What if?

What if all we know has just been told to us? What if our world isn't the only planet out there and there's one right next door? What if our history is only what the government wanted us to hear and there's a lot more to the story? It seems that with the amount of museums suddenly springing up to support our heritage sites; decisions about the past have been made for us? We have always been told the facts by our educators; but are they telling us everything or even the wrong thing? What happens if you challenge a belief that's outside of the box? What if someone could control an outcome? We should never be afraid to challenge the past or of what others have concluded for us. And everyone should be given the right to have a go and try new things to determine who's the best. 

Echoing EPODS

It’s amazing that with all this technology how many functions the humble EPOD actually struggles with. Today was the first day that I got my hands on one with the intention of going solo. The first problem was getting a connection to download a route which we had to enter manually. Then once the manifest had downloaded; my barcode scanner failed to work which meant that each item had to be entered manually. I didn't even bother with the in-built sat-nav as I didn't receive any home deliveries; but instead drove straight to the regular drops. My colleagues had much more fun since they each had deliveries and were therefore out to play for a lot longer. Once back I had the added fun of running the shop front since we had a hoard of visitors interested in our shop floor followed by a visit from a head office guy to learn about our internal processes. It was a long time before I was able to be released away…

Black Sheep Holy Grail at the Snitterfield Arms; Warwickshire

I was quite looking forward to this country village pub but it quickly went downhill as I arrived. Two other cars were manoeuvring in the tiny car park as I entered; and the fact that there were no lines on the grounds meant that some people were left to take up as much room as they liked. I drove round the corner and parked a few doors down on the main road instead. When I reached the bar; it was good to see that the bar had been split into two smaller real and keg sections; but from there it went downhill. The smell of food dominated the whole pub; and the barmaid’s time was being occupied by an old country bumpkin who insisted on reading the menu in front of her. She did apologise for the wait; then forgot my change as she dashed off back to bumpkin to confirm his order. There was going to be zero atmosphere here so I finished my Black Sheep Holy Grail in the beer garden where the sounds of rattling crockery  in the kitchen echoed across the yard. I wasn't sure about the beer quality but I certainly wasn't going to make any friends by querying it or the whereabouts of their Cask Marque certificate. Another pub that I won't be venturing into again…

The Magic Finger

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This short story about a little girl who gets cross portrays perfectly guilty feelings of regret and remorse; a Dahl’s take on an Aesop’s Fable. We do not know how the little girl got her powers as she doesn’t know herself; but the tale is very entertaining as it is told innocently through her eyes in the first person. The Gregg family; having been turned into birds by the young witch; adapt very nicely to their new surroundings; and even enjoy it at first as they try to make the best of their new situation. Their reason of questioning their predicament is always overruled by their instinct to survive; which also teaches an important lesson. Perhaps the whole tale is even a prequel for Dahl’s longer story, The Witches. All that’s now needed is a longer story that links all three. As with many of Dahl’s books, the tale is beautifully illustrated by drawings by Quentin Blake which matches the fable’s simplicity.

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To the halls of Valhalla

I've been to the halls of Valhalla! Luckily, I haven't died; it was all an educational visit in the name of tourism. In the coastal town of Largs lies Vikingard!, which also happens to be the town’s local leisure centre. Here we were queueing to learn about Vikings; while next to us people were coming and going with swimming bags and gym kits. Unfortunately it was more of a guided tour rather than an exhibition; but we were only ten minutes behind and there was only one other party with the guide. So we went straight through into a mock Viking’s home; where we were shown round the quarters and got to try their armour and weapons. We were then whisked off to Valhalla where we met Odin, Thor and the other Viking gods to find out what they get up to in Scotland. Finally there was an exhibition room with maps, information boards and lots of hands-on activities for Buttons and the kids. It made a great rest stop for our journey.

The Thin Blue Line

I’m not proud of it; but there have been a few close brushes with the law this year as to whether or not I was due to get a speeding ticket. A few months ago I found myself in the nearside lane when queuing for a roundabout; and I had to accelerate in order to get onto the slip road beyond to make room for traffic behind me. What I didn’t realise was that the speed camera was just off the slip road; and as soon as I was in the lane I noted a flash in my rear view mirror. The other time was in the van where a sneaky warden was monitoring speeds just beyond where a fifty zone turned into a thirty zone; and he had hidden himself on someone’s drive behind a hedgerow. I also had to go back that way; and the look he gave me was one of stern justice. The frightening thing is the anticipation; the worry of whether or not you’ve been caught and the consequences that you have to deal with afterwards. There are nutters out there who do speed all the time regardless of who is watching; and I’m very close to becoming one of them!

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Last night saw me at the cinema to see Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the movies; and somehow I managed to get the time wrong; however it was quite handy as it gave me a chance to catch up with my friends. The film was action-packed, with no love scenes at all and plenty of stunts and chases; though there were no scenes by boat this time. It was an interesting plot; however when it came to putting the Prime Minister’s life in front of another agent; I felt that the storyline was taking it a bit too far. It was only towards the end of the film that I realised that this had already been anticipated as part of the grand scheme; as part of an elaborate plot to expose the enemy. This franchise is now starting to get a lot better with its storyline; and I do hope that they film another one very soon.