Bills Posts

IS it really the 20th of March since I last wrote a post? That’s outrageous. In my defence I will say that I have written something most days on my facebook page.

Towards the beginning of what would turn in to the lockdown, we were preparing for an ambition fulfilling holiday, to China. The crunch point came when we were faced with the decision as to whether or not to go to the visa processing centre to get our visas. By then it was clear that the trip was extremely unlikely to go ahead. We agonised for a period over whether we shouldn’t get the visas. By then if if we could, we didn’t really want to go. As it happens, it ended up that we didn’t go to the centre, and obviously we didn’t go on the holiday

And then the lockdown started. Luckily, it turns out that I was able,initially to do about 80% of my job working from home. I think with a recent upgrade in comms, there is now very little that I can’t do.

I have to confess that I am quite comfortable. I have an excellent workspace, notwithstanding the three email accounts that I have to monitor. That’s all to the good. To a degree, working from home has become so comfortable that I’m not sure that I’m looking forward to going back.

Stay safe everybody.

It seems that Covid-19 is getting very close to home. Literally. I suspect that it won’t be long before one of us goes down with a cold and then we will all be in isolation. But, unless I am actually ill I see no reason to not go for a walk.

I went out for my usual walk this morning. The footpath on my normal route was partially blocked for maintenance meaning I had to cross the road. Didn’t like that, so changed my route for the return trip. Only the Mon St Michell and the gosport ferries around this morning, although I heard the Janey W, a bunkering (refuelling) ship buzzing around the links spans in the harbour. There are problems with GB3IW, the Isle of Wight repeater, so the #Breakfastclub has moved on to Zello, a mobile phone app. It’s fiddly, and I don’t really like it but it works. Although I admit, the sound quality for everybody, is very good, whereas on mother radio it can sometimes be a bit hit and miss – but that’s the fun of it. It was alsodifficult doing my weather report, as I really needed three hands. But I managed to a degree.

Talking of the weather, 7.5C, and a bit of a breeze (lightbulb moment, breezy Bill – don’t worry, it’s a radio thing) pressure was almost normal at 1025mb, 30.25 inches of mercury. A grey sky with uneven clouds and no blue. It was cold, so as usual, I appreciated being wrapped up.

In these times, i think it’s important to be as normal as possible, that mean even as to what you do indoors. The panic buyers are being very selfish, even if I understand their motives. I just wish the news would find something positive to report on, rather than focussing on the negative, what about all the self help groups that are being set up? Frustrating.

Still, I wish you all well, and hope you had

a good day.

Tonight was the Isle of Wight Radio Society’s Thursday Night Net (TNN) most weeks now, I chair the net for an hour, and going back over my log it looks like I’ve been doing it for at least two years now. As is usually the case, my record keeping wasn’t very good when I started. I have a big A4 notebook which is everything radio. That’s good, I like that.

I usually get 4 or 5 callers on the net which is fine, that gives us 2 or 3 good overs each, and every one gets a chance to have a talk, which is the main thing. A TNN can have a topic, but doesn’t have to and almost invariably talk will drift away from the topic. Tonight’s discussion was Adventures I have had with my antennas, and other antenna stories talk ranged from how one radio ham use a catapult big enough to launch a tennis ball with a wire attached up in to a tree so that they could haul a cable up, through to how one hams antenna got blown over into next doors garden, and how was worried that he could injure someone.

TNN’s tend to start off quietly, and then pick up people as it progresses. I knew it was going to be busy from the off, and it was 13 callers including myself, I think the busiest I’d had before was 12, Apr 2018. It was a good ranging discussion, and people seemed happy with the way it went. I certainly enjoyed doing it.

I didn’t go for a walk this morning. I over slept. Waking up just after 0600, so my out of the house before 0610 kicked in, I knew I wouldn’t do it, so I went and made a cup of tea. Oh well, at least I got out for a couple of miles for lunchtime. It was windy, and the wind was cold, but a double layer of fleece works very well.

Some random pictures for you.

Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey fame plays a British soldier by the name of Donald Jeffries in the film. Jeffries gets shot by a German soldier in a church whilst trying to protect a piece of art, which is kind of the point of the film. But, the main thing for me is the letter that Jeffries writes to his father, whom it appears he never got on with. It was one of those moments, which I know is only a script but the writing was for me just utterly powerful, evocative and quite simply beautiful. It touched me quite emotionally. I would quite simply love to be able to write like that.

I brought the subject up because I was reminded of the passion in the letter tonight. It started on my walk to the Sea Cadets centre for the monthly presentation for the Gosport Society (the topic by the way was the secrets of Bury House, and is completely irrelevant to tonight’s post).

I looked up to the sky to see whether it looked like rain. It didn’t, there were patches between the clouds where the occasional star peeled through, but the most striking things were the large clouds that were scudding along at no mean rate, behind them was a full moon that would jump from behind a cloud only to be consumed by another as it hurried by. But even that is not the point of this evenings post.

Tonight, I had cause to go out and put rubbish in our bins, as simple as that. I went out in shirt sleeve order, no coat. The wind was chilled, the earlier small clumps of cloud had turned into a large bank, with breaks. The moon was still there, appearing and disappearing in the breaks. There was something about the chilled wind, the moving clouds, the moon bright but playing hide and seek behind the clouds. I felt what it was like to be outside, in the chill, so much so that I was finding reasons to go outside. There was a pleasure in being out, watching clouds scoot along, the moon blinking, feeling the chill of the wind and then going back into our nice warm, comforting home.

It’s times like that when I really feel for rough sleepers, and wish they would all find a warm dry place to sleep.

See, it’s nothing like the Monuments men, is it? I hope you had a pleasant day.

I really didn’t want to get up this morning. Bed is so comfortable. But then you have to. As usual, I looked out the bedroom window. The main thing was no rain, no excuse to not go for a walk. I get dressed and go and do 30 sit ups, do they help? I really don’t know, but my stomach muscles feel stronger, and it only takes a couple of minutes.

I get my gadgets ready, the camera monopod with the dual bracket on. One side has the mobile phone holder, the other my hand held anemometer , which is pretty much a weather station in one small package. On my phone I check the tide state for Portsmouth harbour and the weather on gosportweather.co.uk mainly checking the temperature and pressure.

I turn on the Baofeng and set it to scan mode so I can hear the various things; GB3IW, QHM Southampton VTS, the pilots, and occasionally the coastguard. Usually, it’s QHM giving permission for the Normandie or Mon St Michelle to enter harbour.

This morning as I step out I sense that there’s a little bit of a breeze, but although uniform the cloud is quite high and not likely to rain – it doesn’t. The Morning Chorus is really letting rip, it’s very loud with some birds very distinct, part of me wishes I knew which birds.

The walk is enjoyable and uneventful, I take a few pictures and give my weather report (not forecast) to the #Breakfastclub on GB3IW, which runs from 0615 to about 0700 Monday to Friday. I tweet the pictures. I walk home, it is about a two mile round trip, just over 6000 steps. Always a good start to the day.

I’ve just finished Colin McGinns book The Making of a Philosopher, the story of how he “became” a philosopher, and his life. Why have I put “became” in quotes? Because I’m not entirely sure you can choose to become a philosopher. It is a state of mind, which is with you from the moment when your braincells start to form in the womb, and leads you to ask such questions as why is a tree called a tree, and whit is. tree anyway? To be honest, I found the book to be quite gripping. It’s made me want to read other similar books.

This mornings walk was very pleasant, the skies are really brightening now. Although at around 6.5C it felt chilly if you were wrapped up warm it was lovely walking weather. I’m not sure it’s going to stay like that as rain is forecast later.

The moon looked quite large on the walk. Apparently, it is called the Worm Moon, being that last full moon of Winter. Th picture does not do it justice, it was getting close to the horizon.

I’ve been sat in the office doing bits and pieces for the last two hours. I’ve had a cat asleep in the chair next to me all that time. Nice.

It was one of those lazy days. I went and got the papers, and sat and read those for about an hour or so. Then I went for a walk, down to the waterfront, along to the turn off for trinity church which houses Handel’s music organ, where I paused briefly to see if the music concerts had re-started. They have. Then I walked to the far end of the high street and visited the works where I didn’t buy anything up to the newsagents where I bought a shipping magazine because they have an article this month about Southampton Pilots and I’m interested in hearing about them. I then visited the first of two supermarkets, they each have something that I want, which the other doesn’t stock going between the two shops via the cockle ponds in Walpole Park, where there was quite a gaggle of geese and seagulls, which I stopped and admired for a couple of minutes and in the distance I could see model yachting club was having a vigorous race, there were nine participants that I counted. I must admit, I’d like to have a go at that. On to the second supermarket and then home. All in, a trip of about three miles. Could have done more, but at least it’s something.

This evening I watched one of the BBC programmes I quite like (until they get too preachy that is) Countryfile. Tonight, they had quite a long article about Mya-Rose, the bird girl. @BirdgirkUK. I do admire her.

A cold morning, depending on where you were in Gosport it could be anything from 1.7 to 3.2C no wind though, so no windchill. The pressure is down at 1001 But it’s a lovely clear sky, and there promises to be plenty of sun.

The morning chorus was really going for it as I stepped out of the door and it was quite a while before car noise intruded, so that was nice. There was a slight frost on some cars, but nothing too drastic. Still, I was glad to be wrapped up warm.

It was a most enjoyable walk, an excellent start for what I hope was a Feel Good Friday for you, and a lovely weekend. Stay healthy please.

I looked out the window at about 0530, it was chucking it down. I checked again at 0550, the same. I decided I wasn’t going for a walk this morning, and yes, it was still raining. At 0620. That’s frustrating, missing out on the #Breakfastclub, the 6000 steps and this mornings photos.

Today in general was frustrating. It has rained all day. I wasn’t even able to go for my lunchtime walk. Luckily, I have just made my 10,000 steps for the day.

I’m sorry that today’s post is a short one. It’s bed time and I tend to go dark screen for a bit and read a proper book.
Stay healthy, follow the NHS guidance, if not for you then for your family and friends.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

It felt quite cold this morning at 4.4C. There was no wind though, so no windchill. Pressure was low at around 1009. The skies are getting bright towards the end of the walk. During this time when the terminator is passing over us as At this time of day, we start to get the variations in sky colour. This morning there were gentle pink clouds caressing the horizon these will hopefully get more dramatic as time goes on. And then of course at the end of the month the clocks go forward so we will get a rerun of it all.

Nothing beyond the norm in the harbour this morning, although over the radio I heard several fishing vessels heading out. They would be passing the inbound Normandie as they left the harbour. The Southampton Pilots were also quite busy. All nice to be aware of. A very pleasant start to the day, and I hope yours goes the same way.

Obviously, we had quite a discussion about Corona. It is incredibly sad for anyone affected by this illness, and I wish everybody well. I hope it will pass soon. That it has ruined our planned holiday this year is annoying, but I would rather be healthy. No news yet about a refund.