Reviews - Good/Bad/Indifferent...

[Simple Simon 36]

This is a good place to share your views on anything. It could be an event you've attended, something you've participated in, something you've seen or read, a meeting, an activity...anything!

Edited July 30, 2013 by Simple Simon

[Simple Simon 36]

And to kick off:

 

Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mocking Bird" that I recently borrowed from Gobowen Library.

 

I've been a fan of the tall American actor Gregory Peck having seen his later work in films such as "The Sea Wolves", "The Omen", "The Boys from Brazil" and "The Scarlet and the Black". In the 1960's, not long after the novel was first published, Peck starred as Atticus Finch in the film adaptation, but I still haven't had the chance to see it.

 

The book is set in the Deep South of the 1930s and is told from the point of view of a young girl, Scout Finch and her changing relationship with older brother Jem and best friend Dill. Their father is a lawyer defending a black man accused of raping a white girl and how this situation has an effect on the family. 

 

At 309 pages, the actual trial of the accused man doesn't really become central until at least two thirds into the book, and even then it's just a chapter or so long - so this is by no means a court room drama. It's more about how children become aware of what is going on around them.

 

Well worth a read.

[Laura 5]

Very good book and yes have seen the film a couple of times, mind you not for a few years now!

[Maggie 65]

Maybe we should start an online book club?

[Simple Simon 36]

Still on the subject of books, I've managed to get Dave Fishwick's "Bank of Dave - How I Took on the Banks" out on loan from Gobowen Library today. The strap line to the blurb on the back reads "Dave knows nothing about banking. He has no qualifications. He's nothing like a banker. What could possibly go wrong?"

 

I'll upload my review when I finish it.

[leebarnfield 30]

Books.... :(

[suenick 7]

Any wanting to borrow a book can come along to Book Box at St Martins Centre. Over 500 paperback, mainly fiction available. No joining fee, just turn up and borrow.

[Simple Simon 36]

Did anyone attend the Big Local Breakfast the other day? It would be nice to have some thoughts on the event.

[Simple Simon 36]

“Bank of Dave – How I took on the Banks” by Dave Fishwick

In essence this book tells the story of how a successful Burnley businessman who was so disgusted with our banking system and the people that manage them that he decided to set one up himself for the benefit of his local community.

 

Dave gives himself a 180 day deadline to get a bank up and running offering loans to local businesses whilst giving 5% interest to savers. On the way he discovers that he has to negotiate a number of obstacles that the Financial Services Authority place in his way. The same institution that regulates our major financial institutions that, to Dave’s consternation, allows them to gamble with “our” money, bring the country to its knees with bails out yet still manages to accept massive bonuses to the people that run them.

 

Dave’s “common sense” approach to business recommends the need for the banks to start lending to people again by meeting them, getting to know their needs and giving real advice rather than looking up their personal credit rating on a computer.

 

Told in a very abrupt but humorous style, Fishwick tells it like it is. If you’ve seen him on the Channel 4 documentaries you’ll know he’s a short guy full of enthusiasm and determination.

 

The final line of the book is the most telling: “Remember: never give up; never, ever give up...”

 

Recommended. The book will be back in Gobowen Library later this week.   

[Simple Simon 36]

The Gobowen I.T. Learning Project has been holding 2 hour sessions on Thursday mornings during term time since September 2012. We've just stopped for the summer holiday but will restart sessions sometime in September.

 

We're made up of a team of 4 volunteers giving individual help and support to learners rather than delivering structured, formal lessons. In many ways it acts as an informal social gathering with an emphasis by individuals on how certain objectives are acheived...and there's free tea and biscuits too. We average out at about 4 or 5 learners per session, some that have been to almost every one of them. We're more than happy to help new people, especially if you're not I.T. literate and you struggle alone infront of a computer.

 

Off the top of my head, we've covered aspects of emailing such as attachments, Cardon Copies, Blind Carbon Copies, Forwarding, creating a new folder for emails, stationary, Skype and we've even added a new thread to CO (I've probably missed out loads of other stuff).

 

Having recently got confirmation of an Award from UnLtd (a big THANK YOU to Andy and the team), we're looking at buying some new laptops and software with the intention of marketing our facilities to jobseekers needing guidance on setting up a Univeral Jobsearch account.

 

We would also be very interested in attracting more volunteers, whatever your specialist area (on a personal note, I'd love some help in getting my head around www.blender.org).

[Simple Simon 36]

The Cycle Oswestry Gently (COG) rides have been going now for well over a year, and I've been on roughly half of them.

 

As the name suggests, these are reasonably slow, social rides of between 12 and 20 miles that include a pub or cafe stop mid way through. Ages range from kids with their parents to OAPs. The trips usually start from the Wilfred Owen Green in Oswestry from 11 am on the last Sunday of the month, all year round.

 

Routes vary, but are kept wherever possible to quiet country lanes. Some journeys include the occasional up hill, but for the most part the rides are mainly flat. Numbers vary depending on the time of year, but the average is about 15.

 

Bikes also vary, but are mainly road or mountain (no carbon-fibre here). If you're just starting out in the saddle and want to network with people, this is the kind of ride for you.