To answer a question

Posted: July 25th, 2004 | Author: Foamcow | Filed under: Vintage | | Comments Off

Yes, I can touch type. It’s a skill that comes with the jog.

The tale of the house across the road

Posted: July 25th, 2004 | Author: Foamcow | Filed under: Vintage | | Comments Off

Why was there a heavy police presence at the house opposite mine over the last few days?
It transpires that one of my neighbours noticed that there was a group of people in the house. The house has been empty for some time as it’s scheduled for demolition – not that there is anything wrong with it, it’s a very nice detached house – but developers had plans for the land it occupies. Anyway, She called the police, who failed to respond.

The next day, she was talking to the lady in the Post Office, which is next to the house. The lady in the Post Office called the police, fearing that there were going to get robbed again. The police managed to get there within 5 minutes this time.
I think they arrested 4 people who were in the house, although they were probably just homeless and putting the place to good use. The police obviously liked the place, as they decided to rent it from the owner and use it for dog training exercises.
Hence the heavy police presence!

But the story does not end there.

After a had morning’s training, they are getting ready to leave when something happens that results in some scally leaping my neighbours 6ft high front gate, running through their property and over the fence at the back. He was closely followed by a WPC with a dog. She didn’t leap the gate, but instead started hammering on it and shouting.
The gate was opened by my somewhat shaken neighbour and the WPC charged in, went through the garder and over the back fence.

I believe the villain was aprehended and the WPC later returned to apologise for shouting.

Ooh, it’s all go around here!

Cornwall

Posted: July 20th, 2004 | Author: Foamcow | Filed under: Vintage | | Comments Off

I want to relocate to Cornwall. So if anyone reading can make me an offer I can’t refuse, and they are in Cornwall… I’m yours! (so long as it’s a nice bit… around the Camel Estuary for example.. perhaps Hayle/St Ives… somewhere like that)

Sir Charles Wheatstone

Posted: July 19th, 2004 | Author: Foamcow | Filed under: Vintage | | Comments Off

I’ve just discovered that Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875) was born in a house not 100 yards from my own.

Who?

Sir Charles made a number of important contributions to science. Anyone familar with physics will know of the Rheostat and Wheatstone Bridge. He also developed a system to speed up morse telegraph transmissions by using punched paper tape – a system later used by the pioneers of computing. Anyway, I digress…

Now, since Sir Charles is an important figure in scientific history, you’d think the powers that be would have put some kind of plaque on the wall of his birthplace. Nope. Nothing. Not a sausage. Other towns and cities do it and Gloucester could do with things like that. I only found out by accident when I was looking for information on nuclear bunkers.

Stuff like this annoys me. I’ve a good mind to write to Adam Hart-Davis about it.

New look Foamcow!

Posted: July 18th, 2004 | Author: Foamcow | Filed under: Vintage | | Comments Off

I’ve done it! I’ve gone and redesigned the site.

Hope you like the new look. If you have any comments you can add them to these “rants”, alternately you can contact me here.

I’ve changed the format of the the blog a bit so I’ve decided to archive the old entries. I might convert them for the new style, but it’s a low priority right now.

So for now… take a look around. Cheers.