Thanks to Megan Howe and the London Standard for the Headline.
Ian Redpath and his other half of On the Board have made a difference and raised a smile in what might be a soulless journey on a stark Underground train in London.On the Board worked because it was and is needed.
Long may you run and well done for your first twenty five years.
Namaste and Thank You for Reading.
Filed under Short Stories
Thanks to Cronista US for the Headline.
An exciting development has been patented in the US,by a United Emirates University to help prevent damage to buildings hit by earthquakes
The purely mechanical method relies on giant spherical steel balls contained in a cage which can move with physical stress caused by the seismic movement and absorb the stress and thus protect the building.
The beauty of not needing a power source makes the design suitable for regions where power outings are common and where power supplies are likely to be taken out by a catastrophic event such as an earthquake.
Thank You for Reading
Filed under #HeadlineTherapy
Thanks to Rebecca Curran and Ken Banks and BBC Online news for the Headline
Well I’m sure the food must be very tempting when you are on an oil rig and perhaps the idea of going to the gym is not very appealing after a hard physical shift.
Still you have to be trim to fit in the harnesses and there is a weight limit for aircraft and winches ( when needed). Seems it all came to a head a few years ago when the powers that be realised that 2200 workers were above the limit of about 19 stone.
Give them credit that number has been reduced to 800 workers who have yet to lower their weight before the deadline in two months. Actually I’d like to congratulate this mass weight loss, it is truly inspirational.Though I’m sure there was some natural wastage (excuse the pun) from people leaving the industry.
So best wishes to the 800 workers who still need to trim down, you can do it if you want to .
Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏
Filed under Short Stories
One person’s bravery is another one’s so what?
Some climb mountains without a single thought,
Others just to get out of bed takes all their mustre,
Life for them can lack any lustre,
I know that feeling well,
When a simple task seems like hell,
Some will say it’s just one of those things,
Look at the positive and what life brings,
There is bravery every day,
Why it’s not obvious who can say?
Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏
Filed under Short Stories
Well our family weren’t allowed pets,
There was good reason as my family had quite a few debts,
The budget was balanced to keep our heads above water,
There was no room for a pet it would put us in deepwater,
So as a family we did without and it was necessary,
We had each other and we were merry,
But as soon as I got a place of my own,
I visited a rescue centre and chose one who looked all alone,
A dog who wanted me to be his friend,
And all came good and it was a happy end,
My mum was not so happy she never understood why,
But the reality was she loved him just as much as I.
Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏
Filed under Short Stories
Thanks to George King and BBC Online News for the Headline
A record number of 16.9million parking charges were issued by Private Companies in 2025/2026. So most drivers have come across a situation where they are trying to park and want to get a ticket, but there is no signal and there is a sign saying no card or cash payments .
It really doesn’t matter how old you are, some oldies “love” technology, most don’t.No one should be forced to sign up for applications or indeed scan bar codes ( which are notoriously scammy).
Recently on holiday in Cornwall we got a ticket, my partner thought it had gone through, but it hadn’t so we got a fine on our return home. It was stressful in the car park , we must have spent about half an hour trying to pay and then stressful when we got home. I do actually believe we tried ringing the number for customer service help but we couldn’t get through. My partner paid the fine as the letter was quite threatening.
The latest twist to the sorry scenario is that Cornwall Council has put a sign up in their Council run Car Parks to say that they have had to increase parking charges as they have lost money for Council supplied social services that they used to pay for with EC grants, but that they could no longer apply for as the UK was no longer part of the EC and that the increased parking charges are now used to pay for local services. I suppose moving to cashless and card less payments was another way for them to save money.
Rightly or wrongly I reduce my stress levels by going to places where the parking isn’t complicated. Hence we go to National Trust sites( parking included in membership, ticket machines run on solar power, but you can always leave your card in the window of the car.)Also we do tend to park where there is free parking, some places just seem to think it helps local businesses which it does.
We frequent coffee shops and local shops because we can park for free. There is no doubt in my mind that hospital car parks should be free to those who have appointments or are visiting sick relatives. That to me is a no brainer.
There is something called the British Car Park Association (is your car park a member )and what do the B.C.A think of fining vunerable people, not sure anyone has asked them? However, parking is a money maker for many organisations both Public and Private. Do they really want to make things easier for us or anyone for that matter? The answer is no.
Filed under Short Stories
thenotsomightyom 