A crash around 7 am has closed the northbound A3 at Tolworth causing massive tailbacks . In addition there are significant delays to southbound traffic from further than New Malden.
The roads off the A3 including A 2043 to Worcester Park are also chaotic. Personally would advise avoiding the whole area and using an app like Waze to determine your best route.
A few photos from New Malden southbound A3
In football a lot can happen in 5 minutes, as for example at the end of last season which saw Hartlepool relegated to the National Conference and Torquay survive. In 5 years a lot more can happen, so it was interesting when sorting through old football programmes ( I have maybe over 5000, more possibly, some dating back to 1923) to find three programmes in the same pile together. All from 2012.
None are playing in the premiership ( although Foresaw was last year), 7 play in the championship and the ten remaining are scattered in the lower leagues and non-league. Brentford can be regarded as to top 10 championship side, whereas Hartlepool have the please of their first season in non-league to contemplate, three divisions below Brentford. Looking through the programme none of that current Brentford U-18 team playing that week seem to have made careers in football. However a quick glimpse through the U-21 team that week shows Alfie Mawson, Jake Reeves, Josh Clarke who have all had excellent league careers. We had a sporting director called Mark Warburton who made some salient points in his programme notes. He talked a lot not only about the quality of a player and what is needed for the club, but also knowledge of their off-field character. Mark Devlin writes an eloquent piece about what needs to be done in the years leading up to Lionel road in 2016. 
shellshocked-lincoln-chairman
So how times have changed. Hartlepool are now the non-league side. Lincoln City had a superb season last year and would be potentially a favourite for promotion again this year. Brentford have moved on impressively to have ambitions of the premiership. Darlington are on the move up and can be expected to regain league status in the next 4-5 years. And Lionel Road should be built by 2019. Maybe the 2016 was a mere typo….
As a first time dog owner I am quite watchful about the minutiae of dog behaviour. From an 8 week puppy to a 9 month old adolescent he has always liked sleeping either firmly pressed against two sides. For example in his crate he sleeps almost in an L shape. Today he is sleeping pressed firmly all four paws against a sofa.
My question is whether this is normal for all dogs or maybe specific for Huskies? He is a Siberian Spaniel so around 75% Husky and 25% Cocker Spaniel. Just curious .
All Brentford fans would have seen the upturn in results and performances after the New Year with the return of Jota, and this was evident from his very first game in the FA cup against Eastleigh. Not only were his performances excellent but it was also the impact he had on the rest of the team, the work ethic was better, the smiles returned to faces and in many games he made the goals that Lasse Vibe scored. The Spanish contingent with Sergi Canos cannot also be underestimated. That relationship is a good one both on and off the pitch.
Jota smiling on his Brentford return
Jota on the wing
We know very little right now other than that the Brentford hierarchy are not agitated by these rumours of an imminent bid. This means one of two things. They are confident he will stay, possibly with an increased contract offer. Alternatively they are resigned to him going, expect an overinflated fee and have replacements lined up.
On social media the fans views are broadly those who feel that selling him
sends a message that Brentford are not really aiming at promotion, and feel let down, or those who take a more realistic view that at the moment Brentford simply cannot refuse to sell a player if the price is right.
Jota
Jota
For what it is worth I will give my view. I think Jota should stay. Two reasons. Firstly from his own viewpoint he has had a shaky couple of years until January. We cannot ignore that he returned to Spain to Eibar and whatever the reason for his return ( some unspecified issues) they clearly impacted his performances and his psyche. He mostly did not get into the Eibar first team. Jota would benefit from a season of stability to demonstrate consistency . Secondly, even in this era, loyalty should be rewarded and for him to stay and then in a year (if he wishes) to leave at a higher price, would be the best solution for all concerned. What is required though is a contract extension. Brentford cannot and should not be in a position to allow him to leave for zero money in a year. Another year playing at the top of the championship would not be such a bad thing as for me if I were a premiership club I would be cogniscent of the above but also would wonder if he really is ready to claim a first team place?
At the current time he is with the squad for their pre-season European trip and the musings are that he is not disturbed by the rumours of an imminent bid. Let us see what happens. West Ham,Burnley, Newcastle and Everton , need to make their own decisions based on the above.
https://chrisbushephotography.com/2017/01/09/jota/
On July 7th 2017 the new Lemur Loop opened at Marwell Zoo near Winchester in UK. The zoo is a zoo dedicated to animal conservation and is now expanding rapidly. The Lemur Loop is an opportunity for visitors to not only see lemurs at first hand only a few feet away with no barriers nor fences, but also to learn about them in the excellent new educational area that adjoins the Lemur’s home.
As with all wild animals there can be no guarantee that they will come out when the visitors want them too but in reality they are very likely to do so. This is an excellent initiative and gives people another good reason to visit this small but superb zoo in Hampshire.
These are a few photos taken on the first day the loop was opened. This will give some idea of the potential for close-up viewing of these beautiful animals.
Cricketers have traditionally been more subdued when celebrating , however it seems the tide is turning with more emotional overt celebrations. This was Luke Wright’s first century for two seasons and an excellent innings it was too. Measured at times and rapidly scoring at others. Here are a few photos of that moment he went to his hundred. In the context of the innings this was an important and excellent innings.
While out walking the dog off the lead over a public footpath and land at Cobham, I had to urgently recall the dog having seen a horse loose in the field maybe 50 yards away. it was not possible to predict how the horse or dog would respond. This is a field other dog walkers and myself use regularly, and for anyone who knows the area it is across the road from the Sainsbury’s petrol station at Cobham, next to the River Mole.
We then walked up to the horse and saw that it had been tethered to a small post in the ground and was attached by a metal chain. The mane of the horse was covered in flies. The horse, to a non-expert, looked healthy but was in a field exposed to bright sunlight with no cover. There was a plastic bucket of water on the edge of the circle surrounding the horse. The horse had clearly trampled the long grass underfoot in a circumference that his chain allowed. I am really unsure if the horse could reach the water. I simply do not know as did not want to go too close with a 9 month husky puppy very interested by this stage in the horse.
So what to do? I have sat through hours of TV programmes, mostly USA but some UK, detailing animal rescue services for various animals in distress. Two things came to mind. Firstly my presumption was that it was illegal to simply tether an animal on public ground. Secondly, the health issue potentially for the horse, particularly if it got warmer ( temperature was around 22c), or it could not reach the water, or reached and drank all the water.
I called the RSPCA at Godstone, they seemed geographically the nearest. After a series of messages and holding on, I was given a recorded message to call another 24 hour number. On dealing this number, there were again a number of options, none actually exactly what i needed, however eventually after listening to around 5 minutes of disturbing elevator music, I spoke to a young female operator. I outlined the problem. It was then somewhat surprising to learn that it was not illegal to tether a horse in this way, and that there was nothing they could do. In short they had no option but to wait until the horse became visibly distressed or presumably collapsed.
This seems to be the situation as summed up here:
Horses may be kept loose in fields crossed by public rights of way as long as they are not known to be dangerous.
Horses may not be ridden on public footpaths unless the landowner has given permission. A horse rider may be asked to leave any land over which they do not have the right to ride, and may be asked to pay for any damages caused. If a horse being ridden on a public bridleway or byway injures another person, the owner of the horse may be held responsible for the injuries, and the horse rider may be held responsible if they are shown to be negligent in controlling the horse.
A number of things come to mind including the potential for dogs in this field off the lead to worry or even attack the horse. The health of the horse ( I am no expert). The final option from the RSPCA woman to me was for me to observe and monitor the situation. Lastly it was difficult to see how the horse could enter or leave the field without using a public footpath. So lets see what happens. 
The Jack Bonham story is a curious one from start to finish. Clearly had or has good potential but a series of gaffes has condemned him to B team football for two years at Brentford. The usual sighting of Bonham is carrying out coats or warming up. Always with a positive happy smile and attitude. Did fans assume wrongly he was content to be sitting on the bench?
I can only comment on what I have seen and other than his first team league debut away at Barnsley he has looked frankly modest and at times nonleague standard. His B team performances have been uninspiring and most fans expected him to be released at the end of last season.
The other side to the story is that he has had little opportunity to play and develop the focus and concentration skills that keepers need. The league cup game against Oxford showed that he was prone to errors but playing in a makeshift defence did not help him. B team games lack the intensity of competitive football and especially for a keeper are not helpful in career development .
So we move forward to the end season away game at Barnsley where although the pressure was off on the team it was massive on Bonham. In simple terms a last chance saloon. A proper game in a hostile stadium . Jack was man of the match. A bad game here and I have no doubt he would have been released.
The club clearly feel as most fans do that he needs regular competitive football and I would go further and say that this should have happened a year ago. The next 6 months at Carlisle will help him enormously. The one year extension with the first 6 months on loan is a bit like an each way bet. Brentford have two quality keepers now and up and coming young keepers too. Ellery Balcombe. So I suspect Bonham will not be a Brentford player this time next year. Possibly in 6 months even if Carlisle sign him in the transfer window. The longer odds are on Dan Bentley leaving and Bonham again being a second string keeper.
Although this all seems sensible and gives all concerned options, I do have a worry that with 3 keepers in a small squad we are potentially giving up a squad place for an outfield player.
Carlisle are a good side and can be expecting to challenge for promotion this season. That kind of good pressure will be good for Bonham and Brentford. I think this is a good move for the club on balance.
For once I am speechless. This is 2017. What springs to mind is the senseless waste of public money. The pure daftness of the idea. Just why?
The crown travelled in a car with its own security escort.
As imagined many folks had things to say on Twitter. Including myself. To summarise views. Medieval nonsense and grotesque display of wealth that might be regarded as highly insensitive in current times.
The tweet that wins the prize though is this
”Queen’s Speech: where you hear about prioritisation of mental health services, then watch as a crown gets taken away in its own car”
But why was she not wearing her crown fir the first time in 43 years for the Queens Speech? The event came too close to the Trooping of the colour to allow sufficient practice and rehearsal. But not to worry. The crown was within eyesight of the queen to her right.
Extreme heat is forecast for Phoenix in Arizona today with a high of 120 degrees F which is around 49 degrees C. This has caused the cancellation of 50 American Airlines flights which use the Bombardier CRJ aircraft which have a maximum operating temperature of 118 degrees F. Some jets have higher maximum operating temperatures, Boeing 126 degrees and Airbus 127 degrees (52-53 degrees C).
Seems we are fairly safe in UK with a forecast high in the next two days of 33 degrees C only. This issue with flying is not new and in fact a heatwave shattered temperature records in 2013 in Western USA leading to similar sorts of cancellations. And indeed back in 1990 some of the asphalt melted on the tarmac at Phoenix (as it did on the A31 in UK yesterday too). But why are these high temperatures an issue? Seems there are two very different reasons:
So the reality is that hot temperatures cause far more problems than cold temperatures, 
chris1957
Arcticterntalk.org 