30th March, 2014
Despite losing an hour, we were up early and out to do the week’s shop at the supermarket. It’s still very busy – probably with people planning barbecues in this lovely weather. It was 19C/66F at 8.00 am and forecast to be the warmest day so far this year.
Back home, we are still unpacking from our Yorkshire trip. I’ve got letters to write to people we met and we’ve still to prepare for our trip to France a week after next. We are going to Reims hopefully via Arras. I’m really looking forward to it.
Reims embodies the Champagne Region and I’m looking forward to visiting a Champagne House like the one below. It’s also where the Germans signed their acceptance of surrender terms in 1945.
There is also the famous cathedral, of course, where they took the trouble to carve images of Pauline and I in stone. We still look quite good!
31st March, 2014
Lovely, mild day to say ‘Goodbye to March, 2014. We will never see it again other than in our dreams. Did a quick trip to Tesco’s and then called in on Phyllis & Colin to deliver the pies. Colin didn’t look well. I think he is suffering at the moment. Let’s hope the pies perk him up. Pauline has set me a whole string of ‘office’ tasks today including scanning in and cataloguing a pile of documents. She obviously is embracing the idea of a ‘paperless office’.
Pauline is washing and ironing with a view to our French trip in ten days or so. We might meet sometime today if she lets me out of the Study.
1st April, 2014
Happy New Month and Welcome to April.
Right on cue for April Fools, the boiler had broken down in the Energy Centre and it was cold showers all round. We had to be out by 9.00 am for Pauline’s haircut so there was no time to prevaricate. Someone else contacted the Management Company to get it fixed.
2nd April, 2014
Had to go to the dentist to have my temporary cap replaced. My dentist is in Westminster (Pimlico actually!). When I was about 13, I read a short story called The Pimlico Kid. It was a thriller type plot set in smog-bound central London. Ironically, someone published a ‘first’ novel with exactly that title last year. Equally ironically, central London was forecast to be smog bound today with Saharan dust. Actually, it wasn’t bad and the temperature was a balmy 21C/70F. Men were walking round in shorts. I was in shirt sleeves and without a coat.
The trip to the dentist is a little longer than we would prefer – a 30 minute train journey from West Byfleet to Waterloo and then two tube journeys each of two stops to Pimlico. It’s very easy really and today’s journey saved me about £400.00. In Woking the Dentist offered a cap on private Dentistry for £650.00 but at her NHS practice in Pimlico, she would do it for £250.00. We’ve really enjoyed going there and, today, it took three and a half hours door to door return including the treatment. I’m not a great fan of trains but this was excellent.
3rd April, 2014
Today is the fifth anniversary of our leaving work in Education and joining the What shall we do today? group. Although the time has flown by, we still don’t feel completely adjusted to idleness. Never mind! Someone’s got to do it so it might as well be us. Just heard that the bloke who succeeded us at the replacement Academy has just been sacked (moved on) for inappropriate treatment of a pupil. It’s not a world for old men or even for me.
Had the burglar alarm system serviced this morning. Life doesn’t get much more exciting than that. The service engineers employed by our firm all seem to be chosen for their stature – tall enough to do the work without needing a ladder. We pay £250.00 per year for a response alarm system which is serviced twice a year by Custom Security Services.
4th April, 2014
Today, as we walked out into warm, early Summer sunshine, we looked at the gardens around our house. The flowering cherry trees were just coming into flower bud at this time last year. This year, the trees have flowered wonderfully and dropped and are now getting on with growing. Everywhere, Spring is finished at least a month earlier than last year. For at least two weeks, the fields have been decorated with May Blossom from the end of March.
Birds around here have already nested are getting on with the job of egg production.
5th April, 2014
We are on a short trip to visit our French friends in a week and Pauline is busy washing, ironing and preparing. I’m taking my computer for its annual service on Tuesday so I’m spending the weekend cleaning it up. I have Bank Account logins, Investment Account logins, ISA Logins, etc. which I wouldn’t like anyone else getting access to so I have to back them up and clear them from my machine.
Our near neighbour, a lad in his early 30s, went out in a suit yesterday and came back with a bouquet of flowers.
We couldn’t believe it. We met his Mum. She was younger than us. It has shaken us both.
It is only the first week of April but so warm outside this evening that we sat outside around 9.00 pm and shared a glass of red wine to usher out my 62 year. It was delightful and every moment like that must be savoured.