Alt.Mustardland

Good morning. Sorry, I haven't been in. No particular reason barring tiredness. I only went for a 3 hour meeting on Friday, followed by a walk, but I've been knocked out ever since.

I'm glad you don't have to knock out too much this time Brian. What if some of your 'retiring' staff decide they want to stay on, only with reduced hours? Or even not yet retiring need more space in their lives. Would that help? You wouldn't necessarily know in advance however. Disposing of the detritis of years is a pain, but when I moved I just took what I really wanted, and had a disposal man to get rid of the rest. I have had to replace some of my books and one or two other bits have been sadly missed.

I just hope someone can help you, GLO. Maybe even find your diary which will be in your desk, or on the floor and out of sight. If they find the addresses they seek would they be able to come back and tell you where they are, or would they get lost again finding you? If you can't use your legal address, maybe your illegal one would be more useful to you. I don't have a number on my door or gatepost, but I have decided to get some and put them on the gate. A folly, with just a gate and posts and no fence either side. Another shrub should fill in the gap on either side.

Hope that everyone is well otherwise.

I found Diary, dashed out without reading it, and got to Health Centre a week early.

Got six bags of recycle, and more to do. But it is wet and windy, so reluctant to put it out yet. In fact Reluctant to put it out tonight ... Reynard has been about lately.

Hope all are well.

Good morning all. Didn't manage to get in here yesterday. It just seemed reall quite busy. If you asked me what I actually did that made it so busy however, I just wouldn't be able to tell you.

Due to go on my Action Heart Walk this morning but, I seem to have contracted some sort of stomach bug. As such, walking four or five miles with most of it not in hailing distance of a toilet, is probably not advisable.

Pleased to see that GLO located the missing diary but, not so pleased that he turned up at a non-existent appointment. Oddly, it was the on-line diary that I kept on my work computer that I missed most when I retired three years ago. I put everything on the computer; work-based appointments, home and social etc, and it was my computer 'home page'. This meant that, when I opened the computer first thing, my whole day and, those ahead were arrayed in front of me.

Retirement meant that, opening the computer was not my first job of the day. I was never that assiduous at hand-writing things in diaries or, on calendars. Rather, I'd jot things down on scraps of paper and transfer the details to the computer at the first opportunity.

The first few months of retirement saw me missing appointments on a fairly regular basis. I adapted to using my phone to record appointments. As it's an iPhone, these entries are transferred magically to my iPad. Both devices provide audible and visual warnings of upcoming appointments. OH still likes me to write things on the calendar but, I simply do a once a week job with the iPad in one hand and a pen hovering above the calendar in the other.

Enjoy your days people.

GLO, it's interesting that you associate shredded bin bags with urban foxes. I saw some research a little while ago that laid the blame for ripped bin bags at the door of cats. Foxes and Fermin may then take advantage at the opened bags but, rarely were they responsible for the initial ripping. A little while later, the night before the bin bag collection, I witnessed a black and white feline from a few houses down (He went by the appellation of 'Errol'.) happily strolling down the road, ripping open bin bags and taking advantage of what ever sundry delights he managed to get at. These days we have the ubiquitous 'wheelie' bin and 'Errol' is not a plump as he once was!

Oh dear... Oh dear O Dear O dear... I Encountered a link on Computer referring to My old Home Town, Found Myself adding to the odd ommision, and have been Berated ever since... My First job was in a Yacht-Fitting Maker. It was Sited in A Builders Yard. The Builders Yard was at the foot of a Railway Embankment. It had once been railway served - before my time. (but were still had interesting "livestock" livin in/under the Embankment). Unfortunately I semed to have arisen a stir up of Railway History. e.g., Track Doubling, The actual location of Ex Midland Railway and Ex Great Eastern Coal Depots..

There indeed seems to be a surfeit of Fox's hereabouts. .. and they are not shy .. no skulking away from my doorstep just because I want to get to my door. There is very few Dog's running loose - The nearest Dog is a Beautifully Behaved Alsatian that Lives on the Perimeter, and only leaves Home to greet His owner's arrival. If I thought I had space for a Dog an 8 stone Alsation would be fine. I'm sure there are more Foxes than Dogs.

I do wish I hads some worthwhile work, but I don't think I can manage to remember "Words" and get moments of silence. Nor do I like the distance trek to he Nearest Lock-up Garage I have now. I have disposed of last weeks re-cycle and am now starting with a few new sacks. .. as an aside.. I was in the Library last night, when Librarian was enticed out to collect the spillage from one of the councils lorries ... Bundles of Plastic sacks for recycling (new ones of course - empty). I helped her to collect a few but considered it unwise to collect from the traffic flow. I later found some more bundles in the Library Hedgerow - too late to return, so I now have Bundles of recycling capacity. .... If I lose sight of Diary, Please remind me to see the bloodletting Tests on Tuesday Morm.

Back to the recycling - Just unearthed my indentures, My college "Prizes" from the firm I had by then moved to, and a related paperwork. I'm now down to Reports I have written, and implemented - mostly to long-gone Hospitals... But no more recycle collections till Friday (a day late because of Bank Hol), and I'm hoping to get some "Quotes" for some household maintenace jobs before next winter. They won't be too hapy moving full recycle bags - especially fox torn bags....

Far too many Saturdays in some months.
This is the fifth weekend this month. Nobody needs that many.
Well... Not when the weather isn't good enough to go anywhere.

Hells Bells.. I got logged out again...

Not Worried about too many Satturdays. I just disliked so many Bank Holidays this time of Year . One could never arrange to moniter any client fo a whole week... Was there 3 weeks of them this month...

Good morning all.

Good day yesterday. Yes, the weather patently failed to come up to expectations. However, having done our weekly shop, we set off for Birmingham late afternoon. Then after an early (Italian) we attended the Symphony Hall for ''An Evening of Music and Dance". This is an annual event put on by Birmingham Royal Ballet. The music comes from the Birmingham Royal Ballet Symphonia and there are performances by some of the company's principal performers. This the third consecutive year that we have been to this event and, it was truly excellent.

Today's main event is likely to be shopping for new luggage ahead of our river cruise next month.

Enjoy your days.

Good Day.
This Town is too near London to have its own Orchestra's and Theatre big enough to Justify the clientele. I could face the slings and arrows of Late Night Trains, but enthusiasm is not forthcoming. I keep thinking back to the days of "Theatre Bus", and "Supper Bus". i.e., Extra Daytime Services kept a couple of Coaches at a London Transport Bus Station to Return too-late to have connecting buses, so towns Beyond this Town were driven to their homes???

For the first time since intermittent ailments, I'm getting up to firing on ... well, perhaps five out of six.

There seems to be a possibility of The County providing "Gardening Labour" from sundry teenagers. Not certain of their Circumstances - but they are obviously from County-courts.

Also needs to get some repairs done caused whilst I was ill. I changed Insurers mid ailments, so Must read all the small prints.

Must go and exercise the Shredder and Vacuum Cleaner.

We are really very fortunate living where we do. The nearest city, Wolverhampton has a theatre. It promotes a wide range of performances: plays, opera, ballet, the ocassional comedian on tour. We're off there on Saturday afternoon, to see the matinee performance of 'The Verdict', a play starring Jack Shepherd and Clive Mantle. It's a twenty minute bus trip away.

Birmingham takes a little longer with, a combined car and train journey. Our 'wrinkly bus passes' can be used on trains and trams in the West Midlands region. We can travel as far as Coventry on the train. Birmingham probably takes a little over an hour in the day. However, we caught a train a Birmingham New Street station last night at 22:05 and arrived home 35 mins later.

Birmingham gives us a lot more choice. We have the Symphony Hall, the Arena and the NEC, for various concerts fro. rock to the classics. There are three theatres.

Our view is 'if we don't us it, we'll lose it'.

Of course Stratford is only a ninety minute drive away and, we've attended performances at the RSC too.

Good morning all.

Another Bank Holiday and, it's raining again. Quite heavily, as it happens.

Despite the Bank Holiday, my Art Group is still on today. Having attended an organ recital last Monday, it's my first attendance at the group since before Easter.

I blame all of the rain, on the weather.

Had a right downpour here for a few hours after 3 am this morning.

Good morning to all.

One main job to do today and that is to collect my ballot box and the polling booth. Getting this home. I then need to work through the various bits of paperwork, envelopes, ballot papers etc to ensure that I have everything in preparation for Thursday. Last time I counted, there were something like fifty items.

Obviously there are the ballot papers which, have increased in size in recent years. This will certainly be true for this poll because, we have six candidates for West Midlands Mayor and, the voters have a first and second choice on the ballot. Generally these days, we don't get the maximum number of ballot papers we might need. We tend to get only around 80% of the papers required to provide every voter on the electoral roll for the polling district.

The paperwork seems to have expanded exponentially in recent years. There is a form for practically every eventuality and virtually all have to be completed, even if there is a nil return.

Locally we have moved away from the old wooden polling booths. Today, we have collapsible aluminium ones with telescopic legs and, lots of elements that go "click" when they are properly in place. The full colour leaflet that shows how to erect the booth shows a petite young woman in high heel shoes putting the booth together in about eight easy movements. Sadly, it does not show a 69 year-old bloke, cussing for all he is worth. The booth has to be disassembled and returned to its 4'x2'6"x 6" box at the end of the night.

When appointing Presiding Officers, it is mentioned that they should have access to a car to deliver everything, including the booth to the count. They do not mention that, it should be a four- door model to accommodate the box with the polling booth in on the back seat. It doesn't work with a two door vehicle.

Enjoy your days people

I didn't think the polling booths were that easy to assemble and disassemble, but practice makes perfect, and the bits slot together more easily when they've been used a few times. Maybe a blow torch to warm them up a bit might help. A little one for creme brulee, nothing savage or WD40? Of course, they aren't actually made to fit snugly, where would be the fun in that?

When I find the component parts to my mini greenhouse which I had to move for the insulation team, I will have similar fun. First though I have to clear away the nettles. Yum, nettle soup!

Rwth, there is no need for WD40 or similar. It's simply that these things are so unwieldy. Bruised shins, broken fingernails and, blood blisters come as part of the package.

The real problem is getting the Parked car that some Local "I know my rights", out of your space... Usually a schoolteach who thinks the whole world should clear for Her 08:45 departure to be at school at 09:00. and then (in National Elections) The MP wants to exercise his rights of visiting each poll station, Usually accompanied with a Mayor/Bigwig. (Yes You know the one) He has the biggest four-wheel drive with an illuminated Name on the roof.The sign (think of the Destination Thingy on a Double-Deck Bus) about Bedroom widow height and totally spoilling sight os access to the Poll Station..

Think that I've already related the story of the guy who parked across the doors to a temporary polling station I was allocated. Apart from that, I can't recall any issues over parking.

I am told that, the only people allowed in my polling station, apart from the police, voters and their families (We do encourage children these days, in an effort to 'de-mystify' the voting process.) are candidates and the bona fide agents. Yes the MP would be allowed in, providing he was in his constituency. However, his entourage would get pretty short shrift from me. It was recently discovered that Police Community Support Officers were not included in the list of people who could enter a polling station and, the law had to be amended .

We had a life peer locally, the ex-MP for the constituency who strolled into my polling station wearing the biggest Labour Party rosette, I've ever seen. He knew all the voters who were in the station at the time and was speaking to them: "Morning Mary. I hope you put your cross in the right place.", "Jack, I know you can be counted on." etc. So I told him to remove himself from the polling station as he had voted. He knew I was right and, with a smile he left.

A church hall I was allocated proved a real problem as, the vicar had called a meeting of several people in an adjacent room. The problem was that these people needed chairs and, the hall we were using was the only source. In the end, I popped my head into their meeting to say that, they should come and get all the chairs they would need as, I couldn't tolerate people coming and going.

Enjoy your day friends

Bit reluctant to go on about that Particular MP. His Fame will readily be known if I say more.

A friends wife presided at an earlier election (Her Full Time Job was a Police Divisons Boss's Secretary, so she knew most of the police) was where The National Front were candidates in her ward, and had Marches and other difficulties, so she had ample police presence. This included being driven to the counting station in a Police Minibus. I remember her going on about being squashed in with all these police peoples.... To avoid the Marches, they took her the long way round... I also did the count... The range of candidates included the "Official" Communist and the "Unofficial" Communist. Irrespective of my vote (I didn't/don't Live in that constituancy), but the unofficial one seemed ... almost human,, and ... no. I've said enough.

I have heard that threewells is ill: Not certain of the right place send my best wishes (I Dislike sending second-hand news) Does our Learned Moderator have an update, or indeed, discard or shift this post to somewhere appropriate.

I too have heard that threewells hase been taken ill. I'd like to pass on my best wishes for her speedy recovery. Mrs Pankhurst has asked me to pass on her wishes too. Thinking of you Wellsy.