Newstime
Hello and welcome to Easter bunny month!
I expect many of you will be in the throes of making Easter bonnets, Easter eggs and for those aged between 2 and 92 looking forward to the great Easter egg hunt.
But let’s not forget whilst someone is shouting “you’re getting warmer” as you close in on your quarry, that Easter is also a celebration and therefore also a time of reflection. Across the island you will find many parades which are stunning in their simplicity and in their reenactment of a great story told.
So enjoy the festivities and do a little over indulging, I don’t know about you but I swear Easter egg chocolate IS different!
Hasta Mayo..
Stanleigh Winstone
Winstone's World
Whilst we may be a couple of thousand miles away, doesn’t it make you sad to see what’s been going on in the UK?
Protests and demonstrations are as old as time but what really do these violent protesters feel they are achieving by stringing up and burning effigies, hurling bottles and starting fires which recently happened in the City of London at the G20 summit.
Almost 4,000 demonstrators gathered near the bank of England demanding action from world leaders. And, aren’t they entitled to given the global economic meltdown that many countries are in?
What is completely unacceptable is that the handful of bully boys who are so brave they wore black scarves obscuring their faces and hoods covering their heads caused damage and destruction sending fear through many ordinary law abiding citizens who are genuinely angry at what they see as the banker’s role in the global economic turndown.
And if all that wasn’t bad enough some clowns have decided that it’s absolutely fine giving out salary increases to people who earn extraordinarily well in the first place (ok, no ones saying they don’t work for it) but given the dire straits the UK is in at the moment for goodness sake if increases are to be made then give it to the people who are genuinely struggling.
Perhaps someone ought to remind these clowns of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs!
Food Glorious Food!
Chicken Liver Mousse or Pâté
175-200ml (6-7fl oz) of whipping cream
1 small onion
125g softened butter
225g chicken livers (1 carton of frozen livers thawed)
Salt & pepper
Pinch of ground allspice
¼ tsp dried thyme and marjoram mixed
2 tbl brandy
1. Whip the cream until semi-stiff, put in a cool place.
2. Chop the onion finely and cook in 3 tbl of the butter until soft.
3. Add the livers, increase the heat and sear the outsides briefly. Season. Add allspice and herbs.
4. Warm the brandy slightly in a ladle, pour over the livers and set alight.
5. When the flames die down blend the contents of the pan with the remaining butter until very smooth.
6. Add the whipped cream, mixing in carefully. Put the mixture into a serving dish or dishes, cover and chill until set. Serve with hot toast.
Business Watch
Everyone, including us on this sunshine island are keeping more than an avid eye on what is happening to the economy not just globally but also closer to home.
Whilst the overall jobless total rose to 3.6 million in Spain, the highest since 1996 March registered the weakest gain in six months. Perhaps not brilliant news but it could possibly pave the way for more reductions in unemployment in the coming months.
By the end of March there were 3,605,402 unemployed workers in Spain, up 3.5 percent or 123,543 from the previous month and the highest number since 1996 when the current method of calculation was introduced, the ministry said in a statement.
Interestingly Spain and its economy, the fifth largest in Europe, entered into its first recession in 15 years at the end of 2008 it was formerly one the euro-zones chief engine of economic growth and job creation. It suffered an abrupt change of fortunes with the outbreak of the global financial crisis which severely hit its once buoyant property and construction sector.
Whilst we have seen a significant change in property prices here on the island (but lets be completely honest many properties were for sale at hugely inflated prices and yes we did loose some construction and related businesses) the property market has not been as severely affected as it has on the mainland and in addition our unemployment figures are very related to tourism.
On the positive side the marine industry is continuing to flourish and many small businesses who have taken advantage of business health checks are continuing to do more than survive. The general feeling is by being sensible and paying detailed attention to particular areas of their business they have an excellent chance of riding out the storm.
Soapbox
Hands up all of you out there that are being driven nuts by the current invasion of cyclists. Now generally speaking I don’t mind NORMAL cyclists whose brains are most definitely intact and remember that they are on a public highway and pretty much obey the rules of the road. But these idiots that descend on this island in their coach loads are most definitely three spokes short of a wheel!!
Not only that, but god give me strength, I’m of the opinion you would be hard pressed to find a brain between them that can mutter never mind say doh this is a road with traffic that uses them too.
They are arrogant in their road manners, travelling often at least 4 abreast causing all sorts of chaos and mayhem across many of our roads i.e. anything that isn’t a motorway!
It is not unusual to see them travelling in Groups of ten or more and pulling out into a main road with no consideration what so ever; and as I recently saw in front of a very heavy looking truck, causing the driver to slam on his brakes narrowly missing the last three cyclists by what can only be described as some brilliant driving skills.
Fault of the truck driver, absolutely NOT, fault of these cretins who I’m afraid to say all seem to have the same lack of brain and a disgustingly rude road hog attitude to other road users.
Sun Sea & Sangria
As I sit writing this I look out of my office window longing for SUNSHINE and instead see another down pour….mind you I suppose in August we’ll remember this last deluge with fondness which will be no doubt be borne out of 40º temperatures and stonking humidity. Chilly evenings haven’t done much either for sitting with a glass of vino on the old terrace and wiling the evening away.
But are our intrepid visitors’ spirits dampened (no pun intended) by these rogue weather conditions? not at all… creamy legs with socks and sandals have been spotted along many a seafront and mon dieu last week I saw someone actually in the sea, all signs that somewhere and somehow spring and summer is really on its way!
I was so gob smacked by this one it deserves space all of its own.
Whether this is happening generally through the NHS I really don’t know I expect it’ll be like the secret of the black magic box…who really knows.
On the day a test had been booked a patient waited patiently as an inpatient and she waited and waited and waited. When she asked at the nurses’ station if they knew when she would be collected and taken for the test she was told “we don’t know” so she waited and waited and waited. Going again to the nurses’ station she asked someone else who said “you should have gone this morning so I will find out what happened”.
So...yes you’ve got it she waited and waited and waited, returning to the nurses’ station she was then told “ooops sorry we forgot to find out but we’ll do it now”. So she waited and waited and waited. Change of staff and the staff nurse who came on duty asked how she got on!!! Kindly staff nurse within seconds found out that the appointment had not been booked in but would be informed when the next one was available. Eventually the appointment given was for the following Sunday afternoon as an outpatient. So our sterling lady went home and waited and waited and waited for Sunday for the rather unpleasant test.
D day arrives and off to the hospital, eureka the test is carried out, “when will she get the results” a member of the family asks 2 – 3 weeks the nurse replies. “What” says member of the family and the following explanation ensued. “Well” the nurse said “the consultant is dictating the results now so that’s not the hold up”. “The problem is it all gets send off to New Zealand to be typed up and then its returned to the UK”
“Hang about a minute its not April the 1st until next week, you have got to be joking what is the real reason it takes the time?”
“That is the real reason, honestly, the thing is the NHS won’t pay the minimum wage for certain things so stuff gets sent off elsewhere and for these reports its New Zealand”
So if any one knows the secret of this particular black magic box….please let me know!
In the meantime our poor lady is waiting and waiting and waiting.