Hot And Humid

 Friday. 10.25 a.m. The summer is back in full force. It's almost as if it never went away, even though, officially, we are now into autumn. I have both fans running at full force, one in the bedroom and the other in the lounge. The digital thermometer currently reads 27ºC, although, on BBC Breakfast earlier, there was mentioned the possibility that the temperature would reach at least 30ºC. 

Alfie went to have a haircut yesterday. He was booked in at the Groom Room in Bletchley several weeks ago, in fact, I went directly there to enquire about a booking after I had taken my car to Anglo Motors. The appointment was at 4.30. So I left in good time, hoping to arrive at around 4.15. The problem was, when I got to the roundabout which intersects with Saxon Street and Standing Way, I discovered that the road ahead was closed, and without any warning further back I could find an alternative route to Bletchley. I turned right onto Standing Way and discovered a more or less solid traffic jam towards Watling Street. I got to the car park outside Pets At Home, where the Groom Room is based and managed to calm down, because of the stress caused by the detour to get there.

Having dropped off Alfie for his haircut, I then went along the parade of shops to Costa to have a cool drink. I had at least an hour to fill until I had to go back to collect Alfie. When I eventually left Costa and walked out through the door I was hit by the heat, a bit like opening an oven door. I don't get on well in heat, and it's particularly dangerous for me, having a heart condition and having had two heart attacks.

5.15 p.m. As I write this, the digital thermometer currently reads 32ºC, which must be some sort of record. I know that is indoors, but I have an electric fan on and all the windows in the flat are wide open.

Sunday. 7.55 a.m. It wasn't quite as hot and humid as it has been overnight for the past couple of nights, but still, the digital thermometer reads 27ºC. Hopefully, we will get a rainstorm which will relieve the heat, but with storms will come flash floods.

Monday. 4.05 p.m. The temperature had dropped considerably, thank goodness. The temperature outside is a good deal lower than indoors. Even with the windows open and an electric fan running, the digital thermometer reads 28ºC. I imagine this is because the heat we have had over the past week or so has kept buildings hot and will take a few days to cool down to a reasonable temperature.

Tuesday. 7.00 a.m. Thankfully, it's a good deal cooler this morning. The digital thermometer currently reads 25ºC. I slept somewhat better than for the past week or so of this heatwave.

Wednesday. 8.40 a.m. A bright and sunny morning as I write this. The digital thermometer currently reads 22ºC, so a far cooler temperature compared to the last week or so. I can sleep better in this sort of temperature.

A really good day at Camphill in the P.A.W department (Performing Arts Workshop.) yesterday (Tuesday.) We are developing material for the World War 2 project, which will be a play, running around 30-45 minutes. Many of the group went to Milton Keynes Museum to see the WW2 event. I went, but I wasn't feeling too well. As it turned out, I eventually had several days of a flu bug (which I mentioned in an earlier blog post) and I didn't stay at the museum long, unfortunately. I did manage to take some photographs with my Canon digital camera, but I have still got to transfer them onto a memory stick.

We had a long check-in. It went on almost to tea break at 10.30. Once back in the theatre after the tea break, Terrie set up a flipchart and the group was asked to give any information they had gleaned from the Museum visit regarding the Second World War. All these ideas and bits of information, however gleaned, would be put together to create some sort of script for the play.

After lunch, we got to the bit I have been waiting for for months, the first preview of the silent movies. Other Camphilll residents and staff came to see the films, projected onto the cinema screen. The first two films were created by a different group who meet on a Monday. The first was 'How To Rob A Bank', very much in the style of an early silent comedy. The second one, I don't remember the name of, and then we got to see the first of the three silent movies which we've been working on since around February, the first was a Western. Very amusing and I was intrigued by how the green screen process was utilized to create backgrounds, mostly sourced from what you would call 'stock footage', such as Western town backgrounds and steam trains. The second film was The Pirate Saga, in which I had a very small cameo appearance, although, at first, I did not recognize myself! Then we saw the third film, the science fiction 'time travel' epic, which I had been involved in from it's development and some of my ideas actually appeared on-screen. It was a somewhat complicated storyline involving, would you believe, Goldilocks, of traditional pantomime and fairy-story fame, time-travelling porridge (yes, you read that correctly!) space pirates (for want of a better word!) and in the past, zombies dancing to a rather weird version of The Macarena! But it all ended with the villains being defeated and everyone living 'happily ever after!'

What's It All About, Alfie?

Thursday.6.00 p.m. I went to the Oaktree Centre this morning to help set up Acorns playgroup. I left around 8.40, which should have given me plenty of time to get there for 9. I left Dexter House and drove out of Oldbrook along Strudwick Drive and then found there was a queue of around six cars at the junction onto Chaffron Way. It's virtually impossible to get out onto the road to the right, due to heavy traffic so, as usual, I went left and drove around the roundabout near Eaglestone (commonly known as Four Bridges, for obvious reasons, and then doubled back on myself to drive along Chaffron Way. Then there was a jam only metres away, just before the turning into Rainbow Drive. Many cars appeared to be parked within the immediate entry, and I wondered if they were parents dropping off children going to either the college or Milton Keynes Academy. These parents (if indeed it is parents) don't seem to care about anyone else, just blocking the entrance and not getting out of the way. The other entrance into MK Academy in Saxon Street was always being clogged up with cars, by parents either leaving their children or collecting them and also not taking a blind bit of notice that it was dangerous, likely causing collisions with vehicles, even though the school had made it clear to them not to do so. People just seem to do as they please, regardless of being told not to do something. 

Beyond the roundabout where Chaffron Way meets Grafton Street, the traffic was nose-to-tail more or less all the way to Shenley. All I can say is, I was more than glad that I was driving in the opposite direction and I wouldn't want to put up with that sort of traffic daily, to and from work. I can't think what had caused the traffic to be so snarled up unless there was an accident on either the M1 or the A5 and traffic was being diverted through Milton Keynes or maybe there was resurfacing of some of the grid roads which might cause such problems.

Saturday. 6.05 a.m. Alfie came to me and prodded me. I had to force myself to respond and wake up. It wasn't easy, waking up, getting dressed and then taking him out, as I knew he was in desperate need to get out and I really didn't want a mess to clear up. So I carried him out (just as well he's small. I can't imagine doing that with a bigger dog, an Irish wolf-hound or Labrador.) This was at around 2.30 a.m., so you can imagine that it was very dark, even with a few street lamps illuminating things. But it was a success, and we were soon back indoors and back in bed a couple of minutes later.

We met up for the men's breakfast at Morrison's at Westcroft this morning. It was something of a disaster, although it was sorted out. We have met there to use the community room for several months and it seems a good enough venue, it's quiet, and we can have a cooked breakfast,, provided by Morrison's café. But I don't know what happened as regards getting the room set up and making it ready for us. You would imagine that if they had a regular booking, they would have known we were due there. But no. The staff had no idea. It was eventually sorted out and the meeting went ahead, but we could have just as easily gone to Costa which is right next door to Morrison's. 

I had planned to go to my creative writing group, which meets monthly in Waterstones in Midsummer Place. I should have left to drive a good deal earlier because when I got as far as the road opposite The escape, the traffic was backed up almost as far as the roundabout on Childs Way. It took some while to reach the carpark I usually go to when I drive into Milton Keynes centre and found it absolutely chocker-block, with not a single space vacant, although I did drive round with the hope that I would find a space, but no luck. I then drove out and thought I might be able to park in the adjacent carpark, but when I attempted to use the RingGo app it would not work. A similar situation happened when I came in earlier in the week to have my covid booster vaccine jab. It simply refused to work. I don't understand why it won't work, it won't connect or something. One of those confounded spinning wheel things, so I gave up and came home, unfortunately, abandoning any possibility of getting to the meet-up. I will just have to drive in a good deal earlier when the group next meets.

A Marathon To Get To Church (and Other Matters)

(Sunday) I hadn't remembered that there was going to be a marathon run around Milton Keynes today and tomorrow (Monday.) So, when I realised that I might be stuck in Eaglestone with runners going along the road in front of my home, I panicked because I wanted to get to church. I came out of the estate near the Eaglestone shops, because the exit onto Saxon Street (opposite Milton Keynes Academy) was closed off with signs and barriers and there were people with high vis jackets on. Then, when I came out onto Chaffron Way, I found I couldn't turn left and had to turn right and then down and onto Marlborough Street.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against marathons, so long as you don't expect me to take part. Just not my thing.  Just the thought of having to possibly wear Lycra doesn't appeal to me somehow. There's noting wrong with people doing what they enjoy. And a lot of cash is raised for various charities and it's a community thing. There's not enough 'community' going on in this country as it is, we need events that bring people together. What with Brexit and all the divisions that's caused, it would be wrong to oppose something such as a marathon which brings people closer. My only objection is that it has to come down the road where I live and it means, if I want to get out in my car, I can't. O.k., you say, but it's only a few days in the year and then only a couple of hours on a Bank Holiday or a weekend. Well, yes, true. But if it's the only time you have with your partner or other members of your family, why do we have to be inconvenienced by this event? It could be easily be re-routed along the Redway, which is only a few yards away. Then I notice it comes along Golden Drive and then, further along, goes onto the Redway, so why not all the way along the Redway? If I so much make a comment to this effect on Facebook, I get the full force of someone or other's complaints. It's as if I'm not allowed to make a simple comment, a statement of common sense, I get shot down in flames. Oh dear, even say something in opposition. But the fact is, this person is easy to wind up. He/she has no sense of the irony. Doesn't take much to get them upset, riled I think the word is (must look that one up. I have just had a look. Perhaps I've spelt it wrong. Perhaps it's spelt with a 'y' instead of an 'i'.) I'm quite good at winding people up. Just need someone to take the bait and get them started, ranting and raving! Quite a few people out there like that. Just put the word 'Brexit' into the conversation and light blue touch-paper. Probably best to retire to a safe place and stick your fingers in your ears . . .

To more mundane matters . . .

I'm going to have to defrost the fridge/freezer. What excitement. Not. It has built up a great deal of ice and the fridge part has water that runs down the sides and gathers on the floor and when you open the door it tends to gush out. The freeze temperature probably needs adjusting. It hasn't been defrosted since it was first installed, I can't remember how long ago. The plastic drawers in the freezer section cause a problem, because with the amount of ice, some of them don't close properly. I have a problem that, if the door isn't closed properly, then there is a tendency for there to be a certain amount of thawing of the food inside. I have, unfortuntely, broken a couple of these drawers, because of the difficulty of pushing the drawers back inside. As a consequence, several have got severely broken. One has now got a large piece broken off completely and there is  danger of food inside the drawer falling out. I need to get these drawers replaced as soon as possible. So I found the manufacturer's website on-line yesterday and their telephone number, which, fortunately, being a Sunday, they were open for business. The manufcturer of the fridge/freezer is Candy, which I didn't realise was part of Hoover. I had to find the details of the fride/freezer on a label inside the fridge section, in the 'crisper' department. I spoke to someone at the call centre and, when he was given the relevant details of the fridge/freezer, was able to look up whether they could supply replaceent drawers. They can, but they don't have all the drawers in stock at he moment, and if I ring back in a couple of week's time, they will hopefully have the relevant items in stock and can dispatch them to me. Once they arrive, I can empty the fridge/freezer, get it defrosted and cleaned and the whole thing back in proper working order once again.

Later. I can't get out  in the car at the moment (11.15a.m.) because the Milton Keynes marathon is going past. Odd assortment of humanity, all shapes, sizes, colours, genders (to be 'diverse.') Why do some men have absolutely no idea of what they look like? Dressed in inappropriate clothing. I'll say no more. Just that, in the summer, when it's hot, why do men have no idea (not every man, of course.) that sometimes they look awful in shorts and tee shirts. Just not going there . . . Don't their women-folk tell them off when they get the horrible baggy shorts out? Go and by some better-fitting shorts. Not difficult to find. I have a vague idea what I look like. Just USE A MIRROR before going out!

Someone, somewhere near is using a Strimmer or a similar gadget in their garden. It's making a horrible noise. Why is it people insist on making this sort of noise whenever it's a Bank Holiday and all I want myself is to be quiet and relax? The D.I.Y companies, such as B and Q and Homebase, seem to think they can make more money by having offers of things like lawnmowers, Strimmers and other grass cutters, not realizing that they are condemning the rest of us to the dreadful noise they create.

There is a mystery. A white mattress has appeared just opposite my kitchen window. I'm intrigued as to where it's come from, and why someone would think it a good idea to dump it at the side of the road. There is really no need to just dump anything. You can take such items which have no further use or are just worn out or broken, to the tidy-tip in Bleak Hall. I took a photo with my iPhone and sent it with an email to the council so that they would be aware of this item. It is actually fly-tipping and as such it's an offence and whoever dumped it there can be fined heavily, and they deserve to be done for this.

Horrible Sainsbury's Fire Alarm Test

(Saturday)I had hoped that I could have a bit of a lie-in this morning. Instead of getting up before 6 o'clock and having breakfast as I usually do, I hoped I could get up around 7 o'clock, but Alfie being Alfie, this wasn't going to happen. He had slept on the sofa in the lounge and came upstairs to find out where I was and what I was doing. No peace for the wicked, as the saying goes, but I don't think I'm wicked. I don't know what Alfie thought, but no doubt he was thinking I was a lazy old so-and-so, that he wanted his early-morning jaunt across the park and I wasn't going to be allowed a minute more in bed!  So, I got dressed slowly, with the close eye of one small, active Yorkshire Terrier observing my every move. I had to go downstairs and make sure Alfie is in the lounge so I can complete my routine of putting on my outdoor shoes, jacket and so on, and have the doggy bags in one trouser pocket, another with my iPhone in the other and then, when all is present and correct, I collect the lead from it's hook in the kitchen and then prepare to connect the lead to Alfie's harness and get out of the front door. But, no sooner have I opened the door from them hallway into the lounge than Alfie begins his barking and it's quite an effort to get him calmed down so I can connect the lead to the harness and then open the front door and go out into the road.

Having taken Alfie out and done a circuit of Eaglestone Park, we came home and I had a mug of tea and bowl of Weetabix for breakfast whilst watching BBC Breakfast on television. They're still bleating on about Brexit and the results of the local elections, so the television didn't remain on for long. I really don't want to listen to a load of politicians, of whatever colour, tying to justify themselves.

I needed to go to Lloyd's phrmacy in Sainsbury's because they had a repeat prescription which needed collecting. I thought that I might have a coffee in the café in Sainsbury's before I started the shop. I don't think it was entirely successful. Nothing particularly brilliant about it, but as I stood waiting at the till for my latte to be prepared, there was a rather loud voice coming over the Tannoy system, saying, 'this is a fire alarm test.' It kept going off at intervals, and nothing happened for a while. But it was getting really annoying. Also, quite loud. Then there were two blasts of the fire alarm, so loud that it began to hurt my ears. At one point I wasn't entirely sure whether it was an actual fire alarm and whether we were supposed to leave the building, but nobody seemed to take a bit of notice and remained doing what they were doing. I ate my cheese and ham toastie and drank my latte. The horrible voice came back. I have a feeling that someone had not the slightest idea how to turn off the fire alarm. But what would have happened if there're been a real fire and an emergency? I know from experience that you have to test your fire alarms on a regular basis, but why have it on what must be one of the busiest days, a Saturday?

I finished eating and drinking and left the café and made my way into the supermarket and the computerised voice continued to bleat on, but eventually it came to an end and everyone gave a sigh of relief, not least myself. If nothing else came of all this, at least I got to write about what happened in this blog post.

On the drive back home I went along Saxon Street and at the road leading into Milton Keynes Academy there was what appeared to be a van in the road, looking slightly smashed in on the front headlamp, with bits of glass and metal in the road. I couldn't make out exactly what had happened, whether the van was pulling out into Saxon Street and had been hit by another vehicle, hence the smashed van's front, but whatever had happened there were police on site and other people in attendance. I couldn't see an ambulance, and all this was holding up the traffic from the opposite direction from that I was driving. People do take risks, and pulling out of that particular road and attempting to make a right-hand turn would be difficult and dangerous. If it had been me, I would hav made a left-hand turn and gone round the roundabout and doubled back on myself, so as to avoid the situation those vehicles found themselve in. Coming out of Eaglestone, it's easier to drive around Golden Drive towards the exit near the shop rather than taking the more obvious exit onto Saxon Street, because if you were intending making a right turn into that road, it would be difficult and dangerous because of the volume of traffic, particularly at around 8-9 in the morning when people are going to work.

Unsettled Weather

(Tuesday)It's really warm and sunny today. I was out a good deal earlier with Alfie this morning, probably arrow 6.45. It seemed a waste to not get out because it's getting light earlier and earlier each day and he has this habit, which I've mentioned on here before, of sitting and staring at me. He simply can't wait to get out. He loves to be let off his lead and to have a run. Fo a little dog he's got lots of energy. Runs like a little rabbit.

Alfie wears a harness. It's to protect his neck, because if you connect his lead to his collar, which he wears permanently, when he pulls, it can damage his throat. So a collar is far better because you connect the lead to a D ring which is on his back, at the centre of the harness. I went to Pets At Home at the Bletchley retail park yesterday morning because I wanted to get peanut kernels to put in the empty feeder on the bird feeding station. When I was in there I decided to look for a replacement for Alfie's rather tatty harness, which I wanted to replace. I picked up one which seemed to be the right size for him, but when I got home and tried it on Alfie it was far too big. So this morning I went back to Pets At Home and it was an easy matter of taking the harness to the pay desk and the lady let me pick up a smaller, and actually, a much nicer harness than the one I was replacing. 

I had to go and look in T.K. Maax while I was in the retail park. It's one of those stores which you have to keep going to look in because their stock changes on almost a daily basis and the prices are so good, you almost always manage to pick up a bargain. Not just clothes, but homeware items. They have another store called Homesense, and there's a branch at Kingston. I wandered around the kitchen department and picked up a really nice mixing bowl and a silicone spatula, which I wanted because I have also bought some non-stick saucepans and I don't want to scratch the surface in them using metal utensils. 

I walked to Tesco, which is a short walk across the main Fenny Stratford road. I wanted to get some daffodils, because I'm keeping them going in two vases, because Carol always loved them and I would buy them for her when she came home from work. I got some long-stemmed daffs as well as two bunches of the short-stemmed variety.

I drove back home along Saxon Street. There has been some roadworks the last couple of days along Standing Way, and when I drove through the roundabout that crosses Standing Way yesterday you were prevented from turning left which would cause chaos is you wanted to go to the hospital, which is several hundred yards further along Standing Way. Fortunately not a problem this morning. This roundabout can be difficult when it's busy, and I'm of the opinion that there ought to be traffic lights here when it's busy. Some drivers are not content to just wait patiently and seem to think they can cross without bothering to stop, which is dangerous and could cause a nasty accident.

I got home and managed to get Alfie into the new harness. It fits him perfectly. The old one has now been consigned to the rubbish bin. It has done it's job, but it was well past it's best.

I am somewhat disappointed that there have been no birds come to visit the bird feeding station. I can't think why they haven't been to visit it. I would have thought that they would have flocked to it since it had been restocked and new feeders put up. It's been filled up since the weekend. I know it can take a day or two for birds to get used to having food put out for them and there can be issues regarding cats or other predators, but it's been out long enough for them to get used to it. A bit disappointing, to say the least.

(Wednesday) As I write this, at 4.50 a.m. on Wednesday, I can hear rain rattling on the lounge window. I expect Alfie will want to go for his routine walk across the park, but I don't fancy going out to get wet, so he is going to have to be patient (not the easiest thing for him.) and wait for it to stop.

Mystery Lorries, Foggy Mornings and Fixing Drips

 A very large H.G.V. was parked up just opposite the house last night. (Thursday) I could  see something from the bathroom window and there was one of those orange flashing lights which drew my attention to whatever it was that was going on. The lorry had garden fencing and goodness knows what on the back of it. I don't think lorries of that size and weight should really be parked in the estate. Apart from the size and weight of it, they would take up valuable parking spaces for residents. I couldn't work out what was going on and opened the window, because I couldn't see clearly through the frosted glass of the bathroom window. There was a second vehicle, a van, with the back open, and a man in overalls doing something or other. I thought at first he was filling in potholes, but it occurred to me, why would anyone be doing that sort of work at around 10p.m. on a Thursday in February? It was the fact that I couldn't get to sleep and had gone downstairs to make myself a hot drink, Ovaltine, which helps me to get to sleep. It was when I needed to go to the loo that I decided to go upstairs to the bathroom that I then noticed the flashing orange light through the frosted glass. I wondered at first if it was an emergency vehicle, such as a police car or even an ambulance, which was what got my curiosity raised that I had to open the window to get a closer look. I gave up on what was going on and went back to bed.

This morning (Friday) I got myself ready to take Alfie out and had to again use the bathroom. Not going into too much detail, but I couldn't understand why the bathmat was so wet as I stood minding my own business at the loo. I thought perhaps I had got the mat too wet when I'd got out of the bath last night, but it couldn't have been that. The mat was really wringing wet so I moved it out of the bathroom to deal with later. Alfie was confined to the lounge, as I usually have him as he gets so over-wrought when he knows he's about to go out. It was when I'd moved the mat that I found a large puddle on the floor and soon found the source of the leak. A junction in the plumbing under the toilet cistern was leaking slowly but gradually. I think it may just require a spanner taking to it to tighten the connection. But I don't have any tools to do this job and I know that if I ring my landlord he'll only get himself in a stress and it'll be an age before he sends a plumber to fix it, so I texted Garry next door because I know he has the required knowledge and the tools to fix the problem. So I've put towels on the floor to absorb the water and just have to leave it until it can be fixed successfully.

All was revealed to me as to the situation regarding the large lorry when I got to take Alfie out this morning. It was very foggy out and you could barely see across the road, but the fog has since gone as I write this at 7.35a.m. on Friday morning. Alfie made his usual din as I opened the door. As Alfie game out of the house, barking crazily, that the drive of the H.G.V. came across the road from his vehicle to speak to me and make a fuss of the loudly-barking little dog. He told me that he'd had a tyre blow-out as he was driving past on Saxon Street. He made the comment that the other vehicles were driving fast and he needed somewhere to park up safely, hence the vehicle being left over-night opposite my home. The van I saw from the bathroom window, as described above, had been from a firm which had managed to replace the blown-out tyre and he had to spend the night asleep in his cab. I took Alfie across Eaglestone Park as normal and by the time I came back to enter the house, the H.G.V. had gone. The H.G.V. driver commented on the speed of the traffic, to which I agree, making the response that I thought the speed limit was far too high and really ought to be lowered to between 40-60 m.p.h.

Later. I went next door and asked Garry if he could deal with the leak for me and he came round. Fortunately he was on a late shift and wouldn't be at home later. The leak if from a junction between two pipes and it was a worn washer that was causing the problem. So it's fixed and the bath mats and towels are in the washing machine ready to wash and the floor mopped. Not completely dry but it's a least not one large puddle!

I had a fairly substantial amount of cash arrive in my Nationwide account a few days ago. No explanatory letter to give details of what it was for except the initials 'TP' next to it. I assumed it would be for Teachers' Pensions. I had no idea how to access Carol's pensions until I got a telephone call from the caseworker at the N.A.S.U.W.T (I still don't know what the initials stand for.) I was told that I could download a form from the Teacher's Pensions website, which I did, and then had to get Carol's employee number from the Academy and I think her National Insurance number, which I duly put on the form which was completed and sent off. I had only meant to go to the Nationwide account to look at the balance, as I often do, otherwise I would never have known it was there.

Having had the money appear in my bank account I would have expected to have had a letter or at least some sort of statement from Teacher's Pensions to give me an idea how they worked out these amounts (there was a smaller amount also on the statement on line). So I had this morning rung Teachers' Pensions and I have been told that a letter should have been sent out, but obviously wasn't but one will now be sent to me. Whether this monthly payment will make up the difference of the rent payments with Housing Benefit, I'm not sure, but at least it means I have some more cash to play around with, to pay bills and general living expenses. I was expecting there to be some sort of need for me to identify myself, but I just gave them Carol's National Insurance number and that was all.

I went into our local Waitrose. A loaf of bread and a few other comestibles. I walked past the newspapers on display and saw the headline in the Daily Telegraph 'Churches can scrap Sunday Services.' Did make it read a bit like bus companies not running services on a Sunday. No, wait a minute. So, what exactly is the good old C of E going to put on instead? Bingo, or community sing-a-longs? What are the vicars going to be up to on a Sunday? I didn't even realise they were legally required to put on services, the General Synod voted to end the law that has existed since the 17th Century.

It's been a bright and sunny day here today, which was great, considering the day started out foggy. It's generally a sign at this time of year, that the weather will improve as the day progresses, if it starts foggy or over-cast. So, as a treat for Alfie, I decided to take him for a second walk. It must have taken him by surprise, as we don't usually go for a second walk. As a result I've done well over 7000 steps. It's interesting to see different people, although none speak. A weird youth wandering the path, looking as if he's got nothing better to do. No doubt would be in school, but as it's Half-Term, looking lost. Several other rather lost souls. Discovering a lot of bits of Eaglestone I've never been to before, some looking somewhat run down.I think quite a few of th properties are rented, and don't look as if their tenants look after them particularly well. A lot of litter and the front gardens full of broken machinery, old cars which have been repaired or had parts taken from them and then left to rot. Not particularly encouraging if you were looking to buy or rent a property and to see that as you drove up for the first time.

Frosty and Chilly

It's getting lighter a lot earlier. So it seemed a good idea to take Alfie out for his routine walk across Eaglestone Park. I can't avoid his eyes as he was sitting on the sofa watching me closely. But by the time we got outside it was surprisingly cold and the car had a layer of ice on it, which means I will need to scrape it off when I drive out later on this morning.

Alfie loves being let off his lead when we get to the grassed area, but unfortunately things didn't go as usual because the woman who has a large Alsatian and walks it from her wheelchair was crossing the park. Alfie's immediate reaction is to chase after the dog and make friends. He doesn't see any danger, but I don't trust this dog as the woman has no control over it. I don't want to see Alfie attacked. The bigger dog growled at Alfie and I ran after him to put him back on his lead. He wasn't going to be caught, but I did manage to catch him and we walked away at speed along the circular path and took a short cut back home.

Some time later. I've been to get my haircut this morning. Some while ago I went to get my hair cut at my regular place, Central Barbers, which has been in the Food Centre for years and I've been going there on and off since I moved to Milton Keynes in 2007. Then I went to the barbers in Monkston Park (which we found quite by accident when we went to buy something in the nearby Budgens store). Then it closed down, only discovering when I was waiting for them to open up and someone told me that the man who owned the store had gone out of business (for whatever reason.) The branch of Central Barbers moved into the main MK shopping centre and this I only discovered when I read the notice on the door of the boarded-up shop. They are now located opposite John Lewis's store in the shopping centre. I was there sitting outside the store at 9.25 and went in to get my haircut by a young lady who it turned out went to Shenley Christian Fellowship, but goes to the second service (I usually go to the 9.15 service, so it's unlikely I'd see her.)

I then went to the coffee morning within the café in John Lewis and saw the bereavement counsellor and we've set up a new meeting for Wednesday at 2.30p.m at Willen.

Walking through the shopping centre I noticed that some areas around Middleton Hall were closed off. Something to do with a gas leak. But I couldn't smell anything like gas. But when I came back out to walk through the centre on the way back to the car all the closed-off areas were re-opened. So one assumes that the gas leak had been resolved.

On the way home I decided to go to Waitrose, but I didn't realise until it was too late that I wouldn't be able to return home along Chaffron Way because there was some roadworks going on and there was a barrier up on the opposite late so I would need to find an alternative route home along Brickhill Street and then Child's Way. They're forever closing the grid roads around Milton Keynes, usually for other things such as putting in safety zones, which they've done along Chaffron Way. This consists of signs to get drivers to slow down as well as central kerbing and red painted areas. Whether this works I don't know, because from experience a lot of drivers don't want to slow at any cost. There's an element who won't adhere to any sort of rules and regulation. No matter what they're told or meant to do, such as slow down, as they should along Saxon Street between Milton Keynes Academy and the hospital, which is a 40 m.p.h, zone, they will not slow down. Probably because they know full well that they won't get caught and fined. You very rarely, if ever, see a police car around Milton Keynes. There's no deterrent to motorists who get round the law, not just speeding but tailgating and other misdemeanours. There used to be a 'smiley face' sign that lit up when you were driving at the correct speed. It was on the footbridge that takes the Redway over Saxon Street, but it gets taken away, but it's quite effective at getting drivers to slow down. It would appear that a lot of people don't realise that there's a speed limit or just ignore it anyway.

So, why don't they do all the road repairs at the same time? Surely it can't be too difficult to make sure they coordinate all this sort of work so that it doesn't inconvenience people.

Driving and other Motoring Matters

I needed to buy fuel for the car as the tank has run quite low, with all the driving to Willen and other places over the past few weeks. The Renault Captur is an extremely economical car and a full tank usually lasts over a month or more. So I decided to drive to the Shell station on Grafton Street, at around 9.15 this morning, making sure that most of the morning traffic had subsided. It's surprising how busy it gets around Milton Keynes just before 9 o'clock. Almost gridlock along many of the roads around Eaglestone and into the centre.

I drove out of the estate and came out near the Eaglestone shops. It's easier than trying to get out onto Saxon Street which is actually the nearest exit, but to turn right can be an impossibility when the traffic is heaviest. Usually if you turn left and then get to the roundabout on Standing Way, you can double back on yourself and came back onto Saxon Street, but it can be very busy on Standing Way, but in Milton Keynes you can always do this manoeuvre if you get lost, just get to th next roundabout and go back the way you came. So, I came out onto Chaffron Way and drove towards Grafton Street with the intention of getting to the Shell petrol station. But when i got there I discovered it was closed off 'for renovations,' or 'modernisation.' I had no alternative, I needed fuel, so I decided to drive on to the Shell station directly opposite so drove on to the roundabout on Standing Way and so drove around to the other Shell station. On arriving there, I had to drive to the furthest pump, but then discovered that the diesel pump had a notice on it, saying, out of use. Somewhat frustrating, I had no alternative but to try a pump further back on the forecourt, but it's a 'one-way' system in these petrol stations. You can't reverse to get to the pumps further back, so I chose to drive out back onto Grafton Street and drive to the next roundabout on Chaffron Way and then double back onto Grafton Street and drive back round the roundabout on Standing Way and end up at the first pumps at the Shell station, only to find that all pumps that served diesel were 'out of use.' Where else was I to obtain diesel? I chose to drive towards the city centre and use the BP station next to the Xcape on Childs Way. So, quite a long detour around Milton Keynes, along Saxon street and then right onto Childs Way. When I got there I could hear the most appalling sound, someone using one of those leaf-blowing machines. A rather pointless exercise, in my opinion. Just blowing leaves and other rubbish, out of the way, and not picking anything up.

I managed to fill up sufficiently with diesel and then returned home. I had to collect some things before heading off to Willen to see Carol.

The car has been playing up for quite some time. A light has been coming on and a digital message on the dashboard, telling me the car is in need of a service. I'm not getting full power from the car. It's not responding as it should. The journey over to Willen, although not particularly long, is quite difficult. I realise the car is in need of some sort of maintenance, perhaps a service, with a change of oil, filters and a retune. So when I leave Willen at about 1.40 I decide to check the bank balance at the Eaglestone shops where there's a convenient A.T.M. machine and then drive to Bleak Hall Motors, who did the MoT. On arrival I explain what the problem is with the car and one of the mechanics says  that, because it's a diesel car, it might be something to do with driving on short journeys. Not sure how they could fix this. He takes it out for a test run to find out what I'm on abut, and when he comes back he says, because the light is on permanently on the dashboard, it just needs a service, so I manage to book it in for this Saturday at 8 a.m. I'm surprised that they remember my name, which is what you don't often get nowadays with any business, which makes me feel a bit more comfortable with taking the car to this particular garage. So I feel happier that they can resolve the problems with the running of the car and it will hopefully be fixed on Saturday, probably taking two hours or so after which I can go over to see Carol in Willan Hospice.

It's quite foggy today when I drive to Garroways later this morning. An almost typical November morning. The weather forecast on BBC Breakfast says that we can expect it to get colder as the week progresses. Oh well, what do you expect as the winter draws on? 

Another Hot Day?

Tuesday morning.It's only 7 a.m and the sun is shining brightly. It looks as if it's going to be another hot day. I hope not too hot as it's quite difficult to cool down in the hospital ward.

I took Alfie for a walk at 6.20. I've managed to put his harness on, which he had on more or less permanently a while ago, but Carol took it off when the warm weather started. It was parked on the bedside cabinet in our bedroom. Alfie kept looking at it. He'd stand on my side of the bed, the side the cabinet is, and touch it with his nose. I'd connect his lead on to his collar to take him for a walk, but there is a slight problem which Yorkshire terriers have, as you have to watch their windpipes don't collapse which could be fatal. If he pulls when he's on his lead, he coughs, and this isn't something I want to let him do and have horrible consequences, so I managed to get him into his harness yesterday evening. He almost got himself into the thing on his own. He knows where his head goes. So this morning we went out as I say. We went out through the front door and crossed the road and down the patch towards the park and round the circuit we usually go, Alfie being let off immediately we hit the park. The grass has been cut and it looks brown and almost like a field of newly-mown hay, which I suppose it is. It's almost a pity it's not baled and sold off for pet bedding, for rabbits or hamsters or other small rodents. Part-way round I saw a cat in the distance, so I had to take evasive action to prevent Alfie seeing it. Carol said that he wouldn't bother, because the cats who cause him bother when they enter our garden are merely trespassing on his territory, so if he sees on outside in the park, they aren't on his territory, so he wouldn't bark or chase after it. I don't know whether this is correct, but I'm not going to give him the chance, because if he chases a cat he might end up on the road and get run over which isn't something I'm prepared to risk. We walked up towards the road and over onto the Redway and then back towards home. I'm attempting to increase the number of steps, as I have a step counter, rather like a Fitbit, which measures my steps. I'll possibly take Alfie for a further walk when I get back from the hospital later this afternoon.

Later. I had to go and collect the medical certificate from Ashfield Medical Centre early thus morning. I was going to leave it til gone 9 o'clock. Generally, once the early-morning rush is out of he way, there is less traffic and as I had to negotiate the roundabout which is where Saxon Street meets Standing Way, which can be difficult to cross when it's busy. But then I decided to risk it and left the house at 8.40 and got through without incident. I even managed to get the aforesaid certificate without any bother. The doctor has dated it up until January 2019, which should mean we don't need another unless Carol isn't capable of returning work well into the New Year.

I returned home and posted the medical certificate and then immediately went out again. I went to get my hair cut at Central Barbers in the Food Centre. I parked near Xscape and walked through to the barbers. As they opened at 9.30 I had to wait around 10 minutes until they opened. I used to get my hair cut here for several years but then I discovered the barbers in Monkston Park until they closed down. They were probably more convenient, easier to get to and it was easy to park immediately outside. But it's not to difficult to park near the Food Centre. I always attempt to arrive as they open. As it happened there were no other customers, so I was in the chair and having my hair trimmed within minutes of arriving. Once I'd finished at the barbers I went back to the car because I had to collect a folder as I was going to the Civic Centre as I'm in the process of claiming Housing Benefit which we have to claim since Carol has been ill and her salary has been stopped being paid. I had to take identify for us both, so I had our driving licences for that purpose. I had to go to the Nationwide and NatWest to get print-outs of statements for earnings and some of Carol's wage slips for proof of earnings (or not.) You walk in through the front entrance at the Civic centre and you're immediately confronted by a small table. No reception desk. This seems the norm nowadays. It was the same in the Jobcentre the other week and it would appear that it's how NatWest operates. There's no reception desk as there used to be. In there you greeted by a young lady with an iPad and she books you in for your appointment. Not a problem. But in the Civic Centre I was taken by the lady in the reception area to a computer where they signed me in and I was given a ticket with a number on and and told I'd have to wait until my number came up.

The place has a lot of vacant space in it. It's almost as if they've got rid of a lot of furniture. You could hold a ball in the space. Or rent it out for some sort of function. It really is rather a waste. I know they have to allow for people moving about, but it is rather ridiculous.

My number soon came up. I am somewhat intrigued how these systems work. It not only shows up on a video screen, but a very polite woman's voice tells you where to go, in the nicest possible way, of course. Just a thought, would a male voice have the same effect? Then I had to find 'Desk 9.' The red video numbers were rather confusing, and it didn't seem as if they were in a logical numerical order.

I had to hand over the documentation required to the lady who was dealing with our Housing Benefit claim. It was all in order. All we need now is either our Tenancy Agreement or a letter from our landlord. All this dealt with fairly quickly and painlessly. I was able to leave the Civic Centre and walked across towards the main shopping centre and went into Marks and Spencer, which is immediately inside the centre. I was struck by how much cooler it was. Thankfully not as scorchingly hot as on previous days. I selected a sandwich, a drink and crisps, went to the checkout to pay and then walked back through the shopping centre and across to the car which was parked near Xcape.
As it turned out, it hasn't been as bright and sunny as it has been for however many weeks we've had to endure the heatwave. It's been warm, but still somewhat overcast. Not the scorching heat, thankfully.

I returned home to offload a lot of the stuff I'd taken with me in the folder as I didn't want to take it to the hospital ward. I decided to walk to the hospital because it occurred to me that if I went in the car it might be virtually impossible to find a parking space.  It is, after all, only about a 10-minute walk and when it's sunny it's actually quite pleasant.

At around 6 o'clock on Tuesday evening I rang our landlord to ask for either a letter or a copy of our tenancy agreement and he says he wants to do an inspection of the house. I told him why we needed to apply for Housing Benefit and I trust he is understanding of the situation. He may be coming over the weekend so I have begun to clean the house. If I work steadily over the next few days, cleaning each room from top to bottom there should be no problems. As I write this, at 6.30 on Wednesday morning, I have done a load of washing and it's out on the line. As it's so sunny it should be dried within a few hours.

With all the walking on Tuesday I managed to clock up over 9000 steps. Just goes to show how many steps you can achieve when you walk so far in one day.

Snowy Conditions

I had to clear snow off the car this morning (Monday). I'm glad I went out early, as we had to go to the hospital as Carol had a blood test booked for 8.15 in the oncology department. The snow was a good eight inches deep all over the roof and bonnet. It was easily cleared with the ice scraper. Then I shovelled a path out as I didn't want Carol slipping over on the way out to the car. Fortunately the road out of Eaglestone was relatively clear, but some baffoon thought it absolutely necessary to park immediately opposite our driveway which was somewhat difficult to manoeuvre around and there was the possibility of sliding into it as we reversed out. There are several cars parked in the road and they're simply asking to be run into because of the snow and ice. Do they not have driveways to live on? Do their owners care? It would appear not.

Fortunately Saxon Street was relatively clear of snow as we drove towards the hospital, although you had to be careful as there were patches of ice and snow in the road. Deceptive, as there was the possibility of sliding if you were to brake suddenly and I wasn't prepared to risk such a thing. A queue of cars entering the hospital campus from Standing Way, but we were able to negotiate the inner ring road and got to the carpark behind the oncology department. The carpark barrier was raised so we could drive straight in and park. Very few other cars at the time, but the walk across the carpark to the hospital building was somewhat precarious as the ice and snow made walking difficult. We walked in to the building through the cardiology department. I remember visiting there some while ago when I had to have various tests done after my heart attack, one being a stress test (described in more detail in an earlier blog post.)

On entering the oncology department we found the place totally deserted. Strange to find an N.H.S. department without patients waiting. Carol confirmed her appointment with one of the nurses and I went to the Macmillan unit to get our car parking ticket stamped so we would have free parking. Several people wandered into the department as we waited. Carol was in having her blood taken when I returned from the Macmillan unit. It would seem that Monday morning is blood-testing time in this department. It was all over very rapidly and we left, waking gingerly back over the snow-covered road and into the carpark and home.

The carpark barrier was in the 'up' position as we left, which makes me laugh when there is so much fuss over parking at N.H.S. hospitals. It's quite obvious that the mechanism of these things can't cope when the temperature drops below a certain level. Oh well, not our loss as we don't have to pay once the ticket is stamped. Fortunately not a lot of traffic as we drove onto Marlborough Street and back into Eaglestone.

The snow would appear to be melting. I do hope so, as we have quite a few trips out and snow only makes life more difficult. Just hope it doesn't freeze as this would make things far more treacherous. 

Friday At Sainsbury's

I had to go to Sainsbury's this morning. First I went to Ashfield Medical Centre as I had to collect a prescription for Carol. Not actually a repeat and they couldn't send it electronically as some of what was on the prescription was controlled meds and it could only be done as a paper version. Managed to get there without any problems, no heavy traffic at the Standing Way roundabout which can be very busy at peak times. Parked easily in the rear carpark. I have to say I'm not overly impressed by the fact that the side road is chocker-block with cigarette ends. I know it's illegal to smoke in public places, indoors in places where the public go, but why do smokers think it's alright to smoke outside and drop their fag ends wherever they please? The same along the Redway outside Milton Keynes Academy which is littered with cigarette ends. What is the environmental impact of all these cigarette ends? Surely it must be bad. If you insist on smoking, do at least put the dog-ends in a bin or somewhere else, not just throw it on the ground. Apart from anything else, it just looks horrible. Don't people realise how awful it looks? Why doesn't someone do something about it? I can't believe it's allowed to continue like this.

I managed to pick up the prescriptions in Ashfield Medical Centre and then drove back through the Standing Way roundabout along Saxon Street and went to Sainsbury's. Parked the car in the carpark. Not quite as busy as it was yesterday, perhaps because I arrived a good deal earlier in the morning. I don't like parking on the lower level because of the extremely tight corners you have to negotiate when you drive down the ramp. It seems most supermarket carparks are designed this way for some unfathomable reason. Perhaps it's to get as much car-parking space into a relatively small piece of land.

In the store I had to get a trolley, but unfortunately it had a fault. Why do so many supermarket trolleys have faults? It's usually with the wheels, pushing sideways, one sticking, or, in this case, with a sort of wobble as I pushed it along. Just annoying.  I suppose I could have swapped it for another without a problem, but I didn't bother on this occasion. I took the prescriptions to the pharmacy and had to spend 15 minutes or so whilst they made up the prescriptions.

I managed to get everything on my list and then returned to pick up the meds from the pharmacy and then walked back to the carpark. As I got closer to the car I walked past a car which had just parked and a girl got out of the passenger-side door and shouted something at the driver- her partner, father, boyfriend, I couldn't tell. She stormed off in the direction of the walk-way leading into the store. Bad temper, merely a temper-tantrum, I couldn't tell, but whatever it was seemed quite dramatic. Certainly caused something of a scene. Had they had a row as they'd arrived in the carpark? Had she not wanted to come to the supermarket? I don't know and probably won't ever know. How embarrassing to have all this in such a public place.

Road Accident and Amazon Deliveryman's Blunder

I had to go to the local shop in Garroways for a few items. I drove out of the estate and was amazed to find a single-decker bus attempting to do some sort of manoeuvre in the slip road off Saxon Street. It wasn't clear what the driver was trying to do; was he going to drive through the estate or turn round in the road? It wasn't clear until I moved into Saxon Street because at first I had to wait for the bus to move. On looking left I could see the road was closed off, with cars drawn up across the carriageway and several emergency vehicles with flashing blue lights on their roofs. It was then clear that there had been a car accident when someone had pulled out of the road leading into Garroways, Lloyds, which was where I had hoped to go. I wasn't going to get through so I had no alternative but to execute a u-turn and return the way I'd come, this time going to the local shop in Eaglestone. Other cars were doing as I had done and then a red car raced past, I think probably from the Fire Service, as it had blue lights flashing and it's siren blaring. It was clear that the road hadn't been closed off at the Four Bridges roundabout on Chaffron Way because traffic was still coming along Saxon Street, totally unaware that the road was closed off because of a traffic accident. I could see a smashed-up car in the road, so I imagine the driver had attempted to come of of the turning into Coffee Hall at Lloyds, the road which leads up to  Garroways and risked running into another vehicle and ended up in a, what looked to me, somewhat nasty smash.

I drove back into Eaglestone and drove around the inner ring road and went to the local shop to get eggs, milk and other items for our lunch. Having completed my shopping trip I drove home. Yesterday I had ordered a couple of books from Amazon and was expecting the parcel to be delivered sometime during the day and was somewhat surprised to see the parcel on the step we use to reach the electric meter outside in the bin cupboard. The parcel had arrived when I was out. Then Carol told me that the delivery driver had opened the door and shoved the parcel inside without first knocking on the door and as a result Alfie very nearly got through the door. The driver rushed off before Carol could speak to him as this sort of behaviour isn't acceptable, particularly as she was alone in the house due to illness. As a result of this I went through the Amazon website, and got a call from someone in their call centre and explained what had happened and got an apology. I said that this had happened before and, according to Carol, it was the same delivery driver. The woman who I spoke to was very apologetic. I said the driver should be disciplined as his actions were not acceptable. In now way should a delivery driver ENTER a customer's home. It was obvious that he hadn't done his job properly. He should have knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it and then hand over the parcel, not just leave in inside the house, or else leave it in the pre-determined place or ask a neighbour to take the parcel in. I got a refund of the cost of the books as a goodwill gesture and I trust the matter will end there.

Obstructive Bureaucracy

Trying to get through to our doctors' surgery at Ashfield Medical Centre is at times more than frustrating and annoying, as I've mentioned on various posts on here. Carol needed a fresh prescription for Co-codimol as she's experiencing real pain at night and none of the pain relief she is on is helping. There's a triage system in place which means you have to ring up, generally around 8.30 a.m.- onwards, which means you don't always get through immediately and have to go through a menu, choose which selection you need and then wait for some considerable time before getting through, probably having to wait in a queue.

It didn't take too long to get through, even though I had to endure the endless rigmarole of the menu. Once I'd got through I had to hand the phone to Carol. She was greeted by a most officious receptionist who said she'd come through to the wrong line and that they would only let those who were house-bound or over a 'certain age' to be allowed to have a prescription done the same day. I can't see what the problem is about this. She doesn't have Co-codomol on repeat and she could have had a ring-back from one of the doctors in the surgery to find out why the prescription was so important. She was then told that she would need to visit the surgery and bring a letter explaining why she needed the prescription. She she wrote and signed a letter to that effect and I drove towards Beanhill, where the Ashfield Medical Centre is situated. On arriving at the Standing Way roundabout that you have to circle in order to get to Saxon Street and then into Wastel, where Ashfield Medical Centre is, I found it closed to all traffic. So I had to make a right turn on the roundabout and journey along Standing Way and then round past the stadium, only to find that Saxon Street was closed off the opposite end to Standing Way. Which meant I had to find an alternative place to park and then walk to Beanhill and the surgery. I eventually decided the only place I could think of was Netherfield and to park in a space near the shops and then walk along the Redway towards Beanhill. This I did, and it was a considerable distance, crossing under several roads on the way. I managed to hand over the letter that Carol had written, but was given no guarantee that the prescription would be ready later in the day. I walked back to the car and did a bit of shopping in the Co-op in Netherfield and then drove home, a little bit annoyed by the way the situation had been created by the over officious receptionist at the surgery. All adding to the stress of the situation, not helped by the fact we had to ring in the first place and secondly, by the road-closure into the road near Beanhill and lastly, by the obstructive nature of the receptionist at the surgery.

I'm still not sure why the road was closed in the first place. Was it to re-surface the road, or to have the road dug up for some reason such as putting in pipes for gas or something? No warning given as I drove towards the roundabout on Standing Way, or example. It just made life very annoying.

I think this bureaucracy is partly the reason why the N.H.S. is in crisis. It seems over-burdened by administration. I know they need a certain amount of paperwork to operate, but to put managers and administrators in the way is just a waste of resources and money. Endless targets and statistics doesn't lead to efficiency. Just find a better way to do something would surely make more sense. How much money do they waste on business consultants and similar people? I'd love to know. Putting someone such as a receptionist in the way so as to prevent a patient getting medication is a disgrace. It should be a doctor who decides what should happen as they have the training and experience. Give someone a position of so-called authority and it can sometimes go to their head. 

Warm Weather

Well, it seems that summer has finally arrived. Yesterday was supposed to have been the warmest day of the year (so far) according to the weather forecast on BBC Breakfast this morning. It seems that it's likely to last for a few days more. I just hope it stays warm into next week as Carol is on Half Term and we're planning the usual days out, most likely visiting National Trust and H.H.A. properties (that's the Historic Houses Association.) We got new membership cards for both organisations and we want to explore some new places we haven't been to before.

Gary (our neighbour) came round yesterday evening. He had to nail a piece of timber onto the fence on our side. I'm not entirely sure what it was for, so I must go and have a look. Apparently the sections of what we imagined was another shed turns out to be a summerhouse, although we can't see where on earth it's going to fit in their garden as it's about the same size as ours so by the time it's constructed they'll have very little space left. He came to collect the loppers he lent me some while ago which I used to cut back the annoying branches which grow along the fence. Actually the same trees (for want of a better word) have come back so I'll have to have another go at cutting them with loppers I have since bought from B and Q. Gary has now managed to cut back the brambles from the roof of the shed. Carol was concerned that he was going to stand on the roof of the shed to do this work, but it wouldn't have been a good idea because the shed is in a very poor state of repair and I doubt it would take his weight. 

I have managed to cut the grass. I did around half of it yesterday morning as it was sunny and finished it off early this morning. Done well before 8 o'clock. I didn't want to spend any time next week mowing so that is why I did it this week.

Carol is doing visits to the pupils on work experience. I occasionally go with her. I can't believe it's a year ago since she was visiting pupils doing their out-of-school placements. There's one she has to visit this afternoon at Hobbycraft, which is across the city at Rooksley.

Alfie doesn't particularly like it when it's hot. He can never find a spot which is cool enough for him to lay down. I'm glad we had him clipped last week. He keeps moving around the house to find the coolest spot. I'm really glad I finished mowing the grass when I did because now it's far too hot (10.15 a.m.) .

Some confusion when we drove to Tesco in Oldbrook Boulevarde earlier this morning. There were traffic cones blocking off part of the road going towards Four Bridges Roundabout near Eaglestone and Saxon Street going into the city centre was closed. Lots of workmen in those luminous orange high-visability jackets and a large digital screen with the words 'Closed for 2 Days' on it. It would appear that the road surface along that stretch of Saxon Street is being re-surfaced. I can't say I'm annoyed that we had to take a detour to avoid this work, as the road surface has become really bad with potholes the entire length. I'm wondering which section will be next for the work.

And Even More Roadworks

Carol has been off work for two days with 'flu. She has hardly been able to speak. I had to go to Boot's in the centre of Milton Keynes to get Sudafed tablets. You can only buy them 'over the counter' so it was necessary to go to a pharmacy and I knew that Boots would have them in stock. I knew if I was going to park near the main shopping centre I would need change for the machine, so I went to the Eaglestone shop, but, when I arrived at the carpark I couldn't park because it was totally full. I presumed that there must be something going on at the primary school nearby. Perhaps there was something on which meant parents were involved, some sort of performance or assembly, a prize-giving ceremony, which would account for the carpark being full. I thought to then go to the shop at Garraways in Coffee Hall, which is the next grid over from Eaglestone. It meant driving around via Saxon Street. On arriving in Coffee Hall all the roads were clogged up with more cars. Being a Friday, I was aware that the mosque on the corner of Lloyd's, the road into Coffee Hall was busy with people arriving (Friday being their holy day of prayer.) To be honest, I'd seen this building being erected, but wasn't aware that it was a mosque. Anyway, the roads in and around the area were heaving with people coming and going and you wouldn't have found a parking space if you'd wanted to. I managed to get to the One Stop shop in Garraways without too much trouble and then went in to buy some sweets so I'd have change for parking. Then I found that Saxon Street, from the Four Bridges roundabout near Eaglestone was closed off. I think because they were going to resurface the road. About time, because of the potholes, so I shouldn't really complain. It meant I would have to change my route into the city centre so drove towards Marlborough Street, only to find that other drivers had decided to change their route, as there was a considerable queue of cars approaching the roundabout.

I had intended parking where I usually park, near The Point (or what remains of this once-iconic building. It's been left in a more or less derelict state for a good many years. The Odeon cinema which was part of the complex was the first multiplex cinema complex in Britain when it was opened several decades ago. They've since built a new complex near the MK Stadium, which we have visited several times.) Due to the fact that I'd had to approach the city centre from Marlborough Street, I somehow came along Saxon Gate in the wrong lane and couldn't get into the usual carpark so I ended up parking close to the XScape. £1 for an hour, so I had to make sure I was done in the shopping centre before the hour was up. The centre was strangely busy for a Friday. It was also near enough lunchtime, so perhaps people were there during their lunch break. I could think of no other reason for it to be so crowded. I went to Boots and had to queue at the prescription counter. I wanted to get a spare G.T.N. spray and bought one here a few months ago and found it to be a good deal cheaper than elsewhere. I got one in Cox and Robinson some while back and it was one that had an unpleasant taste. If you don't know, these are sprays that you use if you get an angina attack. You spray it under your tongue and it reduces the chest pain by widening your arteries. It does work, but it can make you feel very light headed and can cause a headache. It generally goes off after a few minutes. I use one before we go swimming or if we're going to do a lot of walking or anything somewhat strenuous. I've no intention of letting an angina attack stop me doing anything, so I wanted one as a spare to put in my gym bag. I had one ordered with my repeat prescription but it wouldn't be ready until Saturday morning when we would go to Sainsbury's to pick up the prescription which I'd ordered last week. It seemed to take the lady assistant some while to find the G.T.N. spray on the computer system. But she found it and I purchased the Sudafed for Carol.

I'd been into town a few days previously (remember I'd gone out because of the annoying noise from next door.) I'd gone into The Works for a browse. I love their shops. Books going at very reasonable prices. I'd seen some colouring books (seems like a craze that's really caught on recently) and saw one using Gustav Klimt's paintings as models for colouring and thought that Carol would appreciate this. I also found several books in the 'history' section, one on Waterloo and another, written by Ruth Goodman, who does a lot of television documentaries on various aspects of history. This one entitled 'How To Be A Tudor.' Well worth having at about a third of their normal price. I've bought quite a few books in The Works, and as they now have a loyalty card, you get points which you can use against future purchases.

Time was ticking on. I walked back to the car, with about 15 minutes left on the parking ticket. I next went to Sainsbury's as I needed to get bread which we'd have for our lunch. Another detour caused by the roadworks along Saxon Street.

Saturday morning.

We didn't get up that early this morning. Carol's cold/flu is beginning to abate, thankfully. The Sedated seems to be doing it's job. It makes you sleep well and you have to be careful that, if you feel drowsy to not drive a car.

We went into Sainsbury's. Saxon Street was open to traffic. The large pothole that you had to avoid when you drove along this stretch of road is now repaired. I'm not sure what else is due for repair. They have also been mowing the grass along the side of the grid roads. I managed to mow the grass at the back of our house. Not over-eager to do it, but it only takes around 20 minutes. I did it on Monday morning.

The sky is threatening rain. Dark rain-clouds hang over the city. We actually want it to rain because we don't want the noise to continue from next door's garden. You can see the work they've been doing, laying a patio, from our bedroom window. The rest of the garden looks like a building site.

Roadworks and Repairs

I'd been to Morrison's at Elder Gate in Milton Keynes yesterday morning. When I came back I came through the Four Bridges roundabout near Eaglestone and noticed that there were traffic cones around Chaffron Way. It was only when I swung round into Saxon Street that I noticed a vast puddle of water. It seems there is a leak in the water system on a regular basis at that point. You need to slow down when approaching as it can be quite dangerous and you risk going into a sort of aqua-plane which might mean you would swerve across the road. There was a car on my tail. It was too close for comfort.  There is a bus stop within yards of the roundabout and you have to be careful if there is a bus pulled in to disgorge passengers or pick some up. It's a good idea to wait to see if the bus is going to pull out into the road again as it draws away. The car behind me was eager to speed on past, expecting me to do the same without heeding the bus. It is actually a 40 M.P.H. zone along that stretch of road, but I don't think some people realise this. There has been a digital display set up at the side of the road which warns you to 'Slow Down,' and you get a smiley face if you are obeying the correct speed. At the moment this device has been removed, but the pole it is fitted to is still in place. Yesterday when I came back from Sainsbury's I couldn't drive onto the slip road which is on the left-hand side of the road. It was blocked by a string of orange cones. On the way out I saw a lorry parked in Harrier Drive which had lengths of metal of some sort on the back. On closer inspection I noticed they were lamp posts. I think the workmen are replacing the lamp posts along Saxon Street. I have an idea they are putting in more efficient L.E.D. lamps.

There's paint around some of the worst potholes around Eaglestone.  Is it a sign that the Council intends reparing these holes? But are they going to deal with some of the really bad holes, particularly as you come into the estate from Saxon Street? Also, going around Golden Drive, there are some really bad holes, especially the speed bumps. Is it a wonder that we have to spend out a considerable amount having the suspension on the car fixed so many times? It may be fine in the summer months, but come the winter, when there is frost on the ground, when ice gets into these crevices in the road-surface. As it expands, it breaks up the road surface even more, and gets worse as the winter progresses, freeze/thaw, until the road surface just disintegrates. 

Shopping in IKEA

Daniel is returning home next week. He's got a job-interview in Milton Keynes. He's only here for a day or two and will return afterwards. He's been at university in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. It seems crazy to think he has to come back a good 200 miles for a job on our doorstep. I'm not sure exactly where the company is or what they're called, but never mind. We have to get the spare bedroom prepared as it's currently being used as a storeroom and you can barely see the bed as it's covered in all manner of things, books mainly. I had spent some of the morning cleaning it ready and had to go out and buy a mop and bucket as the floor was in something of a state. On the way to Homebase in Winterhill I took a load of stuff to the tidy tip in Bleak Hall. Old bit of carpet and a bean bag which had definitely seen better days. I think it would have crawled there itself given half a chance, it was so battered and torn and unmentionable. Also a load of cartons, the packaging for some large-scale item we'd had delivered from Amazon or another on-line company or other. Well, I was prompted to do all this because it was bright and sunny, and if the weather is fine it's a good excuse to do some clearing out. I'm not sure what happens when it's dull, overcast or raining. Probably has the opposite effect.

When Carol came in from work I showed her my efforts with the spare room and she was pleased with the results. We usually get a take-away on a Friday and go to the Brother's Fish Bar in Eaglestone. But before going there Carol suggested we visit IKEA to have a look at book shelves as the one's we have currently in our lounge are not really in a particularly fit state and we could do with a new television unit. She said there was one we could have which was a sort of -all-in-one design, having a television unit at the centre with book shelves around it. You get my meaning. Well, I imagine you do. Also, it was a good excuse to replace the bit of rug I'd taken to the tidy-tip. 

I quite like wandering around IKEA. Not everybody's idea of a pleasant outing. I rather like the stupid names the come up with for their products. I'm not so sure of the amount of walking you have to do within their store. If you've never visited an IKEA store, you won't know how strange the layout of the different departments is. You walk in a sort of strange seeming labyrinth of inter-locking rooms or departments and have to go through each to reach the next. It's as well to remember to take a trolley with you and to collect items you want to buy as you go along, otherwise, if you suddenly decide to buy whatever it is that takes your fancy and want to go back, it's not each to remember where that item was and end up walking miles, or what seem like miles.

We started off in the restaurant/café. Carol is diabetic and she said she thought her blood sugar was low so she would need something to eat and drink. We queued in the self-service section of the café and I had a piece of apple pie and Carol had a sort of chocolaty confection-thing made with butterscotch or what looked like butterscotch. We had to get drinks, as you pay once and can fill up your glass or mug several times if you have an IKEA Family card, which we have. Unfortunately we have so many of these loyalty cards that when you get to the till to pay it can take some time to find the correct card. You get points for shopping in Tesco with a Clubcard, another in Sainsbury's if you have a Nectar card, and another in Waterstone's. Every store has one now. Boots has their Advantage card, Costa has one, Holland and Barratt's and so on. My wallet is stuffed full of the things and it gets to the point that we have to leave a lot of them at home or in the glove compartment in the car. They are a good idea and can be good especially when you get money off on certain products or a free paper when you spend so much in Waitrose or a free coffee or tea. We had to spend a couple of minutes searching for the confounded IKEA card.

We sat in an area in the café which had IKEA furniture in it. Well, nothing like being able to try out what a company sells by actually using it. We bought a chair to replace the armchair I used to sit in some while ago. It came with us from the house in Crownhill. It had not worn well; the springs in the seat were coming through and the arms were hanging off and it had been patched up with tape and was certainly past it's best. We went to IKEA to look at a replacement and the one I chose isn't actually as comfortable as it might be, which is a pity. Not something to sit in for any length of time. With my shoulder and neck problem I really need something with a bit more back support. We tried a new model which is more like a traditional wing-back chair and has a good deal more back support and a more padded seat. We'll come back when we have been paid to buy one next month.

Carol went off to find the toilet and I was left with the trolley in the café. There was an older couple sitting nearby, I don't think they spoke one word to each other in all the time I was sitting in there. They looked so miserable. I don't think he wanted to be there. No doubt taken there against his will and wanted to be somewhere else. Quite a few other husbands with wives looking just as miserable. Well, they must have had odd relationships or something to be so grumpy and miserable.

We spent some time looking at rugs in the rug and carpet section. A great many to choose from in every shape and size imaginable in in an absolutely enormous range of designs and colours. We choose a round rug for the spare-room with a sort of spotty design in a radiating pattern and door mats from the front door and the patio door as the old ones had become really dirty and tatty. On the way through the children's section we saw lots of stuffed animal toys. Over the years we have bought all manner of birds, animals and assorted strange stuffed toys, more than one or two mice and rats which the dogs have played with, a couple ending up in the bin due to being over-shaken or sucked by both Alfie and Poppy. We have a rabbit-toy which sits near the television and a few other assorted creatures but Carol saw a puffin toy which we had to buy.

So, we wended our way through the remaining departments and ended up at the checkout where we paid and ended up back at the carpark. We had to decide where to get out Friday-night take-out. We had to drive back towards Eaglestone and the traffic was building up along the road near the football stadium. It took about ten minutes to reach the roundabout where Saxon Street meets Groveway and then near Beanhill, near the junction into the road where Ashfield Medical Centre is located. Not surprising as the time was around 5 o'clock, going-home for most businesses in and around Milton Keynes. We were making for Brother's fish and chip shop and it took us some while to get through the heavy traffic. We parked near the shops in Eaglestone and took some cash out of the A.T.M. machine near the shop and then  noticed that the fish and chip shop was closed, with the shutters down. There was a notice stuck to the shutter. 'Closed due to family bereavement.' Sad to read this, but there was no way we were going to get our weekly fish and chip supper. So we decided we would have to go back the way we'd just come and go to get a meal from the Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet near the stadium, which we had only just driven past about twenty minutes earlier. Having collected our K.F.C. meal we drove back home and were glad that we had completed our evening's travels.

Walking Alfie

Instead of using the car to take Carol to work at Milton Keynes Academy in the morning and because the weather is so much better at the moment, we have been walking over. It's only a ten-minute walk and in actual fact far quicker than taking the car, because it could take longer to de-ice the car and get it warm and then merely a two-minute drive. Then, driving back home, the traffic could be heavy after 7.30. You get those drivers who don't care that it's actually a 40 m.p.h. zone along Saxon Street. There used to be a 'slow down' sign fixed to the footbridge, one of those digital displays which shows your speed and then, when you're going the correct speed, a smiley face. I think a good deal more effective than speed cameras, which are used mostly to raise money and some people slow down when they approach them and then speed up once they are past. 

We have begun taking Alfie with us. He's always eager to go out for a walk, and makes a good deal of noise when he realises he's likely to go out. Carol has her lanyard with her pass on a hook in the kitchen, next to where Alfie's lead is kept, and as soon as Carol picked up her lanyard this morning (which is, incidentally, the same colour blue as Alfie's lead.) he started barking and getting excited. Carol put on Alfie's harness, as it's better than fixing his lead to his collar, which he wears all the time, but Alfie was getting more and more excited at the prospect of going out for a walk. Once on, we went outside and all the neighbourhood could hear his yaps and barks, echoing throughout the estate. 

You have to keep your wits about you as you walk Alfie along the Redway as some unpleasant individual has thought it necessary to smash some bottles as you approach the Academy gates, so I have to pick Alfie up as I don't want him getting any bits of glass in his feet.  The bit of glass are strewn all along the patch and the tiniest pieces are the one's that are likely to do the most harm and very difficult to see, although most of the bits glitter in the sunlight. He hurt a paw a few weeks ago and has been limping about, and we're still not sure what caused this. Perhaps he tweaked a muscle or caught a nail when out for a walk, but it doesn't seem to be troubling him too much. Yesterday , as I walked back home from the Academy, two children from the school wanted to talk to Alfie when I had picked him up. I think a lot of the children who go there know that Alfie is Carol and my dog. He seems to have built up something of a fan club.

All along the Redway, from where the footbridge over Saxon Street, up as far as the path which approaches the Academy, it's strewn with litter. I'm shocked that it's so dirty. It's crisp packets, plastic drinks bottles and all manner of litter. I'm shocked if it's thrown there by the school children who use the path as they walk to and from school. The worst part is where staff members of the Academy come out to smoke. As it's illegal to smoke cigarettes within the school grounds, those who do smoke have to go outside the school grounds, and we often see people standing outside on the Redway, smoking their cigarettes. But I object strongly to the fact that they throw their cigarette ends on the ground, adding to a larger and larger collection. It looks really nasty. The same can be said to happen at other places, most notably near our doctor's surgery, Ashfield Medical Centre in Beanhill. I don't expect it's just the surgery staff who drop their cigarette ends on the ground (at the side of the building, as you walk round from the carpark at the back of the building.) as there's also a dentist surgery and Cox and Robinson's chemist shop in the same cluster of businesses near the Ashfield Medical Centre. If people must smoke they should at least dispose of their cigarette ends in some sort of bin as it's surely not good for the environment as well as looking really untidy and unpleasant.

As for the litter near the Academy, I have seen Council workmen picking up the litter on a couple of occasions, but I imagine, what with budget cuts, there won't be so much of this sort of work going on. It just annoys me that people think it's fine to throw their litter on the ground and not just take it home with them to dispose of it sensibly. 

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.

A Foggy Morning

It's what I would call a very typical autumn morning, cold, foggy with definite chill in the air. There were cobwebs picked out with early-morning dew on the bridge sides on the Redway across Saxon Street as Carol and I walked to the Academy this morning. I had considered taking the digital camera and photographing them as they are quite impressive but then wondered how I would achieve the best pictures when you would have to film with such a difficult background to make them stand out, so I haven't tried, although I may at some time in the future if I see them again.

Carol has a late night working at the Academy today. Something to do with parents coming in to talk about their children's education, but not sure exactly what.

It's hard to believe that it's almost blackberry-picking season again. There will be a good crop of blackberries where I usually go to pick them all along the Redway behind our house. As we have a much bigger fridge/freezer now, as a result of having to replace the old one which broke down a few months ago when we came back from our day out at Twycross Zoo, there should be more than enough space to put bags of blackberries to freeze. The landlord came to inspect the house a couple of weeks ago and didn't even notice that the fridge/freezer had been replaced. I should also mention that we had a surveyor come to check the house because the landlord is having the property re-mortgaged. We're still not sure what this is about, whether it's to have work done on the various maintenance bits-and-pieces that are needed, such as repairing the garden fence. But he assures us that 'there's nothing to worry about.' So we'll just have to trust him. But I still can't see why it has to take so long to sort out the fence.

I have had a letter from the Department of Work and Pensions about my State Pension. I'm surprised by how much it will be per week. It should certainly make our finances a bit more easy from the end of October (I get the first payment on 28 October which is a week after my birthday.) It means we will be able to afford a decent holiday next year at least. It's certainly a relief as I wasn't sure how much it was going to be. I set this up a few months ago 'on-line' and wasn't sure what was happening as I hadn't received any sort of acknowledgement, an email or letter, so when the letter arrived in the post yesterday it was something of a relief.