View from the Window

The weather gods are toying with us again, I held off washing the Batmobile on Friday as I could smell rain in the air, I don't know about your area but here you get granules of the Sahara desert or wherever in the rain so it isn't worth washing anything. I did manage to pop out Saturday morning and give my pride and joy a quick once over as we were out for the day. Anyway after two lousy days this morning it is beautiful, not a cloud in a clear blue sky, I could see an enemy dust cloud coming from miles away, even the ghastly windmills are standing proud. Having said that there is a smattering of frost on the cars, but I suspect that will not last long.

No road traffic accidents to report this week and there are actually parking spaces out there this morning which is unusual as this village was only ever meant for horses and carts and the occasional stagecoach, cars have a hard time here. This I think was one reason for the demise of the shop side of my business, people here now refuse to walk to the local shop or school even though both places are no further than a good ten minute stroll from any end of the village, and the ironic thing is people come from all over Lancashire and beyond to walk in this area. They didn't use the shop either, professional walkers carry everything with them in their rucksack, it is like Dr. Who's Tardis in there, if they have an accident I would expect them to pull out a fully functioning operating theatre if there are more than two of them. They do at times support the local landlord, James at the "George Washington" (still the Black Bull to locals), taking three hours to drink one cup of tea, yes you guessed it, with six straws.

Whilst perusing my emails for the umpteenth time the other day the subject of one stood out, "Worst Scenario" it shouted at me, now having just published a scenario book and put all the others into a Spring sale I began the rebuttal in my head as I clicked for further info from this scoundrel. You can imagine my relief at finding out that it was nothing to do with my writing, but merely the incredibly unlucky Laurence Eisenberg (hints at Breaking Bad there?), who was stuck in Istanbul having had his passport and all his money stolen by ISIS, while his poor, sick mother was lying on a life support machine back in Blighty. Laurence was adamant that he would pay me back for funding his return to the green, green grass of home and that his mother would forever offer prayers for my salvation. What did I do, what could anyone with a heart do, anyone who has felt a mothers love, I ignored him that's what I did. He can languish with Elizabeth in Madrid and Tony in Rome, another pair of life's unfortunates. He was way off the mark thinking I would help him.

I have been in Istanbul but went to see Constantinople, the city has a pull on my interest much like the Titanic, Hastings and other things I have mentioned. I stayed in the old city a five minute walk from Hagia Sophia, the site of the Hippodrome, the underground caverns and other remnants of New Rome. I also managed to walk along and stand beside the famous triple walls, sadly all but ignored by the city authorities. Constantinople was huge for an ancient/medieval city and as you drive in through the walls to get to your hotel you get a sense of the awe visitors must have got all those years ago.