alsoperson

The winter winds will be much colder

It is always stated that the UK has a two-party system like they are equal. The British system is not really two equal parties if you look at how long they have been in government. Since 1979 Labour have only been in power for 13 years, the Tories for 28 (though five of those inContinue reading “The winter winds will be much colder”

They Said I’d Be Impressed

After Cairo (https://wordpress.com/post/fivemilesout.home.blog/1896 ) we flew down to Luxor. It would have been great to be able to start the cruise from Cairo, but the desert was full of bandits and it was not considered safe then. You can do it now. We were on the MS Tulip. The boat was designed for over 100Continue reading “They Said I’d Be Impressed”

And I’ve travelled many days to reach this place to make my stand

The Electric Light Orchestra were everywhere in the 1970s. Jeff Lynne’s love of The Beatles manifested itself in the band – originally Roy Wood was the “biggest” member but after two albums (imaginatively titles ELO and ELO2) Wood left and Lynne fused classical music with melodic pop (including a lot of strings) to make OnContinue reading “And I’ve travelled many days to reach this place to make my stand”

Well There’s So Much You Have To Learn

I never meant to be involved in the Battle of Brightlingsea. I was living in London by 1995, only going back there at weekends. There had been a growing protest against live animal exports that meant that small ports like Brightlingsea had been brought into use to circumvent the main ports. I had seen thereContinue reading “Well There’s So Much You Have To Learn”

Just To Help Me Dry Those Tears I’ve Cried

They built the Grafton Centre after I left Cambridge University. It was on the other side of Cambridge from my College so I probably would not have visited it much anyway but it had a Forbidden Planet, so I would have made some trips. At the end of my PE2 revision course (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/10/16/to-reach-too-high/ ) IContinue reading “Just To Help Me Dry Those Tears I’ve Cried”

The Mind Has a Reason for Talking Aloud

In 1992 the government of the day decided that Further Education Colleges should be removed from Local Authority control and become independent. No one is entirely sure if they mean the same thing to happen to sixth form colleges, or whether it was a quirk of the legal definition. Whichever it was from 1st AprilContinue reading “The Mind Has a Reason for Talking Aloud”

I Never Will Forget Those Nights

After Kom Ombo (https://wordpress.com/post/fivemilesout.home.blog/1969 ) it was cruising again – to Aswan, site of the famous dam and as far up the Nile as you can get on a cruiser now. I woke early as we smoothly docked – it was Eid and incredibly quiet. It was an early start as we went on FeluccaContinue reading “I Never Will Forget Those Nights”

Your beauty and virginity used like toys

My brother Michael loves the Manic Street Preachers, but I found them first and I still have the CD single of Stay Beautiful to prove it (ok it was their second single but that is not bad as their first was not heavily played). The band is almost two bands – the first three albumsContinue reading “Your beauty and virginity used like toys”

Extremes of sweet and sour

The first time we went exploring in Kos was on mopeds, but we had not been able to get round the island so in the second week Dave and Andy found a place to hire jeeps. This necessitated an even earlier start than the 9am for the mopeds – we were there at 8am. EveryoneContinue reading “Extremes of sweet and sour”

The wildman, he laid the thunder down

I am sure that people are annoyed with me banging on about Brexit. I am absolutely happy to accept the one that was promised – £350 million a week better off, no downside, continued access on trade with no tariffs and where they need us more than we need them. The “deal” that Johnson broughtContinue reading “The wildman, he laid the thunder down”