Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East, South West London (The NEXT Chapter).

Week 295 Saturday 8^th  until Friday 14^th February 2020.

The main story last weekend was storm Ciara (I heard someone call it “Chewbacca”). Unfortunately, a lot of people (and animals) were affected by power cuts and flooding.  In my area there was only minor tree damage, though a couple of car owners who woke up to large dents on the bodywork of their vehicles probably wouldn’t call it “light tree damage”. During the night I could hear the tree next to the house rubbing its branches against the roof; this made me feel as if I was in a M.R. James spooky story.  The noise of the wind and rain took me back to when I was small child.

My Dad worked shifts and traveled to and from work on a motorbike.  If their weather was bad, I would worry about him getting back at night.  My mind would ran away as I imagining him coming off his bike, and mum having to rush to the local hospital.  It was always a relief in the morning to find that he had got home alright.  Going to bed in bad weather was a time I found quite stressful as a child.

 “There is something special about seeing the Moon during the day”.

The worst storm I remember was in October 1987.  If storms back then had names, this would be “Michael Fish” (according to a couple of minute’s research.  The first storm in the UK to be named was Abigail in 2015)  after the famous TV weather forecaster who assured the public there was nothing worry about when a viewer mentioned a large storm approaching the UK.  Early morning on 16th October I walked up the Highstreets which looked like the set of a cheap apocalypse movie.  Trees that that had lined the road for decades had been pushed over as if there were lolly sticks.  There was a lot of damage to vehicles and property.  At that time I worked for British rail in London, of course no trains so my day was spent at the local station just repeating “that nothing was running” when people arrived hoping to travel normally.  The best part of that day was wearing a Hi-Viz vest helping to clear small bits of tree and other light obstructions off the track.

 “I love the CAKE!”.

These big storms have not been the norm in the UK (I’m not a meteorologist, I work in a call centre so what do I know) but as a result of climate change this sort of weather “event” (as news like to call them) will happen more often.  The next storm “Dennis” is on the way and due to hit in a couple of days.  Without sounding too political, the UK government shouldn’t be spaffing (in my uneducated opinion) billions on a train service which has been on the drawing board for years won’t be completed or run for a decade or more.  When the people who voted them in are having their lives ruined, because of weather.  Aid shouldn’t arrive days or weeks after the damage has been done.  The authorities know that bad weather is coming, they are aware of areas that have been historically affected and others which are at risk.  Help should be on stand-by, or already in place.

 “This is a couple of weeks old.  I don’t have many pics this week”.

Bad weather is coming, it’s going to keep coming, we must just deal with it.  I wonder how ready we will be for the arrival of Dennis.

And Now For Something Completely Different……

An activity I love is to see birds feeding in the garden.  Even though I watch a lot of nature programmes, if it’s not a Robin, Pigeon or a Crow then I struggle to ID even the commonest of flying creature.  At my age that’s pathetic.

 “I’m sure there wriggling”.

While out shopping I stocked up on supplies, bringing home a 1.5kg tub of Mealworms (which I keep expecting to wriggle when I look at them) and a 12.55kg bag of nuts.  It was only later that evening when I looked at the receipts did I discover how expensive these were (I did buy other things so didn’t question the amount at the tills).

I will continue to watch and enjoy the birds feed in the garden, but I may be disturbing them due to continually rushing out to pick up discarded nuts or crumbs to put back on the bird table.  That food cost a fortune.  They will eat it all!

And Finally……

 “I’m not keen on Mornings, but seeing this is lovely”.

“Oh bum! That’s a sock, not a tissue!”  I actually said this out loud; quite why a sock was in the pocket I will never know.

I am pretty sure I passed TV journalist John Stapleton at a tube station I visit many times every week.  I smiled (just in case it was him) he didn’t smile back.

Quote of the week: “look at the dirty flaps on that “.  Said by Jerry on Big Jet TV as a BA jumbo landed at Heathrow in terrible weather conditions.

 “Writing this shiz, with Pat distracting me”.

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  

“Ares”, (S1, ep 2).  “Big Jet TV (Live Landings At Heathrow)”, (09/02/20).  “Cheers”, (S7, ep 6 to ep 22)(S8, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Click”, (TX: 08/02/20).  “Dialero”, (S1, ep 1).  “Hidden”, (S2, ep 1).  “Him & Her”, (S3, ep 2 & ep 3).  “Inside No.9”, (S5, ep 2).  “Last Tango In Halifax”, (S1, ep 2 to ep 5).  “Love & Other Drugs”, (2010).  “Luna Nera”, (S1, ep 2).  “Ragnarok”, (S1, ep 2).  “Star Trek: Picard”, (S1, ep 4).  “The Graham Norton Show”, (S26, ep 17, TX: 07/02/20).  “The Infinite Monkey Cage: Lucy Beaumont’s Close Encounters”, (BBC Radio 4/Sounds)(TX: 12/02/20).  “The Infinite Monkey Cage: UFO Special”, (BBC Radio 4/Sounds)(TX: 17/02/20?? That’s what Iplayer said).  “The Last Leg”, (S19, ep 4, TX: 07/02/20).  “The Thick Of It”, (S3, ep 1 to ep 8)(S4, ep 1 to ep 7).  “Top Gear”, (S28, ep 3, TX: 09/02/20).                      

Doctor Who Watched This Week:

“The Underwater Menace”, (S4, Prod Code GG)(ep 3, TX: 28/01/67)(ep 4, TX: 04/02/67, LC Recon)(Loose Cannon, Intv: Joseph Furst”, Aug 05).

“The Moonbase”, (S4, Prod Code HH)(ep 1, TX: 11/02/67, LC Recon)(ep 2, TX 18/02/67)(ep 3, TX: 25/02/67, LC Recon)(ep 4, TX: 04/03/67)(Loose Cannon, “Intro and Intv: Sylvester McCoy”, Sept 02).

“The Macra Terror”, (S4, Prod Code JJ)(ep 1, TX: 11/03/67, LC Recon)(ep 2, TX: 18/03/67, LC recon)(ep 3, TX: 25/03/67, LC recon)(ep 4, TX: 01/04/67, LC Recon)(Loose Cannon, “Intro, Outro: Terrance Lodge”, Jan 06) .

“The Faceless Ones”, (S4, Prod Code KK)(ep 1, TX: 08/04/67)(ep 2,  TX: 15/04/67, LC Recon)(ep 3, TX: 22/04/67, LC Recon)(ep 4, TX: 29/04/67, LC Recon)(ep 5, TX: 06/05/67, LC Recon)(ep 6, TX: 13/05/67, LC Recon)(Loose Cannon, “Intro, Outro, Intv: Anneka Wills, Intv: Peter Roy”, Aug 09).

 “The Evil Of The Daleks”, (S4, Prod Code LL)(ep 1, TX: 20/05/67, LC Recon)(Loose Cannon, “Intro, intv: Colin Baker, Intv: Sonny Caldinez, Intv: John Peel, Mini Prod Featurette, Jan 09).

 “Can You Hear Me?”, (S12/S38, ep 7, TX: 09/02/20).

This week I have mainly been listening to:  

“Brian Gittens And Friends”, (ep 68, 12/02/20).  “Iain Lee (Bonus)”, (07/02, 13/02/20).  “Iain Lee (Highlights)”, (07/02, 09/02, 10/02, 11/02. 13/02/20).  “NASA: Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 130, 14/02/20).  “Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (08/02, 14/02/20).  “Rule Of Three”, (S5, ep 2, 13/02/20).  “Soundtracking With Edith Bowman”, (ep 180, 07/02/20).  “Space Boffins”, (11/02/20).  “Spacefall: A Blake’s 7 Podcast”, (ep 23, 14/02/20).  “Strange Times”, (ep 333, 10/02/20)(ep 334, 11/02/20).  “The Old Doctor Who Podcast”, (ep 88, 08/01/20)(ep 89, 29/01/20).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (10/02/20).  “The Skewer”, (BBC Radio 4)(S1, ep 6, 12/02/20).  “The Skewer: Podcast”, (BBC Radio 4)(S1,ep 5, pt 1 & pt 2: 10/02/20).  “Walking The Dog With Emily Dean”, (ep 15, 03/11/17).  “What’s Your Problem? With Nick Abbot And Carol McGiffin”, (S1, ep 4, 10/02/20).  “Woke Up! And Enter The Maelstrom”, (S1, ep 5, 11/02/20)(ep 6 (Archive Uncle Arthur, ep 12) 12/02/20)(ep 7 (Archive H.M.S Codcast… The Story So Far…) 13/02/20).  Morrissey”,  “Altered Images”,  “Snow Patrol”,  “Kings Of Leon”,  “McAlmont & Butler”,  “Pet Shop Boys”,  “Prince”,  “Girls Aloud”,  “Belly”,  “Belinda Carlisle”.