Another One Gone HMS Illustrious

      Another one gone with the departure of the Helicopter Support Ship HMS Illustrious, from her home port of Portsmouth on her final journey to end at a Turkish scrapyard, it's the changing face of the Royal Navy. She was decommissioned in 2014 and sold to Leyal Ship Recycling for £2.1 million.
      Illustrious was built at the Swan-Hunter yard, on the Tyne, as part of the Invincible Class, of Helicopter Support ships, alongside her sister ships Ark Royal and Invincible.
      At a length of 690 feet, with a crew of 685 personnel and a top speed of 30 knots (35 mph). She, along with the others, later had deck adjustments, so that they were able to carry the Harrier Verticle Take-Off Jets. Only being removed in 2010, when the Harriers became obsolete and the ships reverted to their role as Helicopter Carriers.
      The ships have seen service in various theatres including The Falklands, Afganistan, Bosnia and Sierra Leone.  

Issur Danielovitch (kirk douglas)

      Aka Kirk Douglas, I'm named after him and although I may not have the dimple upon my chin, I'm proud to share his assumed christian name.
      You might say I was brought up on films like; "The Vikings, Spartacus and Lust for Life." My Mother, a big fan, did tell me about his life in New York's "Hell's Kitchen" but it's only recently I discovered he has Belarusian ancestry,

Kirov Class

      Don't be fooled into thinking this is a leftover mothballed battleship from the World War ll era, this is in fact the pride of the Russian Navy, the Kirov-Class Nuclear Powered Guided Missile Battle Cruiser, the largest and heaviest warship in the world, (second only to an aircraft carrier).
      By no means a new ship, there are four Kirov Class ships, the original order being for five, though being cut back to four. With only one ship currently in action and another soon expected to re-enter service, the Nuclear Reactors aboard the other two are said to be in such poor condition, they are unlikely to see operational service again.
      The current ship is thought to be the only vessel in the Russian Navy, capable of offering ballistic missile defence and is armed with an on-board deadly array of various missiles, rockets, torpedoes and guns.  

Rolls Royce Marine Division

     The Rolls Royce Maritime Business continues to struggle through difficult trading times, with the loss of 800 skilled jobs, in a bid to save fifty million pounds. With up to 400 jobs set to disappear in the UK with the rest at various sites abroad. The company has already made cuts of a thousand jobs from it's marine outlet, which is a manufacturer and maintenance contractor for Naval and Commercial shipping, drilling platforms and associated shipping. All relating to the recent and turbulent fall in oil prices, which has hurt the industry in general.
      The axe has fallen chiefly in Bristol and Dunfermline, but there are also sites in Derby, Portsmouth and Solihull and it is thought further cuts may well be necessary. Also with a number of positions disappearing in Senior Management. 
      The majority of the companies marine workers are based in Norway, whilst Rolls has also been moving work to Asia, Croatia and Poland, where manpower is much cheaper.
     At present the oil industry is thought to have about thirty per cent of offshore vessels out of service and this is unlikely to improve in the near future.  

The Whitechapel Bell Foundry

      The Uk's oldest manufacturing company, The Whitechapel Bell Foundry will cease trading in May 2017 due to a serious downturn in orders. The family owned firm, which has existed since the reign of Elizabeth l Was founded in 1570, moved to it's present location in 1738  and has since become famous throughout the world for the bells which are produced there.
      Notably in 1747 a set of bells were produced and exported to St Petersburg in Russia and in 1752 a 907kg bell was cast and sent to Philadelphia in the USA Later the bell was rung to call the city's residents to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, the bell later became known as the Liberty Bell.
      Also the bell for Big Ben, weighing in at thirteen and a half tons, the largest bell cast by the company. In 1971 The foundry cast ten bells for Westminster Abbey, also a Memorial Bell in 2012 to be rung in repatriation ceremonies, for soldiers killed in foreign lands.
      The company is seeking a buyer who will keep the firm name and traditions in production, although the present site will be sold.

Lady Margaret Rhodes

      Lady Margaret Rhodes, (Elphinstone) cousin and long-time close friend of Queen Elizabeth ll has died, aged 91 years, born 9 June 1925 - 25 November 2016. From 1991 to 2002, she served as Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
      Born Margaret Elphinstone, in Westminster London, she was the youngest daughter of the 16th Lord Elphinstone and his wife Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, a sister of the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. From the age of five onwards, she was to spend most of her summers with her cousins, Elizabeth and Margaret.
      In 1941 aged 16 Margaret attended a finishing school in Oxford and afterwards completing a secretarial course in Surrey. Afterwards her home became Windsor Castle, where she would at least find some safety from the London Blitz. It was during the war years she became a secretary working at the headquarters of the British Secret Service, MI6, reporting each day to an office disguised as "Passport Control" near St Jame's Park, underground.
    In 1947 she was a bridesmaid at the marriage of her cousin Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and found herself upon the balcony at Buckingham Palace, with the rest of the family. Three years later, she married Denys Rhodes, (the couple had four children) with the King and Queen in attendance. In later years when her husband became ill, the Queen granted her a grace-and-favour house, in Windsor Park. It was after her husband's death she became Woman of the Bedchamber, to her aunt. It was to this house which her cousin made many and frequent visits to see her long and most cherished of friends.  
      In the details of her Will, she leaves the bulk of her cash estate to her four children.

USS Zumwalt

      This is the United States Navy's latest ship, the USS Zumwalt. A guided missile destroyer with stealth capabilities. Named after Admiral Elmo Russell Zumwalt, a leading and highly decorated force in the navy, especially through the Vietnam War. Zumwalt was also a reformer of the navy's personnel policies in an effort to improve the life of the ordinary enlisted sailor and help in easing racial tensions.
      The ship is designed to be of a multi-functional capability, to support ground attack troops in land operations, anti-air, surface and underwater warfare, also carrying a compliment of six helicopters and is armed with a range of various ballistic missiles and guns. She has a crew of 142 and can manage a speed of 33.5 knots.
      Production of the ship officially began in early 2009 and has been some years in the construction, the project was given to the major American naval yard, Bath Iron Works of Maine. There have been one or two hold-ups in the production schedule, testing the ship's new wave piercing inverted bow and tumblehome hull configuration which reduce her radar cross-section, but the US Navy was able to accept delivery of Zumwalt on 20 May 2016 and commissioned the ship 15 October, later in the year.

State of the Royal Navy

      The Royal Navy, the most successful naval fighting force in the world, is facing a bleak future with fewer ships and resources. After almost a decade of cost cutting, decommissions and Strategic Defence Reviews, the once proud Royal Navy, finds itself in something of a desperate state.
      In what was originally promoted as a small and necessary cut-back of three Frigates and two Submarines, has seen the wholesale departure of no less than 14 warships and with possibly more losses to follow.
      In the future Royal Naval ships, must take on a greater number of rolls in the maritime world and take on the same workload with fewer ships, when with the rapid advances in technology, physical numbers are no longer deemed relevant.
      The two future and long awaited Queen Elizabeth Class, Aircraft Carriers, are still not due to enter into operational service until as late as 2020 and should operate the F 35 Lightening Attack Aircraft and various support helicopters.
      The Type 45 Destroyer, building programme was originally planned to be for twelve ships, their main duty being to protect the fleet and to act as escorts for the carriers, later being cut back to eight ships and then the final order being for six ships.
      Likewise the much needed and also long awaited Type 26 Frigates, supposedly to be a partial replacement for the Type 23. The original planned order for thirteen ships, now stands at eight ships.
      The final size of the Patrol Submarine Fleet, aside from the nuclear fleet, is expected to be set at seven or eight boats.
      A lot of the Navy's problems are also land based, with the closure of various of various dock and port facilities under the tile of; A Better Defence Estate.

The Future of British Steel

      The British Steel Industry, the one time powerhouse of the world, has been in a steady and downward spiral of gradual decline for a number of years, faced with a loss of sales to restrictive trading practices and cheap foreign imports, seriously undercutting the British product. Not least of all with the loss of a British Railway's rolling stock steel order to the Italians and more recently the order for steel for BAEs Warship order, being given to the French. All due to an EU ruling which says basically that a Government cannot discriminate against a tender from another company just because it's in another country. Which in turn could easily place British steel manufacturers at a certain disadvantage.
      Now, it appears, there is a Ministerial promise of a order on the table for steel to build the railway tracks, for the HS2 Rail Link. Which should go to the steel works in Scunthorpe and help to preserve around 4000, skilled worker's jobs.
      The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, is quoted as saying, the steel used in the £56bn project will be sourced from the UK.
      The Scunthorpe plant, owned by Grey Bull Capital, a company turnaround specialist, purchased the works for a nominal £1 in May 2016, then set about pumping substantial resources and fresh life into the company. And assurances are in place, which guarantee the production of the two million tons of steel required for the rails project.  
     

Cream and Butter Crisis

      Disaster is looming for the Great British Public in the shape of a nationwide Milk shortage, all due to an increasing number of smaller dairy farms going into liquidation. Dairy farmers have been struggling for a great many years upon the general low price of milk and having to work solely to the demand of supermarket quotas. In reality this means for Xmas 2016 we could see a shortage of either Butter, Cheese, or Cream, perhaps more than one or even all three! So far this year the crisis is said to be worsening and there is a general shortage of supply throughout the industry, inevitably we are seeing the shop prices being driven upwards.
      Since I first wrote this item, the price of a half-pound of butter, in UK shops, has risen by 20-30 pence, probably never to reduced!

New Royal Navy Ships ll

      The British military and technological company BAE Systems, recently granted the contract to build the Royal Navy's new generation of Type 26 Frigates, now finds itself under some pressure to use only British Steel, in the production.
      British Steel, already struggling to compete with cheaper foreign steel producers, particularly the cheaper Chinese imports, has seen a steady decline facing the industry in rent years and to win the order to provide the steel for these ships can only be seen as a vital lifeline.
      It appears the contract to supply the steel has not been finalized, although a French supplier is said to be the leading contender. The warship contract, set to safeguard a number of skilled jobs for the coming decades, could have a similar impact upon steelworker' livelihoods. The Government at the time, promised British Steel Companies would be able to compete upon a "level playing field" for the contract, also that steel orders would not go abroad if the most competitive price was British. Yet it is extremely difficult for any British company to compete with many other suppliers and the British Government, also needs to take into consideration the welfare of steel workers and the state of the British Steel industry as a whole.    

Vote...America

      Somehow, by the greatest good fortune, I've managed to avoid all the hoohah......well not really by any form of accidental good fortune, or a mysterious blessing of any monumental proportions. It's quite simple, I don't own a television set, mind you, it's all on the radio, just not quite as intense!

      As any Politician/Senator, might say; "This is a good time for offloading bad news!"

Best Kept Secret?

      It's that time of year, Autumn or even the Fall, depending upon where you are, plenty of leaves on the ground, I've already raked a dozen sacks from the front of the house! And the thing is, it's darker, it's damper and there's a serious chill in the wind, but the leaves on the trees have never looked better! The tourist board used to call this; "Lakeland's Best Kept Secret" until they told everyone!

New Royal Navy Ships

      The Royal Navy is to get eight new Type 26 Frigates, over the coming years. The order to BAE's Govan and Scotstoun Yards on the River Clyde in Glasgow, comes after long deliberation and has been scaled back from the original planned order of thirteen ships. The order, initially placed in 2015 will safeguard the jobs of several hundred skilled workers for the foreseeable future. Michael Fallon Secretary of State for Defence, made the long awaited announcement and work will begin in 2017.

  
      The Type 26 set to replace the Type 23 will be deployed chiefly for anti-submarine warfare, yet at the same time will find itself covering a number of other rolls to satisfy the Royal Navy's demands and should enter service sometime in the early 2020s. The ships will also be fitted with the new MBDA Sea Ceptor Air Defence Missile System.
      Also plans for a number of other smaller defence and patrol ships not least of all five of the smaller Type 31 warships, is in hand.

Super Yachts

      Thinking of popping out and buying a super luxurious yacht at the weekend? Then first go and find your super piggy bank and while you're doing this, try and imagine something in the region of a huge and calamitous amount of money, then why not quadruple this sum add another obscene figure for those silly little things like staffing and running costs and you're probably well on your way.
      This is a world where size or more likely length, matters, think of more than thirty meters and then consider of width, all to do with a simple matter of stability and the extra weights you begin piling on board. You know, on board Swimming Pools, a Spa, four or five Jacuzzi Tubs, Cinemas and Lifts, just exactly what is your Super Cruiser, without a lift or two? And then there's the Heli-Pad and don't forget the crew, how could you? After all, we're only talking about a feeble £1mil per meter, with perhaps a few little and not inexpensive extras.
      What do you mean you don't want your ship built at a reliable British Yard? Of course you could shop around a few other possibly cheaper yards, worldwide, but in the long term this could all work out as a potentially expensive risk and you've got the hub of the luxury yacht building world, on your doorstep in Falmouth, Cornwall.  
      Of course it's getting to be something of a smaller world as all these private galleons become larger and more numerous. But at least you can still travel to some of those remote corner's of the globe and enjoy them from the comfort of your champagne filled circulation tub!  

Sensational Brexit Uturn

      In the High Court this morning it as been ruled Parliament must vote upon whether the UK can begin the process of leaving the EU This simply means the British Government cannot begin to implement Article 50 A vague and sometimes obscure part of the EU Treaty, which basically says; "Any member state may decide to withdraw from the union in accordance with it's own constitutional requirements." The Government will however appeal, with a further hearing next month, there will be a statement read to MP's on Monday.The Prime Minister's official spokesperson is quoted as saying; "The Government had no intention of letting the judgement derail Article 50 or the timetable we have laid out, we are determined to continue with the plan."
      At present there is a great deal of uncertainty from various factions and players, not least of all Jeremy Corbyn (leader of the opposition) and Nigel Farage (Ukip leader) The BBC's Assistant Political Editor, is quoted as saying; "If the court's decision was not overturned, there could be delays with potentially months and months of parliamentary hurdles."
      The Prime Minister's intention has always been to trigger Article 50 by March next year and the other 27 member states have said negotiations about the terms of the UK's exit, likely to last about two years, cannot begin until Article 50 is set in motion.
      The successful court hearing was brought about by an Investment Manager Gina Miller, who is quoted as saying; "The result today is about all of us. It's not about me and my team, it's about our United Kingdom and all our futures."

 
      Also and partly based on the High Court ruling, there as been something of a Post-Brexit U-turn at the Bank of England, with the Pound staging something of a recovery and the planned interest rate cut, being abandoned. The economic outlook suddenly appears to be looking brighter, with a doubling of growth likely, potentially ruling out planned cuts in interest rates.
      Of course there still remains some uncertainty about the pace of growth, maybe unsustainable at the 2016 rate, which will effect wages and in turn spending power of the public, as a result, shoppers will be less likely to be able to drive the economy forward.

Boom Boom!

      Just a simple mention of the fateful and dreaded word Brexit, is supposed to send every man, woman and institution, in the land, into some kind of gloomy, glass half-empty, meltdown. But not so the world of high-end designer luxury accessories. In fact as the value of the Pound Sterling has fallen, there is a notable increase in foreign visitors to our shores and loaded with wads of cash, flocking to British high streets, in search of luxury branded retail bargains. And a number of named shops and stores are reporting a noteworthy increase in footfall and profits.
      Each day, greater numbers of a more discerning customer are arriving from countries such as China and Japan, whom not only have their eyes fixed upon the currency deals, but also see the UK as a safe and welcoming destination, as opposed to some other European countries. They can see their spending power go further on a wide range of services and merchandise
      A great many stores are benefiting from a late summer/autumn mini-boom and not just in accessories, but also quality clothing and foodstuffs from other luxury department stores.
      Perhaps upon the downside from the devaluation, should the pound remain in the doldrums, say by the spring of next year, then there is likely to be a widespread spiral of price adjustment, generally meaning price increases across the board.    

Apple Electronics, Overview

      Apple, the world famous, multinational technology company, particularly known for the iPhone smartphone, iPad tablet computer and Mac personal computer, to name but a few of their renowned products, enjoys a loyal following. Posting record profits of 233 billion dollars, for last year ending September 2015, has found itself upon a something of a recent stock market slide.
      However this year, profits are down and it is their first fall in the last fifteen years, and although the outlook is far from bleak, it's a change from the recent optimism enjoyed by the company. Of course no company can enjoy year after year of continuous increasing profits without a glitch at some point. Last year there was the launch of the iPhone 6s which resulted in Apple banking a very nice £37.4 Billion, whereas this year sales have decreased and profits have slipped accordingly, the usual problem with technology, at some point everyone who wants one has got one. Also the new iPhone 7 doesn't appear to be generating the same interest. The Apple Watch seems to be another product suffering similar difficulties.
      There is of course China, who have banned the 6s to introduce their own Smartphones, which seem to be readily available, having good technology, graphics and storage and new features.
      Naturally, it's not all bad news, come what may, Apple still maintains it's place as the world market leader and to stay ahead of it's rivals, new technology is almost a certainty for the future.    

The Calais Jungle

      If you have only the slightest interest in current affairs it's unlikely you would have the faintest knowledge of the particular area of Northern France and of great discussion, known as the Calais Jungle. Certainly a cause of some embarrassment for not only France and the UK but also the European Union in general and their more or less total failure to deal with the challenges of large scale migration.
      The Jungle, being an appropriate title for such an area of tents, makeshift huts and piles of festering rubbish to form a depressing North European shanty-town. Of course the harrowing stories of crime, rape and even murder, the plight of many infants, often abandoned to make their own way. Hordes of young men, trying to stow away, in container wagons, sail to Dover, on makeshift rafts and even a case of one person trying to make his way up the Tunnel.
      There have been a host of certain "celebrities" visiting the site, shocked and anguished at the plight of the youngest people, immediately and rashly, pledging to throw open their many flats and houses to the forlorn families. We've heard stories of groups of British "Anarchists" travelling to the camp supposedly in some sort of effort to incite the inmates into some form of rebellion. Also a recent story about a proliferate number of aid agencies at the site, for good or bad, often seeking to profit from a number of government grants. Then there are all those truck drivers, constantly fighting to keep their vehicles secure and what about those people whom live in proximity to the camp?
      It's been said the camp held some 10,000 people at it's height, all seemingly with the sole desire to get to the UK although there is a interesting piece of European Law, known as the "Dublin Convention," which is meant to address this problem. The legislation states for refugees entering the union, they are supposed to register for asylum at the first country they enter. Yet certain countries who are expected to execute this piece of law have chosen to ignore or forget, any such policy.

  
      Last week saw the curtain finally come down upon the Jungle, amidst, flames, security forces and dis-organisation, with fears many will simply relocate to new jungles. Certainly new camps have already been noted, dotted around several areas of the northern coastline. For the others, the greater number, they have been removed to various regions of France, where they will be registered and settled to begin a new life. Hopefully and for everyone concerned, this will begin a new and more successful chapter, in this sorry crisis.

Halloween

      All Hallows or All Saints Eve or more commonly known as Halloween, a western Christian feast, with some possible Celtic roots, observed in a number of countries. Activities include "trick or treating" carving pumpkins into "Jack O Lanterns" costume parties, lighting bonfires, even such jolly japes as apple-bobbing and playing pranks.
      I can recall once in my childhood, going out upon such an eve with a couple of friends and taking our "Jacks" which in those days were carved from turnips, with a lighted candle inside, there was little or no dressing up. I think the dressing up part was for children of a few richer families! Then we would tour the streets of Ambleside, knocking at doors, to show our lanterns and receiving some sweets or a few coppers as a reward. Of course there were quite a number of children also taking part in this activity and I'm quite sure some of the people in the houses, must have been tired of us.
      These days this tradition continues, but seemingly upon a smaller scale, it seems children no longer tour around the streets and a lot of the local properties in Ambleside are no longer occupied by families, instead they have been turned over to holiday-lets, student accommodation and small guest houses and are sometimes even left empty.  

Queen Anne "Vigo"

      An exceedingly rare Queen Anne Gold coin has recently been discovered in a child's money box by a man living in Hertfordshire. The coin, was thought to be something of a copy, and was merely regarded as a token of play for various "pirate" games by the owner who received it from his grandfather and later gave it to his own son. Only as an afterthought did he have it checked by an auctioneer for any possible value.

      As it turns out the coin is of real gold, part of a 7.5lb catch of gold, seized from Spanish Treasure Ships, at the Battle of Vigo Bay, in Spain, also known as Battle of Rande, 23 October 1702. There are as few as twenty coins which were struck the following year, as part of a propaganda campaign, to draw attention away from the British failure at Cadiz. The "Vigo" is a Five Guinea coin, struck to the same pattern as the silver Half-Crown and at the time of their production Sir Issac Newton was Master of the Royal Mint. He is known to have been present upon the arrival of the treasure from the French and Spanish fleets and may well have handled some of the coins on their production.
      The coin will go to auction next month and is expected to sell in the region of £250-300k.  

The London Stock Exchange and me

      I've always had some interest in Stocks and Shares, probably inherited from my Father and my Grandfather, who were both keen buyers and sellers. For my part I can quite happily read a financial journal and then at some point, probably fall asleep! But there was a point, sometime in the early nineties, when I was looking at various investments and considered some shares to be a possibility. In those days I was really interested and reading up upon various aspects and watching the flow of prices and finding out how things worked, there's always loads of free advice and tips, if this is good, bad or just downright useless.
      Finally, after some considerable length of time and various false starts, I found a well known and up to then, successful high street retailer, who were in serious trouble, with their share price, being as low as one penny. But even in this state I personally still had great belief in them as I was and still am, a customer of theirs.

  
      So I decided this was the one for me, even though it was a complete gamble, but first I talked to one or two friends about this potential investment and one even wanted to match my stake and invest with me. But, one of these friends also suggested that first I speak to a couple of financial advisers, with whom he was familiar and so I agreed. I visited their office and told them of my plans, which they immediately pointed out to me were completely wrong and doomed to almost certain failure from day one, they also suggested a couple of "more suitable" alternatives. So I took their advise and they happily took a percentage of my cash and everyone was happy.

 
      Now the end result is all rather predictable, the shares I was persuaded to buy, one company crashed within a fortnight, the other lingered on for a year or two and I was lucky to get a little of my money back. And the shares I had wanted to buy, well naturally they eventually went ballistic, at my worst estimate I would now be worth in the region of well over a billion pounds, that's a simple matter of £1000,000,000. And the rest! If anything came out of all this, well I do know one, if not both advisers has done time and for myself I will never again take advise upon the stock market, from any so-called adviser.

William Rufus aka William ll of England Ruthless and Violent

      The great William Rufus or William ll of England, famous for his ruddy complexion and flame red hair. Although I've heard it said he was something of a wastrel, a passion for drinking and hunting and generally squabbling with his brothers and even the fact he was openly gay, a practitioner of Sodomy, not sure of the term in Norman speak? Henry and Robert. Not to mention those Barons and Earls and even the church and living in the shadow of his father, the Conqueror! He did however have some success in winning control of Normandy, from brother Robert and having the Scots pay homage to him after various disagreements.  
      In 1032 most of Cumbria was under the rule of the Scottish King Malcolm ll ceded by treaty with King Canute, but South Lakeland or Wesmorland, was a no man's land a baronial wild west, fought and counter fought over by a number of disgruntled tribes and clans. Kirkby Lonsdale was controlled by a Viking and Kendal by a Celt, Kentdale being surrounded by Scots, Vikings, Celts and the expectant arrival of the Normans, bent upon shaking things up.
      As much as twenty years after Hastings, Norman Rule fell short of Westmorland and it wasn't until 1092 AD When William Rufus and his armies marched North to finally bring Cumberland and Westmorland into England and under Norman Rule.  

A Torch to Light the Way

      Those dark nights are drawing in once again and already I seem to be getting blinded by other people with torches, cycle lights, and car head lamps, and they all seem reluctant, to dip their lights, if they think you are without some form of light yourself, with which to respond. Until now, I've always been able to just get by, with a small maglite torch, ideal to keep in your pocket, for those times when you need a small useful light, like when you are fumbling with car and house keys, etc.
      I live in a rural area in South Lakeland and decided I might need something a little more substantial, oh sure I've tried all the Maglite range, but they are on the larger side and to be honest, I've got quite a collection of torches, even a couple of those million plus candle lamps, which are very large, and far to bulky to carry about.
      Recently I came across this very compact and powerful "Night Light Torch," with a few extra features. the one I've got is made by a company called "Xtralight" and I paid about fifteen pounds, although it seems to be available in different designs at various prices. But the point is, the basic concept is a winner and for me at least, it appears to be head and shoulders over it's rivals.
      First off it's a LED Nightlight and I keep mine in a upstairs hallway, where it's permanently on a minimal charge, LED's use about 85% less electricity than an ordinary bulb, but a strong light, on at night and automatically off when it's daylight. There's another interesting feature, if you stand the light up, as in the picture, it operates as a reading light holding a three hour charge.

   
      Now this is the good bit, I frequently walk in the early evening or at night, in the back-end of the year and I like to carry this torch with me, it slips easily into my jacket pocket and is very light weight and now when I meet other people at night who are carrying a bright light and for whatever reason, like to shine their lights in my general direction, I now just switch on the xtralight for a few seconds and assure them of my presence. I've had a few cyclists gasp, at the strength of the beam and any car user will quickly "dip" their headlights in response. If you are walking down any dark road or in an unfamiliar area, the torch is quite capable of giving you a colossal expanse of light. 
      The photograph above doesn't do the torch any real justice, the beam is much better.

Hard Days At The Mill

      The Face Looks Familiar - Not Sure About The Name by Kirk W Smith.

      This is my first attempt at a written work and it's been a labour of love and sometimes a bit of a slog as well, I've been back over it a number of times through the last couple of years, re-written sections added new chapters, substantial editing, for better or worse. Even had it lying on the shelf for a number of years before I could make up my mind exactly what I should do with it. Finally I was persuaded to put it out on Amazon as a Kindle book which seems the obvious choice, yet you get onto Amazon and suddenly it's a whole new ball game, There are just so many unscrupulous persons trying to make a fast-buck out of you, with just too much of their "attract more views, customers, sales, etc. Just send us $20! for Marketing and then sign up, to make regular payments." It isn't exactly quite what you could best describe as walk in the park, but you've got to keep trying!

   
      At least I've not been put off, I will keep trying, I've been working towards this end since I was five years old, I've got another one coming out and at least I've got someone to help me with the editing. Yes I've got a presence upon Facebook, Twitter and even a couple of websites, by two different designers, interestingly, they are still friends of mine!

Also, take a look at my webpage; kirkwsmith.com
And                                         wwwkirkwsmith.weebly.com   

      Revised and re-edited and a new chapter, with a new cover, am at last managing to get it into one or two bookshops. Having said that, to me the most difficult thing is getting people merely to read the free kindle pages upon Amazon!  

Arachnid Invasion UK

      Just of late, I've been looking over my shoulder a little more, searching behind pictures and peering into one or two dark corners. And it's all because of the warmer than usual month of September, Indian Summer, as some might choose to say. With legions of the arachnid, False Black Widows on the march, Britain's most venomous spiders are swarming over the UK.
      Well perhaps not quite in those numbers, but their species is on the rise and most particularly along Britain's south coast, where they've always been prolific in numbers. Although there have been confirmed sightings as far north as Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.
      The bite of the spider, is said to be no worse than a wasp or bee sting (which is something of a relief) although they can cause an allergic reaction to some people.
      This is the time of year when males are fully grown and start looking for a female, also the weather starts getting cooler and they will search for a potential place to build a nest, preferably indoors and close to humans, where they will find flies and various insects, providing food. Garages, outbuildings and the porch, provide lots of corners and clefts and places with good camouflage to see out the winter.

William Wordsworth, take my name in vain.

      The Conservative MP for Lichfield, in Staffordshire, Michael Louis David Fabricant, at his party's conference in Birmingham, reports a young girl of about sixteen approached him and said; "Get out of Brum, you Tory scum!" To which he said; "you have all the eloquence of  a young William Wordsworth." To which she replied, "Who?"

Premium Bonds

      From an early age I've always had a certain fascination with Premium Bonds and this all came about when my Father won £250, upon "Ernie" and he generously gave me a share of £25 £25 for my Sister and £100 for my Mother and himself this quite rightly seemed like a lot of money at the time. And so, as soon as I was able, I began building my own pile of National Insurance and Savings Bonds, or Premium Bonds, with the £25 and a couple twenty-first birthday presents, of twenty-five and fifty pounds, which gave me an initial stake of £100, though to be honest this has only won me one small prize in a great many years.
     Still no matter, I still held this one hundred pound bond and a good many years later, I was able to purchase a serious stake of £20k trough the sale of a house. These were the good times, when interest rates were somewhat more substantial than of late and I can happily recall twice winning 5 x £50 on two separate months! Over the years with the maximum holding rising first to £30k and then more recently £50k I've been fortunate to be able to keep adding to my pot. 
      Of course matters are different in these days of austerity, low interest rates, reduced and less frequent wins, mostly £25 a time, all seem to add up to a less promising future. And with all this in mind it's easy to come across lots of newspaper articles and expert opinions from people only to happy to have you believe  Premium Bonds, are a poor investment, offering feeble and less than competitive returns. And it's a simple fact, for everyone who wins a million pounds, thousands more must win nothing at all. The odds are heavily stacked against you, almost impossible to accurately forecast just how severe these odds against you can be.
      One of the allures to draw people into the system is that a Premium Bond Cheque, is known as "Winnings" and not simply as the more ordinary and less exciting "Interest!" At least everything you do win is classed Tax-Free and this can be very useful to the high tax payer.
      On a personal note, I've noticed in the past twenty-five years, there as been only one South Lakeland winner of one of the one million pound jackpot prizes. But this isn't like a Lottery, you're not having to pay more stake money every week, every pound you save, will still be there for the next month's draw and still yours when you want to draw it out again. I always find it best to try and put them out of your thoughts and then it's a pleasant surprise when a cheque drops through your letterbox, or directly into your bank account! 
  

Catherine (Middleton) Duchess of Cambridge

      I must admit, we don't see very much of her in South Lakeland, that's not to say she doesn't visit upon a regular basis, if she does, then she isn't so much in the public eye.
      I've learned she is 5ft 9ins tall, weighs around 8.5 stone and is a size six. Also she no longer favours all those blow up and away skirts and breezy outfits, which have always drawn so much, dare I say awkward photographic moments.

         
      Of course she's transformed herself from those early days in the spotlight, not least of all having two children and five years of marriage. She is something of a fitness fanatic and is said to work-out, and work out hard upon a regular basis and enjoys a certain level of competitiveness with her family.
There is a long list of her sporting activities, which seems to be just about everything, apart from matters of an equestrian nature.
      On a dietary level, she is a dedicated drinker of smoothies, and eats lots of salads, berries, fruits and drinks almond milk, not a great wine drinker, but will allow herself the odd glass of a good chardonnay. Which all seems to go a long way to building that calm and confident complexion and nature.  

That old...Market Square, Ambleside.

      This is the traditional centre of Ambleside, known as Market Square and the stone pillar is the Market Cross. The cross is no longer in this location but was moved to a new site nearby. Fortunately Ambleside was blessed with some great early photographic pioneers, like Moses Bowness, who took these wonderful photographs for posterity.

  

Bridge House.

      Probably Ambleside's most notable landmark, the small and quirky one time dwelling, known as The Bridge House, which straddles the river Stock, in the centre of the town. Originally a part of the 17th century Ambleside Hall, residence of the Braithwaite family.

      Inside there are two tiny rooms, in reality not enough room to swing a cat, but over the years many resourceful people have made use of the confined space to find use of the building, which include, a cobblers, a tearoom, counting house, fruit store, even accommodation, for a sizable family.

        These days it's run by the National Trust and even by it's compact size is probably the best known and most popular attraction in the area.

Time For Bed.

      One of the most prominent, centuries-old houses of South Lakeland is Sizergh Castle, longtime home of the Strickland family, from the 13th Century until 1950.
      The house, now in the hands of the National Trust, is to sell off an old and interesting oak bedstead. This remarkable piece of furniture, was commissioned in 1570 by Alice Strickland, the wife of Sir Walter Strickland, during extensive lavish refurbishment and renovation, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1.

        The bedstead, said to be one of the most important pieces of Elizabethan Oak furniture, still remaining in private hands and considered to be in the top ten, of English oak beds of the Elizabethan period and British Furniture design.
      The piece will be sold by Bonhams, in London at Bonhams Oak Interiors Sale, on 28th September and is expected to raise around £150k.

      We await the final hammer price.

Prince George.

      In the early hours of Sunday morning (UK time) a Royal Canadian Air Force plane arrived in Victoria, British Colombia, flown directly over the Atlantic from the UK.
      Their special passenger, the young Prince George, with his sister Charlotte and their parents in tow, was greeted by Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau.
      With the eyes of the world watching his every step, George easily held everyone's attention as he skipped down the aircraft steps and dazzled in his dashing sky blue sweater and navy shorts, with knee-length socks and a first pair of proper lace-up shoes.
      Then a quick meeting with Premier Trudeau before George gave everyone a warm and beaming smile with a generous wave of his hand. And next George and Charlotte, not forgetting William and Kate, were whisked away to begin their official tour.

Levens Hall, Southern Lakes

      South Lakeland's Levens Hall, home of the world famous Topiary Gardens, has this year a 30 foot specimen, known as the Umbrella Tree, shortlisted by The Woodland Trust, in the running to be crowned "England's Tree of the Year." 

     The tree, planted in the 1690's as part of the original garden layout for a Colonel James Grahme, who came to Levens, after being in service to King James ll with him he brought a young French Gardener; Guillaume Beaumont, a pupil of Notre et Versailles, who planned this fashionable garden.
      Just one of over a hundred individual tree designs, the umbrella tree has been carefully cut and shaped, over the past three hundred years to achieve it's iconic appearance.

      The Umbrella will compete against nine other trees, selected by the Woodland Trust and the winner will receive a grant of £1000, and go forward to the "European Tree of the Year," event.