical building on a local wild life site, and is maintained and run purely by volunteers, and for my sins, I became one of them!

It provides a local educational venue for schools and groups of children and adults, and has two open days to the public, with one coming along soon in September.

Here's a nice moody looking autumnal view of the Mausoleum tomb building!

The site is still regarded as a burial site, but the grounds are now managed to encourage local wildlife and plants.

A late summer view with the Field Scabious being lit by the sun.

We also have a website, and you can visit it at:
http://sites.google.com/site/kilmoreymausoleum/












So that's one of the ways I keep fit during the week, doing some work at the Kilmorey Mausoleum grounds. It's a lot cheaper than gym membership, and can be just as strenuous at times!

I also cycle there, when It's not raining too heavily; and cycling is another of my interests, using bikes I have salvaged and rebuilt from scrap. The last bike ride was on Saturday to Old Isleworth (the remnants of) by The London Apprentice and the River Thames, whilst there was still a bit of sun. It was a hard cycle back in places, with the gusting winds picking up, dark clouds building up overhead, and steadily riding uphill for most of the way. I was glad to get home and give my legs a rest!