Ramblings of the recently retired

The White House

2012-02-02T17:49:00.002Z

You may have read in an earlier blog about my problems with US immigration, basically keeping us standing in a queue for over 1.5 hours by using only 4 desks out of 20 available. We nearly missed a connecting flight because of these delays.I did not think it was acceptable so I placed a complaint on the White House site. The reply was less tham useful, so I thought I'd share it with you.
December 30, 2011
Dear Friend:
Thank you for taking the time to write. I have heard many personal accounts from individuals and families across our country, and I appreciate your sharing your story with me.Each day, I read letters from Americans so that I stay connected to their real-life and diverse experiences. By working together and involving all Americans in shaping the policies that affect us, we will build a brighter future for ourselves and our Nation.
Thank you again for sharing your story with me. I wish you all the best in the future.
Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Does that answer by complaint about US immigration? I think not.

Specsavers

2012-01-26T21:36:00.000Z

Having unfortunately broken or lost all my spectacles I had to go to Specsavers to order some new ones. Us oldies are entitled to a free eye test but only once every two years (otherwise when we were bored we'd go into a different opticians every week for a test, just to pass the time.)As you would expect, there are a range of different prices but there are also a range of different offers which is so complex that you need a degree in applied mathematics to work out the best one. In the end I decided to be guided by the assistant, so I hope she's on my side and not Specsavers. I was unaware that the old pair, pictured above, were lost and broken, until a kind gent from Brixham rang my mobile to tell me he'd found them, in the road near the sea front, where I had been taking photographs earlier. He advised they had been run over and were no longer servicable, but at least I got them back to see for myself. I always put my phone number in my Spec. case in the hope that when (not if) I leave them somewhere someone will let me know where they are. I'm still waiting for the call about the ones I lost in Newcastle on Tyne last year.

British Telecom

2012-01-13T10:54:00.001Z

BT were nearly added to the list of dodgy companies recently, but saved themself at the last minute.I was at my mum’s house when we noticed her telephone was dead.

My mum is 91, is only partially sighted, is a bit unsteady on her feet and normally lives on her own. She has an emergency call device which she wears round her neck that is linked to this phone line, so if she falls she can press the button and get help. She also gets very lonely as she cannot get out much and the phone is her way to call family on a daily basis as she would other wise have no-one to takl to from one day to the next. The phone is her lifeline.

Using my computer I went on line and through the BT web site ( www.bt.com ) was able to carry out a test of her line which confirmed there was a fault near her house.BT reminded me that if the fault was in the house then they would charge for a visit, and asked if I wanted to report the fault on line to their website. I opened the master socket, tested the line from here confirming that the fault was outside the house, so I reported it at 5pm on Sunday night.

BT’s website gave a reference number and stated the fault would be fixed by Thursday. I decided to call them to see if they would increase the priority but left this until Monday morning when I knew staff would answer the phone.

When I called on Monday morning, there was no queue, I got straight through, explained the situation and asked if they could increase the priority of the repair. The call centre person said he would see what he could do.

Later that morning, as I was on my way back home a BT engineer called to say he was on site, and by 1:30 pm on Monday the fault was fixed. Considering the original estimate for the repair was Thursday, I think just after lunch on Monday was a good result – Well done BT.

I was pleased that they were able to help, I would have been very disappointed if they could not, as I worked for BT as a telecomms engineer and later an engineering manager for 31 years, and am now a BT pensioner. Any failings on the part of BT always make me feel bad as I know I did my best to make things go well when I worked for them.

United Airlines And USA Immigration.

2011-12-04T21:57:00.001Z

Having returned from a special holiday in America, to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary, I was obliged to write to United Airlines to complain about their service: If I booked flights 6 months in advance and specify we are a couple celebrating an anniversary, you would think they could seat us together. They failed on this most simple requirement. One one 3 hour flight they failed totally, we were allocated seats at opposite ends of the plane. We complained and got seats on the same row but not together, there were two people between us who would not move. On a second 5.5 hour flight they only managed to re-allocate us seats together after we had strong words with them at the departure desk.

At Honolulu Airport on our return journey, their economy check in was so slow we nearly missed our flight despite arriving at the airport 2.5 hours before the flight time.

I was also disappointed with the performance of the Immigration Dept. at Chicago O'Hare airport, where it took us about an hour and a half standing in a queue to get into America. 16 Desks were available for non US citizens but only four were manned, and the one we were queueing for shut, just as as we got to the front of the queue, so the officer could have his break. By this time, our next flight was boarding and we still had to collect our cases, clear customs and move to another terminal building to catch it. We were not amused. You would think when they know a 400 seat plane is landing they would put more staff on duty.

Vodafone, do they know what they are selling?

2011-12-04T21:54:00.000Z

It’s been a whilesince I posted a blog, I don’t know where the time goes sometimes.

It may be thatI’m spending it corresponding with firms that are less than competent.
I have met a fewof these recently.

Vodafone are mylatest problem.

I wanted an internet‘dongle’ so I can use my laptop when away from home.

Looking at allthe deals on line, the best offer was a £19.99 ‘pay as you go’ dongle fromVodafone. The web site said it would have 500MB which would be good for 60 dayswith the price for more being £5 per 250Mb valid for 30 days

I could havepurchased it online but I decided to go to the Torquay shop instead so I couldpick it up there and then.

The shop had thedevice in stock but it was £24.99. I told him it was £19.99 online and heopened the web page and read it for himself, he then asked his colleague “arethese still £24.99 in the shop?” and his colleague said “yes”, so he charged me£24.99 (if I wasn’t in a hurry and didn’t need it urgently I’d have left it inthe shop.)

It worked whenplugged in but only seemed to have 250MB of data included valid for 30 days,250MB less than the web site offer. (£5 worth of data) So I appear to have beenovercharged by £10 in total.

Two emails toVodafone have so far failed to sort it out, they suggested I go back to the shopto sort it out, despite the fact they could easily top the device up on line. Iwon’t be buying a Vodafone mobile phone if that is the best they can do.

HelloBob,

Thankyou for writing Vodafone customer service with regards to the price plan.
Ilike to inform you that if store person has charged you more than please visitthe point of purchase, they will be the best people who can assist you furtherin this matter. Itrust this information will help.
Kind regards,
Ch** (I've deleted the name)
Vodafone Customer Services

Spooky, or what?

2011-05-18T20:19:00.008+01:00

We travelled from South Devon to a family wedding near Ross on Wye in Herefordshire last weekend. The most direct route was via the M5 then M49 and M4 over the Severn Bridge into Wales and onwards via Monmouth to return to England and our destination, Much Marcle.

We have the radio on but it is turned right down, too quiet to hear, as we know it will go louder if there is any traffic news.

About two hours into our journey, as we crossed the Severn Bridge into Wales, (just after paying the £5.70 toll on the bridge - or is that the entrance fee for Wales?) my wife, Glynis, decided to turn up the volume on the radio to see what music was playing.

Just as she did this, Chris Evans put on a recording of a Welsh male voice choir who just happened to be singing the Welsh National Anthem.

I admit I don’t normally listen to Chris Evans Saturday Radio show on Radio 2, so I am not familiar with what sort of music he normally plays, but I believe that most of the time it is pop music.

The following thoughts came to mind:-

- When we set off from Devon the radio wasn’t tuned to Radio 2, it has changed stations on its own on the way up the motorway.

- This is a usually a pop music station.

- We have just crossed the border into Wales.

- Radio 2 is playing the Welsh National Anthem, sung by a male voice choir.

- My wife randomly decided to turn up the radio so she can hear what is on.

I should point out that all my wife's ancestors are Welsh, she has no English blood, she is a medium (and possibly a white witch), and she had a maiden name of Evans! (Same as the DJ)

Furthermore, when we crossed back into England later in the journey, we turned the radio up again and it was playing pop music again (no English anthem!)

Personally I found this a bit spooky!

I voted for AV

2011-05-05T20:13:00.005+01:00

I voted yes in favour of the AV system.

I like the idea that in an AV system I will be able to protest about the incompetence of the main parties by making the Monster Raving Looney candidate my first choice. I won’t feel that I’ve wasted my vote, if he gets eliminated in the first round as my second choice candidate will then get my vote.

Just think though, if everyone thought and voted like me, the Monster Raving Looney would win the 50% required and would represent me in Parliament.

I may, of course, have difficulties spotting the difference between him and the MP that previously used to represent this constituency! He though it was ok to spend £80,000 of public money on work at his £1M mansion in Devon including around £50,000 on the 500 trees there, allegedly claiming they were essential parliamentary expenses as they gave off oxygen that kept him alive.

MP gives excuses for spending over £88,000 of our money on his mansion in Devon.

I am a little confused why this particular AV system is the one on offer, as even the Lib/Dems who wanted the change are not too keen on this particular version of AV and would prefer a proportional representation system, like the one used to elect Euro MPs.

British intervention in Libya.

2011-03-22T09:06:00.004Z

"The world is full of evil men engaged in doing evil things. That does not make us policemen to round them up nor judges to find them guilty and to sentence them. What is so special about the ruler of Iraq* that we suddenly discover that we are to be his jailers and his judges? ... we as a nation have no interest in the existence or non-existence of Kuwait or, for that matter, Saudi Arabia as an independent state... I sometimes wonder if, when we shed our power, we omitted to shed our arrogance."

(Enoch Powell – 1990)

* For Iraq and Kuwait read Libya!

What determines what countries we intervene in, should we not have done something about Mugabe in Zimbabwe by now, or numerous other dictators?

Two Nice Meals Out in South Devon.

2011-02-04T20:12:00.012Z

We had two nice meals out recently –

Having just ordered a new car in Plymouth we needed somewhere not too expensive for lunch on the way home. Midway between Paignton and Plymouth on the old road out of Totnes, in Avonwick village, is the Avon Inn, a small independant pub that serves food.

We have stopped there once before so we decided to try it again and were pleasantly surprised to find it was open, welcoming and reasonably priced.

We had meals off the ‘specials’ board at two for £10, which were served up very promptly and which were very tasty. I had two big thick slices of lean ham with egg and chips and Glynis had a lasagna which she said was very tasty.

The pub also serves a choice of real ales, as I was driving I only sampled the Otter Ale, which is a tasty local beer from East Devon. There were three other local real ales on the bar, so I think we will have to go there again.

To celebrate 45 years since the night we met (Saturday 29th January 1966), we went out last Saturday night for dinner at the “Inn on The Green”, a Marston’s pub on the Sea front in Paignton.

I chose that pub because they serve Real Ale and we could get there on the bus and both have a drink. Again we had two nice meals, well presented and very tasty. I had also forgotten when I ordered the meals that the pub does two for one on meals so the cheaper of the dinners was free which was a nice surprise. I had a nice piece of Sea Bass off the Specials board and Glynis had a Rump Steak. We paid less than £15 for the two meals which was excellent value and we will certainly go there again.

The bar and serving staff were friendly attentive and helpful, and the Hobgoblin and Ringwood ales ( I sampled both) washed the food down nicely.

With the main course savings we indulged in two nice desserts before making our way along to the Spinning Wheel for a quick dance (just like 45 years ago) before we went home. Woke up the following morning with a few aches, thats what 45 additional years does to a body!

As an extra bonus, when I looked up the Web Site address for the Inn on the Quay, I discovered I could sign up and get a free drink, so naturally I did. Now we have to go back there at some time.

We went on the bus and returned by Taxi, but if you take a car you will find that, as the building is on the sea front, they have a pay and display car park. By leaving part 1 of the ticket in the car and taking part 2 in the pub you will find they refund the car park fee agains your purchase.

Excellent customer service, and a history of lockmaking.

2011-01-12T16:14:00.009Z

No sooner had I got the heating repaired, than the next thing broke, this time it was the locking mechanism on the front door of the house which failed on Monday.

Having dismantled it I could see that a piece of white metal had broken in the gear box and could not be fixed. The house is around 10 years old so the lock must be a similar age.

The only identifying mark to be found on the lock were the letters ‘ERA’ so I googled “ERA locks” on the internet and found this company in the West Midlands.

ERA Security

A quick browse through the site identified that this was the right company as they had pictures of locks just like mine. I called their sales line and spoke to a lady called Karen. I told her the problem, and she said she would send a replacement.
We went though the process of identifying the type of lock I would need and I asked how much it would cost. I can’t remember her exact words but she basically said “It shouldn’t have broken, I’ll send a replacement gearbox free of charge”. True to her word it arrived today and I can see from the stamp that it cost their company £2.23 in postage. I think a free replacement of a ten year old lock is an example of excellent customer service.

(I had noted that on their site they do give ten year guarantees on some of their products, but how often does one have to provide original receipts etc when claiming on this type of guarantee.)
Nothing like that in this case, just:- “I’ll put it in the post now, sir”. I called her back after an hour to confirm the measurements of the lock and Karen said “It's already in our post room, sir.” Karen – you’re a star!

I was also pleased to note that the company is still located in and manufacturing locks in Willenhall, quite near where I was born in Wolverhampton.

Willenhall, has been the heart of the British Lock industry for over 200 years with over 300 lock making companies in the town at one time. It was once known to locals as ‘Humpshire’ due to deformities caused to lockworkers by poor working conditions, the article at end of link below will tell you more. I lived quite near there as a boy and was aware that there were public houses in the town with seats modified for people with humped backs until as late as 1956.

Lockmaking in Willenhall.

The locksmiths house in above article is part of the Black Country Museum.

Rip Off Company of the Year

2011-01-04T19:22:00.007Z

You may have seen earlier blogs regarding companies who I think are taking liberties and overcharging for goods and services.

It occurred to me that I should decide who is the worst culprit to get the title "Rip off of the year 2010". The short list consists of:

The Hopping Hare, Northampton - £5.45 for a glass of wine (which I have to fetch from the bar myself, I might add)

Exeter Airport for their revised short term parking charges - 11 minutes now costs £2.00 in the short stay.

Admiral Insurance, quoting £740 for a renewal when they can actually do it for £600 if you ask.

Cheltenham and Gloucester for offering a top up of my ISA paying 0.05% interest and neglecting to inform me they are offering ISAs to new customers at 2.5% and 3.5% .

And finally, sneaking in on December 31st, just before the VAT increase, is roadchef at Strensham services on the M5 in Worcestershire. They had the nerve to charge 80pence for a standard size Mars bar and 80p for a four finger kit kat (not even a chunky one).
I know they have to open 24 hours a day but the foot fall during the day is huge and most give them healthy profits at these prices. I now remember why I rarely buy anything at Motorway service areas. If I'd bought the items at Sainsburies where I got the petrol, I'd have got two of each for that price.

For that reason roadchef have won Bob's 2010 award "Rip off Company of the year" and little chance of further custom from me.

I must also try to cure the chocolate craving, or plan ahead by having some in the car.

New photo blog

2010-12-27T18:22:00.006Z

Since my blog was reviewed by Clifford James, I have had time to look at some of the others that were reviewed with me. It seems the other bloggers are far more active than I, so I will have to resolve to try to blog more often. A couple of them are keen photographers so I have decided to become a follower of them. I may hopefully be able to add some photo blogs of my own at this site where I hope by learning from others I will be able to post better photographs.

O2 and the new Blackberry phone.

2010-12-15T21:18:00.003Z

Emily’s phone recently died so she went to 02 for a replacement, as she has a contract with them, she left the shop with a Blackberry which seems to do everything she wants.

Within two weeks it becomes obvious that it does not work properly in her flat, calls keep breaking up. Since she only has this phone (no landline) for use in her flat it is therefore not fit for purpose.

Taking it back to the 02 shop she is told it is a network issue and she has to call 02 from her flat but from a different phone so they can check the network. The shop said they were aware of network problems in the TQ1 area. The shop also said if you tell 02 your alternative number they will call you back on it so you don’t use up all your credit.

The only way to call 02 from her flat without using her phone is on my (Orange) mobile phone so I travelled over there tonight so she can do this.

Naturally this gets her though to a call centre :-( where the operator asks her name, number and security details before asking for details of the problem. When the operator is told the problem, he/she puts her through to the network department, who promptly asks her all the same questions again and then proceeds to try to diagnose the problem. Emily tells them she is on an Orange 'pay as you go' and can they call her back, giving them my number, they agree to do this immediately. I heard her give them the correct number.

30 minutes or more later after having no phone call from 02, Emily calls again, only to go through the same ritual again of telling 02 everything twice. She cannot get the same person again so she has to explain the problem again. They then try to diagnose the problem again while she is hanging on using my Orange phone. They call her on her 02 blackberry and sure enough the call breaks up. The total duration of these two calls is now so long that my credit expires and the call is cut off. (£10 last me two months usually!)

Emily rings 02 for a third time, (from her faulty phone) and gets annoyed with ‘Abby’ the 02 operator who will not give out her second name or put her through to Ryan who was the person trying to identify the problem unless she goes through the security process for the third time.

Fortunately Ryan then calls back on the 02 phone and through the call, which is breaking up, manages to get my Orange Number. He then calls on this line and advises that there is not a network fault in TQ1 (ie the 02 shop were telling lies). He advises Emily to go back to the shop and get the phone replaced and get a new sim as well.

As she is at work this will probably have to wait to next weekend, and in the meantime she will have to struggle with a breaking up line while at home in her flat. Personally I think 02 could do better, furthermore they owe me £7.20 credit for my Orange phone, which I will be asking for.

Update 16/12/10 Emily has finished work early so she can go back to O2 shop, the manager called 02 himself and explained the problem which he still says is a network fault in TQ1 (The 02 call centre denied this yesterday). Somebody is not telling the truth. I await a solution, perhaps she should move to Orange.

Invincible Slippers

2010-12-13T23:23:00.007Z

I hope no one has bought me slippers for Christmas or birthday this year as I recently obtained a pair from Clifford James. On their web site there was a choice of 27 different variety of slipper, so I had plenty of choice.

I decided that as I can be quite hard on slippers I’d try a pair of Clifford James's ‘Invincible’ slippers. We will see in time if they live up to their name. Being retired, I spend a reasonable amount of hours per week in slippers and, as I can be quite hard on them an ‘invincible’ pair sounds good. After a week and a bit I cannot see any signs of wear and they are still a good fit, which is a good sign. I noted one loose thread after a few days and cut it off but they haven’t fallen apart, and do not look as if they will.

They were delivered by courier in a brown cardboard box sealed with plastic, which was just as well as they were delivered in the rain.

I put them on and discovered they are quite a close fit, which is probably due to the newness of the wool lining and the fact I had thick socks on. I can wiggle my toes about and the width is just about right for my foot. As we have all wood floors in our house it can be quite chilly at floor level in winter and the wool lining is definitely keeping out the draughts nicely. They are also really good without socks and very warm due to the wool lining.

The top and the sole are made of “other materials” the top has a soft leathery finish and the sole appears to be rubber.

I have been outside in them and they appear to be water resistant, which is good as I often go outside in my slippers. I don’t like having to change into shoes several times a day before I venture into the garden to put out rubbish etc. (postscript- I unfortunately walked mud back in with me, however holding the slipper under the cold tap soon washed it off.)

I like slippers with a back, otherwise they fall off at inappropriate moments, usually when I’m half way up the ladder into the loft. The back on these slippers seems quite solid and at the moment is holding the slipper on well. I've been up and down to the loft several times, getting down the Christmas decorations.

They are keeping my feet warm as well, despite the extreme cold weather we’ve been having, I shall be interested to see how I do in warmer weather.

Bargain of the day

2010-12-05T21:37:00.006Z

Good news for a change. Yesterday in my local newspaper was a half price voucher for The Mail on Sunday. Since I buy this paper anyway I thought the half price offer was a nice bonus. On top of which the free CD in the paper today was the Album "Parallel Lines" by Blondie, plus two bonus tracks fron her new CD "Panic of Girls". And there is a chance to download a third track from the new CD for nothing. That's 15 tracks of Blondie and a Sunday Newspaper for 75p. It must be Christmas!

Click here for video of one of the songs

The 10 11 worst things about Christmas

2010-11-30T15:50:00.012Z

Bah humbug! It’s nearly that time of year again. A time when the shops fill with useless items that nobody actually needs (otherwise known as stocking fillers), TV adverts suddenly feature snow-covered landscapes (even though I can’t remember the last time it actually snowed in December) and an annoying old bearded man in a red coat suddenly starts appearing everywhere (wasn’t he just a part of some Coca Cola advertising campaign?).

No, there is nothing very merry about Christmas, I would prefer to be wrapped up at home with my pipe and slippers than participating in seemingly endless Christmas shopping. And just to prove how bad things really are, I’ve listed the eleven worst features of the Christmas season:

1. You’re forced to eat turkey. Turkey has undesirable side effects on my digestive system and the fact that the rest of the world only seems to eat it once a year says a lot about its edible qualities. But I suppose turkey farmers have to make their money somewhere...

2. There’s far too much singing going on. And not good singing. This is all cheery, goodwill stuff with the occasional religious reference. It’s also persistent - it doesn’t seem to matter where you go, the carol singers will find you.

3. The television starts showing naff films. I mean, how many times do we really want to see Mary Poppins? It was bad enough the first time around.

4. You have to wear party hats. Enough said.

5. The shops are full of frantic people. Run out of milk? Forget going to the shops in the run up to Christmas. Those last few days are full of stressed last-minute shoppers and old ladies arguing over the remaining turkeys. Milking the cow yourself would probably be a quicker alternative.

6. Life becomes one endless fire-hazard. Fairy lights? Candles? Burning Christmas puddings? It’s enough to give any fire-conscious person a nervous breakdown.

7. You are required to plant a tree in your living room. You go to the Christmas tree farm, select a tree that has had its roots cut off, pay vast amounts of money for it, (even though you know it’s as good as dead!) and bring it home (filling the car with dirt, leaves and pine needles) to place in the totally unsuitable environment of your living room, where you cover it in tinsel and baubles. Each day from when it arrives sees new piles of pine needles on the floor, and by twelfth night (apparently it is unlucky to take it down any earlier), there are piles of needles all over the living room floor, in the carpet and under the furniture. As you remove the tree from the house it catches on the door and the last few needles fly off and wedge themselves in every nook and cranny where you will continue to find them for the rest of the year.

8. Expected goodwill. It may be the season of goodwill, but that’s no reason to turn up on my doorstep reciting carols or praising the power of God. There is a limit to my goodwill, even at Christmas. (PS. "We wish you a Merry Christmas" is not a carol, especially when sung by small boys holding out their hands for money on my doorstep when I'm in the middle of watching a good film!)

9. The bottomless pit of spending. Every year we budget. Every year it goes out of the window. Wouldn’t it be so much better if we just spent money on ourselves at Christmas, rather than buying naff presents for others? That way we’d all get exactly what we wanted, with no overspends.

10. Foul weather. As if thing’s weren’t bad enough, it’s bloomin’ freezing, it’s dark at 5 o’clock and it rains a lot. None of that aforementioned snow that advertisers keep producing - Christmas is just cold and rainy. Bah humbug!

11. Everyone is so over-excited about Christmas that my birthday (and my sister's Birthday) on 26th(Boxing Day) is completely overlooked (except by a small select group of friends and family).

Rip off Britain, (Part 3)

2010-11-22T22:56:00.002Z

I’d like to add the the “Hopping Hare” pub in Northampton for charging £5.45 for a glass of house wine. I know the pub burnt down a few years ago, but I didn’t expect to have to pay for the rebuilding. I don’t think I’lll be eating and drinking in there, at least not while the Hungry Horse on Sixfields is open! Not only are the meals there much cheaper but you get a good plateful, not a gourmet taster size portion.

Motorways

2010-11-22T22:49:00.003Z

Driving home last night down the M5 from Wolverhampton to Devon, I thought wouldn’t it be useful if I had a big sponge (about 12 foot by 5 foot) attached to the nearside of my car, so I could gently ease people back into the inside lane when it was free. I get very annoyed when I come up behind people doing 65 mph or less in the middle lane when there is nothing in sight in the inside lane, forcing me to use lane three for overtaking. The highway code says you should keep to the left lane except when overtaking. They effectively convert a three lane road into a two lane road.

If I was a police driver I’d be inclined to pull them over and caution them for driving without due care and attention. After all, if they were paying attention they would have moved back to the nearside lane.

Rip off Britain, (part 2)

2010-11-04T15:53:00.002Z

I’d like to add Exeter airport to my candidates for “Rip-off Britain”. A while ago you could use the short term car park for 15 minutes for free, and after that the next 30 minutes was a reasonable price, say 50p, before high prices started for anyone using it wrongly for a longer stay. However they have now shortened the free time to ten minutes, barely time to unload, use the toilets and leave again, certainly not time to wait for an incoming passenger a few minutes late, or with delayed baggage, as the charge for 11 minutes or more is £2.00 minimum. What happens if there is a queue at the ticket machine if you get back there after 8 minutes? It will cost you £2. I think that is a bit unfair.

Food Shopping

2010-10-27T11:02:00.006+01:00

Well it should be easy, Glynis gives me a list and I go and get all the items from it.

Lets see, Item 1 - SALAD.

I'm in Morrisons now looking at the salad counter. I have the choice between:- Seasonal Babyleaf, Farmers Select, French Style, Italian Style, 4 Leaf (is that Clover?), Caesar, Watercress Spinach and Wild Rocket, Herb Garden, Sweet and Crunchy, Bistro Style, American Style, Simple Side Salad, Tomato and Cucumber, Classic Garden, Mediterranean, Salad Tray, Crispy, or Mixed Salad.

I wonder which one she wanted?

Item 2 - Mushrooms

Closed Cup, Button, Sliced, Chestnut, Oyster, Breakfast, Organic, Shiitake, Portabella or Value??? I don't know!

Item 3 - Ham

Well these are three packs for £4 so we'll have Cooked Ham, Breaded Ham and Honey Roast Ham, as I know she doesn't like Smoked Ham.

Item 4 - Apples

!!!

At least everything on the list finished up in the basket and knowing we have visitors this weekend I added a few beers, just to be on the safe side. Oh and a doughnut jumped out at me! All done now, I'm off home for coffee.

Food Recycling

2010-10-13T12:59:00.009+01:00

Torquay Council have recently introduced a new food recycling system. We have two waste food caddies, one for in the house and one for outside. However our previous system still seems to work just as well. Waste food is put out in the back garden and a number of visitors eat it within minutes. A stray cat arrived and ate everything, this cat has now been adopted by our neighbours and is called Tom, while a seagull which Glynis has named "Sammy" eats anything the cat leaves. Sammy now seems to have a youngster which Glyn calles "Squeeky" because it sits outside squeeking for food. Due to my impaired hearing and tinnitus I can't hear this seagull if the door is closed. I knew there was a good side to the slight hearing loss. (Click on the picture to see a bigger version.)

Fast Response, I think not!

2010-10-12T22:10:00.003+01:00

I was really impressed (not) by Devon and Cornwall Police last week. Glynis (5'1") observed a thief (5'8") open the back gate of the house over the road and go behind the house to steal the motorbike, which was being renovated after being stolen and trashed 2 months ago. She shouted across the road to the thief, who ran off towards the fields with the stolen motorbike. She was unable to follow due to passing traffic. Glynis ran back into our house and dialled 999, advising the police that she was observing a robbery in progress. An Hour and Twenty Minutes later the Police (one officer in a car) arrived. By then the bike was torched and dumped at the bottom of the hill with no sign of the thief. What would have happened if he had come back to confront Glynis, the witness to his theft? Who would she have called on?

Rip Off Britain

2010-03-29T23:25:00.002+01:00

Recent experiences have led me to believe that companies like giving preference to new customers rather than to existing customers.

My Daughter’s car insurance is with Admiral who quoted her £740 to renew, if she takes no action they will take that from her card.

I have just rung them up and they have given me an alternative quote for her for £600 with all the same benefits as the £740 policy.

As they dealt very well with a claim last year and are now competitive with the new price we will accept the new quote rather than go elsewhere.

Cheltenham and Gloucester had the nerve to ask if I wanted to top up my ISA on which they are currently paying 0.05%, neglecting to tell me that they are currently selling ISAs to new Customers at a rate of 2.7 or 3.5%. I have written to them telling them what I think of this and await their reply.

My own car insurers have also quoted a higher price than necessary but only by £10 and have now found me a better policy after I rang to complain.

Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to check the companies we deal with to confirm they aren't ripping us off.

2010-03-22T13:27:00.004Z

Since I had a gift voucher for my birthday I have been trying to put a book together to publish.

The following link should take you to my first book of photographs, available from the blurb bookstore. From there you should be able to preview and buy a copy of this book. Should you feel so inclined you can also make and publish your own books from there. I am just about to publish a second book, which will be of Steam locomotives and trains.

My first book of Photographs by Bob Tame

New Blog

2010-02-11T22:35:00.005Z

I have now started a second blog area, specifically for railway modelling. So if you are not interested in railway modelling don't go there. If you are, then select 'my profile' and you can get to the new blog from there.

Or click on this link

Happy New Year

2010-01-08T21:36:00.010Z

Well it will be, when this snow disappears. We've been trapped on our estate by extremely icy roads for a few days now.

I was tidying papers away when I noticed that the deputy Mayor of Torbay lives in our street and is responsible for transport, so I emailed him complaining about the lack of gritting (we are on a bus route, but haven't seen a bus for three days).

Lo and behold, tonight a gritting lorry came down the road. I hope it will make a difference but it may be too late as the ice has really set in now. Everything depends on what the weather does tomorrow. I suppose he's going to want me to vote for him now.

I have to admit the fields across the road look nice in the snow, but I'll still be glad to see the back of it. (I think if you click on the picture you see a larger version)

Small World

2009-12-18T15:40:00.002Z

I noticed today that the Palace Theatre, Paignton are putting on a Production of Jack and the Beanstalk, written by Alan Frayn.

Alan was a member of the Stone Little Theatre group that Glynis was in and we have probably watched this Panto in Stone, Staffordshire.

National Lottery

2009-12-17T16:09:00.008Z

Well the decision to dump the football pools in favour of the lottery has been justifed, with a number of £10 wins this year, plus one £89 win (4 numbers) and one other win just over £50. I'm not actually making a profit you understand, but the small wins do keep up my interest level.

What I'd like to know now is how many people in the UK do Euromillions, as there is a guarranteed million pound winner in the Uk every week for a stake of just £2. that's a £500,000 to one return and seems good value to me. I might just have a go.

A large win on either would come in useful at the moment as children of mine could probably do with a little financial assistance and I don't have enough to help.

A bad month so far

2009-11-19T23:28:00.004Z

We believe it all started when a man at the Zoo sneezed all over Glynis at the beginning of the month, suffice to say she got a sore throat, then lost her voice and was generally unwell. Coughing put her back out so she now has a bad back as well. She also passed something on to me, (we think) as I exhibited similar symptoms. The cold and flu medicines I took then upset my stomach causing me to get gastritis for which I was given another packet of pills, plus two more for the original illness. They do seem to be working but it is now over two weeks since the start of this sickness period, we're still not fully recovered and Emily has now gone down with it and is currently off work.

I'm looking forward to us all being better so we can resume our normal lives, which apear to have been put on hold for a while.

Moral: if somebody near you is sneezing, turn your back and run away!

Where did this year go?

2009-10-12T17:20:00.002+01:00

I cannot believe we are almost halfway though October, it seems no time at all since this year started. But then again, we have had another busy year.

A quick check with Glyn confirms we have commitments all this week.

Looking back, I note we had holidays in Woolacombe in April, Italy in May, Pittenweem (Fife, Scotland) in August, Alicante (Spain) in September, we are off to Cornwall soon for 5 days.

In between we’ve entertained numerous friends and relatives here.

We’ve been back to Wolverhampton, Northampton, Kislingbury and Towcester (Towcester greyhound show). We’ve had days out with friends in Teignmouth, Brixham, and Dartmouth (by steam train), Longleat, Chard, Lyme Regis and Seaton, we’ve met up with my mother on Holiday in Exmouth, met Northants Bowlers playing in Topsham and at Marldon.

I’ve also played in a number of bowls matches around South Devon between May and September at places such as Chudleigh, Crediton, Budleigh Salterton, Totnes as well as the local Torbay, Newton Abbot and Kingsteinton games and our home games in Marldon.

We’ve been for walks on Dartmoor and Exmoor, along the Coast path to Start Point and other places. We’ve had weekends in North Somerset with friends, visiting Dunster Castle and Minehead. We’ve visited Dartmoor Zoo, Paignton Zoo, Exmoor Zoo, Living Coasts and Longleat Safari park.

In Torbay we’ve seen Regattas, Red Arrows and Firework Displays, Cruise Ships and other parked ships awaiting work, and weekly Motor Cycle Rallies on Paignton Green. Glynis fits in her weekly volunteering work at the Zoo and the Hospital, getting a NVQ certificate for it this year, as well as her involvement with two Drama Groups, the Red Hat Ladies and the Marldon WI. I've just restarted my Ten Pin Bowling as well as playing a weekly snooker game in Paignton.

Perhaps that's why the year is racing by. Good fun isn't it?

More memory troubles.

2009-10-11T20:58:00.002+01:00

I haven’t lost my mind, I’ve just put it down somewhere.

And I can’t remember where.

It was a few minutes ago and the short term memory isn’t so good these days.

The way I see it, I only have a certain number of memory cells and I have filled them all up with memories from years ago. Since a lot of these are pleasant memories I have no desire to delete them to make way for new ones.

Perhaps I will have to start using post it notes, as it is very frustrating to walk upstairs for something and having got there I have forgotten what I came up for. Sometimes retracing my steps helps but running up and down the stairs gets a bit boring after a while.

If anyone knows how a memory can be improved please advise me.

National Lottery - the eternal optimist

2009-09-10T22:22:00.002+01:00

Regretfully I failed to win the National Lottery again on Wednesday night, but I do take heart from the fact no-one else won the jackpot either, meaning that if I win on Saturday it could be a larger amount.

My big worry is that the one set of numbers that I use every week are also being used every week by other people, which would mean if they ever do come up I will be getting less than expected.

The odd £10 win this year is better that I achieved on the football pools in the last ten years, so I have abandoned my pools Numbers after 40 years. I daren't even look at the pools results now.

August

2009-08-15T00:05:00.007+01:00

August is being quite a busy month, we are halfway through but I've only had three games of bowls due to other activities.

My sister, her husband and son called in on their way home from Cornwall, we took them to the firework display on the sea front at Paignton which they enjoyed.

We then flew to Scotland to visit the Pittenweem Arts festival where my Cousin/Brother in law were exhibiting paintings and had a great time due to great weather. Another of my sisters was there with her son and daughter and partners and family, and my Cousin travelled down from Perth to see us there.

Back in England now we hope to have a barbeque tomorrow with friends and are them off to see Hi-De-Hi, the TOADS production in Torquay, this should be a good day all round. Two of our friends then stay for a few days, so that will be an excuse to go out and about behaving like tourists.

Next month we hope to visit my third sister in Alicante.

Trainspotting in Devon

2009-07-29T19:42:00.005+01:00

One thing I've noticed since moving to Devon is that quite a few preserved steam locomotives are allowed on railtrack main lines in this area. Special trains run most weeks somewhere around the country and Devon is popular due to the scenic routes they use. A lot of people are aware of these trains so if one is due you can normally tell from the number of people standing by the railway with cameras and video recorders

Photographing them at speed is quite a challenge, so sometimes I let the camera take a video instead. The brand new Steam Loco "Tornado, 60163" has been here a few times this year on the 'Torbay Express' and so have one or two others. Attached video is Tornado's first visit to Torbay. It travels down to Kingswear, leaving Railtrack at Paignton and finishing its journey along the Paignton to Kingswear Steam railway, which conveniently has a turntable where the loco can be turned round for the return journey to Bristol.

Watching the rain

2009-07-29T12:08:00.003+01:00

I had high hopes for this summer, May and June seemed to go very well weather wise, however as soon as July appeared the sun decided to become intermittent and lots of rain has followed.

This morning I should be playing bowls, but the captain rang up very early to advise he was calling it off due to the weather forecast. That's sometimes a mistake, but this morning it was spot on, the wind has been blowing the rain sideways for the last two hours.

I feel sorry for all the people on holiday this week, at least now we live here all year round we are guaranteed some good days. And even bad days can have dry spells, we just have to make the most of them.

Too much to do, too little time.

2009-07-16T19:08:00.006+01:00

I can't work out where I use up so much time. I can only assume people who blog are very organised and are natural writers or they have very little else to do. I'm sure the second option isn't the case so I will credit them with being very organised.

Now that summer is here I am quite busy with the outdoor bowls season, I play whenever I can or whenever I'm asked and in the last couple of weeks I peaked with 6 games in one week, plus the last ten-pin game of the season. If I'm not playing its usually because we have other commitment's.

I also got engrossed in researching some family history for a friend, which was fascinating as they went to and from America earlier this century and there are lots of records associated with these journeys.

Just when I thought I was catching up, my web sites mysteriously went off line, so I have decided to move them to another hosting company. That is now my first priority, just in case anyone is looking for them (at www.tameclan.me.uk). As I move the pages I notice errors and updates that need doing so I am doing that as well.

Facebook also has a lot to answer for, I have got a bit addicted, to the point where I have to log on every day to see who's doing what. Its a useful site for keeping up with friends though, and I like to see other peoples photos as well as uploading my own from time to time.

Must go now, back to the web site rebuilding.

Bob

Blogging

2009-05-05T19:48:00.003+01:00

I note that the whole of April passed without additions to this site, I think Facebook may be to blame!

Parking Spaces (part 2)

2009-05-05T19:44:00.002+01:00

As I was saying, parking spaces should be wider. I went to Coleton Fishacre last week and the helpful car park attendant was squashing the cars in so he could get more in the car park. Inevitably the person who parked next to me opened her door against my car leaving a small scratch. Careless person.... now where's the T-cut and touch up paint?

Objective Achieved

2009-03-25T20:48:00.003Z

We moved here one year ago today, and this is the first house we have had where I could not get a car in the garage from day one. Well I like to set myself objectives, so getting a car in the garage was an objective for year one.

Today, on the last day, I finally achieved this, the Suzuki now fits in the garage. If I want my Ford Focus to fit I have to make at least another yard of space, so I don't think that will ever be achievable except by lengthening the garage.

Emily has ordered a car which we hope to collect later this week so I will still have two cars on the drive but it will keep the roadway clear most of the time, except when we have visitors.

Now what do I do with all the junk displaced from the garage?

The size of Parking Spaces

2009-03-25T17:40:00.004Z

I had a brilliant idea today. Why don't I borrow a baby or toddler, then when I go shopping I can park in the parent and child parking spaces that have room each side for a pushchair. In fact I could take the mum as well then she could have the toddler back once we get there and I wouldn't have the worry of taking it round the supermarket.

Normal parking spaces are so narrow these days that I can hardly get out of the car if there is a car on each side and I am always worried that the adjacent car owner will accidentally hit my car with his door as he/she gets in, or clip the car as he/she reverses out of the space. I would shop at the supermarket with the widest parking spaces if there was one, but they all seen to work to the same dimensions, despite the fact that modern cars are getting wider each year.

As I can't find a toddler to borrow, I will continue with the current plan which is to park between two newer cars in the hope the owner will be more careful than the owner of an old car might be.

Travelling

2009-03-09T21:33:00.002Z

It was nice to go back to Northampton to see all our friends at the weekend, but I'll be so pleased when they invent a machine that can 'beam us up' as driving up and down Motorways and through roadworks is no fun at all.

Alternatively, I'd like a 'special car' for these trips that can be programmed and then left to get there without my intervention, so I could do something other than sit in the same position for hours staring at the road in front. The 'beam me up' machine is my first choice as that could be instantaneous whereas the 'special car' solution still involves me being sat in a metal box on wheels for hours on end.

Parkinson's Law

2009-03-09T16:09:00.005Z

Apparently this chap called Parkinson came up with the theory that work expands to fill the time available. This may well be true, I was always busy when I was at work. Most of my colleagues were also always busy, even if I thought they sometimes some of them were inventing things to do in order to look busy. ( I never did that of course!)

(Parkinson also observed that bureaucracy always expands, and predicted in about 1958 that one day there would be more Admirals than Ships in the Navy, and apparently that is now the case, with 41 Admirals and only 40 ships.)

Now I've retired I am quite happy to set myself just one task a day, and if it doesn't take all day to do then I can then relax, content in the knowledge I have done what I had planned for the day. I would like it to get warmer though as I have one or two outdoor jobs I want to do, such as repairing the leak in the garden pond so it will fill up and stay full (except when the seagull starts splashing about in it) Why can't he use the sea?

Morgan the Hunter

2009-03-05T21:30:00.004Z

Who would have thought that this innocent looking cat would become a successful hunter. I suppose we trained him with that fimble on his left, as he used to carry it around the house. For years now he has caught mice and occasionally birds, frequently letting them go unharmed in the house so we have to catch them and return them to the wild. On other occasions he brings then in dead just to show us how clever he is.

Since we moved to Devon he has located the field across the road and we have been receiving frequent presents of Mice and Shrews.

This week he suddenly changed his prey and brought in a rabbit which he let go in the garage, unharmed but somewhat worried. We returned it to the field and it ran off into the gorse bushes.

Today he started by bringing in a dead rat which he left in the living room, (I hope he doesn't bring in any live ones) and when that was taken off him he went out and returned with a dead rabbit. We caught him trying to take it upstairs so he turned round and took it into the kitchen where he put it down by his food bowl.

As the field across the road can be very muddy he also comes back covered in red mud, as if he has been digging it up. Who knows what we will get next?

Extended Warranties

2009-03-01T22:24:00.002Z

This month, being nearly twelve months since we moved to Devon, is the month the warranty runs out on stuff we bought when we arrived here, like the dishwasher, the fridge freezer and the Sky + box.

All of the companies concerned have written to me, pointing out that the warranty is about to expire and offering an extended warranty, for so many £’s per month of course. I can’t say I am impressed by any of the prices on offer, it either indicates that the equipment is incredibly unreliable and is going to break down every couple of years or the companies offering the warranties are making a fortune.

Anyway I have decided that providing only one item breaks down each year it is cheaper to replace it when it fails than to take up the three warranties. Only time will tell if this is a good decision.

Memory troubles

2009-02-17T21:19:00.003Z

Just after I turn off the computer I usually remember the primary reason why I turned it on in the first place. The trouble is I am easily distracted by the content of my Emails and by Facebook. Perhaps if I did what I had to do first then opened my Email and Facebook I might do better.

Now why did I turn it on today?

I haven't lost my memory, it is backed up on disk somewhere!

Family History Research

2009-02-06T19:39:00.002Z

All sorts of interesting facts turn up when I research my family history.

The latest I have discovered is regarding one of my Great Grandfathers’ families. According to the 1871 census, the remarks against his elder brother state ‘Born Idiot’ and the same remark is also applied to his younger brother! My great grandfather was an agricultural worker. (his father was a shoemaker who also ran a small farm). Great grandfather eventually left the farm and became landlord of a Public house.

Ten years later, on the 1881 census, his elder brother is now described as a ‘harmless’ lunatic, unable to work, his younger brother is no more (died in 1880 at age 18) but he now has a younger sister who is also described as a ‘lunatic, unable to work’.

What makes this more odd is that there is actually a column on the census form to highlight persons who are either:- (1) Deaf and Dumb, (2) Blind, (3) Imbecile or Idiot and (4) Lunatic. I wonder if there were a lot of these in the 19th Century. I also wonder who made the distinction between an Imbecile an Idiot and a Lunatic.

I'm worried now in case the ‘Lunatic’ Gene will reappear at some time in future in my family.

Another of my Great Grandfathers worked in a railway works but had an accident in which he lost his leg and he was fitted with a wooden leg. It didn’t seem to impede his progress through life too much, as he eloped with a young lady on the day she was due to get married to someone else, but they later returned to the town where he set up a photography business and a bakery as well as having several children.

Great Grandfather number three apparently worked in a brewery until he got the sack for excessive drinking and then became a milkman. Great granddad number four had a fairly normal life as a Coalminer in North East England.

Friendly lemurs.

2009-02-05T20:23:00.006Z

Glynis works as a Volunteer at Paignton Zoo on Fridays, where she patrols the Lemur Wood to make sure they are OK and not escaping or being harassed by the visitors. Normally the Lemurs keep to themselves, but one of them, called 'Bonny' now recognises Glynis and likes to come down to say hello.

Are Plumbers contortionists?

2009-02-05T00:11:00.003Z

This morning I discovered a pool of water under the sink in the utility room (again) which is coming from the inlet pipe for the washing machine. For some reason it works loose, but I cannot work out how to get a good grip on it to tighten it up. The inlet pipe is located directly behind the drain pipe from the sink and it is impossible to get more than a finger on each side to try to tighten it up. I cannot work out how the plumber fitted the tap there in the first place, he must be a contortionist or he fitted it before the sink and drain pipes were fitted.

This is not the first time I have discovered 'difficult to get at' plumbing, is it a master plan of the plumbing industry to locate pipes, taps and drains where only another plumber can fix it when it goes wrong? Anyway its tighter now, but the bowl stays underneath just in case it starts again.

Close Encounters of the Furred Kind

2009-01-30T15:14:00.006Z

Today, while visiting Paignton Zoo to collect Glynis (she's a zoo volunteer on a Friday), I went to see what animals I could photograph. This lion was quite close to the edge of the enclosure, which has a glass window as a viewing area, and I was waiting patiently for him to look at the camera, but he was more interested in the Lioness at the top of the Enclosure who was getting a fuss from the keeper.

After taking a few pictures of the lion, I turned my attention to the lioness, and was leaning on the glass window to minimise the reflections when I heard this thump and was conscious of two large paws and a big animal just the thickness of the glass away from me. I was so glad the glass is nice and thick, but after he backed off the whole area was covered in Red Mud from his enormous paws. Moral of Story, don't turn your back on a lion unless there's a barrier between you.

Rising Sea levels

2009-01-28T13:21:00.001Z

I'm beginning to think that rising sea levels are a myth, it's the weight of Individual and National debts that is causing the UK to sink into the sea.

Air flights - Part 2

2009-01-26T11:26:00.002Z

My daughter booked a flight to Newcastle on Tyne at about the same time we booked our two flights to Alicante, and I noted the cost of flying from Exeter to Newcastle is about the same as Exeter to Alicante. I conclude that it doesn't matter how far you fly, the cost is for getting through the airport departure lounge and onto the plane. I hope there's no shops in the departure lounge!

Air flights part 1

2009-01-26T10:53:00.008Z

Why does booking an air flight remind me of the scene in Carry on Camping when Sid James and co arrive at Paradise Camp for their holiday. The conversation goes something like:

Are you members?

No

Well its £1 each to become members.

OK, heres £4, can we come in now.

No, you have to book in advance, but I may be able to let you in if you pay the booking fee.

How much?

£1 per tent. Ok heres the £2 now can we come in?

No, you have to pay rent.

How Much?

£1 per tent or per person, whichever is the greater No

Ok heres another £4, can we come in now?

Yes.

Sid then realises its not the nudist camp he was trying to find and goes for a refund.

Sorry sir no money is refundable.

Later still, after they put up a washing line between the tents.

I'm sorry sir there is a fee for putting up a washing line

How much?

£1 for 4

So thats 25p for one then?

No One is 37.5p, but you can put up four for a £1.

Booking a Flight to Alicante:

Cost of flight £30 - so two flights are £60
Will you want to come back -thats another £60

Ok so thats £120 to pay

Plus the airport taxes £71 out and £28 coming back.

So that s £219?

Are you taking bags? thats another £16 - £235 in total.

Plus the insurance of £24.

Ok heres £259 can I go now?

well theres the booking fee: £16

OK heres £275 now can I go?

Is that a credit card, only theres a credit card fee of £12, so thats £287 in total, thank you.

Oh and by the way, no money is refundable, but you can change names for £30 per passenger per flight, or you can change flights for £25 per passenger per flight.

Its just as well I have a kind sister living in Alicante to pick us up from the airport and provide accommodation for the week, thank you Sis.

Parking Charges (part 2)

2009-01-24T20:44:00.004Z

The newly installed parking meters in Torbay are biased in favour of the Council in three ways.

1. One has to decide when parking if the shop will be able to serve you within 10 minutes or whether you have to buy 30 minutes, or even more, and have to err on the side of safety to avoid the danger of getting a fine.

2. If you vacate your space before the time paid for has run out, anyone taking over the space has to pay again for time you have already paid for. (This does not happen in towns where conventional parking meters are used, the space is paid for a set time, and if you leave early the next person may use the unused time) These are not really parking meters at all, they are parking ticket dispensing machines.

3. The machines do not give change, so if you don't have correct money you have to overpay.

The existing car parks in Torbay are all similarly biased; does the council think this is a fair system? Why can't we have some pay on exit car parks in the town centres, such as those used at Exeter airport, so we can shop without worrying about how long we have left on our ticket? It would make for a more relaxing shop.

And why is Torbay more expensive than South Hams or Teignbridge, it has no more to offer its visitors that those places?

Parking Charges (part 1)

2009-01-24T20:19:00.007Z

Torbay Council are having financial problems due to the rising no of free bus journeys taken by pensioners with bus passes. They pay the bus company a fixed charge for every journey we take.

They don't seem to understand that putting up the cost of car parking in Torbay by introducing parking meters will only lead to more pensioners using their free bus passes. Pensioners cannot afford to pay £1 an hour every time they drive into town. Instead of the council getting £1 per hour from the parking meter they may have to pay the bus company an equivalent amount, or more, for providing the free travel, probably for two pensioners at a time in and out of town. (4 trips)

When I moved here last March, all the on street parking was free, which was one of the reasons I moved here. I accepted the high council tax in exchange for free on street parking, or so I thought.

£1 an hour is an excessive charge for a small place like Paignton anyway as most of the shops have now closed or become charity shops. Only Tesco seem to be flourishing. What a surprise that is.

The Dawlish Swans

2009-01-15T19:38:00.011Z

Drawing by William Tame

The black swans have been a feature of Dawlish, South Devon, for over 100 years, but the Environment Agency has suddenly decided that they are polluting the stream that runs through the centre of Dawlish and into the sea. Unless the council can stop them doing this then the swans have to go! Bearing in mind that this stream runs down off the moors where sheep cattle and deer graze and do their business how can we be sure the swans are guilty? There are also large numbers of Ducks and Seagulls in this stream. It would be a shame if these birds, which are on all Dawlish Tourist publicity were to be removed, since this pretty stream with the birds is one of the main reasons to visit Dawlish. The council are now having to consider building them a toilet (well a septic tank actually) so the effluent doesn't flow back into the stream. I'd like to know how they propose to toilet train the Swans, Ducks and Seagulls.

Ten Pin Bowling

2009-01-12T14:18:00.006Z

Tonight I will try harder.

I bowl every Monday in a Ten Pin league with my Daughter Emily. She was recruited by me for my team in Northampton when some of my other players left and she did very well, winning a few trophies.

We now bowl together in a pairs league in Torquay. It goes without saying that I think I ought to score higher that Emily as I'm her dad, I have been playing longer than she has and I have a higher average, but just lately she keeps scoring higher than me. I can never work out why my game can vary from very good to very bad without warning, I have to put it down to lack of concentration, so tonight I will try harder.

Postscript:

Well I tried harder, scored slightly more than Emily and almost reached my average in one game but one of our opponents then went on to bowl his best score ever (242) so we lost again. Still, there's always next week.

The ups and downs of the last few days.

2009-01-11T20:23:00.000Z

I knew the concrete post in the front garden would damage a car one day, unfortunately it was on Thursday, when I let the car door open and it went too far and hit the edge of the concrete, I now have a dent in the car door to get fixed. I only parked there for a moment as I knew I was going out again, I normally park at the other side of the drive, well away from the post. So annoying.

The rest of the week went Ok, apart from Glynis's bad back from falling down the stairs at Karen's house. This is still giving her a lot of pain, although she denied it at the time of the incident. It didn't stop her appearing on Stage in the SADS production of Robinson Crusoe.

I had a game of snooker on Wednesday with three other retired guys in a social club I discovered in Paignton Telephone Exchange. Membership is free to ex BT personnel such as me and I did not make a complete fool of myself, I may go again next week. The sun came out yesterday and everywhere looked so much brighter.

My First Blog

2009-01-11T20:18:00.000Z

I keep having random thoughts I want to share so I thought I'd give this blogging a try, all I have to do now is work out how to use it.

Of course now I'm on line my mind has gone blank just like it does when someone asks what present I would like for Christmas. What makes this worse is the follow up question of what would I like for my birthday which happens to be on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. For the next few months I see loads of things I would like, but I can't wait til Christmas so I buy them for myself. As a result, when Christmas comes around again and people ask what I want, my mind goes blank. The upside of this of course is that I get surprise presents, which are more exiting to open.