The BBC Trust has given Project Canvas the green light. It’s a proposed partnership between Arqiva, the BBC, BT, C4, Five, ITV and Talk Talk to build an open internet-connected TV platform – that means easier access (in the future) to internet related stuff straight to your TV – such as iPlayer and other VOD (video on demand) …
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TV: Doctor Who – Series 5: Series Finale
I just watched it on Sky+, as we were out yesterday. Entitled ‘The Big Bang’, what a fantastic final episode! Steven Moffat, the head script-writer, who penned this final episode, didn’t disappoint. I reckon he ticked all the boxes for all the fans – and that’s a challenge in itself! Matt Smith next returns as …
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Lee’s back home
Ann dropped Lee back to hers tonight. She seems to have recovered fully from her ‘wobbly’ spell. But I will be taking her to see a Consultant on Thursday evening.
Embarrassing or what..?
Our national soccer side continued its lack-lustre performance by being thrashed by Germany. That means we’re now OUT of the World Cup Yeesh! 4-1 – it’s just embarrassing!!!
“Ooh Arr, avast there, me hearties!”
With eye-patch and peg-leg firmly in place we joined David and Val on their new boat Osprey One today. It was a perfect day for it, plenty of sun and a pub-lunch destination in mind! Lee was able to join us too as her final piece of furniture arrived slightly earlier than expected and we …
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DVD: Alice in Wonderland
Jo and Janet popped round. We tucked into a curry from Mazza’s and then watched the DVD: ‘Alice in Wonderland’ directed by Tim Burton. It had mixed reviews after the cinema release, so we were looking forward to see how good it was (or not!). Well, I thought it was just brilliant – great acting, …
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Stick (Wrong end of…)
It’s a well-known fact that if I had a brain I’d be dangerous! Hence last night’s confusion. Because the England match was on in the afternoon, Rosi, (whose turn it was to host the BBQ), recorded it, and I thought we were all sitting down to watch it together around 6.30. For that reason, I’d …
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Nice Lunch
We drove over to Kilworth House for lunch. It was a really nice place and the food was good too! Add to that the beautiful views from the terrace and a bit of sunshine, it was more or less perfect!!
Day with Ian and Ann
We drove over to beautiful Stratford-upon-Avon today to spend the day with Ian and Ann. We arrived around 12 and had a light lunch before heading off for the National Trust property – Upton House. Wow! What a gorgeous place – can’t think how Ann and I haven’t been there before. The terraced gardens especially, …
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Eng-er-land
We went round to Paul and Karen’s for a pizza feast and to watch the England v Algeria game. All the gang were there – brilliant!! Pity about the soccer though….0-0!!! A crap result and we played like crap too! Luckily the company and food made up for it!
Hello Polo
I picked up Lee after work and we headed over to High St Cars in Burton Latimer to pick-up her latest ‘wheels’ – a 2005 VW Polo 1.4 automatic. She’s named it ‘Clyde’!
Mum travels back
Mum travelled back home today, having been here for about a week. It felt longer!
BBQ at Tom and Julie’s
Today was the first England match of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – and what better way to spend it than over at T and J’s with one of their legendary BBQs. The weather could have been a bit warmer, but at least it wasn’t raining. All the usual crowd were there, plus …
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Lee’s surprise purchase
I took Lee out for a drive this afternoon to help her pick her choice for her next car. After getting Ann’s car washed, we tried the dealer immediately next-door to the car wash. The vehicles on offer were certainly in her price range and we narrowed it down to possibly a Renault. We then …
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Personal Website re-launched
A bit of a quiet week here business-wise, so it was a good opportunity to finish off the re-design of my personal website. Actually, I’d been tinkering with it all week but for some reason, I’d not being particularly productive with it all. So, with grim determination, resulting in some significant re-design along the way, …
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Lunch with Sally B (Not!)
Image by Steve Palmer (UK) via Flickr I was due to meet Sally B at Brown’s in Cambridge today for our three-monthly catch-up. But things didn’t quite work out. Lee (who’d rung to say she wasn’t feeling too well) had invited Mum down for lunch (as I was going to be out), and I agreed …
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Site Update
I’m still updating my personal web-site. It’s an excuse for a tidy-up, dump some irrelevant stuff, and then introduce new things. Trouble is, it’s taking ages to sort-out – and I’m not sure why!
Bye-Bye Plasma – you were my first!
I sold our original 42 inch Plasma TV today. To be honest, I’m surprised it went so quickly – I only punted it around a few people, and it was snapped up in just a few days by Ian, a colleague of Nick, our Accountant – I bought it for 899 and it was sold …
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The Mystery Briefcase
Grandad and Nanny (Mum’s side), taken, we think, in 1961. It’s the only photo of them we’ve got! Mum’s with us for the week, returning home next Sunday. She brought with her, ‘the briefcase’, that apparently contains lots of important family stuff that I’d promised to help her sort out. She’s often talked about it, …
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TV: First HD recording
In years to come, this will all seem very mainstream or even superseded by something even whizzier; but for now, this is a great facility. I was able to set up the timer on the TV to record an HD transmission to hard disk. No prizes for guessing which programme: Doctor Who, (Series 5, Episode …
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Dish Dilemma and Cracking Concert
Ann left at the crack-of-dawn to scoop up Lee from Avondale Mews and then onwards to Mum’s in Biggin Hill. We’re all off to an outdoor concert tonight with David and Val and Mum is staying for the week. Skyforce. a TV installation company I found in Yellow Pages arrived just before lunch to give …
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TV Times
Panasonic 42” Plasma TV TH42PX70 Panasonic 46” Plasma TV TX46P20B The new TV arrived just before 1.30 today. It’s a big bugger! and the packaging made it even bigger!!! Even the Courier driver couldn’t manage it on his own – so I helped him. Luckily David was home and he helped me get it …
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Boys and their Toys (Part 87)
Not content with our excellent three-year-old, Panasonic 42 inch Plasma, we’ve just bought a Panasonic 46 inch Plasma. As they say, size matters! …but in this case, it didn’t! The reason? Well, this is the next step in TV evolution. Just as mobile phones evolved to perform lots of additional functions, TVs are going …
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Fancy some Speed?
I love speed, especially if its internet connection speed! 🙂 Those of us here in Tynan Close know what it’s like to NOT have a fast connection. Most of us are languishing at around 0.5-1.5 Mb – and that’s after fourteen years and three upgrades at the Exchange later! From what I’ve read, there’s not …
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Techy Day
A rare day-off from the day-job that allowed me to don my anorak and become Mr PC-Doctor for the day! First stop: To check whether Lee’s internet connection is up-and-running. It is… but it’s not the 13Mb speed suggested by BT – more like 1Mb!! Still, let’s see how it works out once it’s had …
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Two for tea
Jo and Janet popped round for a catch-up, having just returned (a week ago) from their honeymoon.
Bank Holiday with Nick and Celina
SUNDAY We caught up with Nick and Celina today and decided to spend some time at the annual Stamford Game and Country Fair at Burghley House. Fortunately, the weather was drier than yesterday, but there was a vicious wind. All the time the sun was out, it was a beautiful day, but when it wasn’t, …
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Mews Flash: Almost sorted…
Ann and Lee drove over to John Lewis in Leicester to pick up a few final bits and pieces for Lee’s new place in Avondale Mews and also to return the damaged roller-blind that was delivered last week. They were out for most of the day having incorporated B and Q into their day out! …
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Still Not Net!
This is peculiar! PlusNet sent me a new router to replace Lee’s to see if that was the problem with why she can’t connect to the ‘net at her place. I wired it all up and connected it and it made NO difference at all! Bah!! Talk about ‘Plan B’! we must be up to …
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Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho…
It’s off to Lee’s new place to unpack a few more things, finish off some important jobs and get Lee generally sorted for the week. – Fridge shelves sorted – Washing machine installed and test wash completed – Oil fired heaters unpacked, checked and working – Internet router unplugged and plugged in downstairs (to see …
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