Excellent!

Strictly come Dancing is back on our screens very soon, which is great news ; the new bunch of "hoofers", seem a little disappointing in the celeb stakes compared to last year's competitors! (The dancers themselves in may ways are "bigger" than their more famous partners!.) But I will be watching every week with much interest.

Old diva Stephanie Beecham ( Rose in Tenko) fills the less energetic but most glamorous position, and a pudgy Letitia Dean looks a bit comical galloping behind the gorgeous Kelly Brook. Blue Peter heart throb Gethin Jones and a rugby bouncer type (Kenny Logan) seem pretty enough to watch on the men's side, but who the hell is Dominic Littlewood and Matt deAngelo? A least we have no pseudo nurses dragged out of Casualty this year. Personally I prefer to watch the lovely Karen Hardy, campy Sheffielder Darren Bennett and Mr smoothie himself Anton duBeke!

Networking, LBC,

Spent the day clearing the weeds,grass and rubbish from the field wall, and although it isn't a vast area it has taken me much of the day. The hard work has been useful as I have networked with passing locals who have stopped to admire the tidiness. So I have the promise of a cheap chimney sweep, ordered some cheap logs for the fire, hopefully got a contact to cut the rest of the field's hedges , sold some eggs and have swapped some more eggs for onion sets for winter planting. I have also spent the day listening to LBC (London Talk Radio) The subject of today's phone in was education, and I have found this whole discussion sobering and rather frightening on behalf of parents with children ( Yes I know I am not always so supportive). Many of the callers, desperate to get a good education for their children have gone to amazing lengths to secure a good school for their kids. Extra home tuition for tiny children is apparently commonplace, certainly sleepless nights and hours of interviews and phone calls seem to be the norm, and many callers were stating that they had actually sold their homes to move to get into the catchment area of choice. The pressure to get the best for their children seems terribly high and I thought it interesting that The Bishop of Croydon, Rev Nick Baines, stated this morning that parents ferrying kids between violin, ballet and swimming lessons are putting them under unnecessary pressure to excel, in addition to the existing pressures to perform for school.
Parents and children , stress levels seem so much higher than they did when I was mooching around with my one A level pass ( gradeE) in the late 1970s!!!

Went out to a open garden in Wrexham this afternoon, and although most of the colour had gone out of the garden the rubekia (right) was amazing! (I have three flowers in my garden...total!)

Nephew Chris

Taking of Chris (nephew) tonight and his girlfriend Rebecca with Ann and Tim, forgot I actually has a pic of him lurking on facebook. Face to a name........

Who do you think you are?

Dinner party at Janet's tonight, and the conversation was based very much on family history. Ann and Tim are looking forward in getting DNA assessment of their lineage, in effort to understand where in Europe some of the family was based from. Ann would like to think we have some Spanish ancestry ( Chris is very Spanish-looking), but who in fact knows. The recent BBC programme Who do you think you are? featuring John Hurt was immensely moving, as he was so disappointed and deflated when he found out it was not in fact related to an Irish blood group!

(Lovely teeth Tim!)

Yeah Right!

I have been writing a book in my head and have been doing so for a while now. The old saying states that we all have one in us, and I have been day dreaming about mine during walks up the Gop and ambles along the beach. Now my novel has elements of a film in its construction and I can visualise some of characters quite clearly, as if I was actually watching them up on the screen. I won't go into too many details but actress Elizabeth Spriggs is one of my character's face and voice!. I was day dreaming about it all so much today, that I didn't see two dogs and their owner following close behind me down the old farm road (right pic) and there was an unholy scrap between a springer spaniel and Maddie who was trying her chest bashing bullying technique! Off to Janet and Ned's later for a family meal.

Autumn

The weather has changed, albeit imperceptibly, and there is the merest hint of chill and autumn in the air. Work has started to renovate the village hall (several hundred thousand pound grant from the Welsh Office) ready for spring and the Chickens and ducks are all off to roost earlier and earlier. Fox activity is apparently highest at this time and I have become rather paranoid about the "girls" safety every night. The ducks, led by the two females Maude and Nell have realised the nightly routine, and actually queue up at the entrance to their house at dusk ,waiting to be shut in. Their ark is robust so would withstand a direct fox attack, as is the large coop which houses Mildred and 9 of the other hens. Robina, Trinny, Susanna, Glen Close and 2 of the Andrew's sisters are crammed into the other ark which looks fairly safe, but I am still worried about the black hookers who are housed in the all together more flimsy ebay house. Chris has suggested I buy a gun, but I suspect I would look like Elmer Fudge on a bad day if I ever did.

Is it me, or does Samantha Morton from Elizabeth-The Golden Age look absolutely nuts
striking but nuts!

Elizabeth golden age trailer 2

This is a wonderful trailer, I absolutley adore Blanchett spitting out "I have a hurricane in me, that will strip Spain bare if you dare to try me!!!"
Brilliant

Joan's turn

With 32 animals there always seems to be a problem with one of them at any one particular time. One of the Andrew's sisters has a permanent limp, George and Meg are just getting over worms, at least William's fighting has calmed down somewhat! This afternoon it was 19 year old Joan's turn for the vets, with something stuck in her throat.
After a traumatic cough, choke and run moment, I managed to pick her up by the allotment and drove quick sticks to the vets. Polish vet was available and brandishing a pair magills forceps as she shouted "old her still!" she knocked out a couple of Joan's wobbly teeth before deftly removing a chicken bone.
Unlike the dogs, who would have gone into a mental decline for the rest of the day, Joan immediately started purring and stood with her paws on the dashboard all the way home, as if nothing had happened.

Went to Weightwatchers today (no weight gain!!) and a senior weightwatcher's official called Pat (trim and power suited) tried to conscript me as a potential session "leader". I said I would meet her to discuss the matter after all extra money would be useful in paying my Barclaycard off! but I think being a leader would be more useful in keeping my weight off! permanently