Everton 3 Sheffield United 1

Football on a summer's evening at Goodison.

So things are not quite so bad after all. Everton defeated Sheffield United with ease last night at Goodison Park. Mind you, being Everton, they made us endure the moments when Sheffield United went one nil up. Nevertheless Everton's class soon told and we were left with a rarity - not having to worry about the final outcome of the match. Only 17,000 witnessed the spectacle, but the blues played some attractive passing football that hopefully can be transferred to the premier league on Saturday. Ross Barkley, the teenage midfield player, could be Everton's sensation of the season.

National Library of Wales

On a perfect summer's day I drove down earlier to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. I have not been in the research rooms since the mid 1980s and they have changed a great deal; for a start technology has arrived as the catalogue is now fully electronic and there are computers everywhere. It is still though a splendid place to study.

It also has a strong link with Caerwys - Herbert Lewis of Plas Penucha (often referred to in this blog) campaigned for decades to see the establishment of a national library. He saw it as an important recognition of Welsh nationhood. Herbert Lewis' role was rewarded in 1926 when he was made honorary president of the National Library of Wales.

The main grand entrance is no longer used.

The building itself is in the art-deco/ classical Greece style that was popular between the wars. It is built from white portland stone and is situated above the town of Aberystwyth with a superb vista across Cardigan Bay. Today the sea was a perfect blue.

Look west young man.

My only quibble (and it is only a slight one)  is that the grand entrance is no longer used and the public are now ushered in through a side door. Somehow this reduces the sense of awe one gets when visiting this beautiful building.

In Search of England

The best book I have read this summer is 'In Search of England' by H.V.Morton. It is a travel book written as Morton motored around England in the 1920s. They were the days of care-free motoring, and the author blithely took which ever road took his fancy. The attraction of the book is that is gives us a glimpse at a world that for many had not become modernised; people were still intrigued at the sight of a motor car. Morton also wrote with immense skill; he viewed the world as a poet might. This is an extract from his first impression of Cornwall:

There is a strangeness about Cornwall. You feel it as soon as you cross the Tor Ferry.

The first sight that pleased me was a girl with a shingled head driving a cow with a crumpled horn. I knew, of course, that I was in fairyland! And the next thing was a village that was trying to climb a hill. One whitewashed cottage had reached the top, but the others had stuck half-way, with their gardens gazing in a rather surprised manner over their chimney-pots. In these lovely, disorderly gardens some of the oldest men I have ever seen had apparently taken root in the act of watching the bean-rows. 

(With thanks to VR for recommending this marvellous book)

Moel Famau and Hitler.

For the third time this year I climbed Moel Famau. By now I know the mountain pretty well, but today we reached the top via two new paths. The ascent is fairly straightforward along the edge of Frith mountain. Part of the route took alongside what looked like a Second World War air-raid shelter - it even had the classic 'Anderson' shape still clearly remaining. It begged the question as to why anyone would need an air-raid shelter half way up Moel Famau. It cannot have been anywhere near the top of Hitler's list of targets.

Not a good photograph; but the history of this building in the woods would be interesting.

Everton 0 Queens Park Rangers 1

Two years ago to the day I was at Goodison Park to see Everton hammered six one by Arsenal; today was in a similar vein. Despite a number of close efforts the blues failed to break down the visitors. Once they went in front QPR resolutely defended and the game ended to a loud chorus of boos. Everton were the better team and a bit of luck - like the Baines free kick being a fraction lower - and the mood would have been vastly different. However the home side did not look as well motivated as the Londoners, and few Everton fans had any complaint with the outcome. It could be a long season.

The Everton team warm up; that was as good as it got.

Hard times

It is said that during an economic down-turn the only growth area is in pawn shops. Today that may equate to the 'Money Shops' that appear on the high street; one has just popped up in Mold. They offer short term loans, buy gold, and sell foreign currency, but they are not Banks. I have a feeling that this cannot be a good thing.

The other economic activity that appears to be booming are the 'pseudo' 'legal' firms seeking to take on spurious  'blame' cases. I had a call the other day from one such company wanting to seek compensation on my behalf for the trauma I must have suffered as a result of my credit card company raising my limits without sufficient consultation. The man, who said it was my lucky day, claimed that the Financial Standards Authority had specifically asked him to help me gain rightful recompense for my suffering. Of course there is fun to be had here and on questioning this hapless young man did not know what the FSA did, or anything about my credit card (thankfully). The other cold calling scam involves seeking redress for even the most minor accident; I witnessed one yesterday over a slight car bump that took place a few years ago. Surely, they pleaded, there must have been some trauma, or even a few bruises.

These scams are hugely costly to everyone and impact upon the genuine claimants who have been abused by the rapacious financial sector, or injured through no fault of their own and need financial support as a result.

This type of activity merely reflect our own serious economic situation.

Fighting the flab

On May 25th  I began to count calories. As I have noted in earlier blogs, I used an app on my phone called: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/   It allows me to count the calorific value of most foods fairly easily. The program then uses my height and current weight to set the number of calories I should consume each day; at the moment I am allowed 1920.

In addition the program allows to me to increase my daily calorie allowance through exercise. So, for example, if I cycle for an hour (as I did this morning) I gain around 800 calories. Today I have eaten well, including two cakes, one walnut whip, baked potato, burger, new potatoes, and Costa coffee. Oh yes, I nearly forgot, two glasses of wine as well.

I have followed this diet for around 80 days and have lost some 36lbs. I will surely put it all back on as I have done before, but counting calories does seem to work so far.

This amounts to some 13.5% of my body weight as measured in May.