Mild Day - Lunch at Ollerton

A mild day, maybe around 12c all day but no rain or wind. I slept well, until around 4.30am, and fortunately Yvonne had a better night and has decided to make her own way to Nottingham on the bus. We both still have coughs, colds and sneezes but so do lots of people. The weather seems to be improving slowly and we shall all feel better if we have a nice bright May.

I set off for Bob's around 10.15am because I wanted to call in at their Netto to have a snoop round. The Ollerton shop is much better than our local one but stuff is still displayed higgledy-piggledy. You can find CDs amongst the baked-beans and coffee in the gardening section. Maybe it's a marketing ploy to ensure that you scrutinise all the shelves. All I bought was a 67p tin of french pate which looked interesting. I'll report back in due course!

Arriving at Bob's we had coffee, and he was surprised that I asked for 'black'. But every little helps the slimming effort. We had chats and Ralph seemed pleased to see me but Bob said it was because he would expect me to give him something to eat. Ah well! We also saw a bird which neither of us could identify, even with the benefit of a reference book. It was like a slim grey/blue sparrow. Bob had booked lunch for 12noon and we arrived at the Snooty Fox in comfortable time. It really was an excellent meal. The way it worked was that when the vegetables were brought to your table you then went to the carvery. My choice was the turkey while Bob had the beef; both were excellent, carved there and then and complete with all the 'tracklements'.. Then apple-pie and custard for Bob and trifle for me! I know. Another plus - they served first-rate coffee. And this was 'pensioner's day' but you certainly wouldn't have known it from such liberal portions and such good quality. As you will see from the pictures above it is a typical North Notts country pub complete with a waterside area at the rear. I ought to admit that I, and Picasa, have tinkered with the photos abit. The sky was more uniform grey than blue and the light was dire. But I feel with my Blog, that I need record-shots more than works-of-art.

While we were eating my mobile went off but when I answered it there was no-one there. But it has left an icon like an old fashioned tape-recorder on the display and I can't get rid of it. A 'young person' will no doubt sort it in due course. I texted Yonne just to be sure that she hadn't been trying to get hold of me but she hadn't. After lunch we went round to the School complex where everything seems to happen because Bob thought that they may be Wi-Fi and we could have a play with the laptop. They are, but it's staff only, which is reasonable. Then we visited the Workshop which is also part of the complex and where Sandra organises so much. We could see her through a door and she called, but she was obviously busy. We chatted to a couple of people and then I drove Bob home. I decided not to go in but have a leisurely drive home. Karen had mowed the lawns which immediately lifted the looks of the place and I decided to take down the Halifax sign because, as they have stopped marketing the bungalow, it was serving no useful purpose.

Touch wood - I seem free of computer problems and possess a 'happy lappy' - at the moment! So I was able to sort my pictures out, and research the Goodman's digibox for Bob. Not good news I'm afraid. One reviewer said "Why don't they just recall them all and replace them with something that works?" It's just as well he decided to check before dashing out to buy one.