We took the short drive over to Wootton to catch up with Chris, Gill, Francesca and Abigail on the occasion of Chris’ 50th birthday party. As Mum and Lee are with us, we took them too. The party had been postponed from earlier in the year due to the murder next-door-but-one, of the family that …
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Moving from WinMo to Android
After a lifetime with Windows Mobile (WM) devices and phones, I took the decision today to finally ‘jump ship’ and move to the Android operating system. It’s a decision that has tested my decision-making skills for some time now! Should I… shouldn’t I…?, Yes… No… Wait… etc. Why jump? Well, there’s just not that many …
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Babe Blooz with Ian and Mags
I think it’s been the hottest day of the year so far – easily 30 degrees here – making it very difficult to work from home. A perfect opportunity for meeting-up with mates! So, I took a drive over to Market Harborough tonight to catch-up with Ian and Mags at Babe Blooz, …
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Wet, Wet Wet…
Ralph’s here, continuing to turn our shower-room into a wet-room. This week, he’s concentrating boarding on the ceiling and setting-up things for when Mick, our excellent Electrician will sort out the electrics in a few weeks’ time.
Five Go Mad on the River (sort of!)
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr ‘The Boys’ – Ian, Roger, Ralph, David and me met up today for a river trip to The Cock in Hemingford Grey– a sort of Stag Do minus the Stagness. By car, it would have taken just 10 minutes, but by boat, it was much more leisurely! Brilliant!!! …
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Return to Han
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr It’s been a manic week at work and what better way to wind-down than over a good meal with good friends. Cue Han Chinese restaurant with Ralph and Karen! Perfect…just perfect!!!
Lee’s New Place
Kettering Council did a good job in finding Lee a new place. Today, she officially moves in, having picked up the keys a few days back. It’s a lovely little apartment and in very good condition. Add to that, a lively community and it being only a short walk to the shops, then it’s pretty …
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Han Plan
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr We picked up David and Val and headed off to Han, our fave Chinese restaurant in Market Harborough. It’s been another manic week, and a Chinese was just what we needed!
Ralph and the Wet-Room
Ralph’s here with us for the week continuing to convert our shower-room. It’s really starting to take shape now, we just need to source some dark tiles for the inset piece – but that’s currently proving to be a bit of a challenge!
Wimpole Hall
Lee, Nicki, Ann and I drove over to Wimpole Hall today. Luckily the weather held and we had a fine day. We started off with lunch (perfect scheduling) and then did the House followed by the Farm – plenty of pigs, rabbits, chickens and the biggest horse I’ve ever seen…and of course, plenty of screaming …
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Five for The Wheatsheaf
We picked up Jo and Janet tonight and headed for our fave restaurant – The Wheatsheaf at Titchmarsh. It had been a particularly busy and stressful week for us all, and this was the perfect antidote. Having just got the car back from the Vauxhall Body Shop, it was now looking immaculate. Then it rained… …
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RIP: Zippy
Roy Skelton, voice of Zippy (and Bungle), from Rainbow has died, aged 79. He was also one of the original voices of the Daleks too! <img src=”https://lh4.ggpht.com/-u-j9-OhZlr4/TfCthRL2JPI/AAAAAAAAG3Y/eOrVrXm-Z6Y/videoaa129abb7b89%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800″ style=”border-style: none” galleryimg=”no” onload=”var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById(‘dc25e22a-9054-41e8-88a4-92a29c0db0df’); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = “ https://www.youtube.com/v/M62SnbNizIM?hl=en&hd=1“;” alt=””>
TLC for Ziggy
I took the Insignia over to the Vauxhall Body Centre in Corby this morning to get some TLC for the damaged bumper. It should be done by Friday afternoon! Whoever you are – thanks for driving off and not leaving a note when you pranged mine. Come the revolution, you’re one of the first in …
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Black Tuesday?
It’s funny how some days just turn out to be ‘a real challenge’ (that’s the polite version)😲 Lee had a funny turn in the night requiring us to call a doctor and an ambulance, so we were all up at 5am playing doctors and nurses. After a short stay at Kettering’s A and E, I …
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DVD: The Birdcage
There wasn’t much on the TV this afternoon, so Lee suggested we watch one of here recently acquired DVDs: The Birdcage. Starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman and Mrs Harrison Ford (Callista Flockhart), it’s based on a French farce of the same name (but in French, of course!) It turned …
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DVD: Chronicles of Narnia – Voyage of the Dawn Treader
After the hectic activity in the garden, we chilled out to this recently released Blu-ray DVD. It was one of the few Narnia books I hadn’t read, so I was looking forward to this production, although I had read somewhere that the storyline didn’t stick to the original book*. OK, so it was full …
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Doctor Who: Series 6, Episode 7: ‘A Good Man Goes to War’
As all good Whovians know, the series now takes a break mid-season (very American!) – and what a cliff-hanger. For me, it was about the best episode (since the last time I said ‘it was the best episode’!) SM is certainly a more complex writer than RTD, and his stuff really does keep you on …
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Garden sorted!
Well almost! We spent a good 2-3 hours putting plants in pots and generally tidying up the back-garden. There’s a little bit to do out the front tomorrow, but we’re more-or-less sorted. A good day for it weather-wise – not too hot, not too cold – just right! We finished off by having tea and …
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Now, that’s a shame
It looks like Club Diana, where we held Ann’s surprise 50th Birthday Party has called in the Administrators
Family Holiday – Photographs
Photographs from our slightly rainy family holiday in Derbyshire. I wasn’t able to get a reliable internet connection during our stay, so I had to wait until we got home to post these… Holiday Blog Family Holiday – Day 1 Family Holiday – Day 2 Family Holiday – Day 3 Family Holiday – Day …
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Family Holiday – Day 6
Today was quite an unusual day – especially as we’re on holiday! Up with the lark at 6 followed by driving Ann over to Derby station for 7.30am. Why? Ann needs to pop into work – their Leicester office – to help with a minor crisis. Ironically, it’s probably the best day weather-wise so far …
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Family Holiday – Day 5
Now that’s what I call rain – could it possibly be a Bank Holiday? We’re down to just eight for breakfast this morning, and on today’s menu: a full English fry-up! Ralph and Karen arrived just before 11.30. After introductions all round, plus teas and coffees, we headed off to the local National Trust property: …
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Family Holiday – Day 4
Hurrah, we woke up to DRY weather! That’s a first this week!!! I popped to the loo and upon my return, Oliver had taken my place in my bed – there goes my lay-in! I had a shower and headed downstairs where Lee and Denis were chatting. Not long after everyone else was up and …
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Family Holiday – Day 3
Roger, Jane and Oliver arrived last night around 9pm. Like us, their vehicle was laden down with foodstuffs for the days ahead. Looking at it all together with our provisions in the utility room, I calculate that we can stand a siege for around 60 days! A good night’s sleep. Oh, and what a surprise! …
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Family Holiday – Day 2
Typical! After virtually no rain at home for what seems like months, we’re on holiday and we wake up to RAIN – the very wet kind that’s also cold! Brrrr! We’re not sure what to do with ourselves today. The weather isn’t brilliant, although hopefully, it’ll brighten up later. Actually the weather did brighten up …
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Family Holiday – Day 1
So, here we are in Ticknall, close to Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. We’re in an enormous property courtesy of the National Trust, and the reason it’s so large is that this is THE family holiday, where we’ve attempted to pull in as many of us as possible over the next seven days. The grand plan …
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I Believe in Angels!
After many years faithful service (I think I bought it in 2005), it’s now time to upgrade my Road Angel (the device that helped me to keep my Licence free from additives!!!) – shown above – to the latest incarnation of the device. My original Road Angel was upgraded to the ‘plus’ version a few …
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Ralph and the Wet-Room
Ralph’s here for a few days, continuing to convert our shower-room into a wet-room. During this visit, he’s mainly concentrated on the false wall needed to hide the waste flow coming from the re-positioned loo. Other jobs included planning out the electrics for the new bits and pieces and plumbing in the thermostatic mixer. If …
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Film: Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides
We all popped down to the Odeon to catch Johnny Depp’s latest caper as the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow – ‘Pirates of the Caribbean – On Stranger Tides’. <img src=”https://lh6.ggpht.com/_xEp-Etxr6ic/TdlHdDdYvbI/AAAAAAAAGwM/-bB1TssTu8M/videoca708f49c57e%5B20%5D.jpg?imgmax=800″ style=”border-style: none” galleryimg=”no” onload=”var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById(‘18669350-c834-4d6e-a186-67a1ef81d39f’); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = “ https://www.youtube.com/v/t5AqJww06bw?hl=en&hd=1“;” alt=””> Hilarious!!!! After the slightly lack-lustre third instalment, I think every fan was hoping …
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9…6…3…Zero!!!
Today, the 22nd May 2011, is a very special day in my motoring diary. It’s the first day for about 35 years, where technically, I no longer have any points on my driving licence! From that pants-moistening day back in 1975, where I was caught in Catford, South London, doing 52 in a 30 (eeek!), …
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