28/11/2010 - 30/11/2010 Google's infallibility, Snow

I am a great fan of Google, in the past two weeks alone, it has provided the answer to such diverse questions as:

• Where can I buy a replacement flushing syphon for the toilet cistern.
• How do I fit the replacement flushing syphon.
• What was that brightly coloured bird I saw in the garden.
• What is the significance of the place name Brockley Whins.
• All about squirrels.

But, here is someone who clearly disagrees with me (not unusual).

Now, I would have guessed that Claude Presbyterian Church was in a place called Claude, but Google tells me it is actually in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, plus lots of other interesting information about the place.

Sunday we wake up to more snow.

This is probably all very amusing, if you live in a place that gets "real" snowfall (like Canada), but here in the UK, we are never prepared for it, and even an inch of snow causes chaos, with roads closed, airports closed, etc etc.

So overnight we have had another 3.5", now in our back garden we have 10" of snow lying, with another 4" forecast for today and tonight.

This is like the winters I remember from my childhood. In weather like this we children would be off to the nearest hill with our sledges, or for the poorer ones among us, with pieces of cardboard, to slide down the hill.

This has not changed too much, there are a number of children out sledging, but in this relatively affluent area, they all have shop bought sledges, no pieces of cardboard in sight.

One thing which has changed, is the small number of people who clear the snow from their path, and from the footpath outside of their homes. In my childhood, only a few lazy individuals failed to do this. People would also clear the snow for elderly or infirm nieghbours. Not now it would seem. In our street of eleven houses, only myself and one other bother to clear their path.

Monday, the snow thaws ever so slightly, and only another 1" falls, the weather forecast is for strong winds, which if they arrive, will make things unpleasant.

Kathleen tries to get me into the Christmas spirit, without success, I hate this time of year with all of it's false cheer.



  

24/11/2010 to 27/11/2010 Snow, Snow and More Snow

Wednesday afternoon is spent painting the bedroom walls at Tanya's flat. It is a light colour to cover a dark colour, so it definately going to need two coats, what fun. Do you detect my enthusiasm is waning?

In the evening the snow starts, how I hate winter!

Thursday, it is daughter-in-law, Susana's birthday.

Birthday wishes are sent by text, although the more traditional flowers and card have already been dispatched.

We awake to a good three inches (OK, 7.5 cm for you metric types) of snow lying.

According to the news, the East coast of England  is effected most, no doubt this will bring the whole area to a shuddering stop.

More painting, at Tanya's flat, on for the second coat now, so at least I get the satisfaction of it begining to look good.

There is no heating on in the place, so I am painting with my coat and scarf on!

As if decorating is not enough, Tanya's iron has given up the ghost.

I suspect the flex is broken, but being a Morphy Richards it has "tamper proof" screws to encourage you to buy a new iron, not very environmentally friendly.

I borrow a suitable tool to overcome the "tamper proof" screws, but it is not the flex, The lights come on but it does not get hot, so it looks like the element has gone, it is destined for the great iron graveyard.

Friday, and still it is snowing.

A sign of getting old, I wimp out of my usual Friday night trip to the Grey Horse, on the basis that the weather is bad. If you bear in mind, I get a lift there, and a taxi back, that is pathetic old person stuff isn't it.

Initially I amuse myself on the Internet, reading about Squirrels (both Red and Grey). This obscure interest being fired off by a conversation with a neighbour, which included mention of the fact that, despite the prescence of quite a large number of trees nearby, we have never seen a squirrel in the garden. I never cease to be amazed at the sheer volume and variety of "information" you can find on the internet, about just about any subject under the sun.

Later we amuse ourselves watching TV. Since Friday night TV, in common with most nights, is crap and consists of non-stop soaps, this involves scrolling through the list of stuff we have recorded at some point in the past in the hope it may be watchable.

The first three films we begin watching we have already seen, and I cannot stand watching something I have already seen, but we eventually while away the evening with:

• the new version of Reggie Perrin (not as good as the old version in my opinion, but still quite funny).  
• a documentary about how the landscape of Scotland developed, interesting only for the fact that the presenter managed to tell us how climate change in the 1400's killed off thousands of trees (not many aircraft, power stations or cars around in 1400 according my understanding of history), whilst still admonishing us humans with the present "climate change" scare stories.

In the meantime, the snow is still falling, fortified with a few drinks we venture outside with our digital cameras to make very inexpert photographs of the night time snow fall.

For my first effort, I try the snow scene setting, in the back garden, where there is virtually no artificial light, well apart from the usual "light pollution" to be expected in an urban area.

Not very successful, in my opinion.

Athough the the falling snow flakes are well defined.

I reason that the setting for "Snow Scene" probably means day time snow scene so I switch the setting to "night scene", but the exposure time is clearly too long for a hand held shot by someone shivering in the snow, with the inevitable blurred result.

At least you can see the garden, and I suppose it could be regarded as being artistic, if you were being kind.

I round off with a couple of shots, using "night scene", in the front street, where there is good street lighting, but the results are not much, if any, better.

Clearly, if I am to take this photography lark seriously (which I am not), I need to learn at least how to use the camera I have.

There must be a setting which allows you to adjust the exposure time manually (I think), or perhaps the answer is to use the night scene setting but with the camera on a solid surface, instead of in my shaky hand!

Before giving up, I work my way through the bewildering list of menu settings available, firing off a few shots to try out the results, nothing startlingly good (or bad) I am afraid.

At one point I think I have found the setting for adjusting the exposure time, but no, it is the setting for "delayed action", shots, presumably to allow the photographer to get in the picture him/her self.

 Interest wanes, and I end up with a shot to show off our decorating efforts, in the Lounge.



Saturday, the snow continues to fall.


Kathleen decides to go Christmas shopping in Sunderland with Dana and Claire.

Are women totally insane when it comes to shopping?, I would have thought that six or more inches of snow was a perfect excuse to give it a miss!

So, I dig out the car, and clear enough snow so she can get into it without crampons, before dropping her off at the metro station.

Decorating and DIY (still)

Friday 19th November 2010

Painting the lounge continues, I am on duty painting the edges whilst Kathleen is wielding the roller to paint the large areas.

I realise the differences and similarities between working with Tanya and working with Kathleen.

Kathleen,

•  is like a tornado, she does not wait for anything for more than 30 seconds. If you have not finished your bit, and she wants to be in that space, then you had better move.

• Lids are not securely replaced on paint tins.

Tanya,

• pours paint in trough ready to begin, then picks up mobile phone and makes a call to discuss how much painting, she is about to do, with one of her friends, no actual painting happens.

• Lids are not securely replaced on paint tins.

In the afternoon I have to repair the flushing mechanism in the toilet, broken by Kathleen due to over enthusiastic flushing!.

I marvel again at the things you can find on Google, I not only find where to obtain the spare part (Plumb Center), but also how to dismantle the toilet cistern and fit the part.

Monday 22nd November 2010

Still decorating, it is looking good, but I am heartily sick of it now.

Decorating

Monday 15th November 2010

The decorating continues.

To be fair, it does not involve me, we are having new (UPVC, no painting required) internal doors fitted today, by two very hardworking Polish door fitters.

They arrive at 08:30, with all of the equipment they need. No mobile phone calls, no disappearing to get some missing item, and one short tea break, brings us to 13:00 and they have removed and replaced ten doors.

While they are fitting doors, I dig out the berberis hedge in the front garden.

Tuesday 16th November 2010

Chop up the berberis hedge and put as much as possible into the "Green" waste bin.

Wednesday 17th November 2010

Visit B&Q, for paint (so Kathleen can begin painting our lounge), and laminated flooring for Tanya's kitchen.

Lay flooring in Tanya's kitchen, pretty neat measuring on my part even if I say so myself.

I estimated 10m2, it comes in packs of 1.7m2, so I bought 6 packs (ie 10.2m2), and I ended up with only half a plank left!, close!

Just a little finishing off to do in the Kitchen, and then the bedroom, then that will be it.

Thursday 18th November 2010

I go to the cycling group. First time I have been since April! Very enjoyable, but cold. We do about 12 miles.

After lunch, I do some painting, to atone for enjoying myself.

Kathleen breaks the flush mechanism in the toilet, another job to do. I use the ever trusty Google to locate spare parts, but they are out of stock. Hopefully they will have them tomorrow.

Yes, I know I am a miserable old sod, but is anyone else sick of hearing about William, Kate, the Engagement and the Wedding?, it has taken over the news on all channels, is nothing else happening in the world?

Andrea Bocelli Concert O2 London

Tuesday 9th November, 2010.

We set off in the campervan, to drive to Gary and Susana's house, in Windsor.

Pouring rain and very windy, with periods of bright sunshine in between. Weather as only Great Britain can produce.

We stop off for coffee, at a Costa Coffee.

Aptly named I would say, it certainly "costa" lot at £5.10 for  a cup of coffee and a hot chocolate, got to say however, hot chocolate was excellent.

We arrive at 3:30pm, how Gabriel has grown since we last saw him!, he now has two teeth.

He is his usual happy self, as you can see here, and seems pleased to see us.

Gary and Susana were there too of course.

We are well fed as always by Gary and Susana, the meal rounded off with a piece of Date and Walnut cake made by Kathleen.

A very rare commodity, a cake made by Kathleen that is, but it was very nice.

Wednesday 10th November 2010

After breakfast, I have a spell teaching Gabriel how to use a spoon. A little premature perhaps since he is not yet eating "real" food, but it is never too soon to learn.

We walk to Windsor with Susana and Gabriel.

Gabriel in his buggy of course, and needless to say he falls asleep en-route.

We leave them to go and have a coffee with Susana's friend, Brenda, while we return to the house, and set off in the campervan.

South around the M25, past Gatwick and to Abbey Wood Caravan Club site, where we are booked in for three nights.

After yesterdays rain, it is a nice surprise to find the weather bright and sunny, but it is very cold.

Hopefully, you can just see the grey squirrel (middle of the photograph). There are dozens of them running around the site.

There was also a Jay, the first one I have ever seen in the UK, but I was not quick enough with the camera, and it flew off, leaving only the squirrel in view.

Clearly a second career as a wildlife photographer is not going to happen.

It is amazing to think we are within Greater London, this site is even within the Low Emmisions Zone (LEZ), but it is peaceful and quiet, with plenty of space and fine mature trees.

One of the attractions of staying here was the proximity to the railway station, which should allow us to get to the O2 easily, and also into central London to amuse ourselves during Thursday and Friday before the concert.

We obtain directions to the Railway Station from Reception, and walk along there to check out our travel options.

We find we can buy a Day Special for £6-50 (each) which will give us unlimited travel for one day on Trains, buses and Tube. This seems like a good deal to me, but Kathleen cannot resist the possibility of doing it for free, using her Senior Citizen bus pass.

We are advised the journey time to Central London, on the bus is 2 hours, 30 minutes on the train, That is enough to convince me, the train is the way to go!

After leaving the Railway Station, we walk on towards the Thames, finding a surprise within the concrete jungle, in the form of this Lake (Southmere), complete with swans, ducks, geese, sailing dinghys, and radio controlled model boats.

We walk for three hours in total, quite enough to burn off the Date and Walnut Cake, but we do not actually make it to the Thames!

Instead we return to the van for Spaghetti Bolognaise and a cosy evening of music, crosswords, reading and internet.

Thursday 11th November 2010.

A very windy night, with pouring rain, but we sleep soundly despite it all, surfacing at 8:00am to switch on the fire to warm things up, before emerging for real at 8:30am.

The weather has not improved.

After breakfast, we make use of our free bus passes to travel to Greenwich on the number 180 bus. I know people are always moaning about London Transport, but I think it is excellent (when they are not on strike that is).

Greenwich is a pleasant place, more upmarket than Abbey Wood, from what we see anyway.

We wander into Greenwich Park, but the weather is not too good, so we spend an hour or two touring the "old" Royal Observatory, very interesting and all free.

We do the Meridian Route, and see the meridian line and Flamsteed House, built in 1675, where the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, lived.

All very impressive especially the Octagon Room, Harrison’s Sea Clocks, and of course the Greenwich Meridian.

It is actually possible to see the O2 from here, it looks very close, but fortunately we resist the temptation to walk there, since it is not as close as it looks, and subsequently it rains rather heavily!

The views from the hill on which the "old" Royal Observatory stands are very impressive, you can see across the River Thames to Docklands, the lair of the evil Bankers who, our leaders tell us, have caused the recession.

At lunch time, we search in vain for a place serving baked potatoes, to satisfy Kathleen’s requirement for “healthy” fast food, but end up with a meatball sandwich (in brown bread) from Subway, very palatable.

We then head for the pedestrian tunnel under the Thames.

But when we emerge on the north side of the river, there is a deluge of rain, so we simply return through the tunnel and shelter in a Starbucks for a coffee and a hot chocolate.

When the rain eases a little, we move on to the Maritime Museum (also free). Here we are impressed by how many exhibits actually originate from the North East, including, a tug boat built in South Shields, a model of the Austin and Pickersgill shipyard at Sunderland and a battle ship (model of) built at Vickers Naval Yard in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Friday 12th November 2010

We buy our Day Pass, and head for Central London.

We are not city people, and do not plan to visit museums or tourist spots, unless the weather is poor. So far it is dry and mild.

From Canon Street, we hop on a Tube to Regents Park. The plan is, weather permitting to walk across Regents Park, then along the Regents Canal, until it joins the Grand Union Canal at "Little Venice".

I think it is quite amusing how almost every city with a canal or river has an area called "little Venice", when of course most of them are nothing like Venice!

Regents Park is quite delightful, the squirrels are so tame they come right up to you and get up on their hind legs to beg for nuts to eat. We do not have any nuts with us, so this one is not impressed and scurries away.

We continue across Regents Park, making the obligatory toilet stop. What is it with women, they have to stop at every toilet!

London definately has some magnificent parks, indeed I think for a city of this size the amount of greenery and open spaces is quite remarkable.






We eventually reach Regents Canal, and walk along the towpath to the west, ie in the direction of "Little Venice".

This is another haven of peace and tranquility in the middle of the city, at this point, the canal is below street level, so, as you walk along you cannot even see the buildings all around you.

The towpath is deserted, just a few walkers like ourselves, a couple of cyclists and a couple of joggers.

We pass London Zoo, and even get to see some of the birds for free, as we pass the aviaries which back onto the canal.

We see only one barge sailing along, it is a working barge, carrying coal, calor gas cylinders and containers of diesel fuel.

We have brought sandwiches for lunch, so we stop at a seat along the way and eat our lunch.

Then on to the point where the Regents Canal joins the Grand Union Canal. Here there is a large basin, where presumably in days gone by, barges manoeuvered as they passed from one canal to the other.

Now there are barges which have been converted into cafes, and even puppet theatres.

We stop for a coffee, but I cannot resist the home made soup and crusty bread, delicious.

The place is full, and we must wait for a seat.

We eventually leave the canal, time is getting on, and we must begin to head back toward the station.

We cross St James Gardens, heading toward Whitehall, past the duck pond, which a sign tells us was built in the times of Carles II, to lure wild ducks, to be caught for the king's table.

We spend a while in the grounds of Westminster Abbey, where there are very touching display of small crosses, each with a poppy, to commerate the dead in the various conflicts of past and present.

On past Hourse Guards Parade, and Kathleen risks being bitten or kicked in the name of art, as she poses alongside one of the guards on horseback.

Soon we are on the train, being adventurous we use a different station, Charing Cross this time, and we make our way back to Charlton. Here we take the bus to the O2.

We arrive at about 5:00pm, before the crowds as we are about to discover.

We find somewhere to eat, choosing a place called Garfunkles. The meal is fine, except for Kathleen's dessert, which is billed as a strawberry sundae, but is totally lacking in strawberries!

We emerge to find the whole place is full of people, they are like swarms of fish as you see them on wildlife programs on TV, all scurrying in the same direction. Here Kathleen, bravely goes against the flow and crosses the milling crowd.

Soon we are inside the O2 venue, and are treated to a truly wonderful performance by Andrea Bocelli and the supporting cast.

A really enjoyable evening with three "encores", before we leave to head back to Abbey Wood.

Saturday, it is pack up and go home, the end of a really enjoyable trip.

November 5th - November 7th 2010

Friday, attended a wedding (a nephew on Kathleen's side, Daniel, marrying Emma). Wedding ceremony was in St Paul's Church, Jarrow. A beautiful old church, some parts of which date back to 635AD. The bride looked stunning as they usually do.

Evening "do" was at a place called "Close House". A bit of a trek, it is near Heddon-on-the-Wall, but ideal for us oldies. There is a nice room with a blazing log fire, to sit in away from the noise of the music. Yes I know, bah humbug and all that. Food was good too!

Enroute home (we were being driven by Dana), we had to collect Emily and Lauren (they had been to a pop concert). The excitement was we saw not one but two foxes as we drove through urban Newcastle-uopn-Tyne.

Saturday, a lovely day, a lot of which we spent walking.

We just went in the immediate area near where we live. A circuit, initially by the River Don, past Bockley Whins Metro station, into the not so scenic Brockley Whins housing estate, then into Low Simonside, still not so scenic, then under the A19 beside the Tyne Tunnel, to walk alongside Jarrow cemetry, and then back towards the Robin Hood Pub.

This part is quite scenic, you are still in the not so attractive Jarrow, but you would not know it as you can see, particularly if you avert your eyes from the odd supermarket trolley, discarded in the stream which is the River Don.

Having drunk a little too much last night, we avoided the pub and headed past Primrose, still in a more scenic part.

Eventually under the metro line, at Fellgate Metro station and back through Hedworth to the Boldon Lad Pub, again carefully avoiding the temptation to go in (not too difficult in the case of the Boldon Lad!), and home.

Now here is a thought. "Brockley Whins" is an odd name, I wonder what the origin of that is?

Sunday dawns another beautiful day.

More walking, this time on the edge of Boldon, taking in Downhill Lane and back via Boldon Colliery, and then Sunday Lunch, surely the most enjoyable meal of the week.

A little gardening, I am in the process of removing a small hedge. It is going to be a drawn out affair. Not so much the work involved in digging out the individual shrubs (although the first one was a monster, which broke the spade!), but more in the need to dispose of the results. I have resolved to dig out one shrub per week and consign it to the "green waste" bin. The object of the exercise is to remove the need to trim the hedge, it is all about work reduction now.

I return to the search for information about Brockley Whins.

My initial efforts, ie a search on Google, have not turned up anything really. There was a railway accident there in 1870, in which 5 people died and 57 people were injured. There is a report, including a list of the dead and injured. There is even a "Reay" in the list of injured. Finding out about "Brockley Whins" is clearly going to take more than five minutes.

A little more persistence, and I discover, there has been a mainline railway station there since 1839. Quite why there was a station there, is another mystery to me. True there is a lot of housing development in the immediate area now, but that has all been built in my life time. Surely in 1839 the station must have been in the middle of nowhere?

The station was apparently renamed Boldon Colliery in 1925, at which time I suppose the coal mine at Boldon must have been in full flow. It was renamed back to Brockley Whins in 1991, and become a Metro Station in 2002. Now only Metro's from the Tyne and Wear Metro stop there.

Interesting (?) as this may be, it does nothing to explain where the name came from.

I had thought that the term "Whins", related to coal mining, but it would appear I am wrong, hardly surprising, since I am a man.

No it would appear the word "Whins" is of Scandinavian origin, and means "Gorse", akin to Norwegian kvein bent grass. This is not a total surprise since many colloquial words in this region are of Scandinavian origin, dating back to the days when the Vikings were the Football hooligans of the day, and raped and pillaged their way through the area.

I do recall, in my youth, the immediate area was extensively covered in gorse bushes, or at least the area which, at that time, was not covered in spoil heaps from the colliery. So perhaps this is the origin of the name.

Before the colliery closed, and the surrounding land was "reclaimed", we (as children at the time) used it as our adventure playground, climbing the spoil heaps, and sailing on the pit pond in home made rafts. All long before the days of computer games, television in every house and of course "Health and Safety"

November 1st - November 4th, 2010

A beautiful day, bright blue sky, hardly any wind, and not too cold.

That is the good news, the bad news of course is that we are still in the middle of decorating.

An early start means we have done some painting, and must wait for it to dry, but it is only 10:15, so there is time for a bike ride.

There are some beautiful autumn colours, sorry I failed to capture any, with the camera.

I did manage to snap this sparrow enjoying the sunshine, just like us!

We do our circuit of Jarrow, Tyne Dock and Boldon, 11.5 miles, excellent.



Wednesday, I eventually bite the bullet and splash some cash. I get myself an iPhone4.

I have heard people signing their praises, but this thing is awesome!. I cannot put it down, I am continually finding some new simple to use little gadget to play with, it even makes phone calls!

It meant a switch from my "old" network provider (Orange), to "3", simply because "3" where offering almost twice the "free" minutes and Data allowance, for the same price. Tesco had an even better deal, but after 3 weeks of "out of stock", I gave up with them. Just waiting for my PAC code now from Orange, and my old number can be switched over.

Only thing which has not worked immediately is pairing the phone to my bluetooth hands free receiver. It worked immediately, I tried it, but now it will not connect, so I am off to play with it again.

So, the blog is even more neglected, and decorating, forget it!