That’s a record! Off to the local Odeon again tonight – that’s two visits in a row! Tonight, we saw the award-winning movie: Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. Ann had always wanted to see it, but we missed it the first time around. For me, the motivation was more about a bucket-load of ‘40% off’ …
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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!
Carmen conquers Kettering
No, not our home town’s answer to Debbie does Dallas, but a first for us – Live Opera in Kettering! We caught the live screening of the 2018 production of Carmen streamed all the way from the Royal Opera House in London. It was also being seen in another 1056 cinemas across 29 countries. Wow! …
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Tablet Coaching: Screen Layout & Looking after your Tablet
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: After last week’s lesson, where we explored the outside of a typical Tablet, today we turned our attention to explaining the screen layout and the meaning of the standard icons. We also spent time discussing how to keep a typical Tablet in tip-top condition. Steve PalmerI got into …
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Laptop Coaching: Word Processing (Part 2)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: After last week’s Lesson: Word Processing (Part 1), today, somewhat predictably, we covered ‘Word Processing (Part 2)’. This included:- ..and much, much more Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love of …
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Laptop Coaching: Screen Layout (Part 2)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Today, we continued our tour of the Windows 10 Desktop, specifically looking at the layout and functionality of the ‘System Tray’. 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: A Brief History of Windows
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Today we gave the group an introduction to Windows 10, including:- 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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A Bunch of Amateurs
The Stratford Players desperately need King Lear to be a success or it will be their last ever production, and their theatre will be demolished for redevelopment. Maybe a big box office star can help? Enter from stage-left, one Jefferson Steele: Hollywood action hero, currently between his film-franchises and encouraged to play his very first …
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The Logo Movie
Today, the BBC proudly announced a new logo for Doctor Who – as you can see, they even made a movie about it! (Read the detail HERE). And, unusually, given that Whovians don’t like ANY change to their beloved programme, it was received pretty favourably – with one fan going totally OTT and tweeting… “THE …
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Tablet Coaching: Lesson Plans & Tablet External Tour
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: After last week’s introductory lesson, we spent today discussing the group’s Lesson Plans and giving the Group a tour of the outside of their Tablet (sockets, switches etc). Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my …
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Laptop Coaching: Word Processing (Part 1)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Today we began the first of three lessons covering the essentials of word-processing. Guess what? Part two next week! 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: Keyboard and Tiles
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Following-on from last week’s initial Lesson, today, we discussed more about a typical Laptop keyboard. We also looked at the Windows 10 ‘Tiles’ layout and how to customise the look. Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well …
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Lunch with Chris and Pete
Jo and Janet picked us up at midday and we headed over to Pete and Chris’s. We haven’t been over to theirs for quite a while and it was good to catch up. A glass of Prosecco each welcomed us before we tucked into the main event. Lunch, as always was first class – with …
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Tech Alert (No. 877)
Warning: This Blog contains a serious amount of techy nerdiness, and (more scarily) me attempting some DIY. It’s not for the faint-hearted, so if you are easily shocked, please click HERE to exit! OK, so I’ve had my new whizzy Amp, sorry ‘AV Receiver’ for just about 12 months now, and recently re-cabled it all …
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SPECS and the City (not!)
They say you always remember your first time! Mine was on the road between Catford and Lewisham back in the late 70s at 10.47 – a Sunday I think – and it was over in a flash. Dad was horrified, Mum was angry mortified – and I was very embarrassed having been caught in the …
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Return to Uppingham
Another day, another lunch with friends! I can certainly recommend retirement!Today, we took a leisurely drive over to Uppingham to meet up with Nick and Celina. We started off by having a mooch around the town – always extra nice when it’s Market Day there. Amazingly, we got parked almost immediately too – that’s a …
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Valentines’ Day 2018
I have a good record of making this day special – normally including a home-cooked meal too! In recent years, I’ve collaborated with David, and we’ve made it a joint event for our two special ladies rolling in a romantic movie courtesy of Mr Sky. However, this year was different – as Lent started on …
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Technology Coaching: We’re Full!
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Lucky me! My Technology Classes are now full. We have a full complement of willing Learners for my Monday Laptop Class, Tuesday Laptop Class and Tuesday Tablet Class. If you’d like to be added to the waiting list, please drop-in to the Salvation Army in Rothwell and speak …
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Lent Boy (ish) 2018
It’s Valentine’s Day and whilst most of us are preparing for a special meal and spreading petals around the place, I’m also getting ready for another annual event… It’s earlier this year, and so here we go again… another year… another of my ‘Lent Challenges’! For 2018, it’s now 48 items that I’m trying to avoid …
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Tablet Coaching: Class of 2018
Today, we welcomed another new Class* – Tom, Sue, Chris, Janet & Ann. Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: For the next 20 or so weeks, I will be helping them to get the most out of their Android Tablet. *Not to be confused with the other new Class that started last week Steve PalmerI got …
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Laptop Coaching: Google Maps
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Today, we looked at the power and flexibility of ‘Google Maps’, including newer features such as ‘Bus Timetables’ and ‘Location Sharing’. 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: Lesson Plans
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: After last week’s introductory lesson, today, we presented the group with their proposed Lesson Plans. We also took a detailed look at a typical Windows Laptop Keyboard – including the functions of the lesser-known (but very useful) keys. ‘Alt Gr’ key anyone??? Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite …
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Lights… Camera… err, Rickmansworth
Thanks to my good friend Stuart, today was an opportunity for me to wallow in the nostalgia of Film and TV from a bygone age. It was my first visit to the annual Film Festival organised by Renown Pictures (better known to many TV viewers as the Sky 343/Freeview 81/FreeSat 306/Virgin 445 Film Channel Talking …
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Laptop Coaching: 1-to-1s
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: With some of the Class on holiday this week, we used today’s double-Lesson to offer 1-to-1 guidance for ‘all things laptop’ to the rest of the group – Wendy, Bill, Charles and Dave. Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until …
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Laptop Coaching: Class of 2018
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Tech Blog: Today we welcomed the new Monday Class. We’ll be working with Stuart, Ronald, Elaine, Sue and Sally for the next 35 weeks to help them get the most out of their Laptop! Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 …
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Victoria Sandwich
It was a welcome return to The Olde Victoria – not for a sandwich, but for something far more substantial: Sunday Lunch. The reason? a good catch-up with friends from our working days: Geoff & Rhonda and Paul and Sue. Last time Ann and I were here was back in July last year – surely …
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Rail Watching
It’s been about two-and-a-half years since we last visited York – my Birthday weekend in 2015 – so it was good to visit this fine City again today. As an extra bonus, we met up with Dennis and Sandra who acted as our ‘tour guides’ for the day!We drove over to Peterborough Station to catch …
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Swan Bake
It was off to The Lamport Swan tonight to catch-up with Mags. Unusually, this time, we were without Ian, our partner-in-crime, as he’s recuperating. However, Mags’ hubby, Alan joined us for the first time and more than evened-up the numbers. The last time we were here was in November 2016 for lunch, as part of my …
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Film: Early Man
Val and I went to the Odeon today to see the recently released, Early Man. This was a very family friendly film from Aardman’s Nick Park, who’s been away from our screens since his Wallace and Gromit short, A Matter Of Loaf And Death for the BBC in 2008. The car-park was surprisingly full when …
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Laptop Coaching: Return to the Store
Today, we revisited the Windows 10 ‘App Store’, now renamed the ‘Microsoft Store’ to see what’s changed. 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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Turkish Delight: Day 3 – Istanbul (Mosque Mania)
The Blue Mosque and The Hagia Sophia are right here on our doorstep, but every day we’ve passed them, the queues have been far too long. As it’s our last full day here in Istanbul, the plan today is to have an early breakfast and try and get to them both ahead of the crowds. …
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