Grass cutting and Trip To Bell Plantation

With the warm weather, the subject of grass cutting comes to the fore. Not just warm weather, but with a couple of months of rain the length of the grass has become quite long. Not my favourite occupation, as you will be aware if you read any of my earlier blog posts. It's a question of dragging the machine out of the shed, untangling the lead and then uncoiling the electric cable from the house and then setting-too with the machine. I don't think a Flymo is designed to cut grass which would easily satisfy a herd of cattle, sheep, or other unguates. The machine is intended, I would imagine, for those lawns of householders who have immaculate turfed lawns. A gentle stroll pushing the Flymo every weekend, to a length not above a few centimetres. But our patch of tusky grass is enough to loose a herd of bison on the African savannahs. I didn't intend spending too long on the grass-cutting job. I would spend the barest minimum of time and then come back later in the day to do a bit more, probably over three shifts. Because of it's length it is quite damp, which makes the job even more difficult. I have managed about a quarter of the area and will continue in the morning. It must be done as it's so dry and sunny, otherwise it will be virtually impossible to get the machine to work efficiently.

Carol is beginning to become stir-crazy. With the sun shining brightly there was an absolute must to escape from the confines of the house. I suggested somewhere which is up Watling Street and just beyond Towcester, a garden centre called Bell Plantation. There is quite a lot to see and do there together with a rather pleasant restaurant. We've enjoyed driving along Watling Street as an alternative to the M1 which it seems is permanently affected by road works, meaning vast length of motorway coned off and having to drive at 50 m.p.h. Hence our journey being rerouted along Watling Street, which has far more pleasant views of the surrounding countryside as well as being dotted with some really pleasant stopping places such as garden centres where there are plenty of restaurants to eat and drink in. A real alternative to the rather boring motorway service areas.

On arrival at Bell Plantation we noticed that the carpark had been resurfaced with tarmac. We'd visited well over a year ago. They have done some considerable improvements to the site since our last visit. We had a browse in one or two of the small shops, some selling antiques and other nick-naks. We  ventured into the restaurant, which we have  been  to on a couple of previous occasions.    We ordered hot chocolate and two pieces of rather delicious cake, Carol had Victoria sponge with raspberry jam and butter icing filling and I had chocolate fudge cake. We shared each other's cake. Well worth the journey up Watling Street for this delight. We then had a browse around the garden centre and Carol was determined to buy a wind-blown garden ornament as we'd seen a few in another garden centre, probably Frost's at Woburn Sands. We also needed milk and vegetables for our evening meal and we then left to return south on Watling Street.

Alfie had to have a return visit to the vet's at Oakgrove at 2 o'clock. We were more wary of the roadworks along Chaffron Way, so we decided to go via Standing Way and then cut across Brickhill Street and arrived in Waitrose's carpark with 15 minutes to spare, and the we took Alfie straight into be seen by he vet. The antibiotics seem to be working, but she managed to get some more of the built-up mess off his face with some damp cotton wool. We have to take him back for a further consultation on Monday afternoon, but will continue with the antibiotics until the course of tablets is complete.

Alfie seemed to prefer sitting on my knee as we drove there and back. On Monday I drove, with Carol holding onto him, but he was eager to sit on my lap as I drove which was totally impossible. He was very much more quiet and I held on to the harness he had on. 

True British Grit, where has it gone?

Oh dear. Here we go again. A little bit of snow and the whole country grinds to a halt. What's the matter with people? We're British and a little bit of the white, cold stuff, and we just get on with things. Go about our lives without letting things bother us. Just like Brexit (I hate the term, but we know what it means). Once we've been freed from the EU, we're going to manage perfectly nicely, thank you. I did vote to remain, but finding out about how the negotiations to leave have been going on, I think I'd be perfectly happy to be separated from this 'bloc.' (More like block-headed, the negotiators in my opinion. They need us more than we need them. I shan't make mention to this further as I don't want to bring politics into this blog.) British people are not effected by the weather, if it rains, we just get our umbrellas out, or don Wellingtons and macintoshes or wet-weather gear and continue. The old 'Dunkirk Spirit' comes into force. Have we really become so wet and wimpy to allow a spot of snow to effect our lives? Probably, yes. But why have we become so pathetic? There has to be a reason for this state of affairs. The media has a part to play in this. Weather plays a major part in the 'discussion' in the press and television. Scenes of snow make pretty pictures on BBC Breakfast or on the front page of tabloid newspapers, The Mail and Express in particular. When there's no other news, then our weather makes easy headlines, whether it's going to be a 'scorcher' or a 'chiller,' of course, depending on the time of year. No big political news, scandal, party-division or squabble? Then write a story about snow, sun, fog, frost or whatever. Easy peasy. And then big it up, hype it, mash it, over-write it and you have a story and a big headline, in over-sized type. Sells papers. 

As for the weather, well, we have a couple of inches and the motorways grind to a halt. When I was at school in the 1960's I seem to remember we managed to get there in the worst winter on record (I think it was the winter of 1962-3) and even had to help clear the snow in the school playground. None of this mamby-pamby 'health and safety' business then. We shovelled the snow into a pile at one end of the playground and against a wall. As the snow fell, and it froze and then thawed, but mostly froze, the wall began to get pushed over. I don't think it actually fell, but it began to lean at a dangerous angle. I can't imagine today's children shovelling anything. If it snows nowadays, schools close down. Pathetic. Are we creating a new generation of children who can't cope when problems arise? They can't cope with a little bit of snow and ice? They need to have a bit of resistance, some back-bone to cope with life's little problems. If so, they'll never be able to cope with bigger issues that arise, far bigger than what the weather throws at them.

A few inches of snow, and our railway system grinds to a halt. Excuses such as 'leaves on the line' or a little bit of frost and the whole network is thrown into total confusion. People insist on flying off for a break over the Christmas and New Year holiday and can't understand why they get stuck in long queues on the motorway and when they arrive at the airport they don't like the idea that their flight has been cancelled because of snow and ice on the runway or perhaps their plane is covered in ice and needs thawing out. Oh dear! Why not just stay at home and be environmentally friendly?  Just get a shovel out and start clearing the snow instead of wingeing on about compensation. If you insist on travelling when the weather is bad, just pack a thick jumper, a scarf, a wooly hat, a Thermos of tea, coffee or soup and put up with it.

Come on folks, if you don't need to go anywhere, unless your journey is vital, just stay at home. After all, we know perfectly well that it's winter, and the weather can become very treacherous and dangerous. The weather can cause very low temperatures, so this is what we can expect. The whole country grinds to a halt. Councils send the gritting lorries out. Apart from that, we just don't prepare for winter when we have such harsh conditions.

As for Brits becoming a lot of wimps, I blame things like Health and Safety regulations, burocratic spoil-sports, you can't do this, and you can't do that. Can't people take responsibility for THEMSELVES? Live a little life, even if it's a bit dangerous. Too much reliance on government departments and especially the N.H.S.

New iPhone and other Computer Technology

We recently invested in a new iPhone. I say 'we' because we both decided it was a necessity. I would be using it. It was a necessity, really. I'd had a Samsung Galaxy J1 for over a year, purchased from Sainsbury's. It started out as a reasonable smart phone. Not too difficult to use. But it didn't really live up to expectations. I realise that, for what it cost, it wasn't going to be exactly a state-of-the-art model. I wasn't expecting it to. I had held off for a long time getting a smart phone, having only needed a mobile phone for the occasional voice call or text message. Carol has a basic model, almost a 'retro' model. Easy to use, for text and phoning. You can't put apps on it. It suits her for what she needs it for. Texting me and so I can text her.

Back to the Samsung. It was a SIM free model, meaning we could select the provider it would be connected to. We went for 02, with a 'bundled' package, so many texts, calls and data for internet connection and it costs £10 per month. All fine for a while. Then we realised the mobile wasn't up to much. It cost around £70. Not bad I suppose. But Android, the operating system, isn't that good. After a year and a few months of putting up with the Samsung's strange little quirks (I won't go into them too much) and the fact that you can't download many useful apps onto it, due to the lack of memory, we decided to go with a new iPhone. Not the latest model, but an iPhone 5, purchased from Very. And what a difference it has made, moving onto that phone! I have always used Apple Macintosh computers for years. I've never used anything else. Ever since I did my degree course, and learning IT. I had never used a computer before. Although I lie through my teeth. I had an early Amstrad word processor many years ago, when they first came out, I suppose in the early 1990's. The machine cost around £200. No such thing as the internet in  those days. A screen with black background and green text. Strange little floppy disks, sort of lozenge-shaped, not the square sort that came out and became very popular as time went on. Infact, these disks couldn't be used in other machines, only in Amstrad computers. But it did teach me how to use a computer, even though it was very basic.

We joined the A.A. after we had trouble with our car and broke down on he M1 and needed rescuing (actually we had a breakdown service with our Swinton car insurance package which rescued us on this occasion and bought us home.) But we then moved to the A.A. as we took our an insurance package which meant, if we broke down, we would not only get rescued, but any car maintenance problems would be covered which meant we didn't have to pay any more than £35. Also, if we had the A.A. app on our smartphone, it would allow the breakdown service to find us easier. Which is great, because if you do breakdown, and you can't tell them exactly where you are, it would be more difficult to find you. So, this app was put on the Samsung and now transferred on to the iPhone.

Let's just say that the new iPhone works like a dream. It does what it is supposed to. As for the Samsung, well, it's definitely not fit for purpose. I realise the iPhone cost a good deal more, but I do expect a thing to work as it's supposed to when I buy whatever it is. So, no going back to using substandard equipment. Nothing further for me to report.

Better Summer Weather and Bad Tempered People

The weather has taken a turn for the better. In fact, it's positively heatwave-time! We managed to sit outside and have our evening meal at our new table yesterday evening. It certainly makes a change from the rotten weather we've had to endure for about the past week. It seemed unfair when you consider it was Half Term, as well as the fact that our holiday we'd hoped to have at the booked cottage over Easter was aborted due to the awful weather.

On Friday, we drove to Worcester to see my daughter Chloe and my new grandson George. The journey there was less stressful than it might have been, due to the fact we went via Buckingham and then the Motorway. It took less than two hours. When we drove there for Chloe's graduation ceremony (well over 7 years ago, or maybe more, I'm not sure now.) the journey seemed to take a good deal longer, travelling via the M1 and around Birmingham. Admittedly it was mid-week and during the heavy volume  travelling time and it was a really awful journey. This time, it seemed a much better route and we will be going that way on 10th July as we're going to George's Christening on that day.

On Sunday, we visited Whipsnade Zoo again. Carol's Fellowship subscription runs out next week and she'd got a letter from Z.S.L. (Zoological Society of London) reminding her of the fact and so we went with the letter and paid the annual fee so we're able again to visit both London and Whipsnade Zoos without paying any entrance fees. We drove the car in again. As it costs around £25 per person together with £20 for the car, that's a saving of £70 each time we visit. We arrived at 9.45 a.m. (the zoo opens at 10 a.m.) and there was a queue of cars waiting. We were on the end of the queue and you just had to sit patiently in the car and wait for the gates to open and drive in. Quite easy you would imagine. But this rather unpleasant individual drove up and seemed to think it was his right to barge straight in. He wound down his car window and hurled abuse at us, for no other reason that he imagined we should get out of the way for him. Not a nice situation and Carol was understandably upset by the incident. He presumably drove to the car park and walked in with his family, but all the time we were in the zoo Carol was concerned that this unpleasant individual was going to find us and hurl a further load of abuse at us just because we'd got there first. There are really some crazy self-obsessed people out there. Sad really.

I actually got to wear my shorts on Saturday. I bought them last year in Debenhams and because the weather was so awful I hardly got to wear them at all last summer. Lets hope the weather is better this year so I get more wear out of them. I've been to Tesco at Kingston and bought a new sun hat because I need to keep my head covered when it's really sunny. The hat I have is a few sizes too small and if a hat is too tight on my head I get a headache. 

Foggy Morning

We woke up this morning to thick fog. I suppose a visibility of around 20 yards. It was quite an effort to see along Saxon Street as we came out of Eaglestone. The Academy appeared to have disappeared as we approached. The car is due back at the garage this morning at 9.30 to have new tyres fitted, so I hope the fog has lifted. If other drivers would only moderate their speed as they rush to work things would be a good deal safer. I think, once the sun makes an effort to come out it will heat things up and the fog will melt away. I have some quite nasty memories of fog on the Motorway from when I was touring with DaSilva's puppets during the 1970's. Also, cars speeding along the A1 and crashing into the roundabout near Peterborough, at  Norman Cross , and seeing their mangled remains. The A1 now goes over the top of this intersection, which makes it a good deal safer. Once you've seen that sort of incident, and heard the sound of crashing, it does tend to alter your driving habits. Really quite scary and the memory does make me rather reluctant to drive in fog, however thick.  I'm not sure how many people were injured, but you would think people would have the sense to slow down when there's fog and they can't see clearly what's ahead on the road. Just crazy.

Later.

I took the car to the O.K. Garage at Peartree Bridge. It turned out they didn't have the tyres to put on the car so they had to order them from somewhere in Bletchley. These didn't arrive as quickly as they might have done. Don't ask me what happened, but probably someone wasn't doing their job at the supplier's end, so I had to wait around 2 1/2 hours, but it's now done and we can drive off on holiday in two week's time with a car fully MoT'd and with tyres in a far better condition than they have been in quite a while.

Later still.

I could have started a new post, but decided to write this as a sort of post-script for the day. As I said when I began, the day started off foggy, but by midday it became sunny and really spring-like. There is plenty of blossom on the trees along the grid roads and opposite the house in Eaglestone. There are crocuses beginning to appear at various points around Milton Keynes but the daffodils are beginning to come to the end of their time, particularly those on the roundabout on Standing Way where it meets Saxon Street. We usually go to the Brother's Fish Bar in Eaglestone for fish and chips on a Friday but this week we went to get Kentucky Fried Chicken at the drive-in branch near the football stadium. They have changed the entrance from Saxon Street, it's a good deal wider and made into two carriage-ways. There is also another entrance further along the road, which goes into the site right next to the new complex which houses the Odeon cinema which has an IMAX screen in it.
We didn't actually use the drive-in as it was far to busy with many cars queuing so we parked in the carpark and went inside the restaurant to order our food and then went home to eat it.

Visit To Basildon Park

Easter Monday. A day out is in order. The weather is fine and sunny. New car in good order. Full tank of petrol. National Trust membership up-to-date. We decide from considering the options to go to Basildon Park for a visit. Having viewed several maps on-line, one being Google Maps, we decide it's not much more than 60 miles so we leave at around 9.15. It's no point getting there too early as it's not all open until 11.00. We drive towards Buckingham and then on towards the A34, a route we know well as we drive south regularly to visit the in-laws who live in Bournemouth. On Saturday we had hoped to drive up the M1 and visit a National Property, Caulke Abbey or another the other side of Derby, but when we get onto the Motorway we soon discovered a high volume of traffic and on actually getting on to the carriageway that there are roadworks all the way north past Newport Pagnall services and that you can't drive more than 50 miles per hour (or aren't supposed to.) It takes us around and hour and a half to get as far as the turning off for Weedon and Leamington Spa so we decide that we're not going to get much further and won't get to our destination this side of midday so we come off the Motorway near Coventry and come back across country and back through Buckingham where we drop in to the newly opened Aldi branch and do a shop for the evening's meal and then return to Milton Keynes and home.

Yesterday's trip was considerably better, but we were supposed to get on the M40 and then onto the A34, but due to roadworks we couldn't get onto the Motorway and instead had to make a diversion towards Oxford and find the A34. It seems that the road network is currently plagued by a good deal of roadworks at the moment. I think if we had been altered earlier it might have saved us a good deal of time and effort and not a fair amount of frustration. Unfortunately you don't learn these sort of deal until after the event.

Yet another great mass of roadwork activity on a vast roundabout when we come off the A34 towards Reading, which means we have to circle the confounded roundabout again so that we are facing in the right direction for Basildon Park, but as a result it is a worthwhile journey as the scenery is very pleasant. We eventually arrive at our destination to find that the sunshine has brought out a large crowd of visitors. I think this may be due in large part to the fact that Basildon Park is one of the locations for filming of the I.T.V. drama series Downton Abbey. I have to admit to having only watched one episode and then I wasn't immediately drawn to watching further episodes as it's not really the sort of programme I enjoy.  Probably actually better to watch via catch-up as there are adverts around every 20 minutes or so and who wants to sit through endless ads for sofas, double-glazing and shampoo? The fact that it's so full of advertising is enough to put any one off watching. The acting is very wooden and the storylines are cliched and full of anachronisms. It is a pleasant place to wander around and take in the scenery. On arrival we make for the cafeteria but then discover an extremely long queue of similarly hungry and by now quite frustrated visitors. It takes us a good 20 minutes to reach the counter, make our selection of sandwiches and lattes and pay and then find a vacant table to sit and eat. We wander into the garden to find a lot of families enjoying the sunshine and the views across the valley from the garden a truly spectacular and you can clearly see why someone would choose to build a property in such a location. We then enter the house and wander around the various rooms and in particular those which are used as interiors for not only Downton Abbey but the recent film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice as well as several other film such as The Duchess. The National Trust staff in each room are extremely knowledgeable and it's interesting to hear from them about the history of the house and the families who used to live in the house. Having finished our tour of the house we leave and go back to the stable block near the carpark which is where we came in and find the shop to buy the handbook about the house as well a to buy ice creams which we take to eat sitting at some picnic tables conveniently placed near the carpark. We get back to the car and drive home which seems to take less time than the journey out.

Birthday, Theatre and Broken-down Car

On Friday it was Carol's birthday. A momentous day: her 50th. I had to give her something special, out-of-the-ordinary. I decided to give her 50 presents, but not large presents, you understand. I planned to buy 50 tiny 'treats' and wrap them up in five seperate parcels, each representing each of her 5 decades. I went to the Central Shopping Centre in Milton Keynes the Friday before last and went first to perhaps her favourite shop, Paperchase, and bought 10 little figures, erasers, pencil sharpeners etc and then went round the shopping centre buying more for the parcels, from W.H.Smith, Hawkin's Bazaar, Blott etc. It was a lot of fun choosing the items, then bringing them home and carefully hiding them until I purchased wrapping paper and carefully wrapped them without her knowledge. I managed to buy a birthday card in Clinton's and a 'Happy Birthday' sign in the form of bunting on a long ribbon from Waitrose and put this up across the window in the lounge on Friday morning when she was at work.

In the evening we went to the theatre. We went with one of the girls she does tutoring for, who is studying 'A' Level English Literature. She has to study several plays and part of the study is on stagecraft so Carol thought that if she saw a 'live' performance it might be to her benefit. The play we went to see was an adaptation of the Charles Dickens' novel "A Tale of Two Cities" and was at the Royal Theatre in Northampton. We have been to see several productions of various shows in the theatre next-door  in the complex, the Derngate Centre, but nothing in the old rep theatre. I have myself seen quite a few productions over the years, and I nearly got a job there when I left school but eventually ended up going to work at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham.

We left in what we hoped would give us plenty of time to drive to Northampton but as soon as we'd got on he M1 outside Milton Keynes we encountered a tail-back of traffic caused by an accident further north and crept along at around 5 m.p.h. We eventually left the motorway near Northampton and found a multi-storey car park but had barely 15 minutes before the curtain rose on the show as it started at 7.45. The play had actually started as we took our seats in the stalls. It turned out to be a very good show which we thoroughly enjoyed. We drove back to Milton Keynes and arrived home at a little before midnight.

The next day it was really bright and sunny.  During the morning there had been a card stuck through the door by the postman, informing us that £1.09p was owing on a letter or some item or other. This was somewhat annoying as the postman never attempted to knock on the door and let us have the item, or let us pay the small amount owing, so we had to drive to the sorting office in Brinklow, which is around two miles from here. It was even more annoying to find, when we got there, that the sorting office was closed. So this item will have to remain there until we can get there to collect it. We had to do some shopping but decided it would be preferable instead  if we went out somewhere as I wanted to take Carol out for a birthday treat and we ended up at the Millennium Country Park at Marston Mortaine, somewhere we've been before with the dogs. The place was extremely busy, it must have been the warm weather which brought the people out. We had something to eat in the cafe and then drove back towards Milton Keynes and went to Tesco's store at Kingston. We did our shopping and then returned to the car and it was at this point that Carol couldn't get the car to start. No amount of attempts would get it to start. Carol had her mobile phone on her but there was very little battery life left in it so she decided to text here friend Pauline, who had worked with her as a teacher at the Academy. Fortunately she texted back saying that she and her husband Paul were on there way to us and would arrive in about 45 minutes. When they eventually arrived we again attempted to get the car to start but still no joy. Paul said that it could be something to do with the petrol, not getting into the engine or something, but that seemed unlikely as I had only  filled the car up a few days previously. But we decided to try filling it with more fuel and purchased a can from Tesco's and then went to the filling station and put £5 in the can and then transferred this to the car. But when we attempted to start the car it still wouldn't play ball.

By now it was clear that the car wasn't going to start so we were taken home with our shopping  by Pauline and her husband. When I got home I telephoned Laverne, who I know from church and who is a motor mechanic. He was as good as his word and came out to pick me up outside our house and took me back to Tesco's carpark, but he could not get the car to start. After a while he asked me whether I had any breakdown cover and remembered that we were insured with Swinton but had no reference number for the policy. As luck or sheer coincidence would Laverne said he was with the same company and said that if he used his mobile he could ring and see whether he could get Swinton to send out a recovery truck to get either the car started or transport the car home. He managed to get through and fortunately they sent someone. It took a further 45 minutes or so for a truck to arrive and the repair man eventually got the car started. It would appear that the starter mechanism where the key goes in to turn to start the car was not functioning properly and preventing the car to start. So, once the car was running the mechanic left and Laverne followed me home just to make sure the car didn't stop running. I will now have to find a garage to repair the car as it's not advisable to drive when it's likely to cut out again. The car it due for it's MoT this month so it can be done at the same time.

Tailgating To Be Made Illegal

I see from the BBC television news that the Government is to make tailgating an offence. I have mention in earlier posts how I constantly get drivers coming up very close to me as I drive around Milton Keynes (although  this has happened on roads elsewhere.) and try to push you out of the way just because you're driving a small car and they think you are driving too slowly (usually well within the speed limit.) Also, you will be fined if you are caught hogging the central lane on a Motorway. This does happen frequently when we drive anywhere on Britain's Motorway system. I believe this central lane is for overtaking and not a lane for drivers to take over almost for their exclusive use. It really is quite difficult to keep within the legal speed limit as it is without being forced to go faster just because someone else insists you go faster. I had several occasions when I was driving around Milton Keynes as  a home carer where drivers were using really dangerous methods of driving to get you out of the way. On one occasion I was driving to one of my evening calls in Bletchley, minding my own business, and driving well within the speed limit, when this Transit van came up behind me extremely closely, with three large workmen in it. They wanted to get me to get out of the way, which I wasn't going to do, but then began weaving about all over the road in a quite aggressive and intimidating manner, to such a degree that I had to pull over in a layby and let them go past. On three occasions I was run into by cars as I approached roundabouts (as you may, or, indeed, may not be aware, Milton Keynes is renowned for it's roundabouts.) merely because these cars are driven by people who imagine they don't have to stop at a roundabout and anyone who gets in the way will just get hit. I have since learned from watching television that there is a scam going whereby drivers deliberatly run into other cars so as to claim compensation for these false accidents.
I understand that they have also increased the fine for driving whilst using a mobile phone. A good thing, but I often wonder how on earth you police this, as I see so many people flouting the law and brazenly driving with a mobile stuck to their ear and with no thought given to the safety aspect. How many actually get caught, as there are never any police around at the time I see this. And similarly with tailgating.

Holiday In Yorkshire- Part 2

On Saturday morning we got up really early. It must have been 5-6. We had packed and were ready to go. We had decided that the dogs would come with us. Daniel was prepared to look after them at home (he had a week off work and college was on half-term.) so there would have been no problem in that department. We've taken Poppy before, and we'd specially booked a cottage which allowed pets, but we wouldn't find out the lay-out of the cottage until we got there. Meaning, if we wanted to go out without the dogs, how would we leave them? Was there a room we could leave them in which they wouldn't damage? Neither dogs has a habit of destroying furniture or making any sort of mess. They are thoroughly house-trained, but still there is the likelihood that they will make a mess if not let out regularly. Here they can run in and out to the garden all day. Alfie hasn't been on holiday with us before and doesn't travel well in the car (as mentioned in earlier posts.) although he seems to have settled down more recently when we've taken him out in the car when he goes in the cage in the back of the car.

We continued on our way and eventually found the cottage on Flamborough Head at around midday. We had looked on Google Maps before we'd left so we had a reasonably good idea where we were going, and to be honest, it's not exactly complicated as regards the road network or towns, villages or houses in that area of Yorkshire, so we didn't have much of an excuse. We knew that Flamborough Head Lighthouse wasn't far away, so with that as a landmark, we had no difficulties in finding where we were staying for the week. If we'd driven on, the road would just come to a stop at the edge of a cliff, and we'd have fallen in the North Sea!

Swallow Cottage, Flamborough Head, where we stayed for our week's holiday. Looking the other way you can see Flamborough Head lighthouse.

View of Flamborough Head Lighthouse from Swallow Cottage

Carol managed to get both dogs into the car, with Alfie in the cage and Poppy in the space at the back of the car. With the parcel shelf in place they seemed quite happy. We drove off without any sound from the rear of the car. Alfie doesn't 'do mornings' generally. When he sleeps, he goes off like a light. You daren't disturb him. If you do, it's at your peril, as he will growl at you. I don't think he'd bite you intentionally, but he can become quite snappy. I think he was half asleep when he was put in the car, and I assume he fell asleep. So he would have spend most of the journey north totally out of it. We had to stop at the Shell petrol station to fill up with petrol, and then went to get on the M1 just outside Milton Keynes. We didn't stop until quite some way 'up North.' One of the Service areas, when we used the toilets. We didn't disturb the dogs. We came off the Motorway near York and drove towards Bridlington and found a rather nice picnic area where we got tea and had something to eat, letting the dogs out to stretch their legs. (What the Americans call a 'comfort stop.') There were decent toilets, a kiosk to buy a snack and cuppa and a place to sit and the dogs could have a run. As soon as we opened the back of the car up, Alfie started his yapping, so everyone knew he was around! He can get quite excited and attacks the cage door with his teeth, and tries to catch the lead with his teeth also, and makes a lot of noise. Poppy, on the other hand, takes it all in her stride and doesn't need to make so much noise.

 The old Flamborough Head Lighthouse

Trip to Birmingham

I had an appointment in Birmingham on Saturday lunchtime, so Carol drove us there. I had to be at an agency office to register at 12.30 and have photographs done for this television extra agency's casting book and website. We had to get to the Jewellery Quarter, and thankfully, once we left the M6 Motorway and headed for the centre of Birmingham, it was really well signposted. There were plenty of places to park, and it cost £1.20 for two hours. My major worry was not just being able to find the place, but parking. In Central London you would never ever consider driving in and finding a place to park, and would travel there by train and cross London my Underground, but this area of Birmingham seemed really quite pleasant. 


Compared to the last time I went to sign up with a television agency (see earlier post) it seemed a good deal more friendly and organised. The photographer did at least give you the chance to see the photographs he had taken, as they were done digitally and once they were taken were displayed on a computer monitor. One was re-done. I will send them further photos of my own which can be put on their files. The other agency took photos, but you didn't have the option to choose which were the best, or to re-take any. 


We didn't stay in Birmingham once the appointment was over and drove back to Milton Keynes immediately. There was a really strong wind blowing, which made driving quite difficult. We stopped off at Tesco's in Buckingham to do some shopping before driving the rest of the way home.