SO, WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY?

Before I get into the topic of this posting, I must firstly thank Ladybird World Mother for kindly giving me an award. Here it is-

It is a rather girly pink (and flowery) but based on the "it's the thought that counts" I am very chuffed to have received it.

I also feel somewhat embarassed as I am very conscious that I have been neglecting my blogging readers over these last few months. I've also noticed that many of the bloggers I've been following since starting this milarkey eighteen months ago have likewise either reduced or, in some cases, actually ceased blogging. In my case there hasn't been a great deal going on that I felt was suitable blogging material. Some things seem too personal and some things have to remain confidential (I'll explain more below). I read my daily newspaper and many of the things I read irritate me and give me a strong desire to blog about them but what bothers me doesn't seem to push the same buttons with many of my readers.

When people meet me for the first time and learn that I'm an "early retiree" one of the first things they ask me is "so, what do you do with all your spare time?". Some people actually ask me every day what I do with all this leisure time. These people are referred to on this blog as "Mrs Troy".

So I thought today I would try and answer this question. Having no work committments I no longer need to get up early for a long commute to work. What does stop me staying in bed in a decadent way is the need to walk Troy Junior to school. So I'm up and dressed by 8.30am, at least during school term time. I then walk down to the village to pick up my Daily Telegraph from the village store. Breakfast is now a hearty meal at about 9.15am (I could never eat heartily at the crack of dawn) whilst I peruse my newspaper. Usually the business section first but the sports section on Mondays. I'll then have a quick glance at the Letters page. I've had a few letters published in the Telegraph - about 40% of those I submit. I used to feel most aggrieved when a letter I sent in wasn't published. Recently I learnt that they receive 700 letters a day and publish about 20 - so anything better than 3% success rate is actually a good result and gave me a smug smile!

Time then to boot up my PC. (Truth is that I've already been on my netbook at 8am prior to getting out of bed to catch up on the news headlines and weather forecast. I used to listen to the radio but now prefer to go online and choose the topics myself). I look to see how my share portfolio and my gold bullion are doing. I might do some buying or selling and research for this can take up a good half hour or more of my time. Mrs Troy and I are also looking to invest some of the surplus funds we got from the sale of previous properties back into the property market so I keep a eye on Rightmove and also on several property auction sites. We've done quite a lot of viewing and made the odd offer but so far its come to nothing. Only last week we offered on a house that would have been a great renovation project and potentially would have given great blogging material. But the price it actually went for made no economic sense. I'll never make a fortune as I'm too cautious!

I'll stop for a coffee and have a trawl through the several blogs I follow then "bang, clatter" - it must be about 11.45am. The post has arrived - usually several envelopes for me and I'll spend some time dealing with them.

It's now "post meridian" and my thoughts turn to lunch. I didn't used to "cook" but now I'll do a couple of soft boiled eggs with bread "soldiers" or perhaps pate and toast. (Yes, I include toasting within my definition of "cooking"). I'll take this with a yoghurt and a drink through to the sitting room and I'll turn on the TV. 12.40pm and its half way through "Bargain Hunt". A very silly programme but if I catch it after half way through I enjoy watching the auctions of the things the contestants have bought. Usually they lose money - buying retail, selling wholesale ain't the cleverest strategy after all - but I find it interesting viewing. I keep meaning to apply to go on the programme with Mrs Troy's father - one day! Then I'll watch the One O'Clock News.

Mrs Troy gets home about 1.50pm from her part-time job. So I've just time to remember that I haven't yet washed up the breakfast items and now also have the lunchtime items to clean as well. Usually I just get the washing up done, wiped down all the work surfaces and have gone back to the PC in my study when Mrs Troy gets home. We catch up on her office politics and anything in her mail whilst she has her lunch. I'll show her anything I've found of interest on the internet (properties, blogs, news etc.) and she'll have a leaf through the newspaper's main section (which at this stage I've still to read!).

Time then to collect Troy Junior from school. Mrs Troy likes to do this but usually I'll also come along for the walk. When the weather is fine (Easter to early October) I'll play football outside with Troy Junior but in winter TJ will play with his toys and watch the TV whilst I finally get to read the main section of the newspaper. After dinner, if Troy Junior is watching a ninth repeat of Top Gear on Dave I'll read a book for a while.

That's a typical stay at home day. However, if the sun is shining (summer or winter) I'll jump in the car, head down to the beach with lunch, a rug and a book in a rucksack. I'll walk 2 to 3 miles then have lunch and a read then walk another 2 to 3 miles and get home just in time for the school run. I do love the coast on a sunny day. Other days I might potter round the shops and meet Mrs Troy for lunch.

On summer evenings the three of us may go out for long walks or get our bikes out. In winter its just the TV or the occasional live Ipswich football game. I've also got quite a few evening committments arising from my School Governor role. I'd love to be able to blog about some of the things I see and hear but it's all done in the strictest confidence.

It was a great regret not to have succeeded in the Council election back in June. That role, which also comes with a useful monetary allowance, would have greatly occupied my time whilst serving the local community. I've recently been approached to be co-opted onto the local Parish Council. Not quite the same thing (and not helped by the image set by the Vicar Of Dibley TV programme!) but I've said yes to them.

So, in a nutshell, that's what I do all day. I very rarely get bored although I much prefer the summer to the winter. In a perfect world I'd work, in an interesting role, from October to Easter but so far that concept has proved easier said than done.

DO YOU WANT A FREE BOOK?

I got an e-mail this morning from the Tax Payers Alliance offering me a free book. This book (available free to the first 5,000 applicants) is written by an academic and envisages Britain in the future - 10 years after it has taken the courage to break free from the European Union. The book, by Dr Lee Rotherham is called "Ten Years On, Britain Without The European Union".


I can't give you a review of the book - so I don't know whether it is a brilliant read or badly written - but if I waited to do a review before blogging then my readers would lose the opportunity to apply for one of the first 5,000 free copies.

Use this website address:-

http://www.greateudebate.com/

to get an opportunity to be in the first 5,000 applications. You'll have to cut and paste it, for some reason it won't add as a link*. I applied at 11am today and got back the message that my free book was on its way.

Regular readers will know that I feel most strongly that the European Union is developing in a very undemocratic way and already it has a significant influence over virtually every aspect of our daily lives. I truly believe that in the years to come its democratic deficit together with the minimal influence that Britain has within the EU will lead to situations similar to those experienced with the IRA for Ireland or ETA for the Basques. Make no mistake, the EU is on a federalist path which aims to eliminate sovereign nation states and instead create a United States of Europe with an ethos and way of life quite alien to the traditional British way. Let's be friendly next-door neighbours with the rest of Europe and trade freely with them but lets not live in some giant commune totally under the thumb of "Big Brother".

If you decide to get the book do let me know what you think of it. I'll do a review here in due course.

* perhaps Big Brother is watching?

A TYPICAL THURSDAY EVENING?

Apparently I belong to a group of two million people. People, who like me, sit down in front of the television and watch "Question Time" on the BBC on Thursday evening. Usually come 10.35pm and the start of QT, Mrs Troy decides to go to bed and I respond along the lines of "I'll just see who they've got on the panel and perhaps listen to the first couple of questions". Nine times out of ten though I end up watching the entire programme and find it generally very interesting though occasionally irritating [eg Shirley Williams].

However this Thursday was different. A further six million people tuned in to "Question Time" and even Mrs Troy delayed her beauty sleep. Only someone who had been out of the country for the past few weeks would have missed the phenomenal publicity the BBC had built up ahead of the first appearance on QT of Nick Griffin, leader of the BNP. Prior to his appearance the usual left-wing Rent-A-Mob had violently protested outside the BBC and Labour's Peter Hain, invoking a Mugabe interpretation of democracy, had tried to get Griffin's appearance banned. The show however went ahead and the BBC, rightly in my view, gave a place on the panel to the leader of a party which has two MEPs as well as growing band of local councillors.

At this point maybe you are wondering (and indeed worrying) whether Troy is a closet BNP supporter? The answer is a most definite NO!! Many of the BNP's policies, other than on "race" are ultra-left wing being extremely socialist in nature. The BNP support comes primarily from the white working class, let down by its instinctive home, the Labour party. I might flirt with UKIP but never BNP.

Thursday's QT was unlike any other QT I've ever watched. It was primarily a case of four panellists, a "chairman" and a largely hostile audience goading and baiting one panellist (NG) about BNP race policies. Attacked from all quarters, including an outrageous performance by the Chair, NG was interrupted and ridiculed throughout. The BBC had taken a calculated decision to reformat the programme away from its usual format of various topical issues being addressed equally to all panellists. The venue, Central London, ensured the BBC an audience representative of 'Inner-City' rather than being representative of the UK as a whole.

NG as an individual did not impress. However despite being in such a caustic, hostile environment he did land one or two solid verbal punches in the discussion. Jack Straw never seemed to recover from a revelation early in the programme that unlike NG's father who had fought in the RAF during WW2, Straw's father alledgedly spent the time in prison having refused to fight the Nazis. Later, Straw's outright refusal to concede that Labour's mass immigration policy had been a significant recruitment driver for the BNP won't have been lost on many viewers. Whilst Labour remain in denial the BNP will continue to flourish. For the Conservatives, Baroness Warzi performed extremely well other than for one major gaffe. At one point, she interupted NG telling him that there was no such thing as a "bogus" asylum seeker. In a clever legalistic way, perhaps she is correct, but I suspect the average BNP-targetted viewer would recognise an economic migrant claiming asylum for what they really are. (And if none are bogus then why are less than 100% deemed genuine and admitted?).

So, what were the final scores? No, the BBC didn't adjust the format of QT to the extent of having final scores - in many other ways they changed it, but not this! My own final scores (out of 10)would be:-

Straw (Labour) 2 [some commentators have since wondered whether he was ill]
Warzi (Conservative) 7 [would have been 9 without the above mentioned gaffe]
Huhne (LibDem) 5 [which is not bad for a LibDem]
Greer (playwright/novelist) 5 [generally a well measured performance]
Griffin (BNP) 4 [better than he could have hoped for given the bear-pit atmosphere]
Dimbleby (Chair) 1 [I think he will look back in shame on his performance as Chair]
BBC 2 [recognised the democratically case to include NG, but radically changing the format of QT showed total bias]

and publicity for the BNP - beyond price (and their wildest hopes).

(So, were you watching the same programme I watched?)

UPDATE ON THE COSTUME DRAMA

Hadriana kindly asked for an update on my 14th September posting (thanks!) and I started writing a postscript to that posting. However as the PS grew I decided instead to cut and paste it into a new posting. So here it is:-

Firstly I visited a local theatre group in Ipswich who keep an extensive warehouse full of old costumes which they rent out. They only open for costume hire on a Monday but they are much cheaper than fancy dress shops. I've used them before for a Tudor costume to attend a recreation event on the recommendation of another parent. At the warehouse I told them that I was looking for a Dahl character costume for my son. "Which character do you want?" they asked. This completely threw me - I was (rather naively) expecting them to have a rail of Dahl character costumes. A hurried phone call to Mrs Troy at her office produced a very short list of Dahl characters after she had first berated me for not taking any Dahl books along with me to the warehouse (!!!). "We do have a fox costume" and the lady went away and returned with a realistic fox costume (well not totally realistic - there were no tyre marks on it or guts protuding from the body). The big problem however was that it was a one-piece jumpsuit fastening at the neck, which didn't seem ideal for an eight year old to wear all day at school (toilet complications you understand - Troy is a very thoughtful father!). Frankly they didn't have much more to offer in a Dahl theme - thousands of costumes but not much that was "Dahly").

Meanwhile back in Mrs Troy's office a co-worker told her that she could lend her various accessories that would make up a cowboy costume. This would create what I believe is "TV Mikey", a child character who dresses constantly in a cowboy outfit and one who held one of the winning golden tickets in the Chocolate Factory story. Thank God! It was far from being the most imaginative, or even a central character, but it would suffice.

So Troy Junior went to school dressed as a cowboy. Another parent met him in the playground with "Hello TV Mikey!". I was relieved (not having read the books). Many of the costumes worn by the children were amazing - head to toe creations plus significant make-up applied. But our cowboy outfit sufficed. Troy Junior was happy with his holster containing two guns and I think he was quietly relieved not to be wearing one of the large padded costumes or anything that was plainly unsuitable for a whole day in the classroom. We'd also said we'd treat him with the money saved from not having to hire a costume from an expensive hire shop. (Blackmail often gets a child onside!).

Of course he didn't win the class prize but he wasn't in the least bothered about that. He told us that one boy in his class had come in his school uniform and he obviously felt quite sorry for him. Some parents just won't make an effort, will they - I feel like phoning social services!

The final bonus was that Mrs Troy's co-worker said that TJ could keep the cowboy outfit, complete with toy guns, because her son had outgrown it. TJ was very happy with that outcome.

[Finally, many thanks for all your comments on the initial posting. They were both helpful and supportive. It was obvious from the playground that some mothers relish making elaborate costumes and then take much pride in arriving at school with their children to show them off. I, on the other hand, am very proud that my Troy Blog readers don't fall into that catagory.]

STANDING ON THE SIDELINES

Troy Junior has always enjoyed playing football. One advantage of being retired is that after school TJ and I can go over to our local recreation ground ("The Rec") and have a fun kick-around with a football. Troy Junior has also played football in a school club (after school) as well as attending some junior sessions at Ipswich Town Football Club during the school holidays. He seems quite a natural, unlike his father who was always the last one to be picked to play at school.

A lot of his friends in our village played in the local village football team. Being a large village there are teams for each age group. They play in both friendlies and a competitive league as well as having training sessions one evening a week. TJ was keen to play for the village team but Mrs Troy did not like the idea of losing her Saturday mornings most weekends. Also the idea of trailing to away games and spending an hour on the touchline in cold and wet weather was not her idea of weekend fun.

One evening early this Summer Troy Junior and I set off after our evening meal to have a kick-around on The Rec. When we arrived there the children in the village team were having a training session and then a practice game. TJ wanted to watch them. He sat on his own football, chin in hands, watching the other children play. He looked a very sad sight sitting there just watching the others. I asked him if he wished he could join in - his eyes lit up. On returning home I explained to Mrs Troy how sad TJ had looked watching on but not being involved. It didn't take long to decide that we would let him join the village team. We got all the registration forms, paid the dues and subsequently turned up for the first training session of the new season.

The other players are all his friends from school, all are the same age and most are in his school class. He was welcomed with open arms. The coach said TJ was a natural player and would go straight into the A team. They play seven-a-side and there is an A and B team with about eighteen players making up the squad. During the training games Troy Junior played as a central striker.

The first competitive league game of the season was on the home ground on a warm and sunny Saturday morning. A complete contrast to the cold and miserable weather we had always envisaged for these "winter season" games. TJ had a couple of early touches and passes of the ball but these didn't amount to much. Then a cross came over from the left, TJ caught it cleanly on the volley - Back Of The Net. One-nil! The score by half-time (there are 20 minutes each half) remained the same. In the second half TJ scored again. Two-nil. The other team then got a goal back and we had a nerve-racking, clock watching, few minutes before the whistle blew for full time. TJ was name "Player of the Match" and was chosen to captain the team for the next game.

The second game, also played in warm sunshine again finished two-one to TJ's village team. By now both Mrs Troy and I were thoroughly enjoying our football. Last Saturday morning (26th), saw us arrive bright and early for the third game of the season. Yet again in warm and sunny conditions. Some parents make cake and buns and there is also a large urn for teas or coffees. There is a great atmosphere among the parents. They can however get quite vocal during the games! We've taken folding chairs to sit on but I'm too nervous to sit down - I like to stand and cheer. Troy Junior scored again "a natural poacher's finish" with the outside of his right boot and yet again the match finished with a two-one win. Three games, three wins (all 2-1), nine points out of nine and TJ as the leading goal scorer!

We have the cold, wet or freezing weather still to come but I for one can't wait for the next game.

If only it was this good down at Portman Road watching Ipswich Town! They, in contrast, have had a truly awful start to their season.

A COSTUME DRAMA

Mrs Troy and I are both not happy. Troy Junior's school have a 'policy' of having dress up days where they ask all the children in a particular year group to go to school dressed in a character costume. For Troy Junior's year group, last year it was as a superhero, this year it is as a character from a Roald Dahl book.

The problem is that neither Mrs Troy nor I have any skills at costume making. We are not being modest, our skill levels really are negligible. I'm the one who walks to school with Troy Junior and last year I told Mrs Troy point blank that I would not take him dressed in his school uniform when (virtually) all the other children would be in costume. We did finally send him to school wearing a Spiderman T-shirt but I must confess that my heart went out to him as the other children turned up in costumes that would have made Superman's girlfriend or Batman's butler do a double take before realising it was actually just a child dressed up rather than being the real superhero.

Some of the costumes were homemade but with obviously a great variety of materials purchased and then painstakingly made up. Other parents had obviously hired costumes from fancy dress shops. A couple of parents told me that they had paid £18-£20 to hire a costume for their child. They resented the fact that they had felt obliged to fork out this money but they didn't want their child to be the odd one out with no costume on the day.

So I'm wondering if Troy Junior's Primary School is the exception or the rule when it comes to these dress up days? If you have, or have had, children of school age have you experienced these school dress up days? Have you hired, at considerable expense, a costume for your child or have you taken the time to make a really good outfit from scratch? Do you approve of these school dress up days where parents have the pressure of hiring/making costumes for their children?

We are in a quandary. We really don't want our young child to suffer the trauma of being the only one in his year group not to have a Roald Dahl character costume on the day. However we feel it is wrong that parents are pressured into hiring expensive fancy dress costumes if they don't have the dress-making skills to improvise from scratch.

I'm really keen to hear other people's thoughts on this matter. (And, if you have any ideas how to meet the "dress as a character from a Roald Dahl book" easily and simply please, PLEASE, let us know!).

A TORNADO PASSES THROUGH ESSEX

The heading may sound like a disaster but in fact this is a heartwarming story. The tornado in question is actually a steam locomotive pulling a very special train called "The Winton Train". The journey commemorated a series of eight train journeys that occurred seventy years ago at the outbreak of World War Two. Those trains carried hundreds of mainly Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to new foster homes in Britain. They were organised by a 29 year old clerk called Nicholas Winton. The last leg of the four day route was from the port of Harwich in Essex to London's Liverpool Street Station. Today, a now 100 year old Sir Nicholas Winton was at the station in London to greet 22 of the original travellers who, along with their families ,had reinacted their earlier historic journey.

Although it is heartwarming to think that these children escaped to safety and went on to new lives in Britain it is also a sad tale as most, in not all, of these children waved farewell to their parents from the train as it departed and never saw them again. If you click on this link - here - you can read more about the 1939 journeys and today's 70th anniversary event.

I first became aware of this story when I heard that the steam locomotive "Tornado" was hauling a train from Harwich to London. This steam locomotive itself is actually a very interesting, unique engine. Rather than being a preserved and restored old engine it is actually brand new - the first steam locomotive to be built in Britain for nearly fifty years. There were 49 similar locomotives built in 1948/49 but the last one was scrapped in 1966 when the network went diesel and electric. Unlike many classes of engine not one saved - all went for scrap. Someone in 1990 had the ambitious idea to built an entirely new one from the original plans. Money was raised and over a eighteen year project the new loco 60163 "Tornado" was built. You can read about the project here.

This morning after dropping Troy Junior at school I drove to Marks Tey station in Essex. There, at 09.45, along with many other onlookers, I saw "The Winton Train" pulled by "Tornado" come through the station at speed. Here are two photos:-


It was a fantastic, albeit very brief, sight as the train hurtled passed, commemorating a very heartwarming story.