Saturday 25th September, Family Reunion

Today we were meeting up at St Leonards Hotel, Ringwood. We had planned to leave at 8.30 but it was nearer 9 by the time we got away. When we left the mileage was showing as 102 miles to next fill up but we were still on 100 miles to go when we got to M25. I love my car. It averaged 45 mpg today.

We were the first to arrive so we set up in the bar area enjoying a local brew. Richard and Tony joined us. As the family were arriving, we played the usual game of who are you. We had been put on a table with Peter and his girl friend Leona, Tyra and James. Peter's little girl Amelia abandoned us to sit with her cousin, Ruby. Peter is Lionel and Mary's son.... and that's about as far as we got with remembering. Later doing introductions around a table there was Mary, Meryl, Maurine, Marion and Molly. Didn't realise that we had so many M's in the family! After dinner the boys were playing paper aeroplanes with everyone's place cards. One ended up in the rafters, as did one of the younger members of the family when he somehow climbed up to rescue a helium balloon.

The journey back was just as easy going, Dave was asleep before we got to the M27 and slept to Clacket Lane Services. The only slow bit was as soon as we left the M3 and joined the M25, we came to a stop. Luckily it soon started moving again.

I was back in time to go to Chris's. The films tonight were “In Bruges” and “Equilibrium”. Both were good films. Not sure if we worked out a loose connection like we usually do.

In Bruges is a 2008 British/Irish black comedy starring Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes. I think Dave would like it as it's not American.

Equilibrium is a 2002 American Science Fiction film that stars Christian Bale. In a futuristic world, they have eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of the mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.

Sunday 19th September

When we got up the boys had gone fishing and the acquired sign had disappeared back from where it came. Hopefully it wasn't missed. We had a quiet morning recovering from the night before.

We went for our Sunday visit to Lidl's and then on to the pond where the boys had been fishing earlier. I'd not been there before and we stopped off there while we were out for a drive. I scoffed a few blackberries on the way. We had a walk around the pond and Dave told me all about how it had been cleaned up and what might be a good idea to make it better for fishing. Making sure the herons don't come back might be a good idea to make the fishing better!

We went from there on to Orleston Woods for a walk. It's not very big to walk around, not like Kings Wood, but it is good for a short stroll. Last time we went we saw lots of butterflies. This time we found lizards. They were quite well camouflaged on a log. It would have been so easy to miss them. They didn't seem to bothered about us watching them as long as we didn't get too close.

Saturday 18th September - Martin's Birthday

I spent the first part of the morning trying to decide what to do with my car. Dan said that he wouldn't be happy trying to fix it. If it was just the alternator belt, I thought it might be easy enough. I checked that I could get a replacement from Beaver Batteries. They assured me that I could. I then went out to check the car. Matt came past while I was checking. I think the belt was possibly still there, hanging off. One of the cogs had come loose and was chipped probably when it moved. I then phoned my favourite garage, D & D Autos. If I could get the car there before they shut, they would sort it out for me on Monday. I then had to phone the breakdown company again to get the car transferred the garage. This was also part of my breakdown policy via my bank. It was a massive American truck from Ashford Recovery that came this time. It was left hand drive and it was strange to sit on the right of such a huge vehicle. I left the car in their capable hands and Dave came to pick me up.

In the evening, we went to Martin's surprise birthday party at the Queens Head in Kingsnorth. We all arrived early to make sure that we could hide up without being seen. The boys managed to get him in through the front entrance so that he didn't see our cars. He was dragged there on the pretence of it being just the role playing gang going out for a drink. I guess he suspected something was up but not sure if he would have expected all of his friends to be there and all of his family. Martin's mum had done a brilliant job with the food. For the most of the evening it was very much the family on one side of the room and our lot on the other. Martin was very chuffed with his presents, especially the PS3. He was close to tears. Bless. There were lots of laughs when a few o our silly friends were swallowing the helium from the balloons and reciting poems, etc. We tried to mix up the two groups with a few games. I asked Matt to organise musical chairs, seeing as he did a brilliant job at the Christmas party at the Scout Hall some years ago. It was funny. Some people get so serious about it! It was soon time to go home. A great time was had by all. When we got home a sign from the pub advertising their curry nights and quiz nights was in our front room! Wonder how that got there!

Friday 17th September 2010 – Blue Bella and breaking down

When I was checking Facebook at lunch time at work, I noticed a friend's comment about looking forward to a night with the girls. That's when I remembered that I had been invited to a Blue Bella lingerie party. So after work and shopping, and cooking fish and chips for dinner quickly, I set off for Maidstone. When I was near to Maidstone on the motorway the “Stop” light and the “battery” light came on. The car was still running OK, and I was determined to get there and have a good evening, so I kept going. The car soon lost the power steering but I kept going as I was nearly there. I'm glad to say that it was a fun evening and good to catch up with Dee again, and meet her lovely friends, and the crazy ones too! Blue Bella is a spin off from Ann Summers. I'm not sure that the quality is as good as Ann Summers, and it is is similar in price. The “toys” were OK, if a little scary!

When I left there, I had to get the car out on to the main road as a breakdown truck would not have been able to get into the car park. I stopped a little way down the road in a slip road and near a street light, and phoned the roadside assistance. They said they would be with me within an hour. I got a jumper and blanket out of the boot and got ready with my book to be patient. I wasn't really paying too much attention to the time but I would guess that I only waited about half an hour. The “very nice man” but the Ontime “very nice man” said that the alternator belt was missing. He hitched up the car and drove me home. We got Dave out to shift his car so that we could back mine into his parking space on the end. I think it was nearly 1by the time I got home.

Thursday 16th September - The Young Ones

Today at work, our manager mentioned something she had been watching last night called The Young Ones. Not the comedy that we know and love but a new documentary. So this evening, I found it on iplayer and watched it while making dinner. It's the first time I've used iplayer and I'm very impressed, especially in the way that my laptop and wireless connection coped with it. It was just like having a TV in the kitchen. Not that we've ever had a TV in our kitchen! It didn't freeze and stop like it sometimes does when trying to watch You Tube. I really enjoyed the first episode so followed it up with the second one on iplayer and watched the 3rd one that I'd recorded this evening on Sky. It is about 6 well-known celebrities in their 70s and 80s spend a week living as though it were 1975, featuring Liz Smith, Dickie Bird, Lionel Blair, Derek Jameson, Kenneth Kendall, and Sylvia Sims. I didn't realise that there are now more people over 60 alive than there are under 16's.

It was cool at the end seeing Lionel Blair dance with Adam Garcia, who I recognised immediately from Coyote Ugly film. He is in a stage production called Tap Dogs.

(Today's picture from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tv/2010/09/the-young-ones.shtml)

Wednesday 15th September 2010 - Peter Sallis

This evening I cooked up meatballs again, but found yet another different taste to give it. Shopping in Sainsburys yesterday I had found chopped tomatoes with olives. They were good. Must get some more. We started to watch a film that Dave had recorded. It was a 1961 black and white, a classic apparently. Saturday Night and Sunday morning. We watched it for less than half an hour before deciding it was definitely as bad as I expected. Interesting to see Peter Sallis in something other than Last of the Summer Wine. I have just checked on IMDB, and he was born in 1921! He is uncredited in this film and is known as “Man in Suit”. In 1947 he was in his first film and he has been in 295 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine between 1973 and 2010. I didn't realise that there were that many episodes! The Holmfirth-based show was axed this year after 37 years and 31 series.

Tuesday 14th September 2010

I went shopping with Kat after work to Pets At Home to get some guinea pig food and some bits for the cat. There is so much more stuff available for all pets now. I couldn't believe that you can get cat treats that help prevent fur balls. Whiskas anti-hairball! Tasty snack that reduces hairball build-up. Whatever next? I am assured that the cat likes them better than the fish flavoured ones.