Friday, May 19, 2006

Car Fixed - Wet and Windy - Packing


Our beloved Tram, which we shall miss so much when we move. The terminal, Phoenix Park (they can't leave Lawrence alone) is built on the site of the old Babbington Colliery which, as far as I am aware, had not the remotest connection with DHL. No matter ! The trams are excellent, and with my walking difficulty, so easy to get on and off. No steps and disabled seating right next to the doors. Inside they are like London Undergound carriages, with undergound type maps on the curves of the roof. Also, completely clean and litter-free. Every 10 minutes at busy times, lengthening to 12 minutes and 20 minutes at weekends. Whatever, one never seems to have to wait long. If you can just see the orange lights (roof level, in the middle) the display says exactly to the minute when the next one is due. There is plenty of disabled parking close to the entrance and, if its an evening theatre trip, you can get off right outside the Theatre Royal.

The garage fixed our car this morning, from when the wall at Tracy's jumped out and banged the front bumper and wing. I was pleasantly surprised at £65. It looks like new and I was expecting it to be £100 plus. Mind, I am a loyal customer and pay my bills immediately and in a village these things matter.

An early Blog this evening because I have to pack and there won't be time in the morning. We set-off at 7.30am. The Mansfield Chapter of the National Trust like to get on with things. So Radiogandy will be "Off -Air" for a couple of days. I've decided to comply with Senior-Management's dictum that 'laptops are banned'. Got lots to read anyway, and recorded podcasts and stuff on my MP3 player, and I shall enjoy 'nebbing' at everyone's gardens out of the coach window. Not to mention the scenery and the places-of-interest lined up for us. The hotel has a seafront position but obviously not all the rooms have a sea-view. Fingers crossed ! Mind, if the weather doesn't improve there won't be much to see. I Google-mapped and printed the address - straightforward map and also a hybrid map/satellite view which looks good. I also googled and printed interesting stuff about places of interest.

My list of things-not-to-forget is in the back of my diary and as I pack I tick things off. When I was travelling about the country so much, I used to do this, and as I forgot things I added them to the list for next time. The ultimate was when I had to deliver some lectures at the then BMC headquarters in the West Midlands and when I arrived I found I had forgotten my case altogther. I nipped out to buy underpants, socks etc., and my hosts kindly fixed me up with 2 BMC 'T shirts' which I thankfully wore. My audience thought I was pretty trendy for a Police Inspector.

See ya' all Tuesday.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like the composition of the tram photo but who are the mexican gunfighterand his hembra? (could they be waiting for the 3.10 to Yuma).

For me, the MD is quite right to ban computers on hols. I would extend it to phones (emergencies excepted) and newspapers (apart from the telegraph crossword. What do you really need apart from lots of tea and telly? Havinfg said that, it was handy to be able to review photos on a wet weekend in Wisbech (I know it was midweek in Holbeach but I like the alliteration).

I hope you geta seaview in Morecambe because mymemory says there is bugger all else to look at. From Pontin's Holiday Camp at Middleton Towers (with its romantically named Berengaria Building)you could only see, and smell, the ICI Noxious Substances Factory. Mind you, that was 53 years ago.

Regarding the system for not forgetting things, how do you remember where your diary is? I have one every year but always mislay it before the end of February.

Returning to roasted root veg, we ate the warmed up remains in a baguette- or rather I did. Sandra found the filling too sweet and I could appreciate why. So go easy on the pomoea batatas, I say; one small one to a dozen portions would be plenty, especially with parsnip and swede in too.

One (more) thing puzzles me; what is the significance of the little fella in the wheelchair to the right of the 'word verification' panel at the bottom right hand corner of the 'comments' page?

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked the tram. You are right, there is a certain mexican look to the passengers.

Re 'little chap in wheelchair' click him and see.