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| I'm hiding on the left behind Bill |
Sun: Lunch with Sue, James, Becky & Ed:
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Mon: Potter
Tue: Coffee with G&P, choir in evening
Wed: Hospital day at Mt Vernon, Patient Engagement seminar then Board meeting
24 - 29 Nov:
Sat: 7am breakfast, checked out, walked into town for the farmers market.
Coffee at Namur bakery. Bus to airport, 11:25 flight to City, then as Met line closed, caught DLR to Canning Town, Jubilee to Green Park, Victoria to Euston, train to Watford Junction, taxi to Chorleywood, then I drove to St Mary's Ricky in time for 1:45 rehearsal! Which went better than I expected for me without any practice since the last one. Back home to change, pick up Nigel, then to concert proper - Son of God Mass, Ubi Caritas by Meallor, Eternal Light Mass by Howard Goodall. Beautiful pieces, wonderful words.
Rained all the time when in UK. Busy day.
Sun: Lunch with Sue, James, Becky & Ed:
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Mon: Potter
Tue: Coffee with G&P, choir in evening
Wed: Hospital day at Mt Vernon, Patient Engagement seminar then Board meeting
Sun: Lunch with Sue, James, Becky & Ed:
Mon: Potter
Tue: Coffee with G&P, choir in evening
Wed: Hospital day at Mt Vernon, Patient Engagement seminar then Board meeting
19 - 20 Nov: Xmas Spectacular
Mon: Up to Norfolk with G&N, stopped at Ely for coffee and independent bookshop browse, excellent shop Topping & Company:
Called into Pete & Mo's for quick lunch bite, then off to Thursford for the Xmas Spectacular
What can I say. Bizarre yet so British. Just like the Olympic opening ceremony.
Back to Blakeney Hotel for usual dinner.
Tue: C&I went swimming before breakfast, then off shopping to Holt. Weather was grey and a but damp, back home at 3:30.
Back to Blakeney Hotel for usual dinner.
Tue: C&I went swimming before breakfast, then off shopping to Holt. Weather was grey and a but damp, back home at 3:30.
12 - 18 Nov
Mon: Mrs M left her coat in Farnham at the weekend, so I drove down and back through drizzle to pick it up. Generally pottered around, shopped at Waitrose, fixed new shower door roller. Confirmed Burgundy price with Bernard, so that tour is on (july 2013). Have also provisionally booked Bike Adventures for May to do Pisa to Sicily down the coast.
Tue: BMW in for service and MOT at Hyde Heath. I waited while it was done for a couple of hours, then popped into see G&P for coffee and to critique their patio, v.nice. Choir in evening - usual tetchy behaviour from Michael as its only a couple of weeks to go and we are still a bit dodgy in a couple of places.
Wed: Swam 60lengths at WP first thing. Lunch at Bedford Arms as guest of Bill S at 1969 "gentlemans monthly luncheon club" - not sure about joining as I seemed to be the youngest there!
In evening, took Nigel to CW Litefest talk on Underground by Sam Mullins (runs LT Museum) - very informative and he had a dry ironic sense of humour. Nigel bought the book though he was loath to part with his money!
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Tue: BMW in for service and MOT at Hyde Heath. I waited while it was done for a couple of hours, then popped into see G&P for coffee and to critique their patio, v.nice. Choir in evening - usual tetchy behaviour from Michael as its only a couple of weeks to go and we are still a bit dodgy in a couple of places.
Wed: Swam 60lengths at WP first thing. Lunch at Bedford Arms as guest of Bill S at 1969 "gentlemans monthly luncheon club" - not sure about joining as I seemed to be the youngest there!
In evening, took Nigel to CW Litefest talk on Underground by Sam Mullins (runs LT Museum) - very informative and he had a dry ironic sense of humour. Nigel bought the book though he was loath to part with his money!
Thu: Dr M went up to London for a meeting. I went to WP for spin class. Saw "We will rock you" with Eddie & Shirley at RMS, Ella was the Killer Queen. Very lively and polished performances all round.
Fri: Acted as chauffer to Dr M and Theo (sister from MVH) to King's Lynn Hospital. I took brompton and cycled into the city, nice historic quayside but deserted and cold:
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| Excellent breakfast as greasy spoon cafe |
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| Mist over the river Ouse |
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| High water flood marks on cathedral door pillar |
Much nicer town than I was expecting!
Sat: Took Granny down road for coffee with Nigel, then into Watford. As bearable as it could be - I bought a "country casual jacket"
In evening off the Dr Challoner's Anniversary dinner/dance with S&B, G&C.
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Good evening of chat, food and drink, though the music was inspiring enough to get us to dance.
Cherry was in a scrap book being passed around:
Sun: Built up energy reserves for the Granny outing tomorrow.
5 - 11 Nov:
Mon: Nothing exciting, just walked to vill for shopping, the update meeting with Chair and CX of Hillingdon Hospital....oh and Guy Fawkes night so lots of bangs and wizzes during the evening
Tue: Booked 9:30 spin class. Cold and frosty morn as they say in the carols, but clear and sunny to start with, so ran to William Penn, swam 50 lengths, then found the spin class was cancelled due to instructor being sick. All my good intentions to do a min-tri thwarted! Jogged back home via shops, buying a partridge to roast tonight. Choir later, only 3 weeks to go to the concert, as usual one wonders if we will be ready as some bits are still scrappy.
Big day 26 years ago, Jon was born:
Granny came round in evening for a Facetime call with Jon in Kabul, and we then got Lulu on the other iPad from a party in Newbury. Amazing technology and telecommunicatons
Tue: Booked 9:30 spin class. Cold and frosty morn as they say in the carols, but clear and sunny to start with, so ran to William Penn, swam 50 lengths, then found the spin class was cancelled due to instructor being sick. All my good intentions to do a min-tri thwarted! Jogged back home via shops, buying a partridge to roast tonight. Choir later, only 3 weeks to go to the concert, as usual one wonders if we will be ready as some bits are still scrappy.
Big day 26 years ago, Jon was born:
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| He's just as sweet now! |
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Just because Facetime can't do more than a 1-1 video conference
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Wed: Spin 10:40, walked to vill later to return library (what an exciting day!), then to Mt Vernon in evening for Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group (HCCG) presentation. How it can work is beyond me. It is not possible.
Thu: Cycle ride with Mrs M to Ricky to pick up parcel, and breakfast at Cinnamon Square. Mtg with Nigel's care workers at Shepherd Day Centre, a very calm and respectful place, makes you want to provide more support to them rather than the cutbacks they are experiencing. Then up to London to see Twelve Night at the Apollo with Stephen Fry and Mark Rylance (who plays Lady Olivio though sometime relapsing into Richard III with his asides to the audience, loved his dalek glide around the stage) via shopping in Chilton Street and a cheese board and glass of wine at La Fromagerie just off Marylebone High Street, very yummy.
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Excellent acting and staging, but the play itself is rather vacuous in plot, compensated in part by the wonderful language and use of words. What an amazing man was WMS.
Fri: Drove Dr M up to a meeting at Edgebaston Cricket Ground. Took Brompton and I cycled into Birmingham, mega breakfast in a busy workers pub,
wandered round the Art Museum which was just the right size with a variety of non-religious paintings
Good collection of pre-Raphaelite
Then looked at shops, all the usual ones, it got cold and I was bored so cycled back to hear the end of the lectures. Drove home to go straight to hear Ben Elton at the Chorleywood LiteFest, absolutely brilliant and charming, able to answer any question by going off into a insightful yet funny commentary. A nice man who has done very well with his talents and just happy with his life (despite those who seem jealous of his success and claim his has betrayed his left wing alternative comedy roots - will his real roots are very upper intellectual and cospmopolitan middle class)
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In evening caught train into London for birthday dinner with Hannah at Kopapa in Seven Dials. Trendy asian fusion. Great evening with rest of family (Lulu came).
Thu: Cycle ride with Mrs M to Ricky to pick up parcel, and breakfast at Cinnamon Square. Mtg with Nigel's care workers at Shepherd Day Centre, a very calm and respectful place, makes you want to provide more support to them rather than the cutbacks they are experiencing. Then up to London to see Twelve Night at the Apollo with Stephen Fry and Mark Rylance (who plays Lady Olivio though sometime relapsing into Richard III with his asides to the audience, loved his dalek glide around the stage) via shopping in Chilton Street and a cheese board and glass of wine at La Fromagerie just off Marylebone High Street, very yummy.
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Fri: Drove Dr M up to a meeting at Edgebaston Cricket Ground. Took Brompton and I cycled into Birmingham, mega breakfast in a busy workers pub,
wandered round the Art Museum which was just the right size with a variety of non-religious paintings
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| King Faisal of Iraq - I'd seen this picture in all the TEL books |
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| Degas |
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| One of 3 - A Lady of Shallot - on loan from Tate |
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| Has to be a northern Lowery! |
Then looked at shops, all the usual ones, it got cold and I was bored so cycled back to hear the end of the lectures. Drove home to go straight to hear Ben Elton at the Chorleywood LiteFest, absolutely brilliant and charming, able to answer any question by going off into a insightful yet funny commentary. A nice man who has done very well with his talents and just happy with his life (despite those who seem jealous of his success and claim his has betrayed his left wing alternative comedy roots - will his real roots are very upper intellectual and cospmopolitan middle class)
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Popped to Rootz Brassiere for pizza and wine afterwards, vg. An excellent day despite driving over 200 miles.
Sat: Went to Farnham for dinner with S&A, and J&W. Very pleasant evening, lots of red wine hence I fell asleep at 10pm. We stayed the night.
Sun: Lovely clear morning. Went for 20 mile bike ride with John to Hindhead Devil's Punchbowl. Observed 11 am mins silence enroute. Very slow service at NT Cafe. Super bike path down from Hindhead, running at end next to new A3. Got quite cold.
In evening caught train into London for birthday dinner with Hannah at Kopapa in Seven Dials. Trendy asian fusion. Great evening with rest of family (Lulu came).
29 Oct - 4 Nov: sniff sniff, I have a cold
Tedious week with a runny nose and cold that dragged on all week. On Wed went to HHFT Board meeting. In evening, Halloween festivities on Darvells Yard with what-has-now-become-a-traditional-party at Sylvie and Jamie's. On Friday decided that enuff was enuff, and I had to shake off the remnants of the cold so I went for 5km run on the Common in 40 mins (twice round), its a start, only just!:
Sat: "Come and sing" Hydn's Nelson Mass with Chorleywood Choral Society all day, Mrs M and Nigel came to the scratch performance at 4pm. Really enjoyed it, thought my sight reading was pretty good for someone who can't read music. I've done it before, but can't remember when, maybe Manama Singers Bahrain? as bits of the tunes were familiar.
Then great Fireworks party at another traditional Darvells event at Sean and Jeannie's.
Sun:
Up early to drive to Leighton Buzzard for their annual "reliability ride" with Chris and few of his friends. Very silly idea. It poured, and I mean poured, with globules of rain. The roads were awash, many deep puddles and torrential rivers on the hills. We got very very wet of course, with very very cold extremities. The best I can say was that it was nice when it was over. 61km in 3:20hrs
Then great Fireworks party at another traditional Darvells event at Sean and Jeannie's.
Sun:
Up early to drive to Leighton Buzzard for their annual "reliability ride" with Chris and few of his friends. Very silly idea. It poured, and I mean poured, with globules of rain. The roads were awash, many deep puddles and torrential rivers on the hills. We got very very wet of course, with very very cold extremities. The best I can say was that it was nice when it was over. 61km in 3:20hrs
22 - 28 Oct: More "normal" week
Mon: Took Suzuki for service to Hemel, cycled back in grey damp, 7miles, not very pleasant. Attempted to change options on my BT phone and broadband. Website in consistent and customer service on phone appeared helpful but actually could do nothing, then promised to ring me back tomorrow.
Tue: Today was a "total disaster, darling" as they say on Strictly Dancing. The electric fire came that we ordered last week. I carefully measured where it was to go in the kitchen, and drilled a support hole to only go through a central heating pipe. A jet of hot water sprayed across kitchen. PANIC. Grabbed towels and mop, moved furniture out of way, tossed carpet aside, ran upstairs and turned every tap off in the airing cupboard, then down to find house stop cock that easily closed, and cascade reduced to a gentle trickle (phew). Called Brian, who gave me Dave's number (plumber who redid kitchen waterworks) who was available and came over on 45 mins. Cut away plasterboard which now was soggy and sagging, and he fitted a joint. Repressurised system and bled radiators. Big clean up session, got fan heater to dry out wall. Adrenaline crashed down, and I collapsed for the rest of the afternoon listening to my choir music. Felt calmer and fitted fire - conveniently it covered the hacked out hole so no plastered was required (unless I remove the fire in the future of course!).
Slightly suburban, but cute and comforting for the winter.
Other courier deliveries during the day, but not one expected from UKMail. When I went to their website it said "delivery attempted, card left". Bollocks, I was in all day, no card was left, and 3 other couriers managed to deliver during the day.
BT never called back, should I be surprised?????
Choir in evening, went well and my sight reading wasn't bad for a non-musician.
Wed: UKMail say they will attempt delivery again today, ha ha. Claimed it was an agency driver yesterday, and maybe he couldn't find the address. Failed to explain then why he had entered "card left" into the tracking system. Gardening girls came, sorted out front and back beds.
UKMail delivered at 4pm. Popped to shops then cycled to Hemel to pick up car.
Thu: G&P round for coffee and chat, then off to T5 to pick up Jon who was stopping over from NY to Kabul. Lunch at Rootz Brasserie. In evening Mrs M went to Ballet (Swan Lake) with Lulu & Henry (plus drinks afterwards with Jon) and I attended my first HHT Council of Governors meeting.
Fri: Hosed down and swept patio, then front drive, removing gravel to see what was underneath the caked gravel/mud. G hair duty and shopping took till 12:00. Jon came back at 4:30, we went to Tamarind Thai for quickie before getting him to airport at 7:45
Sat: Light snow on ground, cold and very clear. Took G&N for coffee in Wendover, then shopping in PR. I bought a pair of slippers, very GOMish. In afternoon, we walked down to vill for a bit of shopping and got rained on, the skies stopped being clear!
Last minute decision to go to see Skyfall - tried Watford Vue but it was full and website was crap, managed to get into Hemel Odeon whose website was slightly less crap. SPOILER ALERT Film was tosh, and not even enjoyable tosh at that. Unmemorable song intro with bizarre graphic storyboard. Bond was shot in the shoulder with a depleted uranium bullet yet carried on fighting as though nothing had happened. Then he was shot again by a rifle and fell 100s metres into a river, over rapids etc...then next scene he is fit and well and in bed with a woman on the beach. No explanation as to how he survived. Usual type of chases/stunts, wooden dialogue, unrealistic villain, disconnected episodic scenes, quite a few holes in plot, not much humour, I could have added much more. And the last gun fight in Scotland was far too long. AND M DIES!!!!!!!!!! We wished we hadn't bothered, but the reviews to date have been that it was a good film. Are we odd or does the emperor really have no clothes?
Sun: Clocks back one hour. Lulu came home to pick up car, and we had Sunday lunch with G&N. Afterwards Mrs & Miss M made cakes, very Mary Berryish.
Tue: Today was a "total disaster, darling" as they say on Strictly Dancing. The electric fire came that we ordered last week. I carefully measured where it was to go in the kitchen, and drilled a support hole to only go through a central heating pipe. A jet of hot water sprayed across kitchen. PANIC. Grabbed towels and mop, moved furniture out of way, tossed carpet aside, ran upstairs and turned every tap off in the airing cupboard, then down to find house stop cock that easily closed, and cascade reduced to a gentle trickle (phew). Called Brian, who gave me Dave's number (plumber who redid kitchen waterworks) who was available and came over on 45 mins. Cut away plasterboard which now was soggy and sagging, and he fitted a joint. Repressurised system and bled radiators. Big clean up session, got fan heater to dry out wall. Adrenaline crashed down, and I collapsed for the rest of the afternoon listening to my choir music. Felt calmer and fitted fire - conveniently it covered the hacked out hole so no plastered was required (unless I remove the fire in the future of course!).
Other courier deliveries during the day, but not one expected from UKMail. When I went to their website it said "delivery attempted, card left". Bollocks, I was in all day, no card was left, and 3 other couriers managed to deliver during the day.
BT never called back, should I be surprised?????
Choir in evening, went well and my sight reading wasn't bad for a non-musician.
Wed: UKMail say they will attempt delivery again today, ha ha. Claimed it was an agency driver yesterday, and maybe he couldn't find the address. Failed to explain then why he had entered "card left" into the tracking system. Gardening girls came, sorted out front and back beds.
UKMail delivered at 4pm. Popped to shops then cycled to Hemel to pick up car.
Thu: G&P round for coffee and chat, then off to T5 to pick up Jon who was stopping over from NY to Kabul. Lunch at Rootz Brasserie. In evening Mrs M went to Ballet (Swan Lake) with Lulu & Henry (plus drinks afterwards with Jon) and I attended my first HHT Council of Governors meeting.
Fri: Hosed down and swept patio, then front drive, removing gravel to see what was underneath the caked gravel/mud. G hair duty and shopping took till 12:00. Jon came back at 4:30, we went to Tamarind Thai for quickie before getting him to airport at 7:45
Sat: Light snow on ground, cold and very clear. Took G&N for coffee in Wendover, then shopping in PR. I bought a pair of slippers, very GOMish. In afternoon, we walked down to vill for a bit of shopping and got rained on, the skies stopped being clear!
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| This will hurt me more that it hurts you ... |
Sun: Clocks back one hour. Lulu came home to pick up car, and we had Sunday lunch with G&N. Afterwards Mrs & Miss M made cakes, very Mary Berryish.
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