Putting to one side the situation about Google knowing far too much about me, I like this new feature on Google Photos showing where I’ve taken photos over the last few years. It’s not entirely accurate (and for reasons I’m unsure it has entirely taken out my visits to Russia) as I used a camera rather than my phone for many photos, but it’s a good indication……
Anyway, I digress.
I’ll have to file this in my ever increasing heap of irrelevant and random posts. But, I liked the idea that Barclays have had here of entertaining customers whilst they wait in their socially distanced queue. I’m sure lots of places are doing something similar, but it’s the first time that I’ve seen it.
More positive news for walkers, the first blackberries are now out. How lovely.
I don’t watch much television, as I’m normally stuck walking in some field or have accidentally diverted to some pub, but I remain surprised why some couples go on programmes as Four in a Bed with such a hugely risky strategy of marking everyone else down. This week’s debacle involved the owners of Tigh na Leigh managing to savagely underpay their rivals and led to everyone else storming out. It makes for good television, and I like a drama, but it can’t be pleasant to now have to live through that for years.
An otherwise seemingly perfectly run B&B with excellent reviews, an impeccable web-site and no now social media as they’ve had to delete it given the debacle. And although TripAdvisor and the like have removed the hotel’s fake negative reviews, the programme will be broadcast again in the future, and it’ll all happen again. I don’t envy the owners…
In my latest irrelevant post of the week, I like how Google Maps have changed their usual icon of the Google Maps Man (or woman, although I think it looks slightly more male in appearance) and replaced it with Nessie when anyone searches in the Loch Ness area.
I like this road sign, it reminds me of what some politicians might soon need to be aware of…..
From the Norfolk Chronicle of 15 January 1898, this struck me as being a rather intriguing snapshot of the period as what roles were valued in the community were changing. It reads:
“A correspondence asks in the ‘Church Notes’ column for information concerning the sayings and doings of the parish clerks. It is much to be regretted that the parish clerk, except in a few solitary instances, no longer represents the third estate in the parochial realm. Time was when the three great men of the parish were the squire, the parson and the clerk; and of the trio, the latter, perhaps, was the greatest. He occupied the honoured seat in the bar parlour, at the village inn; he was the visitor most welcomed at the barber’s shop; and he was the one man in the community upon whom devolved the duty of reading aloud the contents of the weekly news sheet to the assembled rustic. The school-master was altogether out of the running; there were invariably too much pedantry and patronage about him – faults which militated against his popularity; but the parish clerk, who presence was indispensable at marriages, christenings and funerals, and in the ordinary services of the church, had greatness thrust upon him in social conclaves, and he thus maintained a position of considerable importance and dignity.”
I’m not sure many parish clerks would today think that they had “greatness thrust upon them”, nor would teachers be too pleased to hear of their reputation……
Since I live a little high up and there’s a contract for the window cleaning of the site that I have no involvement with, it’s always a surprise exactly when the windows get cleaned.
But every time this seemingly random event does happen, I get moderately startled as it sounds like a sea eagle has come clattering into the window….. But, it’s a relief to see that instead of a mangled bird, I do instead have clean windows.
Anyway, this isn’t the most exciting content ever, I will admit.
I like getting the monthly e-mail from Google telling me how far that I’ve travelled in the month, it’s a reminder that they can see at all times where I am, but I like looking at the numbers. That flippancy would probably irritate at least some privacy campaigners, but there we go. The data above is for the last four years and it makes me feel happy.
But, Google reminded me today just what the impact of Covid-19 was on my travel arrangements in April 2020.
And, yes, this has been my monthly highlight. It’s made for slightly more challenging blogging, I’ve had to start hunting through a lot of older photos and miscellaneous rubbish to amuse myself during the month. And realistically, no-one else.
