False alarm – the promised storm didn’t materialise…or was it that I was so tired I slept through it all? Anyway, first stop, is the shop to get my money back on the rope we used to lash ourselves to the mast over-night! 7.00am: We were up early today as for some bizarre reason, the …
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Category:Shopping
Pie + Wine = Perfection!
Nicki joined for tonight and plans to stay for most of Saturday. Although primarily, the mission tomorrow is to shop, I wanted to to have a quiet word with her about my plans so far, for Ann’s surprise birthday ‘do’ next year. Nicki’s going to making the cake – that’s brilliant, she’s so talented! Lee …
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Chichester for the day
Morning reader! After last night’s lack-lustre meal in the hotel’s restaurant, we were hoping for an improvement at breakfast. It wasn’t to be! Ann opted for poached eggs and bacon, whilst I went for the Full-English. Mine wasn’t bad, but Ann’s bacon meant we didn’t need a trip to the shoe-repairers! Still, at least we …
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Lunch in Peterborough
I met up with Alison W, an ex-business colleague from my days with Nokia. Just to make a change :), we planned to meet at John Lewis’s in Peterborough. The last time we got together was in January and just like then, JL was pretty busy in the store itself and in the restaurant. I …
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Mexican Rave!
We’ve just finished shopping at Sainsbury’s Kettering, for the ingredients for Saturday’s Mexican party at ours. Phew! that’s emptied a few of their shelves!!!! 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 …
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Ann and Lee go Shopping
Ann and Lee went to Leicester today shopping, leaving me to get a haircut and faff-around at home. Suits me!!! Advice to shop-keepers there: ‘Start taking the medication NOW!’ – you’re in for a busy morning!!! Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into …
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Lee’s here…
Lee arrived this afternoon. She’s getting prepared for the shopping marathon with Ann in Leicester tomorrow!! Is that the smell of melting plastic again??? 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 …
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Sunday: Johnny and Mel/Lee for Lunch/David and Val popped round
Everyone was up a little earlier than planned mainly due to me getting Lee’s ‘mayday’ call just before 7am and then heading for her place. By the time I got back, Ann was already preparing the ‘breakfast feast’ – a Full English! We sat down around 9.30 and tucked-in. By the time we finished the …
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Long Weekend Away – Day 2: Four go shopping in Chester
We slept-in (ish!). I was up at 7 and Ann followed shortly afterwards. Time for a shower. The bathroom had been stocked with high quality toiletries, so it was a an opportunity to indulge ourselves fill our suitcases indulge ourselves! We got down the breakfast around 9 – and the place was already busy. A …
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A Brush with the…
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr …cats. Biscuit and Bo-Bon went over to Patsy today for their regular ‘Tum-Bum-Claws ‘n’ Wash’ service. As usual, they played ‘catch-us-if-you-can’ once they got sight of the cat baskets. Bon-Bon attempted to hang onto my throat (ouch!) whilst I carried her downstairs, and Biscuit concealed herself behind one …
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Long Weekend in Harrogate – Saturday
Looking out of the Band B window, it’s another rainy-day ahead! So, a lazy breakfast followed by the short walk into town armed with our big umbrella. The plan today is to buy Ann a new fountain-pen as a belated birthday present. It’s not as cold as yesterday, but it’s still raining!!! Success, we saw …
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Busy…Busy!
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr Yes, it’s another one of those Saturdays where it’s all go-go-go!! First off, me over to Peterborough for a hair-cut, then back to pick up the 5 ton of holiday dry cleaning! Ann and Lee then headed over to Waitrose, shopping complete with the cats who are going …
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Cats in…
I took the pussies over to Patsy‘s this morning for their routine ‘service’. Actually, it was slightly ahead of schedule (they were due to go this Saturday) primarily because Bon-Bon’s winter coat has now arrived – she’s now five times as fluffy and difficult to groom (what’s new!) – and Biscuit’s ‘exploding bottom’ incident last …
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Final Shopping Expedition of 2009..?
Ouch! I’ve woken up with a really stiff neck this morning – not sure how I’ve got that. We’re off shopping to Leicester to get any last minute bits-and-pieces. There isn’t much left to do and I’ve also got 50 quids worth of M and S vouchers from Lee and Bertie to squander – lovely!!! …
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Cambridge, here we come!
Ann, Nicki and I set of for Cambridge just before 8am, to finish off the Christmas presents. The weather was truly atrocious – gale force winds virtually everywhere in the UK. We had a smooth journey there and were soon amongst the hundreds shopping at The Grand Arcade. I managed to get the last of …
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Nicki visits
Nicki drove up to spend the day with us. It was good to see her and a great surprise to get a brilliant selection of individual cheeses (including my fave, chilli-cheese) as a birthday pressy. Yum-yum! First stop for the girls, the beauticians (not that they needed it) for a bit of pampering. Whilst they …
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Lunch with Mae and Denis
We took a drive to Downtown to meet up with Denis and Mae for lunch. Ann drove and I fell asleep! We did a bit of shopping beforehand – I managed to pick up a new pair of shoes for work and although Ann couldn’t find a business suit that she liked, she did get …
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Short break: Portsmouth (Day 2)
6.30am. I was up with the sound of birds and the faint sound of a hovercraft! A bright blue sky outside suggests today might be a fine day weather-wise. 8.30am. Breakfast calls, so it’s a short walk across the road (!) and in through the back-door to the breakfast-room. It wasn’t a very big room, …
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Short break: Portsmouth (Day 1)
We’re off to Portsmouth for a few days. We left around 8.30 and popped into Central Garage on the way out to have a look at their used and new car stock as part of getting a car for Ann. After much discussion with Paul, we narrowed the selection down to possibly a new Fiesta…but …
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Kitchen thoughts…
Lee from the Kitchen Department at John Lewis (High Cross, Leicester) arrived today to take our briefing for a revamp of the kitchen. Two plans: the first, to go completely bonkers and have the whole space redesigned. The second, a design that just concentrates on the essentials. It much depends on the final price, but …
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Downtown to meet up with Denis and Mae
Nick and Celina left after breakfast; we had a quick clear-up and then headed up the A1 to Downtown. It was another gorgeous day here – just like yesterday – and it seemed to keep the roads pretty empty, so we were there in no time. It’s Mae’s 65th today and we met there because …
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Our new Blu-Ray DVD Player/Great Shopping Trip
It’s time to pension-off our trusty Sony DVP-S735D DVD player which is now more than 15 years old. Technically, there is nothing wrong with it – it still attracts good reviews on-line, but technology marches on!! After lots and lots (and lots) of research, step forward the snappily titled Panasonic DMPBD80, the most technologically advanced …
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Chelsea Flower Show 2009
We went to the Show today. It’s been a few years since we last went, so we weren’t sure what to expect! All the omens were against us! Firstly, just as we parked at the station, the heavens opened – good job Ann packed an umbrella! Next, the train was late leaving Kettering because it …
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Up to Downtown
We drove over to Peterborough first to pick up Ann’s new jacket from John Lewis and also for me to get a haircut. We then headed for Downtown for a spot of shopping and to meet Denis and Mae for lunch. The lunch area was packed-out but luckily Mae managed to find a table for …
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Visit to London
I took the early train to London with Ann this morning. I met up with Anthony from A2O to discuss display stands for the OCA (err, that’s enough abbreviations!). We kicked off early and were finished by 11.15. I then jumped on the Tube and headed for London Bridge to meet Keith from the OCA – …
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Biscuit and Bon-Bon for a bath!
We took the cats over to see Patsy of Rushden Persian Rescue for their six-weekly ‘bath-and-brush-up’. This is only their second visit there. Their first, back in January was because the previous groomer had been arrested for cruelty to animals after an RSPCA raid late last year!!! We made good use of time today, popping …
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Nicki visits…/New Doctor Who announced
Nicki drove up to see us. The plan was for us all to go shopping in Birmingham. Although I’d slept well, I just kept coughing and spluttering from the moment I got up, so I stayed at home and the girls went to Leicester to ‘try-out’ the new John Lewis there. I went (back to) …
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New Year’s Day
I slept well, but still felt like c**** when I got up. Still, I just about had the energy to get the money up-to-date and make a few changes to the OCA web-site. Ann went off to Bicester shopping and I went back to bed until lunch-time. Ann got back about 3ish. By that time, …
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Anniversary Weekend in Manchester – Saturday
We woke to a cold, wet day. We tried the hotel’s café for breakfast and it was pretty good. Banana and Honey smoothie, Danish pastries and pro-biotic yogurts rubbed shoulders with more traditional sausage and bacon baguettes and haddock and poached egg, toast and preserves. We had a bit of each! We then headed into …
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Anniversary Weekend in Manchester – Friday
On Sunday, it’s our Anniversary and we’re celebrating 24 years. Part of the celebration was travelling up to Manchester (by train from Rugby) and checking into The ABode, a new ’boutique’ style hotel very close to Manchester Piccadilly. We caught the 10.47 and arrived in Manchester at 1pm. After checking-in, we …
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