blown away by Gernika

I'm not sure how I feel about my title but as we watched the horrors unfold on the screen as we made our way through the museum it was true.

Later as the planes and bombs of Hamas and the israelis cut more children to death the tears of war just ran and ran.

They could learn from Gernika but only if they want to.

I started this a year ago and I see I haven't added to it. The death toll and expansion of the middle east madness has gone wild.

After Lebanon and Iran not Saudi have got involved with buying the world cup as part of a 2034 peace plan. 

I'm not sure I get the logic but it isn't completely flawed. The middle east seems to involve Israel protecting it's borders by taking over lands to police or resettle. First renaming them then after a period of occupied territory status, doing a playing the sudetanland card. A wee tidy up project and annexe them. 

The far sighted Saudis have bought loads of defence from the west but perhaps their greatest defence will be to build a stadium so they can jointly run world cup football games with Israel and proclaim themselves the two power houses of the region. I'm not sure if that piece of paper would end up like Chamberlain's but it's worth a try.

Camino September October 2024

My schedule will be clearer on Tuesday August 13th, when Oncology at the western will hopefully have found and let me know certain bits of key information. Discovery of the primary site for targetting being uppermost in the list, but secondary thoughts extend to have the wisdom and other teeth removal, healed sufficiently to receive radiation and are other teeth in the way. Notwithstanding the Cancer Camino, the Norte, or Camino Francais will still go ahead and this is a rough timescale. Flight or train to Biarritz/Hendaye/Irun. Current prices. Edinburgh to Biarritz, Thursday September 19th 12:35 is £112.99 whereas Monday September 23rd at 13:10 is £33.99. I propse flying Monday and I will book a seat even if I end up not making it. The Santander prices drop on September 30th to £28. The starting point for Edinburgh or London still makes sense to be Soth Western France. There is a big or 2 small days walking from Biarritz, via St Jean de Luz, to Hendaye and Irun. There is a great donativo albergue in Irun with lots of free maps, pilgrim passports and other treasures, as well as the many hotels and apartments. I suggest that this is a great meeting place and the walk to San Sebastian is one Rich and I could describe for ever. Jackie and I stayed at a really good central place in San Sebastian that was not that expensive, monday - thursday so assuming the weekend is not important the monday flight is wise. San Sebastian is an hour from Pamplona. Simon and I stayed at a great wee place in the first town outside Pamplona and so a day in the city followed by a number 7 bus to the door in cizur major is a wise way to prepare for the mountain over to Puente la Reina. Stu, Rich and I missed one of the days on the way to Bilbao but with Simon in tow the mountains from Markina - Xemein to Guernika might not appeal. If I'm not there I'd recommend filling in some the Camino Francais. Rich and I did Maneru (just after Puente LA Reina) to Logrono from our base in Estella. I'd suggest after Puente you walk to Maneru or Lorca and then get the 1pm bus into Logrono and enjoy a day in the city before doing Logrono to Burgos. Monday September 23rd, srrive Biarritz Tuesday 24th arrive Hendaye/Irun Wednesday 25th arrive San Sebastian Thursday 26th arrive Pamplona Friday 27th arrive Puente La Reina Saturday 28th Logrono Sunday 29th Najera or Azofra Monday 30th Santo Domingo de las Calzadas. (stay here or bus to Belorado) Tuesday 1st October Villafranca Montes des Oca Wednesday 2nd arrive Cardenuela Rio Pico or Burgos. At this stage I will pause as I've no idea how long everyone will be out for but I'd hopefully be able to join you on the Tuesday in Villafrance Montes de Oca if I flew out a week later on Sept 30, but thats a big if. From Burgos you can get a fast train back up to Bilbao/Irun so its a good stopping point for Rich if he's on the train. Equally though if we can we carry on. Hornillos del Camino on Friday 4th Catrojeriz on Saturday 5th Fromista on Sunday 6th Arriving Leon Friday 11th October. There's a part of me that says I join you in Bilbao if my treatment takes longer and finishes in October, so the wednesday 2nd or friday 4th October flight. Variables, I like planning around the variables. Its like an never ending debate about the existence of God with a believer. You can chunter all you like but they wont listen to anything but their own voice. That's me and planning. (smiley emoji) The flight to Bordeaux is much more frequent and at only £14 worth considering as a 2 hour train to Biarritz or Hendaye is also do-able.

it started in the park

This latest addition to manifesto started in the park.

Mark had to fund his pitch in Portobello selling a product from Helensburgh.

Not many miles involved so perfect for the park and those wanting to purchase a dram or two.

I cant help thinking these pitches should be all but free, it's a public park and purveyors of all the goods on offer are actually doing the local community a huge favour by making the event. We have a similar spring fare in fountainhall road when the road is closed off for a street party of sorts. They raise money and I'm guessing it goes towards some worthy local cause.

I have long banged on about how taxation in this country is so inadequate for our needs. It's no longer a blunt instrument it's just a nonsensical piece of mis- direction but more of that later.

The park with it's stalls would prove to be an enjoyable ramble for the visitors and when we're in Victoria park in London next weekend I must have a wee ramble among their coffee and bakery stalls, I like a good cake.

So here's what I want to see as we finally understand the 21st century and how global fights with local. How can we reform Amazon - do we get them to have a pitch in your local market. I know they like a locker or two and have done deals to rent or place their lockers on many sites around the country. Do we look at their model for inspiration or even bastardise it to suit what our local needs are.

For 15m people in this country and possibly as many as 20m the cost of living crisis is real. The wages / rent /mortgage relationship is broken. What constitutes a career has equally been trashed. At least 10m people have an extra job because the main one isn't a real one. Our nurses go to Australia to work for a few years on the premise that they will be able to earn twice as much and return with a deposit and buy a house. They won't return and we've been stupid enough to shut down immigration so we have all these shortages. Some visas are being handed out in desperation to cover these shortages, the most recent beneficiary I knew was a vet. Quite amusing that our meat industry in the UK is being strangled because the abbatoirs are struggling to get Vets to certify. We desperately need to have freedom of movement again as we have all these low paid jobs to fill. I'm still trying to explain to my generation of pals that the divide is bigger than ever and a degree won't help you straddle it. It's luck and a bit of insider help.

Did nobody watch THE BIG SHORT. Did nobody realise the great corporate heist that shifted us, the global citizen further away from our society than ever before. I live near a guy who still gets an RBS pension and yet many feel should've been jailed.

He doesn't have any problem turning his heating up and he probably saves a fortune from not being able to go to the local pub which now charges £5.50 to £6 a pint.

I don't think the trickle down has trickled towards the staff who are serving the pint and still on the maximum wage. That's not a typo, the minimum wage is the maximum wage in many low paid places. In some places there's the living wage but dont trust me ask about and see how many are getting it. Ask in your fast food places and your drinking dens. It doesn't happen.

It could happen but it doesn't. Business leaders whether they be publicans, restauranters or just market stall managers dance to their own beat. 

This microscopic look at some of the service industry is just one way to extrapolate into the wider running of business like the old CEO of the post office. Her job wasn't to enhance postal workers pay and packages although she did offer that up as a defence. Like the water companies and all the utilities it was to provide profit to Divi up with the shareholders. Less wages means more profit, it's not hard sums but it's not always the case. I've always wondered why boardroom appointees need to be paid so much when the first thing they try to do is cap the pay of others. It's laughable but it's how it works. This is why the trickle down does not work. Anyone brought up on TV westerns knows someone upstream controls the water.

This is my long-winded introduction to tax reform.

We have to tax property and capital. It's quite simple. We create a society that allows for the exploitation of a market by someone. I can accept that aspect of capitalism. They are not doing it for any other reason than to get rich. Once they start to acquire real cash they hide it. That's fine that's their job if they pure exploitative capitalists but our society needs to explain the rules to them. We, the society, need the lights on and so do the exploitative capitalists or the business model doesn't work.

Why should hospital workers pay for the roads or the buses that take them to work. Why should factory workers face taxes to continue our nuclear deterrent. The only people who need a nuclear deterrent are those with something to protect. That'll be those global companies.

So how do we find a way to tax them efficiently. Quite simply tax and fine them with equity stakes. Whether they are multi nationals or simple utilities (see chess example below of water companies). Some would call this nationalisation via the back door as the water companies fines were properly biting, so would the dilution of the shareholders and the stock price would plummet. This would mean the government fines would increase and yes, quickly the company would still be private but the largest shareholders were like the banks, the state.

The same rules can be applied to the global tech giants. Facebook know how much they make from advertising and opinion shifting, Apple and Google phones are sold in shops, taxing these goods is quite simple. These companies have good audit systems and we need to rebalance their unfettered access into our markets. If Mark is paying £50 for a pitch in Portobello, Dyson can pay £50 tax for every hoover he wants to import from Singapore. We simply can't allow production overseas to be allowed to enter the UK without paying towards our overheads as a nation. We are paying the unemployment benefit for all the victims of the cruise ships and Dyson closures, while they run straight over the top of us by still being allowed to sell their goods.

We have seen the future, water and renewables are so important. Food production is essential. Care workers as I wrote in March 2020 were going to be the life blood of the next 50 years and yet we refuse to pay them for their skill and dedication. We allow unscrupulous care homes to be promulgated just because it's easier.

We need an integrated strategy that helps local populations.

I don't think the UK has the wherewithal to do this. I don't think the rates system will be properly reformed. It is a tax on property for a good reason. To get to a property you need a pavement and a road. To protect a property you fire and police services

Chess move example of water companies being regulated with a green bias.

The country generally wants the water companies to improve their standards across the board and fines to date have been very low key when you look at the environmental or personal level.

They are not doing what it says on the company tin, as set up by the then government. They are doing what was demanded by shareholders. Low risk high returns but we need to let the shareholders know it's not low risk.

We can only do this through regulation and proper finding mechanisms.

To shareholders these fines may seem Draconian but to users and environmentalists they will still a long way short.

The fines would naturally hit the investment as fines generally will come out of the Company and with their penchant for high dividends the knock on will be felt and the regulator will have failed.

Ideally the regulator takes a stake with new shares issued to cover penalties and leaving cash flow to address the issues. New shares could be issued with every fine and an obligatory rights issue created to raise the cash needed for the investment to correct what went wrong.

Shareholders will feel the dilution in the share price and will either choose to sell or take up the rights and carry on. The medicine may only last for a few years but once the company is on a former footing and the discharges, leaks and contamination corrected these water companies will be worth a fortune. Supply of treated water is key to humanity continuing, it really is that simple.

The companies know how to provide a good service but their job is to cut corners to maximise short term profit. This model is perfect for a 3-5 firm of boom and bust brand loyalty but wholly inappropriate for a long term industry essential to the survival of humanity.

We can get by without electricity but you'll find a day without water a lot tougher.

Within 3 years a stronger fining regime will see the country through stealth acquire 15% stakes in the most badly performing water companies and their share price will have halved. They will however be further ahead than others within 5 years as their infrastructure will be fit for the next 50 years not the 19th century.

This has always needed to be a partnership and left to their own devices executives will be dialled into three year performance targets that make their share options valuable. Share price has nothing to do with company performance as we all know. Performance measurement is a relative term and so good financial performance which pleases shareholders and executives has no relationship to discharges leaks and contamination. As Paul Weller sang once the public gets what the public wants and performance is always open to  interpretation. 

governed by halfwits elected by idiots

I suppose people think on July 4th our independence of thought is guaranteed as yet another government is voted in by 1 million swing voters who oscillate between the Tories and labour. Some people would describe this aimless wandering as that of a Pellegrina/os on the great Camino of life. Sleepwalking between parties as if there's a choice. The rest of the voting population don't need to think about it as they have put X in the same box religiously since being given the chance to vote.

So that leads us to age. Yes a great vote winner in this campaign is the Labour leader offering 16 year olds the vote. In 5 years time everyone currently aged 11 and above will get a chance to exercise their democratic right. As labour voters historically leave the party after 25 years and move to the right this will give them a small lift but it won't solve the cookie jar problem.

Whenever people have a biscuit tin, there's always someone trying to grab the bourbons.

Or aa the Tories tell you whatever Labour manger to invest in we will divest it as soon as possible, primarily to put pals.

When I studied economics in 1980, the real question we were posed was about our industrial economic sickness. We were given books on it and the answer was that workers and management were always at loggerheads.

That wasn't the real answer but it had been the primary rule of the 70's for passing exams.

The explosion of the 1980's ransacking of the state owned assets was straight out of the french revolution but instead of the aristocratic classes being beheaded it was the state that lost its head. The UK was up for sale to the highest bidder although in most cases it was the sharpest and often lowest bidder. Vast state owned industries were collapsed into piles of cash and corporate fees. A superb piece of theft in plain sight.

From planes, trains and automobiles, to shops, steel and coal. Water, even electricity. If you couldn't see it or touch it you could sense it worse worth something.

Against all of this Scottish water never got privatised. Like Liverpool and it's stance against the Sun, a couple of good civil servants delayed long enough for a change in policy.

So will independence see Scottish water privatised. Ha ha that would be ironic. I hope not but I do hope that there's still a strength in Scotland to see past the many lies and continue to strike a blow for the bloody nose brigade. We are unlikely to ever return to Europe but we have more chance of getting our immigration issues addressed if we have a large independent minded set of MPs. Labour let a lot of people down under Blair as they concentrated their efforts on the 1m floaters rather than the 55m residents. When Labour had that majority they should've passed legislation that would ensure the voting system would reflect society not this mad electoral college type nonsense. I like to think of myself as European and I may end up having to give up and migrate there. I won't be the first or last to leave home and get on my bike but it is sad to be chased out. I've lived on the southside for 58 of my 61 years and all I want is more people to be able to come here and call it home. I'd like more people to come here and care for me too in the coming years, especially as all our people are having to go overseas to pay off their student debt and maybe raise enough cash for a house deposit.

The housing crisis is at all level. When someone on £25k can't buy a house it's mad. I written about the economics of property and commented on Stiglitz thoughts on it. Quite simply taxation needs massive reform and housing needs to be affordable. If housing isn't affordable then the wages pressure is astronomical. This inverted bubble, also called the coat of living crisis is real and requires legislation and taxation.

Really, can you slip a rizla paper between these parties and their attempts to fix it?

camino kids tax

Tax planning for retirement is something many people started years ago and now they walk their first camino paid for by some good planning.

In the UK it's particularly important in the last few years before retirement to put as much savings into your pension put. 

You should not pay 40% tax or 42% in Scotland on any of your income. You should use savings 15 month credit cards of interest-free whatever tactic you need to ensure that you swell this pension pot.

I was proud to pay £500,000 income tax by age 46 but instead of making it to £1m I looked around and only saw tax dodgers.

So I drew the conclusion that self-flagellation was a pointless pursuit especially when it came down to income tax.

If you pay 40% tax on £10,000 of you income ( or in Scotland 42%) then you must put it in a pot and draw down from savings or use a credit card with a long date.

If you put £6000 (£5800) net into the pension it will immediately become £10000.

This is in your pot, a SIPP, as cash. It does not need to be invested. 

When you come to draw it down you get 25% tax free, £2500. The rest of your £10,000, ie £7500, you will pay your normal tax rate on. As you aren't working it won't be 42%>

If that is 20% you will pay only £1500 tax and get £6000 back plus your £2500 so £8500.

So you sacrifice £6000 after tax and you get £8500.

As soon as you start drawing down a pension you can only pay £3000 in a year. If you are working when you start to draw down you would take the tax free element only as your top line tax might still be 42%. I would only recommend this in the last year of you working depending on circumstances. I would absolutely recommend it for anyone who was made redundant late in life and was unlikely to pursue a high paying job.

It's important to know that it is April 6-april 5th tax years that apply not how old you are or calendar years.

Do this for 3 years and you'll have £30,000 in a SIPP or £18000 in an ISA if you choose to pay the tax instead.

Government changes as does legislation this could happen in Scotland or the UK.

Never think an ISA is safe as governments can and often do tax savings.

In the SIPP, all of your 30000 can be drawn down in year one, £7500 would be tax free with £22500 taxed @20% so £4500 tax leaving £18000 plus £7500 =£25500.

Plenty cash for that first CAMINO!!

Biarritz, The Arnaud Massy flight

The celebrated story of Arnaud Massy is about the all conquering hero from Biarritz who won the 1907 Open and is buried in Newington cemetery between Dalkeith road and the Pow Burn.

Biarritz was a holiday home to many of those abusive, rich and famous folk at the turn of the century and as the birthplace of our hero Arnaud in 1887, it starts me on this golfing masters Camino.

Arnaud was a legend winning the first french and Spanish opens as well as coming home with the claret jug and also being pipped in 1911 playoff by Harry Vardon. There's many legacies but one of Arnaud's was Angel de la Torre, the legendary Spanish golfer from Cordoba who jumped ship during the early sparks of the Spanish civil war and had an illustrious and inspirational involvement in the golfing game in the USA.

When you slip down these rabbit holes you realise how interesting the history can be. The untold stories of the game and eras influencers.

Arnaud Massy opened doors and had doors opened for him. Just check forth street in North Berwick. Arnaud arrived in 1902 and changed to playing right handed. It's so funny how he had learnt left handed because they were the tools he was given. When he went back to France to become pro at the chantaco club it was 1925 but what a legacy of also opening doors for golf.

He did the same for others and Angel de la Torre is just one of many.

Next stop is the Correos where the famous letters were sent that ensured Angel de la Torre  could ensure his family safe passage to the USA.

Next stop for me on the bus tour is hendaye and the Spanish border. On entering Spain we can look to the right and see hondoarriba the home of Jose Maria Olazabal, the Masters champion and winner of two of those coveted green jackets.

Just along the coast past San Sebastian is the city of Bilbao, a stones throw from another member of the Basque trio, Jon Rahm. His legend is building, like his temper, with every game. The raw passion, precision and power of Rahm in full throw will keep me enthralled for the rest of my life.

Our final stop will be Santander the nearest city to where Severiano Ballesteros was born. Seve is among the greatest of golfing gods, a total natural who also never forgot the value of the few shillings he received as a boy.

We flew into Biarritz for buttons from Edinburgh and will fly out of Santander after a week of watching golf on the TV and surfers on the sea. I'll update this as I go.

Camino planning 2024 - the Fatal Schedule

Seeing in the new year with a trip to do the mozarabe way was a great plan. As ever St Jacques provided lots of lessons and perhaps the greatest was check the weather over the week/month of your camino and adjust accordingly. We did. I saw Almeria and wandered around enjoying the sunshine and heat. I looked how cold it was in the mountains as we would arrive at Granada and decided the coast was unashamedly the place to be. On the way back I stopped at Almenucar, a town we would visit again. I found a great beach front that stretched perfectly for a 12k-24k stroll and swim. 

When Stu Simon and I went back it was a rerun of the last night in Santander with Simon playing the roll of Mark as he took a tumble at 2am. No wonder he had more steps than me the next day. I'd got home to bed by 12 from our night out in the rock'n'roll bar. 

I'd taken them earlier in the day to the place that I deemed, serves the best tapa in town. 

An unassuming place next to the very old phoenician factory for fish preservation. Trying saying that after a few glasses of Mencia. 

Its a lovely old building/ruin that dates back long long ago and is interwoven with a new gallery and garden layout full of sculptures. From there we sallied forth and found ourselves crossing the high point of the town before sliding down through the myriad of alleyways before arriving at the previously mentioned rock'n'roll bar. Now, I am aware in writing this that I was reeking and delighted to have navigated across town from Bar La Cabana, past the magnifico botanico-arqueologico El Majuelo all the way up and down to Rock Shox in the Calle Aduana vieja. As I say I made it home but for those who stayed out after the video camera went home, check out the posting on google maps, I think there might be a video or two left for posterity. As Simon was to recount the next day, "I felt sober when you put your coat on Al, it was just after you waved buenos noches and the door shut I felt pissed." I staggered home at 11.45 according to my AI tracker a fate made possible by ability to stop drinking at critical times. My alcoholism clearly seems to be about exercising control and the ability to drink the next day. Simon's on the other hand was not quite paying attention to how slow Stu was drinking ( 1 for 2) and the consequential effects it had on our sobriety. The image of him sleeping under the tree in Almenucar will live long in the memory. So to the next challenge, when are the dates good? As ever these are the crafty camino cid's own plans which once firmed up you're welcome to ignore or join in the madness. Edinburgh flights from Ryanair now include Biarritz which makes the norte and St Jean pied du porte an easy trip. 

Flying into Biarritz and out of Santander is a joy. Even having a wee trip to London from Bilbao or Irun (San Seb to City) demonstrates just what a dawdle all this stuff is becoming. As ever flight prices at the weekend seem to be £100+ while midweek are £20. One other foible is returning from a different airport is often cheaper. 

Sunday 7th April until Kelso on the 15th or the Scottish National at Ayr on the 20th is my first walking window. If I can ditch the Kelso shift there's a flight back to Edinburgh on the 15th at 5pm or the 18th at 16:25 for buttons. Both work really well for some high ridges and sea views. The morning flights on Wednesday 17th/friday 19th from Santander are even cheaper at 21.99/27.99euro. As I say thats a shift that appeals and I might even put Jackie and Caitlin into a nice place in Bilbao and walk around them. Wednesday the 10th April to Santander is buttons as is Thursday to Biarritz. I'm quite inclined to do a 3-5 day trip to fill in the gaps like Markina to Gernika or Laredo to Santander. I suppose I've just got to ditch that kelso shift and see what the weather is doing. The Norte as Rich, Stu and I found is 1-2km per hour if wet and muddy, or 5kmph on the asphalt pavements. My next window in May is a short one. May 9th - 14th. There is one flight that jumps right out at me and its a return to Biarritz. At £58.03 its a bit over my budget but it leaves at 12.35 on Thursday 9th May and returns Monday 13th May at 17:00. Really good lazy flight times and would allow checking into the albergue donativo in Irun around 6pm and a stroll down to the front before a good full days walk to San Seb on the Friday, another 30k to Zarautz on Saturday and then choosing an end on Sunday to coincide with a Monday flight plan, or keep going until Santander. The bad weather fall back would be to climb Monte del perdon outside Pamplona and then jump bus to Logrono for tapa lunch and walk out to Navarette. Naverette to Azofra Albergue on the Saturday, Azofra to Villafranca (part of 50k by bus) and Villafranca montes des oca to cardenuela on the Monday, Burgos on the tuesday and I'd get that early flight back from Santander on Wednesday. On my own the accomodation would be dorms but there are a few decent flats if there were more than me. The Santander flight gets into Edinburgh at 11.25 on the wednesday, just enough time for me to get up to Perth for my evening shift from 3pm-8.30pm. At less than 30 euros it makes it do'able. Next up is after Cartmel/Kelso May 25/26th, musselburgh june 1st and June 9th in Perth for Simon's 62nd birthday, then musselburgh again on 13th. So although it would be roasting hot the norte flying out lunchtime monday 17th (£46) or Thursday (£25) 20th works, the flights back are not too expensive at £55 but waiting until July 1st its £38 or flying back for £21 on the thursday you fly out! Monday 24th flying to Edinburgh at 17:40 from Santander is another option, but as previously mentioned its getting to be the Euros and also Caitlins show/graduation time so possibly best to not study it too much. Moving swiftly along then to September October November, my plan would be to have 5 weeks some with Jackie and the bulk loaded onto the back end. Flying out Monday 16th September to Biarritz is my starter for 10. This is a similar time to the big 500 mile caminos Simon (2007) Harry (2011) and Paul and Stu (2015). Whether its Monday or thursday or Monday 23rd will pretty much depend on whether JAckie comes for 4-5 days first. Ideally I'd start from St Gien Pied du Porte but if it was Pamplona I'd start on Monday 26th. Walking in and out of the various communities is a huge part of any camino and by flying out and back in I'm sure not to over stay the welcome! The weather is superb, the wine festivals in full fling and my ambition would be to fly home and back out. The flight times as previously mentioned are superb and so my only question is fly back after 7 days or 10. I normally abandon my allotment at the wrong time so thats why I'm going for chunks. I like to walk with the community so I'd probably fly back out to Santander on October 4th returning on friday 11th. Its currently £80. If I get my days right I'd head down to Burgos and walk out to Cardenuela Rio Pico (Friday night) and walk to Burgos (Saturday), Hornillos (SUNDAY) Castrojeriz (Monday) Fromista (Tuesday) Carrion (Wednesday) and back to Fromista (thursday) train up and stay Santander thursday night.