Still waiting

The news media are obviously ecstatic at the hung Parliament. Just when they thought it was all over they get to start again, at least for now, although Nick Clegg has said that since the Tories got the majority of seats, they deserve first chance (I wish he would tell that to his Lib Dem party colleagues in Birmingham who persist in keeping a Tory Council, with a minority of the seats, in office). Talks are ongoing. Meanwhile, we are being treated to the views of superannuated politicians, the most sensible of whom seemed to me to be David Steele who managed to explain the constitional position and Gordon Brown's responsibility to continue in office until it becomes clear what the most viable government looks like to a TV presenter who seemed to think that this was all highly irregular. Michael Howard performed his usual "something of the night act" with a disgraceful outpouring of smear and innuendo against Brown and his mental health. no wonder Cameron has kept the rest of his party well hidden from view during this campaign!that there is a better al

See what I mean?

Yesterday's Observer had a double page spread about tactical voting and the forthcoming election. What caught my eye, though, was a little piece at the bottom of the page which illustrated popular opinion in response to three key questions and the Ipsos MORI poll on overall attitude to the three leaders. The three questions where which of the three party leaders would be best in a crisis, best understands world problems and is more capable. On all three Brown scored highest at 40%,45% and 36% to Cameron's 33%, 23% and 33% and Clegg's 12%, 14% and 17%.Yet when it came to overall attitudes Brown was -28%, Cameron -2% and Cleff +32%. Meanwhile the bullying of Brown by the press continues. It is shameful.

Onward and upward

Nothing is forever and it seems that on Thursday, when we go to the polls, the Labour Government will come to an end. The best we can hope for, it seems, is a hung Parliament, the worst a Tory landslide so that we can be ruled yet again by our social superiors, David (call me Dave) Cameron and (heaven help us) George Osborne. They are promising us The Big Society, which seems to mean fewer services provided by the state and more provided by us (or should that be Us?)so that we can get the blame when things go wrong. A tough time ahead, I think, and what makes it worse is that Labour have mainly themselves to blame. The Brownites spend ten years whinging about wanting to be PM, but having got their wish, seemed to have no idea what to do about it and have lurched from one disaster, PR wise at least, to another.

So, onward and upward, and for us too. We have decided, after a lovely winter spent in the UK and getting to know the grandchildren, to base ourselves here. We are in Birmingham for now, but will head back to Spain for the summer and then back here again although without firm committments to where and how. We are driving back to Spain via France and are planning a trip to the States in December-hence the change to the title of this blog in order to reflect our shifting location and also the shift in focus to more eclectic offerings. Let's see what happens next!

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That's a poke in the eye for me then...

Maybe the campaign to get the raisins removed from the chicken balti pies on sale at the City of Manchester Stadium, and which I wrote about so sniffily a while back has been successful? In any event, they are clearly back in favour with one person who, at this weekend's match was carrying a placard announcing, "I love you Sheikh Mansour [our owner] and your family and your mates. I want to buy you a pie." And to think that some people go to watch the football.....

Announcing....

..the arrival of:

Jude Samuel McKay
Born at 11.41 a.m. BST, 21st September, 2009

A brother for Billy (William Reuben) and Jessica Rose (Banana Cake) Trickey

His grandparents adore him already

Take a look-autumn in chiclana by Mike

Worrying, very worrying

One of the most poignant memorials I have ever seen was in downtown Buenos Aires. It was so simple we might well have missed it but for our guide, William. It consisted of a small garden with trees and a white stone bench and the markings left behind by the rooms of a building upon the wall of the adjoining building. The wall had been painted a ghostly white. We were told that it marked where the Israeli Embassy had stood before it had been blown up by Iranian terrorists, killing about 20 people (each tree in the garden commemorated one of the victims), and that shortly after this an Israeli community centre in the city had also been blown up. This was all thought to be a campaign against the then Argentinian Prime Minister, Carlos Menem, who had failed to deliver on his promise to support Iran in some anti-sanctions vote in the UN. Menem's son was later killed in an unexplained car accident. Anyway, one of the alleged suspects for the bombings, Ahmad Vahidi, is in line to become the Defence Minister in Ahmadinejad's cabinet.

Meanwhile, here in Spain unemployment continues to rise. It stands at about 19%, higher than in many parts of Eastern Europe. Worse still, the figures for youth unemployment are higher-38% of those under 25 are said to be unemployed.