Tickets for I.T.V. Revival of Sunday Night at the Palladium

We're both really excited as we've got tickets for the revival of the I.T.V. show 'Sunday Night at the Palladium.' I've been signed up for quite a while with an on-line company which issues free tickets to a very wide range of television shows. We've been to see several things being recorded, notably the television version of 'Dead Ringers' which was recorded at Television Centre and two radio shows, one a panel show called 'The Write Stuff' and a sitcom  'Clement Doesn't Live Here Any More.'   Both were broadcast on BBC Radio 4. These were both recorded at The Drill Hall near the British Museum. It was interesting to see how radio shows are made and in particular the sitcom as I've always been intrigued by how they do the sound effects. When I worked in stage management I quite often had to operate the sound system and cue in pre-recorded sound effects as well as music and we sometimes had to produce live or 'practical' sound effects, usually off-stage, such as door slams, glass crashes or gun-shots.

If you go to see television show being recorded you have to bear in mind that it won't be like going to see a play in a theatre as you don't always see directly onto all of the sets as some are obscured by bits of other scenery, cameras and equipment gets in the way and you often have to watch pre-recorded segments on television sets or monitors and there are often quite long breaks in the recording when actors have costume changes, bits of scenery is moved about and sometimes when there is a technical problem. Also, they might do several 'takes' or a scene or an actor forgets his lines or they want the audience to applause or perhaps not. Then they have a warm-up man or woman come on and keep the audience entertained until the set move is changed or the costume change completed. A half-hour show can take over two hours to complete and with radio they usually record two half-hour episodes on the same evening and the audience has a break in between the recordings.

Wild, Wet and Windy Weekend

It wouldn't be a normal August Bank Holiday if it didn't have rain, and we had rain here in bucket-loads. Stair-rods. We had wanted to go out somewhere as it's the last week of Carol's holidays. We have had some outings as already mentioned in earlier blogs on here, but it turned out that we'd be stuck in watching television instead.

I haven't mentioned that I am booked onto a creative writing course. I have mentioned the one-day course I did back in November at the Milton Keynes Art Centre and how it had sparked me off on quite a bit of writing. I had then booked on to a ten-week course, again at the Arts Centre and again lead by the same leader who lead the one-day course and it was intended as a Christmas present and running from mid-January. Unfortunately it was cancelled due to ill health of Deborah Fielding, the leader. I had hoped that it would be re-scheduled but nothing came of it and the money that was paid out was refunded. I had been looking around to do a similar course elsewhere and had found nothing suitable. Then Carol did some searching on the internet and found this Beginners Novel-Writing course which just happened to be starting on September 23rd and on in the evenings at the Milton Keynes Academy for 8 weeks. Just too good to be true as it means that I don't have to worry about parking as it's only a short walk there and a complete coincidence as Carol works there so it has worked out well. Just a bit annoying that I don't get any sort of discount but never mind. It's now paid for and all things are settled.

At Milton Keynes Christian Centre we're having an Alpha course starting the Monday before my writing course starts. I've been on one of the courses before when I lived in Bedford and went to Brickhill Baptist Church and then as a helper when I went to Rutland Road Church. So it looks as if I'm going to be busy staring in September. The Alpha course runs for eleven weeks and you get food at the beginning of the evening which is good enough reason to go. And knowing M.K.C.C. the food should be good!

Kenilworth Castle Outing

On Wednesday, as it was such a fine and sunny day, we decided to go to Kenilworth Castle. It has been somewhat undecided as regards the weather over the past couple of days and it has been quite over-cast and threatened rain. We wanted to get the most out of our membership of English Heritage. We've been once before, around six years ago. That time I seem to remember it was quite cold and we had soup in the restaurant. They had begun work on building the Elizabethan Garden, so it would be great to visit again and see it completed. Or that was the hope this time. The first time we joined was when we came back from a few days away we had for our first wedding anniversary in 2008 when we'd been to Chesil Beach and on he way back we went to Stonehenge. I find that a really intriguing place and would like to visit again since they've made some major changes there as well as opening a new visitor centre. We passed the site when we went down to Devon last August for Chloe and Steve's wedding.

The Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle

We drove out of Milton Keynes and went up the A5 and crossed over to Leamington Spa and got to Kenilworth that way. They have made quite a number of changes at the castle since we last visited, notably the Elizabethan garden, which, as I mentioned earlier, was being constructed the last time we visited. Having an interest in history (we  English Heritage joined this time with a discount from BBC History Magazine which I have a subscription to.) and it's amazing to see the place which is quite central to quite a few 'bits' of English history, notably Elizabeth I and her relationship with Robert Dudley. Also, as I'm something of a William Shakespeare fan and the fact that Stratford-Upon-Avon is so near. I did a course earlier this year on Shakespeare's World and part of it mentioned the fact that possibly Shakespeare visited Kenilworth when Elizabeth was there (although there is no definite documentary evidence for this.) as he mentions something in A Midsummer Night's Dream which could possibly allude to the masque that was performed there. The 'play within a play', the 'Pyramus and Thysbe' story is almost a parody of such a masque.

We wandered about the castle and took plenty of photographs, as we almost always do when we visit such places. They have now put walk-ways up along some of the ruined sections of the castle and you can see how the castle was built.

We wanted something to eat and went into the restaurant which is built inside the stable block. It was very busy as there were children's activities going on within the castle so a great many families with children, one in particular was very noisy and screaming. Carol had to queue up and I went outside to find a vacant table to sit. It became quite over-cast and there were a few drops of rain unfortunately, so after around 3 hours we decided to return home, but this time we went home via the Motorway, getting on the M6 near Birmingham which joins the M1 further south and gradually home to Milton Keynes.

Lucky Squirrel

This is a few days late, but I forgot all about it until today. We were on the way to church on Sunday. We usually drive to the carpark near Milton Keynes college and walk the rest of the way along the Redway or take one of the Plus Buses which are specially laid on to take people. We decided to go via Chaffron Way and park in the M.K.C.C. car park because when we started the car it was being somewhat stubborn starting. Actually, since it's been MoT'd and had work done on it, it makes very little sound when it's being started hence Carol not being able to hear it running, and then over-starting it and it not starting, if that makes any sort of sense. Anyway, as we drove along Chaffron Way near the college, a squirrel ran out into the road from the verge. Carol saw it in time and slowed down, but the stupid creature seemed to do a sort of double-take in the middle of the road, seemed to reverse it's direction of travel and ran under the car, and ran out and back onto the verge, without coming to any harm. Carol squealed, as she didn't want to run it over. But it was a lucky escape for the crazy little thing. We have a running gag about pheasants because we see so many of the stupid birds when we're driving around, most of them looking totally stupid, with no road sense whatsoever, ambling along on the side of the road, generally looking stunned as the traffic roars by, and when they do actually attempt to cross the road, it's so you have to slow down in the car, they seem to stare at you as if they expect you, the driver, to stop just to let them amble across. Then, generally on some winding, open country lane, you see a dead pheasant laying on the side of the road, one bird which hasn't been taught the dangers on the modern highway, how cars a fast and dangerous and it's been squished by a large heavy goods vehicle or some high-speed speed freak who doesn't slow down for the wildlife. As for rabbits, you see quite a few of them hopping around on the side of the road or in the long grass of the verges along the grid roads around Milton Keynes. They do have a habit of running into the path of your vehicle as you run along and when they see you coming, probably at night when you have to use your headlights, they do the old 'staring at the headlights and freezing' when they see you coming, a rather perilous form of self-defence, and as a result being run over and killed. The same way that hedgehogs roll up into a spiky ball when they sense danger and most likely in the middle of the road and also being run over by passing traffic.

Wheels, Woods, Wags, Walkies and Water

We cycled around the estate yesterday. I'm fine on my new Muddyfox bike, but Carol had been having problems with her new bike. She couldn't fathom the gears, which admittedly is quite difficult as with something like 21 gears and two levers one on each handlebar, it can be quite tricky getting the right gear for the correct speed and pedalling. We went round the estate several times. I just want to ride along the Redway for a distance to get myself fully conversant with the machine. Great as it is, I haven't cycled for quite a while. Also, I have never ever owned a brand new bicycle before. The one I did own and I used to cycle to school on (a good many years ago now, forsooth!) was a machine handed down from my eldest brother, James. It was later stolen from outside a house I lived in many years ago in Tyne Crescent, Bedford. Which was a pity, as it was a good machine. A bright blue Rudge. Amazing that I remember the brand.

The weather has been unsettled which is why we haven't been out too much recently. No good going out in pouring rain. I must buy a bike lock so that when I park at various locations, such as the local shops or even church, there is no chance that somebody can even attempt to steal the new machine, which would be both annoying and a great shame. It's appalling that you can't trust people to leave your property alone, but never mind. Also, I think I need to buy a helmet as there have been far too many accidents with people falling off their machines and hitting their heads.

Earlier this morning we went to D.W. Fitness. It opened at 8 a.m. so we must have been amongst the first customers through the door. It was great that there were very few people in the pool. Why do people who exercise always look so miserable? Why do they almost all seem so humourless? We did around 20 lengths of the pool. I spent some time in what I call the 'hot cupboard,' the steam room. Very hot and steamy (!) and does you a power of good, sweating out all those toxins etc etc. We sat in the jacuzzi for a good 20 minutes and then back in the pool for a further four lengths. Then one of the swimming instructors came in along with a few parents with children which decided us on getting out and dressed as it gets really crowded and noisy when the children are doing their swimming lessons. All very well, but it doesn't do my motivation much good. We went home and had toasted buns to eat and tea and coffee. There is always the temptation to have food in the cafe at D.W. but it can be quite expensive. It's a good year at least since we signed up. 

Later, when we'd looked at the situation regarding the weather, we decided to take the dogs out for a walk at Rushmere Park, near Leighton Buzzard. Getting Alfie, our little Yorkshire Terrier, into his harness and then into the car is a real problem. We take him out in a cage which is in the back of the car and I had to make sure it was installed within the car before he came out and that he didn't see me doing this as he gets so over-excited. We managed to get him in the lounge on his own while Carol got Poppy into her harness in the kitchen. Alfie became like a demon-possessed creature and I could hear him attacking the doors and making the most appalling noise. Goodness knows what the neighbours must have thought if they could hear his commotion. They must have done, as he was really loud. We eventually managed to get him harnessed and into the back on the car in the cage and we gingerly drove out of Milton Keynes and onto the A5 towards Leighton Buzzard and the country park at Rushmere. 

The dogs had a great time when we let them off their leads. Alfie runs ahead of us and approaches any people he sees along the path, regardless of whether they want to be assaulted by a small terrier. Poppy just ambles along and it was very pleasant with the sun shining through the trees. 

They have made some improvements since we were last there, with a new cafe just opened and a brand new toilet block near the visitors centre. I have to admit that the old toilets there were somewhat unsavoury to say the least.

We were going to have ice creams from the cafe, but Carol found that there wasn't much of a choice and they were somewhat over-priced so we didn't partake. We left and drove out of the carpark and through the barrier where you have to pay £2 to get the barrier to open so you can exit.

It was at this point that Carol decided she wanted chocolate cake (as you do!) so we went to Dobbie's garden centre which is just off the A5 at the roundabout near Fenny Stratford. No sooner had we parked the car than Alfie started yapping. He had been quiet up until this point, but we had to leave the dogs in the car when we went inside the garden centre and into the food hall to find suitable cake. I did think £4.50 for a small chocolate cake somewhat over-priced, but, on getting home and after unloading the dogs, I made tea and we ate some of, what turned out to be very tasty and moreish chocolate cake!

Working on EastEnders

In 1988 I managed to get on the books of an agent in London called Ivor Kimmel. I'm not sure exactly how I came across him, but I think it may have been as a result of over-hearing a conversation on a bus when I was working on something else. I think I wrote to him to try and get onto his books and he must have written back saying something to the effect that his books were full, but he would bear me in mind if anything came up where they required more people on anything. I never went to his office or met him, but I got quite a few bits and pieces over the next couple of years. One bit of work that springs to mind was when I spent a few days working on EastEnders. When I was called by Ivor Kimmel he asked me whether I'd worked on EastEnders, to which I replied that I hadn't. This was only a few years into this show's run, as it had only begun in February 1985. He said they were looking for people to work on a show called 'Caged' or 'Behind Bars' or something and the location was in a school just outside Borehamwood in Hertfordshire. I went off to the location, not for one minute imagining it was actually EastEnders I was going to be working on.  They'd used the other name for the show they were filming as a sort of 'blind' to put off the tabloid press who are always hot on the heels of stories related to any of the 'soaps.' It was at the time they were filming episodes when Den Watts ('Dirty Den' as he was called, and played by Leslie Grantham.) and the character was about to be written out. He was in prison (don't ask me on what charge.) and the school was being used to film the scenes where he is visited in prison and also some scenes where he is being interviewed. I was to be one of the prison warders in the visiting room scenes and was in the background wandering about. I think I was seen but probably from the waist down as the camera was set up very low as the visitors are sitting at tables. These scenes were directed by Julia Smith who was responsible (with Tony Holland) for devising the format and characters for the show. Quite a formidable person. Being what they called 'rapid turn-round' television drama, there was no time to do endless 'takes' so you were expected to do it more or less in 'one take' so woe betide if you made a mistake. A scene would be shot and then the cameras would be moved around for the next set-up. When I arrived on location I was put into my costume as a prison warder and then I had to wear a long coat over it to hide the costume as there were press photographers around outside the location who would have taken photographs and given away the plot of Den's exit from the show which would have spoilt the whole thing, obviously. I believe the scenes within the prison cells were shot in Dartmoor prison, but I can't be sure. As so many of the 'regular' characters were supposed to visit Den in prison it was easier to set up those scenes elsewhere rather than travel to and from the Dartmoor location, or so I was lead to believe. I did quite a few scenes in the school on one day, but was later called back to be used in scenes where Den was being interviewed in a room elsewhere in the prison and was supposed to be guarding the room outside and let people in and out of the room. It was on the final day of shooting that Leslie Grantham was given a special cake with a prison decorated on it and was presumably his final day working on the show. 

I have done a bit of a Google search because I couldn't remember the name of the school where these scenes were filmed but I'm fairly certain that it was Haberdashers' Aske School in Aldenham, which is just outside Elstree, which is where the outdoor 'lot' for EastEnders is  situated and the show is made.

I never actually got to work on the EastEnders outdoor set or 'lot' at Elstree studios, but I did get a chance to see it when I was working on another drama series, 'House of Cards' (the original four-part BBC series and not the American version that has been remade.) For that particular series I did quite a lot of work in and around various London locations. I was with a group of other walk-on's or supporting artistes and we were supposed to be journalists. It was usually when the central character of Francis Urquart, played by Ian Richardson, was involved, usually when he appeared outside Downing Street. They had built a mock-up of Downing Street, as obviously they couldn't use the real one, and it was built alongside the EastEnders set. Ian Richardson came along in a car and got out and we were supposed to photograph him. It was an extremely hot and sunny day and it was supposed to be winter so we had thick coats on over suits and we got very hot. They had to put up special screens to block out the sun, which is strange as usually they use very large arc lamps to make a scene seem sunny when it it overcast. We did another scene somewhere in central London, I think it was supposed to be near Conservative central office, and we were expected to run across the road towards the front door of this large building, I think it was in a St Jame's Square.  On the cue for 'action' we had to time it precisely as there was real traffic and there was a real danger of getting run over. I seem to remember the unit was set up near where WPC Yvonne Fletcher was shot outside the Libyan Embassy as there was a memorial set up at the site of where she was shot in 1984.

Outing to Wrest Park

Yesterday, Tuesday, we thought we'd make the most of the weather as well as get the benefit of our newly-acquired English Heritage membership and visit Wrest Park. The weather has been playing tricks over the last few days, and the weather forecast has said it has something to do with Hurricane Bertha on the west of the Atlantic and we've had the tail-end of this hurricane with high winds and torrential rain. We have a slight problem with the car; the windscreen wipers don't work. Those which clear the rear window have a tendency to come on unexpectedly when we're driving along so it must be a fault with the fuses or something and needs work doing to it to get it corrected, so we're none too keen to go out when it's raining. But we've been cooped up indoors for the past few weeks and the car is working again so it seemed a good idea to go out. We left around 8.30 which would give us more than enough time to drive across to Silsoe, where Wrest Park is. It's on the A6 around half way between Bedford and Luton and we've been there before when we previously had English Heritage membership. The grounds didn't open until 10 a.m. so as we got to Silsoe with around 45 minutes to spare we decided to drive on to Barton-Le-Clay and visit the watermill there which has shops and a garden centre in it. Quite nice to wander around and it has an antiques centre and a shop which appealed to Carol which sells a wide selection of teddy bears one of which she has got her eye on as a Christmas present.

View towards the Archer Pavilion from the Mansion at Wrest Park

The Archer Pavilion at Wrest Park

The Mansion at Wrest Park from across the Long Pond

We drove back to Silsoe and in to the carpark at Wrest Park. There's been quite a few changes since we last visited, the carpark being now in what looks as if it was probably a walled garden. You drive in through an archway. There's now a visitor centre, restaurant and gift shop and you walk in from the side and not through the front of the mansion which was the old entrance. They have recently had a £20 million Heritage Lottery grant to restore the garden and mansion back to it's glory days. There is also a children's play area which I don't remember from our earlier visit. We walked the length of the grounds towards the Archer Pavilion and along one of the lakes. It must be at least a mile from the mansion. We turned back and got to the restaurant in good time as it began to rain and the place was inundated with other visitors and scores of children. We bought the obligatory handbook (we now have a growing collection from the other National Trust and English Heritage properties we have visited.) and decided it would be a good idea to leave as the rain came on heavily. Fortunately it cleared up as we headed back towards Milton Keynes and the fact that the windscreen wipers were not working wasn't a problem.

A Day Out In London

Yesterday we went to London for a day out. Carol managed to buy rail tickets on-line at a reduced price as well as tickets for a play, a stage adaptation of the film "Shakespeare In Love" which recently premiered at the Noel Coward Theatre. Although the car is now back up-and-running we caught a bus to the railway station. We considered it far easier to get a bus as it costs quite a bit to park the car. We had to get the tickets from a computerised dispenser at the station which was a good deal easier than I'd imagined. It required entering a PIN number and the tickets were printed by the machine and came out of a slot much like an A.T.M. machine (cash point). We had some while to wait until or train

arrived and had coffee in a cafe o-in the station concourse. We soon went down onto the platform and as we waited an express train went through the station without stopping. Extremely fast and quite terrifying if you hadn't known it was about to go through.

Our train soon arrived and we were on-board. There were not sufficient seats for us to sit in so we had to stand for the entire journey, which, fortunately, didn't take much more than 40 minutes.

We wanted to go to the Tower of London as at present there is an art installation on to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. We managed to get on the Underground and made our way down towards the Tower. We were somewhat struck by the number of people who had come to view this amazing piece of work. It is called 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' and is made up of some 888, 246 ceramic poppies, one for each member of the British forces who fell during the 1914-18 war. It has been created by artist Paul Cummins.

As you can see from this photograph which I took it is quite breathtaking and a fitting tribute to those who gave their lives in that war. I am really glad that we decided to go to see this.

We stayed for quite a while, and took more photographs of the Tower of London, which we didn't go in, but may come back at some time and have a proper visit. We made our way back to the Underground station and went into central London, getting off the train at Leicester Square and wanted to find the theatre as we had to collect our tickets in time before the play started at 2.30. 

We had decided we would need something to eat and looked for a suitable place and eventually went to a restaurant several doors along from the theatre and had steak and chips which was really good. It was a really hot day and we'd walked quite a long way and it was good to be able to sit down and rest for a while. 

We went back to the theatre and went into the auditorium. I was surprised how high up we were in the Grand Circle. I have a really problem with vertigo but as the show progressed and I got drawn into the action of the play it didn't seem so much of a problem as it might have been.

The Noel Coward Theatre where the play "Shakespeare In Love" is currently playing.

Having come out of the theatre at the end of the show we decided we needed something to drink and possibly eat. We went to Charing Cross Road as we wanted to visit Foyle's bookshop. Carol has never been before and was struck by it's size and the amazing selection of books on sale. I had been there as a child and then we discovered that it had moved from it's former home further along the road. We bought a couple of books and spent quite a while browsing. We could have spent quite a bit of money in there so it was as well we left when we did! We walked towards the Dominion Theatre and found that there was a huge amount of roadworks or at leas there was an obstruction in the road where it dissected Oxford Street. I have a feeling it has something to do with the work on the Crossrail construction but I'm not sure. The Dominion Theatre is in the process of being refurbished and has closed and had a large hoarding advertising the latest Apple iPhone on it. We made for a Cafe Rouge and had tea and crepes as we were slightly hungry and thirsty.

By now time was moving on apace. For some reason Carol got the idea that we could only return home on or after 8.45 and that we would have to spend more time in London. By now we were very hot and tired and if we'd had to fill in another two hours or more we'd be really dropping. We thought it best to at least make our way back to Euston Station and find out if the 8.45 constraint on travelling was correct. We then found out that we could travel home whenever we liked so we boarded the next train which fortunately meant we wouldn't have to fill in the couple of hours before we could leave. It was one of those train journeys where the train stops at virtually every small station on the line but it did at least mean we could relax and got home hot and tired but agreed that it had been a great day out.

Car Starts

We've had a busy day. Doing not much at all, really. Carol wanted a doctor's appointment and she got one booked at 3.50. We had heard nothing from Mark, the car mechanic so we sent a text message. He said he'd come as soon as he could, between 4 and 5. We booked a taxi to take us to the doctor's in Beanhill. We had texted Mark to say that we'd be gone to the doctor's and that we'd leave the car open and with the keys in so that he could have a look at the car. We also told our neighbours, Gary and Shelly, as we didn't want them thinking Mark was trying to steal the car if they saw him looking at the car. It could have resulted in all sorts of misunderstandings hence them being told. The taxi arrived in good time, by 3.20 so we got to the surgery with plenty of time to spare. Fortunately Carol was seen within 10 minutes of arriving, and came out of the surgery with a prescription which we too immediately to the pharmacy next door. Quite a few people in there waiting, but no sooner had we got the made-up prescription we went out and phoned for a taxi for home. Meanwhile Mark phoned to say that the car had no oil in it which was why it wouldn't start but he had managed to get it going. Then a taxi cab arrived but it turned out not to be for us but the correct one came and we got home. It's barely a five-minute journey if there is little traffic. On arriving home Mark told us we needed to put oil in the car and I was surprised it was so low. Not just low, but non-existent. I went with him to get oil from a near-by petrol station but on the way his van ran out of diesel. We had to leave the van on the side of the road, with traffic hurtling past as full speed as by now it was going-home time. A somewhat hairy experience walking along the grass verge and crossing the dual carriageway but we got the diesel and the oil at the nearby BP service station. We got back to the van and Mark put the diesel into the fuel tank and we drove home.  On the way back to Eaglestone we drove along Marlborough Street and saw a lot of flashing blue lights and two cars had a quid spectacular crash quite near the hospital turning and police and other emergency vehicles nearby. No sign of any injured people but from the state of the two cars more than likely some casualties. No doubt it will be in he local media tomorrow. Oil put into car and it seems to be running fine. Just now trust that this is the last problem with the car for a while and we can enjoy the remainder of Carol's summer holiday.

Can't Start . . . won't start . . .

Drove over to Arcana Studio hairdressers in Shenley Brook End early this morning. Carol wanted to get her hair done and we went on the off-chance she could get an appointment. We arrived in the carpark at 8.30 and they weren't yet open, but once they came to open up we went in and managed to get her an appointment for 11.30, which meant we could go into the city centre as we needed to go to the bank. On returning to the car we then found it wouldn't start . . . we're back on this again, unfortunately. After several more attempts it still wouldn't play ball. Our car insurance is with Swinton and fortunately we have breakdown cover and after a bit of phoning we managed to get a call-out and the breakdown truck arrived. Carol re-arranged her hair appointment while the driver tried to get the car started. Still nothing as regards getting the car to start. He suggested it was something to do with petrol getting into the engine or something. Having spent quite a bit recently, first getting the car through it's MoT and then getting the clutch cable replaced, we imagined the car was going to be fine for a little longer. It had been fine yesterday when we went shopping in Sainbury's and then when we went to Toys R Us for the bicycle. To cut an extremely frustrating and drawn-out story short . . . the car was put on the transporter and I went with the car back home where it was dropped off while Carol remained to have her hair appointment and came back via taxi . . . we later telephoned Mark who had repaired the clutch cable and who told me on the telephone that we we attempt to come out and look at the car-not-starting situation and, hopefully, tell us whether he could resolve the said situation. So our outing to Whipsnade is on hold until the car is back up-and-running, which hopefully won't be too long or costly. The joke is, now we've got the bikes we probably don't need the car as much. We need to get locks so that we can cycle to various shopping centres and leave them and lock them without the fear of them being stolen. Also, I would like some sort of pannier-attachment on mine so I can carry shopping. It will also be easy to cycle to church on a sunday and leave them outside as there are cycle racks. No point going to all the effort of getting these bikes if we don't use them. We should also be able to get to D.W. Fitness near the stadium which will mean we get a double benefit of exercise- swimming and bicycling there and back. I have noticed that there are cycle racks outside when we've been recently. Also, when we were waiting for the bus to leave the shopping centre I saw quite a few cycle racks near the shopping centre.
No sooner had the car been unloaded from the wagon than Carol turned up in the taxi. I was surprised how quickly she had managed to order the taxi and the then get her lift home. On arrival back home we decided to get the bus into the city centre as we still needed to get to the bank as we are going to need to pay our landlord our deposit in monthly instalments and needed to get to the NatWest branch in the centre to set up a direct debit.
We got the bus from the bus stop near the Academy. We went a different route into the city and got off the bus near Midsummer Place shopping centre. We walked through the shopping centre to NatWest and managed to get the direct debit set up. Having finished in the bank we came out and went back into the centre, going through Marks and Spencer. On the way through there was a lady doing market research on a new range of Mexican food, and it was great to be asked our opinion on this. I did think, though, that some of it was very expensive. For example, a sort of 'mix-and-match' platter of food 'bites' was rather over-priced at £7. I think they are getting customer feed-back on future 'buy two meals for £10' or something. Actually very good value when you consider they usually include a bottle of wine which separately costs around £4-£5. It seems most of the major supermarkets do these 'meal deals.' We quite often buy them, especially at the weekend.
Having bought a card for Steve and Chloe's first wedding anniversary which is this weekend (can't believe it will be a year.ago. How time flies.) we decided we wanted something to eat. At first we were going to go to Pizza Hut, but there was a queue and changed our minds and opted for Giraffe where we've been before. We soon got a table and the meal was served quickly. Having been somewhat frustrated and annoyed with the car breaking down it was good to relax for a while.
We walked down the shopping centre and ended up in Waterstone's and looked at their 'buy one get one half-price' book offer but then decided we'd go to The Works where we ended up buying three books for £5. Then we walked down towards John Lewis and out towards the bus stop near the theatre and caught a bus back home.