Ineptitude on a national scale - that's the UK for you

Credit: @Coldwar_Steve
https://coldwarsteve.com

Not many people are likely to read this - I only have a couple of followers, but it's cathartic writing this down, and maybe someday, someone will look at it and think, "Blimey, the country was in the shit back then...."

The country (the UK that is) is currently in the midst of a petrol crisis. Not a shortage, though that may still come at some future point, but a problem caused by a lack of HGV drivers to deliver the stuff to petrol stations. It started with BP indicating that they'd had to close 6 of their 1,200 or so stations due to lack of deliveries, not in itself an issue at all, but in true British style, within 24 hours we have a crisis and people are panic buying, queuing for hours to put half a gallon in their car and stations are naturally therefore, running out. A vicious circle, and one not helped by how this stuff is reported in the mainstream media (MSM). Come on, a headline saying BP has to close petrol stations - even if it's maybe 1% of their total is inevitably going to get people panicking.

The one sure fire way to get people to panic, is to say "Don't panic".

This is just the latest in a long line of utter fiasco's to emerge under the current Tory government's term in office. The underlying problem appears to be Brexit (yes, that old chestnut) which caused many European drivers to either voluntarily or, due to the immigration implications go back to their own countries instead of being employed here. Apparently there may be some other issues - lack of infrastructure to support drivers in their job causing many to leave the industry, so it's probably a miss-mash of issues ultimately but Brexit is surely in there near the top.

All in all, this government's legacy is beginning to look more and more like an A-Z of how to bring a country to it's knees, and mostly on the policy strategy of saving money. It's like we've brought the Administrators as happens when a company goes bust.

The list feels endless, but some examples include:

• Brexit (overall but some if the key promises of:
• "reclaiming" £350m a week given the to EU to spend on our NHS (nope that didn't happen)
• Enabling our fishing industry to recover and thrive (nope that didn't happen either)
• Getting back control (nope - if this is control, I'd hate to think what out of control looks like)
• Immigration policy tied to with Brexit (above) and Covid (below) has resulted in massive staffing shortages in the NHS/care homes, hospitality sector, HGV  drivers (and probably many other sectors), let alone the general principle of supporting genuine immigrants fleeing oppressive governments elsewhere - for them those vulnerable people perhaps a right case of out of the frying pan.....
• Shortages of food on shelves in some areas (again placed at the door of lack of HGV drivers)
• It's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic (OK, the pandemic wasn't the Governments's fault, but it's handling most certainly is/was)with
• Unnecessary deaths
• Immeasurable strain on the NHS 
• Disjointed strategies amongst the English, Welsh, UK and NI devolved governments
• Alleged (I use that term loosley) corruption in the awarding and handling of major contracts to supply PPE and other goods/services
• More shortage crises - toilet rolls or flour anyone?
• Failure to adequately support and fund the NHS (although this probably deserves a blog post all of its own)
• An apparent desire to privatise and defund the NHS, perhaps the shining light of the UK and the envy of many (most) other countries, resulting in increased waiting times, frustrated and burnt out staff who increasingly seem to be a target for abuse
• Having to get the army in to drive ambulances
• Chopping Universal Credit and raising National Insurance - together with a general history of hitting the poorest whilst lining the pockets of the richest
• Inability to speak and/or give answers without lying (just Google Boris Johnson lying) or evasion (constantly)
• Climate change response (or lack of it)
• Support for the travel industry

I could go on, but it's too depressing.

And the problem is that despite all the above, and the sense that the country is spiralling towards implosion, there is still a significant number of people who think the Government is doing a good job. 

To be fair, the one area that they have largely succeeded in, is the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, although they appear to be incapable to reaching the (relative minority of anti-vaxers/anti-maskers) who still think that everything that's being done to protect them and the woodier population is either a conspiracy, or an infringement of their human rights or both. They're probably the same people currently queuing at petrol stations.

The end result of all this, is a country that's fast becoming the laughing stock of the world. Our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson (BJ) is being seen as the bumbling oaf that he undoubtedly is, more worried about ruffling his hair before an interview than doing something about the mess him and his party have created and overseen, supported by a cast of minions loyal to him too scared to sway from the party line or speak the truth when asked a simple, straightforward question. And in all honesty, most of them (at least in the cabinet) are probably so rich that they'd never have to queue at a petrol station, or worry about bare shelves, or how they're going to pay the bills. Meanwhile we've got Foreign Secretaries brokering trade deals with Mongolia, whilst trade with our closest and mainly prosperous European cousins is increasingly becoming harder and more bureaucratic because of Brexit. I was talking with a friend yesterday who is a senior manager for a large multi-national construction company who said that materials were costing on average 40% more than pre-Brexit - and that's if you can get them.

BJ's recent trip to the USA to broker improved trade deals hasn't gone well either, with US President Joe Biden hinting that there was a bit "to work through". It suggests that the US particularly sees us as much less of a world player than we once were.

Far from the promises of bringing back control, the Tory government is rapidly stumbling from crisis to crisis, unable to plan, or foresee solutions, making policy on the hoof. They're a disaster from start to finish, but the bigger problem seems to be that both enough people realise this, and an unnerving sense that there might not be anyone else out there that could do any better.

My musing's are borne from frustration as we seem to lurch from one crisis to the next, with poor reporting and clickbait headlines stoking the fires. 

The photo at the top of this post from the brilliant Christopher Spencer (aka Coldwar Steve) who's Twitter account @Coldwar_Steve posts brutal, funny (in a tragic-comedic way) pictures of current key topics and "leading" characters sets out some of the issues at hand far better than I ever could. Go give him a follow.

I'll leave you with this (not mine).

Stunning South Pembrokeshire - a short break

As the regular reader of this blog will know, Pembrokeshire is one of my favourite places, and I've been going there since I was in my early teenage years in 192 (or 73 - I forget) - yes I'm that old.

Usually we stay in and around the St David's peninsula although we had a lovely short break in Pembroke after last year's firebreak lockdown, when everything was still pretty much closed.

A few weeks ago we booked an almost spur of the moment midweek break, staying in an Air BnB in Milford Haven - not because we wanted to go to MH particularly, but because it was a nice base for a couple of walks we wanted to do around Dale and Barafundle.

We arrived on Tuesday evening and found our Air BnB easily enough. It was a bit unusual in that it looked like it was previously a garage or some other outbuilding in a previous life, in the backyard of the hosts house. To be perfectly honest the house and garden looked a bit shabby. Our place though was clean and tidy although missing a few essentials - like somewhere to hang clothes, or a table to eat on (there was a small pull out table with a couple of stools, but it was small!). Nevertheless for £70 a night we weren't complaining too much, we weren't intending to spend a lot of time in the place.

We dumped our stuff and walked down to Milford Haven marina, only a 10 minute walk away as we were virtually on the banks of the Cleddau. On the opposite bank of the Haven the Valero oil terminal at Rhoscrowther loomed ominously, with tankers moored up on its jetties.  A wander around the marina (with it's plentiful restaurants and bars) was nice with plenty of people enjoying a drink in the evening sun, and we took advantage of one of the aforementioned bars for a beer for me and G&T for my good lady. 

Milford Haven Marina

Wednesday dawned bright and sunny - not bad for the middle of September, and we set off for the 20 minute drive to Dale. Our plan was a 7 (or so) mile walk around St Anne's Head. We parked in the car park at Dale (thank goodness for phone paid parking - no more messing around for coins) and walked up towards Dale Point Fort, now a field studies centre, but previously part of several fortifications around the Haven put in place to defend the deepwater harbour from first Napoleon and latterly the Germans in WW2. Staying on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path we passed a tall navigation beacon just before the coming to the gorgeous Watwick Bay. This secluded bay on this sunny day could have almost been in the Caribbean. If it wasn't for the fact it's a bit of a hike to get there, it would be packed with beachgoers. We continued along the path to the West Blockhouse Fort, another fortification now a holiday rental and stopped for a coffee resting against one of three more tall navigation beacons as we looked over to St Anne's Head and light. All the while, tankers and ferries made their way busily in and out of the Haven. 

Watwick Bay

Continuing our walk we passed Mill bay where Henry Tudor landed just a couple of weeks before defeating Richard at Bosworth Field, and then onwards reaching St Anne's Head. Here the current light stands a small distance from one of the previous two lights, now used as a coastguard watch point. Our journey continued around the coast path and headland, before reaching Dale West beach, where we turned inland, back towards Dale where we treated ourself to an ice cream and cold drink. We were quite surprised how busy the place was both on the beach and on the coast path given it was well into September.

Tankers in the Haven, Stack Rock Fort and Dale from Dale West

After driving back to our base, we ate at the impressive Impasto Pizza Bar in the Marina which we'd booked the night before. Recommended if you're in the area and like Italian food. The pizza was first class, the service good and the beers great! In the dark on the walk back from the marina, the Valero Oil terminal was lit up and looked far more impressive in the dark than it's industrial daytime look, especially with the light from the flames from the exhaust chimneys bouncing off the lowish clouds.

Valero oil terminal at Rhoscrowther

The weather kept up as day 2 again dawned bright and sunny. We drove to Stackpole Quay where we parked in the large National Trust Car Park (for free as we're members!). The car park was already pretty busy by the time we arrived at 10am with walkers and beach goers and dog walkers. The NT cafe was open so we grabbed a sausage and bacon roll and coffee which we ate on a bench overlooking the quay watching a paddle boarding lesson taking place. From here it's a short hike up the hill and over to the stunning Barafundle Bay. We saw our paddle boarders on their way around to the bay in the flat calm conditions. We hadn't planned to walk far as we'd done a 7 miler the day before, but we did carry on all the way to Stackpole Head. The walking is easy but the cliffs here are pretty high and sheer, and there are climbing staked hammered in every few yards as evidence that this area is a haven for climbers, so it's best not to venture too close to the edge. As the sun cleared the haze, we could see across the bay to the Pembrokeshire beaches of Swanlake and Manorbier, and Caldey Island, off Tenby. In the far distance, still in the haze, the hills of the Gower and Rhossili Down in particular could be seen. From Stackpole Head, Lundy Island was also clearly visible rising out of the Bristol Channel off the North Devon coast. It's around 30 miles away in a straight line, but looked a lot nearer that that from high on the cliffs.

Barafundle Bay

The cliffs around Stackpole Head are stunning, and looking toward the west another fine beach, Broadhaven South with it's classic landmark Church Rock just off the beach could be seen. On the grassy headland, we saw several distinctive Chough with their bright red beaks and legs as well as Rock Pipits.

 

Cliffs near Barafundle

Wandering back to Barafundle, the beach now pretty busy, we settled down for a couple of hours chilling in the (by now) hot sun. A paddle in the sea cooled us down a little, before a number of people near us got quite excited when a snake (we think a grass snake) was seen slithering across the beach towards some rocks. It was around 2 feet long and moving pretty fast. It wasn't an adder, so I'm guessing a grass snake was the only other realistic option in the UK.  I managed to snap a photo or two and a short video. I think it's the only snake I've ever seen in the UK outside of a zoo.

The snake!

After that excitement, we walked back to the car, via the cafe for an ice cream, and then home. That evening, we again ate in the marina, this time at Martha's Vineyard which we'd pre booked before we came. Primarily a fish restaurant, it's got a quite broad menu. My wife had some huge garlic prawns to start followed by the house specialty bouillabaise whilst I had whitebait followed by a hanging kebab. The food was nice with some minor exceptions - a flatbread I had with my main was a bit like cardboard and the squid in the bouillabaisse was tough. That's being a bit picky though. Otherwise the food was great and the service excellent.

A stroll back to our base, and that was pretty much it for the break. The following morning on checking out we visited the marina for one last time to pop into a couple of the shops - there's a nice shop that sells home made chocolates (Trwffl), before driving home (and getting stuck in an enormous traffic jam at Carmarthen). 

All in all, we had a lovely time. A relaxing (apart from all the walking) break, in brilliant weather in one of the most beautiful parts of the county. 

We'll be back - again....

A little bit of GAS

GAS otherwise known as Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The hunt for ever more camera gear in an attempt to find the perfect solution. I think I've got it - GAS that is, not the perfect solution.

I've always taken lots of photos, usually with whichever camera I had at hand. Until fairly recently (the last 18 months or so, I've never really had a camera that could be described as anything more than basic, or entry level.

However in the recent past - perhaps post retirement as I've tended to get out more and take more photos. If you want to see my efforts, check out my Flickr page.

This year I've upgraded kit in the search for an ever better gear solution. But the problem is that "better" or "perfect" is always subjective, and each time I've done, it something else catches my eye.

As things stand I currently have the following kit.

• A Fuji X-S10 mirrorless (a new camera released only at the end of last year) with a couple of lenses. It's a camera aimed at the enthusiast (more than beginner, but generally not professional photographer). It's not cheap and it is good.
• A Panasonic FZ330 bridge camera (all in one fixed lens). A pretty decent camera costing a few hundred pounds but one that has a small sensor so image quality can suffer easily.
• A Panasonic TZ60 pocket travelzoom. A good few years old now, handy for slipping in a pocket or when travelling - especially abroad where I wouldn't want the bulk of the other two cameras. It's getting long in the tooth now
• My trusty iPhone (XR) which is with me ALL the time, but despite the advances in phone cameras over the years, obviously hasn't got any decent zoom capability

I've just offloaded a Canon DSL and 4 lenses. Not because it wasn't good. The real reason was that having only a couple of months ago bought a huge (weight and size) and expensive telephoto lens I've come to the conclusion I'm not really going to use it that much, and like the Fuji, going out with a bagful of lenses and having to swap lenses for different shots all the time is frankly a pain - that's where the FZ330 wins - it's got one lens running from wide(ish) angle to long telephoto - but as noted the quality can suffer due to its small sensor if light is poor or clumsy operation/choice of settings occurs.

TZ60 and iPhone aside, here's my camera roadmap for the last 18 months. It's painful to read :-)

1. Sold a Canon 100D DSLR with 18-55mm kit lens, 50mm prime lens, 18-270mm zoom lens, 70-300mm zoom lens
2. Bought Panasonic FZ330
3. Bought Canon 77D DSLR, 18-55mm lens
4. Bought Canon 50mm lens
5. Bought Fuji X-S10 DSLR with 18-50 kit lens
6. Bought Fuji 50-230mm zoom
7. Sold Canon 77D and Canon lenses
8. Bought Canon 77D with 18-135mm lens
9. Bought Canon 28mm lens
10. Bought Canon 100-400mm telephoto
11. Sold Canon 77D and Canon lenses

In my defence, the Canon purchases (camera and lenses) were all bought used. When I sold the 77D originally I immediately regretted it - I prefer the ergonomics and menu system to the Fuji, but frankly the Fuji's a better camera (I think anyway). So I bought another one on a whim, when really I should have stopped and thought. It wasn't until I bought the 100-400 lens that I realised carting a load of lenses around for the sort of photography I do is 1) impractical, and 2) bloody heavy!

So now I'm at a crossroads. I love the Fuji, I like the FZ330, but what I REALLY want is an all in one that has better image quality than the FZ330 but the reach of a long telephoto in a one stop shop.

I know what the answer is. A Sony RX10 IV, widely accepted to be the best all in one 1 inch sensor long zoom out there. But it ain't cheap. But I suppose I have just sold all my Canon gear.

Oh, and I want another lens for my Fuji.

Oh, and I want to upgrade my Panasonic TZ60.

Oh, and the new iPhone 13 will be released soon - my XR is 3 years old now....

GAS.

Maybe I should take up knitting.

Margam Country Park

The "Castle"

Today Anne and I pootled off to Margam County Park near Port Talbot for a walk and a mooch. We haven't been there for donkeys years, since the kids were very small.  It's only a 30-40 minute drive down the M4 from Cardiff and we got there at 10am as the park opened. It's no doubt been very busy of late, but with the schools back, and an early arrival there were just a handful of folks and a couple of dog walkers about.

Talking of dogs, at the handily placed loos near the entrance, there's a self service dog wash, which could come in handy if you have a dirty pooch after your walk.

It's £6.60 to park (pay at the entry kiosk) which seems a bit steep until you realise there's no entry fee to the place. We started off with a wander around the Orangery, a place very popular for wedding do's apparently, and as you can see from the photo, it's an impressive building.

Orangery

In the same area, were the ruins of the old abbey, and quite impressive they were too. Certainly gave a feel for how the old abbey, or at least parts of it may have looked.

Abbey ruins

We then walked up towards and past the "castle". This 19th Century Tudor Gothic Mansion was designed by the architect Thomas Hopper for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot. The house was built in 1830 – 40 at a cost of £50,000 using sandstone from nearby Pyle quarry. Listed Grade I as a mansion of exceptional quality, the Castle has some spectacular features such as the vast staircase hall and octagonal tower. 

Unfortunately it's closed to the public currently, and is covered in scaffold as there's restorative work going on. However, I managed to get a photo (see above) that cropped out most of the scaffold, fences and containers.

Adjacent to the castle is another set of toilets, Charlotte's Pantry, a small snack/coffee take out shop and Margam Adventure where you can hire electric bikes, mountain bikes (there are numerous bike trails around the park), pedaloes etc. However, at £15 for 30 minutes the pedaloes seemed pretty pricey to me - not that we were ever going to hire one!

Our plan was to do one of the four walks, ranging from about a mile and a half to 3 three and a half miles. All have downloadable PDF''s on the website. We chose the Cwm Phillip (green way markers). All the trails were very well marked - see the photo below, so you're unlikely to get lost. However, also note that when the guide says there are some steep parts, they're not joking!

Our path took us on a good path/trail through a quiet (we saw no-one else) valley with a stream running at the bottom. There were birds a-plenty flitting amongst the trees, and the occasional rustling in the undergrowth although we saw no four legged wildlife at this point. After a good while of (mostly) level-is walking the track turned right up a hill. It said it was steep, and it was - not ridiculously so, but you do need to be pretty fit an/or or take your time to climb up to the highest point in the park of 240m. Once up there you have pretty good views out over Port Talbot and it's steelworks towards Swansea Bay and the Gower beyond. It was pretty hazy for us, so the views weren't as good as they might have been.

Cwm Phillip

As the track started to descend we bore right along an old medieval drover's track (that's what the guide said!) but instead of turning back down the valley, we went a further few hundred yards to the "Pulpit" (which is part of another trail). This circular outlook was originally built apparently as a spot for shooting pheasants, and the large rock on it was opened by Prince Charles to commemorate the Prince's Trust in Wales. The views again would be spectacular if it hadn't been such a hazy day. 

The Pulpit

Photo on the Pulpit

From the Pulpit using our binoculars we could see some of the Park's deer herd in the distance on the valley floor, and agreed that we'd walk over towards them when we got to the bottom of the climb. Descending, we passed the entrance to an old monastic mine - not sure what they were mining, now gated and locked and possibly used by caving groups.

As we can round the bluff at the bottom of the hill, we unexpectedly spied deer lurking on the ridge looking at us, much closer than the deer we'd previously seen had been. We had an excellent look through at them  through the bins.

Deer on the ridge

A little further on, we then saw another deer in a field! Beyond her we could see quite a large heard, with a large stag lying down. In an attempt to move closer we crept cautiously towards a slight rise. As I topped the rise I was confronted with another twenty or so deer about 50 yards away! Whilst a few got up, giving us the eye, they weren't overly startled, so we backed slowly away, but it's the closest I've ever been to a herd of deer!

After our deer encounter, we continued down the path and came down to the main area of the park. Along the way the views back up the ridge to the Pulpit were quite fabulous.

The Pulpit from the bottom of the valley

Choosing not to go directly back to the castle, we detoured to a small farm park, adjacent to the Margam Discovery Centre a field studies centre. In the farm park were various poultry, sheep, goats, horses, cows and donkeys. Anne can't resist a donkeys so a of photos was mandatory!

Coming back out of the farm park towards the castle, we stopped by the lake for a quick snack and a 5 minute rest. By the lake we saw an inevitable array of wildfowl, plus a heron and a couple of big fish (I'd say at least a foot long) breaching on the lake.

One of several lakes/ponds on the estate

Then it was the final bit of the return leg to the Castle where we grabbed a coffee and a cake before walking back to the car park for the journey home. Even by the time we left, at around 2pm the place was still incredibly quiet, so if you prefer a bit of peacefulness in your visits, I'd wager it's best to come during term-time. As an aside, it's also well served for picnic benches, benches and toilets around the main buildings.

The Castle and adjacent buildings including Charlotte's

Pantry and the activity hire centre

All in all we had a lovely few hours at the park, and will definitely be coming back again. 

Recommended.