Getting Colder?

There is a definite nip in the air. Considering how warm it got during the Great 2018 Heatwave, I'm not surprised that I now notice that it's getting colder in the morning, especially when I take Alfie out for his morning run in Eaglestone Park. I went out in a short-sleeved polo shirt when we went to Whipsnade, but considering how much colder it gets up there on Dunstable Downs I'm not surprised and had to eventually put on my jacket as I began to feel cold when we were looking at the penguins. We're now in the, sad to say it folks, what I would call without too much hesitation, the run-up to Christmas. We've already seen hints of the impending Festive Season, with bits and pieces in some shops, crafting things in one of the shops, I think The Range, the other day, and possibly The Works. Well, I suppose some people make their Christmas cards and decorations and need time to make them well in advance.

Having said it was cold, a couple of hours after I'd written the above paragraph, the sun is out and it's quite warm. Just typical for this time of year.

We went to Hobbycraft because Carol is looking for more crafting materials. I'm not over-keen on this vast warehouse of stuff. Over-priced. Carol bought a stamp and then we went to Sainsbury's. Ordered my repeat prescription and collected another repeated prescription. Later we went for a walk round Furzton Lake, somewhere we haven't visited in a long time, certainly not since our other dog, Poppy, died. It's somewhere that she'd quite happily love to swim, in the lake, although, having been on the Parks Trust website and on boards around the area of the lake, dogs are not supposed to swim in the lakes or other areas of water. Well, it would have been no use trying to stop her, because she'd have been in whether she was supposed to or not. Quite a long way round the lake and the park and we spent some time sitting on a bench and just enjoying the scenery and the warm weather. There were quite a lot of people walking, or cycling, around the lakes. It was especially nice to see families together, which makes a change that they weren't arguing or spending too much time on mobile phones.

A lot of children we saw at Whipsnade have those scooter-things, which I don't think are appropriate for use in such a place. They seem to be everywhere. Use them supervised (as most of them are there, with parents and other adults they were with somewhere around) but they could be dangerous and get run over by vehicles moving along the zoo roads, or collide with other zoo visitors on foot.) 

Wednesday Morning At Whipsnade

We've been to Whipsnade Zoo for the first time in ages. We renewed Carol's Fellowship membership so we can visit as many times as we like without paying. Our one luxury which, at the moment, seems very worthwhile and takes our minds off hospital appointments and other difficulties and it's only about 30 minutes in the car from home.

We didn't intend spending money in any of the restaurants at Whipsnade when we wanted lunch, so we drove to Tesco's at Oldbrook to buy some sandwiches, crisps and a drink. We drove out of Milton Keynes on on the A5 and drove towards Dunstable and eventually along the Downs and arrived at the zoo.

When we eventually got to Whipsnade we were really surprised by how many people were there. Because it was virtually the end of the school holidays, we imagined that it would be vitally empty, but no doubt families intended making one final visit before their children returned to school. We had a bit of a problem parking the car, and some visitors couldn't make up their minds when crossing the road. So, we did our usual tour round the whole circuit and drove through the drive-through 'Passage Through Asia' exhibit. You see deer and other animals in a more natural environment, as you drive through, something like a safari park such as Woburn or Longleat. We didn't see any other people, cars or otherwise when we drove thorough. Then we drove round to park up near the chimpanzee enclosure and walked towards the bears and discovered that a talk was about to be given by one of the members of the zoo staff. It was absolutely heaving with people. We stood and looked at the bears for a while. It's fascinating listening to other people as well as watching them, almost as interesting as the zoo inhabitants. A couple were speaking quite loud, making comments, and one husband said to her wife that they'd gone all the way to Canada on holiday and hadn't seen any hears, but, here they were at Whipsnade and, yes, there were some bears! Seemed to us amazing that they'd gone all that way to Canada, when they could see bears in this country instead. Then on to the penguins. They always seem so amusing, perhaps because of the way they walk. Also, look vaguely human, the way they stand in crowds, vaguely looking as if they're queuing up for something.

We ate our picnic sitting in the car near the bear enclosure.

Digressing somewhat. As I sat here, at goodness knows what time in the early hours of the morning, which I usually do when I can't sleep, I had a buzzing going on in the room. It was a fly of some sort. I wouldn't think flies would be around at night, in the dark. But there it was, somewhere, flying round and round as I attempted to concentrate on writing this blog post. I put up with it for a while and then gave up. I found the fly spray, conveniently left on the bookshelves and sprayed around. I don't like using it, I don't want to sit in a room where it's been sprayed. It didn't work at first, but after about ten minutes the buzzing stopped and I could get back to my writing.

We parked up near the elephants. They have to be my favourites and as they were up near the fence so we got a really good view. The BBC has an annual show which is shown on Sunday evenings called 'The Big Painting Challenge' and contestants had to paint scenes in a wide range of locations and landscapes, one location was actually Whipsnade Zoo. They had to paint the flamingos and also the elephants, and we were at the actual location for that particular painting challenge. H.M. Queen came to open the new elephant house a couple of years ago, and television news showed her actually feeding one of the elephants and a newly-born baby elephant was given the name Elizabeth in honour of the Queen's visit to coincide with her 60 years on the throne.

Having spent a couple of hours at the news we drove around to park near the entrance and went in to browse in the shop and then drove out to return home. A really pleasant morning spent out together. It wasn't too hot, thankfully. We thought it might have rained, but it held off. A certain amount of sunshine, which was actually better than being bright and sunny because it meant the animals didn't hide away in the shade.

August Bank Holiday Monday Outing to Claydon

I took Alfie out for his by now routine walk around Eaglestone Park and we saw the lady with the white poodle. Alfie saw them first and trotted off to say hello and another lady appeared with a chocolate Labrador and Alfie was in his element as this dog was eager to run around with him. The other little dog didn't want to know. Perhaps he's just no sociable. Anyway, it means that Alfie has another dog to be friendly with, but he insists on running in circles around both dogs. If only he would just stand still. Well, with all his exuberance at least he's getting lots of exercise which is good for him.

We drove out to Claydon House this morning. It was good to get away from the house and Milton Keynes, even if for only a couple of hours. We have been there before, as members of the National Trust we get free entry but it must be at least 4 years since we last visited. We didn't go into the house. They say that you're no more than 20-30 minutes from a National Trust property. I don't know how true that is, but I suppose if pushed, and the traffic isn't too heavy, it's probably 35 or 40 minutes away. Probably the same to Stowe Landscape Gardens. Waddesdon Manor is probably an hour or so away.

We headed out towards Buckingham on Standing Way. I had the satnav on, the one fitted in the car and it was useful as we couldn't remember exactly how to get to Claydon. The traffic got busy on the road out to Buckingham and then we turned left in Buckingham near Tesco's. We went this way when we took Carol's mum and dad to Waddesdon Manor a couple of months ago when they came up to stay at the hotel in Newport Pagnell. The weather did it's best to stay fine and sunny, but there was a cool breeze and dark, brooding clouds suggested that we could expect a downpour at any moment. But Bank Holidays always have to have rain. It's part of the tradition and it has definitely got to be endured. But all the time we were out it didn't start to pour, fortunately.

As we approached Claydon House we saw notices for 'SK' but we had no idea what it referred to. Then, as we drew up in the carpark we saw tents in a field some way from the main garden and entrance to the house. Some sort of history festival or other. Then, across a field, a gathering of what looked like people dressed in period costume. Then we heart the sound of gunfire. It was a Sealed Knot event, the society that reenacts battles of the English Civil War period. Then, as we walked towards the manor we saw people walking about in 17th century costume. A bit like when I've been on location for television dramas and, if they're period, supporting artistes would be walking about in costume. Somewhat incongruous to see people draw up in a modern van or car, and then get out dressed in 17th century costume.

We had to visit the restaurant, which was new to us. I think when we last visited the restaurant was on the opposite side of the courtyard. There was a group of people in there dressed in 17th century costume. Even more odd seeing them in there as if they'd got lost in time and space and wandered in through a time warp or Doctor Who's Tardis or something equally science fiction related.Perhaps they had and we hadn't noticed and nobody else had thought to ask. I just hope they hadn't sent a Dalek or Cyberman or two along with them for company. But I don't think they looked the sort of people who would have thought it the least bit amusing as I had. Anyway, we ordered the regulation lattes and scones and sat and ate them. Very fine and pleasant. Just what was required and completed our visit perfectly. We had a look in some of the art studios which are within the courtyard. When we were married in 2007 we wanted to have a unique piece of art made and decided on having it created by a potter who was based at Claydon. It was made with a slate base with a hand-crafted flower on top of it and we had it at the house in Crownhill, but it got removed and then destroyed when we had problems with our then landlord. It would be nice if we could have it re-mde but at the moment that would not be possible. When it had been ordered and then made we went to Claydon to collect it and on the journey there from Milton Keynes there was an almighty rain-storm and it was so torrential, we could barely see out of the car and had to stop in a lay-by to wait for the storm to pass. It was like a river bursting it's banks and it wasn't safe to continue the journey so it was best to stay in that lay-by. I'm almost sure that had we got out of the car when it was raining that afternoon we would very likely have been washed away because of the force of the water running down the side of the road. As it was you couldn't see clearly the rain was falling so heavily on the car's windscreen.

So, having seen everything we wanted to at Claydon, we returned to the car and then drove back to Milton Keynes through Buckingham.

A Wet and Chilly Bank Holiday

Well, it looks as if the summer is going to end in cold and gloom. Having experienced some of the hottest weather of a summer since 1976 we're now having to put up with rain and cold. I drove to Shenley Christian Fellowship with rain pelting the windscreen and walking from the carpark getting soaking wet. I refused to wear a jacket of any sort, which was a bit stupid, but I didn't see the point when I'd left the house. How is it we almost always get rain when there's a Bank Holiday? And can anyone tell me why banks get a holiday? What one earth have they done to deserve one? Why not nurses, police, ambulance crews, train drivers? Or any of a host of employed personnel? Anyway, as I sit here, in our sitting room, typing away at this blog post, I can see out of the window as the rain pelts down, making a noise on the window glass. Alfie, our little Yorkshire Terrier, poked his head out of the patio door from our kitchen and couldn't decide whether to brave the elements when it was definitely clear that he would get really wet when he had to go out the other morning quite early. He doesn't like getting wet, and who can blame him?

We did go out early as we usually do each morning. He came across a lady walking with a sort of wheeled zimmer frame who had a poodle with her. Alfie ran off to greet the poor dog, but he kept running rings around this white dog. He just wants to be friends and, possibly, play with most of the dogs we encounter on our early-morning saunter around Eaglestone Park. 

So, there's be a lot of people out and about, going for day's out to the seaside, probably National Trust properties, castles, stately homes, zoos (such as Whipsnade.) who will have their day ruined by rain. Well, it's what you come to expect when there's a Bank Holiday. Sitting in their cars, with Aunty Ethel and Uncle Maurice in tow, in traffic jams across the length and breadth of Great Britain, having to put up with the kids squabbling in the back of the car and husband and wife arguing about the best route to take to their favourite destination.  Having real problems with the map, getting it upside down and not being able to read it properly, probably because they've left their best reading glasses behind at home. The car windows steaming up, because of the wet weather. The children constantly repeating 'are we there yet?' Then when they get to the seaside, finding many attractions on the seafront closed for repairs, the ice-cream sellers running out of ice-cream or cold drinks. Endless queues at the sea-front cafes and restaurants. The sun eventually comes out, periodically, but then when it does rain, running to shelter under shop-frontages. Then, when they do eventually get back to the car, finding the sandwiches they've bought with them have gone soggy and the Thermos tea stone cold.

This evening we watched the BBC Proms concert version of 'On The Town,' the musical which has a musical score written by Leonard Bernstein, because it's the centenary of his birth. A really rousing piece of theatre done with real gusto and the L.S.O. (London Symphony Orchestra) conducted by John Wilson. He's done many concerts for the Proms, sometimes resurrecting scores from musical films such as those produced by M.G.M., and one year he did a concert based on the scores used in Warner Brothers animated cartoons and a hilarious one using the Tom and Jerry cartoon scores. The musicians looked as if they were really enjoying themselves, making all the odd sound effects, car horns, whistles, bangs and crashes. I'm so glad that the BBC shows the proms, even if they hide it all away on a minority channel such as BBC Four. A pity really, but at least they're broadcast somewhere. Just a pity they couldn't put it on BBC1 so that more people could discover the wonders of classical music, which isn't all long-winded symphonies, some of the lighter pieces could introduce a completely new audience. Mind you, we weren't watching it 'live' and had it on iPlayer. The wonders of modern broadcasting.

All About Weather

It's bright and sunny this morning, but there's a cooling breeze. So, I begin my blog posts most days with a mention of the weather. I think most people, when they meet others, will almost always mention the weather. We do tend to spend a great deal of our time in this country discussing the weather. It does have an effect on our lives to a large extent. It gives the British their character. Stoical, long-suffering, uncomplaining. Is this true? A lot of British people moan constantly about the weather, as well as other things, such as politics, those in authority, but they make a living out of moaning, and do nothing much to try to change things. Admittedly you can't change the weather, you just have to 'grin and bear it,' whether it's too hot or too cold. We do have a habit of moaning on and on that it's far too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer, as we seemed to do during the recent heatwave. I have to admit it did get far too hot for me, but you can just keep out of the sun, or, when it's cold, put on more layers of clothes. If it's bright and sunny it does give you an up-lift to your mood, but if it's cold, due to snow and frost, or wet, due to rain, it can tend to make you miserable. I don't like it when the clocks move back in October, long dark days when it begins to get dark at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. That long haul as we build up to Christmas, getting colder and even more dark doesn't help.

My father was a farmer and weather with important to him. There was a barometer on the wall in the corridor downstairs and he almost always consulted it at some stage of the day and he insisted on watching the television weather to find out how things would turn out, particularly during the corn harvest. If it rained it could effect the moisture content which was vital as to whether a particular batch of wheat, barley or oats was to be harvested. We didn't go on our annual holiday to Frinton-On-Sea until the first fortnight in September. I suppose school realised that most of the pupils were farmer's children and my father wouldn't go away until either the harvest was complete or unless the weather was fine and he could come with us to Frinton. It seems amazing looking back to think we must have missed two weeks of school, but that's what we did.

We've been out this morning. Carol had seen an advertisement in a magazine for a shop in Leighton Buzzard. They sell crafting materials. I'm not sure whether they have a website, but most likely they do. We drove there, via the A5 and then off towards Aylesbury along the by-pass. Some of the route is being resurfaced, the opposite lane. We got to Leighton Buzzard and parked in a Morrison's carpark but had no real idea where the shop was, but it's in a side-street off Lake Street, which means nothing to either of us. We visited the town a few years ago, but, frankly, the place has nothing much to recommend it. I think that time we parked near the theatre, but that's about all I remember. It's somewhat depressing, just looks rundown. Very bleak. Is it just me or is this how most towns look these days? Lots of boarded-up properties. No end of charity shops, pubs, banks and building societies. We eventually discovered the shop, which is down a rather seedy alleyway, which you wouldn't want to venture into at night. The shop is small and rather depressing and even more rundown than all the others. We have a browse and then return to Morrison's. Unfortunately you could buy everything they sold in that shop in large barn-like retail outlets such as Hobbycraft or on-line. We went into Morrison's and bought sandwiches, crisps and drinks to have for lunch. We were undecided where we should stop to eat our picnic, not really having an idea about the immediate vicinity. We drove away from the town towards Dunstable and the A5 because the alternative route back along the by-pass would be closed off due to the resurfacing. It seems incredible that such a recently opened stretch of road should require resurfacing. It is remarkably poorly constructed, no doubt as a way to cut costs when it was originally built only a few years ago. We reach the A5 at the roundabout we know well because we come this way when we visit Whipsnade, and go left and then meet a traffic jam. It creeps along at no more than walking pace. It goes on towards Hockliffe. No sign at all as to what caused the traffic hold-up. I imagined it might have been further roadworks, resurfacing perhaps, but absolutely nothing. Not even a road traffic accident. The jam just disappears and we move on at a higher speed. We decide to come off the A5 where the road meets a roundabout, to the left going off towards Stockgrove Park, which we visit on occasion with the dogs. But we go off right towards Woburn. There must be somewhere to stop nearby to have our improvised picnic. We drive through the deer park, doing the loop we usually do and come back through the park. We eventually find a rather pleasant bypass in the wooded area going back towards the A5. We sit in the car and eat our picnic and then return home via the A5 towards Milton Keynes.

Friday, later. The weather has changed considerably. The day started off sunny bit windy, but as I write this (at 6.55) it's been raining and we had a clap or two of thunder. It went quite dark as we were about to have our evening meal and I shut the curtains to keep the weather out.

Bloodtests and other Matters

I hadn't had a blood test for at least a year. I'm keen to keep a check on my cholesterol levels because if it's too high there is always a risk of another clot which could lead to me having another heart attack. I'd had a letter from Ashfield Medical Centre to have my blood pressure done at their self-service unit within the waiting area of the surgery, which I did a week or two ago. It's not difficult to do and they've now put it behind a screen so that you don't have to endure other people waiting watching you, which rather put me off doing it myself. It is easy to use and the instructions are clear and the machine prints out the results and then you hand this over to the receptionist who then adds it to your notes. In some ways I suppose this is a good idea because it frees up the staff to do other things and you just do it yourself so you don't have to make an appointment.

As regards giving blood for a test has always been a bit of a problem for me. For a start, I don't like needles, particularly when they're stuck in my arm, or leg or any other part of my body. When I was in hospital, particularly when I was in the C.C.U. (Coronary Care Unit) at Bedford Hospital  I had some of the blood-thinning medications administered by hypodermic in my stomach. I think Carol had the same when she was in hospital. It's not to painful, but I think just thinking about it is unpleasant. As regards the blood test giving-of-blood, my problem is that it goes back to quite a few years ago when I lived in Bedford and probably at a time when I changed doctors surgeries and had to have an early-morning blood test and wasn't supposed to eat anything for around 12 hours beforehand. I went along to the blood-test unit at Bedford North Wing Hospital in Kimbolton Road. The actual taking of the blood wasn't too bad. It was when I left I went outside and then felt woosey and had to sit down on a low wall as I was feeling positively faint. I keeled over and fell on the ground, not pleasant, particularly as I wasn't capable of getting up. At that precise moment I think an ambulance arrived and I heard running feet as people were coming towards me. I could see them, but I heard them. I was taken into a building on the hospital campus and had a chance to recover and was then taken to Accident and Emergency to be checked over before being sent home, but the whole incident was somewhat embarrassing because I shouldn't have fainted as a result of the blood test. Most likely it was caused because I hadn't eaten for 12 hours. It's that horrible feeling when I have given blood that I'm going to feel faint and will pass out that is the worst part of the whole thing and I have to make sure I'm laying down when they start the procedure so there isn't a repetition of what happened all those years ago.

When I was in hospital after having my heart attack in 2006 I had to endure giving blood virtually every day of the week I was in the C.C.U. This was often a problem and on one occasion the nurse who did it couldn't find a suitable vain and wanted to take blood from the back of my hand, which I wouldn't allow. On an earlier occasion when I'd gone to my doctor when I lived in Bedford the nurse insisted  that a second nurse be present when I had to give blood, almost making it appear that I was the cause of the problem when they could find a vain and I was told it was because I had narrow veins or something or other, which didn't help either, but then on another occasion the nurse (or phlebotomist, to give the proper term for someone who takes blood) said she's use a special, narrow hypodermic needle which were supposed to be used on children or babies. Also, if I had such narrow pains, it might have contributed to my heart attack. Anyway, of someone of my age, I have exceptionally good skin tone and you can't see any raised blood vessels as a result. Drink plenty, I was told, before you go to have a blood test, because if you're dehydrated, your veins don't expand apparently which makes the finding of a suitable vain virtually impossible. I can see what they mean, because a hose without water in it isn't rigid, one filled with water expands, as it would a vain with blood in it.  When I came out of hospital after the week of being on the C.C.U. in 2006, one of my arms was black and blue with bruising where they'd taken blood. When Carol was in Milton Keynes Hospital recently she had a P.I.C.C. (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line inserted for her chemotherapy and they used that to take blood from her arm.

I also recall when I was on the C.C.U. at Bedford Hospital in 2006 being given warfarin as part of my medication care plan. It's given to help prevent blood clotting. I don't think I can have been given it for long, just until the threat of another clot was reduced. Unfortunately, when one of the nurses came to remove a canal I had in my wrist, she forget about the blood-thinning properties of the warfarin (no doubt not looking at my care notes sufficiently) because as soon as it was removed there was a spout of blood from the place where the canal was in my wrist. Strangely enough I never had a problem with having a canula inserted in my arm when I was in hospital, unlike when giving blood at other times.

Morning Rain

As I write this blog post it's raining. (7.30 a.m.) Not very heavily, but certainly enough to refresh the grass around here. There's a certain amount of water running down the side of the road at the front of the house which I could see when I was in the bathroom having a shave this morning with the window open. Someone just walked past with an umbrella up, so it must be of a certain level to need to use an umbrella. I means I won't be taking Alfie out for his, by now, routine walk around Eaglestone Park, which he won't think too much of. I can always take him that bit later when it's stopped. I just hope it soaks the ground sufficiently to revive the grass around here. At the rear of the house the grass is looking somewhat shrivelled and brown, large areas have more or less given up, so a sudden soaking should do the trick. A lot of the Gridroads around Milton Keynes are looking decidedly patching and brown. 

We were going shopping on Tuesday morning and had intended going to Morrison's at Westcroft. . Carol was driving and we went along Chaffron Way but couldn't get through due to the road being closed off, most probably because they are gradually resurfacing the Gridroads, which in places are in a real need of this sort of work, but it was annoying and we weren't given sufficient warning in advance so we ended up going to Morrison's newer store near the railway station.

I spent some time on Monday and Tuesday morning tidying up the garden at the front of the house, using the Ozito cordless grass trimmer (not actually a Strimmer because it doesn't use the plastic fishing line that an actual Strimmer has, but a similar plastic blade like the lawnmower, which is better because you don't have to keep stopping to pull out the fishing line which keeps on breaking with a Strimmer.) As this machine is cordless it makes things easier when you don't have to connect it to the mains electricity supply with a cable connected to a power point. You just have to remember to keep the battery pack charged. I managed to cut the grass which has grown in the flower bed in front of the kitchen window (if you can really call it a flowerbed as it hasn't ever had any flowers in it, except a few pathetic spring bulbs which appear each Spring.) and then I hooked the cut grass out with the rake we got in The Range the other day. I got the mower out of the shed and used this to cut the lawn at the front of the house, although the grass wasn't really long enough, it's got very scruffy and most of the growth is tusky and tough weeks, giving rise to yellow flowers a bit like dandelions, but which I have an idea are actually called coltsfoot, but I may be wrong. Does it really matter? Our landlord's wife, who visited us the other Sunday, only had one comment about the house, not having done an actual house inspection, and that was 'have you cut the grass?' which is why I'd made this effort with the front of the house, as I imagine, when they'd drawn up in their car, they'd noticed how scruffy things were looking. I also had to hack down the saplings (no doubt they're called that, otherwise the tree-like plants which seem to spring up at the front of the house as well as in the back garden. They always appear along the left-side fence as well as under the lounge window.) I used the loppers to cut it all back and the  put the bits in the green Wheelybin. I've also managed to clear some of the weeds and grass that come up between the concrete slabs at the front of the house which is swept up and put in the Wheely bin as well as the brambles which put out runners all over the slabs and since cut down it all looks somewhat tidier and should now be easier to keep clear, but there is still more to be done to keep it clear. The Wheely bin isn't really large enough for this operation and is soon filled and then put out at the edge of the garden at the roadside, on a Wednesday so that the dustmen can take it to be emptied. So it's a limitation as to how much you can actually manage to trim each week.

I took Alfie out for his walk when the rain held off. It was actually drizzly as we crossed the road into the walkway down into Eaglestone Park. Alfie is generally a good complaint little dog. If he runs off and I call he almost always comes back to me. But as we got round to the open green leading to the shops he ran ahead of me and I couldn't see where he'd gone as there was another bend in the path and some brambles in the way. He ran towards the lady who has the two little chihuahua dogs we've met on a couple of occasions. When I called he just would not come back to me. Then I saw another lady with a Great Dane and Alfie ran away when he saw this dog. He doesn't usually run away from dogs, more likely he will run towards them and run in circles around them, attempting to make friends, which most large dogs don't like or are so stunned by his behaviour, he moves so quickly they haven't got a chance to respond, but this time he ran away. I wasn't sure whether the Great Dane scared him because I was further back on the path and could see, but it was odd that he'd run off.

Alfie got a bit of a soaking in the drizzle, not too much, but the wetting made his coat go all crinkly and wavy which always happens when he gets wet. Once we were in the house he tried to dry himself by rubbing under the over-lapping cushions on the sofa in the sitting room and upstairs he rubbed along the bannister rails which makes an odd sort of noise.

The sun has now come out (9.45 A.M.) so perhaps the day will turn out a good deal sunnier than expected.

Watching Film of 'Swallows and Amazons' on television

On Sunday on BBC1 we watched the newest film based on the Arthur Ransome book 'Swallows and Amazons.' I read all of these books when I was a child and loved them. There are about six more in the series, some of them featuring the original children from the first book. In 1973 I worked as D.S.M. (Deputy Stage Manager) at Century Theatre in Keswick and the original film with Virginia McKenna as the mother was being made at the same time. By coincidence, it was adapted for the screen by David Wood who was the son in 'A Voyage Round My Father' which I worked on as an A.S.M. when it was premiered at Greenwich in 1971 and had the same director, Claude Watham. I didn't see any of the filming, but when we went out looking for props for the plays in the Century Theatre season we were often asked if we were from the film unit. As always on any of the repertory productions I worked on, we had to 'beg, steal or borrow' items to be used as props in those plays. Looking back more than 40 years, it's a wonder that any of the local businesses lent us so much, from quite expensive tea sets to such things as samovars, which I had to find for a production when I started out in 1969 as a rather raw student A.S.M. at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.

I didn't see the film unit for 'Swallows and Amazons', most likely because I was far too busy working on rehearsals and productions at Century, which was a theatre constructed of H.G.V. lorries that had originally toured around towns mostly in the north of England in the years after the Second World War and eventually ended up more or less permanently in Keswick, in a carpark near the bus station. I think the film unit would most likely have been down on Windermere, at the other end of the town, which would explain why I never saw it.

I'm digressing, but does it really matter? I think I might have mentioned some of this in an earlier blog post.

The new film is good and has all the elements of the original book, except that Captain Flint, who lives on a narrow boat on the lake, isn't linked in any way with Russian spies in the book as he is in the film, but no doubt this storyline was put in to give some more depth to the plot.

Invasion of Flying Ants

Yesterday afternoon (Sunday) we had an invasion of flying ants in the lounge. It was Carol who noticed them, along the skirting board under the window and near where we store Alfie's toys in a basket next to the television unit. I can't think how they got in the house, but no doubt the recent warm weather has something to do with this invasion. It's supposed to happen annually when the queen ant of a colony sprouts wings ready to mate. They don't usually sting humans, but we weren't over-keen to find out one way or another and certainly didn't want them in the house. Carol doused the carpet with ant-killer powder, and we whisked Alfie out of the way into the kitchen, much to his dismay, but we weren't sure he wasn't likely to get bitten and didn't want him near the poison. They began to die as the poison took effect and I then used the vacuum cleaner to clear up the powder. Unfortunately Alfie's toys got covered in the powder, so the only solution was to put them in a black bin bag and put the whole lot out for the dustmen. We really didn't want him playing with them after they were doused in the ant killing powder. They were crawling along the skirting board and on the carpet. Panic over, we could then return to watching television.

Monday morning. I took out Alfie as usual for his walk. There were people in the children's playground area who had an alsatian which was not on a lead so I avoided that area and immediately put Alfie on his lead. I was concerned that the bigger dog might harm Alfie. He isn't scared of bigger dogs generally and always wants to make friends, but it's difficult to know whether this alsatian was going to be aggressive and wasn't keen to find out so to avoid at all costs seemed the best solution.

We drove over Woburn Abbey to drive through the park. The deer were not close to the road and having looked I could see them in the distance over towards the road leading to the Abbey. There is a sign up as you drive into the open park space which tells you the number of deer killed so far this year. It says 12. It seems crazy that drivers don't slow down to avoid the deer as they are large animals and do have a habit of wandering into the road, so how on earth do people manage to hit them and kill them? Surely not impossible to merely slow down, or are some drivers just too reckless when they drive through the park? We drove round the loop which we always take so as to make a return journey back through the park and then went to Wyevale Garden Centre at Woburn Sands to have a browse in The Works there as Carol wanted to buy glue sticks for her crafting. The Works always have a good range of not only books but also a wide range of other items such as for crafting and had Christmas stock in for those who make Christmas cards and decorations. Let's just say it's the first sign I've seen of Christmas, even though we're only in August.

Lots of children in the garden centre, because it's till the school holidays. Some very well behaved but  one or two screaming to get their own way. Some parents let their children get their own way and don't know how to discipline them. They don't know how to say 'no' when a child demands something. We avoided Frost's garden centre, which is the first garden centre you come to when driving from Woburn. I could see many cars in what must have been a carpark extension and we know from experience that they put on special events for children during the school holidays, such as a circus, so drove past to go to Wyevale instead.

We ended up in the café and had lattes and scones, jam and clotted cream. The scones were really fresh and were warm, straight from the oven. Almost like homemade. The latte was better than average and would seem to have a far higher coffee content than at most places we've been to.

We left Wyevale, heading back to Milton Keynes through Wavendon. There's lots of roadworks along this stretch of road and it looks as though they're building more houses on the piece of land between this road and the main road that leads out towards the M1, which is now lined by large warehouses, the biggest being for John Lewis. Very soon Wavendon will be totally engulfed by housing. The large roundabout which is on Staanding Way and which is the first roundabout you encounter as you come into Milton Keynes from the M1 has been totally transformed and expanded, with traffic lights on it which make it safer and easier to negotiate.

Overcast Saturday Walking

I went out for a walk with Alfie at around 8.20 this morning. Carol was asleep up until then and if I'd taken him earlier he would have woken her up with his barking and noise. As we came out of the walk-way down to the park where I usually let him off his lead I could see the lady who has a disabled chair with her alsatian moving along one of the paths in the distance. I didn't immediately let Alfie off as I wasn't sure the alsatian might attack Alfie or at least bark at him or even go for him by picking him up in it's mouth. I'm not going to risk his safety so we walked in the opposite direction around the path, along past the houses and on towards the Redway which crosses Eaglestone Park and then up towards the shops and we came across the lady with the two small chihuahuas. One named Poppy, whom we have met on several occasions. Poppy, the black one which carries around a yellow rubber ball in her mouth, wasn't keen to relinquish the ball or to play with Alfie. The lady (who's name I don't know.) told me that her dog didn't want to play because she is obsessed by the ball although Alfie just runs around in circles and just wants to be friendly. He doesn't meet many other dogs so it's good for him to socialise like this. The lady told me that the woman in her disabled chair with the alsatian doesn't control her dog. She says it's a wonder the alsatian doesn't pull her chair over as it's quite big and I said I didn't want it near Alfie as I didn't trust it to not attack Alfie. She said the woman doesn't control her dog as she ought to.

It's currently much more overcast this morning which means it is so much cooler. Nevertheless,  I insist on continuing to wear my shorts as it is so much more pleasant.

Carol's into crafting and wanted some ink pads so we drove to The Range as they have a good range of crafting materials. We also wanted a rake to help to clear up the grass on the lawn at the front of the house. The grass trimmer does a good job but you are left with lots of cut grass which then needs collecting up. We found what we needed in the gardening section of the store. When we got to the till to pay we saw crisps and drinks which we added to what Carol had already picked up as we intended going for a walk with Alfie at the Ouzel Valley Park which we'd visited yesterday.

Once we got back home we organised ourselves so that we could go out with Alfie to the Ouzel Valley Park. We didn't put the cage in the back of the car, instead Carol drove and I held Alfie on my knee. It saved time and effort, but even so he made a lot of fuss and noise. It's not far to drive and we parked in the carpark at the park. We also took the food and drink items we'd purchased in The Range. We started off with Alfie on his lead, but once we went through the gate into the meadow we let him off. There was no livestock in the field and if there had been, Alfie would have ignored anything such as sheep or cattle. He doesn't run far and always comes back when you call him. We walked on and went through another gate and then walked besides the river, The Ouzel, where Alfie was quite happy to trot along beside us, occasionally running ahead of us.

If we'd had Poppy with us she would have been tempted to jump in the river and swim, but Alfie isn't interested, but on one or two occasions I was concerned that he might get too close and fall in. He did one end up in water when we went to walk along the banks of the Grand Union Canal and Alfie jumped over a low wall and found himself in the canal and had to be extricated by myself. I think he got something of a shock when he got wet and has never tried that game again, and who can blame him. Looking back it was quite funny, but at the time it was concerning that he might drown. He looked thoroughly miserable as a result.

We walked on, under one of the concrete bridges which carries Chaffron Way over the river and onward towards Woolstone, where we walked past the remains of the Medieval fishponds. There is a map on an information board which describes the landscape and the significance of the fishponds. We went through several kissing gates and eventually came to a wooden bridge and crossed over to the opposite side of the river and walked back towards the car. We met several people with dogs, at one point a couple with two West Highland Terriers. Poppy was a schitsu/Westie cross. She is greatly missed since she died. Both these little dogs barked when they encountered Alfie, butwe kept him tightly under control on his lead. He just wants to be friendly, but these dogs were determined to be somewhat aggressive towards him. We walked on and actually found we'd walked too far along the patch once we'd crossed another wooden bridge and had to walk back, eventually walking back across the open meadow which lead us back to the carpark and our car.

We sat at one of the conveniently placed picnic tables and ate our pasties and crisps. Alfie ate most of Carol's. I'm not surprised he was so hungry, because of how far we'd walked. He can be a picky little dog when you feed him scraps. He quite often turns his nose up if you offer him left-overs when you're having a meal, but on this occasion he ate it as fast as he could.

It was becoming quite windy and it took us all our time to keep the crisp packets from blowing away and the put the remains in a litter bin and drove home.

Here and There

I went out for the, by now, routine walk with Alfie, around the park. He came back slightly damp because the effect of the recent rain had left the grass quite wet and he also came in the house with bits of twig and other plant matter stuck into his coat. He really doesn't like it and kept stopping to pull it out with his teeth.

Carol had to be at the Maple Centre this morning to have the P.I.C.C. line removed. This was scheduled for 10.30, but on the way we went to Ashfield to check to see if a repeat prescription was ready for collection. One was for oramorph, is a controlled medication so the prescription can't be sent electronically to the pharmacy at Lloyd's at Sainsbury's as can other medications. You have to sign specifically for it. Fortunately it was ready for collection. We got there at around 9.30 which meant we would be far too early at the hospital so we drove to the Ouzel ValleyPark, somewhere we've taken the dogs to but haven't been to for a long while. It's a pleasant place and not far from our home. We walked for quite a way, and considering Carol's health condition we managed to go quite a way and then came back to the carpark and sat at one of the picnic tables. It was a warm and sunny morning. It was actually strange walking without a dog and may come back tomorrow with Alfie.

We then drove to Milton Keynes hospital. We managed to park the car directly opposite the Maple Centre so it wasn't too far to walk. We reported to the reception desk in the A.E.C.U., which is within the Maple Centre. We came here a few months ago when we had to wait for Carol to see a doctor after a blood test and we waited something like six hours. Not a particularly pleasant experience but there's nothing you can do to avoid it. Fortunately this time Carol was attended to very quickly and the nurse managed to remove the P.I.C.C. line relatively quickly and they did all the obs they always do, blood pressure, temperature and so on. After having the P.I.C.C. line in her arm for so long (actually the second of two. The first put in late last year before the 12 cycles of chemotherapy began in December and the second when she was in hospital for a total of 4 weeks.) Carol was totally relieve to be without it as it has been rather restricting having it in place for so long.

We then drove across town to Sainsbury's to have the two prescriptions made up at Lloyd's pharmacy and to do some shopping and then returned home.

Wednesday and Thursday Mornings

Wednesday, early. I've put the rubbish out for the binmen. Several black bin bags and one pink recycling bag. The sound of a bin lorry came before 8 o'clock but they didn't pick up the rubbish. I've been out with Alfie round the park and back. It's bright and sunny so let's hope it stays that way all day. Carol's mum and dad are coming up to visit today, but not sure what time they're arriving. Yesterday I managed to cut down some of the grass with the rechargeable grass cutter. It was beginning to get really long. Also, cut down some of the colts foot growing in the grass at the front of the house.

They turned up around 9.30. Carol said she'd had a text to say they were about 15-20 minutes away. I'm not sure which way they came up from Bournemouth. I think via the M25 and then M1. If we go down to Bournemouth, as we have done in the past, we go via the A34, crossing to Buckingham and then down that way.

We had to decide what we were going to do all day. Until 4 o'clock when Carols parents were due to be picked up again for the return journey to Bournemouth. Not too far to drive and somewhere to have coffee and possibly something to eat. Carol suggested going to the Bell Plantation garden centre in Towcester, which we've been to on several occasions. There's a good restaurant there and plenty to do and look at and would keep us busy for an hour or two and the drive up the A5 Watling Street a pleasant journey through some attractive scenery. So Carol decided to drive as she hasn't done so for a while. So, after Carol had got in the car and altered the driver's seat, because when I drive I have to have the seat moved back quite some way before I can drive comfortably, we drove out of Milton Keynes via Standing Way and then onto the A5 near the football stadium.

As we drove towards the large roundabout on the A5 near Stony Stratford, where the road went off in various directions, one into the centre of Stony Stratford and another onto the A5 towards Towcester, we saw signs reading that there were roadworks in the centre of Towcester. It then seemed likely that had we continued up the A5 we weren't going to get to Bell Plantation so we had to decided where to go. It was decided to return to the centre of Milton Keynes or to go to either Frost's garden centre at Woburn Sands or Dobbie's on the A5 near Fenny Stratford. Carol didn't want to go into the centre of Milton Keynes, so we decided on Dobbie's. It's off the A5 on the roundabout just below Fenny Stratford. We had a browse in some of the concessions within the store, mostly in Cotton Traders. Carol's mum tried on some sandals in their sale and bought a pair. We did look through some of the sale items but didn't see anything that caught our fancy. We then went into the café and had lattes and had intended buying scones in the farm shop, but those we came across, really large, around the size each of several ordinary scones from anywhere else, but when we learnt how much they were, around 80p we declined and then drove towards Milton Keynes, with the intention of going to Morrison's. We found that a road was closed off along Watling Street, near Crownhill and Loughton  and had to take a quick decision where to go and ended up driving around near Denbigh School and eventually went to Westcroft to park and shop in Morrison's, buying some scones there along with clotted cream.
Alfie has taken to Carol's dad. He ingratiates himself with most of our visitors. He sat with him on the sofa while we had scones, jam and clotted cream. We watched Countdown on television. When Carol's dad fell asleep (I don't know whether he was really asleep, or whether he was pretending, but making a fair impression of sleep.) Alfie behaved really humorously, attempting to wake him up, prodding him with his paw. He really is a smart little dog. I think he missed him when they eventually left to go home.

Thursday morning. As I write this at 7.15 on Thursday morning, the weather has changed quite considerably. It's raining quite hard. So, it means I can't take Alfie out for his early-morning walk round the park, otherwise we're going to get soaked. We'll just have to wait until it stops. I don't think he's going to like being disappointed.

We have heard nothing as I write this as regards the Housing Benefit claim. I had intended going in to the Council offices on my own, to give them a copy of the newly-signed tenancy agreement. Carol decided to come with me. She was happy to drive and we parked in the multi-storey carpark near Debenhams. It is undergoing maintenance. Probably because it is under new management, like the entire shopping centre, Midsummer Place.

We walked through the shopping centre towards the Council offices and signed in at reception and took the numbered ticket and sat and waited until our number came up. Carol saw two of her former pupils from the Academy who had just got their 'A' Level results. Very good and now ready to go off to university, one to Coventry and the other to Northampton. We didn't wait too long to be seen by a staff member. I have to remember that the desk you go to isn't the red digital number, which is the number you get given on the ticket when you first arrive at reception, but the one above the digital display above each desk. It appears our application for Housing Benefit is currently being dealt with and the delay is because of a backlog of applications. We should get some of this back dated and hopefully by the end of the month when our rent is due. We gave them a copy of the newly-signed rental agreement which the lady on the desk photocopied.

Having done with the Council offices we walked back into the shopping centre. Carol said she needed a coffee. She hadn't drunk her tea she had at breakfast. At first I suggested Marks and Spencer's, which is the first shop you encounter as you walk in through the entrance. There is also a Costa, but she didn't fancy that either. We went through to Midsummer Place and went to Pret A Manger. She needed the loo so I stood at the till and ordered, two lattes, mine with caramel, hers without and two chocolate croissants. They were made very swiftly and I went to a vacant to wait for Carol to reappear. We sat ate the croissants and drank the lattes. Very good. I will say Pret is very good. This particular branch is well stocked and pleasant. There is another branch further along in the main shopping centre near Middleton Hall. You don't have to queue as long as you have to at, say, Costa's, which only has one till. I think most of their branches are like that and the queues can be considerable. It makes sense to have several as Pret have. From Pret we walked back towards the carpark near Debenham's and drove towards Lidl where we bought some food for tonight's meal. When I got home I went out again to top up the gas and electric at One Stop at Garraway's. No good running out of electricity, because it might mean the freezer defrosting which could be a disaster. I then took Alfie out for his walk, because by then (around 1.15) the rain had stopped. Alfie came across a Great Dane being walked. He did his usual running around in circles thing and attempting to be friendly, but the dog wasn't interested. Alfie was small by comparison to this dog, which was around five times his size. I don't think it knew what had hit it, and looked somewhat dazed. It might be large, but somewhat thick in comparison to Alfie. Small in stature by large in his mind. Alfie seems fearless somehow, regardless of his small size.

Just Another Day

I took out Alfie for his, by now, expected walk around the park. He's becoming quite  demanding about this and comes and stares at me and often barks to make sure I don't forget. I don't get much option and frankly wouldn't want to upset him if I don't remember. How could I?  As we walked along the outer circle path, along the section behind some houses which line the park, next to the fence that divides  the gardens off from the park, I heard this loud thumping sound. I thought at first that it was a cat running along the top of the fence, but when I glanced at the fence I saw a squirrel instead, running at speed along it. It was quite a shock and it moved at great speed. Alfie took not a bit of notice and just continued running along the path.We did almost two circuits of the park and we heard a cockerel crowing. Someone on the estate keeps chickens and a cockerel must be part of the chicken-coop. I can't actually believe anyone would have chickens around the estate and if so, I bet they annoy their neighbours. I bet they get complaints of the cockerel crowing in the early hours of the morning. Being bought up in the country and on a farm where we had all manner of livestock, including chickens and cockerels, you would expect all sorts of extraneous noises and getting up early on a farm went with the job and never bothered me. But in a town? I don't think people around here would get up much before 7a.m. to go to work.

There was quite a lot of stuff left from when Carol had her antibiotics administered by the nurses over the past couple of weeks. It's been stored on a table in the lounge. We were told by the last nurse on Sunday that someone would come to collect it on Monday. When we went to Lidl's yesterday morning it's obvious that someone had come to the house to collect these items. We got a call later in the afternoon yesterday from one of the nurses to say she'd been to the house but couldn't get a response. Obviously we had been out shopping in Lidl's. She can't have come much after we'd gone out in the car because we were gone barely an hour or so. She said that we could take the things to Ashfield Medical Centre and it would all be collected by the team of community nurses. So this morning we collected up everything into two parcels to carry it all easily out to the car and drove to Ashfield Medical Centre and handed it over to reception. I had a letter from the surgery a few days ago suggesting I have a blood pressure test and I could use the self-service blood pressure unit in the reception area, hidden behind a screen, and managed to do this. It printed out the result on a ticket which I gave to the receptionist and the result was put in my computer notes. I also booked a blood test because I haven't had one done in some while and needed to have a report on my cholesterol level. I had booked a similar appointment a few months ago, but what with all Carol's appointments it was cancelled.

I noticed a couple of trucks turn up opposite the house when I was washing up at the kitchen sink. Thinking about it. I quite often see a lot of people, mostly in cars 'turning up' as I stand at the sink doing the mundane task of washing up. They looked as if they were workmen about to do some job around the estate. About 15 minutes later I could hear what must have been a pneumatic drill so no doubt they're repairing a pothole somewhere or other but I can't identify exactly where.

A Lot Cooler

Sunday morning. It's a good deal cooler this morning. It's rather indecisive, not sure whether it's going to rain or not. It's over-cast and there's a wind got up. 

Took Alfie across the park as usual. He's almost insisting I take him and doesn't let go until I have him on his lead and we're out of the house. He doesn't obviously like having his routine changed.

Church is down to one service at S.C.F. during August. From two morning services to one at 10.30 a.m. It's because so many people are away on holiday and it would't be sense to have two services when there aren't enough people to fill two services.

So, Carol had the last of the nurse's visits to give her the antibiotics. She has to go to the Maple Centre on Friday to have the P.I.C.C. line removed. A real relief when that is removed. Now she has six weeks of taking the antibiotics in tablet form.

Monday. Still overcast and actually quite chilly. No sign of the sun today, but not sure what the weather forecast says about the rest of the week. We went shopping in Lidl's at Oldbrook Boulevard. Why do we insist on shopping at the likes of Sainsbury's when the price of the stuff in Lidl's is far more competitive? You get a good basket-full of groceries for around £35 which would probably cost around £50 elsewhere. It's laid out far more logically, not such a wide range of products. Why on earth do you need umpteen versions of, say, tomato ketchup? Who really needs organic tomato ketchup? You don't have to make choices over this sort of product in Lidl, as well as Aldi. Their meat, fruit and vegetables are excellent quality and price. At their till they scan it through quickly because someone had the clever idea of making the barcodes larger and easier to scan. Your groceries go straight into your trolley and then you pack it on a special shelf which speeds up this process so the queues are shorter, or, logic says they should be. Their staff seem to work harder, they have to be far more flexible, working on  the tills one minute and then stacking shelves.

More Weird Sports

So, we've spent the last couple of weeks watching the European Championships 2018, mostly from Glasgow, but some from Berlin. So, how weird is it to have something like this from two cities, hundreds of miles apart? Just think of the coordination. We turned on the television to be confronted by what was called a 'Walking Race'. Really? They didn't look as if they were walking to me, more like waddling. Who on earth invented this strange contest? Over, wait for it, 24 km? Did I read that right? What's that in miles? I don't know, but it certainly wasn't walking. If I was to walk like that, I'd get an awful stitch, or my hips would ache. Then, apparently, they had two events of this sort at the same time, the men and women. How did that happen? Something to do with there being an incident with gas or something. But it just looked so odd. Is it me, or was it odd? It was, no doubt. How come none of them just began to run? I know, it wouldn't be in the rules, but walking? Doesn't make any sense at all.  Then, a bit later, the B.M.X. something-or-other. Young men, on bicycles which looked far too small for them (most of them must have been around my height, around 6ft plus, on bicycles that looked to me as if they were build for children), then they hurl themselves down a very steep slope (!) and then bounce around jumping over what look like little more than concrete-coated waves, along the course, going round in circles. Land badly and you ruin your chances of fatherhood. No, seriously, or have a nasty accident, which several of them did. I just hope the saddles on those bikes were comfortable, although, most of the time, they didn't actually sit down on them, a bit like jockeys in horse races, when they don't actually sit in the saddles on those horses, sort of perched at a rather peculiar angle on top of their mounts. 

The decathlon is another event which is quite entertaining ( more than 'quite.' It's very entertaining.) Who invented this? Swimming, running and then cycling? None of the different 'parts' is exactly a walk in the park. Figuratively or literally. I mean, a run, swim, or cycle in a rather attractive Glasgow country park. Makes football look more like a game of tiddlywinks by comparison. And none of these competitors earn a penny, unlike those footballers who earn telephone numbers. Crazy. They'd have a hissy fit if they so much as got mud on their over-sponsored football boots. In the olden days, back in the mists of time, footballers earned realistic salaries and then had proper jobs in factories or coal mines and played football as a sort of hobby at the weekend.

Thinking again about the road races. I'm intrigued by the camera-work involved. No, really. The actual racing is fantastic, which is odd for me, particularly as I'm not really that interested in sport, particularly those sports that go on interminably, such as tennis, or cricket or, for that matter, football. The last lot we saw, was it during the World Cup from Russia, a couple of weeks ago, (although most of it I watched whilst looking at email or other stuff on my MacBook laptop.) I have to say, looked really bland and could have just as well been a computer simulation or a computer game. The grass looks unfeasibly green and more like astro turf of even fitted carpet and all that advertising that they had all around the pitch was a real distraction. What I meant to say, before I digressed, was the way they shot the events for television. They had a sort of camera fitted to a line stretched across the course, and a camera ran along this line, which must have been quite distracting for the competitors. Then, during the road-races, they had cameras on scooters. How on earth did those cameramen manage to balance on the back of these scooters, and how did they manage to not fall off? I couldn't see how they were sitting on the back of the scooters, usually several yards in front of the leading competitors,  then shooting backwards at them, managing to keep the camera steady, and, by the size of them, along with the lenses, managing to keep hold of the camera and focussing on the competitors and generally taking decent shots. How did they avoid all the 'health and safety' rules and regulations regarding this? Just think of the risk assessments for this, or if it comes to that, the B.M.X. events.

Well, if nothing else, I've managed to get quite a lot of blog posts out of watching these events. And, very surprisingly, become something of a fan along the way. Probably because they've had several sports involved, and you can enjoy the scenery if you get bored with the actual sports, which is quite breathtaking. Perhaps it's my Scottish ancestry coming out, because my father's side of the family came from Glasgow, or at least, just outside somewhere or other.

After so many weeks of scorching hot weather, it's actually pleasant to be having rain, as we had yesterday. I can't believe I just wrote that, because, generally, if it rains in this country, it brings doom and gloom. At first we had a miserable rain, no more than a sort of dribble, but it's now a good deal stronger. I just hope it's enough to freshen up things because the grass looks dead and shrivelled all along the Grid Roads around Milton Keynes. I had hoped to take Alfie for a second walk this afternoon, but it really wouldn't be such a good idea, because both of us would only end up soaked to the skin.

I took the car back to Bleak Hall Motors to have the work done so that it could have it's MoT certificate. Got there by around 7.50 so I had to wait until they opened up. Considerably cooler so I wished I hadn't worn my shorts. Anyway, round about 9.30 they told me it as completed, so payed using my debit card and left. I'm just glad that's done. Fortunately the brakes don't need any work doing, they seem o.k., so that's less of a worry, although the car could do with servicing.

I took Alfie was a shorter walk than usual, because of the on-and-off rain. He'd been expecting to be taken out earlier, but there wasn't time before I had to take the car to Bleak Hall Motors.

Saturday morning. It's a bright and sunny morning. No sign of rain. What rain we had over the past couple of days hasn't made much of an effect on the grass, the garden or any vegetation around where we live. Yesterday afternoon there was a quite violent rainstorm, with fairly high winds, but nothing too dramatic. There was quite a cascade of water running along the front of the house when the nurse came to give Carol her antibiotics. It seems she will still be getting visits until Sunday, so these visits haven't finished as we'd expected on Friday.

Armchair Television Sport

We've been watching the Championships from Glasgow. (Does it not have a more imaginative title than that? Not Eurosports or something ? Not exactly an inspirational title for a sporting event.) It's the cycling events. What a weird sport. Riding round and round on a sloping, wooden, track. A load of men (and sometimes women), dressed in tight-fitting, body-hugging, garishly-coloured garb, made of Lycra, or Spandex. By the way, how on earth do they get into these suits? They look incredibly uncomfortable. Then they wear helmets (good that they do when you see the accidents some of them have.) and have visors of a reflective material, which also means that you can't see their eyes, giving the impression of some sort of astronaut or at least, character out of something like 'Star Wars' or some such science-fiction epic movie. Then, what's this with the funny little man on a scooter, looking as if he's drifted in by accident, a postman, Mr Bean-type character, who has to ride round and round (the Derney Bicycle or something?) The pace-maker or something. Totally weird, and somewhat amusing. Well, to my sense of humour at any rate. I can't see that going round and round in circles on a bicycle is a sport. Oh dear, I know it is. But it's an odd sport, to say the least. Oh, right. Cycling across country, or round a city centre (as they did a few days ago, around the streets of Glasgow) but round and round in circles? I just don't get it. This Derney Bicycle looks like Mr Bean. Just out of place. Then Women's Madison or something. Doing around 120 circuits. How far is that? But they don't get anywhere. They go miles and miles but then land up where they started! I know that's not the point, but I think if I was to ride a bicycle that far I'd want to have got somewhere. Not back where I had started from.

Who on earth comes up with the idea of diving into a pool of water? From goodness knows what height. Amazing that someone would want to do this. I have trouble just getting into a swimming pool from the side let alone jumping in, or at least, diving, from a board some twenty or thirty feet from the ground. Or off a spring-board and then doing all sorts of twist and turns as they head for the water.

Swimming, in open water, for 25 km. What's that in miles? I have no idea, but it's a long way. From a distance, a large group of men and sometimes women, look a lot like spawning salmon, swimming up-stream. Then they're followed by people in rubber dinghy's, or at least look like rubber dinghies. Is it in case they get lost? How can they see where they're going? Then, how about running, swimming and cycling? It's not the swimming or running that would be difficult, not that all of it's difficult, but the idea of swimming and then having to cycle, in no doubt wet clothing which would put me off. Must be uncomfortable riding a bicycle in wet clothing. A bit squelchy, to say the least.

Well, then there's darts. Oh, please!  (Alright, I know, not part of the European Championships, but they do take up a lot of airspace on the television channels at times.) That isn't in any way or shape or form a sport. Just throwing pointy things at a sort of target thingy. Not even breaking a sweat. Then probably downing pints of beer and the men looking definitely over-weight. Just moving your arm, standing still. I realise there is a skill in doing this, but it can't be classed as a sport. And neither can snooker. Apart from anything else it's just boring. Again, it is a definite skill to play that, but to me it still can't be termed 'sport.' Next thing well get tiddly-winks as a sport.

A Cooler Day

Thank goodness it's a good deal cooler this morning.

I had the car booked in at Bleak Hall Motors to have it's MoT. This was at 1.45 and I wanted to make sure I was there in plenty of time. I don't like being late for things. It's not far from our home and I got there by 1.30. I had to wait in the waiting area and the mechanics soon had the car in the garage by 1.45 and it was finished by 2.30. Some work needs to be done to get an MoT certificate, some rubber cover had perished which covers some mechanical part in the driving mechanism. I had to book the car in for Friday morning to have this work completed. One of the brake shoes needs replacing at some point in the not-too distant future, but at the moment it's not serious and won't effect the MoT. 

I learn from the mechanic at Bleak Hall Motors that the car isn't taxed. I say that because it's low emissions and economic on fuel it's exempt from tax but he says that it still needs registering, which I was totally unaware of. Nobody tells you this. You'd imagine you'd be informed of this in a letter or something. What with hospital appointments, getting Housing Benefits and other things organised since Carol was diagnosed with cancer, this has been more or less ignored. When I got home I told Carol and I had to find the letter from the D.V.L.A. (Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency) which came several weeks ago but I 'filed' somewhere but couldn't remember where I put it. I went on line and could have completed the transaction there but needed some number which I didn't have and then decided to ring the D.V.L.A. and was told the number required was on the Owner's Manual which Carol eventually found but then they needed an MoT certificate which I can't produce until after the work is done to the car on Friday once that work is completed and an up-to-date MoT certificate is produced and then I can ring back and sort the business out then. How complicated life can become if you let it. I think we need to sort out a better system to file all our important documents so this sort of thing doesn't happen again.

Well, with the car at last MoT'd we can get on with other things. Certainly one less thing to worry about.

Short Trip To Hospital

Early morning and it's hot. It's going to be another scorching hot day. Just as well we don't have to do much, although Carol needed to pick up antibiotic tablets from Milton Keynes Hospital. We weren't sure where to go to collect them. It would have been easier for us to go to the pharmacy in the hospital.

I took Alfie out for his, by now, daily walk. He's following me around the house, making sure I'm aware that we hadn't been out. We do the usual circuit of the park and we see the two little dogs we came upon a couple of days ago. Chihuahuas both, one a brown-and-white and the other black. The black one, Poppy, obsessed with a rubber ball, very protective of it. Alfie just wants to be friends with them. He's not going to bother with the ball. After all, he's a terrier and not a reliever and don't you know it. He runs rings around both dogs and wags his tail frantically. Just having a lovely time. Really great that he's socialising with the dogs he meets.

Right. Having walked Alfie and had breakfast, we had to go into the hospital to the A.E.C.U.           (Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit) department in the Maple Centre.  Actually we didn't at first know it was there. We parked in the hospital multi-storey carpark and walked to the reception in the new hospital entrance. Well, not probably that new, as it has been opened for about 6-8 months now. It was here that we were directed to the Maple Centre. Had we known, we would have parked at the front of the hospital, in the ground-level carpark, which is actually directly opposite the Maple Centre. Never mind. We were somewhat surprised that there were notices along the top of the low wall outside the main entrance, telling you not to sit on it. Why? What reason was there that you couldn't sit on a wall, particularly at the moment when it's so hot? Might it be because the wall isn't designed to take a person or persons sitting on it? Are they concerned that it might collapse and then be sued for injury? Is it our old friend Health and Safety gone slightly crazy? Oh, never mind, there are a couple of benches further along which are designed to be sat upon and not likely to collapse if you sit on them. It was a relatively short walk around the hospital campus to get there. We spoke to a lady on the reception but then we had to go round the corner to the A.E.C.U., which is where Carol had to come a couple of months ago, when we had to wait virtually all day before a doctor could deal with a situation she had at that time. It wasn't long before on of the nurses managed to find the antibiotics that were needed and handed over a package of these medications to take home. Fortunately, when we returned to the multi-storey car park and out our ticket in the payment machine, we didn't have to pay anything, no doubt because we hadn't been more than half and hour, which means you don't have to pay.

One or Two Things To Do

I've managed to reinsure the car. The current insurance policy was due to expire today (Tuesday). We're with Swinton, and they've recently closed down their offices, so I couldn't go to the one in Bletchley and had to ring their callcentre to sort things out. I'm reluctant to leave things to the last minute, as I don't fancy not being properly covered. It was dealt with quite efficiently and the new policy begins on 14th August. Now to get the car MoT'd. I'm wasn't sure where to take the car to have this done, but I had an idea to take it to a garage along from the tidy-tip in Chesney Wold, Bleak Hall, which I noticed when I took a load of rubbish there a week or two ago. I've looked at this company's website and they sound reasonable and it's not too far to take the car. Bleak Hall Motors it's called, imaginatively.

I was shaving in the bathroom this morning and I could hear the sound of pneumatic drills somewhere nearby. I leant out of the window and looked to my left and saw workmen in dayglo jackets and a 'Road Closed' sign near the entrance to the estate from Saxon Street. I wasn't entirely sure what they were doing, but guessed that they must be repairing the pot-holes and the rather nasty rift in the road surface as you drive in. As they had left this un-repaired after the work that the Council workmen had done to fill in the holes along the road immediately outside our house, this was the last bit of road that needed attending to. When I later took Alfie for his morning walk, a good deal later than usual because Carol didn't wake until around 9 o'clock this morning, I did glance as we walked across the road and couches clearly see that work was progressing slowly.

Later I had to go to Sainsbury's and decided to drive out by turning right along the inner Eaglestone ring road because of the roadworks going in the other direction. I rarely leave the estate via the Saxon Street exit, just opposite Milton Keynes Academy, because if the traffic is heavy, it can take an age to get out if you're turning right onto Saxon Street, so I usually drive round to the exit near the shops. It's quite a drive round by turning right, but I didn't want to get tangled up with the road repairs at the Saxon Street exit.

It was extremely hot in the lounge when I returned from my shopping trip to Sainsbury's. Almost airless. We have had the windows wide open most of the morning together with an electric fan on, but even then it was too hot.

I was still keen to sort out the MoT. We asked the nurse who came to deal with Carol's antibiotics later who she used to MoT her car. She said Halford's, which never occurred to me. I did ring them later but I didn't get a lot of help, because the person who answered said he didn't know whether the 'tester' was going to be there and couldn't give a definite answer when I asked. Not a lot of use, because I didn't want to drive all the way to their garage and find there wasn't anyone available to do the MoT. I gave up on them and then rang Bleak Hall Motors and managed to book the car in for Wednesday afternoon at 1.45.

A Flying Visit

Sunday Morning. We spent quite some time tidying the house, vacuuming the carpets, mopping the kitchen floor, generally making the place a little more than spotless. We knew we were to get a visit from our landlord's wife at around 2 o'clock this afternoon. We watched some of the European Championships 2018 from Glasgow, some of the rowing and then the women's bicycle road race. Interesting to see Glasgow and somewhere we'd like to visit.

Carol was to get another visit from the nurse to give her the antibiotics, but she must have been running late and didn't get to us until around 1.20. We were concerned that she was going to be here when we had the house inspection, but this particular nurse is extremely efficient and managed to do what was needed within around 30 minutes or so. Some of the other nurses who come seem to take much longer. Once she'd gone, we were left to wait for our landlord to visit. 2 o'clock came and went. It is somewhat annoying that you spend all that time and effort cleaning the house and arrange a time and then- they don't turn up. Probably because we're very punctual, like to be on time for things. Then a large car turned up outside the house at around 2.25. We had to put poor Alfie in the garden and shut the patio door because I don't think our landlord's wife likes dogs. Alfie kept looking in through the glass door but settled down to lay on the grass. I think he quite enjoyed being outside in the sunshine.

The car contained  the landlord's wife and their daughter, who we've never met before. She had a leather folder in her hand. They came into the lounge and sat down. They had a new tenancy agreement for us to sign and then proceeded to fill in the relevant details and we signed. They were going to take it away and get it photocopied and then give us the copy. It was this document which we were eager to find, without success, when we turned the house upside down in our attempt to find an earlier version of this document, and then the landlord had put the letter through the door which stated that he was our landlord and how much rent we paid each month which I immediately took to the Council offices so that we could complete our application for Housing Benefit. There was no attempt to inspect the house, although it was very clear that they could see how clean and tidy the house was. Somewhat annoying because we'd spent so much time and effort in cleaning and tidying the house. The only comment we got was about the garden, particularly the front lawn which is, admittedly, in definite need of mowing, but, due to the extremely hot weather I had left this job. The landlord said that they could help to get the garden tidy and the lawn mown, but in all honesty I wouldn't want any of them coming to the house. As it is, they leave us alone as no doubt they realise we are reliable tenants; we pay our rent on time and look after the house. True enough. And that was the end of that. They couldn't have been in the house much more than ten minutes. So, we should get a copy of the rental agreement and we no doubt won't see them again for another year. Most definitely a flying visit. It seemed that they didn't want to over-stay their welcome, and we could have easily done without all the effort we'd been to to clean the house for their benefit.

Saturday Sunshine

The warm weather continues. I took out Alfie a good deal later than I usually do, because Carol was fast asleep and I knew the moment I went near his lead he would start barking and wake her up. It was gone 9 o'clock when I eventually got him connected to his lead and outside, walking down the path towards the park. We actually did a couple of circuits, in an attempt to add more steps with the step counter.

When the landlord's wife came the other morning, she did mention the lawn. It's something of a running gag with us, because whenever we get the annual inspection, they always ask 'have you cut the grass?' Regardless of any other issue we might have with the house, such as the wonky floorboards on the landing, dripping taps and other plumbing, the garden fence (will we ever be reimbursed for the cost incurred for replacing some of the panels? I doubt it somehow.) So I felt duty bound to make some effort to cut the grass, even though most of it has been shrivelled by the heat of the sun. I did use the grass cutter and not the mower to cut the longest bits of grass and it now looks better than it was. The front 'lawn' now needs a trim, but it's not the grass that needs cutting as it is more or less shrivelled. There are some dandelion-type plants growing on this desert of dead grass, or perhaps they're coltsfoot. They are yellow and taking over this space.

We're slowly tidying the house. After all the effort I made to clean and tidy it a few weeks ago and then we didn't get an inspection, it needs more work to return it to a more pristine condition before the dreaded visit at around 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon (Sunday.)

All the gadgetry that requires charging is now charged. The grass trimmer, the G Tech vacuum cleaner and the G Tech hand-held cleaner. We seem to have more and more equipment which needs to be charged fully before use. Mobile phones, Kindle Fires, as well as these items. They need to be kept charted otherwise they're of absolutely no use if they're run down.

A Bat In The Bedroom

No, please, don't mis-read the title of this blog post. But it is true. It was a scorching-hot day yesterday(Thursday) We didn't do a great deal, and when it came to bedtime we had the bedroom windows open and the electric fan on. We'd been listening to the radio, tuned to BBC Radio4 Extra. A lot of good stuff on there, 'The Goons,' 'Round The Horne,' 'I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again,' 'Just A Minute,' and a good deal more. One of our real favourites with the more modern stuff would be 'Clare In The Community.' I could discuss each in great detail, but I digress.  We eventually settled down to go to sleep, but it's not easy, being so hot. Then Carol said 'there's something flying around the room!' I wasn't sure what she was referring to. I could seen, in the partial light, something flying round and round the room. At first I thought it must be a moth, and it could have been that, but I don't think moths fly round and round. They flit sort of aimlessly and bump into the walls and the glass of windows. This didn't and it was completely silent. I got out of bed and turned on the lights and closed the door, as I didn't want whatever it was flying through into the rest of the house. I pushed the window open wider and stood still, eventually the bat flew out and I closed the window. Was this bat looking for somewhere to get out of the heat? In the shade, even though it was night-time? I'm not certain what sort of bat it was, mainly because I couldn't see it properly.

A 'sort of' letter came through the door early this morning from our landlord, giving a statement of the amount of rent we pay each month. Whether it will be accepted by the people at Milton Keynes Council for our application for Housing Benefit is open to doubt. It doesn't look official enough. It isn't signed properly and it looks more like something I could have written. It doesn't have his address on it, it's not typed and I am still sceptical that it is what they want. I can only take it to the Council offices and see what happens, but I have a feeling they will need something more substantial.

It's yet another boiling hot morning. It's bright and sunny, meaning it's going to continue like this for the rest of the day. I have never spent so long wearing shorts, and I'm only too glad I bought them when I did two years ago. Usually I only wear them for a day or two, when we are going out, but not for this length of time. I usually wear short sleeved shirts, as I don't really like long sleeved shirts, so the purchase of yet another polo shirt from Marks and Spencer can only be a good thing. The grass at the back of the house is looking decidedly patchy. It has longer sections which are looking like seeding but I may use the grass cutter instead of the mower to deal with it.

Later.I've managed to take the 'sort of' letter in to the Housing Benefit department at Milton Keynes Council this morning. I parked where I usually park, near 'The Point,' or at least, what's left of the rusting remains of this once-proud Milton Keynes landmark. I walked into the shopping centre and then through towards the Council offices in Saxon Gate. Fortunately I wasn't kept waiting too long. It appeared that I was only the second person in the queue (the number you are given on a ticket when you sign in comes up on a digital screen and a female voice gives out the numbers when it's your time to be called.) Fortunately the 'almost-letter' was acceptable as evidence of our tenancy. I had an idea that perhaps they would want something more official, but never mind. It would appear that we will now get Housing Benefit paid. Something less to stress over.

Now we need to sort out getting the car M0Td and insurance paid. I have managed to set up on-line banking so we can see our statements. I didn't think it was going to be possible, but we now have a new P.I.N. and password. Making things easier to track incomings and outgoings.

The nurse continues visiting to give Carol the antibiotics. We're about half way through the 12-days of this. Sometimes we get two nurses. I think the younger one is a student. Generally it takes around 45 minutes. They are scheduled to come between 11.30 and 1.00, but can come later, probably still here at around 1.15. One of the ladies doesn't like dogs, so poor Alfie has to go into the kitchen. We know he wouldn't bite anyone, probably sniff at them and then lick them like crazy. Although, to be fair, it's better he's not in the sitting room when they're busy with Carol as he'd just get in the way and there's a hygiene situation with a dog around.

Carol told me later, after I had come back from my visit to the Council offices and then Sainsbury's, that our landlord's wife had called, barely five minutes after I had left the house. She seemed concerned for Carol, having learnt that she had cancer. Which was quite a surprise. At least she's concerned for her welfare, intact, for both of us. Apparently they are coming to do an inspection of the house on Sunday afternoon , so at least all my efforts to clean the place will have at least had some purpose. The house might need a small amount of cleaning before they come, but at least it won't need a vast amount of work doing. The grass at the rear of the house needs attention, but as it's mostly shrivelled up due to the hot weather it shouldn't be too much trouble.

Alfie Makes Some Doggie Friends

It makes quite a difference to take Alfie for his morning walk a good deal later than I have done means that we come across a lot more people, many of them with dogs. This morning we came across a lady with two small dogs, I think they were chihuahuas. One was a light brown colour, I think quite old, the other was black, with a diamanté collar with her name 'Poppy' emblazoned on it.  I think they were chihuahuas. They were around the same size as Alfie, and he was more than delighted to meet them. I had let him off his lead once we'd walked down the patch into the depths of the estate and got to the large grassy area. As soon as we got closer Alfie goes into his excitement phase, running round the two dogs and going up to them and sniffing them, tail wagging madly. The little black chihuahua, called Poppy (same name as our dear old Westie/Schitsu cross, who died around 18 months ago.) was more interested in chasing the ball her owner threw than conversing with Alfie. He continued to run in circles around both dogs, but just wanted to get to know them. I'm so glad he's getting to socialise with all these dogs instead of being cooped up in the house. He's certainly in his element when he's outside and enjoying the park.

We've spent most of the morning hunting for the elusive tenancy agreement document, but without success. We've cleared out a lot of junk in the process, old magazines and goodness only knows what else, and all of it put in pink recycling bags and taken out for the dustmen to take away this morning (Wednesday.) So, it takes the search for something to get us to sort out something that needed doing. Certainly not a bad morning's work.

At last I managed to get hold of our landlord (metaphorically, not physically, you understand.) I rang at about 5 o'clock this afternoon and at first I thought I was going to have to leave another voicemail message, but he did come to the phone. It was about his son who was supposed to visit the other Wednesday and then they cancelled. So perhaps we're going to get the statement or a copy of our tenancy agreement so we can take it to the Council offices in Saxon Gate to get the Housing Benefit claim completed. It's in his interest to sort this out otherwise we won't be able to pay the rent next month. So, hopefully, this can now be sorted out at long last.