October 2011

What a great October we've had. The weather has been very kind to us with many mild, sunny days and only a few chilly nights. The autumn leaves have given us some really beautiful scenes and once again, reminded us as to why this is our favourite time of year.
Our attempts to find land to build on have continued on the usual roller coaster ride and after initially finding some potential sites the disappointment that follows is very depressing to the extent that we question why we are doing this.

Illegal Eagles Gig

We're not great fans of the Eagles however we do appreciate their rich harmonies and American west coast sound. It is very similar to Crosby, Stills and Nash and Steve particularly liked them so we took a chance on going to the Royal and Derngate to see the Illegal Eagles. There was no supporting band which we consider to be a good thing so as they came on they were straight into some of their better known songs.
Their guitar playing was superb and they didn't disappoint with the harmonies. They really got the audience up on their feet at the end which was a really good feeling. If they came around again in a few years we'd probably go just for the great music.

Smart Car Turbo

Jane had mentioned that she'd experienced a major of loss of power in the Smart Car but of course no notice was taken until it happened to Steve. This was an intermittent fault when the turbo just stopped working and the small car just cannot get above 50 miles an hour when it is normally aspirated even when revving the engine to its maximum.
We booked it in under its warranty and Mercedes then informed us that it was a known problem where the wiring loom goes over a hot place and as a consequence the turbo cuts out. The fact that the service receptionist pointed out that there was no risk of a fire probably meant there was. Why Mercedes hadn't recalled all Smart turbo diesels we don't know.
All is well again and the car buzzes along very effectively. The Smart also experienced a slow puncture that required a new tyre. Thankfully it didn't cause too much inconvenience but it could have been very inconvenient because there is no spare and we don't have one of those gas containers that inflate and repair punctures.

Jane's School Friends Reunion

Jane has managed to keep in contact with a select group of her friends from Hornsey High School in North London. After many attempts to get together they finally agreed an October date six months ago and most of them met up in Muswell Hill to reminisce over the good old days and catch up with how their lives have changed over the years.
There was much talk of children and grandchildren; health and relationship issues; and putting the world in order.

Our House Project

This month had a double disappointment. We started the month looking at some land in Barnoldswick, Lancashire but there was no chance of getting planning permission on two acres of land with a guide price of £80k and the second chance was a one acre site on the edge of Fakenham, Norfolk for £350k. The Fakenham site had outline planning permission for three properties however there were restrictions on the height of the houses and one was effectively a bungalow with bedrooms in the roof.
When we came to place our chosen footprints onto the site it soon became evident that we would have to make significant compromises in our requirements for us all to get onto the site. Reluctantly we had to once again abandon this site despite the fact that we really liked the town and its close proximity to the north Norfolk coastline, especially Wells Next The Sea.

Annual Camp Fire

As part of Steve's birthday "celebration" we usually have a camp fire event. It started many years ago when Steve had this misty eyed view of camp fires on beaches with people very relaxed and having a good time. It also had roots in his boy scout days when he really enjoyed the Ging Gang Goolie around a camp fire (don't ask).
The event was possibly one of the best camp fires due to a combination of very good weather, a great fire (if a little slow to cook) and excellent company. Everyone stayed until way after midnight and Steve even managed to get tipsy because he was on home ground, something he regretted the following day.

Martin & Kate's Farewell

The month has seen a series of farewells for our dear friends Martin & Kate who were in the throes of emigrating to Bulgaria. They were kind enough to take us out for a meal and we were able to return the favour by helping to take some of their unwanted "stuff" to the tip and also storing many of their boxes that wouldn't fit into the first load that was taken our by a haulier. The stored boxes will be collected in November.
At the end of the month the whole "family" were invited out for a meal and we all said our fond but sad farewells. We know we will see them again next March when they return for a brief visit but they will leave a very big hole in our group of friends. Steve will miss his technology ally and Jane will miss her soul sister. We will keep in touch via email and of course their web site.

Next Month...

Martin & Kate travel to Bulgaria
K T Tunstall gig at Warwick Arts Theatre
Jane's sister Ruth arrives from Australia
Dave & Lucie return to the Masai Mara
Our holiday in Kenya

The Pig Yard