The call of the wild...

When I was a Samaritan a lot of calls would come from phone boxes. The ‘house phone’ in the hallway offered no privacy, especially for people who were experiencing domestic abuse. We would take the phone number of the call-box, so that, if they ran out of coins, we would be able to phone them back.

Since then, of course, with the ubiquity of mobile phones, the red telephone boxes have been disappearing (or taking on other roles: library, museum or somewhere to install a defibrillator). I’m reading in today's Guardian that, under plans drawn up by Ofcom, about 5,000 public phone boxes around the UK will be protected from closure. They will remain in locations "with poor mobile coverage, high accident or suicide rates, or higher-than-average use". 

Not sure what the future holds for this particular phone box, which seems to have escaped into the wild…

Hand signal...

Just read a story about a teenage girl in America who was being abducted. By using a discreet hand gesture, she was able to catch the attention of a passing motorist who then called the police. A good idea... and, on this occasion, a tragedy averted…

Penance...

A day after the Catholic church has accepted responsibility for decades of child abuse, French bishops are “kneeling in penance” at Lourdes. Of course, by putting themselves under God’s justice, they are essentially doing nothing. Paedophile priests should be handed over to the police, like any other criminals, to face the legal consequences of their actions. Paedophile priests shouldn’t be doing “penance”; they should be doing time.

Licenced last week: Broughton Hall, near Skipton…

Topiary garden...

Still making regular sales of pix from Levens Hall topiary gardens...

Sunderland Point...

Licenced today: a pic that brings back lots of good memories. Sunderland Point, near Lancaster, a community only accessible by a causeway that floods twice a day… 

Smartphone...

I can empathise with the woman who writes, in today’s Guardian, about her efforts to hang onto her ancient Nokia flip-phone. It’s getting harder and harder to live without a smartphone. It’s virtually impossible to buy a ticket for any event without one. I could get texts on my old guys’ ‘feature phone’, but it was the devil’s own job to send them. A few weeks ago I wasn’t allowed in a particular pub because I hadn’t downloaded their app. So, with some slight reluctance, I now own an Apple iPhone SE. 

Licenced today: farmland in the Eden Valley, near Great Salkeld, with Cross Fell and the North Pennines in the distance…

Silent fireworks...

Bonfire Night seems to be in retreat. I can’t say I’ll miss it… and nor will the good people down at A & E. With everyone in Asselby having a dog or cat or horse, there won’t be any (official) fireworks display in the village. Someone on the village FB page was advertising silent fireworks, but, as a concept, that seems as pointless as low-alcohol beer…