It Does Not Seem That 7 Days Ago It Was Sunday,

but it was!

the week has just flown past, back to Sunday yesterday, a read and a sherry before lunch, 

for our starters today, a selection of Indian tit-bits, 

which were so nice, 

on to our main course, a huge plate of roast beef, with gravy for Diana,

sans gravy for myself, 'Cheers!',

we rounded off our meal with a banoffee pie, 

with cream, lots of cream, diet starts tomorrow! normally we watch Columbo on a Sunday afternoon, but the ones showing this afternoon we had watched recently, 

 so Moby Dick it was! the 1956 version, which we both enjoyed, I have to admit I went to the cinema in the 1950's with dad to watch it, at the time the special effects were just so real, I actually thought that the film was real! after which a snack before our evening film,

Die Another Day, Bond, starting off in North Korea, is betrayed and captured, 14 months later, Bond is set free, but traded for Zao who was captured by MI6, when back in his world, Bond sets off to track down Zao, after which we watched two more episodes from our box set of It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before we were both off to bed.

Blog Posted,

and I was out,

into a warm grey day, past the snail mail box, 

and a walk to the green, walking through it, 

arriving at the Harris Primary Academy, St Georges Road, Beckenham Green BR5 5JG. The photographic club I belong to the Beckenham Photographic Society, had been invited to put on a display of photographs at the schools Summer Fair at the Academy, the club asked for volunteers, 

so here I was, alongside Rodger who was the organizer and a some of the other club members, the club had two places to exhibit, inside,

and out side in the playground, 

lots of other stalls, 

were being set up, 

outside board erected, 

and prints attached, 

under the watchful eye of Rodger, 

meanwhile, inside things were also happening, 

outside a bar- b q was under way for when the kids, mums & dads arrive, 

final preparations inside, 

outside the board was completed, 

and for myself a real treat as two of my photographs amongst stiff competition were selected to be shown to the public, 

inside another treat as one more of my photographs was on display, 

all set to receive visitors,

as the stall was outside, 

one of our local councilors called round, 

Chloe-Jane Ross who is one of the Liberal Democrat Ward Councilors for Beckenham Town & Copers Cope,

as well as stalls with games and treats there was a tombola, 

there was also a raffle, I had given the school one of my framed prints as a prize, it was this one, 

punters on the River Cam in Cambridge, looking a lot different from when it came out of the camera, 

who said the camera never lies?

the stalls were a success, many visitors commenting on how nice the photographs were and a few talked of popping into our next meeting in the hall at the academy, also here was Brian, with the camera of my dreams a Fujifilm GFX 100s II, it was then time to pack everything away and say goodbyes to the other club volunteers, I should mention the when the club meetings start again, (the club closes down for the summer holidays) it will start to meet again at the academy at 8.00 in the evenings on a Wednesday, 

a walk into the park and I was soon home, where it was feet up for a few refreshing cold drinks, 

before my evening read of the latest Private Eye and a sherry, and the card? yes it is Diana's birthday today, unfortunately this evening she had to go into work, 

for myself a starter of a prawn cocktail, 

followed by bangers & mash, for some reason I had got it into my head I was having liver & bacon, but there it is, 'Cheers!', after my meal on with the television for a Bangers & Cash which I enjoy so much, I then watched a film,

 Wild, Wild West which was great fun, the producers did at one time think of building the full size mechanical spider, but gave up when they found that one leg they did build weighed in at 10,000 lbs! the story is about Jim West who is a guns-a-blazing former Civil War hero and Artemus Gordon is an inventive U.S. Marshal who excels in disguise, when the United States is threatened by psychotic Confederate Arliss Loveless, President Ulysses Grant teams the duo up to bring him to justice, that is the dry bones of the story but it was great fun to watch, just as it ended Diana arrived home, so feet up for a coffee for Diana, another few spiced rums for myself as we watched two more episodes from our box set of It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before we were both off to bed.

I Spent Some Time In The Garden,

whilst Diana was at work, 

but it was so windy I could not raise the umbrella, so after a hour or so I was back inside, and found this photograph of a traffic jam, Venice style, so I played with that, 

a slight crop, a little more detail and a touch of sky, I look at the Internet and listen to the radio as I guess most of us do, and I found a reminder of how times change, every news broadcast on the radio is saying how the temperature will wipe out so many of the population, with advise of how not to die in the heat wave, lets go back to my time in the 90s,

how things have changed, in those days we all went out in the sun and heat, it was glorious!

it was the time for my evening read and sherry, the latest issue of Private Eye had just arrived, 

for tonight a huge steak and pork pie, as usual even though the pie came out of the aluminum foil dish it was in when it was cold, when heated the pie stuck to the dish like it was superglued there, 

'Cheers!', after my meal a Outback Opal Hunters and a Deadliest Catch, followed by a Midsomer Murder, just before it finished Diana arrived home so feet up for a coffee and a chat whilst we watched a double helping of It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before we were off to bed.

I Had A Day Planned In The Garden,

but alas, the strong wind, grey skies and slight drizzle put paid to that, 

first thing though we had breakfast together, so a bacon sandwich it was, delicious! after which Diana was off to work, the day outside not on, so I spent the day looking through old photographs that I could play with to put on our wall in the future, after an age I found this one, we were in a gondola going towards the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, way back in July 2016, nothing to spectacular about the photograph, but after looking for so long I thought I would give it a play, little did I know! my original plan was to play with two or three photographs, but this one just took me so long, every time I printed a copy I would see something else in it I was not happy with, so after spending all afternoon on it I arrived at this,

which I quite like, by now it was time for my evening meal, after which a Outback Opal Hunters and a Deadliest Catch, following that with an old favorite, 

I watched Steve Martin in Sgt. Bilko, I liked the original series, I first started watching it with dad aged 7 in 1957, I have to admit I asked dad frequently what was happening, but dad enjoyed it so much and I liked watching it with him, back to the film, it is so funny, in truth I can not think of a better actor to have played this role in the film as Steve Martin, but it was not plain sailing for the film, from the article:

"According to Spy Culture, the makers of Sgt. Bilko similarly asked the U.S. Army for “access to an Army base and other support for the film.” But the “entertainment liaison” took a look at the script and deemed it to be totally unacceptable. As one memo noted, “The hero was a crook and the ‘bad guys’ were officers.” They also objected to the movie’s “antiquated” portrayal of the military, which they claimed was “incompatible with the film’s present day setting.”"

which lead to this end of film credit: 

“The filmmakers gratefully acknowledge the total lack of cooperation from the United States Army.”

but in any event I totally enjoyed watching the film again, after which Diana returned home form work, so it was time for a coffee and a chat, as we watched a It Ain't Half Hot Mum, before we were off to bed.

Blog Posted And I Was On My Way To Visit Duncan,

the day warm and sunny, 

I had taken the precaution of calling the nursing home first and was told he was still in Darent Valley Hospital Hospital, arriving at the hospital complex it was not as crowded as last week, after just 15 minuets or so I had a parking space, inside it was bad news, he was fast asleep, I tried to wake him and could not, a nurse than came over and tried her hardest to wake him with no success, the nurse said he was fine about an hour ago awake and his usual self, I was also told I could not leave any strawberries which we had bought for him as well as any other snacks, there was a 'Nil By Mouth' card above his bed, apparently he was due to be x-rayed so no food in his stomach, I was not told anything else as I am not a family member, 

back to the car for my journey home, 

where I decided to play with a couple of photographs, whilst doing that 3 crows came to visit, 

one feeding a smaller one,

with I guess mum or dad looking on,

this is the first photograph I decided to play with, taken in Cambridge, on one of our visits there, I decided to make it a black & white photograph, 

and add a sky, 

next the Waverly moored near Tower Bridge, I took this when we travelled on her from here to Southend-On-Sea,

so remove the pilings on the left, add a touch of color, detail and a dramatic sky, 

it was then time for my evening read and sherry,

and a 'Cheers!', as I tuck into a Lancashire hot pot, after my meal and a Outback Opal Hunters and a Deadliest Catch, 

I was in nostalgic mood, so the original black and white The Day the Earth Stood Still, much more scary than the newer version, next before Diana returned home, 

 Lucy, after a drug package in her stomach leaks, Lucy is transformed into a superhuman who with help takes of the drug lord that made her a drug mule, just as it ended Diana arrived home, so a coffee and a chat, I brought Diana up to date with the news about Duncan, as we watched a Have I Got A Bit More News For You before we were both off to bed.