“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.” Henry David Thoreau
My Mum has a new company car which allows her to get out and about like never before. Whilst not quite electric, push-power will do for now.
As we chatted around the beautiful Yeadon Tarn, her well-stocked library of thoughts was as sparky as ever. I am pleased to note the absence of any section entitled Political Correctness.
Nor in her dotage is she likely to start to go mushy; one of her favourite sayings goes:
“I was never sure they let me take the right baby home so far as you were concerned!”
I asked her if she could swim belted into a chair only to receive a typically defiant response.
“Try it! Miserable little turd!”
Wiggle Like A Leek
Never did I expect such pleasure from the simple process of planting leeks. Having watched them take almost three months (fast-growing?) to get to a size ready for inserting, what followed was magic.
I shook the stems from their compost, with several clinging to each other; forget social distancing. The strongest was selected but before inserting into a six-inch hole penetrated by my trusty dibber, straggly roots needed a quick trim, if not a Brazilian.
And then I carefully dropped each into its hole, watched as they wiggled like a middle-aged belly-dancer, before being soaked into final submission. There they stood, proudly erect.
It was glorious and in an age where mental health is never far from the news, I say wiggle like a leek.
The Badlands
New traffic lights, left turn only lanes and one-way sections will be added to one of Bradford’s busiest junctions in a bid to beat congestion.
Dubbed the West Bradford Junctions Improvement Scheme, the £14 million scheme also includes improvements to the Great Horton Road/Horton Grange Road junction and the Thornton Road/Cemetery Road junction. It is being funded by Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
See the article here.
You could spend £14 billion and it would not make a shred of difference here because it is the single-digit IQ morons with no concern for the law nor others that is the problem.
Many deny the existence of no-go areas in Bradford. Trust me, I would much rather drive around these areas at whatever the cost in fuel and time because it is a lottery.
The other week the most senior policeman – a typically nondescript colourless, ladder-climber – claimed Bradford was all things but the city most of us know. They must drive him around blindfolded in the back of a Humvee.
I am convinced the local idiots must buy their driving licences on eBay.
Recently, I saw a clip of a woman parked the wrong way around on Toller Lane. For those who do not know this part of the racetrack – sorry road – there are two sets of two lanes separated by a raised dividing embankment.
How she had parked upside down is one thing but then she attempted a ten-point turn in the face of oncoming traffic.
This is public money being poured away again; spend it on extra traffic cops, driver education and car crushers. Anybody who thinks new traffic lights will make a jot of difference is as stupid as the idiots causing carnage.
E-Scooters
As the fattest nation in Europe what a great idea these are.
One City White Elephant
A planning application for one of the biggest developments in Bradford city centre has finally been submitted. Plans for a new office development…in City park have been in the pipeline for years.
At the same time when businesses are rethinking how and where they operate, Bradford Council press on with an idea as relevant to the future as the petrol engine.
Somewhat hopefully, having read a range of well-written and informed readers’ comments attached to the article – see here – I emailed the dynamic duo, Hapless and Comical.
The purpose was simple; if you truly want to gauge the feelings of local people, take a look. Of course, no reply came back because they know they are secured by the block vote so they press on with a monumental waste of public money likely to exceed £40m.
I also suggested the T&A run a poll with the article. Now, given the vast majority of comments were objections, would you believe that the poll was broadly only 60-40 against? This was straight out of the Vladamir Putin Guide To Opinion Poll Tampering.
Footnote
A very amusing reply to last week’s blog here.
I understand how you feel about the wish to enjoy peace with nature. When I moved to Oliclankey near fifty years ago folk walked everywhere, they stopped for a natter, the odd passing vehicle broke the silence which was golden in those far off days. Today the noise begins around four in the morning gradually rising to motorway levels.
Given the number of Friends of groups hereabouts I do wonder why we haven’t a Friends of Silence. As for yapping animals, I find Whitaker’s Yorkshire Toffee has the desired effect of gluing the offending animal’s jaws together. The same goes for its owner.
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