It’s a bit tight at this end of the month, but why should that mean I miss out on some lovely grub? Fast food doesn’t need to be expensive or unhealthy so yesterday I opted for Tortelloni Prosciutto (pasta with a pork and ham filling( and finished it off with a poached egg on top. I’m not sure if that’s the way the Italians would do it, but it was the way I did it. The Tortelloni cost 79p a pack for fresh pasta (boil for 8 mins), and the free-range egg cost 16.5p, so for less than a quid I had a nice dinner.
Now that the snow has gone, my ankles are feeling much better, and my car is at the mechanics, it has been a good time to get one of my ‘Targets for 2010‘ started this week and that is No.4:
4. Cycle to work at least once a week – I like cycling, I am only 2.4 miles from work, so I should cycle more. Yet again it’s that simple.
I cycled in yesterday and also today which is certainly better than just driving in which is what I normally do. I put it down as one of my targets as I need to do more exercise, need to spend less on petrol, and also want to cut down on my carbon footprint.
There’s also an added bonus. I’m having showers at work in the morning so I’m saving on my water and gas bills!
I’ve added a new page to the blog imaginatively called ‘Targets for 2010‘ (see top menu) where I’ll be able to give updates on how they’re coming along.
I’ve made a trip back into the Google library and today have for you sections from ‘A practical, guide to the watering and sea-bathing places, on the coasts of Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire‘ published in 1846.
The three larger towns of Thanet are reviewed in detail and I had a smile when I read this passage:
Of the three watering places in the Isle of Thanet, Ramsgate is considered as the most fashionable, Margate as the most lively and bustling, Broadstairs as the most quiet and retired.
Things don’t change that much do they? (Apart from perhaps Margate but hopefully her glory days will return.)
The book provides a good read and I always enjoy reading about the history of the local area. The section starts with Margate (page 14), moves on to Ramsgate (page 18), and then finishes with Broadstairs (page 21). You can view the sections below in the embedded reader or you can view the whole book online here or you can download the complete book in Abobe PDF format (2.2MB).
Last week I asked Why were our pavements not gritted? and it was suggested in the comments that there was a possibility of getting sued if you did this and someone fell over on the part you had ‘cleared’. This viewpoint was also supported by news items in the Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday who reported that the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the leading body for health and safety professionals, had warned businesses not to grit public paths and that would leave them liable to prosecution.
It turns out this information is completely false and so IOSH have released a statement explaining their viewpoint. Of course if the job is done incorrectly then they could be liable but rather than instructing business not to grit they actually said:
“This is not the IOSH position on gritting public areas. Neither has IOSH issued this as guidance.”
“As a general rule, though, it’s sensible for firms to consider the risks and take reasonable steps to prevent accidents from happening. If this means gritting outside the boundaries of your workplace, then it’s better to do that than to have people slipping over or involved in car crashes on your doorstep.”
IOSH have now issued a second statement and is “urging businesses and communities to do the right thing by clearing snow and ice from public areas.”
So if the bad weather continues then be aware that you can clear snow and ice but just make sure you do the job properly.
Reading yesterday’s Thanet Times I was a little shocked to see that the Britannia Pub in Margate has closed down, which is bad news for Thanet as I would consider it one of the best live music venues in the local area. I wouldn’t say I was a regular but the Brit is always good for a few beers before going to the Winter Gardens, or walking down from Bugsy’s Bowling into Margate on a BDOF (Boy’s Day Of Fun), or even just to make a nice change from the usual pubs/bars around Thanet.
A Facebook group has been set-up ‘Save the Britannia Margate‘ which currently has just under 1000 members and is aiming to raise money to keep the venue open.
The group is aiming to run a fundraising live music event in an effort to raise enough money to keep it open, which will be fine in the short-term but is not really a long term solution. It’s been a very tough time for the pub industry and I’m not sure if this is enough to save the Brit.
On a positive note though, I started a book for our football tour so that people can start paying in a few quid every week and then have less hassle when it comes to summer as most of the costs will be paid. We haven’t had any big tours (weekend away/piss-ups) for a while now, so it’s good to start planning with 6 months to go, and will also mean that we should be able to get more people to come along.
