Month: April 2021

I had hoped never to have to see Dominic Cummings’ ugly mug appearing in the news ever again and especially not before I had my first coffee of the day. But there he is, splashed across the pages and still arguing with BoJo that he didn’t do it. Whatever ‘it’ is and that Boris has fallen below the standard of competence and integrity the country deserves! I tried reading one article but it was too, too much. Two over privileged, over grown school boys each accusing the other of wrong doing. It’s about time both of them were removed from any position of power. The country definitely deserves better.

Over the pond Ghislaine appeared in court to plead ‘not guilty m’lord’ or something similar in American to new charges of sex trafficking. The reports described her as looking frail with her now long, jet black hair tinged with grey. Her partner in crime Epstein committed suicide I wonder if she’ll do the same if found guilty. It’s amazing how many criminals can’t take the punishment.

I’ve never watched Good Morning Britain but somehow I seem to know what’s happening from the headlines. Now, following the tantrum of Piers Morgan who stormed off never to return, Richard Madeley’s name is being bandied about as the new host for the show. I’ve always thought he’s rather sleazy looking with that greasy black hair. Still, the photos showed him flaunting a new look with blond highlights and having had a good trim. I still don’t fancy him but maybe that’s just me, I’ve never tried watching him either.

It’s been reported that shoppers are getting great bargains at Debenhams which is closing down all its stores. Some lucky shoppers got two items worth over £100 for just £4. I popped in the other day to our local branch. Not too much left but I managed to buy an Oasis bucle coat and a dress, same make. All their changing rooms are closed and there are no returns for exchange or refund so you have to be careful. I found a quiet corner and tried my dress on. No mirrors so I took a chance as it cost less that £20. Really rather pleased when I got home. The dusty pink coat is perfect for outdoor eating this spring while it’s still a bit chilly. Ha ha, I love a bargain even if I didn’t need the togs.

Over the last fifteen years I’ve read quite a lot about the subpostmasters who have been wrongly accused of theft and/or fraud. At first it was just a couple but over the years the number rose to hundreds. Many lost their jobs, savings, homes and some were locked up and they all lost respect of friends and neighbours and their own peace of mind. It was eventually found to be a glitch in the computer system. How did anyone believe that suddenly so many people had become thieves? and how did the then Chief Executive of the Post Office get awarded a CBE in 2019 and receive bonuses of more than £2.2 million as part of her £4.5 million earnings? Hey, people, let’s be careful out there.

 

Hello everyone. I haven’t written all week mainly because my son Peter, his wife Claudia and my three grandchildren rented a house nearby and I’ve been spending time catching up with them. We had a great week although sadly, because of lockdown regulations, we couldn’t meet up altogether with my daughters and their families.  Still we had a meal with the Tanners in the garden one day, another afternoon with the Bennetts, a pub lunch, a brunch and altogether ate too much. And some even drank quite a bit. I went shopping with Christian to buy him some new clothes – that was a first. He’s recently been losing weight so needed some togs that fit properly, I really enjoyed visiting House of Fraser with him. Another day Alice came to me and we made a baked New York cheesecake together with cherry topping. Very delicious and she’s a great little baker. I think that’s what you call proper family time.

Prince Phillip was laid to rest today. Liking a bit of pomp and ceremony I put the tele on to see what was happening. Windsor looked beautiful in the sunshine as did the men in uniform (and some women no doubt?) As for the rest, I found it all rather boring except for the part where the pallbearers carried the coffin up the steps of St George’s chapel. Now if anyone says they didn’t tune in to see what the women were wearing or to see if the brothers were talking etc. etc. I don’t believe you. I’m not sure if Camilla was there but maybe she was  and I still don’t know why the royals have all those medals stuck to their chests. Did they ever risk their lives saving others? They certainly are a strange lot. No doubt though that the Duke of Edinburgh gave up his freedom to marry the queen and his award scheme has given pleasure to many. And, what we didn’t see on the tele – a topless woman running through the street in Windsor where people had gathered for the funeral. She was shouting ‘save the planet’ but was grabbed by the police and led away covered in a blanket. Gotta love the Brits, we know how to do things.

My two daughters made better use of the sunshine than their mum and cycled to Swanage from Bournemouth with their hubbies. From the photos it looked absolutely stunning and I think they deserve a medal for their efforts.

Last but not least an 89 year old pensioner in Wales had been in hospital for some weeks fighting Covid. She was to be taken home by ambulance and her daughter was awaiting her arrival. Unfortunately the ambulance crew got her details mixed up with another patient and she was delivered to the wrong house. The people there also had a relative in hospital and said take her to the bedroom and make her comfortable. I believe the bed was empty but it was an hour before anyone realised the mistake. Hey people, let’sd be careful out there and nighty night 💤💤💤

All the news of course is the death of Prince Phillip at age 99. Mostly a controversial character and certainly not a ‘yes man’ but I suspect he was probably an asset to the royal family. The BBC has received more than a few complaints over its coverage of the event. All programmes cancelled and endless archive stories about HRHs and what they might and might not have done. A bit of a pain in the derriere for those viewers who don’t have Netflix or similar.

More importantly Friday was also my youngest daughter Sam’s birthday. We had a nice little get together in the garden and lovely Alice baked a delicious three tier cake. We’ve decided to wait until next week when the shops are due to open before I buy a present and then we can have a lovely girly day out.

The UK has given over 39 million Covid vaccinations so far and nearly 7 million were second doses. The first one ever in the UK was given on 8th December so we’re averaging four million per month, not bad that man. However not all countries are doing as well. In the Philippines punishment for breaking Covid rules are harsh. A man decided to pop out to buy some water after their 6pm curfew. He was caught by the police and made to do 300 squats. He managed to get home afterwards but was in agony and later had seizures which led to his death. Other punishments include being locked in dog cages and being made to sit in the midday sun. I visited Manila once and found the poverty and living conditions of many there extremely unacceptable.

A dad was in the dog house this week after he went to collect his daughter’s pooch from the pet parlour where it had been groomed. He only picked up the wrong dog and took it home much to his daughter’s horror. Sort of thing I might do especially if the animal had had a good hair cut. I think he did it on purpose because the dog was called Gucci, poor man was probably embarrassed.

There’s been a mini snow storm in the Greater Manchester area which caused an eleven vehicle pile up on the M60. I’m happy to report that there were no injuries. Reports say that we can all expect more snow and colder weather for the next few days although local weather forecast here in Bournemouth doesn’t agree. We’ll have to wait and see. Other reports say we can look forward to a mini heatwave towards the end of the week. Don’t hold your breath, the shops are opening and outdoor dining so it’s bound to rain.

In South Carolina a hunter killed a 12ft crocodile (or maybe it was an alligator). He wanted to make Gator sausages and then have it stuffed so sent it off to be butchered etc. The taxidermist found some interesting stuff inside including dog tags proving that it had eaten several dogs. They can make some good hot dogs with those sausages. Hey people, let’s be careful out there.

Have I really not posted a single word during Easter weekend? I can hardly believe how fast the days pass. Second one in lockdown although I think it’s been easier than last year’s with the start of easing. Good Friday I played at being a couch potato lazing around and watching tv as I wasn’t feeling too good after my second dose of Covid vaccine. Saturday I went to visit Margaret and David in their beach hut and had a very tasty afternoon tea there. Five of us altogether so still within the rule of six. Easter Sunday my first BBQ of the year at Elena and Andrew’s eaten in the garden in the sunshine. The girls made some delicious treats for desert and the Tanners visited too. A nice family get together. Oops, nearly forgot, they have an eight week old cocker spaniel puppy, very cute, mostly white with black eye patches and freckles.

There’s not been much news to be fair although I did read that a man got bitten on the bum by an 8ft long python when he was sitting on the toilet. I believe it happened in Singapore. Someone pulled it out afterwards and disposed of it.  And in Dubai a group of women have been arrested for posing naked on a balcony in the upmarket Marina district. I’ve been there with Elena and I can’t imagine how they thought they would get away with that one. Apparently it was part of an Israeli publicity stunt – no mention of what they were publicizing so we leave that to your imagination. The girls though were mainly Ukranian and either teenagers or in their early twenties so they probably had little idea of what they were letting themselves in for. They will probably spend a few months in prison. I just hope they got paid up front but I don’t suppose they did.

Travel is still not allowed and quarantine is supposedly in place for visitors. However it seems that 8000 tourists arrive every day – that’s 56k a week – and there’s no sign that they’re quarantining although they’ve signed a paper saying that they will. They can put down any fictitious address they like and no further proof is required. Still, it seems they haven’t come to Bournemouth because the town has been pretty empty this Easter weekend. Durdle Door had an influx of idiots again with some of them climbing up the rock with enormous back packs which contained parachutes to help them on their way down. Didn’t work too well as the coastguards still had to be called out. What will the summer bring?

I must mention the lovely Dr Jill Biden before finishing. She’s in trouble over the pond for wearing fishnet tights which are not deemed suitable for the First Lady. Ha! they looked pretty good to me and not even fishnet, just very nice black patterned tights – or maybe stockings? I shall definitely be getting some. I do hope Dr FLOTUS doesn’t back down. Hey, let’s be careful out there. 💤😘😘💤

 

I wonder why we still celebrate the first day of April as Fools’Day or indeed why we ever did. Nobody really seems to know but it might date back to the 1500s and a change in the calendar with the year ending as it does now instead of at the end of March as it did in bygone years. I don’t have any idea but I do know that I was overdue to give birth at the end of March. I was taken into hospital on 1st April to be induced but I politely (I think) declined their offer and said I would prefer to wait until the following day. I didn’t want an April Fool baby. So tomorrow 2nd April is the birthday of my son Peter. I must add that no one in Madrid where he was born knew what I was talking about as it wasn’t a date celebrated there.

I got a phone call at 1 pm today which was to offer me my second Covid jab. The caller apologised saying it was very short notice but could I go at 2.15 pm? Not an April Fools’ joke, luckily, and I said yes, I’ll be there. Yesterday when I spoke to the doctors’ surgery they said there was a shortage of the Pfizer vaccine and they couldn’t tell me when it would become available, they obviously got some in or had less people turn up at the clinic. I’m happy no matter what happened. Someone told me that the second Pfizer dose often causes a bad reaction but so far so good. A newspaper headline today said that it is preventing 91% of cases in the six months after people are immunised. I need to organise plenty of outings, parties and holidays to be taken before October.

Antiques Roadshow often gets a headline in the news and this week was no different. A woman took in a vase which turned out to be a piece of ancient imperial Chinese pottery. Not good enough it seems to have ever made it into the Imperial Household but good enough today to be worth between 30 and 50 thousand pounds. I’ve got a few old vases here, I wonder?  I love it when people have valuable items which they have picked up in a charity shop, found in a skip or picked up at a car boot sale for just a couple of quid. Gives me hope that one day I might be lucky. It would help if I actually frequented any of those places.

We are now officially in Easter weekend and can stuff ourselves with hot cross buns and chocolate eggs. I, however, have forgotten to buy any and am wondering if the shops are open tomorrow. If I were a proper old fashioned grandmother I would be up early baking the buns and easter biscuits. Sadly it’s not going to happen and I see myself down the local co-op in the morning to see what’s left on the shelves. Happy Easter everyone, let’s be careful out there. 💤 😴 😴 💤