The Home Straight!

 Sunday. 6.45 a.m. Bright and mild, and, thankfully, not too hot. Currently, the temperature reading on my digital thermometer is 75ºF.

I've made up cheese and tomato rolls for today's church event. Everything is packed in the cool box and ready to take with me to church later this morning.

Monday. 6.20 a.m. A good time was had by all at the Oaktree Centre yesterday. Worship was outside, with the band under the gala tent and we were sitting in awnings, tents and other shelters to be out of the direct sun. There was a barbecue, with hot dogs and burgers, and a Pimms's tent. Only trouble is, I can't stand Pimm's. 

On  BBC Breakfast, they are making a real issue out of today being possibly the hottest day on record, with the temperature reaching around 100ºF. 

No sign of any workmen this morning, then I'm told that they're unlikely to come today, or tomorrow for that matter, because of the heat. I was so looking forward to having everything completed, with the walls in the kitchen painted and the tiles put up. I could have the oven and fridge/freezer put back in place and then put the stuff back in the cupboards, but I suppose I'll just have to be patient and wait until later in the week.

I've spent the morning watching the first episode of the BBC version of 'House of Cards', on Britbox, which I worked on as a supporting artiste, back in the mid-1990s. I'm really enjoying it, but haven't actually seen myself in any of the scenes I was in, although, being an S.A. isn't about being seen. You're in the background and aren't supposed to distract from the principals. Ian Richardson as Francis Urquhart puts me in mind of some of Shakespeare's villains. Think Richard III or Macbeth. His asides directed through the 'fourth wall' to the audience is a clever technique which puts you in mind of Shakespeare again. He's confiding in you and telling you things which the other characters are unaware of.

1.30 p.m. Currently, the temperature in this flat is 88ºF. I think that's the highest it's ever been, even with an electric fan on in the lounge and another in my bedroom and the windows open. I may take Alfie out later and hopefully it will have cooled down considerably by then.

7.35 p.m. The temperature at the moment is 92ºF. I just hope it doesn't get any warmer.

Thunder In The Night

It was exceptionally hot yesterday (Thursday) as I said in my last blog post. I found it really difficult to sleep last night and came downstairs to read. I've found something to watch through the BBC's iPlayer, the original television version of 'House of Cards,' which was something I did a lot of Supporting work on in the 1990's. So I shall have to watch and see if I can remember what I did in it. I was a journalist with a group of other S.A's (Supporting Artistes) in quite a few scenes filmed over the course of several weeks all around London. It stars Ian Richardson who plays Francis Urquhart. Actually, his name was something of a problem, because it had to be pronounced 'Urcart,' with the end sort of silent. If that makes sense. Nobody spoke in our group, well, you don't when you do Walk-On work. You're not employed to speak and you have no lines, although we did have to make crowd noises, sort of 'rhubarb, rhubarb' noises, indistinct crowds sounds, no distinct lines as you would if you were an actor playing a part.

Then I heard thunder. Hopefully things would be relieved by rain. Another loud clap and it did rain, but not as torrential as I would have hoped. It didn't last longer, no more than a minute or two. I just hope we get more rain today (Friday.) First thing this morning it's been overcast, not as if it was going to rain, but just cool enough to not be overbearingly hot and pleasant enough to take Alfie for his by now obligatory early-morning walk around Eaglestone Park.

As I've explained in an earlier blog post, we're currently applying to Milton Keynes Council for Housing Benefit. It would be a smooth process if only I could contact our landlord as they need to have proof of how much rent we pay and they require either a tenancy agreement or a letter from our him. I have tried to find our copy, but it hasn't come to light, unfortunately. If I found it it would be a simple matter of taking it to the Council offices and they would no doubt make a photocopy. I have been attempting to contact the landlord via telephone but all I get is a recorded voice and last night I left a message for him to contact me, but as yet no response. I do not know where he and his wife are, possibly some family matter, but at the moment I'm not bothered where he is or why. We need to get this matter resolved as quickly as possible. I don't think he realises how important it is to get this sorted and quickly. I have emailed the Benefits department at the Council explaining all this. If you have read my earlier posts on here you may have read about the problem we had with our gas boiler a couple of years ago. We attempted to contact our landlord but the telephone number he gave us was 'unavailable.' We went through the Council, who had details recorded for Council Tax purposes and managed to contact him via mail (or it may have been telephone, it doesn't matter. It worked, and the boiler was eventually replaced.) I am hoping that they may be able to contact him this way again in order to get the tenancy agreement sent on so the Housing Benefit claim can be completed.