Christmas Eve

There would not have been a meeting today as everyone would have been busy preparing for Christmas, I guess.

So, I hope that everyone has fantastic Christmas and a Happy... er... Happier New Year!

It certainly has been a different year so far.

Shop local

It's beginning to look a lot like er... Christmas?

What a strange time. Well, we shopped locally as always. Though it was very different this year but the shops had gone to great lengths to provide a true local service. 

Who needs the utterly loathsome Amazon when the local Clevedon bookshop will get orders in and deliver to your door? 

And though they are not very local but West Country based, we did get Miles coffee and tea to send as presents.

It was just a shame not to be able to browse around as normal with Christmas lights and songs and crowds of other folks doing the same.

 

A hospital visit

 I had an appointment at Weston General Hospital early in the afternoon yesterday,

My wife came with me and we took the opportunity to go round Weston shops in the morning (for essentials of course).

Whatever anyone thinks of Weston, we have always enjoyed going. As well as some of the chain stores and national coffee shops, Weston has quite a number of independent shops cafe's.

It was very sad to see them closed due to the lockdown and even more depressing to see that some are now permanently shut.

Some have closed because of online shopping. Is there anything worse than buying from an internet site, particularly Amazon. Owned by someone set to be a trillionaire whilst his employees work for just above the minimum wage. 

The staff at the hospital were excellent and my appointment was on time and everything would have seemed normal apart from the mask wearing and screens.

And now North Somerset is going to be a Tier 3.

It's the final lockdown???

 Did anyone have fireworks and a bonfire on November 5th? 

At least Halloween didn't happen, one of the very small pluses from this rotten second lockdown.

Rainy Month

Wow, what a lot of rain this month. About a fifth of the years total rain fell in this month.

I have not seen any reports of hosepipe bans!

Fifteenth October

Half way through another month and what is different? Er...

Fortunately we have managed to get fairly regular supermarket deliveries but it is disheartening to read of panic buyers every so often. We used to walk to the supermarket to get our groceries, topping up using the local shop but since all the lockdown started we began ordering online.

I despise the internet. Luddite? Far from it, I was excited by the internet when it first started but as time has gone on, there are dreadful companies such as Amazon which do nothing for honest retailers and surely the very worst of a bad bunch - Facebook, the most rotten and corrupt company to have existed and which is gradually destroying humanity in a way that Covid will never achieve.

October already

Is it really October? The days/weeks/months do seem to blend into one.

Whilst the days indeed seem to be almost identical, there surely will never be another year like this one.

I am reminded of Dickens... It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... except it is more... It was the oddest of times, it was the dullest of times.

Any other suggestions?

A sad time

 It is with great sadness that one of our members has died recently. 

Rob was a great character, a lovely, kind man. He had many wonderful stories about his tremendous life and loving family. Our get togethers were always enhanced when Rob was with us, he will be greatly missed.

Time for some good weather

Well, with the children going back to school surely that usually starts a run of good weather.

The apples are starting to ripen and we are getting another good crop of raspberries.

This year we are cooking and pureeing the apples for freezing and also freezing the raspberries. 

A gusty time

 It has been windy but not as bad as forecast, yet. 

Here is a weather forecast, the weather this week is likely to be changeable and we may have rain with some sunny periods, there is still a degree of uncertainty though. I mean what is the point?

An update to the previous blog re TV licence etc. I forgot to add that we have done away with our TiVo box from Virgin Media too. I have disconnected all the TV aerials etc. 

So it's only Catch Up TV or DVD's etc. from now on. But although it's only been a few weeks we don't actually watch even those, it's either audio books from the library, the radio including internet radio or... books!

Scam again

After we cancelled our direct debit for a TV licence, we received a letter (actually before the next actual payment was due!).

But what was creepy was that we received an email from 'TV Licensing' 

 

I have erased our email address from the above screengrab.

Things to note that this is a scam. The sender address ends .co.uk.a - the extra .a is not valid uk email address.

The letter begins Dear our email address. The TV licensing already know our name, so again this is incorrect.

The TVL No. is not our TV Licence number and all the other numbers are bogus too.

The date is in an American format - why would the British Biased Company use that?

BUT the insidious part is the final bit although the web link looks official the actual address is nothing like it and takes you to a totally different site and whilst I have not clicked on it obviously, I can guess that it looks official and will ask you to enter your details and bank details so that they can process your missed payment. Oh and take every penny out of your bank account at the same time.

Please if you get one of these emails, do not open it but forward it to your internet fraud department.

Something

What is everyone doing to keep going?

Biggest excitement for us was our first online supermarket delivery. More slots are becoming available now so we were able to get one with Asda.

we chose Asda as for me they make by far and away the best gluten free bread and unlike Genius gluten free, it isn't packed with Xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is an awful product originally derived from the bacteria that makes cabbages go mouldy, black and slimy - poisonous. But despite that it's not that which puts me off as Xanthan gum is just like glue to me or rather plaster of Paris, I would be better off eating wheat!

Anyway they delivered almost everything we requested and it all had a good long date and even the bananas were very green, which we like.

Bye Bye Communist TV Station

 Does anyone else feel that the world has actually stopped and is simply on repeat?

We had a delivery of phlox plants, I hope to use them as ground cover - in place of weeds! Any advice is most welcome.

Well, we finally took the decision to cancel our TV licence and stop watching live TV. I honestly don't know why it has taken us so long. The biased news reporting, which has been going on for a very long time was one reason. The huge salaries paid to underwhelming (lack of) talent was another. The scrapping of the free licence for the over 75s another. Ridiculous diversity programming, useless dead brained local radio stations, the list goes on and on.

But we hardly watched anything at all on the BBC, the output is dreadful.

So after looking around for help I came upon ChilliJonCarne who has a website and YouTube videos. No BBC. No IPlayer. No Live TV. 

Zooooooommmmmm

 Well, we joined in the rest of the world and had a Zoom meeting this afternoon.

I think that we can still show the young techies a thing or two as everyone managed to get online.

Although it was great to chat, the limitations of Zoom and online meetings that only one person can talk at once, whereas when we are in a normal group meeting separate people can chat amongst themselves.

What is this liquid sunshine?

Another fortnight has gone by so quickly and the weather has changed a lot too.

Cool and wet, the garden has been needing a good steady amount of rain as has the pond. We have had a lot of tiny frogs around the garden though.

We are just starting to get some raspberries and the tomato plants in the greenhouse are beginning to flower.

Scam, scam, scam, scam. Scam, scam, scam, scam.

We had a phone call the other day from 01275595289. No one answered when I said 'Hello'.

Today - 28-May-2020 the phone went again this time the number was 01275595290 (can you spot a pattern?) and the caller spoke.

He was phoning about loft insulation that we had had done and not to worry but there may be a risk of condensation occurring.

They would like to come out to do an inspection, did I use the loft as a storage area/room or just a loft.

Hmm, I thought I will say 'As a loft'.

"Okay, what age group are you?", he asks "Sixty to seventy five?".

"I am not telling you" I reply.

"Well I need to know as it will depend on what grant you qualify for, forty to fifty, fifty to seventy, seventy to eighty five?"

"You are breaking up, I cannot hear a full sentence." I informed him, which was true as he seemed to be calling from a mobile - it was only afterwards that I found his 'landline' number.

"Hello, yes could you repeat it what you said please as your phone is breaking up. Hello. Can you hear me?"

He put the phone down and has not called back.

It is a scam by scum. Please avoid, I will reporting this incident.

Apart from that, I hope that you are enjoying the terrific weather.

Superma...rket

What a strange time it continues to be. We went to the supermarket yesterday and apart from queuing to get to a till, we were lucky and didn't seem to spend any longer than normal inside. The only things we could not get were flour and baking powder, but I have heard that the major bakeries have bought up supplies so that they can continue to produce bread etc.

We washed our hands when we returned home but where do we stop? Do we clean every item as it must have been handled putting on to the shelves. Is a home delivery any better?

My sister in law is having treatment for leukemia and they do have home deliveries but as they are not ordering any frozen or fresh products, they leave everything untouched for three days before putting them away.

I don't feel concerned about the shopping, not because I am cavalier about the prospects of infection but rather like driving/crossing the road etc. I have been sensible and as careful as I can.

Greenhouse

I have had some success and plenty of failures with plants in the greenhouse this year.

Among my successes are tomatoes and green beans from seed, which are both starting very healthily.

The failures are begonias and alyssums, the begonias got going and whether I overwatered them or they just didn't carry on growing, a lot of them just stopped and went floppy before giving up. The alyssums have just stayed tiny and not grown at all.

A shame as it looks like it could be a good growing year.

Outdoors and indoors

What wonderful weather we have had recently. I am sure that everyone would thinking that how typical that it is the Easter holidays and we are unable to go out and about as we normally would at this time. Especially to the beach.

Easter Sunday

HAPPY

EASTER

Meeting

The meeting today was different with very little chat.
In fact no chat at all.
No one turned up.
Neither did I.
I stayed home.
As did everyone else.
Perhaps I shouldn't have give up daytime TV for Lent.

Time and tide wait...

Because of the lockdown that is now happening and staying at home, I thought it would be nice to share some photos.

You may already know that the Bristol Channel has the second largest difference in the world between high tide and low tide. Here a some photographs taken from Wain's Hill in Clevedon looking towards Weston-super-Mare. They were taken at different times of one Summer's day that show a little bit of that tidal effect.

 1. Taken at 16:01

2. Taken 16:31

 

 3. Taken at 17:01

 4. Taken at 17:29

Amazing really that in just one and a half hours such a colossal volume of water gets shifted. Or is it staying where it is and the solid earth is rotating beneath it?

Finally, here is a different view looking towards Wales later in the day at 20:20

Meeting(s) cancelled

In view of the latest information about the Covid-19 virus the meeting on Thursday 19th March 2020 is cancelled and those for the foreseeable future.

Here is a link to the British Heart Foundation website that may be of interest -
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health

I have heard that some people are attempting to scam using coronavirus as an excuse and sending bogus emails out. How despicable can some people get? So please take care of yourselves regarding the virus but also please be aware of electronic viruses from truly nasty individuals.

When we all feel it will be sensible to meet again, I am sure that we will all have plenty to say and it will be a great get together.

A new room

We met today in a much larger room than usual but hopefully we still had a cosy meeting, with a new person joining our group.
There was a wide ranging discussion including events in the current news, our medications and even the precise location of a shop in Portishead!
No cake this week but will there be a gluten and dairy free cake next time that is also suitable for diabetics? A real challenge but I think it is very likely.
It was also suggested that we could bring along some books to swap next time.

Two storms since the last meeting

It was great to see everyone today.
A fantastic cider fruit cake was brought along to share, thank you.
There were many interesting topics discussed and nice to catch up again.

A cold day but a warm meeting

A beautful sunny day with a crisp cold snap to it.
Just a few of us today, we hope that those who didn't come along today were enjoying some winter sunshine.
Christmas already seems a long time ago and we will have had Valentine's day before the next meeting and then Shrove Tuesday after.
What a busy month, a good job it has an extra day this year.
See you all in a fortnight.

Don't mention ......!

Damp and gloomy, but enough about me.
Despite being a cool overcast January day there was plenty of light and cheery banter at todays meeting.
It was great to have a new person attending today and we hope that he felt very welcome and enjoyed coming along.
There was some excellent cider and apple fruit cake which was thoroughly enjoyed.
It was agreed that we try and invite some guest speakers to come along.
Any suggestions or contacts are most welcome.
I hope that those that didn't get to the meeting today are well and had other things to do.
See you all in two weeks.

First meeting of 2020

Our first meeting of the new year and everyone seemed to have had a good holiday and not over eaten.

There seemed to be plenty to say on the current issues in the news as well as personal tales.

There was some talk about what direction the group should take.