Wandering

 

Having spent too much time indoors in recent weeks I have been considerably fitter over the past few days than I have been for months.  At least the muscle aches have died down and I can walk at my slow pace once again.  So, with the temp hitting 25% in here, I wandered across the park enjoying the green slice of life.  I enjoyed it so much that I continued through the town, accidentally falling into the café down Panfield Lane where they forced me to eat a 'Traditional Breakfast.'  

I sauntered around a town centre filled with people reacting to the sunshine.  Fans were in use in some shops, many sat outside cafe's, people rushed about, less interested in shopping than is being outside when it was warm, a novel experience this year.  Outside the museum a large white police car from the early 60s stood under a tree.  This is the opening day of the 'Emergency Services' exhibition.  Few were to be seen but I expect 300 or so were inside encouraging the use of sirens to everybody's delight!  

I kept wandering past.  

There was a small Bee on the ground slowly crawling along.  I wondered whether to pick it up and place it safely on the wall but decided I could do without falling flat on my face again.  That is only the second Bee I have seen this year, there was no wildlife of any sort in the park as I passed.  So far only two white Butterfly's and one orange one seen in the trees yesterday are my lot.  Not counting Bluebottles who abound as always.

The time advantage of eating in the café meant I had no washing up, no mess to clear, and could fall asleep for longer at lunchtime, all very good indeed.  The heat encourages eating less, which, as I topped 15.5 stone again is a good thing.  

Looks like porridge tomorrow.

I took my wee camera with me, the other too big for wandering around town, and found this one is in one of it's fault mood.  I could only take 6 not very good photos and then it jammed.  When I got home I fussed about with it, cleared the card and it appears to work again, at least for now.  

I feel better than I have done for ages, though I will have a reaction tomorrow as I head out to Tesco, but I can see light ahead, which was more than this camera could do.  

Onwards and see what happens...

Broken Camera

The one problem at the moment (only one?) is the wee camera.  It has been working fine but with the warm weather I have been carrying the thing in my jean pockets.  The other day I took one or two awful pictures and the lens jammed.  It would not retract, and now just sits there glaring at me.  

Whether the weather had a part in this I know not, but being jammed in the pocket is not good.  I made use of all my brute force and ignorance, but this failed this time.  

A quick search of the web brought several videos regarding repairing G11 problems, so this is good.  

I will soon attempt to play with it and maybe get it back working.  After all, when I have put my technical abilities to work elsewhere I have discovered, er, failure!  Ah well.

This is a good wee camera for £40 pounds, and no replacement is available at the cheap shop I obtained mine from.  However, by rummaging among the drawers I have found the old Leica wee'er camera that might do for now.  This was given to me by my brother when working at Leica, made up from broken camera bits!  It was good at first but will be shown up by the other cameras around now.  However as it has been lying for a while it is a bit dusty,  and I forget how to use the bits on offer.  

Still, I am not one to grumble.

I note the programme to bring Boris back into power is under way.  Watch the press carefully.

Mixed Bag

I came across this squirrel one day in Kensington Gardens.  The poor thing appeared to be suffering from a cold and as I had a packet of 'Lockets' those honey throat sweets as I had recently had similar I offered one to the greedy creature.  he took it happily and sat chomping away, and breathing better, on this branch.  I left another at the foot of the tree for him as I suspected he would require more.  I was surprised that he accepted the sweet as they are not in fact very sweet and are very strong, I thought too strong for him.  I was wrong.  The beast appeared happier and so was I.

'Ally Pally'  a city set on a hill and seen for miles around.  A white elephant writ large.  I don't think this has ever been of much use to the world.  Alexandra Palace was opened in 1873 (rebuilt after a fire in 1875) as a counterpoint to the 'Crystal Palace' now resident in south London.  The main aim was an entertainment centre but I am not sure it was a success.  In 1936 the BBC TV made use of it as a TV studio, awfully well spoken announcers in evening dress and limited programming and even limited audiences.  It was possible for the TV folks to walk round the town and shake hands with all the viewers if they wished.
The war, this occurred in 1939 look it up, put an end to TV transmissions but the Ally Pally was used by the BBC for a while after the war for both Radio & TV, the aerial towering above is still in use, but when the BBC found other studios the Palace was handed over to a multitude of wide ranging organisations and is still in use for pleasure purposes today.  I would go but I canny be nothered climbing the hill.
I took this poor snap from a friends top floor flat which looked over the wide expanse of London.  The sights at night must be terrific and the fireworks displays are best seen from up here.  It is a shame the flat was expensive to run and a bit pokey and she moved to a more sensible rented accommodation.  How the rich live!

     
One night in the London Favela I got bored and attempted to burn the place down by making use of candles to save electricity, it did not work.  The place did not burn, no insurance was handed out and I saved no money.
Sometimes I wish I  had kept hold of that old Leica.  However it was a bit awkward to use and 1938 cameras do not do digital.  Just think how recently we made use of those wee canisters of film.  It appears like another world where the old fashioned process of developing and printing took so much time and effort while now we can in minutes rather than wait a week or so we can decide we have taken rubbish pictures!  One great step for mankind.

 Time to hit the road, something I often did when cycling...

Wet Monday!

.
The day started by appreciating the rain teeming down outside. "That will please the farmers," said I. There was no point in being upset myself, so I just got on with life, in my usual 'happy go lucky manner.' Tsk! A bit of rain and people grumble so. I am not one to complain myself as I see no point in this as it gets us nowhere, so I just got on with my day, smiling cheerfully at those passing by outside. Few returned my smiles however, but I suppose at six thirty in the morning some folks find happiness difficult? Anyway as I browsed the papers I noticed that a camera similar to this one, which I believe to be a replica rather than an original  :-

Leica 0                         

a 'Leica 0.'  An original one of these was sold at auction for one million pounds! One million just for a camera made in 1923? I had a Leica from the 1930's and found it difficult to get the best out of the thing, mostly because I am an idiot, partly because it takes some getting used to. These are the 'Rolls Royce' of cameras however and most owners have their cameras serviced regularly, and at a price most of us would not pay for a camera in the first place!. However most owners are professional or serious amateurs and use them constantly, so the cost is worth it. I would be happy to own one of their latest digital efforts mind you, if I could afford the three thousand pounds.....

A sad situation nearby today. One of the streets in which I used to deliver mail saw the murder of the woman and her child, a toddler under three. A man shot himself, apparently, when surrounded by police. A cheery lass from what I remember, although it is some time since I was there, and very sad that a child died because a  man is not allowed to see her, if that indeed was the cause. How emotion, selfishness, and anger get the better of us!  So many people appear able to find guns these days, I suppose that tells you something about those who carry them!

How I laughed this afternoon. I noticed the rain had ceased teeming down and the sun was attempting to break through the, now white, clouds. I decided it was time to move! I gathered the bag of old clothes and detritus other goodies and took it down to the charity shop for mental folk. (In Edinburgh these are called 'Hibernian Supporters') and deposited it there. Walking out of the shop I noted the sun on my face and happily strolled down the hill to the cemetery where I continued my search for dead Great War soldiers. As the four I wished to find did not have the regulation 'War Graves' headstones I knew it would be a bit of a slog. I found one, eventually, and one or two other interesting finds when there including a soldier not mentioned on the website. The rain returned and encouraged me to make my way home, up the hill, and so I came back, happy, slightly damp, and wondering how long my cheery life will continue like this? Or words to that effect...

.