Anyone want a free EVA 2000 and/or an Advantix F600 Kodak Camera

Well this time of year is good for a clear out and I find that I've got stuff that's surplus to my requirements - in particular a Netgear EVA 2000 complete with PSU, it needs a wired IP connection but with this you can then play PC video files to your telly either through the  HDMI or composite connections it works fine and I'll provide it with instructions and the remote (takes 2 x AAA)  to a UK address.
If you'd like the unit just drop me an email -  one only -first come first served as they say.

Camera Too.

As well as the Digital item I've got a Kodak camera that's in good nick with case and instructions like the

Want a camera?

above Netgear item  it's free to anyone who can provide a good home for it email me.

Box and remote

First allotment visit of 2014 and UK immigration

During the Christmas New Year break I bought a further Apple tree an Egremont Russet, today I thought I

 Garlic growing

might plant this but unfortunately I found on making an exploratory hole  that the ground was far too water logged for such a procedure so I decided to leave it until we have a drier spell.
I purchased the tree at the Garden Centre at Osterley in a 'half price' offer time will tell if this was a wise  decision  on my part - my feeling (generally) is that we should all plant as many trees as is practicable and Apple Blossom is  a pleasure to see.
(update 8th Jan) -Good news is that I've bought a bag of these apples at local Waitrose and fortunately I like them.

Another fruit tree to plant

 I noted while I was down on the allotment (my first visit of 2014) how well my Broad Beans and Garlic are doing and that some onions planted from 'sets'  are beginning to shoot, I picked a couple of Beetroot, there are some cabbages too that are available and a small amount of Kale.

UK Immigration - is it a case for worry or pride?

With 2014 the possibility of a number of immigrants arriving in the UK as a result of the widening of the EU  (principally at this time of year it is imagined that their destination of choice will most likely be London) from Bulgaria and Romania UK Full headlines have has hit the newspapers but in fact the new waves of

Is this a serious paper?

immigration appear to benefit the UK.
What I find slightly puzzling is that many people who are typically aligned with the  'free market' views show concern at this while those usually considered to be on the 'left' are far more comfortable with the arrival of new people looking for opportunities.
My view is that generally economically immigration is a benefit to developed economies, even apart from the intrinsic good of being open to visitors there's quite a bit of research that indicates  those Countries, States and Cities who welcome individuals tend to outperform those with tighter borders (look at how Hong Kong benefited for example) and indeed a recent report suggests that the UK will outperform other countries within the Europe partly as a result of the increase in population anticipated.

It will be interesting to see how the new immigration scare looks in a year's time.

More buying and a nice Richmond eatery 'Amadora'

Having ordered our new Fridge freezer our spending splurge continues and this week we ordered a new (perhaps overdue?) mattress the one we had came with the bed and was a Sealy, the replacement  was chosen with a very helpful salesperson at Daniel's which is super local for us. Rather impressively we had a phone call on Friday saying that delivery was available this Saturday either morning or afternoon far ahead of the time we had anticipated, delivery and collection of the 'old' mattress happened as promised - all very efficient.

Daniels West Ealing

We'd been attracted by the advertising for the Tempura but after trying (rather briefly) a couple of beds in store we chose a Relyon. It seems the Tempura has some fans and some critics, it certainly felt different to what I'm used to but not sure if this is necessarily good. The Relyon is a UK produced product and seems well appreciated, somewhat against logic considering the time we spend in bed the importance of a good bed is often overlooked, the Sleep Council have a serious job to do. Will let you know if all goes well with the sleeping!

Richmond

On Friday we decided to take a bus to Richmond, first thing when we got off the bus was that we discovered that Black's (in Richmond) was closing lots of good stuff there with an (extra) 30% discount sadly we didn't buy anything and Friday was their last day.
Amadora
What we did do was have a very pleasant lunch at  Amadora a very cosy Italian restaurant the meal was good value with a main course and either a desert or starter for £9.95  although the choice was rather limited the food was very nice and Pasta cooked just right, I chose the Affagato for my second course which I've become rather taken with. I was surprised to see the online reviews of the restaurant so varied, I thought it

Richmond restaurant Amadora 

was pretty good but it's not big and the people there are human, I wonder if the sort of reports some people make are about (to an extent) what they bring to the situation in terms of expectations and mood?
I rated the restaurant above average for food, value and service but it's of course a personal view and perhaps we were lucky?

Soup Maker

After the eating we went around M&S, House of Fraser and Robert Dyas buying some food for our tea, a Handbag and a Morphy Richards Soup Maker (£50 from Robert Dyas) really looking forward to having a go with this as well as soup you can create Smoothies and milkshakes - hopefully not something we use only once!

Happy New Year and my Holiday TV highlights

100 years since the Great War 

2014 is with us and the big anniversary is that of 100 years since the Great War started, also known as the War to end all wars and later when it was seen that this was not the case World War I.
In many ways this war saw the commencement of the modern world with start of mechanized war, with the  use of Tanks and Planes - many survivors, traumatized by what they saw lived with 'shell shock' and a great depression.


Strange for me to think of my own (maternal) Grandfather who lied about his age to go and fight enrolling in 1914 at the age of 16 he was injured, had parts of his inners removed but lived a full life until his death in 1978 - I have some empathy with Location, Location's Kirsty Allsop's views on todays 'moaners' who feel that a loss of electricity is a violation of their human rights (Although I'm not sure that she's an expert in hard times).
My Grandfather had a somewhat harder time as well as the War  he went through the 1926 General Strike as a Train driver he was  part of the triple alliance.
My grandmother survived him by about 5 or 6 years I think -  they were quite happily married for more than 50 years.

Holiday TV highlights

Looking back on the TV Fayre over the holiday period my personal favourites are

Just Henry 

1) Just Henry on ITV - it was a repeat but I'd not seen it and thought it great to see the sort of Drama ITV does so well, it was well realised with fine attention to period detail and was made with a good cast and script (including a great performance from Sheila Hancock).


2)  I've sort of done things which was an appreciation of the life of the comedian, actor, director Mel Smith who died in 2013 at the age of 60. Mel was celebrated by his friends, I really like him in the role of corrupt property developer  in the 1980s ITV drama  Muck and Brass. 
I think that there's a potentially very interesting biography to appear on Mel he was undoubtedly intelligent, popular and talented but were there some demons driving him or was he just one of those 'larger than life figures'?

Mel Smith - more than meets the eye?

Incidentally the title of the programme comes from swipe at 'I did it my way' type anthems that was parodied by Mel.

 3) My third (and most important) gem was Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel - this was such an interesting and thought provoking perspective on the Nun Sister Wendy who shot to fame as an art critic - she seemed to have agreed to do a documentary about herself with the condition that she could include some paintings she considered important in respect of her faith.
Despite her status as a hermit Sister Wendy is engaging, she is not without ego (her view on Harold Wilson's academic achievement I found somewhat mean spirited) but she does recognise some of her own deficiencies.

Art Critic Sister Wendy

What I found enthralling was that the programme revealed Jesus as an individual who (it seems) really did live a life. If as Historical Jesus indicates he was born around 4 BC and lived to be about 36 there's a big chunk of his life where he just carries on as a carpenter until his 'active years' after being baptized at around the age of 30.
I think that the idea that there was a really good person called Jesus who lived and did good things is an attractive explanation of the Christian phenomenon and that perhaps history has been somewhat rewritten to add weight to his teachings  is a view with some legitimacy - something I will consider in 2104. It does not though explain the conviction and personal discovery experienced by people like Sister Wendy (and Jules Evans too).

Jesus Timeline