Month: December 2020

Shoppers have been out and about in Bournemouth this weekend. At least they have today. I didn’t leave the house yesterday because of the weather but got up this morning and the sun was shining and I eventually managed to get out. Still haven’t bought any Xmas presents or cards so I’m going to have to get a move on soon. Tooth ache hasn’t helped.

Yesterday I decided to give my apartment a Xmas present and had some cleaners in. Honestly, I’ve always hated housework but these two ladies seemed to enjoy it. My daughter knows them and recommended that I give them a try and I have to say I was pleased with the result. They were here a good half a day and left everything sparkling. If anyone is interested they are Castle Interior Cleaning and my two ladies are called Ali and Georgia. They are on FB.

And while I’m on the subject of Xmas shopping a man in North Wales was filmed stealing a 7ft Xmas tree from Clocaenog Forest. He obviously hadn’t realised that there were several trail cameras that caught him in the act. The police said he will be getting a visitor knocking on his door and it won’t be santa. Lock ‘im up I say.

If you’ve been feeling sorry for yourself because you’ve had to quarantine at home with the kids, spare a thought for Britain’s biggest family. Dad of 22 Noel Radford has been tested positive for coronavirus and is having to stay at home with all those kids. He then set about doing some online shopping and put the wrong date in (a week later) so the food didn’t arrive. I can’t imagine that many people living together and now they can’t even go out. I hope they’ve got there Xmas shopping done at least they can start the wrapping.

Cocaine weighing more than a ton has been found during a routine inspection at the docks in Essex. The stash was hidden in a shipment of banana pulp. I guess that would cover the smell of the drug and would appear like a harmless import. But, can anyone tell me why we are importing banana pulp and what it’s used for? I once worked for Elders and Fyffes Shipping which had been established to import bananas from the West Indies. I have no recollection of pulp being part of the shipment. Or cocaine now I come to think about it.

I’m sure you remember that I told you about the mysterious appearance and disappearance of a monolith in a Utah canyon. Well another appeared in Romania and now one has turned up at the bottom of a cliff in the Isle of Wight. When I saw the photos I thought this latest one was painted but then realised it is a reflection of the sea and horizon in front of it and therefore, ever changing. Looks very beautiful and almost worth a visit to the island. That’s all for today, good night isolators everywhere.   🎄😴💤😴🎄

My favourite story today was the one about a plane landing on a motorway, or highway, in Minnesota. following engine failure. There is a little video of the incident when the single engine plane had decided to make an emergency landing. I somehow can’t imagine a motorway in the UK where there would be enough room to land a paper plane let alone a real live one. The plane crashed with a SUV but no one was hurt and afterwards the driver said that he saw the plane in his rear view mirror but there was no time to avoid being hit. His vehicle was a write off but both he and the pilot said they were lucky to be alive.

You all must have heard that the mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has been arrested on suspicion of bribery and witness intimidation. Four other people were also arrested following an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city. Looks like the storyline for a channel 4 play. Previously, nearly two years ago a developer had been arrested and later released under investigation which is obviously now showing some results. The mayor looks like a tough bloke I wonder who they would get to play him on the tele. I remember in Bournemouth when the Imax cinema got planning permission there were all sorts of rumours flying around about brown envelopes and back handers. No one ever arrested here though and then the council paid the owners a few million quid to buy the property and then pulled it down.

The Sussexes have been out buying their Xmas tree and they went to Big Wave Dave’s Christmas Trees and Pumpkin Patch which is in the car park of Macy’s. It seems that their agent phoned first to have the area cleared so that this precious couple could shop in peace. Not quite cleared though and one little boy ran around excitedly and asked the prince if he worked there. Well, I can understand his mistake as I’m sure Harry looks just like a Big Wave Dave.

Maybe this next one is in fact my favourite story of the day. A teacher in a remote Indian village has won $1 million and nominated the best teacher in the world. There were a total of 12,000 nominations and the winner Mr Disale decided to give half of his winnings to be divided among the ten runners up. He said that teachers were people who give and care and that was why he had decided to give away half his prize. The judges chose him because of his work to ensure disadvantaged girls went to school and became achievers rather than not being educated and entering early marriages. He also provides online science classes for pupils in 83 countries and connects with young people in conflict zones. Top man and a great role model. Good night guys and dolls. Sleep well, only three weeks till Christmas.  🎄😴💤🎄

Yesterday I forgot to mention about the bird I had cheeping in my flat. Well, it wasn’t exactly a bird it just sounded like one ‘cheep’, 23 seconds later ‘cheep’ and so it went on. With all the electronic gadgets in one home you can probably picture me running from one place to another trying to work out where it came from. I decided (correctly as it turned out) that it was the smoke/fire alarm. I got on the step ladder and looked inside but as I couldn’t find a battery I called Paul (my son-in-law). “What have you done?’ he asked, as if I only call him when I have a problem. He arrived with grandson Alex and it didn’t take him long to find where the battery was hiding. I gave him a replacement from my stash but ‘cheep’ that hadn’t cured the problem. Paul tried the other alarm I have in the hallway but ‘cheep’ still no luck. We sent Alex to Wilko for new batteries and Paracetamol as I also have tooth ache by now. Batteries replaced and what do we hear? ‘cheep’. Alex decides to investigate and realises that the batteries he just purchased are still sitting on the hall cabinet, his dad had put back the old ones. Paul, I still think you are a star and I think you’re going to get really peed off with being reminded about this little event. We’ll get Alex a mute button although he did do well.

I never got to Debenhams today as I still had tooth ache and went to the dentist instead. They were very good fitting me in and did a temporary fix and I’m going back next week for a proper filling. Still hurts every time I eat though so this might be the route to losing weight before Christmas.

Piers Morgan has been having another go at Prince Harry. I’m not surprised as my eyebrows went up a couple of inches when I read about his latest discourse telling the world to be raindrops. Where do they get this tosh from? Piers’ point was that someone who has 16 bathrooms should start off by practising what he preaches. Now they might not be using all those rooms but there they are, needing cleaning from time to time, using electricity, their swimming pool using water and electricity, their large garden needing watering and so on and on. What a completely irrelevant couple they are, another two mute buttons needed.

My neighbour Nick posted that he was at Alum Chine, Poole today when an unexploded rocket propelled grenade was found on the beach. Well, I wonder who’s rocket propelled that in our direction? maybe it was just someone who didn’t like all those crowds that descended here during lockdown. Excitingly bomb disposal arrived and detonated the device. Nick, how come you were there on Sunday and just happened to be back today when it was found? This is looking very suspicious. Sweet Dreams.  🎄😴💤😴🎄

Last night Arcadia and today Debenhams have gone into administration. It’s quite obvious that the pandemic has been the last straw for many of Britain’s retail sector. Debenhams started in 1778 and has been trading ever since but having had to fight against online companies and now coronavirus they will have to close leaving 12,000 employees out of work. The administrators have decided to cut prices online from today and in store from tomorrow when all shops reopen. I might find myself in town looking for a bargain in the morning.

We have all been trying to find something useful to do to fill our time during lockdown although I know quite a few people who say they faff around all day not doing very much at all – I’m looking in a mirror here. A bloke has spent his time auditing a tin a Quality Street. He decided to find out how well mixed his tin was and was horrified to find that the orange creams have made a takeover bid. Yes, he had 14 of these little devils and only 4 of everybody’s favourite, the purple wrapped ones. He asked if he could complain to ‘inequalitystreet’.

A woman named Rita Ora – I’ve no idea who she is but I’ve worked out she must be famous – has apologised for breaking lockdown rules. Seems the very selfish rich bitch had a birthday party in a restaurant for 30 guests. Just the latest in a long line of people with too much money who don’t think they need to follow rules. It’s a matter of break the rules, pay the fines, apologise to keep the fans and move on. Sad thing is they don’t seem to catch the virus.

I know loads of people who spent last weekend putting up their Xmas tree and decorations. I didn’t and now we are in tier 2 and therefore unable to invite people in I’m not sure if I want to bother. I could have a nice Christmassy bunch of twigs and flowers, or string a few lights around but I’m thinking that maybe I’ll just buy a festive jumper with a reindeer on the front, I might find one in Debenhams tomorrow. I’ve had my first Christmas card today – 1st December. I knew who it was from as soon as I saw it pop through the letter box. Thank you Susan Dronick, you are always first in more ways than one.

My granddaughter Elizabeth called today, seems she is the latest member of my family to go down with Covid. She’s at Sussex Uni in Brighton so her and her roomies are quarantining. She isn’t feeling too good and suffering from headache, cough and tiredness but was chatty as always and said that her and another girl who tested positive were ordering in a takeaway for dinner. And on a positive note, she’ll be ok to come home for Xmas.

Two teenagers in Widnes found £700 on their way to school. They gave it to school staff who spent a long time tracking down the owner, a businessman who was delighted and gave the girls twenty quid each for being so honest. Sleep well, happy December.🎄😴💤😴🎄