Tuesday 11 September 2018
12.45pm – How many years is it since 9/11? How many people can remember the actual year? Go on, have a think about it? It was 2001 and who got the blame for it? Of course, Osman Bin Laden, and, again, I ask the same question of the Labour Party who was in Government at the time – Tony Blair. Where are the 20 pages of the fax that prove 100% he masterminded it? Nowhere, because as in all other matters Blair lies as easily as he breathes. Oh well, let’s move on to something a bit lighter. In 1948 – you are not going to believe this – there was a law in the UK which prevented the imitation of bird calls on the Stage on Sundays, but it was allowed to tell funny stories if the artist did not wear a hat. That was in 1948 and that law continued for years. I know you couldn’t make it up and that is why Britain must get out of the EU. Jeez, it took a 17-year-old Joan of Arc to predict that there would never be peace in France until the British had been sent packing back to England!!! How right she was.
12.53pm – If my memory serves me right Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 and died in 1790. I’m quite confident that to be correct. Do you know the best and wisest saying that Franklin advocated? Let me tell you and I wholly support it.
“Eyes wide open before marriage
Half-closed afterwards.”
Wednesday 12 September 2018
12.57pm – I strongly suggest you watch the film ‘King of Thieves’ with Michael Caine, Roy Winston, etc, because the story itself is fascinating. I know Brian Reader and what a nice guy, and Danny Jones is here, also, extremely polite and well mannered. OK, what they did was a criminal offence and they got prison for it but the actual people are all very polite, modest, and with gentlemanly manners. I also see that Katie Piper who is in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ has a bodyguard. That is her choice and all respect it, but – there is a but – the guy who was responsible is also with me, and he is lovely, polite, and I believe to be a reformed boy! There is no chance that he will ever do anything so stupid again, and long before Katie was announced to be on ‘Strictly,’ he was telling me how stupid and sorry he was for what he did. He has far more remorse than 90% of the people but again it’s all about the past. What he did, and what Danny and co did, and what I did was wrong, and when you make a mistake punishment is required, Yet, how long do you pay for one offence? You get sent to prison but when released you continue paying for the offence you have already paid! That is wrong and so I hope someone, one day, will also consider that. When you go to a restaurant you eat your meal and pay, what if you had to pay for the meal each day again for the rest of your life? Not on is it!
Thursday 13 September 2018 (written 12/9/2018 at 06.29pm
If my memory serves me right, one of the stories my children were forced to watch (compulsory was Great Expectations) the Winslow Boy. In that film there is a song that goes:
“Just you wait and see
Don’t be impatient
Just wait and see
Asquith was asked
What was his policy
He said ‘wait and see
Just you wait and see”
Eff knows why I remembered that, then I remembered that I bet 9 out of 10 historians did not know was that Herbert Henry Asquith who (I hope again my teaching by Mr. McDougal has lasted) was born in 1852 and died in 1928 and he was a Liberal, born in the North of England, and who took the UK into the First World War. Here is what many do not know: – when he succeeded Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman the King, Edward VII, was in France, so, he had to go to France to be ‘sworn in’ and do you know how a British PM is ‘sworn in’? There is a ritual called the ‘kissing hands’ without which you cannot be Prime Minister, it’s the only time a Prime Minister has taken office without being in the UK and on foreign lands.
06.37pm – This week I’m going to start on a layman’s guide to Islam, and I’m going to tell the story in simple language how the Muslim faith started.
Friday 14 September 2018 (written 13/09.2018 at 08.05pm)
On Wednesday I started watching a series called ‘Trust’ about Paul Getty. I was in Rome in 1973, when Gettys grandson was kidnapped, and, in 1971, at the age of 16, I managed to get £10 from Mr. Getty, having written to him at Sutton Place asking him to send me £26 for a guitar. He sent £10 with a note that said he would pay only part of the amount to give me an incentive to get the rest ‘if you really need the object.’ Incredible – I had almost forgotten but let it also be known that Getty paid a lot of money for his grandson, and do you know why he started out saying he would pay nothing? His favourite film was ‘Ransom’ (I think that’s what it is called) with Glenn Ford, about a man whose child is kidnapped and Glen Ford goes on TV saying that he will double the amount requested by the kidnapper but he will use that to get the identity of the kidnapper. The kidnapper releases the child. But Getty soon found out that in real life, and in Italy, it does not quite work like that, so, he paid a lot. 1973 was a great year because I was just under 18 and I – thanks to Sir Maxwell Joseph (which is another story) stayed at the best hotels in Rome, and the South of France. I also (at the age of just under 18) met ‘people’ at Banco Ambrosiano, and other stuff, and heard all about the Getty kidnapping. Paul Getty was right – I used his dogma with my children when they were youngsters – if they got a job whatever they earned I would match. Good incentive and they all turned out to be my ‘pride’!!!!
Saturday 15 September 2018
08.25am – Roger Moore once said to me that a woman’s eyes are all she needs for jewels, and I replied that I agreed but the odd diamond does no harm to reflect the eyes. We had a good laugh at that.
Now talking of eyes, I came across this article on Alexandra Tolstoy and let me tell you that she has done so well since her partner Sergei left her almost on the verge of being penniless. Now, OK, Alexandra has her name – Tolstoy – which is no small asset but how she has dealt with her personal circumstances reflect the truly good-hearted person she is. As I have met both, Sergel and Alexandra, I take no sides, but whilst Sergel has remained in Monaco, Alexandra and the children are in London. I do wish them both well for the sake of the children. Their situation reminded me of one of my favourite musicians: – ‘money does not come from the sky – it has to be earned on earth’ and in most cases money really is the biggest cause of relationship breakdown which is funny because they say you can’t do anything without money – well try eating coins and banknotes!!!
Sunday 16 September 2018
06.02pm – The other day I wrote about the Loch Ness Monster and how Roger Moore’s favourite ‘The Saint’ episode was called ‘The Convenient Monster’ and, lo and behold, that very episode was shown on ITV4 which I watched with joy. “Do you believe in the Monster?” Roger Moore is asked by a reporter: – “Does the Monster believe in me?” was the unscripted reply. Now, I read in the paper that the Loch Ness Monster business is worth over £40 million. Wow!!! It’s best the Monster remains the mystery it has been since St. Columba wrote about it!!!
06.06pm – Can someone the hell solve this other mystery: – why the eff does my handwriting go to pot in the late afternoon, early evening? I mean, if someone can help me it will make Caroline’s life a lot easier. How the eff she reads my hieroglyphics hell only knows. I’m sure one day she will tell me to start writing clearer or else! I just can’t seem to help it. You know it is like my brain dictates faster than my hands can write. I hate this situation – someone tell me how I can improve! (You can’t improve it Gio as you said the brain is dictating faster than you can write but I’m getting used to it now, frustrated sometimes, but thank goodness for google – Caroline)
Monday 17 September 2018 (written 16/9/2018 at 06.58pm)
The City of Alexandria in Egypt was, as you would expect, founded by Alexander the Great. After him – as we all know or should know – came Ptolemy I Soter who founded the Royal Library of Alexandria in 283 BC. Some say, that at one time it housed over 1 million books but we will never know because the building was destroyed by Christian Zealots in a fire and they replaced it with a Church. There is no real evidence of any of the above but the other day in our library – yes, a prison library – I almost shed a tear to find the book of the 18th Century Historian Edward Gibbon ‘The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ and you bet there was not a single date stamp, meaning no one has ever taken it out – it has one new – me! There is a lovely passage describing how some years after the destruction of the Library a Church appeared. The number of books held are really not known because that index was held in scrolls and several would make up an entire book. Seneca the Younger in AD 50 refers to some 40,000 scrolls, whilst Aristeas writing in 100 BC refers to 400,000 scrolls. Somewhere, an ‘O’ is the last link! In 145 BC Ptolemy VIII Physcon purged some of its scholars. Even, Julius Caesar may well have burned part of the library during the Civil War of 48 BC. Plutarch wrote in AD 100 about the siege of Alexandria saying how Caesar ‘after burning the docks, thence spread on and destroyed the great Library.’ And so, it went on by the Emperor of Aurelian to Emperor Theodosius I – what a pity all that Culture lost. Who knows how more advanced we would be if that library had remained.
Tuesday 18 September 2018
(written 17/09/2018 at 09.30pm) – Amazing! From my window, I can see on my right half a moon, and from my window, I have measured 28cm a Star!!!
Does anyone know the name of the Star and the distance between the Moon and the Star? It’s there staring at me and below I see aircraft’s landing down to Stanstead airport, or on their descent.
07.01am – I don’t know if you are aware but if my natural modern history is correct yesterday, was the 50th anniversary of a divided postal service of 1st and 2nd class stamps! Do you know how ruddy much a first-class stamp cost in 1968? Let me tell you, and remind the crazy government – 4D yes 4 old pennies. Today its 62 new pence which is something like a billion (exaggerated) times as much, and in 1968 if you posted a letter at 8am there was a good chance it would reach its destination in the UK by midday – today? Lucky if you get it at all. Can someone work out please the percentage increase from 1968 to today’s 4 old pence to 62 new pence and if the cost of living/wages have increased as much!
Reading the news article – I know who the lawyer is and who the woman is!!! If you think the casting couch is limited to movies – you ain’t heard nothing yet!!!
Wednesday 19 September 2018 (written 18/09/2018 at 07.58pm)
Hope to be able to give some good, if not great, news soon.
07.59pm – Do you know when Britain lost its Empire? When the British Army had to surrender to the Japanese in Singapore. Not long after the Second World War, India went its own way and soon, thereafter, so did all the other ex-colonial countries. You see, previously a man with a red uniform on a horse could easily manage thousands of Indians or Pakistanis but when they saw that Britain could be defeated en masse then they wanted to break free. Can’t really blame them, and all this claptrap that Mountbatten gifted India years earlier than planned, to give them their own country is rubbish. He had to give back the country or they would have taken it. Now, out of interest to all history buffs, I had history drummed into me at school, the War that was fought at the highest level was indeed between India and Pakistan over Kashmir at 25,330 feet in the Siachen Glacier and, still today, both India and Pakistan keep troops at 20,000. Between 1984 and 1999 over 1,500 soldiers have been killed in that altitude. Quite incredible, but not surprising. My own view of War is well known and I’ve been involved in too many real Wars – total waste of time. Loss of life that can be easily avoided. What did WW2 achieve? Germany head of the 26 nations.
Thursday 20 September 2018
07.38am – Guy Walters has written an article or maybe even a book that Michael Foot was a paid KGB agent. Well, between 1982 – 1984 I lived in Denning Road in NW3 and amongst the close neighbours were Sting and his wife Trudie and yes Michael Foot who I did see regularly and found him to be a truly knowledgeable person and very polite. After a few months, I actually directly asked him “Michael, are you a secret agent for communism?” Do you know what he replied? “Even if I were there is nothing any foreign power does not already know – they just fast check.” So, there you have it. Now, years after his death to say he was a paid KGB agent is absolute crap because the man is not here to defend himself or he may just reply as he did to me. Quite the opposite, Sting and Trudie, but one thing whenever I went past the house I never once in two years heard any music but again both Sting and Trudie were very polite and opposite to what Trudie is portrayed – I found her very polite. I remember one day on Hampstead Heath Trudie asked me what I did and I replied: “I am a defrocked priest.” After about 30 seconds of silence, we both burst out laughing madly. Gosh, 1982 and 1983 were really interesting years and to a level quite dangerous but that aspect always passed me by.
07.49am – Storm Ali has passed the South East by but yesterday the wind was blowing so fast I could hardly walk. The last two nights I have been searching for the Star I saw – with no luck!
Friday 21 September 2018
12.51pm – In this shite world we live in a what I call ‘blame culture,’ in other words when something goes wrong everyone else is to blame but the real people responsible. Thus, the exit of a very able Chief Executive of the Prison Service.
Do you know who really is to blame? That ex-shelf stacker Chris Grayling. He screwed up the prison service in 2013 and now effed up the train service. I mean what person, other than an insane person, bans books from prison??? Crazy, but the damage caused by Grayling the price is paid by Michael Spurr. Sorry but it’s madness. How can you lack leadership when you tell the Minister of Justice, at the time, that banning books and other nonsense that Grayling did would be counterproductive and Grayling tells you that it will be done no matter what? You can’t blame Michael Spurr for that. Grayling needs to be sacked and out of Parliament for the damage he has caused the prison service and now to the rail network.
Saturday 22 September 2018
(written 21/09/2018 at 09.24pm) – The Star I saw earlier this week has come back but the Moon this time is on the left and the Star on the right.
The moon is truly white but I wonder how the Moon and the Star changed position? Anyone have any ideas? I spoke to a few other people about seeing a Star and all of them have forgotten that Stars even exist. They all looked at me in amusement. Incredible!!!
06.43pm – Do you know what is great about ‘Strictly Come Dancing?’ (I was offered the second series and sadly had to turn it down grrr) They have kept the same format since day one and they have not changed it one iota!! Why? Because why the hell do you change something that works? Why mend something that is not broken? So, watching Strictly I wonder why the hell Tess Daly is not the Prime Minister?
06.48pm – Last night the Star I saw lasted only about one hour then it disappeared. I wonder if anyone knows anything about what Star or Planet it is?
06.50pm – I did an application for a friend of mine for the Court of Appeal to re-hear his appeal after 10 ½ years and you know what???? Effing yesssss!!! We got a rehearing for him!!!! Can be done and I still have the touch!!!!
Sunday 23 September 2018
07.43pm – This is an important entry in my diary which I hope Caroline posts on all our media sites. The ‘Petition of Right’ was given Royal Assent on 7 June 1628 and Clause VIII states as follows: –
‘They do therefore humbly pray your most Excellent Majesty, that no such man hereafter be compelled to make or yield any gift, loan, benevolence, tax, or such like-charge without common consent by Act of Parliament, and that none be called to make answer or take such oath or to give attendance or be confined or otherwise molested or disquieted concerning the same or refusal thereof. And that no freeman in any such manner as is before mentioned be imprisoned or detained.’
That is applicable today as it was when a Reluctant Monarch gave Royal Assent. What does it mean to many: – 1. That tax cannot be levied without an Act of parliament and that the Chancellor of the Exchequer must pass by Parliament any changes in the tax regime and that anyone refusing to pay cannot be jailed. Nor can there be prison sentences for default in confiscation which comes under ‘such like charge.’ Nor can estimated tax assessment be acted upon. This all came about because of what was known of the ‘Five Knights Case’ when the House of Commons refused Charles I money to fight a War they did not approve. You see it was all about the people paying for what they should have as common facilities. If you don’t approve how the government is spending money you don’t have to pay!!!!!
Monday 24 September 2018
08.12pm – For the past few weeks I have been watching on Monday evening on C4 ‘Jamie Cooks Italy’ and boy does it make me miss my country. Yes, I am a nationalist but not one of the extreme types. I simply love my country, my flag, my anthem and the cooking of my country. Politics-wise the country needs stability which it will have when I get back. Have a look at the actual political policies of Partito Nazionale Italiano and I’m sure Caroline will provide the link. Take the trouble of translating from Italian to whatever language suits you but read it!
09.25pm – In the next few days the most important pieces of legislation you will hear about will be, The Petition of Rights 1628, Bill of Rights 1689, and the Act of Settlement 1701. In fact, the Act of Settlement 1701 has been used only last week regarding maintaining the independence of the Parole Board and it succeeded. You see just because a piece of legislation is over 300 years old does not make it invalid. The Law matures with age but at some stage it requires consummation or it will smell.
09.36pm – I can’t see the Moon but the Star is visible, as clear as anything. It is staring at me almost as if it wants to tell me something. It was there last night, also, for an hour and 48 minutes but so was the Moon.
Tuesday 25 September 2018
07.26am – Theresa May will today ask the Iranian President Rouhani to release Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from Evin Prison, in Tehran, on ‘humanitarian grounds.’ I fully support that, however, can Theresa May please answer this: –
“How many people in English Prisons have the Government released on ‘humanitarian grounds’ in the last year, the last five years, the last ten years?”
I can tell you the answer, but please do carry out a Freedom of Information request at the Ministry of Justice – the answer is Zero!!!! There have been two ‘compassionate releases’ (i) Ronnie Biggs and (ii) Ethel Trigwell both whom I filed the requests but that was because (in Biggs case) he was ‘expected’ to die in six months and Ethel Trigwell died of cancer within three months but none have been released on purely humanitarian grounds. So, for Mrs. May, a PM whom I support because as Home Secretary she was very kind and correct towards me, please can you start releasing prisoners in this country, on humanitarian grounds, and then, only then, can you ask foreign leaders to do the same.
07.34am – Everyone seems to want another referendum or what Labour call a ‘peoples vote.’ So, I ask the question: who actually voted last time? Aliens and ‘people’ from outer space? Do any politicians ever engage brain before opening mouth?
NB: Some images retrieved from Google, will remove at owner’s request.