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.