Weasel and the Woodpecker

From March 15th 2015

My wife, Carole and I went to Hornchurch in Essex today and passed Hornchurch country park on the way to my Dad's house. He lives in Elm Park, Hornchurch. When we arrived, he had the news on the television. There was the usual news of politics and crime but then on a light-hearted note, the news team showed a picture of a weasel attacking a Green Woodpecker. It was one of those charming little aside pictures that an amateur photographer caught perfectly.

Weasels are tiny little carnivorous creatures that are very fierce and territorial. However, they are very small, about the size of a small chocolate bar. This one attacked a Green Woodpecker that flew off in a panic with vicious little weasel upon the back.

We were surprised to hear it was at the very country park we had driven past. Our little patch on national TV. The photographer took loads of shots according to the news and this one was caught wonderfully. 

The woodpecker went down again and as it hit the ground the weasel sped off after his unexpected flight. No doubt leaving Green Woodpeckers off of his menu in future.

Debate on the EU disaster movie.

The heat is turning up in the UK concerning EU membership. It does seem, to me, that the anti-EU are winning the argument concerning the lack of democratic accountability. Every time the media get the pro-EU on to argue with the anti-EU; the anti always seem to walk away with the points from my point of view. Maybe there are things I'm missing, but I think the UK may leave. I also believe there could be civil unrest in some of the southern European countries.

The Hoverbike is only a Prototype - A long way to go yet?

The hoverbike could be a very exciting concept as one can see from this YouTube video. Many of the comments suggest certain flaws that can be rather serious safety issues. However, such things get highlighted when development starts and these new problems can be overcome. This is an exciting concept that needs more work.

For Great Historical Fiction of Ancient Britain in Print and Kindle Download.

New historical fiction books are always looked out for. Good historical books are in the realms of the reader opinions. For good or for bad, best new historical fiction books can only be hoped for by the author. Therefore, keep readers happy and hope for good book reviews.

Go to Roman Britain during the year of the four emperors and join three Roman guards who listen to Queen Cartimandua of Brigantes' tale. A story of an unknown meeting between her and the Iceni Warrior Queen Boudicca, eight years prior.

Love Unlimited - WALKIN' IN THE RAIN WITH THE ONE I LOVE

This has got to be one of the most all time greats of the 70s decade. They really don't make them like this anymore. It brings back wonderful feelings of nostalgia when I listen to wonderful sounds like this from Love Unlimited with this class song; 

Walking in the Rain with the One I Love.

 .

Giving You HMS Thunder Child and the Martian Tripods!

HMS Thunder Child confronts the Martian tripods in a new adaptation of the War of the Worlds SciFi story. Available in the USA.

C.A. Powell's

The Last Days of Thunder Child

Pastiche of War of the Worlds

There are a multitude of great artistic impressions of HMS Thunder Child's confrontation with three Martian tripods. Many of them are very dramatic indeed. I always imagined HMS Thunder Child looking like HMS Thunderer of the Devastation class Victorian battleship.

Artists of science fiction always enjoy their own personel take on the final moments of Thunder Child's brave charge!

When I travel around the coastline, I imagine tripod Martian fighting machines out of rusting construction from times gone by. Some of the old edifices grab my imagination and I try to turn old sea platforms into Martian tripods from my mind's eye.

London Bridge

The fist ever stone built bridge of London's many bridges was way back in 1176. It was undertaken by a Norman called Peter de Colechurch. England had been occupied by the French speaking Norman overlords for one hundred and ten years by this time. The Norman dynasty was firmly established by now. This new bridge took 33 years to build and sat upon twenty great arches that went into the river. There were even water wheels put upon the sides of the arches for grinding of grain. Shops and wear houses began to spring up. 

London Bridge of 1600 was very heavy maintenance as the river flow constantly eroded the thick pillars. It was constantly collapsing in parts and being rebuilt. Hence the nursery rhyme of: London Bridge is Falling Down. It was a great shame because the bridge was often a hive of activity with the market upon it. It was full of hustle and bustle. Above is a computer image of the bridge which I found on Twitter.

This London Bridge survived so many trials and tribulations - even the Great Fire of London in 1666, although the bridge was left much weakened by the event. This bridge was finally demolished in 1831 because a new London Bridge was built during the 1820s. This 1820s bridge was dismantled brick by brick in the 1960s and transported to Lake Havasu in Arizona USA. 

I wonder if the old bridge demolished in 1833 with all its history might have been maintained in this day and age. I'm sure that there would have been better ways to preserve such a monument and perhaps it would have been more valued by heratige trusts. One can only wonder.

I would suppose many of us would like to go back in time and take a walk over that bridge during the Elizabethan era. It is also important not to confuse London Bridge with Tower Bridge by the Tower of London.