Just before the BBC transmitted the Olympics Closing Ceremony on Sunday at 9pm, there was a short (two minute) ‘countdown’ programme. Ralph just alerted me to the fact that if you look closely, you can see us gearing-up for the celebration. The programme is currently available on iPlayer and our fifteen (milli)seconds of fame is …
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Olympic Weekend – Sunday
Well this is THE main reason we’re in London – the Olympic Closing Ceremony which starts at 7.30 tonight. 09.30am: The day started well with us heading down to the restaurant to be greeted by about the most positive and energetic person I think I’d ever met (at breakfast anyway !) Dwayne, clearly was …
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Olympic Weekend – Saturday
We caught the 9.56 from Kettering into St Pancras International for our once-in-a-lifetime Olympic weekend. We were lucky enough to secure four tickets for the Closing Ceremony and we’re meeting Ralph and Karen as soon as we arrive . The train arrived on time and as we trundled into St Pancras, we only waited a …
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The Only Way is… Tooway
OK, after years of constantly below-par broadband speeds here, I finally ‘bit the bullet’ and did something about it. For as long as I can remember, it seemed like everyone else (apart from the rest of the neighbours in our immediate area) were getting faster connection speeds than us. When the houses were built 20+ …
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London Calling
I met up with Keith (an ex-committee member from the OCA) for our annual get-together today. We met at London Bridge station (which seems to have changed out of all recognition, since I was last there). With the Olympics going on, the station was heaving, but luckily there was plenty of Olympic Volunteers on hand …
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Fancy a Big Mac?
Some say that Big Macs aren’t good for you, but having spent a couple of hours at Ian’s helping him set up his shiny new 27 inch iMac, I beg to differ! What a super looking piece of kit! I could be tempted!!! 🙂
Coughton Court
We drove to Ian and Ann’s for lunch today. The weather had been a bit mixed but we were lucky enough to eat outside. Alice was there and later, Dermot and Caroline arrived complete with the twins. After lunch, the four of us took the short drive to National Trust’s Coughton Court, about a 10 …
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Dalek anyone?
Series 7 of Doctor Who starts next month here in the UK!
A Mocha, a Matt and an iMac
I met up with Ian today in Solihull (The Touchwood Shopping Centre) – our mission was to consider the various options for his replacement computer. First stop was a coffee to discuss our plans – Macs first and then possibly John Lewis for PCs. Luckily, there was …
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Tech Alert (Part 972)
Yummy! In preparation for satellite broadband that’s being installed next week, I’ve invested in one of these toys – the Devolo dLAN 500 AVTriple Starter Kit, (try saying that quickly!!!) – it’ll allow me to network the internet downstairs to the TV, Sky Box and Blu-ray DVD player – all via the domestic mains socket! …
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How Very ‘English’
Ann, Lee and I went for afternoon tea at The Old Forge in Cranford this afternoon – invited by Janet as part of her birthday celebrations. I can’t believe we’ve not been there before. It was a unique way to celebrate – the sandwiches, cakes and scones were yummy!! Quintessentially ‘English’ and a great way …
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What a Tart!
Denis and Bev came for lunch today. Ann had prepared a full lamb roast and Bev did us proud by baking a variation on a Bakewell Tart with lemon curd instead of jam – the yummiest dessert I’ve had a in a long while. Cheers Bev!! After stuffing ourselves, Lee and I rescued the kitchen, …
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The 2012 Olympics: The Opening Ceremony
Wow! What an event!!! Sheep, geese, James Bond, Mr Bean, Mike Oldfield, JK Rowling, The NHS, Mary Poppins, Sir Simon Rattle and a cast of thousands. Welcome to the ‘Isles of Wonder’ – Great Britain.
Chatham Dockyard – Scorchio!!
I think today was one of the sunniest days this year. It was pushing 24 degrees by the time we got to Chatham – perfect! Chatham Dockyard has a proud history, starting with building the famous Victory there! It was a pretty good journey there to including my first trip on the High Speed train …
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DVD: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
This Blu-ray DVD had sat gathering dust here for a few months and I wasn’t sure whether this latest ‘re-imagining’, inspired by the original films from the 60s was really going to be worth it. How wrong I was! – this was definitely worth the wait and right up there on my list of fave …
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Sky Go and Ice Cream Sandwich
Occasionally an app comes along that makes a big difference to getting the most out of your Smartphone and its data allowance. Step forward the ‘Sky Go’ app from err, Sky. At last, this is now available for Android’s newish operating system ‘ICS’ (Ice Cream Sandwich) and a range of Smartphones including my HTC Sensation. …
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Fifty Shades of Grey
Raunchy or what!!!! 🙂
Mum’s Progress
We are now experts in form filling and completion! Completed ‘Application for Higher Level of Attendance Allowance’ form (29 pages) – check Completed ‘Application to Register a Lasting Power of Attorney – Property and Financial’ form (14 pages) – check Completed ‘Application to Register a Lasting Power of Attorney – Health and Welfare’ form (14 …
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Paul and Sue’s 25th
We drove the short distance to Rothwell this afternoon, arriving around 5pm to join the celebrations for Paul and Sue’s 25th Anniversary Party. It was an outside event and mercifully, the rain had stopped – and that got the whole thing off to a great start. I guess …
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Mum’s Progress – Two Steps Forward…
Writing about Mum’s condition is good therapy for me – bear with me! I’m not normally indecisive – especially with really important stuff, but Mum’s condition has got me scratching my head. Physically she is in about as best condition as anyone would expect for an 85 year old. With her three stents and her …
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Curry in a Hurry
Ann’s Lamb Tikka – Yum Yum! Our regular monthly meal out with David and Val saw us returning to The Exotic Dining Indian restaurant in town with a subtle difference – no Val and initially, no Ann. I’d got the dates mixed up and Val was elsewhere on a work-thing and Ann had got caught …
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Mum’s Progress
Thanks everyone, for asking about Mum – this seemed the most effective way to let you all know the latest news. Mum was a little tearful when we first arrived, but we were soon having a thorough heart-to-heart conversation confirming the exact state of her health. The stents are fine and so is the pacemaker …
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Go Figure!
A bit like Marmite, you either love or hate the GoCompare.com TV adverts. They’re from that group of ads (so-bad-they’re-good) that make them instantly memorable! So, when I came across their latest a few days back, I couldn’t decide whether it’s simply genius… or simply crap!You decide! <img alt=”” galleryimg=”no” onload=”var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById(‘034309f3-11ed-4b7f-9a48-afa20c4c860c’); downlevelDiv.innerHTML …
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Derby Day
Nicki joined Lee, Ann and I today and we took the 10.30 train to Derby. Weather started off pretty bad – rain, rain and more rain – but then cleared-up to leave a bright sunny day. We arrived into Derby station (after a quick change at Leicester) around an hour later. The shopping area was …
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That’s a Nice Pear!
Stop tittering at the back! We normally don’t do spontaneous – unless it’s in the diary – but we decided to drop into The Exotic Dining Indian Restaurant in town as part of our cunning plan to make maximum use of the ‘2-for-1’ vouchers that we purchased a while back. We were early, even by …
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TV: BBC 2’s ‘Line of Duty’
If you like your Brit Police procedural dramas a little different, then give episode 1 of BBC 2’s ‘Line of Duty’ a watch on iPlayer. It began on BBC2 this week (Tuesday) and felt very realistic right from the start. There’s plenty of well-known faces, and the acting is top-notch throughout. The numerous twist-and-turns throughout …
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The Bionic Woman
Heard from the hospital today – they’ve fitted Mum with a heart-pacemaker to accompany the three stents she had fitted a couple of months ago. Hopefully, she’ll be discharged in a day-or-so, then I think I’ll enter her for the London Marathon next year!! Phew! That was all a bit ‘touch-and-go’ for a moment there!
Lunch with Peter J
Off to London today to meet up with Peter J, a veteran and ex-committee member of The Old Croydonians’ Association. We met our favourite haunt of St Pancras International station and Carluccio’s – where, by the time I got there at 11.45, was heaving! Still, the service, as normal, was ruthlessly efficient, and the food, …
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DVD: Woman in Black
With Ann working away tonight, it’s a rare opportunity to review this Blu-ray as Ann would be hiding behind the sofa by now after just reading the title on the DVD sleeve! 🙂 Those of us of a certain age will recall the ‘Hammer House of Horror’ who turned out quite a …
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