Intruder cat cocks snook

A local cat rudley indicates that the neighbour's big shed is in his manor now

British WWI veteran dies

Yesterday’s Telegraph reported the death of Sydney Lucas, one of the last British veterans of WWI. Lucas, who joined the Sherwood Foresters just before the end of the war, died at the age of 108 in Rosebud, near Melbourne, Australia.

Born in Leicester in 1900, he was conscripted into the army in August 1918 and was still in training when the war ended in November. He emigrated to Australia in 1928 and went on to serve in the Second World War with the Australian Army

In a 2005 interview he spoke about his experiences in the First World War."We trained with a mix of fear and excitement, so when the war ended before we'd completed our training it almost felt like an anticlimax. We wanted to fight for our country, but I think that was more to do with boyish immaturity. My enduring memories are of being constantly cold, dirty, exhausted, homesick and lonely."

His death leaves the number of known British veterans of the Great War at five, including one veteran, Ned Hughes, who only recently came to light. The three surviving veterans still living in Britain - Henry Allingham, 112, Harry Patch, 110 and Bill Stone, 108, - are expected to lead a two minute silence at the Cenotaph on London at 11am on Tuesday, Nov 11, the 90^th anniversary of the end of that terrible conflict. The other surviving British veteran is Claude Choules, 107, who also lives in Australia.

Mr Lucas’ death leaves just 12 known WWI veterans worldwide.

Bird bath or fun?

Four Things Meme

I was tagged by Ordovicus with this mem. It's been a whils since I've done one so here goes

Four jobs I've had

1. Leaflet deliverer
2. Boring civil servant
3. Fat boring civil servant
4. Balding fat botring civil servant

Four films I can watch over and over

1. This is Spinal Tap
2. The Life of Brian
3. The Usual Suspects
4. Paths of Glory

Four places I've lived

1. Hornchurch
2. Southampton
3. Dover
4. Slough(!)

Four TV shows I love

1. Baltlestar Galactica
2. Dexter
3. Deadwood
4. The League of Gentlemen

Four places Ive been on holiday

1. Eindhoven
2. Brest (Belarus, not France)
3. Leningrad (Not St Petersburg!)
4. Millstreet, County Cork (Many times)

Four of my favourite meals

1. Tagliatelle with pesto sauce
2. Marinated tofu satay and noodles
3. Spaghetti and olive sauce
4. Mushroom risotto

Four websites I visit daily

Excluding blogs:

1. Fortean Times
2. eBay
3. The Grauniad
4. Korean Central News Agency (honest!)

Four places I'd like to be right now

1. Pere Lachaise Cemetery
2. The Malpaso Bar, Millstreet
3. Looking at an illuminated Cologne Cathedral
4. On a pub crawl in Cork

Four bloggers I tag

I'll come back on this one

He shoots! he scores!

PRESIDENT OBAMA!

Scroll down for WW

WW - Elgin Marble

This week's entry for the Tuesday and Wednesday edition of Wordless Wednesday.

The Poor Mouth supports Obama

I know that political posts are getting rarer and rarer on this blog but I could not help but register my support for Barrack Obama in Tuesday's election.

Although either a McCain or an Obama win will represent a victory for the sinister minority (both are fellow lefties - in the sense of their being ciotogs and cack-handers rather than any political orientation) the voters of America have a golden opportunity to send a West Ham fan to the Oval Office.


As posted earlier this year Obama has supported West Ham fan ever since his sister married an Englishman whose family are ardent Hammers fans several years ago. (okay the above picture is a bit out of date given that XL have gone the way of the dodo)



What better reason do you need to vote for Obama? McCain on the other hand pretends to be a Tranmere fan but he's fooling nobody...

Girl Anachronism

Dresden Dolls

The last Italian WWI veteran dies

Delfino Borroni,110, who died on 26 October, was the last Italian veteran of WWI

Borroni was called up in January 1917 and saw action on the Alpine Front. He was wounded and taken prisoner by the Austro-Hungarian Army during the battle of Caporetto.

There are now just 11 known veterans of WWI still alive.

The oldest cornea?

SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO HUNT

Bernt Aune is the proud possessor of what is almost certainly the oldest cornea in the world. The 80-year-old Norwegian and former ambulance driver’s cornea is 123 years old, “This is the oldest eye in Norway — I don’t know if it’s the oldest in the world,” he said “But my vision’s not great any longer.”

Aune had a cornea transplanted into his right eye in 1958 from the body of an elderly man who was born in June 1885. The operation was carried out at Namsos Hospital, mid-Norway. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the oldest living organ in the world,” eye doctor Hasan Hasanain at Namsos hospital told the Norwegian daily Verdens Gang.

In the 1950s, doctors expected it to work for just five years, Hasanain said. Such cornea operations date back to the early 20th century and were among the first successful transplants. (the first successful hunan corneal transplant took place in 1906)

The cornea is therefore older than either of Jeanne Calment’s. She was 122 old when she died.

This is one tough cornea... good news for me given that it is very possible that I may require a corneal transplant imyself at some stage