Painting the wall of the house

My fingernails are torn to shreds but I have completed the painting of our part of the south wall of the house. Thankfully Scott contributed a fair bit to the painting, especially the high parts as I am not keen on heights. He also did not mind sitting on the conservatory roof in the heat. Thank you Scott.
The beginning - The untidy and tacky wall of the courtyard.
For those people who live down under, this is a closeup of pebble dashing. Scott starting to paint, which required dabbing rather than brushing. Very painstaking and tedious.

I repaired all the holes in the wall. I ignored Scott's advice which was to push little pebbles into the plaster so that the finished job would have the same texture as the rest of the wall. I agree with Scott in theory on this one!

Scott developed a sun tan on top of the conservatory roof. The wood is the remains of a previous owner's attempt at building a pergola. Sadly we have many dodgy repair jobs on the bottom part of the house walls. We have ignored them for nineteen years.

I am also sitting down but in the shade!

The work is complete! Not much you might say, but the wall took two of us seven hours to paint. Dab, dab, dab. Tedious! Looks very good though.

Then I decided to wash the conservatory roof. Walter bought a new ladder which changes into a platform. Fantastic for jobs like this.

Finally we hung the wall art that Emma and Steve gave me for Christmas. Looks really good! Perhaps I should have painted the downpipe to match the wall.

Where was Walter while all this painting was taking place? He kept well out of the way! He did make some lovely rhubarb and orange jam which was successful because he did not have me giving unwanted advice.

And the other three walls of the house. I think we will get a quote to have them done by someone who can spray paint the walls.

Cleanup in the garden

The weather was glorious today so I knew that there was no putting off the very pressing jobs in the garden and the preparation for the small courtyard transformation. I have been tripping over the tin of paint and wall repairer stuff for more than two weeks. So I put together the tools of trade, mainly the electric hedge trimmer, as I knew that the clematis needed drastic measures.

Of course I was a little distracted by the back garden, which had been tidied previously. All the seeds are in the vegetable patch, fighting the moles, foxes and local cats. Everything looks fresh and green. Unfortunately the clothes line is most unattractive. It will not fold down and Walter assures me it was not cheap. I could have easily spent the day lying on the sun lounge soaking up the sunshine.
The cherry tree in full bloom. The cherries will be plentiful, although very sour, they are great for stewing and using with ice cream. The birds love them! The small courtyard will soon get a makeover! I hope it all goes well.The arch covered in clematis and honeysuckle waiting to be tackled with the hedge trimmers.After decimating the creepers the arch is very bare but hopefully my hard work will result in a wonderful show of white flowers next spring.Off to the tip with the conifers which were cut down two months ago. The tip has been closed due to renovations (new tarmac). Walter made four trips today to make up for lost time.
This weekend has been allocated to the task of repairing and painting the wall in the courtyard. But how to camouflage downpipes, a water tap, a drain and a hose that is permanently attached to the tap. These very necessary items do not fit into my landscaping dream!

Warwick

On Thursday we travelled up to Warwickshire with Emma, Steve, Jackson and Isabel. The weather was coolish and mostly overcast. Except for the last day when we woke to brilliant sunshine. The camping ground, Doddwell Park, Stratford upon Avon. A lovely level site and close to the toilet block. We first walked around Stratford upon Avon, which is very picturesque and full of signs which mentioned Shakespeare. Jackson and Isabel tried to count them but gave up because there were so many.

We finally managed to find a park bench! On Friday we visited Warwick Castle, which has heaps of history and one of the best castles I have ever visited. The origins of the castle began in the Saxon era, and it has continued to be associated with the Earls of Warwick until it was sold in 1978. It also has connections with many kings over the centuries and the site of some horrible battles. Now it is owned by the Merlin Entertainments Group, who have set up some fantastic displays, such as The State Rooms, Kingmaker and A Royal Weekend Party. The characters in the rooms are very realistic and it was difficult sometimes to tell the wax dummies from the real life actors, who played their parts very well. There were also displays and we watched the trebuchet sending a ball of fire into the air, and a display of the birds of prey.

The entrance to the castle.

We were subjected to the stocks before we even started the tour. Not good for my knees! A view of the inner part of the castle.

I look happy and relaxed but inwardly I am terrified because we are high up in the tower. I hate heights!

A reassuring hand on a very young Winston Churchill's shoulder. But he is not interested. He probably feels inadequate due to the fact that I am taller than him! A view of the gardens (plus Steve and me) with the trebuchet on the left hand side of the picture.

A serious game of Uno! Although I did not win, at least I did not come last. It would appear that Emma and Steve's tactics are worse then mine! Our pop up tent is fantastic until you try to fold it up. It has quite mysterious instructions which are not logical.

Altogether it was another lovely few days, and sad that it all came to an end. So it was back to Bexley and Walter's birthday tea.

New Forest

On Monday morning we travelled, with Donna, Scott and Lucy, to the New Forest for a two day holiday. The weather was mostly sunny and reasonably warm during the day. However the nights were very cold, so much so that those in the tents (not us) had to wear hats, woollen socks and fleeces to bed in order to stay warm! They looked interesting, to say the least.

The site at Verwood, was spacious, green and surrounded by woodlands. We went for a long cycle ride for three hours along some of the bike tracks in the forest. I must admit the three hours did include a pub stop and numerous photo shots. We rode up and down hills, mostly on gravel, and along some of the single lane sealed roads. The scenery was beautiful. And we had lots of fun!

All ready to go!The forest is famous for its ponies which have the freedom to wander around the heathland and woods. Posing!Donna, Scott and Lucy - more posing!

Walter ended up posing outside the pub, after we had a very refreshing drink! He was really keen to get going back up the hill but had to wait, not so patiently, for us to take all our photos.I know it doesn't look like it, but Lucy and I are actually riding up a hill. And we made it to the top!

We also went for a long walk in the woods, made longer by the fact that we got lost and had to walk through brambles and over very boggy ground. After realising that all our telephones had no phone or internet access, therefore no Google maps, we decided to follow the setting sun, which we decided was the direction of the campsite. Luckily we were correct and found the campsite before dark.

Donna playing peekaboo behind the tree!

Relying on modern technology can be a problem. Walter used the satnav to find the way back to the campsite after our bike ride. Donna and I followed behind in the car. What a trip! Walter and his satnav took us down narrow streets, dead end streets, one way streets. In the end Donna and I decided to go our own way and use Donna's general sense of direction to get home. Success!

We had a great few days, except for the fact that I lost badly at Uno! Why me?

Tomorrow we are off up to Stratford-upon-Avon and Warrick Castle with Steve, Emma, Jackson and Isabel. I am working on some new Uno strategies!

Tax and the pensioner

I am now on my fifth tax code in four months and poorer in cash, although Walter maintains I should not moan as it is important to pay the correct tax. However, I feel aggrieved as I would not have noticed the missing cash, had the taxation office taken the correct amount of tax out last September. Every penny counts when you are a pensioner. To be fair, it is not entirely the fault of the Taxation Department. I completed a form sent to me last November, a 'checking up on you type of form'. Of course I did not read the instructions correctly and where it said 'enter your weekly state pension' I entered the amount I received monthly. Consequently I received notification of a new tax code which meant that half of my teachers' pension would be taken up in tax payments. Panic! The man in the tax department laughed and said no one receives that amount of state pension and duly corrected everything. Another tax code and more letters from pension offices arrived on my doorstep. Then at the end of March yet another letter arrived from the taxation office stating that I owed them a considerable sum in back taxes which meant that my teachers' pension would be reduced drastically. I experienced considerable palpitations before I made contact with yet another man in the taxation office. After hearing more laughter, he said 'no problems, I can see where the error is' and duly rectified it. So now I have a new, new, new tax code and fingers crossed it is the correct one this time. But the overall amount of money I receive is still less than it was six months ago. I hope it is correct. I want to trust them but there is a niggling feeling that maybe all is still not well! And I am not in control! In the meantime the coffee is still great, especially when the weather is sunny and we can drink it on our terrace. Even though there are weeds between the pavers, and we are surrounded by dead plants killed off by a bitter winter. The coffee is great! And we can still afford it, thank goodness!

Spring Cleaning

The weather was absolutely glorious again today so we had a major cleanup of the motorhome. Walter borrowed a ladder from a neighbour and ventured up onto the roof, and I am pleased to say that he survived the experience. It was a very slippery job! But the roof looks very clean so we can hold our heads up high when we venture into the camping grounds next week. I had a major cleanup in the cupboards so hopefully we will be better organised in that department. I have started cleaning up the garden, and thought I would be logical and begin with the back shed. I threw out about 10 pairs of gardening gloves - mostly stuck together because the rubber had perished. Why did I need so many gloves? Perhaps they multiplied on their own. Then I became very distracted by all the blossom and the need to check up on all the lovely plants I received from people when I retired last year. And they are all growing brilliantly. I think we are going to have a bumper crop of plums. This hedge always puts on a wonderful show of white blossom! I just could not resist the temptation so I sat for a while (quite a while) in the sunshine! The joys of retirement. It was so peaceful, except for the sound of one lawn mower in the distance.But soon I will be sitting in a meadow rather than a lawn. The grass is so long you can hardly see the mole hills. I must not get so distracted.

The house in Bromley

The outside of Emma and Steve's house is nearly finished. This week I cleaned out one of the sheds and cut back the ivy. After numerous visits to the local tip I have become very friendly with the operators and am an authority on all their rules and regulations, which there are many. I only encountered a couple of very small spiders. No redback or huntsman spiders in this part of the world, thank goodness, but they would have loved all the hiding places in the ivy and old shed. I remember the seemingly hundreds of spiders lying in wait for me during cleanouts in our gardens in Australia. I am not a lover of spiders! The back garden is now ready for landscaping. In the right hand corner is the luscious patch of rhubarb. The painting is nearly finished. Just the bathroom left to paint. The front is all finished. Emma and Steve are now experts on painting pebble dashing, apparently you really have to duck the stones that fly out unexpectedly. They have done a grand job though.

Catching up with old friends

We had lunch today with a group of people that I met when I first arrived in the UK, 19 years ago. As I haven't seen some of them for a number of years, we had plenty of news to catch up on.

I remember the first day I arrived at SJF School on a one year contract. I was surrounded by so many strange faces and accents, and I felt very lost and unsure of myself. However, the warmth of the people at the school soon made me feel one of the team and very welcome. Consequently I stayed on, and on, and on and in the end resigned from my position as a teacher with the SA Education Department. A decision I have never regretted.

So it was lovely to be with some of the people from SJF School today. This is one of the delights of being retired and having time to meet up with people.

Lots of news to catch up on! Serious discussions about travel and places visitied!

Catching up on old times, children and grandchildren!

Looking forward to meeting up again soon!

A day out!

Today I went out with Lucy, Jackson and Isabel. First we went swimming at the Pavilion Swimming Pool in Bromley. A leisurely float on my back for me, and lots of swimming and rides on the flumes for the three children. Bliss! Bromley looking its best in all its spring glory. We had our picnic lunch in the car on the way to Greenwich Park. We were ravenous after all the swimming and the journey was very slow due to the heavy traffic. I think everyone was out enjoying the fine weather.

We were visiting Greenwich Park for two reasons, one to give the children a chance to play in the playground and go for a walk and the other was for them to stand on the Meridian Line.

The walk and play in the playground was achieved very easily with lots of running up and down all the hills for the children. So much energy! I walked along sedately, which was more in keeping with my age, I thought!

A picture of the Royal Observatory taken from below the hill.

Looking out towards the O2 (used to be called the Dome).

We received a shock when we arrived at the Royal Observatory because there is now a charge for adults (£10 per adult) although children are still free. I objected to paying £10 so told the children they could look at the Meridian Line through the railings. Naturally they were not happy about this arrangement, especially as Lucy was studying this topic at school.

I had trouble getting them lined up for this photo! Then I thought, 'What the heck' as it is only money. The charge of £10 was brought in at the beginning of March and the attendant looked quite embarrassed about it all. Anyway I paid a reduced price as a 'Senior' and I now have a pass for the year! I have promised to take the three of them back again so that they can see the whole observatory.

A happy trio posing on the Meridian Line.

Now we have three very tired and happy grandchildren and one very tired and happy grandparent. A day to remember!