Alter ego

GF is still trying to track down this new blog from his colleague... but at the moment everyone is being very secretive.

AGM

Yesterday's AGM was the usual bundle of fun. It always amazes the Gorse Fox how much heat can be generated in the discussions without the evidence of light. The estate has a new Chairman (pro temps) who is to be congratulated for handling things with a high degree of sensitivity and   patience, whilst providing clear and firm direction. (He and the other members of the Board are volunteers but often end up pilloried at these meetings).

Not everyone is eloquent, but their point of view is valuable and deserves respect. It is a shame that not all of the attendees had the common decency or courtesy to respect the Chair, the effort put in by the Board, or the views of neighbours and continued to mutter, chunder, and interrupt. There are times when one gets an almost overwhelming urge to tell people to sit down, shut up, and behave.

The major debate yesterday was in regard to installing and electronic barrier, or not. Arguments raged and suffered from fractured logic. The facts, as best the Gorse Fox can determine, are:

• Existing security guards are not performing effectively
  
• Health and safety are demanding better accommodation for them
  
• Health and safety are demanding they take comfort breaks, requiring backup cover
  
• Residents have been complaining

the Board have suggested and electronic barrier

Arguments against seem to be:

• We'll be trapped if there's a power cut - refuted, gate can be backed with UPS and unlocked by master key to fail open.
  
• Emergency services can't enter - refuted, they are provided a master pin code
  
• It removes the Right of Way granted in the Deeds to the properties - GF can't see how this changes the status quo when the security guards have the existing gate down.
• There's no real problem anyway with non-residents parking for the beach - GF thinks that would very quickly change if KG was known to be open instead of guarded.
• Burglars would be able to get through - er! Hello! they can now when the guards aren't on duty.
• Cyclists will be able to get through - er! Hello! they can now with or with a guard.
• People will randomly push buttons until someone lets them in - as opposed to the guards justy waving them through.

Arguments for seem to be:

• Gates will be closed at extra times without costing any more - seems logical
• Won't need to build facilities for the guards - which can't be placed by the gate anyway because KG doesn't own that land.
• Gates will deter or prevent non-residents from parking on the estate

Gorse Fox feels fairly neutral about the whole issue, but is always amused by the logical fallacies that get trotted out in such debate... and it makes him feel mischievous and want to argue the contradictory position just for the heck of it. Anyway, a vote was held and came down in favour of investigating the scheme further. 

Of course we could just build better facilities somewhere and pay for better guards, put in CCTV, or weapons emplacements.

For All or was it Four all

An excellent draw in last night's football, where Harry drove the team to a fine outcome at the home of the Forces of Darkness.

GF is a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work he faces. The interrupt-driven nature of his time in Worcester is not conducive to completing things.

Heading back south mid-afternoon to attend an AGM during the evening.

Sorry

Sorry but the Gorse Fox lacks inspiration today... thyough he has just
realised he has been maintaining this blog for four years as of this
week.

Silver Vixen apparently had a fairly fraught journey back from
Buckingham due to the various weather related incidents that had
caused havoc across varios trunk roads.

A rumour is going round that another colleague has started a blog. GF
hasn't got to the bottom of thisd yet but will add it to the blogroll
when he tracks it down.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Mex

A strange day.

With the clocks changing at the weekend and the change in the weather,
the Gorse Fox was greeted by icy windscreens in the pre-dawn dark.
Fortunately the heated windscreens quickly cleared the opaque view. As
it was half-term the roads were very quiet as he headed up to
Worcester.

The day was filled with a single meeting that consumed most of the
working day... but has hopefully provided some clarity.

The evening was very different. The Gorse Fox had been invited to the
home of the Mexican and his wife for mexican styled meal which was to
be followed by Cardinal SIn and the Bum Notes weekly rehearsal
session. It was a lovely evening and the food was excellent - only
surpassed by their hospitality.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Unlocked police station burgled

Some headlines are just too good to be true: Unlocked police station burgled

Funny Old Game

Football is a funny old game. Spurs have had an atrocious start to the season. The treacherous sacking of Martin Jol last year saw the team he had built win a cup... but then during the summer the main strike force was sold, and nobody of great significance brought in. The Director of Football semed clueless, and Juande Ramos seemed bemused. 

It was clear that their job were on the line... and the rumour mill had started. But the news that they have all been sacked to be replaced with Harry Redknapp is a bolt from the blue. The Gorse Fox hadn't even heard of it as a wild whisper, let alone a credible rumour.

Let's hope this wakes them up and they start to achieve.

Catching up

The Gorse Fox has made the most of a quiet day to catch up on some reading, his expenses, and some of the blogs that he likes but has not had a chance to read for a while. The Silver Vixen is having a quiet day with her patterns and fabrics.

Little to report - move along now now, please.

Cracking onwards

So the RAV4 needed a new tyre. GF had checked the number 235/ 16R9856T/ 100T123765/ XYZ or whatever and looked online. e-Tyres were by far the cheapest in the area and would come to the house to fit it. (GF had checked all this out several months ago).

Going online he ordered the service yesterday... and mid afternoon the chap rang the bell and got started. His van was a fully equipped workshop and the tyre was changed in no time. GF got chatting to him and it turns out that he comes from the next village and has been doing this for a couple of years now - and may end up changing up to about 20 tyres a day across West Sussex. Overall it was very impressive and GF had to fill in a little checklist to confirm that the locking wheel nuts had been returned, that the job was done to his satisfaction, and that the wheel nuts had been tightened with a torque wrench rather than an air gun (to ensure they can be released by hand if necessary).

Excellent value for money... and highly recommended.

Choosing your words

The family had arranged to meet at The Bell in Winslow, near the Funeral Director's. We drank some coffee and had something to eat before heading out.

As we left to head for Funeral Director, where close family would follow the hearse in a limo, the question arose - "Is there enough room in your car? If not we could probably fit another body in ours!" The Gorse Fox bit his tongue - this was not the moment to giggle.

The Funeral went very well - with moving tributes from the family and then we repaired to a nearby hostelry for the wake.

Farewell

Today the Gorse Fox, Silver Vixen and rest of the wider family say farewell to the Silver Vixen's aunt.

You have to laugh

So the story leaked.

He had bought a Wii and proudly discussed it with his friends. They teased him that he would have to stand up to play it... he looked shocked. He read the instructions for the games and realised that you did indeed have to stand up to play - you couldn't possibly do it from the armchair.

He was distraught.

The following morning he was back at the shop demanding his money back.

Surprise

Some days begin well... and bring surprises. Today was one such day. It began well with a long hot shower and then a leisurely breakfast. (He did get dressed in between - just for the sake of the locals).

He stopped for diesel and some Rombout's coffee and then came the shock - as he waited to pull back into the traffic a BMW 5 series stopped and waved him out). This could be the first time this has ever been witnessed. He considered stopping and taking a photo - but decided that would delay the traffic further.

A generally good day at work was followed by a the journey south through the autumn sunset to Sussex.

Normality

Well, normality has nearly been restored. All of the data has been
transferred to the new laptop and most of the applications are
installed and working again.

Needless to say it didn't go exactly to plan, but wasn't too bad.

Plan for the evening is dinner with Mother Superior at the local
purveyor of Indian cuisine along with the Abbott.

--
Sent from Google Mail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Still going...

New laptop is still rebuilding, but at least the Gorse Fox can get back onto the internet again... though still seems a long way from getting to his work email (which has its advantages!)

New toys

The Gorse Fox has now collected his new work laptop and as he speaks lots of bits are thundering down an ethernet cable as the new one tries to mind meld with the old one and absorb all that it stored over the years.

Good job the afternoon was meant to be filled with conference calls and being offline is not too problematic.

Not Grey

Well the earlier grey start didn't last. The sun is streaming through the windows and it looks like another brilliant day on the coast

More pictures

What a contrast - Sunday is overcast, breezy and a few showers are passing through. This seems like a good excuse to display some more of the photos from yesterday... and to recommend a trip to Tricia's Tales to see her photos of Sheffield Park.

Riot

The sat-nav hurled us east from Kingston Gorse and deposited us, some 36 miles later, at the entrance to Sheffield Park, near Uckfield. Evidently, the sat-nav had performed a similar trick for several thousand other people as we were backed up along the road, crawling at a snails pace the last few thousand yards to the entrance and then to one of the overflow car parks.

This is, without doubt, one of the National Trusts' real treasures... and whilst, as members we entered without paying, there was a long snaking line of visitors willing to pay the entrance fee for a glimpse inside.



We were not disappointed. The views soon opened up upon a riot of autumn colour carefully framed by evergreens and huge specimen trees. Wheresoever you looked, there was a vista or image worth remembering or capturing.

A series of lakes ran through the middle of the grounds acting as a mirror, reflecting the powder blue of the sky and the cathedral of colour that poured from the foliage.


A day such as this, with sights such as this cleanse the spirit and clear the mind.


Sheffield Park is indeed a special place - we will return.

If you wish to see the other 150+ photos taken at Sheffield Park please visit the Gorse Fox's Sheffield Park Flickr Stream

Colours

It is a stunning autumn morning. The sun is wandering slowly across an unblemished sky. The breeze is barely strong enough to ripple the leaves on the trees.

The Gorse Fox is breaking out the camera... he can feel the need to capture nature.