New Haven Neil

Hmm, it would appear this morning's post, didn't, until I started the computer again this afternoon! Q, Mrs NHN doesn't have any truck with target archery, all those sights, balancers, diddlers or whatever they are called, are considered cheating in her branch of field archery, it's intuitive shooting only, and also no compound bows (although one guy does use one, his scores don't get included in the club records). Debs (and most of the field archery club!) considers target archery as *&^%$£"! boring..... Also, being as the distance to the target is constant, they don't move, there's no trees in the way, and they have have all those gadgets, how on earth can they actually miss? There is a target club here, they're a snooty lot, a couple of the folk shoot there too just to get more shooting time, but don't much enjoy it other than the opportunity to shoot longer ranges than there generally are in field. Kayaking went well again, but friend Geoff has found there is a world shortage of the damn things, so can't actually get one he likes. He will be joining us next year by the look of it.

MOrning, 18c and heading upwards quickly once more. Taking the friend out again in the kayak, he's trying to decide if he's going to buy one so we're off to a different place, Derbyhaven way down south, and the place where the first Derby horse race took place - not Derby in the UK. The earl - or was it Lord - Derby owned Fraggle Rock at the time.

Something cropped up in my mind about Max when he first came in to F1 and was making an impression - IIRC it was something about dad Jos having taught him to overtake where people normally don't, as a tactic they wouldn't expect. Oh!

A'noon. Mad rush this morning, so I have a note to excuse me. No doubt tomorrow will be much the same, SWMBO in whirling dervish mode. A cool 15c start here soon turned in to another roaster, we had a trip out in the van to points south, almost all the way south in fact. It is still too hot to sit out in the garden, this is just not Fraggle Rock weather at all. Brother...oh dear.....well I have noting against him bar his choice of wife. And until such time as he removes her from the family I will have nothing to do with them, and have not done so for about 25 years. I note she is currently Mayor of our home town, I cannot think of anyone less appropriate, lets leave it at that.

Michael, that 20c soon became 28 - but didn't quite meet yesterday's 29.9. Good to hear Pupper's news, and best wishes to John and Tiggs for their health issues. The old farts bike club was poorly attended with just 5, but one member launched his newly restored Tiger 100, photo soon, the developer is just warming. AKA phone battery flat.

Morning, from a gooey rock, 20c and 80% humidity. The first is heading upwards quickly. Bike club day, brunch is to be at the MSPCA cafe as the breakfasts there have been declared good and we can eat outside away from the visitors. Our Chief Minister was on the radio yesterday afternoon giving a sort of 'don't panic' message, and just get on with it. Our vaccination figures are very high, and whilst we have over a thousand cases, there are just 5 in hospital, one in ICU. The hospital have cancelled elective surgery, which has caused unrest in the great Manx public, but he was keen to point out this was not as a result of covid, but of other issues - heat/sun induced no doubt. We're not used to these temperatures here, the very nature of a small island in a cold sea means it acts as a moderator, it seldom gets particularly hot or cold here. But it is hot this week!

Best wishes, Keith - any nice new LGB for the day?

Still 21c, and 65% humidity, feels gooey. The plodge in the bay was nice, water incredibly warm as the tide came in over the flat sands. Lifeboat was doing a practice launch too.

Crikey yes, Happy Anniversary Mrs & Mrs P! Sorry I missed that earlier, the heat is getting to me. It is a mere 28.5 now after the 29.9 peak, this is higher than the island record but our back garden does not count as official! I suppose it must be Ronaldsway (airport) Met office that has the official temperatures, it is always warmer up here on the northern plain than the misty south where that is. Daft place to have an airport, but it was closer to Douglas (the Big City) rather than developing one of the two existing old WW2 airfields - which were up here because.....the weather's better! The RAF knew, but our Government.....well, no politics. Mind you, the RAF never rebuilt our church tower after they reduced it in height to stop learners crashing into it.

Good grief - 29.9 c, yes in the shade, but in our admittedly sheltered garden. Went out on the bike but it is too hot as i won't ride without protective gear on. So to the car, with a/c, for the messages.

Just hung the washing out, 28.6c - it'll be dry in 10 minutes. Visitor induced Covid reaching silly levels here, not sure what people expected. Businesses screaming for borders to open, facebookers screaming to have them all shot and have a total lockdown. How about just being careful and sensiblle? Q's comments make a mockery of being pinged, it is an over the top reaction. Like farcebook. Seriously, pinging people who happened to be within a hundred yards is just stupid.

Morning all, nice to see Natalie pop in. A cool 17c again, but 28 ish preguessed for later, hayfever will no doubt ruin my day. Mrs NHN has a massage after work, so apres that we will probably go down to the beach for a plodge in the cooling water. Not sure what the tasks for the day are, but washing work tops for the 'boss' will likely feature. A house-husband's work is never done.

MER still running at the moment Rick, I passed a train on my way out for lunch on the bike. Despite the best weather this week we have had for yonkers, all four power cars out were.....winter saloons. Sigh. At least they were pulling cross-bench (Manx for open toast-rack) trailers. There was nobody in the saloon I saw, the trailer was packed out. I know cross-bench power car 16 was derailed last week (with the Director of Transport - Deb's boss - driving, oops) and is out of service, but they have half a dozen others they could run, including 1 and 2, the oldest etc etc. Shame to waste the opportunity, especially as we have so many visitors. It rains enough usually so they don't get run!

Jeepers - 28c now and still climbing. Melted Fraggles everywhere. The stream in the village has stopped flowing, hosepipe ban on the horizon.

Morning, 16 here currently with many more to come. Yesterday evening was pleasant, took the kayak down to Port-e-Vullen with a friend for his first experience on the water, he absolutely loved it. His parents came along (they share an enormous 4 storey house, built as a Victorian guest house) for the crack in the hope of seeing him fall in, but were disappointed in that respect, but it was a gorgeous evening - loads of folk in the water, paddleboarding, kayaking, swimming, or just playing for the younger element, aka pink terrorists. Not sure what I'll be up to today, but a walk this morning before things get too hot is on the cards, then who knows.

Ol NHN was never seasick physically back in my seadog days, but the first couple of days away usually felt a bit queasy. (we did 4 month trips). I was close though on the ferry here a couple of years ago, up forrard was a mistake,. Also once flying, on a Saab twin turboprop job in New Zealand, which had an autopilot fault and was cycling a roll every few seconds - I think the crew thought it was funny, I nearly chucked.

Morning, a rather cool feeling 16c, much more predicted for later. Today's hunt is for a new wheel for the little bogey thing the kayak goes on, one having perished to the point of almost collapse. Only one, oddly the other is OK. We're going out tonight with it to give a friend a taste of kayaking, he's quite keen to have a go - it's a 2 person job BTW. Sorted the back brake on the BMW last night finally, although there is still some doubt about it having the exact correct components, but it works OK. This bike beats the usually comprehensive parts diagrams, having been built at a crossover between two model years.

Lunchtime. Two lines full of washing out (oh what a busy househusband!) and some git lights a garden bonfire. Frabjoy. Not supposed to have them until after 5pm, local bye-laws. It'll be some come-over. If they want to be stop-overs, they will have to learn! Hayfever hitting the red line again, and that's with anti-histamines, eye drops and washing head in a bucket of wat....no not that bit. Rick has my sympathies, this is one of the worst years ever for it, the Pharmacist agreed saying sales of said remedies are through the roof. Oh jeeze, he's just stirred it up again.....words are going to be had.

Morning, a cool 17c and breezy, more c's due to arrive later. HB Baz! Many more of them mate. What's a Katie Hopkins? No idea.... I am indeed a little sad that Cav didn't break the record but it has made life easier for our Belgian friend! It is still a remarkable achievement considering that he thought his career was over after illness. No orders bar dinner instructions have been handed down today, so maybe a lazy one as I am knackered after the weekend's activities.

54.3 degrees north here, and it doesn't get properly dark until about midnight or so in June. Then it's only for about three hours.....twilight and whatever the morning equivalent is, are very long.

Evening orl. Well, archery was a battle royal, with Mrs NHN scoring one point short of her PB, and joint winner together with one of the older very experienced field archers - great round! Usually they have a shoot-off when there's a tie, but everyone was too knackered due to the heat, after more than three hours shooting. The new arrow rest working well once she tuned in to the slightly different characteristic of her bow as opposed to using the pressure button type. It was scorchio down the glen, a few targets moved around by the guy that runs the club so it felt a little different too. The undergrowth is 'somewhat' verdant, it really is a 'Dr Livingstone' moment down there at the moment. Lot of insect repellent in use too.

Minerva Paneers are highly recommended! Don't jump over the ends of sidings either.

Morning. 21c overcast on Fraggle Rock, not looked at what the seaweed twirlers are saying yet - field archery day, so a hot n sweaty day predicted. Mrs NHN has some new doodah on her bow, hopes to have a better round than last time. It's over my head. As opposed to an apple job..... Jonny, indeed, no issue with agreeing to disagree. The reason I hear given for 'daylight saving' or whatever its called this week, is safety of kids going to school. I always considered that the light would be better used at the end of the day when drivers are tired and possibly more likely to be inattentive as kids come home from school. I can see farmers would disagree, having some as friends and Mrs NHN being a farm gurl, but they are a tiny fraction of the population. @zarniwhoop no need to rate posts! iD's summary was pretty comprehensive (as always!) we're basically a well mannered chat room, very supportive, and quite a few of us have become virtual, and in some cases, actual friends. We talk about anything and everything bar the trains - even then we sometimes are naughty. No politics, religion or s ex is about the only rule. We are scattered far and wide throughout the world although this is a UK based forum, and are grown up about differences of opinion, as can be seen!

I thought it was crepe. Simples.

Tyneside then, IoM now - so not much difference - my opinion differs, sorry!