The debonair Basil Marigold's

Facebook, arguably one of the two greatest internet success stories of the last decade, the other being Google (to be kind we won't mention, Google +, and most certainly not Google Wave!). They have both become behemoths on the internet; One dominates social media the other internet searches.  So, Facebook has made the move to a public listed company. It has made it with a huge value, £104bn (£66bn). But it is still a small child compared to the large tech beasts, as viewed from market capital; As you can see, Apple dominates the Tech industry with Microsoft quite a way behind. But the fundamental difference between Apple/Microsoft & Google/Facebook, is that they make 'Things'. In the case of Apple, they make very beautiful things. Microsoft make 'not as beautiful things', but they are on millions of more machines than Apple tech.  And this is where both Google and Facebook sit, precariously. Why? Let's talk Facebook. Facebook doesn't make ...

Or what seemed a brilliant idea at the time, comes back and bites your bum! A few weeks ago, I bought a Butternut Squash for a meal. They are very nice and make a good part of a meal. My daughter, who is now 3 watches a TV programme called 'Mr Bloom', where (apart from the awful, faked Northern Accent, because only Northerners have allotments, of course), he has a shed of animate Vegetables, who he has adventures with and so do the children who visit his allotment. One, as you may have gathered is a Butternut squash, called, 'Raymond'. He is bit slow, but eminently 'lovable' because of this. So, my brain wave was drawing a face on 'our' Butternut squash and e Voila, 'Raymond' has visited my daughters house!  Today was the day that 'Raymond' faced the chop. Literally. But as the act was to be done, so to speak. My daughter came in and said, 'No, don't chop Raymond'. I then tried to explain that it wasn't Raymond, but ju...

Whenever you travel around the world, there is always the 'odd' thing that you come across that asks more questions of its existence than it actually answers; One of these objects arose in Malta. Set in a plain, large and bland wall, there was this. Just a locked, safe style door. As I said, set into the anonymous wall which could lead to many attempts to think what it may be or what it may contain. The mysterious door Any offers as to what there lies behind this small metal door, more than gratefully received. Here are some of mine; 1) After 9/11 the entrance to 'Wonderland' was 'beefed' up to prevent any unauthorised entry's, after Alice came. 2) The escape hatch for the Smurf civilisation.    3) The original 'Maltese Falcon'.   4) The unknown, Maltese back door entrance to Mordor.

For the bank holiday weekend and in continuation of what appears to be the Theaker family's exploration of the Midlands Industrial past, we visited the Midland Railway Station today, about two weeks after the brilliant Papplewick Pumping Station. We seem to be a family obsessed by steam at the moment.  This weekend we went to Butterley where the main station is based for deaprtures, not the best part of the track as that would be Swanwick junction, because Grace's Nanny was up and we thought they'd enjoy the time out. The attraction itself is actually, free entry. What you pay for is the train rides to and from Butterley to Swanwick Junction (There is the opportunity to walk the distance too, should you not wish to pay). We went on the trains and the children, who were under 5 went free, so we only paid for 2 adults and an OAP, or more kindly an over 60! I laugh at my mother's age, sadly realising that as she ages, then so do I. The station itself was fairly neat a...

Before I was married I studied, while working, successfully for a Masters degree in Classics. Over this three year period, one of the hardest periods of my life I developed a heightened sense of procrastination. There were some times where I could quite happily go out and run for three hours to avoid reading about the role of the 'Athenian Chorus', or the excessive nature of 'Medea'. Disappearing into the wilds of Underwood Felley for hours on end was a great pleasure and in a way helped me form my thoughts too. Today, life is that little bit different. My ways of procrastination have altered to reflect my changing circumstances. This below is where I am now, essentially, at.  Raymond the Squash - Big Budget Raymond the Squash (cut price) I am convinced, as was my daughter, that Raymond the Squash visited us today. Sadly, I haven't thought far enough ahead to consider what her reaction may be when Raymond, the squash becomes Ryamond the 'chopped ...

It tends to happen when I go abroad or visit somewhere in the UK mainly out of the way and very rural, the best place so far was when we visited a cottage site in Northumbria last year. What happens is that you get a chance to see more of the night sky. In Malta on a clear night I could not quite believe just how clear and definable the moon’s surface was from the balcony that I sat on one evening. The Villa was in the north of the island of Malta, and although in quite a built up town. It was located midway down a valley and with few street lights the night sky was less polluted than seen from home. The great grey craterous areas face you like lunar continents. If I ever have to move to Malta then I am beginning to think that before I purchased the sofa and the television and the rest of the furniture I would need to consult the Maltese Yellow Pages and buy myself the most powerful telescope I can find as the night sky there would prove a suitable compliment to that telescope I woul...

It is, quite frankly, stunning. From the high and very solid looking fortified walls to the narrow, high walled 'Triq's or streets that spidered off some open squares and Palazzo's. These facets reminded me of my day out to Toledo, taken many years ago as there are many similarities between the two; both were historical capitals superseded by a bigger, more affluent city; both are surrounded by large fortified walls that sit on high plateaus that dominate the surrounding area which is mainly central and inland; In modern measures the resident population is quite small and the main people seen within the walls are the tourists who duly arrive daily with hire cars and buses. Yet they both, as cities, retain a lovely sense of historical dignity and a feeling of importance. Both contain large Roman Catholic Churches, Toledo’s more ornate and imposing, as befits the old capital of a once great and wealthy kingdom, indeed at the time one of the period’s world superp...