Happy Talk!

 Tuesday. 7.50 a.m. I haven't been well for the past few days. I'd recovered from the covid I had around six weeks ago and as a result of that I had fairly severe back pain, although there's no genuine proof that it was linked, but it seems something of a coincidence that the back pain started up at the same time.

On Thursday, the Bible Study group, which has been meeting in different places in and around Milton Keynes during August, met up at Mursley Farm Shop. I wasn't exactly sure where it was, although I had a rough idea, but looking on Google Maps. I drove to the Oaktree Centre and was taken there by Jennie, who is the leader of the Bible Study group.

I've never been to Mursley Farm Shop. Like many of these places, it's not merely a farm shop, selling eggs, meat and other items, but there's a good cafe, which was where we met up with the rest of the gang and I had a very nice latte, although, having ordered it, it seemed to take an eternity to arrive at our table. The weather was miserable. A sort of thin rain fell as we arrived. In the field beyond the car park I could see a field with various animals in, including alpacas, which I love.

On Friday, we had a meeting at the Oaktree Centre about the proposed Alpha Course. As part of this, we did a fast (which is something I have never done before, but it was worth it, and it went well.) We watched a training video, which came on a memory stick which plugged into the television screen on the wall in the café area. It turned out I had seen it already on YouTube. We need at least 6–8 people to sign up to the course, otherwise it isn't really viable. It runs over 10–11 weeks and there is food which has to be provided for each weekly session, so it's quite a logistical issue to provide that, along with merely having support people to run the course, so, if we don't get sufficient people attending, it isn't going ahead. We will have to wait and see if the numbers increase in the next week or so, because it is scheduled to begin on 15th September.

Having finished the meeting, I drove to Domino's Pizza in Duckworth Court, which is over the road from Lidl and Tesco Express in Oldbrook Boulevard and ordered a take-away pizza, which I took home and enjoyed, actually breaking my fast!

On Saturday morning, I went to the 1940s weekend at Milton Keynes Museum. If you read my blog posts on a regular basis, you will be aware that I have been to quite a few of these events. This seemed to not be quite as good as the others. I went because of the proposed World War 2 project which is being developed in the theatre workshop at Camphill, so I took my camera and managed to take a handful of photographs, which I intend putting onto a memory stick and taking the next time I go to Camphill.

It was around this time that the flu-like symptoms began. I won't go into much detail (in fact, none at all.) I didn't eat anything until at least Tuesday and didn't go to Camphill. Well, it didn't seem such a good idea, as I didn't want to be responsible for spreading whatever it was around.

August Excitement! (?)

 Monday 14th August. 3.45 p.m. I'm not going to post this until the beginning of September. I will write as and when I feel I have something to write about. 

I have mentioned having to have a physiotherapy appointment, after the lower back pain I have been experiencing for the past month or so since I had covid. My appointment was booked around two weeks ago and today was the earliest I could be seen. It was booked for 10.20 a.m., but I am always keen to arrive in plenty of time, but, in general, it doesn't take much more than ten minutes to drive there, taking into account the several sets of traffic lights you encounter on the way, which seem set to take far too long to change, regardless of the amount of traffic, which is usually light at that time of day.

I got to Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre and had to check in with a receptionist because the computerised system wasn't working. Around ten minutes later, I was being called into room 7 to see a physiotherapist. She did a sort of triage, attempting to find where the pain was centred, bending down to the ground and side to side, and then I had to lay on the couch. It wasn't actually long enough, as I'm over six feet tall. I was expecting her to get some treatment, but no. I have to have a telephone referral with a private company and do some exercises myself. So, it seems as if the N.H.S. seems determined to spend cash which they don't really have, for this sort of treatment from an outside business. So, it seems I will just have to wait at least a week before this treatment can begin.

I left the surgery in my car and intended to go into the city centre as I had to collect a polo shirt I had bought via the Marks and Spencer website and needed collecting from the store. I had to drive around the centre to get to the car park near The Point and fortunately, the RingGo app worked, so I could pay to park. I had done a survey online and earned a £10 voucher which I converted into a Marks and Spencer voucher and decided to buy a polo in their sale. I ordered with 'click and collect, which I have used before. The polo shirt was valued at £18, so I had to pay the difference. I went into Marks and Spencer and remembered that the click-and-collect desk was on an upper floor, but then I couldn't find it and then discovered it had moved to the ground floor. There are a couple of digital screens, onto which you key in your name, and your parcel is then bought out to you. All wrapped up and ready to take away with you. I was a bit surprised I didn't have to prove my identity, as I could have been anyone. 

Thence to the nearby Costa for a large caramel latte, cheese and ham toastie and slice of rocky road. Very nice! Then I walked back through the shopping centre towards Midsummer Place and then ended up browsing in Waterstone's and then back to the car park and drive home.

Wednesday. 6.10 a.m. Due to the lower back pain, I didn't go to Camphill yesterday. It started off very mild, at the time I got up (as it is, as I write this.) but it gradually got worse as the day progressed. I am learning to live with it, but I am hoping it is going to fade away so I can get back to somewhere near normal by, hopefully, next week.

I've only just got back from taking Alfie out. As we were walking back along the path towards Dexter House, I saw what, at first, I thought was a cat, staring at me, as it was standing under the overhanging branches of the tree which is on the grass, about halfway along. It didn't move for at least fifteen seconds, and then it occurred to me, it wasn't a cat. It was definitely a fox, because of the shape of its head, very similar to Alfie's and very prominent ears. It turned and then disappeared into the wooded area between the Dexter House garden and the SIA offices.

12.05 p.m. I've been to Sainsbury's this morning. I had a Nectar voucher which meant, if I bought a certain brand of dog food, I would get 200 extra points.  If I hadn't used it today, it would expire today, so it seemed a pity to lose it and I did need some dog food as there were only a couple of pouches left. I bought a few other items. 

I had to use one of the self-service tills to pay. The manned tills had queues, so it was either that or a queue for so few items. All went well checking my items through until I had to scan the voucher, so I had to get a staff member to help. George, who is one of the drama group at Camphill, works in Sainsbury's, and it was him who helped with the voucher, so I was able to complete the transaction, although I almost left without paying! I almost forgot to put in my debit card and then put in my PIN, but I could then leave to go home.

Thursday. 2.00 p.m. I've been out this morning with my Thursday morning Bible study group. We went to Milton Keynes Museum. I drove to the Oaktree Centre and Jenny, who is the leader of the Bible study group, drove me and one other person across Milton Keynes, arriving at the museum at around 10.30, which was when it opened. There was quite a queue of people wanting to get in. I had a ticket which allowed me free entry, having bought it almost a year ago and, once bought, allows free entry throughout the year.

Friday. 10.20 a.m. I have just got back from a trip to Sainsbury's, to get a few items. I was reluctant to use one of the self-service tills to check out, so I went to a manned till and as I was queuing, I noticed that around six of these tills had been removed. I am beginning to wonder if this is a crafty manoeuvre on behalf of Sainsbury to get rid of staff and encourage their customers to use self-service tills. As I was waiting in the queue, a lady ahead of me was completing the payment of her shopping and seemed to be having problems with using her card, that is, putting in her PIN in the machine. I would say she was around 75-80, so probably not very confident with using technology. They should take into account this sort of customer when they are considering removing what I would call 'traditional' technology.

I cleaned out the fridge earlier. I know, rather a mundane and somewhat dull job, but it really did need doing. It's the sort of job that gets avoided, but then it gets to the point that it needs doing. Lots of food which is well past its 'best before' date, so it went in the bin. The shelves were removed, given a good wash in the sink, and then replaced. Job done.

Tuesday 22nd August.  6.55 a.m. The digital thermometer reads 26ºC. A really hot and clammy night. I have been up early, as usual. I took Alfie out at around 5.45. Done washing up from last night, put out a bag of rubbish and now made up my pack-up for Camphill. I am feeling a good deal better as regards the lower back pain. I would say it has actually disappeared. 

I got a text from the physio company, which came as a referral from my doctor's surgery. I attempted to complete this online, but it wouldn't work, so I rang and have a telephone consultation on the morning of 4th September. 

Heat Breaking Stormy Weather

 Sunday. 7.25 a.m. I have just been to the Tesco Express store in Oldbrook Boulevard to buy a copy of The Sunday Times. I went to pay at one of the self-service check-outs, only to discover there was a technical issue. I scanned the barcode on the paper, but an 'error code' came up on the digital screen. Not only that, but I had to get a member of staff to come over to rectify the machine, but it still didn't work. I then tried the second machine, but exactly the same problem occurred. I had to pay at a manned checkout, using a contactless payment method. It seems that stores want you to use these self-service machines, but there is a constant number of technical problems.

Monday. 5.05 a.m. It was another case of me being wide awake, bright and mild morning, so I took my Alfie out. He was somewhat reluctant, although who can blame him? Who would much rather remain in bed, instead of getting up and going out? It's probably easier in the summer months when it's warm, but far more difficult in the winter months, when it's cold, frosty and generally miserable and dark.

Yesterday, after church, I went to Milton Keynes Museum, as they had a Victorian Weekend. I have to say it was a bit thin on the ground activity-wise. People dressed up in period costume, making it seem as if I had, at one point, walked into a Charles Dickens adaptation. I started off in the tearoom, with a ham and cheese toastie, a slice of very nice walnut sponge and a cup of tea. Some of these 'enactors' (for want of a better word.) came in, some looking like Fagin's gang, a chimney sweep and a very wealthy couple, the woman in a smart dress and hat and the gent with a moustache which had been waxed. They sat at one table, but I very much doubt that, in reality, they would have mixed in the same way during the Victorian period. Queen Victoria herself did actually appear, with her entourage, and spoke to some of 'The people.' She did a tour of the museum site, which added a sort of frisson to the whole afternoon.

Tuesday. 5.20 a.m. Up and out early with Alfie again. A really beautiful sunrise. There's so much litter. I don't see what's so difficult about putting it in a bin or taking it home. The bin, at the point where we cross over from Strudwick Drive onto Oldbrook Green, is not only spilling its contents, but it rusted and off it's base. Likewise, the bin, on the opposite side of the green, has a badly rusted lid. The Campbell Park Parish Council (I presume they are responsible, or The Parks Trust.) really need to replace them or at lest, get them repaired.

We are in desperate need of rain. The grass is beginning to look very parched and brown. There are large cracks in the ground around the area. You could almost put your hand in some of them. Hopefully we should get a shower in the next day or two.

7.05 a.m. No sooner had I mentioned the possibility of rain, than it starts! Only very light, but definitely rain. Thank goodness, it is now a good deal cooler. My digital thermometer currently reads 23ºC. 

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. 

1450th Blog Post. Unpresidented Times!

Another milestone reached. This is the 1450th blog post. I'm not sure how many words I've written, but it must be quite a few.

I was running low on milk. I'm fully stocked with everything else. My fridge/freezer is fully stocked, so I do't need to buy anything for a while. I'm not sure whether I can order from Sainsbury on-line (other supermarkets on-line shopping are available.) I took Alfie out for his morning trot (not really a walk as he doesn't walk.) and no sooner had I got back to the flat, I went back out and went to Tesco Express in Oldbrook Boulevard. I wasn't sure whether they would be open, or whether there would be a queue outside, but, fortunately there wasn't. 

Having a keen interest in history, I have signed up with Milton Keynes Heritage Association, which I discovered when I visited the History Festival which was held last year in Campbell Park. I get regular emails from them and the last one had details of Milton Keynes Living Archive, which I discovered  is based at Milton Keynes Museum. In the email they mentioned that they would be interested if people were keeping diaries or journals about the coronavirus pandemic and in particular, the lockdown. I think what I am recording in this blog might be quite useful in years to come as a historic document. Well, there is enough of it! Just think of Samuel Pepys, who wrote a diary, and which is a good record of what life was like in the 17th century and covers the Great Fire of London and several periods when plague swept the nation.

Later. It's as warm as ever. The sort of weather that would get you out in your shorts and T-shirt and drive to the seaside. Probably Southwold or Frinton-On-Sea. I had to take Alfie out for his final walk around Oldbrook Green, although, I'll be perfectly honest, the sight of it is beginning to wear a bit thin. It's a bit boring now. There are signs on some of the play equipment around the Green, on the children's playground which has a fence around it and the skateboarding park. As I walked around, barely 10 minutes ago, I saw some youths quietly throwing a ball into a basket on the tarmaced area which has a netball basket on one side and a goal on the other. It seems quite harmless to me, but a four-wheel drive vehicle drove up on the grass and told the youths that they weren't supposed to be playing there, which was contrary to the anti-pandemic regulations bought in to help control the spread of  the coronavirus. I thought he was being somewhat heavy-handed and then drove off. I don't think it's such a good idea to drive a large vehicle across the grass as it ruins the surface. I am somewhat shocked by the high-handed and rather pompous attitude of the council man (I think from Campbell Park Parish Council, which controls this area of Milton Keynes. They have fixed notices to some of the equipment, but they could at least put 'please' and 'thank you' on them. I am naughty and I expect I could get a tongue-lashing from the fact I saw one of these notices on the ground as I walked past the other day, and, heaven forfend, put it in a . . . bin! I plead guilty, your honour. I know, I know. Unpresidented times and all that, but what do you expect???

World War 2 Weekend At Milton Keynes Museum

The weather is playing tricks at the moment. It started off this morning fairly chilly, so I decided on wearing my Regatta jacket, but as the day drew on the sun made an appearance and by the time I drove into the centre of Milton Keynes it was a good deal warmer. I had to get bank statements from the Nationwide and NatWest because of my application for a sheltered housing place. I had to spend most of Saturday morning searching for the tenancy agreement, which was rather a tiresome job but it came to light, fortunately.

I've never visited Milton Keynes Museum before. I went to the special event held over the weekend, the theme being World War 2, presumably because this year is the 80th anniversary of the start. A lot of stalls laid out with period merchandise as well as people in the uniforms of various military units, army, navy and R.A.F. At midday there was a fly-past, I'm not entirely sure what planes they were, but nonetheless it was quite exciting to see them and I managed to take a couple of photographs of them as I'd taken my Canon digital camera with me. In one of the sheds, the one that has agricultural machinery in it, there was a demonstration of war-time dance, presumably the jitterbug or something similar. Really good stuff. The whole place was heaving, when I arrived there was a queue to get in and when I left, there was still a queue.

I have now bought a FitBit. I had a cheap version of one of these, bought off Amazon. It was alright, up to a point, it measured the number of steps I took and connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth and it meant I had a running record of the distance I had walked through another app which came with the iPhone, but the strap broke recently. More precisely, the buckle came apart so it wouldn't join together when worn on my wrist. I did an on-line survey and was part of a forum for the Times and Sunday Times and I was paid with a £50 John Lewis voucher. I had originally intended using it to buy a food processor, but thinking about it I decided that I wasn't going to get much use out of it and that it would probably spend a lot of it's time in the cupboard, and when I went into John Lewis the other day I had a look at FitBits, and then went into the food mixer department and looked at the food processors and decided that a FitBit was more useful. I had to make up the price difference with my own cash and it was purchased. I had to upload the FitBit app on my iPhone to get the thing working as you have to upload the relevant software, but I couldn't get it to cooperate, so I rang the helpline and the lovely lady on the other end of the phone (surprised when it turned out she was in America, when she said 'Pacific Time.') and then managed to get the thing to upload the software and it was working within minutes.

On Tuesday I went to Camphill as usual. I can't believe it's six  months since I started volunteering there. The drama group are so lovely. They always ask me how I am and usually want to know how Alfie is and they know about Arthur, my third grandson. I show them photos of them both on my iPhone. Regardless of their disabilities, they always try their best in the drama workshop. It's quite moving when you come to think that some of them can't read, so Teo, the leader, has devised a method by which they can use a sign to suggest certain words and the dialogue is written in verse so it's easier to learn. We are still rehearsing the complete 'piece' which means more or less taking it to pieces and re-assembling it with the transitions between scenes. It shows them how different it is to making the video, where you stop and start, film from different angles and do re-takes to get the best take before the whole is assembled in the edit. The idea is that all the actors are sitting in a sort of arc around the stage and then enter for their particular scene. There are a couple of screens either side of the playing area which can be used for costume changes.

Teo has asked me if I'd be interested in working with several of the other volunteers to created a new drama piece. It's just that I haven't been involved with 'Stranger Danger' since it's beginnings (something like four years in the making, apparently.) and he thinks it would focus my abilities elsewhere if I get involved in creating a new piece of theatre. This will be separate from the 'Treasure Island' project, which we haven't worked on for several weeks.

As we've gone through the play, one of the volunteers has been taking notes, which will show all the new details, such as scene changes, rather like my job when I was a D.S.M. and had to note all the moves, scene changes, setting of props etc during rehearsals when I worked in stage management. Putting it directly into the spreadsheet software of the script (actually it makes so much sense, even though it would never occur to me to write a script using spreadsheet software, because you have several columns which allows for stage directions, or notes such as what goes where and who does what.) I have to say the two girls who are volunteers really throw everything they've got into the work with the drama workshop and are just so brilliant to work with.

In the afternoon, during the run-through of 'Stranger Danger' (which is really developing well. A lot more comedy is coming out and several of the volunteers and support staff are being involved, although none have speaking parts. Some help with scene changes, setting and striking props etc etc.) we had a visitor. I'm not entirely sure if I got his name right, but he was a runner-up in the ITV talent show 'The X Factor.' I can't remember his name. But he and his wife, who is American, run a business which helps with promotion for businesses such as theatre, and they say that they can help create a website for the Chrysalis Theatre and love how Camphill is run, the ethos behind it and the calm and friendly atmosphere. They were impressed by 'Stranger Danger' and the message it conveys.  Once they'd seen the rehearsal, coming in towards the end and then we ran it from 'The Top' so they saw the complete 'piece,' there was a question and answer session with the guys, and it was great for them to meet someone who they're likely to have seen in 'The X Factor' on television. Sorry I can't remember his name, but when I remember or I discover what it is, I'll post it on here.

History Festival and Changeable Weather

At last! Some sunshine. The big question, is it going to last?

Saturday morning. It's quite bright and sunny this morning. I managed to take Alfie out for his early morning walk. I just hope it's going to last as I don't want to be sitting around indoors all weekend.

I'd planned to go to the history festival which is on this weekend in Campbell Park. Actually very little advertising for this event which is surprising. I only knew because it's come up in my feed on Facebook, I think through Milton Keynes Museum, who are partners for the event. I knew it started at 11 a.m. and that I didn't want to get there too early. I think they realise that on a Saturday a lot of people don't get up early, so there's no practical point in opening up too early, so it makes sense to open a bit later, 11 o'clock being sensible. I drove in and parked where I parked when I went to see Les Miz the other week. I have an app on my mobile called Ring Go, which I've used on quite a few occasions. It saves having to have coins to pay when you park. I hadn't got any change so I was relying on it working. But when I got to my parking space, right behind the theatre, I couldn't get the app to work. It has been upgraded recently and there was no way it was going to work. It annoyed me because I'd made the effort to come into the centre of Milton Keynes specifically to visit the history festival. So I had to drive all the way back to Eaglestone and went to the shop, bought some sweets and paid with a £10 note and got change and then drove back and used some of the change to pay to park. I have to say I'm not impressed that the Ring Go app has failed. It seems a familiar problem, they have to upgrade these things, tamper with it. They work well enough but not after the upgrade.

I walked into the centre and then through towards Campbell Park. I crossed the main road via one of the footbridges but I should have used the one closer to John Lewis, but it didn't make a lot of difference. I could hear a man's voice on a Tannoy system, describing some event at the history festival site. As I approached I could see tents, flags and banners which gave a sort of fairground or even a sort of battle feel to the site and eventually came out in the midst to the enactor's tents and stalls, various periods  being presented by people in costume. In the centre of it all an arena for enactors to represent battles and other period displays, from Roman times up until the 20th century.

I stopped at one of the food outlets (for want of a better word) to have a coffee frappé. I really needed a drink by the time I trudge over from the carpark. It was quite a treck. Then down some steps into the amphitheatre area where there were tents with displays from a variety of organisations such as the National Trust, Stowe House Preservation Trust, Buckingham Old Gaol Museum and many others. I spent quite some time chatting to a variety of people on these stalls.

The next day, Sunday, I returned to the history festival after Church. I took my camera and managed to take a few photographs of the Sealed Knot doing a demonstration of the tactics used during the English Civil War. I posted several of them on Facebook. Unfortunately the weather changed. From being fairly bright and sunny it began to cloud over, so it was at that point I decided to leave and walk back to the car because I didn't want to get caught in a downpour.