Bills Posts

I have to confess that I am sat here absolutely steaming with frustration and not a little bit of anger, and I can blame no one because it’s my own fault. Of course, it is all about committees.

Today, yet another one has gone wrong form me. This is a hard annoying lesson that I have I think now learned. Actually it is one of two rules; 1. Do not put me in charge of people (a different story that I won’t go in to today) 2. You might be interested in something, and join a club or in some other way become involved. But, whatever you do, do not under any circumstances join the committee. Because, come on, admit it, yes I do not do well in committees.

I am not going to go in to detail, or name people – entirely not appropriate, but what I have done recently is acted in what I thought was the best interest only for it to be pointed out to me that I have forgotten something crucial (which I had). Stupidity and embarrasssment on my part – hence the title of today’s piece, that, or rather lack of it! Damned annoying.

I very nearly accused somebody of being immature when they did something which I thought was a bit petty, only to remember I had done something very similar about three years ago.

See, I want to be involved, but of all of the committees I have joined, something somewhere has gone wrong. By all means join the club or society or whatever. But do not, ever under any circumstances join the committee. I really, really do need to listen to myself in this respect.

Around 1972, probably for my birthday, my sister bought me a dictionary (I think I may have said I needed one for school). I was given a very nice hardcover Oxford Dictionary.

I got the mickey taken. out of me quite a bit over the dictionary. I’d be looking up a word, and that was me gone for 10 minutes, just looking through it. What are you doing my friends would ask, “Reading the dictionary” I’d reply. Fall about laughing they would.

For me though, “reading the dictionary” was a delight. I had to do it again today. But I got to thinking a little bit. I was reading in the latest edition of County Walking a piece about Hedgerows, and how some are very ancient, on the order of thousands of years, and how a lot of hedges had been destoyed in the name of increased food production (which in its own right is no bad thing, but was there no other way of doing it?

The author of the piece used a word, and I reached for my phone to get the definition, but then thought no, I’ll use the dictionary, the same one I was given back in the early seventies. It’s looking a bit battered now, but it was no less efficient in serving up the definition of the word “bucolic”.

The trouble with words, you think you know the definition; why was the author of an article about hedgerows writing how damaged their lungs are, me thinking that bucolic was some form of lung condition. Oh Dear, how wrong was I? Quite a bit really. relating to the pleasant aspects of the country side, and farming is the correct version.

I don’t have a dictionary on my desk, but looking at my dictionary reminded me that I really would quite like one. I’m not very good at describing paper, but I don’t want a dictionaryh with that thick, rough paper. I want a dictionary with the really thin, I think it is rice paper? I think I may get one, so that I don’t have to damage my dictionary from school.

The thing is, I like to be involved. I join a group, I find out what’s happening, and want to be involved. How? Usually by joining the committee.

I’ve been Treasurer, Secretary, and Company Secretary when I volunteered with a charity.

That’s all very well, but things happen, Covid was one, moving was another. A lessons has been learned: time limits on committees really should be enforced.

I was so proudto get my Nikon D5300. By no means a top of the range camera, the 5300 is an entry level device, but is lovely to use, but I am finding it so bulky that I am using it less and less, wheras I should be using it more because of the quality of the glass as opposed to the digital zoom available to me on the phone.

The phones though are ubiquitous, and they are nearly always there, unless you forget them, in which case, if you are anything like me you almost go in to withdrawal. So what do I do?

At one point I had an offer set up on MBP to sell my nikon kit, but I didn’t follow up on it. The thought was to sell the bulky kit and buy something a bit smaller and lighter. I don’t really want rtto do that, but I am upset that my kit is sat in a bag not being used. Sometimes I get motivated get the camera out, I have a macro lens that I have barely used. I even have a (admittedly cheap) ring flash – I have no excuse.

If I had a different camera, would I use it to do more photography? One thing I have always said its the user, not the equipment. Perhaps I really should try harder.

I’ve been taking the readings from this rain gauge since late December. For January so far, we’ve had 64mm fell in to the cup.

We had an intense thunderstorm this afternoon, only two claps and lightening came twice. Both were very loud and close. I’m quite keen to look at the gauge but will leave it until breakfast tomorrow.

At about 4PM it got so dark I had to switch on my desk lamp. The wind has been blowing a fair bit as well. Not gale force, but fairly consistent. I reckon force 3-4 on the Beaufort scale.

It being only January, we still have the potential for cold weather, in fact it is surprisingly mild. From what I’ve seen of the weather charts on the TV the shapes of the weather fronts sweeping over Northern Europe and us, is drawing warm air up from North Africa, which accounts for the warm weather.

The one saving grace of that is that we haven’t used the central heating much, saving us money.

Should I have renamed this piece “Masters of the screen”? I have written in the past about people from TV that I admire, and if I was ever inclined actually get my act together and start videoing I would quite like to emulate to emulate. I thought it might like to just do a little piece about those people that, yes, I do (did?) admire.

Two contrasting figures, firstly Magnus Pyke, I think I first encountered Professor Pyke on the TV programme “How”, tthis was a kids show that had a team of presenters including Prof Pyke, Fred Dinenage and I think Judith Han. I must admit that I hadn’t realised that the show was produced by the next person I’ve admired – in a minute. I’d love to know how Professor Pyke got on to TV, I would have said that he was probably a bit eccentric. He was quite distinctive with his wild gesticulations as he was describing the issue that he was dealing with. He was just…entertaining and educational at the same time.

The next figure who’s shows I really enjoyed watching was Jack Hargreaves, known for his Out of Town series, with that wonderful introductory music that I would love to use in my videos, or at least something like it. His calm relaxed presentation, and he always talked about something interesting was what drew me to. his style. There are some of his shows (or parts of them available on YouTube) – well worth watching in my view. Whilst I have no aspirations to take up pipe smoking, I have to confess to really quite liking the smell of pipe tobacco and pipe smoke ironically. Normally, I am rigidly anti-smoking.

I now have a third person to add to my list. He is a present day photographer who goes by the name of James Popsys. Here’s a link to his website; https://www.jamespopsys.com/ and here is a link to his YouTube Channel; https://www.youtube.com/@JamesPopsysPhoto

Apart from doing some lovely photography, James is pretty good with his videos which are quite professional in productgion (in my very, extremley amateurish eye). But what really hooks me are his easy, relaxed presentation interspersed with no small measure of self deprecation and dry humour. I really enjoy watching them.

I’m a bit stuck at the moment. Stuck, not reading Gilbert’s book. This is becasue all three of my monthly magazines turned up at the same time. I finished Dorset Life last week I’ve just finished reading B&W Photography, and still have Country Walking to go, starting that tonight.

The frustrating thing is (and sadly, it is becoming increasingly frustrating) that I have a teensy little bit of resentment towards my magazines (except Dorset Life, which is a source of much joy) for taking me away from my books. What is also frustrating is that somewhere, I read about the book that is the topic of tonights post. Written by Frederick Treves The Highways and Byways in Dorset, The book only arrived today so I haven’t had much of a chance to do anything more than have a quick look through.

Of course what I did first was to look up what it said about two locatons within the county with which I have a close association; Wareham and Wool. I’ll write about Wareham later. What caught my eye was the comment on the manor house on the tout hill road, next to wool Bridge over the River Frome. It turns out that it is a Jacobean Manor House which Features in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbevilles.

This is ine of the things I love about reading newly discovered books. you find out things that are just so interesting.

I haven’t written about Vlogging for quite a while. I also haven’t done any videoing for some time. I very much have not forgotten about it. I’ve just never managed to get around to it.

One of the issues I’ve always had is what on earth can I blog about. Well, I’ve had two ideas. Now, this isn’t something to just dive in to, it’s something to think about and plan.

I’ve watched a few very professionally produced YouTube videos, I think by people who were not, at the beginning of their YouTube times professional. One of the dangers of looking at the products of experienced people is that you can lose confidence in yourself. The thing is to recognise the danger and not let that happen.

I have to say, I’m quite excited by the ideas, but I’m not sure how long this is going to take, but I will give it a go.

I was determined to go for a walk today, and there was no accounting for the rain. It was raincoat weather. I haven’t had a wwalk along to the western end of Stokes Road for quite a while, let alone a walk down the railtrack path. It rained slightly heavily only oncve, so I got away with it.

The tide was in, so the workhouse pond was at a high water. On the road, to the northern side of the pond, which isn’t really a pond. There’s an information board there, which talks about Gosports workhouse. That no longer exists, but tghere is a house that has a frontage which is built in the sme style as the gateway to the old workhouse. The house looks OK, but it’s assdociation with the past? Not sure if I’d be happy with that.

I did have an ulterior. motive for going out I wanted to go to Asda’s for toothpaste and a pair of slippers. Sadly I acquired neither – there. I went on towards Morrisons, i at least managed to get the toothpaste there. I think I am going to have to resort to an online resource for the slippers.

The walk? Oh yes, that was very pleasant, and apart from the couple of episodes it held off.

I’m not doing enough exercise. I have been for a walk everyday but they are only two to two and a half miles.

I’m enjoying the lunchtime walks, and missing the mornings, but I’m still not able to get up. I could, but I don’t want to.

And ŷet, now I feel absolutely shattered, and have just fallen asleep in front of the TV. I am now just typing something to make sure that I get a post. It’s not going to be a good one.