Heat Breaking Stormy Weather

 Sunday. 7.25 a.m. I have just been to the Tesco Express store in Oldbrook Boulevard to buy a copy of The Sunday Times. I went to pay at one of the self-service check-outs, only to discover there was a technical issue. I scanned the barcode on the paper, but an 'error code' came up on the digital screen. Not only that, but I had to get a member of staff to come over to rectify the machine, but it still didn't work. I then tried the second machine, but exactly the same problem occurred. I had to pay at a manned checkout, using a contactless payment method. It seems that stores want you to use these self-service machines, but there is a constant number of technical problems.

Monday. 5.05 a.m. It was another case of me being wide awake, bright and mild morning, so I took my Alfie out. He was somewhat reluctant, although who can blame him? Who would much rather remain in bed, instead of getting up and going out? It's probably easier in the summer months when it's warm, but far more difficult in the winter months, when it's cold, frosty and generally miserable and dark.

Yesterday, after church, I went to Milton Keynes Museum, as they had a Victorian Weekend. I have to say it was a bit thin on the ground activity-wise. People dressed up in period costume, making it seem as if I had, at one point, walked into a Charles Dickens adaptation. I started off in the tearoom, with a ham and cheese toastie, a slice of very nice walnut sponge and a cup of tea. Some of these 'enactors' (for want of a better word.) came in, some looking like Fagin's gang, a chimney sweep and a very wealthy couple, the woman in a smart dress and hat and the gent with a moustache which had been waxed. They sat at one table, but I very much doubt that, in reality, they would have mixed in the same way during the Victorian period. Queen Victoria herself did actually appear, with her entourage, and spoke to some of 'The people.' She did a tour of the museum site, which added a sort of frisson to the whole afternoon.

Tuesday. 5.20 a.m. Up and out early with Alfie again. A really beautiful sunrise. There's so much litter. I don't see what's so difficult about putting it in a bin or taking it home. The bin, at the point where we cross over from Strudwick Drive onto Oldbrook Green, is not only spilling its contents, but it rusted and off it's base. Likewise, the bin, on the opposite side of the green, has a badly rusted lid. The Campbell Park Parish Council (I presume they are responsible, or The Parks Trust.) really need to replace them or at lest, get them repaired.

We are in desperate need of rain. The grass is beginning to look very parched and brown. There are large cracks in the ground around the area. You could almost put your hand in some of them. Hopefully we should get a shower in the next day or two.

7.05 a.m. No sooner had I mentioned the possibility of rain, than it starts! Only very light, but definitely rain. Thank goodness, it is now a good deal cooler. My digital thermometer currently reads 23ºC. 

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

Sunday. 5.25 p.m. Did you notice that many of the titles for my posts are taken from those of songs in musicals? This one comes from the opening number of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show, 'Oklahoma!' 

I bought The Sunday Times this morning. I went to Tesco Metro in Oldbrook Boulevard. I haven't had any Sunday papers for I don't know how long, well, at least in the traditional, print form. I have a digital subscription to The Daily Telegraph, so I can read it on their website and on the app on my iPad. I was shocked that The Sunday Times now costs £3.50, which shows how long ago I had it when it was probably less than £1, but maybe £2. 

There's an article which interested me, about the boom in television and filmmaking in the United Kingdom, and how there is a desperate need for more studio space because most of what's available, at, say Pinewood or Shepperton, is already booked solid by the likes of Disney and Netflix. The Hollywood studios seem to prefer to make their blockbusters, such as 'Star Wars' and 'Mission Impossible' in this country because we have some of the best facilities as well as the personnel to make them and also companies based here who create the special effects, provide the costumes, set-building, makeup and a whole host of associated creative material.

The Edinburgh Festival has just started. I am totally amazed that theatre companies, who appear there, now have to give a warning about anything that might offend audiences. How crazy is that? Are people so pathetic that they have to be warned if there's any mention of anything sexual, outrageous political matters, anything about gender, Britain's past, such as our empire, slavery, nationality or whatever? It seems people can become 'outrage about more or less anything. Also, there's an article in the 'Culture' section of The Sunday Times about Terry Gilliam, who happens to be one of my favourite film directors. He was the animator, as part of the 'Monty Python' comedy group.  I love the films he has directed, such as 'The Time Bandits', 'Brazil' and 'Baron Munchausen.' He was scheduled to direct a production of Stephen Sondheim's musical 'Into The Woods' at the Old Vic, but, due to his views on transgender and the     #met oo campaign, staff didn't want to work with him, so he has been 'cancelled.' It seems you can't have an opinion about anything unless it's someone else's opinion. He has taken the entire production to a theatre in Bath, where it is about to open. I am so hoping that this production might go on tour and come close to Milton Keynes, probably not to Milton Keynes Theatre, but possibly to the Royal Theatre in Northampton or the Oxford Playhouse.

Monday. 2.10 p.m. I have been experimenting with the animation app I bought from the Apple app store. I have spent around an hour this morning playing around with the set-up, using the piece of card I got in Hobbycraft the other morning and using the Rode device to clamp my iPhone to because you need to have your camera or phone steady before you can even think of any form of animation. I have now done a very short piece which runs for a mere 19 seconds, of a group of bits of Plasticine, and I'm rather pleased with the result. Now I will have to devise something a bit more imaginative and give that a go.

Reading Bill Bryson's 'The Road To Little Dribbling' and other thoughts . . .

Around 20 years ago I read Bill Bryson's book 'Notes From A Small Island.' It was interesting to read a book written by an American who had a sort of affection for our Green and Pleasant land. I am again reading a book written by Bryson, which is called 'The Road To Little Dribbling: More Notes From A Small Island.' He travels around Great Britain and comments on things that he sees, some of them the idiosyncrasies of life living in Britain. Much of his thoughts are similar to mine and reflects a great deal of  what I write on this blog. It's no wonder the book is so high in the charts, as published in the Sunday Times. As of the past Sunday Times (21st August 2016), the book is number 2 in the General Paperbacks section and has been in the top 10 for nineteen weeks, having sold somewhere in the region of 194,230 copies. I can see why he's so popular. An American, or even an outsider, who gives his own views on some of the quirks of Britain. He often compares America with Britain, particularly in the chapter when he discusses mobile phones (why do Americans refer to them as 'cellphones'?) As George Bernard Shaw put it so succinctly, 'two countries divided by one language.' Why are some words such as 'colour,' 'harbour' spelt without the 'u' in America, for example? Or 'cookie' in America and 'biscuit' in Britain? This isn't in the book, by the way. Just me making the observation. He discusses the obsession people in Britain have with their mobiles, and why they insist, particularly in public places, such as on trains, to have to talk so loudly when having a conversation. Why do we have to have voices in machines such as self-service checkouts at supermarkets, in lifts (elevators in America. Why?) or on moving walk-ways? These are issues I have discussed in earlier blog posts on here, and give me endless pleasure. I enjoy observing the peculiarities of people I come across in my daily activities, such as in the supermarket or when out and about generally.  A real fount of endless amusement. I think you will see this if you read any of my blog posts.  Bill Bryson made some rather uncomplimentary remarks in his earlier book about Milton Keynes, which I find rather annoying, having lived here for the past ten years. He has visited many of the same places that we visit, including Bournemouth, Dorset and the south coast, as well as Avebury, which we visited last week, Stonehenge and many other British places. Anyway, Mr Bryson and I have so much in common, including the fact that we're about the same age, although I'm probably about a year older. This particular book is on offer at the moment in Waterstone's and was one of the books you can select from a range of other books in their which they have in their 'Buy One, get one Half-Price' offers. I can't resist bookshops, and Waterstones in particular. I love books as you will have realised if you've read any of these blog posts. I have many books waiting to be read and if there's an offer on in Watersones, such as their 'buy two and get one free' or 'buy one and get one half price' I just can't resist. Well, who couldn't? But Amazon is where I tend to buy most of my books because they are generally so much cheaper than elsewhere. I know that Amazon has been vilified lately because of not paying their fair share on tax and so on, but when you can have virtually any book and then get it delivered within 24 hours (we have Amazon Prime, incidentally.) and not pay any postage or packing, it is so easy and simple to order as well as finding books that I wouldn't otherwise have found anywhere else. This is worked out because they can recommend books based on what you've ordered or have in your 'saved for later' list on their website.