Monday june 7th 2021

 I haven't had much time to write lately, so I'll give you a blow by blow account of each day if you please.

Saturday 29th May.

Alan phoned to say he was here while I was in Tesco, he is going bald like uncle Mike was and looks more like him now.  Also, has his pig-headedness, went up to mums for dinner, I'm wearing shorts now because the weather is great.  Afterwards, I and alan sat in Elizabeth gardens, the ice cream van was out doing a roaring trade.  Alan had a go at me for having my vaccine early; it doesn't seem to compute with him that I'm dad's second carer and mum can't do it all on her own because of her age!  

Bemerton Heath is having a jumble sale where neighbours are invited to set up stalls outside their houses to see what they can sell, there was one table set up outside the old caretaker's house by where Pembroke school used to stand.

Went for a walk around the cathedral close, I noticed coloured circles sprayed on the grass, wonder what for?

Had fun trying to work out how to put the air bed up, my pump didn't, fit and it turns out the bed self inflates anyway.

Sunday 30th May

Went up to mums for dinner, I notice the council are copying the cathedral by letting the grass grow longer, the cathedral is doing this to encourage more bees and butterflies.  The only thing the council are attracting is ticks which cause Lym disease!

Monday 31st May

June the 21st is looking very much in doubt as the stupid Chinese virus is spiking again. Portugal has been put on the amber list and people are in a panic trying to get home, stupid going abroad when theirs so much to see in this country.  I know the weather is not brilliant but it's a lot safer.

Boris Johnson got married in secret he can have a free honeymoon; should pay like the rest of us!

Went to Weymouth via the park and ride, I was a bit worried in case we would bring something deadly back with us.  Had to hunt for the P&R bus stop which had been moved just down the road.  The bus was quite full, had a mask under my visor, got off just by where the hotels are.  Bit gustier along the seafront, it was great to see the sea again.  Mum and aunt Joan used to go to Weymouth during the 1950s with gran and grandad, it was a different world then.  The mariner wasn't there and they used to go to the theatre every night at the Pavilion, mum saw Eddie Calvert there once; the lift got stuck on stage but he still played his trumpet.

I see the cafe on the corner was shut and boarded up, I reckon the Coronavirus finished it off like it's done to many business place's.  Went round to a cafe in the harbour, this does teapots with colourful knitted t-cosies, we were lucky to get a table. lots of people crabbing, you can see their catch squirming about in clear buckets reading to pinch fingers.

The bridge opened just after we got over it, stayed open for a while as tall ships zoomed through.  Bells and flashing lights go off when it's about to open.

Got a fan for mum's garden, the one's I originally wanted was sold out so I had to spend £4.99 instead of £3.99.  the donkeys were in full swing, I met another photographer photographing dogs; he was called Nick Stubbs.  I've looked at his website, mine's not as good as his.

A couple of cruise liners moored along the bay not going anywhere.

Tuesday 1st June

Went to Marwell zoo today, a bit of a nightmare trying to prebook.  I tried Microsoft Edge, Firefox and Chrome, TIC helped me out in the end. 

Alan used the sat nave to get there.  Map books are going out of fashion now because of these sat nave's, whenever we got lost people always had to find a safe place to pull over to look at 'the map book'.  the amount of bickering I saw between aunt Joan and uncle Mike was priceless.

Went along Churchill way, a bit of a tailback because there was a crash by Churchill gardens.  A white van was on its roof and I saw two people who I assumed was the driver's parents running along the pavement, said in the paper later that the poor man had back injuries.  That whole side of the road was cut off apart from the emergency services etc.

Managed to get going again by the collage towards Southampton and down the M27, what a scorchio day it was.  Alan got in free as my carer, most of the animals were inside because of the heat; the first animals we saw were penguins.  The mere cats were out digging away, one hippo (smelly thing) was asleep in its paddock.

I remember that when we stopped at the cafe, we had to wait ten minutes until we're given a table number.  My leg hurts if I don't rest now and then, Alan gets annoyed with me for that because he doesn't understand my disability.

Sat on a bench and had drinks, it was hot.  When we got back to Alan's car I had to open a window because the air conditioner was blowing out hot air.

Wednesday 2nd June.

Went to Castle point, Sainsbury's cafe is shut until the 21st; the way things are going it may not open yet.  Went to Marks and Spencers cafe which I don't think had much social distancing, I'm aiming to visit Castle Point once a month.

Went into Bournemouth, the seafront car park was full so we went to the Pavilion one.  A lady asked me if I wanted a testing kit as they had a covid test station there, I have 2 already.  The ticket machine never gave Alan a ticket, so we had to write a note on paper and stick it behind the windscreen.  I was a bit worried about walking along the seafront, but we stopped at the harvester and managed to get an outside table with wobbly metal chairs. 

It got a bit misty from time to time, could see a cruise liner in the distance it had two funnels.  I see cyclist's go too fast along the seafront, I'm always careful but some tourists might not know this.

Thursday 3rd June.

My last prebooked ticket to the Jane Austen house which is in Chorton a village she loved, Alan got in free as a carer again.  Alan tried to deliberately photobomb my photo's he hates my photography with a passion.  also nags aunt Joan that she buys too many DVD's, I wish he would mind his own bloody business.  Alans alright for the first few days then goes grumpy, argumentive and just plain stupid.  How Tonya puts up with him I don't know.

Went to jane Austen's brother's house afterwards, Alan even moaned about that saying I should have told him I was getting a ticket.  I don't know why he's complaining as he's getting in free!

Chorley is a lovely village, we tried the nature trail but I think we went awol a bit so we climbed a fence onto the path.  Think I'm getting old, I'm not as agile as I once was.

Went to the cinema to see 'a quiet place' had to wear masks throughout the entire performance, glad Alans going home tomorrow as his grumpiness is getting right on my nerves.  I would like to cut ties with him but I can't because I have to stay in contact with Liz his sister because my son lives with her.  she's already once threatened me she would stop me from seeing him over some stupid thing.  he's 17 now and I haven't seen him since 2019, he'll lose interest in me as I get older.

Friday 4th June.

Packed up Alan's bed, the airbed won't go back into the bag so I'll have to leave it.  Went up parents where he parked next to aunt Joans car, he has worked on Saturday; said he should have booked until Sunday. Any longer, I could go mad.

the house was quiet after he left. I don't mind my own company but I like to get out.  The trouble with alan is that he's bossy and controlling and I hate that.

Aunt Joan says she doesn't like the heat, I don't mind it; I know it affects her breathing which must be awful for her.  The news is that the vaccinations are working, and everyone's worried about a third wave due to this Indian Delta variant.