We've had visitors. On Sunday we drove to Heathrow to collect them, and managed to get through without any traffic hold-ups, though there were some long jams going the other way on the M4 as we were coming home ( Read more... )

There's being quite a lot going on. A was in Germany for the best part of a fortnight, only finally getting back on Sunday. I spent a few days in Germany, and hired a car to make things a bit easier while I was there. This time I ended up with a Fiat 500. Its size had some advantages, particularly when I came to parking in crowded streets. We got a ( Read more... )

There's been a lot going on, mostly with our house ( Read more... )

On Saturday morning I set off early, heading north in the general direction of Hereford. The weather was bright and sunny, but decidedly chilly for this time of year. My car's outside temperature indicator stayed below 4°C the whole way there. The Hereford Amateur Radio Society had teamed up with the Essex CW club to put on an intensive day of ( Read more... )

It's a year and a day since I first came to look at my new house. Here are two photographs of the garden. I couldn't take today's from exactly the same spot as there's scaffolding all round the house, but it's as close as I can manage.

2nd May 2018

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Wednesday and Thursday were days for not going out and about (much). We both got some work done around the house and garden, though. I did get out to the radio club on Wednesday evening, and caught the Morse practice broadcast on Thursday morning. My Morse isn't exactly improving, but at least it isn't getting noticeably worse ( Read more... )

There was quite a lot going on last week. On Monday we visited Wotton-under-Edge. It has a bank branch that can (in theory) handle things the Dursley branch can't. We went for a wander up and down the high street after visiting the bank ( Read more... )

I spent a while yesterday afternoon repairing the G7FEK-style antenna I use for lower HF bands. Two of the problems were obvious; the wire was broken. The third was less obvious, and must have been in place since I replaced the switch that shorts out the top-band loading coil. It turns out the new switch works the opposite way to the one I'd ( Read more... )

Since my last entry I have been over to Germany for a few days, and had Alex and F to stay here for just over a week. They flew back last Thursday ( Read more... )

Friday was a busy day. It started with a visit from the boiler service engineer. Then I waited in for someone to come and have a look at the flat roof that had leaked a bit while I was away. Then I spent a while discussing quotes for the repair work. In the evening I made it over the Gravesend for super and chat. Next week there might even be ( Read more... )