Misfits Mid-Life Crisis Adventures in East London (Lockdown the Sequel).

Week 333 Saturday 31^st October until Friday 6^thNovember 2020.

This week the second national lockdown in England started, which is due to end on 2nd of December.  If I am honest I am upset that the PM, Bojo the Clown didn’t announce that everyone should just stay in bed (getting up only for a loo break).  Hopefully our politicians will see sense and make the right decision over the next few weeks.

A conversation I have bored family and friends regularly over the last couple of years is “how can anyone keep a business/shop going”.  2020 really must have been terrible year for most business owners.  There are a number of local shops that never reopened after the first lock down.  Surly what every business needs is money.

Last weekend something happened twice which in the current economic climate surprised me.  Within the space of a few minutes two large high street coffee shops turned away cash.  I popped out without my bag which had my cards in, but I did have a few coins in my pocket.   The way the baristas’ in different establishment looked at the money in my hand it might as well have been a fresh steaming pile of manure.  I didn’t give up and visited a third coffee shop; I really was determined to give these coins away.  The women behind the counter replied very quickly of course they took change.  From the look on her face she must have thought I had escaped my carer that was wondering up and down the high street looking for me.

Just in case you’re worried, when I exchanged the coins, I placed them on a small saucer and the barista wore gloves.  There was no hand to hand contact at all, everything was socially distanced and Covid safe.

I realise that everyone is being extremely careful at the moment, not wanting close contact with strangers.  But turning away hard earned money can’t be good for any business.  Regularly on the news it is reported that huge well-known brands are suffering just like small family run business from lack of profits.  I wouldn’t have though that the refusal of cash was a head office policy.  Plastic is the preferred method of payment these days, but money is still money.

And Finally……

“The tips soft”.  I overheard this while sitting in the coffee shop, a women was not impressed with the paper strew she had been given.

A work e-mail ended with “Kind Retards”.

My friend working in the living room looked up shocked when I said “his hole is soft and so warm”.  The adopted hamster had finally woken up; there was a small hole in the bedding that he had been sleeping in all day.  This is what I stuck my finger into.  No wonder he didn’t get up until late, his bed was extremely warm and cosy. 

My Mid Life Crisis Conts……

This week I have mainly been watching:  

“Andromeda”, (S1, ep 6).  “Autumnwatch 2020”, (ep 5, TX: 03/11/20)(ep 6, TX: 04/11/20)(ep 7, TX: 05/11/20)(ep 8, 06/11/20).  “BBC News PM Briefing”, (TX: 31/10/20).  “Click”, (31/10/20).  “Between”, (S1, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Blakes 7”, (SA, ep 4).  “Farscape”, (S2, ep 4 & ep 5).  “Fringe”, (S1, ep 6 & ep 7).  “Glitch”, (S3, ep 3).  “Have I Got News For You”, (S60, ep 6, TX: 06/11/20).  “Knowing”, (2009).  “Lexx”, (S1, ep 1 & ep 2).  “Living With Monkey”, (YouTube)(TX: 21/10/14).  “Maxxx”, (Comedy Blaps, ep 1 to ep 3)(S1, ep 2 to ep 6).  “Our Food, Our Family With Michela Chiappa”. (S1, ep 1, TX: 06/12/19).  “Out Of Her Mind”, (S1, ep 5 & ep 6).  “Rising Damp”, (S3, ep 1 to ep 7).  “Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Halloween Kitchen Disco”, (Instagram/YouTube)(TX: 30/10/20).  “Spitting Image (2020)”, (Britbox)(S1, ep US Election Specials, ep 5 & ep 6, TX: 31/10/20).  “Star Trek: Discovery”, (S3, ep 4). “Taskmaster”, (S10 (S1 on C4), ep 4, TX: 05/11/20).  “The Graham Norton Show”, (S28, ep 6, TX: 06/11/20).  “The Great British Bake Off”, (S11 (S4 on C4), ep 7, TX: 03/11/20).  “The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice”, (S7 (S4 on C4), ep 7, TX: 06/11/20).  “The Last Leg”, (S20, ep 2, TX: 30/10/20).  The Last Leg: US Elegtion Special”, (ep 3, TX: 06/11/20).  “The Walking Dead: World Beyond”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 6).  “To The Lake”, (S1, ep 3).  “Top Gear”, (S29, ep 5, TX: 01/11/20).  “Truth Seekers”, (S1, ep 1 to ep 8).  “Z Nation”, (S1, ep 6 to ep 9).                                       

Doctor Who Watched This Week:

“Planet Of The Ood”, (S30 (S4), ep 3,Prod Code 4.2)(TX: 19/04/08).

“The Sontaran Stratagem”, (S30 (S4), ep 4, Prod Code 4.4)(TX: 26/04/08).

“The Poison Sky”, (S30 (S4), ep 5, Prod Code 4.5)(TX: 03/05/08).

Gerry Anderson Watched This Week:

“Captain Scarlet And The Mysterons”, (S1, ep 15, TX: 05/01/68).

“Space 1999”, (S1, ep 17, TX: 01/01/76).

 “UFO”, (S1, ep 14, TX: 13/01/71).

This week I have mainly been listening to:  

“Adam & Joe- Xfm”, (20/09/03)(04/10/03).  “Betamax Video Club”, (ep 46, TX: 18/04/190(ep 48, 16/05/19)(ep 51, 27/06/19)(ep 53, 25/07/19)(ep 55, 22/08/19)(ep 67, 16/04/20).  “Clinton Baptiste’s Paranormal Podcast”, (S3, ep 6, 04/11/20).  “Coronavirus Global Daily Update”, (BBC World Service) (31/10/20) (01/11/20)(02/11/20) (03/11/20)(04/11/20) (05/11/20) (06/11/20).  “CNN, Coronavirus: Fact Vs Fiction”, (ep 175, 02/11/20)(ep 176, 03/11/20)(ep 177, 04/11/20)(ep 178, 05/11/20)(ep 179, 06/11/20).  “Gossipmongers”, (S4, ep 8, 02/11/20).  “Griefcast”, (ep 119, 04/11/20).  “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Buddha”, (S1, ep 9, 04/11/20).  “Mystery Hour”, (05/11/20).  “NASA: Curious Universe”, (S2, ep 4, 02/11/20).  “NASA: Houston We Have A Podcast”, (ep 169, 03/11/20)(ep 170, 06/11/20).  “Nick Abbot (Whole Show)”, (31/10/20)(01/11/20).  “Poppy Hillstead Has Entered The Chat”, (S2, ep 1, 04/11/20).  “Rob Beckett And Josh Widdecombe’s Lockdown Parenting Hell”, (S1, ep 55, 04/11/20)(ep 56, 06/11/20).  “Soundtracking With Edith Bowman”, (ep 218, 30/10/20).  “Sue Perkins An Hour Or So With….”, (S2, ep 1, 04/11/20).  “The Adam Buxton Podcast”, (ep 137, 31/10/20)(ep 138, 04/11/20).  “The Froth”, (S2, ep 5, 03/11/20).  “The Nick Abbot Habit”, (ep 98, 03/11/20).  “Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels – Happy Times And Places”, (Trailer, 02/11/20).  “Toby Hadoke’s Time Travels – Indefinable Magic”, (Trailer, 02/11/20).  “Toby Hadoke’s Time travels – Too Much Information”, (Trailer, 28/10/20).  “What’s The Problem? With Nick Abbot And Carol McGiffen”, (S1, ep 41, 02/11/20).  “Morrissey”,  “Goldfrapp”,  “The Strokes”,  “Athlete”,  “The Delays”,  “Muse”,  “Snow Patrol”,  “David Bowie”,  “Keane”,  “The Cure”,  “Lorde”,  “The Verve”.