The December solstice happens at the same instant for all of us, everywhere on Earth. This year the solstice occurs on Wednesday December 21st at 10:44 GMT (Universal time). The winter solstice happens every year when the Sun reaches its most southerly declination of -23.5 degrees. In other words, when the North Pole is tilted furthest – 23.5 degrees – away from the Sun, delivering the fewest hours of sunlight of the year. The Winter Solstice is the most important day of the year at Stonehenge and a truly magical time to be there. It's an ad hoc celebration that brings together England's New Age Tribes (neo-druids, neo-pagans, Wiccans) with ordinary families, tourists, travelers and party people - 100's of them! For many the impulse to arrive at Stonehenge in time for the Solstice is a little like all those people drawn to the strange rock in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It's akin to a spiritual experience. Anyone who has witnessed the crowd become silent as the sky begins to brighten can attest to that. Do you have a strange urge,are you feeling drawn to do something a little strange tomorrow. Well can you believe it,the winter solstice is nearly here,another exciting day,when you can let your hair down. Do a little dance perhaps,dress up or visit Stonehenge even and really celebrate. Everything you need to know,including video. And a countdown clock. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/0/winter-solstice-2016-shortest-day-year-time/

Well i have never seen anything like it. I have been watching the weather models like a hawk.For a week or so. Not one of them is sure what is going to happen. I watched one weather presenter very experienced guy,even say so on the BBC. However one thing seems to becoming clearer,it is not going to be like last year.All the Atlantic storms rolling in one after another. This could be a winter to remember. I enjoy the storms as being a beachcomber this is when i collect many things from the shoreline. But understand it is hell for others. Latest is that we could have a winter like we have not had for quite a while. But this is just beginning to surface far away from our shores. Amazing what can affect our tiny island. The weather models at the moment are very good entertainment. So what else is there to say. Well i have bought a sleigh and a snow shovel.And put a small bet on snow for Christmas. Also have my barbecue and leopard skin bikini nearby just in case. What do you think is going to happen this winter. This is where i hang out in winter just in case you want to check things out. If you are a weather lover read a few pages back,perhaps a week if you have time,strap yourself in and enjoy the banter. And the weather models.A right old battle taking place. Check out how disappointed some get when the cold suggestions evaporate but then get excited as things change again. https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/86580-model-output-discussions-06z-041116/?page=176

Old Tawnyowl here with entrepreneurial adventure number 966. For various reasons,a small heart attack a while ago and i suppose slowly aging i had to change my life around. Could not do what i used to do.It hurts a little but just the way,i miss my life in the construction industry and the people and customers i met.To myself it was fun and looked forward to going to work each day for many hours. I find now after a few hours i have a little pain,probably due to the medication.Hospital and doctors says i am ok. At the time i did not go on the sick but struggled on after coming out of hospital,not one of my better ideas. Developed another small ailment that trapped nerves in my back and shoulder and had no choice but to go on the sick. Ended up at the medical centre for a assessment as many do.Being chirpy despite a little pain i received 0 point,fit to work. I wanted to work,many of us have that drive,it feels good to have a little money for lifes essentials. Such as food,warmth,heating,and perhaps if lucky a outing or two. My small business at the time was one of the top reviewed in the country,and no trickery could take place,things were checked carefully. Anyway after ending up at the job centre the week universal credit arrived in town i was accepted. Just did not seem to fit in,tried telling them about my ailments,not to avoid work but to find something that fitted to my new life.Say maybe 4 or five hours a day.I feel in all honesty i would be tricking employers applying for many jobs as i would be found out. Do you want to be a Kitchen Porter,a Taxi Driver,a Tram driver,Conductor. Nothing wrong with those jobs but knew i would not cope and maybe the medical for some would find me out. And my mind is funny ,i worry about what ifs.The idea of a weakened heart and moving the public about things like that. Hundreds were applying anyway,younger,fitter and correct for the jobs. I got along with the staff,not all of them but most.But just did not fit in it felt that way anyway. Nobody seemed to listen. Finally the greatest idea came,would you like to be a security guard perhaps,go on a course get a card. You felt obliged to apply for any job which is the way i suppose.If you do not all hell could descend on you. There is no doubt i felt intimidated and just walked out feeling absolutely useless.After enrolling. Excuse me sir would you not mind grappling with me i have a heart condition and please do not hit me with that bottle you have just nicked,my blood is a little thin,never mind chasing anyone thoughts were going round my head. I saw some sad things that people this day and age should not be going through. Phoned them up before the course and said i am off to take a chance. You cannot do that you need to see a adviser specially trained for self employment,a business plan and god knows what else.Fair enough for younger ones who have no experience and young but i am approaching 61 and have a little experience gained over 40 years. Which before i go on any longer i will have to mention my thoughts of a Basic Income for all. Many things will have to be ironed out but seems a idea fit for today,never mind the future. A idea whose time has come. A thread discussing this idea for those that like a good read perhaps with a few laughs.Not all is serious. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?461005-Basic-Income-Guarantee-Do-You-Like-The-Idea-Any-Views-Have-Your-Say. Now where was i up to i have lost track. It was now a few years since the old heart decided to give me a shock and slowly had started propagating and collecting things over these years with a rough plan. To set up a online business and the odd car boot and sell a few things. Registered with the tax man and away i went.It had to work or else. Maybe a year now. I know perhaps this seems a little funny but here are my adventures in car booting for those that have not read it. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?464368-Car-Boots-Dealers-Stories-People-i-meet-and-more-you-can-join-in.Your-story. Now this is what i am doing.You have to be pretty tough in business,so many ups and downs. My idea online is to probe away,looking for weaknesses in things i know about,like certain plants.And other things.Online and who is selling them and then try to get a market share.As big as possible with stock you have.And at a fair price with reasonable postage costs. It is funny if that is the word watching them watching me trying to outmaneuver me,Cockneys,and people from around the country wanting their share which is right.I know i am having a little effect. One line has now reached a,do not laugh,perhaps up to around 20 pound a week with much more potential next year. So obviously i am now probing elsewhere.trying things,trying to beat my competitors,checking things out,looking for weaknesses in my competitors as in my plant business. But with larger potential. Get perhaps 15 lines selling reasonable and you can see ,well in my lifestyle i will be like a contented cat. So this is where your expertise comes in for those selling online wherever. I know we do not like giving away places where things are selling well. But have you noticed some online sites weakening and people moving to other places. Things change so fast nowadays. Any tips for businesses who are just getting going,perhaps setting up your own website to cut costs a little. Where are the up and coming areas to try.The places to open a website and how.Not everyone knows and could save days making mistakes when time is so important. I have written so much now i do not know where i started from. Hope it makes a little sense. Bye for now. Tawnyowl.

Is something happening that we do not know about. Three people i know have said,one in Yorkshire and 2 in Lancashire who do not communicate with each other have heard strange unexplained noises from the sky. A loud humming,whining noise. Rumbling,not storms in the distance.Not tinnitus,going on for ages.A mixture of sounds. Are we chasing UFOS about perhaps.You cannot pinpoint it,it is everywhere it seems. I had better leave it there or else you may send the people with white coats to my house. Just wondering.

Wherever you are i hope you enjoy your party tonight. Paid for hopefully by your boss. Meant to put this on this morning,oh well better late than never. Many will already be out there.So i am off,it may go quiet in here as the night progresses. Would really like to know tomorrow when you recover how it went. Bet there will be many interesting tales to tell. Tonight is when drink sales hit their peak on the biggest office party night of the year - how do you survive it? Will it be a mad Friday. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/12057746/How-to-survive-Booze-Black-Friday.html Why 'Mad Friday' leads to 'Dry January' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35129990 Booze calculator: What's your drinking nationality? In the month of December alcohol consumption increases as many people celebrate the festive season. In particular, the last Friday before Christmas - popularly known as "mad Friday" in the UK - can be the moment when many drink to excess. But how does your drinking measure up to the average in countries around the world? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30500372 Says i measure up to Kuwait-he-he What country does your drinking measure up to? For those in Wales. Live Black Friday updates from across Wales on parking, travel, shopping, Christmas parties... and jumpers! http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/live-black-friday-updates-across-10620336 From the North East. Live updates and pictures as people hit the bars of Newcastle for pre-Christmas festive fun on Black Eye Friday, the biggest night out of the year http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/black-eye-friday-newcastle-live-10618815 Live: Mad Friday in Manchester http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/live-mad-friday-manchester-pictures-10622117 Mad Friday in Liverpool live: updates from the big Christmas night out http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/mad-friday-liverpool-live-updates-10615149

Man rescues fox and finds his new best friend (VIDEO) Read more at http://www.dogheirs.com/george/posts/1632-man-rescues-fox-and-finds-his-new-best-friend-video#iZpGPJDHBpTUi9hk.99 There are two videos,one showing Foxy boy having his bath and being blow dried. Likes looking his best. A day in Foxy Boys life. Jack he is called. I have taken quite a liking to Jack the Fox and his owner. Feel free to post pictures of your best animal friend.Pet or wild one you have befriended perhaps. Then anytime you like you can come back here and remember your friend. Days,weeks,months,years later perhaps. Looking forward to seeing your friends. Feel maybe many are wanting to post pictures and are out there in webland. Somewhere in the world. Just register here and off you go.Come to the Bear Garden tell us your story.A picture perhaps. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/register.php

Sadly my mother passed away in December of last year. It was very sudden and very unexpected. For my birthday in the October before, she gave me a Peace lilly, I love plants. After my mother passed, I didnt really take care of my plants very well, especially the peace lilly, in fact I didnt look after anything too well. However, my plants carried on thriving, including my peace lilly and one day noticed that it had a bud struggling up out of the withered looking leaves. So I decided then that I should do something about it and gathered up all my plants, re potted them gave them all a new lease of life, hoping that they would survive. Im happy to say they have, all of them are healthy looking plants now. I was sitting here today, just thinking of my mum as I often do every day. My mum loved butterflies, she often included them in her poetry and had little ornaments and broaches of them around her home. I looked over at the peace lilly and wondered how the new buds were coming along, I noticed that a strange white shape was poking up through the leaves so went to take a closer look. To my surprise the struggling bud that I had first seen had taken on a very strange shape. As I turned the pot round I could see that the flower had taken on the shape of a white butterfly as you can see here; A message from my mother perhaps that she is at peace? who knows, but I have to say that I have found this most comforting. Just thought I would share this with you all and let you make up your own minds. Perhaps some one may know why my lilly has taken on such a strange shape.

First of all hello, just recently found the forum. Oh, I have been so so silly. I bought a caravan on HP in 2008 over 60 months, last year I sold the caravan and didn't get enough for it to pay off all the loan. I know now that I shouldn't have done this, that I could have let them take it back as I'd paid half the loan. I feel so stupid, but I really didn't know this, and I didn't realise I couldn't sell it on either. I've made such a big mistake. I have never defaulted on the loan payments, I'm still just about managing to pay everything I owe (there are other debts too) but it's tough as I'm a single widowed mum with two kids and I"m a full time student, so just about manage to meet payments by using my student loan etc too. If anyone has any advice how best to manage this and get myself out of this pickle I'd appreciate it. I'm a bit scared now I know I could be prosecuted for selling the caravan with outstanding hp, I have no idea where it is now.