John D Eccles

Well here I am I have reached the biblical age of three score and ten and considering this in my mind I may be close to the finishing line, what a sobering thought that is!

In my head I am still eighteen years old however my physical aches and pains say to me I may be looking on the bright side of life. When I look in the bathroom mirror in the morning I now see my granddad looking back at me!

I regret very few things in my life and I have always had the outlook that if you treat people how you want to be treated it enables you to sleep easy at night. That however doesn’t mean that if you treat me badly you will get away with it. 

I am a believer in Karma. Whatever you put out into the world you get back with interest, so I am always on my best behaviour. 

In this day and age this has become e very difficult to keep a handle on everything that happens and that impacts on your wellbeing. I have discovered after many years of stress the only way to deal with it is only worry about things you can control and try not to stress about what you can’t. This has made me much happier.

The biggest lesson I have learned in my 70 years on this planet is that the only thing of lasting value is the relationship with your family. 

Family life is about unconditional love for each other and accepting that even though you may not agree with each other you have to find a way to respect each others views without fracturing your relationships.

All my memories of my early childhood is all about my relatives, many who are no longer with us and I remember them as clear as though they where still here and that is very comforting. 

I miss them all but to deal with the loss I have put them into little compartments in my memory which makes the sense of loss manageable. I realise that not everyone’s experiences are the same but I take great comfort in the fact that I still remember all the people who surrounded me as a a child,  Aunties, Uncles and Grand Parents and it is as though it was yesterday and that is how it should be.

So I thank everyone who remembered me on this landmark birthday and I hope I am lucky enough to have a few more. So after after 54 years of working I have decided it is time to retire and that is no light decision to make.

I now want to do stuff whilst I an still in a state to do it. That is not a bucket list but simple things I would like to do when I want to do them with the proviso that Lady Ann wants to do them as well.

So as the sun goes down on this snowy birthday I can count my blessings, I have a family around me who we see on a regular basis, I have my health, I have a roof over my head and above all I have the love of a good woman who has had my back whatever the situation.

So thank you everyone who has sent me some very nice messages to celebrate with me which means that I may not be forgotten in the passage of time.

Sorry for the lack of posts I would like to say recently but my last one was posted in January 2020, that is very tardy by any measure.

So what’s happened in between.

COVID happened and what a shock that was.

The first shut down was a breeze, long summer days spent walking the deserted moors with my grandson who came to stay to keep him safe from infection.

I still did my university work but the theory that I would be out from under Lady Ann’s feet a couple of days a week evaporated along with any other social interaction. 

Lectures were by Zoom but I soon got into the the swing of that (dressing smart from the waist up and wearing my pyjama bottoms out of shot).

The second shut down which started in November was a different proposition entirely. 

No sunny days to wallow around in, for the most part it was damp and miserable and lasted for what seemed like an eternity. In June 2021 things started to return to something like normal but people were still reluctant to go out into the world just in case they got infected.

Even though we were very careful we both got Covid but I am sure that because we had been vaccinated the symptoms although very unpleasant (like a very bad case of man flu) we recovered without any side effects.

So last year I successfully completed my degree BA in Graphic Design and graduated last year and a very nice day it was to. My family came with me to support me (a bribe of a free meal helped enormously with that). Whilst walking across the stage towards the Chancellor to receive my scroll all I could hear was the cheers from them and my fellow students which made me feel a little emotional if I am honest.

The chancellor asked me how many people had I brought to the ceremony, I answered three. He replied they are very noisy aren’t they. I agreed and said you should try living with them they are behaving today.

So here we are at the start of what is the best part of the year here on top of the world, It starts to become green again after the long winter that makes everything look very drab.

The other life changing event that happened in August last year we became great grandparents.

Saskia our grand daughter gave birth to Marley our great grandson and it immediately aged me by ten years. Lady Ann says its made us more active and she is loving every minute of it.

Saskia quite rightly pointed out that being is a great grandparent is an honour bestowed on very few people so man up and stop complaining.

She is made of strong stuff is my grand daughter. Last year she moved house, gave birth and has completed the third year of her Law degree. Any one of these on their own is enough to tip a normal person over the edge.

So as they say I’m back and hopefully I will do better, in my defence its hard blogging when you are locked down.

Well as second weeks of the new year went it has been quite a week.

We have poor Australia burning as we speak, President Trump has exceeded all expectations and has actually done the unthinkable and finally Prince Harry has delivered a death like blow to the monarchy.

Now Donald the Orange has done what most people would love to do by assassinating a rather vile individual (my mother said I should not speak ill of the dead) without batting an eyelid. The repercussions will reverberate around the globe fo a  long time. I must admit that when I saw him at the press conference earlier the pressure on him is not wearing well on his shoulders.

The only victims that I can see at the moment other that the target are the poor innocent people on the flight that was just leaving when the missiles were flying around who unfortunately died when the plane crash landed. That is the obscenity of war, the fact that it always the innocent who get caught up in the conflict that suffer the most.

Now I can’t do anything about Australia burning but people who are far more wealthy than me have donated millions to help a very rare bread of human and that is the Australian Firefighter.

Now I do not care what nationality or gender these fire fighters are but they stand and fight the fires that are unbelievable in scale or ferocity. These guys have been at it now for weeks and despite the odd politician trying to make political traction out of their efforts they have not budged an inch.

Earlier this week I happened to mention on Twitter that Lewis Hamilton had donated half a Million Dollars to help them and I cannot believe the reaction I  received for mentioning it. This is a man put his hand in his pocket and donated a huge amount of money to help without any expectation of reward.

So to the haters who think that he has done it to get positive publicity and a tax rebate I have one thing to say to you. Instead of criticising him give him a nod of appreciation. He didn’t have to donate anything, he did it because he thought it would make a difference, so from a grumpy northern bloke who would if he could afford to, I thank him from the bottom of my heart.

Finally, I cannot believe the furore that Harry and Megan have caused because they have chosen a life outside of what they are expected to live. I could have understood it if had been someone who was about to become at the next monarch but he has as much chance of that happening as I have becoming the next President of the United States.

Now I know that the public thinks that we fund the Royal Family and to a certain extent we do but at the last reckoning they brought in about a Billion Pounds into the economy. So the odd five million or so for his security etc. is a trifling amount in the grand scheme of things. If that’s what they want to do then I wish them all the happiness in the world.

What I cannot forgive them for is accusing me and every other person in the United Kingdom of being racist towards Megan. This is an insult to me and everyone else in the country. I do not know Megan Merkel but I didn’t even know that she was a person of colour. If you see my granddaughter on a Friday night going out in her fake tan she looks very similar.

To me, as someone who takes great exception to being labelled a racist, I find the situation deplorable and after this obvious PR driven campaign to drive the couple’s popularity in America it is a shameful display of biting the hand that feeds you.

So all that remains to say is I hope the year improves on what the first few days have delivered on our doorstep. In the words of Lady Ann, Megan needs to man up and take her responsibilities seriously, she knew what she was getting into so she should deliver what is expected.

As a final comment it’s not very often I agree with Piers Morgan but I think he has hit the nail fairly and squarely on the head this week, now for me to say that it took some effort.

So finally I wish you all a healthy and prosperous new year, my prayers go out to the people of Australia who have lost everything especially those who have lost the most precious thing of all their family members, Lewis for being an all-round good guy and finally to Harry and Megan, I hope you find what you are looking for providing you don’t expect me to pay for it.

What does a semi retired sixty odd year old do when the world starts to see him as the transparent grumpy old bloke that has very little relevance to the world in which he lives.

Now I am not complaining , I am quite happy with my lot, I travel, I am in good health and I keep abreast of the latest technology so I can survive in this world of handheld devices and the internet.

So back to my original question why?

The reason is simple, I am bored, not of life but after a life of tight deadlines and long hours my days have taken on a very sedentary pace. I needed stimulation of some sort so I thought that why not get back into education but not as a teacher but as a student.

So here I am six weeks into my first year as an undergraduate at the University of Central Lancashire studying Graphic Design at the University Campus Oldham and what a great time I am having.

Now my older friends think I have gone stark staring mad, others think I am getting down with the kids but what I am doing is keeping an open mind and exercising the grey matter and according to research that should keep me in good shape for years to come.

The added bonus is that Lady Ann my wife likes the idea and it gets me from under her feet for half a week as she says the fees are cheaper than a divorce!

Being a Teacher or Lecturer you forget what it is like to be a student and the biggest difference is that I am only responsible for my own learning, a refreshing change from managing 18 students in a class and being responsible for theirs.

I am learning some stuff I didn’t know, I am reinforcing what I already know and hopefully help people along the way with my experience in the production of creative products.

So its coming up to my first hand in and this is when I will discover whether or not I know as much as I think and can communicate it in a way that the examiners want it in. We will see after Christmas.

It has been a very strange day. Myself and Lady Ann decided mid afternoon to scoot over the hill to Yorkshire and sample the delights of the culinary cuisine on offer.

Now my dish of choice isn’t on offer everywhere so you can imaging my delight when I discovered Fish finger butties on the menu. This washed down with a very large Latte is just what the doctor ordered.

This evening was a very different proposition, it was the Diggle school leavers celebration at Diggle Band Club. Now many of you will think is a totally abhorrent event to a grumpy old bloke, but it isn’t.

I love the fact that families celebrate any minor triumph in their offspring’s development. These are the events that mould the lives of our children. By any measure tonight was a fantastic event. The kids had a great time and the parents enjoyed every moment. 

Living in a village takes a great deal of effort. Young families who are under pressure to carry out the traditions of the past put themselves under enormous pressure just so they don’t let their kids down.

I have a different outlook, If you give your kids a great role model to follow they will never let you down and they will remind you in years to come if you do! (mine do frequently).

Tonight has been a blast, parents in tie dye tee shirts having a great time with their children who will remember for a lifetime.

That has to be the best time ever!

I can’t believe it’s been three months since I sat here and wrote a blog entry but we have had a very eventful time.

Since Christmas two things have hoovered up my time, Lady Ann’s deteriorating health which is now improving and deciding to stand in the local elections as a Councillor.

Now either one of these soaks up enough time on there own but combined I haven’t had time to even have a mid afternoon nap (shock horror) and this has made me a little Grumpy.

The good news is that Lady Ann is getting better and requires fewer visits to the Hospital so just a couple of things to sort out them we get our lives back. I can’t believe how much time it takes just to attend an appointment.

My attempt at becoming a local councillor again was unsuccessful but I did a lot of walking, 62 miles in four weeks to be exact. I have lost about 12 lbs in weight which make me feel a lot healthier even though I am probably not.

On the bad news front whilst Lady Ann has been housebound she has resurrected her Facebook account and she is now seeing that it is not the devils work she previously thought it was. 

She has connected with a group of friends who she was at school with and that has lifted her spirits somewhat. The downside for me and the family she has started commenting on what we are posting, so we will have to start behaving haha.

I posted my Star Wars day photo and got this withering response from her! 

Will it stop me, I very much doubt it, after all being social is what life is all about.

February is here and the lighter nights have started making an appearance and that is always welcome. By mid month it always reminds me that winter is on the way out and warmer days are coming.

Here on top of the world it is when the moors start to change colour and the village starts to come to life again. Now village life is not for every one but I like it. Villages are places were people care about each other and were people stop in the street for a chat and you can find out about what has happened since the last time you managed to stop for a chat.

In this day and age it is becoming increasingly harder to make sure that village life as we know it will survive for future generations.

Diggle is like many other pennine communities it has a church, a couple of Pubs and a very good post office. The only issue is that all of these institutions are under threat. 

Our local church St Chads is threatened with closure because of the repairs that need carrying out.

Pubs all over the country are closing at a phenomenal rate, we are lucky in that the two we have have recently changed hands but who knows how long they will last in the current financial climate. 

Finally our local Post Office which until now survived is the only way that people can use any form of banking services is a godsend.

Saddleworth as an area is a very desirable place to live and with that property prices are at a premium. This means that our community is becoming more of a dormitory rather that a mixed vibrant community. 

With people having to work longer hours or commute further it means that all the people who used to volunteer to run the many organisations and events that make a village are now few on the ground and it is these people who keep our villages vibrant and full of life.

So I do question how long the activities that I hold dear will carry on. So if you live in a small community it is vital that you get involved. No matter how little time you can offer, collectively a group of people can achieve far more than individuals.

Just think of all the traditions that could be lost because we are collectively too busy. From Whit Walks, Brass Band Competitions, The Rush Cart Weekend, The Diggle Blues Festival and all the other things that happen in the area.

These events take a lot of people and a great deal of effort to organise. So if you love living in a village then please invest a little time and expertise to keep our very pleasant lifestyle alive and well.

If you do you will feel great knowing that you have contributed and I can guarantee you will make some lifelong friends in the process.