The Glastonbury flower

Our garden has an almost dead flower. I buy random packets of bulbs and failed to make a note of the name. Along with a companion (sadly cut down with a trimmer a month ago), it’s been part of our garden for a few years. 

In the absence of a formal name, it’s been known as the Glastonbury flower, because I’ve only ever seen some growing by Bella’s bridge. 

Named after Arabella Spencer-Churchill.

Windows II

We now have a new living room window, after the original was (according to the Police) broken, along with those of 14 other houses in Sheriff Hill\Low Fell, by travellers. 

Unfortunately, this means that we now have one clean window. 

And, since one window absolutely had to be replaced, we thought we’d do something about the kitchen window, less badly broken by a rabid ex wife a few years ago. 

CCTV

Years ago, I used to have a webcam in a window, looking out onto the street. I used a cool little program to take regular pictures and post them to this page (or at least a previous version). 

A recent broken window made me think that I need to reintroduce a camera to the house. 

And so I ordered a CCTV set-up while we were away. While installation is still in progress, I’m impressed with the ease with which I’ve gotten it up and running. 

I’m now up to three of four cameras, although there’s capacity for eight. 

There’s a reasonable 1TB hard drive for recording and connection to our router for web access. And there’s even an app for smartphones. 

Pretty good for only £140. 

Goatshead

No, we’re not in Goatshead yet. We’d called off in Oxford for breakfast, but a visit to Oxford involves a compulsory pint of stout in the Three Goats Heads. 

It’s an excellent Sam Smith’s pub, lovely both outside and in. My second in command’s not partaking of stout though; she’s shopping (and is disappointed that the Apricot store has not only closed, but is in the process of being demolished).

Shopping is generally a good thing for me; I get to have a pint (or two if I’m quick) before my second in command arrives (for a fruit beer). 

Coincidentally, Sam Smith’s fruit beer is made (partially) in Stamford, where my second in command was born. A picture of the brewery, taken a few days ago. 

No fish

We made an important discovery yesterday. Cellar 59, in Lyme Regis. It’s a cool cellar bar which serves only unfined beer. It’s run by the Gyle 59 brewery; all of their beer is unfined too, so is naturally vegetarian/vegan. 

Tent

We bought a huge tent a couple of years ago, but found it impractical for use in an insect-ridden Cambridgeshire. So we rushed out to buy a smaller tent; a new one was needed anyway, since my old festival tend had been abandoned a couple of days earlier at Glastonbury. 

The new tent’s been great, but we also still had a large tent for use where insects don’t swarm. Which is why we brought it to Devon. Something a person can stand upright in must surely offer a better camping experience. 

On arrival, we set about erecting the non-insect-proof tent. It was quite windy, so the task wasn’t easy. And, unfortunately, my second in command managed to break two tent poles. The outcome was the tent being deposited in a bin. 

Fortunately, we had the foresight to bring the replacement festival tent as a contingency. Better still, while a person can’t exactly stand up inside the tent, it’s not exactly small. 

Our back-up tent, pictured with Daisy. 

A Conclusion

My father’s funeral is being (or, most likely, has been) held today. One of three siblings has attended; while not a million miles from my current location, I couldn’t bring myself to go. 

I don’t feel any loss; a little sadness perhaps, but that relates more to the concept of a father than reality. I do still feel an element of relief too. 

I probably won’t feel the need to mention my father again. One final message for him though, if he’s listening, Dad, you were a bit of a bastard, you know.