David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 9
August 23, 2017
Poetry Thursday 274 - Stopping
The best way forward! How many times do we hear that trite statement from politicians?
However, sometimes you have to stop.
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Quiet as a mouse
We will all die one day,some sooner than others,the process will be in a unique way,and that is the issue that bothers.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house,hopefully there’ll be one for me,but if I stay as quiet as a mousecan I have more time the future to see?©David L Atkinson August 2017
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No Human Contact
We can live in a world without people,go day-to-day seeing no-one,exercise our living outside social babble,and maintain existence by phone.
Or we can set up our lives online,shop, pay bills and manage health,the computer will give us the time,even work and handle our wealth.
Once the door is closed and locked,security appliances turned to On!We turn our backs on the world – blocked,and exist completely on our own.
Is this alright for a social animal,brought up to interact with others,to be alone to fight life’s battle,and strive without sisters and brothers?
What sort of life with your solitary noise?When sharing each other’s trials,can generate fun, love and joys,producing communities of smiles.©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
However, sometimes you have to stop.
[image error]
Quiet as a mouse
We will all die one day,some sooner than others,the process will be in a unique way,and that is the issue that bothers.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house,hopefully there’ll be one for me,but if I stay as quiet as a mousecan I have more time the future to see?©David L Atkinson August 2017
[image error]
No Human Contact
We can live in a world without people,go day-to-day seeing no-one,exercise our living outside social babble,and maintain existence by phone.
Or we can set up our lives online,shop, pay bills and manage health,the computer will give us the time,even work and handle our wealth.
Once the door is closed and locked,security appliances turned to On!We turn our backs on the world – blocked,and exist completely on our own.
Is this alright for a social animal,brought up to interact with others,to be alone to fight life’s battle,and strive without sisters and brothers?
What sort of life with your solitary noise?When sharing each other’s trials,can generate fun, love and joys,producing communities of smiles.©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
August 22, 2017
Writing - Eclipsed
So the full eclipse of the sun was visible over parts of the USA. In times gone by, more primitive peoples attributed the appearance of an eclipse as an act of God and so on.
[image error]
In fact on occasions these celestial events changed the course of history.
Cyaxares v Scythians 585 BC
This was probably the first known example of history being changed. War had raged for six years between Lydia and Media when one day as Herodotus related tells us 'day was suddenly turned into night'. The combatants were so horrified that they stopped fighting and settled for peace.
Larissa (somewhere in modern Iraq)
Around 557 BC an army marching across across Iraq came across the deserted city. Apparently, the inhabitants had been frightened away when the sun disappeared.
Gospels
There are a number of instances in the descriptions of the apostles of Jesus. Luke tells us that at the time of the crucifixion 'there was a darkness over all the earth' - an eclipse.
1133 - a bad year in England
An annus horibillus in England was attributed to an eclipse. In this case the Saxon Chronicle may well have been jumping on an opportunity. The event occurred in 1135. It was all about succession. Henry I had no sons and one daughter, the throne was fought over by Henry's nephew and sixteen years of anarchy ensued. The Chronicle blamed the eclipse. There were similar ructions around an eclipse in this country in 1652. It was predicted and flyers were sent out warning of pending calamities and mischiefs.
All of the above examples could inspire!!!
[image error]
So watch out USA! We could be writing about you in years to come.
God Bless
[image error]
In fact on occasions these celestial events changed the course of history.
Cyaxares v Scythians 585 BC
This was probably the first known example of history being changed. War had raged for six years between Lydia and Media when one day as Herodotus related tells us 'day was suddenly turned into night'. The combatants were so horrified that they stopped fighting and settled for peace.
Larissa (somewhere in modern Iraq)
Around 557 BC an army marching across across Iraq came across the deserted city. Apparently, the inhabitants had been frightened away when the sun disappeared.
Gospels
There are a number of instances in the descriptions of the apostles of Jesus. Luke tells us that at the time of the crucifixion 'there was a darkness over all the earth' - an eclipse.
1133 - a bad year in England
An annus horibillus in England was attributed to an eclipse. In this case the Saxon Chronicle may well have been jumping on an opportunity. The event occurred in 1135. It was all about succession. Henry I had no sons and one daughter, the throne was fought over by Henry's nephew and sixteen years of anarchy ensued. The Chronicle blamed the eclipse. There were similar ructions around an eclipse in this country in 1652. It was predicted and flyers were sent out warning of pending calamities and mischiefs.
All of the above examples could inspire!!!
[image error]
So watch out USA! We could be writing about you in years to come.
God Bless
August 21, 2017
Tuesday Food Blog - Things on toast
Whoever came up with the concept of serving different foods on toast should have patented the idea. There are so many possible comfort foods that can be served up on lightly burnt bread.
[image error]Toast over an open fire
The above was in my younger days the ultimate comfort food. You took a toasting fork, speared a thick slice of bread and held it over the flames of an open fire. It was then smeared in lightly salted lurpak! What else could you need for comfort?
Well there are all kinds of possibilities.
My early recollection of meals on toast were quite varied and yet plain.
Cheese on toast - literally grated cheese melted on toast with brown sauce.
Beans on toast - All hail Heinz!
Sardines on toast - again nothing fancy.
All those options are tasty but then as an adult I holidayed in France and came across croque messieurs, which is cheese and ham on toast. Variations include croque madam and welsh rarebit.[image error]Spicy beans on toast
I am not about to produce a written recipe but the application of a little garam masala, onion, garlic and a finely chopped chilli, could spice up quite a number of dishes. The care that needs to be taken is not to make it all too sloppy and as the photo above shows, when in doubt slap a fried egg on top!
God Bless
[image error]Toast over an open fire
The above was in my younger days the ultimate comfort food. You took a toasting fork, speared a thick slice of bread and held it over the flames of an open fire. It was then smeared in lightly salted lurpak! What else could you need for comfort?
Well there are all kinds of possibilities.
My early recollection of meals on toast were quite varied and yet plain.
Cheese on toast - literally grated cheese melted on toast with brown sauce.
Beans on toast - All hail Heinz!
Sardines on toast - again nothing fancy.
All those options are tasty but then as an adult I holidayed in France and came across croque messieurs, which is cheese and ham on toast. Variations include croque madam and welsh rarebit.[image error]Spicy beans on toast
I am not about to produce a written recipe but the application of a little garam masala, onion, garlic and a finely chopped chilli, could spice up quite a number of dishes. The care that needs to be taken is not to make it all too sloppy and as the photo above shows, when in doubt slap a fried egg on top!
God Bless
August 19, 2017
Writing - 10 strange news items
So the point of this blog is to amuse, engage and entertain.
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1. Justin Bieber's tour made more than $250m (£192m) in ticket sales.
Am I bovvered!!!
---------------------------------
[image error]
2. The Vikings ate frozen food.
Course they did - they were surrounded by ice most of their lives.
---------------------------------
[image error]
3. The number of young people planning to go to university is at its lowest level in eight years.
Unsurprising as the government are making it more expensive to go.
---------------------------------
4. Tony Blair was briefly a Trotskyite.
Now he's just a gob*****
---------------------------------
[image error]
5. Oil can send birds off course and hamper migration.
As well
---------------------------------
[image error]
6. Giant 1,574ft (480m) long pipes are washing up on Norfolk beaches.
But from where?
---------------------------------
[image error]
7. Surgery waiting numbers in England are at their highest in decade.
And will get longer under the Tories
---------------------------------
[image error]
8. Men from poor backgrounds are 'twice as likely to be single'.
I am!
---------------------------------
[image error]
9. You can rent Donald Trump's childhood home for $777 (£615) a night.
Or you may decide not to.
---------------------------------
[image error]
10. An asteroid the size of a house will come very close to the Earth in October.
Donald Trump's House, Buckingham Palace or mine?
---------------------------------
God Bless
[image error]
1. Justin Bieber's tour made more than $250m (£192m) in ticket sales.
Am I bovvered!!!
---------------------------------
[image error]
2. The Vikings ate frozen food.
Course they did - they were surrounded by ice most of their lives.
---------------------------------
[image error]
3. The number of young people planning to go to university is at its lowest level in eight years.
Unsurprising as the government are making it more expensive to go.
---------------------------------
4. Tony Blair was briefly a Trotskyite.
Now he's just a gob*****
---------------------------------
[image error]
5. Oil can send birds off course and hamper migration.
As well
---------------------------------
[image error]
6. Giant 1,574ft (480m) long pipes are washing up on Norfolk beaches.
But from where?
---------------------------------
[image error]
7. Surgery waiting numbers in England are at their highest in decade.
And will get longer under the Tories
---------------------------------
[image error]
8. Men from poor backgrounds are 'twice as likely to be single'.
I am!
---------------------------------
[image error]
9. You can rent Donald Trump's childhood home for $777 (£615) a night.
Or you may decide not to.
---------------------------------
[image error]
10. An asteroid the size of a house will come very close to the Earth in October.
Donald Trump's House, Buckingham Palace or mine?
---------------------------------
God Bless
August 18, 2017
Writing - Pinch of Salt
It has been my aim to encourage those on the verge of writing their first novel to take that first nerve wracking step. Now I'm going to try and convince you to ignore what I've said!!!!
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can't learn from the experiences of others, what I am saying that there is so much advice out there that you cannot possibly take it all on board.I use Triberr to advertise my work, principally in the USA, but just to give you an idea of what is available from fellow bloggers today.
Flexibility and adaptability is the key
10 heart wrenchingly disappointing books
Puns for intelligent people
The Ultimate Guide to writing a Post-Apocalyptic Novel
Author inspiration and this weeks writing links
and the big prize;
The Friday 56 (With Instagram 56 and Book Beginnings)
All of the above are available to read today and everyday is similar. If you tried to take in all the advice from just the above few you would be gnawing on your own table in panic. At some point you need to begin writing for just one person and that is yourself. If you don't satisfy your own writing needs the chances that you will entertain others is slim.
[image error]
My one piece of advice is write what you want to write and not what you believe will sell. Selling and marketing books changes as does the weather, keeping up with that is destructive. You are the artist, the creator and the words are in the order that you have decreed, be true to yourself.
God Bless
[image error]
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you can't learn from the experiences of others, what I am saying that there is so much advice out there that you cannot possibly take it all on board.I use Triberr to advertise my work, principally in the USA, but just to give you an idea of what is available from fellow bloggers today.
Flexibility and adaptability is the key
10 heart wrenchingly disappointing books
Puns for intelligent people
The Ultimate Guide to writing a Post-Apocalyptic Novel
Author inspiration and this weeks writing links
and the big prize;
The Friday 56 (With Instagram 56 and Book Beginnings)
All of the above are available to read today and everyday is similar. If you tried to take in all the advice from just the above few you would be gnawing on your own table in panic. At some point you need to begin writing for just one person and that is yourself. If you don't satisfy your own writing needs the chances that you will entertain others is slim.
[image error]
My one piece of advice is write what you want to write and not what you believe will sell. Selling and marketing books changes as does the weather, keeping up with that is destructive. You are the artist, the creator and the words are in the order that you have decreed, be true to yourself.
God Bless
August 17, 2017
Writing - The blank page
So here is the blank page aspiring authors.
What will you write?
[image error]
There you go aspiring authors - words.
I have checked books by many authors, some of the greats and some unknowns, one thing they have in common is that they have nothing in common. There is no magic formula, as hard as the critics and so called experts (an old drip under pressure) try, not one person has the right formula for success as a writer so don't burden yourself looking for the 'right way'.
What you are looking for is a scene not a sentence. When you write stories, you will do it in your own way and if it works then you will be successful. I write scenes and when I have the scene in mind the words come to describe what I am viewing. Then I write. It may be that as the words are going down I think of a slightly different way of doing things, in which case I will make alterations - editing on the hoof.
I will give you an example.
Several years ago I was travelling in southern Eire. There was a group of us and we were looking for a mountain to walk up. We found the beginning of the path, we saw the lower slopes of the mountain, but the mist and soft, warm Irish rain drove us back to our cars. This experience of Irish weather gave me the beginning of my 5th novel, Inceptus.
Chapter 1
Having often heard the rain in Ireland variously described as ‘soft’ and ‘warm’ I now had evidence of what was meant by that. Lying in a place of concealment in Eire just south of the border with Northern Ireland I was not cold but felt extremely wet. It was going through my mind that I’d got hold of the wrong end of the stick. It was just leaving 06:00 in early October 2016 and while
waiting I had time to reflect on my situation. My name is Patrick A
Steele
And so it goes. There are more details of the position in which our
hero found himself as the chapter progresses. I like the
conversational approach which isn't everyone's cup of tea but
which I believe is human,
The book is available in all formats from Amazon from the link
below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptus-David-L-Atkinson/dp/1849143714/ref=sr_1_60?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502971181&sr=1-60&keywords=David+L+Atkinson
God Bless
What will you write?
[image error]
There you go aspiring authors - words.
I have checked books by many authors, some of the greats and some unknowns, one thing they have in common is that they have nothing in common. There is no magic formula, as hard as the critics and so called experts (an old drip under pressure) try, not one person has the right formula for success as a writer so don't burden yourself looking for the 'right way'.
What you are looking for is a scene not a sentence. When you write stories, you will do it in your own way and if it works then you will be successful. I write scenes and when I have the scene in mind the words come to describe what I am viewing. Then I write. It may be that as the words are going down I think of a slightly different way of doing things, in which case I will make alterations - editing on the hoof.
I will give you an example.
Several years ago I was travelling in southern Eire. There was a group of us and we were looking for a mountain to walk up. We found the beginning of the path, we saw the lower slopes of the mountain, but the mist and soft, warm Irish rain drove us back to our cars. This experience of Irish weather gave me the beginning of my 5th novel, Inceptus.
Chapter 1
Having often heard the rain in Ireland variously described as ‘soft’ and ‘warm’ I now had evidence of what was meant by that. Lying in a place of concealment in Eire just south of the border with Northern Ireland I was not cold but felt extremely wet. It was going through my mind that I’d got hold of the wrong end of the stick. It was just leaving 06:00 in early October 2016 and while
waiting I had time to reflect on my situation. My name is Patrick A
Steele
And so it goes. There are more details of the position in which our
hero found himself as the chapter progresses. I like the
conversational approach which isn't everyone's cup of tea but
which I believe is human,
The book is available in all formats from Amazon from the link
below.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptus-David-L-Atkinson/dp/1849143714/ref=sr_1_60?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502971181&sr=1-60&keywords=David+L+Atkinson
God Bless
August 16, 2017
Poetry Thursday 273 - Fragments
Fragments of what? Truths perhaps? We are all a little like Donald Trump, ie. subject to fake news from biased media. Don't believe everything you're told.
[image error]
Fragments of Eu
40 years later a stormy ending,palindromic match to the start, Non!the French exclaimed repeatedly.
Farmers cringed in fear of the unknown,at new rules imposed from abroad,and French striking tractors blocking roads.
Vast lakes and mountains prevailed,but not of water and rock formations,much less permanent, infinitely more perishable.
Wine, butter, milk, grain and more,over-produced and over-pricedfree butter for Russian peasants and pensioners.
Frequent attempts to lower our bill,annual tiffs over complex regulations,can Wakefield Forced Rhubarb be grown anywhere?
Marketeers pressured to sell in kilos,took the decision to his death,another waste of time and money.
Laws imposed controlling our rights,rules governing when chocolate isn’t,a watering down of Britishness.
Now we are going, please stay with us,you’re our friends; you need our trade,STAY or we’ll bill you billions!©David L Atkinson August 2017
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Wednesday
Lord I’ve been to church today,my turn to read your word,to regulars not on holiday,I am sure that you’d heard.Relieved the piece went down well,Its certain you knew it would,with clear voice and girded loins,your message confirmed our views,how beautiful are the feet of those that carry the good news. ©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
[image error]
Fragments of Eu
40 years later a stormy ending,palindromic match to the start, Non!the French exclaimed repeatedly.
Farmers cringed in fear of the unknown,at new rules imposed from abroad,and French striking tractors blocking roads.
Vast lakes and mountains prevailed,but not of water and rock formations,much less permanent, infinitely more perishable.
Wine, butter, milk, grain and more,over-produced and over-pricedfree butter for Russian peasants and pensioners.
Frequent attempts to lower our bill,annual tiffs over complex regulations,can Wakefield Forced Rhubarb be grown anywhere?
Marketeers pressured to sell in kilos,took the decision to his death,another waste of time and money.
Laws imposed controlling our rights,rules governing when chocolate isn’t,a watering down of Britishness.
Now we are going, please stay with us,you’re our friends; you need our trade,STAY or we’ll bill you billions!©David L Atkinson August 2017
[image error]
Wednesday
Lord I’ve been to church today,my turn to read your word,to regulars not on holiday,I am sure that you’d heard.Relieved the piece went down well,Its certain you knew it would,with clear voice and girded loins,your message confirmed our views,how beautiful are the feet of those that carry the good news. ©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
August 15, 2017
Writing - Adrenalin rush
How on earth does a writer, sitting at a desk tapping away on a keyboard, experience the infamous adrenalin rush? In fact I don't know that I've ever experienced the same. It is in my mind that for some people the 'adrenalin rush' is rather akin to the female orgasm.
[image error]
As I have written in my last three or four blogs the answer is in the writers' hands. Well that is true to a degree. Unlike the guys in the picture above, sitting creating sentences in normal circumstances, will not get you excited.
Point of information. Adrenalin is a chemical, an hormone that is secreted in times of stress. Its function is to get the body operating more efficiently, so opens the blood vessels wider, increases the heart and breathing rate, all to realise the maximum use of energy available to the body at that time. In short to fuel flight and fight reactions.
What is it?
We write stuff to excite our readers of course not ourselves but when do we know if it has worked? Well we probably rarely receive that kind of feedback. You could write the most exciting, suspenseful piece and yet never be told that was how it went down.
I took the above photograph a few minutes ago. It seems to be a transparent head rising above a mist of creation. You can make out the dome of the skull and the outline of the ears. Is that the reflection of more such heads? What powers does he have? Why has he come?Is it a he?
The picture you are seeing does not give many clues and allows your imagination to fill in the gaps and in many ways that is what we endeavour to do when writing suspense. The unknown and lack of information are the generators of excitement.
Enjoy the writing but remember you may not immediately feel the rush.
God Bless
[image error]
As I have written in my last three or four blogs the answer is in the writers' hands. Well that is true to a degree. Unlike the guys in the picture above, sitting creating sentences in normal circumstances, will not get you excited.
Point of information. Adrenalin is a chemical, an hormone that is secreted in times of stress. Its function is to get the body operating more efficiently, so opens the blood vessels wider, increases the heart and breathing rate, all to realise the maximum use of energy available to the body at that time. In short to fuel flight and fight reactions.
What is it?
We write stuff to excite our readers of course not ourselves but when do we know if it has worked? Well we probably rarely receive that kind of feedback. You could write the most exciting, suspenseful piece and yet never be told that was how it went down.
I took the above photograph a few minutes ago. It seems to be a transparent head rising above a mist of creation. You can make out the dome of the skull and the outline of the ears. Is that the reflection of more such heads? What powers does he have? Why has he come?Is it a he?
The picture you are seeing does not give many clues and allows your imagination to fill in the gaps and in many ways that is what we endeavour to do when writing suspense. The unknown and lack of information are the generators of excitement.
Enjoy the writing but remember you may not immediately feel the rush.
God Bless
August 14, 2017
Writing - Creating capuccino
Is there nothing we can't recreate at home?
Technology to this baby boomer has not just accelerated to mega proportions but it allows us to enjoy food and drink usually found in restaurants and cafes at home.
[image error]
The above was as sophisticated as things got when I was born, you could buy reel to reel tape recorders and wireless radios.
These days you're only limited by your own imagination.
My coffee machine
I have had the above machine brought by Santa Claus last Christmas. I struggle to find an adequately satisfying instant coffee and have had machines to grind beans, filter and percolate the drink without a continual good end result. Well the news is better with this machine. Almost nine months later I am still enjoying the outcome.
[image error]
The above range was like my mum's and grandmother's in the early 1950s. It was a work of art and engineering to keep it going. There were flues to clean out and the fire to recreate every day which was time consuming and dirty. Nowadays you can buy ovens which can be remotely controlled and are self-cleaning.
[image error]
The enamelled version of the range above was in the 'new' council house built in 1953 to which we moved. It wasn't black!!!! In that oven my mother created her cakes, pastries and Sunday lunches including Yorkshire puddings with an oven that only had two settings; on and off. I mention the Yorkshires because to create them the oven has to be hot enough to make the fat smoke which involved building the fire as high as possible. The result was great but the temperature in the kitchen was almost unbearable.
[image error]
Finally, the remote control oven that can be accessed from a smartphone.
It's progress!
God Bless
Technology to this baby boomer has not just accelerated to mega proportions but it allows us to enjoy food and drink usually found in restaurants and cafes at home.
[image error]
The above was as sophisticated as things got when I was born, you could buy reel to reel tape recorders and wireless radios.
These days you're only limited by your own imagination.
My coffee machine
I have had the above machine brought by Santa Claus last Christmas. I struggle to find an adequately satisfying instant coffee and have had machines to grind beans, filter and percolate the drink without a continual good end result. Well the news is better with this machine. Almost nine months later I am still enjoying the outcome.
[image error]
The above range was like my mum's and grandmother's in the early 1950s. It was a work of art and engineering to keep it going. There were flues to clean out and the fire to recreate every day which was time consuming and dirty. Nowadays you can buy ovens which can be remotely controlled and are self-cleaning.
[image error]
The enamelled version of the range above was in the 'new' council house built in 1953 to which we moved. It wasn't black!!!! In that oven my mother created her cakes, pastries and Sunday lunches including Yorkshire puddings with an oven that only had two settings; on and off. I mention the Yorkshires because to create them the oven has to be hot enough to make the fat smoke which involved building the fire as high as possible. The result was great but the temperature in the kitchen was almost unbearable.
[image error]
Finally, the remote control oven that can be accessed from a smartphone.
It's progress!
God Bless
August 12, 2017
Writing - 10 things
So after the seriousness of the USA v N Korea situation a bit of less serious news.
[image error]
1. Caterpillars in Lancashire are turning into "exploding zombies".
Apparently they climb to the highest point on a plant, die and then explode!
-------------------------------
[image error]
2. Emailing is still the most common internet activity in Britain.
Okay
-------------------------------
[image error]
3. A group of walkers in the Cotswolds claimed they were stalked by a "growling" big cat for more than a mile.
Scary creatures in the countryside.
-------------------------------
[image error]
4. About 10 million Britons may have skipped sleep or made themselves tired the next day because they were binge-watching TV.
I haven't skipped sleep but ...!
-------------------------------
[image error]
5. Driverless buses are now on the streets of the Estonian capital Tallinn - there have been "no major incidents" but a number of near misses.
There will be fewer owned cars over the next 20 years.
-------------------------------
[image error]
6. Bees understand the concept of zero.
Clever b....s
-------------------------------
[image error]
7. An electric pedal bike share scheme has begun in the hilly streets of the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
The transport revolution is coming.
-------------------------------
[image error]
8. A new water-filled container could reduce the weight of washing machines by a third.
Oh great!!!
-------------------------------
[image error]
9. The UK's busiest roads could be covered with special "tunnels" to absorb pollution and improve air quality.
Like this?
-------------------------------
[image error]
10. Food banks are running out of provisions because hungry children don't have access to free school meals during the summer holidays.
SHAME!!!
-------------------------------
God Bless
[image error]
1. Caterpillars in Lancashire are turning into "exploding zombies".
Apparently they climb to the highest point on a plant, die and then explode!
-------------------------------
[image error]
2. Emailing is still the most common internet activity in Britain.
Okay
-------------------------------
[image error]
3. A group of walkers in the Cotswolds claimed they were stalked by a "growling" big cat for more than a mile.
Scary creatures in the countryside.
-------------------------------
[image error]
4. About 10 million Britons may have skipped sleep or made themselves tired the next day because they were binge-watching TV.
I haven't skipped sleep but ...!
-------------------------------
[image error]
5. Driverless buses are now on the streets of the Estonian capital Tallinn - there have been "no major incidents" but a number of near misses.
There will be fewer owned cars over the next 20 years.
-------------------------------
[image error]
6. Bees understand the concept of zero.
Clever b....s
-------------------------------
[image error]
7. An electric pedal bike share scheme has begun in the hilly streets of the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
The transport revolution is coming.
-------------------------------
[image error]
8. A new water-filled container could reduce the weight of washing machines by a third.
Oh great!!!
-------------------------------
[image error]
9. The UK's busiest roads could be covered with special "tunnels" to absorb pollution and improve air quality.
Like this?
-------------------------------
[image error]
10. Food banks are running out of provisions because hungry children don't have access to free school meals during the summer holidays.
SHAME!!!
-------------------------------
God Bless
