Christmas Lights
21st November
Our Annual Remembrance Day Service on Sunday was not as dynamic this year. The absence of Military Bands was a significant mistake, replaced by a small civic band that did not add anything to the parade . The audio system was very poor so too, I feel music makes a huge difference to parades so it was a deep disappointment this year. We should honour our fallen soldiers with dignity and pride but it was rather flat on Sunday.. The following day Dorothy and I travelled into Manchester on the Metro to meet up with friends, who we will be on holiday with next year in France. We had rather a long lunch in a good little Italian Bistro in the city centre and talked for hours. Then we had a mooch round the shops, but we weren’t very interested as it was far too busy. The city and shops where festooned with colourful fairy lights and Christmas decorations already six weeks before Christmas ! Unbelievably I saw at the beginning of November a house excessively decorated with coloured lights with Ornamental Features and a Christmas Tree in the garden, people go mad these days but how they can afford the electricity is beyond me. Any way I had a good shop this week and found some brilliant bargains in Bolton 40% off. Last week I ordered some new spectacles so was excited to collect them, Johnny Depp style I wanted a complete change I had taken ages to choose a pair of bottle green frames.. and I love them.
It was my youngest grandson’s 9th.birthday on the 18th he is a keen football fan and wanted a Barcelona Football strip, what a rip off they are, but what does it matter really, as long as he is happy. Went up to Knaresborough that weekend in sunshine until I met with heavy fog coming over the Yorkshire Moors. Fortunately I had arranged to stay over and came home Sunday afternoon before it got dark,
It was foggy all over the North West, it was so bad that planes where grounded and ferries stationary. through till Monday. We couldn't go on our usual walk with Bob it was so bad, so I finished reading my book, the last one in the Millennium Trilogy an excellent read I am sorry its ended.
Had a real nightmare with my internet connection for three days this month. The router would cut out repeatedly and then run smooth for a couple of hours then start cutting out again every few minutes .. I rebooted it, changed all the filters around on my phone connections, checked the cables and became more and more frustrated. After 24hours I was convinced it was a fault on the phone line, so I rang Talk Talk my Internet Provider . They where quite polite and efficient in suggesting I go through the procedures I had already performed and would not accept it was an unstable phone line. Eventually they agreed to check my line and there you are, the internet has now been stable for the past 12hrs hours!!!!.
A friend of mine has been planning to start a Modern Jive Event in a local venue and at the last moment asked me to help out on the first night. Well it was a great success I really enjoyed myself, the music was lively and up beat and some of the couple were exceptional dancers, a joy to watch. I did start to learn French Jive in 2001 but found it far too energetic, I couldn't cope with some of the moves that made me dizzy,but I might give it another try and try to avoid the whirling around….. So I am on the door collecting the money, for as long as I want to be. ….
Tomorrow is the "National Strike Day" throughout the UK. Some Head Teachers and many of their staff, nurses ambulance and health care professionals and people in the public sector come out in protest of the Government’s decision to increased pension contributions and extended the retirement age. Schools are closed and many offices and services will be affected. In view of the recent Riots and Marches we have experienced this year I do hope they don’t attract the kind of nutters that take advantage and make more trouble.
(This link will give more insight into the Governments Pension Policy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15909788
