Blow Wind and Crack Your Teeth!

 Sunday. 7.15 a.m. A dark and supposedly calm morning here in Milton Keynes.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

I am continuing with my transfer of writing material to word processing. As I do so, I am making changes to the original handwritten material and developing things as I go.

Tuesday. 8.15 a.m. I am waking up a good deal later than I have in the past. With no Alfie to think about and take out, that may be one reason.

It's wild and windy outside. The storm that is raging is called Bram. I'm not sure where the name originates, but possibly a contraction of Abraham. Answers on a postcard, please.

The digital thermometer currently reads 21ºc.

6.30 p.m. The wind is still raging. There are weather warnings across the country.

I can imagine Lear, out in the middle of all this, with the Fool, shouting at the wind and the rain. It wouldn't make much difference, but I used a quote from King Lear for this blog post.

Wednesday. 10.20a.m. It was bright and sunny earlier. I had been considering going into the shopping centre with my new Osmo Pocket 3, to get some footage, especially the Christmas display, which is always in the Middleton Hall section, near John Lewis. I was somewhat put off because of the roadworks along Secklow Gate, because, to get into the carpark near The Point, you have to make a detour. However, it wasn't as busy as I had expected, due to Christmas, and I managed to park, then pay at the new ticket machine, which allows you to use your contactless bank card. As I walked back to my car to collect the camera, a lady approached me, saying she needed air put in a tyre of her car, so I agreed to help, expecting we would need to go somewhere, such as a petrol station, to use their air machine. But she said she had a foot pump which I used, and soon, after quite a bit of effort, I managed to put sufficient air in the tyre, and I told her she should get the tyre checked and possibly buy a new one. So, having done my Samritan act, I managed to open up my car and set up the camera, which has several parts which need to be connected, before it can be used. I had only recently charged it, and there was enough charge to do some filming. I walked into the shopping centre, but I couldn't get the camera to work in landscape mode, so I had to sit down on a bench and work out how to change the orientation. Eventually, I got it set up properly and walked through the centre. 

I arrived at Middleton Hall, where the Christmas display is located, but found it somewhat disappointing. It's all bright, over-coloured lights, with a railway which runs around the perimeter, along with the usual Santa's grotto. All rather tacky, frankly. Usually, this display has a theme, such as Peter Pan, which is what it was some years ago, with a ship, and models of Captain Hook and Peter Pan. However, it has become boring and unimaginative at present.

I started walking back to the car, and as soon as I got outside, toward where the car was parked, it began to rain, although not particularly heavily.

All In A Day's Work

Thursday. 12.40 p.m. I've been to the shopping centre to get my hair cut at Central Barbers. I booked online, so it was just a simple matter of going into the centre and waiting outside. I was actually booked for 11.30 but got there around 20 minutes too early.

From the barbers, I went to Costa on Middleton Hall and had an iced coffee drink with cream and marshmallows, a cheese and ham toastie, and a slice of rocky road cake. 

Then, a browsed in Lakeland and was really impressed by their new picnic sets. The glasses are made of plastic and look very convincing as cut glass.  Lots of equipment in this store which is useful to me if I am baking. A wander along the shopping centre and browsed in T.K. Maax, for nothing in particular, but with this store, you have to buy what they have immediately because there will only be one of any particular item, and you will lose it if you don't buy it straight away.

Friday. 10.50 a.m. I have made another batch of scones for Monday Club. I think I got the consistency of this batch more or less right by making the dough somewhat stickier. The only problem with the stickiness is that the dough becomes difficult to remove from the cutter when they are put onto the baking tray. I have baked them for 25 minutes, which means they come out a golden brown. They should now be far easier to cut in half and not crumble, which was the problem I had with the last batch I made.

Saturday. 8.25 a.m. It's quite chilly this morning, which means I put on a fleece when I had my breakfast. 

10.05 a.m. It seems a bit warmer now. The sun is making a vain attempt to shine. I've been to Sainsbury's as I wanted a decent size cake tin to put the scones in. The one I got is more than enough the right size and as it is airtight it should at least keep them fresh.

5.40 a.m. I've been to A Transformed Life afternoon at SCF. Praise and message. Very enlightening. There is a second session, starting at around 7 p.m., but unfortunately, my health issues make me tired and I wouldn't be able to keep awake, so I came home and made a salad which I will eat later.

It was bright and sunny when I got to the Oaktree Centre. It's summer, which, officially, it is.

Sunday. 5.05 a.m. I know, I'm up far too early. I was out, walking around Oldbrook Green at 4.35. I think it was a bit of a shock, even to Alfie. It's quite chilly, but still pleasant. A clear sky, no clouds to be seen, but I know it will be a bright and sunny day. Well, I do hope so.

6.25 p.m. Another café church at Shenley Christian Fellowship this morning. A lot of new faces and the place absolutely heaving. A bouncy castle was set up on the grass behind the building and lots of children using it. Plenty of coffee, cakes and biscuits.

I have mentioned the Hohem gimbal, which I bought on Amazon. I have got the thing working successfully and have discovered a video editing app from watching a video on YouTube and have it downloaded to my iPhone and now have it fully paid for which means I can edit and modify video footage from my phone without advertising and have all the additional assets for it. I went out around Oldbrook Green this afternoon and shot some test footage, which I have since managed to edit to a certain level. I have also purchased two Bluetooth Lavalier microphones from Amazon which connect to my iPhone, which means I can record better quality sound with each of them connected to my clothes and can be used if I want to record interviews on video. The experiment with editing has worked up to a certain extent and shows that it works, but I will need to do more work learning the software before I am totally satisfied with the results. Keep watching this space for further news.

Gridlocked!

Tuesday. 9.30 a.m. Yet another typical autumn day, sunny but chilly.

Alfie and I have been out and walked around Oldbrook Green. I'm shocked to see so much litter related to fireworks, which I could hear last night being let off. It seemed to go on for several hours and, looking at the rubbish, someone had spent a small fortune on them. No thought though, to take their rubbish away with them. The sign for Oldbrook Green (which is under the umbrella of Campbell Park Parish Council.) clearly states 'no fireworks'. I think it was more to do with Diwali rather than Guy Fawkes Night, but it's still a lot of noise and upsets animals. Alfie doesn't seem to take any notice, and then we have Halloween to contend with next Monday. I'd love to know who the people that left the rubbish expect to clear it up. There are plenty of bins around the Green, so why not place some of it there, or, at least, take it home with you.

2.35 p.m. For the last year or so (I think it may be longer, but I'm not sure exactly.) I have been having a weekly telephone call from someone who is a volunteer at Age UK. His name is David, and we have an hour's chat for around an hour. I have never met him, until today. I had thought some while ago that he should have my mobile number and possibly my email address because he rings me on my landline number. The last time he phoned last week he said that someone had suggested to him that we meet up for a coffee so I came up with some possible places to meet, one being Costa at the retail park in Bletchley (along with Pets At Home, which is where Alfie goes to have his regular haircut (sorry, but the term 'groom' has another, negative connotation these days, although not the same as dog-grooming.) It was strange meeting someone who you'd spoken to but never actually met. He said he knew what I looked like because when I emailed him, my photo came up, which I wasn't aware of. David was waiting outside Costa as I drew up in the car and then we went inside Costa. It was something of a shock to discover it virtually empty. I say this, because if you go to one of the two Costa branches in the central Milton Keynes shopping centre, at the end of the shopping centre opposite Marks and Spencer and the other, which is on Middleton Hall and near John Lewis, you will no doubt find each one busy and will have to queue. I have often glanced into each one before deciding whether to queue up and then often leave to find another place to eat and have coffee, such as Cafe Nero or Pret A Manger which are also in Middleton Hall. As I say, it was virtually empty of other customers and it didn't take long to order my latte and ham and cheese toastie.

We spent around two hours chatting and by one o'clock I thought it was time to return home. I know that the car park is likely to have around a two-hour limit on how long you can remain parked and if you're not careful you can be fined. They have cameras which record your car's registration number and from that, they can find your address, and then you get a lovely letter asking you to pay a hefty fine, which I really don't want.

It was well I came out of Costa when I did because the whole car park was clogged up with cars attempting to leave, and it took me some time to get out of my space. Not many drivers were willing to let me into the queue and the queue moved at a snail's pace towards the exit. It then took a good deal of time to get into the traffic on Bletcham Way and eventually onto the large roundabout, which was more than ever clogged up. I could not discover what had caused this chaos. Possibly either there had been an accident nearby, possibly on the A5 or M1, or it was the result of roadworks, which are currently ongoing throughout the Milton Keynes grid road system, much of it for resurfacing works.

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.

Any Old Day Of The WeeK!

Thursday. 8.25 a.m. I have used my Vax steamer on the new kitchen floor. So, it looks clean (well, that's  the general idea, so I hope so!)

3.40 p.m. I've been into the Milton Keynes central shopping centre to get my hair cut at Central Barbers. I had booked and paid via their website on Tuesday and my appointment was at 10.20, but I got there in good time so I didn't have to wait. Its a good idea to book like this because it means you are guaranteed to be seen immediately without waiting. I then went to Lakeland, the shop which is in Middleton Hall and bought a plate rack for my sink drainer. The old one is too big for the drainer and because the new taps make it difficult to push the drainer back sufficiently I thought it would be an idea to replace it and the new one is ideal

Friday. 9.35 a.m. Alfie was more or less asleep when I was about to take him out. 

My washing is almost done. I'm about to go down and check if it's dry in the drier.

I have booked the car in for its MOT on Monday at 11.45 a.m. I rang Bleakhall Motors just after 8 o'clock to book it in.

Saturday. 12.50 p.m. I drove to Kingston because I was attempting to find shampoo. Now, I know that sounds totally crazy, but I have used Elvive dandruff shampoo for men, and it works, and I actually like it. I think I first bought it in Sainsbury's but for some reason, I can't find it again. There are so many versions of Elvive, virtually every permutation on the same product, for women mostly, I presume, but this particular variation seems unavailable. I went into Boots, but no sign of it there, but a whole section in the shampoo shelving, of all the Elvive variations, but not the particular one I would like. I know, you're saying, but just buy any shampoo, they're all the same. But I was determined to get that one. I eventually ended up buying a Tesco dandruff shampoo. Not a particularly good substitute for what I really wanted, but it will do I suppose.

Sunday. 5.55 p.m. I have signed up for Digital Theatre. I've been watching David Tennant and Catherine Tate as Beatrice and Benedick in Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing.' A really lively and inventive production, setting the play in Gibraltar in the 1980s. I always wonder about the 'Hero' plot line, which somehow doesn't seem to work. If you know the play, you might know what I mean. It's as if Shakespeare had finished the play, and then found it didn't run long enough, and the subplot with Hero being accused by Don John of not being a maiden (a virgin), seems incredibly contrived and put in to get the play to run longer. For all that, the interplay between David Tennant and Catherine Tate is what makes the whole show work. They are so good. I can see why they would be cast, because of their television work, particularly Tennant as a former 'Doctor Who' and Tate, because of her sketch show.  Just shows that clearly they are capable of a wide range of acting, not just television or film, and can flip from classical to contemporary. The clever set design, which utilizes a revolve, means that the scene changes are smooth and effortless.

Monday. 6.20 a.m. A relatively mild morning. Alfie was fast asleep when I was about to take him out.

10.25 a.m. The temperature, according to my digital thermometer, is 78ºF. That is probably because I have one of the electric fans on full blast.

1.25 p.m. I took the Renault to Bleak Hall Motors for its MoT which had been booked for 11.45. They are incredibly busy there, and you could tell this by the number of cars waiting in the yard when I turned up. The car was soon being taken into the workshop, barely minutes after I arrived. Then, around 12.35 I got the result. It had passed! One of the tyres might need replacing, but it was a real relief that it had passed, and I wasn't going to have to pay out for work to get it through the MoT. I will book it in for a full service in November, which should keep it in good running order.

Haircut and Car Service

(Monday) A bright but chilly morning. I took out Alfie before 6. I rang Bleak Hall Motors a little after 8 and got the car booked in for it's annual service tomorrow (Thursday). I'll have to get it there for 8 tomorrow and get a taxi back to the flat because I don't want to have to sit and wait there for hours and hours whilst it's being done. The Renault has this annoying computerised system with a digital screen right in front of my eyeline as I'm driving, with the annoying message that keeps reading 'Service now due,' with an orange light which remains on with a spanner symbol, in case I'm in any doubt that this work is required. Well, it's not driving at full capacity because of needing work doing, so I'll be glad when it's done, in time to drive to Worcester for Christmas with Chloe, Steve and the grandchildren. I'm looking forward to going, even if it's not for as long as last year.

A little later I drove into the city centre and parked near The Point (it really is looking terrible. I know I've mentioned it before, but this iconic building, which was the pride of Milton Keynes in the 1980's when it was one of the first multiplex cinemas in Britain, but now is an empty wreck, and the pyramid is just a rusting shell. Please, someone, do something with it, even if it's to demolish it and build something else on the site. Driving into Milton Keynes at night from Bedford you could see if from  distance as it was lit up.) I was going to the Central Barbers in the shopping centre to get my hair cut. They don't open until 9.30, so I had a good 15-minute wait, sitting on the seats conveniently placed outside. Getting chilly, but it's interesting to see the people who walk past. The Middleton Hall is now completely taken over with the traditional Christmas display. It seems somewhat mundane. It used to be excellent, with some sort of theme, one year it was pirates, or was it Peter Pan, with  large masted ship, with Peter Pan standing on it. But they seem to have run out of ideas or at least, originality, and it's just a sort of large-scale snow-dome in the middle, with Santa's grotto somewhere and a excuse to make money out of parents when there children insist on visiting.

Eventually got into Central Barbers and was sitting in the chair having my hair cut (so, what else would I be doing? No surprises there.) Very pleased with the result and soon paying and back out and walking back along the shopping centre and taking £20 out of the A.T.M. at the Nationwide Building Society, because I will need the cash to pay for a taxi once I've dropped off the car at Bleak Hall Motors tomorrow morning. Then, once the car is finished being serviced, I can get another taxi back home to the flat.

From the shopping centre I drove to Bradwell Common to do some shopping in Aldi's. Of the two discounters, Lidl and Aldi, I think I prefer Aldi. I'm not sure why, but they have a better range. I like the fact that there's no fiddling about at the checkout. The way they whisk the items through and you can pack your items on a shelf rather than actually at the checkout is a good idea and the way they put larger barcodes on each item is brilliant. They don't spend an age searching for tiny barcodes that you get on the products on any of the larger supermarkets such as Sainsbury or Tesco. And the bill is usually a good deal cheaper. Probably around a third of what it would cost in Sainsbury's.

Then home and unpacking shopping and one small Yorkshire terrier desperate to go out for a walk. You can't really avoid his gaze, or his yapping when he thinks it's time to go out. So, lead on, shoes on and out walking along Srudwick Drive. As we near Oldbrook Green, I notice a large black crow on the grass. It is standing near a discarded  clear plastic package, no doubt containing food that some thoughtless person has thrown there, having eaten the contents and not bothering to put it in a rubbish bin. The crow is having a good time, tapping the package with it's long, sharp beak. I stand and watch, totally intrigued by the antics of the crow. I manages to turn the box over and it attempts to gain entry by stabbing it with it's beak. It doesn't manage to get inside, although from where I'm watching I can't see if it has the remains of food inside. So why is it going through this business? Can it smell the remains of the food, or is it merely playing with this shiny item it has come across? who knows, but it makes good entertainment and I only wish I had my mobile with me to be able to video this incident. We walk on, to traverse the park, but by the time we walk past where I saw the crow with the plastic package, there was no sign of the bird. It probably lost interest and merely flew away. It just goes to show how intelligent these birds are.

(Thursday) I couldn't sleep last night. Nothing wrong, but just awake at around 2 a.m. I have sleeping tablets but the doctor gave me some new ones and says they can be addictive, so I'm reluctant to take them and I was concerned that I would be sleepy this morning because in the leaflet you get with them it says. 'Do not drive or use machinery if you feel sleepy the next morning.' It also makes me laugh when you get the label on the box they come in which say 'Can make you feel drowsy or sleepy.' Well, there's a surprise! Sleeping tablets which make you feel sleepy. Just tell me, what do they put on packets of Viagra? No . . . please don't reply to that! Just amuses me that now you can have Viagra without a prescription (incidentally, I can't have it because of my heart medication. And funnily enough, it was created for the treatment of heart problems, ironically.) Anyway, whenever I go to collect my medication from Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's, there's advertising all over the place for Viagra. You can't miss it.

I've taken the car to Bleak Hall Motors for it's service, which I managed to book by ringing them yesterday morning, as mentioned above. I got there in good time, gave the keys to reception and got a taxi home, because it's going to take around half a day to do the service. Then, when I got hack I immediately took Alfie out for a walk around Oldbrook Green.

For a couple of days, when I've been out with Alfie around Oldbrook Green, I've been stopped by a woman who keeps asking for money. At first I thought it might be for something like the use of a phone, but there's no telephone box anywhere to be seen. You just don't see the iconic BT telephone boxes any more, probably because most people have a mobile phone. She asked me for £1.50, but at this time I had no change on me. I don't usually carry change of any kind when I'm out with Alfie. Then, yesterday, she was out near the road crossing from Strudwick Drive over Oldbrook Boulevard. This time she wanted £2.50, but, again, I didn't have any change. She was standing in the road and I had to tell her to move out of the way because there were cars attempting to get past. This is when I thought that perhaps she wasn't mentally stable. It made me wonder whether she was from a residential home or perhaps from the Campbell Centre, which is part of Milton Keynes Hospital. By this time she was stopping cars and asking for cash, and there was a build-up of several cars because she was talking to one of the drivers. I don't know whether she got the cash she was asking for. She was well dressed, didn't look in any sort of distress, so it was unclear why she was behaving like this. When I lived in Bedford there were a couple of people who used to stand and constantly ask for cash. One became quite aggressive and had to be given a court order which prevented him being a nuisance, because he was putting off customers to certain businesses in the town centre. I don't know how they managed to stop either of these people being what were, in effect, aggressive beggars. I can't think where the woman came from, but presumably somewhere within the Oldbrook area of Milton Keynes.

Later. I got the call to tell me the car was ready for collection at just gone 11 o'clock. I rang for a taxi so I waited outside in the road and around 5 minutes later it turned up. I was somewhat surprised that the driver couldn't find Bleak Hall Motors. I was always under the impression that taxi drivers knew virtually every place in the town they operated in, but this wasn't the case with this driver. We eventually found it (I usually drive in from the opposite end. It's in a sort of service road and can be tricky to negotiate because of lorries parked all the way along and some pulling out of the various units along it's entire length.) I was somewhat shocked that the cost of the service was considerably more than anticipated, but they have done a good job, changing the oil, topping up water, brake fluid and replacing some parts, so it's done for another year. It will leave me rather short of cash for the rest of the month, but I will have to manage. I can't have the car not running efficiently, breaking down or not working properly, what with the winter weather coming up, so, in the end, it was worth it.

Technology Troubles

The Fitbit, which I've mentioned in these blog posts, has failed. It wouldn't charge. I have rung the helpline and run through some things that might have been causing it not to charge, like cleaning the contacts which take the charge on the charging station, but still nothing. I have been given a special number which I shall take with me when I go to John Lewis in Milton Keynes, which is where it came from, and they should give me a replacement or I can have a refund, which I don't want. I have to say, as this brand is supposed to be a leader in this type of technology, that I'm more than a little bit disappointed. It may do more things than the cheap model (not a Fitbit) and purchased through Amazon, lasted a good deal longer, even though the strap broke. I expect these things to last a lot longer than a week. Just have to wait and see when I return it.

I had to get to Ashfield Medical Centre for 10 o'clock because my appointment with Doctor Haye was scheduled for then. I needn't' have bothered to get there so early, because 10 o'clock came and went and I still wasn't called by 10.15 so I went to the receptionist and told her that I was still waiting. I think some people spend the 10 minutes, (which I believe is the average time your doctor's appointment is supposed to be.) spend far too long talking and don't think that there are other people waiting. I may be wrong, but I'm not one to over-spend my time with my doctor.) It was around 10.30 when my name came up on the digital screen. I have been re-prescribed diazepam, but the doctor is trying to get me off them because they can become addictive. I did manage to get through last night without taking the one I have left. He wants me to take them alternate nights, or at least, every third night, so I will take one tonight (the one which is left.) I had attempted to take the tablet a good deal later, around 10, rather than earlier, usually around 8. But I am still waking in the early hours of the morning. I have just seven in the current course so I'll have to wait and see what happens with them this time. I was out of his office within around 3 minutes, annoying as I don't get a chance to discuss anything with him. Perhaps that's because I now have the Integrated Community Team to call on if necessary. As I walked back along the corridor on my way out, I noticed they had their names on a door and there is a social worker in the team.

I could have taken the prescription to Cox and Robinson, the pharmacy a couple of doors along from the Ashfield Medical Centre, but because I was going into the centre of Milton Keynes to take the Fitbit back to John Lewis I thought I might go into Boots. Having driven in and parked near The Point, I walked into the shopping centre. In Boots there was a long queue at the pharmacy, so I didn't bother waiting and then walked through the shopping centre. I headed for Central Barbers, right next to John Lewis to get my hair cut. Jade cut my hair, the young lady who goes to Shenley Christian Centre. There was a really odd conversation going on as I was having my hair cut, begun by another of the hair stylists, about horses. I think he knew what he was talking about, but it was somewhat surreal, a bit like a Monty Python sketch, or from a play by N.F.Simpson. Really strange, but nonetheless, fascinating. I only wish I'd had a tape recorder, because it was something that would make the basis for a piece of writing.

I went into John Lewis and made my way up to the electronics department, which is one floor below the restaurant where we meet for the Willen coffee mornings on a Monday. I took the Fitbit in it's packaging. along with the code which I'd been given by the helpline when I'd rung yesterday and explained to the assistant at the counter what was wrong, the fact that it wouldn't charge. He plugged in the charging gadget and put the Fitbit into this and, lo and behold! It showed it was charging! I don't know what's wrong with it, or, indeed, whether it was actually faulty. It might have been that I hadn't put the thing in the charger gadget correctly, with the three contacts touching the contacts on the charger. Makes you wonder. It isn't entirely clear when the thing is set correctly.

Coming out of John Lewis and walking across Middleton Hall (correction: I couldn't actually walk across Middleton Hall because workmen are currently dismantling the summer attraction, which had at the heart of it a beach with sand. I saw them scooping it up the other day, and had wondered how on earth they would deal with its removal. There was a collection of those heavy-duty builder's bags scattered across the floor, so I imagine someone has the unenviable task of actually scooping it up with a shovel, into these bags, which are then loaded on to a lorry, probably taken outside the shopping centre on fork lift trucks.) I saw a display which turned out to show the proposed redevelopment of the former Food Centre. The old Sainsbury's unit has been empty for years. This is where the Age UK office is, and when I was in there several months ago, a couple of the volunteer ladies were discussing this proposed redevelopment and I was wondering where Age UK was going to transfer to once they start moving out and the demolition work begins. I had a good look at the designs, a mixture of commercial buildings with shops and offices. The multi-storey carpark is to remain and there are to be several storeys to some of the buildings, which seems to go against the original concept for Milton Keynes when it was originally proposed in the late 1960s, buildings weren't supposed to be much higher than the average tree, probably no more than three storeys. I had a chat with a lady who made notes of my suggestions, one of them being that there should be a concert hall included (not that it's likely to be built.) but that's the whole point of a consultation.

I went to Sainsbury's, because I had the diazepam prescription and I had asked at reception if the other repeat prescriptions had gone to Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's and they had apparently, so  drove there after my trip into town and I had a bight to eat in the café whilst I was there.

Having done my shopping and gone through the checkout, I had to go down to the carpark on the travelator, the moving walk-way or whatever you prefer to call it. Anyway, the moving slope which allows you to be whisked down to the carpark levels. It can be rather a bumpy ride. Something must be wrong with the mechanism, because part-way down you sort of lurch forward. This time it stopped dead, about three-quarters of the way down. I couldn't budge the trolley, try as I might to push it. What was I to do? Some kind man came and helped, but lifting the front of the trolley the remaining few yards of the, by now, stationary walk-way. The wheels of your trolley lock into grooves in the surface I imagine to keep it steady as you move down. I'm not sure whether they manage to get this moving once I'd left the carpark, but it was somewhat comical to say the least. But  not all this technology can be expected to work according to plan, the amount of work it gets, probably running for quite a few hours continuously when the store is open.

Then I drove home, unpacked the few bits I had bought and then put the Fitbit on charge. This time it seemed to charge without a problem. I have to say it's not easy to know exactly whether it's charging. With some items when on charge, such as the bluetooth speaker I have, you know it's charging because it has a red light that glows, the same with the Canon digital camera battery, the charger has a light that is red for discharged and green for charged. With the Fitbit it has no indication of whether it's actually taking the charge, but as I write this, it's on my wrist and working.

The bird feeding station is extra-busy at the moment. I have managed to keep it topped up with food, usually peanuts, but unfortunately it seems that the local squirrels seem to think it's a free-for-all for their use and the little blue tits (I imagine that's what they are, but perhaps I should do a more accurate identification.) come and around 6-8 of them are constantly feeding. I think perhaps I should get a disc which fits around the stand of the feeding station and prevents squirrels climbing up. Amazing that they can do this, but I really don't want them to.

At the end of all this, I had a problem of another sort. I have mentioned that I can no longer order my repeat prescriptions by merely ringing Lloyd's pharmacy in Sainsbury's and giving them the list of items required to be ordered, and then they contact Ashfield Medical Centre and it's all done electronically. But some bright spark, some bureaucrat within the N.H.S. has decided that this is inefficient use of their resources and that we now have to order direct from our doctor's surgery. We can take our order to the surgery and fill in the required order form and the repeat prescription will be signed off by the doctor and then sent electronically to our pharmacy (as was the case originally.) But, if you have access to the internet, you can order on-line, provided you set up an account (and this is through the surgery website.) I already had an account set up but needed to have a new password (you have a username and then put in the password when prompted.) But I have attempted to do this several times, having been given a fresh password by reception at Ashfield, but on each occasion it will come up when it doesn't work with 'unrecognised' or 'wrong password and username.' Let's be honest, it just doesn't want to work and no amount of resetting will allow it to work, adding further to the frustration. So, I beg the question, why do they have to change something which was working perfectly well??? What is the benefit of all this? Words fail me. I certainly don't trust this new set-up and wish they'd left it well alone. Not a happy bunny when I just want to make sure my meds don't run out.

Sunny But Chilly

Thursday.It has been sunny but somewhat chilly this morning. We took Alfie out for his morning trot around Eaglestone Park and came across children being walked to school by their mums and dads, on their way to the primary school. Alfie was overwhelmed by all the people passing by and kept running up to them, running around in circles and enjoying the attention he was getting. I think he forgot that he was with us as we walked along the part of the Redway which crosses the park. Also, the children and parents seemed amused by his antics. He just wants to be friends with everyone he meets. I wore a long-sleeved shirt for the first time this morning. It was a necessity as it was, as I said earlier, fairly chilly, but as the morning progressed and the sun remained out, it got quite warm.

Carol had an appointment with the stoma nurse at Milton Keynes hospital at 10.00 a.m. in the Out-Patients' department. We got there far too early, as we almost always seem to do and parked easily in the multi-storey carpark. Just fortunate that someone was coming out of a space as we drove in, which made it easier. Any later and we wouldn't have been so lucky.

Friday morning. My Casio G-Shock digital watch has been showing signs of running out of power. The light which comes on when you press one of the buttons, for example, in the middle of the night when it's dark, doesn't work and the display had faded completely, so I thought it must be the battery needed replacing. The only place I know which will do a new battery as well as put it in is a small shop within the Central Shopping Centre, as they've done this before. I don't have the right screwdriver to open the back of the watch to install a new battery. I'm not going to H.Samuel or whatever the jewellers name is,  which I've used before because a few years ago I purchased a digital watch from them, I think another Casio, very nice, with a good, sturdy strap (which is the part that seems to wear out quickest.) and I bought the watch with an extended warranty. The watch malfunctioned, it just stopped working, for whatever reason (I don't think it was the battery.) so I returned it with the idea that it would be covered by this 'extended warranty.' Samuels refused to repair or replace the watch, making some sort of excuse as to why this was the case, so I was not pleased, as you might imagine. Surely that would be the whole point of paying extra for an 'extended warranty.' So, I refuse to buy anything from them. Paying a bit more for your watch, as a sort of guarantee that if it goes wrong it will be either replaced or repaired, free of charge, was sort of putting my mind at rest that the watch would be reliable and therefore repairable. But no.

So we decided to drive into the Milton Keynes centre and park where we always do, near Debenhams, in the multi-storey carpark which is currently being renovated. We walked along the mall to Boots as Carol needed some painrelief tablets and then we went to The Watch and Clock Shop to get them to replace the battery for me. It was going to take at least 30 minutes, they gave me a numbered ticket to identify my watch when I returned to collect it and we then went to Patisserie Valerie for lattes and really nice almond and chocolate croissants. They recently moved from their old unit further down the shopping centre to their new location. I was really surprised that they had a waiter service, which I don't think many other similar restaurants offer in this day and age.

I needed the loo. As one does. So I left Carol in the restaurant and went out into the main shopping centre and into the newly-opened toilet block. Very smart. They recently moved the main toilet block from one side of the shopping centre to the opposite side. I needed to wash my hands and they've craftily hidden the soap and water under the mirrors over the row of sinks. You just put your hand under where they're marked on the bottom of the mirror and water comes out as well as soap. I reckon some people would find this difficult to find or get to operate. Then I wanted to dry my hands. I hunted around for the hand-drying machine, but in vain I couldn't find one. Then I returned to the sinks and they'd hidden them under the mirror-edge, next to the soap and water. It was marked but not clear enough and not somewhere you'd think to find a hand-drier. Also, operated when you put your hand underneath the sensor.

I returned to Carol in Patisserie Valerie, we paid the bill and as we walked out we saw that there were toilets with the store, so I needn't have left to go to the toilets in the shopping centre.

We walked towards John Lewis and ended up in Middleton Hall, where there was a jobs fair on and had a browse around the stalls and then walked back along the centre and went into Marks and Spencer. I was looking for a long-sleeved Rugby shirt, of which I have a couple already, the idea being they are ideal for when it's cold in the winter. Particularly ideal wear for when we're out and about and probably when we go to Whipsnade Zoo, because it can get really cold up on Dunstable Downs. We searched high and low in the men's department, but couldn't find one long-sleeved shirt I liked. You would think that they would have them in stock by now as the days get colder, but it seemed they only had summer stock in. When I got home I went on the MacBook and found on the Marks and Spencer website that they had plenty, which begs the question, why not in their bricks-and-mortar stores? We left Marks and Spencer's and made our way towards Midsummer Place and Debenhams and went up the escalator to the multi-storey carpark to our car and drove home.

Fine and Sunny Weather

Having said in yesterday's post that it was getting chilly, today it's fine and sunny. Typical for this time of year when it can be chilly one moment and the next sunny and warm.

 Carol was due to have an appointment with Dr Saka at the Macmillan Unit this morning, but there was a telephone call from his secretary to say, because Dr Saka was on holiday they'd have to reschedule the appointment. It made sense really, because a week on Saturday Carol has another scan it it seemed more sense having the consultant's appointment after the results of the scan were available for him to look at rather than having the appointment before the scan. So, as we didn't have to go to the hospital we decided on a visit to Milton Keynes shopping centre. We parked in the multi-storey carpark near Debenhams. It is currently undergoing renovations so we couldn't park on the lower floor and had to drive to the top to park. The whole place is gradually looking spick and span with generous amounts of paint being used and the whole surface of each floor relaid. Much better as a result. We couldn't use the escalator to go down within Debenham's and had to use a lift. We were surprised how busy the whole place was, perhaps due to the weather being warmer or no doubt because it will be the last day of the school holidays. As we walked past several shops, notably Clark's shoe shop, many were heaving with parents and children being fitted out with new shoes or school uniforms ready for the new term which begins on Monday.

We walked as far as Middleton Hall, by which time we were ready for a refreshment break and went to Cafe Nero and we queued up to order lattes and chocolate slices. I was somewhat shocked by the attitude of the girl who served me. Scowling and not interested in what she was doing. Carol noticed so it wasn't just me. I don't think this girl was a good example of good customer care and if I'd been doing a secret shop I'd have mentioned it and she would have been disciplined by her manager. Miserable girl. It was more than obvious to me that she really would have rather been anywhere else but where she was at that precise moment. If that was the case she should let someone else do her job and at least concentrate on what she was doing.

We sat near a window so we could watch as people passed by in the shopping mall. The coffee wasn't by any means the best we'd had. Far too strong and not as good as what we'd had the other day in Frost's garden centre in Woburn Sands. By comparison their cafe was far better. I stood and watched as a member of their staff made us lattes. The girl who did this job was being very accurate with the way the lattes were being made as well as even cleaning the saucers and placing the rather nice design in the froth on the top of the lattes as well as wiping the cups and placing biscuits in the saucers as well as spoons. They have very well run restaurants and cafe's which are staffed by people who seem to take a great pride in their work, unlike the girl in that branch of Cafe Nero.

When we'd finished in Cafe Nero we walked back the opposite side of the shopping centre, visiting The Works to have a browse and then walking back towards Debenham's and the multi storey carpark.

A Miserable Wet Day

We went into the Central MK shopping Centre this morning (Wednesday). It's been a miserable wet day so there wasn't nothing much else to do. At least it's undercover, which is one good reason to go there, rather than sitting indoors watching depressing daytime television. Well, it seems Carol has come a long way since her cancer diagnosis, when we couldn't go anywhere last summer, and she's walking a long way as well as driving the car.

Arriving at the multi-storey carpark next to Debenhams far too early, because Debenham's wasn't yet open (at 9.30, we discovered) we found that they're currently refurbishing the carpark, areas under cover and weird noised emanating from this area. Scaffolding is up as you'd drive up the ramp and into the carpark. There were plenty of spaces and once we'd parked we came down into the shopping centre on the escalator. We walked through the mall and went into Waterstone's and browsed as we were looking g for a book of study notes and guide to 'The Woman In White.' We've been watching the BBC1 adaptation and wanted to learn more about the novel. You can find plenty of study notes on Amazon, but for once we wanted to buy from a bricks-and-mortar shop. A staff member went out of his way to help and even went on Amazon to find something suitable, but unfortunately we didn't find exactly what we wanted. We bought a set of CDs of Alan Bennet reading some of his stories. We can listen to them in bed as we have a digital radio with a CD player in it which is ideal for listening to not only digital radio, usually BBC Radio 4Extra, but also this type of thing.

We walked through Midsummer place and into the main shopping centre. Several of the shops have moved into different units. W.H.Smith moved from where they've been for years, no doubt from when the centre originally opened, into a new, smaller unit. On one floor. They gave up selling CDs and DVDs so didn't need the upper floor. We went in to see whether they had the study notes we wanted. This area is at the back of the store, hidden away in a corner. Probably if 'The Woman In White' was a set text for A Level they'd have it, but no sign of anything related to it. Probably go on the W.H. Smith website and have a look.

Patisserie Valerie has moved. They were up the end nearer Marks and Spencer and House of Fraser. When we saw the old unit boarded up the other week, we assumed that they had closed down completely, but this morning we saw the new unit they've moved into, further along from the old W.H. Smith's unit. Also, River Island, gone to where H.M.V. used to be. Infact, H.M.V. gone into a much smaller unit. Also, Holland and Barrett, which used to be in one of the malls that run between the main malls, a newer and bigger unit along from Boot's.

We walked as far as Middleton Hall and had lattes and croissants in Pret-A-Manger. Not busy, but as it was a Wednesday morning, not really surprising. Plenty of places to sit and eat. We eventually reached John Lewis and walked through the store until we got to the escalators and went up to the top floor, near the restaurant, as Carol wanted to look in the haberdashery department for something for one of the felt fairies she's making, some sort of crimped wool. I'm not exactly sure what it is but they didn't have any of what she was looking for. The staff in these shops must be bored stiff as there were so few customers to keep them occupied.

From John Lewis we wandered out into Middleton Hall and then on to The Works where you can always discover a bargain in books and other items. Carol had a browse in the craft section and I went to look at the history section. Quite a few I'd like, but at the moment I have plenty of books which I have to read when I've done with my current reading material. Carol came to join me and had a large item which turned out to be a jigsaw puzzle mat. A Porta-Puzzle mat. She's bought a jigsaw on Amazon and it means she can keep all the pieces together and as I write this, it's slid under the television unit and can be bought out and continued without any trouble. At £20 a good deal cheaper than elsewhere, including Amazon.

We began to walk back through the shopping centre and arrived back in Midsummer Place and got back to Debenhams and went downstairs as Carol wanted to look in the Manraray clothing range. There's currently a sale on but if we buy anything we'll come back to purchase something. Then we went back to the car and went home. By this time it was really raining hard.

As I write this at 5.30 in the evening, the weather has improved. It's sunny and bright, but I somehow doubt it will remain dry and we get rain over-night.

MK Shopping Centre Visit

Carol's mum and dad have been here for a visit today (Wednesday). They came up from Bournemouth and were given a lift from someone from their church, arriving here at about 9.45. We didn't take long to decide where to go for the day, rather than sitting in the house as they have done for the past couple of visits as Carol is feeling far better and thought she needed to get away from the house. It was a choice of going to Stoke Bruerne or the central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre. It was as well we chose the shopping centre because the weather turned out unsettled and cold, although it would have been nice to have visited the canal and museum at Stoke Bruerne and have something to eat in the pub we know there from previous trips.

We drove towards the centre and parked in the multi-storey carpark next to Debenhams and then walked in and down the escalator and stated off in the restaurant which we noticed immediately had been refitted. We had coffee and then made for the ladies department where Carol browsed the clothing and her mum and I bought her some things which will be birthday presents. One problem solved as I wasn't certain what she wanted.

We walked through Midsummer Place and Carol found it quite cold. This is one of the side-effects of the chemotherapy she's currently going through. Then we walked into the main shopping centre which is, thankfully, a good deal warmer.

It seems that Carol has come a really long way since her diagnosis. She has been through a great deal (haven't we both) and at an early stage she wouldn't have been able to walk as far as she did this morning, so it seems things are getting better.

We got as far as W.H. Smith and went in to look at books. They recently moved into a far smaller unit. No doubt because they seem to have cut the amount of stock they have and no longer sell, such as  CDs and DVDs which used to be on the floor upstairs. At one time they used to have a travel agent (well, at least in the Bedford branch) as well as knitting wool and a host of other items which they've stopped selling. We spent some time browsing and Carol found a couple of adult colouring books, which seem to be popular at the moment. Really perfect to keep her occupied whilst having chemotherapy and at home. One is based on 'Vogue' magazine illustrations and another you can barely see the outlines of the illustrations and wouldn't see what the picture was until all the colours are filled in.

We continued on walking on leaving Smith's.

We reached Middleton Hall, the vast open space in front of John Lewis. We were in need of something to eat, as the time was nearing lunch time. So we decided on going to John Lewis's restaurant. We have been in there before, but, unless you knew where it was, you'd be hard-pressed to discover it's whereabouts. It's on the top floor and up several flights of elevators. There don't seem to be any signs from the ground floor as far as I could  see. I suppose you'd have to ask a member of staff or look on one of the department location boards dotted around the store. On arriving in the restaurant we ordered our food. Carol had soup and a roll, I had a sandwich, although I must say they had a rather poor selection and it would appear that they were somewhat short staffed and it seemed to take ages for a member of staff to serve me. All he had to do was put the sandwich I wanted on a plate and hand it too me. Carol's mum and dad had scones and jam. I went back to get a pot of tea although Carol's dad didn't want tea. I was somewhat disappointed that the milk was only available in those horrible little plastic pots with those nasty foil lids which are virtually impossible to peel off in order to get at the milk inside. Also, they made the tea with just one teabag on a piece of string which I dislike intensely. I'm surprised at John Lewis, who have fairly high standards, to use such a method of tea-making.

The restaurant was fairly busy, including a couple a few tables along from us, who had young children, one of which was causing some problems for them, making a lot of noise. I'm also surprised how under-staffed it was for the time of day considering how busy it was. It got busier as we were about to leave.

We went down on the elevator and on the ground floor walked through the kitchen department. We had a brief browse and Carol had a look at the food mixers. She's seen a Kenwood hand mixer on the John Lewis website so knew that this was the one she wanted. At £20 it seemed good value, compared with other models and a reasonable price when comparing such companies as Argos, surprisingly, since John Lewis is generally somewhat more expensive than other stores although you always know you will get good customer service. The Milton Keynes store was refitted a few years ago and as a result they moved departments around. For example, the kitchenware department was on a different floor, as was the restaurant which used to be at the front and overlooking Middleton Hall. The departments had been in their old locations probably since the store opened back in the late 1970s and the store probably hadn't been remodelled since then. Anyway, we decided on purchasing the mixer and then left the store.

We slowly walked back through the shopping centre along the other mall and walked back through Midsummer Place to return to Debenhams and then up the escalator to the carpark and home. We spent some time talking before Carol's parents left for home when their friend from church came back almost precisely at 3 p.m. to drive them home to Bournemouth.

Christmas Shopping

I went into the Central Shopping Centre on Friday (what is it's proper title, I never know. MK Central Shopping Centre? You ask me. I really don't know. Does it matter? It's called the Centre MK) It was later than I'd have chosen. We had a Sainsbury's delivery, as we'd decided it was easier to do the grocery shopping on-line. It cost £6.50 for the privilege, but once in a while it's worth it. You have what you've ordered before saved in 'favourites,' so you can go to that at the beginning of your 'shop' and it saves traipsing around the store with a trolley. I could go on about the ease of on-line shopping versus shopping in the actual store, such as why they insist on changing where your usual items are because it's Christmas and things like crackers, wrapping paper and mince pies get preference over jars of sauce or breakfast cereal. We'd booked the delivery between 10-11 a.m., but the delivery man decided to come early, so it was unpacked and put away a good deal quicker than anticipated. Which is why I drove into the centre of Milton Keynes when I did.

The ground-level carpark where I usually park was jam-packed. Not a single spare space. So I had to find a space outside in the other parking area. It cost more. It's £1 for two hours in the larger carpark but £4.50 for a few hours in the outer area. I had a problem parking and when I found a space I have to admit I didn't park as tidily as I might have done.

The shopping centre was heaving. I don't think I've ever seen it as busy. What on earth is it going to be like closer to Christmas Day?

I had to go to Marks and Spencer first. I shan't say what it was I was looking for because if Carol reads this it will spoilt the surprise of one of her Christmas presents. I'd seen whatever it was when I was in there a while ago, on one of the displays when you walk in. I couldn't find what I was looking for immediately, so I had to ask a member of staff who was really helpful and we located the item very speedily. I then had to pay for it and the queue at the till was quite long, but there was no alternative but to wait to pay.

I had intended stopping to have something to eat in one of the numerous places to eat, but each time I walked past places such as Costa, Starbucks or Gregg's, there were long queues so I gave up. I reached Middleton Hall, which is where the annual Christmas display was situated. There was the usual mini train ride, a carousel and an array of wood cabins which were set up selling all manner of craft items.  I have to say it's been rather a disappointment for the past couple of years. They seem to have lost any sense of imagination, unless they have less money to spend on it. It seems more focussed on getting people to part with their cash, for example, so that children visit Father Christmas in his grotto. It's just not as good as it used to be, I'm afraid. They had a Peter Pan-themed display one year, which was rather good, with a life-sized ship and Peter Pan standing on the rigging. But this year's is rather feeble I have to say.

I went into John Lewis. The store is next to Middleton Hall. I walked through to the escalator as I wanted to get to the haberdashery department which is on the second floor. It always used to be on the ground floor and was easy to find, but when the store was refurbished a few years ago, it was moved upstairs. Also, the restaurant was moved up there, too, and used to be on the floor at the front of the store overlooking Middleton Hall. At Christmas you could drink your coffee and eat your sandwich or whatever and watch people as they walked through the Christmas display.

I was going to look for a work box for Carol's crochet work. She had ordered something on Amazon, but for some strange reason it got lost. Don't ask me how. The cost has been refunded, but she was somewhat disappointed when it didn't get delivered as promised. I wasn't that impressed by the selection in John Lewis. I had a look into the restaurant with a view to stopping to have a coffee and a bite to eat, but even there it had a long queue to wait so I gave up and left. Infact, by now I was getting a little bit fed up with shopping and decided to make my way back to the car.

It seemed an extremely long walk back to the carpark. As I drove out, I noticed that someone had tucked a piece of paper under the lefthand side windscreen wiper blade. I ignored it, thinking it was probably some sort of  piece of publicity which would have been placed on all the vehicles parked in that carpark. I didn't bother to take it off, but it was annoying when I had to turn the wipers on when it began to rain and it still wouldn't come off as they moved back and forth across the windscreen. It wasn't until this morning, when I went out to get Carol some ibuprofen and came back in to park at the front of the house that I noticed what had been written on it 'Idiot' or something, as a reference no doubt to the way I'd parked earlier the previous day. I'm sorry someone had thought it necessary, in their bad temper, to leave such a note on our car. Just shows that, during the stress of Christmas shopping, people don't have any patience for others., particularly those attempting to park correctly in a carpark.

Digital Camera Malfunction and Christmas Shopping

My Canon digital camera decided to stop working. We wanted to take some photographs of Alfie, our Yorkie, but for some reason or other, the thing just wasn't doing what it should have done. I thought at first that the battery was flat. I had to find the confounded gadget which you have to use to put the battery in and then plug into the mains supply in order for the battery to be charged. This generally takes around two hours. When I looked at the battery the following morning I found the green light was still on, which showed that it was fully charged. It would have been orange showing there was no power in the battery. It was still green when I put it in the charging device. I put the battery in the camera and it didn't come on as it should have done. As a result we decided it should go back to the shop from where it was bought around a year ago, Jessops, in Milton Keynes Central Shopping Centre. We had other shopping we needed to do this morning, including our weekly grocery shop at Sainsbury's, but went into the city centre and took the camera with us. We parked in Debenham's multi-storey carpark and went in through Debenham's store. It was relatively customer-free when we walked through at around 9.30. Infact, the whole shopping centre seemed quite empty of people at that early hour of the morning. I suppose, considering it was a Saturday, it wasn't that much of a surprise. We walked in to the main centre and arrived at Jessops. We had searched for the receipt at home for the camera, as we realised that, if it was under a year old, it would still be under guarantee. Fortunately the young lady who came to our assistance was able to look at their computer system and she found the receipt. A neat bit of  computer technology, fortunately, which showed exactly what day it was we bought the camera. She removed the battery from the camera and said that she would put it on charge, so if we went off to complete our shopping and gave it an hour and a half or so, by the time we returned we would know whether the battery had charged or not. So we continued on our walk down the shopping centre, eventually arriving at the Middleton Hall end near John Lewis. We had a coffee and snack in Caffe Nero, opposite John Lewis. It was extremely busy, with a long queue virtually out of the door, but we were served relatively fast. From there we went into John Lewis, as there was quite a lot more we wanted to look for. I spent around 20 minutes browsing as Carol wanted time to search for my present and she obviously didn't want me with her. I had a browse in the electronics department, looking at, amongst other things, cameras, laptops and televisions. I saw an ultra HD television with a vast screen of well over 50 inches and was amazed at the clarity of the picture which was of animals on the veldt (supposedly) in Africa. You could almost feel you were there, see every detail of foliage, and hair, feel the wind blowing, it was that clear. Although I don't think I would want to spend almost £3000 on such a large television. It would take up most of one wall of our lounge. I eventually caught up with Carol and we then decided to walk back to Jessops. It turned out that the camera battery had not needed charging. I thought it might, because the green light on the charging device hadn't gone from 'orange', which would have indicated that it was out of power, to 'green,' indicating that it was fully charged. So the assistant took our details and said, as the camera was still under warranty it could be returned to Canon for repair. If it couldn't be repaired we would get a new camera as a replacement. I have to say I was really impressed by the customer service we received in Jessops. The assistant seemed very clued up as regards getting the camera repaired.  Which is more than I can say regarding Currys, where the customer service is virtually non existent. From Jessops we walked back towards Debenhams and had paninins and fruit juice in the resaurant.  Carol wanted to look for a dress in Debenhams and was rewarded  by her search and we bough me a rather smart new sweatshirt/top which will be another Christmas present.  From there we returned to the carpark and when we got out into the road we found the traffic building and headed towards Sainsbury's as we still had to do some grocery shopping before turning home.

A Wet Weekend and New Glasses

On Saturday the weather was wet, which meant the outing we had planned was abandoned. No good wandering around outside getting soaked. So we hit on visiting the Milton Keynes Central Shopping Centre. We always make a visit in the run-up to Christmas because there is always a display of some sort in the Middleton Hall. We parked in the multi-storey near Debenham's and walked down through the store. We looked in the men's department and there are some items of clothing I have seen which I would like. Carol is attempting to find some sort of bag for work, large enough to carry around books and marking. She wants something strong enough and with several compartments. We looked in Debenham's luggage department but there didn't appear to be anything suitable. We walked through Midsummer Place and browsed briefly in Waterstone's. There are so many books which we both would like, but still, nice to be able to browse. Then we went into the main shopping centre. It was virtually empty of shoppers at 9 a.m. Not all the stores are open at that hour. We walked down one side of the shopping centre and eventually reached the open area between John Lewis and Next, which is called Middleton Hall. This is the area which is used for a variety of events, including the annual Christmas display. Over the years they've had themes. One year it was pirates and Peter Pan and there was a large ship complete with mast and sails, with a model of Peter Pan standing at the top. A great deal of time and effort had obviously gone into creating this display. They have always had a wishing well into which you can throw coins and the money collected goes to a local charity. Father Christmas has a grotto, which your children can visit, but you have to pay. A small railway, chugging around a circular track. Again, you have to book and pay in advance to ride on this. Also, a carousel and a couple of rows of booths or wooden kiosks selling a range of craft items. But I'm afraid the Christmas display is a real disappointment. No doubt the company who creates this has had it's budget cut drastically, and a lot of the animated characters look decidedly second hand a somewhat tatty. The white domes which have coloured lights inside were used last year. Nothing particularly to recommend it I'm afraid. This year's efforts has to be the poorist yet. So if you have to visit, don't be disappointed. It's just not very good. I know it for children, but they might at least put in a bit of effort.

We then went into Pret A Manger which has a branch nearby and had lattes and cookies. Quite a pleasant environment, but by the time we got there the crowds were building up and by the time we walked out the whole place was heaving. Carol pointed out how miserable everyone looked. Nobody seemed to be talking to one another. Most were on mobile phones, more interested in them that speaking to a living human being. People were queuing to buy coffees. Lots had shopping. No doubt Christmas shopping.

We next went into John Lewis. You walk through and the way it's laid out, you can't avoid looking at the products on display. It used to be laid out so it was a direct route, but not anymore. We needed to use the toilets, and, compared with the public toilets further along inside the shopping centre, the John Lewis toilets are a good deal cleaner and more pleasant. On the way we saw a display with a television which was showing the John Lewis Christmas television commercial, about 'Buster The Dog' bouncing on a trampoline. There was a display next to this, of merchandise which ties in with the commercial, mugs and soft toys and amongst it all a 'Buster' toy which you throw or bounce and it makes a noise, similar to the red Comic Relief 'noise' ball which our Yorkshire Terrier, Alfie, loves so much. It is on it's last legs, it's laughing sound mechanics is coming to an end. So I would come back into the shopping centre to buy later in the week.

Lewis's have a great selection of decorations of all shapes and sizes. We had a browse and by the time we'd finished we decided we'd seen enough and so walked back through the shopping centre and ending up back at the multi-storey carpark near Debenham's.

I returned to SpecSavers to collect my new glasses on Wednesday morning, a week after they'd been ordered. I was somewhat annoyed to find that instead of making up one pair each of reading glasses and one pair of distance vision glasses they'd made up two pairs of reading glasses. I know it was a mistake on behalf of the lady who dealt with the order, but it was still annoying. She apologised and said that she'd get the laboratory to re-do the order and make up the distance glasses and they'd be ready for collection today. It would mean we driving into the centre again and parking and having to walk through to the shopping centre this morning. Which I did. But, yesterday morning, when I got home and tried to read with the new glasses I found that they were not good for reading the laptop screen.  Really straining my eyes and leading to a headache as a result. They were no better than the off-the-shelf reading glasses which I bought in Boot's around 10 years ago and have been using ever since, perfectly successfully. On returning to SpecSavers this morning I'm now told I'll need to have my eyes tested again, which is really annoying as I imagined the original test would have shown up a different lens strength for close reading. I will get this done in the New Year as I don't really want it done before Christmas.

Final Day of Half-Term

Today, Friday. The final day of Half Term. We have had a couple of outings, but today we went into Milton Keynes Central Shopping Centre. We parked in Debenham's multi-storey car park and got there before 9 and found the place virtually empty. We couldn't get into Debenham's as they weren't open until 9.30. We have found that it's the best place to park as you can almost always guarantee there will be space to park, provided you get there early enough. You take a ticket from the barrier when you arrive and then, when you are about to leave you go to the machine and put your card in and it registers how long you've been in the car park and works out the cost so you just put the amount in the slot and the ticket is returned and when you drive out you put the ticket in the machine at the barrier which rises and lets you out. Much fairer than just guessing the length of time you'll be parking for if you park in any of the street-level car parks elsewhere in Milton Keynes.

We walked down into Midsummer Place and then through the  central shopping centre. None of the shops were opened but we walked as far as Middleton Hall where they usually have some sort of display or exhibition, the place where there's a Christmas display or something on during the school holidays so it was a surprise to see it completely empty over Half-Term. We decided to go into Costa and have coffee. Actually I had a cold drink and Carol had latte and we sat at a table near the window and could see out across the vacant Middleton Hall and were intrigued to see the little birds flying around inside. We went into Paperchase as Carol wanted to find a pencil case and then on to the Disney Store. Not somewhere I would  normally go on my own and surprised how much low-quality junk they sell. A real pity, I'm sad to say. We then went into W.H. Smith's and they had a good offer on if you bought any stationary, a really large set of pens which were originally priced at £20 and on offer for £9.99. Also, we got a voucher for £20 off books and statiionary when we went to pay at the till, so I will have to return next week to take advantage of this offer. We walked back through the shopping centre, stopping off at Waterstone's in Midsummer Place. I wanted to see whether they had a book of short stories in written by Susanna Clarke. She wrote 'Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" which is currently being adapted for television and being aired on BBC1 on Sundays. No sign of this book or the book of short stories which is a surprise considering the television serial. They generally have stocks and displays of books that are being dramatised on television in very prominent places so somewhat surprised that I couldn't find either book. Easy enough to find on Amazon. We walked on and reached Marks and Spencer and had a browse in their men's department but didn't see anything I would want. Then we went into the foothill and got food for this evening's meal, a £10 for several items, which turned out to be two meals for £10 so that sorted the evening's meals out for today AND tomorrow. Good value I must say. When we got to the till the poor girl on the checkout had real problems with the printer which printed the receipt as it wouldn't stop churning out a long print-out and she had to call a supervisor to get the thing to work. Then, when we got back to the car park the machine you use to pay wouldn't accept a £2 coin Carol put in the machine but eventually things seemed to sort themselves out. It's surprising that these bits of technology have a habit of going wrong and causing a lot of problems. But we managed to leave the car park and went home. By now it was raining really hard but as the afternoon progressed the sun did eventually come out.