It was up to Bev’s new place today to help her with a boring but necessary job – not that we minded! It was to give her fences their first coat of fence paint with the colour of choice: Forest Mushroom. With three of us on it, starting at just before 10 (with a short …
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Tablet Coaching: Open Discussion and 1-to-1s
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, We took the opportunity to take a break from a formal lesson plan and have an open session instead. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Getting to Know Windows 10 (Part 2)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, we continued our lesson about the pros and cons of Windows 10. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Fathers’ Day 2016 – The Gambles Assemble
We drove up to Denis’ today to share Fathers’ Day with him. A great view of the windmill from the gardenWith Chefs Bev and Ann in the kitchen, we were assured of a fab lunch. With Bev on Mains and Ann on Desserts it didn’t disappoint – Roast Chicken, Yorkies and a shed load of …
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Computer Coaching: The Essentials of Online Shopping
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, we discussed the pros and cons of shopping online. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Passport to Pimlico
Day 1 (Thursday)Dolphin House Serviced Apartments So, here we are at the Dolphin House Serviced Apartments in Pimlico, London, for a short break. It’s an opportunity for us to be tourists for a few days, and take in the sights and sounds of the Capital. Wow! the Apartment provides everything – a spa, a grill …
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Tablet Coaching: Google Play (Part 2)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, we continued our look at Google Play including ‘Newsstand’ and the App’s settings menu. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Getting to Know Windows 10
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, we introduced the group to the pros and cons of Windows 10. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Mid-week Break in Worthing
WednesdayWe set off just after 8.30 and decided to go via the A14, the M1 and the M25 via Heathrow (rather than our ‘normal’ A14-M11-M25). Distance-wise there wasn’t much in it, but Google Maps suggested it would probably be quicker – at just under three hours. Well, even though it didn’t seem like it at …
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Tablet Coaching: Google Play
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, we began a series of lessons covering the components of the Google Play Store:– Apps– Movies and TV– Music– Books– Newsstand Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Music recap and 1-to-1s
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we recapped last week’s lesson about ‘music on your PC’ and then spent time with each learner, one-to-one, covering individual topics. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Web Browsing Recap
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today was the final class for this ‘Tuesday’ group. We recapped ‘Web Browsing’ and presented everyone with their certificates. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Music on your PC
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we started to look at the various ways to add music to your laptop. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Cordyline Corner
Thanks to Ann’s green fingers, our trellis-painting skills and some help from David to erect it into position, this corner of the garden that was looking a bit sorry for itself in recent months is now looking much more attractive! Ready!Steady!Go!
Yes, Yes!
No… not a scene from When Harry met Sally but a reference to a couple of prog-rock elders (that’s Ian and me!) and our trip to see the supergroup, Yes, at the Royal Albert Hall tonight where they concluded the UK leg of their 2016 Spring Tour. We started the afternoon with something much quieter …
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Computer Coaching: Word Processing – Recap
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: In the Tuesday Class’s penultimate lesson, we re-visited the main features of word-processing. Filed under: Design
Tablet Coaching: Google Maps
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today, we looked at another core app for Android Tablets: Google Maps. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Windows 10 Overview
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we began to look at the features of Windows 10. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Open Session
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: With only three classes left before this Group finishes the Programme, we’re using these final weeks to cover anything computer-related as directed by the Class. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Matlock for May Day Weekend
SATURDAY After my final Committee Meeting as Chair for The OCA yesterday, it was good to know we had a relaxing long weekend coming up with our great friends, Ralph and Karen in Matlock. We left around 10.30 and had a trouble-free journey (helped by the new bit of the road linking the A14 to …
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Computer Coaching: No Class
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: No Class today as it’s a Bank Holiday! Filed under: Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Tech Alert no. 971: Cue Q!
Being a bit of a TV addict (and now with a lot more time on my hands), I was very attracted to Sky’s new bit of tech called ‘Sky Q’. Their marketing team played the game early and started to saturate all media with promise of ‘fluid viewing’ (whatever that is!) supported by seductive visuals …
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Computer Coaching: Burning DVDs
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we discussed how to burn files to a DVD. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Host with a Roast!
It’s Sunday, so the perfect excuse for a roast… and a catch-up with a few friends!The table was at capacity today – Jo, Janet Carol, Chris and Pete and Lee helped us do justice to Ann’s cooking! It was a full three-courser too! Yummy!
Tablet Coaching: Core Apps – email (Part 2)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we looked at some of the more advanced features of email including: cc and bcc sending to more than one person adding attachments adding a signature Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Web Browsing (Part 2)
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we looked in more detail at the features of a modern internet browser. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Managing External Storage
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we looked at how manage external storage such as USB Sticks and Recordable DVDs. Filed under: Delivery, Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer
Computer Coaching: Introduction to Web Browsing
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we looked at the essentials of using a Web Browser. Filed under: Delivery, Volunteer
Chilled-out Saturday – Friends, Friends, Friends
SATURDAYThis was a weekend focussed on friends. Ann picked up Lee on Friday as she was staying with us until Sunday afternoon. Nicki joined us later on Saturday and we all piled off to the ever reliable Thornhill Arms for lunch. You can’t go wrong with prices like that! and although the food was its …
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Computer Coaching: Staying Safe Online
Auto cross-posted from my WordPress Blog: Today we looked in more detail at how to spot fake emails and fake websites. We concluded with a quiz that presented a mix of real and fake sites with the group determining which-was-which. Filed under: Salvation Army, Skills Development, Volunteer