I
am home after almost two weeks away for the second time this year
although despite an excellent visit which I enjoyed very much it has
ended in a most unsatisfactory manner as I have a streaming cold
brought on from moving from back and forth from hot to cold, and
which together with losing a remote for the garage door and then find
I had bought the wrong black ink cartridges what started as a good
day end somewhat disastrously.
So
I shall try and look back remembering the positive experiences
commencing with an early morning train journey from Newcastle to
Newark North gate. I decided to pay the £3.20 Metro fee rather than
wait until 9.30 and risk the rush to the platform for the 10,25. It
proved he right decision because the train arrived on the platform
around 9.30 and was ready for boarding just after 10am. I enjoyed a
small Americano coffee as I had dome a couple of hours later the
previous Thursday and assisted a young woman who was being seen off
by her aunt and wanted to know which end of compartment E was her
seat. I speculated if this yet to be another journey where I would
have interesting encounters as occurred on my visit to Croydon the
previous weekend.
I
had been allocated an aisle sweat at a table at the opposite end of
the compartment and was free only until Durham when I was joined
opposite by two men, one a teacher, I suspect going to London for a
union conference The fourth seat was taken up at Darlington but by
then I earmarked on of two free seats on the other side of the
carriage and with the second seat free throughout the journey. I took
care to keep all my luggage close to hand and at Newark Northgate
remembered to take the lift up to the cross track bridge and then
the second lift down to exist where I was being met. There was an
excellent lunch where I opted for a stew with unlimited vegetables
and a glass of Pepsi before heading to Travel Lodge where I was
allocated a familiar room with a flat screen television and remote
only to find that I had left the connect cable at home. I also
forgotten to bring an extension cable to checking that there was time
to take the bus into Mansfield centre and go in search.
The
bus stop was only a short walk in the cold air from the Travel Lodge
and with a selection of four buses taking the five to ten minute
direct route to the bus station by the Four Seasons shopping centre
which I had visited once before when I thought I lost a mobile phone,
only to find it had slipped under the carpet of he back seat of my
car over six months later. A walk around the main shops and then in
the revealed no where likely to provide the items but having seen
what appeared to be a second centre the other side of the bus
station I made my way to find a large Argos store opened until late
on the Thursday evening.
The
connect cable was expensive given that I had two already at home
rather like the SCART leads where I seem to have several and where a
different kind of cable now connects the Blue ray DVD Played and Sky
box to the TV for 3 D and HD films. However the extension cable for
the Sleep Apnoea machine was on discount and both will now be kept in
case to ensure they are available for future trips. The next planned
in May is also to Croydon and London for the cricket at the Oval when
Durham play Surrey.
Returning
to the bus station I noted that its days are numbered as on the 1st
of April the new station located close to the railway station, and
some three minutes away is to open. The existing station appeared
more than adequate to me although the waiting area is covered it also
open to the weather on one side whereas the new centre has a fully
enclosed waiting area space as I was driven past at one point.
For
the evening I eat the three small rolls I had baked early filled with
pate and a few pimento olives. There was a few dried digs and pieces
of liquorice to finish and I also had a mushroom cuppa soup instead
of coffee. I was ready for sleep early but was disturbed by the
constant banging of a door which I subsequently discovered involved
two teenagers with their parents in rooms either side of the
corridor. After I remonstrated the noise ceased and I was able to
have a good overall sleep.
The
following morning I made my way back into Mansfield for a coffee and
toast at Debenham’s after using the two £1 boots vouchers for
responding to the Daily TV and radio survey exchange as part payment
for two packs of the shop brand of digestion tablets.
The
subsequent intention was to walk in Clumber or Rufford Park. It was
colder than anticipated and the walking comprised a visit op the
Roast Buffet restaurant where coffee was drank until the food was
ready at midday. The road was satisfactory but the vegetable choice
limited and the cost comparatively expensive but given the
circumstances the meal was appreciated. Every two years one of the
local dance studios puts on a show at the Palace Theatre In Mansfield
and in the evening I made my third visit. The studios takes pre
school children through dance examinations including the General
certificate level school examination. This was only one of three
similar studios performing at the Theatre over the Easter period. My
information is that the studio premises is rectangular whereas the
stage at the Palace Theatre is more square which does create some
problems adjusting routine and coupled with the atrocious weather
over the past weeks this has prevented many students from attending
all the practice sessions and couple with attempting to included all
the students in one or more performances I thought that overall the
show failed to match the previous two although saying this the
overall level of performance is remarkable given that the young
people attend classes outside of the full range of school activities,
other interests and their family lives. I particular enjoyed the
grand finale which included several big band swing numbers including
Sing Sing Sing made famous by the Benny Goodman band and Gene Krupa’s
drum solos in particular,
Given
that the school provides classes in traditional dance-the ballet, the
modern which comes under the umbrella of Jazz and Street, plus tap
dancing and theatrical where singing is added the cost of attending
plus providing for the multi costume changing is significant
especially if parents decide to send more than one of their children
to the activity. It is not just the poor who are being accepted by
the policies of the Coalition government in terms of welfare benefit
reforms with the loss of the child allowance part of the family
credit for those in the middle class together with the controls on
public sector incomes and significant reduction in public sector
jobs.
I
introduce this aspect because yesterday on April the 1st,
traditionally April Fools day, marked the start of the bedroom tax
where those living in public funded social housing had their income
reduced for every bedroom of a certain size regarded as unoccupied
and where there was also a reduction related to Council tax although
generally the level has been maintained which means that although
there has been a freeze on wages with a maximum 1% overall for the
coming year with also pressure for authorities and agencies to hold
back on incremental increases where pay scales are in operation, the
outcome has been severe reductions in some services as well as
reducing the managerial and supervisory levels which always is to the
significant detrimental impact on quality.
I
visited the Subway adjacent to the Travel Lodge for breakfast less
and one morning the breakfast comprised half a chocolate Easter egg
although I did have two rounds of toast with coffee on the motor way
journey home which came around £4.50 more that the cost of a
McDonald’s Chicken sandwich meal which included a coffee rather
than soft drink enjoyed not once but on successive evenings at the
branch across the way from the Travel Lodge.
There
was an added bonus because the company has reintroduced its Monopoly
Board give way with literally millions of prize. In addition to the
buy six get one free coffee stickers the coffee and the French Fries
have additional stickers added and these provided instant prizes
which yielded two apple pies (99p) each and one fruit bad fresh
grapes and apple slices and a breakfast porridge carton where I
assume the normal cost is similar, In addition one collects monopoly
prizes which includes weekend breaks, and more expensive holiday and
3D TV’s. However given the limited number of these prizes most
people will have to settle for the freebies. In addition to those
mentioned there is a third category of award made available to
everyone who registers on line and then enters the code of individual
properties. I have not completed this task but so far there has been
a 20% discount for Raleigh cycles, a free swimming lesson, 20% of
other purchases as yet unidentified as the voucher has to be printed
out and a free printing of digital photos for the cost of postage
although this appears too good to be so.
The
highlight of Easter Sunday was a visiting in the city centre of
Nottingham to watch the Nottingham Panthers Ice Skating team beat the
Fife Flyers in the second leg of the quarter finals of the play offs
competition at the cities FM arena. I have a vague recollection of
being taken to an ice rink to watch while other relatives went on the
ice and noting how cold it was and to gaining the impression that
this was professional sport pone to fights and rough stuff and where
decisions and results were often questionable.
Having
said that when Sir John Hall attempted to establish the idea of
general sporting club attached to Newcastle United with sponsorship
of both the local Basketball and Ice Hockey team I know a former
colleague switch his time and money from Sunderland AFC because the
enjoyed the atmosphere and also the winnings. There is no longer a
Newcastle Ice Hockey team. The team was originally based in Durham,
the Durham Wasps and then appears in various guises and continued
despite financial difficulties up until 2011-2012 season.
There
is now no club in the north east with Hull and Sheffield from
Yorkshire, Belfast, Northern Ireland, four from Scotland and one from
Wales and another the Midlands Coventry. There arr teams playing at
Ice Rink include the Whitley Bay Warriors and also matches between
Universities There are teams Notting playing at all levels with the
National Ice Skating centre built next to the FM arena.
I
enjoyed the game in which the Panthers showed the great individual
skills and team play although for long periods they were held by the
opposition who came tot eh second leg 4 goals to 2 in the lead but
the Panther went to the semi finals and possibly the final next
weekend winning 5.4 aggregate. I noted that the given the small size
of goalmouth and heavily protected goalie it was difficult for anyone
to score with a direct shot coming at the goalkeeper and that the hat
appeared the only way to score is to create a situation where one
players appeared to be bearing on the goalie to shoot but was able to
accurately pass to another player able to immediately hit the small
puck into the goal before the goalie had time to turn.
So
I am back full of cold and I have spent the first day watching TV and
sleeping with little inclination to write. Yesterday was little
better and today Thursday I have attended to more which I hope to
report before the week ends
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