The end of an era today, as not one but TWO of our closest friends said goodbye to their employer and joined the ranks of the retired due to ANOTHER Sainsbury restructure!

After a little deception by Janet, unsuspecting retiree, Jo was taken to Kettering’s poshest restaurant – The Palmichael – in nearby Burton Latimer, for a so-called ‘cosy meal’ with just Janet and Carol.

Instead, the big secret was that Chris, Ann, Nicki and I were also joining their table as part of that deception, where Nicki was also saying farewell to Mr Sainsbury.

With everyone now present, it made a whole table of ex-Sainsbury employees! I’m not sure of the total combined service amongst the seven of us, but I was at the lower end at ‘just’ 17 years, whereas just Jo and Nicki together, totalled over four times that! Answers on a postcard! . For reasons that I never understand with restructures, that’s a lot of expertise and talent exiting the business in one go – at a time when retail (especially food retail) is struggling!

On a more positive note, at least now we’ve got more flexibility when meeting up socially! Congratulations, Nicki and Jo – your new chapter can now begin!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Sayonara Mr Sainsbury! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

This was a milestone event – our final visit to the local Odeon. The building is due for demolition next week (Tuesday, the 28th), leaving the town with no cinema at all.

Apparently, the town has had a cinema, somewhere in the town, for the past 100 years! And now it doesn’t – and the natives are restless!!

Tonight, it wasn’t particularly the film that mattered, as it was more about a ‘final opportunity’ to see this oft-visited picture palace before it becomes a pile of bricks! From the developer’s perspective, it’s all part of a bigger picture where the land PLUS all the surrounding buildings are being demolished to make way for…

…well, no-one seems to be 100% certain! – the latest rumour being ‘open storage’ (whatever that is!).

With Hobson’s Choice – the Pub/Restaurant opposite – already boarded up and marked for a similar fate plus nearby Frankie and Benny’s on the receiving end of a bulldozer a few days back and finally, Mazza’s (the Indian Restaurant) that’s stood empty for nigh-on 10 years), leaving only the nearby KFC, the only building left standing.

And then, last Tuesday, it was announced that they were on the demolition list too!

The local online petition only attracted around 3000 signatures, so that won’t have made any difference! We arrived at the Cinema and it was near-deserted! Happily, still plenty of staff though! . After a(another) ‘final visit to the in-house Costa, we headed for the Screen.

Things didn’t improve much when we got to our seats – the Screen was completely empty (although the two back rows DID fill up just before ‘curtain up’).

The Film

Oh, the film… we chose to see ‘Flight Risk‘ starring Mark Wahlberg, Michele Docker and Topher Grace (who??)

Synopsis

A U.S. marshal boards a small plane to transfer a government witness to New York. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions start to rise as not everyone on the flight is who they appear to be.

Official Trailer

Any Good?

Actually, it was a really good film. Directed by none other than Mel Gibson, it was a riveting, if not stressful and claustrophobic watch! . Set almost entirely on a small plane, it was very well done – and very convincing, with Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey) making a very convincing American!

Well, that’s then of an era! . For me, it’ll be sadly missed and where we now have to work out the best alternative location for our regular ‘movie fix’. . Looks like the nearest cinema will now be CineWorld at Rushden Lakes, the new ‘Luxe’ Odeon in Northampton (ironically on the site of the recently closed CineWorld!) or The Savoy Cinema in Corby.

There’s a really comprehensive article by Kettering local, Tony Smith, in the Northamptonshire Telegraph listing ALL the Cinemas that Kettering has seen through the years! Read it HERE.

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Odeon Kettering – The Final Visit appeared first on Steve's Blog.

It’s not unusual for us to go to the local Odeon, but tonight was for TWO very different reasons.

Reason 1: This is the LAST TIME we’ll ever visit this Odeon. Why? It’s being bulldozed, together with the nearby Pub – Hobson’s Choice, to make way for (ahem!) ‘a new development’. Most of us locals are still reeling from the shock. Both buildings have been here as long as we have (20-plus years), in fact, I read that once it’s demolished it’ll be the first time in 100 years that Kettering hasn’t had a cinema! A sad day when that happens!

Reason 2: We’re NOT here to see a film. Instead, we’re watching a live transmission of the Opera, Marriage of Figaro starring the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House – and it’s a ‘one night only’ performance!

This is such a smart way to see Opera. No need to go all the way to London and by keeping it local, we get the best seats in the house – plus, it saves a fortune on travel and ticket prices! It’s not our first time seeing Opera on the cheap, as we were here in 2018 watching Carmen! Does it lose any of the atmosphere of actually being there live? Well, possibly, but the fact that the cameras can zoom in and pick up the facial expressions is something that you don’t get to appreciate at the ROH (unless you’re in row A…and rich!) .

In many operas, the heroine meets an untimely demise. Sadly, tonight Ying Fang aka Susanna was hampered by something much smaller than the script – flu! Her understudy did a great job though!

Curtain up was at 6.30 and good job we had reasonably comfy seats, as its runtime was close to four hours! . OK, that included a thirty-minute interval (where Mrs P had prepared some elegant nibbles that befitted the occasion). Screen 6 isn’t the largest screen here, but it was good to see that it was just under half full for this one-off live-streaming event. I learned later that it had been beamed to most of the big cinema chains in the UK, so I wonder how that helped takings?

Before it all began, there was a useful introduction for noobies to the Opera itself by a rather gushing presenter, but in between her smiles the size of Corby (no one should be that happy!) she set the scene perfectly.

All-in-all then, a very worthwhile experience. and a great way to experience this rather elitist art-form without bankrupting yourself in the process – ROH tickets topped out at £245! (we paid £20 each!) and I’m sure we’ll do this all again sometime, but alas, not HERE!

We left the Odeon just after 10.35pm and where, looking at the staff, they all seemed to be pretty chilled, in spite of the imminent demise of Kettering’s ONLY cinema.

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Figarodeon appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, that was a surprise! Nearby Hobson’s Choice announced it was closing its doors permanently!

OK, it was never going to be awarded a Michelin Star, but it was on our doorstep and offered a ‘basic’ menu (read ‘cheap’) and the staff there were always super-friendly. Every time I visited, it was always doing a good trade, so initially, I wasn’t sure why they’d suddenly announced this news? It was a real shock to the system as it’s been there pretty much as long as we’ve lived here.

Given that nearby Mazza’s (the Indian Restaurant) closed some years ago and that was followed by its neighbour, Frankie and Benny’s, in October 2022, that only left KFC and the Odeon in the immediate area. Surely, they wouldn’t go the same way? Would they? WOULD THEY?

A few hours later, KFC put out a Press Release in the local paper confirming they had no plans to close! (Although I don’t think a lot of us were convinced!!)

So, what of the Odeon? Surely Kettering’s ONLY cinema wouldn’t suffer the same fate?

Then, a week later, our worst fears were confirmed… (KFC is staying open) BUT the Odeon is closing next January!

Later newspaper reports said that the whole area is to be bulldozed! Surely not another self-storage area or warehousing!!! Local rumours sprang up immediately suggesting that they’d both ‘sold up’ whilst later news hinted at the Landlord buying them out of their leases.

Whatever the reason, all-in-all, it’s a very sad day for us locals! . To think that Kettering once boasted SIX cinemas!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Closed for good! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today, together with my first boss – Ken Barden – we returned to the location of my very first ‘proper’ job: Sainsbury’s, Central Croydon aka ‘Store 332′. The reason? We’d heard that Sainsbury’s HQ had taken the commercial decision to close down the store permanently in a few months’ time and we both felt the desire to see it for one last time. The planned closure had been purely a commercial decision. It was restricted with its trading hours (to align with the Centre) and with so many other Sainsbury outlets within a short distance doing longer hours, it just wasn’t bringing in the trade.

By today’s standards, 332 is just ‘another’ Sainsbury Store – one of around 6 in the local area. But, back then in 1969 when it first opened, this was the largest Supermarket in the UK (and some say, Europe) with its 29 checkouts – yes, 29!!!! — and TWO entrances, one at each end. From the employee perspective, there was also the kudos of working in their flagship store!

With a mighty 16000+ sq ft of floor space, it certainly felt large to this 17-year-old who, in 1973, on the insistence of Mum, was (ahem!) encouraged to stop ‘lazing around at home‘ and ‘get yourself a Saturday job’!

The opening year of 1969 was significant too, as it celebrated 100 years of Sainsbury’s on the High Street, and I remember the staff giving pieces of birthday cake to its customers!

And so, it began, in 1973, I officially became a ‘Sainsbury Student’where, for three hours after school each Friday night, plus 9 hours on a Saturday, I earned the princely sum of £3.12!! (second only at the time, to the local M&S, in the ‘best paid’ stakes!) . Do you know what? It was really hard work, but I absolutely loved it. It was less about the money and more about the teamwork, the frantically busy working environment and the ‘rules for everything’, that gave me a real buzz!. I survived that for almost 3 years!

And after those first few years, it turned out to be more than just a Saturday job! How? Fate was to play its part, as after finishing my A-levels followed by a couple of misfires with my first and second career choices (Civil Service and Midland Bank), the JS job morphed into a permanent full-time role on their very well-respected management training scheme. Again, this was encouraged by Ken, attempting to point me in an appropriate career direction. From there, a full-on 18-year career followed, in and out of their stores and culminating as one of Sainsbury’s Regional Training Managers and finally, Head of Special Projects at their Blackfriars HQ.

The Pilgrimage Begins…

I drove over to Ken’s for a traditional retail-type early start (6.30am!) and Ken took the wheel in his bespoke-tuned RS8, and we headed for Croydon. Wow! Croydon has certainly changed a bit, and as a result, it took us a few laps of the famous ‘Wellesley Road’ to find the car-park entrance for Sainsbury’s.

We’d had a good journey there and standing in the Whitgift Centre at just after 8.30am. We thought it was a little early to be descending on the Store, so we took the opportunity to look around the Centre. Conspicuous by its absence, was the favourite ‘watering hole’ of the 332 management back in the day – The Forum. Apparently, it had been demolished years ago! . That was sad, but overall, the place still felt attractive with its 1,302,444 sq ft of retail space – even without the Pub!

We’d been told that the Centre had really gone downhill in the years following our departure (some coincidence, surely! ) but do you know what? It actually looked in good health! OK, it was quiet (but we were early) but it was well-lit, clean and there were plenty of shops to choose from.

Stepping briefly outside the Centre, we could see that some famous names were still in evidence. Sort of! The Allders sign was still up, but the shop was long gone. Kennard’s, the department store a little further down the road, had been replaced by ‘Centrale‘ ANOTHER indoor Shopping Centre competing directly with the Whitgift Centre, I guess.

Next stop was ‘68 Church Street‘ – 332’s sister store (albeit smaller). The route is a lot cleaner and tidier now, and just like the high street, has been fully pedestrianised (apart from the tram route). During my time, I recall the ‘joy’ of manhandling a full roll pallet of cheese from 332 to 68! (yes, really!) And that was in the days where the high street wasn’t pedestrianised and was always heaving with shoppers! A good 30-minute journey that was fraught with H&S nightmares!

Alas, ’68’ is no more, as it’s now occupied by Lidl. We took a quick look around inside, much to the confusion of the ‘Duty Manager’ and realised that actually they are only occupying around 80% of the space with the left of the frontage sealed off.

We circled around to their Goods Inwards and ended up having a brief chat with Lidl’s Deputy Store Manager, swapping notes about supermarkets (as you do!)

We then headed back to the main reason for being there – Sainsbury’s! I’d rung the Store yesterday to let them know that we’d be wandering around their store – and that turned out to be a good move!

The Store Manager was on holiday, but the Deputy and one of their Line Managers had been prepping in anticipation of our arrival (what a nice touch!). They’d arranged a short briefing about the Store for us; laid on a guided tour behind the scenes and invited us to talk to some of the senior staff who’d been there the longest. These days, where some employees don’t always have the loyalty that I experienced, it was good to chat with many of their team who’d individually clocked-up 20-30 years of service each.

Not surprisingly, the store layout had seen some changes. Gone was the ‘back entrance’ for customers. So too, were the ‘rear’ checkouts’. We also noticed that they were only occupying around 50% of the original 16,600 sq ft. space. Consequently, we weren’t able to see the canteen and the upper area for management dining. In the warehouse, the back door area was as familiar as ever, but there was no sign of the Provisions prep area nor the Butchery. Bizarrely, the Plant Room was missing too!

We were there for just under two hours and it was a great experience. Both of us were very grateful to the Store for taking the time to make us feel so welcome. The Store will officially close on Friday, 13th (!!) of October. The end of an era!!!

Update: Friday, 4 October: Came across this online last week. Looks like they’re closing on the 15th October (not 13th!).

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Return to ‘332’ appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, maybe not QUITE yet, but the latest ULTRA Fast internet technology is officially on its way! Huzzah!

At last! After spending the past 35 years or so, being firmly BEHIND the curve with internet-speed technology, we’re going to get the fastest available! The above leaflet arrived through our letterbox yesterday. I thought something was on the cards when I spotted these guys around a month ago, just opposite our house!

Currently, we’re on around 40 Mbps and up to 900 Mbps is promised when we go FULL Fibre!

Boys and their Toys – I can’t wait!!!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post It’s Official – We’re UltraFast! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

A pivotal moment today! It’s official – I’m OLD!

I received my VERY FIRST State Pension payment overnight!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post It’s official – I’m OLD! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

We watched it live on BBC1. It was full-on so we took a break every so often and watched something else! It was emotionally draining but essential viewing!

The queue (to end all queues!) was closed a little after 10.40pm on Sunday. Queuing time was reported to have been over 12 hours at some points – and no-one complained (The Brits are the leaders in process of queuing, after all!). Early estimates suggest that over 400,000 will have visited to pay their respects.

“I declare before you all that my whole life,
be it long or short,
shall be devoted to your service”

And so, this solemn event began…

10.44am: The Queen’s coffin leaves Westminster Hall and the Procession begins towards Westminster Abbey.

11.00am: The Funeral Service was at 11am and was the most watched TV programme in history – some 5 billion people saw it/heard it on TV, Radio and online. Channel 5 and Channel 5 did not cover the event.

Over 140 Naval Ratings were involved in transporting the coffin.

All the while, Big Ben tolled every minute for ninety-six minutes, one for every year of Her Majesty’s life.

It was attended by 500+ Leaders and Heads of State from all over the world, totalling 2000 guests. Protocol dictated that Commonwealth leaders had priority over World leaders, so Joe Biden was not in the front seats! Interesting!

11.55am: The Last Post was played.

12.15pm: The Queen’s coffin left for Wellington Arch led by Royal Canadian Mounted Police and representatives from the NHS. The coffin passed Buckingham Palace processing up Constitution Hill towards Wellington Arch.

1.15pm: Arrival at Wellington Arch.

1.40pm: The Queen’s coffin was transferred to the Royal Hearse and the National Anthem was played.

Past Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall through Kensington. Next, past the Natural History Museum to Cromwell Road and over the Hammersmith Flyover through Chiswick and Brentford. From there, onwards to Staines-upon-Thames, Runnymede to Old Windsor arriving at Shaw Farm Gate at just after 3pm.

3.10pm: The Procession: The Long Walk to St George’s Chapel, with so many members of the public turning out to show their respect – 100,000, according to the Telegraph. The Queen’s pony (Emma) and two of her corgis (Muick and Sandy) were also there to say their goodbyes.

3.40pm: HM King Charles III and the Royal Family joined the Procession once the coffin arrived at the quadrangle.

4.00pm: The Committal Service, St George’s Chapel commenced…

…including some never-before-seen moments including the removal of the Sceptre, Orb and Imperial State Crown from the coffin and placed on the Altar, plus the laying of the Queen’s Flag by the King and the ‘breaking’ of the Lord Chamberlain’s cane.

5.00pm: And as the Queen’s coffin descended into the Vault, the committal ended with the Queen’s Piper playing the lament, walking away from the camera and out of the Chapel. So powerful!

That was the end for the public side of things. As expected, we were emotionally drained, but it was something we needed to watch. An intimate Service, just for the family, was to follow later this evening.

EDIT: Tuesday, September 20, 2022 – Overnight viewing figures confirmed that 28 million people watched the event on TV in the UK.

Goodbye your Majesty, you were a constant in our lives, and we’ll never see the likes of you again.

“God Save the King!”

© Graphics and some photographs courtesy of the Telegraph, Matt and BBC News. No copyright infringement intended

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post The State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Nothing to add that hasn’t already been said.

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post RIP HM Queen Elizabeth II appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Well, after writing to Virgin Media in 1992, asking about the chances of improving my then pathetic Internet speed of about 1Mbps – it’s finally happened! Back then, their reply was ‘there was no demand in your immediate area for our services’. Today, finally, in August 2022, Cable has arrived! — Aw Bless! It only took them 30 years to make the right decision!!!

Today, a number of the Virgin team were popping postcards through everyone’s letterbox in the ‘immediate area’. And not only that, they’re offering (currently) the fastest speeds on the planet – that’s up to 1130Mbps! . The techy name is ‘Gigabit Broadband’ and even I didn’t think it would ever be that fast around here!! Amazing! . But I really could have done with these speeds when I had the business based here ‘back in the day’!!!

That’s quite an improvement compared with the next best speed currently offered by BT and Sky of around 55Mbps max!

So, am I going to switch? Well, I want to, but as Fate would have it, we’ve just signed a new contract with BT for the next two years!

Bugger!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Virgin in our Post Code! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Beginning on Thursday. 2nd June and ending on Sunday, 5th June, this was a celebration of HM Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne.

Thursday, the 2nd

Spent the morning catching up with ‘bits and bobs’ as we only got back from our Scottish holiday yesterday afternoon.

Top Trooping

First of the formal stuff – Trooping of the Colour on TV.

…then the flypast featuring 70 flying machines…

Top Gunning

We then caught up with Jo and Janet in the afternoon and went to Odeon, Kettering to see Top Gun – Maverick.

Wow! What a film!!! Easily the best we’ve seen all year!!! A fast-paced action yarn that redefines ‘action movies’! If we could have given it SIX stars, we would!

Top TV

Cheesey-Beans-on-Crumpets for tea and we’re all set to watch EastEnders starring Prince Charles and Camilla!

Top Tree

…followed by the Lighting of the Beacons around the UK and the Commonwealth – 3000 of them! This included the ‘Tree of Trees’ near Buckingham Palace. A very comprehensive guide to the whole Beacon thing is here.

A great day, where even the weather behaved itself!

Friday, the 3rd

The highlight of the day was the Street Party in (lower) Berwick Way – but before all that… food preparation! We were both up early and by 9.30, my Raspberry Cheesecake was chilling in the fridge. Ann followed that with a ginormous Victoria Sponge.

The rest of the morning was pretty ordinary – I caught up with a few TV programmes that I’d recorded whilst we were away last week and we dipped in and out of the Royal Thanksgiving Service from Westminster Abbey. I then mowed the lawn and finally, prepared the ‘countdown’ social media posts for The Rowell Fair – yes, all very ordinary!

Jo dropped in to leave her car on our drive, whilst she and the Lower Berwick Way crowd began preparing the street. I expect to be helping out later.

4pm! With Desserts prepared, we walked down to J and J’s for the Lower Berwick Way Street Party!

By 8.30, the temperature dropped quite significantly, and that was the cue to begin the great clear-up. It had all been great fun – we even sang the National Anthem and Sweet Caroline!

Saturday, the 4th

Plenty of jobs to do around the house before the main event tonight – The Platinum Party at the Palace live, outside Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty had already announced that she wouldn’t be attending (which disappointed some although at 96 years old, it wasn’t a total surprise to anyone).

At 6 o’clock, we took a walk to the other end of Berwick Way, they were doing their own Street Party – and Ann and I were invited by Debbie/Roger and Stella and we were chuffed to be have been asked I think we caught the tail end of it, but it was still a great atmosphere and the cluster of neighbours had done a fine job in decorating the local space. Paul and Karen were delayed because of the imminent arrival of another grandchild!

Platinum Party at the Palace

At 8 o’clock, it was the televised Platinum Party.

But before all that – a big surprise (including HM’s children who were equally surprised as apparently HM had kept it a secret from them too!!) as the Queen appeared with Paddington Bear. A production masterpiece and it probably even upstaged her appearance at the Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony when she parachuted out of a helicopter!

The Mall was certainly packed, and again, the weather played ball!

Let the party begin! Lee Mack introduced the evening and got the audience onside immediately with a gag about ‘Party’ and ‘Gate’! . Musically speaking, Queen with Alan Lambert opened the set with their anthem: “We Will Rock You” (fantastic!) and as the two-and-a-half hour event unfolded where a wide range of musical talent followed, spanning the generations. I’d heard of most of them (but not all of them!) and it was all very, very entertaining. Duran Duran, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Craig David, Alicia Keys, Ashley Banjo & Diversity, Elton John, Andrew Lloyd Webber, George Ezra, Elbow, Sam Rider, Nile Rodgers, Andrea Bocelli, Hans Zimmer, Celeste and Mica Paris plus for the yoof: Jax Jones, Mabel, Stefflon Don, Mimi Webb, Sigala & Ella Eyre. We also had some excerpts from the West End Musicals: Phantom of the Opera, Joseph, Lion King, Six and Hamilton. Rod Stewart was another superstar that struggled to hit the notes, with his rendition of Sweet Caroline, but nobody minded.

As darkness fell, the performers were about to be outdone by the fantastic lighting show, that beamed on the front of Buckingham Palace!

Not only lights but video and slide montages too! Absolutely fantastic and as a one-time organiser of conferences, I can easily imagine the amount of preparation that went into getting it all together.

And if that wasn’t enough, then it was the (700!) drone show above the Palace – and just added to the overall impact of the evening.

The evening concluded with presentations by the Duke of Cambridge and a very heartfelt speech by Prince Charles flanked by Camilla. The whole evening was topped-off with Diana Ross topping the bill with a few of her greatest hits. Some rumour of her miming it all, but it was still good stuff!

That was some concert! Pop, Pomp and Pageantry – we Brits certainly know who to put on a good great show!

Sunday, the 5th

The official day for Street Parties, although the weather (judging by the amount of rain overnight) returned to form – that’s also not a good sign for the massive Street Pageant up the Mall scheduled for the afternoon.

Jo and Janet dropped in for a cuppa – and a slice of the leftover cake from the Street Party!

The Pageant

The Finalé

The finale began with Ed Sheeran – doing what he does best! A man, a guitar and a great song!

And then, pretty much what everyone had been hoping for – The Queen made an appearance on the balcony!

That sure was some celebration! An event that’s unlikely ever to be repeated – glad I was around for it! .

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration appeared first on Steve's Blog.

I’ve done lots of things in my life – but as far as the more ordinary pursuits are concerned, I’ve never been ten-pin bowling!!

Today, I ticked that box, meeting Paul & Sue for my inaugural match at the local ‘Rock n Bowl Tavern’ in town. Tuesdays turn out to be the best value day to bowl. For just over a tenner, you can stay as long you like (or as long as your bowling arm remains operational – as I was to find out!)

We were allocated our lane and after typing in our names on the consoles we could see the scoreboard above us on the screen. No manual scoring required – the computer did it all, leaving each of us free to perfect our technique. In my case, ANY technique was welcome!!!

I didn’t do too badly during the first frame (for a virgin)! ‘Beginner’s Luck’ or ‘A Natural’. No-one was quite sure how (or why!!) — most of all me!

Then, I think I started to take it all too seriously!

…and my performance plummeted! Mind you, we did have the rails down for this frame – and that affected ALL of us! My additional excuse was that my left shoulder was feeling the extra workout!

By the third, and final frame, I’d improved slightly (go figure!) where I finished in a respectable second place!

In spite of the varying performance levels, we all agreed that it had been great fun. And as a first-timer, I’m pretty sure it’s something we’ll return to later this year! The activity that followed was much less strenuous: We decamped to nearby Miller & Carter for a late and lazy lunch. The food and service was great! We were in no hurry and spent much longer there than we planned (for all the RIGHT reasons) not getting home until around 5pm!!

What a fab day with our friends!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Bowling Virgin! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

A couple of years back, we discovered some cousins (on Ann’s side) we didn’t know we had – Chris and Alison!

Between then and now, we’ve got to know them quite well – and this weekend, Chris and his partner Kate came to stay for a long weekend.

Friday

A very relaxed day began with a light lunch, followed by a walk around Wicksteed Park. Then it was off for our ‘curry blowout’ at our fave Indian restaurant – Exotic Dining in town.

And then back to ours for ice cream, a very large G&T in preparation for…

…a late night DVD! – a perfect choice with its sequel No Time to Die, just released!

Saturday

A very lazy start to the day! We didn’t rise until after 9 (I think that’s a record!)

The weather was the horrid sort (rain, rain and more rain!) but we managed to squeeze in a local walk.

Ann and Kate began to prepare the feast for tonight.

Then it was movie time again…

…which we didn’t quite get time to see all the way through – with about an hour left!

Jo and Janet arrived just after 6.30, joining the four of us for a Roast Chicken dinner…

A great evening followed! Lots of laughs, wine… and of course, Chicken!

But by 11pm, we called it a night!

Sunday

Another relaxed start to the day (with a ‘Full English’ for energy) followed then by an extended chat about previous generations of the family.

Our newly discovered cousins said their goodbyes just after midday.

What a fab weekend. I think we felt we’d known Chris and Kate all our lives!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post It’s all about family! – Cousins appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Today was supposed to be a day of celebration when everything returned to normal for us here in England!

‘Freedom Day’, as it became dubbed by the Media, was promised to be the day when we all got our lives back.

The bottom line? – best not to ditch those face-coverings just yet!!

Mixed messages in recent weeks, together with a rise in case numbers and deaths, meant today felt like a bit of a non-event, rather than a ‘dancing in the streets’ opportunity.

Even though most of the restrictions are now lifted, the State was telling us to ‘be cautious‘ and left it to individuals to ‘make their own decision‘. The result? The day simply became one of trying to make sense of it all.

And in a strange twist of fate, both BoJo and Rishi Sunak (The Chancellor) were having to self-isolate, having been pinged because the Health Minister, Sajid David, tested positive.

So, where are we, with the ‘new normal’?

At 5pm, the PM led a TV Press Briefing, whilst self-isolating. He was supported by regulars Jonathan Van-Tam and Sir Patrick Vallance. Probably the most significant piece of news was aimed at Nightclubs and other ‘big events’. From the end of September, you will need to have been double-jabbed to get in! Ouch!

It all turned out to be a day that didn’t feel much like freedom at all.

Coronavirus – My First 100 days
Coronavirus – 200 Days and Counting
Coronavirus – 300 Lockdown days later
Coronavirus – A Year Later!
Coronavirus – Return to Normality!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Coronavirus: ‘Freedom Day’ appeared first on Steve's Blog.

After taking a trip up to Heckington to visit Denis and Mae’s grave (our first visit since Denis’s funeral back in April last year), we dropped into The George Hotel in Stamford for one of their legendary Afternoon Teas (courtesy of Dennis and Sandra’s Birthday pressy to Ann!)

What a surprise – it was delicious! — and I ate far too much!!! A perfect day weather-wise too! We sat outside in the revamped courtyard and just soaked up the Sun. Good to see The George looking so busy too! We stayed for just over an hour and then headed home.

It had been good to visit the graves today and spend a bit of chill-time sampling the delights of The George Hotel again.

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post George Gorge! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Postponed from just before Christmas last year, today, we made the pilgrimage, 113 miles south, to my Brother’s.

In a change to the normal travel arrangements, we took Robert, instead of making the journey by train. There were really two main reasons for this! First, neither of us are totally comfortable with jumping on public transport at the moment – even though we’ve been double-jabbed! Second, and maybe more practically, we had all the Christmas pressies to pass on – that, in itself, would have been almost impossible to do by train, because of the number of gifts!

We left just after 9am and decided to use the Blackwall Tunnel (rather than the Dartford Bridge) simply based on the recent reports of extreme congestion near the latter. ETA, courtesy of Google Maps, suggested an arrival time of 11.18.

Our journey went well, but it’s fair to say we’ve got out of the habit of experiencing traffic congestion in general. As we approached the Tunnel, we joined the queue! And that’s where we sat for a good 20 minutes, with the remaining 10 miles of our journey, taking almost 40 minutes!!!

We arrived on time and were soon catching up with the family. Neil had laid on a superb Curry (all home-cooked).

Wow! What a lunch!! Superb, in every respect.

With lunch out the way, Neil and I discussed CCTV cameras (as we’re about to invest in a high-end system on the house) and I’m 99% sure based on his experience together with excellent advice from good mate, Ralph, we’ll go for the Arlo setup.

We left just before 2.30 in order to beat the traffic (famous last words!) and to take our first drive over to Gridserve – a new purpose-built charging forecourt near Braintree that sported 30 chargers (yes, 30!) and 6 Tesla Superchargers.

We had a hassle-free journey there and were soon plugged in and whilst we enjoyed a brief ‘pit-stop’ at the integrated Costa, Robert was on a full charge using one of Gridserve’s 350kW chargers. In truth, we probably could have made it home without charging, but even with the eNiro’s superb range, it would have been tight!

We were home just after 5pm. It had been a great day, and in spite of the congestion, it was a pleasant drive – and surprising to see how much the London landscape had changed since we last were in the area. It’s always good to see my brother and especially so, given how long it’s been since we last saw each other – back in August, 2018, by my reckoning.

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Pilgrimage to the Palmers appeared first on Steve's Blog.

Yes, it’s that time again! Time to source a replacement for my now-ancient ‘Lenovo Ideapad 305‘ Laptop. It’s served me well for well over four years, accompanying me around the world helping me to keep in touch with the mother ship! It’s going to a good home – a TA friend of mine becomes its new keeper!

As you might expect, me being me, choosing the Lenovo’s replacement wasn’t a quick decision! After a few intensive weeks narrowing down the options (more of that later!) I chose an HP device – which wasn’t how I thought things would play out.

So, say hello to my (deep breath!)…

“HP Spectre x360 15-eb0001na 4K OLED
Convertible Laptop with Pen (2020 Edition)”

Phew! Quite a mouthful! And quite a wallet-buster too, at £1949.99!! (best price).

The Shortlist

Well, there nearly wasn’t a shortlist at all – I thought I knew what I wanted – the rather clever and just launched Samsung Galaxy Book 360 Pro. was the front-runner. But, as they say, ‘the devil is in the detail’. I’ve already got a Samsung mobile phone, so what could possibly go wrong?

On closer inspection of the laptop specs, the storage was a bit small for me at (just) 512Gb and more crucially, the display was ‘only’ HD. For the money I planned on spending, I was really looking for a 4K display.

Further reading online by those ahead of me in the buying queue for the Samsung flagship, revealed a disappointing webcam and a distinct lack of sockets (not even a USB3 port!). In fact, the more I read, the more disappointed I became. OK, it had the latest 11th gen Intel chip, the device was super-light to carry and it had a gorgeous AMOLED screen, but there seemed to be some confusion in the marketing materials about its storage expansion capability.

I posted a question to Samsung Support who confirmed that I couldn’t add an additional SSD (even though the online marketing blurb suggested this was possible). When I challenged Support’s reply, I got a vague response – that just added to my confusion!

Enough already! Time to go looking elsewhere. There were only two others that came close to the spec I was after…

The ASUS Zenbook Flip S (but it only came with a 13-inch screen and I wanted a 15-incher at least!! !and the aforementioned HP.

In the end, the screen size was the deal-breaker for me and I plumped for the HP.

The Winner

What’s so special about the Spectre? If you want a detailed specification, take a look here, but for now, here are the headlines…

A gorgeous 4k screen
OLED screen technology
Touch screen technology
A stylus
1Tb of M2 SSD storage
plus
16Gb of RAM
Gorilla glass screen
(Almost) the latest Intel chip

It’s also a ‘2-in-1’, which means it can function as a Tablet too (albeit a very large tablet!). Best of all though is that it sports a special hinge mechanism which allows it to be set up in a tent fashion (as in the photo above) which combined with the touch screen and stylus, makes it easy to use creatively.

Now, all I needed to do was to transfer over all my data! That’s always the boring bit – but it’s necessary!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post HP Source appeared first on Steve's Blog.

After BoJo’s Press Briefing yesterday (promising, amongst other things, the return of legal hugging next week) it was off to Moulton for me this morning to get my second COVID-19 jab.

Related Post
Jab Done!

Just like my first, back in February, the whole experience was a model of organisation. I was in and out in less than three minutes! Well done, the NHS!!

No badge (again!) to say I’d completed the programme, though!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Jab Done too! appeared first on Steve's Blog.

What could be more enjoyable than giving me an opportunity to plan a big ‘do’ of some sort! I love the nitty-gritty, with all the twists and turns, that lead up to the event itself! (But for this one, I didn’t expect things to be as ‘twisty-turny’ as they were!). Planning Ann’s 50th was much more straightforward!

Ann’s 50th – 10 years ago – Read more

With Ann’s significant Birthday due in 2021, it was going to be the perfect opportunity for organising ‘something very special’ – and starting so early on ‘the something’ meant it had been literally, years in the planning.

February 2019…

It was early in 2019 when I first started thinking about pulling the celebration together. At that stage, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was going to do – but a few ideas came to mind. However, The greater challenge was going to be trying to keep it all secret, given that we are together 23.9/7! Still, I managed to expand on my initial thoughts – and as things evolved, the broad detail of the event became quite a predictable one in many respects. However, whatever it was going to be, best of all, Ann didn’t suspect a thing!

Later in 2019…

For much of the latter half of 2019, on and off, with the ‘headlines’ in place (Choose somewhere romantic… Pick a fancy hotel… Book a table in a swanky restaurant… Organise my presents to Ann) it was mostly about nailing the detail. OK, my surprise wouldn’t get many marks for originality, but I was confident it would ‘hit the mark’. Towards the end of the year, the said details were nailed, so what could possibly go wrong?

Feeling slightly smug, having got it all sorted out in record time, I even had the itinerary ‘printed’ onto an aluminium frame to preserve the memory – and I planned to present that to Ann a few days before her big day.

Early 2020…

That’ll teach me! Smugness quickly turned to frustration, because as we all know, back in early 2020, along came a little thing called Covid 19, and of course, my master plan started to fall to pieces as it looked like one of the consequences was going to be limited foreign travel. Luckily, I hadn’t paid any money up-front, and anyway, maybe this Covid thing would blow over? (Stupid boy!!!) but that wasn’t really the point – I now needed a ‘Plan B’, Lockdown style – just in case! More about that later!

Late 2020…

In spite of what might have been a semi-permanent look of panic on my face because of the implications of the Coronavirus, Ann was so unaware of my scheming, she started to plan something herself – something straightforward and Covid-friendly, here in the UK. If I’d told her to stop, that would have ruined the COMPLETE surprise (even though by now, Plan-de-Paris was in tatters) so I went along with it all, with the idea of cancelling Ann’s plans nearer the time. Cue ‘Plan B’.

The Week Before…

If the big celebration was now going to be at home, I had to think creatively and do something with the replacement for Paris, taking into account all the current Covid restrictions. With limited options, the venue-of-choice turned out to be… our Lounge!

And then, with Amazon Prime in full swing, I ordered balloons (plenty of them!) and the obligatory inflatable ‘Happy Birthday’ message. But, remember of course, that we’re both at home 99% of the time, so I had to be on my toes and hide the deliveries when they arrived. Step forward our helpful (and equally scheming) neighbours, David and Valerie, and more specifically, their spare bedroom, where I stashed everything.

Meanwhile, in that same week, gifts were arriving by post thick and fast, requiring me to intercept everything that ‘Postie’ had to offer (well, not everything!), filter out the bills from the gifts, and hide them (the gifts not the bills… but that’s a thought!) – and then leave Ann to read the remaining ‘ordinary’ post.

That should all have been really easy… but of course it wasn’t! It was hard to know which items were actually gifts! As a result, I had to open everything, and if it was a gift, quickly and quietly re-package it!

Things got even more complicated when friends starting WhatsApp-ing me to ask if THEIR gift had arrived? Why so complicated? In the majority of cases, hardly anyone had put their name on the back of the package, so I had to carefully undo the wrapping paper or steam open the card to see who the sender was! What fun! More concealed (and silent!) re-wrapping was required – again!

23rd – Two Days Before…

As the big day got closer, I knew my ‘windows of opportunity’ for preparing stuff would be very narrow (restricted to when Ann went out for her daily evening walk – just 1-hour maximum) so I used the time wisely…

6.58pm: Over to David and Valerie to inflate the balloons. Luckily, we didn’t rely on our lungs, instead, using a hand pump. Except for the inflatable ‘Happy Birthday’ balloons that had their own ‘straw’ to insert into the letters requiring a few short puffs for each – 13 times – one for each letter of ‘Happy Birthday’. Actually, it didn’t take very long, and by 7.45pm I was back at ours looking as innocent as the day is long (although temporarily, my face was a similar colour to the balloons) waiting for Ann’s return.

24th – The Night Before…

7.07pm: Ann, on time, left for her evening walk. For me, it was immediately over to David and Valerie’s to retrieve the balloons. Valerie had helpfully suggested putting them in a big bedsheet to stop them blowing away and to minimise the number of journeys, as we carried them on their 10-metre journey back to ours. Those that might have seen us from their window must have wondered what the heck was going on, as it looked like we were carrying a dead body – complete with shroud – from theirs to ours! Success! With around 30-40 balloons now in the Lounge, I had just 40 minutes to position everything. It was all a bit manic, but it went well, without incident, and everything ended up where it should be (thank heavens for sellotape!). I then killed the lounge lights so that Ann couldn’t see into the room from outside, on her return. Finally, I then banned her from the Lounge for the rest of the evening.

You can see a short video of the finished result HERE, but beware, my camera skills are far less polished than my cooking ability*! *Discuss

25th – The Big Day…

The day began as most do – with breakfast – but a Birthday-Breakfast-In-Bed treat! And today was slightly different as it was me in the kitchen (having snuck out the day before for a few essentials). It was either going to be a great surprise… or err… a great surprise (the type that’s best hidden/destroyed/binned).

Everything needs a plan… and with my appalling memory these days, I needed to write it down, otherwise it would be one of those sorts of events where something important gets forgotten – like the food!

Who’s a chocoholic then???

Fortunately, I was told it was ‘a great surprise’ (the first sort!)

With breakfast delivered, we staggered downstairs, where I revealed the great err… reveal! Ann’s not often never lost for words, but for a full seven seconds, you could have heard a pin drop!

Mission accomplished then!!!

If the sheer number of gifts was a measure, to say Ann had been truly spoilt (which she deserved!) would have been a massive understatement. But there was more to come! Once Ann had unwrapped everything and we sat down for a(nother) glass of bubbly, the doorbell rang and even more presents arrived!

And that’s pretty much how it continued for the rest of the day – Gifts arrive… Unwrap… Celebrate with a glass of champers… lose the ability to walk further than a few yards… the doorbell rings… repeat! (It’s a tough life ehh??)

And just when Ann thought all the surprises had ended, there was another knock at the door. Good friend Nicki was there on the doorstep (socially distanced of course!) having travelled all the way from ‘sarf lundun’. And whilst Nicki kept Ann talking, I grabbed her car keys to liberate the Birthday cake from her boot that she’d made a few days previously! A few more seconds of silence then followed as Ann’s jaw returned from its dropped position!

Gifts Galore!

Wow! What a day – I’m shattered! (and it wasn’t even MY birthday!!!). Everyone had been so very generous! Gifts of every shape, size and colour; enough flowers to open a shop; so many vouchers for Ragdale Hall that I think Ann will get her own parking space there! – and the most cards I’ve ever seen in one place for one person!

…and what of the Paris trip? Well, we’re just going to carry it forward a year… or two… or three!

What’s next? I suppose I better get started on what I do for Ann’s 70th!!!!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Ann’s 60th Birthday Celebrations appeared first on Steve's Blog.

On the day that the PM was going to announce his plan for the exit route out of Lockdown in England, I drove over to Moulton to get my first vaccine jab.

All the Covid-related numbers seem to be pointing in the right direction, and the details behind the PM’s message were widely leaked before the official announcement first in The Commons and later on TV, at 7pm.

My ahead-of-schedule jab was made possible by a very under-promoted link on the NHS website (see below) that allowed pre-booking! I’m not quite sure WHY I was allowed to book before my official slot (group 7), but it seemed to work flawlessly, including the date for the follow-up jab too!

https://www.nhs.uk/book-a-coronavirus-vaccination/do-you-have-an-nhs-number

Arriving with around 10 minutes to spare, the setup was a picture of organisation. It was pretty-much impossible to go wrong in any way, given the excellent signposting and the number of people on duty. I was given the AstraZeneca flavour, and I didn’t feel a thing. Apparently, I might expect a sore arm and a headache as a side-effect later. So-far, so good!

Jab done!

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!

StevePalmerTheBlogger.com

The post Jab Done! appeared first on Steve's Blog.