24th November 2021 Learning a new language is not very easy when you are past the age of learning!
06.15 Thursday 25th November 2021 (Weather - bracing)
I expect you've been wondering what I've been up to for the past few weeks, or maybe you haven't, well apart from sweeping leaves, plumbing in new kitchen taps, sold Auntie Gwen's clock on ebay, selling the family silver on ebay, drinking Guinness, listening to Classic FM and waiting for Wix.com to get their act together, not a lot. I did walk to Oxshott and back yesterday which was 6 miles without stopping. I planned to get the bus back but there's only two busses a day from Oxshott to Cobham and they both turn up at 11.06, i was checking on the Oxshott Village Sign Plaques when they both sailed by. Great! A Latte and a scotch on the rocks in The Running Mare was the reward on the way back! The twinkly Christmas decorations and log fires are very welcoming, the menu looks good as well, give it a try if you are in the area GJ, I'll buy you a Babycham!
Apologies, having problems sorting links to pages, bear with me.
06.23 Friday 26th November 2021 (Weather - clear skies with a low-down blinding sun)
Those of you who are over 82 with impaired vision, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, at this time of year, with a low-down blinding sun reflecting off every piece of glass, window and mirror, you should not be driving. Yesterday, I drove to Stoneleigh and back (sorry I meant to say Surbiton and back) which is a route I've been driving since 1956, so I know it with my eyes shut!
19.41 Friday 26th November 2021 (Weather - blustery.)
I've tried very hard to make my Moonpower ideas much easier to understand so, if you click HERE and let me know if there is anything you don't understand. I really must get on with my Christmas cards which will be inspired by Bob Ross - lots of happy skies, trees and twigs!
06.30 Sunday 28th November 2021 (Weather - utchy, very utchy.)
Utchy, must be a colloquialism only uttered in the backwaters of Oxshott in the '40's and '50's because I've never heard it any where else and nobody else seems to have heard of it. Have you? It means b****** sorry quite cold.
Getting a touch more comfortable navigating around this smart arse web platform by Wix.com so sorry about that. I've even learnt how to add 'media', that means a picture. Impressed? I'm afraid I haven't got any Vandyke brown, sap green or a two inch brush, only a pen and quink! and watercolour pencils - and water. And yes, I shouldn't have put the Star of David on a Christmas tree - sorry.
And now it’s utchy you would think that those clever DNA sequencers would have sorted us out with a layer of sheep’s wool at this time of year, that way we wouldn’t need clothes or gas central heating – right? I'd be more than happy if Amanda wanted to give me a quick shear in the spring.
If you can see any wobbly lines you've got ARMD, age related macular degeneration.
07.11 Monday 29th November 2021 (Weather - still utchy, very utchy.)
It's your lucky day! During the switch over to Wix.com one of my sailing stories got lost in the cloud which meant that I had to revert to my 'saved' copy. re-read modify it slightly and re-publish. It is what you might call 'A Long Read' but once started you won't be able to put it down. Click HERE and enjoy. No pictures, yet, I'm afraid.
06.21 Tuesday 30th November 2021 (Weather - not quite so utchy)
Another disaster that's happened as a result of the switch to Wix.com is I've lost Google Analytics which tells me who is reading this rubbish, well not every reader but how many readers I have in Epsom for instance. If I really put my mind to it, I suppose I could set up yet another account but the brain is 'utchy' at the moment.
Disasters, are of course relative and if you come home one evening from a lovely meal to your lovely house which has recently been redecorated top to bottom and you open the front door only to find that a burst pipe in the loft has brought down three ceilings, ruined decorations, furniture, carpets, computers, rugs and curtains it doesn't bear thinking about, really sorry, wish I could help.
But even that pales into insignificance when you read the headlines, doesn't bear thinking about, so what can we think about? Think about going for a ‘Winter Walk’ in The Yorkshire Dales with Amanda, they’re on iPlayer.
06.52 Wednesday 1st December 2021 (Weather - Good walking weather.)
You may remember that I sold Auntie Gwen's 60's Swinging Clock on Ebay recently. Well 'restoration perfection' won the auction and had this to say about the seller.
'Excellent communication, very, very carefully packed, thoroughly decent chap to deal with'.
Just thought I ought to mention it! Click on the clock if you don't believe me.
08.30 Thursday 2nd December 2021 (Weather - freezing with a light dusting of snow.}
Good for keeping your fresh fish fresh and don't forget to wear a mask when you are feeding the birds.
O6.59 Friday 3rd December 2021 (Weather - dark.)
Dear Reader,
If you never hear from me again (which will please some Sam) it is because I have been given a new broadband Hub 5 from Virgin. It means I've got to get down on my knees, un plug, un install, re plug, re install, fiddle and fart about in order to get super-duper performance, reliability and security. What it's probably doing is monitoring every click, clank, clink, clonk, clunk, clatter and curse in the house for behavioural research purposes so, I'll say Happy Christmas now just in case, lots of love, Bob.
15.16 The same day. Mission complete, sorry Sam. Click or touch the holly to return to blog index page but be careful of the poky bits - clever? Or refresh the page to see it fly in again - clever?
08.50 Saturday 4th December 2021 (Weather - seasonal.)
Saw Ben Fogle on board Calypso wandering the oceans with Rick Page last night. If you fancy a touch of adventure click HERE. Love the idea but got the tee shirt and too b***** old - sadly. But then again, 'you are never too old', somebody said so see you at Airlie Beach Marina? Now HERE is an idea Sam.
07.19 Sunday 5th December 2021 (Weather – brighter later.)
On second thoughts, spending time banged up in a yacht living in close quarters with someone you don’t know, or someone you do know for that matter, is not a great prospect Sam so perhaps I’ll give it a miss. Anyway, after a very short flirtation with Wix.com I’ve fallen in love, she has got all the answers if you are thinking of a web presence and if you need a spot of tuition you know where to come. And by the way, if you are looking for an Edwardian Wrought Iron Standard Lamp by any chance, click HERE.
16.18 Monday 6th December 2021 (Weather - good occasionally poor.)
Really, really lovely to be invited to a ‘Zoom’ chat about the war with the children of Year 6 at The Royal Kent School, Oxshott. Bit of a shame it was, on occasion, video-less and audio-less but not my fault. You would think that by now Zoom would have got their act together. Of course, it might have been a combination of eye, ear and finger trouble, maybe?
10.59 Tuesday 7th December 2021 (Weather – cold, grey occasionally worse later.)
Today it’s Storm Barra, Storm Covid and Storm Omicron on the horizon so batten down the hatches. Well at least we can thank our lucky stars that it’s not Sagittarius A Star on the event horizon. It’s a black hole that will be swallowing us up in around 7 billion years – give or take.
12.45 Wednesday 8th December 2021
(Weather - bright and blustery now but calmer later.)
Didn't achieve much yesterday but today I drew another Christmas Card - amongst other things. It's a happier Christmas Tree because I'm no good at Happy Bonfires! But if you would like to see a few happy bonfires click HERE. Happy Holly - no problem.
I try very hard not to be obtuse and to be serious but as in everything else, fail miserably.
But if by any chance you would like to know what it was like in New Zealand in 1982 click HERE.
08.39 Thursday 9th December 2021 (Weather - High clouds, cold and windless.)
Impressed with Willard Wigan MBE who creates micro miniature sculptures mostly on the head of a pin or in the eye of a needle. His story is worth a read and his creations are worth thousands, click HERE to view.
07.07 Friday 10th December 2021 (Weather – 4 degrees C but occasionally warmer later.)
And talking about creations worth millions I am pleased to report that following the initial interest and excitement from around the world in my MOONPOWER project, predictably, it has died a death.
Either they have concluded that I'm an idiot or it is so far ahead of its time they don't understand it or they are quietly getting on with it and not telling me. Any which way I can now get back to drawing Christmas Cards and dreaming about what might have been.
Let me know if you would like any holly. (Free delivery to Stoneleigh only.)
Lots of love, Mr Rochester. x. (Alias Seyit, Jack or Cousin Matthew.)
16.49 Saturday 11th December 2021 (Weather - Cold, wet and Decemberish.)
In my stocking on Christmas morning when I was a child I used to get a Spanish Naval Orange - amongst other things. Today I bought four Spanish Naval Oranges for forty shillings. A weeks wages! Other than that it has been a pretty uneventful day.
07.47 (greatest ever!) Sunday 12th December 2021
(Weather – no snow today but if you want a cosy snow scene click HERE.)
Before the development of these flashing, blinding, off-putting lights that most cyclists now seem to have we used to have a thing called a dynamo which was driven by friction on your back or front tyre. The technology has now developed into windup torches, windup radios, windup remote controls and windup shavers so why not windup kettles? Think about it.
And while you are thinking check out my Christmas Card design for today.
16.49 Monday 13th December 2021 (Weather - the same as yesterday.)
Drew another 20 Christmas Cards today, the same design as above. If you would like one it will cost you four Spanish Naval Oranges. You can get them at The Fruit Machine in Cobham High Street - very juicy!
PS It's a Greengrocers not a fruit machine.
21.02 Tuesday 14th December 2021 (Weather - the same as yesterday, it's called a 'blocking high'.)
Getting a bit near my bed time for blogging but I got quite annoyed today when white van man pulled out in front of me causing a large lorry coming the other way to swerve, kick up a wall of mud and gravel enveloping the Duster and blotting out the windscreen - good job I can't see much anyway! If you are looking for another riveting adventure in the USA try HERE.
12.44 Wednesday 15th December 2021 (Weather - same as yesterday, cloudy and mild and bitter! Please.)
Note to old pilots and bold pilots. Keep your mind ahead of your aircraft, especially when entering a car wash.
Blood pressure reading today 112/61 with a 37 bpm pulse, any lower or slower could be curtains. Collected holly from a remote wood where my grandfather's ashes are scattered. Never lets me down.
17.31 Thursday 16th December 2021 (Weather - None today.)
This is my grandfather and me in the Summer of '39, just in case you were wondering. I am well aware that this is the most disjointed blog in the Universe. I am also aware that nobody reads it. Thanks for reading.
PS Hope you are coping in the crazy, mad pre-Christmas rush to get everything done. If not click HERE.
17.00 Friday 17th December 2021 (Weather - not a lot but cooler.)
Followed BA 112 from JFK to LHR on Flightradar24, landed half hour early at 06.25. If you want to know the reason click HERE.
17.36 Saturday 18th December 2021 (Weather - Similar, occasionally later,)
Today I decided that, contrary to previous blogs, this blog is the most stimulating, inspiring, informative, hilarious and profound blog in the Universe but nobody knows it - yet. Also I managed to ‘trouble-shoot’ my printer that hasn’t worked since I changed my Hub – I reconnected it to the network – with one eye on the blink – astounded myself. I also performed a self inflicted, do-it-yourself Covid 19 test which turned out to be positive, sorry negative – cataract op’ very soon! Also inspired by my favourite artist to draw another few dozen Christmas Cards - all the same but different.
14.15 Sunday 19th December 2021 (Weather - Misty.)
Writing/blogging is like talking to yourself - Alan Bennett says so, if you thought I could only draw happy Christmas trees, how about this one? And, you will be pleased to hear Sam that I have an unlimited amount of cloud to blog into according to Wix.com, so lots to look forward to. (Lacks grammar.)
15.40 Monday 20th December 2021 (Weather - Quite quiet - except for the M25.)
The only good news that isn't in the news today is that it is Winter Solstice tomorrow. Disproving the old saying that 'tomorrow never comes', surely?
11.35 Tuesday 21st December 2021 (Weather - None today.)
About 60 years ago (give or take) a folk group were entertaining the customers in a pub (or two) in Putney High Street. Sixty years later (give or take) one of the group slung his 60 year old guitar round his neck and played Abilene. Memories!
07.09 Thursday 23rd December 2021 (Weather - Outbreaks of Omicron everywhere.)
Yesterday I got a bit lucky. I was first in line in a queue of old codgers waiting for cataract surgery. My pupils were dilating faster than anybody else's which meant that I was the guinea pig. Routine for the operating team but not for the old codgers. Upsetting scenes follow.
The best way to describe cataract surgery is to imagine you are inside a storm drain with a rusty old, corroded circular manhole cover which has got to be replaced. First the guy with the pneumatic drill breaks up the old one which is then washed away with liberal amounts of water from the fire brigade. Then a new manhole cover is inserted and welded in place by the guy with his acetylene torch followed by further liberal amounts of water from the fire brigade. A temporary protective shield is then stuck on and off you trot with your eye drops.
Nothing but praise for the team at Cobham Day Surgery, they even commented on my Santa Clause socks!
13.14 Friday 24th December 2021 (Weather - Much improved visibility.)
New life amongst the rhododendrons spotted at Cobham Cemetery today.
07.40 Saturday 25th December 2021
(Weather - Lots of rain dears.)
11.30 Sunday 26th December 2021
(Weather - Rain earlier and later.)
Happy Holly Days!
10.10 Tuesday 28th December 2021 (Weather - windy.)
i expect you've forgotten about my 'Moonpower' ideas but I've tried to make it simpler to understand, not that any of my switched on readers are simple, but click HERE if you are interested. And tell me why it won't work.
20.22 (not yet!) Wednesday 29th December 2021
(Weather - wet and windy.)
Canon in Rye spotted outside Rye Castle today.
Click HERE if you want to hear Canon in D.
18.22 Thursday 30th December 2021
(Weather - exceptionally mild.)
If you are looking for accommodation with creaky, uneven floorboards in amongst the wibbly, wobbly houses in the middle of Rye with 17th century décor including exquisite models of galleons, globes, navigation equipment and portraits of royalty, then Church View Holiday Let on Airbnb is for you. It's above Simon the Pieman. Only one head though - sailing talk for toilet.
10.10 Friday 31st December 2021 (Weather - the sun shone briefly.)
In years gone by New Years Eve used to be a visit to The Oxshott Men's Club, The Vic, The Bear, The Plough, The Running Mare, The White Lion, The Little White Lion, The Antelope, The Cricketers and back to The Oxshott Men's Club. Sorry.
Tonight will be an early night?
A new page for A New Year is HERE.