Having picked-up the new HDMI cable from Richer Sounds after yesterday’s error, I got it all connected up to our new Blu-Ray player and existing TV without any problems at all. At £89.95, the cable felt expensive, but apparently, it’s one of the best you can get. The blurb for the cable boasts: Apparently, all …
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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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TV: Doctor Who in September?
Good news for Who fans! Digital Spy reports that David Tennant will reprise his role as The Doctor in episodes five and six of season three’s ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’. Excellent news!
TV: ‘Ashes to Ashes’ – Series 2, Episode 6
OK, we’re getting very close to the end of the series now (only two more episodes left) and things really should be shaping-up in resolving Alex’s predicament. Having watched this episode, I feel they’re not! Although it was a pretty good story – the one about them discovering a dead-body in a canal – it …
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A Very Productive Day…
It’s Bank Holiday Monday, so time for a lay-in and a lazy day – yeah right!!! I was up at 6.30 and Ann, not long after, at 7.15. We’ve got plans to plant all the err.. plants bought from Bosworth’s yesterday AND to get a coat of emulsion on the kitchen ceiling. Add to that, …
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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 …
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Journey back from Nicki’s
We left around 10.30 after a great breakfast (although we postponed the ‘big fry-up, because were were all still stuffed from last night’s curry!) We took the route towards London on the M4, turned off at the next junction and picked up the route through to the M40 via Maidenhead. In spite of me going …
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Saturday at Nicki’s
I was up first at 7.15. Although I slept well, I seemed to be suffering from sort of sinus problem (which began earlier this week), so I was totally bunged-up. Nicki was up next, closely followed by Ann. It was a gorgeous day here and so we still planned to go to Windsor Castle. We …
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Nicki’s for the Weekend
We’re off to Nicki’s for the weekend. We left just after 1pm and stopped off at Basildon Park on the way there. This was an interesting National Trust property and one that we had not visited before. We had something to eat as soon as we got there (we were both starving!) and then had …
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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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TV: ‘Ashes to Ashes’ – Series 2, Episode 5
This is the episode where Alex finally meets the ‘mystery man’ who has been randomly sending her single red roses – according to the BBC1 blurb. After last week’s five-star episode, I’m hoping this one will be just as entertaining. Having now watched it, it wouldn’t be the episode that you would encourage casual viewers …
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Ann’s Web-site
I completely revamped Ann’s web-site. You can see it HERE Creating it using Serif‘s WebPlus software made it a breeze to set-up and publish. The whole job took less than 4 hours!
A Quiet Lunch for Two…
Well, not really! As far as Ann knew, we were going ‘somewhere’ for lunch – just the two of us. In reality, I’d booked The Pheasant at Keyston for 12.30 and the surprise for Ann was going to be 12 others joining us for lunch. So, when I planned it all those weeks ago, I …
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Lazy Saturday
The plan is… not to plan anything today – just chill-out and do mainly nothing. I popped round the Stefan’s for some professional advice about the School Magazine production process – and that was a very worthwhile exercise! Cheers Stefan!! Ann spent a large part of the day, ‘liberating’ lots of JS paperwork and files …
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Trip to The Pheasant
Ann and I decided to go to The Pheasant at Keyston to celebrate Ann’s new-found freedom! 🙂 Weather-wise, it wasn’t a particularly nice evening (it was raining again), but was good to mark the event!!! We arrived just before 7.30 and unusually, it was difficult to find a parking space! Strange! When we got inside, …
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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..?’ …
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TV: ‘Ashes to Ashes’ – Series 2, Episode 4
The story: One of Gene Hunt’s past romantic conquests, Jackie Queen, arrives from Manchester to seek help from the police. She is now a journalist and thinks she has a scoop relating to abducted children and their connection with a local business-man. She is also pregnant, and Gene thinks it’s his, adding some tension between …
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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 …
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Cinema: Star Trek
I picked up Jo and Janet and we went to see the new Star Trek at the local Odeon. It wasn’t Ann’s type of film so she stayed at home, cooking. More information here on the film at the IMDB site. Well what can I say? A really superb re-interpretation (or reboot, to use the …
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Lui’s with the Neighbours
We joined Karen Paul, Debbie, Stefan, Rosi and David and headed for Lui’s in Kettering to celebrate in advance, Karen’s Birthday – we haven’t been there as a group since 13 May 2007 – and that was for Karen’s Birthday too! Julie and Tom couldn’t make it. We were a little early for our table …
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Learning Network Group Meeting
I took the train down to London today for our regular LNG Meeting. Denise joined me at Bedford and after arriving at St Pancras, we took the short hop on the Tube to the venue. Denise had secured us some free space in an office she’s currently working in. Angela took us through the Trainer …
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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 …
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Lunch with Dave
I drove over to Fosse Park to meet up with Dave Barthorpe. No specific reason apart from a catch-up and a gossip about the state of the profession. Dave also took me through his i-phone – an impressive bit of kit! We decided to eat in the Food Court there and pigged-out on McDonald’s!
TV: ‘Ashes to Ashes’ – Series 2, Episode 3
OK, I hoping for some improvements on last week’s episode – which was definitely lack-lustre. Tonight, we’re three episodes in, so it should be ‘finding its stride’. The problem is, based on the previous two, it doesn’t seem to know whether it’s an eighties police drama or a time-travel mystery – maybe it can be …
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The Great escape (again!)
I discovered Biscuit outside the FRONT door looking confused. ….me too! I guess she must have decided to venture into Karen’s garden from her fave spot on the fence and then got slightly dis-oriented. Just like the first time she did this, on approaching her, she ran back into Karen’s garden, rather than simply return …
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Bank Holiday Weekend at Lee and Bertie’s – Sunday
We woke late (for us) at 7.45 and were surprised by the weather – the forecast had predicted rain but it was brilliant sunshine! I took a shower and then had a light breakfast of brioche and jams with coffee. After breakfast we got ready and that’s when the weather turned, and it started to …
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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 …
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Kitchen Ceiling
Our long-term plan is to modernise the kitchen and utility room. Initially, we’re getting rid of the ‘swirly-plastered’ ceiling and dumping the crappy fluorescent tubes in favour of some modern down-lighters in both the main kitchen area and the utility room. Phase I (Thursday) – Mick, the electrician came round to create the holes and …
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Bank Holiday Weekend at Lee and Bertie’s – Saturday
We left just before 7.30 and had a good run over to L and B’s getting there just before 10am. After tea and coffee, I set about trying to sort out their combi VCR/DVD player. The problem appears to be the picture is far too dark. The problem is intermittent, and I experienced the same …
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Angela for a meal in Peterborough
I drove up to Peterborough to meet up with Angela C. She’s running a Workshop there tomorrow. She doesn’t often get this far north :), so it was good to catch up. We went to Prezzo‘s in Cowgate. It was pretty quiet when we arrived but soon got busy. Food was OK rather then great. …
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