Contact - robertcjones@live.co.uk
or maybe this link works robertcjones@live.co.uk
Bob's Blog Page 28
18.50 Thursday 12th August 2021 (Weather - Not much.)
I've recently been made aware of boomradiouk.com which you can get online or on DAB radio. It caters for all those of you who are from the ’Baby Boomer's Generation’ (1946 - 1964). Apparently, according to Wikipedia, I belong to the ‘Silent Generation’ (1928 - 1945) so maybe I could suggest silentradio.com. Not funny if you are hard of hearing but with any luck builders and decorators would love it. PS Made another swing ball today, let me know if you would like one.
19.09 Friday 13th August 2021 (Weather - Pleasant.)
Hope you've had a lucky day. I've been pretty lucky but could have been luckier. Better luck tomorrow. Bob
07.39 Saturday 14th August 2021 (Weather - Looks promising)
After 26 years I’ve decided that my original concept of ‘walktowork’ linked to postcode areas is crap. Why? Because I’ve just realised that postcode area DL 11 in North Yorkshire is vast and there would be no way you could walk from Darlington to Ravenseat across the moors if Amanda offered you a job. So, back to the drawing board Sam. Are you sure you don’t want a swingball?
If you want to hear what she is singing click the picture.
21.55 Sunday 15th August 2021
(Weather - Not sure.)
If you are wondering what to do for the next couple of weeks, I would recommend a glass of wine at Denbies Vinyard in Dorking and while you are there you might like to visit the upstairs Art Gallery where you will find an array of stunning pictures painted by The Epsom and Ewell Art Group. If you are lucky, you might find one painted by the award-winning artist Gina Grimwood, I've got two hanging on my wall - dreamy.
Thank you, Gina.
09.04 Tuesday 31st August 2021 (Weather - 50 shades of grey.)
Dear Reader,
It seems to me that there are plenty of reasons for being depressed at the moment, apart from the weather that is; your health, everybody’s health, the state of the planet, the state of the world, your future, the future, traffic jams and the fact that nobody reads your blog but my hypnotherapist daughter tells me that it can all be fixed by ‘controlled imagination’, phew.
Lots of love,
Bob.
10.03 Wednesday 1st September 2021 (Weather - five eighths grey, three eighths blue. Or 5 okta's at 4000 feet.)
There are not many advantages of growing old. But one of them is that when you come up with crazy ideas, crazy stories, crazy inventions or crazy behaviour they all can be dismissed as 'he’s lost the plot' – I hope!
20.12 Thursday 2nd September 2021
I woke up very excited this morning. Me and my friends were starting our new school with our new uniforms. Instead of walking to school we had to get on the school bus, my friend and I sat in the front all the way. Our new teachers were very nice but one of them talked very loud. My Nannie told me that she used to go to school all by herself on the train all the way from Harrow to Great Missenden when she was my age and she had to stay for weeks, she said that sometimes she was very naughty.
I am never naughty.
Love from Lottie.
15.20 Monday 6th September 2021 (Weather - warm at last)
Despite the macular degeneration, this week I plan to take Karen for a trip up to North Yorkshire to revisit my old childhood memories. Back in the sixties Karen would always be willing to come out for a ride in my old soft top Morris Minor. Come to think of it perhaps I should have paid a bit more attention to her dreamy style – especially with the paint brush..
Anyway, this week for old times sake we will be heading up the A1M to a rather beautiful river side campsite at Brompton-on-Swale and then on to Darlington, Gilling West, Tan Hill and back to Reeth for another plate of beans on toast. She might even agree to entertain our fellow campers around the old camp fire. Is that fantasy? Or is that fantasy? This is Karen!
Click the tape to hear that dreamy style. Sorry about the ad.
10.02 Wednesday 8th September 2021 (Weather - buckets of solar energy today so don't forget your shovel!)
Bearing in mind the staggering increase in energy prices, if I were you I would switch off your gas boiler, turn on your immersion heater and invest in a few infrared wall or ceiling panel heaters, you can even get picture panels or mirror infrared heaters. Of course you may not have a gas boiler or an immersion heater, you may have even done it already and I’m not you so what’s the point of blogging about it?
The point is that if you have 9 inch thick solid brick walls built in the 30’s, like I do, and any heat you generate goes straight out the window, how do you expect to keep warm in the winter? Any ideas? Without moving that is.
18.41 Friday 10th September 2021 (Weather - Back to 50 shades of grey.)
Lots to blog about today but can't see the keyboard so, sorry about that, I'm off for a drive.
06.10 Sunday 12th September 2021 (Weather - Dark at the moment.)
Hi, Doesn't time fly? I'm not a great fan of tennis but you've got to be blown away by Emma Raducanu winning the US Open last night. Respect and admiration to both the finalists for putting on a spectacular performance, Bob.
PS. Are you sure you don't want to borrew my swingball?
15.22 Wednesday 22nd September 2021 (Weather - Half and half.)
By the way the school meals were disgusting as well but before we get too depressed about climate change there is something out there called The Earthshot Prize which is a project championed by Prince William and David Attenborough which is about to present the first of the prizes. I think I might have blogged about this before but it's well worth checking out if you are worried about your gas bill. Also today, Sam, it's Half and Half Day, in other words The Autumnal Equinox which means half of us are getting old and half of us aren't - or something like that. Have a nice day and thanks for reading. x
20.29 Sunday 26th September 2021 (Weather - 8 out of 10)
A year ago our eldest granddaughter got married in Lambeth Registry Office having had to cancel The Big Bash at Cripps Barn. Yesterday The Big Bash took place and on behalf of all who attended I would like to say A Big Thank You to all who were involved. The staff, the chefs, the band, the organisers, the speechmakers, the taxi drivers, the delightful young ladies queuing up for a dance with an old codger (who was transported back to his youth) and of course Hannah and Mike who made it all possible.
Love to all from a happy Old Codger.
13.53 Monday 27th September 2021 (Weather - Wet, windy and sunny with happy clouds.)
Still dreaming and dancing at The Castle Ballroom Richmond. May I have this dance? Do you come here often?
19.21 Tuesday 28th September 2021 (Weather - Quite kind.)
I'm trying very hard not to turn on the central heating in order to save gas, save money and save the planet. I'm monitoring the KwH, CO2 emissions and how many times I run up and down the stairs to keep warm. I'll let you know how I get on, not that anyone's interested but you never know Mrs G.
19.37 - (A very good year!) Wednesday 29th September 2021 (Weather - Septemberish.)
Renewable energy? Today I spent all day rewiring all the down escalators on the London Underground to produce power for all the up escalators. And all the lifts in high rise blocks to produce power on the way down in order to take them back up, so, all in all quite a knackering day.
08.09 Friday 1st October 2021 (Weather - see below.)
Pinch, punch and no returns! Last night I left my 55-year-old Dimplex 500w oil filled radiator on all night and it kept the whole house above 14 centigrade, I then discovered that the temperature last night outside never dropped below 16 centigrade so what does that tell you? This house is a ****** (great) fridge and if it wasn't ******** (pouring) down with rain I'd be camping in the garden. PS. Talking about camping Hannah and Mike (above) are spending their honeymoon in a Vintage VW Camper in Scotland, Hannah's grandparents also toured Scotland in a camper 20 years ago and if you missed the story it's HERE.
Sorry, no pictures - pre digital. They're in an envelope somewhere in the loft.
06.50 Saturday 2nd October 2021 (Weather - cold, wet, thundery showers.)
Apologies for inappropriate, out of order, offensive, rude, insulting, hurtful, disrespectful blogs or emails it's just that I ordered half a dozen hot water bottles from Amazon and not one of them was hot, very frustrating.
Love you lots if you'll be my hot water bottle! Bob.
20.01 Friday 8th October 2021 (Weather - Balmy for October.)
In recent months we have had a bunch of activists called Insulate Britain causing all sorts of havoc. I've sent an email to them explaining that half the homes in Britain have solid 9 inch walls which are impossible to insulate and that their cause is futile. They obviously haven't read my email. Or they have and ignored it.
Clearing out the shed today I found a 250 million year old Sand (or Desert) Rose which is supposed to bring you health, peace, success, wisdom, understanding and prosperity - if it's kept in the south east corner. It's been in my shed for nearly 50 years in the south west corner which must explain why I am not successful and nobody reads my blog or emails. Today, I've moved it to the south east corner, I'll let you know what happens. Picture tomorrow - maybe.
06.52 Saturday 9th October 2021 (Weather - not bad if it's anything like yesterday.)
These are my Desert Roses which some screwballs believe that they have magical properties. One of them (screwballs) has even produced a website which is even more boring than this blog. You can find it on
https://themagickalearth.com/pages/desert-rose
Oxshott Village Sign Mug for scale purposes only. Got to go now as they need to be put back in the south east corner otherwise who knows what’s going to happen!
Last Wednesday, after a year of planning, I took a young lady to London on a Two Together train ticket which, incidentally, wasn’t the correct Two Together but the ticket collector didn’t show up! We went to Baldwin’s Auctions in The Strand to watch the young lady’s family medals go under the hammer. There were 600 lots in the auction and when lot 555 came up at about 4pm I had to nip out to the gents as I’d had two pints of Guinness in the Coal Hole Pub opposite, so I missed it! Without a word of a lie some nutter on the train coming back tried to light the fuse of a bomb in his ruck sack with his cigarette lighter, he wasn’t successful – phew. Talk about excitement!
09.34 Sunday 10th October 2021 (Weather - no chance of rain.)
Yesterday, and so far today, I have felt unusually energised, positive and creative. Either it's because I had my booster jab yesterday or my Desert Roses in the south east corner of the house are having an effect. So, I've decided to clean out the loft, tidy up the garage, mend the pram, dig the vegetable patch, electrify the old Morris Minor, paint a picture and beat the devil out of my two inch brush. But only if it rains! Sorry Sam, everything I blog about needs an exclamation mark!!
19.39 (another good year) Sunday 10th October 2021 (Weather - no wind power.)
STOP PRESS
Moon Power?
Pardon me for being a touch naive but if you have a ship weighing x tons securely attached to a bollard, a 6-knot tide would require y tons of force to stop it drifting. Attach a generator to the anchor chain and let it drift at anything less than 6 knots (kinetic energy). The generator could be on shore or on board - or both. When the tide flows in the opposite direction the ship drifts back to the starting position. Ad infinitum.
My calculations show that the UK could be self sufficient in energy before you could say Jack Robinson. QED.
You will, of course, understand that tidal streams flow backwards and forwards along the coast as well as in and out at your beach.
I would send this to The Gravitricity Team but they’re all up and down!
MOONPOWER EXPLAINED.
Super Tanker 100.000 ton displacement full of seawater.
Allowed to drift at half the speed of tidal flow.
Kinetic energy driving generators.
Off shore anchor points attached to sea bed.
Or on-shore generators on any tidal river.
You could use existing off-shore wind turbines
if robust enough.
Mooring lines.
Attached to generators..
Tidal flow -
6 hours 'power stroke'
- 6 hours return.
Second vessel would give continuous operation.
CONCEPT & WEB DESIGN © 1995-2021 Robert C Jones
UPDATED SEE BELOW
12.34 Wednesday 20th October 2021 (Weather – Just right.)
I’ll take a chance that today’s blog doesn’t get lost in the cloud. So, another punishing amble around Polesden Lacey this morning produced an array of bizarre sights. Plastic trees, sun, moon and stars, lamps all over the place, presumably to illuminate the plastic (and real) trees and a sense that things are about to happen. ‘Ignite’ is due to happen from 22nd October until November 7th so worth a visit with your easel and paint brush! I’d go but driving in the dark with one eye out of action might be a problem. Let me know how it goes GJ.
07.01 Wednesday 3rd November 2021. (Weather - chilly, must be global cooling?)
OK, I'll console myself with the idea that all my ideas for solving the world's problems, including walktowork, are way ahead of their time and are not yet recognised, either that or somebody, somewhere, is making a fortune from them and not telling me. So, another wander around Polesden Lacey today will no doubt wipe the memory, refresh the screen, reset the password and restore the faith. Provided we bump into Dylan Thomas and Oscar Wilde, they are giant poodles with cashmere coats who don’t seem to care about anything. See you there?
08.18 Tuesday 23rd November 2021
Now transferred to Wix.com but uneasy about blogging or changing anything. You can only hope that the brain cell can cope!
Blog Page 29 can be found HERE
18.40 Tuesday 10th August 2021 (Weather, As you like it.)
Today, The Oxshott Village Sign looked magnificent, including the stunning new informative plaques.
Unfortunately somebody planted a tree in front of it and blocked the view. So, what do we do? Chop the tree down or move the sign. What do you think?
If you have trouble finding the tree, it is in appeal.sits.wicked.
18.23. Wednesday 11th August 2021 (Weather - not cloudy, not raining, not cold or hot).
If I told you I drilled a couple of holes in a tennis ball, threaded some string through it, tied it to a pole planted it in the rotary washing line socket and then hit it back and forth with a baseball bat you wouldn't believe me would you? But you might if I told you I was in my pyjamas! Just checking hand / dodgy eye co-ordination you understand - give it a try - pyjamas or no pyjamas.
13.04 Sunday 15th August 2021
(Weather - Light cloud and a gentle breeze.)
I hasten to add that the basic concept of ‘walktowork’ is still way ahead of its time but linked to post codes is the wrong idea. Linked to walkable areas, like 3 metre squares is the way to go - I can just about manage 3 metre squares. So, I plan to link up with What3words.com and make a fortune.
A late evening stroll over the bridge at wings.behave.split watching a lad swimming in the river with his dog reminded me of what I used to do 70 years ago.
14.52 Monday 16th August 2021 (Weather - grey but not too grey.)
While on another late evening stroll we came across a pile of builders rubbish fly-tipped at dinner.strut.peanut. Amongst the rubbish was yards of black plastic sheeting, it was just what I was looking for. Lucky Bob. Reported to Elmbridge Borough Council using What3words for location. I wonder if they will understand. PS I didn't report that I'd pinched the black plastic!
19.56 Tuesday 17th August 2021 (Weather - Cold and grey.)
Today I visited sudden.bottom.wisdom to get my dodgy eye checked. It looks like a cataract that's causing a grey day.
20.47 Wednesday 18th August 2021 (Weather - Bright, warm and sunny, somewhere but not here.)
I understand that cataracts only afflict old people, so that's alright then.9By the way the Council dealt with the fly-tipping problem within 24 hours so obviously they knew where dinner.strut.peanut was, impressed. I'm beginning to think Sam that all this smart arse technology telling you where you are and how to get there is all too damn clever by half. It's not where you are or how to get there that matters two monkeys, it's who you are with that counts, don't you think?
Anyway, tomorrow I've decided I'm going to dig a hole in the garden, bury the hose pipe and make a ground source heat pump to heat up my hot water bottle, what do you think?
Thursday 26th August 2021 (Weather - quiet, gentle, warm and pleasant - no comment!)
In case you hadn't noticed a What3words.com link giving the precise location of all vacancies has been added.
10.01 Sunday 29th August 2021 (Weather - Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze but b..... cold in the morning.)
Dear Reader,
I thought I might share with you my latest Birthday Card Art! inspired by Bob Ross and a desire for the open road. The recipient will be a Mr Wilde who with any luck won't read this before his birthday. Neither will anyone else according to Google Analytics but Google Analytics in my experience, dare I say it? Is not always accurate.
Bob.
PS Sorry about the ink splodges, a shaky hand and a dodgy eye could be the problem.
07.45 Monday 13th September 2021 (Weather - not too bad.)
If I was a lot younger, knew how to bake and was keen to walk to work. Gail's Bakery will soon be opening in the old Barclay's Bank premises and are looking for staff. You'll find all the details if you click HERE. You heard it here first!
20.55 Friday 17th September 2021 (Weather - OK)
If you really want another bedtime story click HERE.
18.23 Saturday 18th September 2021 (Weather - OK.)
-
Hope you enjoyed the trip to Burton Bradstock but if you didn't blame the story teller. Love to hear from you. Bob.
20.03 Monday 20th September 2021 (Weather - quite nice Mrs Stevens.)
Who is Mrs Stevens? To find out click HERE. Another bedtime story which will bring back memories for some. Available until 15th October.
18.47 Tuesday 21st September 2021 (Weather - Bright in the sun.)
Just to confirm that in order to contribute towards the effort to reverse climate change and help out the headless chickens trying to sort out the energy situation we are now living without central heating and washing in boiled egg water just like we used to do when we were children. Except that instead of short trousers and long socks we have long trousers and short socks. Crusty bread and milk for breakfast and supper, bread and dripping for lunch. Butter and sugar if you were lucky.
19.24 Tuesday 12th October 2021 (Weather - foggy, or is it the cataract?)
You can now find further details of the MOONPOWER project if you click HERE.
Also today my favourite lady stuck a needle in my eye and it didn't hurt a bit. Macular degeneration - age related!
06.25 Wednesday 13th October 2021 (Weather - Outlook Rosie sorry Rosy.)
Bearing in mind my many failed attempts at selling an idea, also the fact that somebody up to speed with kinetic energy calculations will blow the idea out of the water, so to speak, I'm not too confident that we will be able to prove the Moonpower concept. However, as somebody said 'expect nothing and you won't be disappointed'.
06.38 Friday 15th October 2021 (Weather - Wind unpredictable, Tides predictable.)
Modified MOONPOWER project. Added a picture. Got married - 55 years ago!
-
Unfortunately, this website provider is migrating to another provider, so, as from next Monday 18th October there won't be any updates, sorry. I'm told it could be a 6 weeks delay before updates can be resumed. What was that Sam?
07.47 Saturday 16th October 2021 (Weather – Calm later.)
Dear All,
I've just realised that this website platform I've been using for the past 20 years or so is called Moonfruit.com. Ironic?
Unfortunately, they have gone out of business and are transferring their websites to Wix.com in the next few weeks, so let's hope there aren't any hiccups and those of us with one eye and half a brain cell can deal with it.
Bob.
07.47 Sunday 17th October 2021 (Weather - light cloud and a gentle breeze.)
Preliminary calculations for Moonpower project now added HERE. Getting serious!
06.12 Sunday 24th October 2021 (Weather - not a lot, cyclonic later.)
I've been told not to make any changes to this website as they may get lost in the changeover to Wix.com but who knows? Whe cares?
Apologies for the confusing 'Moonpower' project but I keep waking up with much better ideas so I'll let you know when I've solved the power generation problem, which shouldn't be difficult because current thinking seems to be b****** great wind turbines that are hopeless without wind and b***** great water turbines that can't operate in shallow water so watch this space.
10.14 Tuesday 26th October 2021 (Weather - Cyclonic.)
Dear Reader No 158,
I'd like to share with you some of the monstrosities that are already out there that have cost millions. I know you are not particularly interested in technical things but if you Google Orbital Marine O2 or Wavestarenergy you'll see what I mean.
My user-friendly Moonpower device is designed to give you the same amount of power at a fraction of the cost. I'd like to thank Professor Andy from Kingston University for helping me out with the calculations and taking the idea seriously. Also, my family for believing in my crazy ideas. Let's face it, they wouldn't exist if we'd have got together a million years ago, and neither would yours, so lots to be thankful for.
I'd love to share with you my latest thoughts (on Moonpower!) but they are all up in the clouds at the moment and I've only just discovered Paint 3D so lots to look forward to.
Good luck with the clouds and lots and lots of love,
Bob
PS Too many lots? Lots the plot? Definitely.
06.20 Thursday 28th October 2021 (Weather - Brighter later.)
I've unveiled my Moonpower project to the world but it doesn't work but there might be other ideas!
I'll have to move my Desert Roses to another corner of the house because my brain hurts, but you don't want to know that.
07.50 Friday 29th October 2021 (Weather - not brighter later but dark, wet and miserable.)
Just to report that I had my flu jab yesterday which spurred me on to do a drawing which you can find HERE. You may remember I spent 40 years on an old-fashioned drawing board and I've still got my briefcase full of drawing instruments, but I've only got one eye that works so sorry about the printing, it never was very good.
18.36 Sunday 31st October 2021 I think. (Weather - trees down on the line, chaos at Waterloo and all over)
Despite adverse weather managed to get to Spitalfields for lunch which was lovely but heaving humanity, old people and babies without masks on the train. Note - don't travel on a Sunday especially if it's Halloween, cold wet and windy and you've forgotten to change your watch. Decided not to commute if somebody offers me a job – better to walk to work!
17.47 Monday 1st November 2021. (Weather - Fine.)
I understand that my suggestions for tidal stream energy, up to now, have been ignored and ridiculed but shoot THIS one down - if you can.