Friday 24 December 2010

It's been a long time away.

I'm back after a long absence, due to being busy and doing things in the real world! I wonder if anybody out there in the vast electronic 'world wide web' expanse has been missing my musings?
I'm sure not!!

Anyway, just to confound some and annoy others! I will be continuing on my occasional rambling on about whatever takes my interest. I might even get the enthusiasm again, this Christmas and New Year holidays, to continue on with "B.A. or my Life?!" - You never know.....

For the die-hards out there, if they exist, I wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year, whatever it brings! 

Thursday 12 August 2010

Back to the Blog. Or back to sanity?

For you occasional readers out there...... Didn't get a chance or the enthusiasm and energy, to type an entry for last month in the extremes of weather, whilst I was working.
After a long absence, I've finally returned from the desolate, seemingly never ending world of house DIY! Almost driving me mad at times, with the amount of repair work to be done.
Anyway hopefully back to normal now, and when I get some  spare time, I hope to find some more 'inspiration' to add to the Blog.

Finally, It's amazing how time flies by, as I just remembered that I had to take my motorbike for it's annual MOT test again.
The recession appears to be biting yet again, as I was the only one there with my motorbike at the small garage this morning. And chatting to the MOT tester, found out that that business was right down this year, and the garage was just about surviving financially with some motorbike and scooter repairs and servicing. As usual my motorbike passed without any problems, and the tester after a brief interlude, relieved me of £29, informing me that it's government policy to put up the testing fee every year!
Hope the vintage looking garage is still around next year, and for more years to come!

Tuesday 29 June 2010

It's raining - time to add another entry to the Blog. Or England World Cup Failure....

As it's raining this morning, since the weather forecasters changed their forecast yet again! I have decided to use the time to share a few more musings that come to mind.

In the blazing London heat last week, I moved the scaffold and re-assembled it in it's final permutation, precarious looking, perched on top of the propped up porch roof, which is also in need of repair!


Luckily it's all holding up, after some safety testing first; and here's a couple of pictures of the trusty scaffold, before it all got very messy with sanding and stripping down paint! 


My daily view looking down, with a bucket full of tools ready to hand.

Even though I dislike modern marketed football intensively, I thought that I had to add a few comments about the stupidity of it all.

Last Sunday on yet another very hot afternoon, whilst I was doing more something productive - stripping paint off the outside of the window frame, when the 'infamous' match was going on; I could hear the typical football yob four letter expletives, being shouted out from houses through open windows in the street, and even the longer 'intellectual' expletive of "W---ers" (not Winners!) as England stumbled through their football game. As there were more shouts of despair and derision, rather than cheers, I knew that England were losing as usual!!!
With all the recriminations afterwards, it completely confirms my view that footballers are overpaid, pampered primadonnas more interested in counting the money they earn per minute, rather than playing properly for their country, and actually being paid by performance for a change. Just shows how useless British football is in comparison with the rest of the world, and how we pay and treat footballers, as if they are world cup champions all the time!

In this country we seemed to be obsessed with awarding huge amounts of money to some people for failure, rather than performance; whether it's in politics, business, banking or sport and even football managers. It's all the same, the average person pays dearly for incompetence! And these idiots at the top keep talking up their jobs and pay, despite being plainly useless! 

In the Sunday sultry heat after the match, everything went quiet, just like on a traditional Sunday in the past, with maybe the nation 'mourning' and in shock?! The silence being broken by my electric sander, as I continued on with working on the wooden frame, removing the last stubborn bits of old flaking paint.

It was interesting to note yesterday, that all the England flags displayed locally had disappeared off houses and cars, and even the local supermarket had taken most of the excessive number of England flags and decorations down!



Just about sums up the excess of the England football marketing hype, as most of the flags and decorations are most probably made in China! Which makes it look even more ludicrous! At least the Chinese made some money from manufacturing all the World Cup tat! So there is a positive side to things.










With the twit 'Boris the Mayor' sporting an England flag looking like a table cloth, we didn't stand a chance!
                                                            With thanks to Rex Features for the picture.

On the news this morning, I heard that the England football team 'skulked in' to Heathrow airport early in the morning on a chartered aircraft, in the London rain, and greyer skies than their ugly looking Marks and Spencer uniforms; cowardly avoiding the negative attentions of the press, as they passed through the restricted access low key VIP suite terminal, so their arrival would be hidden as much as possible from the reporters and public, wanting revenge and their blood!
(metaphorically speaking). To be minibussed to their various destinations home, swiftly after arrival, by a fleet of awaiting vehicles.
All stage managed image damage limitation as we come to expect these days, with unpopular visitors to the U.K.!!!


                                                                                                                 With thanks to Steve Parsons/PA for the topical picture.


There, that's my rant over about the stupidity of British football! And my ironic view of it all. I'm sure that you're thinking, "Thank goodness! that's the end of all that".

Monday 28 June 2010

Yes, it's not house DIY yet again but Yuksek for a change!

I'm lucky that I have a little bit of spare time early this morning to add a (now rare) entry to my Blog!

Whilst I was trying to relax one evening, after a hard day's work on the house front, I noticed a recent trailer for ITV 4 programmes on T.V., which had an interesting tune. After a bit of investigation via the internet, I found out that it was called "Tonight" by Yuksek, a French outfit, which created this unique dance sound. Also produced this strange, surreal dreamlike and rather different video clip, which I have included. Ideal sounds for the hot summer nights.

Hope that anyone that is still out there, and bothers to read this Blog, enjoys it as well!




Tuesday 1 June 2010

Summer is here, so it is house DIY time again!

As usual, the 'call' of the house renovation drags me away from the Blog yet again!

Just in case there is anyone out there reading this Blog occasionally, I thought I would type a few lines, telling them why I will be away from the 'electronic world' for some time.

This time it's the front of the house that needs some serious attention, and I started about two weeks ago, again battling with rusty guttering, leaking joints and flaking paint on the weatherboards.

With wooden window frames also in desperate need of care and attention, and now have found a couple of window sills starting to rot away in places. So you can see that I have got plenty to keep me occupied for at least another couple of weeks!
Though with the rain today, I have got a bit of time to spare indoors to tap away a bit on the keyboard, and maybe keep someone out there entertained?!  

Must get on with work again soon.......  Have fun, whatever you get up to this week/month.

Sunday 16 May 2010

First open day this year at the Kilmorey Mausoleum.

At last I have got a little bit of spare time, and a modicum of enthusiasm at the moment; to add another Blog entry about the Open Day two weekends ago, for the local St. Margaret's residents, at the Kilmorey Mausoleum.




After a lot of hard work over last winter, the gardens are looking good.























It surprised us that 198 people turned up on the day, which started out quite sunny, but descended into typical Bank holiday cool grey skies weather in the afternoon, with rain arriving later in the evening. 



















I was in charge of the wood burning Kelly Kettles this time, which provide hot water for the Eco Teas stall area, where also some nice home made cakes were provided!

Views around the woodland area in the dappled sunlight, whilst we still had it!



As it was an open day, the Mausoleum was open to view inside.



































With the heavy door open, the shining skylights can be seen.




To find out more, see the Kilmorey Mausoleum website link.

It was a long day for all the volunteers concerned, and we eventually got to pack everything up at about 5.30 p.m. In the gloomy, cold, rain threatening evening skies! Though a good time was had by all involved that day.


Wednesday 5 May 2010

Yawn! It's that General Election time again....

Since everyone is getting bored by now of the excessive general election media coverage, and the American style managed TV debates; I thought that I had to make a note of the event, and would add a brief comment.
It could be a major turning point in our failing 'First past the Post' system, which puts political parties into power with the minority of the total vote, and might get changed now - or end up in a '70's style hung parliament mess. Most likely the latter.

The usual bunch of unelectables standing for power, putting forward the incomprehensible policies to most people, with fundamentally flawed manifestos, if you look too closely at them!

Whatever they say or do, the country lurches from one crisis to another, and whatever happens, you end up paying more taxes - direct or indirect for the privilege of it all! 

I'll be glad when it's all over tomorrow! Just wonder what the real cost will be?

Friday 30 April 2010

It's Mobile Phone madness!

For anybody still out there in the quiet almost deserted backwater of the Blogosophere?! In possibly one the last of my current musings and comments about this mad world and way of life.

Recently whilst on one bus journey travelling into central London, I noticed two 'suicidal' mobile phone users! caught up in their crazy insular mobile phone world - maybe isolated from reality and the real world and its people.

The first one was a man, walking out from the traffic lights, whilst they were still green for the road traffic, towards the front of the bus. Luckily the bus driver was driving slowly, and at the last second, the obsessive phone user looked up from the tiny display screen and noticed the vast bulk of the rapidly approaching bus! then decided to make a quick retreat.

The second incident within minutes, was a woman walking out from the pavement into the traffic, whilst fixated pressing the keys rapidly in succession, and not even noticing the oncoming traffic, with it's potentially fatal consequences for even her mobile phone! This time the bus driver had to give a loud blast on the horn, and must have been feeling just a bit fed up now of pedestrian's antics!
She jumped back suddenly to the side of the road, after being 'snapped out' of the all encompassing mobile phone trance, and decided that she valued her life more than apparently continuing on with texting!




You wouldn't want to argue with a London
double decker bus, would you?




Why do people shut out the real world and other people, whilst using these often annoying electronic gadgets, whilst also irradiating the brain with ultra high frequency penetrating radio waves?

It's also surprising that not many more people are killed and seriously injured on the streets and roads, whilst engrossed with the dreaded phone. Must be luck?!

Wednesday 21 April 2010

End of the calm now in the clear blue skies?

On a bright sunny day, today is the first day that almost normal flights have returned over British and European skies. Ironically in the past week of cool clear sunny spring weather; its been since last Thursday  when all flights were stopped, because of a 'pesky' small Southern Icelandic volcano erupting, creating  a possible threat from the high altitude volcanic dust cloud, thinly spreading itself across the airways.  

The damage to aircraft cannot be underestimated, since a search and rescue helicopter which had to go out to an emergency call in Scotland, returned with its engines seriously affected by the fine volcanic ash, and had to be grounded for extensive maintenance repairs.

Interesting to note, that an unusual silence fell across London and the rest of the U.K. skies for days, where even faint birdsong could be heard again! Terminals and roads were empty at the airports, from the usual throng of busy traffic. And aircraft were parked up 'nose to tail' in every available space remaining.



Yesterday morning in a few minutes, I saw the now rare and strange sight of three passenger aircraft at high altitude, vapour trailing as they hurriedly headed west towards the North Atlantic. Whilst all aircraft were grounded at airports in Britain?!

Was there over reaction, to the size of the potential dangerous dust cloud over Europe? Time will tell.











Now the economic recriminations begin; between the airlines, the Meteorological Office, and politicians, about who is responsible for the cost, the delays, and the hundreds of thousands of stranded passengers!
Not forgetting the vast amount of perishable airfreight stuck in cargo warehouses at the airports, rapidly rotting away!

Is this a timely and 'gentle' reminder about the fragility of air travel and our over reliance on it, and taking it for granted?

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Amble around 'cheerful' Brompton cemetery!!

Fairly recently, I ended up at Brompton Cemetery, doing some local field research regarding the original history of the Kilmorey Mausoleum.
With the background of Chelsea football ground, and the incongruous sound of the cheering crowds drifting in and out in the distance, on a Saturday afternoon in the quiet of the cemetery; whilst I was on a photographic exploration of the historical grounds. With also a few joggers around me, and some people walking through the park like grounds, taking a short cut through the area.

The Brompton Cemetery was opened in 1840, as an example of the first privately financed and run cemetery in London.
It was also the first to be nationalised soon after, due to financial difficulties! and is still publicly owned today.


Giving the impression of fading away into the infinite distance, of one of the colonnades viewed in the Great Circle.











 The stylised coiled snakes represent entering the dark underworld through the iron gates, and into the eternal circle of life and death.






And into the deathly dark, dusty, forgotten and silent unending world of the catacombs.....


























In the mid 19th Century, the Egyptian style was very fashionable, and was finding its way into Mausoleum design.

This early example called the Courtoy Mausoleum, built in grey granite, and seen crumbling today, was built for the very wealthy and secretive Courtoy sisters, and was regarded as highly controversial in its day. Various rumours were spread around at the time, regarding pagan influences and rites carried out with the structure.

It also has a legend spread around, that it was designed as a time machine by a Victorian eccentric inventor, to allow the interred to travel in different dimensions of time and space!!
Pity that it can't travel in time itself, and repair the large chunk of stone that broke away from the pyramid style roof!

More strange information can be found at this link!

The Mausoleum provided the inspiration for the grander Kilmorey Mausoleum, with no expense spared, constructed in 1854 in Circle 1 originally.
See the Blog website link for the Kilmorey Mausoleum, as it is today.








The Circle 1 as seen today, crammed with more profitable single graves!






















Views of 'poor relation' generic kit style Mausoleums, also still around the Brompton Cemetery.































































Other ornate monument designs can also be seen.




Another no expense spared Gothic Church/Chapel style Mausoleum still around, built by by the co-founder of Standard Oil, the largest and most powerful oil company of it's day.



A final view of some of the local residents perching on the monuments. A fitting end to an interesting photographic afternoon experience, on a cool windy day!

Tuesday 30 March 2010

The madness of chairs, life, or is it political correctness?!

I've been away for a while from the Blog, due to being quite busy, and getting into the world of second hand GPS hand held units, and 're-cycling' them.

Anyway, a short while back, whilst I was walking through an ubiquitous looking 'cathedral of shopping' in my local dull looking shopping centre, which panders to the 'religious faithful' of the ardent 'religion of shopping' and unbridled fashion led consumerism; in place of the traditional forms of god based reverence, which are slowly fading into history. Is this the 21st century meaning to life?!
I was wondering that all these shopping centres (malls) look very similar, and I could be almost anywhere, in any major town or city, and they would look the same.


                                                     With thanks to 'one man and his blog' for the picture.

I was also thinking, (a dangerous thing to be having two thoughts almost simultaneously!) about one of the latest political debates in the Houses of Parliament, where a proposal was put forward, debated, and then voted for, to change the name of the person in charge of committees, so to prevent any seeming gender discrimination under the latest human rights acts.
This was obviously so important, that a lot of time had to be spent on it, despite the country's economic future going down the drain, and government deficit reaching record historical levels, with no realistic idea of how we are going to pay for it and the compounding interest charged on the debt for decades to come.
It's comforting to know that the cross party committee debate, on the committee name change takes priority over really important things!
So the politicians decided to change the name from 'Committee Chairman' to just 'Chair' and you will now be addressing the 'Chair' at the committee.

                                           Is it a chair, a person, or a politician? I'll let you decide the difference!  

It sums up perfectly the wooden and  dumb behaviour of a lot of politicians these days!
They could have just allowed the traditional meaningful name of 'Chairman' or 'Chairwoman' to be used; but now they seem to be discriminating against the gender of living beings, being scared of gender sensitive politics, in favour of inanimate furniture! I think that the human rights acts should be amended yet again, to stop real living people's names being discriminated over furniture! before it all goes too far with the ridiculous gender discrimination name laws, and dubious uses of the human rights acts.

The world of politics gets crazier every day.........

Wednesday 24 February 2010

P.M. or Prime Monster? That is the question?!

As stated in the Sun 'news comic' - Is Gordon Brown the P.M. or the "Prime Monster?!" With previous antics of smashing mobile phones against the room walls of No.10 Downing St., in fits of anger with his 'minions'. That's one way of disposing of now regarded unfashionable and unwanted electronic devices!
 
Then scowling and going on long sulks during meetings, and not communicating with anyone thought less important than our 'Great Leader' (Dictator) Gordon, for substantial periods of time. All of this has been repeated and reported many times in the past; so it comes as no surprise when lower orders of government, resort to 'blabbing' on bullying complaint phone help lines, when Gordon throws his weight around, and they also report sick off the 'No.10 school' for some time.

Then the next public relations fiasco after reeling out the minister 'clones', all saying how human and concerned 'Big Brother Gordon' really is, despite his dour control obsessive, robotic like public image; was the attack on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after stating the plainly obvious, that we were in the worst economic mess for 60 years! 
More bullying "Forces from Hell unleashed" from No.10, from the candid admissions this weekend, by the normally mild mannered Labour's 'Economic and Political punch ball', Alistair Darling in charge of the doomed Chancellors job from Hell! He had to admit that the bullying press releases attacking him, originated from Gordon as well.

As for the opposition waiting for government?! 'Chameleon Cameron' still busy going around in ever increasing 'U turns' over Conservative economic policies, about swingeing budget cuts, and not wanting to scare the average 'Joe Public' too much. Then the childish squabbles in Parliament, trying to make the "Bully" name calling smear stick to "Our Leader Gordon", with the house erupting into a 'zoo like' shouting and name calling match, which makes the public respect M.P's even less.


I know the start of the pre-election silly season is here, but it all just makes you want to weep with frustration at times, at the stupidity of politicians and Parliament these days. Could you really vote for this lot of dishonest money grabbing crooks at the next General Election?!





David Cameron suddenly realising the big flaws in Conservative policies!

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Crane Park in Winter.

It's been one of those things that I've been meaning to do for ages, but never got round to it. Visiting Crane Park in Hounslow, which is a wildlife park and has the noted historical Shot Tower located in the middle if the grounds. So I decided when the weather got a bit better, to go on a long walk to find this noteworthy place.

I made the effort about a week ago, on an unusual almost spring like sunny day, where if you sat on one of the numerous wooden park benches, you could actually feel a bit warm in the sun!
Named after the River Crane, which threads it's way through the woodland, which can be more like a small meandering stream when water levels are low, then turning into a fast flowing swollen river, with a spell of prolonged heavy rain.


                                                         River Crane view at one of the weirs.

When I visited, it was running fast with a lot of rainwater. And off the main asphalt path, the other paths around were either waterlogged or very muddy. 

Towards the centre of Crane Park is the imposing looking Shot Tower, built in the 18th Century to produce various grades of gunpowder for the army, and was used up to 1926. It was designed in such a way to be resistant to an explosion - The roof would just get blown off by a gunpowder explosion, if the event ever happened. Thankfully the theory was never put to the test!


                                                        The Shot Tower in Crane Park

Never far away, is the reminder that the tranquil looking park is in the vicinity of Heathrow Airport! And whilst I was there, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A.380, and various other large wide bodied airliners, such as British Airways B.747-400's and Boeing 777-200's, 'thundered' over on their departure routes.  

Wandering back along the main path through the woodland, there is almost a rural feeling in the middle of Hounslow in West London, with the river winding around and creating small islands, some with allotments on, for people to grow their own vegetables amidst the trees. 


                                                           Typical Winter view in Crane Park

It's quite a long walk around the park, and I needed a rest after a while, on one of the welcoming looking wooden benches!

Sunday 21 February 2010

Early memories of Heathrow Airport.

Just remembered again, very recently, my earliest memories of visiting Heathrow Airport!
The first memory was around 1966, when I got taken there by my parents to pick up my uncle arriving on a flight from from New York.
I can just remember being in a car and driving towards the tunnel, from the perimeter road, and could see several interesting looking pale blue and white aircraft, that were Pan Am Boeing 707's parked around Terminal 3.
We then picked him up from the Pan Am arrivals area, which all seemed very 'exotic' and interesting at that time, and that was my first memory!

The next experience of Heathrow, was around 1972, when we went to meet my grandmother, who flew on an Austrian Airlines (nicknamed AUA by the Austrians) flight from Vienna. The area near Hounslow West and Henley's roundabout, was now a large building site, with a rough looking temporary road provided for the traffic going to the airport. All this building effort over several years, was the construction of the new underground rail link, to Hatton Cross and the airport from Hounslow West station. This time, when being driven to the Central Area, I saw both Pan Am and the red and white colours of TWA, plus a couple of South African Airways Boeing 707's, with their colourful orange tails.

We had to wait around for some time on the viewing terrace, which in those days, was one of the best around. Unfortunately that morning, it was a grey dull cool late summer's day, with the typical airport windy conditions, and I remember that it was also feeling damp.
There were no aircraft movements for some time, and very few parked around the stands, giving the impression that this part of the airport was deserted! Feeling bored, I was glad to see the eventual arrival of the sleek and elegant looking, red and white Austrian Airlines Caravelle 6R airliner, taxying up to the Terminal 2 parking stand with the distinctive high pitch compressor wailing sounds of it's Rolls Royce Avon turbojet engines.


                                                         With thanks to RinkRatz / Flikr for the picture

The 'AUA' flight was running a bit late, and we were glad to make our way to the warmth of the Terminal 2 arrivals area, where I met my grandmother. She complained a bit about the cramped seats at the back of the aircraft cabin, next to the engines, and the engine noise as well during the flight!

Many years later, I eventually got a chance to fly on a CTA Caravelle 10R, and found it comfortable with plenty of legroom and relatively quiet in the cabin, regarding engine noise, so I must have been lucky!

Friday 19 February 2010

Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition visit.

It's been a while since I've visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It has been undergoing an extensive re-decoration and re-organisation for several years, and seems almost finished now. A few weeks ago, I decided to return and see an exhibition there.

Whilst I was looking around, I noticed an art installation in the courtyard, from the Decode digital images exhibition.




The rectangular blocks comprise of large grids of white light emitting diodes, which put together, produce images seen by the tiny integral video cameras.




A close up, shows the interesting effects produced by the installation, also reflected in the water.

I did want to visit the Metropolitan Police exhibition of forged valuable art works, but the queues went on for ages, and I didn't get the opportunity to visit the exhibition that day - it was just too popular!

When I eventually get the inspiration, if there is still anyone interested out there?! I will try to put together the next episode of "B.A. or my Life?!"....

Tuesday 9 February 2010

B.A. or my Life?!.... The Second Chapter - Still waiting time!

Chapter Two.     Still waiting time!

I now found myself one early October Saturday morning, in a large grass field in Dunstable, near Luton airport in Bedfordshire. The cool stiff breeze blew across Dunstable Gliding Club, with the sun trying to shine at times, through the broken white and grey ragged clouds in the Autumnal sky.

So what was I doing there in these rural surroundings? After passing my 'O' Level exams, I decided to have a go at gliding, and experience the feeling and supposed freedom of unpowered flight. There was an adult education gliding evening class, starting at the beginning of September at the local college in Chiswick, and with a bit more spare time on my hands, and being just about old enough to enrol, I decided to give it a go.
I attended evening classes once a week, for a few weeks, with the lecturer being an elderly man who looked like he was at, or close to retirement age, but came across as being a very experienced glider pilot . Learning the basics of glider flying and airfield circuit patterns - the typical takeoff, crosswind leg, base leg, downwind, and finals pattern, until it could be drawn on paper by memory! and the typical airspeed and altitudes to be flown.

Then after a few weeks, my time came in October to actually go flying in a glider - just when the weather starts to get colder! Being young and foolish, I didn't think of wearing my warmest clothes; and I would certainly have needed them that day.
We met up at the pre-arranged place quite early in the morning, at Chiswick High Street by a pub, and I got a lift in a (I think it was a bronze coloured) Renault 5 hatch back car, taking the four of us expectantly up to Dunstable Gliding Club.

Unfortunately our driver smoked, so we had to suffer the odour of her Consulate cigarette smoke wisps and puffs (the ones that were advertised at the time on T.V. and posters, supposed to be as "Cool as a mountain stream"?!), winding their way around the inside of the car; destined to share the 'pleasure' around, of the smell of burnt leaves and paper! I thought that the smell of these fags, were more reminiscent of a 'cool' advertising image, of a murky chemical and rubbish, oil polluted stagnant water course, sluggishly flowing into an old industrial canal!!! I remember that I opened the side window a bit for a while, to get some fresh air, and let some of the tobacco smoke out, but had to close it after several complaints, that it was getting too cold inside the car! The ashtray conditions inside, had to be endured for the rest of the trip.
The typical route via the North Circular, up to North London and the M1 motorway was taken, and with moderate traffic on the roads, we arrived at the gliding field in good time. We pulled up into to the basic gravel covered car park, and with relief, I got out of the car into the clear morning air!

When we got there, there was some sun in the sky amidst the broken clouds sweeping past. I was feeling a bit cool as we walked past the agricultural barn looking low hangars, past some gliders pulled outside, and a couple of glider towing light aeroplanes parked up, waiting for a day's work. A steady wind blew in our faces, whilst walking across the short cropped grass towards our ancient looking instructor! and our practical tutorial experience. Our glider was resting near several others, rigged up and ready for flying. The first impressions were that it looked as old as our flying instructor!

With thanks to the quirks of the internet 
for finding this ancient advertising image!

Constructed mainly of stretched doped canvas and plywood, this was an orangey red coloured, high wing open cockpit Slingsby T.21 side by side two seater, with a British Gliding Association (BGA) registration painted on the tail in black. The glider wasn't really suitable for an air tow to get airborne, plus we couldn't afford the aircraft towing charges! so it had to be a ground tow, using a large diesel powered ground winch unit to get us up into the sky.
Our group of at least six of us, were then organised into a rota of duties to be done, during the glider flights. In what seemed to be quite a long day, I spent most of my time on Marshalling duties, helping push the heavy glider around the field to the take off area, recovering the tow winch cable, and signalling the tow winch operator to "Take up slack", off the tow winch cable, by waving a large round red and white sign on a pole, to and fro. We also took it in turns to connect the winch cable end to the glider tow hook, so to spread the safety responsibility amongst us!

                                                                   Thanks to Nimbus227 for the 
                                                                   Slingsby T.21 picture.

I did manage to get some spare time to have a chat with the other students, and watch the operations at the airfield; seeing both the yellow Piper Cub and the blue and white De Havilland Chipmunk go back and forth, towing the more sophisticated gliders into the air. The sonorous propeller sounds of these two piston engined aircraft, reverberated regularly around the glider field as they took off with a glider in tow, and landed again soon after, on their own.

Eventually it got to my turn, to have a flight in the antique glider aircraft, that I had spent so much time already pushing around in the grass! Clambering into the small cockpit with the instructor, we were both tightly strapped in the rather hard seats. The faint smell of paint and glue encompassed us, and I looked at the grey painted instrument panel with it's minimal array of elderly instruments, the spoiler operating lever, and the tow line release lever with the big red knob. Our turn was coming soon to take to the air, and the weather suitably obliged by clouding over almost completely!

The tow cable was connected, and the dual control joystick and rudder pedals were checked for correct movement. By us, the white and red round sign was waved overhead to signal a tow winch take off. At first, the movement was slow as the cable tightened on the ground, and we bounced along the grass on the single wheel and landing skid on the bottom of the fuselage, with one person on each side supporting the wing tips, as we gathered speed. Soon we found ourselves airborne climbing up rapidly, being pulled into the now gloomy sky by the steel tow winch cable. When the cable was almost vertical at about 700 feet, according to the vintage three pointer altimeter, I was told by the instructor to pull the red cable release knob. There was a "clunk" sound and the glider lurched a bit, as the cable fell quickly down to earth. 
The erratic reading ancient airspeed indicator was showing about a 'flickering pointer' 65 knots (nautical miles per hour), and the variometer for indicating vertical speed, was already indicating a steady rate of descent. There was also the 'luxury' of a turn and slip indicator as well, to show correctly co-ordinated flight. Not much hope of that, with me at the controls at the moment!



Thanks to rsw617 for the video clip, which shows a typical winch tow with a typical flight time in a T.21! And yes, it does deserve laughing at!

I was soon to find out that the vintage Slingsby with the aerodynamics of a brick, (if you throw a brick hard enough, it will appear to fly!) was struggling just a bit to stay level, especially in gusting winds! The instructor was endeavouring to show me how to keep the 'Brick's' nose up, level to the horizon. No chance of 'thermals' (uplifts of strong warm air currents) today to keep us aloft in the sky. There were a lot of sensory experiences and views to take in at the same time, and I was meant to be looking at the the wartime style flight compass, and following a compass heading, but I didn't have a clue! Things were happening really quickly now, and the 'Brick' wanted to follow gravity as quickly as possible, and return to the ground where it felt more at home! The circuit was rushed because of our low height, and I had very little time to get a feel of the controls. It was freezing up there in the cockpit! with the wind whistling around us, and the airframe. I did have just about enough time to see the patchwork shapes of verdant greens and autumnal colours of the Bedfordshire landscape stretch out into the distance all around us, with the horizon fading into the grey sky. We could see Luton airport not far away, and the occasional aircraft departing.

Within five minutes, the instructor had guided the 'Brick' onto the glider field approach, and my feet felt frozen, and I could hardly feel my toes in my training shoes resting on the 'twiching' rudder pedals. Being a glider, there was only one chance at landing, and no second go at it! The approach had to be correct.
Before long, we passed over the field perimeter at approximately 40 knots, which was the landing speed, with the spoilers deployed in the wings to rapidly reduce the lift produced by them, and we touched down with a firm bump on the grass. The glider quickly skidded to a halt, and it was someone else's turn this time, to push the glider back to the take off area of the field!
The brief flying experience took about five minutes in total and felt like it had ended almost as soon as it had started. I seem to remember that it cost me £5, with £2 for the winch tow, all paid in cash! Quite an expensive experience in 1979 terms!
Unstrapped out of the uncomfortable bucket seat, I recall staggering out of the cockpit, trying to get the feeling and warmth back into my feet!
Then back to Marshalling duties yet again, until it was my turn eventually for a final second flight, before the weather got too bad and gloomy to fly in.

Whilst I was waiting, I had my binoculars with me and I saw an ex. American Airlines Boeing 707, now bought by Monarch and being prepared for lease on to Cyprus Airways, flying out of Luton possibly for a test flight. That seemed to be the highlight of the day at Luton! as the well used second hand airliner rumbled into the sky, leaving a small trail of dark grey smoke from the four early turbofan engines behind it, with the venerable jet aircraft soon to disappear into the cloud. This reminds me about the alleged true story of another ex. American Airlines B.707, that had been delivered to Monarch at Luton at about the same time, and had just undergone some maintenance work in the Monarch hangars.
It was also on a test flight, and soon after take off, developed a serious hydraulic leak from the undercarriage, which sprayed a large mist of Skydrol (aircraft hydraulic fluid) and drifted over the nearby Vauxhall car and van factory; onto some of Vauxhall's finest at the time, awaiting delivery in the giant car park! The Skydrol did its corrosive job quite well, and started to strip the paint off some of the brand new cars! An expensive flight for Monarch, as they apparently also received a bill for the cost of respraying the cars involved! 

I got another chance to 'brave' the elements in the cramped cockpit of the 'Brick', and again it was a quick five minute experience, following some other gliders back into the airfield, before the weather closed in for the day. Another £7 spent in discomfort! There weren't many more flights afterwards, and soon it was time to pack up for the day, and put the glider back into one of the hangars for a 'rest'. We needed a rest as well! after pushing that heavy weight across the field and back to its home. In the end, only one of us in the group got a single flight of over ten minutes that day, due to getting the good fortune of a sudden strong updraught of cold air reflected off the local hills.

Whilst recovering a bit, and £14 poorer! I did some sums in my head, and it worked out that it would cost me £60 an hour, without the cost of the tows included! Compared to about £30 to £45 an hour at the time, to learn to fly in a powered light aircraft. I decided that this gliding 'lark' was too expensive for me, and I resolved that when I got the chance (and the money!), I would have a go at flying light aircraft instead.
And that's the end of my gliding experience, only to be finished by having a long journey home. Even though we were all tired, somehow, the woman driver decided light up another Consulate and fill the car up with tobacco fumes yet again, and take a lengthy detour to somewhere near Hemel Hempstead, where she was booking an evening in a tacky looking, poor relation to a Las Vegas style local night club. I was already almost choking in the smoke when we arrived in the night club car park. And we were delayed there for some time, whilst she was sorting out her booking. Still, we had no choice since she was the driver, and it was her car!
Eventually we made it back to Chiswick via her house first, to drop something off, and then the side road off Chiswick High Street by the pub. By then, the cigarette smoke supposedly "Cool from that mountain stream" from the 'Consulate girl' had now reached the pit of my stomach, making me feel very queasy and car sick! I just made it out of the car in time, and felt sick as the car drove away into the busy traffic of the main road.
What a strange experience! and not to be forgotten in a hurry, as I walked slowly home wondering if it was worth it, and looking forward to my bed soon afterwards!

Back to another dose of reality, and another strange thing was that when I left school in November, I was advised to sign on at the local job centre, and apply for unemployment benefit. With plenty of spare time now on my hands, I duly followed this advice.

Soon afterwards in November, I received an appointment to attend an interview in the Unemployment Office located in Acton, near the Town Hall. This was to check if I qualified for unemployment benefit.
Suitably dressed in unemployed looking attire, wearing a black donkey jacket and old blue jeans, I think I presented the right image of the 'deserving unemployed'! I remember sitting in a government office, in a nondescript looking 1950's brown brick and concrete low rise office block. There were a panel of three civil servant staff sitting at a table in front of me, and the man who appeared to be in charge, was rather tubby, balding, and looked middle aged, wearing thick black rimmed glasses and also dressed in a grey nondescript suit, to perfectly blend in with the dull surroundings! Various questions were asked of me, the main one being; "Why are you claiming unemployment benefit?" I told them that I was now old enough to claim the benefit, and that I was advised to do so, since I had no job currently. If I had known how apparently humiliating the process was, and how I had to almost beg for the benefit, I wouldn't have bothered! The interview soon finished, and I left the office wondering why I went through the process.

The next step was to attend the 'signing on' queue, at the Power Road Unemployment Office. This scene was more like the one from the controversial 1979 Saatchi and Saatchi general election 'Labour isn't Working" poster. Except it was under the Conservatives now, who promised so much but now delivered too little, except rapidly rising unemployment to the then desperate electorate.
Another dull looking fluorescent lit office, where many hours were spent, with several long winding queues of unhappy, bored or resigned looking unemployed people, waiting to eventually get seen, and their application forms and other paperwork sorted out at the interview desks, by the overworked and unsympathetic Benefits clerks.
I returned to the vicinity about three years ago, visiting the Honda dealership for some boat engine spares, and wandering around the area, noticed that the Unemployment Office office had long gone (maybe they thought unemployment had been banished by then?!), and was now replaced by a BMW main office and parking lot on the site for new cars to be delivered - how times and affluence have changed!    

Eventually I got paid, and had to visit my local Post Office (also now gone!) every two weeks to cash the Giro Cheque, for a sum I seem to remember, that worked out to about £17 a week. Not much even back then, and there was the implied feeling that you felt like a 'scrounger' at the Post Office when claiming the paltry benefit.

                                                            Thanks to Conservative Party Archive 
                                                                                                     for the image.    

After a pleasant Christmas, with no school routine to return to in the New Year; I got another appointment letter from the DHSS (Department of Health and Social Security) in January 1980. A new decade with new prospects and possibilities.
This time it was to attend the Job Centre for an interview concerning looking for jobs. What followed was a confusing, almost humorous session in their orange, cream and brown carpeted offices. Sitting at the round blonde wood table with another 'vacant' looking woman Employment clerk, we had a pointless conversation going round in circles; where she told me that I should be looking for a job, otherwise my benefit would be stopped. I tried to tell her that I already had a job lined up, starting next month! She just couldn't understand what was going on for some time, until I finally made her comprehend that I was told to 'sign on' for unemployment benefit, even though I had a job to go to eventually! Subsequent to that meeting, I ignored all further DHSS correspondence, and with no surprise, the unemployment benefit payments soon stopped.
By a strange co-incidence for a third time! this Job Centre has also been closed down, and has remained empty and boarded up for over five years now. I wonder where the local unemployed go to these days? 

Time was ticking away, and days were passing until that eventful day in February, when I would be starting my new career in aviation. In between, I managed to get some winter sun with my parents, visiting Malaga in Spain via Madrid; staying at a Spanish friend of the family's flat for a couple of weeks. Despite the warm daytime sun, the Mediterranean sea was still icy cold when I once paddled my feet in it!
We got to fly on a B.A Trident Three and a Lockheed Tristar, plus a couple of Iberia Boeing 727-200's which was an interesting experience, using my father's airline staff travel concessions.

When I returned home to a cold London, there were only a few days left to go, to prepare myself for the next challenge. My first day at B.A.!

Hope anyone out there found it reasonably entertaining?! Keep looking out for the next episode of my aviation influenced life - which will be published eventually!

Saturday 23 January 2010

B.A. or my Life?!.... The First Chapter - The waiting time.

  
Chapter One continued.... The waiting time.

Patience is a virtue, or so they say?.... I certainly needed some patience back then, after the experiences of the interview faded slowly away, into the memories of a summer now past.
The aircraft still thundered over regularly on the approach to Heathrow Airport, reminding me of future possibilities.

It was now September 1979, back at school, and enrolled into the 'A' Levels course in the Lower Sixth Form class, at the now defunct Isleworth Grammar School. Roll on the new merged, new socialist social experiment comprehensive school! Political meddling sounds 'ripe' for educational disaster, and it was as predicted! Schools were becoming cost driven educational factories, churning out kids in ever larger class sizes; administered by faceless people who know the cost of everything, and the value of nothing - the idea seems to be continuing on even now.

The school was starved of funds and facilities for years, whilst it was a lonely bastion for a while to selective exam based education, and stubbornly held out against being made Comprehensive. Now when it capitulated and surrendered to the socialist education plan, the Labour party were 'comprehensively' voted out of government, and the Conservatives under 'Maggie' were now in!!! Almost following the movement of Labour politicians, some of our best teachers also decided that it was time to go, amidst this new chaos. 
Another addition to this 'toxic' experiment mix, were all the 'dunces', 'hard' or was it 'head cases?', 'wasters', and other school social misfits (a bit like me I suppose?), now added from the local Comprehensive school we merged with; with a bit of a naff 'reputation' for trouble and under achievement to preserve!
That's perfect timing for you?! as well as having a building site at school, suddenly appearing all around in 1979, as we were trying to study for exams, and then starting our 'A' Level studies earnestly?! Well, maybe not so keenly involved in educational activities!
At least it was a good excuse, all that noise and disruption at times, with builders roaming around in their hard hats, not to pay attention to lessons!

Out of the 'ashes' of the old Grammar School, came the new Gym, a new Art room and Science labs, and a Woodwork shop, as part of the new Comprehensive School 'shiny new world'. Just the minor problem that nothing much worked! or was wired up in the new Science lab rooms, when they were opened according to the 'Master Plan', with their bright white and yellow painted walls. So the old Science rooms had to be temporarily used again, until the work was eventually properly finished.

Being the Sixth Form, we got the old Woodwork shop as our common room. But since it was formerly a workshop, we got no extra heating, just a quick brush over of cream coloured paint on the walls, and it gave a good temperature impression of the inside of a fridge, in the onset of Autumn and Winter. The stone cold feeling charcoal grey rough carpet tiles, with the added 'ambiance' of easy chairs, which looked just like a job lot that fallen out of a local junk shop; with their flimsy wooden flaking varnish arm rests, and thin and tired looking pale green and grubby yellow cushions, with the now flagging stuffing just about to burst out of them, was meant to give the look of adult sophistication for teenagers soon about to enter the adult world.
Small scratched wooden coffee tables were added to the chaotic and 'clapped out mix', to catch shins and ankles on, if  you were in a hurry to get somewhere?!
I don't know why, but the fashion of the day seemed to be groups of students, huddling around these low wooden coffee tables, playing the card game Bridge, whilst leaning over, and not trying to get backache in the easy chairs!
Being a teenage rebel to convention, and anti- fashion, with 'mop head' hairstyle, wearing my dark blue and white striped, thin nylon and plastic sports mac - very sweaty and very '70's! with a Gulf Air Tristar badge pinned on it. Badges of various sorts were still fashionable - some liked CND, Mod or Punk themes, and I liked Tristars! Finished off with a sweater (very apt!), dark brown corduroy trousers and green Dunlop trainers. Plus not having a clue how to play Bridge properly! I tried to ignore all this tedious daily break time activity.

There are memories of a radio someone had brought along in the room, playing Tubeway Army's "Are Friends Electric?" in the background, and the moody synthesiser sound suited my teenage feelings at the time perfectly. I also liked Blondie's "Atomic" and Elvis Costello's "Oliver's Army", which was also being played, and also in the pop charts at the time. A discussion was going on whether some of us thought Rod Stewart's "Do you think I'm Sexy?" is better than 'boring' Tubeway Army?! Status Quo was one of my main contenders in the boring sounding groups according to me, which would bring 'howls' of derision.


I also remember thumbing through a copy of Time Out magazine, and reading the reviews of new films such as "Radio On", with it's unique monochrome art design film poster (I liked the Inex Adria DC-9 aircraft in it!), except that I didn't have the spare money to go and see the film in the cinema! There was a deep recession going on in Britain, and money was tight. Other quirky films around at the time, I remember, were Jabberwocky and Alien.

I've added a clip of the film, that I found recently, to give people a feel of what it was like at the time.

With the introduction soundtrack of David Bowie - Ahh! The memories of youth!






Thanks to the Narcissist071 and the BFI for the film clip.

Also glamorised at the time were cigarette adverts, and on the back page of the magazine, there was an advert purveying the cool image of French Gitane cigarettes with blue and white statuettes.
It certainly did influence us teenagers, since by then about a quarter of our class excluding me, were regular smokers when they could afford it! And more about this later on.

A cold wintry feeling draught of air flowed around at ankle height, just above carpet tile level, chilling the feet if you hung around too long without moving, in the easy chairs; fed from the ill fitting window frames that ran along both sides of the room. On one side, were rows of pale yellow wooden lockers where we could put our books and bags in, which I suppose did act as a little bit of insulation and kept some of the cold air at bay. A handful of ancient cast iron radiators that had seen better days in the 1930's, did their best to provide a feeble level of background heat.
This was supposed to be adult style sophistication? now we were allowed to have our own common room, and not have to wear school uniform any more.

For some strange reason, the school 'Tuck Shop' was placed in the corner of the room, that used to be the workshop office near the room entrance, so the kids could get their 'fix' of highly refined sugar, fat, salt and caffeine; in chocolate bars, sweets and Coca Cola, to keep them going and hyperactive through the day at school! I suppose that it was a bit better than the reputed health hazard 'Maxpax' machine that lurked in a poorly lit area of the school near the main hall, dispensing an affront to the reputation of hot beverages, for ten pence a time! 

Even though they paid a small retainer for a couple of Sixth Formers to run the 'Tuck Shop', I couldn't be bothered to get involved with it. I had far more important 'teenage angst' things at school to get on with.
The routine was so dull at the time, that the memory of lessons was just a blur. I had elected to study 'A' Level Physics, Mathematics and Art; but only had a real interest in Art, and just muddled through the other lessons.
One of the last main memories of School lessons, was being in the new Art room after school, to finish off some work on my art project painting I was doing. The picture was getting quite large, so needed a lot of time spent on it. It was in October, about after five p.m. in the evening, and soon time to pack up and go home. Looking out of the large panoramic ground floor window, I could see the main school building tower in the clear evening sky. The sun had just set below the horizon, and I observed a Trans World (TWA) early version B.747 jumbo jet fly over low, soon to land at the airport. The approach and landing lights were on, as were the logo lights which lit up the tail area in the darkness, so the airline colours could be seen. I could just about hear the sound of the four Pratt and Whitney PW JT7D  turbofan engines through the glass as they were throttled back on the approach. It was quite a memorable sight, soon followed by another smaller aircraft in the darkening sky, on the approach landing path.
There was also a small transistor radio in the Art room as well, which provided with me with more musical memories. Earlier on, Kraftwerk had been on playing "Autobahn", and as I was thinking of clearing up and putting my things away on the work table, the tune of "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles was now on the radio. This tune stuck in my head for quite a while, since it was played so frequently on the radio at the time!

Steve the class Mod, with his olive green parka, who was also working on a painting next to me, got interrupted by 'Rothmans fag packet' Phil, one of our classmates not doing Art;  who unobtrusively suggested that it was time to slip off quietly to the toilets for a 'fag break'! The new woman art teacher must have got suspicious by now, seeing students sometimes with classmate visitors, going off regularly to the toilet together; or maybe she thought that they were developing homosexual tendencies?! Knowing a few of them, possibly both! 
Steve also told me that he wanted to experiment with hash sometime soon. I told him that it was a daft idea and not to bother, but who knows if he did actually try that rubbish eventually?

The newly refurbished toilet block in the corridor, near to the new Art room and Woodwork shop, acted both as a magnet and haven for the 'smokers' and the so called 'hard cases'. Sometimes the cigarette smoke was so thick, that it could be smelt in the corridor outside. I only once used these toilets, and faced a thin mist of bluish white tobacco smoke lingering around, from the aftermath of the smokers antics, behind the bright yellow Melamine faced cubicle doors. The place smelt like a giant ashtray, and I didn't bother to return ever again, unlike the many nicotine addicts! 
During my last few months at school, one of our supposed 'hard cases' and 'drop out', (who was originally quite a studious type) nicknamed 'Weebil'  made school notoriety; when he turned up in his black punk gear, and wearing a swastika arm band. Then after having a fag in the toilets, felt bored and decided to vandalize and rip one of the 'canary' coloured toilet doors off its hinges. Just as he was doing this, a teacher walked past in the corridor and heard the commotion, went in and caught him in the act. 'Weebil' swiftly found himself in front of the Headmaster and was soon expelled from school. The last tales of the toilets I heard about, was that one of the 'tough nut' teachers caught the smoking group in action, then several other teachers soon arrived and rounded up the miscreants, and humiliating punishment was swiftly handed out from what I heard, including the confiscation of their 'valuable' smoking materials!

During this period, as a present from my parents, I also started driving lessons in a new 'fancy styled' Toyota Starlet hatchback driving school car, and had to fill my head now with the Highway Code in my spare time!

I was offered UCCA Clearing House paperwork to apply to go to university, but I had no interest, and after spending some time forgotten in my school holdall bag, they got filed away in the bin eventually!
One other memory was that my painting which I called 'abstract realism', got to be displayed in the Art room show on the school open evening! And got many complimentary comments. 

At last, in the beginning of November, the keenly expected letter from British Airways arrived at home. When I opened the envelope hurriedly, it was a letter telling me that I had got the apprenticeship job, and the starting date and details.
Feeling elated that morning, I went to school and to the amazement of my classmates, emptied out the school work contents of my locker into the nearby grey metal bin! I then went to the Headmaster's office, and saw the Deputy Head instead. I was told to go to my lessons and hand my textbooks in to the teachers concerned, and I also returned the large reinforced heavy cardboard drawing/painting folder, that I had been lent from the Art department. Goodbyes were said, and I soon found myself sitting on the shiny black leather settee, in the dark wood panelled main entry foyer, normally reserved for school visitors, positioned opposite the meaningless (to most of us) school trophies glass fronted case. Several classmates I knew, stared at me as they walked past, wondering what was happening to me!
After what seemed quite a few minutes of waiting, the Deputy Head took me up to his office, and we had a chat. He gave me a short lecture about the new adult world outside, and I told him that I was glad to be leaving school!
So before I knew it, I was walking down the school main entrance steps for the last time, and into the bright sun with blue skies, feeling that I had finally escaped! I never looked back as I walked along the grass fringed driveway, past the teacher's cars to the school main gates, and a new direction in my life. That was it now, really no turning back!


Whew! That was a long episode, and the last one in the First Chapter. If and when I recover from all this work, I may eventually get the energy and enthusiasm to type the next episode in the new Chapter.
I wonder is there is still anyone awake out there, after reading all of this?!

Saturday 9 January 2010

Seizure - the installation.

A Happy New Year to anyone out there who reads this blog! 

So I have returned after a long break - not due to the current Arctic like conditions that have 'gripped' London for the past couple of weeks, but due to the replacement of the double glazing in my office recently, and then having to put my computer and everything else back in the small room afterwards. Then catch up with quite a lot of outstanding things to do.

A few weeks ago in kinder weather,  before the arctic weather ‘invaded’ our shores from Scandinavia, I visited the copper sulphate crystal encrusted installation, called 'Seizure' by Roger Hiorns, one of the entries for the Turner Art Prize last year, located in a block of disused flats in south London. It was quite an amazing experience seeing mundane dilapidated surroundings transformed into a deep blue coloured crystal grotto. I managed to get some quite good pictures of the interior whist exploring this strange installation, set in concrete rooms and passages.

It should have been removed and demolished last year, but due to the financial crisis, the developer has abandoned the idea for re-developing the site for now. I only found out just a few weeks ago, that it was still open to visitors and it remained open until January 3rd this year. 





Not the most obvious entrance to an art installation!





















                                              We're about to enter a strange blue world in what
                                              used to be a council flat.






It's blue copper sulphate crystals everywhere in the rooms and passages, occasionally lit by the odd light bulb.

 

                     Crystals crystals everywhere......




                  They're only very toxic if you decide to break a piece off and put it in your mouth!







                                       It's bath time, but in copper sulphate crystals now!

With thanks to Roger Hiorns and his team and Artangel, for providing such an unusual and visually entertaining installation in Southwark, south east London.

Here's some information that was provided in the free pamphlet.





Hope to continue on soon with my next instalment of "B.A. or my Life?!" - The waiting time....