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Monday December 18th 2017 Sorry this blog's a little late  being "published" this week - pre-Christmas rush and computer problems. But anyway, it's here now. Where the money goes . (1) Today's Daily Mail  recounts the incredible story of a Council that has allegedly spent - wait for it - £870,000 introducing thirteen 20 mph speed zones across their area. Can you believe that? Close on the thick end of a million pounds! And that's for a job that I'd suggest could have been done by a few old boys with some signs and pots of paint! Or, even better value for money could have been making use of  some fine citizens serving their community service sentences! Then, after all that, the Council said that results from the thirteen zones were mixed and, when asked, they allegedly said that they did not have the finances needed to reverse the zones. Where the money goes . (2)  My local council proudly announced  that they have spent £2.5 million buying an hotel ...

Friday Dec 8th 2017 Once again I'm starting to feel my age, as yet two more deaths remind me of my mortality. For years I have enjoyed watching the Likely Lads and, although I never met Rodney Bewes, I did see him once - from a distance - in London. Rodney was a member of London Rowing Club and the last time I rowed in the annual Head of the River Race (1987 from memory) over the Boat Race course, Rodney was coxing a London Rowing Club eight.- - complete with dark blue cap with white stripes. (Remember Graham Hill's blue and white helmet?  Graham was also a member of LRC.) For a while - on the way to the Start, we rowed alongside his crew. The second death that has made me feel my age this week is that of Christine Keeler. This again was someone I never met, but did once see fairly close to. On that occasion (1963) I was working in a West End bank when Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davis came to the counter. Of course those distant encounters were simply milestones along ...

Friday December 1st 2017 I read that's alleged that Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is keen to see gender neutral toilets installed in London. Is this really a priority where eighteen people have been stabbed to death this year, where several others have suffered acid attacks and gangs of moped riding thugs are terrorising innocent pedestrians and, indeed, shop keepers at will? Ah well, if true it shows where his priorities are and perhaps something Londoners might do well to consider next time they go out to vote for a mayor! Life sentences:  How sad it is that while banner news media headlines confirm that such and such a cowardly thug has been sentence to life imprisonment, for a brutal murder, further down the page we read things like to serve a minimum of twelve years.  To my mind this is ridiculous because, since I originally thought that a life sentence  was intended to replace the death  penalty, it should mean what it says. It is only by making a life...

Thursday November 23rd 2017 A successful week of writing, and I'm now just short of 50,000 words so far, and back on schedule. with writing this, my third novel. It is hoped to have this on-line by early Spring and, to help speed things along, initial proof reading and corrections are being undertaken as a work in progress.  It is hoped to pass the finished, the novel across to my alpha-readers in February, for their valued input prior to final editing. Budget: In a week dominated by this year's budget, I'm refraining from making any direct comments, but one factor did cause the proverbial "sharp intake of breath." In the very week that out Prime Ministers admits to being in favour of increasing our EU divorce payment to around 40 billion, the Chancellor says that his borrowings for this year will be roughly the same amount. Can you really credit that? In brief, Mrs May believes that borrowing such a sum of money - to GIVE - to the EU is the right thing for ...

Friday November 17th 2017. New novel : This has been a busy week for writing and it's good to note that I'm virtually now back on track with my planned work rate. I'm not sure if other authors find  this, but having plotted my writing route from start to finish, it's amazing how many extras I'm finding to build into the plot, so making it even more intricate and exciting. Within this, I'm managing to stick to my content plan, limiting each chapter to six or seven pages, whilst ensuring that each one finishes on a "high" - so making readers keen to keep right on page turning. This, my third novel, will be called  Betrayal  and I hope to have it available on Amazon around March /April 2018. Second homes : I was interested to read that it is alleged that St Ives in Cornwall has decided that houses in the town can  now only be sold for permanent residency - that is not being sold as second homes. What a good idea,  an example that I hope more historic...

Friday November 10th 2017 Work on my third novel has slipped a little this week, but I hope to be back on track by the start of next week. Mind you, as a fast moving thriller it's great fun interweaving the plot and sub plots to keep everyone guessing. (Even myself at times!) My thanks to the Daily Mail  for publishing my letter on responsibilities.  Like most people, I found the tragic story of the little girl battered to death by her adoptive parent deeply upsetting. And, as lessons never seem to be learnt in such case  - to quote the oft used cliche - one can expect to see the traditional witch hunt to proportion blame amongst the usual agencies; police, social services and hospital staff. Fair comment, one might say, but to my mind these tax-payer funded bodies are once again expect to  be searched for blame following a decision made by others, and over which they had no control! By comparison, should an employee suffer death or injury, as a result of the...

Friday November 3rd. Please d to say that the writing is still going to schedule and is very close to 24,000 words. Although not possible to predict the "grand total" - I'm estimating that it will be around the 140,000 mark. So, a bit to go yet! Staying with books, I've very nearly finished Good Friday , a fast moving thriller by Lynda la Plante. The book is centred around a young female police officer, Jane Tennison, and contains plenty of action that is building to what I'm sure will be a powerful ending. For me, the big story this week has been the Bank of England's decision on interest rates. Of course, this will be a move welcomed by savers, but feared by mortgage holders and borrowers in general. Now, before half the nation  goes into terminal meltdown over the rate rise, can we pause for a moment to consider the other side of the coin? Born in 1942, I'm of the generation that worked to survive and buy the things we wanted only when we coul...