Time To Change

Alastair Campbell has featured much on the news today with the launch of the Time To Change campaign. A project aimed at ending mental health discrimination. Porthole has for some years being receiving ‘treatment’ for depression and thus wholeheartedly urges you to listen out for his interviews, take a look at their website www.time-to-change.org.uk and think about your response to mental health.

Many people dismiss Campbell because of his former links to Tony Blair but he has first hand experience of depression and is a first class ambassador for the cause. Please take time to listen to what he has to say, if you get the chance to see his TV documentary ‘Cracking Up’ then it is well worth watching, it is an enlightening, informative and personal look at mental health.

Tonight’s dump of snow brought temporary chaos to Terrace Road. Cars climbing towards the Market place struggled to get past the Art Gallery & Museum leaving others stuck lower down the hill as they lost their momentum. Others could not make it to potters, with one notable lady in a Peugeot spending almost 15 minutes trying to get between NatWest and The Green Pavilion! But still at least the young people on the Slopes enjoyed more speedy poly-bagging towards the Old Hall and a slightly older but young at heart couple enjoyed making snow angles in the Pavilion Gardens, much to the bemusement of the hastily water borne ducks. If you take a duvet/snow day tomorrow enjoy; but do try to get out and enjoy the wonderful white stuff!

Bored of blogging?

I have to confess I have been rather bored with blogging recently – hence my lack of activity here. I watch blogs to see what others say about the world, locally I like http://curlewsinthegoyt.blogspot.com/ always good pictures and a quirky look at the life in and around Buxton. An unnamed relative runs http://brinkleyroad.blogspot.com/ a south London blog – mad as bag of frogs but with some interesting issues to comment on. I’m in need of inspiration – all ideas welcome! The state of the retail arena in Buxton vexes me – far too many empty shops and more to come, where will the town centre end up? On this I will comment further. But now a family lunch calls. Beef or Salmon I wonder?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you dear reader, Buxton remains cold in 2009 but not quite as cold as the last day of 2008. This morning was a surprisingly early start for Porthole Towers as we had agreed to meet friends in Eyam for a brisk and very refreshing walk.

So off we trod and heading up past Mompesson Well we made our way towards Eyam Moor. The visibility and light, while not as clear and bright as yesterday was ok and the hoar frost was a wonder to behold. We walked for 61/2 miles moving from the colder Eyam side of the moor to the considerably milder Hathersage side and then back to the cooler climbs and the sound of the traditional New Years Day bell ringing from St Lawrence Church, Eyam.

Boxing Day Meet

The traditional Boxing Day meet of the High Peak Hunt was well supported in Bakewell this morning. Joint Master Ms J. H. Carr welcomed the members and supporters and reinforced the point that the HPH were hunting legally. She also urged all supporters to join the Countryside Alliance and support their campaign to repeal the hunting ban.

Irrespective of your views on hunting the spectacle and tradition of the meet is a great opportunity to view this long standing countryside activity and blow away a few of those Christmas cobwebs.

Porthole would like to wish all readers a...

Geseënde Kersfees, Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal, Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan, Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth, Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!, Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Kala Christouyenna!, Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova, Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket, Nollaig Shona Dhuit, Buone Feste Natalizie, Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!, Meri Kirihimete, Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia, Feliz Navidad, God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År, Nadolig Llawen

Midnight Tweeting

While walking past the Slopes at just past midnight the good lady porthole commented again on the “tweeting birds”. Having previously poo-pooed the concept of birds tweeting at midnight I was forced to stop and raise an ear trumpet to listen; and yes the good lady was right there was “tweeting”. This has left me pondering, which birds that reside or holiday on the Slopes tweet at night…? Answers via the comments and a left over Cadburys Celebration may be yours!