this_and_that

The Middle East and Tony Blair's speech

2006-08-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

My word! I find myself by and large applauding what Tony Blair said last night (2 August) about the Middle East. I think he rather fails to understand the true face of Islam. He said the fight was against 'radical' Islam and winning the hearts of modern Islam. Modern Islam is a watered-down, secularised version of 'true' Islam. Carlson and Decker in 'Fast Facts on False Teaching' (pub Harvest House, 1994, p111) point out that there is a sixth pillar of Islam- Jihad which "is viewed as service in the spread and defense of Islam. Today many Moslems sic are schooled in Western values [and] take jihad figuaratively. If this is true, modern Islam, how come that in the Palestinian elections earlier this year a Hamas-led government was overwhelmingly elected in a popular vote?
Hamas, Hezbollah (which I believe is 'army of Allah'), Syria and Iran are all radical and anti-Semitic in essential nature. I was pleased to hear Mr Blair say he would stand by the right of an idependent Israel

Test Match TV idiocy

2006-08-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

Why, oh why was the right to show live cricket on free-to-view TV surrendered. How I woild have loved to have seen the last England v Pakistan test on TV, and not being s Sky subscriber it is now impossible. Who's interested in potted highlights in the evening.
It's all commercialism which has gone mad in sport. Are we really going to have to wait until 2011 before anyhting happens? Having captured the public appetite last summer it was crass folly to take test cricket away from the public arena

Summer is icumen in

2006-06-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

Is summer coming at last. It's many years since we've had so much perceived cold throughout the spring, so much so that we've almost forgotten the brief flirtation with summer in early May- a near record-breaking 26.4C here in Newark on May 4th.
But we are looking forward to the low 20s in the up-coming days.
Will it stay. Up till 2 weeks ago we were treading the footsteps of 1976, and my hopes of a hot summer were abounding. However, the soggy end to May has dealt all that a death-blow. What made 1976 so oustanding was that an anticyclone developed in June and the midsummer sun beat down on bone dry surfaces, and no heat was wasted drying things up, and this had a positive feedback in maintaining the high pressure. I fear the surfaces are too wet now for a repeat of that. I do have a three month forecast online

Go Tony!!!

2006-05-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

Never have I wanted to see the back of a Prime Minister more than I wish to see the bak ov Tony Blair. His presidential style repels me, and his desire to 'leave a legacy' speaks volumes. Yes, Tony, you have left a legacy. Iraq! OK, Saddam Hussein was an evil dictator, but if that justifies war, then what about Robert Mugabe??
Are our schools any better? What in heaven's name is happening to our Health Service? All those trusts in debt trying to fulfil your targets? Not to mention the Charles Clarke fiasco. The man you didn't have the guts to sack before the local election fiasco. THen under guise of a reshuffle- done like so much else on knee-jerk and to create a good headline, out goes Mr Clarke. Are we living in a safe society? Why keep on John Prescott as deputy prime minister. If our (beloved?) PM fell ill, we would be lead by a man who can't keep his trousers on.
But Iraq is the real grievance. Not only was it illegal and immoral, no thought at all was given to the aftermath. There's a parable in the Gospels about a man who cleaned out his house only to let in seven demons and that man's latter state was worse tha his first. Tony, we've had enough!

Holy Island

2006-05-06T06:15:00.000-07:00

Margaret and I spent five memorable days on Holy Island starting 26 April. We had been on to the island for a day during a holiday in Northumberland in 2002, and I said then that some time i'd like to stay on the island.
Well, on March 19th I was 70, and for my present Margaret had bought us a five night stay at the Manor House Hotel. Never did we go off the island, nor wished to. It was idyllically peaceful, a real get-away-from-it-all break. And there was so much to interest and explore on the island. I have craated a special website where you cam read more about Holy Island.

Good Friday

2006-04-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

I post this on Good Friday 2006.
One of the best things Churches Together In Newark do is the Good Friday Witness March. We used to start on an outlying estate about 6.30pm and march into a deserted town. Now however we begin on a car park about 1/4 mile from the centre and march a figure of 8 route ending up at midday in the busy Market Square where there's a witness services of hymns and Bible readings.
I joined the march just as they startedout.
When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died.
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Ian Lyall Author

2006-03-31T05:14:00.000-08:00

Blame in on Web User magazine! It was there I read about lulu.com as somewhere where you can get a book published for free. Well I'd had a commentary on Romans on my hard drive for ages, so I've had it published along with loads of other stuff.
For 'Romans' I opted for Worldwide Distribution for which I coughed up the princely sum of $150. You can find it listed on the
Amazon website
To see all that I have in print go to my
Lulu webshop.

celebrate 70

2006-03-31T05:06:00.000-08:00

March 19th saw an important milestone: I readched the grand old age (!) of 70.
As I approached the birthday, I had the feeling that whereas I had been 'counting up', now I was counting down...if you see what I mean.
But now I'm 70 I'm enjoying it, and the day itself was spent at Victoria's where there was a family-and-friends celebration lunch. You can find some photos on my website My nephew Robert took loads of photos and you can see a
photo-gallery.
And I'd been told there would just be a "quiet family lunch"!!

I haven't gone away!

2006-03-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

I meant to do an end-of-year blog, but so much has happened and I just haven't had time to blog- I presume that's a dictionary word.
2005 was relatively uneventful. Hols in Norfolk in July and early October when we stayed in Oak Tree Cottage in Brancaster Staithe. It was a super cottage, and the weather was incredible. The cottage had a walled garden, and on the 2nd we sat outside for our morning coffee. In April we had had a super week near Hawkshead; the outcome is on my website. Then things started to happen. Our car broke down, we had to get a new one, we ended up with a Fiat Panda with which we are well-pleased. If that wasn't enough we had new laminate flooring in our living room and back bedroom, where we have installed a king-size bed.
Then poor Margaret has been in the wars again, first sinusities then the flu which has really knocked her for six.
On the plus I have published a book though lulu.com. It's a commentary on the Romans epsitle, and you can get it on the Amazon website- just tyoe 'Ian Lyall' into the search box.
I've also been busy creating software;and have set up a new website for that. Try it

Great Day for Parliament

2005-11-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

Well, the unthinkable has happened!
Tony Blair has lost a vote in the House of Commons!- and it's good to see his bloated ego dented. For too long our Prime Minister has ruled this country like a president/dictator. He took us to war on a pretext (WMDs). Maybe he was just wanting to ape President George W Bush. But the war, whether on the 'basis' of WMDs or to oust Saddam Hussein, was a blatant act of aggression. It wasn;t even thought through properly. It was patently obvious it would stoke up the terror threat, which tragically materialised on 7/7.
That day cuases me to ask questions. Who knew what in advance? Our son-in-law's brother's girl-friend told us she was on the Underground that morning approaching Kings Cross at 7.50am when her train was stopped and emptied.
But now our Tony decides that we need detention without trial for terror suspects for 90 days. I suspect that Moslem leaders are right when they say this would just provoke feelings of antagonism in Islamic communities. He rode roughshod over his ministers and his party, sure that he would win the day. Well, Tony, you got a bloody nose and serve you right.
Mr Blair's best service to the country right now would be to step down.
At least one good thing has happened: Parliament has exerted its will; democracy lives.

Phoenix from the Ashes

2005-08-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

Or otherwise entitled, "Repent for unbelief". After my blog after the Lords' Test, I feel I must eat my onw words. The England team have been a revelation, from that memorable Sunday morning from Old Trafford. As I write this Australia have followed on 259 behind and are 171-4. The English cricketers have acquitted themselves like men. After Lords it has really been a 'Phoenix from the Ashes'

London Terrorism-some thoughts

2005-07-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

No doubt the rest of the world has blogged on this whilst I've been on holiday. These terrible events of 7 July, the failed attacks on 21st and the shooting of an innocent on 22nd are cause for thought.
Firstly, haven't we ourselves to reflect on. As a nation we have tolerated extremist Islamist fundemantalsts inciting violence for far too long. I do not approve of Islamophobia, but why allow these clerical preachers of hate into our country?
More fundemantally, I have felt that the events have marked a seismic shift in our way of life. As a Christian I have felt that for centuries God's hand of protection has been on Britain, a nation which upheld a Protestant constition and laws based on God's law. One has only to reflect on how this nation was delieverd from Nazi occupation in 1940, through the Dunkirk landings and the Battle of Britain.
Since the war we have increasingly passed laws violating God's holy ways- abortion, divorce etc. For long I feel God was trying to get our attention but we continued bent on our ungodly course. Now I think we have seen God's hand of protection removed. I fear for the future of our nation: its way of life, its economy, as we decline into a state fundamentally opposed to God, to our Christian heritage.
The Governemt may be introuding new laws to remove those who incite terror etc. We have shut the stable door after the horse has bolted

The Ashes or Pietersen v Austraila

2005-07-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

What a shambles the Lord's Test was! Heaven help England if we hadn't had Pietersen. The first innings slump to 21-5- what would have happened. All out for 50?? Not to mention the second innings.
Watching the cricket on TV, reading ths scorecard one asks; If Pietersen could manage the bowling of McGrath and Warne, what about Bell, Vaughan, Flintoff, and the string of other scores less than 10? Apart from bowling out Australia for 190 on the Thursday, our batting, bowling and fielding were woefully inept.

Two days with Hannah, Brad and Alexander

2005-06-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

We spent last Monday and Tuesday with Hannah, Brad and Alexander on the North Norfolk Coast. They had rented a cottage in Barncaster Staithe for the week, so we left Newark very early (7.20am) on Monday morning and travelled straight to Holt, getting there at 9.40am. We were sorry we had had breakfast before leaving home, when we entered Byfords and smelled breakfast cooking. Still we enjoyed coffee and cake, and then fortified we went on to Sheringham Park.
In passing I have bought myself a camcorder (proceeds of being Presiding officer in a portacabin (!)polling station on May 5th.
The rhodadendrons were pass their best but still quite a show so I shot some video, just be patient as even a short clip makes a large download.
We went on via Three Horsehoes at Warham to join Hannah &co at 3pm, and spent a relaxing rest of the day in a superb cottage, and 'baby sat' at Hannah and Brad went to the 'White Swan'.
Tuesday we relaxed in the cottage garden in the morning. PM the sun shone and we went along to Brancaster beach.

DipGerman(Open)

2005-05-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

OK. I passed the exams I took on October 8, 2004, was awarded the Diploma on 31 December. Now,as you can see I have the actual certificate. I must admit to feeling some sense of achievement after failing University in the 1950s!

A week in the Lakes

2005-05-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

We spent last week on holiday in the Lake District, staying in a holiday cottage near Hawkshead. The cottage was on a working farm- Thompson's Ground (all the farms in that part of the country are called 'ground'). We arrived late on Sarurday evening, but when we got up on Sunday morning- what a view! We were about 300 feet above the village and overlooked to valley to see the mountains stretching from east of Windermere all the way to Helvellyn.
The weather on Sunday and Monday was fantastic too- blue skies and warm sun. On Sunday we walked to Tarn Hows along the footpath leading up form Hawkshead and which passed about 300 yards in front of our cottage. It was hard work, but well-worth it as we came out opposite the disabled car park overlooking the tarn, with breathtaking panormas. Monday we walked down into Hawkshead. This quaint little village never ceases to amaze me! Anyway we had a glass of wine outside at the King's Arms.
We dined there that night, but quite honestly weren't over-impressed. The following night, following a recommendationin the cottage visitors' book, we tried the Sun Inn, and that was as uperb meal- cordon bleu standard, modest prices and brilliant service.
The weather was rather more mixed the rest of the week, but not a washout. We enjoyed a good walk in Grizedale Forest on Friday, and ate out all nights but Thursday.
I've since added a web-page on Hawkshead and environs, which has a link to a slide show. It's all there to see

German Diploma

2005-05-04T04:28:00.000-07:00

Well, at long last I have the certificate.
Have

Easter by the sea

2005-03-30T23:01:00.000-08:00

We have just spent a super Easter break. It was actually a (delayed-action) gift for out Ruby Wedding from Hannah and Victoria, and consisted of two nights (we took a third) at a seaside b&b at Mundesley in Norfolk. The place was called 'Durdans', and we can certainly strongly recommend it. The welcome was wram, the accomodation the tops. We had a double en-suite room. Breakfsst was full English. Durdans is just in its second year, and look out for a recommendation shortly on my North Norfolk coast website.
The weather was atrocious! We went out for lunch Easter Day and drove back at 3pm in stygian gloom, dense fog and pouring rain, but spirits undampened. Easter Monday we spent on the beach in Sheringham. The sun put in a brief appearance. Victoria, Chris, Matthew and Joshua had to go home in the afternoon: the rest of us stayed on and had a super meal at the 'Ship Inn' Then home, refreshed (by bracing sea air, and lovely shared time with the family) on Tuesday

Family Albums

2005-03-15T16:19:00.000-08:00

We've spent two weekend with various cominations of four grandchildren. You can have a look at some of the shots I took on line by going to my family website

The wonders of Freeview!

2005-03-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

We live in an area of awful reception for terrestrial TV- lots of interference or poor picture quality. Recently one or two people round abou went on Freeview, so we decided to give it a go!
The pictures are absolutley fabulous (no no-one's paying me to say this!) Plus you get all those extra channels.
That's created a bit of way-out viewing, e.g. The Batchelor on BBC3. Then whilst Comic Relief does Fame Academy was on, I discovered one day, if you pressed the red button and then clicked on Fame Academy you got live coverage 7.30am-midnight. Well it got steadily more addictive. And I think Kim Metcalf was absolutely fantastic!
Trouble is, it can be a time waster!!.
Sky was never on- costs too much and there are far too may channels.

It' sLent

2005-02-24T21:28:00.000-08:00

I've beem meaning to put this on for some time, as we are two weeks into Lent. It's so easy to let this time for self-discipline and spiritual growth to slip by.
This year our vicar is running a Lent course based on the film Chocolat. This seemed an odd choice but it's really good. This week we looked at the charcater of Vianne. We were encouraged to think of her Christ-like dealing with people, even though she was avowedly non-Christian.
I love the Lent collect as Thomas Cranmer wrote it;
Almighty God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made,
and dost forgive the sin of all those who are penitent.
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that
worthily lamenting our sin and acknowledging our wretchedness,
we may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, forgiveness and remission of all our sins
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen
Why not try and make that a daily but meant prayer throughout Lent?

Ian_Nursemaid

2005-01-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

My dear Margaret has been very poorly.
It all started with the same 'bug I had, but Margaret didn't get much better. She battled on, and eventually two weeks ago last Monday she saw the dr. and he prescribed some antibiotics. By Tuesday evening she sat at the dinnertable gasping for breath. I said, 'you're not going to be fit for work in the morning, are you?'. 'We'll, wait till teh morning', said she. At last I persuaded she wouldn't be. From then on after taking to her bed she went downhill fast. By Thursday morning she was vomiting all over the place, and I called the dr. to the house. By this time she felt like dying, and the dr took a good look and i thought she would go to hospital. But he just prescribed soemthing to take to stop the sickness.
For days she didnt get up, and yes, I was the nursemaid, head cook and bottlewash. Slowly she got better, by Mon she got up for a few hours. From then it was strength to strength, and today she is back at work.
Would I do it all again. Of course! Would I want to? No, I don't want to see her so down again

Back to Gym

2005-01-07T23:12:00.000-08:00

It was good to get back to the gym this morning. Not long after my last post I spoke to my doctor and he took me off antibiotics, since when I have felt to mucg better, and full of beans, so today at 7.45am I was down at the Grove Leisure Centre.
But, how fit was I? I began gibgerly, thinking I'd soon run out of energy. Only 6% slope on the treadmill instead of 7.5%. Then onto the X-machine. Usually level 4, so I went easy on myself and did level 3, and found I was going 55rpm against usual 48!! After one or two resistance exercises on to the rower, and i kept at level 8. Usually I manage 7 or 8 minutes and get up to about 200 metres/min. Still not convinced, I tried 1000 metres and did it in 4min 58.3secs (about 1005 metres if i'd gone for 5 minutes0. And to cap it all, on the bike 'hill ride' at level 8, I covered my first 1.6 km (approx 1 mile) in 3min 59sec- my record is 3min 57sec.
I came away very upbeat!!

Feel sorry for me, or count my blessings...

2005-01-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Well,here I was feeling sorry for myself. On a second course of antibiotics for a chest infection, and theis one Klaricid, is making me feel rotten, doing all sorts of nasties, and I haven't really been 100% since the end of November. Well that's all true and I was sitting there feeling sorry for myself.
Then I remembered the Asian Tsunami, all the millions of people whose lives have been turned upside down, and have lost so much, and life itself is threatened, and has to be rebuilt. They would give their right arms to swap places with me. So..no, I must count my blsssings.

Christmas 2004

2004-12-27T13:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas has been and gone with its usual rapidity, and now I,m back home at my computer keyboard.
But it was a happy, family Christmas spent at Victoria's home. Margaret and I travelled down along the good old A1-A43 route in surprsingly heavyb traffic and strong winds leaving at 5pm on Christmas Eve.Hannah and Brad and Alexander came along on Christmas morning, as did Margaret's sister June, along with husband John and their son Robert. We were all together by midday. By that time we had been to the Family Service at St Botolph's in Barton Seagrave. It had been a full church- full almost to overflowing.
We had chicken dinner (not with all the trimmings), but much more acceptable for that, along with jacket potatos, sprouts and red cabbage. After that a brisk walk for some of us!
Boxing morning was very frosty but gloriously sunny and we went (all of us) to Wicksteed Park which is just 10 minutes walk away, then came home yesterday afternoon. If you want a peek at our Chrismas there's a slide show I've put together.

Success!!

2004-12-23T16:52:00.000-08:00

2004 was crowned with success. I began an Open University Diploma course in German in February 2001, and passed 'Motive' (just Grade 4), then the following year- bcause the University had 'upped their dilomas Motive Top-up, which I duly passed.
Then came the daunting 'Variationen'- the Grade 3 last year in 2003, and having achieved 60% in the Assignments, failed the exam on 10 October. I was however eligible for re-sit, and after keeping the rust off my German for 12 months, re-sat on 8 October. This time I passed with overall 58%.
So folks, as from Jan 1 I shall be Ian Lyall, Dip. German (Open)

Family news 2004

2004-12-18T15:50:00.000-08:00

The event- or the day of the year, was undoubtedly 26 September. For that was the day when Hannah and Brad got married. They were married at Hart’s Restaurant in Nottingham, where they could have not only their reception, but also the marriage ceremony as well. It was a truly happy day. Margaret had been busy on most of her days off for months making Hannah’s dress (which was absolutely lovely), and also a bridesmaid’s dress for Amelia (equally lovely) and also little waistcoats for Matthew and Joshua (who were page boys) and for Alexander. To crown it all it was beautifully sunny and warm for outdoor photos after the ceremony.
But that was not all that made the day special, for it was also the day of our Ruby Wedding Anniversary, which didn’t get completely forgotten. We also treated ourselves to a special holiday to mark the event, when we spent the first week of November at Sharm-el-Sheikh on the Red Sea. For a week we basked in semi-tropical sun, and had an evening excursion into the Sinai desert camel trekking(!), a trip on a boat where we could go below decks and see the coral reefs and fish, and then a day excursion to Saint Catherine’s monastery at Mount Sinai. I could go on and on, but must stop! You might see a little more online

For Margaret it’s been another year of work at Jane Youngs, the only difference is that she is now doing a 4-day week (mostly, buying-season, fashion shows and sales excluded(!)). Although 60 last year, she hopes to continue working for a year or two yet.

Ian continues to lead a fairly active retirement as Reader, Churchwarden and self-appointed webmaster. Those of you with internet access can see his handywork not only here but at other sites:
Our Christian faith
Newark weather
North Norfolk Coast

In January the District Council offered free body ‘MOTs’ at the local leisure centre, so we went along (mostly at Margaret’s instigation). The results showed we were both out of shape. Margaret’s blood pressure was higher than it should have been; Ian’s body fat was astronomic, and he had become overweight because of a sedentary life-style. We are now much fitter and Ian has lost 1 1/2 stone!

Hannah and Brad are settling into married life. Alexander is now 14 months old, growing fast and now walking, and walking all the time and trying to get into everything. Hannah had to go back to work early in the new year and found an excellent child-minder.

Victoria, Chris and family continue to prosper. Amelia is now in her second year at school and getting some very good reports back. Her reading in particular is fantastic for one who won’t be 6 till January. Matthew and Joshua go to a children’s play group in the local Church House, and to a pre-school ‘Queen of Hearts’.

Holiday-wise apart from our late holiday to Egypt we had several Norfolk trips. In April we had a week at the ‘Lifeboat Inn’ at Thornham, in the summer two weeks at our friends’ caravan at Wells (atrocious weather) and a weekend at the ’Hoste Arms’ in Burnham Market) in October, and the weekend before Christmas we’re having a two night stay in Holt.

So then Christmas will come, and we wish you a happy and blessed time and then 2005. We don’t know will be in store, we wish health and prosperity.

With our love

(This was our Christmas 'round-robin')