Then I Thought.... Go On... Why Not?

After all - you can't take it with you and it IS only money....

Presenting - One Sigma 150-500mm Zoom Telephoto Lens.

Its a beauty and is under field test now - photgraphing birds in our back garden!

Results follow!

England (or South Africa 'B'?) v Sri Lanka

Just watched England (?) coast to an easy victory against Sri Lanka in a One Day International game.

Look at the "England" line up:

Cook - born in England

Kieswetter - born South Africa

Trott - born South Africa

Pietersen - born South Africa

Morgan - born Ireland

Bell - born in England

Bresnan - born in England

Broad - born in England

Swann - born in England

Anderson - born in England (well - Lancashire so he's nearly a foreigner)

Dernbach - born South Africa

Five of the eleven are not English! No wonder youngsters don't want to play cricket - what chance of progression is there if we fill the side with players who obviously aren't good enough to make their own National squads?

Even the bloody coach comes from Zimbabwe!

I Forgot About These!!

A week or so ago, I took some pictures in our hot rolling mill at work. Got some fairly dramatic images one of which is to be incorporated into the new website we're having built.

Our company was founded in 1792 and there has been a rolling mill on the present site since the late 19th century. When I started at the company, back in 1971, there were about 22 rolling mills similar to ours in the Sheffield/Rotherham area but the steel strikes in the early 1980's closed most of them. We survive because we have a unique product, the process of manufacture of which was originally invented at our company.

Anyway - enough of the sales pitch - here's a couple of the photos:

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My son's company in Holland has designed the new website and when it's up and running, I'll give you the link.

Back to photo editing now.....

Not a lot to Report This Week

Another quiet week with the only real happening of note a visit to the hospital for a "Kidney Stone Check-up" on Thursday. Good news is there is no evidence of further stones and I have been discharged from the hospital back to my GP. We celebrated by dining at the Bowshaw Carvery - as good as ever!

Saturday - used the bus pass and the X17 "limited stop" bus sevice to get to Chesterfield for a wander around the shops and market. I'm not a regular visitor to Chessy but I was pleasantly surprised to find a very nice shopping centre and an excellent market. Sadly, it emphasises once again what a dump my own city, Sheffield, has become.

Whilst there I bought a USB memory stick - 4Gb - and the Duchess bought a new charger for her iPhone - so she has one upstairs and one downstairs now - is that just a little TOO decadent?!?

I also found a branch of London Camera Exchange in the town centre and lusted after a new lens - a Sigma 150mm to 500mm which is on sale at Jessops at £849.95 and Jacobs at £849.00. Ron Harrison Cameras in Sheffield want £849 too.

London Camera Exchange price is £799. A good price on the face of it but with a holiday coming up and no room in my camera bag - it's not an option just now.

Pity - would have been perfect for our visits to RSPB sites and also great for cricket pics. Still - never mind. Maybe later!

I've not used the camera much this week - but still have several hundred pictures to edit so I'll get on with that (Still haven't finished Edale, Rutland Water, Bempton etc!)

Since its such a great weather forecast for today, this afternoon will be spent in the garden, cutting the grass and generally tidying up before the holiday. Right now - it's listening to the Archers Omnibus and editing photos!

I'll gerron wi it then.

I know I promised pictures but I've been busy.. again!

Only major events this week have been....

Friday evening - went to Currys and bought a new microwave oven

Saturday - went to Sheffield and bought a new card reader and a frying pan.

Wot an exciting life we lead.....

Work has been busy but only because my colleague has gone off on honeymoon so I'm covering his job as well.

In the absence of any other astonishing news, here's a few pics from recent photographic excursions....

Apples already on the tree in  our garden...

Razorbills at Bempton - "Find yer own flippin' perch"

The cliffs at Bempton.

Kittiwakes with chicks

One of Bempton's most famous residents - the Puffins

And another - The Gannets (and look at the size of the chick in the centre nest!)

Gannet in flight - majestic!

Boats at North Landing

Overlooking North Landing

"Dancing Fountains" - Sheffields Peace Gardens

Norton Sunset - last Friday

That's all for now - I promise I'll try to work on a couple of albums - Edale - Rutland Water - Bempton/Filey/North Landing.... but there's a heck of a lot of photos and not a lot of spare time just now...

Busy, Busy, Busy

That's why I haven't posted.

Been one of those weeks - gets to Friday and you wonder "Where'd it go?"

In summary...

Tuesday evening - took the Duchess to her League Meeting

Wednesday evening - nipped down to Meadowhall to look for a gift for a mate who's getting married.

Thursday - can't honestly remember!

Friday took a day off and went to Bempton cliffs - album of seabird pics follows (along with the promised Edale and Rutland Water images.... honestly!)

Saturday - nipped down to the Town Hall to see my work colleague get married. On the way back to Nortoner Towers, called at John Lewis and bought a nice frame, selected a photo from the ones I took at the wedding, edited it then nipped down to Sainsbury's to get it printed. Mounted it in the frame and presented the happy couple with the finished result at the evening "do".

One o'clock  Sunday morning we got home! We had a grand evening but it was way past my bedtime when we got back!

Lie in this morning and since it is now absolutely pouring with rain, I'm editing and sorting out pictures and albums....

More follows...... at some point!

"I shouldn't have been prosecuted cos it wasn't just me!" - Local MP

From the Sheffield Star:

Disgraced former Barnsley MP Eric Illsley was paid more than £6,500 in the 4 weeks that he clung on to his seat after admitting fiddling his expenses.

Illsley, who was jailed for a year in February for making fraudulent expenses claims worth £14,500, admitted his guilt on January 11th but refused to resign his parliamentary seat until February 8th - 2 days before he was sent to prison.

During that period he claimed £6,766 in expenses including £2,253 for photocopier hire.

Details of his claims were released by the expenses watchdog in charge of the tough new system of parliamentary allowances introduced in the wake of last year's scandal. They said Illsley had still been entitled to claim because he was an MP until he resigned. There is no provision in the law to claw the cash back.

Last month The Star revealed Illsley claimed almost £2,000 in taxpayer-funded allowances in the two months before he admitted fraud.

The £1,965 he received in November and December included more than £1,000 for hiring a photocopier and £48.53 for renting a mobile phone.

Illsley was jailed for a year after admitting three counts of expense fraud relating to his second home in London. He was released after 3 months and is now serving the rest of his sentence under a home detention curfew.

On his release from jail he said he should never have been prosecuted, claiming he was not alone in making his expenses claims.

"What a lot of people don't know is that only a handful of MPs were ever investigated." he said. " Anyone thinking 'he's a wrong 'un' is not aware that lots of other MPS were in the same situation."

So not only does this arrogant liar and cheat hang on to his job for another month (and therefore get another months salary after pleading guilty), but he is let out after 3 months and then has the cheek to say - "I shouldn't be prosecuted cos it wasn't just me." I also wonder what the hell he was photocopying btw - you can buy a bloody machine for what he spent on renting them!

So next time a car thief gets taken to court can he plead immunity because he isn't the only one who nicks cars.

Every day, you come across someone who confirms that "Tosser" is spelled with a double "S".

We just met today's candidiate.