TWO YEARS ON...THINGS DIDN'T GET BETTER

Times Square

Lexington

Bloomingdales

The 21 Club NY

Inside Trump Tower

Yes it really has been 2 whole years and a little more since I posted a blog,that really is very bad and inconsistent,but retirement has beeen very busy.
A brief synopsis the General Election in 2010 gave us a coalition government,even with a PM as dreadful as Gordon Brown,David Cameron could not give the Conservative Party a clear majority consequently the LibDems united with the Tories.
They had to, markets were twitchy the U.K. pretty much broke,and to salvage anything from the mess left by the outgoing labour  government,stability was required and they gave it.Initially people appeared to like the idea of 2 opposition parties uniting for the good of the country,it all sounds very admirable and worthy I know,but politicians do like the electorate to think they are like that(no laughing please) but after 12 months or so things became more than a little strained between them.However they still continue to hold it together,but we have gone into recession again,and realistically they can't have been surprised ,anyone who has a sense of history must know that the economic crisis of 2008 was a mirror image of the depression in the 1930's,both cause and effect, there is no quick fix to the damage greedy bankers and politicians have done,and also the culture of greed from some members of joe public,those who must have everything instantly,so they maxed out their credit cards,and took every loan available,re-mortgaged until there was no equity,consequently everything imploded.
I have to stress this is a global problem Europe is in a far worse place than the U.K.,but it is the ordinary working men and women who are suffering,severe cuts and rising inflation,no pay increases a very toxic recipe.
Last Summer 2011 we had riots on the streets of London,Birmingham ,Manchester and it spread,anarchy had arrived on our streets,a sad and sorry day.
We have another ongoig inquiry chaired by Lord Justice Leveson ,The Prime Minister announced a two-part inquiry investigating the role of the press and police in the phone-hacking scandal, on 13 July 2011.That's a very brief description but it involves possible corruption,from media,police and politicians,U.K looks more like a Banana Republic with every revelation that is exposed.
There are positive things in this sceptred Isle of ours though,in the Summer we host the 2012 Olympics in London,and our queen has her Diamond Jubilee,yes 60 glorious years what a wonderful job that woman has done,so much to look forward to.

Central Park NY

Me Central Park

I am still loving retirement have had a photograph published,really chuffed with that and totally unexpected,so in to gym,pilates, aerobics and pumpimg iron.love geneaology and enjoying doing it for close family and friends ,I love history and some of the things that I discover are amazing,humbling,horrifying every emotion that is the human race...The theatre of course I love and enjoy,and I've not long come back from New York,I love that city ,and the New Yorkers are terrific people ,but I do realise I am very fortunate and blessed,and appreciate every moment,so I live it.... after all this is not a rehearsal folks we just get the one shot at it.

CALA SAN VINCENTE..OCTOBER 2009

On a lighter note a lovely holiday spot my daughter and I discovered ,on the Baleriac Island of Majorca in the North,Cala San Vincente,we stayed at the Don Pedro and had a wonderful holiday.

CADBURYS...BRITISH OWNED FROM 1820-2010

Another very profitable British company taken over by a foreign competitor,Kraft,on 02/02/2010,and the government let it happen.

A GENERAL ELECTION LOOMS...BUT WHO TO VOTE FOR??

It's certainly been a while since I came back to this blog....very remiss of me and it really is something I should regularly have come back to,simply because of the times we are living in,it's strange and unsettling ,nothing like recessions we have encountered and weathered,in the past ,this is deeper, and you sense dark and destructive,add to that sheer frustration and helplessness,all down to the mood of the country with due cause of course,and our very important MPs(they tell us they're VIPs) who ignore us at every opportunity..And how embarrassing the PM doing an interview with Piers Morgan,that's the domain of airheads like Katie Price and her ilk,I couldn't watch it...Gordon Brown has many failings ,but his dourness,and perceived abruptness were him,such a pity he had to sell himself for a few votes.
My last blog stated the worse recession in 30 years ,let's clarify things this is the worst economic disaster since the 1930's....It is global but the present government did nothing to save in good times,in fact they've plundered the state purse,politicians have used and abused the trust of the electorate...No it's not only the expenses ,we've paid for their mortgages and lifestyles,my own MP spent £1,500 on wallpaper...that was just for 1 room,persian rugs,paintings,kitchens,food,and of course the mortgage for her 2nd home,but hers was nothing compared to those that have been flipping homes,phantom mortgages,cleaning of moats,duck houses all paid for by the gullible electorate.
Then of course there are the lies, and there are an abundance, from politicians of all persuasions..We were promised,categorically, by the present labour government,that we would have a vote on Europe,but they decided without permission from the electorate that they'd go ahead with it anyway,so that was it no vote ,no consultation,tough luck we know better than you..That's the attitude of our politicians,we the masses do not matter,and for a labour government they have certainly betrayed the working classes in the worst possible way,they've perpetuated the underclass,thrown benefits at them,taken away their aspirations,ghettoised them in tower blocks,and sink estates up and down the country.Education,vision,and responsibilty is the thing that lifts people out of where they are,and that is something that hasn't been encouraged which is shameful,why do young teenage girls see it as aspirational to become pregnant ,get a council flat and depend on benefits?Before some PC person screams "that's an urban myth",think again this is learned behaviour,this is the reality.We're left with a perpetuating cycle,and lifestyle,of benefits culture,sink estates and gang warfare,every MP should hang their heads in shame,all are culpable for the generations that are lost forever,you may not serve in the present government but you've all stood by and watched,and said absolutely nothing,how shameful is that?
Tony Blair was called to give evidence at the Iraq Enquiry,chaired by Sir John Chilcot...Blair is unrepentant even though WMDs were not imminent,he lied to the house and took our country to war,because he thought it was right,that man will have to look to his God and his conscience for what he has done,although someday I hope he is tried for war crimes,he is totally unrepentant for all those lives lost.
Nothing is done to safeguard our manufacturing ,I live a few hundred yards from Bournville Village Green ,and of course Cadbury's ,an extremely profitable company but it's been allowed to be taken over by Kraft,in a very aggressive manner,the hedge fund managers call the shots and government lets them,what happens to British jobs?And now Corus up North they have mothballed the steel works,they've precious little up there, and even less now,1500 jobs gone there,and that's just for starters,but it doesn't seem to matter ,anywhere out of London is ignored and dismissed.
There's an election looming,May 6th apparently,I look at the two main parties,first Labour,they've bankrupt the country,and used social engineering with Blair's deliberate immigration scheme,that we've only recently heard of,but it hasn't worked,instead we have a country that is full to overflowing,and a heavily dependant benefit population,and a legacy of broken promises...Now the Conservative's, David Cameron, the leader, but I still see no substance,only spin,I see a Blair clone,and that I couldn't stomach,the LibDems no offence but not a hope in hell,fence sitters ironically one politician I do trust is Vince Cable MP a lib dem.Unfortunately I don't see a potential leader from any party who has a vision for my country,who can inspire hope and a better future,we lurch from one disaster to the next.
This time round I have no idea,definitely not labour,it will probably be UKIP who gets my vote,I have to vote, women lost their lives, and sufferd imprisonment and indignity to ensure that women had the vote and a say.If politicians understand why I have to vote, then maybe they would understand the sight of women wearing burkhas makes me feel uncomfortable and ill at ease,it takes my gender back nearly a century,and that can't be healthy in a civilised society.
Yes I'm at a loss this time round but come the general election I shall be at the ballot box,correction if it's May 6th I shall be in Italy so postal vote for me.

BUDGET DAY...... BACK TO THE 70'S!!!

Dear me what can I say ,today was budget day,in which Alistair Darling, outlined proposals for the worst deficit in the U.K. since the war,below are a few
UK debt to hit 79% of GDP before falling back in 2015
Britain's economy to shrink by 3.5% this year
IMF disagrees growth will return in 2010

Government to borrow £703bn in next five years

Top tax rate raised to 50% for earners above £150,000

Yes it makes scary reading but that's only the tip of the iceberg,and you can't blame Alistair for this ,the blame lays squarely with our PM Gordon Brown, who was chancellor for a decade..Labour have done it again they've managed to bankrupt the country,and they've gone back to the 70's rhetoric ,of taxing the highest,yes that really encourages entrepeneurs to stay n the U.K.
We're not going forward, this is a retrograde step backwards to more than 3 decades ago.
Message for PM Brown,do the decent thing ,go to the queen,dissolve parliament,and allow the electorate to vote for what they want....As an unelected PM,for once show some integrity.
The national debt will double to 1.4 trillion pounds...yes that's right... and every child born now will owe £22,000,what a legacy to leave.

SLEAZE,LIES,CORRUPTION..YES IT'S POLITICS!!

For nigh on a week now the public have at last seen what a dark and malicious side there is to Gordon Brown's idea of politics,he and the thugs that surround him have at last been found out.They've bullied their way to the top, especially Brown,who I'm sure justifies every heinous act he's done by telling himself he was meant to be Prime Minister.Like all cowards and bullies though he doesn't actually do anything,he gets his hired help to do his bidding.
Anyone who knows even a little about politics understands it's a rough old game,but there are lines no one should ever cross and the labour mps and advisors involved ,have committed the cardinal sin of crossing that line,creating malicious ,evil, E mails all fabrication, of a heinous nature, targetted toward not only tory politicians,but their wives,they have really plummetted new depths at the bottom of their tawdry Downing Street sewer...Yes folks that's where these E mails were created and sent from no.10 Downing Street,at the tax payers expense...the men in question Damien McBride,Browns personal adviser and resident thug until "resigning",Tom"two dinners" Watson denying any knowledge,to the left of the PM in the above photo,usually has Damien McBride sitting next to him ,and Ed Balls the same("not me guv") both cabinet ministers,who sit within a few feet of each other on a daily basis ,as does our PM Gordon Brown,but they know nothing *cough*...Then we have the odious Derek Draper,big pal of Peter Mandleson,and Charlie Whelan who though dismissed some years ago is still copied into the said E mails,still part of Gordon Brown's elite clique.
I can't imagine what sort of mind fabricates such toxic,sordid, material,more alarming they are running this country,all flawed and morally bankrupt individuals.
Then to top it off our incompetent Home Secretary Jacqui Smith once again embroiled in a cover up when she and others had an opposition MP arrested at the house of commons no less,last November,and charged,in the name of national security.There was of course no case to answer,the MP,Damien Green, has today been cleared ,and it was stated no threat to national security,it was in fact in the public interest that the details be revealed,Ms Smith trying to cover up her own incompetence..She has of course been screwing the taxpayer for thousands in expenses,for her home in Redditch, and everything in it,cable TV, even the husbands porn,whatever floats your boat but not at my expense,I don't know about resigning she should have been sacked months ago!!!
What a shower this labour government are, and what a disgrace to all the men and women with integrity and principal, who have gone before them ,who strove to help the ordinary working people,unlike the breed that govern the country now, they should hang their heads in shame ,but they won't.
Economically our country is practically bankrupt ,yes there are global reasons but Brown when chancellor mismanaged our economy,putting nothing away for a rainy day and in good times even borrowing,the present government cannot be trusted.
I've walked the streets and knocked on doors in the past canvassing for labour,my father was a staunch labour man,so forgive me dad but David Cameron will be my choice for the 2010 election,he seems okay and I'd rather put my country in his hands,as I think hes a good chance of repairing a very broken and battered Britain

WOOLWORTHS R.I.P

Couldn't sign off without a special mention of Woolworths,it's been a familiar face on the High Street through the decades,enoy the images from the 1st Woolies in the U.K. until the groups final days.
Good luck to all the staff ,28,000,now that's an awful lot of people to lose their jobs,here's hoping some at least have managed to secure something in these unusual and unforgiving times.

Jenny

CATCH UP TIME

I realise I have already submitted a post for today,that was more a very condensed version of the severe economic difficulties we face,we have said goodbye to Woolworths with a lossof 28,000 jobs,so many companies have gone to the wall and it all happened so very quickly,repossessions and redundancies are rife,not a pretty picture but we are a stoic nation and somehow we will pull through this.I can't help but acknowledge a shake up was needed,but people are paying very heavily.I'd say it's a depression, having lived through 3 recessions this is very different,and it's also the uncertainty,but I shall come back to this subject at a later date,we have to catch up from last October.

I saw my 61st birthday and hubby his 64th in October,eldest son was 33 in November which was a very busy month,the youngest was off to Miami,South Beach area,she loves it over there, the people, the lifestyle, but what a historic moment to be in the USA,the 1st black president was elected Barak Obama ,for once America got it right,what a statesman they have.

We had the Good Food Show back in the U.K. and the Clothes Show Live at the NEC Birmingham,something we do every year in the run up to Christmas and what a concert at Symphony Hall in December a week before the big day,a family occassion followed by panto a few days later.

January always appears to be flat,probably for that very reason,let's face it everything is done to excess during Christmas/New Year,and then you take the decorations down..yes it becomes very flat,and we've had a particularly harsh Winter,snow and hail today even.

February back once more to the NEC where we enjoyed Strictly Come Dancing the tour,and then it was daughter's birthday,but now we're in March ,Spring,it's staying lighter for longer of an evening,always a good sign,and we've had some springlike days ,it's been good to get out in the garden.

Tomorrow we're off to see David Essex,yes I've loved him since my teen years,in a musical he's co-written,All The Fun Of The Fair,at the Hippodrome Birmingham,many of his songs are in it.

Two weeks time we're off on the first of our holidays,hubby and I in Somerset...It seemed like a good idea when I booked for the end of March,fingers crossed the snow stays away it's a beautiful part of the country,then May we're off to Lincoln,Skegness and Mablethorpe and September Majorca,Puerto Pollensa,daughter's off to Boston.

A very condensed catch up but here's hoping my posts become more regular...and I'm still doing my workout,tried the volunteer work,and it didn't suit as I couldn't see how I was enhancing the patients time in hospital,more a case of the NHS obtaining labour with no cost.

If it was a charity I'd have no problem but not when it crosses into an area of utilising volunteers to fill in for paid work.Many will do as asked, they're hoping for employment, or on placement so unlikely to say no when asked to do something ,one guy was cleaning beds now that's not what I'd call volunteer work.

Time for bed now will catch up later.

Jenny

AND NOW WE HAVE QUANTITATIVE EASING!!

This is a more sombre post than previous entries,it is of it's time and believe me things are tough in the U.K.,and destined to become even tougher before 2009 is out.
The country is now broke,not slightly bent but officially broke,and we the taxpayer have now bailed out the banks to an estimated 1.3 trillion pounds,yes not a misprint that says trillion,a figure myself and many others find hard to envisage,unfortunately these bail outs,coupled with interset rates cuts ,we're down to 0.5%,have not seen credit flow into our economy.
Now we have something "new" which goes by the name of "Quantitative Easing"..to lesser mortals it's printing money ,the very last resort for the U.K.,or any country, it allows the Bank of England to pump money into our ailing economy.We are in unchartered territory ,no one knows if it will work,but everyone should pray it does because there is nowhere else to go,and that's a very scary thought.
So where does that leave the majority of us who are not part of the "establishment",the answer to that is only time will tell,but we're not best placed if things don't improve,not one single person I know will be getting a pension of £700,000 per annum,that's what Sir Fred Goodwin has for allowing his bank RBS to go bust,and we the taxpayer are paying for it, along with all the other CEO's and board members of the banking sector who have either been sacked or resigned through incompetence,yes they'll be getting their pensions too....That's what being part of the establishment means, whatever happens your future is secure and a labour government has presided over these events,but they are the establishment,it was Gordon Brown who pushed for Sir Fred's knighthood,another Scot by the way.
I'm not an economist,banker ,or politician,(bar Vince Cable who warned of these events) ,but how come myself and my husband could see 5 years ago that public borrowing and spending was getting way out of control,the housing bubble would inevitably burst ,as prices soared ,and people no longer bought homes but "investments",it was an orgy of greed ,the public buying on credit what they knew they couldn't afford,and encouraged by the government..but now the chickens have come home to roost,and it's us the taxpayer who will pay the price,our children and grandchildren,not the "establishment".
I'm very angry,we have been prudent ,not overspent but our small amount of savings accrue no interst now,we have paid into a with profits endownment,life/ savings plan for 20 years,it matures next year but insurance companies are now saying they are unable to pay out final bonuses,or will the said companies even be solvent in 2010,the plus side is the house is paid...I retired last March and my husband retires in October,and that was meant to be our nest egg,but prudence is punished it seems in this country,so not a bright economic outlook,probably why both of our children are seriously thinking of leaving the U.K.,one for Australia the other the USA.The taxpayer paid in part for their university educations,and they will now deliver their knowledge and skills to other parts of the globe.The USA is in dire straits but the youngest offspring sees more likelihood of building a good life there than staying in the U.K.,and Australia has of course been extremely prudent with it's economy.
What a sad day when young bright things no longer remain optimistic.
However as I shall now convert to optimistic mood,let's hope something wonderful will happen within the economy to shift this economic cycle into positive mode...I'm certainly not holding my breath ,but live in hope as they say

TEMPUS FUGIT..tick tock

Skegness August 2008 above.

Cyprus,Paphos below, and to the right.

Time flies,now how often do you hear that ?But my oh my it really does,I was dedicated to this blog on retirement...but shame on me the last entry was in March...Good news though I am still working out every Monday,yes it has come as a big surprise to me too!!!!...organised exercise was something I've spent a lifetime avoiding,and here I am every week.

Mid October,well almost coming to the end of it now,less than 10 weeks to Christmas...some kind soul passed that on to me this week,so I thought I'd share...and life has been very busy but in the most positive and nicest way...We were in Cyprus,Paphos to be exact end of June/July.....wonderful hotel called the Avanti,not to be confused with the holiday village..the staff,service,food and location excellent,and the pool is probably the best I've used....photos uploaded..in August we were in Lincolnshire,Sutton-on-Sea.Mablethorpe and Skegness..I love that part of the country......yes everyone flocks to Devon and Cornwall,and they are wonderul places,I even lived in Devon for a while....but Lincolnshire for me is very special ....Genealogy is keeping me busy,and I shall be doing some voluntary work with the local hospital...days are full and wonderful even though Gordon Brown is PM ,the economy is in meltdown and Britain is dare I say it bust...Well done Blair and Brown how proud you must be,there is no honour amongst politicians,you are examples of everything that is wrong with our system.

For the moment I must dash...but I shall return...The Restaurant is now on,do hope Michelle and Russell win ...yes I adore Strictly Come Dancing too.

Jenny

KEEP YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL...IF ONLY..

I so remember the words to that song "Keep young and beautiful",it was also a signature tune for a keep fit regime,and if I recollect correctly, it was run by a lady called Eileen Fowler.I remember only too well as my mother did these exercises regularly,with quotes of and "Eileen says if you do this"...However I digress, but bear with me, there is a connection.
I have for many years worked in a Sports Centre,quite a prestigious one,at the University of Birmingham, but have never ,ever, joined in the madness of excercise classes and the keep fit trend....but what do I do?...Newly retired I decide(well in fact, I decided before the said retirement date)to go to an evening Monday exercise class,mainly because Claire the instructor is lovely, and over the years on reception, I have got to know the members of that class,but the real reason for selecting this class,it's the easiest ,well that's what I'd always been led to believe, and it reads as such in the brochure.With this information I was discussing the forthcoming activity with Julie ,my immediate neighbour,and yes you've guessed it, she wanted to come too,another newbie to the world of lunges and sit ups ,lambs to the slaughter or what???
We duly went to our class this evening ,and an even brighter idea of mine,to walk there and back,2 miles each way...It was nice to see everyone again,but Claire was away this evening,in Germany, and we had a different instructor,the lovely Esther,who had us lunging,marching,jogging,stepping,stretching,and a further punishment is the huge mirror all across the one side of the dance studio,you get to watch your excess wobble ..in time to the music of course...I have muscles I never knew existed,and Julie bless her,don't think she knew what hit her,but being British we kept going ,and kept up with everyone...we all but limped out of the centre after saying our goodbyes,but guess what we're back next week,and we enjoyed it.No we're not sadists just very grateful we survived.

Jenny

AND I SAID THIS SITE WASN'T RETRO??.....DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN??

Having just typed an intro,saying this site wasn't dedicated to retro,started me thinking about the 60's...Well it would things really do wander into my mind....but we were so lucky it was a golden age,jobs aplenty,I lost count of the number of jobs I actually had,after all you could go out in your lunch hour and if you were offered better paying employment,hand your notice in when you got back.
The mini skirt was born,we won the world cup,I think everyone came out on to the streets after the match,and 42 years later we're still waiting for the magic that the squad of 66 gave us,all in vain I fear ,players just don't seem to be hungry enough,and they're far too pampered.
Flower power came to our shores,and naturally I had the kaftan,long blonde hair,didn't we all(lads too),but then we also had the mods and rockers(mod here),and protest songs,yes as teens we protested...quite a lot!!
After all this was our time, the word teenager was officially in the dictionary,and we were the first youth generation to have disposable income.Young men rode lambrettas or motorbikes,and we all paid homage to Carnaby Street...well there was definitely a street sign on my bedroom wall,that said that along with all the album covers and my wonderful Dansette record player.
However we weren't a pampered generation, no benefits, or handouts if you didn't work ,and god help you if you became pregnant before you married...I can honestly say my dad was the most effective form of contraception,as most fathers were..simple terms "Bring trouble to this house and you're on the street",you knew there'd be no reasoning,and like everyone else it would be a shotgun wedding,or unmarried mothers home,so you didn't ,or if you risked it you prayed an awful lot for a whole month which seemed to last for an eternity...There was an awful downside to this the girls who sought out the back street abortionists,there was nowhere else to go, clinics didn't exist,and many a young girl lost her life or was seriously ill.
Every girl married,not the lavish OTT affairs they have now,which usually leaves the new Mr.&Mrs.with a huge loan to start their married life,no ours were simple the bride wore white ,very often the reception was in the brides house,or a local club,your dad ,danced as only dad's can at a wedding, along with an assortment of male relatives,and although most won't admit it ...because of course we've all "moved" on..but the inevitable fight broke out....My mum bless her had to be different I married in the early 70's ,we had an all singing ,all dancing, brand new Holiday Inn Hotel in Birmingham,and they were new to this country,so mum decided our reception was there,which cost mum and dad an arm and a leg...such a waste as we divorced at the end of the 70's,and I've remained cynical regards lavish "do's" ever since ,after all 2nd marriage very simple,register office ,reception in the house and still going strong.
The 60's was my era,a golden age,working hours were long,health and safety..unheard of...the world was a very small place,no such thing as flitting to another continent at the drop of a hat,we had smog ,coal fires,walked for miles,pc's unheard of,but or fashion was unique,thanks to Mary Quant,Twiggy and the like,and anything was possible,every other lad was in a band and some of them made it,and the music was something else...Yes it was golden... I met the Rolling Stones,saw the Beatles live,also the Beach Boys,Brenda Lee,the list goes on, what more could a girl ask for?