Still Going Strong!

Saturday. 8.15 a.m. Well, can't believe I'm still writing these blog posts. This will be the number 1,873. I know a great deal of what I write is waffle, boring and a lot of it is mere trivia, but it has kept me busy and, when I started it back in around 2011, I would never have imagined that it would be going so many years later.

It's fine and sunny this morning, as I type this. Not sure how warm it is outside, but I shall find out soon enough, as I'm going to Sainsbury's soon to buy milk and one or two other items I need.

9.55 a.m. It is actually quite warm out. I've only just come back from Sainsbury's. The travelator is working on the downside, although it is making some unpleasant noises. The wretched voice which tells you to get ready to push your trolley off as you approach the bottom is not working. I hope it isn't merely having a rest or gone away on holiday, as it is really annoying.

Monday. 6.15 a.m. Where did Sunday go? I went to church as usual. It was Palm Sunday yesterday. There's something called 'Messy Church in the afternoon, which is aimed at children and families. I've never been involved, so I don't know enough about it.

I woke up a good deal later than normal. Which meant that Alfie didn't go out as early as he usually does. 

It's light outside as I write this. Spring is definitely here.

I have mentioned this before, but around this time of year, near Carol's birthday, I have daffodils in the flat as a sort of memorial to my lovely late wife. I got several bunches in Sainsbury's and put them in two vases, one on each side of my television. They start off with their buds tightly closed, but over time they gradually open, and I have the full glory of them. The past couple of bunches have started to open, but then they don't fully open and they die. I can't understand why they don't why they don't open fully. The current bunches aren't actually daffodils. I think they are narcissi. They are more star-shaped, with an orange centre.

Tuesday. 5.25 a.m. Oh dear! It's really the last thing I want at this early hour. The fire alarm is going off. I have taken Alfie out, but he doesn't like it, and neither do I. He has gone into my bedroom. I suppose I'll have to endure the confounded noise for the next hour until the fire engine arrives, and the thing is switched off. I suspect someone in one of the flats within Dexter House has burnt their toast or something, which set the alarm off.

I've bought a new Fire Stick. The old one, which I've had for quite a while, probably 4-5 years, is not now up to the job. It doesn't have enough memory and it's become slow. This new one has a far larger capacity, and a few more bells and whistles. It was at a reduced price in the Amazon sale, and I got it around half price. I ordered it yesterday morning, about 7 o'clock, and it arrived at about 6.30 p.m. It was easy enough to set up and get all my apps working.

5.35 a.m. Thank goodness! The fire alarm has been turned off. I'm not sure, but someone came to switch the wretched thing off. Not sure if a fire engine came. If it did, I didn't hear it.

Wednesday. 7.40 a.m. A bright and sunny morning, but chilly.

10.25 a.m. Been to Sainsbury's . . . . again! I know, I do seem to spend quite a lot of my time shopping in there. I'm just trying to buy stuff for only a few days. We used to have a sort of habit of stocking up for about a month or so, which is what any supermarket wants you to do. I don't see the point myself. For a start, I don't have space for a month's worth of food.

2.20 p.m. I have been to Boots Opticians to get my eyes tested. The appointment was booked for 12.10. I got to the store in plenty of time, having made sure I could park the car and then walk through to the shopping centre. I got to Boots and had to sit and wait for about 20 minutes. A lot of new technology is used to check for various eye conditions. I don't like the one where they shoot a puff of air into your eye, but it went well enough. Also, one (which is an additional check, which you pay for.) has something to do with a 3D scan (not sure how it works.) Having an interest in archaeology helps explain the way it probably works. They can scan objects, such as vases, buildings, furniture etc etc., and then a 3D model can be produced, either on a computer screen or can be used to 'print' a 3D model. Anyway, no real problems with my eyes, except for slight deterioration due to my age, which I suppose is to be expected.

Once the eye test was completed, I had to choose glasses frames and have two pairs made up of lenses, one with Transitions lenses, which become darker when you go into bright sunlight. My current glasses have these lenses. Also, scratch-resistant surfaces on glasses, which is always worth having. Anyway, the glasses will be ready to collect in a week.

Time and Time Again!

Friday.7.00 a.m. I woke a lot later than usual, so it took me longer to get going. You know what I mean, not exactly 'with it', but, there again, not 'without it', either. Alfie barked and made a strange noise, which sounded as if he had bronchitis. Not his usual loud barking, but we still managed to get outside.

Friday. 8.20. Another bright, but not necessarily warm, morning. 

Yesterday morning I had a bit of survey work to do. I do many of these online, and I've earned quite a bit in either cash or vouchers, mostly Amazon vouchers. This was actually done in a place in the centre of Milton Keynes, Margaret Powell House. (Incidentally, who was or is Margaret Powell? Her name seems to pop up all over the place around Milton Keynes. I will have to do some research and then let you know here.) Anyway, this session was to test pizza (I'm not going to go into any more detail than that.) There were quite a few other people signed up, and we were given pieces of pizza to taste and then evaluate via a survey done online (as most of these are done.) It took around an hour, and I've been paid with a £20 Amazon voucher, which came in an email earlier this morning. I participated in two online communities during the past week, one on insurance and another on pet food. Again, I won't give any more details than that. I have done several of these, where you spend a week or a few days discussing things, uploading videos or photographs and answering questions. I am still waiting for payment for both of these, but I trust they will send me my vouchers within the next week or so.

I have been looking for a new digital camera that will not only take still photographs, but also video. It seems that these cameras have developed to such an extent that the quality is incredibly good. I bought a Canon digital camera at the time I officially retired, as a sort of present to myself. It is good, but being over seven years old, it is somewhat limited. It will take digital video, but I haven't really tried it out to push it to its full potential. Now there are people who vlog, that is, upload videos to YouTube. I have watched a lot of this material and can show it on my  Hitachi HD television by using an Amazon Fire Stick.   I have looked at Canon and Sony digital cameras, some come as part of a kit, whereby you get a camera, but also a microphone, a special light and a tripod, so you are more or less ready to shoot 'out of the box.' 

I have since found that you can have a similar kit for your mobile phone, which comes with a mini tripod which allows you to attach your phone and connect a small LCD light and microphone. So, I found one on Amazon, the brand being Rode, a reputable brand and I ordered it, and it was delivered yesterday evening. I have to say, when you buy on Amazon, particularly this type of item, you are inundated with a vast array of similar items, not just the more reputable brands, such as Rode. There is the temptation to buy a cheaper, possibly, unknown brand, which, once you receive it, turns out to be of very cheap quality, most likely made in China, and not up to scratch. They seem to think it's fine to make an inferior copy of a reputable brand, without any respect for patents or copyright. You then discover that it doesn't deliver on quality in any area, and probably fails miserably, probably falling apart after only a couple of uses, probably because they cut corners and use poor quality materials. The Rode vlogger kit I ordered seems made of quality materials and engineered to high standards.

As with so much of what you buy these days, the instructions you get are very basic. In some cases, if you go on YouTube, you can find a video which gives good instructions on how to set up most gadgets. I managed to put the Rode vlogger kit, but not to complete it. But this morning I found out how to finish it and I'm more than pleased with it. Now to do some filming. I'm not sure what as I write this.

Earlier in the week, my FitBit failed. At first, I thought it hadn't got enough power, but the screen went like an old-fashioned television, with lots of lines and the clock face showing up behind these lines. It just wasn't going to resolve itself, so I went on the FitBit website. I wasn't entirely sure whether it had been registered, but I discovered I had bought it back in February, having got it through the Argos website and, fortunately, there was a record. I didn't have a paper receipt. I got on the live 'chat' and the agent told me I could have a replacement. So I filled out my address via an email I was sent and will now await the replacement's delivery. But now I am without any sort of wristwatch because I have been using the FitBit's time-keeping facility and I don't know where my red Casio G-Shock wristwatch has gone.

It's A Scorcher!

It's been warm for the past few days. Supposedly at one point one of the days there were reports of one of them being the hottest on record. I don't mind it being sunny and bright but when it gets too hot then I don't like it. In fact, it's dangerous particularly if you have a heart condition which I have. It's just best to remain indoors and drink plenty, which I have been. Alfie can't manage heat, so we make a good pair. At night he can never find anywhere to lay to keep cool. I keep the windows open and the electric fan on.

(Tuesday) I had to really think which day of the week it was! The lockdown has blurred every day into one and because of this it's difficult to even think which day it is. I should be at Camphill, in the drama workshop, but I haven't been there since late March. I have absolutely no idea when I will be allowed back.

The heat has made life really difficult, as you might imagine. The kitchen has been overrun with flies, a sort of plague you might even say. I couldn't stand being in there and I have no idea why there are so many, so I had to get a fly killer stray from Barbara, S.H.O, of Dexter House and after a few blasts it worked, than goodness.

I have bought an Alexa Dot smart speaker. I already had Alexa on my Fire Tablet and Fire TV Stick, but I made the jump to purchasing one of these artificial intelligence gadgets. I was amazed at how easy it was to set up. It joined my wifi without any problems and once I'd downloaded the Alexa app onto my iPhone and iPad it was relatively easy to integrate it into my system. When it was first set up, Alexa's voice had an American accent, but once I had my address and Postcode in the system, her voice changed to an English accent!

(Wednesday) As warm as ever. We're supposed to get rain today. I do hope so as it's getting really uncomfortable.

(Thursday) It did rain. I think I might have been asleep. Even so, it was over very quickly.

Today is over-cast. After several nights when it's been difficult to sleep, it makes a change that it's a good deal cooler. As I write, it's raining. I have a feeling it thundered earlier but not entirely sure. I have the window open and Alfie is laying on the sofa near me. Asleep and awake. He doesn't like warm weather.

(Friday) It's another overcast day. Quite damp and dreary as we walked towards Oldbrook Green. Alfie came back somewhat damp. Not really raining, but nevertheless, damp due to the mist/fog.

(Monday) Still not a great deal to write about. It's a good deal cooler and we had an almighty rain storm at around 3 o'clock. It was stair-rods, so I couldn't take Alfie out as usual, but the storm soon passed and we went out for our by now routine jaunt around Oldbrook Green.

Social Isolation

(Sunday)A weird sort of world we're currently living in. Government advise is that we should all go into a sort of hibernation whilst the coronavirus is rampant around the world. We didn't have church this morning, but instead Ross and his wife Joy did worship inline via Facebook. After some considerable effort I managed to watch using my Fire Stick plugged into my HD television, and I must say it was an interesting experiment and the quality of the picture and sound was excellent, as was the teaching. Alfie got and extra walk, because of me not going to church as I usually do at around 8.40.

It looks as if those who are vulnerable, and as I have already said, I will have to remain in isolation for 12 WEEKS! I know it's serious, having had two heart attacks, but being stuck indoors for that length of time is going to be really difficult. I'm not sure about doing grocery shopping, because I can do that on-line. What happens when the delivery arrives? Do they leave the groceries on the doorstep? Will I need to have gloves to handle the bags of groceries? Then, what about other on-line deliveries, such as from Amazon? Also, what about mail? The postman is going to be as much at risk of infection as any other person who delivers parcels, whether it be books, clothing, food or whatever.
Then there's my repeat prescriptions. I can make the order on-line, as I have done for the past couple of months and I usually get a text message from Lloyd's in Sainsbury's, which means I can then go to Sainsbury's in Witan Gate to collect the order. Will Lloyd's deliver to me, direct. (It's not far. Within walking distance, which takes no more than 10-15 minutes.

(Monday) I have been looking at the government's official website where a lot of information is explained and it would appear that I'm not vulnerable, which I was expecting to be, having had a heart condition. Regardless of this, I still intend to be socially isolated, however difficult  it is likely to be (actually not that difficult, because since Carol died my life has become quite considerably more isolated as I don't do anything which we used to do on a regular basis, visiting National Trust properties for example. So it shouldn't be too difficult. It is, nevertheless, rather confusing. I have enough food for at least two weeks. All I really need is stuff like fruit, which I eat a lot of, easy-peel tangerines or satsumas, apples, bananas and probably those tubs of prepared pineapple which I love. Probably eating all this fruit has partially been responsible for my low cholesterol. Also, milk and potatoes.

There are many people who have simply not taken the government advice about social distancing and isolation. Yesterday apparently many outdoor places, such as parks, gardens and beauty spots were very crowded and it's clear that nobody adhered to the 2 meter distance from people. Why is this? Don't they realise that all this is serious, or are they merely selfish? It's the same with those people who panic buy and stock up on things like toilet rolls and then most likely just hoard them. I have been attempting to buy liquid hand soap, the sort that comes in handy pump bottles. Not a single one can I find anywhere, having looked in Sainsbury's and then at supermarket websites as well as Boots, Superdrug as well as Lloyds. Another case of selfishness. As long as I'm right, I don't care about anybody else.

(Tuesday) So, the government has now bought in tougher controls. The police can now arrest those who don't comply with guidelines. It's tough, but unless it's done, then this pandemic will never be bought under control. Whatever your political views, it must be difficult for Boris Johnson. Whatever he does will be criticised. He can't do right whatever is decided. He needs support and not get a lot of criticism.

I'm at home again today and not going to Camphill as I normally would on a Tuesday. I don't want to do this, but I know it's absolutely necessary. I really miss the guys in the drama workshop. I trust I'm able to return soon rather than later, but it obviously depends on how quickly this pandemic is bought under control.

Technical Problems and Medication

I've been having technical problems with my Panasonic Freeview set-top box. I think I've mentioned that I replaced Sky with Freeview. It made sense, because I didn't get the best value from their service and it was costing quite a bit for the privilege of having their service, and Freeview is, well, free. The new set-top box has been working perfectly successfully, but they keep on upgrading the software (I presume that's what it does, you keep getting messages to do this and then when you try to find channels, they have moved them around or added new ones. Somewhat annoying.) But after one up-grade, for some reason or other the box wouldn't connect by wi-fi to the internet router, which meant that I couldn't use the catch-up facility which it has, so couldn't use BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub and all the other similar services.  No amount of fiddling with the various settings would re-connect to the router. I have now got it working again, not connecting via wi-fi, but by connecting a cable to the box and plugging it in to the router. The cable purchased from Amazon and ordered on Thursday and delivered yesterday evening. One of the advantages of having Amazon Prime, you get next-day delivery on virtually all that they sell. The Freeview box is now working as it should and I'm enjoying watching a lot of archive material on the BBC iPlayer.

I recently up-graded my Fire Stick to one which now has Alexa voice control. This was bought for half-price during Amazon's Black Friday period, so it seemed a good enough excuse to get one. Not only do you get the range of video material but by using Alexa you can have games, which are voice-operated. I was surprised how easy it was to set up and get running. I'm really glad that I bought this when I did.

I have mentioned that I had been prescribed Sertraline and Temazepam. The first is a anti-depressant and the second is a sleeping tablet. I took the Temazepam for only a couple of nights but found that there were unpleasant side-effects. I don't think it helped me sleep, even though I had a hot bath and a hot-milky drink before going to bed. I still wake at around 4a.m. and was then unable to return to sleep, but the next morning I felt really nauseous and got horrible shakes, which didn't go off completely until around midday. I stopped taking it a day or two before I was due to drive to Worcester for Christmas, because I don't think I would have been safe to drive the car.

Later. I took Alfie out for his usual early-morning walk, walking along Strudwick Drive and across Oldbrook Boulevard and I couldn't help seeing 'that woman' who stands in the road stopping cars and asking for money. This must be the sixth time I've seen her. I was keen to get back to Dexter House without the possibility of her stopping me or even following me back. She's dressed the same way as she has been before, tidily dressed, wearing dark trousers or leggings, a short top, like a bomber jacket, has short-copped hair, mousy-coloured, aged mid 40's early 50's, height around 5' 8. When I got back to the flat I rang 101 and told the Police of this woman, because I'm concerned for her safety, either getting run over or even stabbed by someone (unfortunately these things happen.) She must live somewhere nearby in Oldbrook and presumably in a residential home for people with either learning disabilities or mental health issues. If so (and it seems more than likely.) she must have a key worker or at least a support worker, or even a social worker who would look after her care.

Later still. Having sorted out the Freeview box (as explained above.) the Fire Stick was playing up on Sunday evening. It would not connect to the wi-fi router. I could not get a connection until I restarted it (having gone to the Amazon site and searching for 'help.' This worked and it soon joined the wi-fi router and the problem was solved.

Changeable Weather

(Thursday) It was a bit of a shock to wake up this morning and find that the house is really cold. I had to put the central heating on and wear my dressing gown to warm up. 'A cold and frosty start,' according to Carol Kirkwood on BBC Breakfast, as she does the weather forecast as I write this. 'A milder night,' tomorrow she told her viewers.

When I eventually plucked up courage to go out with Alfie I found that it was not only chilly, but there was a vague, light rain falling. I didn't intend making our usual detour of Eaglestone Park and we cut across and did barely half our usual walk. Alfie wasn't bothered, and he shook himself several times because he really hates getting damp. It was good to come back to a warm house.

I'm having to clean under Alfie's eyes. I have to do this every day and was told to do this when he went to the vet's to have the nasty accumulated mess that built up under each of his eyes and had been neglected due to my visits to Carol in hospital and in Willen. I shouldn't really use that as an excuse. I use  damp cotton wool, but he is beginning to get used to it. He's now coming to sit on my knee to do this. He doesn't mind me doing under one eye, but the other has far more of the built-up matter and he growls at me and bares his teeth. I don't think he'd bite me, but he doesn't like me doing this. It does, however, seem to be working, so all the fuss is worth the effort. I just don't want to have to take him back to the vet's, basically, because it costs a fair amount. No N.H.S. for dogs and I don't have pet insurance.

(Friday) A relatively mild morning, with the sun shining brightly.

(Saturday) The weather continues to be mild.

(Sunday) There's a howling wind outside this morning. I have a feeling it's been raining. At any rate, as I was shaving earlier in the bathroom, I could see dribbles of rain coming down the bathroom window, so that might suggest . . . rain?

I got up a good deal later than usual. I'm not going to the 9.15 service at Shenley Christian Fellowship this morning but instead going to the 11.15 service. I'm staying on afterwards fo the Newcomer's Lunch. I've been going there for near enough 2 years and haven't managed to get to one of these, what I'd call 'Introductory' meals, which gives some sort of background to Shenley. Nice to not have to make a meal for myself. As a result of getting up later this morning, Alfie won't be going out for his walk until past 8a.m.

Jut been out with Alfie. The wind still rages. Bitterly cold. I think it's what they call 'bracing.' I have to be careful, having a heart problem. Variations in temperature, either too hot or too cold, can set off an angina attack, so I didn't stay out too long. I don't think Alfie was that bothered. I don't think he's over-keen abut the cold either. I'm not going to risk things so it was better to come back to a warm house.

There is one thing to be said, and that's the fact that the days are beginning to draw out. It's getting lighter earlier and earlier each morning. I don't like winter particularly. I'm not all that fond of things when the clocks change to winter and we have to put up with it getting dark at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I'm a morning person and don't like having to go out after dark. Pity really. Carol and I were the same on that matter. We'd go out early and usually be the first to arrive at wherever we went, usually arriving at a National Trust property before everyone else and be the first when they opened their doors.

So, the Duke of Edinburgh has at last apologised to the woman who's car he ran into in Norfolk when he was coming out of a turn near Sandringham.  The Duke said in his letter that he had problems with a 'low sun,' which dazzled him. A letter which he must have been told be had to write. He signed it, but I can't imagine him saying anything to the woman face to face. Mind you, she's made a big issue out of the fact that he hadn't apologised and I bet she got well paid for her story by whichever newspaper it was that ran the story. But the issue is, should a man of his age, regardless of his position as a member of the royal family, and perhaps more importantly, consort of Her Majesty, still be driving? How many 97-year-olds who have had even a slight accident would still be allowed to continue to drive their cars? I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Her Majesty bought the subject up. 'Philip, dear, I think it's really time you gave up driving that Range Rover.' And why was he driving a good 48 hours after the incident? And, to cap it all, not wearing a seat belt? I wouldn't have wanted to be the police officer who had to tell Philip off for not wearing said seat belt. If we'd done it, we'd have been prosecuted or had several penalty points on our driving license.

 I made good use of my time this morning because I didn't go to the early church service. I've had the washing machine on and it's done and everything now on the clothes driers. It's no good waiting to do such mundane things. I would have most likely have done this later in the week.  And I've read some of my book, 'A Classless Society,' by Alwyn Turner. I suppose I could have hung the washing out on the line in the garden because it's sunny, but I still don't trust that it won't rain. Never mind. At least the job is done. Also, I've managed to write this blog post. Which I haven't been doing regularly for the past month or two if you're a regular reader.

Later. A really good service from 11.15 this morning. There's a lot more who attend and lots of people I don't know, but that's probably a good thing. You can get a bit stale if you don't change things slightly. It was strange coming in at a time I'm normally going out, but the lunch was good, finding out a bit more about the background to S.C.F.

The wind is blowing as strong as ever. It rained during my time at S.C.F. But it has calmed down as I write this (3.15p.m.).

Later still. I've been watching the ITV drama series 'Cleaning Up,'  which stars Sheridan Smith. I tried to download it on my Sky Q box, but when I tried, I got a 'failed' message. I attempted it several times, but still it 'failed.' I then tried to watch through the Fire Stick, went to the ITV Hub app, managed to start watching but when I paused the thing to go to the loo, when I returned to continue watching, the whole thing froze. I tried to find the cause, but failed, until I went onto the Amazon website (the Firestick is part of Amazon.) I was told to unplug the power, replug the thing and then re-install the thing. This appeared to work and I was able to watch this show. I wasn't expecting to get so involved. A really thought-provoking show with believable situations and characters. I got drawn in and then watched the second episode immediately after the first. Cam't wait to see the third episode to find out how things conclude. There are altogether 6 episodes of this drama series.

HD Television Breakdown

Why don't electronics manufacturers make the things they make and sell more robust and reliable? We've had several electronic items breakdown, the most recent our Toshiba HD television. We bought it no more than four years ago, but it began to show signs of not working properly, first with the picture disappearing, but the sound remaining, this happening a couple of times, but eventually the picture would not come back on. It now stands on the desk on our bedroom, and downstairs we have replaced it with the small television we had upstairs and connected to a Sky Mini box, which meant we could watch all that Sky had to offer when we were in bed. This little set is fine for things like t news or the occasional programme we want to see in bed, but the quality isn't up to much, the picture isn't brilliant and the sound is awful. But I suppose that's what you get for your money. I think it was under £100 from Sainsbury's.  The Toshiba was around 35 inches, not the largest model, but it was a reasonable television set, meaning not only that we could connect it to our Sky Q box, but it had enough connectivity to allow us to also have an Amazon Fire stick connected, meaning a lot more variety of what we could watch, a great deal of it free (we have Amazon Prime, meaning we pay £79 a year and get free postage and packing when we buy from Amazon as well as a subscription to Amazon television programmes and films.)All these electronic items are connected via wifi through our Sky router. This unfortunately failed last week but it wasn't actually the router that went wrong, but the socket in the wall which has now been repaired by Openreach who actually own and run the internet network. The set had a built-in DVD player which was great because it meant we didn't have to have a separate player taking up further space as well as all the cables that would have entailed. This set are from Argos, who have a good selection of televisions to choose from

We had a microwave, a Cookworks model. Probably not the top-of-the-range model. It was also a grill, although we never used this facility. It hadn't lasted very well, rusting extremely quickly, the inside particularly. It has hardly been used, as we don't rely on microwaved food, usually cooking with our conventional oven. So recently I had to dispose of the microwave and took it to the tidy-tip in Bleak Hall. I believe in having stuff recycled where possible, so I expect it to be broken up and some if not all of it will be reused in some way or other. This also came from Argos.

The same thing happened to an electronic oven a couple of months ago. It was a Beko and we bought it via Amazon. But it failed because the oven gave up. It wouldn't heat up enough to cook a meal. The hob began to rust badly, so it was necessary for it to be replaced. We bought it via Very, which means we will pay it using our credit account. It was delivered and installed at a cost of I think about £35. They also took the old oven away after it was installed. The new one is a Hotpoint. It also has a ceramic hob. These seem far easier to keep clean and are reasonably reliable. But you still have to keep them wiped as soon as there is a spill or at least use the correct cleaner to keep them working properly.

Do manufacturers make the products they sell deliberately to break down? Do they have to be made of materials that wear out faster than in the past? If they don't (and I can't imagine they'd admit such a thing) it certainly seems that they do. It seems that things have a sort of built-in obsolescence which means that they don't last so that you are more or less impelled to go out and replace them. And as a result, have to spend out more money.  Some things, such as VHS cassette recorders, are now redundant and replaced by things like Sky's digital recorders which don't need tape or discs to record (or Freeview's various set-top boxes which have the facility to record programmes or Virgin's equivalent recorder.) In some ways these machines do mean you don't have all those clunky cassettes lying about the place and all the subsequent bother of having to fast-forward to find any particular scene on a tape as well as the wear-and-tear of these tapes, stretching and generally the annoyance of having tape in a plastic box. The same could be said of audio cassettes, which, in my opinion, were more trouble than they were worth. And don't forget 8-Track cassettes which were also dreadful and it's just as well they got junked.

One redundant system which hasn't survived and that's MiniDisc. I bought myself a micro sound system in around 2000 and it had a MiniDisc player in it. Very good quality machine made by Denon. It is a good system and takes up very little space near the television. But the MiniDisc system never seemed to catch on, presumably a replacement for cassettes. You can record on them, they're compact, (one will sit in the palm of your hand easily) is robust and the sound quality is about the same as a CD. But for some reason they never caught on, no doubt because they couldn't compete with MP3, downloadable from iTunes (and many other sites.) and uploaded onto iPods and other similar players, probably onto mobile phones. No moving parts and a machine will store thousands of tracks. A player is light and small, fits in your pocket and plays through neat little earphones. It's unfortunate that such a brilliant piece of kit as MiniDisc should become redundant, but that is the situation. I don't think the discs are sold anywhere, unless there are large stocks of them in a warehouse somewhere, but I don't suppose they are still manufactured.

These products come with guarantees and warranties (what is the difference between them?) When you buy these relatively expensive items you get the option to buy extended guarantees. I don't know whether they are worth having, because you can pay out a considerable amount of money each month for breakdown cover and it's probably more expensive in the long term (probably several years) and would be cheaper to just buy a new item, such as a television.

Watching Doc Martin

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will have discovered that Carol and I enjoy television dramas of a wide variety. We like many of the 'whodunnits' that abound across all the channels, from Father Brown on BBC 1 to Grantchester on ITV to Broadchurch (although that was rather drawn out over three series. The first series was good and the second was just a rehash of the first and the third was reasonable, but all in all it was rather over-egged. Probably just to keep the rating high.) I have mentioned Downton Abbey in earlier posts so there's really no need to rehash what I've already said. The downstairs characters were so much more interesting than the upstairs lot. Nothing further to say on that score.

We're currently watching Doc Martin on catch-up. Fortunately all the past episodes are available through our Sky Q box as a box set. I'm not entirely sure how many series or even how many episodes there have been. We started watching through the Amazon Fire stick, when the first couple of series (seasons to American television audiences) were free. The newer episodes you suddenly had to pay for, which we somewhat objected to, so we stopped watching and then Carol found the later episodes on the ITV Hub through the Sky Q box. And, you don't have to pay for the privilege.

What I in particular enjoy about Doc Martin is that it's so quirky. The central character played by Martin Clunes has so many quirks, particularly his lack of empathy with his patients, his brusque manner with everyone he meets and indeed most of the people he comes into contact with. Then there are the locals, his patient-base, if you like. Most have some weird illness or at least have some odd quirk which makes them interesting. It certainly has a heart and soul which a good deal of modern television drama seems to lack. From the completely incompetent receptionist in Dr Ellingham's surgery to the agorophobic policeman Joe Penhale. You can identify with the characters and they are almost part of the family. Which is why you want to keep on watching. Then there's the location. Portwenn is actually Port Isaac in Cornwall. It looks such an inviting place to visit. I don't expect I'm the only viewer of this show to want to visit and I expect the show hasn't done the real place any harm by attracting visitors and greatly helped the local economy.

There are many television drama series which have managed to use the locations in which they're set to establish character and definite anchor for their storylines and character bases. Look at shows such as 'Inspector Morse,' set in and around Oxford, 'Lovejoy' in and around East Anglia or 'Bergerac' on the Channel Island of Jersey. There are, of course, many more.

Watching Amazon TV Series 'The Man In The High Castle'

Besides having Sky as our 'television provider' we also have Amazon Fire, which is linked to Amazon Prime. A couple of years ago Carol bought a Kindle Fire, and as part of the deal, we got Prime free, which meant we got anything we purchased through Amazon came with free delivery as well as Amazon's 'on demand' television service. When the first year ran out we had to decide whether to continue with it and pay £79 a year and to purchase a Fire Stick. This we did and set up the Fire Stick which connects to our Sky wifi router. You then get a wide range of 'apps' which allows you to watch television shows and films free but also some which you have to pay for through the Amazon account. There are quite a few similar services besides this Amazon service, including Netflix. We can get the main channels 'on demand' such as BBC, through their iPlayer as well as Channel 4, Channel 5, as well as a few more besides. Very good, except you can't download and keep the programmes as you can with your Sky+ box. I'm not sure whether the newer Fire box which Amazon recently introduced allows this, but it costs a good dea than the Fire Stick (which I originally bought from Argos and costs around £34 which, considering what it does seems very reasonable, particularly if you don't have Sky, Virgin or any of the other 'television providers.') We used to have Freeview at this address but found that, because we didn't have an outdoor ariel, the signal was poor. So we looked around for a solution and found that Sky was perhaps best. It was when we were searching around that we discovered that Virgin wasn't available in this area because Milton Keynes, although a modern city, didn't have a cable network to carry the Virgin television or telephone network.

It's great having Television 'catch-up' services such as iPlayer and similar as you can not only watch programmes you might otherwise miss when they are originally broadcast (usually up to a month.) but there is quite a lot of what I'd call 'back-catalogue' material. We've watched 'Doc Martin' through the Fire Stick which also means you can miss the advertising. We did start watching 'Downton Abbey,' having recorded episodes on the Sky+ box but the adverts we so annoying and irritating that we didn't bother to watch any further episodes but eventually caught up with the final series when it was on the I.T.V. 'player.' It now appears that all six series are on Sky+ 'box sets.' With Netflix producing a remake of the B.B.C. series "House of Cards" with Kevin Spacey in the lead role, and the fact you can 'binge' watch all the episodes and don't have to wait a week before the next episode is available to watch, you can see why companies such as Amazon are making their own television shows for 'instant' download or steam. (Incidentally, I was a 'Walk-On' in the BBC version of 'House of Cards.")

I am currently watching an 'Amazon Original' series called "The Man In The High Castle." It's based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, who is best know for writing the novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep," which was the basis for the film "Blade Runner." That film was directed by Ridley Scott, who is also Executive Producer of "The Man In The High Castle." I am enjoying this series immensely. It is set in an alternative future where the Nazis won the Second World War and rule America jointly with the Japenese. This shows that television can beat cinema when it comes to story-telling because you can the time, over 10 hour-long episodes, to allow the narrative to breathe and characters to develop over time, which you cannot possibly have with a film which for no more than three hours.

This is dark and brooding and has a real chill to it. I think it's because it's believable. We know that the Nazis obviously didn't win the war, but this could so nearly have happened. It's this that gives it the edge. Only only criticism is that many of the scenes are in almost impenetrable darkness, to such an extent that you can barely see what's going on. I realize that this under-lit quality adds to the suspense and atmosphere, but it doesn't really help that you can't see clearly what's going on. I do like the fact that you, as the audience, has to actually work hard to make out what's going on, they don't give everything away. I like being able to make conclusions for myself. A lot of modern television and cinema is far too obvious. It's almost as if the makers assume you don't have the intelligence to work things out for yourself. It have a certain cinematic look, well photographed and the set design and costumes are well executed. I would imagine they had a fairly large budget to be able to give it that 'look.'

Further Thoughts on 'Downton Abbey'

Warning: Spoilers

We have been watching the television series 'Downton Abbey' on catch-up. Over the last few weeks we have more or less 'binged' on the show.  The earlier episodes have been shown on the digital channel I.T.V Encore and then put on download or 'catch-up' through our Sky subscription, but we were stuck at the end of series 4 and there were no more episodes so we were left stranded, mid-air, as it were. We now have an Amazon Fire Stick which allows you to watch films and television shows which are streamed via the internet and, as members of what is called Amazon Prime, we can see a lot of stuff free (although we pay a £79 annual subscription which also means we can get free postage and packing when we buy anything via Amazon's website which is very convenient.) We did attempt to see the first episode of the series when it first came out, but, having watched it including advertising, we gave up. It has been taken over by so much advertising we couldn't cope with it, and  one of the advantages of catch-up television is that there's no advertising every ten minutes or so. Ads for sofas, car insurance and mobile phones is enough to put anyone off. We discovered that 'Downton Abbey' was one of the many television series we could watch, but up until the end of series 4. It appears that the final series is not free to watch. We will have to pay considerably more to watch it, but it's likely to be free once the final, Christmas episode is shown on Christmas Day. I have mentioned the show in previous posts but since watching it up until the end of series 5 (sorry, I refuse to use the American term 'season.') there is a good deal more about it which I want to discuss.

I'm still more interested in the 'downstairs' staff than the 'upstairs' family. The Earl of Grantham, as played by Hugh Bonneville, is a real stick in the mud. Reluctant to break with tradition and see the estate move forward into the 20th Century, or so it seems. Likewise, Carson, the Butler, seems to do anything to avoid any sort of modernisation. Why do the ladies need maids to help them dress and undress? Likewise, the gentlemen, can they not dress themselves? I understand that, during the earlier period, the Victorian and Edwardian eras, when the women wore corsets, loads of petticoats, had lots of hooks and eyes in their boots and shoes and cross-lacings in their dresses which would require a lady's maid to help, and the men wore stiff collars and cuffs in their shirts and the fact that clothes needed more care because they needed folding neatly, but it seems the aristocrats are incapable of any sort of work. But in the later period, for example the 1920's when clothing became simpler, ladies wore lighter dresses without any sort of lacings, they wouldn't obviously need assistance with their dressing and undressing. I can see, as regards plots, the valets and ladies' maids are integral to the storilines as they have to keep secrets divulged by their misstresses and masters. As regards the kitchen staff, as time goes on there are more appliances used in the kitchen which made the staff's lives much easier. We have visited many National Trust properties and seen the kitchens, notably Crag Side in Northumberland and Ickworth in Suffolk and they have modern (or at least, modern at the time they were introduced in, say, the 1920s and 30's.) At Cragside, for instance, the whole house was run using hydrolectric power. Infact, I believe it might have been the first country house to use any sort of electricity. The power generated worked such things as spits for roasting and even a lift between floors of the house and lighting. In 'Downton Abbey' the introduction of the telephone and radio seems to cause a huge stir amongst the artistocratic members of the household and the downstairs staff. At one point Carson is horrified by the thought of having to use the telephone but after a while relents and uses the thing frequently.

The 'downstairs' staff have more interesting 'story arcs.' Daisy has had the most interesting 'story arc' and has definitely grown as the show has gone on. She is now considering an education and hopefully will be able to break free from a life of drudgery downstairs. All this bought about since she had lessons with the schoolteacher, a rather firey character with Socialist leanings. In one particular scene when she comes to dinner at the house, she gets on the wrong side of the Earl of Grantham with her left-wing views. At this point we see a different side of Robert not seen until then. I think the way the stories have managed to utilize historic events, such as the sinking of the Titanic at the very beginning of the first series, the First World War and it's effects on staff and family, the move forward into the 1920's, the 'Jazz Age' and the introduction of such things as motor transport, radio, telephone and so on has been well done. Also, how the class system has shifted and how ordinary people has aspire to greater things rather than be stuck in a rut at the bottom of the pile. However, it will be interesting to see how the aristocracy cope with change as they have to come to terms with this shift in the class system and how they manage to deal with declining estates, the upkeep of large houses and also their fortunes being eroded by higher taxation etc etc.

The Grantham family run and own a vast estate with acres of land and property and they are often seen on horseback. But only minimally. I think there has been a foxhunt at some point and we've seen one of the ladies on horseback at a steeplechase. I think the fox hunting element has been only seen on a very small amount  of screen time to avoid upsetting the politically correct contingency, but let's be honest, the aristocracy have not been known to avoid upsetting people with their hunting, shooting fishing and generally ill-treatment of the wildlife of the countryside. There has been some shooting going on, but what else do these 'types' get up to? Compared to the downstairs staff, they're generally a very dull lot. 'Stiff upper lip' describes them well. Don't show your emotions (the men, of course.) except when the dog dies, not show any affection for your better half. Reserved, stoical etc etc. Meanwhile, the women are self-centred, moody, emotional, and thoroughly heartless in some cases. Mary spent episode after episode moping after the death of Matthew (understandable, up to a point I suppose.) And then she became a man-chaser. Building up the hopes of many men and then ditching them at the last moment. Lady Edith has been seen moping over her child which she had illicitly and then tried to palm the poor child off on a farmer and his wife who live on the estate and then pretended that she wasn't her child. What a tangled web etc etc.

I suppose 'Downton Abbey' does have it's appeal. It's well enough made, written and acted. A lot of time and effort has gone into the look and feel of the thing. The period is evoked well with both the settings and costumes. But to be honest it's somewhat dull. It can best be described as 'chewing gum for the eyes.' What I mean is, it doesn't take many risks. It's typical Sunday evening entertainment. It fits the so-called 'Ovaltine Television' mold. We always seem to get either vets, nurses, midwives and other assorted professions in our weekly dose of drama on a Sunday night. And invariably costume drama of some sort. It's the sort of last thing we see before we go to bed as the weekend draws to a close and have to contemplate going back to work on Monday morning. It's totally inoffensive, doesn't upset anyone in any particular way and is thoroughly Middle Class. We get our fill of nostalgia, although, as someone or other said, 'Nostalgia's not what it used to be.' It moves along at a snails pace. No speeding cars, police chases, guns being fired. It won't 'frighten the horses' as someone else also said. I don't dislike it and it gives employment to a great many good actors. I have to say it's great to see Dame Maggie Smith in something and definitely in her element. As I've said in an earlier post, she does seem to get the best lines.

The upstairs characters are not really characters I can identify with. They're rich and arrogant. Can't they see that their lifestyle is gradually coming to an end? Would they not have had some idea that things would change after what happened in Russia in 1917 with the Revolution? As would have happened when Charles I was beheaded and Cromwell took over with the Commonwealth? I can't really identify with them. They don't in general terms have 'character journeys' because they don't have to strive for a better life because they have money, position, power and so on. Meanwhile, the downstairs staff have to not only work extremely hard, but if they want to break free from their lives of drudgery, they have to work harder than most to get anywhere away from the confines of the house. Although, saying that, they do have the protection of the house and the family, security up to a point, a roof over their heads and free board and lodging.The best drama comes when the characters have to go on a journey, a really good story arc, which means that by the end of the novel/play/film or whatever they have changed from how they started at the opening of the story. Think of Oliver Twist or David Copperfield or even Les Miserables, where Jean Valjean changes gradually during the course of the story.

I have seen documentaries on television which give a relatively accurate picture of what life in a country house would have been like, similar to the large house depicted in 'Downton Abbey.' Yes, I know, it was never intended to be a documentary. It's more of a soap opera for those who want to have aspirations above their current position in life. Similar in some ways to 'Dynasty' or 'Dallas.' But there are aspects of life on a country house and estate which seem to have been conveniently forgotten. Such as the fact that the staff have to get up extremely early each morning (usually before 6 a.m.) to make up the fires, carry coal in buckets great distances from goodness knows where, empty the slops (or to be more accurate, the bed-pans, 'guzunders' etc etc.) because most of these houses didn't have sanitation as we know it in the 21st century. Then there's the matter of slave ownership, as many aristocrats made their fortunes by owning slaves who worked for them on cotton plantations. And then when slavery was abolished many former owners got large sums of money in compensation from the British government which they then often used to invest in such things as the railways, canals and many industries. And I suppose to be fair, 'Downton Abbey' is set in the early part of the 20th century when most of what I have mentioned in this paragraph would have been eradicated. Also, many of the owners of these houses and estates were fair employers, who treated their staff with respect and gave them decent wages, for the time.