Thursday

MrM and I went to the hospital for a scan and were led into a different room from last time - the lady suggested we get some chocolate too, so another new thing was trying the onsite cafe...

Wednesday

The last film instalment of Harry Potter! I thought the last book was brilliant and the film was great too - fab effects and a touching plot. Quite amused that it was a 12A (as you know, it means that children under the age of 12 have to be accompanied by an adult). There was a child brought by his mother and he must have been about five, yet was significantly less traumatised than I was!

(It's the dementors that terrify me!!)

Monday

New thing today was a fascinating tour of a couple of buildings that were instrumental in Greenham Common's military history.

SUnday

Lots of new things in Oxford today!

MOnday

New thing was going into a shop called "Trade furniture sales" in my continued search for a chest of drawers. The other new thing was getting a phone call from a general knowledge quiz show that I'd forgotten about and getting 10 of their 30 questions wrong!

I am still here!

I have been mad busy so a lot of my new things have been quite dull and have ranged from going to a bar in London to watching boring films to going to see comedians and trying new flavours of crisps, oil and soap....

I will recommence tomorrow and I'll ensure that everything gets better!!

Thursday

New thing today was watching the 1984 film Another Country starring Rupert Everett and Colin Firth. I wanted to like it so much, and while the portrayal of English boarding schools in the 1930s was great, there was just something missing. It's the story of how life at a boarding school pushed Guy Bennett (based on the life of Guy Burgess) to become a spy for the Russians...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b0d_rgwdwI

Wednesday

New thing was seeing Mark Thomas' Walking the Wall show which was utterly brilliant. I've seen it before, but I'm going to say it was my new thing was he's changed bits of it...ahem.

Tuesday

New thing today was the fabulously sweet play in a campervan along with only three other audience members!

Monday

I haven't bought any new clothes this year but ruined it all today by buying a cute pair of comfortable powder blue shoes in a shoe shop I'd never been into before! I feel bad, but I really did need the shoes, they were reduced, the girl in the shop was lovely... and after all, I guess the essence of the challenge was to stop the "wants"...

Sunday

Marley and Me; the story of a couple who get a puppy that grows into an uncontrollable dog. Unfortunately I blubbed at the end, so MrM now won't let me have a dog.

Saturday

MrM got out the film Anvil which is a documentary on the heavy metal band of the same name. He enjoyed the metal aspect; I enjoyed reliving bits of Toronto.

Friday

New thing today was the inner office of the Newbury Volunteer Centre to collect my big hand and collection tin for "Big Hand for Newbury day"!

I had an enjoyable two hours' collecting (apart from 3 counts of racial abuse - on the receiving end, not giving them! and also being made to move by an overzealous security guard from the Kennet Centre who refused to let me escape the 2nd hand smoke I was breathing in).

Thursday, 7th July

Passed through Edgware Road tube station as it was the fifth anniversary of the London bombings so that was poignant.

Had a quick drink at La Bottega del Caffe before heading to the monthly women's business club meeting that I attend.



Great bit of graffiti I saw on my travels....

Wednesday

A talk by author Kate Colqohoun who delivered an inspiring talk on historic novels and her new book "Mr Briggs' hat" which is a true account of the very first murder on the railways in 1864.

TUesday

Needed to cheer myself up after a rough day and after dropping ma mere to the airport so went to see Mark Watson. He was good, but not as good as I thought he would be and scuppered by being too nice, firstly for feeling bad for being late, and then secondly, too gentle with the world's worst heckler.

www.markwatsonthecomedian.com

Monday

Trois couleurs rouge. It looked really good but I fell asleep...

Sunday

New thing today was going to have a nose around the The Kintbury Experience at the St. Cassian’s Centre which is a beautiful country house which offers retreats for young people to find faith and love. I'd had the most horrendous morning being accused by my family of being an awful person and of doing this and that (I suffer from night terrors and had one last night, then my sister had a go at me because I've moved house six times having to take my mum's stuff with me each time - I always thought I was trying to help, in her eyes it's "acting like an idiot", so it was wonderful to go somewhere peaceful, calm and loving. I met a couple of De La Salle Brothers who were welcoming and kind, and I had a lovely chat with an elderly woman who lives nearby. Perhaps I'm not all evil.

Saturday

New thing was seeing MrM's new office for the first time!

Thursday

New thing today was Millbrook which is a secret circuit where car manufacturers come to put the latest models of their cars through every conceivable test. It's a fascinating place not unlike a bad guy's lair from a James Bond film. AFter a conference here, I headed into the town of Ampthill which I'd never heard of before which is a lovely Georgian town with a range of independent shops and a fabulous antiques shop with three floors of goodies. How I didn't buy anything here, I don't know.....

Wednesday

Lots of new things today, and lots of sitting in the car. Shops in Haywards Heath, then a quick visit to my friend's brother's house to see my friend, his wife, and two of MrM's friends and their children (five children between them, but not one of them noticed my expanding bump!). Then more work and a visit to Jamie's Italian in Reading which was great. Lovely food and friendly staff. No wonder my belly is expanding.

Tuesday

New thing today was an office in Reading for work...

Monday

After five days at Glasto, this is going to a be a bit lame, but my new thing was seeing my nephew's new bedroom for the first time!