a footpath is just that - a footpath

Having lived here for the past 25 years, one of the pleasures has been walking along the field boundaries, down to the sea at Withow gap. So it was that to complement Mr Moo's and the planting of over 2000 native tree species, we set up and have established a 'permissive footpath' [to avoid any confusion this is not a public footpath], with grant aid from DEFRA. The easy walk slowly meanders through the saplings of oak, field maple and rowan, hugging the field boundaries, leading on past WW1 and 2 concrete bunkers once maned by the home guard and the Royal Observer Corps, then sweeping down into what was once a shallow, kettlehole lake resplendent in olden times with its own beaver dam and finally ending down on the beach.

This year, after the wet winter, and as the soil becomes less fertile due to the restricted use of fertilizers, the stewardship grassland has seen a sudden burst of colour as the wild flowers begin to become re-established after years of mono culture in the form of that good old silage mix, rye grass. Buttercups, common vetch, white clover and some sort of trefoil are making a comeback. Sky lark numbers have increased, the barn owls seem to appreciate the short clipped grass of the trail, roe deer hide in the long grass. Oh l feel a 'Bill Oddie' moment coming on.

So it is with some annoyance that a local 'chav' family have decided that the footpath makes a wonderful race track for their clapped out motor bikes. The buggers have stretched the barbed wire alongside the kissing gate. Hubby has already tackled these rural yobs. l have been adding broken fence posts and concrete slabs in an effort to halt the blighter's fun or to at least puncture the tyres. The only real way to stop the prats, is to replace the 6 feet of fence with 2 strands of barbed wire and rabbit netting. Perhaps some caltrops might be the answer..

Freedom of Speech

So at last we have a politician who is thinking and behaving like a Statesman, a politician who appears to believe in something other than his or her safe seat at the next election. An MP who is prepared to stand up for what he believes to be right and asks to be judged by the electorate on the issue. Boy, from slimy, ditch water politics to stand up and be counted politics and all in the same week as the anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta what could be happening in the totally apathetic political sphere here in England?

Well l refer to the almost local MP, David Davies who has resigned his seat in protest to the passing, by what can only call dubious and mucky means, of the bill to extend the maximum time police can hold terror suspects to 42 days.

So there we are then, something very dear to my heart, the erosion of both freedom of speech and civil liberties all in the name of protecting us, the British citizen, against the terrorist. Bah blurdey humbug say I! We as a nation, have fought long and hard to establish and protect our civil liberties and freedom of speech, even executing a misguided fool of a King who believed in the Divine Right of Kings en route to the establishment of modern democracy. Are we now to see our rights and freedoms being slowly diminished by a bunch of blundering buffoons who just happen to be 'in power' at the moment with the excuse of security of the nation?

I am not a real big fan of Tony Robinson, but there has been however on Channel 4 a series on law and order, or is it crimes and punishment, anyway the episode from 15th June was in fact concerned with freedom of speech and made fascinating viewing shedding new light on what is fast becoming a 'police' state.

So there we have it briefly, no ice cream, no photos just my thoughts on a topic that is important to everyone today. We shouldn't just lie back and blithely ignore bills that pass through parliament, they effect us all and if l want to protest in front of parliament this should not be deemed illegal, if l want to take photos in the new shopping mall in Hull l should be able to without being threatened by security thugs and finally if l choose not to have an ID card my wishes should be respected, and finally finally check out this web site.

June, where did May go?

warning: this blog does not contain reference to the credit crunch, price of food, fuel or Gordon Brown.

Has anyone seen May? I seem to have misplaced it somewhere. It was the start of the month, then, wham bamm, it's now June, the 10th to be exact. Is this what happens as one ages [gracefully of course]? By heck doesn't time fly, they say. I think l could say more, but being a polite sort of oldie l won't embarrass myself more than necessary and most definately wont bore you with what muddyboots did and what muddyboots did next. If the truth were know, l can't exactly remember......................It was truly awesome [TF's words] to meet fellow blogger @themill, last month and explore the rugged dramatic shoreline of Northumbria, castles, sandy beaches and strange restaurants in tree houses. Time away from base, wonderful, but then came half term bringing with it the chaos and rush and rattle and pandemonium; no peace - no calm - nothing but crowds and holiday-makers, bunged up roads and, well it's no fun working whilst everyone else is out enjoying themselves is it? Oh, l seem to have done a bit of filling in the blanks. Sorry about that bit, l must be in a state of denial. The customer is always right, the customer is always right, the custome..............

Well at least there's nothing wrong with my very dodgey sense of humour. Or is there?

So, the sun has come out the temperature is in the low 20's which is seemingly bringing with it the annual red skin syndrome as pasty white limbs are exposed to the air for the first time this year together with 'mygodyoureallyshouldntwearthatinpublic'.