260909

Nice drive back home from Dorset. Listened to Radio 4 for some time and we were both horrified to hear of the interest charges the pensions funds are charging. It appears that if you pay in £1000 a year for forty years you would, if you did not incur charges, end up with a fund worth approx a quarter of a million pounds. The fact that you have to pay these crooks the interest they demand means that you actually end up with a pot worth a measly £60,000. I heard a correspondent on the show describe the pension companys offerings as “products” – utter garbage! – What and when have they ever produced? Like the banks they insist on describing their methods of snatching cash from their targets as “products”. These wanton thieves are masquerading as something indispensable. They are not. It was only twenty-four years ago that I stopped receiving my pay in cash, until then I never needed nor had a bank account. On the one hand these people do now provide a service which most of us have to use as we have no alternative, but on the other hand they have an increasingly caustic and destructive effect on society. Their greed and avarice have caused more misery and destruction than all the terrorist outrages of this century. Politicians have the power to fix this mess and they haven't - why? - because recent revelations have shown that they are at it as well. I wonder if Her Majesty could possibly see her way to dissolving parliament and taking over - please Ma'am?

250909

Hard work cleaning out the caravan before we return home tomorrow but we found the time to park up in Weymouth Harbour and make our way to Newtons Cove. The path from here to the Nothe Gardens and fort is so different from when I used to bring the kids crabbing in the rock pools in the 70’s. It’s easy now to take a pleasant walk towards the fort and it was only when we reached the foot of the foundations that the short cut to the stone pier over the rocks proved to be a challenge to my good wife. Never to be outdone however, she gave it her best shot and we emerged at the foot of the steps to the stone pier, she buggered and me relieved! No cooking tonight, its fish and chips - whoopee!!!

240909

We had a Portland day today. First to Church Hope Cove but pathway was closed, fortunately the local authority had provided a diversion and we got down to the church OK but not the castle. Great view over the beach from viewpoint and although it was a struggle back up to the road for our old bones it was worth it. Next stop was the worked out Tout Quarry. Walking round the pathways in the warm sunshine is always a pleasure and it’s always a pleasant surprise on finding yet another beautiful stone carving that we have not seen before. The fireplace is one of my favourites. You expect to see creatures and abstracts but a fireplace? – it’s contextual nature verges on the surreal. The exquisite little butterfly however is one we have not spotted before – a delight!

Lamb Rogan Josh from Morrisons for din – lamb they say? – tasted like very old camel to me, I shall steer clear of that one in the future. Their cherry pie on the other hand was tasty.

230909

Leisurely morning and then of to Bridport to meet friends from our village who are down here for a couple of weeks holiday near Abbotsbury. Had a wander round the street market and had chats with a few of the folk there and then to the pub for a little light refreshment. Right now the sun has gone well over the yard arm and I have a spot of Scotland’s finest in front of me. The oven is on and we are looking forward to pork in cider that I prepared yesterday, I bought some nice asparagus in Bridport and it will go well with the pork. Do you get smelly wee from eating asparagus? I go for a tiddle in the night and it’s like an old wet dog – pheweee!

220909

This will be our longest stay in our Dorset based caravan yet, we will have been here more than a month by the time we return home. Revisited lots of our favourite places and some new ones as well.


Morton Church with its beautifully engraved windows is one of our favourite visits and with a wedding about to take place we listened at the church door to a young woman accompanied by the organ singing like an angel – just lovely. On to the cemetery and placed a posy on T.E.’s grave but Elsa the cat was nowhere to be seen.
http://www.moretondorset.co.uk/moreton/st_nicholas_church.php
http://www.dorsets.co.uk/Dorchester/Moreton-village.htm

A celebration of the Bronze Age at Maiden Castle at the weekend. Bill Crumblehome giving clay pot making demos and tutorials and his wife cooking venison stew in one of his pots over charcoal. The event served to give a clearer view of how people lived back then and put flesh on the magnificent bones of Maiden Castle – I am sure that Bill, his wife and all who gave up their time to take part deserve a big thank you from all those who visited the event.
http://www.maidencastle.com/
http://www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/MaidenCastle.htm
Driving up Eggardon Hill and discovering a kite festival in full blow was a treat. The route we took to get there through some of the narrowest lanes I have ever driven down – grass growing down the middle indicated that they had little traffic and a good job to, I am glad we never met anything coming the other way!
http://www.hiddendorset.org/index.php/hd/gem/hd1108.html
Car boot on Sunday and copped a lovely antique desk top inkwell. Weighing in at 1.3 kilos the lead crystal glass is beautifully cut and decorated but a shame that the glass part of the lid is missing. Never mind though, as my wife pointed out it will look good sitting on my desk as a pen pot. Have to say though that while at the boot I thought I was in Poland – how the hell did they all get here? Finished the day at our local restaurant with salmon and prawns and herb sauce for dinner made even more yum with a bottle of cold chardonnay. Hope they do this sort of thing in heaven (if they ever let me in.)

Yesterday to Castle Cove beach in warm late summer sunshine. My metal detector rewarded me with a fine collection of bottle tops – what do they say? – don’t give up the day job! Later on chatted to a bloke who introduced himself as Mick the ex landlord of the Chapelhay Tavern in Weymouth. Very interesting to listen to his reminisces – hello again Mick if you’re out there.