Blue House, Red House, Green House

Tonight I found out about the aftermath of the destruction of Ypres during World War One. About how Churchill tried to buy it as a testimony to the British victory. And how the original inhabitants, made refugees by the Prussians, returned quicker than Churchill could buy it. Most importantly, how tourism swung into action almost as quickly as the original inhabitants returned.

Professor Mark Connelly gave a talk via Zoom (and The Western Front Association) entitled Ypres – The Holy Ground for British Arms. It was excellent and not just for the content. His delivery was very good. He was entertaining as well as informative. In fact, Mirinda (sitting in the extension) said she figured it was good because I laughed out loud a number of times.

It rounded off a very pleasant day which began with my usual Tuesday shop.

On the way into town, I noticed that the Blue House is not getting red window frames as I reported a while ago. The new window frames are actually a pale green. The front door is also being painted a slightly darker green.

While the front and side of the house appears finished, the back is still having the render stripped off and the windows replaced. It’s a slow old process but then, I know that having gone through much the same thing in 2014. And that was without the plague.

Shopping in Waitrose was the New Awful as I’ve come to expect. I was in, shopped and out in about ten minutes. It’s really not pleasant.

Equally unpleasant is the fact that Edinburgh Woollen Mill has closed up shop in West Street.

I haven’t been able to find out why it’s closed as their other branches are still operating as normal. Maybe it had something to do with rent. That seems to be an ongoing concern here in Surrey. At least that’s what my old hairdresser, Gordon, would say.

I popped into WH Smith to post a letter to mum and, unexpectedly, didn’t see anyone apart from two members of staff at the front door. No-one came and assumed I was unable to use the stamp machine. No-one talked to me at all. Bliss. And I didn’t need the badge that Nigel sent me after reading my letter on FATN last week.

Such a funny fellow is Nigel.

Back at home I was up for recording the Summer edition of Arena with Ann. Apart from the actual reading being simply informative with none of my incendiary opinions or hilarious quips, it was still fun. Actually, there was a moment of decidedly not-fun when my laptop decided it needed to just close down.

I’d finished reading a particularly thrilling piece on garbage pick up days and was waiting for Ann to start the next one. There was only silence. I asked if anyone was there. My screen suddenly went blue with an old style sad face emoticon on it.

I was immediately reminded of the old Blue Screen of Death but this was a GUI and not a DOS screen. It was gathering information for whatever Windows error it had encountered.

The screen insisted I should leave it to do its thing but I’m not one to give up my information so easily. I rebooted the laptop. Besides, I had to keep reading Arena.

Eventually I rejoined Charles and Ann, explaining what had happened. They said that Ann went into her next story and, at the end of it, they both waited for me, eventually asking if there was anyone there.

Anyway, all was right in the end and the recording went very well. I do rather enjoy being the Reader for a change.

Now, by way of a public service, I feel it my duty to report on these things:

They have suddenly appeared everywhere, boasting that they keep flies away. I really do not like flies and unfortunately, they really love visiting the extension. While this is a great way to keep the spiders fed, I really don’t like the flies buzzing around our food.

I should add that I do not like using fly spray or any other chemicals.

So I bought some of these just in case they worked. The manufacturers claim that the flies do not like the colours in the rotors as they spin.

After lunch I placed some freshly stripped chicken bones, in a bowl, on the table. Over this bowl, I placed one of the new gadgets. Another bowl of freshly stripped chicken bones was placed in an identical bowl but nowhere near the new gadget. I left them and went outside.

About half an hour later I returned to find the bones without the gadget absolutely covered in flies while the other one completely devoid of them.

I reckon that proves they work. Hopefully, anyway.