The World at its Worst and My Personal Opinion
My England as I knew it has sadly gone,I have recently watched the New Leader of the Scottish SNP leader and astoningly amazed at his White ( much emphasized every time he mentioned WHITE) speech. I have lived a great life and met people from all walks of life , religious ( I am an Atheist) coloured or Gay /My late daughters God Father (one of them ) is a full blood Aboriginee also a best friend of mine for many years.Some of my best friends in my home town have ancestry from other countries who are also great buddies.To see what is happening in our large cities , especially London is heart breaking .People backing Palestine and blaming Jews for everything is just wrong and seeing people on protests marches clutching effigies of dead babies in blankets with false blood is just wrong, yes I,m all for free speech BUT what these protesters are doing is just pure racism in my mind .War is Ugly and my young life was one after WW2 ,hard at times but mostly enjoyable.I am one of seven .I see lots of immigrants being housed in Hotels and yet on some streets in my home town people are sleeping rough and believe me Britain is VERY cold in winters. My school was Protestent and some of my pals went to Catholis schools and at the end of the day we played together and didnt care about different religions .Jewish kids also attended my school but at morning prayers were allowed sit outside the main hall but were also friends. What I am witnessing lately is so very wrong in as much as Jewish people in the UK are afraid to go out !! Comon Politicians grow a set and start sorting these horrible times out .Incidently new SNP leader ? when I was born in the forties this UK was predominately White but over the years we have accepted migrants from all over the world and yet some ? do not want to assimilate Because of my Atheism we only pass this way once SO enjoy while you can Peace to all
Life as a Single Bloke
It is around 6 yrs now since I became a single bloke ( once again) My home then was in the lovely pristine Hervey Bay Queensland , we had a lovely home ,motorhome, cars BUT I have NO relatives there and was feeling trapped . We decided to split up, get divorced and move on .I moved back to Perth briefly,where I have lots of family & friends .I became a founder member of the Joondalup Probus Club that now boasts over a hundred members of which I know most by name ,and duly became part of a lovely, wonderful group of people who played the Chinese ( forgive me Trish n Moy if I got that wrong) game of Mahjong and my reason for being in that group was solely to cause mayhem !! ( I was very successful too) However even at my ripe old age I needed more stimulation and decided to come back to my home town in the UK ,Blackpool and by the heck I got a shock ! I moved from around 35% to-6% BUT my love for home has never weakened .I live in a tiny flat now but actually like it ,I have many friends I knew from my youth and lots of family here too ( Altho I do miss my Perth family,that will be remedied every 6 months for a fortnightly visit) I have a pub life and that is great , registered on the NHS where I was told to take things in moderation BUT I,m too old to reform .I do Karaoke in the “downtown” pub where again I have met lots of friends , Blackpool is also famous for theatre shows and musicals and one particular even I am really forward to is the Punk Rock Rebellion Festival in August ( stay tuned), I even have a bus pass that will get me around the UK !!Life styles can be changed for the better at any stage of life and me being an Atheist ( thank god) I want to enjoy life the full . In my life I have been very lucky having experienced lots fabulous sights and sounds and travelled extensively worldwide,experienced a little bite of Scuba diving,jumped out of a perfectly good plane and cruise around some fantastic Oceans and countries . I have even done my Eulogy and its that good I was I could stay around and watch it !! For all the family and friends old and new who have enabled me to have such a great life I thank you and love you all xxxx ( yeah go on the kisses are for the blokes too)
Ten Pound Pomms
Just watched the series and it imediately brought back memories of when we left the UK in 1982 being the last group of “Pomms” to get assisted passage to Australia.We chose Perth Western Australia simply because it had the best sunshine average ! We arrived by flight and met some people who after 41 years are still our friends ( we have made many more in the 41 yrs in Australia ) I had forgotten all about the Nissan huts that were to become our home for 5 months (we also found them to be liveable) and the communial hall where the food was not the best !! Spiders were a part of our new life,a creature I was previously terrified of in the UK and I can now happily testify I have been cured ! Kangaroos were and still are plentiful,although on my Australian run around I have seen many sadly killed at night by cars.Kookaburra,s making their loud laughing calls in the morning,crows and the notorious magpies protecting their young if we dared stroll into their territories ! The RED terrain ,the outback towns looking very Victorian and of course Aboriginees ( a full blood who is also gay is the godfather to my late daughter) I am only into Episode 2 and the memories of me and my wife at the time bringing 2 little kids from our UK home to Western Australia .England is where my roots are and after 41 yrs I am back in Lancashire doing the bucket list and thank Australia for being a home and a massive part of my life. Yes were were Pomms ( not much of a whingee tho) and dismissed people who attempted to name call call us .
Putting life into Perspective
Looking at todays news,I despair how news items are warped ( for me) Some morning news “star” has been sacked ,ho hum and a main MP is being investigated because she tried to get her driving fine dismissed ( and yes she paid the fines and recieved the appropriate points deduction) Meanwhile Russia is flattening a town in Ukraine because ONE man sez destroy everything in sight,kill,rape and torture the inhabitants BUT lets put that on the back burner eh? because a broadcaster ( worth millions apparently) has lost his job and a top MP is being hunted because of a trivial speeding ticket? I,m lucky enough to have lived thru to 50,s ( school) the 60,s( teenager) and seen the good that came out of the aftermath that was world war 2. People , sadly these days are transfixed to their phones which I find a major distraction and dont understand this phenomenon ! (I feel I should sing that,for them what know)
Time Goes By
I have now been back in my home town Blackpool for over 2 months,settled into a small flat and having fun still at my ripe old age .Doctors are hard for instant consultations,however, there is a unique medical service open to all ,aptly named The Walk In centre. I have used this service a couple of times and was treated exceptionally well. One nurse has recently watched a programme on the telly re ten pound pomms ( not seen by me) and when I told her I lived in Australia for 40 yrs she wouldnt let me leave the surgery ( not as ominous as it sounds!) and I ended the conversation stating that the whingeing pomm tag was no accident !!
At this later stage in my life I reflect on the good times I have had,the experiences I have witnessed and as a nipper was classed as the runt of my large and lovely family ( I am one of seven,being 5th in line and there fore the tin bath water was still luke warm !!) I wander around town ( thanks to my free bus pass) and see all the changes made,people walking aimlessly looking at their phones,kids trying to get attention from the parents whose eyes are tyransfixed by the phone! I was lucky enough to have lived through a childhood with NO tv and our education was provided by a well organized school or by my pals always playing out on what was safe streets ,and great clouds of smoke coming out of peoples heads by virtue of a craze called Vaping ( the new cigarette fad )
In the last 5 days I will have attended 2 funerals BUT sadly a great way of meeting up with yesteryears pals ,who when attending the wakes point at our friends stating “they are next” in a good humoured way. When I depart ,I don,t want sadness and would like a “naughty” comedian to tell a few Jokes ( in the Bernard Manning style ,look him up on You Tube and be prepared to be offended) I consider myself to be a very lucky man and have met many people who have also become life long pals and lots of my group age are leaving and hopefully they have built the best bar in the here after !! Schooled throught 50,s, a teenager through the 60,s lived in Africa,Australia and Gt Britain.luckily enough to have visited friends in Canada so yes indeed a very lucky man Peace to you all
1959 Buddy Holly,s Final Year
I went to watch the Buddy Holly Story be shown at a theatre in my home town of Blackpool and shed a little tear listening to the great mans songs being acted out on stage/\.Memories came flooding back on the way we lived and the simplicity of it all .At times I wore jeans to school that had holes in them and considered to be a poor person,oh how I wished I had saved those Jeans and could have sold them today as designer gear.Young teenage girls wore dresses that had underskirts underneath their dresses,hair styles were fabulous and the Teddy Boy era was coming to an end.Buddy was and still is my favourite singer of all time.I was in a friends house when the news came through and as a 13 yr old I was devastated .His music is still with me and once upon a time I had all the LPs,singles and CDs ( now in Queensland with my ex) The show itself was great and as always ended sadly with the deaths of Buddy,thje Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens.Its pleasing to know that after Buddy,s death 64 years he still lives on through his music .I have relocated back to UK and my home town is famous for putting on top class theatre shows for the Summer season ( which is just about to start and hopefully I will get to see more live musicals this coming season
December 9th 2022 New Start begins
As the end of 2022 approaches at a very fast pace (still 24 hours in a day tho?) I embark on a new phase of my life. I will be doing my bucket list in my home town Blackpool situated on the North West coast of England and the wonderful Irish Sea. On very clear cold days I have seen from that place the far off Barrow in Furness ,the Great Orme in Llandudno ( a favourite place of my dads) and even the Isle of Mann ( cats have no tails there,and the National Mann flag consists of 3 legs ! use your own imagination on that one !) I will catch up with family and friends from my very distant mispent youth . Age & health have caught up with this old geezer and after I return to Perth more adventure awaits ( details coming soon) Now racing towards 80 I still have lots to do and see .Many of my friends and immediate family are no longer with us and I am very fortunate to have reached my current age and experienced a very full life …SO stay tuned ,more to come .Hopefully ( if I can find free wifi) I will do blogs on my Blackpool Christmas/New Year stay
All Quiet on the Western Front
I have just watched a German made movie based on the lives of battle front Germans in WW1 called All Quiet on the Western Front.It shows the absolute horror of painful deaths,amputations and great family losses.
Numbers of losses were a strain on the manufacture of uniforms of which were heavily blood stained and retrieved from slain soldiers and reissued .Although these lads were German, they were human and fighting because a group of men declared they must go and fight !! Those soldiers of all nations couldn’t refuse to fight because they were classed as cowards or traitors and consequently, would be condemned to death by their own leaders ! ( think that would be called a Catch 22 situation these days)
I recently watched a moving short based on New Zealands HAKA history ,when during the world war at Christmas opposing enemies came together to play football.The New Zealanders performed the HAKA in uniform and the terrorized look on the oppositions faces was great until they realized they were being entertained ! The football match proceeded and ended with handshakes and jovial back slapping,wishing each other Merry Christmas and then (ironically) sadly back to killing each other !!
In this year of 2022 one very awful person has ordered 1000,s to go and die in a country that doesn,t belong to them ,for what? domination ? This planet is so very unique in our solar system and yet a small minority are hell bent on destroying this wonderful, beautiful world that belongs to ALL humans. People of this world, rise up, strive for peace (for three score and ten average life time that is not a long enough to appreciate life )
Looking at news films on Ukraine and to see how that country has been ravaged by a meglomaniac is reminscent of past wars ,only this time it could possible escalate to a catastrophic era never before witnessed ,all brought on by the lunatic rantings of again, ONE man.Current fad is for people to sit in roads to prohibit “normal” people going on with their lives and I say to this lunatic fringe get yourselves organized into one massive group and protest for world peace!! People of colour (black,brown,white,yellow,red,creed,religion,ethnicity and any I have missed ) get yourselves together and create world peace !! Wouldnt that be nice ?
1000 BLOGS !!!
I have loved writing in this form for around 12 years and for me it is a reminder of what was and where I have been .
Firstly I,d like to have a go at Woke People ,why the hell are they trying to make life a misery? Comedians must find it extremely tough these days ,In my pub/club days if I walked in late and the performing comedian was in full swing they would invariably have a go at me ( and others) People laughed and had such great times .Bernard Manning to me was a brilliant comedian and I have been in his club many, many years ago .Nobody was safe from him, BUT that was part of his show .People who don,t like his material were advised to stay away ( they didn,t!) Chubby Brown is renowned for his very bluntness and crude jokes ( I,m not a fan) People who find his material offensive simply keep away .I am not now or ever will be a racist which seems to be fashionable these days and I am certainly NOT a “privileged white person”
Being one of seven we weren,t rich but happy . Mam kept us in good food and at times struggled to clothe us with new stuff .At school people had nicknames that had to be accepted (whether we liked the names or not) We didnt have luxuries like phones ( thanks for that) or computers . Walking was necessary as we didn,t get lifts , teachers caned me and we still survived ! Respect was earned ,bad lads were sent to juvenile detention ( Borstal) Currently there is a black comedian who has done very well for himself and even got a Knighthood !! Always complaining about diversity and yet he is playing a dwarf in a Tolkien series ( he is by the way 6.3 tall) but thats ok eh Len? Sadly the world is on edge at the moment BUT people are still complaining about wokeism !! Ive had a great life, been lots of places, still got childhood pals ( thinning out a bit now tho ) I,m an Atheist but still believe in wrong & right
So come people (never find out who “they” actually are) stop being miserable,have a laff and learn to live with each other ,So endeth my 1000 th Blog
The Lady Of Heaven & other Stuff on my 999th Blog
Just reading about a group of so called religious MEN protesting outside a cinema in the UK and causing the Cinema Group to withdraw the showing of The Lady Of Heaven .It is very noticeable that there isn,t any women noticed in the pictured protest. People showed the protestors waving placards , using loud hailers to get the message across and begs the question WHY are the empowered enough for this action? The manager of the cinema looked terrified SO? should the protesters be sued for intimidation?
In another story illegal migrants are suing the Government because they do NOT want to be sent to Rwanda. Whilst people who are living on the streets and being British born are receiving nothing .Who advises these people ? are they made aware of their rights before they leave Europe via small craft? Army barracks have been available near a village in Yorkshire for the migrants (that were good enough for soldiers once upon a time) It has also become noticeable that the residents of the near by barracks are up in arms and protesting very strongly (where ere these people when other parts of the country were being invaded?) and probably the Barracks will remain empty
It is rumoured (?) that migrants (illegal) are being housed in the best Hotels ,provided with 3 meals a day and provided with pocket money. The migrants are probably informed well in advance of the “easy” life that awaits them in the UK ,and after a short while will be able to protest on such issues like the fore mentioned movie . The Britain I knew as a kid has gone ., protection for the weak and homeless is virtually non existent ,crime has gone through the roof BUT rest assured you will get caught and punished very quickly if you are a naughty motorists
Comon UK Gvt do something and make the UK great again BTW when I was born in the 40,s the world pop was around 2.5 Billion (after WW2) it is now 7 Billion plus !! So glad to have lived school all through the 50,s Teenager through the 60,s and a very fortunate life. Good luck for the future World
Watch me play Didgeridoo
Geoffs Life After Work ! 