What are you all up to
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We loved St Davids as well. Lovely cathedral. Not so sure about the steep walk down there and then back up again though!
Had a lovely, happy lunch out with friends yesterday. Very hard frost again today. Probably indoor jobs today after a fairly busy week.
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Lovely to read the posts, been kept busy here with hard landscaping work - watching and directing 😉. The extremely cold weather slowing things down. Veg area, out the front, dug out, raised beds filled with most of our own soil but need to be topped up with more topsoil before I cover with weed suppressant matting. Existing retaining wall demolished and footings dug out for the new wall, original wall had had repairs and possibly not strong enough for the new patio and steps so better safe than sorry.
Today it's clearing up the rubbish and rubble and preparing for pouring the footings on Monday when temperatures are higher. I've had most of that soil placed on an existing bed that was one foot higher at the front than the back! We are finding querks everywhere around our new home 🤔.
Plenty more to do, slabbing around the raised beds, digging up the existing patio at the back and side and relaying. Then extending the block paving drive and path to allow for dustbin removal without going over the grass and make a turning area that avoids driving over the grass. See what I mean about querks? But hopefully all finished in time for spring gardening.
Good to read folk recovering and improving from operations and 'events', hopefully that includes HelenandTrevor. We have been 'suffering' with a cold/flu bug since between Christmas and now, not covid, so taking it slowly and making allowances.
Great to hear Milliehull had written praise of her tour guiding. So many folks write to complain but not always compliment other than to tell the person immediately involved - well done Milliehull 👏 👍
The cathedral visits caused me to consider those we've 'done'. Really surprised by the number we've clocked up, accidentally as we just like to look at cathedrals, castles and churches. 21 cathedrals, all in England except Orkney and Edinburgh. All interesting in their own right, Chelmsford was the parish church until 1912 so not grand. We've done foreign ones too, but must post that in the overseas section 😉😉😉
Hoping for a dry day next Friday as I have booked a walk as part of the Katharine of Aragon festival in Peterborough and am looking forward to it.
Been doing various paperwork, neglected this time last year due to house move preparations 😱 and realised I'd forgotten about a regular savings account that has matured a while back - very pleasant surprise.
Q
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Good to hear things progressing well Bakers.
Mrs WN drove her mother into town today for an appointment. She said the council hadn't done anything to make the car parks safe and saw a few people already on their backsides when she pulled into one so decided to drop mother off outside the door of the premises and told her to ring her when she had finished. She then found a safe roadside parking and went to the library and pharmacy, which are both in a precinct and a bit safer underfoot. She said people were using parked cars in the car park to help with walking. Mind you some footwear left a lot to be desired.
A&E going to be even busier. Poor NHS staff.
Snow starting to melt a bit now.
Take extra care folks.
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A strange day today.
Arranged to meet a couple of work colleagues for coffee, I went out to defrost the car, drivers door frozen solid. I climbed over from the passenger seat to start my car and push the door open, no joy. After 30 min of warming the car I still couldn’t get the door open, believe the lock has froze. Eventually gave up and OH ran me in. Two hours of catching up and a lovely chat and laughs. But annoyed I was so late getting there. Costa was so busy, with queues all the while.
Arrived home, made a sandwich and we settled down to watch Father Brown. It’s a bit corny but we enjoy spotting places in the Cotswold that we recognise. Got a surprise today! My Uncle and Aunt, she was also my Godmother, lived in the Lodge of a Manor House for over 60 years. I spent a lot of my childhood and teens growing up there and continued to visit until recently when Auntie passed away. As the programme started we both recognised the Manor, this has been filmed in the series before. Then it switched to the Lodge, the actors were entering Aunties door! From then on many scenes at her little house. So very strange to see a house that you have known so well all your life in a tv play.
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Had a busy morning stacking logs - and was I so pleased to be doing so. It seems that every supplier around here has run out of logs - or so it seemed at the beginning of the month. All down to the demand for wood-burning stoves in recent months (and our son-in law is partially responsible because he's a stove installer!). Anyway, got a phone call from our regular supplier a couple of days ago asking if we'd like some logs since they had a small amount available - (having previously said there wouldn't be any until the autumn). Yes please - said I - and they arrived first thing and are now stacked away in the store. Back and knees are suffering a bit, but I'm not complaining
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Plenty of logs around here Richard and the price has gone up, we do not have a wood burner but may think of one for next winter as no shortage in shops around here.
Woke to a white out this morning the most snow we have had for 10 years and we had to go out for flu jab about 12 miles from here but at least the roads were not too bad as we were in OH's Landcruiser and as we got about 10 miles from home no snow just green everywhere, hope it is not icy tomorrow as we have to go back for jab as we should have had flu vaccine with us so the nurse rang a local Pharmacie and we will go there and pick it up before going for jab heyho but a nice trip out in the countryside.
A few photos taken with all this snow about a lot has melted but a frost forecast tonight so will be chilly tomorrow.
Take care folks and know what you mean with foorwear WN even saw one lady in heels a bit different from me today in layers of clothing and a pair of warm lined wellies with suede effect tops very comfortable and non slip.
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Can you believe today?! I've been pottering around site doing odd jobs to keep occupied before we work at another site next week. After a really sharp frost, by 11.00 the sun was out with clear blue sky and it was getting warm!. By 1.30 we'd got to a heady 12 degrees and no wind at all which is a rarity here in North Devon (we're 200 meters above sea level). The best afternoon was had, we took our chairs and sat on Woolacombe beach for a couple of hours, shorts and t shirt on. A book, sandwich and a bottle of beer, on the beach mid January in Devon. Living the dream me
JK
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Well you must be a very hardy soul....... Sounds blissful but I wouldn't be in shorts and t-shirt at 12c. Full arms and legs probably with a blanket as a minimum 🤣🤣🤣
Frozen lumps removed from bird water over previous days have now thawed 😀.
Workman left for weekend, things looking a bit tidier 🤐. Managed to go out after they'd left and swept with a stiff broom. Hopefully less mud to tread indoors. Certainly not warm but the brushing helped and the improvement is amazing 😉. The brighter days are proving the sun is setting a little later every day 🙂
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Seriously JK! We have lived here long enough to know that the weather can be different here from even one bay to the next but.. it’s been freezing here. I haven’t been able to open the drivers door of my car all day because the frozen door lock hasn’t defrosted. The ice in the birdbath has been too thick to break all day and the ice on our drive didn’t clear, I went out with thick coat, scarf and I was still cold. I just read your post to OH and he shivered, he says you must have lit a fire 😂
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Gosh you must be very hardy JK and I thought you were used to Spanish temperatures.
We have had days in the last two weeks where we have sat out for coffee and lunch no shorts or tee shirt for me but OH will be out in a short sleeved shirt for most of year he does not do tee shirts as no pocket for 2nd pair of glasses nor does he do shorts too many health problems, we did have a glass of bubbly sat outside on Xmas day and it was 21C lovely and yes we know about North Devon coastal winds as we used to have holidays there many years ago.
Where are you off to next week.
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I haven’t been able to open the drivers door of my car all day because the frozen door lock hasn’t defrosted
Debs, we occasionally have a similar problem with the car doors being such a neat fit any damp around the doorseals causes them to stick during freezing conditions. My solution to free the doors is using a hair drier, on low heat/gentle blow, to melt the ice and it works a dream.
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Lovely and sunny here today, but very cold, -3 when we got up.
We have been down at DD's most of the day. Not one of our scheduled days, but she had some things for me to do, plus wanted to do their tax returns in the afternoon (she has Friday afternoons off) rather than in an evening.
So I was entertaining the children while OH did laundry and helped DD to sort and find the correct paperwork. The task was finally completed by 5pm and we were able to come home.
Over the weekend we will be at home as we have things to do here, and then we have to make some decisions about where to go for our Easter break.
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One of the tricks we used to have up our sleeves when We were on call~out is quite simple == take two of the microwave warmers as used to warm dinner plates. Place them in the M/wave before you get your cold weather clobber on-- opps sorry
I mean cold weather attire , then pop them into your overcoat pocket, head for the vehicle and hold them firmly against the lock -- miracles will never cease -- the door should be openable !! Never failed to work for this G.P.O. Genius 
but certainly never stood for nonsense from Morris Minors nor Bedford HAs I can assure you !!Nellie, the Hair dryer should work but when did you see a Telecomms engineer with a hair dryer in his tool bag , please ??
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Had a SURPRISE visit from a nephew and his Lady along with one Busy working son that they had collected !! So now I'm the pride possessor of a Nice New Christmas card and a couple of PRESENTS !!
Nothing wrong but The lady had a hip replaced before Christmas, a stinking rotten family cold and another unpleasant bit of Surgery, so they decided to cheer yours truly up since I am wheel-less for a while. Still The world deffo looked bright and Sunny this afternoon
And I hope you all are finding it so 
.Brian
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We have had a splendid week, hardly a ripple on the Solent all week, with lashings of sunshine, however, our temps have not reached much more than 4 degs but have been in shorts since i returned from Spain early January.
the solar panels are generating on average 4kw per day so on average am only spending £1.75 drawing power from the grid, and approx £3.25 for gas so not really suffering from the high energy prices, weather set fair for next 4 days, great
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It's -4C this morning but due to the snow and ice it feels like the -9C we had before Christmas. Luckily the sun is ski slope bright so it might warm up, only the postman in shorts round here but he was having a grumble yesterday. Found a frozen Amazon parcel round the back of the car on the driveway this morning, a long way from our letterbox where the driver said he'd posted it....grrr and brrrr...
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Still a bit foggy here in MK. Lovely day yesterday so took the opportunity to take the van out for a run, I try and do it monthly when not using it. Got the bathroom fitter coming this afternoon to check out the job and hopefully give us a date for start of work. Until we know that we can't really make any plans to get away in the van. Not quite sure what it is about this time of year which on the surface looks to be quiet but by the time you book dental appointments, have the van serviced, have the oven cleaned and sundry other items you end up with a very busy calendar!
David
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This month I volunteered to hold a village fund raising event at our home (table top sale, coffee, raffle etc) it's one of those things I now wish I hadn't done but no doubt will be alright on the day....so at the end of next week I can start to relax a bit.
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A little misty in the distance, but the sun is out here in Polesworth, although at 10.45am the cars are still frosted over, so I suspect it's still quite cold out there.
Our daughter and 18mth old grandson (+2 springer dogs) are still here with us (.....down from the Outer Hebrides until whilst our son-in-law is working in Switzerland). They're here until Tuesday. It's lovely to have them, although I'm spending quite a bit of time putting the DVD's back in the cabinet which Euan has fetched out for the nth time!! 🤣🤣.
Out first caravan trip of the New Year is now overdue!! This time last year, we'd already been out once.... I want to try Lady Margaret's Park and Clumber Park... so these will be amongst the first on our list!!
David
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Cold and frosty here again today miserable. Not getting the new car until next week then will need to arrange for the tow bar to be fitted. We are looking forward to our first trip out in the van this year hopefully will be in the next 3 weeks or so
Hope everyone else has a nice weekend
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Cold again here, and very dull, keeping the heating on meantime.
I now have the upstairs bathroom door back in place, so next need to shorten and replace the door facings, and start preparing the countertops for OH to apply the finish. Then we can work towards getting the rest of the house back to normal, which will involve a lot of cleaning.
I have a feeling that OH will soon be suggesting that we should go out and look at vehicles, she has made a "shortlist" of ones we might consider. She has 18 models on it, so far, so going to take a while!!
However, I think quite a few can be discounted immediately as too big overall, and/or too expensive, and I have a feeling we are going to struggle to find one of the external size she would be happy with AND a big enough load area for Nathan's pushchair plus a few bags of shopping.
She also has a list of other essential requirements........must be automatic gearbox, must have heated seats, and must be a good height for getting in and out of easily.
I think we need to go to one of those places where there are all the different makes/dealers located right next to each other, must be somewhere like that in Glasgow.
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We have had glorious clear blue skies and sunshine for this last week, but a very hard frost. It’s a real pain driving into Sun as well. Packing MH today🤩. Only a night out, down to Banbury area, but after nearly three months of being stuck at home, it will be a real treat. We are going off grid as well, so it will be gas heating and a couple of hot water bottles for overnight (never use heating at night). Might persuade the pooch to rough it on the bed if he’s game. 🤣
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Much colder here down to -3.5C then a bit more snow so warmed up to -0.1C but now a bit warmer at 2C and sun coming out in between dark clouds. Now had flu jab after collecting vaccines from a local Pharmacie and the nurse ok bigger needle for OH and I got the smaller needle now all done and the nurse said you can get the next Phizer Covid (no 6) in six months time and that will be June so will have to plan when to have our break down near the Pyrenees and OH has his CT (MOT) end of June.
Enjoy your weekend folks and your night away Tda.
3 motorhomes in a Aire in PuylaRoque on our way back home.
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OH is still suffering with back problem but he did run me to Tesco as I still can’t get my car door open. The ice outside is much worse today and we’re north facing at the front so no sun on it, the back door has now frozen as well. I’ve decided not to stand out there with an extension lead and hairdryer as it’s just too cold. I’m going to wait til Monday when they say it will be warmer. Big shop done, long shopping list followed, ingredients bought for lots of new recipes to try next week.
Our 51st wedding anniversary tomorrow but we have decided not to eat out on a Sunday. It gets busy and he’s not really up to it with his back pain. Rather than cook I bought a nice bottle of wine and a Chinese meal from Tesco, that will suit us - we must be getting old!
Daughter phoned, she has booked a table at a charity table top sale, so have we got anything she can sell. Have we! Oh music to my ears, not sure she will be so pleased when we turn up to hers with it all. For a start her flipping dolls house in our loft.
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A bit different today. The frost is hanging on in the shade and a cold breeze has kept the shorts in the drawer! We walked the coast path from Ilfracombe to Combe Martin and back then rewarded with a bag of chips
Must be age catching up as I've got the day wrong to start work, don't have to go until Tuesday so I'll knock another job off the list before we go. We're only going up the coast to do a weeks rest day cover at that nice little site near Butlins
. Annoyingly our computer is down here so we can't cram any training in on the new system. We only got to use it for 10 days last year before we closed the site. Oh well just hope everybody is patient!!Now sitting with my feet up, looking at classic bikes on ebay with a very cheeky G&T
JK
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That’s what we have been doing for the past few months we spent a lot of time at the Phoenix park place near Linwood they have lots of dealers of all different brands all near to each other as well as plenty of second hand car places. We have now done a deal for another Volvo and funnily enough after all the walking around showrooms in Glasgow and Ayr we are buying from the local garage half a mile from our house.
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Enjoy your change of scenery JK I know where you are going.
Snow is melting here thankfully but a few freezing nights to come so not an awful lot to do outside so a few more inside chores next week perhaps some early spring cleaning of kitchen cupboards too cold for painting the bedroom.
Have a note from our local Marie today with a code number on it for us to use in completing the 10 year Census it is done at different years for different villages not all at once like UK and it can be done on line although looking at the Marie's office notice board they have employed somebody for 1 month to those who do not do online paperwork.
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