We are experiencing some beautiful weather at the moment here in Yorkshire - clear blue skies and very hot sun and our terrace of 10 houses has been out enjoying it at every opportunity. The washing lines have been full, the adults have been washing cars, sitting out chilling with cold beers and wine and the kids have been having a wonderful time in a huge paddling pool and spraying each other with a hose pipe!

I LOVE the sun and have been making the most of every second! so you can imagine our collective dismay when the people in the 'big house' behind our terrace lit their garden refuse bonfire in the middle of the afternoon! 

Why? Do they not see or appreciate that every window is open, every washing line filled with flapping clothes and every patio and garden area filled with people sitting out and enjoying the sunshine? Do they really think that we want our houses and lungs filled with their acrid smoke? Can they not hear the shrieks of the children enjoying themselves? Their selfishness amazes and infuriates me.

When I challenged her last time she had a bonfire on a sunny day she merely said she had nearly finished! Obviously not realising that the damage had been done and the washing smelly, windows closed and a lovely afternoon spoilt! No apology. I overheard her discussing my complaint with her husband - his comment - "Well is this all your smoke?"as they stood at the side of their fire! Speechless.

I suppose some people just don't realise that their fires affect everyone in the vicinity and so I hope this blog serves as a 'public awareness' post and makes such people think twice. But, unfortunately I think that some people just don't care and if they want a bonfire they will jolly well have one and we can all go to.........close our windows and gather our washing in!!!

What Hope For Our Education?

Quote of the day: (Observer Sunday May 13th 2012)

"If anyone says to you: 'staff morale is at an all time low' you know you are doing something right."

Who said this?

Sir Michael Wilshaw.

Who is Sir Michael Wilshaw? I hear you ask.

Chief Inspector of Schools.

Mr OFSTED himself!

Before and After!

I wrote some time ago about having to knuckle down and get on with getting this excess weight off! Well...needless to say I failed to resist all the sweet things and other goodies and find myself several months on without a jot lost!
So...what worked before? Rosemary Conley worked before and I lost a lot of weight as I stuck to a low fat diet and also became quite addicted to the exercise routine. So much so, that I knew the 30 minute aerobic exercise routine by heart and didn't need the video but could do it to the music track! I took a recording on cassette to Chris and Phil's in Turkey one year and pounded out the box steps on the patio at 7am before the sun got too powerful! Addicted, as I say. And the pounds did roll off.
I have more to lose this time but every diet has to start somewhere and Janet and I have been 'at it' for nearly two weeks now having enrolled with a Rosemary Conley and Zumba class which we attend on Wednesday evenings. After our first week I got the 'Slimmer of the Week' award and Janet achieved the 'Super Slimmer of the Week' award having lost 5 and 6 pounds respectively! So we have proudly stuck our certificates on our respective fridges and continue on, encouraged and determined.
The question was - do we stick up the 'Before' photos that we were asked to take as added incentive?
 'But they're awful' I kept lamenting - 'Look at the size of me...I'm like Tessie O'Shea's bigger sister!' 
But then we reasoned, well, I reasoned...this is what everyone always sees! This is what I look like! It's only ME that doesn't see it every day, only when I look in the mirror, which I avoid!
So, as you can see in the photo, the certificate is there and so is the sheet of photos and they are a real incentive! I don't want to look like this any more! So 5 pounds gone and 3 inches...so far.....................watch this space!
Now...to the exercise bike!