Snow Hill

It’s 33C here have seen more Fire Engines in one day go past our house tan I normally see in a year. We have had a number of roadside grass fires break out locally, most probably caused by a careless cigarette being tossed out of the window, but with the grass tinder dry round here the slightest spark can cause a fire which spreads quickly, one fire was quite close to a row a terraced houses. Also have 2 fields on fire in the north of the borough with fire officers and farmers working in tandem. The Fire Service trying to put out the fire and farmers with their tractors ploughing a fire break in an attempt to protect the rest of the crop which was in the process of being harvested.

Whenever I feel like it, but what has that got to do with a turndown service?

Having only started cruising in the last 12 years, the majority of what you have quoted we never experienced on any of cruises we have done, so we don’t miss what we have never had. As for turndown service always thought it was pointless, the stewards time is better spent doing other things, so not concerned if it doesn’t return.

Went to get car off drive this morning, access to garage is in a side street, appears water company has final turned up to fix a leak reported 6 weeks ago, the hole they have dug opposite drive and fencing surrounding has virtually blocked our shared drive. No notification was given that work was about to commence, no attempt made to contact car owners, they couldn’t miss seeing the cars on the drive. I messaged them as what not prepared to sit in a phone queue which said wait time was 75 mins. Apparently leaked was fixed yesterday but hole not refilled. At 11:30 this morning some workmen turned up, filled hole with hardcore and left not long after. Now told it might be tomorrow or Friday before tarmac laid, the work grant runs out at 4pm tomorrow so they will be in breach if they leave it until Friday. The road is narrow and the ring and ride bus had trouble getting through. So a neighbour and I have adjusted the fencing around the hole so it closer to the edge so traffic can get past without mounting pavement. I await a phone call from them tomorrow after I raised a complaint about failure to notify in advance.

Had a fantastic week attending the Commonwealth Games in my wife’s home city of Birmingham where we attended T20 Women’s Cricket at Edgbaston & Mens Hockey at The University of Birmingham both familiar places to my wife as this was there area she grew up in, lots of memories came flooding back and we made some new ones as well. The Sport side culminated with the T20 Final between Australia & India, the former added the Commonwealth title to their existing World Cup and T20 World Cup titles, a formidable side, but India with tremendous local support too them to the wire, the difference being 9 runs. Tonight we saw the games come to an end with an amazing closing show, I saw my “musical life” flash by, West Midlands artist Spencer Davis, Group, Led Zeppelin, Duran Duran, Beverley Knight, UB40, Dexy’s Midnight Runners. The talk was of who was the surprise Special Guest, many thought ELO or Slade or perhaps an Aussie, Kylie was favourite here. Instead of an Aussie we got Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, now that was a surprise.! They played Paranoid, the single of which I still have and was banned from played at home when my mother & stepfather were at home. At the age of 70 finally got to see Sabbath live. The organisation of these Games has been outstanding, we left Edgbaston at 9.00pm last night caught shuttle bus to city, got on train and were back in our hotel in Longbridge but 10:15. We have met some wonderful people from across the commonwealth and had a brilliant time sat amongst Indian Cricket Fans last night, they were so full of life. Brum you did us proud.

Been on the Azura twice, once round the Med and once to the fjords in Norway, never felt it was overcrowded on either cruise, we even found space by the pools. On our last cruise on her on 2018, did feel,that some areas needed updating, the furniture in the cabin looked tired in places.

We don’t either, once a week the towels are change, there are only 2 of us in the house each has different coloured towels. If the weather is dry and preferably sunny the towels get hung on line every day, freshens them up and the sunshine kills of any lingering bugs. Both my mother and grandmother used to do this and we survived, plus will rapidly rising energy prices who can afford to wash towels etc 7 days a week.

We are “slumming it”;in a Premier Inn this weekend, so far service from staff had been top quality, Will nip across to Sainsbury’s tomorrow to get some chocolates so we can do our own “turndown” service tomorrow evening. Will ask reception for clean towels, don’t need “shoeshiney service” as wearing trainers most of weekend, so won’t ask for one of those pad thingys. Hey Presto we have a DIY turndown service. 😂😂

We are out for the 3rd time this year, however once again supply issues meant a number of items off the menu, affected my wife more as many if those items were the gluten free variety, in this case spaghetti, the chef however came up with a variation using a different type aof pasta plus adjusted a few other ingredients. As for baked beans, we have recently switched to Branston variety from Heinz, however never have them with breakfast as don’t really go with porridge or granola. I haven’t had a full cooked breakfast for sometime, perhaps the odd bacon sandwich, I am not really a full English sort of person.

Ran into this big boy In Birmingham this afternoon, quite impressive and opportunity to talk the team who made him.

I travelled extensively with my job for 20 years and numerous times since I retired not once have I ever come across any hotel or B&B offering a turndown service or leaving chocolates on the bed. One hotel in Edinburgh however did leave a box of Walker’s Shortbread in the room once.

Thanks for the warning, I couldn’t face 5 mins watching a show featuring Take That songs. 😬

It’s available to all regardless of age or health status, note this as well as travel insurance not instead of. https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/

We have numerous photographs taken over the years on various P&O cruises, we have only ever purchased 2, the rest were of poor quality. So if they don’t return we won’t miss them

Back home now after second day at Commonwealth Games, Mens Hockey was our sport of choice today. We saw India completely outplay Canada thrashing them 8 - 0, followed by Wales beating a plucky Ghana 6 - 1. The Hockey games we played in the shadow of “Old Joe” as the University of Birmingham. Glad we took hats and sun cream, there were a number of “lobsters” on view at the end of the session. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/campaigns/game-changing-moments

Wherever possible we use the stairs especially going down, lift only tends to be used for going up 4 or more levels, we use it as a form of exercise. That leaves space in lift for those who really need it.

We have some friends currently on Scarlet Lady, so far they are enjoying the experience it’s more relaxed and “less stuffy” (their words) than other cruises they have been on with Cunard, P&O and Fred Olsen.

Back from a day at the Commonwealth Games T20 Women’s Cricket, two entertaining games England v South Africa, England won & New Zealand v Sri Lanka, New Zealand won. Both teams have now qualified for semi finals with one Group game left to play to decide group winners. We have met and chatted to people from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka today as well as numerous volunteers and police officers. It was a very friendly and happy place to be today, weather not too bad either reached 25C this afternoon, we had a couple of very light showers which didn’t amount to much.

Ah the old “can they do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke” A World Cup qualifier v Luxembourg think I will ask my daughters and granddaughters if they want to go.

We have watched all the matches the Lionesses have played in this tournament and todays superb victory was a culmination of the teamwork and the skills of Sarina Weignan in making the players believe they could win the trophy. #DoneUsProud

We have visited Gibraltar twice, we have seen virtually all there is to see, curtesy of a friend who used to live there who took us around with the help of one of her friends, to be honest it was not one of the highlights of our cruises.

Even though we had rain overnight and early this morning, I have just been in garden to a bit of deadheading & light pruning, the rain appears to have only touched the surface, the soil is still bone dry underneath. With much of the country only getting 24% of its normal rainfall in July, it’s going to take days of steady rain to make up for it. Lake Vyrnwy about 40 or so miles to west of us, is only 62% full, it’s lowest level in July since the drought of 1995, it’s that low that parts of the “drowned” village of Llanwyddyn can be viewed and walked amongst.

Well said. My wife has worked in France they have a more relaxed way of life especially outside of the big cities. We have holidayed there 12 times in the last 16 years, we enjoy the French way of life, we were planning to move there when we retired in 2010, but the financial crash of 2008 ended that idea.

I understand Marseilles prefecture have introduced some restrictions on cruise ships calling there especially those who pollute the most, this maybe the reason for moving to Toulon a decision not of P&O s making.

We had to threatened them with a letter before action to get our £7000+ back back in 2019 after B2B cruises cancelled, we kept getting the it will be through in next 2 weeks, once a 100 days had passed we got serious, our son is a solicitor he got one of colleagues to draft a letter for us, our refund was paid within 3 days.