Holly Hill Neighbourhood Association

We had a meeting of the local neighbourhood association to discuss my proposal for the local plan. This is where we set out what we want and do not want in the area.
My plan was adopted. 
I was elected chair of the association too. I'll have to get someone to walk next to me whispering "remember that you are only human" like Julius Caesar did.

Bathroom day 1

Out with the old...

Bathroom improvement day -1

We are getting ready for the builder to arrive tomorrow to do the bathroom, cloakroom and chimney. There is a lot to do.

Christmas is coming

We made our Christmas Cake today: it’s baking at the moment, the smell is intoxicating. Maybe that is something to do with the amount of Armagnac on the fruit.

After we saw what Sainsbury were charging for turkeys we went to the local award winning butcher (Uptons of Bassett) yesterday and ordered fresh free range prepared turkey and home cured gammon. The weather has been too warm for it to seem very Christmassy though.

In other news our central heating has now been brought into the 21^st Century with a modern boiler, some new radiators and working thermostatic valves all round the house. The new boiler is wall mounted in the utility room so we’ve been able to put the kitchen bin in the old boiler cupboard. Many of the new radiators are smaller than before, or old radiators have been removed leaving holes in the walls and missing bits of paint and paper.

This picture is the area in our bedroom where the fitter brought the pipes up through the floor to go through the attic and down into the airing cupboard. Typically the walls were not straight so he had to put a bend in the pipes. We had to move the power sockets to make room for the pipes too. This is all repaired now, mostly hidden by a dresser.

Forbidden Planet

 

I was shopping in Forbidden Planet, Southampton today. I walked round a corner in the basement and nearly had heart failure. There was a Dalek in the lift!

Lucky for me it was an old model, not one of the new “hovering” ones you get these days, so I assume it couldn’t get up the stairs to the exit and couldn’t press the lift buttons as it has a sucker rather than fingers.

Southampton Walk

 

I was in Southampton last week. I had some time to spare and it was a nice bright day so I decided to walk around the medieval city walls.

I started at the Bargate (above) which is next to the main shopping centre. The old city of Hampton lies behind this gate. I walked over the Portland Terrace bridge to the tower below and then on round the wall and past the ruined castle.

 

On the way I passed “King John’s House” (closed), the Archaeology Museum (closed) and “The Tudor Merchant’s House” (closed for major reconstruction – reopens 2011).

I ended up back inside the city walls at the Holy Rood Church.

This was built in 1320 and was bombed during the second world war on 30th Nov 1940 and is now used as a memorial for sailors. See the dedication behind the anchor in the picture below.

There is a fountain dedicated to the loss of R.M.S Titanic there as well.

 

The city has provided information boards on the route that point out items of interest.

The castle itself has been built over but you can still see part of the bailey.

Southampton, showing bridge over Portland Terrace and the city walls

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.