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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Another manic Saturday
Here we go then… deep breath… 7. 45am – Lee to the local Parcels office to pick up mystery parcel. CHECK 10.00am – Front path and side path pressure washed. CHECK 11.15am – OCA Magazine final design, final proof read and signed-off for printing. CHECK 12.00 noon – Truckloads of little jobs to sort relating …
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Photo Shoot
I was up with the lark this morning (what a surprise!). I picked up John W and we headed to Burton Latimer for a photo shoot featuring my new car. We wanted to make best use of the natural early-morning light. More piccys to follow, but here’s one that makes it look really eco friendly …
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Packing-up (Part 2)
Ann went round to Lee’s to help her pack-up her stuff before she’s evicted in just over a week’s time! I was planning to help, but I seem to have come back to the UK with truckloads of paperwork to sort out. I started on it at 5.30am and was still buried in the stuff …
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DVD: The King’s Speech
Ann and I had seen The King’s Speech at the cinema back in January – but Lee hadn’t, so we had the perfect excuse to watch it again – this time on Blu-Ray DVD.
David and Val’s for a Feast
We popped around to David and Val’s tonight for our regular monthly food-fest. On this occasion, we ate-in, Val provided the mains and Ann provided the desserts. Yummy all round! Delyth was there, so we had an opportunity to catch-up with her too! By 10pm, my week in Sweden had caught up with me and …
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Packing-up
We spent most of the day round at Lee’s helping to pack up her things into boxes. This is in preparation for her her eviction in a few weeks. It´s just not right that because the person letting the property gets behind with their mortgage, that the innocent tenant is punished and thrown out -and …
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Another trip to ‘Ireland’
What a spooky coincidence! I’d already to planned to catch-up with Denise for lunch in London, but due to a change in both our schedules, we realised we didn’t need to travel that far! Instead, we went to the village of Ireland, in Shefford, and The Black Horse, a lovely Pub/Restaurant – the coincidence being …
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Another Brick in the Wall…
Ralph’s been here this week from Tuesday to Friday making excellent progress with the wet-room. This week he’s positioned the towel rail and the loo and also fitted the wooden frame for the false wall. Nice one Ralph – we appreciate your expertise and fantastic attention to detail!
Next Week’s ‘Doctor Who’ episode
This looks good: “The Curse of the Black Spot”
Bank Holiday Weekend with Ian and Sharon – Arundel
Another fine day down here and we’re going to make the most of it and drive over to Arundel. Shops first, then the Castle! But not before we visited our fave posh ‘greasy spoon’ here: The Moat house in the town centre, and enjoyed a full-English brekky!!! Then it was a mooch round the …
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