Bloody Sunday report - quelle surprise

There can be little surprise about the news that the publication of the Bloody Sunday report has been postponed until after the general election. As the BBC regional political correspondent Paul Rowley reminded us again on Radio Foyle this morning, he's been predicting 6th May as the date for the past year. This date has been long pencilled in on the government's timeline of events, and the little drama of 'It will, it won't' in relation to the Saville Report has been played out just according to the script.

That's all very well for the politicians, who always prefer to toss a hot potato in the laps of their successors in power, but it's cynical in how it deals with the families of those murdered and injured on Bloody Sunday. Once again their hopes have been raised and dashed, adding further to the anguish and strain they've suffered over many years.

Yes, it's been months . . .

.  . . and since I blocked those emails from the bathroomware company there doesn't seem to be much to report - other than real news, of course.

Belfast Telegraph were in touch today looking for some crystal-ball gazing in terms of the Foyle constituency. After considerable thought and research, one could only reach the conclusion that anything other than a win for Mark Durkan or Martina Anderson will be the shock of the election. Still, it would be some coup for Journal columnist Eamonn McCann to lift the Foyle seat at this stage of his political career.

Lots happening over in BBC Radio Foyle and a good bit of chat about the departures of The Voice of Derry, Paul McFadden, and another highly-experienced journo Eimear O'Callaghan. At the same time there's an advert in today's paper for 'Editor, BBC Radio Foyle'. Looks like the station manager's job, occupied so many luminaries over the years, Joe Mahon, Mickey McGowan, Poilin Ni Chiarain, Anna Leddy and others, most recently Paul McCauley, is no more.
Bit of a cold wind blowing along Northland Road at the moment . . .

Easter on the way, and with it lots of cappucinos, crisps and meat, sadly missed over the past six weeks (apart from that wee trip to Brussels - Lent doesn't apply on mainland Europe, done away with by the Reformation apparently). Might try to get to the Paul Brady concert on Saturday. Met Robert Peoples at lunchtime and he was telling me that Balkan Alien Sound are playing in Rodden's on Saturday night, so that could be an option for after. Great Sound it is, and further proof that Derry's getting more cosmopolitan by the minute.

Re-reading 'Four Iron in the Soul' (well, didn't realise I was re-reading it until after the first forty pages or so) by our own Laurence Donegan, the Guardian's golf correspondent whose career went so sadly downhill after he left the Tirconnail Tribune. Only play golf on Journal golf outings - which seem to be a thing of the past, is everyone that old? - but the book's still good fun.

What else is new? Well, our reporter Claire Allan was on BBC Radio Foyle (sort of theme developing here) this morning talking about how much she'd like to see a woman editor at the Journal. At which point a loud voice was heard over the station tannoy - 'Taxi for Allan'. Former Journal reporter Chris McCann, who initially sounded a bit nervous as the only man in a studio of woman discussing 'Women in Journalism', soon found his feet and counter-attacked along the flanks (or maybe that was the Arsenal v Barcelona game last night - 'What a first half display by Barca!', I heard a female voice intone while, as Chris mentioned on radio, simultaneously feeding the wain, vacuuming the living room, telephoning an old school-friend and re-reading 'A Room of One's Own'. If there's one thing men can't manage it's multi-tasking. . .)

Please hold there for a sec while I concentrate on this cup of tea.

Lovely. Anyway, there you have it, all the news that's fit to print. And in this multi-media world, here's a pic, yes, any pic . .

The winning shot in the Derry and North-West Frisbee competiton at the weekend, from Hugh F. Ough (silent 'g') of outer Moville.

That Parades Working Group discussion in full

- Gone, givis a seat
- No
- Just one or two for us, and one for Alliance and the Ulster Unionists
- Listen, you know the story - there's six seats, and we're taking them all
- But it's not fair!
-
- Hello?
-
- It's not . . . Hello?

Bathstore's price specials!!

Still getting the regular emails from Bathstore and hopefully will have the opportunity to purchase my own mixer tap one day.

All credit to the store for their novel approach to the after-Christmas 'sale' -

Pictured: Blade mono basin mixer was £149 now £109 (left) Parador was £179 now £199 (centre) Barcelona 3 hole basin set was £179 now £299 (right).

Customer - Is that the Barcelona 3 hole basin set?
Bathstore salesperson - Correct, madam
Customer - I could have sworn I saw that at £179 in the run-up to Christmas.
Salesperson - That's right madam, it's now £299. That's in the 'sale'.
Customer - Oh right! I'll take two then!

Merry Christmas, everyone

Apologies to the great hordes whose experience of the internet has been diminished in recent weeks by the absence of regular updates of this blog. Don't know how it happened, December just disappeared, taking with it part of November.

So with very best wishes for a joyous Christmas for you and yours, and a great 2010, here's a story from the editor's in box today -

News Release
Date of issue: December 2009
http://www.pdsa.org.uk/

Christmas tree at ‘root’ of cat’s illness

A taste for Christmas proved too much for Middlesbrough cat Leah when she became seriously ill – after swallowing a miniature tree. The peckish puss’s sickness mystified PDSA vets until tests revealed a discarded Christmas tree decoration as the ‘root’ cause.

Leah’s owner Claire Smith (27) noticed the one­-year-old cat was losing weight, suffering from chronic sickness and looking poorly, but had no idea why. It was only when vets at Middlesbrough PDSA PetAid hospital investigated the problem that an x-ray revealed a perfectly formed miniature Christmas tree in her abdomen.

PDSA Head Nurse Stephanie Williams said: “Various conditions can cause chronic vomiting and weight loss in cats so there were several possibilities to explain Leah’s symptoms. However the last thing we expected to see was a Christmas tree staring back at us on the x-ray! Even small foreign bodies can cause so much trouble in pets.”

Leah underwent surgery to remove the tiny tree, which had actually split into two pieces, and was kept in overnight for observation before returning home.

Leah’s owner Claire Smith added: “It was fantastic to see Leah after the operation and to take her home, knowing that the cause of her illness had been treated and she could recover.
“I was very surprised when the vets told me that Leah had swallowed a Christmas tree. I can see the lighter side of it now but it was a very stressful period. Now I make sure that nothing is left lying around that Leah can get her paws on.”

PDSA Senior veterinary Surgeon Sean Wensley said: “We always see cases of swallowed ‘foreign objects’ around Christmas time. We urge all pet owners to look around their home, room by room, identifying any dangers to their pets. These can include decorations, toys, lighting, shiny objects and turkey bones.”

Meet the boss

Over the next two or three weeks I'm going to be meeting bosses of some of the bigger local employers. Anyone got any questions they'd like me to ask? I'm on martin.mcginley@derryjournal.com

Greetings from Japan (sorry, Nigeria)

You know, you can beaver away quite happily unnoticed, but it's still nice to get a bit of recognition from outside. And so this Saturday morning, quite out of the blue actually, a note comes in all the way from Japan -

Greetings,

I am sorry to encroach into your privacy in this manner, I found your name listed in the Trade Centre Chambers of Commerce directory here in Japan. I find it pleasurable to offer you my partnership in business. I only pray at this time that your address is still valid. I want to solicit your attention to receive money on my behalf. The purpose of my contacting you is because my status would not permit me to do this alone. When you reply to this message, I will send you the full details and more information about myself and the funds. If interested, please reply through my alternate Email:

hirokojiro1020@yahoo.co.jp

Mr.Hiroko Jiro (Head of Finance Dept,Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank Tokyo, Japan)

More evidence, if more were needed, that the world is indeed a small place.

I decided to seek a photograph of my new friend on Google Images. Imagine my reaction on discovering an instant hit on 'Anti-Fraud International' associated with a scam in relation to a supposed 'inheritance' of one Charles Russel (dec.), and that the IP address being used actually terminates in Nigeria, rather than Japan.

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that, in the immortal words of Tom Jones, 'There's no place like home'.

Be careful out there!