[Bob Williams]

Beautiful day here today, just taken SWMBO out to exercise the new hip for a couple of hours. Thought I would have to get her on my back to get her home. Her feet are playing up now.

Think I may have to visit the local blacksmith for her new shoes. What do think of these?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Dan, if on your travels around Warrington you should meet a guy named Bill Warwick, please let me know. He was a very good mate in the Army but we lost contact many years ago. I can just imagine him being a real ale drinker.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

RSB wrote:

@bullstuff2 Why not get your friend and family to sign up here? You have private messages and you have facebook style posts! Plus an added bonus of not being harvested for add’s. And if that’s not enough you could even create your own forum group for friends and family which only mods and your members can see. Just a thought

Would have been good Lee, but I have been considering the whole Social Messaging thing.

I don’t really use FB that much now and it is becoming less and less important to me. The extended family that I actually want contact with, I have as many email, phone and snailmail messages with, that both they and myself are happy with. There are other family members that had very little contact with, even when I lived in the next village to them, before moving here to Lincolnshire in 2000. None have ever been to any home where SWMBO and I have lived and none have ever been here since we moved. Although my brother visited Louth on a “Jolly” with a couple of mates about 9 years ago. I was living 2 miles away, he had the address but I knew nothing about the visit until afterwards. Same brother used to walk the fields behind my Nottinghamshire house with his wife, but never called.

This morning I called the cousin in Staffordshire that I grew up with, to let him and his sisters know about my health problems. Immediately he wanted to come over here, but I asked that he wait until I was out of hospital: it’s a long journey across 4 counties and we have no room to put them up. Both his remaining sisters and 3 of his old mates want to come: as I lived there for almost 3 years as a kid, they were my mates too. In comparison, when I called my eldest niece in Notts, there was no mention of coming here from them.

All the other friends and family are available by phone, email or letter. I am going to just not connect with the rest: I know that means loss of contact, because there will be no attempt by them to contact myself and/or my missus. I have found that does not bother me and I am OK with that. I am fine with the people who mean as much to me, as I do to them. The rest can KMA. That isn’t bitterness, it’s reality. I will keep my FB account for now, but don’t intend to visit unless necessary. To show what I mean: yesterday I had 23 ‘messages’ which were all about other people talking with other people. Only one was someone I speak to regularly, my Gt nephew in the North of Scotland. I emailed him and sorted out something he wanted to know, asked him to phone, email or write if he wants to talk.

Thanks for the suggestion, but there is also the fact that some of those I mention would suffer by comparison with the company here on Forumite.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

I have little to add to the excellent advice given by others before me, but do take these words from Richard into deep consideration:

” …it is doubtful that the furnishings would be suitable, once they are removed an awful lot of memories will go with them. Memories are for the minds of people who carry them about, they are not carried by bricks, mortar and chattels. ”

I have memories of returning to my parents’ old house and my childhood home, with my wife, years after I had left. I had described the hose and gardens to my new missus – Apple trees, masses of fruiting blacberry along the fence, elderberry trees, veg planted everywhere. It was all gone: trees, fence, everything I remembered, all gone to lawn and the kind of twee, mock-stone wall that my parents would have hated. And then it hit me: this is no longer my home, nor has it been for a long time. I moved several times since then, across counties. Each house was bricks and mortar, but the people of all ages who grew into a family in each house, were the real ‘Home’. A house has been called “a machine for living in” but a home is not a home if you do not share it with those you love.

That’s my philosophy, anyway. Whatever you decide to do with the house is your affair, but don’t let the past cloud your view of the present and the future.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

The upsetting thing for me is that I use it mainly to keep in touch with a far-flung group of friends and family. Losing that will be a blow, but I am going to close my account.

Any takers on a bet that Zuckerberg comes back with what he will insist is a new, squeaky-clean version? The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and FB is very big. Apparently.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Alan Wood wrote:

If your budget allows do fly to Kochin I think you mean Kuching. If so I can thoroughly recommend it. I spent 2 years living there in the 60s and they were probably among the best two years of my life. I still have contact with friends I made there.

+1.

And I am well out of date (1965) but I had a great time in the smaller fishing villages. Borrowed a Land Rover at weekends/whenever and took as many cig’s as I could carry. I am possibly responsible for nicotine addiction amongst Malay fisher folk, but it was currency then. Fond memories of a friendly, welcoming people who had very little but would share it with you.

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

What you get when you employ the wrong Aussie coach…

But well done to the other inhabitants of these islands.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Steve that’s a sad, sad story about your dad. As has been said, we read some of it before, but I also recall that you suffered some problems with him. Having an abusive parent (mam) I know that song only too well. Didn’t drink until 29, then alcoholic? Would that have been after the Falklands? Probably PTSD, I have two mates who stayed on after I left, said that was a short but horrible war. Being REME REMF’s (US Forces lingo) they were set to burial parties. One of them was badly affected by that. Don’t think PTSD was “invented” then, certainly not in HMF.

Things seen and done can get into your head and never leave, I know that only too well.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Steve: 13½ stone is 189 pounds. Feel better??

5 feet 8 inches is 1727 millimetres. Is that better? ?

Not telling my weight, “enough” sounds OK to me. Just wish my legs could support it better.

Shortly before I had my spinal Op, an old mate had his top 3 verterbrae fused. He cannot turn his head properly now, and his problem was similar to mine. I was lucky enough to get one of the top 3 Spinal Neurolgists in the UK.

After matey had his neck fused, he hated people calling him from behind, had to turn his whole body. I only do it occasionally, don’t see him often….?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Sheer stupidity mixed with the greed of some people never ceases to amaze, does it Wasbit?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Got some old pennies back to 1800’s, but they are making nothing unless practically Mint. I do have a 1983 pack of Uncirculated Decimal Coinage though, all Mint, including a Halfpenny coin. Not everyone knows that the ½ penny was still minted and in circulation until 1984, which means my Mint ½P is one of the last. Photos:

I also have a £5 coin celebrating the 1947 – 1997 Golden Wedding of (then) Princess Elizabeth to Phil The Greek:

Not very complementary, is it? 200 years ago the designer would have been beheaded.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Being near the East Coast, the present Siberian blast is coming straight at us and it is Brass Monkeys out there. More snow flurries, but whipping across my windows at 45° to the horizontal, driven by an increasingly stronger wind. It’s blowing around the Close and the old 50 foot Willow Birch across the way is tossing from side to side.

As usual, when I went to Morrisons this midday, several people were obviously expecting an Ice Age: buying up lots of stuff they will probably not eat or otherwise consume. Two successive cold snowy days and a portion of the British populace think Global Warming has ended and gone into reverse. ??

The sight of a lady from the village with no children now at home, buying 2x 9 packs of toilet rolls, 3x loaves, masses of veg, other stuff and lots of tinned food, amused me. There is a perfectly good Village Shop, which has veg from a local farmer, across from her house.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Height is my problem. At 19 on Army entrance, I was 5 feet 7 inches, so no giant then! However, life, age, spinal problems have all combined to reduce that to 5 feet 5½ inches, taken at the last measurement at Castle Hill yesterday. SWMBO asked where the missing 1½ inches went, at which I pointed to my bald spot. I don’t think she believes me, but at 4 feet 9 inches she does not often catch sight of the top of my head. ??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

One of the twin sons of my old boss, had a Lancia Delta Integrale Evo2. Been trying to find an image of one in the same colour, this is close. It was a damn sight more civilised than the Stratos, and almost as quick.

I really liked that car and so did the twin, until Italian Electrics drove him to sell it. But it was a really good drive, a Hot Hatch with manners.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Yes I think that calls a halt to my morbid stuff for now Nolan. Not saying anything about my health until after my return from hospital. I will not “Fear The Reaper” after the old Blue Oyster Cult song.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Fairly boring weather here today: only 3 seasons in one day so far. Earlier, snow fell quite thickly for about 30 minutes, coated the cars and roofs, out came the sun and melted it all, then freezing rain, more sunshine. Snow flurries and sunshine alternated for a couple of hours. Been out to shop and pick up gdaughter for the weekend, drove through hard sleet that was like bucksot on the car, then a driving blizzard, pushed by a very strong East wind. It is very cold out there though. Gdaughter resisting a walk in it, to my relief. Says she would rather do homework, which tells you how cold it is out there!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Suddenly had a flashback to my granddad, who died in 1954, a month after my 9th birthday. I was closer to granddad than my two older brothers, I saw him for the last time physically on the Christmas before he passed, lying in bed a shadow of his former self. His last words to me took a lot of getting out, but I recall them. “Remember me as I was. Keep me in your mind. If I have made you laugh, remember that. If I have told you something interesting, remember that. If you remember me, I am always there with you.”

No one has to believe this, but it’s clear in my memory (when I forgot most of what I did yesterday). I woke up during a night in April 1954 and saw him at the end of my bed. Smile, pinstripe suit he always wore, big silver pocket watch and chain, wire framed specs, same big mole on the left cheek that is on mine. He just faded away. I looked at my Mickey Mouse watch and it was just after 3:30 am. Went back to sleep and told my parents about that. They smiled and dismissed it as parents do, until later, when a telegram* from my uncle Clarence arrived: “Dad passed away at 3:30 this morning.”

*Remember them?

That is a true story. My parents’ reaction is one reason why I have always spoken to my kids and grandkids in adult terms, if I can, allowing for their age and individual sensitivities. It is why I am speaking to them all this weekend and using granddad’s words as a template. I fully intend to be here after my Op, but there is always Chance. Almost 50 years ago, I ‘died’ 3 times in a German operating theatre. I have no fear of it, but I want to live and see my grandkids have kids.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

In Louth there was once a ‘lady of a certain age’ who would park her aged Moggy Minor on any double yellows, quite often blocking off a bus route around our narrow streets. This was usually opposite the genuine, free parking places, which were of course on the ‘wrong side of the road’ to the shops she used. When the new Parking Enforcement team began work, she kept a growing collection of stuck-on tickets on her windscreen, as some sort of trophy, or possibly under the “ignore it and it does not exist” philosophy.

I was coming out of the newsagents one day when I heard a horrible screeching noise: the poor old Moggy had been clamped! She actually attacked the Enforcement Officer, so I bought a coffee from the newsagents’ machine and sat down on a bench to watch the fun. (Entertainment is rare in Louth except on Friday and  Saturday nights)

Eventually the EO escaped the handbagging and the Police turned up. Watching two burly young coppers trying to deal with the maniacal old girl without harming her, was wonderful fun. They called an ambulance: a male Paramedic was also struggling, until his large, formidable female colleague got out, strode over to the old lass and said right in her face “Get in the ambulance you old bat or I WILL HAVE YOU COMMITED!”

At that point I lost half my coffee and almost fell from my seat. But the old girl meekly climbed into the ambulance, gave her keys to an Officer and departed. One of the police officers drove her Moggy away, after the clamp was removed. I learned later that her licence was withdrawn and the Moggy sold to a guy who is restoring it. I hope it is not possessed by the spirit of the old gal, who passed last year.

Some Divine Providence sent me to a town where stuff like that occasionally happens.

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

They will speak to you if you decide to cancel. You will not be able to get rid of the buggas. Texts, emails, snailmail, they keep trying to get you back. Last offer they made me was by phone call to my mobile. I listened, made them wait while I worked out the deal, then replied that was about 15% more than my previous deal. They tried again, but it was still more expensive. Said I would only return to Sky if it was free, as recompense for previous bad service. Strangely, they haven’t bothered me for a bit…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Bob Williams]

Maybe those guys were not guys, Nolan. Maybe Phoning Home…

Any satellite dishes? ?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

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