WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Marilyn]

Explosions at AG concert, Manchester. Reports just coming in...

[Stanley]

You're right Maz, it's breaking news all over the media. 19 Confirmed dead and over 60 injured..

[Marilyn]

I've had to turn it off...the sound of hysterical teenage girls screaming gets very wearing.

[Stanley]

I've done the same Maz but because of the way the media is milking the tragedy and the way public figures are scrambling for the microphones to get their sound bite in. Most of these are of course totally superfluous. I shall go in the shed, an oasis of sanity!

[Wendyf]

Terrible news. Just youngsters.

[chinatyke]

Time the UK deported all these murdering scum to Mecca. As Bernard Manning said: "If a dog is born in a stable is it a horse?"

[Marilyn]

I agree. What next? Youngsters on laps at a Wiggles Concert?
Thinking of those affected. Hearts go out...

[Cathy]

Watched the reports for most of this morning and just now on our evening news. 21 dead. Chilling. The despicable, evil terrorist is dead.

[Big Kev]

It's good to see this cowardly attack against children is condemned from all corners...

[Stanley]

The perpetrator was a deranged murderer no matter what religion he professed.

[PanBiker]

The fact that you can't buy Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) at either of our chemists? I'm sure they didn't actually know what it was or it's uses either! Every chemist on the planet use to carry it at one time and I always had a bottle on the shelf next to my workbench for general clean up of reworked PCB's etc. 99% pure alcohol with no residue left behind, so no, methylated spirit, rubbing alcohol, surgical spirit or nail varnish remover won't work thank you very much!

Anyway, I ordered an IPA based PCB cleaner and one or two other bits online from CPC last night at 9pm on the free 3-5 day delivery service, it came this morning at 10am.

[Marilyn]

Did the chemist not sell alcohol swabs? ( such as used for swabbing skin prior to injection or swabbing the connections to catheters? ) I find that hard to believe...
They are Isopropyl Alcohol.

[PanBiker]

If they did stock them they didn't offer them up as a substitute. I think our dispensing chemists are mainly pill and pre packed potion shifters nowadays along with off the shelf stuff. I need liquid or spray anyway as its for removing flux build up from PCB's, small stiff brush, IPA and the job is done. I used to use a small stubby Philips Philishave electric razor cleaning brush, ideal for the job.

[Stanley]

You are right about the shift in the role of what we used to call 'The Chemist' but now is of course the more professional sounding 'Pharmacy' because it raises their status from shopkeeper to profession with higher remuneration. Kids ask em what I want aspirin for and whether I really want Covonia Original.... I always tell them that I want them for the same reason as at any time over the last eighty years.... You could go into Elmer's and buy acids and other common chemicals but those days are gone. Do you remember the exorbitant price they tried to charge me for straight Paracetamol not long ago? They hate generic drugs but prefer to well you the expensive branded products with a higher profit margin.
The other thing of course that grabbed me is the media milking the Manchester atrocity to the max...... They even cut the Andrew Neill interview with Farron..... I never tried it but I bet the programme on the Metropolitan Police was cancelled as well....

[Wendyf]

How lucky we are to live up here..our morning field walk takes us alongside the Broom House barley field and all it's ground nesting birds. There are lapwings, curlews and oystercatchers and while we were leaning on the wall to admire them 3 hares crossed the field, getting bombarded by the birds. Wunnerful.

[PanBiker]

The other thing of course that grabbed me is the media milking the Manchester atrocity to the max...... They even cut the Andrew Neill interview with Farron..... I never tried it but I bet the programme on the Metropolitan Police was cancelled as well....

All politics were suspended by mutual agreement hence the change to the interview schedule, it will resume. The Met program aired on schedule I watched it last night.

[Moh]

Sounds wonderful Wendy.

[Tripps]

I saw HM Queen speaking to injured people at the Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital. She kept asking them if they enjoyed the concert! I guess she couldn't say 'have you come far, and was struggling, but I couldn't help thinking of the old gag 'but apart from that Mrs Lincoln - how did you enjoy the show?'

[plaques]

Big song and dance about our 'private' Manchester bombing findings being leaked to the American newspapers. It looks like there is a massive security breach which allowed this sensitive information to be published in the New York Times. Haven't these editors just done exactly what Julian Assange is accused of doing by releasing their information to Wiki Leaks? Mrs May will probably sulk a bit but will continue to mount a 24 hour guard on Assange because the Americans have told her to. Who owns Great Britain? Not the British for sure.

[Stanley]

Yesterday was a good day. Lovely weather, good news coming in from Oz and no cock-ups in the shed!
You're right Wendy, we have lots to be thankful for. All the more reason to get our thinking caps on and spend some time reviewing the offerings for the vote a week on Thursday.
The way everyone cheers up as the sun shines, Town Square yesterday was lovely and the people were a joy to talk to.

[Stanley]

We had a power cut yesterday from 14:00 to 15:00. This gave me an opportunity to test my power cut precautions! It's the small things like brewing up that you miss.....

[Stanley]

Evidence from the US that my books still sell slowly but steadily..... Nice!
Stair rod rain at midday washing the yard and the world down nicely!
The sounds of Bands on the Square coming in loud and clear on the West wind. I hope the crowds making their way there enjoyed themselves. They were lucky with the weather! Unfortunately I don't appreciate their preferred music....... But chacun a son gout!

[Big Kev]

Bands on the Square (day one) was very good. Barlick has some very talented musicians. Will definitely be there for day two. One of my sons has made the bill twice, once with a band called U-matic who will be performing their own original material and then again with Dark Horse for some popular classic rock covers.

[Stanley]

Which goes to prove, yet again, that I am an unreconstructed Old Fart Kev!
Barlick this morning is a town of letter, discarded food, cans and bottles interspersed with pools of vomit in the areas round the Square but the square itself is reasonable, the organisers must have made a big effort.

[Big Kev]

There was a constant stream of volunteers picking up litter throughout the event, a bit of a losing battle. Sadly there is a minority who have no concept of what a bin is for, I picked up a few cans on my way home and all were within sight of bins.

With regard to the vomit, there were a lot of very drunk school aged children staggering about. If it follows the same pattern as last year they will all be in bed nursing hangovers today. This should mean a more civilised day two..