Mandag den 30. januar 2017 kl 16:30 til tirsdag den 31. januar 2017 kl 16:29

17:00 Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og cykler 6 miles (10km). Jeg tænder for mit smartphone og ser 1987s bedste musikvideoer, eller noget lignende, mens jeg cykler. Da jeg er færdig, dyrker jeg lidt mild vægtløftning.

 

Kondicykel med 1987s bedste sange –

tiden flyver når man har det sjovt ha ha ha

18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger vi resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn, et interessant dokumentarfilm (første del af 3), der handler om fransk kunst, startende fra 1137, da verdens første gotiske domkirke, St Denis, dukkede frem i ny form i Paris. Programmets vært er den charmerende Andrew Graham-Dixon.

Nogle år senere blev la Sante-Chapelle bygget i samme stil for at holde universets helligste objekt, nemlig den tornekrone, Jesus bar. Dette objekt gjorde Paris til universets centrum, ifølge franskmændene – du godeste! Men var denne tornekrone den ægte? Jeg ville gerne tjekke dokumentationen ud – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!

Lois siger, at programmets vært, Andrew Graham-Dixon, er den tænkende kvindes midaldrende hjerteknuser, lidt af en hunk med andre ord, beefcake nummer ét, når det kommer til tv-kunstkritikere – du godeste, selvom han ikke er hendes type. Det kan jeg ikke kommentere, men jeg bemærker, at det lykkes altid Andrew at finde nogen pragtfuld fransk embedskvinde, når han søger nogen, der kan vise ham landets historiske kunstværker – du godeste!

det lykkes altid Andrew at finde nogen pragtfuld franske skønhed,

når han søger nogen, der kan vise ham

 forskellige historiske kunstværker – du godeste!

Vi ser en middelalderlig bog, Les tres riches heures, en bønnebog illustreret i 1400-tallet i den gotiske stil. Bogens billeder viser årets 12 måneder, og de typiske aktiviteter, som almindelige mennesker hver måned dyrker, mens tiden (meget langsomt!) går og årstider ændrer sig.

Lois og jeg kan godt lide at prøve at foreskille os fortiden, for eksempel, livet af de almindelige mennesker gennem året i grevskabet Gloucestershire, hvor vi bor, og i landsbyerne og på markerne der omgiver os her i Prestbury. Efter min mening er der ikke nogen bedre kilde til denne viden, end denne slags ”billedbog”, og det gør ikke noget, hvor bogen blev fremstillet (Frankrig, Flandern osv), fordi de almindelige menneskers liv stort set var det samme over hele Nord-Europa.

Selvom denne bog var strengt taget en bønnebog, findes der mange komiske detaljer i billederne, for eksempel det billede, der skildrer måneden September som tema. Vi ser en figure, der tilfældigt blotter røven, mens han plukker vindruer.

En mand blotter tilfældigt røven,

mens han plukker vindruer – du godeste, i en bønnebog!!!

22:00 Vi går i seng. Jeg læser 8 sider af min sengetidbog, ”Indsamlede digte af John Betjeman”, en julegave fra Lois, før jeg glider over i søvnen – zzzzzzz!!!!

05:00 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtest.

Jeg går i gang med at udarbejde en ungarsk ordforrådtest til min ven, ”Magyar” Mike, der kommer kl 10 for at lære ungarsk sammen med mig.

07:30 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem med op i soveværelset og hopper op i sengen til Lois. Vi drikker teen og går i bad. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

10:00 Min ven, ”Magyar Mike” kommer og vi lærer ungarsk i en time. Vi har besluttet at bruge en anderledes lærebog, ”Learn Hungarian”, skrevet af tre forfattere, Bánhidi, Jókay og Szabó, en bog, vi ikke i 10 år har brugt. Bogen er utilsigtet morsom – det blev skrevet for længe siden i 1965 (med andre ord i den kommunistiske æra), og der er en undertekst af propaganda i bogens lektioner. I gamle dage var den kommunistiske retorik meget skræmmende, men nu er den bare morsom, gudskelov.

Alt var tilsyneladende helt ”perfekt” i den kommunistiske æra. Ifølge den ungarske tekst er gårdens arbejdere muntre, rige og glade. Gårdens dyr er smukke og sunde, og selve gården er ren, pæn og ryddelig. Lykkelige dage ha ha ha!!!!

11:00 Mike skal til af sted. Han vil spise frokost med en tidligere arbejdskollega på det lokale kollegium. Mike var lektor i trykning og grafik, før han gik på pension.

12:30 Lois og jeg spiser frokost, og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzzz!!!!

14:15 Mens jeg ligger og dovner i sengen, lytter jeg lidt til radioen på mit natbord, et usædvanligt drama.

Jeg husker med kærlighed en meget morsom tv-sitcom fra 1966-71, ”All Gas and Gaiters”, der handlede om en anglikansk sognepræst, en underbiskop, en biskop og en domprovst. Sitcommen var usædvanlig i, at forfatterne var et ungt ægtepar, Edwin Apps og Pauline Devaney, der faktisk var professionelle skuespillere, som aldrig før havde skrevet noget oprindeligt.

”All Gas and Gaiters”, stjernespækket (fra venstre til højre)

Derek Nimmo (sognepræst), William Mervyn (biskop),

John Barron (domprovst) og Robertson Hare (underbiskop)

  

Det er interessant, at det dengang var uden fortilfælde, at BBC-kanalen accepterer et skript skrevet af en kvinde, så parret foregav at være en fiktiv mand med et fiktivt navn, John Wraith. Serien var en stor succes, og havde regelmæssige seertal på 10 millioner.

Pauline Devaney – ingen kvinde havde nogensinde skrevet

en sitcom før. Du godeste, kom så, Pauline – pøj pøj!

Edwin og Pauline optræder i dagens radio-dramaet, og spiller sig selv som gamle mennesker, i færd med at mindes denne mærkelige succes fra deres yngre dage. Dette er det Lois og jeg plejer at gøre, nu hvor vi er gamle, bortset fra, vi aldrig har gjort noget berømt - uha! Nå det er for sent nu, stakkels os!!!!!!

15:30 Jeg står op og Lois og jeg slapper af med en kop te i sofaen.

16:00 Vi går i gang med at rykke møbler ud af spisestuen ind i dagligstuen og entréen, fordi Ross kommer i morgen for at rense gulvtæppet – uha! Gulvtæppet har stadig en masse snavsede pletter, som vores små børnebørn, Lily og Jessica, efterlod ved at spilde mad om mandagen og fredagen, når Lois og jeg passede hele dagen på dem.

Sarah, vores yngste datter, hendes mand, Francis, og deres (nu) 3-årige tvillinger flyttede for 13 mdr siden til Australien. Vi savner dem meget, især tvillingerne. Indtil nu, har vi ikke kunnet nænne at få gulvtæppet renset og dermed fjerne de pletter, vores elskede børnebørn, Lily og Jessica, efterlod. Du godeste – vi er sådan nogle blødsødne idioter!!!  

English translation

17:00 I jump up on my exercise bike and cycle 6 miles (10km). I switch on my smartphone and watch 1987's best music videos, or something similar, while cycling. When I have finished, I do a little mild weightlifting.

Exercise bike with 1987's best songs –

time flies when you're having fun ha ha ha

18:00 Lois and I eat supper and then we spend the rest of the evening watching TV, an interesting documentary (part 1 of 3), about French art, starting from 1137, when the world's first Gothic cathedral, St Denis, emerged in a new form in Paris. The program's host is the charming Andrew Graham-Dixon.

Some years later, la Sante-Chapelle was built in the same style to hold the universe's most sacred object: the crown of thorns that Jesus wore. This object made Paris the center of the universe, according to the French - my god! But was this crown of thorns genuine? I would like to check the documentation out - I know that for sure !!!

Lois says that the program's host, Andrew Graham-Dixon, is the thinking woman's middle-aged crumpet, a bit of a hunk in other words, beefcake number one when it comes to TV art critics - my god, although he is not her type. That, I cannot comment on, but I notice that Andrew always manages to find some gorgeous French female civil servant when he is looking for someone to show him the country's historical works of art - my god!

Andrew always manages to find someone gorgeous French beauty

when he is looking for someone to show him

various historical works of art - my god!

We see a medieval book, Les tres riches heures, a prayer book illustrated in the 1400s in the Gothic style. The book's images show the 12 months of the year, and the typical activities that ordinary people do every month, while time goes by (very slowly!) and the seasons change.

Lois and I like to try to imagine the past, for example, the life of the common people through the year in the county of Gloucestershire, where we live, and in the villages and the fields that surround us here in Prestbury. In my opinion there is no better source of this knowledge, than this kind of "picture book" and it does not matter where the book was made (France, Flanders, etc.) because the lives of ordinary people were largely the same throughout Northern Europe.

Although this book was strictly a prayer book, there are many comic details in the pictures, for example, the image depicting the month of September as its theme. We see a character who accidentally bares his ass while he is picking grapes.

A man accidentally bares his ass

while picking grapes - my god, in a prayer book !!!

22:00 We go to bed. I read 8 pages of my bedtime book, "Collected Poems of John Betjeman", a Christmas gift from Lois, before I drift off to sleep - zzzzzzz !!!!

05:00 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

I begin to prepare a Hungarian vocabulary test for my friend, "Magyar" Mike who is coming at 10am to learn Hungarian with me.

07:30 I hurry into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom and hop into bed with Lois. We drink the tea and take a shower. We get up and eat breakfast.

10:00 My friend, "Magyar Mike" comes and we learn Hungarian for an hour. We have decided to use a different textbook, "Learn Hungarian", written by three authors, Bánhidi, Jókay and Szabó, a book we have not used in 10 years. The book is unintentionally funny - it was written long ago in 1965 (in other words, in the communist era) and there is a subtext of propaganda in the book's lessons. In the old days the communist rhetoric was very scary, but now it's just funny, thank God.

Everything was apparently "perfect" in the communist era. According to the Hungarian text the farm workers are cheerful, rich and happy. The farm animals are beautiful and healthy, and the farm itself is clean, neat and tidy. Happy days ha ha ha !!!!

11:00 Mike has to go. He wants to have lunch with a former colleague at the local college. Mike was a lecturer in printing and graphics, before he retired.

12:30 Lois and I eat lunch, and then I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap - zzzzzz !!!!

14:15 While I am lying in bed doing nothing, I listen a little to the radio on my nightstand, an unusual drama.

I remember with fondness a very funny TV sitcom from 1966-71, "All Gas and Gaiters", which was about an Anglican vicar, an archdeacon, a bishop and a dean. The sitcom was unusual in that the authors were a young married couple, Edwin Apps and Pauline Devaney, actually professional actors who had never written anything original before.

"All Gas and Gaiters", starring (from left to right)

Derek Nimmo (Vicar), William Mervyn (Bishop)

John Barron (Dean) and Robertson Hare (the bishop)

It is interesting that at the time it was unprecedented for the BBC channel to accept a script written by a woman, so the couple pretended to be a fictional man with a fictitious name John Wraith. The series was a great success and had a regular audience of 10 million.

Pauline Devaney - no woman had ever written

a sitcom before. My God, you go girl, Pauline – knock 'em dead!

Edwin and Pauline appear in today's radio drama, playing themselves as old people, busy reminiscing about this remarkable success from their younger days. This is what Lois and I usually do, now that we are old, except that we've never done anything famous - oh dear! Well it's too late now - poor us!!!!!

15:30 I get up and Lois and I relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.

16:00 We begin to move furniture out of the dining room into the living room and hallway, because Ross is coming tomorrow to clean the carpet - oh dear! The carpet still has a lot of dirty stains that our small grandchildren, Lily and Jessica, left by spilling food on Mondays and Fridays, when Lois and I looked after them all day.

Sarah, our youngest daughter, her husband, Francis, and their (now) 3 and a half year old twins moved to Australia 13 months ago. We miss them very much, especially the twins. Until now, we have not had the heart to get the carpet cleaned, thereby removing the stains that our beloved grandchildren, Lily and Jessica, left behind. My god - we're such softies !!!

Søndag den 29. januar 2017 kl 16:30 til mandag den 30. januar 2017 kl 16:29

17:00 Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og cykler 6 miles (10km). Jeg tænder for mit smartphone og ser 1986s bedste musikvideoer, eller noget lignende, mens jeg cykler. Da jeg er færdig, beslutter jeg også at opsamle mit sæt af vægte, der i to år har ligget forsømte og forladte i et hjørne af soveværelset. Jeg dyrker lidt mild vægtløftning og får en god følelse ud af det i hele kroppen. Jeg skal forske lidt på nettet for at finde ud af, hvilke de bedste øvelser er for et gammelt vrag som mig – uha!

17:30 Lynda har sendt mig en email. Hun er leder af U3As ”Making of English”-gruppen, der tilbagekigger på udviklingen af det engelske sprog, startende fra dets rødder i det indo-europæiske sprog, som verdens første landmænd talte for 5.000 år siden – du godeste!

Det går fremad med studiet, og vi kigger for tiden værker, der stammer fra det 13. århundrede. Vores næste værk er ”Havelok danske” som blev skrevet på middelengelsk mellem 1280 og 1290. Jeg er glad for at se, at Lynda har besluttet at adoptere den måde, som jeg brugte for at styre mødet på den 1. december, da Lynda var væk på ferie i grevskabet Pembroke. 

Jeg udtænkte i december faktisk et helt anderledes måde at styre mødet på, end Lyndas. Jeg bad de medlemmer, der kunne være med til mødet, om at tage ca. 25 linjer og læse dem højt med en autentisk middelengelsk accent, ”oversætte” dem til moderne engelsk, og kommentere  interessepunkter: for eksempel – interessante ord, ordenes oprindelse, grammatik, poetiske opfindelser osv.

Jeg besluttede, at det var en bedre måde at styre mødet på, end Lyndas måde, hvor gruppens diskussion ofte er ganske abstrakt, og springer konstant fra det ene aspekt til et andet (og tilbage igen) – uha!

Lynda har i dag sendt mig en email og bad mig om at kommentere på digtets første 20 linjer. Gruppens andre medlemmer (Joe, Joy, Vera, Anthony, Barb, Margaret og Lynda selv) har fået tildelt andre linjer, og vi håber, vi sammen kan dække digtets første ca. 200 linjer.

Digtets plot er meget kompliceret, men det handler om de angelsaksiske og de danske kongelige familier og udspiller sig i den angelsaksiske periode i grevskabet Lincoln og i Danmark.

Selve Havelok-figuren synes at være sønnen af en bonde, og er opvokset  i havnen Grimsby. Han bosætter sig i byen Lincoln for at arbejde som køkkendreng i et stort hus, men der er en række tegn på, at han ikke er en typisk bondes søn, (han er faktisk arvingen til den danske trone  – uha) !

Han er overnaturligt høj, stærk, smuk osv, også (mærkeligst af alt) kan han spy lys og ild ud af munden, hvilket er lidt af et giveaway, at alt ikke er helt normalt – du godeste! Men evnen til at kunne spy ild må have været meget nyttigt i køkkenet  for at lave noget hurtigt nemt mad, når lejligheden krævede det, endnu bedre, end en mikroovn – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!!!

  

De tidligste tegn på, at alt ikke var helt normalt

med den unge Havelok – nemlig hans evne til at spy lys og ild ud af munden.

Du godeste, sikke et vanvid !!!!

18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger vi resten af aftenen på at lytte til radio, et interessant program, der handler om BBCs længst løbende radioprogram, ”Desert Island Discs”, der først blev sendt i 1942.  

Serien går ud på, at en berømthed hver uge er bedt om at forestille sig, at han/hun er blevet strandet på en øde ø. I løbet af programmet bliver han bedt om at tale om sit liv og/eller karriere, og at vælge de 8 ”grammofonplader”, han helst vil have ved hånden, for at underholde sig i sit ensomme tilværelse.  En simpel idé, men en meget langvarig serie, måske verdens mest langvarig – det er jeg ikke helt sikker på.

Vi hører korte uddrag fra mange programmer i serien, herunder David Attenborough, Cilla Black, Ian Fleming, Louis Armstrong, Lauren Bacall, Jacqueline du Pre, Dustin Hoffman, Desmond Tutu, Michael Caine, Maggie Thatcher, og mange mange andre.

Det er interessant, at Maggie Thatcher, der aldrig var kendt for sin sans for humør, valgte en komisk optagelse som én af sine 8 grammofonplader. Hun sagde, at hun især holdt meget af tør humor, og hun valgte Bob Newharts berømte optagelse af et spoof ” telefon-interview” med Sir Walter Raleigh, da han var ved at importere tobak for første gang til England, og han bliver bedt om at forklare, hvordan man bruger den.

Bob Newharts spoof ”telefon-interview”

med Sir Walter Raleigh, optaget i 1960

Den kommende premierminister deltog i Desert Island Discs-programmet i 1978, da hun stadig kun var oppositionsleder.

20:00 Programmet er alt for langt (3 timer – uha!) , så vi pålægger vores egne 45-minutters pause, for at tale lidt på Skype med vores ældste datter, Alison, og Ed, hendes mand. De flyttede for 4 år siden til Danmark, og Ed arbejder for et engelsk selskab i deres skandinaviske hovedkontor.

Det er meget sjovt at snakke med dem om deres liv i København og høre om deres planer osv.  På næste fredag rejser de til byen Bergen i Norge for at tilbringe weekenden sammen med deres gamle venner Emma og Robin, der flyver dertil fra England. Ali og Eds filipinske au pair, Maricelle (stave?), skal passe på børnene.

Jeg kan meget godt huske Bergen. Lois og jeg overnattede i byen i 1970, på vej til Norheimsund, en lille by, der ligger ved Hardanger-fjorden. Det var første gang vi tog på ferie alene sammen som kærestepar – du godeste, hvor var det dog spåndende!

Lois i Norge i 1970, vores første ferie

alene sammen som kærestepar

22:00 Vi går i seng. Jeg læser 7 sider af min sengetidbog, ”Indsamlede digte af John Betjeman”, en julegave fra Lois, før jeg glider over i søvnen – zzzzzzz!!!!

04:00 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtest.

07:30 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem med op i soveværelset og hopper op i sengen til Lois. Vi drikker teen og står op. Vi spiser morgenmad.

09:15 Vi skal ud. Vi kører over til Bishops Cleeve, en lille landsby, der ligger 3 miles nord for Cheltenham. Vi smutter ind i den lokale grønthandlerforretning for at købe et par ting. Vi kører hjem.

10:30 Vi kører over til den lokale dyreklinik, Dragon Vets. Lois har bestilt en tid hos klinikken, der ligger ved siden af væddeløbsbanen. Klinikkens sygeplejerske skal klippe Minx’s kløer.

Minx venter i sin transportkasse på

at sygeplejersken klipper hendes kløer

Stakkels Minx!!!!!

Minx er Alisons kat. Alison, vores ældste datter, flyttede til Danmark for 3 år siden, sammen med Ed, sin mand, og deres 3 børn. Familien efterlod Minx hos os, da de flyttede derover.

Minx’s kløer vokser rigtig hurtigt og har tendens til at blive viklet ind i Lois’s trøjer eller kjoler, når hun sætter sig på Lois’s skød  – uha!

Sygeplejersken tager Minx med i en bagværelse for at klippe kløerne, mens Lois og jeg venter. Vi dræber tid ved at kigge på billederne af de søde kæledyr på væggen. Vi får øje på et sødt billede af to kaniner, og vi tager et foto af det. Vi vil gøre fotoet til en lykønskningskort og sende det til Lily, vores 3-årige barnebarn i Australien, der holder meget af kaniner. Du godeste – vi er begge to sådan nogle blødsødne idioter!!!

Vi dræber tid i dyreklinikkens venteværelse

ved at kigge på de søde kæledyrbilleder

på sygeplejerskens vægge – du godeste, vi er sådan nogle idioter!!!

Vi kører hjem og slapper af med en kop kaffe i sofaen.

13:00 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter går jeg i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzz!!!

15:00 Lois smutter ind hos naboerne (Bill og Mary) for at snakke lidt. Jeg står op og drikker en kop te.

English translation

17:00 I jump up on my exercise bike and cycle 6 miles (10km). I switch on my smartphone and watch 1986's best music videos, or something similar, while cycling. When I'm done, I decide also to pick up my set of weights which for two years have lain neglected and abandoned in a corner of the bedroom. I do a little mild weight lifting and get a good feeling out of it throughout the body. I will research a bit online to find out what the best exercises are for an old wreck like me - oh dear!

17:30 Lynda has sent me an email. She is the leader of U3As "Making of English" group that is looking back at the development of the English language, starting from its roots in the Indo-European language spoken by the world's first farmers 5,000 years ago - my god!

We have made good progress with the study, and at the moment we are looking at works dating from the 13th century. Our next work is "Havelok the Dane" which was written in Middle English between 1280 and 1290. I am glad to see that Lynda has decided to adopt the method that I used to steer the meeting on December 1, when Lynda was away on holiday in the county of Pembroke.

In December I in fact conceived a completely different way of steering the meeting than Lynda's. I asked the members that could come to the meeting to take about 25 lines each and read them aloud with an authentic Middle English accent, "translate" them into modern English, and comment on points of interest: for example - interesting words, origin of words, grammar, poetic inventions etc.

I decided it was a better way to steer the meeting than Lynda's way, in which the group discussion is often quite abstract and moves constantly from one aspect to another (and back again) - oh dear!

Lynda has today sent me an email asking me to comment on the poem's first 20 lines. The Group's other members (Joe, Joy, Vera, Anthony, Barb, Margaret and Lynda herself) have been assigned other lines, and we hope that together we can cover the poem's first 200 lines or so.

The poem's plot is very complicated, but it is about the Anglo-Saxon and Danish royal families and is set in the Anglo-Saxon period in the county of Lincoln and in Denmark.

The Havelok character himself seems to be the son of a peasant, who was born in the port of Grimsby. He settles in the city of Lincoln and works as a kitchen boy in a big house, but there are a number of signs that he is not a typical peasant's son (he is actually the heir to the Danish throne - oh dear)!

He is supernaturally tall, strong, handsome, etc., also (strangest of all) he can breathe light and fire out of his mouth, which is a bit of a give-away that not everything is quite normal - my god! But the ability to breathe fire must have been very useful in the kitchen to make some quick easy meals when the occasion demanded it, even better than a microwave - I know that for sure !!!

The earliest signs that everything was not quite normal

with the young Havelok - namely his ability to spew light and fire

out of his mouth. My god, what madness !!!!

18:00 Lois and I eat supper and then we spend the rest of the evening listening to the radio, an interesting program, which is about the BBC's longest-running radio program "Desert Island Discs", which first aired in 1942.

The idea of the series is that each week a celebrity is asked to imagine that he / she has been stranded on a desert island. During the program he is asked to talk about his life and / or career, and to choose the 8 "phonograph records", he would most like to have to hand to entertain himself in his solitary existence. A simple idea, but a very long lasting series, perhaps the world's longest - I'm not quite sure.

We hear short excerpts from many programs in the series, including David Attenborough, Cilla Black, Ian Fleming, Louis Armstrong, Lauren Bacall, Jacqueline du Pre, Dustin Hoffman, Desmond Tutu, Michael Caine, Maggie Thatcher, and many many others.

It is interesting that Maggie Thatcher, who was never known for her sense of humor, chose a comedy recording as one of her eight records. She said she was especially fond of dry humor, and she chose Bob Newhart's famous recording of a spoof "telephone interview" with Sir Walter Raleigh when he was about to import tobacco into England for the first time, and he is asked to explain how to use it.

Bob Newhart's spoof "telephone interview"

with Sir Walter Raleigh, recorded in 1960

The future prime minister took part in the program in 1978, when she was still only opposition leader.

20:00 The program is far too long (3 hours - oh dear!), so we impose our own 45-minute break to talk on Skype with our eldest daughter, Alison, and Ed, her husband. They moved 4 years ago to Denmark, and Ed is working for a British company in its Scandinavian headquarters.

It is a lot of fun to talk to them about their lives in Copenhagen and hear about their plans and so on. Next Friday they are traveling to the city of Bergen in Norway to spend the weekend with their old friends Emma and Robin flying there from England. Ali and Ed's Filipino au pair, Maricelle (spelling?), will take care of the children.

I can very well remember Bergen. Lois and I spent the night in the city in 1970, on the way to Norheimsund, a small town situated on the Hardangerfjord. It was the first time we ever went on holiday alone together as girlfriend-boyfriend - my god, how exciting was that!

Lois in Norway in 1970, our first holiday

alone together as girlfriend-boyfriend

22:00 We go to bed. I read seven pages of my bedtime book, "Collected Poems of John Betjeman", a Christmas gift from Lois, before I drift off to sleep - zzzzzzz !!!!

04:00 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

07:30 I hurry into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom and hop into bed with Lois. We drink the tea and get up. We eat breakfast.

09:15 We have to go out. We drive over to Bishops Cleeve, a small village located 3 miles north of Cheltenham. We pop into the local greengrocer's shop to buy a few things. We drive home.

10:30 We drive over to the local vet clinic, Dragon Vets. Lois has made an appointment at the clinic, which is located next to the racetrack. The clinic's nurse is to cut Minx's claws.

Minx waiting in her cat-carrier for the nurse

to cut her claws. Poor Minx !!!!!

Minx is Alison's cat. Alison, our oldest daughter, moved to Denmark three years ago, along with Ed, her husband and their 3 children. The family left Minx with us when they moved over there.

Minx's claws grow really fast and tend to become entangled in Lois's sweaters or dresses when she sits down on Lois's lap - oh dear!

The nurse takes Minx with her into a back room to cut her claws, while Lois and I wait. We kill time by looking at the pictures of the cute pets on the wall. We spot a sweet image of two rabbits, and we take a photo of it. We will make the photo into a greetings card and send it to Lily, our 3-year-old grandchild in Australia who is very fond of rabbits. My god - we're both such soft buggers!!!

We kill time in the animal clinic's waiting room

by looking at the cute pet pictures on the nurse's walls

- my god, we're such idiots !!!

We drive home and relax with a cup of coffee on the sofa.

13:00 We eat lunch and afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap - zzzzz !!!

15:00 Lois pops into the neighbors (Bill and Mary) to talk a little. I get up and drink a cup of tea.

Lørdag den 28. januar 2017 kl 16:30 til søndag den 29. januar 2017 kl 16:29

17:00 Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og cykler 6 miles (10km). Hurra – nu ved jeg med sikkerhed, at jeg kan blive rask igen. Mens jeg cykler jeg tænder for mit smartphone og ser 1985s bedste musikvideoer, eller noget lignende. Tiden flyver, da man har det sjovt – ingen tvivl om det!!!!

18:00 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger vi aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser en underholdende tv-quiz, ”Through the Keyhole”. Programmets vært, Keith  Lemon, besøger 3 boliger og kigger rundt i husene. Lemons 3 gæster, Paddy McGuinness, Caroline Flack og Dave Berry, er hans panel af eksperter, der skal prøve at gætte, hvilke berømtheder husene hører til.

For Lois’s og mit vedkommende, er det et tegn på vores avancerede alder, at vi ikke genkender nogen af de tre ”berømte” eksperter, der sidder på Lemons panel. Det bliver et problem for os, fordi der nu til dags er så mange programmer, som ”berømtheder” deltager i, og vi har ikke den fjerneste anelse, om hvem de er. Du godeste! 

Det er meget sjovt at se de 3 boliger i programmet, men jeg synes, det er lidt af en skam, at Lemon, programmets amatøragtige vært, og hans uprofessionelle filmhold forårsager en masse skader og begår en masse hærværk i husene.

Det første hus tilhører Tony Hadley, der i 1980’erne var forsangeren af gruppen Spandau Ballet. Det er lidt af en skam, at Lemon og tv-selskabets uprofessionelle filmhold ikke respekterer ejerens hus og møbler. De prøver at skjule beviserne, men hvis man læser mellem linjerne, er det indlysende, at de benytter lejligheden til at holde en vild fest i huset i ejerens fravær, og de skader en skydedør, der skal repareres. På ét eller andet tidspunkt ringer en nabo til politiet – uha!

Det er lidt af en skam, at den amatøragtige Keith Lemon,

sammen med hans uprofessionelle filmhold,

benytter lejligheden til at holde en vild fest

i huset, i ejerens fravær – uha!

22:30 Vi går i seng – zzzzz!!!!!

04:45 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtest. Jeg kigger lidt på nettet.

07:30 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet, og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem med op i soveværelset, lægger dem på vores natbord, og hopper op i sengen til Lois. Da vi er færdige med at drikke teen, går vi i bad. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.

12:00 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter skal Lois af sted. Hun vil deltage i en gudstjeneste, der finder sted i dag i Tewkesbury. Hun skal på vej afhente Maggie, sin veninde, og de skal køre sammen.

13:30 Jeg går i seng for at tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur – zzzzzz!!!!!!!!

15:00 Jeg står op og kigger lidt på nettet. Jeg finder Morten Ingemanns seneste tegneseriestribe. Du godeste! Jeg får lidt af et chok, da jeg ser den – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!

Danskeren Ingemann er min yndlingstegner  – ingen tvivl om det! Han har mange egenskaber, som er et must med mig og en stor plus. Han interesserer sig meget for grimme, overvægtige, midaldrende eller ældre folk, de slags mennesker, som de fleste tegnere sjældent giver opmærksomhed til.

Det er meget forfriskende, efter min mening, at han altid præsenterer alderdoms problemer fra det ældre menneskes synspunkt, og ikke fra synspunktet, af de yngre personer, der må pleje dem. Det er blevet for nylig lidt af et kliché, at høre plejere, sygeplejersker osv brokke sig over et mindretal af de ældre, der er ekstremt seksuelt aktive, på grund af plejernes opgave at skifte lagnerne meget hyppigt, måske en gang eller mere om dagen.

Vi må mindes, at vi taler her om et meget lille mindretal. Og som sædvanligt, giver Morten Ingemann den anden side af historien. I hans seneste stribe ser vi to gamle damer, og det er helt klart, at de begge fører en elendig tilværelse, bortset fra det eneste lyspunkt i deres liv, nemlig, at de nu kan overlade til hjemmehjælpen opgaven at skifte lagnerne efter de har haft hyppig sex. Vi bør ikke forsøge at tage denne lille glæde fra disse søde gamle damer – det tror jeg med hele mit hjerte!!!!

15:30 Lois kommer hjem og vi slapper af med en kop te i sofaen.

English translation

17:00 I jump up on my exercise bike and cycle 6 miles (10km). Hoorah - now I know for sure that I can get well again. While I cycle I switch on my smartphone and watch 1985's best music videos, or something similar. Time flies when you're having fun - no doubt about it !!!!

18:00 Lois and I eat supper and then we spend the evening watching a little television. They show an entertaining TV game, "Through the Keyhole". The program's host, Keith Lemon, visits three homes and look around the houses. Lemon's 3 guests, Paddy McGuinness, Caroline Flack and Dave Berry, are his panel of experts who try to guess which celebrities the houses belong to.

For Lois's and my part, it is a sign of our advanced age that we do not recognize any of the three "famous" experts who sit on Lemon's panel. It is becoming a problem for us because there are nowadays so many programs that "celebrities" take part in, and we don't have the faintest idea who they are. My god!

It is very funny to see the 3 residences in the program, but I think it is a bit of a shame that Lemon, the program's amateurish host, and his unprofessional film crew, cause a lot of damage and commit a lot of acts of vandalism in the houses.

The first house belongs to Tony Hadley, who in the 1980s was the lead singer of the group Spandau Ballet. It is a bit of a shame that Lemon and the television company's unprofessional film crew do not respect the owner's house and furniture. They try to hide the evidence, but if you read between the lines, it is obvious that they are taking the opportunity to hold a wild party at the house in the owner's absence and they damage a sliding door, which has to be repaired. At one point a neighbor calls the police - oh dear!

It is a bit of a shame that the amateurish Keith Lemon,

along with his unprofessional film crew, use the opportunity

to hold a wild party in the house in the owner's absence - oh dear!

22:30 We go to bed - zzzzz !!!!!

04:45 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests. I take a little look at the web.

07:30 I rush into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom, put them on our nightstand, and jump into bed with Lois. When we have finished drinking the tea, we go in the shower. We get up and eat breakfast.

12:00 We eat lunch and afterwards Lois has to go out. She wants to attend a church service taking place today in Tewkesbury. On the way she is going to pick up Maggie, her friend, and they will ride together.

13:30 I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap - zzzzzz !!!!!!!!

15:00 I get up and take a look at the web. I find Morten Ingemann's latest comic strip. My God! I get a bit of a shock when I see it - I know that for sure!

The Dane Ingemann is my favorite cartoonist - no doubt about that! He has many characteristics that are a must with me and a big plus. He is very interested in ugly, overweight, middle-aged or older people, the kind of people that most cartoonists rarely give attention to.

It is very refreshing, in my opinion, that he always presents the problems of old age from the older person's point of view and not from the point of view of the younger people who have to care for them. It's been a bit of a cliché recently to hear carers, nurses, etc. complain about a minority of older people who are extremely sexually active, because of the carers' obligation to change the sheets quite often, maybe once or more a day.

We must remember that we are talking about a very small minority of older people. And as usual, Morten Ingemann gives the other side of the story. In his recent cartoon strip, we see two old ladies, and it's quite clear that they both lead a miserable existence, apart from the one and only bright spot in their lives, namely, that they can now leave to the home-help the task of changing the sheets after they have been having frequent sex. We really should not try to take this little pleasure away from these sweet old ladies - I believe that with all my heart !!!!

15:30 Lois comes home and we relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.