redandwhiterag

Maverick Festival 2014

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Yesterday at Maverick (our fourth visit I think). Another excellent festival, but a little less sun than we’re used to. Even had the temerity to shower on two or three occasions. As usual, we parked ourselves at the outside stage all afternoon. A fine selection of all things Americana, particular highlights included Flats and Sharp, Massy Ferguson, Rainbow Girls, Wynntown Marshalls, Dreaming Spires and Ward …

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A Rambling We Shall Go – 2014

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Been members of the Ramblers for years and never gone on a ramblers organised walk – until yesterday. Finally sauntered along to an Ipswich Ramblers led walk around Newbourne, Waldringfield and the Deben. Had the advantages of being one of the local areas we’ve never covered ourselves and we didn’t have to worry about maps etc, just let someone else take the strain. Oh, and …

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Cote D’Azur

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Not long back from a leisurely seven day cruise around the Cote D’Azur (and beyond) visiting a number of places we hadn’t been to before. That was the plan anyway, and although it still turned out that way, a few stops didn’t end up being the ones on the original itinerary. From the airport to the ship in Barcelona and straight off again to squeeze in a visit to Antoni Gaudi’s Palau Guell, the first commission he received from his main client Eusebi Guell and built between 1886 and 1890. Worth the effort.

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Dementia Friends

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Having watched my dad’s battle with dementia, this subject is close to our hearts and this initiative has been developed by the Alzheimer’s society. The video alone is a definite must watch and should dispel a few myths about this horrendous disease. The focus on how it can attack the relatively young is particularly affecting, although it doesn’t prepare you for the worst of the …

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The NHS and the Elderly – Setting The Wrong Agenda

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As Karol Sikora wades into the debate over rationing health care for the elderly (in his case, specifically the allocation of life extending cancer drugs), it seems that the power brokers in the NHS are once again self-limiting any robust analysis by hiding behind the dogma that the NHS is operating within constrained resources and competing priorities. Which, of course, to a degree is true, but only if the solutions that are presented to the rest of us continue to be rooted in the political status quo.

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Cuba!

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Just back from a two week trip to Cuba with friends. If ever a country betrayed the contradictions inherent in a changing political and economic landscape, then Cuba probably takes first prize. Which made the trip extremely interesting and enjoyable, if a little on the warm side. In our opinion, you couldn’t go all the way to Cuba and fry on a beach for the duration (although many do, apparently) so we managed five nights in Havana, two in colonial Trinidad and then spent a week in Varadero recovering!

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Three Hours in the FA Cup

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A poor first half for the Blades but they certainly found their feet in the second. A deserved, well crafted opener and a second soon after proved more than enough to kill off Charlton aspirations. And now a cup semi final and Wembley to look forward to. By contrast, Sunderland just didn’t turn up at Hull and were poor throughout. First goal was a quality header but the next …

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Went Down Fighting

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Not really a post as such, more to memo the date that Sunderland played in the Capital (League) Cup final. Lost but played good football, scored an excellent early goal, were tactically sound and were beaten by two outrageously fine strikes (the third was largely irrelevant). Take this form into the next few league games and premiership survival definitely on the cards. All this and the …

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Professional Hypocrisy

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Given the inexplicable nature of certain refereeing decisions in a number of high profile games over the course of this season has led to a degree of understandable consternation from fans and pundits alike, it was inevitable that the referee would become the focal point of disquiet and opprobrium. But even so……

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