Wednesday, September 24, 2025

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The Magic Seat Heaters - Sunday September 21st 2025

Got the week off to a good start on Monday by doing my Theale, Pangbourne, Mapledurham ride. Popped into RSAC on the way back to pick up a copy of Soundcheck as Ruch Lucas emailed to say a photo if mine was included. My first.

Went to a talk about early quakers in Reading at the Friends Meeting House. Never been in before and assumed it was just the modern building at the front but there's a grade II listed building at the back built in 1835 with a burial ground.
An AFD. Went swimming on Tuesday morning. Another AFD. Spent most of Wednesday working on the first scene of my animation but Cartoon Animatior crashed so I lost it all and then trod on my glasses. Thought that deserved a beer. On Thursday I went for a ride with Kelvin as far as the Goring Gap Boat Club where he volunteers. We called in at Ralph's on the way so he could pick up his season ticket. I then cycled on to Goring and came back north of the river. An AFD. On Friday started putting together a vague plan for our holiday to Canada next year. As a result I checked about tickets on the FIFA website and discovered there's a prize draw for the first lot. It closed the same day so entered. So have Warren and Mary Ellen who are now back home. Had a rehearsal for Tribute Night in the evening at Pirate. It was a busy Saturday. We started off looking round St Mary's church as M wanted to take some pictures. Then went back to the Friends Meeting House as it was open for a heritage day.Foubs a grave as recent as 2007 and a plaque for 2024. By quaker tradition all the headstones are the same. On the way back popped into St Giles' church as that was also open. I then went to RSAC to set up the PA for Tribute Night before going to the footy with Kelvin. We beat Leyton Orient 2 1. Then back to RSAC to finish setting up, doing the sound and playing. . We were on first after the interval as The Magic Seat Heaters.Went well.
Drove to Anne and Wynn's on Sunday.
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Monday, September 15, 2025

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Madeline's Birthday - Sunday September 14th 2025

Did some destructive gardening on Monday. Trimmed the wisteria and all the Ivy from the cherry tree stump out the front. Went swimming on Tuesday morning and had another unsuccessful trip to BnQ to buy paving stones. M went to BRO. An AFD. It was Madeline's birthday on Wednesday so we went over for tea. 

Then we did the Retreat quiz with Andy, Bobby and Fiona which we won. Bob Onions came round on Thursday morning to fit a new window in the guest room as the old one was falling apart. I popped out to get some touch up paint later. This is the closest I could get.Went to the London Street Brasserie in the evening with Warren and Mary Ellen. I had the slow cooked pork belly which was almost as good as the venison I had for M's birthday meal. Madeline was out on her new bike on Friday morning. She picked that up quick. Madeline and Owen had a joint birthday party at the Meadway sports centre on Saturday. Very well attended and organised. We went back to No 81 afterwards.SET stayed at ours for the night. Lazy day on Sunday.
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Tuesday, September 09, 2025

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Owen's Birthday - Sunday August 7th 2025

Lazy day on Monday. Popped into town to buy pastry so I could make a chicken pie with yesterday's leftovers. Also stocked up on balloons. Got an idea for a new kid's cartoon. An AFD. Went swimming on Tuesday morning. Got a new battery for my watch. M had a problem with her Irish passport application so had to redo it. Another AFD. Warren and Mary Ellen arrived on Tuesday. They came round here on Wednesday morning and we went to the Bell at Aldworth for lunch. Had a quick look round the church and a short walk first but it started raining heavily. Dropped them off at No 81. Amy is up in Glasgow for a couple of days. Did my Theale, Pangbourne, Mapledurham ride on Thursday. James, Madeline, Owen, Warren and Mary Ellen came round for tea. Had first Thursday drinks in the Fox and Hounds in the evening. M went to the dentists in Oxford on Friday. I had band practice in the evening with Tony, Andy and Sarah. A good start to the day on. Saturday, finished the prize crossword before we got up. We had a trip to BnQ to look for paving stones but without success. We went over to No 81 later for Owen's 2nd birthday. He had a good time.
Warren and Mary Ellen joined us on the society walk on Sunday. This was organised by Steve and Lindsey around the Bottle and Glass.
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Monday, September 01, 2025

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M's Birthday - Sunday August 31st

Took the power supply cable for the desk at RSAC to Bob Noyes on Tuesday so he could make a new one. Also took one of Behringer floor monitors as there was something loose inside it. It turned out to be the tweeter that had somehow come unscrewed from its housing. An AFD. Did a walk along the Kennet and back through Fobney Meadow  on Wednesday morning. The cows are back in the Coley bit.
M went to MERL to check out some archive stuff about elections in Reading. Had a rehearsal for Tribute Night at Whitehouse Studios in the evening with Tony, Andy and Sarah. On Thursday went over to Bob Noyes to pick up the replacement cable he had put together. Also dropped off the old Mackie speaker that distorts so he could make use of the parts. M went to BRO. Anither AFD. Took an old mixing desk and bag of wires from RSAC to the Oxfam music shop on Friday morning. Helped out with the sound at RSAC in the evening. Baby Maker, Tashi Delay and Pink Diamond Review. All played to backing tracks. BM sang and played guitar and bass, both through a bass amp. TD sang and played guitar and had visuals. PDR are a two piece, one plays guitar, the other drums, they also have visuals. Left the PA out for DIY Pride. It was M's birthday on Saturday. JAMO came round in the morning with pastries. I went to see URZ claim their first league win of the season 1 0 against Port Vale. Ralph was there, not a very good game. Went to the London Street Brasserie in the evening.
JAMO came round for roast chicken on Sunday.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2025

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August Bank Holiday - Monday August 25th 2025

Spent a fair bit if time on Monday working on Mowtown Junk and Motorcycle Emptiness for the Manic Street Preachers tribute night. The doctors called and they no longer think M needs a CT scan. Her cough is a lot better. Went to the hygenist on Tuesday morning followed by a swim early afternoon. Did a rehearsal for Tribute Night at Whitehouse Studios in the evening with Tony, Andy and Sarah. On Wednesday did a ride to Windsor Great Park with Ian, Mark and Dom from Northgate. At least we thought we had but it turned out to be Sunninghill Park. Pete came to stay for the festival on Thursday. Chris and Jo are camping with Ivy, Eden and Clara. Tony came round for a rehearsal. The festival goers then came round and we went to Zero Degrees for pizza. Quite a late night chatting with Pete. Tony came round for another rehearsal on Friday. Meanwhile James came round with the kids. Another late night. On Saturday afternoon I showed a new volunteer and some of the people organising DIY Pride how to use the sound system at RSAC. Yet another late night. James and Amy dropped the kids off on Sunday morning as they were going up to London for lunch with Scott and Spencer and few others. We took them to Wellington County Park.
On Monday me and Tony player at the Castle Tap Open Mic Festival. We were first on at 1pm.
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Monday, August 18, 2025

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Quietish Week - Sunday August 16th 2025

I thought Monday was going to be a quiet day but made blackberry jam (got 4 jars), 2 loaves of bread and granola and then JAMO came tound for tea. Went swimming on Tuesday morning. James had mentioned they were going away later in the week and asked if they could take the travel guitar. I checked the strings and they weren't too bad but I had been meaning to change the strings on my other acoustics for a while so took the hit and did all 3.
Went for a drink late afternoon with Penno and Clive Rogerson (also known as Big Clive,  an old friend I used to work with) in the Allied Arms.He does wood turning these days and had made this for Penno from a damson tree they had cut down. Went for a ride out to Hambledon with Kelvin on Wednesday. Did the Retreat quiz in the evening with M, Kelvin, Bobby and Fiona. We came 3rd and got our money back. Went to a garden centre on Thursday. On Friday we went over to Brendan and Lynda's for the annual summer get together. Great fun and good as usual. Went to see URZ for the first time this season with Ralph. They lost 2 1. They were lively to start with and should have gone ahead but ended up 2 0 down. Wing pulled one back with a cracking shot with about 10 mins to go so it was an exciting end to the game. On Sunday did a fair bit a cooking to use up excess fruit. 
The younger generations had been away for a long weekend and sent some great pics.
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Monday, August 11, 2025

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Here Comes The Sun - Sunday August 10th 2025

M picked our apples on Sunday.

I popped over to RSAC to try out the PA we got from Oxfam. Seems OK apart from some noisy volume controls on the speakers. M went to the docs on Monday. The x-ray seems to show a few alveoli have collapsed. She went back for a blood test and they're booking her in for a CT scan. In the meantime she's on more antibiotics. An AFD. M's certificate of Irish citizenship arrived on Tuesday. Her blood test indicated she has a B9 deficiency so she's been prescribed folic acid. Mike Porter came round. Another AFD. I cycled out to Calcot on Wednesday morning to buy a couple of stage clocks for HCTS. Popped in for a coffee at no 81. M submitted her application for an Irish passport. The kids can now also get Irish citzenship. My bubble machine arrived. It works well but makes the surrounding area a bit slippery. Had an inaugural operations meeting at RSAC. Another AFD. Went to Chris Gavin's funeral on Thursday. A big turn out as you would expect. Popped over to RSAC in the afternoon to do some prep for the festival. A 4th AFD in a row. Spent most of Friday at RSAC prepping for the festival. The festival was on Saturday. Everything went well. I looked after the garden stage. He Fired First, ZAP, Amazing Tiger Band, Open Mic, Poets and DAP. Great.



Here's a couple of photos of the other stages.

The excellent Magical Mystery Four finished things off. Meanwhile Edith visited the Loddon brewery.

On the way back from RSAC I found a man collapsed down Coley Park Rd. Couldn't wake him up. Got M to help. His phone rang and she answered. Turns out he was a Hungarian chap living down Mansfield Rd. A couple came to get him. Went back to RSAC on Sunday morning to help pack up then went blackberry picking.
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