A visit to The Palace

 There was nothing of great importance to report for today.

I got my steps in by walking down to the local surgery to collect a prescription and by taking Hobson around the Three Miler in the afternoon.

We did make it out for a curry at the Shahi Palace with B&H this evening. It was great fun, involved a reasonable amount of booze,* and an enormous quantity of food.

After returning home we all sat around with an uncomfortably stuffed feeling. The one thing we learnt is that we, most definitely, should not have ordered starters.

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* no surprises there!

A missed opportunity and a stupid mistake

 The plan for today was very much like the one for yesterday; get up, let out chickens, breakfast, walk dogs etc.

However the air was warm, the skies were blue and the bees were flying. It might be time for the first colony inspection of 2025. 

I checked the air temperature and it was just over 15 ℃. Warm enough, provided I was quick and didn't let any uncapped brood chill.

I started to gather my equipment and made a mental list of things I might need; a pack of candy, a couple of frames of stores, fuel for my smoker and so on. 

As I prepared my smoke fuel* I felt somewhat peckish and headed in for a spot of lunch. 

After eating I prepared to go up to the hive when I noticed that the sky had clouded over and the air had chilled ... Bugger! It now looks like it will be Saturday before I get a chance to see how the colony are doing.

With an inspection being out of the question, I decided to take Hobson for a walk around the Three Miler. I checked my blood sugar** and thought "that'll be alright" and headed out of the door.

As I reached the furthest point from home I started to feel a little odd and checked my blood glucose again ... Fuck! It was very low and I had stupidly not brought any emergency snacks along with me.

It was a long, slow trudge back home, which was fortunately uneventful.

It is fair to say that I did little else for the remainder of the afternoon, other than recover.

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* a short cylinder of rolled corrugated cardboard

** Welcome to the world of diabetes

Hoping for a quick sale

 The weather over the past few days has been beautiful. Frosty nights followed by fine days with clear blue skies.

Walking has been a pleasure, as the lanes are dry, meaning that the dogs don't need washing after an outing.

I have managed to meet my step and heart point targets for a second day, but this increase in activity is playing merry hell with my blood sugar levels. I think some adjustment to my insulin doses will be required if I keep this up.

The main achievement for today was that I finally drafted an advertisement for the Defender to accompany the photos taken on Saturday. It is almost exactly ten years since we bought it, and the time has finally come for someone else to enjoy the idiosyncrasies of Land Rover ownership.*

I may be being ambitious with the asking price, but I'd rather have to reduce the price than sell it too cheaply. 

So I thought I would add a few photos of the car in memoriam. I wrote a similar Journal entry for my previous Defender, and it seems right that I should do the same for the 110.

It certainly has "presence" on the road

snug, but reasonably comfortable

Its turning circle makes most car parks a pain

The rarely used 3rd row seats

A space usually filled with dogs or fishing tackle

Considering its size, it's amazing how may people
don't see it and pull out in front of you!

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* They are certainly an acquired taste and owners gloss over many aspects of Defender ownership. These include the fact that virtually all of them leak, anyone over 5' 8" will struggle to fit in the driver's seat, and the fact that you need to be able to actually drive rather than just sit in the vehicle and push buttons and pedals!

Can I keep it up?

Sunday's outing to Forhill demonstrated one thing.

A Winter spent sat on my backside had done nothing for my level of fitness. 

I had found myself panting as I made my way up the hill of the shooting ground. I could try to fool myself that wearing a big coat and wellingtons and struggling with a shotgun and a couple of kilos of cartridges were all contributing factors to my wheezing.

But I know that, in truth, a lazy Winter spent reading and cooking has made me terribly unfit.

With an upcoming motorcycle tour, a lot of gardening and aiming to live as long as possible, I really need to put some effort in to improving my level of fitness.

I made a start today by getting out nice and early with the dogs. We had a short walk of a little over a mile down towards one of Beekeeper Pete's apiaries.

I then returned home and got on with various domestic duties.

After lunch I took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked the Three Miler* with Hobson. It seems that I have met my step and heart point targets according to my Google fitness tracker!

That sums up my Tuesday. I did remove the mouse guard from the hive up in the orchard, as the bees are now very active. I also got the Defender booked in for its MOT test ... a prerequisite for getting it sold.

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* Easier to say than the more accurate two and a half miler

I'm back

I can't say that I haven't had time to jot down a Journal entry. There is always time. I am retired for God's sake. Surely I could have found a few minutes to jot down a few words?

I'm not sure what the reason is. I've been a bit busier than I have over the preceding Winter months, but I have had time. Clearly there have been distractions, and a fair helping of laziness.

Well, I'm here now, so this is what I've been up to.

Thursday, 27 February, 2025

I was out of the house early this morning for a check up at the Ophthalmology clinic. They seemed happy enough with my IOP levels, but totally ignored my report of worsening dry eye and inflamed eyelid symptoms. 

Fortunately I have been referred to an NHS Corneal Clinic, so my potentially misplaced optimism gives me hope of a treatment regime that actually works.

In the afternoon I headed over to the other side of Evesham to meet up with Bubbles at his place of work. He had kindly offered to give the Defender a clean using his employer's car wash facilities.

We had an enjoyable hour getting the car clean and ready to be marketed. The recent dry weather meant that I actually managed to get it back home without it getting splattered with road filth.

Friday, 28 February, 2025

The day had finally come to say goodbye to 30%'s little Seat Arona.

It was another trip up to Nottingham to drop off the Seat and pick up the X3. 

There is little else to report. The new car is lovely and a pleasure to drive. 

The interesting thing is how 30% reacted to it. She took to it like the proverbial duck to water when she test drove it tend days previously. However I could see that she was incredibly apprehensive now she actually owns it.

30% comes across as an incredibly confident and can do type of person. She wears a mantle of self assurance that totally conceals her inner insecurities. It is most surprising to see that a new car is the one thing that will cause this mantle to fall.

I guess that after twenty five years we know each other incredibly well and I can sense her change in disposition ... I do say that I can read her like a pamphlet!

Saturday, 1 March, 2025

30% had been alerted to a local Land Rover club meet down at the Handcart and Fortified Structure this afternoon.

This seemed an ideal opportunity to get the Defender down there to get some feedback on its condition, and perhaps some purchaser interest.

I therefore spent the morning cleaning the inside of the Defender and polishing any bits that had been missed by Bubbles and me on Thursday.

By the time I had finished it looked quite splendid, considering that it is sixteen years old.

The Land Rover meet was great fun. We didn't get a sale, but we got lots of very positive feedback and the general consensus is that it should sell quickly ... fingers crossed

Sunday, 2 March, 2025

This morning found me heading over towards Alvechurch with Bubbles and Ben.

The Forhill shoot has finally reopened after closing down back in 2021 and we were off to shoot at its inaugural event. 

It was a beautiful clear morning and the ground has stunning views across the Lickey Hills and away towards Kidderminster.

It was a challenging shoot and I was rather pleased with my score of 59/100. Bubbles is of the opinion that the course is of a similar standard to CPSA registered shoots, so I did reasonably well.

We'll definitely be back there, although the ground is notoriously wet and wellingtons are going to be a must based on how quickly the ground around the stands got churned up.

Monday, 3 March, 2025

By early afternoon I was home alone.

30% and Jules have headed up to Ashby-de-la-Zouch for a Spa break.

As for me, I just pottered. I headed out for poultry food and petrol and rearranged the appointment for the recall work on the 5 Series.

I also finally got the last of the honey bottled and cleaned up the sticky mess that I had created in the utility room.

Let's hope I can be slightly more productive tomorrow.

Longing for warmer weather

The past couple of days have been inconsequential.

Stuff has been done, but not a lot of it. I suppose this may be symptomatic of my Winter frame of mind. I seem to be thinking and planning rather than actually doing and achieving.

I am enjoying my time reading and making loose plans, but I'm really longing for warmer days. I see lots of things that need to be done, but it is just too wet or too cold to get out there and get things done.

The garden is starting to demand attention and, as the weather warms, I have a motorcycle to become familiar with.

For the moment I am doing my best to gain some sense of achievement by bottling the honey Pete dropped off a couple of days ago. Twenty pounds of it now sit in little hexagonal jars and my roadside stall is now re-stocked.

I did spend some time in  the garage with my recently acquired phone cradle for the R 1250 R.  I now understand how it is fitted to the bike and my phone and the BMW app have been successfully paired with the BMW too. Once back in the warm, I have started to familiarise myself with the satellite navigation functions.

I now need some warm weather and dry roads to see how well the sat nav performs and how secure the cradle really is ... I don't want to be retrieving fragments of my Samsung from the roadside.

A busier day

 After a short walk with the dogs, 30% decided that we should head over to the auction house and pick up the wood turning lathe.

The trailer was hitched up to the Defender and we were soon off down the road towards Littleton.  Cash was exchanged and we then discovered that the lathe was a lot heavier than expected. 

I was confident that we could load and unload it, but my main concern was that it had a cast iron bed and was very top heavy. It is fair to say that I took a lot of care roping it to the trailer and we didn't exceed thirty five miles an hour on our return journey. 

Every bump, manhole and pot hole was approached with care, but the lathe wobbled alarmingly at each one encountered.  It was fair to say that we were both relieved to arrive home with our cargo intact.

I have decided that having a Land Rover and Trailer encourage me to collect items that should really be delivered by professionals!

So that was the morning covered and by lunchtime our stress levels had returned to somewhere near normal. 

Pete the Beekeeper called in shortly after lunch with a tub of honey. He stopped for a chat and were pleased to hear he is feeling much improved after a recent heath issue. Like all of us, the years are taking their toll. He is in his eighth decade and is starting to consider slowing down.

He has about fifty colonies and I am truly amazed that he manages to look after them all. I found that half a dozen colonies took up a good amount of time and extracting honey was a four day event. 

Christ knows how he manages fifty colonies in his mid seventies! I'm not surprised that he is ready to cut back.

Pete was aware that I had lost a colony over the Winter, and advised that he had another colony that I could have to take its place. He is an incredibly generous fellow and I do feel incredibly lucky to count him as a friend.

On the subject of friendship I managed, in a small way, to to return one of the many favours Bubbles has done me over the years ... Late this afternoon I received a text message to advise that he was having major problems drilling in to the concrete floor of his garage.

He was attempting to install a ground anchor for his new motorcycle, but his hammer drill was nowhere near powerful enough to drill in to concrete.  Like some peculiar emergency builder, I threw my SDS drill and bits in the back of the Defender and headed over to Evesham. 

Fortunately my SDS drill was easily up to the job and we soon had the holes drilled. Completing the install was not that straightforward as the expanding bolts weren't of the best quality. There was a fair bit of faffing to get them in place and get the anchor bolted down, but we got there in the end.

This little bit of DIY support reduced Bubbles stress level significantly and, apparently, for this assistance, I have been granted the epithet; Legend.

Nina Conti at the Alex

 It was another soggy day and the weather worsened with each passing hour.

By lunchtime the skies were releasing a steady cold rain and the wind was gusting. It really was the sort of day to stay indoors and enjoy the warmth of the fire.

However that was not to be the case for us. 

Back before Christmas 30% had booked four tickets for Nina Conti's Whose Face Is It Anyway? show at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. The other two tickets were a Christmas gift for Bubbles & Bobbyn.

So, as the skies darkened further and the rain continued to pour, we bundled ourselves in to the car and headed in to the big city ... and we were all so pleased that we did.

Nina was absolutely hysterical. Her ability to channel some quite dark thoughts and her quick wits made the show laugh out loud funny from start to end.

It was most definitely worth braving the horrible weather to see the show.

Acquiring new skills

 It was another quiet day.

However, it seems that I will be spending a fair amount of time acquiring knowledge, as 30% has purchased a wood turning lathe from a local auction.

My father used to do a bit of turning in his retirement and we have a collection of rather chunky wooden coasters that are evidence of his skill level ... or lack thereof. 

As for me, I was going today that I have never used a lathe, but that isn't strictly true. 

When I was a teenager I used to have a weekend job working in a boatyard off Common Road in Evesham. My job was to assist with the servicing of a narrowboat fleet and to train hirers in their handling and operation. This was before they were allowed out to cruise on the River Avon.

Now you might ask, "what is this to do with woodturning?" 

Well, I'm getting to that. In the workshop was a huge engineers lathe. In our lunch breaks we would mount sections of broken broom handle in the lathe. With the aid of whichever chisel could be found, we used to turn amateurish chess pieces for our own entertainment.

So, you see, I really haven't got a clue about woodturning, but it seems that I need to develop a new skill. Check out future Journal entries for pictures of crappy candlesticks and broken bowls.

In other news, Bubbles turned up this afternoon and collected the R nineT.  There was a bit of a wobble as he headed off down the road and I reminded myself that he too needs to acquire new skills. 

Relaxation

 The past couple of days have been milder, but wet and grey.

The weather may be warmer, but the damp and gloom discourages me from anything more than ensuring the fire is lit and the house stays warm.

Part of me feels that I should be doing something, but another part says, "relax and take it easy". I am retired after all, and the garden can wait until it dries out and the weather is fair.

I haven't simply sat in front of the television this Winter, although 30% and I have decided to rewatch Game of Thrones. 

We tend to consume a couple of episodes each day and are just as enthralled with the intrigue, performances and visual splendour as we were when we watched it the first time. We are currently making our way through Series 5, and have yet to decide whether to watch the disappointing eighth series. 

I have also been doing a fair amount of reading. 

Back in December I took out a digital subscription to The New Scientist and I am absolutely loving having access to its articles and back issues. I always used to take a daily peek at the website and read the free articles, but now, with full access, I can become absorbed for probably longer than I should.

For fiction I am re-reading Terry Pratchett's Witches novels and A Hat Full of Sky and The Wintersmith have been consumed in the past few days. They are not hard work, but they are great fun to read, beautifully observed and beautifully written.

My days have not solely been filled with leisure activities. 

Today 30% and I nipped over to Littleton Auctions to view the lots. She had noticed that there was a wood turning lathe for sale and it is something I always fancied trying. Auction day is tomorrow, so we will see whether a bargain can be had.

I have also noticed that I am having a condensation issue in the garage. As a result I now need to look at acquiring a bike drier and looking at options for insulation the space.

Hobson goes out for lunch

 Wednesday was wet and gloomy.

The perfect day for keeping out of the weather, socialising and staying warm. And that is exactly what we did.

Dot & Dave are currently dog sitting for their son and had invited us over for lunch. The invitation included all three of our mutts as their son's dog is an only dog and is fond of having our three over for a play date.

Django is a Lagotta Romagnola and is a lovely boy. He has a few issues ... separation anxiety, a strong dislike of the car and he does like to bark, but he is a lovely dog. He is great with other dogs and absolutely loves to meet up and play with Hobson, our youngest.

As the weather was unpleasant 30% decided that we should only take Hobson over for our lunch date. Four large dogs bouncing around inside would not have been a good idea, so we bundled Hobson in to the back of the Defender and headed over for a spot of lunch.

We had a lovely few hours catching up on each others' news and sharing a lovely lunch. 

There is nothing else of great import to report. 30% has dealt with car registration matters and her little Seat now bears its original registration once more. Monies have been moved around and I think there is little else to do with regard to the purchase of the new car.

Now we need to focus on getting the Defender scrubbed up and sold.

A Journey to Nottingham

 Today's Journal entry could be about a trip to Nottingham to see a car.

I suppose, in some ways, it is, but it is also about me and Nottingham. A little of my back story, if you like.

30% and I hit the road after a leisurely breakfast and were soon heading up the M42. As we neared the city we both commented about how we used to drive this route regularly over twenty five years ago.

30% used to have a fling with a chap who lived in West Bridgford, and me, I lived and worked up there from the early 1990's through to early in the 2000's.

Back to the car. We saw it. We loved it. We struck a deal and we bought it! ... I'll be driving this route again at the end of next week when we go to collect it.

Now back to me and Nottingham. 

After graduating from Wolverhampton Polytechnic, I had a series of laboratory assistant roles. These ranged from animal feed quality testing through bee disease diagnosis to road construction materials testing. 

One day my father bought home a newspaper clipping that had been clipped and proffered by one of his colleagues. It seemed that the Administration Group of the Inland Revenue were recruiting and he thought I might be interested.

To cut a long story* short, I applied, was accepted, and started work with the Inland Revenue Superannuation Funds Office in Hinchley Wood, Surrey in October 1987.**

In the late 80's the Inland Revenue made a strategic decision to move their Administrative Group out of London. As a result I found myself relocated to Nottinghamshire in 1991.

At that time I was in a long term relationship with TP's mother.*** We initially rented a little cottage in Sutton Bonnington before we settled in a fixer upper in Chapel Lane, Granby. 

Over the next few years we made the house liveable, got married and had a child, before TP's mother decided that she could find a far better life companion than me. 

We separated, and later divorced, and I found myself living a few miles down the road in Lime Grove, Bottesford.  This would be 1998/99.

And there I lived, swapping between bachelorhood and parenting, depending on whether TP was in residence, or not.

The separation and move to Bottesford coincided with me leaving the Inland Revenue and joining a local cable TV company called Diamond Cable. Over the next couple of years that company was part of a number of mergers and acquisitions and became a company called ntl: It later became the core of Virgin Media.

I worked in ntl's IT Department and our roles were outsourced to IBM in 2001. I was eventually redeployed to work on an IBM Account based at their offices in Worcester.

It was during this time that 30% and I became reacquainted and a couple. As our relationship developed we started to live together and eventually sold our respective houses and settled in another fixer upper ... The Pile in September 2004.

So that's a potted career history and a tale of a return journey to Nottingham.

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* Eleven years

** The Monday after the 1987 Hurricane struck the South of England.

*** Biological. It was 30% that did the nurturing stuff!

Oh, it's red

We have been considering slimming down our collection of vehicles for the past few weeks.

The Defender is absolutely extortionate to tax* and it does little more than the occasional trip to the Tip and a weekly fishing outing during the lighter months. It may be a cool vehicle, but it is costing one thousand pounds a year to tax and insure. Then I need to take account of diesel costs, if I am to actually drive it.

We have decided that it is time for it to go. Our plan is to sell the Defender and part-exchange 30%'s little Seat Arona. As for our proposed new vehicle, we plan to buy a larger, petrol engined SUV and have a tow bar fitted. This will enable us to still be able to pull a trailer to the Tip and to navigate the rutted tracks down to the River Avon.

30% has found a very nice BMW X3 up in Nottingham and has scheduled a viewing and test drive for tomorrow.

No problem I hear you say, apart from the fact that I have seen pig sties cleaner than her Seat and hovels that are tidier.

Needless to say, the car needed to be cleaned today.** So 30% did what any responsible car owner would do and buggered off to Ikea with the coven.

Muggins here was left to brave the cold and spend a most of the day cleaning the exterior. It took a good few hours with the pressure washer and then a bucket of hot, soapy water to get it clean, but the end result was worth it.

I point blank refused to touch the interior of the car ... that was 30%'s job when she returned from her shopping jolly.

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* £735.00 per annum

** to maximise its px value

Day of rest

 Last night was a late one!

Large quantities of rich food and red wine were consumed, and, as a result, I was less than enthusiastic this morning. I didn't feel sick and there was no headache. I just did not feel like doing much at all.

The day started with the chickens being fed and watered and the log rack was refilled.  I did take the dogs out for a short walk whilst 30% tidied the kitchen. But, other than that, Sunday was definitely a day of rest.

My one accomplishment was to book my LeShuttle tickets for the Black Forest tour in June. 

That's it ... I've committed.

I now need to get some miles under my belt on the new bike and ensure I am comfortable with her.