Wednesday 30 October 2013

Chem-trail Wednesday

The flight patterns seemed to be stacking over South London today. All morning. New ones, fading ones, plane or two spotted. Chem-trails everywhere!










Tuesday 29 October 2013

Stormy Weather

The UK braced itself for storms on Sunday night. There was much comparison, before the fact, with the "hurricane" of 1987. It wasn't really a hurricane, but Michael Fish (famous weatherman at the time) on the lunchtime bulletin reassured a caller that there wasn't a hurricane on the way.

As it goes there was no comparison. It was unseasonably windy Sunday into Monday. We lost a tree, and our patio table made a bid for freedom. 

The BBC compares the storms here:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24708614

Tree down, uprooted (not helped by evil wall builders who butchered the roots). The wood pigeons loved the berries, little birds lived there, squirrels played there, and, most importantly it blocked the view of the wall and building over the wall.

The patio table made a bid for freedom. It took out the bird-bath too but that was only dismantled not broken. Amazingly the glass table was (apart from being upturned) unscathed, tempered glass is a great thing. When I noticed it from the bedroom window it was making a bid for freedom down the path.

The greenhouse had already blown over and we'd left it down. Good choice in the circumstances. Wrong angle and the shelves drop out and it could have clown off like Dorothy's house in 'The Wizard of Oz'.

The weather through the day was changeable. Grey and even raining to sunny skies. The constant was the wind, dropped from the night before but still gusty.

We were lucky. We lost a dearly loved tree but that was about it. In London our power cables are below ground, we have cable for phones and TV so inside life went on uninterrupted. A good few services were shut down as a precaution; sensibly the Air Emirates cable car... less explicably (on Sunday afternoon) TfL's Overground.


Sunday 27 October 2013

Sunday Social (73)

Sunday Social
Linking up with Ashley and Neely

It's Halloween again! 

1. What was your favourite Halloween costume as a kid?
We didn't do Halloween much when I was a kid. There were usually pumpkins with roast pumpkins seeds (but I think that is mostly because my kindergarten teacher was American!).
Compared to what today's children get up to I've got nothing! This is my friend's daughter last year as a witch (a fairy witch?)


2. If you could go back to your childhood and dress up as something what would it be?
A pumpkin. Definitely a pumpkin. Although some of those princess outfits are pretty cool too!

3. What was your favourite Halloween costume as an adult?
I don't have a picture of me in the white Marilyn Monroe dress I made of bin bags (which nearly went up in smoke in a pub). I the only other time I ever remember dressing up was on a student pub-crawl when I donned a witches hat. What you can't see here is the green streaks; 'not to be used on bleached hair' which wouldn't come out for weeks and got me some very odd looks from my lecturers.


4. What is your favourite Halloween candy?
I don't think we have Halloween candy. It's all the same, so as long as chocolate is involved...

5. What is your favourite Halloween memory?
Every year I carve a pumpkin. So, general pumpkin carving I guess.

2008
2009
2010
2011 (1/2)
2011 (2/2)
2012
Left on a wall (not one of mine)

6. What is your favourite scary movie?
I don't have one. I hate and avoid wherever possible horror movies. The closest I get are amusing ones like the 'Scary Movie' franchise.

Happy Halloween!


Wednesday 23 October 2013

London Night

I have lived in London for most of my adult life. I still cannot get used to the changing faces of the city; especially the ones between day and night.

Autumn or Spring are the perfect time to observe this. Summertime day fades gently, almost imperceptibly to night. At the start of Autumn, days before the clocks take a step back an hour from British Summertime, the transition from day to night comes in moments.

Although the weather forecast for today was gloomy; and indeed I was woken at 4am by the cat who thought he should let me know that it was raining; it turned out nice. The wind melted away and the rain dissipated.

About 6:30pm waiting for the bus
Ten minutes later at the train station
Face the other way it's dark and quiet
Still the sun is fading; just before 7pm
Cutty Sark; 10 past the hour; night is here
And Canary Wharf is all lit up

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Google Doodle - Jump!

Today Google is celebrating the 216th anniversary of the first parachute jump. A whimsical animated doodle, which is worth replaying as where you land may vary!





 Touchdown in the sea, by the river, or even in the jungle!



Sunday 20 October 2013

Sunday Social (72)

Sunday Social



Linking up with Ashley and Neely
1. What do you value most in life?
My husband, my family, my friends and my cat.

2. What do you think is the greatest invention in your life and why?
I'd have gone with the internet, but amazingly it is older than me, dating back to the cold war in the 60s. I will therefore go with cellphones. Thinking back to the first brick that my father had when I was in my teens and to the smartphones that are around now and the things that they can do are fantastic. I am rarely without mine; it does everything... reminders, calendar, taking photos and sometimes even making calls.

3. What do you think is the secret to a good life?
Happiness and contentment. If you can be happy with what you have and make the best of what life throws at you then life will be good.

4. What would you most like to be remembered for when you're gone?
Being a good wife to my husband, a good family member to immediate and extended family and a good friend to everyone I know.

5. What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?
Never giving in to MS and not letting it conquer my life, not letting it dictate everything I do and carrying on (as much as possible).




Sunday 13 October 2013

Sunday Social (71)

Sunday Social


Linking up with Ashley and Neely
It's all about blogging this week.

1. What was the first blog you ever followed?
I'm not sure I even remember - it would have been five or six years ago! I think it was probably from following a profile of someone who commented on my blog and Charlton Average no longer updated; I think he might have moved!
2. What was your first blog post about?
This is more difficult to answer than you'd think - as this isn't my first (or even second) blog. I'll limit myself to this blog... In October 2006 I wrote a post "First Post - I start another blog"; that tells the tale of the other blogs. Then... nothing for four months. So the fist real post was in February 2007 "Monday Morning Blues" - that was the real start.
3. Who left you your first blog comment?
That would have been would have been the mysterious 'Uncle Bunny' whose blogger profile isn't public so I know nothing more about him.
4. Who was the first blogger you ever met in person?
Most of the blogs I read and follow are not based in the UK, so I've only ever met one other fellow blogger Jodi.
5. What was your first "blogging milestone"?
Just over two years ago the 1,000th post.

Thursday 10 October 2013

My Bits of London - catch up

Sometime last September I began what has turned out to be a very occasional series on bits of London.

London is full of hidden surprises, or famous sites that London workers and dwellers take for granted. In case you missed the start here is where we've been so far. Watch this space for future instalments and for more detailed guides take a trip to our sister blog The Occasional Tourist).

Part 1 - Channel 4 Headquarters, Horseferry Road, Westminster
Part 2 - Derelict Office Block, Westminster Bridge Road, Southwark (now demolished)
Part 3 - Piccadilly Circus lights, Westminster
Part 4 - Four Bronze Horses of Helios, corner of Haymarket, Westminster
Part 5 - Parliament Square, Westminster
Part 6 - Golden Boy at Pye Corner, Giltspur Street, City of London
Part 7 - City Dragons, City of London
Part 8 - City Churches, City of London
Part 9 - Burlington House, Piccadilly, Westminster
Part 10 - Horseguards' Parade, Whitehall, Westminster
Part 11 - Itsu, Piccadilly
Part 12 - Battersea Power Station, Battersea
Part 13 - Wembley Stadium, Wembley
Part 14 - Tower Bridge, Thames (east)
Part 15 - Justice, Old Bailey, City of London
Part 16 - St Paul's Cathedral, City of London
Part 17 - Temple of Mithras, City of London (currently not on display)
Part 18 - Bench, Walbrook, City of London (removed)
Part 19 - Bank, Monument and Mansion House, City of London
Part 20 - Shepherd Market, Westminster

I work in Westminster and visit the City a lot which is why those are the locations of a lot of the spots so far - we'll try and branch out in future visits!


Wednesday 9 October 2013

NFL International Series (London Game 7)

Another year, another NFL season, and we're back at Wembley - this time for the first of two games. 

Sunday 29th September saw the Minnesota Vikings hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both Husband and I commented on the huge amount of support for both home and away team compared to previous years.

With no strong feelings for either team we both ended up supporting the Vikings... it was a cracking good game. We were holding our breath at the last play when the Steelers were heading towards levelling the score and taking things to overtime. Fortunately this didn't happen... next time it will be earlier as the clocks will have gone back by then and the game will kick of at the usual five instead of six.

Highlights, as always; included the free flags (not stolen this year as Husband went and fetched them from our seats), our game of 'team bingo' where you have to spot someone wearing apparel from every team in the league (spouses don't count) won as always by Husband, the overpriced but welcome beer (and sausage/hotdogs) and talking to random strangers. Not just a game of football, ever, always a day out.
 
Bingo Winner (Husband)
Bingo Loser (Me)

NFL13

A set by nat_grove
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