Oh What A Week....!!

26th November 2018

Hi everyone, I'm sorry for the delay in writing and updating but I have been out of the office and far away for a while and the last thought on my mind was writing BS about my daily life. However, I'm back in a fashion and thought I would enlighten you all that I am at least not dead although many will be disappointed to hear that.

"So, where have you been I hear you ask" Hmm, not sure I should say except that it was very pretty and surrounded by mountains with snow on most of them. Im hoping to return there in the next 14 days and if/when I do, I will take some pictures to share with you and if all goes well, I might even decide to stay there through Christmas and into the New Year.

I see that BREXIT is still a huge topic to which Im bored of hearing about but I stand by my decision and the one thing I have learned throughout all of this madness is that the people who lie the most are politicians and there ability to be focused purely on selfish reasons is shocking at best.

 The so called "Meaningful Vote" is scheduled for the 9th December 2018 & whilst I rarely if ever discuss my views in these areas, I'm pretty sure that most people know how I feel and if there is any justice, I hope we are rewarded by winning the war after so many battles. I understand that Tommy Robinson is organising a March/Protest around that time in support of leave means leave and I expect many people to attend that & whilst I hope I'm wrong, I do predict it might get nasty and violent and for that reason, I will not be attending. However, I hope the march is a success but I also hope it remains peaceful for all involved as these things do have a habit of escalating into something totally different to what it was originally organised to draw attention to and for that reason, I want no part of it or to be anywhere near to this event.
We had snow last week and this signals the start of whats about to come and I truly hope it is not going to be a long and cold winter this year although we do need the water but it seems to take forever to get through winter where summer is over in a blink of an eye. What I would say in support of winter is it always provides an excellent opportunity for myself "Peter Hulbert" for some decent photo opportunities.   

27th December 2018

So, who would have guessed that it was one month and one day since I updated this blog and in between that time we have all managed to escape some of the madness of the festive period although in the reality of life, it is impossible to totally avoid Christmas and I (Peter Hulbert) am no exception to that rule. I have to say that Christmas was as expected a period of crazy spending and stupid emotions but what can one realistically expect when you are buying presents for family. So, enough about me and my crazy lifestyle, how was your Christmas as did it live up to expectations or was it over-inflated and all about TV & food.

One of the many problems that many of us face over Christmas is the issue of waste-line expansion and whilst we all plan to look good through this time, we put so much stress on our bodies through overindulging on the things that we all like and enjoy and come January, we are stuck with the problem of excess body fat and all of those new cloths no longer fit until March when we have spend 6-8 weeks trying to remove the mince pie and Christmas pudding. The rest of us simply pile on the calories through Carbohydrates, often through alcohol or cake. So what are we going to do about it in 2019 that we didn't do in 2018, sadly the same old lie of diet for the holidays but we tried that in 2018 and sadly it turned out to be a lie in full. The reality is that we need to be stronger with our focus and determination in 2019 and I for one am committed to doing exactly that. I also invite anyone along to join me starting January 1st 2019 and my target is a big one but Im very confident I will reach it through sheer will power and support. I have so far escaped any alcohol over Christmas but do expect to share a few on the New Year's Night twice and for those who don't understand why I say twice, one celebration is with someone special who is 8 hours ahead of me on the international time zone and they in turn return back to share my midnight & 1st day of the new year and as such, I get to benefit twice. The very fact that I (Peter Hulbert) have managed not to take a drink so far in itself is a miracle but I at least proved to myself that I could do it.

Typically, we are having some weird weather in the UK and after the warmest summer on record, we have yet to see the winter of frost and snow, although I am under no elusion that it won't happen as it always does. It's never a case of if but always a case of when the cold weather appears and causes madness on the roads for the period we have a picture post card look all around. In 2018, we had snow all the way through to March which was not a freak but quite a normal period of ice and snow in my part of the world. All I ask is that we balance the scales when summer arrives and we once again get a good one that brings out the best in people.

We are due another spectacle of rarity in January and whilst Im not clear of the date, I do know that a blood moon or red moon is coming again and by all accounts will be quite special again like the last one was. If you have not seen or experienced one before, I recommend you turn your flash off on your camera or phone and take a few snaps. I tell you this because if you try and take it with the flash engaged, you will simply get back flash and little or no image and the reflection of the light will distort the colour of the red moon and all you will end up with is at best a white moon but more likely just a black screen with bright white reflective image glowing through. 

30th December 2018    

24 hours left to the big day and as I write this update, all I have in my mind is this will be the very last Sunday of 2018 and whilst I'm not known for being a soppy person, when I look back over the years and reflect on whats happened, I can't help but feel a little tearful of so many loss's and so many people who won't be around in 2019 to share our space on planet earth with. I'm not going to list the famous ones and certainly not going to share the personal ones with you but I can safely say there were more than a few shocks this year and far too many to ever say I will get used to it in the end.

For those of you who have plans for parties or or celebrations on the 31st/1st, all I wish to do is remind you that it's easy to make mistakes, especially where alcohol is concerned but please just stay safe and enjoy your memories as good ones and not regrettable ones and you will at least start 2019 on a positive note with a good outlook for whats to come. My 2019 will be much the same as my 2018 new year and was not one new year celebration but 2. My partner is presently in another part of the world due to the profession and commitment involved but we still find a way to share the moment together, only in our case, it is with a slight twist. As there is 8 hours difference in time, I call them and stay around to enjoy there new year and then they call me 8 hours later and we share my time and new year back. It's different but hey ho, it's life.

I have decided to forgive many people from my life for the terrible things they did to me and will say that if you hurt me, I won't hurt you back. If you owe me, it's alright and forget it and if you spoke bad of me, you have to live with the words and not I as I didn't hear them or give it a second thought. Instead, I prefer not to waste my time on negative issues but instead prefer to focus my attention in other areas in order to strengthen my own mind and personality and not be looking back at what might have been. It's not I who has an issue but you. Be it mental or physical, the burden of guilt is purely yours. This will be the last word on the issue and I will not be re-addressing this topic at any point in the future. So let's rejoice in the prospect of looking forward to 2019 with an open mind and clear vision of what is going to happen, what we hope to happen and what we will make happen and all of those things should be realistic in our plans so that they become achievable in our lives. There is a simple rule of thumb and it's easy to remember. "Plan your work and work your plan" and if you fail to plan, then you planed to fail. I hope you read these simple words and absorb them into your minds. You ma be glad of the wisdom in the end 

So what are your plans I ask myself for the big night, I hope I haven't thrown a damp blanket over them for you all. I would like to hear that you all had a wonderful night and celebrated in a way that will last all year long in your minds and when you cast your mind back to the 31st, you will smile and say I survived somehow. Just remember not to overdo it with the alcohol and you should be alright to face the world again, unlike this guy who looks the worse for wear and I feel might well wake up with at the very least a sore nose and maybe a thick head.

The morning after the night before can be a distressing one and for some an embarrassing one also but we all did crazy things in our past and Im sure we will do them again in our future but the one thing we should all be saying in 2019 is we lived through it and hurt nobody.
All it leaves me to say to you all for now is to wish you all a "Very Happy New Year" from myself "Peter Hulbert" and hope to see you all as I start a new blog page for 2019 to which you are all invited to join in and read.

6th January 2019

Wow, already it feels weird writing 2019 but it's a fact, we turned another page over and a new year started only last week and it's getting quite frightening just how quickly the time on the life clock is running down and sometimes when I look back over my shoulder, I have little to justify where all the time has gone. "I thought it would have taken much longer to get to this point" and my message to you all is enjoy your time as it runs out so quickly and there are no refunds and no guarantees supporting any life claims if you upset the balance of nature. I'm going to make a rule at this point to which I will try hard to maintain the principal and that rule is but a simple one which is no looking back and only looking forward and always with a positive undertone to our focus.

Another day and another dollar is the usual expression but when I woke up from the New Year's celebrations, I saw the empty bottles and uttered the words "Never Again" but in truth, this time next year (God Willing) I expect to repeat it all over again. The Good news is that I maintained my looks and charm and whilst my dignity might have suffered a bruise or two, the ego just got bigger in order to support the sarcasm in the line of duty. I have hinted at some pending news to come and I ask that you be a little patient as I will hope to have that information on or by the 15th of this month as Christmas has a horrible ability to slow things down and cause huge disruption across the international circuit with many people taking extended breaks and lengthy vacations across the globe but don't read too much into this as it is very normal and as expected. The main thing to take on board is that the people I associate with are friends and whilst they may be away from their desk, they are not away for good and will be back in this coming week but I wrote the next few days off and expect something good after the 15th.

14th January 2019

Here we are 14 days into the New Year and Im still forgetting to put 2019 but instead still writing 2018, I will excuse it as an age issue for now which is better than saying Im going crazy beyond help stage which sounds about right for the mental state of "Peter Hulbert" on most days...!!

So, what is on the cards for 2019 I hear you ask and whats the great surprise that I oh so often hint at but rarely speak about. Ok, it is quite simple but also quite serious. I have for some time had someone posting and promoting some quite offensive and negative comments in regards to myself to which they thought it funny to abuse me from a distance but to which despite hiding behind an IP blocker and fake details, Google through a High Court order where very helpful in providing the pathway to the person causing the problem and whilst they thought it funny and will probably start to destroy the details from today, it's too late as the forensic people already have the vital information and they are awaiting for me to say go, which should be very shortly now as we are on the pathway home and not on the pathway back. I always knew this person had a mental imbalance in their head but now and with what is to come, I suspect there days on the wrong side of the sanitarium door is numbered and if they weren't crazy before they were locked up, they sure will be after a few weeks of being locked up and to be quite honest, I simply don't care as they thought it fine to attack me, so whats good for the goose is good for the gander too.

So what is the topic I wish to cover today that I hope excites you all, for me it is BREXIT and the prospect that tomorrow in the so called meaningful vote in Parliament and as we all suspect, Theresa May will be voted down on her so called deal and only leave the door open for a no deal exit and to that end, that is what 14,000,000 people voted for and despite the despicable attitude of our MP'S, thats what we want. A total clean break and start a new pathway to freedom and creativity to which Great Britain is famous for. I will only ever believe it after the 29th March 2019 at 11.00am if we do leave as I have discovered that Mr's May is less than honest in pretty much everything she says and does but if we go, I will overlook her lies and look forward to a much brighter future without the EU BS to plow through on an almost daily basis and hopefully it will restore some pride back into the people of our great nation and re-unite our communities in a better place for all.

The Splendor Of Autumn

18th September 2018

Wow, just like magic all the colours of Autumn arrive and there is no better time in a year than this for "One Man & His Camera" as the reliance upon the weather is crucial and if you miss the opportunity, you will regret the one that got away. Whilst I was driving through one of the many valley's in my part of the world, I fell upon this poor guy who clearly was dead but it made me realise that cars all too often over accelerate in areas where perhaps they should recognise that not all nature is so good at predicting both speed and reaction of driver and as such, pay the ultimate penalty for what can fundamentally be avoided and prevented if we just reduce our speed a little and expect the unexpected. The problem with our great country is whilst we know these things are out there, we kind of expect them to stay off of the roads and in reality, that is our ignorance and not theirs. It truly upset me to see one of our British wild mammals so perfect but quite still and lifeless and and with no real explanation as to why. I have to assume it was hit by a vehicle and as such, I hope the end was instant and not prolonged suffering. For those who do not regonise this little fella, it is a British Badger and one of our larger mammals that are really quite rare to see as they are normally a nocturnal animal which in it's simple form means they come out at night and despite the world becoming there play ground while we sleep, they are quite a sight to see and truly a rare event. So sad to see this little guy in such a state.

Autumn as most people who know me will confirm, is probably my favorite time due to the explosion of colour created by what science explains as sugars in the leaves and plant life reaching the end of their time and triggered by the shorter days and longer nights and combination of temperature change and this brings a whole new meaning to colour and beauty. The fruits that line the hedgerow and farms that are now gathering in the crops for winter is so amazing to see.

Here is a typical view of how the leaves are just starting to change colour in preparation for the next stage of life which is to drop the leaves and provide a carpet of colour all around. This picture was taken today at Cannon Hall and is an area I use often to take pictures in order to show this beautiful location to the world in the hope they too may enjoy the spectacle of nature at it's best. Anyone who knows myself (Peter Hulbert) will tell you, I come alive at this time of year to snap as many opportunities as possible as they don't come around fast enough for me.

Here is a tree lined road that creates a totally natural archway through the beech trees and looks like the road to nowhere and with no return but what I can say is that at 4.30pm it can get quite busy with vehicles using it is as a short cut to the Manchester road in order to avoid the mainstream traffic but if you arrive at a time to avoid the rush hour and are lucky, you might just capture a moment like this as I do quite often. In the early evening, just as it is getting dark, it can appear quite different as the shadows from the trees can make you think you see faces on the trees and arms reaching out. Some might find it quite spooky but as I always say, it's only a tree and unless you believe in the "Wizard Of Oz", trees won't hurt you. I am going to end this update with a few pictures for you to hopefully appreciate and enjoy from my time out today among-st nature at it's very best. Thank you for your support and appreciation.

This is known as a conker in Great Britain and has been involved in many a championship battle for the conker championship. In it's present state, it is still in it's outer shell or case and waiting to burst out. Below is one that has left it's shell and awaiting to start a whole new life of the tree to which it fell from.








24th September 2018

Here and to the right you will find what is a very typical sight of what the kids call conkers and Im sure they probably have a Latin name that I am not educated to ever say or use but to which I was brought up to call "Horse Chestnut" and comes from the horse chestnut tree. The colour of this nut or seed depending upon your view is stunning and a brightly polished brown and I assume the name chestnut brown comes from. They are not edible that I am aware of and as such I would not ever try eating one or for that matter anything from the forest unless you seek expert advice first but they are a true autumn product of nature and a wonderful and very typical colour of the season. In theory, they are the seed of the tree but are almost always refereed to as a nut.  The outer shell is almost always green but can change colour as the year goes on and become brown but is so easily reconised by it's distinctive spiked outer shell or casing and as I was taught by my old junior school teacher, was a practical solution for nature to prevent squirrels and other animals from getting an easy meal and also had the extra use of the spikes to help to prevent it rolling too far away from where it landed by gripping the floor with it's spikes. Im not sure that both of those theories are 100% correct but I thought the world of my old nature teacher and will never question his wisdom, even today and after all of these years as he taught me so much.   

Here and below is yet another great sign of autumn and the huge variety of fungi that almost always arrives on any old wood or rotting timber of any sort. Once again, although many varieties of fungus or fungi are edible, unless you seek expert advice first, please do not touch and especial do not eat any of them as some are very poisonous indeed and I cannot even give you a name for these as I am no expert, I am simply an admirer of nature who photographs and captures the moment to share with you all but when it comes to fungi, I always leave well alone as I know how it can affect many people in many varieties of ways. In truth, it provides an excellent service for nature as it breaks down products so quickly and returns it back to the land, ready to start over and I would ask that you admire it but don't damage or kill it as it does much more good than people give it credit for. It is one of natures finest compost creators and provides a start to life in a whole host of ways. For Peter Hulbert and his world, it is an opportunity to capture the colours and share them only though the lens of his camera. 

29th September 2018

Did you ever just step back and ask yourself what on earth is life all about and why did evolution decide that this was what I was destined to do. No......well maybe you should spare a thought about life and what it's all about before it's too late. I stopped thinking about my own life a long time ago but moved my focus to others like my daughter "B" & Partner "C" to which I devoted my life to and the thing I have learned out of doing this exercise is that our generation is selfish in so many ways. We wan't more than we need and life itself is so competitive but not naturally productive. We grab everything we can whether we want or need it or not but with little or no thought for someone else who may well need it. Our generation is leaving many problems for the next generation to which in truth we could put right now but don't. Our kids are almost programmed not to enjoy the freedom of fresh air and rarely if ever go into the park, they have become electronic kids and if they have no "Wifi" they are on meltdown for some reason. Why are all the fat kids in cars being taken to school when all the healthy and happy kids are together as friends walking to school. I point the finger at the mothers who need an excuse for a car but in truth, they are killing their kids in the end. The stop their creative ability to be social with their friends and instead are alone on the back seat of the car eating fast food and piling on the pounds in what mothers call "Looking after them"......!! I am proud that when my daughter was at school, we were poor and had no car but she was so healthy and active.

I would ask you to consider my comments above and if you agree, stand out from the rest and set an example by putting away your electronic life and being sociable with the people you know and share this planet with. How many times do we see people in supermarkets with the phone glued to their ear and chatting total crap whilst they shop. How many times do we walk down the high street and see people heading toward us at full speed and texting and with no acknowledgement that we are ever there. What is the matter with these morons, get a life and look around you. We have a beautiful planet and we all share it's features and spaces but please don't be blind to the beauty it offers by sitting in the car, going to the takeaway or staring into a Lcd screen and hoping that life is in their, it most certainly is not. Life is all around you but you missed it with your single minded focus on social media of BS gossip web sites for morons and fat kids. "Rant over" for today and back to the world and life of Peter Hulbert for those who care enough to read it.    

3rd October 2018

Another day another dollar is the saying but in my case, it's another week and I'm not here to acknowledge how much I made, if anything at all. However, what I would say is why does everyone want to know what you are worth and why do they judge us by money. Some of the best people I have ever known in my life were broke but had more morals and ethics that people who had wealth and should know better. For myself "Peter Hulbert" I try to avoid ever judging people by money but prefer to value who they are as a person.

So as my life has as many up's and downs as a "Blackpool Fair Ride", My week is just as expected and turmoil is the normal daily routine to which I always say to my friends and family, it's at least exciting and not boring but is it effective and is it beneficial, that's up for debate at this stage and I suppose the jury is out in regards to a real answer. However, judgement is not always judged by progress but how you feel at the end and in my case, I live my life always with a smile and as happy as I can ever be, which is more than many people I know as there in the slow lane of life and simply have no achievement targets and no ambitions and as such, I guess there happy in there stress free way but it would not do for me as I would feel brain dead. Today was quite a laid back day in many ways as I went to my favorite shopping center and managed to arrive just as they were opening a new bar and new place to enjoy some quality time and I was not to be disappointed as it truly was a very nice place to visit and I had a beer as expected but the place was so busy and alive with people and it was nice to see a success story on my door step. Below is a couple of pictures of this very nice place but as I always protect my privacy, I will keep the name secret for now and wait and see how I feel about sharing the name at a latter date.

5th October 2018

Gosh, I was beginning to think that Friday had been cancelled and replaced by a modified Monday or even worse a Tweaked Tuesday which would have meant that I simply missed Friday and had it all ahead of me or worse still behind me and can't remember any of it. So, what is the opinion of my new hide out above, it's a very modern bar and coffee shop to which I rate it so far very highly but it's all about personal choice and for me it was a great choice. It's very rare that I ever get to town now or even the Meadowhall Shopping Center for some reason, I suppose it's all about reasons why and now so much who but still I prefer to keep away from these places unless I have no choice and instead I head for my fave which is Fox Valley Shopping where I feel more relaxed and low profile.

Do you ever have those moments when you feel that nobody is listening and more to the point, they want you to do all the work but share all the reward. I spent a whole year keeping away from someone who repeatedly kept saying those magic words "Is their anything I can do to help" and to which I offered instruction, not for myself but for them to clear some negative posts on the web that if they carried out my advice, they would have seen drift away. However, despite the advice of what to do, they do nothing and simply want a large slice of a cake to which I offered a large piece but they wanted more. I have a rule and it's called "F_ckem" as they don't listen and show all the hallmarks of desperation in the line of fire. It's a sad fact that we are what we are and when left to our own devices, we will revert to our default settings and if that is stupid, so be it. I took a long look in the mirror a while ago and worked out that the only person whom I need in my business is looking back in the mirror, everyone else has to demonstrate value and to this day, they show me they are poundland value and not Harrods. I hate sounding so arrogant but I know I am so right. The sad pert in reality is that I am tired of wasting time on these idiots and truly wish I had someone of value at the table instead of people who lure me in with a sympathetic overtone and with the hidden agenda of give me something for nothing and give it me now. Sadly, life can be so lonely when you are in business and the only draw for anyone is a reflection of their feeble character which can only be described as shallow and if one removes the money from the equation, you would probably have nobody in your life except God.

27th October 2018

I'm going to start today's update by announcing that it is officially national rant day today in the world of "Peter Hulbert" and my rant is about to start with a degree of passion and reasonable. insult. I will start by building the image in your mind and story to provide an insight to the issue and problem I encountered to create my rant. Some time ago, I damaged a bath panel and as such it needs to be replaced and as it was an unusual shaped bath, it was always going to be a problem. However, I went to "Wicks" which is a DIY store in my City which is where the bath came from when purchased. After a very short conversation with a member of staff who gave all the signs of needing the "Samaritans" he explained that they didn't stock the panels required but could only be ordered online and as such I went home and started searching. I eventually found what I required and placed an order, which was delivered a few days later. This as it happens turned out to be the wrong size and I subsequently returned it and the lady despite being ignorant and rude, did in fact offer a re-fund and suggested to re-order a new one online the right size, also saying if that was wrong to bring it back also. As such, I went ahead and re-ordered and this week it finally arrived and once again, it was wrong and this morning at the first opportunity I returned it and this is where I met the morons from outer space. I was spoken down to be a male who should have longer arms as he acted like an ape and his limited ability to communicate only extended to checking his mobile phone for answers. However, he said I will refund you for the panel and walked off before I got any refund. I needed some glue and saw blades so went to find them and hoped he might return but nope, not now and not ever. As such, I tried to catch the attention of a member of staff who simply chose to ignore me and her accomplish came in stead, she was like the neanderthal ape that lived. After going through the whole story again, she said "We don't give refunds" to which was a lie as I got one last Sunday for the same problem and the lady said order a new one and if that's also no good we will refund you. "I hate liars"........especially lazy liars....!! However, I responded by saying "That's not a good encouragement for repeat business" and she turned to me and said "Read My Mind" to which I responded by saying "I have and it's hard work"........How F_cking Rude Can This Woman Be..
She then spent the next 5 minuets not knowing what numbers to put into her till or how to refund or do almost anything whilst a very long cue of people built up behind and she cared not one f_ck about that. All I can say is if Rude Ignorance Was A Fine Art, Wicks Would Be Picaso.... Rant over for today but only for today. I just want to leave it on a nice note though and say that in the skies for the next few weeks at dark you can see Uranus or if you go to Wicks you will see more than a few arsholes and all called staff.

I always feel that if it sounds like an elephant, smells like an elephant and looks like an elephant, it is most likely to be an elephant and after being treated like sh_t, I thought I would go and eat some sh_t from the pub and here it is for you all to enjoy that moment when my heart screams out and shouts "Attack" at the top of it's voice. The problem with sh_t food is it tastes so good when you are hungry and when your not it still plugs the gap between starvation and diet although in reality it does not cover diet too well. A burger, chips and onion rings hit the spot like a guided missile and the fall out was most satisfying in so many ways, all topped off with what I call the work-mans wine (Beer) and a couple of burps and coming down from the frustration caused by the Wicked Bitch Of The West I was soon back smiling and laughing at my morning of pure misery at the hands of customer service at Wicks and thinking "F_ckem"....!!

 For those who were expecting a picture of my beer at this point in time, I don't wish to piss you off too as I have pissed off too many today and as such here is the one I had and if you send me your name I will toast you the next time I have one in honor of your memory and support for beer drinkers world wide. I will at this point draw attention to the name and branding of which suggests to me that it is Bavarian, German or similar but I confess that I have no idea of it's origins but know only where it is going and where it will stop on it's journey through both my kidney's and liver but like all good medicine, it cured the feeling of misery and hit the target of intention with such accuracy that would make any military personnel proud of that moment in time that they fired and hit the spot first time. 

The Beginning Of The End Of Summer

7th August 2018

Did someone blink and miss it. Already the farmers in the UK are working hard gathering up there crops, fruits and vegetables ready for the start of Autumn and in preparation for what might turn out to be a long winter ahead and it only seems like yesterday that I watched all of this happen but it was in fact 12 months ago and as is the rule, nothing stands still forever.

I was out and about yesterday with my Camera and had a stroke of good luck as a gap appeared in the clouds and lit up a wheat field as if a beam of light was sent from the heavens and right on cue. However, this is a photographers dream but a sign of what is to come for farmers as it signifies a change in the weather and I am assured that all the hot weather will have vanished by the weekend and replaced by heavy rain to which is required for the crops but will be less than welcomed by anyone taking holidays in the UK this year. Such is life that we don't get to pick and choose what we get in regards to the weather of I feel sure it will cause even more debate as to who get's hot and who gets cold.

 There is a kind of beauty in the before and after stage of the harvesting time in the UK and for me, it is camera at the ready and be prepared for every opportunity wherever it may be as the colours and beauty is in abundance and the creative spirit is all around, all it takes is the will and energy and an eye for the artistic impression and away we go. I do try and avoid the comparison between art and photography in my own world but as I am no artist, I would struggle to express myself with pain or pencil but with a camera, I am able to declare myself at least able to capture a moment and image of how I see life and the world that we all share and whilst I am not an artist, I am assured that it is a form of art and to than end, who am I to argue. To the right is my interpretation of a field of gold and I decided to include a single tree in the background and allow the wheat to be the focus of attention in the foreground and I noticed there were some other grasses growing among the wheat but I confess, I have no idea what they are except to say that it is totally natural and expected among a field of wheat at the end of summer. I have to say that whilst I was out taking these images, I drew an audience from the most unlikely of interested parties to which brought a smile to my face as it just shows that whilst I thought I was alone, I was never alone for more than a minuet as you will see by the audience I drew.

The thing that made me laugh about these guys is that if I wanted an audience, I would never get one but the moment I wanted peace and quiet, I had the pleasure of these guys who entertained me so much with there curiosity and inquisitive nature and it was at best amusing to watch. I couldn't help but think they probably knew more about photography than I did and were probably laughing at me inside but hey ho, who cares. The amazing thing about photography is that these opportunities come along with no predictions or planning and for me, that forms part of the magic and the memory that lasts a lifetime in my memory bank. If I had set out and planned this moment, it simply would not have happened but the fact that it was so spontaneous in itself is a little piece of magic.

There is always one Guy no matter where we go that stands out from the rest, and for me, it was this fella who really seemed to be embraced in the moment that someone he didn't know from a place he had not heard of, turn up to take pictures of the place where he lived. He was silent throughout the time I was there and never made so much as a Moo but as if he was judging the photographic competition for 2018, he studied every movement that I made and with such intensity that I felt duty bound not to make a mistake for fear of being criticised from the other side of the wall.  If ever there was a moment of apprehension and nerves, it was right now as I was being judged by the judge of all judges as to the content of my pictures, the shutter speed, the angle and ultimately the subject to which was being captured forever. Before I departed from this place, I set my camera on a tripod and set the shutter on a timer to capture the moment when I drove away and left my bag and equipment behind and as you will see below, that moment was pure magical and the bulls in the field looked as if they were about to shout to me and say "You Left Your Things Behind" and I hope you enjoy that moment with me as it certainly made me smile.

14th August 2018

So, here we are at almost halfway through August and despite the changes in weather, changes in life are always slow at best if at all. However, life is for living and not for moaning and as such, we pick up and carry on despite everything. This week last week was an interesting one in the political arena as the debate has been kicked off with comments from Boris Johnson that appears to have offended a minority of the country but despite it only being a very small minority to whom claim that he offended them, the support for his comments by the majority including a significant figure of the Church who is a Bishop, the media circle try hard to make it worse than it really is. The hunt for Boris by the press goes on but as I understand it, he has returned from a summer break and is now back at home and ready for the political battle ahead which is far more interesting than his comments. The safe betting is that he will pressure the PM Mrs Theresa May to leave number 10 by resigning or by a vote of no confidence and a new leader appointed by October.

So, what else took place in my life that you might find of interest.......well...Nothing really except for gossip but sometimes gossip is good to distract us from our own madness and problems and what I did hear which turned out to be true was an old associate of mine from the past had died in Sierra Leone in Africa of a heart attack which is the official version but as I know how this person lives his life, I would suspect a Doctor might have been paid to say that and this person met a more sinister end by virtue of his debtors catching him up. I personally know or many people he owed money to in both the UK and South Africa to which he wasted both there money and time on wasted ideas and I notice it is always there money as it was mine and there time as it was mine. Mr Paul Randle-Jolliffe from the Isle of Wight is well known as the lazy person who stays in bed until 2.00pm and smoking drugs of a variety of types all of which either the tax payer paid for (unemployment money) or investors paid for on wild schemes that do not exist. He was a complete dreamer and idiot. All I can say is the world is a better place now that this guy is no longer with us and I know I speak for many and not the few.

17th September 2018

So, for those who care about where I have been or what I have been doing, I can safely inform you that the last seven days have been about as stressful as I need right now in my life. My partner who is a Doctor was in Manilla in the Philippines when we were suddenly notified of the "Super Tornado" about to hit Manilla directly and to which given advanced notice allowed them to move north 6 hours away from Manilla to what on the face of it appeared to be a much safer place to be. "How Wrong We Were" on that decision. No sooner that my partner arrived, the storm turned North and on a direct path to where they were. The next 96 hours were like torture and being some 8000 miles away and no contact, does not help.

When the news finally came through that they were safe, I can tell you now that the relief was the best news ever and whilst I don't do a lot of celebrating, on this occasion I broke ranks and and defied nature by enjoying some quality time with an old girlfriend of mine called "Stella" and the feeling of love was instant. It was only by watching the step by step news reports on both TV and internet that I could fully appreciate just how my life is so much easier than many others around the world and the difficulties they encounter just to survive and get through life that I take for granted. If you are wondering just what I have been doing since I last updated you all, it is simple. I forgot due to the emergency of trying to fight every single obstacle to get ahead of the storm and maintain contact with people whom are so close to my heart and world and yet so close to death for so many reasons. It was the worst week of my life for so many reasons and I feel I do not need to justify that for any reason to man or beast. However, I did get regular satellite images from the weather stations and just to provide you with a scale of how big this thing was, here was the last image provided before the storm hit the islands and Im sure you will agree, it was a big one in every respect and broke the world record for all previous storms of this type.
 

We Will Never Know What We Never Knew.

10th July 2018

Whilst the world keeps turning and the Planet never seems to run out of the energy required to keep it turning, sometimes I just wished that someone would stop the motion and let me get off. However, if it were that easy, I'm sure there would have been many people before me managed that trick and knowing my luck, they would all be the type of people I myself was trying to escape from and as such I would be suck with a set of morons I don't know, never want to know and more to the point am stuck with indefinitely. Ok, so rant over and now to business and you may well ask what has Peter Hulbert been doing with his time recently and what little time I have to spare has been donated to vegetarian drinks which is a combined mixture of hops, barley, yeast and lot's of water. It is fermented into a fine liquid and used to get through the days of Wimbledon Tennis, Tour De France Cycling & World Cup Football to which all require a endless flow of beer and thought and of course the obligatory shouting at the TV with wise words that for some unknown reason they pay no attention to what so ever. However, being the one in the house with the hairy chest, allows me the arrogance of the remote control for some reason and whilst I always preach the word of equality in the home, I still believe that the iron belongs to the wife and the remote belongs to the husband. On rare but occasional times, the remote can be offered to the wife as she often rams the iron into the face of the man. I also practice a similar type of equality when we visit the pub in the car. I always drive there and she is allowed to drive back.......!!

There is a wonderful description of life to which I can relate to all too well and it goes as follows: "There is only one thing worse than being alone & it is to be among-st people who make you feel alone" and for some reason, I suffered that kind of feeling too many times this week as my nearest and dearest is so far away right now and no physical way of bridging that gap except to be patient and understanding until all goes well here and the platform to advance suddenly opens up and the reward is to be back together but for now the dream goes on until the reality arrives at my door. Whoever said that life was tough never stood in my shoes where life is a permanent battle of suffering, surrounded by too many Generals and never enough troupes in which to win the war but as always, I refer to my English defiance and as always, never surrender no matter what. Those who know me will always tell you that I never enter a battle ground that I am going to loose, I only ever turn up to fight in the knowing that I am going to win and as such, the battle continues until the last Man (myself) is still standing and I advance with the knowing that by looking back, all I will see is a waste of bodies and no reasoning as to why.   

15th July 2018

This is a week that should be full of memories for so many for differing reasons but memories none the less. For the French it is a time to celebrate as yesterday was "Bastille Day" & to add to the party was the World Cup Win for the French Team. For The British, we were privileged to have a visit from The President of the USA who was entertained by the Queen & we know he enjoyed his moment but for myself, my moment is slightly smaller and more humble as it is my partners & future wife's Birthday tomorrow or should I say today as it is already tomorrow where she is.
The UK is looking like the start of a revolution within the political corridors might well take place tomorrow and the excitement of what comes next after so many resignation over the last seven days could force a leadership battle and who knows, maybe even an election of a new leader and possibly followed by a snap general election in the autumn. So, it's all happening and whilst it might sound like business as usual, the truth is that the UK at least is quite an exciting place to be right now. The problem with the political will in the UK right now is the lack of substance or as one might reasonably argue "lack of balls" but hey ho, isn't that always the case in politics. Good leadership is always provided by people with gut's and not slime from the trail of butt kissing. The heat in the UK has gone from mad to crazy and still getting warmer by the day but there is rain on the horizon and for me, it can''t come a day too soon.

22nd July 2018

Here we are, still sat in the hottest summer for what seems like a zillion years and still we soldier on despite the country and it's deep feeling and upset towards the goings on by our "Prime Minister" whom I feel I must name and shame as Theresa May who despite a referendum to the people and clear vote and a difference of 4% which was 1.7 million people, she is trying harder and harder to lock us into Europe indefinitely and shows no remorse for her actions. The UKIP team as well as many of her own team are now calling her a traitor to the people but as is always the case, her opinion is the only one she listens to but whilst I hope and pray that it does not happen. I and many others fear that it might turn nasty with Nigel Farage suggesting it could be the worst of all actions between the people and Government but I pray that never happens.

 

The one thing I have learned from history is that despite battles and wars, in the end it is the Politicians who cause them and when it comes to the rolling up of sleeves and physically dealing with the line of attack, the Political big wigs are all hiding in a safe place which the expendable public risk all in the name of Queen & Country. I just wish our Queen would step up and stop the parliament running away with what would have been treason 500 years ago. I don't want to see our country fall to others, I don't want our future royalty to be removed and I certainly don't want to see our Church of England and values removed but I can assure you that they are already happening and much quicker than one might expect. The one thing I know is it will end badly no matter what and the time to turn is now before it gets too late to turn.

Our country does not need new direction in theory, it does not need new policies but what it does need is the whole political theater to live by some morals and not a rule for one but a different rule for another. People are being locked up today for saying just what I am writing and the over use of Racism, Political correctness and stirring up racial discomfort is just an excuse for "Do what we say, don't question what we do" and the endless corruptions and scandals in the UK that start at the top and filter down is the problem. Our Prime Minister is a good example of double standards and values and in light of that comment, I would urge you to view the history of her father. This is not a hard story to find as there are many of them out there but it provides a real platform of fear for those who question the morals of this family or need to see where the reality has arrived at in 2018. The church is loosing it's loyal support on mass in the UK and for me, I am not surprised in any way when I see and hear the stories of money first and morals second. We need a new panel of management but not necessarily a new set of rules. The rule of decency should be more than enough for any person to accept but sadly our Government need a separate rule just for them and that is what we dislike in every aspect and way.         
27th July 2018

So, here we are turning over the weeks like pages of a book and whilst the story varies, overall life does not in many ways. However, whilst my life sits in one spot others does not and the political arena around the UK get's crazier each day and when I heard the news break that said Donald Trump had secured a trading deal with the EU in 24 hours, I was horrified to think our great liar....er, leader has spent two years negotiating fresh air and even that was rejected by the EU.

For the most part, the Prime Minister who has a track record of 100% failure in her previous role as Home Secretary and allowed a huge surge of migrants into the country that is now devastating peoples lives with high crime rate and huge housing issues all linked to the African & Pakistani immigrants and now failing her country by promising to deliver BREXIT but now making it blatantly obvious it will be in name only. "One might argue she is lying" and I think it would be hard to argue otherwise. She re words her proposals and terms time after time, most of her working cabinet resigned due to not wanting to support or work with her and siting that they agreement was to leave the EU where Theresa May is only masking over that we are leaving in name only and yet she stands defiant after snubbing our greatest friends and ally in the world, the USA and assumes that others will come running. Well guess what, they certainly run but it was in the opposite direction all together. The public want change of leadership and wan't it now but in her defiance she smiles through her stern and cold face with the belief that she will run away with her scheme to which other more vocal leaders and ex leaders are all predicting this will get nasty but to which I hope and pray that it does not but she just resigns and leaves with a degree of dignity at the very least......"Rant Over".

I took a little fall this week and managed to hurt my shoulder and knee and the doctor kindly let me keep a copy of the Ex Ray for my own reference and as you will see on the right, my knee took quite a bashing but fortunately all is settling down now and at least the pain has subsided although my shoulder still gives my pain. Its kind of weird how the body reacts as a warning to us by providing pain in which to say stop doing that and for the most part, it works well.
As many of you know, my partner is a Doctor and I am very proud of her for all of her hard work and studying to achieve such heights in her career and I am hopeful we will be back together very soon to enjoy the rest of our lives as Mr & Mrs which is all part of the big plan and to that end we have started to prepare the ground ready for the changes. Tonight is a bit of a special one as we have a orange or red moon which is an event that happens every 400 years. I hope I don't miss it or I will have a long wait for the next one and whilst I have not seen it yet, I have seen many images on the internet of others who have seen it and I have to say it is very impressive if not a little weird to see. 

Does Anyone Care That Nobody Cares.

8th May 2018

I am at the crossroads of life for some weird reason and whilst people keep telling me it's my age, it's truly not. It's my conscience of morality that is paining me and for some reason, the thing I have noticed in life that people don't care and worse still they don't care that they don't care. It take truly special people to show any sign of humanity today and when we see it, we are shocked but we shouldn't be. We should see it always and for my way of thinking the world would have fewer issues is people cared for others and stopped being driven by greed and personal gain. Those who know me will tell you that I only ever see money as a tool and not driven by it. It is a tool to get from A to B but I do not live my world around making or gaining money but only enjoy using it to make other things happen.   I have put something to the right of this post to test the hard of thinking, the clever ones will work it out in seconds, I hope you enjoy the madness if not the sanity too.
This week in glorious Yorkshire was a record breaking week for temperatures and 29% was seen in London which declared it to be the hottest May day on record and in my own city we hit 24% which once again a record and I will confirm both here and now that I am not complaining but begging for more.  My plight of life continues and I have much to enjoy and celebrate in so many ways. I was up at the farm last week and many new lambs are covering the fields and the sound of Spring with all it's wonders is a sight to see. The sound of birds and nature at it's best is something that I "Peter Hulbert" cannot bottle or create If I could, I probably would. For those who only know my City for the "World Snooker Championship", it was as it is every year a huge success and the city laid on a truly spectacular show again as it does year on year. I won't spoil the result for those who have yet to see it but I can confirm that it was truly nail biting in so many ways and you will not be disappointing when you finally watch it.

3rd June 2018

The headline of this page is a reference to who does or does not care and over the Month of May I found someone who cares passionately about my country and the people who live here and whilst I prefer not to name them, I'm sure if you look up the actions outside of the Leeds Crown Court (UK) over the month of May, you will see something to which I find truly invades all of our civil liberties and sets a platform for whats to come and I for one do not like it. I do not always agree with what people say or do but my response is to vote with my feet and walk away. However, under the present rule in the UK, they will lock you up for saying what you feel, for supporting people who say what they feel or even for thinking something you feel is wrong and to that end it has become a dictatorship far worse than Germany in 1939. End of rant and no more politics as I prefer positive people but felt I had to say something on this subject.

My work is something that I do not cover on this blog but I do wish to share a story about my work colleagues who had cause to celebrate this week with a night out at a Indian Restaurant and a few beers, the combination of which is often the cause of many a stand up comedian's jokes and this was to be no exception. I speak from experience that to over indulge is always a disaster and to under indulge is often seen as unsociable but to find the balance is a calculated guess and not always an exact science and my friends and colleagues will confirm by the morning after the night before that they clearly got the balance wrong.........as well as the amount of chilies in the food. One of my colleagues described it as having to put a toilet roll in the fridge in preparation for the morning fall out and by the number of absentees in the work space the following morning, I had no doubt that all was not well and they were in a worse place that morning than they were the night before. I can't describe the expression on my face as one by one the phone calls started to say they were not coming in that morning, it was the funniest start to the week ever and my sympathy went out to all.

So, what happened in the world of Peter Hulbert over the month of May I hear you ask......well, not much really. It was business as usual and in a month where all records were broken in May by the weather office confirming that we had the hottest May on record and I would stress here and now that I am not complaining in any way.
In regards to my friends and work colleagues who are "I'm pleased to say" fully recovered and back on planet earth, albeit a little sore in some regions and certainly worse for wear but it is good to see them all at least able to stand where just a few days ago all they could do was sit. They all make the self same claim to never do it again but whilst I am not a gambling man, I do feel it would be a safe bet to say it will certainly happen again and not too far in the distant future. However, there are rumors among the ranks that diet is the next big task and I for one will support and join that event if they kick it off, although by the sound of what there bodies parted with over the few days of absence, I do feel at an unfair disadvantage at this stage but ready and willing to try and catch up.

11th June 2018

So here we are and a third of the way through June and for me it's been quite a busy time with my daily life, especially the life as one might describe as normal to others but rare in my world which is daily activity and involvement with others. In this case it was about my beautiful daughter who was in the process of buying her first home and moving in and believe me, it was a very stressful time. The whole experience was very personally rewarding in that I was doing something for my family and as some of you are aware, in a past life, "I was a carpenter", although it was in the times of black and white and before digital records and as such, I was asked to make the wardrobes and cupboards for the bedroom etc.

The cupboard or bedside table to the left came as a matching pair and as such there was two. Each one had two drawers and were in a colour described as black/brown and whilst sounding a little weird, when they were assembled, they actually looked really nice and the colour was a very good choice that went well in my daughters bedroom and made her truly happy. As with all of these things, there are always problems and challenges to overcome and the instructions are good but not fool proof and here is where the fool turned up........"Me"..!!
So, we went a little slowly and step by step until the first cupboard was complete and then following the process of repeat and carry on, we quickly put together the second and made the bedroom for a 24 year old girl so special in so many ways and I could see the delight on my daughters face as part one of the exercise of making furniture started to come together. Part 2 being a very large wardrobe in which was basically the same process but much bigger challenge and one we were about to undertake, the most important rule being that they were for my daughter and no half measures.

 So, next task and challenge is wardrobe and despite the instructions being in at least 6 languages, I am from broad Yorkshire and the nearest language to the one I speak was plain English and whilst I didn't need an interpreter, I did need my daughter to help by separating and ensuring all the components and laying them out in a manor so we couldn't really get them wrong..........of that at least is the theory. So, onward and upward as we started the task of assembly and piece by piece, it soon started to come together, that is until we came to install the hanging rail to which we had no screws supplied and as the holes were pre-drilled and of a special size and length, I had nothing in my tool box in which I could substitute or modify and as such, another trip to the manufacturer/supplier was in order which as one might expect took up valuable time. This is where frustration is at it's best as we were to wait to be served and after a lengthy wait, we were tole that the equipment to which we required, is hidden inside the rail and the whole visit was a total waste of time and effort. However, true to the shop's advice, they were in fact correct and the screws and fixings were inside the rail and as such we progressed and completed the wardrobe and to the right is a picture of the end product to which is not the best picture in the world but does show a completed space in which to hang ones cloths away.
The next and final tasks were two of a pair of large sets of drawers and once again, matching to everything within the rest of the room and in the same black brown colour and despite being much larger than the bedside tables, these had the addition of an extra drawer and making it a total of three. These were quite straight forward if not a little time consuming and after a little bit of gentle persuasion, we finally completed the bedroom furniture that would shame and Hollywood movie stars room. My little girl who is no longer little but wall always by my pride and joy has the bedroom of her dreams and to which she has waited all of her life to have. She has my blessing and best wishes always and the hard work is always something we forget when it's for our own. So the talents of Peter Hulbert are extended further to carpentry and brains..........Ok, Carpentry...!!

16th June 2018

Well, the party hat from yesterday has finally been removed and the lack of hangover should explain that I stayed sober at the very least although I was over encouraged to have a drink but as I get older, the excitement of that has dwindled in so many ways. For those who want or need to know, I am celebrating being 21, it's the 38th year of celebrating it which is a bit weird. I am sat here right now with two (2) TV'S running, one with the Le Man's 24 hour racing going and as it stands, Toyota are out in front right now with the new hybrid cars and on my other TV I have the World Cup Football 2018 on with Argentina playing Iceland. At present, the score is 1-1 and not a good day our for Argentina but if it ends this way, Iceland will be delighted. So, my weekend will be racing, football and more racing and more football and I am not complaining either so please don't end the dream. I did have the one drink out with my daughter and here it is, just to prove that I am not a total bore. It was outside, in a pub garden where there is no WiFi and the locals appear to be in the final round of the staring competition and some even look like the survivors of a zombie attack. What is it with these local village pubs that think they are making money by not allowing access to their WiFi......Duh..!!

At this point and in reference to a certain country to the North of Myself. I find it so distasteful that you distance yourself from being British and part of the United Kingdom when times of international events take place. It is true that your national team failed to make the finals unlike small nations such as Belgium & Iceland but there is no shame in supporting your second team of England through the event. After all, we don't behave childlike when it comes to tennis as we adopt "Miserable Murray" as British & not an alien at times of sport. It may be fashionable but so child like. Perhaps the English history of success is something the other nations envy but we don't mind sharing our success around the globe, unlike the men in frocks.

29th June 2018

So, the World Cup is well under way and England have played 3 games and won 2 but in fairness, they didn't need to win the last game as they already qualified to go through to the next round. I might mention here that a certain team from "Germany" didn't get through and we wish them well.........Ha ha hahaaaa......!! "Sorry", I mustn't laugh. Today was a rest day the all the teams but not for long and for me it's a busy weekend with football, daughters birthday and Austrian Grand Prix. So it's yipee for my weekend. The temperatures in the UK continue to sour and it just get's hotter and hotter and if this is global warming, bring it on. The only cure I have found for the heat so far is in two ways, the first is a cold beer and as you will see to the right, that is covered. The other is to stand naked in front of the freezer with the door wide open but whilst the feeling is of freedom and coolness, the supermarket manager said he would report me to the Police if I ever came back. The beauty about my (Peter Hulbert) world is I enjoy a joke and mean no harm and if you find my comments remotely offensive, please leave and do not look back. If you find them funny, then I am pleased as all I ever intended was to provide a smile for you or others to which is a little risky but meant in the best intentions only.

My trip out this week was in the sun and as you can see by the clear blue skies in the background, we are lucky at this moment in time to be enjoying such hot and beautiful weather and the best thing to do is to enjoy what is free and the gifts that God provided us with which is all around us to enjoy. On this day, it was a great day to feed the ducks and geese at my local lake and whilst the heat was hard to live with, the fun side of watching so many beaks pecking and squawking was in itself a pleasure to see. I'm not going to bore you further with this blog today as my life over the last 7 days has been covered and other that what I wrote above, the rest was rather boring at best.