Although I spent yesterday’s post moaning, I actually did a few things for the first time this week Yes, at the age of 64 I can still find new things to do.

We travelled amongst some upland meadows on Wednesday in our attempt to entertain No 2 Son’s girlfriend, who wanted to see things she wouldn’t see in Canada. We saw several Skylarks close up, and another Wheatear. To travel on roads I’d never travelled before and see a completely different eco-system was quite strange, considering that it was less than an hour from home.

Yesterday I ordered food from Whoosh. It is a subsidiary of TESCO. You have the ordinary delivery service which, even at off-peak times, costs £2.50 and you have to book three or four days in advance, at least. You also have click and collect, which costs next to nothing at off-peak times. Whoosh costs £5 and you have your goods within an hour.

It feels a bit decadent, but we were tired and didn’t feel like going out, and we needed a few groceries because Julia has been fussing over tonight’s meal and arranging breakfast for people tomorrow. It was mainly bread and bacon to feed people before they set off home, but I wanted razorblades to tidy my hair.

It cost £2.50 more than a regular delivery but it come by bike, so it is more climate-friendly than regular delivery or collection. I have no greta desire to use it again, but it was interesting to try.

I also ordered a new pen from eBay and some cartridges from another store. The cartridges arrived, as did a large, soft well-padded package.

“My new pen.” I thought as I ripped it open.

“What is THAT?” asked Julia as a large, gaudy bra dropped in my lap.

The pen arrived a day later, and the bra, sent in error by the people sending the cartridges, is still waiting to be returned. I don’t want it, and they have given me a return address. They just haven’t told me how they intend paying for the return. I’m a nice man, despite my tendency to rant, but I don’t like being taken for granted. They want it back, they pay the postage.

The pen is a Parker Beta, it’s a cheaply made Parker that is supposedly only for sale in India and Nepal. They are very cheap over there, but as expensive as a Vector over here. I tried it as the last Vector I bought, the orange one in the photo, turned out to be quite shoddy in manufacture and the barrel has a number of small cracks in it.

I keep hoping parker will take me on as a pen reviewer but dspite many mentions, they ignore me. After this, I may well look for a different pen supplier. The only problem is that they have to be cheap as I carry them round wherever I go, and they have a hard life.

Orange Parker Pen