Today, we looked at the wide range of features and benefits of Google Maps. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/laptop-coaching-google-maps-4/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the …
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Author:Steve Palmer
I got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 - well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to be the perfect combination to contribute a few words to the online community. But I'm no Samuel Pepys! If you're looking for deep and meaningful comments on a variety of subjects, then you've arrived at the wrong site! I only pen for pleasure! On average, my posts appear about twice per month, covering family & friends, cinema visits, eating out, holiday experiences and techy stuff. Oh, and as this is my hobby, there are no sponsored links nor adverts here – it's all done with love!
I hope you find it enjoyable, interesting and occasionally, even helpful!
Film: Ant-Man and The Wasp
Jo, Janet and I went to the local Odeon to catch this, the latest Marvel Blockbuster. None of us was sure how this sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man would pan-out, but it was definitely worth it! The Screen was packed and the film was very family-friendly. Whilst it lacked the scale of previous Marvel outings, it …
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The Wedding Belle
It was off to Janine’s Wedding today. Her husband-to-be, Chris is from Ohio, USA, so it’s going to be a true Anglo-American event. The event is at Hedingham Castle (so that’ll please our friends from across the Pond!) and we’re making a few days of it, as the big day isn’t until tomorrow – Friday. …
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NEW Laptop Class for 2019
Excellent news! After a sluggish period of recruitment, I signed-up my seventh (and final) pupil for our NEW Laptop Class starting on Monday, January 14th, 2019. The new Class is now full and I’ll be working on the proposed lesson plans in the coming weeks. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/22/new-laptop-class-for-2019/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late …
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Tablet Coaching: Certification Day
Today, we said goodbye to the ‘Class of 2018’. After more than 50 hours of coaching, 20+ Lessons lasting over six months, we bid farewell to Chris, Sue, Janet, Ann and Tom. Good luck with all your Tablet adventures! from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/21/tablet-coaching-certification-day-2/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first …
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Laptop Coaching: Open Session
Today, we went ‘off-script’ and handed over the Lesson to the Pupils. It served as a recap of previously-covered topics as well as some one-offs such as ‘creating mirror-writing’ in Word! from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/20/laptop-coaching-open-session-2/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! …
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Sondes on Thursdays
Thursday Ralph and Karen joined us for a few days, and to kick things off, we booked a table at the ever reliable Sondes Arms. We haven’t been there for almost a year and it was good to have David and Valerie along too for one of the Pub’s unforgettable Lunch experiences! Well, we must …
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Tablet Coaching: Daily Routines
Today, in the penultimate Lesson for this group, we carried out some additional 1-to-1 coaching covering ‘DropBox’, ‘Accessing the Internet Wirelessly’ and ‘TouchNote’. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/14/tablet-coaching-daily-routines/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in …
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Laptop Coaching: The Power of Search!
Today, we discussed the power of Google Search – including some shortcuts for ‘power-users’ that speed-up search results. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/13/laptop-coaching-the-power-of-search/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with …
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Film: Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Surely there cant be any more impossible missions for the IMF to sort out, but it hasn’t stopped Tom Cruise squeezing more out of the franchise! So here we are at M:I-6 aka Mission: Impossible – Fallout and the synopsis (should you wish to accept it) is below… “Ethan Hunt and the IMF team join …
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Boughton of Youth
So, here we are again – Boughton House – and what’s become a regular event these past three years: it’s one of LunaFlix’s many outdoor cinema events. Our first visit to this novel form of cinema-going was back in 2016 when we saw Pretty Woman, and in 2017, it was La La Land. This year, …
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Beer Diary…
..by Steve P (aged 61-and-a-bit). Well that’s a first – a visit to a Beer Festival – my first ever, and a boys’ day out too! The venue? London’s Olympia and to give the event its full title: The Great British Beer Festival. This is a superb opportunity for a piss-up taste of fine ales. …
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Tablet Coaching: One to Ones
With only a few lessons before the end of the curriculum for this Group, today, we spent time, ‘1-to-1’, recapping past topics and answering questions. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/07/tablet-coaching-1-to-1s/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and …
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Laptop Coaching: Managing Suspicious eMails
Today, we looked at a number of straightforward techniques for identifying suspicious eMails. We also developed plans on how to manage those eMails. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/08/06/laptop-coaching-managing-suspicious-emails/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in …
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ASK: The Family
It was off to see the Palmer Clan today – Debbie, Neil, Alfie and Frankie – Neil having booked a table at ASK in Bromley. The table was booked for 12.15, so that meant an early exit from home and a short drive to Bedford for the ever-popular ThamesLink service! And boy, was it popular!!! …
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Picnic at… Sulgrave Manor
Another scorching hot day here and so we decided to make the most of it and met up with Ian and Ann McL at Sulgrave Manor. It’s a Tudor Manor House, home to (and built by) George Washington’s (deep breath!) great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Lawrence, in the mid-1500s. We’ve not been here before – can’t think why …
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Steve does DIY! (be afraid)
In our continuing process of slowly upgrading the House, today, one of last ‘originals’ from moving-in 20+ years ago – the side door to our Garage – got a makeover. Well, less of a ‘makeover’ and more like a complete replacement. Next job? An undercoat, then another undercoat, and then the top coat – to …
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Tablet Coaching: Core Apps – Calculator and Clock
Today, we returned to looking at the wide range of core apps that are installed on most Tablets ‘out-of-the-box’. In this Lesson, we discussed the ‘Clock’ and the ‘Calculator’. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/31/tablet-coaching-core-apps-calculator-clock/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong …
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Laptop Coaching: Managing Data on a USB Stick
Today, we looked at how to move data top and from a typical USB Stick. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/30/laptop-coaching-managing-data-on-a-usb-stick/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for …
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Denis at 89
Today, we celebrated Denis’s 89th Birthday. So the Gambles assembled here Bev, Roger, Jane and Oliver for a slap-up Lunch and more… As expected, we spoilt Denis rotten with gifts and Ann’s unrivalled kitchen skills! Denis may not have eaten as much as he used to, but he certainly seemed to enjoy the food – …
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You Wait for Ages…
“…for a bus to come along, then two arrive together!” So goes the saying, and the same could be said for Chinese Buffets too!Having had Lunch there on Thursday, we were at The Mandarin Buffet in Weston Favell again today – this time for Pauline’s surprise 70th Birthday celebration. Jonathan, their son, had done all …
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Wimpole Hall
Chris and Gill parked at ours and we all made our way to Wimpole Hall. We haven’t been there since June 2011, when we went with Lee and Nicki. Today’s visit was our ‘Plan B’ – Plan A was originally to visit somewhere for a picnic, but the weather this week has been so hot …
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Buffet, the Mandarin Slayer
It was a welcome return to The Mandarin Buffet in Weston Favell today. The reason? The semi-regular get-together of ex-Sainsbury Trainer-types: Geoff, Paul and me with respective ‘other halves’ – Rhonda, Sue and Ann. This is surely the cheapest/best value place to eat in Northamptonshire – £8.99 for an all-you-can-eat buffet. As expected then, there …
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Tablet Coaching: Deeper into Play
Today, in a double-lesson, we took a deeper look at the capabilities offered by the Google Play Store. Specifically: ‘Books’, ‘News-stand’ and ‘Music’. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/tablet-coaching-deeper-into-play/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in …
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Laptop Coaching: Word Processing (Parts 2 and 3)
Today, in a special ‘one-off’ double lesson, we continued exploring and using the features of a modern word-processor. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/laptop-coaching-word-processing-parts-2-and-3/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with …
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Trainers’ Weekend Away (2018)
It’s that time of year again where a group of us Trainers (‘the 5ive’, because there’s 7 of us – don’t ask!) who worked together on the BA Project back in 1999 get together for a weekend of celebration. This year, there’s five of us – Antoinette, Angela, Philip and me – with June joining …
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Highclere Castle
I’ve always wanted to visit here, not just because it happens to be the set for the Downton Abbey, but simply because it’s a beautiful bit of architecture. It was our gift to Nicki for her forthcoming, (ahem!) ‘significant’ birthday! Sue J joined us for the journey, arriving at ours just before 8am, whilst Nicki …
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Tablet Coaching: Garden Design Apps
A special ‘one-off’ looking at Apps for designing gardens. from WordPress https://stevethetechguru.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/tablet-coaching-garden-design-apps/ Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of technology and communication (in all its forms), together with a fondness for the art of writing seemed to …
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Football’s Coming Home?
..and Tennis too… well almost… to OUR home anyway… We, as a nation, didn’t make it to the finals, but that didn’t stop us having the neighbours round for a very late Lunch – to enjoy the World Cup Final and/or the Tennis Men’s Singles Final. With record crowds expected at both sporting events, ours …
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Farewell to Lee
At 2pm today, we said our final farewell to our good friend, Lee. David and I led the Service at Averil Phillips and Family’s Offices in London Road, where we’d invited all those that she was really close to:- David and I kept the event light with more a ‘celebration of life’ than perhaps a …
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