Friday August 29th 2025 "Too busy, too busy, too busy - we can't 'catch a break' (!) - no pun intended!!!!"

Yes, friends, "Too busy, too busy, too busy!" That's most people's cry these days, and it's heart-breaking sometimes to read about the super-wealthy, who seem to be more worse off than most of us, when it comes to just "catching a break" (!). as the local Onion News reported this morning!

Poor Whelans!!!!

And my light-to-moderate wife Lois and I are really "feelin' for the Wheelans" (!) this morning. Although we're not super-wealthy, it's 6 years, would you believe, since we last stayed at a hotel at the seaside - yes, we've got that "Wheelan feelin' ", no question! 

[Don't say that again! - Ed]

my light-to-moderate wife Lois (left) and me - recent pictures

At the moment, we've got 3 nights booked in a Bournemouth hotel on the English Channel next month, and we're determined to let nothing stop us doing it! What with COVID and other health problems we haven't stayed at the seaside since 2019. 

visions of the 3-night break in Bournemouth we've planned for next month

- and we're just "gagging" for it, to put it mildly!!!!

However, before we can commit to all that, we spend a hectic day today here, at our home in semi-leafy Liphook, Hampshire, trying to stop the "Moaning Minnies" who are trying to stop us "catching that break" next month. 

Kevin, an engineer from our water company South East Water, comes to see if there's a leak in our water supply pipe. which he does. The leak is somewhere on our property, however, so South East Water won't be pinpointing it exactly, let alone fixing it, that'll be up to us. So we spend most of the day trying to find a crazy "leak guy" who's free next week, and eventually we contact somebody called Darren who'll be coming on Tuesday with his son Colin (what a nice name - just saying!!!).  

Lois and I feel a bit like criminals, because Kevin serves us with a "Waste of Water Notice under Sections 73 and 75 of the Water Industry Act 1991". What madness !!!!!

(left) me showcasing the "Waste of Water Notice under Sections 73 and 75

of the Water Industry Act 1991" that we've been "served with" (!), and (right)

crazy leak-guy Darren, who says he can come on Tuesday to find and fix the leak

 - but what a crazy world we live in !!!!!

Hopefully now, it'll all get settled next week, and Lois and I will get our three nights at a Bournemouth hotel next month as planned. We're actually pleased that Kevin confirmed that there definitely is a leak. We got our first real water bill from South East Water this month, which claimed we were using three times the quantity of water we were using in our old house in Malvern, Worcestershire. 

The worst thing would have been if Kevin had said he couldn't see any problem, so thanks for at least helping us that much, Kevin! 

So Bournemouth, here we come!   But what madness !!!!

21:00 Yes, we all need a holiday once in a while, and the crazy Jessop family on tonight's "Here We Go" sitcom is no exception.

In tonight's episode, the Jessop family has come to Malta for a few days, but Dad (Jim Howick) is the only one looking for a bit of "culture" seemingly. Oh dear!

The real reason for choosing Malta this year, however, is so that Mum Rachel (Katharine Parkinson) can "mend fences" with her father, who recently moved to a retirement cottage in Malta from a retirement cottage in France (!).

Yes, that is a problem with so many countries isn't it - that they don't speak English. What luck that in the 19th century the good old Royal Navy was throwing its weight about in so many ideal holiday locations, like Malta, also Gibraltar and Cyprus, so that, incredibly, the people there today speak English, just like you and me.

It's a bit mad though, isn't it - be fair !!!!!

flashback to 1987: I visit Cyprus on a work trip with 2 co-workers: 

highlighted here is the Ancient Greek amphitheatre that we visited.

I'm the figure in blue shirt and shorts standing on the top

Happy days !!!!

Will this do?

[Oh just go to bed! - Ed]

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzz!!!!!