SEPTEMBER? ALREADY?

[Rwth of Cornovii]

Dear All, I checked that there wasn't a thread for September. So here it is.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I thought I'd better post sooner rather than later. The Power people have been again to fill in the trench they left. I have a cunning plan to buy some lovely Sarah Raven Tulips to cover with compost and make a show. I think that all of last year's daffs are buried too deep to survive. I never plant crocuses, and used to look forward to the moment on the bus going into Birmingham when a drift of them in Lightwoods Park would tell me that Spring was sprung. I also saw some lovely wood anemones in the RHS catalogue, so may well go for those. They look white until you get close then realise they are veined in pink Their leaves are a pretty ivyish shape too.

There is a tiny clump of wild cyclamen in a corner, in flower now, and a bigger clump along the road to Old Cleeve.

[goodlookingone]

Oh, Sept... Anniversary of my Fathers Death
Anniversary of the Start as My Last Relative (Cousin) going into the start of his demise to his Next Month's birthday and Death.

Don't know enouugh about Gardening to comment.. But I'm sure you will do a good job.

[Brians Cravat]

Yes September. It's the start of 'meteorological Autumn' though I doubt we'll see much in the way of 'mists and mellow fruitfulness' yet a while. Today has been a pleasant enough day. Had a good brisk walk this morning.

Then went out and bought a new car. Should explain that I'm not a 'car fanatic' to any degree. I know guys of my age who still are madly keen on cars. To me, a car has always been simply 'a tool'. It's gets us from A to B when, there is no other alternative. In fact, we do less than 6000 miles a year. Back in my days in industry, when I had a company car, 30,000 a year average. I no longer find driving pleasureable. Even so, it has been our habit of the last twenty years to buy a brand new car every three years. Hence today's purchase.

It's sad when a month or date reminds you of the loss of people we're close to. November always reminds me of the death of my parents a year apart. On which subject, I heard a few days ago that my last surviving aunt had passed away. Sort of draws a line.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

My OH died at the end of September. The same day I got out of hospital last year. Blunders went into hospital on 1 October and died on 12th. But we had some wonderful memorable moments in that time. Singing the Philosopher's song to OH and him reminding me of the words. We sang it at the dispersal of his ashes.

I'm sticking with my old car. I keep on getting repairs done so that it stays roadworthy. I think as a classic car it will gain value until you can't buy petrol any more. I enjoy driving, but parking is such sweet sorrow!

[goodlookingone]

I think Classic cars ony gain in value when there's a lot of money about. Banks seem to think it will be another year before that. (Thinks: Maybe I should look at the Auction prices)

[Rwth of Cornovii]

The book value for my car is insultingly low, but on aficionado sites it is significantly more. R got it sort of free. Someone saw his BMW which was a PITA and offered him this Volvo plus cash in exchange. He pretended to be reluctant for a few moments then affected reluctance. I've spent money on it, and if the new ABS control unit works, it should pass its next MOT.

i need to get a few things today, but I'm expecting to see a courier this afternoon. If I go to get dressed the courier will arrive no doubt, but probably sooner rather than later will be less of a risk.

[goodlookingone]

I know my car (Cost Forty Guineas in 1964 - GUINEAS - much better than a common or garden 42 Pounds). On a few occasions it has gone up in valuation to £3.000 or £5,000. BUT ... The dealers seam to have gone to the wall, so No idea what it's worth now. BUT, the availability of spares is getting sparse, so its value won't increase much. I'd better get a Mortgage for a new set of tyres and keep it roadworthy - gotta go - Checkbook needing some sal valatolie.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I've been to the monthly Brunch and signed up for the "Farewell to Europe" lunch. There was a choice of 4 menus, French, Italian, Spanish and English. I selected Spanish. I hope it doesn't involve a red caped interrogator checking on my order.

I sat here and worked it out in my head. 42 Guineas is £44. 4s. It took me a couple of days, but actually only a minute or two when I finally put my mind to it. I thought it was about £45.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

No, not 42 guineas, 40 guineas. Sorry.

[goodlookingone]

No, Don't be sorry... Just looked at Dealers price ... £16,000 in UK .. The 1952 Price was £1,600 (or £1,350 - The Purchase tax varied ferequently) - It seems to have had carried a 1952 Registration (or trade plates) for all its experimental stuff - Had to have a British car in the following Coronation Year. So I suspose it was "Second Hand" by 1953:
but became the Makers Director's car.

[Brians Cravat]

It must be September, we're back to picking up our granddaughters from school again. A new class in the case of the eldest. The summer school holiday seems to go just as quickly as when I was a kid at school!

The weather appears almost Autumnal hereabouts except it can't be described as cold it has been rather dull, grey, breezy and occasionally, showery. Hope it improves for new week because, we're off to St Ives.

[goodlookingone]

Which St Ives? I know theres one In Cambridgeshire: ancient Town (Famous for it's Church on the Bridge), But i believe there is another one somewhere in the South East.
Yup. Summer gone.. Kids no longer hanging around outside my front door, and I do believe that there is some Dry Leaves that I can shuffle through across the Railway - Start of the Nature Reserve - Must get there before it is converted to more Houses...

[Brians Cravat]

GLO, it's St Ives in Cornwall. Actually, we're staying in Carbis Bay, an hour's gentle walk from the harbour at St Ives. There's the Barbara Hepworth studio and the Tate St Ives. Option of trips to Penzance/Lands End (possibly not), Falmouth and St Just. Alternatively, we can take advantage of our wrinklies bus passes and wander with an air of wonder.

[Brians Cravat]

Only a few schools re-opened hereabouts, our granddaughters' Catholic Primary being one of the exceptions. Mind you the weather this morning and all of yesterday kept the local kids indoors.

[goodlookingone]

Oh dear ..Not Keeping up.
Been waylaid by a response from Local Counciller re changing my Address. Seems the Actual Legal Decision was that the Road name can be changed, but NOT my House Number... I've been updating on since I last Spake with him. (And with post stroke spelling problems and painfully slow pooterating) has taken Ages - We will have to meet - must get Notes up to date.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

Everything here seems to have gathered in piles. My paper recycling bag had some paper on top of it but only needed to be pulled up and filled up - until a pile of stuff fell off my desk and I now have to sort everything not in the bag.

Matron. My pills!

[goodlookingone]

Yup... I have that Problem ... But I'd better form some way of making a space as it looks like I'll have to have Councillers, and Eagle Legals to discuss House addresses...

And NO, I also lost some Pills's ... Can we all yell Loudly in Unison .. MMMAATTTTRRROOOONNNNNNNNNNNN.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I have a tin box that once contained high class chocolates. I keep my spare pills in it. When I take the last out of there I order more. Then I have a very cheap wash bag that I keep the daily pills in it and it sits on my desk. I have some of those pill cups that I saved when I was in hospital. There were a couple of dose cups I had on the top of a bottle of cough mixture, so I use one of those to put the morning pills in so that I can take them as a cocktail. Some of them I take in the evening instead so it stops me rattling all day.

I've finally sorted the paper recycling, and I have a couple of those files with alphabetical compartments to put bills in from utilities and local authorities. They hold a year's supply of paperwork but I'm cutting down to online as much as possible. I need to burn the older stuff because it's got my name and address all over it.

I bought some expensive shoes today. Expensive because they are designed by Cosyfeet to fit me. I then had a text from the bank because they panicked over my being defrauded, so I had a friendly conversation with a bod from the fraud department. The bank has changed my sort code and IBAN no perhaps because I've moved away, or because the codes in my old home town have changed.

I do hope they resolve the house numbers problem. You have had a difficult time with them just when you were getting over a stroke and didn't need things to be more complicated. If they give you new road names/numbers so that your block of numbers will be attached to them it should sort things out somewhat. I hope it is resolved. Is the courier with the winged sandals coming too? Mr Hermes?

I hope you have a lovely time in St Ives Brian. If you meet the man with 7 wives, just ignore him. He's a red herring. Not sure if that brain teaser was about the Cambridge or Cornwall St Ives.

[Brians Cravat]

Have to say that I get increasingly frustrated with the actions of local authorities. Our own changed political hands last year from Labour to Conservative. After several years of "We have to cut this and that!" even threatening eighteen months ago to charge schools for crossing wardens, suddenly the new regime find several millions of pounds and, the pressure eases. Strange that a Tory council gets an increased annual settlement from a Tory government!l

Birmingham City Council are currently in real problems. For several weeks the refuse collection crews have been striking for a couple of days per week. Job cuts etc. The result has been, piles of rubbish in the streets with, the accompanying problems of the smell and vermin. Finally, the whole dispute is taken to ACAS with both the Council and the union locked in talks. After a couple of days, an agreement is reached and, the union call off the industrial action. A day or two later, the Leader of the Council announces that the deal is not affordable, after all. In a master stroke of personnel management at the end of last week, the council issued redundancy notices to a large number of the 'bin men'. The strike is back on and the council is paying a private company £40,000 a day to take up the slack and, continues to refuse to return to the negotiating table.

Should add that it has been mooted that Birmingham and the four Black Country Councils join forces to become 'Greater Birmingham'. Birmingham City is already the largest local authority in Europe and, they want to make it bigger? Over my dead body!