Compo

Here's one to cheer Catfan up:

I'm following a thread in a faceache group. It is discussing terrorism past and present. Naturally, views are being expressed that some find controversial and disagreeable. Some group members are calling for Admin to "pull" the thread but if we try to ban people's feelings and expression then we are heading towards a totalitarian state. Think of Stalin, Hitler and Mugabe - do we really want to go down that road in order to silence anyone who expresses views that may be controversial? People come to Britain because it is a free country and quite rightly, too. Some are fleeing such oppression as

I was staying with a friend in Kilburn when the bomb of 20/12/1975 went off at Biddy Mulligan's pub on the High Road. It was a UDA bomb rather than an IRA one but the effect ws the same. I was walking a couple of streets away and still felt the blast.

You know how it is; you find a little blob of grunge and think "I'll just clean that off". Then you spot another.....five hours later the kitchen is sparkling after a full blown spring clean!

I spent an entire morning at the Chorlton cemetery one day in the 1980s. It's huge.

Note to the stupid woman in the above link: If you want a holiday on the flat, don't go to the mountains. If you want a holiday where there are no Spanish don't go to Spain. If you want a holiday where the hotel has disabled access, check with your agent before you book. What the f*ck is wrong with this woman?! Is she a complete tw*t - seems like it to me. I'm going to the High Andes in November and will be at an altitude of roughly 16,000ft. At my age the altitude will knacker me but I have the sense to realise that the term "High Andes" means mountains and will not be complaining to anyon

Done the woodwork with gloss today - now watch the bleddy cat go and rub himself all over the wet paint!

Duchary Rock Fort: This Iron Age fort in Strath Brora was built as a defensive measure around 2800 years ago. It is situated at an altitude of about 800ft on top of a hill which has cliffs on the north and south side and slopes to the east and west. In order to defend the hill it was necessary to build thick stone walls on the east and west sides. All that remains today are hard-to-see earthworks inside the area and the remnants of the collapsed walls. An entrance can be seen in the western wall. Archaeologists have determined that the walls were originally 12ft thick.

One of the things I miss about Nottingham is the view south from the castle walls. It used to look straight over the canal and railway yards. Those were the days when people had proper jobs

Seen it a few times, Oz. Here in UK we still have Radio Caroline. Nowadays the ssip is moored in the Blackwater Estuary, Essex and most of the shows come from a shore based studio. Once per month they all go out to the ship and transmit from there via a link to Manx Radio on Medium wave. In addition, Caroline now have a licence to braodcast from......the former BBC transmitter at Orforrd Ness in Suffolk. Unfortunately, they are limited to 2KW output so their range is insufficient to hear it in Scotland. I listen on the internet at Radiocaroline.co.uk (24hrs) and have a mini transmitter t

Our blazer was royal blue but to make it even worse....it had blue and gold braided trim around the edges!

Bad day today! 'er indoors has gone off to her daughter's for a week. Left me with instructions to get the kitchen painted whilst she's away " It'll be easy," she said, "It's not as if you are changing colours - just refreshing the existing ones." Spent several hours this moring doing the emulsion and guess what? - yep, it needs another coat before I can do the woodwork.....

During my apprenticeship at the NCB I had to spend some time in the training centre at Hucknall Top Pit. After the shift a number of us had to wait for ages for a bus so we used to go into the canteen and have a mug of OXO whilst we passed the time. As I recall, it cost 3d per mug.

Kids - you have to love 'em don't you! This liitle boy followed me all around a Hamar market in Ethiopia - all he wanted was to hold my hand and smile at me.

Zebra at Nechisar National Park, Arba Minch, Southern Ethiopia, 1st November 2010. Great palce to celebrate my 60th birthday.... This lot just ambled past as though we weren't even there!

Circa 1963 our school art teacher redesigned the school badge; this was the result. The badge is a pheonix rising meant to represent new building rising up the hill from the old buildings below. The badge was bluie background, gold lining and red flames - can't remember the colour of the pheonix. Anyone else have images of your old school badges?

I think I speak for everyone at nottstalgia when I say that every member is of interest to others; regular poster or not.

A few photos from Strath Brora taken yesterday on a walk to visit the remains of an Iron Age fort. (Fort photos to follow): Carol Rock: Footbridge over the Brora River at Doll: Summit Cairn on Meall Coire Aghaisgeig:

Referring back to the question about the coded gravestone in Durness: I had an answer from someone who researched gravestones at Edinburgh some years ago. He says that teh four symbols represent "Hand" The hand of God - used when soemone was taken by "Act of God" eg shipwreck. The ship represents a sailor. The Stag is for loyalty to one's spouse and the fish is the God symbol. So, the message reads: " Died at sea by the hand of God. He was loyal to his spouse to the end and died in faith and the grace of God.

Very interesting information from you all about overseas graveyards. They certainly pack them tightly in European Graveyards! In Portugal, many are cheek-by-jowl and only have space for a small monument. Oz's picture of the setting for Scarborough graveyard in New South Wales is not unlike the one in Durness, Sutherland, too.

Here's one from a hotel: Attention Honorific Guest, Thank you to come our Linan Inn, and invite you to cherish to take good care of the inn's hygenic faclities, such as the towel result ined by you damaged. Foul stuff, will from your personal and responsible for your indemnifleation moreover invite your right. Defend the mattress that fall down, if the immediately fall down the guest complacent. Please treasure resources, water and power conservation. Thank you for your visit again. Linan Inn

Chinese instruction leaflets are always good for a laugh. Here's one from a Magnifying glass: Maintenance: This product is made of acrylic. So don't rub by chemical medicine to avoid lens spoiled. Just use medium alcohol to rub it lightly. Watch carefully for use.

The best interpretation of the 1619 stone to date is: "Deck hand on a sailing ship. He was a deer young man who loved fishing " [from our own "Pianoman"]. I was thinking something along the lines of "Could turn his hand to sailing (or boat building), hunting and fishing".