Everything's Coming Up Roses!

Thursday. 12.20 p.m.Whether you believe the words of the title of this post is up to you. The way things are at the moment, regarding the economy, for example, the cost of living 'crisis', the war in Ukraine and other things, it does seem somewhat bleak. So, more like coming up with rotten cabbage stalks, fish entrails or something even worse. Well, let's say probably not roses, how about stink wort, or some of those plants that smell like rotting flesh?  Unwashed socks? Need I go further? I think not, so I'll leave it to your imagination. 

This morning I have been to Camphill, as I have to re-do my disclosure certificate. I had this done when I originally started there back in 2019, but, as I've been away from Camphill for so long (I forget when that was exactly, but it must be around two years, although I did go there for one day a few months ago, but it was the fact that I needed to wear a face mask and have various tests done because of the pandemic that I haven't been since.) I need to have three pieces of ID for the disclosure, for example, a passport (which I don't have.), a bank statement showing three months-worth of activity, photo ID, such as a driving licence and a birth certificate. I had a copy of my birth certificate, but I can't find it, although I must have had it fairly recently because I had to upload a photocopy to a site I signed up to, so I have re-ordered a new copy, which will hopefully be delivered within a week or so. As regards the bank statement, I thought I could order one through the Nationwide website, but, after searching I could not find any link to do this, so I went into the branch in the Milton Keynes shopping centre and I had a copy printed out which serves just as well as a statement which would come in the post. 

After all that, I went into John Lewis to look at a Sony digital camera I would like, which can be used to make videos. I was somewhat surprised at the size of this model, tiny, compared with the Canon digital camera I already have, but this one has all the up-to-date features, with a screen on which you can view what you are filming and swivels around so you can see yourself when filming and so keep yourself in a frame. It is also WIFI and Bluetooth enabled, meaning you can upload your photos and videos without the need for cables.

From John Lewis I went to Costa which has a branch on Middleton Hall and had a latte and cheese and ham toastie. In the Middleton Hall space, a large stage was being set up for a fashion show, with the sort of arrangement of lights which you would see for a pop concert or somewhere like Glastonbury. A large metal frame arrangement, which is used to hang lighting and a large digital screen which seem to be a feature of many such events.

Life, The Universe And One Or Two Other Things

Monday 7.05 a.m. I awoke early, as I usually do. I didn't see the point of taking Alfie out until it was lighter, which only begins to get light enough to venture out until around 6.30. Then I could hear the rain, rattling on the windows and thought to myself that Alfie wasn't going to like it, but there was no alternative, so we went out and it was raining slightly, not too heavy, but I think it was likely to become more serious as the day progresses.

Wednesday. 6.50 a.m. On Monday, I emailed Camphill about whether they were still insisting on staff and volunteers wearing face coverings. I'm really keen to get back to working there, because sitting in my flat on my own isn't very conducive to mental health, apart from anything else, and two years of being put under house arrest (or let's say, what has felt like house arrest, but what the government called 'lockdown', due to the pandemic.) haven't helped matters, being cut off from meeting people, for example, so going back there for one day a week had given me a focus and I really enjoyed being there. I soon had a reply and the response was good! No more face coverings, and you only have to do a test if you show symptoms of covid. As I've had all my doses of the vaccine and last week I had my booster jab. So, I'm planning to go back and work with the guys in the theatre workshop. Yesterday I was sent an email in order to sign up to do an online course concerning the various aspects of care, such as manual handling, infection control, fire safety and a whole host of other areas. I managed it, although I had to do it in stages as it took around two hours in total. I also did an application for my disclosure certificate, which you need to have if you are working with vulnerable groups such as learning disabilities, which the client group is at Camphill. I have to go to Camphill tomorrow (Thursday) with a bundle of documentation in order to get signed up officially, although I did this initially when I started there back in around March-April 2019. So, let's just say I'm a bit excited about going there next Tuesday and can't wait to see the guy's faces when I walk in the door!

3.25 p.m. I've mentioned that I have recently signed up to the streaming service, Britbox. I am more than pleased with their offerings, a lot of ITV, BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5 stuff to view. I have already enjoyed 'The Avengers', the brilliant 1960s show with Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg. Really over-the-top entertainment and some of the stories are unbelievable, but they are done with such style that you can forgive some of the craziness, which actually makes the show so watchable. Yesterday evening I began watching the Granada TV version of Sherlock Holmes, with Jeremy Brett as Holmes, in the first story adapted, 'A Scandal In Bohemia.' I can't see any television station in today's broadcasting landscape making such a well-produced series as this, the period details, sets, costumes and so on are amazing. There are one or two little points which are totally unbelievable, such as the ropey disguise that Holmes puts on i and which is so appallingly bad it would never fool anyone. The wig and sideboards he dons look as if they would fall off or at least be pulled off at the least provocation. Really unconvincing.

What's It All About, Alfie?

Thursday.6.00 p.m. I went to the Oaktree Centre this morning to help set up Acorns playgroup. I left around 8.40, which should have given me plenty of time to get there for 9. I left Dexter House and drove out of Oldbrook along Strudwick Drive and then found there was a queue of around six cars at the junction onto Chaffron Way. It's virtually impossible to get out onto the road to the right, due to heavy traffic so, as usual, I went left and drove around the roundabout near Eaglestone (commonly known as Four Bridges, for obvious reasons, and then doubled back on myself to drive along Chaffron Way. Then there was a jam only metres away, just before the turning into Rainbow Drive. Many cars appeared to be parked within the immediate entry, and I wondered if they were parents dropping off children going to either the college or Milton Keynes Academy. These parents (if indeed it is parents) don't seem to care about anyone else, just blocking the entrance and not getting out of the way. The other entrance into MK Academy in Saxon Street was always being clogged up with cars, by parents either leaving their children or collecting them and also not taking a blind bit of notice that it was dangerous, likely causing collisions with vehicles, even though the school had made it clear to them not to do so. People just seem to do as they please, regardless of being told not to do something. 

Beyond the roundabout where Chaffron Way meets Grafton Street, the traffic was nose-to-tail more or less all the way to Shenley. All I can say is, I was more than glad that I was driving in the opposite direction and I wouldn't want to put up with that sort of traffic daily, to and from work. I can't think what had caused the traffic to be so snarled up unless there was an accident on either the M1 or the A5 and traffic was being diverted through Milton Keynes or maybe there was resurfacing of some of the grid roads which might cause such problems.

Saturday. 6.05 a.m. Alfie came to me and prodded me. I had to force myself to respond and wake up. It wasn't easy, waking up, getting dressed and then taking him out, as I knew he was in desperate need to get out and I really didn't want a mess to clear up. So I carried him out (just as well he's small. I can't imagine doing that with a bigger dog, an Irish wolf-hound or Labrador.) This was at around 2.30 a.m., so you can imagine that it was very dark, even with a few street lamps illuminating things. But it was a success, and we were soon back indoors and back in bed a couple of minutes later.

We met up for the men's breakfast at Morrison's at Westcroft this morning. It was something of a disaster, although it was sorted out. We have met there to use the community room for several months and it seems a good enough venue, it's quiet, and we can have a cooked breakfast,, provided by Morrison's café. But I don't know what happened as regards getting the room set up and making it ready for us. You would imagine that if they had a regular booking, they would have known we were due there. But no. The staff had no idea. It was eventually sorted out and the meeting went ahead, but we could have just as easily gone to Costa which is right next door to Morrison's. 

I had planned to go to my creative writing group, which meets monthly in Waterstones in Midsummer Place. I should have left to drive a good deal earlier because when I got as far as the road opposite The escape, the traffic was backed up almost as far as the roundabout on Childs Way. It took some while to reach the carpark I usually go to when I drive into Milton Keynes centre and found it absolutely chocker-block, with not a single space vacant, although I did drive round with the hope that I would find a space, but no luck. I then drove out and thought I might be able to park in the adjacent carpark, but when I attempted to use the RingGo app it would not work. A similar situation happened when I came in earlier in the week to have my covid booster vaccine jab. It simply refused to work. I don't understand why it won't work, it won't connect or something. One of those confounded spinning wheel things, so I gave up and came home, unfortunately, abandoning any possibility of getting to the meet-up. I will just have to drive in a good deal earlier when the group next meets.

Busy Week

Saturday. 7.35 a.m. It's a good deal colder this morning. I think it might be time for me to put my shorts away. I don't want to, as I have preferred wearing them throughout the summer, especially during the heatwave we had in August. I have plenty of fleeces, so they will have to come out and be worn.

Sunday. 6.45 a.m. I put on my red fleece and wore my chinos to take Alfie out around 6.10 a.m. 

7.15 p.m. My confounded reading glasses have broken. One of the lenses has fallen out of the frame. I haven't had them long, and it's just as well I have older pairs which I can use. It really annoys me that these things aren't made rugged enough, considering the amount of wear they get and how vital they are to me and considering that I read a great deal, and I'm in the midst of my writing. The next thing will be, can I get them repaired. Just a lot of inconvenience.

Tuesday. 6.55 a.m. The State Funeral of H.M. Queen is over. The mourning period is over. All I can say is thank goodness. She was an amazing woman and will be missed, but let's be honest, the last couple of weeks have been difficult. So much coverage on television. I didn't see the necessity for all the main television channels to carry the funeral. There wasn't a need for that and anyway, the images were identical. Let's move on now. I think for me it was more than a bit difficult, due to losing Carol four years ago. Memories of coffins, funerals and all that went with it were very difficult.

12.55 p.m. I have just been to have my booster covid jab. It was in Midsummer Place, and when I got the appointment I was shocked that it was in the shopping centre. I then learned it was in a vacant unit just opposite the former Debenhams unit (now Next.) I was expected to wear a face mask, which seemed a little odd (fortunately I had one in my jacket pocket.) Why, if you don't need one in a shop, do you need one in this former shop unit? I didn't need to wear one the last time I went to my doctor's surgery. No social distancing. No social distancing in this shop unit either. It's all very weird and inconsistent. There is actually no scientific evidence to show that wearing a 'face nappy' (ie: face covering.) make any difference to the spread of the infamous 'virus.' They are a sort of 'security blanket' and those who insist on wearing them everywhere, even outside when there's nobody around, have been 'nudged' into wearing them by people who should know better.

Wednesday. 12.45 p.m. I've been to Sainsbury's. It's more than ever annoying since everything has been moved around. I now learn that it has something to do with introducing ethnic products, but I don't know why on earth it has to cause such a total nightmare. I went at 8 a.m. and I'm so glad I did as it was virtually empty of other shoppers, which made things quicker, but then slowed down because I couldn't find what I was looking for on many occasions.

8.35 p.m. I went out with Alfie early this afternoon, and no sooner had I gone through the door that leads out onto the path alongside Strudwick Drive than I almost tripped over one of those semi-autonomous 'pods' which I see trundling along the various paths around Milton Keynes. It was being followed by a young man with what looked like a remote control device, and it seemed as if he was programming it or even training it in some way or other. Very strange. I'm supposing these 'pods' are controlled by SatNav technology. I am intrigued by how they seem to know where they are going and even stop when they have a road to cross and must sense when there is traffic approaching.

I have attempted ordering using these 'pods' and have downloaded the app which you have on your phone or other devices, but, strangely and, even more frustratingly, they won't deliver to Oldbrook although they trundle through without stopping. Very strange.

One Fine Day

 Friday. 6.55 a.m. It's definitely a good deal colder this morning when I took Alfie out.

I think I have sorted out the problem I had regarding the mystery sound that has been keeping me awake at night. It occurred to me yesterday to put notes through the doors of the neighbouring flats along the corridor where I live in Dexter House. I wrote the polite (stressing polite and respect.) that the tenant who had whatever it was on (ie: radio, television or whatever.) would please turn the volume done so I couldn't hear it. This note was created on my MacBook and printed and then posted through around six of the flat doors. As I put them through each door, I discovered how difficult it was to actually push the notes through, with the new letterboxes with a metal flap inside and a sort of brush. I think it must make the job of the postman difficult or at least, time-consuming, to make sure any mail that is delivered has to be pushed right through. As I mentioned, it would appear that my note has made a difference I didn't hear anything extraneous in the night and I slept far better. In fact, I didn't wake up until around 6.10 am which might explain the difference between having that background noise and not having it.

10.05 a.m. I wasn't intending to mention too much of the death of H.M. Queen, but seeing the incredible queue of people who are going to file past her coffin in Westminster Hall for her Lying In State, I really couldn't ignore it. The queue stretches for around four miles along the banks of the River Thames and at the end nearest the hall, they have set up a snake system which is often used at theme parks and other attractions, in the park right next to The Houses of Parliament. This has been shown on BBC Breakfast this morning and one of the reporters has been interviewing people to give a flavour of the atmosphere and discover more about why people were there. A truly amazing sight. This morning they had to pause the queue for six hours and told people not to come to and queue until it moves. The affection for Her Majesty seems overwhelming. So, who says the British don't care for the monarchy? Or, for that matter, the admiration for Her Majesty and what she has achieved during her record-breaking seventy-year reign.

10.37 a.m. I have continued with my writing. I had given it a break for quite a while because it is possible to just get bogged down with writing too intensively.

1.45 p.m. According to the BBC website, the queue for people paying their respects to H.M. Queen lying in State in Westminster Hall stretches around five miles, as far as Southwark Park.  I have no idea how many people that would be, but certainly quite a few. 

Arrival Of Autumn

Sunday. 6.30 a.m. It's definitely getting more and more autumnal as the days pass. It was foggy when I went out with Alfie a bit after 6 a.m. 

I didn't go to church this morning, because I went to a medieval fayre at Bradwell Abbey. I've been to two of these events before, as mentioned elsewhere within these blog posts. The last one was last year, and only a partial event, due in part because of the pandemic.  There were various displays, as there were for the past couple of similar events at Bradwell Abbey, and I'm sure the lady who was dressed in Medieval attire and playing the drum (I have a video of this from the last fayre.) was at Kenilworth Castle, where I was with my grandchildren a few weeks ago. Thinking about it: it must have been her, as I can't believe there could possibly be more than a very few such women playing the drum, dressed in Medieval costume.) Also, knights in armour (my goodness, almost the very sight of knights sums up the period.), people selling a range of vaguely medieval things, such as pilgrimage tokens and mead. I had to sample some of this because I have never tasted it. Not something you will find in a supermarket or off-licence or even your local tavern. It tasted very like whisky but had a very high alcohol content and was probably good at Christmas and even more so, in a Christmas cake, pudding or mince pies. But my favourite part of the whole event was the falconry demonstration, with the flying of the most magnificent owl. Quite spectacular and well worth going to this event just to see this wonderful bird. Truly awesome.

Tuesday. 7.a.m. A mild and pleasant morning. 

8.50 a.m. As I write this, the sun is shining.

There's not a lot to write about, apart from the sight of some men in Dexter House, I think employees of Mears, the maintenance company responsible for repairs to the place, lifting paving slabs in the garden. Oh, I'm suspicious (no, I just have a crazy imagination!) What were they looking for? I suspect bodies are buried under the patio! (Think the Channel 4 soap  Brookside'and the 'body under the patio' storyline from years ago.) But, no, it couldn't be that, unless it's where former tenants of this place are hidden. No, naughty me to suggest such a thing. I think they were more likely looking for the blockage in the plumbing, which prevents water from running away properly from my bath when I have a shower. This has been going on for MONTHS, so it would be great if they could actually sort it out. Then there are the infamous scooter sheds, which were meant to be where tenants who have mobility scooters are supposed to store their scooters, because, at present, they are parked along the corridors here and are a hazard if there was a fire. A special door is supposed to be installed which makes it easier for those scooters to be taken out and put in these sheds. But someone at Milton Keynes Council won't take responsibility for signing off work on this door. A real question of 'passing the buck' if you ask me. Just get it done so we don't have those confounded things parked in the way. If there was a fire here and we couldn't escape because of those scooters, there would be consequences for those in charge. They would be prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. Think about what happened over the Grenfell Tower fire.

God Save The King!

Monday. 7.15 a.m. So, now we have a new monarch, Charles III. On Saturday, I saw the proclamation of the new king on television because this ceremony has never been seen by the public before. It was a symbolic occasion, the sort of pageantry that we seem to do so well in Britain. The death of the Queen was incredibly sad and unexpected, considering we had only a few months ago celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. But now we are celebrating the accession of our new monarch, Charles III. He has to change drastically his life, transferring from being somewhat in the background as Prince of Wales to becoming monarch and very much in the forefront of the life of the nation.

This morning, on television, we had a ceremony in Central Hall, Westminster, of the new king and his    Queen Consort, listening to speeches from both sides of parliament, The Lords and Commons and then Charles gave his address. This was all done in front of the massed MPs and members of The Lords. I am somewhat surprised that Charles chose his name as his Reginal name, because of the connection of Charles I, who was actually put on trial in that same vast hall and then had his head chopped off by Oliver Cromwell's henchmen.

No sooner had the ceremony finished, than Charles and Camilla got in a car and were driven off to Northolt airfield to fly to Edinburgh because they were going to follow his mother's coffin to St Giles cathedral where it will be lying in state for 24 hours. It had been bought to Edinburgh from Balmoral where it took a good 6 hours for the journey to be completed.

I'm thinking, it must be difficult for Charles. He's just lost his mother. He thought the world of her. He immediately became king, the moment she passed away. An onerous task, a great job to take on, considering his age (he is 73.). He has to go through a great deal of pageantry over the next days, months and years, the build-up to his coronation, probably next year. Its date will no doubt be announced before too long. That in itself will be a huge event, not just for Charles, but for those who will have to organize it. On top of all this, which should be very exciting and overwhelming, he still has to be thinking of losing his late mother.  

Death of Our Queen

 I wasn't sure whether I would make any mention of events which have been unfolding over the last few days, most regarding the death of our monarch, HM Elizabeth II, but is such a momentous event that it's really not something I can ignore. The media made us aware that Her Majesty was seriously ill in her favourite place, Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, was announced on Monday, and she had to go to Balmoral to meet the Queen and be invited to form a government. It was Thursday evening when we eventually learnt that Her Majesty had passed away. Television programme schedules were quickly reorganized as the news came through. I had been watching the game show 'Pointless' which under normal circumstances would be on BBC1 at 5.15, but as news of the Queen's health had come through, BBC1 went over to continuous feed on that information and the normal programmes that were usually on BBC1 were moved onto BBC2, which is where I watched 'Pointless' as I ate my evening meal. It was when that ended that I returned to BBC1 and the news of the Queen's death was announced.

They were interviewing people who had met the Queen, under a variety of circumstances. I can't say I ever met the Queen, but there were a couple of times when I saw her in person. I was an A.S.M. at Liverpool Playhouse in the early 1970s (as I'm sure I have mentioned elsewhere in these posts.) Her Majesty visited Liverpool to open the new Mersey Tunnel. We were doing an Alan Ayckbourn play 'Relatively Speaking' on which I was responsible for the 'book.' They were going to put on a variety show (of sorts) at one of the other theatres in Liverpool, the Empire I think, although it might have been another local theatre. It wasn't considered appropriate for the Queen to see 'Relatively Speaking', the idea being that the show at the Empire would be extracts of plays, performed by actors who were connected to the Playhouse (I believe Rex Harrison, best known for playing Higgins in the stage and film versions of the musical 'My Fair Lady,' was such an actor, who had performed at the Liverpool Empire earlier in his acting career.) It was decided that an extract from another play which had been in the season should be included in the show, this show was called 'The Lancashire Twins', based on Goldoni's 'Servant of Two Masters.' As a result, a part of the set for that show was taken to the Empire Theatre and I was part of the crew which took it in a lorry and unloaded it in the scene dock at this theatre. It must be one of the largest theatres in Great Britain, with a very large stage and an audience which must have been able to accommodate around 2,500 people.

Her Majesty did a walk-about either before or after opening the tunnel and I was amongst the crowd on one of the Liverpool streets and when she appeared I was surprised at what a tiny figure she was, certainly a lot shorter than I expected.

More recently, she came to Milton Keynes, and she had several engagements in the city, one of which was to declare The Hub open. The morning she came, I went down the road and waited near the entrance to The Hub to be able to see her arrival, which she did, in the official black limousine, no doubt a Rolls-Royce. But you couldn't see her inside the car, as, I think, the windows were dark, and the car went into The Hub, so quickly it was over in a very few seconds.  She was only in Milton Keynes for perhaps two hours, and then she was taken to Stowe Landscape Garden for some other official engagement, but I'm not sure exactly what it was for.

New Prime Minister

Monday. 6.45 a.m. I awoke in the night to the distant sound of thunder. At first I wasn't entirely sure whether it was thunder, but then it broke and there was a torrential rainfall storm. It seemed to go on for a while, but then it came to an end. When I went out with Alfie around 6 a.m. there was virtually no sign of any rain. The ground looked dry, although the air was heavy with moisture.

Tuesday. 6.35 a.m. It's a good deal cooler this morning. I am waking later and later each day.

So, Liz Truss had been selected as Britain's new Prime Minister, replacing Boris Johnson. She will be going to Balmoral to see The Queen and officially transfer power between the two leaders. As I write this, I have BBC Breakfast on television, and they are reporting from Downing Street as Boris Johnson will come out and give his final speech as Prime Minister. 

9.30 a.m. Boris Johnson's speech was short and sweet, and as usual, there was a certain amount of levity in it. I know he made many mistakes and told a few lies (well, to be honest, more than a few, but don't all politicians bend the truth?) All his MPs stood on the pavement to listen to him, and then he and his wife, Carrie, drove off in a Range Rover. I can't think where, but if he and Liz Truss have to go to Balmoral, which is somewhere to the north. in the depths of Scotland and close to Aberdeen, they would need to leave soon as I imagine it would take seven or eight hours by car and probably less if they went by train. Possibly a private plane? Well, the Queen is head of state and she can choose where they meet, for Boris to resign and Liz Trust to get the keys to Number 10. Usually, this takes place at Buckingham Palace, but her majesty didn't intend to return to London, to break her holiday. Well, she isn't in the best of health and, considering her great age, late 90s, who can blame her?

Cincinnatus was mentioned in Boris's speech. I had to do a Google search, to discover he was a Roman statesman. It passed me by so quickly, but unless you have a grounding in the classics (which Boris obviously does, but I don't.) it would take the likes of Mary Beard to explain more about this Roman figure.

1.30 p.m. I took Alfie to The Groom Room within Pets At Home in Bletchley for his 11.30 appointment. He is now home and looks a good deal neater than he was when he went in. His nails are trimmed, his teeth brushed, his face is tidy, and you can see his eyes properly.

I had to fill in 90 minutes whilst Alfie was being groomed. I had a salad roll, Danish pastry and tea in Greggs, which is a few doors along from Pets At Home. Then, a browse in T.K. Maax. There's always lots to see there, but I didn't buy anything, but I was tempted. I looked in Sports Direct and have seen a couple of pairs of trainers which I am determined to buy, which have leather uppers and look quite smart compared with other styles of trainers and at a reasonable price.

Liz Truss came back from Balmoral where she had met the Queen to be officially installed as Prime Minister. It made me think, surely she would have had to travel all the way to the north of Scotland. How would she get there? It couldn't possibly be by car or train, because she was expected back in Downing Street to give a speech to the nation. It transpired that she had gone by private jet. The plane came back and landed at RAF Northolt and then she had a drive into central London as part of a convoy of what would have been security people. Then the weather changed, it began to rain, and I was somewhat amused to see the podium which was put out in front of Number 10 by staff and, as the rain fell, the microphones on it were covered with a black bin bag. The rain became heavier and the podium was moved indoors and it wasn't clear where Liz Truss's speech would be given. Indoors? In the room where all those press conferences were given by Boris Johnson during the pandemic? Then the rain came to an end and the podium came back out! 

We saw the convoy of vehicles driving through the streets as it approached Downing Street and it eventually arrived outside Number 10 Liz Trust got out of the Range Rover she had travelled in and immediately went to the podium to give her address. To me, it seemed amazing that she arrived in Downing Street and was delivering that address within minutes of arriving.

Things Can Only Get Better?

With such things as rising inflation, gas and electricity prices going through the roof and possibly going even higher, and the war in Ukraine continuing, are things going to get better? One would hope so. What difference will having a new Prime Minister make (the announcement of which of the two candidates it will be, announced this Monday.) what else is going to happen, to possibly improve things? 

Friday. 6.40 a.m. I mentioned that I'd had problems with my FitBit and that I had to contact the company and had been sent a replacement. I set the thing up, connecting it to my iPhone, and it seemed to work well enough, until it started behaving as it had done originally, with the screen going into lines like an old television set. Then, on Wednesday, it occurred to me that I might have set up the wrong device. Well, with two identical devices, it was difficult to work out which was the new one. The new one had been put away in its envelope in a drawer. So I bought it out and got it set up using my iPhone, and it worked! It was, by now, obvious that I had set up the wrong device. Because of this, I decided it needed a new strap, so I found one on Amazon and this new strap, made of leather and with a buckle, arrived yesterday. This is now fitted to the device and the FitBit is working well.

On Tuesday, I was determined to get Alfie booked to have a haircut. I went on the Groom Room website to book an appointment through the booking page, but it said you could only book via telephone. As a result, I decided instead to drive to their branch at the Bletchley retail park. As a result, he has an appointment on Tuesday morning.

Saturday. 3.00 p.m. I've been to the 1940s event at Milton Keynes Museum this morning. I had intended to go some while ago when I learnt it was on from an email I had from the Milton Keynes Heritage Association because I am on their mailing list. It opened at 10.00 a.m. but I didn't see the point of getting to the Museum too early because most of these events don't really get underway until around an hour later. I drove across Milton Keynes via Grafton Street and then encountered roadworks on the roundabout at Monk's Way, meaning I had to do a detour and then double back to get to the Museum. This was somewhat annoying as I wasn't aware of this further back on my journey across Milton Keynes. 

As I had been to another weekend event some months ago, which covered a variety of historic periods, including Roman and Anglo-Saxon, I paid my entrance fee and the ticket I bought meant I could come back for a year without having to pay again. I spent some time wandering around the various displays on the grounds of the museum and went into the café and had tea, a sandwich and a rather tasty coffee sponge. I bought a book I had seen in the shop on the way out on the history of Milton Keynes, which builds on my knowledge of the history of Milton Keynes.

I got back to Dexter House and as I parked my car I saw an ambulance parked outside. When I eventually took Alfie out for a walk, I saw one of the residents being wheeled out on a trolley and loaded into the ambulance. 

Visit To Kenilworth Castle

Thursday. 12.40 p.m. Continuing my weekend away in Worcester. On Sunday we were all going to Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, to a historic event with knights and a medieval theme to it. I have been to Kenilworth Castle before when Carol and I were members of English Heritage, and we got in free. Chloe and Steve are members, and we got reduced rates to get into this event. Steve managed to book online on Saturday. I was given an English Heritage sticker to put in my car's windscreen, and so got free parking at the castle. Steve went with the children in their car, and Chloe came with me in my car. It was around a 45-minute drive from Worcester to Kenilworth.

There were a number of things going on within the castle over the course of the day, including knights in armour taking part in archery, and other forms of medieval arms, such as fighting with staves, swords and so on. These were really full-on bouts and the whole gave a real theatrical atmosphere. Very colourful and exciting and the three boys, George, Eddie and Arthur seemed to be totally intrigued.  There were several sessions of different aspects of fighting, which ended around 3.30 with what is called a melee (do a Google search to discover what this is.)

Chloe had bought picnic food, so we were able to have something to eat during the course of the day. 

The three grandsons seemed to relish clambering about on the ruined sections of the castle. When we had our lunch, some distance away from the main activity of the history festival (for want of a description for the day's events.) George and Eddie climbed up a slope and seemed to enjoy enormously sliding down on their bottoms! As a result, their clothes got somewhat dirty, but what do you expect young boys to do? When there's such a great place to explore and then slide down, make the most of it.

We had a look inside the gatehouse, several floors of interesting stuff on the various characters who had either lived in Kenilworth Castle or who were connected to it in some way, which included Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley and then a walk around the Elizabethan garden, which was actually a reconstruction of what historians believed one was like and then we went to watch the falconry display, which was, as far as I was concerned, the best part of the whole day as I really enjoy seeing falcons and other birds of prey in flight.

Once we had seen the final session with the knights, it was time to leave for home. I thought it probably a good idea to move towards the car park before the rest of the crowds had the same idea, otherwise, we would have been inundated, and it would have taken some time to reach the car park, with one child in her pushchair/buggy (not sure which.) and rounding up the three boys. So we got to the car park and I bade farewell to them all as they were returning to Worcester and I was driving home to Milton Keynes.

Fun In Worcester

Continuing with my visit to Worcester. . . The next day, Saturday, we all went into the centre of Worcester to visit The Tudor House, a house, as the name suggests, built and lived in during the reign of both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It was lived in by various people and used as dental surgery and somehow connected to the local Home Guard in the Second World War. The Tudor House is now run as a museum but isn't open every day of the week. There were people there doing displays and talks on various topics connected with The Tudor period, and we spent some time listening to these talks and looking at items related to that period. 

We had tea from the teashop and sat in the yard behind the museum to drink it. Then we left to go to Clark's shoe shop. I was somewhat stunned by the fact it was so crowded, with parents and children. We were going to get the children new shoes, ready for the new school year, and it was obvious that this was what all the other parents and children were doing. Staff measured each of the three boys' feet and a selection of shoes were tried on. I think two came away with shoes which fitted correctly, but one, I think George, the eldest, didn't have shoes because the shop didn't have his size. An expensive afternoon, as each pair cost at least £45.

We left the shoe shop and walked through the town centre, and Chloe took a photograph of me and the three grandchildren seated near a statue of Edward Elgar, who happens to be one of my favourite composers. He had lived in Worcester and, I believe, was an organist at Worcester cathedral.

In the afternoon, Steve bought out the tent he had gone to collect from Lincolnshire. It wasn't what I was expecting, not the traditional tent, with tent poles and all that goes with the construction of that type of tent. It arrived as a large bundle, wrapped up in a zipped cover, and it weighed a considerable amount and took two people to lift it. The bundle was unpacked in the garden and the contents drawn out. I was somewhat surprised at the size of the thing, even though it wasn't assembled at this point. It was designed to be pumped up with pumps, rather like used to inflate lilos and beach balls and so on. It had a series of tubes built into its fabric which you connected to the pumps and when these are inflated, these inflated tubes hold up the tent construction. Unfortunately, at one point, Steve was over-enthusiastic with his pump and the inner tube burst, which will now have to be replaced, he did put some sticky tape over the puncture, but it didn't hold.

Chloe and Steve did manage to partly inflate the tent, but there wasn't really enough space in the garden to extend it completely. This was a second-hand tent and had some mould in it's fabric, no doubt because the previous owners had put it away before it was totally dry. 

In the evening we had a barbecue and sat outside at the picnic table to eat, burgers, sausages and all the trimmings, with Steve using the newly acquired gas barbecue, which seemed very efficient and not difficult to cook with compared with a barbecue which uses charcoal and can take some time to get up to the correct temperature to cook any food which is put on it.