Another Fun-Packed Week?

Sunday. 3.10 p.m. I have done a Google search, because I wanted to know if there was any connection between Covid and the lower back pain I have been experiencing for the past couple of weeks, especially considering I tested positive for covid. It turns out, but I know that it's inconclusive, that there might be a link, because it came up on several websites. This might explain why this pain started at about the same time as the covid.

Monday. 6.00 a.m. I've had another session with the heat pad on my lower back. It certainly relieved the pain, but I will have to continue with it to hopefully end the pain.

10.15 a.m. I cleared all the rubbish out of the car, removed Alfie's cage from the back and went to get cash out of the A.T.M.at Tesco's at Oldbrook Boulevard and then drove into the centre near The Xcape to have the car valeted. I've been planning to do this for a week or two, but because of the weather and then the covid infection and finally the back pain, I was reluctant to go ahead with it, but because it was bright and sunny I thought I'd do it. I am more than pleased with the result, and it looks and smells so much better.

Tuesday. 7.10 a.m. The pain in my back is still causing me problems, but it's not as severe as it was earlier. I have been using the heat pad, and it certainly relieves the pain, but it still wears off. I am determined to let it keep me trapped within this flat, and I am going to Camphill in around an hour's time. My pack-up is done and ready to take with me.

4.50 p.m. I've only been back in the flat forty minutes, having been at Camphill all day. I very nearly didn't go, because of the pain in my lower back, but I was determined I would go.

I didn't join in with some of the more energetic activities, such as the drama warm-ups. There was filming of some of the few remaining bits of the silent movies and then time was spent developing ideas for next week's 'Play In A Week' sessions (I think the title tells you exactly what it it. It runs from Monday, through until Friday, when a piece of theatre will be performed, without an initial script. In fact, it won't have a script. There will be children between the ages of about 8-18 working with the performing arts workshop regulars. There's not a lot more I call to say on this.

Ideas were written up on a whiteboard and will be used as the basis for next week's sessions. Then some fascinating improvisation, which I did get involved in. Someone comes up with a character, just a 'job title, in this case it was a hotel owner. Terrie was a bank teller. The hotel owner queued up, as if waiting in a bank, at one of the teller windows. Another of the regular drama group then came up behind the hotel owner and played a bank robber, although at this point she wasn't obviously such a character. The hotel owner asked the teller for £150 out of his bank account, so the teller asked him to put his bank card into the reader and key in his key number. The teller looked at her computer and said there was only£5 in the account, but the hotel owner got irate. Meanwhile, the bank robber was behind the teller, attempting to steal cash. The idea was, that anyone could take over the 'plot' by taking over from any of the characters and in the attempt, change the storyline. It seems a good way to develop storyline for improvised plays.

Wednesday. 7.15 a.m. I am still in quite a bit of pain. It seems to be getting worse than ever, but I am determined to not let it interfere with my life.

I have to re-apply for my driving licence now that I am over the age of 70. You have to do it every three years. I got a letter informing me of this in the post the other morning. I knew I'd have to do it if I want to keep on driving, which I absolutely do. The thought of being tied to Dexter House and losing my independence would be devastating. I could do this reapplication online, so I started it off. It is generally so much easier to do these things online. It saves having to post everything off, and it's quicker and easier. I had my National Insurance number handy, because you have to put it into the system. The trouble is, I don't have a passport. I don't need or want one, as I'm unlikely to go anywhere outside the United Kingdom. The problem is, you need one in order to prove your identity, so the online system wouldn't allow me to complete the application. So, I will now need to go out and get a photograph done in one of those photo booths you see around the town. I believe there is one in Sainsbury's, so I will have to go in there this morning and use the one in there.

12.25 a.m. I have been to Sainsbury's and got the photo done for the driving licence reapplication. I have now filled out the application form and attached the photo to the form and put it in the envelope, together with my expiring driving licence. I was hoping to take the completed form, within its envelope, out to post, but then discovered it wasn't 'Freepost' or at least, ready to post, so I had to take it to the Post Office within the One Stop shop in Coffee Hall and was shocked that a First Class stamp now costs £1.10!

Working Technology!!

Monday. 8.40 a.m. Yet another mild and sunny, although not particularly warm, day. Dare I say 'springlike'? Probably tempting providence if I say that. Alfie and I were out well before 7 o'clock. He had to be woken up, as he was fast asleep in his bed.

I have printed off the first twenty pages of my writing project. I'm not sure whether to call it a novel. It was never really intended to be a 'novel' in the strictest sense. I think it should be issued in 'episodes' or 'instalments' which is how many novels were published in the 19th century, most notably Dickens'. I will now edit and modify what I have written and, having begun some research, be able to continue what I have been working on gradually over the last couple of years.

The Canon printer is working well! After all the issues I had with the HP printer, it's great to have a printer which does what it's supposed to do. The Wi-Fi connection works exceptionally well, meaning I can be in the lounge with the MacBook and the printer, which is in my bedroom, basically, because there's no space in the lounge for the printer, which is set up on the unit I got from Amazon. Definitely a good buy, having wheels and space underneath to store paper and other supplies. The printer will print on both sides of the paper, which is good, as it saves on paper. It's fascinating watching it work. When a page is printing, and it gets to the end of one side, the printer stops for a second or two, presumably to give the ink a chance to dry, and then the sheet is drawn back inside the printer so that the second side can be printed. The HP printer wouldn't do this. Considering all the problems I have had with the various printers I've owned, it's great to have at last got one who actually WORKS!

10.30 a.m. I've been to Sainsbury's, and at last done the shopping (or I should say, the rest of my list. I could only manage to carry one bag of shopping back home after my trip on Saturday, due to having to walk when I'd had problems with the power steering. See the last blog post for more details. I bought daffodils. It's approaching Carol's birthday. It's 7th March, and she would have been 59. So, in memory of my lovely lady, I have cut daffodils, which are replaced in the vase I have. The current bunch is at a very early stage, so they will gradually open as the days pass.

Tuesday. 7.15 a.m. I've only just got back from going out with Alfie. It's another fine morning. I've done all the washing-up and the kitchen is tidy. I've also done my pack-up to take with me to Camphill. This is why I went to Sainsbury's yesterday. I have pork pie because I have got tired of boring sandwiches. 

5.40 p.m. I had almost forgotten that today was Shrove Tuesday, better known as Pancake Day. Arriving at Camphill, I soon discovered that things weren't going to be the normal sort of format for the day. As it was Pancake Day, the theatre workshop team were going to have an outing to Campbell Park, as there was scheduled to be a pancake race event, with one of the leaders of the group running to represent Camphill. Some people were going to walk, whilst some were to be ferried to the site via minibus, some were going in Terrie's vehicle and I was going on my own and wouldn't be able to take anyone, because my car isn't insured for such work, only having private insurance. All this wasn't going to kick into action until after tea break.

Terrie had a meeting with me. She told me that, because the theatre group was growing, with quite a few people coming from outside the Camphill Community in Milton Keynes, the ratio of clients to staff was being eroded. She told me that she and Julia had been discussing the need for there to be another member of staff in the theatre and that she would like me to have more of a role in the group, which would probably mean me leading some of the sessions, because, with so many in the theatre group, it might eventually be possible to run separate teams within the workshop. I am now going to consider how I could see my role, but still remain a volunteer. This really makes me so pleased as I want to be able to give as much as I can to the theatre workshop.

Around 11.20, I drove off to Campbell Park, not knowing exactly where I was going to park. I remember going to a history festival there in 2019 (which is how I made contact with various groups, such as the Bucks Archaeology Society and Milton Keynes Heritage Association.) I couldn't remember whether I had parked nearer the park (where the pancake race was to be held.) and then realised, during my drive, that I had parked nearer the shopping centre, probably near the Xcape. At which point I decided that I would need cash to pay to park and then drove back to Dexter House to collect my wallet.

Having done the journey back to Dexter House and then return to park near Xcape, I walked over to Campbell Park and, as I crossed the road, I could see in the distance the encampment which had been set u for the pancake race. As I got closer, I saw the Camphill stand, with staff selling food and some of them cooking pancakes. There were several heats of pancake races, run as relays, one of which was a Camphill team of staff and one member was Mitchell, who works in the theatre workshop. There was also a special race for those with disabilities, in particular, Camphill and something called Snap (Special Needs Advancement Project) which is a day-services organization. Some of the Camphill residents go there. It was one of the organizations I had considered volunteering at before I discovered Camphill and the theatre workshop. This race was run with the circuit broken into quarters and each team only running each quarter. I'm not sure, but I think Snap won. 

The group who had walked from Camphill arrived long before Terrie arrived, no doubt because she had to park her vehicle and then walk over from near the shopping centre as I had done.

There was plenty to eat, as well as drink. I got a free pancake from the Camphill stall as well as a latte which I paid for at a nearby coffee stall. I think I recognize this mobile coffee van, possibly from the Bucks agricultural show from several years ago.

After all the races were won and prizes distributed, the event was over, so I walked back to my car and drove back to Milton Keynes. On arrival, I discovered that the car park was full, so I had to park in an area outside the Camphill campus I sat in the car and ate my pack-up, which I had put in the car well before leaving Camphill earlier in the morning.

After lunch, we watched a couple of silent films on YouTube, although it was projected onto the cinema screen in the Chrysalis Theatre. There was a bit of a problem getting the laptop to connect to the internet, but it eventually worked. One was a very early French film, made in around 1903 called 'From The Earth To The Moon.' Probably the first science fiction film. The second one was from around 1922, based loosely on Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland', and utilized all sorts of visual effects, both films were restored (as far as it was possible.) by the British Film Institute.

After a short tea break, everyone went outside into the forecourt area of Camphill, because there were to be some further pancake races. I think my last visit to Camphill, before the pandemic lockdowns in 2020, was coincidental with pancake day, and I  have seen video footage of it on Vimeo.

Sunny Wednesday

(Wednesday) Been to meet up with Ross, Pastor at Shenley Christian Fellowship, just to have a chat at Costa in Cotswold (the same building which used to be Borders Books.) Great to have his support and a good friend. I feel I have more support from church than I do from any of my family (Chloe and Steve excepted.) I have four brother, two older and two younger, and not a single phone call, email or letter to support me since Carol passed away, condolences or anything. I feel really upset that they've never been in touch. They probably didn't know my address, telephone number, email address or whatever, but I'm sure Chloe would have let them know so there's no excuse. It's not exactly difficult to get in touch, modern communication being what it is, what with mobile phones, email, text etc etc or even the use of telephone or old fashioned mail. Never mind. But I don't think it would have hurt to have some sort of communication from any of them.

Having left Cotswold, I drove to the carpark near the Xcape because I wanted to get the car valeted. I could have washed the car myself, but it's not that easy unless you have an outside tap with a hose attached, and I was more keen to have the inside of the car cleaned out, possibly with a vacuum of some sort, so, when I recently parked in that area I noticed the hand-cleaning business that was set up there. It cost the hefty sum of £28 to have the full works, the bodywork cleaned along with the interior and then a polish, even of the tyres and hubcaps, which now look as clean as you would get a vehicle if it came out of a showroom and even the interior looks sparkling. They put something, a spray, on the black plastic of the exterior, below the doors, and even the inside of the boot. I'm really pleased with the finish, and want to keep it that way. I sat on  chair to watch and wait, and saw what they were doing and then needed the toilet (sitting and waiting for too long has that effect, unfortunately, part of getting older.) so I left them to their work and went into the nearby Xcape building and found the toilets upstairs near the cinema. I don't go into that building much, as I don't have much call to go in there, but I saw a shop which I may return to at some time in the not-too distant further, called Outlet. I think it sells end-of-season stock, mostly sport-related stuff, like trainers, shorts, swimming trunks, etc. I can always sport a bargain and wouldn't buy something at full price if I knew I could get it cheaper elsewhere. I have several items of clothing with the Regatta brand on, particularly a couple of fleeces, and I've bought most from their website and at really good knock-down prices, around 60%-70%. I have a couple of jackets, I think they term them softshell or something, the idea being that you can wear these in cold weather, with layers underneath, such as fleeces, but both these jackets have zipped pockets which means I can put my wallet in them, as well as keys, when I'm out and about, but they cost something ridiculous, around £25-£30, reduced from well over £75. I recently bought a pair of cargo shorts, those which have pockets in them, which are ideal for carrying around my mobile in, during the warmer weather, and I got them for less than £10, full price, over £30. Certainly not a bad bargain.

I went back to see the car being finished off. It had by now moved to the final stage, with the interior being vacuumed and the black trim being given a buff with a cloth and then I paid and drove round to park the car opposite where they had the car-cleaning business. I had paid for around 2 hours and wasn't going to waste my cash, so I walked into the shopping centre. I wanted to get a loose-bottomed cake tin (I know, go on, make a joke about it then, if you must. Like something out of a really low-brow 1970's comedy like 'Are You Being Served?" 'Excuse me, have you got a loose bottom?" etc etc I will explain, because I want to make a banofee cheesecake, and Delia Smith recommends using a 20 c.m. loose-bottomed cake tin to make it in so I went into Lakeland, the shop that sells all manner of equipment for the kitchen and general home items, and there was one, on the shelf, more or less exactly inside the door. So, duly paid for I walked to W.H.Smith to see if the latest edition of Current Archaeology is in on the magazine racks. It is, and decide to pay using the self-service till. I'm reluctant to use these machines, because, from experience I always have a problem, such as the thing being unable to read the bar-code of whatever it is I'm attempting to purchase. This machine worked well enough, but the voice it is given sounds as if it/she has a bad cold, or at least, got a bunged up nose, which I voice to the world in general, and got a most odd look from the young boy using the adjacent machine. Well, come on, why does the thing have to have a voice in the first place, and then, why make it sound as if it's got bronchitis or 'flu? Get Judi Dench or Dame Maggie to do the voice. At least it would be clear and distinct. Can you imagine the character Maggie Smith played in Downton Abbey doing that sort of thing? I can't remember her name. Wasn't she supposed to be Robert thingy's mother? The Dowager Duchess of Grantham? It would certainly make people sit up and listen and make shopping a good deal more interesting than you get from the dull, lifeless voice that you get on these machines. 'Please don't place your unknown item in the bagging area!' Would be fun if she was to do it. Sort of, 'Lady Bracknell sort of thing, if you get my meaning.

I had intended having lasagne for my evening meal and wanted to have salad with it. I wasn't going to drive all the way to Sainsbury's for just that, so I thought I' go into Iceland, which was on my way when I walked to the Xcape to collect the car which was parked nearby. I went into Iceland and found a suitable prepared salad in a bowl and then browsed around the store to see if there was anything suitable as a sweet to follow my lasagne. But on approaching the checkout there was but one lone woman on the till, and a large queue forming, so instead of wasting my time queuing for just the one item, I left the salad bowl and the basket nearby and walked out of the store. Unfortunately I had entered the store with a red T.K. Maax carrier bag which contained the Current Archaeology magazine and the loose-bottomed cake tin in it. As I made to exit, this somewhat officious security man approached me and said, 'excuse me, sir, may I see inside your bag?' which I thought a little presumptuous of him, because I most certainly had nothing to hide and it was plain that I had left the salad bowl behind in the store, near the checkout. He looked inside the bag and could see there was nothing from the store in the bag, and I walked away, not exactly over-joyed by this intrusion on my perfectly innocent visit to Iceland and it has to be said, left a bit of a bitter taste (metaphorically speaking) in my mouth. It would be quite obvious that they don't trust a 'certain element' in their store and if they'd only had more staff on the checkouts (out of six or so, only one in operation, when there was quite a considerable queue waiting.) So, it has rather put me off every shopping in Iceland again. I seem to remember when I lived in Bedford and used the local branch of Iceland near the bus station and the somewhat curt treatment (to put it mildly) I got from one particular checkout woman, who could be quite rude, so it would seem Iceland has a penchant for employing officious staff. If you didn't place your items correctly on her conveyer, you got a sort of nasal sound, or intake of breath which suggested 'Not there, young man!' Enough to put you off shopping in Iceland with that sort of behaviour from a member of staff.

Chloe's Visit

My daughter, Chloe, had told me she was going to visit me sometime, during Half-Term, but I wasn't sure exactly when Half-Term was. It seems that this is different in different parts of the country but I had imagined it must be this week, because I've seen so many children about who would have been at school otherwise, in Sainsbury's, for example. She texted me earlier to say she would arrive around 10.30, but would then text with an 'ESA,' (Expected Time Of Arrival), according to her SatNav. That's the advantage of this technology, giving you your possible time of arrival.

Chloe got her just before 10.30 and we had a super long chat about things, particularly about the possibility of me moving. I don't think I'm going to remain in this house for much longer. To be honest, I don't need three bedrooms and the rent is too high and Housing Benefit won't pay the full amount, for whatever reason. I have started the ball rolling by signing up to find a new home through the Milton Keynes  Council website and hopefully they will help me find a smaller property with lower rent. I only need a one-bedroom property with a small piece of enclosed garden (mostly for Alfie, my Yorkie's benefit more than anything else.)

We went out for a late breakfast at Frankie and Benny's restaurant in the Xscape. Had a long chat about all sorts of things, including Chloe's pregnancy. She's expecting my third grandchild in June.

I got a telephone call from a company called Boost at lunchtime, about changing over from my gas and electricity provider (currently Utility Warehouse) and to have them install a smart meter. I explained that we were going to have one installed, and when the engineers came out to do this, they couldn't go ahead because of the state of the wiring in the meter cupboard where the gas meter is situated. It would be far easier to top up, on-line as well as at a shop. You can keep a check on your gas and electricity consumption on a sort of mini iPad. So it's going ahead. You can top up your meter from the internet, much the same way as I have done with my pay-as-you-go mobile. I said I had my reservations about it being installed, because of the last time when the engineers said they couldn't do it. But it would be great to have both gas and electricity meters inside the house so I can keep a check on the balances on both. Carol wasn't keen to alter the providers, but I was assured that I would be paying less for both gas and electricity and be getting £15 free on both gas and electricity as well as some Amazon vouchers which pleases me, which mean they can go towards books.

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.

Sorted!

Carol has recently bought a mandolin on Amazon. It arrived only a day or two ago. A really large package for something relatively small. Did they need to send it in such a large box and with so much packing inside? There was only one problem, and that was tuning the thing. She also wanted a book of music to play, even something relatively basic was all that was required. We went on line to try and find a local bricks-and-mortar music shop. We eventually found a music shop in the Xcape in Milton Keynes and drove there during yesterday morning. It's called Musickavern. It was great to find the shop open. A wide selection of musical instruments, such as pianos, guitars, drum kits and- mandolins! Also, a good selection of printed music as well as accessories connected with all areas of musical production. I'm not sure whether it was the owner of the shop who helped Carol find the right book and tuner, but whoever it was made a lot of effort to help and was extremely friendly

The business of the BBC History Magazine binder has now been resolved. I had an email from the call centre during the course of yesterday to inform me that the payment had gone through successfully and that I would receive my binder in the post in a couple of day's time. So that is- sorted! Thank goodness, as it's taken quite a lot of time and effort. I'll now wait until the binder arrives in the post, or however it's sent. Once I've seen it, how easy it is to put the magazines in it, I will buy more so that I can bind all my BBC Magazines, as they are currently in magazine racks in the shelves.

To Five Guys for Burgers 'n Chips

We had a meal out last night. It was a sort of outing for some of Carol's colleagues from the science department where she works at Milton Keynes Academy. I know there's a new burger place called Five Guys in Midsummer Place, next to Debenham's department store. It had recently opened and we had a look at the menu when we were walking past a week or two ago. But it wasn't this one we were going to. It's in the Xcape building, underneath the ski slope, just behind the theatre. Carol finished work at just after 3.30 and came home and we changed ready to go out. I think Alfie picked up the idea that we were going out. He's as sharp as a knife, that little dog. It's amazing that he gets some sort of message in his head that we intend going out. He couldn't come with us. He'd have to stay in the house. A lot of yapping and getting excited. It was far too early to arrive at the restaurant, but we drove into the centre of Milton Keynes and found a parking space at the side of what's called the food centre, where Sainsbury's used to be, before they moved to their new store in Witan Gate. The weather had become very unsettled. It was a good deal colder and there was a strong wind blowing. There were quite a few parking spaces available, but not really close enough for us to avoid a long walk to the Xcape building. A lot of people about. It seemed especially busy for the time of day. We went into the central shopping centre as Carol wanted something from Superdrug. We were really just wasting time until 5 o'clock which is when we were due to meet up at Five Guys. We walked across towards the restaurant and found it was open but nobody from the party was there. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't what I'd call a 'restaurant' in the accepted sense. Very stripped back. More like a glorified take-away, but with an American feel. It was bright red and white tiles and paintwork. You order at the counter, at bit like at K.F.C., done on a sort of touch-screen computer terminal. You can see the staff flipping burgers and putting together the orders behind the counter. Very efficient. Then your order is put together in brown paper bags and they call your number out when it's ready for you to collect. No plates or cutlery. You get tomato ketchup and all your sides within your package. We sat at long red plastic-topped counter and sat on sort of bar stools. Drinks, or at least soft drinks, are dispensed from a sort of self-service machine. Carol was delighted that she could have a drink that was sugar-free, which was ideal, considering she is diabetic and isn't supposed to have anything with sugar in it. A wide selection of different flavours and it took some while to work out how to use this machine! You can return as many times as you like for more, if you're that way inclined. My only reservation is that the music that was playing was excessively loud which made conversation quite difficult, but I can live with it. The burger I had was very good (I'm not actually a burger sort of person, not used to eating food with my hands. Sorry, I know it's boring, but there you are.) The chips, and we got loads and loads, were perhaps the best I've ever tasted and you got a little tray of peanuts, in their shells. I don't know how they got the flavour on, because they were in their shells, a sort of mild salty taste. The rest of the gang turned up a good deal later but they seemed to enjoy the experience and it seems a good idea for them to meet up outside work like this and perhaps do this again at a later date and on a regular basis.