As if writing the yearly school magazine and designing/maintaining the ex-pupil website wasn’t enough, the attendees at today’s AGM have voted me in as the new chairman of The Old Croydonians’ Association – ‘ The OCA’. So that’s THREE jobs now! On the plus-side, the role is a challenging and exciting one, and gives me …
Read More
Category:Milestone
A Decisive Day
The day started with a quick trip to [ssshhhh!] to start the ball rolling for Ann’s surprise 50th Birthday celebration next year. Then it was off a local Letting Agent in Kettering with Lee to attempt to avert a domestic disaster! It would appear that the previous tenant had been a bit naughty, fallen behind …
Read More
Fat. Cat. Lap!
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr 2.17pm: Amazing! Bon-Bon, our no-lap cat, decided today, for the first time, to sit on my lap! She stayed there for almost 15 minutes!!! Cats ehh! Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my …
Read More
Blog here, blog there
Like a lot of bloggers, I tend to blog at different locations. Sometimes it’s from the main PC at home and sometimes it’s on my NetBook when I’m on the train. And being inherently lazy, I sometimes blog from the PC downstairs at home because I can’t be bothered to walk up the few stairs …
Read More
Where were you in 1984?
Found this on You-Tube. As a spritely 28 year-old who was into MIke Oldfield, Rick Wakeman and the like, ‘Camel’ was also one of my fave bands at the time. This was filmed at the then, Hammersmith Odeon on 11th May, 1984, as part of their live stationary traveller tour – I (think) I was …
Read More
One Year Today…
Hard to believe, but Ann has been in her new job for exactly ONE YEAR today! 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 …
Read More
Lumix G2 – First photos
This is hardly scientific – I just wanted to ‘bang-off’ a few shots without too much consideration for settings, lighting, subject etc. The interesting part for me was that all the interior shots didn’t require the flash to be used. I’m very satisfied with these, but I’ll get a chance to try some more considered …
Read More
Financial Future
Ann and I met with Chris, our financial advisor today as part of our annual review. We can both see the end of our working lives more clearly now and I’ll be the first to retire (well, that’s the plan!) in or around 2013, when I’ll close the business down. Failing that, it’ll be 2015, …
Read More
Embarrassing or what..?
Our national soccer side continued its lack-lustre performance by being thrashed by Germany. That means we’re now OUT of the World Cup Yeesh! 4-1 – it’s just embarrassing!!! 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 …
Read More
Personal Website re-launched
A bit of a quiet week here business-wise, so it was a good opportunity to finish off the re-design of my personal website. Actually, I’d been tinkering with it all week but for some reason, I’d not being particularly productive with it all. So, with grim determination, resulting in some significant re-design along the way, …
Read More
Boys and their Toys (Part 87)
Not content with our excellent three-year-old, Panasonic 42 inch Plasma, we’ve just bought a Panasonic 46 inch Plasma. As they say, size matters! …but in this case, it didn’t! The reason? Well, this is the next step in TV evolution. Just as mobile phones evolved to perform lots of additional functions, TVs are going …
Read More
Blog, Blog, Blog
It’s exactly six years since I started blogging – pre-dating FaceBook and Twitter by a few years – a total of 1500 entries. Phew!!! 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 …
Read More
Jo and Janet get hitched!
So, finally, they decided to tie-the-knot – great stuff – there’s hope for us two yet!!! The weather was just perfect – blue sky and plenty of sun and no rain forecast (famous last words!) The Civil Partnership service took place at 1pm, at Kettering Park Hotel – we’d not been there before, and we …
Read More
One Year On…
It’s hard to believe that it’s now a year since Ann ‘moved-on’ 🙂 from the mighty Sainsbury’s. Twelve months on…a new job…new responsibilities and a new car! – Phew!!!!! ”Time flies like an arrow…but fruit flies like a banana!” Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 …
Read More
The Prime Minister resigns…
I’m not particularly interested in politics, but the last few days since the General Election have been intriguing, to say the least. After days of political-wrangling, finally Gordon Brown resigned and we’re going to get a some sort of alliance between the Lib-Dems and the Conservatives. Significantly, Gordon Brown chose to resign before the official …
Read More
Lee moves in…
I dropped Lee round to her new place this morning before travelling down London for work. I’m going to spend the whole day at Lee’s tomorrow to help her get straight. Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into my 40s! My lifelong love …
Read More
Fit for a Prince too!
A few weeks ago Ann spent a five-days in London ‘going back to school’ learning about Projects in a controlled environment (zzzzzzzzzzz!) – alias PRINCE2. The Course would ultimately lead to a formal qualification in project management and it’s a great qualification to have when managing any project. From my experience, its an absolute must-have …
Read More
Ann’s new job: Day 1
8.08am: Ann starts her new job today and has only got to travel to Northampton (for today, anyway). …it beats getting the 6am train from Kettering to London!!! 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 …
Read More
Return to ‘The Pheasant’, Keyston
We took a return trip to our favourite restaurant, The Pheasant at Keyston to celebrate Ann’s last day of unemployment before she starts her new job on Monday. At the start of her ‘rest period’ we’d also eaten there. It was already busy when we arrived at 7.20…and it got busier! . After a glass …
Read More
Exam Time – 2
It’s Ann’s final day in London on the Prince 2 course today and having passed her Foundation exam earlier this week, it must be time for another exam! On this occasion, it’s a bit more serious, as it’s the pratictioner part where you have to put it into practice. It’s a three hour affair, the …
Read More
Someday, my Prince will Come…
Back to reality with a bump this morning! Ann is in London all week on a five-day intensive Prince 2 Course. …and just to make things even more exciting, there were no trains out of Kettering due to a fire, so Val and Ann drove over to Huntingdon and got a train from there. Steve …
Read More
Steve on the Game?
Phew…not quite! Just when I thought I’d have to develop some new skills to supplement our income (and perhaps introduce a comedic element too!) by going ‘on the game’, Ann learned today that she had been successful in getting the job she was interviewed for earlier in the week. That’s good news all round and …
Read More
Mr and Mrs Normal…
We both agreed that it feels weird normal weird normal…no..WEIRD with me out earning and Ann at home cooking and cleaning! 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 …
Read More
A Week as a Statistic
It has been Ann’s first week as part of the unemployed ranks – and boy, does the State like its red-tape or what! It started on Monday when Ann thought she’d ring the Employment Office to check her eligibility for Job Seeker’s Allowance – she wasn’t expecting to get anything, but it was worth a …
Read More
Ann’s is redundant
Well, here we are then. After a total of 27 years, 3 months and 7 days of ultra-loyal service, it all ended for Ann today. Next Monday, the new organisational chart will have been air-brushed in, and on paper, it’ll be as though she had never existed. …as many have said before: ‘What price loyalty..?’ …
Read More
Ann’s Redundancy (1 week to go!)
Here we are then, one week closer to ‘the day’. HR have once again shown their complete insensitivity and disorganisation by continuing to ignore all Ann’s request for a meet. Instead, the bland one-size-fits-all letter arrived last Monday reminding Ann that she’s being made redundant (just in case she had forgotten!) and if she doesn’t …
Read More
Lunch with Simon/Trish’s Computer
I drove down to South Mimms to meet up with Simon Herrington. We haven’t seen each other since we worked together on the Nokia project some 8-9 years ago. He hadn’t changed a bit, and it was great to catch-up with all his news (including a new addition to the family – a daughter!) On …
Read More
Ann’s Redundancy (2 weeks to go!)
Well, it’s been a very stressful week for Ann. Still no reply from HR for her request to sit down with them and discuss her issues! But what really stood out this week was Ann’s meeting with the Employment Law Barrister who she is working with via the Solicitor. Whereas we thought we had an …
Read More
Ann’s Redundancy (3 weeks to go!)
There haven’t been any significant developments at work except her HR representative scheduled a meeting with Ann (at last!) and then, the day before, Ann found out the same HR representative was on holiday!!! On a more positive note, Ann has been busy talking to a head-hunting firm and briefing her solicitor. Steve PalmerI got …
Read More
Ann’s Redundancy (4 weeks to go!)
We’re only four weeks away from Ann leaving and (UNhelpfully) HR are being less than co-operative – just when it matters! Having spent most of my working life in-and-around HR functions, they sometimes just don’t ‘get-it’ – they simply forget who their customers are. In this specific instance, it’s their inaction, indifferent behaviour and their …
Read More