Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you reading this. I hope everyone has a truly wonderful day however you are spending it.

JR

The Church

Last week the Church of England officially sanctioned civil partnership ceremonies on it's premises to take place upon approval from the general synod. I can't say this development surprises me although I'm not entirely sure it's a good one. A scholar of theology I'm not but to my knowledge, the Christian church teaches that homosexuality is a sin. It therefore follows in my mind that, by forcing the Church to bless civil partnerships, they are being forced to go against their teachings and subverting what they believe. By undermining what they believe is right then surely the meaning and gravity of the ceremony its self is being undermined. Hardly a foundation for a successful and long-lasting relationship.

All this sounds very homophobic. It's not intended to be. What people do behind closed doors is their business as far as I'm concerned. I have been however been thinking about similar issues for quite some time.

For a bit of background, I do not regard myself as religious. My girlfriend on the other hand is profoundly Christian. She is very clear on the fact that, were we to ever get married, she would want to do so in a church. Hypothetically, this could leave me in a bit of an awkward situation. A church its self I don't have a problem with. The ceremony will have to take place in a building and churches are usually fairly picturesque. It's the religious element that concerns me. I don't think I would be comfortable taking religious vows. As I say, I'm not religious however I respect the strength of belief those that have religion feel. It would therefore feel totally disingenuous to throw myself into a ceremony I didn't believe in. At worst, I think it would undermine the institution of marriage which I take very seriously. I would feel that swearing to something I didn't believe in would be a lie and I don't think starting out married life on the basis of a lie is the best way to start a life together.

The compromise solution would seem to be having the ceremony in a church but in my case, taking secular vows. It does seem to have the potential to get rather complicated. Which should take precedence; the individual or the institution?

JR

A Random Post

For some reason I have my best ideas for posts at random times, usually when I am engaged in something else and can't get to a computer. Occasionally ideas will float into my head that are a mixture of thought-provoking, interesting, absurd or funny. Naturally when I eventually get time to put pen to paper (or the electronic equivalent) the thought is gone; usually only to re-surface at some suitably inconvenient time. Does anyone else have this? If so (and you're one of the bloggers I follow) it doesn't show.

Not too much has happened since my last couple of posts. The girlfriend has now been away for almost two weeks. The anger and bargaining has subsided to be replaced with a constant feeling of something being missing. Kind of like going out without a watch on only magnified many, many, many hundreds of times. It probably doesn't help that literally everything I see reminds me of her; from the coffee maker she gave me to celebrate a relationship landmark which I see soon after I wake up to the photo of her I see just before I go to sleep. Cue sloppy music and montage!

A challenge has been occupying my new-found plentiful free time - well apart from going to the pub. I have a stack of books I've been wanting to read and have been working my way through those. Once I get my brain in gear, I will hopefully posting more up here.

I like writing. I enjoy interacting with words and using them to convey what I'm trying to (well most of the time!). I like the idea of doing more of it in other ways although it is only vanity that makes me think that it's in any way worth reading.

The big question is what to write. My flatmates are trying to get me to make a compilation of their favourite dishes with added sections on flourishes and tricks to make the food a bit special. That appeals but I'm very aware of the sheer number of cook-books around and my relative lack of skill in the area.

I have one or two ideas relating to espionage but as a lifelong Flemming devotee I genuinely don't believe I or anyone else could create something comparable. He once stated his desire to write the best spy stories ever written and, for my money, that's what he did. I am also not a fan of the, "gritty" way most spy dramas are played out these days. In my mind, outrageous flamboyance is still the best.

There is always the law as a subject. As it is a fairly closed world, people are generally interested and it is ripe for turning into stories. However I have only been part of that world for around four years. I don't think I know it well enough to start creating anything concrete.

One idea that I really fancy is doing research on a subject and writing about it. I genuinely love the process of research; finding stuff in books, trawling the internet, making connections in my mind between the sources and generally achieving a deep understanding of the subject. Everything apart from trying to remember the source of the fact that just popped into my head. The trouble is what to research. Two obvious choices would be Bond or St. John Ambulance. I doubt I could write anything about Bond that hasn't been already written and any attempt seems futile. St. John could be a potential winner. The stumbling blocks there include the time to actually do the research, finding hard-copy sources and getting access to electronic ones. Many on-line databases charge quite a lot for access.

I will ponder the possibilities over the next wee while and see what, if any, ideas begin to develop.

In the mean time I am carrying a note book to record the good ideas I have for here for further development.

JR

The Station

The Station is the first novel by Stuart Gray, a London Ambulance Service paramedic and author of the blog Paramedic's diary (www.theparamedicsdiary.blogspot.com) as well as several books on the Ambulance service.

The book follows the events occurring over the course of a shift in central London. Challenges range from the mundane to the extreme and many are evidently drawn from the author's experience.

The plot, rather than following one or two central characters, offers snippets of commentary on the lives of many ambulance service personnel and patients. Although this can, at times, make it a bit difficult to keep track of who's who and their relation to others in the story; I think it accurately reflects the experience of those that work in front-line emergency services and the fleeting interactions they have with those they help. I also liked the fact that plots were rarely taken to their full conclusion again reflecting the experience of ambulance service personnel who rarely get to find out what happened to their patient.

Stuart writes well on his blog, in his non-fiction works and now in this novel. He is a naturally gifted story teller who can relate just the right level of detail to keep the reader's interest without them becoming bogged-down. The tone of the book is, in my opinion, perfect. Gray explains complex jargon and ambulance slang clearly and without being over simplistic, much in the way I would imagine one does to a new member of the service. The result is that he draws the reader into his world and makes them feel part of it. To complete the experience, Gray clearly and articulately describes the complex feelings generated by haaving to witness some of the best and some of the worst things humanity has to offer.

I have recommended this book to friends and family. I would not hesitate to do so for anyone reading this post whether you want an insight of life in the emergency services or simply a damn good read.

JR

I still exist

I'm still here. Sorry for not posting much lately.

Quite a lot has been happening lately. Lots good, some not so good.

I will elaborate more in a couple of days. This is the true crunch time.

JR

Remembrance

This post is a few days late since Friday itself was a tad busy due to work.

That said, due to work, I was able to attend silence in the square. This is a two minute silence in Trafalgar Square to mark the two minute silence on the 11th November. It was done absolutely perfectly; sombre without being mawkish, respectful, dignified and avoiding cloying sentimentality. During the silence, all the traffic lights round the square were turned to red bringing traffic to a halt. We had volunteers with placards explaining why. I noticed many drivers getting out of their cars and observing the silence too. Even the busses turned off their engines. Being in Trafalgar Square when it was completely still was an odd feeling but there was a real sense of community too. It's one of the few times I have seen people in central London smile and greet complete strangers and I have to say I enjoyed it.

The silence itself was surrounded by musical acts and readings, most of which were excellent too. Included in their number were two orange people from Strictly Come Dancing, the young chap from Downtown Abbey (much to my mother and girlfriend's jealousy), a young soprano who was excellent given she was only 15 and the singing soldiers. Overall I think the whole event captured the British spirit by being dignified and respectful without being over the top and hand-wringing.

Sadly the whole event was marred slightly by me getting a little too close to the disturbances on Whitehall. I later found out this was caused by the EDL staging a counter protest to the planned Muslims Against Crusades protest which, eventually, didn't happen. Unfortunately this didn't stop the EDL spoiling for a fight. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered by police officers yet they still kicked off. To their credit, the police did an excellent job of containing them and not responding to the deliberate and determined attempts by the EDL to rile them. The saddest part of it all was that the protesters decided to invade and protest in a pub that the veterans go to for a pint after the silence. To me this was totally unnecessary. If they really felt the need to protest then why there? I have heard stories of old comrades seeing each other only once a year at the silence then having a drink and catching up. Why would anyone choose to disrupt that? Thuggery disguising itself as political protest is worrying. Not only does it devalue the political system but it means these morons are all the more pervasive. Let's return to the good old days where the thugs concentrated on football leaving the rest of us to it!

Something similarly distressing although not as dramatic happened on Saturday night. Was out with a drink with the girlfriend and some of her mates. Was talking about work a bit when the friends revealed they didn't have a clue what remembrance day was all about. I can understand not knowing the details but not having a rough idea is shocking not least because they were both British, educated in a good (and expensive) British school and now living here. Something has gone wrong somewhere.

On Sunday, my faith in people was restored. I was at the dog show in Earl's Court and at 11, we were discreetly and politely asked to observe the silence. Everybody did without hesitation or complaint. This went a long way to bolstering my faith not only in the decency of our population but also that we are not, individually and nationally, so self-involved that we forget those that have gone before us and their sacrifices to give us the country we have today.

JR

Student Protests

The City of London is snarled up more than usual. Two police helicopters are in the air. Newspapers are reporting people camped out on Trafalgar Square. What is the cause of all this? The protest by students about the proposed raise in fees.

This begs the question why? Basic education is a right. Tertiary education on the other hand, well that could be argued to be a privilege. It certainly isn't a right of passage as many think. Attempts by previous governments to shoehorn as many people through university (thus creating ghastly polyversities churning out people with meaningless degrees) serves only to decrease the value of a degree and shift the emphasis to post-graduate qualifications. Despite this, a good degree in a proper subject from a decent university is likely to give an individual a significant advantage in their careers.

Why, therefore should it not come at a premium? Why, when the main benefit is to an individual, should the individual not pay for it. Of course there will be those less able to afford the fees. For them, why not increase student loans commensurate to the fee increase? Or, even better, encourage companies to offer a degree of sponsorship to promising individuals for a period of service afterwards. Some already to this but why not make the practice more widespread. Either way, in these tough financial times, we cannot and should not expect the state to pick up the bill for anything other than the essentials.

As an aside, is it me or are most of the comments coming from people studying non-subjects and questionable institutions?

Before I sound too down on students I should point out that there are others out in force today. The students of Cambridge are on the streets of London selling poppies. Last weekend it was Oxford and the day before Newcastle. Others have been out too. Good for them. I applaud the public-spirited, socially responsible actions of these stuudents and hope they are not tarred with the same brush in the ensuing news coverage.

JR

Another Dose of Outrage

I was in the van yesterday when an item on employment law came on the radio (as a dedicated radio 4 listener, these things happen more often than you might think). The gist was explaining the rights of employees that are being asked to leave their jobs. Various scenarios were discussed by the pannell. The rant that follows is based purely on what I heard on the programme; although I covered employment law a bit on my course, it wasn't in any detail.

The part of the programme that incensed me was when it was revealed that women on maternity leave could not be made redundant; instead they must be offered an equivalent post in the company. I am in favour of equality but this is in no way equal. How on earth does a woman's reproductive ability have any bearing on her ability to do her job? Does the same apply to men on paternity leave? What of the women in the work place who have chosen not to (or are unable to) have children. Why should they be penalised for that choice. And what of the men of the work force? Why is it fair to allow them to have their futures cast into doubt while others around them are safeguarded. The whole system is ludicrous.

On the business side of things; what about the businesses affected? Especially small ones. They could be placed in great risk of their solvency by being forced to lose a good employee as a result of having to retain someone on maternity leave and provide maternity cover. What if it mutually convenient for new mother and employer for her to leave? As I understand it, the law would prevent a good package being offered it there was a sniff of redundancy. A realistic upshot is they could be forced by the excessively stringent laws to avoid employing women of child bearing age and find ways to cover it either by employing much older or much younger women. The whole policy therefore backfires and discrimination is rife through necessity rather than choice.

Yet again it seems common sense has slipped far too far down the list of priorities and it has done so without good reason. Certain newspapers would roll out the phrase, "political correctness gone mad" at this stage however this is not politically correct no matter how it is spun. This is a group of nasty, small people who seem to be professionally outraged on a mission to make life as difficult as possible for everyone around them. They simply use the banner of political correctness to justify their actions.

The time has come to realise that we are not all homogenised clones, we are (shock horror) different. This difference is not something to be covered up and legislated against, it is something to be embraced and celebrated. It has allowed the human race to survive and flourish this long, it allows us to change, adapt and develop with our circumstances. Most importantly of all, it adds depth and richness to all of our lives. Therefore let's stop being embarrassed about it.

JR

The past wee while

Haven't posted anything up for a while. Sorry about that. One of the main reasons is that I have been insanely busy at work. Last Thursday was London Poppy Day where members of the armed forces descend on London to collect. Naturally this meant a lot of stuff to be taken to various places round the city in preparation.

A couple of fairly late nights and some overtime later and everything was in place... Just about. The day itself was hectic. I worked pretty solidly from 07.30 to just after midnight and it was a fairly good day traffic-wise so most of it was spent actually working rather than staring at the brake lights of the person in front and getting bored.

Fortunately, for most of that time I had someone in the van with me. Didn't know her from eve when we started and ended the day having a great laugh. It's not overstating the case to say she kept me sane! Even better, we were quite a team when getting the van into and out of extremely tight areas that at the start of my contract I wouldn't have thought possible (they can actually spin round quite well apparently).

What impressed me was that my crew mate was a volunteer. She put in the same hours and the same heavy lifting as I did but didn't have thoughts of the overtime to fall back on when things got tedious.

Overall it was a fun day and the general buzz created by everything happening meant that the tiredness of the physical work and the long hours didn't really kick in until I got home. We both agreed some things could (and should) be improved for future years but, as far as I'm aware, there were no major crises. I have suggested she put our concerns in writing to the powers that be... Hopefully they will react better to it coming from one of their volunteer workforce.

One thing I have realised while doing this job is the satisfaction of completing a manual task. It is hard (at times almost backbreaking) work loading and unloading the van all the while keeping an eye on local traffic and dodging parking wardens (although the ones I have encountered so far have all been very reasonable when I explain what we are doing. Some have even insisted on buying poppies on the spot rather than doling out a ticket) however it is tremendously satisfying seeing it go from full to empty or vice versa. Not to mention the fact that muscles that I haven't used since my rowing days are returning with interest. Long may this continue.

Away from the work front, my girlfriend's mother has been staying prompting near-constant (whispered), "your mum" jokes to my great amusement at least. Fortunately we get on well so it's quite good fun.

The only down side is the dog was brought up when her mother came up leading to me being forced to pose with it (something about a phone background). As a doggy sort of chap, normally this wouldn't bother me however this "dog" is small, white, fluffy and very, very gay (cockerspaniel and poodle cross if you're interested). He is the only dog I know that sashays instead of walks. To give him his due, he's not yappy as some small dogs tend to be and he is a lovely dog... Doesn't make having to pose with him any less embarrassing.

More to follow soon; promise!

JR

Tourists!

"Bloody tourists!" A refrain that issues forth from my lips and those of almost everyone else I know who lives anywhere where tourists gather.

The combination of excruciatingly (unnaturally) slow walking pace, the random and unexpected stopping in the most awkward places possible to take photos and the half hour it takes them to get on the bus having checked every stop it stops at combines to send my blood-pressure skyrocketing. And that's not to mention luggage. Roller suitcases and my feet are not friends so please stop introducing them to each other. And backpacks. What is it with backpacks, bumbags and strange little shoulder pouches. Why is it people who can sensibly get around their home city on the contents of their pockets and maybe a small handbag suddenly feel the need to carry enough kit to make a para weep. Wherever you are, I can assure you that you almost certainly won't need it.

As you have probably guessed, I am a passionate advocate of pavements in big cities being divided into lanes; one for people who actually want to get somewhere and one for those that are dawdling.

It was with some trepidation therefore, that I agreed to go to portugal this weekend with my girlfriend. Having freely aired these views on tourists many times, I was determined not to act like that myself. Not only that, but I hate feeling like a tourist too. It feels so contrived. Some of the best experiences I've had abroad have been when I have been staying with locals. Although I was still far from blending in to the background, at least I was seeing local things from a local perspective.

First things first, the bare minimum was packed in an holdall with no backpack in sight. A guide book was purchased and flicked through and the loud shirts left in the cupboard. When we got there, we planned out a rough itinerary before researching the public transport system (and where everything went) and memorising a few basic phrasebook sayings. I know everyone speaks English but it, in my mind, is extremely poor form not to have a few linguistic niceties to start conversations when we are guests in other people's countries.

Most impressively of all, I managed to get my girlfriend to ration down what she took around with her on a daily basis and talk her out of taking photos every 32.5 seconds so we actually got to do some exploring and see the place.

After all that, it turned out to be a brilliant weekend. We suited ourselves exploring the city at our leisure (and travelling round it without disrupting the public transport network), saw the local sites and best of all (for me at least) tried the local food; usually by the failsafe method of opting for the most unusal-sounding thing on the menu.

All in all a thoroughly good weekend.

JR

A Desperate Plea

This is a desperate plea that goes out to everybody with young children. If you are out with them in a situation with lots of other people around and the start making a lot of noise please, PLEASE remove them from that situation.

Currently on the train back from Scotland and there is a kid making a lot of noise. If this wasn't bad enough, I'm in the quiet coach. The one where extra hoops need jumped through to get in and where everyone else had thoughtfully switched phones to vibrate, turned down the ipods and are conducting conversations in no more than whispers. (Oddly enough, the parents are freely chatting to each other at full volume too).

I get having kids isn't always easy and most of them are willfully stubborn. That still doesn't excuse you from your responsibilities to ensure no one else is inconvenienced by your offspring. You might think all your child's noises are cute... We don't. And don't pretend not to see all the exasperated looks flowing in your direction. Muffled, "Shhhhhhh" isn't doing the trick either so please take them into the vestibule or just somewhere else. Why do you specifically book seats in the quiet coach when you know you have a kid that's likely to be noisy?

Don't infer from this post that I don't like kids, the opposite is true. I love family gatherings where I gladly assume the role of entertainer for various sprogs, I enjoy helping with St. John cadets and one of my favourite summer holiday jobs was teaching English to foreign kids while showing them some of our great country. I just don't tolerate poor behaviour.

One year when teaching (the course was residential so the kids got to know us well) my kids nicknamed me Colonel because of my strict attitude to discipline. That's not to say we didn't have a laugh and a good time but they knew what was expected of them and knew I wouldn't tolerate them not living up to it. This was particularly true on city excursions (who isn't familiar with how infinitely frustrating tour groups are) where they knew to stay out of the way and walk at a decent pace. As a result of this, I had strangers coming up to me and commenting on how well behaved the kids were. I fully admit ninety percent of this was due to the kids but I like to think they responded well to me too.

Right. Think I'm going to escalate thing now by adding a passive-aggressive tut to my sharp looks. Wish me luck!

JR

On the Move

This was supposed to go up yesterday but dimwit here sent it to the wrong address!

JR

Currently I'm on the train back to Scotland. It's my mum's birthday so I'm going up for some celebrations.
Generally I like travelling by train. It doesn't have all the silly restrictions that aircraft have so I can take some beer and some sandwiches. Although the journey takes around five and a half hours; spending five and a half hours with the paper, a good (or bad) book, sandwiches and beer is time well spent. Regardless of where it is. I have also had the pleasure of meeting some really cool people on such journeys. For some reason, a lot of the afforementioned seem to be soldiers (possibly because part of the job is meeting and working with new people all the time) and for some reason, the chat starts immediately and the gentle piss-taking not long after. A side effect however is often the consumption of large amounts of alcohol leading to slight problems using the oyster card. Another thing I like about the train is that one is moving pretty much all the time. It gives the impression of actually going somewhere.
Compare that to flying where you get treated with contempt on a good day and worse on a bad. Having to turn up weeks in advance annoys me, as does having to sit around in a departure "lounge" where the seats seem designed to be as uncomfortable as physically possible and the bar prices so exorbitant as to make boojees seem reasonable. You could argue the advantage of duty free but to be honest who actually needs it? Inevitably I spend money I don't have on things I don't really need. I also hate the pervasive air of suspicion that follows everyone round an airport. The blanket ban on fluids etc to my mind is a presumption of guilt (but don't start me on the constitutional side). As an aside, the air is thick with exasperated stress.
The only advantage to air travel that I can see is that phones are banned (for now) so it's a merciful haven from some twat shouting into their i-phone to prove they have one. Admittedly that is a hollow victory since most trains have quiet coaches which are generally respected.
Give me the train any day.
On another note, I found out today that I passed my resit. I am now qualified to begin practicing law (under supervision). I wish I could say I felt jubilant but in all honesty, the course has been such a slog that all I feel is gentle relief. The more I think about it, the more I feel that I could, if not enjoy, at least be reasonably satisfied with a career in law. It's just getting a foot in the door. My dad asked if I had some sort of graduation for it. To be honest, the thought never even crossed my mind. Even if there was I don't think I will go. My biology graduation was the big one. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work, personal development and a milestone in my life. This feels nothing like that. It was a hell of a slog to get through but it is, and always has been, a stepping stone to a job and as such, I don't really think all the pomp and ceremony is necessary.
To change tack again; I'm still really enjoying the job. Office banter is beginning to build up which is always good and I still like exploring London (and defying the satnav knowing that I know best... Then getting lost). I met another lovely person today. Another volunteer. I was dropping some stuff off at her house. She was an older lady (the gentleman lurking within me prevents me from guessing an exact age) with a real spark in her eye. I saw photos of what I presume are grandchildren in pride of place on the hall table and I get the impression she's a wonderful granny.
Her air of vitality reminded me of some of my own relatives; my great grandmother who lived in an Aberdeenshire croft until well into her 70s and made up harvest parcels for "the old folks" until round about the same age. Also my grandmother who insisted on helping with the washing up at her old folks home and had the local ducks virtually tame from regular feeding (and always, but always, had a bag of my favourite sweets for when I came to visit... Always gratefully appreciated even when I was in my mid-teens and should have been far too cool - well it's ok when it's from your granny).
I can feel a wave of nostalgia gathering but the train is probably not the most appropriate place to express it. Perhaps later...
JR

Thrown Into the Pub

I was in my old Uni town today. Lots of memories were flooding back. One of the funniest (and strangest) was the time a mate and I got thrown INTO the pub.

As a bit of background; there is a blanket ban on drinking in the street in Scotland.

The incident in question took place in one of my last years. There was a parade in town which one of my friends was in. As it was a nice day, another friend and I went to the pub, procured a pint and meandered outside to watch the parade (and take the piss of our mate in a silly costume).

Although drinking in the street is illegal, many pubs have chairs and tables outside which are regarded as part of the premises. Unfortunately all these chairs and tables were taken so we just stood, in line with them, slightly to the side of the door. We thought this was reasonable enough.

A few minutes later a police officer comes along and says, "Sorry boys, you can't drink in the street. You're going to have to take your pints inside."

We explain the situation. Unfortunately this is met a response similar to the statement above.

At this point we point out to the officer that he is in fact throwing us into the pub. After a seconds thought he agrees and we have a bit of a laugh about it. Sadly he refused to put it in writing!

JR

The New Job

I have now been in the new job for a few days. So far it's quite good fun. For those that haven't been following previous posts; I am now doing logistical stuff for the British Legion Poppy Appeal. Essentially I am pootling round London in a van picking stuff up and dropping stuff off.

So far, like I say, it's good fun. Admittedly the traffic is a bit of a nightmare (I generally budget about an hour for the shortest of runs and any less is a bonus), I have yet to get out of 3rd gear or exceed 30mph. To add insult to injury, the traffic lights seem sequenced to always be at alternating colours; a legacy of Ken Livingstone I'd wager. Oh and I hate one way, it's the bane of my life especially as I have yet to be issued with a satnav so I am going off my internal compass, an a to z and some hasty print outs usually written before the current one way system was put into place. On the plus side, I have discovered that my knowledge of London is quite a bit better than I thought. Here's hoping it continues.

I have had the pleasure of meeting some really nice people who I would not otherwise have met. One person I met today sticks in my mind particularly. He essentially runs the distribution of poppies in an outlying region of North London. He does this as a volunteer and has done so for around 10 years having volunteered when he was unable to buy a poppy. We had a long chat over tea (when he offered, I almost hugged him. As I was at the end of a 2 and a half hour drive that google maps assured me would only take 44min; most of which I spent hopelessly lost and trusting my instincts). I didn't get much of his story save for the fact that he was a successful toy distributor when he was working (what a cool job!) and he did once harbour ambitions to be a lawyer. He also told me he was at boarding school during the war and hinted at a Jewish background. I would have liked to have had time to speak to him more and hear the stories he had to tell. He is one of the people you meet in life that radiates fun and kindness. Hopefully we shall meet again later in the appeal.

On another note, was very impressed at the BBC today. During their coverage of the dale farm evictions, they took a break from their usually anti-police mentality to broadcast an officer calmly telling a woman (I think) who claimed it was her job to protect the inhabitants, that she had been arrested and asking her calmly and politely to accompany him to the van. Naturally this was met by a load of abuse and condescention. To his credit, the officer repeated the request in the same manner several times. I'm not sure what the final outcome is but I take my hat off to him. If I had been in a similar situation, I can't guarantee I wouldn't have tied her up with her own dreadlocks! Well done and keep up the good work.

That's all to report so far. Will keep you updated with my adventures if and as they happen.

JR

Rant!

I dodged a bullet this weekend. I was supposed to be going out to a birthday lunch for one of my girlfriends mates. So far so good except it was to a vegetarian "restaurant". In the end we didn't go for one reason or another. A bit of a shame really as I had a rather good rant composed for here. In the spirit of the Daily Mail (never letting truth or research get in the way of a good bit of outrage) I will share a few of my thoughts.

In the interests of deciding how drunk I would need to get to make the experience tolerable, I had a look at the menu. Normally the mark of a good chef is being able to take poor ingredients and make them into something wonderful. This skill is awe-inspiring and I am jealous of it. Good cooks can take good ingredients and turn them into a nice dish that is more than the sum of it's parts. In this place, they took some decent ingredients and made them worse; an impressive feat but not one to envy. Each dish sounded like it would come out of the kitchen as a brown swill. Some meat added to the dish would inevitably lift it a bit and make it edible. Still, at least it's nice to know that people that failed their McDonalds entrance exam can get a job in the catering industry.

Apart from the food, the principle incenses me. I think vegetarians are bloody idiots but if that's the way they want to live then so be it; it's only them that's losing out. However when they start dictating to me that's another matter, especially when it deprives me of cash I don't really have for food I will not enjoy (frequent readers will know I'm a passionate cook and take a great deal of pleasure from what I eat and drink). The arrogance and ignorance displayed is breathtaking and makes them no better than the other tub-thumping zealots out there that the sensible, rightly, deride. If I could be arsed, I would put my legal hat on and look for some sort of provision that says it's unacceptable discrimination not to have some sort of meat-based course; the Human Rights Act might as well be put to some productive use rather than keeping criminals with kittens in the country.

What tickles me in a bitter way is that these self-same veggies often lust (almost sexually) after leather shoes and handbags (like other eating disorders, those that suffer are usually female).

As I say, didn't end up going although it might have been fun to deploy a pack of salami and some pork scratchings half-way through to be controversial.

Rant over!

On another note, was earning some good boyfriend points by watching Strictly Come Dancing with the girlfriend at the weekend. Is it just me or is Len Goodman under contract to say, "Seveeeeen" at least once per episode. It is getting to the stage where an episode without it is like a car without an engine; still looks the same but somehow not quite right!

JR

Duck!

Yesterday I went on a London Duck tour. These are the ex-D-day landing craft that anyone who has been in central London for more than 5 minutes will have seen cruising around. Some people think I'm crazy to so avidly do the tourist stuff in the city where I live but most of it is brilliant and this was no exception (although it won't stop me muttering, "bloody tourists" under my breath, especially on the tube). As an added bonus, this one was a James Bond themed tour.

If you have read any of my other posts, you will know I am a huge Bond fan. Because of this, I was a little concerned the tour would be nothing more than shuttling round a few of the more obvious film locations that one can see simply by taking a trip on the eye. This feeling wasn't helped when the guide turned up in a dinner suit with a red clip-on velvet bow tie looking rather like a 1970s game show host. How wrong I was. The guy was obviously a passionate Bond fan and knew the subject inside out. Not only that, but there was a perfect blend of film Bond, book Bond, Flemming biography, World War Two history and the history of espionage. It gave a wonderful insight into where Bond came from and illustrated that, though some of the plots were a bit outlandish, some of the schemes (that worked) during WWII were no less so. As an added bonus, the guy doing the tour knew how to use a microphone so spoke into it from a decent distance and didn't shout into it while deepthroating it; many brownie points for that.

In truth the river-based bit of the tour was unnecessary and the top speed of the boat (6 knots or old lady doing widths of the pool speed) meant we didn't see too much from the river. However as someone who loves being in or on water, any opportunity to float about was fun in itself and there is a certain novelty value to seeing the Palace of Westminster from the water.

The fact that the Ducks are still running amazes me and impresses me. Being on one during a landing must have been terrifying beyond belief. They are far from salubrious however the concept is brilliant. Apparently they were built to last six weeks with engines to last three days (who knew the army outsourced the building of them to Kia!) so the fact they are still running and running well is phenomenal.

Ceilidh

One of the things I love about living in London is that there is so much happening and such a a variety of events. Last night was a case and point; I went to a ceilidh (Scottish country dance for the uninitiated). This wasn't a one-off, they run almost weekly. How cool is that?

Overall it was a good night. Not too expensive to get in, decent bar, wholesome food available. Slightly less tangibly, the atmosphere was what I would call authentic in that there was a genuinely diverse group of people getting to know each other; it wasn't just a bunch of homesick Scots reminiscing. Best of all, I got to deploy the kilt. (As a side note, it's amazing how many people stop and speak to you when wearing the kilt. Some are Scots away from home being friendly, some are people just genuinely interested and some are hen nights on a bet to try and find out what's up it!)

There were a couple of irritations. The hall was far too full meaning there was no room to move around. Irritating at the best of times but more so when you're trying to spin your partner properly. Also, the caller wasted a lot of time messing around trying to organise everyone rather than taking charge of the situation and getting on with it (and if one thing winds me up, it's fannying about). He also subtly tweaked some of the old favourites. I'm not sure if this is some "modern" interpretation or he was deliberately trying to get one over on people who knew how to ceilidh but it was irritating until I realised most people were just getting on with doing it the proper way. Finally, there were too many square dances. I would say that perhaps I've been spoiled growing up in Scotland but then again, my uni, although on the east coast of Fife, was essentially a suburb of Chelsea!

Overall, as I say, it was a good night. Well worth going to if you want to experience a ceilidh or you want to get some practice in before going to an event where there is likely to be one.

In other news, I have finally got a job at last. Well, a temporary contract driving for the Royal British Legion as part of their poppy campaign. I'm pleased it's for them. I have always been a big supporter of them as a charity. In addition, I think driving around London will be rather fun (if a bit nerve-wracking). If I'm honest, I'm nnot brilliantly happy about the idea of being paid by a charity, I can't help but feel their money should be spent on Veterans but then again the poppy appeal will raise vastly more money than I'm being paid and these support roles do have to be performed (and I am desperate for work at the moment so I'm not really in a position to get too worked up). Now comes the challenge of finding something to folllow it...

JR

Guest Post

This is a post from a close friend from Uni. It was written in response to a previous post of mine about the police. I'm not sure which one since there are a few variations on a theme but it doesn't really matter. She is one of the very few people who have read this that have consciously met me in person. We lived in the same place at uni and lived the cliche of staying up all night talking about random crap that neither of us could do much about but was interesting none the less. We disagreed on many, many things in terms of our respective outlooks on life however on some things, we are in absolute agreement:

I’ve been following your blog and I really wanted to comment on this particular post about the police force in this country. I was having a conversation this morning with someone who belonged to those parts of society who mock the police force and (for want of any other expression) don’t really treat them with any particular respect. Said person described them as “glorified bullies” among many other terms and it reminded me of what I read here a while ago.

 Personally, I really feel for the police force in this country because they really are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.  If they come down on criminals with the full force of the law in this country, they are hauled in front of a tribunal to face charges of police brutality, if they behave in other way, they are accused of being too soft. The riots that took place in August are a good example of this. If the police had acted in any other way to the violence and had actually tried to stop someone from hurting themselves or anyone else, they would have found themselves standing in a court of law. Whilst I agree that the police force in this country is not perfect, I firmly believe that we are extremely privileged to live in a country where we can trust our law and order force.

 I myself used to live in a North African country and found the police there to be very intimidating and used guns unnecessarily to maintain their version of order and I would have certainly gone to my embassy had I encountered any problem there. This is by far not the worst example though. A few weeks ago, I was watching a documentary with Ross Kemp (please don’t judge me, I love the man) about a city in Northern Mexico called Ciudad Juarez that has the world’s highest murder rate (around 10 people per day). At best, you can say the police force are completely useless to allow things to get that bad however, many people who live there believe that the police accept bribes from drug lords to turn a blind eye and shockingly, many believe that the police are partially responsible for the murders of almost 4000 women since 2001. It may be a case of turning a blind eye but many think they have a more chilling role in the disappearances of these women.

 Surely in comparison, British people should count their blessings. This is not the only case of police being corrupt, devious and even murderous. Rio de Janeiro and its notoriously corrupt police force spring to mind here. I have no doubt that there are some bad apples in the police force in Britain, but I strongly believe that most play a fair game and people’s ignorant negative attitude can only make things worse for them. If the riots have taught us anything, it’s that if you work with the police, they will do everything they can to help you. It’s those who work against them who feel the negative effects of the law (and rightly so)

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far through my ramblings, well done. Please keep writing JR, it’s been very interesting so far.

Desert Island

As an avid listener to Radio 4, I have been known to listen to Desert Island Discs. Admittedly, given the time it's on (first thing on a Sunday morning - or might as well be after Saturday night) I am usually fairly selective about which episodes I listen to but there have been some brilliant ones.

For those of you not familiar with the format; someone either famous or highly regarded in their fields chooses eight pieces of music that are particularly significant or meaningful to them that they would take to a desert island. Coupled to this they are allowed to take one (non-practical) luxury and a book; the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible being included as well.

As I am unlikely to become either important or famous enough to have my own episode on Radio 4, I have made my choices and here they are:

1. Scotland the Brave/Heilan' Laddie/The Black Bear - Played by the Massed Bands of the Scots Guards. I love the rousing sounds of the bagpipes combined with the steady beat of the drums. The tunes are all fantastic too. On the occasional times I go out running, the people I go running with can always tell when this particular track comes on the MP3 player; apparently I'm off like a rocket!

2. Triumphal March from Aida - Either by the Massed Bands of the Household Cavalry or played in the Verona Opera House. Aida was one of the first operas I ever saw and it was in the Verona Opera house. The music was breathtaking, the performance was stunning. In addition to this, it was the finale we all played when I did a residential music summer school many years ago. Playing it (as a trumpeter) was a rush, especially in front of hundreds of people.

3. 500 Miles - The Proclaimers. Well why not. It's just good.

4. The James Bond Theme Tune - Monty Norman (well until the case is fully resolved). I have loved Bond since I was a small boy (some may argue my mental state hasn't changed!) and still avidly watch all the films both old and new. The theme tune is one of the few pieces of music that genuinely sends shivers up my spine. It brings on the expectation of things to come.

5. Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey. Favourite Bond film. Enough said.

6. Ride of the Valkyries - Wagner. No particular reason, I just love this piece of music.

7. Baywatch Theme Tune - Who Knows? When I was much younger I used to watch some/all of Baywatch before the main event of Saturday night TV; Gladiators. Naturally, as an 8 year old, I found the rescues by far and away the most exciting part. While I was at Uni. I was in the lifesaving club and had the time of my life. Naturally this tune became an unofficial anthem for the club (despite it being hideously overplayed when we went out on club nights out). Every time I hear the tune now, I am reminded of the good times I had in the club... and I still like the rescues although they may no longer be the best bits in the show;-)

8. The London Underground Song - Amateur Transplants. For those of you that haven't heard of this band, they perform covers of well known songs, usually with filthy lyrics... schoolboy humour in essence. This song is no different. They take the Jam's, "Going Underground" and rework it about London tube strikes with lots and lots and LOTS of naughty words. Regardless of what you think about the tube strikes/strikes in general, this song captures the universal frustration and anger felt by normal people during public services strikes. And has lots of naughty words.

The book I would take would be the complete works of Ian Flemming. Surprise! I only got into the Bond novels in my later teens but I love them. They offer something different and usually darker to the films but, in my opinion, Flemming fulfilled his self-imposed brief; to write some of the best spy stories ever.

Now for the slightly controversial bit; as I don't believe in the Bible, I would argue to be allowed swap it for something else. The book I would chose to replace it is Vander, Sherman and Luciano's "Human Physiology". This isn't a theological point I'm trying to make; it is simply that my degree was in Human Biology. The subject has always fascinated me and I enjoyed studying it. Unfortunately, I can feel what I learned beginning to ebb away since I am no longer using the knowledge as much. This book was one of my main text books at Uni. I have it with me down in London and still flick through it occasionally but if I was on a desert island, I would have the time to sit down and really get to grips with the subject again.

As for the complete works of Shakespeare; unless I was stuck for kindling I would much prefer to swap this as well. Bad experiences at school have left me with a life-long loathing of Shakespeare so I would far rather exchange the compendium for a large, bound volume of blank paper and a pen. I have grown to really enjoy blogging. Obviously, this would be a little difficult on said island so the blank paper and pen would allow me to continue to write and perhaps post up anything interesting upon my escape.

For my luxury, well that's the easiest choice of all; an unlimited supply of Edradour with a cut glass tumbler. Edradour is my favourite whisky of all time. It has a light, sweet, creamy flavour that sits on the tongue and feels delicious. Added to that is the undeniably quaint image on the bottle of the distillery; essentially a collection of farm buildings in an Highland valley. It was once described by someone at the distillery as a, "Breakfast whisky" because it can be drunk with breakfast or any time before or after! I can't disagree. It is drinkable in the heat or in the cold, during the day or night and in celebration or commiseration. In short, I genuinely think it's the perfect whisky.

JR

National Identity

As you may have guessed from some previous posts, I'm scottish and really rather proud of it. I can drink my own body-weight in whisky, love running up and down hills, don't really mind rain/cold and devour pretty much anything so long as it's deep-fried (and no I don't wear anything under my kilt since you're asking). You have also probably realised I live in London. I love living here and I genuinely can't think of a better place to live.

Usually these two halves of my life rub along quite happily together. But not always. During sporting events I always feel a surge of patriotism; especially rugby for some reason (not really a fan unless it's six nations or the world cup). The strongest feelings of all come when Scotland are playing Englad. That is usually cause to don the kilt, go to the pub and sing(/shout) patriotic songs. It's at times like this I stick a note on my mental pinboard to learn the bagpipes.

Such an event occurred on Saturday. I didn't make it to the pub because I was on my way to a duty but I was following events on the internet. We were winning through most of the game so I was really rather happy. I was contentedly composing smug soundbites to send to English friends when, with three minutes to go, we conceded a try and conversion. The Cromwell Road echoed to my frustration (fortunately in broad Scots so unlikely that anyone around me understood). We lost by a whisker.

Fortunately my friends were magnanimous in their reflective victory. And I can derive extreme comfort from the fact Johnny Wilkinson buggered up a whole load of chances; I'm sure he's a perfectly nice chap but my girlfriend fancies him so was nice to see some of the sheen come off!

Back to being a civilised human and not a bad Mel Gibson tribute act!

JR

More tales from Duty

Morning, have been really rather dour recently because of job applications amongst other things. however feeling better (though not sure why) so thought I would share some more stories from SJA duties for some comedy value.

One that always sticks in my mind was when I was at a sporting event in a London park. I was sitting in the back of our mobile first aid post (think bus with beds in the back and blue lights on the top) doing what we do best in SJA - drinking tea - when the guy in the front cab who was monitoring the radio called me forward. Naturally I assumed it was some potential incident developing so I meandered up (plus tea if you're interested) to see what was going on. Fortunately there was no incident; just some rather attractive young ladies which we duly admired. This caused us to be branded, "Tarts" by a 10 year old cadet who was out with us much to the amusement of everyone else. Fair point but she didn't have to be so mean about it!

Another story comes from a music festival. I was standing in front of the stage during the last act. While there a rather pretty girl makes eye contact with me and smiles. Naturally I smile back (slightly shocked given I'm wearing a hi-vis and a horrible polyester shirt). At this point my eye is caught by what looks like someone in distress so, reluctantly, I look away. The other person was fine so I scan the crowd and see the girl has moved closer. More smiling, mouthing of pleasantries. This goes on until the band have finished at which point I switch back into full duty mode and keep an eye on the crowd dispersal. A few minutes later I look up and see her standing at the barrier. This is where things start to go BADLY wrong. She says, "Do I know you from somewhere?"
Obviously this is a fairly strong chat up line but I'm so surprised to be being chatted up I respond, "Ummmmm, I don't think so."
Valiantly she perseveres by saying, "Are you sure? You look really familiar."
I have realised what is gone and trying to prevent the impending train wreck I search for something cool to say. Unfortunately the best I can ocme up with is, "Hopefully not from the wanted posters."
Unsurprisingly she left fairly swiftly after that. My lovely mates do of course remind me of this at every possible opportunity.

A short while after the above incident I was out on foot patrol at a busy London duty when a girl with a cut to her head presents herself to my team. As we patch her up ready to take her back to the treatment centre, a copper grabs me and presents me with another girl who had apparently overdosed on drugs. Both needed further assessment and monitoring so I got the team moving and radioed through to the centre so they could be set up for when we arrived. Unfortunately the signal was poor so at the other end all they heard was my callsign, "two girls" and "drugs... Head injury". Apparently the universal reaction of my colleagues was, "JR's pulled at last"... Charming!

Funally an awwwwww story. I was on duty in a central London park enjoying the sunshine when a daschund puppy (only a few months old) came over to investigate the cente (and probably try and get access to the contents of our lunch packs). Being a huge dog lover I bend down and give said puppy a scratch behind the ears then start stroking it's belly. Because it was so small and young I didn't realise how light it was and suddenly the puppy was levatating about a foot off the ground and looking a bit confused! He was returned to the ground unharmed and unperturbed. He didn't manage to get into the lunch packs though!

JR

Yes Prime Minister

Saw the stage play of Yes Prime Minister last night. For those of you that aren't familiar with the series, it follows a cabinet minister who later becomes prime minister in his dealings with his civil servants and advisors. There is a constant power struggle between the prime minister and the head of the civil service; Sir Humphrey Appelby and is very, very, very funny.

For those that are fans of the TV series, the stage show is very different. Although the dialogue is still expertly scripted by Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, the original actors are not part of the play. This caused me a fair bit of apprehension and almost put me off going to see it.

I'm glad I did go in the end. The actors did a magnificent job resurrecting Sir Humphrey, Bernard and Jim and the new plot allowed them to make the parts their own.

The whole story was set in Chequers which I liked since again it avoided comparison with the TV series. I also enjoyed the fact that the BBC were the brunt of many jokes; I get the impression these had been stored up since the original series but like most things about the show, it remains contemporary.

Sir Humphrey had some truly magnificent polysylabic sililoquies and there were some cheeky nods to previous stories. My only two criticisms are that the plot was occasionally a little slow - never dragging but at times it seemed to have lost direction a bit. My other criticism is that, at some points, Bernard ceased to be the straight man. He never ascends to the true lunacy that some of the other characters achieve but at times things just seemed a bit silly.

Overall, I am compelled to say, after due consideration and consultation with other parties present at the previous performance pertaining to the merits, or otherwise, of the aforementioned show that; although not a total and faithful replication of the eponymous televisual broadcast, the play could in fact, if one so chooses, be described as being excellent.

Oh and the girl playing the bbc producer was STUNNING!

JR

Update on Previous Post

I am writing this on my mobile so I can't do all the fancy link stuff to the previous post referred to above. Not entirely sure I could have done it on my computer to be honest!

Suffice to say, in a previous post I wrote about how I work for a private ambulance service to get a bit of cash while job hunting. As part of this, I provide medical cover for a club that runs, rather unusually, during the day on Sundays.

Last time I was there I wrote about how schocked I was by some of the antics that went on; specifically girls wearing virtually nothing the flashing their boobs - encouraged by the organisers. Today, I worked at the same club and things sank to a new low.

Firstly there was the girl I saw tuck in her top. So far, so good. However to do this she lifted the lower hem of her skirt (such as it was) up over the waist band and tugged the top down. Her skirt was essentially inverted and round her chest. Now had I been treating someone in the ladie's cloakroom and she had (unaware of the presence of a big, hairy scotsman) done this in front of the mirror, it would have been fair enough; if a bit exhibitionist. She did this in the middle of a crowded dance floor. She was not wearing substantial underwear.

Another girl's mates decided it would be rather fun to lift the back of her dress up, exposing her essentially bare buttocks. Said dress admittedly was little more than a linnen sheet safety-pinned round her but it offered marginally more modesty.

Finally, at the girls only stage session, not content with flashing boobs, one girl decided it would be fun to lift her skirt; both front and back. More of the same.

Once again, I am far from averse to seeing girls in a state of undress; rather like it in fact, but the context that this occurred genuinely shocked me. It seemed so tacky and gratuitous.

Once again I ask what sort of message this sends out to those around them and what are the consequences, intended and unintended, of these actions?

JR

Jobs and other stuff

Had a job interview of sorts today. It was a conversation/interview with a recruitment consultant about being a recruitment consultant. Not exactly the same as a lawyer but it sounds interesting. As importantly, he was making very positive noises about the skills I have and my prospects of getting a job. This is more than a little reassuring since I am getting to my wits end about hot to get gainful employment.

In other news, I was reading in the paper about the women's olympic handball team. I'm not particularly into handball (in fact the only time it ever came into my life before was in german lessons at school). What made it stand out was the fact that the firls in the team all had proper jobs.

I have always been against the professionalisation of sport. Not just the obscenely overpaid footballers but all those that do nothing but play sport.

I understand the importance of exercise in a healthy lifestyle and support those who try and remain active. That is the sensible level. People who want to take this interest to a competitive high-level should do this on their own time as a hobby. Paying them to do so is a monumental waste of money that could be better spent and human resource that can be better employed. Encouraging people to devote their whole energy, commitment and enthusiasm to an activity which should be reserved for idling away a bit of free time is toxic for them and those around them.

Rant over (for now).

JR

Blogging

Blogging, what is it and why do I do it?

Some do it as an outlet for personal frustration, others for educational purposes, yet more because they have something to say. So far, I have written about a mixture of things that I have seen in the world around me that have provoked particularly strong feelings and things happening in my life.

The next question is why... In the case of the issues of the day, I want to say my piece and possibly raise awareness. To what end I'm not sure. It just feels somehow right to write about them. In terms of the stuff more specific to me it's a different ball game. Writing about things does offer a form of personal catharsis. Doing it on computer rather than on paper means I can read it later (my handwriting is utterly bloody illegible). Putting it out there on the internet will hopefully give others some form of amusement.

I must confess, I have always fancied the idea of being a writer and, looking at the stats of my blog, it's rather flattering to see that people are reading what I write. Not only do I enjoy the process of arranging words and playing with English to try and convey exactly what I'm thinking but I also like the fact that people seem to think I'm interesting enough to read (unless they stumbled here by mistake; in which case, sorry!). So far the comments I have received both on my blog and in response to other comments I have left have been warm and friendly. Before I started blogging, I followed a number of other blogs. Since I have started, I have been following yet more. What has always impressed and intrigued me is the strong sense of community that appears to be present on line. Slowly, I am beginning to feel part of that community. Although almost everybody uses screen names etc, I think the semi-anonymity is quite a good thing. It allows everyone (myself included) to interact in a totally new way and free of preconceptions and prejudices that govern every-day social interaction. That said, sometimes I still feel a wee bit like Adrian Mole (don't worry, no long passages of adolescent, lustful poetry or banal details about spots... promise!)

So far I have enjoyed this process. Finding things to write about hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought (probably something to do with being a gobby sod) and writing them down has become much easier with practice. Hopefully whoever reads this will continue to enjoy doing so for as long as I write.

JR

Shock, Horror and a fair dose of Outrage.

Before reading further I suggest reading this (excuse the source).

If you've skipped the article let me give you a brief summary; the daily wail is up in arms about the amount some police officers are claiming in overtime. Some of these amounts run to tens of thousands of pounds per year for some officers and in some cases exceed their basic salary. On reading it, you can almost taste the outrage although there is the concession that average overtime payments are around £4, 000 per annum.

Before I launch into full song I should qualify what I say by pointing out I only know what is printed in the article which is hardly objective.

Do these police officers deserve the over-time payments? Unequivocally yes. If they are doing the work, the deserve to either be paid for it or be given much higher salaries to compensate for the extra time worked. Currently the police grades entitled to overtime are limited to constables and sergeants; essentially the ones that do the majority of the grunt work. Also the ones that have just been royally shafted in relation to their pensions and working conditions. Overtime seems the sensible option for these officers not least because increased salaries have been shown not to work; Inspectors were awarded an annual salary increase in lieu of overtime, this has not increased in line with inflation and rarely reflects the true hours worked (source Inspector Gadget if you're interested).

Many Police Officers do an extremely demanding job under very, very trying circumstances. They have to deal with the most unsavoury aspects of our society, the ones we would prefer not to think about and, thanks to them, we rarely have to. While doing their job, they get abused by those they try and keep in check whilst facing contempt and derision from the media and some quarters of society for doing it. In addition to this, they face the real and distinct possibility of severe injury every time they go out and do their job (apparently the baddies don't like being nicked... who would have thought?). They do this for a fairly modest wage (yes it is better than some but is it truly reflective of the sacrifices they make in terms of personal safety, family life, free time and low-stress working).

Bearing in mind the above, can anyone really suggest officers don't deserve to be paid for the hours they work? Like I say, I don't know the details of the case but I struggle to see how one can be paid overtime without working. Therefore, for these payments to be claimed, the officers in question must have put in the hours. I hope they were on the front-line rather than dealing with bullshit but even if the latter were true, it's not the officer's fault that they are ploughing through paperwork. Blame years of government who are incapable of appreciating anything unless it has a number attached. Officers are now expected to fill out pages of forms as part of their job, we cannot expect them to do this in their free time. Yes, policing is a vocation/calling and most officers do it for the love of the job but that doesn't mean we as a society have the right to expect them to sacrifice either the quality of their work of their free time doing it.

In addition to the payment for work done argument we should remember that police pensions have just been decimated while pay and conditions have been made considerably less favourable. Why then should we be shocked that officers are doing overtime to get some extra cash either to live on or to stash away for later. Who can blame them, especially when your job carries the risk of career-ending injury on a daily basis? In fact, if the officers are using overtime payments to plan for the future then should they not be applauded for taking a responsible attitude to the future rather than relying on the state? And if they are not, well frankly who cares. We have all been in positions where we could do with a bit of extra cash, why should we deny police officers the opportunity of making some?

Rant over.

JR

Job Hunting

Currently I am job hunting. The process is not going well. Ideally I am looking for something in the legal sector given that's what I have been studying for the last few years. The gold standard would be a training contract that would allow me to become a solicitor however there aren't that many going at the moment.

I have been slowed down a bit in the process by a couple of factors. Firstly there was the fact that I had a resit a few weeks ago which knocked my confidence severely. I have therefore been reluctant to send out CVs with the exam outstanding on it. Secondly is a general lack of confidence in my abilities. I have a good degree from a very good uni, a range of extra curricular activities and interests to talk about and a few positions of leadership and responsibility to my name. Unfortunately so do most others in the job market. I read a column by Boris Johnson a few years ago speaking of his frustration at being almost entirely unable to distinguish between candidates when recruiting for a job.

As a result of this, I have been extremely cautious about sending out CVs which I know is about the worst thing to do. However the near-constant rejection is soul destroying. Then again, so is the fact that I don't have a job and therefore a waste of space.

A bit of a lift came on Friday when I received feedback from a CV review by my college saying they thought it was very well written. A minor victory I know but still a confidence boost that will hopefully  bear fruit.

Part of the problem is my academic history so far. A lot of jobs won't touch me because they know that's not what I want to do and I will be off like a shot. Fair enough. I don't hold it against them. Unfortunately, this extends to a lot of graduate level jobs too and ones that I would be perfectly prepared to stay in for the long term. Because I have now done the professional practice part of my law course as well as the academic stage, it gives the impression that I want to be a lawyer. That's true to a point, I wouldn't have done the course otherwise but it would be nice to be able to communicate discreetly that I really am open to a better offer if they've got one. Law was a decision made with the head not the heart: good salary, bearable hours, vaguely engaging subject matter in that order. Because of this, I am more than happy to consider other things on similar grounds. Obviously some element of interest would be fantastic but there are very few things I can think of that I find interesting that could be converted into a career. Grrrrrrr!

Hopefully I will find something soon:s

JR

Boundaries

First of all a bit of a plug. Today I saw "Top Hat" on stage in Southampton. Although I generally appreciate the more classic offerings in most genres I have never really seen an all-singing, all-dancing number before. I thought it was excellent. The famous tunes were delivered with due gusto, the costumes were excellent and overall the performance was pretty slick.

Special mention should go to the star, Tom Chambers. I was aware he had been in a few shows such as "Holby City" and "Strictly" but had never really seen him in action. His presence worried me as I, somewhat cynically, take the view that shows featuring minor to middling tv personalities do this to distract the audience from other deficiencies in the performance. Not so here. As someone who cannot act, sing or dance (the local ambulance service usually declare major incidents when I get on the dance floor) I am generally impressed by people with any one of those talents. Chambers was managing all three simultaneously and singing in an American accent to boot. That impressed me. What impressed me more was that he compensated for the fact he was neither a singer nor a dancer with sheer enthusiasm. A good performance from him and a good show all round.

Because the show is out of my usual stomping ground of London I am staying with my girlfriend at her parent's place. This brings on the usual minefield of parental relations.

I'm sure everyone has had some memorably cringeworthy moments with, "the in-laws". Some of my best ones were getting drunk in a bar with one girlfriend and her folks. At one point her father leans over to me and proceeds to describe, loudly, the meaning of the song; specifically the bit about waking up next to a fat girl and wanting to chew your arm off to get away. He ended somewhat rhetoricaly, "you know what it's like!" How does one respond to that? To any other man you can simply grunt in assent, roll your eyes, drink and have a laugh. However in this case, you're sleeping with his daughter, the inner neanderthal is best kept under wraps (in mitigation this guy had three daughters, a wife and two female dogs; I think he wanted the male company!)

On another occasion, the one and only time I met a girlfriend's dad, she was in hospital and we met over visiting. Her mother and father were estranged and she was strongly on her mother's side. I lost severe brownie points because I got on with her dad like a house on fire. Apparently classic cars were not an appropriate topic of conversation.

Awkwardness is not confined to fathers however. One girl's mother came over one evening in slightly tense circumstances only to be very visibly disappointed we were drinking tea and eating chocolate rather than drinking beer and having sex.

I think I get on with my current girlfriend's parents really quite well. We have a lot in common and fairly similar outlooks on lives. This brings it's own complications.

When I was just the boyfriend, I had an easy role to fulfil. Essentially, smile nicely, make polite conversation and be sycophantic in the extreme. Now however, we are growing to know each other in our own rights. Mainly, this is a good thing. It shows we get on as people and will inevitably be beneficial to my relationship with my girlfriend. I have seen the strain poor relationships with the other-half's family can put on relationships. Trouble is, being too matey at this stage could be disastrous.

To put the last remark into context a bit; a big concern on my part is that her father and I share a very similar sense of humour... a bit smutty and silly. This is great for a bit of chat but I'm always wary of engaging too fully as a) I don't want to play the buffoon too much since I am going out with his daughter and I don't want him to think I'm an overgrown schoolboy who can't take anything seriously and b) her mother is a very serious person so too much larking about is ill advised until I can read both better. That said, I also don't want to appear a prigish killjoy. Like most things, I think time will help. And maybe a few ales (another interest I share with her father along with tweed and boats... I swear my girlfriend has an electra complex!)

Anyway, the ramble through my mind (such as it is) is now concluded. Over all, I am happy with how things are going, just wish there was a guide book.

JR

Changing Times

"Bollocks!" Not a crude attempt by me to be offensive but a direct quote from BBC Radio 4's morning news programme Today. This word featured not just on the BBC but on Radio 4 (admittedly it was in reference to Downtown Abbey so entirely justified). Immediately I e-mailed my dad (a St. Andrews Ambulance volunteer - the Scottish equivalent of SJA) and my unit leader and told them to expect an emergency call out; middle Britain, as the typical demographic who listen to radio 4, would collectively be choking on their breakfasts and having aneurysms of outrage.

The call out never came but the fact that such language occurred is still surprising. This comes on the back of George Osbourne talking openly and jokingly about boys pleasuring themselves during a speech at an awards dinner and David Cameron talking about Tweeting Twats. Who can forget, during the most recent Conservative leadership elections, David Cameron and David Davies discussing their preferred choice of underwear on Women's hour?

All this goes to suggest our society is becoming much less formal.  Our elected representatives are allowing a more human side of themselves to be seen and institutions known for their conservatism are becoming much less stuffy. After all, we all let slip with bad language from time to time. Although it should never be normalised and accepted into polite conversation the odd slip is forgiveable.

Oddly enough, I find this change rather reassuring. I quite like the image of our Prime Minister having a cheeky pint before dinner and being gently scolded by his wife when he nips out for a fag. We all do it (or similar) after all. It is rather nice to know that the holders of the great offices of state are not consumed with pomposity and their own importance. Osborne gently poking fun a politicians, while vulgar, shows that he is aware of the stereotypes surrounding them. What better way to start tackling them and create a more positive impression of our government. Ultimately, the relaxing of conventional formalities does not denigrate the intellect of individuals. In fact, I would argue a pervasive sense of self-importance is likely to make an individual far less open to receiving advice and suggestions for improvement. If the reduction in formality required to create this atmosphere means our elected representatives are occasionally caught making a risque statement or indulging in pleasures that are not entirely wholesome then so be it. That said, a line should probably be drawn at making "your mum" jokes in response to awkward questions... unless it's a really, really good one.

This attitude, perversely, doesn't really sit easily with me. Normally I am a very conservative person. I write with a fountain pen wherever possible, I own (and wear) tweed, I always err towards the formal and am generally not a fan of change. I am the kind of person that will turn up to a party in a suit as being overly smart doesn't particularly bother me whereas being overly informal is incredibly stressful. I would never dream of wearing sports clothes in public unless participating in exercise and I'm not terribly sure I'm comfortable with the current vogue of calling bosses by their first name (although even I admit a near-ubiquitous "Sir" is a bit much). I suppose it's no surprise that my mother refers to me as her "Young fogey".

I'm not sure how, or indeed if, this has a knock on effect on everyday life. The only tangible example I can think of where it is quite useful relates to clothing. Like I say, I usually dress smart-ish. This means I can comfortably switch from relaxing with my peers to meeting with academic staff/line managers to going out to a fairly smart bar in the evening and never feel massively out of place by the way I am dressed. I would say that my fairly traditional attitudes mean I try to do right by others as well as myself, don't see reward as being distinct from effort and don't view sex as a fleeting social exchange. Maybe that simply shows how out of touch I am with the rest of the world!

Either way, I may loosen my tie slightly and occasionally write with a ball-point. I hope these changes signify that our leaders are more interested in doing their jobs than of their own importance (as a seasoned Yes Minister fan I doubt it) however if I am proved wrong then it's national service for the lot of them!

Musings

I haven't posted in a while. This hasn't been because I've had nothing to write about, rather the opposite in fact. There are many serious items in the news I would like to pass comment on a) to explore my thoughts on the subject and b) in the hope that they get read by someone of influence and considered, even if they don't lead to change. Many more stories are less serious but make me grumpy. If I post about these it will be in the form of a bit of a rant that hopefully those of you that read this will find amusing. A lot of stuff is happening in my personal life at the moment as well. I'm not sure I will write about this as it would be really rather narcissistic of me to think that it would be of interest to anyone else. I realise that what is happening is nothing more than the slings and arrows of normal life and, while it isn't too pleasant for me, it isn't the biggest deal in the world. Overall, I know I have a pretty good lot in life and it would be extremely selfish to complain about it.

I see from the stats on my blog that I have a reader in America (yes I am sad enough to check these things). I purposefully didn't write anything yesterday as I thought the day was better suited to quiet reflection and found the hyperbolic sentimentality and action replays that featured heavily in the British Media insensitive and distasteful. However my thoughts were with those that suffered on that dreadful day ten years ago. My heart goes out to those who have perished and their families. I hope the resulting conflicts can be resolved swiftly and with the minimum loss of life.

I, like so many, remember exactly where I was ten years ago. I remember so clearly how I felt. Initially I didn't believe it. I thought the person telling me was making it up. When I saw proof on telly I felt numb disbelief. It took many minutes for the enormity of the events unfolding to sink in. Fairly quickly I found myself thinking, "The world is never going to be the same again". Along with this I was angry. I don't agree with killing people however I accept in limited circumstances it is necessary for the greater good. This was not one of  these circumstances. Killing innocent people going about their daily lives is inexcusable. Killing people on this scale was a work of pure evil. It made me angry that some twisted individuals saw fit to do this to their fellow human beings.

Ten years have passed. In this time, Britain has suffered attacks on her soil and against our citizens. The anger has galvanised. How dare certain individuals attack innocent people who are simply getting on with their lives?

Today, Britain and the U.S. stand together fighting those that seek to oppress and destroy us. It has cost us dearly. Hundreds of our troops have died in battle. Hundreds more have been wounded. However this fight is just. We cannot bow to those that seek to destroy us; we must defend ourselves and our way of life. We must fight the bully that tries to stop us choosing how we live but we must be careful not to lose ourselves in the process.

Ten years have passed and I hope we can soon find lasting peace and security.

JR

Soldiers in Schools

Over the course of my revision, I saw a story in the paper that was detailing plans to get demobilised soldiers to retrain as teachers. I must say, I think it's an excellent idea.

I can't think of many better models for our young people today. Our armed services are institutions where exceptional levels of discipline, professionalism, dedication, motivation and integrity are the norm. Individuals in the forces understand that the world does not revolve around them; something the rioters of a few weeks ago with their latent sense of entitlement would do well to understand.

Of course there have been the predictable objections to this idea. Some say it is a bad idea to put trained killers in the classrooms. I think this is a very narrow-minded view. A far better representation of the job of someone in the service is of an individual skilled in getting a given task done often under extreme time pressure, with minimal equipment and, of course, adverse circumstances. Experienced problem solvers in other words. Admittedly the problems solved are military in nature and may well involve the use of force; however the use of force is incidental and not the objective in its-self. In short, portraying our forces as knuckle dragging thugs is ignorant.

[Further evidence, if such evidence is needed, can be found here here in the speech given by Colonel Tim Collins on the eve of the second Gulf War]

The demands placed on our forces today means that the testosterone-fuelled, macho stereotype no longer holds true. Young men and women are being sent into war zones before they have even reached their 20s. Many have lived with their parents all their lives, yet more have never been to a foreign country. When they get into theatre, it is very likely that they will be attacked. They will lose friends and must quickly come to terms with their own mortality. The Officers and NCOs who's job it is to lead these people have to be sensitive to their needs. Typically, rather than doing the bare minimum necessary to get by, they excel inspiring their troops to ever greater feats of heroism, bravery and sheer physical endurance. It is not only the leaders that are possessed of these traits. Every soldier I have spoken to (I always seem to end up sitting next to squaddies on long train journeys) had profound emotional intelligence and as far from mindless thuggery as you could wish to imagine. Why then, would we not want these qualities brought into our classrooms?

Members of our forces also have to be able to partially integrate and work within completely alien environments and cultures. They need to do this quickly and they need to do this while fostering as much good will from the local community as possible. Again, why not have our children taught by people who are used to building strong rapports with a diverse range of people quickly. Surely this skill could be used to engage the children and enthuse them about the subjects.

Military personnel also need to be able to react quickly to dynamic and changing situations. While the classroom is not a war zone, there is the potential for things to develop rapidly whether that be from an unexpected question prompting a class discussion to a disruptive pupil causing the whole class to lose interest.

To my mind, one of the biggest advantages of employing demobilised soldiers, sailors and airmen(people?) as teachers would be their uniformly strong sense of discipline. It is not fashionable in certain circles (and among the readership of certain newspapers) to suggest that children need discipline and boundaries to flourish. None the less it is true. Many people have been coming round to the idea after the recent riots and looting. Although giving kids a beasting may not be practical (or desirable) a strong sense of discipline and a no-nonsense attitude would go a long, long way. Couple that to an understanding of the concept of responsibility and a dash of self-respect and we would have the majority of young people ready to face the world when they leave school.

As for specialist knowledge, well that is attainable. Again, to assume the role of the military is simply fighting causes one to miss the bigger picture. The military regularly has to adapt to new situations and to do that, the people in it must learn new skills (and usually pretty quickly). Therefore it should be entirely possible to educate service people in specialist subjects. Law now operates a year conversion course covering the salient points of law an individual needs to know to practice effectively and some universities are now offering condensed medical degrees. This shows it's entirely possible to give an individual good subject knowledge without lengthy study. Furthermore, it is an error to think that currently all teachers of specialist subjects have tertiary education qualifications in their subject matter. This is particularly prevalent in the sciences where chemists regularly teach physics and biologists regularly teach chemistry due to a lack of teachers with specialist knowledge in those subjects.

I think there is a place for military personnel in our schools and I think all would benefit from it (and if nothing else, if the tabloids are to be believed, it would be very advantageous having people who are used to coming under fire in our inner city schools).

JR

Revision

It's exam time. I'm revising. I'm not enjoying it.


Normally I love finding things out. I think I have a very inquisitive mind. The problem is that I find revision contracts the intellectual ability (such as it is). There is something about having to know something which makes it almost impossible to remember.


The subject matter doesn't help much. It's business law. Some of the stuff is genuinely very interesting; unfortunately it is balanced by a lot of stuff that really isn't. What really doesn't help is that the idea of business evades me entirely. I really cannot relate to it. I struggle to relate to the idea of making money for the sake of making money. Don't get me wrong, the idea of making a few quid appeals (suits from saville row and an Aston Martin wouldn't go amiss) but I want to do it something with an outcome other than profit. Profit for profit's sake reminds me of friends from school that were into computers. They regarded the use of a computer to complete the task as the desireable outcome rather than the completion of the task.


Returning to the topic of exams; the revision process is made all the more arduous by the fact I don't usually perform brilliantly in exams and certainly not commensurate to my subject knowledge. Exams seem to be an arbitrary way of trying to find out how much someone knows. Then again, I can't think of a better system off the top of my head so, like everyone else, I will have to grin and bear it. At least I'm still aliv

They could, of course, just accept I'm wonderful! Night night.

JR

Lybia

Much has been happening in Lybia lately. Most of it, I haven't followed beyond the headlines and bylines. However one story has caught my eye and has made me think.

The story in question is one regarding the convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi.

His release from a Scottish prison was, in my opinion, a shocking miscarriage of justice and an embarrassment to the country I am usually proud to call myself a national of. In addition, it provided a major PR boost to a vile dictator.

The recent conflict in Lybia has led to much speculation as to his whereabouts; until the other day. Current reports suggest he is gravely ill in his compound in Tripoli, his medication having been stolen by looters. If reports are to be believed, this is a man close to death.

His family have apparently requested help from Britain.

The question is; how should we respond?

I don't think it is in any way possible to offer this help. Firstly, entirely objectively, how many people in Lybia are in a similar situation? Many I'm willing to bet. How can we therefore justify helping one individual without making a credible attempt to help many? This course of action seems grossly unfair to all those who are suffering throughout the country.

Secondly, al-Megrahi's past crimes cannot be ignored. He has committed a dreadful atrocity against the human race. His actions caused over a hundred to die in terror and agony and has inflicted endless suffering on those they have left behind. Many wish vengeance on such a person. I can't disagree with them although I don't think withholding medical treatment is the way to do it. This shows a lack of humanity that is not befitting of our great civilisation. However, to give assistance will make a mockery of our country. What sort of message would it send to the world if we rendered aid to someone who had attacked us in such a terrible way and then, when released on compassionate grounds, become a high profile mascot for the regime that mounted the attack. To capitulate to this request would be to actively humiliate ourselves.

I hope al-Megrahi doesn't suffer unduly over the coming days but it is not for us to intervene in his case beyond doing our best to bring peace and stability to the country as a whole.

JR

Red Arrows

It was with great sadness over the weekend that I read of the Red Arrow crash and the death of Flt Lt Jon Egging. My thoughts and sympathy go out to his family and friends.

Beyond the tragedy of loss of human life I was reminded of Jeremy Clarkson's comments on the Air France Concorde crash. He describes mourning the loss of the aircraft as well as the people on board. I felt the same about the loss of a Red Arrow.

It was with dread that I read all Hawks were subsequently grounded. These times of austerity have had me expecting for years that the Red Arrows would have had their funding withdrawn.

It was therefore with great relief that I read today that the grounding has been lifted. The Red Arrows are back in the air.

Some may question the need for an ariel display team at any time never mind at the moment. To that I would answer that they are a tremendous source of national pride and terrific boost to national morale. Everyone I know gets a thrill when they see them... Even on TV. We can be truly proud of them and seeing them in action makes us proud to be British. Furthermore; what a brilliant way to promote Britain abroad.

What makes the Red Arrows even more impressive is that they are first and foremost operational pilots. Tours of duty last for three years and even to qualify for this, pilots must have flown a combat tour of duty. This shows that rather than being skimmed off during training and ring-fenced for the remainder of their careers, Red Arrow pilots represent all the pilots of the RAF. Who can't be proud and reassured to know that these people are defending our country? And why shouldn't we allow them to showcase their talent in ariel displays for our benefit.

May the Red Arrows continue flying for many years to come.

JR

The Archers

I love the internet. It has just proved to me that I am not the youngest person to
(voluntarily) listen to the archers.
I have listened to the archers, fairly consistently, for the last ten years or so. It started on the back of my father's enthusiasm for the show. It was a pleasant follow on to the half-six comedy show. Since then, I have become engrossed with the goings on of Ambridge.
Part of the charm, I think, is the fact it is so determinedly quaint. Usually the raciest it gets is a suggestively rustling hay bail! Naturally there have been some controversy. Right now we have a gay marriage, a single mother and (perhaps most shockingly of all) a crop of kids/young adults that seem relatively decent members of society - if you look through teenage angst and occasional naughtiness - rather than the chlamidyia laden, drug addled monsters the media would sometimes have us believe are roaming our streets.
The length is just about perfect too. Just long enough for a coffee and a slice of Jill's lemon drizzle cake (recipe tantalisingly unforthcoming) but no longer meaning a pleasant listening experience without feeling one has taken too long out one's day.
I like the cohesion amongst archers fans. I have long conversations with my father and girlfriend's mother about the latest developments. Other long conversations have been bourne out of mutual appreciation of the series.
One story that always amuses me is an anecdote in Andy McNab's book, "Bravo Two Zero" where he describes being in the SAS base in Saudi prior to going behind enemy lines in Iraq during the first gulf war. Amongst descriptions of weapons being cleaned and kit readied, he talks of hearing the strains of the theme tune amongst the general hubbub. The image of these ultra-hard soldiers avidly following countryside goings on amuses me every time.
As a final thought, I would like to remind you of a Billy Connolly routine where he suggests the Archers theme tune would be the ideal candidate for a new UK national anthem. I couldn't agree more. It's cheery, optimistic and represents so many aspects of quintessential Britishness... And there are no words to struggle to remember!
Now. All together now... Tum tee tum te tum te tum...
JR

Reflections on the Weekend

On my way back from a fantastic weekend with my girlfriend.
Over the past month or so, she and I have been doing a lot of "tourist" stuff. It started with me taking her up to Scotland and showing her some of my old haunts and exploring new places. Since then we have been doing a lot of sightseeing. Part of this is so we can actually say we've done something over our weekends, part of it is to convince her that London is a really cool place to live with no end of things to do and discover. So far we have been having an amazing time.
Anyhow, she is on placement at the moment and staying with her parents for it. Therefore this weekend I packed my bags and we went off to their place for some exploring. Like I said earlier, it was wonderful. We had a great time together and did some really cool stuff.
Unfortunately (it having been quite a while since I've done any attraction type stuff and not been on expenses), the cost of it all shocked me a wee bit. The things we went to all charged fairly significant entrance fees and that was with student discount. On both days I think we got value for money. We had great fun together. That was the point of the day. I like to think we learned a thing or two as well.
I don't have a problem with paying for attraction. I understand these things can't run for nothing and like I say, I think they generally represent value for money. What disappointed me was the determination of such places to get money out of customers at all costs. At one place, gift shops certainly equalled if not outnumbered the billed attractions (the attractions were in a number of buildings with a gift shop in each and a few more for good measure). Let's not even mention the coffee/ice cream/hot dog stands.
Again, I don't have a problem with gift shops per se but the sheer number left me feeling like the whole organisation was a cynical attempt to make money disguised as an attraction rather than attraction doing what was necessary to stay solvent. The sheer amount of saturation marketing served only to put me off buying anything. I feel acutely sorry for those that have kids since they lap up the worst of the over-priced plastic tat and have to be negotiated out of it every time. (As an aside: parents please PLEASE, if you're at something and your kids are making a racket, take them out of the situation for the benefit of everyone. Particularly if it's a guided tour. I know it can't be easy with a couple of wee ones especially when they're tired but don't inflict it on everyone else.)
Rant aside, like I say, it was a lovely weekend and the attractions did a fantastic job of catering to all audiences.
JR