October Fun?!

 Saturday. 8.30 a.m. I awoke at around 6:45, which must be the latest I've woken in goodness knows how long. We had the third Alpha Course session last evening at the Oaktree Centre, good conversations as we sat and ate our meal, which was chilli con carne. I went home and had a drink of hot Ovaltine and then took two of the Zolpidem tablets just before I settled down in bed. The next thing I knew, I was awake with light coming through the window and I realized it was morning. At least I didn't wake in the night and then lie awake with 'stuff' going around in my head. I only have a week's worth of these tablets, so I will have to wait and see what happens when the course has finished. I will contact the doctor to see what she recommends.

Friday. 7.15 a.m. If you are a regular who reads my blog on here, you will realize that I haven't posted anything for some time. I don't intend to close this blog down, but I won't post quite as regularly as I have done in the past, so please don't expect anything to be reported quite so often.

The weather is doing its 'thing', which is what you come to expect at this time of year. Having just returned from taking Alfie out, there is a chilly wind, which means I put on my red fleece.

5.00 p.m. I have two bank accounts, one with Nationwide, which is my main account, and the other is an online-only account with Starling Bank. I had saved some cash 'for a rainy day' with the Starling Bank but hadn't taken any cash out of it since setting it up earlier this year, but I decided that my Nationwide could do with topping up, particularly as we're approaching the end of the month and I need to make sure that there's enough cash to pay some direct debits which are due to come out soon.

I duly drove into the shopping centre, to use the Starling card in the A.T.M. outside the Nationwide branch. I had a P.I.N. which I used to get into the Starling app, but when I tried it in the A.T.M. it would not allow me to access my account. I attempted it again, and, as I eventually walked back to the car, I found another A.T.M., but still the card wouldn't work.

When I got home, I had a look at the card I had for Starling in my file box which has details of such things as passwords and I found that the A.T.M. P.I.N. was there, a different one to the app password. I went online on the Starling app and got the agent (via 'chat') to unlock the card. This meant I could then go back to the A.T.M. outside Nationwide and withdraw the cash which I had intended to do originally and transfer this cash to my Nationwide account. All this was done and the mission was accomplished.

Wednesday. 

Windy City!

Saturday. 11.20 a.m. I have a Nationwide Building Society account. Well, in actual fact I have two, one a current account and the other a savings account. I manage them via the Nationwide website and their app. This morning I wanted to check the balance of the current account, so I went onto the website. But I couldn't get into my account because the customer number wasn't saved. I can usually manage to get further and actually see my balance and check payments in and out, and the basic information is usually saved, meaning I didn't need to input the customer number associated with the account. I don't have it written anywhere, so I had no alternative but to go into the branch in the Milton Keynes central shopping centre. I managed to get the all-important customer number from a nice gentleman in the Nationwide branch and then went to wander around the shopping centre. Well, I had walked all that way in, so there was no point going home until I had achieved something.

Part-way around one side of the shopping centre, it occurred to me I ought to get some one-pound coins. You need one if you go shopping in some supermarkets, to allow you to use a trolley or to park your car, and so I went back to Nationwide and intended to take a £10 note out of the A.T.M. outside the branch. But it had an 'out of order' sign taped to it, so I went back inside to use another machine. With my £10 note clutched in my hand, I went to queue up at the tills, not something I am used to because I usually either use an A.T.M. or the website or app. On getting to a free window, I asked the nice lady behind the counter whether I could have my nice, crisp, clean £10 note changed into one-pound coins. I was, told, not unless I paid it into my account. This seemed somewhat nonsensical, but apparently, you now can merely expect to have your ready cash transformed into coinage without having an account (which I have.) So, this is what I did. She told me it was because they have to have a 'paper trail', which is certainly a new approach to this whole business. I didn't argue, and she went through the process of paying it back into my account, for which I had to sign (!) and then she took £10 of one-pound coins out of her till, put it into a plastic bag, and handed it to me. Job done, but what a load of unnecessary bother, even faff!

Sunday. 12.05 p.m. Due to taking the Piriton, which leave you feeling drowsy, I didn't go to church this morning and watched via Facebook and viewed on the Portal TV gadget which is connected to my Hitachi television set. No problem with the sound, and I could hear everything loud and clear, but the video was very blurry. I don't understand the technology, so I can't say why the picture was so low tech. It is generally fairly good quality. Probably has something to do with the speed of the wi-fi somewhere between Shenley and Oldbrook.

A Tropical Heatwave

Wednesday. 6.55 a.m. Bright and sunny again. Apparently, the weather is going to get hotter as the week progresses.

Students at Magdalen College in Oxford have voted to have portraits of H.M. Queen from various facilities removed within their college because they are considered colonial and racist. Do those students not realize that their college was probably established on the proceeds of slavery? We're back on 'cancel culture', which is attempting to remove all mention of colonial or slavery within society, whether it's statues of those who had a connection in some way or other, the first removal of a statue of some historic figure was Edward Colston in the city of Bristol.

Andrew Lloyd-Webber has said that he is quite prepared to go to prison if he can't reopen his West End theatres from 21st June, and to do so without social distancing being in place if the government doesn't restore further restrictions. He says he has scientific proof that the coronavirus isn't spread within a theatre setting. Mind you, I wouldn't fancy going to a theatre and being in the audience if I need to wear a mask. There is no evidence that they make a great deal of difference to being either infectious or spreading it to other people. You would have to wear a clean face mask and also one which is of a certain standard to be of any use to you. It is unlikely that people have clean masks and use them when there of this standard. As it is, when I wear one for any length of time, breathing in my hot breath can be really unpleasant and cause me to cough and it steams up my glasses. I reckon some people only wear them because they give them a sort of feeling of safety, even though it might be misguided. It seems odd that you can fly off on holiday in an aeroplane and be crammed in with other passengers (presumably full social distancing etc etc.), yet you can't go and sit in a well ventilated theatre and enjoy seeing a live performance (this includes other forms of performance, such as ballet, opera, rock music etc etc.) It does seem contradictory to my way of thinking and it doesn't show much sympathy for the performing arts by this government who just don't take it seriously, considering how much they earn for the economy. It's not just the actors and performers who have been put out of work due to lockdown, it's the ancillary jobs that have been effected, such as the wardrobe staff, hire companies who provide costumes and props, scenic builders, make-up, lighting and not forgetting stage management and front of house The there's the whole host of businesses which rely on people going to the theatre who go to restaurants, pubs and bars, or spend money in shops and tourist sites.  The same could be said of our thriving television and film production which is going on at the moment, and only just coming out of lockdown throughout the country. We seem to be very good when it comes to attracting big blockbuster films into Britain and using our facilities, such as Pinewood, Shepperton and Elstree Studios and all the ancillary jobs that go with the making of films, special effects, set building, lighting etc etc. So, if they are  restricted too heavily by lockdown, then that area of the economy is effected, not just financially, but their personnel are effected by mental as well as physical health problems.

Thursday. 4.45 a.m. I'm up out of bed. Alfie is in his bed near the window. I'm not sure if he's asleep, but he's happy curled up there. I have all the windows open in the flat. I have the kitchen door wedged open and with the windows open there is a through draught and as a result the kitchen is cooler by quite a considerable amount of degrees, so much so that I can go in there without it being like a sauna. I will leave the windows open as long as this heatwave goes on. I also have the tower fan on in the lounge.

Yesterday I did another market research session on Zoom for an agency I am signed up for, a focus group discussing ideas for a new television commercial. I won't mention any more as I have to be careful what I discuss away from the focus group. It's interesting being able to influence how something like a commercial before it goes into production. In the middle of all this my MacBook decided to turn itself off. For no good reason I can think of, and this has never happened before. It may have been to upgrade itself, although this usually happens after I have had a warning. I could not get it to start up immediately, so I had to transfer the Zoom session onto my iPad. I don't want to loose out on this sort of work as it pays well enough and the earnings are going into my savings account. I have decided to close the Metro account and transfer to one with the Nationwide, as my main bank is there. In fact, I have been with them for over 20 years. It means I can transfer money between accounts. The interest is virtually non-existent , but the money is really only there to separate it from the main current account. I managed to set up  this new account via the internet and I will go into the Metro and close that account and move the remaining cash in that account to the Nationwide savings account.

Waitrose Café, Service Slipping

I should have had a pension payment in my bank account this weekend. I have a fairly good idea when it should be paid, working backwards from the last payment by going on-line to my Nationwide account and it should be paid every four weeks. But I had checked on Friday and nothing and then Saturday, so I had to have a final look this morning, fairly early, before I took Alfie out for his walk. But, again, nothing. This has caused some stress, as you can imagine, what with bills to pay and the added stress of clearing out this house so I can move to the flat. Fortunately I have managed to save sufficient money in a savings account with Metro, which was intended for he purpose of buying a Yorkshire Terrier puppy which would eventually replace Alfie, not that I see him popping his clogs for a couple of years, hopefully. Also, I needed to have sufficient funds in my other account which is with NatWest and I knew I would have to cover that with a transfer from the Metro bank, but the account is only operational by taking your cash into a branch and having them transfer money from one to another in branch. Annoying that I have to do this, but there is no alternative and thinking about it, the rent payment will be the last to the landlord of this house before I vacate the property.

After church I came home to pick up the bank details necessary to do the transfer as describe above and then to drive to Oakgrove, a relatively short drive down Chaffron Way where there was a branch of the Metro Bank, fortunately open on a Sunday (one of the advantage of being with this bank is they open when the customer needs them and not necessarily to fit round their staff, which is how any business should be run. It's surprising how busy it gets there, what with cars coming into the carpark, which is down quite a steep incline and you have to be careful as you get to the bottom of the slope as there are barriers in the way which I imagine are there for just this purpose. Also, the Metro Bank was ram-raided some months ago and they've put bollards in front of the unit which I imagine are to prevent, or at least deter, further ram-raiding. Whether they would stop this sort of criminal activity is doubtful, because if criminals are determined enough they will just smash the wall of a building and then use whatever it takes to remove the A.T.M. (hole in the wall machine.) with a fork-lift truck or whatever. Anyway, once parked I walked to the bank and the business was done. They recognise me apparently because as soon as you give your details, there is a digital photograph of me on their computer screen to prove my identity. All done and dusted and then a walk along the pavement to Waitrose and a snack in their café. I ordered a hot chocolate with marshmallows, cream and sprinkles for a change from the standard latte as well as a cheese and ham toastie and something rather tasty called a 'Yum-Yum. Is this confection named after a character in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, 'The Mikado'? I have no idea, but it's worth a try speculating.

I seem to have stood in he queue for some time before a member of staff took my order. It wasn't that busy and when I eventually got my drink and Yum Yum I had handed over the cold ham and cheese toastie to the girl behind the counter for it to be heated, and then took my tray, together with the number 12 which was put on a stand, which would be placed on my table so when the toastie was ready the member of staff who bought it out would find me. I sat at the far end of the café and waited for the toastie to arrive. I drank what was a really lovely hot chocolate (with all the trimmings) and waited  . . . and waited . . . and waited, what seemed forever. It must have been 20 minutes later . . . that I went to the counter to tell the girl on the till that I hadn't yet received my toastie and said, under my breath, but someone must have heard me, that I would knock three stars off my Trip Advisor review when I wrote it (actually not done as I write this.) I returned to my table and waited . . . and waited. The toastie eventually arrived, by which time I had more or less lost interest in eating it, although I did eat it and then the rather delicious toastie. Then a member of staff arrived, and asked me if I would like a drink? I said, 'provided I didn't have to pay,' and I got a bottled apple juice, which I drank and it was tasty. I think this was offered as a sort of apology for the length of time I had waited. Waitrose, if they're going to have the café open on a Sunday, should sort the issue of staff, because there are obviously not enough to cover for the amount of customers they have on a Sunday. It can't be too difficult to recruit staff, or is it? Are some people just not going to lower themselves to do catering work, and on a Sunday? But that's not an excuse. They needed at least two more staff members behind the counter, one on the till, probably one making hot drinks and another, taking orders from customers further back in the queue if it's busy. That's how they seem to run the ship if you go to other similar eating establishments, such as Starbucks or Costa, so why not here at Waitrose? They have a good reputation and the food and drink is good, if a bit pricey, but that's what you expect in a John Lewis or Waitrose store. This business has quite a good reputation for service and quality, but this won't do it a lot of good. They will loose customers because as soon as such things a service slips people go elsewhere and it takes a long time to build that reputation back up again.

It's 'Ot!

Goodness gracious! It's a really hot day! I may actually get a chance to wear my new shorts which I bought in Marks and Spencers the other week! So, knees and other areas below will be on display, hopefully not too pale.

I had made a chocolate fudge cake last week and took it to the Mens' Breakfast on Saturday morning with the intention that we ate some of it, if not, all. I was looking forward to trying it out. After the disaster of the one I had made a few weeks earlier, I decided to follow one of Delia Smith's recipes and made the two sections and then made the chocolate fudge to cover the cake as well as the filling. It didn't get touched by any of the men and landed up being put in the fridge in the café area, basically to keep it chilled and out of harms way. I was then hoping (note: hoping!) to get a slice when I returned for Sunday service. It didn't appear and then I was told that it had been eaten by the women who came to the Ladies' get together which follows on after the Mens' Breakfast. To say I was shocked would be untrue! I was expecting some of the men to have a go at tasting, but not to expect the ladies to EAT ALL OF IT! Shocked, to say the least, and disappointed that I didn't get to sample it, although it was made to share and I never make cakes to sit and eat on my own. So from the fact that it was eaten entirely I am pleased as that was made for eating and not staring at! I shall have to make more, and not just cakes.

Anyway, regardless of that, I went to the Willen Hospice coffee morning in John Lewis's store in Milton Keynes. I haven't been for the past couple of weeks, last week was May Bank Holiday and what with one thing and another, just didn't manage to make it. A lovely lot of people, who've been through the similar experience as me with a loved one dying of cancer and being a patient at such an amazing place as Willen. During the morning some ladies from Willen presented the lady who is the liason officer for John Lewis who is responsible for having the coffee morning at Lewis's and she was presented with a certificate and a huge bouquet of flowers to thank her for her work.

I've been into the Nationwide Building Society's branch in the main shopping centre to check that my bank account is safe after the 'business' I had to endure regarding the scam last Friday. It would appear that it is safe, thank goodness. I then went to the NatWest to check my account there, and it is also fine. I did all this just to reassure myself that all is as it should be. The main reason for going to the Nationwide, which is the account I use most, was because they have frozen my debit card and will be issuing me with a new one. I now pay for parking using the RingGo app on my iPhone, but this morning, when I want to use it, my payment was declined so I had to walk into the shopping centre, take out some cash from an A.T.M. machine and go into the Metro bank to get change, £1 coins, which I used to pay for my parking ticket. I am assured that the new debit card will be sent to me by the end of the week.

I  then went into Marks and Spencer because I needed something to eat as it was fast approaching lunch time. I found a cheese and salad baguette near the entrance and a pack of Welsh cakes, which I have to admit I haven't eaten for goodness knows how many years. I then went to pay at a checkout and stood in line at one which was being operated by a young lady who clearly had a learning disability. I think she might have been moderately down syndrome, but seemed very capable. I'm so pleased that companies such as Marks and Spencer give these people a chance to prove themselves. She was busily chatting to customers as they were going through with their shopping. I only had a few items and handed over a £10 note, but she unfortunately keyed in her till for a £20 note and had to get assistance from a supervisor. It wasn't really a problem, and it just needed a bit of patience but she managed the situation very well.

Ninth Chemotherapy Cycle

Carol had to be at the oncology suite for 9 o'clock this morning. We had intended walking, but then decided that, as we had other things to do, we decided to drive. We had to go to Ashfield Medical Centre to discover whether the prescription for Carol was ready. Carol drove and I went in and fortunately not many people in he queue in front of me. A mother with two little girls ahead of me in the queue were having fun with the footprints painted on the floor, being able to stride onto each step, the older one had no problem, but the little, youngest one had to make a real effort. Good to see their mother interacting with them instead of fiddling with her smartphone. When I eventually reached reception, it wasn't clear whether the ordered repeat prescription was in the surgery or at Lloyd's in Sainsbury's. I went back to the car, where Carol was waiting, and she had to go back in to the surgery and, because she remembered which three medications they were. It then transpired that whatever it was had gone to Lloyd's. This is becoming so annoying, having to go through Ashfield to order medication and then not knowing whether Carol can have a particular medication and on top of that, where it is in the system. Our patience is at breaking-point and it's causing no end of stress as a result.

Our next stop was the hospital. Not a long drive, as it's relatively close to Ashfield, but there was quite a long queue along Saxon Street and back onto the Standing Way roundabout, another cause of stress as we'd barely given ourselves time to get from home to Ashfield and then on to the oncology suite at the hospital. The carpark near cardiology and oncology, where we normally park was, had plenty of spaces, so that was one less thing to get stressed about and the  entrance barrier was raised, so no ticket. No great bother, the thing is almost always out of order. I know we don't have to pay as Carol is on chemotherapy, but even so it is annoying to have to go through the process of having the tickets clipped in the Macmillan unit. On arrival in oncology is was beginning to get busy. One lady who came to sit opposite was at the beginning of her chemotherapy. She was having some sort of cap-arrangement set up to wear on her head. Carol said it was something that they use which is supposed to help prevent a patient's hair being lost as a result of chemotherapy. She suddenly went limp, and she fell backwards in her chair. As if from nowhere, a whole host of nurses and doctors appeared to deal with what was probably an epileptic fit, or seizure, or diabetic reaction to the treatment. We moved out the way, as they began to draw the curtains around her and it seemed only decent to not be party to the doctors speedy intervention. So we transferred to chairs around the corner to let them get on with their job. It wasn't long before Carol was seen, her blood test carried out and we were out of the unit and driving out of the hospital carpark. I'm just impressed by the speed of the doctor and nurses getting to the poor lady's reaction to whatever it was. No doubt she had an underlying health issue. It just goes to show how well trained and efficient the staff in that unit are and how quickly they came to that lady's aid. It makes you feel far more confident that, if something was to happen to Carol or even myself, with my heart issues, you would be dealt with in a very professional manner. Everyone knew exactly what to do in an emergency.

We had to go into the main Milton Keynes shopping centre because I had a cheque that needed paying in to my Nationwide account and Carol said she would like a coffee and something to eat. So we parked in Debenham's multi-storey carpark and we walked down through the store and out into the main shopping mall. First off, we walked to Pret-A-Manger and ordered lattes and croissants. Mine an almond one and Caro's a chocolate one. Good customer-service, a nice clean store and the girl who served us very friendly and gave eye-contact. Nice to be able to sit and relax after the experience of the hospital, and the fact that things regarding chemo going well. Hopefully by Thursday we should know when Carol will have her operation and more, the radiotherapy which will be done in Oxford.

We walked into the main shopping centre. Got to Nationwide and paid the cheque in via one of their self-service machines. How does the thing know how much the cheque is for? How is it able to read the printing and then allow you to see a sort of image of the cheque on the video screen and then print it onto your receipt? What I want to know is, why does it take so long for a cheque to clear? It used to be no more than three working days, so why does it now take at least a week? You'd think, what with modern technology, it would be shorter. I know that most people use contactless payments, chip-and-pin and other technology to pay for things as well as having money paid by B.A.C.S., so I can see no reason for it to take so long to clear. Just a little moan, I know.

Carol wants to replace a  silver chain which has a silver chain and pendant I gave her a couple of Christmases ago, but unfortunately the silver is tarnishing and she said she would like a replacement. It has a 'tree of life' design on it. We went into several jewellers to try and find a replacement. In one we were shown into a sort of lounge-area, where one of the sales assistants was quite helpful and went out of his way to find what Carol was looking for, but the price was more than we wanted to pay. He did a reasonably good job, but I think he was on commission so was going to be over-assertive to get a sale.  There are far too many jewellers in the shopping centre. How on earth do they survive when there is so much choice? No wonder that assistant was so assertive. We eventually went to another store and Carol got what she wanted. Not such a pushy sales assistant.

We walked along the mall and went to the Disney store. Why has their stuff become so cheap and tacky? They used to have far more quality things on offer, particularly from their classic period, collectable things as well as books on the 'making of' their animation in particular. Why no Henson stuff, particularly from The Muppets' which are owned now by Disney? Nothing that you'd buy for an adult, something with the original designs from the 'golden age' of the studio. It's a pity that Disney owns so much, from the Muppets to Marvel and 'Star Wars,'  as well as Pixar. Just becoming a conglomerate with far too much power. Why do they have to keep re-making their classic movies? Just a bit lazy to keep on re-hashing stuff. I think Walt Disney would have a fit if he knew what they've done to his studio. Just a pity that their films seem to be just an excuse for a load of merchandise. It should be 'story first,' 'quality movies' and then merchandise as s spin-off. Just a pity that the moves are, in essence, now just glorified advertising. Just love the hand-drawn animation from the 'Golden Age,' but some of the modern stuff isn't up to much. Pixar is the best at computer animation, but they shouldn't keep doing sequels to their best movies, such as 'Toy Story.'

A further walk towards Boot's. In the oncology suite, the nurse who had taken Carol's blood somehow over-looked the tube gauze she is supposed to have to cover the cannula she has for her chemotherapy. I was somewhat concerned that it might get knocked or even pulled off, even though it was taped on fairly securely. So we bought a roll of it, having to ask at the counter for scissors to cut of enough to cover her arm. We then went out of the store, having paid, and sat on a bench so she could pull it over her arm. Then on to W.H. Smith to buy a couple of notebooks and then a walk home towards Debenham's and up the escalator to the carpark and then to Sainsbury's to collect the medication that had been made up from the prescription.

On arriving home we had two parcels delivered. One had been left in the meter cupboard when we were out, a Regatta jacket I ordered from their website. A really good bargain as it was originally around £60 but bought for £25.50. A softsshell jacket, lightweight but very efficient to keep out the cold and wind resistant. It is so designed that it can be packed up into a small space and ideal to take away when we go out and might need a jacket if it's cold. Unlikely at the moment, as it's quite warm. Although, saying that, compared with the weekend, it's quite a few degrees colder so it was necessary for me to wear my fleecy top I bought in Dobbies a few months ago.

The second parcel was from Amazon, a set of head scarves for Carol to wear on her head when undergoing chemotherapy.

Frosty and Sunny

I went outside early this morning to put the rubbish out. It was reasonably mild, but there was ice on the car's windscreen. As the day progressed we had a certain amount of sun, but not a great deal. 

I've mentioned the trouble I've had attempting to order a binder for my collection of BBC History Magazines. I went on-line to order the said binder, and I was expecting the thing to turn up within about 2-3 weeks. I rang their call centre and I was told that they couldn't see a payment having gone through on their system. I have seen that the payment must have gone through as it shows up on my bank statement. I went into the local branch of Nationwide on Monday and was given a phone number to ring for their Visa Disputes department. I spent at least an hour yesterday attempting to get through, but just got a recorded message telling me that 'all our agents are busy.' In the end I gave up, but this morning I gave it another go and after about ten minutes I got through and then passed on to someone who was going to deal with the problem. They gave me what was called an 'acquirer number' and was told that, if I rang the call centre I gave them this number and it should help rectify the situation. This I did, and the operator then said they would need proof of the payment. I photographed the on-line statement showing the payment and emailed it to the operator I spoke to. I'm hoping that this should resolve the problem and I await the delivery of the aforementioned binder. What a lot of effort and fuss caused by all this, but never mind. It just goes to show that not all I.T. is what it's cracked up to be.

Bright, Sunny but Chilly

We have snow on the ground, but the sun is out and it's quite a pleasant morning. Let's hope the snow thaws and things begin to warm up a bit.

I've been out to the Milton Keynes main shopping centre. I parked near The Point (although, in all honesty, it's in an appealing state. Can nobody do something to it, restore it, or just demolish it? It seems a waste of a building, which could surely be used for something. Considering it's a sort of iconic structure, which almost represents Milton Keynes, you'd think something could be done with it.) It may be bright and sunny, but there was a chill wind blowing as I walked from the car into Midsummer Place. I had a browse in Waterstone's. They always have tables with books on, almost directly inside the door as you enter. Almost always have offers, such as 'buy one, get one half price.' Very tempting, but in the end I didn't pick up anything and buy it. I think that's the idea; once you've touched a product, you sort of 'own it,' so you then buy it. I went upstairs to the history centre and there are quite a few books that I will buy in the future, whether from Waterstone's or Amazon, I don't know. As we have Amazon Prime, we get free postage and packing, so it's generally cheaper to buy from them. I know it seems unfair on some 'bricks-and-mortar' bookshops, but if they're going to survive they'll have to make it more attractive to shop there as well as lowering their prices. I must say the Waterstone's in Midsummer Place has been upgraded quite successfully. They have a new coffee shop on the ground floor, whereas they used to have a branch of Costa coffee on the upper floor. Now there seems more shelf space and they also did away with Paperchase (much to Carol's dismay as she's a fan of that companies stationary items.) The new owners of Waterstone's have obviously realised that the stores needed a well-needed facelift to meet 21st shopper's requirements.

I was in real need of refreshment. I had considered the coffee shop in Waterstone's but having looked at the food on offer I gave it a miss. I walked through the main shopping centre. I walked the full length of the mall and then down the opposite walk-way. I had a glimpse in The Works (always good for a bargain book or two.) but nothing appealed. I went into Nationwide Building Society, because I had attempted to order a binder for my set of BBC History Magazines, but for some odd reason the order has not gone through, although the £7 has registered on my statement. When I rang to query this they did not have it shown on their system. I will have to ring and order the binder again and in Nationwide I was given a number to ring to get a refund of the £7. I don't understand what has happened and why things haven't gone as they should have.

Having walked back towards Midsummer Place, I decided to go into Marks and Spencer to have a break in their café. Not too much of a queue, which was preventing me going to several other outlets, such as Cafe Nero, opposite John Lewis. I had a decent latte, ham and cheese sandwich and a piece of Bakewell tart, and then went to have a browse in the men's clothing department and then back down to the main shopping mall. Just as I was walking past the second Waterstone's store I was aware of a male security guard chasing someone along the mall. I couldn't see who he was following, but as I got to about Starbuck's I saw a group of other security personnel. They approached this woman who was carrying a back-pack. She seemed more than a little reluctant to comply with their demands. I wasn't sure where she had been apprehended (no doubt shop-lifting). I wasn't going to hang about to find out, and didn't know whether she was searched to find out what she had lifted. Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to ascertain whether she had paid for whatever it was, proof of purchase being required, such as a receipt, or C.C.T.V. footage of her lifting whatever it was. But she appeared to be in something of a bad temper with the security personnel, shouting and making a scene. I still don't know what the outcome of this incident was and wasn't over-keen to find out. I always think in such circumstances it's probably best to not get too involved as it can only lead to problems. But it was quite eventful when it lasted.

I returned to the car and drove first to Sainsbury's for some shopping and then home.

I have a fitness tracker. Not a Fitbit. It measures the number of footsteps taken as well as heart rate, as well as other measurements. Carol got one off Amazon and I decided to get one myself. Having walked the full length of the shopping centre, down one side and back along the other, I did over 3000 steps. My heart rate comes out at around 60-70 beats a minute. It links up to my iPhone with an app so you can see your progress or otherwise.

It looks as if the snow has gone completely, although, saying that, there were a few stray patches I saw along the side of the road driving back to Eaglestone.

Eerie Birds, Building Sheds and Banks

I had to go into the main Milton Keynes shopping centre this morning. I was going to NatWest to close down some direct debits we had for things we no longer needed. It's always a good idea to review such things in an attempt to save some cash. I had parked the car near The Point and as I walked towards the shopping centre I could not help but notice a large amount of big black crows sitting in the trees. I'm not one to take notice of omens, but it was similar to the famous Hitchcock film 'The Birds.' I suppose they are used in film to present something ominous about to happen and are a bit of a cliché in that respect, but for all that they are rather scary.

I was far to early to get into Nationwide building society and I had to sit outside as the shutters were down. A good excuse to check my emails on my new iPhone. I wasn't in there too long and sorted out some direct debits on that account and then had to cross the road to visit the NatWest bank which is under the Milton Keynes Council offices. Unfortunately they weren't due to open until 10.00, so I had to go away and waste a good 20 minutes in the shopping centre. A lot of new work going on in the centre, it's being up-graded with new entrances and given a real smart look. I suppose it must be a good 40 years old and was certainly beginning to look it's age. 

The toilets ar being up-graded. Not such a bad thing I suppose. Then I walked back to the NatWest and found them open, but I then had to queue up for a good 10 minutes. The door squeaked horribly and it was annoying as I stood and waited. You'd think they could get an oil can out and give it a squirt, just to stop the irritating noise, but never mind. The place is gradually being taken over by automation. You can take money out via 'hole-in-the-wall- machines, or A.T.M.'s, but you can also pay money in, cheques as well as notes. So the job of tellers must be on the line. I suppose it gives you an alternative to standing in line to pay in by the traditional method, and they aren't that difficult to use. They can even give a receipt, a copy of a cheque if you pay in that way. Both my banks have them now. How on earth they manage to read the cheque without you having to key in the amount is beyond me. Just goes to show how clever technology is becoming.

Our dearly-beloved neighbour is making hammering noises once again. Over the last weekend we had to contend with him working on his new shed. Well, I call it 'new' in the sense that it's new to the garden next door, but from viewing it from our bedroom window and slight glimpses when I've looked over the fence, it looks ancient. I can't for the life of me think where he got it. Someone else no doubt wanted to be rid of it and he took it off them. Then I'm wondering, how on earth did he get it here? Was it taken apart and then re-assembled in next door's garden? That can be the only answer, but we never saw any of this work. But now he's nailing wood all over the thing as the edge of the roof was somewhat rotten, or at least that's how it looked to me. The whole of their garden looks for all the world like a building site, with bricks, wood and other material stacked up all over the place. No doubt Shelley (Gary's wife) got sick to death of all his tools and bits and pieces and told him he needed a shed to store it all. Which is my only suggestion. Unfortunately it is us who have to contend with the hammering and other extraneous noises as he builds the confounded thing.

Terribly Temperamental Technology

I have mentioned in an earlier post on here that we have a young lady staying with us on a temporary basis, Kendra, who has come from Canada to be an English teacher at Milton Keynes Academy. She came last Saturday. She has to open a bank account, as she doesn't have a British account and has been to Lloyd's Bank in Central Milton Keynes and had an appointment at 1 p.m. this morning to set the account up. Carol and I did our weekly shop in Morrison's this morning and then came home to unpack. We then took Kendra and left her at the bank as we wanted to visit Staples, the stationary store, giving us time to go there to buy some pens for Carol's work and then drive back to Lloyd's. It didn't appear to take too long and Kendra now has to wait to receive her bank card etc in the post, using our address until she can find more permanent accomodation. She had given us some cash as rent and we wanted to put it in our Nationwide account. So Carol dropped me off outside the shopping centre while I went inside the branch. The door from the street where we could park was not in use, so I had to walk through into the main arcade and enter there. Quite a long way round and it was extremely busy with shoppers. Once inside the branch I found that none of the tills were open and the only way to pay in the cash was through one of their machines. I have used one of these to pay in cheques (a virtually redundant form of payment thes days as most payments from a bank account is made using a debit card with 'chip and PIN.' There were queues at both machines, so I just had to wait in line for other people to use it. One person ahead of me was being given instructions by a member of staff on how to use the machine. Very easy, actually. You don't need your PIN, just put in your debit card and then use the 'touch' screen and follow the instructions. Only thing with a cheque is getting it the right way round in the slot otherwise the machine just spits it out until you get it the correct way round. I suppose it's so the technology can 'read' the cheque, managing to get the amount and your name and bank sort code etc etc and at the end of the procedure copying all the details onto your receipt to prove that you have put cash or a cheque into your account through this form of paying-in.

As I had a bundle of £20 notes, I had to individually insert them into the machine through the slot. It was a painfully slow process and not all the notes would go in correctly and some got 'spat' out by the machine so I had to re-insert them. You had to keep pressing the appropriate 'button' on the screen as the individual notes were put into the machine. There was quite a queue behind me, but there was no way on Earth I could speed the process up any more. It seemed that the machine could go no faster. Anyway, anyone who has read earlier posts on this blog will know very well I have a rather strange relationship with such technology, such as talking lifts, and in particular the moving walkway at Sainsbury's which keeps on telling you to 'hold the handrail and be prepared to push your trolley off the walkway.' So, it's nothing new to have to deal with the idiotic machine in Nationwide. I have to say I'm not over-impressed that they don't have staff on the tills on a Saturday morning. If they will insist having this sort of technology in their branches instead of having humans on tills to take your cash, they could at least make sure it works a good deal faster, because the rate it was taking my cash I think I would have seriously got annoyed and given the horrible machine an almighty punch or kick if I wasn't a patient sort of individual.

When we'd collected Kendra we had to drive over to Great Holm, the next 'grid' over from where we used to live at Crown Hill. She went to view a house which she may possibly be sharing with several other teachers from the Academy. We went in to have a look ourselves and it seemed a very spacious property, although it looked as if the former tenants hadn't made much effort to clean the place when the left. She has to see another property in Oldbrook, which might be better as it will be far closer to work as she doesn't have a car and it would be quite a journey there and back each day if she was to live in Great Holm.

Faulty Technology

I do a number of 'on-line' surveys and get paid for doing them. Some you accrue points which can be used to convert into vouchers for a number of well-known retail outlets, or they can be converted into Amazon points. I have managed to get quite a few items from Amazon, books, a digital watch, an external hard-drive for the iMac, as well as managing to get a microwave, an electric iron and a mini DVD player as well as a Sony e-reader from Argos and Curry's. I had a cheque to pay into my Nationwide account come in the post on Saturday and decided to go into the city centre to pay it into the account. The branch has a couple of automated machines that allow you to pay in cash, cheques as well as the usual A.T.M. functions found on most other 'hole-in-the-wall' machines. I put in my cashcard and pressed the relevant keys in order to pay in the cheque. I put the cheque in the slot as indicated, to have it immediately rejected and spat out unceremoniously. I had thought that I had managed to put it in the slot in the correct way, as indicated by the illustration shown on screen. But again it was rejected. It grabbed the cheque in a very brisk fashion. Can't they programme a machine to at least have a few manners? Doesn't seem they can. I attempted this action several more times, much to the amusement of the lady who was waiting to use the thing behind me. I then decided, when the cheque was thown back at me for around the sixth time to give up on the whole process, and was about to queue up to use the traditional method of payment, through a human being behind a desk (the whole purpose, supposedly, of having the automated system would have been to cut down on having to queue.) I went to another machine the other end of the banking hall, and this one worked perfectly, without a single hitch. How can one machine be so difficult, and the other work perfectly? What particularly annoyed me was that none of the Nationwide staff who where nearby made any effort to help resolve the problem with the machine. I was always under the impression that their staff were quite helpful, so this has really changed my view of them.