Deteriorating Television

 Monday. 8.40 a.m. Yet another sunny and warm morning. I don't mind it being sunny, but when it's too hot, I am not so keen.

Why has television in this country become so dire? At one time, you could spend most of the evening enjoying a really wide range of programs. You could start at around 4.30 with some sort of children's programme, ranging from Jackanory, Blue Peter, Vision On, and Magpie, ITV's answer to Blue Peter, and then move on at around 5.45-5.50 to The Magic Roundabout. That was a sort of bridge between the children's programmes and the adult world of the Six O'clock News. Then, Nationwide, a sort of mixture of stories from around the British regions, the serious and not-so-serious. Then, around 7.30, a sitcom, aimed at the whole family. These ranged from anything with June Whitfield and Terry Scott in, or Richard Briers, in 'The Good Life.' Then, 'Dad's Army', which is still as popular as ever, some 50 years since its first broadcast. 

At around 9 o'clock there might be a documentary or a drama. The BBC was always good at drama, whether it be an adaptation of a classic novel or something with a social comment, such as the strand 'Play for Today' or 'The Wednesday Play', with writers such as Dennis Potter or Alan Bennet providing scripts or directors such as Ken Russell or Mike Leigh putting in the necessary spade work. Some of these plays could be quite controversial, such as Up The Junction or Kathy Come Home. Several series of dramas by Dennis Potter were produced, such as 'The Singing Detective' or' Pennies From Heaven.' Then BBC 2 opened in the early 1960s. This bought what they liked to term 'alternative' programming', in contrast to the more mainstream stuff shown on BBC1. So, we got such things as 'Late Night Line Up' which had Joan Bakewell as one of it's presenters and featuring late night discussion. Joan Bakewell was described as 'A thinking man's crumpet' apparently said by Frank Muir, who, with his writing partner, Denis Norden, appeared in a BBC 2 panel game which rand for years, called 'Call My Bluff.' BBC 2 produced the 26-part adaptation of the John Galsworthy series of novels, 'The Forstye Saga' which, although probably the last big dramas to be made in black and white, can be said to be the grandfather of such serials as 'Upstairs, Downstairs' and much later 'Downton Abbey, both on ITV during the 1960s and 1970s. BBC 2 also had comedy by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, fresh from the success of their comedy review 'Beyond The Fringe', called 'Not Only, But Also.' It was also from'Beyond The Fringe' that the remaining pair, Alan Bennett and Jonathan Miller, went on to either write or direct. Miller did a rather self indulgent adaptations of 'Alice In Wonderland', which was never intended for a children's audience. Downstairs', 'Downton Abbey' and a range of crime serials, from 'Morse' through to 'Broadchurch' and 'Grantchester. A really big serial came in around 1981, 'Brideshead Revisited.' Based on the Evelyn Waugh novel. It had a great cast, which included Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews, Laurence Olivier, Diana Quick and John Gielgud, with Castle Howard in Yorkshire standing in for Brideshead. It was very lavish and not the type of series that would be made now, because of the cost of production and wouldn't be a fit for how ITV has now become.

In around 1982, Channel 4 came along. It was intended to be an alternative to the mainstream channels and to not pander to ratings. A great deal of imaginative and original material, not seen elsewhere. Channel 4 was what's known as a 'publisher' channel. It doesn't make it's own programmes, but commissions programming from independent producers.

In the early 1989s,  along came Sky television, beamed into homes via satellite. Eventually it developed into a multichannel platform, with sport being the main selling point. Then, the analogue television system was closed down and digital television came in. As a result, the number of channels increased considerably. The BBC had BBC1 and 2, then BBC 3 was introduced, aimed at a youth audience and BBC 4, for more cultured programming. ITV had its main channel, imaginatively called ITV 1 and then 2, 3, 4  etc, all of which were very much the same as each other, although I think there must have been some sort of difference. Then there was UKTV, a sort of hybrid channel, partly owned by the BBC's commercial arm and Thames Television. It has since been fully owned by the BBC. It shows a good deal of original programming, but mostly its reruns of BBC shows and quite a few from independent production companies. UKTV (now, imaginatively called simply 'U'.) has a portfolio of channels, Gold, Dave, Eden etc.

Then, in the early 2000s, along came streaming, with BBCi Player, Netflix, Disney+ and a host of other services, enabling the viewer to watch television programmes whenever they wanted, without having to wait for the next episode in most cases, as all episodes of some shows were uploaded, so, if you wanted to, you could 'binge' watch an entire season one after the other.

As things are at the time of writing, it looks as if traditional 'linear' television has had its day. 

Saturday evenings in the 1960s were really great, from what I recall. There was Grandstand during the afternoon, which then got replaced by a children's show of some sort. Basil Brush or Jim'll Fix it. Then Doctor Who. Later in the evening there would be some sort of entertainment show, starring Cilla Black, Val Doonican or Lulu. A huge hit would be 'The Two Ronnies' starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. These were termed 'light entertainment' and made up quite a large portion of the schedule on not only BBC1, but ITV and Channel 4.

On a Sunday, at teatime, there was always a classic novel adaptation. Charles Dickens was a favourite. 'Great Expectations' being a novel which was adapted several times. The BBC did 'Play of The Month' on Sunday evenings, and you could expect very well mounted and acted productions of plays by Shaw, J.M. Barrie, Wilde, Chekov and Ibsen.

ITV had 'Game For A Laugh', '3,2,1', 'Blind Date, 'Upstairs, Downstair', and a whole range of successful programmes.

Generally, the television we had, with only three channels and, possibly four, when Channel Four came along, was relatively good. That was it. You couldn't record until the first cassette recorders came along, There were two systems, Betamax and VHS. These came in around 1975. So, with such a machine you could 'time shift' a programme, so you could watch it later or even keep it. We now have, since broadband Internet has become so prevalent, streaming of programmes is now possible. 'Catch-up' in the sense, that if you missed an episode of your favourite show, you could use streaming to watch it. 

So, what do we have today? More channels than ever before. Digital has meant we can have more or less countless channels. Freeview, which seems to be the main service in Britain for television, keeps on adding new channels to its platform.  If you sign up to any of the streaming services, such as Disney+ or Netflix, you can watch programming which is exclusive to those services.

I know I have waffled a bit here. Sorry about that. What I am endeavouring to say is, our television in this country used to be far better than it is now. We seemed to have a much wider choice, even with only 3 or 4 channels. Someone said, I think it might have been Margaret Thatcher, that with privatisation of utilities (and possibly with television) choice would be better. It doesn't look like it now. Television has lost any sense of imagination. Each day is identical to the next. Programmes are 'stripped' across the schedules, with the same programmes on each day at the same time. There are endless programmes on the same subject, such as gardening, antiques, homes for sale. Game shows proliferate, with some days one after another and at the same time across channels (Pointless is on BBC1, with The Chase on ITV at the same time. We get endless 'who dunnits', police procedurals, some of which are what I would term 'soft', some with a comic edge, such as 'Father Brown.' Beautifully written, acted and directed, but a bit predictable. Perhaps that's what a lot of people want.

The fact is, with only four channels, there was more money to spend on programmes. The BBC had the licence fee and the commercial channels had advertising revenue. With the possibility that the licence could be abandoned all together (it has never been fully discussed, how it could be funded after the current charter runs out. Possibly a subscription service? Paid for out of taxation? Seems unlikely.) Now, in the present financial state of the country, fewer and fewer people are paying the licence fee and preferring to only rely on the streaming services. Also, the 18-30 age group rarely watch any BBC channels, and if they do watch BBC material, it is through catch-up, such as iPlayer.

The rate of technical progress in the media industry, driven by the internet, as well as other factors, have changed the broadcasting landscape dramatically over the last couple of decades. The BBC hasn't kept up with these changes entirely successfully. Yes, they have websites, iPlayer and use digital recording equipment, but the idea of what is called broadcast television, that is, a schedule of television programmes which are broadcast via transmitter and shown one after the other. Or, if you like, traditional television. As I was growing up, this what I was used to. Once a programme was broadcast, that was it. You might get a repeat broadcast at a later date, but this was very rare, Even today, such programmes as 'Dad's Army' and 'Fawlty Towers' gets repeated on the main television channels. But now, with streaming, you can watch programmes whenever and however you like. There are free services, such as BBC iPlayer,  funded by the television licence. and others which are free and have advertising and sponsorship, such as the unimaginatively named 'U', formerly known as UKTV, as well as Channel 5 and Channel 4, although 4 has a paid subscription service without advertising.

The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 can hardly compete with the streaming platforms, as regards budgets. A show such as 'The Crown' had a massive budget, somewhere in the region of £100 million. For that they could afford lavish sets, locations all around the country and the world, a first-class cast of actors. The traditional channels would never be able to afford that sort of budget for a series, even though it ran for six seasons.

ITV and the other terrestrial channels are loosing advertising revenue, partly due to advertising budgets being cut, but also because advertisers prefer to spend elsewhere, such as social media.

So, in conclusion, how is the landscape going to change? Is the BBC going to have to loose the television license? How will it be funded in the future? Are we going to loose the big budget dramas which were so brilliant in the past? It used to be a highlight of the autumn schedules to have a classic adaptation at one time, but perhaps they've run out of Jane Austen novels to adapt.  

As regards the television licence, which is currently £174.50, which actually pays for radio as well, not just the main stations, such as Radio1,2,3 and 4, but many digital stations as well as local radio stations. But as regards television, we do seem to get less from far more, so I'm not sure about being value for money. 

A New Day, A New Dawn!

 Tuesday. 6.20 a.m. What a cliché! I couldn't resist today's post title. I think I will see if I can find as many as possible to use as post titles.

Thursday. 8.20 a.m. Yet another hot day. My digital thermometer currently reads 28ºC. The  BBC Breakfast weather forecast came from a lavender field somewhere in the Cotswolds. Today may very well become the hottest day so far this year.

The results of the bowel cancer screening test came back yesterday. Nothing to report, thankfully, and next time I have to do a test I will have to ask my doctor if I can have one, for some weird reason. Probably because, by then, I will have been over the age of 75. Why does that make a difference?

Friday. 9.25 a.m. Yet another hot day. My digital thermometer currently reads 27ºc. 

Since this current heatwave began, I have had some really unpleasant skin irritation. I think it's just because of the heat and my skin sweating so much. It has got to the point that I needed some sort of relief from it. Having a shower tends to help, but it still comes back. I was trying to think of something to help relieve this irritation and Piraton came to mind. I have some in my cupboard, but I think these tablets are well past their 'best before' date. So, thinking further, I decided I needed to find a pharmacy to purchase some new Piraton. The pharmacy in Sainsbury's would have been ideal, but that has since closed down, unfortunately. I also had to bear in mind my heart medication, as it was important there were no reactions to these with this new mediation. I decided to drive over to Bradwell Common and go to Boots, which is next door to the Milton Keynes Medical Centre. So, I drove there and went into Boots branch. A queue at the counter and the issue the person had seemed to go on endlessly. Also, I had to contend with someone behind me playing horrible music on their mobile. NöelCoward was right when he said, 'strange how potent cheap music is!' Too right. From his play 'Private Lives.' Ironic, because it was said, with the song 'Someday I'll Find You' playing in the background, and which he composed.

Saturday. 6.25 p.m. It's hot. Apparently it's the hottest day of the year. I can well believe it. My digital thermometer currently reads 30ºc.

Sunday. 2.55 p.m. Milton Keynes has been hosting the Bludfest at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes. No, don't ask, because I have no idea what it's about, but yesterday I could hear 'music', that is, if you can call it that, for most of the day and right up until around 11.30 p.m. At first I thought then music was coming from far closer, but then I realized that it must have been from The Bowl. (As I write, I have a feeling its continuing. Usually the drumming which I can hear, and it can depend on if there's a wind. It's around three miles from here in Dexter House, so you can imagine that, at that sort of distance, what the volume of the music must be.

Driving along Chaffron Way on Thursday morning at around 9.30, I noticed a crowd of people walking along the Redway which runs alongside the road. I have a feeling they must be going to something connected with this festival, probably going for some sort of training, to be stewards, parking attendants and so on, but, of course, I might have been wrong.

On the way to church this morning, again driving along Chaffron Way, the road was blocked off, just after the roundabout where Chaffron Way crosses Grafton Street, which meant I had to take a detour back towards the city centre and then along Childs Way and back into Chaffron Way before I could drive into the OTC car park.

Bright and Sunny

 Wednesday. 10.15 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. The digital thermometer reads 26ºc.

I've driven to Sainsbury's. Driving away from Dexter House around Truman Place and then into Oldbrook Boulevard. Before I got there, I noticed a crowd of people on the pavement where the path alongside Strudwick Drive crosses Oldbrook Boulevard. As I got further, I couldn't help noticing one older man sitting on the ground, with a bloody nose. I don't know exactly what happened, but I can imagine this man must have fallen over and most likely he fell on his face, hence the bloody nose. I presume the crowd of people were helping him. It looked to me as if he probably needed first aid and possibly a visit to the A and E department at the hospital to get himself checked over just to make sure there were no serious injuries and some sort of dressing on his nose, to prevent infection.

I went on to Sainsbury's, did my shopping and around 40 minutes I drove past the other way and the man was still sitting on the ground and the crowd of people was still with him. I'm not sure how this incident occurred or how it played out, whether someone called an ambulance if he went to the hospital, or if someone dressed the injury.

Friday. 8.35a.m. I think the best way to describe the weather at the moment is sultry, hot, and sticky, which makes it difficult to sleep at night. I have an electric fan on in the lounge and another in the bedroom, as well as a hand-held chargeable fan, but even then it doesn't seem to cool things down. The digital thermometer currently reads 27ºc.

Saturday. 9.45 a.m. There is talk of rain on BBC Breakfast this morning. When it's likely to strike is a bit vague, but we do need a downpour. Everything looks parched and dry. The grass is shriveling up. The trees along Strudwick Drive are shedding their leaves, most likely because they need rain.

Sunday. 5.50 p.m. Today is Father's Day. In church, every father got a small gift, of 2 Ferrero Rocher chocolates and a card. The sermon was on 'The Fruit of the Holy Spirit' and people who were gifted by the various gifts were nominated and given small gifts. Also, anyone who is a volunteer got a small gift, which was a pen. I got one.

I spoke to a lady who was a visitor at church, who knew Carol. She is a teacher. I think she might have worked with her at Stantonbury or Milton Keynes Academy. She said she visited Carol when she was in Willen Hospice.

It's hotter than ever today and the weather forecasters suggest that it will get hotter as the week progresses.

Plan B

 Friday. 6.50 a.m. A rather dull, drizzly day. It can only improve. Digital thermometer reads 23ºC.

Saturday. 6.30 a.m. I'm sorry to say, the weather hasn't got any better. A rather dull and overcast morning and more drizzle. Thin and pathetic rain.

9.35 a.m. It would appear that the infamous scooter stores are in use! I have been following this saga for the past couple of years, and what a never ending saga it has been. I have seen Dexter residents on their electric scooters riding along the beautifully tarmacked paths, so I assume they can get out onto the path through the side gate into Strudwick Drive. How long has this been going on? I will have to look back at earlier posts on here to discover. I would say, probably four years, give or take a year.

I have sorted my recycling. What excitement! The problem you get, when you buy anything online, from Amazon (other online retailers are available.) is dealing with the packaging your purchases come in. Not just the box, envelope or whatever it comes in, but often the material which keeps the product from moving around in the package, usually bubble wrap or chips of some sort or other. So, quite a bit to break up and take to the bin store. We now have a new system for sorting recycling. Unrecallable stuff goes in one bin, the rest goes in the other. No sorting out cardboard, plastic, metal and glass. It's far easier than the old system.

4.50 p.m. A very black sky, which must surely mean we're in for a rainstorm. I do hope it more forceful than the pathetic thin drizzle we've had for the past day or two.  

8.55 p.m. We got rain. I has continued for most of the evening. It was relatively heavy. I don't dislike rain, in fact, I quite enjoy thunderstorms, but this isn't going to turn into one.

Sunday. 7.15 a.m. A bright and far sunnier morning. Digital thermometer currently reads 23ºc.

We had to endure the fire alarms going off mid-morning. Really ear-splitting and enough to erase your memory. Some people shouldn't be allowed to play with matches.

There is a print-out of photographs at the entrance, of people who mustn't be allowed to enter Dexter House. It makes me think of those 'wanted' criminals who are wanted by the police. These people must not be let in. So, how are we supposed to recognize them? I don't think I would want to challenge any of this motley crew. Above all else, what have they done to be put on this list? I imagine some of them might be aggressive if they don't get what they want. It doesn't bear thinking about, quite frankly.

Summer Starts, Not Entirely Auspiciously

 Wednesday. 8.45 a.m. Another bright and mild morning. Thank goodness the wind has dropped.

Every two years, I have to do a bowel cancer test. It's because I'm over a 'certain age' which means I would be prone to bowel cancer. I have done the test, but I won't go into detail. It is posted off, and I should get the results in around 2 weeks. The actual test is now far easier than the original test, fortunately. I do not see why the N.H.S. has to send me a letter around two weeks before the test kit arrives, informing me that I am due for this test and the kit will soon be sent. This seems a real waste of money. Why not just send the kit? I can imagine that if every man who has to do this test has a similar letter sent, it must cost a considerable amount. First class is £1.70 and second class is 75p, so you get an idea how much it's likely to cost if several million of these letters get sent out.

4.50 p.m. I have been to sit with my friend Mike who has Parkinson's so his wife, Margaret, can go to a meeting. I have been doing this for several months now. I think she needs respite as it must be quite challenging being his carer. I drive past the entrance to Camphill, and on the way home the traffic ground to a halt and I could see an ambulance ahead and someone controlling the traffic. There was glass and debris everywhere on the road and I could see a car at the side of the road, looking as if it has been in an accident and in a pretty poor state, totally smashed in. I don't think the accident can have happened much before I got to that area. I have a feeling the driver might have driven out of the road leading into Camphill. I couldn't see a second vehicle which might have caused the accident, possibly hitting the other vehicle, but I have the feeling that the driver wasn't being careful enough when they turned into the flow of traffic. If that was the case, it would have been easier to turn left and go to the next roundabout and come back in the direction they must have wanted to go.

Thursday. 7.20 a.m. The weather has done another about-turn. It's 'sort of' raining. Not torrential, but thin and rather miserable, as if it can't make its mind up.

2.20 p.m. I have mentioned my problems getting my new Sony camera to connect to the hand grip via Bluetooth. With this you can operate the camera, the zoom function as well as the still photo and video functions. It makes operating far easier because it can be held as well as transforming into a mini tripod. I now have to set up the Joby microphones, which I  recently bought on Amazon.

As I say, my options to finding a solution to the problem were running out. I had gone on YouTube to watch videos about setting the camera up with the hand grip, but to no avail. There are few cameras in Milton Keynes. There used to be two branches of Jessops, but both have closed down. I then recalled a company called Wex, which I thought had a branch in Milton Keynes. I found it, in the Exchange building in Midsummer Boulevard. I seem to remember working for a care agency which had there offices in this shopping centre, so I knew how to find it. The problem was not just finding the place, but parking my car. I could have parked in the Seklow Gate car park, which is next to The Point, but it would have meant a long walk to the store. I decided to see if I could park along Midsummer Boulevard, so I drove there and eventually found a space. Fine. Then I attempted to use the RingGo app on my mobile. But for some unfathomable reason it would not work. Plan B sprang into action! Pay with my debit card at the parking machine, just along the street a couple of yards. You have to type in your car's registration number and press a couple of keys and use your contactless card and, hey presto! But no! That decided to fail. After two attempts I was not in a particularly good mood. I drove away, thinking that I'd go home and forget the whole sorry situation, but at the last moment I thought I'd park in the car park underneath Sainsbury's and walk to Wex, which is what I did. So, I drove to Sainsbury's car park and found a space and then walked to Wex store. Meanwhile, it was drizzling which didn't help my mood, which had been shattered by the problems with the RingGo app and the ticket machine. It was easy enough to find the store within the Exchange building. It's not a place I know well and it would not have been the most obvious place to find a camera shop. It didn't seem exactly busy, so goodness knows what the foot fall was like.

I went inside the store and asked one of the staff if he could help with setting up the grip on the camera. It turned out that I had pressed one of the wrong buttons on the grip which was why it wouldn't connect to the camera via Bluetooth. I have to say I was more than pleased and may go back if I need to go to Wex, basically because there are so few camera shops in Milton Keynes. I am thinking more for advice, such as I did when I went there to help set up the grip with the camera.

June Is Bustin' Out All Over!

 Thursday. 5.35 p.m. Yesterday afternoon we had a tea party in the community lounge. It was provided by my friends John and Margaret who now go to Milton Keynes Christian Centre, which is along Strudwick Drive from Dexter House. We had a great selection of food, which included chicken drumsticks, sandwiches, cakes, sausage rolls, and pork pie. There was also a quiz, which I won. I seem to make a habit of this, and one of the residents said I must have cheated as I always seem to win. I don't think it would have been possible to cheat, even if I had wanted to. I got a prize of a box of After Eight mint chocolate, which I rather like.

Friday. 3.45 p.m. It's been a relatively mild sort of day today. The sun hasn't shone, but still quite pleasant.

Sunday. 7.30 a.m. It's the 1st of June. How quickly we seem to have got here. Time seems to be going quickly, and, appropriately, Doctor Who is in the news, Billie Piper is taking over from Naguti Gatwa. The ratings for the last season, or even the season before last, have been poor, probably because of the woke storylines. I reckon he only took on the role of The Doctor, as a stepping stone to a Hollywood career. He was in a production of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' at the National Theatre, which I haven't seen, and really don't want to. It will be interesting to see how Doctor Who develops once the next series is shown.

It's sunny and bright outside. My digital thermometer currently reads  25ºC.

Monday. 10.25 a.m. Warm and sunny again this morning. I've been to Lidl for a few things. 

It has taken a while to get used to the layout of the  new store. There's a good deal more new products and a lot of branded items, such as PG Tips teabags. Stlll a good deal cheaper than elsewhere and you can be in and out quickly.

As usual, there were problems with the self-service till. I now know you scan using scanner in the base of the thing. No label on one item, so the girl in attendance had to help me. 

6.45 p.m. I have managed some writing. I had the next section written some while ago, but I am redrafting it. I have spent some time developing characters and from those characters I can give them a back story and it's easier to write with this new material. I even think I could develop a sort of spin-off project from these characters.

I have still not managed to get the new Sony camera to connect to the grip with Bluetooth. This situation is becoming somewhat annoying and very frustrating. I really need to find someone who has knowledge of such things to help we deal with the problem.

Tuesday. 6.15 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning and there's a breeze blowing.

The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring

Friday. 8.20 a.m. The whole place has flowers blooming like mad. If you drive along Chaffron Way towards Marlborough Street, you will see primroses blooming all along the grassed verges. Really beautiful. Trees have blossom, and hedges rich in white hawthorn blossom. The hedge alongside the path towards Oldbrook Green, which I believe is beech, has grown rapidly and needs trimming.

Saturday. 6.30 a.m. I have just returned from taking Alfie out. It's turned quite overcast and I wasn't sure whether it was raining. 'Sort of' spitting, as my mother would say. 

10.15 a.m. I have been wondering why the DJI Pocket 2 camera cuts out after around 15 minutes of filming. It has done this several times, so I did some research on the internet and discovered that it might be because the memory card hadn't been formatted. This I have now done and then I did a test by taking it out and recording as I walked around Oldbrook Green. It was a success, but when I came to view the footage, almost immediately after I got back to the flat, it cut out, and I got a message telling me it had closed down because it was overheating. I think it would therefore be obvious that it will need to film for no more than 15 minutes, and then switched off, to allow it to cool down.

Sunday. 7.15 a.m. A really beautiful and sunny morning. I took Alfie out as usual and was surprised that the grass was littered with leaves. I think it may be due to the lack of rain, which we seriously need.

8.55 a.m. Oh dear! Having written the above, I now have to mention that it is now raining, although a bit half-heartedly. A bit thin and undramatic. I doubt it will make much of a difference. We need torrential rain. We are being told, via the media, that there is the possibility of a drought situation in this country. Crazy, but true. Just typical British weather! I imagine someone is going to put it down to climate change.

Monday. 8.00 a.m. Today would have been Carol and my 18th wedding anniversary. I will just get on with things as usual. Such as sorting out the recycling and putting out the rubbish, doing the washing up. I think she would be happy to know that I have things to do, such as my writing, family research, and photography. 

The morning has begun with sunshine and warmth. It is a bank holiday Monday, so it's a rarity to have decent weather.

6.15 p.m.I had two phone calls this morning. Each time I went to answer, but it rang off. I expected the first one to be one of those confounded cold calls, trying to sell me double-glazing or similar. The second time it rang, I was asleep on my bed and managed to get to the phone in time to speak to my friend, Margaret, from church. She was inviting me to a cream tea afternoon at her flat with her husband, Mike, who has Parkinson's. I said I'd be there at 3 p.m. When I arrived, a few minutes later some more of the Thursday Morning Life Group arrived and had scones, cream, and jam, which was really pleasant.

Tuesday. 1.30 p.m. It's now raining as I write. I wasn't expecting it when I took Alfie out around 45 minutes ago

Wednesday. 1.35 p.m. I had quite a few parcels arrive from Amazon mid-afternoon yesterday. The grip for the Sony digital camera, a microphone set, a holder for SD cards, and a book. I have been attempting to connect the grip to the camera via Bluetooth, but without much success. I have been watching videos on YouTube in an attempt to fathom out the procedure to get this camera connected, but without solving the problem, but I will continue to do so until it is resolved.

Cameras, Cars and Ultrascans

Sunday. 3.35 p.m. Earlier this morning I was ready for church and about to leave, but when I went down to get in my car, I found a car blocking the exit, so I was not pleased. It seemed a bit selfish of the driver to park in such a way, that I could not get out. I returned to my flat and thought, if that's the case, I'll have to accept I would be able to go to church, so I made myself a cup of coffee and thought, I would be able to watch via Facebook. By the time I'd sat down with my coffee, I could see, by looking out of the window, that the car had gone, so I was able to drive to The Oaktree Centre. Thinking about the situation, I did think it might have been a carer, doing the sort of job that I used to do, and finding it difficult to find a space to park their car when visiting the person they were a carer for. It might have been, but that crossed my mind. 

Wednesday. 12.20 p.m. I have bought a new Sony digital camera. It not only takes still photographs. but is designed for vlogging, that is, videos that can be uploaded to various media platforms, such as YouTube, X (formerly known as Twitter,) Instagram, TickTock, and Facebook. It has a touch screen that can be swiveled around so you can take selfies and it has a built-in microphone, complete with a furry cover that eliminates wind noise when recording outdoors. I have been attempting to connect it to an app on my iPhone and it has taken a long time to get it to work. I took the app of the phone and reinstalled it and it seemed to work. I have ordered a hand grip for the camera, from Amazon, which allows you to hold it safely and control the camera. This should arrive sometime next week, by which time I can have it up and running and explore the various features.

Friday. 7.00 a.m. I had an appointment at the imaging department of Milton Keynes Hospital in Lloyds Court. I had been there before, so I had a good idea of where to go. I parked near The Point and walked through the shopping centre. It is further than I remembered. I checked in to reception went upstairs and sat in area B. You can't miss these area numbers. They are huge. I think it's for those who have poor eyesight. You definitely can't miss them. I was soon shown into the room and I had to lay on a couch. I had lubricant smeared on my stomach. KY Jelly I believe. The doctor (was he a doctor? I'm not sure.) used a device that was part of the ultrascan machine and put it on my stomach. The lubricant helped as he moved the thing about. I started off laying on my back, but then I had to lay on both sides. The procedure didn't take long and I was soon out of the office. But I couldn't find my way out. It was a bit of a maze, but soon I was walking back to my car and driving back to Dexter House.

Sunny But Mild

 Monday. 10.15 a.m. Yet another bright and sunny morning. There is apparently going to be rain later in the day, with the possibility of thunderstorms. My digital thermometer currently reads 27ºc.

Tuesday. 5.35 a.m. The rain, which was forecast, didn't appear. I don't know if the more westerly parts of the country had it, but not in Milton Keynes.

Wednesday. 3.40 p.m. It's really warm and sunny.

I have been to the centre to collect my new reading glasses from Boots Opticians. 

Secklow Gate was closed off with 'Road closed' signs up, so I had to get to the car park by a rather circuitous route, but I got to the car park without any trouble.

I wanted to park in my usual place, next to The Point (or what used to be The Point. It has become a real wreck, a blight on Milton Keynes. It needs demolishing and replacing. Disgraceful.) You have to pay for your parking at a new machine, which is at the exit into the main shopping centre. I paid with my debit card, but it's not clear how you do this, although you have to first type in your vehicle's registration number. I did succeed, and the machine printed a ticket, which meant I had to walk all the way back to my car to put the ticket inside.

The area around the shopping centre is beginning to look really scruffy and uncared for. The whole place needs a good clean-up.

I walked into Boots Opticians and I had to try my glasses on and they were good. I have them on as I write this. I left and went back to my car and drove back to Dexter House

It seems very dusty and humid. We haven't had rain in quite a while. I think other areas of the country have had showers, but not in this area.

Friday. 7.20 a.m. Where I park my car, just below the window of my flat, there is often a large lorry parked. On the back (it is a flatbed vehicle.) carrying equipment for what would appear to be road repairs. My car isn't parked on the road but on a parking bay within the boundary of Dexter House. I trust that nobody parks across the entrance, so I can't reverse out. But on one occasion this lorry was parked so close it was impossible to get out without scraping it. I think I did, on one occasion. It might have caused a minor scrape, but no more. It shouldn't be parked in a residential street such as this. I realise the lorry is needed by the young man who lives along Dexter Avenue, but I really believe it should be parked elsewhere.

Heatwave Forecast

 Sunday. 7.40 a.m. As I write this, the sun is shining. According to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast, we are about to have a heatwave. Whether this is correct or not, we will soon find out. I just hope so.

I have been watching the first episode of the documentary series 'A House Through Time.' This series is different to the previous series, which took one house and then traced all the inhabitants for several years. This series takes two blocks of flats, one in London and the other in Berlin, and traces the inhabitants through the period shortly before World War 2. I was really shocked to discover that the block in London, Montagu Mansions, was where a great aunt of mine lived during the 1930s-40s. Quite a surprise to discover this. That bit of information was discovered when I was doing family research.

Monday. 12.15 p.m. It's a bright and sunny day. As a result, I went to Stony Stratford to have another go at doing some video as I walked along the main street. I have viewed some of the footage, and it looks good.

Wednesday. 1.30 p.m. It's bright and sunny as I write this. I have my electric fan on.

Monday. May Bank Holiday. 6.00 a.m. It's now a good deal cooler. It would appear that the heatwave is over. I hope not.

9.15 a.m.I had intended to go to Lidl to get one or two items. I drove there and then discovered that they didn't open until 11 a.m. I suppose I should have realized, this might happen because it was a Bank Holiday, but never mind, I can go back later.

On top of everything else, its the first day of the VE Day 80th Anniversary celebrations. I think there's to be an RAF fly-past at around 11. Also, many of the roads around Milton Keynes are closed off, or will be, because of the Milton Keynes marathon. I don't need to go anywhere, apart from Lidl, and the marathon doesn't come through Oldbrook.

Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. It's hardly a heatwave today. It's not sunny, but pleasantly mild.

I have an appointment at 2 o'clock to get my eyes tested. I had a letter from Boots Opticians telling me my eyes were overdue for testing. I was told the last time I had my eyes tested that they needed testing every year, so I booked an appointment online. The appointment went well. I had all the work and extra tests, one of which was photographs of the back of your eyes. The optician told me she could see something which isn't sinister, but I should keep an eye on it (sorry!) I don't need new glasses, as my sight hasn't changed much since last year, but I ordered a new pair of reading glasses, which I will collect once they are ready, on 14th May.

Easter Weekend

 Saturday, 7.45 a.m. I've been to Worcester. I left Milton Keynes at around 3 p.m on Good Friday afternoon. I had left Alfie with Irene ("The Doggy Lady.") around 12.30, which meant I could return to my flat, unload the cage from the back of the car, and generally chill out before actually leaving Milton Keynes. The journey out wasn't too bad, apart from getting stuck behind several HGVS towards Buckingham. That's what you would expect on a country road, but never mind.

I was surprised how quickly I got to the M40, and it was a straight run to Worcester. It began to rain, although not heavily, but as a result, it caused spray to be thrown up by other vehicles, particularly those huge HGVS. I don't like where you have to move over lanes and then transfer to another motorway, from the M40 to M42 and finally, M5 to Worcester, but it was done easily, and I arrived outside Chloe and Steve's house a little after 5 o'clock.

It was great to have arrived. The grandchildren have grown, especially the youngest, Rosie. George, asks all sorts of questions. Lots of noise and general talk. George took my bag up to my room. Very polite and he didn't need to be asked.

We had spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, all sitting at the dining table. 

I had a small bedroom. When I last went to Worcester, I had to sleep in a bunk bed. It was somewhat difficult getting in, up a ladder to get onto the top bunk (no lower bunk.) So, if I had to get out of bed in the night, which was quite often, to use the loo, it could be quite difficult. Fortunately, that bunk bed has gone and been replaced by a single bed. Much better and no problems. I slept very well, even though I had to get up several times at night.

The next day, Saturday.

Chloe went to be part of a park run. I don't know where, but somewhere in Worcester. That meant that I stayed in the house with Steve and the children. It was raining slightly. It didn't really matter.

Later that afternoon I went with Chloe and the children to The Hive, Worcester's library, which is part of the University of Worcester. The children selected a wide range of books, and we sat and listened to story time with other children. On the walk back to the car, George, Eddie, and Arthur insisted on walking along walls and down the slope along the steps down to the road level. It looked quite dangerous to me, but it's no good telling them not to, as it's the sort of thing small boys do, and I think I did the same at their age. It's good to challenge them. They were certainly enjoying themselves.

After lunch, we went to Hanbury Hall, a National Trust property. It was attempting to rain, but we didn't let it prevent our visit. Keeping the children incarcerated in the house would only lead to arguments and be quite stressful for all. 

A field near the main house was set up with games, with a prize of, would you believe?- Easter eggs! Hula-hoops, racing around yellow poles, throwing bags into a sort of device with holes in and several others, which I forgot. I recognized the place as we drove in. We came to Worcester, to George's christening. We thought the christening began at 2, so we went to Hanbury Hall to have lunch. I remember it was very nice. We arrived at the church, and everyone was coming out. The christening had started at 1, not 2! Never mind.

The following day, Easter Sunday, there was another Easter egg hunt, but this time, all around the house! Later on, we went to Steve's brother's home, which is a short walk away. Yet ANOTHER Easter egg hunt, all around their garden. They have chickens in their garden. The garden is long and I don't somehow think you would find a garden similar if you were looking for a house in Milton Keynes.

We went back to Chloe and Steve's house and prepared for a meal which we had later. The rest of Steve's family turned up. A table was produced from behind the sofa and put together so that the main dining table was extended. A lovely meal was eaten, which included wine. 

The next day the weather changed. It rained,  although not heavily. Chloe had arranged for us to visit yet another National Trust property near Stratford-Upon-Avon, Charlcote Park. But, because of the weather, it was decided instead to visit Croome. So, the children were packed up in the car and we drove to this rather interesting place. It was a long walk to the house, but the exercise did me good. There was a means of transport to get there, as there usually is at most of the National Trust properties, a couple of what I would call buggies, which only took around 10 people. We had a look around the house and then walked back to the car park and drove home.

On arriving back at the house we had lunch and I got organized, making sure I didn't leave anything behind at around 2 o'clock I left for Milton Keynes and rang the lady who was taking care of Alfie, just to let her know what time I would be coming to collect Alfie.

It was a reasonably good journey home and when I got to Milton Keynes, I had to first go to my flat to collect the cage and then go to pick up Alfie. He appeared to have had a good time and then went home. So, a rather pleasant weekend and actually good to get out of Milton Keynes for a break.

The Sun Has Got His Hat On!

 Monday. 7.35 a.m. Yesterday was a busy day. We had a somewhat shortened service at church, followed by a members' meeting. Halfway through the service, a baby boy was dedicated. I must explain. We don't have christenings in our church. You are baptised when you accept Jesus, and it is a voluntary action. Anyway, the parents, friends and those who were to be Godparents went to the front of the church. Baby Leo, who is around three months old, was fast asleep during the dedication. At the end, his dad held him up for all to see, and it reminded me of a similar scene in the Disney film, 'The Lion King' and appropriate since he is called Leo.

Lots of stuff to be discussed and considered during the members' meeting, including voting for new members of the leadership team. Once that was over, we set up for what is called Messy Church and that went on until 5 o'clock, which was cleared up, and I eventually left for home at around 5.30. 

As I write this, the sun is out and the digital thermometer reads 22ºC. Yesterday was cloudy and dark clouds threatened rain, but if it did rain, there wasn't much.

Tuesday. 10.05 a.m. The weather has changed. What do you expect in this country? Fickle? Possibly. The sun no longer shines. Is summer over? Probably not. My digital thermometer currently reads 22ºC.

Wednesday. 7.50 a.m. Having just read the very short piece above, regarding the weather, I now have to write that the weather has now done yet another about-turn. When I went out earlier, as I do every morning, with Alfie, it was windy and dark clouds were crossing the sky. As I write now, it is sunny and a powerful wind blows. It's almost autumnal. My digital thermometer reads 21ºC.

Good Friday. 6.40 a.m. It's fully light as I write this. I have to say, I love this time of year. I took Alfie out and I noticed how quickly the trees are coming into leaf. I think the past few days of sunshine have helped them put on a spurt. The hedge, alongside the garden of Dexter House, is completely leafed (is that even a term, or a word? Well I know what it means.) 

The electric scooters are STILL taking up space along the corridor on the way out. When will these confounded things be able to be removed and stored in the sheds outside? The story continues. And continues . . . .  and continues.

Yesterday was Maunday Thursday, the day when Jesus and his disciples ate the Last Supper. I was on duty to supply the bread and wine in the evening for a time of reflection at SCF in the evening. I had to go to Sainsbury's to buy a white sliced loaf of bread, which I then cut up into small pieces. I did it early, because I was focussed on the task and wanted to have it done so I could concentrate on other matters. I drove to the Oaktree Centre at around 6.15, but found the place locked, so I had to wait until the place was locked up and once inside, the same old problem of having to open the kitchen, which has one of those doors with a lock which you open with a code. I don't have it, but it was eventually opened and I set up the trays into which the small plastic cups are placed and then made up some fruit squash (I think it's blackcurrant.) to then put into a squeezy bottle so that I could put a small amount into each plastic cup. This is a job you cannot rush. You need a steady hand. We weren't sure how many people were going to turn up, so I made up one tray and began to fill a second one, leaving the second one on the counter in the cafe area. In the hall, the table was set up in the centre, with chairs in a circle around it. It was a very moving evening, with readings and music.

I have taken a case out of the cupboard in my bedroom, which has been in there, unused, since I moved in around 6 years ago. I have never looked inside, but I needed to empty it, because I want to use it when I go to Worcester later this afternoon. I found various bits of rubbish, which is often what you find when you've been on holiday, tickets, empty packets and so on. But I was surprised to find Carol's swimming costume. It was unexpected and caused me a certain bit of emotion. I just did not think that I would find that in the bag.

11.00 a.m. I've been to the Shell fillingl station in Grafton Street. I needed to check the car's tyres. It's not a job I enjoy. I had a £10 note, because I didn't know whether I would need to change it for coins. I had a couple of 50p with me, just it case. I got to the machine and drew up. I then discovered you could pay using your debit card, which I had with me. Unfortunately, the confounded machine wouldn't accept it. Goodness knows why. But the machine did accept my 2 50p coins. You have five minutes to go round and check your tyres, but the hose it uses is difficult to hold as it keeps wanting to rewind into the machine. Crazy! I had to unscrew each cap on each tyre, and keep a foot on the hose to prevent it being drawn back into the machine, at the same time attempting to read the pressure on the machine. Carol always used to help with this job. She would stay with the machine and stop the hose rewinding into the machine, but without her, I have to do this operation on my own.

Goody Goody!

 Monday. 7.30 a.m. A bright and sunny morning. The thermometer reads 21ºc.

A slight problem this morning. I have lost my keys. More correct to perhaps say, mislaid. I was at the point of taking Alfie out, part of my morning routine, and I needed the keys to get back into Dexter House through the door which I always go out into Strudwick Drive. But look everywhere the keys could be and nothing. The situation was not helped because, when I came back from church yesterday, some delightful person had parked their car across the entrance to my usual parking spot, so I had to park further along. I think it must have disrupted my concentration, and that incident made me put the keys in a less obvious place. Not having the keys means  I can't go anywhere in the car, because the bunch of keys has the electronic key which not only locks the car but enables me to start the car. It's a sort of plastic device that you use as a remote to open the car's doors and then, once inside, slot it into the place on the dashboard and start the car.

8.30 a.m. The keys eventually came to light, in my trousers pocket, in my wardrobe! I still say that I mislaid them because of the car which was blocking my parking space. Well, at least that's sorted, thankfully. I have a hook where they are usually kept, and on this occasion, they weren't put there, so causing something of a panic and some stress. Alfie has now been out.

Tuesday. 8.50 a.m. Yet another pleasant and sunny morning. The thermometer currently reads 22ºC.

Thursday. 8.20 a.m. I have been revising some of my writing. It has not been touched for some time because I had no idea how to develop it further, but the time has not been wasted, because I have now found a way to go with it. I spent yesterday writing quite a bit more and even, during this revision process, new ideas developed. It's surprising how you can be writing and ideas sort of spring into your head. You know the expression 'the lightbulb moment', I think that is very appropriate.

Saturday. 12.00 p.m. Yesterday, we had a social evening at the Oaktree Centre. I was expecting it to be for just the Thursday Morning Life Group, but it was for all members of all the SCF life groups. It was a pity that only two other Thursday Morning Life Group members when you consider that there are about 15 regular attendees. Cadian, who is a member of the leadership team at SCF and is in charge of Life Groups, said he wanted to have some sort of policy for Life Groups, which will come into force once all the groups have been consulted. Then we had a Bible quiz. 

The Whole Darn Thing

 Wednesday, 5:00 a.m. Well, I'm wide awake and thought I might as well do some more blogging.

I have mentioned in previous posts about the infamous electric scooter sheds (the scooters are electric, not the sheds. Well, I don't think they are. Oh, just being somewhat sarcastic.) The reason for them, so that these devices aren't in the way inside Dexter House and a hazard if there's a fire. We now have beautifully resurfaced paths, all with lighting and access to these lovely sheds (irony here.) has been completed at huge expense.  Workmen have been working on the external gates which open onto Strudwick Drive (or, at least, the path, which runs alongside the Dexter House garden, and where the scooters will get into the garden and, hence, the store sheds. But STILL, the work isn't completed! This whole situation has become farcical, to say the least. I don't think you can make any of this us, but if you did, nobody would believe it. 

I've been watching episodes of the BBC sitcom 'Yes, Minister', and the above situation could come straight out of one of the episodes. It may be over 40 years since this show was first shown, but I think it's probably more relevant now than it was then.

7.25 a.m. It's bright and sunny as I write this. The digital thermometer currently reads 21˚c. 

Yesterday morning, I went out again with my DJI Pocket video camera. I went back to Campbell Wharf, which is on the Grand Union Canal where there is a marina, pub and flats. It looks as if it's being developed, with more buildings going on, a cycle shop and a One-Stop convenience store, a coffee shop and a barber's, which appears to have only just opened recently. There were workmen outside, putting up the sign.

I took some good footage, but I still haven't got the settings absolutely right with the gimbal. Having my iPhone connected to the camera on the new rig makes it easier to view what you are filming, by using the Mimo app. When I got home I managed to view the footage through the app and discovered you can even edit what you have filmed and also watch through my Apple Watch with the app.

5.50 p.m. It's been warm and sunny all day.

Alfie was due for a haircut at The Groom Room at midday, so I drove across Milton Keynes to the Pets At Home store in Bletchley. I took him into the store and got him registered. A trim around his face and body and then I went to Greggs, further along the parade of stores, for a drink and filled roll and then returned to my car to eat it. I went to T.K.Maax to have a browse. It seems the upstairs departments have been moved around and, as usual, there were no end of items I liked, but didn't buy. I went back to the car and a minute or two later the Groom Room phoned to say Alfie was done and I could collect him.

Everything's Coming Up Roses! (Or Is It? Probably not . . . )

 Friday. 2.00 p.m. It's been sunny and pleasant so far today. When I took Alfie out at around 6.15 there was a rosy-red sky.

I wanted to go to Lidl after 9 o'clock this morning. I usually drive around the block and onto Oldbrook Boulevard along Truman Place, which runs alongside Dexter House, but, on arrival at the roundabout on Oldbrook Boulevard, I discovered that the road was closed and an army of workmen in bright orange overalls. This meant I had to return to Dexter Avenue and then onto Strudwick Drive, turn right onto Chaffron Way, go right around the grid, and enter Oldbrook from Grafton Street. No real problem in all this, but a bit annoying as I wasn't aware of the road closure until I got to it. This seems to happen regularly all around Milton Keynes, mainly when they have been resurfacing parts of the grid road network.

I took Alfie out again a few minutes ago and I could see the workmen with a large lorry with 'Tarmac' written on it and another machine which I believe lays the new surface. I have to say I quite like the smell of tar. Is that odd? I seem to remember a play I did in Liverpool in the 1970's, which I think was called 'June Evening' (I covered the book for this production.) and one of the characters talked about tar being used to clear the chest of a baby, who was held over a barrel of hot tar. Strange how such things come back as a memory.

When I had completed my shopping in Lidl, I had to use a self-service till (they had only one manned till open, even though the store was busy.) I had problems getting items to scan, but a young lady who is there for such an incident managed to scan my shopping. I don't know why this happens. It's odd, though, that you are supposed to scan from right to left, which isn't the standard way of doing things. Or is it just me? Most things are operated from left to right, which seems more logical.

Saturday. 7.50 a.m. Another bright and sunny but cold, which I discovered earlier when Alfie and I went outside.

Sunday. 7.25 a.m. I had no idea that the clocks went forward today. I think it happened at 1 a.m., so I suppose that means it's today. There was nothing about it on the news yesterday, and no sort of reminder. Also, it's Mothering Sunday. Please, not Mother's Day, which is an American institution. Whatever it is, it's yet another way for businesses to make money, similar to Valentine's Day or, dare I say it, Hallow'een. 

I have a subscription to The Daily Telegraph. It's for digital, meaning I don't have the print paper and can read via the app and also the website. My current subscription ends in April and I had an email to inform me the next year's subscription would be around £200. I was keen that this amount didn't come out of my bank account and was prepared at that point to cancel the subscription. So, yesterday morning I rang the callcentre to discuss cancellation. The friendly man the other end was understanding but then wanted to offer me a cheaper deal. He first said '£150', but I refused that. The £99.' Again, I refused. Gradually it went down until it was £39, which I accepted. It just goes to show, you don't need to go with the first offer on something like this and it makes you wonder how many people take the first offer, not knowing that you can beat them down. I presume he didn't want me to disappear and not have a subscription, but it was worth it in the end.

Sunny and Pleasant

 Thursday. 7.30 a.m. The weather continues to be sunny and bright. I just hope it stays that way.

Excitement! I cleaned my fridge out yesterday morning. It is a fridge/freezer, but I didn't touch the freezer part. It has been in need of a cleaning for a while, but, like a lot of domestic jobs, it gets forgotten or avoided. It was running with water, but I have a dredging kit, which has a sort of syringe mechanism and a tube which you insert into the drainage hole at the back of the fridge. It will suck out any water which is in the unit and then you use a metal, spring-like device with a small brush on the end and this clears out a small amount of muck. It worked! You never get told that this will help with the matter of water engulfing your fridge. All now clean and fresh! Time and effort are very well spent.

Saturday. 10.15 a.m. I've got an Apple Watch. I bought it via Very. It was ordered last Sunday and it arrived via Royal Mail on Thursday lunchtime. It was easy enough to set up and does far more than I expected. I am pleased with it, and it connects to my MacbookPro, my iPhone and my iPad. My only gripe is, to charge, you have to plug the charger device into the Macbook, which is fine, but I need to charge it away from the laptop, so I will need to invest in a new charger which will plug in to various ports I have around the flat.

I've been doing more domestic work. Cleaning the bathroom floor and washing the mats. I took out the rubbish earlier this morning and had another encounter with a rat in the bin store. It jumped out and ran out through the gate. Eeek! A bit of a shock, as you might imagine. Someone on Facebook has posted a solution to a rat problem. Get an owl, as they will leave as they are scared of owls. What a great idea, and totally environmental. No poison or other noxious material. This matter was bought up on Wednesday afternoon at the Tenant's meeting.

Sunday. 7.10 a.m. A really rather pleasant, sunny morning.

The digital thermometer currently reads 24˚C. Things are definitely hotting up. I have had my electric fan on for the past couple of days.

I have a parking space outside Dexter House. There are several along the street. It is a 'first come, first served' sort of arrangement. I prefer to have my car off the street as I always think it is safer. I can see my car from my flat window. But recently there has been a problem, caused by a large flatbed lorry which is often parked where I need to get in and out of my parking space. Some mornings it can be so close that it makes it virtually impossible to get out without scraping it. I really don't think this sort of vehicle should be parked in a residential street.

Spring Is In The Air!

 Monday. 7.05 a.m. Spring is here. It officially begins around the 20th of March, but metrological spring begins on 1st of March. It's chilly out, with a light frost.

Tuesday. 10.20 a.m. I have been out this morning to shoot some more videos. It was bright and sunny, as it has been for the past few days. I was using my iPhone, connected to the rig which takes the DJI camera and has a reserve power pack and, when required, a tripod, which screws onto the base. Using the DJI app, it means I get a far better idea of what I'm filming. I had the thing set correctly and I have already looked at the footage on my iPad. I'm very pleased with the result.

Saturday. 6.10 a.m. I went to get my hair cut yesterday at ROK Barbers in Unity Place. It definitely needed a good trim.

Chloe rang me the other evening, and she hoped I would be able to visit them all in Worcester sooner rather than later. I have rung the lady who looked after Alfie so well last time I went and everything is in place to go over the Easter weekend. So I have that to look forward to.

As I write this, it's bright and sunny, so it looks like 'Spring is in the air'! Crocuses and daffodils, as well as a host of primroses, are blooming along the sides of Chaffron Way.

Monday. 7.10 a.m. It's colder this morning, and there was a light mist over Milton Keynes when I took Alfie out around 30 minutes ago.

Tuesday. 7.10 a.m. It might be bright and relatively sunny, but it's chilly.

Saturday. 8.55 a.m. It's bright and sunny, but chilly.

I've been to Lidl. At this time of year, I always have daffodils because Carol loved them, and it would have been her 61st birthday last week, as you will know if you read my posts regularly. Lidl is so much easier to get to and have a quick shop. I still get a few items from Sainsbury's, such as bread.

Sunday. 6.40 a.m. Another mild morning on the weather front. But there was a light frost on the grass when Alfie came out with me around 10 minutes ago.

Trapped!

 Sunday. 8.20 a.m. I've been cleaning up my kitchen. I have got rid of a lot of bottles and glass items. They went to the bin store for removal by the dustman, which will probably be next Tuesday, which is bin day in Oldbrook. Then I attacked my fridge (not literally, you understand. I'm not that crazy.) Some food was well past it's 'sell-by' date, so it went in a black bin bag. I decided to put it out this morning, so it was tied up, and I carried it to the bin store. You have to go through an inner door which opens into the corridor and through an outer room and then unlock an outer door which is bolted shut most of the time. I went through this door and put the bag in the rubbish container, but then there was a gust of wind and the outer door slammed shut, leaving me outside in the yard and no way to get back in. I did try the door several times, but no luck. I did attempt to climb out over the padlocked gate and into the road, but it was impossible, even if I tried to climb on a wheely bin. Eventually, I saw one of the Dexter House residents passing by the gate, and he came round through Dexter House and let me in. Not a nice experience. I really don't want to repeat it. I don't like being shut in. I'm not good in small spaces, and this was such a situation. I really don't intend to repeat it if I can help it.

Monday. 2.30 a.m. We had a violent rainstorm earlier this morning, but it went over quickly and as I write this, it's bright and sunny.

Wednesday. 7.25 a.m. It's relatively mild this morning. A red sky when I took a very sleepy Alfie out at around 6.45. Do you know what they say about a red sky? Or, at least you should: 'red sky at night, shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning!' It must be more or less right, because Carol Kirkwood, the weather presenter on BBC Breakfast this morning, was saying there was a possibility of rain sometime today. Let's wait and see.

10.25 a.m. I have just been to Lidl. One or two things were needed, which included dog food. Alfie would not have thanked me if he didn't get his dinner/ It was raining heavily, so the above would prove to be true.

Friday. 7.00 a.m. It's foggy this morning, which was something of a surprise. It should disperse as the day progresses.

Saturday. 7.55 a.m. It's sunny and bright as I write this, but earlier, when I took Alfie out, it was chilly with a light frost on the grass.

Garden Work Completed

 Thursday. 8.10 a.m. The work in the community garden here at Dexter House has been finished. The workmen were tidying up late yesterday afternoon, and now we have neat and tidy, tarmac-covered paths which should be suitable for those who have electric scooters to drive along and actually gain access to the sheds, which were installed around 3–4 years ago and had remained unused until the work was completed. There are also lights installed all along the paths, no doubt installed in case there is a fire in the building and the residents have to evacuate.

My FitBit has fallen apart. No, that isn't actually correct. What happened was that I was putting on my shirt as I was getting dressed, and the strap got caught somehow, and then the strap came apart. The metal pin which secures the device's body to the strap came out, and I managed to retrieve it from the floor. But, I have to be honest, the thing has begun to annoy me because the strap, which I bought on Amazon, is metal. Although it looks good, it has a magnetic connection instead of a buckle, but it keeps on coming apart, and often at the most inconvenient moments, such as when I am driving. It sometimes makes the watch part fall around on my wrist, and at one point, I almost lost the thing. The actual Fitbit is good, but the other fact is that you have to keep charging it, which is usually once a week or so. So, because of all this, I decided to buy a cheap digital watch on Amazon, which should arrive by Saturday.

Friday. 7.10 a.m. I have only just woken up. Barely 15 minutes ago. Probably the latest for a long time. Alfie has been out, and the weather seems quiet.

Monday. 10.05 a.m. I have been to get milk and a few other bits that were running out from Sainsbury's. I must have milk for my cereal and tea for breakfast. I was surprised that there was ice on the car's windows when I went out after 9 a.m., so I had to spray the defroster and scrape the ice with the scraper. As I write this, it's sunny and bright. 

Saturday. 9.50 a.m. It's getting light earlier and earlier each morning. Which means I can take Alfie out a good deal earlier.

I've been to Sainsbury's. Milk was needed as well as bread. I could go to Lidl, but they don't have the bread I like. It's made 'in-house.' I'm not a fan of your traditional white sliced loaf. This bread is malty and wholemeal.

I've mentioned about the work done in the community garden, here at Dexter House. This was done so that those who use electric scooters could store them in the sheds which were completed several years ago, but could not be accessed because the surface of the paths are unsuitable, and it would have been difficult to get into the sheds. Now this is possible, but as I write this, there are no scooters in the sheds. I would have thought people would have flocked to use the sheds and try out the newly surfaced paths.  The whole idea of all that work was because the fire officer said, I don't know how long ago, that the electric scooters should not be stored in the communal areas in Dexter House, as they are a hazard, if there was a fire. But they are still parked within Dexter House. Crazy situation.

Miracles Do Happen!

 Thursday. 2.25 p.m. It's sunny and bright today, but it's not as it seems. It's actually been quite chilly. I went to the Thursday Morning Life Group as usual, and, although the car wasn't iced up, the inside of the windscreen was misty, and it took some time for me to clear it before I could drive out.

The new Lidl has opened on Oldbrook Boulevard. I must have mentioned that the old store had closed and the row of shops with a Tesco Express. There was an A.T.M. outside, which could be useful if you needed cash in a hurry. I went to look around earlier this afternoon and was surprised by how many cars were in the car park and inside the store it was heaving. I did buy a few things and used a self-service till to pay. You must keep hold of your receipt at the end because you need it to scan to exit the store.

Saturday. 9.20 a.m. It's relatively mild but overcast. Never mind. Get used to it.

As usual, I took a sleepy Alfie out onto the grass along Strudwick Drive around 6.45 this morning It has been made into something of a mud patch, a ploughed field or whatever you want to call it, created by the workmen who are doing the work in the community garden at Dexter House. I just don't like getting my shoes covered in thick mud, but it really can't be helped. It was dark, and it was difficult to see clearly, but as I was dealing with Alfie, I saw something moving in the greenery which grew alongside the wall of Dexter House. I looked again, and to my horror, I saw two rats fighting. It is not something I am keen on seeing or being near. Having had the rather horrible experience of the rats we had running about the house when Carol and I lived in Crownhill. (I think I have mentioned this saga in an earlier blog post.). I shouted at the rats, and they soon disappeared. But that wasn't the end of it. About two hours later, I sorted out the recycling and the various bags of rubbish which had to be taken out to the bin store. I opened the lid of the receptacle which takes the bags, and in amongst the bags were two more rats! I quickly put in the rubbish and slammed down the lid. 

Sunday. 8.25 a.m. No rats were seen when Alfie and I went out earlier this morning. It wasn't excessively cold, but I have a feeling it was slightly frosty, because the grass had a sort of glitter on it which is always a sign.

Wednesday. 10.20 a.m. It's sunny but chilly.

I've been to Lidl. I love it when you can get in and out quickly. The only problem is, finding what you want. I have a good idea where everything I want is, when I go to Sainsbury's. I have set up the  Lidl app on my phone, so I can scan and get points, a bit like Nectar, but you get instant treats, such as cakes and fruit, which was a surprise. If I have a gripe, it's the fact that, when you've done your shopping, taken it out to your car and unloaded it, you have to return the trolley to the parking space near the store. It's when you push your trolley into the parked trolleys, that you get your token back for your next trip. I imagine that this is so they don't have to employ someone to retrieve the trolleys (which they have at Sainsbury's. One less employee means they can cut prices. The staff work hard in Lidl, because they not only have to work on the tills, but stack shelves. Again, another way to have fewer staff and keep costs down.

Tuesday, 7:20 a.m. I've taken my usual walk with Alfie. We strolled along the grass by Strudwick Drive, which has become muddy due to the workmen driving vehicles for the community garden project. Their tyres have churned up the grass, creating this mess. I'm hoping things return to normal once they complete their work. 

I was at the point where I was about to pick up Alfie, to avoid him walking in the mud, and go back into Dexter House, when an electric scooter shot past. If I had taken probably another step or two, I would have been in a direct line with this scooter. There was no noise, nothing to warn me. The rider seemed totally ignorant of my presence. A bit of a shock. This is why I don't like these things.

I have mentioned elsewhere that I had changed my broadband provider. I'm now with Vodafone Fibre Broadband. I have managed to reset the various devices I have, so they are once again connected to broadband, but the password you have to enter to connect is long and complicated. The only device I  needed to set up was my Canon Pixma printer. I spent all yesterday trying to fathom out how to achieve this. I even bought a cable from Amazon, intending to use that to connect my MacBook to the printer, but I could not get it to work. As these things don't come with a full instruction manual, you have to do a search on the internet. I have the Canon print app on my iPad, so, as a final attempt, I thought I would try and see if that would work. It was relatively easy to put in the password, and, thankfully, it worked! These things are so frustrating. I even went to Argos to buy a black ink cartridge, as I was sure there wasn't sufficient ink in the cartridge that was in the printer. Everything fell into place, and I have been printing a document, which is some of my writing project, which I can now read and begin to make edits and amendments. I now need a suitable file to put the pages in.

So, the title of this blog post is pretty well accurate!

A Little Sunshine . . . and Then A Change In The Weather!

 Sunday. 7.25 a.m. Up early as usual. I'm certainly not one to lounge around in bed. When I was growing up on a farm, there was no use staying in bed after around 7 a.m., because there was always something to do on the farm. Although I didn't become a farmer, basically because of the thought of working with my brothers and father, who were always arguing with each other and making life really unpleasant (goodness knows what it was like for my mother, but I have a vague idea.) I think, if you stayed in bed, you would have the curtains opened and noise and people were moving about, and because Malting Farm house was freezing cold during the winter (no central heating!) you'd wake up with ice on the inside of the windows, you would have wanted to find heat somewhere or other, such as the kitchen, which had an Aga cooker in it, which was fuelled with coke, and was permanently on. Also, none of the bedrooms were exactly private. You had to go through one room to get to another, such as my bedroom.

It is relatively quiet this morning, on the weather front.

I don't know whether I mentioned in earlier posts about buying a DJI Pocket 2 video camera. It's a small and extremely neat little camera, which is deceptive. It doesn't look much, but it produces really amazing quality footage and even has stereo sound which can be recorded and has built-in microphones. It utilises a gimbal system which means, when you move about, the picture is always stable. You save what you record onto a card, the same way you save onto a memory card on a digital camera, which I have also. You have to be very careful with the memory card, which is tiny, no bigger than the nail of your little finger. When you put it into the slot in the camera, it's important to push it in until it clicks and make sure it doesn't jump out and get lost, very easy because it's so tiny.

I have done a couple of test videos, in an attempt to discover how it works. I have done a walk along the banks of the Grand Union Canal, but for the last one I had the camera set wrong and when I played it back, it was a speeded-up video, but I managed to set it up correctly. My biggest problem has been the ability to see clearly on the tiny monitor. But I have now bought a rig that enables me to put my iPhone on this and connect it to the camera via Bluetooth. Using the app that works with the camera, I saw more or less exactly what the camera sees. The gimble works so I can have a steady, level picture, making it easy to video when walking.

Yesterday (Saturday) there was what you might term a lull in the weather. The sun shone, which meant I had an opportunity to go out with the video camera, attached to the new rig. I walked around Oldbrook Green, and it was far easier to hold the rig with the camera in place, alongside my iPhone which connected via Bluetooth and I could use it as a viewfinder. The image was stable, and the whole experiment was a great success.

There is a sign of spring! I saw snowdrops on the opposite side of The Cricketers public house, in the area with a bench, amongst the trees. 

Monday. 7.45 a.m. It's another calm day on the weather front, although Storm Herminia is the latest 'weather event' to hit the British Isles.

4:20 p.m. The weather has taken a bad turn. The sky has been dark nearly all afternoon, but just a few minutes ago, there were two deafening thunderclaps, followed shortly by a powerful hailstorm. I stepped outside to check, and what I found wasn't rain but hail. It vanished as quickly as it arrived.

Donald Trump's Second Inauguration

 Monday. 7.40 a.m. I have just been reading what I wrote here eight years ago regarding Donald Trump's first inauguration as American President.  Well, they had four years of Biden and he became very unsteady as a President. Frankly, he was too old and frail to have the responsibility of running the largest economy in the world. Half the time he didn't know where he was or what he was talking about. I think he must have early onset Alzheimer's and was not really fit to be President. Kamala Harris, who took over mid-way through the election campaign, wasn't really fit to be president either, so, of the two candidates, love him or loathe him, Trump was the better choice.

7.10 p.m. I have been having problems getting my Panasonic Freeview Play set-top box to connect to my wi-fi router since I moved my broadband to Vodafone fibre around a month and a half ago. On two occasions I have attempted to put the password into the box, but for some reason, it just will not work. It is a very nerve-wracking experience because the password is long and uses upper and lower case numbers and letters and you have to use the remote control. So, I gave up on the last attempt. I then looked on the internet for some answers and one response was to use a cable connection, so I found the relevant cable and then plugged it into the router, and, fortunately, it worked.

I have been reading about Trump's inauguration and the executive orders he is going to sign. He is going to do away with a lot of the 'woke' rubbish that has been in place under Biden, such as gender and similar ideology. No government employee will be allowed to work from home, which seemed to be 'normal' since the pandemic.

Wednesday. 7.20. According to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast a few minutes ago, Storm Éowyn is about to hit the British Isles. I'm not sure if that means wind, snow or rain, but I'm sure we will know when it eventually happens.

Friday. 7.10 a.m. Storm Éowyn has struck! It's extremely windy out and I didn't stay out long when I took Alfie out a few minutes ago. 

There is a Red warding in place in Northern Ireland and Scotland due to the high winds caused by Storm Éowyn. This means that it is dangerous and could be a threat to life. In Northern Ireland, they have recorded a wind speed of 114 m.p.h.  There is therefore traffic disruption and the message going out that, unless your journey is important, not to travel. On BBC Breakfast this morning, the weather map of the British Isles has a large area of the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland covered in yellow which looks like some sort of balloon or rubber device, dare I say, condom. Sorry, but it does have that sort of appearance.

9.35 a.m. It's bright and sunny, but the wind is still blowing a gale.

The workmen doing the work in the community garden have got several layers of what looks to me like gravel or stone on some of the paths. There is a yellow JCB roadroller standing on the path, no doubt to be used to flatten the paths before the final layer goes down, probably tarmac. I suppose it has to be smooth if people are to drive their scooters along the paths.

Saturday. 8.10 a.m. Thank goodness it's a good deal calmer this morning. Having watched BBC Breakfast this morning, there has been a great deal of damage done to buildings across the country, most in Northern Ireland and Scotland, both of which seem to have been hit the hardest by Storm Éowyn. In Northern Ireland the speed of the storm was recorded at 104 m.p.h. in some places.

Cold and Frosty!

 Wednesday. 2.20 p.m. There was a slight frost when I took Alfie out at around 7 this morning. I had to clear off a thin layer of ice from the car's windows because I had to take Alfie to The Groom Room to have a trim. We were due there at 11.30 a.m. It was fortunate that I had bought spray for exactly that job.

Saturday. 7.20 a.m. It was a bit of a surprise to discover fog when I went out with Alfie about 20 minutes ago. Also, a crisp frost. Walking on the grass there was a real crackle. Alfie was keen to get back inside to the warmth, but who can blame him?

12.00 p.m. It's sunny but still chilly. I've been to Sainsbury's this morning and it took about 15 minutes to clear the ice off the windscreen and windows. I just cannot drive if I can't see clearly.

In Sainsbury's, the travelator was running, but what was formerly the up one was the down one and the down one was the up one. Goodness knows why. There always seems to be a problem with this technology, as you would have read if you had been following my blog over the years.

Wednesday. 7.55 a.m. It's still mild. That's good. We definitely don't need high winds, rain or snow.

The workmen are still here, digging trenches, making holes and generally getting on with the work in the community garden. It sounds to me as I write this that they are using some sort of drill or machine that makes a loud noise.

Thursday. 7.35 a.m. It's foggy out this morning. It's not thick, but foggy nevertheless.

I have bought an air fryer. I had points to spend, which included Argos, so I looked at their website and had first intended to buy a Ninja one, but after some thought, I decided to go with one where you could see the food cooking inside, so I decided on a Tower one, which utilises halogen as it's heating source. I am gradually getting the hang of how it works, but I keep thinking that it's like a microwave and that you can't put anything metallic in it, but my thinking is wrong, and you can. It will take me a while to get used to it and, as usual, the instruction manual that comes with it is of very little use and it's written in very small and faint print so that makes life difficult. I shall watch YouTube videos and now bought a recipe book on Amazon, so that will help matters, or, at least, I hope so.

Electronic Appliances Failures

 Tuesday. 6.30 a.m. Oh, dear! The new year hasn't started well for me. Yesterday I wanted to make some toast, so I took the toaster out of the cupboard and then discovered that it wouldn't work. I thought at first that there was a problem with the power supply, that maybe the workmen who were around Dexter House had turned off the electricity for some reason. But I tried other electronic devices that used the mains supply, such as my fridge-freezer, but it was working as normal. 

I was thinking, I want to make toast! I would need to replace the old toaster. I bought this one from Argos, and I had sufficient points on something called Consumer Pulse. I have been part of this for years, recording things I have purchased and earning points which can be converted into vouchers. So, I went onto the Consumer Pulse website and ordered Argos vouchers. Unfortunately, I will have to wait around 5 days before I receive them. They used to send you these vouchers via email and you put a code into the Argos website in order to pay for whatever you wanted and then go to the nearest Argos store to colled the item. So, I will just have to be patient and then order the new toaster.

That was the first failure. I have my main meal in the evening. I was going to have meat pie, chips and green beans. Everything was ready to cook, but then I couldn't get my electric oven to work. Again, I thought it must be the power supply, and I tried the oven several times, but it wasn't going to play ball. So, no meal. I thought I could order a take away using an app on my iPad. Deliveroo or something similar. I have used it before, with no probloems, but I could not get it to work. Password or something annoying like that. I attempted to resolve the issue, but it would not work, even trying to use the 'forgotten password' function, which is supposed to send you and email and then set up a new password, but it wasn't going to work.

So, it seems as if my devices were being decidedly awkward today.

In the end I just made myself a cheese sandwich. 

As regards the electric oven, I thought the only solution would be to replace it. I have an on-line account with Very, so I went on their website and found what looked like the perfect replacement oven, in their sale, as around £150 off the price, the right width to fit in the space in my kitchen, ceramic hob like my old one and fan-assisted. So, after some thought I went ahead and ordered it, which means I can pay in installments, which is how I bought my fridge-freezer when I moved into Dexter House. I paid extra to have the old oven removed, but I will have to find someone, probably at church, to come to my flat to install it, as I'm not able to do electrical stuff like connecting an electric cooker. The new oven isn't likely to be delivered for around two weeks, so I will have to figure out a way to cook my meals, although I can use my microwave oven.

6.20 p.m. The situation regarding the toaster and oven. I spoke to Vashti, the S.H.O at Dexter House. She spoke to someone at Mears (I imagine it was them.) about the situation and I was told it might have something to do with the fuse box, although it isn't a traditional fuse box, which was renewed a few months ago. The box contains several rows of switches, and if an appliance is faulty or fails in some way, the circuit it is connected to will fire the switch. It turned out that the oven and toaster (or, in that case, the socket in the kitchen.) had shown up with a light which was orange, so we pushed the switch and the light turned to red. As a result, the oven and toaster worked. As a result, I have cancelled the order from Very, because a new oven is no longer required. Situation resolved, thankfully.

A Happy New Year!

 Tuesday. New Year's Eve. 9.50 a.m. Yet another mild but rather dull and overcast sort of day. The weather is expected to get worse, with more wind and rain, and in Scotland, Hogmanay has been cancelled in Edinburgh, due to the weather which is forecast. I simply can't imagine Scotland foregoing their New Year's Eve celebrations.

I needed to do a top-up shop in Sainsbury's. Christmas is over, although stuff like mince pies are on offer, or, at least, they are very much in evidence. But there are Valentine's Day cards already on sale. No doubt there will be Easter eggs on sale soon.

I had a package arrive via Royal Mail this morning. It was the Bisoprolol tablets which I have been waiting for and which were actually ordered when I went to the surgery on Friday morning. It just goes to show that Pharmacu2U can deliver quickly when needed.

Wednesday. 9 a.m. I did see the New Year in. I watched the Jools Holland show on BBC 1.

This morning it is very windy. I took Alfie out, and it was difficult opening the door with the wind pushing against it and making weird noises. The strength of the wind was almost enough to blow you over.

Friday. 8.10 a.m. It's getting a good deal colder. Snow is forecast. An Amber alert has been given, meaning that temperatures below zero can be dangerous for those over a certain age (probably me included.) Also, danger of slips and falls, and dangerous driving conditions are expected.

Saturday. 7.35 a.m. I had the foresight to buy an extra bottle of antifreeze spray for my car. I got it when I was in Sainsbury's a couple of weeks ago. I also bought a large bottle of spray which you have to spray on your car's windows the night before and it is supposed to prevent them freezing over. I did this yesterday evening but I'm yet to find out if it has worked.

When I went out with Alfie about an hour ago, I found it was frosty, but as yet, no sign of snow. It seems that the north of England and Scotland have had snow, and it is causing problems with transport. I'm not so sure if we will get it this far south.

Sunday. 7.15 a.m. There was a scattering of snow overn night, but it's more like a dusting than what they have had in the north of England. I'm yet to take Alfie out, as he's fast asleep, so it seems unfair to wake him up.

9.05 a.m. I think Alfie was somewhat shocked by the cold when I eventually took him out.

I wasn't feeling very good when I got up. A bit light-headed and wobbly. I was scheduled to do refreshments at church, so I have sent a message via WhatsApp and someone will step in. I didn't think it was a good idea to continue, because of the blackout I had a year ago as well as the heart attack I had in church six years ago. Better to be safe than sorry.

Monday. 7.45 a.m. The snow has gone, but there's a thin fall of rain, if you can call it that.

I decided to come off the refreshment rota at church. I have been involved in this for well over a year, so it's time for others to step forward. I am still on the rota to set up communion, which I shall continue with.

3.15 p.m. I was doing my washing up at the kitchen sink this morning, when I notice a group of men in the community garden. They were all dressed in overalls, and I remembered that work was to be carried out, including the scooter stores which have been in place for around 3-4 years, but cannot be accessed from the main building here at Dexter House, because there is no ramp or specially adapted doors to allow the scooters to be taken out into the stores. An orange digger appeared and there is a fenced off area further over which is no doubt where equipment will be stored. Later, when I took Alfie out onto the grass along Strudwick Drive, I noticed a small truck being unloaded and the gate open and another larger lorry parked in Dexter Avenue, just below where the door comes out of Dexter House and I imagine it had further equipemt to be used by the workmen. Oh, the excitemnt of all this (Not. Scarcasm I'm afraid.) I will keep my readers imformed as this work progresses, or not.