Diary w/e 26 Oct

Sun 20 Oct

At son David's for his 27th birthday. Not sanctified enough to join the family at their charismatic church. I am too much of a charismosceptic.

Mon 21 Oct

Stared downloading quotes from my Yahoo group as it is to be deleted by Yahoo and I will lose 2005 to 2010 quotes in two months' time.

Tu 22 Oct

Heard my uncle, Neil Graham died age 90, the last of my parents' generation. Dinner with Mary and Elliott Larson, an Afghan feast.

Fri 25

Son Simpson's funeral. Age 88 he was a left of centre eccentric remembered for his long care of his late wife Berty who had Parkinsomism many years.

Sat 26

Against he odds, England beat he All Blacks to get to the World Cup Final. Katy took me to exchange books a Evangelical Library.

A permanent exclusion zone round a school

The gloves are off!   Birmingham city council has applied to the court to have its injunction banning parental protests outside Anderton Park Primary School made permanent.  In other words, they want a permanent exclusion zone round Anderton where parents will be forbidden to gather - to protest, criticise staff or hand out leaflets (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/18/council-asks-judge-to-ban- lgbt-lessons-protesters-from-near-school).  We await the judgment. Anderton is situated in a predominantly Muslim area and, unsurprisingly, has mainly Muslim pupils.  The protestors – in the main, parents – want the school to stop promoting and normalising LGBT behaviours and life-style choices to children as young as 3, and teaching them that gender is a matter of choice, not biology.  They say that such teaching is not just deeply confusing, but that it also goes against the basic tenets of their faith.  A not unreasonable position, one would have thought.  Why should 3 year olds be encouraged to question their gender, or think about any kind of sexual relations at all?  And why should parents stand quietly by, while their beliefs are traduced?  But the school and Birmingham city council clearly disagree, refusing even to consider that parents should have the right to have some sort of say in what their children are taught. And in this, it seems, they are being backed to the hilt by the DfE, which has now issued guidance on what they call ‘parental engagement’.  Which only a while ago was labelled ‘consultation’  (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy).  Take note of the word change, because it is crucial! When the RSE Regulations were first issued, they stated clearly (a) that all schools must have in place a written policy for RSE, and (b) that schools must consult parents in developing and reviewing their policy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education ).  However, the DfE was clearly unprepared for the strength of parental outrage at this attempted indoctrination of young minds.  Following parental protests outside schools, it quickly became apparent that any idea of genuine consultation was a sham – something that has become abundantly clear in the growing number of statements being issued, saying that parents have the right to express their opinions (provided they don’t stage protests, of course), but do not have a right of veto.  It’s up to schools what they teach! Now the position has been explicitly spelt out in the recently issued guidance referred to above – and, most telling of all, the mandatory consultation has been magically transformed into a more neutral sounding … parental engagement. This is deliberate obfuscation, and even the most charitable would surely say it was a declaration of war, with parents being lined up in the DfE’s sights as the enemy.  The clear message is that schools and the State know best … children belong to the State!  And the extremist bigots who are their parents must put up and shut up! But, sadly, the new Regulations are only the tip of this LGBT juggernaut, because now Stonewall has also issued advice – this time on how to make the whole curriculum LGBT compliant  (https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/inclusive_curriculum_guide.pdf). Yes, seriously.  They are saying that everything a child learns has to be thematically shaped to promote acceptance of LGBT values and behaviours.  So, for instance, in English – study LGBT authors and themes (and presumably make them up if they’re not there).  Maths – give examples using LGBT people and different family structures; and with statistics, use LGBT percentages and fractions.  Geography – talk about experiences of LGBT people in Britain and round the world. Religious Education – explore the work of people campaigning for LGBT equalities in faith communities.  Even worse, as evidenced by a colourful cartoon produced for children aged around 5, teach them that whether you believe in Jesus, Vishnu or anyone else, God loves LGBT people and approves their ‘love’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E4A4sbV4HQ)! So not content with teaching children that all expressions of ‘love’ are the same, no matter how outlandish or risky, now the plan is to gayify the whole of the curriculum.   Very soon children won’t know there ever was any other way of viewing the world! According to a survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 2017, 2% of the population self-identified as LGB.  There was no percentage recorded for people self-identifying as trans, because the numbers were too low (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ sexuality/bulletins/sexualidentityuk/2017).  By contrast, in the 2011 census into religious belief in the UK, the ONS found that 59.3% of the population identified as Christian, 4.8% as Muslim, and 3.2% as belonging to other religious groups, including Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, and Buddhist (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ religion/articles/religioninenglandandwales2011/2012-12-11). These are the latest official figures. The point to be made is that anything other than heterosexual behaviour is classified as sin by all the world’s major religions – yet a mere 2% of the population are now campaigning to impose their aggressive views on the whole of society, in the process criminalising religious belief as hate speech and homophobia.    Let us be clear, everyone has an absolute right to choose the life they want to live.  Some life-style choices may be unwise, but that does not deny the basic right – nor does it mean that God ceases to love someone because of that choice.  But God does not, and never will, condone sin.  It was precisely to save us from sin that Christ died.  The conclusion is inescapable.  The State has become complicit in a totalitarian attempt to reconfigure morality and overturn belief.   How long will this madness go on?   If you haven't yet done so, please email or write to your MP today, protesting at the intimidatory tactics of the DfE and cavalier dismissal of parental concerns. Copy in the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP. ********************** Read the report and see video highlights of our conference Slaughter of the Innocent - why abortion affects us all Click here: https://vfjuk.org.uk/news-updates/slaughter-of-the-innocent-conference-2019-report/ DVD and CD sets now available  Conference DVD Set (£20) Conference CD Set (£15) UK Postage £4 Order here: https://vfjuk.org.uk/slaughter-of-the-innocent-media/ *********************** VfJUK commends the mass protest being organised by Our children Our faith Our rights  Where:  Parliament Square When:  Saturday 26th October. Time:  11 am Make your voice heard and claim the right to opt out of RSE Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mass-protest-right-to-opt-out-of-rse-tickets-73896298819 ************************ Following the imposed decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland, and if you haven't yet done so, please sign our petition calling for the Government to reject calls to legalise abortion in the UK up to birth. Sign here:  https://www.change.org/p/the-prime-minister-of-the-uk-reject-calls-to-legalise-abortion-up-to-birth **********************    Please, if you can, help support our work. Donate here: https://vfjuk.org.uk/donate/     Like us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/voiceforjusticeuk

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Banned from Amazon reviewing

Below is some of my correspondence with Amazon. I had hundreds of reviews published and all have been deleted. Unfortunately the Freedom of Information Act does not cover this.

On Saturday, 19 October 2019, 16:52:11 BST, Amazon.co.uk wrote:

Hello, 

Amazon has noticed some unusual reviewing activity on this account. As a result, we removed all of this account’s reviews. It is no longer able to contribute reviews, comments, customer questions and answers, and other content.

Why is this happening? 

Customer reviews are meant to provide unbiased product feedback to help customers make informed purchase decisions. Any reviews that could be viewed as advertising, promotional, or biased will not be posted. 

This account can no longer contribute any content for one or more of the following reasons:

-- Elements of the account indicate a relationship to sellers, publishers, or other reviewers of the products this account reviewed. 

-- Reviews were posted in exchange for compensation, such as gift cards to purchase the product, product refunds, review swaps, or free or discounted products. 

-- The account requested free or discounted products in exchange for reviews. 

-- The account was created for the primary purpose of writing biased reviews.

-- An unauthorized party may have accessed this account to write reviews.

If you would like to learn more, please see our Community Guidelines (https://www.amazon.co.uk/review-guidelines).

To contact us about this decision, please email community-help@amazon.co.uk.

Review Moderator

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

and, 

Thank you again for letting us know about the customer reviews issue .  

We will investigate all reported reviews, and take appropriate action.  

For privacy reasons, we cannot share the results of our investigation with you. We may not reply to further emails about this issue.

Warmest regards,

Jaydeen

Amazon.co.uk

Your feedback is helping us build Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company.

EKS 

To:review-appeals+A3PIEZZE170JXX@amazon.co.uk,community-help@amazon.co.uk

20 Oct at 10:51

I find your reply tells me nothing.

    'Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company' - who are you kidding? Six emails over a month and no reply. A phone call to you and a reply telling me to await investigation then nothing until after a month when I emailed again.

    You have behaved like judge, jury and executioner and without specifying a charge so allowing no defence.

   'For privacy reasons, we cannot share the results of our investigation with you.' For whose privacy? Is a third party involved here?

    I intend to pursue this under the Freedom of Information Act.

   

Graham J Weeks

Diary w/e 19 Oct

Sun 13

Cartagena, Spain. 652 miles from Italy. Beautiful city with a very humorous guide on trolley train round.

Mon 14

Gibraltar 252 miles from Cartagena. Visit to semi tropicaL ALMEDA GARDENS THE CABLE CAR UP TO THE ROCK. GREAT VIEWS AND VERY CLOSE UP TO THIEVING MONKEYS.

Tu 15
At sea 249 miles from Gibraltar.

Wed 16

At sea 312 more miles and force 6

Th 17
At sea. 369 more miles.

Fri 18

178 miles back to Southampton. Home by 10:30 am.

Sat 19

Visiting family in Canterbury.

Books read and revised Oct 2019

1. Where We Are: The State of Britain Now by Roger Scruton 

An excellent analysis of post Brexit Britain. A textbook case is made for why the referendum went to leave he EU. It's shortcomings are well recorded and the failure of past government to act in the interestes of national sovereignty. Blair acceded unlimited immigration for Eastern Europe seven years before we had to do so. An excellent critique of he Common Agricultural Policy.

2. Revolution: A History of England Volume IV (The History of England) by Peter Ackroyd  (Author)

Excellently recounted history from 1668 to Waterloo. Not merely the important people and events but lots of social history too. Now I want to read the other volumes in the series.

3. The Gentry by Adam Nicolson  (Author)

The gentry are English landowners below the aristocracy. Various families are considered from the Wars of the Roses to modern times. Here are he ups and downs of the rich and powerful - how riches were attained and then often lost. Strangely the one sure way of losing money, gambling, does not figure largely but having to find dowries for daughters does. Also one may give away all the inherited wealth. The author is from and at home with this declining class of people so writes well about them. 

4. The King and the Catholics: The Fight for Rights 1829 by Lady Antonia Fraser (Author)

This is the fourth book by the author I have enjoyed. I had no idea her parents are converts to Rome and her ancestors were Anglo-Irish Protestant ascendancy opponent of Catholic emancipation. This seems to me a very objectively narrated account. I wish today's politicians who change parties had the integrity of Peel who when he changed his views sought a by election. Was this the first time a monarch had given royal assent on the advice of his ministers against his own judgement.

5.If Symptoms Persist by Theodore Dalrymple  (Author)

Spectator articles written between 1991 and 1994 by the wise and erudite prison doctor and hospital psychiatrist. Witty and humorous as he rails against the irresponsibility of his patients and castigates social workers, lawyers and NHS administrators. 

6. A Brief History of the Crusades: Islam and Christianity in the Struggle for World Supremacy (Brief Histories) by Geoffrey Hindley  (Author)

A very emailed history of the crusades. What was new to me was the anti-semitism involved and that any campaign to advance he RC church was a crusade whether in he Baltic region, against Albigensians and also he Spanish Armada and colonisation of South America. The final chapter on the continuing legacy is helpful to see the Muslim perspective.

7. What are We Doing Here? by Marilynne Robinson  (Author)

I have read her novels and a collection of essays. These speeches are not easy reading. A self identified Calvinist but theological and political liberal. She does a great job vindicating the Purians, Cromwell and Edwards.

8.The Guardians by John Grisham

Grisham good as ever. A page turner I read in one day.The Guardians exist to rescue the innocents from 
incarceration after wrong convictions. They prove three witnesses perjured themselves and evidence had
 been planted. A strong Christian flavour here.

Diary w/e 12 Oct e

Sun 6 Oct.
Palma, Mallorca. 544 miles from Cadiz.Coach o a coastal viewpoint sat Valdermoossa then a restaurant to see flamenco and enjoy tapas and sangria.

Mon 7 Oc

At sea Mediterranean.328 miles from Palma.Force 7 but not as rough in the Med as the Atlantic.

Tue 8

Valletta, Malta.618 miles from Palma. Visited he old capital, Mdina and he new city. Mdina walled with narrow streets. Trolley train round Rabat. Malta very crowded.

Wed 9

Messina, Sicily.166 miles from Malta. Bus up Etna to 6000' by spectacular coastal motorway with 29 tunnels. Jewelery factory demonstration and tapas.

The 10

Naples. 187 miles from Sicily. Coach past Vesuvius to Sorrento and lunch. then to Salerno and fast motor boat to expensive Amalfi. Two drinks in Jerez was E5. Amalfi E16!

Fri 11 Oct

Civitavecchia 166 miles from Naples. Six cruise ships berthed.An hour on coach to grid locked Rome. Saw sights from coach so not good for photographs.

Sat 12

At sea. 307 miles. Typhoon led to cancellation of England v France rugby.

Diary w/e 5 Oct 19

Sun 29 Sep

Ealing Half Marathon led to roads closed and no morning service.Sinclair Ferguson preached afternoon and evening with church tea between.

Mon 30 Sep

Packing for our cruise.Resigned from Harmonsworh preaching after 8nyears as I am due to renew my security clearance, I have not been fit and numbers have been low.

Tue 1 Oct
Good journey to Southampton and quick boarding.Sailed 5pm. First five course dinner on board. Good sea view cabin.

Wed 2 Oct and hu 3rd
A sea. The Bay of Biscay was choppy and ship movement felt.But wind only force 2.  Enjoyed a classical duo of cello and piano and also lectures on Bletchley Park and The Battle of the Atlanic. 315 miles from Southampton.

Th 3 Oct
820 miles from home. Out along the Portuguese coast was smooth.

Fri 4 Oct
904 miles from home.Docked in Cadiz past Cale Trafalgar and a coach to Herez. Maps and road signage were not helpful. Eventually we found the Tio Pepe bodegas and learned about sherry and brandy production but we had to rush away to our coach and missed he sherry tastting and atlpas we had paid for. The bodegas our was far more expensive than an disillery or brewery visited before.

Sat 5 Oct
A sea 262 miles from Cadiz.. Enjoyed seeing England thrash the Argies in he Worlds Cup. Still no news of Leeds games.