After writing in the last blog that nothing surprises me here in Moscow what happened yesterday but a woman got on the bus I was travelling on and she had a pet mink on a lead!
I had to take a photograph because I'd been out for a few beers with my friend Adam and knew that otherwise I would wake up in the morning and imagine I had dreamt it. Sorry it's a poor quality photo - I'd had a few beers by then. In the photo it doesn't look real but I assure you it was wriggling and squirming and was very much alive.
Two events worthy of note from yesterday's entry on the BBC History on this day site. Firstly, on 15th February 1971 decimal currency was introduced into UK. Our much loved pounds, shillings and pence currency where 12 pennies = 1 shilling and 20 shillings = £1 was scrapped for 100p = £1. No more half-crowns, sixpences, threepenny bits, ha'pennies and farthings. Guineas (21 shillings) are still quoted in the pricing and sale of livestock at auction although the actual transaction is in pounds. I remember the conversion well because just as I was getting used to the new currency I was sent to Cyprus for a 6-month deployment with the United Nations and had to quickly get used to the Cyprus pound.
The other noteworthy event was that on 15th February 1989 the last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan. Won't be long now before the last American soldiers (and the other troops of the multi-national force) leave. I wonder how long before the Taliban are completely back in power.
For my video this morning I include the 1983 film Gorky Park with John Hurt and Lee Marvin. A great film, and there is a link to the mink which you will discover if you watch it.
I had to take a photograph because I'd been out for a few beers with my friend Adam and knew that otherwise I would wake up in the morning and imagine I had dreamt it. Sorry it's a poor quality photo - I'd had a few beers by then. In the photo it doesn't look real but I assure you it was wriggling and squirming and was very much alive.
Two events worthy of note from yesterday's entry on the BBC History on this day site. Firstly, on 15th February 1971 decimal currency was introduced into UK. Our much loved pounds, shillings and pence currency where 12 pennies = 1 shilling and 20 shillings = £1 was scrapped for 100p = £1. No more half-crowns, sixpences, threepenny bits, ha'pennies and farthings. Guineas (21 shillings) are still quoted in the pricing and sale of livestock at auction although the actual transaction is in pounds. I remember the conversion well because just as I was getting used to the new currency I was sent to Cyprus for a 6-month deployment with the United Nations and had to quickly get used to the Cyprus pound.
The other noteworthy event was that on 15th February 1989 the last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan. Won't be long now before the last American soldiers (and the other troops of the multi-national force) leave. I wonder how long before the Taliban are completely back in power.
For my video this morning I include the 1983 film Gorky Park with John Hurt and Lee Marvin. A great film, and there is a link to the mink which you will discover if you watch it.
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