July Catch Up

My external hard drive decided to give up the ghost - suddenly!  Luckily I had purchased a new one in Majorca - and I immediately ordered another one from Amazon.  This did not arrive but I was impressed with the way Amazon handled it when I reported it and I was allowed to order another and have it delivered the next day before 1 pm at no extra cost.  I was able to coax the original drive to stay connected for a few seconds at a time and was able to painstakingly copy everything I wanted off it - so no harm done.  The new one is working well.

I met up with Sarah who is the new webmaster for St Mary, Barnes.  I helped her out with a few problems she was having and then we decided that we should meet up.  So I walked Suki over to Arte Cafe in Barnes and had a coffee with Sarah and then walked back again - which made a nice walk too.  It was good to meet her and put a face to a name.  I got on with her really well.  I agreed to help out with adding content to the new site when it is up and running.

The new fence was erected in Devon - it is very nice indeed and a huge improvement on the old falling down one.  Apparently Helena is pleased too - which is a relief.   Meanwhile in London Mike and Lee fixed the back gate - restoring it to shape with some angle pieces and then Lee painted it with Cuprinol.

There was quite a heatwave at the beginning of the month - reaching 30 and over at times - which was quite timely for Wimbledon fortnight but made sleeping difficult some nights.  Lorraine got the fans and the sun lounger down from the loft for me.  I watched quite a bit of Wimbledon tennis on TV, mainly the Andy Murray matches,  but it felt like I was wasting time and should be doing something more useful.  I did do some cross stitch - a free kit of Ponsettias which is my travel one, the snow wolf being in Devon.

We did another Summer Sings with Goldsmiths - this time on two Magnificats, one by J S Bach and one by C P Bach.  I enjoyed it more than I thought and was able to sightread most of it quite happily.

Continued to visit Keith when I could (ie when not away) doing errands and helping with forms and correspondence.

I rang a Handbell peal of Lincolnshire on 3-4 at Harrow  with Chris, Robert and Tricia - which was a great relief as I rang much better than I had the previous time I had rung with Robert. I also went over to Harrow at short notice for a handbell evening of QPs.  Louise got her first of treble bob with Kent Major and I was in a successful attempt of Kent Major for Tom - although we dragged him through somewhat!

At the beginning of the month we went to Gill and Martins for the weekend - with a somewhat delayed start as Mike had shredded a tyre the night before and had to get a new one before we could set off.  We had an enjoyable and sociable time just sitting around eating and drinking and chatting and even got the chance to watch the ~Andy Murray match in the afternoon.  They are all off on a family holiday to Namibia in August and told us all their plans.  On the Sunday we left after an early lunch and I got back in time to go Church sitting - albeit arriving an hour late.

The next day I went walking with Maryanne taking in the Golden valley. We started at The Bridgewater arms and had lunch there at the end. Lovely lamb cutlets. I was home in time to see Andy Murray play.

The Hoya flowered  this month - there were lots of blooms and it continued to flower for the whole month.  The scent in the house in the evening is absolutely wonderful.

Mike and I went to ring with Caroline at Guys. Had really nice meal at Cafe Rouge afterwards.  Steak came with small pot of garlic oil - superb.  Spoilt later by jobsworth at London Bridge who would not let Mike use the escalators (lifts being refurbished).  After creating a fuss, including getting the supervisor who had printed terms of carriage which stated it was unsafe to use escalator in a wheelchair and was not allowed, we left and walked across London Bridge to Monument.  No one there stopped him using the stairs!  Mike sent email of complaint to TFL which received standard answer - but then he got a phone call from TFL and a sensible conversation with someone who didn't realise it was taught at spinal injury centres and who intimated Mike might be asked to attend a meeting at TFL.  He also sent the reply to Back Up and they have escalated it to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson who is on the board of TFL!

I was supposed to have lunch with Len and Janet on 9th - but there was a tube strike so we deferred.  However Lorraine had a court hearing re her car accident (about a year ago) on that day and I said I would go with her to support her.  So we drove to Edensor Road and parked her car and then went to Chiswick Station to get a train.  We were lucky that the doors opened exactly where we were standing and we were able to push on.  We got further pushed on at each station - and eventually I even got a seat! We met her barrister at the court and then waited for about half an hour for the other side to turn up.  He turned up with an interpreter intending to represent himself as his solicitor had pulled out the night before.  In the event we were all called in just for the Judge to say she couldn't hear the case and that there wasn't a judge available that day to hear it!  Lorraine and I went for a coffee, and then she went to meet a friend and I went for some retail therapy (trekking sandals and walk socks) and then home.  I went home by bus - catching the 94 at the start of its route and thus getting a seat at the front on the top - and was completely removed from the chaos behind me as it filled up along the way with people trying to get home.  It terminated at Shepherds Bush - but I then caught a 607 and again had a seat all the way home.  So really we did quite well with the transport given the chaos that was out there.

July was also the month of the Barnes Summer Trip to Bovey, and the family trip to Butlins Bognor Regis - both of which are reported on separately in this blog.

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