Bills Posts

Last night, I had a post lined up, all ready to go and must have got distracted because I forgot to post it. Which means my 70+ day count – since the last time I forgot to post has now reset to zero, and I begin again.

I have to mention that I am almost in to single figures, not quite there.

I don’t have anything to report. We were on GrandDaughter duties today so I didn’t go for a walk. Perhaps tomorrow, but I want to be careful about my heel and make sure that I am good for Sunday.

With today’s date being 25 Nov 25, there are 103 days between today and. 14 Aug 2025. You might well ask what is so important about those two dates? Actually, there’s a third date; 14 August 2020. Tha’t when I began enumerated posts on Locality Stories.

I started it. If I recall, because COVID was still very much a thing. It still is a thing, we tested for it recently. The tests were negative But when I started it little did I realise I would still be doing it five years later. Of course, it isn’t perfect because in theory, I really should be on post 1929. Over the course of the five and a bit years, I’ve managed to miss posting on 103 days.

I just wanted to mark that point. I. Intend to keep going which means my next goal is Post 2000.

Just a little bit about today then, firstly a walk this morning. Just the market starting to bring life to the high street, the gang were having a coffee outside the charity shop. There were two blokes inside the bus station compound checking drains. I asked, the older chap and although he was friendly, I got the impression that he didn’t really want to talk, I left them to it.

A big ship out in the solent caught my eye. A quick check on Marine Traffic told me it was The Gateway, a 14000 ton Hopper Dredger. Actually, when you compare her to even a small cruise ship, 14000 tons isn’t that big, but she looked huge.

I really should have written this earlier. I have been completely distracted by one of my interests that I am developing; it’s quite a steep learning curve. I’m not going to write about it here, but when the time comes, I will mention it. That won’t be until probably early next year.

I apologise for the truncated post tonight.

I’m not going to post a picture of the Christmas tree in the town square yet. It is up, but the lights haven’t been installed, so it isn’t quite ready.

I wanted to go for a walk. The rain was very intermitent, so big rain coat, it was cold so gloves and flatcap all helped to keep me comfortable, but the weather was definitely somewhere between autumnal and winter, but that wasn’t a problem, I had the right kit.

Even with the weather being as it was, the high street was quite busy. Not heaving, but a fair few. I was heading towards the waterfront, and I have to confess that I had come out with the intention of getting something to eat. For quite a while I’d been fancying a SubWay, Elayne had gone out with friends, so why not?

The subways actually quite nice if a bit expensive, but it’s not something I have very often.

The rain was getting worse. I made the decision that I would get the bus back to the Royal Arms. Luckily, nowadays, I have my buspass with me more honest than not.

Quite a pleasant day really.

I have no idea what footfall in the high street is normal between 12 – 2 ish, so I am assuming that today was normal for the time of the year. I make that point because when I went out first thing to put some rubbish out I said to Elayne that the sun was out and bright and it was a glorious morning, but the air was freezing, and by the time I went for the walk, it hadn’t warmed up that much – if at all, actually.

I would expect there to be more people about, it is after all lunch time. Even with the temperature as it was (what was the temperature? I don’t know). there were people sat at tables outside, and the cafes looked relatively busy.

I ended up at the ferry terminal, there’s some maintenance going on along the bridge to the pontoon I did read something about it a few days ago, I’ll have to see if I can find it.

i walked into the Falklands Gardens and had a look around people were on the phone, having lunch, or just enjoying the day.

I noticed the little boat which appeared to be moving at quite a clip. Apparently there is a speed limit in the harbour, 10 knots, but I don’t think it applies everywhere, I’m sure it was going faster than that, and nobody seemed interested.

It was a very pleasant walk.

The Local Transpoprt Plan for Fareham & Gosport of which Hampshire County Council have issued a draft version for the public to comment on it and the proposed associated strategy.

The only snag is, I suspect it is too boring for you, my readers.

i have to say that i am currently on Page 18 (of 47) and it isn’t the most exciting document I’ve ever read, to the extent it will probably take me two or three nights to wade through it.

The thing with Gosport is that walking and cycling in the area are, surprisingly, quite well catered for, there are quite few routes that incorporate cycling, perhaps the main one being the old railway trackand numerous others around the town.

The bus service is really quite good. Speaking selfishly as I don’t know if coverage across the whole of town is as good as it is for me all I know is that I can walk to the high street, and typically within 15 minutes be on one of two fast buses to Fareham,, and a few slower buses if need be. They take advantage of the track of the old railway line up to Fareham which has been turned into a fast route for buses and cyclists. Although that has been marred recentlky by a bout of serious anti-social behaviour, that was quite destructive. It seems to have been resolved now, but I’m not sure what the outcome was.

It strikes me that there are only a few things that could be done, such as giving the buses more priority at traffic lights, but I don’t see how they could do that. I suppose that something might be said about it later in the draft document. I’ll have to wait and see.

I know I am not the first person to retire. But it is the first time I’ve done so. Some of my friends may argue that retirement from the RAF counts as the first time, but this time it’s different. If things go according to plan in just under a month’s time, I will stop work, and never have to work again. Of course such profound plans rarely survive first contact with tax loving governments.

People have been asking me what I am going to do when I retire? Stock answers might be devoting more time to my hobbies and interests. Well, I suppose in a way, I might be doing that. More on that in a bit.

Of course, an obvious thing is to volunteer. I could do that, but I have very specific things in mind – not going to write about them now, but may do – when I retire!

I have a number of interests, and each of them offer an opportunity for blogging, and in some cases vlogging. I’ll definitely be doing that. Quite a bit of it if plans work out.

That takes me back to what said a couple of paragraphs ago. What am I going to do when I retire? Well, rather than go into a long explanation, I’m just going to say “I’m going to be an author – I’m going to write a book”.

It was another competition in the club tonight. Prints. The Group B (us) topic was open which means anything goes. The group A topic was Architecture. I have to admit that the Group A’s interpretation of what an architectural image was as varied as the 30 plus images submitted by the group. That gives me a little more confidence when it gets to our turn for the topic.

Elayne really was on form again, getting a Third place for her golden abstract image, I am really chuffed for her. Sh’e loving the whole thing.

My best scoring print tonight was the header picture, which got me an 8.5/10 which is quite respectable. I did have two other prints in as well, they didn’t do quite as well. Not to worry though, it’s the trying that counts.

It was a most interesting and enjoyable evening.

I managed to get my morning walk in between 8 and 9 this morning. I have this thing going on trying to find good times to walk down the high street. I’ve spent several years doing the 0600 – 0700 slot. That had it’s good and its bad sides. I reached a point where I really didn’t appreciate going out at that time. I’ve found that I can get up, I just don’t want to go out. I’ve said not long ago, that I can get up at that time, and go to work, and then take a long break at 8, to walk then.

The really early walk had its nice times, quite a lot of them actually – mainly, the #Breakfastclub and the dog walkers as we got to know each other – they were as regular as I was.

I have to confess that the 8 – 9 time is actually quite boring. Obviously, nothing is open apart from McDonalds, Greggs and a couple of convenience stores – I actually prefer the American term – Bodega. There might be a few more people around, but they are all in a rush.

I had an interesting chat with a chap who was working in the demolition site. He had SOIL on the back of his dayglo jacket. He was quite keen to talk. He was collecting soil samples to test for contaminants. He had no idea about what the plans were for the site. He said that he lives in Hythe, and that they had a similar situation of an unexploited waterfront.

It was quite a pleasant walk.