Category: Uncategorised

Went to the doc’ today.

Several reasons, inc. renewing Co-codamol prescription. It’s always a struggle to persuade them that I need this drug. I think it’s because known as addictive. Anyway, I succeeded.

Another reason was this ‘orrid looking thing – see above pic – that’s appeared recently on my lower right leg. Any and all new/weird lumps and bumps always bring a ‘big C’ scare

I’m waiting to hear what the professionals make of it (via my pic!). Maybe they’ll need to take a better look? One would hope so!

Today was a really weird day. I’m drawing to the end of a course of 13 counselling sessions, that have been really helpful for me.

Overall, I feel I’ve made massive progress. But every now and again, like just now, in the last day or two. I can feel awfully, no, indeed, appallingly depressed.

Not only that, but I also have physical dimensions to my ailments. I have psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. Both of which are very effectively treated by the sea medications that I take.

But nonetheless they do take a toll on me. Perhaps even the treatments, as much as the illnesses? Probably this is manifested primarily in terms of energy. Or a distinct lack thereof.

I spent all of today until about midday in bed, sleeping. And there’s so much that needs to be done. Both that I want to do. And that I simply have to do. So I really haven’t got time to be just sleeping the day away.

Anyway, when I finally emerged, from the cozy cocoon of bed, I decided to tackle a more fundamental job then I had hitherto intended. I would take up the old carpet in our bedroom (we’re also trying to de-flea our house).

It’s filthy, ages old, totally not our tastes, and frankly, disgusting and depressing to contemplate. But the issue is our bedroom is so full of stuff that it’s barely possible to move. Never mind do a big job like that.

So, of course, removing the old carpet entailed moving tons of stuff. An activity that, on a daily basis, I waste masses of time on. Nevertheless, I got on with the job. But soon enough I discovered I didn’t have the appropriate tools.

One of the things I needed was a four-way extension cable (or more, but four at the very least). We have loads of these, but they are generally all full of plugs that I don’t want to disconnect, or I simply can’t find them. So I bought a new, one very cheap (£4), from Boyes.

But getting onto the more specific tool area, I had tried using a Stanley knife to cut into the carpet. But all my Stanley knives are old and rusty/dull-bladed. A quick trip to ScrewFix sorted this out, however.

Whilst there – and enquiring about extension cables that have USB sockets built-in – another guy at the counter enlightened me, re carpet cutting; what I needed was a hook blade. So I bought a pack of these (£2.49, I think?). And, sho’ nuff, once back home, they did the job like a dream. It was, to use an old cliche, like slicing through warm butter!

The above are two of many folders, and suchlike similar baggage, that I’ve been carrying around for years. I’ve never gone back to their contents, except to have a look. So they’re useless. Today I’m burning them.

Rather unpleasantly I found this dead rat, whilst preparing my fire. It went on to the pyre.

It always feels good to purge oneself of such detritus. I do t do it near enough! Talking of purging… I need to ‘log on’, in the medieval sense.

Teresa asked me to design the Halloween pumpkin. As usual, I’ve gone with a simple traditional design.

I drew the design. She cut it out. And she used the innards to make pumpkin pie. Pumpkin, to light the evening, and pumpkin pie, to eat.

I picked Teresa up from work, at the local railway station. It was very musty or foggy. Quite aptly spooky. And on the drive home see stopped to look at a particularly fancy display.

Once home, Teresa and I picked The Pit And The Pendulum, for our televisual entertainment. Price – as both Nicholas and Sebastian Medino – is, well… priceless!

This 1961 International Pictures ‘classic’ is the second in a trilogy of Poe adaptations. We also have the first (The Fall of the House of Usher), but not the third (The Tomb of Ligiea).

This amazing building gets its own post.

What an amazing building. I can’t help feeling that these awesome and inspiring spaces need to be repurposed somehow. Perhaps, in the vein of Alain de Botton’s Religion For Atheists, as secular spaces for ‘sociology-spiritual’ well-being?

Kings Lynn is graced with a great deal of fabulous architecture. I was in town to flog off a Tanglewood guitar, at Cash Converters. Alas, times are hard.

I got £80 for the axe. Which was a good result. I got the guitar for nothing. It’s bridge had come away from the body. And the owner didn’t want the hassle or expense of fixing it. I was keen to try my hand at making and fitting a new bridge. Which I did very successfully.

Until I examined it more closely, I didn’t know what this building was.

I do love these old doors. Esp’ when they’re green.

Sounds like there’s more to The Guildhall than meets the ear.

This metal plate on the pavement is interesting. I’ll have to look into the whole Kings Lynn whale thing.

The town prison has a museum. I didn’t go in, cause it costs, and I’m broke. But get a load of those shackles or manacles, or whatever the Hell they are.

I saw a poster advertising an event at the Duke’s Head Hotel: A Jazz life, featuring a drummer I know, John Petters. What a great venue for such things.

As I was thinking of leaving, I passed the above tower. It’s set in a lovely little park. Some photos of which I include below. The tower was originally at the centre, kind of, of an enormous complex of buildings.

On another side of the park, the above walls intrigued me. Going round to the from one sees the building pictured below. A library. What a terrific building. If only modern libraries – and other municipal buildings – might be so beautiful.

Look at the doors below. Now these are proper portals!

Inside there’s this atrium, and a stained-glass feature in the roof. Exquisite!

And just off the atrium, there’s this fabulous spiral staircase.

I finally headed home, satiated, with a bellyful of architectural indulgence. En-route home the heaven’s opened. And there were, afterwards, some very impressive cloudscapes.

As I drove out, headed to Downham Market and Kings Lynn, today, I spotted this monster Buick. Well, okay, so it’s hard to miss! You don’t see cars like this very much round our slummy end of town.

The from is quite something. lol at all that shiny chrome! And the grill? Just beautiful.

This monster has a kind of prolapsed ass! And it really literally does look like an add-on, or bolt-on. Crazy. The spare wheel cover (‘tonneau’?) is fab.

I always wanted to fake white wall tires on my MX5, but never did get around to it. These beauties also have a wee thin band in the body colour as well. For added bling/class!

We went to see Rick Stein give a talk, on his current publicity junket tour, at Ely Cathedral. He’s promoting his latest book, Simple Suppers.

We got a signed and dedicated copy, as you can see, above. Everyone was required to jot down what they wanted Rick to write. I went for ‘To Seb & Teresa, with love, fish, and poetry.’

Teresa had popped to the loo. I had to drop back a few places in the queue, to give her time to return. And when she did she did her customary shy bit. Took a fair deal of coaxing to get her up alongside Rick and me.

As a result of Teresa’s absence/reticence, all I got to say to Rick was ‘thanks’, as we left!

The book looks good. And I like the basic idea: food that’s quick and easy, but delicious.

Book talks of this sort are a little odd. Especially so, to me, the greater the celebrity factor. A Nigella event we went to some years previously was, to my mind, really not my bag.

This was better. But it still wasn’t what I’d call a ‘great event’. Merely just fun. But just look at Teresa’s face… priceless!

The cover, the photos inside, and the little mini essays, all look terrific. The cover visually equates to the idea of the book itself; simple!

On an evening delivery shift I did a few days ago, I was in Wansford, and surrounding g villages. The rivers, streams, and meadows were literally steaming. A good layer of fog slowly built over the course of the evening.

Very picturesque, but the very Devil to deliver in! In the dark of autumn eves is bad enough. But with added fog!?

As has become normal for me now, as I drive around I snap shots of stuff that looks good to me. Beautiful houses, churches (lots of these!), and, of course, the countryside.

I’m enjoying being out and about, and not cooped up in pokey little (or even large) rooms.

The bridge at Wansford, over the river Nene, is lovely. As the view atop this posts attests. Wansford is/was on the Great North Road. It is also a stop on the Nene Valley Railway.

I recently had an Amazon delivery route that was 90% based in Stamford and environs. A very beautiful town and surrounding area. A couple of my packages were for someone at Rennet & Rind (view their website here), purveyors of bespoke cheeses!

Being a cheese nut, I had to sample their wares. And I wound up buying small taster portions of Lincolnshire Poacher and Montgomery Cheddar. Both utterly delish!

I also bought some lovely Netherend Farm butter.

These cheeses are best enjoyed on their own, perhaps with some red wine and suitable crackers. Maybe some quince jelly? Etc. But today, for lunch, we skimmed it, with cheese on supermarket white bread toast.

But, like Sting’s Englishman In New York, ‘I like my toast done on one side’!

Rennet & Rind take cheese seriously. They describe themselves as ‘cheese pioneers’, and there’s an ‘academy of cheese’ link on their website. My kind of people!