My "I SPY" Page

1. Last weekend we visited Dorothy and Anne, our two good friends in Birstall. We have been to Birstall many many times and finally I managed to capture a photograph of this unique shop - selling Friends In Soggy Homes.
After dinner, which is the mid-day meal for plain ordinary English folks (the toffs call it lunch) I saw this bin in this 'shed' set up specially for smokers. Smokers are more or less pariah-ised in this country. They cannot smoke in restaurants, shops, offices, toilets - almost anywhere - as they may 'pollute' the air. If they want to do so, they have to step outside. I sometimes feel sorry for those office workers when I see them huddling outside a building to have a quick puff.
We also have a 'no-smoking' policy in our house. When my nephew Shah came to visit us from Dundee, he had to have his ciggie in the backyard. Because it was raining, he could only light up in the outside toilet. He soon discovered he had to share this smoking zone with Fido, our neighbour's cat and who was also the love of my life. Later the both of them came into the house. Fido came to sit on my lap and he stank of nicotine. I almost strangled my brother's only son. (I must add that Fido's master smoked 'pot', and so sometimes Fido came in to our house stoned and cross-eyed - and smelling sweetly of grass.)
Here's the bin posing next to three ex-smokers - Dorothy, Anne and spouse.


2. About a week ago, Britain was on high security alert especially after the Christmas bomber scare in the US. Well, we went to Market Harborough and discovered they had an urgent local 'security' problem.


3. And here are the victims of the recent Chill in Leicester.


Leicester's Anti-Vandals Snow Patrol are still searching for them.

Perhaps they have melted away with this notice - - which was found floating in the pond at Victoria Park

Methinks I'm beginning to miss the folks back home and our loopy cats. Good-Night.