Longridge Scout Camp and Boating Activity Centre under threat of closure
1st January 2006
Woken up at midnight by the flash and bang of fireworks.
Later went out for a walk around our local reservoir, well Rutland Water is the local reservoir!
A very different atmosphere from yesterdays on the North Norfolk coast. No one in green wellies and a Barbour Jacket with an out of control labrador/spaniel/setter chasing every other dog round the beach while ignoring the dog whistle blown by the green wellies.
Cold damp but fun, it might even have an impact on the tummy!
January 6th
After hours of work mapping out peoples time commitments across the summer finally sorted out the times for summer hols. Booked a couple of weeks in France for the 2 of us and a week with Minimum and Maximum in August.
January 8th
A whole week gone by already (hooray only 6 more until we go away!).. First rehearsal with the band for months, going really well and the new guitar fits in really well on the numbers I thought it would.
January 9th
Tried to find an exchange for the timeshare for August .... ha! (We could have gone to Florida or a fortress in Kenya, both to far to fly for a week!) Give up on that and book for Autumn, will have to book something else for high summer.
January 11th
The roads don't get any better, another new law.. lorry Drivers no longer have to give way to traffic from the right on roundabouts. I missed that one coming through Parliament! Along with the special dispensation for blondes to drive in the middle lane with no lights on ... even if it is raining and still an hour until sunrise.
Come on people the roads are crowded a little courtesy to other road users would make them much safer! Oh and just because your 4x4 is described as an off-road vehicle doesn't give you permission to park on the pavement (because it's off the road) or on yellow lines (they don't apply in fields) or in 2 bays at once... Common girls if you can't park it properly even with PAS drive something smaller. You'll be less likely to kill someone else's kids if you hit them too. Start a new trend make it safer for everyone by driving smaller cars and loosing the "tank driver" mentality (or is that why truck driver just pull out? and kill each other along with car drivers?) smaller car take up less space so the roads would be less crowded too... What a nice circular rant that was!
January 14th
Very quiet Saturday, walked into town HB found a magazine she has been looking for for weeks on a shelf in Smiths, strange it was months old and there were a couple of copies .... what happened there then?
MiniMum went out to a party in a marquee in someone's field in the evening ... driving out there with some of her croonies MiniMum managed to get HB lost down a lane that ended as a track across a muddy field .... the car got plastered in mud I'm going to have to get the kids to clean it!! Fat Chance this side of spring!
January 15th
Once again a simple thing like putting together a book shelf takes over the whole day, why is it tasks like this just take over, alright the room got shifted round to make room for it ...
Rehearsal day .. things seem to be going well and things are beginning to come together really well.
January 21st
Spent the day sorting out the garage, moving canoes and bikes and trying to throw out some of the rubbish. We ended up covered in dust with the job not quite finished ... so we went into town for a few bits and pieces and walked around in the sunshine. It's been a very grey week and the forecast for tomorrow is Frog and Fost so we wanted to enjoy the sunshine while it lasted.
The Gills lost yet again
January 22nd
Nice day despite the weather forecast, went for a walk around the area, took a few photos, nice one of a bunny by the roadside and a couple of nice views.
later on I went to a rehearsal, it all went rather well there too.
January 24th
What a day .... started early and finished late with a lot of pressure meetings in between. Glad to get home in the end. What's more it's only Wednesday, Gee Whizz.
January 29th
Cold windy bright with grey periods, What a day...
We took MiniMum and one of her pals to the ski slope to get some practice in before her school trip. The picture gives you an idea of the type day it was!
I should point out that this was her first run, she got more relaxed and got some form back after a couple of runs.
Me and HB went for a walk around the lakes and froze my arms off, the joys of wearing a body warmer.
Rehearsals still going well.... all we need now is a gig! Most of the set is good enough to take out to the public.