Why you should never travel with paint in the car
Review of the DVD documentary entitled “Churchill”
This DVD provides one with the reasons why this man is held is such high regard by the British public & why he is rightly regarded as the epitome of dogged determination & a pillar of strength in Britain’s hour of need.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Unlike most politicians who, if one strips away their political deeds usually conceived in smoke filled rooms, are nothing more than empty shells. Churchill instead was the epitome of the courageous & audacious soldier whose acts of bravery drew people to themselves.
Rev Francis McCleland: From Birth to London – 1793 to 1819
Because the ultimate point of departure of the Irish Settlers was Cork, or more accurately a hamlet some 10 kilometres east thereof called Passage West, most of Francis’ South African descendants have assumed that the family was in fact resident in Cork or its environs when in fact this is fallacious. Frederick McCleland, Francis’s father was a merchant in Longford. As a consequence, Francis was in fact born and raised in Longford Town in Longford County which is situated in central Ireland.
This blog which commences the life story of the Reverend Francis McCleland, the progenitor of the extensive McCleland clan in South Africa, deals with the period from his birth, through his varsity years until his voyage aboard the East Indian from Deptford London to Passage West in Ireland to pick up the Irish Settlers.
Main picture: St. John’s Church of Ireland Church, Church Street, Battery Road, Longford Town, County Longford of which Francis was appointed as a Deacon
Harry Clifford McCleland [1911 to 1982]: A Life Recalled
Known by all and sundry as Clifford or Cliffie by those closer to him, he was never to be called Harry apart from on his birth certificate. Having never been close to him, the song “The Living Years” by Mike and the Mechanics has resonance with me. An intensely quiet, introverted but humble person, he was not somebody that would readily admit other people into his life. This was the person who was my father.
Amongst the many abiding memories of my father was that I never ever engaged in a discussion with him. Blaine on the other hand would rise early and share coffee with him in the kitchen. Naturally Cheryl was the apple of his eye until there was a falling out when she reached puberty. At that point both our relationships with him were platonic with no love or affection displayed.
Main picture: During WW2 in Egypt
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The Purpose and Meaning of Life
Whenever there is the passing of a friend, an acquaintance or a family member this topic comes to mind. In this case it was learning of the death of a hiking acquaintance from 25 years ago: Dick Wassenaar.
What will the wider world remember of one’s own passing? Probably nothing unless one were a celebrity or famous in some way. At best, as in Dick’s case, it is one lonely paragraph on the Internet.
Main picture: These homemade and handheld ‘pistol fireworks’ are used at the Gion Matsuri festival at the Yoshida Shrine in Toyohashi City, Japan
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Stunning photographs that Inspire
Stunning photographs from around the world. Pictures of sailfish attacking a shoal of sardines to the pinnacle of Sgurr Dearg on Scotland’s Isle of Skye, this gallery has them all. The picture of a Hindu festival was mainly included because I am enraptured by the stunning sublime colours produced by the commingled light and smoke.
Main picture: Light and smoke commingle to cast a misty glow over devotees during Rakher Upobash, a Hindu fasting festival, in Bangladesh
Colourised Photographs bringing History to Life
For me colour photographs provide a fascinating perspective and radically different angle on historical events. They evoke the age when they were taken with a forcefulness of a 1000 words. Notwithstanding the fact that the photographs have been colourised, they nevertheless still radiate their patina of age as if they had been weathered by the elements themselves.
View this array of photos and let me know whether you concur
Main picture: Madison Square Park New York City around 1900
South Africa of 60 years Ago
South Africa of 60 years ago was a vastly different place than the South Africa of today. The changes are more than the cosmetic ones such as apparel and motor vehicles. Apart from the fact that the black man had to “know his place”, the white community was riven with divisions. Inspite of also being white, the English speaking was discriminated against in terms of the unwritten Afrikaans Affirmative Action Policies.
Much like the current policies, with limited promotion possibilities for English speakers within the Civil Service, they fled the government service in droves. From the majority of Civil Service being English Speaking in 1948, by 1960 it was overwhelmingly Afrikaans speaking.
Main picture: Cape Town Station
The Criminal Justice System: What the Hell is Going On?
The most concerning aspect of the current spate of corruption and incompetence scandals is that many relate to the Criminal Justice System. This structure is supposedly the bulwark against moral turpitude, malfeasance and corruption. Instead it is patently more venal and duplicitous than the supposed criminals.
Without a functioning and competent Criminal Justice System, a country is doomed to anarchy and mob justice. Its role is to serve an impartial role in the dispensing of justice in a fair and just manner without fear or favour.
Casey and Brutus, an Unlikely Pair
Naturalist Casey Anderson has an unusual pet which is a major part of his life: A fully grown grizzly bear. How did his happen?
Casey’s love of the wild has led him to have other wild animals as pets such as otters but the gizzly bear is definitely the largest animal that he has adopted.
Main picture: Casey Anderson and his friend, Brutus, the friendly bear.