As mentioned elsewhere, this is a ‘Phew! What a Scorcha!’ Of a week. Records of this and that and the other kind are likely to tumble. I’m going to try and stay indoors and out of the heat. I may fail to sleep, too, which won’t improve my levels of tolerance. I’ve tried the pan of ice cubes in front of the fan and the underpants in the freezer but nothing really works. It’s just gross, exhausting and, in truth, just not very British. We like middle of the road, humdrum, a bit dull in everything, including our weather. We’re an overcast sort of race, mostly beige or grey. We do tints, not primary colours. We don’t revolt; we moan. Our national anthem has one merit: it’s short. But the highest temperature ever recorded deserves more than a half-hearted whinge. It deserves a very large
EFF OFF
There. That’ll learn it.
I’m always saddened when I see somewhere I’ve taken to fall apart. In this case, Sri Lanka. It really is a delightful country and our long holiday there ten years ago was terrific. Now it’s in turmoil and while the existing government sound like they are well rid, I hope whatever comes in in their place is better and not some equally or worse excuse for a bunch of grasping mealy-mouthed charlatans. And on the subject of the current leadership election for the Tory party that will give us a new PM…
…I note that the decision will be made by the current members of the Tory party, some 200,000 people.
I’m firmly of the view that anyone who thinks it worthy of spending their hard earned on joining a political party is probably the sort of person who should not be allowed a vote. Leaving that to one side, who are these self-identifying worthies?
According to the latest research they 63% male, 39% over sixty-five, 76% in favour of Brexit and 42% unlikely to have an IQ. So that’s all good then.
I’ve been helping the house sitter next door with some dog walking. I’m not sure he quite realised how much of a handful is Sarana and that, coupled with his erratic shifts have seen me being dragged by this delightful if somewhat headstrong hound to the nearest park. The one feature I hadn’t really considered the first time we went was the, erm, volume of her relieving delivery. I’m pretty dextrous with a poo bag, but when confronted by topographically accurate representation of the Eiger in post digested pigmeat, my spacial awareness is tested towards destruction. At least I know for sure that all future dogs will be of the medium sized variety.
While on the subject of pets, the Dowager has been sunning herself on our frazzled lawn. Tipsy, the ingenue and perceived threat has had to develop a strategy of checking on the old girl’s sleeping patterns to avoid any unseemly confrontations when she pops out for a stroll. It’s admirable how spiky the Dowager is, though one does worry that her determination to make her point, all furled umbrella and hat pins to the fore, like a feline Maggie Smith might be doing her not much good. Still, for one so congenitally indolent as Nutmeg, to go our in a burst of splenetic fury might be considered a worthy end.
My Nephew lives with is wife and daughter in Singapore. Like me, he has a penchant for all things Tintin. He also does some part time work in a Tintin shop. Yesterday he sent me some images of the latest displays. I have no idea why I feel the urge to ask him to wrap up and send me a couple of trinkets. Reliving my youth? Addled brain caused by heat and age? An urge to waste my savings on fripperies? Probably just Sad Male Syndrome.
Anyway, I already have a rocket…
TanGental 
The garden is going to survive… Nature has her plan! ..The government I do have my doubts what a mess the country is in ….I suppose it’s like Sri Lanka but on Valium and Hiden!
The dogs look well, I know all traumas of large pooh Ruby being a Labrador.
That shop looks like a great place to visit…. That photograph of your nephew at work bears a striking resemblance to Tin Tin and Snowy…….
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Thanks. It’s all in the quiff
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It is indeed?!
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Even though my dogs are small to medium in size, they still manage a two-bagger at times. I sometimes think we have a labrador in disguise. Stay as cool as can be.
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You too. Sounds as if Spain is being brutalised by the weather
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The Tintin characters look terrific. He should send a couple.
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He’s offered me his staff discount!!
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Better than nothing I would say. Now what to choose.
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I think a car would be nice…
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😊
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Great post Geoff
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Thank you
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I can tell its bad there when even our newspaper make some space to write about your weather.
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Yes that must be so. Good to know our moaning has such a reach!
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I see a direct correlation between the increased temperatures and the number of blog posts people are writing about it or global warming. Meanwhile, we’re bracing for another bad wildfire season due to another drought.
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Yep we are obsessing right now.
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A delightfully English post, Geoff. Except, now I can’t shaped the image of a finely sculpted scale-model of the Eiger delivered fresh from canine bowels. Have you considered entering it for the Turner Prize?
It reminds me of walking a friend’s dog, when my wife very inconsiderately phoned me to say she’d tripped over the cat and was now in a hospital with a cracked rib. After the distraction caused by the call, I looked down to discover a similarly-sized mountain beside the path. I duly fished out a poo bag, which just about contained said item, only to discover when I lifted it that it was stone cold. My friend’s dog, not to be outdone, then proceeded to fashion his own version.
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Ha. Fabulous George. Such canine deceit! Oh that your expression had been captured for posterior.
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It’s hot everywhere, but not as hot as Paris, say. Soon everyone will be moaning about the cool and damp August weather!
I don’t know how you people cope with dogs and their etc …!
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There are some experiences it is better not to share
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A TinTin shop? Whatever next?
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Such civilisation
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Sad Male Syndrome. That’s hilarious. Who are these toy characters? I bet they’re quite popular. Your poor lawn in the heat…
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You don’t know Tintin?! Surely that can’t be right!!
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I really don’t… it must be British? I will Google it.
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He’s a Belgium cartoon that started in the 1920s to help explain in simple terms other countries. Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, Tintin in the Congo (one of the main Belgium colonies) and Tintin in America. Herge (a pseudonym based on a corruption of the initials of the author’s name: Georges Remi) the writer and artist began to move into more dramatic stories and left politics behind by the late 30s with King Ottakar’s sceptre in which the baddy is called Mussler a corruption of Mussolini and Hitler. In occupied Belgium his stories were about hidden treasure and the far east while post war they were pure adventures with his trusted companions: Captain Haddock whose oaths are epic; Professor Cuthbert Calculas the mad inventor, the Thompson Twins, utterly incompetent detectives; and Snowy his dog. The vomic books gripped me at 7, I pretty much took to reading because of these, and I have every one. Spielberg made a film with Peter Jackson (he of thr Lord of the Rongs films) condensing three books into one which is called The Adventures of Tintin. That’s a good place to start though, of course the books are best. As you’ll gather I’m a bit of a fan. I’ll send you a link to one of my older posts on these characters
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Thank you, Geoff! This is a new world for me, and no other fellow educator knows Tintin. I find that quite sad. If these comics (loved your vomics word) caused you to want to read, that speaks volumes.
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Ah Jennie. Just try the secret of the unicorn,say and you’ll fall for the bequiffed gingerheaded boy reporter
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Haha!
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https://geofflepard.com/2015/04/15/m-is-for-marlinspike-hall/
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The UK/Europe heatwave is a hot topic here in NZ. Perhaps it makes us feel less depressed about our coolish and wet weather. It is a hard life being a housesitter 😉
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Kind of you to think about us in these trying times. Perhaps it is distracting you from the rugby…?!
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An atomic bomb let alone weather couldn’t distract some diehard rugby fans from their grieving. Luckily, we’re not one of those.
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Lucky for you to be jn that select 2 percentile… my rugby loving Kiwi friends are not happy to be teased about it.
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I do cheer teams on just don’t spend hours analyzing the game. There are far more things in life to put my energy into. I do think us kiwis put way too much emphasis on rugby instead of other sports and the arts. That’s changing and for a small country we do excel in many. Usually 🙂
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You do. World Test champions last year!!
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Gosh, your garden looks drier than our park at the end of winter and we get no rain for 4 or 5 months every year. That is why October is called suicide month here, no rain for months and months. I hope it improves, I know its cooled down but I don’t know if you’ve had rain.
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Nope no rain. Last was 6th June…
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How unusual. We are forecast to get rain which we never get until late October or even November.
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