Tideswellman is Moving

This Blog is now moving.  I have a new home over at WORDPRESS so the new web address is

http://atideswellman.wordpress.com/

Please update your bookmarks and come and visit my new home soon. Thank you all for your support.


CLOSED ;D

Long time, No speak

This Blog is now moving.  I have a new home over at WORDPRESS so the new web address is

http://atideswellman.wordpress.com/

Please update your bookmarks and come and visit my new home soon. Thank you all for your support.


CLOSED ;D



Firstly I cannot believe that its been four months since my last blog post. That said, It has been a bit of a crazy time and in truth I haven't felt that much like blogging at all.

Today though I have felt a little more positive. I must confess to have been in something of a writing hole of late. I have completely stopped my involvement with the 6towns Radio Station. Completely Stopped writing for PitsnPots, Stopped posting to Posterous and as you can see written nothing here for months.

Part of the reason is that I have just been busy having a little bit of me time. Me time is something that everyone needs but rarely gives themselves. In the past couple of years I have filled every waking moment with activity, trying to keep busy and have a full life to take my mind off things. Since my dad passed away I needed to take a bit of time off from Radio Stations and Political writing. I just seemed to have lost all passion for it. Happily though, I have still been carrying my camera round with me , snapping everything that caught my eye.

Work is changing for me right now. I can't really say too much except to say that whilst still employed by the council , the cuts have affected me greatly. The City Learning Centres across the country have suffered from changes to their funding. Stokes' CLCS have been dropped and out of, some 20 staff only three of us remain. Today, I packed up my office into boxes and dropped it off at the council buildings. It was all very depressing because I'm going from having a shared office to being open plan with many other people. That said, I'm going to try and be positive about it. It's a chance to meet new colleagues and that may open some doors and lead to new friendships.

Other positives are that whilst I have packed up doing a lot of writing for the time being, I launched the Where in Tideswell Facebook Page. This started off with me posting a few pics I took on my mobile to my Facebook profile with the title, Where in Tideswell? My Twitter associate Shane Rankin had started it off with his where in Stoke Page and I thought it might be a cool thing to do in Tidza. Well Loads of people played so I moved the idea to it's own dedicated page. Now, I'm told people are talking about it at work and in the supermarket. People are driving round in their cars looking for the mystery locations. The really great thing though is that it's started a little community up. Other Tidza residents can post pics too, so more and more folk are getting involved. It's hardly a massive group, about 60 or so people but it's nice to be at the heart of something that gives people real pleasure.

Me n our Kid

Someone being funny with my drawing

Tideswell's Scariest Wakes Scarecrow

Good to see a big healthy Frog

Found these in my draw at work.

Cool

Hello Moocow! How do u do cow?

Big old Storm brewing above Crich in Derbyshire

Homegrown

Ploughmans Lunch at Hungersheath Farm, Staffs. Nom nom!

Cool old Barn, Hungers Heath Farm.

Jacket Spuds and Salad...Great after a hard day.

Tideswell Dale

Tideswell Dale

Visiting my old School-Lady Manners

Marthas Shop

Found this in the Garden

A royal spread in a school I was training in.

UFO thing near Kniveton, derbyshire

In one of the Subways in Newcastle-Under-Lyme

Newcastle-Under-Lyme

Packing up my office :(

The Training room full of the new tenants stuff.

My office all cleared out after 9 years.

Ok that's enough rambling from me.   I'll try to post more regular updates from now on.  I think this blog is in need of a makeover too.  Here's some pics.

Allotment update - Getting started in 2011

Well I went up to the allotment for the second time this year. I had a couple of hours so thought i’d mark out some beds and dig a bit over.Money is going to be a serious issue this year.

With the cost of living rising massively I have even less to spend this year than last year. but i’m going to spend more on the allotment and less on beer.

At the end of last year my daughter and I went out and collected 4 big bags full of fallen leaves.I put them into the compost bin I made along with some old potting compost and plenty of water. When i checked out how it was doing. I was pleasantly surprised, after just a few months I’d say its a bout 40% compost already.

As I stated to turn over one of the beds I dug last year but never actually used I was pleased to see it was full of worms, something I seemed to be lacking last year. I put a fair few of them into the compost heap to help get it going even faster.

I hate being in a competition with other gardeners but have noticed that quite a few of the other allotmenteers are already underway. My whole plot needs digging over. Got to get my arse into gear.

As a final note. I enlisted my friends help tonight and we picked up a load of slabs from a Local bloke I met on Twitter tonight. They will help make lovely paths and the edge of a pond.

More ..as it happens.

Mobile Uploads - Feb/March 2011

Met this bloke, BLAZE whilst waiting for a bus.  He was standing there waiting and I started asking him when the bus was coming.  Within a few minutes we had started a conversation which was interesting and eye opening.

He reminded me of someone I used to work with.  In both looks and mannerisms.  I really enjoyed being in the presence his youthful enthusiasm.

We covered a lot of topics during our short bus journey across Stoke-on-Trent.

I hope I run into this unique individual again.

I have seen this waste disposal truck around the town a lot recently.  For some reason, it caught my eye on this particular day. I kind of like the psychotic penguin, although I'm not entirely sure why it's got a Chainsaw.

At least the design is original and eye catching.  If it makes kids think about recycling then that has to be good.

This picture depicts a load of my daughters mini dolls.  I did a contract job down in London for the makers of "Polly Pocket".  They gave me a couple of items for my daughter and after that, well we've never looked back.  

I often try to take photos that show the wide range of colours that we all too often overlook, and yet appear everywhere in everyday life.

This Photo is nothing that special but it shows a bottle of Top Totty.  The Photo was taken at my friend and colleague Dave's house.  That night we were going out to Audley Beer Festival.  We both love our real Ales and one of the coolest things about Real Ale Beers are the interesting names they have.


This was the first time I have been to Audley Beer Festival, but hopefully it won't be the last.  The ales were very tasty, and reasonably priced too.

these emails make me mad as hell! Xenophobia is alive and well.

Whilst I have no issue with Legal immigrants, being as I'm descended from them. Illegal immigrants don't get benefits.

The Governments don't care for old folk at all.

Our old folk have to sell their houses to pay for nursing costs. Homeless people are labelled scum and dropouts regardless of their circumstances such as mental health issues, breakdown of marriage or bankruptcy.


Odd then, how many people in this country think bombs used to drop on other people, in their own country is a worthwhile expense at around £30,000 per bomb. Britain spent £8bn in Iraq in one year alone. By 2009 the UK government had spent £12bn in Afghanistan. Thats £20 Billion that could have been used to subsidise the NHS & UK charities.

I personally worry about emails like this. We all have our political opinions, but I reckon it's worth being clear about what we are protesting about. Britain's history is about being tolerant and having a Libertarian society, we have to identify who are the victims are and who are the scroungers. Scapegoating people tends to lead to xenophobia.

Immigration is a consequence of Empire and Colonialism and later global capitalism. If you take over a persons country, then rob it of it's natural resources, chances are they might one day show up wondering if they can get a slice of the wealth created from the initial robbery.

For the record, I support our Troops, they do a damn good job but whether they should be out there doing that job in the first place is a question of conscience for Prime Ministers.

Rant over.





On 7 March 2011 16:18, ..... <.....@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:



Outrageous!!

OH BRITAIN, where did we go wrong ?

We're "broke" and can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, Homeless etc.,?????????

Are you aware of the following?

The British Government provides the following financial assistance: -

BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER Weekly allowance £100
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS / REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN Weekly allowance £250

BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER Weekly Spouse allowance £25
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS / REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN Weekly Spouse allowance £225

BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER Additional weekly hardship allowance £0;00
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS / REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN Additional weekly hardship allowance £100

BRITISH OLD AGED PENSIONER TOTAL YEARLY BENEFIT £6,000
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS / REFUGEES LIVING IN BRITAIN TOTAL YEARLY BENEFIT £29,900

Please read all and then forward to all your contacts so that we can lobby for a decent aged pension.

After all, the average pensioner has paid taxes and contributed to the growth of this country for the last 40 to 60 years.

Sad isn't it?

Most people won't have the guts to forward this.



I Just Did!

Third Yr Notes - The Peacock 1987-88

The 3rd year claim that nothing interesting has happened because they have been working too hard!! Well, if the following incidents are anything to go by, how much hard work has actually been done?
During a wet games lesson the 3rd Year were given the thrilling opportunity to watch a cricket match in the Lecture theatre. Matthew Ellis provided alternative entertainment with his brave attempts to get himself stuck while exploring the underneath of the benches. As it happened, he succeeded.
Mattew Ellis added yet another contribution to entertainment in the 3rd year. Oral English seemed to be his forte, especially on the subject of Carrot growth in Southern Mongolia, and "All you ever wanted to know about sex but were afraid to ask"!

John Lomas has become a resident expert at blowing out fuses in plugs, as he demonstrated in music on electronic keyboards.
In an R.E Lesson Nick Margree was asked to perform the ritual of the Muslim prayer positions. who said R.E wasn't fun?
Is Simon Kwiecinski just falling for the girls or did someone tie his shoelaces together?
If you want an excuse to wear trainers to school get Duncan Cundy's dog to chew your school shoes up. Simon had his chewed for a very reasonable rate.
If you prefer to wear your P.E kit to a maths lesson, ask Peter Dale how he managed it.
Lotty walker has been playing pranks this year, her unfortunate victim Fiona Hartley. Lotty covered the edge of a penny with ink and then challenged Fiona to roll it down her face and across it without removing the coin from her face. Fiona did this and ended up covered in the offensive ink; some people questioned whether Fiona had added a touch of creativity to her make up.
Fifteen minutes after the beginning of a lesson, a certain teacher discovered that on the blackboard "NODDY" had been written, with an arrow pointing to his chair. (That was us, hehe)
At the end of another lesson, some bright sparks, having been asked to put their chairs under the desks, put them right under-on their sides.
In Chemistry, Robert Kendall was so fascinated by an experiment using a model fire extinguisher that he sat too near and was almost extinguished himself. In another science lesson, a pupil tried to walk out with a clamp attached to his blazer, needless to say he hadn't put it there!

Norman Sheldon managed to miss half a Maths lesson by hiding in a cupboard, Richard Kirkham holds the third year record for the length of time taken to make a Jacket in Textiles. It should have been ready last Christmas but may not be finished by Christmas, 1988.
when someone removed his kit, Philip gregory did P.E wearing a girls skirt...

Fifth Yr Notes- The Peackock 1989-90

The Fifth year seem to be agreed that this year has been extremely uneventful: comments include, 'It was too boring to think about.' Is it that GCSE work was so uninteresting? Lotty Walker certainly found that Maths needed a little livening up, so spent lessons improving her group's education-One of her pearls of wisdom was that if you have hairy arms you are likely to go places!
   Lack of interest was again demonstrated, this time by Chris Ledger, who turned up forty minutes late for his GCSE English exam, having overslept. Jenny Holliday found a more dramatic excuse for missing her French oral - she dislocated her knee.
Getting out of lessons has been a popular occupation this year. Claire Askew left Biology via the window, while Mrs Barnes, in her haste to exit from a fifth year RE lesson, pulled the door off its hinges!
   Amidst all the panic of approaching GCSEs, several people stand out as deserving mention. William Pearson's notable achievement lay in being caught smoking in the toilets no less than nine times during two terms.  simon Kwiecinski was rather controversially said to the year's biggest poser.  All were unanimous that Daniel Spencer is the nicest person: it was remarked that if he found a flea he would give it to a dog.
   Maturity seems to have gone to the wall in the case of Richard Beals, who repeated his first year exploit of being shut in a cupboard.  Greg Essex-Loprestim on the other hand, seemed to have taken a short-cut to the sixth form, as he spent all year questioning Mrs Fussey about 'A' Level Chemistry problems.
   The year ended memorably with Cream fights in dinner and tearful (or Joyful) farewells at four. The final comment, however, has to come from the staff.  One furious teacher was heard to say, during the last week before exams began, "He shouldn't even be making dental appointments at this time of year, not unless his teeth are actually rotting.....and that's far too much activity to be going on inside his head""

Back on Page one of Google - Keyword Tideswell

Anyone who actually knows me personally will know that I'm a bit of a computer nut.  sure I don't know everything going about computers, who could?  I don't know much about the hardware inside them either "BORING" I just know enough to get by.  One thing I do know plenty about though is SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION, which is funny because it's something I haven't really bothered about on this website.

I have had this blog running for over 5 years now and Its's really just a sounding board of stuff I like doing, and things that I find interesting.  I have never bothered about it ranking to highly in the search engines, nor have I bothered to much about broken images , typos or grammar.  I just hammer it all out on the keyboard and press publish.

Over the last year or so I noticed that it had slipped off page one of Google though.  Let's face it 5 years ago there were hardly any websites at all that even mentioned Tideswell, now there are loads.  Many of those sites are advertising something in Tideswell and have a service to sell, so it's no surprise to me that they might be optimising their sites to well in the search engines.   Many of them carry multiple links to other Tideswell sites, they also are being linked to from other sites in and around Tideswell, all of which makes them more attractive to Search Engines.

I'm currently tagging all the posts in this blog in an attempt to get it better organised and also to allow users to search the content better. I had noticed that half of the posts concerning Tideswell weren't tagged with Tideswell.
By tagging the posts with Tideswell, the articles should be easier to find and thus improve the search ranking of this blog.

If you have a website and would like to know more about getting your website found in the Search Engines head over to 3 Shires Media and they will help you though the steps you need to take to get your website on page one of Google.

Currently Reading

Dalglish, Kenny - My Liverpool Home

So far a beautifully detailed collection of anecdotes from Dalglish's time at Anfield, as a player and Manager. The book takes us right up to the time when Roy Hodgson was appointed as Manager. It's a fascinating read so far and a must for Liverpool fans everywhere. Superb Photos too.

A Few Panoramas

Tideswell in the Snow 2010


Derbyshire/Staffordshire Moorlands 2010


Hen Cloud and the Roaches


Padstow, Cornwall 2007


Brampton Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme


The Ramshaw Rocks