Songs for washing hands

Two times 'Happy Birthday to you' or any of these variants (work in progress)

Happy Birthday to you
Squashed tomatoes and stew
Bread and butter in the gutter
Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you
I hope that's just flu...
There's corona in Verona
And Basingstoke too.

Hampshire Rugby Clubs map - updated

I've now updated my Google map of Hampshire Rugby Clubs (link) for the 2012-13 season. It's based on the latest Hampshire RFU handbook and should include all Hampshire RFU member and associate clubs, and schools.

The general rule is that associate clubs with no ground listed are not shown on the map, so this leaves out Rugby-based charities that are associate members of Hampshire RFU. However, you can find out about their activities through these links:

• Rugby For Heroes RFC 
• Wooden Spoon RFC

I've parted company with the handbook over the ground for University of Southampton Solent, which I refereed last season at the Hardmoor Sports Ground, opposite Trojans, rather than at Southampton RFC.

The map also includes Farnham RUFC's new clubhouse and grounds, officially opened by Lord Coe on Sunday 2nd December. It's at Wilkinson Way, Monkton Lane, Farnham GU9 9ND - off the A325, not very far from Sainsburys.

Hampshire Rugby Clubs

Just updated my map of Hampshire Rugby Clubs (link) from the Hampshire RFU handbook for the 2011-12 season.  Changes are:

• All mainland and IoW clubs that are full members of Hampshire RFU should now have full address and postcode (for SatNav purposes)
• One missing club (Les Quennevais) has been added
• I've tried to put them in alphabetical order but can't get this to stick.  Google maps seems to shuffle them back to a random order (or maybe the order of original creation) next time you open the map

I'll do the Channel Island clubs, schools and associate members as soon as I can.  There are a number of new associates, which I've noted but not yet added.  Beeches RFC seems to lack a location so I can't stick it on a map.  Please advise of any other errors or omissions. 

Bloody hell

Why is it so difficult, even in the age of Google, to find the answer to a simple question such as when I can get blood taken for an NHS blood test ordered by my GP?  Last time, he told me to go to Frimley Park Hospital, on my way to work, so as not to lose half a day's productivity.  Frimley Park reluctantly took the sample, saying I should really have been directed to the new Aldershot Centre for Health.

Now it's time to go again.  The Aldershot Centre for Health looks excellent, judging by the pictures on the web.  It's apparently the largest primary health centre in the UK, according to its nice little brochure that also identifies what floor has what service.  But nowhere can I find the opening hours for the phlebotomy/pathology (blood test) service.  The NHS Hampshire web site has a search facility but searches like 'blood test', 'blood test hours', 'blood test opening', 'pathology', and so on either take you to a list of policy documents, screening information, or the 'What's on site at Aldershot Centre for Health' page - which doesn't give any hours (and also lacks a map).  This really could and should be improved.

Hampshire Rugby Clubs

Just updated my Google Map of Hampshire Rugby Clubs with the changes that I'm aware of for the season 2009-10.

The map includes

• Member Clubs of Hampshire RFU including the Channel Island clubs


• Associate Clubs of Hampshire RFU


• Associate Schools


• non-Hants clubs that play in Hampshire leagues or merit tables.

Please let me know if you spot any errors or omissions.

Speed limits

Driving along the A31 from Winchester to Alton, you pass through the village of Four Marks. It made me chuckle one day when someone had added 'out of 10' at the bottom of the sign. The A31 is an old coaching and trunk road. It used to be three lanes wide for much of its length, and in Four Marks, even wider.

For obvious safety reasons, in the built-up area, the main road was restricted to 40 miles per hour. Until recently. It's now a 30 mph limit all the way through the village (it feels like two miles), even at those parts where there's a separate service road so that local traffic and pedestrians can be kept away from through traffic.

This is one of the fruits of the Village 30 initiative. Hampshire County Council quotes revised Government guidance on setting speed limits states that "villages should have comparable speed limits to similar roads in urban areas" meaning that a 30mph limit should be the norm in villages. ("Setting Local Speed Limits", Department for Transport Circular 01/2006).

Since people like to build houses, for convenience, within easy reach of main roads, many parts of the main road network in Hampshire will meet the criterion of 20 houses within 600 metres.

Yes, there are places that need 30 mph limits. In the past, these have been set in built-up areas, which have street lighting, narrower roads, pavements, etc. The safety reasons are clear and compelling. Indeed, in residential areas, the 20 mph sign is becoming a common sight.

Now the 30 limit can be anywhere that has just enough houses, 24 x 7, 365 days a year. Journey times will increase by a third (or even more where a 50 mph is reduced to a 30). 39 villages had this change in the last quarter of 2008, another 79 in 2009. For heaven's sake. Is this another attempt by Brown's nanny state to kill the countryside?

Hampshire Rugby Clubs

The headline of this article links to a Google map with all of the Hampshire RFU member Rugby Clubs plus associate members and associate schools. It includes Channel Island clubs, and so far as I can make it, it's comprehensive; some details are elusive.