RhBBob

Perhaps the solution to the multi-Bob question is for me to revert to my given names of Kenneth Robert; it was a dynasty I think as the man who claimed to be my Father was Kenneth as is my older cousin. So I became Robert and everyone else in the world called me ‘Bob’ except the woman who reckoned she was my Mother. She proudly proclaimed that ‘Robert’ was the name I was given and if anyone rang her to say that they had seen her Bob, she would answer ‘Who, dear ?’ Try flying to Spain with a travel document that says ‘Bob’ and a passport that says ‘Kenneth Robert’. However, (wake up at the back, there !) she did say that once she was gone, I could ‘do what I liked’. So, just after my 64th Birthday, I changed my name to plain old Bob. Then again, my late unmissed Father-in-Law did once write ‘Bod’ on my Birthday card so maybe....... I shall return once you have got your breath back....

No doubt it would involve poo ? I'll get my coat...

Morning all ! I am a stranger to these parts, I know ! I will explain later. Next Tuesday a man will call to replace our car windscreen. The screen initially had a split some 12 inches long which extended overnight to about 18 inches. The light finally dawned this morning when I realised that it is 99% likely that the problem was caused by the lousy road surfaces here in Lonelyshire. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I did the usual trick with our Motor and House Insurers, simply going on to Mny Smkt and having established that, as usual, our insurer, LV, was cheapest, went to LV and asked them to reduce their renewal quotes to match that on MS which they did ! A reasonable increase of 14.4% on Motor and a reduction of 20% in the House /Contents Cover. There is some reduction available by placing both with the same company, but even so....

Oh yes, 53 years ago today I started my first career with what came to be known to us as the big Black Donkey! The ruddy animal still appears on the advert. Today is sort-things-out day as I am hopefully playing golf tomorrow with the younger version of me; he lives some 85 miles away so we shall meet at a small friendly club about halfway. On Sunday SWMBO and I depart for a few days in Northumbria taking with us a long-time friend who was widowed three years ago. For many years she and her late hubby took us on driving and railway holidays around Spain and France. We shall try to make good use of the Natural Tryst cards; William Armstrong's place at Cragside, Bamburgh Castle and Lindisfarne are all on the list. Have a good day and enjoy your weekend !

Thanks then, to my old school^ mate, Isaac Newton ! Forget about the bl**dy apple, please ! 'The world was all in darkness, hid from sight; God said "let Newton be" and all was light' ! In fairness, he had left^ quite some years before I arrived there....

It's quite scary when that happens ! The other day my newspaper decided that Holly's partner on daytime TV was Paul Scofield (rather than Phillip Schofield) In my ever-wandering mind, the film image of Thomas More - 'A Man For All Seasons' - appeared.

The talk of 'cockwombles' reminded me of the two containers lorries passing through our 30 mph limit, one overtaking the other. Recently I filled in the annual Rural Crime survey form regarding local issues such as police presence, local patrols, perceived levels of rural crime, etc.. Sorry, but with nothing to write about, I was mildly sarcastic as usual !! Ah well, some good news; first cataract operation is in mid-November, hopefully followed by second a few weeks later. Interestingly the subject turned up in Wifey's newspaper. Apparently, the NHS is now encouraging folks to seek the operation rather than - as in the past - ignoring requests, particularly from elderly folk who were encouraged to think that nothing could be done. Perhaps they are at last equating a longer life span with general mobility issues ? Hopefully a letter about the 'small finger joint replacement' will follow very soon......and the world can again be treated to my lousy guitar playing, accompanied by a rusty voice. Funny how that operation was previously discouraged on the grounds that failure would result in the finger joint being locked; suddenly the consultant was keen to arrange it. Maybe they are short of business ? All free of course at a Private Hospital with whom I intend to maintain contact, come what may !! Back to the leylandii cutting today, as some aches and pains have receded.....although the giant bruise on my skinny left arm remains visible.. Looks like BH weather today....but then again......

Morning all from the drier side of Britain - at last ! 'tis the day before BH and the three pea viners - about twice the size of combine harvesters - passed by a few moments ago on their way to another harvest crop. Happily the peas decided to mature today.........better today than tomorrow, methinks ! Breakfast served to Madam; time to start the day's tasks !

Late again but with good excuse.... Finally got around to 'trimming' the extra leylandii hedge on the end of Castle Bob. The hedge was planted some 34 years ago when we arrived back in Lonelyshire and allowed to grow some 8ft high. Unfortunately our man who cuts them each year could only reach about 4ft across the top and so we ended up with a somewhat taller forest behind the hedge. Although on good terms with the man who rents the field beyond, he has various animals, horses, geese, turkeys, goats and feral cats in residence from time-to-time so is not keen on me going round the back. Feeling energetic, I ascended the ladder and began the task of reducing the 'extra' hedge to about 8 ft high; two days on I am about halfway across the 'project' or three car loads to the tip recycling centre if you prefer ! Happily it was an excuse to buy a new extending pair of anvil-type loppers from that Amazing website !! Tomorrow I shall steam clean the kitchen floor tiles as usual before returning to the 'forest'. This being BH weekend, we shall be in residence watching the traffic hurtle through on the 30 mph expressway outside...... Oh, Darling Daughter was so pleased with my efforts on her decking project, she now wants some more doing.....groan.....gnashing of few remaining teeth, etc.,etc.. Goodnight to all !!

Morning ! I note some stirrings in the big house at the end of the Mall as our future monarch seeks to re-assert himself as a wonderful human being.....(sound of laughter in the background). I suppose we must all remember that the UK is not a democracy, it is a 'constitutional monarchy'...(be quiet at the back there, put your wig straight and adjust those stockings !)

Couldn't resist this - hope it works ! https://www.facebook.com/bbctwo/videos/1292097187566113/?hc_ref=ARQN97JMXcF_b-iUNwRHAlNNAFfakAJjtvZxmHTJC2QUN2D_Gg8wigJcYHKjCzjAzJ4

Off today to see about removal of my cataracts - isn't the English language wonderful for its unintentional humour ! Happily for the citizens of Boston and the A16 northwards, I shall not be driving on the return journey ! Here to cheer us all up for the day ahead, is the link to the best jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe;- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-40999000

Mine are bound to be very simple - just foamboard carved with a screwdriver !! https://www.flickr.com/photos/winterschlaf/32124881376/in/dateposted-public/

We have a PC, two Laptops and a Surface Pro all running Windows 10; taskbars all okay but, as always, a re-boot usually solves any strange problems ! Why MicroSoft didn't stick with Windows 7, I find a mystery ! Oh, and I still get problems with the 'nut on the keyboard', if you get my drift.....

Morning all ! Yesterday's task to saw down small tree in Daughter's front lawn was unfinished as the lower trunk was considerably larger than I remembered !! Hopefully electric equipment will succeed where my sharp panel saw failed !! I read today that private hospitals have 'unfair' tax advantages over NHS as many are 'charities'. I worked for many years for a large y*g* charity which seemed to be nothing other than an excuse for professionals, teachers and tutors, to gain custom and income at minimum cost to themselves. However as I am taking my cataracts on an NHS Optometrist referral to a local private hospital tomorrow could the 'powers-that-be' please hold off any action for the next few weeks

70,000 spectators expected at Cadwell Park tomorrow for the British Superbike Championship, many of them will be passing by on the A16 through our village ! A great boost to the local economy. Time for bed, said Zebedee....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-lincolnshire-40902497?ns_mchannel=social&ns_source=twitter&ns_campaign=bbc_live&ns_linkname=5996aa44e4b002e982c912f3%26%27Man%20on%20rooftop%27%20charged%20with%20number%20of%20offences%26&ns_fee=0#post_5996aa44e4b002e982c912f3 Described as:- A man who evaded police capture for three days by hiding on a rooftop in Sc**th**pe has been charged by H******side Police. Shouldn't they have looked up ?

Morning all ! Yesterday's other news was that house prices are rising the fastest on Orkney ! Am I the only one who doesn't see rising house prices as a positive ? Cheapest area was £80K which sounds like a big mortgage commitment on minimum wage. Steam cleaning the kitchen floor today as is my usual task on Fridays whilst the Boss is buying up Asda; actually my slightly wobbly mind called it 'steam cleaning the door' but I think I got away with it ! SWMBO and the younger version of her will be car-booting tomorrow from 6 am and then hopefully sorting the leftover junk first class merchandise for the Charity shop in Bostonia. As Alan Bennett says, 'keep on, keeping on', and stay safe. Our thoughts today are with our Spanish cousins; we were due at the Nou Camp back in February but the trip was cancelled.

Morning all from 'the drier side of Britain' ......chucking it down, so removal of plant life from carport corner is off for now ! Drank the tea before it got too cold and promptly went back to sleep. I await she-whom-I-love's instructions for what was yesterday described as a 'day off '. Could be back to the layout, ya never know ! Best wishes and thanks to all.

My modelling mojo has returned, helped by the recent completion of my Daughter's latest project - decking !! Went to Optometrist recently for annual examination and he ruled me as 'borderline to drive' ! Shock, horror, I need to get cataracts removed from both eyes before my prescription can be reviewed. Luckily he referred me to the local Private Hospital for a free-of-charge operation through the NHS !!! That's the same hospital where I generously get one injection every two months or so in one of my eight arthritic fingers - arthritis was my late Mother's gift to me I should get a t-shirt with the words 'Sponsored by the NHS' on the front ! Happy days ! Cleared the guttering today, cleaned the soffits and the guttering. Tomorrow's task is to remove the clump of 'grass' growing in the corner at the back of the carport where it meets the garage... yes, in the most inaccessible spot. Drain rods might do it !!

Silly me, I viewed the enlarged picture....ugh

Lovely day on Sunday playing golf - sort of - with the younger version of me. Great day today finishing decking frame for Darling Daughter. Rain starts at midnight tonight ....and finishes at 2 pm on Wednesday. Hmmm; hibernation looks like a distinct possibility......how about the garage/workshop/layout room ? Yeeeeessssss !

Wonderful reading from a place where electricity arrives overground on a wooden pole and we had a brief power cut a few minutes ago !! Still the 500 to 600 HGV/LGV, 300+ agricultural vehicles, 500+ cars which pass our door every day should benefit from the change, not forgetting the three buses ! I think Fantasia was a superb animated film but I think even Disney might reject the idea as too far-fetched......

Here I am again... Great Prom 27 last night - music of Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie by two splendid artists and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Have recorded it to watch again sometime. Younger version of me arrives today for relaxation, an Italian meal for the four of us tonight at 'The Ropers Arms', yes a former pub and very small, followed by golf tomorrow. His family set off for France yesterday in the in-law's motor caravan - not his idea of fun ! Regards to all !