The last week

Boxing Day (26th December) was a quiet one, getting ready for the kids arriving on 27th.

Early morning on 27th December we went to Heathrow. I'd reserved a car at Alamo rentals. Maria dropped me off and then waited for me. As I drove out she followed me, but she was delayed at the exit barrier and a bus joined the queue behind me. As I left the car lot I saw Maria drive off towards Terminal 5, when we needed Terminal 3. I waited for 15 minutes and then went off to the airport. She returned my call as I got to the car park - she was now in the terminal arrival hall.

I got there 10 minutes later and met the kids. No sign of Maria though! They had been waiting 10 minutes. Beth went off and had her paged but then we spotted her.

We got home at about 10 am, had breakfast and then started on "Christmas dinner" preparation. We finished eating at about 4 pm after sitting down at 3.30 pm. We had desert later on though!

On 28th December Daughter No 1 and Son No 1 went off to the football with Grandad. Arsenal won (against Portsmouth). But then Grandad didn't turn up at the kebab shop where they had arranged to meet. They waited 20 minutes and then rang a family friend who they knew was at the match and put him on standby, then they rang me, then they rang Grandad's house in case he contacted his son. They then went to meet the family friend in the pub. Grandad turned up an hour later. He'd been turned back by the police and sent the wrong way, got lost and eventually went backwards and forwards looking for them before thinking to try the pub. He hadn't thought to call anyone - and he'd left his mobile at home too! They got home at 7 pm

29th December Grandad, his son Steven and daughter in law Cheri and their daughter Rebecca came for a cup of tea/coffee and to exchange gifts. After that we went to Guildford shopping (to spend gift vouchers the girls had been given). No 1 son and I went off to find a barber as he hasn't had a hair cut since we had it done on 29th August. We met the girls in Starbucks - here Caroline was able to get us staff discount off the drinks. Maria wasn't answering her phone though. She eventually called at 5 pm - her coffee was nearly cold by then and the girls had gone off shopping again. Back home Caroline and Maria watched "Mamma Mia" on DVD - I sat through it too. It was quite fun, bad plot and worse singing but if you ignore that its a bit like The Rocky Horror Show. Maria says the singing is supposed to be bad to show how it doesn't matter if you can't sing! Tom had gone over the road to see his friends and Beth went too - she stayed to watch "Superman Returns" with them!

Christmas Day and recap of last night's TV

The Carol Service and Midnight Mass ended at 1 am, and we got home by 2 am.

I opened a bottle of port and we had some cheese. The cork broke on the port, so I had a few minutes fun straining the port through paper towels. There was loads of sediment too, so I took the opportunity to clear that too.

Got woken up at 9 am by the b&%^$%^g cat scratching on the door.

Yesterday before we went down to Portsmouth we watched a re-run of Heston Blumenthal's Perfect Christmas. This was shown last year but we missed it, this was a re-run opn UKTV Food. He made Christmas themed food: Gold Frankincense and Myrrh was a bouillon block covered in gold leaf, with Frankincense tea to disolve it to make the soup and a spoon whittled out of a piece of Myrrh. He made an apple sorbet that wouldn't melt when he set fire to it. For the main course he made Goose with Chestnuts, with scents of leather, wood smoke and chestnuts roasting. He'd fed the geese on pine tree extract. Then he finished with reindeer milk ice cream on a brioche slice with mincemeat and pancetta. The brioche was dipped in egg before being fried. So it looked like scrambled egg on toast with bacon. He fed the food to a group of "celebrities". Totally amazing stuff.

Midnight Mass

Down to Portsmouth tonight for carols and midnight Mass.

Happy Christmas!

Little Visitor

We had a little visitor yesterday. It came and looked in the window while we were eating and then played "tig" with Nala who was sitting on the table outside. Tosca, who was inside, got all "offended" and started hissing at it and showing off to me.

We did our main Christmas food shop last night too. We got there at 7:30 thinking it would be quiet. It was manic. We finished at 9:30, came home and had pizza while watching "Holby City". Luckily we'd used "Fast Track". There was no queue at the "Fast Track" till and we didn't get a rescan. I've never seen Sainsbury with queues at the tills at 9:30 at night. No sign of a credit crunch in Farnham!

Further to the post a few days ago about the Mad Hatter, I've remembered who else had an alarm clock bed. It was Wallace from Wallace and Gromit - "The Wrong Trousers"

Portsmouth, etc.

A manic day on Monday. I went out recruiting for the Neighbourhood Watch at about 2 pm. I signed up 2 more people. However I got talking to one of them for 45 minutes - then Maria called me as we had to leave. At that rate it will take 8 hours to do the rest of the street!

We went down to Havant at 3:30 pm. Maria went to the chiropractor at 4, then we went into visit Argos to pick up an item I'd reserved. Then to Hobby Craft to return some of the stationery we got for the wedding. It was too late for a refund as I got the stationery in July and it should have been returned within 28 days so we got a credit note and then spent it on a jigsaw(yes, that's number 4) and some envelopes for Mum's birthday invites (I'd used some of the wedding stationery to do these so I was able to get matching envelopes). 

Then we had to go back to the chiropractor as Maria had left her earrings behind. She dropped me off and I scampered in to get them. When I got out Maria had gone. She'd had to keep moving as she couldn't find anywhere to park and traffice was queuing to get into Asda. She'd gone past Asda and had stopped in a bus stop. So I had to navigate the Asda roundabout on foot. I nearly got run over twice as it was now 5 pm and even busier than usual. 

We then drove in to Portsmouth where Maria had a rehearsal for the Carols and Midnight Mass at 6pm. We went to Starbucks where I had a Gingerbread Latte. The Starbucks closed at 5:30! Then we went to the Cathedral for 6 pm and I wandered round until 7:30. I looked round Debenhams - which was open 'til 10:30. HMV and Carphone Warehouse were open til 7 pm. Everywhere else was shut.

I took some pictures of the Cathedral (St John's) using my camera phone so they are not very good.

Got home late - about 8:15, so we didn't eat until 9 ish.

"Mad" Hatter and The DTs

After doing some more research, notably in the British Medical Journal article "Did The Mad Hatter have mercury poisoning?" it looks like my probable ancestor wasn't mad. It also suggests that The Hatter in Alice wasn't mad either. The chapter in Alice in Wonderland was called "A Mad Tea-Party" though, and the Cheshire Cat warns Alice that he is mad. The BMJ and Wikipedia say that the character of the hatter was based on Theophilus Carter, a man who invented an alarm clock bed - which I thought had been invented by Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (or maybe by "Doc" Emmett Brown in "Back to the Future"). The phrase "mad as a hatter" predates the Alice books apparently - and possibly predates hat making as an industry. 

As for James Hamer, he died of "Delerium Tremens": also known as "The DTs" which means he was probably an alcoholic and was suffering withdrawal.

He was in the Union workhouse in West Street, London. This was formerly St Sepulchre's workhouse near Newgate and Smithfield. Conditions here were pretty grim.

The Police came round last night. 3 PC's from Whitehill Police Station, not Sting and the band. They were handing out Neighbourhood Watch packs round the street. 

Tuesday in Windsor

I went to Windsor for an interview today (Tuesday). The meeting was in St Leonards Road. This is just down the road from the Castle. The pictures above were taken at the top of St Leonards Road and a few hundred metres down it.

I should hear the result of the interview on Wednesday, but they have someone to see on Thursday too.

I went and got some more Christmas cards, gift wrap and another jigsaw. We've nearly finished our second one of the season already: this makes three!

Winchester Saturday

We were in Winchester on Saturday: Maria was playing for Jubilee Brass again. We were by the Christmas tree next to the "Butter Cross" Above are some views of the High Street, the "Butter Cross" and the band. 

We went shopping afterwards: it was very busy. Then we came home and had mince pies for tea and watched The X Factor Final. We voted for Alexandra. She was certainly the best. In any normal year JLS would have won, but they couldn't match her. 

Thursday and Friday: Career Development in Alton

I was on a career development course at the Job Centre in Alton on Thursday and Friday.

Some useful networking, plus we did some exercises on body language, expanding outside our core areas of focus, checking for key issues on applications. Not really trail blazing stuff, but it got me out of the house and meeting people which I think will be the best part of it.

On Friday evening we received in the post the death certificate for the person who MAY be my great great grandfather's father. There is nothing on it that helps at the moment. He is listed as being a "hatter" and dying of "delerium tremens" in what looks like a workhouse in 1849. So it looks like I may be related to The Mad Hatter.

Street Walking

"Dave" and I walked up and down the street tonight. Visited all 40 houses, signed up nearly everyone who answered the door. It was VERY cold. Some kind people let us come in to their nice warm houses while we explained about the Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

Dave is going to get the list typed up and we go on from there.

Neighbourhood Watch progress

"Dave" - a PC from Whitehill called me. We arranged to walk the street tomorrow evening after I get back from my course. Progress at last!

VB again

I did some more VB.net today, working through the online course.

I had an email from the sergeant at Whitehill asking me to call in about volunary work. So I went down there. He was a bit annoyed that the PCSO hadn't been in touch about the Neighbourhood Watch, walking round the street with me to sign up members. So I left it with him.

I hired a car for when the kids are over. Hertz had none left so I found a car hire comparison site and used that. I got quite a good deal I think, but we'll see when we pick it up.

Maria went to visit her sister who has just come out of hospital, She got admitted yesterday with an ectopic pregnancy, apparently all okay now. So Maria got home late and was tired. We watched "Spooks" and she fell asleep on me :-)

Job Centre Monday

I went to sign on again today, I don't have to go back until next year - unless I get a job.

Walked into town as usual, got quite warm too.

I went to the post office and posted the foreign Christmas Cards, then came back home.

Southampton - Jubilee Brass

We went to Southampton yesterday as Maria's band were playing and fundraising in the town centre outside the entrance to "West Quay" shopping centre. I was on bucket duty. It was a nice afternoon but I was pretty cold by the time they stopped at 4:15pm. 

People seemed to like the music though: all the old favorite carols and Chrsitmas tunes.

We then went Christmas shopping for an hour and a bit before going to her parents for dinner: roast beef and all the trimmings! We left them at 9:30, got home soon after 10 and then we stayed up to watch "X Factor" rather than risk hearing who was eliminated on the news. The rather wierd and inconsistent Diana Vickers went out which was a relief. She can be very good but she has an odd voice: a bit like Kate Bush. I'm sure she'll do well anyway.

Interview, LMA, WAN and LAN fun

Maria dropped me at the station so I got to London at about 8:30 yesterday. Went over to Piccadilly by underground/tube and then walked. I had a coffee in Starbucks and looked around Fortnum and Mason briefly. The interview was on the 1st floor of the Cavendish Hotel in Jermyn Street. I got there at 9:50 and he wasn't there. I rang him and got his voicemail. He arrived at 10 past 10. Interview seemed to go okay, but I heard today (Thursday) that I didn't get it. It was close apparently but they picked someone with more "financial services" experience.

I then went on to the London Metropolitan Archives and looked through the records for St Pancras and Woolwich for my Great, Great Grandfather and his family and for Maria's Great, Great Grandfather. I found my Great, Great Aunts and Uncle which is some help. My Gt Gt Grandfather was born just before they started recording births and his sisters and brother were christened in a new church built a couple of years after he was born. Very frustrating as I went through thousands of records for the old church.

As usual I had to wait for the bus at Liphook as I got the train that DOESN'T have a connecting bus service! It was VERY cold last night.

I went over the road today to help Sharon set up a wireless network as they have got a laptop for their son for his birthday. It took longer than I expected as I didn't realise at first that their home PC had a network port, but had no drivers installed. So I set it up and then found that I couldn't see the router. After going back to basics I traced that the network card wasn't working, found this was due to missing drivers, downloaded and installed them and then we were flying. The router had a bit of trouble being convinced that it should change it's SSID and password but it managed it in the end.

Tom came over to say thank you later on, which was nice of him.

VB - 2

Today's interview got moved to tomorrow in London, so I will go to the Metropolitan Archives while I'm in town if I'm up to it after the interview.

I carried on with the VB lessons. I have created a calculator that can "add". It can't do anything else yet, but that's a start!

I've mostly finished decorating the cloakroom. I put up the tiles for the splashback today. It just needs grouting and the floor tidying up where I took away the nasty old cover for the pipes.

VB

I have started trying to learn VB.net. It's going ok so far. It is interesting. I have an interview tomorrow in Croydon again!