Let them eat chocolate!

OBESE WILL BANKRUPT NHS read the Sunday Express yesterday. Apparently Britain has the highest number of obese adults in Europe. Not stopping there the paper claims that 25% of our children are obese too! A good look round the playground this morning however found not the slightest case of junior rotundity. So where are they hiding I wonder?

The article tells us that the fast food industry influences negative eating patterns and the government should really do something to stop them manipulating us into eating the wrong foods. (What? The five-a-day campaign didn't work?)

Earlier this year it seems that Health Secretary Andrew Lansley asked some makers of fast food to do something about this awful trend until it was revealed that Mr Lansley was being paid a lot of money by an advertising agency that represents several fine purveyors of junk food including one known for confectionary.

So today I guess the only logical thing for the Daily Express to do was give us a voucher for a free box of choccies!

Witch's Hat

Inspired by a recent post by Teacher's Pet, I remembered a type of roundabout I played on as a child called a Witch's Hat. It was really a combination of a roundabout and a swing as it swung around and into the central pole. Anyone remember these? I don't recall seeing them past the early '70's as I believe they were banned after several serious accidents, although lacking any real data this may be an urban myth.

I don't remember ever hurting myself but I can see how it was possible! The photo to the left doesn't really emanate danger and it looks like there is a restrictor near the top to limit the amount of movement towards the central pole. The photo below is better and with no restrictor this was the type that probably broke legs!

It's a little sad that my kids will never know the thrill of playing on one of these - I'm sure they weren't that dangerous!

I should point out that these aren't my photos and I'm not in them - I might remember the Witch's Hat but I'm not that old!

Sunday Funday

Ordinarily the very thought of paying £19.50 for 1 adult and 2 children to go to the cinema throws me into a grumpy gloominess. It's not just the admission price but why does popcorn cost £5? Why aren't adults free when accompanying small children? Why do the toilets smell like the rhino enclosure at the zoo? And I could go on and on spiralling into despair at the injustice of it all.

Today was no ordinary day though. Today the inflated cost of entry to the cinema was of no concern. I was happy at the idea of watching Tangled with my two daughters. Positively excited even. For this morning I checked my lottery ticket. And found to my astonishment 4 matching numbers! Only £60 but I was high on euphoria for a while. Long enough to promise my kids a trip to the cinema anyway!

A Quick Year

Well it's been a year and 26 days since my last post and a year and 20 days since my divorce - one of the many reasons I didn't feel like writing anything. After all there is enough doom and gloom in the world without my adding to it!

Well I am in the mood to add to it! So be warned, a grumpy git this way comes......

Happy New Year!

Well here we are, the end of the noughties! At least it is for me here in Japan - the rest of you will have to wait a few hours.

I would love to have some profound thoughts to share with you but alas I have none. So in the absence of perspicacity all I can say is thank you. Ah, but who to you may ask? Well some that truly deserve to hear it will have long forgotten me and have no chance of reading this, such as the many people that helped my 13 years in Japan a (mostly!) pleasant stay.

One person stands out above all others though - someone who has never stopped believing in me and has given me the strength to carry on in the face of adversity - someone who gave me my own mantra "I am a fighter and I will not give in" - someone who sees the days of the week in colours (and probably responsible for my daughter doing the same).........

And I could go on, and on.........

Thank you for everything so far......

To my mother Maggie May

Some say it with flowers, I say it with music - you won't understand the words but this is for you - arigatou (thank you)

With all my love

Happy Birthday Eddie

It was my godfather's 65th birthday last week and since he's a keen blogger I had a T-shirt made up especially for him! He tends to go on a bit so I thought this was appropriate!

And since his other half grumbles about the amount of time he spends at it he can just turn around and say

And here he is - Happy Birthday!

Watery Wednesday #47

My two keeping cool in the sweltering Tokyo heat a few hours ago!