Alex’s Corner
on Le Tour
This year marks the 101st Tour de France, and also sees it return to England for the first time in more than 5 years. One of the largest sporting events on the planet, it is expected that around 4 million people in England will be at the side of the route, cheering on their favourites. Even better then, that for the majority of its stay in England, the Tour will be in God’s home county of Yorkshire; the first time ever the tour has come to the north of the country.
The tour will consist of 21 stages, the first three of which will be in England, and 2 of these will be in Yorkshire, and see the riders covering almost 400km in 2 days. Stage 1 will be on the 5th of July and is 191km, beginning in Leeds and ending in Harrogate. If you do intend to go watch the tour on this day, some of the local places it will be going through include Leeds, Otley, Ilkley and Skipton, although transport will be especially busy with people from all over the country attending the event, so if you are interested, the earlier you arrive anywhere on the route, the more likely you are to get a good view. Stage 2 is on the 6th of July, and travels from York to Sheffield. It is approximately 198km long. Sheffield, Huddersfield and Keighley are all on the route for this stage, but again, arrive early no matter where you aim to watch it, as it will undoubtedly be extremely busy. I think one of the best moments of these two stages will be the sprint finish into Harrogate to end the 1st Stage, it should be some spectacle!
Over the last few years British cycling has come along in leaps and bounds, with success in the London Olympics, and Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome winning the Tour de France over the last two years. This has culminated in a much greater interest in cycling over the last year or so, and has also increased the expectancy that it can be won again by British riders. Team Sky will be the ones to watch this year should you be supporting British riders, and can be identified by their black and light blue kit. Hopefully we will see them do well once again.
A few further points which may be of interest. There will be lorries throwing out ‘goodies’ about two hours before the Peloton (the main body of riders) reaches each destination, so this is another reason to be there early. Also, the trains into the region are only allowing two bicycles as per normal business. Obviously if anyone intends on cycling anywhere at this sort of time, and plans transporting their bike on a train, it will be extremely unlikely that this will end successfully, so be aware that this is the case. All in all though, the event should be enjoyable with the right preparation, and I hope everyone is looking forward to it with as much anticipation as I am.
Health Matters - Combating Difficulty Sleeping...
By Consultant Pharmacist - Nick Parmar
Insomnia is difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for long enough to feel refreshed the next morning. It's difficult to define what normal sleep is because everyone is different. Your age, lifestyle, environment and diet all play a part in influencing the amount of sleep you need.
The most common symptoms of insomnia are:
Difficulty falling asleep
Waking up during the night
Waking up early in the morning
Feeling irritable, tired and finding it difficult to function during the day.
It is important to try and identify a cause of the insomnia, that way the cause can be dealt with or avoided in order to prevent insomnia from continuing.
Before resorting to over-the-counter medication or prescription only medication, there are many lifestyle changes that can be made in order to promote healthy sleeping patterns…
Sleep hygiene
There are a variety of different practices that are necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness.
Why is it important to practice good sleep hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is important for everyone, from childhood through adulthood. A good sleep hygiene routine promotes healthy sleep and daytime alertness. Good sleep hygiene practices can prevent the development of sleep problems and disorders.
What are some examples of good sleep hygiene?
The most important sleep hygiene measure is to maintain a regular wake and sleep patterns seven days a week. It is also important to spend an appropriate amount of time in bed, not too little, or too excessive. This may vary by individual.
Good sleep hygiene practices include:
Avoid napping during the day. It can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol too close to bedtime. While alcohol is well known to speed the onset of sleep, it disrupts sleep in the second half as the body begins to metabolize the alcohol, causing arousal.
Exercise can promote good sleep. Vigorous exercise should be taken in the morning or late afternoon. A relaxing exercise, like yoga, can be done before bed to help initiate a restful night's sleep.
Food be disruptive right before sleep. Stay away from large meals close to bedtime. Also dietary changes can cause sleep problems, if someone is struggling with a sleep problem, it's not a good time to start experimenting with spicy dishes. And, remember, chocolate has caffeine.
Ensure adequate exposure to natural light. This is particularly important for older people who may not venture outside as frequently as children and adults. Light exposure helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine.
Associate your bed with sleep. It's not a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, listen to the radio, or read.
Self-treatment of insomnia with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs is advisable only for transient or short-term insomnia. OTC products should only be used for a short period of time in conjunction with changes in sleeping habits. Chronic use of these drugs may result in dependence on them. This creates a situation in which sleep is not possible unless the drug is used.
If lifestyle changes fail to help create a healthy sleeping pattern speak to the Pharmacist regarding other options or to discuss whether speaking to your doctor would be appropriate.
IDLE AND THACKLEY THEATRE GROUP
As rehearsals for our production of Blackadder Goes Forth get under way, it got me thinking just how many people out there are aware of the existence of our theatre group, and the locality of our “Little Theatre”. We are a small but very talented, versatile group pf people, who work very hard for most of the year, so we can make contributions to charities. For example, Alyson & Sara, who played the leading rolls in our last production The Odd Couple, and I might add got rave reviews, are this time taking charge of the lighting and sound box for this production, similarly Liam who was in charge of sound and lighting for them is now taking on the part of Blackadder, and Emma who was in the cast is directing the production.
For over 25 years, we have rented the top floor of Idle & Thackley Conservative Club, where over those years we have with the help of many knowledgeable, and experienced people constructed a stage, with real stage curtains, added a fully equipped sound and lighting box, made other rooms into dressing rooms, laid a new floor in the theatre area, built in a kitchen, and added a stairlift and a ramp from the car park, for easier access for patrons who have difficulty climbing the stairs, and many other things to make sure our audiences have an enjoyable evening in the theatre in their own area. Our present genius Bob is at the moment turning our stage into a trench somewhere near Passchendaele, in 1917, and I can assure you it will be as realistic as possible.
Why don’t you come along and see for yourselves. You can visit our website www.ittg.org.uk
Joe’s Jottings
May on the whole has been a pleasant month with a mixed bag of weather. Sunshine, showers, general rain and lengthy periods of sun. Not always warm, but more importantly very little frost which has allowed the garden to flourish and a good pace. This last week has been a bit overcast because the weather has been approaching from the continent to the east. We seem to have avoided the run of weather systems from the Atlantic. Which is why I think we may be in for a cracking June and not the washout of the last couple of years. I’m no expert but then again the experts never seem to be right either.
The garden produced its first delight of the season in the shape of massive Rhubarb leaves. The mild winter has allowed the plant to grow to an enormous size with huge leaves. So large in fact that they had begun to sag under the strain of their own weight. There was only one solution to this problem, which was to harvest without delay leaving just enough foliage on the plant to feed itself for the rest of the year. As you will probably be aware The Kitchen Skirt makes a Rhubarb crumble that is divine. She uses an old recipe which includes orange and ginger along with the usual ingredients. For the last three weeks I have been tucking into the crumble with a dollop of clotted cream ice cream. Sadly I’ve eaten it all. Now I’m hoping for a second crop later in the year.
Last month I mentioned young Henry the grandson and how he was starting with the terrible two’s. He has been a good kid overall this month providing much hilarity with his general demeanour and lust for life. He is so keen to learn and copies everything (including things he shouldn’t). He finds slurping tea to be most amusing and I must try to control my swearing in his presence. How come it is they struggle with English but have a perfect grasp of a swear word? To help me in the garden, The Skirt purchased him a junior gardening set which included a fork, trowel, miniature gloves and a small watering can. I was explaining to him about watering plants with his new can. I crouched down and pretended to water myself, rising to my full height and outstretching my arm to imitate a growing plant. Out in the garden we went round putting water on the plants as he had watched Grandad do. He has not grasped the fact that the growing phase doesn’t happen straight away and looked puzzled. So I had him water a bulb in a pot which was on the verge of flowering. His face was a picture three days later when he called to find the plant in full bloom. I would like to think he understood what he had achieved.
The pundits in the newspapers are predicting a massive fruit crop this year due to the mild wet spring with a fair amount of sunshine. I personally agree, massive amounts of blossom on the apples and plumbs. The strawberries, raspberries and currents are awash with flowers. I believe it will be a bumper crop.
The Kitchen Skirt was out in all her glory in the hot weather. Lounging on the sunbed in the bikini, Aperol in one hand Hello magazine in the other. Taking up the rays as if she was on a Majorcan beach. I had gone inside to make a pot of tea. From the patio came a blood curdling scream! In rushed The Skirt looking like a drowned rat, wet hair and mascara running down her cheek reminding me of Alice Cooper. Gasping for breath she said “That little beggar has just emptied the watering can over me”. In came young Henry laughing and giggling and said “GanMa gro” The Skirt was furious. I had to bite my lip to stifle the laughter. The kid is learning!
One of the most important aspects of a gardener’s armoury is access to soil improvers and fertilizers. These can be purchased in packets and bags from most DIY stores and garden centres. However lurking beneath virtually every gardeners feet are creatures busily toiling away improving the soil and enriching the ground with natural fertilizer, I am of course referring to the humble worm.
In every compost heap they tend to arrive and do their work turning waste into compost along with all the other bugs and bacteria associated with decomposition.
I have been looking at using these wonderful creatures on an industrial scale. This means setting up a wormery. After browsing the tinterweb I have found many companies offering ready to go wormeries and plenty of advice on building cheap ones out of discarded or purchased plastic boxes. Some of the boxes can cost a fortune as they resemble bee hives others are strictly functional, with a tap at the bottom for removing the leachate. Which is the juices secreted by the worms, which in itself is a very strong fertilizer which requires dilution, and if it is to be stored needs to be aerated with air bubbles to prevent bacteria turning it septic.
Most of the bought wormeries come supplied with worms to start the process off, but if you are to make your own then you need to find a reputable supplier of composting worms. There are several types of worms used and each does a separate job in consuming kitchen waste. A good mixture of TIGER WORMS can be bought to get started. They will quickly multiply to take advantage of the food available.
There is a simpler form of wormery which cuts out the middle man so to speak. The worm Tower feeds the worms in your garden directly and is simple to manufacture.
1. Take a 600mm length of 150mm(6”) PVC pipe
2. Drill 6mm holes at 50mm centres in all but the top 100mm of the pipe. (Making sure the integrity of the pipe is not compromised by drilling too many holes) Alternatively any bucket or container with a large hole in the bottom and 6mm holes in the sides.
3. Bury the pipe in the soil so the top holes are under the surface.
4. Provide a cap for the pipe. A fitted blanking piece or an upturned plant pot to stop vermin consuming the contents
5. Fill the pipe with kitchen waste, cat poo, dog poo, grass cuttings and soft garden waste (weeds etc) and the worms will come and feed distributing the worm cast fertilizer around the tower. Keep topping up the tower as required.
Tiger Worms can be added to kick start the process but are not strictly necessary. If you place several of these towers around the garden you will feed the garden without the need for compost bins, which can take up to a year to compost the waste material.
Oops!!!
A bloke in a bar was about as drunk as it's possible to get.
A group of guys notice his condition and decided to be good Samaritans and take him home.
First they stand him up to get to his wallet so they can find out where he lives, but he keeps falling down.
They finally get his address from his wallet. He fell down eight more times on the way to the car, each time with a real thud.
After they get to his house, he falls down another four times getting him to the door.
His wife comes to the door, and one guy says, "We brought your husband home."
His wife asks, "Where's his wheelchair?"
How To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity in retirement.
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars...watch 'em Slow Down!
2. On all your cheque stubs, write 'For Marijuana'!
3. Skip down the street Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.
4. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
5. Sing Along At The Opera.
6. When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'
7. When Leaving the Zoo, start Running towards the Car Park, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
8. Tell Your Children over dinner: 'Due to the economy,
we are going to have to let one of you go...
9. PICK UP A BOX OF CONDOMS AT THE PHARMACY, GO TO THE COUNTER AND ASK WHERE THE FITTING ROOM IS.
And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity: my favourite.
10. Go to a large Department store’s fitting room, drop your drawers to your ankles and yell out: “THERE IS NO PAPER IN HERE”!
CONRAD HARRISON WINS ISLE OF MAN SIDECAR TT
Local sidecar racer Conrad Harrison and passenger Mike Aylott on his Printing Roller Services Shelbourne Honda won his first Isle of Man TT after twenty one years going to the Island and competing in the event. It was a popular win in and around the paddock as he has been knocking on the door of victory having finished on the podium for the last four seasons.
In ideal conditions Ben and Tom Birchall took the early lead with Harrison/Aylott in forth behind Holden/Winkle and Molyneux/Ferrance. On the second lap Molyneux/Ferrance took the lead after the Birchall brothers crashed at Black dub. The pairing of Holden and Winkle had taken second place from Harrison and Aylott by less than a second. On the third lap Molyneux and Ferrance retired at Glen Helen leaving Harrison/Aylott and Holden/Winkle to fight it out over the mountain. Conrad and Mike proved to be the stronger pair recording their fastest lap of the TT at an average 114.674mph which enabled a comfortable win by 17 seconds over John Holden and Andy Winkle. The final place on the podium was taken by Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze. A fantastic win by the popular Yorkshireman.
It’s been a busy month for Conrad’s son Dean. Dean was competing in the prestigious Vauxhall North West 200 road races in Northern Ireland on his RC Express Racing Kawasaki’s and Mar-Train Yamaha R6. Dean had mixed fortunes at the event with a solid 11th place in the first superbike race and 7th in the Superstock. Using the Stocker Kawasaki ZX-10R he finished a fine eighth place in the final Superbike race. On The Mar-Train R6 Yamaha a disappointing result for Dean as he was forced to retire on the penultimate lap of the first race. At the Pre TT Southern 100 races at The Billown Circuit Dean had a fine win in The Blackfords Pre TT classic on a 750 Kawasaki. Full reports on Dean Harrison and Conrad’s win on the Blogspot. A full report on the TT in next month’s Trumpit after Dean’s strong 8th place finish in the opening Superbike race on his RC Express Racing Kawasaki.
For the Love of Fish and Chips
A neighbour of ours recently had some visitors from the colonies. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to be exact. As a former resident of this parish they had returned home to reminisce the past and visit childhood haunts in the area. Carrying on the tradition of her parents and making regular visits to the old country. When they came over one of the treats was to take home to Canada fish and chips. Sheena Hudson and her siblings would wait for their parents to return with the treat from England. They grew up adoring British fish and chips. Whilst Sheena was here she was a regular patron of Towngate Fisheries at the top of the high street. She gave them a glowing report and ate them on several occasions during the visit. In fact she was so taken by the quality that she decided to take some back to Canada as her parents had done before them. As fish and chips do not taste the same at home and a party was going to be arranged to show the good people of Ontario the glories of British fish and chips. I argued that by the time they got home they would be 1.Cold and 2.Taste awful. Her reply was although they would be not as nice as fresh. Gently warmed up in an oven they would emerge tasting pretty good and would give her friends a good idea how good Idle fish and chips are.
