Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Mansfield - Twice in One Day

Not a good photo and I knew my flash wouldn't quite reach Bungus peering into a display cabinet. So I steadied the camera on a balcony rail and gave it a long exposure. The attraction of Mansfield Museum this morning was that they have unearthed many of their old exhibits. Stuffed birds and animals and trays of moths etc., and Bob remembers the museum containing them when he was a boy. The other attraction is that the museum is just across the road from the Wetherspoons we use for lunch.

I called at PCWorld on the way, to buy Photoshop Elements, and succeeded in acquiring the Mac copy rather than the PC version. When I rang, after arriving home, they agreed to exchange it so, as they were open till 8pm I took it in on our way to the National Trust meeting. As was to be expected, they didn't have the PC version and gave me a refund.

The National Trust lecture should have been interesting - it was about National Parks - but it was in fact boring boring. The lecturer committed a 'cardinal sin' of lecturing and spent the first 10minutes of his introduction 'putting-down' the lecture he was about to deliver. Explaining how ill-qualified he was to speak on the subject; how he didn't know much about this or that, and how he wished he had his own slides, but he hadn't etc.,etc. Everyone immediately thinks "What the hell are we here for then?" He was duly thanked by Gerry and everyone applauded dutifully. Although I had noticed that there had been several nodding heads, nobody had actually snored. But we enjoyed the company of our chums and Y did very well with the raffle - as always.

In between returning from lunch and eating and going back to Mansfield we showed some people round the house. Don't know? - could be? Y says she thinks they like it but will probably make us a ridiculously low offer.

I think I lied about the basil seedlings. There certainly were 7, now there seem to be 11. Ah well, some people may have to have 2.

They look a little leggy - but they will sort themselves out.

Byeee.......

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

After the hiatus of your stay in hospital, I am now struggling to keep up, blogwise. I have only just posted yesterday’s comment!

Yes, my first visit for years to ‘The Museum’ (I am sure I used to think it was the only one anywhere) was like a return to childhood. Some might say I am showing other symptoms of that. The giant centipedes, elephant beetles, etc, are still as shudder inducing as ever. And the drawers of Lepidoptera, up to ten or a dozen delicately head-pinned examples of each species, look as fresh as they did 60 or 70 years ago. I have my own private collection of Libyan scorpions, mantis, etc, all in one old Brylcreem jar which my wife unearthed just acouple of days ago. They are nearly 50 years old and, being much travelled, they now resemble a jumble of unassembled Airfix kits.

A pity your NT lecture was not more entertaining. I stopped attending General meetings of the U3A because at least 50 percent were of this ilk. It eventually occurred to me that I could have been better employed at home watching a recording of ‘The X Factor’.

I keep hearing about a surge in house prices but suspect it is Estate Agents’ propaganda. Fingers crossed, anyway. As you now seem to spend so much time in Mansfield, perhaps you should be looking for a property there – it’s not a bad bus service to Nottingham. Mind you, I read in the Chad today that the market is gradually disappearing (not the space itself but the stall holders who are being priced out).

Perhaps I don’t need compost urgently after all (see yesterday’s comment) as you seem to have basil ‘in spades’ as they say (which may or may not count as a pun). Leggy Basil? I remember him well; think he played on the right wing, or am I thinking of Ivan Hollett?

I forgot to mention yesterday that I managed to pick up a copy of ‘Ey Up Me Duck’ for RadioG. It is a fairly comprehensive book of East Midlands dialect. I am sure that Madeline (or was it Jill?) would agree that it has to be a good six quid’s worth.