A strange dream

Yesterday I woke up in the early hours of the morning, and the dream that I had woken up from had been very vivid, as I was trying to clear the sleep fog from my head I suddenly was transported to a holiday many years ago.

As you will know by now there is a tale to tell and what I saw in my dream will be at the end, so if you want to cut out the memories, just skip to the end.

Jon and I had gone to stay in his bosses villa up in the North East of Spain, ( the 'expensive bottle of fizz' holiday).
We had flown into Barcelona but I was flying back to Heathrow from Valencia as Jon was meeting his boss and his Dad there to go and look at some land that his Dad owned near Javea.

We took the hire car up to Figueres and bought our train tickets, and spent a 'Daliesque' day before boarding the train late afternoon.

The train was one with compartments and  had a million stops on the near 6 hours journey.
People got on and off , food was eaten, Ducados cigarette smoke hung heavily in the compartment, even with windows prised open it wouldn't disperse.
We eventually arrived at Valencia station, tired and hungry. It was dark ( October 31st) and we needed to find a hotel. ( before the days of Booking.com).

Across the road from the station stood an hotel ( I cannot remember its name , but it is now a rather impressive place called Vincci Lys).
They had a room and we paid a very small amount of money for the night  and headed up to the 3rd floor. Each floor had a seating area with a TV and sofas, coke machines and a machine selling snacks.
We were starving but too tired to head out to eat, so grabbed some snacks and went off to our room.

We entered and found a sofa and chair, TV and fridge ( empty). I looked for a cupboard with bedding thinking that we had a sofa bed, Jon put on the TV and settled down to eats his crisps.

I flopped down and snoozed for a bit, then decided we should make the bed up, I headed through the closed door that I assumed was the bathroom......................no it was the bedroom with a huge bed, a bathroom off that the size of a ballroom and a balcony that faced the station and from which we could watch Valencia go by.
I ran a bath and Jon went off in search of bread and wine, and returned with just that. We sat watching the city go about its business until tiredness finally hit, we fell asleep with the bedroom TV showing Ghandi dubbed in Spanish!

Next morning ( 1st November) was All Saints Day and as such there was not a lot open, we managed to find a 'restaurant' ( greasy Joes café) and somehow I thought I was getting mushrooms, sausages and egg, but ended up with kidneys, sausages and egg,( the picture on the wall looked like mushrooms), something that neither of us could eat.

We dragged our bags to the station to get the train to the airport, and then we spotted it, the thing that came to me in my dreams. A vending machine, but not just any vending machine.
This one made and dispensed chips!!!

You put in your pesetas ( not potatoes) and it sprang into action, you could hear oil heating up, potatoes going into oil and frying and then they were dispensed, flipping red hot!

Now this machine was in my dream, I have no idea why, it was probably the most dangerous vending machine ever, but we spent a fortune on chips whilst we waited for our train. ( we found the whole thing thoroughly entertaining)

I have no idea why I dreamt about it, but I'm sure you wish I hadn't.

If you waded through all of that, well done.

Times are hard, news is  low on the ground.

have a great weekend

New week and new obstacles

Well that is the last Bank Holiday over until August and who knows what that will bring.,  It normally is the warning klaxon for nearing the end of the cricket season, however this year, I still wonder if there will be any cricket.

My Bank Holiday weekend was full on busy although not doing what I had said I would do.

I did however cook myself a fabulous French meal and took great delight in studying wines for the meal, I had forgotten how much I missed working for Virgin Wines and the lovely wines that they sold.

I dipped into my Rick Stein 'Secret France' book too for a couple of recipes and very nice they were.
I spent the evening watching 'Julie and Julia' and OSS 117 Cairo, nest of spies, which is a French spoof spy films and always makes me laugh.

If lockdown has done one thing for me, it has brought me back to cooking, something which I love more now than when it was my work.
I have also been making (more) chutney and pickling onions and chillies.

On Saturday on my early morning bimble I finally spotted some Elder bushes just ready to flower, so there should be some 'champagne' brewing soon.
I found lots of blackberry bushes and cherry trees, I see some 'cherry brandy' being made soon.

All I need now is to find the sloes and I am all set.


Well best head out, the roads are getting busier every morning now and I think that my sedate drive to and from work will soon be turning to the stressful one of old.

Stay safe.

Another Bank Holiday looms

Well another Bank holiday is on the horizon.

The year is moving towards the half way mark. We are so close to June.

There is still nothing really to report on cricket  although apparently the England  bowlers will be allowed back into training, staggering  training sessions that will take place at various grounds around the country.

I've thought long and hard about where I stand on any cricket this season and to be honest, I think that I will be giving it all a miss.

I've kept myself clear of Covid 19 so far so I  will continue to keep myself very much to myself.

Which is exactly what I have been doing.

Taking time out for me, and having a good old sifting of the wheat from the chaff.

I feel a heck of a lot better for it I can tell you.

Huge thanks to friends who contacted me, so very kind and lovely of you all. 

And so I am heading back to my happy little life.

Have a good weekend, in the circumstances.

Stay safe.

Last working day

It is the last working day of the week and I am planning what to do at home this weekend.

I am going to strip the dining room of its green and brown striped wallpaper ( previous owners obviously  liked green and brown stripes ), and then I am organising a dinner party on Saturday evening.
Just for me you understand, but I thought I would have a French themed evening and get dressed up and made up ( something that I haven't done for over 6 weeks).
I'm planning the menu and will get the shopping ( hopefully) on tonight when I do my weekly shop after work ( if there is anything left as there a bank holiday and folks tend to go a bit mad).

I hope that the weather stays nice too so that I can spend it in the garden, catching a few rays. I will have to mow the lawn, not a favourite job but since it is the size of a postage stamp I should have it done in minutes.

Yesterday in the offices it was much the same except that when anyone's phone rang, everyone was waiting for news of being furloughed. Everyone seems to think that I know who is going and who isn't, but to be honest I am so far out of the loop that I think I could be going soon.

Sadly at 3pm the news came through that the 2 apprentices in the workshop had been furloughed. I had thought that they would be in the running.

It is what it is and both lads are fine, and said they hoped we would still be around to come back to ( need their bumps feeling too!!!).


I spent last night writing a few letters and getting them ready to be posted ( which I will do on the way to work).

We are having 'Friday' breakfast today although I'm not making it so there should be a surprise when I get in.

And with that I am off to finish the week.

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend.

Take care, stay safe and enjoy the sunshine.

Midweek

So its midweek and another day on 'death row' as we wait for the next one to go through being furloughed.

There is plenty of work to do and getting done, but we all keep cheery by shouting through the offices to each other.

Yesterday we were talking about things we watched as children. I said that I loved Andy Pandy and that I had met him.

A huge amount of shouting about meeting a puppet ensued, and I said that I had actually  met the real Andy Pandy.

Still much shouts of 'noooo'.

Well yes I did.

Jon and I were on our way home after a day in town and were at Baker Street to get the Met line back to Moor Park.

As we were walking to our platform I saw a man standing at the stairs.

'Oh my god Jon, its Andy Pandy' I said in a slightly louder voice than I realised.

At this Andy Pandy turned around and smiled.

I was slightly mortified, but Andy Pandy came over, shook hands and had a lovely conversation with us.

He was not in a stripy onesie, he was in a suit and tie.

He was ( and still is ) Paul Atterbury, the antiques expert, and why did I think that he was Andy Pandy?.
Well, his mum Audrey was a puppeteer on the childrens show and it is rumoured that Freda Lingstrom ( the then head of BBC childrens TV) modelled Andy Pandy on Paul.

All a bit lost on that lot, but a great memory.

I've looked at the cricket news, and I suspect you all have too, so I am off to the office for another day.

stay safe and try to keep cheerful

Tuesday no news day

Hello Tuesday and I wonder what today has in store.

I have been looking on line for wallpaper but am loathe to buy as I really want to see it in the 'real', so all wallpapering exploits are on hold along with cricket, holidays, and just any type of  fun in general.

In the office yesterday we were discussing who we would like to be in lockdown with,  obviously for 50% of the staff, Kelly Brook, Susannah Reid and ( surprisingly on one count ) Angela Strawbridge were the top 3.
The other 50% went for Jools Holland ( not me) and Lenny Kravitz {Sean Bean  thrown in too}
Ahh how we laughed as we filled another day on death row.

And now as I prepare for another day, I realise that having just 4 of us in the office for 5/6 weeks, we will all take badly when the rest of them come back!

I've been out for a walk already this morning, managing to get in 2000 steps.
I hope too get another 3000 in at lunchtime and fill in the remainder tonight. in between a couple of minutes of jogging { still going slow on this}.

And now I am off to the post office, not a lot to report so sorry this is short and boring

Have a good day whatever you are doing, and what ever you are doing, stay safe.

New week, new attitude

Another week begins, and after the stress of last week, I have taken the weekend to think long and hard and plan for the future.

Getting to the end of this current situation is key and how long that will be is anyone's guess. However I am thinking ahead and this is the main thing.

The weekend has come and gone in a flash, I haven't done anything really, not even chutney making.
I did write a lot of letters and will be posting them this week.
I also had the 'joy' of food shopping which I have to say is now bottom of my list of things to do.
People have not become kinder in the supermarket that's for sure.

We have a short week at work, as Friday is VE Day. so roll on the next 4 days.

This weekend I should have been in Southampton with James Bond and besty chum Terry, however that was not to be and so yesterday I joined in Sybils picnic, a yearly event organised by my friend Jacqui to raise awareness of Huntingtons disease.

Luckily the sun shone long enough to have a pleasant hour in the garden scoffing my picnic.

Well short one today as I have to head to the post office to send off some 'stuff' I've flogged on ebay and post some letters.

I am still managing to get rid of things that I no longer need, but I am missing my trips to the charity shop.

Stay safe

End of the week

So here we are at the end of some week.

For me, its been very tiring, and upsetting and frustrating, it  has left me feeling undervalued, unwell and unsure what to do for the best.

However enough of my problem lets see what I have missed whilst I have been trying to sort out everything in the land of water, and lower my blood pressure and stop the palpitations.

Well,Yorkshire have cancelled all the contracts for overseas players, which I think  we all saw coming as some other counties have already done this.
Of course old 'Dolly hair' Vaughan, had to put his oar in, but that is solely to protect those in his 'stable' and protect his future income.


The 100 has been delayed for 2020 which is for the best although personally I think it needs  scrapping for good and a decent plan for the future of the County Championship and one day cricket.

Obviously as you can tell I am not in the best of moods, and not had the greatest of weeks.
Its not very often that I feel totally beaten, but I have felt just that this week.
Times are difficult enough without lazy  Richard Tators, sitting at home and not accessible during working hours, making it worse by emailing staff with veiled threats of pay cuts or worse and leaving me to try to stop the mutiny.
And then yesterday to top  it all, throw out the furlough email.

I can only deal with so much { having had all authority taken off me 18  months ago}and I have reached saturation on that point.
As I waved bye for a few weeks { hopefully} to my own draughtsman, I really wondered when they will just call time on the company and put an end to the charade that we have been living for over a year.

Anyhoo

Have a great weekend, stay safe and don't let the b***ards grind you down...………………. sadly I did!

I am going to spend the weekend doing Tai Chi and facial yogaing and hoping that my hair goes curly again soon!

Another lock down week begins

Another week begins and another week without cricket, and none before 1st July,but wait......Tom Harrison has a plan, he has had numerous offers from as fair away as Australia and New Zealand.

How can this work?
Surely the cost to do this would be astronomical, and then the logistics.
Moving the postponed Internationals to later in the summer.

Firstly moving games abroad...……...………….does the ECB not realise that a pandemic means that it is world wide { except St Helena and the Antarctic research facilities to name a couple}.
Surely moving players is not a great idea, to be honest we know very little about Covid 19 , we think we know how its spread but there is not cure, or immunisation against it.

I think that the ECB need to sit back and think about safety.
Also taking cricket abroad rules out any fans seeing it unless they want to stupidly put themselves at risk.

Jason Gillespie came up with a good plan.
3 groups of 6 counties.
Play each other once and winner of each group { using current points system} goes into the final 3.
Top team into the final
2v3 in semi final.
winner{points system} into final
final at Lords.

Its a possibility, and could be shown on Sky.

Of course there are still massive shouts for T20, but to be honest I doubt that even by September I will be comfortable in large groups of people. And that is what T20 is about, numbers to generate income.

Ah well we will see, but I seriously think that is the ECB are thinking at any point this year of sending players abroad, they need their bumps feeling.

Well off to work and no doubt see lots of other numpties who will be queuing at B & Q.
Lock down means travel if its essential, stay at home, exercise daily, but recommended an hour, not a 5 hours bimble.

Seriously people are becoming complacent and I for one do not want to be ill or worse due to their stupidity.

Rant over

a little look back

This is  a look back to a post from 2017.

I was not much more than 10 years old and accompanied by my two older sisters, headed overnight  to London ( Victoria) to get to Gatwick to fly out to Africa on a splendid adventure.

Initially the 3 of us were due to fly to Moscow for  a week, but due to eldest sister Kiki working in the secret service ( OK it was the Police) she was unable to get the necessary paperwork to go, so  there we were hurtling down the M1 on a National Express coach.

And then it broke down at Scratchwood, not the services you understand, far enough away that in the middle of February, we were standing on the side of the motorway  at approx. 5.00am!

By the time a replacement coach came ( and remember this is before the days of mobile phones and the bus driver had to leg it to the services to make a call from a phone box, remember those????) we knew that we were not going to make out 9am flight to Africa.

When we arrived at Victoria, Kiki made pleading phone calls to the airport to see what could be done.

We arrived at Gatwick unbelievably only a matter of 10 mins after the plane had left.

Staff tried to see if they could help us, we were all dead on our feet and not sure where we were, what day it was, and more to the point what was going to happen.

we were sent to get something to eat and drink whilst they worked on our plight.

When we returned to the desk, we were told that we had been booked on to a flight from Luton airport to our destination and would leave at tea time. If we hopped to it could be on the next 'Green Line' bus  to Luton, taking in the scenery of various counties on the way.

Too tired to do much else, we, got on the bus and headed to Luton.

Never in those days would you have heard travellers heave a sigh of relief when they saw the departure lounge of this airport, but  we did.

So we settled down to wait for the teatime flight, and waited, and waited and waited.

We were sent to get some dinner as the flight was delayed until 10pm.

we  thought we had best  ring the parents.

'Oh goodness' declared Her Serence Highness,

'Why the devil are you phoning from Africa?'

Yes indeed, we should have been  settled in our hotel, had a dip in the pool, had lunch and dinner and at this time be dolling ourselves up to go to the hotel disco!

Kiki told her the story in a nutshell and  then we went back to waiting to board.

It was raining as we headed out onto the runway to board the plane.

We took off into a thunderstorm and believe me I never want to see lightning that close to me ever again.

We landed  slightly shaken but safe and were taken to the hotel in the early  hours.

Having been given our key ( tiny key on a solid brass keyring the size of a saucer, and I can still hear the sound of said keyrings being dropped on marble floors now!).

We headed off to our room, Kiki in charge, marching off to the room, she opened the door and walked in ........................................................only to find a naked man on the bed.

Ah it turned out that we were in the wrong room, worryingly though the key opened it!

We found our room (easy mistake, we were in A5 and had just gone into room 5)????!!!!!

However there were only 2 beds when there should have been 3.

Step up Didi, she took off to the reception and  10 minutes later was carrying another bed in with the help of a porter. I tell  you I swore that she would give up her banking job when we got home and take a job with Pickfords!

Surely now we could relax and enjoy our holiday.

Bed, sleep and then waking up to sunshine and warmth pouring through the patio doors.

We got ready and decided to head out for a walk to get our bearings................................................and couldn't open the door!!!!!

The key that had opened the wrong door and then the right door last night would not open the door at all this morning.

Didi steps up again and climbs over the balcony,, this was not as dangerous as it sounds as we were on the ground floor!

she takes the key and opens the door from the other side, let us out and we never looked back.

This country became a yearly sometimes bi-yearly haunt and is still very dear to us all, although now it is not safe to travel there.

 I'm  sorry to say that I haen't even  mentioned the near 3rd degree burns from water heating elements ( remember those before the 'invention' of travel kettles and hospitality trays??) and enamel mugs....................... ah well I'll save that for another day.

have a good one!

another day

Another day and we are still plodding along here in the office, I have lots to do and also 4 O & M's to get out before the 2nd week in May.
Its all go for us...………………………...not so sure I can say the same for some of the home 'workers'.


I've been busy at The Wickets and upcycled a little side table that was going to the charity shop, it is now going in the 'petit salon' and looks very nice. I had looked for something on line but then realised that I couldn't order as I like to touch and see something before I buy it, and its difficult enough to send things back in good times, bit more difficult at the moment.

I have ordered new curtains too and will be looking for new cushions which again will be difficult on line, but needs must at the moment.

I might finally get a room finished. and I am really pleased about that.

My lovely friend Phil who is a keen amateur photographer has given me access to a set of pictures that he took and that I said I liked, I have ordered 2  for the room when it is done, I am looking forward to getting them put up.

Its been an up and down week in the office, morale has actually hit rock bottom and trying to gee everyone up has been hard.

Looks at if the ECB are heading for more criticism as it appears that Colin Graves heir apparent is not quite as squeaky clean  as a Chairman should be ( Graves must be a whisker behind him).

Oh dear it just doesn't get any better.

However lets see what happens.


And now I am heading off to work, the roads seem to  be getting  busier, more people returning to work?

Have a good day stay safe.

Something a bit different

So today instead of cricket or coronavirus, I thought I'd take you back to the dark ages when I was about 8 years old.

I was in The Brownies and we went away on Pack Holiday for a week to Camp House, which was in the beautiful Whitworth Park Estate Spennymoor. These grounds are full of woodland animals and wild flowers and  to any 8-10 year old at this time ( pre mobile phones, play stations etc) an absolute wonderland.
I remember with very fond memories of evening walks through the woods with Brown Owl and Tawny Owl ( not the feathered kind, but our leaders)

I went on this holiday twice which was the allotted amount of trips you could do and the memories of it have never gone away.

The Camp House was made possible by Rosa Edith Marguarite Duncombe Shafto ( descendant of seafarer Bobby Shafto) who leased the land on which the house now stands to the Durham branch of Brownies, Guides and Rangers for a nominal rent.

The house officially opened on 3rd April 1965 by Mrs Shafto's grandson  Robert, this house became ( and still is) very important to Girlguiding in the County as it is also used for training as well as a holiday home for the girls.

In April 2007 the purchase of the land and surrounding Bluebell wood was completed which meant that it would provide holidays for many years to come.
In 2011 The Shafto Foundation gifted  the remaining land ( which had still been leased for a nominal rent ).

So what made these holidays so memorable, well I guess, going away with 23 of your Brownie friends was the main thing, and for many it was a first holiday away from parents.
Being given the task with my bunk mate Lorraine, of cleaning the windows outside at the front entrance.
Who knew that 4 bottles of Windolene were nigh on impossible to remove once baked on by the sun. I'm sure the window cleaner loved us!!!
We would walk through the woods were there was an 'ice pit' were food would have been stored to keep it fresh centuries ago ( we all loved this for some strange reason).

And then there was the old lady who lived in the little cottage in the woods who grew lots of vegetables and would give us fresh herbs to take back to the house.
This lady was Rosa Shafto ( she passed away in 1979), she always came out to talk  to us and was a lovely lady.

We had great games in the fields and picked flowers for the camp house.

Great memories of times gone by.



 Rosa's Dad was named Robert ( not Bobby who was born in 1732) and her mother was named Alice and was from Sydney, New South Wales.


Happy Wednesday

Life in the time of Corona

Daily life has changed a lot

Some go to work and some do not

Washing hands in water hot

Use your sleeve to wipe away sn*t :-(

Life in the time of Corona

Do your shopping once a week,

Exercise daily, to be at your peak

Enjoy time at home, its not that bleak

And to your neighbours try to speak.

Life in the time of Corona

Those going to work every day

Face  problems along the way

But needs must to get their pay
News seems to get a bit more grey

Life in the time of Corona.

Hospitals built in a matter of hours,

Updates given by the top powers

Burials without families or flowers

A country that now cowers

Life in the time of Corona

Lockdown continues and the weeks pass by

Keep calm, carry on and time will fly

Keep safe, be kind or at least try.
We are in it together under one sky

Life in the time of Corona

Life in lockdown

Its Monday and  we are in week 4 of lockdown, as I have said before I think that I am 'luckier; than some as I have a real routine due to still working. This tends to mean that I am still looking forward to the weekend.

Flicking through my social media,, I despair at some friends who think that they have had their civil liberties violated by being asked to stay at home and not allowed to go out except for exercise. To be  honest their only worry is when the pubs are going to open again.


I, meanwhile  have finally made the effort to rid myself of the brown and teal striped wall paper in the lounge.As I was steaming off the first piece of paper I had this sudden fear that the wall underneath was either brown or teal or some other god awful colour, luckily it was  better, as the wall underneath was painted magnolia and not too bad, so I gave it a quick 'one coat' { read as 2 coats but the other one is still to go on}.
So I will be added the last coat one night this week and then get the lounge into some sort of order, and I now have to look for some new curtains...………...its a bugger that the charity shop isn't open, I normally can pick up some fabulous ones in there.

I had a video call on Saturday afternoon and caught up with Carole, Philip and The Nannan, most of it was spent in fits of laughter.

Sunday was a bit of all sorts, as I planted a Clematis in the garden and made more chutney, {I may be opening a shop after lockdown at this rate},upcycled a side table { until I can get to the shops to find a new one} and did a spot of eBaying. { looking for a chair...….don't ask}

And back to Monday. Another week at the office and  lots of work to do { including the cleaning, Jack of bloody all trades I am}.


In cricket Adil Rashid has said that he might consider a return to red ball cricket at the end of the summer.
He is a bit of an enigma Adil, I appreciate that he is doing what he thinks is right for his career, but I don't think he is getting any new fans.

IPL suspended until further notice, there will be some players who are crying into their caviar at that.

however, will we see any cricket this season?

As a sponsor of two players, I really hope I get to see the lads paly before the end of summer...…..but I'm not holding my breath.

Best head off to work and carry on as normal.

Have a good day and stay safe.

Friday toastie day

Its Friday and  we are having toasties for breakfast, we have been planning these since Wednesday.
They  are having 'nearly quiche lorraine' toasties. ( bacon cheese and onion). I'm peanut butter and banana toastie.

We have several suggestions for what to have, one of which will be used next week, 3 cheese pizza toastie ( 3 cheeses and tomato),

Its a proper gastronomic delight in the office, we have a coffee machine and the sandwich toaster  in use for the 4 of us as we are making the most of a bad situation.

It is the last day of the working week and I for one am very glad, its not been the easiest of weeks, and after emails yesterday regarding holidays, it has not lifted the gloom in the office.

I'm trying to gee up the other three who feel that that they have been undervalues { true} and that they now know their place in the office hierarchy {bottom feeders,}.

Its amazing how little about management those at the top know, and don't get me started on how to motivate your staff!

I've just been reading that you can buy a shed load of alcohol to get you through a week, but cant buy paint and brushes, according to some guidelines.
So you will be suffering  cirrhosis of the liver in a shabby house!
I would have thought paint would be ideal as people are trying to get their houses into order, and obviously broke some law by buying paint last weekend.
Keeping people busy and as such helping with their mental health, which is a huge topic at the moment.
I wonder what those who lived through the war, with bombing, restriction of movement, blackouts and rationing are thinking about those who are going 'stir cazy' after 3 weeks of being at home with satellite TV, the internet, food, drink and no chance of waking up to find half your street a pile of rubble.

Time to flipping well 'grow a pair' and realise that this is not for 5 years its probably not for 5 months.

And so ends my rant for Friday.

Have a safe weekend, take care.

Putting on a united front

We all know that these are strange and unprecedented times, things are not the norm for us all, even those of us who have to go to work as normal.

I've read lots of what people want to do the minute that lock down is over...………….most revolve around going to the pub, which I guess will not be open as social distancing will probably still be in place.
Although listening to news this morning it was interesting to hear that some form of lockdown might be in place  until a vaccine is developed and that could take 18 months { smells of control of population/ movement to me}

I think that pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc will be the last things to get back to normal, apart from the economy.

The winners in this will be the supermarkets who have managed to hike up prices whilst people still buy as if a nuclear holocaust is going to take over from Covid 19.

We applaud the NHS for their stirling work, they will still have a job to go to when this is over, a lot of us won't.
I'm working within the water treatment industry, we are a small cog in the mechanism, and may not survive.

That will be us and a heck of a lot more companies.

Strange and unprecedented times.

My first thought was if I lose my job, I will sell up everything and go and work in a bar abroad...……………..then realised this wouldn't happen due to Brexit, which this time last year everyone was screaming about. My freedom of movement within the EU is restricted.

So as we wait to see when this form of lockdown will be extended to, and what the implications will be, I am trying to put on a united front, a brave face and carry on doing what I do.


We genuinely don't know what is round the corner.

So what will be the first thing that I do when lockdown comes to an end...……………..pretty much what I  have always done, work, go to visit friends and then go home and shut myself away in my little house. And in the event that we get any cricket head off to watch some of that.

I realised in the last few weeks that I do lead a very simple life, and that's just what I like.


Happy Thursday, keep smiling and stay safe.

Midweek already

Well its Wednesday, midweek already and we look as if we are no nearer to the end of lockdown. In some ways this is good as the stats of Covid 19 do  not seem to be levelling out.

I was back at work yesterday and this in itself brought a host of problems. It appeared that one of the Richard Taters had been in over the weekend { was this essential travel?} leaving an note on my desk of things to be done, this is the same one that I have had no contact with since he ran out of the door 3 weeks ago.

So on top of everything else I am now the cleaning of the office and the toilets { including the men} as our cleaner has been furloughed.
Well I think that you can imagine what happened at 7 46pm...…...and no surprise I woke him up...…………..ah the working from home lark, a 3 week + holiday for him it seems.

However there was an upside as one of the workshop lads was about to dump a radiator cover in the skip behind one of the workshops and it was rescued and in the back of the limo before you could blink an eye.

It needs a bit of TLC, which after the lounge wall has been painted will be next on the agenda.

One less for there lovely Rhys to make for me, and it will do a treat.

And for anyone in the 'radiator covers cost you more in energy' corner, this one has a reflective back plate, and in my house the heating is rarely on as its like a flipping furnace courtesy of my neighbours.

Well I am heading off to not do the cleaning of mens toilets { the two men can do theirs}. Everyone has to hoover their workspace and clean their area.

I am not adding cleaner to my CV that is for sure, no offence to cleaners in any way, I have quite a lot of other things to deal with daily without this.


stay safe.

The first Bank Holidays of Corona

I'm back after my four day staycation,the first of the corona Bank Holidays, and very nice it was too,  it was nice  to be at home, doing things, pulling things out and not worrying about any one calling unexpectedly, { well apart from Mr Funky leaving a grow bag outside the gate and me still being in my dressing gown,}.

I finished work on Thursday evening and after seeing the queue outside Aldi, thought that I didn't have the  energy to join the line for my essential shop, so went home and was in bed by 8pm.

Friday saw me up at normal time, and out on my walk at 6.15am, it was lovely, a slight chill in the air and not a soul around. I was home by 7.15am and washed the car, mainly because the seagulls that frequent Ladylaineyworkville, decided that my car was the local toilet!!!
Then I set about scrubbing the paved area of the garden, before heading in for coffee and breakfast.

I eventually  {9am} went for my shopping and then home to have a relaxing day.

Saturday was much the same but with chutney making thrown in for good measure.

Sunday was sewing and  ebaying, and yesterday was clearing under the stairs and finishing off the cushion covers I had made...…..and disliked, so they are now to one side.
Put up pictures in the dressing room and tidied the two landing cupboards.

Not exactly the weekend I had planned, as I should have been in Madrid, but in the circumstances, it was a very enjoyable time.

I think that post lockdown, I will try to keep to shopping once a week and  spending more time around the house, I have no desire to go to the pub, as lots of people are saying.
I would like to see my friends again that's for sure, but the pub is not on my radar.

In cricket Hampshire have now cancelled Nathan Lyons contract to play part of the season.

And I have been keeping up with Karl McDermott the Lords Head groundsman who is keeping a Twitter diary of life on lockdown in Lords. Imagine living there!!!!

Well another day and back to my usual routine, which is something that I am grateful for, I get out of the house { albeit to the office} and my life is pretty much keeping to the norm, but for how long???

I hope that you are all well and that you had a peaceful Easter.

Here's  to another week on lockdown, which is for our own good.

Be sensible about it, it isn't forever, which the alternative is!!!

Stay safe

Maundy Thursday

So today is my last working day this week, and is, in the Christian calendar, Maundy Thursday, which is the day of the Last supper.

I would normally try to go to Church over the Easter period however no churches are open  some online services will be taking place, I may try to join in on one of these.

Luckily bunnies are not subject to the same rules as us humans so I will be expecting a delivery from the Easter bunny over the weekend!
If they are subject to the supermarket rules of only three items the same  I am prepared to forgo  3 Easter eggs and take champagne and gin and vermouth in place...……………..just saying.


It was reported that Daniel Levy  was considering  putting Tottenham ground staff to work at his  private estate. I mentioned that if Yorkshire wanted, I was prepared to take a player or two to help out at The Wickets, I was duly reminded that maybe I should have been asking Kent!

Ahhhhh TLJL, I doubt I will get to see him play in a different  shirt this season .


It has been great to see Essex CCC getting players ringing up members and also cooking meals to be delivered to NHS staff, as well as elderly and vulnerable people in the community.
How brilliant is this?
Firstly its helping the wider community and its also keeping the team busy.

Well played Essex.

Just to say I am still waiting for my call from Martyn Moxon who has been ringing around members over 70. {I 'm about  70 in ex chairman years}

As I have a 4 day break from the strain of  going out into the wider world, I will also be taking a break from the blog. I'm very tired, anxious and ready for a bit of peace and quiet.
I wish you all a peaceful Easter time.

Miracles once happened over this weekend, I pray for one for us all.

Stay safe and keep well.

Midweek

Well its midweek, although in real terms its not, as tomorrow is the last day of the working week and then four days off...…………………….not that we can go anywhere, although I can make the most of being at home, which I do enjoy.

I do have a lot of things planned to do and  intend to get them done. If the weather is fine you will find me on my Yorkshire chair in the garden, if its not then I will be inside, measuring and drawing up the plans for the hallway renovation.

I've ordered   radiator cover from lovely Rhys the joiner, he will make it to my exacting demands ( me a diva!!!) and this has come at a good time for him as work has dried up for him at the moment . I won't get it fitted for a while yet though.

Still nothing on the crickety  side of things, sorry but I fear that you may be putting up with my ramblings for most of the season. I think that there is only so much chutney chat that you can put up with.

Although...…………………..Surrey have cancelled Michael Nesers contract , he was due to play until July, shame about that as he is always  worth a watch.
How many more before this is over???

I have been dropping notes through for friends in the last couple of weeks and had a through the window chat with one friend yesterday, she hasn't been out for 28 days { she has a back problem from a break about 7 years ago and M E}. She was very worried that she may be ill and so had taken to self isolation.
It made me realise the impact that this is having all around. 

I've tried to send messages to cheer friends up { hopefully}.
I'm lucky{?} I have to go out every day to work  so seem to have more freedom than most people. I try to post or drop a note every day,  its a little thing but hopefully brings a smile.



How will a lot of people be feeling when we finally come out of this?

Only time will tell

Well time to head off  and another day in paradise.

Stay safe, try to keep cheerful, we will get through this.