Car change-over day - ENE Wind - 11⅓C -Coolish

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Our well-cherished Civic has gone and our much-to-be-loved Yaris has arrived. The changeover seems to have occupied most of my day.

The big bit Willis (the garage-owner) did for me i.e. going to the tax office, changing over the details, obtaining my new tax-disc - he is very good. We have been customers a long time. This is the third car we've bought from him - he always does the servicing and we pay cash-on-the-nail.

Perhaps in terms of looks the Civic wins, but in other respects, particularly with regard to my disabilities, the Yaris has the edge and Y will so enjoy the four-door aspect.

As you will see from the title we are still having wind trouble. The raw wind-speed is 17mph but with gusts of 31mph. Incidentally the Yaris tells us the outside temperature. Something else to bore people with !

We received this lovely and witty card from Peter & Joan this morning, welcoming the new car.

What a sweet thought - I think some of our friends are as daft as we are ! .... I don't mean it Peter and when Yvonne has settled in from her London trip we must exchange visits. Then we can show you our Yaris and perhaps even take you out in it.

Some of the roses have been showing 'colour' for some days now but the first to actually bloom is Gertrude Jekyll at the side of the front door. I must remember to mix up some feed and go round as many as I can. They are a little early I think, at least for this garden.

In Notts and Derbys June is accepted as the prime month for roses and a trip to Haddon Hall is always worth it.

Y has already been round ours with her first application of Rose Clear. Usually she does it 4 times which sounds a nuisance but it certainly does seem to control black spot.

I really am looking forward to getting out in the garden again, to do a little more work, but honestly it is too cold and windy.

My Dad, who was a good gardener, used to consider Whitsuntide plenty early enough to make a serious start. His exception was his Runner Beans, always Scarlet Emperor, and he would say - "Plant 13th of May, grow night and day". And we always had beans just as early as everyone else.

It will be good to have Y back tomorrow afternoon. I'm due to collect her from Phoenix Park around 2.30pm. I hope she remembers to look for a strange blue vehicle rather than a racy looking low-slung job in red ! ...... I can always toot. We spoke earlier and she had had a great 'lunch' with Jill. Barbara turned up too. I think they were aiming for Peter Jones.

My responses to your previous comments

Jill ..... Whether or not David & Helen and family have seen the Windsor Dolls House online I
don't know but here is a link to what looks like a good webpage about the official guide-book.

I'm not sure whether Marlene is black or red cherry jam. Very dark red is the physical colour. Had I more space I would have published a snap.

Ian Hislop is a very talented young man ! As you say - many-faceted. He owes his career in some part to Richard Ingrams who appointed him as his successor at Private Eye while Ian was still in his early twenties.

Bob .... Two cassettes is no substitute for a book. Was the ordering error yours or theirs?

jbw .... I'm sure David and family will know about the Ripley emporium. They have had Dolls Houses as a hobby for some time now and will have ferreted out such places. Thanks anyway.

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Quotation time .....

"I can't think of a decent quotation for this evening"

Alfred Goosewhistle - 2009

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