It is the sort of cold that you can feel in your fillings. Last nights Westerly blow turned into an icy Easterly today. Alternating between moody darkness, spiteful showers and intense brightness.
I was just about to head off on the bike when I was hailed from the shore. It was a big man wearing sandals, "K T L - it's Jumble Duck".
It was a fellow sailor I had only ever met on the internet. Knew nothing about the man other than his posts were generally well tempered and witty.
Jumble Duck is 6 foot 4 with a lovely soft scottish accent. He drinks no tea, no coffee, no alcohol. In the flesh he combines temperence with his wit.
Good man to talk to... but 6 foot four is big for a small boat.
We talked about sailing, he drank milk while I drank coffee. We agreed on almost everything.
After Jumble Duck had gone I went for a bike ride around the town.
On my bike ride I cam across this lovely house with a blue Plaque -
A polynesian princess who came to live in Anstruther - brilliant
links here
http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/what-s-on/leisure-time/the-princess-who-settled-in-anstruther-1-1756042
I went out to the headland to the West of town and watched the light do weird things
Birds are amazing the way they can stand around in the cold - great skill I reckon
what a great place to sail
Finally the old potheadforkandle story rolls on - it has been given the most marvelous political spin here
http://ukipnorthcornwall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/heating-your-room-for-few-pence-it.html
this is a work of genius from the UKippers who want to get Britain out of Europe - no real idea why but that aside you have to admire the way they can turn a flower pot and four candles into a political point. Read and enjoy.
I saw this little video on David Icke's website a few days ago, and I was intrigued. How to heat your room for just pennies! Well, being that the nasty parties LibLabCon are taking us back deliberately to pre-Victorian Times and making austerity a way of life, and even death, for their own citizens, the thought of a heater costing so little is brilliant. So being curious I went out and bought some tea lights, a couple of terracotta flower pots and a bread baking tin from my local supermarket to try it out. I'm delighted with the results; Whilst it doesn't actually produce enough heat to use instead of everything else, it does take the chill off of the air and in small rooms it actually does feel warmer. Of course, you could use a couple of these in a medium sized room if you wanted to. Tea lights are sold by the thousands, so I would think people are sensible when using candles of any sort, so be sure you place this little heater out of the way of pets or children and place it where it won't get knocked over. It's just few words of caution, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the lovely caring people in charge will try to put people off of heating their homes, whatever invention comes along (whilst they themselves bask in endless heat, a lot of it claimed back from us in their expenses for their second homes of course, bless them!). Anyway be careful, but have a go if you want to; People are wonderful, inventive, inspirational and astonishing, no matter what the government's propaganda machine tells us. People will always find a way around problems, especially those problems created just to make our lives a misery!
I have enjoyed every moment of the past few weeks -
and finally the London Firebrigade has warned how dangerous the potheadforkandle is
http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/fire-brigade-issues-warning-over-candle-powered-heaters/201328575
The heater uses a combination of tea lights, a loaf tin and flower pots.
Senior Brigade officers are concerned that rising fuel bills and increasingly colder weather will prompt households to copy the video’s creator.
They’re warning that such systems can be unsafe and cause fires which quickly spread out of control – often with fatal consequences.
Station Manager Charlie Pugsley, from the Brigade’s fire investigation team, said he sees “dozens of fires every year, including fatal fires, that are caused by people using alternative forms of heating and lighting, most of which include a naked flame.”
He added: “Candles and tea lights can be extremely dangerous – a small gust of wind can cause an innocent candle flame to set light to objects nearby if left too close.
“We understand that some people may be struggling to pay fuel bills, but we’d urge everyone to think carefully about their safety and the safety of those around them before using candles to heat their homes.”
The Brigade has issued the following safety advice:
• Candles need to be used in a safe, fire resistant holder or container – as you can see in the video, the flower pot would only need the slightest knock to cause it and the candles to fall.
• Candles need to be supervised at all times – so blow them out if you need to leave the room.
• Don’t cover candles with anything – anything placed over a candle flame will get very hot, and could melt or catch fire.
• Stick to radiators and if you’re especially cold, a hot water bottle is a much safer alternative.
Glad you’re enjoying our weather! Hope you can make it along to Aberdour during your explorations – I’ll buy you a pint!
Many people killed every year by gas explosions, too.
Many old folk die from cold
”anything placed over a candle flame will get very hot”………… isn’t that the bloody point??
The great thing about being told what not to do is it gives you something to do.