The Path of Death.

Into the valley of death rode the six hundred –  a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson of what happened in  1854 at the Battle of Balaclava  when the charge of the Light Brigade raced up a valley to attack well prepared Russian forces with the certain demise of the Cavalry.

It would appear that some people of today are still re-enacting the event as they march in the valleys of the city buildings.

Today a different enemy – a virus invisible and unseen which,  without certain measures could infect all of us and destroy our way of life. Is it possible that there is any person marching and waving banners of ‘black lives matter’ think that the very action which they are taking, could mean that their life is in danger from the imperceptible predator amongst them?

If they died from this selfish action and this terrible disease surely there would be someone at home who thought that their life mattered.

The young people of today have no respect for themselves or others, selfishness inbred, where in their mind Law and Order does not exist, and they know nothing about the meaning of ‘No’ and doubtful if they could spell it.

Is it possible to blame Government? But then again, its authority was removed a long time ago when the Realm was divided up into different countries at the end of the twentieth century.

There is currently  a blue colour in Westminster but then the diverse authorities around Britain are of a different persuasion. Therefore, they are not too keen to follow the rules perpetrated by the Governing body.

Now we have the spectacle, in a time of strong advice to stay apart from each other and preferably to stay at home, of people flooding to the beaches and nothing can be done to prevent them. Hordes of people ignoring political and medical advice and gathering like locusts on every piece of sand with a virtual sign to the authority that they are different.  Ignoring the fact that death is not.

Having defiled these places of beauty, ignoring all the rules, reports have been posted on the media that everything from car parking, toilet facilities and dogs where there should be no dogs, are totally ignored and a selfish action with no thought of others is the result.  

Suddenly, they  get up and leave, although their rubbish does not go with them and must be cleared up by others. 

I feel sad and a little guilty because it is our generation who allowed this to happen, but then again with the love for our children, we went the extra mile to spoil them. That l believe was the slippery slope.   Percy Chattey Books, creator of the ‘Story Telling’ series available worldwide through Amazon and Kindle.

The Bubble

I think it is now a matter of common knowledge that the people in Westminster, who are supposed to be representing the country and who also employ them, apparently by the way they act and according to reports they think of nothing but themselves.

We have seen since the 2016 referendum a kindergarten attitude in the ‘mother of all Parliaments’ as the members allegedly squabble, whilst raising salaries, which of course that includes pensions, and it is suspected of ripping up any pretence of playing fair with expenses.

What I do not think can be more shameful is, when the United Kingdom was looking for strong leadership, those in power could only think of their own positions whilst hovering to get in the queue to be considered as the new leader of the Westminster bubble. Obviously, nobody could understand the meaning of team work.

The current leader has been wrapped up in her own thoughts whilst spending the last three years seemingly being the only one out of step over the Brexit issue. One suspects when it was painfully obvious she should have stood down months ago as required by other members, it is apparent the lady decided to hang on and play a part in honouring the fallen on ‘D’ day and taking part in the greatest floor show since the allied invasion of the Continent seventy five years ago, and  then planned to step down the following day. (I should add it was a broadcast that went World Wide over a period of three days).

In the meantime, as she travelled back and forth being everywhere but nowhere of importance, and as leader of one of the strongest parties, watched it decline because of the policies promised at referendum and election mandates made by the said party, were not maintained or carried forward, and similar promises including, it is reported 100 plus statements that the U.K. was leaving the EU on the 29^th March, were delivered as confetti at a wedding. 

My only hope is that the members now sitting come to terms with the mistakes over the last period and get an act together that is believable, so the country can put this period behind it and move forward.

At this moment at Story Telling we move on with three new booklets being prepared all of them nearing completion. Number 21 is a history of World War Two … yes we know it has been done many, many times, but this, like the Story Telling

Series is unique and different as it is true stories of the Home Front of people now in their eighties and their memories of the bombs dropping around them, the damage and the shortages, a striking read of true and interesting facts. There is also the daily diary of William Riddiford an ‘ARW’ person written at the time explaining the bombs falling and the results as parts of houses being destroyed land in his garden where he was on duty in Dagenham.

The other two one is the sixth book from Richard Seal and his whimsical entertaining short stories and poems whilst the third is where we revert to our standard of interesting and amusing writings.

for Percy chattey books follow the link … https://tinyurl.com/y3mzhq4f

Story Telling

We have been busy at Story Telling and it has been a good couple of weeks in which we have published Richard Seal´s fifth book ‘Vanishing Point.’ Today we have submitted ‘Story Telling Nineteen’ which will be live on Amazon very shortly. 

ST 19 once again follows the successful format of an assortment of short stories and interesting articles with a mixture of stimulating and thought-provoking poems. 

As in previous issues we have included the remarkable writings and storytelling from members of the ‘Hondon Writers Circle’ fiction and true ones. Also in this issue Sarah Dawkin’s RN, BSc (Hons) MSc AMC interesting article on being positive … Sarah is a great believer and practitioner in self-healing and the body’s immune systems, we will be hearing more from her in later issues.

Did you ever wonder what happened to Houdini or the story of Nessie in Loch Ness, Richard with his magnificent use of words tells us the history of them in this copy.

If our reader has a story to tell we would be interested to hear from you at percychatteybooks@gmail.com or alternately call Percy on 603 472476, as an alternative join us at the Writers Circle at the next meeting on Friday 17^th May 11.00 am at the Tipsy Terrace in Hondon de los Frailes … you will be most welcome.

No

NO! “What part of no don’t you understand?”  A frequently asked question by one of my daughters to her children when they continued to ask for something she was denying. Perhaps the same question should be asked of the Prime Minister who has suffered defeat more than four times in votes at the House of Commons for her version of leaving the EU.

It seems to me the establishment is tearing up the rule books and the established ways for going forward in their determination to have some sort of approach to a question they themselves no not know what it is or what they want from the answer.

I think we all can remember in the past if a Minister in Government lost a vote then they resigned on the spot. Somehow all that, which went before no longer counts, and a new way is being installed which destroys hundreds of years of history and learning.

Of course, in some ways Teresa May is right in that history teaches us that sometimes it takes one very strong individual opposing those advising them to change the course of the country. I refer to Winston Churchill who in the early days of the Second World War was the only voice in Parliament against having an agreement with Hitler and allowing him to continue with his determination to conquer the World.

More recently there was Margaret Thatcher the Iron Lady who almost single handed changed the finances of the country, there will be some who will disagree with me, but the fact is in the period she was in office that is what she achieved. However, the difference with the current constituent in number ten, whilst I am sure she has a sincere belief in what she is trying to achieve is right, others including the result of a democratic vote say she is wrong. 

One thing is certain out of the chaos being performed in Westminster it will make fascinating reading some time in the future when there will be Authors writing about the history of trying, or maybe leaving, the EU and no doubt comparing the outcome with Douglas Hume the Prime Minister who against all advice invaded Egypt in the mid nineteen fifties leaving the United Kingdom in a predicament. And of course, it is alleged that Tony Blair did the same thing with Iraq.

Story Telling

The Prime Minister is once more on one of her regular trips to Brussels, I cannot help but wonder what the U.K. Government is up to with the Brexit negotiations.  After two and three quarter years I would have thought there wasn’t anything new to talk about. Surely by now the discussions are going around in circles. For without doubt it must be very confusing to remember what has been said and what has been agreed over that period of time. My thoughts are the die has been cast for what is going to happen on the 29^th March, and I have a feeling very few people are going to agree with it.

Overseas Aid, what a puzzle that is. On a regular basis we are shown on our televisions pictures of children in the wilds of Africa living in mud huts and dirty surroundings with a pleading voice asking the viewer to donate, through your phone, or by other means a sum of money on a regular basis. Now I am not suggesting that these children should not have some form of support.  But as these adverts have been shown in one form or another over the last twenty or thirty years, and maybe longer, and considering how much aid is sent by the British Treasury coupled with these sums of money raised by these advertisements I would have thought the problem must have been solved years ago. Alright I know it is a vast place but so is the money that has been raised.

Climate change reared its questionable head once more just recently when school children were taught the wonders of going on strike which history shows destroys many things and it gains very little. The reason for this odd teaching was ‘climate change’ a meaningless phrase as the climate changes continually and has been for billions of years. And yet the words have been used in a frightening manner because of the fear of average temperatures increasing by a few degrees and coastal towns disappearing because of rising sea levels and the world starving for the reason that  crops are dying in the heat. In the meantime NASA reports on a new iceberg in the Artic and another report about a remote controlled surveying submarine below the water level and getting stuck in the ice. Only a few months ago the United States came to a stop because of what was called a ‘snow bomb’ burying everything in its icy mass. And we must not forget the weather man saying recently it has been the hottest February day since records began in 1850. So it was hot then!

At Story Telling we are putting number eighteen together with interesting short stories, stimulating and thought-provoking articles to be published at the end of March. Once more it will be through Amazon and joining the other thirty two Percychatteybooks including five award winning novels in their system. Copy the link to see more:  https://tinyurl.com/ycu5wk5j

Striking

According to some news reports there is a new subject in the UK school curriculum, children will be educated in the talent of striking or withdrawing their labour, although in this instance it is a break from learning. Nevertheless, quite an exciting topic for the children, an exercise in how to officially bunk off school without their parents being fined for the effort. In some quarters, they argue that allowing the children to go on strike is a lesson in politics or in other words how to blackmail the authorities in achieving what you want. I understand the idea of this strike action has been put together by a fifteen year old to make the point about ‘climate change’.

What I find surprising, it is alleged that the Head Teachers Union is in favour of this action, which I find alarming as my thoughts are very different; schools are about teaching and how to be upright honest citizens, not rebel raisers. Normally fifteen, and even sixteen and seventeen year olds are treated as children but it would seem now the children at eight and nine are being encouraged, by strike action, to try and change the world … perhaps they will make a better job of it than the current holders of this position.

There is an anomaly here where the tutorial allegedly approves strike activity, by the ones who should be learning and in school, if the parents had organised it then it would not be lawful and they could be fined anywhere from sixty pounds a day – upwards.  Although, I do not suppose you can penalize a fifteen year old for organising it. Looking at it from another way if a parent takes a child out of school they risk a criminal record. Surely if … and I say ‘if’ the teachers Union is approving this action are they not committing the same offence?

In the mean time the people running the country continue their chasing around Europe trying to prove a point, perhaps they are saving up on Air Miles for something.

At Percychatteybooks we are publishing a further paperback through Amazon in the series of ‘Story Telling’. It is called ‘Horizons’ by Richard Seal as he takes another interesting and whimsical look, through short stories and poems, at the world we all live in. Like his previous three books it is an interesting insight to life and we wish it well.

Clicking on the link will take one into Amazon and the Story Telling group of books: https://tinyurl.com/ycu5wk5j … the following is a link to a short video.  https://tinyurl.com/y8r2a3pg

Silence

Reading through the headlines in the newspapers can be amusing especially when ‘commas’ and ‘full stops’ are not used in the text, for instance ‘Armed Police shoot man holding firearm in his twenties’ I cannot help wondering where his twenties are. However, the one that really got me chuckling is a man suing his parents because they allowed him to be born without his permission; I suppose some poor out of work lawyer will take the case on, that is if there is such a thing.

There is a tool used by experts in the business of negotiating some form of deal or agreement, and that is ‘Silence.’ Car salesmen use it all the time at a critical stage of the sales process they know when it is time to stay quiet and say nothing; it is a case of who blinks first. The client finds the silence and no response a little embarrassing and the odds are they will agree with what is being offered.

In politics it is slightly different when you are trying to persuade people to vote for you, then it is necessary to carry out the time established system of walking the streets and making ones thoughts known on the doorstep. A cold depressing business when the weather is not being kind and your feet ache, you need a cup of tea and the last thing you want is to be polite to people who question your beliefs and politics … I digress.

Whilst, what I describe above is the accepted method for being elected to the political extravaganza, once there the attitude has to change especially for the people in high office.  Westminster, the mother of all parliaments, steeped in eight hundred years of history which somehow in the last forty odd years appears to have lost its way and become a talking shop with no real authority.

My view, and perhaps that of many, when in two thousand and sixteen the people in the land were offered a vote after being promised by Government to make a decision of being in or out of the EU, the result of which they would implement. After the ballot that is exactly what should have happened. The doors closed and the start of making the changes as agreed prior to the referendum. If anybody did not like it then they should be knocking on the door of the British to try and convince them to change their mind. Silence should have been the answer, not the other way around with our leaders running around Europe with an empty cup in hand, and trying to sell it.

 Story Telling Seventeen is now published on Amazon one hundred and twenty pages of amusing and some interesting yarns that brings the total of books to thirty one available in their system, five of which have won awards and also includes the whimsical writings of Richard Seal whose fourth book, ‘Horizons’  we will be publishing shortly. The following link is a short video:  https://tinyurl.com/y8r2a3pg  which  shows the covers of some of the titles.

To go into Amazon and see all the following is the link … https://tinyurl.com/ycu5wk5j

The Bubble

There was a report yesterday which highlighted the problem with continuous growth, and of course with a progressing  increase of the  number of people in the world, the need for development is a requirement otherwise there would be a decrease in living standards. But growth in itself brings its own problems.

It is the soap bubble syndrome … as the effervescence expands the delicate walls of the structure become weak and eventually bursts. In all matters there is a similarity, supply outstrips demand and the reverse happens and the growth becomes unattainable and ruptures and a settling of events takes place.

However, in certain circumstances the escalation is so unremitting that the natural bursting of the bubble does not occur and other steps need to be taken to bring the enlargement and expansion under control.

All cities in the Western world and no doubt elsewhere have a traffic problem brought on by the natural desire for people to own their own transport. The growth started about twenty years after the end of the Second World War when families started to own their own chariots. It did not stop there, at the one car family … and why not? Why shouldn’t the partner of the house have one too? The growth of the family took place and then the child, followed by another saw no reason why they should not have something similar.

Over the years each administration in the various towns and cities has attempted to cope with the growth of the private vehicles expanding through their region. Parking meters, yellow lines and one way traffic systems but no matter how difficult they made it for the motorist they will not be put off their comfortable home on wheels. Those wheels themselves have added to the problem, where once the owners were happy with four seats in their personal carriage, they wanted something larger and the industry was happy to supply.

So the motor car continued to grow in numbers and mass and unlike the bubble it has not burst leaving the Local Authorities to try and cope with the upward number of the increasing size of the personal transport system and the fumes being emitted by them.

London with about four million people in residence came up with a scheme in 2003 to charge cars in the centre of the city. In the first ten years this raised 1.2 billion pounds which was spent on public transport improvements and cycle ways. It also lowered traffic levels in the system by ten percewnt, although traffic was moving slower.  

However, this congestion charge which operates in the centre between 8.00 am to 7.00 pm is not enough as the traffic levels and the pollution across the City has continued to rise. So in a stronger way to get people out of their cars in London itself the zone is to be increased as from April 2021 and will include all the area between the North and South Circular roads.  Also to try and ‘bring to an end the spiralling growth of the motor car’ (my words) the charge of 12.50 per day will operate 24/7. This means, if you live within the zone and take Johnny and Mary to school every day it will cost in access of three thousand pounds per year.  Perhaps the bubble of the expanding car will burst.