Well, well, well, it’s October

[An Tarbh Dubh]

Looks like "ex-hurricane Ophelia" is tracking slightly to the west: not good news for places north of us, but it should mean the "top" of the storm, with it's north/easterly and easterly winds, will miss us. We'll get pretty serious weather (it's started), but closer to the prevailing winds we're more used to!

All indoors, hatches battened, plenty of fresh water, all chargeable devices charged, all standbys (oil lamp, oil, spare phone, batteries, gas, etc) located and to hand. We're about as prepared as we can be. 3Wells was "sprung" from horspital yesterday - they were sending as many people as possible home, in particular those who were likely to be discharged today.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I'm so glad you are as prepared as you can be. I think it will go mostly North of us.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

You too Brian. It will be really interesting to read people's experiences around the country today.

[An Tarbh Dubh]

Kind of wild, storm centre is now about 15 or so miles west of us. Wind starting to veer southeast to south and increasing. Power out since noon and not expected to be restored before tomorrow. So BBQ sausages for dinner!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Brians Cravat]

Thoughts with those of you in Ireland, powerless with, battened hatches. Storm well to the West of Castle Cravat. It is windy but, I guess that's the norm for this time of year. We had the 'red Sun' this morning as a result of the Saharan dust cloud. Mind you, I thought that the camel was a bit much.

Since lunchtime it has been sunny and war. As someone said in a local store on Saturday "unnaturally warm'. Trying to explain that the weather was an entirely natural phenomenon was pointless. 'Unusual' was nearer the mark.

Got our granddaughters running a restaurant in the lounge at present. I have explained that I shall be contacting Environmental Health because, there's a cat asleep in the middle of the 'restaurant'.

Last day we'll have the girls this week. They finish school for half-term on Wednesday and with Mommy and Daddy, they're off to that there London for a few days.

Should have added that on the coming Sunday, I'm a Birmingham to see 'Aggers and Bumble'. For those of you unfamiliar with the world of cricket, that's Jonathon Agnew and David Lloyd, two ex-England cricketers who are now commentators. Both are very entertaining speakers.

Enjoy your evenings and, please stay safe everyone.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

You seem quite cheerful with it. Maybe it's similar to what you're used to, only more of the same. I hope 3 Wells continues to improve and you get your electrickery back soon. It's quite breezy here, but should back down a little by Archers time. It's a very good drying day though!

[goodlookingone]

Sorry: been AWOL...
I might be a bit "previous" if I think I have overcome an anusually powerful "Flu" (Thinks: is it flu, or merely one of a range of "flu's?"). I thought 3wells had escaped from Hospital some time ago, and I hope she is recovered - How did she escaped ... Tunneled out, Glider from the roof??

I didn't notice any weather today, but I went out late evening for shopping - it did seem dark early ... in fact the sky seemed almost Yellow. But I must not say that, as "yellow" was the description of London's Smog, and in fact it was quite draghty, not compatable with Smog.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

Glo, it's the one you weren't immune to. But you are now. I hope you are feeling stronger now. The yellow was probably Sahara sand, blown up here by Ophelia.

I thought of you in Ireland when I was hobbling in Dunster Woods. A small tree was falling, but held up by a neighbour from across the way. I decided to hobble well out of range. I hope your night passes without too much anxiety. The worst is over, here.

[goodlookingone]

G' day...
Hope the Lectrickery People in Ireland have now find some Currents.. There's a limit to how long them Hamsters can keep running round that wheel.
What's latest news on 3wells?
Decided against woodland walks - It is a Bus ride to get there since BR (or whoever runs the railway now) have closed the public path accross the tracks which was opened in 1899 - the railway crossing was not opened until the railway was built, (concidence, what?). OK, to be correct.. Not a Forest, but a Nature Reserve.

By for now.. Out to face slings and arrows.

[An Tarbh Dubh]

Power reconnected here - we're lucky! But we went out and got a generator this morning (something we had planned to get anyway - 24 hours without power just made it a little more pressing). And we know the genny works very well indeed now

3Wells is as well as can be expected - recovering, but not there quite yet. Probably wouldn't have been discharged quite so soon if it weren't for Ophelia's arrival We enjoyed our "hurricane BBQ" last night, eaten by oil-lamp light and accompanied by Chris DeBurgh's "waiting for the hurricane" on YouTube (in fits and starts, mobile networks were a little flaky!).

Keep well all ....

[Rwth of Cornovii]

So glad you're both still safe, if a little precarious healthwise. Good decision on the generator front. So Ophelia brought a bonus with her. Just in time for the next storm! I'm sure it will pay for itself in no time.

I wove in visits to proofreaders and taking a cheque to the treasurer for banking to my trip to town for the book club and library. It's been a bad three weeks with a road closure between my part of the parish and the main village. The alternate route is quite narrow with not many passing places, and a very tight left hand bend on to the road back home. A car on the narrow road not only didn't stop until he was almost eyeball to eyeball but he wouldn't back up and kept inching forward. I can't always back in one line but have to straighten up forwards for a couple of yards. He got the message eventually and waited more patiently. At the sharp bend with a lip at the uphill join, an approaching car was a lot more patient and gave me space to correct my trajectory, which was lucky because I needed the whole road at one point. The Volvo Estate looks less manoeuvrable than it is, because it is so long. At least the frightening rumble of the wheels disappeared today and I think a piece of wood a bit bigger than a twig, may have got caught in the wheel flap yesterday. Blunders, whose car it once was used to drive a bus so didn't have any problem with the long wheelbase.

[goodlookingone]

Hi each... Odd isn't it.. My Ol' Dad (A lorry driver) always reckoned Big Vehicles were easier.. I was always comfortable with the Big Volvos.. Can see all four corners from the driving seat -, and Triumph 2000 was good (Again: all 4 corners visible and very "Tight turning circles". and both very confident forming.. Flimsy little Mimi's were scary, and E type Jaguars were ... almost undrivable - I don't think they are made to navigate corners.. BUT A Landrover (or a London Taxi) makes you feel equal to a lorry Driver.. I once watched a Landrover reaching the Top of Kings Head Hill (Up to Chingford from the river-Level Rerrvoir), with a Lorry and Loaded Trailer following right behind him... LandRover was towing it?????

Been poncing around all day trying to sort GP, and Hospital. The P.A.L.S. outfit for The Hospital seems to be (eventually found) in the same Building as the GP complaining place.. NOW GET READY TO LAUGH.. Remember, This is The Health Service....... The Building is a disused Factory. Not the best place for The Health Service --- Who Remembers Rothman's, or their well known Predecessors of BLACK CAT Brand... The Health Service is there, The Great big Sculptured Cat has now gone, so they are not advertising Baccy... I used to go there (In my "Even Poorer" days when I drove a Taxi at weekends) to take their Computer Discs to their HO in Hertfordshire.. Taxis are easy to drive if you can stand the racket, and cope with Speed Regulater. Wish they'd Had LandRovers. Landrovers don't get terrimified by Lorries on the "both-way-round" Magic Roundabout. Oh dear.. Reminiscing forcing its way in... Damson Lane...... Goodnight each.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

How did you get on with PALS? I know people scoff at them, but if you can catch them on a good day, they can smooth the path, and six eggs breeds success!

I have passed Damson lane many times. I was temping with BECTA for a while, and the A45 was reduced to 40mph for 14 miles. Past Elmdon airport and straight on til Morning in Coventry by Warwick University. Then BECTA changed their whole management policy for something approaching Essex Council's house numbering policy. They had a full one day conference and managed to baffle 800 people in one day.

[goodlookingone]

Pals not much use.. I Emailed them at a couple of their E-mail sites last night.. No reply.
The local NHS commissioners outfit have done nothing except to tell me that The Local Health Centre will send me an instruction they have acted on for "The Council".. No idea what Council .. (BMA?, Council of Land Trasury??? Whatever is is Nothing has arrived. Probably sent to the false address.
I really needs to know what "Councils" are directed at which Health Centres, and Vise versa.

House numbering is not an issue. I have got as far as finding the house-numbering dates from the 1920's and went into use commencing 1925.
After The War to end All Wars, and a certain amount of Chaos, Motor vehicles were no longer Toys, and Phones common, so Fire services needed Fixed House numbers that could not be changed ... ever... Unless there were "new builds" that authority must either accept, or install, and Must Advise ... errr, not certain, Land Registry I think, and Ordnance Survey.. Roads are different, that is Local Gov acting for the owners (Local Council come up with weird names - Guess which council - very near a car factory.. named their then new Tower Block as "Keir Hardy House" Counciller I spoke to was on about "Nelson Mandela House..." Oh dear, Mind drifting again.. It IS POSSIBLE to change a house number, but you needs lots of permissions (Neighbours, Post office who may have out-of-sequence routing for their sorting and delivery, anyone trying to trace Council Tax Payments, Mortgagors, House insurers needing to ascertain which house they insure and budget for, Fire Service, and The County/City/Local gov who provided ambulance arrangements, and any body having a Financial claim, or claim pending etc...) .. But You have to have a god reason .. Think of 10, Rillington Place, or Fred Wests serial murdering in Gloucester Took yearsssss, and only the two adjacent Dwellings succeeded . The other had to rely on changing the road names... Not Certain if it is only house owner OR occupant can apply ... and I havn't. My Problem is purely between Me and NHS... Do I fancy taking up Cudgels today...
Perhaps I'll go back to Bed..


On the other hand... Perhaps I should compose a letter so some inoffensis Doc ang get HIm to tell one of his clients that I have changed his address and should senf his mortgage and council tax, and Polling address to me... Someone else is trying to be clever, why not me. Needs working on... Perhaps I'll think of something else..... I have questions for Cat Club.... See you over there...

[Rwth of Cornovii]

"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air."
Don't be gratuitously difficult. Just concentrate on your own best interests. Though if you moved, you'd have it all to do again. Wouldn't it be easier to cut your losses and come into a new district that has no preconceptions of you? Then you could have a new 'Proper address', and set up a regular drug ordering routine with a new pharmacy and GP.
Just a suggestion.

Hope your granddaughters have their plans arranged round the cat now, Brian.

I had a good meeting at lunchtime, then after a walk, came back and set up the wormery. The instructions bore little resemblance to the content of the parcel, but I managed, and gave them some cauliflower to munch on. Then I came in for coffee and a minuscule portion of cake and crashed for a doze. I try to walk as far as possible, but 'possible' is moving further away all the time.

[goodlookingone]

Not that easy to move.. Just think of the cost of moving to a place I can't afford, as well as the costs of moving. I could only do that after Sorting out the address....

Not quite certain re Wormeries. I remember in my "Council Days" there was some discussion re The Council I worked in, and The Epping Forest Consevators who also had intersts in Public Spaces and interests in the spcies of snakes, birds, mama;l's and insects: and the Allotment groups.I think it ended up in the Plant and Tree banks, Do these worms actually run free, or are they caged ...

[Brians Cravat]

Good morning everyone.

Spent yesterday in Birmingham, sitting on an Admission Appeals Panel. Yes, they are still going on even though we have reached the first half term break of the academic year! In fact, we're being asked to commit to further hearings up to mid-December.

Many of the appeals that we heard yesterday involved parents who had sent their children to the school that they had been offered buying, uniforms etc but, still wanted to appeal for their original preferred school. Admittedly, some had abandoned their appeals because their children were not as unhappy at the school that their parents didn't want, as their parents predicted they would be.

Several cases yesterday, domestic abuse was the reason for the desired switch of school. Some really harrowing stories of what children may have witnessed and, the effects on them.

Moving on, it's a walk today. Tomorrow evening, we're attending a Ukelele concert at the local church. On Sunday however, it's back to Birmingham to see 'Aggers' and 'Bumble'.

Enjoy your weekends. Hope those of you in the path of Storm Brian (Nothing to do with me. It's not even my real name!) don't encounter too many difficulties.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

I wrote a longish post yesterday and lost it. I'm enjoying Tatiana Nicolayeva playing the Bach Goldberg variations. The wind is gradually dropping here now.

Have a nice weekend all. Hope the gruntling worked GLO.

[goodlookingone]

Didn't sleep last night, 6.7 Kilo of ginger cat woke me ... then I fell asleep during the day: Is it still Saturday?
At somethime i received a flurry of texts telling me that the Storms could cause oower outages, that I should be wary of unplaned outages, then, If I was concerned about vulnerables, should i call the number they gave me.
afraid in my sleeps I was not aware of either phonecalls, or weather ... has it all gone? Was it serious.

[goodlookingone]

Have not heard any reports of bad weather, But I'm tired and oft to sleeps........ I Hope..... Goodnight each