Hannah Louise Swift

A while back now, I received an incredible gift completely out of the blue, that I am still eating and drinking my way through. The lovely lovely people known as Frank and Gem bought me the best gift ever, lots of chocolates, sweets and booze! Awesome people! One part of the gift was this;

Me and Matt my better half sat down and reviewed them all!
1) Buttered Popcorn – tastes very realistic, not Matt’s favourite. Strong aftertaste
2) Wild Blackberry – Very very strong flavour.
3) Cream Soda – not my favourite, sickly sweet. Matt thinks it’s quite plain.
4) Cantaloupe – tastes very much like melon. yummy
5) Cinnamon – i’m not touching that one!!! Matt says it reminds him of childhood sweets. Aniseed balls?
6) Lemon Lime – Tastes like lime cordial, less lemony. A bit like fizzy limeade.
7) Orange Sherbert – Not very sherberty or orangey.
8.) Cappuccino – Not for me, I don’t drink coffee. Matt spat it out!
9) Strawberry Jam – tangy! Tastes just like jam! We want some clotted cream and a scone!
10) Peanut Butter – wow, very very realistic! bring on the toast and jam!
11) Crushed Pineapple - tastes like dried pineapple.
12) Candy Floss – i thought quite tasteless, definitely not like candyfloss.
13) Watermelon – Matt says very watery. I think a poor version of number 4. Slight bubble gum taste.
14) Chocolate Pudding – very rich chocolate flavour.
15) Berry Blue – ooh! thats jam packed with flavour! Matt likes that one, manufactured flavour, but very nice.
16) Toasted Marshmallow – not sure it tastes of marshmallow. very nice flavour though. smooth.
17) Strawberry Daiquiri - softer flavour to number 9. Matt thinks its not great but does taste of strawberry
18) Mango – packed with mango flavour. very nice.
19) Caramel Apple – tastes like the smell of rabbit/hamster food. odd.
20) Pina Colada - overpowered with coconut, undertones of pineapple. perfect pina colada.
21) Kiwi – tastes like kiwi, but a manufactured kiwi.
22) Caramel Corn – ooh yum. tastes very accurate. just like being at the cinema
23) Very Cherry – reminds me of the lipstick you get as a kid. very nice and cherry like.
24) Tuttu-Fruitti – just like bubble gum! amazing!
25) Orange – tastes like orange calippo or ice lollies.
26) Jalapeno – cor blimey! very very accurate! gives the tongue a nice sting
27) Cherry Cola -i think its tastes just like a can of cherry cola, matt says not enough cola.
28) Strawberry Cheesecake – its a nice creamy strawberry. like the chupa chups lollies.
29) Island Punch – a bit tasteless, similar to a bubblegum flavour. nothing to shout about.
30) Peach – ooh. strong flavour, very peachy
31) Coconut – totally tropical taste. lovely!
32) Lemon Drop – its a fake lemon, but a nice flavour. a bit like the lemon drop sweets.
33) Raspberry – very very raspberry! delicious!
34) Root Beer – i didnt want to try, Matt thought it was a nice taste, but not. not overly sure. tastes like deep heat
35) Bubble Gum – very nice and very accurate.
36) Sizzling Cinnamon – not touching that with a barge pole. Matt likes it
37) Cafe Late – i dont like and Matt is unimpressed
38) Top Banana – i wont touch it. Matt likes it!
39) Red Apple – amazing flavour. just like apple!
40) Vanilla – one of my favourites. tastes like really expensive ice cream.
41) Plum – strong flavour! very nice though
42) Margarita – almost tastes of alcohol! very nice
43) Blueberry – cant quite work out that taste.
44) Lemon – tastes like lemon meringue pie! yum!
45) Tangerine – not a strong flavour. nice, bit plain.
46) Juicy Pear – tastes just like pear. one of the more accurate flavours.
47) Liquorice – not for either of us.
48) Green Apple – tastes like a medicine. nice though
49) Pink Grapefruit – accurate taste! yummy!
50) Grape – reminds me of those flavoured pens you had as a kid. nice.

Overall my favourite was; Number 39 – Red Apple
Matt’s favourite was; Number 25 – Orange

Yum yum yum!

Thanks again to Frank and Gem!

Yep, I’m selling some stuff! I have a sideboard display unit for sale, it’s great for storage and for displaying a few of your favourite objects. It has a fold down bureau desk and the ability to add lighting to the display shelves (with glass doors)

It’s a similar colour to a deep teak. It’s approx 6 foot tall and about 6 and a half feet long. about a foot wide (I can measure properly on request)

I may be able to deliver it, I have photo’s available on request and will happily take viewings.

I’m looking for around £85 for it but may knock a little off if you can pick it up.

I’ve had it 18 months now and am only getting rid of it due to a re-design of the living room! It’s been a complete godsend for me in terms of storage! It is in great condition.

*contents not included!*

If you or anyone you know fancies it, you let me know!

Hannah

Before I start, I will state that the opinions in this are purely my own, nothing to do with my father and are not factual.
My father has worked at a factory called Firth Rixonfor around 36 years, since leaving school which is a pretty massive wedge of time, longer than I have existed, longer than he has known my mum. His job and the jobs of 159 others are currently under threat, not by the economy, not by factories shifting around, but by none other than the people who live in the area and the local council.
The people in the area surrounding the factory have suddenly started complaining about the noise from the press. The council served an order back in 2008 which Rixons appealed and spent a small fortune trying to comply with the orders.

The council have spent over £200,000 of local tax payers money to secure the noise abatement. This noise abatement means that the factory can now only operate at certain hours, making the factory completely uneconomic.

So what will the closing of the factory mean? What will be affected?

The 160 employees
Not just them their families, children, wives, husbands, parents, grandparents. The aftershock will ripple through families.

The Community
No more cricket matches, socials or football matches. Long gone will be the days of a fantastic Christmas knee’s up or a Thursday night down at the cricket club.

The Environment
Stripping down a factory so close to a sensitive river can only do more harm than good. That river supplies water for farms, land and crops for many miles, polluting it with harmful dust from the breaking down of the factory is not a great idea.

Local Businesses
The shop across the road, the local deli, chipshop and petrol stations will all be affected, not just that, but as the ripple effect takes hold even things like hairdressers will feel the effect. Not just in Darley Dale, but the surrounding areas.

Generations To Come
As Darley Dales largest employer (employing 160 people out of a possible 6000 in Darley Dale) Jobs will be in short supply over the coming months, and then years. Where exactly are the young kids supposed to get jobs?

Suppliers To Firth Rixons
Specialising in making engine components for aeroplanes, Rixons have been on site since the 1940′s building strong bonds with suppliers that will now face hardships as a result.

The Local Tax Payers
If what is rumoured is true and the council have indeed spent £200,000 on this matter then the local tax payers will be the ones who suffer. That money could be spent elsewhere or spent in reducing council tax costs.

The People They Supply Too
The companies like Rolls Royce who receive their parts and components from Rixons will soon suffer when they cannot receive their goods on time and at a good cost, again causing a ripple effect.

There are a number of places that discuss the goings on and the various views on it all;
Facebook Group
Peak FM
BBC iPlayer – 2hours 12 minutes in
BBC News
Derbyshire Dales District Council
The South Yorkshire Star
Matlock Mercury
Make Your Own Noise

Comments and Considerations (not my own views – things I have noted from other comments)

• There are rumours and concerns that many of the residents making complaints do not actually live in the area full time, they are just 2nd home owners who spend a few weeks a year there.
• The council are obliged to follow through with the abatement order
• Why did the people buying the houses not notice the whacking great factory there when they bought the house. The factory has been there since the 1940′s.
• Have all the local residents been asked their opinion
• What will happen to the building, new houses? Another business? Both unlikely. Leaving the residents with an empty derelict building – perhaps people will hold illegal raves there, that is what usually happens to derelict buildings. Or if new business comes in, will it be equally as noisey and will it increase traffic?
• Instead of wasting court time trying to get jobs removed they should spend the court time on serious crime
• Have the residents considered triple glazing to soften/remove the noise?
• Is it closing because it is cheaper for Rixons to manufacture the products in the USA?
• Can the local residents complaining offer the 160 people jobs? Maybe they should offer their jobs up as payment for a peaceful nights sleep?
• I wonder how quickly the council will grant planning permission for new homes if the factory is pulled down? Hidden agenda?
• Are Darley Dale Town Council helping to keep jobs in the community?

Whatever happens to the factory and employees I wish you all the best of luck. I know many of you have been there for years, like my Father and will find it difficult to re-train or find further employment. I hope you remember the good times you have shared there and wish you every luck in the world moving on. I hope the factory stays open and you all keep your jobs for many years to come.

I know my opinions will not help the factory, but when it comes to my family, I will speak up. So please help in whatever way you feel is possible to save his job. He is a great man who works hard not just for his family but for the community and his work mates. The people at Rixons are not just work colleagues, they are a family who have stuck with each other through thick and thin, good times and bad, celebrating together and commiserating together. It is not just a factory making noise, it is an ecosytem of lives that if closed will impact on lives and the area for many many years to come. In a time of such economic turmoil, now is the time to stand up and fight to save what precious jobs we do have left.

Good luck all

Hannah

xxx

p.s – I’d rather have a roof over my head that occassionally suffers the odd shake and noise than not have a roof over my head due to loosing my job

It’s not often I get the chance to listen to something the nation hasn’t, so when a CD fell into my lap a few weeks back, I thought it was a great opportunity to share it with the world, via the medium of my blog!

A little about Lee and the CD;
Music, Lyrics, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Synth Bass and Drum Programming By Lee
Bass, Acoustic and Electric Guitars by Nic Thomson
Album Artwork, Concept and Designs by Lee
Recorded, Mixed and Produced by Lee at Scully Studios
Quite a talented guy!

So onto the tracks!

1. Belief in me
A great electric rocky tune, that even after only listening to half the track, you find yourself singing along too (badly in my case)
Favourite lyric – “Don’t ever lose your belief in me!”

2. People Are Dazed
I guess you would call this a little more indie rock. The main chorus is really catchy and definitely one to be blasted out loud!
Favourite lyric – “Everyday I ask myself, why I’m not the same, as everybody in the street, outside my window pane ”

3. Other Side Of Life
One of my absolute favourite songs, synthy, electric and with references to little miss muffet! All you need from a song and more! You want to sing along, play the air guitar, and head bang all in one song. Not forgetting how it makes you want to dance like an utter baffoon!
Favourite lyric – “have you ever seen, the other side, of life”

4. Half Empty Glasses And Balloons
More like a ballad, beautiful lyrics. A chance to really hear Lee’s voice.
Favourite lyric – “The party and the laughters through, so i sit here and think of you, everyone goes home and i am left alone with half empty glasses and balloons”

5. I Can’t Make It On My Own
A real foot tapper. You can’t help my swing you ankles and tap your feet to this one. You get to hear Lee’s deeper tones! Sounds awesome
Favourite lyric – “tired of feeling so alone, can anyone hear me?”

6. Millions Of Years
Fantastic guitar playing on this one, yet another foot tapper that will lead to full blown rocking and air guitaring! I love the lyrics!
Favourite lyric – “when mankind has come and gone, the old landscape will still stand strong”

7. Circles
Another personal favourite. The lyrics are questioning. Clearly Lee has had some bad times and you can hear that his music has pulled him through. This song is inspirational and is worthy of playing on the radio. Absolutely stunning.
Favourite lyric – “how many times must i blow out the candles, and stand alone in the dark”

8. My Girlfriend Is A Witch
Tee hee! The title is enough! Really rocky! It would be a great tune to drive to, or to just chill out with mates, or to be played in a club… Watch those heads bang!
Favourite lyric – “hey i know it sounds bizzare, my girlfriend is a witch… i can see her nose begin to twitch…”

9. Stand Tall
The entry to this track makes me think of Santana, although i’m not sure why! It’s actually quite a powerful track, saying a big F you to anyone that has hurt you. Stand tall, get on with it and you’ll be ok! Some great guitar playing again!
Favourite lyric – “ive been hurt before, now im ready for the war, i’ll stand tall and face the day, believe everything will be ok”

10. When You Sleep
It’s great power ballad type song. He is singing a truly heartfelt song to someone he loves, you can tell in his voice he really means what he is singing, which is refreshing to hear.
Favourite lyric – ” you’re so beautiful when you sleep”

11:11. Echos Thru My Soul
The final track on the album doesn’t disappoint. With a long melodic instrumental song to finish, you know it is not over until the fat lady sings, he brings you in slowly, building musical tension for the conclusion of his work. I’ll leave the end of the song for you to discover! I can’t give it all away!
11:11 is a pre-encoded trigger placed in within our cellular consciousness prior to our descent into matter which, when activated signifies that our time of completion is near.

Overall, I really love this album, it constantly suprises you. You start off thinking it’s 90′s rock, then you listen more carefully to hear more than that. Stunning lyrics and complex vocals with some incredible playing of all the instruments. Some songs remind me of Bon Jovi, yet others are right up to date . Some reminds me of the Foo Fighters, some Santana, some Greenday… it’s fast, it’s slow, its eclectic and its bloody brilliant. You can bop to it, sing to it, chill out to it and take inspiration from it. It’s a CD everyone should own!

It’s OK, I survived! It may explain my lax blog posting of late though! I did indeed have the Swine Flu, very kindly given to me my my neighbour Terri who is training to be an English Teacher.

She had set me up on a blind date with a young whipper snapper called Matt (more on that should the time come later down the line!) and during the evening had confessed to having some form of cold… The evening was a roaring success and consequently she is now fondly known as ‘Cilla’. However the next day feeling rough as hell, she was prescribed Tamiflu and advised to stay off school and in bed.

I got up the Monday morning complaining of a sore throat, but thinking it was down to snoring, trotted off to work. By the time I hit work I knew something was wrong and explained to the boss man the situation. I was at the doctors that morning anyway and mentioned it to them… I was prescribed Tamiflu and told to stay off work! Bad times. At this point I was feeling ill, but not too bad…

I arrived home and within an hour or so was feeling horrific. The symptoms you can get are…
If you or a member of your family has a fever or high temperature (over 38°C/100.4°F) and two or more of the following symptoms, you may have swine flu:
unusual tiredness,
headache,
runny nose,
sore throat,
shortness of breath or cough,
loss of appetite,
aching muscles,
diarrhoea or vomiting.

Apart from the bottom one, I had them all. Along with shivering violently, sweating, runny eyes, chest pains, sickness (due to Tamiflu not the Swine) cant wake up, cant get to sleep. You name it, I had it…

It seemed to get worse then get better then get much much worse. Put that with the most painful cough ever that would literally knock the wind out of you and a total inability to do anything but snuggle under the duvet and you are not even close to what it feels like. I have been ill before, but never like this. I sobbed at one point as I just couldnt take the feeling of illness any longer. Even my mummy offered to come all the way from Derbyshire to look after me!

The first week was by far the worst, and once I had gotten through that, I began to see the light. I ended up being signed off for another week due to the chest pains and cough that had been keeping me awake! I have never been so glad to go to work. 4 wall syndrome had very definitely kicked in!

Massive thanks to everyone who sent well wishes, jokes, messages on facebook, twitter and email. Although I didnt pick most of them up until after the swine had gone, they really meant alot!

On a plus note, I did lose lots of weight in those 2 weeks! 3/4 of a stone! Get on you Janner!