Friday, October 09, 2026

Published Friday, October 09, 2026 by with 0 comment

A Quiet Few Days - Thursday October 8th 2026

On Monday morning I had a mole removed at the dermatology out patients at RBH. Painless but need to keep it dry and was told not to cycle home and take it easy as increasing the heart rate could cause the wound to bleed. Had a flu jab in the afternoon. An AFD. A while back I ordered a new lock for the car as when we got back from Canada the battery was flat and the key didn't work in the lock. Chap came to fit it on Tuesday. I'd ordered a Fishman acoustic guitar pre-amp pedal as the signal from my dobro pickup is quite weak. Tried it out and it didn't really improve things. My EQ pedal worked better. So sent it back. The Morrisons in Coley Park has closed and with it the post office but I was able to hand my parcel in at the offy. Got out of filling in a self assessment return. Another AFD. Got a new Bluetooth adaptor for the car as the old one seemed to have stopped working. Fitted it on Wednesday morning. It connects to an FM radio channel so no wires.


Did a bit of tidying up in the music room, took a box of old clothes to a clothes bank and took the old nylon string to Oxfam music. Paul was in and it sounded pretty good when he played it. Nearly took it back. M went to see Sense And Sensibility with the girls. Yet another AFD. A bit of a lazy day on Thursday getting ready for our trip to Perth. Called Tom early evening then went to first Thursday drinks. A bit of a pub crawl, Greyfriars, Butler, Nags and the Castle Tap. I bailed out then.






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Monday, October 05, 2026

Published Monday, October 05, 2026 by with 0 comment

London Zoo - Sunday October 4th 2026

Went to the Rising Sun on Friday morning to set the PA up for the evening gig. Went to Brendan and Lynda's in the afternoon for the annual summer get together. Played some good games. Tony came round for a rehearsal on Saturday. In the evening we went over to Davy and Howie's for a drink before going to the Kung Fu Kitchen. I was impressed by Howie's paintings and the KFK was great. Meanwhile all the younger generations except Edith were at a wedding in London.
  

Lazy day on Sunday. Went over to Neptune Kitchens over at Hare Hatch on Monday morning and popped into Wren on the way back. Tony came round for a rehearsal in the afternoon. We did the Castle Tap open mic in the evening. Think we did OK, did Walking Blues, No Problem, Bird On A Wire and Don't Ask Me Questions. Tom's mate Adam was down there. He seems to know Alex Marlow. Did a spot of gardening on Tuesday. Made a roasted tomato and goats cheese tart with the last of the tomatoes and even found enough spuds for a potato salad. Got woken up in the night by an owl again. Did the URZ end of season points ride with Stuart and Kelvin on Wednesday. Got a train to Newbury and cycled out to Pewsey and back. 63 miles in all.


Worked out quite well. We had shortish stops in Marlboro, Pewsey and Selbourne and no alcohol until the end when we had 40 odd minutes to kill in Newbury.


Went swimming on Thursday morning. In the evening there was a RSAC sound team social but only me and Amy the trustee turned up. I set the PA up for Saturdays event. On Friday we went to stay with SET. Picked Edith up from nursery and then we all went for a pint at the Blackheath sports club where Tom and Sally are social members. We then called James to wish him a happy birthday. Tom and Sally had bought him a new jumper.
Tom made some excellent pizzas for dinner. On Saturday we took Edith to London zoo. It was her birthday present. We saw gorillas, lions, tigers, penguins and went into the butterfly house. She also got to stroke a goat.
We then had a spot of lunch and headed for the giraffes. They were sharing an enclosure with zebras and ostriches but the giraffes were hiding inside. We waited around though and they came out.We passed some colourful birds on the way.Edith then fell asleep so we left. Tom and Sally had been for lunch in Deptford so we met them on the train on the way back. We then had a swifty in the Green Goddess before going back to their place to pick up our stuff and head home. On Sunday we did a society walk round Cookham organised by Helen. I popped into RSAC after to put away the sound gear from Saturday's gig.
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Friday, September 25, 2026

Published Friday, September 25, 2026 by with 0 comment

Verdun -Thursday September 24th 2026

Got up early on Monday morning to see James off then set off down the station with Kelvin to meet up with Andy for our trip to Verdun. Got Eurostar to Paris then had 3 hours to kill before the next leg. What we didn't know was that Andy had arranged to meet up with Dominique.The Gare De L'est is a very nice station.Got the TVG to Meuse, a station in the middle of nowhere, then a coach shuttle for the last leg of the journey to Verdun. Lovely evening and all very sparsely populated.
Checked into our apartment and tried to find somewhere to eat but a lot of places were closed on Monday so settled for a takeaway pizza supplemented with salad, beer and wine from the supermarket. Did a walk round Verdun on Tuesday. Started off by the river.
Then up to the cathedral.
There was the sound of monks singing somewherebut it was actually being piped through the partially disguised speakers.I assume the paintings were stations of the cross. Just along from there was the grandly named Centre For World Peace.Apologies for the dark shadow my phone case is falling apart. We then found ourselves in this park/fortress area.There were some weird statues.
We then went to the Citadelle Souterraine which was part of the old fortress.  The highlight was a virtual reality experience in a motorised buggy where you followed the fortunes of a group of soldiers from the 1st World War on leave in the underground citadel. It was kind of OK but went on a bit and the sound was very tinny. We had to wear hairnets under the apparatus.We then did quite a scenic walk back into the centre by the river and had a coupe of beers in the sun outside a bar on the quay. We'd spotted a likely restaurant the day before but it was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Looked at a few other places but decided to eat in with tortellini and salad. Hired electric bikes on Wednesday to cycle round the battlefield sites. First up was a trench memorial.Then a destroyed village.
Then the Ossuaire du Douaument.We thought it was just a memorial building for the cemetery until we watched a film and realised the cellars were full of bones that were visible through the windows.
Then the Fort du Douaumont.
Then back to Verdun for a couple of pints  in our favourite quayside bar. Ate in again, pesto pasta and salad. We travelled back on Thursday but still had time to visit the victory memorial and gardens of the Centre For World Peace where wespotted a piece of the Berlin Wall.Andy went on the rest of his Interrail trip and me and Kelvin headed home. We got to Paris and had a pint outside the Gare Do Nord.Then suddenly realised our train left in 10 mins. We got to the first Eurostar gate but weren't allowed in as you need to be there at least 30 mins before. Managed to get tickets for the next one but had to pay £44 each.
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Monday, September 21, 2026

Published Monday, September 21, 2026 by with 0 comment

Overstrand - Sunday September 20th 2026.

A quiet day on Sunday, went to Wickes to talk about kitchens. On Monday I had an appointment at the dermatology department at RBH to check out the enlarged mole on my neck. They think it's harmless but are going to remove it and get it checked out. Attempted to cook a version of the beef and aubergine stew I'd had in Nikiti and a Greek loaf. Had my hair cut on Tuesday then went to John Lewis of Hungerford to look at kitchens. Went to watch URZ v Brentford in the EFL Cup in the evening with Kelvin and Ralph. The upper west wasn't open so we sat in the north stand like old times. Good atmosphere, the south stand was filled with 5000 away supporters. We conceded after 3 mins and then in the single minute of extra time of the first half. Pulled one back in the second. Not a bad performance from mainly understoodies. Quite liked sitting where we did. Went on a bike ride on Wednesday with Kelvin and Stuart. To Henley via the Sip And Spoke at Warren Row and back via the hill up to Bix. M did a her tale of two inventories talk for the Berkshire Family History Society on Thursday afternoon. The plan was to use my laptop but we needed an hdmi output which it doesn't have. Fortunately someone else had one that did. However we couldn't get the clicker to work to change the slides so it had to be done manually. The talk went well. Lindsey and Clare were there. I wasn't allowed to stay. On Friday we drove over to see Kevin and Adrienne in Overstrand. Not a great journey but great when we got there. Overdid it a bit. On Saturday we went to the local food fair then walked along the cliff tops to Cromer. Had a couple of pints in The Red Lion and then got a cab back. Went to a restaurant called The Grove to eat in the evening.
Played a few games when we got back and had an earlier night. Set off back just after 11 and had another bad journey. James had been over since Friday, he went to a friend Harry's stag do on Saturday and was also picking up a car load of stuff. Made pizzas for tea.

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Sunday, September 13, 2026

Published Sunday, September 13, 2026 by with 0 comment

Nikiti - Saturday September 12th 2026

We got up at 3am on Saturday morning to get our 6:05 flight to Thessaloniki. Taxi came at 3:30 and we got to Heathrow about 4ish and it was incredibly busy. I think that was because a lot of the check in and security was just opening up. Flight was fine and we got in about 11ish. Picked up a slightly dodgy hire car and drove to the house we had rented in Nikiti. Really nice place in the old part of town.






We chilled in the afternoon and tried out the plunge pool. There was a little shop just down the road that sold all the essentials. In the evening we went to explore a bit and ended up in a taverna called Mantsios which was just as a Greek taverna should be. 

We planned to explore further on Sunday and walk down to the beach. As it was really hot we chilled round the house first. When Edith is in the pool she becomes a mermaid called Cindertreats.


We headed off down the beach just after 4pm but unfortunately Edith fell asleep in the push chair on the way and slept through the whole thing. Quite crowded down there but not noisy and found a spot without too much bother. Sandy beach but pebbles getting in and out. Water quite clear. Passed an impressive kid's digger.


Tom realised as we left that his swimming shirts had split. On the way back we popped into a supermarket to pick up food for tea. Then stopped off for an ice cream for Edith at a place called The Pattern. It also did cocktails so we also had a drink. Nice sunset.


Tom barbecued some pork and aubergines. He later won the first game of our crib competition. 

On Monday we got up early to drive down to the same spot of beach as Edith had missed it. We probably got there about 10 30, it was a bit cooler but still managed a good swim. Tom bought some new bright yellow swimming shorts and a face mask and snorkel. We then drove back for lunch. In the evening went to the Barcarolla restaurant in the old town square.


 Bed time stories were read.



Tom won our second game of crib. 

On Tuesday we reverted to Sunday's model of going to the beach late afternoon. This time we went to Agios Ioannis, a bit further out. Nice sandy beach but unfortunately there was a strip of submerged rock that had to be crossed to get in the water. Once in it was great though. Unfortunately again, Tom's newly purchased swimming shirts didn't make it to the beach. We were in the middle public section of the beach. On our right was a beach bar with 200 plus umbrellas each with a pair of loungers, a speaker for piped music and a QR code for ordering food and drink. That bit of the beach didn't have the rocky bit, not for me though. On our left was a hotel. It looked a bit naff having a very modern building in the setting but I went to investigate and could see why people would go there. Brilliant views and beach and very nice swimming pool and toddler pools with hardly anyone in. Tom barbecued pork and aubergines again.  A preying mantis was spotted in the garden.


Tom taught us a new game called Yaniv which I won. 

On Wednesday me and M walked to the church up the hill in the old town.




Couldn't get in the church unfortunately but there was a cemetery. We drove to the Trani Ammouda beach in the afternoon on the other side of the peninsula. Probably the best one yet. Quite busy but very clear and sandy and easy to get in an out. And Tom arrived in his swimming shorts. Edith loved it and could see fish in her goggles.


We baby sat so Tom and Sally could go out. I cooked a rather nice tuna pasta bake and we played s few games. Played another close game of Yaniv when Tom and Sally got back that M won. 

On Thursday we went back to the same beach as Edith had really enjoyed it. We called to wish Madeline happy birthday when we got back.


They set up the projector and screen to show Edith The Little Mermaid in the garden.


We went out to eat at Mantsios again after negronis in The Pattern. We got back to see the end of the film and then had a very close game of Yaniv that M won by 1 point. (Tom's score needs to have another 30 added)


On Friday we walked up to the museum in the old town which was quite interesting. Stopped off at the Barcarolla bar on the way back for a spot of lunch.

We didn't make it to a beach as Edith was very tired. Had lots of fun in the pool though. In the evening we went to the Perasma taverna. The best yet I thought. Excellent deep fried zucchini and I had a great beef and aubergine stew. The only problem was they more or less served everything at once so the table was very full. We followed up with another trip to The Pattern for an ice cream for Edith and Sally and negronis for me, Tom and M. 

Checked out of the house by 11am on Saturday and got to the airport just before 1pm. We were slightly worried that there might be long queues at border control as they had introduced extra checks for non-EU travellers including finger printing but we just sailed through as normal. Got back to Heathrow about 5 15 and me and M hot our taxi about an hour later and were back in Reading watching Ted Lasso and eating take away pizza by about 7 15. SET got the Elizabeth Line back to Woolwich and then the bus. Great holiday.
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