Tideswell - A Tideswellmans' Weblog

Tideswellman is Moving

2011-08-27T16:51:00.000Z

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

2011-07-20T21:06:00.001Z

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

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

2011-03-24T22:20:00.000Z

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

2011-03-23T22:08:00.000Z

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.

2011-03-07T17:25:00.000Z

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

2011-02-20T18:02:00.000Z

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

2011-02-20T16:28:00.000Z

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

2011-02-19T16:22:00.000Z

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

2011-01-20T00:47:00.001Z

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

2010-12-29T11:47:00.002Z

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

To the Cloud - WTF?

2010-12-23T19:16:00.000Z

'm Wondering what the Hell that new Microsoft Advert is all about...because it doesn't exactly explain.

Taking on the Spammers

2010-12-19T21:56:00.001Z

Take on the spammers at their own game..bought this book after hearing http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00wlh18 (25:27)on Radio4
Bloody Fantastic

Contribute installer launching everytime I right click

2010-10-13T21:12:00.002Z

Just thought I'd share this top tech tip with you. Recently Macromedia Contribute 3 installer was launching everytime I right clicked a file, it almost drove me insane.

I found the fix here.

I dowloaded the "windows installer cleanup utility" installed it, ran
it. http://windowsxp.mvps.org/MSICLEAN.htm

It comes up with a list of programs, scroll down to contribute and
remove it. Problem solved.

So thanks to ford13 over at http://www.justskins.com/forums/contribute3-msi-trying-to-99094.html

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My Vegetable show No show

2010-09-12T22:39:00.001Z

Sometimes life can be a bitch , cant it? Today I was on the lash end of the bitch today.

As you will know, if you read this blog, or have read any previous posts, I have an allotment.
Today was the annual show, I already knew that I hadn't really prepared my entries but wanted to put something in just for the sake of taking part.

I got up late and went to scrub the potato entry whilst I was still in my boxer shorts. After That I went out into the shed, also known as "Home of the Shallots", I took down six of the largest shallots I had drying, and started to clean up the skins and trim them down. That was 2 out of 4 entries ready.

I got in the car and drove to the allotment, I'd made the transition from I.T to regular gardening type, and had grabbed my swiss army knife out of the drawer. I wasn't planning on a camping trip but rather cutting the massive Marrow from the plant. I was loathed to do it because I was pretty sure it could get a whole lot bigger. Anyhow the show wouldn't wait, so it was going to get cut today, and surely no one would have grown a bigger one?

Whilst on the allotment I spotted a particularly long Runner Bean and thought I'd enter it for the "Longest Runner Bean Class" Sadly I snapped it Whilst cutting the marrow. Lady Luck shined on me though because I did manage to find a longer one just as I was about to give up.

So, I was ready, but I had a busy day ahead, I still had to get a load of shopping, and take the girls out as they had cabin fever, left over from a days decorating yesterday.

Driving down to the Lyme Valley Parkway I was pleasantly surprised at how many stalls there were the organising team had done a great job, and I was really looking forward to getting back to the show later.

I dropped off my Vegetables and realised I'd forgotten to bring my money to pay the entrance fee. I Promised to drop it off later, shot off to get it, went into the house, had a lengthy "discussion" with the missus about the shopping list, then went to get the money out, but upon arriving at Morrisons Cashpoint realised I had forgotten my cash card.

My head was, shall we say, not bolted on right. Drove home, to get the card and after much angst searching, discovered it had been in my back pocket all the time. After 2 trips to sainsburys for the shopping, I forgot the Jackets Spuds the first time, I had the money to pay the subscription, finally my entry would be complete.

We all piled into the car to go for a day out at Tittesworth water

I went to pay my subs, but didn't take any photos of my entries, as there would be a chance to do that later on, the show didn't close till 5.30PM.

Got back in the car and went for the day out. Managed to get back to the Showground for 4.30, only to discover everything was being Pulled down.

I enquired what had happened, where were the vegetables etc, and was informed that it had gotten a bit quiet so they were packing up, also all the vegetables had been...auctioned off. So, not only do I not know if I won anything, which in all honesty, I almost certainly didn't, I didn't get the change to photograph my babies in the Local show. Absolutely GUTTED!

It just wasn't meant to be...all that bumbling around in the morning should have told me. I should have just gone back to bed.

I suppose I should look on the bright side though, I do have an allotment where I can grow things, that much has been proved. I know what I'm up against, next time there is a show, and to put it in perspective, there is always next year, when I'll try to be better prepared.

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Rip off Britain...you love it don't you?

2010-09-03T16:33:00.001Z

Perhaps it's me, no really perhaps it is me? But is everyone else in Britain
Happy with rip off Britain? It seems we love it because we Brits don't ever take any real action against it.

Last weekend I went to Trentham Gardens, and I had to queue for 40 minutes to get food, the queueing , I could bear, just about. The prices I couldn't.

I say this as a notorious tight wad. I really am, I cannot abide spending money, and am happy to state this before getting into the grist of this blog. That said however, certain items that are available for sale, are starting to hack me off on a regular basis.

1) sandwiches/ paninis

Why the he'll does a sandwich cost £4 upwards? I' m sorry , what are we eating here caviar sarnies? A loaf of bread costs roughly a pound. You get around 20 slices in each loaf. So that would work out at about 5p a slice. Last time I looked you get 2 slices in a sandwich. So, for the bread that's 10p

Vegetables such as lettuce and tomatoes can be bought in. Bulk and at wholesale prices. So the cost of the amount of lettuce and tomato, that goes into a single sandwich should be no more than say 20/ 30p at most. Add the bread and the veg we are at 40p

So that brings us to the meat. Let's say, for the sake of it, Ham. A packet of ham costs about a £1.80 for 6-8 slices. Ham slices bought from a butchers or deli costs slightly more, say £2 for about 4 slices.

Given that, you might get 2 slices of meat in your sandwich, that should run to about a quid. So, doing the basic maths the sandwich should cost £1.40

Ahh but what about the labour, I hear you cry. If I was making a sandwich it wouldn't take more than a minute to make it so how much labour could you actually charge? I'd say about 50p a sandwich. So that makes a grand total of £1.90.

I'm not against companies making profit, so, go on, go wild, add half the cost as profit. That's 80p. that brings the total cost of the sandwich to £ 2.70

Yes folks, that's £2.70. The cost of a sandwich, if we are being liberal. Somehow these companies have the audacity to charge £4.90 and £5 for a panini is beyond me. the think we are a bunch of mugs, and, in truth we are because we pay it.

Normally, in times like this i' d say it's time to vote with your feet and boycott these overpriced tidbits. However, it's getting the same everywhere you go. Do we really not mind? Why on earth can't we pay a fair price for food?

Whilst I do think eating out is one of the privileges of the weekend, it could all be so much more enjoyable if you didn't need a second mortgage to do it.

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Tackling The National Debt 1771

2010-08-23T17:31:00.003Z

Today Most Western countries are struggling to pay off their national debt and keep their houses in order, it seems though, that things have been the same many times before. The 1770′s were no different. People came up with unpopular and outlandish ideas to balance the books, just as they do today. The article below comes from “The Oxford Magazine” 1770.

The Cobler of Cranbourne-Alley, ever the attentive to the duty which a public writer owes to the public, does himself the honour to transmit you a plan for discharging the National Debt; and he is serious in his belief that, if his plan should be adopted, it will fully answer the end proposed.

Plan for discharging the National Debt.

* A tax on all Bachelors in England, Scotland, and Ireland, above thirty years of age. (Suppose half a million of people, at 20s. Per annum)-500,000
* A tax on all frequenters of places of public entertainment in Town and Country. (Reckon this article in the Gross, at the sum of —-
50,000
* Abolish all pensions under the Government. This Article may be rated at 300,000
* Tax every Race horse kept in this Kingdom, at 20 l. Per annum (Reckon 1000) 20,000
* Ten Pounds per annum on every Negro Servant kept in these Kingdoms. (Suppose 5000) 50,000
* Five Pounds per annum on every Livery Servant kept by any Nobleman. Suppose 100,000) 500,000
* Fifty Pounds Per annum on each Livery Servant ,kept by any Nobleman, or person of Superior rank. (Reckon 1000 Servants) 50,000
* A tax of 10s. Per annum on every Dog kept by any person, except a Butcher, or others whose business may demand the assistance of that animal. We Cannot allow a less sum for this article than — 300,000
* A tax of 20s. per annum on all butchers &c. keeping Dogs under Licence. (suppose 40,000) -20,000
* A tax on 30,000 Lawyers, at 20l. Per annum – 600,000
Ditto on Pawnbrokers, at 10l. per annum – 100,000
Ditto on Publicans, at 5l.Per annum -250,000
Ditto on the bulls and Bears of change alley. (Suppose 1000) at 50 l. each per annum. -50,000

* ——————————–
o £2,790,000

*
o

Let all taxes, hitherto imposed for the purpose of paying the interest of the National Debt, be continued; and it is certain, that the Taxes above recited will discharge the principle in a reasonable number of years.

I am, your humble servant,
The Cobler of Cranbourne Alley.

Source

The Oxford Magazine. September 1771
Many thanks to Valerie Karatzas, for the lead.

Originally Published on http://www.blackpresence.co.uk

Tideswell Church

2010-08-21T00:02:00.002Z

Tideswell Church
Originally uploaded by Tideswellman

My own version of one I saw on Flickr

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I'm liking Spongebob

2010-08-13T20:07:00.002Z

I'm loving Spongebob at the moment we have it on the ipod and have bought the whole first series...absoloutley Brilliant!! Thanks Spongebob for bringing the light!

I also Like Sandy and Squidward. Patrick Blows though.

Related
Intensely Curious Blog-Spongebob

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Tombs in Tideswell

2010-08-11T11:16:00.003Z

Tombs in Tideswell
Originally uploaded by jonfholl
Think these are the Debower tombs...I'll have to check my facts but always a favourite of mine as a kid...yeah I know what a weird kid.lol

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Tideswell Church

2010-08-11T11:12:00.004Z

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

Tideswell Church
Originally uploaded by ed_rollason
Nice shot Of the Front of St John the Baptist Church, Tideswell..I like the Angle

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Tideswell Church

2010-08-11T11:08:00.003Z

Tideswell Church
Originally uploaded by ed_rollason
One of the fantastic Pew carvings in Tideswell church

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5) Tideswell Lane, going to Foolow

2010-08-09T09:30:00.003Z

5) Tideswell Lane, going to Foolow
Originally uploaded by outnaboutonfoot
Nice Photo of a lane between Tideswell and Foolow.

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Cliff Ellis Trophy Final

2010-07-26T21:42:00.000Z

Tideswell Utd ended their season in disappointment as they lost in the Cliff Ellis Cup Final at Hathersage, Utd were on a superb run of form but were brought back down to earth with a thud as Bradwell took home the trophy with a two goal victory.

The game was never going to be a classic with the rock hard surface playing a huge part but it was Bradwell who started the brightest and set out their stall early on as they relied heavily on the direct approach with Riley and Moseley willing runners. Utd failed to play their usual flowing football and joined in the long ball game to no effect as Bradwell dealt with everything with ease. Martin Riley had a penalty appeal waved away from Referee Neil Vere but on the 20 minute mark Bradwell did take the lead, Utd were caught in possession on the half way line which was turning into the story of the game for the Sawyeds as the high ball was delivered into the back post area Powerhouse Martin Riley climbed highest to head past Leaning into the bottom corner of the net. Tideswell were dealt a massive blow as Influential Andrew Swanson limped away from proceedings after turning an ankle. Utd did have a few half chances, Lockwood hit his shot high over the crossbar, Grindey’s turn and shot brought the best out of Bradbury and Callum Burns found fresh air 8 yards out. As a goal looked like it was on its way Rob Green fired in a cross come shot which had beaten Bradbury but came back of the crossbar and Tim Crespin chanced his arm from distance but his dipping drive crept over the bar as the half time whistle blew.

Utd were hoping for a better showing in the second period, Crespin and Lockwood set the tone with some crunching tackles but it was Bradwell who added a killer second goal, Martin Riley who was a constant thorn in Utd’s side sent Baxter Eyre on his way, Eyre was allowed to much time and space as he set himself and drilled a stunning drive into the bottom corner of the net giving the fully stretched Leaning no chance. Utd’s frustration was starting to show as their football was not up to scratch by a long way and several Big players went missing, The long ball was becoming a large feature in the game but Utd rarely threatened the Bradwell goal. Damian Wray had a good chance but his header flew over the crossbar, Liam Robinson had a glorious chance during a goal mouth scramble but a grateful defender cleared off the line. Mark Hill brought a smart save out of Bradbury from a dead ball situation. Bradwell still posed a threat and when Leaning hesitated of his line Riley skipped round him but his shot failed to clear the near post. Time was quickly running out for the Sawyeds as they lacked ideas to break down Bradwell who defended stoutly over the course of the game but over the 90 minutes they deservedly picked up the Winners Trophy to the delight of their large travelling support.

A Club Spokesman added “I have a lot of sympathy with the lads tonight, nothing really came off and lady luck had vanished but credit must go to Bradwell who outfought us in most areas of the pitch. I’m confident we will be back bigger, better and much stronger next year.”

Read the Original Report on Tideswell United's Website
http://www.tideswellunited.co.uk/75282/match_report.pl?action=report&id=2053038

12 Foot Human Body Found - S.O. 8 Sept. 1919 p3

2010-07-25T20:33:00.002Z

12 Foot Human Body Found - S.O. 8 Sept. 1919 p3
Originally uploaded by snap-happy1

Another Interesting article about a 12 foot tall Human Corpse being Found

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Giant Skeleton Found at Parkhill - S.O. 20 July 1897 p1

2010-07-25T20:32:00.001Z

Giant Skeleton Found at Parkhill - S.O. 20 July 1897 p1
Originally uploaded by snap-happy1

Iteresting Article about Giant Skeleton with large skull being found.

How to spend a Saturday

2010-07-22T21:21:00.001Z

Bobbed into Games Workshop the Other day and was indulged in my first ever game of Warhammer. It was quite fun. Can't see me getting into it any time soon though as it's very expensive. GW have changed the whole paint range and many of the techniques. Most of the figures are plastic now but there are still a few metal ones. Still, as I said expensive though.

After a nice bit of gaming I bobbed up to a brilliant little pub called the Coachmakers Arms.

A few months ago the Coachmakers was in serious danger of being demolished to make way for a new bus Station, however the pub seems to have had a reprieve for now. That is very welcome news for drinkers like myself who love a drop or two of real ale. The tap room and corridors have loads of amazing and rare beermats on the wall, and there are musical instruments in the backroom, so you can have a good old knees up.

They do have some seriously good real ales in here so, if that's your poison get yourself to this pub pronto. I sample the Lord Marples, made at Thornbridge Hall in Derbyshire, oddly enough only a few miles from my home town of Tideswell.

Allotment update #6

2010-07-22T20:39:00.001Z

The Other night we went up to the allotment during a brief respite from all the rain we have had.

We were happy but surprised to see that the Peas had really come on. We didn't have a huge amount of time but we picked a few, and ate a few, and they were deliciously sweet too.

The Peas have been more of a success than the strawberries really because they seem to have all turned to much, or been eaten by birds. Ahh well, you have to give a little bit back to nature I guess. I think the Potatoes wont be too long now. And maybe a few string beans too.

Then tonight I dropped by the plot just to check on how the peas were coming along because there was quite a few that just needed a few more days.

I wasn't disappointing as I could tell there were plenty ready for picking. I did a bit of weeding first and made a compost heap and that's when I noticed a massive Courgette. It was a beauty. The others aren't quite ready yet but should be by the end of next week. Check out the very first Courgette from my plot.

I'll bring you more photos of the bounty I pick from the allotment as I pick it. I would bring you photos of the beautiful layout, but there isn't one. Its a bit of a mess at the moment, and will remain so for the rest of the season. I'm planning a layout change at the end of season.

I'm just pleased to have some produce this year, next year I start in earnest.

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Monsal Viaduct and Chatsworth House in the Wolfman

2010-07-09T22:44:00.001Z

I finally got around to watching the Wolfman film the other night and noticed in one of the early scenes a train passes over a viaduct that looked a lot like Monsal viaduct. In fact being a uber geek, it bugged me so much that I just had to look it up. I also recognised Chatsworth house too, but the scenes had been so heavilly altered with CG that I couldn't be sure. Today I found confirmation that the derbyshire locations did indeed feature.
Chatsworth House has a dedicated page to the film locations
One further hunch is that the weir at the bottom of monsal dale is the waterfal in the film too, again heavilly altered with CG, I'll have a look and see if I'm right, though I'm almost certain.
Meanwhile, here's the evidence of the Monsal Viaduct.

Source: http://www.survivors-mad-dog.org.uk/MD_News.html

Monsal viaduct features in The Wolfman film

The Monsal viaduct - one of several iconic locations used in the filming of Mad Dog - appears in the 2010 big-budget horror movie The Wolfman.

Footage showing a computer-generated steam train crossing the viaduct (see the screengrab below) features in the film's official trailer.

The film also features extensive sequences shot at and in the grounds of the nearby Chatsworth House.

The Monsal viaduct as seen - CGI enhanced - in the 2010 film The Wolfman

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Allottment Update #5

2010-07-07T19:37:00.001Z

I hope you enjoy these little updates. I certainly hop you are not under any illusion that I might be some kind of wonderful gardener. I'm really not. However, I do enjoy it so for now I'll continue to bring you updates.

The plan this year, now I know how much hard work an allottment can be, is simply to grow something, just what we need. This year there's not going to be any great amazing crop. Nothing planned to deliver harvest every week of summer and well into winter. Instead we might get about 50 spuds, 50 pea pods and the same with beans, a Few carrots, Leeks, onions and courgettes. I have already had a few Strawberries though.

Here are a few pics of how things are progressing.

Courgettes, Taste good but I find the plants ugly.

I'm a bit gutted really considering how well my Cabbages started, they have not taken too well to the clay soil. Hopefully I'll get this right next year, but they are still growing and my neighbours cabbages were the same size last week and his are huge this week, so I live in hope.

So far, not having grown a proper herb garden my only harvest has been a tiny bit of Rockett and a few Strawberries. Here are a few and there's a few more to come.

The peas are doing well though, I always wondered if they would take or be a failure, as peas and sweet Peas are really quite hit and miss. The peas now have little pods on them and I'm keeping my eyes open for the first swelling pods.

More Pea Pods

The Beans, of which I have two varieties, are a little slow, and I think they would have benefitted from larger canes, that said, they seem healthy enough, other allotment holders are showing results with their runner beans..so in the next couple of weeks we might be in the same position.

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allottment

2010-07-07T18:32:00.001Z

Gates on Tideswell Moor - Google Earth Object

2010-07-06T19:31:00.001Z

Geograph.org.uk bring you this geotagged photo of Gates on Tideswell Moor that you can add into Google Earth.

Download it here

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1944358.kml

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Allotment Update #4

2010-06-13T21:15:00.000Z

Well, I bobbed up to the allotment yesterday with my daughter, she's only 6 and was my assistant for the day, not necessarily her choice. Due to one thing and another we were behind on the allotment, after going away for a week, and then spending 2 days at a conference the weeds were knee high, and the Carrots, Beans and Cabbages all needed putting in. After the debacle with the Raised beds (not having a chordless drill) I decided to crack on without them for now.

The weather was bloody scorching and we were against the clock. I made a list and Martha was in charge of checking things off, We finally arrived up at the allotments at 12.PM to the embarrassing fact that I had forgotten it was the day the Allotment Society were having a stall, planting a wildflower garden and making Bird Boxes.

I felt so guilty because
1) I don't go to the allotment with money, so I couldn't buy anything from the stall

2) We only had a very finite amount of time, So I really couldn't get involved in the planting trees, and wildflowers. We had a ruckload of beans, Courgettes, Cabbages and Carrots to get into the ground.

I set Martha a number of little tasks, like picking up sticks, weeding, picking up stones and she did well. Those were the hard tasks for a little kid, because they were so boring. Once we had cleared a couple of paths I dug the main bed over and we put in several rows of Carrots and Cabbages. Martha helped with separating the seedlings and the planting. We were amazed at how cute the little Carrot seedlings looked, with their diddy wee carrots.

After we had finished putting the rows in there were a few wee carrots left so, I asked the neighbouring plot owner if he wanted them. He accepted and then presented me with a tray of leek seedlings, which I put in today.

With the Veggies in, it was time for the netting. Before I went away to Wales, I had speculatively put a set of Cabbages in to see how they would take. The big fat Wood Pidgeons decimated them. The Nets Went on easily enough by planting a cane at each corner of the bed, and one in the middle of each side of the bed. Next put a plantpot on top of the can to help hold the nets up, then simply weigh the nets down with rocks (we have an abundance of those).

So, I'm pretty pleased now because despite being far behind a lot of the other plots the majority of my stuff is in the ground now. The rest is just maintenance and a few little additions. Today I bought the grow bags for the Courgettes, only the onion seedlings to plant out now and planting is done.

One more thing, the Strawberries are fruiting, Yay!

Allottment Update #3

2010-06-06T22:39:00.000Z

After a week in Wales I was eager to see how the allotment was coming along. I expected a lot of growth as there has been a week of sun and some heavy rain. I was surprised to see how much everything had grown though.

Just one week ago the two rows towards the back had barely broken the soil, the front rows are bigger than this picture can demonstrate.

The onions are doing pretty well too.

I have finally stopped worrying about the onions. they seem to be doing really well. Gardeners are warned about using clay soils. I simply dud a trench and mixed filtered soil, and plenty of compost together and hoped for the best. So far so good.

One thing that hasn't done well, are my cabbages. I forgot to put nets up on the night I planted them, big mistake, they have been ravaged by pigeons. The allotment needs serious weeding so the nets can go up tomorrow night.

The Peas are slowly finding the frames and are looking healthy, the pigeons seem to have left them well alone too. The Runner Beans and Courgettes are going in this week, as the seedlings are more than ready to strike out in the big plot now.

Now I like to experiment, and I kind of get some funnt looks with my latest experiment. I found a video on YouTube and thought I'd give it a try. When I explain to other folk down at the allottments they kind of just give me a funny look. It's called the spudomatic.

It's simply a wire mesh cage..as the plants grow, just keep adding compost and soil 6" at a time. Don't just take my word for it though, watch the video that showed me how.

2010-06-05T19:06:00.000Z

Dales villages asked for their concerns

Residents in 21 dales villages are being encouraged to voice their concerns at the next Tideswell and Area Villagers Meeting.

The meetings take place every three months to give people the chance to select priorities for the Tideswell Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team and partner organisations to target. The team will also report back on their progress from the last meeting.

The group, which also includes Parish Council members, look at ways to resolve issues for the communities of:

Ashford
Baslow
Beeley
Chatsworth
Cressbrook
Edensor
Great Longstone
Little Longstone
Monsal Head
Monsal Dale
Hassop
Litton
Litton Mill
Pilsley
Rowland
Tideswell
Wardlow
Wheston

It will take place at 7pm on Monday, June 14, at Beeley Village Hall

If you cannot make the meeting but have something that you would like to raise, please contact the Tideswell and Area Safer Neighbourhood Policing Team on 0345 123 33 33 or email bakewell.neighbourhoods@derbyshire.pnn.police.uk.

Wooden Owl - Tideswell Dale

2010-06-05T18:55:00.003Z

Wooden Owl - Tideswell Dale
Originally uploaded by Will Francis UK
Wooden Owl - Tideswell Dale

By Will Francis UK on 30 May 10,

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Where in Tidza? Quiz

2010-05-27T21:22:00.002Z

It would seem the last one was way too easy, so let's see how you go with this one.

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Where in Tideswell Quiz?

2010-05-25T20:46:00.002Z

Where in Tidza?   Right, here's a bit of fun now. Tidzerites and others who know the village...Where about is this photo taken? Answer by posting on the Blog please, not...by replying on Facebook.

This one might be a bit easy...but I have plenty more and we can run this bit every week.
It all depends on whether anyone cares enough to answer the question.  

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Another day in Tideswell

2010-05-25T20:40:00.002Z

I was back in Tideswell the on Monday. The sun was out and shining brightly, in fact in was as hot as a bakers oven. One of the first people I ran into was Flinty (Paul) We had a quick chat, but we already knew each others news due to it being all over Facebook.

Later that afternoon I helped my mum uproot the remain of a small tree from the garden, it doesn't look like much but this sukka had deep roots. I'd told mum to go and buy an axe the week before. Here's the remains of our victim.

As I wiped the sweat from my eyes I took a few seconds to take in the beauty of the little garden mum and dad have created. When they got the land years ago they worked like dogs to clear it of rubble, trees and weeds. Over the years it's changed quite a bit, and as they get on in years it's less formal and more of a natural wild flower garden, still looks lovely in my opinion.

Here are a couple of the Blue Poppies, a variety I have never seen before.

After a quick drink to cool down I went for a wander. I thought I'd take an hour or so to reconnect with the village I grew up in and that's still so dear to my heart.

I was pleased to see the fountain in Fountain Square was up and running again. It's a pretty addition to the village and it annoys the hell out of me when it's not working. I heard that youths were responsible for blocking it up, why the hell don't they get a life? There is no need to spoil the fountain for everyone else is there?

Anyway, it's loads better than when I was a kid, there was some bloody rubbish little wishing well there and a small green surrounded by green railings.

Walking up the village I went past Bulls Field. A great place to go sledging in the winter. In the summer months its the home of livestock and I was lucky enough to snap this late lamb suckling at his mothers teet. Brilliant things camera phones eh? I always used to love walking up this way and sitt at the Car Wash to catch Sticklebacks or see one of the small Trout that live in the stream The Sticklebacks have long since gone and the Trout don't put in as many appearances as they used to but, there's still something special about this stretch of Tidza.

I know it's one of my pet soapboxes, but surely someone in Tideswell just give a damn about the stream. In recent years it seems to be a bit neglected. It's always choked up with Cress, and the Trout cannot possible get up and down the stream. In places it's all silted up and the Culvert just before the Carwash is all full of weeds and rubbish. Please, Tideswell people, look after the stream for future generations. all it takes it clearing a bit of cress away, and making sure the stream doesn't get blocked with rocks and silt due to Cows walking in the steam.

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Becta to close-The nightmare begins

2010-05-24T21:21:00.000Z

I for one am absolutely sick of this slash and burn government already.

It's all very well talking about saving money, but to what end...so we can all go credit crazy again?

What happens to all the people who depend on organisations like Becta? The 100 or so City Learning Centres for Example? I work for one of the CLCs and we have about 15 staff, we are funded directly from Becta...and we are all in our 30's and have mortgages and kids to feed.

Since the coalition was formed no one has even mentioned the human cost of all these cuts. Its fine to keep nuclear warheads but throw Public sector workers to Dogs?" . So within a year, I'll have lost my job and my house to Boot, How do we deserve this?

The world has gone money mad? How much longer can people put up with this? Don't for get the billions to Banks...with bankers still getting massive bonuses...of OUR MONEY .... the Price of Fuel....the price of food, and even the price of a pint...all this to keep troops in Afghanistan and un-used nukes on submarines.

Makes you proud to be British. Doesn't it?

Allottment Update #1

2010-05-22T21:48:00.000Z

I have recently been lucky enough to acquire a plot, after being on the waiting llist for years, I rang up and had a moan..hey presto...

I put my taters in about a 5 weeks ago and finally in the last couple of weeks they have started to push up above the soil.

IUt was a bit of a punt in the dark really I had asked people how to plant em, read books and watched videos on youtube, but it's still a leap of faith really. I had shoved a few spuds in a dark cupboard to help them to sprout or "CHIT".

Again my Spuds are a bit behind a lot of other growers, but it's not a race. The soil was very poor where I chose to plant them, I assumed it was the same all over the plot, (not so).

However after digging trenches, filling with manure, sieving the soil and mixing it with multi-purpose compost I hoped for the best. They are coming up nicely now. Wait till I show you the spudomatic.

My mate Tony promised me some wood so that I could build some raised beds. He got one of his mates to drop it off last week and I have finally managed to knock one up. It's bloody hard stuff, as it's sealed and treated. I couldn't manage to nail it together on my own. So I resorted to screws. One dead drill and one broken drill bit later, bed one is just about there. I think it needs sinking down abit though, only five more to build.

I am hoping to get back up there again over the next couple of days with a cordless drill and sort the rest out A lot of the other plots have already gotten their beds together and the planting season is well underway.

Onions are going to be a staple in any kitchen garden. I bought some cheap sets (baby onions) and dug a trench. Again, I mixed the rather clay soil with compost. Onions tend not to like clay soil so it was a bit of a gamble and until tonight I wasn't sure whether I'd get any results at all. As you can see the onions seem to be finding it favourable though, All the crops are organically grown, fertilisers are not allowed. Personally I think that making your own organic fertiliser is far better than pouring chemicals all over your plot anyway.

When I get the raided beds finished I have Cabbage, Broad Beans, Peas, Courgette, Rockett, Carrots and more onions all ready to go in to them.

Watch this space for more allotment updates.

Get Sweaty in Tidza

2010-05-20T21:51:00.001Z

Circuit Training classes are a combination of a variety of exercises both cardio and resistance, participants rotate from one station to another at a quick pace. These classes offer an effective way of getting fit, losing weight, toning up and having fun.

Sweat and Smile Personal Training which is based in the Peak District offers 2 Classes per week both held in Tideswell.

Monday evening 7 - 8pm

Friday lunch time 1.15-2.15pm

both @ The Methodist Church Hall, Fountain Square, Tideswell.
£4.50 pay as you go

special offer at the moment is come to circuit training 5 times, collect 5 stamps on your loyalty card and receive a Personal Training Session for upto 4 people at £10 per person.

http://www.sweatandsmile.co.uk/circuit-training-in-tideswell

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Tideswell Rock

2010-05-20T21:42:00.003Z

Tideswell has a some beautiful rock formations if that sort of thing floats your boat. Its important to point out that there is Limesstone, sandstone, gritstone, basalt, and granite all in the local area. Read a detailed account of the rocks here.

A Leicester Geologist seems to like them.

Holy Schist- A day at Tideswell, Derbyshire, with the OU Geological Society

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Tideswell ~ Brook Bottom

2010-05-16T09:48:00.005Z

Tideswell ~ 12th December 2009
Originally uploaded by propercharlie
Tideswell kids have spent many a happy hour up here looking for Sticklebacks, Brown Trout and Bullheads.

These days there only seems to be Freshwater Shrimp and the odd brown trout. The reservoir about 100 yards further up the road silts up and so the trout don't get downstream as much as they used to when I was a boy.

Related Articles

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Tideswell United (Pursglove Sports Complex)

2010-05-16T09:41:00.003Z

Tideswell United (Pursglove Sports Complex)
Originally uploaded by thin_soup

I found this picture of the Sports complex today...Jees, I remember playing on this pitch when the goal was at the top of the bank....Great when playing downhill, a nightmare when playing uphill.

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Tideswell scoops Lotto win to develop its own food label

2010-05-13T15:01:00.002Z

Derbyshire village, Tideswell is to develop its own food label after being awarded a £432,000 Big Lottery grant aimed at reviving small communities.

A plant nursery, kitchen garden and community professional kitchen will be created in Tideswell under the scheme. the aim of the project is to attract visitors and build on a history of producing quality food.

Former Dolmio employee Tim Nicol, , will move to the village for a year to help develop the Taste Tideswell label.

The professional kitchen will be open to use by school children, and will also host adult cookery classes.

A range of differnet produce from meat to dairy and bread to jam will be sold under the Taste Tideswell banner.

Related Links

Big Lottery Fund - Success tastes sweet for Tideswell

New Start Magazine - village S.o.S Winners

Diss Express - Six Villages Picked to star in BBC series

Communty Newswire - Rural villages scoop Lottery win

UK Wired News - Derbyshire village to develop own food label

Sheffield Telegraph - Taste of success as Peak village earns place on food map

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Pitsn Pots - Covering the Stoke Elections

2010-05-09T00:46:00.001Z

Thursday 6th of May was of course the 2010 General election, and I was nervous. I was nervous days before. Not about the result in particular, but about how little time there was for PnP to get around all the candidates so that we could give them their opportunity to speak. We did manage to interview the vast majority though.PitsnPots - Stoke election coverage

We arrived at the Kings Hall full of anticipation and hope, Mike and Tony had gone ahead to secure a good position for us. When I arrived and collected my press pass from Mike I was delighted to see we had been given our own table at the back of the room with access to the Wireless Internet. We had four Laptops set up, 2 PC's and 2 Macs. Sadly we couldn't get the Macs online. Stoke's tech support told me that they "don't support the protocol on their network", that might be something Stoke Council should look into, as there are plenty of macs in Stoke Schools, surely councilors and advisors and visitors should have access too?

With the computers set up Mike was busy tweeting out on the live feed and putting our video and linked content up there. tony and I set about getting Interviews with Politicians and doing video snippets to camera. My contribution to the twitter feed was paltry I'm afraid much to my chagrin, because my mac and my ipod touch couldn't access the wireless network I tried to tweet using my old Sony W550, which is like using a typewriter to send email; similar but not really up to the job. Perhaps I should invest in an iphone despite the high price.

It was strangely eerie to roam the Kings Hall when it was all but empty of people, before the ballot boxes arrived and tension filled the air. I strolled around and admired the old but beautiful building and admired the many photographs of former Lord and Lady Mayors.

As the Ballot Boxes began to arrive I got the feeling that we might be about to witness something truly momentous. Perhaps a swing to the Tories, or maybe even a BNP MP for Stoke on Trent. I did a quick commentary to camera and we were off. Tony had already managed to speak to the UAF demonstrators who were outside. I personally don't agree with the way these protestors operate a lot of the time, but I have to salute their dogged determination. It seems everywhere the BNP show up,they are there, maybe not in massive numbers but they there all the same, passionate people doing what they believe in.

PitsnPots interview the UAF outside the Kings Hall Stoke on Trent
It was our intention to give you as much coverage as we possibly could during the night. We knew the BBC and other media companies were in attendance and that they had more kit and personnel than us, but we are pitsnpots, we do what we do and were determined to give you as much as we possibly could, unabridged and unedited, Raw but more importantly real. Throughout the night we had the pleasure to speak with councilors, MP's and PPC's Gary Elsby, Mike Coleman, Joan Walley, Norsheen Bhatti, Tristram Hunt, Rob Flello,James Rushton, Simon Darby, Mike Wolfe, Brian Ward, and Terry Follows.

It was past 4.AM when the declarations came. We posted video and audio of all three declarations for each constituency in the City.
General election Declarations 2010 - Stoke on Trent

We also posted the results in charts, along with audio of the winners speeches and post-speech interviews which included some rather colourful heckling on Tristram Hunt's speech

After the drama, and the Interviews we finally packed up at about 20 past five in the morning...I cant describe feeling tired wired was more the word. I drove home thiking of what tasks were still outstanding and as soon as I arrived home I unpacked the video cameras and macbook and began uploading and editing the video footage that was still outstanding. I know That Mike and Tony were at their homes making similar tweaks. I finally hit the sack at 07.10Am before rising at 8.10 for the school run.

Mike and Tony returned to the Kings Hall at 10 am the next morning to begin the coverage of the Local council elections.

They did a comprehensive job providing charts, declarations and reaction footage. As if that wasn't enough for you we also had Mike's Excellent Photography to illustrate the stories.

Here are the snaps I took as I was prowling around looking for people to interview.

So, all that by three men, no budget to speak of just a bit of passion and a will to bring a broad view of Stoke on Trent Politics to the People of Stoke and the world beyond. What do you think, please let us know what you thought of our coverage? Is there anything we can do better, what do you want to see more of and what would you like less of? which brings me nicely to my next blog post...what I would like less of....coming up.

Taste Tideswell Project

2010-05-01T09:22:00.003Z

I was scouring the web this morning and came across this fantastic Video of my home town. Seems a group of villagers are banding together to bid for a Lottery Grant to boost local businesses selling locally grown produce. Seems like an excellent idea. Have a look at the video.

Related Link: http://www.tastetideswell.co.uk/

Villagers seeking Lottery Cash - Yorkshire Post

The Day I met the BNP

2010-04-25T23:13:00.001Z

As a Mixed Race man who considers himself British and indeed English, you may be surprised by what I’m going to say next.
I think the BNP have some good policies. I UNDERSTAND what they mean about preserving the white race, I personally don't want to see any group of people disappear.

I like their ideas on crime, if perhaps a little draconian, at least they are taking a tough stance. However, I have been critical in the past of the BNP because of their approach to race issues. We all know that Race is the sticking point that the BNP cant seem to get over, it’s what stops them from gaining any real power across the country.
Being born of the NF the BNP started out racist, had racist views from the outset yet,recently, they claim to have changed.

Now, I'm not saying all BNP supporters are racists, but to be sure, some are. Probably a lot are because the BNP are the party that wants to restore Britain to what it used to be before non white immigration happened on large scale.
Since I have started writing articles for pits and pots , as opposed to just making the odd comment, I have decided to try to be as impartial as possible. Rather than shouting at, and about people because I don't agree with their views I'm trying to listen, and question them.
Hopefully, recent examples of this practice have been the Tommy Robinson interview http://pitsnpots.co.uk/news/2010/01/exclusive-audio-interview-state-your..., the Baroness Warsi Interview http://pitsnpots.co.uk/news/2010/04/pitsnpots-meet-baroness-sayeeda-wars... Now the two Interviews above with Simon Darby and Mike Coleman.http://pitsnpots.co.uk/news/2010/04/nick-griffin-launches-bnp-manifesto-stoke-trent-central
I want to understand the views of people before condemning them.
Thursday was a very interesting day. I went to the Civic with some trepidation, not knowing what to expect. I have to give the BNP their dues in certain respects. Everyone was polite and courteous and I chatted to a few of the BNP workers who were there before I got to the politicians.
I asked one of the BNP security team what leads someone to join the BNP? He told me that he came from St Helens, and that the town had been decimated by unemployment after all the mining and industry had been wiped out. I asked if the town had a problem with migrant workers and he told me it was something like 97% white. He was a man of few words really, but I didn’t get the impression he was massively motivated by race issues.

The camera man was decent too, whilst setting the camera up in the chamber, I spotted a camera that was set up properly and had used gaffer tape to make the mic lead safe and not a major trip hazard like so many of the others. I asked a small bald headed chap if he had any gaffer tape I could borrow, he said yea sure and disappeared off to fetch it for me. Only later on did I find out that he was the BNP camera man.
I then went over to chat to him and we talked about the fact that I could now join the party. I explained the worries of a lot of people like my self had a bout the BNP, about the stigma the party has because of the race issue, the history of the BNP etc

The conversation was alright, although I did a fair bit more talking than him, that's just me though and I was a bit nervous about being in a 12ft square room with Nick Griffin and 2 large members of his security team.
However, once inside the room everything was fine. Griffin is an old hand at being interviewed and isn't without his charm. He was well mannered and good humoured.
Despite our little hitch with the mic, the Griffin interview went off well, the strangest moment for me came as I was packing up my camera, After shaking hands with Tony, Mr Griffin looked up at me as he rose from his chair, he smiled warmly and offered his hand.

I don’t really know what I had expected really, I had always known this could happen but had assured myself that if I lurked in the background I’d be ignored as a mere assistant, and not have to face a personally awkward situation.
I think I froze for a second, and I’m sure that showed on my face but I smiled and shook hands. It was a difficult one for me because despite trying to be professional in the way I approach all stories. Nick Griffin is still the leader of the only party that, until recently didn’t allow non whites to join.
I seriously oppose racism of any kind and to shake hands with someone who may want to potentially expel me and my descendants from the country is a strange emotional sensation. Manners is the order of the day though and I wasn’t about to be rude to anyone who had shown me hospitality. Whether or not the BNP have really moved beyond their racist roots or not is irrelevant, if I’m to do the job of reporting political stories with any integrity, then professionalism must guide me, not emotion.
After the Griffin Interview I had the opportunity to interview Deputy Leader Simon Darby and local councillor and PPC Mike Coleman.

Simon Darby had been great with us all day, he was chatty and made sure we were before the mainstream media in line for the interviews with Nick Griffin.

This is because pitsnpots always try to be fair with everyone we interview and give them the opportunity to have their say and let the readers decide.

The media actually barged past us and forced us to be last, however, that wasn’t Mr Darby’s fault, more our own naivity and inexperience.
When we sat down Mr Darby was relaxed and gave well considered answers. If anything was lacking it was my own questions, I could have queried him a little more forcefully on a couple of points. My style isn’t adversarial though, in real life situations I am certainly more gregarious but when Interviewing I at least try to let the interviewee feel comfortable because I want them to talk, not lock up. I also want my interviewees to walk away thinking that I was fair, and that any information offered by accident was more their their error than my aggressive attempt to trip them up. Like this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8639811.stm . Whilst I thought her questions were actually very good, her manner was abrasive and put Simon Darby in the Defensive, thus we didn’t get the answers. Perhaps Jo coburn thught she was upholding the rights of the people by dismissing Mr Darby in a terse manner, but I think her interview style simply made him appear to be the victim of a biased media. That’s what sticks in peoples minds, not the fact that he dodged the questions.
Building a relationship with the people you interview is, in my opinion more important than sensationalism. Only over time can you really get a true feel for the people you are interviewing.
Simon Darby has a serious demeanor and steely grey eyes which could un-nerve anyone but he’s a no nonsense guy, and someone I feel is willing to answer questions freely if approached in the correct manner.
The BNP seemed a lot better in the flesh than what one is able to glean from the internet and newspapers reveal about them, lending some weight to the BNP’s argument that the media is biased against them. Having been at the launch from start to finish, I know what went on, I know what was said and what wasn’t, but on the evening of the event the mainstream medias coverage was poor and paltry. Considering they waited all day for their interviews, they certainly took it out on the party by way of their reports. They chose to focus on the man dressed as St George, more than the content of the manifesto or the words of the politicians.

I’m not a trained journalist but I believe that this approach is wrong. Whether you like the BNP or not I believe they have the right to speak, and that only by analysing and delivering the words of politicians can we ever hope to understand what they really stand for. The blanket approach of the mainstream media who mock and ridicule the BNP, refuse to deliver their policy detail and spin every story simply make the BNP and parties like them appear more enigmatic and more wrongly damages the reputation of what should be an impartial media.   For example: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bnp-launch-is-politics-wit...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1268459/The-BNP-unveil-...
Just like any other political party there are plenty of examples of the BNP making gaffes, Not all of these gaffes are in the distant past either. there are plenty of causes of concern in what the BNP have said. Examples like Mr Griffins Comments on President Obama and the attitude of black people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsnSZnhygQY
It was 13 Years ago Nick Griffin told Roger Cook that ultimately he would force non whites to leave whether they wanted to or not.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X8QQwU00Jk this Thursday we saw Nick Griffin promise to protect the rights of “settled minorities” who had paid into the system and earned their right to be British. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0IL2dQsQsE . Within the last Decade the BNP has had links with more extreme organisations, and more worryingly what Mr Griffin told a group of White nationalists about the sort of language that needed to be used to win over the British public. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04QolIvfQEw these are the things that I believe the BNP need more questioning on.
It’s no good shouting “ Nazi Scum” and throwing eggs at people, that isn’t democracy. Listening to the words, and scrutinising is really how to make informed choices. Without hearing the whole story, who can see the wood for the trees?

Nick Griffin Launches BNP Manifesto In Stoke-on-Trent Central

External Sources

Getting the young involved

2010-04-14T12:21:00.000Z

I have always believed in getting young people involved early, and it's inspiring to think of young people who are actually embracing technology, and learning new skills.

Like a young man I know. He has persistently sought out help and worked in his spare time to create his very own blog. that is something worth commending. although his first blog is just for fun "Crazy skeleton" is laying the foundations for a what could be a promising career in IT or journalism by learning the skills now.

Visit his site : crazypage1.blogspot.com click here to visit

Tideswell Church

2010-03-20T17:18:00.004Z

Found this fantastic image of Tideswell Church today.
Taken by the photographer Simon Bull.

Derbyshire Accents

2010-03-19T21:20:00.004Z

Its been a good while now since I posted anything on this blog, sadly other commitments have taken me further afield and my own musings have been placed on hold or else widely distributed across the many blogs and forums of theinternet with the aim of reaching a wider audience.

gladly though my cousin Jonny Buttle sends me a few golden nuggets from time to time to help me remember my roots.

His email was followed by another one from one of his correspondents this time of the nine ladies stone Circle up on Stanton moor. I have been up here a few times, it's a really nice walk in summer. My friend told me that he walked up there on Solstice and when standing in the circle swore they were emitting a humming/singing sound. Make of that what you will, but get thee sens up there this summer..and get some pictures teken surry!

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Pits nPots cover - EDL & UAF Demo & Counter Demo In Stoke-on-Trent

2010-01-24T15:34:00.008Z

The EDL Protesters began arriving in Hanley from around 11 am. Our reporter Mike Rawlins was there to witness the arrival of the first demonstrators.

A small band of very vocal men had arrived at the Wetherspoons pub and had taken their beer outside with them and were drinking and chanting in the street. Camera-phone footage from the website " A very Public sociologist" depicted the scenes inside the "Reginald Mitchell Pub".

PitsnPots reporters Tony Walley and Tideswellman had just arrived back in the city after meeting EDL supporters at Keele Services on the M6. The EDL members there had been welcoming and friendly on the whole, adamant that they were not out to cause trouble and most definitely were not part of any racist organisation. They also took pains to state that they did not seek any wider political participation.

Friendly EDL supporters from Seaham near Sunderland

Our reporters had been trying to contact the enigmatic leader of the E.D.L, Tommy Robinson for an interview, however, due to unforeseen events Mr Robinson was unable to give us a statement. The E.D.L media team did however make every effort to link us up with an Interview with someone senior from within the organisation. In the end, an Ex-Serviceman named Lee stepped forward, telling us he was only prepared to speak about Sharia Law.

Hear what he had to say.

To begin with, the demonstration was noisy from the off but largely peaceful, there were people of all ages in attendance. As the time wore on though, the influence of alcohol seemed more apparent and large sections of the protesters began to get bolder. There was a prolonged episode of pushing against the police line as protesters tried to surge forward and get towards the U.A.F counter demonstration that was taking place just 150 meters down the road. A few youths managed to slip past police lines but were swiftly dealt with.

The demonstration began to turn ugly with protesters attacking the police with bottles, coins, placards and wood torn from nearby hoardings. Riot gear was then deployed to a police force who had started the day off wearing their traditional helmets, as part of the Police's co-ordinated attempt to put protesters at ease

The situation began to reach fever pitch when a youth clambered up onto of a police riot van much to the delight of his fellow protesters.
Not to be outdone, two more youths then clambered up onto the concrete veranda outside Argos and ran along it wearing a captured Police helmet, both youth's were arrested.

The E.D.L's plan for a peaceful demonstration seemed to evaporate before their eyes as hooligans and extremists seemed to orchestrate proceedings. At one point the EDL supporters were even heckling their own invited speakers, chanting " who are ya?" at the Sikh speaker who's presence had been widely publicised on the E.D.L website and Forums.
Although the police operation was very much one of Cat and Mouse with groups of protesters trying to slip past police lines and outflank them, we saw the police deal

with situations quickly and effectively every time. As the demonstrators began to head towards their buses and make for home, there were clearly some frustrated youth, they began to turn their anger towards us by verbally abusing us and trying to grab our equipment.

Wandering over to the U.A.F demonstration, the police had space of 10 meters or more between them and the protesters, even though trouble was anticipated from the UAF, they resembled a student peace protest and were well behaved. The Police tonight revealed to us that there had been no U.A.F associated arrests at all. Their demonstration consisted of a totally peaceful gathering with speakers chanting slogans through a microphone and the crowd willingly echoed the chants "Nazi Scum off our Streets" and "We're Black , we're white, together we are dynamite" echoed outside the town hall.

Tony Walley met up with the UAF's national leader, Weyman Bennett(watch the Interview)

As they headed off, One wonders what must have been concluded by anyone who saw the demonstration. It's hard to see how such an display could win the E.D.L much support in Stoke. Speculation was rife on the street that they had been infiltrated by far right extremists, and football hooligans. Whatever the truth is, the E.D.L's public image took a very public battering today in Hanley.

Read 3 part article over at Pits and Pots where you can see all the other related video footage

Flickr photostream of the EDL/UAF Protests

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Boiler Leaking in Icy Weather? - Try this

2010-01-09T10:56:00.010Z

I got up this morning to a potentially nightmare scenario. The kitchen surface was all wet and part of the floor. The big Freeze had finally hit us.

I had a busy day planned and saw it disappearing before my eyes. So, I quickly checked where the leak was coming from, it seems to be coming out of the boiler.

Questions to ask yourself

1) Do You need a plumber not a boiler engineer.
2) You may not even need a plumber.
3) any Plumber you get should be CORGI registered

I now called a plumber...try to go local if possible rather than some big company with a call centre.

I called a local plumber who couldn't touch boilers so he gave me the number of a CORGI registered plumber. This guy was straight to the point, i told him the problem he told me..

" I don't need to come out...your overflow pipe is frozen, and it's backing up into your boiler. Go outside, pour boiling water on the overflowpipe, and the ice will fall out and clear the blockage".

I did it. It worked.

Here's the ice that was causing the leak.

Needless to say I called him back to thank him and told him that he now has my business for being so honest.

Let's face it he could have come out and charged me the call out fee and then invented a problem hitting me for a massive bill. He didn't.

Good to see there is still some integrity left in the world.

Now friends...go save yourselves and your pals a load of money by passing this article on to everyone you know.

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2010-01-06T13:49:00.001Z

BNP Leaders Vow to Physically Block Islamist Wootton Bassett March

wb-3

The three highest publicly elected British National Party officials, GLA member Richard Barnbrook and MEPs Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons, have vowed to physically block the road in Wootton Bassett should the authorities permit the threatened Islamist march in that town to proceed.

In an official statement, the BNP announced that it would “defend Wootton Bassett and the memory of our fallen heroes. Nick Griffin MEP, Andrew Brons MEP and Richard Barnbrook AM will block the path of the Muslim fanatics.”

The statement said that the party had warned the authorities after the Luton incident that unless militant Islamism was curbed in Britain, the problem would grow worse.

“Do you remember the outrageous scenes in Luton when our returning soldiers were abused and spat on by fanatical ‘British’ Muslims?,” the statement said.

“The British National Party stated then that this was only the beginning of such vile displays as militant Islam flexes its muscles on our streets.

“We warned the authorities that unless the Government took firm action against these evil haters of all things British, they would become more provocative.

“Well, now as predicted, it’s happened. It has just been announced that the organisation ISLAM4UK, (a platform for the fanatical Al Muhajiroun group) led by Mr Anjem Choudary and a mob of at least 500 Islamic extremists plan to defile the memory of our dead soldiers by marching their hatred through Wootton Basset.

“This is the town through which the flag-draped coffins of our fallen servicemen and women are brought home. It is where families go to pay their respects to our glorious dead as they make the solemn journey to their final resting place. The thought of 500 hateful Islamists desecrating this place and spitting in the face of every true British citizen and the grief-stricken relatives of the dead is truly beyond the pale.

“It must be stopped! We will not have this! They shall not pass!

“The British National Party is under increasing pressure to bring thousands of our angry members onto the streets to stop this outrage.

“However, we are mindful of the sensitive nature and dignity of Wootton Basset and do not wish to add to the problems now faced by the good people of that town, or the families of our fallen soldiers.

“With this in mind, the British National Party WILL take a stand in defence of our heroes by having our two MEPs and our London assembly member use their own bodies to physically block the street and any attempt by Muslim fanatics to insult the memory of our fallen soldiers.

“We appeal to the authorities to do the right thing and arrest these traitorous Muslim fanatics. We are at war. Our men and women are being killed on a daily basis and we are expected to put up with this gross outrage and insult to the families of the fallen. Make no mistake, we are earnest on this issue.

“If the authorities lack the courage and moral fibre to confront this disgusting Muslim march of hate, we believe that the presence of our three highest-profile elected politicians in a peaceful yet highly symbolic defiance of the Muslim mob, will force the Government to ban this vile march.

“If they do not, the PR consequences for them and public support for us will be immeasurable,” the BNP statement concluded.

Spread the word (and this page)…

SPD - 'My body felt as if it were splitting in two'

2009-12-21T11:39:00.005Z

Someone close to me has been suffering with this problem for a long time. I recently found this article that could offer hope for anyone suffering the same dissorder.

The Guardian, Thursday 30 May 2002 16.24 BST

Lia Hattersley developed a disabling condition in pregnancy that confounded conventional treatment. Here, she reveals how she eventually found the help she needed

This time last year I had no idea that pregnancy could leave a women disabled. I was 31, healthy, active and 22 weeks pregnant with my first baby, when I developed alarming pains in my pelvis which were sharpest around the pubic bone. Soon I could hardly turn over in bed, let alone walk, and I could hear my pelvic bones grinding. My body felt as if it were splitting in two.

I was ambulanced to Guys hospital in London where I was diagnosed with symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD). The obstetricians explained that the pregnancy hormone relaxin was causing my pelvic ligaments to slacken so much that the front joint of the pelvic girdle - the symphysis pubis - was separating. They explained that this happens naturally in pregnancy but that in some women seems to loosen too much.

I had all the classic symptoms: difficulty walking, standing on one leg or parting my legs. They said that the condition would not harm the baby but would not clear up until delivery, still some 15 weeks away. I was given painkillers and saw an obstetric physiotherapist, who gave me crutches, a support belt and advice on keeping my knees together when moving. Later we even hired a wheelchair so that I could go out.

The care I received, as far as it went, was quite good. It was certainly sympathetic; some women's doctors fail to take SPD symptoms seriously and do not refer them to physiotherapists, who can advise on how to avoid further damage to the pelvis during labour. But I did feel let down by conventional medicine because it spun me the line that SPD was untreatable. I was not warned that some women do not recover after the baby is born - I still had difficulty walking five months after delivery - and no one mentioned that some osteopaths and chiropractors can successfully treat SPD.

Alarmingly, it seems that the number of SPD cases is growing. Vanda Wellock, a midwife at St Mary's hospital, Manchester, recently carried out a study suggesting one in 27 pregnant women suffer pelvic pain. She is now going to study how many of these suffer acute SPD and expects the numbers to be "quite high".

Jane Newman, a women's health physiotherapist at the John Radcliffe hospital, Oxford, agrees. "It's terribly difficult to identify why," she says. "Women are doing a lot of exercise and carrying on working later into pregnancy, which could be a factor. They are also sitting at PCs and driving a lot more."

Newman accepts that NHS care has been too conservative, but says physiotherapists are changing their approach, particularly to postnatal care. She has started "stability classes" for SPD sufferers, which offer muscle-energy technique exercises, manipulation and posture correction. Although rare, these classes, she says, have helped to reduce the numbers of acute cases.

Due to their lack of knowledge, SPD presents doctors with a problem, says Malcolm Griffiths, obstetrician at Luton and Dunstable hospital: "It's not well researched and not well understood by GPs, obstetricians or midwives generally." He adds that SPD is unpredictable and that while some women only suffer SPD postnatally, most get better quickly, with some improvement within hours after delivery.

My own life was turned upside down by SPD because I could not look after myself. With my husband at work, my parents, who live five hours away, had to nurse me through pregnancy at their home. I had no salary and felt very isolated from normal life. I felt negative towards my body and aware of how strangers gawped at me, heavily pregnant and crammed into a wheelchair. I missed my husband terribly, yet when I did see him it hurt even to hug him.

A few weeks before I gave birth, my condition improved enough for me to cope in our by now specially adapted home. But after I had a normal vaginal delivery (some sufferers opt for a caesarean section), my SPD got worse.

For weeks my parents looked after me and my son. I felt I was depriving my husband of time with our baby and felt furious with my body for letting me down. Inwardly I was jealous of everyone who could pick up my son and comfort him when I could not.

As the months passed, my condition improved sporadically, but I kept having relapses. I could not return to work and had to give up my job. Through a local SPD support group I discovered that some women are left permanently disabled, while for others the condition can reoccur premenstrually, when they take the contraceptive pill or during later pregnancies.

Postnatally, I was transferred as an outpatient to the Royal London hospital. The physiotherapist suggested some exercises and I also tried pilates, but nothing helped. After five months, I was referred to the orthopaedics department to be considered for an operation to stabilise my pelvis by stapling it. The idea really frightened me, but I was right to be cautious. Rami Hussein, an orthopedic surgeon who has undertaken a study at St Thomas's hospital, London, on the outcome of this surgery, describes it as "a last resort" and says that while some women improve, over all, the success rate is "certainly not very high".

I wanted to avoid surgery at all costs, so I sought various alternatives. Through the support group I heard of Fiona Meek, who had had SPD in her first pregnancy and spent months in bed. When the symptoms returned with her second pregnancy at week 12, her obstetrician said: "Conventional medicine has nothing to offer you, try alternatives." She started treatment with the classical osteopath Quentin Shaw, who amazingly got her walking immediately. "I know I would be in a wheelchair by now if it wasn't for him," says Meek, who is now six months pregnant and still active.

Her experience is not unique. Sarah Bevan suffered two years of postnatal SPD, before visiting a chiropractor who gradually got her back to "99% normal", despite her having another baby.

Both women had to pay for treatment. While obstetrician Malcolm Griffiths agrees that manipulative therapies may relieve SPD, he says doctors cannot prescribe or fund them through the NHS and doubts whether all women would be helped.

Shaw, a senior lecturer at Surrey Institute of Osteopathic Medicine, does not accept this. He believes classical osteopathy, which addresses the balance of the body as a whole, can alleviate nearly any sufferer's symptoms. He cites the example of Hazel Clarke, who had SPD for 23 years during which she visited many osteopaths who could not help, before Shaw successfully treated her over a two-year period. "SPD responds well to the correct treatment," Shaw says. "Pregnant women suffer this when relaxin accentuates pre-existing pelvic and spinal misalignments, but these can be adjusted during or after pregnancy."

Shaw's record impressed me, so I booked an appointment. He was the first person who sounded as if he really understood what was causing my pain and was confident of helping me. After one treatment I was able to walk and my crutches became obsolete. I had some setbacks but five sessions later, while I cannot run yet, I am recovering fast. My whole life has opened up before me again. According to Shaw, the pelvic misalignments he found, which we traced to an injury I had sustained two years before while hauling a boat up a beach, could have been corrected during my pregnancy.

Many health professionals seem sceptical about my story. But as things stand, left in the hands of conventional medicine, other women will go through the same experience. For women with SPD the already strenuous job of being a mother is made impossible if they can not walk or pick up their child. Surely they have a right to any treatment that could offer the hope of a cure?

· For further information, contact the British SPD Support Group on 01843 587356, or www.spd-uk.org

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Positivity and negativity - The eternal struggle

2009-12-01T22:44:00.005Z

Recently I have been full of positive energy, this should seem like positive news for anyone who knows or reads me. Well, yes and no is the answer to that supposition. I have to admit that whilst being carried away on a tide of positive vibes recently, I heve been secretly expecting and dreading the backlash.

The backlash simply has to follow. I'm not yet in possession of any knowledge that can prevent the backlash from occuring.
Well phil, just what is this backlash you speak of? Put simply, it's just negative energy. Whether or not it's energy that has been surpressed by my recent good moods or just powerful negativity that has been waiting to rush in and overwhelm a slowly receding positive Phil, I can't say for sure. It's here though and I'm vile.

Is it normal to just hate and degrade everything around you, with no reasonable argument to support such feeling? It can't be. The sad and strange part is that it seriously undermines my efforts to improve myself as a human being. Such depth of feeling seems to haul me down into the gutter alongside the very things I abhore.

I want to nice and calm and understanding but today I'm full of bitterness. Don't know what's more embarrassing really, feeling this way or telling you that I feel this way.

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Greed. thats what's pulling us down

2009-11-14T18:42:00.005Z

I was walking around Trentham gardens today, well, not the gardens but the retail area. We had had a particularly nice time. My partner had commented to me that the retail area didn't really have very practical shops. A lot of the shops down there sell obscure items or things that you simply wouldn't choose to buy whilst on a day out.

I have always been a bit tight with money, but it has to be said ; goods in the Trentham shopping outlet are expensive. This was underlined when we went into a clothing shop after seeing a t-shirt that looked pretty cool. Whilst in the shop My partner pointed out a great looking jumper, with a wooly type lining. I Thought It was great, just me..then I saw the price and my heart sank, £100. Yes you read it right, £100, One hundred freaking pounds for a jumper, Holy hell.

To me this is nothing more than outright greed. There can be in my opinion no justification for hundred pound jumpers. Little wonder then that the economy is in a state. Retailers expect a hundred pounds for a jumper. Personally I have never been a labels person, I don't see the point of it at all, why define yourself by labels? I accept though that it appeals to some people.

Had the jumper been, say £30 or £40 I'd have happily bought it. I dont earn a bad wage but they priced me out of the market, along with about 3/4 of the population. It's all a bit daft really.

Wouald you pay a £100 quid for a jumper? If so why. Let me know.

MOD letter regarding UFO sightings 01/11/09

2009-11-10T17:25:00.007Z

The MOD sent Me this letter the other day. I had to reply. the Person who sent me the letter was either Lying or Terribly misinformed,You decide. My response is below. the letter.

Letter

		V. F****** HEADQUARTERS AIR COMMAND** RAF Business Secretariat 2

Mr **************		Spitfire Block Royal Air Force High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP14 4UE 01494 496254 ufodesk@mod.uk

		Our Ref: UFO Report
		9 November 2009

Dear Mr ***********

I am writing with reference to your report of an ‘unidentified flying object’, seen on 1 November 2009 over the Matlock area in Derbyshire. I have been asked to reply as this office is the focal point within the Ministry of Defence for correspondence relating to UFOs.

Firstly, it may be helpful if I explain that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) examines any reports of ‘unidentified flying objects’ it receives solely to establish whether what was seen might have some defence significance; namely, whether there is any evidence that the United Kingdom’s airspace might have been compromised by hostile or unauthorised air activity.

Unless there is evidence of a potential threat to the United Kingdom from an external source, and to date no UFO report has revealed such evidence, we do not attempt to identify the precise nature of each sighting reported to us. We believe that rational explanations, such as aircraft lights or natural phenomena, could be found for them if resources were diverted for this purpose, but it is not the function of the MoD to provide this kind of aerial identification service. It would be an inappropriate use of defence resources if we were to do so.

The MoD does not have any expertise or role in respect of ‘UFO/flying saucer’ matters or the question of the existence or otherwise of extraterrestrial life forms, about which it remains totally open-minded. I should add that to date, the MoD knows of no evidence which substantiates the existence of these alleged phenomena.

I am sorry I could not be more helpful.
-----------------------------------------------

My Response

Thank you for your reply to my UFO report. I appreciate you taking the time to acknowledge my sighting.
I too am sure there is a rational explanation , however, I did only report the incident to the MOD because I thought it was my civic duty to inform you. I hope I did the right thing.

With regards to your statement.

"The MoD knows of no evidence which substantiates the existence of these alleged phenomena."

The recent release of documents through the freedom of information act would suggest that the MOD certainly has lots of evidence to substantiate the existence of these "alleged Phenomena". The Rendlesham Forest Incident was so high Profile that no one with an interest in Unidentified Flying Objects could miss.

Former MOD official Nick Pope, and Lord Hill Norton, who was an Admiral, First Sea Lord and Chief of Defence staff certainly took a very great interest in UFO's and the (Rendlesham) case in particular. I Presume that given your quaoted statement, that you were unaware of the case.

Please, for the sake of public information re-word your response to such sightings. To say the MOD has no evidence of UFO's simply isn't accurate, and will certainly be held up to scrutiny by more articulate people than myself.

I enclose a quoted statement from Lord Hill Norton.

Your Sincerely
Tideswellman

Quote from Lord Hill Norton about his opinion regarding the Rendlesham Forest Case:

Lord Hill-Norton is a five-star Admiral and the former Head of the British Ministry of Defense who was kept in the dark about the UFO subject during his official capacities. In this short interview, he states that this subject has great significance and should no longer be denied and kept secret. He emphatically states, “…that there is a serious possibility that we are being visited — and have been visited for many years — by people from outer space, from other civilizations; that it behooves us to find out who they are, where they come from, and what they want. This should be the subject of rigorous scientific investigation, and not the subject of rubbishing by tabloid newspapers.”

I know a good bit about the Bentwaters incident. I’ve interviewed a number of the people who took part in it, and what I have decided after careful thought, is that there are only two explanations for what happened that night in Suffolk. The first is that the people concerned — including Colonel Halt, who was, at the time, the Deputy Commander of the Base, and a lot of his soldiers — claim that something from outside the Earth’s atmosphere landed at their air force base. They went and stood by it; they inspected it; they photographed it. The following day they took tests on the ground where it had been and found radioactive traces; they reported this. Colonel Halt wrote a memorandum, which was sent to our Ministry of Defense. He has appeared on British television at least once, to my knowledge — possibly more often — in which he has repeated, effectively, what he said in that memorandum. What he said is what I have just described. That is one explanation — that it actually happened as Colonel Halt reported. The other explanation is that it didn’t. In that case, one is bound to assume that Colonel Halt and all his men were hallucinating. My position is perfectly clear — either of those explanations is of the utmost defense interest. It has been reported and claimed — and I, myself, have raised it to ministers at the Defense Ministry in this country — that nothing they have been informed about regarding UFOs is of defense interest. Surely, to any sensible person, either of those explanations cannot fail to be of defense interest. That the Colonel of an American Air Force Base in Suffolk and his military men are hallucinating when there are nuclear-armed aircraft on the base — this must be of defense interest. And, if indeed what he says took place, did take place — and why on Earth should he make it up — then, surely, the entry of a vehicle from outer space (and certainly not manmade) to a defense base in this country also cannot fail to be of defense interest. It simply isn’t any good for our ministers — and the Ministry of Defense in particular — to say that nothing took place that December night in Suffolk, or that it is not of defense interest. It simply isn’t true. Since my name has become connected with UFO matters in quite a big way in this country, and in one or two other countries too, I have frequently been asked why a person of my background — a former Chief of the Defense Staff, a former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee — why I think there is a cover-up, or what the reasons may be for government’s wishing to cover up the facts about UFOs. A number of explanations have often been put forward. The most frequent, and perhaps the most plausible, is the government’s concern (which [is] primarily that of the United States, and that of my own country) over the public’s reaction if they [were] told the truth — which is that there are objects in our atmosphere which are technically miles in advance of anything that we can deploy, that we have no means of stopping them coming here, and that we have no defense against them, should they be hostile. I believe governments fear that if they did disclose those facts, people would panic: people would rush about and jam switchboards like they did that famous day in New Jersey, when there was a spoof that the Martians [had] landed — people will go mad, and they will jump up and down. I don’t believe that at all — I’ve said so in print. I do not believe that people today, in the 21st century, are going to panic at that sort of information. After all, they have put up with the introduction of nuclear weapons and the destruction of two Japanese cities 50 years ago. They take as a matter of course that we can land vehicles on Mars — land to the precise instant, forecast years before. So why should they panic? They are much more interested in doing the pools or the lottery. They would shrug their shoulders and take it as a matter of course. Anyway, they don’t trust politicians, in my experience. What I’d like to say is that there is a serious possibility that we are being visited — and have been visited for many years — by people from outer space, from other civilizations; that it behooves us to find out who they are, where they come from, and what they want. This should be the subject of rigorous scientific investigation, and not the subject of rubbishing by tabloid newspapers. It seems to me that the Bentwaters incident is a classic case where an apparent intrusion into our airspace — and indeed, a landing in our country — occurred, which was witnessed by serious-minded people in the military — responsible people, doing a responsible job. And, Bentwaters is, in a sense, a benchmark for how not to deal with these matters in the future.

Admiral Lord Hill Norton speaks about UFOS

UFO's what are they and when will there be open debate?

2009-11-05T23:19:00.006Z

As I sit here late at night perched at the top of my bed I am slightly irritated. I'm irritated because, I'm writing yet another UFO post. Irritated because I knothat every time I write one of these UFO posts people out there, think"nut job", or "he's obsessed" or "weirdo, avoid".

Yet, at the same time I am compelled to write because who else is? Who is actually prepared to stand up and say" hold on, there's something going on and we , the people have a right to know as much about it as possible". Those of you who know me will know that I am certainly not afraid to stick my neck out and make controversial statements. I'm a nobody really but if enough nobody's speak out loud enough with one common voice then perhaps something will be done.

Now to the point of my blog post. On the 1st of November at approximately 7.40 pm We were driving back from the Matlock area in Derbyshire. It was an extremely clear night, I had strong intuition that I should keep my camera with me, I sadly ignored that intuition and stuffed it into the boot. A decision that I would later regret heartily. We had driven for about 15 minutes when I became aware of a very bright light in the sky. Planes fly overhead all the time and I guess this night was no different than any other, except to say that the plane I saw seemed odd, it moved too slowly, considering how low in the sky it was. Moreover it was extremely low in the sky, helecopter low. It was pitch black outside the car so I could not get a good look at the plane.

what I can tell you though is that it's altitude stuck me as odd, as did its lights. it seemd to have one light in the middle and two constant lights on both flanks. It had a small blinking light underneath. As it flew low over Carsington water, I'd say it wouldn't have been more than 300 feet up at the very most. My real estimate would have been 100 feet. Now i'm not saying that this was an Alien spacecraft. Yet to me it was a UFO. UFO doesn't mean alien spacecraft that would be an ETV (Extra Terrestrial Vehicle). It was a UFO because it wasn't like any plane I have ever seen, it wasn't on a Flight path I have ever seen. It moved Slower than any commercial plane I have ever seen. What was it? I watched it fly over Carsington lake and then I lost sight of it for a few seconds, it was gone. Yet, I had a perfect view over the lake, as we climbed towards Kniveton near Ashbourne. Where did this low flying object go? I certainly felt unnerved. Rightly so. This part of Derbyshire, Matlock, Wirksworth, Bonsall is well known for its UFO reports, even more so lately. This year, 2009 has seen the highest incidence of UFO reports Worldwide since records began.

My partner who was driving the car, doesn't really hold with UFO's. I think she'd have to see one to believe it. She tends to express the view that there is a rational explaination for this sort of sighting and that there is no pooint making a fuss. This is the view help by the majoroty of the population. If fact I believe it too, except that I have long had an interest in UFO's because of very unusual things I have seen for years now.

On with the story. We drove on, I had now got a sneaking suspicion that we would see something else unusual. There seemed to be a lot of activity in the skies, but nothing quite as startling as what I had just seen. When we got to Uttoxeter, we were approaching the Mcdonalds roundabout when I became aware of a very large red light low in the sky. The red light seemed to be near to the Racecourse , it was at least 2 miles away though, so impossible to tell what it was, my partner also saw this. She looked a little spooked. I asked her to turn off toward the light but she declined and drove on towards Stoke on Trent. I couldn't help but feel that we had missed an opportunity to investigate. That said, having the family in the car probably wasn't the best UFO hunting opportunity. We drove on.

Then things got really good. As we approached Stoke on Trent down the A50. We were at the Britannia stadium when I looked across to my right (uk drivers side) and saw a very bright white light right over stoke town. I asked my partner what the hell it was, again she looked spooked and, again turned away from it opting to drive down to Newcastle via the Handford roundabout, much to my frustration, I wanted to try to get a photograph of this light. It was so bright.

As we left the Handford Roundabout the light became visible again. I pointedly asked her to look at it. It was a white light with tow smaller while lights on either side of it. As though on stalks or like spotlights. We could hear no Helecopter noise, even though my partner assured me that was what it was. As we drove along the A34 we were both looking at this light. It was definitely no more than 100 feet off the ground. Suddenly, and this is the best bit it changed colour from white to emerald green. Again, I alerted my partner to this, I said "look at it, tell me it has changed colour and I'm not imagining it". She confirmed that it had changed colour, the two small white sidelights seemed to have disappeared. At this point we were directly by the Tesco's at Trent Vale, and I could still see the object, I tried to get a photo. I took 2 and one caught a tiny bit of green glow...the image was very disappointing. Like so many UFO experiences I had failed to get any decent evidence and that truly is frustrating. Simply because 99% of all ufo photos are so inconclusive that nothing ccan be proved. Yet again my photos was certainly no different. If only I had kept the SLR in the front with me.

Mobile phone pic below taken from inside moving car. see left side green glow. sorry thats all i got. Rubbish I know.

We arrived home minutes late and I scanned around and then went out for a drive to see if I could see anything unusual, I couldn't. What we did see that night though was 3 objects that were unusual. For once I had another witness who saw at least 2 of these objects.

I felt sure that this incident was so unusual I simply had to check it out. I called the Police that night to ask if the helecopter was up and flying in that region. they said they'd check and get back to me. No one got back. So I called again on Monday morning. I spoke with Staffordshire police and asked them to check. They, recorded the incident (Trent Vale) and ran checks to see if the helecopter was flying. They called back to say that they had no record of the Police helecopter flying that night. this still doesn't mean it was an ETV, but it rules out police helcopters.

Other options could be military helecopters or the Air Ambulance. I called the Civil Aviation authority who told me that small aircraft do not have to register their flight plan with them.
So I have thus drawn a blank. Whatever I saw looked weird to me. I'm keen to rule out check all conventional options. Yet I'd just like to say that what I saw in all three locations that night is consistent with current Ufo sightings across the country and the world.

Here is my crude sketch of the objects

I'll finish this article by providing you with some links to local ufo sightings and some video's of UFO's which look like planes but seem not to be planes. you decide? Will you lend a vice in asking what are these lights? when will the government make some official statements?

World Governments have recently released many many UFO documents previously kept secret.
The Vatican made a statement that Extraterrestrials were our brothers. Are the worlds governments building up to telling us something because the sightings are now so common place they can no longer keep a lid on it? Only time will tell.

Links:

Matlock Merucry-Oct 02 2009: UFO spotted in Matlock.
Matlock Mercury-Mar 12 2009: UFO spotted in Wirksworth.
Matlock Mercury-Feb 10 2009: More Ilkeston folk come forward with UFO sightings.
Google - Terms: UFO, Derbyshire, 2009
Google - Terms: UFO, Staffordshire, 2009

The Sun - Aug 09 2009: UFO invades BBC Breakfast
Daily Telegraph - 13 Jul 2009: Record number of sightings predicted
Daily Telegraph -17 Aug 2009: Former Armed Forces Head Wanted probe into UFO
The Times - Jan 27 2009: Cameron - We will publish secret UFO files

National Archives - UK MOD - Released UFO files
UK MOD - UAP files
MOD - UFO reports
MOD - How to report a UFO

Video

1st one similar to what we saw in Trent Vale.

UFO's that arent planes, but change shape to look like planes. whats going on?

UFO fake planes - youtube Channel

Doughnut on a rope contrails in Derbyshire

2009-11-01T17:27:00.002Z

I spotted these unusual contrails in Derbyshire over the weekend in the Matlock area. The Military have long flown aircraft low over the Derbyshire Dales. What plane makes these trails though. Something New?

Confirmation That UFOs Are Solid and Under Intelligent Control - Claims Brazilian Military

2009-10-27T17:00:00.001Z

Confirmation That UFOs Are Solild and Under Intelligent Control - Claims Brazilian Military
by A. J. Gevaerd

Posted: 16:32 October 26, 2009

Confirmation That UFOs Are Solid and Under Intelligent Control - Claims Brazilian Military
Source: forgetomori.com

As I have informed before, the Brazilian Government declassified a few weeks ago a new set of previously secret UFO documents, covering the 80s. I also informed you that we already had disclosures covering the 50s, 60s and 70s. They have been doing the releases by decade. So far over 4,000 pages and 300 photos have been disclosed. This time declassification, the 80s, is composed of some 800 pages and is very powerful.

Among the documents released are the reports of UFOs on May 19, 1986, considered the 'Official UFO Night in Brazil', when 21 spherical objects, estimated 100 meters in diameter - according to military sources - literally jammed air traffic over the major Braziian Airports, when several Mirage and F5 jets were scrambled to pursue them for ours.

As most of you already know, at that time the Air Force minister Octavio Moreira Lima went public on national TV networks about it the other morning. The pilots and their commanders also spoke freely about the pursuits, which occurred over several hours. This was a major thing in Brazil.

Now, when on TV to the whole Nation, the Moreira Lima promised that a full report would be issued about the events, considering the air-air and air-land radar detections and the pilot pursuing, and it would be available in 30 days. And as most of the things that happen in my country, when governmental promises are involved, this so expected document was never known.

Now we know why!

Among the important files just released in the 80s package, there it is a certain ‘Occurrence Report’, dated June 02, 1986, just a few days after the ‘invasion’ by 21 UFOs of the most developed areas in the country. It has 8 pages and is signed by Air Brigadier Jose Pessoa Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, acting commander of the Brazilian Air Command of Air Defense (COMDA). Now, what this report contains is very interesting, and I quote its Final Considerations part:

1. Based on the analysis of above-reported events, it is this Command’s opinion that, according to the information from the controllers, pilots and previously elaborated reports from I Cindacta (Air Traffic Control and Aerial Defense Center), that there are some points of coincidence regarding radar echoes, accelerations, illumination, velocities and behavior, either by technical detection or by visual contact.

2. Some of those coinciding points that we can name are those phenomena which exhibited certain constant characteristics, as follows:

a. Produced radar echoes, not only on the Air Defense System, but also on the intercepting airplanes simultaneously, with visual comparisons by the pilots.

b. Change in velocity, from subsonic to supersonic, besides hovering capability.

c. Varied altitude, from below FL-050 to altitudes above FL-400.

d. Occasionally seen as white, green and yellow lights, and sometimes no luminous indication.

e. Sudden acceleration and deceleration

nd there is more. In the Item 3 of the Final Considerations part, the Occurrence Report says clearly that ‘the phenomenon (UFOs) is solid and reflects intelligence’. See it in full:

3. As a conclusion of the observed constant facts in almost all presentations, it is the opinion of this Command that the phenomenon is solid and reflects intelligence by its capacity to follow and sustain distance from the observers, as well as to fly in formation, and are not necessarily manned craft.

I have asked our volunteers Edison Hashida, Simon Levy and Marcos Malvezzi to translate the material and I have it for you for download. You can have both the full original document, in Portuguese, as well as the English version, both in PDF format at:

www.ufo.com.br/documentos/night

Occurrence Report - Original.pdf
Occurrence Report - Translated.pdf

I believe that this is one of the most powerful existing documents revealing the reality of the UFO phenomena, now fully admitted by our military authorities. We are now working to have more than 600 pages translated, and next Sunday I will interview the former Air Force minister Socrates Monteiro, another authority and officer in Brazil that decided to come public about what he knows and accept to receive me. He was the commander of the Air Traffic Control and Aerial Defense Center (Cindacta).

This is all a direct result of the campaign UFOs: Freedom Of Information Now, promoted since 2004 by the Brazilian Committee of UFO Researchers. All thousands of pages and hundreds of photos since the 50s given to the Committee are available for download in the Brazilian UFO Magazine website as well as physically at the National Archives, in Brasilia.

In late July, hundreds of papers from the Brazilian Air Force's official System for the Investigation of Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon (SIOANI) have demonstrated how the nation's military authorities dealt with the UFO Phenomena in the 60s and 70s.

The Brazilian UFO Magazine website - www.ufo.com.br - has over 1,600 pages of documents, 200 photos for download of SIOANI's activities and Operation Saucer, carried out in the Amazonian region in 1977. Along with documents received by the Committee from other military sources.

Included in the recently revealed documents are the detailed research proceedings carried out in dozens of UFO-related incidents which had not been made public previously. Some of the colored sketches of UFO incidents investigated by SIOANI are here:

www.ufo.com.br/documentos/sioani/
www.ufo.com.br/documentos/prato/
www.ufo.com.br/documentos/extra/
www.ufo.com.br/documentos/geral/
www.ufo.com.br/documentos/anos_80/
www.ufo.com.br/documentos/novos/

Please note: Download, print, publicize and otherwise share these documents, but please do not fail to mention the source, Brazilian UFO Magazine, and emphasize that this material is public thanks to the efforts of the Brazilian Committee of UFO Researchers (CBU).

By closing, let me tell you all, as previously posted here, that the recent disclosures proves that Brazil was the first country in the world ever to officially and publicly admit the reality of the UFO Phenomena, and the first one to investigate it openly, in a not secret manner.

A. J. Gevaerd

Mission Maker Tutorial - Game Start Popups

2009-10-24T10:55:00.001Z

UFO of Meir, Stoke on Trent

2009-10-21T19:18:00.010Z

Last week whilst at work I went up to the top floor of the building to take photographs of Longton town. The building has an impressive view over the the South of Stoke on Trent and I wanted to get a nice panoramic shot. The light just wasn't quite right and I returned practically empty handed. On the way down though I spotted a cylindrical object flying East. I tried to focus my camera on it but I couldn't see it it was too far away. I took a couple of snaps in the general direction it was flying.

The cylindrical object had disappeared into a dissipating contrail. It was not leaving any contrail of its own. I'm not saying this object is an Alien spaceship. all I'm saying is..

1) it looked like a cylinder without any visible wings.
2) it left no Contrail
3) I don't know if it made a sound I was indoors and it was high up.
Now my word isn't enough. Here are the photographs. Click to enlarge!

Photo 1) Full size photo. Object appears in the top left contrail about 1 inch from the centre. looks like two spheres.

Photo 2) I inverted the colour on one to see if the object I saw was a solid object. It clearly stands out against the contrails. Top left contrail.

It was still very small so I enlarged the area. You can see the object better now but its still small.

I then inverted the image again.

Finally, here are a couple of closer blow-ups, there is no more detail be gotten out of those shots sorry.

As I have said. I don't know what this object/objects were. All I know was I saw it, it looked weird I photographed it and you can see for yourself there was actually SOMETHING there.

I looked on the Mufon Site last night and found 2 photos of a very similar looking object. this is much clearer, again it's close to airplane contrails. Photo 1 Photo2. Bothe these pics were taken by the same submitter.

Then I found this one which closel;y resembvles the shape of what I saw. Photo

What do you think?

Robin hood Legend & Tideswell

2009-10-17T20:15:00.003Z

I just found a most interesting Link that puts Tideswell on the Robin Hood Map. Being as Little John was from Hathersage, it's not unlikely that Tideswell would have been known to the outlaws.

Read for yourself: Robin hood in Tideswell

Tory Party, Liberators? I think not!

2009-10-10T20:22:00.005Z

Well I was going to get around to writing a realistic response to David Camerons Closing speech at this weeks Tory Party conference. After reading all the gushing reports in the papers, I thought perhaps I had heard a different speech to the one they were all cooing over. When I began looking for a balanced report of the speech upon which to draw some form of balanced comparison from, little did I expect to find it in the column of one of my most hated columnists, Peter Hitchen.

Normally I cannot bare to read he bile that pours forth from this mans mouth. I concede that occasionally, rarely, he does hit the nail on the head. Today was one of those days. So instead of launching into my planned tirade. I'm simply going to take the lazy option and point you to Hitchen's article. Simply because, it's a masterpiece of truth. The Conservatives will win the next election without too much trouble, but not because Cameron is so brilliant, or because Brown is so bad...but because the British people only have 2 choices. Labour or Conservative. they are not willing to take a risk and vote Liberal to send a strong message to both parties about their abysmal failures and lies. After 2 or three terms of Conservative Government we will see a return to Labour and so it goes on.

Click the link to read Peter Hitchen's article

The Tory Party is racing to cloud cuckoo land...via Manchester

Positive thinking can achieve your goals

2009-09-09T07:41:00.005Z

It has to be said, I'm feeling upbeat. This is the first time in a long while that I have felt so positive about myself and about life. Part of the reason is that I have had a kick up the backside by way of reading a self help book. Normally I would scoff at the notion of reading such a book, as "waste of time", or "for losers". However, when I was in the library last week, it simply seemed to call out to me, and I thought "What the heck, I'll give it a try".

The book, which is Called Natural Born Winners is incredibly interesting because its basic tenet is that "no-one can achieve success for you, simply wishing you were more successful won't cut the mustard, you actually have to get off your ass and do something about it.".

I'm sure we all know this to be true anyway, but it's making it a central pillar of everything we do in everyday life that's the really hard part isn't it?

I tried to think of an example of how I have managed to achieve something that I wanted to do by being motivated and the best example was the skydive I did last year.

For so long I wanted to do a skydive. I kept making excuses that I couldn't find anyone to do it with and that they were so expensive, I couldn't possibly afford to do one yet. I'd mentioned to a friend that I wanted to do one and she told me that there was a sponsored skydive to raise money for a Sick child called Lily Grace.

This was enough to whet my appetite and I called the organisers and got a sponsor sheet. What followed was almost a mitigated disaster. I tired in a very lack lustre way to get sponsors, I needed to raise £200 just to do the jump and anything more than that was going to Lily's fund.

About 2 weeks before the jump I mentioned to my friend that I wasn't going to be able to do the jump because I hadn't managed to raise anywhere near enough money in sponsorship. I could hardly look at myself in the mirror I felt so ashamed about it. Luckily though she's a strong woman and had a clear view of what I should do. "Phil", she said, you have hundreds of facebook friends why don't you ask them to help, I'm sure you could raise quite a bit that way.

that little push, was enough. I went home and set up a facebook group, invited every one to join, sent them regular updates, kept everyone aware of the running total of sponsorship money and it seemed to galvanise everyone. I sent them all a personal email outlining Lily's illness and why we were doing the skydive and lots of people all decided to help. It was nothing short of fantastic.

I'm going to keep reading the book until I finish it and hopefully , it will set me on a new course in life. I think I already have the ideas, I just need to steel myself to follow through with projects that I undertake.

It just shows the power of self belief can get the job done. Considering I only asked people I knew for sponsorship I managed to raise a little over £900. My dream of doing a skydive was fulfilled and more importantly we got some way towards helping a little girl who deserves comfort in life.

Wedgwood wins £100,000 art prize

2009-08-15T22:21:00.002Z

I should have posted this in June but decided to hang fire for a bit as there was a bit of umming and arring as to who had actually won the competition.

Well done wedgwood, and thanks to all who voted.

BBC report on Wedgwood's win

Our Trax - show 13 - Tideswellman - Aceradio.co.uk

2009-08-13T21:18:00.004Z

Here is the podcast of the show - Listen again.

Powered by Podbean.com

Time to talk about UFOs again

2009-07-12T20:49:00.004Z

Click The image for the larger version

Mufon report
I spotted an object on June 23rd over Stoke on Trent.

Drove up onto Black bank, Knutton, because of the very good views up there. The night sky was unusually light tonight. I had just returned from delivering some photos to a colleague. I'd been working on them late.

I couldn't see a suitable place to park so drove back down the bank and as I did I noticed the red light.

Say a red light appear from the south east over Stoke on Trent. it disappeared but reappeared quite low, seemed to be moving northwards then slowed right down. remained in same area for a long time. Managed to take some photos but without a tripod they were a bit blurry. Some shots do show light in the sky and some suggest a solid shape.

Its actions were unremarkable really save to say that whatever it was it was pretty low. It moved slowly, but not in any special or eye catching way. A couple of times I thought I saw other objects but cant be sure.

At first I thought it might be a plane, but it was too low, then I wondered if it might have been the police helicopter but they usually have a searchlight when hovering.

the object was observable for a few minutes and then just disappeared.

See the other photos

http://mufoncms.com/cgi-bin/manage_sighting_reports.pl?mode=view_long_desc&id=17632&rnd=90331247431398

http://www.mufoncms.com/files/17632_submitter_file2__7arrow.jpg

http://www.mufoncms.com/files/17632_submitter_file3__2-arrow.jpg

http://www.mufoncms.com/files/17632_submitter_file1__auto-color.jpg

I had my camera with me because it had been a particularly light night and I had wanted to photograph the clouds. My photos aren't Great but they clearly show the ground and lights on the ground as well as an object in the sky.

I'm not saying this was an Alien Spaceship. I'm just saying I didnt /dont know what it was and I took a photo of it and it looks weird.

Who are the BNP and what do they stand for?

2009-06-08T22:11:00.017Z

Today a colleague tried to console me after what i caan only call June 4th's disgraceful results in the European elections where British people, sorry English people actually returned 2 BNP candidates. Don't get me wrong here, I wasn't weeping about the result, it could have been worse, the BNP could have gotten more seats, just watching the results where they didn't win was depressing enough, 90,000 votes here, 100,000 there.

Really, I'm not kidding you people, almost 1 million people voted for a racist party all across Britain. Some will scoff and say, "Pah, 1 million is small beer" and "it wouldn't happen in general election". Naturally I know these things, The BNP are unlikely to win in a first past the Post election. Nick Griffin, the Leader of the BNP was only elected as the 5th most popular candidate in the North West under a proportional representation system.

The fact of the matter is though, that Britain is now sending 2 politicians who are opposed to the multicultural and multiracial community we have in Britain. These men claim to be be patriotic but yet they despise what Britain is, and the values we hold dear in Britain, they are against what Britain is today.

I did find it quite strange to hear Nick Griffin talking on the TV today stating that "ethnic minorities, who were born in Britain are welcome to stay and were free to play in our sport teams". Strange because just a few years ago Griffin Stated in an Article Called Race Reality (June 06) which featured on the BNP website.

" At a more basic level there can be little doubt that virtually every one of our voters and a majority of our activists are compromised by some aspect of the ‘multi-culti’ experiment, whether it be supporting sports teams which include non-whites, buying ‘ethnic’ take-aways, or getting on perfectly well with a few individual members of ethnic minorities, even while consciously rejecting the propaganda lie that “Britain is a wonderful example of a multi-racial society.”

Another interesting factor in these elections is that the BNP have been going to great pains to point out that they are not racist. Griffin and Darby and many other BNP-ers have been all over the media stating that they are not racist....yet.

In the same article as before Griffin states:

"We don’t hate anyone, especially the mixed race children who are the most tragic victims of enforced multi-racism, but that does not mean that we accept miscegenation as moral or normal. We do not and we never will."

Griffin and his supporters will argue that they are not being racist here but merely trying to save the white race from destruction. Does he not realise that racial mixing has gone since men from different tribes first encountered each other. There have always been people of mixed heritage.

I'm sure no one in their right mind would want to see the destruction of any particular Ethnic group through inter racial mixing. Is it really ever going to happen? People often choose a partner who looks like themselves, thus there will always be a large majority of people who choose their partner from their own ethnic group. Does the BNP want to restrict peoples right to choose a partner from outside their own ethnic group if they so choose?

with all these discrepancies in what the BNP say to the media make me mistrust their motives.

Previously ,I wrote an article for the PitsnPots website entitled "Who the BNP really are" I'm going to reiterate it here now. Included in the body of this article is a summary of quotes from the BNP and videos highlighting the racism that exists within the BNP. I am going to Tweet this post daily from now until forever, to increase the amount of people who can get the message about what the British national Party stand for.

After several months of reading Pits n Pots, and contributing where I can, I feel it is now time for me to speak out plainly and clearly about who the BNP really are.

Who the BNP really are - Feb 3rd - Pitsnpots.co.uk

It seems to me that The BNP have made such massive gains in the Stoke on Trent area that they now believe that they are beyond reproach, and have successfully conned people into believing that they are a genuine political party with Britain's best interests at heart. I fully refute that claim, because I believe that any political party given a mandate to rule should make every effort to represent all British citizens, regardless of Race, Culture, religion or Sexual Preference.

Since the leak of members names on the Internet last year, the BNP has tried hard to sanitise it's public image further. I contend that this is little more than a publicity exercise done for the benefit of pulling the wool over peoples eyes.

What the BNP say in Private is very markedly different to what they say in public. A close look at the BNP will reveal the true nature of this party.

I cant believe that ALBY walker has the gall to come on here (PnP)and say

BNP actively fight racism and are not in support of white supremacy. He said that the reason that the BNP was getting more popular was that people liked what his party had to say.

What a croc of lies. Facts....? Facts are

The BNP was born of a Racist party- The NF National Front.

Almost all the BNPS leadership have had some run in for distributing racist material or some form of racist violence. Check Nick Griffin, check Mark Collett, check Tony Lecomber, check Derek Beacon....for a start.

John Tyndall founder of the BNP is photographed in Nazi uniform.

He's the geezer on the left.
and just for good measure, here's' another.

http://tinyurl.com/d9upwn

Maybe you need some quotes from prominent BNP members?

''I only care about the white people when we get to power the asians will be swept away like rubbish'' - Chief Steward Derek Breacon
''Hitler will live forever and maybe I wil too '' - BNPY leader Mark Collett

''We must defend rights for whites with 'well directed boots and fists'' -Nick Griffin
''All I want to do is kill pakis''-BNP member interviewed during Secret detective documentary
“Many who feel that Hitler was right do not believe it is safe yet to state such views openly. But times will change.” John Tyndall, BNP founder and former leader.
“The electors of Millwall did not back a Post-Modernist Rightist Party, but what they perceived to be a strong, disciplined organisation with the ability to back up its slogan 'Defend Rights for Whites' with well-directed boots and fists. When the crunch comes, power is the product of force and will, not of rational debate.” Nick Griffin, BNP leader.
[They were] "flaunting their perversion in front of the world's journalists, [and] showed just why so many ordinary people find these creatures disgusting" ;- Nick Griffin after the nail bomb by Copeland talking about the gays that were targeted
"We want influence we want progress and we'll use whatever advantage comes our way...and if that is a little bit of misery...we'll play on that." Cllr Mike Coleman BNP, Weston Meir North

Yet

So, let me further undermine their position, because I can and will.

Check out Nick Griffin ( looking a bit thinner~) denying the holocaust and telling us that he would kick out non whites.

Then we have Nick Griffin talking about Jews in the media

So, after having presented all this evidence, I'm not quite sure why Alby Walker councilor for Abbey Green - Stoke on Trent, could be so down on the North Staffs Racial equality Council, are you?

The truth of the matter is the BNP are seeking to cause as much division as possible at a time of hardship, Mike Coleman said so himself

Don't Be Fooled Stoke on Trent.

Moving back into the international scene now, we have this little Gem. Nick Griffin explaining to the KK how he was going to rebrand the party, whilst not changing it's values. He says he's going to sell the party, not sell out.

BNP talks to the KKK

Then we have this little Gem, here's what goes on at the Red white and Blue Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN8MZv6Nyqc

Just for now Here's some good news to end on. The BNP have tried to hijack the British jobs for British workers phrase. But let's hear what some British workers have to say about the BNP.

This article will be constantly updated.

Further info

Right wing site holds Nick Griffin up as a "victim of Zion"
Sean Bryson a BNP supporter has links to all kinds of right wing groups. Warning Explicit images
Background on the BNP MEP Andrew Brons

BNP Polling day

2009-06-05T01:23:00.005Z

FA Cup final Line up - BNP style

2009-05-30T15:20:00.004Z

Chelsea: Cech, ~~Bosingwa~~, ~~Alex~~, Terry, ~~Ashley Cole~~, ~~Essien~~, ~~Mikel~~, Lampard, ~~Anelka~~, ~~Drogba, Malouda~~

Everton: ~~Howard~~, Hibbert, ~~Yobo~~, ~~Lescott~~, Baines, Osman, Neville, ~~Pienaar~~, Cahill, ~~Fellaini, Saha.~~

The BNP say they are not Nazi? Think again http://bit.ly/s5UC7

2009-05-30T14:08:00.004Z

How the BNP planned to conn the british electorate: Please RETWEET http://bit.ly/14nFWY

2009-05-30T01:19:00.002Z

Yoof BNP: Billy Brt (the racist sht)

2009-05-30T00:05:00.005Z

Bank holiday Photos

2009-05-28T18:50:00.004Z

Baby Sparrow on the path being tended to by its parents.."come on lil' buddy, fly"

Cockchaffer beetle, one of 2 I rescued that morning.

A Meercat in the Pub, not something you see everyday.

Old Trip, one of the nicest pints I have had in ages!

My computer chair, clearly I must get more exercise.

UFO filmed over Devon May 09

2009-05-28T18:42:00.002Z

This is filmed on a handycam and clearly doesn't have the desired range of a high powered camera, still, its pretty good and shows the objects position, and its luminosity. One of the Best UFO videos I have seen in the UK

Devon 24

BNP Flyer - Ammended Version

2009-05-23T01:43:00.011Z

After being caught out this week the BNP have seemingly issued an amended flyer. The new flyer still has the same images but the text is more accurate and clearer for the British Public to understand.

Thanks for the tip off about this Brilliant flyer Paul.

click the image to enlarge or download

Related:
http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2009/05/bnp-voters-dont-exist.html

Got unwanted BNP flyers? My mate sent his back with a message on it :D ...in an unstamped envelope...that should cost em £1 handling fee

2009-05-23T00:34:00.002Z

Vote for the BNP - Anti BNP Poem

2009-05-23T00:09:00.001Z

WE ARE LIVE ON AIR - http://www.aceradio.co.uk/listen.html join us in the chat room now

2009-05-22T18:14:00.001Z

People like you voting BNP...I think not http://tinyurl.com/r929oh people like this chap maybe..but he looked so nice on the flyers

2009-05-22T15:43:00.004Z

RT @Glinner: "http://bit.ly/LuKhA (expand) Hilarious secrets behind a BNP flyer. Be sure to ask them about it if they come to your door!"

2009-05-22T15:43:00.003Z

directsales@clearchannel.co.uk,contactus@ccint.com PLZ email clearchannel to complain about the BNP posters going up all over the country

2009-05-22T15:34:00.001Z

See All todays Tweets on the British National Party to keep abreast of their claims and how to react. http://search.twitter.com/search?q=BNP

2009-05-22T15:23:00.002Z

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Who are the BNP and what do they stand for?

''I only care about the white people when we get to power the asians will be swept away like rubbish'' - Chief Steward Derek Breacon

''Hitler will live forever and maybe I wil too '' - BNPY leader Mark Collett

''We must defend rights for whites with 'well directed boots and fists'' -Nick Griffin

''All I want to do is kill pakis''-BNP member interviewed during Secret detective documentary

“Many who feel that Hitler was right do not believe it is safe yet to state such views openly. But times will change.” John Tyndall, BNP founder and former leader.

Yoof BNP: Billy Brt (the racist sht)