Talbennyhall’s Weblog

Just a short note; I’m wondering whether whingeing is quite the same as ranting, or whether it is slightly less aggressive? My concern is important for as you know this occasional diatribe is known as ‘Rod’s Rants’ which I think is more butch than ‘Rod’s Whinges’  Now we all know that the Strines (Australians!) call us ‘Whingeing Poms’ charming! Don’t you think that ‘Ranting Poms’ has more guts to it?  I think so. Why is this so important to me at this precise moment?………Daphne and I are off to Australia to see Nat and Gloria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, forgot,    MERRY CHRISTMAS  and  A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hey, now I like the idea of these new(ish) driving licences; neat, plastic, flattering photo, and they fit perfectly into your credit card wallet!  How is it that all credit cards etc, or ‘plastic’ as they are generically known, are exactly the same size the world over? Amazing!  that’s what you call coordinated design.  So with an exciting adventure coming up, Australia for a month in January, Daf and I have only gone and got ourselves those snazzy driving licences (they like them in Oz)  Obviously I had a bit of a problem at the photo booth in Tescos. I was either too big, too close to the camera or not showing my best side, I couldn’t quite work it out.  Anyway after a few rejections and spending another fortune on photos in Tescos those nice people at the DVLA sent me my new licence. (Daf had hers first time round and by return!) Anyway was I pleased with myself? I jolly well was!  So into my neat little credit card wallet it went, because that’s what it’s all about; tidyness and convenience.  Being a thorough sort of person I thought that I should read the small print on that green bit of paper that came with the licence; it’s called  ‘Counterpart Driving Licence’  there’s a clue! it says;  ’Important document – The photocard and paper counterpart should be kept together.’……  Here we go, just you try to fold that piece of paper to the exact size to fit into your ‘neat little credit card wallet’  NO CHANCE!   but the said piece of paper is a different size to the original licence (before the plastic photo one) so presumably the new system was created at the same time and by the same designers, and at great expense. Money well spent! Not only that I’ve had to buy a bigger wallet to accommodate the big piece of paper!….. PROGRESS

This situation has not turned me into a Jacobite (I probably mean Luddite!) and I would  point out that I don’t have a particular problem with the idea of identity cards, but if the driving licence debacle is anything to go by you can bet your bottom dollar that it will have to be accompanied by your Birth Certificate, and that certainly won’t fit into your credit card wallet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know you won’t believe it (!) but some people have said that I can be a little grumpy at times, and that as I’ve got older perhaps even more fractious than before. Absolute nonsense of course, as I’ve become older I feel that I’m more understanding, tolerant, easy going, and generally a jolly good sort!  However, in order to maintain this new karma I must be stress free, and to this end Daphne has decided to keep me away from the cottage guests (who yelled hurrah?) Obviously she won’t let me leave Talbenny Hall, so I’ll be locked up inside whenever guests need any advice, help or a friendly chat. This situation will mean that Daphne is also not available, as she will be busy making sure that I cannot escape, and remain shackled to the computer typing up my gentle RANTS!

To ensure the continuity of our high standards we are handing over the management of the cottage business to our agents;  ‘Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire’  tel:01437 767600  All enquiries for 2010 should be directed to them.

In the event of my occasional escape I may just say ‘hello’

Here I am back home all tanned, honed and watered, and well yes perhaps a little plump here and there due to the odd souvlaki washed down with Malamatina (Retsina to you) and of course Metaxa!!!! So nothing to rant about yet, even the weather was kind to us on our return, though it’s now deteriorating a little. Ho hum mustn’t grumble lots to look forward to;  the winter with loads of rain,dark nights, short dismal days, cold, running out of oil for the heating, coughs, sneezes, sore throats, runny noses, Christmas shopping, rubbish TV,  –  endless rounds of parties, dances, dinners in the pubs and restaurants, lots to drink, New Year, walks on Marloes beach, planning next years holidays, anticipating a good summer, friends, close family.  Not so bad after all, who said ‘BUM HUG’?

I’m not in a ranting mood today.  Well I suppose I could always work myself up to a real rant if I wanted to, as there is so much to rant about, though by the evidence of my last go nobody seemed to know what I was on about so what’s the point? Any road up (as one says in Brum) I just wanted you to know that I shall be away for a month so NAARRDEE-NAARDEE-NAARDEE.  I’m, well, we are off on our hols to guess where? Yes you’ve got it;  Little Haven, Pembrokeshire!  Just joking, though a better place to find is exceeding difficult.  No we’re off to Molyvos in Lesbos again. Yes that’s Greece and yes we went last year and the year before and the year before that, in fact virtually every year for the last twenty odd years! Don’t care, we love it, so I’ll have a rant towards the end of October if you can wait that long?

Now keep this to yourselves because if it gets out things could get a bit iffy for me. 

I can’t really tell you much of what you must keep to yourselves except that it gets right up my nose and I don’t know how it can be fair or even legal when you truly analyse the powers exerted by these people.  The decisions made often have huge impacts on our lives and yet are of little or no consequence to others except for the occasional ‘ridged-backed lesser spotted whelk’  That’s if you are just a simple law abiding and tax paying private individual!  BUT if you are a huge tax dodging suspect industrial conglomerate, anything goes.  Not fair is it?  Obviously I can’t tell what’s not fair, nor even who or what these people are, as I suspect that I may suddenly disappear and that would never do as I would no longer be able to carry on my fight against this injustice!  Please be reassured that I am here and ready on your as well as my behalf to bring them to their knees.  Soon we will have back our rights to carry on as once before, though obviously you are not fully aware what those rights are, or how we used to carry on!  Please keep this under your hat as I don’t feel that secure?????????

There it is again, that expression;  ‘I’m gutted’  it’s so crude and unpleasant, and it makes me feel gutted, as in having my entrails removed! (dictionary definition)  Where has it come from, our North American cousins? Cousins?  how can that be when half of them are called Brodowski or are related to the Sicilian mafia? where  here on these green and pleasant isles we are Ponsonby-Smythe, if you’re English.  Llewellyn-Lloyd-Blodwyn-Davies-Jones if you’re…..it’s so obvious! Maconitsraining… Scottish (or maybe a French grape?) and O’Reallyoimoirish from just across the water.  But I digress, why have we adopted this most unpleasant word without any warning to the more sensitive of us, to describe our displeasure or mild annoyance at the most mundane happenings in our lives?  ‘I’m gutted it’s raining’  or  ‘I’m gutted that I missed Eastenders last night’……..Well I’m gutted that you’re all so gutted, so please think up a more appropriate expression to denote how gutted you really are!

Yesterday was the annual Little Haven Regatta. Well I say annual because it is intended to be held each year, but the weather has had it’s inevitable  say, not least last year!  It’s also suffered from insurance overload;  ’A regatta sir, no problem, now where will that be held?……. At sea!… Ah sea’s extra, we’ll have to load your insurance for that…..Anything else we ought to know?…….Boats with sails!……Ooh boats with sails is extra, we’ll have to load you more for that……What do you mean people in the boats, I’ll have to speak to my superior about that…..’  and so on. Fortunately the regatta is now run in association with Dale Yacht Club and the insurance problems have been overcome.

I was interested in entering the swimming events this year but I wasn’t able on two counts;  1. My swimming costume was deemed to be illegal. My mind immediately went to the World Swimming Championships in Rome and those polyurethane body suits which are about to be banned. But no, it was that mine was a woolly costume and it sags when wet, and thus too revealing!  2. I just missed out on the age thing. Maximum age; 16 years!

I had to content myself with being a spectator again and give assistance to the ailing brewing industry, which I willingy did!  There again I say spectator, what can you see standing outside the Swan when sailing boats are whizzing around Stack Rock 2 – 3 miles away and some bloke keeps shooting at them from the Point? I decided that munching a fabulous baby octopus and squid bap, and a pint of Bass was a perfect way of enjoying Little Haven Regatta, roll on next year!

Here we are then; a new dawn! the electrification of the rail link between London and Swansea. This will be very useful in more ways than one as it means that after 8 years of the conversion, construction, and total chaos of said electric link you will save 20 minutes on the journey. WHOW! that will be worth it then. Of course we must remember that we will be reducing the carbon footprint as this new (?) system replaces the old diesel engines. Nasty old things burning all that dirty, poisonous, polluting, carbon hoofing diesel stuff!  But where oh where will they get all that extra electricity from?  Well, they are going to build a new power station on the  Milford Haven, on the site of the old one (totally demolished about 5 or so years ago!) and burning what to generate all that extra electricity? OILY stuff!!!  At least if you come on holiday to Pembrokeshire you will get an extra 20 minutes of our beautiful county.

Just a thought, if we’ve had electric trains all this time and they are faster and more efficient than coal or diesel, how come they are still struggling to develop an efficient and sensibly priced electric car?  The power of the oil industry!!!!!!!!!!!