Flooded Milton Keynes and Bedford

 (Monday) I put BBC Breakfast on at around 6.20 and they were reporting 'live' from Bedford. The centre of the town is flooded and all along the Embankment and around Longholme lake the river has risen and engulfed the fields around the River Ouse, all places I know well.

Although I wasn't able to visit Chloe and family in Worcester over Christmas, I was able to chat with her via Skype, something I haven't done before. It was great to not only chat, but she gave me a guided tour of the extension to the house which is more or less completed. She didn't show me upstairs, because the children were asleep in bed (it was around 7 p.m.). There is a new utility room and the downstairs wet room off the kitchen as well as an office. I hope that probably next week we can have another chat and this time have the boys involved as I haven't seen any of them since last Christmas because of the pandemic.

It's a good deal colder this morning. I was out with Alfie at 7.45a.m and not only was it a good deal colder, but there was a fog hanging over the centre of Milton Keynes which I could see from Oldbrook Green. I am making sure that I wrap up to keep warm, with my Oddballs woolly hat on as well as gloves (which I managed to find.) My hands get really cold and can get so cold they become numb. Something to do with having had a heart attack. Your extremities, such as your toes and fingers, can be affected. I ought to explain that Oddballs is a brand of clothing, utilising brightly coloured and highly patterned clothing, particularly underwear for men and women. Originally set up to sell these items and the profits going to cancer charities, initially for research into men's cancer, particularly testicular and prostate cancer but now also women's cancers. A good cause and I have bought quite a few items, and because of Carol's cancer, I thought it highly personal to me.

I've been out again with Alfie and it was really quite foggy. Well, not too thick that you couldn't see a hand in front of your face, but a good deal thicker than it was earlier.

(Later) I've been watching a documentary on YouTube, called 'The Cult of Doomwatch,' which was an early 1970s drama series which had storylines about what happens when science goes wrong. I remember it quite clearly and it had some really frightening storylines. I have a connection to it as one of the leading actors, Simon Oates, was a guest director when I was at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham in 1969, working as a student A.S.M. I'm desperately trying to remember what he directed. I have an idea that it was 'A Day In The Death of Joe Egg,' written by Peter Nicols. I may be wrong and unfortunately I don't have any way of finding out. I used to have a whole box full of the programmes from plays I worked on. You always got given one on the opening night of the plays I worked on. Some were signed by the cast. It's a pity, as they would be great to look through. I even had production photographs, but they also went astray years ago. I expect they went missing along the way as I've moved quite a few times over the years.

(Tuesday) I've been doing on-line surveys for several years now. You sign up to various sites and give as much detail about yourself and then you get an email with a link to the survey. You have to do a quick survey to show if you are eligible and if you qualify you do the survey, which can take up to 20 minutes and you get rewarded points which accrue and can be turned into cash or vouchers for well-known brands. I usually get Amazon points which you can spend as you wish from their site or else turn the points into vouchers for 'bricks-and-mortar retailers such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis or any other high street companies. Don't expect to be able to make a great deal from these surveys, but as the Tesco ads tell you 'Every Little Helps.' I am also on a site called Consumer Pulse (you have to be invited. You can't just sign up to this site.) You have to input to their site when you buy products such as clothing, shoes, books, CDs, DVDs etc and the points build up and can be turned into vouchers for such companies as Sainsbury's, Argos, B and Q etc etc. I had reached a good payout of around £100 so I decided to redeem them, turn them into Argos vouchers. You usually get your vouchers sent to you, as paper vouchers, but because of the pandemic, you get them as eVouchers which can be spent on-line. I was expecting them to come in a couple of weeks which is what normally happens, but I was surprised to find they were sent in an email, as a string of letters and numbers. So, I thought I'd spend them. I got to the Argos website and managed to select some items, a new toaster (the old one is beyond repair, frankly, and it took ages to toast a piece of bread.) I found a Breville toaster and decided on that. Then, a new electric kettle. The old one is a Russell Hobbs and it has a Brita filter in it. The one I chose is similar but made of glass. That's ordered, but won't be ready for collection until tomorrow, Wednesday. Also ordered a plate rack for the kitchen sink, bath mats and a 'Welcome' doormat, which might be helpful in preventing mud and other bits and pieces coming into the flat. I got the toaster on Sunday and I had to go to the Argos store in Milton Keynes to collect it. Click-and-collect only and you have to queue up and it took about 20 minutes to get to the check-in. They don't allow you inside the store. A member of staff takes your details, your order number and another code which identifies you as well and the item ordered and it's handed over. 

Christmas Day EU/Britiish Trade Deal At Last!

(Thursday 24th December. Christmas Eve) So, it seems that a trade deal with the European Union has been struck. I heard this on BBC Breakfast this morning and a statement is due to be made by Boris Johnson but as I write this at 10.05a.m. there is nothing and everyone is waiting. The BBC had cameras outside Downing Street and they kept cutting from the television studio in Salford to Downing Street. Felt a little bit sorry for the policeman who stood outside. The Downing Street cat got a walk-on role and at one point we even saw a fox slink past! If this goes ahead it will be a very nice Christmas present for Boris Johnson. It's seems amazing that they've been negotiating a deal for most of the year and it's four-and-a-half years since the Brexit referendum and the country voted to leave by a very tiny majority.

This afternoon it was announced by Boris Johnson that the Brexit deal had been done. So, at least he has lived up to the mantra he had keep on about during last year's General Election (just over a year ago.) 'Let's Get Brexit Done.' It seems to have been a tortuous effort to get this thing sorted out, but it now has to be ratified by the EU parliament as well as the British parliament. Let's just hope it doesn't get voted down otherwise we will have to endure more negotiations. I feel sorry for the politicians, as the document which outlines the 'deal' is some two-thousand pages long and it will take them some time to wade through it.

(Christmas Day. Friday) I've been out with Alfie as usual and we found it to be quite chilly. There was ice on the pavement leading to Oldbrook Green, but that horrible patch of water I keep mentioning has gone. I think it might be cold enough for snow.

I have my Christmas dinner all ready to cook and have already peeled the potatoes. I have a turkey roast, not a turkey. There was no point getting one as I wouldn't have eaten a whole one, let alone got one small enough to fit in my electric cooker. It's supposed to take around 75 minutes to cook so I will have to work out when to put it in the oven if I want to eat my meal at around 4 o'clock. I did the Brussel sprouts yesterday evening. A really fiddly job. My father grew Brussel sprouts on the farm at Cardington. A lot bigger than those they sell in Sainsbury's. I used to feel sorry for the men who used to pick them, working in horrible wet and cold conditions in the fields. Then they were bagged and went to Covent Garden. A lorry used to come and collect them, the company who bought them called Bennet and Hawes. I don't know why people make such a fuss about Brussel Sprouts. I rather like them. I know if they're cooked to death they they can taste bitter, but I can't remember them being bitter. We had no choice, we had to eat everything put in front of us. I've seen a programme on television showing a machine that picked Brussels and probably no more than two people operated the thing as it moved across the field. No such technology on the farm and it must have taken quite a few men to do the picking.

Later. My Christmas lunch has been a great success. The Brussels were cooked to perfection. Certainly not bitter, which they can be. My roast potatoes were crisp and the parsnips just as i like them. I had to take Alfie out for a walk around Oldbrook Green after the first course. Some odd person on the grass miming boxing. Well, I think they were miming or just training, but it did look odd. A lot of people over the past months exercising around Oldbrook Green, some doing strange things which do look odd to other people who don't know what they're actually up to. A few women who walk around waving their arms around as if they're being windmills is another oddity.

Tiers For Fears

(Monday)  Sorry, just couldn't resist using that as a title for this blog post! The fact is, Boris Johnson and his lot have been scaring us to death over this covid business. We can't meet up over Christmas for fear of killing granny or grandpa. The virus is transmuting into something more horrible than you could possibly guess. We can't visit, go  to shops which sell non-essential items (which must be hard to define.) Theatres are boarded up (pity!), restaurants and pubs also. It's like living under a facist regime. All the changes, a bit like dancing the conga ('in out in out and shake it all about!') Boris turning into Oliver Cromwell and cancelling Christmas. And now we're supposed to have a new variant of the coronavirus, although it's not supposed to be any more infectious as the original covid-19 virus. But surely they would have known that it was likely to mutate.

It's inevitable that  I will be stuck here at Dexter House on my own in the flat (with Alfie as support. Can't leave the little fellow out.) There will be other people around, but it's not going to be a 'normal' Christmas by any means. I have been to get a few more bits and pieces from Sainsbury's. I needed to get something for Alfie. It was relatively busy for the time of day. Probably people doing what I was doing, getting last-minute shopping done before Friday.

And to cap it all we in Buckinghamshire are now in a new tier, Tier 4, which is the highest tier, so we're having to lockdown every more severely. And this after Boris said that Christmas would be as normal as was possible.

I've been to Aldi at Bradwell Common. I haven't been there since Carol died. We used to shop there quite a lot. Very god value. I think I will shop there far more. The only problem is that you need a £1 coin so as to use the trolleys and I rarely have a coin. I will have to make sure I have one in the car and keep one in the car for this use. Amazing bit of Stilton (which I love!) About three times the size of a bit you would buy in Sainsbury's and probably a third of the price!

The Christmas Day service at Shenley Christian Fellowship will be on-line through Facebook because of the latest pandemic restrictions. I think it was felt that it was too risky with infection rates rising. A great shame, but I suppose it has to be done.

(Wednesday It has been raining for most of the morning. I didn't wake up until around 7.45. I don't think I've woken that late in years. I got dressed and took Alfie out as I normally do and then came back for my mug of tea and cereal in front of BBC Breakfast. Shots of HGVs parked up on an airstrip (I suppose it would be, but not sure.) Seems like thousands. Doesn't look real somehow. It's because France won't allow lorries in because of the new variant of the virus. It now seems they are doing rapid testing of the drivers and they can cross the channel if they test negative for the virus. What with that issue as well as a possible 'no deal' Brexit, things couldn't get much worse. And on top of that the possibility of the entire country being put into Tier 4. Lockdown under another name if you ask me. But don't.

Alfie taken out at 9.30ish. As soon as he realised it was raining, he high-tailed it home as quickly as his little legs would carry him.

On the pavement along Strudwick Drive there is a rather nasty puddle. Not the best way to describe it. It gets worse when there is rain (probably because the water has nowhere to run away to.) But one of the paving slabs is a bit loose and when you tread on it, you get your feet wet. Just unpleasant and if you need to avoid it and walk on the grass, you have to walk in mud (more mud than grass.) More unpleasantness!

Later. It's now worse than ever. The path is now more or less completely engulfed. It's been raining for most of the day, so no wonder. To cap it all, my trousers have split! 'Now missis, don't laugh!' (In Frankie Howard voice).' Titter not!' I bent down to pick up after Alfie (no more description needed.) and there was the sound of rending cloth, in a most embarrassing place, and I have to say, that puts paid to that pair. Unless I can find someone who is good with a needle and cotton.

Later Still. 10.45p.m. There is a strong wind blowing and whistling around outside (well, I just hope it is, and not inside, otherwise there would be a window open.) I just can't get to sleep with that noise going on, hence sitting here typing this. I think Alfie is attempting to sleep and has come into the lounge from the bedroom. He had got really cozy next to me but followed me and is now on the sofa next to me.

A Very Merry (Bah! Humbug) Lockdown Christmas!

(Saturday) I went to Aldi this morning, the branch in Bradwell Common and opposite my doctor's surgery. There are things they sell which I can't get elsewhere and as their prices are around a third of the major 4 supermarkets, then I thought it was worth going. I also had a £1 coin for the trolley which I don't always have on me, otherwise I couldn't shop there. I was in and out so quickly, and going so early made it easier as there were very few other shoppers in the store, making social distancing easier as well as being able to find a parking space in the car park

(Sunday) So the pandemic lockdown rules have been changed. Bah! Humbug! As Scrooge would have said so succinctly. Boris Scrooge Johnson as he should now be known. This area, the South East of England, which includes Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, will move into a new Tier 4 tomorrow (Sunday) which means tighter regulations around meeting other people and no travel in and out of other areas with different tiers. And Boris is now considering a THIRD lockdown! All I can say is, lockdowns don't work. Or so it would seem. So, with data regarding those who are infected with the virus and those who have died, which is inaccurate, I'm inclined to not believe what we are told. As it is, restricting people's liberty, the whole thing should be debated in Parliament and given these restrictions scrutiny.

I went out with Alfie at around 9.15 this morning. As usual we walked along Strudwick Drive (or, I should be more specific, the pavement, or is it actually a path. Don't be so pedantic, Murdoch!.I'm not so stupid as to walk on the actual road.) We crossed over Oldbrook Boulevard as usual and walked around the Green. Alfie takes ages as he has to sniff every lamppost and tree, and then we came back to where we started and crossed back over Oldbrook Boulevard and as we did so I saw one of the Starship 'pods' coming towards us along the pavement. It had its lights on and as we approached we stopped directly in front of it and it stopped. It made me think of something out of a science fiction movie, 'Star Wars,' 'Star Trek' or even 'Doctor Who.' (Strangely similar to 'K9', the robot dog which was The Doctor's companion in the early, original version of the show, although he did return in one of the episodes of the rebooted version.) Then I stood back and the pod (for want of a better name.) trundled on and I watched it stop at the kerb, as if undecided what to do. It was obviously waiting to make sure the road was clear and then moved forward, but then stopped on the island in the centre of the road and, again, seemed to be checking for any vehicle and then moved forward and disappeared off along the path around Oldbrook Green. I could see it's yellow flag as it went off from the other side of the road. Funny little thing. They are a bit like miniature refrigerators on wheels or those cool boxes you can get to put your food in to keep it fresh on a hot summer's day when you go out for a picnic, but with wheels and a bit of an attitude. They do have personalities. Well I think so.

(Monday) Alfie kept wanting to sit on my knee and hanging about under my feet. This was around 6.30a.m. I was busy on my iPad and was ignoring him, but it suddenly dawned on me that he was desperate to go outside, so I quickly got dressed and we went out onto the grass area along the side of Strudwick Drive. Poor little dog, he would otherwise have had an accident (do I have to describe exactly what? No I don't.) Fortunately I took my little torch with me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to clear up things. Its been really useful. It was raining (it probably is still as I write this.)and we had to go to the bin on Oldbrook Green before returning home. Alfie, totally bedraggled, looking like a wrong-out mop, went totally bonkers, attempting to get dry by charging around the flat. His coat goes crinkly when he's wet, looking as if he's been permed. Never mind, problem solved and back in front of the television watching BBC Breakfast on television.

Vaccine Vacillations

 So, we now have a vaccine against the coronavirus. Will it make any difference to lockdowns, restrictions on everyday living, social distancing etc etc? It seems very unlikely in my opinion. It's all very well having a vaccine against this wretched virus, but getting people to have it is another matter. In a democracy, you can't make people have such a vaccine. It really against you human rights and liberty. There will be those who will believe conspiracy theories regarding it's use, for example, the government is putting microchips into people's bodies to track their movements (false, but never the less, this theory would be spread via social media etc.)

(Monday) It's a good deal milder this morning. As I write this at 8.50a.m., it appears sunny, or at least it seems so as I haven't yet opened the curtains. Alfie is sitting on the sofa next to me and waiting in anticipation of me taking him out for a jaunt around Oldbrook Green. I usually wait until past 9 o'clock because otherwise we will be inundated with children going to school and have to wait for the traffic to go by crossing the road onto Oldbrook Green.

I've been for a drive out in the car. As it's been sitting on the parking space at Dexter House and not being driven anywhere in particular, I thought it advisable to give it a run out to keep the battery charged and avoid having to get it started as I had to a few months back. No problems. It starts fine. It should do, as it's recently been serviced. I just need to keep it in good running order.

I drove past Crownhill,  which is where we lived after we were married in 2007. I can't believe the changes. The road layout is different because there is  now a housing estate opposite Crownhill,. which used to be open agricultural land when we lived there. The wooded area which borders it was where we used to walk the dogs, which now has an entrance driven through it into the estate, with a roundabout. Just unrecognisable.

(Thursday) I went to Sainsbury's in Witan Gate after 8 o'clock yesterday morning as pension money went into my account earlier. I had things to get for Christmas. As I will be staying here over the festive period, I wanted to make sure I could get stuff which was likely to be in short supply, such as mince pies, Christmas pudding, brandy butter and turkey, although I didn't intend buying a whole turkey. Just be far too big, would never fit in my oven, so I had a look on the Sainsbury's website and saw you could buy a turkey roast, boneless (presumably) and made of turkey meat and stuffing. So, ideal for my purposes. There was one on the shelf when I went to look in the store and snapped it up immediately as if it was the last one, what was the chance of there being more the next time I visited? Probably too big for one, but I can make the most of it when it's cold, in sandwiches etc, after Christmas.

I drove into the centre of Milton Keynes to meet up with a lady I met on a Christian website. We have met up several times before. I wanted to go to Costa for coffee to try out their limited edition drinks based on Nestlé chocolate products and had an After Eight hot chocolate which came with a very generous dollop of cream on top and a single After Eight mint and at the very bottom of the drinking glass was some gooey and thick chocolate sauce which you can only eat with a long spoon. I can recommend this and want to try the rest of the range, which I think is only available over the Christmas period.

When I got home I found that a card from the Post Office had put through the door, informing me that a parcel was at the sorting office, because the postman had attempted to deliver it. Having walked so far over the past couple of hours, I wasn't ready to drive to collect it from the sorting office in Brinklow (I knew exactly where it was as I've had to collect parcels from there before now.) According to my FitBit I had walked approximately six miles! I can well believe it. 

My anticipation for whatever the parcel contained knew no bounds. So, on Friday morning I drove to the sorting office in Brinklow. There was a queue outside as only one person at a time was allowed into the waiting area. I eventually reached the window and handed over the card which had been put through the door. I had to provide identity so I showed my Driving Licence. And, lo and behold! The lady behind the counter handed over a parcel and it was clear that it was from Chloe and Steve. In her usual style, Chloe had written humorous messages all over the box and it reminded me to 'not open until 25th December. Alfie had a good sniff when I put it on the floor in the lounge, so I imagine it contains (amongst other items.) some sort of food item, possibly some doggy treats for his nibs.

Foggy and Cold

It's a foggy and chilly morning. You couldn't see across to the opposite side of Oldbrook Green when I was out with Alfie at 7.30. It doesn't seem as if it's going to clear as it was just as foggy when we went out at 9.15.

(Tuesday) I've been to Sainsbury's to get a few bits and pieces and to collect a prescription order. I realised when I was doing my medication on Sunday that some tablets were on the verge of running out so I did an order through the NHS app I have on my iPad. The order goes to the surgery and then it's sent electronically to Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's. I then get a text message to let me know that it's ready for collection and that's it. Efficiency. I even bought a Christmas jumper! I thought I'd throw myself into the festive spirit as much as possible. I'm not going to Chloe and Steve's in Worcester because Chloe is expecting. Grandchild number four! Due to arrive in May. I can't imagine what their house will be like if it's a boy (probably the same if it's a girl!) but very noisy I can imagine. I can visit in the spring, but with the pandemic and the risk of passing on the coronavirus, (either me to them, and in particular, Chloe, as it might be dangerous if she's pregnant.) but also for myself.

Some of the residents of Dexter House have been busy creating what I would describe as tableau or presentations. The first one was to celebrate Remembrance Day in November. It consisted of a large model of an RAF plane flying over the White Cliffs of Dover and they had made poppies out of the bases of Coca Cola bottles painted red and stuck on pieces of wire, similar to the poppy sculpture which was displayed at the Tower of London in 2014 to be part of the centenary of the beginning of the First World War. Then a Christmas display was created, consisting of a 'set' of a room, with a fireplace (working. Not sure how, but very realistic with a fire inside it.) a Christmas tree and decorations and a Father Christmas model which was supposed to sit in an armchair. The walls of the room 'set' was made of cardboard covered in wallpaper. But . . . (there is always a big but in these things, I'm afraid.) someone from Milton Keynes Council, I think responsible for managing Dexter House, decided that it was a fire hazard so it had to be dismantled. I suppose he was right, but it was a pity after all the work was put in to make it.

(Wednesday) There are workmen in Dexter House, removing asbestos from the ceiling along the corridor where my flat is. They are currently working on the furthest section, which is closed off with firedogs, so I can't take Alfie out through the door which opens onto Strudwick Drive, although I can get out at the main door onto Dexter Avenue. Tomorrow I will have to stay in the flat with Alfie as asbestos is a dangerous substance.

(Thursday) A relatively mild day. I overslept somewhat this morning. Unlike me. The asbestos-removal was completed well before lunch. We were told it would finish around 4p.m. so I took Alfie out for a walk. He has been fidgeting all morning, with the hope of being taken out. I'm glad that the workmen have finished.

Sunny, But Windy and Chilly

 So, lockdown version 2 is still continuing. It's meant to end on 2nd December. Let's hope that Christmas can go ahead as normal (well, as 'normal' as can be expected, due to the pandemic.)

It's a sunny but chilly morning. Alfie insisted on me taking him out at around 9 o'clock. I can't believe what I'm seeing. Most of the leaves are off the trees (well, we are almost into December, and barely a month until Christmas.) and the trees are putting on buds. I imagine, because it's so mild, they think it's spring. A sharp frost will either kill them off or slow down their growth. Definitely an odd sort of season.

I've re-subscribed to Netflix. Season four of The Crown has now landed. I watched episode 1 yesterday evening. A glaring error has been made. Princess Anne shown as a show jumper, but she was a three-day eventer and not a show jumper. Considering this show has a budget of some £100 million, I think they could have got their facts right. It's not too difficult to do a search on Google.

Yesterday (Sunday) Alfie and I were walking around Oldbrook Green when we saw Toto and his lady walking torwards us. Toto saw Alfie and ran to meet him. It's great that Alfie has doggie friends, at least one who doesn't bark at him or be otherwise really nasty towards him as some other dogs have a habit of doing.

A mist hanging over Oldbrook Green the other morning, giving a mysterious feel to the view.

(Thursday) I have the car booked in at Bleak Hall Motors for a service. I'm determined to keep the car in good order. I won't be able to a afford another and it's a decent car. I love it and it drives so well. I had messages coming up on the dashboard 'Car requires service in 30 days,' and going down gradually, so I had no choice but to have it done. I don't think it needs much, probably oil changing. It hasn't been on a long journey in ages, It's booked in for Thursday 1st December at 8a.m. The car has been there before, having had it's Mot done back in August, and they're a trustworthy garage.

(Friday) Foggy and overcast for most of the day. I was somewhat surprised when I took Alfie out just after 7 this morning. I was expecting the fog to be gone by midmorning, but it barely shifted.

My FitBit's strap has broken. It came with it when I bought it in John Lewis. It was made of a rubbery substance and it was the buckle which gave up. I bought a far better one from Amazon which is metal and it has a magnet which replaces a buckle and looks much better than the original one and is doing a good job. I trust it lasts longer than the original strap.

(Wednesday) More than a week has passed since my last post. The car went to have it's service yesterday act Bleak Hall Motors. £120 well spent and the oil changed and that confounded light has gone off which told me it needed servicing! Thank goodness. 

I saw a fox this morning when I went out at 7.15 with Alfie. It ran into the garden of Dexter House. This would explain why Alfie is always sniffing around in the hedge which borders the path along Strudwick Drive. I have a feeling I saw a fox (probably the same on.) the other morning, vaguely seen in the half-light of the early morning, crossing Oldbrook Boulevard and going into the playground of the primary school.

(Thursday) A bit of a surprise to find it was raining, although only slightly, when I took out Alfie earlier this morning. Alfie turned tail and decided to go home as he just doesn't appreciate getting wet and even when I took him out with his coat on a bit later (around 9.15.) I got the same reaction. He looks really bedraggled when he gets wet and ran around attempting to dry himself on various bits of furniture when we got back to the flat.

Wet and Windy

We are almost into November. (Well, we were when I began to write this blog.) The clocks have changed so that it's now light earlier in the morning so I can take Alfie out at around 6.30a.m. The leaves are falling fast and there's a carpet of them on the grass at the side of the path we walk along at the side of Strudwick Drive as we approach Oldbrook Green. The  leaves on the trees are rapidly turning colour, some bright orange, others yellow and a whole range of hues in-between.

(Saturday) It's wild and windy out on this Saturday morning. I have taken Alfie out but we didn't get far because, when he realised it was raining, he turned tail and bought me back to the flat! I bought myself a raincoat off the Regatta website. It's dayglo yellow and a week or two later I decided that Alfie should have a waterproof coat of his own and bought one on the Regatta site, but I made sure I measured him before ordering. It arrived really quickly and it fits perfectly and even has a button hole so that the ring on his harness can be attached to his lead. Absolute perfect fit. But it didn't really impress him when we went out in today's wind and rain. I think King Lear would be in his element (pun intended!)

Boris Johnson is giving a news conference later this afternoon. Because coronavirus infections are growing (I don't believe a word of this.) he will have been told by his scientist advisors that a further national lockdown will be needed in order to slow the virus down. So, more social distancing and more regulations. Which just tells me that it's not working and as a result the economy is being destroyed along with people's mental health (mine included.)

(Saturday 13th) I am finding it increasingly more and more difficult to find anything interesting to put in these blog posts. 

During the evening I heard fireworks being let off and when I took Alfie out for his first walk of the day at around 7 o'clock, the remains of fireworks would be seen stuffed into the rubbish bin as we got to Oldbrook Green. Don't the people who do this not realise that November 5th is Bonfire or Guy Fawkes Night? It's too late to be letting them off on the 13th November (unlucky or not.) I've since discovered that it might not be connected with Bonfire Night but more likely Dwali. Which is the Hindu festival of light. I know nothing more on the subject.

(Thursday 19th November) It is sunny as I write this (at 1.15 p.m.) but it has been raining and Alfie doesn't like it. I took him out for his early-morning walk but we didn't stay out too long and then two more jaunts, but by then it was raining, so he turned tail and we came home to the flat.

(Friday) So, will Christmas be cancelled this year? It's in the air. Boris is self-isolating in 10 Downing Street and we're supposed to come out of Lockdown 2 on 2nd December. 

All Over The Place!

 So, we are returning to more restrictions, bought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The government seems to change the restrictions on a daily basis. Where did the number 6 come from, being the limit of how many people can meet? Just plucked from the air without any scientific basis. Why not 7, 8, 9 0r 10? Why do pubs and restaurants have to close at 10p.m.? What on earth difference will that make to the spread of the coronavirus?

Several of the electric scooters left all over Oldbrook Green. I presume the company who runs the business which operate these devices will collect them and return them to wherever they come from. It seems strange to just have them left in the middle of paths around the place and not in some sort of parking space, similar to the bike hiring scheme (there's a parking space for them near the Oldbrook Centre. I think Santander is sponsor of them.)

(Saturday) The last couple of days it's been raining. Not heavy rain, but rather thin and pathetic. Even so, Alfie doesn't like it very much. I took him out just a few moments ago (it's now 11.25a.m. on Saturday 3rd October.) We walked along Strudwick Drive, me wearing my new Regatta rain jacket, but as soon as Alfie discovered the rain, he turned tail and took me back home.

(Tuesday) The seat of the toilet in my bathroom has broken. It broke several weeks ago. Not the actual seat but the lid. The plastic bit came away from the mechanism which holds it onto the bowl, so I reported it to the S.H.O., Barbara, and was hoping that it would be mended, no questions asked. Well, I didn't break it deliberately, I didn't do a tap dance on the lid or poke it to make it break. I was told yesterday that it was my responsibility to repair it. The company who are responsible for maintenance of the flat look after the BOWL of the toilet, but not the SEAT! Crazy! 

I was quietly sitting and watching television when there was this noise. It sounded like something collapsing. I wasn't sure where or even what it was. I looked in the kitchen, thinking it might have been a box falling on the floor (not sure where or what, again) but it wasn't in there. Then I poked my head round the door of the bathroom and found that the shower curtain rail was the culprit. Weird, as I hadn't touched it or even been near it. These curtain rails are only held in place by a sort of rubber washer (for want of a better world) on the end of the rail in a sort of round arrangement which screws on the end and you screw it out until it grips the wall. I can't believe that that is all that keeps it in place. I have now managed to reassemble the whole thing and it's holding up, and it hasn't collapsed as yet (well, at least, as I write this but will keep you informed it it decides to collapse again.

(Friday) Still not a lot to write about. The Council have built a fence along the Oldbrook Boulevard she of the Green, presumably with the intention of preventing further traveller's caravans being able to get onto the grass. They completed around half and then some bureaucrat thought strong and hard and realised that caravans could be able to access the area the other side of the skateboard park, so a further fence has been constructed. Next to impossible for anyone to drive onto the grass now. Even a small bit of fence along the opening into Shackleton Place.

(Monday) I went on line to book an appointment to get my hair cut at Central Barbers. This was a couple of days ago. The last time I had my hair cut I went to their website and was able to book and pay for an appointment, so it made sense to repeat this as it saves having to wait and if you pay you just walk in before the appointed time and then at the end, be because you've paid on line, there's nothing further to pay. I wasn't sure that I had actually successfully got an appointment booked. There's nothing to acknowledge your booking, such as being sent an email as you get when you buy something from Amazon. So this morning I phoned the shop and it turned out I hadn't got the appointment booked, but they made the appointment over the phone, for this Wednesday (21st October.) at 10.15a.m.

A Change In The Weather

The weather has changed considerably over the last few days. This morning (Saturday) it was quite chilly when I took Alfie out around 6.20. I have started wearing my chinos, having spent more or less the entire summer in shorts. A big difference felt.

(Wednesday) Well, excitement at the moment as I've had news from one of my film/television agencies that I might have work as a double on a film being made at Pinewood Studios. Can't reveal any more at the moment, but will probably have to go for a costume fitting if all goes according to plan.

(Friday) Well, I've been off this blog as you may have realised if you're a regular reader. I decided that my posts were becoming more and more repetitive as there simply wasn't much to report. Well, I'm back. Not exactly with a bang, but nevertheless, back.

The weather is currently warm and relatively sunny. Early mornings a chilly, not frosty (as yet) but I'm not in my shorts that early, but wear them occasionally. I don't think I have ever spent a summer almost entirely wearing shorts. 

Google has seen fit to mess around with Blogger. I don't like it. The same with Facebook. They fiddle with these sites at their peril. Too much change all at once. Why don't they consult the users of their software/sites and then get feedback? Surely not asking much.

(Sunday) Bright and sunny at the moment (8.53a.m) but it's chilly at 6.15 when I take Alfie out. He has a doggy friend, called Toto (I know you're going to say 'Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!' the line from 'The Wizard of Oz.') I keep on meeting him and his owner whenever we go out for a walk across Oldbrook Green. Yesterday they were on the opposite side when we arrived mid-morning and I could see them on the path. We approached and Toto, who was off his lead, ran to meet Alfie and was excited when they greeted each other. He is a shitsu, which was part of what Poppy was (crossed with a West Highland Terrier. I think she was more shitsu than Westie. I think Toto has many of Poppy's characteristics, such as being stubborn when called. He is a lighter colour than Poppy, with a beautiful fluffy pom-pom-like tail.

(Monday) A really unseasonably warm day. I went for a walk with my friend Mike from church. We walk from his flat in Downhead Park to the rather nice cafe in Willen and walk along the canal path. There is a family of swans on the canal. The parents and no less than seven signets. I wanted to photograph them and last week took my Canon digital camera with me, but there was absolutely no sign of the swans. But this week- of course- they showed up! I did attempt to take some shots with my iPhone, but they weren't very good and certainly not as good as I might have got if I'd had the digital camera with it's telephoto lens. Just they way things turn out, but I might probably have another go at a later date.

(Thursday) Yesterday there were council workmen trimming the hedges near the children's playground on Oldbrook Green. It now looks considerably tidier, except it appears they have not done all of the hedges as there's a lot more to trim going towards Fishermead. Perhaps they will return at a later date to finish the job.

Wednesday) I know I haven't posted anything for a while, but thought I'd add something to this post which has been waiting to be completed for quite a while. It's getting very autumnal and early mornings are darker when I go out with Alfie. The past few days there has been a mist over Oldbrook Green as I walk with him along Strudwick Drive. Quite a few leaves have fallen and the weather is definitely changing. 

This And That

It's not quite a hot as it's been lately. The sun is out as I write this (at 9a.m. on Thursday 20th August.) We have had rain, but there really is no real sign of it outside, except a small muddy puddle in the children's playground as I took Alfie out for his walk this morning. I went out for the second walk around 8.15 as I'm going out for a walk with my friend Mike from Church at 9.45. 

A few days ago I saw a workman on the grass as I crossed over from Strudwick Drive, the area that fringes Oldbrook Boulevard. He was spraying the grass, painting lines, in a sort of arc. It wasn't at first clear what this was for. Possibly a pipeline going in, electric cable, more internet cabling? Not entirely sure at the time, but yesterday, when we walked across, it was all too clear what it was for. More workmen, erecting a low fence, presumably to prevent travellers getting on to Oldbrook Green, although it doesn't look particularly robust and wouldn't take much effort to remove if someone wanted to, although it that was to happen, do doubt they would be done for 'criminal damage'. We'll have to wait and see how far this fence is going to go. They will have to leave a gap somewhere to allow pedestrians to gain access, such as myself and Alfie.

(Friday) Yesterday I went for another walk with my friend Mike from Church. I drive over to his flat in Downhead Park and then we walk to the cafe with is in a precinct near Willen. This morning, as we were walking along the Redway (well, I presume it's Redway.) we came upon a man laying on the grass near Pennyland Basin, which I had never heard of. It's what I would call a marina, joined on to the Grand Union Canal. At first we weren't even sure if the man, who would have been in his 30's, was dead or alive, but we eventually made out that he was breathing, but only very lightly. He was wearing trainers and track suit bottoms but with no shirt and, because it was fairly warm, was sweating copiously. We attempted to rouse him, but we couldn't. I began to wonder if he was having an epileptic seizure, or at last, had had one and this was the end result, because generally, if someone has a seizure it leaves them very tired and they usually sleep. I would have put him into a recovery position, having done a first aid course, but, because of the coronavirus pandemic it was not advisable. So it was then that we decided, having attempted a few times more to rouse hi, to dial 999. I got through to the ambulance service and because I wasn't sure exactly where we were, found it difficult to tell the operator where we were, but by saying Pennyland Basin, the paramedics were able to find us. Mike went up to Dantseed Way, the nearest grid road, to let the ambulance driver know where we were.

The paramedics soon turned up and took over the car of the young man. They managed to rouse him and when they said he ought to be check over at A and E he was reluctant to go, but it seemed obvious that he needed the care they could give him there and it was at this point that we left.

I had to go to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre for a blood test at 9a.m. I had been told, due to the pandemic, that I needed to arrive 5 minutes before the appointment so I drove there and was there a good 15 minutes ahead of the appointment. I parked the car, finding that there were plenty of spaces, and just sat and waited in the car until around 8.55 and then went towards the entrance of the surgery, expecting to be able to walk in but found the door locked and a  notice telling me I needed to use the intercom on the side of the door to get in. The phlebotomist made a good job of taking my blood. I didn't feel and thing and 10 minutes later, when I had time to sit and wait, I left the surgery and drove back to the flat.

At around 4 o'clock I got a text message from the doctor to tell me that the test was 'satisfactory' and that 'no further action is required,' although my vitamin D level was slightly low and he recommends me taking a vitamin D supplement. Not a problem as I can buy some when I'm next in Sainsbury's.

It's A Scorcher!

It's been warm for the past few days. Supposedly at one point one of the days there were reports of one of them being the hottest on record. I don't mind it being sunny and bright but when it gets too hot then I don't like it. In fact, it's dangerous particularly if you have a heart condition which I have. It's just best to remain indoors and drink plenty, which I have been. Alfie can't manage heat, so we make a good pair. At night he can never find anywhere to lay to keep cool. I keep the windows open and the electric fan on.

(Tuesday) I had to really think which day of the week it was! The lockdown has blurred every day into one and because of this it's difficult to even think which day it is. I should be at Camphill, in the drama workshop, but I haven't been there since late March. I have absolutely no idea when I will be allowed back.

The heat has made life really difficult, as you might imagine. The kitchen has been overrun with flies, a sort of plague you might even say. I couldn't stand being in there and I have no idea why there are so many, so I had to get a fly killer stray from Barbara, S.H.O, of Dexter House and after a few blasts it worked, than goodness.

I have bought an Alexa Dot smart speaker. I already had Alexa on my Fire Tablet and Fire TV Stick, but I made the jump to purchasing one of these artificial intelligence gadgets. I was amazed at how easy it was to set up. It joined my wifi without any problems and once I'd downloaded the Alexa app onto my iPhone and iPad it was relatively easy to integrate it into my system. When it was first set up, Alexa's voice had an American accent, but once I had my address and Postcode in the system, her voice changed to an English accent!

(Wednesday) As warm as ever. We're supposed to get rain today. I do hope so as it's getting really uncomfortable.

(Thursday) It did rain. I think I might have been asleep. Even so, it was over very quickly.

Today is over-cast. After several nights when it's been difficult to sleep, it makes a change that it's a good deal cooler. As I write, it's raining. I have a feeling it thundered earlier but not entirely sure. I have the window open and Alfie is laying on the sofa near me. Asleep and awake. He doesn't like warm weather.

(Friday) It's another overcast day. Quite damp and dreary as we walked towards Oldbrook Green. Alfie came back somewhat damp. Not really raining, but nevertheless, damp due to the mist/fog.

(Monday) Still not a great deal to write about. It's a good deal cooler and we had an almighty rain storm at around 3 o'clock. It was stair-rods, so I couldn't take Alfie out as usual, but the storm soon passed and we went out for our by now routine jaunt around Oldbrook Green.

Travellers Return to Oldbrook Green

(Monday) I took Alfie out around 6 o'clock this morning, and as we approached the crossing onto Oldbrook Green, I was shocked to see a group of travellers caravans on the furthest side, along with tethered ponies. It's not that we should mind what people do, it's the fact that they think it's perfectly fine to come along and set up camp on a piece of grass which isn't suitable to take caravans. I expect they will eventually be moved on by Milton Keynes Council. I will keep posting on this matter as things develop.

(Wednesday) The travellers have gone. Thank goodness. They have left a good lot of rhubarb fertiliser behind, so someone can go and collect it. But if they were under the impression that Oldbrook Green was common land I think they were very much mistaken.

(Thursday) Council workers were out mowing Oldbrook Green when I went out this morning with Alfie. We had to avoid being mown down and they went straight over the horse manure which was left by the travellers (not them personally, but the ponies or horses!) I just wonder where they went to.

(Friday) It's supposed to be a record heatwave today. As I write this it's sunny and bright, I have the windows open and the electric fan is on full blast.

When we approached Oldbrook Green this morning, just after 6 o'clock, I saw a mist hanging over the grass. It looked really odd, to say the least.

(Sunday) we had a socially distanced service at S.C.F. this morning, on the grass at the rear of the Oaktree Centre. We had to wear face coverings, had to use hand sanitiser as well as give our telephone numbers just in case anyone later showed signs of having the virus. It was odd not being able to sing, which was crazy as well as the fact that you couldn't see people's faces properly, but if this is how things are going to be, then it's better than nothing I suppose.

I went out as usual with Alfie as soon as I got back from church. We did our usual walk down Strudwick Drive and then onto Oldbrook Green. As we were walking across the grass, a motor scooter/bike came hurtling around the grass, totally heedless of those walking around or exercising or playing various forms of sport, including young families. I very nearly got run into, but they continued to encircle the grass. Neither youths, the one driving the scooter or the one riding pillion on the back, wore helmets and the whole didn't look safe or particularly road-worthy. I doubt very much whether they had adequate insurance or even  a road fund licence for this vehicle, if that's a good way to describe it, but, as with the latest electric scooters which people ride around the various paths and pavements and even on the public highway, a definite accident waiting to happen.

Restrictions On, Then Off and Then . .

Some of the pandemic lockdown restrictions have been lifted. We can now visit 'non-essential' shops, get our hair cut and a certain number of attractions, gardens and so on, have re-opened (I think these include National Trust properties, zoos, etc etc.) But if you visit a shop you need to wear a face covering (supposed to cover your nose and mouth.)

I went into the Milton Keynes main shopping centre to meet my friend Nick who lives in Northampton. Unfortunately not everyone is obeying the social distancing regulations nor is everyone wearing a face mask. I took mine, one of the handful I purchased in Lidl a few weeks ago. I don't particularly like having to wear one as it makes my face hot and my glasses steam up. You can't see people's faces clearly and it would be easy for someone, if they were inclined, to do something criminal, say, rob a bank or be objectionable to staff in a shop, and nobody would be able to recognise them, for example, on C.C.T.V. cameras.

Church is having a picnic on Sunday near Furzton Lakes. I have been attempting to find some sort of folding chair to take with me and went on the internet to have a look. I had hoped that Argos might have had some in stock. I looked at there website and sure enough they had quite a range but when I attempted to buy I kept being told that the Milton Keynes store had none in stock. I had an idea that Tesco would have these types of chairs. Whatever I buy needs to be folding, so that it will fit into the back of the car and then be stored in the flat in a corner.

(Friday) The Renault Captur was due for it's MoT in August. I rang Bleakhall Motors on Wednesday to book it in for this annual test and got an appointment for 4.45 yesterday afternoon. I drove there and the test went ahead. I waited in the waiting area and it was completed by 5.30. Thank goodness it passed without any further expense being necessary but they said that it would need the diesel emissions looking at before next year's test. I imagine it has something to do with the exhaust filter or something so I may ring them and ask what it entails. So, that's another year of driving. The tyres may need air in them, but considering that it hasn't been far in the last five or so months since lockdown, it's no surprise as there can't be much wear on the car in that time.

(Saturday) It seems there is an increase in infections of the coronavirus in some areas of the north of England, so some of the lockdown restrictions have been reintroduced. Some people are unhappy about this, but if we're to return to any semblance of normality then this has to be done. Five months of lockdown and a gradual reduction in infections nationwide. People must just adhere to the regulations and not become lazy, particularly with social distancing.

Alfie- Trimmed, And Other Less Important Matters

(Wednesday) Alfie was booked to have a haircut at The Groom Room within Pets At Home at the Beacon Retail Park in Bletchley at 2p.m. I had a telephone call from the Groom Room to ask me if I would like to move the appointment to 12 o'clock which I immediately agreed to. I had to contain Alfie within his cage in the back of the car as it just won't sit inside the car. Safer for the both of us. within his cage. What amuses me is that he makes a tremendous noise when he's put into the cage and the door is closed. But once I'm driving along he is extremely quiet. It's when I stop the car that he then starts up barking and getting excited. A bit like when I move to go out and pick up his lead he starts barking loudly.

I got a phone call from the Groom Room at around 1.15 to say that Alfie was ready for collection so I drove back to get him and it's always a shock to see him when he's well and truly shorn. Quite short, and it's great to be able to see his face properly.

(Friday) I am continuing to write. I had a storyline which was on Pages writing processing software and saved on my MacBook.

(Tuesday) Boy oh boy, this is getting so boring. Which is why I haven't written anything on here for a while. Not like me to be unable to write SOMETHING, even if it is just a load of repetitious rubbish. It's a week since Alfie went to the Groom Room to have his trim. The weather has become decidedly unsettled. We had a Facebook Rooms meeting of the creative writing group on Saturday at lunchtime. Not sure it was entirely successful but it was just great to have some sort of conversation with other humans.

The door leading out of Dexter House into Strudwick Drive, which I use to take out for his walks has decided not to function successfully. You have to more or less break your hand to get the catch to release the door, so this means I have to carry His Nibs out through the front door which is a bit of a hike and even though he is small, he is a weight and is a bit of an effort. Carrying Alfie stops him barking. It may sound crazy, but it would appear he can't, or won't, bark.

Oh dear, am I that desperate for something to write, having to describe the above problem with a door? It would appear so. Then, a couple of days ago, I decided to have a bath and, having run the water and put my bath gel in, I found that the water was barely warm, and certainly not hot enough to have a decent wallow. What is going on? And to cap it all, Barbara, the SHO (sheltered housing officer) told me that there was a leak into her office as the flat about had a leaking toilet (or sink or bath, one or the other) and it came through the ceiling and ruined some paperwork which needed to be reprinted. The company who is supposed to do the repairs (I shan't mention it here) was called to repair someone's light fitting and it two FOUR WEEKS before they came and sorted it out. The door which I mentioned above is not to be used and has been reported, and no doubt it will take weeks before it is fixed and it must be done because it's a fire exit.

The Excitement Continues

(Sunday) Do you sense a somewhat sarcastic tone to my title for this blog post? Probably, you say. Well, you would be right in some respects.

My Fitbit has ceased to function. It is an ex Fitbit, it has ceased to be, to quote the famous Monty Python 'Parrot' sketch. I had it charging on it's charging station (for want of a better term to describe it.) It isn't always clear whether it charges and it should vibrate when it's inserted properly and apparently you should get a smiling face appear on it's face/screen (or whatever it's called.) But none of this happened. I repeated all this over several days and then decided, this afternoon, to visit the Fitbit website and used the 'chat' system to describe to one of the agents what the problem was.

(Wednesday) Yesterday I got my printer to work! Which was a relief, considering the amount of effort it has taken to get it to work. I can't think what prevented it functioning. I printed off the plot line which was written long before Carol was diagnosed and I haven't managed to do any work on it since then and continues the plot of the spine plot of the writing project which runs to over 80 pages, which came as a surprise when I printed it out yesterday. It needs a great deal of editing, but, considering it's a first draft, it's not surprising. A lot of spelling mistakes for example and general glitches, grammatical and so on.

The replacement Fitbit arrived during the morning. I went to pick up the old one to find it working! So I have two Fitbits, although the one which came in the post doesn't have a strap, which I might buy in John Lewis and keep it as a spare. How perverse are these gadgets? Take ages to fathom out and set up as well as charge and then you never know whether it's going to work or not.

(Thursday) A somewhat overcast morning. Not sure what the day has in store.

1.15 approximately. I have just been out with Alfie and I'm shocked to see no less than five large caravans parked on Oldbrook Green. A car was driving off and over the kerb as I got to the crossing point. There are certainly not supposed to be on there. The weight of the caravans and the vehicles which tow them will break up the surface of the green. Fortunately it is dry at the moment but when it's wet there is often water standing on the surface and it can be like walking on wet carpet or more like a marsh and if it's like that the surface will be damaged beyond repair. I got home and went on the Next-door site and see that several people have already seen the caravans and the local authority have been informed.

(Friday) The caravans parked on Oldbrook Green have gone, thank goodness. I imagine some official from the Council have dealt with the matter. A few tyre marks are visible on the grass, but apart from that there is really no sign of the caravans ever being there.

(Monday) I'm seriously finding it increasingly more and more difficult to find anything worth writing about on this blog. Which is why you won't find me posting as often as in the past. It does get somewhat monotonous, which is a good enough excuse to not bother posting. Although there are many writers who can whittle on about next to nothing and manage quite nicely and probably get paid into the bargain. Probably paid by the word or number of words. Think of the pages and pages of description in many of Dickens novels. I expect, because they were written in instalments, be had so many words he had to write in order to fullfill the number required for an instalment. hence the sometimes tedious rambling on relentlessly.

The 'New Normal'

What on earth do they mean when they say 'The New Normal'? It's such a stupid expression. It is related to the current situation regarding the lockdown which was introduced to attempt to slow the spread of the corvid19 virus? So, what was the 'normal' before the pandemic? Going about your business without social distancing? I give up because nobody seems to know. I have come to the conclusion that it's a rather empty term anyway, so I'll forget it.

Wednesday. It's somewhat miserable, overcast with a 'sort of' drizzle. We didn't exactly get drenched when I took Alfie out around 6.45 this morning, but there again we didn't come back dry. I now realise that what I have written in that last sentence doesn't make a lot of sense, but who cares?

I intend walking into the main Milton Keynes shopping centre later as I have a haircut booked for 10a.m. I don't really want to drive as I'm not sure whether I have enough change to pay using the ticket machines in the usual carpark, although I do have an app called RinGo (who comes up with the names of these apps? What a silly name. Never mind.) but it doesn't always work so I can't trust it although it saves having to take change with me. I prefer to walk and I don't want to have to think about parking and, after all, walking is good exercise.

I'm really struggling to write anything vaguely interesting in these blog posts and had considered resting this blog until things change. It seems unlikely that this will happen any day soon, although I do miss my Tuesdays at Camphill. I can't believe my last text to Teo, the leader of the drama workshop, was in 30th March 4 months ago!

Later. I've been into the shopping centre to get my hair cut. I used the RinGo app to pay for parking, although I got there far too early. I had a chance to amble around the centre before walking along to Central Barbers where I waited about 10 minutes before my appointment, which was well on time and done to perfection and I'm so glad it's done. Over 4 months of hair being cut was wonderful and it makes me look about 10 years younger.

(Saturday) A mild day, but looking at the sky there are dark clouds so it's difficult to say whether it will remain dry or not. Quite a strong wind blowing.

I was planning to go to the creative writing group, which was meeting in the Milton Keynes Shopping Centre. At first I thought it was meeting in the Midsummer Place branch of Waterstones, but I got a message via Facebook which said they would meet outside Costa near Midsummer Place. It occurred to me that we would be able to sit in the seating area either outside or in the mall. As it was a pleasant and sunny afternoon I decided to walk and got to Costa but then saw that the seating had been removed in both places and even inside I could see that seating had been removed. I could have checked my mobile to get some idea where the meeting was going to be and would have sat and looked at my iPhone but all seating in the shopping centre had been restricted so that was out. So, I gave up on the idea and began to walk home. It was then that I needed a toilet but the main one in the shopping centre had a long queue outside and even the one in Midsummer Place was closed off to the public. Not a good idea. I suppose I could have tried the toilets in the upper floors below the carpark near Debenhams but I didn't bother so I began to walk home.

Opening Things Up

(Saturday) So, some businesses are opening up again as some of the lockdown restrictions are being relaxed. Thank goodness. Pubs particularly. I won't be going.

It's hot and humid, clammy. I have the tower fan on, so all the effort to get it has been worthwhile. I went to get a few things from Sainsbury's mid-morning. A few people queuing once I had parked the car and I was in the actual store within ten minutes and got what I needed because I had a list and was out within about 45 minutes.

Alfie needed a walk and instead of Oldbrook Green, whose charms are beginning to wear more than a bit thin, I decided that the Ouzel Valley Park was worth a visit as it's only a couple of minutes drive down Chaffron Way. Dark clouds brooding as we ambled through a couple of the fields and because I couldn't see any grazing livestock I let Alfie off his lead. A great amount of smelly sheep droppings which I had to steer Alfie from as he wanted to eat it. A rather unpleasant doggy habit which I'm eager to discourage. A very distinctive smell, which I know from the sheep at Malting Farm. We went through a couple of kissing gates but I decided at second thoughts to not walk quite as far as I had originally intended so we made our way back to the car and Alfie was put back in his cage in the back of the car and returned home.

(Sunday) I've taken Alfie out twice already, just before 7a.m and then around 9.15. Then I shot off to Tesco in Oldbrook Boulevard to buy a Sunday Times and a few bars of chocolate. I was shocked to see an advert on the from of the paper for flats in Television Centre, the somewhat iconic BBC studios which have been sold to a property developer and partially converted into high-end flats and offices with a couple of the studios bought up to date and then being hired by what is called BBC Studioworks and then re-hired to ITV for their daytime shows such as Good Morning Britain and Loose Women. Crazy state of affairs.

Later. Been for another wander with Alfie around Oldbrook Green. Quite busy, with people walking dogs, others playing football and some doing what look like acrobatics or at least gymnastics, standing on their hands (!). The children's playground was busy, but people not observing social distancing. So, no doubt be can expect another 'spike' in coronavirus infections.

Monday morning. I've heard from Chloe that the work on building the extension to the house will start tomorrow, Tuesday. Hopefully it will be completed by Christmas. So, I hope when it's all done I can actually go and stay with them for a while. Things really moving forward. Also, I hear that the creative writing group I'm part of will be meeting in Waterstone's coffee shop on Saturday afternoon. Something else to focus on.

1.45p.m. I've been out with Alfie around Oldbrook Green. There's a lady who has two dogs, I think sheep dogs but not sure, who are very good because she throws a ball for them, using a gadget which seems to fling the ball a long way and they retrieve it and work as a team. Very focussed and well behaved. On the other hand there is a man who has a rottweiler (I am fairly certain that's what it is. He lets the dog off it's lead but it wanders around, with him walking ahead and then he never seems to be able to get the dog to come back although it seems to follow him eventually. I have to say I'm not too keen to have this dog near Alfie because it's a big dog which might or might not harm Alfie. Not proof of course that it does but you never know. I think it's irresponsible to let a dog off and let it roam around like that as you never know what it might get up to, even getting run over by a car or attacking other dogs or even children.

Haircuts For Alfie and Me

(Monday) I have managed to book a grooming session for Alfie at the Groom Room at Pets At Home in Bletchley for 21st of July. He has been there before and he knows the staff and they make a fuss of him and he loves being pampered. Who can blame him? I set up and on-line account this morning and then did an on-line booking but then I had to pay a deposit. The Groom Room staff then phoned me and I payed over the phone with my card. It is rather crazy because we already had an account at the Groom Room but it doesn't link to what I had set up on line, but by using the reward card I was able to update my details. So, at last the poor little chap can have a wash and shampoo and a good trim because he is becoming really scruffy, his claws need a trim and the hair round his face needs tidying up so he can see where he is going. I'm usually very hot on looking after him as he usually has a good trim several times a year and it's because of the pandemic that he has got into this state.

(Tuesday) Another indecisive day on the weather front. It is overcast and I'm not sure whether it's going to rain or not. Probably rain, thinking about it since I've peered out of the window. Alfie is expecting to be taken out and at 8.35a.m. I may just do that to keep him happy.

We went out but got a wetting. Alfie just doesn't appreciate getting wet, under any circumstances. I don't blame him. I don't either. We didn't stay out long.

(Wednesday) I've been to Sainsbury's this morning and for the first time in months I didn't need to queue up to get in, which was a complete surprise. I managed to buy everything which I had on my list and therefore I was in and out of the store in barely an hour. There were very few people in the store, which made it so easy and I used a self-service checkout which by now I am fairly proficient at using. I think it's a question of finding the bar codes on each item so that it's faster to scan as you go and make sure that each item goes onto the packing area or else the machine will tell you off, but there was none of the 'unknot item in bagging area,' which, frankly puts me off.

(Thursday) I knew that barbers and hairdressers were soon to reopen after some of the loocdown restrictions were being lifted. I have said on here how I am in a real need of a haircut, so I have been on the Central Barbers website and have booked and paid for such a haircut on 8th July at 10a.m. It means that I just go into the central shopping centre and walk to Central Barbers premises and I won't even have to wait if it's prebooked, thank goodness.

(Friday) Last evening I was going to feed Alfie as I usually do. He has a small amount of mixer at the bottom of his bowl and then I put the meat on top, usually Sainsbury's own brand of dog food in a pouch, which is just squeezed out of the pouch on top of the mixer. But last evening I found that I had run out and he had to have what was left of my meal, mostly meat pie and veg, which he scoffed without any arguing. He has a good appetite for a small dog and I have now been to Lidl to buy him enough of at least a week, the Pedigree branded dog food which he has if he doesn't have the Sainsbury's own brand. Sorry Alfie that I forgot. I don't think he was that bothered one way or the other!

On the weather front, it's mild but windy. Not sure if we don't get further rain. We could do with it as everything looks very parched and dry.

Too Darn Hot

(Thursday) On BBC Breakfast this morning  we being told that today will be very hot. 31°, hot and humid. But if that's in Centegrade, what's that in Fahrenheit? I'm sorry, but I'm from the generation which is used to Fahrenheit, the same as with metric measurements. I still think in feet and inches. Why on earth we didn't change over completely to metric which is actually far easier, I can't think. You would have though when we joined the EU it would all change, but it didn't, so we're stuck in between them, betwixt and between as they say.

I have put on sun block, a handy spray version, which is a good deal easier than a cream. Just need to get it topped up as the day progresses. Alfie doesn't like the heat and finds it extremely difficult to find a place cool enough the flat.

(Friday) A hot and humid night which made sleeping difficult. I was in need of a fan to cool down the flat, so I have ordered on on the Argos website and I can go and collect it later from the Grafton Gate store. 'Click and Collect' as they term it, so it should be relatively easy to collect it without having to spend time in the store. Lets wait and see what happens when I go there later. I have washing on, so will have to wait until that is complete before going.

(Saturday) It's a good deal cooler this morning. It is drizzling outside (well, just as well it's not inside.) not raining, but damping things down. It's 6.45a.m. and I'm on the point of taking Alfie outside. I have the tower fan I got from Argos yesterday on and I think I'll leave it running to keep the flat warm. Alfie is asleep on the sofa. Poor little thing has been trying to find a place where he can keep cool.

Later. When I took his Nibs out a bit later, we didn't manage to escape the wetting caused by a sort of drizzle again. Alfie doesn't like getting wet and was appreciative of the fact that we went home fairly rapidly. As we were walking back home a wind got up from virtually nowhere, which presaged rain and I walked as fast as I could, with Alfie, as usual, sniffing ever blade of grass and taking his time as he has a habit of doing. He just loves pottering around.

Sunday. The lockdown is having more of a negative effect on people than actually helping to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. People are becoming totally fed up with being locked inside their homes, which includes me. I'm not used to sitting and doing virtually nothing and under different circumstances I would be doing things outside my home.

There was supposed to be a church meeting/worship via Zoom this morning, but I don't really think it's possible to have worship through this form of technology. Just not viable. But I couldn't get the connection to work, after several attempts, so I gave up. I suspect it may be because there are so many people using this technology as well as the internet being over-loaded at the moment, with so many people using it and it not being capable to cope with so many users on line. But, as a result, I decided to watch something via television catch-up, and 1994 episode of Time Team, about the discovery of a Roman iron smelting site on a golf course in Sussex (well, I think it was sussex.)

Easing Lockdown

(Wednesday) So our dear Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announces in the Commons, that some of the lockdown restrictions have beed eased. The two metre social distancing regulations have been lowered to one metre, but the thought of going to a pub or restaurant is not something I would bother with as it's so complex I'd rather stay at home, thank you.

Blogger, which is owned by Google, and which is what this blog is created on, is to be upgraded, if that's what it's supposed to be called. I have been using it for a good many years and have got on well with it, so why does it suddenly have to be changed so radically? It's the same with Facebook, which has been changed dramatically and is now more difficult to use. I really don't like it and why change things when the work well? You never get any sort of help with how to use any of these sites. It just because they can change things that problems occur. As the saying goes if it ain't broken, don't fix it. You have to learn yourself what the various 'buttons' and gizmos do without any sort of instruction, which is the same with most things you buy, which includes computers. When I bought my iPad recently went of YouTube to learn how to do things.

Out walking with Alfie this morning at about 9.30. We stopped for a rest on the furthest side of Oldbrook Green and sat on the very conveniently placed bench. I was shocked by the amount of litter strewn all over the ground nearby. Somebody had sat and eaten a takeaway meal and there was definite evidence, paper, polystyrene containers, Pepsi bottles and goodness knows what else. As there was a litter bin nearby, within arms reach, it would have taken long to put their debris in this when they had finished, just laziness. I have also seen disposable gloves thrown on the ground, also near a bin. It's not just the fact they were thrown aside, expecting someone else to deal with them, but environmentally harmful, especially if small mammals get stuck in them or try to eat them. I digress- as I seem in the habit of doing, and as I sat with Alfie on my lap, I saw a large lorry moving along Oldbrook Boulevard and turn into Strudwick Avenue and then into the yard behind The Cricketers pub. Obviously about to make a delivery, ready for the pub to reopen since the pandemic restrictions have been lifted. A definite positive sign that things are going to improve.

Later. It's far too hot. Wait a minute. This is crazy. We wait most of the year so we have some warm and pleasant weather, and all we do is complain that it's TOO HOT! The problem I have is I'm more of a temperate person. I don't like getting too hot. As a result of the weather, I decided to pack Alfie into the cage in the back of the car and drive the short distance down Chaffron Way to the Ouzel Country Park. I knew the moment I opened up the car that it was going to be far too much for Alfie and certainly not good for me. I put on sun block, the sort you spray on and donned my sun hat. Alfie was really suffering and so was I. We walked along the gravel path and met a group of ladies pushing someone in a wheelchair and they weren't sure whether they could go through the gates, which I told them it would be fine, so long as they shut them behind them. Some have cattle grids to stop livestock going through. There were sheep in the meadow we were walking through, several groups sheltering under the trees and Alfie started to bark so I decided to walk in a different direction. The sheep began to stir. I don't think they like dogs. I suppose they think of them as a threat. I didn't want Alfie to cause them stress, so I walked on.

I don't think it was such a good idea to bring Alfie out in such heat, or, if it comes to that, it wasn't good for me either. I was told by one of the cardiology nurses who looked after me when I went to a rehab session after my first heart attack in 2006, that I should keep out of the sun and always wear a hat. At one session, when it was really hot, about as hot as it has been today, I very nearly passed out and had to have first aid, which really frightened me.

Same Old Same

(Monday) Another fun filled week in store. Oh, the excitement is too much! Note the ironic tone of this blog post.  Cooped up in my flat like a battery chicken when it's really sunny and warm. I am hoping and even praying that the government will reduce the social distancing. It's a bit of a joke when I went out yesterday evening with Alfie and seeing people definitely not social distancing, children playing on the equipment in the playground at Oldbrook Green. The 'Rate of Transmission' of the infection rate of the coronavirus has been reduced to whatever number, I think it's 3, moved down from 4. I'm not entirely sure.

People on Oldbrook Green flying a kite. The wind was more or less perfect for such an occupation. There is something fascinating about kites. I really like them. We took Sam and Emerline to Dunstable Downs to fly his kite many years ago, although not entirely successfully. When we used to go on holiday to Frinton-On-Sea I used to fly a rather incredible box kite, which wasn't mine. It belonged to my younger brother, Sandy, who had been given it as a present, I think, by his godmother, Jane, but he wasn't in the least bit interested, so I got the pleasure of flying it. Quite high, from what I remember, on the Greensward, the grassed area between the road, The Esplanade I believe, and the promenade where the beach huts were. Quite a strong wind off the sea and it took some effort to get it to fly to the furthest extent of it's string.  A lot of effort to keep hold of it and probably a danger to low-flying aircraft. More on holidays to Frinton-On-Sea in an earlier blog post but I may write more in a future blog post.

(Tuesday) 4.02a.m. I haven't slept much. Someone in a flat below me has a television or radio on with a voice that never stops. I can't think what it can be. Not BBC or Sky News because there's no music, advertising or those 'stings' or whatever they cal them, the bits of music between items or over credits or the opening of programmes. Whatever it is, it's difficult to get to sleep. I turn on BBC News and have a cup of tea. Something to watch or listen to. They have an item about a digital television channel calle 'Talking Pictures' which has seen it's ratings rise since the start of the pandemic lockdown. It shows old programmes, most of which are black and white and run by a handful of staff. Apparently the main channels don't show black and white material. Why? Does that mean some of the classic films of the early days of the film industry aren't important because they aren't in COLOUR? So, that means that Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton and a whole host of other comedy films are worthless? Absolutely not. Then how about: Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard, and probably the best film comedy of all, Some Like It Hot aren't worth bothering with? Are audiences so dumb that they can't be doing with black and white films? I don't think so. Surely it's the story, characters and just plain charm of these early films which makes them what they are. They survive because they are so brilliant. Oh, and then, how about the priceless Ealing comedies such as Passport to Pimlico (which is on tomorrow as I have looked at the EPG (Electronic Programme Guide), Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Ladykillers (I think the only Ealing comedy to be made in colour and also the last one made.)

The social distancing is likely to be reduced from 2 metres to 1 metre today, after the Cabinet has met this morning. It has to happen. BBC Breakfast has said that we can expect high temperatures in the next few days, possibly the highest temperatures of the year, towards the end of the week. Heat kills viruses, so it's going to wipe out the coronavirus. Just wait and see.

Later. 'I just don't believe it!' as Victor Meldew would say repeatedly in the brilliant sitcom 'One Foot In The Grave.' I have mentioned the problems I have had regarding my Television Licence. If you need a reminder, when I moved into Dexter House I made sure I had this set up so that I was 'legal , decent, honest and truthful' (an advertising slogan which was used by the Advertising Standards Authority.) I'm rambling. Going off-topic. Not keeping to the script.  Digression is the word I'm looking forAnyway, I discovered that I didn't need to pay a full licence living at Dexter House. Don't ask me how or why. You can, but you won't get an answer. I paid by cheque and it must have cleared as it shows up on my bank statement so the licensing people have proof. But I keep getting letters, beautifully printed and posted, no doubt at great expense. So . . . what on earth is going on? Making a mockery of the whole confounded TV licence business and must cost a fortune, money which could be going to the BBC to pay some hard up celebrity on their payroll who needs to probably put petrol in his/her Rolls Royce or to buy more caviare or pate de foie gras from Harrods or Fortnum and Masons.

Later still. So, that's it. Boris Johnson says the social distancing can be reduced to one metre and that more businesses can reopen. Thank goodness! Being a prisoner in your own home is no joke. But lockdown can be reenforced if there's any new infections, or something, I'm not sure of the exact words. But it's not going to happen. It's summer, the sun is out and viruses don't survive in a hot climate.

(Wednesday) A hot and humid night and I found it difficult to sleep, but the kitchen is as hot as ever. Why on earth can't the heating be reduced? It just doesn't make sense and I have mentioned it but it seemed impossible to get anyone to deal with this situation.

Come Rain Or Shine

(Wednesday)It's been a hot and stuffy day.  When I looked out of the kitchen window early this morning it was a foggy view which greeted my gaze. Not what I was expecting. Not a great deal happening. I took Alfie out at around 1 o'clock and we were the opposite side of Oldbrook Green when it went overcast. Dark clouds hurtling across the sky and then there was a clap of thunder. Trying to hurry Alfie wasn't going to work as he has to sniff every blade of grass but I thought it vital that we get back to the flat quickly. It began to rain but we got indoors in time and as I write this there is an almighty thunder storm going on and Alfie has given me a look. I'm not sure  if he's bothered by it. I know Poppy, our old dog, was really upset when it thundered and would hide in a convenient place until a storm passed over. It's raining heavily and sounds like a sound effect recording. It's as well we got in before this started, but it should clear the stuffy air somewhat.

(Thursday) The rain continued into the night. I woke up at around 3.30 and could hear rain rattling on the windows and it appeared to be quite torrential. I took Alfie out at about 7.10 and wasn't aware until we steep out of the door into Strudwick Drive that it was still raining hard, so we didn't stay out for long and will have to go back out as Alfie only did a wee.

I am watching the BBC documentary series which is on iPlayer, 'The Story of England,' which is presented by Michael Wood and focusses on a village in Leicestershire called Kibworth. Good solid presentation and the sort of programme which the BBC does best and which they should produce more of. There's more than enough stuff to watch on catch-up if you can't find anything else to watch elsewhere on broadcast television. I think I seem to watch most in this way instead of when it's being broadcast 'live.' The other series is 'A House Through Time,' presented by David Olusoga, focussing on a house in Bristol.

Later.  5.50 p.m.After all the rain we had earlier in the day, it is now sunny and bright.

Friday. So, the week ends, but it's not a lot different to the beginning. A rather overcast sort of morning as I look out of the kitchen window at 6 o'clock. What does the day bring? Probably not a great deal.

I was right. Not a great deal happened. So there.

Saturday. It's bright and sunny. Not much more I can tell you.

I made out a shopping list and went to Sainsbury's, after I had taken Alfie out for his early morning walk down to Oldbrook Green. I'm getting good at organising myself so the wait in the queue is cut to the minimum and arrived in the underground carpark at around 8.15. I suppose there was about a 15-minute wait in the queue and I was in the store and through the self-service check out really quickly. I'm getting quite good at using these check outs, the trick is to be organised and to be able to find the bar codes on each item so that you can scan and pack each item. If anything, they really should make the bar codes larger and put them where they are easy to find. Some are almost hidden and not very obvious and some small and difficult to scan. I got home, did some washing up and then took Alfie out for yet another trot around Oldbrook Green.

June Is Busting

Trying to keep this blog going. I have another quite interesting idea for writing, but, again, I'm not going to disclose it on here.

It's another beautifully bright and sunny morning and the kitchen in this flat is like a furnace. It's crazy that there is no way of turning off the heating. A waste of energy and not very good for the environment. Why do all these flats need to be heated in he middle of the summer? No sense at all.

Non-essential shops are opening this morning after around three months of lockdown. I won't be rushing out to the Milton Keynes Central Shopping Centre, although I would love to. Once they have cut the social distancing then I might be prepared to go.

(Later) The weather is continuing fine and sunny. Not a lot more I can say than that I'm afraid.

This morning, as we were walking along Strudwick Drive towards Oldbrook Green, we had just come out of Dexter House and there was a large crow on the grass and, having walked past, I got a glimpse of a very large bird which swooped up from the ground and flew away. It was only a glimpse but it might have been some sort of predatory bird, such as a red kite, which I have seen drifting across the estate. It was gone very quickly but the colour was fawn with darker markings.

Tuesday night. I had just gone to bed and was asleep when the deafening sound of the fire alarm went off. Alfie came running into the bedroom and jumped on the bed. I wasn't sure exactly what was going on, whether it was an actual fire or a test (most unlikely as no staff on duty at that hour.) I wasn't keen to remain in the flat as the noise is deafening (no point if it doesn't wake you up.) I had to use the toilet and then put on my dressing gown and then put Alfie's lead on and he started barking (he thought he was being taken out for a walk.) As I opened the flat door I could see smoke pouring out of the flat opposite mine. The tenant smoking and no doubt this set off the alarm. We made out way to the front door and left the building and stood and waited outside. Within minutes we could see flashing blue lights as a fire engine arrived. Several firemen enter the building, but they have no idea where the flat is and I have to show them on a map which shows the layout of the building. I have to hold onto Alfie because as soon as put him on the ground he begins to bark. After about ten minutes the alarm stops and we go back into the building. The alarm sound is too loud to stay within the flat as it upsets Alfie and really hurts my ears. Oh well, if nothing else it's given me something to write in this blog post. End of the excitement for today. As I write this it's just turned midnight and a new day has begun.

Social 'Bubbles'

Apparently 'social bubbles' are something which is being bought in by the government to allow those who live alone (which would include myself) to meet up with another household, but if either 'family' or household suspects they are infected, they all have to self isolate for fourteen days.

What I want to know is, what happens when the bubbles burst?

I have taken out Alfie at around 9 this morning as it was overcast and it looked as if it was going to rain. You can't hurry Alfie as he has to sniff every blade of grass and leaf as we walk along the path towards Oldbrook Green. He has this funny little habit of pottering and this is done very slowly and deliberately. I think it's a terrier habit. He stops to wee on every lamppost and tree and has the same places we have to stop at as we walk around the Green. It takes probably three or four times as long as it would if he didn't stop along the way.

(Later) 10.15. It is raining quite hard so I made the right decision to go out when I did. I would have got soaked and so would Alfie.

I got the call from the cardiology department at around 12.30, although I had been told it would be at 3 o'clock. It was just as well I was in when the call came, on my iPhone. It would appear I have no problems and that things will continue as they are regarding my medication. Nothing further to report.

It has turned out dry for the remainder of the day, although there is quite a strong wind blowing as we went out this afternoon walking along Strudwick Drive on our way to Oldbrook Green.

Friday. It's rather overcast and somewhat humid this morning. Done washing up and about to start clothes washing. Exciting, but that's all there is to report at the moment.

I have a new idea for my writing. I'm not going to reveal here what it is because it's not cut-and-dried.

(Saturday) We had a  SCF Zoom quiz last evening. It was an interesting experience.

This morning looks a good deal brighter. The sun is out and it seems much more summery.

We walked down Strudwick Drive towards Oldbrook Green this morning, just before 7 o'clock and we stopped as Alfie was intent on sniffing as we proceeded, and a blackbird was sitting on the fence to the garden of Dexter House and I stood and looked at it and it looked at me. It was a great pity I didn't have my camera with me as it would have been worth a photograph. It sat there for quite some time and didn't move. Made me wonder what on earth was going through it's mind.

Later. Going out later with Alfie and there's youths playing football on Oldbrook Green. Not that I'm in the least bit interested, but it's good that they are having fun, enjoying themselves. People watching from the sidelines.

I went to have a cream tea with Mike and Margaret, friends from church. Absolutely amazing to actually meeting up with people and getting away from the flat. Just not good staying indoors when it's so warm and sunny.

(Sunday) I have taken Alfie out twice now and it continues to be sunny and pleasant. I sat on the bench nearest to The Cricketers and saw a father attempting to teach one of his young children how to play cricket (very appropriate since this was so near the pub and the fact that the road names around Oldbrook are after cricketers.) He can't have been much more than 6 or 6. It wasn't helping him to have such a large bat and the younger child was wandering around in the background. It's good to see fathers particularly with their children like this. In general there seems to be a more relaxed atmosphere about the place since the lockdown was slightly eased.

No Social Distancing

I was out with Alfie quite late yesterday afternoon.  (Monday)Well, when I mean late, I don't mean it was dark, with the sun going down. I mean, around 4.45.  Oldbrook Green was busy, but any sense of social distancing had been totally disregarded. There were youths in the skateboard park, using it to . . . skateboard. People sitting on the grass in groups. We walked around and one boy was on a bicycle, attempting to ride it on its rear wheel. He came up behind me on the final lap, near the children's playground, and didn't make any sort of sound, which made me jump somewhat. What would have happened if he had come off and hit his head, requiring hospitalization? There were a couple of girls climbing over the fence into the children's playground, which was locked and had a notice clearly stating it was banned from use, due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was obvious that they wouldn't have seen this notice and then proceeded to sit on the swings, not designed for people of their size.

I had a telephone call this afternoon. Wow! That's a thing. From the cardiology department of Milton Keynes Hospital. I am going to get a call on Thursday at 3 p.m. from one of the cardiology doctors to see how I'm getting on. Not bad, just bored and sick of the lockdown, but I don't suppose they can do anything about that. Or maybe they can. Would be good if they could.

(Tuesday) Here I am, wide awake at 4.55a.m. I have had a shave, and done all the washing up (my kitchen must be the tidiest in the country.) Lockdown has turned my world upside down. It's no use sleeping, as I just can't get back to sleep. I have watched a further episode of the Peter Ackroyd 'Thames' documentary series on History Hit. It's fascinating. Read a bit more of the Simon Heffer book, 'The Age of Decadence,' and currently reading the chapter on the Suffragettes. What a brave lot of women. When people say that they don't intend to vote in an election, they should bear in mind all those who fought to get them the right to have a vote, not just women, but men as well. The force-feeding of women in prison would be considered abuse by today's standards.

I needed a different place to take Alfie for a walk this afternoon, so I put the cage in the back of the car and installed his nibs in it and we drove down Chaffron Way to the Ouzel Valley Park, which Carol and I visited on many occasions with the dogs. I was able to let Alfie have a run, and he seemed to appreciate the fact that he could run free, but I made sure that there was no livestock in the meadow we were walking across, although there were cattle in the adjoining meadow. There were lots of other people who had the same idea as myself, many with dogs, in family groups and many with children in various forms of pram and buggy. We walked through several kissing gates. This is how Wikipedia describes kissing gate:

'A Kissing gate is a type of gate that allows people, but not livestock, to pass through.

The normal construction is a half-round, rectangular, trapezoid or V-shaped part-enclosure with the free end of a hinged gate trapped between its arms. When the gate is touching an arm, it must be pulled or pushed to pass through. The gate may need to be pushed to give access to the small enclosure, and when in the enclosure, the person pulls the gate past the bulk of the enclosure to exit. Some examples have latches. Most are installed self-enclosing, to the side away from the pasture (livestock field), by hinge geometry, a spring or weight.'

So, if you didn't know, now you should. They are usually installed where livestock are in a meadow and allow people to move through without allowing the livestock to go through, usually where there is a cattle grid. (no, I'm not going to explain what they are here.)

We went through several kissing gates and then began the walk back towards the car. Several more people with dogs and then as we approached the car park, a couple was coming towards me with a large dog. Alfie was on his lead and when we got closer Alfie began barking and the dog came at him, attempting, well it seemed to me, that it wanted to pick him up in its mouth. I scooped up Alfie in my arms and the couple were most apologetic. Alfie was just as much to blame, barking as he always does, but he always wants to be friends with every dog he meets, as he has virtually no fear. The other dog continued to growl. Probably because it didn't like Alfie's aggressive noise, or so it probably was thinking. What do dogs think? That's a matter of dispute. I was upset, as anyone would be who has their dog attacked by another dog. But it probably wasn't. The bigger dog was probably just putting Alfie in his place, a big dog telling off a smaller one. We walked on and I put Alfie in the cage in the car and drove him.

(Wednesday) It has been raining, although very lightly, this morning, and we didn't remain out very long. I think Alfie was quite happy to return home quickly when he discovered that he was getting wet. We needed the rain, whatever the amount. It didn't last long, and it barely laid the dust. The grass is beginning to look very brown and parched in many areas.

I have managed to stitch together various parts of my writing project and it is now over eighty pages long. I cut and pasted these elements into the 'core' storyline, and I'm grateful to the technology because I can't imagine writing it in longhand or on a typewriter.