This is just a tiny bit of what I went to see during my recent break. Sorry about the quality. As you can see we were seated quite high up in the Wembley Arena and the video was taken on my daughter's i-phone.
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Monday, 24 November 2014
A Very Moving Story
I've been catching up with the blogs I follow and when I was reading the posts on My Quality Day I found that Sharkbytes has been really unwell, but is hopefully recovering now. Wishing you well, Joan. She normally posts daily after deciding on the day's 'redeeming quality', but has missed a few days recently, so she must have been really ill.
One of her earlier posts pointed me to the wonderful story of her adopted sons from Vietnam, and how one of them was rescued by a US combatant. It was so moving, and an article that I think everyone should read. Find it at http://writedge.com/thanking-vietnam-veterans/.
One of her earlier posts pointed me to the wonderful story of her adopted sons from Vietnam, and how one of them was rescued by a US combatant. It was so moving, and an article that I think everyone should read. Find it at http://writedge.com/thanking-vietnam-veterans/.
Labels:
adoption,
blogging,
blogging friends,
Vietnam orphans,
Vietnam story
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Visiting Friends
Before I went away last week, I sent off all the work that
was due before I came home again. It hadn’t been too difficult to get ahead because
I had drastically cut down the monthly workload when I resumed working after my
bereavement. However, because there are likely to be big changes to my domestic
circumstances next year, I have a great deal to do in the house to get ready
for that. I decided that, on the same email, I would warn my client that the
start of 1915 would be time for me to take more time off and perhaps retire. I
came back to a heart-warming reply wishing me well and saying that the door
would always be open if I wanted assignments. I do feel loved and lucky.
My first destination last Wednesday was the home of some old
friends who had invited me to stay with them. My old school friend’s house is a
real oasis of peace, despite the fact that she and her husband are busy
pensioners heavily into village community life. The first morning they went off
to volunteer activities at a popular lunch club. Early afternoons were taken up
by dog walks as they have a rescued dog called Ginger, who gets on well with Jade.
One evening I was
treated to a complete run through rehearsal of Jack and the Beanstalk as my
friend is in the chorus of the village panto. She also showed me a number of
costumes she had been making for it. Great fun was had by all.
Unfortunately almost as soon as I came home I went down with
an unpleasant bug that is wearing me out. I’ll tell you about the rest of my
travels in another post.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Walking at Sandbanks
pic by Nigel Mykura
We went to Sandbanks this afternoon and did a loop from the car to walk the beach past the ocean facing backs of the multi-million pound dwellings and then back to the car on the harbour side of the peninsular. It was windy and the tide was quite high; there wasn't much beach to negotiate in places. The photo above showing some of the luxury houses was clearly taken in warmer weather.
Jade had her usual fun with the pebbles and we met a few other dog walkers. Lots of kite surfers were out on the waves adding bright blobs of colour to the greyness of the sea and sky.
pic by Tony Hisgett
Walking was tougher for me coming back with the wind in my face, but not as bad as the last time we did this. Then we were with George and he had to grab me a couple of times to stop me being blown back. I don't think it affected Jade at all as she is so close to the ground.
pic by Mike Faherty
It's going to be a week or so before I can post again as Jade and I are off on our travels once more. I'll report on that when I'm back next week.
Labels:
beach,
dog walking,
Poole Harbour,
Sandbanks,
seaside
Friday, 7 November 2014
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Our Ham Common Walk
This year arsonists ensured that much of Ham Common was
denuded of vegetation. Only bare earth and the blackened skeletons of destroyed
bushes were left after the spring. Now though, the ground is covered by new
life with plants pushing up and even disguising those sad skeletons.
By the time we got back to the car park, the sun was obscured by a dark cloud, so we were happy to make for home, where I got some cleaning jobs done before settling back to work in my office.
I can't seem to write more than one article a day at the moment, so I have to be careful how much commissioned work I take on. I'll be working this weekend so I can meet all the deadlines due to fall while I'm away again next week.
Labels:
deadlines,
dog walking,
Ham Common,
jade,
Rockley Beach,
writing
Monday, 3 November 2014
Weekend in Wales
I’ve just had a great 24 hours in the Cardiff area. The
weekend was booked months ago. It was
one of those annual outings to meet old friends that George usually declined to
attend. But he always provided a chauffeur service either to the area we chose,
or to and from a convenient railway station. I hadn’t thought that I’d have to
make my own arrangements this time, and it took some thought and organisation.
Cardiff is north-west from here. Going from my nearest
railway station, though, would involve travelling directly east to Southampton
before going north to Salisbury and changing to the line that heads westwards.
It would be very expensive and take so long I wouldn’t have the time I wanted
at my destination unless I went the day before.
Driving all the way would wear me out and I’d be so nervous about
finding the hotel and parking etc. it would spoil my enjoyment of the reunion.
In the end I decided to drive to Salisbury – a bit under an
hour away by road - and paid for a private parking space with justpark.com,
thinking it would be safer than leaving the car overnight in the station car
park. That should have been a perfect solution if I hadn’t found someone else
parked in the space allocated to me. And if the owner of it had not been working
all night in a hotel and had to be woken by my urgent phone calls so he could get
up to sort it out. I had to double park behind his car and leave him my key.
But he would be at work when I returned for the car the next evening, so we
also had to agree a hiding place where I could find it.
That sorted, the rest of the journey was a straightforward
train journey. Coming back was another
story that involved a bus journey between two stations because of work being
done on the railway line. I determined to avoid thinking about that while I was with my friends - and abut whether I’d be able to get my car and drive home through the Dorset countryside
in the dark.
Isn’t it great when you can get together with people you
only see about once a year and find you are just picking up where you left off? We met in a pub at noon and spent some time there, then went off by bus to
Cardiff Bay to see how it has been developed.
We were quite impressed. It was heaving with people who were not all from
the UK. We took a look at the Norwegian Church where Roald Dahl was baptised.
That was a little disappointing since, although it has a perfect black and
white exterior and some stained glass windows, the inside has been turned into
a café. (The pristine toilets were appreciated though.)
photo by Pauline Eccles
Months ago I had booked us all into the Mount Sorrel Hotel
in Barry, a few miles from Cardiff. Hotels in Cardiff were either far too
expensive or full up, probably because Cardiff were playing Leeds (at football/soccer) in the city
that afternoon. We timed our travels to avoid meeting up with fans and were in
Barry for the evening. The hotel was a gem, inexpensive so we weren’t expecting
any frills, and didn’t need them. Full English breakfast was included and the
rooms were comfortable. £30 is very reasonable for all that.
The next morning we took the 10 am train back to Cardiff to
visit the castle.
photo by Wolfgang Sauber
When I’d been in Cardiff before, it had been for work and I’d
never had time for sightseeing. I had walked past the castle many times with no
time to visit, so I had looked forward to that. And I wasn’t disappointed. I
think a description of it will need to be covered in another post as I’m now
running out of time.
I was on the 2.40 train for the first leg of my journey
home, which all went to plan despite my anxieties. At about 6.50 I was welcomed
back by Jade who had been collected by my son from the dog minder. He had also undertaken
to cook a roast dinner for us before going back to the flat he shares with his
girlfriend, so they could get ready for work on Monday morning. They said they thought it was better for me than coming back to an empty house.
I must count my blessings.
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