Tilgate Man

Scaffold disease update

2011-09-17T12:08:00.001Z

It's been a month since my last post and no work has been done on the homes pictured. The only developement has been the erection of more scaffolding across thr road. Speaking to one of the workmen attention to / replacement of soffits and gutters will be taking place.

WHEN

Peter

Scaffold Disease invades Tilgate

2011-08-17T18:28:00.000Z

Blooming Scaffolding

Numerous Tilgate homes are being surrounded by scaffolding, without as yet any work being done! This was first noticed in Ashdown Drive 3 weeks ago and erection work is now taking place in Dickens Road.

No doubt this is some grand plan by Crawley Council, re-roofing comes to mind but I don't know as yet. Whatever is going to be done it seems strange that scaffolding is erected everywhere first, then the prescribed work will presumably be carried out and when completed the scaffolding taken down again. How long will all this last I wonder !

Is this really economic ? meanwhile the streets of Tilgate are marred by unsightly scaffolding whilst the wheels of Crawley Council contractors take their time working through the estate.

Crawley, or at least Tilgate is in bloom, blooming scaffolding

Peter

Tilgate Parade facelift

2011-06-21T15:25:00.001Z

Did you catch the exhibition at the Parade yesterday {20th January}. Lots of nice Council folk on hand to tell passers by about their propoisals with large plans on show detailing the varius things they plan to do.

More parking is planned including two extra disabled spaces near the Post Office. Re - paving' new flower beds and street lighting are proposed together with more cameras !

Not sure about more cameras, wish they were un-neccessary but obviously it is thought they are and, I guess we all want to feel save and catch criminals.

TThe improvements are scheduled for spring 2012 hope I will still be around then

Peter

Learning to use Android

2011-06-19T12:36:00.001Z

I have had my Android tablet for a few days now and gradualy working out how it works. The most important thing I learnt was to use the menu key. Being used to a PC I was looking for actions on the screen not realising one had to use the menu key to find addional operations.

It is very easy to get very carried away downloading additional apps. Things like facebook & twitter if you want them then, yes get them. Others do check the application pre installed. The market place did not produce a compatible wifi switch for my tablet and thenby chance I discovered one already installed.

I have yet to work out why ebay will not let me login using android, despite using the correct it says entered items are incorrect. Still given time I expect I will work it out.

Overall I am still very pleased with my purchase

Peter

Android and blogger-droid

2011-06-16T11:06:00.001Z

As with anything new it takes a while to get used to and it's taken me a while to even begin to understand Android. I did'nt spend a lot of money on my 7" tablet but I am already finding it useful and using it to prepare this blog offline

My tablet came with a mini usb keyboard which makes composition of the blog easier. The android blog app is incredibly easy to use. Some may describe it as basic but if you want all the bells and whistles then you have to use a pc.

My purchase was prompted by a forthcoming cruise where I needed to be able to compose blogs and emails offline as onboard wifi costs $100 for 250 minutes. A bonus is the item is small and light but the 7" screen is acceptable even to my old eyes.

So they you are, my short opinion of my new toy

Peter

Snow Joke

2010-12-24T14:07:00.001Z

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago during the first period of this winters snow. Snow does look nice when fresh, good for those who ski, plus good fun for young people and families at Leisure.

Not such good fun for those who had to struggle to work, got stuck somewhere by rail or airport problems or worse still stuck in their vehicle in a snowdrift.

Being retired I did not have to go anywhere and hunkered down in my warm well stocked home with a bit of help from my family ensuring we had everything we needed.

Changing the subject I am writing this on Christmas Eve and looking forward to spending Xmas Day with part of my family. and hopefully some nice presents. Trouble is as a senior citizen one tends to be asked what one wants which can limit the element of surprise and it can be difficult choosing presents for ones children who are of course actually adults by now.

Still a good meal accompanied by some wine and festive spirit always give a warm glow and a good excuse for a nap

Merry Xmas everyone

Pidgeon Post, Spring

2010-04-11T16:21:00.004Z

I recently took this picture of a humble pidgeon perched precariously on the bird feeder in our garden. Just an ordinary town pidgeon, not the racing or variety breed, but coinciding with the general election announcement and re-reading Pidgeon Post, I got this picture of Gordon Brown delivering a message to the Queen. Following this further images of senior politicians and constituency candidates flying around delivering their "vote for me" messages.

I suppose, rather like the book, polital parties and the voters are looking for gold. The Swallow's, Amazon's and D's actually find copper, not quite gold but still a valuable commodity. At best we will get a new government but whoever wins, or perhaps a hung parliament, a pot of gold on the horizon is unlikely but for a lucky few.

For me, I guess, it will neither be gold, copper, maybe just some rusty iron, by which I mean, more taxes, frozen pensions and decreased services. Perhaps I just dream of my 40's & 50's childhood when nothing seemed complicated

It is nice to see the warmer weather and the spring trees blossoming. It was springtime the first time I visited crawley in 1966 and we were immediately impressed by the spring flowers etc. then. Gladly the council has in the main maintained and replaced bulbs as necessary although a few patches have been damaged by major roadworks.

Good luck to the town in the "Britain in Bloom" contest in which they are finalists. Lets hope the judges are aware of the fine spring flowering trees in Tilgate like this one in Tilgate Way.

Tilgate Man

My Famous Ancestors

2010-03-19T16:02:00.004Z

There is something satisfying when you find famous relatives in your family tree. Not that mine are neccesarily instantly recognised by most people but they do qualify for listings in wikipedia and a search for their names will produce a number of results.

First Robert Bloomfield 1766-1823, my fourth great granduncle. In his time a well known poet with several books of verse published the most well known being "The Farmers Boy". Not that Robert had a good or successfull life. His writing began in a garet in Bell Alley, London and he died in poverty.

Below are the opening phrases of the Farmers Boy. The complete book can be downloaded from the Gutenberg Press

Now, ere sweet summer bids its long adieu,

And winds blow keen where late the blossom grew,

The bustling day and jovial night must come,

The long-accustomed feast of harvest-home.

No blood-stained victory, in story bright,

Can give the philosophic mind delight;

No triumph please, whilst rage and death destroy:

Reflection sickens at the monstrous joy.

And where the joy, if rightly understood,

Like cheerful praise for universal good?

Second, Charles James Blomfield 1786-1857, Bishop of London 1828- 1857. Relationship to me is second cousin six times removed. Full details of his history can be found on Wikipedia so I will not go into too much detail here but there is a memorial to him in St Pauls Cathedral.

Bishop Blomfield had many children. One of these Sir Artur Blomfield also had fame as an architect who designed many buildings including the Royal College of Music. Another child of some fame was Lucy Elizabeth Bather nee Blomfield who was author of "Biographies for Young People" which can still be purchased from Amazon.

It seems that all my famous relatives have the Blomfield/Bloomfield name. All the other surnames in my tree seem to have just been workers with a variety of jobs. I continued this trend with a long but un-distinguished career in the Civil Service. Ah well perhaps I will send off for my National Service medal, don't know when I would wear it, pehaps I could put it on when watching the Remberance Day parade on TV. And I could always wear it to my funeral, not that I am planning this for a good while yet!

Tilgate Man

PS see my family tree