Off to London

We use a self issue system in the libraries made by a company called Bibliotheca, and they are having a one day forum in London on Tuesday next week which I am going to attend.  This would usually mean getting up at 5am to catch the train, but instead I am getting an overnight stay in a hotel, which is very nice.

The reason being that we also use a system called Netloan which is used to manage pc bookings, lots of libraries use it.  However we have put Netloan onto the self issue kiosks, so that borrowers can book a pc themselves, and it is also tied into the printers, so that people can manage their own printing payments .  We are one of the few libraries using this at the moment, so they got in touch to ask if I would do a 10 minute presentation about it .  I agreed, and they said they would pay the train fare and for a hotel too after I asked.  All for just 10 minutes.

The slight problem that I know almost nothing about Netloan was fairly quickly solved by a crash course.

So, off to London I go.

2013

I find it difficult to type 2013 so I hope that isn't an omen!

2012

We walked all the interesting middle third of Hadrian's Wall which - for me - was a real achievement.  I feel proud of myself.

Still in work and still earning a pay cheque which is good in the current economic climate

All family well and thriving which is a major plus!!

Rejoined NWR which I am really enjoying

Got flooded over Christmas so are leaving our offices behind.  This is sad, because 4 years after we returned (after the last flood) we all still looked round and thought how lovely the office was.  We are now in the basement in a very small room and will turn into troglodytes (dry ones though)

Sad shortage of sun all year.

We built what we are calling the servatory on the back of the house ( half a conservatory) which does also have a canopy.  I wanted it because the garden is windy, so it is a wind break which still get sun.  We actually did use it a lot and it makes a big difference.

Still want some sun though.

2013

B will have another piece performed by the BBC (hopefully) and another piece recorded in June, followed by a cd.  This is very exciting.

There are horrific spending cuts - why do they call them savings?  - coming up for the local authority I work for and libraries won't be immune.

B is going to be a grandfather in a few weeks

We have some concerts planned.

Roll on 2013 and I hope everyone has a good one

Dagger's at the ready

The nominations for Dagger in the Library begin now - we already have one nomination, and I have never heard of the author which is good.   I found some really good new authors last year, so fingers crossed some other good ones turn up this year.

Fudge is going home tonight, and we will miss him because he is a very nice natured and affectionate little dog.  I won't miss the mess though as he chews everything and there are bits of chewed stuff all over the place, and the vacuum has been working hard.

New Year Resolutions - hmm
I want to learn more about wine, rather than buying by guesswork

Usual weight loss/fitter stuff (ho hum)

I will do something with the how to  crochet book I have next door instead of just looking at it guiltily.

Finish the backing up of all the  photos on the computer.

Make a start on scanning the old photos.

I will make an effort to create a course for mylearningworx.  I am thinking of a 'Make do and mend' really basic how to sew, how to hem, stuff like that. It should be a bit of a challenge!

Maybe invent a time machine as well so I can fit in all the above. (Doctor, where are you?????)

Christmas and dogs

We have had a lovely Christmas with all 3 children and one son in law home.  Ad was working on Christmas day so we had a late dinner.  Kate and Carl made a fabulous brunch with Eggs Royale and prosecco, then we had a relaxed day until Adam got home about 2.30.  We then did presents and my very generous children have given me an iPad mini, so I am very excited!  I also got some jewellery, a pretty necklace and some earrings, and a thing to make my iPod talk to the radio. So I did very well indeed.

We have had a visiting dog over Christmas.  A Jack Russell crossed with (we think) corgi so he has a very long body, very short legs and huge bat ears, but he is very cute.  Saffy does not think so, she thinks he is a young pest and is being a grumpy old lady.  He did give me a total panic tonight however.  I got back from work and he wasn't here.  After checking the house I went round the field calling 'Fudge' everywhere while Adam went down the road, and after half an hour of hunting round and now sign of him we were getting ready to phone the police.  However in the meantime Nic had phoned her friend who is a dog warden.  He gave her the number for the kennels who told her he was in Llantwit police station.  When I got there he was delighted to see me and I was equally delighted to see him!!

Our office flooded again.  2008 was the last time.  The new stock was  moved out to Barry library on Monday, and today we spent most of the day throwing things into a skip and arranging how we were going to squash ourselves into the workroom in Barry library.  Ho hum.

Hobbit

We went to see The Hobbit last night.

Pro
Martin Freeman is brilliant as Bilbo, he was born to be a hobbit.  The characters from the previous films  fit well into the new(old) story seamlessly, and the characters they have added from background information and the appendices mostly are good too.  The characterisation of the dwarves work really well too, and they end up being much more individual than they are in the book - as far as I can remember as it is a long time since I read it.

The 3D is great.  I am still so thrilled to be able to see it, and don't understand why I can, but it is great and the depth of the pictures are really quite exciting.

Cons
It is too long.  There is too much of the group being scenic against the scenic scenery.  The scene where they escape from the goblins goes on too long too.  The baddy orc isn't very convincing, and as they are meant to be created by man why are they running an independent war?

The ending is at a sensible place, and I can see the second film, but am still completely at sea about what they are going to do with the 3rd one.

Not as good as LOTR because the story isn't as good, there is less drama, less intensity so it is less exciting.

Spoiler alert -Bilbo doesn't tell anyone about the Ring until LOTR and there is a moment when he almost tells, but Gandalf says something and looks at Bilbo as if he knows about the ring - and he doesn't, the whole point is that he doesn't know until he throws the ring into the fire many years later.  That was annoying

Flood fears are rising with the water levels around us, and we spend an hour or so today lifting 100 or so boxes of books off the floor and onto higher surfaces. Ho hum.  Fingers crossed

Not flooded!

Hurray

Work didn't flood.  The car parks around and the fields did, the road further down did, but we - thankfully didn't.  I am very relieved.

We have left all the boxes on tables just in case though we aren't being rained on at the moment.

An odd and irritating consequence of my ordering splurge is RSI in my arm, which is ridiculously sore today, though why it has waited till after I have had a weekend odd is baffling.  Hope it goes away tomorrow.

Cars can be pricy

My car radio died recently.  Usually you would just either get it fixed or else get a new one fitted.  Not if you own a Honda Jazz.  They have cunningly built the thing right into the dashboard and the fascia panel has the controls for the heater etc in as well, so you can't just replace the radio, and to buy a new Honda radio costs £350 which is nuts!!  So after a conversation with a repair place who looked at the car and went 'oh dear' and told me it would be at least £130 to fix the old one (if they could) I decided to get a new one.

It has been put into the glovebox and it has a remote control so I can at least use it when driving.  Hurray.

B, on the other hand, had a problem with his car, and had the nasty shock of it being £650 worth!  Just before Christmas too.

I have been poor at blogging recently because I haven't actually had much to write about  Life seems to be work, home and work, with some Christmas shopping, some social stuff, but nothing really writable about.

Work - hmm
We are worried about flooding again as it is soooo wet here, and the river near work was over the height pole on Friday so we put all the boxes we had full of books onto tables in case it flooded.  However as I haven't had a text to say I am assuming that it hasn't been flooded.

We are going to be starting a series of training events on how to use eBooks soon so we have put in an application to buy some eBook hardware which means we will have lots of toys to play with while we are working out how they all work.  That will be fun because I am a geek really.

I am spending money industriously because it is getting close to the end of the year and and I have been given extra to spend.  Spending and extra £10,000 sounds like fun, but - actually - it is surprisingly hard work because I have to make sure I'm buying things we haven't already ordered, that people will want to read etc etc.

I have done most of Christmas shopping though.

Outings

I have been out a lot recently.

Last week we went to see a live broadcast of Timon of Athens from the National Theatre in the cinema in Cardiff.  I think Simon Russell Beale (who plays Timon) is wonderful and when I read the reviews of the play I really wanted to see it, so when I discovered these live broadcasts were available and that there was one in Cardiff I promptly bought tickets.  It was wonderful.  It is slightly delayed so you are watching it about 15 minutes behind - something to do with how they stream it I suppose.  We also had a little film introduction about the play with the director and cast, plus an interview with the director in the interval.  The filming was wonderful, the picture quality excellent and the play every bit as fabulous as I had hoped.  The NT do these every few months, so I shall be going to see some more next year.

Friday we went to see Music Theatre Wales perform 2 new short operas.  One of them was very good, I enjoyed the music and the story, based on a Thomas Hardy short story held together very well, though it suffered from  being transposed to the current day.  The story centred round a husband and wife who didn't get on but in the Victorian setting they were unable to separate, whereas in a modern setting the wife came across as a brat who stayed with a husband she despised - why?  Money? We didn't find out, and that sort of marred it for me because I felt irritated by her..  The other one suffered from a poor plot, poor libretto and less interesting music.

Saturday we changed tack again and went to see the new Bond film which I really liked.  B was a bit less enthusiastic, but unlike Quantum of Solace this film has a plot, and humour, and characters.  Not as good as Casino Royale perhaps, but I thought it was really good.  Well worth going to see.

I felt quite tired after all that!

Harry Potter tour

I am being really lax about keeping this blog going.  So I will take more effort for a bit.

We went to the Warner Brothers studio near Watford to see the Harry Potter studio tour at the weekend.    We met up with family so there were 10 of us and we had a really good day. The tour is excellent and well worth the money.  There are the original sets for the Great Hall, the common room, bedroom, Dumbldore's office and many more.

The most impressive thing is the attention to detail, and the information about all the technical wizardry which goes into making a wizard world.  It was a great day.

I love the Harry Potter books and they are ones I will reread on a regular basis, as are the books of Terry Pratchett.  Both are fantasy worlds though they don't have much else in common except that they all tell wonderful stories.  They are complete worlds which are internally consistent, so that the characters are real and the situations in which they find themselves are real too.  It doesn't matter that there is magic, dragons etc because what happens to them is as real to them as me sitting here.  It has taken a long time for Pratchett to gain the respect he deserves and he is now recognised by the main literary fraternity as well as the SF world which has been devoted to him for decades.  The literary world hasn't given Rowling the credit she deserves for Harry Potter, and the jury is decidedly split on her new book.  I haven't read it yet, though I will at some point out of curiosity.  It will be interesting to see if she can make the transfer to a different genre.

It's been a while......

Oh dear - how remiss of me.

I have been on holiday - 2 weeks walking in Northumberland, walking the middle bit of Hadrian's wall which was just great.

I was concerned - being the least fit of the 4 of us - that I would be huffing and puffing in the rear while everyone else hung around waiting but actually there was only one day when I struggled, and that was the longest, steepest and wettest walk, so all in all I feel proud of myself.

Other great pluses

- 2 weeks off work
- spending a leisurely time with  my sister and brother in law
- lots of cake
- lots of excellent meals with lovely wine and (mostly) good cheese
- beautiful countryside
- not too much rain
- sense of achievement
- unexpected concert with one of B's ex students performing
- learning lots about the Wall and the Romans in the truly excellent museums

Had a great time.

Thoughts of Hadrian's Wall

There was a missing of birdsong
only rooks, pheasants, kestrel and a solitary silent coal tit
inhabit Grindon and the Wall.
Marching with shadows of lost legionaries as our steps
lock on gravel
in time
out of time
past and present blurring
in a place where time blurs.

At Whinspear we marvel
and think of the Syrian archer shivering on the Wall,
his short sleeves, short skirt and thin leather boots
while we snug in Goretex complain
about wind and rain.
Only September, only rain,
winter still to come and the snow,
imagine the snow.
We think kindly of our softer Southern homes.

Views stretch and stretch
beyond eyesight
beyond binoculars
beyond words to express the sublimity.
It is visceral, not rational.
Living in memory as well as photographs.

Busy busy

It has been a bit busy this week.

Unexpectedly I was hosting Bookclub - which means cooking dinner for the 5 of us so that involved cleaning up on Monday night in order to cook and host on Tuesday.  And a pleasant evening was had by all.

The following day involved getting up at 5am.  Never a good thing. Then catching a train to York for a conference of the National Acquisitions Group - which is a lot of librarians who deal with acquisitions.  The trains all worked extremely well and I got to York comfortably by 11.30 which gave me time to have a sit in the sun before the conference started.  There is a big London Eye type wheel in York so I went on that and had fabulous views over the city.

The following morning I had time to go for a walk before the sessions started and discovered that you can get into Yorkminster for free at 8.30 in the morning.  It was lovely because it was so empty, with only a few people who clearly worked there around.  I have been in it before but it is still wonderful no matter how often you go in.  York itself is lovely and I had a lovely time pottering round before going back into librarian mode.

The conference was good in parts - some bits I already knew well anyway but there was enough to have made it worth while going.

Now we are getting ready to go and walk chunks of Hadrian's wall in a week.  Hurray

Hamlet on a Bank Holiday

Yesterday we went with some friends to see Hamlet in the open air at St Donats Castle.  The production was the Globe touring company(more info here).   We got there early and had a picnic supper for which Chris had done smoked salmon salad sandwiches, chicken and salad, and I had done fresh scones, clotted cream and strawberries.  It was really lovely.  We were so lucky with the weather because it was mild, actually quite warm and (trumpet blast here) dry!! 

It was set on the top lawn with the castle behind (Bradenstoke Hall and Lady Anne tower for those who know the place)  on a very basic stage which must have been similar to those used by Shakespeare's players when touring outside London during times of plague.

The production was very straightforward as you would expect with an open air play - there are few opportunities for great subtlety when trying to pitch your voice to the back of a very large lawn.  There were about 8 actors and the doubling was very well done with changes of coat and hat making a more than reasonable difference.   We were sitting quite a distance away but I could hear everything well, though Chris has a bit of a hearing problem so she couldn't hear much. 

We had all taken added layers of clothing so added jumper, then coat, then blankets as the evening got chillier, and gradually darker.  By the end of the play the bats had replaced the swallows eating the midges and you could hear an owl in the forest, and the sea  from down the hill which made it really quite magical. 

Earlier in the day we had gone to the Flower Festival in St Illtyd's Church which was, as usual , lovely.   That was after a walk down to the beach

Brilliant day

Long time no blog....

I haven't blogged for ages, because there has been nothing much to write about. I have been going to work, coming home, doing stuff round the house, etc etc.  Life as it is lived most of the time.

There have been minor family crises - Nic's car needing over £1000 spending to get through the mot despite it being the newest car in the family for instance, but nothing to write about.

So is there a point in the blog?  Not really because only family read it, but although I started it to see if I could keep it up for a year, I actually enjoy doing it, so although sporadic, will continue with it.

Things happening in my life are mostly about work and family, because that is what takes up my time.  I am a bit peeved that the new agreement about pensions which means I won't be able to retire till I am 65 instead of 64 ( which is when the state pension kicks in).  B will then be 69 and it does seem to me that after 70 there is often less ability to have a completely full life as one gets creakier and less able to do things , so that is a potential disappointment.  But as B is having such a good time writing music that even if I was retired I don't think we would spend out time doing lots of stuff anyway.

I have a new guide dog in training for August, called Mr Jeeves, and he is a lovely dog.  I have had Saffy for the last two weeks as well because Kate and Carl have been on holiday, and the two dogs have gotten on very well, especially as Jeeves is so young and wants to play, but he learnt on day one not to pester her.   This week he is on his own at night and I think he is really going to miss Saffy.  She, on the other hand, won't miss him at all!

He may be the last guide dog I get because the trainers are  emigrating to New Zealand, and there won't be any trainers living in LM, so that would be sad, as I have enjoyed the two I have had.  However I have decided that the ideal size for a dog in a normal house is Saffy sized, not labrador sized.  He takes up way too much space in the kitchen and he really, really moults!  My black trousers are staying in the wardrobe until he goes!

I am looking forward to going to Hadrian's wall in September, though I haven't got fit(ter) as I had  meant to, so I will have to try to do some exercise in the 3 weeks before we go.  Otherwise I will be trailing in the rear!  Also we took Jeeves for a walk in a heavy shower today and both B's and my cagouls leaked so we were soaked.  We need to waterproof them before we go!

This is Jeeves

Eisteddfod

We went to the National Eisteddfod today.

This is a cultural event organised every year in Wales and it moves round the country every year and this year it is here, so we went.

If you want to find out more about it you can do so here

There are lots and lots of competitions, for singing, reciting, brass bands, poetry, etc etc which go on through the week - all in Welsh and is something a lot of Welsh speakers get very involved with from a very young age.  We just went to look round, get the feel of it, and had a very pleasant few hours.  B attended a talk about some country poets which he sort of understood enough of to make it worth attending, and I trolled round with Jeeves.

Jeeves is the new trainee guide dog, and he was being a bit of a labrador while we walked round, attempting to hoover any food on the floor, but he does get people talking to you.  It was lovely.

I'm glad I went.

Comedy of Errors

I went to see the Comedy of Errors performed by the RSC in Stratford today, Brian and I meeting Boo and Trev at the theatre.  It was brilliant.

The story is basically a farce based around the premise that two pairs of identical twins were separated as babies and end up in the same city.  And it was hilarious.  The actors who played the two Dromios (the servants) were absolutely wonderful, and the actress who played the wife of one of them was equally good.  There is a bit towards the end where she is describing all the mix ups of the day to the Duke which was a tour de force.  The timing and the use of changes of tone were so expertly done, and the timing thoughout - superb.

We laughed and laughed.  But the director had also given it a darkness because Ephesus (where it is based) had a Duke who will put to death anyone who comes from Syracuse (where the twins father comes from) and the father is at threat of death through the whole event, although he is saved at the end.  By setting it in a modern location, and making the threat of death real it gave an additional depth to what is otherwise a very light play.  It was very effective.

Then we went and had a cream tea which was excellent.

Now we are home and I have a glass of wine, Brian has a beer.  Brilliant.

Olympic opening

Well done Danny Boyle.

I am not that keen on watching sport, and not really very interested so the Olympics are lower on my radar than on many others (the likes of my son in law for instance).   However I have been impressed by the torch route and the efforts to make in involve so many people, and have been curious about the opening ceremony since I heard Danny Boyle was doing it.  The Chinese reached the limit of marching bands and synchronised people so what next?  After our acceptance bus with Boris anything would be an improvement, and I think it took some vision for Coe to give it to Boyle and let him get on with it.

I thought overall it was brilliant.

I loved the opening film sequence from the source of the Thames, and then we had the horses and maypoles plus cricket as promised.  But the change to the industrial revolution, the forging and flying of the rings were stunning.  The use of the lights in the audience was genius.  Mr Bean was hilarious. Liked the drumming, the kids choirs (noted that the Welsh one was the only one singing in harmony).

Got a bit bored by the story and the journey through pop music, and think they should have left Paul McCartney off the end because it was so stunning up to then that he was - old Beatle fan that I am - a bit of a letdown.

To my surprise I had tears in my eyes when the people were announced who were carrying the Olympic flag.

I love, love love the cauldron, made by the kettles carried by every nation.

I loved the youngsters lighting the cauldron.

Loved James Bond, especially the helicopter flying through Tower Bridge.

It was original, some of it much too British for others to understand but - so what! 

It was inclusive of lots of people who will never achieve sporting excellence, or gain fame and celebrity which was refreshing.

I shall set the tv to record the cross country event on Monday while I am at work, and watch it when I get home (equestrian) and maybe see Nic who will be there.  I  like the horses and the gymnastics, and the rest will watch the highlights so I can see the exciting bits (I am someone who thinks all football matches should be penalty shoot outs).

Plus the National Eisteddod is taking place in Llantwit Major this year.  This is an annual celebration of Welsh culture with competitions for poetry, prose, singing, speaking(public), visual arts, and lots of other things.  It moves every year, one year in S Wales, next year in the north, and this year it is here.  Although I don't speak Welsh I will go next week when it opens, because it is a little like the local cultural Olympics.  The main tent is brilliant -  literally - because it is vivid pink and looks like it escaped from Disneyland.  Pictures to come.

What I did on my holidays

Actually - a surprising amount.  It includes the following , which is not a complete list as I have left out a lot of stuff about shopping, cooking, reading, tv etc.

Saturday - went to RSPB sanctuary in Newport, bought my monocular (joint birthday present) and had a lovely walk round.

Monday - painted the bathroom

Tuesday - tidied under the stairs, the office, cleaned (really well) my bedroom

Wednesday - packed, drove to Pembs, went for a walk to join up two bits of coastal walk

Thursday - went to a concert given by the local junior school, with B's recorder piece being played.  He got given a big thank you card and 6 bottles of beer

Friday - long walk between Strumble Head and Goodwick.  With mist and a lot of mud.  Was heartily grateful to get into into the tea shop at the end.

Saturday - attacked the garden.  We pruned, weeded, planted and moved things.  It looked a lot better by the time we had finished

Sunday - nice weather, sat in the garden and read

Monday -  wet.  Sorted out Choir Tour photos

Tuesday - home for Nic's birthday supper.  Too much Chinese, but lovely evening.

Wednesday - Went to Hereford Cathedral (excellent), Leominster ( bit blah) and Ludlow (lovely).  Stayed near Ludlow overnight

Thursday - went to Presteigne (nice little town), Hay on Wye (lovely).  Went to Capel -y- Ffin (really lovely) then Llanthony Priory ruins (beautiful) then to Tretower Court which really could show Hampton Court how to present a kitchen.  It was brilliant.  They have made oak cupboards and chests, and had lots of stuff out.  Really excellent.  The to Usk for a pint in the sun before home (traffic jam in Newport)

Friday - art exhibition in Newport by friend of B which was worth going for even though we got lost coming out of the car park and wandered round Newport for 15 mins before finding the gallery again. Interesting exhibition with thought provoking pictures.  The on to Slimbridge Wetlands trust to wander round looking at birds.  Very entertained by the number of pigeons around who get near the water as  if to say - look, I'm a water bird, feed me too.  The another drink in a nearby pub and another traffic jam in Newport before home. 

i think we will have a quiet weekend before going back to work on Monday.

Beside the seaside.....

Yesterday was sunny, though unfortunately I spent most of it packing or driving.  However when I got down to Pembs we decided to take advantage of the weather and go for a walk.  We have, over the past ???? years done lots of bits of the Pembrokeshire coast path.  We have done some bits a lot, and other bits once or twice.  Last year we decided to be more completist about the whole thing and join all the bits up, so we did lots of joining up walks last year.  We also used the shuttle buses that Pembs provides for walkers, parking the car, getting the bus to the start point and walking back to the car, and that works really well.  So by the beginning of this year we had done all the coast from Little Haven round to Strumble Head, except for a little bit which was awkward to get to.  As we had 2 cars yesterday we left one at one end, drove to the other, walked it, then collected both cars.  We also helped 2 straying German hikers find their B&B.

Today it has rained.

However B wrote a little piece for the recorder group which won it's class in the Urdd Eisteddfod, and today he (and I tagged along) was invited to the summer show, where the piece would be played.  It was great.  We also had a Pirate Adventure by the youngest kids, and a rather lacklustre choir.  Brian had to take a bow and got a lovely card and some beer.  Excellent.  The kids all got medals which they were wearing during the performances.  We decided to skip the second half though.

We are now ensconced indoors and remaining so for the rest of the day.  We may venture out tomorrow.

Bird reserve

 Yesterday we went to the RSPB wetlands reserve the other side of Newport.  It was created out of the lagoons where the power station used to put the waste ash, and is reed beds and coastal.  When they built the barrage in Cardiff they permanently flooded an area of wetlands - Site of Special Scientific Interest - so they have developed the Newport site instead.  It has a very good visitors centre and a very helpful chap helped me look at binoculars, and I bought a good monocular. 

This goldfinch was one of many on the feeders near the cafe - nice coffee too.

 We didn't see many birds I could get photos of.  We did see a whitethroat in the distance - or so someone told us when we were trying to work out what it was.  We also saw a reed warbler.  This is a juvenile moorhen.  There were lots of other helpful people who has set up big scopes for people to look through, and the local Ornithological society were doing a quiz.  We did on of identifying birds, and by a process of elimination we did pretty well.

This is the finished wind break.  The awning is attached with carabiners so I can take it down anytime, and it makes the deck under it surprisingly dry.   It  is also really warm and not windy under it, so I am really pleased with it.  Of course as soon as we finished it the rain started and has barely stopped.  We actually took the awning down on Saturday, but put it up again yesterday and did sit out a little bit.

I am on holiday at the moment,  but as the weather in not very conducive to walks and other outdoor activities, I decided to tackle some jobs around the house.  Today I painted the bathroom, and by the time I finished it the sun had come out!  So I had an hour or so with a cup of tea and a book in the garden which was both unexpected and very pleasant.  Tomorrow I am tackling some serious reorganising in the tips under the stairs and in the office. 

Looking at the weather forcast it is just as well! 

Busy week

This has been a busy and sociable week, which has been lovely.

I went to NWR and we wrote limericks which was very entertaining.  During a discussion about the NWR archive Chris mentioned that she had looked into setting up a website to share things like that, but hadn't got very far with it.  I said a blog would be easier, and then agreed to set one up.  I have done it in WordPress instead of Blogger though, as Kate thinks it is much better.  I don't know if it is much better for setting up, but hopefully it will be quicker to load photos than Blogger is.  We shall see.

Then last night I had the book/dinner club and a lovely meal in very good company. 

I am on holiday for the next 2 weeks which is great, but I do wish we had the prospect of some dry weather.     All this rain is depressing.