Page 39 Bob's Blog Page 40 Page 41
You are reading Page 40 of Bob's Blog/diary/dream/story/journey/novelistic memoir.
He is 84 years old and counting.
He is also very much aware that this blog is of no significance whatsoever -
at the time of writing!
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Sunday 1st October 2023.
This month there won't be any mention of you know what. I've now finished reading 'The Black Prince' by Iris Murdoch, hard going but worth it in the end.
Monday 2nd October 2023.
I've never been any good with the paint brush so I've decided to paint a picture of the wind or maybe a gentle breeze. This is it!
What do you think Mrs G? £500,000?
- Bob -
Tuesday 3rd October 2023.
I'm really sorry but I've had another idea to change the world, this time it really will change the world.
Wednesday 4th October 2023.
While I'm waiting for the world to change I popped down to Waitrose for a few items but they were closed for refurbishments so I had to go to Sainsbury's, disaster, but it was cheaper. If you want some FREE Bramley cooking apples you will find a barrowful outside my front door HELP YOURSELF THEY'RE LOVELY. Sabeena and the girls loved them, she sent a thank you card, thanks Sabeena.
Thursday 5th October 2023.
The memorials for Annie, John and Eliza are taking shape, the black anodised laser etched plaques have been ordered. Exciting?
Friday 6th October 2023.
I hope you are sleeping on your grounded copper wire because if you are you will find your brain exploding with amazing ideas!
Saturday 7th October 2023.
Hi Chic,
Thanks for helping me out with the gearbox calculations, we now have exactly what I've been trying to work out for years. Of course, nobody understands it but I'm not worried, they will one day. I've already sent it to a few Professors and Doctors of engineering but not a dickie bird, not even an acknowledgement. What can you expect when you're dealing with a bunch of uncommunicatives, having said that there is one that seems to be switched on so we'll have to wait and see. Talking about uncommunicatives we're having new neighbours which is great, you can read into that what you want. I've decided to renew my passport, I'll be jetting off to New Zealand again, probably another round the world trip. Might pop in to see Dotty, she used to lend me her motorbike to bomb around North Island, you didn't know that did you? On the way back I plan to pay another visit to LA and Las Vegas, last time I was there I wasn't allowed to go into a Casino, might win a buck or two. I'll probably get an old Mustang and cruise Interstate 5 up to Seattle and Route 66 backwards up through Michigan, pop in and see the family. Hope they're OK. Always wanted to take a sternwheeler down the Mississippi to New Orleans, probably stay there. It's either that or a night or two in Eastbourne.
Cheers, Bob.
Sunday 8th October 2023.
Seen in Cobham yesterday. The owner very kindly said I could borrow it for the Eastbourne trip. Should create a few furrowed brows on the M25!
And congratulations to Hartley,
another winning dreamy scene.
Monday 9th October 2023.
I don't watch much TV but last night I saw 'I'm Alright Jack' with Peter Sellers, Ian Carmichael, Terry Thomas, Dennis Price, Richard Attenborough, Liz Fraser and Margaret Rutherford. Made in 1959 in black and white, the story line was questionable, but it took me back to a time which now seems hard to imagine. I was 20, we had a newly installed two tone grey telephone which felt like the world now had access to your hallway and you had access to the world. It was a time when radio was dominant for news and entertainment, TV was mickey mouse and 78's, 45's and 33 1/3 's were the music medium. Banks and business accounts books were all hand written, you could get a new house for a couple of thousand and a new car for a couple of hundred, petrol was 4 gallons for a pound and a pint of bitter was less than two bob. I didn’t have a clue about the future and not much interest in the past. If you had told me then that I would live to be 84, have a wife 3 children, 6 grandchildren, have the world and his wife looking at me from a screen in my pocket and dreamt up a device for saving the planet I’d have said you were potty.
Tuesday 10th October 2023.
Wandering around Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne today brought back many a sailing memory. Nobody was crewseeking!
Wednesday 11th October 2023.
It sounded like a large dog coming to an abrupt halt having pounced on his ball in the shingle. It was, in fact, an old codger falling flat on his face having tripped on the concrete promenade adjacent to the shingly beach.
On the way down towards the shingle his life flashed before him, in slow motion, fortunately a heavy landing resulted in only a bruised ego and a grazed elbow. He doesn't normally do falling over but the experience was enlightening. Perhaps a zimmer for Christmas?
Thursday 12th October 2023.
Before breakfast on the last morning at Eastbourne I took a stroll across the lawns opposite The Lansdowne (thoroughly recommended) sat on the shingle and watched the sunrise. I couldn't see a big tree or a little tree but I could feel the gentle breeze and witness the kaleidoscope of colours while the waves gently rearranged the shingle after yesterdays disturbances.
A mile or so offshore I spotted a couple of large vessels which appeared to be anchored but on closer inspection they were moving slowly. The anchor lines were stationary but the vessels were definitely moving. Apparantly the two vessels drift back and forth with the tide and pump out enough electricity for Eastbourne and surrounding districts, bloody amazing idea. I bet that whoever came up with that idea is worth a fortune.
Friday 13th October 2023.
Hope it's your lucky day today, it is mine.
Saturday 14th October 2023.
Not a lot to say today except that somebody important found my idea for generating power from the tidal stream 'extremely interesting'. It would appear to be creating waves but hopefully only gentle waves.
Sunday 15th October 2023.
Bit of a worry wandering around Oxshott Woods yesterday. Magnificent, towering 150 year old Scots Pine trees had been slaughtered left, right and centre in some areas, all sadly lying around in log piles. Many other saplings lying around damaged by the falling trees. Let's hope it's forestry management and not more concrete. I'll investigate and let you know.
Nobody remembers what happened 57 years ago today except me.
Monday 16th October 2023.
First frost in Cobham Cemetery but no complaints.
Tuesday 17th October 2023.
I've said this before but if you ever get bored with this blog (or life in general for that matter) head over to a daily blog by The Gentle Author. He started it in 2009 and vowed to write a daily blog about Spitalfields Life. He digs up amazing stories and pictures of people, places and things in and around Spitalfields. Today it's all about Henry Barefield who wrote his address on his biscuit, stuck a stamp on it and sent his biscuit home in the mail in WW1. You can check it out HERE.
Wednesday 18th October 2023.
Had a walk in flue jab yesterday, the jabber said I have a thick skin, I said when you get to my age and blog about nonsense you need it. Spent the rest of the day up a ladder picking magnificent Bramley apples, never had so many, thanks Dad. He planted it in 1975, if I had known then what I know now I'd have been none the wiser. Open mic night at the Oxshott Club this Saturday, all welcome, bring your didgeridoo. And if you'd like to pick me up I'll buy you a Babycham or was it rum and black? Can't drive in the dark. Or, I can drive in the dark not, as Shakespeare would say.
Thursday 19th October 2023.
I heard from the chairman of FEDORA yesterday that the tree felling going on in Oxshott Woods is, in fact, Forestry Management. I have been invited to join FEDORA which I am very pleased to do.
Friday 20th October 2023.
If you take Clint Ober's advice and sleep on your earthed copper wire you will be able to communicate with your favourite person, living or dead and send or receive information globally. So, you can chuck your mobile/cell phone in the recycle bin. I've discovered from 'Spitalfields Life' a blog called 'The Oxford Sausage' I might rename this blog 'The Oxshott Sausage' or even 'The Oxshott Shoshage'!. Even more exciting news tomorrow.
Saturday 21st October 2023.
Collected great grand parents plaques yesterday which look great. You may remember Eliza was John's second wife.
They will be planted on their graves ASAP and conducted tours will be starting soon.
Tours start and finish at The Running Mare, hope that's OK.
Sunday 22nd October 2023.
Happy birthday Liza Lou. Your tweet about The Oxshott Village Sign is not forgotten! Love from Dumps. (that's from someone who can't say Gramps, Grandad or Grumps).
Monday 23rd October 2023.
Bit grumpy today!
Tuesday 24th October 2023.
Dear Reader, If your dentist, back in April, had ballsed up his attempts to drill out your lower molar in preparation for a crown and left you with a jaw that wouldn't open more than a quarter of an inch, he then denies all responsibility and tells you to go to A and E, after 4 hours in A and E you are referred to a Dr on Mr S's team, your jaw is x-rayed, CT and MRI scanned, you then wait months for the results of the MRI scan which turn out to be inconclusive, you are then referred to another hospital miles away, you have an appointment next week, you then get a text telling you that your appointment has been cancelled because the doctor's going on holiday, but they are pleased to be able to offer you an appointment in January next year, all this is still on Mr S's team, you then discover that you can see Mr S tomorrow but it will cost you £250, all this time you can't eat properly and worried sick about what happens if you get toothache, would you feel a bit grumpy? Bob.
Dear Reader, If you had come up with a a ground breaking idea but told that it needs to be checked by the academic community but your attempts at trying to get in contact with the academic community are completely ignored or completely misunderstood and the few that do respond make ridiculous comments, would you feel a bit grumpy? Bob.
Dear Reader, If the memorial plaques you have ordered for your great grandparents graves which you expect to be brilliant black with white lettering like The Oxshott Village Sign plaques turn out to be black with black lettering when it rains, would you feel a bit grumpy? Bob.
Wednesday 25th October 2023.
Not quite so grumpy today.
Thursday 26th October 2023.
Tomorrow, or maybe next week, all grumpiness will be history.
Friday 27th October 2023.
We suffered discrimination, humiliation, bigotry and verbal abuse from Mr. S yesterday, we're old. He only charged £250! Bargain!
Abandoned tidal energy project because it won't work unless the moon travels round the earth once a day instead of once a month.
Back to the drawing board.
Saturday 28th October 2023.
It’s a very satisfying feeling to discover that the project you have been developing for years, and that you are convinced is ‘game changing’, hasn’t a hope in hell of working. The discovery came from something called common sense which seems to be in short supply these days.
Caught the 408 bus to Ashtead at 7.30am yesterday. Had a long chat to Behnaz the delightful young lady bus driver while she was waiting for the red light in her cab to go green. She was ahead of schedule. She said she was surrounded with cameras, trackers, sensors, indicators and microphones and her boss knew exactly what she was up to all the time. I wonder if he knew what the passengers were thinking!
Sunday 29th October 2023.
Instead of turning the clock back 60 minutes last night I got carried away and turned it back 60 years.
Monday 30th October 2023.
Did you know that on average 625,000 people cross the Atlantic every day? And as I write one of them is Ivan flying in from LAX to LGW . Yesterday I flew out of LHR to SEA. I was offered a job on a drawing board at Boeing drawing bits for the 747 wing at $5 an hour. Or was it a dream?
Tuesday 31st October 2023.
Yesterday I flew out of LGW to AKL via LAX and PPT. I was offered a job drawing pipes at The Marsden Point Oil Refinery on North Island. I returned via PER and BOM, or was it a dream?
You have read Page 40 of Bob's Blog/diary/dream/story/journey/novelistic memoir.
He is 84 years old and counting.
He is also very much aware that this blog is of no significance whatsoever - at the time of writing!
HOME PAGE ABOUT and BLOG INDEX CONTACT