Britain's wealthiest people saw their fortunes rise to record levels last year, according to the annual Sunday Times Rich List, at a time when most Britons' earnings and savings were squeezed by inflation and low interest rates. The combined wealth of Britain's 1,000 richest people swelled by almost 5% to more than £414bn, the highest recorded by the 24-year-old survey.

If the political system continues in its current form then the few remaining assets now collectively owned (such as savings and housing) will fall rapidly into the hands of the few. We are seeing the signs of all this now in ‘buy to let’ housing boom, the spike in the number of cash businesses and the clever ability of large sections in the poorest areas to be able to finance and maintain businesses and rental housing portfolios. Truth is lots of people make lots of money in these times (Re: pawn shops and payday loans) and if the political will is not there to ensure fairness then the transfer of money from the poor to the wealthy or the criminal begins. You may not be able to see it yet but it is happening now on a massive scale.

Ah the quintessential garden accessory; the summerhouse - an idyll from the heat of the last of the April days - not!!!

Despite all the rain the trees are unfurling their solar sails to the summer in streams of green pennants and banners to the longer days and warmer nights. They extend deep roots to excavate down into the bones of the earth to satisfy unfulfilled desires to reach for the blue skies.

Water, water everywhere and lots of drops to drink

Water, water everywhere, miss the sun if you blink

Britain is suffering the longest peacetime slump in a century, economists said on Wednesday as figures confirmed a double-dip recession.

Daily Telegraph’s website -The UK is not going to get any better - we are like a ship which is heading for the rocks, and Captain Cameron and his useless crew are just standing by and watching.

The Mamas & the Papas

And it's getting better, growing stronger, warm and wilder, getting better every day

Apple profits rise 94pc to $11.6bn, smashing expectations as demand for the iPhone and iPad surged. Profits in the first three months of the year reached $11.6bn (£7.2bn), 94pc higher than in the same quarter of last year and dwarfing the $9.4bn that analysts had forecast.

The iPad and the iPhone once again shone as Apple found new buyers of the gadgets across the world. IPhone sales soared 88pc to 35.1m, while those for the iPad more than doubled to 11.8m.

This will be such good news for the Chinese labourers at Foxconn (not!!!). Apple makes excellent products but they are only worth half what you pay and are becoming the new symbol of division between the haves and have not’s across the world. I can live for now without an IPhone or IPad

Sunday 22^nd Apr 12

It’s been a quiet time overall but built the summerhouse and also an arbour to replace the failing seating in one corner of the garden. Looking forward to some sunny evenings sat there. Though not anytime soon, I have to add, as the weather currently is abysmal. Cold, very wet and not at all in keeping with the season. What a contrast to the earlier hot sunny weather. So many plants burned and ruined by the late frost which gets us every year.

Took quite a lot of physical effort to build the garden equipment and I am conscious of the fact I am not getting younger. Still almost all the aches and pains have now gone. Overall though despite the moaning I feel better for it.

My sister got married yesterday but she had a quite wedding (second one) and is off for a honeymoon in the Lake District. 

Currently trying to retrain Robbie, the ‘yapper’ as he seems to constantly bark at everything. It appears to be working because managed to sit through the first episode of ‘Game of Thrones’ without too much hassle.

Here’s a selection of comments from the Daily Telegraph’s website on the UK £10 billion contribution to the IMF. Newspaper comments are the most hilarious (and chillingly truthful) parts I think. I do notice an increasing trend throughout the media of limiting comments to only articles that aren’t likely to be controversial. Which in a way negates the whole point of them.

It's in UK's interest to increase funding to IMF, says Christine Lagarde and so cough up £10 billion George Osborne has.

"She's only one in an ocean of parasitic scum, enriching themselves at the expense of the middle and lower classes, as they endure the greatest transfer of wealth by theft ever seen in history to corrupt banking cartels and political and ruling elites."

"Christine Lagarde - Pointless Parisian courtesan poncing and preening about in her new coat of orange paint, hoping to tempt some john to cough up and partake of her highly dubious ability's to provide them with any form of gratification whatsoever, other than a dose of highly charged and potentially bankrupting clap and a deep suspicion that tomorrows news will have them paraded about as the fools who got charmed by a ugly old transvestite in the dark. As George is barely out of short trousers and panting for all he’s worth, it should be obvious that he is going to catch a dose from the scrubber."

"Just in case anyone is still convinced there is a 'recovery' on the way, please consider the question 'If the entire global financial system was built upon money which didn't exist because it was fabricated, then to what are you looking to return to'? It may be a simple question but don't you see there is no return or recovery coming. How can there be. All that lies ahead are lies, political propaganda, more lies, and inflation. Further, unless inflation occurs then interest rates and taxes must rise and more spending cuts must occur. Hence we inflate the money to reduce YOUR spending power. You must begin to see that this is a total scam before it's too late."

I realise now with redundancy looming closer that i haven't spent enough time thinking about money. i think that will be coming into much sharper focus soon.

Haven’t written much lately but have been quite busy. This is the second half of the garden project; a garden arbour. (Definition) - a framework that supports climbing plants; "the arbour provided a shady resting place.”

 The arbour still has to be painted but is wonderful to sit in and taken in the view. It offers some protection from the wind and rain which currently is a definite bonus.

A new garden building – this is what’s been done this week in the pouring rain, hail and occasional sunshine. The steps proved a challenge. Still great spot to relax in so come on good weather. It’s been hard work.

 

As leaves unfurl in the cold air they catch naught but...

Inviolate shards of rain falling from grey swaddled heavens

What a fury is within these drops, but my heart would hear

Only echoes of a Mermaids mirth from forgotten aquatics

Memories brought here on water stolen from the ocean

They transmute within gravity to puncture quisling seams

Deliver a sting of icy water on warm skin veiled in cloth

Would that Easter would now end and the summer begin?

For there is much to do and the year is rising in urgency

And I would finish this obsession now it is so slowly begun

The Quen in York yesterday for the Maundy Thursday event

Easter is here with velvet, snowed train that takes away the opening days and closes them tight. From gown and shirt to stoles and swaggered scarves we return...for a little while.  For like ghosts in the twilight we inhabit these now gloomy days waiting for summer radiance to guide us back to a better place we know is there, for we have already felt it; though its fiery benevolence may have waned under the onslaught of the northern wind. Yet withal this will pass and our icy mistress must doth exit and all we shall decry is the last rustle of her iced sendaline gown as it flows past us to abide in her pristine snow gardens of the North Pole.

Happy Easter

Me at 51 and Robbie

The countdown calendar to redundancy is the strangest thing because it still seems to be further away than ever. The whole work dynamic is changing now – people I previously thought of as essentially fair now begin to show a more sinister side. It is hard to blame people I guess as survival takes many disguises. But I do believe without benevolent collectivism everything just descends to individual cupidity. The most definite thing I am seeing is the change from the company’s initial concern for the employees future, (albeit mostly fake admittedly,) to a ‘like it or lump it’ attitude now endemic among the senior people. Bit late now to expect all the crosses on the T’s and the dots on the I’s. It seems a game now of divide and conquer the employees; it is in reality life and life isn’t fair, but its maddening when it enters your life and turns things upside down. 10% of the workforce are staying on for a further 2 months and in a way it has made the other 90% feel a little less valued. Oh well 'keep calm and carry on' to coin a phrase.

Cowed in this deep frustration

While we await compensation

There can be no remonstration

Till our employment cessation

The weather has done an incredible 180 degrees change and we are back to the freezing cold. Some snow is forecast here but I think we may be lucky enough to miss it all. Looks like being a miserable Easter. I should make a resolution never to uncover any tender plants until at least the beginning of May. Off all next week too but not worried about the weather because we’re going to build a summerhouse in the garden. It is only a small 7x5 foot affair but with a lovely view.  The base is built so that’s the easy bit done. It will probably take a week to figure out how to put it all together. I haven’t written much lately but have added some photos; but sometimes that’s how it goes. Words are like money – hard to get and easy to lose. Anyway this is the view...will be even better once all the leaves are out and the sun shines.