Monday September 29th 2025 "Do YOU have a leaky ceiling? Do YOU always feel something wet whenever you look up!"

Yes, friends, do YOU have a leaky ceiling currently? Just take a minute to look up, and see if you feel something wet in your eye which is the acid test! And if you DO have a leak, let's hope you have that nice Mr Recine as a landlord, to put it mildly! Did you see the story in Onion News this morning?

And the story brings a wry chuckle to the lower faces of me and my light-to-moderate wife Lois this morning, here in rural, semi-leafy Liphook, Hampshire, not a million miles away from Recine and his happy band of tenants, and we give a qualified "Kudos!" to Recine for his caring attitude, which is so refreshing!

my light-to-moderate wife Lois and me - a recent picture

"But why the wry chuckle, particularly, Colin?", I hear you cry!

Well, we pause to applaud local landlord Recine's caring approach, while at the same time wrily ruing the blatantly un-caring attitude of our insurance company to the recent leak in our water supply pipe, which cost us £700 plus to get an approved local plumber to locate and fix the leak.

flashback to September 2nd: local plumber Darren locates and

fixes a leak in our South East Water water supply pipe

Today we get our insurance company's response, which starts as follows:

Uh-oh! But Lois are I are obviously to blame, having forgotten the golden rule about insurance policies, which is that they cover you for all the "perils" that haven't happened, but don't cover you for the "perils" that have. 

Simples! Our bad, obviously!

By coincidence, the UK's consumer association "Which?", which Lois and I have been members of for decades, is currently mounting what they call a "super-complaint" to the regulator against insurance industry for misleading statements in their policies and overall poor treatment of their customers etc etc.

"Kudos, 'Which' !", is what Lois and I say, but I fear that any results will come too late for us, if we know the efficiency track-record of the regulator!

Poor us!!!!!

So, all in all, a bit of a bad day for Lois and me financially, to put it mildly.

However, there are some pluses to today as well, which is a comfort! We find a local gardener, Matthew, the son of one of Lois's fellow-church-members, who's coming next week to sort out our garden for the winter. We prove our worth to our 50-year-old daughter Alison by picking her up after she drops her car off at local repair shop Moore's Motors, and finally we get our feet massaged and toes cut etc by our local podiatrist the lovely Zoë, or "Zoë the Toë" as we call her (!).

(left) Zoë our local podiatrist or "Zoë the Toë" as we call her affectionately (!)

seen here with (right) her colleague Kathy, the chiropractor

14:00 So, all in all, Lois and I are feeling particularly good, and pampered from head to toe (no pun intended!!!), when we finally get into bed this afternoon for "nap-time", which is nice!

It's nice to get a rest, because we're very gladly having to do a little very minor running-around, at the moment, on behalf of our daughter Alison, because her husband Edward is up in Liverpool for this year's Labour Party Conference. Edward is there in his capacity as a Transport UK Group executive, "schmoozing" - oops, sorry (!), I mean holding frank discussions with" (!) - Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and/or her officials.

(left) the setup for this week's annual Labour Party Conference in Liverpool,

and (right) Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, whom our son-in-law Edward

will be "schmoozing", oops sorry (!), "having frank discussions with" (!)

Heidi has an interesting last name - "Alexander", which we can't resist googling on our phones when we're in bed this afternoon. Call us 'unhealthy obsessives' if you like haha! 

with an "unhealthy obsession" (!), we goggle Heidi's last name,

Alexander, during nap-time in bed this afternoon

Google tells us the following:

Fascinating stuff, isn't it! [If you say so! - Ed]

Lois and I are now planning to ask Edward, if he gets to speak to Heidi Alexander, if he'll ask her about her last name "Alexander", as this evening we see an interesting documentary on the More4 Channel about why Alexander the Great mysteriously died so early, at the age of 32 (?) having spent most of his twenties conquering a quarter of the known world (as you do haha!). 

Young people, eh haha !!!

Alexander the Great peaked fairly early in his career, which was fortunate considering his early death in 323 BC in  Babylon, aged 32. But what was the cause of his death, a question hard to answer particularly as there are no contemporary sources, no doctor's reports, newspaper reports etc, which is a pity!

After Alexander mysteriously died, his body was taken to Egypt and seen, and visited by, a bunch of important people, including Roman emperors, but the body mysteriously disappeared sometime after about 200 AD. So, without a body, how to do an autopsy on the guy, in 2025?

As the blurb in the Radio Times says, any attempted "autopsy" on somebody whose body disappeared from Egypt two thousand years ago is not so much a "cold case" but a "deep-frozen case", but Professor Suzannah does her best with the facts available, rejecting the "old war-wound" theory and the "poisoned-by-jealous-rivals theory" and coming down, instead, on the probability that poor Alexander, exhausted by all his campaigning across the Middle East and Asia, including India, simply became the easy victim of a virus such as the West Nile Virus, prevalent at the time in those crazy, far-off regions (!), a virus which caused terrible fevers followed by a fairly quick death - yikes!

Poor Alexander the Great !!!!

But what a crazy world we live in !!!!!

21:00 After a bit of a "heavy" programme all about Alexander, Lois and I, seeking something lighter to go to bed on (no pun intended!!!!0 , turn to this week's edition of our favourite TV quiz programme, "Only Connect". 

We're anxious to see this one, because Lois's cousin Brian's grandson, Steve, is the captain of one of the two teams competing tonight, the Scanners - a team of NHS radiographers from the Dorset area. 

tonight's edition of our favourite TV quiz, Only Connect, which

tests lateral thinking: (top, centre) Stephen, grandson of

Lois's cousin Brian is shown as the Scanners team's captain

It's a pity that Lois's relation Steve's team "The Scanners" is eliminated from the competition after tonight's show, but on the plus side, there is, as usual, lots of fascinating knowledge to pick up, which is nice!

Who knew, for example, what these 4 random-looking expressions have in common?

Yes, you've guessed it! They all demonstrate how some languages other than English represent a dog's "woof-woof" sound:  Greek, Spanish, Afrikaans and French, needless to say (!). 

Lois and I still think our English version is the best, call us unhealthily "Anglocentric" if you like haha!

How about trying this one for size?

Yes, right again! It's what you get given on your 100th birthday, and this is one where the UK is closely aligned with Sweden, which is nice. And sensible for the USA to cut out unnecessary expense by only issuing a letter if it's really wanted - a lesson here for us and the Swedes maybe, who seem to take a more profligate approach, sending out letters from the monarch with an outrageously expensive Royal Mail stamp on the envelope? Even a second-class stamp costs 87p - what madness, isn't it!

I wonder....!

Memo to self: must write letter to Charles now, lodging mine and Lois's desire for a letter, because in 21 years' time, it'll be our turn, "if we're spared!", as Lois's dad Dennis used to say (!). 

Back to the quiz! How about this one - what's the link between these 4 picture-clues?

These turn out to be four pictures representing dating apps: (1) David "Bumble" Lloyd [Who he? - Ed], (2) Evadne Hinge of "Hinge and Bracket" fame, (3), "Match", and (4) "Tinder". 

So, "Bumble", "Hinge", "Match" and "Tinder" - all dating apps. Simples !!!!

Both teams have difficulty finding the link in this one, which surprises Victoria, who comments to the teams, "You're all young, you must be on dating apps?".

To which Lois's cousin's grandson Steve, has a simple one-word answer:

Fair enough - good answer, Steve!

Victoria, however, comments that marriage is no barrier to using a dating app in this day and age - oh dear! But she also reveals that, on the other hand, the "Hinge" app actually specifies that its "connections" are designed to be long-term, whereas so many dating apps are now almost deliberately aimed at people looking for casual hook-ups. 

Not that Victoria seems to mind that fact, to put it mildly!

Oh dear! And let's hope Victoria's husband, comedian David Mitchell, isn't watching tonight's show too closely!!!!

Poor David !!!

But what a crazy world we live in !!!  [You've done that one at least once already. Just saying! - Ed]

Will this do?

[Oh just go to bed! - Ed]

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

Sunday September 28th 2025 "Have YOU got a future rock star in YOUR family? Most of us have, haven't we!"

Yes, friends, have YOU got a future rock star or pop idol, say, in your family? 

Most of us have at least one of them in our families, I think, or have had, at some time or other, am I right? Or am I right! And it's a question that my light-to-medium wife Lois and I, here in semi-leafy Liphook, Hampshire, have to hold our hand up to, with an ear-splitting "Yes!", that's for sure!

my light-to-moderate wife Lois and me - recent pictures

I'm talking about our 15-year-old grandson Isaac, lead singer in his own boy-girl band, and much in demand for local 'gigs', as I expect you realise if you live within a 10 mile radius of Isaac's current family home just over the county line, in semi-rural Churt, Surrey, to put it mildly!

(left) our 15-year-old grandson Isaac's band in front of their 

double-decker "tour bus", and (right) in action at a local gig

Yesterday, Lois and I were "tapped" to take Isaac to a mystery audition for a part in Haslemere Theatre Group's amateur performance of "Legally Blonde - the Musical" in the Surrey town's iconic "Haslemere Hall". However, Lois and I, as now officially paid up members of the "local old codgers" demographic (!), didn't realise what it was all about, I'm afraid - it was all too much to "take in", for us really, to be frank!

flashback to yesterday: (left) I photograph my light-to-medium wife Lois, as we wait,

anxiously, outside Haslemere's iconic "Haslemere Hall", where our 15-year-old grandson

Isaac is inside, auditioning for a part in "Legally Blonde - The Musical"

Lois and I go around in a bit of a "fog" these days, but we're happy to pick young Isaac up and take him places when his parents are away, as they were yesterday. However, we'd never heard of "Legally Blonde - the Musical", but we assumed it was some sort of theatrical performance interrupted by songs, although we're not really sure!!!

Today, we're a bit more clued up, I'm glad to say! [I'll be the judge of that! - Ed]

Fortunately last night the ITV2 channel was showing the film version of the musical, and we now know it's about a ditsy-looking young blonde Elle Woods, who confounds her local community by getting into Harvard Law School  and going on to be a legal eagle who gets a falsely accused woman off a murder rap (as you do haha!), while still keeping fully intact her "Barbie Doll" image. And it's all the most tremendous fun!

In this scene from the film, Elle, on arrival at Harvard Law School, introduces herself to her new class mates: 

There's also an amusing sub-plot at the nail-bar Elle patronises, where her manicurist Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge) has fallen for the local UPS delivery guy (Bruce Thomas), but is too shy to take it further.

When he has a package for her, the UPS guy always asks Paulette, with a big smile, how she's doing, but she's too shy to say more than "Fine!" back to him, which is a pity!

Elle is critical of her manicurist, suggesting that next time she offer the UPS guy a cold beverage, or a neck massage. Finally Elle decides to demonstrate to Paulette the "bend and snap" movement, guaranteed to get any man's attention, stressing to Paulette that she "has all the right equipment (!).

"But just what constitutes a successful 'bend and snap' manoeuvre, Colin?", I hear you cry! Well, Lois and I didn't know, but it turns out that google has the answer, which is nice!

in this scene at the nail-bar, Elle (Reese Wetherspoon) 

demonstrates to manicurist Paulette (Jennifer Coolidge) how to do 

the "bend and snap", guaranteed to get a man's attention

But wait! Google has more!

Unfortunately, when later Paulette tries the "bend-and-snap" on the UPS guy, she stands too close to him and breaks his nose when she does the "snap" bit, which is a bummer, to put it mildly!

the flawed "bend-and-snap" maneouvre where Paulette

stands too close to the UPS guy and winds up breaking his nose

when she snaps back up - what madness !!!

"But why are you going into such detail on the bend-and-snap manoeuvre, Colin?", I hear you cry!

Well, Lois and I find out today, that the part our grandson Isaac is getting in the local Haslemere amateur production of "Legally Blonde - the Musical" is the part of that very UPS guy, which starts us worrying slightly - obviously a broken nose could end Isaac's promising pop idol career before it even starts!

Poor Isaac !!!!!

But what a crazy world we live in !!!!! 

And all in all today is a bit of a crazy day for Lois and me, I'm sorry to report (!). 

It starts fine in the morning with our weekly Sunday morning video call to our daughter Sarah and her 12-year-old twins in Perth, Australia - the twins, Lily and Jessica, are in high spirits because it's a 3-day weekend for "Western Australia Day" tomorrow, to be followed by 2 weeks school holiday before their final term at junior school. 

And after the call to Australia, I try out my shiny new exercise bike, which we've decided to move into the kitchen from the garage, now that the weather has turned distinctly chilly, for September - what a madness isn't it! I only do 3 miles for this first effort, but I haven't ridden an exercise bike for about 5 years due to my trouble hip, now fully fixed, and I'm just being a bit careful. Call me overly cautious if you like haha!

(top) flashback to 9:30am - we talk on zoom to our daughter Sarah

and her twin daughters Lily and Jessica, in high spirits

with two weeks school holiday just beginning, and (bottom)

me, or should I say "my left leg" [right leg not shown!], [Why not? - Ed]

moving my shiny new exercise bike from the freezing cold garage into our kitchen,

and watching an old video on our old "kiddies" DVD player, for good measure!!!

After that good-to-fairly-good start, the rest of the day is a bit crazy, as Lois and I wait for our other daughter Alison to make her long 300-mile train journey down from Durham to London. We've agreed to pick her up at Haslemere railway station, and drive her to her home in nearby Churt. 

Alison's original arrival time at Haslemere was supposed to be 3:15pm, but during the day we get various texts from her talking about "delays", and she doesn't actually arrive at the station here till around 3 hours after the advertised arrival time, at about 6:20pm.

And all because of a so-called "broken rail" on the York to Doncaster section of the journey, as reported here by Alice Kavanagh of YorkPress:

Poor Alison, just her luck !!!!

But "Three hours delay! Seriously, Colin ?????", I hear your cry!

Or should I say "Three hours FR, Colin????", as you Gen Z youngsters now prefer, according to my latest vocabulary newsflash, which I receive this afternoon as part of my routine Facebook feed.

No wonder we "baby boomers" get confused at times. What a crazy world we live in !!!!!

Will this do?

[On just go to bed! - Ed]

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