Bills Posts

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.

There’s a film. I’m pretty sure it’s Charles Dickens Great Expectations I think it may be a 1930’s film. There’s a scene with a young lad in a very bleak industrial landscape (which apparently is actually Chatham), but for some reason has really stuck in my mind.

I mention the film (and have done so before) because when I am down at the waterfront and there is a bit of a breeze blowing, as there was today, for some reason I am reminded of the film, the wind blowing through the cables, which are clanking against the mast sounds a bit wistful and mournful. It’s almost depressing.

Stood out at the end of the Haslar Marina wave guard / pier wall you can feel the wind blowing, and the moaning as it crosses the many boats of the marina. Especially when it is a grey day, and rain is threatening, it just adds to that sense of bleakness. The effect is even more noticeable if the light is low, such as early in the morning.

I have no idea why the film has stayed with me so strongly, I do know that I saw at quite a young, and therefore likely impressionable age. As I write this, at nearly half past ten in the evening a strong gust of wind has blown against the window. It almost makes me want to go for a walk. I won’t of course, it’s time for bed.

For the first time in quite a while, I was a bit reluctant to sit down to tonight’s blog. But, here we are and only 134 to go before we hit 1000. I would be a bit daft to give up now. I never thought when I started I would get this far.

What a world it has been over the last 800 or so days. I started this blog during the first lockdown, and yet the possibility of yet more are on the horizon. Is that really likely?

Luckily, I have been doing the walk1000 thing so at least I get out of the house for a bit during the week. I must admit, when I started doing this, it was because I wanted to write. That I’m here, 866 days later means that must have been a pretty big urge. Now, I by no means say that my writings are good. Perhaps the odd one has been mildly interesting.

So, I shall continue to commit my meanderings to this blog.

I wanted to go for a morning walk, I woke just after 4AM, stayed awake long enough to push Rascal off my chest and then fell back to sleep.

I did manage to get out for a lunchtime walk, I had a drop off and a couple of pickups to do, and luckily enough time to do that. I would have liked to have made it to the waterfront, but I wanted to get back.

It wasn’t a gale blowing, but there were a few gusts that really did make it difficult to walk, actually, it was fun. It made me think about what I had been missing from my morning walks and for the first time in several weeks I really wanted to go out at that time.

Two of the most stressful (for whom?) events that we can be involved in are weddings and house moves. The planning for one is well underway. The prospect of a move is increasing. There are a couple of hurdles still, the chances of our being in a different house for next Christmas are increasingly likely.

I have to confess that I’m not massively looking forward to the move itself, I hate disruption. But I am very excited by what is coming.

As a licensed radio ham, one of my greatest frustrations has been lack of access to the High Frequency bands. Something in my area is generating a lot of electronic noise. I am really hoping that the move will help with that.

The wedding is something to really look forward to, and I wish them well.

You might reasonably ask if I have made any resolutions? I think two; to lose weight and to procrastinate less. Let’s see how both of those develop.

What did you do today? Starting with last night. We didn’t go out, we didn’t have anybody around, it was just us. We watched many episodes of 9-1-1 Lone Star. We have very much enjoyed both this and the original 9-1-1. Very powerful characters. We’ll be very sad when it comes to an end.

We were planning to go to Bournemouth today. We wanted to visit the pier. Timing became a bit of an issue. We changed our minds. Instead we went to Clarence Pier in Southsea.

Of course we went in to the Penny Arcades, as usual. This is why we go to piers on New Year’s Day. It’s only once a year we go in, spend a few pounds, come out with some (I’m sorry, I’m going to say it) rubbishy toys with which Elayne is absolutely delighted. This year, thanks to Alex, Elayne walked with a prize from the crane game.

We had a lovely meal in a local Italian restaurant and went home. It was a most successful and enjoyable day.