Merry Christmas !

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

His Name is Wonderful !

"His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The Mighty God , The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,"Isaiah 9: 6b,7b.

Katie got her Prince!

The World has received with applause, the cheering news that Prince Williams and Kate Middleton will get married by next summer.
Congratulations to the happy couple !
The couple's eight years wait has been worth it .
Now Katie ( Princess Catherine ) has got her Prince and she is all-smiles ; like the cat that got the cream! Kudos to you , girl.

There have been “royal weddings” before this one ; but this is the real McCoy.
There are princes , all over the world ; but HRH Prince William Wales of the Royal House of Windsor is THE PRINCE of them all !
The UK and the world know it ; there has been a buzz of exciting news updates in the media , about the couple, daily; and millions, world -wide await the event with excitement!
All hands will be on deck to give the lovely couple a befitting wedding.
It will be hugely costly event in an austere climate; but will be worth the costs.
The social and economic benefits that will accrue from this event will be enormous !
Thousands of entrepreneurs; especially in London will profit immensely, as millions of tourists are expected to flock into the UK.
The British Security agencies have stated that they are expecting a lot of "mentally deranged persons" to show up at this glorious occasion and so, the Security budget alone will be about £80 million!
Recently, Kate visited West Minister Abbey to “assess” its potentials as THE venue.
The Abbey is a befitting venue but the fortunate couple have loads of other beautiful venues dotted within Central London, to chose from ; such as the iconic St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Many people are hoping the royal couple would chose this venue .
I love the elaborate beauty , the ornate interior décor and the remarkable history of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
It is the church venue for almost all the official events in the UK and it is fit for a royal wedding of this magnitude .
St. Paul's was the venue for the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana ,30 years ago.

I believe that “Waity Katie” knew that William was worth waiting for .
How many men deserve the trust and the honour of a woman’s long wait ?
Prince Williams is, indeed , a well-bred and humble royal gentleman .
It is commendable that despite his position as the world’s most eligible bachelor and in spite of the numerous “temptations” thrust at the handsome Prince and Heir , he has proved himself worth waiting for .
He is handsome , young , stupendously wealthy and mega- influential; yet he has comported himself well and has managed his love- life excellently.
Kate is a good catch for the Prince as they stand almost shoulder-to shoulder in many aspects .
She is the daughter of a millionaire –entrepreneur, educated , decent , very attractive and popular lady who was never short of admirers.

For many people ; even the die–hard anti- monarchists , a lot of positive boxes could be ticked for this royal couple and many are impressed by this engagement.
Especially , as there has not been a single whiff of scandal about both of them.
William and Kate's relationship has lasted for over EIGHT years which is a record, in any society!
Many marriages ; have not lasted half that time!
They were course- mates in St.Andrew's University and have remained close since then.
It is glaring that the couple are in love with each other.
This is not an arranged union and each of them has had the ample opportunity to "weigh" each other up and to be convinced that THIS was what they wanted.
Apart from love , many believe that if their relationship has lasted this long , then there is something in it for both of them !
One of the pluses of a long court ship is that longevity enables a lot of secrets and “true colours“ to be revealed ; which would have remain concealed in a short courtship.
I am happy for William that he has chosen Kate; an intelligent woman who, so far , has ordered footsteps, her words and actions wisely ; as expected of a future princess.
She has not done Prince William and the Royal Family the evil of using his name and position to promote herself and her family or doing a tell "kiss and tell" interview!

This happy event will be good for the soul of this nation .
This royal wedding could make more people to get a higher appreciation of Marriage as a "fashionable and necessary" institution.
Possibly, what all the preaching in numerous Singles Seminars would have achieved in one year ; could be achieved by this one royal wedding!
Prince William and Kate Middleton have decided to set a good example by doing the right thing ,taking their relationship to the next level and about to give the world the royal wedding of the century!
A long courtship is not an option for born-again Christians who are subject to the laws of God concerning fornication , a.k.a. pre-marital sex. 1 Corinthians 6:17-20.
It is a good thing that this couple is setting a trend for singles in a culture that is rife with the wide spread disregard and phobia for marriage.
For many single and eligible persons the questions are : "what is the big deal about marriage ?"
"Why buy the cow when the milk is free?"
Marriage for many single persons , both males and females , is not an attractive option nowadays ; because they are not convinced that marriage or a lack of it , can add to or subtract from the quality of their present lives.
For many separated and divorced persons ; remarriage is a “No-No!”and for them it is " once bitten , twice shy; life is too short and one bitter experience is enough for one life time!"
Millions today , have a phobia for commitment because they are not impressed by what has happened in their own previous marriages and what they know and see happening in the marriages of their parents , families , friends and neighbours.
If you, a married person mount the moral high horse and think or say the single lifestyle is “sinful and shameful” ; the response you could get from singles would be equally scathing about married people!
"First cast out the beam out of thine own eye.....!"
Matthew 7:5 .

The length of a courtship , the social class of a couple ,the grandiose wedding venues and all elaborate wedding displays cannot guarantee the success of any marriage.
God's presence , His grace and favour upon the union and the couple's will to succeed in their marriage will ensure success and longevity.
I believe this a sound relationship and let us pray for grace for the royal couple
May they live happily ever after. Amen.

Go for it , Ann !

What would keep millions of Londoners indoors , glued to their TV sets on a Saturday night ?
Usually , Londoners are spoilt for choice of entertainment and fun , every day of the week ; especially on Friday and Saturday nights and on Sunday afternoons.
The sight of Ann Widdecombe former MP, dishing out some nifty Tango and Samba steps on the dance floor has been the crowd-puller to make millions of people to choose TV instead of heading for the excellent entertainment spots on offer all over the City on Saturday nights !
But it could have gone the other way round and Ann could have been booed off the show!
The organisers of this year’s “ Celebrity Come Strictly Dancing” took a gamble and they got it right ; spot on !


Usually , am not keen on watching competitions like “Strictly Come Dancing ”; which results are decided by public phone votes .
Firstly , I have better things to do on Saturday evenings and secondly , except on a couple of times in the past, I have not been impressed by the final results of such competitions.
I have noticed that a lot of fantastic talents in such competitions never make it to the finals of such shows and that the final winners have not always the best or the most popular in the show.

But three Saturdays ago , it was an unusual sight seeing Ann Widdecombe (Conservative Party former MP for Maidstone and the Weald 1997-2010 and member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship);
doing unusual displays on the dance floor!
Ann , the no – nonsense, fiery Lady of British politics made her entrance unto the dance stage by gliding on ropes with arms and legs spread out ; flying down from the stage ceiling to the dance floor to do a hot dance with her dance partner Anton Du Beke!
This spectacle earned her and her partner the standing ovation of millions of viewers , world-wide; as far a field as the USA and even Moscow !
The following Monday , the efforts of the distinguished MP on the dance competition soon became the talk of the town in Parliament , in offices and schools ; which made people like me who didn’t watch the original episode to watch the recorded version on BBC iPlayer , a few days later .
I laughed like never before !
What Ann lacks in dancing skills , I think she makes up for by her determination to add bring in a lot of “ va-va vroom” into the competition!
Her dancing has been of high entertainment value ; indeed! !
It has been pure fun watching Ann since and it is heart-warming that Ann has a huge public support and following which has kept in the competition ; up till last Saturday night.
That in spite of the very low marks awarded her and Anton by the judges .
Craig Revel-Horwoood , the “always-moaning judge”; do you mind ? Please show some respect and tone down your harsh criticisms of Ann’s dancing !
So far , in this year’s competition , she is the hottest favourite and many do appreciate her efforts to master the various dance steps , each week!
But can Ann win the competition ? I do not think so .
This Saturday , she has survived to dance another day in the show.
Like I said , before , these competitions provide entertainment but they are also serious business ventures , with huge profit as their ultimate purpose .
Well !What next ? What can I say ?
Until Ann leaves the show , let’s enjoy it while it lasts !
Go for it Ann! We love your spirit!

ADIDAS 2010 Women 5k Race

Once again , Hyde park , London hosted the annual Adidas Women 5k run.
This year's event took place last Sunday, 05 September 2010.
It featured over 15,000 women from allover the world ; racing to raise funds for various UK charities.
Millions of pounds were raised , even before the race started .
As usual , it was a fun-filled atmosphere for the runners and their families and friends !
For Soul-winners , it was a unique opportunity to preach the Gospel of Jesus to the thousands who thronged the venue.
Evangelical groups and individual preachers had a field day ( literally !) as they ministered the Word.
The lovely mild weather completed the beautiful atmosphere.
This year's event , as usual, was a celebrity –studded event.
In attendance were many female celebrities from the sporting , film , TV and Fashion world ; who joined the race to raise funds for their various charities.



Linet Masai of Kenya , 10,000 metres former world champion , who came 2nd last year won this year’s 5k race in 15.06 minutes.
Sylvia Kibet of Kenya and Stephanie Twell of the UK , came 2nd and 3rd in 15.10 minutes and 15.32 minutes ; respectively.
Like last year and the previous years , I joined the 5 kilometre race to support the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research .
I am impressed by the latest advances in Breast Cancer Research and I believe this Charity is doing a good work in medical research which calls for more support from all.
Testimonials about the exciting research work during the year and about how the previous years’ donations have benefited Breast Cancer research and brought about breakthrough discoveries in making positive impact on human lives can be seen on their various websites.
Donations are welcome and can be made on the Breast Cancer research Charity’s website, even after the race .
May God bless you all , for your support in helping to save lives and giving thousands of afflicted people a second chance to quality living

London Dispossessed Fund

The London Evening Standard newspaper has hit its target of raising £1million for London's dispossessed.
In an unprecedented move the money raised will now be matched by the Government. It will help hundreds of charities across the capital to make a lasting difference to the lives of the capital's dispossessed.
Thousands of readers have backed the campaign, from some of the City's biggest names to the teenager who donated his pocket money.
A total of £1.18million has been raised in just 18 working days. Taking into account gift aid donations, the total being made available to London's poorest people is more than £2million.

The fund was launched on July 20 in response to a shocking series of articles that highlighted the plight of the city's poorest people - London's Dispossessed.
Series of articles and photographs in the newspaper had revealed the continuing scandal of poverty and hopelessness, showing how four in 10 children are living below the breadline, in families who cannot afford to buy them a winter coat.
A total of 650,000 children live in poverty in London and one in four has a parent who earns the minimum wage of £5.80 an hour.

The response to these figures - and reports - was astonishing.
Prince William issued a "call to arms" and London united behind his appeal.
Amongst the generous leading donors were virtually all the members of the London " Rich List"; such as Sir Philip Green , Diane Jenkins, Peter Hendy, Lord Saatchi , Mo and Mark Constantine , Sir Terence Conran and many others.

Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to Londoners for raising the incredible sum in under four weeks.
The Prime Minister said: "This is such an impressive milestone.
"Once again I would like to congratulate the Evening Standard on this tremendous achievement. It is great news that this money will be going straight to charities that do so much to tackle poverty."
The Standard today offers its thanks to the hundreds of firms and individuals who donated, and appealed to every Londoner to keep giving.
"London is not only the greatest capital city in the world; it has now proved it is also the most generous," said Geordie Greig, editor of the London Evening Standard.
"This is a record amount of money raised in record time by a newspaper campaigning for charity. Only appeals for war-wounded and natural disaster victims have had a greater result.
"Poverty is a blight on too many lives in our city and it is wonderful that Londoners from every background and degree of wealth have given and continue to give to the Evening Standard's Dispossessed Fund."

** Donate on line to this Fund through the London Evening Standard website .

Princess Anne at 60 .

Her Royal Highness, Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise, The Princess Royal, KG., KT.
reached the milestone age of 60 today.
Here is wishing her many happy returns of the day!

Born, on August 15, 1950, the Princess Royal has being in the public eye since then as the Queen's first daughter; as a wife , mother and an active sponsor and Patron of numerous Charity Groups.
She is now acknowledged as one of the most respected and hardworking members of the Royal Family.
Asked recently, if she would at 60 ,slow down or cut down on her numerous engagements, her response was:
"Look around at the members of my family who are considerably older than me and tell me whether you think they have set an example which suggests that I might - unlikely!"
Princess Anne is among the fittest 60-year-olds in the land.
At 5ft 6ins tall, she still wears size 10 clothes and there’s not an ounce of fat on her lean figure.
Princess Anne is a passionate dog and horse lover and rides at every opportunity, like her mother .
The Princess Royal in her ceremonial uniform is a main attraction at the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony in London; when she joins the Troop to celebrate the Queen's birthday.

 

Mum is Asleep in Him !

"But I will not have you to be ignorant , brethren , concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not , even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again , even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him ".
I Thessalonians 4:13,14.

We Love you Mum !

Victims , All .

Human rights campaigners have called for compassion and amnesty for long-serving condemned prisoners who have shown remorse for their crimes and those who are deemed to be " now harmless" to the society .
However , the clamour to bring back the Death Sentence and to make life sentences actually "life" in the UK Justice System ,has become stronger by the day .
The argument for this clamour is that justice should be the human rights of the victims of crimes and their loved ones and not for the criminals.
Majority of the members of the public strongly believe that ,pardon should not be freely dispensed to the guilty who ask for it, just because they are able to present convincing arguments for their release.
To buttress these arguments are statistics confirming that, many paroled and released criminals have , indeed, gone on to commit more atrocities soon after their release!

First hand encounters with remorseful condemned "lifers", who desire a reprieve after decades of imprisonment would convince one of the need for mercy and amnesty from the State , towards these incarcerated citizens of the UK , who desire to breath the air of freedom , once again, before they die.
But after meeting with the victims of their crimes , one would be torn between these two arguments for convicts to be or not to be released and pardoned.
I have been privileged to meet and discussed with many of such victims of crimes in recent years .
One of them is Richard McCann , a victim of Peter Sutcliffe ; whose mother Wilma McCann , was the very first victim of Peter Sutcliffe , the Yorkshire Ripper.
He stabbed her 14 times in 1975!
Little Richard was just 5 years old when his mother was murdered.
The trauma of his loss has left him and his siblings scarred , for life.
I met and spoke with Richard during a seminar in Cheltenham in February, 2009; at which he was one of the guest speakers and after which he did a book signing of his best-seller: " Just A Boy - The True Story of a Stolen Childhood ".
I wrote " Amazing Grace !", a blog about that encounter with Richard ; on this website on 24th February, 2009.
After that encounter and after reading his book; I became further convinced that the real victims of crimes are not only the dead or injured actual victims but also their loved ones who are " collateral victims", who suffer and are, just as well affected by the pain and hurt caused by such crimes .
Often , not recognised are the sufferings of innocent families of the criminals. They too suffer shame and pain because of their relation to these convicts.
Some of such families have had their lives torn apart .

Outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London; Richard who had attended the court hearing , spoke to the BBC News, expressing his relief after the court ruling that the notorious serial killer must spend the rest of his life behind bars.
He described the ruling as "small justice for my mum!"
These were the words of Theresa Toth , another victim of Sutcliffe :
"I'll never forget that face !"
Then Theresa Sykes, she was 16 when she was attacked with 3 hammer blows on her head by Peter Sutcliffe , near her home in Huddersfield on Bonfire night 1980.
She was fortunate to survive and live to tell her story of the harrowing encounter with Sutcliffe.
Recently, she returned to the scene of the deadly attack with the BBC's Home Affairs correspondent, June Kelly, and recalled events of that night.
"He should never be let out, at all !", Theresa concluded.

Judge John Mitting ruled on Friday that ''early release provisions'' were not to apply in the case of the Sutcliffe , the Yorkshire Ripper.
The judge said he had based his decision on the ''moving accounts of the great loss and widespread permanent harm'' in statements by relatives of six murdered victims.
''This was a campaign of murder which terrorised the population of a large part of Yorkshire for several years,'' he said.
''The only explanation for it, on the jury's verdict, was anger, hatred and obsession. Apart from a terrorist outrage, it is difficult to conceive of circumstances in which one man could account for so many victims.
''Those circumstances alone make it appropriate to set a whole life term.''
Justice has been served to all the victims in this saga of Peter Sutcliffe Coonan.
However , like in all such cases ,the sad facts are, there are no victors.
There are only victims and wasted lives of both the criminals and their victims.
Just a long list of pathetic statistics of wasted , promising lives ; cut short in their prime.

The Prerogative of Mercy

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe will never be released from prison, a High Court judge has ruled.
An application was made by the 64-year-old to have a minimum term set to give him the chance of parole.
Many people received , with relief , the news that there will be no release for the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe.
Victims of the serial killer who had survived his attacks and the families of Peter Sutcliffe murdered victims , received the news with gratitude to the British legal system .
Sections of the society who had watched the court proceedings keenly and with bated breath were members of the public , law enforcement officers , Social Workers and other staff of the Department of Social Services.
Peter Coonan - formerly Peter Sutcliffe - is serving 20 life sentences in Broadmoor for the murders of 13 women and seven attempted murders.
Sutcliffe remains a hate figure within the Press, with much criticism of the Home Office in 2005 when it emerged he had been allowed to visit the site where his late father's ashes had been scattered.

The Yorkshire Ripper's crimes took place across the north of England between 1975 and 1980.
The murderous campaign of the then truck driver against prostitutes and young women between 1975 and 1980 sparked widespread fear until he was arrested in January 1981. He would batter women over the head with a hammer and stab them in the chest and abdomen, often mutilating them, with a knife or screwdriver.
The trial judge recommended he serve at least 30 years and he is held at Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital in south-east England.
Sutcliffe was never formally given a minimum term of imprisonment.
The original judge said he must serve a minimum of 30 years behind bars, a period that expires next year. The 64-year-old, now known as Peter Coonan, subsequently applied to have a minimum term set to give himself a chance of parole but the application was rejected.
In February 2009 the prime minister, Gordon Brown, said it was ''very unlikely'' Sutcliffe would be released.
The latest court attempt revolved around a medical report in November 2006 by Kevin Murray, who is treating Sutcliffe.
If verdicts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility had been accepted by the prosecution or returned by the jury, Sutcliffe could have been sentenced to an unlimited stay in a psychiatric hospital.

At the High Court in London, Justice Mitting said he had ''no doubt'' that the appropriate term was a whole life sentence.
The ''brutality and gravity of Sutcliffe's offences speak for themselves'', he said.
The diagnoses of psychiatrists who had considered Sutcliffe's mental condition was that he was ''suffering from encapsulated paranoid schizophrenia when he committed the crimes and that his responsibility for the 13 killings was, in consequence, substantially diminished'', the judge said.

Other condemned notorious "lifers",like Sutcliffe; who had attempted to escape the constraints of incarceration through applying to the courts for amnesty or parole ; abound world wide.
Chief amongst these in the UK are :
1.John Straffen , Britain's longest serving prisoner who spent 55 continuous years in custody. Straffen died, having never been released, in Frankland prison in November 2007.
2.Myra Hindley - The other of the Moors Murderers, Ian Brady's girlfriend and accomplice who was involved in all five murders with Brady, with two murder convictions and one as an accessory.
Hindley was given a 25-year minimum term by the trial judge, which was endorsed in 1982 by the Lord Chief Justice. Reports suggested that Hindley was rehabilitating in prison and had found religion( Christianity ) and rejected Brady and her past.
Hindley subsequently made three appeals against the whole life tariff and launched a further bid for freedom in 1996 when she had served 30 years, but all her efforts were rejected and she died in jail at the age of 60 in November 2002, less than two weeks before a law lords' ruling would probably have secured her freedom.
3.Donald Neilson (1976)-The Black Panther, so-called for his penchant for wearing a black balaclava, shot dead three postmasters during robberies in various areas of the country, then abducted a 17-year-old heiress from her Shropshire home. He attempted to ransom the heiress, but her body was found two months later in a drain in Staffordshire. In 2008, Neilson lost an appeal to have his tariff reduced to 30 years.

The urge for self-preservation is strong in any living creature ; especially in homo sapiens ,in the grip of prolonged and permanent imprisonment or imminent execution.
This urge results in the audacity of the guilty to make demands on God the Father and on the State ; seeking forgiveness and pardon for their heinous crimes.
God is impressed by such requests and he desires the audacity of the sinner who admits his sins and who boldly, asks God for forgiveness.
Hebrew 4 :14-16.
With God , mercy and forgiveness are always present and they are given full and free to the repentant sinner. Proverbs 28:13 , Isaiah 1:18,19 .
God would forgive and forget ; but not so in the physical realm .
Sometimes , the State and people are not inclined to accept remorse and audacious requests for forgiveness from serial murderers.
The repentant convict could ask for mercy but with no assurance of liberty.
"With audacity one can undertake anything, but not do everything."Napoleon Bonaparte .
The Judiciary has the power to deny or grant a convict the Prerogative of Mercy.
Since the European Court of Human Rights decision, only trial judges and the High Court have had the right to decide that a killer should never be released.
In that time, there have been more than 20 reported instances of trial judges recommending that an offender should never be released.

We give Thanks .

I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me , though he were dead , yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Believest thou this?" John 11: 25, 26.

With heavy hearts but with thanksgiving ; my family announce the glorious home - call of our Beloved Mother , grandmother and great grandmother , Mrs. Victoria Ibitayo Edgal , who slept in the Lord in her residence , on the 17th of June, 2010.
She was aged 81 years. She is survived by three daughters and three sons and dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren and scores of foster children .
Our mother , friend and confidante lived a life worthy of emulation; a life well -spent in the service of her God ,of her husband of 44 years , her children , family and her community.
Blessed art thou , O Lord of Heaven and earth for you are a giver of good gifts.
We give you praise and thanks for the blessing and privilege of having Mama in our lives and knowing her as our " Mother", for over six decades.
We thought our mom's whole purpose was to be our mom. That's how she made us feel.
Although , Mama had her own profession and hobbies, but she lived for us and our father. She lived a fulfilled and happy life being "Mom" to us all.
The most important thing a Father can do for his children is to love their mother.
Our mother was dearly loved by her husband and children.
We give thanks for the precious memories of a good Home filled with love ,laughter , joy and peace which our mother and father gave us.
Thank you, Lord for blessing us with the world's greatest mum and dad!
Glory,glory halleluyah ! For both our parents , their epitaph , forever shall be :
"I have fought a good fight , I have finished my course , I have kept the faith:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness , which the Lord , the righteous judge , shall give me at that day: and not to me only , but unto all them that love his appearing ". 2 Timothy 4 : 7-8.

The Pill at 50 .

The contraceptive pill clocked 50 years old , recently; but it is as controversial as ever.
For some , the Pill has been described as " Women's Best Friend"; while others have blamed The Pill for unleashing a devastating impact on sex and family life and the social fabric of all nations.
However,even today, around three million women in Britain are thought to take the pill to prevent pregnancy, and 100 million worldwide use the pill regularly.
By far the most popular contraceptive worldwide, with 99 per cent reliability if used correctly, the Pill has been taken by 200 million women. It is currently prescribed to 3.5 million British women, one quarter of all 16- to 49-year-olds.
Although birth control has been practised since the days of Ancient Egypt, before the advent of the Pill contraceptives were either the responsibility of men, or messy, unwieldy devices.
Archaic methods of birth control were the Withdrawal Method ,or and Total Abstinence methods which were subject to human failings and therefore, completely unreliable.
( OMG! Are there married people on Planet Earth who , still, rely on birth control methods like these!?)

Research for a “magic pill” began in 1950, driven by Margaret Sanger, an American Catholic. Sanger founded America’s first birth control clinic in 1916, after seeing her own mother die, aged 50, exhausted by 18 pregnancies.
A trained nurse, Sanger had also witnessed the dire consequences of DIY abortions.


The first Pill was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in May, 1960.
A year later, it arrived in Britain to huge anticipation, although until 1964 it was available only to married women.
Jennifer Worth, a midwife in London’s East End between 1953 and 1973, and author of the bestselling "Midwife Trilogy of Memoirs ", recalls the Pill's impact as “drastic and almost immediate”.
“Families were huge, six children was average,” she says.
“Diaphragms didn’t really work and men poured scorn on contraception, calling them ‘sissy’.
Unmarried mothers were usually disowned by their families, backstreet abortionists were thriving, and orphanages were full of illegitimate children".
“But in younger women, resentment was building. They'd had experience of the workplace during the war and wanted more out of life than the endless childbearing that had been their mothers’ lot.
As soon as they could take contraception into their own hands, they did.
Within a few years of the Pill arriving, deliveries on our wards went down from about 100 a month to five!”
The Pill's heyday came in 1974, with the introduction of free contraception.
After that, Pill usage quadrupled within five years from 9 per cent of all women to 36 per cent.
The Pill has brought diverse social changes ,into the world .
The down side of these being that the Pill has been blamed, chiefly, for the erosion of moral values, the increase in sexual promiscuity and the decline of marriage.
Raquel Welch, the actress who played a bikini-clad cave woman and had three husbands, last week blamed the contraceptive pill for the decline of marriage.
On the Pill’s 50th birthday, Welch, 69, declared that the widespread use of oral contraception had led to epidemic promiscuity. “These days nobody seems able to keep it in their pants or honour a commitment,” she bemoaned.
Those who think "It is a man's world"; affirm that women should be locked away at home. Believing that women had no role nor business being in the work place; this group has blamed the Pill for giving women freedom to pursue their dream careers.
After the advent of the Pill , over the next couple of decades, the average age for a woman to marry started rising gradually from 22 to 29 today, while the number of women in the workforce began to multiply, with its consequent impact on family life.
“The Pill didn’t trigger social change, it merely accelerated it,” says Dominic Sandbrook, author of White Heat, a social history of Britain between 1964 and 1970.
“New white-collar jobs were emerging that suited women’s capabilities, education was expanding, and for the first time women were making inroads into professions like medicine and law".
"The word "Housewife" became dirty , to career-minded women!
They used the Pill to defer marriage and babies, to explore these new opportunities, but they would have entered the workforce, Pill or no Pill,” says Dominic.

Not only were the first generation of Pill-users oblivious to the social fallout, they ignored the physical consequences brought on by huge doses of oestrogen (today’s versions of the Pill contain around eight times fewer hormones than the prototypes).
As the first medicine to be taken regularly by people who were not sick, the Pill has been blamed – among others – for causing thrombosis, devastating fish fertility and lowering female libidos.
Not all women can tolerate the hormones, some become bloated on it, some say it turns them into loonies. Some, with underlying health conditions, are not suitable at all. You have to prescribe the right type of Pill for the right woman.

Yet statistics show taking the Pill is still far less risky then either pregnancy or childbirth. A recent 40-year study of 46,000 women showed Pill-users live longer and are less likely to die prematurely of all sorts of ailments, including various cancers and heart disease, than women who had never taken it.
Despite the increased prescription of hormonal “implants” such as uterine coils or skin patches, the Pill remains a doctors’ favourite.
Consultant gynaecologist Tina Cotzias calls it “absolutely great”.
“The Pill has real benefits, which all gynaecologists love, and most women will be very happy on it,” she says. “It regulates menstrual flow, makes periods less painful, minimises ovarian cysts and offers symptomatic relief from conditions like endometriosis".
But what of our moral fabric, as so bewailed by Ms Welch?
Jennifer Worth laughs. “That’s an outrageous statement. The Pill saved far more marriages, by reducing the pressure on women. It certainly saved millions’ mental and physical health.”
For the Pill,today, it remains a win-win situation because when viewed from either side of the debate for and against the Pill; there is the privilege of choice for all women.
Due to health and religious reasons for some women, the pill is not an option .
Thankfully for those who cannot use the Pill, alternative forms of reliable contraceptives are widely available in their myriad presentations and methods.
These are freely dispensed in the hundreds of thousands of Family Planning and Birth Control Clinics which dot the land.
Indeed, millions of women all through five decades , do have a lot of reasons to appreciate the advent of the Pill.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 2010 .

The 2010 RHS Chelsea flower show held in Chelsea gardens , London from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th May .
For two days,I was part of the 700,000 large crowd, which thronged the venue.
London has been having weeks of beautiful summer weather .
This enabled us to enjoy the sights and atmosphere of the world's best flower show. As usual , this years' presentations at Chelsea were beautiful and spectacular !
The Gold medal was won by The Daily Telegraph Gardens, designed by Alan Sturgeon.

Apple iPad UK Launch

Apple launched their lastest telecom garget, the iPad,in the UK ,on Friday,May 21st. The much-awaited launch was another exciting day for London shoppers !
Crowds of thousands of expectant buyers stood in long queues for over 16 hours , some overnight, outside Apple Stores in Regent Street , London .

The Desirable Apple iPad .



The iPad has been warmly welcomed here with unprecedented UK demand !
200,000 iPads were sold on the first day and the demand for this latest must-have gadget is still very high in the UK,even days after its launch.
Anybody who thought the iPad's hefty UK price tag meant it was going to fail on these shores has already been proved wrong.
The Wi-Fi-only iPad starts out at £429 for the 16GB version, then goes up to £499 for the 32GB and £599 for the 64GB. These iPads and their apps are being grabbed up , fast.
However,the good news is, PC World and Curry's ,have assured their customers that many of their stores, all over London , have at least ten iPAD each ,left in stock.
So,if like me ,you couldn't be bothered to queue up for it ,hurry and grab one now!

The huge crowd in front of Apple's stores , Regents Street, London ; at the launch.



On the queue and watching a slide show of the new iPad , before the store opened


Jake, 17, queued all night , to be the first person to get his Ipad !

Celebrity Guest appearance by actor Stephen Fry

Emma , gleeful to be one of the first people to emerge from the huge crowd inside the store with her new Ipad !

World Tallest Couple, complete with bridal wear , grabbing their copies .

Apple Store Glass Staircase , London.

The long queue of patient hopefuls !

The Beauty in Power

Events of the recent weeks, as the Election Day in Great Britain , draws closer ; bring into sharp focus the beauty and glory in bestowing the privilege of choice on the citizens of any nation.
It is only in a place like Great Britain where democracy is allowed to thrive and the citizen rights are respected that the Prime Minister would "condescend" to walk on the street and speak to ordinary people . Even to the extent of apologising to a "mere woman" whose opinions he had condemned as "bigotry"!
I shudder to think what the security forces of some countries would have done to her ; for "daring to ask" the PM any such question!

There is POWER in the ability to be able to make choices , without coercion or fears; to be free to choose leaders who you think are the most qualified leaders to entrust with yours and your country’s destiny.
The politicians' knowledge that the people do have the power to make choices and have the final say in effecting numerous changes ; has made the various politicians eager to court and to please the electorate .
This is the beauty in having a choice .
It bestows power and glory on the citizens who have that choice .

Using the power of decision gives you the capacity to get past any excuse to change any and every part of your life in an instant.
Anything short of this ability to choose freely is akin to the crime of rape of the citizens.
It is an unjust and sad situation for any citizen to be robbed of this God-given power.
In every decent society , the right to choose is given to the citizens as their fundamental human right; undeniable and non-negotiable.
The only persons who are not given the right to exercise this freedom
of choice are juveniles or persons of unsound minds.
Persons of unsound mind are deemed to be incapable and unqualified to make decisions about their own lives and about anything in general.
Children , imbeciles and mentally deranged persons are in this group of persons whose rights to make choices are curtailed and restricted by law and by general public opinion.

When a human being has been stripped of the power to make decisions as to his or her preferred choices , then that person is reduced to the level of mindless juveniles and persons of unsound mind.
When leaders of nations accord their citizens their rightful PRIVILEGE TO CHOOSE between the various Manifestos of the numerous political parties ; such leaders are saying two vital things about themselves, about their integrity and about their future plans for the populace.
One , they are saying they acknowledge and respect the CITIZEN’S ABILITY and INTELLIGENCE to be able to use THEIR SOUND JUDGEMENT to make their own decisions and two ; such leaders are saying they DO have something GOOD and DESIRABLE to offer their country.
Where leaders are on a self-serving mission and do not have the interest of the citizens at heart, they would ensure that such citizens are stripped of the power to choose or remove the leaders.

When a “god “ has nothing good to offer its worshippers; nothing to offer, except sugar-coated deceit and death, he delegates his demonic agents to employ the weapons of fear and threats of death to perpetuate an evil grip and to keep his followers in check and "faithful";thereby heading straight to the Lake of Fire !
If you are offering someone honey , which is regarded, universally, as sweet , desirable and healthy , you need not force or threaten human beings before they would, joyfully accept it , eat it and lick their fingers.
It is when people know that what they are offering is NOT GOOD ENOUGH and it is COMPLETE DECEPTION; then they resort to election rigging, to coercion and threats to life and properties to compel acceptance from the general public.

Democracy is built on the Christian ideals of FREE CHOICE .
That is why democracy CANNOT be accepted and it would not flourish in lands and societies which were not built on Christian ideals of the “ governmental love and care of the people , by the people and for the people”.
Whatever the present unfavourable values in the British society; it is on record that the political , welfare and legal systems of this great nation are based on the laws of God ; as stated in the Holy Bible.
We thank God that there are nations , very few of them ; still left on earth where democracy is allowed to thrive.
Great Britain is one of them and as such , she has become a beacon of Hope and Refuge to millions of people world –wide, who would do anything and say anything; just to be allowed to come in and enjoy a share of the dividends of true democracy.

All over the world , we see and hear of nations where the citizens are being “raped “, daily , in every way; because they have been robbed of their power to choose their leaders and , inevitably , denied the “PEOPLE POWER” to choose their own destinies.
Citizens are dehumanised and disrespected when they are disposed of the power to choose their own destinies through free and fair elections.
In such fake democracies , the governments in power are there because they are the most accomplished riggers of elections , not because they are the people’s choice.
This system of government by election riggers is a VERY PAINFUL rape and insult on the intelligence of the citizens of any nation .
Rape , in whatever form, is not only painful , its very destructive to the human psyche and it is UNACCEPTABLE to God.

When a group of unqualified and merciless individuals gang-up and force their odious selves on the disenfranchised populace of any nation ; such leaders and their generations will be judged; not only by posterity but by God ; whether they believe in God’s judgement or not.
In such situations anarchy and despondence are the order of the day.
Denying citizens to choose freely who leads them is an unwise invitation for diverse problems in the society.
When you dehumanise others you murder your own sleep.

Thank You Lord !

Sports Relief Mile Run - 2010

The Sports Relief Mile Run 2010 took place at various venues around the U.K. to round up the Sport Relief weekend 19th to 21st March ; to raise funds for charities in and outside the country. Over 165,000 runners participated.
As at last night , a total amount of £31,633,091 had been raised.

There were slots of 1, 3, and 6 miles runs at the various venues.
I was at the Victoria Embankment venue , in London.

 

Some of the famous faces at the Run:
Christine Ohuruogu (800 metres World Champion and Olympic Gold Medallist)
and , below left: the "King", Daley Thompson ( Decathlon - Serial World Champion and Olympic Gold Medallist )

 

Guess Who! The Conservative Party Leader.

 

Becks and Smithy!