KENDRIVE

REVISED SCHEDULE

I now have SIX blogs on the Internet and I am beginning find them a struggle to manage on a regular daily basis.

They are taking too much of my time away from other interests, so I have decided to cut down the frequency of posts.

My two personal favourites are http://poemsandprose.blog.co.uk/ and http://picturepost.blog.co.uk/ and they will continue on 5 days of the week, Monday to Friday.

The others will appear less frequently, as I find interesting things to add.

There will be no posts on any of the blogs at weekends.

I am extremely grateful to the small group of loyal followers who have added brilliant, witty and relevant comments over the past few years.

Please continue to do so.

Time is precious for us all and my re-scheduling may help you as well as me.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Colin (kendrive)

On Wednesday Gordon Brown launched a last-ditch political fightback with plans for free care for the neediest old people in one of the shortest Queen's Speeches in recent political history.

The address set out a series of populist bills designed to draw the battles lines between the parties ahead of a General Election expected next May.

It contained just 13 bills and two draft bills and, at just under seven minutes long, was the shortest speech at the State Opening of Parliament for 12 years.

(Daily Telegraph & Mail Online)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1228892/Queens-Speech-Browns-ditch-fightback-unveils-plans-free-social-care.html#ixzz0XIW0FBTc

AFTER the sign, that is!

"I told them I was ill"
(Spike Milligan's epitaph)

DEEP IN THE HEART OF . . . SCOTLAND

When did you last see the stars at night? Nowadays it is difficult anywhere in the United Kingdom to get away from the glare of city lights.

However, Galloway Forest Park in Scotland has become the first area outside of America to be named one of the world.

The forest has become the first Dark Sky Park in the UK and the fourth in the world, with the other three in the US.

The award, presented by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), recognises the quality of the night sky in the area, where light pollution is minimal.

There are few buildings within the park’s perimeter and pitch-black sky at night makes it easy to see distant galaxies such as the Milky Way and Andromeda.

Martin Morgan-Taylor, UK board member for the IDA, said: “Its location is ideally situated for access from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and northern England, meaning that many people, including children, may have access to a quality night sky, both now and in generations to come.

“Such skies are rapidly disappearing and less than 10 per cent of people in the UK can now see the Milky Way from where they live.”

The other three Dark Sky Parks are at the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, the Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania and the Geauga Park in Ohio.

Galloway Forest Park was established in 1947, covers 300 square miles (185,329 acres) and is the largest of its kind in Britain.

Forestry Commission Scotland submitted an application for dark sky status six weeks ago, and the IDA decided it merited the award at its annual general meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, over the weekend.

(From an article in the Daily Telegraph)

So, if you want to see stars - go to Scotland.