Saturday, June 20, 2009
Rambles through Saturday 20th June
Today we went to Ford.
The boot sale was just getting under way as we arrived. The first stopping point was at the favourite house clearance man – the one who is reputed to be a vicar.
The person whose belongings were being cleared had left, as usual, loads of junk. No doubt we will all do the same.
In one box were several boxes of Movicol! No! My digestion never needs anything like that these days! And there were boxes of paracetamol – more than enough to kill yourself in these days when a shop must limit you to 25 tablets just in case you have such a thing in mind. This is daft – because if you are in need of pain killers a doctor will prescribe paracetamol 100 at a time anyway – though I guess our doctors know us so well, they know we have no intention of making their life easier by removing ourselves from this world.
But there were also books of potential interest and a little profit. Ashley and I got a few. We took them straight back to the car along with fresh courgettes (with their flowers on) and lovely fresh carrots.
Then it was time to browse all the stalls – turning away from the ridiculously over priced, nodding contentedly really at other stalls who were selling for about the same as we would – at least it makes us feel we are getting things about right; and then buying some things from those who offered us bargains.
I bought more books and interesting china and glass and kitchen ware.
Bill spent rather more money on 2 large model planes – the sort for display on a desk of somebody wishing to impress and models and little binoculars and soldiers etc.
Ashley bought more books, CDs and DVDs.
By the time we got to the Balaton it was later than usual. It was quite crowded. Certainly the table in the window that we like was in use.
We had already been to the Littlehampton post office with parcels and round the charity shops. Bill bought a pair of M & S shorts.
We ordered our “usuals” in The Balaton and sat contentedly eating and watching people and chatting about our purchases.
We thought of a walk – in addition to the walk by the river and along the sea front that is. But we all needed some time to rest and time, too, to write up and research our purchases.
The walk in Findon and up on Cissbury Hill will have to wait.
One of my parcels was posted to Findon.
The buyer has been in touch because she failed to bid for a second thing she wanted. We have arranged a sale and she told me of her Findon web site – and most interesting it is too.
So this afternoon I sat and wrote up my things whilst watching the European Athletics Competition. It used to be called the Europa Cup and it is not just the name that has changed.
Oh dear, oh dear!
Athletics has gone like cricket – changed things for the benefit of television, whose viewers get easily bored. It seems we don’t like longer races and so something was done to spice up the middle of the races – each lap the person in last place was to be eliminated. Except muddles occurred and it completely changed the nature of the race. There were alterations too to the way field events were organised – making them finish more quickly and dropping the weaker athletes during the competition.
I don’t know – we spend time encouraging the youngsters to applaud all people’s efforts even those less able because each person was doing their best. And in international events we just eliminate the less good.
This evening we ate sausages again – drunken duck once again. And we had very tasty potatoes – both items bought at the car boot sale.
So, another busy and happy day.
Here are a few Littlehampton pictures......
We have often photographed the cheap plastic toys - for the colourful patterns they make.
As usual we had leaned over the railings to admire and talk to the swans in the river estuary. They must be bored with our conversation for we always seem to apologise that we have no bread for them.
Ashley and I mused on the notion of using one of these for the school run with Ekatarina.
The boot sale was just getting under way as we arrived. The first stopping point was at the favourite house clearance man – the one who is reputed to be a vicar.
The person whose belongings were being cleared had left, as usual, loads of junk. No doubt we will all do the same.
In one box were several boxes of Movicol! No! My digestion never needs anything like that these days! And there were boxes of paracetamol – more than enough to kill yourself in these days when a shop must limit you to 25 tablets just in case you have such a thing in mind. This is daft – because if you are in need of pain killers a doctor will prescribe paracetamol 100 at a time anyway – though I guess our doctors know us so well, they know we have no intention of making their life easier by removing ourselves from this world.
But there were also books of potential interest and a little profit. Ashley and I got a few. We took them straight back to the car along with fresh courgettes (with their flowers on) and lovely fresh carrots.
Then it was time to browse all the stalls – turning away from the ridiculously over priced, nodding contentedly really at other stalls who were selling for about the same as we would – at least it makes us feel we are getting things about right; and then buying some things from those who offered us bargains.
I bought more books and interesting china and glass and kitchen ware.
Bill spent rather more money on 2 large model planes – the sort for display on a desk of somebody wishing to impress and models and little binoculars and soldiers etc.
Ashley bought more books, CDs and DVDs.
By the time we got to the Balaton it was later than usual. It was quite crowded. Certainly the table in the window that we like was in use.
We had already been to the Littlehampton post office with parcels and round the charity shops. Bill bought a pair of M & S shorts.
We ordered our “usuals” in The Balaton and sat contentedly eating and watching people and chatting about our purchases.
We thought of a walk – in addition to the walk by the river and along the sea front that is. But we all needed some time to rest and time, too, to write up and research our purchases.
The walk in Findon and up on Cissbury Hill will have to wait.
One of my parcels was posted to Findon.
The buyer has been in touch because she failed to bid for a second thing she wanted. We have arranged a sale and she told me of her Findon web site – and most interesting it is too.
So this afternoon I sat and wrote up my things whilst watching the European Athletics Competition. It used to be called the Europa Cup and it is not just the name that has changed.
Oh dear, oh dear!
Athletics has gone like cricket – changed things for the benefit of television, whose viewers get easily bored. It seems we don’t like longer races and so something was done to spice up the middle of the races – each lap the person in last place was to be eliminated. Except muddles occurred and it completely changed the nature of the race. There were alterations too to the way field events were organised – making them finish more quickly and dropping the weaker athletes during the competition.
I don’t know – we spend time encouraging the youngsters to applaud all people’s efforts even those less able because each person was doing their best. And in international events we just eliminate the less good.
This evening we ate sausages again – drunken duck once again. And we had very tasty potatoes – both items bought at the car boot sale.
So, another busy and happy day.
Here are a few Littlehampton pictures......
We have often photographed the cheap plastic toys - for the colourful patterns they make.
This time the addition of a cheap pirate flag adds drama to a beach scene.
As usual we had leaned over the railings to admire and talk to the swans in the river estuary. They must be bored with our conversation for we always seem to apologise that we have no bread for them.
One day swans!
But it was the scruffy young starling who was pictured today.
Outside the fairground was a group of bikers and their machines.
How young John would have been captivated.
Some were 2 wheelers and some had 3 wheels. They were Honda Goldwings. It was an outing for the Honda Goldwing Club who are camping this weekend at Guildford.
Ashley and I mused on the notion of using one of these for the school run with Ekatarina.
That would give her some street cred!
And announce to all that Dad had some money to spend for these bikes would cost more than some cars.
The Balaton is quite a fixture in our lives. It is cheap, cheerful and friendly.
Hope all have had a happy and busy day. I hope Roger and Sue have rung bells and sung with gusto and joy at a wedding. Was the singing at the wedding - I can't remember.
I hope Meg is enjoying Wilts.
I hope Jamie has enjoyed a day with the children in Mam's absence. She has gone to Chumphon to be with the family round her father who is mighty unwell with one of the nasty mosquito borne diseases. Hope John didn't yell too much when the stitches came out.
I am sure Mo feels hope now that Beth is out of hospital again.
So lots of hope in the world despite the impression we might get from the news.
goodnight.
