Danskcolin: Friday July 5th 2024 "Could YOU become the UK's top vacuum-wielder? I wonder....!!!!"

Well, the UK's 2024 General Election is all "done and dusted" now, isn't it.

In the past I myself always used to like to go to bed at the end of Election Day in total ignorance, at about 9:45pm, just before the polls closed, then get up early the next day and switch on the TV news, get the gist of how it's gone and then watch all the "late declarations" from the most faraway constituencies - like the mysterious "Argyll Bute and South Lochaber" in the Hebrides and suchlike. I could then tell Lois the good or bad news with the morning cup of tea I used to bring her.

Such fun!!!

counting staff sorting through ballot papers in some of the

most mysterious and glamorous-sounding constituencies in Scotland

the mysterious late-declaring constituency of Argyll Bute

and South Lochaber in the far west of Scotland

Nowadays the exit polls, broadcast in the 10pm late night news the moment the polls have closed, are so quick and so accurate these days that it's Lois who tells me the results before we get into bed. Still, that's progress!!!!

And at least when I get up early this morning to get the tea, I can tell her our local result here in Malvern. Yes, as kind-of half-predicted in my blog, West Worcestershire is one of the few constituencies remaining that still has a Conservative MP as today dawns:

flashback to June 14th: my eerily-predictive blog gets it right again

West Worcestershire constituency: Conservative Party candidate

Harriett Baldwin (centre) has beaten off the challenge of

Dan Boatright-Greene (crazy name, crazy guy!) (Liberal-Democrat)

and Natalie McVey (Green Party), pictured outside County Hall

And remember - you read it here first haha!!!

08:00 It's become clear, however, that some of our neighbours stayed up all night last night to watch the results come in - a lot of closed blinds are in evidence this morning. James across the street has his blinds closed, still, but then that could be because he's got his girlfriend staying over again.

Lois and I are two of Britain's thousands-strong community of "nosey neighbours" and we like to monitor James's amorous activities - it's one of our guilty pleasures!

it's "blinds closed" in our close neighbour, young James's bedroom -

has he been up late watching the results come in, or is it just that

his girlfriend has been "staying over" again? I think we should be told!

Some people stay up late watching the Oscars or the Emmys etc being broadcast from the States, don't they, keen to watch the awards being announced as they happen, and not waiting for the summaries on the morning news the following day.

The time difference makes it extra awkward, doesn't it, but some people put that aside for the plus sides, like this group of addicts, who make a point of watching these award ceremonies year after year [Source: Onion News].

Yes, discovering who the mysterious "plus-one" is for all these famous stars is almost as exciting as watching results from mysterious Scottish constituencies, isn't it.

And the famous "red carpet" always looks so immaculate, I notice. You never see bits of fluff or discarded children's toys on it, like Lois and I often find on the carpets here in our new-build home here in Malvern. The Emmy-organisers obviously have an army of vacuum-wielders, probably some of America's best, all dedicated to making sure that that carpet is looking good for Emmys Night or Oscars Night, I would imagine.

Looking back over past posts of my blog, yet again (!), I find these fascinating pictures from previous years:

one of America's top vacuum-wielders "doing

his stuff" just hours before the Emmys, where

all the top stars and their "plus-ones" will soon be treading

And do you remember this picture from my blog of March 17th, where I showed rare pictures of the opening heats of the quest by ATAS (Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) to find America's top vacuum-wielder:

some of America's top competitive vacuumers

[That's enough whimsy! - Ed]

11:00 I think of these vacuum "champs" today, because this morning sees another milestone in my struggle to resume normal life after my hip replacement operation of April 3rd. Vacuuming was firmly on my list of "Don'ts", when I was discharged, that is, "Don't do it" if I wanted to avoid my shiny new hip "popping out of its socket" and flying through the air, potentially lodging itself in some of our house's brand new plasterwork.

a typical hole in the ceiling caused by a hip "popping out of its socket"

and hitting the plasterwork with a force of several g's: yikes !!!

Yes, today I vacuum our house for first time since my hip operation, in preparation for a weekend visit by our daughter Sarah and her 10-year-old twins Lily and Jessica. Over the last 3 months, we've had to ask Sarah to do the vacuuming for us.

Today, however, the word has gone out to vacuum-enthusiasts from Lands End to John o' Groats, and the message is "Colin is back!"

flashback to February 2022, me in happier times, at what's

been widely dubbed the peak of my career as an "exceptional

vacuum-wielder" (not my words!) [Yes, they are! - Ed]

flashback to early April: our daughter Sarah and her daughter Lily

visiting me in my hospital bed in Redditch, where I'm recovering

after a hip replacement operation, an operation which forced

a 3 month ban on my practising the sport I most excel at - vacuuming

16:00 But let's return to General Election 2024.... [Finally! - Ed]

As always, Steve, our American brother-in-law, who, Lois and I have a habit of saying, knows far more about what's going on in the UK than we do, finds an excellent summary on events to send us, quoting from Politico:

Once the election was called, few disagree that Sunak played a losing hand badly. After holding his cards too close to his chest, Sunak finally laid them on the table — only to torch each one in turn, setting himself ablaze in the process. “The campaign has been dogged with bad luck,” one Cabinet minister said toward the end. “It was going to be difficult to begin with. But Rishi has made it worse.”

And what pleases Lois and me the most about today is the gracious speeches that the 2 main party leaders have given, each acknowledging each other's qualities and achievements

Those are the kind of political exchanges that Lois and I like - and long may they continue!

20:00 "Politico" was perhaps too busy to comment on what some might call one of the less-game-changing news items of the week, but which was very game-changing for my younger sister Jill herself. This was her move, after 30 years, from her former house in Cambridge where she and Peter had brought up their 3 daughters, to her new flat overlooking Ipswich harbour.

She's decided to "junk" most of her old furniture and start again, getting some new items of furniture more appropriate for her new circumstances, and Lois and I think she's made a good decision. And we say that, having downsized ourselves recently but having kept far too much of our old "stuff", meaning all our rooms look a total mish-mash, and a total mess at the same time - what madness !!!!

On Thursday, Jill had her first breakfast on the balcony:

flashback to yesterday: my younger sister Jill enjoys her first breakfast

in her new flat in Ipswich : on Wednesday she had moved out of the family house

in Cambridge where she had lived for over 30 years, going back there

only briefly today, to supervise the clearance of her unwanted furniture

Awww!!! What a view!!!!

And, by coincidence, with Sarah and the twins now with us, we spend the evening watching some kids messing about in boats not a million miles away from Ipswich, on the Norfolk Broads, which is nice.