It's Gone & only 364 days to the next one.
1st January 2018
Wow, I never thought I would make it over the line to 2018. It all seems to be a long build up, followed by an even longer wait and eventually being a huge disappointment filled with never again. How about you, how was your New Year celebrations ?. Mine as always were a total wash out and to be totally honest, I'm glad it's been and gone. My focus was never on a party but attractions further afield. I would like to hear how yours was and if all went according to plan.
OK, lets move on from the New Year that already seems such a long time ago. Lets move toward having a better year this one than we had last.
I posted this picture i order to raise the feeling of depression to one of no matter what, lets laugh at life and see the funny in every disaster that comes along. I have no idea who these people are or what they do but what I do know is despite taking the worlds worst family photo, they managed to see the light hearted affect and the funny that it brought to so many when they eventually saw the outcome and with credit to them, they posted it on the internet for all to enjoy. God Bless Them. If you too have family photos you wish to share or let me write about, please feel free to send them to me and I will en devour to do my best. The best I can offer in looking back to 2017 is I survived and 2018 looks a lot brighter.
6th January 2018
I am still in gasp scenario as it's still only the fist week in January and for some very strange reason, Christmas feels like it was ages ago and not just 2 weeks ago. However, onward we march into 2018 and whatever lies ahead down the pathway of fate is the road we all chose to follow and lets hope there are not too many pot holes or dangers lurking along that highway to wherever.
Over the last few weeks the weather in the UK has been quite erratic and swapping from rain, to wind and then sudden drops in temperature which meant snow and we were not the only ones who got caught out as mother nature was also confused for a while and whilst I was out looking for something to snap on my camera, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this little guy out searching for his nut's in the snow. The Red Squirrel is a natural mammal of the UK as apposed to the Grey Squirrel which was introduced and is now officially recognised as a pest in the UK. I prefer not to say where I saw this little guy as they are so rare today and any hope of them recovering in numbers would be down to being allowed to be left alone and re-produce without the interference of man, so as such you can ask but there will be no reply to the question of "where did you see this beautiful creature" .
I, like many others got caught up in the madness of Christmas shopping but in my case there was method in my madness and the only thing I was interested in was to capture some shots of my local shopping center, known locally as the "Meadowhall Shopping Center" or known to those who live close by as Meadow-hell. I have no interest in present shopping or buying things that I like for someone I never see or hear from unless it is a funeral or wedding but instead, I saw the opportunity to view the exterior of a well lit building that set against a clear sky, would throw open many opportunities to exploit the lack of natural light and using some basic knowledge, take some pictures via my mobile phone to share that moment with you. I will say this point that there is no use of photoshop or anything more than just a simple capture on my phone but the back flash often creates this blue/black skyline when taking a picture in the distance and I must say, I was not dissapointed with the outcome.
9th January 2018
In what many might describe as a moment of madness, I ventured out today to get myself a nice coffee at my local shopping center which after seeing the kids return back to school brought a better time for those seeking some peace and quiet away from the over excited kids who are still playing with their Christmas presents etc.
I often make for this area as of Fox Valley as the coffee shop is so laid back and very comfortable to visit. The staff are so welcoming and on a summers day, you simply cannot beat it. Here is a short video showing the large TV and fountain area which in the summer is a real treat to sit outside and enjoy a coffee or even a cold beer from one of the many sellers of refreshment in this corner. If you are from South Yorkshire or surrounding areas, I would urge you to take a day out here and enjoy the raise in standard and visit this little tranquility corner that is yet to be discovered by so many and often overlooked for it's much larger but so tiresome Meadowhall. You may just find yours enjoying your time here and returning on a regular basis as I do.
We are just a few short weeks away from the Winter Olympics from South Korea and providing our prayers are answered and the prospect of war diminishes, this will be such a great corner to sit and enjoy watching some of the events if we get some warmer days toward the end of our winter. A nice pizza and cold beer with friends is a great things to do in this little oasis on the edge of the open countryside and surrounded by the hills and fields that separate and provide the boundary between Yorkshire & the border of Lancashire to which are great friends and real rivals and enjoy a little banter of which County is best on many occasions. For ourselves, we know which county is best as it is always known as the place that gave raise to the name "God's Own Country" and to that end, it must be the best. For myself, I am a true Yorkshire Man, despite living in many places around the world, my heart was always here.
18th January 2018
We are almost into the third week of January and to say the weather has took a turn for the worst would be an understatement. We have had snow, ice, rain and strong wind for almost 3 weeks now and whilst in the UK the weather is part of life, I wouldn't complain if we saw the sun appear for a few days.
I did manage to escape the weather for a few hours whilst I visited my favorite coffee shop lying between the valleys of Stocksbridge and providing an air of quality and gentile respect that is sadly slipping away in many places today but proudly encouraged in this slightly upmarket store known as Sandersons at Fox Valley Shopping center on the boundary of South Yorkshire.
So, the world keeps turning and the sun still comes up each and every day to provide us all with the reminder that another day had arrived and the one we just left behind is never to be seen again and as such I like to emphasise to all how precious life really is and that you should enjoy every day like it was your last and take nothing for granted. Assume nothing and be grateful for what you have to which others would appreciate so much. It's the simple things in life that are more important than the possessions we dream about. I like to think that no matter how big our house is or how fast our car goes, the size of our graves are all the same & we will get there a lot quicker than we expect, so value yourself and your world while you can.
My life is still slightly on hold but the anticipation of the tools required to change that are still progressing and but for my faith in people, I might well have head for the hills. But I always say that you have only ever finished when you have quit and my dear friends have not quit and as such, my faith in them is always 100%. As such, the fight can never be considered over when the battle has yet to begin and those who know me will know that I only ever battle when I'm going to win and the key is always about timing. I always chose the time and place to do the battle and at the moment, this is the calm before the storm. My silence is a simple method of never sharing the tactic to which I am about to employ but simply to surround the enemy and close in for the kill or should I say "Kill's".......!!
February is just around the corner and I'm expecting to hear some exciting news from far away any day now and when that little bird shares that news, you will see a cloud of dust where I used to be and flashes of light where I am working from, the key at this stage is not to share the what, where or why I am working on this until the time is right, but suffice to say the excitement is killing me, as is the anticipation so please be patient and I will make some announcements very soon.
19th January 2018
The ended with every conceivable type of weather that they could cram into the skies and throw back to earth with a style of anger. We had a reasonable storm through the night, followed by freezing ice on the roads for good measure. As the day moved on, we got bright spells of sunshine and now heavy rain followed be anticipated heavy snow for both Saturday & Sunday to cause excitement for the motorist and walkers. However, the feeling is that this is a reminder that winter is here but as Snowdrops have appeared in the garden, the optimistic & positive ones agree with me and feel that we are probably seeing the early signs that spring is near and winter is drawing to a close. "I certainly hope so".
There is always that moment in time when a part of the world that has been captured and saved for generations to come that unless you are from Yorkshire or England, you would simply never understand and to the right is a perfect example. This is a water trough for horses and riders to take a moment of rest from 1700s and the water is piped here from a local freshwater spring and is totally natural and 100% pure. The seat is here to allow the rider to have a rest while the horse has a drink and moment of rest. I always enjoy the quirky and old things that have been left by our ancestors to benefit the future that is now only enjoyed by the occasional walker or tourist who has passed by but without realising the significance of this piece of natural engineering.
23rd January 2018
Today was a bit of a strange one in regards to that weird phenomena called "British Weather" as the temperature rose to 5% and the sun shone through a stunning blue sky while rain was in this distance and created spectacular light and while all of this was happening, I did not have my camera with me, although I did have my phone and captured some images with a stunning rainbow in the distance.
This picture was captured on my way up to the farm at Huddersfield and whilst I managed with my phone, the basic message of clear blue skies and beautiful rainbow was something I could not pass over. I have to say at this point that within 15 minuets of this picture, the skies turned grey and the wind whipped up and the rain poured down which caused localised flooding just 3 miles along the road I was travelling along. It was good to get out among the farm land after the snow and frost although there is anticipation that there may be some more to come but the sound of silence was broken up this morning by a wonderful background noise of birds twittering and she squawking in the hope of finding a mate for the spring to which we are all hoping is just around the corner. Below is another picture to which I have enlarged for you as whilst it is difficult to see, you might be able to pick out Emley Moor TV Tower in the distance.
28th January 2018
Did you ever wake up and ask yourself the age old question of "Why Me"....!! Why did it happen to me, why do I go to work, Why am I the one who lives here, Why are these my friends...why, why why. Well, I kind of have a theory about this crazy question that many think is stupid but hey ho, I don't mind looking stupid at the cost of being honest. Let me try and explain. We have all had moments in time when for no apparent reason, we might be thinking about a song, or person or place and for a reason that we can never explain, that subject appears in our life very shortly after that thought, I recently had someone in my mind to whom I expect to encounter for what one might argue is all the wrong reasons and within just a few short hours, their name appears on the internet on a link and I viewed it, only to see that person staring at me. A similar thing happened when I was driving the other day and I was thinking about a song from the 80s and within 20-30 minutes, it was on the radio and to say it shocked me would be an understatement. However, I do think that we (our bodies) act like a magnet in some ways and we are either the "North" part of the magnet or the "South" and as we all know, you cannot make the two North's pull together, or likewise the "South's" but when you are feeling positive and the negative thought from your mind enters it, our body magnet draws in the "North & South" together without explanation or reason. You may call me crazy but I would be prepared to suggest that this has happened to you all in the past, if not once, probably many times and whilst I cannot be proven to be right, I cannot be proven to be wrong either. So my theory is based upon this principal and that the reason it is me......or "Why Me" is that we drew into our lives what has now turned out to be the result and whilst we are not to blame ourselves, we do need to take some of the responsibility for the situation and as I always say, there is someone out there who can help to change your situation and if you check into the mirror, "you will find that very person". What I will say in reference to this subject is that you should always trust your senses too. By this I mean that we have all been to places or maybe took a walk in the park or even gone to visit someone and for no reason that we can explain, we just feel uncomfortable or uneasy about something but are not sure what. You should act on this instinct and leave, because your body magnet is working in the opposite direction and telling you to leave and once again, I would suggest that this has happened to many of you if not all of you and whilst you cannot explain it, I will say that it always ends in something negative to which you would have preferred to avoid and if we had listened to our body magnet, we would have left in good time and sufficient to avoid the negative problem.
Im not too god on puzzles as my mentors always explained to me that brains and brawn should never be mixed and they apparently had both in abundance for some reason. If you do work out the puzzle, please don't tell me as it will only kill any aspirations to be a genius one day.
I always say that brains aint what they used to be in the old days. I knew people with brains and they were never on show or could even be seen so I have no idea what the excitement was all about. I can read, write and point and I went to France & Germany and managed quite well so all I can say is "Thank God They Spoke English" and saved me a load of troublem
21st February 2018
I took an opportunity to wonder out today to the very pretty village of Wentworth which is just 10 minuets from my home and it was justified as I managed to collect some very simple pictures on my phone that show the church and village in all it's splendor.
To the left is the very majestic and grand Wentworth Church that is such a pleasure to walk to and is so strategically positioned in order to see the focal point of the village in all it's grandeur. It truly is a very special place to walk to and enjoy the spire and grounds that surround this beautiful parish church that in many ways, people might argue is punching above it's weight but is truly a special place that is surrounded in history. It's worth a mention at this point that this is not the original church but the replacement church as the first one or should I say whats left of the first one is still there but was build out of a very poor quality sand stone and acted rather like sugar and simply dissolved away by erosion which was caused by rain over many years. The original church or remains can be found by walking past this structure and keeping to the right and follow the path and close to the rear entrance of this building, you will see to the right what is the remains of the old building which is worth a visit. I always say that Wentworth is not just a Garden Center but a thriving village with lots to offer .
Wow, I never thought I would make it over the line to 2018. It all seems to be a long build up, followed by an even longer wait and eventually being a huge disappointment filled with never again. How about you, how was your New Year celebrations ?. Mine as always were a total wash out and to be totally honest, I'm glad it's been and gone. My focus was never on a party but attractions further afield. I would like to hear how yours was and if all went according to plan.
OK, lets move on from the New Year that already seems such a long time ago. Lets move toward having a better year this one than we had last.
6th January 2018
I am still in gasp scenario as it's still only the fist week in January and for some very strange reason, Christmas feels like it was ages ago and not just 2 weeks ago. However, onward we march into 2018 and whatever lies ahead down the pathway of fate is the road we all chose to follow and lets hope there are not too many pot holes or dangers lurking along that highway to wherever.
In what many might describe as a moment of madness, I ventured out today to get myself a nice coffee at my local shopping center which after seeing the kids return back to school brought a better time for those seeking some peace and quiet away from the over excited kids who are still playing with their Christmas presents etc.
We are just a few short weeks away from the Winter Olympics from South Korea and providing our prayers are answered and the prospect of war diminishes, this will be such a great corner to sit and enjoy watching some of the events if we get some warmer days toward the end of our winter. A nice pizza and cold beer with friends is a great things to do in this little oasis on the edge of the open countryside and surrounded by the hills and fields that separate and provide the boundary between Yorkshire & the border of Lancashire to which are great friends and real rivals and enjoy a little banter of which County is best on many occasions. For ourselves, we know which county is best as it is always known as the place that gave raise to the name "God's Own Country" and to that end, it must be the best. For myself, I am a true Yorkshire Man, despite living in many places around the world, my heart was always here.
18th January 2018
We are almost into the third week of January and to say the weather has took a turn for the worst would be an understatement. We have had snow, ice, rain and strong wind for almost 3 weeks now and whilst in the UK the weather is part of life, I wouldn't complain if we saw the sun appear for a few days.
I did manage to escape the weather for a few hours whilst I visited my favorite coffee shop lying between the valleys of Stocksbridge and providing an air of quality and gentile respect that is sadly slipping away in many places today but proudly encouraged in this slightly upmarket store known as Sandersons at Fox Valley Shopping center on the boundary of South Yorkshire.So, the world keeps turning and the sun still comes up each and every day to provide us all with the reminder that another day had arrived and the one we just left behind is never to be seen again and as such I like to emphasise to all how precious life really is and that you should enjoy every day like it was your last and take nothing for granted. Assume nothing and be grateful for what you have to which others would appreciate so much. It's the simple things in life that are more important than the possessions we dream about. I like to think that no matter how big our house is or how fast our car goes, the size of our graves are all the same & we will get there a lot quicker than we expect, so value yourself and your world while you can.
February is just around the corner and I'm expecting to hear some exciting news from far away any day now and when that little bird shares that news, you will see a cloud of dust where I used to be and flashes of light where I am working from, the key at this stage is not to share the what, where or why I am working on this until the time is right, but suffice to say the excitement is killing me, as is the anticipation so please be patient and I will make some announcements very soon.
19th January 2018
The ended with every conceivable type of weather that they could cram into the skies and throw back to earth with a style of anger. We had a reasonable storm through the night, followed by freezing ice on the roads for good measure. As the day moved on, we got bright spells of sunshine and now heavy rain followed be anticipated heavy snow for both Saturday & Sunday to cause excitement for the motorist and walkers. However, the feeling is that this is a reminder that winter is here but as Snowdrops have appeared in the garden, the optimistic & positive ones agree with me and feel that we are probably seeing the early signs that spring is near and winter is drawing to a close. "I certainly hope so".
There is always that moment in time when a part of the world that has been captured and saved for generations to come that unless you are from Yorkshire or England, you would simply never understand and to the right is a perfect example. This is a water trough for horses and riders to take a moment of rest from 1700s and the water is piped here from a local freshwater spring and is totally natural and 100% pure. The seat is here to allow the rider to have a rest while the horse has a drink and moment of rest. I always enjoy the quirky and old things that have been left by our ancestors to benefit the future that is now only enjoyed by the occasional walker or tourist who has passed by but without realising the significance of this piece of natural engineering.
23rd January 2018
Today was a bit of a strange one in regards to that weird phenomena called "British Weather" as the temperature rose to 5% and the sun shone through a stunning blue sky while rain was in this distance and created spectacular light and while all of this was happening, I did not have my camera with me, although I did have my phone and captured some images with a stunning rainbow in the distance.
28th January 2018
Did you ever wake up and ask yourself the age old question of "Why Me"....!! Why did it happen to me, why do I go to work, Why am I the one who lives here, Why are these my friends...why, why why. Well, I kind of have a theory about this crazy question that many think is stupid but hey ho, I don't mind looking stupid at the cost of being honest. Let me try and explain. We have all had moments in time when for no apparent reason, we might be thinking about a song, or person or place and for a reason that we can never explain, that subject appears in our life very shortly after that thought, I recently had someone in my mind to whom I expect to encounter for what one might argue is all the wrong reasons and within just a few short hours, their name appears on the internet on a link and I viewed it, only to see that person staring at me. A similar thing happened when I was driving the other day and I was thinking about a song from the 80s and within 20-30 minutes, it was on the radio and to say it shocked me would be an understatement. However, I do think that we (our bodies) act like a magnet in some ways and we are either the "North" part of the magnet or the "South" and as we all know, you cannot make the two North's pull together, or likewise the "South's" but when you are feeling positive and the negative thought from your mind enters it, our body magnet draws in the "North & South" together without explanation or reason. You may call me crazy but I would be prepared to suggest that this has happened to you all in the past, if not once, probably many times and whilst I cannot be proven to be right, I cannot be proven to be wrong either. So my theory is based upon this principal and that the reason it is me......or "Why Me" is that we drew into our lives what has now turned out to be the result and whilst we are not to blame ourselves, we do need to take some of the responsibility for the situation and as I always say, there is someone out there who can help to change your situation and if you check into the mirror, "you will find that very person". What I will say in reference to this subject is that you should always trust your senses too. By this I mean that we have all been to places or maybe took a walk in the park or even gone to visit someone and for no reason that we can explain, we just feel uncomfortable or uneasy about something but are not sure what. You should act on this instinct and leave, because your body magnet is working in the opposite direction and telling you to leave and once again, I would suggest that this has happened to many of you if not all of you and whilst you cannot explain it, I will say that it always ends in something negative to which you would have preferred to avoid and if we had listened to our body magnet, we would have left in good time and sufficient to avoid the negative problem.
Im not too god on puzzles as my mentors always explained to me that brains and brawn should never be mixed and they apparently had both in abundance for some reason. If you do work out the puzzle, please don't tell me as it will only kill any aspirations to be a genius one day.
I always say that brains aint what they used to be in the old days. I knew people with brains and they were never on show or could even be seen so I have no idea what the excitement was all about. I can read, write and point and I went to France & Germany and managed quite well so all I can say is "Thank God They Spoke English" and saved me a load of troublem
21st February 2018
I took an opportunity to wonder out today to the very pretty village of Wentworth which is just 10 minuets from my home and it was justified as I managed to collect some very simple pictures on my phone that show the church and village in all it's splendor.
To the left is the very majestic and grand Wentworth Church that is such a pleasure to walk to and is so strategically positioned in order to see the focal point of the village in all it's grandeur. It truly is a very special place to walk to and enjoy the spire and grounds that surround this beautiful parish church that in many ways, people might argue is punching above it's weight but is truly a special place that is surrounded in history. It's worth a mention at this point that this is not the original church but the replacement church as the first one or should I say whats left of the first one is still there but was build out of a very poor quality sand stone and acted rather like sugar and simply dissolved away by erosion which was caused by rain over many years. The original church or remains can be found by walking past this structure and keeping to the right and follow the path and close to the rear entrance of this building, you will see to the right what is the remains of the old building which is worth a visit. I always say that Wentworth is not just a Garden Center but a thriving village with lots to offer .
