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Family News February 2001
Updated 6 March 2001
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In this month's issue:
Pic of the Past
Month's activities
Family pics
Haywards Heath Traffic
Snippets
Comment. (I have put this at the bottom of the page, under the Links. Celia says it's boring, so ignore it if you like.)
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Alec's pic of primroses, to let us to know that spring is on the way.
Taken at Wakehurst Place on Sat 24 Feb 2001
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Hi all, here we are again, the end of another month. What has happened in February? Well, quite a bit. Celia has finished decorating the bedroom and we have done some gardening during the brief spells of dry weather. We had the Jag serviced and fell over at the cost of the bill! Next year I may do it myself or shop around for a better deal.
I had to work one Sunday early in the month, so had a day off in lieu, which was timed to fit in with Anne & Alec's visit to Mum's. John came down with them and stayed with us as Mum had no spare beds. It was good having a guest. Got through a bit of Irn-Bru! Managed to get John to a pub to see Bolton live, but the result was not what he wanted. Can't win them all.
We had a couple of good outings together, to Rottingdean and Wakehurst Place. Pictures shown below, with some earlier from January. Iain and Zoë came down on the Saturday for tea with the rest of us at Mum's. Somehow I got a good picture of Iain, but not Zoë. I'll take one next time.
John and I had a short computer session on the Sunday morning. He showed me his web site, which is looking good and is worth a visit - well, more than one visit, as he is keeping it updated on a regular basis. The link at the bottom of this page is now active and will take you there.
Last month I told you about our trip to Andrew & Mairead's. I have now got the pic's from that visit and there are a couple of Birmingham shown below. Quite an interesting place, we enjoyed it.
All the best to all.
David Hitchings
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I think that this picture would be good for a caption competition - any suggestions?
Whose cars are they? We know who is playing with the set, but I can't remember whose it was.
Celia thinks we have had this picture before. Is she right?
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Alec's pic of the rest of us at Rottingdean.
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I know why Alec took this shot, but not why he took the one underneath. There must be a reason. Please tell me!
More important -
Why did David put it on this web page?
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Andrew & Mairead at Pooh Bridge
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Traffic
In the main route through Haywards Heath, on the one-way system by the Station, a small hole appeared in the road. The workmen came in to mend it and took off the road surface. They found a hole and kept digging and digging. The foundations of the road had been swept away by all the rain and the road ended up being closed for about 4 weeks, with chaos in the traffic around the town. The hole was big enough to hold several cars by the time they found solid ground.
The 2 pics following say it all.
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Snippets
Dave Edwards job has been changed and the Council's department has been privatised. Hope it works out OK
Jenny is proceeding well on the house front (should that be home front?) and has had an offer accepted. Hope it doesn't take too long to progress - these things can.
Anne has been off work with a lost voice. Not nice. Hope it gets better soon.
John Davidson had to drive back up to Stirling from Blackrod in the snow after his visit down here. You know what the weather has been like. Hope it wasn't too bad a journey.
John H had a puncture on the way to Amble. YUK! All that unpacking to get at the spare. Not many punctures these days, which is good.
Richard H is working hard at the business. Several 18 hour days on the trot. It will all be worth it when it gets settled down.
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Outside the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place
(John is the one without a head)
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Hurricane with Alec's car and Celia's car in the background
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Comment
Democracy is stated to be the best way of running a country and we keep being told that other systems are a threat and are to be scorned. One man, one vote and all that. The House of Lords in England has been changed because of the fact that many of the representatives were not elected. There are some who say that the English Monarchy should be changed or replaced because it is not an elected body.
When I worked in Croydon about 20 years ago, I went on the Committee of our Staff Union, mainly to find out how it worked and what it did. At one meeting we elected a representative to attend a higher meeting on behalf of the Croydon Branch. We discussed what we wanted him to say as the thoughts of our assembly. He said that when he got to the other meeting he would take no notice of our thoughts and would vote as he saw fit, and would follow his own feelings.
This is what happens in National Politics and to me this is not democratic. Democracy should follow the wishes of the majority, to produce 'the greatest good for the greatest number.'
The 2 questions that I ponder are:
Is the head of state any better for being voted in as against being chosen by birth? If the country agrees that the birthright is the correct way to select, then this is democratic.
How can countries as large as modern states be run in a truly democratic manner, to avoid the problem above, i.e. that someone wants to be in charge, gets elected on a promise and then does what he wants?
Dave Hitchings
5 March 2001
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