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<p>I went to a <a href="https://www.alchemylive.uk/video" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dire Straits tribute band </a>gig a couple of weeks ago with Dave &amp; Lucie. I had low expectations because the Dire Straits sound is unique and would be hard to replicate.</p>
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<p>we were in for a delightful surprise. The band were brilliant... so much so that if you closed your eyes you could have been at a live Dire Straits gig. Fantastic, highly recommended if your a Mark Knopfler fan. Click on the link above to watch the video.</p>
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<p>Time for some gardening. I started cutting back the willow from along the drive fence a couple of weeks ago. The idea had been to weave it into a hedge however it grew faster than I imagined and despite my best efforts it got out of control. A case of blink and I missed it.</p>
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<p>I bundled the whips up and took them to the recycling centre.</p>
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<p>Every spring I prune the apple trees back so they are no taller than the fence. I don't want them growing into full sized trees. It gives me even more twigs to shred.</p>
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<p>This may reduce the apple crop but I can live with that.</p>
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<p>My 7 year old Samsung S3 smartwatch started to run out of steam and the battery died half way through the day. It was time for a replacement.</p>
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<p>I've upgraded to a Samsung Watch 6 Classic. It has several additional features: measuring my oxygen levels, blood pressure, stress level and ECG. It also tells the time.</p>
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<p>A significant improvement is the battery life. I had to charge the S3 every day whereas the Watch6 will last 3 days.</p>
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<p>Lucie was "kind" enough to give me a jade plant. I wasn't keen, however Helène persuaded me that it would be good to have a houseplant. And that's just the beginning - it required a "nice" pot and a stand. The stand was easy - Amazon; but the pot required a visit to Brigg garden centre. We had to check out every single pot in the place.</p>
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<p>Eventually we found one that we both liked, was the right size, and reflected the colour in the rugs. No doubt I'll grow to like the plant but will it grow to like me?</p>
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<p>West Wolds u3a has been through a bit of a difficult time with several people resigning from the committee including the chairman. I was asked to step in and despite my reticence I agreed to be interim chair until the AGM in November.</p>
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<p>My first task was to manage the 25th anniversary meeting. I confess I was quite stressed about it. The committee and a whole host of volunteers stepped up and made it a great success.</p>
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