What are you all up to
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Happy World Bicycle Day to all fellow Velocepedists.🚴🏻♂️🚴🏻♂️ I include myself as an interloper.
It was mizzling first thing this morning when I went out. As an aside it just goes to show the difference 1 letter can make to a word. Predictive text wanted to change the "M" in mizzling to an "S". Not quite accurate. So after finishing the food shopping we all sat down to a 62 question questionnaire on MiLs current state. Some of the questions are so ambiguous that they really should have been audited before being included. Taken the best part of 3 hours to reach a consensus. Good job we left it to a miserable day.
Stopped raining now so the ladies have gone out for a stroll.
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It's Volunteers Week this week so a shout out to all those of us who volunteer in whatever capacity. The Cathedral have sent all of us a lovely video of the staff giving us a 'thank you' which is much appreciated.
It's a grey day here today but not as cold as last week and no wind. I have put the washing on the line but it is just hanging there so I don't think it is drying much. 'Not much dry in the air today' as my Mum would have said.
Off the Cambridge tomorrow for OH's check up after his back op just before Christmas and next week he has a Pacemaker check so hopefully fully MOT'd before we go away to Norfolk.
WN I remember having to fill in a similar form for MIL some years ago. We actually sat up until the small hours as we felt if we left it we would lose our train of thought. I am sure not everyone can cope with all these complicated forms.
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I thought it was there that you had stopped, Francis. There are grand views all round that area, and some very impressive properties too.
Another fine sunny warm day, around 22C, but with a stiff wind. We delayed leaving the THS until after noon as we only had a tow of 27 mls, and couldn't get on site until after 13:00. All set up, a round of washing done and out on the clothes airer, & Flyte walked before 15:00. Everything nice and dry before we had our evening meal. The site is much busier than when we were here earlier in the year with a roughly even mix of caravans and M/Hs.
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We are in Yorkshire with my cousin and her husband, we have been best friends since babies and fortunately our husbands get on very well too. We are staying on a very remote farm, with many sheep right outside the patio doors. The guys are watching football and the sheep appear to be watching it through the window. We have spent much time watching them. We went to Thirsk on Sunday, a lovely place, bought great scotch eggs in the Farmers Market and ate them with a coffee whilst sitting out in the lovely sunshine in the square. Then we went to the Herriot Museum, which was great. No kids in there so the four of us had a great time using all the interactive stuff, probably meant for kids and we are all in our 70s. Then a nice meal out in the evening. Today we went to Whitby, we’ve never been there before, it was very busy, we didn’t have the energy to walk up to the Abbey but it looked very iconic. Then back here to watch the football and the neighbours (the sheep). Now deciding on tomorrow’s outing.
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I’m just catching up after a busy few days😁 Lots to read, Hope OH’s op goes well Millie, good luck with the 30 questions WN, done a few of these🤔 You seem to be having a grand time away Nellie. Best wishes to others. Debsc, sounds like our kind of place, remote, sheep for neighbours🤣 The Herriot Museum is really good, like you, we played with all the interactive stuff. Some of the cabinets could grace a torture chamber😳 Whitby is always busy, even in Winter. The old part of the town is nice, and yes, the Abbey is well worth visiting, but the steps take a bit of doing😮💨
So, what have we been up to? A whistlestop trip up to Newcastle to watch the England game. First half, the only excitement was two seagulls flying over, but once Harry Kane and Grealish came on, the quality soared and they duly delivered. Our first time looking around Newcastle, very interesting, and buzzing with all the fans around. We had a leisurely stroll around, a nice meal and then walked up to St James’ Stadium with hundreds of others. Fabulous stadium, last time we were there was 1982 for Rolling Stones concert. It’s changed a bit🤣 We got back to Metrocentre via rail link at around 11.10pm, then the fun and games started…….A1 closures overnight, so a whistlestop tour of Gateshead, County Durham, quick break for a coffee at Scotch Corner, back onto A1, more closures. We finally picked pooch up from Mum’s at 2.30am. We weren’t that tired really, sort of enjoyed the drive on fast roads that were empty, but thank goodness for the Sat Nav as it was a convoluted diversion. With hindsight, we might have been better doing A19, but we were committed by time we realised. Beautiful day in Newcastle, very warm and sunny. A place we need to explore more.
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You are right about the French weather. I watch the French horse racing on Sky TV from various tracks in the country and much of the weather has been horrendous for the time of year and the tennis Grand Slam in Paris has had some rain and a lot of cooler weather as well. It seems strange to watch the spectators in coats and hats, instead of shorts and T shirts. Even the players have been feeling the cold as well, which is very unusual for tennis players. We have had some sun in Southport in the north west, but it has been very cool on most days and today there is a high wind, with intermittent, very heavy showers more like late October than June.
The 10 day weather forecast has been wrong many times so you cannot rely on booking anywhere more than a few days in advance, if you want decent weather. I stayed a couple of nights at a CL site near Lancaster 2 weeks ago and set off home at 6.30 in the morning to try and avoid the heavy rain and winds on the way home.
Perhaps the awful weather is why many sites have not been too busy, here in the UK!
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I never trust any forecast longer than 24 hours to be honest. We were talking about it just this morning and reckoning that they just have too much information from too many different weather organisations, be it computer models from America or Europe plus our own, that they end up cobbling a mish-mash together. You would have thought that with all of the technology at their disposal that forecasting would be a tad more accurate than it is.
Chasing our tails this morning, library, prescriptions, food for MiL plus supplements. Showers on a regular frequency. Wondering what else needs doing before we leave MiL tomorrow to fend for herself for 1 night and 2 half days.
Newcastle is a nice place to wander around Ttda, whether it is down by the river or the compact city centre. Good cycling as well, as I'm sure Cornersteady would attest to.
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Meg went to the 'beauty parlour', yesterday morning so I seemed to spend most of the morning backwards and forwards between there. She has to go every six weeks otherwise she ends up looking like a woolly sheep. We now use a groomer that's about 10 miles away, despite there being an abundance of them in Hornsea - but this one's good - she used to be a veterinary nurse so Meg gets her teeth cleaned by her as well. Here's the finished result - although she looks as if her 'onesie' is a bit big for her!!
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I’ve just put our journey to Burrs CP into map suggestions😱 Not our kind of driving at all with MH. Or to phrase it bluntly…..”what ever possessed you to book East Lancs railway?” I am not Mrs Popular at the moment🫣
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Sounds like a good trip Debs, hope you have decent weather for the remainder of it.
Hope have thought of everything that needs doing before your short trip away, WN, and that you don't get that unwanted phone call.
An interesting day all round reading your post, tda. I am sure that you will find a better alternative route to the one selected by your Say Nav. Enjoy your stay at Burrs and especially the train ride.
We had some short sharp showers on a strong wind this morning but managed to fit in a couple of walks around the country park without getting wet. The sun came out around 11:00 but we still had a quite chilly wind all day, with a couple more very short showers. Essential food shopping this afternoon before another couple of dry walks from the site.
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Dry and very pleasant dog walk. Warm(ish) and cloudy
Removed remaining covers from sofa to be washed as promising breeze and temperature. Got the first lot on the line, needs 2 loads in the washing machine. Blew nicely for about 30 minutes before the rain started..... Showers at first, enough to put the kibosh on gardening - again.
So needs must 😱 I cleaned the front porch for the 3rd time! Since the builders left. (They sawed mixed and cut just outside it and guess which way the wind blew? I think I may have cracked it this time. Then I set about cleaning up the cloakroom after the snagging in there was finished yesterday. The boss came to 'help' tile the walls the week before last to speed things up. Fast but very mucky and as insufficient time had been allocated to the fitter his cleaning wasn't at the same standard as the bathroom.
All 'displaced' items have been found new homes, permanent or not remains to be seen 😉. So beginning to get straight again.
Hopefully there'll be a dry day tomorrow so I can garden something I do enjoy.
Good to read of others news and travels. A very smart looking Meg. Dora manages 8 weeks between her parlour cuts. Good job, more than both our terms combined 🫣
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Hope you have a good time WN, change of scenery and a bit of a rest.🤞
Meg looks lovely R&R, she will feel better as well as it gets warmer. We are lucky enough to have a very good groomer/friend who lives next door but one, and has her own set up at home. Not used much for Labrador (tough as old boots, his bathing routine is either a dip in sea or a bucket on the lawn🤣). But when we had Airedales, clipped/stripped every few weeks, a good groomer is like gold dust. (Irish Terriers keep wandering across my subliminal conscience🤣😵💫🤗)
Enjoying your tour from a distance Nellie👍 Fingers crossed we might get up North a bit later in year🤞🤞🤞 I have plans to get a rail card and do a bit of commuting again. Lots to go at using East Coast main line. Currently viewing the M1/M62 with trepidation. Cross Pennine routes this far South are terrible. The middle moorland bit is nice, but the conurbations either end are ghastly. We’ve only got three days, so it needs to be zip there, and zip back. Boring travel days.
Bakers, you never seem to stop.
We are watching Dauphine bike race at moment, weather hasn’t been very nice at all across there.
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Glad some of you seem to be having more favourable weather, they say sun shines on the righteous, we must be very good in Stubbers.
Our D day celebrations started today with many services of remembrance in SouthSea with the King & Queen present, we also had a display by the Red Arrows, and of course lots of filming of the vetrans leaving Portsmouth for France onboard one of the Brittany ferries, dont particularly want to live to 99 years of age unless i am super fit, but some of those guys at 99 are just amazing.
Celebrations continuing this evening, a light show over Southsea made possible by using 100 drones, and then lots of celebrations Saturday and Sunday on what was the Daedalus airfield now know as Solent airport and business park, i think the Red Arrows are back again on Saturday.
Finalised our plans for a tour into Yorkshire starting 15th July thru 29th July, cant do much before then as Spanish daughter is home 28th June for a couple of weeks, so you lot up there best be good so the sun shines, many tks to Richardandross for providing lots of info re our choosen site, must admit it looks amazing, not been up north for perhaps 3 years or more so really looking forward to it.
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Sounds like a grand few days on the South Coast, Rufs. Hope you manage to sort out your trip to N.Yorks.
A quite mixed day with the weather today with periods of sunshine interspersed with short sharp showers, and even some hail. We visited the House of Binns where we had a walk up to the Tower before taking in the house guided tour. Lots of information about the owners, including Tam Dalziel MP, but not a lot of time given to view the house contents unfortunately.
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Still keeping busy on DD’s flat, she keeps adding extra tasks!
She has had me remove the rather ugly and bulky stair bannisters and box in the small gap that left on that side between the stairs and the wall, it is a U-shaped staircase. Quite fiddly so took some time, but looks much better and will make it easier to get furniture in/out. Once all the other work is finished I will fit a nice handrail all the way along the opposite side.
I have been there most days and today was joined by the painter. Due to poor parking availability, he will be leaving his van at DD’s house and one of us will drive him along and retrieve him later. He has made a good start, the job will take 4-5 days, but I still have some details to finish so will go tomorrow morning too, OH will drop us off.
Today the flooring for the whole upstairs (35 sq m) was delivered. DD is keeping it at her house meantime as I doubt any of it will be put down before our Norway trip. It all has to be checked for any damage then stored somewhere out of harm’s way till needed.
The final repairs will be to the non-functioning toilet flush in the cloakroom and the plinth in the kitchen, then move in the new fridge freezer and dishwasher. I think I can be 100% certain it will be August before she can market it!
This evening we have been looking on line at luggage for our upcoming trip, all our cases are about 45/55 years old and have no wheels, so we need to get something better, something we can manage to handle……..2 large cases, 2 small cabin cases, and 2 under seat bags in the allowed sizes. I think we have found some suitable ones.
Tomorrow we have a bit of “time off” as Callum has invited us to the grandparents tea party at his school, 1.30 - 2.30, sandwiches, cakes, and tea/coffee are apparently on the menu. All sounds good!
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Found the BBC coverage of the D Day celebrations yesterday quite amazing, we did not go to Southsea to watch any of the celebrations, too many crowds and OH not good in crowds and my old knees do not like standing around for long periods, but thought the light show was just the best, who ever puts these things together must have a very vivid imagination and be very clever technically, also the service etc at the Bayeux War Cemetery, so emotional.
glorious day again, boiler man coming to service the boiler today so need to empty out all the bedding etc from the cupboard so he has good access, did all the gardening yesterday so hopefully an afternoon off, so out on my biike then chill in the garden
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Years ago when we had our motorhome we always started our 6 weeks in France at Bayeux to co-incide with the D-Day commemorations. There were a lot more of the veterans about then and it was so lovely chatting to them. On a few occasions we were on the same ferry as them. The French absolutely loved them and couldn't thank them enough.
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Had a smashing couple of days.
Yesterday after making sure MiL had received her and understood the parameters of what she could and couldn't do, all with discussion and agreement from her, we set off to Conway. Stopped at the RSPB reserve for a hot drink before walking into Conway. Sunny day with a biting NW wind. Visited the wonderful castle, not too many people about, had lunch then drove to Llandudno and had a couple of hours stroll along the Coastal path. Found our refuge for the night. Very nice, all very modern so no Aunt Bessie's wardrobe from 1925 or creaking bed.
This morning we decided on a walk from Llandudno to Conway itself, about 4 miles, along the coast path. Stunning views of the hills above Conway and as far as Puffin Island just off Anglesey. Then of the castle and harbour at Conway, a glorious sight or a terrifying one if you were heading into the bay with murderous thoughts 750 years ago. The wind had lost its intensity, still cool but lovely in the sunshine. Had a tea with a chat to some locals then caught the bus back and eventually got home mid afternoon.
MiL, true to her word, behaved herself but did say she found it more tiring than she thought it would be. Pulled her leg by asking for a rise as she realises how much we do. Still waiting for a reply. Friends dropped in to make sure she was fine.
We'll do it again soon as she wants to fend for herself as much as possible. She has more friends calling tomorrow afternoon so we may escape for a few hours again.
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I always think of my uncle when these anniversaries come around. It feels like him and his "mates" are largely ignored. He landed not in Normandy but in Scilily and fought his way to the north of Italy, losing many of his colleagues and friends along the way.
Like many of his generation he never volunteered information about it but i fondly remember a few conversations I had with him near the end of his life. We both had a common interest as he was on Dialysis and quite willingly answered my questions when I visited him whilst having treatment on all sorts of matters. My aunt, who knew him before they married, said he never used to talk with a stutter until he came home and would never open up about what happened. Just like so many of those brave young people.
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Glad you enjoyed your short break and thanks for liking my photos will put a few more on this weekend when back home as we have had a short break at Obterre and had a visit to the Brenne but only for a meal at a local Auberge we like overlooking a lake so plenty to see and start our way back tomorrow, been 25C today and at home 31.5C will be a bit cooler when we get back and a lot of chores to do when we do.
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So glad your trip went well and that all was well with MIL while you were away WN. Hope you enjoy an hour or two for an outing tomorrow as well.
I did a Cathedral tour for 8 people this afternoon 2 of whom were a lovely young couple from Washington DC. I told the group that choral evensong was a lovely service and so this couple turned up at the Corpus Christi service this evening. It was lovely to see them there and I was able to introduce them to some of the congregation over refreshments afterwards. I hope they go home with a good impression of Peterborough.
Our tumble dryer died last week and it now looks as though our dishwasher is going to join it. Why does everything happen at once!
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Good to read that you had a pleasant couple of days away WN, and that the MIL behaved herself! Enjoy your trip out tomorrow.
Have a safe trip home, RK. We could do with some of that warmth over here as it hasn't been much above 10C over the last few days.
Though it has been sunny for much of the day, and have had no rain to speak of, it is still breeze and cool. We returned to Kinneil Estate this morning for a different walk around the grounds and then onto Bo'ness after lunch fir another walk along by the Forth. We came across this small, but very important building adjacent to Kinneil House. The plaques explain their significance.
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The plaques explain their significance.
And as they say, the rest is history
On the subject of people in WW2 not being willing to talk about their experiences, my Father was the same. It does seem as if the older they got the more willing they were to unburden themselves of their experience. I also suspect when their children were younger they were perhaps not so interested and it was only later in life us "baby boomers" started to think about asking questions and by then for many it was too late? I do know that during the blitz he was in the Army Fire Service. That in itself is not really a correct description as basically you had an NCO in charge of the fire tender and the rest of the crew were civilians. We have quite a few photos from that period of his time doing that. However as far as D Day was concerned, apart from it being his birthday, no information what so ever. I suppose it would be possible to find his war record but he didn't talk about it.
David
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Millie said:- Our tumble dryer died last week and it now looks as though our dishwasher is going to join it. Why does everything happen at once!
Tumble dryers seem to last forever. Our old one was still working after about 20 years but in the end we got fed up with the venting as we had to put the tube out the window or door. (our garage is not attached to the house so putting it in there wasn't an option) We got round the venting problem by buying a Bosch condenser model which is more convenient, not that we use it a lot! Our question mark is over our washing machine, another Bosch product, which from memory is 12/14 years old and still working OK.
David
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So glad you got away successfully WN, a huge boost to the system. Conway Castle is fabulous, we enjoyed our revisit there back in December. The town is nice as well, particularly the delicious Deli (forgotten it’s name for the moment).
Thats an interesting and historic place Nellie. Well done to you Millie, I must try and get down for a Cathedral tour, it is a beautiful place.
My immediate family, parents, grandparents were lucky enough to be either to young, or too old for both WW service, although my paternal grandfather was called up aged 17 in July 1918. He got as far as Ireland, as a Navy wireless operator. Both Dad’s brothers, and his sister did serve in WW2, with his sister’s husband captured by the German’s. He never spoke about it, thankfully survived. Mum’s brother was out in the Far East in the 1950’s.
Very fraught day yesterday with Mum, but we got the medical help we needed, some reassurance, and we finally got away late afternoon, booking another night at Burrs on the roll. M62 was really good, we avoided the M1 by going via Huddersfield, again traffic much lighter than we anticipated, so not a bad journey at all. Burrs is nice, only small. It seems to be occupied mainly by gents of a certain age, all getting excited about steam trains😁 we are looking forward to our afternoon tea train ride. Might just stay around site today, just have a look around Burrs CP. A day relaxing.
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A lazy day today reading Isabella Tree’s fascinating book about Rewilding. Very interesting and informative it is too.
Coincidentally I’ve just had this pop up on my iPad, is AI spying on me? 😉 Anyway, I watched the trailer for the soon to be released movie and it looks good.
https://www.wildingmovie.com/
I’m sure all of us interested in Nature and Rewilding will enjoy this informative movie based on the lives Sir Charles Burrell and Lady Burrell (Isabella Tree). The young couple who turned their ancestral farms and estate into a rewilding haven. The movie tells the story from inception, into fruition and explores the future for the estate. What an inspirational couple they are. If you are less than interested it might be an opportunity to discover move about the subject and the truth about what our world is facing and restore hope.0 -
My Mum served as a civilian in the London fire service during the war. She never said much about it. I think she just wanted to put the war behind her once Dad was demobbed and I was born. The only thing she did mention was that she hated the V2 bombs as they heard them coming and then it went silent and they didn't know where they were going to land. Also she had me by that time. Dad served in the army as a searchlight operator mainly based in the west country. He was on the searchlights the night Exeter was bombed. He was then sent to Palestine for about a year at the end of the war. He didn't talk about the war much either. I have got my Dad's war records. I applied for them a few years ago. I think then it cost about £25. They didn't tell me all that much, apart from a lovely letter from his commanding officer when he was demobbed.
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Millie
I have my Dad's service number so I suppose it would be quite easy to get his records but from what you say they don't seem tell you much? My Dad was in an out of the Army for 23 years on and off, not sure he ever adjusted to civilian life? As a young soldier, well before WW2, he went to India. During the war he was in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. I think he was stationed in Wrexham when he got the instruction to attend a fire service training course. After the war he remained in the Army and was based at West Moors in Dorset. I think he was finally demobbed when I was around 12 years old.
David
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On the subject of WW2 my dad went in on Gold beach after D Day,I seem to recall late July, he was just 19. He then walked all the way to Berlin. He very ocassionally said something about it. Generally if he was a bit 'merry', which wasn't often. I recall him saying they were lying under a hedge on a bank and they could feel the bullets thudding into the bank. He also said it was a choppy crossing.
I've yet to get his service papers. I wanted to wait until.my mum had passed before doing so. Then Covid hit, we moved and it's been on the back burner! Might be a nice winter project.
If you want to know about their actual service and battles etc you need to apply for the diaries. Can't remember the proper title, 😱 6 years without use of that part of the brain. Maybe battalion or regiment diaries. A friend did it for her father, he was still with us at the time, and they all retraced his steps.
WW1 records are more patchy. They were stored at Southampton and hit by an incendiary bomb in ww2 Couldn't get my dad's dad's records but did my mums. He was a driver, not looked at them for years, but went AWOL a couple of times. We have my OH's dad's dad's navy discharge papers. My father in law was on the frigates. Torpedoed twice and I never heard him speak of it. must put that on the to do list, too.
My dad's mum lost her fiance in WW1 eventually marrying my grandfather who died during WW2 but not as a result of war. Both my dad and his elder brother, both serving, got 48h hours leave for the funeral. That had to include getting across the channel and back!
This stuff must be kept alive within families and not left to interested historians.
Foot off the gas here. Started bright and beautiful. Now grey and breezy. But dry. Actually some of the plants in the garden could do with moisture 😱😱😱. It's been a drying breeze constantly.
I've weeded the greenhouse, must have sown triffids! Neighbour has pruned our plum tree. That's when RHS says to do it. Sacrificed no end of plums. Summoning the energy to remove the smaller fallen bits.
Now on the sunlounger, awaiting a break in the clouds 🤞
Sounds like folk have had nice breaks/visits/stays etc. I'm loving the photos.
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