Tag Archives: windmill

Signs of the Times

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I’ve just had a cold sausage sandwich for lunch. It was made with seeded brown bread and Branston pickle. It was the second of the day as the first one had been so nice. The second was nicer, but I did feel guilty whilst eating it. I am, in case you hadn’t guessed, considering the idea of losing weight.

Earlier in the day I dropped Julia off at work, bought a new battery for my micrometer (better than a ruler for measuring coins and medallions), went to Hobbycraft to buy some art supplies for Julia and decided to have a ride in the countryside.

Cancer of the Countryside
Classic sign photo
Perspective is everything

I selected the road between East Bridgford and Kneeton because it’s a pleasantly rural road which reminds me of the countryside where I grew up. Unfortunately the verges have been cut and it wasn’t a great day for plants and pollinators.

I did take some pictures of a bee and a few flies but that was about it. There were quite a lot of white butterflies about and one brown one, but nothing stopped long enough for a photo. Same goes for birds. Rural pigeons don’t sit still when people point things at them and apart from them a few swallows were the main birdlife, but again, they are a bit quick for an old man.

One of several ex-windmills in the area
Summer Day with Wires

I will be back later to add more details and photos. Until then you can think on the curse of modern villages – the building of expensive homes that nobody local can afford. The posh new people who move in then start complaining about the noise and smells from farms. They think that the countryside is a massive playground when it’s really a factory with no roof.

This isn’t really a surprise as most of the newcomers think food comes from Waitrose rather than out of the ground.

I have just set my alarm to wake me when it is time to collect Julia. Based on last week my planned  “cup of tea in front of the TV” could be accompanied by closed eyes and snoring.

Of Scones and Mills and Shopping Malls and Burgers, Chips and Things…

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We went to Hobbycraft after I posted this morning. Julia went to do whatever she does in there and I sat in the car, thinking and photographing and making notes. Green’s Windmill was working so I took a few photos, then decided to take a video. At that point they stopped the mill. Typical.

There was a lot of clutter in the photo so I’ve decided to say that it is meant to represent the Mill in its modern urban setting. What it actually represents is my reluctance to get out of the car and walk around the car park to find a place where I could get a clear shot.

Julia emerged from the shop with bulging bags and we went for an early lunch at Burger King. It was quite pleasant, though I did cough a bit when they asked me an extra 20 pence for barbecue sauce. We won’t be going to Burger King again for a while.

This is probably a good thing, because we shouldn’t be eating junk food.

I won’t complain but I am going to make a note in my diary to write to them in six months and tell them how much money they lost for the sake of 20 pence.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We then went to the shopping outlet just off the M1 in Derbyshire. It’s gradually declined over the years. If you want cheap young person fashions, expensive coffee, shiny kitchen ware or an overpriced watch this is the place for you. Most of the decent shops have closed (including Thorntons) and the bookshop is very boring. This is modern shopping – a soulless process involving shuffling round like a zombie and dying a little bit in every boring, over-priced shop.

Julia bought a diary for next year, and that was that. Even without the poor pickings at the shops it wasn’t a great trip, as the rain was cold and the sky was difficult to differentiate from the dark grey of the roof slates.

From there we slipped down to Denby Pottery.  Julia had seen some in the shop at the outlet and mentioned we ought to look in at the factory shop one day. It’s not far away and I can take a hint. It is her birthday soon and she’s being no help at all in helping me select a present.

It didn’t help once we got to the factory – the gift shop has been dumbed down since we last went and is hard to tell from the average garden centre hell hole gift shop.

However, we did have a very good scone with butter and jam. It was sweet, light and still slightly warm. You’d have enjoyed it if you’d been there. Top marks for that.

After that we went home. I had a snooze in front of the TV then had a bowl of soup before posting. Once I’ve posted I will take Number Two Son to work.

My life is a real roller coaster ride of fun and frolics.