Rain Storm Breaks Heatwave

Sunday. 8.10 a.m. Last night it was virtually impossible to sleep, due to the high temperature. Even with two electric fans on and windows open, the temperature is currently 27ºC. It's likely to get much warmer.

Alfie and I have been out twice already, the first at around 4.45, and we've just got back from the second circuit of Oldbrook Green. 

A great deal of litter. It really is awful, when there are sufficient bins to dispose of rubbish.

People on the Green with a couple of terriers, I think Jack Russel's, playing games. The sort of thing they do at Crufts. A man walking a bulldog-type dog. One of those flat-faced dogs, with chunky bodies. I think they look like the dog in the 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons, who chases the cats and always gets beaten by Jerry somehow. But these bulldogs look totally gormless, really stupid and thick. Whether they are or not, they certainly have that sort of demeanour. Alfie, on the other hand, always has a spring in this step, is alert and gives you eye contact. Probably just the sort of terrier behaviour which makes him so much fun to have around.

1.00 p.m. There were three baptisms at Shenley Christian Fellowship this morning. Each gave a brilliant testimony. The place was heaving with extra people, probably family and friends of those baptized. It was probably the best day, weather-wise, to be baptized. It was hot, the temperature in excess of 30ºc. My digital thermometer currently reads 29ºC. 

Monday. 3.45 p.m. I had an email from A.A. Insurance, informing me that my car insurance was due for renewal. I had forgotten it was due and couldn't believe it was a year since it was set up. I rang and was shocked to discover that my premiums would increase by about £20 a month (I pay in instalments.) I didn't immediately take that quote, and the man on the phone said he would send a print version of the quote for me to look at and consider. Then, once I had finished the phone call, I went on Compare The Market, which I used last year to get the A.A. quote and inputted all my details (some of which were saved from the last time, which is one advantage of using online comparison sites.) But I found that the quotes which came up were only a few pounds more, or, in some cases, less than the A.A. quote, so it's a sort of choice between the few that I got and the A.A. quote, which I think I will go with. It includes breakdown cover, which makes it a better deal.

From car insurance, I went on to broadband. With Sky. It is around £30 a month, which includes a boost, allowing for such services as streaming. So, I have accepted the offer. That's done for another year (I think the Sky offer is for 18 months.)

I have only just got in from Monday Club. This new means of fellowship seems to be going well. As we were sitting and talking, the sky went dark, and it began to rain. As I sit in my armchair in the flat, a ferocious thunderstorm is going on outside. It has certainly relieved the heat, thankfully.

Tuesday. 7.30 a.m. I didn't wake up a good deal later than usual and eventually took Alfie out. 

It appears that today will be another hot and sunny day and temperatures are likely to rise to about 27ºC. My digital thermometer currently reads 26ºC, and that's with the electric fans on and the windows open. As a result, I'm not going to Camphill. It's been advised that I don't go out in direct sunshine, having had two heart attacks. It could be dangerous.

I got an email from another insurance comparison website, called Money Supermarket. Which gave me more car insurance quotes. Having looked at the various quotes, I found one which was considerably cheaper than those I had on Compare The Market, with monthly payments at £35 per month. I paid a £71 deposit, and it's all set up. So, the new monthly payments are barely £5 more than last year's A.A. car insurance payments. So, that is another box ticked.

Sunny and Bright!

(Friday) A really pleasant bright and sunny morning! Let's just hope it stays that way for the next few days.

I had the washing machine on early and as I write it's out on the line. It shouldn't take long to dry. Not a job I'm exactly over-excited about, but it needs doing. So hopefully it should be dry around lunchtime.

I went into the shopping centre. I wanted to put some cash in my savings account at the Metro bank. Then I went to Marks and Spencer and had a salted caramel latte and cheese and ham toastie. It wasn't busy presumably because it wasn't lunchtime. I had a look in the men's clothing section. No end of short-sleeved shirts on display. Why is it when I was looking earlier I couldn't find anything decent and then, there're all over M and S? One in particular would be suitable for the Treasure Island production at Campbell, with what could be pirate ships on and octopi which would be very appropriate, unless the storyline is altered, as it's likely to be. But I've got two suitable short sleeved shirts already, so I don't need any more at the moment.

I've shifted some of the clothing from the cupboard where the clothing rail collapsed yesterday because Garry is coming round this evening with a more suitable clothing rail to replace the collapsed one. So I should be able to put all my clothes back where it all belongs. My suit which I wore at our wedding, which I haven't worn since that day, which I think needs dry cleaning, probably have a good press so that it can be worn again and a jacket which Carol brought me in Next. It's black and padded but makes me look like a security guard in a night club, what they call a 'bouncer' if that's the correct term. Need dark glasses and an ear-piece on one of those curly cords in one of my ears and a sort of fixed, unsmiling face. But that's not my character, just that clothing can suggest a character. Whether it's a stereotype I don't know, but whenever they have such characters on television, usually a soap sigh as EastEnders, and there's a scene which involves a nightclub and the script demands a bouncer or security-type character, the wardrobe department usually dresses such a character in a short, usually black, or at least, dark colour, and that character is a sort of 'heavy,' hard-faced individual, who never cracks a smile, wears dark glasses, which adds a sort of hint of danger to the part.

I must make mention of the birth of my third grandchild, Arthur Albert Wilson, born on Monday morning at 10.39a.m. at Worcester Hospital, weight 8.13 l.b., mother and child doing well. I haven't mentioned this event until now because Chloe didn't want it announced until more family had been informed. It's easy enough nowadays to plaster such news all over social media, but it doesn't make up for a more personal approach, face-to-face or even via telephone. I was supposed to go to Worcester today because yesterday (Saturday) was the second grandchild, Eddie's second birthday. I was scheduled to share driving, but it hasn't happened. I can't drive all the way to Worcester and then come back later, because that would make at least a 5-6 hour round trip. Not  good idea when I have several health issues, just sitting in the car for that length of time isn't a good idea. I have birthday presents all wrapped up and ready for Eddie and hopefully he can have them when Chloe and Steve come up to visit Louisa and her family who live in Stony Stratford.

As a result of not going to Worcester I went to Shenley Christian Fellowship. I'd forgotten that there was going to be a baptism during the second service. The band was on top form and the worship exhilarating to say the least. Pastor Ross preaching on baptism, which was very appropriate. I stayed for the second service, sitting in the back. There were more people visiting than usual, most probably family and friends of Luke, the young man who was being baptised. He's very tall, and they kept making mention of the fact and because of his height it was difficult to baptise him in the baptistry so he didn't hit his head! He gave a great testimony and the singing was really good. From SCF I drove down Chaffron Way and had a snack in Waitrose's café, although I wouldn't have the gluten-free bread which was what my sandwich was made of, because I didn't fancy the texture. You only find these things out after you've bought this sort of bread, but the cappuccino was excellent.

It's been a rather strange day on the weather front. It started out overcast and I was hoping it would be sunny so I could wear my new shorts and the rather nice short-sleeved shirt I got in M and S the other week, but I'll have to save it all for another day. Not sure, though, that the world is yet ready for the sight of my bare legs!

Baptisms and Sunshine

It's a perfectly beautiful sunny September day. It's just amazing that it's so warm and sunny. We went to church at Milton Keynes Christian Centre, going to the first of the three Sunday services, at 9 a.m. Thee were to be around 40 people being baptised during the service. It's always busy so it is advisable to arrive early in order to get a seat and we always like to get as close to the front as possible to be able to watch.

During the sermon, George Ridley said that £600 was needed to replace the roof of a church somewhere in India. As a result we went to the cashpoint at Tesco's in Oldbrook Boulevarde and returned to give it to George. When we returned, having had to park in the road opposite the entrance to M.K.C.C. which was actually coned off with yellow 'no parking cones' (because people aren't supposed to park in the neighbouring roads as part of the agreement which was made with the local council when planning permission was given to build the church.) we walked back towards the church building and as we got to the front door Carol saw one of her former pupils who was going to be baptised during the second service. We handed over the £10 to George Ridley who was with his wife Pam sitting in the coffee shop at the entrance of M.K.C.C. Carol said she wanted to stay and watch the baptisms during the next service (which was due to start in a little under 15 minutes.) I had to go back to the car and drive to the carpark at Milton Keynes College (where we had parked originally earlier in the morning before the first service at 9 o'clock.) I then drove over to the college car park through the busy traffic which was heading into the church carpark as well as out onto Chaffron Way. When I got to the carpark I had to walk back along the Redway and back to M.K.C.C. By the time I got there the service had started but I managed to walk in and found Carol. She had found us two seats near to the baptistry so we could watch the baptisms and I took some photographs with my mobile phone. It actually turned out that two of Carol's students from Milton Keynes Academy were baptised during the service.

We returned home, having left immediately after the baptisms. We then drove to Woburn Sands to visit the Wyevale Garden Centre there to have a break and something to eat in their restaurant for a lunch break. We were somewhat surprised to see Christmas stock being set up in the garden centre.It seemed far, far too early to be thinking about Christmas this early in September. Especially as it was so sunny this afternoon. It seems some people will buy the general tat that is considered acceptable Christmas fare, and usually very over-priced. It gives us a good laugh, looking at this sort of stuff. Now that B.H.S. has gone, affording us some considerable pleasure in the run-up to Christmas, when we had to visit the B.H.S. Christmas department to look at the offerings they sold, but, alas, this year, now they have closed down, our entertainment of this sort will have to be elsewhere. Singing Christmas trees and tacky tinsel, over-coloured tree ornaments and One Direction knick-necks will have to now be diverted elsewhere.